Beca opened the door to the cab, using her crutch to support herself. Looking at the white walls and doors of the house, she thought to others the house looked joyful. It was the exact opposite. Going into that house was certain to be a day filled with dread. Fear found its way into the pit of her stomach, and the brunette knew the longer the wait the worse it would be. She would have to go in and get it over with.
After turning the key in the lock with trembling fingers Beca crossed the threshold, a grimace plain on her face. The paint on the walls was chipping away, and there were enough cracks the girl was certain termites made themselves at home. Her lips formed a frown as she walked into the kitchen, seeing her mother. Ms. Mitchell already had a bottle of bourbon to her lips, and was downing it with an incredible speed. Beca cleared her throat, making her mother turn around. The older woman had bags under her eyes, and her clothes looked like they hadn't been washed in weeks.
"Hi, Mom," she murmured, her hazel eyes staring at the grounds as not to look the older woman in the eyes.
"You're late, and you know how I hate it when you're late," when looking at the two it was easy to see the similarities. Beca had gotten her brown hair from her mother, but in the woman's current state her hair was brittle, whereas Beca's was well kept.
"There was traffic and the cab driver wasn't the fastest guy in the world," the girl's voice was low and her muscles tense as she paced the kitchen, staying as far away from her mother as possible. Yet, as her mother made advances towards her Beca made no attempt to move.
"Why didn't you just take your car?"
"I didn't feel like filling it with gas," Ms. Mitchell laughed, almost tripping over her own two feet as she stared her daughter in the eye, which only made the girl more nervous of the hours to come.
"You're too stupid to have a car, anyway," Beca could only stare at her in anger, clenching her fists.
"Coming from the woman who got her license taken away four years ago," the girl grumbled, instantly regretting it. She gently placed a hand to her cheek, trying to stop the stinging pain her mother had caused by slapping her so quickly.
Beca quickly turned her head as the noise of breaking glass caught her ears. Ms. Mitchell was holding the broken bottle of bourbon, using the bottleneck as a handle and letting the sharp edge act as her weapon. In an instant the girl was pressed against the wall, her chest clenching with fear as her breathing became quicker. She swallowed down her cries as the sharp end of the glass was pressed harshly against the underside of her chin.
She kept her eyes to the ceiling as warm blood flowed from the wound, and it took all her power not to cry out. Her mother's eyes bore through her, like the older woman could see everything Beca was ashamed of, everything she hated about herself.
"Why is your arm in a cast?" her mother asked, raising her eyebrow and pressing the glass even further against her skin, "And why do you have a crutch?"
"I was in a car accident," the younger brunette's reply was hoarse and quiet as she forced herself to gaze into her mother's eyes. "My arm's still broken and my leg has a steel rod in it."
"You're even stupider than I thought," the woman laughed, shaking her head at the trembling girl. Her mother's hand fisted into her hair, pulling roughly and shoving her to the ground. Hot tears stung behind her eyes, but she wouldn't allow it. The only power the young brunette held was to hold everything in. She'd been doing so her entire life, and through every second of pain her lower lip was between her teeth until it bled. It was her only power, and Beca would do anything to keep it.
It was six p.m. and everything was ready. The floor was clean; Beca's clothes had all been put in drawers in Chloe's room. The red head didn't find it surprising that the brunette didn't have many clothes. It seemed her style. The strangest part was finding a place for her ear spikes and other ear accessories. For a girl who seemed to not like jewelry, she certainly had a variety.
Something was wrong, and Chloe could feel it. The feeling in the pit of her stomach was one of dread, and her footsteps seemed to grow louder and louder as she paced the carpet flooring. Her mind raced with possibilities. Could she be in another car accident? Could the world really be that cruel to her? Was she right in her cynicism?
"Could you stop doing that?" Aubrey's voice broke through her thoughts, and all the red head could do was raise her eyebrow at her friend. "You're making me dizzy. I'm not sober enough for you to be pacing this fast."
"Aubrey! Be serious!" Chloe exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air as she continued to pace. "She could be in serious trouble! What if the cab broke down? What if she's in another car accident? Beca could be dead."
With a sigh the blonde lifted herself from the couch, taking her friend's shoulders with her hands to stop her from pacing, and to force the other woman to look her in the eye. Chloe sighed, trying to pry herself from Aubrey's grasp, but she wasn't strong enough.
"She's not dead," Aubrey said calmly, tilting her head to the side. "Beca is not dead, Chloe. She'll be here soon. Calm down, okay?"
"You're right," the red head sighed, shaking her head. "You're right, and I'm being really stupid."
"You're being over protective, and to be honest it's pretty sweet."
"You think?" Chloe asked, letting a small smile cross her lips.
"If Beca could see you know she'd probably laugh at you," the blonde said, smirking slightly.
"Oh shut up, Bree," Chloe replied, sitting down on the couch as her friend did so.
The two sat in comfortable silence, and as the minutes flew by the red head found her head drooping. It shot back up within second, but as the blonde put her arms around Chloe's shoulders the younger Bella put her head on her best friend's shoulder. Soon enough, the blonde found herself smiling down at her sleeping friend, waiting for the she would have to wake her for Beca's arrival.
Stacie, unlike the two older Bellas, was not in her apartment. She had recently visited her favorite club, and flirted with far too many men to count. It wasn't as if she wanted to either. Her days were filled with fun and opportunity, and when her door was knocked on she certainly answered. Although, she wondered why the other Bellas didn't understand. She shrugged and continued onward.
The tall brunette smiled as she walked up the street, she wasn't certain why she was smiling, but it just wouldn't go away. It wasn't as if anything or anyone at the club she'd done was interesting enough to hold her attention. She pulled her phone from her pocket, laughing to herself as she looked at the time. Almost eleven p.m., the night had only just begun.
A noise brought the tall woman's eyes from her phone, only to find a taxi pulling up several yards away. Her stomach boiled with delight, what if it was a man? What if it was an attractive man? That would certainly make her night. Much to Stacie's disappointment, a short woman got out of the yellow car. From the distance the Bella could see her ear spike, her brown hair... and her crutch.
"Beca!" she yelled, smiling as she ran to catch up to the shorter girl. "You didn't tell me you were coming he-" Her thoughts were cut off as she saw the blood on the shorter girl's neck, and the blackness surrounding her eye. Stacie watched Beca try to walk away, but seeing as how the smaller Bella could barely put any pressure on her broken leg, it was a pointless effort.
"What happened to you?" when Beca didn't answer the taller brunette sighed. "I'm calling Aubrey."
"What? No! I'm fine!" Beca's yelled response startled her for a moment, but Stacie shook her head as she pulled out her phone. To make sure the shorter girl didn't go anywhere, the taller Bella put a hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place.
"Stacie?" Aubrey's dazed voice answered from the other line, "Why are you calling us this late?"
"Aubrey, it's Beca," Stacie rushed, "She's here and she can barely walk. You need to come pick her up."
"We're on our way," before the tall brunette could reply Aubrey had hung up, but it certainly didn't surprise her.
"Aubrey, Beca can barely walk! I told you something horrible happened!" Chloe shouted, watching the streets blur out her window as she covered her face with her hands. "What are we going to do?"
"Chloe! If you don't calm down I will turn this car around and leave you back home!" the red head stared at her friend in astonishment, but after a sigh the blonde seemed to calm down. "Beca's hurt, Chloe. She's scared, even if she won't admit it. What she doesn't need is your fear added with hers."
"Okay," she replied meekly, her eyes trailing to her feet, no longer interested in the blurred scenery.
"She'll be okay, Chloe," she heard her friend say, but her response was a shake of her head.
"That's what you said last time, Aubrey."
Silence greeted the two until they arrived. Chloe watched as Aubrey immediately exited the car, while she took a moment to search for the short brunette before getting out. As the blonde stood next to her Chloe gave her friend a curt nod before going to sit on a bench next to Beca while Aubrey went to Stacie.
The girl's head was turned from her, and her knuckles were white as she held her crutch. Just watching Beca made Chloe nervous with the way her leg was twitching and her eyes wandered from place to place. The only spot Beca's eyes didn't land was where Chloe wanted them to be, on her. The red head could hear the conversation going on between the other Bellas, and it wasn't going on as well as she had hoped.
"She hasn't said anything," Stacie told the blonde softly, "Nothing. Zip. The only thing she did say was not to call you."
It stabbed her like a knife. Why wouldn't Beca want their help? Was it pride? Of course Chloe knew the brunette was stubborn, but to refuse help in a situation so great? Slowly and carefully, the woman put her hand on Beca's arm, but after the girl's violent flinch she pulled away.
"Beca," no response, "Beca, it's me. It's okay."
The red head was only greeted by a shake of the girl's head. As she tilted her head, Chloe was able to see the stains of dark red on Beca's neck. With a sigh she moved closer to the girl, who turned her gaze to the ground. Her hazel eyes were stained with pain, and from what she could see, Beca's body was littered with small cuts and bruises.
"Want to go home?" Chloe asked, a small smile forming on her lips as the brunette finally turned to look at her. The red head held out her hand, looking into the hazel eyes she had grown to love. "Come on."
Her thoughts raced, and everything almost seemed unreal. She wasn't asking questions. How could the red head not be asking questions? It was in her nature to be curious, she had barged in on her shower, after all. Yet, there she sat, and for the first time in over six years she was offered a lifeline. Beca nodded, and quickly put weight on her crutch, using it to help her stand up.
Chloe was immediately at her side, and as the woman's hands were on her waist the brunette flinched. However, when the older Bella didn't pull away, she nodded to her and limped her way to the car. Every step sent a shock of pain through her body. Her back, her neck, her leg, and her arms were experiencing a pain they hadn't felt in a long time.
It hadn't been this bad since she was fifteen, and after leaving for college it was one of the few things she enjoyed about the place. She didn't have to go through the pain, at least, not until recently. Beca shook her head, pulling herself from her thoughts. Seeing Chloe's concerned stare she gave the woman a small nod, letting her know she was all right.
Of course, Beca knew she wasn't all right, and that the other Bellas wouldn't believe it either. Once the brunette had finally managed to seat herself in Aubrey's car, which she finally realized how annoying it was that the car was shorter than her, Chloe found her way next to her. The woman barely took half the time she had to get inside, but in her own way, Beca found it slightly amusing.
Taking a moment to look over at the red head, Beca saw her hand offered to her again. With only a moment's hesitation the brunette placed her hand in Chloe's looking up at her. When their fingers intertwined, her mind was specifically on Chloe. How could it not be? The woman was gorgeous, practically a goddess on Barden campus.
The car door opened, and she jumped, looking to see what was going on. Though, she was distracted by Chloe's squeezing her hand.
"It's fine," the girl sighed, turning her gaze back to the red head. "It's just Aubrey."
Aubrey let her eyes wander to the rear view mirror. When she told Chloe to be strong she didn't quite realize how good her friend would be. A small smile crossed her lips at the sight of the two holding hands, and as Chloe's hand rubbed Beca's arm in a comforting way the blonde started the car, driving away faster than she had meant to.
Throughout the drive Aubrey found herself staring to the backseat, constantly checking on the short brunette. Beca's head rested against the back of the seat, and the red head's blue eyes were constantly on her, making sure she was all right. Not a sound was made as they rode, not even when they arrived at the apartment. Yet, as Aubrey stared into the backseat again, it seemed like the two were having a conversation with their eyes.
"Beca, do you need any help?" she didn't want to sound awkward, but it would be rude not to offer.
"No," the girl said softly, "I'll be fine." Though, the blonde didn't quite believe the statement, she watched the girl get out of the car. Chloe was at her side, and as Chloe's hand found a perch on Beca's back the girl flinched, quickly pulling away.
"Don't do that," she muttered quietly, putting almost all of her weight on the crutch. Aubrey watched Chloe quickly hold her hand in the air, but her eyes widened.
"Oh my-" the red head's mouth was instantly shut again when she saw Beca looking at her, and Aubrey sighed. Chloe's hand was coated with a thin layer of blood. Quickly the two older Bellas led the girl back to the apartment, letting her get into the shower on her own, seeing she didn't want the company.
"What are we going to do, Aubrey?" the red head asked, wiping the blood from her hand with a wet towel. "Should we take her to the hospital?"
"I doubt she wants to go back to the hospital, Chloe," Aubrey moved to be beside her, putting an arm around her best friend's shoulders. "Besides, I think what she needs is you right now."
"Me? Why would she need me?"
"Chloe, Beca's always alone, and considering you two left the party together last night I'd make a bet that she actually wants to be around you," the blonde sat on the couch, patting the space beside her for Chloe to sit down. Luckily, the red head did as gestured and put a head on Aubrey's shoulder.
"You noticed that, huh?" the smile on her face hardly went unnoticed by the blonde, but she made no comment.
"Neither of you were there the next morning, so I assumed you did. Besides, it didn't surprise me."
"Why not?" the blonde smirked, raising her eyebrow.
"Your toner."
"Wha-"
"Would you stop trying to deny it? We both know you have one and you're distracted by it. So stop keeping it from yourself and from Beca. She deserves to know, and frankly, she has one for you too."
"How do you know, Aubrey? Since when are you good at reading Beca?" Chloe's smile was enormous; the mere concept of Beca having a liking for her was incredible. The girl was quiet, shy, and reserved. The red head knew she rarely trusted anyone, and to be one of those few people felt like an honor.
"I just know these things," Chloe laughed, but before she could reply the two heard the shower's faucet turn off, lighting a signal in their minds.
"Go take care of her," Aubrey said, earning an eyebrow raise from Chloe. "I'll be in my room asleep if you need me. It's been a long day."
"Night, Bree," she called before walking into her room which connected to the shower Beca was using. The brunette finally emerged ten minutes later wearing sweats and an oversized t-shirt.
She walked over, reaching up to Beca's neck. Her fingers lightly traced the cut on the girl's neck. The blood had been washed off, but as she took a close look at the brunette in front of her Chloe could clearly see she was exhausted. Bags had formed under her eyes, and she seemed much smaller than her usual petite form. Feeling Beca's gulp under her fingertips caused her to smile and pull her hand away slowly. Although the silence between them was almost deafening, the small ways Beca would communicate were heard.
"Tired?" she asked, tilting her head at the brunette and shrugging her shoulders when Beca answered with a nod.
"Come on, let's go to sleep."
"I'll take the couch," Beca murmured, moving slowly towards the living room only for the red head to stop her. With a shake of her head Chloe put a hand on Beca's chest.
"You're not sleeping on any couches for a long time," slowly they walked backwards until the back of the girl's legs made contact with the edge of the bed. "You and I are going to be sleeping here."
Beca's cheeks turned red with her flush, and Chloe couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips. "You're sure?" the brunette asked, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't mind the couch."
"No couch!" Chloe exclaimed, pushing the girl so she was sitting on the bed, expecting to see a look of amusement in her eyes, but all Chloe could find was confusion. "I'm not letting you sleep on the couch because it's totally not as comfortable as this, and I can tell when you have to crack your neck in the morning."
For the first time the entire evening, the red head saw a smile creep onto the girl's face, but it disappeared as soon as it came. They sat, staring into each other's eyes. Somehow the brunette managed to show what she was feeling through those beautiful hazel eyes. Now, all the red head saw was pain and fear. Of course, the young DJ's face showed the exact opposite. She was stoic, not portraying any emotion or feeling whatsoever. For Beca, her normal was her usual smirk and sarcastic attitude, pushing away pain was part of her personality.
Chloe was about to speak, but when Beca finally lied down to put her head against the pillow she sighed. Of course she would give in just as she was about to talk. It only made the woman giggle softly and smile, but she noticed how Beca was lying. Her body was as curled into a ball as it could be, considering the steel rod still remained in her leg. She sighed, shaking her head slightly as she moved to be beside her.
Barely ten minutes had passed before Chloe could hear Beca's deep breathing, and see the slow rise and fall of her chest. Without really thinking about the decision, her arms wrapped around the girl's midsection, pulling her closer. Hearing the groan from Beca's throat seemed absolutely adorable to her, especially since she'd never heard anything like it from her.
In her arms, Beca turned over slowly. Her head eventually rested on the red head's shoulder, and her arm draped over her stomach, the arm that wasn't broken of course. Chloe smiled as she stared down at the brunette, practically memorizing the peace on her face. It was a rare moment, but the red head completely understood.
Through the day Beca would hide her pain, but it lied in wait. It seemed to long for the day it would return to haunt her. Yet as she stayed in Chloe's arms, sleeping peacefully, the woman kept every fear out of her mind. Even in her sleep Beca could feel Chloe's warmth beside her, heat radiating from her body like a wave of comfort and serenity. Her pain melted away for the few hours of blissful sleep, but when the sun rose so did her suffering.
A/N: A longer chapter and a little look into Beca's life. We're starting to develop some Bechloe here (finally, right?). There's definitely going to be more fluff in upcoming chapters. Let me know what you think and I hope you're enjoying it!