A/N: Hey there, nerds. Just wanted to write a friendly little reminder to you all. Sometimes you post guest reviews with questions, or other such guest reviews that clearly beg a response. If you're a guest, I can't reply to you! :( But there's a solution. Just pop on over to my Tumblr page (v3ronica-summ3rs) and you can send me anonymous asks that I can respond to, even if you don't have a Tumblr account. Sound good? It makes me sad when I can't properly reply to you nerds. Your thoughts and reviews give me life. Mucho love to each and every one of you.

Their layover in Amsterdam was only about 45 minutes. There was no time to dilly dally as they disembarked one plane and rushed to find the gate for their connecting flight. Beca was very thankful for this. It meant she didn't have to spend much time dodging Stacie's questioning looks while simultaneously avoiding eye contact with Aubrey and Chloe.

Stacie did, however, corner her in the rest room before their flight back to the States began boarding.

"Tell me what happened," she demanded.

"Nothing happened," insisted Beca.

"Bullshit. Tell me."

Beca wasn't in the mood for this. "No," she said forcefully as she brushed past Stacie toward the exit.

Stacie's voice followed her. "What the fuck, Beca?" She sounded almost hurt, and it stopped Beca in her tracks as she reached for the door. She heaved a sigh and turned to look back over her shoulder.

"Stacie, please. I can't talk about this. Not now." She was quiet, but her tone matched Stacie's in pained timbre. Her observable anguish coupled with the implication that she might be willing to talk about it later seemed to be enough to stop Stacie's persistence.

"Okay," Stacie conceded. Without another word, Beca pushed through the door and back to the waiting area.

Before she even had time to sit, the announcement that their plane would now be boarding rang out. She once again traded seats with Flo in favor of sitting by the window with Lily, instead of with Aubrey and Chloe. She closed her eyes, blasted her music, and did her best to catch up on some of the sleep she had lost the night before.

This whole thing had become such an unbelievable mess that Beca didn't even know where to begin. She was still angry with Aubrey and Chloe, and still believed she had every right to be. What they had done to her over the past few weeks was deplorable. It was manipulative and sneaky. It was the very definition of treachery and Beca was really hurt by it.

That said, they were really and truly honest with her last night, and Beca could even understand why they had lied to her in the first place. This proposition would have freaked her out beyond all reason. There is no way that she would have spent even one second entertaining the idea had they been up front about it. And last night, well, she certainly did entertain the idea… at least for a few minutes.

Horrified as she was by what had happened, Beca was able to recognize and admit – at least silently – that last night's connection with the two women was, well… really, really hot. Her body had enjoyed it before her brain got in the way. She knew now, and could admit freely (at least to herself) that she had feelings for Chloe. She had been very confused about the state of her relationship with Aubrey, and nothing about last night really cleared that up. Beca was pretty sure, though, that it would be unfair to continue to deny the attraction she felt toward Aubrey. Kissing her had been… exhilarating, and gratifying. It felt good, really good, and Beca sort of, maybe, wanted to do it again.

But this was all just too crazy, for Beca. She couldn't do…that with two women. She could barely do that with one woman. Hell, she could barely do that with one man. Beca was certain she wasn't capable of this. She was nowhere near cool enough to even attempt it. Plus, she was still so angry at Chloe and Aubrey. They certainly didn't deserve her after what they had done, and Beca felt pretty adamant about not giving in. She had to make a point, had to know that they fully understood how not okay their actions had been. She didn't want the ends to justify their means. She wouldn't submit. She couldn't succumb.

But – fuck – did she want to?

Beca was still trying to figure that out – or rather, come to terms with what somewhere deep down she knew was the answer – when they landed safely back in Atlanta and headed home. Beca climbed the stairs to her room, dragging her suitcase behind her. She flopped onto her bed and closed her eyes. A heavy sadness washed over her as she realized what it meant to be back. She had graduated. Worlds was over. This house, this place she had called home for three years, was soon to be home no more. She would have to begin packing tomorrow. In just a few days' time, they would be turning the keys over to Legacy as they all moved out and into the next phase of their lives.

Residual Heat had extended Beca's internship through the summer. She was moving in with her dad for now, to finish that off. She'd originally intended to move to LA at the end of the summer, but now, considering her relationship with Jesse was officially caput, Beca wasn't so sure what she would do when the summer came to an end. Maybe she'd still move to LA. Maybe she'd move somewhere else entirely. She hoped the answer would become apparent by the time her internship officially ended.

Beca's phone vibrated nearby. She picked it up and read the text from Stacie.

CR went out. Come down to my room. Let's talk about it.

Beca inhaled deeply. The request strangely did not fluster her, because as she thought about her future, about the next few months of her life, Beca had a crucial realization. It was one of those profound moments where perception shifts to something much clearer. All anyone could do was hope that they would have the right answer when it came time for life to beg an important question, and answers were often found with a little help from friends. Beca didn't need to know right now, but she did need to seek love and guidance from the people she could trust. She needed to listen to their stories to discover answers for herself.

So Beca slowly crept downstairs and gave a soft knock at Stacie's door.

"Come in."

Beca twisted the knob and pushed inside.

"I wasn't sure you'd actually come," Stacie said, sitting up on her bed.

Beca closed the door behind her. "Yeah, well…" She shifted awkwardly, grabbing the elbow of her left arm with her right hand.

"Well, come in, silly. I promise not to bite." Stacie grinned.

"Yeah, I've heard that one before…" joked Beca as she moved toward the bed and took a seat.

"Oh my God, that was one time!"

"Excuse me, three times."

Stacie chuckled loudly. "In fairness, I don't personally recall those other two…"

"Yeah. Tequila might have something to do with that."

"Don't go blaming my best friend, tequila, now. That's just rude."

Both girls laughed, but an uncomfortable silence followed and reminded Beca of why she was here. Their banter suddenly seemed trite, and a little forced. On the one hand, Beca appreciated the attempt at lightening the mood, but on the other, something about it made her feel kind of sick.

"So…" Beca cleared her throat.

Stacie shifted, leaning toward Beca as she spoke. "So, what's going on with Chloe and Aubrey?"

Beca swallowed hard. It was stupid, but the question somehow made her feel like crying. She wasn't sure she could do this.

"Whatever it is, Beca… I promise. It's gonna be okay." Stacie placed a comforting hand on Beca's knee.

She looked down and stared at it for a long, quiet moment, and didn't look up when she finally spoke. "You were right."

Stacie said nothing. Beca wasn't sure if she was waiting for her to elaborate, or if she was simply processing the information. Beca was afraid to look up at her friend, afraid that she would start crying if she did look her in the eye. So silence overwhelmed the room. She shut her eyes tightly and focused on her own breathing. Beca felt Stacie's hand squeeze her knee.

"About Aubrey and Chloe," Beca clarified. "They're, um… you know."

"They're together," Stacie said as she realized what Beca was trying to say.

"Yeah."

"Wow." Her voice was soft, but Stacie sounded genuinely surprised. "I mean, I know that I thought that… but it's something else to, like, know it, you know?"

Head still down and eyes still closed, Beca nodded. Stacie's words had resurfaced images of Chloe between Aubrey's thighs the night she had walked in on them. It hurt all over again, but this time those images were followed by the memory of Aubrey's lips, of Chloe pressed against her back, of the sound of it, of her own feelings in that moment. Something stirred within her. It didn't overshadow her heartache; she instead experienced it concurrently. It was this particular mixture of emotion that Beca couldn't take anymore. It was too toxic. She needed a cure.

"I'm sorry, Beca." Stacie's voice was so sincere and kind. It was a different tone than was characteristic of the girl, who tended to play it cool. It wasn't nonchalant. It wasn't glib. It wasn't flippant. It was serious, and heartfelt. It broke Beca down.

"I just," Beca sniffled. "I really thought that Chloe…" she trailed off. "And Aubrey! God! She'd been so… so… supportive. I thought that they... you know… Well, then, I guess they do, or at least that's what they said, I think… I don't know…" Beca was rambling now. She knew this wasn't productive. Stacie had no idea what she was talking about. So she took a deep breath and slowed it down, explained to Stacie, as best she could, how she found out, what had happened last night, and what the girls had said to her. Beca tried to be fair and impartial, but she couldn't stop the bitterness that crept into her voice as she rehashed the details.

"You're right to be angry," said Stacie when Beca was finished. "That was really shitty of them. They were manipulative, and they're making it sound like they thought it was in your best interest when it was really in their own best interest."

Beca felt validated by Stacie's comment. She didn't know that affirmation was something she needed to hear, but she realized then that she did. She wasn't crazy. She was right. They were wrong. They shouldn't have played her that way. They should have been honest.

"But…" Stacie continued. Beca tensed at the qualifier. "I don't know if that's where your focus should be." She felt herself bristle at the implication, and could tell by the apologetic look on Stacie's face that it was visible.

"Just… hear me out," Stacie entreated. "Their apologies seem genuine. They know they screwed up. And I can tell just from sitting on an airplane with them for 9 hours that they feel horrible about what they've done to you. I'm sure they didn't mean to hurt you."

"But they did," Beca cut in.

"I know, sweetie, but do you really want to lose them over this?"

Beca hadn't thought about that at all. It never occurred to her, even once, that this could mean the disintegration of their friendship. That wasn't what she wanted. It wasn't what she was trying to do. She was angry. She didn't want to forgive them for this, but she also didn't want them out of her life forever.

"No," answered Beca. "That… well, I didn't realize that was even a possibility."

"Of course it's a possibility. What do you think happens if you never forgive them?"

Beca sat silently. She had no response.

"So what is it that you do want, then?" Stacie continued. "What would be your ideal scenario here?"

Stacie was pulling apart the pieces, just as Aubrey had done, breaking it down so that Beca could rationally consider her options. Stacie was probably the smartest of all of the Bellas, but Beca had never recognized before that she and Aubrey shared this ability: the power to untangle the web, to make sense of the senseless. Beca admired it. Why wasn't she capable of this herself? How could she acquire such a skill?

Perhaps no one was capable of this on their own. Maybe even the smartest, or the most emotional savvy, needed that objective eye to help process things, to filter them into something clear and decipherable. It was possible Beca had even done this herself, unknowingly. The way she had convinced Aubrey slowly over time that their set needed to change in order for them to become National Champions wasn't dissimilar, really. Beca wondered if anyone thought of her as a sounding board, someone to go to in times of crisis, as Beca saw so many of her own friends. Maybe everyone is blind when it comes to their own problems.

"I wish they were up front with me from the beginning."

"Okay, but we can't go back in time. What's done is done. There's no changing it. What do you want now?" asked Stacie. She paused for a moment, but when Beca didn't immediately respond, something else seemed to occur to Stacie. "Besides, do you really think – had they been honest at the start – that you would be where you are now?"

Beca furrowed her brow, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"

"Look, Beca," Stacie sighed, "you're not saying it, but I can just tell by the way you told that story… You care about them. You wouldn't be so livid if you didn't. I know you're considering it… being with them. That's why you're here." Beca's face slowly twisted into one of shock and indignation. She was about to vehemently deny it, but Stacie didn't leave her the space. "So do you really think that if they had come waltzing up to you and said 'hey Becs, we'd really like to fuck you, you down?' that you would have even for a second taken that seriously? Actually considered it?" She paused briefly, but Beca was too staggered by the fact that Stacie had just said all that – as if it all weren't totally alarming – to form a quick enough response. "No way in hell, Beca Mitchell. Absolutely fucking not."

Beca was reeling. She wanted Stacie to just stop, but she didn't. She kept pressing. "But now here you are, sitting next to me, wanting, no, honestly, probably needing Chloe and Aubrey, at this point. Fine. They were manipulative, terrible, whatever. But fuck – I've got to give them credit. I never in a million years would have ever thought it would be possible for you to admit something like this to yourself."

"And maybe you aren't admitting it," Stacie quickly corrected, "but I'm admitting it for you. Because Jesus Christ, Beca. You're scared, and angry, I know… but you want this. It's written all over your face." Stacie took a breath before adding one final, important thought. "And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that."

Beca felt like her head was going to explode. Stacie's words, the way she said them with what felt like a sort of callous disregard for Beca's feelings… She couldn't take it, couldn't stand the very noise of it as it echoed inside of her head. She recognized that Stacie had stopped talking, that the girl was allowing her a moment of quiet to process all of the things she had just accused Beca of, but the silence was incredibly loud. Her eyes screwed shut as she tried to focus, to stop the thoughts from spinning, to grasp the words that she needed to say. Beca felt her heart pounding in her chest and grabbed hold of that feeling, fixated on the powerful, steady pulse of it until it started to slow and calm. Then she heard the sound of her own breath, entering and leaving her body, and she concentrated on that until she felt she could open her eyes and look up at Stacie.

Beca released a loud sigh, then spoke with a clear mind. "I need to know that they're sorry for what they've done. And I need them to promise to never treat me that way again. And if I don't believe them, well… then, it doesn't matter what I want… if I can't trust them."

Stacie gave a sad nod of understanding. "Okay, I think that's fair, but," Beca feared what might come next, "if that's what you need, then you have to tell them that. Give them the chance to prove that to you."

Beca glared at her incredulously. She didn't see why Aubrey and Chloe deserved that courtesy. She opened her mouth to explain that, but Stacie read the thought plainly on her face. "Not for their sake, for yours."

Beca scoffed.

"I'm serious! Look, you might not want to hear this… I'm sure you've been stressed since whenever this whole thing started. And I know that I don't know everything that's happened, but…" Stacie took a long pause, as if to stress the importance of what she was about to say next. "But you've been happier these last few weeks, Beca. We've all noticed it. And if this is why?" Beca watched Stacie carefully as she stopped again. Love and sincerity shone in her eyes. The look made her skin itch, but Beca forced herself to maintain eye contact. "Please don't just run away from that."

Something about those words stung in Beca's chest. She looked down at the bed. Of course she was famous for bailing, but actually hearing that her friends thought of her that way – even if she knew they did – well, it still hurt. It wasn't an unreasonable thing to say. In fact, Stacie was probably right to say it. But Beca had changed a lot in her four years at Barden, and it was in moments like this that she worried it would never be enough. She had to try harder, do better.

"I won't," she assured Stacie. "I just need some time."

Stacie's arms quickly wrapped around Beca and pulled her into a hug. Instead of shirking it, and instead of protesting, Beca embraced her friend even harder. It never really got any easier, for Beca. Having friends like this, who loved her, cared about her, wanted her to be happy – she hadn't gotten used to it, and she didn't think she ever would, but it felt good. She knew that now more than ever. She was better with them than she was without them.

And Stacie was right; she had been happier. Despite the stress, and the weirdness – her relationship with Chloe, and with Aubrey, had brought a kind of joy and excitement to her life that she couldn't quite describe. Yes, she was mad. Yes, she was hurt. Yes, she was confused, but the delight she had experienced? The love she had felt? That much was certainly clear. The last few weeks had meant something to her. Maybe it couldn't be fixed. Maybe Beca wouldn't find her way back to that feeling, but she wasn't going to forget about it. And she wasn't going to throw it away. She promised herself she was going to try.