A/N: I'm so sorry that it has taken me so long to update this fic! I've been in a bit of a funk, it seems, and writing hasn't been coming very easily. I so appreciate all your kind words and messages, the non-demanding, non-judgmental reminders that you guys love this world I've created and this story I'm writing. I'm so happy that I finally have more of it to share with you. Thank you for your patience, and, as always, for all of your support. It really means the world to me.

In the past two weeks, Beca had successfully vacated the Bellas house and moved in with her father. She was just beginning to get settled into her new routine, now interning just shy of full time at Residual Heat. She hadn't completely unpacked, as she wasn't sure where she might be in a few months. Besides, her college furnishings, cookware, towels, etc, weren't strictly necessary – nor did they really suit the décor – in her father's home. Those things were all in boxes stacked in the basement.

It was hard not to wonder when she might need them again, and where she might be when she did, but Beca did her best not to dwell on the subject, and to have faith instead that everything would fall into place. With the positive reaction to the track she made with Legacy, Beca found that her passion for and ability to create music had been revitalized, and she spent most of her free time working on new songs. She had made a few tweaks to "Flashlight," under her boss's advisement, and he promised to share the demo with some of his colleagues.

From an outside perspective, Beca was doing everything right. She seemed to have it together, and to be moving forward, striving (perhaps slowly) toward that next step. All of it was good, and Beca felt proud – happy even, but there was a hollow sort of feeling that accompanied her excitement.

She hadn't talked – with the exception of some passing small talk – to Aubrey or Chloe since their return from Copenhagen. Beca thought that was okay. She needed some distance, some breathing room, and she figured that they understood that. After all, they hadn't reached out to her either. And, yes, there was a small, irrational part of her that felt bitter about that – wished they would– but the more reasonable part of her brain reminded her that this was her choice. She could just as easily pick up the phone, and she knew that Aubrey and Chloe were just trying to do the right thing here – giving Beca the space she had thought she needed.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to know that it might be, just a little bit, maybe killing them to stay away from her…

Because maybe they didn't care at all. Maybe they put all the effort they were willing to exert into this thing, and when Beca didn't deliver, they decided to move on, forget about it, forget about her. It's not like either of them cared about her the way that, she presumed, they cared about each other… So, if they thought that Beca didn't want this, that it was beyond her, it'd probably be easy for them to just move on with their lives.

And Beca had spared a thought for letting them to do just that. This would allow her to run away without all the hassle of actually running. She'd just let them go. She'd disappear and continue on with her life.

Yes, she had considered it, but she also remembered what she had promised Stacie: that she'd try. And that's exactly what she was thinking of when she tapped out a text to Chloe that morning.

Hey there

It wasn't exactly groundbreaking, but it was something. Beca was a little surprised when she didn't get an immediate response, but it was only 7:30am. Maybe Chloe wasn't awake yet. After staring at the phone for several minutes, Beca put it back on the charger and headed for the bathroom. She had to be at Residual Heat by 9:00am, so she did her best to forget about the text as she hopped into the shower and began to get ready for the day.

"Dad! I'm leaving!" she yelled as she grabbed her cell phone. Beca was running late, as usual, and decided not to chance a glance at her phone's clock, so she wouldn't be reminded of just how late she was.

"There's half a bagel on the counter!" she heard her dad's voice shout back.

"Awesome," she said quietly to herself, her stomach rumbling. "Thanks, Dad!" she called, snagging her keys, and then heading for the kitchen. Beca grabbed the bagel, placing it between her teeth as she pushed open the front door and rushed to her car.

She did her best to ignore the digital clock, but the time shone brightly: 8:41am. She still had to make a stop at Starbucks to pick up coffee for her boss and some key members of the staff (and one for herself, too, of course). There was no way she was going to make it in by 9:00am.

It was 8:52am when she pulled into the Starbucks parking lot. She was grateful to find the place was practically empty – or, at least, there wasn't a line. Maybe there was a God after all, and maybe that God was gracious and didn't absolutely despise Beca.

She placed the order, adding a chocolate croissant for her boss as an apology, hoping it would appease him so he wouldn't lecture her about her tardiness. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and waited. That's when she saw it, the text from Chloe. Beca felt her heart stop, a sudden nauseous feeling overpowering her senses. She thought about ignoring it for now. She had other things to worry about, like just how late she was going to be, but Beca couldn't help herself. She opened the message with a swipe of her thumb.

Beca! I've missed you ;)

A smile played on her face as she read Chloe's text, but after staring at the screen a moment longer than necessary, she quickly dropped the smile and pocketed the device. She tried to pretend not to notice the way her heart jumped at the words, how happy and warm it made her feel, but as she silently considered her response, she was forced to acknowledge the visceral sort of giddiness that was taking over.

This was exactly what Stacie was talking about, Beca realized. This thing – her relationship with Chloe – it brightened her day, lifted her spirits, and otherwise dissolved the chip Beca consistently had on her shoulder. And God, Beca thought, it was just so stupid that something so small, the very simple existence of Chloe Beale, could transform her so much. It was time for her to just fucking admit that to herself already. She needed to stop fighting it, in much the same way that she needed to stop fighting her attraction to Aubrey.

She pulled her phone back out.

I've missed you too :)

The barista called her name just as she sent the message. She once again placed the phone in her pocket, then grabbed the order and hurried back to the car.

It was 9:09am when Beca pulled into the parking lot at Residual Heat. She was late, but as she quickly walked into the office, she noted that her boss hadn't arrived yet. She breathed a sigh, relieved that her delay would go unnoticed. She put the beverages on the counter in the kitchen, then grabbed her boss's coffee, and the chocolate croissant, and brought them to his desk. Beca turned to leave and practically bumped into him as he entered the room.

"Sorry," she sputtered.

"Reggie," he said, drawing his sunglasses up onto his head with a nod of acknowledgement.

She side stepped so he could move into his office, then sped back toward the kitchen to retrieve the rest of the coffees for delivery. As she returned to the main room, she heard her boss holler, mouth clearly full of croissant: "Good work, Reggie!" She smiled to herself as she distributed the rest of the drinks. Beca's boss was an outlandish character. He was indescribably ludicrous, but Beca admired the fact that such goofiness didn't undermine his authority. She wondered how one acquired that level of confidence in their own eccentricity. She could use some of that.

Beca settled into her desk, opening the spreadsheet she had been working on creating which helped catalogue various contacts based on certain projects or albums they had worked on with the company. The development of this system was Beca's idea, and as boring as it sounded, it was one she was particularly proud of. It had already been useful once, and Beca was certain it would prove indispensable in the future, when they were looking to assemble just the right team for a new project.

She sipped coffee as she entered data from hard files into the spreadsheet, but the earlier text exchange with Chloe was nagging at her. She kept glancing down at her phone, which she had placed just left of the keyboard, but so far, nothing. The screen was dark. Chloe hadn't responded. She looked at the computer's clock. It had been almost an hour. Why wasn't Chloe texting her back? Beca's mind raced as she did her best to re-focus on her task.

Beca noticeably flinched when her phone buzzed against the desk. She picked up the device and frantically swiped right and entered her password, revealing Chloe's message.

So, how are you?

Relieved, Beca sent a near immediate response.

Good. Moved back in with dad. Getting settled. Work's okay. You?

She put the phone down, but it vibrated again before she could get back to work on the spreadsheet.

Other than missing you, you mean? ;)

Beca smiled down at her phone. She couldn't help it. The text had spread a comfortable warmth through her chest. She waited patiently as she noted the dots indicating Chloe was still typing.

I start teaching in late August, so I'm taking some time to just relax. Moved in with Aubrey. Things are good.

Beca had kind of forgotten that Chloe was moving in with Aubrey. Knowing now that the two were together, Beca realized what a big step that must have been for them. She felt an indescribable twinge, but didn't have time to identify the emotion behind it before Chloe texted again.

But they'd be better with you.

Beca felt her cheeks flush. Her heart ached. It was a strange, bittersweet sort of feeling. She was glad to know that Chloe missed her, that she still wanted to be with her on some level, but it hurt at the same time. It made her feel stupid for boxing Chloe out in the first place.

I know what you mean, she replied. And she did; she really did. It wasn't just that she missed her physical relationship with Chloe – though that was certainly true –Beca missed the girl's very presence. She missed the way it felt to simply be in a room with her.

Aubrey misses you too…

Beca's skin tingled as her stomach dropped at the sight of the message. Thinking about Aubrey was so strange. When she had first returned from Copenhagen, she mostly ignored the Aubrey component of this equation. It was just too weird. Beca felt like she couldn't think of Aubrey that way. She'd struggled with the idea over the past couple weeks, until she ultimately came to the realization that Aubrey was actually an integral piece of this fucked up puzzle. There was no Chloe without Aubrey. Once she'd grasped that, she recognized that she had, in fact, already thought of Aubrey exactly that way. At the time, those phone calls with Aubrey had simply confused her. She was too wrapped up in deciphering all the new feelings she was having toward Chloe that she hadn't even acknowledged the fact that she was having new feelings toward Aubrey.

And it was scary, beginning to understand it all now, but that's what the time away had given her. Beca again remembered her promise to Stacie. Terrifying though it was, Beca knew she wanted to try this. So she mustered the courage to text back something difficult to admit, but undeniably true.

I miss her too

Beca released a breath, silently commending herself for such a direct display of honesty. Emotions certainly weren't her forte, nor would they ever be, but if this was what she wanted, she knew she would have to try to do better. She could, at the very least, pretend she was the sort of person who knew how to express herself intelligibly.

:) I'm glad to hear that, Beca

It was kind of stupid, how proud she felt. But it seemed as though she was finally figuring out how to say the right things, and it was gratifying to have such a simple, pleasant, and authentic exchange on the subject of her own feelings.

Maybe it wasn't much, but it was progress. She was glad to have reconnected, and knew now she could move forward at her own pace. Beca felt at ease and in control of herself in a way she realized she hadn't really felt since Chloe's initial proposition. Smiling, Beca put her phone in her bag and refocused on her work.

Beca had been home a little more than an hour when she got the call from Aubrey. She hadn't been expecting it and was, at first, a bit startled by it. But that initial fear immediately subsided when she heard Aubrey's voice. Beca had missed the sound of it.

"Beca!"

"Hey, Bree." Beca couldn't stop the grin, or the little chuckle that accompanied her greeting.

"Chloe told me that you texted her, and I just couldn't help it. I had to call." Aubrey paused, her excited tone taking more serious form. "I've missed talking to you."

Beca sighed. She felt oddly comforted, and reassured. She hadn't been expecting that hearing those words from Aubrey directly would feel as good as it did. "I know. I've missed talking to you, too."

"So, how are you?!"

She filled Aubrey in on the details of her move, how weird it felt to be, once again, living with her father. She explained that things at work were going well, that she was getting settled into the new routine of her life. Beca told Aubrey how good things were, and left out the part about exactly how much she missed her and Chloe. "What about you?"

In much the same way that Beca had carried on, Aubrey detailed how well things were going at the Lodge. She spoke of a particularly interesting sales team who had recently attended. They were more out of sync than the Bellas could have ever been, Aubrey reported. The work was tough, but she was hopeful that they had left the retreat in a much better place than they had arrived.

"That all sounds great! I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," Beca could practically hear the woman's smile on the other end of the phone. But then came a weighted breath that Beca wasn't sure what meant. "And Chloe…" she paused. "It's been great to have her here with me."

Aubrey's words didn't sound disingenuous, but they did sound sort of sad and that was certainly significant, evocative even. Beca wanted to question it – to try to understand how it could be remotely possible for someone as bright and cheerful as Chloe to bring anyone down – but she knew it wasn't her place. Beca believed Aubrey was sincerely happy that Chloe had moved in. She didn't doubt that for a second. But the quiet melancholy of the statement did suggest that, perhaps, living with Chloe wasn't quite what Aubrey had anticipated. It seemed as though Aubrey believed she could be happier. But it really wasn't any of Beca's business.

"I'm sure it has been," Beca replied. She realized only after the words had exited her mouth that they sounded sort of sarcastic, like she was mocking Aubrey's rather cliché declaration. They were tinged with something ugly, something that resembled jealousy.

Beca tried not to panic, but the silence kept her brain spiraling with familiar cyclical self-loathing. "Sorry, uh—"

"Would you like to go out with us this weekend?"

Aubrey's words sped out of her mouth so fast that, though she heard them, Beca didn't have time to register their meaning.

"What?" As soon as she had said it, understanding hit, and surprise overwhelmed. She was pretty sure Aubrey had just asked her out.

"I asked if you would like to go out with us – with Chloe and me, that is – this weekend?"

Her suspicion confirmed, Beca's mouth went dry. She knew better than to try to respond quickly, lest her thoughts devolve into an incoherent, sputtering mess. But the quiet felt like pressure, and she couldn't stop the words as they tumbled gracelessly. "Uh – I'm sorry, what?!"

Beca heard Aubrey laugh, and she gave a frantic shake of her head. Was her question unwarranted? I mean, this was crazy.

"God, Mitchell. You're just so adorable sometimes," Aubrey said almost inaudibly, as if saying it more loudly would turn it into an actual admission – like Aubrey was refusing to disclose how cute she thought Beca was when she was flustered. Beca's eyes were wide, and only grew wider as the blonde continued. "We would like to take you out to dinner."

"Like, on a date? Like a date?"

Aubrey giggled again. "Come on. I know you're not that dense. Yes, on a date." She carefully annunciated each of those last words, and Beca found it condescending at best, like she was slowing things down for Beca's benefit, like she didn't think it was the weirdest ask on the planet, and had absolutely no idea why Beca didn't get it.

It made Beca want to lash out, and she very nearly did, but reminded herself that she didn't want to push Aubrey away, and it was precisely that kind of outburst that would do just that. So she regained some semblance of self-control, took a breath, and kept her cool. "Sure," she said. "I'd love to."

A/N: I hope to bring you more sooner rather than later, but I make no promises... Thanks for reading! :)