"There's no way we can beat the Footnotes and the Trebles!" Beca peered around the curtain to find a twenty something year old at the lead of the group, singing his heart out. His voice was booming over the speakers, drowning out everyone's thoughts. The man caught Beca looking over at him, and he winked while he adjusted his bow tie with his free hand. "Beca, looks like you have a suitor. Maybe he wants to court you. Take you out for tea and crumpets with his blokes, then come home and watch the telly with you," Amy burst into laughter in Beca's ear.

"Why do you say that?" she shouted back.

"Look at him. Bow tie. Yuck."

"Hey! Bow ties are cool!" Stacie butted in.

"It's a British invasion!" Amy threw her hands up.

"You only say he's British because he's the only pale guy in the whole group," Beca rolled her eyes.

"They're all black except him. It only makes sense."

"Amy, that makes no sense..." Stacie commented.

"Ladies!" Aubrey motioned everyone over. "Aca-huddle!" Beca and the rest of the girls got in a misshapen huddle, with Chloe standing behind Beca, grabbing her hand. "We can do this as long as we stick to the choreography completely and we sing our asses off! No surprises this time."

The announcer dismissed The Footnotes, who walked by The Bellas. "Good luck, ladies," the main singer said with a wink. Amy was right; he was British.

"Put your hands together for the Barden Bellas!"

Aubrey took a deep breath, "On three."

"On three or after three?" Stacie asked for the fiftieth time.

"Screw it. Let's just do it."

The group smiled at the quiet crowd as they walked on stage and took their spots. Aubrey blew her pitch pipe and the song began. Beca looked around the room. The judges looked bored. The sound guy was playing on his phone. The audience slumped in their seats. She looked away and met eyes with the British boy who had a smug look on his face. He was dancing away to their song. Beca clenched up and swallowed hard. She needed to do something, and fast. They were definitely going to lose if she didn't at least try something.

"This time, baby, I'll be bulletproof."

She felt everyone glare at her. Even Chloe turned her head to look at her. They were just surprised, that's all. Yeah...they liked it...they were just surprised...right? Right?

The song changed and Aubrey gave her an evil glance out of the corner of her eye. Beca smiled back just to piss her off, but she stayed true to the set-list for the rest of their performance.

"What the Hell, Beca!?" Aubrey yelled as soon as they were backstage.

"What?"

"Were you trying to screw us up?"

"Screw us up? I was saving our asses! I don't know if you haven't noticed, but everyone practically dozed off during our set."

"Newsflash! This isn't The Beca Show! You can't just decide what we do and when we do it. Why don't you ask the others what they thought of your little improvisation." Everyone's eyes left Beca. She searched the small crowd for anyone she could ask. Chloe was biting her bottom lip...she agreed with Aubrey, which was understandable. Beca knew her girlfriend would stick up for her, but she wouldn't be the bad guy. She couldn't throw her under the bus like that.

"Cynthia Rose?"

She looked a little shocked Beca picked her. "Umm...yeah, it was rad...but, it did take us by surprise. I'd be all for it if we had a warning first..."

Amy spoke up, "It was cool. But, yeah, a warning would have been nice."

Beca nodded. Aubrey had tears in her eyes. She thought Beca ruined them. She very well may have. Nobody knew at that point what the results were going to be. "I told you she wasn't a Bella!" Aubrey yelled, not looking over at Chloe. She continued, now talking to Beca, "Your attitude sucks, you are a grade A pain in my pass and-" she choked a little on her words as she continued, "-I want you to stop seeing Chloe...you're a bad influence on her." The rest of the Bellas started murmuring among themselves.

"I knew it! Lilly, you owe me fifty bucks!" Stacie exclaimed, covering her mouth right after the words escaped her. Lilly crossed her arms with an angry expression.

Chloe grabbed Aubrey's arm in protest. "She's not a bad influence on me! And her improvisation sounded fantastic! Beca makes us better!"

"Save it, Chlo. You don't have to pretend you're allowed to have a say in the group, right?" Everyone went completely silent. All eyes were on Chloe. She looked like Beca had just ran over a puppy. To say she was taken aback would be an understatement. She knew Beca could easily put up her walls and push people away, but she never imagined she could do it so swiftly, with just a snap of her fingers. Beca saw the pain in her eyes, but ignored it. Turning her attention to the blonde, she snapped, "I'm just glad you didn't vomit all over the audience again." Beca saw the anger flare in those emeralds. Pushing back a smirk, she threw her hands up in defeat. "If this is what I get for trying..." She turned and walked out, breaking into a run once she was out of sight.

"Aubrey, it actually went really well-"

"Chloe, stop!" Aubrey pushed passed the rest of the Bellas and headed back to the bus. Benji ran over, only catching the very end of the conversation, and asked what happened.

"Aubrey and Beca fought."

"And where's Beca?" he asked concerned. He and Chloe had gotten close since he was over at her apartment often. He knew the pair fought constantly. Plus, Chloe had told him all about Beca's walls.

"She ran off," the redhead replied, feeling tears well in her eyes.

Benji placed his clipboard under his armpit and put his hands on Chloe's shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eye. "You're facing a big challenge in your life right now, at this very moment, right here. That girl loves you. She really, really loves you. Aubrey will always be there for you, you know that. Listen, when life reaches out with a moment like this it's a sin if you don't reach back. Go and find her. She needs you right now. Tell her how much she means to you. You love this girl, right?" Chloe sniffled and nodded. "Tell her."

That was all Chloe needed to hear. She sprinted to the back room and grabbed her and Beca's possessions, then burst out the same doors Beca left through.

Benji smiled to himself as he stood in line at the drinking fountain backstage. He recognized the man in front of him: the lead singer of the Footnotes. Another member walked up and tapped him on the shoulder. "When are you going back to England?" The boy choked on his water and smacked the kid's hand.

"It depends," he hissed. He stalked off in the opposite direction of his group. Benji raised and eyebrow at his behavior. Taking a note to check his background out, he took a drink and decided to go comfort Aubrey before he was put in the doghouse.

The semi-finals were in New York City, but they weren't at Lincoln Center. They were located at a smaller theater out the outside of Manhattan. Chloe ran all over looking for Beca, but came up short. She had even resorted to asking a hobo by the subway if he had seen a girl in a uniform like hers. Beca had left her phone in her purse, so she was alone. Completely alone. New York at night? Most people would rather take a death sentence.

"Excuse me, Miss?" a tourist with a thick Indian accent tried to get Chloe's attention.

"Uhh, yeah?"

"Do you know where the subway train that goes out to the Statue of Liberty is?"

"No, sorry. Have you seen anyone dressed up in this uniform running around here?"

"Well, yes. As a matter of fact I have. She was at the bus station just a block over." She turned and pointed," That way." Chloe ran off, forgetting to thank the woman.

"Beca Mitchell!" The small brunette jumped up from her seat in the empty lobby. She turned to find Chloe striding towards her. She prepared for the worst, but was pleasantly surprised as the redhead dropped her bags and flung herself onto Beca, smashing her lipstick covered lips against her own. Beca's hands found their usual spot around Chloe's waist and pulled her closer. "Beca," Chloe moaned into her mouth. The brunette pulled away and sat down. She almost forgot she was upset. Chloe plopped down beside her. She set her hand on Beca's knee, letting her know she was there for her.

Beca sighed and combed her fingers through her hair. "I'm guessing we lost?"

"I left a few minutes after you. I have no idea," Chloe said quietly.

"It's all my fault." Chloe could hear the change in Beca's pitch. "I should have stuck to the set-list like I was told to."

"No, babe, it sounded wonderful."

"Wonderful? If it was so wonderful, why did it get me kicked out of the only family I had?" her voiced cracked, as did her tough façade. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked into Chloe's face, searching for comfort. Chloe pulled Beca over into her seat and let Beca sob into her neck. She would be lying if she said she didn't cry a little too.

When her cries died down, Chloe pushed her away just enough to look into her eyes. She wiped a tear from Beca's cheek with her thumb. "I love you. I'm not going to let anything like that happen to you ever again. I'm going to protect you. I'm going to be there for you when you need me. I'm always going to be there, Beca." The small girl finally cracked a smile.

"You love me?"

"Yes."

"I love you too," Beca broke again, this time venting her sudden wave of emotions through passionate kisses on Chloe's lips, jawline and neck while few salty tears rolled down her cheeks. Chloe pulled the rest of Beca onto her lap. With the brunette attached to her neck by her lips, Chloe's hands were free. She started to undo the few buttons on Beca's overshirt. Flinging it on the ground, she started to undo the undershirt's buttons. Beca broke away for a second to whisper, "We're in public, Chlo."

"So what?"

"So, are you love birds going to buy a ticket or what?" the large man behind the counter at the front of the room boomed. It was obvious that he was agitated and hated his job. Beca dismounted Chloe's lap and redid the button the redhead had undone.

"I already talked to you about that. The bus leaves at 10:30 tomorrow, correct? And that'll take us out to the train station? Then the train will take us to Atlanta?"

The man crossed his arms. "Yeah. But you gotta buy a ticket first, lady."

"Two for the bus and two for the train, please." Beca grabbed her wallet from her purse and paid the man. She put the tickets away and returned to Chloe. "We have like eleven hours to blow." A smile stretched across Chloe's face as she stood up and grabbed Beca's hand.

"Grab your stuff."

"Where are we going?" Beca questioned.

Chloe pulled her towards the door. "To a hotel."

"But that's expensive, Chlo. We can sleep in here."

"But I can't make love to the woman I love in here."