Beca was happy. She and Chloe were getting along again, like their spat had never happened. Things were still a little bit awkward since Beca was nervous that Chloe might get tired of her and break up with her or get sick of being patient. Chloe was feeling the awkward because she could tell Beca was scared that she would leave her and she really wanted Beca to start opening up to her in a way that didn't make the younger girl feel trapped. The couple was currently sitting on Beca's couch/bed in her tiny freshman dorm room. Beca was lying down with her feet in Chloe's lap and her math book was clutched entirely too hard, turning the tips of her fingers white in an attempt to concentrate.

Chloe was supposed to be reading a book for abnormal psychology but instead found herself just watching her girlfriend get more and more frustrated by the math equations. Chloe found her irritated facial expressions beyond cute.

"Ugh! Why do I even need this fucking math?" Beca yelled out in frustration.

Chloe laughed quietly.

"Here babe, let me help you. I've already taken that class and trust me, I know from personal experience that Mr. Minestin can't teach math to save his life," Chloe joked. She switched their positions and pulled Beca up so that she was sitting and wrapped an arm casually around her girlfriend's shoulders.

Beca turned a dark shade of red.

"No, that's okay, I-I'm good Chlo," Beca declined quickly, sitting up straighter, her girlfriend's arm feeling constricting.

Chloe frowned,"I don't get it Becs, why can't you just let me help you?"

"It's just math Chloe, I can figure it out," Beca defended.

Chloe was already shaking her head.

"No it's not just math, it's math, dancing, singing, and everything I've ever offered to help you with. So try again," Chloe retorted.

Beca took a deep breath. She could tell Chloe one little tiny secret about herself right? So what if she'd never told anyone before, it's just Chloe right? Besides, she was supposed to be opening up to her gradually and this seemed like as good as place as any to start.

"Chlo…it's embarrassing okay?" Beca answered honestly, refusing to meet Chloe's beautiful blue orbs.

"Beca needing help is nothing to be embarrassed about okay?" Chloe promised reassuringly, leaning in close to the beautiful brunette.

"When I was a little girl…my parents told me that needing help was a sign of weakness," Beca mumbled, looking down at the couch, memorizing the shade of grey as if it were the most interesting thing on the planet.

Chloe was over the moon. Not because Beca's idiot parents had fed her those horrible lies, no child should be told that needing help was a sign of weakness because it definitely is not but she was beyond thrilled because Beca had finally let her in just a little bit. Obviously there was some bad blood between Beca and her parents and it didn't take a genius to figure out that Beca had a problem with authority (which is probably why she and Aubrey clashed so much) At least Chloe had a place to start with her girlfriend.

"Beca…look at me," Chloe demanded gently, forcing Beca to look up and meet her gaze by leading her chin. "Needing help with anything is not a sign of weakness, especially not math. I get that you and your parents aren't close but you can't let anything they say get to you okay?"

Beca scoffed, "That's the understatement of the century."

"Then tell me about your parents," Chloe requested gently. She reached over to her girlfriend and took the math textbook off of her lap and pulled her into her side, not missing how the blue eyed brunette tensed at the mere mention of her parents. Chloe's brow creased with worry. What could have happened to make Beca hate her parents that much? Was the divorce really that nasty?

"Nothing to tell," Beca said too quickly, standing up and stretching.

"Come on Becs, there must be something you can tell me about your parents," Chloe pushed, standing next to her girlfriend.

"They're pretty boring Chlo," Beca replied defensively, unconsciously crossing her arms over her chest protectively.

"Well how about I be the judge of that?" Chloe asked, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously.

Beca looked up to meet Chloe's eyes with a questioning look.

"What do you mean?" Beca asked slowly.

"I mean I want to meet your parents. Y'know officially," Chloe stated, a huge smile on her face. If she could get Beca to reconnect with her parents then maybe the younger girl would be more open about herself, not to mention all the information about her girlfriend as a child she could get from the girl's parents.

"No. Absolutely not. Never in a million years," Beca denied easily. Just the mere thought of letting her horrible parents anywhere near the most precious thing in her life was just completely out of the question.

"Why not? Are you ashamed of me?" Chloe asked sadly, her big blue eyes welling up with tears.

"No! Chloe that's not in at all I swear," Beca swore. She reached over and captured one of her girlfriend's soft hands in her own.

"Then what is it?" Chloe demanded, she pulled her hand out of Beca's grasp. As much as she wanted to make things easier for the younger girl, she really needed an explanation.

Beca took a deep breath,

"Chlo I don't speak to my parents anymore. Ever," Beca explained slowly. She fought to keep her voice even; she was about to reveal a secret that she'd never told anyone before.

"Beca…I know you said it was hard to talk about but can you please tell me what happened between you and your parents?" Chloe requested carefully.

"I don't want to talk about this," Beca denied, she freed herself from Chloe's embrace and stood up. She put distance between herself and the girl she loved and began to pace.

"Which is exactly why we have to! Becs it's not normal to react that way whenever I bring up your parents. Obviously something really upsetting happened to you when you were young and I want to help you but I can't if you won't let me," Chloe argued.

"I never asked for your help," Beca snapped back.

"You didn't have to! I'm here trying to help you because I care about you! That's reason enough," Chloe shouted.

She didn't miss the way Beca flinched and shut her eyes tightly when Chloe raised her voice. Feeling her resolve crumble, she cursed herself before walking around the room and wrapping her arms around Beca comfortingly.

"Look I'm sorry Becs, I didn't mean to yell at you. But we need to talk about this and we will," Chloe promised, she kissed her short girlfriend's forehead and grabbed her book and left.

Beca wanted to chase after the older girl, beg her not to leave and tell her everything about her horrible past. She wanted to open up to Chloe and let her take all the hurt away but she was too damn scared. What if Chloe thought she was too broken and left? What the hell could she do then? Chloe was her everything and that scared her.

Tomorrow, Beca vowed she would skip all her classes, go over to Chloe's apartment, hope Aubrey wasn't there, and tell her girlfriend everything.