Chapter 13

Turn It Upside Down (Turn the Beat Around)

Chloe's recovery went smoothly. While her doctor explained that she shouldn't attempt to sing above a G sharp, and that perhaps she would never regain the ability to, Chloe was mostly grateful that she could sing at all. She would no longer have to suffer through the pain that singing with nodes caused, and she was trying to stay positive about regaining her vocal range.

She was, however, still kicking herself for timing the surgery the way she did, now that the Bellas were headed to Nationals. She wasn't sure she'd be able to perform with them so soon after the procedure. She did a variety of vocal exercises each day, but she basically had to re-learn how to sing and that was no simple task.

Chloe and the rest of the Bellas arrived back to campus on the Sunday afternoon of spring break. As soon as news broke about the Footnotes, Aubrey had called for rehearsal before classes were even back in session.

And that's where Chloe found herself now, back with the girls in a room filled with excitement. Aubrey obviously hadn't invited Beca to join them at this rehearsal. As far as the blonde was concerned, Beca was no longer a Barden Bella. In fact, to Aubrey, she never had been. But the redhead had other plans. She wouldn't, couldn't, leave her girlfriend out. So now she had to come clean to her best friend that she had invited the DJ to join them.

"I texted Beca," she said bluntly, looking away from Aubrey as she walked toward the bleachers.

"You did what?" came Aubrey's shocked response

Chloe stood firm and worked up the courage to look at her friend in the eye. "She makes us better."

Aubrey was still in a state of disbelief. "That's not an opinion for you to have, Chloe."

"Why because it's not yours? You're not always right you know." The week she spent away from the situation had done wonders for Chloe's self-confidence. She knew now that standing up for what she thought was right (not what Aubrey thought, or what Beca thought) was the best course of action. She was proud of herself, and managed to flash a smug smile.

"We will win without her," Aubrey insisted as she handed Chloe a sheet of music.

Anger began to bubble within the red haired captain. She couldn't believe Aubrey was still being so stubborn. Why couldn't she see how very wrong she was? "No we won't, Bree. And you know it."

Chloe heard gasps from the group of girls behind her. And she was pretty sure she heard Fat Amy murmur, "Oh shit. Red's throwin' down."

"Aca-scuse me?" the blonde questioned.

"You heard me," Chloe's tone was cool. She was ready for this. She was standing at the edge and was ready to jump. She just hoped her fellow Bellas would be there to catch her. She wasn't sure she'd succeed without them. "We can't show up at Nationals with the same tired routine. We need Beca."

The blonde was taken aback. She paused for a moment, but Chloe noticed the tell-tale glint in her eye. The gloves were off; the claws were out. The redhead took a breath and braced herself.

"Maybe you need that tattooed traitor, but we certainly don't." Aubrey's voice was low, commanding. She spoke through gritted teeth when she said, "Now, let's get to work aca-bitches."

Chloe huffed, but begrudgingly moved into formation with the rest of the girls. Beca would be showing up soon. Chloe knew it. She'd save her energy for that moment. The girls began to go through the same routine, again and again. No one, with the exception of Aubrey, had their heart in it. They sounded worse than ever and it didn't go unnoticed by the blonde captain.

"Okay, stop! What is happening to us?" There was panic evident in Aubrey's voice. For a brief moment, Chloe felt sorry for her best friend. She knew she was doing the right thing. She knew she had to take Aubrey down a peg. But it wasn't easy to watch her friend suffer through this moment alone.

But then Aubrey was on another rampage, and the redhead lost all sympathy for her. "Chloe, you sound like you smoke three packs a day! Stacie? You are so behind on choreography. And Jessica and Ashley, it is like you haven't been here ALL year long!"

Ashley piped up. Or maybe it was Jessica. Chloe wasn't exactly sure. "Aubrey, really?!"

"We've literally been here the whole time!" Jessica (Ashley?) finished.

Aubrey turned away, only Fat Amy was brave enough to follow and try to reason with the tyrant. "Aubrey, please just give us a break. It's kinda not the same without everyone here…"

And this is exactly what Chloe knew had to happen. The girls all had to work together to convince Aubrey that what the Barden Bellas needed was Beca Mitchell. Chloe couldn't do it alone. She breathed a sigh of relief when Cynthia Rose jumped in as well.

"We need Beca."

"Maybe if Aubrey loosened the reins a little bit…" Chloe sounded patronizing and borderline sardonic. It wasn't kind, or reasonable, but she couldn't help herself. She was pissed.

"Okay, shut it, Chloe!"

"Woah," Stacie warned, jumping to the redhead's defense like Fat Amy and Cynthia Rose before her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That was rude," Aubrey mocked, before digging her claws in. "Chloe, could you please get your head out of your ASS? It's not a hat!"

Chloe was floored. Aubrey had moved from the realm of stubborn straight to childish. She was pathetic, and Chloe was shocked.

"Aca-awkward," Fat Amy muttered beside her.

Aubrey returned to her position amongst the Bellas and clapped her hands together. "Again!"

The girls resumed formation for the top of the number, but Chloe didn't budge. Aubrey glared at her with venom in her eyes, but she just stared straight back at her friend. "No," she stated, with a shake of her head and a raise of her eyebrows.

"I'm fucking serious! We're doing this without her and I won't hear another word about it. Move your ass!" The blonde made a sound reminiscent of a growl, and pointed a strong finger toward a spot on the floor.

Chloe could no longer retain her composure. All her rage against her friend suddenly exploded from deep within her. "I have been there for you for so many years and all you do is treat me like shit!"

Before Aubrey had a chance to respond, Fat Amy cut in. "Alright, alright, okay! JUST SHUT UP! EVERYONE! Come on," she pleaded, "I joined this group so I could hang out with a bunch of really cool chicks." She took a brief pause. "And also cause I was really sick of all my boyfriends. And I need to get away from that."

Come on, Amy. Get yourself back on track. Chloe silently entreated.

"But this is some serious horse shit!" Fat Amy continued. Chloe stole a glance over at Aubrey, who looked genuinely sad. The girls were getting to her. Chloe's plan was working. She could practically see the gears turning in the blonde captain's mind, as she began to honestly reckon with the fact that she might be in the wrong on this one.

"Woo, that smell! Stinks everywhere! I don't want to be like the old Bellas," Fat Amy concluded, crossing to retrieve her things from the bleachers. She'd said what she needed to say and now she was bailing on rehearsal entirely.

Cynthia Rose quickly followed, brushing past Aubrey as she said, "Yeah, I wanna be like we are now."

Lily was next. She stopped directly in front of Aubrey and nodded, mumbling something that Chloe couldn't quite make out.

While her anger at Aubrey hadn't disappeared, the redhead caught herself smiling. She was proud of all of her friends. This moment was all the more proof that they were an amazing team. That they could overcome anything. That they were destined to be the best.

Chloe was next to cross Aubrey and head for her bag. She was fully prepared to leave her best friend here alone if the girl couldn't find it in herself to apologize and admit out loud, once and for all, that she was wrong. "Shoulda listened to Beca," she muttered.

"Oh, so it's my fault?"

She heard Aubrey's voice from behind her and whipped back around. "That's not what I'm saying!"

The other girls turned to look at an exasperated Aubrey. It was clear the blonde wasn't ready to let this go just yet. "No, no, no! That's what you're all thinking, isn't it? That I'm the jerk! I am the girl obsessed with winning!"

Chloe tried to be patient. She knew where this was coming from, knew where Aubrey's perfectionist attitude came from, and she tried to sound understanding and sympathetic when she said: "Aubrey, you're too controlling! And it's gunna ruin all of us."

The blonde's face suddenly changed, contorted in some way that Chloe couldn't quite describe. "You know what?" she asked. "I can lose control if I want to. I can let go! This time I'm not gunna choke it down!"

Cynthia Rose cocked her head in confusion, but the redhead knew exactly what her best friend meant by that. She was prepared for what was to come as Aubrey leaned forward and started dry heaving.

The rest of the Bellas began screaming in horror as Aubrey purposefully projectile vomited onto the rehearsal room floor, but not Chloe.

"Come on!" she encouraged. "Bring it! You could do better than that!" If this is what it meant for Bree to let go, it was well worth it. And while Chloe was still enraged by the blonde's behavior, deep within her she recognized that they were going to come out on the other side of this just fine. But that thought hadn't fully formed in her brain just yet, so as Aubrey wiped her mouth, it was Chloe's turn to lose control.

"WE COULD HAVE BEEN CHAMPIONS!" she yelled. All hell broke loose as she began chasing Aubrey around the room. Chloe was captain, too, and if Aubrey had just let her call some of shots along the way, they wouldn't be in this literal mess (because, yes, the floor was covered in Aubrey's regurgitated lunch) in the first place. "GIVE ME THE PITCH PIPE, YOU BITCH!"

The room exploded into complete chaos as each of the girls' pent up emotions suddenly found themselves manifested. Chloe warred with Aubrey for the pitch pipe, and Fat Amy joined that struggle as well. The redhead could hear Stacie and Cynthia Rose quarreling behind her. It seemed that Stacie had finally had enough of the other girl's not-at-all subtle, and far too physical, attempts at seduction.

Aubrey lost control of the Bellas branded pitch pipe. It flew out of her hand and onto the floor. She and Chloe simultaneously lunged for it with Fat Amy just behind.

"Guys, stop!" The voice seemed small and faraway to Chloe in that moment, but she recognized the sound immediately. Beca had shown up. The redhead's heart thumped hard in her chest. She swallowed down a lump that had risen in her throat as she looked up toward the brunette.

"What is going on?!"

Aubrey moved beneath Chloe and the redhead shifted, allowing the girl to stand. The blonde took a moment to compose herself as Chloe and Fat Amy slowly got to their feet. Silence fell over the room. All the Bellas' eyes were on Aubrey.

"Nothing. Nothing, this is a Bellas rehearsal," she said steadily.

"I know." Beca responded quickly. "I just…" she paused, and Chloe watched her carefully, silently begging her girlfriend to be the bigger person. Someone had to be, and it sure wasn't going to be Aubrey. "…wanted to say that I'm sorry." Chloe let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "What I did was a really dick move and I shouldn't have changed the set without asking you guys." Her dark blue eyes fell onto Chloe as she continued, "And I definitely shouldn't have left. I let you guys down and I'm really sorry."

The lump in Chloe's throat began to rise again as she felt the distinct prickling of tears welling behind her eyes. Beca's apology was genuine, and the redhead knew she may not receive any further words on the matter from the emotionally stunted DJ. Her heart warmed, but she shook all personal thoughts from her mind for the moment. This wasn't just about her and Beca, this was about the Bellas.

Beca's eyes flicked back to the blonde captain. "And… Aubrey, if you would have me… I want back in."

Chloe's glared at Aubrey, eyes pleading. Come on, Bree. Come on. Do what's right. If not for us, then for me. For your best friend. Aubrey shifted, looking down at her hands, but said nothing. Chloe sensed movement out of the corner of her eye and looked back toward the DJ, who was slowly backing away.

Chloe wanted to say something. She wanted to tell Beca to hold out just one more minute. She wanted to literally shake the sense into Aubrey. But she said nothing, did nothing, because she knew the struggle was between these two women alone. They needed to grow up and work this out themselves. Chloe would no longer allow them to put her in the middle.

Beca grabbed a nearby chair and began dragging it out of the rehearsal hall at a snail's pace, pausing to look back at Aubrey every few steps. Just as Beca was nearing the exit, Aubrey finally spoke up.

"Wait!"

The brunette dropped the chair in place and shuffled back to her captain. "Thank you. That would have been embarrassing."

Aubrey took a deep breath. "Beca, I know that I've been hard on you… okay? I know that I have been hard on everyone here. But I am my father's daughter. And he always said… if at first you don't succeed, pack your bags."

The blonde turned and took a seat on the bleachers. Fat Amy leaned in close to Chloe's ear. "Jesus," she muttered. Chloe simply nodded. This is what the rest of the Bellas didn't know about Aubrey. They didn't know the extent of the verbal abuse the blonde had suffered being raised by her asshole of a father. It wasn't Chloe's place to share that information with the group, or with Beca. But it's exactly why Chloe knew that Aubrey, however stubborn and cold she had been toward the girls, wasn't a monster.

When Beca suggested they all take a moment to learn a little more about each other, Chloe felt as though her heart was growing. It was more than just a good idea. If they didn't take the time to understand each other, it'd be detrimental to them all as friends, but also as aca-mates. They would sing better if they learned to love and respect each other better. After all, what was music if not an artistic expression of beauty, love, and understanding?

As she listened to Beca's confession about her lack of female friends in the past, Chloe recognized why the DJ insisted on shutting out anyone who cared about her. The redhead was moved by the fact that Beca shared all she had with her up to this point. She felt proud. She felt special. She knew how much their relationship must mean to Beca. And just like the Bellas would be at the ICCAs, Chloe knew that together she and Beca would be unstoppable.

A/N: The next chapter will be the final chapter of this story. It's been quite a ride, ya'll. I hope you've enjoyed every moment so far. Leave a review and let me know your thoughts!