A/N: Hello, thank you all for all of the reviews, follows, and favorites! I really enjoy knowing what you are thinking and answering your questions. I know there were some concerns about how this is going to end, but if you go back to my summary I have this labeled as a Bechloe fic. That is how it will remain. So just keep that in mind as you are reading. There is still at least another ten chapters to get through. Also, if you have problems when you go to review this fic, please let me know. For whatever reason I wasn't able to view any new reviews made at a certain time on Dec. 30th until Jan 5th. Thanks to the sites support team everything was promptly fixed as soon as I realized there was a problem. So please let me know or contact the sites support because I really do enjoy communicating with you all. If all else fails, you can just PM me. I don't know if you like the music accompaniments, but I have quite a few for future chapters. Like last week, I'll post a link to this week's on my tumblr (pentopage33). The song choice is as follows:

Gunshot by Lykke Li

Without further a due, I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

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Chapter 15

Beca wants to scoff at the river of tears she sheds for Chloe when she could only spare a few for her grandpa. But it had always been Chloe. First they were best friends, then she was the girl Beca was in love with, and finally the girl that occupied her dreams. The only person left who had seen her without any walls. The last one left to show Beca she was worthy of someone caring for her. Six years later they had repeated the cycle, only Beca did not want to banish Chloe to her dreams once again. Not when she knew what it was like to have Chloe's full attention, how happy she could be in Chloe's glow. Not when her grandpa's jacket could not provide the same comfort as the older girl's arms. Chloe tainted everything. Not even the LP playing could soothe her tears. Normally all she would need was one song. One stupid little song, but she was on her third record and tears were still falling. Chloe had been in the room after all. She had even flipped through the vinyls, commenting on each title, and Beca had stupidly let her. That's what she saw as each record played, the way Chloe's face shifted when presented with each one. At the time it had made Beca swoon, now it just made her nauseous. Every note replaying the message she knew Chloe's silence relayed.

As she laid on her bed, body splayed and unmoving, her eyes were fixed to the ceiling, unblinking. She realized her grandpa's jacket and LPs never stood a chance against Chloe. Flesh and bone verses a jacket that had long ago lost the scent of the man that owned it and spinning plastic disks that were only special because of the stories attached to them. Both things that died with their previous owner. Finally, somewhere after the tenth vinyl Beca's tears stopped. She felt so incredibly empty. Like she was a shell of herself. Anything good had seeped out into the universe leaving her to always be alone. She was so happy Kimmy Jin wasn't there to see the 'White Girl' break. Beca wondered if this was how she felt before. Before Barden. Before Chloe. Before there was hope of more. Her eyes refocused to the blank white ceiling above and she wished more than ever to be that ceiling as she drifted off to sleep. To be that untouched.

Beca spends most of the next morning staring at her phone, looking about as empty as she feels. There was not a single text or missed call. There were no 'Good nights' or 'Good mornings', not even a single emoji. She tries to recompose herself to her usual indifference as she gets ready for practice, but she falls short somewhere, a crack in her persona. Beca just decides to switch off to autopilot, which doesn't really help because apparently autopilot involves making a cup of tea for Chloe. A cup she didn't even realize she made until she was at practice. She just stares at the thermos as if it's some alien life form that has fused to her hand. The Bellas seem to know something was off. Amy was nice enough to take the thermos from Beca and put it by the whiteboard at the front of the room. No one notices, not even Aubrey and Chloe pay the Aussie's movements any mind. After all Amy tends to do whatever she wants and as long as she wasn't breaking anything or hurting anyone, they don't bother acknowledging her. Amy's actions pull Beca out of her stupor and she can slip fully back into her persona.

She takes her usual seat, worrying as she sits if Chloe will take the seat next to her as usual and if she could handle that. Amy once again eased her worries by plopping down in the very seat worrying Beca before Chloe made a decision. Amy and Stacie both took turns distracting the brunette with inappropriate side comments about every other thing Aubrey said, annoying their captain to no end, but making Beca feel so grateful, never knowing they cared for her so much. It bothers her too, though, figuring all their good deeds were out of pity and not true feelings. She wanted to know how they all knew. If Chloe had told everyone before she had arrived, but Chloe wouldn't do that. Then again Beca also thought Chloe would never break her heart again and she had. Well, not if she was aware of the younger girl's feelings.

Really if she thought about it, it was obvious something had happened between the two of them. The normal smile that seemed only reserved for Beca did not appear on Chloe's face when the brunette entered like normal. The normal over excited hug was absent as well. Then there was the fact that Beca was doing literally everything right. She wasn't falling behind when running and all of her choreography was perfectly in time and done well. Even her digs at Aubrey did not quite have the same luster. Really Beca did not want to think about it, knowing how pathetic it all was because it showed just how much of her performance quality at practice was altered in a direct relationship to their co-captain. She wasn't the only one affected. Beca could feel Chloe's eyes burning into her, almost pleading with her. What for, Beca wasn't sure. The one time she had met the redhead's eyes she was given the usual smile saved for her, but it didn't meet Chloe's eyes. There was something else hidden in those eyes. A deep sadness and something Beca didn't want to believe was anything other than pity. Beca didn't know how wrong she was. She quickly looked away, refusing to make eye contact with Chloe the rest of practice, counting the seconds until it was over.

On the plus side, Aubrey was in a strangely good mood, even with Stacie and Amy's side comments. For the first time Beca did not have to run extra laps. If she didn't know any better, she would even say the blonde was encouraging. There seemed to be more 'Good job's and 'Way to go ladies' being flung around than usual. Then there were the disconcerting congratulatory slaps to the butt as they completed their last lap, an extra slap given to Stacie. It left Beca feeling like she was in some sort of alternative universe. She really had no interest in having Aubrey anywhere near her let alone her rear end. If the girl wasn't her captain, she probably would have decked her. That's what she would have done if it happened at a club. Really though it made sense that one of the worst days of Beca's life would be one of Aubrey's best. They were polar opposites and the closest thing to archenemies.

Finally, after what felt like forever, practice came to a close. Beca was the first one to leave, not even bothering to get the thermos back from Chloe. Once back in her dorm room, she cocooned herself in her comforter and shut out the world by placing her headphones securely over her ears. She stayed like that for several hours until the itch to mix became greater than her urge to hide herself away in her bedding. So she got up and sat down at her desk and mixed. Each new mash-up sounded more depressing than the last one, all centered on the same subject matter. No one would know it looking at Beca. The girl sat so still she looked comatose, the only indication she was aware of the world was the occasional blinking of her eyes and movement of her hands across her mixing boards.

That was how Jesse found her. He was too excited at the prospect of Chloe and Beca finally getting together to notice at first. Jesse came in like a whirlwind. He knocked first, as per the not just walking into her room agreement, before bursting in like a school girl with gossip on the hottest guy in their class. He slammed the door behind him before carelessly slinging his jacket and bag in the general direction of Beca's bed. The whole time talking a mile a minute.

"So how'd it go? Where'd you ask her? Why aren't you two love birds together? I would think you'd two be well on your way to doing the horizontal tango, if you know what I mean." If Beca had been looking at him, she would have caught a well-timed eyebrow wiggle. "Especially with the way you look at each other. I'm all for eye sex, but sometimes it's a bit much. TEEEELL MEEE EVEEEERYTHIIIING!"

He finally came to a stop, plopping down on the floor like a child at story time. He really looked at his best friend for the first time since entering the room. He froze mid flail. Beca completely devoid of emotion staring blankly at her laptop was not what he was expecting to see when he entered. The giant smile he had in place quickly dropped, along with his hands. "What… happened?" He finally asked gently, pushing himself back up onto his feet.

Beca remained completely void of emotion, eyes on what she was pretending to work on. "Well… you were wrong."

It took a moment for Jesse to process what she had said, not believing the words. How could he be wrong? All the signs where there. He couldn't comprehend being wrong about Chloe. To him, that would be like stating the villains won in Disney movies. It just didn't happen. "What?"

"You were wrong. About, you know, Chloe." Beca ground her jaw at the mention of the name. A name that felt strange on her tongue now. She refused to look at Jesse. She knew he would want details. It was his idea. He was so sure. She didn't think she would be able to recount the story and not cry if she had to look at him. Jesse was a very caring emotional guy. He would feel guilty and would probably look just as torn up about the situation as she was. She didn't want to see her own pain reflected in someone else's eyes. Hell, she had been avoiding her own mirror, afraid of her own reflection. She couldn't face it yet.

It was happening already, Jesse's shoulders drooped and the kicked puppy look was starting to appear. If anyone would have walked in, they would have thought that both of them had been rejected or broken up with. "But… How?"

Beca tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. It was working for the most part. Jesse knew her too well though. He could see the pain hidden behind her eyes, slowly turning away and eating her up inside. He didn't know how she did it. How she was able to contain it so well and talk so blasé about a subject that was so fresh. If he thought about it, the last time he had seen that look was around their sophomore year of high school. He was never able to get her to talk about what caused it. All he knew was it had something to do with the tattoo of the headphones on her wrist. It had appeared around the same time. "I don't know, man." She shrugged. "It doesn't really matter anyway. She's back with Tom and I'm fine. Completely fine. I'm over it."

Jesse ran his hands through his hair and ran them over his face, utterly confused. "Back with Tom? But you said-"

Beca cut him off, not wanting to hear the rest. "Well, I don't know. Maybe not together, but they were- you know- doing it. So, yeah."

A horrified expression came over his face. "How would you-" Before he could finish, Beca looked up at him for the first time, giving him a pointed look and then returning her gaze to the laptop screen. Jesse finally had to sit down. Only this time he used Beca's bed. "You mean you…"

"Yep! Someone was certainly riding him." His face contorted more in anguish for his friend. He didn't understand how she could be so nonchalant about it all. But the thing was she wasn't. Beca could feel new tears starting to bubble up in her eyes, the images flashing through her mind again. Chloe's contorted face of pleasure, the song Beca thought of as theirs playing in the background. It really hurt. She bit down on the inside of her cheek, trying to make it all stop.

"When?" Was all he could come up with.

"After I texted you." Beca could feel the tears pushing more forcibly at her eyes, more and more memories from the previous night coming to mind. Her hands became twitchier, trying to refocus herself on anything other than last night. It wasn't really working.

Everything seemed to click for Jesse. He didn't really need to ask any more questions. He could guess. Beca most likely ran off after seeing Tom and Chloe. Then Chloe either followed or called her and something was said or done to confirm everything for Beca. More than ever he wished he hadn't encouraged Beca to pursue Chloe. He had been so completely wrong. A part of him wanted to ask if Beca had confessed her feelings to Chloe. Just to be sure there wasn't that sliver of a chance that Chloe liked Beca and just needed confirmation before making a move. It didn't really matter anyway though, considering Tom was back in the picture. He was so mad at himself and even more so at Chloe. But what he felt most of all was an immense feeling of guilt in the pit of his stomach. He roughly rubbed at his face.

"I am SO sorry Beca."

Beca was doing her darndest not to cry, but by the time Jesse spoke again it was too late. Silent tears had started to fall. She had turned her chair so her back was to Jesse. Hoping he wouldn't notice, she was swiping frantically at her cheeks, trying to compose herself enough to speak normally. She failed, voice quivering towards the end. "It's okay. I should have known better."

At the change in tone, Jesse looked up, immediately recognizing the distress his friend was in. He quickly made his way over to her. When Beca tensed, clearly not wanting to be comforted or for her distress to be acknowledged, Jesse stopped a foot from her.

"You know it's not your fault, right?"

She didn't reply. Instead she just pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in them, barely fitting on her chair.

"Becs, she fooled us all."

That's the thing, though Beca should have known better. She had been through this before. Only last time Tom was Jason, but her role hadn't changed. She was still just 'the friend'. That's what she told Jesse, well at least partially.

"You-you don't get it. I'm so fucking stupid." Her voice was muffled by her tears and her knees.

"Explain it to me then."

Beca thought it would be pointless to try and explain it all. Then again Jesse was the guy that thought movies reflected life and vice versa. He thought that everything would work out just like it did in the movies. Really if anyone would understand it would be him. So she tried.

She kept her face buried in her knees. "I was-I was in love with her before. When I-I was twelve. It's-It's why I didn't want to be-be friends with her here. I… I was the one to end our friendship. And… because… this happened before. Same exact thing. Different guy. Only I never-I never got to tell her how I-I felt. We moved. You just- you just realize certain things. And I should have known better."

Beca finally peaked out of her knees, resting her head on top of them instead, her hands playing with her shoelaces. Her eyeliner was streaked and her face was puffy, but at least she had stopped crying.

Jesse immediately grabbed Kimmy Jin's desk chair so he could sit down in front of Beca to continue their conversation on the same level. Once he was settled he spoke. "You do realize people change, Becs. You had every right to think things would be different."

She sniffled, looking down forlornly. "Not really."

"Why? Because you're both women? That's never stopped you before." Jesse was seriously confused.

"No, it's just…" Beca all of the sudden became very interested in the hem of her pant legs, trying to put together the right words. Once she had them she met Jesse's eyes. "You just- You know how in movies the main character always has a friend?" Jesse nodded. "And they never really do anything. They are just there and you like never know what happens to them. They never really get a happy ending or a plot."

"Yeah."

She looked down at her shoes, her voice almost a whisper. "Well that's me. That's my role… You know, in life. I've never been a leading role. "

Jesse's face contorted with a deep sadness for his friend. "You don't really believe that do you?" Beca didn't need to say anything, the way she clung more tightly to herself, shrinking in, pretty much said it all. "But Becs…" He waited until she was looking at him again. "You're worth SO much more than that. So much more."

The words were spoken with such sincerity that Beca felt new tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to believe them. She really did, but everything so far in her life had said differently. So instead, she didn't flinch away from Jesse the second time, letting him hold her as she cried. Maybe if she let him have this moment he wouldn't leave next.

The next few days went as smoothly as possible. Beca went to class, then practice, and ended her days cocooned in her blankets or at her desk working on mash-ups. There were gaps. These giant gaps throughout the day that left Beca feeling lost and confused, just sitting or standing where ever she was, wondering what was missing. Once she realized that it was a certain bubbly redhead, she'd automatically look at her phone. She didn't know why she bothered. It had been three days and there hadn't been a single text from 'C-Bear'. Then she'd just wind up kicking herself for the rest of the day until she found something to fully distract herself.

Bella practices had been getting better, but still hurt like no other. The whole practice consisted of Chloe very blatantly just staring at her and Beca trying not to look. The one time she had in the full three days she found a sad smile directed towards her and what could only be described as a look of vast guilt hidden in her eyes, the tea she still stupidly brought in the ginger's hand. She didn't know why she made the tea. Maybe because it was a connection she had with the redhead, only her, and she wasn't ready to let go completely yet. Beca still needed the reassurance that things could change. Go back to how they were. Even if it seemed like they never would.

After that the younger Bella chose to never meet Chloe's eyes again unless directions were being given specifically to her. On the plus side, she didn't have to worry about Chloe sitting next to her, Amy making Chloe's old seat her permanent one. Chloe's new seat became the piano bench, which put her on more of an equal level with Aubrey. It was where she should have been sitting all along. Beca wondered briefly if that's what Chloe had been sacrificing for Beca at practices like Beca sacrificed extra laps to get an eye full of her ass. She quickly shook that notion off because all of that was over. Beca was rewarded for her new compliance with the absence of extra laps. The increase in the smallest Bella's compliance seemed to be having a positive effect on Aubrey's mood, who seemed eternally happy over the three days. It wasn't really surprising. After all she had her best friend completely under her thumb again and the alt girl had submitted to her. She probably thought she had successfully thwarted whatever weird sex-capade plan she thought Beca was brewing. Beca just scoffed at how delusional her captain was. After all it wasn't Aubrey that broke her, but Chloe. Then again, she wondered if maybe the blonde's new outlook on life had anything to do with Stacie, whose side comments towards their captain seemed a lot more sexually charged than usual. Beca's own comments had been lacking, her mind elsewhere.

She was in her room, wrapped in her comforter as she looked over several tracks on her laptop. Really, she had been looking blankly at the screen for the last five minutes, not actually sure what she was doing. All of her homework was done with no distractions to slow her down and she, for once, had no interest in making mash-ups. So she just sat there staring at nothing in particular. There was a knock at her door that she at first thought she had imagined, but then there was another. She had no idea who it was. Jesse was still in class, Chloe wasn't talking to her, and her dad hadn't visited in a while. She groaned because surely that was who it was, her dad. She really didn't want to talk to him. He'd know something was wrong and would try to play good father. Then she'd be stuck going out for milkshakes and conversation with a lot of probing questions. There was another knock. With a huff, Beca made her way over, comforter still wrapped around her, to answer the door. She flung it open.

"What?" She went from annoyed to surprised. There on the other side of the door stood Amy, Stacie, Cynthia Rose, and Lily. CR and Stacie held tubs of ice cream, one for everyone. Amy had a few bottles of wine and Lily held spoons, fanned out on display with a big smile in place.

"Well that's one way to not get free alcohol." Amy said. "I want an apology."

Stacie rolled her eyes before just pushing past Beca and into the room. Once everyone was inside, Beca closed the door and shrugged off her comforter onto her bed. "What are you all doing here?"

CR spoke up first, putting the ice cream down on Beca's desk. "We are here for an intervention."

"I'm not on anything."

"Yet!" Amy winked as she put the wine bottles down.

They all sat down on Beca's bed, looking up at her expectantly. When nothing was said for a while, Amy decided to say something. "We're tired of red looking like someone shot her unicorn," Beca wanted to scoff, unicorns were not real. "And you not being your normal pervy self."

Beca looked offended. "Dude, I'm not a perv!"

Stacie rolled her eyes. "You consistently run slower so you can check out Chloe's ass."

"And you mess up the choreography so she will press herself into you and give you one on one attention." Amy eagerly added.

"Your face glazes over whenever she demonstrates anything involving a lot of hip shaking or shimmying and you get this goofy look." CR dutifully tacked on.

Lily added on something about her heart beat and dilated pupils. No one was sure what she said, but Stacie, Amy, and Cynthia Rose all nodded eagerly in agreement.

Beca was going to protest, but they all gave her a look. Instead she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "So? That doesn't matter."

"Really? Because last time I checked I was getting a text from you saying you were going to 'go get your girl'. Then the next day you can barely look at Chloe and she looked like a kicked puppy. It's just been getting worse. So what happened that night?" Stacie leveled with the girl.

"Can I just say I don't want to talk about it?" Beca grimaced as she looked at the other girl.

"If you want four new roommates, sure." Stacie wasn't backing down.

Beca sighed, rubbing her hand over her face. "Its-It's just really stupid."

"We do stupid best." CR said encouragingly, a warm smile directed at Beca.

"I-I just-she's back with Tom. So we-we were all- we got it wrong. So, yeah."

Stacie seemed extremely confused. "What do you mean we were wrong? They broke up."

"Well, they were you know…" Beca made a crude gesture with her hands.

"Daaamn." CR let out, both her and Amy's eyes blown wide.

"But, that's not what I was told." Stacie said, really bothered by the statement, like she knew more.

"Well you-we- all of us were wrong. I-I'm completely, you know, fine and everything." The way her voice kind of staggered at the end said she was anything but fine. All the sudden Lily was launching herself from the bed, saying something about Tom and removing a spleen. They all froze in shock for a moment, needing the moment for the words to click into place, before they quickly scrambled to grab the girl and pull her back onto the bed.

"No, no, no, no! Really Lily I appreciate it, but that's totally not necessary." Beca placed a hand on Lily's shoulder as she talked, making sure the girl would stay put. Lily just nodded, mumbling something to herself, her brow furrowed and arms crossed. She retracted her hand once she was sure the other girl would stay put.

There was a moment of silence after the outburst. Then CR asked, hesitantly, "Did you tell her how you feel?"

Beca briefly rubbed at her eyes, her nose twitching, feeling tears building at the edges. She really didn't want to talk about it. So she just nodded.

"What'd she say?" Stacie piped in.

Beca looked forlornly at her feet. "Nothing."

"Like… nothing nothing?" Amy asked.

"Yep."

Everyone just sat there in silence for a bit, not really sure what to say.

"Do you want to touch my boobs?" Stacie suddenly blurted out. Beca gave her a weird look. Stacie just shrugged. "They usually cheer people up."

"Thanks, Stace, but I'm good." Beca said plopping down on the bed between her and Amy.

"Well if you ever change your mind the offer still stands." Stacie pushed out her chest a little, as if to tempt her. Cynthia Rose looked hungrily at them. "The offers only for Beca. You already take enough free accidental grabs." She looked pointedly at the other girl.

Cynthia Rose looked a little crest fallen, but cleared her throat and took on a more serious tone. "We're here for you as your friends, Beca. You can talk to us or just call us up and we'll get drunk with you without any questions." CR stated sincerely. They all nodded in agreement.

At Beca's confused look. Stacie piped up, a fond smirk in place, "That's right, you do actually have friends."

"I know, it surprises me too sometimes." Amy added, jostling Beca's shoulder.

Everyone shot the Aussie a look. "What?"

Before she could stop herself, Beca felt a smile begin to stretch across her face and then she was laughing. Full body rocking laughs. It felt so strange without the presence of big blue eyes and red hair, but it didn't stop her. But it made her think and slowed her down. She was surrounded by smiling faces, but she was beginning to feel that hollow lost feeling whenever she realized that Chloe might never be a part of moments like these ever again. Then she could feel the air escape from her lungs, as she gasped for it and felt the tears push at the edges of her eyes. She really wanted to turn away or run, but before she could, Amy was shouting, "Group hug!"

Then she was surrounded by four girls who were holding on to her for dear life. Like they really truly cared and it was over welling, but calming. She was able to push back the tears and just sit there for a minute or two. Lily at some point wiggled around so she was in the middle with Beca. She could have sworn she felt something wet and warm licking the side of her face. That's when she shoved everyone away, saying that that was enough mushy stuff for one night. Then everything was back to normal. Amy was putting on the TV, while Lily hacked into Kimmy Jin's Xbox again. Stacie and CR went about opening tubs of ice cream and popping open wine bottles for everyone. Then they were all perched on Beca's bed eating ice cream and passing back and forth remote controllers and bottles of wine, trying to beat Amy in 'Mario Kart'. Beca never really thought she had a lot of friends or that she even wanted any. She really hadn't had too many that were girls. She thought that if this was what it was like, it might not be so bad. And maybe she should text Donte and David more than once a year. Then again maybe she shouldn't, that might just confuse them.