A/N: Thank you all for the continued support! I really do appreciate it. So I have some good/bad news. I was just given my assignments and such for this spring semester and I have been given a VERY big responsibility on top of my research project. Thankfully I am not taking any classes, but there is a chance that in a few weeks it might be really hard to keep my posting schedule on track. I hope not, but in time we will all find out. I will try to make it up to you all if I do get off track and I promise I will finish this story. I have too much planned out not to. So please be patient with me over the next few months. I'm probably going to be running around like a crazy person. That being said, the musical choice for this chapter is as follows:

Pansy Waltz by Shakey Graves

I am going to yet again answer a few guest reviews below. So feel free to skip ahead and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

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Stopbechloetime: Lol! Very smooth my friend. Very smooth. Thank you for the kind words!

Guest(One of you): I am aware 'Mario Kart' is not an Xbox game. Another reader brought it to my attention and I addressed it in a previous author's note. I already made it Amy's favorite game and I do not know of an Xbox game that can compete. So I'm just pretending for this fic that it exists on Xbox as well. Thank you for the heads up though. I appreciate you keeping me honest! :)

Chapter 18

(Shakey Graves: Pansy Waltz)

Beca felt really stupid. She was just happy that she was able to talk Amy into letting her wear a red hoody and wings instead of the matching angel outfit that Amy was wearing. On top of it all, she had even been able to argue in her own favor so she could have the bow and arrow thing. Although they were supposed to be fund raising, Beca spent most of her time shooting people with suction cup ended arrows and acting broody, while Amy did all the singing. She didn't even understand why Valentine's Day was chosen as a holiday to fund raise for. It was a hallmark holiday. It wasn't even real. It was just a way for card companies to make more money because they didn't already have enough to celebrate. At least that's what she was going with if anyone asked. In that sense she guessed it was fitting because that's what they were doing, taking people's money. She found herself hating every minute of it.

On the bright side, the few times Aubrey appeared to check up on them, Beca's general lack of enthusiasm and poor costume choice left the blonde walking away fuming. She was just glad she was put with Amy who just laughed it off and happened to bring lots of snacks with her. The Aussie was even kind enough to take ten minute pit stops to eat those snacks and scrounge up a red bull. They had already made their way through two whole dorms and were halfway through the third. Beca was actually enjoying herself. Amy had turned Beca's tendency to shoot people with fake arrows into a game. She'd tell her where to aim for right before knocking and depending on how close she was, the Aussie would give her a point value. In exchange, when Amy got bored, it was Beca's job to look the most peeved she possibly could and see how many versus of the song Amy got through before the occupant of the room ended the song, closing their door. Of course always after a donation was given. It didn't count if a donation was not given. For those one's Beca asked for the donation, all the while staring them down, never once blinking. She was getting pretty good at it.

"This one go for the doodle." Amy knocked on the door.

Beca's face scrunched up, having no idea what she was talking about. "The what?"

Amy rolled her eyes at her. "You know the dangling thing between men's legs."

"What if it's a woman?"

Amy shrugged. "Go for the moot."

"What?"

"Lady equivalent, duh."

Beca had a weird expression on her face, having no idea what language Amy was speaking in, as she turned to the door waiting for them to answer. That's when she realized exactly what building and whose door they were in front of. She knew exactly who was on the other side of the door and there was no way she was going to shoot him in the 'doodle', as the Aussie put it. She was actually seriously thinking about turning and running, but of course the door had to open then. There was Jesse. At first he was confused, first looking at Amy who had launched in to the usual 'please make a donation' speech. Then his eyes looked over and found Beca, he had the biggest shit eating grin take over his look of surprise, eyeing the smaller Bella up and down. Beca just stood there like a kid who was at the end of a few hour long shopping trip and just wanted to be anywhere but there. Amy was just about to launch into a song, when Jesse made an exclamation.

"Oh my god! Bee-Caw! What are you doing? Better question, what are you wearing?" He paused to let her respond before continuing, his smile somehow growing. "Well don't just stand there. Turn around so I can get the full effect."

Beca looked less than impressed and was going to say something to express that, but Amy spoke first. "Aca-scuse me! Rude. I'm the best singer in all of Tasmania and you just interrupted what would have been one of the most pivotal moments of your musical life."

Jesse just smirked at the girl, instantly recognizing her from what Beca had told him about her. "You're Fat Amy right?"

Amy seemed a little taken a back and pleased he had heard of her. "Yes, I'm sure all the pleasure is yours. I'm surprised you've heard of me in the states. This much awesomeness usually doesn't travel at an easily accessible flat rate."

"Well, Beca has told me a lot about you." Jesse spared Beca glance, clearly pleased he was making friends with one of her friends on the first try.

"Really and how do you know the small one?"

Beca scoffed, cutting in, "I'm not small."

"Shhhh, Beca. The grown-ups are talking." Amy patted an annoyed grumbling Beca on the head. Beca swatted the hand away.

Jesse threw her a pleased smile. "We're best friends from high school."

"You look really familiar…"

"Oh, yeah! You probably remember me from the riff-off. I'm a part of the treblemakers. My name is Jesse."

"Oh! So you're the one Aubrey is always talking about."

Jesse perked up at the comment. Beca rolled her eyes at the boy. "Not in that way, nerd. She thinks we're secretly dating."

"What?"

"I know it's stupid."

"Well she's not too far off." His usual boyish smile was back.

Amy's eyes went wide and she practically jumped forward to learn more. "Wait, what? Short stack you've been holding out on me."

Beca sighed. "What Jesse means is we dated all for a second in high school before we both," She looked pointedly at Jesse, "realized it should never happen again."

Jesse put his hands over his heart. "Aw, Beca you wound me, buuut it's all true. Except it wasn't a second… More like a year, but who's counting."

They shared a smile, Beca just happy Jesse hadn't decided to draw out the subject more than it had to be. It wasn't enough information for the Aussie. The blonde Bella leaned forward conspiratorially.

"So when you say you dated… what exactly did that entail?"

Beca knew what Amy was fishing for. She wanted to know how far exactly they had gone. She sure as hell wasn't going to divulge that information and she was sure Jesse wouldn't. The look Jesse had wasn't exactly comforting, though. Beca's interpretation of his expression was accurate because he was at the moment debating if the out lash for divulging some details would be worth teasing his best friend. The more he thought about it, the more and more he was thinking it would be worth the giant blush that would appear. The petite girl was quicker, putting an end to any further thoughts in that direction with a very persuasive view point.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Be very careful what you say Swanson. I will shoot you in the eye." Beca raised her bow and lined up a new arrow.

Jesse gulped, his smile dropping slightly. "You know, just the usual high school stuff."

"You're no fun!" Amy proclaimed before turning away and bouncing off to the next door. The two people left behind looked at her curiously before turning to each other.

"So, do you plan on donating or…"

"If you agree to forgive me for everything I did and didn't plan on saying, I have a ten with your name on it."

Beca quirked the corner of her mouth and just gave a small nod. "Deal."

Jesse quickly disappeared into his room, returning with the promised money. When he came back he had one last thing to say before Beca left.

"Just one more thing?"

"Yeah." Beca sighed out.

"What are you supposed to be?"

Beca's face dropped into a sever frown. "Cupid."

The boy's face started to contort, his face turning bright red as he tried to hold in a laugh. Then Beca ran off to catch up with Amy again before Jesse literally laughed in her face. Well really it was more of a slow meander than a run. The important thing was she got there and away from Jesse. They eventually made it through all of the dorms until they reached the last one, which just so happened to be Beca's dorm. Everything was exactly how it had been the whole day, Beca grumpily shooting people with fake arrows as Amy sang, that was until they got to the last door.

There was a sound at the end of the hall that sounded a lot like several voices whispering. When Beca looked there was no one there. Amy looked strangely on edge though.

"Uuuuhm, uuuuuhm, Beca I like totally forgot I'm supposed to go meet up with my boyfriends right now. They just texted me. They just can't get enough of me. They'll be wondering where I am."

Beca looked at the other girl quizzically. "Your phone didn't even go off."

Amy's eyes went wide momentarily. "I'm telepathic."

"Okaaay…"

"Come on short stack, do a girl a solid. It's the last door and I've done most of the singing. All you have to do is give them the paper and ask them to donate."

Beca contemplated for a moment, looking the Aussie up and down. She thought about everything Amy had done for her over the last few weeks and felt herself caving. Finally, she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine I'll do it, but you owe me." Before Beca could finish speaking Amy was already running off towards the end of the hall where the whispers came from. She could have sworn she heard a second set of footsteps, but didn't bother really thinking about it too long. Instead she chose to look at the door instead. There was something strangely familiar about it, but Beca couldn't place it. They had been going in and out of so many dorms and Amy had insisted they do some strange zig-zag pattern, hopping to random floors out of order. So to say the petite woman had been completely turned around, would be a complete understatement. For all she knew she could be standing in front of her own dorm room and she made journeys to and fro there several times a day. For a second she thought about just skipping it, how would Aubrey even know, but then again, knowing how anal their captain was, she probably went around to every dorm room and checked. So Beca just sighed and reluctantly knocked. As soon as the door was opened, Beca was thrusting a flyer into the person's face. Then she was spouting out a version of the 'Please Make a Donation' speech they were supposed to say.

"Hi. I'm a part of this acapella group thing and we, uh, need money to compete. Want to donate?" She spent the whole speech looking at the other person's feet.

"Did Aubrey approve that speech? Something tells me that's not exactly the official Bellas's acapella donation speech. Patented and used for ten whole generations." Beca's brow furrowed. She definitely knew the voice of the speaker. When she looked up, sure enough, there was Chloe Beale looking as radiant as ever with mischief in her eyes and a playful smile in place. Her cheeks flushed and eyes went wide. Butterflies followed soon after. It had been so long since she had had a one on one conversation with the other girl, let alone lay eyes on her. She didn't know why, maybe because she still craved to have that smile directed at her, but she played along.

"Are you actually making fun of Aubrey?"

Chloe just shrugged, her smile growing. "I don't know, maybe."

There was a long silence of them just staring at each other, not sure what else to say. It felt like it had been years since they had spoken, yet it was so easy to just slip back into how it used to be. How it was before Beca's confession. Beca didn't like it. How it lessened everything that happened. Chloe wasn't exactly the same though, there was still something lingering beneath that happy face that Beca didn't want to acknowledge. All thoughts in that direction were redirected with the appearance of other people in the hall. Beca stepped forward to let them pass. When she looked up her breath caught, realizing Chloe was just a foot away. There was no question where the older girl's eyes were looking, Beca's lips right in line. That really wasn't fair and it knocked Beca out her daze. She took a step back and as soon as she did, Chloe shifted uncomfortably in place. Beca cleared her throat before talking, remembering why she was there in the first place.

"So, um, did you want to donate? Or should I just, you know… go?"

That got Chloe's attention, the redhead seeming to snap back into action. "Oh, yeah! I just have to grab a five from my wallet. You can come in while I get it." Then she disappeared into the room.

Beca debated on whether or not she should go into the room. She had never actually been in it though, and a part of her was curious. She wanted to know what Chloe's life was like once she left and who she was now. One route to getting those answers was to go in. So she did.

Chloe's room was pretty much how anyone would expect it to be. There were lots of pops of colors and cozy looking things. The room was warm and homey, everything the red head embodied. So Beca let her eyes wonder. It was a single, the sole bed shoved center against one wall. It was the center point of the room. Beca's eyes were drawn to the tea lights that hung down above the top end of the bed. Then she found her eyes taking in the bed below them, the crisp tie-dye sheets. She stared down the bed longer than would be considered normal. Beca couldn't help it, the images of the last time she had been just outside the room flashing through her mind. She could still see Tom laying there, that's who her stare was directed at, sharp and unforgiving. Then she remembered the full picture, Chloe on top of him. There was that sharp searing pull at her heart. She had to look away.

The next thing that met her eyes was a wall full of pictures, all tacked at different angles in a little nook where a bean bag chair rests. Beca finds herself drawn to the pictures and their contents. There are the lost six years of Chloe's life. High school Chloe in dance and choir and on the volleyball team. All group pictures full of people. There were pictures of Chloe with jocks and cheerleaders. Beca was not at all surprised to find out Chloe was popular. It seemed like a natural fit. As she looked closer, she noticed Tom in one wearing a letterman's jacket for some sport Beca didn't really care about. She finds herself scoffing internally at the picture, trying to not let it bother her. That he got years with Chloe she wished she had. It figures he was a jock. There are more recent pictures, one or two of Tom and Chloe at college sporting events or out at the local college downtown area. Chloe's smiling in them, but it's stiff and Tom seems slightly distracted. There are ones of Chloe and Aubrey with the old acapella team. Beca briefly wonders which one was Alice before moving onto a picture that she was pretty sure was her favorite one on the wall. It's of an overly excited freshman year of college Chloe. She just looks so radiant and happy, Beca finds herself wishing she could have been there to help move that Chloe in. Beca traces once more over the pictures with her eyes, and what really starts to bother her was how many friends Chloe actually had yet she never sent her a matching picture over Thanksgiving break with a single one of them.

Before she can think too long on it, she hears Chloe approaching from the general direction of her closet. Beca turns to her, throwing out, "You were busy." She motions to the pictures to indicate she means in high school.

"Yeah, a real go getter." Chloe tries to sound light, but there was something off about it.

"Do any of them do acapella?" Beca doesn't really know why she asks. It's a stupid question, but she wanted to know anything really about the other girl, realizing she actually didn't know all that much.

Instantly, there was that shy demure Chloe who was nervously playing with her fingers. That was if Chloe did nervous. From where Beca was standing though, she definitely seemed nervous. "Um, I-I don't really know. We don't really talk."

Beca was taken aback by the statement, not believing anyone would actually not want to be friends with Chloe. Then again she rejected Chloe, but that was for completely different reasons. Beca was going to say something to that nature, before she can it was like a switch was flipped and there's that big smile of Chloe's in place. The younger girl doesn't know exactly what to think. Then the other girl was handing Beca the promised five dollars. Beca thanks her, tucking it into the stupid heart shaped pouch thing Aubrey gave her to collect the money in. Maybe she should feel slightly honored because there was only one and Aubrey gave it to her, not Amy. Which meant that out of the two she trusted Beca more. So there was at least one person Aubrey put Beca ahead of, then again the younger girl figured she probably gave it to her so that if it went missing she could kick Beca off the team. That was probably it.

When she finally looked up, the pouch secured, she was met with Chloe. Chloe who was looking fondly, almost amused, at her like she used to. On some level it felt great, but at the same time it was weird. Especially considering Beca figured there was no true meaning behind the look.

"What?" Beca asked.

"It's just-" Chloe's smile grew. "You look really cute with your wings and the bow and-"

Before Chloe could finish, a clearly pissed off Beca was headed towards the door. Chloe reached out and grabbed the younger Bella's arm, effectively stopping her. The brunette turned facing her, staring down the hand on her arm. Really if Beca was being honest, she didn't want Chloe to let go. If she was being really honest there was still a part of her hoping Chloe would pull her into her arms and tell her everything was okay that she actually did care. That was foolish though, so it was suppressed. Chloe's touch was warm and spreading rapidly throughout her body. That was the problem though. She didn't want to feel that way, not when it wasn't reciprocated. So when Chloe immediately let go like she had been burned, Beca was both relieved and disappointed.

"Look Becs, I'm really sorry. That was totes uncalled for. I've been thinking a lot and I wish-I wish there was a way I could retract certain things or do them differently. Like with Tom and-"

Beca visibly winced, cutting Chloe off. "Please stop. I don't want to know."

Chloe deflated a little, biting her lip nervously looking dejected. "I guess that's fair… I just- we have to work together still and I don't want it to be awkward. If we could maybe just go back again and-and… I don't know, be friends again? We could just forget all the rest. Just all of it." Chloe sounded desperate.

That really hurt Beca. The idea that all of her feelings and thoughts meant nothing and should be forgotten really ripped the smaller woman a part inside. It didn't result in her walking out still like she planned to. No, she hid her feelings instead, shrugging and letting out an indifferent, "Sure."

Then Chloe was beaming at her saying how totes aca-awesome it was. She went in to give the smaller woman one of those familiar excited hugs or maybe it would have been one of Beca's favorite hugs, the ones Chloe slowly sank into, but she would never find out. At the last minute the ginger pulled back, probably thinking about the way Beca reacted to her hand on her arm. Beca wouldn't have minded the hug. She still craved the contact. She had been for the last six years. It was why she threw herself at so many people while drunk and stupid in high school. For some reason, as she left, making Chloe smile didn't feel as good as it used to.

The only thing was things didn't change. There were no texts. Chloe still stared at her, only Beca could meet her gaze more often. When she did meet the older Bella's gaze, the guilt residing in her eyes was replaced by hope. The look troubled Beca because she had no idea what Chloe was hoping for. Besides that nothing really changed.

Then there was regionals. Maybe Chloe still felt guilty because she tried to give her solo to Beca. After all, if she didn't care about her then all that stuff about her music saving the Bellas couldn't be true because nothing else was. If her assumption was true, there was no other reason besides guilt for the other girl to offer her solo to Beca. Besides, Beca really didn't want the solo unless she could make it her own, which would never happen under Aubrey's watch. So it was given to Amy. Really Amy was the best person to give it to because she made the performance fresh and worth watching. Where Beca would have completely derailed it. Due to Amy, they earn a solid second place, although Aubrey still thought the performance was flawed, still unable to see the strengths of her team and that first place didn't always mean best. Beca just rolled her eyes and tried to not notice what was really bothering her. The fact that Chloe sat on the other side of the bus a few seats back instead of next to her with barely any room between them. Or how there was no hand to tug her forward when she fell behind. Such a big contrast from the last bus ride to the retirement home. She felt this deep emptiness. Nothing but hollow where Chloe should have been. How nothing felt right.