A/N: Sorry for the extra length due to the guest review responses. There is one that is pretty long. Please feel free to skip it. I maybe got a little carried away, but I thought it was necessary. There is no music suggestion this week. Thank you for the continued support! It makes my day. :) As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Lucky-pitch: Amen!

Guest (Bored one): It is all good! No worries there will be fluff again. Dude, everyone has a right to their opinion, but I'm still going to defend the characters like a proud mama bear or something.

Guest (crying): *gives you tissues*

Guest (behavior explained): Yeah, I still haven't dived into Chloe's background yet. It will come in pieces. It is not so much a she never thought she would fall for someone. It is a it has never happened so why would it now type thing.

Mia: All in time. I am writing a companion piece that will be 'The Friend' from Chloe's perspective. So if I don't get to it in this story, it will be in that one.

EJ: Thank you! If I ever write another overly long chapter then there might be another double post.

Awesome: You can say that again. I am glad you get it. I will see what I can do about Jesse. Maybe an extra scene because he is definitely not getting Aubrey. If you have any suggestions let me know.

Guest (Length of this fic): Thank you! Oh, that is kind of a tough question. Originally I said 25 chapters, but I am easily going to surpass that. So I am going to say 30 chapters for now. That might change though. So don't hold me to it.

Guest (out of character): This is not a canon story. I literally made up a backstory for both Beca and Chloe that explained their personalities in the movies. I tried to take away the stereotypical broody Beca and eternally bubbly Chloe and tried to make them real. So, yeah they are definitely not going to be exactly like the characters in the movie. I have in no way modeled the characters after myself. I disagree with you completely about your opinions on Chloe and Beca, naturally. Beca is not a doormat. She has actually been pretty strong. She has resisted Chloe's advances, even pushed her away. I think the problem lies in the fact that most fics have Chloe as the strong one and in mine I see Beca as the strong one. Maybe our definitions of strength are different, but if you look back throughout the fic, Chloe consistently responses in the same way. Beca does not. Beca is able to express herself in a far broader spectrum, which, her vulnerability, I see as a strength. There is a reason for their different reactions. Now Chloe is not heartless. After she gained the courage to do something about her feelings at the Treblemakers's party and was rejected, she did what she thought was best for Beca. She left her alone. Again at the end of the club night, she made sure Beca was safe and stayed to make sure she didn't get sick in the night. Then in the morning, realizing probably how much she thought Beca disliked her and that Beca was supposed to be plastered or asleep the whole time(meaning she wouldn't remember Chloe being there) she left. Probably thinking Beca would be pissed if she was there when she woke up. Chloe has always been there consistently watching over Beca and doing what she could without upsetting Beca to make sure she was okay. Were her methods the best way to go about it? No, but she tried. She did try everything to get Beca to listen to her. Given it was after Beca left, but she did try. Yes, Chloe is the girl that once stormed into a shower stark naked, but if you go back through there is one common theme and that is Beca is Chloe's kryptonite. At the point of the shower scene she didn't know that the girl in the shower was her Beca. Ever since though, Beca is the one person Chloe is consistently shy or nervous around. Any other time she is fine. Again, there is a reason. They have an equally co-dependent relationship. Plus it is really hard to do anything when you can't find the person. I really wish you had an account so I wasn't messing with other readers who had to scroll past this. Hopefully someone benefits if you never read this anon.

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Chapter 24

Beca comes to a skittering halt just inside the gym. She fully planned on going further into the gym, well specifically straight to Chloe. But what she saw upon entering made her come to a screeching halt. Lily was making a snow angle in vomit, CR was once again being to grabby with Stacie, who was blowing her Barden rape whistle, Chloe and Aubrey were on the ground wrestling for something, and Amy was trying to film it all eagerly with her phone. Really Beca should have maybe tried stopping the Aussie first, but she was more focused on the pair of Bellas wrestling on the floor. Chloe's body was on top of Aubrey's, pressing and shifting. The tiny brunette found her head tilting to the side and licking her lips, wishing she was Aubrey. Something she never thought she would ever wish for as long as the universe existed. At the strange thought, Beca shook herself out of it, clearing her throat.

For some reason, over all the commotion, the sound of Beca clearing her throat drew everyone's attention. With Chloe distracted, Aubrey grabbed the pitch pipe, shoving the other girl off of her. Then Aubrey was standing dignified, as if there wasn't a few stains of vomit on her shirt. CR and Stacie quickly separated with apologetic and accusatory glances, respectively. Lily just sat up, sighing as if they had just destroyed a project she had spent the last ten years of her life on. Amy, well Amy just kept rolling, zooming in on each Bellas's face, which involved her literally circling each person a foot away. The Aussie's circling ended prematurely with a dignified glare from Aubrey. Really who mattered to Beca the most, Chloe, took the longest to get up and straighten herself out, smoothing her shirt out and pushing her hair back into place. Seemingly in shock at the tiny brunette's presence. She did not give Beca the usual smile Beca thought was hers, but found the redhead giving to everyone. No, this smile was softer, hesitant, and hopeful, but mostly hesitant. It was a smile that was foreign to Beca. It wasn't asking for anything. It just sat there ready for whatever Beca was going to say or do next.

At first the sudden attention made Beca freeze, immediately nervous, her eyes going wide, but that smile from Chloe quickly leveled it out. Then she was giving an awkward wave and a quiet "Hi." Running her hand through her hair as she finished her wave, scuffing the toe of her boots on the ground.

"What is she doing here?" Aubrey let out, with her usual air, but a tad deflated.

Chloe spoke up, setting her shoulders, as if trying to find inner confidence. "I texted her."

"Why?" Aubrey turned to her friend.

Chloe seemed to straighten up more, speaking with true conviction. "Because we need her."

"Can't you see all she has done is tear us a part Chloe? The Bellas? Our friendship? She has done nothing but hurt us, Chloe."

Chloe just squared up more, taking on a more assured stance. "No, you have."

"What?" Aubrey seemed clearly taken a back.

"You heard me. You have. You-you do not see anything, but what you want it to be." Chloe's voice started off shaky, but grew stronger as she went on. "We are not the old Bellas. We never will be, thank god. But we have a real chance to be something so much better than a bunch of pretty faced stuck up girls that tear each other down. We don't need to be perfect. We… we just need to be ourselves." Chloe seemed to be talking more so to herself than to anyone else in that moment. Then she was catching Beca's eyes briefly before looking at Aubrey again. There was something in that look that Beca couldn't quite place. It had a hint of that look her grandpa used to give her, but there was something else there. An openness or vulnerability. Also like a promise to the younger Bella, but what for Beca wasn't sure. Then Chloe was saying her name, bring her back to the moment at hand. "Beca can help us do that."

Beca and the rest of the Bellas gasped when Chloe first started talking, frozen where they stood, Amy still filming everything. Beca, well all the Bellas really, could not believe Chloe was the same girl from earlier in the year that let Aubrey walk all over her. She was even more taken a back that Chloe was actually defending her, given how the redhead reacted at the semifinals. Then again, maybe she shouldn't have been surprised, given the voice mails left on her phone and text messages. Chloe did truly care and believed in her. The older girl was just proving it now in her actions and words. All Beca had to do was listen.

When Aubrey didn't say anything, just as shocked as the other Bellas, Chloe continued on with her original plan. She was taking out her phone and unlocking her screen, as she walked towards Beca. Chloe had a few of Beca's mixes on her phone.

Chloe showed the screen to her, asking softly, "Is it okay if I play one?"

Beca stuttered for a moment because there set as Chloe's wallpaper was the picture of Beca and her cousin from Thanksgiving break, just like the redhead said it would be. It gave more truth to what Chloe had been telling her all along. It restored her trust in the ginger just that little bit more, solidifying her coming back to the Bellas. Well, trying to rekindle her relationship with Chloe. Beca must have taken too long to answer because Chloe was addressing her again, more shy and hesitant than before.

"Becs…"

The pint sized brunette shook it off. "Oh… um-um yeah… sure." She rubbed at the back of her neck, briefly glancing at Chloe before taking in the ginger's wallpaper again.

Chloe must have noticed, blushing, immediately retracting her phone and playing the first track, ruffling her own hair as if she had to reset herself. It was the mix Beca was in the middle of making when she took the shower that led to their duet of 'Titanium' together. She had finally presented the song to the redhead a little bit after the whole non-date date with Jesse and Chloe at the pizzeria. How excited Chloe was to hear a brand new Beca Mitchell original came to mind. Thinking about it, it was one of the most genuine smiles Beca had ever seen her childhood friend wear since they were kids. It was so different from the one that Beca had once thought was reserved for her. If she thought about it more, there were other times that smile came about, but it was so rare and fleeting it was easy to forget. It was there at the activities fair when Beca finally gave the other girl her own sly smile. It was there when Chloe looked back over her shoulder before finally letting Beca get back to her shower after the duet. It was there the first night Chloe came to her room because she couldn't sleep and Beca didn't turn her away or ask any questions. She just let her inside and fall asleep in her arms. Beca had the strangest thought as she looked at the woman in front of her. What if that was Chloe's real smile.

Chloe was shifting back more into the more confident version of herself from before. Everyone listened to what she had to say, even Aubrey.

"This is what we should be performing. It is aca-mazing! We will totes win with this! With Beca."

Everyone seemed convinced, well minus Aubrey. They all seemed to sense it, turning to the blonde. After all it was her decision whether or not Beca would be let back on the team. In true Aubrey fashion, even though it was obvious she knew they needed Beca, she wasn't going to go down easily. A few minutes of groveling later, on Beca's part, everyone was on board. Then the leadership role was silently handed over to Beca, a few secrets were shared, Amy's real name, Aubrey's screwed up father, Cynthia Rose's gambling problem, something about Lily's twin they all wished to forget, and Chloe's nodes surgery. Really Beca wanted to know more about Chloe and her surgery, but it wasn't the time or place. She specifically wanted to know why Chloe didn't tell her, but then again they weren't exactly talking at the time. At least it explained why Chloe stopped texting her over break.

As for Beca, well she did something else. She dared call all of them her friends. Giving them far more power over her than they realized at the time. That wasn't all though. She continued. Beca further bared her soul, giving a true apology. She explained that she had been distracted by personal things. They had clouded her mind and that she was sorry she had let them. That over break she had realized they maybe weren't such a big deal. That she had been rash in her decisions. That now she knew what she wanted. The whole time Beca found herself locking eyes with Chloe, not able to look away even if she wanted to. It wasn't clear how the redhead across from her was interpreting her words. If they were being accepted or coming across correctly, but there was definitely fear in her childhood best friend's eyes. Along with a little shock. There was that ever present smile that Beca was almost positive was being forced for her and the other Bellas's sakes. As if by smiling everything would be okay. It would erase the other emotions. Beca didn't have time to ponder it, the group quickly moving from one confession to the next.

Then they found themselves in the same pool used for the riff off, only no one was there except them. Beca started off things simply, but was also smart about it, letting the two co-captains pick the songs they would be mixing. Still giving them their original responsibility and power. Beca really didn't care about what they were singing because Chloe was giving her that look that only her grandpa had ever given her. It felt a lot like coming home, surrounded by the strange group of girls that claimed her as one of them. For once in Beca's life she actually felt like she belonged and was worth something. The Bellas seemed to be having the same good vibes, perfectly harmonizing. It seemed they had found their sound. Then it was over and they were all surrounding Beca, giving her words of encouragement and slaps on the back. Except for Aubrey and Chloe who stay back. The redhead, shifting self-consciously in place, obviously not sure if things were okay between them and Aubrey not ready yet to admit she was wrong.

"Damn girl! You should have told us about this sooner." Cynthia Rose started off.

Then there was Stacie. "It certainly would have made you more attractive." She ended with a less than innocent wink.

"God! Don't give her a complex guys. The big BM is amazing, but don't forget who the supreme talent is." Amy added in, pushing her way to the center. They all just laughed at her. "What? It's true."

They all went off into the deeper end of the pool, arguing about how much truth was behind the Aussie's words. Then it was just Beca and Chloe… well, and Aubrey. Beca really only had eyes for Chloe though, the thought of reconciling at the forefront of her mind. The redhead was obviously nervous, playing with the fingers on one of her hands, twisting them in what had to be an uncomfortable angle. Her gaze kept faltering, catching Beca's eyes and then looking away. Beca took a step forward with the solo purpose of finally approaching the redhead, trying to catch her eyes as she approached her. She completely forgot about Aubrey standing right next to the object of her affections. The blonde made her presence known, clearing her throat.

Beca looked to her, almost jumping in surprise. Aubrey looked between the two girls with an under layer of contempt. Then she seemed to shift to something more relaxed, sighing.

"I owe you an apology. I should have never treated you the way I did." Aubrey looked away, just short of rolling her eyes as she looked back at Beca. "You have talent. We could use your mixes… and I guess you. This time with well-planned out routines. No improvising!" She looked sternly at the petite woman. Beca nodded solidly in response. "Then I guess this is yours." She handed the pitch pipe to Beca, but held on as Beca grabbed it. "Don't fuck up!" Then she shifted just a little closer, insuring Chloe wouldn't hear her. "If you hurt her, I hurt you." Beca's eyes went wide with concern. Aubrey seemed to survey the younger woman for a moment, her eyes ghosting over Beca's features as she let go of the pitch pipe. Then she was shrugging and walking away as she stated, clearly not impressed with what she saw, "I still do not see why Stacie likes you so much."

Then it was just Beca and Chloe. It took a little while for her to get over the shock at Aubrey's attempt of an apology. When she did, Beca found Chloe curiously looking at her. Like she couldn't believe that Beca was still there or maybe even real.

Before Beca could start speaking, Chloe shyly blurted out, "I'm surprised you came. I thought you would have blocked my number by now."

Beca responds, pushing back her hair and looking down before meeting Chloe's eyes. She moves a little closer as she talks. "I didn't. I was just- you know… ignoring them." Beca winced at her own words and the pain reflected back at her in Chloe's features before continuing on hopefully. "But I-I turned my phone on and there was-was one I, uh, couldn't ignore. Then I-I read all of them over Spring break." Chloe looked taken a back, clearly not expecting the response. Beca really couldn't blame her.

"All of them?" Chloe's voice was just above a whisper.

Beca smiled, becoming even more confident. She took a step forward, Chloe gasped at the new proximity. "Everyone of them... and the voicemails."

The older Bella was clearly flustered, her skin flushing and eyes focused on Beca's lips as she opened and closed her mouth, nothing coming out. Now Beca understood why the redhead reacted the way she did the night of her love confession. She was overwhelmed, her mind going a mile a minute, surely several responses fighting to come out, but none strong enough to over throw the other. Beca just smiled fondly at the other woman. Instead of walking away, she stayed. Finding Chloe's reaction endearing, even cute. All the sudden she had this great urge to just kiss Chloe. She had been waiting so long too. Sure, they had kissed after regionals in the pool, but that was different. It was tainted with misconceptions. This would be a kiss with the full understanding of the meaning. Of the feelings held behind it. She softened, looking once at Chloe's lips and then back up at her, a soft smile following. It was there in the younger girl's eyes, all her walls down, how she truly felt. She tentatively reached out, placing a hand on Chloe's waist. Then Beca was leaning forward to close the gap when they were interrupted by Aubrey calling them over. Beca groaned, resting her forehead against the older girl's shoulder. Chloe just giggled at Beca's response. She gently pushed the younger girl back so she could cradle her jaw in her hands. Her thumbs reached out to stroke Beca's cheeks lovingly. The petite girl was like putty in her hands, easily pushed and prodded into whatever she wanted at the moment. Beca was willing to be sculpted. It was evident in her eyes, her want to be loved and accepted. It was all there for Chloe to see. The redhead seemed to know exactly what to do.

"How about I go see what Aubrey wants and then I'll be right back?"

Beca just nodded the best she could. Then Chloe was pressing a firm kiss to her lips. She quickly pulled back, leaving the pint sized Bella chasing for more, her eyes lidded, and heart a flutter. Chloe's cheeks were flushed, biting her bottom lip as she looked longing at the other girl's lips. "Okay, I'll just be a moment." Chloe said it as if she was trying to convince herself.

She pressed one more quick kiss to Beca's lips. Then she was gone, the biggest smile in place similar to the one that Beca had seen before at the activities fair, after their shower duet, and the first night Chloe showed up outside her door because she couldn't sleep. Beca was just left staring dopily after her. Amy took the moment to gallop up to the dazed girl.

"So if that was the reunion what are you going to do when she graduates? Full on pash and finally go to second base? I thought lesbians moved fast."

Beca was still in a daze, not quite believing Chloe had kissed her. "What?"

"I was asking what you had planned for big red's graduation night. Surely you have more planned than a quick peck."

The second time around Beca fully comprehended the words, well one word in particular, graduation. She had never really thought about the fact that Chloe would be graduating. She was a senior after all. Beca didn't know what she thought about the subject. It just never occurred to her that they would only have a few months together and then the redhead would disappear from her life. Suddenly the idea of dating Chloe, being with her, seemed a lot more risky than before. She wasn't sure if it would be such a good idea. A series of panic attacks were the result of rejection after one kiss. What would happen after a full-fledged relationship? Sure, it wouldn't be the same. It would be a mutual separation, but it would feel the same. All the sudden being with Chloe, accepting her feelings, didn't feel like such a good idea. She could already feel herself withdrawing.

When Chloe did come right back it was with an Aubrey Posen trailing behind her. So instead of picking up where they left off, they were left talking strategy. Chloe was left to look apologetically at Beca as Aubrey went into full captain mode once again. In a way Beca was both relieved and disappointed. Disappointed because she really wanted Chloe's lips on her's and the ginger's body pressed into her. Then she was relieved because it would give her time to decide exactly what she wanted to do with Chloe and all the recent developments. She had been so gun ho before, but after what Amy said about Chloe and graduation, Beca's mind was spinning.

It did not help that Chloe seemed to be so cheerful. The older Bella was literally radiating happiness and excitement, stealing several glances of the brunette. Beca never noticed until that moment how upset Chloe must have been because her general state of bliss made her old smile she used for the last few months after Beca's love confession seem like an old rusted piece of silverware that had long lost its ability to shine. If Beca didn't know any better, she would have argued it was brighter even than all those smiles before all of this mess happened. Really that would be too ridiculous. Even by Beca's recently cheesy standards. Yet she found herself in awe of that smile. That she was the one to place it there. She felt so conflicted. Beca could either reject Chloe to save herself or risk having a minibreak down for a few months of bliss. As time passed, the first option was sounding better and better.

Really Beca didn't have to figure it out that night, Aubrey whisking Chloe away to talk shop. Chloe had been able to spare just enough time to give Beca a proper kiss before following Aubrey. The next few days were full of a whirlwind of tasks. First Beca had to come up with a new Aubrey approved set list, then choreography followed, and costumes. By the end of the week both Chloe and Beca were exhausted. That was how they found themselves in Chloe's room, sprawled out on her bed, going over things for the finals. The whole time Beca couldn't pull her eyes away from her friend. They were finally alone, free of Aubrey. There was still a growing tension between. A push and pull. A need for contact.

She was both afraid and excited because surely this would be the perfect time for Chloe to bring up the possibility of their relationship. But it was never brought up. They just kept discussing things. Well Chloe was doing most of the talking. Something was really starting to bother her. The ginger kept massaging her throat. The action made Beca's mind spark again with questions about Chloe's surgery and what exactly was done. She had so many questions. The main one being why Chloe didn't tell her about it. Given they weren't on the best of terms, but Beca still would have wanted to know and be there for her. At the moment what was concerning Beca more was the possibility that the surgery left Chloe in more pain than she was before.

The question of Chloe's surgery had been bothering her for a while. She wanted to know all the details that she would have been privy to if she was there. So when Chloe absently touched her throat for the umpteenth time, massaging it, after talking for a while, Beca couldn't stop herself. Before she knew it her finger tips were gently coasting over the soft smooth skin that Chloe had just been massaging. The brunette looked intently at her fingers pressing lightly into such a sensitive area. Then eyes big and full of honest concern looked up to catch Chloe's.

"Does it hurt?"

"No." Chloe smiled fondly at the girl. "I just get a little raspy feeling."

"Oh."

Beca went to retract her hand, but before she fully does, Chloe grabs it, moving it just the slightest bit to the side, leaving her hand on top of Beca's hand. Beca really has no idea what compels her to, but then she was placing a feather light kiss to Chloe's neck. Just where her hand used to be. Chloe reacted with a small intake of breath. Beca leaned back to apologize, but when she did they were so close and Chloe was looking at her in that way Beca hadn't fully figured out the meaning of yet. Their eyes went back and forth, taking in the other's facial expressions as if trying to decipher something. Then Chloe was pulling at Beca's body until the younger girl basically fell into her lap, as she connected their lips. Afterwards, Beca had a pretty good idea what that look meant because Chloe's kisses were hungry and needy. Full of a lot of pent up feelings and elation. She could feel just a hint of a smile on the other girl's lips as they melded with hers. Beca was quick to reciprocate, her hands sliding up the length of the ginger's windpipe and into her hair. Pulling Chloe impossibly closer. The way Chloe was pressing into and pulling at her in just the right way had Beca's mind reeling and body ablaze.

Then a pair of tan hands were anxiously playing with the hem of Beca's shirt, only her fingers tips bold enough to plunge under the fabric. They grazed a particularly sensitive spot on her sides, causing Beca to arch and let out a short gasp. The action separated their lips. Of course that was the moment Beca's mind decided to start working again. Bringing up the pros and cons of their possible romantic relationship. Of course the biggest con was Chloe graduating. Instead of her body agreeing with Chloe's next thought of action, Beca turned as Chloe leaned in for more.

Beca completely stops whatever they were doing was leading to. "Wait… Chlo." She sighs. "I-I can't do this."

"Why not? You know how I feel and I know how you feel."

"Yeeah, but you're graduating Chloe." She reached up and stroked Chloe's cheek, turning back towards her, the other girl leaning into Beca's touch. "All of this would mean nothing."

Chloe's face falls desperate, searching for something, anything to cling to. "Why can't you just treat me like one of the other girls you spend the night with?"

Beca looks down at her lap, her hand playing with Chloe's fingers. Her voice soft and vulnerable. "Then none of it would matter."

The desperation rises in Chloe's voice. "If it doesn't matter then who cares? We can have one night together."

She goes to pull Beca in, but Beca resists. "Cause that's the problem. It matters to me. You are so much more than just a lust filled night to loose myself in. I want you, all of you and I want to be fully present. I-I can't breakdown again like before."

Chloe sat there, tears on the edge trying to force a smile, but failing. One by one they started to drop. "I-I don't know if I can be that Becs. I've never-No ones ever wanted more."

She collapsed in Beca's arms sobbing. Beca just wraps her arms around Chloe and holds her tight. The brunette kisses the top of her head. "It's okay. I'll still be here just… not in that way."

Chloe just gripped more frantically at Beca's shirt, wrapping herself around the younger girl like a baby koala bear. As she held the other woman tight to her chest, her own body began to quake with the start of tears. Beca wasn't sure if she could keep that promise. Chloe was everything she wanted and they could be together, but it would be so brief. It would be like a second in a world of endless time. She already felt so hollow and the grips of anxiety at the edges of her heart at the prospect of Chloe actually leaving. Beca knew Chloe wasn't actually leaving her, but moving on. She knew there was a difference. It didn't make it any better. Any less painful. No matter how much she wanted to live in that second, Beca knew it would hurt less to just let things stay as they were. It would make Chloe's final departure less painful. At least she hoped it would.

Beca sat there for the longest time, pretending she wasn't crying herself as she tried to sooth Chloe. It already hurt, the thought of leaving the other girl just for a second. So when Chloe asked her to stay she did. They separated for all of five minutes to change into clothes that were more comfortable to sleep in. Then they were both in bed. When Chloe wiggled into her arms, she didn't hesitate before pulling her in closer. Beca found herself clinging more tightly to Chloe than the other girl was to her. It was hard to decide who was comforting who after a while. Then she was nuzzling her nose into Chloe's hair, letting the smell that was so Chloe roll over her. She soaked up every little nuance that made Chloe Chloe through her pores. Being that close, that encompassed by Chloe, let Beca forget about the finite time for the time being. All the pain went away. She thought maybe she had made the wrong decision. Maybe even the smallest amount of time with Chloe would be worth it. She couldn't push away the thought that she had fucked up again.

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A/N: The next chapter is, roughly, only a third of the way complete. I have some school stuff and family stuff I have to take care of. So please be patient. I am going to try and post something next week, but I might be a little late. I am not giving up on this fic. I am just getting a tad busy. Oh! And "pash" is an Australian term for making out.