A/N: So this is going to be it for this story. I feel like if I even try to take it any further, it will be completely off the wall. I do have a couple ideas for one-shots, so I'll try to get those written and posted sometime within the next couple weeks (really depends on how hard school hammers me with work from here until Christmas break). Thanks for reading and your reviews mean a lot to me!
Also, in case you didn't know, you can find me on Tumblr at tightrope-inthe-closet43! Send me a message on here or on Tumblr if you'd like (I'm always bored and would love to chat).
I present to you: the final chapter of Breaking the Horizon:
ENJOY!
Two days later, they went to get Beca's stuff. Aubrey and Beca pulled into the driveway in the gray Dodge, followed by Thomas and Brandon in Brandon's red Ford 250.
They got out of the trucks and walked up to the front porch. Aubrey turned Beca to face her. "Are they home?"
"I don't know. I can't tell. They usually park in the garage. If they are home, I'm sure they're passed out."
Beca turned back to the door and opened it; the rest followed her into the house. She stopped and looked into the living room to find the couple was indeed passed out. "We've got plenty of time. They'll be out for hours."
She led the group up to her room to start packing her stuff up. She handed Thomas and Brandon a duffle bag and told them to put her books and shoes in it, while she and Aubrey worked on packing her clothes into a different bag.
When they finished packing Beca's small amount of belongings, they made to leave the house. They were stopped in the entryway when Mike, her foster father, suddenly grabbed Beca's wrist. Aubrey immediately went to stand beside Beca but was stopped by the brunette putting an arm in front of her and pushing her slightly behind her in a protective gesture.
Thomas and Brandon stood tensely in the doorway, ready to intervene. They watched the small girl glare fiercely at the drunken man. Mike was an imposing figure. Standing just over 6 feet tall and grossly overweight, he towered over the girl. Yet, if Beca was afraid, she sure as hell didn't show it.
"Where do you think you're going, bitch?"
If anything Beca's glare hardened as she pushed Aubrey further behind her. "I'm leaving."
"Like hell you are." Mike began trying to drag Beca into the living room. The brunette resisted with every muscle she had control over and managed to rip her arm free of his grasp.
Mike stopped in his tracks and turned to face the girl, a look of complete and total fury passed over his face. Suddenly, he struck, slapping Beca across her already bruised cheek.
Beca fall to the floor with the force of the slap, Aubrey automatically moving to squat down beside her.
Brandon rushed past the two girls and shoved the man against the wall. He held him there with a forearm pressed harshly against his throat, slightly cutting off his air supply. Mike drunkenly struggled for a minute before finally seeming to give up. That didn't stop Brandon though, he maintained the pressure, and he held the man there as Thomas and Aubrey helped Beca up from the floor.
Just as Brandon readied to punch Mike, Beca rushed to catch him by the elbow. "Brandon, he's not worth it. Let's just get out of here."
Brandon looked in the girl's eyes, seeing the frustration but also the resignation. He took in a deep breath to calm himself before letting his fist drop back to his side and removing his arm from Mike's throat. The man fell to his knees, gasping for air.
The group picked up the bags and began to walk out the door. Beca herself stopped them this time.
"You know what, hang on." She handed the bag she held off to Thomas and turned to go back into the house. The group watched through the open doorway as Beca stopped in front of the man on his knees.
She suddenly reared back a foot and kicked the man in the nether regions. She stooped over the man as he lay on his side on the floor writhing and moaning in pain. "Leave me the fuck alone. You'll get your damn check if you just leave me the fuck alone."
She turned on her heel and strode out to meet the awed group. "Let's go." She walked past the open-mouthed group and went straight to the passenger side of the Dodge, climbing into the seat and glaring out the windshield.
The group glanced at each other before heading to their respective trucks and tossing the bags they carried into the beds.
Aubrey looked at Beca as she settled into the driver's seat. "Look at me, baby."
Beca turned to meet her gaze. Aubrey's eyes scanned the bruised cheek. Once again, there was an angry red mark. She knew the already formed bruise would turn an even darker shade of purple. She leaned over and kissed the frown from Beca's lips.
"That was hot," she tried to lighten the mood.
"Yeah?"
"Totally. You should beat people up more often."
"Get off on it, do you?" Beca teased.
"Oh, yeah," the blonde playfully let her eyes roll back into her head in mock pleasure. "But seriously, how do you feel?"
Beca sobered. "Better. A lot better. That felt good."
"I can imagine."
Beca slid over to sit in the seat between the driver's and passenger's seat, pressing herself against the blonde's side. "Let's get out of here."
Aubrey kissed her. "Of course."
She started the truck and pulled away from the curb, heading back towards the Posen family's house.
After they had gotten Beca settled in the guest bedroom, the family had all congregated in the living room and just enjoyed each others' presence. It had somehow turned into a game night, with everyone gathered around the coffee table to play board and card games. They had played well into the evening and decided to call it a day when Brandon was discovered to literally be cheating at Life. They went their separate ways to get ready for bed and by now they had each settled into their respective sleeping quarters. Well…almost everyone had.
"Aubrey, go to your own room. Don't make me put you in the basement and bring Brandon up here," Elaine called from the master bedroom.
"Ugh," the blonde groaned from her position in Beca's bed. "Fine," she called back as Beca smirked.
"Don't worry. I'll still be here tomorrow," the brunette reassured.
"I know, but I don't want to leave you now. You're warm."
"Aubrey," Elaine warned.
"I'm going," the blonde teen called back exasperatedly. "Gosh, she's annoying," she mumbled to the brunette.
Beca chuckled before pecking the blonde on the lips. "Go. I'd hate to see you demoted to the basement."
The blonde rose from the bed before leaning down to kiss Beca one last time. "Good night, baby." She turned and headed for the door.
"Good night. Oh, Bree?"
The blonde turned in the doorway to see her girlfriend who had sat up on the bed. "Yeah?"
Beca smiled. "I love you."
Aubrey smiled in return. "I love you, too." She turned to leave the room. She murmured another "Good night" as she pulled the door closed behind her.
Beca flopped back on the mattress and smiled at the ceiling. As she turned onto her side and closed her eyes to welcome sleep, she still couldn't wipe the smile from her face. For the first time in a really long time, Beca felt…at home.