A/N: And here is chapter 8 featuring a few songs to set the mood of the chapter and a fitting Bechloe interval. :)

On that note. I am so sorry with how I end this chapter/what goes down, it had to be done to explore a few things and shake things up a bit. I mean I did say 'calm before the storm' in the last chapter.

I don't own pitch perfect.

It was bad. Disastrous even. And here she thought that she and Aubrey were meeting in the middle, because that's what they had to do. Beca was trying to keep her cool and was willing to bend a little, Aubrey was trying to be nice.

But it still wasn't enough.

What breaks your bones
Is not the load you're carrying
What breaks you down
Is all in how you carry

Beca was at the start of her shift at the radio station, her head in her hands as the music filled the space around her. She just had another major argument earlier that day with Aubrey that almost got blown out of proportions.

Chloe was explaining to the blonde how she'd eventually have to get surgery for her nodes but that she was willing to wait until the competition was over, push it off until later.

She was afraid she won't be able to sing anymore.

That she won't be able to be a Bella anymore.

And it was breaking Beca's heart to see how much Chloe actually cared for the Bellas and that made her care a little more than she would have admitted.

The lover held her love
She begged him not to go
She unwrapped her gloves
The lover said I know, I know, I know
Kissed his trembling lips
She stopped his fingertips
But somehow they both know
He's not coming home

Chloe wanted to pass her solo for the sectionals to Beca but Aubrey didn't think she was a good fit. Before the two of them got into it, Amy volunteered and Aubrey reluctantly agreed. That wasn't exactly the worst part of it.

The worst part came when Beca caught up to Aubrey after practice. It was coming from a good place, it really was. She decided to be more vocal on her opinions but diplomatic with her approach, that's why she approached the blonde after their practice and not in the middle of it all. Beca was giving her suggestions on how they could improve their set list, making tweaks here and there but Aubrey just wouldn't have it.

"It goes against Bellas tradition Mitchell, haven't you been listening?"

"I have, but sometimes traditions suck."

And that's when they started bickering all over again that Chloe had to basically step in before things get far to heated up. Chloe was chastising Aubrey for losing her cool before turning to Beca but she had already left.

She didn't like seeing Chloe disappointed at her.

And she knew she had to cool down before she ended up saying something she would regret

Loneliness has always been with me, with me
Maybe we were meant to be on our own
But I got to try or it will destroy me
Cause maybe we don't have to be all alone

She wanted to try. The girls weren't half that bad either, so it wasn't really just Chloe or Amy or Stacie that she cared about, that she didn't want to disappoint.

She wanted to do something for the Bellas because she knew she was starting to care for the Bellas.

Beca sighed as the song started to end. This is why she didn't want to care.

This is why she didn't do relationships with people.

Their always so fragile that they start falling apart with the slightest of touch.

But she'd like to believe that that wasn't the case with the Bellas, with Chloe.

So yeah, Beca won't give up.

She was going to try.

The Bellas rehearsals were getting little bit more and more out of hand. And it wasn't just based on the intensity or frequency of the practices.

Beca and Aubrey made up most of the excitement and they were all just getting all stressed out about it.

It's sad, so sad
It's a sad, sad situation.
And it's getting more and more absurd.
It's sad, so sad
Why can't we talk it over?
Oh it seems to me
That sorry seems to be the hardest word.

Amy was singing under her breath while the two Bellas in question were trying their hardest to reconcile their differences at the start of the practice next day.

"Why can't they just get along and listen to each other, seriously?" Denise asked.

And Jessica would have answered her except she didn't know an answer either. She just wished things would settle down. Beca was always snarky with Aubrey and Aubrey refused to listen. The Bellas were on Beca's side in that they think change is good, but they think that the feisty little brunette can often fail in the delivery of her intent.

It didn't help that Aubrey was just absolutely bothered by the fact that Beca was friends with Jesse Swanson.

"They just really need to talk it out. They both seem to want what's best for us all." Cynthia Rose pointed out.

"Do you guys think they'll figure this out before our actual competition?" Ashley asked.

"I hope so. I don't think Beca will do anything to upset Chloe." Stacie then replied thoughtfully.

And Jessica nodded. "Yeah, hopefully."

Practice was insufferable. Mostly because Beca had to hold her tongue and avoid butting heads with Aubrey. She didn't apologize to the blonde but she did apologize to Chloe about it just before heading out.

"Don't think much about it Beca." Chloe replied with a smile. "Want to grab coffee or something? I know a good place, better than the coffee shop on campus."

"Maybe later Chlo, I kind of have a thing." Beca replied.

"Oh, uh, yeah sure. Text me?"

"Absolutely." Beca replied before walking out and proceeding to head to the radio station to resume her usual activity of stacking records.

Oh great joy.

Luke was in the booth for his every other day afternoon shift – Matt has a show himself every other day at the same time as Luke's, alternating with him – and Jesse was already working on his stack.

"Greetings Beca!" Jesse said as soon as he saw her.

"Hey Jess, how's it going?" Beca asked, absentmindedly.

"So, I was thinking," Jesse started to say, "sectionals is just around the corner and…"

"What about it Jesse?"

"Well, maybe you can be my date at the Trebles' victory party afterwards?" Jesse asked putting on the sweetest smile on his face.

Beca scoffed. "I didn't know you wanted Aubrey Posen to kill me." she deadpanned.

"Oh come on Becs, it would be fine. It's a harmless party. I'll gladly be your date at a Bellas party if you guys win."

"No thanks." Beca simply replied.

"Fine. But only if you agree to grab dinner later."

"I can't later Jess. I have plans." Beca replied, her mind on Chloe's offer for coffee.

"Fine, lunch at the quad tomorrow? We haven't had lunch together in a while."

"Yeah, sure." Beca replied with one of her half-smiles and got back to work counting the minutes before she actually had a bit of freedom again.

Beca didn't have to text Chloe, she ran into the redhead just outside her dorm building. "Oh hey Becs, there you are!"

"Hey, whatcha' doin' here Chlo?"

"I borrowed something from Stacie the other day, I was just returning it. I thought you'd still be busy so I didn't text you."

"No, I'm done. I was actually planning to send you a message myself. Coffee?"

"Hey, that was my invite." Chloe teased. "But yes, I would love to Mitchell."

It was more like a hole in the wall place when they got there. The coffee shop that Chloe was talking about was just a block off of Main Street on Campus. Beca had to admit, the coffee was really good, the décor of the place simple and was giving a rather jazzy vibe too.

And there was an added bonus that the shop was tuned in to the campus radio, so the music was good too.

It did help that the company was the best.

It's undeniable
That we should be together
It's unbelievable
How I used to say
That I'd fall never
The basis is need to know
If you don't know
Just how I feel
Then let me show you now
That I'm for real
If all things in time
Time will reveal

"Hey Chlo." Beca said after the two of them had probably been talking about Chloe's unbearable Russian lit professor for the past half hour. "I really am sorry."

"You don't need to apologize for anything Beca."

"I do though. I've been pushing Aubrey's buttons since I became a Bella. It's just, I don't get why she won't listen to us."

"She's under a lot of pressure." Chloe said with a kind smile. "Aubrey's been my best friend even before Barden. Oh don't make that face Beca, she's not that bad of a person. I've known her for a long time, and she's a really good person."

"Yeah, buried way underneath I guess."

Chloe chuckled at Beca's retort. "We got into finals last year Beca and we failed and Aubrey couldn't help but blame herself for that. The former Bellas before us couldn't help but blame her too. She really wants to prove to them that she can lead a whole new team to victory."

"Yeah but does it have to be using the exact same way? We won't go anywhere that way."

"I know." Chloe replied admittedly. "But just humor me awhile Beca, I'm trying to get her to see it for herself and Aubrey can be a little difficult sometimes. Hang in there for me?"

Beca smiled. "Of course I would."

It's so incredible
The way things work themselves out
And all emotional
Once you know what it's all about, hey
And undesirable
For us to be apart
I never would have made it very far
'Cause you know you've got the keys to my heart

"So what is it that you're doing behind the scenes that you're almost always late with practice?"

"Oh, uh, I signed up for the radio station as an intern." Beca replied without any hesitations. She found that it was always just so easy to talk to Chloe about anything and everything.

"That's so cool! Too bad interns only do scut. Luke told me he had to stack CDs all throughout his freshman year. You really love music don't you? I saw the set-up in your room, so…" Chloe shrugged. "Do you like mixing?"

"Yeah, it started out as a hobby really." Beca admitted shyly and she honestly doesn't know why.

Chloe smiled and asked timidly, "Would you mind if I listened to one of your mixes sometime?"

Beca shrugged and simply smiled. "I need an answer Mitchell." Chloe teased. "Maybe we can even use that as an inspiration or something for one of our performances."

"For as long as Aubrey doesn't killed me." was Beca's reply. "But yeah, that's how I met Jesse too. He's an intern like me."

"Oh." Chloe said, her expression changing for a split second.

"We are just friends. Seriously though Chlo." Beca couldn't help but say, reaching out to grab Chloe's hand from across the table.

And Chloe smiled again, "If you say so Beca."

Say farewell to the dark of night
I see the coming of the sun
I feel like a little child
Whose life has just begun
You came and breathed new life
Into this lonely heart of mine
You threw out of the lifeline
Just in the nick of time

There was something in Chloe's eyes, like a hint of sadness in them when she brought up mixing.

Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on your part Mitchell.

So she decided to change the topic. Instead she started to talk more about how she got into mixing and Chloe listened with rapt attention. In exchange, Chloe talked about how she really got into singing, why she joined the Bellas with Aubrey, and Beca clung onto every single word that Chloe said.

One
You're like a dream come true
Two
Just want to be with you
Three
Girl, it's plain to see
That you're the only one for me
And four
Repeat steps one through three
Five
Make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I'll start back at one

Beca had to admit, she loved these quiet moments with Chloe. And she wouldn't have had them if she didn't agree to attend Barden for a year or if she didn't join the Bellas.

And so it starts again.

Two days of peace was all that it lasted.

"Just admit it Beca! I can see your toner a mile away."

'My what?" Beca asked incredibly exasperated.

The Bellas were all tired. Amy and Stacie were incredibly uncomfortable by the situation. Chloe was just simply too hard to read – Cynthia Rose and Denise were trying to figure out if she was mad, upset, jealous, or just plain tired and over it.

Over the incessant bickering.

Jessica thinks that Aubrey's suspicions might have been coming from a good place but she just doesn't know what that good place is.

Lilly was… well… who knows what Lilly thinks…

And Ashley?

She just can't stand the arguing anymore.

For this obsession about Beca and Jesse to always get this out of hand, it's either Aubrey likes Jesse herself or some other Treble, she likes Beca, or…

"That's it!" Ashley exclaimed under her breath, slapping Jessica's arm. For her part Jessica shot a look at Ashley, incredibly irate.

"What?" Jessica hissed.

"Do you think it's possible that maybe Chloe has a thing for Beca and Aubrey's all overprotective friend and that because Jesse definitely has a thing for Beca…"

"You think Aubrey's giving all of us hell for that?"

"I'm saying it's part of the reason. She thinks Beca is not good enough for the Bellas, most especially for her best friend?"

"You just figured that out Sherlock?" Cynthia Rose asked straight faced.

"This is getting out of hand." Stacie mumbled.

"Yeah, I mean, Beca doesn't have a thing for Jesse." Amy then said.

"How do you know?" Denise asked.

Stacie and Amy exchanged looks before Stacie said pointing at Beca and Chloe. "Are you guys just blind or what? Those two have been shooting heart eyes at each other ever since."

And a light bulb immediately turned on for all other Bellas.

Cynthia Rose seemed to have figured it out though that she wasn't really shocked.

"Oh my God Posen, what are you? My stalker?" Beca asked, her tone rising.

"You're always late Mitchell."

"Not always."

"Almost always. You hang out with that Swanson for the most part of the day."

"Not the most part!"

"Well you seemed all comfortable going on a picnic lunch dates with him on the quad watching movies!"

Stacie and Amy gasped at that. "But Beca hates movies!" Beca let slipped.

While Ashley heard Stacie curse under her breath "He finally succeeded in catching our Beca off guard."

"That wasn't my personal choice!" Beca defended.

"Seriously though Mitchell, why are you here? You seem to be too comfortable with the Trebles, you're definitely not a hundred percent in for all of this, how do you even think we can trust you to keep the Bellas dreams alive next year?"

Beca looked a little taken aback by that question, not being able to find an answer she can give to Aubrey. She looked very much conflicted about it.

"Aubrey, stop." Chloe pleaded with Aubrey calmly.

"Why? Why should I? Mitchell's just making things worse for us? How do we know she's not just a spy sent by her Treble boyfriend to feed them information on how they could sabotage us? I mean, she's already sabotaging us!"

All the Bellas were stunned silent with what happened next, and Ashley could swear she could hear all their hearts breaking at the same time.

"Do you really just hate me that much?" Beca threw back at Aubrey.

"We don't need you Mitchell, not if you keep messing up the group dynamics."

"There isn't even any group dynamics! We can't have that if you keep being a tyrant!"

"Oh is that what you think of me? I'm doing my very best to get us to Nationals Mitchell, I want to protect the Bellas and their legacy, something you can be proud to inherit next year, what have you been doing? Your Treble boyfriend? "

The bite in Aubrey's voice was clear and Beca flinched with every word that followed. "You don't care about us Beca, and truthfully, we'd be better off."

Ashley saw Beca's jaw clench, her eyes filled with fury. "Fine then." She said through gritted teeth. "Keep your stupid Bella traditions, keep your stupid scarf," Beca said throwing it down to the ground. "I'm done." Beca said, her voice echoing throughout the whole room. She was visibly trembling, making Stacie and Amy jump from their seats with the desire to rush to her side and comfort her. 'I don't even know why I let this distract me in the first place." she said before storming off.

Chloe was the first to follow her, Amy running behind the redhead as fast as she could. Stacie wasn't sure with what she should do, she looked over to where Aubrey stood. The blonde has also been visibly shaken by the end result of what had just happened.

"You couldn't just back off a bit, Bree?" Chloe said as she came back incredibly pissed, Amy right behind her looking incredibly worried. She looked over to Stacie who immediately fished for her phone. Ashley assumed it was so that she could give Luke the heads up.

"At least you know how she feels." Aubrey said weakly. She didn't sound condescending nor proud. She almost sounded as if she was disappointed, as if she was remorseful for crossing a line.

Bellas practice ended after that.

And Ashley was left wondering how Beca was doing, or at least she would have.

But nothing lasts forever and be honest babe
It hurts but it may be the only way

She heard the tiny brunette singing silently when she went to the restroom of the building of where she had a late afternoon class.

The voice coming from one of the stalls was unmistakable, it was Beca's.

And it sounded like she was crying.

And truth be told Ashley wasn't sure about what she should do other than let Beca be for now.

Beca was in a really bad mood at the start of her shift at the radio station. It felt bad. It felt really bad.

And she hated it.

She hated the feelings she were feeling now.

And all she could do was seek solace through her one and only friend, music.

Chloe was probably mad at her now.

The Bellas too.

But it just…

Aubrey's words stung really bad.

This is why she didn't like to care, why she didn't like attachments.

Relationships were incredibly fragile.

I'm sorry
I did not mean to hurt my little girl
It's beyond me
I cannot carry the weight of the heavy world
So goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
Hope that things work out all right, yeah, whoa, whoa

So much to learn
So much to love
But I won't be there to teach you
I know I can't be close
But I try my best to reach you

The song was ending and Beca had to pull herself together before answering the next call that was coming in. "Hey this is the Midnight DJ at WBUJ 85.7, music for the independent mind. That was Maroon 5 with 'Goodnight Goodnight'. Feeling a little blue today folks, it can't be help. But music is the therapy for the soul. How about we ask our third caller this evening what they think?"

"Hey Midnight DJ." was the sullen greeting that came through.

It was Chloe.

And Chloe's voice sounded so defeated and sad that Beca's heart broke even more. "Hey Ms. Beale. What can I do for you?" Beca asked, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"Just a song request. Feeling a little down too."

"What song can I play you?"

"Gotten by Slash do you know it?"

"The one with Adam Levine? Of course I do. Worry not my friend." Beca said using as much effort she could to keep the conversation natural and light.

Beca played the song as soon as Chloe hanged up. Her thoughts back to the jumbled mess that it was a few weeks ago.

She shouldn't have gone to Barden.

She shouldn't have agreed.

Now it's just messed her up.

But if she didn't, then she wouldn't have met Chloe.

And it's all sorts of confusing, the things Beca was feeling right then, that her mind couldn't process anything straight.

LA was the dream, the end goal.

Everything in Barden was just a distraction, a means of bidding her time.

However, she made friends with the Bellas.

With Stacie and Amy.

But they were transitory, that's what Beca reasoned.

But then there was Chloe.

Chloe didn't feel transitory, she felt permanent. She didn't feel like just something to bide her time with,

Chloe was Chloe.

She was air.

And right now Beca was drowning, her brain going in a haywire because she couldn't process her thoughts.

She was all torn up about it.

So she decided to not think about it for now, let the music wash away her thoughts.

So nice to see your face again
But tell me will this ever end?
Don't disappear

However it can't wash away what she's been feeling.

And I've been saving
These last words for
One last miracle
But now I'm not sure
I can't save you if
You don't let me
You just get me
Like I never been gotten before

She felt a light tap on her shoulders and before she knew it she saw Luke in the booth with her. His face said it all. He understood and he was here for her.

And for once in her life, she let her step-brother keep her safe in his arms, console her with his embrace.

Songs featured in this chapter: 'The Fighter' by The Fray; 'Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word' by Elton John (with a version by Blue Ft. Elton John); 'Back at One' by Brian McKnight; 'Nothing Lasts for Ever' and 'Goodnight Goodnight' by Maroon 5; 'Gotten' by Slash Ft. Adam Levine.

PS: It is at this point where I clearly hijack the story we all know and love :P Stuff's about to go down, some different, some reminiscent, just bear with me guys ;) This will be a 25 chapter fic as per my usual :)

Feel free to let me know of what you think with what happened or if you have comments or suggestions with what happens next! i'd love to hear your thoughts :D