Chloe had managed to get Beca in to see an OBGYN the day after Thanksgiving, which in and of itself was pretty surprising. Chloe had sat nervously by the brunette's side, holding her hand. The doctor had told them that everything looks good and gave Beca some prenatal vitamins. They spent the rest of the day moving themselves into the house.
Chloe hadn't needed to move much. She could keep most of her things there just for the sake of appearances. She had pretty much everything in the house already. Beca only needed some clothes and her mixing equipment. She too left most of her things there for the sake of appearances.
They spent the weekend cuddled up together. Chloe had somehow managed to convince Beca to watch movies with her all weekend and she'd even done so without much complaint. And every night she got to fall asleep with Beca in her arms. In the morning she'd make breakfast for the two of them, and after breakfast Beca would insist on doing the dishes.
Today is different. Today they would have to face school, and though that isn't nearly as bad as it might sound, they aren't exactly excited about it. They are both content to live in the bubble they've been in over break.
Chloe drives them back to Barden. She gives Beca a long lingering kiss before they go their separate ways for another day full of classes.
Chloe is hungry when she gets out of her first class. She knows Beca has class right now, so she can't eat with her girlfriend. She's disappointed, but she knows it's not that big of a deal. She heads to one of the cafeterias on campus, flashing her dining card before walking around to see what the specials are today.
"Chloe?"
Chloe knows that voice. She would know it anywhere. She considers ignoring it, but in the end she turns around slowly to face Aubrey. She doesn't even realize just how unfriendly her face is right now, but then she doesn't really care at the moment.
When Chloe doesn't say anything Aubrey says timidly, "How are you?"
"I'm fantastic," Chloe says.
She can see the hurt in Aubrey's eyes and she feels a wave of guilt pass through her. But then, Aubrey had brought this on herself.
"How's Beca?" Aubrey finally asks.
"Like you care," Chloe says.
"Look, Chloe, I'm sorry, okay? I know I was a bitch, I just – I guess I was just used to you always having my back. I've never had you choose someone else over me before. And I really am sorry. I miss you, Chloe. I miss my best friend."
"I miss you, too, Aubrey," Chloe says. "But I can't do this. You broke us. I've always been there for you. Always. But our friendship doesn't work if you aren't there for me. And you weren't there. You were against me. And that hurt. And I won't tolerate that. Not anymore. And I won't tolerate you taking shots at my girlfriend either."
Aubrey is both shocked and guilt-ridden. It's written all over her face.
"I'm sorry, Chloe," Aubrey says again. "You're right. You're completely right. I should have had your back. I should have supported you. I should have given Beca a chance. I know I don't deserve to have you as a best friend, but I'll be better, just give me another chance."
Chloe sighs. "We can be friends Aubrey, I just – we can't be like we were. And I can't live with you right now."
Chloe can see a tear escape Aubrey's eye.
"Where will you go?" Aubrey asks.
"I got a place off-campus," Chloe says.
Aubrey nods. "Can we meet up sometime?" she asks.
Chloe nods. "You have my number."
Beca groans as she flops down into the passenger seat of Chloe's new BMW.
"What's wrong, Becs?" Chloe says.
"It's nothing, babe," Beca says.
Chloe can't help but smile at the pet name.
"Just tell me whose butt I have to kick," Chloe says.
Beca laughs. "It's just been a long day," Beca says. "And I missed my girlfriend; I swear I was having withdrawals."
Chloe laughs this time. "Well why don't we get some food?"
"Pizza?" Beca asks. Her eyes light up with hope.
"Bacon and pickles, right?"
Beca nods, a grin plastered on her face.
"What made you get that combination?" Chloe asks.
"Must be the baby," Beca says. "I don't even like pickles, but now I crave them."
Chloe stops at Barden Pizza, picking up a small pizza for each of them.
"So what happened today," Chloe asks.
"I got my English paper back this morning. I thought I did really well on it, but I got a C minus. And then I had calculus, which I'm sure I'm going to fail. I ran into Aubrey. I tried to ignore her, but she was persistent. She actually apologized for treating me poorly and not giving me a chance though. And then at work, Jesse kept pestering me about going out with him. He just can't take a hint. I've told him I'm not interested all year. Today he accused me of dating Luke, who can't even get my name right."
"That does sound like a long day," Chloe says.
"Yeah, but coming home with you means it's still a good day," Beca says.
Chloe leans over to kiss her girlfriend.
Even with Chloe and Beca living together now, they don't get much time to themselves. Finals are coming up and they're both studying, trying to make sure they get the best grades possible. They spend most of their time outside of classes in their secret spot in the library, studying, but not really paying much attention to each other.
It's Saturday. There's only one more week of classes before finals come up and Chloe's sitting in the library going over her notes for one of her classes while she waits for Beca to finish her tutoring session.
She screams when Beca sneaks up behind her and whispers 'Boo'. Beca snickers, but everyone else is glaring daggers at them.
"Beca!" Chloe whispers.
"Sorry, babe," Beca says, though it doesn't appear that she is. "Whatcha working on?"
"I'm just going over my notes for my comparative literature class. I think I'm doing okay, but I swear the professor doesn't like me."
There's a moment of silence before Beca says, "That's because he doesn't."
Chloe slaps Beca's arm lightly. "You're supposed to comfort me and tell me it's all in my head," she says.
"And if it were any other professor I would," Beca says. "But my dad is an asshole and he hasn't liked you since he saw us holding hands in the quad that day you gave me your number."
"Dr. Mitchell is your dad?" Chloe says.
"Unfortunately, but can we not talk about this here? When we get home, I promise we'll talk," Beca says.
"Okay," Chloe says. She packs up her things and takes Beca's hand as they walk back to the car.
"Chlo?" Beca says. Chloe looks up. "Can I drive today?"
"Sure, Becs," Chloe says, tossing Beca the keys to the BMW.
As Beca pulls out of the parking lot, Chloe looks over at her. She can't help but wonder how she got Beca. She smiles gently watching as Beca's trademark smirk appears on her face. She knows it hasn't been long, but she's fallen in love with the girl. If she's being honest, for her, it was love at first sight. In her mind, she imagines their future together. A house in the suburbs of Los Angeles where Beca is a successful music producer. A white picket fenced yard where they have mini Beca's and mini Chloe's running around. Chloe and Beca slow dancing in the living room after all the kids are in bed. She knows she will marry Beca someday if Beca will have her.
Chloe is so caught up in her imagination that she doesn't notice that Beca isn't driving them home. So when Beca calls her name and Chloe's eyes refocus on Beca who is looking at her like she's the only person in the world, it takes her a minute to realize where she is.
"I thought tonight we could take our minds off of all the stress of finals and just have a night to relax and enjoy each other. You told me once that this was your favorite restaurant in town," Beca says.
Chloe leans over and kisses her girlfriend. "You're amazing," she says.
They enjoy dinner and dessert, just talking about anything and everything that came to mind. Chloe drives them home, their hands intertwined the whole way. They're smiling and laughing and just enjoying themselves.
When they get in the house Beca says, "So serious conversations before or after the movie?"
"You're initiating movie nights now?" Chloe asks.
Beca shrugs. "They're not so bad when I get to watch them with you," she says.
"Hmmm. Before," Chloe says. "That way we can relax with the movie after."
Beca nods as they head toward the living room. Chloe plops herself down on the couch, pulling Beca into her lap.
"My dad left when I was four," Beca says. "He and my mom were fighting for months whenever they were both home. And one day he just packed his things and left. He didn't even try to hide that he was leaving. He just kissed me on the forehead, told me to be good, and then he was gone."
Chloe kisses Beca on the shoulder and holds Beca tighter.
"I didn't see or hear from him again until I was eight. He came back telling me that I was going to have a little sister. His new wife, Tammy, who was actually really nice, was seven months pregnant. It was almost summer vacation, so my parents talked and I went to spend the summer with my dad. They decided to name her Alyssa, and they even let me pick her middle name. I went through books and books of names trying to pick the perfect middle name for my baby sister. Tammy went into labor a couple weeks early, but the delivery went fine and my baby sister, Alyssa Natalie Mitchell was born on July 18th. We all cooed over her and I even got to hold her a couple times. But at the beginning of August we woke up to find that she had died. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. She wasn't even a month old."
Beca is crying now. Chloe can't imagine what she had gone through.
"At the end of the summer, I went back to live with my mom. My dad and Tammy ended up getting divorced not long thereafter. My dad called to tell me, but then I didn't see or hear from him again until I was about to graduate high school. My parents talked and they decided that I needed a degree before I went chasing my dreams. My dad doesn't really support what I want to do, but my mom always supported me. She just wants me to get a degree first. My dad though, he thinks he can just waltz back into my life again and everything would be okay. Like he didn't leave me twice. He's abrasive and unsupportive and he's not even apologetic or compassionate. But it's okay because now he's got a new wife and a step-son and step-daughter and I don't want anything to do with him."
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that," Chloe says. She places another kiss to Beca's shoulder.
"It's okay. I mean, it's not, but I wouldn't change anything," Beca says. "If I hadn't gone through everything I went through, I wouldn't be sitting here with you now."
"You, Miss Mitchell," Chloe says, "are a sweet talker."
"Only for you, babe," Beca says.
Beca shifts in Chloe's arms, turning enough to kiss Chloe properly. When they break for air, Beca settles back into Chloe's arms.
"So what exactly does your father do in order to buy you all this," Beca asks.
"He's an entrepreneur. I'm not quite sure exactly what it is he does. I only ever asked him when I was really little, and he told me he helps people. But I never really cared about the money or the things. I only cared that I got to spend time with my family. My dad would give me the world if he could. That's what this is," Chloe says. She gestures to everything around them. "Like my dad said, I haven't asked for anything since I was twelve, until now. And all I asked for was help finding a place off-campus. I don't like just being handed things. I want to earn them."
"You," Beca says, "are an extraordinary woman."
Chloe blushes. "As are you."
"So, um," Chloe says. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I was just wondering –"
"Yeah?" Beca says.
"Does the father know?" Chloe asks.
Beca shakes her head no. "I went to visit my step-brother in his hometown. My step-father didn't want to uproot him from his school and his friends, so while he and my mom go wherever they send my mom, my step-brother stays with his friends until they come back. Anyway we get along okay, but we don't really connect. But I made friends with one of his friends. Quinn. A few nights before I left to come here, Quinn invited me to a party. I wasn't pleased with being forced to come here. I got wasted. The last thing I remember was taking five shots of tequila around ten, and I was already trashed. And then I went to go dance with Quinn. I woke up the next morning next to some guy I recognized as one of my step-brother's friends. I was so wasted that I don't even remember losing my virginity."
"I am in awe of you," Chloe says.
"What?" Beca says.
"It's just, after everything you've been through, you didn't let any of it break you," Chloe says. "If I it had been me, I'd be in pieces on the floor. But here you are in front of me, this strong, amazing woman."
"I'm really not strong or amazing," Beca mumbles.
"But you are," Chloe says.
Chloe can tell that Beca still doesn't agree, but she must think better than to argue because she doesn't say anything.
They sit in silence, enjoying each other's embrace for a while until Beca says, "This is surreal."
"What do you mean?" Chloe asks.
"I, just, if you had told me a year ago that this is what my life would be like now, I'd have called you crazy. I mean, I'm in college. I'm pregnant. I have the most amazing and beautiful girlfriend who chose a nothing like me over everyone else, even her best friend. Sometimes I think this is all just a dream, but if it is, I don't want to wake up."
"You are not a nothing, Beca. You are my everything. You are strong. Beautiful. Intelligent. Funny. Sarcastic. Caring. You are my everything, Beca. Never forget that," Chloe says.
"You are my everything, too, Chloe. I don't know what I'd do without you," Beca says.
"You'd be just fine," Chloe says. "But enough of the serious stuff. You promised me a movie."
"Of course m'lady." Beca grins as she gets up to put a movie in, laughing when Chloe tries to keep her from moving. She settles back into Chloe's arms, never having felt safer in her life.
It's Friday. Chloe is sitting in her car outside the radio station waiting for Beca to be done with her shift. She's in a good mood because two of her professors had told her today that she was doing so well in their classes that she wouldn't have to take the final.
Chloe lights up when she sees Beca leaving the building, but the smile drops from her face when she sees the scowl on Beca's.
"Baby, what's wrong?" Chloe asks.
"Jesse," Beca huffs.
"What now?" Chloe asks. She's pissed at the boy who won't stop pursuing her girlfriend.
"He kept bothering me about giving him a chance. Today he said he's in love with me. I told him tough luck because I don't even like him, let alone love him. He started yelling and begging, and I lost it. We started yelling at each other. He started talking about how someday our kids were going to do something and I yelled at him saying 'Newsflash dickwad, I'm pregnant and it's not yours.' He then proceeded to call me a slut. And then Luke came out and started yelling at us."
Chloe has had just about enough.
"Stay here," Chloe tells her girlfriend as she marches toward the radio station. If she was a cartoon she'd have smoke coming out of her ears.
"Jesse!" Chloe yells when she enters the station.
"You can't be in here, Chloe," Luke says stepping out of his booth.
"Try and stop me, Luke," Chloe says. Luke knows better than to mess with her when she's mad. It doesn't happen often, but when it does she's a force to be reckoned with.
"Well just, try not to kill 'im, yeah?" Luke says.
"While you're here, Lucas," she says. His eyes widen. "Her name is Beca, so quit calling her Becky."
"Okay," Luke says as he disappears into his booth.
"Jesse!" Chloe yells again.
"Who the fuck are you?" Jesse says when he rounds the corner into view.
Within seconds, Chloe has Jesse pinned against the wall. "If you ever call my girlfriend a slut again, I will end you. Do you understand?"
Jesse pushes Chloe off of him. "I'll call her whatever I want to, you fucking dyke," he says. "You can't do shit to me."
"Wanna bet?" Chloe says. "I can get you blackballed from every industry in a matter of hours. You won't even get to finish out the semester here because you'll get thrown out for sexual harassment."
"You're full of shit, you don't mean anything to anyone because you're just a fucking dyke hoping to get into Beca's pants."
"Let's test that theory, huh?" Chloe says sweetly. "Luke!"
Luke appears at the edge of the booth. He's fidgeting, clearly uncomfortable and itching to return to the safe confines of his booth.
"Hypothetically, if I wanted Jesse to lose his internship, what would I have to do?" Chloe says.
"Just say the word, and he's gone," Luke says.
Jesse's eyes widen. Chloe grins. "Thanks Luke," Chloe says. "That won't be necessary quite yet."
Luke nods and hurries back into his booth.
"You leave Beca alone," Chloe says. "Or your dreams of scoring movies are over."
Chloe turns on her heel and goes back to her car.
"He won't bother you anymore," Chloe says to Beca. "But if he does, let me know and I'll put the fear of God back into him."
"You didn't have to do that, babe, but I appreciate it nonetheless."
What do you think?