It's the nearing the end of January when Chloe finally talks to Aubrey about going back to the Bellas. Aubrey is predictably excited and of course welcomes Chloe back to the group without a moment's hesitation. She's been hanging out with Aubrey more often and while she still loves the girl's company, their friendship still isn't quite what it used to be. It helps that Aubrey and Beca get along now.

Chloe feels overwhelmed when she walks into practice, being welcomed back enthusiastically by her former, or once again current teammates.

Beca doesn't come this time. Chloe almost begged her to, but Beca had said that it's good for them to have their own things. They don't want to be one of those codependent couples that can't do anything for themselves. They're both independent driven people and being in a relationship shouldn't change that. Chloe internally conceded that she was right, but it doesn't mean that she has to like it. It's probably for the better anyway because even though Aubrey and Beca are on more friendly terms now, they still butt heads like goats or elk or something and Aubrey's still insanely tense on all things Bella related.

"Welcome back, Chloe," she hears Cynthia Rose say.

Chloe smiles. She's missed her fellow sisters. A wave of guilt washes over her momentarily as she faces the reality that she had not only left Aubrey, she had left them, she had left them to face Aubrey's borderline dictatorial ways without her as a shield. Not that she was much of one, but she's the only one that can seem to calm Aubrey down.

"Thanks guys," Chloe says. "I'm sorry I left. I really missed you guys."

It isn't long before Aubrey's perfectionist side (the side that's been bred by her father) takes over. It's only been about fifteen minutes since they started (legitimately) practicing, but Chloe's already frowning as Aubrey yells at Stacie, whom Chloe knows is a seasoned dancer, about the timing of her steps.

"Bree," Chloe says.

Aubrey looks up at Chloe, and Chloe can see the understanding come to her emerald eyes. Aubrey nods once.

"Again," Aubrey says.

They run through the same, admittedly boring and outdated routine that Chloe's had down since they had done it for finals last year. She needs to talk to Aubrey about this because if they just keep using this set list, they're never going to make it to Lincoln Center. Even Alice didn't reuse set lists and she was an uber bitch.

Chloe's throat is becoming very painful and she knows she should stop singing now, but they're on what seems like their millionth run-through of the set and she doesn't really want to stop during her first day back. She's hoping that it's not noticeable, but of course….

"Chloe, your voice doesn't sound Aguilerian at all. For serious, what is wrong with you?"

Chloe doesn't mean for it to come out, but she says it before she realizes she's responded. "I have nodes."

Chloe hears Aubrey gasp.

Chloe's exhausted by the time she pulls into the driveway. Between classes and Bella's rehearsal and her nodes and dealing with a douchebag named Ryan that Chloe swears has taken to trying to destroy her academic career, all she wants to do is go to bed with her girlfriend.

She finds Beca waiting for her at the kitchen counter with a steaming cup of tea.

"Welcome home," Beca says.

"You're the best girlfriend ever," Chloe says. Her voice is still strained, but not hoarse. Beca visibly winces at the sound.

"How are you guys doing?" Beca asks.

Chloe's been enjoying her time back with the Bellas. They're preparing for the semi-finals which come up just before spring break. It's only February now, but Aubrey's still an unstoppable machine in her quest for redemption. Chloe can't really blame her because if it had been Chloe, she would probably be too.

Aubrey's been taking it easy on her though. She'd been sympathetic enough when Chloe had revealed her nodes her first day back, but a week and a half later had Aubrey screaming at Chloe, and Chloe had gone home crying. Beca had taken it upon herself to have words with Aubrey, Chloe still doesn't know exactly what happened there, but Chloe's sure Beca put Aubrey in her place. Now everything's hunky dory, or something like that.

"It's stressful," Chloe says. "I still haven't been able to convince Aubrey to change the set list. There's no way we're going to win with it. It may have passed for regionals, but it's old and the judges have already seen it. Also, it's entirely boring, especially because I learned the routine the same time Aubrey did last year."

Chloe can see the gears cranking in Beca's mind.

"I have an idea," Beca says. "I think it'll help you out, but in order for it to work, you can't know anything about it…"

"That's so cryptic," Chloe says. "How can I approve if I don't know what it is?"

"Trust me?" Beca asks.

Chloe can hear a quiet desperation in those two words, as if Beca's begging for her trust. Chloe knows Beca has some insecurities and trust issues, but she thinks that Beca should know that Chloe already trusts her.

"Always," Chloe says, hoping Beca can hear the sincerity in her voice.

Chloe wakes up feeling cold. She rolls over to find that Beca's not there and frowns. She looks at the clock to find it's only five-forty-two in the morning. Beca's never up this early – even when she needs to be.

Chloe searches the house to find that Beca is nowhere to be found. She checks the garage and sighs when she finds that the truck is gone. Beca had taken a penchant to the truck. How someone so small can feel so comfortable in something that big is beyond Chloe. Even Chloe feels uncomfortable in that thing.

Beca's been really secretive lately. Not answering questions about where she's been or what she's been doing, being out of the house all the time without Chloe, closing her laptop whenever Chloe comes into the room, running out of the room when she gets a phone call (which has been happening a lot considering the only people who usually call Beca are Chloe and Beca's mother).

Chloe's confident in their relationship, and she trusts Beca, so she hasn't stooped to invading Beca's privacy, after all she does have the right to have interests outside of music and Chloe. It doesn't stop Chloe's mind from wondering.

Chloe's problem is currently that it's not even six in the morning on Saturday and her girlfriend isn't home, and left no note saying where she's gone or when she'll be back. What if something happens? How is Chloe supposed to know? How is Chloe supposed to help? There's also the slightly irritating fact that it's Valentine's Day and Chloe wants to spend the entire day with her girlfriend. Apparently her girlfriend has other ideas.

Chloe grabs a blanket and lays down on the couch; she falls back asleep as she waits for Beca to come home.

She wakes up about an hour later to the sound of Beca's tremulous alto resonating throughout the house. She sleepily identifies the lyrics of Jason Mraz's 'Lucky' and a smile forms on her face. She rubs the sleep out of her eyes and gets up, wrapping the blanket around her and heads toward Beca's voice.

Chloe finds Beca singing and dancing around the kitchen as she's cooking. Chloe's smile brightens at the sight. Beca is flipping pancakes and Chloe can smell bacon cooking, though she can't see it.

"Hey," Chloe says, her voice still hoarse and raspy from sleep.

Beca jumps, in the middle of flipping a pancake in the air, literally back a foot. She looks up at Chloe with wide eyes which only widen a moment later when Chloe figures she must have remembered the pancake. Her arm brings the frying pan up and with great luck, the pancake actually lands back in the frying pan.

Chloe giggles. She walks into the kitchen and sits down at the breakfast bar. She simply watches as Beca continues cooking and singing and dancing, occasionally harmonizing with her girlfriend.

Beca sets a plate down in front of Chloe. It's a stack of pancakes, red, in the shape of hearts, the top one with strawberry syrup forming the words 'Happy Valentine's Day'. Strawberry halves line the plate and Beca set a small plate with bacon next to it.

Chloe can feel the words 'I love you' on the tip of her tongue, but she holds them back, still waiting for the day when Beca will say them to her. Instead she opts for "Thank you, this is wonderful," and leans in for a kiss.

Beca shrugs like it's no big deal. "You're kind of my whole world right now," Beca says.

Chloe grins.

As it turns out, Beca does want to spend the entire day snuggled up with Chloe and Chloe has absolutely no objections. After breakfast, Chloe insists on doing the dishes because Beca cooked, even though Beca whole-heartedly objects. They end up doing them together and settling on the couch when they're finished.

They spend the whole day watching romantic comedies, curled up on the couch, only breaking for food and bathroom use. Chloe kind of loves this, just being with Beca, not doing anything particularly special, just being. It's moments like this where Chloe knows she could spend the rest of her life with Beca, and she only hopes that Beca might one day feel the same.

The day is over before they know it and they head upstairs to the master bedroom to get ready for bed. Chloe's washing her face when Beca enters the bathroom with a small box in her hand.

"Happy Valentine's Day" Beca says, handing the box to Chloe.

Chloe takes it and smiles at Beca.

It's a locket, clearly not a new one. It looks old and worn and authentic and perfect, like a hand-me-down trinket through the Mitchell family or something of the sort. She runs her fingertips over it gently before opening it. Each side of the locket has a picture in it. On the left is a picture taken the day after they arrived in Lima with Beca, Lieutenant Mitchell, Kurt, Burt, Blaine and Chloe. On the right is a picture from the day before New Year's Eve of Chloe with Beca and Chloe's family.

Chloe smiles and pulls Beca in for a hug. "I love it," she says. "Thank you."

"I got you something, too," Chloe says. "It just hasn't come in yet."

"I don't need anything," Beca says. "You've already given me so much, you've given me everything."

Aubrey is literally vibrating with excitement. Chloe doesn't think she's ever seen her best friend so happy.

"What's going on?" Chloe asks.

"There's a competition for a cappella groups at Barden and the winning group gets to record with…well I don't know who, but still!" Aubrey practically screams.

Aubrey hands Chloe a piece of paper she has folded in her hands. It's addressed to 'Captain of the Barden Bellas'.

Chloe reads it.

Dear Barden Bellas,

We would like to formally invite you to compete against the other Barden a cappella groups for a chance to record with Taylor Monroe, our newest client. She has a background in a cappella singing and we would like to include that on her debut album. The competition will have three rounds, a group will be eliminated after each round. The first round will occur on the last day of February at seven pm in the Concord Theatre. Please prepare two different performances for the event.

We look forward to meeting you and seeing you perform,

Best of luck,

Paul White,
CEO, Hawke Records

"Oh my God!" Chloe screams. "This is like, so cool!"

Chloe can't believe this is happening. It's better than that time they sang back-up for Prince! She can't wait to go home and tell Beca. She's going to be so jealous!

The rational part of Chloe is screaming at her that this can't be real. Why on Earth would a record label want to use a college a cappella group? And why would they be looking exclusively at Barden? Why not just use a bunch of seasoned professional vocalists? But Chloe is too excited to care. After all, what do they have to lose? If it turns out to be fake, there's nothing at stake. If it is real, it's more practice, and if they win, well that would just be amazing.

Of course now Chloe has to deal with Aubrey's set lists, but she's hoping, since they have to make another set list anyways, Aubrey will be more receptive to a more modern set list for the other performance.

"I'm calling an emergency Bellas meeting this afternoon," Aubrey says.

Chloe's in her old dorm room with Aubrey, having their first girls' night in months. Chloe feels slightly guilty that they're not having it at her house, but they're still getting the footing back in their friendship, and Chloe likes that she has that space; the space that's reserved just for her and Beca. She's also still quite uncomfortable with the fact that she owns something so…extravagant. It's… excessive for her simple collegiate self.

They're both sitting on Aubrey's semi-lofted bed, painting their toenails. Mean girls is playing on the television, though neither of them are really paying much attention to it.

A calm has settled between the two of them, as has a lull in their conversation. Chloe smiles as she hears "She doesn't even go here" coming from the television.

"How's Beca?" Aubrey asks.

The question takes Chloe by surprise. She hasn't entertained the idea that Aubrey might actually want to know. Chloe herself has avoided talking about her girlfriend tonight, simply because she didn't want to start any arguments.

"She's good," Chloe says. "I think she's really starting to be comfortable here."

Aubrey nods. "That's good," she says.

A beat passes before Aubrey speaks again. "Do you know what she's going to do with the kid?"

"We're having a boy," Chloe says proudly.

Aubrey's brows fly up. "She's keeping it?"

Chloe narrows her eyes at Aubrey, not liking the tone nor the implication of Aubrey's words. "Of course we're keeping him," Chloe says.

Aubrey puts her hands up. "I didn't mean…," she says, "It's just, you're both so young."

Chloe shrugs. "I love her," she says. "And I love him. To me, it's that simple."

"What about the father?" Aubrey asks.

"We told him over Christmas break," Chloe says. "He's not really involved, but he's not a deadbeat. He's just a boy willing to do whatever it takes to do right by his kids, even if he isn't entirely sure what that is."

Aubrey nods. "I'm happy for you, you know?" she says.

Chloe doesn't know what to say to that because yeah, she knows that Aubrey is happy that she's happy, but Chloe thinks that Aubrey's still not happy with the circumstances that make Chloe happy, and to Chloe that means that Aubrey isn't really happy that she's happy. And now Chloe's thoughts are swirling to places she's not quite sure she wants them to go yet, so when her name falls from Aubrey's lips again, she's relieved for the reprieve from herself that it brings.

She looks up into Aubrey's eyes, but she isn't prepared for the hurt that she finds in them.

"You don't believe me," Aubrey says.

Chloe thinks she meant to say it as a question, but it comes out like a statement.

Chloe wants to be diplomatic and spout off a carefully constructed set of words designed to appease, but not offend and still be truthful. She wants to hug Aubrey because it's Aubrey who has been her best friend and put up with all her insanity (even though Chloe's insanity wasn't nearly as bad as Aubrey's). Chloe doesn't want to be the one to put that look in Aubrey's eyes, she wants to fix it.

All that comes out is "I don't know."

Both Chloe and Aubrey wince as the words part from Chloe's lips.

"I'm sorry," Aubrey says.

Chloe doesn't know what exactly Aubrey is apologizing for, but Aubrey doesn't elaborate and they sit in silence as tension surrounds them.

"I just don't understand why you don't like her," Chloe finally says.

Aubrey blinks twice. "What?" she says.

Chloe sighs. "I just want my best friend and my girlfriend to get along."

"Chloe," Aubrey says. "I know I didn't like her at first, but Beca and I are fine now. I mean we're not exactly friends, but we've come to a mutual understanding."

Chloe's phone goes off indicating she's received a message.

I miss you.

Chloe smiles at the message.

"That's why I like her," Aubrey says.

Chloe scrunches her face together. She doesn't know what Aubrey's talking about now.

Come home?

Chloe smiles at the incoming text.

"She makes you smile," Aubrey says.

Please?

"And not just you're normal smile. I can see how happy she really makes you, now that I don't have my head up my ass anymore."

Chloe texts Beca back telling her it's girls night.

I'm a girl.

Chloe rolls her eyes at her girlfriend.

"You're not even listening to me anymore are you?" Aubrey says.

Please?

"Earth to Chloe?"

Our son misses you too

"Hello?"

Tell Aubrey you're going home, and if she protests, bring her with you.

Chloe laughs out loud.

"CHLOE!"

"Huh?" Chloe says.

Chloe's not sure how she manages to get herself into these predicaments. Sure, she's open and seemingly carefree, she's got a big heart and even she knows she's too trusting, but this is an entirely different story.

What exactly does one do when someone tackles them to the ground and kisses them? If it had been Beca doing the kissing, Chloe knows she would have kissed back instantly, but even without looking Chloe can tell that the figure above her isn't Beca. For one, Chloe can feel the guy trying to grind into her. Two, he's way too tall. She can feel the roughness of his stubble scraping against her.

Chloe tries to turn her head away, but the guy just follows with his own. She tries to throw him off of her, but she's pinned down and he's too strong.

Chloe closes her eyes and prays he goes away, and in an instant his weight is no longer pressed against her.

It takes Chloe a moment or two to realize that Beca had spotted them, and another moment to realize that she's currently beating the guy's face.

Chloe kicks him for good measure before dragging Beca away from the boy. She wraps her arms around her girlfriend, who is incredibly tense still, and whispers 'My hero,' into her ear.

Beca scoffs, but leans into Chloe's embrace.

It takes Beca several hours to be ready to talk, but eventually she starts ranting.

"What the fuck is that guys problem?" Beca says.

"I don't know, baby," Chloe says.

What do you think?