Bechloe-bible-49: Maaaybe you will, maaaybe you won't.
FromTumblr: Thank you so much! That makes me so happy.
Pixie1913: We have officially turned this into a whole conversation now, lol.
RJRMovieFan: Time for another twist.
SunDanceQT: I knooow! Almost at 100!
96itadakimasu96: Imagine trying to write it.
Mscollywogs: And now to put a knife through your happiness.
Liltoxic: Thank you!
Guest: Beca didn't see any of this go down - she stopped just inside the chapel, and Aubrey and Chloe locked themselves in the office. Had she seen it though, I can tell you it wouldn't have been a moment of feeling left out and unloved, it would have been a moment of guilt.
Guest: Please, be greedy.
Wendy: I, too, prefer Chaubrey.


Arrhythmia


Can you hear the wind that's howling,
Through the concrete trees?
Got you praying on your knees.
In the face of danger, we're all brave.
'Til the gun goes:
bang!
bang!
bang!
It's a cruel, cruel world.
No mercy left.
It's a cruel, cruel world.
It'll break your heart and burn you down.
- Tommee Profitt


"You know, when I was little," Chloe whispers, scooting to sit back against the wall next to Aubrey, "I used to have really bad nightmares that I would wake up and my mom and dad and brother would all be gone. Like, I had to wear those Goodnites pull-ups to bed, because I would pee myself, and I would wake up crying, they were so bad."

Aubrey draws her knees up and rests her arms on them, looking at Chloe as she talks.

"It happened until I was like twelve. It was so embarrassing. I never would go to sleepovers at anyone else's house, because I thought they would find out, or I would leak, or something."

Aubrey never knew any of this – would have never even guessed it.

"But, um, my mom was always so calm about it, because of course she was," Chloe continues, "She would wake up, and never be frustrated, even when it happened for several nights in a row. She had to be tired, but she would just come in my room, and help me change, make sure my bed wasn't wet. And then she would lay down with me, and she'd do this thing that always calmed me down, no matter how scared I was." She spreads her legs and motions Aubrey closer.

There is no room for hesitation anymore. Aubrey slowly scoots over and in between her legs, then lets Chloe help ease her onto her side, with her head resting on top of Chloe's thigh.

Chloe lays her hand on Aubrey's forehead, then slowly starts stroking her fingers down the bridge of Aubrey's nose, over and over. "I would wake up in the morning, and she would still be there next to me, and everything would be okay – and I started to know everything would always be okay all the time, because she made it so it always was."

It makes sense now, knowing Chloe's family, that Chloe is far more a product of nurture over nature.

"She'd always sing too," Chloe says, "But I always fell asleep before I ever heard the whole song. I have a better song for you though."

Aubrey closes her eyes, unable to keep them open with Chloe's hand brushing over her eyelashes again and again.

Chloe sniffles and few times and wipes away her tears that fall on Aubrey's face with her free hand before she starts singing.

She said, "I've got to be honest,

You're wasting your time if you're fishin' around here."

And I said, "You must be mistaken.

I'm not foolin'. This feelin' is real."

Aubrey sniffles loudly. Time is so god damn fleeting, and she wants it all back.

She said, "You've gotta be crazy. What do you take me for?

Some kind of easy mark?"

You've got wits, you've got looks, you've got passion,

But I swear that you've got me all wrong.

All wrong.

All wrong.

Aubrey has been in church before. She has prayed to God – sort of. She's bowed her head with the congregation. Knows The Lord's Prayer. Said grace before meals. Pretended to believe in some invisible, all-knowing being who has her best interest in mind – which He has 'obviously' proven to her time and time again. It's all in God's Almighty Plan to let her rot here, isn't it? God isn't real. If He is, He must hate Aubrey. She prays now though – so hard – for Him to take mercy on her and Chloe.

But, Aubrey, you've got me.

She'll take God's pity, if He has any.

Even if He has none for Aubrey. Even if the only person He has compassion for is Chloe.

I'll be true, I'll be useful,

I'll be cavalier,

I'll be yours, my dear.

And I'll belong to you,

If you just –

There is a knock on the office door.

"Guys, let me in," Beca hisses.

Chloe slowly stops stroking Aubrey's nose, but doesn't move.

"I'm serious," Beca says urgently, "This isn't a joke. Stop whatever you're doing, and open the door."

Just like that, the moment is over, and fear that this was their last moment re-engulfs Aubrey as she slowly sits up with Chloe's help.

"Guys." Beca knocks again.

"We're coming," Chloe assures her as the two of them stand.

"Hurry up," Beca urges them.

Chloe pulls open the door and looks at her.

Beca looks back and forth between them. "Jesse and Luke are talking about Aubrey," she whispers, "Luke is trying to convince him and Benji she's behind this."

Chloe shakes her head. "Look at her, Beca."

Aubrey looks down. She doesn't need anyone to tell her how bad she looks right now.

"How could anyone think she did this?" Chloe asks.

Beca looks worried. "They're starting to talk about you too," she says, lowering her voice even more.

"What?" Chloe asks.

"Luke suggested you did this because of the wedding," Beca says, "To punish Jesse and me."

Chloe wraps her arms around herself. "That doesn't…I…"

"Dude, we need to figure out how to go," Beca says, "Because it sounds like they're shoot first, ask questions later."

"Give me the rifle," Aubrey says.

"You have a gun," Beca reminds her.

Aubrey does have a gun. She left it on the floor and completely forgot about it. She turns in a circle, looking for it, then quickly grabs it from underneath the desk and replaces it in her pants.

"You left it on the floor?" Beca asks.

Aubrey ignores the accusation. "Give me the rifle."

"Are you going to shoot Luke?" Beca asks.

"We don't know that it's Luke," Aubrey says.

"Well, if it's not Benji and it's not Jesse, it has to be Luke," Beca says, "He's the one running his mouth right now."

"We can't prove anything," Aubrey replies, "And your denial right now is dangerous." She snatches the rifle from her hands.

"Aubrey, you can't shoot both of them if one of them didn't do this," Chloe says and places a hand on Aubrey's shoulder.

What bothers Aubrey most about this statement isn't Chloe try to stop her from shooting someone innocent – it's Chloe condoning shooting whoever isn't. "They don't know that," Aubrey says.

"Jesse did not do this," Beca is still defending him, "We have to get rid of Luke."

"Would you like to kill him, Beca?" Aubrey asks, "Would you like to take this gun, and go out there and shoot him? Because I won't stop you." She offers her the rifle back.

Beca has nothing going to say to that.

"Of course not, because you want me to have to live with it," Aubrey growls, "If he didn't do it, you'd rather the blood be on my hands."

"No," Beca argues.

Aubrey holds the gun out to her.

Beca stares at it. "You…you…" She steps back from the gun. "You are the strong one here! You are the one that takes care of everything for everyone."

"That's a lot to put on somebody, Beca," Chloe tells her.

Aubrey lifts her shoulder and turns her head to wipe her eyes. "That never stopped you from taking over before."

Beca falls quiet again.

Aubrey gets it. Beca is scared. Her tough guy front has fallen right along with Aubrey's. But someone has to do something. And maybe Aubrey is soft, but she sure as hell isn't weak. Just because she's grieving, just because she's scared, doesn't mean she's going to sit in the corner quaking until this is all over. Aubrey may be soft, but she's still Aubrey. She pushes past Beca, slamming their shoulders together as she walks through the doorway and marches down the aisle.

They have rifles too.

Aubrey's gaze flicks back and forth between them and their guns.

She needs to be as least threatening as possible.

So she keeps her rifle pointed down.

"We are leaving," Aubrey informs them as calmly as she can, "If you get up to follow us, I will shoot you in the foot."

She reminds herself to breathe.

Just breathe.

A shot to the foot won't kill anybody.

But if they shoot her…

"You're not taking your friend?" Luke asks.

Aubrey stares at him in confusion.

"Where is Chloe?" Jesse asks.

Where is Chloe? Aubrey lets down her guard to look behind her at the empty chapel.

"I thought you two were like two pawns in a pod," Luke comments.

Two pawns in a pod. She doesn't see Chloe. Chloe was literally just right to her. She turns around to lift the rifle, prepared now to shoot and run back into the office, but Luke already has her ambushed and grabs her by the shoulders, slamming his knee into her gut. She drops – letting go of the gun in the process. Luke grabs it and points it at her.

"Luke!" Beca screams.

White hot pain flashes before Aubrey's eyes. Where is Chloe? Where is Chloe? Where is Chloe? She can't get up. She crumples into the ground with a silent cry.

Beca is suddenly on the floor next to her.

Luke points the rifle at Beca.

"Jesus Christ!" Beca grabs onto Aubrey's shirt, inching backward on her knees, "What are you doing?!"

Aubrey needs to get the gun out of her pants, but she can't will herself to unwrap her arms from around her stomach. She silent begs Beca to think to grab it. She has to get Chloe. She has to get Chloe. Panic engulfs every nerve of her body. She must still be in the office – she was just right beside her.

"Beca didn't do this!" Jesse lifts his rifle to Luke – and Luke turns to face off with him.

"How do you know she wasn't in on this?" Luke asks, "Get rid of all of us? Run off with her girlfriends?"

It is Luke. He called her a pawn. Luke did this, and he's trying to turn it all on them.

"Lower your gun," Luke demands.

Sharp pain stabs Aubrey in the stomach and chest as she tries to move, and she doubles over further.

Beca's hands find her shoulders.

Reach lower. The gun is right there. Aubrey has to get up. She has to get up and get Chloe. She can't breathe through the fear.

Luke aims to shoot.

All Jesse has to do is make the first shot, but he takes a step back and lowers his weapon like a coward. They're going to die, because Jesse is a coward and Beca can't think to take Aubrey's gun.

"Outside," Luke demands, pointing his weapon back and forth between Jesse and Benji, "Go." He forces them toward the door, keeping an eye on Beca and Aubrey – but he lets them remain where they are. Again, something doesn't add up. Something about this isn't right. He pushes Benji and Jesse out the door, into the rain – and shuts the door behind him.

Aubrey stares at the door through blurred vision. She grits her teeth, sucking in air through her mouth, somehow managing to push herself up onto her knees – still unable to unclutch her stomach. She is going to find Chloe, and then she is going to kill him. Chloe has to be hiding in the office – where else could she be? She was right next to her.

"Chloe?!" Beca yells.

The silence is deafening.