25 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2023
Day 3 - Not So Army Strong
Prompts from User horsegurl03: A coming home Military AU with a little bit of drama thrown in.
Chloe Beale had just finished Army Basic Training and had a two-week leave before she headed off for her duty assignment at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Spending Christmas with her family had been all she could think about since she found out about the leave. She sighed as she followed the line of passengers off the plane.
Once inside the airport terminal, she set her duffel bag down and looked around.
"Basic training was much harder than I thought it would be," Chloe thought as she twisted and stretched. "But I made it through. Been there, done that." She looked down at her green Army-issued tee with ARMY printed across the front and laughed, adding, "Got the tee shirt."
Chloe continued to smile as thoughts of her girlfriend, Beca, went through her head.
"I bet she'd make some lame joke about it," Chloe mumbled, giggling.
The giggling stopped, and tears stung Chloe's eyes when she remembered that Beca was no longer her girlfriend but her ex-girlfriend. She sniffled and looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to her.
"Suck it up, Beale," Chloe mumbled. "You're in the Army now, and soldiers don't cry."
Chloe ran a hand down her face, wiping away any trace of tears, and sighed again. She hefted her duffle bag over he shoulder and made her way through the airport, looking for her parents or brother Donnie.
Chloe was almost to the exit and had not seen anyone from her family. She stopped, dropped her bag beside her, and continued to look around, turning in circles as she tried to see over the crowds trying to find them. She gasped when the crowd parted and saw who was standing not five feet away from her.
"What is she doing here?" Chloe muttered as she picked up her bag again.
Chloe slowly walked over and stopped about a foot from Beca.
"Beca," Chloe said softly. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to pick you up," Beca said. "Your mom called and asked me to. Since she called me, I'm guessing she doesn't know that you broke up with me."
"I didn't tell her," Chloe said, unable to look Beca in the eye. "She already thought my joining the Army was stupid-"
"She's not wrong," Beca said.
"Add breaking up with you, and she would have had me committed for having totally lost my mind," Chloe finished. "Why didn't you tell her when she called you?"
"She not my mother," Beca said as she started walking toward the exit. "I told my mother, and she thinks you've totally lost your mind."
"Why? Because I joined the Army?" Chloe asked.
"No," Beca said, smirking. "For breaking up with me. She actually thinks it was brave of you to join the Army."
"I always liked your mom," Chloe said, smiling.
"She always liked you, too," Beca said. "Well, she did up until I told her you broke up with me. Speaking of, maybe while you're home, you can explain why you broke up with me. I was devastated. And that word salad about it being for my own good made no sense."
"I'm not sure I can explain it," Chloe said. "But, we should talk at some point. I'm on leave until just after the New Year."
"We can talk on Christmas," Beca said. "Your mom already invited me to spend it with you guys. I only accepted because I couldn't come up with a good reason not to accept without telling her about you breaking up with me."
"Would you please stop saying that?" Chloe said. "Breaking up with you was the hardest thing I've ever done."
"Then why did you do it?" Beca asked as she unlocked the car. "No, don't answer that. I don't have time to unwrap all that right now because I kind of have a date to get home for."
"A date?" Chloe muttered as she froze in her tracks, staring at Beca.
Beca was already behind the wheel when she realized Chloe wasn't moving to get into the car. She got out of the car and looked across the roof at Chloe.
"Are you coming, Beale?" Beca asked and got back in behind the wheel.
Chloe snapped out of it and hurriedly got into the car.
~~ 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2023 - Day 3 ~~
When they pulled up to the Beale house, Chloe thanked her and invited her in. Beca declined, saying she had to be somewhere and didn't have time. Chloe nodded and exited Beca's car. She then stood on the porch and sadly watched as Beca drove away. She thought she and Beca would talk on the ride home, but Beca didn't say much, so she didn't either.
Chloe waited until Beca was out of sight before pasting a fake smile on her face and opening the front door. She barely had time to drop her duffle bag before her mother pulled her into a hug.
"Chloe!" Sarah Beale squealed before grabbing her arms and stepping back to look her up and down. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too, Mom," Chloe said.
"Where's Beca?" Sarah asked, looking behind Chloe. "I thought she'd come in with you to say hi."
"She, uh, she had to be somewhere and wanted me to tell you she'd see you on Christmas," Chloe said. "She said something about wanting us to have some private time together."
"That was sweet of her," Sarah said. "Why don't you put your stuff in your room and come back and help me with dinner? Your dad should be home soon."
"Okay, Mom," Chloe said, grabbing her duffle bag and heading upstairs.
After tossing her bag onto the bed, Chloe looked around the room. It had only been ten weeks since she left, but the room looked different somehow.
She sat on the bed with her arms holding her up behind her and crossed her legs at the ankles.
"I wonder who Beca has a date with?" Chloe thought. "It's only been three months since we broke up. Correction: since I broke up with her. God, I am such an idiot."
Chloe flopped back onto the bed and sighed. She heard a sound and lifted her head. It sounded like Donnie coming up the stairs, so she stood and waited for him to enter her room. She smiled when he burst through the door, yelling, "Chloe!" Chloe laughed when he picked her up off her feet and swung her around.
"Donnie, put me down, you big lug," Chloe said.
Donnie set Chloe on her feet and hugged her. "I've missed you."
"I missed you, too," Chloe said, pulling out of the hug. "Is dad home yet?"
"Not yet," Donnie said. "Mom said to tell you to come down and help with dinner."
"I'm going to change first," Chloe said. "Tell Mom I'll be down in a few minutes."
"You got it," Donnie said and left Chloe alone.
Chloe sat on the side of the bed and took off her boots. She then stood to strip off her Army tee and matching camo pants. She looked in her closet and grabbed some jeans and a blouse. She stared at the blouse for a minute. Beca had given it to her for her birthday last year. She loved it because, as Beca told her, every time she wore it, it made her eyes look even bluer than usual.
"Stop it, Beale," Chloe muttered as she put the blouse back on the hanger and hung it back on the rack.
Chloe grabbed another shirt and her favorite Toms before stepping out of the closet to dress. She put on her shirt and jeans and slipped on her Toms. She used both hands to pull her hair back from her face and then looked for a hair tie.
"How did this get here?" Chloe mumbled as she reached down and picked up a ring from the dresser.
Chloe sat on the edge of her bed, looking at the ring in her hand. Tears sprang to her eyes and ran unabated down her cheeks as she thought back to when she gave Beca the ring.
It was May, and Chloe and Beca had been parked at their favorite makeout place after attending Prom. They were kissing heavily when Chloe pulled back and looked into Beca's eyes.
"I have something for you."
"You do?"
Chloe nodded.
"What is it?"
"This," Chloe said, taking Beca's right hand and placing a small ring on her finger. "It's just a promise ring for now."
"And what exactly are you promising me, Beale?" Beca asked, smirking.
"I love you, Beca," Chloe said. "And this ring is my promise that there will come a time in the not-too-distant future where I will be replacing this ring with an engagement ring."
"Are you serious?" Beca asked, staring into Chloe's eyes.
"Dixie Chicks serious," Chloe said, leaning in to capture Beca's lips.
"I love you, too," Beca whispered against Chloe's lips.
Chloe sniffled as the tears seemed to fall faster.
"Chloe?" Sarah said as she opened the bedroom door. "I thought you were coming down-."
Sarah rushed over when she saw Chloe sitting on the bed crying. Sarah sat, pulling Chloe to her, and held her as she cried.
"What happened? What's wrong?"
"I messed up, Mom," Chloe said between sniffles.
"Is this about you joining the Army?" Sarah asked. "Or breaking up with Beca?"
Chloe pulled back to look at her mother.
"How did you know about that?" Chloe asked. "Beca said she didn't tell you."
"She didn't; her mother did," Sarah said. "Not something I'd expect to hear from my daughter's ex-girlfriend's mother, but here we are."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Chloe said, looking down at her hands.
"Why'd you do it, Chloe?" Sarah asked. "Why did you break up with Beca?"
"I thought it was what was best for her," Chloe said as she wiped a tear from her cheek. "I'm still in love with her, Mom."
"You should tell her, sweetie," Sarah said, smiling. "I'm pretty sure she still feels the same about you."
"I broke up with her," Chloe said, sniffling and wiping more tears. "It's only been three months, and she has a date tonight."
"A date?" Sarah asked, pulling back to look at Chloe. "With whom?"
"I don't know," Chloe said. "But that's why she dropped me off without coming in. She had to get ready."
"Are you sure she meant a date date?" Sarah asked. "Maybe she had plans with a friend or something."
"She said she 'kind of' had a date," Chloe said.
"So, you aren't sure it's a real date?" Sarah said. Chloe shook her head. "Call her and find out."
Chloe looked at her mother as if she had grown another head.
"I can't just call her and ask if she's going on a date," Chloe said.
"Why not?"
"Did you forget that I broke up with her? Plus, she's not talking to me."
"Never mind, I'll call her," Sarah said.
Sarah quickly left the room without waiting for Chloe to respond. Chloe sat stunned for a moment before jumping up and racing after her mother.
"Mom! Wait!"
~~ 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2023 - Day 3 ~~
One hour later, Chloe sat with her brother Donnie at their favorite pizza place. She felt relief that her mother couldn't reach Beca but also disappointed that she wasn't getting a home-cooked meal on her first night home.
"I can't believe mom bailed on making dinner because dad wanted to go out," Chloe said.
"It's their usual date night, Chloe," Donnie said. "Dad has always liked to take mom out to dinner on date night. That hasn't changed just because you're home now."
"I know," Chloe said. "But I was hoping for a real home-cooked meal for my first night back. The military has some good cooks but nothing like mom's home cooking."
"I can't argue with that," Donnie said, chuckling.
"Shit!" Chloe muttered, looking over Donnie's shoulder.
"What's wrong?" Donnie asked, looking back to see what Chloe was looking at. "Oh."
"What is she doing here?" Chloe asked. "Did you know she was going to be here?"
"How would I have known that?" Donnie said.
"Mom," Chloe whispered, shaking her head.
"Well, she's with Stacie, so I'm guessing Stacie's home from college on Christmas break. They always were close."
"Do you think they're on a date?"
"Would it bother you if they were?"
"No," Chloe said a little too quickly. "I mean, I was the one who broke up with her, and she was devastated; her words, not mine. So, maybe I thought she wouldn't move on so quickly."
"I know you still love her," Donnie said. "Maybe you should go talk to her. Find out if she and Stacie are dating or not."
"Now you sound like Mom," Chloe muttered.
"Hey, Chloe, Donnie," Stacie said as she approached their table.
"Hey, Stacie," Donnie said. "How's MIT?"
"It's everything I dreamed it would be," Stacie said.
"That's cool," Donnie said.
Stacie looked at Chloe, noticing that she was looking at Beca.
"So, Donnie, can I talk to you alone?" Stacie asked.
Chloe looked at Stacie and then back at Donnie.
"Sure," Donnie said, standing. "Order my usual, Chloe. I'll be right back."
"Okay," Chloe said, watching Donnie and Stacie walk toward the exit.
Chloe had been so intent on watching Donnie and Stacie that she hadn't seen Beca get up from her table. Chloe jumped when she heard Beca speak.
"Chloe, can we please talk?"
Chloe swallowed and looked at Beca before replying.
"Sure," she finally managed to squeak out. "Have a seat."
Beca sat and sighed as she ran a hand through her hair.
"I don't want us to be broken up," Beca said. "I love you, Chloe, and I want you to keep that promise you made me when you gave me that ring."
"You mean the promise ring you left me in my room?" Chloe asked.
"Yes," Beca said.
"How did you even manage to put it there?"
"I left it for you the day before you left for boot camp," Beca said. "I was hoping you'd see it and realize that breaking up with me was a mistake."
Chloe didn't say anything; she sat staring at Beca. Beca stared back at her.
"I'm sorry," Chloe said.
"I still don't understand why you did it," Beca said.
"I thought," Chloe started. She cleared her throat and continued. "I didn't know where I was going to be assigned, and I knew you had your heart set on going to LA."
"You do know that I would have followed you no matter where you ended up, right?"
"I know," Chloe whispered. "But you talked about going to LA to get into the music business all the time. I couldn't stand in the way of that."
"Isn't that my decision to make?" Beca asked.
"Yes, but I didn't want you to make the wrong decision," Chloe said. "I knew you'd go wherever I went and that, after a while, you'd start to resent me because you weren't in LA."
"So, you had doubts about my love for you," Beca said. "Is that what you're telling me?"
"No," Chloe said quickly. "I never doubted that. That's why I did what I did."
"I keep returning to it being my decision to make," Beca said.
Chloe sighed and looked around. Beca took her hand and held it; Chloe looked at her.
Beca looked Chloe in the eye. "You've been assigned to a base in Texas, right?"
"Yeah," Chloe said. "I report to Fort Bliss in El Paso on January 3rd."
"I want to go with you."
"I can't ask you to do that."
"If I were your wife, would you expect me to go with you?"
"Yes," Chloe whispered, sighing heavily.
Beca sat for a minute before she stood. The next thing Chloe knew, Beca was kneeling in front of her.
"Beca!" Chloe whispered, looking around. "What are you doing? Get up."
"Not until you answer me," Beca said, clearing her throat. "Chloe, I have loved you from the first time I ever saw you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Wherever you go, I go. Will you marry me?"
"Beca," Chloe said softly, wiping a tear from her eye. "You're only eighteen-"
"So are you," Beca said, standing as she continued to look at Chloe. "Age has no factor on whether we are ready for marriage or not. Age does not make you any less or any more ready for marriage. Your parents were married when they were nineteen, and thirty years later, they are still married. My folks were twenty-four when they married and divorced after only six years."
"Beca, I can't ask you to give up your life for me," Chloe said.
"Don't you see, Chloe?" Beca said, tears streaming down her face. "I don't look at it as giving up my life; I look at it as making my life better by choosing to spend it with someone I love." Beca sniffed and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Be honest with me, Chloe. Are you rejecting my proposal because you really don't love me anymore?"
"It's not that simple, Beca," Chloe said.
"Yes, it is!" Beca snapped.
Chloe was shocked when Beca snapped at her, so she just sat there, not saying anything.
"Everything okay here, Beca?" Stacie asked as she and Donnie returned to the table.
Beca swallowed and wiped the tears from her face.
"I've been deluding myself into believing that despite breaking up with me, she still loved me," Beca whispered. "Now I know better. I gotta get out of here."
Beca turned and walked toward the exit without looking back.
~~ 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2023 - Day 3 ~~
The next day was Christmas Eve, a day Chloe had always loved. But on this particular Christmas Eve, Chloe woke and continued the pity party she had started the night before. She made her way to the kitchen to find her mother making breakfast.
"Have a seat; breakfast is almost ready," Sarah said.
"I'm not hungry," Chloe said as she reached into the freezer and pulled out a pint of ice cream.
She grabbed a spoon from the utensils drawer and left the kitchen. Sarah sighed as she watched Chloe shuffle out. She sighed again when she heard Chloe's bedroom door close.
"Donnie!" Sarah called out when she heard him coming down the stairs.
"Yeah, mom?" Donnie said from the kitchen doorway.
"What happened last night?" Sarah asked. "Chloe's been moping around since you two got home."
"Um," Donnie said. "She saw Beca."
"And?"
"And, they sort of talked."
"What do you mean by 'sort of' talked?"
Donnie looked over his shoulder as if Chloe might be standing there and ran his hand through his hair.
Donnie turned back to his mother, saying, "Beca proposed, and Chloe didn't accept. She told Beca they were too young. I don't know what else was said; that's all I could get out of Chloe."
Sarah turned back to the stove to finish making breakfast. Donnie stood by the door, unsure of what to say or do.
"I'm going to go let Dad know breakfast is ready," Donnie said.
Sarah didn't say anything, so Donnie left to find his father. A few minutes later, Donnie and his father, John, entered the kitchen to find two plates of food sitting at the table; Sarah was nowhere to be found.
"Where's your mother?" John asked.
"Probably went to talk to Chloe," Donnie said with his mouth full.
"Oh," John said and started to eat his breakfast.
Upstairs, Sarah was in her closet rummaging through some boxes. She found what she was looking for and went to Chloe's room, knocking gently before entering.
Chloe was sitting on the bed with her back against the wall. She looked up when Sarah entered.
"Donnie told me what happened," Sarah said, walking over and sitting next to Chloe. "Here."
Sarah held her hand out to Chloe. Chloe looked at it and then at her mother.
"What is it?"
"It's a gift from your grandmother," Sarah said. "She left it in her will with instructions to give it to you when you turned eighteen."
"I turned eighteen six months ago," Chloe said, taking the gift. "Why am I getting this now?"
"Because now is when you need it," Sarah said. "Open it."
Chloe did and found a ring box. She opened it, and her eyes widened upon seeing her grandmother's wedding ring set. She closed the box and held it toward her mother.
"I don't need it," Chloe said.
Sarah pushed it back toward Chloe. "It's yours to do with whatever you want."
Chloe sighed and looked down at the box.
"Did you know that my mother was only sixteen when she and my father got married?" Sarah asked. "I was nineteen when your dad and I married."
"I knew you and Dad were nineteen when you got married, but I didn't know how young Grandma was when she and Grandpa married."
"I have her original wedding ring," Sarah said. "There was no engagement ring because Dad couldn't afford it at the time. He promised Mom he'd get her a better ring for their twenty-fifth anniversary. They were married for almost fifty years before my mom passed. For twenty-five of those years, she wore the original ring. And for twenty-five years after that, she wore the new set you're holding now. After her funeral, Dad gave it to me and told me that Mom wanted you to have it when you turned eighteen. I think they would look beautiful on Beca's finger, don't you?"
Chloe's eyes shot up to look at her mother. Her mother looked back at her with a smile.
"She proposed to me yesterday," Chloe whispered. "But I said no. I don't think we're going to come back from that."
"You won't know that for certain until you talk to her, will you?"
"She thinks I don't love her anymore," Chloe said, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Do you?" Sarah asked. "Because if you don't, then leave her alone. But, if you do, beg for her forgiveness and tell her how much you love her. Your father and I will support you no matter what happens."
Chloe pulled her mother to her and hugged her.
"Thanks, Mom."
"You're welcome, sweetie," Sarah said. "Now go get your girl."
~~ 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2023 - Day 3 ~~
A short time later, Chloe stood outside Beca's house, rubbing her sweaty palms up and down her thighs. She wiped her brow of the anxiety sweat that wouldn't stop.
"Suck it up, Beale," Chloe mumbled, looking down at her feet. "Just apologize and beg her to forgive you. And let her know that you are still in love with her."
"An apology would be a good start."
Chloe's head jerked up to see Beca standing in front of her, leaning against the door jamb with her arms crossed. Chloe stared at Beca; Beca stared back at her.
After a minute or so of just staring at each other, Beca sighed and stepped to the side.
"Do you want to come in?"
Chloe nodded and walked inside. Beca closed the door and leaned her back against it.
"Say what you have to say," Beca said, pushing off the door and entering the living room.
"Yes!" Chloe blurted out, causing Beca to stop and turn to face her.
"Yes?" Beca asked, confused.
"Yes, I'll marry you," Chloe said.
"Why now?" Beca asked. "You made it quite clear last night that you didn't love me-"
"I never said I didn't love you," Chloe said, taking Beca's hands. "I didn't say anything. I should have immediately said that I'm still in love with you. And I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise."
"Okay," Beca said. "Is that all?"
Beca knew she was being a bit bratty but felt Chloe deserved it. Chloe's grip on Beca's hands tightened as she pulled Beca to her.
"No," Chloe said as she stepped back and got down on one knee.
Beca smirked and raised a brow.
"I love you with every fiber of my being," Chloe said, holding out a ring. "Will you please, please, please marry me?"
Beca pursed her lips and looked down at Chloe.
"You put me through Hell these past three months," Beca said.
"I know, and I'm sorry for that," Chloe responded. "I'll apologize every day for the rest of my life if that's what it takes to have you forgive me."
"Dear Lord, Beca," Claire Mitchell said from the kitchen doorway. "Put the poor girl out of her misery and just say yes. We both know you want to."
Chloe looked at Beca with a raised brow and held the ring higher. "Well?"
~~ 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2023 - Day 3 ~~
Christmas morning, Chloe smiled as she opened the door to her now fiancee Beca. Beca smiled as she threw herself into Chloe's arms and kissed her.
Chloe picked her up and twirled her around, causing them both to laugh before she set Beca down.
"Merry Christmas, Beca," Sarah said, coming in from the kitchen. "You're just in time for breakfast."
"I wouldn't miss your Christmas breakfast for all the money in the world," Beca said. "But, could I have a few minutes with Chloe first? I promise we won't be long."
"Of course," Sarah said. "Come to the dining room when you're through."
"Thank you," Beca said, turning to Chloe. "Let's sit for a minute."
"Is everything okay?" Chloe asked. "You haven't changed your mind about marrying me, have you?"
"God, no," Beca said, kissing Chloe. "I'm looking forward to it."
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Our wedding," Beca said. "I was thinking we could have a Christmas wedding next year. What do you think of that?"
"I love that idea," Chloe said, smiling.
Pulling Beca to her, she whispered, "And I love you," before smashing their lips together.
Note to horsegurl03: It's different from my usual coming home story. And I'm not sure if this is the kind of drama you were looking for, but here it is. I hope you like it.