Jesse was spying on Beca from between the shelves at the radio. He was trying to be discreet so as not to annoy his colleague and friend even more. The little brunette didn't seem well. Beca had arrived at work ten minutes early, which never happened. She had barely greeted Luc and Jesse and then hurried to begin her task. She stored records mechanically on the overstocked shelves. Her eyeliner was thicker than ever. She didn't even hum to the tunes of the music that Luc was playing in the cabin. Her tattoos were on full display. Her rigid gaze and face sent the message very clearly: it was best not to disturb her.

But as always, Jesse felt overwhelmed with a mission. If Beca was feeling bad, he needed to find out why. Otherwise, what use could he have as a friend? He had slipped Luc a few songs that he was sure would make Beca sing along. The operation had failed. He had tried to approach her, talking about work and then the upcoming a cappella competitions. He had moved closer physically too, by arranging the shelves close to her. He received only dark eyes and curt responses. He had been trying to learn more about Lucy, also because he was genuinely curious about Beca's little girl. The brunette lit up briefly, like a ray of sunshine between two rain clouds, then responded quickly before continuing her task like an automaton. Finally, if the problem came neither from the Bellas, nor from the Mitchell parents, nor from Lucy, there were not so many subjects left to probe.

"And how is Chloe?" Jesse called desperately from the other side of the room. There followed a loud crash and a curse. He leaned to the side to see what had happened. Beca had dropped an entire plastic crate of records, which had broken on impact, and was already busy picking them up. When Jesse came over to help, Beca screamed and dropped everything she was holding.

"Did you hurt yourself?"

"Just a cut because of the plastic."

"Show me."

"It's okay, Jesse." Beca stood up and accepted Jessie's tissue despite her reluctance. She was blotting the blood from the palm of her hand.

"Shit, it won't stop," Beca cursed. "I think you're going to have to get stitched up."

"Don't exaggerate, it'll be fine." Luc then came out of the cabin to assess the damage. He looked around the room, hands on hips, before walking towards the duo.

"Nothing broken?"

"Beca cut herself."

"Let me take a look." Luc held out his hand and Beca gave him hers, palm up. Jesse rolled her eyes. Of course, Luc was obeyed without flinching.

"It's quite open, you should go to the hospital." Beca started to shake her head to refuse but Luc didn't give her a choice.

"Would you prefer that I call your father to warn him?"

"Well, okay," The brunette sighed. "Are you coming with me?" She asked Jesse.

"Yes, he's coming with you. Hurry up."

In the car, Jesse glanced sideways at Beca too often for her not to get annoyed. The silence in the car was interrupted by the muffled whistles of the brunette in the passenger seat who was putting pressure on her hand. Jesse cleared his throat and Beca inwardly cursed him for always wanting to open his mouth.

"So how are things going at the moment?" Beca rolled her eyes. Jesse always had to speak to say nothing.

"Perfectly fine, if we forget the cut hand." The acerbic brunette replied. Jesse wanted to slap himself for his stupid question. It wasn't at all the solution to getting Beca to talk, he knew that perfectly well. He took a deep breath. He was tired of beating around the bush.

"Okay, tell me what's wrong. Do you have a problem? Did something happen?" The young man saw his friend shrink on herself out of the corner of his eye. The task would prove more complicated than he thought.

"No, nothing at all."

"It doesn't seem like anything at all..."

"Let it go, Jesse."

Jesse didn't understand. One day Beca was telling him her problems, confiding in him, and the next day she was taking three steps back. It was really tiring trying to keep up.

"Okay. Maybe in two days, you'll be the nice Beca who dares to confide in people."

Jesse didn't add anything. He let his friend marinate a little. And he was right. Beca weighed the pros and cons. If she told Jesse what happened with Chloe, she knew he would be hurt. Then Beca would have to unpack her feelings because he would try to understand, to dig deeper. On the other hand, she didn't really know who to talk to about it. The Bellas were not objective. Aubrey automatically fell into Chloe's camp. And there was no way she was going to talk about it with her father. All she had left was Jesse.

"Alright. Something happened. Happy?"

"When you'll explain, yes." Jesse smiled with all his teeth. Beca shook her head in despair. He had succeeded and he was proud of it. The young musician took a deep breath and said the words that had been running around in her head for two days.

"I kissed Chloe." Jesse had no immediate reaction. He didn't brake suddenly or yell in surprise. No, he kept his gaze straight on the road. When a red light forced him to stop, he turned in his seat to see Beca fully. The brunette was twisting her fingers. She kept repositioning her makeshift bandage. Jesse was starting to wonder if he had heard correctly.

"You kissed Chloe." Beca nodded hesitantly. "On the mouth?" Beca rolled her eyes and was already ready to retaliate with a cynical remark.

"Okay, okay. I was checking." Silence enveloped them. The light turned green. Jesse finally cleared his throat.

"And that's a bad thing?" Beca started to shake her head then stopped, hesitant before shrugging her shoulders.

"When did that happen?"

"Two days ago." Beca muttered. Jesse opened his eyes wide. Knowing his friend, Beca must have ran away from Chloe ever since.

"Have you been in this state for two days?"

"I am not in a "state". I'm totally normal, man."

"You grumble more than usual, you talk even less and I'm sure you haven't approached Chloe, even during practice."

"Chloe can no longer come to practice."

"That's it, you avoid the subject." Beca groaned and crossed her arms then uncrossed them, groaning in pain.

"Seriously, Beca, you need to talk to her."

"I don't know what to say to her!"

"Well starts with "Hi Chloe, can we talk about the moment we kissed" and I'm sure she'll figure out what to say next." Beca huffed but didn't say anything. She really didn't know how to approach the subject.

"What if she doesn't want to talk about it? Jesse laughed heartily, shaking his head. He parked the car in the rather empty emergency parking lot.

"It's Chloe. If she doesn't want to talk about it, it's because she's in even more denial than you are."

"I'm not in denial."

"Okay, I'll try to believe you. Why did you kiss her then?"

"I... Because... She was there and... Rah!" Jesse laughed because he knew that deep down, Beca had the answer. It just scared her too much.

They entered the emergency room and the receptionist took Beca's contact details before asking them to wait. Both sitting on metal chairs, Jesse was leafing through a magazine that was lying around in the waiting room and Beca continued to think. Why had she kissed Chloe? The question kept coming back in the forefront of her thoughts. At first, she tried to convince herself that it was a mistake. They had let themselves be carried away by the sadness of Lucy's departure and all the fear that had surrounded Chloe's accident. They would discuss it and laugh about it later. But Beca felt a pang of annoyance in her stomach, as if her body was contesting this version.

"Beca Mitchell?" Beca followed the doctor into the consulting room. The verdict was clear: six stitches and a nice bandage for Beca. Despite the pain, she remained in her bubble, still thinking about what she could say to Chloe.

Half an hour later, Jesse stopped the car in front of the Bellas' house. He walked out then quickly walked around to open the door for Beca. He took her bag from her and followed her to the entrance.

"My work ends here, young lady. Have a pleasant evening and make sure to avoid any unfortunate encounters with a plastic crate." Beca pushed him gently but laughed anyway.

"Thank you very much, Jesse."

"Don't mention it." He shrugged his shoulders and put his hands in his pockets. He still wanted to show Beca that he supported her.

"I know you're a little lost and that everything that's happening right now is probably more important than a romantic relationship but... I also know how much you care for Chloe and how much she cares for you. So make an effort and talk to her." Beca nodded slowly without saying anything. Before Jesse could step back to leave, she hugged him.

"Thanks dude. Really. See you on the radio on Monday."

"Yes, have a good weekend." Beca had barely walked through the door when she was attacked by thin but muscular arms and a head of red hair. Chloe had rushed to her, forgetting the crutches and her grudge in the living room.

"I thought you weren't coming back." She whispered into Beca's neck. Touched, Beca hugged the older woman a little tighter. It was late, that was for sure, and Beca wasn't used to being out of the house more than necessary. She only went out when she had to, for classes, practice and radio sessions. She always came home immediately afterwards.

"Sorry, I had an accident on the radio."

"An accident! How so?" Beca wanted to punch herself for being stupid and using words that could only worry her friend. Chloe held Beca with her arms and examined her all over. She finally noticed the bandage on Beca's hand and gently took it in both of hers.

"What happened?"

"I dropped a crate of CDs and it broke. I cut myself with a piece of plastic." Chloe nodded. She knew Beca wouldn't want to talk about it more than that.

"You were just jealous of my bandages." The redhead said with a smirk. "That's exactly why I have stitches." Beca laughed.

The laughter subsided. They stood there floundering between speaking and not speaking. Address the elephant in the room or let it destroy everything. The Bellas chose for them.

"Bec, you're home! We're having a horror movie night, are you coming?" Cynthia Rose asked.

"Uh..."

"Yes, come on!" Chloe pulled her towards the living room and Beca followed, watching Chloe step deliberately on her cast. She shook her head. It was better to let Chloe decide what was good for her.

In the living room, all the Bellas were bundled up under blankets. Dishes of popcorn and candy were placed in strategic locations. Chloe took a seat on the main couch. The girls had left room for her to rest her leg. Everyone had their own place, anyway. Amy had a beanbag, slumped against a wall. Cynthia Rose and Stacie had the two chairs positioned opposite each other. Lily remained on the carpet, sometimes with her head upside down. Jessica and Ashley shared a chaise lounge. Flo had made the rocking chair her own. And Beca and Chloe always shared the couch. Once Beca was seated against the armrest, one leg bended, the other outstretched, Chloe came to put her back against her and spread a blanket over their bodies. Beca wrapped her arms around her and heard her sigh contently. This was their usual position. It allowed Chloe to hide in Beca's neck when the movies scared her too much. It allowed Beca to chat when the movie got too long, without the others hearing.

The Descent had been running for an hour already and Beca was bored. She didn't understand anything about the movie. In fact, she would have understood if she had even been interested in the screen. But her attention was more on the hand that was roaming her leg.

Chloe's hand stroking up and down and making her shiver. Chloe seemed very focused on the movie. But it was only an appearance. In fact, she was just thinking about Beca. Beca's lips against hers. About Beca's hands in her hair.

Aubrey had encouraged her to talk to Beca about it. To burst the abscess rather than remaining on unsaid things. After all, they had been in denial for so long, it was time to break the ice. She was interrupted from her thoughts by Beca's fingers linking with hers and stopping her from stroking the brunette's leg. Chloe gave her a curious look. Beca moved her mouth to her ear.

"You give me shivers." She turned her head to respond in the same way.

"Why do you think I do it?" Beca rolled her eyes but smiled. Of course, Chloe had the answer for everything. Flirting with Beca was her favorite game. Sometimes the brunette would retaliate and that would add a little more spice to their conversation. Like at that moment.

"You do it because you can't resist me." Chloe stifled her laughter into Beca's neck. The action drew a proud smile from the brunette. This often followed a game of who was going to make the other laugh to the point where the whole room would know. What they didn't think was that all the girls knew about their scheme but chose to let them do it. Beca felt Chloe's hand leave hers, move up under the blanket to settle under her t-shirt and tenderly massage her abs.

Chloe was tactile. She needed this closeness with the people she liked. She especially loved feeling Beca's skin under her fingers. The softness, the firmness of her muscles running beneath her skin. Often, she had fun tickling her to make her laugh and Beca tried as best she could to hold back. From the outside, they looked like two teenagers bickering. That night, she missed Beca too much so she didn't want to play. She wanted to enjoy the young woman's presence as much as possible. She leaned against her, breathing deeply her scent. She could hear Beca's heartbeat. How much faster it throbbed when her fingers brushed the base of her bra.

She raised her head slightly and her nose caressed the hollow of the brunette's neck. She placed a silent kiss there. Beca held her breath and glanced around at the girls in the room. None had noticed that they were busy doing everything except watching the movie playing on the screen. Chloe continued her kisses along Beca's jaw. With each deposit of lips on her skin, Beca felt her heart skip a beat. She also felt Chloe's wandering hands living their own lives under her t-shirt. The redhead's luscious lips were dangerously close to hers. When she felt Chloe place a kiss on the corner of her lips, she pulled back slightly to shake her head no.

"Not here," she whispered in her ear. "We still need to talk."

Chloe never suspected that Beca would be the most reasonable of the two. She was disappointed but understood. She nodded and nestled against Beca's shoulder to watch the end of the movie, her hands still against the brunette's now burning skin.

Despite her calm posture, Beca was thinking at a hundred miles an hour. Chloe's lips hadn't gone far. They had to discuss, of course, but what exactly? Of a possible relationship? About their feelings? And what would happen to Lucy in all this? Beca couldn't afford to upset her daughter any more than she already was. The child had experienced too many events in her short life. Lucy needed calm, balance. She needed Beca. That evening, the musician made an important decision: Lucy would be her priority, no matter the sacrifices it would require.

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The cafe was pretty quiet for a Saturday morning and Quinn was waiting for Beca and Santana to arrive behind the bar, her head held up by her elbow. A yawn startled her. She was tired. The night had been short because of an argument with Rachel. They didn't argue often, if ever. There were really only a few things they disagreed on. Studies was one.

Santana Lopez stormed into the cafe at that moment, a briefcase in her hand, her hair stuck to her face. Quinn was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the rain falling in large drops outside. Santana placed her briefcase heavily on a stool and pulled out her soaked trench coat with her fingertips.

"The weather is terrible on your side of the country! You could have warned!"

"Sorry, I can't control the weather yet, Santana." The two women embraced but not for too long; Santana was wet to the skin. She sat on the stool in front of Quinn and crossed her arms.

"So, your new protégé is late?"

"No, she shouldn't be long."

Quinn had turned to make a strawberry milkshake for her best friend. She knew the young woman inside and out. Santana Lopez was her lifelong friend. They had met in kindergarten. Santana had defended her against kids who thought she was too curvy to be in their class. Since then, the Latina had always had Quinn's interests at heart and they had never left each other's side. Quinn had seen Santana fall in love with Brittany, the last branch of the infernal trio, before the blonde woman became Santana's wife. She had seen Santana fight against her homosexuality and emerge from it despite the wounds her discovery had inflicted on her. Today, the Hispanic woman with black eyes and an athletic body worked as a lawyer in a law firm in Los Angeles and lived a full life, still with her first love by her side. If Quinn knew Santana by heart, the opposite was also true. That's why Santana immediately noticed Quinn's dark circles and upset look as soon as she placed her strawberry milkshake in front of her.

"How is Rachel?"

"She is fine."

"All right. What did you do?" Quinn looked at her with owlish eyes full of surprise. She should have known that Santana would realize it as soon as she laid eyes on her. There was no point in denying it.

"Nothing. She just has a hard time trusting me."

"No, you know very well that that's not the problem."

"She doesn't dare let me work a day alone! I know she's afraid I'll slip back at the slightest stress."

Santana looked at her without saying anything. Quinn watched her dark eyes analyze every bit of her expression like a predator ready to devour its prey.

"When are you going to stop lying to yourself, exactly?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. She could have predicted that sentence the minute Santana walked into the cafe. Santana still saw through her game and her problem with Rachel wasn't recent. Rachel wanted Quinn to return to her studies in literature because she felt she was too talented to spend her life serving coffee. Quinn wanted to remain the owner of Queen's Coffee and let Rachel return to her art studies at Julliard. But New York was very far away and Rachel couldn't bring herself to live so far from Quinn. After that, Quinn blamed Rachel for not trusting her and that was it.

"If Rachel doesn't want to move away from you, it's simply because she loves you and she's afraid of losing you. Not because she thinks you're going to run to the first drug dealer you see as soon as she walks through the door."

"She sees me as a twig that can break with the slightest shake. It's annoying ! You should have seen her after the accident!"

"What accident?" Santana asked, her head to the side. Beca arrived at that moment, as if falling from the sky to save Quinn's life. She placed her bag and umbrella at the foot of the stool next to Santana's and took off her leather jacket without saying a word.

"San', this is Beca. This is the person who will need your advice." Quinn introduced. Beca, who hadn't realized Santana was already there, opened wide alert eyes and turned to the lawyer to shake her hand sharply.

"Hello, sorry, with this weather and my delay, I was not paying attention. Thank you for crossing the country to meet me."

"No problem, don't bother with politeness. We are part of the same world. I am happy to meet you. Quinn told me a little about your situation, but the best thing is for you to explain it to me yourself."

Santana didn't beat around the bush and Beca liked that a lot. Quinn was grateful to have a friend like Santana. Beca was in good hands. She left the two women talking at the bar. She bothered them one last time to place a vanilla milkshake in front of Beca before disappearing into her office.

"I don't really know where to start, to be honest." Santana smiled kindly and took out her notebook, still accompanied by the fountain pen that her mother had given her at the beginning of her law studies. She took a sip of her milkshake while observing the brunette next to her. There was something about this young woman that reminded her of Quinn. It was not a physical resemblance but rather an aura, a charisma. Both women seemed tortured as if they held all the suffering in the universe. She understood now why Quinn was so determined to help her.

"Quinn told me you had a daughter." Beca nodded, lips stretched in a wondrous expression. Santana again found something in common with her best friend in her expression.

"Tell me about her. What is her situation? What links do you have? Every detail is important, it may seem insignificant to you but for me, it can be the argument on which to plead."

"All right. Her name is Lucy Charlotte Mitchell. She was born on October 12, 2011. From October 12, 2011 to October 30, 2011, she lived under the control of social services. This is the document they gave me to attest to it." Beca pulled the certificate out of the folder full of paperwork she had brought.

"Then, she was placed under the guardianship of her father, Julian Dickson, after a judge's decision. This is the judgment that was pronounced." Santana read the documents diagonally, silent and focused.

"It is written that the family court judge judged your behavior to be violent and too unstable to allow you custody of your daughter. Can you quickly explain to me what happened to cause this?"

Beca explained the scene that had played out right after her daughter's birth. She explained why she felt so angry. She recounted all the pain that Julian had inflicted on her but also the fact that he had no longer given any sign of life after having ruined her life.

"I see. I find the judge's decision very quick. A case like this can take months, usually."

"My father believes that Julian's parents had high-ranking connections that made things happen faster."

"Possible but strange. I also see that there was a restraining order against Julian but that obviously didn't bother anyone to make a judgment..."

"The first lawyer we had wasn't very good. It happened so quickly. He told us that the judge was focusing on Lucy and not the issues I personally had with Julian."

"Okay, getting better and better. And today, where is Lucy?"

"She is into the hands of the State since Julian's death. He had an overdose or a heart attack, I'm not even sure. The social worker handling Lucy's case is Maria Olivarez. She told me that you could call her whenever you wanted to discuss it, that you shouldn't hesitate."

"Okay, perfect. I'll call her this evening. And so your wish is to regain custody of your daughter, is that right?"

"Yes, but there is one more obstacle. Julian's parents also made the request. They think I'm incapable of raising Lucy."

"Did they have a role in the past, when you were in high school?"

"They were on their son's side, especially during the judgment. I had vaguely met them when I went to Julian's house but they were never very present so they didn't really bother us. I remember his mother being quite nice the first time." Santana nodded slowly, a hand on her chin. Beca could see the cogs in her brain turning and tuning into one system. She felt more and more comfortable around the Latina.

"Do you think you can help me?"

"Oh, yes, I will immediately request a hearing with the judge in charge of the case. I will simply list all the errors that I noticed during the affair. He won't like it. But that's not the problem."

"What's the problem then? I'm not going to be able to get Lucy back?"

Santana looked up at Beca sympathetically. The brunette reminded her of Quinn when she had to abandon her own daughter.

"Hey, calm down, Mama Bear, we're going to get Lucy back. What worries me is your current situation. The judge may be upset because your ex's parents are more wealthy and more settled."

"But I'm her mother! How could the judge prefer to send a child to their grandparents rather than their mother?!"

"Ah, welcome to Earth where parents don't always do what they're supposed to do."

"But I work, I study, I have a house and my parents even agree to help me!" Tears appeared. Beca hated how the discussion was going. She felt helpless in the face of the accusations and assumptions. Young parents raised their children on the streets. It existed. It was terrible but real. So why couldn't she find her daughter with the little means she had?

"San', what did you do?!" Quinn intervened because she heard Beca raise her voice. "Nothing. It's just the situation that's shitty." Quinn gave her a venomous look and came to wrap her arms around Beca. The little brunette allowed herself to be done surprisingly and Santana observed them, her mouth open, stunned. Quinn Fabray didn't hug, ever. Except Rachel and Brittany under duress. Thinking about her wife, Santana told herself it was time to give her a call to reassure her. She stood up and left the two young women leaning on the bar. Beca sniffed and Quinn pulled away, both a little embarrassed.

"Sorry…"

"Don't apologize, I've seen worse." Quinn said with a laughed lightly before returning to her somber expression.

"I'm really fed up with this situation. I need to get my daughter back. It shouldn't be this complicated."

"No, you're right, it's unfair." Beca huffed heavily and buried her head in her arms. The front bell rang and Quinn watched Rachel arrive as if she owned the place. Her star looks, her flamboyant smile, the scent that came out when she approached to kiss Quinn. The blonde had already lost her feet. She could never be angry with her for too long.

"I ran into Santana, she's on the phone. It went well?" Rachel was already putting on an apron. She had spent the early afternoon in dance class.

Despite her refusal to return to Julliard, she took classes at Atlanta University, more to fill her days than to work. She was so much more talented than the other students here that it became boring. It was also from this detail that the argument the day before had started. Rachel had come home complaining about the lack of professionalism of the other students.

"Yes, Santana can really help me." Beca confirmed with a small singer placed a sympathetic hand on Beca's shoulder to show her support.

"How was your class?" Quinn asked.

"Perfectly fine, thank you." Rachel replied dryly before leaving for the kitchen. Beca had witnessed the exchange and was now staring at Quinn with her mouth in a O shape. Santana returned with the phone in her hand.

"Britt' says hello." She said to the blonde then frowned. "Why are you making that face?" She asked to Beca.

"Um, Rachel just arrived."

"Ah, what did you tell her this time?" Quinn raised her hands in surrender, her eyes alarmed. Her expression made Beca laugh. Quinn looked like she was afraid of Santana, it wasn't a common image.

"I said nothing ! I asked her how her class went! That's all!"

"It was already too much." In a show of confrontation, Quinn threw her middle finger at Santana before crossing her arms, sulking.

"Well, I'll leave you, I have a client to see on the other side of town and a jetlag to catch up on."

Santana got up and put on her coat. Quinn hurried around the bar to hug her.

"Thank you for coming."

"Stop, Q., I'll stay three days, you'll have plenty of time to thank me. We'll call each other this evening. I sleep at the hotel."

"You could have slept in the spare room."

"To hear you copulating, what a horror!"

"It's mostly to do weird things on webcam with Britt' in your hotel room, right?"

"Touché !" The two young women laughed together, and Quinn accompanied the Hispanic woman out of the cafe. Beca watched their friendship play out. Their bickering reminded her of the ones she shared with Chloe. No, more like the ones with Jesse. With Chloe, it was different.

"What are you thinking?" Quinn interrupted, pushing her gently.

"Uh, nothing at all!"

"Um, let me guess. Redhead, piercing blue eyes, dream body…"

"Hey, how dare you!"

"Ah, you see! Don't worry, I prefer brunettes." Quinn said with a wink.

"Yes, you should take care of yours. She looks angry." Quinn nodded, silently. Beca was right, she needed to fix things quickly. It was stupid to wait, the problem persisted and the subject went around in a loop without ever finding a conclusion.

"I'm going to go talk to her."

"Great! I'll go. I have a redhead with piercing blue eyes and a dream body to find." Beca had already left for the door. Quinn laughed heartily, she had suspected it all along.

"Go Beca! She's worth it!" The brunette pumped her fist in the air in agreement and walked out.

Direction, home. She had lots of things to tell Chloe. And above all, they had a big discussion to have.

Chloe was really looking forward to Beca's return. She couldn't stay still. Cynthia Rose watched her go from the living room to the kitchen and then from the kitchen to the living room every five minutes. However, the task required real logistics. Chloe had to take the crutches, carry her laptop on which she watched videos and prepare future choreographies, carry her cup of tea, all this without dropping anything and of course, without asking for help. Cynthia Rose had asked her several times if she wanted a hand carrying all her things from one room to another but the redhead had always answered with a resounding no. She would manage on her own, thank you.

Beca entered as the cup of tea exploded on the wooden floor that connected the kitchen to the living room. Chloe jumped and dropped everything except her laptop. Cynthia Rose had rushed to help her pick it up.

"Ah, it's about time you arrived!" The African-American woman exclaimed.

"Why?" Completely unaware of what had been going on in the house for the past two hours, Beca helped pick up the pieces of glass with one hand. The other, bandaged, held Chloe before she bent down to pick it up.

"It's Chloe. Pick up your crutches and go sit down. We're taking care of it." The redhead grumbled but obeyed, surprisingly, leaving the two young women to wipe the floor which was now stinking of red fruit tea.

"Everything okay?" Beca asked, still intrigued by her friend's remark upon her arrival.

"Yes, it's just that she's been waiting for you since a while ago. I try to study but all she does is travel between the living room and the kitchen without wanting help. She had to spill at some point..."

Beca frowned but didn't say anything. There weren't many reasons Chloe could wait for her. The brunette was starting to worry. Chloe took less and less care of her leg or her general health, as if she didn't care about the whole situation. Considering the reactions that the last discussion they had on the subject had provoked, Beca promised herself to hold her tongue for the moment. If the situation really escalated, she would put her foot down with Chloe.

"I'm going to see if she wants to go upstairs and rest before eating. You can study in peace."

"Thank you, you're saving me. She's been driving nuts." Beca winked at Cynthia then walked over to Chloe with a new cup of tea in her hands.

"I was going to start a new mashup for the winter performance, do you want us to go up and see that? I would have liked to have your opinion…" Chloe knew very well that Beca didn't suggest this to her by chance but rather because they needed to talk but she didn't want the whole house to know. The redhead accepted on one condition.

"I can't walk anymore. Can you carry me up?" Chloe asked with all her teeth showing. Beca rolled her eyes but smiled and turned to let Chloe climb onto her back.

"Come on. But I'll come get your cup afterwards. We already have the smell of red fruits everywhere downstairs, that's enough."

For a good hour, Beca and Chloe had been listening to music. Beca was sitting on Chloe's bed, cross-legged, the laptop on her legs. Chloe was lying next to her, facing away from the bed, with her eyes closed and patiently listening to Beca arrange the song. From time to time, she gave her opinion, asking for more echo on one side, fewer instruments and more vocals on the other. Beca didn't say anything but loved working with Chloe. Her opinion was always constructive and so sharp.

"You should accentuate the bass." The redhead whispered. Beca did so and the result was immediate. She was trying to arrange a Sam Smith song, Dance, after the one she used by Rihanna, Pon De Replay.

"It's better!"

"Yes totally!"

"The Trebles won't do better. We're going to blow them all away." Beca stated but remained focused on her mixing. She was browsing through the folders to find the music she would add to the ones already mixed. Chloe propped herself up on her elbows to watch her do it. A file on Beca's screen didn't leave her indifferent.

"Why do you have a file in my name?"

"What?" Beca asked dazedly, looking at her."There, that file," Choe pointed directly at the screen.

"Don't put your fingers on the screen!"

"Don't avoid my question, Becs. Open the file."

"No !" The brunette began to blush heavily. There was nothing incriminating in this file, other than the hundred or so pieces Beca had collected that reminded her of Chloe.

"Okay fine. You have two choices. I learned my lesson so I won't go digging. On the other hand, either you show me what's in this file, or I tell the girls that you have a folder on your computer that has my name but you don't want to tell me what's in it."

Beca held back a gasp of shock. She couldn't believe her ears. She was trapped.

"You wouldn't do that." Beca said, narrowing her eyes.

"You know very well that I would."

"So if I don't show you anything, you'll have the girls torture me until I do."

"That's exactly my point." Chloe smiled.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't. You adore me."

"Yeah, here, go ahead, have fun." Beca placed the laptop in Chloe's hands and moved away to sit against the head of Chloe's bed, arms crossed. The redhead, who was now facing her, taunted her with one last smile before opening the folder. It was like opening Pandora's box if it had been a music box.

An endless list of music files appeared in front of her. Chloe clicked on the first song and Shawn Mendes' guitar began. Arriving at the chorus of Mercy, she clicked on the second one. Rihanna and her particular tone made her want to move her hips. The sensual and explicit music left no doubt about the reason for its presence in this file. Two sentences from Te Amo and Chloe looked up to see Beca's reaction. The brunette bit her thumbnail, cheeks scarlet, so embarrassed that even her neck was dotted with patches. Chloe said nothing but launched the third song on the list and there, Beyonce's voice on Drunk in Love sealed their end of the day. Chloe left the music playing but placed the computer on the floor and sauntered over to Beca. She held out her hand to her.

"What are you…"

"Dance with me." The brunette accepted the hand, all trembling and confused. Chloe placed a hand on the small of Beca's back and pulled her closer. Beca didn't know what to do with her hands so she placed them on the redhead's hips. She was worried about too much weight being supported on Chloe's bad leg.

"Chlo', your leg, we should…"

"Shh!" The redhead ordered with a finger on her lips. Chloe slowly brought her forehead to Beca's and started moving her hips to the rhythm of the chorus. Beca didn't know who she was anymore.

Chloe's perfume was intoxicating. The temptation of having her mouth so close to hers was unbearable. The feeling of her hips rotating in a figure eight between her hands, against her pelvis, gave her hellish ideas. The music didn't help. The languorous rhythm and bass only made her dizzier. The room vibrated. Beca felt like she was drugged. That was it, Chloe was a drug. Her drug.

She nuzzled Chloe's neck. Her skin was soft and smelled like caramel. An irresistible desire to taste this sweet skin took hold of her then the tip of her tongue did so and very slowly, she brushed Chloe's jugular up to her earlobe to take it between her teeth. Chloe moaned and her hips jerked. Their two bodies were pressed together and tuned in harmony with the music like two burning matches. Beca's hand moved up Chloe's back to grip her neck and give her more access to the redhead's neck. Lips locked to her skin, Beca moved up to Chloe's jaw, then to her luscious mouth.

There was a pause, as if their two souls were catching their breath before beginning a new exchange of feelings. Then the collision. Jay-Z was rapping but the two of them didn't care what he said. Lips devoured each other, tongues mixed. They rolled onto the bed without separating. Chloe had her legs intertwined with Beca's and was running one hand under the brunette's plaid shirt, the other in her hair. Beca moaned loudly when she pulled her hair a little too hard and Chloe took the opportunity to savor her throat, her neck, leaving marks in the process, all the way to her solar plexus. Clothes were starting to get in the way. Beca pulled on Chloe's tank top and the redhead began to undo the buttons on her shirt.

The music stopped and with it, their frantic rhythm. With only their breaths, their moans and the friction of their clothes as their melody, the two women realized that they had let themselves be carried away. It was Chloe who leaned on her elbows to separate herself but not too much. Eyes sparkling, she watched the feelings swirl in Beca's pupils. The brunette contemplated the view she had from under Chloe. The messy hair, the red cheeks, the starry eyes, the little victorious smile.

"You're wonderful." The brunette whispered, tucking a lock of hair behind Chloe's ear. The redhead was speechless, so unaccustomed to hearing Beca declare what she thought so openly. Her gaze was troubled for a moment then a tear escaped her. Beca frowned, worried.

"Why are you crying?"

"I… I don't know, you were so honest." The brunette softened and ran her thumb over Chloe's cheek to catch the droplets. She pulled her into a soft kiss.

"All this music is not in this file by chance. I mean every single words of what they sing, you know." Beca admitted in a whisper, her eyes looking down.

"Oh, really? What does Jay-Z say again? The last thing I remember is our two bodies rubbing together in the club?" Beca closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Some of the lyrics were crude but hey, that was the music too. None of the romance she was trying to inspire for once, though.

"No, I think it was Beyonce who said that." Chloe laughed honestly then slid to the side, one hand still under the brunette's shirt. With her fingers, she traced imaginary shapes on her skin, letting shivers arise with each pass. Beca stared at the ceiling. She was thinking. Maybe too much. But she couldn't help but think about the fact that she had promised herself not to continue anything with Chloe to prioritize her daughter but that the presence of the redhead in her space did not allow her to respect her promise.

Chloe saw the change in attitude in Beca's eyes. She was tired of procrastinating and her discussion with Aubrey had made her open her eyes. If she wanted something, she had to fight for it.

"What's going on, Becs?" The brunette turned a sullen face towards the older woman beside her. She was divided. She didn't want to betray Lucy or her promise, but she had wanted Chloe for so long. Finally, she felt good and ready to do the right thing for someone. But fear tore at her. What if Chloe didn't agree to have Lucy in their life? What if she wasn't willing to try so hard? The words of the listener who had called the radio the other evening came back to her memory. Sometimes the right person was worth it.

"I'm afraid." The brunette admitted without reacted immediately and came to hug the little brunette who suddenly looked so fragile.

"Afraid of what ? Tell me about it, Beca." The calm, understanding voice was what Beca needed to open up. So she told her about her hidden pregnancy. The problems with Julian then the loss of her daughter. The year she had spent trying to get Lucy back without telling anyone. The months of suffering imagining everything Lucy could go through. How her mother's heart bled every time she watched her leave. How she had been so happy to introduce Lucy to Chloe. How willing she was to fight tooth and nail against her daughter's father's family to win and deserve custody of Lucy. And how she was afraid of not being up to the task if she succeeded.

"I'm afraid of ruining everything. Everything I touch tarnishes. I'm afraid I don't know how to manage our relationship and Lucy at the same time. This is why we can't be together, Chloe. My daughter must come first. I can't disperse. She is my priority and I…"

"Eh, eh, Beca, calm down." During her story, Beca got completely carried away. Chloe had listened to her patiently and without interruption but now she had to intervene. Beca was having trouble catching her breath. Panicked after so many revelations, she hyperventilated. Chloe gently picked her up and placed her head against her heart.

"Listen to my heart. Direct your breathing to follow its rhythm." She inhaled and exhaled several times before Beca managed to tune herself. They breathed together for a few more minutes, Chloe stroking the brunette's hair and rocking it back and forth lightly.

"I'm proud of you" Were the first words Chloe said after a pulled away a little to look at her stupidly, one eyebrow raised.

"You're proud of me?"

"Yes, look at what you were able to tell me in one go, Becs, it's great! This is crazy progress. You can't imagine how happy I am that you trust me and that you can free yourself from all this."

"I just told you that we couldn't be together and you tell me that you're proud of me."

Chloe took Beca's face in her hands and kissed her slowly. At first, Beca wasn't very receptive, she tried to keep her lips closed but Chloe managed to get her to open and the kiss became more languorous. So much so that Beca kept her eyes closed when Chloe pulled away, a dreamy look on her face. Chloe laughed softly then cleared her throat.

"Beca, you're complicating things."

"No, my life is complicated."

"So don't make it even more complicated." Chloe moved forward and began the kiss her again. The nonchalant pace only accentuated the desires already awakened from their previous make out.

"That's what I'm trying to do, if you would stop kissing me to keep me quiet!" The brunette grumbled, having finally gotten up to stop being laughed once more then came to sit on the edge of the bed so she could take Beca's hands and pull her closer.

"I know, I'm sorry, I have a hard time resisting you." Chloe said, too proud of her remark, Beca tried to get away but Chloe caught her.

"No, sorry, I'm joking. You're right. I stop. All I want to make you understand is that we are attracted to each other. So far, am I not mistaken?" The redhead looked at Beca who nodded her chin without saying anything.

"And since we like eachother, it would be a shame to deny ourselves that. I know Lucy is your priority. Of course she comes first and I will never ask you to do otherwise. But you won't be alone in dealing with this." Seeing Beca's curious expression, Chloe stood up. Their proximity was the best way for her to show Beca that she was sincere.

"If I decide to start something with you, Beca, it's not to leave aside an entire part of your life. Lucy is part of your life. And mine now. And even those of all the Bellas. And I will never leave you alone. I'm ready to help you with Lucy."

"You... Are you serious?" Beca asked awkwardly, took the brunette's face and moved closer to place her forehead against Beca's.

"Really serious! Beca, sweetie, you just have to give me the chance to show you." Beca finally broke down and melted into her arms. They hugged for a long time, both reassured to have finally found someone who understood them and who was ready to do anything to continue to understand.

A pounding at the door startled them and they separated at least two meters. Amy's voice echoed from behind the door.

"It's time to eat, bitches!"

"We're coming!" Beca shouted back. The two women gave each other one last look then burst out laughing at the same time. Chloe stopped suddenly, one hand at her side.

"Ouch! It hurts! What an idiot!" Beca had reached her in two steps and was already supporting her. She took her crutches and handed them to her. Once the pain passed, Chloe put her arm around Beca's shoulders.

"Come on. Otherwise, we'll arrive too late and Amy and Stacie will have eaten everything." Beca laughed and helped Chloe limp to the door. A mental note reminded her that Chloe had to take her medication with food so as not to be in too much pain and that was the mission she had made hers. The woman in her arms was too precious. She wouldn't let anything happen to her.