Rachel walked in their apartment exhausted. She had survived yet another contemporary dance class with Cassandra July. Her teacher and former Broadway diva was a real dragon, a cowhide. A heartless cod who had made Rachel's life hell ever since she started classes here. With a sigh, the brunette took off her boots and threw her keys into the bowl provided for this purpose. She headed to the kitchen where she poured herself a glass of water and drank it in one gulp. Quinn must have been somewhere in the apartment. Usually, she would have found her in the kitchen preparing dinner and humming. Frowning into a single, distinct line, she opted to search the bedroom first. Maybe she wasn't feeling well after all. No one in the room but light came through the door of the small office they had set up to work in. Rachel pushed the door open gently and found Quinn busy on her computer, glasses on and piles of scribbled papers around her.
"Quinn? What are you doing?"
"Oh, you're home! Come here!" Rachel approached a little hesitantly. Quinn spoke quickly and seemed excited. Her eyes were red, her pupils dilated. She was trembling. Rachel was already starting to list the symptoms of the different drugs she knew in her head that could match Quinn's behavior. Once in front of the screen, she understood her mistake. Quinn had started writing again.
"You're writing?"
"Yes! Actually, I was thinking about work earlier and one thing led to another, I came to think that I was lucky to have you in my life and to have Santana and Brit' and Beca now. Then an idea came to me: other people should know all this! And what could be better than a book to tell everything we've been through and show people how stupid they are to stop themselves from loving!" Rachel was listening but her gaze shifted to the coffee cup next to the laptop. The brown halos showed that the cup had moved and been there for a long time.
"Quinn, how much coffee did you have?"
"It's not important, Rach'! You're listening? I'm going to write a book about all of our stories!" Rachel smiled tenderly. The resurgent passion in Quinn made her heart beat much faster. She embraced her, her arms hugging her neck. "That's great, baby! I'm so happy you're starting to write again! I missed seeing you so passionate!" They laughed together for a moment, hugging and happy. A stomach gurgled without anyone knowing who it belonged to. "I forgot the time! I'm sorry, I should have made diner…" Quinn apologized sheepishly. "Forget it, this evening, we're going out. I'm taking you to a restaurant to celebrate your new project."
"That's not necessary, Rach', we could stay here, have it delivered and spend the evening watching a musical." Rachel had glitter in her eyes. She didn't know what to choose and faced with her hesitation, Quinn pulled her back to whisper on her lips. "I only need you, Rachel Berry." They kissed languidly.
The resentment from the beginning of the day was forgotten. Negative thoughts of a possible relapse had evaporated. Rachel was completely captured by the charm of Quinn Fabray. So much so that their kiss very quickly evolved into a fiery dance between two bodies, and they forgot their stomachs again.
"Okay, girls, one more time! One, two, three, four!"
The Bellas continued the movements learned earlier in the week. Faces were dripping with sweat and lungs were running out of breath faster. Fortunately, the practice was coming to an end and they would soon be able to release the pressure. The final note of the music marked the end.
"Well done, everyone! We'll start again Monday morning!" Everyone applauded in ritual. It was a rule imposed by Chloe the previous year to congratulate everyone for the work put in and for the investment that the practice required. The girls gathered around their sports bags, all with water bottles in their hands. Amy was lying on the bench, feigning agony. "I can't take it anymore! I'll die! Even Aubrey didn't make us dance that much!"
"Do you want me to call her back so she can force you to do the cardio that you try so hard to miss every week and that puts you in this state?" Stacie asked bitterly. "How do you manage to say such long sentences after the session we just had?!" Amy wondered.
The young women around them laughed at their bickering. Stacie never hid her opinion and had several times talked about the injustice of accepting Amy's absences when practice was focused on endurance.
"Girls, we should relax tonight! Karaoke night at Biscuit?" Cynthia announced. "It's a lesbian bar, Cynthia…" Amy grumbled. "So what? I like being hit on by girls in plaid shirts." Stacie laughs. "I don't feel targeted!" Beca shouted from the piano, putting her computer away. They all laughed and started packing up. Beca came back towards them with her bag on her shoulder. Her face was red and her bag looked heavy.
"Do you need help?" Jessica asked. "No, it's okay, I'm used to it. Thanks, Jess." The brunette replied with a wink. "Personally, I'm okay with karaoke but I'll have to help Chloe. She wouldn't miss it for anything."
"Don't worry, Cap, we're not going to leave her behind!" Cynthia said. The musician smiled and walked towards the exit, the other girls following her. Before getting into their different cars, Ashley had an idea.
"Hey, Bec, how about we invite Quinn and Rachel?" Beca thought about it for a few seconds. Mixing Quinn and Rachel in with the Bellas didn't seem like a bad idea. Maybe they could even invite Santana.
"Yes, it's a good idea. I'll send a message to Quinn."
Freshly showered and made up, Chloe was trying to put on a skirt but her cast was really bothering her. No matter the outfit, nothing seemed to look right. Without delicacy, she fell heavily on her bed with a shrill cry, her skirt tangled with her cast. A knock sounded at the door.
"Chloe, are you okay?" Beca's muffled voice asked. "No, I can't find a suitable outfit!" The redhead grumbled. There was silence and then Beca grabbed the handle. "Can I come in?"
"Yes go ahead." From the laughing eyes of the brunette, Chloe understood that she must look ridiculous. After struggling with the piece of fabric to get it off her leg, she sighed in annoyance. Beca suddenly lost her smile. Chloe looked at herself from head to toe to see what was wrong. She was in her underwear. Tattoos and scars clearly visible, she tried to get up with great difficulty. Beca broke out of her trance to help her. Chloe heard the brunette swallow at the contact of their skin.
"I don't know what to wear ! This damn cast ruins every outfit I've ever tried on." Beca thought for a moment. Other than sportswear, or even beach shorts, she didn't really see what Chloe could wear. The cast taking up the entirety of her leg, a dress seemed too much, pants impossible. Chloe spent most of her time in jogging pants or pajamas because no jeans fit above the cast. "What if we tried tights under shorts? It could work, right?" Chloe thought about it. It was always worth a try. She pointed out the location of each piece of clothing Beca was looking for.
"And take the red checkered shirt that I stole from you, please." Beca grabs the item of clothing from the desk chair, shaking her head. She didn't even realize her shirt was missing. She slowly approached Chloe, who was sitting on the edge of the bed in scantily clad clothes, and crouched down, cupping the pantyhose legs in her hands. "Ready?" She asked with a tight throat. Chloe nodded. She wasn't any more comfortable at the moment. She loved flirting with Beca, making her uncomfortable, but right now, she wasn't in control of the situation. They didn't play anymore. Their feelings were real.
Beca began her progression by putting her feet on first. She pulled a little on the cast leg to ensure the fabric stretched properly. Chloe didn't feel her hands when she placed them on the cast but she was well aware of Beca's fingers that barely dared to brush against her skin on the other leg. The brunette's hands were trembling and Beca tried to go slowly for fear of hurting her. Shivers formed as the brunette's fingers passed. Chloe was so focused on the effect of the touch that she didn't see Beca move away a little. The brunette cleared her throat. "You need to get up." Chloe nodded and took support on Beca's shoulders to stand up. Without taking their eyes off each other, the two young women finished putting on the tights. Of their own accord, Chloe's hands slid from her shoulders to Beca's neck. The brunette already had dilated pupils. Chloe saw her tongue flicking across her lips in her field of vision but was absorbed in her gaze. The deep blue was turning into a storm. Without asking permission, the redhead leaned down to get a kiss from the luscious lips that were calling her. Beca greeted her with a contented sigh. Her hands caressed the sag of her back, her round buttocks. Chloe moaned at the touch, surprised at this new development. Beca took the opportunity to devour her throat. They stayed there for a few minutes, enjoying each other, getting to know each other. Then reality caught up with them.
"Chloe, are you okay?" Ashley's voice asked from behind the door. Beca thanked the heavens that Ashley was generally discreet, which prevented her from opening the door like Stacie or Amy would have done. Chloe came down from the little cloud she had been resting on for a few minutes and replied that she was almost ready, that Beca was there to help her get dressed. They listened to the young woman's footsteps moving away from the door and sighed with relief. Without consulting each other, it seemed that they had agreed to keep their story to themselves for a little while longer.
Feeling foggy, Beca moved away to put some distance between them but let her hands trail on Chloe's waist. They smiled lovingly at each other without saying anything. Beca grabbed the shorts and positioned herself to slip them over the redhead's legs. "We need to speed up. Quinn and Rachel might be waiting for us."
"You're right. But we can always use the excuse of my injuries. The girls will never notice."
"Or they will especially see the marks I left on your neck..." Chloe opened her eyes wide, her mouth formed a horrified O. Her hand went straight to the area Beca had bitten just before. "Oh, no, Becs, you're kidding! How am I going to hide this?!" Beca, who was rather proud of herself, shrugged her shoulders. "All you have to do is put on a scarf. We're going to a gay bar, no one will ask any questions." Her remark earned her a tap on the shoulder then a kiss on the cheek. They continued to dress Chloe while bickering.
"I swear to you that if they find out, I won't hesitate to throw you into the lions' den!"
"Oh really? How cool Miss Beale, I am impressed!"
"You deserved it! Look at yourself in a mirror. You are so proud to have left a mark!"
"Hey, I didn't hear you complaining" Beca laughed.
"You didn't hold back either!" Chloe retorted.
"No, it's true." Beca frowned for a moment and received a pillow to the face for the trouble. The two young women laughed together then left the room, dressed and ready. The scarf wrapped tightly around Chloe's neck. As if that wasn't already calling for disaster…
The bar was crowded on this Friday evening. The evening was organized around karaoke. When the Bellas entered the premises, Quinn and Rachel were already seated, a glass of sparkling water and a cocktail in front of them. The blonde raised her hand to draw Beca's gaze to them then the Bellas joined them, Beca and Chloe last. "Did you find it without too much problem?" Cynthia asked, sat next to Rachel on the bench. "Yes, no worries. Rachel knew the bar." Quinn replied with a sly expression.
"Oh?" Beca asked, surprised, taking off her jacket to put it on her chair. She sat directly across from Quinn while the Bellas took their seats to the right and left of the young couple. Chloe was sitting directly next to Beca and since it still wasn't close enough for her liking, she moved her chair closer to hers. "Why do you look so surprised, Beca? I have fun sometimes too." Rachel said, sipping her cocktail. The other brunette raised both hands in defense, with a smile. She just couldn't imagine Rachel coming here alone. "You have good tastes, that's all I'm saying."
"Actually, Rachel has a much longer story than that to tell…" Quinn said before getting up. "I'm going to the bathroom." She finally informed, smiling with all her teeth. Rachel looked at her, eyes following her trajectory. When she turned around, all the girls were waiting for her to tell her story. She rolled her eyes but smiled. Quinn knew she loved telling her little anecdotes. Beca took this moment to lean into Chloe's ear. "Do you want something to drink?" She whispered. "Yes, please."
"Something in particular?"
"Surprise me but nothing alcoholic." The brunette nodded, trailed her lips on Chloe's cheek as she pulled away, then got up to go to the bar. Chloe looked at her walk. Beca was wearing her leather jacket and boots. She gave the impression of being full of confidence. Chloe knew what this aura hid and she was quite proud of knowing that Beca trusted her enough to let her close now. A nudge pulled her from her thoughts. "Shut your mouth, you're starting to flood the table." Stacie told her, laughing. Chloe rolled her eyes but said nothing. She was never tired of watching Beca. Even less since she knew about her feelings. "Look, the karaoke is about to start!" Ashley called towards the stage. A stage manager set up a microphone while a team of musicians positioned themselves at the back of the stage. A giant screen showed a list of songs with the names of the people or groups who were going to perform them.
"Have you signed up yet?" Cynthia asked Rachel and Quinn who had just sat down again. "No, it's not for me anymore." Rachel said. "As if…" Her girlfriend scoffed in front of her. Sensing the tension between the couple, the Bellas decided not to pursue the subject further. "It's a free evening, you don't have to sign up to sing but it's better." Stacie added to change the subject. Amy jumped up to alert the group that she was going to sign up. Stacie placed bets on which song she would sing.
"10 dollars for her to sing Katy Perry!" Cynthia bet. "The next round that she sings Party in the USA!" Jessica added, for once playing along. Chloe listened to them without saying anything. She smiled. If Amy had to choose from a limited repertoire, she would probably choose an Australian artist. If there weren't any, her choice would be the most eccentric song in her eyes. "I bet you two drawings on my cast that she will choose the first Australian singer on the list." She called out to the assembly. Everyone was silent and looked at her. Chloe was the one who analyzed the members of the group the most. She knew each of her sisters' allergies and obsessions. She knew the middle names, even the most embarrassing ones, the dates and places of birth, the number of brothers and sisters of each. She was never wrong about this sort of thing and her friends knew it. Beca returned with a tray filled with tequila shots and a large, colorful glass. She placed it heavily on the table and invited everyone to help themselves.
"What is this stuff?" Stacie asked, measuring the glass containing a purple mixture. "That's for Chloe." Beca said, placing the glass in the redhead's hands.
Chloe smiled and took a sip without hesitation. The blend was fruity and sweet. Just sweet enough to cover the bitterness of the grapefruit juice, the taste of which came through first. "Very good choice, thank you, Becs." The redhead smiled towards her friend. The brunette winked at her under the amused looks of their friends. They toasted the week they'd had, Chloe's recovery, and the first outing with Quinn and Rachel.
"Thank you for inviting us. I can't wait to hear you sing," Rachel exclaimed. "Don't be so enthusiastic. After a few drinks, we no longer sing in tune" Cynthia laughs. "No way! I sing even better with the nectar of the gods in my blood" Amy said in a loud voice, doing by big gestures. Beca seemed amused by the discussions around her. Chloe didn't take her eyes off her. This evening, more than usual, she found it difficult to take her eyes off the brunette for even a short moment. Beca beamed under the bar's dim spotlights. Her fingers and legs moved to the music. When Stacie and Amy bickered, Beca laughed heartily, stretched lips forming dimples on her cheeks. For a moment, she stopped and glanced at Chloe to see that she was watching her. She smiled flirtatiously at her and leaned down to speak in her ear again.
"You're not very discreet, Miss Beale. You should stop ogling me like that before you attract attention."
Chloe felt Beca's scent invade her space and her hand settle on her knee. The honeyed, intoxicating smell of amber and vanilla made her head spin. She heard the effects of the alcohol on Beca's voice and the confident tone she used. Chloe had seen Beca drunk enough times to know that she was still in full control of herself. It took more than a few shots of tequila to get her completely drunk. However, alcohol gave her the confidence to say things she was normally afraid to express.
"Then you should be less sexy, Miss Mitchell." The remark made Beca blush and she laughed softly as she retreated from Chloe to get her drink. Quinn watched the two young women act like two high school students and felt a sort of pride invade her. She was really happy that Beca had found the person she needed. It was obvious that there was much more than friendship between the two. Even a blind man would feel his hairs stand on end at the sexual tension that existed between them.
"Fat Patricia is expected at the microphone for some wild rock!" The Bellas clapped and screamed until Amy came on stage and grabbed the microphone tightly. The musicians played the first notes and the girls started laughing uncontrollably. Only Amy would choose a metal song at karaoke night. Some of them got up and went to dance in front of the stage. Stacie picked up Rachel as she passed. Beca and Quinn gave each other an amused look when they saw the brunette moving her hips among the Bellas.
"She's good!" Chloe exclaimed above the music. "Oh, you have no idea." Quinn said full of innuendo. Beca rolled her eyes and placed her fingers in her mouth to whistle. The atmosphere in the bar had warmed up since the first song. People wanted to have fun and dance. Nothing like the karaoke nights Beca threw at the bar she worked at in her hometown. These evenings often brought together the regulars with a few people who tried their luck. The songs were very slow, even sad, and the singers were not very good.
Beca remembered an evening when they had the opportunity to sing, with Julian, and how much fun they had that evening, after their shift. These thoughts reminded her of Lucy. She hoped with all her heart that her daughter was okay. "Hey, Becs, everything okay?" Chloe asked in her ear. The brunette turned her head towards her. Chloe had seen her mood change in just a few minutes. The musician had lost her smile and was staring at her half-empty glass as if it contained all the answers in the world.
"Yes, I was thinking about Lucy. I miss her." The brunette revealed. It was only part of the truth but Beca didn't want to dwell on the memories she had of the usurper that Lucy's father had been. Chloe looked at her tenderly. She cupped her cheek with her hand and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sure she's fine. She is a very strong little girl, just like her mother." Beca smiled. Chloe always had the words to comfort her even a little. "Do you know what would cheer you up?" The redhead said playfully. Beca looked at her, surprised and full of questions. No, she didn't really know what could replace her daughter right now.
"Nothing can fill the void you must feel but music always helps you. Why don't you go up there and sing?" The brunette smiled wider. Of course, Chloe would try to blackmail her in any way possible, especially when she had stipulated that she didn't want to sing. "Well done, Beale. Very well placed, this little sentence." "I needed to try." Chloe replied, shrugging her shoulders. Beca shook her head and took a sip from the redhead's glass, who protested without real conviction. "Damn! This stuff looks so much better than tequila."
"What's in it, again?" Quinn asked, coming back with a glass of water in her hand. "Um, grapefruit juice, for sure."
"Yes, and dragon fruit juice. And a bit of cane sugar, I think. That's all I heard from what the waitress told me."
"I see, too busy looking at the size of her lungs?" Quinn said, laughing. Beca, who was drinking, spit her mouthful back into her glass, taken aback. Chloe looked at it, amused and decided to play along. "What? No, I didn't see that she had big..."
"No, but you saw her sexy in her jeans!" Chloe added, falsely jealous. Beca's eyes widened when she saw Chloe looking upset with her arms crossed. She looked sharply at Quinn, silently asking for help. The blonde raised both hands, playing along with Chloe. "Chloe, I swear, I don't know what this girl looks like." The musician tried to bring her hand closer to Chloe's shoulder, but the redhead moved away with an annoyed look. "You'll have to apologize with a song." Beca knew instantly that she has been fooled." She smirked. There could be two playing. "Alright." She got up and finished her drink in one gulp. She walked directly to the stage and asked the stage manager to be the next. The man who was waiting for a volunteer handed her the microphone without any problem. Chloe watched open-mouthed as Beca spoke to the musicians and then stood in the center, in front of the standing microphone.
"Beca is going to sing!" Amy exclaimed from a distance and all the girls rushed to the front of the stage. "Well done, Chloe! I couldn't have done better," Quinn congratulated her with a wink. "I… I didn't think she would take it seriously."
"Well, she did." Chloe was so surprised that she couldn't take her eyes off Beca. The music started and Chloe immediately recognized the chords. Ain't no sunshine by Bill Withers echoed through the bar and Beca swayed her hips to the jazzy sound. She mouthed the words without taking her eyes off Chloe, still the same devastating smile plastered on her face. "Oh, this one's for you, Chlo'." Stacie shouted, hands in the air as she went back to dancing in front of the stage. Indeed, the words and the conversation they just had left no doubt. Chloe watched Beca having fun with the Bellas dancing and singing. She occupied the stage as needed and the bar patrons cheered her on. The brunette loved music. She only breathed for that and it showed.
"You'll have to hit back." Quinn said, casually sipping her glass of water through a straw. Chloe winked at her and grabbed her crutches to get up with difficulty. She came to the side of the stage as the song came to an end. Beca returned to her seat without seeing her, so caught up in the cheers of her new audience. The stage manager gave Chloe the microphone and helped her set up a stool on the stage.
"Where's Chloe?" Beca asked directly when she returned to the table. Quinn didn't answer but pointed at the scene. Beca turned around quickly, frantic, to see all the Bellas greeting their co-captain on stage. The musicians played a few notes and Beca froze. Chloe wasn't supposed to sing already. But Beca forgot immediately that detail when the music started. Chloe had already won their little duel. She should have known that it was lost in advance.
Demi Lovato's Body Say was her guilty pleasure. The only song she could listen to and imagine making love to. She had confessed this little thing during a drunken evening and, of course, Chloe was the only one who remembered it. She was also the only one who could sing it and give Beca ideas that would make a director for adult movie blush. Chloe was playing the role at perfection. She dragged her hands over her body, brought her tongue close to the microphone. She made tons of it and it worked; Beca was breaking down.
"Woah, she's good at this." Quinn had gotten up and was now at Beca's side. The blonde had placed her elbow on Beca's shoulder, and they were both watching Chloe having fun playing with the crowd. Rachel, who was dancing in front of the stage, approached like a cat and came to wrap her arms around Quinn's neck, rubbing against her. "Rach', we're in public…"
"Dance with me." Despite Rachel's obvious drunken state, the blonde complied and left Beca alone to liquefy on the spot. A waiter jostled the musician which brought her out of her trance. The images she had of Chloe in her head were not reasonable. Without really noticing it, she walked towards the stage and walked through the crowd of dancing people without taking her eyes off her goal. The song ended and Chloe bowed to applause before handing the microphone back to the stage manager. She got off the stage with the help of the Bellas who were delighted to have heard her sing. Beca made her way through the group and stood in front of Chloe who didn't really know how to take the brunette's expression. Beca reached up and placed Chloe's scarf correctly over the marks her lips had left earlier in the day.
"Great memory, Beale."
"Thank you." The redhead smiled, her eyes shining. The game of looks continued for a few moments between the two young women. Chloe understood Beca's message very well. She had completely forgotten why she wore a scarf, but now she didn't really care. Too bad if the Bellas understood. Chloe pulled on the knot of the scarf and removed it entirely. Beca smiled mischievously and walked closer. She cupped Chloe's cheek in her hand and raised an eyebrow for permission. Chloe understood immediately and nodded discreetly. It was the last sign Beca was waiting to take the plunge. They kissed to the whistles and applause of the Bellas.
"Bloe! Bloe! Bloe!" Amy shouted. The two young women separated, and Chloe threw herself on Beca's neck, drunk with joy. The brunette twirled her and they all laughed together. They all returned to their seats, Chloe trailing behind, and Cynthia ordered a round to celebrate. Quinn smiled widely at Beca. Rachel was leaning against the blonde's shoulder as Chloe was on Beca's shoulder, her arm tucked under hers. The symmetry was perfect between the two couples.
"Aren't they cute! Long live love!" Stacie toasted, totally hammered. Laughter and joy broke out. The evening continued in the same atmosphere. Beca and Chloe were inseparable and kissed openly, alone in their little bubble of happiness. Quinn was supporting Rachel who had fallen asleep on her shoulder. The brunette had obviously drunk too much. The Bellas separated from the couple early in the morning and returned to the villa together.
"Oh, my head!" Rachel grumbled, holding her forehead.
"Yeah, no surprise. Drink this." The little brunette accepted the glass handed to her by her girlfriend without saying anything. She drank it without breathing and wiped her mouth vulgarly before falling heavily onto her cushion.
"I will never drink alcohol again."
"I've heard that before." Rachel opened one eye to see Quinn sitting on the edge of the bed, already dressed and with a tense face. "This time, I will stick to it. Alcohol is useless."
"Why did you drink so much, then?" Rachel rolled her eyes but the action twisted her brain. She cursed herself under her breath and ran her hand through her hair. Why had she drunk so much? She didn't want to answer that question.
"Santana will come by today?"
"No, she has appointments." The brunette nodded absently. Quinn analyzed her for a moment. She knew Rachel by heart. She never drank that much for fear of damaging her voice. And she spoke. She communicated. Rachel talked all the time, and way too much, but she talked. She said what she felt and expressed herself about what was wrong. She didn't dodge the questions.
"I'll let you rest." Quinn concluded, getting up. Rachel let her leave the room without saying anything. When the door slammed, she sank into her sheets, the pillow on her head. She couldn't take this situation anymore.
Beca wanted to stretch but her arm was stuck. She turned her head slightly to get lost in red hair that smelled of apples. She smiled stupidly. It was the best morning in a long time. She tightened her arm around Chloe and pressed a kiss to the crown of her hair. The redhead fidgeted in her arms and the hands under her t-shirt pulled her closer. "Hello, you," came Chloe's hoarse voice.
"Hello, beautiful young lady, did you sleep well?" Chloe smiles, eyes still closed, and buries her face in Beca's neck. "I'm not sure I look that good in the morning," Chloe groaned, hiding. Beca pulled away and brushed back the few strands that had fallen on the redhead's face. Her blue eyes shone even brighter and seemed to contain an entire galaxy in that moment. "You are so beautiful. I never want you to doubt it again," The brunette whispered, very seriously. Chloe blushed at such sincerity and attention. If Beca wanted to make her fall a little more, it was successful. "You don't need to charm me anymore, you know. You've already won."
"Oh, really?" Beca asked, a glint of mischief in her pupils. Chloe nodded absently, wondering what the hell was going to happen to her. "Can I tell you that you snore then?" The redhead gasped in horror and grabbed a cushion to hit the brunette who was laughing and struggling with difficulty. Chloe moved on to tickling, climbing over Beca as best she could with her injuries. "Take back what you said!" The brunette continued to laugh, shaking her head negatively. She wouldn't give up that easily.
"Beca Mitchell! I'm warning you, if you don't tell the truth, I'm calling Aubrey to come and pull it up your mouth!" Beca stopped laughing immediately. She stared wide-eyed at her friend and Chloe could see the gears clicking into place in her brain. "You can't, she's in Europe on a business trip. She wouldn't be able to come for several days."
"Rah, I'm starting to miss the time when you hated each other!" Chloe grumbled. The brunette laughed again then came to hug Chloe. Usually she wasn't this demonstrative. With nobody. But with Chloe, it was different and the redhead certainly wasn't going to complain about it. "You know very well that I'm joking. You don't snore."
"Hmm."
"You just breathe heavily."
"Beca!" The brunette laughs even more under the blows of Chloe's cushion. Their bickering was interrupted by Chloe's phone ringing on the bedside. "It's my father," Chloe said seriously before grabbing the cell phone.
Beca couldn't hear what was said on the other end of the line, but Chloe's face was sinking more and more, which didn't indicate anything good. The redhead only responded with yes or no and "I know, Dad." Her teeth clenched as the conversion progressed and Beca could see that Mr. Beale's words did not make her daughter happy. When Chloe hung up, she threw her phone on the bed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"What an idiot!"
"Is everything okay?" Beca tried.
"Yes…," The redhead replied absently. "I'm going to take a shower. Can you help me?" The brunette nodded without saying anything more. She had understood the lesson. It was better to let Chloe come to her on her own. She climbed out of bed, took Chloe on her back and led them both to the bathroom.
One thing was certain: when Chloe spoke, Beca would be there to listen.
Santana walked through the door with determination. She had a meeting with Maria Olivarez to discuss Beca's file. She had lots of questions to ask her and, above all, she wanted to determine by herself whether the social worker was really trustworthy.
Sitting at her desk, the latter gathered the file in front of her and stood up to greet the lawyer.
"Miss Lopez, it's a pleasure."
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Olivarez. We have a lot to discuss, I think."
"Indeed. Please follow me." The social worker took Santana through corridors leading to different offices, all occupied. The employees present continued to work without paying attention to the two women passing by. They arrived in a meeting room with tinted windows. Maria Olivarez immediately went to the coffee machine and offered Santana one. "No, thank you. I'm trying to reduce."
"Ah, too much energy. I was the same at your age." Santana smiles. The woman seemed warm and caring but she always tried to remain objective. She couldn't be fooled by smiles or an accent that sounded like hers. Finally, Maria poured her a glass of water and placed it in front of her before sitting down and opening the file with Lucy's name. "I'm listening. I'm ready to help you as much as I can. My goal is for Lucy to find a home, with her mother if possible."
"Exactly, on this subject, I'm not the kind to beat around the bush. What are your intentions towards Beca? My client only says good things about you. She also told me that you helped her gather the documents to allow her to begin the procedures."
"Yes, I had to assess Beca on her abilities to raise Lucy. My job here was to verify that Beca was no longer a danger to Lucy and that she had all the means to take care of her. My report is in the file."
"Yes. You concluded that Beca wasn't a threat to her daughter and was mentally capable of raising her. However, you pointed out the fact that she was still a student and didn't have a stable financial situation."
"Indeed. I am required to tell the truth about the situations that I evaluate, always keeping in mind the issues and, here, it's a question of knowing whether Lucy will be happy with her family. I also pointed out that Beca was very well looked after and very determined to take care of Lucy." Santana was taking notes in her notebook. Maria was corroborating everything Beca had ever told her and Santana was starting to trust her. She put down her pen and pursed her lips. Her next question was tricky. She had to be careful with the words she used.
"Listen, Maria, I think I can trust you. You understood like me that Beca would do anything for her daughter and that she has never been violent."
"No, Beca loves her daughter. I've seen parents so much worse than her."
"Exactly, based on your experience, I would like to know your opinion. This is the first case of this kind that I have handled but my instinct tells me that there is something fishy going on. I would like to know what you think of the judgment that was handed down a year ago."
"I've never seen a parent obtain custody so easily. I read Lucy's father, Julian's file and it's pretty empty."
"I see, as if no one had dug?"
"As if the person in charge of his evaluation had only wanted to show the good sides."
"Surprisingly, the opposite is true for Beca's psychiatric evaluation. It's written that her father even had to act as guarantor to keep her out of the hospital, as her file describes her as hysterical."
"Yes, I read this point. He fought to see Lucy the first few weeks when she was in foster care. He did not win his case. Even if, he had a good lawyer."
"I know him, I have to meet him precisely to take stock. I think he saw like me that there are a lot of flaws in this procedure. The assessments were botched. Lucy was placed too easily in foster care when at this age, it's forbidden to take a child from their mother except in cases of extreme danger. Beca should have had visitation rights."
"I agree. Everything seems to have been done to make Julian's life easier and not his daughter's."
Santana nodded thoughtfully. If the social worker agreed with her, she was on the right path. All she needed was to establish an action plan with the help of David Mitchell's lawyer. She gathered her things and stood up.
"Thank you, Maria, for your welcome and your cooperation. You have been very helpful to me. I'm meeting with the Mitchells' lawyer this afternoon. Then we can act to get Lucy back." The two women shook hands and Santana took the exit without looking back.
Ready for action, she couldn't wait to have all the elements to warn Beca that she would get her daughter back before the end of the year. She was convinced of it.
Chloe got out of the car with difficulty and stopped in front of the hospital that had saved her life. The wind blew through her coat and she shivered. She didn't like this place. "Are you ready?" Beca asked, adjusting her scarf around her shoulders. "You must be cold."
"It'll be fine. It's hot inside." The two young women entered the hospital in silence and without taking the wrong path this time. Chloe had an appointment with her surgeon to examine the healing of her wounds and possibly remove the cast from her leg.
The receptionist showed them the way to the radiology department where Chloe was expected for an x-ray. Chloe went to the service reception and gave the documents that had to be completed to prove her convalescence at the university. "Miss Beale, I see that you are late in paying your last bills following your hospitalization." The medical assistant said, consulting her computer files.
"I don't understand. My parents were supposed to take care of the bills but it seems they left without doing so." Chloe said, confused and ashamed. "How do you plan to pay today?" The assistant asked, already preparing the electronic bank card pad. "I haven't planned a credit card today, I'm sorry. Is it possible to send a check?"
"Yes of course. Here is the invoice and the information sheet. Everything is on the sheet. You can wait in the waiting room to your left. The radiologist will call you."
"Thank you very much. Have a good day."
Beca, who had heard the entire conversation, didn't understand how Chloe's parents could leave their daughter in such a mess. She said nothing, however, and watched as Chloe sat down. The young woman looked dejected and totally confused, as if she didn't understand why her parents were acting like this. Beca took her hand and felt Chloe squeeze absentmindedly. Shortly after, the radiologist called Chloe to welcome her into the exam room. Chloe hobbled in on her crutches and Beca remained seated in the waiting room. About ten minutes later, a nurse called Beca.
"Your friend asks you to help her get dressed." Beca gathered their things and walked into the room without asking any questions. Chloe was sitting in a chair, in her underwear. She was staring into space. Beca slowly approached and gently placed her hands on either side of the redhead's legs. She noticed Chloe's icy skin.
"Chloe, is everything okay? It's freezing here." The redhead nodded wordlessly. It was true that the room was rather cold and the medical instruments didn't help the atmosphere either. Beca grabbed Chloe's sweatpants and put them on. The young woman let herself be acted upon like an automaton. Beca put her sweater on her then her coat to warm her up and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"We can go out now." Chloe picked up her crutches and followed Beca out of the room. She heard Beca talking to the medical assistant at the front desk to get her documents and results. She followed the brunette through the corridors to the cardiovascular surgery department and heard her give the documents to the medical assistant in the department. They both sat side by side without a word, Beca's hand still in hers. Chloe felt her gaze, the attention the brunette gave her and she even felt the worry emanating from her body.
"It's okay, Becs, don't worry," Chloe said suddenly without looking at her friend. Beca opened her eyes wide. Chloe finally opened her mouth. Beca thinks about the best way to respond. Everything wasn't going well, she knew that, but she also knew Chloe was trying to save face. After all, she must have needed time to process what had just happened too.
Beca tightened her grip on her girlfriend's hand and turned her whole body towards her, moving closer to speak less loudly. "I know everything isn't okay, Chlo. But I'll wait until you're ready to discuss it. I will stay close to you every step of the way. I won't leave you anymore." Chloe smiled and placed a kiss on Beca's cheek. Both blushed. "You've changed a lot, Mitchell. You're a real marshmallow now."
"Only for you, Beale. Only for you."
"Chloe Beale?" The surgeon interrupted. "It's me," Chloe replied, getting up. "Can my friend come in?"
"Yes, of course."
The two women entered the office and sat down on the two chairs. The doctor spread out the x-rays of Chloe's chest and leg on his screen and took a quick look.
"So, Miss Beale, it looks like your lungs are on the mend. Your leg too. You can clearly see the plates that have been placed and which hold your bones. It's a good job. You've been in a cast for two weeks, right?"
"Yes, that's right." The doctor returned to his desk and grabbed his Dictaphone to record his diagnosis. He finally turned to the two young women. "I think we will be able to remove this cast and move on to the full splint. You can begin rehabilitation, but slowly!"
"Yes, doctor."
"I will quickly ask my colleague for advice." The cardio-thoracic surgeon grabbed his phone and typed in different numbers before waiting for an answer. After a few jokes and sentences exchanged, he hung up.
"Okay, well, Doctor Atkins has agreed to remove your cast. You can go to the emergency room so they can remove it before you leave."
"Thank you, Doctor."
"Concerning your kidneys, how do you feel?" Chloe felt Beca's gaze on her immediately. They both remembered well how risky this subject was. "I'm taking my medication so everything is fine." She didn't want to say more than necessary. Her friends were worried enough about her and Beca's anxiety could be felt, even from six feet away. She didn't want to continue to weigh on everyone as it had been the case for two weeks.
"Perfect. I know the treatment is quite expensive. Do you have financial support to overcome this problem?"
"Yes, don't worry about that." The doctor, who felt Chloe's coldness in her words, did not force it any further and let the two young women leave the office to take other patients.
"Well, let's head to the emergency room to take this thing off you and give you freedom, Beale!" Beca said. Chloe smiled but didn't add anything and just followed the brunette through the corridors, her thoughts already on the bill that would be waiting for her at the exit of the emergency room.
Maria Olivarez was late to pick up little Lucy from the foster home and bring her to visit her mother. It was a first. Maria Olivarez was never late. But the traffic jams and other files had won the race against time that her job had become in recent months.
Arriving at the entrance to the foster home, the social worker noticed several people busy chatting in the hall around Lucy who was bundled up in her stroller.
"Good morning. Please excuse my lateness." Maria said, dusting herself.
"Maria, finally!" The director of the foster home said, visibly relieved. "Lucy was meeting her grandparents."
"Her grandparents?" The social worker turned to the two adults on her left whom she had ignored until then. The man and woman were probably in their 60s. They both wore condescending looks, their chins raised and straight in their dark coats.
"Maria Olivarez, I take care of Lucy. An you are?" She asked, holding out her hand. The woman hesitated and her husband took the lead by coming to shake Maria's hand. "We are Julian's parents. We came to pick up Lucy."
"I beg your pardon?"
"This charade has lasted long enough. Lucy is coming back with us." The woman said dryly, approaching the stroller. Maria immediately placed herself in front of Lucy who was starting to panic when she heard the voices raised.
"First of all, you have no right to be here. You cannot meet Lucy without the approval of a judge." Julian's mother scoffed in annoyance, placing a hand on her throat as if in shock. "Secondly, Lucy won't go home with anyone until the case goes to court. Now please step aside. Her mother is waiting for her." Maria pushed Lucy towards the exit without looking back. She promised herself that she would call Santana Lopez to warn her of this visit. She should file an incident report now.
As if she didn't have enough work as it is.
Beca paced back and forth outside the front door. Maria should have been there for at least fifteen minutes. If the visit was delayed, she would be late or even absent from her management class. It didn't matter, she would see Lucy. That was all that mattered.
"Beca, you're making me dizzy. Stop gesticulating like that." Stacie asked annoyed. "I don't know why you all wait in front of this door every time. There're going to be streaks on the floor, eventually," Cynthia added, slumped in her usual armchair in the living came in and sat on the couch, next to Chloe.
All the Bellas were gathered in the living room to meet Beca's daughter. The musician, who was already stressed about revealing the last part of her that her friends didn't know, began biting her thumbnail, anxious about not knowing where her daughter was. "Becs, she's coming. Everything's fine." Chloe said, taking her hands. Beca looked up hesitantly then smiled slightly, a little appeased.
The two young women were playing at intertwining their fingers without really taking into account the looks of their friends."It's funny, since you've been together, I don't find it cute at all anymore." Stacie said, girls laughed when Beca gave her a middle finger high in the air.
The doorbell rang at that moment and the brunette jumped up to answer. The door opened to reveal a breathless and red Maria, from the cold or from running, the question would remain there.
"Maria! Come on in, you must be freezing." Beca helped the social worker up the steps with the stroller. Winter was slowly setting in at this time of year in Atlanta and residents had brought out their hats and scarves to cover themselves. Without waiting, Beca pulled the little brown head reaching out to her out of her stroller and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, Beca, I'm never late. I was delayed by traffic. Then other files fell through, I had to take care of them urgently."
"Don't worry. As long as I can see this little shrimp, I'm fine with everything." Lucy had taken refuge in her mother's neck and was no longer moving. Beca took them straight to the living room where all the girls were waiting for them. The Bellas stood up and surrounded Beca and Lucy to greet her. The child raised her head with wide eyes, seeing all these unfamiliar faces.
"Lucy, these are your aunts. Bellas, this is Lucy, my daughter." Ashley was the first to approach and caress Lucy's cheek with the back of her hand. The blonde loved children. She wanted to make it her career and was studying to be a teacher. "She's adorable, Beca." The brunette smiled at her then it was Stacie's turn to approach. The young woman placed a kiss on Lucy's head. The child scrutinized her every move. "Hello, Lucy. You look just like your mother when she gets up in the morning."
"She fell asleep in the car." Maria said, observing the scene from the sidelines.
The little brunette turned her head towards her mother as if to ask her how she should react, then her face crumpled and her first cries were heard. "Oh, well done, Legs, you upset her!" Amy grumbled.
"What, but I didn't do anything!" Beca pulled the child onto the couch to calm her down by whispering and rocking her. Chloe, who had stayed back on the couch until then, came over to place her hand on the baby's back. "That's a lot of people, she's not used to it." Chloe said. Lucy, who noticed the new person close to her, calmed down significantly, too focused as she was on Chloe's face.
"Hello, beautiful lady." Chloe smiled, noticing Lucy's eyes on her. "Don't worry, they're weird but we get used to it." Lucy moved a little away from her mother and leaned over Chloe, her little hands outstretched, for her to take her in her arms. Beca handed her the child, surprised but happy to see that Lucy wasn't so sad anymore. Lucy stood over Chloe, hands on her cheeks. The redhead smiled at her again then placed a kiss on the tip of his nose.
"You're going to be a perfect mini Beca, little Lulu." Chloe spoke to Lucy as if they were the only ones in the room and it melted everyone's hearts around her, especially Beca's. When Lucy leaned down to cuddle Chloe, Beca had tears in her eyes. Before her were her two biggest weaknesses but also her two strengths. The people who could destroy her and for whom she would climb heights. She would even do it twice if necessary, without hesitation.
Maria found the moment appropriate to pull Beca out of the group for a moment. "Beca, I have something to tell you in private, if possible, before leaving you to enjoy with your friends."
"Yes, we can go to the kitchen." Beca guided the social worker to the center island where she poured two glasses of water and sat with her arms crossed. "I'm listening."
"You're not going to like this but I'm on your side and I think you should be informed." The musician uncrossed her arms, a little surprised by Maria's worried tone. "So, earlier, when I went to pick Lucy up from the foster home, Julian's parents were there. They were talking with the director. They informed me that they wanted to leave with Lucy but I didn't let them, obviously." Beca's body reacted immediately. Her jaw clenched. Her muscles tensed. Her nails dug into the skin of her hands. But nothing came out of her mouth so Maria continued.
"I will write an incident report to warn the judge. And I'll call Miss Lopez this evening, after I've dropped Lucy off."
"Is there anything more we can do?" Beca asked through her teeth. "No, I'm afraid so. They didn't break any laws, really. Just a question of ethics. But I'll make sure to restrain them even more, Beca, I promise. They won't have Lucy. And when the judge knows that they're not playing the visitation game, they will have even less advantage over you." Beca nodded but didn't respond. She was so angry. Emotions overwhelmed her without really knowing how to sort them out.
"Did you have anything else to tell me?"
"No, we can go back." They left the kitchen with a tray filled with glasses of water, biscuits and a pot of compote for Lucy.
"Lucy missed you a lot." Beca leaned down to pick up her daughter and kiss her all over her face, making her laugh out loud.
"I miss her too. All the time." The brunette replied with a smile plastered on her lips.