A/N: So I once again, broke this bit into two parts for the sake of getting something uploaded. Because - ya know, I'm a day late on my 7 day maximum wait time. Anywho, reviews are welcomed, on with the show.

All mistakes are mine.

"Beca, just let me -"

"Beale, I swear to God," Beca swatted Chloe's hands away from her navy button up – for the seventeenth time – and shot her a glare. She patted down her shirt momentarily, showing how fine it looked without the redhead's manhandling.

"See? Snazzy. I'm snazzy," Beca insisted. She reached her hand up from the passenger seat, pulling down the mirror to double check her eye makeup. The brunette wiped a few times from under her bottom lashes, seeing little specks of black.

"Tom won't know what hit him when we walk in."

"You think?" Beca could hear the vulnerability in the other girl's voice. Shaking her head, she turned to face Chloe, reaching over the console to place a hand on her upper arm.

"Chloe," The redhead hummed, turning towards Beca.

"Everything's going to be fine. We look hot." She squeezed the girl's arm, before giving it a firm pat, then she dropped her hand to rest on the console. Chloe nodded a few times, doubt still etched on her face, but nodding nonetheless.

"Come on Chlo, what's that face?" Beca tilted her head playfully, wanting the senior to stop pouting like a baby. The redhead puffed once, crossing her arms. Such a child sometimes.

"That is not the face of a girl who has the best girlfriend on the planet." The brunette said plainly, quirking a brow skywards.

"No, it's not." Beca shook her head no, agreeing with Chloe's reply. She was setting up her ' let's make Chloe feel better' witty comment about how lucky she is to date Beca – even if it is fake – but the other girl had something else in mind.

"Because you have the best girlfriend on the planet." Beca narrowed her eyes.

"Touche." Chloe giggled at her own twist to Beca's words, snaking the keys out of the ignition. Beca could see her fingers playing with them for a moment, her nerves probably kicking in even more so than earlier.

"You ready?" Beca asked quietly, unlocking her door.

"Not really."

"Me neither."

The two exited at the same time, Beca coming around Chloe's side to grasp her soft hand with her sweaty one.

/

"I'm gonna do it."

"Don't you dare Beca Mitchell."

The two whispered at each other through smiles as they moved up to the front desk of the small diner. Beca had never been here before, it seemed 'quaint' – or whatever. It was a draw between retro style, and a regular old restaurant. Place was spiffy enough for lover-boy to make a reservation. The duo finally made it to the front, hand holding accompanied by large smiles.

"Hello and welcome to Maria's, name?" Beca cleared her throat.

"Hi yes, reservation under Douche Fa-" A sharp elbow made contact with her ribs, a small amount of air coming out of her mouth. Beca really wanted to say it, and she almost – almost did.

Even though she was basically assaulted, she had the weird urge to laugh. But she stifled it by puffing her cheeks out.

"Under Tomson." Chloe politely answered after she rudely cut Beca off. Whoa wait. Tomson? The woman guided her finger along a book in front of her, before motioning them to the right.

"Yes of course, right this way."

Beca and Chloe followed the woman, weaving through rows of tables and booths. The brunette leaned to her left so Chloe could hear her teasing whispers.

"Tom Tomson," Beca squeezed the hand in her own, sending an amused grin towards her companion.

"You dated a guy called Tom Tomson?" Chloe bit her lip through her own grin, nodding once.

"How did I not know this." Beca spotted the booth that douche-face sat at with a girl who resembled Chloe – like, a lot. This is all too much, it's like this whole situation was pulled from a Hallmark romcom.

"Actually, it's Tommy Tomson."

"Oh my God."

"I know."

"Here's your table ladies." The two quickly shut their mouths into tight lipped smiles, Chloe scooting into the booth before Beca slid right in beside her. After Beca was settled, she ran through things to say in her head. Seeing the boy with – what was her name again, Tara? – made her confidence levels drop at a great speed. Tom was a frat boy, who graduated when Chloe was supposed to, so his whole appearance is really – she doesn't even know – annoying? He didn't grow out of that frat boy phase apparently because he's sporting an ugly peach colored polo shirt, his hair containing more gel than actual hair. His whole person is just so annoying, there's no other way to explain it.

Beca sent him a friendly smile.

Looking over to the girl and studying her, she really did look like Chloe. Her hair was a more artificial red, a bit darker than her co-captain's, but red nonetheless. Her eyes weren't as blue as Chloe's, maybe a bit more on the greener side, but she looked like the senior a lot. Guess Tom misses a certain someone.

"Sorry that we're kinda late," Chloe started, unwrapping her napkin that held her silverware. She glanced at the brunette, winking before switching her gaze to the menu and plopping the cloth over her lap.

"This one over here takes forever in the bathroom." Beca scoffed. Okay, if we're being honest here, Chloe definitely takes way more time than she does in the bathroom. She takes the most time in the bathroom out of all the Bellas – and that's saying something.

"It's not my fault that I don't have natural beauty like you, Chlo. I need a little extra time." Chloe turned in her seat, cooing gently at her friend before squeezing her knee. Beca wanted to play the part of 'endearing girlfriend' really well, so instead of going for her usual glare – she tilted her head with a small smile, followed by a shrug that oozed nonchalance. A clearing of someone's throat – probably Tom's because it made her ears actually sigh – made them both whip their heads towards him. He gave an awkward smile, motioning to his left.

"Well, this is my girlfriend Tara. She's actually starting her freshman year at Barden soon." A freshman, oh my gosh. He's dating an eighteen year old Chloe look alike.

Whoa wait – what did he just say? His girlfriend is starting at Barden. Beca widened her eyes, overlapping her fingers onto the table top.

"Long distance?" Chloe asked as if she could read Beca's mind. Tom nodded, draping an arm around the other redhead.

"Yeah. We visit each other often though. She lives here." Chloe and Beca both bobbed their heads in acknowledgment before going back to their menus. There was a short, nervous silence before douche-face spoke.

"So, how long has this been going on?" Beca looked up at him, examining his face for a moment. He seemed like he knew something they didn't – or just like, he was judging them or something. It made Beca's eyes narrow, before she slapped on her usual grin that she gives to people she doesn't like.

They had talked briefly about little details on the drive there. But Beca's brain was shouting at her with a million different answers to the very simple question. So, she waited for Chloe to reply instead.

"About three months now, right?" She turned to Beca then, as if she was asking for clarification – but it was just a piece of dialogue for Tom to hear. This is weird.

"Mhm." Beca begins to chew on the inside of her cheek, the nerves finally setting in her stomach. Before they arrived at the booth, they had been little butterflies in her chest – but now she sort of feels like she's gonna pull an Aubrey and toss cookies all over poor Tara here. But if she's fair, Tara looks about as nervous as she does. So the brunette gives the girl a certain look of comfort, a nonverbal 'same' of some sorts. The green-eyed girl nodded once at Beca before they both went back into weird-panic-nervous-why-did-I-agree-to-this mode.

Tom smiled, well more like he grimaced before grasping his own menu.

"You gonna get the usual, Chloe?" Beca's eyes snapped to the ex-frat-boy, her stare going deathly hard with every passing second after he said that. Maybe he specifically picked this place because he had come here with Chloe when they were dating. No yeah – he definitely did that, there's no doubt about it because the look the redhead gave him, more like the look two redheads gave him – were similar to the one Beca was sporting. But Beca was kind of amused – pissed off yes – but really amused.

Chloe was the one who snapped out of it first, clearing her throat before muttering something about how 'she doesn't remember her usual', before side glancing at Beca.

"What are you getting, babe?" Flushing upon the pet name, she sputtered at the sudden change. Shifting on the ugly red leather seat, the brunette shrugged before pointing at her menu.

"Maybe like, a burger or something?" Chloe let out an airy chuckle before leaning into Beca's side, placing a hand on her shoulder. Her whisper was quiet, but loud enough for Tom to hear.

"Do you want to get something to share?" And really, it was the most innocent question Beca's ever heard – but the tone and volume of the girl's voice made her chest constrict. Letting out a few vowel sounds, she nodded, successfully getting out a shaky 'okay'. The redhead squeezed her shoulder before slipping her own menu between them, Beca placing hers back down.

"Hey guys I'm Stacie and I'll be your server today. Our specials this evening are – WHAT!" Beca's back stood straight as she tensed. For fuck's sake, could this actually be happening right now? Seriously? She could feel Chloe go as still as stone beside her, the pair across from them seeming confused but not tense like herself.

"Captains, what are you doing here?" Beca looked at the redhead to her left before directing her gaze to the leggy brunette – who was also their waitress. But before Beca could just start spilling the beans because this plan is totally foiled, Tom spoke up.

"We're on a double date. Do you guys know each other?" He said as his eyes danced from Chloe, to Beca, to Stacie. The DJ stifled a scowl that would have been aimed at Tom, and instead gave Stacie a small smile. Ducking her head and dipping her line of vision, she shrugged at the other Bella.

"Surprise."

In all honesty, Beca had no idea that Stacie worked here, and she had no idea what to do. They'd have to keep the charade up for douche-face, but Stacie butting in really makes everything a whole lot more complicated.

"Wait, you two – you guys," The tall girl pointed her pen at Chloe and then at Beca rapidly, furrowing her brows. Beca nodded briefly, side glancing at the redhead beside her.

"Since when did you start working here Stace?" Chloe asked a bit too chipper. Stacie scoffed, wagging a finger at the duo.

"Uh uh, nope. I get to ask the questions," Beca rolled her eyes. Because of course Stacie worked here, of course something like this would happen. Murphy's law.

"You guys are finally a thing, or did I hit my head and I'm imagining this whole thing?" Beca bobbed her head again, deciding she should answer.

"Yeah we uh – we just didn't want to make it a big deal or anything," Stacie smirked at the other brunette, clicking her pen a few times – and it was totally mocking Beca. Each click becoming more and more smug. Fucking Stacie of all people.

"This is a huge deal, Shortie. I didn't even know you played for the same team." Beca's cheeks flushed as she glared at her friend.

"Well, you do wear a lot of flannels – and you check Chloe out all the time during -"

"Stacie I will make you run extra laps for the next two weeks." With a raise of her hands, she shook her head in surrender at the shorter girl. She took their orders, but that twinkle in her eye threw Beca off. She was plotting something – and when Stacie Conrad schemes, it never turns out well.

Her shoulder was tapped lightly, Chloe's bright eyes on her as soon as she turned to face the girl.

"Could you let me out?" Beca hurried down the seat, giving Chloe a hand out of the booth. Her palm was somehow still so soft, and hers was still so clammy. The redhead gracefully walked towards the bathroom, leaving Beca there with douche and Tara. She was about to wallow in just how much she hates being left alone with people she hardly knew until she noticed Chloe's fierce stare burning into her skin from across the way. Beca blinked.

Okay so she's waving her over, and her eyes are widening in that way that means she's about to break something, or break down. Neither are good. So Beca hobbles up from the booth, patting her shirt down before excusing herself to take a business call. She'd always wanted to use that excuse.