Darkness fell, and the evergreen pearl color Subaru named Bertha, plowed desperately through the snow. With its winter tires it climbed and crushed the snow relentlessly, it was running away from the memory of stranded vehicles filled with frozen corpses. The snow and the wind gradually worsened. The white specks of frozen water reflecting the vehicle's headlights were blinding. And Beca Mitchell with narrow and determined eyes drove through it all with only brief glimpses of the road to guide her.

Inside the car, there was only silence. Beca knew that this was bad and it would only get worse. They would need shelter soon. But she wanted to keep going, she didn't want to stop, she wanted to get the hell away from the highway, and from the white truck as fast as she could. Maybe if she drove long enough she'd find some mythical place far from the snow where her Chloe was her happy, beaming self once more.

Ever since leaving the highway Chloe had been in a near catatonic state. She couldn't speak, all she did was stare vacantly at the nothingness. Chloe couldn't shake the freezing hold of her memories. Just this morning she had wondered what the new normal would be. She had lamented that she'd never have a so-called normal date with Beca. But none of that mattered anymore, and she felt ridiculous having worried about such frivolities when there was so much misery around them. All this time they had never truly left the cabin, they had been ignorant of the world. The gas station, the wolf, the old man, and the highway had been the rudest of awakenings.

Chloe could feel herself balancing on the ledge of despair. There was a paradoxical comfort there, but she knew she couldn't let herself fall.

In her hands, there was a foreign object. She tried to focus on how it felt, it had a smooth texture and a square shape. It took a moment for her mind to register that she was actually gripping her smartphone tightly. She looked down and finally saw something beyond the darkness ahead. With a trembling finger, she clicked it to life. The gallery app was still on the screen, and absentmindedly she swiped through the pictures. As pleasant as these small portals to better times were, they were part of a past that was gone.

Chloe now able to control where she was looking, glanced over to Beca. She could see the lines of tension forming along her jaw. Her eyes were full of determination. She didn't know exactly what was going through Beca's mind right now, but she had an idea. She believed that Beca wanted to keep going, to keep fighting. And the determination she saw in her lover's eyes fueled her own resolve. That spark within her was small, but Chloe knew it would grow stronger.

Chloe took a deep breath. Focus on the moment Chloe, focus on survival that's all that matters right now. Have to keep going.

Chloe nodded to herself and flexed her fingers, even with the gloves they had been stiff and cold. Focusing on them helped ground her, and get her outside of her head. Sitting up, Chloe placed them in front of the window vents and warmed them back to life.

For you, Chloe thought as she glanced over at Beca, and then looking at the phone in her hands thought for our friends and our families.

"Long day huh?" Chloe finally spoke up. And for me.

She startled Beca but after a second she relaxed and nodded, "Yeah, really long day."

Chloe looked ahead, finally taking in her surroundings, and noticed how severe the weather had turned.

"Can you even see the road? I can't see anything." Chloe asked concerned.

Beca squinted and sighed in defeat and she let go of the gas pedal. "Not very well, no. Damn it. I was hoping we'd make it there by nightfall. Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Yeah but let me double check," Chloe turned on the overhead light and checked the map on her lap. They were on the right road, but as she looked closer, she noticed her mistake. "Oh."

"What oh? Chloe, I don't like that oh. What happened?"

"Oh no, I um, I think I miscalculated."

"Miscalculated how?"

"It's um… it's a bit further than I thought."

"How much further?" Beca asked an edge of panic in her tone.

"Twenty more miles."

"Jesus, in this weather that might as well be a hundred," Beca said trying her best not to raise her voice.

"I'm sorry…" Chloe apologized, her tone soft and genuinely remorseful.

Beca sighed, trying her best to keep calm. "It's OK—look Chlo, we all make mistakes, let me just—just think for a second." This was bad, she couldn't keep driving like this. It was as if the realization broke her out of her spell and she had to come to terms with the harsh reality of their situation. A reality she had desperately been trying to avoid.

"I can't believe I-" Chloe started but Beca interrupted her.

"Baby, It's fine, we just need to come up with a new game plan," Beca said, trying her hardest to use a softer and more reassuring tone.

Chloe looked up from the map, her eyes wide with surprise, and a very small smile appeared on her face. That had been the very first time Beca had used that term of endearment. Chloe could feel the dormant butterflies in her stomach gently flutter back to life. That small detail was a positive distraction from all the surrounding misery. And even with all this going on, Chloe felt just a little bit closer to the love of her life.

"OK" Beca started, she quickly rubbed her eyes. "Look! I didn't wanna have to do this but.. I think we're going to have to pull over and wait until daylight."

Chloe looked out the window. There was nothing but snow, trees and darkness. Whatever pleasantness she was feeling was now gone. Now the memories of the highway were coming back, and with them came the panic.

"Pull over here? In the middle of nowhere? But-" Chloe's voice was becoming high and shaky.

"Look I know! I know!" Beca snapped, she was afraid too and Chloe flinched in response. Beca immediately regretted it, she never meant to raise her voice, and in a gentle tone said. "I- I'm sorry Chlo, it's just I can't see anything and if I keep going I'm more likely to drive us off the road, then we'll be really screwed," Beca explained trying her best not to sound as panicked as she felt.

For a brief second Chloe wanted to be angry at her for having raised her voice but she saw the panic in her eyes and understood that the strong woman in front of her was just as terrified as she was. "Are you sure about this?"

"No, not by a long shot, but I just don't think we have a choice…" Beca went quiet for a second and then slapped the steering wheel, startling Chloe, "Fuck, dude! I was really hoping to avoid sleeping in the car." Beca groaned. She took a deep breath, and tried to compose herself. They had just witnessed how dangerous this situation could be. Using her rearview mirror, she looked towards the back seat. "Well, at least the back seat folds down."

Chloe turned around to look at the backseat, but she was really thinking about those poor souls who got stuck on the highway. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Beca was very worried about this, so she sighed and decided to try to make it work. She saw that the cargo bay was stuffed with all their gear, luggage, and supplies. But they had the bedding, so they were better prepared to combat the freezing cold. And she had Beca, so while it would be risky and not the most comfortable situation, she was sure they could make it work.

"OK, let's do this then, It's going be a bit like playing Tetris but I think we can do it, might be snug though," Chloe reasoned.

"It'll have to do," Beca said and her shoulders slumped. It's going to be a long night.

Beca reluctantly turned the steering wheel, and while holding her breath, slowly drove into the natural clearing surrounded by trees. She hoped the terrain wouldn't have any surprises in store for them, the last thing she needed was a stray rock damaging her precious Bertha. But it handled the terrain like a champ and she was finally able to breathe. When they reached the center of the clearing, Beca turned the lights off and killed the engine. The second the heater was off the cold engulfed them, gnawing at them, making them shiver, and their teeth clattered. Beca reached up to turn on the car dome light but decided against it to conserve the battery life. She sighed, her breath visible even in the scarce light.

"We can't keep the heater on right?" Chloe asked hopefully.

Beca shook her head. "I wish but no, like not only is it going to burn what little fuel we have but if the exhaust gets clogged with the snow, we'll suffocate. We can't even keep the lights on because it'll drain the battery,"

"Oh." Monoxide poisoning was something Chloe never even considered.

Beca looked around them, it was pitch black and the snow hadn't let up and she felt uneasy, she worried that behind those trees, hiding in the darkness there would be a white truck bidding it's time. She pulled out the flashlight from the black tactical bag and the flare pistol, thinking it might be handy to light the darkness then stashed it in her pocket. Beca paused when she noticed the handle of the hunting knife sticking out of the bag. She pulled it out and staring at it thought, You never know I guess. And quickly she stashed it inside her coat.

Chloe stared at Beca, she'd noticed that her girlfriend had become increasingly fixated on the scary-looking knife and with a hint of concern asked, "Is- is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, wait here, I'll be right back," Beca said absentmindedly as she went to open the door.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Chloe asked in that same shaky, high-pitched voice from before as she grabbed Beca's sleeve.

"I'm going to have a quick look around, make sure it's clear," Beca responded, trying her best to sound confident.

"Are you insane?" Chloe asked incredulously.

"What? I'll be quick,"

"Just look outside! The storm is getting worse, your temperature is going to drop like crazy, I don't need to remind you what happened the last time we were both caught in a blizzard do I?"

"I-" Beca looked outside, the snowstorm was getting worse. The wind speed had picked up and the snow flurries flew past at impressive speeds. Worst of all the darkness enveloped everything. She flashed the light through the window but it was useless, she could barely see beyond a few feet in front of her. Beca looked back at Chloe whose eyes were wide and panicked and painful memories came flooding in. She remembered how painful it had felt to run into that snowstorm to drag Chloe back to the cabin. She remembered how pale and frail Chloe had looked as she teetered between life and death due to the hypothermia. And she remembered how absolutely terrified, helpless, and hopeless she had felt. Beca never wanted Chloe to experience that kind of pain. She shook her head and leaned back on her seat.

Beca closed her eyes and with a sheepish smile said, "I'm being an idiot, aren't I?

"You know I would never call you that, but right now a little bit yeah."

Beca chuckled. "You're right, I'm sorry Chlo, I don't- I don't know what I was thinking."

"I know you're just trying to look out for us, but right now what we need to do is to stay here, in the car, and try to stay as warm as possible."

Beca nodded, and inside she was kicking herself, she knew she was exhausted and had been running on adrenaline and it was starting to cloud her judgment. She was about ready to go out into a snowstorm with a flashlight and a knife for what? To ward off the white pickup truck and the wolves that hid in the darkness, she chuckled at the ridiculousness of that image. Chloe was right, staying inside was the right move, they needed to conserve energy and stay put if they were going to make it through the night.

"Um, thanks," Beca said quietly.

Chloe blinked, caught off guard, "What? Why?"

"Just keeping me in check you know."

Chloe laughed and said, "Someone has to, we're a team right?"

Beca nodded with a small smile. We're a team. That's right. She took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders, feeling the tension lifting off her chest. Chloe reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, and with a smile gestured for them to get to the back of the Subaru.

They jumped over the seats, dropped the backseat into the flat position, and started reorganizing the cargo to make enough space for an impromptu bed on one side. Chloe was right, they would basically be sleeping on top of each other, which they had thankfully gotten used to.

Kneeling in the cargo space, Beca was thankful for her height. Chloe began to arrange the supplies so they could have the space they'd need, while Beca placed the flashlight facing up, illuminating the area. They sat close together in the small space, wrapping themselves in the bedding, and Chloe laid her head on Beca's shoulder.

"It's really freaking cold, should we take off our clothes and keep each other warm like that one time?" Chloe asked but for once there wasn't a hint of flirtatiousness in her tone, she was far too concerned.

"I don't know about that, I think it's going to drop well below freezing." Besides with that white truck around we might have to bail quickly Beca thought.

"OK but I don't think this is enough," Chloe said through chattering teeth as she gestured to the comforter wrapped around them. "I'm still freezing."

"Yeah, me too,"

"Oh! What if we try to put on as many clothes as possible." Chloe suggested.

"Damn, why didn't I think of that?"

Chloe reached over and dragged their luggage. They began the arduous process of putting on layers and layers of clothing. They were thankful they didn't leave their extra clothes behind. As Chloe put on her third sweater, "I guess we'll have to skip the hanky-panky tonight huh?"

Beca shivered but still managed to laugh. "No kidding there's no way in hell I can get in your pants right now."

"You'd have to get through five different pairs to do that," Chloe said as she zipped up another light jacket and then put on the parka.

"If it wasn't cold I'd be up for the challenge." Beca joked with a wink.

Chloe laughed, "If it wasn't so cold, it wouldn't be much of a challenge."

Once done layering as much clothing as they could they looked puffy and silly. At least they had some mobility in their arms. The girls laughed at how ridiculous they looked. Then they wrapped themselves in the comforter again and sat next to each other. The extra clothes helped but it still wasn't enough.

"It's really too bad you, cuz someone promised to warm my butt." Beca attempted to grin playfully to lighten the mood, even though her eyes reflected the compounding fatigue and concern.

"Don't worry I haven't forgotten."

"Good."

They sat in silence, their shoulders leaning against each other and gradually they started feeling a bit warmer. Outside the snowstorm got worse and the Subaru began to rock with the wind.

Beca stared at the beam of light coming from the flashlight, worrying about the battery, but knowing they needed this small beacon of hope.

"I'm hungry," Beca complained.

"Me too, we probably shouldn't open the hatch to cook, I think it'll be too cold."

"Yeah, I know." Beca mumbled.

"I mean we could probably eat one of the cans but it'll be cold." Chloe reasoned.

"I think it will most likely be frozen."

"Shit! I didn't think about that. Wait wasn't there some weird food bags in your bag?" Chloe asked.

"Oh yeah!" Beca reached for her black tactical backpack and pulled out one of the MREs. "I forgot about these thjngs."

Chloe looked at the brown plastic bag that Beca was holding in front of her, and read the black lettering. "Oh! Beef Ravioli in Meat Sauce?"

"Hmm. There's three more, should we share one? Or eat one each?"

Chloe grabbed the bag and tried to read it. "Let me look at the nutrition facts, can you give me some light?"

Beca grabbed the flashlight and while Chloe read and whispered "43 grams of carbs? All total 1300 calories? Wow!"

"What are you thinking Doc?"

"Ideally we should have one each but I think since we're just going to sleep, we could make do with sharing one. What do you think?"

"I think I'll listen to whatever the person that actually took a nutrition class recommends."

"OK let's just have this one and see how we feel after."

They opened the bag and inspected the contents. They were pleasantly surprised by the plentiful bounty inside. Apart from the Beef Ravioli, there was also a chocolate protein bar, a cheese spread, crispy Italian breadsticks, milk chocolate powder, an electrolyte-loaded beverage powder, chocolate candies, and a green and transparent bag called a flameless ration heater.

They were perplexed by the flameless ration heater. However once they carefully read the instructions and interpreted the diagrams, they were able to figure out how to use it to cook the main entrée. They carefully used a bit of water to activate it, threw it in the box with the main entrée and placed on the front seat by a cracked window. Thankfully the tiny bit of the cracked window didn't decrease the temperature too much but it did provide an exit for any noxious gas that the heater expelled. From the back, they could see how the vapor rose from the box and warmed up their food.

While they waited, they ate the rest of the contents. They made eating the military ration an event, and they were pmeasantly surprised by how good the snacks were. The little breadsticks with the cheese were particularly delightful. The cheese was greasy and had a strangely comforting artificial taste to it. They added the loaded fruit punch and the milk chocolate into two separate bottles of almost frozen water, it was amazing and felt like it'd been ages since they had something other than water, plain coffee, and tea. The bag even had chocolate candy, they were strikingly similar to M&M's. All the snacks were so loaded with sugar, nutrients, carbs, and electrolytes that replenished their vitamin starved bodies. The candy had the effect of restoring a sense of hope in them.

They even had fun going through the small accessory pack. It contained napkins, a small bag with two pieces of gum, some waterproof matches, salt and pepper, a packet of hot sauce, and some weird packet of unappetizing apple cider. There was even a small packet of freeze-dried coffee, complete with creamer and a packet of sugar, and Beca immediately pocketed it all for her morning coffee.

After a few minutes, Beca decided that it was time for the main course and got the Ravioli. And sat back down next to Chloe, they were relieved to find that the heater worked, and their entrée was warm.

"Beef Ravioli, huh?" Beca muttered as she opened the pack and inspected the contents with the flashlight. "This is by far the least ravioli-looking thing I've ever seen in my life."

Chloe looked inside and wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, not exactly gourmet, is it?"

Beca was the first to try it. She used the large brown spoon that came with the packet to scoop out the orange and red mush. "Well here goes nothing," Beca closed her eyes and ate a spoonful.

"Well?"

"It's almost edible, at least it's warm which helps but this sure as hell does not taste like ravioli, needs salt and pepper, and hot sauce."

"But you don't like hot sauce,"

"Anything is an improvement," Beca said with a clenched jaw.

"Come on! It can't be that bad," Chloe said as she took a spoonful herself, and after a second she grimaced. "OK, um, yeah it's that bad."

"Could I use the vodka or the whiskey to numb out my taste buds?" Beca asked hopefully, glancing at the bottles peaking out of one of the many boxes.

"No babe, I'm sorry but alcohol will drop your body temperature even more."

"Ugh, fine. We need the calories or whatever right?"

"Yeah, the cold burns a lot of calories."

So we need calories so we don't freeze to death. Beca thought darkly. Nope, not going to think about that!

Beca spooning out more of the ravioli said. "When this is all over, I'll take you to a legit Italian restaurant for dinner."

"Like a normal date?"

"Like a totally normal date"

If you can hold out hope that things will go back to normal, then maybe I can too. "Promise?" Chloe asked with a mixture of hope and sadness.

"Cross my heart," Beca nodded and with her free hand she reached over and grabbed Chloe's hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze, offering as much reassurance as she could. Chloe's eyes softened, and she leaned in closer, resting her head on Beca's shoulder for a moment. Her girlfriend's shoulder was slowly becoming her favorite place in the world, it was comforting and warm.

They finished their meal in relative silence, only taking breaks to laugh at how terrible the ravioli was, even after they added the salt, pepper, and small packet of hot sauce. Once done they bundled up again. With food and life-saving nutrients in their systems, they were feeling better, and stronger.

But it wasn't enough, the temperature kept dropping. This was the coldest both women had ever experienced in their lives. And nothing was helping, not the bedding, not the food, and not even the extra layers of clothes were helping.

"How is it possible that it's getting even colder? Shouldn't there be a limit to coldness?" Chloe shivered beneath the blankets. The cold was now starting to turn painful, it seeped through them and reached their bones. And Chloe knew this sensation well, and it terrified her.

Beca looked at Chloe concerned and remembered something she'd seen in the pack.

"I think, I saw something that might help." Beca reached for the black bag, and after some fumbling she pulled out a small plastic packet.

"What's that?" Chloe asked.

"Says it's an emergency blanket," Beca read the packaging as she started tearing it open she started to unwrap the large foil-like blanket. It was big enough to cover both of them comfortably.

"Looks like something astronauts would use," Chloe commented as she examined the Mylar material.

Beca nodded but she really didn't know exactly what it was, but reading the instructions, it said it was supposed to reflect body heat. Beca figured that they might as well use it over themselves and layer their bedding on top. It worked perfectly, it shielded them from the cold air and helped retain some of their body heat. They lay down facing each other, their foreheads almost touching.

"How are you feeling?" Beca asked in a soft whisper.

"It's- it's better!" Chloe answered surprised as she started to feel warmth.

Beca sighed with relief "Thank God this stupid aluminum foil thing is working."

"Remind me to give Fat Amy a bit kiss when we see her" Chloe said.

"I'll be sure to do that. You know I think from now on we should always make sure to find a safe place to crash at night, maybe aim for small towns along the way or something"

Chloe nodded. "That's a good idea, I was trying to get us there as quickly as possible but there's so much going on. I didn't think the highway – " Chloe's voice trailed off.

Beca noticing the shift in her voice, grabbed her hand, "Hey it's alright, you're doing great."

"Really? Cuz I feel terrible I messed up the distance." Chloe admitted as she avoided Beca's gaze.

"Maps are tricky, at least you took that class right? I think I still used the GPS to get around campus back in the day. Really, Chlo, anyone could have made that mistake," Beca said softly as she gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You're being sweet," Chloe said and leaned her face closer to her, their noses touching. "Thank you."

Beca smiled, enjoying the sensation of their cold noses touching. "You said we're a team, right?"

"Right," Chloe whispered, leaning her head closer to Beca, their foreheads gently resting against each other. Chloe's eyes drifted to Beca's lips, noticing how chapped and cracked they were. She could tell they might start bleeding if it got any colder.

"Do we have chapstick?" Chloe asked, her tone shifting to one filled with concern.

"Um, I don't think so? Maybe, it's probably somewhere in the front. Why?" Beca responded, unsure and confused.

"Is there a first aid kit in the bag?"

"Yeah, hold on." Beca, true to her word, kept the bag within arm's reach and pulled it over, placing it between them. Chloe, using the flashlight, searched through the small portable first aid kit until she found what she was looking for.

"You gonna tell me what you're up to there, Beale?"

Chloe pulled out a small packet of petroleum jelly. After tearing the packet with her teeth, she placed a small dab on her gloved finger and said, "Don't move."

"What are you—?"

Chloe gently dabbed the petroleum jelly on Beca's lips. Beca initially recoiled, but as soon as she understood what Chloe was doing, she relaxed. The jelly glided gently across her lips, soothing her chapped skin. Beca moaned enjoying how soothing the petroleum jelly was on her lips.

"Umm, that feels really nice."

Chloe became transfixed as she applied the jelly to Beca's lips. Her thought became hazy and warmth engulfed her. Even in the darkness, Bece's lips seemed to glisten, plump, and a little red. As Chloe ran her thumb over Beca's upper lip, they slowly parted with a soft smack, and she caught a glimpse of her teeth.

"Chloe…" Beca whimpered with a quiet need.

Chloe stared as her girlfriend laid there with her eyes closed, her lips slitly parted and tantalizingly shiny. Chloe couldn't hold back anymore; she hungrily pressed her lips against Beca's. The jelly helped their lips move smoothly without causing damage. The petroleum jelly felt warm on their lips. Chloe exhaled "Oh, God."

Chloe broke the kiss and exhaled. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

"Do it again..." Beca whispered softly, her eyes still closed, her lips puckered expectantly, and pleaded. "Please?"

Chloe applied a bit more of the jelly to Beca's lips. This time, her fingers trembled, and her touch was rougher and clumsier. She let out a shaky breath and kissed her. Chloe's hand grabbed the back of Beca's neck and pulled her deeper into the kiss. Their lips moved together thanks to the slickness of the jelly, and the vapor of their breaths mingled around them. Both their hearts raced in unison. Chloe reached down and to Beca's hip, her gloved fingers clumsily gripped the cloth of her pants and pulled her closer. Chloe slipped her knee between Beca's legs, pressing hard against her. Realizing how close she was to losing control, Chloe broke the kiss again and placed her hand on top of Beca's chest. Realizing what she was doing, she quickly pulled it away. They were both breathing hard, gasping, and looking hungrily into each other's eyes.

"Chlo…" Beca said with uncharacteristic shyness. "You sure we can't umm?"

Chloe looked up and exhaled in frustration.

"Well?" Beca asked growing impatient.

"I'm thinking!" Chloe knew what the right answer was, but her body was desperately demanding an entirely different answer.

"We really shouldn't, we need to conserve… umm heat." Chloe said disappointed and a little angry at herself. She never thought she'd actually turn down an opportunity to get her favorite DJ naked and she was hating it.

"Ugh!" Beca protested.

"I know, I'm really sorry."

"It's fine, I get it," Beca responded. They were quiet for a second until Beca suddenly bitterly blurted out. "I really fucking hate this snow."

Chloe laughed out loud, and Beca quickly joined her. After a while the laughter died down and they just laid there quietly with their eyes closed, simply enjoying being next to each other. The blizzard outside rocked the Subaru gently, and even in the darkness they could still see the windows frosting over.

Chloe looking at the frost on the windows whispered, "Think we're going to be OK?"

"I uh- I think so, we've done everything we can, right? We ate that gross military food, we're wearing multiple layers, and we're wrapped up in aluminum foil as tight as burritos from Chipotle. And we're not having sex, so…" Beca said with a frown. We freaking better be alright. Chloe wasn't the only one who had developed an addiction, Beca was craving Chloe just as badly as she was craving her.

After a few minutes of silence, Chloe turned to look at the ceiling, "I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

Beca yawned, stretching as much as she could in the confined space. "Maybe we can sleep in shifts. That way we can keep an eye on each other."

Chloe nodded, considering it. "Hmm, that sounds good. Feels safer."

"Right, OK! I'll take the first watch —" Beca began to sit up, but Chloe gently stopped her.

"Oh no, I'll take the first watch, and then I'll wake you up. You need the rest," Chloe said firmly. She knew Beca had been pushing herself too hard and was running on fumes.

Beca sighed, trying to argue but feeling the exhaustion, "I want to fight you on this one, but honestly, I am pretty beat,"

Chloe giggled softly.

"What?" Beca asked, frowning slightly at Chloe's reaction.

"You are something else, Beca Mitchell." Chloe, her blue eyes sparkling even in the darkness.

"Sure, but why do you say that?"

"It's just that a second ago you were ready to get in my pants," Chloe teased, a playful smirk on her face.

Beca's smile widened in mock outrage. "Dude can you blame me? Have you seen you? I don't know where I'll get it, but I'll find the strength."

Chloe giggled again. "I bet you will."

"I'm more surprised you're keeping your pants on," Beca shot back with a sleepy smirk.

"It hasn't been easy, trust me, I just wanna climb you like a tree. But you've been driving all day and you need your rest, so I'll keep watch and wake you up in two hours? Sound good?"

"Fine," Beca whispered begrudgingly, her exhaustion finally winning her over.

"Come here," Chloe gestured to her lap and Beca without thinking obeyed and laid her head on it, sleep already taking over as her eyelids felt painfully heavy.

Chloe gently made sure Beca was completely covered and warm. Feeling safe with her head on her girlfriend's lap, Beca fell asleep within seconds.

So cute, my little badass, Chloe thought as she watched her girlfriend closely, smiling at how incredibly cute Beca looked as she slept, her little beanie tight on her head, her eyes closed and her lips slightly parted. She wanted to touch her cheek, but with the thick gloves, she wouldn't be able to feel the softness of her skin. Poor thing must have been exhausted.

Chloe leaned her head back against the cargo bay wall. Am I as brave as her? She wondered. Chloe knew she was strong, determined, a tad competitive, and maybe even a bit headstrong at times. You don't wrangle the Bellas with anything less. But brave? For the first time in her life the confident Chloe Beale was having doubts. She almost had Beca keep going when they found her rental vehicle because she didn't want to remember the crash, and then when she found the wolf she froze completely. It had taken everything for her to snap out of it and do what she did, and even now she'd rather not think about that.

Making sure she didn't wake up Beca Chloe gently reached over to one of the boxes nearby and pulled out her diary. Using Beca's flashlight she started to write down her thoughts. She needed to flesh this out, this was all so confusing, and there was so much going on. But her eyelids were starting to feel heavy, writing always made her a bit sleepy.

Chloe looked at her phone and noted the time. She briefly considered setting an alarm but worried the noise would be too jarring for Beca. Besides, she never had any issues keeping track of the time, she was the one that usually woke up the Bellas after all.

Chloe fought the good fight but exhaustion eventually won her over, and she fell fast asleep sitting up with Beca resting her head on her lap.

The blizzard raged on through the night. Gusts of winds blew by at 35 miles per hour and created a haunting whistling sound that masked the roar of the V-8 engine of the Ford F-150. It prowled through the snowy roads. Its pace was slow, as it searched. Its lights were set on low beams, they've done this before. They also used the spotlight on the top of the cab and scanned the dark woods. But the cover of trees, the blizzard and the compilation of snow hid the Subaru from the predators. As the blizzard worsened, they had no choice but to call off the search for the night.

The lapse between unconsciousness and consciousness felt short and sharp. And when Chloe opened her eyes, panic set in when she realized she'd fallen asleep. She went to check the time on the phone but it was dead, it had run out of battery during the night. She looked around and noticed that the windows were covered in snow. Thankfully it wasn't quite as cold as it had been the night before. Even with the snow blanketing the windows there was just enough light that Chloe could tell it was early morning.

Chloe looked down at a sleeping Beca on her lap. Beca looked fast asleep and her face was peaceful but something felt off. Chloe quickly went for the flashlight and flashed it on her face to get a better look. Her face was paler than usual, and though her lips were not as chapped anymore they were starting to turn a light blue color. Chloe knowing what that meant, panicked. She pulled off her gloves and, ignoring the biting cold tried to feel for her breath with her finger, but she could barely feel anything because the cold had made them numb. She pulled the sheets aside and placed her two fingers on her neck, checking her pulse.

The sudden coldness of Chloe's touch made Beca flinch, and with a frown, she waved her hand away and still half asleep muttered, "You fell asleep didn't you? Dummy."

"Oh my God, Beca! You scared the crap out of me!" Chloe exclaimed, her voice a mix of relief and annoyance.

Beca smirked and rolled over. She burrowed her face into Chloe's tummy where it was soft, fluffy, and warm. Within moments, Beca fell back asleep. Chloe placed a hand on her face and chuckled softly to herself, as her heart settled back to normal. They were fine, they had made it through a freezing night in their car.

We made it. Oh, Thank Goodness!

Chloe looked down as her girlfriend blissfully slept on her lap, and even though her face was a little pale, she still had a peaceful expression. Chloe feeling an overwhelming sense of relief, leaned her head back and fell asleep.

To be continued.