Chloe Beale grew up in the South. Her family lived in Tampa, Florida her whole life. She attended college outside of Atlanta, Georgia. She was a Southern girl through and through. After she(finally)graduated, she agreed to move with two of her best friends to New York City. If you were to ask her why she did it, she wouldn't be able to give you a specific reason. Part of it was that - even after seven years in college - she still didn't know what she wanted to do with her life. She planned on just getting a job somewhere and hoping to figure things out, and she could do that anywhere. She wasn't ready to just leave everything and everyone from college behind and strike out on her own. So having the security of living with her friends Beca and Amy had its appeal. She also could be adventurous. This was a tremendous adventure - moving to the biggest city in the country, moving to a Northern state for the first time, moving far away from her family. It was exciting … and terrifying. Perhaps the biggest reason she decided to make the move, though, was her unrequited crush on one Beca Mitchell. The little grumpy talented adorable brunette had burrowed deep into Chloe's heart years before. No matter what Chloe did, she couldn't get over Beca. Was it pathetic to uproot her entire life to follow the woman like a lost puppy, hoping there might be achancesomething would happen? You could say that. And Chloe often did say that to herself in her darker moments, lying awake at night in the same bed as her crush but unable to hold her.

So, there may have been some downsides to the move. There was the obvious one: her torturing herself with the constant presence of her unattainable dream. And there were others. Everything in New York City was so crammed together. It felt like every square inch had a building jammed in it. And wherever there weren't buildings there were people. Sooooo many people. Sometimes it could be overwhelming, being trapped with all the buildings and people and cars and noise. That's when Chloe would escape to Central Park and allow herself to decompress. Living with her friends was great. Living with them in a one bedroom apartment that barely was big enough foroneperson, let alone three, wasn't so awesome. Amy was a big personality who more than filled up whatever space she was in. Beca would sort of shrink down to fill any remaining space like a tiny mouse.(Wait… maybe that's why Kommissar called her that … ) That left little room for Chloe. Fortunately, Amy was frequently out doing Amy things. Otherwise the apartment would have been positively claustrophobic.

The biggest downside, though, was the Winter. Well, actually, Winter hadn't even started. Things were going to get worse. Winter can be beautiful, and New York City in the Winter is magical. There are so many incredible sights and sounds to experience. But it is also cold. Really really really cold. Having never lived north of Atlanta, Georgia, Chloe wasn't prepared for living through a Northern Winter. Georgia could get cold; there could even be snow. But it was all a temporary illusion. Once the sun came out, even the coldest day would warm up. In New York, the sun wouldn't come out for days. When it did, it felt like it was only out for a few hours. And it didn't even seem to make a difference! It was always frigid. Chloe couldn't seem to ever get warm. On top of it all their heater sucked, their hot water heater sucked, and the seals on their windows sucked. Most people saw Chloe as a little ball of sunshine. Like the real sun, Chloe's sunshine was having a harder and harder time coming out as the year was coming to a close.

Chloe's general malaise was exactly what led Beca to get up at the ass crack of dawn on a Saturday to get onto public transit to leave the big city to ride all the way out to Secaucus, New Jersey. Beca didn't have feelings one way or another about Secaucus, New Jersey. She may not have ever even known that it existed except for some faint memory of WWOR Channel 9 being located there - something she would hear during commercials that ran while she had cartoons on as a child. But she needed to go to Secaucus to put her plan into motion.

Beca Mitchell didn't like the fact that Chloe's sunlight was being smothered. People had always joked that Beca was the rain cloud to Chloe's sunshine. What happens when the sunlight isn't there any more? For the better part of four years, Beca's naturally melancholy nature had been brightened by her best friend. And, truth be told, shelikedthat feeling. She preferred her life with Chloe's luminous presence - that's one reason that she asked Chloe to move to NYC with her. Beca wouldn't openly admit it to anyone, but she wasn't ready to leave Chloe any more than Chloe was ready to leave her. They worked well together. And what shereallywouldn't admit to anyone was that she was deeply and hopelessly in love with Chloe Beale.

She couldn't pinpoint when her crush started or when it developed into something much more intense and permanent. She hadn't been able to recognize it during Freshman year. Or maybe she kind of did recognize it, but it terrified her. And that sent her into the arms of Jesse after Nationals. A relationship with him was easy and expected. Only it wasn't easy. Jesse was head over heels in love with Beca; BecalikedJesse quite a bit. The intensity never matched. Also, Jesse loved the image he had of Beca, which was something she had a harder and harder time living up to. She allowed the relationship to limp along for about eight months before she finally called it off. She should have called it off way before that. It was clear that they didn't work as romantic partners. Chloe actually served as the catalyst for Beca's decision. Beca realized that she felt much more for her redheaded friend than she ever felt for her boyfriend. The more time Beca spent with Chloe, the less she wanted to be around Jesse. She began to realize that Chloe wanted Beca around just like she was - not some idealized version of her. Chloe understood Beca's quirks and accepted them. She could read her moods. She knew her favorite things - andleastfavorite things. It became clear to Beca that she wasn't being fair to Jesse, keeping him around while crushing on someone else. So as soon as Beca exited the relationship with Jesse, her heart fully began yearning for Chloe. And as soon as that happened, Beca began squashing her feelings. Whether it was because she didn't want to address her sexuality or didn't want to risk the best friendship she had ever had, Beca couldn't allow herself to act on those feelings.

That's right. Chloe loved Beca; Beca loved Chloe. Neither of them said anything for years. And they both would lay awake at night, pretending to be asleep, trying to squash feelings that were far too intense to be ignored. Two idiots in love.

Beca tried to convince everyone that she was a badass. Anyone who knew her knew that assertion was ridiculous. She was determined, ambitious, talented, committed. But she was hardly a badass. This wasespeciallytrue when it came to Chloe. Beca was such a pushover where Chloe was concerned. The brunette would go out of her way to make sure Chloe was taken care of. This manifested itself in many different ways. It could be making sure that there was always oat milk creamer in the fridge for Chloe's morning coffee. Beca drank her coffee black. Amy didn't drink coffee. The only person who wanted oat milk creamer was Chloe, so Beca made sure they always had it … that it was always fresh … that it was always the right brand. Another way Beca showed she was a softie for Chloe was in their takeout choices. Chloe absolutely loved a particular Chinese restaurant - The Golden Dragon - that the ladies had discovered on a walk one Saturday. There were three other Chinese places between The Golden Dragon and the ladies' apartment. Beca would pay extra for delivery from The Golden Dragon or go out herself to get it to make sure that Chloe got the Chinese food she liked. Beca made sure that Chloe could always watch the shows she wanted, have the right kind of chocolate during her period, and be able to have her FaceTime chats with her parents and Aubrey.

This also explained why Beca was about to walk into a Walmart in Secaucus, New Jersey after almost two hours on public transit. Why in the world was she at a Walmart in Secaucus on a Saturday instead of sleeping or doing something fun in the greatest city in the world? It was because she had read online that they had a shipment of Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes.

To anyone who has not spent time in the South, this may seem like the behavior of a lunatic. But to a Southern girl like Chloe Beale, not being able to have Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes during the holiday season was a bridge too far. She could put up with the crowds and noise and smells and snow and cold. She could deal with the constant longing and heartbreak over Beca. She could handle being far away from her parents during the holidays. But realizing that she couldn't have a Christmas Tree Cake? That pushed her over the edge.

For the uninitiated, the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake is the pinnacle of snack cake development. It is in the traditional shape of a Christmas Tree. Inside are two layers of vanilla cake and one layer of vanilla frosting. The entire cake is covered with white icing. This is then decorated with ribbons of red icing and green sugar sprinkles. It doesn't sound much different than a dozen other snack cakes, but it is. There is just something about the way it is made. It is sweet with a bit of salt. The sugar crystals bring a unique crunchy texture. It is perfection. There are actually two sizes of Christmas Tree Cakes depending on where and how they are purchased. And just like with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, the size matters. The smaller version of the Christmas Tree Cake is the better one; the ratio is perfect. The bigger one just seems off. It is still good, but it isn't perfect. These tasty treats have become a holiday tradition for many people - especially in the South. They even have inspired several viral recipes and tons of fan-made shirts and sweatshirts. Some years, there seems to be a run on the treats, making them harder to find. Beca remembered going with Chloe on hunts for them at various gas stations and Krogers to make sure the Bella House was fully stocked.

There are minor things that change when someone relocates - things that aren't always considered in advance. It isn't until the move is complete and life begins that these changes become apparent. It could be missing a favorite sub or pizza place. Or having a hard time finding the right kind of Buffalo wings. Or realizing that a particular brand of soda or ice cream isn't available any more. Or having to shop in an unfamiliar grocery store. The thought of not being able to get Christmas Tree Cakes wasn't even on the radar when the ladies moved to New York in June. It was a discovery made as the temperature and hours of daylight dropped. And it was a horrendous discovery that pushed Chloe's gloominess to new levels.

Beca had been on a crusade to find these elusive snacks. At first, she had gone into the convenience stores and bodegas close to their apartment for a quick check with no success. She expanded her search when she saw how rough of a time Chloe was having. Nobody had any available. Then she took her search online. She explored Facebook pages and blogs and message boards, hoping to snag a clue of where to look. Several times, she thought she had scored a lead, only to arrive and discover that she was too late.

On this particular Saturday, Beca had no intention of missing out. She hustled into the Walmart and headed towards the seasonal foods aisle. Quickly pacing back and forth, Beca checked out the shelves, hoping to locate the telltale red box. She spotted some of the other Little Debbie holiday offerings, but none of them were the desired Christmas Tree Cakes. Then she checked the cookie aisle, the breakfast aisle, ever endcap. Frustration descended onto the tiny brunette. How could she be too late? She left before six in the morning. She didn't miss out on sleep AND the snack cakes. did she?

Trying to keep herself from panicking, Beca started to look in the wider walkway that separated the grocery section from clothings and other sundries. These walkways were peppered with displays of specially highlighted and seasonal items. She examined each one in turn. One in particular was large and fashioned like a green elfin cottage. It was stocked with tons of holiday baking ingredients. There were candies and bake mixes and premade sugar cookies. But it still wasn't what Beca was looking for. She moved further into the store before she saw a pallet covered with red surrounded by a clamoring knot of women. Beca pushed herself through the horde and spotted what she had been seeking for weeks: dozens of boxes of Christmas Tree Cakes. They weren't the Mega boxes of larger cakes either. They were the five packs of regular sized treats. Perfection.

Beca tried to maneuver herself through the other customers, but she kept getting boxed out. She kept dipping and dodging, hoping to get close enough. Finally, she broke through the wall and found herself right in front of a rapidly dwindling pallet of the bright red boxes. She also faced a large nasty woman who appeared hellbent on claiming every last box for herself.

"Hey!" Beca was as surprised as the other woman when she heard herself yell. She felt like she should at least continue her protest since she started it."Leavesome for the rest of us. You've already got enough." She gestured at the other woman's cart, which was piled high with over a dozen cherry red boxes. Her arms were overflowing with more boxes to add to the cart.

"I'll decide when I've got enough," the woman spat."I'llmake a killing selling these puppies online."

Several customers shouted in outrage at the woman. She dumped the huge armful of treats into the basket and then turned back to the pallet to start grabbing more. Beca quickly scrambled towards the pile and grabbed three boxes. The other customers descended on the greedy woman, intent on stopping her wholesale absconding of the cakes. Things escalated quickly to where it seemed like a fistfight might break out. Beca didn't wait to see the outcome. She raced to the registers at the front to pay for what she had been able to secure.

Over two hours later, Beca emerged from the subway stop nearest her apartment. She was exhausted but exhilarated. She had managed to score several boxes of Christmas Tree Cakes. She was sure it would be just the thing to return Chloe's smile. Beca slid her key into the lock of the apartment. She couldn't wait to see the redhead light up when the treasure was revealed.

"Just where the hell have you been?!" An angry Chloe greeted Beca as soon as the door opened.

That wasn't quite the face I was met Chloe's eyes with a bewildered look on her face."Wha… wha … what do you mean?"

In an exasperated voice, Chloe replied."Whatdo I mean?! You've been gone for hours! No note. Nothing. You didn't answer my texts. I was terrified that something bad had happened."

With a puzzled look, Beca pulled out her phone. She noticed that she had over a dozen notifications. She sheepishly looked up at Chloe."Sorry,I … uh … was just … Really focused …" Beca had been so busy chasing the cakes that she hadn't even thought to check her phone.

"Where were you?" Chloe appealed."Didyou go in to work or something?"

"I … uh … I … was in Secaucus," Beca stated.

"Secaucus?!" Chloe asked, eyes wide in shock."NewJersey?" Beca nodded."Whatthe hell were you doing in New Jersey?"

Beca cautiously held out the Walmart bag she held in her hand. Chloe's eyes darted down at it and immediately softened when she realized what Beca was holding."Arethose …?"

"I … I got you Christmas Tree Cakes," Beca offered."Iknew you were missing them … and things have been really rough on you … so I thought …"

She never got to finish what she thought. Chloe closed the space between them and pushed her lips against Beca's. After her initial shock, the brunette returned the kiss. The ladies pulled apart, breathing heavily."Whatwas that for?" Beca asked."Not… not that I minded … I just wanted to …"

"Shhhh," Chloe said. She lightly kissed Beca again."Ithink it was about time for us to stop pretending. We clearly are more than friends. I love you. I'm in love with you. And I know you're in love with me."

"Wait," Beca answered."You'rein love with me?"

"Yeah, Beca," Chloe said with a smile."Ihave been for a long time."

"And you know that I'm in love with you?" the brunette asked.

Chloe smirked before answering."Ithought you were for a long time, but never could be sure. I was afraid to be wrong and lose you."

"You'll never lose me, Chlo," Beca breathed. The two smiled at each other for moment before Beca scrunched her face up in curiosity."I'mjust wondering how you suddenly knew today that I was in love with you."

"You would have to be in love with me to go all the way to Secaucus just to get me Christmas Tree Cakes," Chloe laughed.

Beca nodded in agreement."Yeah,you're right." She grinned and added,"Ithink I started a riot while there. I almost had to fight some mean woman who was taking all the boxes. Things got a little ugly."

Chloe's eyes widened."Areyou serious?"

"Oh, yeah," Beca answered."Youknow how Walmart can get." She saw the beaming smile on Chloe's face."Itwas all worth it to see that smile again."

The redhead beamed and kissed Beca again."So… are you going to … actually give me those boxes?"

"Oh," Beca startled. She handed the bag over." you go."

Chloe clutched the bag tight to her chest."Thanks,babe."

Beca got goosebumps at the term of endearment."Anythingfor you."

Later that evening, the two women sat in their bed, watchingHome Alone 2: Lost in New Yorkon the laptop resting on their knees. Chloe was munching happily on a Christmas Tree Cake. She took a break to say,"Youknow, after living here for months, I have to say this movie hits differently."

"Itisa bit far-fetched," Beca agreed."Wecould really get to enjoy the city, though, if we had a whole bunch of someone else's credit cards and money."

"True," Chloe replied."Maybeonce you're rich and famous, I can steal your wallet and have an all-expense paid trip."

Beca scowled."Whywould you have to steal my wallet? You could just tell me you wanted to have a fun weekend, and I would do that for you."

"You did go to Secaucus for me," Chloe said with a smile."SoI guess I can believe you."

"Damn right," Beca said as she crossed her arms. She glanced over at the sunny redhead."Ummm,so are you going to share those Christmas Tree Cakes? Do I get to have at least one?"

Chloe tilted her head and thought for a moment."Nope."She took the last bite of the one she was holding. With a full mouth, she said,"Butyou can kiss me and have some of this one."

Beca wrinkled her face up."Idon't know if I should be grossed out or turned on."

Chloe cackled and leaned over to place a messy kiss on Beca's lips. Then she rested her head on the brunette's shoulder. After a few minutes of watching the movie, a thought hit the redhead."HeyBecs."

"Hmmm."

"I really really appreciate you going all the way to that Walmart for me, but, I was just wondering, why didn't you just … you know … contact someone down in Georgia or Florida and have them send you some boxes? Our parents are down there. And Ashley and Jessica and Aubrey."

Beca opened her mouth to answer and closed it again. Her face turned red in embarrassment."I… did not … think about that." She shook her head."Thatwould have been so much easier."

"You could have ordered some on Amazon, too," Chloe added.

"You know…?" Beca began with a pout."Onewould think that you didn't really appreciate the effort I put into the gift.

"Oh, I totes do!" Chloe countered with a giggle.

"And would you have realized how much I love you if I had NOT gone all the way to Secaucus?" Beca asked.

With a shrug, Chloe replied with an overly dramatic sigh,"Maybenot. Maybe we would have just kept sitting here ignoring the obvious love we had in our hearts for each other."

"So I guess it was a good thing I didn't think of those other options," Beca said with a smirk.

"I guess so," Chloe said. She had a very dramatic serious look on her face, barely hiding the smile behind her eyes.

They sat that way for a while before Beca questioned,"Butif I had called Aubrey … that would have been almost as big of a gesture as going to Secaucus?" Chloe glared at her."I'mkidding!" Beca said with a laugh."Sortof," she mumbled.

"I heard that," Chloe announced.

"Just eat your Christmas Tree Cake."