Beca stood outside of the door to Jesse's apartment and fished her key out of her purse. It struck her at how quickly it had become"Jesse'sapartment" in her mind. Just like how Chloe's place had become"home"to Beca. She should probably unpack all of that later, but for now she needed to keep her head in the game. She unlocked the door and stepped into the apartment. It looked the same, but it felt a little colder. She didn't know if that was because Jesse was running the AC at a lower temperature now that his always-too-cold girlfriend was gone or if some light and life had disappeared. She quietly walked through into the kitchen. Trash was piled up on the garbage can. A collection of dirty mugs and plates filled the sink. A hint of spoiled food touched her nose. She rolled her eyes at Jesse's immediate descent into adolescence once she left.

She heard a scrambling sound from the hallway. Jesse popped into the living room, his eyes wide, holding a bat."Who… oh, Beca!" He dropped the bat and hurried over to her. He clutched her tightly before pulling back and saying,"Ididn't know you were coming by today. I was … going out … later."

Beca waved him off."That'sfine. I just wanted to touch base with you, maybe grab some more clothes."

Jesse's face fell."Soyou're not coming back yet then."

Her first inclination was to succumb to the puppy dog eyes and reassure him, but Beca stayed strong."Wehaven't even talked yet. It would be a bit premature to expect everything to be fixed right away."

Jesse nodded sadly. He gestured to the living room. The couple walked over and sat down: Jesse on the sofa in"hisspot" and Beca in the side chair. Jesse began the conversation."Beca,let me say, I am SO sorry for how I reacted to what you said. I have been just sick about it ever since that night."

Beca pursed her lips. She didn't want to start a fight, but she also didn't want to just accept whatever bullshit Jesse tossed her way."Butyou have barely talked to me. You've texted me three times. And you've been out almost every night. Doesn't seem too'sickabout it'." Beca used air quotes as she repeated Jesse's claim.

A flash of anger raced across Jesse's face before he stamped it down and it morphed into attempted sincerity."Becaaaa,I was trying to distract myself. I don't like being alone here. You know that."

"Mmm hmmm," Beca acknowledged. She formed her next lines, making sure she stayed calm and measured."Yousay you're sorry … about how you reacted. What does that mean … exactly?"

Jesse's eyes darted around as he struggled for words."Youknow … what sorry means … I'm sorry."

"No, Jesse," Beca replied firmly."IDON'T know. Which is why I asked. Are you sorry for what you said? Or how you said it? Or for what happened?"

"All of that," he answered."I'msorry for all of that."

"Soooooo," Beca probed."Doyou NOT think I'm abnormal? You don't think I'm trying to screw women all over the place?"

"Of course you aren't trying to screw everyone," Jesse conceded with a furrowed brow."Thatwas a ridiculous thing to say." He looked up at Beca, looking very much like the borderline cocky undergrad Beca fell for."Imean … it's you … you're not exactly the type of person who has people lined up around the block."

Beca scowled barely keeping her anger in check."Nice,Jesse. That is the perfect way to show your remorse: insulting me." Jesse realized he had overstepped, quickly changing back into a contrite look."Youdidn't answer me about the'abnormal'question."

Jesse stammered,"No… no I don't … You aren't abnormal … I'm sure you didn't … expect this. You need to … figure this all out." Beca stared at him with a stony look on her face."Imean, I'm fine with you thinking through all of this."

"Really," Beca deadpanned."You're'fine'will all of this." She looked at the jumpy human across from her."Youcertainly don't seem like you're fine."

"I am!" Jesse assured her."Youneed to figure out stuff." When she didn't answer, Jesse got a smirk and continued,"Andmaybe … you know … we could … figure stuff out together?" He waggled his eyebrows.

Beca was boiling with rage."Whatis that supposed to mean?"

Keeping his smarmy look going, Jesse kept digging his hole deeper."Youknow … like … you could bring a woman hooooome … we could all go to beeeeeed…"

Leaping up from her chair, Beca exploded."Youare an an ASSHOLE! I should have known better than to think you even had the smallest amount of maturity in you. How did I waste FOUR YEAR with you. You don't respect me or care about my needs!" She stormed into the bedroom and started grabbing clothes off of hangers."I'mgoing to get some things, and then I'll make arrangements to get the rest of my stuff."

Jesse finally broke free from the shock that had kept him frozen on the couch. He followed her into the bedroom yelling. The war was on.

Chloe checked the clock on her phone again. Beca had been up in the apartment for thirty minutes. She had never texted Chloe that things were going okay. The redhead had sent a couple of messages to check on things, but there was no response. Terrible thoughts ran through her mind: Beca on the floor with Jesse standing over her raging, Beca cowering in the bathroom with the door locked, Beca and Jesse writhing on the bed after being joyously and passionately reunited. Chloe didn't like ANY of those possibilities. She finally decided she should at least go up and check on her friend. If she interrupted anything, she could return to the car. She entered the building and went up the stairs. She could hear yelling well before she got to the apartment. Reaching the door, she tapped on the wood. Nobody inside could possibly hear over the ruckus they were causing. She couldn't make out the words - just that both parties were irate. Chloe hesitated, trying to decide the right thing to do. She finally grabbed the handle and turned it, peeking into the apartment. The screaming seemed to be located down the hall from the front door. The redhead slowly made her way down towards the noise."Beca?Are you okay?"

A man popped out from what was obviously the bedroom. His face was bright red. When he spotted Chloe, he somehow got even angrier."You,"he growled."Getthe fuck out of here."

Chloe was taken aback at the vicious response. She knew that Jesse wasn't her biggest fan, but this was a whole different level of hatred. Chloe shuddered at the sight. Right behind the enflamed Jesse, Beca popped her head out of the bedroom. Her face was red, and she looked worked up."Chloe?"she asked as she stepped into the hall.

Chloe meekly said,"Ihadn't heard from you, And then I heard yelling when I came in to check on you."

Beca looked down at her Apple Watch. She jerked a little when she realized that she had been up in the apartment for so long."I'msorry about that," she offered."I'malmost done getting my stuff." She shot a glare at Jesse, who was still fuming and shooting lasers at Chloe. Then she dipped back into the bedroom to finish up.

"Why are you even here?" Jesse growled at Chloe while they both stood in the hallway.

"I gave Beca a ride," Chloe explained."Iwas waiting in the parking lot for her, but she had been up here for a while."

"We were talking," Jesse rasped through clenched teeth.

"More like yelling," Chloe mumbled under her breath. She realized her mistake when she saw Jesse's eyes flash.

"You just couldn't wait, could you?" Jesse raised his voice as he stepped closer to the redhead. She stepped back towards the living room in response."Couldn'twait for us to have a little bump in the road so you could pounce."

Chloe looked majorly confused."Whatare you even talking about, Jesse?"

"You know," he answered as he continued stalking forward."Gether away from me. You never liked me. Now you think you can have her all to yourself." By this point, Beca had emerged from the bedroom. Observing the scene, she scurried forward and placed herself in front of Chloe.

"Jesse, you need to back down!" Beca's voice left no room for doubt that she was serious.

"It's all your fault," Jesse choked out. It was then that the women noticed he was crying."You'rethe one that started all of this."

Beca realized where this was going."Jesse,"she pleaded.

"You're the one that got all the ideas going in her head," he continued - ignoring Beca's voice.

"Jesse, please," Beca begged. She had stepped closer to. him, hoping to stop his advance, but he was not to be deterred.

"You're the one who got her … thinking that she's bisexual or whatever," Jesse spat. Both women's eyes flew open. Chloe's mouth dropped as she tried to process all of what was happening. She looked at Beca. What she saw broke her heart.

Beca's face was a mix of terror, horror, despair, anger."Jesse!"she wailed."Goddamn it! You just outed me! What the fuck! How could you?"

Jesse snapped out of his angry journey at Beca's words. He looked startled."What?What are you talking about?"

"I hadn't told anyone but you!" Beca said with anguish in her voice."Itisn't your place to share that!"

"I didn't know," Jesse explained - a far cry from the rage monster of a few minutes ago."Ifigured you toldher." He put as much disdain into the last word as he could.

"No," Beca quietly remarked."Ihadn't. I only told you." The brunette looked smaller than ever, like she had been crushed and tossed aside.

Silence reigned in the apartment as the three people there worked to process all of what had happened. Finally, Chloe took a step forward and touched Beca's back gently."Becs,"she whispered."C' should go."

Beca nodded silently, staring at the floor. She picked up a bag while Chloe grabbed the other."Let'sgo home," she said in a barely audible voice.

It was as if the comment rebooted Jesse."Wait,"he said with a start."You'restaying with her?" Then he scoffed."Ofcourse you are."

Beca slowly raised her head and stared icily at the man."Youneed … to … shut the fuck up … right now." Jesse started to speak, but Beca held her hand up. Her voice held otherworldly power. Chloe actually got chills at the sight and sound of this Beca, hoping to never cross her."Youhave said … QUITE enough. You and I," she pointed at him and back at herself,"arethrough. I will come for the rest of my stuff when you aren't here. I can't stand looking at you." With that, she turned around and marched to the door."C'monChlo. Let's go HOME." She tossed the last word back over her shoulder then slammed the door behind her.

The drive back to Chloe's apartment was eerily silent. The bravado that Beca had shown as she stormed away from Jesse had left her. She tossed her bag into the back then collapsed into her seat. Now she was leaning against the window. Silent tears ran down her cheeks as she stared ahead. Chloe wasn't sure what the right thing to say was at the moment, so she looked out the front window and focused on the road while her mind swirled with new information. Beca was bisexual? It appeared that was a new development based on Jesse's outburst. Chloe instigated that discovery? How had she done that? Did Beca have a crush on her? Had she somehow awakened something inside of Beca? If this is what Beca was struggling with, there was little wonder that she would be so weighed down and depressed.

As concerned as she was for her friend, Chloe's mind couldn't help but take a short journey down a different track. Beca was bisexual! She was no longer dating Jesse! She had SOME kind of interest in Chloe! She was staying with Chloe at her apartment! These were all things that fed into the feelings she harbored for the brunette. But she knew that she couldn't act on any of this right now - maybe not for a while. Right now Beca was hurting, embarrassed, afraid, and displaced from her home. Right now, she needed a friend - and not one who was going to let her emotions run crazy, causing her to pounce on the wounded woman. Chloe knew that she needed to keep her feelings in check, so she could take care of her friend.

When the two women arrived back at the apartment, Chloe helped Beca carry her bags. They dumped them into Beca's room(itwas interesting how quickly it had become"Beca'sroom" instead of the guest room). The small brunette flopped onto her back on the bed. Chloe observed the sight, her heart clenching as she empathized with her friend."Isthere anything … I can do?" Chloe asked carefully."Doyou need anything?"

At first, Beca didn't respond. Chloe took that as an indication that she wanted to be left along."Ican head out, so you can have some peace."

Chloe turned at the door. Then she heard Beca in a small quiet voice choke out,"Chlo…would you … could you come lay here with me for a little while?"

"Of course!" Chloe replied brightly. She slipped her shoes off and walked towards the bed. She noticed that Beca still had her shoes on, so she gently pulled her low-top Chucks off her feet and tossed them onto the floor. Then she climbed onto the bed and laid down next to Beca. They both were on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. They laid like that for several minutes - neither saying anything or moving. Eventually, Chloe reached over and grasped Beca's hand. The movement and touch unlocked something in Beca. The brunette started to cry. At first she fought it, trying to keep somewhat calm and collected. But the tears still came. They slid down her temples and into her hair. Her lip wobbled. Soon she was shaking and sobbing. She rolled onto her side towards Chloe. The redhead mirrored the move and hugged Beca tightly to herself. They laid that way until Beca seemingly cried out all the tears she had.

Beca stayed wrapped up in Chloe's arms. She got herself under control, sniffling and clearing her throat. She finally managed to talk. In a shaky anxious voice, she said,"I… guess I … owe you an explanation … for what Jesse said."

Chloe shook her head, pulling just far enough back that Beca could see her face."Becs,look at me." Once the dark blue eyes connected with her bright blue one, she continued,"Youdon't owe me anything. IF you decide to talk to me about … anything, it should be on YOUR timetable. Nobody else's." Beca nodded, but Chloe knew that the brunette hadn't fully accepted the words."I'mserious. What Jesse did was wrong on so many levels. I'm so sorry that he hurt you with that … and with everything. I'm here … no matter what. And you can stay here however long you want - even if it is forever."

Beca didn't know she had any liquid left in her, but, at Chloe's comment, a light trickle of tears streamed out. She felt her throat constrict with emotion, but she attempted to choke out a reply."Thankyou. I … I can't … even tell you … how much this means … how much you mean." Beca's blotchy face seemed to redden even more at the comment.

Chloe wanted to lighten things up, so she answered,"Rightback at you. I've gotten used to having you around." She smiled brightly and planted a kiss on Beca's forehead. The brunette's DEFINITELY blushed at that. Chloe squeezed Beca and then rolled off the bed."I'mgoing to go order some pizza. Then we can figure out what to do with all your crap." She winked and sashayed out the door. Beca watched the swaying hips and shook her head. A small smile appeared on her face.