Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

ICCA National Finals, 2012 - Barden Bellas

I will love love you tonight
Give me everything tonight

The Bellas circled, put their hands in the middle, and threw them up in celebration as they sang the last phrase.

We might not get tomorrow
Let's do it tonight

All the girls were smiling from ear to ear – Aubrey and Beca standing back to back with Chloe standing over Lilly, who was throwing out a peace sign. Never had the women ever been this delighted. Their performance brought the crowd to their feet, clapping to celebrate the performance. The girls held their poses for a few moments, breathing heavily, soaking in the limelight.

Beca faintly heard her father cheering her from the crowd. “Way to go, Beca!” Her heart swelled that he even showed up to see her perform.

The girls hugged as they made their way offstage to wait for the results nervously. “Now, that was a performance,” Aubrey bragged as she gave a stunned Beca a huge hug. Beca wasn’t used to receiving such praise from the blonde co-captain. 

Chloe handed out cold water bottles to the team as they all wiped the sweat from their bodies. All the teams were backstage, standing by for the judges to finish their deliberations. Finally, the stage manager quieted the teams for the announcements.

“And in second place, the Barden Treblemakers!” 

All the Trebles began to hoot and holler and run on stage in their trademark maroon jackets.

They retrieved their runner-up trophy and hoisted it overhead before running to take their seats in the stands.

Now is the moment of truth. The Bellas held their breath in anticipation. They had either won or not even placed in the top three. “The winners of the 2012 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella is.…” The crowd made drumroll sounds with their mouths or by beating their laps. “The Barden Bellas!”

The girls shrieked as they ran on stage to get the trophy. In the heat of the moment, Beca grabbed Chloe’s face and roughly pressed her lips against the redhead’s. Shocked, they broke apart, looked at each other, then moved in for a softer, more intense kiss. This time when they moved apart, Beca looked at Chloe and grinned. She grabbed the captain’s hand as they jumped up and down in celebration.

Chloe lightly tapped on Beca’s dorm room door slightly ajar. She pushed the door open to see Beca dancing to music with her bulky headphones on. Chloe was relieved to see Kimmy Jin was already gone so she and Beca could have some privacy. 

They hadn’t talked about what happened on stage at the finals. Chloe was graduating, and Beca was moving to Los Angeles. The co-captain felt she needed to find out what was behind Beca’s kiss; if nothing else, to get some closure in her mind. It was no secret that Chloe had a toner for Beca all year; she never had the nerve to do anything about it. So when Beca kissed her, she was shocked.

Chloe stepped into Beca’s room and locked the door. She smiled as she watched Beca dance as she folded clothes and shoved them into her suitcase. When Beca turned around and saw Chloe watching, she shrieked and whipped off her headphones. “What the fuck, Beale? You scared the hell out of me.” Chloe giggled as she stepped up to Beca. “Stalk much?”

“You looked pretty cute dancing, Mitchell. I’d say the Bellas did you good.” She tested the waters and brushed Beca’s face with the back of her hand. When Beca simply turned to finish packing, Chloe couldn’t help to feel a wee bit disappointed. Part of her had hoped that Beca was honestly interested in her - even though thousands of miles would soon separate them.

Chloe flopped on the bed formerly belonging to Kimmy. “Yeah? Cute, huh?” Beca tossed another shirt into her bag. When Chloe didn’t respond, Beca turned back around with a smirk on her face. “You think I’m cute?” She arched her eyebrows as she walked toward Chloe. The redhead sat up and dangled her feet off the side of the bed.

When Beca was about half a foot from Chloe’s knees, she stopped and looked down at her former co-captain. Chloe’s mouth went dry. Beca’s eyes look hungry, wanting. She gave a slight nod indicating her answer to Beca’s question.

Beca slid one knee beside Chloe and then the other on the opposite side. Chloe had to move back a bit since Beca’s chest was right in her face. Each time Chloe scooted back, Beca pushed forward until Chloe’s back was against the wall. “Why are you here, Chloe?” Beca’s tone wasn’t challenging or rough. 

“I-I-I just wanted to say goodbye, I guess.”

“Aren’t you going to be at the big Bella send-off tomorrow after graduation?”

Chloe nodded. “Yeah, but I guess I kinda wanted to talk to you about what happened when we won nationals.” Beca was quiet for a long time. “You know….”

Beca got a sly look on her face. “What do I know?”

“I want to know about the kiss, Beca.” Chloe furrowed her eyebrows together. “Why did you kiss me?”

“Beeeeeeeeeeecause I wanted to?” Beca drawled out. 

“But what did it mean?” Chloe was getting frustrated. She knew Beca was hard to get to know, but she’d always been open with Chloe.

Beca put her hands on the wall and dipped her head down. She began to kiss Chloe on the neck. “What.” Kiss. “Did.” Kiss. “What.” Kiss. “Mean?”

Chloe tried to control her body, but with Beca running her lips all over her neck and throat, control became increasingly difficult. “Becaaaaaaa,” she sighed.

Beca moved her head to where her forehead rested on Chloe’s, looking eye to eye. When Chloe’s eyes drifted shut, she next felt Beca’s lips pressing against hers and their bodies falling to the side where they were lying next to each other, kissing.

When Chloe felt a sheet lightly fall to cover her naked body, she relaxed until she realized that Beca was no longer next to her. She opened her eyes to see Beca pulling her tank top over her head and slipping on her flannel shirt. Beca put her legs in her jeans and jumped a few times to get them pulled up. 

“Where’d you go,” Chloe said, watching the brunette dress.

Beca grinned at her and walked over to kiss her. “My dad’s picking me up in a few. I gotta run, Beale.”

“Oh.” Chloe’s heart dropped again. “But…”

“Thanks for coming by. Nice talk.” And before Chloe knew what had happened. Beca and her bags were gone. 

The redhead was stunned. Surely that wasn’t how she and Beca were to end. Chloe began to plan precisely what she would say to Beca at the party. This time Beca wasn’t going to get away without talking about what happened.

When Chloe and Aubrey showed up to the farewell party in their forest green graduation gowns and caps, the party was already in full swing. The Bellas had agreed to go easy on the booze since almost all of Chloe’s and Aubrey’s families had come to see them walk across the stage.

Chloe looked around for Beca so she could maybe pull her aside before everyone got toasty. Amy walked up to Chloe with a slice of cake in each hand. “Look, there’s cake.” She offered a piece to Chloe. 

“Where’s Beca,” asked Chloe. Amy shrugged. “Wasn’t she at graduation?” Amy shook her head and wandered off to find more food and booze.

Not believing that Beca missed her graduation, Chloe asked some of the other Bellas. None of them had seen Beca since finals meaning that Chloe had been the last to see her the day before.

Aubrey later found Chloe in the restroom touching up her mascara from where she’d been crying. “Chloe? What’s wrong?” The blonde rushed to her friend’s side and wrapped her arms around her. “Honey, we made it. We graduated. You should be happy.”

“She didn’t come to graduation,” Chloe sniffled.

“Who? Beca? What does that upset you? You knew she was headed to Los Angeles.” Aubrey was perplexed.

“I-I-I just needed to talk to her.” Chloe shook her head. “I went to her dorm room yesterday… but… I just needed to talk to her today. That’s all.”

Aubrey insisted that Chloe tell her what was happening and why she was so rattled.

Chloe hung her head. “I slept with her, Bree. I went to ask her why she kissed me at the finals, and somehow, we ended up having sex.”

“Finally! We all know you like her, Chloe. So, this is a good thing, right? Now you know she likes you back.”

The redhead started to cry again. “No. When we were done, she just got dressed and left. I was going to try to talk to her today at the party. But she didn’t even come to see us graduate.”

“I’m going to kill her,” Aubrey steamed. “She’d better not show up here, Chloe. I can’t promise you’ll like what comes out of my mouth.”

Chloe gave Aubrey another hug. “Whatever happens, happens, Bree. Thanks for always sticking up for me.”

Ten Years Later

The secretary followed the producer and her personal assistant into the office. “Ms. Mitchell, I have some documents which need your signature.” She placed the stack on Beca’s desk; each marked with post-it flags. 

The personal assistant put a large cup of coffee and a paper bag where Beca sat. “Your usual, ma’am.” She pulled a stack of mail from her satchel. “And your personal mail that needs your attention.” She watched her boss sip her drink and dig into her pastry bag for a chocolate croissant. Always the croissant first. 

“Anything else this morning, boss?” Beca shook her head as she took a bite and reviewed the documents the secretary had left for her to sign. “Okay, I’ll see you at the morning meeting.” The producer mumbled something through her pastry as she raised her hand in farewell.

Beca signed all the documents and pushed them forward on her desk. Then she thumbed through her mail, stopping when she saw a tan envelope with familiar writing. Handwriting she hadn’t seen in a decade. Aubrey Posen. Flipping the envelope over, she saw a blue wax seal on the flap. B.

Curious, Beca slid her finger under the flap, breaking the seal. She withdrew the card. The front bore a familiar seal, and Beca began to chuckle. “I’ll be damned,” she laughed out loud. “The Barden Bellas. That’s a blast from the past.” The intercom on her desk phone buzzed. She tossed the card aside without reading it as she answered her secretary’s call.

At twenty-eight, Beca Mitchell was living her life dream. After high school, she’d spent a year at Barden University. Then she packed her bags and moved to Los Angeles to get started in the music industry. Her journey had been rough, but she worked her way up through the industry ranks as she made a name for herself. 

Now, she was a sought-after record producer with many accolades on her office shelves and lining the studio walls. Albums she’d produced had won countless American Music Awards, several Billboard Musc Awards, and even three Grammys. Platinum and multi-platinum records lined the hallways.

As she walked down the hall to her standing morning meeting, Beca dragged her finger across the framed awards. Her mind flitted back to the envelope she’d opened that morning. She hadn’t thought about the Bellas in a while. Shaking her head to clear the memories, she went into her meeting.

Later that afternoon, Beca was working with an artist, finishing up. She saved the various recordings to the studio’s server and returned to her office. “Hey, Kate,” she said, rounding her desk and dropping the files she was carrying on her desk. “Anything important.”

Kate waved the tan envelope Beca had received from Aubrey. “Do I need to make arrangements for your ten-year reunion?” She held out the invitation. “Did you even read this?”

Beca took the card and read. “Please join us for Barden Bellas’ Ten Year Reunion weekend celebrating their ICCA Nationals win on the 28th of September, 2022 at 4 pm. Four Seasons, Atlanta. RSVP [email protected].” She scoffed as she tossed the invitation on her desk.

“Would you like me to book your tickets, Ms. Mitchell?” 

Beca shook her head. “Nope. Gonna have to miss this one. Busy.”

“Perhaps this is none of my business, Ms. Mitchell. But you work so much and never do anything for yourself. Maybe taking some time off will do you good.”

The music producer shook her head. “I spent a year of my life with those women, ten years ago. I really have nothing in common with them.”

Kate knew a few things about her boss - first, the woman worked far too much, and two, she was lonely. She picked up the small, framed picture that was always present on the second shelf behind Beca’s desk and heeded it to her. “These women meant something to you, Ms. Mitchell. At least at some point, they did.”

“I’ll think about it, Kate.”

“That’s all I’m asking.”

That evening at her condo, Beca pulled an album from her bookshelf and settled on her couch. She hadn’t even thought of the Bellas in years. She flipped through pages and pages of memories, including pictures and newspaper articles. The final pages were from the night of the ICCA Finals. The staff photographer captured the end of their finale, their trophy acceptance, and the following celebration.

Beca pulled the photo out of its protective sleeve and examined it closely. She could feel the emotions surging through that group of mismatched college girls. Then she saw something in the background that she’d never seen before. The photographer had captured her kissing Chloe. Beca was holding Chloe’s face with both hands, lips pressed against hers.

“Hmmpft,” Beca scoffed as she slid the picture back into its place. “So young.” Beca had been a mere eighteen years old when the finales … and that kiss happened. Then Beca began to wonder what happened with the other girls from that championship year and the singing group itself. When she left Barden, Beca hadn’t looked back.

She got another drink, took the album into her office and fired up her computer. Beca tried to find background on the other Bellas who sang in the group. She was most successful on LinkedIn. “Aubrey Posen, Barden University, 1992. BA Political Science. Barden University, 1995. J.D. Law. Currently employed at Kirkpatrick and Associates in Atlanta, Georgia.” Beca jotted down some notes.

Next, she looked up Stacie. “Stacie Conrad, Barden University, 1995. BS Aerospace Engineering. Duke University, 1996. Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering. Currently employed at Launch TWS in Atlanta, Georgia.” Beca slowly made her way through all the Bellas on the championship team. Except one. 

Beca’s finger hovered over the search button. She wiped her clammy hands on her jeans before standing up. She ran her hands through her long, brunette hair and then went to get another bourbon. When she returned, the cursor blinked at the end of the name she hadn’t thought about in ages. If she was honest with herself, this was the only name that mattered. Chloe Beale.

“Chloe Beale, DVM. Barden University, 1992. BS Animal Science. University of Georgia, 1996. Ph.D. Veterinary Medicine. Currently employed at Beale Veterinary Clinic in Los Angeles, California.” Beca leaned back in her chair. Chloe was here. In Los Angeles. They have been living in the same city for who knows how long. After thinking a bit, Beca shut down her computer. 

Beca’s car picked her up the following day and took her to the studio. As she walked into her office, she was again followed by her secretary and personal assistant, just like every morning. The secretary gave the producer her morning tasks as the PA set down her coffee and paper bag of pastries. 

The producer rummaged through the stack of things on her desk until she found the reunion invitation. “Have you changed your mind, Ms. Mitchell?” The assistant asked as Beca handed her the card.

“I think so, Kate. Make the arrangements. I’ll take the studio’s jet.  R.S.V.P. to Aubrey and tell her I’d like to pay for the hotel block for all the Bellas attending.” Beca gathered her things for the morning meeting. “Oh, and will you do some research for me? Find out what the Bellas from that year have been up to since I left. And what happened to the team.”

Beca settled comfortably into her seat and accepted her drink from the attendant. She leaned pulled out the file containing Kate's research on the Bellas. The first portion was about her season with the Bellas. Beca smiled as she remembered how much fun she’d had with those girls. They probably were the closest thing she’d ever had to friends. Especially Chloe. 

She and Chloe had been near inseparable, much to the chagrin of Aubrey. Chloe had been the reason she’d tried out of the Bellas to begin with, and the co-captain probably had to do a lot of convincing for Aubrey to allow the “alt girl” on the team. Beca would have never put herself out to the other girls as she had if it hadn’t been for Chloe. Beca wondered if she’d made a mistake not keeping in touch with the redhead captain.

Beca turned her attention back to the information Kate had gathered. The year after the Bellas won the national championship would have been Beca’s sophomore in college. From the best she could tell, Stacie, C.R., Jessica, Ashley and Amy had stayed with the Bellas. They had also recruited a girl named Flo and a legacy Bella, Emily. However, they didn’t even make it past regionals.

The following year, Kate couldn’t find that the Bellas even existed on campus. They had seemingly disbanded or at least disconnected from Barden University. Beca made notes in the margins of Kate’s research of the questions she wanted to ask her former friends. Since the moment Beca had decided to go to the ten-year reunion, little else had been on her mind. 

Beca rubbed her eyes with her fists and gave a giant yawn, realizing how exhausted she was. And as much as she hated to admit it, her assistant had been right. She worked too much. And she might be a tad bit lonely. Maybe this reunion was exactly what she needed. Rejuvenate and reconnect with old friends. Beca leaned her seat back and snoozed for the remainder of the four-hour flight to Atlanta.

Chapter Text

A car was waiting for the producer at the DeKalb-Peachtree airport. The driver loaded Beca’s bags into the trunk as she climbed into the back seat. As the car headed towards downtown Atlanta, Beca nervously worried her thumb ring, second-guessing her decision to attend. As they pulled up to the Four Seasons, the driver promised her bags would make it to her room.

After Beca registered at the front desk, she was directed to the meeting room where she’d pick up information about the reunion. “Activities start at five p.m., ma’am. I suggest you head directly to the Augusta Room to check-in. Your bags will be waiting in your room.”

Beca went around the corner and stepped on the escalator, which took her to the meeting rooms. Following the signs, she made her way to the Augusta Room. She took a deep breath and then walked through the door.

“Shawshank!” Fat Amy came barreling around the table and lifted Beca in the air to spin her around. “You made it.”

“Amy. You’re…” Beca tried to find the words.

“Skinny? Sexy? A twig bitch like you?” Amy set Beca down and spun around so she could admire her new and improved look. “Forty pounds and still dropping.” She ran her hands down her hips. “Anyway, enough about me. Let’s get you registered.” Amy handed Beca a clipboard.

Beca began to fill out the information as requested. “Who all is coming?” 

“Everyone!” Beca handed the clipboard back to Amy along with her credit card. “What’s this?” Amy’s face was perplexed as she looked at Beca’s card.

“The registration form said there were fees for the meeting room and catering. Here.”

Amy began to laugh. “Oh no, Ms. Beca Mitchell, famous music producer with a Grammy and credits on countless top-selling albums. You already paid for everyone’s rooms. The committee decided you get a pass on the other fees.”

“The committee?” Beca asked.

“Yeah. Aubrey. Committee of one.” Amy laughed. “Anyway, here’s our schedule.” She checked her watch. “The first mixer starts at five. You have enough time to go check out your digs. See you soon, Shawshank.”

In her room, Beca decided she had time for a quick nap. She starfished on the huge king-sized bed, set her alarm, and quickly fell asleep. When her alarm went off, she realized she’d hit snooze too many times and needed to rush. She took a quick shower to freshen up and ran down to the Augusta Room.

As she approached the door, she slowed down, suddenly nervous again. One thing she did know was that the time she’d spent with these women was some of the best of her life. But when she’d left Barden ten years ago, she’d walked away and hadn’t looked back. Best she could tell, the Barden Bellas quickly fell apart soon after that.

Then self-doubt began to slide in. What if the Bellas didn’t want her here? What if the other Bellas were all best friends and she was a total outsider? Regardless, Beca hadn’t flown halfway across the country to flake out now. She pulled herself together and went inside.

From the looks of things, she was the last to arrive. The girls she’d once considered her world were scattered around the room visiting. Jessica and Ashley were holding hands while visiting with Lilly. Amy was talking to Cynthia Rose and Denise. Stacie was standing at the bar, getting a drink. Beca scanned the room again, and then she saw her. Chloe. Chloe was standing with her back to the door, talking to Aubrey.

Butterflies flitted up Beca’s stomach to her throat. Chloe Beale. Her mind drifted back to the picture she had in her Bellas’ scrapbook, the one where she was kissing Chloe. Why am I so nervous, Beca thought. I’m a successful music producer whose worked with multiple platinum-selling artists and have the Grammy to prove it. You know these people.  

Amy saw Beca standing in the doorway and called her over. “Shawshank! Glad you could join us. Why don’t you get yourself a drink?” She motioned to the bar. “Everyone’s just mingling right now.”

Beca took the long way to the bar, saying a quick hello to each group of women except Aubrey and Chloe. She shoved her hands in the pockets of her pants as she got to the bar. “Hey, Stace.”

The taller brunette looked down, seemingly shocked to see Beca. “Beca!” She wrapped the shorter woman in a hug and lifted her off the ground. “Aubrey said you were coming, but I didn’t believe it. With all your success and all. Why would Beca Mitchell come and rub elbows with the riff raff?”

Beca grinned at her old friend. “Well, Dr. Conrad, I suppose you aren’t so bad after all. And it sounds like you’re just as successful as me.” She looked at Stacie’s hand. “Woah. That’s some rock. Who’s the lucky guy that tamed the hunter?”

Stacie shook her head. “Lucky gal, you mean. I believe you might know my wife. She’s that tall blonde over there talking to the other doctor in the room.”

“Oh my god, you married the dictator?” Beca was shocked.

“Don’t let her hear you call her that,” Stacie chuckled. “We’ve been married five years now. Come on over and say hi. She and Chloe will be glad to see you.” Beca got her drink and walked with Stacie over to where Aubrey and Chloe were standing. “Honey, look who I found slumming at the bar.”

“Beca.” Aubrey gave Beca a terse hug and kissed her cheek. When Beca looked up, Chloe had walked off and was now talking to another group.

“Aubrey. Congratulations on your marriage. Stacie said you two are going on five years now.” Beca tried to keep her attention on Aubrey rather than Chloe who had immediately abandoned the conversation.

The blonde looked up at her wife and smiled. “Beca, thank you so much for paying for the room block for all the Bellas. Everyone is quite appreciative.”

Beca blushed as she looked everywhere but at Aubrey. “Don’t mention it. It’s the least I could do. Thanks for including me.”

Aubrey stood ramrod straight as she spoke. “Of course. You were an integral part of us winning the ICCA Nationals. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to check on everyone.” The former co-captain walked away, leaving her wife and Beca confused.

“That was frosty,” Beca laughed. “What did I do?”

“Don’t ask me,” replied Stacie. She shook her head. “I still have trouble figuring out what’s happening in my wife’s mind sometimes. So, tell me, how have you been, Beca Mitchell? You seemed to drop off the earth after you left Barden.”

“I guess life happened,” said Beca. She told Stacie a bit about her journey. 

Then Stacie broke out her phone and shared pictures of her and Aubrey’s two-year-old daughter. “This is Bella.”

Beca grinned. “She looks just like you.” Inwardly, the music producer sighed, realizing how much of these women’s lives she’d missed.

Both brunettes turned to the sound of a fork clinking against a drinking glass. Amy was standing at the head of the dining table off to the side of the room. “Ladies, it’s time to take your seats.” She motioned to the chairs. “Find your place card above your plate.”

Beca saw that she was seated on the end, far away from Stacie and Aubrey… and Chloe. She started to pick up her name tag before Stacie stopped her. “Don’t chance it. Bree planned things out to the tee. Just sit where you’ve been assigned. Trust me.”

“But I’m sitting by Denise and Lilly,” Beca whined. Stacie shrugged and went to sit with her wife.

Dinner was long with lively conversations among friends. Beca found out that Denise left Barden the same year she had, transferred to a university in upstate New York. And Lilly, who was finally speaking in a normal volume, was working with a rapper in New York City. Beca gave the Asian beatboxer her business card in case she wanted some extra help.

As the Bellas were finishing their desserts, Aubrey wrangled the microphone from Amy. She told her friends that the festivities would start early in the morning. “So I would advise getting a good night’s sleep, especially those of you who came from other time zones.”

Everyone got up and was meandering towards the door and their rooms. Beca had spoken to everyone in some fashion. Everyone except Chloe. She spotted the redhead and ran to catch up with her. “Chlo, hey.” Beca trotted up to her side. 

Chloe kept walking, not acknowledging the music producer, even one iota. “Hey,” said Beca as she tried to move in front of Chloe to block her way. “Come on, Chloe. Stop it. Talk to me.” The redhead sidestepped her and kept walking. “Are you going to ignore me the entire weekend? Seriously?” When her former friend disappeared into the elevator with a small group of Bellas, Beca stood dumbfounded.

The following day, the itinerary had the Bellas eating breakfast on their own in the restaurant downstairs. Beca decided on room service so she could get a few e-mails in before meeting up for their first activity. When her food arrived, Beca had already checked her e-mail and made a phone call. She finished everything she wanted just in time to make it downstairs.

Aubrey and Amy were standing by the front door corralling all the Bellas onto a small tour bus. As Beca climbed the stairs, she saw Chloe sitting alone in a window seat. She went to sit next to Chloe to talk to her, and Chloe swiftly moved to the aisle seat, blocking Beca. “Chlo?” Beca hissed. 

“Come on, Shortstack.” Stacie nudged the shorter brunette towards the rear of the bus where there were two empty seats. “I don’t think she’s going to talk to you.” She motioned to Chloe, who had moved back over for Aubrey to sit next to her.

“Dude, what are we? In junior high? Did you talk to your wife and find out why they are giving me the cold shoulder?”

Stacie whistled. “I think you need to talk to Chloe.”

“I’m trying!” Beca was frustrated beyond belief. “She won’t give me the time of day. What’s going on? I know you talked to Aubrey. What did she say?”

“Not my story to tell, Mitchell. Talk to Chloe.”

The tour bus took the Bellas on a private tour of where Pulizter-Prize winning author Margaret Mitchell lived and wrote Gone With the Wind . They also visited one of the battlegrounds featured in the novel and the cemetery where she was buried. The tour bus driver was dressed in a costume from the novel's period and knew her history quite well which made the tour that much more interesting.

Once the tour was over, the driver stopped at a small eatery not too far from where the author was born and had grown up. Beca definitely didn’t try to sit next to Aubrey or Chloe who’d stuck together like glue the entire morning. She chose a booth with Cynthia Rose, Jessica, and Ashley.

After they ordered, Beca asked the trio what happened to the Bellas after they’d won the national championship. “I dunno,” said C.R. “We had a good group the next year, brought on a couple of new girls. But it wasn’t the same without you, Aubrey, and Chloe.”

“Yeah,” Ashley added. “We just lost our sound. Got to regionals then tanked.”

Jessica pointed to the rest of the Bellas. “None of us tried out our junior year.” She shrugged. “The Bellas just kind of fell apart.”

Not knowing what else to ask, Beca inquired about their lives and how they were doing. She had most of the information from the packet her assistant put together, but she wanted Chloe to see that she was trying to put herself out there.

Jessica and Ashley told the group they got married the week after they graduated. “Our eighth wedding anniversary is coming up pretty soon.” C.R. shared some of her pilot experiences in the Air Force and was considering becoming a lifer in the service.

They asked Beca what her life was like, working with music stars who were household names. “Honestly, they are normal. Put their pants on one leg at a time, just like us.” Beca went on to tell them that she’d been fortunate and caught many breaks during her rise to success. 

The tour bus dropped the women at the hotel, where Aubrey gave them an hour break before their next activity. Beca flopped down on her bed and checked her messages, smiling when she saw the one from her personal assistant. She set her alarm for a quick thirty-minute power nap and closed her eyes.

Banging on the door startled Beca from her short nap. “Beca Mitchell, open this door now.” Aubrey’s voice echoed down the hallway. 

“Hold on, hold on; I’m coming,” Beca called out as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and opened the door. 

Aubrey thrust forward a massive spray of flowers towards the record producer. Beca was shocked. “How dare you?” Beca set the vase on her side table by the door and crossed her arms with a sullen look on her face. “Hasn’t she made it clear that she doesn’t want to talk to you?” Aubrey turned to stomp away.

“Aubrey,” Beca called out. “Come on, at least tell me why?”

The blonde whipped around and glared at Beca. “I invited you to the reunion because you were a Bella. I never thought you’d show up. The least you could do is leave her alone.” Aubrey continued towards the elevator.

“But why does she hate me?”

Aubrey didn’t answer, just flipped Beca the bird as she jabbed the down button for the elevator.

“Aaarrrrghhhh,” Beca groaned, shutting the door. She looked at the flowers and nodded her approval. “Nice arrangement, Kate,” she muttered. Beca found the card and pulled it from the envelope to read it aloud. “‘Can we please talk? Beca’ Well, that didn’t work.”

After thinking for a few minutes, she called Kate again and told her the new plan.

The afternoon activity was to go to an Escape Room, to eat, and then to a special surprise, which neither Aubrey nor Amy were telling anyone. The girls split into groups and took a chartered tour bus to the facility. During the trip, Amy announced that they would split into two teams, with each team getting to choose their room. “There will be prizes for the group who escapes first!”

The first group was Stacie, Jessica, Ashley, Amy, and Beca. They chose the Sorcerer’s Secret, where they went to their uncle’s magic shop to investigate his mysterious disappearance. They had to foil an evil Sorcerer’s plot against him and escape his magic lair before suffering the same curse that befell their uncle.

The other group included Aubrey, Chloe, C.R., Denise, and Lilly. They chose the Zombie Apocalypse, where they were out on a supply run and were swarmed by a massive horde of zombies. A convenience store barricade held the zombies off for a while, but it wouldn’t take the zombies long to break through. The Bellas had to gather supplies, find a way to send a signal for help, and get to the rooftop for pick up before the zombies broke through the barricade.

After an hour of clues, puzzles, codes, and locks, both groups emerged victorious from their rooms at virtually the same time. Amy declared they were all winners and made the teams share the chocolate bars she’d brought.

After they returned to the hotel to get changed for dinner, Beca hurried so she could maybe catch Chloe before everyone else got there. In college, Chloe had always been early everywhere she went, while Beca was notorious for being late. Sure enough, Beca spotted Chloe in the bar as soon as the elevator doors opened. She took a deep breath and approached her former friend.

“Is this seat taken?” Beca casually sat on the barstool next to Chloe.

The redhead’s head whipped around, her eyes cutting through Beca like glass shards. “What part of leave me alone do you not understand, Beca? I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Chloe? Why? I mean, I know I haven’t been the best at keeping up with anyone since I left Barden. It’s just… well, life happened.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Leave me alone.”

“Please! We used to be so close. I…” Beca hesitated, afraid to make herself more vulnerable than she already had. “... I’ve missed you. I should have contacted you. I’m sorry.”

With her eyebrows arched, Chloe looked at Beca. “You think I don’t want to talk to you because you didn’t stay in touch? That’s rich, Beca,” she scoffed. “Tell you what; think long and hard. And if you can figure out why in the hell I don’t want anything to do with you - then come talk to me.”

After dinner, Aubrey and Amy planned for the Bellas to sing karaoke at a place not too far from the hotel. After all, singing is what they did best. The women had a private room, complete with their own server and a well-stocked snack bar. While a few Bellas sang, they mostly visited and caught up on each other’s lives.

“I don’t know what to do, Stacie.” Beca hoped her friend could give her some insight into what was happening. “I tried sending flowers to her room to warm her up so we could talk, and that backfired.”

Beca did her best to respect Chloe and stay away. Luckily Stacie didn’t have the same attitude as her wife and spent most of her time talking with the music producer, but she still wouldn’t Beca any hints. Stacie admitted that Aubrey had put the fear of God into her if she told Beca why Chloe was upset after not seeing each other for a decade.

Aubrey felt that the women wouldn’t sing much but chose the karaoke bar more for their private rooms and cheaper drinks than the hotel. There was an added bonus of a projection system. After a while, Amy stood on a table to get everyone’s attention. “Find a seat, everyone where you can see the wall. We, well, Aubrey, went to Barden and dug these videos from the archives. What would a reunion be if we couldn’t celebrate why we are here.”

The video chronicled the Treblemakers and Bellas competitions that academic year, all the way to nationals. The video even captured when they went on stage to get their trophy. After the video finished playing, Aubrey pulled out a few scrapbooks so the Bellas could reminisce some more.

After the video, Jessica and Ashley immediately cornered Beca and began grilling her about nationals. “Why didn’t you tell us about you and Chloe?” Ashley teasingly shoved Beca’s chest.

“Huh?” Beca was confused.

“You kissed her, Beca.” Jessica hissed the words at the music producer. “After flirting with each other all year, you kissed her! We saw it.”

Beca’s face turned red. “Uh-h.” She knew she couldn’t deny the kiss because someone had captured it on video. She was also sure that same picture she had in her scrapbook would be in the one the Bellas were looking at now. The one she had stared at for two weeks before attending the reunion.

“You two finally hooked up, huh? You devil dog, you,” Jessica smirked. “Then you left to seek your fortune and fame.” She tsked and shook her head teasingly. “No wonder she won’t talk to you.” The couple walked off, leaving Beca speechless.

Was Chloe mad because Beca kissed her? Beca was finally beginning to put the puzzle pieces together.

The karaoke bar was closing, but many Bellas weren’t ready to return to the hotel. They enjoyed catching up with each other. Beca told Amy that her hotel room was a massive suite, large enough for all of them to relax and enjoy the company of friends. The music producer called ahead and ordered additional alcohol and food from room service.

Beca hurried to her room to clean up anything she might have lying around to avoid embarrassing herself. She propped the door open so the other Bellas could come in as they wished. She was almost ashamed at how large her room was, but her personal assistant was used to booking her the biggest and the best. In this case, it came in handy.

Despite Aubrey and Chloe refusing to talk to her, Beca felt the rest of the women did not hold a grudge about leaving to pursue her dream. She was glad she’d come to the reunion. The Bellas slowly trickled in, and even Chloe showed up. Aubrey and Stacie were the last to arrive. With a frosty stare, the blonde went to sit next to Chloe on the couch. 

Stacie plopped down next to Beca and tossed her arm over the back of the loveseat. “Nice digs here, Shortstack.” Beca grinned as she shrugged her shoulders. “Aubrey didn’t want to come, but I threatened to withhold hunting privileges if she didn’t.”

Beca snorted. “That seriously worked?”

“She’s here, isn’t she? You talked to Chloe yet?”

“Nope.”

The women went around the room, each talking about the accomplishment she was most proud of in her life during the past ten years. This led to a conversation about where everyone saw themselves in five years. Beca kept stealing glances at Chloe, who pointedly ignored her yet still interacted with the other Bellas.

At one point, Chloe’s soft voice broke a bit of silence. 

I got my ticket for the long way round

One by one, the other Bellas joined in.

Two bottle o' whiskey for the way
And I sure would like some sweet company
And I'm leavin' tomorrow, why don't you stay?

Smiles were broad and harmonies were perfect throughout the song. When the lyrics stopped, the girls stared around the room at each other.

“That’s our sound,” C.R. exclaimed. “You three should have never left the Bellas because we lost our sound when you did.” She pointed at Aubrey and Chloe, then at Beca. The others all chimed in with choruses of agreement.

“I missed you guys,” said Beca. “I just wasn’t meant for college.” She caught Aubrey rolling her eyes as she spoke. Beca ducked her head down. “I mean, I’d never give up the time I spent with all of you. But I always wanted to go to Los Angeles after a year.”

Some of the other Bellas murmured their acceptance. Then Amy said, “well, we missed you. All three of you. This group was the last of a legacy.”

As the night dwindled, the Bellas took their leave back to their hotel rooms. Beca tried once more to talk to Chloe. She gently grasped her arm and pulled her aside. “Please, can we talk? Five minutes, that’s all I’m asking.” The music producer was desperate to find out why Chloe seemingly hated her so much. 

Aubrey walked up and grabbed Beca’s wrist, moving in between the two shorter women. Chloe slipped out the door. “You don’t take a hint very well, do you, Mitchell? She doesn’t want to talk to you.” Aubrey’s eyes were like daggers piercing into Beca’s skull.

Beca twisted her wrist out of the former co-captain’s grip. “Geesh, what’s with you two? 

“Chloe’s been my friend since you were still in high school, Beca. When she says she doesn’t want to talk to you, she doesn’t have to give you reasons. Be respectful and back the fuck off.”  Aubrey narrowed her eyes at Beca, then turned to her wife. “Come on, Stacie. Let’s go.”

Chapter Text

The following day, all the Bellas were to return home. Many said their goodbyes the night before, while others made plans to meet downstairs for breakfast before heading to the airport. Beca decided not to head back to California until late afternoon so she could sleep a bit longer. She hadn’t taken a break from work in a while and enjoyed the time to herself. Beca woke up to a loud banging on her hotel door. She moaned as she turned over in bed, not wanting to get up.

The knocking continued, so she pulled on her robe and answered the door. She was surprised to see Chloe pushing past her, waving an envelope in her hand.

“What? What is this, Beca Mitchell? How dare you! First, you try to bribe me with flowers and now this? I don’t want to talk to you. But now I suppose I have to talk to you because of this.” 

Chloe was manic, flailing her arms around as she paced about the hotel room. She marched up to Beca and yelled, “I was able to almost make it the entire weekend without talking to you.” She jabbed Beca’s chest for emphasis. “Then you go and do something like this. Why can’t you leave me alone?”

Chloe’s face was fire engine red, as bright as her hair as tears began to stream down her face. “I want to hate you, Beca. I never wanted to see you again, and I certainly didn’t want to talk to you. But you did this. Now I have to be looking at your face, which I never wanted to do.”

Beca wisely kept quiet, guided Chloe to her sofa, and retrieved a cold bottle of water from the mini-bar. She also handed her a box of tissues. The brunette sat on an overstuffed armchair which was a reasonably safe distance away from Chloe in case the redhead decided to go off on her again.

After Chloe stopped ranting and calmed down, she waved the envelope at Beca. “Why did you do this? Was it because you knew I’d come to talk to you?”

Feeling guilty, Beca decided to hedge her bets and stretch the truth. “My assistant researched and found out that you volunteer at P.A.W.S. animal shelter. The shelter’s website lists needs, including repairs to several sections of kennels. Kate contacted a contractor to get a rough estimate to give all the kennels a much needed upgrade. She then donated in your name. That way, you couldn’t give it back. Like you did the flowers. I thought it would be a nice gesture. That’s all. I mean, why am I making all this money if I can’t spend it for some good?”

Chloe sniffled and wiped her nose.

Beca’s guilt increased. “But yeah, I hoped the donation would persuade you to come to talk to me.”

“Well, thanks, I guess. The shelter needs every penny they can raise.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you, Chloe. All I wanted was a chance to talk to you.”

“Arrrgghhh, now I’m getting angry all over again. Why did you even come to the reunion, Beca? It’s not like you even cared about any of us.”

Beca’s eyes widened. “That’s not true. The months I spent with the Bellas were some of the best of my life. Maybe it just took this reunion to realize exactly how important the Bellas were… are to me.” Both women were quiet for a few moments. “Hey, Chloe. I know why you are mad at me. I don’t blame you.”

Chloe looked at Beca hopefully, tilting her head sideways in anticipation of an explanation long overdue. And perhaps even an apology if she were lucky.

“The kiss. When we won nationals. I…I guess I got caught up in the moment. You were there. I was there. And well, I wanted to kiss you. So, yeah. I did.” Beca knew she was rambling.

The redhead’s eyes narrowed. “You think I spent all weekend avoiding you because of a kiss? Seriously? Beca Mitchell!” She got up and stomped towards the door.

Beca jumped up and blocked her way, not letting Chloe leave. “Look, Chloe, everyone knew I had a crush on you but me. Yet you never gave up on me. And broke down my walls when everyone else quit trying.”

“You. Think. I’m. Mad. That. You. Kissed. Me?” Chloe asked through gritted teeth. “I was upset because you ignored me after the kiss. When I came to your dorm room the day before I graduated to see why you’d been ignoring me, you fucked me. Then left. Didn’t even bother to watch me walk across the stage.”

Chloe was screaming at this point. “You screwed me, then walked into the sunset, never to be seen or heard from again. Until ten years later, and surprise! You show up and want me to talk to you? Beca, you broke my heart. I was in love with you!”

Stunned, Beca stood there with her jaw open. “Oh,” she meekly said. Suddenly all the memories came flooding back to her. When Chloe showed up, she’d been packing her dorm room, dancing. Chloe had wanted to talk about the kiss. Instead, they’d slept together. When Beca woke up the next day, her father was almost there to pick her up, so she had… panicked and just left.

“Chlo… I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. I was eighteen years old and stupid as fuck.” By now, Chloe had started crying again. “No, oh Chloe, no, don’t cry.” Beca put her arms around the redhead tentatively and held her until the sobs subsided. “I’m so very sorry, and it shouldn’t have taken me this long to say that to you.”

“I need to get to the airport; I can’t miss my flight.” Chloe dabbed her eyes with fresh tissues. Beca again asked for forgiveness. Chloe said she needed some time to think about Beca’s apology. “Ten years is a long time to stew about something.” 

“I had no idea, Chloe. While I’m going to blame this on my eighteen-year-old self, my twenty-eight-year-old self takes full responsibility. I promise to try to make it up to you.”

“I can’t promise that’s possible, Beca. Old scars run deep.” With that, Chloe turned and left.

Later that morning, Stacie texted Beca to let her know that she and Aubrey were about to head to pick up Bella from Stacie’s mom. Beca went downstairs to say her goodbyes. In her mind, she was going to steer clear of Aubrey. At least now she knew why the two co-captains treated her as they did all weekend. Truth be told, she probably deserved it.

“You may have apologized to Chloe, Beca. And sent a big donation to her shelter. But I’m still quite irate with you. She deserves better than that. You have no idea how much anguish you caused my best friend and how long it took her to get over you.” While angry, at least Aubrey was talking to Beca now. Her phone rang, so she stepped aside to let Stacie and Beca say farewells. 

“So you got to talk to Chloe, huh?” Stacie wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulders as Beca nodded. “That was a pretty dick move you pulled, Beca. I’m surprised Aubrey didn’t hunt you down after graduation.”

Beca nervously chuckled and shrugged. “Stacie, I was a teenager. Come on. I thought I was cool and suave. Look, Chloe and I both live in Los Angeles. I figure I’ll contact her in a week or two and see if she’ll let me take her out to eat or something. Show her I’m not really a teenage dirtbag anymore.”

Stacie and Beca turned to Aubrey, whose voice had become high-pitched and nervous. “You missed your flight? Chloe!” She paused as she listened some more. “They can’t get you home until tomorrow night?” Aubrey scurried over to Stacie. “Hold on, Chloe.”

“Stace, we’re going to go pick up Chloe from the airport. She missed her flight and can’t get out until late tomorrow.” She turned back to the phone. “I know, Chloe. I know. I had a great weekend, too. We just get to extend it another day.” Another pause. “Find a place to grab another coffee. Our car just came down. I’ll text you when we get close.”

After Aubrey disconnected, she glared at Beca. “This would have never happened had she not gone to your room this morning about the stupid donation you made. You always did fuck up everything, Beca.”

“Woah,” Beca said as she took a few steps back. “I may have done some shitty things back in the day, but I’m not the reason Chloe missed her flight. That’s on her.”

“Come on, Stacie. Chloe’s already upset enough as it is. There’s not another veterinarian to cover at the clinic in the morning. So all the patients will have to be rescheduled. She can’t get home until late tomorrow night.” Aubrey was still steadfast that this was Beca’s fault.

“Wait,” Beca put her hand on Stacie’s arm to keep her from sliding into the car’s driver’s seat. “If Chloe needs to return to L.A. tonight, she can go with me.”

“What part of - there are no more available seats until tomorrow - didn’t you understand, Mitchell?”

“On my plane, there are.” Beca defiantly crossed her arms. “There’s room for ten.”

Stacie looked at her wife over the top of the car. “Well?” When Aubrey rolled her eyes, Stacie told Beca to get her bags so that she could ride with them to the airport.

Aubrey texted Chloe when they were almost at the airport and told her what door to meet them at. Stacie navigated through the hoards of cars until she saw Chloe standing on the curb. Aubrey hopped out to help Chloe load her bags into the trunk. They both got in the back seat. When Chloe saw Beca in the front seat, she almost got out.

“What are you doing here?”

“Wait, wait!” Beca held her hands up defensively. She knew this might backfire on her. “The suggestion was mine. I have a plane and thought if you needed to get home today, maybe you would like to catch a ride with me?” She made an odd face as she raised one eyebrow.

Stacie started to drive out of the traffic mess, and Chloe told her to stop, saying she hadn’t agreed to go with Beca.

“After all that’s happened, I’m not sure I want to be in an enclosed space with her for over four hours.”

“We’re going over to the Westin Hotel, Chlo. We are either dropping Beca off there and taking you home with us. Or dropping you both off.”

Chloe looked at Beca who shrugged and said, “I can’t get car service from there, but Uber is way cheaper to get from the hotel than from the airpott. I’ve already ordered an Uber Lux to be waiting either way.”

Aubrey looked at her friend. “It’s up to you, Chloe. Beca offered, and I didn’t feel right declining on your behalf. I know you needed to get home for work.”

Eventually, Chloe decided to temporarily forego her resentment towards Beca and accept the offer of a plane ride home. Their car was waiting when they arrived at the airport hotel. After a second round of goodbyes, Aubrey and Stacie were on their way home to pick up their daughter. And Beca and Chloe were on their way to the private airport to board the studio’s private jet that would take them back to Los Angeles.

Beca tolerated Chloe’s silence on the hour drive between the two airports. The Lux driver was more professional than standard Uber drivers and didn’t offer any chatty conversation, so each woman watched the passing city sights as they drove to the smaller airport.

Once the driver was let through the gates, he dropped the pair off at the main building. Chloe began to fumble in her purse for her ID when Beca waved her off. “You don’t need an ID here.” The agent welcomed Beca back and told the women their plane was ready. Beca greeted the pilot and attendant as she boarded.

“This is Dr. Chloe Beale, a college friend who will join us on our ride home today.” Both flight crew members welcomed the redhead warmly. Beca took her usual seat midway back while Chloe hesitantly looked around, deciding where to sit. “There are nine open seats, Chlo. I promise I’ll leave you alone.” Once the luggage was stowed and pre-flight checks were complete, the plane was off to Los Angeles. 

Beca had her laptop open and sorted through the e-mail she’d downloaded before the plane took off. When she glanced back at Chloe, the redhead was sipping on a glass of wine with her bare feet tucked beneath her reading a book. Beca gave a small smile seeing her former friend relaxed. At least they were co-existing in the same space.

About an hour into the flight, a shadow fell across Beca’s laptop screen. She glanced up, expecting to see the attending checking on her beverage. Instead, it was Chloe. “Mind if I sit for a minute?” Chloe motioned to the seat across from Beca before sitting down.

Beca closed her laptop lid. “Hey. Everything okay?” Chloe nodded as she worried her lower lip with her teeth.

“I wanted to say thanks. Running my own clinic has been challenging, and missing work tomorrow would have set me back several months in building my client base.”

“No problem, Chlo. It’s not like we aren’t going to the same city anyway.”

“You didn’t have to, especially after I was an ass to you all weekend. I wanted to apologize and thank you.”

“Chloe, you have nothing to apologize for. We both know you had good reason not to want ever to see me again, and that’s on me. Honestly, I’m glad it’s in the open now because I was hella confused until this morning. Sorry to be clueless.”

The redhead flashed a smile. “How can I expect you to remember something inconsequential after ten years? Right?”

Beca reached over the aisle and gripped Chloe’s arm. “It wasn’t inconsequential to you, and that’s what matters. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me someday.”

“I’m beginning to think that won’t be such a big deal after all.” Chloe stood, kissed Beca on the cheek, and returned to her seat in the back. Beca sat there, stunned, her cheek tingling from Chloe’s lips.

When the private plane landed in Los Angeles, Beca had a car waiting to take Chloe home. She stood with her hands shoved in her pockets watching the driver load Chloe’s bags. “I guess this is goodbye, Chlo. I’m glad I got to see you. And thanks for letting me talk to you… finally.”

Chloe stood in front of Beca, her hands clasped together. “Thanks for the ride. Both of them.” She motioned to the plane and then the car. “And Beca, I’m glad you came to the reunion. I don’t think things would have been the same if you hadn’t.” She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Beca who instantly tensed up. “Oh, come on, Mitchell. It’s me.”

Beca hugged her back and promised she’d do better about keeping in touch. “We do live in the same city, you know.”

Because of the time zone difference, Beca got home at a decent hour. Her personal assistant had been right about how she needed to take some time for herself. And that she needed some more friends. Beca vowed to herself to stay in touch with the Bellas whenever she could.

She spent the evening stalking all the Bellas’ Instagram accounts, pulling down photos and videos everybody had posted. Beca saved them on her personal drive space on her work server and sent Kate an e-mail to organize the pictures into a photo book. She intended to have copies printed for each woman as a thank you for a great weekend. She then realized she had no way to contact anyone except Stacie, Aubrey, and Chloe.

Beca then wrote a personal e-mail to Aubrey thanking her for organizing the weekend. She asked if she had the photobooks sent to a print-to-order shop close to Aubrey and if she wouldn’t mind sending them to all the girls since she had the addresses. Beca didn’t want to ask for everyone’s personal information out of fear of how Aubrey would respond. She still wasn’t convinced Aubrey was over eighteen-year-old Beca. 

The reply from the former co-captain came rather quickly. Aubrey told Beca she could send everyone’s addresses so the book could come from Beca. She was quite cordial in her response, so maybe Beca was slowly clearing her name.

Beca drove herself to work the following day and was in the studio before anyone else. Her secretary was surprised when she came in the door. “Oh, Ms. Mitchell. You’re here.” Beca usually never strayed from her routine, so this was an anomaly, and the secretary wasn’t quite sure how to react.

The music producer chuckled at the shock of her secretary. “Indeed I am.” She rummaged in her bag and brought out a wrapped basket. “A present for you from my trip. A basket from All Things Georgia.” The gift contained peach preserves, taffy, peanut brittle, a whole smorgasbord of Georgia goodies. She’d also gotten one for Kate, who came into the office soon after.

“Your usual.” Kate sat down Beca’s coffee and pastry bag. “So… how was your weekend,” she asked. “Are you glad you went?”

Beca took a huge bite of her chocolate croissant and nodded her head. She spoke after she’d chewed and swallowed. “Totally glad I went. I didn’t realize how important those women were, well are until I saw them again.” Kate laid Beca’s weekend mail on her desk. “Oh, and thanks for the, you know. Flowers and stuff with the P.A.W.S. shelter.”

“That’s my job, boss. But now I need to know the story. Flowers?! Plus, do you know exactly how much you donated to that shelter? Not it’s a bad cause or anything. But what happened?”

Beca blushed. “Making up for something I did ten years ago, I suppose.”

“I certainly hope it worked.”

“The donation helped,” Beca chuckled. “But I think a plane ride home after a missed flight pushed things along a bit more.” Kate was the closest thing she had to a best friend. Beca shared practically everything with her assistant. Maybe this was why they got along so well. Kate could read her like a book and always gave excellent advice. 

“So this Dr. Beale. Will you be apologizing to her some more?” Kate chuckled at the shocked look on her boss’s face.

“Hush, Kate. Don’t forget who signs your checks.” Beca told her assistant about the weekend, leaving out why Chloe was so angry with her. She was still what she had done back at Barden when she was eighteen. “Oh, Aubrey is sending me the addresses to all the Bellas this afternoon. Will you block time off on my calendar? I want to write personal notes for each of them.”

Kate was impressed. She’d never  seen Beca take so much personal care with anyone before, more or less a group of people. “They must be a special group of women, boss.”

“Indeed, they are.”

Beca finished the last of her handwritten notes to the Bellas and pushed back from her desk. A glance at the time told her why her stomach was growling. Her lunchtime had come and gone. She’d been so involved in the task that she hadn’t noticed.

After checking her email and phone to make sure nothing urgent had come in, she shrugged on her jacket and told her secretary she would grab a quick bite to eat down the street. There was a row of food trucks a block over from her studio where she had many choices. Then she could eat under the shade of the park trees and enjoy the outdoors.

As she ate her lunch, she flipped through the pictures she’d taken of the weekend. Before Chloe had gotten in the car to go home, she’d insisted on having a picture made with Beca. “We didn’t get any all weekend, Becs. There needs to be at least one.” 

Beca admired the picture a few moments, then made it her lock screen, laughing at how things had come full circle. She truly missed Chloe and hoped this meant they could somehow be a part of each other’s lives again. Chloe had saved her number in Beca’s phone, so the music producer felt confident she was okay to use it. So, she wrote a short text and included their picture. 

To Chloe: Thought you might like this one for your collection.

That evening, Beca’s phone alerted that she had a text message. Normally the only person who messaged her was Kate alerting her to an issue for the following day. The music producer sighed and poured herself another tumbler of whiskey. She plopped down on her couch and opened her messages.

From Chloe: thanks! second cutest thing i saw all day!

She then sent Beca a picture of a basket of five tiny Cocker Spaniel puppies.

From Chloe: top cutest thing I saw all day!
From Beca: i see you have your priorities in line
From Beca: make it to work on time?
From Chloe: yep! thanks to you and your private jet

Over the next few weeks, the women texted back and forth for a while, sharing tidbits of their day. Sliding back into talking to Chloe felt right. There may have been a ten year gap, but Beca felt like somehow, Chloe had been there all along. Their casual conversations made the music producer realize how much she’d missed having the redhead in her life.

One evening, she nervously typed out a message. After reading it several times, Beca held her breath before sending it..

From Beca: do you have any plans saturday?
From Chloe: maybe
From Beca: well there may or may not be a release party for an album I may or may have not have done a bit of work on. you could join me.
From Beca: if you wanted
From Chloe: maybe

Beca was getting nervous. Her hands were actually sweating. She hadn’t exactly just asked Chloe out but she kinda did. The pause was making her anxious.

From Chloe: who’s the artist? anyone i’d know?
From Beca: halsey
From Chloe: BECA!!!
From Chloe: why didn’t you lead with that?
From Beca: i didn’t want you to think I was trying to ply you with material things
From Beca: so are you in?
From Chloe: ummm YES!!!

Beca did a fist-pump as she sent a smiley face emoji to Chloe and told her she’d like to pick her up around seven so they could have dinner before the party.

And so that’s how the week continued. Chloe would keep texting Beca with pictures of incredibly cute dogs and cats, and Beca would send Chloe pictures of the same recording studio she worked in since she returned from Georgia with the same unknown artist.

From Beca: save these pictures
From Beca: this chick will be famous someday
From Chloe: are you sure you aren’t sending me the same picture over and over

Chapter Text

As Saturday rolled around, Beca became extremely nervous. Usually, she hated going to release parties. The same people seemed always to be there, and Beca would have to walk around with the same fake smile. The music producer found the gatherings tedious at best.

She was excited about this one because not only would Chloe be attending with her, but this would also be Chloe’s first event. And if Chloe was anything like she’d been in college, she would be giddy and star-struck at everyone who attended.

Beca had arranged for her driver to pick her up in time to be at Chloe’s house by seven pm. Even though Beca wasn’t sure if Chloe was considering this an official date, Beca was and made sure to pick up the perfect bouquet of spring flowers. Much smaller than the one from the hotel, of course. She hoped Chloe liked this one better.

When Chloe answered the door, Beca’s mouth dropped open. The redhead wore a strapless, skin-tight, emerald green dress, cut mid-thigh. She had on patent leather green heels and a string of thick white pearls. Har wavy, auburn hair was parted on the side and fell past her shoulders. “Hi.”

“Oh, hi,” Beca stumbled over her words. “You look, errr, beautiful. Ahh, here.” She thrust out the flowers. “I didn’t know, ah, umm, here.”

Chloe smiled and said, “come on in. I’ll just put these in water. They are so pretty; thank you.” Beca nervously stood right inside the door of Chloe’s home. “You look nice, too, Beca.” Beca looked down at what she’d spent hours picking out.

“Thanks. I thought we’d try that new vegetarian place on La Cienega Boulevard.”

The redhead picked up her purse and met Beca at the door. “Why, Beca Mitchell! I never pictured you as the eat your vegetables kind of gal.”

Beca grinned as she slid through the car door being held open by the driver. “I thought you might still be into that healthy kind of thing when you can.”

“I am!”

“I know.” Beca blushed as she admitted the truth. “I might have bribed Stacie to get Aubrey to tell me what you might like.”

“Hey - whatever gets the job done.”

The night went well, and as predicted, Chloe was totally ga-ga about all the star-power in attendance. “How do I get copies of all those pictures that were taken? I can get copies, right? Please say yes! OMG!” The moment the pair were in the car, Chloe began peppering Beca with questions. Per policy, cell phones were not allowed inside the party as the studio had been burned before; however, a staff photographer always ensured the event was well covered.

“I’ll make sure you get them as soon as possible,” Beca chuckled as Chloe ticked off all the people she’d gotten to meet. “I take it you had a good time?”

“Absolutely! Thank you so much for inviting me, Beca.”

“I’m glad you came along.” Suddenly, Beca was back to being nervous again. “Especially after…,” Beca hesitated. “Umm, I know we haven’t talked about, you know, but I…”

Chloe interrupted her. “Not tonight, Beca. It’s okay. We’re going to be okay, hmm?” She looked at the music producer with eager, shining blue eyes. “Okay?”

“Yeah. I hope so. If I’ve learned anything since my plane touched down in Atlanta a few weeks ago is how much I’ve missed having you in my life, Chlo.” Beca’s smile was shy and timid.

When the driver pulled up to Chloe’s condo, the redhead reached over and grasped Beca’s hand. “Would you like to come up for a drink?” She laughed at the shocked look on Beca’s face. “I promise I won’t bite.” Beca agreed and sent the driver away for the night, telling him she’d catch an Uber home.

Beca wasn’t quite sure Chloe’s purpose in asking her up for drinks. As doubt began to sink in, she thought of all the ways this could have gone wrong. Maybe a nice bar with bright lights would have been a better choice. Yeah, that. As the elevator took them to Chloe’s floor, Beca took a few deep breaths to steady herself. 

Chloe unlocked the door and went in, stepping aside to let Beca through before closing and locking the door. “Welcome to my humble abode. Pardon the mess,” Chloe giggled. “I wasn’t expecting company. Is wine okay?”

“Sure,” Beca mumbled as she meandered into Chloe’s living around. Books, framed pictures, and knick-knacks filled a wall of shelving stretching from floor to ceiling on either side of the television. She found a picture of Stacie and Aubrey’s wedding party, including many of the Bellas, with Chloe being Aubrey’s maid of honor. One particularly beautiful picture of Chloe in her pale pink lace dress showed her laughing as she toasted to the brides.

“The wedding was beautiful.” Chloe startled Beca as she handed her a glass of wine. “You would have loved it. I’m going to change right quick. Make yourself comfortable.”

Beca sipped on her wine as she looked at a few more pictures, her eyes landing on one of the Bellas the night they won their championship. How happy they looked holding their trophy. She finally settled in on Chloe’s oversized, cushy couch. When Chloe returned, she settled in an adjacent chair. A bit of comfortable silence settled between them while they decompressed from the excitement of the evening. 

“So… you did it.” Chloe took another sip of wine. “You paid your dues and are getting to make music.”

Beca nodded her head. “Yup. But if I have to be honest, I think the year I spent at Barden made all the difference in the world. I wish I hadn’t thrown those friendships away over the last ten years, but you know what they say about hindsight.”

“Well, they also say - wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which fills up first.” Chloe laughed. “I’m happy for you, though. I’m sure you had to fight to get where you are, but you deserve it. You’re quite talented.”

Beca laughed again. “You always knew how to make me smile, Chlo. And let’s not forget about you, Dr. Beale. With your own clinic to boot! I’m quite impressed. What a journey.” 

The women visited for a while. Chloe shared stories of the grueling four years of additional education she had to go through to become a veterinarian, including clinical rotations. “I was fairly certain I wanted to work with small animals, but rotations helped me broaden my exposure. So my externship was done at two different small animal clinics.”

“How’d you get to Los Angeles?”

“Clinicals were spread out nationwide, not all in the Georgia area. My last externship was in Long Beach. I loved the weather so decided to stick around. Real estate prices are ridiculous, but I suppose it’s a trade-off. After I passed my licensing exam, I worked at a clinic in northern L.A., in the Burbank area for three years.” Chloe retrieved the bottle of wine from the kitchen and topped off their glasses. “Then Grandma passed.”

“Oh, Chloe, I’m so sorry to hear that.” Beca knew how close Chloe had been to her grandmother and immediately began feeling guilty for not being there for her friend during what had to have been a traumatic time. “I didn’t know.”

Chloe waved her off. “Why would you?” She fluttered her eyes a bit to clear the tears. “Anyway, I had no idea she’d left me a sizable chunk of money. I tried to get my dad to take some, but he insisted that Grandma wanted me to have it. So, I began looking for a building I could purchase. Not only did the building need to be suitable for a clinic, but I also had to find one in an area that needed the services.”

The more the two talked, the more they drank. At some point, Chloe ended up on the couch with her head in Beca’s lap. The music producer was chatting away when she looked down and realized the redhead had fallen fast asleep. She gently ran her fingers through Chloe’s hair, causing Chloe to sigh with contentment and settle further into Beca’s lap. 

Beca rested her head on the back of the couch and reminisced about her year at Barden. Many times, Chloe would fall asleep like this when Beca would visit Chloe and Aubrey’s apartment. Sometimes Beca would just let her sleep while others, she would carry Chloe to her bedroom and tuck her in. 

After a while, Beca decided that her friend would sleep much more comfortably in her bed than on the couch, so she eased from beneath Chloe’s head. Beca found the room that was obviously the main bedroom and pulled back Chloe’s covers. Returning to the living room, she gently picked Chloe up, wedding style, and took her to the bedroom. Off came Chloe’s slippers, and Beca pulled the covers over her before leaning down to press her lips against Chloe’s temple. “Goodnight,” she whispered.

As Beca went to stand, she heard Chloe whisper, “stay” as she reached back for Beca’s hand. The redhead moved to the other side of the bed, leaving space for Beca. Unsure what to do, Beca finally decided to stay. She found a pair of shorts and a t-shirt in Chloe’s drawers and settled in behind the redhead, who immediately snuggled back into her. The brunette tentatively wrapped her arms around Chloe and fell asleep.

The morning was early, as evidenced by the pale light seeping through the curtains. Chloe felt the bed shift as Beca got out. She eased her eyes open and watched as Beca quietly gathered her clothes and went to the living room. Her heart sank as she realized that Beca had left. Nothing had happened between them the night before, but Chloe had thought there was a connection akin to what the pair had when they were at Barden. Yet once again, Beca was gone.

After a few minutes longer, Chloe got up and started a pot of coffee. The wine glasses had been washed and put away, but there was no sign of Beca. Nor had the music producer left her a note. Chloe sighed and went to shower. Sundays were paperwork days at the clinic. She was looking forward to the day her business grew to the size where she could hire a business manager to handle this for her.

After a steamy, hot shower, Chloe towel dried her hair and pulled it away from her face. She quickly dressed and was about to put on her shoes when she heard someone in the kitchen. Terrified, Chloe slipped her cell phone into her pocket in case she needed to call 911 and looked around her room for something she could use to protect herself.

Suddenly she heard a thud and a familiar voice. “Ahh fuck.” She let out the breath she was holding and entered the kitchen to see Beca at the kitchen island rubbing her toe. “Sorry, I didn’t expect that potted plant to jump out in front of me.” Beca grinned as she pointed to the large Ficus behind her.

A large paper bag bearing the stamp of Porto’s Bakery was sitting on the island. Chloe looked at Beca, the bag, and then back at Beca, realization sinking in. She rushed over and flung her arms around Beca’s neck, squeezing her tight.

Beca chuckled and hugged her back. “I missed you, too, Doc. But I was only gone for like twenty minutes.” 

“I thought you’d left again,” Chloe said into Beca’s hair. Suddenly feeling foolish, she pushed back and used her hand to wipe away the tear threatening to slide down her cheek. She turned her attention to the sack hoping Beca didn’t realize her watery eyes. “Oooh, goodies.”

Beca announced the items as she pulled them out. “Blueberry scones. Chocolate, chocolate chip muffins. Strawberry cheese danish - your college favorite. I wasn’t sure what you ate these days, so I got an assortment. Oh, and some almond biscotti.” Chloe pulled two insulated metal tumblers from her cabinet and poured coffee for them both. Then she and Beca went to sit on the balcony to enjoy the breeze which blew in from the Pacific Ocean.

“So, you thought I’d left again, eh?” Beca took a huge bite of scone. Chloe’s face flushed as she nodded. “I made that mistake once, albeit in a much larger fashion. I wouldn’t do it again. I promise. You were just sleeping so soundly that I thought I could have breakfast here before you noticed I was gone.”

“No harm, no foul; you’re back; that’s all that matters.”

After the pair finished eating, Chloe said she needed to head to her clinic to work. “Then I’m scheduled at the shelter this afternoon. Would you like to see the progress they are making on refitting the kennels? You did make a major donation, you know.”

Beca sheepishly grinned. “No, you made the donation. I’d love to drop by on two conditions.” Chloe tilted her head sideways with a questioning look on her face. “First, you don’t let on that the money came from me. I’m just a friend. And two, I get to see your clinic. Since it’s closed today, maybe you could show me what you’ve done for yourself, Dr. Beale.”

“Okay, Mitchell. But I have a condition myself. I get to see where you work, too. I still think you’ve been sending me the same picture, over and over, when I send you lots of pictures of cute kitties and puppies.”

“You’ve got a deal, Doc. But believe me, the inside of the studio is indeed that drab.”

Chloe found herself much lighter than usual as she drove to the clinic. Usually, she dreaded Sundays, but today, she was excited. After a few hours of work, Beca would drop by to see her clinic. She was proud of what she’d accomplished and tickled that Beca was interested. Maybe Chloe was reading too much into Beca’s actions, but a woman could hope.

After she unlocked the clinic’s front door, she looked around at the kempt waiting area. A few magazines were scattered about the tables, and there was a small play corner for children. There was even a separate section for owners who brought nervous cats. 

Her office was at the back of the building, cozy with enough room for a filing cabinet, a reasonably sized desk, a guest chair, and a bookshelf full of vet textbooks and reference books. This coming Tuesday was payday, so she tackled that first, so the courier could deliver the checks on Tuesday morning. 

The other main task for Sundays was the duty assignments for the following week. Considering who was working when, Chloe shuffled magnets around a board to rotate clinic responsibilities. Everyone came in early on Monday for their weekly staff meeting to discuss additional needs or to shift tasks as needed. 

Right now, only one other doctor was on staff, but Chloe hoped to hire another at the end of the month. She’d also posted an opening on the vet student externship clearinghouse website. With any luck, she’d have an extern before needing another vet since that would be more economical.

Beca showed up right as she was tidying up her office and getting ready to go to the shelter. The music producer texted to let her know she was out front. “Nice, Chlo! I checked out your website before coming. You seem to have everything covered. Smooth as butter.”

The veterinarian laughed. “Like a duck - calm on top, paddling like hell underwater. Anyway, here she is.” She showed Beca the exam rooms and then the back area, including the kennels and operating theatre. “I bought the building, so there’s room to expand once I get going. I’d like to add another surgical area, grooming and boarding. If I find the right person to manage, the grooming and boarding will run itself.”

After Beca was satisfied she’d explored every nook and cranny of Chloe’s clinic, the vet grabbed her doctor’s coat and stethoscope. “It’s only a few blocks away. We can walk. Today, I’m doing intake exams on new arrivals and determining what else is needed.”

“I think it’s really cool what you do, Chlo.” Beca actually deeply admired Chloe for following her dream and becoming an animal doctor. 

“I think it’s really cool what you do, too, Bec.” 

Beca laughed. “Okay, so that sounds funny. But seriously, I’m impressed, Dr. Beale.” Chloe playfully pushed her shoulder and gave her an exaggerated wink.

“P.A.W.S. of Burbank. Here we are.” Chloe opened the door and motioned Beca inside. They were immediately greeted with a cacophony of barks and yelps from the back. A tremendous black dog with floofy hair came running up and immediately welcomed Beca by shoving his nose in her crotch. 

“Beezer, no. That’s not how we say hello,” Chloe said to the dog, pushing him away. “Sorry, Becs, this is Beezer, the shelter dog. He runs loose on Sundays because we aren’t open to the public. He’s quite friendly if you couldn’t tell.”

Chloe gave Beca a quick tour of the shelter, pointing out the west kennel area, which was currently in the stage of reconstruction. The east kennel area had two dogs per run and several crates of various sizes stacked containing dogs. “The west wing was larger, so construction started there. So, we doubled up kennels, and some dogs have kennels.” But everyone gets walked several times a day, and the crates dogs get extra play yard time.

Making their way to the back of the shelter took quite some time because Chloe stopped at each kennel to greet the dogs and scratch them through the wires. Occasionally a worker or volunteer would wander up to say hi to Chloe. Beezer trotted in front of them as if to announce her arrival along the way. As they went through another door, a woman looked up. “Dr. Beale, good afternoon.”

Chloe introduced Beca to the tech and everyone else milling around. “Sundays normally don’t take long.” She glanced at the animals waiting. “I only have half a dozen or so. You had a cat growing up, right? Joey can show you the cat room. They love visitors. I’ll come find you when I’m done.”

Feeling that she’d been dismissed, Beca laughed as she went with Joey to the cattery which had about ten cats of various ages, sizes, and breeds. She grabbed a few of the cat toys, and some of the more feisty cats immediately showed interest. When she got bored teasing those, she wandered over to some of the kitties lazing in the sun. She scratched a few behind the ears, really getting them to purring. 

“Relaxing, huh?” Beca hadn’t heard Chloe come in. “I love coming in here after a stressful workday. The cats seem to take all my cares away.” 

The pair sat down on the cat couch, neither caring that their clothes were getting covered in hair. “Are you done already?” Beca looked at Chloe, who was petting a cat who’d immediately jumped in her lap. The vet nodded. Beca’s stomach began grumbling. They both looked down and laughed. “So, ummm would you maybe like to get some dinner, Chlo?”

Chloe was quiet for a minute before speaking. “What is this, Becs? What are we doing?”

“I don’t know, Chlo,” Beca replied. “I don’t know.”

After dinner that one night, Chloe and Beca continued to text daily and would meet for an occasional meal or drinks. However, they hadn’t spent the night together since the first time after the reunion. They also hadn’t talked about what happened back at Barden.

“I don’t know what to do, Bree.” Chloe had her best friend on FaceTime. “She’s acting so casual about everything. Like… we are friends.”

“I thought that’s what you wanted,” replied Aubrey. “After she showed up and made all those grand gestures to get to talk to you, I thought you were wanting to get your friendship back.”

Chloe sighed. “I know. I mean, she’s not doing anything wrong. It’s just… I thought the night she asked me to go to the album release party was… a date. She brought me flowers and everything.”

Aubrey shook her head. “Did you ask her if it was a date?” Chloe shook her head. “Okay, how about this - have you two talked? About what happened at Barden?”

“No. She mentioned it that night, but I didn’t want to talk about it. Everything was going so well, and I didn’t want to ruin things. I thought it was a date, Aubrey. She stayed over and everything.”

“Wait! What? You slept with Beca Mitchell AGAIN?” Chloe could almost see steam rising off Aubrey’s head. 

“No, no. I fell asleep on the couch, and she carried me to my room. I asked her to stay. Nothing happened. We just slept.”

“But you wanted more to happen? Help me, Chloe. I’m confused.”

“You’re confused? I’m confused! Aubreyyyyyyyyyy,” Chloe whined. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Chloe, I seriously think you two need to talk about what happened at Barden. Clear the air, then just ask her what she wants. Does she want only a friendship? Or… more? Just buck up and do it. My daddy always said if you know what you want, tie a knot at the end of the rope and dig your heels in.”

Chapter Text

Chloe’s palms were sweating as she typed out what she hoped was a casual text to Beca. She didn’t want to give any hint that this might be different than the other times they got together.

From Chloe: dinner tonight? yard house?
From Beca: how about my place? i’ll cook

Beca had told Chloe that she’d become a pretty good chef over the past decade, so Chloe was looking forward to tasting what the music producer decided to cook up. Everything between the two had been so casual since the non-date date, so Chloe decided to step things up a notch. 

She brought not only a bottle of wine, but flowers like Beca had the first night they’d gone out. Remembering how Beca reacted to her green dress that night, she decided on a tight red satin number cut mid-thigh to show off plenty of leg. They weren’t going out, so she chose a pair of red flats. Beneath the dress, she made sure to choose something that would equally impress Beca should things go the way Chloe wanted.

Chloe made a last-minute stop at the package store to pick up a bottle of aged scotch. She learned that Beca had recently discovered whiskey and wanted to surprise her with a special bottle. As she rode the elevator to Beca’s floor, she double-checked her make-up in her phone’s camera and straightened her dress from the drive over. Outside Beca’s door, she nervously knocked.

“It’s open,” Beca called from inside the apartment. Chloe tentatively opened the door and went through the dining area to the kitchen. Beca had a flannel shirt with the sleeves partially rolled up thrown over a wife beater and jeans. She said, “hey,” and looked up, freezing when she looked at Chloe. “Oh,” her mouth dropped open she saw the flowers and the bag with a bottle of wine protruding. “Umm, you look… nice.”

Chloe took Beca’s dress in and stuttered out, “U-h-h, I, um.” Her face was as red as her hair and dress. “I brought wine and scotch. She sat the bag on the island and then looked around the kitchen for where a vase might be stored. “I’ll just put these in water.” 

Fuck, fuck, fuck , Chloe thought to herself. Why did I think tonight was something special? Chloe hated that she’d just made a total fool of herself in front of Beca. “I guess I overdressed.”

“No,” Beca quickly said. “No! I, umm, I’m just cooking. I wasn’t sure what time you’d be here. I’ll go change as soon as the food can be left.” Chloe knew she was lying but was thankful Beca was doing so graciously. “In fact,” she stuck the meat thermometer in the steak she’d just pulled from the oven. “The steaks are ready, and the sprouts need a bit longer. I’ll be right back. Make yourself at home.” She gave Chloe a quick kiss on the cheek and ran off to the back of her flat towards her room.

“God, you are such an imbecile,” Chloe muttered. She opened a few cabinets and found a few tumblers. She dropped a few ice cubes into her glass and poured herself a healthy three fingers of the fancy scotch she’d brought. “This calls for the hard stuff.” She grimaced as the liquid burned her throat on the way down. 

“I thought you didn’t like whiskey.” Beca startled Chloe as she came back in the kitchen. She poured a glass and took a sip. The music producer had changed into a pair of loose-fitting black slacks and a low-cut black button-up shirt with certain buttons strategically left undone. Chloe’s eyes almost bulged out when she took in Beca’s outfit.

“I figured I’d try something new tonight,” Chloe replied as she sidled up to Beca.

“I see.” Beca gave the redhead a Cheshire cat grin and went to pull the rest of the food from the oven.

“We need to talk,” Chloe announced.

“You came over here looking like that because we need to talk?” Beca gave Chloe an amused look. “Interesting.”

After they had eaten dinner, Beca insisted they leave the clean-up for later. She had a feeling Chloe had something on her mind, and indeed she was correct.

“Yes. I need to know what’s going on, Beca. With you, with us.”

Beca took in a deep breath. “Chloe, we haven’t talked about what happened between us ten years ago. Since we got back from the reunion, I’ve been waiting for you to bring it up. On your terms. Respectfully, I don’t think I can define what’s going on between us until we talk about what happened.”

“What’s there to talk about? You apologized. I accepted. The end.”

“But was that really the end, Chlo? You thought I'd left again when I stayed at your place the night after the release party. That doesn’t scream trust to me. Do you really have faith in me?”

“Beca, I woke up and you were gone. You didn’t leave a note. What was I supposed to think? Yes, my mind immediately jumped back to my graduation a decade ago when you jumped out of bed after making love to me and disappeared.” Chloe buried her head in her hands. “Arrgghh, just saying it out loud makes it all real again. Beca, I was so pissed at you. Getting over you took a long time. I know we only slept together that once, but that night was something I’d dreamed of for the entire school year.”

“This is why we need to talk about what happened. Make sure the air really is clear before we move whatever this is,” she motioned to the space between them, “anywhere.”

“Did you have any feelings for me, Beca?” Chloe decided to lay it all on the line.

“Yeah, Chloe. I did. I had a huge crush on you. And had I been a little older back then, I think I would have handle things a lot differently.” Beca reached up and placed her palm on the side of Chloe’s face. “I realize that my actions that one day shattered every bit of trust we’d built. And I’m truly sorry.”

“And now? How do you feel about me now?” Chloe held her breath as she waited for an answer.

“Chloe, I’ve always adored you. The past few months have been excruciating. That first night we went out kind of freaked me out. Holding you all night brought back so many feelings and emotions. Eighteen-year-old me ran away from you. But twenty-eight-year-old me wants to make sure I’ve earned your forgiveness.” 

The vet dabbed the tears threatening to leak from her eyes before getting a sly smirk on her face. “Does the twenty-eight-year-old you like my dress?” Beca laughed and nodded. “Then I think she’ll really like what’s on beneath.”

Beca gulped as Chloe stood from the couch to stand in front of her. Chloe grabbed Beca’s hands and placed them on her ass. “Does this mean I’m completely forgiven, Dr. Beale?” Beca managed to choke out.

“Depends on if you are a good girl, Ms. Mitchell.”

Beca slid her hands down Chloe’s legs then back up, scooting the tight skirt fabric up a bit. Beca struggled to her feet and slid her hands all the way up Chloe’s body to her face then pulled the vet towards her. Beca brushed her lips against Chloe’s face. “You are so beautiful,” she whispered.

Chloe’s lips ghosted across hers and Beca felt her knees tremble as she melted into the touch. She lifted her head a bit to better reach Chloe’s mouth. The moment their lips touched, both women froze to relish the moment. Chloe sighed in contentment and whispered through the kiss, “just like coming home.”

As the kiss deepened, the world fell away from around them both. The brunette's hand rested below Chloe's chin, her thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. Chloe ran her fingers down the smaller woman's spine, pulling her closer until there was absolutely no space left between them and she could feel the music producer’s heart beating against her chest. Time stood still as the women found themselves lost in each other's kiss.

Somehow, Beca’s hands found Chloe’s dress zipper and moved it down her back, letting the garment pool at her feet. Beca gave a soft gasp as she realized that Chloe was wearing a red bustier that matched the dress on the floor and red lace panties. “God please help me.”

Chloe made short work of Beca’s clothes as the two kissed their way to the bedroom. When they landed on Beca’s bed, Beca pushed up on one arm and look Chloe in the eyes. “Are you sure you want this?” Chloe bit her lower lip and nodded. “I’m not going to leave again, Chloe. I promise.” Chloe’s eyes slid shut as Beca dipped down to find the redhead’s mouth again.

The following day, Beca woke up before Chloe and held her from behind. Moving the curls of red hair aside, Beca gently kissed Chloe’s neck and shifted to get closer to her.

“Mmm, that feels nice,” Chloe murmured as she turned over to face Beca. “Uhh, Beca, why are you shifting your feet back and forth beneath the covers? Ants in your pants,” she teased.

“Ahh, one, I don’t have on any pants. And two, I really need to go to the bathroom, but I didn’t want you to wake up and me not be here.” Beca blushed as she talked.

“Oh my god. Just go, Beca.” She pulled her feet up and kicked Beca toward the edge of the bed. 

“Ouch! I was trying to be considerate, and this is the thanks I get.” Beca laughed as she scurried off to the bathroom.

When Beca crawled back into bed, Chloe asked her if she’d really been waiting for her to wake up before getting up. Beca solemnly nodded. “Chloe, you are important to me. I need to make sure you understand that I want to try this. The right way.”

Chloe wrapped strands of brunette hair around her fingers playfully. “Remember the first time you went to P.A.W.S. with me?” Beca nodded. “I asked you to define ‘this’. We need to figure out what we’re doing.”

“Alright.” Beca leaned forward and kissed Chloe. “How about taking it one day at a time?” The redhead didn’t seem satisfied with that answer. “Look, Chlo. I don’t want to date anyone else. I enjoy your company. I like you.”

“Ahhh, does Beca poo still have a crush on me?” Chloe playfully teased Beca. 

“Stawp!” Beca gently jabbed Chloe’s sides where she knew the vet was most ticklish. “Seriously, Chloe. You want to kno what ‘this’ is. This is me saying I want to be with you. And only you.” Chloe was quiet. “Is that okay with you?”

“I think I can work with that.”

Chloe and Beca had a special bond during the year they spent at Barden Univerisity. Beca had been an uptight, ‘don’t touch me, introverted, alt girl right out of high school. Chloe was a bubbly, I’m going to knock down those walls no matter what you say kind of girl. Now, both were obviously much more mature. 

Despite the decade-long gap in their friendship, their connection quickly snapped back and was even more tight than before. The women were good for each other, making sure they stayed grounded and didn’t become work-a-holics since both tended to over-obsess about their jobs. 

Before the reunion, Beca had already made quite the name for herself and produced many albums for household name artists. She’d had a hand in the production of two albums that had gone on to win Grammys which made her quite the sought-after producer. The studio threw countless perks, like the use of a private jet, her way to make sure Beca Mitchell stayed happy and didn’t leave.

Chloe’s vet office grew large enough for her to hire an additional vet, more techs, and even an office manager to take over operations. The staff increase allowed her to focus on expansion plans, including the boarding and grooming section, additional treatment rooms, and another operating theatre.

The women were enjoying slowly getting to know each other again. Nothing was rushed nor did anything feel pressured. They both agreed to keep their budding relationship a secret from the Bellas for now, even Aubrey, which surprised Beca to no end. She thought Chloe told Aubrey everything. Chloe had responded that type of thinking was from eighteen-year-old Beca.

One night after dinner, they were curled up on a couch in Beca’s living room with the glass doors open. The breeze was just cool enough for them to be snuggled under a thin blanket. “What would you say if I asked you to go house hunting with me this weekend,” Beca asked.

Chloe turned and looked at her, puzzled by the question. “I like this place. It suits you and is just the right size.”

Beca contemplated this answer a bit before replying. “What if I’d like a larger place?”

“Money burning a hole in your pocket, Mitchell?” Chloe couldn’t resist teasing despite Beca not spending exorbant amounts of money since the reunion. 

“No. I think I just want more room. I mean, there’s no room for your grandmother’s piano, Chloe. And visitors? I only have one guest room. Where would the baby sleep?”

“What?” Chloe wrinkled her face as she looked at Beca quite confused.

Beca gave an exaggerated sigh. “I want you to move in with me, Chloe. I’ve wanted it a while now. I love you. I love us. I want everything. Hell, I want to make it Instagram official.”

“Wow, that’s pretty serious, Beca.” Chloe still wasn’t taking the music producer very serious. Their relationship had been very low-key, and frankly, she liked not having the Bellas all in their business. She’d kept up with them since undergrad. Frankly they could be quite the handful.

Beca turned to face the vet. “Chloe, why can’t we take the next step? I mean, yeah, maybe we could get married first…”

“WHAT?”

“No, no, calm down. Let’s get a house, one we can grow into. We can look near your clinic, near my studio, hell the house could be in Malibu for all I care. We were meant to be together. And when the time comes, we can get married if that’s what right for us. And if you want a kid or five, we can do that, too. Well, maybe not five.” 

Chloe was looking at Beca dumbfounded as the music producer continued to speak. “So what about it, Chloe? Wanna go house hunting with me this weekend?”

After making a list of the must-haves and would be nice to haves in a house, Beca and Chloe hired a realtor to find houses for them to tour. After searching for a few weeks, they found one that Chloe fell in love with the moment she saw it. Everything seemed to be in line with what they were looking for; the house was even at a good price point.

Once the contract was locked in, Chloe immediately began to throw out ideas for updating the house, both outside and inside. “Making these changes will be much easier if we do them before we move in.” Of course, Beca couldn’t argue with that reasoning nor could she ever say no to anything Chloe wanted anyway.

“Aubrey wants to visit,” Chloe said casually as she painted the master bedroom accent wall a light lilac.

“What?” Beca was freaking out just a little since they still hadn’t told anyone they were dating, more or less buying a house together. “We still haven’t told anyone,” she whined.

“She has a conference in the city in two weeks. The house will be ready next week. We’ll be okay”

Beca continued to fret that they needed to let the Bellas know they were dating. Even worse, she was terrified at what Aubrey would do when she found out they’d kept it from her, too. “Aubrey’s going to kill me,” Beca moaned.

Chloe drew her brush lightly across Beca’s forehead before putting it down on the paintcan. She pulled out her phone, pressed her lips against Beca’s cheek, and took a selfie. “Not to worry, ye of little faith.”

“That’s easy for you to say. She’s your best friend. I’m the woman who broke your heart in college.” Beca kept painting as she nervously chattered away. She heard her phone ding with a notification. Then slowly more dings until they were coming rapid fire, one after the other. She looked at Chloe who was innocently staring at her phone. “Chloe? Chloe, what did you do?”

Beca pulled her phone out of her back pocket and saw that Chloe had tagged her on Instagram in a series of pictures of them doing work around the new house. The last one was the self she’d just taken seconds ago. Me and my honey painting the master bedroom of our new house. Isn’t it cute?

She then flipped over to the Bellas group chat that Chloe had added her to when they’d started dating again. The messages were rolling in like a tsunami. Beca finally stopped trying to read them all. Then Chloe’s phone rang. That ringtone. The ringtone that was reserved for one special person in Chloe’s life. Aubrey Posen. Beca thought she was going to pass out. 

Chloe answered with a chipper, “hi, Aubrey! We’re so excited to see you in a few weeks. You’re going to be the first Bella guest to see our new house.” Chloe paused. “Why yes.” Pause. “Uh-huh. Yeah.” “Okay.” She handed the phone to Beca. “It’s Aubrey. She wants to talk to you.”

Beca gulped and put the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“Beca? Are you and Chloe seriously dating?” Aubrey wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear the answer, but her voice made it clear she was serious about the question.

“Yes.” Beca’s response was quiet as she winced as if Aubrey could reach through the phone and strangle her.

“This isn’t a joke?”

“No.” Beca would never joke about dating Chloe.

“And you two just bought a house together?” Again, Aubrey was in shock.

Beca nervously shifted on her feet. “Yeah.”

Aubrey signed in relief. “Finally. It only took you ten years.”