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allitbb · 3 years

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As always, thank you so much you guys for the comments after each chapter! It really drives me to keep motivated to write (even though I usually only have a small amount of time each day to do so 🙈). At last, here is Beca’s POV!

Bechloe - Amnesia AU (pt.23)

Beca’s out of breath by the time she reaches the elevator, jamming her thumb against the button to call it. She isn’t sure if it’s the adrenaline pumping through her body or the nerves and anxiety she’s been experiencing the past twenty minutes. But all of it has resulted in this moment here - her stood, fiddling with the hem of her sweater while the elevator doors slowly open with its usual delicate ‘ping’.

She launches herself into the elevator, throwing a finger in the direction of the button she needs to press to head down to her apartment. Only two floors down. Not too far.

In the short amount of time it takes for the doors to close, however, Beca finds herself stood before the huge floor to ceiling mirror at the back of the elevator. She’s a mess. Her long brown hair is showing noticeable strands of grey - such is the amount of time it’s been since she’s actually been out publically for work. Her eyes are bloodshot thanks to the tears she’s been shedding. Her face is puffy - again, thanks tears. In fact, thanks to all the crying, Beca looks almost unrecognisable: bloodshot eyes, puffy face, a swollen red snotty nose, and mascara and eyeliner that has escaped their required zone around her eyes and have smeared enough that she now resembles something like a frikkin’ red panda.

Beca tuts, her head shaking slightly as the doors finally close behind her. How the hell could she look like this and Chloe finally, finally tell her that she still loves her.

Chloe still loves her.

Beca finds herself taking a huge shaky intake of breath. So huge her lungs hurt because they’re filled to the brim, and as her hands rest on her hips, she exhales heavily. It’s finally happening. It’s finally happened. And she was absolutely telling the truth to Chloe a few moments ago - she’s not scared. She’s not running.

“Can I have a word?”

The voice is still one that provides Beca with all the creeps and chills that she sometimes gets when watching a horror movie. It immediately startles her - as does the bony hand on her shoulder - and the sharp sip of Hot Chocolate she was in the midst of taking, shoots to the back of her throat causing her to cough several times.

Her hand in a fist, clasped to her chest, Beca whips around on the spot to find Chloe’s Grams stood before her. Violet looks back at the Oscar nominee with a slight glare to her sharp expression.

Beca’s never been in a one-on-one situation with her before, nor has she ever wanted to be. From the moment Chloe told her Grams that she and Beca weren’t just best friends but were also dating, the old woman had gone from kind and interested to cold and judgemental. It had taken Beca by surprise. It still took her by surprise.

“Violet!” Beca greets the woman with a forced smile, pretending to be happy within her company. But secretly she’s panicking. Partly panicking because of the company. Mostly panicking because Chloe’s Grams has somehow got into her hotel suite. “How-How did you get in here??”

“Your large assistant let me in.”

Beca hates how blunt the old woman is. And how rude she is too. Yeah, okay, Amy isn’t the skinniest of women, but she’s someone Beca trusts whole-heartedly. Amy works hard. Amy keeps secrets and plans things for her with her best interest at heart. Amy is one of her best friends. And her personal assistant.

She looks over Violet’s shoulder to see Amy loitering nearby, grimacing slightly. Beca knows that look. Violet must have said something to intimidate the Australian enough to let her in to talk to Beca.

“Listen, I’ll make this quick.” Violet says with an air of impatience, smoothing down the front of her clothes, then gripping her hands together over her stomach. Her handbag hangs from the crook of her left arm. Her piercing blue eyes glean into Beca’s resulting in a knot forming in the young woman’s stomach.

“You need to break up with my Granddaughter.”

“Wha-uh-what??” Beca blurts, her jaw immediately dropping while her brow furrows. She’s joking. Violet has to be joking. So after a moments pause Beca forces a tiny smile onto her face, “Come on, Violet, I’m not gonna break up with Chloe.”

But this doesn’t appear to be the answer Violet is looking for. So the old woman’s lips purse, and she takes a step closer to Beca so that her hands are already nudging against the stomach of the brunette. It causes Beca to feel even more uncomfortable, so the youngster takes a step back while clearing her throat nervously.

“You will break up with her Beca.” Violet continues.

Beca opens her mouth to protest. Because of course she’s not going to break up with the love of her life just because Chloe’s Grandmother doesn’t approve.

Chloe is everything to her. She’s everything to Chloe. She’s going to propose to Chloe this summer, in the bar where they had their first date (the bar Chloe always talks about so fondly). Then they’ll marry somewhere beautiful and private. No press. No paparazzi. No magazine deals or agents to contend with. No fans. Just the two of them and their respective families. It’s up to Violet if she wants to go or not.

“Okay, let me get the facts straight.” Chloe’s Grams continues, and were Beca not feeling so confused and confronted, she’d smirk at Amy’s mumbled joke about how Beca and Chloe are anything but straight.

“You’re a very successful music producer. You have won multiple awards and have a strong list of contacts to help you continue your successful career. You have just dabbled in the movie industry, got lucky, and may win an Oscar for acting tomorrow. If you don’t, it’s no big deal. You can go back to your happy little studio with all your contacts and continue your success. You can create your music and take part in your collaborations without ever having to worry how people view you.”

Beca isn’t sure where Violet is going here. But so far, she’s getting the vibe that all the compliments the woman is throwing her way is going to be used against her somehow…

“Chloe however… Chloe’s wanted to be an actress her whole life. From the moment she could talk she would sing. From the moment she could walk she would dance. And from the age of three she told anyone and everyone that she wanted to become an actress when she was older. It’s all she’s ever wanted.”

Beca knows this. Of course she knows this. Chloe’s told her this before. Hell even Chloe’s parents have told her this before. Numerous times. She’s seen the family photo albums of one, two, three, four year old Chloe and onwards, dressing up and putting on plays or shows for her family.

“She has acted her socks off for years. Has been to hundreds and hundreds of auditions and has faced rejection after rejection. But finally, finally she’s reached a good stage in her career. Finally she is being offered roles without even needing to audition.”

And Beca couldn’t be prouder of her girlfriend. Honestly. It’s all Chloe’s ever worked for. All of this. The chance to act for a living. To be in movies. To live in New York.

“I know you plan to ask her to marry you.”

Beca hesitates for a moment. She has the ring in her safe back home. She has all the plans booked and laid out ready to propose to Chloe in May - their favourite month. She remembers asking Chloe’s parent’s permission to propose to their daughter. They’d been thrilled. But she hadn’t told Violet-

“My daughter told me.” the woman adds. Well that makes sense. It also makes sense why Chloe’s Grams doesn’t look pleased. It’s bad enough for her that her only Granddaughter is bisexual. But Beca’s almost certain she’s heard Grams say that Chloe being interested in women is just a phase.

“But then you’ll have to tell the public that the two of you are in a relationship.”

That wouldn’t be the end of the world. Beca knows it. People would have to come to terms with it.

“And you know what the world is like. You know what Hollywood is like.”

Hmm okay, so there’s no guarantee that Hollywood would come to terms with it quite so quickly. It’s not something she and Chloe have spoken about, but Beca knows it’s a lingering topic of conversation. Perhaps they could keep their engagement a secret just like they’ve been keeping their relationship a secret?

“Beca, there’s no way the world will accept the two of you.” Violet says in a cool voice, and Beca notes a look of earnest in the Grandmother’s face, “There’s no way Hollywood will accept Chloe if they find out she’s in a relationship with you.”

That’s not necessarily true. Beca knows it isn’t. So she opens her mouth to voice that thought. To tell the old woman that it doesn’t matter what Hollywood thinks because at the end of the day Chloe will have her to lean on. She’ll always have her. But the next thing Violet says brings Beca best laid plans tumbling down around her:

“The roles and opportunities will suddenly disappear for her. Everything she’s ever worked for will go. But you will still be able to make music. You’ll still be able to do what you love. And Chloe will slip into a deep depression. She’ll start resenting you. And one day, she’ll leave you because it’ll become to much to bear.”

Beca has never felt a rug being pulled from under her feet, but if she had then she would liken it to the way she’s feeling right now. Her head is spinning with fear and concern. She’s always suspected this day might come - where Violet asks her to break off the beautiful perfect relationship she’s built with Chloe. All the times Beca’s expected it, she’s envisioned herself telling the old woman to fuck off. But right now, after hearing the woman’s explanation, Beca actually sees where she’s coming from.

What if Hollywood drops Chloe the second they come out? What if Beca can continue her successful career creating music? What if Chloe falls out of love with her? What if Chloe starts to feel trapped in their relationship with nowhere to go? Beca can’t stand the idea of Chloe staying with her just because she has no other choice. She wants Chloe to be free. She wants Chloe to be happy. Acting makes Chloe happy. It’s always made Chloe happy. Long before Beca made Chloe happy.

“Beca, I’m not telling you to break up with Chloe for me. I’m telling you to break up with Chloe for her.”

Beca swallows loudly, tears welling up in her eyes. Violet’s making sense. She knows Chloe better than anyone. She’s known Chloe her whole life. She’s only ever going to have Chloe’s best interest at heart, right?

“And if I don’t?” she dares to ask, hating the way her voice cracks slightly, showing vulnerability. Vulnerability that causes a small smile to appear on Violet’s wicked face,

“If you don’t, I’ll leak it to the press myself. Tomorrow.”

Tomorrow. The day of the Oscars. Beca’s almost certain Chloe’s due to win the best leading actress award. A career highlight for the beautiful redhead. Is it possible the judging panel could change their decision if something scandalous was revealed about one of the nominees? Like a nominee being revealed as being in a secret gay relationship?

Beca’s left with little other choice. Her shoulders slump as Violet gives her a curt nod before sweeping out of the hotel suite.

The elevator skims down a level, passing the apartment between Chloe’s penthouse and her own apartment. As it passes, Beca can hear the distinct sound of voices arguing. She’s not sure what the topic of argument is about, but given The Beale’s are staying there over the holidays, and given all that Chloe had told Beca moments ago, Beca can hazard a guess.

Beca hesitates when she comes to a stop at the entrance to the family room to see Chloe’s parents, Grandmother, Aubrey, and Jesse stood inside. They all look concerned. Well, all except Chloe’s Grandmother. Violet looks as though she’s seething.

“How is she??” comes the first question, immediately leaving Chloe’s mother’s lips, “I’m guessing she remembers you? You’ve been gone so long.”

Beca’s been at Chloe’s bedside for around twenty minutes. Hardly a long time. But longer than the rest of them. From the sound of things, Chloe’s parents and Grandmother had been sent out of Chloe’s hospital room the moment the nurses had identified that Chloe doesn’t recognise them. Beca’s the only one.

“Yeah she uh…” Beca pauses to close the door of the family room behind her, not wanting anyone else to hear what she has to update Chloe’s family with, “…she doesn’t know how or why she remembers me but…she remembers me.”

There appears to be a collective sigh of relief from all members within the room, apart from Violet. Beca looks to her husband who looks back at her with a small kind smile. He knows what a big deal this is for her. So she smiles gently back in return.

“I don’t think I’m happy with the idea of leaving her, Jesse.” She eventually says in a quiet voice. And in an instant she knows her husband was never expecting her to leave this hospital any time soon.

“I’ll go home and pack you some pyjamas.” he replies calmly, and Beca gives him a quick curt nod along with a grateful smile, before turning on the spot and heading out of the room. Just before the door closes behind her, she hears Chloe’s Grandmother say loudly to Chloe’s parents:

“You’re okay with her spending all the time with Chloe and filling Chloe’s head with nonsense?!”

But Beca doesn’t return to protest. She knows her husband will fight her corner for her. He always has. He always will.

The elevator finally comes to a stop at her apartment, and Beca notes the stark difference in sound as the elevator doors gently open with a soft ‘ping’. Going past the apartment above had suggested a noisy and confrontational environment within. But this apartment right here is peaceful and calm.

“What do you think?”

Beca’s speechless. She stands in the open plan living space, two white leather sofas either side of her, one white leather sofa behind her, one white leather sofa in front of her, and a crystal chandelier hanging high above her head. Stretching out before her is more space, more white walls, more light brown wooden flooring, then a huge floor-to-ceiling window.

“It’s very…” she smooths her palm over her large baby bump. She needs to be honest here. “Aubrey.”

It is. It really, really is. She knows her boyfriend is a tidy guy. She knows he likes plain neutral colours and clean lines. She knows he likes order. But this seems a little too perfect, even for him.

“Well she did have some input.” Jesse replies with a chuckle, stepping to the side to smooth his hand across his girlfriend’s back, “She’s my best friend.”

“Yeah I know I know.”

Beca doesn’t feel jealous that her boyfriend is still in touch with his ex-girlfriend. Absolutely not. It wouldn’t be fair to be jealous because, as she thinks about it, Beca has to reason with herself that technically she’s still in touch with her ex-girlfriend. In fact, technically she’s very much still in love with her ex-girlfriend. But there’s no way she’s going to tell her boyfriend that. Just like she’s not going to make a big deal about Jesse still being so close with Aubrey. Because he makes no big deal about his girlfriend still being so close with Chloe so…

“If you want me to change the colour scheme though-” Jesse begins, sounding a little hurt that perhaps Beca doesn’t find this decor as amazing as he does. But Beca raises her hand and grips his hand that’s resting on her shoulder.

“-No, dude, I told you, design the place however you like.”

She did say that. Exactly that. As she left New York for Atlanta to work away for a month on a new project. Four weeks ago, when the apartment had been pulled apart and stripped back to its bare bones, Beca had turned to her boyfriend and had told him that he could design and decorate their first home however he liked.

It’s only fair, she thinks. She still classes the penthouse as her home anyway. Not that she’d ever tell Jesse that. This is their home now. The place they’ll raise their baby once it arrives. And a total perk is that Chloe will just be two floors away if she needs her..

Taking a deep steady breath to calm her nerves, Beca steps out of the elevator and into her apartment, her footsteps echoing around the cavernous area. Eight years on, four children later, and miraculously the walls are still white with barely a scuff mark to them.

It’s the middle of day on a Sunday. Beca knows exactly where her husband is right now.

Her feet lead her through to another open-plan living space, this time with six huge armchairs surrounding a large TV that’s currently connected up to a PlayStation VII console. Each armchair has a controller on the arm. But nobody sits in them. Just past the chairs is another floor to ceiling window, covered by a thick long navy blackout blind.

Continuing through, Beca enters the only hallway in the apartment. She doesn’t try any of the doors on her right, and continues down until she reaches a door at the far end on the left. There she can hear a monotonous ‘thud-thud-thud’ over and over. She takes a deep breath, reaches out, and twists the door handle.

Entering the room, Beca sees her husband, running as fast as his legs can carry him on his favourite running machine. He’s exactly where she’d left him half an hour ago.

“Hey.” Jesse’s voice snaps her out of her funk.

Beca’s been pacing for a good ten minutes, wearing a hole in the rug while she folds her arms by the window of the gym. It’s the only room in the apartment that the kids don’t go in, and Beca needs the space. Her husband, however, comes to this room every Sunday morning. And not only does she need this space but she needs to speak to him too.

“Everything okay?” he asks in a concerned voice, approaching his wife while slinging his towel to one side, “Where’s Chloe?”

Beca keeps her arms crossed tight around her waist, looking up at the man she married seven years ago. The man who looks at her with his kind brown eyes and calming presence. But Beca’s feeling anxious. What has Chloe remembered?? And…has she freaked out about it?

“She’s remembered something.” Beca begins, shifting her weight from one foot to another. Jesse senses her concern, and stands a little more upright.

“Something bad?” he asks and Beca just shrugs, she has no idea. All she knows is:

“I dunno. But I think I’ve gotta go find her.” she replies cautiously, and as always her husband agrees. He nods, stepping to one side as though giving her an immediate route out of the room to find the woman he knows his wife loves.

Beca’s lying if she doesn’t find her husband attractive. Jesse’s a handsome guy. And his good looks appear to strengthen with age, still maintaining his success as one of Hollywood’s best looking actors. On a more personal level, he is every bit the kind and gentle guy she’d met all those years ago. The kind and gentle guy who didn’t exactly mend her broken heart, but instead took care of the shattered pieces while Beca attempted to get her life back in order. And over time Beca really has loved him more and more.

She’s never hated him. She’s never felt unsafe or insecure. But the bottom line - the underlying truth that has always bubbled under the surface of their relationship - is that Jesse just isn’t Chloe. Beca’s always known it. Jesse’s always known it. And yet they’ve remained married and together for all these years.

Jesse sees her out the corner of his eye, the woman coming to a stop a yard or so into the room, closing the door over behind her. He immediately slows the pace of the running machine down to a stop. All the while, Beca wrings her hands anxiously. Because this moment has been a long time coming. And both Beca and Jesse know it.

As the machine comes to a stop, Jesse lets out several deep heaving breaths, brushing his forehead with a towel. Then with one final huge exhale, he steps off the running machine and looks at his wife.

Beca knows that he sees it. She knows he sees her puffy eyes and swollen nose. He sees her tear stained face and smeared makeup. He knows she’s been crying. And he knows it takes a lot for his wife to cry.

“She remembers. Doesn’t she.” is the first thing he says, and Beca’s heart takes on a brief swooping rhythm. She can’t find anything to say at this moment in time, so all she does is nod slightly.

“How much?” Jesse asks, and Beca knows that he knows that, in a way, it’s a rhetorical question. The pause in answer is long enough for Jesse to shift his body slightly, clearly waiting with baited breath for the inevitable.

“Everything.” Beca finally says, her voice croaking slightly. Her eyes lock with her husband’s. Jesse looks back at her curiously while a soft smile appears on her face. “And more.”

Beca makes her way through the private departure lounge, her entire body feeling numb. She’d abandoned her Oscar statue back in her hotel suite, giving Amy strict instructions to take it in person to her mother’s house in Seattle. Now, all she cares about is getting as far away from LA and as far away from Hollywood as possible, to somewhere safe.

“I’ll get a double whiskey please.” she mumbles to the bar tender. She knows she doesn’t need to fish in her purse for money, but still likes to tip. Chloe always does.

Chloe. Beca’s chest tightens, her stomach knotting, her throat clenching while her lungs struggle to function properly. God, Chloe’s no longer her girlfriend. Her future - their future - is gone. Just like that.

“Wow, really celebrating in style huh.”

Beca furrows her brow, glancing to her right to acknowledge the speaker. Her eyes meet a pair of deep brown eyes. And she has to admit, for a fleeting moment, she’s a little taken aback by the man beside her.

She could recognise him anywhere. Jesse Swanson. Hollywood heartthrob. And, according to the press, actually a really nice guy.

He’s smiling at her playfully, motioning to the bartender to presumably make another of whatever drink he’s just finished. And for a millisecond Beca’s given permission to forget about her heartache. Just a millisecond. Before she notices the tv screen behind the actor, and on it the face of her now ex-girlfriend, smiling brightly while being interviewed, holding an Oscar statue in her hands.

This is good, Beca thinks to herself. Chloe has won an Oscar. It’s the highlight of her career. Now she can achieve anything and everything she’s ever wanted without the curse of their relationship to hold her back.

It still hurts thinking about it.

“I expected you to be at Elton John’s After Party or something.” Jesse adds, reaching for his new drink and taking a sip, motioning to Beca, “I mean you are Beca Mitchell right? Newly appointed Academy Award winning actress?”

It’s the first time she’s heard it, and it forces a blush to rise to Beca’s cheeks. God, yeah…she’s an Oscar winning actress now. First time lucky.

“Um…yeah.”

“Well congratulations!” Jesse bursts with a broad smile, holding his glass out towards her. Beca’s a little caught off guard, so she too takes her own glass and awkwardly clinks it against Jesse’s. Her eyes again flicker to the TV screen, and her heart sinks at the way Chloe’s beautiful smile wavers at a certain question being asked by an interviewer.

“You disappointed she won?” Jesse asks, and Beca takes a deep breath, her eyes still on the screen.

“Far from it.”

“How much more?” Jesse asks, wiping his hands of sweat using the towel before slinging it over his shoulder and slowly approaching his wife. If there’s one thing Beca’s always prided herself on, it’s how honest she’s always been with her husband. Since day one really. In fact, even before day one.

“She knew, Jesse.” Beca replies, thinking back on all those years that Chloe had known the true reason for their breakup. All those years that Chloe, so sweetly, stood back and watched Beca get more and more involved with Jesse.

“The night of the Oscars - the night we first met - Amy told Aubrey why I broke up with Chloe.”

The mention of Aubrey seems to cause something to flicker in Jesse’s expression, and Beca has a feeling she knows why. Her husband and the blonde have always been close.

“You seem a bit too sad for someone whose just won such a prestigious award..” Jesse mentions curiously, and Beca continues to look down at her second tumbler of whiskey. She rolls the liquid slowly around in the glass, watching it swirl. Her heart still aches. She thought the alcohol might help, but it hasn’t. If anything it only makes her heart ache more.

“Yeah well…I had to break up with the love of my life this morning so…” where had that come from?? She’s just revealed something huge to a complete stranger. Perhaps it’s the alcohol. Or the fact that Jesse really does seem like a really nice guy.

“Had to?” he asks, and Beca looks up into his kind eyes. Perhaps he’s someone she needs in her life at the moment. She thinks about the events of last night. The events of this morning. The look on Chloe’s face the moment she told her they needed to break up. And it brings tears to Beca’s tired eyes.

“Ah.” Jesse adds, having not needed to wait for Beca’s response to get the gist of what’s been going on in the woman’s personal life, “You were forced to for publicity sakes.”

Beca’s not sure whether to be impressed or a little freaked out that this guy seems to read her so well. So she decides to push the weirdness of the situation between them to one side.

“Something like that.” She mumbles into her glass before taking a sip.

“I get it.” Jesse continues, a little more care free with his words, but his voice still offering a serious undertone, “I’ve um…I’ve been through the same thing.”

Now this is news that is taking Beca by surprise. Jesse Swanson’s gay?? Beca looks into his eyes, wondering how long the Hollywood heartthrob has been hiding his sexuality for. Then she swiftly pauses her assumptions. Because she hasn’t mentioned that the person she broke up with was Chloe. Just as Jesse hasn’t mentioned the person he broke up with had been a guy.

“So how did he - or she - take it?” Jesse asks, giving Beca a sad lop-sided smile. And there’s something about him that makes Beca feel…safe. Safe enough to open up a little.

Jesse gets fame. He gets the risk of revealing too much of yourself to strangers. He gets the threat of disruption to your personal life if information ends up in the wrong hands. So Beca knows he’ll be sensitive if she shares her thoughts and feelings with him.

“Devastated.” is all she mumbles, her face scrunching up. She brings her hand to her face, trying to stay strong. But within a matter of seconds - and the memory of Chloe’s expression earlier that morning - Beca let’s out a sob.

“Hey. It’s okay.” Jesse’s hand is on her shoulder, and Beca doesn’t mind. She’s too numb and too broken to care right now.

“It’s not.” he reasons, immediately taking back his original words of comfort, “It’s shit. It’s really shit.”

Beca’s body begins to tremble as she allows her emotions to get the better of her. It is shit. And the more she thinks about it, the less she’s sure she can even function right without Chloe in her life anymore.

“I know this shouldn’t be about me but…” Jesse is up to his feet, lifting his bar stool to rest down beside Beca’s, and Beca finds herself just leaning into his body while he smooths an arm around her shoulders, tears still running down her cheeks.

“…okay two years ago I was dating this guy and-”

So Jesse is gay. Interesting. And if Beca wasn’t feeling so upset right now she’d be kinda high fiving herself for working it out. She’d even mentioned it to Chloe a couple of years ago, to which Chloe had laughed and reminded her that Jesse used to date Aubrey in acting school, so he wasn’t gay.

“-he was honestly the best thing in my world. I gave him everything and he gave everything to me.”

Beca feels Jesse take his arm back, hunching over his own glass on the bar to continue his story. She knows he’s an actor. But…there’s something about his posture that gives Beca the impression that Jesse really is telling this story from the heart.

“Then one day, he got the call to direct some incredible movie that we both knew would be the pinnacle of his career. We also knew that it could all go to pieces if anyone found out we were in a relationship. So…we broke up.”

Beca hears Jesse let out a heavy sigh, the man reaching for his glass.

“It was honestly the saddest day of my life.” he says in a crumbled tone, and Beca believes him as he downs the last of his drink. She brings her hand under her chin to scoop away the tears that have gathered there. Her eyes find their way to the TV screen again, just as Benji Applebaum appears on the screen sat beside his date for the evening - Aubrey Posen - awaiting for the results of the ‘Best Director’ category. And somehow, things begin to connect in her mind before Jesse has a chance to say his next sentence:

“Now he’s ended up ‘dating’ Aubrey Posen for publicity purposes which is weird because she’s my best friend and-”

Beca’s eyebrows rise, her hand immediately launching out to swipe Jesse’s arm with the back of her hand. She knows Benji. Of course she does. He directed her and Chloe in the movie they’d just won their Oscars for. He was the one who saw their chemistry onscreen without knowing his two leading actresses were dating in real life!

“-Dude, you used to be in a relationship with Benji Applebaum?!” Beca hisses in disbelief. Jesse shush’s her, his eyes snapping around the room to check that nobody has heard her. Fortunately they’re mostly alone, and the bartender has disappeared from sight momentarily.

“All I’m trying to say is, it doesn’t matter to me if it was a girl you broke up with. No judgement here.”

And again, Beca believes him. Just as he had done before, Beca’s eyes take a glance around the departure lounge to see nobody within earshot. She takes a deep breath. Opens her mouth.

“It was Chloe Beale.” Jesse says, beating her to it. And as Beca lets a small embarrassed smile sweep across her face, he lets out a slight chuckle, “C’mon, you’ve had a look on your face every time she’s appeared on this screen.” and he motions to the TV beside him.

“Aubrey told Chloe.” Beca says, looking pointedly at her husband as he looks back at her, his mouth dropping open slightly, “And Chloe tried to call me to get me to come back.”

“Wait she threatened you??” Jesse can’t believe what he’s just heard. Beca’s explained how she and Chloe first fell in love. She’s explained how they own a penthouse in Manhattan. She’s explained how she’d bought Chloe an engagement ring and had every intention of proposing to her in May because she always knew she was the one. And now Beca’s telling the story of the events from the night before. Where Chloe’s grandmother told her to break up with Chloe or else…

“Pretty fucked up huh.” Beca grumbles. She takes her final swig of whiskey, and lands the tumbler down with a loud thud on the surface of the bar. She sees the way Jesse shakes his head in disbelief.

“What a bitch.”

The comment causes Beca to smirk. Because yes, Violet is a bitch. A total bitch. And Beca’s never been able to say it before, just like she’s never heard anyone say it before. But it’s the truth.

“So what you gonna do?”

Beca takes a deep intake of breath through her nose, squeezing her eyes shut while she attempts to fight the sudden wave of exhaustion that cloaks her body. It’s been a really long day. Fortunately, her flight is being called.

“I’m gonna get up.” she says, sliding off the bar stool, her feet landing on the ground, “I’m gonna catch my flight to Seattle.” she doesn’t register Jesse’s eyebrows rising, “And I’m gonna spend the next couple of weeks trying to forget how badly I’ve ruined my life.”

“You’re going to Seattle??” Jesse quickly asks just as Beca pulls her hand luggage onto her shoulder.

“Uh, yeah?”

“I’m going to Seattle too!”

“But you’d turned your phone off.” Jesse mumbles, looking as disappointed for his wife as she feels. Beca nods slowly. The tears that had dried were now forming in her eyes again. All those years she could’ve spent being married to Chloe..

“By the time I saw her again, you and I were…” Beca pauses, remembering those early days of dating Jesse. They’d been intense. But in retrospect, they’d been a way for her to block out the guilt she’d been feeling for all that she’d done to Chloe. “…well we were dating.”

“I just really need to tell Chloe first.” Beca says, laying her head on Jesse’s bare chest. It’s kinda weird being in her childhood bedroom - now redecorated of course - naked, with a guy she’d only met three weeks ago. But Jesse has been nice. Jesse has been kind. Jesse has been patient. She finally agreed to going on a date with him last night. Now it’s the next morning and…things appear to be going well. So well in fact, that Jesse’s just asked her if they can become a bit more ‘official’.

“I thought you weren’t talking to her?” Jesse says with a tired sigh, rolling onto his side to pull Beca into his arms. It’s weird being naked in bed with a guy after being with a woman for a few years. But he’s big and strong and, as Beca keeps reminding herself, Jesse’s a good looking guy. And a kind one at that.

“I said I hadn’t talked to her.” Beca replies, her fingers smoothing thoughtfully across Jesse’s chest, “Not that I wasn’t.”

All she receives is a grunt from the man, his nose nudging against hers, his eyes already closed. She can feel his arousal against her leg. And although she’s more than prepared to continue this conversation, all she manages to muster is:

“I’ll fly back to New York tomorrow morning.”

before she closes the gap, trying to change her focus to the feel of Jesse’s lips on her own while his arms wrap around her petite waist. Having sex with him is an easy way to numb the pain of the reality that’s awaiting her back home. It makes it a little easier to forget that her heart is still broken, and that it may never be healed again..

Beca pauses, her throat clenching slightly as the tears in her eyes start to spill down her cheeks again. She’s tired. Exhausted. The range of emotions she’s been through over the past year has been draining. Having Chloe not remember the life they’d once shared. Having Chloe not remember their years of close friendship following. But the most draining of all has been having to live the past ten years lying to Chloe about how she feels about her, just so she can protect the Beale family and Chloe’s feelings towards her grandmother. Just so she can protect Chloe’s career. Just so she can protect Chloe’s happiness.

Now, however, after all that Chloe had told her upstairs, it feels as though all those years of protecting Chloe might not have been the wisest choice. Or rather, the way Beca had gone about it might not have been the right thing to do. It’s easy to see that now in hindsight.

Beca feels numb, stood in the doorway to the balcony in the penthouse. Her hand grips gently to the doorframe. Her chest feels tight.

At her feet is their dog, Doug, wagging his tail like crazy. Beca has to admit, she’s missed him. But her eyes remain on the figure before her, stood at the edge of the balcony, back to her. Chloe’s long red hair flows down her back, delicately waving in the light warm breeze. The spring sunlight catches the red and orange strands to perfection. And Beca’s heart aches.

She yearns to launch out onto the balcony. To throw her arms around Chloe and apologise profoundly. Begging her forgiveness. Telling her exactly why she’d broken up with her.

But then Beca remembers that this situation isn’t about her any more. Everything she’d done three weeks ago had been for Chloe’s future. Violet had said it: that Chloe had only ever wanted to be a successful actress. Beca’s reminded that even if the two of them got back together it’d only result in the press finding out. It’d only end up with Chloe’s career crashing and burning. Beca can’t do that to her. She can’t be selfish.

So with a deep breath, she steps out onto the balcony, and slowly heads towards Chloe, coming to a stop beside her. She reaches for the edge of the balcony, placing her hands on the side, trying to prevent herself from taking hold of her ex-girlfriend (God, it still pains her to think of Chloe as an ‘ex’). She needs to get on with it. She just needs to say something. Anything. Something that’ll enforce what she’d done a couple of weeks back.

“I’ve met someone.” is the first thing Beca says. And she wishes the words had flowed from her mouth easily. She wishes she didn’t feel so much when she said them. She wishes she doesn’t feel pain and anguish and devastation to be saying it. But she does. This is the beginning of the next chapter. It has to be. Even though it hurts like hell.

“You know him actually…” she continues, though she’s certain this isn’t going to come as any comfort to Chloe, who noticeably hasn’t moved an inch, “…Jesse Swanson.”

Chloe’s silence is deafening, and Beca dares to turn and glance at the woman she loves with every fibre of her body. Her heart breaks all over again when she immediately realises how pale and broken Chloe looks. She’s done that. She’s made Chloe look the way Chloe does.

“This…this is a good thing Chlo.” Beca tries to say, and she sniffs sharply to try to prevent her nose from running. For a moment she feels as though this is difficult. But as soon as Chloe’s face scrunches up and the redhead begins to cry, Beca realises the more she stands here, the more difficult things are becoming between them.

“I’m moving on.” she adds. Because she is, right? Jesse’s asked her to be his girlfriend and she’s accepted. Even though she’s still in love with Chloe. Even though she’s told him honestly that she will probably never stop loving Chloe. It still hasn’t deterred him. And if they’re both being honest with each other, it’ll do their careers wonders if they’re seen to be dating one another. The media love a celebrity couple..

“You can move on.” she offers to Chloe, though even suggesting it makes her heart ache. The idea of Chloe being in a relationship with someone else. Sharing her life with them instead of her. But Beca reminds herself again why she’s done it. “We can still become super successful in our careers.”

Chloe’s hand reaches to up her mouth while she cries, and Beca’s chest tightens further. She’s never ever wanted to be the reason Chloe cries. She’s only ever loved Chloe. She’s only ever wanted to protect her. Doing all this…it’s a form of protecting Chloe. It’s a way of keeping the woman’s acting career intact.

“I love him.” is what she finds herself saying. It’s a lie. She doesn’t love Jesse. He’s a nice guy and in time she reckons she could learn to love him. But for now, he’s just convenient. He’s what she needs to give Chloe a reason not to ruin her own career. To give Chloe a focus. To give Chloe an excuse to focus all of her attention on her acting career instead of mourning the end of their beautiful romance.

“She still loves me, Jesse.” Beca finally says, hardly able to believe she’s saying it out loud. And to her husband of all people. “That’s what she said to me. Upstairs. Just now. That she’s still in love with me.”

She doesn’t mean to shift her weight from foot to foot in such an anxious way, but she does, her bottom lip tugging in between her teeth while she looks up into her husband’s eyes. Those same deep brown eyes she’s always looked into.

Beca’s frozen to the spot, sat with her pants and panties in a pile at her feet. Her elbows lean painfully on her thighs. And between her fingers she holds a pregnancy test. A positive pregnancy test.

Shit.

Her eyes fling up to the bathroom door, her mouth hanging open as her breathing increases. Shit. What the hell is she going to do?? She and Jesse have only been dating for, what, a few months? Sure the sex has been good - fun even - but…God, now she’s pregnant??

And her first thought isn’t of what Jesse might think. It isn’t of her agent or her studio team. It isn’t of her family or friends. It isn’t of her fans. Her first thought is of Chloe.

What will Chloe think?? Chloe who Beca doesn’t even put in the ‘family’ or ‘friends’ or ‘colleagues’ category. Chloe has a category of her own. One that Beca hasn’t really labelled but if she had to then Chloe’s category is ‘Soulmate’. Chloe’s her soulmate. The one she wishes she ends up with in the end - even if that end is when they’re in their eighties and nobody makes a big deal about lesbians anymore.

Things with Jesse have been great. Easy actually. He’s good company and is kind and sensitive to her feelings. He’s not made a big deal about Beca hanging out with Chloe from time to time. He trusts her. Just like she trusts him whenever he goes to hang out at Aubrey’s and Benji happens to be there. But…

…now there’s a baby involved. She’s pregnant. She’s now tied to Jesse Swanson for life.

“What’re you still doing here, Bec?” Jesse asks with a sigh. Beca isn’t sure what he means. Perhaps she hasn’t explained the situation enough. Perhaps it hasn’t been enough for her to tell him that Chloe remembers everything plus Chloe’s told her that she’d always known about her Grams’ threat, and Chloe’s told her that she’s still in love with her-

“-Chloe’s told you she’s still in love with you!” the man continues, and to Beca’s overwhelming relief, she sees a kind smile sweep onto his face, “You’re still in love with her-”

“-H-How-” Beca begins, stunned by her husband’s remark, but Jesse continues to look at her with that kind expression he’s always given her whenever Chloe’s involved.

“God, I hate him.” Beca hears her husband grumble into her ear as he takes a seat beside her, draping his arm across the back of Beca’s chair. The two are dressed in their finest, sat at the front of the long aisle, awaiting a ‘nod’ to let them know that Chloe is about to walk down the aisle. And the ‘him’ that Jesse is talking about is Romeo - Chloe’s soon-to-be husband.

“Join the club.” Beca agrees in such a quiet tone that only her husband can hear. A photographer is doing the rounds, attempting to take photos of the wedding guests, so both Beca and Jesse put on their very best smiles, Beca smoothing her hand to rest on her husband’s thigh.

“Did you tell her?” Jesse asks quietly through his teeth, referring to the evidence Beca had shown him yesterday that proved Romeo is planning on divorcing Chloe as soon as they’re married.

“Tried to again just now.” Beca replies with a fake smile for the camera, “She’s in denial.”

Jesse’s never liked Romeo. Just like Beca’s never liked Romeo. And it’s not because Beca’s jealous that Chloe’s found someone to settle down with at last. And it’s not because Jesse is jealous of Romeo because he’s such a good looking guy. No, Beca and Jesse don’t like Romeo because he doesn’t have the right intentions with Chloe. Beca loves Chloe and wants to protect her. Jesse loves Beca and wants to protect her. So the feelings towards Romeo are mutual where the Swanson’s are concerned.

“God, if you can’t persuade her then nobody can.” Jesse mumbles just as Beca receives a nod from the wedding planner. It’s time.

“-Beca, you’ve spent the past 371 nights at her bedside!” Jesse bursts with a knowing grin, “You didn’t even visit me when I went into hospital to have my kidney stones removed the other year.”

It’s true. In Beca’s defence he’d only been in hospital for one night, it hadn’t been a life threatening situation, and she’d had to look after three kids while being pregnant (and poorly) with their fourth. But when she thinks about it, even then that wouldn’t have stopped her visiting Chloe so…yeah her husband makes a good point.

“You need to be with her.” Jesse eventually says in a calm and kind tone, “It’s always been Chloe. I know it has.”

Beca can’t quite explain the immediate elation she feels with her husbands words. It’s as though a heavy weight has been lifted from her shoulders. As though her heart has suddenly unlocked and feels immediate release. And all of the joy and relief overwhelms her, mixed with bitter sadness that it’s had to come to this in order for her to feel such a joy.

She brings her hands to her face as she quietly weeps, her petite body trembling. But Jesse, as he has done on so many occasions across the years that they’ve been together, simply steps up to her and wraps his strong arms around her. And there they stand, alone, Beca quietly crying in relief while Jesse comforts her.

“You’re all sweaty.” Beca mumbles with a croaky chuckle, smearing the back of her hand across her running nose while her husband quickly releases her with a chuckle of his own.

“Sorry.”

Beca let’s out another heavy sigh, looking up at Jesse, hardly able to believe how calm he is about all this. She shakes her head gently.

“What about the kids?” she asks quietly. It’s a very fair and important question. Their brood is still so young. Still so impressionable. How will they react to the knowledge that their parents are separating and that their Mom is going to be in a relationship with their Auntie Chloe instead?

Again, in true Jesse fashion, he just smiles gently. He shrugs a little. Then he reaches out and clips Beca’s chin with his finger to catch some of her tears.

“They’ll be alright. We’ll keep things here as they are for now while you and Chloe figure things out. You guys take as long as you need.”

And it’s exactly this suggestion that relieves Beca the most. Chloe has always had the most special place in her heart, but her four children are special to her too. As is her husband, who still looks at her with a calm smile.

“What about you?” Beca asks, sniffing loudly. She notes the way Jesse’s smile broadens slightly, turning into the cheeky grin she’s seen on so many occasions in the past. A cheeky grin she’s mostly seen when he’s been interacting with his best friend.

“Oh come on I did not look like that!” Beca hears Aubrey shriek in delight, the blonde cackling loudly while launching a hand out to swipe Jesse’s arm playfully. Beca watches on as her husband gives his best friend a cheeky grin, and she tries her hardest not to feel a knot of jealousy.

Jesse and Aubrey are just best friends. They’re close. They know each other so well. Better than they know anyone else. Jesse knows Aubrey even better than he knows Beca. He’s known Aubrey his entire adult life so far. So Beca doesn’t feel offended or threatened.

How could she possibly feel threatened when deep down her heart doesn’t belong to the man opposite her with whom she married four years ago? Deep down her heart belongs to the woman on her left. She sits forward in her seat just as Chloe pours another glass of wine for her, then reaches across the dinner table to top up Aubrey’s glass, then Jesse’s.

“Ah. Aubrey?” she adds curiously, her own smile spreading. She wouldn’t blame Jesse if he’d found himself in Aubrey’s arms over the past year that his wife had spent in hospital caring for her soulmate. She’d be a little hurt, sure. After all, they’d always maintained how much they trusted each other. And both Jesse and Aubrey are part of a very exclusive group of people who know that Beca and Chloe once dated a long time ago.

“We haven’t ever done anything behind your back.” Jesse’s quick to insist, his smile having dropped. And Beca believes him. He’s always so honest with her. And forgiving.

“So you kissed her?”

Beca feels the knot in her stomach tighten as her husband repeats what she’s just told him. She’s such an idiot. She was mad at Jesse for spending the weekend at Aubrey’s even when he insisted that nothing had happened between them. She’d stormed off, up to Chloe’s. She’d told Chloe what had happened. Then for some reason, out of the blue, she’d surged forward and had kissed her ex-girlfriend firmly on the lips. A kiss that Chloe had reciprocated, pushing Beca against the kitchen counter ready to lift her onto it, before the sound of Beca and Jesse’s youngest child broke the kiss.

“It’s no excuse-” Beca tries to continue but she’s met by a heavy sigh as Jesse hangs his head.

“-Beca the point of our marriage is that we trust each other.” He looks into her eyes again, and it causes Beca’s chest to tighten further, “I trust you with Chloe. I need you to trust me too. And I need you to promise me you’ll never kiss Chloe again.”

“I do trust you.” Beca insists. Because she does. She’s just been feeling insecure recently. And it doesn’t help that the paparazzi caught Jesse and Aubrey out at a ball game at the weekend sparking thousands of rumours that the two were having an affair. She should believe her husband when he says nothing’s going on. “And I’ll never kiss Chloe again.”

“I know, Jes.” Beca assures kindly.

It’s not a terrible setup if Jesse starts dating Aubrey. The kids adore her, and she’s been spending a fair amount of time with the family the past year, helping Jesse with the kids while Beca’s been at the hospital looking after Chloe. If Aubrey’s on board with dating Jesse too then it’d be a pretty perfect situation. Just as it would be if Chloe is on board with dating Beca again.

“Haven’t considered giving Benji a go then?” she teases with a grin, and her husband rolls his eyes. As far as she’s aware, Benji Applebaum is single. And if her memory serves her well, her husband had to break up with the man when they were young due to the risk being in a gay relationship would have on their respective careers. The world is a different place now. There’s more acceptance..

“Whaaat?” she adds, chuckling when Jesse grins, “You’ve dated both Benji and Aubrey, they’ve both dated each other. It wouldn’t be too absurd to suggest you end up trying some sort of threeso-”

“-I’m gonna stop you right there!” Jesse bursts, holding his hand out at his wife to stop her from finishing her thought process. She sees a twinkle in his eye which makes her wonder for a moment if Jesse hasn’t already considered it a possibility. But his expression softens, as does his tone, “Aubrey’s the only one. It’s…It’s always been her.”

“Thanks Bree.” Beca says in a tired voice as she takes a bag from the blonde and switches it with the bag she’s brought down from Chloe’s hospital room. A change of clothes and fresh soaps and shampoos. She’s now approaching week five of being by Chloe’s side through her recovery. It’s exhausting, but worth it. Worth it for Chloe’s smile and the feel of Chloe’s hand squeezing hers again.

“Don’t mention it.” Aubrey replies kindly, and the two women hover awkwardly at the back lobby of the hospital where this drop has been happening every couple of days for weeks now. Beca’s been home here and there, but not long enough to pack clothes or more things for hospital. Her sole focus when returning home has been to see her children. To hug them and chat with them and play games with them. To simply be with them.

“How are the kids?” Beca quickly asks, her heart yearning to see them, but her mind solely focused on being upstairs with Chloe while the woman struggles to overcome the serious respiratory infection she’s recently developed.

“They’re okay, Beca.” Aubrey assures, “They miss you, obviously. But they know why you’re here.”

Beca’s relieved to hear her children are okay. She loves them so much and hopes the relationship she has with them won’t be affected by how long she’s been away from them.

“And Jesse?” Beca asks of her husband, and she notices Aubrey let out a silent exhale. The blonde’s lips purse, tugging into a sad smile.

“He’ll be okay too.”

Beca’s not sure what Aubrey means by this, but she has a funny feeling her husband isn’t so happy that his wife is spending every waking minute here at hospital instead of at home with him and their children. This is exactly why she’d asked Aubrey to keep a watch over Jesse and the kids. Jesse needs her.

“Thanks Aubrey.”

Beca knows Aubrey’s always been the one for her husband. They’d broken up at the end of acting school, when Jesse had decided to stay in New York and Aubrey had decided to move to LA. Both rose to fame in their respective cities, eventually becoming hot property in Hollywood. But they hadn’t got back together. They’d remained best friends instead.

“Like Chloe’s always been the one for me.” Beca muses gently, her grin softening to a calm smile that mirrors her husband’s.

“Exactly.” Jesse replies with a slow nod.

“You look so beautiful.”

Beca looks in the mirror, taking a deep breath as she looks past her reflection of her in a bridal gown, to the figure stood a foot behind her. Chloe is dressed in a beautiful turquoise maid of honour dress that suits her figure to a T. The colour has turned her eyes into a stunning shade of ocean blue. And the woman’s red hair is fashioned into a beautiful loose knot at the back right of her head. Several strands are pulled into a braid shaping the top of her head and round to the back to meet the knot. The sight of Chloe looking at her causes Beca’s breath to hitch in her throat.

She turns on the spot, looking at her best friend with a soft smile on her face. In Chloe’s arms rests Beca’s six month old daughter. Chloe ‘Coco’ Swanson sits comfortably with her name-sake, having always been calm and content in her Godmother’s company. And for a moment, Beca decides to pretend that Coco is the product of her and Chloe’s love.

She steps over to her best friend, smooths her left hand delicately up and down her baby daughter’s cheek, while she smooths her right hand across Chloe’s back. Chloe leans into her body, their hips meeting. And for a moment Beca wonders if Chloe is imagining the same thing. She wonders if Chloe is thinking this is what life could’ve been like for them had they never broken up.

“Beca, it’s time.” Beca hears the wedding planner say in a calm voice, snapping the woman from her perfect moment with her best friend. She takes a deep breath, giving the wedding planner an nod before looking to Chloe. Chloe who is smiling sadly at her.

This is a good thing her only option. She has a baby with Jesse now. The world is obsessed with her and Jesse’s relationship. Millions of people are tuning in to watch a live stream of their wedding. She can’t back out now. So she doesn’t.

The couple stand before one another, smiling gently. It feels like the most amicable of separations. To an outsider it would seem like one that’s appeared out of the blue. But to Beca and Jesse they’ve always known from the moment they first met that if ever there was an opportunity for Beca to return to Chloe, she would. And Jesse wouldn’t stand in her way.

“I’m always going to love you, Beca.” Jesse says in a kind tone, and Beca takes a huge intake of breath to calm her nerves.

“I know Jes. In a way, I’m always going to love you too.”

“Surpriiise Mommy!!”

Beca’s stood in stunned silence as she enters the apartment. A broad smile of disbelief is on her face. Her eyes look around at the hundreds of balloons and a massive ‘welcome home!’ banner that’s hung across one of the walls of the living area.

The little voice that’d squealed the greeting had come from Beca and Jesse’s eldest daughter, Coco, who had been stood at the far end of the room holding her Godmother’s hand. Now however, the five year old surges forward and Beca braces for impact, hoping her daughter doesn’t squeeze her too hard for fear of popping her stitches. But Coco practically skids to a stop, inches from her mother’s stomach, and beams up at her.

“Daddy said I can’t hug you too tight ‘cos of your tummy.” Beca glances over at her husband who has stepped from behind her with a gentle smile on his face, holding Beca’s hospital bags, giving their daughter a thumbs up, “And he said I can’t hug you until you hug me, just in case.”

Beca’s heart swells at how thoughtful her family are, despite feeling sad for her daughter that she's been specifically told not to hug her mother even though it's the most natural thing in the world to want to do. It’s been seven weeks since she gave birth to Lucas. Seven weeks since she required an emergency kidney transplant. Seven weeks since Chloe had saved her life, miraculously being a donor match. She’s so relieved to finally be home. And she can’t wait to finally settle properly with her children by her side. She can’t wait to give her baby the attention he needs.

Beca’s surprised when she notices that Aubrey has been holding Lucas this whole time. But she’s more surprised that she’s not upset about it.

Aubrey has always been gentle with Beca and Jesse’s children. Not quite the calming presence that Chloe is, but gentle in her own way. And if Beca is truly honest with herself, she’s relieved that Aubrey has been around to help Jesse care for the newborn. It’s not that her husband isn’t now well versed in changing diapers and doing bottle feeds. But it’s a whole different story doing that with three other young children bombing about the place. Though she supposes that Chloe has had Coco staying up in the penthouse with her for a couple of weeks now so it’s perhaps not been quite so strenuous. It’s hard to know..

Beca immediately smiles at her daughter, opening her arms out wide, and her heart swells when Coco flings herself into her mother’s body.

“Come on you two!” Beca calls out to the twins, who have essentially been holding themselves back with excitement at finally seeing their mother again after seven weeks away from her. James and Jessica fling themselves across the room and into Beca’s arms just as the woman collapses to the floor with a chuckle. Her abdomen feels uncomfortable with the little weights on her. But it feels worth it..

It’s an unspoken agreement that’s shared when the couple take a step closer together, and as Jesse pulls Beca into a hug, they both let out steady sighs. Sighs of relief more than anything. Everything’s going to be okay. They’ll figure something out. They always have..

"You need to go get your girl." Jesse mumbles, his chin bobbing as it rests on top of Beca's head. And Beca smiles gently, giving his waist one last tight squeeze.

"So do you."

145 notes · View notes

allitbb · 3 years

Text

Only this part to go then we’ll finally get Beca’s POV and memories!

Bechloe - Amnesia AU (pt.22)

Chloe’s heart is thumping away in her chest as she exhales sharply, waggling her open hands by her sides while the elevator doors close. As she’s transported back up to the penthouse, she attempts to focus her whirring mind. To do list is simple: quickly dash through to the closet in the secret room, shove everything back into that box, maybe or maybe not take the box with her, and go down to Beca and Jesse’s apartment to try to find Beca and hopefully get a room alone with her so she can final get some clarity on exactly what had happened between them all those years ago. Easy as that.

She squeezes her eyes shut. God what a day. And it’s not even noon. And what the hell is she going to do the second she sees Beca?? Because right now Chloe feels tears building in her eyes again and she’s not even in the same apartment as Beca let alone next to h-

Chloe’s breath catches in her throat as the elevator doors slowly open and she sees Beca stopping abruptly, clearly attempting to reach the elevator, of which she’s only two or three paces away. The woman looks concerned. Worried. Anxious. And at the same time, a little surprised to see Chloe appear from within the elevator so suddenly.

“I came looking for you.” Beca quickly says, as though desperate to assure Chloe that she isn’t stalking her. Chloe doesn’t assume that for a second. “You left Coco’s room looking pretty upset about something a-and I was worried about what you’d remembered and how it made you feel…”

Beca appears to hesitate, evidently going through some internal battle of whether to finish her sentence. Chloe simply waits patiently. Still trying to gather her thoughts and all the things she wants to say to the woman. They’ve got time.

“…about me.” Beca eventually says, before releasing a short sharp exhale, raking her fingers through her hair once. Chloe knows this is a trait her best friend has when she’s nervous. “I-I was worried that what you’d remembered meant that you now hate me.”

Chloe’s a little lost for words. Perhaps still stunned to see the very woman she was intending on ‘confronting’ now stood before her. It’s as though they’re drawn to one another. Like fate or destiny or some other thing she once believed in when they’d dated all those years ago.

She can understand why Beca’s a bit panicky though. There are some events that happened between them that, out of context, would certainly be cause to upset her. But what Beca doesn’t know is that Chloe not only remembers a few more bits of their past, she remembers everything.

The way Beca used to cup her cheeks whenever they first kissed after time apart (back when they’d been dating of course). That feeling of elation after meeting Beca’s parents for the first time and Beca bluntly informing her father that she and Chloe were secretly dating (to which he’d firmly declared that he would’ve been thrilled whether they were dating secretly or publicly). Her thirtieth birthday party, which had seriously been the greatest party she’d ever had or been to (and one that Beca had almost entirely organised, with the help of Aubrey). The rehearsal’s she’d had to attend for the ‘flashmob proposal’ Jesse had planned to propose to Beca (the man’d managed to get Madonna’s choreographer because, you know, he’s Jesse Swanson - Hollywood heart-throb). Chloe even remembers the moment Beca had asked her not to marry Romeo (the man’s name had genuinely been Romeo).

“Don’t marry him.”

Chloe hangs her head, her eyes fluttering closed at Beca’s quiet plea. She smooths down the front of her bridal gown, her eyes opening while she looks back at the mirror and see’s Beca’s sad expression in the reflection.

“Come on Beca. This isn’t fair.”

The brunette seems a little agitated, rocking from one foot to another, bringing her hand up to scratch through her hair only to remember it’s been professionally done for Chloe’s wedding. Which is beginning in less than ten minutes. Beca’s too late.

“He’s not marrying you because he loves you, he’s marrying you because he wants his inheritance!” Beca insists, her hands waving to emphasise her frustration. Chloe’s heard it all before. She’s seen the ‘evidence’ that Beca had handed her last night. The hacked emails and texts that Amy had collated by Beca’s request. But she’s choosing to ignore it. Romeo loves her. He has to love her.

“And I suppose you’re going to say that you love me instead, huh?” Chloe’s semi-hopeful that her ex-girlfriend with say that it’s exactly what she’s going to say. That she does still love her, and what’s more she’s going to leave Jesse for her. And the kids… Chloe’s stomach scrambles at her horror that would be breaking the hearts of Beca’s children, and immediately regrets her reply.

“Now you’re the one not being fair.” Beca grumbles, but Chloe can tell by the woman’s expression that she’s hurt. That her words had cut Beca deep. Chloe turns slowly on the spot, standing before her best friend - the love of her life - awaiting the moment she’s called by the wedding planner to join her father and head to the aisle. She sees Beca’s throat contract, tears in the brunette’s eyes.

“I didn’t do this to you when you were about to marry Jesse.” is all Chloe musters, her voice breaking slightly while her nose tingles. It’s as good a confession as Beca’s ever going to get - that Chloe’s still madly in love with her - but just as Beca opens her mouth to respond, the wedding planner knocks quickly on the door of the dressing room while sticking her head around to see them with a broad smile.

“Chloe! It’s time!”

“I need to show you something.” Chloe says in an impressively calm voice. She waits for some sort of indication that Beca’s going to follow her. And for a few short moments, all Beca does is look from Chloe’s left eye to right eye and back again, over and over, as if trying to read Chloe’s mind or mentally prepare herself for something horrible. Then the brunette nods ever so slightly, and that’s all the prompt that Chloe needs.

Chloe moves slowly towards her best friend, then steps past her. Each step she takes she finds that her heart races faster and faster. Her eyes remain focussed on the painted portrait of herself at the end of the small hallway - the portrait that Beca had painted - and she sees it in a new light. She sees that Beca hadn’t just painted it, she’d lovingly painted it. Each brush stroke or glob of paint, strategically placed with care. Just like the care Beca has always given her.

“It’s dumb.” Beca blurts, surging forward to cover the huge canvas with the blue velvet drape again, “And inappropriate. It’s weird that I even did it in the first place.”

Chloe has been stood, speechless, for well over fifty seconds. She can’t believe what Beca’s just shown her. The quality of the artistry is exquisite. When she’d jokingly suggested to Beca two years ago that she should try painting a portrait of her to go in the penthouse, she never in a million years expected Beca to actually do it!

“Woah, wait, Beca!” Chloe replies with a chuckle, reaching out to prevent her best friend from covering the masterpiece up, “This is incredible!” Beca releases the drape again, and for a second time Chloe lets out a little gasp, “How long did it take you to do this?”

She leans closer towards the canvas and finds that the paint becomes more like random swipes and dots rather than a purposeful stroke of the paintbrush. She doesn’t know much about art, but she knows a good painting when she sees one.

“About two years on and off.”

Chloe pauses at the end of the small hallway, looking over her shoulder. Beca’s not followed her yet. She isn’t sure why. Perhaps it’s nerves? Or anxiety? So Chloe gives her best friend the tiniest twitch of a smile, before turning to her right and heading away from the hallway, through to the dining room.

The huge hidden bookcase door is still swung open, light from the secret room filtering in. But Chloe doesn’t stop there. She continues, this time into the secret room, and slowly up to the open closet door. There she stands, waiting patiently, watching the doorway to the room.

“Well you were right!” Chloe bellows, marching out of the elevator into Jesse and Beca’s apartment. She sees her best friend sat on one of the couches of the first living space, a book open in her lap while she looks over at her with a frown on her face.

“Right about what?” Beca asks, watching as Chloe strides to a nearby cabinet, opens the door, and pulls out a crystal tumbler and a crystal bottle of whiskey. The redhead pours several shots-worth of the stuff before taking the glass and the bottle over to Beca’s couch.

Collapsing onto the white leather with a heavy sigh, Chloe necks back the whiskey then winces while Beca’s quick to sit upright.

“Jesus dude, what’s going on??”

Chloe lets out a small sob while pouring another glass, watching the brown liquid as it flows. She’s not a whiskey drinker, but this is already helping.

“Romeo. You said he’d do it. You said he’d divorce me.”

“He didn’t!” Beca’s voice sounds full of shock and for a moment Chloe’s relieved. She’s never known her best friend to be a gloater, but Beca has every right to gloat if she wants to right now. She’d tried to warn Chloe. She’d even provided proof that Romeo was planning to divorce her as soon as he got his inheritance. But Chloe had purposefully not listened.

“He did. Just now. Over text.”

Two days. They’ve only been married two days. They were due to go on their honeymoon tomorrow. Chloe had hoped to start a family soon - she isn’t exactly young anymore.

“God I wish I hadn’t let him redesigning our entire penthouse.” she adds bitterly, sweeping another load of whisky into her mouth and swallowing loudly, “I miss every single bit of how it used to look.”

Including, she thinks, the portrait Beca had painted of her that Romeo had insisted was creepy and had to be immediately taken down. But she doesn’t say that to Beca. And in a weird way, she doesn’t have to.

Beca appears nervously at the open door to the secret room, her hands across her abdomen while she picks anxiously at her cuticles. Chloe swears she’s never seen her best friend - the woman she loves - look so nervous around her before. Not even all those months spent in the hospital at her bedside.

She sees Beca’s mouth hang open the moment she realises Chloe’s stood by the closet. The woman slowly steps into the room. Slowly steps towards Chloe. And Chloe can almost hear Beca’s heartbeat from where she’s stood. The nervous energy in the room is palpable.

Beca stops, a couple of metres from where Chloe’s stood. And the two face each other in silence. Anything they say in the next few minutes is going to be potentially life changing, and they both know it.

“I remember.” Chloe begins, not meaning for her voice to crack slightly. She’s not sure why she feels so nervous. Beca’s proved how much she loves her.

“And I-I don’t mean just a snippet of something here or there.” she continues, pausing to try to catch a shallow breath. She notes the way Beca shifts her own weight on her feet. “I mean I remember everything.”

Chloe allows a small smile to sweep onto her face. Because this must be the very news Beca’s been hoping to hear for over a year. Though the woman’s facial expression shows no sign of changing just yet. So Chloe goes on.

“I remember the first time I saw you, the first time we properly met, the first thing you ever said to me…” she can see a glimmer of hope in Beca’s eyes. Hope that radiates through to Chloe’s heart.

“…I remember the drinks we went for each night after recording the music. First with colleagues, then just the two of us…”

This time a small smile slowly appears on Beca’s face and notes the way her best friend’s chest rises and falls rapidly with nerves and adrenaline.

“…I remember our first date. I remember our first kiss. I remember the exact moment I fell in love with you…” Chloe feels tears building in her eyes. It feels like this confession has been a long time coming.

“…I really remember the first time we had sex…”

This time a chuckle falls from not only Chloe’s mouth but from Beca’s too, and Chloe is overjoyed to see the woman beaming at her while a tear slips from Beca’s eye.

“Fuuuck.”

Chloe lets out a heavy exhale, a lazy grin on her face at the sound of Beca’s expletive. Her eyes are closed, and she feels Beca’s naked body rolling off her own into the space on the mattress beside her.

“That was…” Beca continues, trying to catch her breath, and Chloe lets out a chuckle that’s mimicked by Beca. The two women lay naked in bed together, a light white bedsheet draped over their legs. And Chloe slides an arm out while Beca nestles into her side, the brunette’s arm flopping over her abdomen while they both let out heavy contented sighs.

“You’re amazing.” Chloe eventually musters, placing a firm kiss on Beca’s forehead. Beca responds with a firm kiss on Chloe’s collarbone, then neck, then jaw, then finally Chloe’s mouth.

“You’re amazing.” Beca counteracts with a broad grin.

“And I remember just constantly feeling…” she pauses to take a deep breath, and on the exhale continuing, “…loved by you! And constantly in love with you. Even after we broke up.”

“What the…?” Chloe’s lost for words as she steps out of the elevator. She looks down the short hallway of her penthouse, stunned by its appearance. It looks…normal. Somehow exactly the way it had done before Romeo had messed it up with his stupid white decor. (Stupid Romeo. If there’s one thing Chloe’s pleased about, it’s that she’s no longer married to that jerk.)

Her feet lead her down to the portrait Beca had painted of her so many years ago, and she greets it with a smile, as though it’s an old friend. Then she continues, turning to her left and into the rest of the penthouse. Her penthouse. Exactly how she’d once had it. Every wall colour and piece of furniture. Every photo. Every ornament and statue. Everything.

“Surprise.”

Chloe feels overwhelmed as she rounds a corner and finds Beca stood in the kitchen area with an affectionate smile on her face.

“Beca, I-I…” Chloe’s lost for words, so all she can do is let out a gentle sigh. Beca, meanwhile, simply shrugs.

“You said you missed the way the penthouse looked before Romeo pissed all over it with his shitty sense of ‘style’.” Beca explains in an affectionate tone, ��So I got a bunch of pros in to redecorate it exactly how it used to look. Just for you.”

Chloe looks at her ex-girlfriend in awe. Beca had done all this for her??

Becas smile drops, but Chloe doesn’t want her to feel guilty. Breaking up was Beca’s fault back then, yes. But she’d been kinda sort of emotionally blackmailed into it.

“Chloe I’m so sorry I-I…” Beca seems a little frantic, and entirely terrified, taking a step closer to Chloe with her hands out, “…back then I was young and naive and scared. Not-Not of you or us or our future or coming out to the world…just um…scared.”

Chloe knows exactly what Beca was scared of. Exactly who Beca was scared of too. The pause before her final word had been Beca’s way of trying not to throw Violet under the bus. And because of all that Chloe now knows, and has actually always known since the night of their breakup, she’s reminded that all Beca has ever wanted is to protect her. Even if that means sacrificing her own happiness in order to do so.

“Beca,” Chloe says in a softer, far quieter voice, and she pauses just long enough for Beca to look back up into her eyes. The vulnerability in the brunette’s face is evident, and it causes Chloe to feel a sudden impulse to hug her tight. But she maintains control of herself. “there’s something I never told you. Something that I need to tell you now.”

She sees hesitation flicker across Beca’s face, and somehow her best friend manages to choke out an “Okay…?” from the back of her throat without moving her lips at all. Beca appears to be rooted to the spot. Frozen in place. Appears to have no ability to move one millimetre for fear she may miss what Chloe’s about to say.

Chloe, meanwhile, can’t help the way her hands have become clammy. She squeezes them into fists by her side, then realises it’s not actually helping anything so instead she opens her hands out and shakes them gently at her sides instead. She’s nervous. Anxious to get this over with. What if Beca hates her the moment she hears the truth??

“Come on come on…” Chloe mumbles, her phone pressed firmly to her ear. She doesn’t care for one second that she’s thrown her Oscar statue into Emily’s hands, and is now stalking down the hotel lobby for the elevator. Emily is keeping up somehow, dashing behind her boss in a beautiful purple-feathered dress.

This time, just like many many times in the past half hour, Beca’s phone goes straight to voicemail. Chloe lets out a huge growl of frustration which echoes off the walls around her. She doesn’t notice the way Emily looks at her sheepishly.

The elevator doors open, and Chloe storms inside, smashing her thumb against the number that equates to Beca’s hotel suite. She has to be there. Beca has to be there.

“Do you think she’ll even be there?” she hears Emily ask as the elevator doors open. Chloe honestly has no idea. But most of her is screaming inside. Because in her heart-of-hearts, she knows Beca’s gone.

“I hope so.” is all Chloe can muster, tears welling up in her eyes as she looks at her reflection and the locket around her neck that Beca had given her as a form of betrothal. What the hell was up with her??

“The night after you broke up with me,” Chloe begins, pausing to swallow loudly (because now of all times is the time her body’s decided to produce more saliva for fuckssake!), “Amy must’ve told Aubrey your real reason for breaking up with me.”

Chloe practically sees the way Beca’s body rises and falls with the skipping of the woman’s heart. Beca takes a deep intake of breath. Chloe hears it.

“And Aubrey came to find me and told m-e.”

She doesn’t mean for her voice to break at the end but it’s difficult to maintain composure when tears are now slipping down her cheeks and she’s still stood before Beca while Beca begins to crumble a little. Chloe clears her throat loudly then sniffs.

“I tried calling you. I called and I called and I called. But every time it just went straight to voicemail.” She sees Beca’s shoulders slump, the woman’s head hanging as Beca looks to her feet. To this day, Chloe still wonders why Beca had switched her phone off. “I was going to tell you that I loved you. That I didn’t care if Grams told the world about our relationship. That I would’ve happily quit acting forever if it meant I could spend the rest of my life with you.”

There’s no way her voice sounds strong anymore. She’s not entirely sure her voice had sounded strong in the first place. And her body trembles slightly when Beca looks up at her, her deep blue eyes now bloodshot while tears fall freely down her cheeks. It’s the saddest thing to have to tell Beca. To essentially tell her that she’d messed things up for nothing.

“I confronted her.” Chloe says loudly, hoping the change in volume tricks Beca into thinking she’s strong. She has no idea if it’s worked. “Grams. I went to find her as soon as I realised you were gone-gone.” she sees Beca take a breath again. “I was so mad at her.”

Chloe shakes her head gently, folding her arms. This part of the story she’s not proud of. She hadn’t been proud of it then. And she isn’t proud of it now. She slowly turns, and heads for the huge window, stopping just before it. She looks out at the snowy scene outside. The wind looks as though it’s picked up and the snowflakes are still large. For the moment it doesn’t look ‘pretty’. The wind has caused the falling snow to blur slightly in the air so New York now looks grey and dull. It provides little comfort. Which means Chloe pulls her folded arms in a little tighter.

“You say you were young and naive,” Chloe continues, “but I was young and naive too.”

She thinks back on those days. On the way she’d once thought her Grams was the most wonderful human being on the planet. She’d always thought that. All until the moment she’s discovered her Grams had forced Beca to leave her.

“My Grams…she has this way with words and…” Chloe lets out another heavy sigh. Her excuses sound stupid. If anything, she’s probably just pushing Beca further and further away. “…I dunno, she somehow managed to make it seem like you’d abandoned me. That you’d not even bothered to fight for me-”

“-I didn’t fight for you.”

Chloe looks over her shoulder to see Beca slowly approach her, looking as distraught as Chloe feels. Distraught that their future was stolen from them all because of a miscommunication. And a meddling old woman.

“I should’ve but I didn’t.” Beca looks insistent. Distraught still, yet insistent. “I was gonna marry you Chloe. I had the ring. I even had the whole proposal planned out!”

To say Chloe’s a bit lost for words is an understatement. Her own shoulders slump as she thinks about how perfect that Proposal would’ve been. Probably small and intimate. Just the two of them. Nothing as huge and extravagant and fake as the time Romeo proposed to her.

“Will you marry me?” Romeo says in his thick Italian accent, looking up at Chloe with his dark brown eyes. He’s down on one knee, an open ring box in his hands, revealing the most extravagant engagement ring Chloe has ever seen in her life. This thing between them has been a whirlwind. But whirlwinds are such a ‘celebrity’ thing to do, right? Getting engaged after only three months of dating…it’s not that crazy is it?

Out of her periphery to her right, Chloe can see the Eiffel Tower, lit up in red, specially for tonight (apparently). Specially for her. Out of her periphery to her left, Chloe sees three professional photographers that her boyfriend has hired to document this momentous occasion. And for some reason, before she answers, Chloe thinks about Beca. Chloe wishes Beca’s here. Chloe wishes it’s Beca proposing to her instead of the man who had engulfed her life over the past few months.

Then she puts those wishes to the back of her mind, and her smile broadens purposefully. She doesn’t want to look bad in these photos if they’re going to be released to the press. She needs to look happy, even if doubt looms in the back of her mind.

“Yes!” she bursts, and as soon as she does she hears fireworks being unleashed from the Eiffel Tower nearby.

Nor as huge and extravagant and picture-perfect as the moment Jesse had proposed to Beca.

Chloe’s out of breath. She’s just spun ten times. Perfectly. Exactly how Jesse wanted it and how Madonna’s choreographer had advised. And as she resettles into the next stage of the ‘proposal dance routine’ here at Disneyland, she spies Beca looking directly at her from her position on the back of the ‘Park Tour Bus’. Her ex-girlfriend sits in shock with a fake smile on her face as Jesse beams from the hundreds of dancers following them down the street away from the Disney Castle. Friends and family take part in the routine which is merged with professional dancers.

Despite her reservations, Chloe’s sure this is the best thing for Beca. To marry Jesse - the father of her baby. To seal the ‘Perfect Celebrity Couple’ status that Beca and Jesse have had landed at their feet in recent months. Chloe desperately doesn’t want to embarrass her best friend. So she continues dancing. She continues smiling.

Everything’s going to be okay. Beca’s moved on.

“But your fucking Grams frikkin’ scared me, dude.” This time Beca shakes her head slowly, tears still running down her cheeks, the tip of her nose swollen and runny. “She said if I didn’t break up with you that she’d tell the press and that your career would go up in flames and that everything you’d ever worked for would be pulled from under you and you’d fall and you’d get depressed and you’d probably end up resenting me and our life together and we’d break up anyway and-”

As Beca speaks quickly, clearly beginning to panic while her breaths become shorter and sharper, Chloe thinks of doing nothing more than the very thing she does right there and then. She launches herself forward, arms outstretched, and she pulls Beca into the tightest of hugs. She feels Beca’s body tremble against her own as the brunette bawls into Chloe’s chest, arms wound tightly around Chloe’s waist.

“I should’ve left.” Chloe mumbles into Beca’s hair while they remain in a tight embrace, “I should’ve got in the first cab I could and raced to LAX to find you. A-And if you hadn’t been there then I should’ve got on the next flight to Seattle.” she releases Beca gently when she feels her best friend pull away with a sniff, her hands slipping down to gently grip Beca’s upper arms, “I knew in my heart you would’ve gone to your Mom’s to clear your head.”

She sees a sad smile sweep onto Beca’s face while the woman swipes the back of her sleeve across her nose. Chloe notes the smeared snot. Yet she finds Beca the most beautiful person in the world. Her true love.

“Instead I waited.” she adds, trying not to sound as hurt as she feels remembering those days all over again, “I waited here, in our Penthouse, for three weeks. Hoping you’d come back. And you did.”

Beca let’s out a heavy shaky exhale, looking up into Chloe’s eyes, causing a wave of emotion to shatter through Chloe’s body.

“Then the first thing you said to me was you’d met someone else.” she tries not to sound bitter, “Jesse Swanson. And that was the moment my heart broke.”

Chloe’s surprised to see Beca’s hands reaching up. Surprised to feel Beca’s hands cradle her cheeks with such gentle affection. And her own hands reach up to delicately envelope Beca’s wrists. This is a whole new level of intimacy for them. Intimacy they really shouldn’t be having. Because Beca is married. She’s a mother. And as she’s reminded of this fact, Chloe squeezes her eyes closed.

She feels so present in this moment. The feel of her heart beating against her chest, the memory of Beca’s teary eyes looking into her own, the sound of a small tut sounding from Beca’s perfect mouth before the brunette lifts her left hand slightly to gently stroke back some of Chloe’s hair behind her ear.

“I’ve never stopped loving you Beca.”

Chloe’s not sure where she’s found the strength to finally say it. After so many years of pining for her ex-girlfriend. After so many years of watching Beca fall in love with Jesse and have children with him. The pain it’s inflicted on her aching heart makes being around Beca as excruciating as it is wonderful.

“I’m never going to stop loving you. Ever.”

This time Chloe opens her eyes, Beca’s hand having not stilled and it continues to affectionately smooth hair from her face. She wonders for a moment if Beca has longed for an intimacy like this with her. Wonders whether the past several years has been as excruciating for her ex-girlfriend as it has been for her.

“You’re married. You have four children with him. You’re…you’re happy.”

It’s a bit of an ironic observation on Chloe’s part, because right now Beca looks far from happy. The woman looks tired and upset. Puffy watery eyes, tear-stained cheeks, a blotchy swollen running nose with smeared snot around it.. there are a million ways that Beca looks unpresentable and raw and undesirable. And still Chloe falls deeper in love with her. Even at this very moment, as Beca looks deep into her eyes.

“Through all of this,” Chloe continues. She’s still continuing. “all that’s happened the past year and the decade before that…” she pauses to take a shaky breath. Here it goes. Something she’s kept bottled up for years. Something she swore to herself that she’d never tell Beca. Until now:

“…the hardest thing I’ve had to come to terms with is knowing that you’ll never be mine again, even though I’d be entirely yours in an instant.”

The pause that follows is a long one. A very long one. And all Beca does is hold her. Cradles her cheeks in her hands and looks from her left eye to her right eye and back again, over and over. Meanwhile, Chloe’s stomach does backflips and front flips, swirling around with nerves.

To her shock Beca doesn’t say anything in response. To her disappointment Beca doesn’t kiss her (despite their close proximity). But to her relief, Beca drops her hands from Chloe’s face so she can tug her into a tight hug. A tight hug that Chloe feels tightening with each passing second.

“I’ve gotta go talk to Jesse.” she hears Beca say clearly, though the woman’s voice is noticeably breaking thanks to the crying she’s been doing.

There’s his name again. ‘Jesse’. Chloe tries not to sound heartbroken when Beca says his name. Tries not to feel jealous that even in an intimate moment like this, 1-on-1 with her, Beca’s still mentioning her husband. She wonders if Beca mentions her as much when she’s with Jesse..?

“I-I’m not running.” Beca says firmly, pulling out of the tight hug to immediately push Chloe’s hair back from her face with both hands, holding the sides of Chloe’s head while she briefly adds, “I promise.”

Then her hands drop, taking Chloe’s hands and looking down at them while she holds them between their bodies. She sniffs loudly. Chloe thinks she looks a little conflicted about something? Maybe?

“I just…” Chloe finds herself swallowing loudly as Beca pauses, the woman scrunching her nose up fleetingly before looking back up into Chloe’s eyes, “I don’t keep secrets from him, ever. And I need to talk to him about what you’ve told me.”

It makes sense, Chloe supposes. After all, Jesse is Beca’s husband. She tells him everything. Absolutely everything.

“I told Jesse we kissed.”

Chloe pauses the chopping of carrots, her heart leaping into her throat. She told him?? They hadn’t exactly agreed to keep it a secret. But Chloe hadn’t expected as soon as Beca had swept out of the penthouse a few hours ago to tell her husband quite so soon.

“God.” is the best thing she can muster, her attention briefly whipping over to five month old Lucas who is sat in a high chair, gnawing on a carrot stick with little progress. “How’d he take it?”

“Surprisingly well.” Beca replies, slowly moving further into the kitchen to place a kiss on top of her son’s head. It’s not unusual for Chloe to offer to have one or more of the Swanson children up in the Penthouse to give Beca (and Jesse) some respite.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. He just…asked we don’t do it again.”

Beca and Jesse had had a fight about something. That was why Beca had been up at Chloe’s in the first place. Chloe hesitates briefly, then begins chopping the carrots again. It’s unusual for her not to say something. And clearly Beca can sense that.

“You know…because he and I are married.”

Chloe knows that. It had been a brief moment of madness. The two had been in this kitchen. Beca had been busy making Lucas some mud-morning pancakes. Chloe had been washing some utensils up beside her. Beca had leant towards the washing up bowl to place a spoon into it, accidentally bumping Chloe’s hip with her abdomen, wincing slightly due to her surgical site that was still a bit tender even so many months on. Then the two of them had just…held eye contact and…had kissed. Briefly.

Then Beca had freaked out a bit and had apologised and had left the penthouse to clear her head. Chloe had stayed, trying to clear her own head. Not an easy task when trying to take care of Beca and Jesse’s baby…

“We don’t have to mention it again.” Chloe eventually says with a soft sigh, her eyes on the carrots she’s chopping. She doesn’t want to mention the kiss again. Doesn’t want to be reminded that Beca had kissed her even though she’s married.

“I won’t be long.” Beca says honestly, squeezing Chloe’s hands briefly before releasing them and taking a step backwards, “I promise I’m not running. I promise I’m not scared.”

“I know.” Chloe finds herself saying, and she watches in stunned silence as Beca gives her one final nod, then literally runs out of the room to find Jesse. Her gaze moves from the open door of the secret room, across to the open door of the closet. And her feet begin carrying her over to the open box on the floor within it while her mind feels numb.

She’s just told Beca she loves her and will always love her. And Beca didn’t say it back…

#so much yes to this!#pitch perfect #bechloe #bechloe!amnesia AU #amnesia au

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allitbb · 3 years

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allitbb · 3 years

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So. Just had this pop up as an ad in one of my games. And i mean. Perfectly sums it up.

#equal rights #equaility #blacklivesmatter #black lives matter #blm #i dont even know if the creator even meant to do this #and if he didnt? well then that shows how rooted in our subconcious racism is

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allitbb · 3 years

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#this is just brilliant #tiktok #uterus

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allitbb · 3 years

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sneaky peek of chapter three of ‘screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain’

here is chapter two if you haven’t read it yet.

Keep reading

#just started reading this #seems good so far #bechloe fanfiction #pitch perfect fanfiction

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allitbb · 3 years

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Now for some much needed answers..

Bechloe - Amnesia AU (pt.20)

Again the elevator produces a soft ‘ping’ as it arrives at the penthouse, and Chloe takes a step out of it into her home. Her mind is a muddle. Everything she once thought - how much she trusts Beca and feels safe with Beca - is now conflicted within her. She needs to find the room. She needs to find the box. She needs answers.

Chloe walks with some vague purpose, down the short hallway. She doesn’t give her painted portrait a second glance, and instead of taking a left at it as she has done before, she takes a sharp right instead. This is a part of the penthouse she hasn’t been too yet. This is a part that, for some reason, Beca hadn’t directed her down last night when they’d returned from the hospital. At the time Chloe hadn’t thought anything of it, but now she’s suspicious. Was Beca hiding something??

As with the other half of her home, the short hallway opens out into a large area with high ceilings. But it’s a room she hasn’t seen before. Not in any photos that Beca had shown her back in the hospital. It’s a dining room.

Deep dark wooden floorboard panels reach through to the far end of the room, with emerald green painted walls. There’s a fireplace on the side to her left, and on the opposing side, stretching the entire length and height of the wall, is a huge bookshelf. Huuuge! The same emerald green colour as the wall opposite. Filled with books. So many books. And with it an emerald green ladder on wheels so she can access the books on the tallest shelf. It’s magical.

At the far end Chloe sees the snowy cityscape that she’s beginning to become accustomed to. The room faces the city rather than Central Park, as other rooms in the penthouse do. Running across the base of the wall-sized window, is a long bay seat. The cushioned top is the same shade of green as the decor in the room. And small crimson red cushions are dispersed on the seat, reminding Chloe of Christmas. She wonders if the red cushions are just a seasonal addition.. Presumably this is some form of reading area if she requires quiet time to read.

In the centre of the room is a long dining table. The thick oak table top gives Chloe a sneaky suspicion that it’s been commissioned to fit this room, as have the twelve chairs around it. In the centre of the table is a big and beautiful flower display.

So…even though Chloe suspects Beca had purposefully avoided showing her this room, that suspicion doesn’t really make sense. Because these flowers are in perfect condition, arranged in the most beautiful way, sitting within a wide round crystal vase. It doesn’t exactly look like a room that Beca’s been planning on hiding.

Chloe steps further into the room, looking up at the crystal chandelier, then to her left. She notices, for the first time, a door beside the fireplace. Where does it lead? Could this be the way to the mysterious room, where the piano lives? Where her box of memories live?

With a deep breath, the redhead wanders towards the door. She holds her hand out, hovering it over the doorknob. This is it. No going back. She takes hold of the cool metal, twists it slowly, and pushes the door open.

She expects to see a bright open room. She expects to see the piano, and mirrors, and another large window revealing the New York cityscape, just like her flashback had shown. But to her confusion and disappointment, the door opens on to a short wide corridor that immediately brings her to another door.

There’s nothing special about this corridor. It’s in pristine condition and very clean. The flooring from the room behind her continues through. The emerald green walls continue through too - causing the corridor to feel a little smaller than it actually is. And at head-height there’s a slim mirror that stretches horizontally along the length of the short corridor on either side. It causes a bit of a bizarre reflection when Chloe looks into it and she can see herself reflected hundreds of times in the background.

Feeling a little uneasy, Chloe takes a deep breath and continues through, reaching the door ahead after only a few steps. As she holds her hand out to open the next door, she pauses. This is it. No going back.

But again, as she opens the door, she’s left confused and disappointed. Because this door opens onto the kitchen. The kitchen that Chloe’s already seen. The penthouse feels like a maze, but it’s actually a circle. The large communal rooms lead from one to another, with the occasional large bedroom and en-suite stemming off here and there. Chloe looks over her shoulder, confused.

So…where’s the piano? And where’s the room the piano had been in? Had it even been in this penthouse? Yes, because Coco had explained she would come up here to play it. So…where is it??

Chloe finds herself wandering back through to the dining room, her brow furrowed slightly. She looks ahead of her, staring at the multitude of books on the massive bookshelf, and she wonders if she’s read any of them or if they’re just for show.

Her attention glances down at the dining table. She reaches out to lightly gloss her fingertips across the polished surface. It feels smooth. Perfect for this beautiful home.

“Hey we could put in one of those awesome bookshelf doors!” she hears Beca express excitably as they stand at the large window of the empty room. Chloe turns to see her girlfriend’s eyes sparkling at her, a broad smile on her face. This is one of the millions of things she loves about Beca. Her imagination. What kind of million dollar penthouse has a ‘secret room’ behind a bookshelf?

Chloe’s eyes snap up from the table to look at the bookshelf opposite her. Her heart races at the flashback she’s just had. Of course. Now she remembers. Beca had arranged for this entire wall to be a huge bookshelf so they could hide a door in it! Only three people know about the secret room: herself, Beca, and Beca’s daughter Coco. And…whoever Coco might have told if they believe her.

She moves curiously round to the bookshelf wall, inspecting it a little closer. Now all she needs to try and do is remember how to hope. The secret door. At first she attempts to pull a couple of books off a few shelves. Nothing. Not even the sign of a hinge or handle at the back of the unit.

Chloe lets out a huff of air as she looks up the tall bookshelf. She’s been frustrated on plenty of occasions since waking from her coma. But right now, she is becoming her most frustrated. It’s right there. She knows the room is right there. Behind this bookshelf. She just—

(She places her palms against the edge of one of the shelves, closing her eyes.)

—wishes she knew how—

(She leans into the bookcase, wanting to rest her body for a moment while she thinks.)

—to open—

(She feels the bookcase against her hands shift slightly, and hears a click)

—it…

Chloe swallows loudly, her breath catching in her lungs, and slowly she takes a step back. Another click sounds as she releases the pressure against the bookshelf, and feels it move back slightly with her. All on its own.

The door doesn’t open via a handle or a lock. It opens via a push-to-release/push-to-close mechanism!

Silence remains in the room as Chloe attempts to compose herself. She’s feeling a whole range of emotions: excitement, curiosity, nerves, anticipation, reluctance, concern, delight. It’s almost too much for her. Almost.

Swiping her tongue across her bottom lip, she tugs the flesh gently between her teeth, reaches out, and plucks at the bookshelf. The hidden door slowly, silently swings open.

Chloe lets out an audible gasp as she wanders into the secret room. It’s so light compared to the room she’s just come from. Two white walls compliment a pastel pink feature wall (which is adorned with a delicate gold pattern). Opposite the feature wall is a floor-to-ceiling, far-left to far-right window, again revealing New York City in December snow. And there, in the centre of the room, is the grand piano from her flashback.

Sidling up to the feature wall, Chloe realises that the gold pattern isn’t just a pattern. They’re gold ladybugs. And are, what she suspects, created from actual gold leaf. She leans forward to inspect one in closer proximity—

“Oh my God!” Chloe bursts, her mouth hanging open, her eyes shining with tears and wide with wonder. Are these all hand-drawn on? “Beca, this is amazing!!!”

“They’re gold leaf.” Beca explains, and Chloe sees the smile on her face matches her tone.

“God, Beca…” Chloe’s a little choked up as she steps over to her girlfriend and bushes her hip with her own, “…this is incredible!”

“You’re incredible.”

Beca’s always been smooth with words. But Chloe knows the woman means it. She knows Beca thinks the world of her. Just like she thinks the world of Beca. She turns to see her girlfriend hesitate momentarily and she frowns lightly. As always, they are able to communicate with no words. So Beca comes right out and says what’s on her mind.

“You’re sure you like it? Because if you don’t I can totally change the entire decor, or get rid of the piano, or-or even get rid of the closet space!”

But Chloe’s already swung her arms around Beca’s waist, pulling their bodies together, a huge smile on her face.

“I love it.” she insists with a chuckle, her demeanour softening while she nudges the tip of Beca’s nose with her own, “And I love you.”

Chloe turns on the spot and spies the very closet space that Beca had mentioned in her latest flashback. The closet. That must be the place she stored her box of memories—

“Why can’t I go in there?”

Coco’s sweet. Really she is. But she’s persistent. For the millionth time this hour, Chloe’s having to prevent her inquisitive Goddaughter from snooping in the only part of the apartment she’s told her never to look in.

“Because it’s private.” Chloe explains, moving the sheet music back in place so she can begin playing the piece on the piano that Coco has been singing with her. She notices the way the five year old peers around her body, past her to look longingly at the closed closet door.

“Are you hiding a puppy in there?” Coco asks in her sweet innocent voice, and it’s such an unusual question (though not so much for the animal loving girl), that Chloe chuckles.

“No sweetie. Not a puppy.”

‘Just a whole other time in my life that I shared with your mother that you’ll never be allowed to know about.’ Chloe thinks to herself. She’s come to terms with this fact. It’s still difficult to swallow. But it’s how things are. She can’t change anything.

Another flashback takes Chloe’s curiosity level up a notch. Clearly this room means something to her. It holds a lot of answers—

Fumbling with buttons on the front of Beca’s blouse, Chloe guides her girlfriend backwards until the woman bumps against the piano. She scoops Beca up, and plonks her with a clang on the keys. But their mouths haven’t disconnected since the moment they entered the room.

It’s been a long four months. Both have been away on respective projects: Chloe shooting a movie in England, Beca recording a movie score in LA. Both have miraculously managed to remain in contact during that time. But no amount of texts or calls make up for the sound or feel of the other being with them person.

“God I’ve missed you.” Chloe mumbles against Beca’s skin as her loud kisses trail across Beca’s jawline and down her neck.

“God I’ve missed you too-OOO…ohhh…”

Chloe smirks against the inside of Beca’s thigh, her thumb doing some work between her girlfriend’s legs, having managed to hook Beca’s panties to one side with the index finger of her other hand. She feels Beca’s hands gripping her hair and guiding her a little further up. Chloe’s tongue replaces her thumb.

This is the only room in the penthouse they have left to christen. They’re going to make it a good one…

Chloe’s eyes are drifting over the keys of the grand piano as she passes. She’s screwed Beca right there before. And while it should make her feel uncomfortable…it doesn’t. She just… smiles—

“I’m definitely gonna marry you one day.”

Chloe feels a warmth overcome her body at the sound of Beca’s words mumbling into her ear. The brunette stands behind her, looking out at the cityscape before them, her arms around Chloe’s waist while her chin rests on Chloe’s shoulder. Chloe leans back, against her girlfriend’s body. She lets out a gentle sigh. It all sounds so dreamy. The future. Together.

“Once the world is a nicer place and we’ll be accepted.” Beca continues, and Chloe hums in agreement. She’s just finished helping Beca compose a new song on the piano behind them. In the secret room they’re now stood in. It feels good to have accomplished something creative together.

“And we’ll be the most famous and successful women in Hollywood.” she adds, and Beca chuckles gently.

“Exactly. Once that all happens, then I’m gonna marry you Chloe Beale. We won’t have to hide any more.”

It does sound dreamy. The idea of being openly together, in public, with no fear..

Arriving at the closet door, Chloe hesitates again. This is it. It could mean everything to enter this space. Or it could mean nothing. She reaches out and slides the door on runners to the right—

“God, I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid.” Chloe grumbles to herself. Her chest aches. Her stupid heart aches. “I should’ve ran after her. I should’ve stopped her. If I had then she wouldn’t have met—”

Chloe chokes back a sob, pausing her frantic packing to bring her hand to her mouth. She’s relieved nobody knows about this room. About this closet. She hopes nobody steps foot in here ever again. She hopes it remains a secret.

The flashback causes Chloe’s heart to race a little faster while she peers into the immaculate closet. This is where she came. When Beca told her that she’d met Jesse. That she’d started dating Jesse. Only two weeks after she’d broken up with Chloe—

“This…this is a good thing Chlo.” Beca tries to explain, though tears are rolling down her cheeks. It’s not a good thing. It’s not, it’s not. Chloe knows that Beca still loves her. And yet…Beca’s moving on already!

“I’m moving on.” Beca continues, “You can move on. We can still become super successful in our careers.”

Chloe wants to scream. She wants to declare that she doesn’t want to be a successful actress if it means she can’t be with Beca. But…Beca’s already made the decision for them. Even if they did quit now, how could they ever go back?

“I love him.” Beca says in a broken voice. Chloe knows Beca. She knows the tones of her voice and what they mean. She knows her ex is lying.

Lights automatically click on when Chloe takes her first step inside the closet. It feels a little eerie. As though nobody has stepped in here for a long time. It’s not as spacious at the other walk-in closets, but there’s still plenty of room to move.

Along the left side are dresses of differing styles and colours, hung on a rail. Just before this rail begins there’s a tall floor-to-ceiling shoe display. Just past the rail is a full length mirror, again from floor-to-ceiling (though Chloe can’t imagine anyone tall enough to need the full length).

Opposite, on Chloe’s right side, are draws. An entire wall of them. All white and beautifully crafted. Some slim and long. Some deep and low.

Chloe makes her way towards the dresses to her left. She reaches out, taking on hanger after another and slides them slowly along the rail to look at each outfit—

“You look so beautiful.” Chloe hears Beca mumble into her ear. They’re both already smiling, posing together with three of their costars and their director, Benji Applebaum. Beca’s compliment only serves to make Chloe’s smile broaden further. Her free hand moves up to adjust the gold oval locket around her neck, before moving back down to her side again.

There’s something exciting about being here in Cannes, promoting their first movie together. There’s so much hype about this movie: Beca’s acting debut, apparently Chloe’s best role to date, and Benji Applebaum’s first directorial foray away from comedy that he’s renowned for within the industry.

But there’s something even more exciting about spending the next few days doing press and promo here together when, behind closed doors, they’re dating. After the parties and evening soirée’s, Chloe loves sneaking over to Beca’s hotel suite to spend the night..

She turns her head to the left, and brings her mouth to Beca’s ear just as the photographers call out more questions to the cast and crew they’re amongst.

“I love you so much.” she mumbles, and she enjoys the sight of Beca’s smile broadening while the brunette continues to look at the photographers before them. But she feels Beca’s response. The woman’s hand squeezes her hip while Beca maintains her arm around Chloe’s waist. Chloe’s arm equally remains around Beca’s. And she squeezes Beca’s hip in return.

They both smile giddy smiles. Both excited to be here. Together.

Chloe can’t explain how, but she finds herself suddenly swivelling on the spot, and slowly heading towards the draws. As though she just knows that the box she’s looking for is stored there. Somewhere. Her fingertips skim delicately across the front of them, one at a time. Her heart beats that little bit faster while she gets another flashback—

“Wanna grab a drink later?”

Chloe looks up from her call sheet, swivelling on the makeup chair, surprised to see the owner of the question stood in the door to the hair and makeup trailer. A smile spreads across the actress’s face, delighted to see Beca before her very eyes.

“What are you doing here??” she asks in a tone that’s anything but accusational. She’s thought about Beca a lot over the past few weeks since she wrapped on recording the soundtrack for the very movie she’s now shooting. She’s missed her company. She’s missed the connection she feels whenever she’s in the music producer’s presence. She’s missed how comfortable she feels around her.

Beca shrugs, leaning against the doorframe, clearly trying to act casual while her hands are stuffed into her back pockets. She’s dressed in tight jeans and a tight black camisole. Chloe tries not to check the woman out but it’s sort of impossible when, even on a Tuesday morning at 6.15am, Beca looks incredible.

“I was in the area..”

“You came all this way to see me?”

“Yeah.”

Chloe’s eyebrows rise, impressed. Beca’s come all this way to see her, this early in the morning?

“I’m kidding.” Beca adds with a grin, and Chloe doesn’t know why, but she suddenly laughs loudly, her head tipping back and her eyes squeezing closed. She misses the way Beca looks at her adoringly. When Chloe looks back at the woman, it’s just as her makeup artist is returning to the trailer.

“I’m here to advise on set. Kimmy seems to think the audio doesn’t sound right or something.” Beca continues, while the hairstylist does a double-take. Chloe still finds it odd that she now knows Beca Mitchell. Beca Mitchell whose music is played on radios all over the world, and whose gigs and festivals she headlines sell out within minutes of tickets being released.

“Hence the surprise visit.” Chloe replies in an amused tone, having turned her chair around to face the mirror again so her hairstylist can continue.

“Hence the surprise visit.” Beca confirmes, her tone equally amused, and slightly playful. “So is that a yes? To tonight?”

Chloe feels her heart skip a beat. If her hairstylist wasn’t here she’d ask if Beca is asking her out on a date. But she doesn’t want to embarrass herself, even though Lilly is super quiet and probably wouldn’t tell a soul.

“Count me in.”

Chloe’s finger comes to rest at the handle of a seemingly random draw. Something is pulling her to it. Something is telling her to open it. That this is the draw she’s after—

“Emily, could you ensure we’re not disturbed please?” Chloe asks of her personal assistant, who is busy composing an email to Chloe’s financial advisor. The young brunette nods, glancing at the blonde woman sat at the table opposite her.

“Yeah, same here Amy.” Beca adds, while she takes Chloe’s hand. The blonde gives her boss a thumbs up before turning her attention back to her own MacBook.

Chloe feels her girlfriend tug gently on her hand, guiding her towards the back of the private jet. They trust their personal assistants. Emily and Amy may not always see eye to eye for some reason - a clash of personalities perhaps - but they never let it affect their work life. Of which they’re having to share more and more of as the weeks roll on.

This is because Chloe and Beca have become entwined in a deep and meaningful relationship. A secret to the world and - as it stands - their friends and families. Right now the only people in the world who know about their ongoing romance are Beca and Chloe themselves, their respective PAs, and Chloe’s best friend Aubrey Posen.

They’ve just put an offer forward for an incredible three bed penthouse in Manhattan, with beautiful views of Central Park and the city. Their first home. And they’re buying it together.

So to celebrate, Beca’s whisking Chloe away on a three day break to Australia. Five days is all they can spare in their crazy packed schedules. But, credit to Emily and Amy, the PA’s have managed to organise it all to perfection. A days travel there, four days in and around Melbourne, then a days travel back. Exhausting, but easy.

Now, however, all that Beca and Chloe can focus on is the sleeping quarters towards the back of the plane. There’s a bed there with their name on it. And now that the plane has reached its target altitude, they plan on spending the next however many hours in each other’s arms, making out heavily and more…

Chloe hooks her index finger over the handle, takes a breath, then pulls. Sure enough, within the draw, she sees the memory box from her flashback—

“So I’m guessing this is a date then…” Chloe assumes with a smirk, her index finger skimming lightly around the rim of her wine glass, the vessel making a light humming sound with every lap. She delights in the way Beca peers over her beer bottle, the woman’s eyes lighting up slightly.

“If you don’t mind it being a date?” Beca checks, but Chloe can tell she’s hopeful.

They’ve been sat in this bar less than a mile from set for over two hours, chatting and laughing and drinking. They’ve been out for drinks together before. They’ve sometimes got food as well. But it’s never been like this. Those previous times have felt casual and unassuming. This evening, however, feels different. There’s a sexual tension between them now that’s overriding any causal friendliness that was present before.

Chloe finds herself leaning a little closer to Beca in the booth that they’re sharing. She feels Beca’s breath wash across her collarbone while they both glance down at one another’s mouths.

“I don’t mind this being a date.” Chloe mumbles, a soft smile on her face. She sees a grin spread across Beca’s face, and it sets butterflies racing around her stomach. She’s never felt like this before.

“And what if I kissed you?” Beca asks quietly, sending Chloe’s heart racing in anticipation. She feels excited. She’s lying if she hasn’t been crushing on Beca since the day they first met, five weeks ago.

“I don’t mind that either.” Chloe mumbles in return, her face having drawn closer to Beca’s.

Their eyes become hooded while they inch their mouths closer to one another. Their breath hitches in their throat. And after a moments pause, Chloe’s lips lay to rest against Beca’s, sending a surge of adrenaline through her body.

Letting out a shaky exhale, Chloe reaches in, and pulls the memory box out of the draw. It’s heavier than she’d expected, and she takes a step back before settling down on the light brown wooden floor of the closet she’s in. Her heart races with nerves. So far all the flashbacks have been coming in thick and fast. None in chronological order, but that doesn’t matter. She knows what order they’re in, in a weird way. She’s nervous about what’s to come when she opens this box though..

What if she doesn’t like the Beca she thinks she knows? So far, the flashbacks reveal nothing but love and devotion from her best friend. Her ex-girlfriend. But what about the breakup? What about the fallout and what happened after? What if she doesn’t like Beca after remembering? If she remembers of course..

Her eyes immediately hone in on the locket from her flashback, resting on top of a small white folded garment. The sturdy chain and gold oval piece of jewellery still present. And being close to it means Chloe can now see her initials carved onto the front—

“What do you mean you want to break up??” Chloe bursts. She stands before Beca, stunned, in her pyjamas. It’s the morning of the Oscars. It’s supposed to be their night tonight. The night they potentially pose together for photos and let people talk and speculate about whether they’re together or not. They’ve chosen the outfits they have to compliment one another. They’re preparing to announce their relationship to the world this summer. So they can get engaged and start a family. That was the plan!

“I can’t do this anymore.” Beca says, but tears are already falling down her cheeks and Chloe isn’t sure she believes her. If Beca is that serious then why is she crying? Why is she looking at her like that? “The sneaking around. The being apart for so much of the year.”

“But we’re not even apart that much!” Chloe attempts, because it’s true. Given their respective careers, that are becoming more successful by the month, they still manage to spend at least a quarter of the year at home in Manhattan, the rest of the time they steal occasional moments visiting each other wherever in the world that they’re working. “And we talk every day.”

“It’s not enough.” Beca snaps, clearly forcing poor attitude in order to end this horrendous conversation as quick as possible.

“But-” Chloe begins, taking a step forward to grab her girlfriend’s hand. To try to pull her into a hug. To try to work through whatever insecurities are going through her head right now. But Beca immediately steps back.

“-I don’t want to date you anymore!” she cries out loudly, and the words echo in Chloe’s ears.

In that moment Chloe’s heart breaks, and she suddenly bursts into tears. Her hands snap to her eyes as she falls to her knees. And she fails to see Beca begin to rush towards her before hesitating then holding herself back.

Chloe hears footsteps dashing away from her, Beca letting out a loud sob, followed by her hotel suite door opening then slamming closed. And like that, Beca’s gone. Chloe’s entire body quakes, and she bursts into heavier tears, rolling the rest of her body onto the floor, allowing gravity to overwhelm her as she bawls loudly into the carpet.

After a moment she feels a soft cool hand on her shoulder, and Chloe slowly peels herself upright. She allows her grandmother to cradle her, while she continues to sob. She looks past the old woman to see her mother stood by the bathroom door in stunned silence.

Chloe lets out a sob, remembering exactly how heartbroken she’d felt the moment Beca had broken up with her. Three and a half years. She and Beca had dated for three and a half years. Had been desperately in love. Had mapped out their future together. Had adored every inch of one another. And out of nowhere, Beca had ripped it from them.

She reaches into the box and plucks out the locket—

“Consider this a betrothal gift.” Beca says affectionately, locking the clasp at the back of Chloe’s neck. Chloe looks at her girlfriend in the reflection of the mirror. They’ve spoken a lot recently about one day getting married.

“I’m going to wear it every day.” Chloe promises with a soft smile, and she means it. This locket, just like everything Beca buys her, is special. And now she has something she can wear in public that nobody suspects was given to her by the woman she’s secretly dating. She loves it.

She leans her head back as Beca’s arms smooth around her waist from behind. They stare at their reflection in the mirror of the closet in their secret room. They look so good together.

“I love you.” Beca mumbles, placing a kiss on the nape of Chloe’s neck, “I love you so fucking much.”

The white garment is the next thing Chloe pulls from the box, and as she opens it up she’s reminded of the day Beca came home with it—

“I don’t get it.” Chloe says cautiously, entirely confused. Held up by Beca’s hands is a small white baby-grow with the words ‘I love my Mom’s’ on the front of it. “We’re not pregnant. We’re not even close to being pregnant.”

Her observation is met by a chuckle from her girlfriend, who places the baby-grow back in a gift bag she’d pulled it from.

“I know I know, but I saw it at the airport and couldn’t not, you know? Because one day we will. And one day we’ll have this little cute human to care for together. And we’ll be it’s Mom’s.”

Chloe’s sure she’s never felt more in love with her girlfriend than she is right now. Beca’s been away for two weeks, and Chloe was away for three weeks before that. But even with over a month apart, it still hasn’t stopped them from dreaming about their future. About one day getting married and starting a family. Their relationship is filled with so much love, trust, support, and kindness - the perfect environment to bring a baby or two into.

“You’re going to be an amazing Mom one day.” Chloe says affectionately, enjoying the way her girlfriend’s smile broadens. Beca steps towards her, drawing one arm around Chloe’s waist and using her other hand to cup Chloe’s cheek.

“So are you.”

Chloe places the baby-grow to one side, laying it gently on the light brown wooden floor beside the box. She lets out a sniff, skimming the back of her hand under her chin to collect the tears that have collected there. She can’t believe how much she’d forgotten. And she can’t work out how she forgave Beca for breaking up with her when they had their entire future together mapped out.

She reaches back into the box, her fingers plucking out a few printed photos. Her breath hitches in her throat. She remembers the moment the first photo was taken—

“How’d they take it?” Beca asks as Chloe settles down by her side. Florida is still beautiful and warm in November, unlike New York.

“Surprisingly well.” she replies. If she’s honest, she’s not that surprised her parents are happy to hear that she and Beca are dating. Nor are they so surprised to hear the news. Their only daughter and the increasingly successful female music producer have been living together in Manhattan for almost a year now. Both are pursuing successful careers and increasing their fame as individuals while spending their free time happily together.

“That’s a relief.” Beca admits, curling her arm beneath Chloe’s so they can hold hands in her lap. Chloe had asked if she could invite Beca down to her parents home for Thanksgiving. Her mother hadn’t hesitated in agreeing.

“They’ve suggested we don’t tell Grams yet, though.” Chloe eventually says, feeling a little nervous having to explain more to her girlfriend. She knows why. She knows her grandmother is homophobic. It won’t change the dynamic of the family too much once she knows. But it’ll make things uncomfortable for a little while.

“How do you feel about that?” she hears Beca ask, and Chloe lets out a shaky exhale, resting the side of her head on Beca’s shoulder while they sit together, looking out at the beautiful and isolated countryside before them.

“It’ll be okay. It won’t be forever.”

“And what if she gets mad?”

“She won’t. She loves me. And I love you.” Chloe replies simply, bringing her head back up to turn and smile softly at her girlfriend, “So she’s got not choice but to love you too.”

She sees Beca look back at her with an equally soft smile, squeezing her hand gently. Anyone watching them would feel a bit nauseous if they weren’t the romantic kind. The way Beca and Chloe steal shared glances and adoring expressions is enough to make Romeo and Juliet look unromantic. And it baffles their PAs to no end that nobody has worked out Beca Mitchell and Chloe Beale’s secret yet.

“Have you managed to take any good photos?” Chloe asks after several moments, trying to resist the urge to kiss her girlfriend out here in the open. Beca offers her the new DSLR camera that’s been hanging around her neck, releasing Chloe’s hand to find the ‘review images’ option first to ease the process.

Chloe sits upright, cupping her hand around the small screen to shade it from the sunlight, and she peers at many beautiful photos, one after another. If there’s one thing she’s certain about, it’s that her girlfriend is a talented photographer - another skill to add to her list of talents. Her eyes suddenly widen in delight at one particular photo.

“Oh my God.” she cooes.

Doug. As a puppy. Chloe smiles through her tears, enjoying the sight of the photo that had brought her so much joy at the time and shortly after. Beca had taken the photo when they’d visited the animal shelter the morning of the flashback Chloe had just experienced. They’d met Doug and had immediately fallen in love with the small young mongrel.

The next photo is a selfie of Beca and herself. Taken backstage at one of Beca’s gigs, shortly after she’d performed to her biggest audience at the time. Taken shortly before Beca had almost launched herself at Chloe in the dressing room—

Chloe reluctantly allows Beca to pull out of their deep kiss when several loud knocks are heard on the door of the dressing room.

“Meet me at my hotel?” Beca mumbles against her lips, and Chloe doesn’t need asking twice, nodding before planting one last heavy kiss on her girlfriend’s lips.

“I’ll be waiting in your shower.” Chloe mumbles, smiling wickedly as Beca lets out a growl, clearly annoyed she now has to have a debrief with her record label rather than escaping to see her secret girlfriend..

Another photo is one that catches Chloe entirely off guard, and her heart suddenly skips a beat at the sight of her and Beca, stood before a full length mirror, posing together in the very outfits that they wore for the 2016 Oscars. Except…it was taken the week before, during a dress fitting. And it was taken by Aubrey Posen - who is stood slightly away from them in sweats, sneakers, and a baseball cap.

Beca looks nothing but comfortable in the photo with her arm wrapped as tightly around Chloe’s waist as Chloe’s arm is wrapped tightly around Beca’s waist. They’re happy and together. And all that ended a week later—

“I have to tell you something.”

Aubrey’s words are clear and crisp, with a sense of urgency to her tone that makes Chloe stop when her best friend’s hand wraps around her upper arm. Chloe’s chest still feels tight. Her hands, though clammy, still grip the Oscar statue protectively, as though she’s not even sure she deserves it despite it now having her name engraved on it. Her mind still feels fuzzy. She still feels lost. Beca broke up with her.

“Beca didn’t want to break up with you.” Aubrey continues. Chloe’s confused. She hasn’t mentioned the events of this morning to anyone. So how does Aubrey know??

“How-?”

Aubrey’s eyes flicker to check that nobody around them is listening in. Nobody is. Nobody except Emily, Chloe’s PA, who has been keeping a close eye on Chloe since first thing this morning. It’s busy in this large after party, yes. But everyone is either drunk, full of food, or exhausted after a busy day and long evening. So nobody cares anymore. Nobody cares about anyone.

“Amy came and found me a little while ago and told me that your Grams forced her to break up with you.” Aubrey still speaks with urgency. She’s wound up, Chloe can tell. And she clearly wants to tell Chloe as much as possible before the redhead gets whisked away again for another interview or photoshoot.

“But…” Chloe pauses, her mouth open in horror. It doesn’t make any sense. Beca loves her. Why would she listen to her Grams??

“She threatened to out you guys to the press if Beca didn’t end things with you.”

Outing them would certainly put their careers at risk. More so Chloe’s than Beca’s. Beca’s already managed to establish herself in the music industry and, after tonight’s win, in the movie industry too. Chloe’s win tonight only gets her a step up into the industry she’s fought for so many years to get near.

“Beca didn’t want to break up with you, Chloe.” Aubrey adds, when Chloe doesn’t say anything more. “She was forced to. You have to find her.”

Chloe remembers. Just like that, with this one photo in her hand of her and Beca happy together, Chloe suddenly finds herself remembering it all. The moment she first set eyes on Beca in person—

Chloe’s heart is in her mouth as she looks up and sees Beca step into the studio, a relaxed smile on her face. She watches the brunette scan the room which is full of movie producers, the director, and other crew members. She watches the way Beca’s eyes fall on her, and the woman appears to hesitate. Time feels as though it stands still. Then the moment is broken by the director who greets Beca with a handshake.

Their first interaction—

“So if you could just sing the first line and we’ll take it from there…Chloe?” Beca winces slightly, worrying she’s wrong, “It is Chloe, right?”

Chloe’s not sure why she’s suddenly flustered, but she curls her hair behind her ear with a beaming smile, “Yes! Yes I um…I’m Chloe.”

Their first lunch together—

Chloe feels a bottle of something cool plop down into her lap, and it makes her jump. She looks up to see Beca taking a seat opposite her, a kind smile on her face.

“Wasn’t sure if you were a Diet Coke kinda girl, so I took a guess..” Beca says, pulling a bottle of Fanta from a brown paper bag, followed by a burrito.

“You…” Chloe pauses, letting out a light chuckle while she sets the bottle down on the table between them, “…you’re currently scoring 100% in this guessing game so far.”

Their first evening together—

“You’ve never played pool before??”

Chloe shakes her head gently with a grin, massaging the opening of her bottle of beer with her tongue while she watches the brunette’s jaw drop open in shock. She doesn’t think it’s that crazy. Who has time to learn pool anyway?

“Alright,” Beca says as she stands from the bar, “well, you’re gonna learn now. Come on.”

Laughter and shouts come from the studio crew who have been sat with them, and Chloe allows Beca to take her hand and drag her over to the unoccupied pool table.

Their first meal alone together—

“Oysters are the way to go.” Chloe tries to insist but Beca just grimaces, shaking her head defiantly.

“No way. You could persuade me to do a lot of things, Beale, but oysters is definitely not one of them!”

‘Beale’. Chloe likes the way Beca says it. Just as she likes the way Beca looks at her from across the small dining table they’re sharing in a nearby hidden seafood restaurant.

Their first goodbye—

Chloe’s hung back in the studio for over fifteen minutes now. Most of the team have left. But she just feels like Beca deserves more of a goodbye than a casual “Bye” and no second look.

Fortunately, eventually, Beca turns in her chair at the mixing desk and jumps out of her skin.

“Je-sus!” she bursts, and Chloe giggles nervously while Beca grins.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to ruin your creative genius.” Chloe teases, smiling while she motions to the screen above the mixing desk. “I just wanted to say goodbye and thanks and…yeah…” she’s not going to mention it’s been the best week of her life because she’s spent it with Beca. That would be weird.

“Oh yeah, you’re done here aren’t you.”

Her heart hammers a little faster as Beca gets up from her chair and moves over to her. They share a hug, Chloe wondering if it’s just her imagination that Beca holds her tighter than she might hold anyone else. So Chloe squeezes back in response. They stand there for a few moments, the silence not being awkward for one second. Until they step apart with gentle exhales.

“Well, good luck.” Beca says, scratching the back of her head awkwardly while Chloe nods and takes another step backwards.

“Yeah, uh, you too.”

Chloe remembers it all. Their first kiss. The texts they would send. The first time they had sex. The first time they revealed they were in love with each other. The first night in their penthouse. Aubrey’s reaction to their relationship. Emily’s reaction. Her family’s reaction, especially her Grandmother’s—

“I don’t…understand.”

Chloe’s heart is in her throat, racing away while she feels a sick sensation traveling around in her stomach. She always knew her Grams would struggle with this news. But being here in person and saying it to her in real life is pushing Chloe beneath her already low expectations. The woman looks at her with piercing blue eyes, and Chloe senses that she does understand. She’s just refusing to.

“Me and Beca are girlfriends, Grams.”

“I know you’re both close friends—” the old woman tries again but Chloe squeezes her eyes closed. This is excruciating.

“—We’re dating, Grams. We’re in love and we’re dating and we own an apartment together and we’re going to get married one day!”

She doesn’t mean to yell, but she’s anxious and a little upset and she just wishes her Grams would react the way her parents did. But Violet doesn’t seem thrilled at her only Granddaughter’s news. Chloe watches as a darkness falls across her Grandmother’s face.

“You’re not gay, Chloe.” is not what Chloe’s wanting to hear. She doesn’t consider herself gay either, but she sure as hell is in love with a woman. The woman. The woman she’s going to spend the rest of her life loving no matter what.

“This is happening, Grams, whether you like it or not.” Chloe finally states, tears in her eyes while the woman stood before her looks anything but accepting of this fact. “And if you really love me you won’t get in the way.”

She remembers how in love she felt with Beca when they woke up one morning to discover they were both nominated for acting Oscars for the movie they’d both starred in. She remembers them winning Golden Globes. She remembers their outfit fittings, remembers posing for photos together, remembers screwing Beca in a bathroom during the Golden Globes awards show interval!

Then Beca broke up with her. Beca broke up with her because her Grams forced her. She remembers the heartache of not being able to get hold of Beca - who had escaped from the Oscars mid-show. She remembers how she’d called her and called her only for it to go straight to Beca’s voicemail. She remembers deciding to confront her Grams she was so angry and upset—

“How could you??” Chloe screeches no sooner has she slammed the door of her mother and Grandmother’s hotel room closed. She’s in floods of tears, pointing accusingly at the old woman who remains steely in her disposition.

“I did what had to be done, Chloe.” Violet replies, causing Chloe to collapse on her knees, bawling into her hands.

“Sweetheart what’s happened?” Chloe hears her mother ask, having launched to the floor beside her. Her mother. Her sweet sweet mother. Ever supportive. Ever loving.

“Grams forced Beca to break up with me!” Chloe bursts, glaring at her Grandmother from over her mother’s body. She’s not denying it, which only breaks Chloe’s heart further. She feels betrayed.

“Mom, is that true?”

“Of course it’s true.” Violet replies in a cold voice. If there’s one thing Chloe knows about her Grandmother it’s that she can be defensive when required. Fiercely protective too.

“It was a test, Chloe. A test to see if she’d fight for you, and she didn’t! She ran!”

Chloe’s heart, for what feels like the hundredth time that day, breaks a little more. Because her Grandmother’s right. Beca could’ve fought for her. She could’ve told her Grams that she doesn’t care what the woman threatens, that she loves Chloe unconditionally, even if it means outing them sooner than they’re planning.

Chloe’s Grandmother notices the shift in her Granddaughter’s expression and begins to slowly move towards her. She knows she’s won. She knows Beca won’t be a problem anymore. She knows Chloe will find a handsome successful husband to provide for and protect her.

Chloe’s hand cups her mouth as she lets out a loud sob. She remembers. She remembers everything. At last!

Beca. Poor poor Beca.

Chloe sniffs loudly as she remembers the look on Beca’s face the next time they met. Three weeks after their breakup—

Chloe stands on the balcony. Lost. Alone. She hears Doug launch to his feet and scuttle back into the penthouse. It was exactly what he used to do whenever Beca came home from a work trip.

God, just the thought of Beca has tears building in Chloe’s eyes again. She isn’t even sure she has any tears left to cry.

Emily’s kept her diary clear. Her Mom has been staying here to keep a watch on her. But all Chloe’s been managing to do is roll out of bed for mealtimes or to go to the en-suite. And even then she’s not been sleeping in her own bed. In the bed she’d once shared with Beca.

A figure steps out onto the balcony, and Chloe just knows it’s her. After three weeks MIA, Beca is back. And Chloe has no idea what to say. Or do. She sees Beca stop beside her, hands on the balcony rail, not standing as close to Chloe as she once did.

Chloe expects Beca to apologise. And she plans to respond with immediate forgiveness and to tell her that she knows exactly what her Grandmother did and that, after some thought, she doesn’t care if she never acts again. All she wants is Beca. All she wants is to be with Beca and for them to live happily ever after like they’d always pla—

“I’ve met someone.”

Beca’s statement is far from the first thing Chloe had expected her to say. Chloe swallows loudly, trying to ignore the way her fragile heart sinks. It aches. Just like her eyes ache and her body aches.

“You know him actually…”

‘Him’. Beca’s met a guy. Perfect for her publicity.

“…Jesse Swanson.”

Oh God, Jesse Swanson, of course Beca would find him! He’s handsome and a Hollywood heartthrob. An absolute sweetheart. She knows this, of course, because he dated Aubrey several years ago when both were attending acting school.

Chloe can’t bring herself to look at Beca. She hears a sniff, and she just knows her girlfriend ex-girlfriend is crying. Beca’s been forced to do this. Surely. But all Chloe can do is stand in silence, looking out at the view of Central Park that they’d once treasured so much.

Chloe launches to her feet, throwing the photos to the floor of the closet. She’s not only upset now, she’s angry. She strides out of the closet, out of the secret room, out of the dining room, and through to the elevator at the end of the small hallway. She needs to speak to her Grandmother. And she needs to speak to her now.

#this story #pitch perfect #bechloe amnesia au #bechloe #amnesia!chloe au #its not too long #can we get Beca punching a grandma?

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allitbb · 3 years

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Well why the hell not eh?

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allitbb · 3 years

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Heeeeeeeeeeeelp!

Guys. Im trying to find a friggin fic. Its ones of my favorites. Please help.

Its about Beca telling Chloe she loves her. Chloe not feeling the same way. Theyre both distraught and Beca asks for space. She ends up blocking Chloes number. Years later Beca has to take her dog to the vet. Ends up being Chloe. Yada yada yada. Chloe realizes she wants Beca. Help. PLEASE!

#pitch perfect #bechloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale #lesbian

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allitbb · 3 years

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Bechloe - Wanna

“So I was reading this interesting news piece about dinosaurs and how, before the astroid hit, all the trees were like straight up and didn’t crowd each other like trees do now.”

Chloe scrolled absently through her Instagram feed, casually ‘liking’ one photo after another. Her fun fact had been said as calmly as she felt. That was Sunday’s here in the apartment - super chill.

“That’s pretty cool.”

She saw out the corner of her eye, an arm reach past her, and she mumbled a thanks, eyes still on her phone while a mug of coffee was placed on the bedside table to her left. She heard her roommate move from her side of the fold-out bed, slowly round to the other side of the fold-out bed, closely followed by the sound of a mug of coffee being placed on a wooden shelf over the heater.

Beca settled onto the bed with a calm sigh, and Chloe thought about how perfect Sunday’s felt. When they’d first moved here three years ago they’d spend their Sunday’s in pieces, heavily hungover and doing as little as possible, wasting the day mostly asleep. Now they got up early, headed for the local Farmers Market, ate their body weight in free samples, then headed back to the apartment to share pastries and the Sunday newspaper over a cup of coffee.

They both settled back on their bed, Chloe with her phone still in her hand, Beca reaching over to part of the newspaper that was laid out on the bedding between them. Comfortable silence was their forté. They’d known each other long enough to never feel the need to force conversation. They saw each other so much that generally speaking, they never really needed to ‘catch up’..

“Thanks for the coffee.” Chloe said as she reached for the mug beside her, sitting back and gently blowing the steam from the top of it.

“No worries.” she heard her best friend casually reply, leafing slowly through the newspaper. Chloe stared down at the hot liquid, focussing specifically on the patterns that were being made naturally in the crema.

“Hey did you wanna get married?”

The question came so strikingly out of the blue that Chloe’s only reaction had been to continue staring down at her coffee while Beca’s words rang in her head. Get married?? Had she heard her right?

“Get...married?” Chloe checked, turning slowly to look at her best friend who sat to her right, glancing down at the newspaper in her lap.

“Yeah.” Beca replied with a shrug, not looking back at Chloe. It was this exact unemotional demeanour that had Chloe continually wondering if Beca was being serious. And if she was, then had she actually said it in the first place?

“Like...you become my wife and I become your wife?” Chloe checked, watching while still entirely confused, as a small amused smile crept onto Beca’s face.

“That’s usually what happens.” Beca confirmed the moment she looked up into Chloe’s eyes. Chloe’s chest suddenly felt tight. Not only was this absurd because it was so out of the blue but...she and Beca weren’t even dating! They’d never kissed, rarely held hands, weren’t exactly affectionate like two people in a romantic relationship would be. So would marriage really be something that Beca was seriously suggesting??

“Look, we’ve been sharing a frikkin’ bed for three years, and have known each other for seven. We have a joint bank account, a couples gym membership. We share housework. You’re my plus one to work functions, I’m your plus one to work functions. You’re my emergency contact. I’m your emergency contact. You’ve met my family. I’ve met your family. You’ve seen me at rock bottom. I’ve seen you at rock bottom. We’ve both said how we couldn’t imagine what the future would look like if one of us started dating someone so...”

Beca’s sentence tailed off, and as it did her words rang around Chloe’s head again. Because everything she’d just said was true. And all of it was perfectly adequate evidence to start dating but-

“Yeah but getting married, Beca?” she didn’t exactly protest, but Chloe was trying to be the realist here for once, “I mean, what if you meet someone and want to marry them? Wh-What...would we just...get a divorce??”

Chloe loved Beca. Really she did. She’d held a flame for her since around the time they’d first met. Her heart’s rhythm was set to the beat of Beca’s drum. Beca was everything to her. So...that’s why asking these questions was so important. Because Chloe would be distraught if Beca one day decided she didn’t want to ‘be with her’ anymore. She’d be distraught if Beca ended up wanting a divorce because she’d found someone better.

“I don’t plan on meeting someone. I’m happy here. With you. And our nice little life.” Beca replied, that soft smile still on her face while she shrugged again, “I figured, if you wanted to, we could make it like a proper thing.”

The apartment fell silent as Chloe continued to look at Beca in shock. Beca had kinda just proposed to her. This was absolutely not how she’d ever envisaged being proposed to. Especially not by Beca. But that particular realisation came crashing to the forefront of Chloe’s consciousness:

Beca was proposing to her!

So a smile slowly grew on Chloe’s face. Because, while it wasn’t the normal progress that a relationship makes, Chloe was happy making any progress with Beca. Getting engaged would just come before a first kiss or having sex together for the first time. The latter realisation had Chloe swallowing loudly. But Beca’s kind (and hopeful) expression gave her wind in her sails to respond.

“Okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah you’re right, we are essentially married,” Chloe agreed, turning to reach out for some of the newspaper between them, “so why not make it official.”

Beca hummed in agreement, and both women looked down at the newspaper articles in their respective lap. Chloe’s eyes found their way to a particular story which happened to be about two sweet elderly ladies who had fallen in love in their ‘old people’s home’ and had got married. And just as she opened her mouth to share the story with Beca (her fiancée??) she heard the woman begin speaking first:

“So do you have a preference of when you’d like to get married and where and stuff?”

Again, Chloe glanced at her best friend, only to find Beca still looking down at her newspaper. This was so weird. It was all so casual. This huge life changing decision..

“Um.” Chloe paused, her brow furrowing slightly. She supposed that would be the most logical thing to talk about next. But it hadn’t actually crossed her mind how she’d want to marry Beca. Just getting married would be nice. “Actually no. No preference. You?”

She watched as Beca shrugged again, the brunette looking up from her newspaper and across the apartment at the little kitchen area as though thinking things through. And Chloe thought it weird that after knowing the woman for so long, she could now look at Beca with fresh eyes - as the woman she was genuinely going to marry. For real!

“Well we could get married any time. Like this year or next year or this summer or right now or tomorrow or next month-”

Right now? Chloe’s eyebrows rose again in surprise. Like...a shotgun wedding? She’d totally do it of course. It was Beca she was marrying after all. Chloe would do anything to turn her dream into a reality.

“I don’t think we could get married today.” Chloe interrupted in a calm and amused tone, taking a sip of her coffee while looking down at the picture in the newspaper of the elderly women holding hands and smiling at one another.

“Oh! Uh...well yeah, I guess that would be too soon...” Beca replied, batting her hand once in the air as if pushing the suggestion aside. But Chloe just smiled, turning back to her.

“I mean it’s Sunday. Nowhere will be open to marry us.”

“That...” Beca quickly responded, pausing while turning to look at Chloe and pointing an index finger at her, “...is a very good point.”

This time it was Chloe’s turn to hum in agreement, enjoying this conversational to-and-fro. She turned back to her part of the newspaper, flipping the page with one hand while using her other to lift the mug of coffee to her lips. She took a sharp sip, but she couldn’t focus on the words before her. Because out of her periphery she could see Beca watching her.

“You should probably let your Dad know.” she said as nonchalantly as she would if she were commenting on the weather or the time of day, “See if he wants to attend the ceremony.”

It was true. Beca hadn’t exactly been on brilliant terms with her father over the years, but she still checked in with him from time to time. And he certainly checked in with her. Even if it was an occasional text here or there with the same message: Hi Beca, how are things with you? Hope you’re working hard and having fun. Dad

“Meh, he probably wouldn’t want to.” Beca responded, turning back to her own coffee and taking a sip. “He’s always so busy with work.”

“Mmm.” Chloe agreed. He was definitely very busy with work. Always too busy to reply to any replies Beca sent his way. It wasn’t as though he didn’t care. He had to care, because he checked in at least once a month. And he always sent Beca a birthday and Christmas card. But then Beca’s Mom sent Beca Christmas and birthday cards too even though they were somewhat estranged..

“What about your parents?” came Beca’s natural response, “They’d want to come up for your wedding, surely.”

Chloe thought about her parents back home. About how proud they’d always been of their two eldest daughters - Chloe’s two older sisters. One a doctor, the other a frikkin astronaut cadet. Even her younger brothers were crushing it by both getting football scholarships to two very prestigious colleges. It was no secret that Chloe was far from her parents’ priority.

“Their middle child of five?” she scoffed, “I doubt they’d even notice if I got married.”

“Fair.”

‘Reading’ the newspaper became a low-key priority for both women, their eyes glossing over the words that they didn’t really take in. Instead, both thought about how their wedding might turn out if neither sets of parents would be present. If no siblings were there either..

“Sooooo shall we get married tomorrow then?” Chloe suggested, looking over at Beca who turned to look back at her with a hopeful expression.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, it’d be fun!” Chloe tried not to sound too overwhelming towards Beca, knowing her best friend so well that being super open about her excitement would only cause the brunette to have second thoughts about the spontaneity of this situation. But she spoke with an air of excitement even though she worked hard not to reach out and grab Beca’s arm, “We can both get dressed up and have the ceremony at the town hall, then go for food somewhere after.”

“Then drinks?” Beca added hopefully, to which Chloe elicited a slight squeak - her excitement getting a bit too much for her to contain.

“Oh totes then drinks!”

To Chloe’s delight she heard Beca chuckle, and enjoyed the way the woman looked at her both with admiration and slight amusement.

“And you’re okay with getting married without The Bellas in attendance?”

Ah. Beca had her there. No Bellas? No Aubrey as her maid of honour like she’d envisioned so many times in the past? Beca must’ve noticed Chloe’s smile waiver because she reached out to gently place her hand on Chloe’s arm.

“We can totally wait until there’s a date that they’re all free to attend or-?”

“-No it’s cool.” Chloe replied with a brief shake of her head. They’d all graduated from Barden three years ago and, while they’d been in almost constant contact via their WhatsApp group chat, none of them had been free on the same date for a reunion. So who knew how long it’d be before they all were. “It could take years before we find a date where we’re all free. I don’t want to wait that long.”

Chloe watched as Beca’s smile broadened slightly while she exhaled in contentment, and it gave Chloe a flurry of butterflies in her stomach as her heart skipped a beat of delight.

“I don’t want to wait either.”

“Awes.” Chloe replied with an air of finality, trying to act casual as she turned back to her newspaper and took a sip of her coffee. But nothing about her expression was that of someone who felt ‘casual’ about the confirmation that she would be marrying her crush of seven years tomorrow.

“Awes.” Beca mumbled happily in return.

Chloe heard Beca chuckle, and noted out of the corner of her eye the way the woman also turned back to her respective newspaper to sip her own coffee. Back to their normal calm peaceful Sunday.

Neither could believe it. They were going to get married. Tomorrow! Completely out of the blue. Sure, they hadn’t ever kissed before or done anything else physical that a betrothed couple who lived together would do. But both Beca and Chloe mentally confirmed that all of that would come naturally to them in time, whenever they were ready. Because that was the beauty about their relationship: nothing felt forced. There was no pressure. Just a mutual understanding, mutual respect, and a deep underlying love that was as easy to feel for one another as it was to give to the other.

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