My second submission for Bechloe Week prompt - why. I thought this would be a little more fun!

1. After the Activities Fair

Aubrey Posen knew Chloe Beale better than she knew anyone. As her dad always said, "Get to know your friends so that you can cripple them emotionally if they try to leave." He gave the best advice.

Aubrey knew her best friend. They met early their freshman year, both new members to the Barden Bellas. She knew Chloe's favorite color (yellow), her favorite pop tart flavor (wild berry), and her favorite season (spring). More than that, she knew Chloe's tells, her every change in emotion and how to respond to each one. She knew the sounds Chloe made as she moved through their shared apartment, the perfume Chloe wore on a first date as opposed to the third date, even the kind of toothpaste she used to prevent her supposed "egg breath" (which was nonexistent). She knew how old Chloe was when she realized she was pansexual and she knew how much her grandmother's death still bothered her seven years later.

So, yeah. Aubrey Posen knew Chloe Beale.

As a result, she was understandably shaken when, following her senior year Activities Fair, she realized that for the first time in their friendship, she had no idea what was going through Chloe's mind. She simply could not understand why Chloe was so adamant about contacting the rude, pierced, alternative-looking dwarf that had stopped at their recruitment booth. After all, the girl had even told them that she didn't sing. She'd said that the Bellas were "lame." Aubrey had despised the girl on sight, and, while Chloe tended to be more tolerant of others, she had expected Chloe to dismiss the girl just as quickly.

However, she was wrong.

Since leaving the Fair and arriving at their apartment, she was all Chloe had talked about.

"She's got to be a freshman, I've never seen her before, have you?" Chloe asked as they walked through the front door.

Aubrey sighed impatiently, "No, but we don't know everyone."

Chloe scoffed, "I know almost everyone, it's the same thing."

Aubrey rolled her eyes, choosing to remain silent as she set her things neatly on the counter.

"And I definitely haven't seen any photos of her on Facebook. I'd remember," Chloe continued once she realized Aubrey wasn't going to respond.

How? thought Aubrey, moving to sit on their futon. How would you remember a photo of a stranger?

"Okay, she's a freshman," Aubrey said, wanting to change the topic. "So what? We need to coordinate with those Treble-douches a time for auditions."

Chloe plopped down on the futon next to her and, completely ignoring what she'd said, wondered out loud, "Do you think she joined any other clubs? Like, is her schedule too full to fit the Bellas?"

Aubrey barely held her annoyance at bay. They had more important things to talk about than the weird a capella-hating eyeliner girl.

"Chloe, can you please listen to me? We have a lot to do yet to make sure the Bellas win –"

Not listening at all, Chloe interrupted, "And did you think she meant she can't sing, or that she doesn't like to sing? Because if it's just that she doesn't like to, well, we can work with that."

"Why does she even matter?" Aubrey finally snapped, twisting to look at Chloe. "We talked to enough other girls to have several solid auditions. It's not like we need her."

Chloe stared, stunned at her outburst. Aubrey's irritation grew and before she could stop herself she said, "So would you stop going on about that rude bitch?"

She knew instantly that she'd gone too far; her anger turned to guilt at the hurt in Chloe's eyes, the slump of her shoulders. Chloe hated being yelled at, and Aubrey knew that. Aubrey knew everything about Chloe.

"Don't call her that," Chloe whispered.

Aubrey pinched the bridge of her nose and took several deep breaths to keep herself from scoffing at Chloe's defense of the girl. She despised arguing with Chloe and knew she had to fix it.

"Look, I didn't mean to…" she started, then trailed off. "We need to focus on the girls we did recruit today and on their auditions. Not on some rando who didn't even like us."

"Sorry… I guess… I feel like she's important. I can't explain it," Chloe said softly, looking down at her lap. "Let's forget it."

Aubrey stared hard at her for a moment. Chloe didn't "forget" things like that. Normally, she'd have forced them to talk through their argument, to make up. She wasn't acting herself.

Ignoring her unease, Aubrey pushed ahead, returning conversation to the upcoming auditions. Before long, Chloe recovered and everything seemed to go back to normal between them. It had just been a fluke, Aubrey told herself. A one-time thing. They were fine.

Looking back, Aubrey should have realized then where this was going. She and Chloe never argued, and Chloe had certainly never shut down on her like that before.

That was the first fight they had over Beca Mitchell and they hadn't even known her name.

2. After the Semifinal

Aubrey despised Beca. Sure, the girl could sing. Her audition had been too good to not let her into the Bellas, even if she had a bad attitude and a clear toner for that Treble that followed her around like a puppy. Besides, Chloe had basically forced her to let Beca join.

But the fact remained that Beca was a giant pain in her ass. She questioned Aubrey at ever opportunity, clearly trying to usurp her authority over the group. Beca didn't know anything about running a noble institution such as the Barden Bellas, so where she found the gumption to try to change things, Aubrey had no idea. As far as Aubrey was concerned, their set list was immaculate, their choreography timeless, and their uniforms classy. However, Beca "I-put-other-people's-music-together-and-think-it's-a-talent" Mitchell thought their songs were outdated, their choreography overused, and their uniforms hideous. Aubrey had never felt so personally offended in her life.

To make things worse, the other girls were slowly being brainwashed into believing that hobbit's incorrect opinions. Aubrey fought for control of every rehearsal. It got to the point where they spent more time arguing than running their set, which was unacceptable. Beca was a toxic distraction that threatened the future of the Bellas.

And for some reason, Beca seemed to distract Chloe more than anyone else. Aubrey had noticed all of the little looks Chloe would send her way, all of the touches on the arm and back. She thought she was hallucinating when Chloe helped Beca with the choreography, standing close behind her and guiding her arms through the motion. Beca would flinch away from the other girls when they got too close, but not from Chloe. It was weird. Aubrey didn't like it. She needed Chloe to be on her top game and that didn't happen when Beca was in the room.

But then, at the Semifinals, Beca crossed a line. She went completely rogue, singing her own weird lyrics over Aubrey's perfectly coordinated set. It had messed them up, and while she maybe could have tolerated it if they'd won, they hadn't. They'd been kicked out of the competition, and Aubrey was sure it had to be Beca's fault. If Beca hadn't made her lose her concentration, they would have won. So, she'd called Beca out on it in a rage, hating that she'd looked to Chloe and the others for help. In the end, she'd run off like a child instead of facing up to her mistake.

Good riddance. She wouldn't be missing Beca, that was for sure.

Only, she didn't understand why Chloe was so upset about it. Sure, Beca's exit had been an ugly one, but Aubrey didn't think anyone should be surprised at Beca's decision to run. Aubrey had taken one look at the alt girl at the Activities Fair and had pegged her as a flight risk. Under her angry exterior, it was plain to Aubrey that Beca was a coward, afraid of any serious commitment.

So it surprised her that Chloe was still so hung up over it. The night before their Spring Break, a week after the disaster at the Semis, Chloe brought it up all over again.

"I should have gone after her, Bree," she said, walking into Aubrey's room, where Aubrey was packing for the break.

Aubrey didn't have to ask to know who she was talking about. Chloe had said variations of the same thing every day all week. "Let her go, Chloe, it's no loss," Aubrey said impatiently.

Chloe paced across Aubrey's floor. "How can you say that?" she asked incredulously. "You saw the judges perk up when she sang."

"I didn't see anything," Aubrey lied. She had noticed. But just because the judges had started paying attention didn't mean it had been good attention. "She messed us up!"

"Only a little, we recovered right away," Chloe said defensively.

"Chloe –"

"I'm going to call her," said Chloe, pulling her phone from her pocket.

"We lost, Chloe!" Aubrey yelled, her temper flaring. "There's no point in calling her! Why are you so obsessed with her?"

Chloe flinched away from her anger, lowering her phone. "I'm – I'm not obsessed with her!"

Aubrey snorted in disbelief and harshly replied, "Yes, you are, you're always talking about her and touching her and defending her –"

"Because she's my friend!" Chloe shouted back, catching Aubrey by surprise. "If you'd just talk to her without ripping her head off –"

Aubrey interrupted with a sneer, "I thought I was your friend!"

"You are! She's just –" Chloe cut herself off sharply, making Aubrey raise an eyebrow.

"Just what?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous. "What is it about her?"

Chloe didn't respond, instead looking at the floor. Aubrey's heart pounded, adrenaline rushing through her. What could it be about Beca that had Chloe so involved?

Finally looking back up at Aubrey, Chloe said, "You know what, I'm gonna go." She gestured to the door. "We both need to cool off. I'll be back before too late."

Before Aubrey could say another word, Chloe turned and strode out of her room, leaving the scent of her perfume hanging in the air. Aubrey stared at her recently vacated spot in shock. She couldn't believe Chloe's reaction. It seemed excessive. It seemed invested. Aubrey gasped quietly, something occurring to her. Could Chloe have feelings for Beca?

No. It was absurd. In no universe would her bubbly, happy, affectionate best friend fall for that grumpy, sarcastic, pushy midget. No way.

Aubrey shoved away the thought and resumed packing her suitcase.

She hoped she'd have time for her yoga workout over break.

3. After Nationals

They won. They'd actually won.

Aubrey was ecstatic. All of the girls were. And she knew exactly why they'd won. Beca had made them better. She'd changed their sound until it was something that showcased their talents and brought out the best in them. It had been astounding, truly, and she hadn't expected it.

She no longer despised Beca Mitchell. As much as she hated to admit it, they had a lot in common. It was a little annoying, how similar they were deep down. She wasn't sure they'd ever be close friends, but she felt like she understood where Beca was coming from on most things. She wanted to be able to at least get along with her.

So she didn't even care when Beca ran to kiss that Treble, the one Aubrey had known she'd been secretly pining after all year. It was kind of cute. She thought they looked good together. It was like a cliché movie ending.

Aubrey turned to hug Chloe, still buzzing from their victory, only to see empty space where her best friend had stood moments ago. Confused, she looked around, finally spotting a streak of red hair headed toward the bathrooms at top speed. Her eyebrows furrowed and she wondered if Chloe was perhaps feeling sick.

Concerned as ever for Chloe's well-being, Aubrey gracefully moved out of the spotlight, sending smiles to her fellow Bellas as she made to follow Chloe. If she needed to hold her hair back she could do that; it wouldn't be the first time.

"Chloe? Are you okay?" Aubrey called tentatively once she'd entered the bathroom.

To her mild terror, she wasn't greeted by the sound of retching, but rather by a series of rapid sniffles coming from a closed stall. Oh, no. Tears were the worst. She was so bad at handling tears, especially Chloe's because she cried so rarely.

Aubrey grimaced, wishing she was better at comforting others. Nevertheless, she made her way over to the locked stall and knocked on the door lightly.

"Oh… what happened? Are these… happy tears?" she added hopefully.

"Nothing happened, I need a minute," came Chloe's choked voice. Aubrey's stomach dropped. These were definitely not happy tears.

"Who do I have to kill?" Aubrey tried, getting a watery sounding laugh in return. She heard the lock on the stall click and moved out of the way in time for Chloe to swing the door open and peer out at her with red eyes. Thank God for waterproof mascara, Aubrey thought.

"Why are you crying?" she asked in a gentler tone.

Chloe only winced at her own reflection in the bathroom mirror and walked to the sink to dab at her eyes with paper towel. Aubrey tried to ignore how unsanitary that probably was, instead focusing on her best friend's distress. It was weird for Chloe to cry like this. Aubrey cast her mind back, trying to think of what had happened. They'd won and that had been good. Chloe had broken up with Tom a while ago, so there was no way it was boy trouble. No one had yelled anything crude or offensive at them from the audience, at least not that she'd heard. Aubrey frowned. So what had happened?

Then, she noticed Chloe playing with her thumb ring, spinning it around her finger absent-mindedly. The action reminded her of how she'd once seen Beca play with the ring in the same way, rotating it around Chloe's thumb. Beca. Who had immediately ran off stage to kiss that guy. Jesse. After which Chloe had run to the bathroom.

Oh.

Oh, no.

"Is it… Beca?" Aubrey asked, already knowing the answer.

The flash of panic that crossed Chloe's face confirmed it. Chloe whipped around to lock eyes with her and Aubrey was strongly reminded of a trapped animal.

"I…" Chloe started, then stopped. She bit her lip and her eyes flicked away guiltily. "How did you know?" she asked so softly that Aubrey had to strain to hear her.

Aubrey smiled sadly. "I think the real question should be how I didn't know sooner," she said, keeping her tone light. "I haven't been very observant, have I?" Because yeah, she really should have guessed. Some best friend she was.

Chloe stared back at her with wide eyes. "You're not mad?" she asked.

Aubrey shrugged and replied, "No, I'm not mad. You can't control who you like, and I get it. She's different around you."

Maybe that had been the wrong thing to say. Chloe flinched and said, "I thought… I hoped she felt the same."

Aubrey's heart broke at the tears she saw welling in Chloe's eyes. Not knowing what else to say or do, she opened her arms and said, "Oh, honey, come here."

Chloe moved to her immediately, wrapping around her and burying her face into Aubrey's neck. Aubrey held her as she finally let the tears fall.

Aubrey was back to being annoyed with Beca.

4. After Chloe Failed Russian Lit the Second Time

"What do you mean you 'failed again?'" Aubrey practically screamed at her laptop screen.

Over Skype, Chloe merely waved her hand at her own web cam as if repeating her senior year for the third time was no big deal. "It's fine, Bree," Chloe said. "I'll just stick around and try again next year."

Aubrey groaned in exasperation. "Chloe. You can't keep doing this to yourself."

Chloe wrinkled her nose and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Pausing to fix Chloe with a withering glare, Aubrey waited until Chloe shifted in her desk chair. "Aha!" she cried. She knew Chloe's tells and that was one of them. "You do too know!"

Chloe rolled her eyes, a habit that Aubrey had been noticing more and more lately. It reminded her of someone, but she couldn't think of who.

"Look, I just really love being a Bella," Chloe whined, "and I can't imagine doing anything else."

Aubrey leaned forward, resting her temples on her fingertips and her elbows on her kitchen table. "I get it, Chloe, I do, being a Bella is great. But so is moving on! Graduating! Having a real life!"

"Oh yeah?" Chloe fired back. "How's your 'real life?'"

Gaping, Aubrey could only mouth silently at the smirking girl on her laptop. That had been a low blow. "Okay, fine," she eventually conceded, "maybe I panicked slightly and moved to the middle of nowhere to start a camp. Whatever, it's been great," she snapped when Chloe's grin widened.

She wasn't totally lying. Bossing people around and yelling were two things she was very good at, having been taught well by her dad at a young age. The money was even pretty decent. It's just that she was still getting used to her little cabin in the woods, having always lived in the city growing up, so sometimes the dark and the animal noises scared her, but whatever. Everything was fine.

"Uh huh, sure," teased Chloe.

"Wait, we are not making this about me!" insisted Aubrey. "We are talking about why you refuse to leave the Bellas!"

"They're my family, Bree," shrugged Chloe. "I don't want to leave her – them. Them," she said firmly, her cheeks tinging with pink at her slip-up.

Aubrey could have laughed. She should have known. Everything always had to do with her.

"Ah… so how is the little goblin?"

Chloe frowned. "I've asked you not to call Beca things like that."

With a shrug, Aubrey replied, "But you still know who I mean. Does she know you're purposely failing to stay with her?"

The pink coloration on Chloe's face deepened to a dark red. Aubrey smirked, victorious. Maybe she should have been a lawyer.

"That's not – I don't – you're –" Chloe stuttered, much to Aubrey's exasperation.

"Why don't you move on, Chloe? She's still with Jesse and until she pulls her head out of her ass, that's not going to change."

Chloe looked away from the screen and Aubrey almost felt bad. Almost. But she had to dole out the tough love because Chloe needed to see how insane it was to put the rest of her life on hold for a girl in a committed heterosexual relationship.

"I… I just can't," replied Chloe after a while. "She and Jesse fight a lot, and she always talks to me about it. I can get her to watch movies and go on walks and hang out when no one else can. And all the time we've spent running the Bellas together, it's like, we – we get each other without having to even talk. You know? I love having her in my life."

Aubrey nodded wordlessly, already having guessed it was something like this. She shook her head and said seriously, "Chloe. You have to know how unhealthy this is. You do see that, right?"

Chloe looked at her like she'd sprouted a second head. "Unhealthy?" she asked. "You're overreacting."

"Am I?" asked Aubrey skeptically. "Because it sounds like you're leading yourself on."

"What? That's not a thing."

"Yes, it is," Aubrey said firmly. "I'm not telling you what to do with your life, but I really think you need to move on. I think you should date other people and ask to retake your exam."

Chloe was shaking her head before Aubrey even finished her sentence. "I'm not doing that," she said, though Aubrey wasn't sure which of the things she'd listed she wasn't going to do. Probably all of them. "I'm staying at least one more year."

"At least?" Aubrey's eyes bugged out. "What, are you going to wait until you can graduate with Beca?"

Chloe suddenly became very interested in her laptop keys and didn't answer.

"Oh my God. You're totally going to," gasped Aubrey. "Chloe –"

"Let's talk about something else," interrupted Chloe, looking up. "Have you heard from your dad lately?"

Aubrey closed her eyes briefly. She knew their conversation about Beca was over. She'd never be able to change Chloe's mind, not about something like this. She still thought it was unhealthy but knew that Beca would never intentionally hurt Chloe. That was something, at least.

So she sent Chloe a reluctant smile, conceding to the subject change, and began to talk about the latest letter she'd gotten from her dad while he was overseas.

5. At the Retreat

Aubrey wasn't going to lie; the sight of Beca up in that bear trap had absolutely made her day. Beca had deserved it; from the sound of her argument with Chloe, she'd been pretty bad about anything Bella-related for a while. Plus, she'd been trying to run again, because that's what Beca did best. Sure, Aubrey and Beca had become sort-of-friends, even getting to the "fast hug" stage, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy seeing her squirm. Or dangle from a tree.

The shocked expression on her face still cracked Aubrey up when she thought about it.

But, despite that humor relief, Aubrey certainly hadn't failed to miss the weird tension between Beca and Chloe. It was intense, so much so that the other Bellas were clearly noticing as well. Those two were riding a wave of "will they, won't they" that made Aubrey feel faintly nauseated when thinking about it. Beca hadn't once mentioned Jesse. In fact, if Aubrey hadn't been getting regular updates from Chloe about Beca, she'd probably have assumed they'd broken up.

She'd closely watched every interaction between Beca and Chloe since they'd arrived at her retreat. Chloe touched Beca every chance she got, looked at Beca with the sappiest expression on her face, and constantly talked to her. That was nothing new. What was different, however, was how Beca responded. Aubrey barely recognized the rude girl from the Activities Fair. Beca leaned into Chloe's touches, often reciprocating with her own to Chloe's back or arms. Beca's body was always somehow oriented to face Chloe's. And Beca looked at Chloe with the most tender expression Aubrey had ever seen on her face. They were never more than a few feet apart. They gravitated toward one another as if held together by a string. It was like nothing Aubrey had ever seen.

It was dangerous.

And it was clear that the other Bellas knew all about it. Every touch, every word, every interaction those two exchanged made the Bellas look at one another pointedly, practically vibrating with excitement. Aubrey knew that everyone could tell what was happening between the two captains except for the captains themselves.

That's when she knew she had to step in. Things had progressed much further than Aubrey had gathered from Chloe's Skype calls. It was obvious that Chloe was completely smitten with Beca, which was a problem because Beca, while maybe more friendly toward Chloe than toward anyone else, was still very much in a relationship with that boy. It wasn't going to happen. Beca was too thick-headed for anything to change. Even if it did kind of look like she had feelings for Chloe in return.

Aubrey was beyond worried about the whole thing. She knew Chloe Beale. Chloe felt more deeply than anyone else she had ever met and for her to be hung up on Beca like this for four years… well. Aubrey didn't want her to get hurt. It was intervention time.

She waited until the little grump had been extracted from the bear trap to make her move.

"Okay, Bellas, that was some great teamwork!" she cheered loudly.

"Bite me," muttered Beca.

Ignoring that, Aubrey suggested, "It'll be nightfall soon, so I suggest you all start preparing for dinner. Tonight we're eating over the campfire, so plan ahead!"

"Um. It's like 2:30," said Emily, confused.

"Shut up, Legacy!" Amy called at her. "You heard Commander Posen, it's time to eat!"

The Bellas filed past slowly, Beca glaring at her and Stacie winking, making warmth rise to her face. Chloe was at the back of the group, doing her best to corral the Bellas.

"Wait, Chloe, I'd like to talk to you," Aubrey said, reaching for Chloe's arm.

Chloe smiled and nodded, clearly not suspecting a thing. Out of the corner of her eye, Aubrey noticed Beca glancing back, a confused look on her face, before continuing along with the other Bellas.

"What's up, Bree?" Chloe asked brightly as Aubrey led them away from her cabin to stand on the other side of a tree where they wouldn't be overheard.

Once they were safely away from the other Bellas, Aubrey said in a low voice, "I see nothing has changed with her."

Chloe's expression immediately shifted, becoming guarded. "What do you mean?" she asked cautiously.

"I mean," whispered Aubrey intently, "you're obviously still into Beca! We've talked about this, Chloe, it's a bad idea."

"Aubrey –"

"Seriously, Chloe, she is still with Jesse, she still runs away from her problems, and she's still annoying! Look, I can tell she's opened up to you, and, I don't know, maybe she has some feelings for you, but I'm scared she isn't going to figure it out. It's damaging for you to keep waiting for her!" Aubrey finished her rant, breathing a little harder than normal. She needed Chloe to understand that this was going nowhere.

"I know all that!" exclaimed Chloe. "But I can't help it," she added softly, looking down at her feet.

Aubrey threw her hands up in the air, exasperated. "Why?" she asked. "Why do you even like her?"

"I don't," Chloe replied immediately.

Aubrey blinked, but before she could say anything Chloe continued. "I don't like her. I… I love her."

Aubrey's stomach dropped along with her jaw. It was so much worse than she'd thought. When Chloe loved, well, there was no stopping her.

Defeated, she sighed and rubbed a hand over her eyes before again asking in a calmer tone, "Why?"

Chloe bit her lip and was quiet for so long that Aubrey didn't think she was even going to answer. But, just when Aubrey was about to speak again, Chloe cut her off.

"You want to know why I'm in love with Beca?" she asked, her tone sharp.

Aubrey nodded, suddenly apprehensive.

Chloe took a deep breath, looked Aubrey right in the eye, and said, "Beca Mitchell is the most passionate person I have ever met. She pours herself into everything she does, into her music, into that internship, into the Bellas, into time with me. She gives it all, and it is the single most attractive thing I have ever seen. She is also incredibly kind and caring, and even though I know you don't see it," Chloe pointed at Aubrey, who hadn't been able to keep the skepticism from her expression, "it's there. She cares so much about other people that I don't know how she isn't torn apart by it. And that's why she puts on that whole 'don't talk to me' thing, because people have hurt her so badly in the past that she wants to hide that part of herself away. But I know it's there. I see it every time I look at her."

Aubrey stared in shock, stunned by the words pouring from Chloe. And they weren't stopping.

She continued, "Beca is so loyal, too, so devoted to the Bellas, to me, and yes, to her boyfriend. Sure, she's run before, but you know what? She always comes back once she's had time to process. That's who she is. She's brave, she fights for what she wants, and she is incredibly protective of all of us. You saw her punch that guy her freshman year!"

Chloe was ranting, her arms gesturing wildly, and Aubrey knew she was speaking with her entire conviction. And she still wasn't done.

"She is absolutely, stunningly beautiful, and I don't even think she knows it! Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is? That she doesn't notice that about herself? She's funny, and smart, and awkward and all of those things wrapped up in a small body. She surprises me every day. And, more than anything, she knows what she wants from life. And guess what?"

Aubrey hesitated, not sure if it was a redundant question, but Chloe plowed on. "It's not me. She doesn't want me. And that sucks, it really does, because every time I see her, my stomach flutters and my chest gets all warm and light and I feel so incredibly, impossibly happy. She makes me so happy, and I like to think that I make her happy too, at least a little."

Chloe glared at Aubrey, her chest heaving, blue eyes blazing. She drew herself up to her full height and Aubrey almost flinched as Chloe finished.

"And that," she said grandly, "is why I am in love with Beca Mitchell. Good enough for you?"

Aubrey almost applauded. All she could do was stare at her best friend. She'd had no idea about, well, any of that really. For the first time, Aubrey wondered if she really knew Beca. Chloe turned, as if about to walk away, but Aubrey couldn't let that happen. Chloe deserved an apology.

"Okay," Aubrey said, making Chloe stop and look at her. "Okay. I get it, and I'm sorry that I didn't understand before."

After a moment, Chloe nodded and Aubrey knew they were okay.

"Now," Aubrey said, "you know what we have to do?"

Chloe shrugged, confused, and Aubrey let a smile spread over her face. She said, "We have to get her to pull her head out of her ass. Because damn it, Chloe, I know what I saw today, and it sure looks like she loves you, too. I just don't think she knows it."

Chloe looked up at her with so much hope that Aubrey wanted to cry. She'd get Beca Mitchell to wake up and smell the roses if it was the last thing she did.

6. After Graduation

"Why is Beca going to be living with you?" Aubrey asked.

"I told you," Chloe replied on the other end of the phone, her voice fast and excited. "Beca and Jesse broke up, and instead of going to LA with him, she wants to come to New York with me."

Aubrey paused her pacing (she always did like to walk while she talked on the phone) and stood, staring out her kitchen window. "Well, shit."

"I know. And – get this – we'll have to share a bed 'cuz Amy already called the other."

"Shit," Aubrey said again. She was astounded. It had finally happened.

"I'm so excited!" Chloe squealed, making Aubrey jerk her head back from the speaker momentarily.

"Chloe, I think…" she took a deep breath, hardly daring to believe it. "I think everything is going to be okay."

7. Ten Months After Graduation

Aubrey fidgeted nervously in her armchair, waiting for the telltale sound of gravel crunching under tires. She was expecting her visitor within the next twenty minutes and had spent the morning cleaning and preparing her cabin religiously for her guest. If she played her cards right, perhaps this person would become a permanent resident of her home rather than visiting for a few days at a time as had been the norm over the last few months.

Her phone rang from the table next to her, startling her. She grabbed it immediately, wondering if her visitor had perhaps gotten a flat tire or something. However, the name on the screen was not the one she'd been expecting. Her eyebrows shot up; this was a surprise.

She answered after the third ring, asking tentatively, "Beca?"

"Hey, Aubrey," came Beca's voice, sounding as surprised as Aubrey felt. They'd become closer over the last several months, but a spontaneous phone call was certainly unusual.

"Why are you calling?" Aubrey inquired. "Is everything okay?"

"Um, yeah, everything is fine…" Beca's voice trailed off and Aubrey frowned. She sounded weird, strained and higher pitched than normal. "Listen, Aubrey…do you have a couple of minutes?"

Aubrey glanced out her sitting room window, then at the clock on the wall. She still had a little bit before her guest was due to arrive. "Yeah, I should be good," she answered. "I'm just waiting for someone to come over."

"Right," Beca said, sounding distracted. Aubrey wondered if Beca had even heard what she'd said. "So. Um. There's something. Uh..."

Aubrey puffed. She didn't need to hear the nervous rambling Beca was famous for. "Beca. Spit it out."

She heard Beca sigh before she replied, "It's Chloe."

Aubrey's heart jolted and she sat up straighter in her chair. Beca had said everything was fine, so it couldn't be that Chloe was hurt or missing or anything. But Beca sounded so nervous… Aubrey swallowed. She thought she had an idea of where this could be going, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.

"What about Chloe?" she asked cautiously.

"It's just – uh, this is so dumb – you're her best friend and, like, you know her the best and I – I was, uh, wondering –"

"Beca, today, please."

Beca huffed again, the whoosh of air crackling in Aubrey's ear through her phone's speaker. Finally, after several seconds, Beca replied, "I'm kinda in love with her."

Aubrey's jaw dropped. She jumped from her chair to pace absent-mindedly, needing an outlet for the sudden rush of energy to her body. "'Kinda?'" she quoted back, needing the full truth.

"No, not kinda," Beca rushed out as if sensing danger. "I'm completely, totally in love with her."

Aubrey smiled, a wave of relief crashing over her. Finally. Finally. The little gremlin had gotten there. She didn't immediately respond, too full of happiness, but Beca must have taken that as a bad sign because she started rambling again.

"God, is that okay?" she asked anxiously. "Shit, I already feel like I crossed some sort of line because she's my friend and we share a bed and its weird, right? But I needed to tell someone and I thought I could ask you if it's weird or if I need to move out or –"

Aubrey stopped pacing and her smile dropped. "I guarantee that if you move out and leave her, I will kill you," she said sharply.

"But –"

"Stop talking," Aubrey interrupted. Beca went silent immediately and Aubrey marveled; if only she'd been able to do that in Beca's freshman year.

"Okay," Aubrey said. "So, you love her. Why?"

"What?"

Aubrey rolled her eyes impatiently. Beca Mitchell could be so slow. "Why do you love her?" she asked clearly.

Beca laughed on the phone and said, "That's a dumb question."

"Maybe," Aubrey agreed, "but tell me why you love her." She needed to know it was for the right reasons.

There was a pause on Beca's end and Aubrey waited, experiencing a strong sense of déjà vu.

After several moments of quiet, Beca's voice returned, now full of determination rather than nerves. She began, "Chloe is… the kindest, most caring, most compassionate person I have ever met. Like, it's a little freaky how much she cares about others. I mean, just the other day, we were walking in Central Park and she stopped to move a caterpillar off the sidewalk so that no one would step on it. Who does that?" Beca asked, her voice full of wonder.

Aubrey smiled fondly, not surprised that Chloe had done something like that.

"And, more than that," Beca continued, "she is so bright. Like, yeah, intelligent too, but I mean bright in the happy, mushy, rainbows-out-the-ass way. As in, sunshine basically shoots from her face. And it's hard to explain, but when we're in the same room, I feel warm and happy and all that garbage and I know it's all because of her. It's like… I can't believe how dark the world was before her."

Aubrey's eyebrows again raised in surprise. She had no idea Beca was capable of talking like that, as if some poet had taken over her body. But Beca didn't stop there.

She continued, "Chloe is so patient, too, and loving with everything and everyone around her. She is just so genuinely good and beautiful inside and out. And she's been… just the best with me, because I know what I'm like sometimes, but she has never made me feel bad about myself. She's never left me behind and she always wants to spend time with me, which I can't even imagine why. I know I don't deserve her, so I have no idea why she's stayed, but she has. And… well. That's why I love her, I guess."

Aubrey was beaming by the end of Beca's speech, beyond happy for both Beca and Chloe. Beca was wrong about one thing, though; she and Chloe did deserve each other. Aubrey finally admitted to herself that Beca Mitchell was good enough for her best friend. However, it wasn't her place to tell Beca that.

"Tell her," Aubrey said, the smile still on her face.

"What?" asked Beca, sounding alarmed.

"Tell her," Aubrey repeated firmly. "Trust me. If it doesn't go well, at least you know. She won't be mean, I promise," she almost laughed at the thought of the how overjoyed Chloe was going to be. "But I think it will go well."

"Oh?" Beca was back to sounding nervous, though hopeful.

Aubrey rolled her eyes affectionately and said, "God, you're so dumb."

"Hey!" came Beca's indignant voice.

"I mean it, tell her, and sooner rather than later. Don't mess this up. If you hurt her, I will kill you," Aubrey added.

"So, that's two death threats now," Beca said. "But okay."

At that moment, Aubrey heard the telltale crunching of gravel. Her attention was flung out the window and she saw a car pull up to her cabin. Smile back in place and heart fluttering, she waved at her visitor.

"Listen," she said to Beca, "I have to go. Stacie just got here."

"Right, okay, you guys have fun," Beca replied, her tone amused. "Thanks for this, though. Seriously."

Aubrey shrugged, though she knew Beca couldn't see her. "This may surprise you, but I'm really rooting for you two," she said as she watched Stacie step out of the car and grab her enormous suitcase from the backseat. Stacie always did overpack.

"Well, I'll take it," Beca replied. "Bye, dude."

"Bye, Beca. And good luck."

Aubrey ended the call, forcing herself not to squeal in excitement for her best friend. She'd have to keep the phone call with Beca a secret though, at least until Beca and Chloe had talked things through.

Still buzzing happily, Aubrey went to greet Stacie at the door.

8. One Year Later

Beca had beaten her to the café. Aubrey had seen her as soon as she'd walked in. Beca was dressed in her nice work clothes and on her lunch break, sipping a steaming cup of something. She waved at Aubrey when she arrived, and Aubrey placed her order. A simple mocha would do it.

Aubrey settled at the table Beca had chosen, coffee in hand. Beca looked good. She looked happy. Chloe had looked much the same earlier in the week when Aubrey had taken time out of her visit to New York to see her while Beca had been at work.

"Thanks for meeting me," Beca said with a smile.

Aubrey nodded back and said, "Of course! Stacie's still sleeping at the hotel, but she sends her love."

Beca shifted and said, "That's okay, I did kind of want to talk to just you about something."

"Oh?" asked Aubrey, sipping her drink and nearly burning her tongue.

"Yeah," Beca said, then took a deep breath. Aubrey paused, waiting. "And I'm a little nervous, so is it okay if I skip the small talk?"

Aubrey almost snorted. "Since when have I ever liked small talk?"

"True," agreed Beca. "So… I guess I'll jump in?"

Aubrey nodded and took another tentative sip. Her drink had cooled to a slightly safer temperature.

"Right," started Beca. "Well, you know Chloe and I have been together for a year."

"Yes. I vaguely remember," Aubrey said with a wry smile.

Beca grinned back, seemingly set at ease by the sarcasm. "Right," she said, "and it's been the best year of my life. And I like to think I make her just as happy."

"I should think so," Aubrey agreed. It was true; Chloe had been far happier with Beca over the past year than she ever had been. It was a little nauseating, actually, and Aubrey had fixed her vomiting issue years ago.

"Yeah. So. Um," Beca paused, playing with the cup between her hands but not drinking from it, her nervousness reappearing. "I've been thinking. That, uh, it might be time… for me to…."

Aubrey interrupted, but gently. She knew that Beca would need a moment before saying what was surely coming. "Take your time," she said kindly. "Do this right."

Beca sent her a grateful little smile before taking another deep breath. Something shifted in her expression and Aubrey watched as she corrected her slumped posture. After a moment, she said confidently, "I want to ask Chloe to marry me."

Grinning broadly, Aubrey replied, "Beca, I think that's the smartest thing you've ever said to me."

Beca blinked at her. "You do?" she asked, her voice laced with surprise. Aubrey nodded and Beca continued slightly dumbfoundedly, "Oh, well, good, because I asked you to meet me so I could… ask for your permission."

It was Aubrey's turn to blink in shock. "Why would you need my permission?" she asked, confused.

"Because you're her best friend," Beca replied as if it were obvious.

"But…" trailed off Aubrey, not fully understanding why Beca was asking her. "Surely her parents should be the ones to give permission?"

"Oh, I've already asked them," Beca said, waving a hand dismissively. "Your opinion matters to me more."

An unfamiliar heat rose to Aubrey's cheeks. She was flattered, and frankly astounded, that her opinion mattered to Beca. Huh. She supposed they had become rather close over the years.

"Beca, you have had my permission to marry Chloe since your phone call last year," she said. "You could have asked her that night and I would have approved."

"Really?" asked Beca, raising her eyebrows.

"Really," Aubrey emphasized. "I've known how she feels about you for a long time. And when you told me how you felt, and why you felt that way, I knew this would happen eventually. You two are like nothing I've ever seen."

Beca's cheeks went a little pink and she looked away awkwardly. Aubrey smiled at the endearing sight as Beca glanced back at her. "I mean, you and Stacie –"

"Are different from you and Chloe," Aubrey said firmly. "We're very good, but different."

"Huh," Beca said, looking stumped. After a moment, she asked hesitantly, "So, are you saying…?"

Aubrey laughed, hardly believing how hung up on this Beca was. "Yes, Beca," she said firmly, "you have my permission to ask Chloe to marry you."

Beca brightened immediately, shooting Aubrey a beaming smile. "No death threats this time," she said happily.

"Mmm, those still stand and always will," Aubrey was quick to qualify.

"That's fair," Beca winced and Aubrey took another swig of her drink.

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Beca reached for something in her pocket. "So, do you want to see the ring?" she asked.

Aubrey almost spit out her drink in her excitement. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "Why would you even ask that?"

Beca looked at her, amused. "You sure ask a lot of questions," she said.

Aubrey grinned back. "What can I say?" she said coyly. "I like to figure things out."

"You're something else, Posen," Beca said, shaking her head, then pausing. "Or, I guess I should call you –"

"Oh, hurry up, let's see the ring already," said Aubrey impatiently.

She'd waited years for this moment and didn't want to prolong it any further. Beca smirked and opened the ring box to show Aubrey what she already knew would be a perfect match for Chloe.

She didn't even have to ask why Beca had picked out that ring.

Finally.