Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Chloe, seriously? Horseback riding?" Beca threw herself on Chloe's bed as she whined to the co-captain as Chloe pulled on a pair of jeans and boots. "I don't do horses."

The redhead rolled her eyes as she replied. "You never want to do any of our bonding activities Becs. Lighten up. We'll have fun." Chloe rolled over and put her head in Beca's lap. "Besides we are captains. If you act like you don't want to go, others will follow your lead."

"Good," Beca muttered. "Then we won't have to go."

Choe clasped her hands in front of her and swung them back and forth with her lower lip jutting out. "Please," she begged, "for me?"

"Ugh," Beca grumbled. "How do you always manage to do this to me?"

"What?" Chloe over-exaggerated by batting her eyelashes.

"Get me to do about anything. I think I have sucker stamped on my forehead when it comes to you."

Stacie brought Beca to the stable to make sure she showed up. When they got there, the other Bellas had all selected their horses and were getting to know their rides. Ashley was holding a palomino mare for Stacie that whinnied as leggy brunette went over to acquaint herself.

Chloe held the lead rope of one of the horses she was holding out to Beca. "I picked out a great one for you."

Beca stumbled back in shock. "No, Chloe. Just no. She's huge."

"He's a he Beca and one of the gentlest ones here."

The smallest of the Bellas took a few more steps away. "Too tall Chloe. I'm afraid of heights."

"Are you afraid of tall horses or of the horse itself?"

"Both," Beca mumbled. "Why is yours so short?"

"Sparkle here is a Welsh pony, technically not a horse. She looks just like a strawberry roan I had when I was growing up. That's why I want to ride her. The stable manager assures me that Rowdy here is kid-friendly and gentle for you." Chloe patted the bay gelding on the shoulder.

Beca was shaking her head. "No, Chloe. I don't like animals, and I certainly don't like heights. Either I ride Sparkle, which is a ridiculous name for a horse anyway, or I don't ride at all."

"Pony Beca. Sparkle is a pony. Okay, I can agree to that." She exchanged lead ropes with Beca. "Sparkle used to be a show pony. She's competed a great deal, earning tons of ribbons for her little girl. April grew too tall and had to transition to horses. Sparkle is nice and calm."

After all the Bellas were decked out in the borrowed helmets and boots, they mounted up and were on their way down the trail. "Why does Stacie's horse have a red ribbon in her tail?" Beca was curious about what all was happening.

"Means her horse is known for kicking," Jessica responded.

"Nice animal."

As they went on, Beca found the ride was surprisingly relaxing. Until of course, she had to go to the restroom. Chloe told the rest of the group to go on while she and Beca stopped for a break. The tiny brunette was disgusted that she had to go squat in the woods, but it was that or wait until they got back to the stables.

Once Beca came back and climbed back onto Sparkles, both animals' ears leaned back on their head. Rowdy focused on something in the bushes when Beca heard it. A series of grunting sounds accompanied the scrambling for food. The tall bay horse began dancing in the trail while the roan pony stood stock still, feet planted on the ground. Several loud squeals switched to growling, the noises emanating from the woods.

When three wild boars emerged from the forest racing across the path, Rowdy reared up and began galloping down the path, taking her and her rider far away from the wild hogs. "Beca Beeeeeeeecaaaaaaaaaa," Chloe's voice sounded terrified as her mount took her further away from her best friend.

"Fuck," Beca held on for dear life as she kicked Sparkle into a gallop trying to catch up with Rowdy and Chloe. As she came to a small gully in the trail, she saw a small body crumpled on the side of the trail. She pulled Sparkle up to a halt and flew off the pony. "Chloe? Chloe. Can you hear me?"

"God, oh, god no. No, no, no." Chloe wasn't responding, her body stiff.

Beca heard a thundering of hooves and looked up to see all the Bellas racing back to find Beca kneeling next to Chloe who was prone on the ground. They had seen Rowdy race past them, riderless, and came back to check on Chloe and Beca. Jessica pulled out her cell phone to check the bars. "No signal. I'll go get help." The blonde spun her horse around and raced off with Ashley following closely behind.

Tears were pouring down Beca's face as she told the other Bellas the entire story starting with her wanting the pony that was closer to the ground to coming across the wild boars in the forest which spooked Rowdy, taking off with Chloe. "M-mm-my ummm pony stood there like the hogs weren't even there. I should be the one lying here. Not Chlo." She was blubbering as she lay next to her best friend, afraid to touch her. "I should have been on that horse and Chloe on the pony. Damn it."

The trail was not wide enough for an ambulance to fit down, and the medics came down the road with a modified four-wheeler and trailer. Right before help arrived, Chloe's still unresponsive body became stiff as she went into convulsions. None of the girls knew what to do other than taking turns talking to Chloe in hopes she could hear them in her state.

The medics carefully packaged the redhead and transported her to a clearing which was large enough to land a helicopter. After they watched their friend being life-flighted to Atlanta General hospital, the Bellas mounted their rides and went back to the stable. Beca was too distraught to get on Sparkle, so the medics gave her a ride in their modified rig while Emily led her pony back for her.

The Bellas were camped out in the waiting room of the ICU. They'd gotten in touch with Aubrey who had called Chloe's parents. Aubrey would arrive in a few hours while the Beale's would get there the next morning. The doctor came out and let them the MRI showed minor brain swelling where her head had struck the ground. He was hopeful for the captain.

"She is in a coma, but this is a natural response for the body to try to heal itself." The doctor explained Chloe currently had a Glascow Coma Scale (GCS) score of ten, which indicated a moderate injury. "We'll re-evaluate her GCS every two hours to monitor her progress." When the Bellas asked if they could see her, he said ICU allowed for two visitors for a limited amount of time each.

During the doctor's explanation, Aubrey had arrived, so everyone agreed that she and Beca should go in first. As they entered the darkened room, Beca slapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. The nurse had told them that Chloe could probably still hear so remaining positive was key. Aubrey was braver as she walked to her friend's bedside and gently gathering the redhead's hand. "Hey Chlo," she said softly. "It's Bree. I love you."

Beca went to the redhead's other side. "Hi babe. Becs here. Ummm I'm sorry. I errrr want you to know we are all thinking about you." The brunette was struggling to fight her tears. "I need you to wake up. I need my Chloe. The Bellas' House won't be the same without you. The doctor says you need some rest to let your brain get better. So you rest now. I love you." She leaned up and kissed Chloe's cheek and then left to let another Bella come in before their time was up.

Over the next few days, Chloe's GCS increased to thirteen. Her eyes consistently opened spontaneously. She often cried but was able to be consoled by her mother. And she withdrew from pain. Her reactions shifted the medical status of her brain injury. The new MRI ordered indicated the brain swelling was steadily reducing. Despite her improvement, she remained in ICU so nurses could monitor her continuously.

Between all of the Bellas and Chloe's parents, Chloe was never left alone. They rotated in two-hour shifts all through the day and night. The ICU nurses allowed the extended visitation because they knew how important it would be to have a familiar face around when the patient woke up.

Chloe had been in a coma for three weeks when she started showing signs of coming around. Her parents were on hospital duty and decided not to let anyone know until they knew more. Their daughter began to shift in her bed and moan. She opened her eyes then immediately closed them as if the light hurt her eyes despite the room being quite dark. Her father was quickly on his feet and next to her bed while her mother held back.

The redhead moaned and reached up to hold her head. She squinted at the man standing next to her bed and indicated towards her throat. Afraid to give her anything, her dad called the nurses who rushed in. They said Chloe would have small amounts of ice chips while they waited on the doctor.

Their daughter seemed confused and was responding slowly to what was happening around her. The ice chips seemed to provide some relief. After her examination, Chloe fell back to sleep. The doctor assured her parents that she was asleep from exhaustion after fighting her way awake.

Chloe's mom messaged the Bellas that their captain had woken up for a short time, and they weren't ready to leave. They wanted to stay a few more hours. Aubrey responded saying she and Beca would show up for their shift in two hours, giving the Beales more time with their daughter.

Beca was hopeful her best friend would be awake when they arrived at the hospital. She had never felt so lonely as she did when the bubbly redhead was around. Before the incident, Beca tried to put up a grumpy front, but everyone knew that she was a total push-over when it came to the Bella's co-captain.

As Chloe's closest friends ventured to her room, they saw the redhead's parents outside the door talking to the doctor. Her mom had her head buried in her husband's chest, and she seemed to be crying. Perhaps Chloe had woke up again. Aubrey and Beca rushed into the room to see Chloe sitting up with a nurse helping her take small sips of water from a cup.

"Chloe, oh my god, you are awake." The relief in Aubrey's voice was palpable.

The redhead looked at them confused then looked at her nurse. She then set her gaze on Beca. Her voice was gravely from weeks of disuse. "Who are you?"

The brunette was shocked. What had Chloe said? She approached her friend's bed. "Chlo? It's me, Beca." She motioned by her side to the blonde. "And Aubrey."

Chloe shook her head and looked back at the nurse to take another drink. The nurse looked at them sadly then looked over their shoulder. The redhead's parents were standing there watching their daughter's friends' hearts break. They didn't want to irritate the patient, so Aubrey and Chloe went into the hallway.

Chloe's parents explained she had amnesia. Most likely temporary retrograde type, meaning she only lost events before the injury and her memory might return shortly. Time would tell when she'd regain her memories and if she would be able to have control of her short-term memory in the future.

As soon as Chloe's mind had cleared coming out of her coma, she started going to therapy sessions where they would work on exercises to restore her memory of past events. It quickly became evident that along with the loss of her memories, she was having trouble grasping short-term memory as well. One afternoon, she needed to go to the restroom so she lowered her bedrails to walk herself the short distance to the toilet.

A bed alarm immediately sounded, and a woman came in. "Hi Chloe. Remember me? I'm Angelica, your nurse." Chloe shook her head. The woman wasn't familiar at all. "You need the restroom? Come on; I'll help you." She placed her hand on Chloe's arm.

Chloe immediately shook off Angelica's hand. "Don't touch me. I don't know you. I am getting out of here." The expression on Angelica's face revealed she had heard those words before and knew what to say and to do next to help her patient.

The redhead's short-term memory eventually improved enough to be moved to a long-term facility to continue working with her memory coach as well as occupational therapists to rebuild her muscles which had atrophied while she was in a coma. The number of visitors flowing in and out of her room sometimes wore her out.

Where her memories should have been, there was blank space much like a wall where you can see the outline of where pictures used to be – only the pictures were gone. There was a group of girls who came; sometimes, several came together. They always brought photo albums and videos and patiently sat by her bedside, sharing stories with her about their fun times together. She wanted to please them but couldn't.

There was sometimes a petite brunette who came alone. Once Chloe called her by her name, and the woman cried. The redhead didn't have the heart to tell her that the nurse reminded Chloe of the woman's name before she came in. Chloe tried so hard to recall something for these girls, especially that petite brunette who looked at her with such longing in her eyes. But it wasn't there. Her brain would not cooperate.

Every time someone visited, Chloe became more and more frustrated. She had known these people for several weeks now and was no closer to being about to recall any information about them. Somebody made her a set of flashcards with facts about her life and pictures of all the people who had been coming to see her. Then there was the couple who said they were her parents. Her mother kept apologizing for not having photo albums to help jog her memory but promised there was plenty back at their home in Florida.

She knew she was an acapella singer on a team who had won national championships. But she didn't want only to watch the videos or look at pictures those girls brought; she wanted to be able to sing and do the choreography by memory.

One afternoon a young man came in and stood cautiously in the doorway. "How are you feeling?" His question was cautious as he stepped into the room and leaned against the stuffed armchair.

"Very well, thank you," she replied. "I'm sure the doctors told you I suffered neurological complications from my accident. Would you kindly tell me your name and how we know each other?"

"Um, of course." The man shifted awkwardly. He wasn't that good-looking Chloe decided. "My name is Tom. We go to college together."

"Oh, yes. I'm working on a literature degree," Chloe recited. The redhead didn't recall but had learned that fact from the flashcards. She watched the man for another long moment. "Are you studying literature, too?"

He shook his head. "History." They talked a bit longer before Chloe yawned, and Tom excused himself from the visit.

Chloe's amnesia was becoming so frustrating she couldn't function. She was becoming fearful of the girls who came to visit because their feelings towards her were so intense. She could understand the emotions displayed by her parents. Even though she didn't recognize them, she did know they were her parents and were supposed to love her. Sleeping scared her since her unconscious often remembered more than she could. She had a feeling of a place she called home, a voice she knew she was supposed to recognize, and most importantly, a warm body to snuggle up against. While her dreams never let her see specifics, she would wake up and realize so many chunks of memories were missing.

Amnesia. It was ruining the Bellas, and it was destroying Beca. The co-captain lost all desire to have practices, and slowly the acapella team fell apart, disbanding for the rest of the year. None of the girls had the heart to work on song and dance while missing a vital team member. No matter what anyone else said, Beca couldn't forgive herself for making Chloe switch horses that fateful day. She'd wished a million times it were she in that hospital bed.

Several months went by. Chloe's mom took leave with FMLA while her husband returned to Florida having spent all his paid time off. One evening, she invited all the Bellas, Aubrey included, to dinner. Of course, the girls were doing all they could to help out Chloe's mom and agreed. After dinner as the group was sharing results, Chloe's mother told them that the doctors and therapists were worried about Chloe's lack of progress in the rehab center.

"She seems to be at a stand-still, only getting frustrated with each passing day despite all of us doing the things the professionals said would help her regain her memories. Her therapist says she may not ever regain her memories, never become the Chloe that we once knew." Aubrey gasped and grabbed onto Beca's hand. The two had been each other's rock since the accident. "Chloe has shared some dreams that are traumatizing her as her subconscious lets in more memory than her conscious brain."

"Chloe's care team recommended that we take Chloe home to Florida. Her father is setting up her room, and we're arranging for home health care and continuing her TBI and memory therapy there." The girls were all shell-shocked. "My husband and I are so appreciative of what wonderful friends you've been to our daughter. This… this is just what's best for Chloe."

Aubrey was the only one to speak. "We can still come to see her periodically, right? To visit? She needs us."

Chloe's mom began to cry. She was struggling to get words out that didn't even seem possible to say. "Her therapist said no, not until she makes a full recovery. I'm afraid you can't visit. It's what's best for Chloe."

Chapter Text

Chloe had a small bag of belongings which fit in the overhead bin for her flight to Tampa. She wasn't sure how she felt about the change of scenery but figured it didn't matter since she had no memories of Georgia. The doctors consulted her about the move, but her mother made the decision. The stress of the constant stream of people she didn't recall along with the dream that didn't make sense should ease when Chloe moved to a new environment.

Her father picked up mother and daughter at the airport. "Are you two hungry? We can stop at Ninety Nine. They have your favorite foods." He glanced in his rearview mirror to see his daughter leaning her head against the door, peering out the window and the scenery going by.

Chloe had yet to speak more than a few words after being discharged from the Atlanta hospital. Her mother ordered her a Hot Buttered Colossal Lobster Roll. She picked at the lobster meat until it was gone, which was better than not touching it all.

Mr. Beale pulled into their driveway and grabbed his daughter's bag from the trunk. "I got your old room ready. I thought sleeping there might help." He tossed her things on the bed and motioned around the room with his hands.

No recognition was evident on Chloe's face. Nothing was triggering her memory, and this had been her room for eighteen years until she left for college.

The university was understanding about the situations with the Bellas and had allowed them to keep the house open despite the organization not competing after their co-captain's accident. The saving grace that enabled them to function the rest of the school year was the team members being there for each other in their time of need.

As final exams were wrapping up, Beca called a team meeting. Each Bella shared their summer plans. A few were staying to attend summer school while others were headed home to spend time with family. While Beca wasn't taking any classes, she was going to stay in the Bella house to support the other girls emotionally.

She had been closed off when she became a Bella, opening up only to Chloe at first and eventually the other girls. Now the captain's walls were back, higher and thicker than ever. She backed her girls but didn't allow anyone to comfort her. The woman who came closest to soothing her pain was Aubrey.

"I feel like I'm living someone else's life. I'm wearing another person's clothes and sleeping in a stranger's room." Chloe got up to pour herself some more coffee. The therapist had told Mrs. Beale that her daughter's personality might go through some changes, but her mother was surprised at how different her child was. For example, Chloe had never before had her coffee black, normally doctoring it with flavored and sweetened creamer.

That afternoon, the Beale women went shopping for new clothes. Mrs. Beale had no idea what her daughter had in mind, especially since all her tastes were different from the daughter she knew. Rather than going to a single store, they went to an outlet center with lots of choices for Chloe. The redhead 's selections seemed bizarre to her mom; tank tops, flannel shirts, and skinny jeans. As well she chose some short skirts and cute tops that were almost like her previous style but not quite. After a trip to the MAC store, Chloe had picked out some light foundation and a hint of blush. Mrs. Beale indeed had a different daughter.

Mr. and Mrs. Beale hoped the new wardrobe would be enough to ease their daughter's discomfort with her surroundings. One evening at dinner, Chloe put her fork down and placed her hands in her lap. "I wanted to ask if I could move into the spare bedroom. I can't stay in the room I'm currently in. It feels… wrong. It's not my room."

Her parents looked at each other. Her father shrugged before telling his daughter that wouldn't be an issue. "We have thought that the room needed a refresh, so how about you pick out the paint colors and furniture? Then the room can be exactly as you like."

Beca took a weekend trip to The Lodge at Fallen Leaves where Aubrey worked managing corporate team building activities. Customers were in camp, but Beca never minding helping. It helped clear her mind and gave her time to be around Aubrey without the pressure of always talking about Chloe. Regardless, the conversation often turned to the woman who glued these two Bellas together.

"Have you heard from Ms. Beale?" Aubrey placed a dinner plate in front of Beca who shook her head. "I wonder if we should call to check on Chloe."

The brunette shoved a forkful of food into her mouth. "I think if there were a change, Mrs. Beale would let us know. I say let the Beales make the call of what information they provide to us."

Aubrey sighed as she sat at the table with her plate across the Beca. "I suppose you're right, Becs. I feel so useless."

Beca nodded.

"How are the other Bellas?"

Beca shrugged. "They don't talk much about what happened. But everyone still lives at the house and is planning on coming back next year." She took another bite. "Oh, that reminds me. I want to have a before school get-together, a revitalization of sorts. Maybe I could reserve one of your larger cabins here and go through some team-building activities."

Aubrey agreed that the idea would be great and marked off a block of time right before they had to be back for the fall semester.

Mrs. Beale had expected her daughter to design her new room before ever going to the store. Chloe had always been well-organized, a perfectionist. Imagine her surprise when her daughter wanted to head to the paint store with no advance planning whatsoever. She was even more surprised when Chloe selected a slightly warm gray color with taupe undertones for three of her walls and a textured blue accept wall. Pre-accident Chloe would have chosen bright colors like yellow or pink.

She was even more surprised when Chloe selected dark blue bedding for her new bed. Despite the confusion in her heart at who this girl was, Mrs. Beale allowed her daughter to choose her new surroundings hoping it might help her find her identity.

The next weekend was spent with workers painting and redesigning the extra bedroom to Chloe's standards. Once the paint fumes had cleared and Chloe had moved entirely into new her room, she seemed to be more comfortable not only in the house but also her own skin.

After her husband and daughter had gone to bed, Mrs. Beale pulled out the album the Bellas had created for her daughter – the one full of memories from her daughter's time in college. Her daughter looked so happy with her friends. She still felt so guilty taking Chloe away from her support system, but the doctors felt the situation might have been causing more harm than good. She pulled one picture from its protective sleeve. Her daughter was drinking from a yellow plastic cup with her arm wrapped around the shoulders of a brunette. She knew from the album that the brunette's name was Beca, and she was Chloe's closest friend. After sticking the photo back in the collection, she closed it and hid it again.

The next morning, Chloe came downstairs before her parents and started the coffee to brewing. She seemed to have slept better in her new room. Her family had helped to alter her entire environment over the weekend. She appreciated her mother trying to hide her shock at Chloe's selections since apparently, they were seemingly different than she would have picked before the accident.

Chloe had also picked up a few more things while they were out shopping. All the coffee cups in the house were bright and bothered her. She found a black one that called out to her. This morning, she poured her coffee into her new mug and had a seat at the table.

Something on the floor caught her eyes, and she picked it up. When her mother came downstairs, Chloe was staring at a picture. Without taking her eyes off the photo, the redhead asked her mom, "who's this?" She knew she was in the photo but didn't know the other person.

Because the therapist had told her Chloe shouldn't have any reminders of her life at Barden until her memory had improved on its own, Chloe's mom tried to take the picture. "No. Don't." Chloe kept a firm grip on the image. "Who is she? Is she from Barden?" When her mom wouldn't give her any information, Chloe got angry. "She's familiar Mom. I think she's the one I've seen in my dreams." She traced Beca's face with her finger.

After working with Aubrey's clients all day, a sweaty Beca went back to her cabin. She had given up taking her phone with her everywhere and was surprised to see she had several text messages and a few missed calls. She raced out of the cabin towards the office. "Aubrey…. Aubrey!" She was afraid to read the words or listen to the voicemails until the blonde was with her.

Aubrey stuck her head out of the office, concerned that Beca was flying towards her at breakneck speed, waving her phone. "Au… Aubrey…" Beca was out of breath from running. "Mrs. Beale contacted me."

"Well, what did she say?"

"I am afraid to check. Can we do it together?"

The messages and voicemails were the same – for Beca to contact Mrs. Beale as soon as possible. Beca looked at her friend before dialing the woman and putting the phone on speaker.

"Mrs. Beale? Ummm this is Beca Mitchell returning your calls."

Chloe's mom told her what happened with the picture of her and Chloe. After speaking with the therapist, the suggestion was made for Beca to come to Tampa alone to test the waters. "She may not remember you Beca, but Chloe said you seem familiar. That's more than we've had so far."

Beca told Mrs. Beale that she had the rest of the summer to spend in Tampa and could be up there the next day. She agreed not to tell anyone she was visiting Chloe other than Aubrey, of course, since she was at Aubrey's right then.

"She's not the same Chloe, Beca. She's wearing a different style of clothes and insisted on moving into the spare bedroom, painting it colors she never liked before." When Mrs. Beale told her about all the changes, including the black coffee cup, Beca gave Aubrey a knowing look with a small smile.

Beca's hands were shaking as she packed her bag. All she told the Bellas who remained in the house for the summer was she had decided to visit some family after all. Luckily the girls did not question her or press for details. Aubrey took her to the airport, giving her a tremendous hug. "Please keep me up to date, Beca. I know her mom asked specifically for you, but she's my best friend, too." Beca promised she would.

Mr. Beale picked up Beca at the airport and explained their plan to introduce the two girls. "She found a picture of the two of you and has not stopped talking about you. We don't have answers to the questions she's asking. Her therapist mentioned this might be a good way to introduce her to her past." He told her they were going to meet Chloe and her mom at an outdoor café. Depending on how Chloe reacted, her parents would excuse themselves, leaving his car keys for Beca to drive them both home.

As they approached the café, Beca saw Chloe first. She stopped and kneeled to the ground to keep herself from sobbing. She had not seen her best friend in over six months. Pain gripped her chest, longing for her best friend, for all the days and weeks they had been apart. Once she was able to get a handle on her emotions, she stood back up and used her phone to check if her mascara was smudged. Beca took a deep breath and continued to walk.

As she got closer, she stopped again. Gone were the long red curls her friend used to have. The woman whose back was to her had the same fire-engine red hair, but it was a short, stacked bob, styled in a manner that kept some of her trademark curls but was straighter. Finally, Beca decided she couldn't delay the inevitable any longer and approached the table.

Beca stood at a distance to not be imposing or threatening. Chloe's eyes widened when she saw Beca, and her fork clattered to the ground. "It's you."

After Chloe's initial shock, she seemed to be calm as she motioned to a chair at the table. Her mother excused herself and said she'd return in a few minutes to see how things were going. Beca wasn't sure what to say since Chloe's head cocked to one side as she stared at the brunette.

"You came to see me at the hospital in Atlanta, right?"

Beca nodded. "I'm ummm Beca." She took in Chloe's appearance – her short hair was different but cute. Very Chloe-esque. She wore a gray t-shirt under a ragged denim vest and stone-washed skinny jeans. If she'd not been so shocked, she would have thought Chloe had raided Beca's closet before moving home.

The redhead pulled a picture from her back pocket and slid it across the table. "This may seem like a silly question, but that's us, right?"

Tears sprang to Beca's eyes as she picked up the picture. They had been at a pool party Beca's sophomore year, Chloe's second senior year. For some unknown reason, her best friend had loved that yellow cup. She quickly wiped the moisture from her eyes before giving the picture back. "Yes, that's us."

"I didn't mean to upset you. It's just … it's just that I've had dreams, since the hospital in fact. Remembering dreams has been difficult. I found this picture by accident, and … I think you've been in my dreams."

Chloe's mother walked up and asked her daughter if she was doing okay. When Chloe said she was, her parents excused themselves. Mr. Beale left Beca his keys and let her know she could use his car for as long as she needed.

"I still can't drive." Chloe rolled her eyes. Beca assured her things were okay, and she'd be safe with her. "I don't doubt my safety; my mother doubts my sanity." When Chloe stuck out her lip in a pout, Beca realized that her friend was still in there. Her outward appearances may have changed, but parts of her were still Chloe. And this gave her hope.

The pair talked for a while before Chloe asked if they could go home. Beca could tell she didn't want to but also that she was exhausted. As they drove towards Chloe's house, the redhead asked Beca how long she was staying in Tampa. Beca gave an honest answer. "Until you are ready for me to go."

She almost missed the small smile that crept across Chloe's face. "I like you Beca. You don't treat me like I'm broken." Chloe's words struck a nerve with the brunette because she was in Tampa for that very reason – to help fix a broken Chloe.

Chapter Text

Beca walked Chloe to her door to make sure she got inside safely. The redhead stood with her hands clasped in front of her, also a Chloe-Esque trait, and flashed Beca a smile. "Are we going to see each other tomorrow?" Beca nodded and turned to leave. "Wait, where are you staying?"

When Beca told Chloe she had made reservations at a long-term hotel nearby, the redhead frowned. "No. You should stay in my old room. I don't feel right with you spending good money on a hotel when we have a perfectly good room here."

"Umm, I don't know if that's a good idea, Chloe." Mrs. Beale was wary about Beca staying there but told her daughter if her therapist approved the idea, they would welcome Beca with open arms.

"Goodnight, Chloe. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Dobroy nochi. YA s neterpeniyem zhdu etogo." The redhead closed the door, not seeing the shocked look on Beca's face.

Beca checked into her hotel and ordered room service. She was exhausted physically from the trip and mentally by her interaction with Chloe. After taking a quick shower, she called Aubrey as promised for a check-in.

"She looks good Bree. Not exactly like Chloe, but good. She let me take a picture. Hang on, and I'll send it. Remember, you can't show any of the other Bellas." As Beca sent the picture, she heard a knock on her door. "Food's here. Give me a minute."

When Beca returned, Aubrey's first reaction to the picture was, "Oh my god. She cut off her hair." Beca opened her boxes and plopped some food on a plate she found in the long-stay hotel. The subsequent reaction from Aubrey was. "And she is wearing your clothes."

The brunette chuckled and explained that Chloe had told her parents she felt she was staying in someone else's room and wearing someone else's clothes. "She made her mom take her shopping."

"And that's what she picked? Beca-clothes? I guess I can't be upset; she always did love stealing your clothes."

The friends talked a bit longer about Chloe's state of mind and how she seemed to be genuinely glad Beca was there. "She's … well, her mother is going to ask her therapist if it's a good idea if I stay there. I think it'd be weird, but I won't pass up a chance to be closer to Chloe."

They talked a bit more and were about to hang up when Beca remembered one last detail. "After I told her goodnight, she responded in some guttural language. Aubrey, I think she was speaking Russian."

After Chloe's morning therapist appointment, mother messaged Beca to see if she'd like to join them for lunch. Beca wondered why the text didn't come from Chloe then realized her mom was still being over-protective and probably hadn't given Chloe her phone. If it was even activated.

At lunch, Chloe let Beca know the therapist wanted to meet Beca to lay down some guidelines before she stayed at the house. "I'm not sure what they think you'll do to me," the redhead shrugged.

The brunette quickly agreed to a short session later that afternoon if that's what it would take to be closer to Chloe. Now that her staying with the Beale's was a possibility, Beca realized that after so many months apart, she wouldn't be able to stand to be this close to her friend yet so far away.

After lunch, Chloe's mom gave her the address for the therapist's office and took her daughter home after Beca promised Chloe she'd come over as soon as she finished.

A few hours later, Chloe answered the door to see Beca standing there with her bag at her feet. "I heard there was room at the inn," the brunette said playfully. The redhead's grin stretched across her face, and Beca braced herself for the flying tackle-hug that never came. She tried to hide her disappointment as she realized this might be the new normal.

Chloe showed her the bedroom she grew up in and apologized for the bright colors and flowers everywhere. "I'm sorry, Beca. It's a little bright - like sunshine threw up in here." As Beca looked around, she saw many things that chronicled the life of Chloe Beale. She'd made a mental note to take a panoramic photo later for Aubrey.

The redhead then took Beca to see her new room, decorated in soft grays and deep blues. If Beca were to decorate a room, she would have chosen similar colors. A bit of her heart which the incident had frozen melted just as it had when she saw Chloe's clothes. While Chloe may not recall much of her past, Chloe's subconscious had not forgotten Beca, which gave her hope.

The therapist had told her to let Chloe take the lead on everything and to ask questions rather than Beca telling her things. She was glad Beca was there as time had come to start pressuring Chloe's brain into the heavier recall, and Chloe's parents did not have that type of emotional bond with their daughter. Yes, they were her parents, but true friends had a completely different connection.

After dinner, Chloe and Beca were visiting in Chloe's new room. "Chloe, may I ask you something?"

Chloe was on the bed and had her knees bent, arms around them. "Sure."

"Last night when I told you goodnight, you said something. Something I didn't understand."

The redhead's face had a strange look before she realized what Beca was asking. "Oh, I said, 'Dobroy nochi. YA s neterpeniyem zhdu etogo.' Goodnight. I'm looking forward to it." Beca's face screwed up in confusion. "What? It's Russian."

"You don't speak Russian, Chloe."

"Chto ty imeyesh' v vidu, Beka? YA vsegda govoril po-russki. Beglo. What do you mean, Beca? I've always spoken Russian. Fluently."

With these words, Beca began to laugh. She laughed so hard that she doubled over, her arms wrapped around her stomach. Chloe frowned at her, not amused until Beca was able to catch her breath. "What the hell, Chloe? You failed Russian Lit last year, well several times. We all thought it was because you didn't want to …" She stopped herself before she mentioned the Bellas or anything about the dance team.

Chloe reached over to her nightstand, grabbed a book, and tossed it in Beca's direction. The brunette picked it up and examined the cover. "Anna Karenina," by Leo Tolstoy. Excellent Russian Lit book, Chloe." Beca still couldn't stop chuckling. Chloe haughtily flipped it over and pointed to a random page. When Beca saw that the book was written entirely in Russian, she quit laughing. "Well, I'll be damned. Aren't you full of surprises?"

Chloe explained the book was about romance and politics as several couples entwined themselves together. "They print the book in English, but I have found the translation isn't as pure as the original language. Regardless, why would you say I failed Russian Literature? I'm sure it was one of my most simple classes."

Beca steered away from the topic and onto safer grounds.

That night after both girls were ready for bed, Beca poked her head in to say goodnight to Chloe. "Beca?"

"Yeah?"

"I know I don't remember you, but thanks for coming. For some reason, I feel safe around you." Beca smiled at her friend.

"Sure thing, Chloe. I'm glad to be here." She turned to go to her, well Chloe's room.

"Beca?" Chloe stopped the brunette again. "Will you lay with me for a little while?"

Beca froze, afraid her face would betray her intense emotions. "Ummm, how about tomorrow night, Chloe? I'm super tired and don't want to keep you awake." In truth, Beca wasn't sure she could handle being that close to Chloe.

Chloe's voice expressed her disappointment, but she told Beca she understood.

As days passed, Chloe began to ask Beca about Barden and their friendship. The brunette kept the information restricted to the times they had shared together, leaving out all the other wonderful friends Chloe had. She found herself overwhelmed with guilt when she'd call Aubrey with updates. The blonde assured her she was doing what was best for Chloe, that introducing too many things might backfire.

One morning as Beca was downstairs alone making coffee and cooking up a batch of bacon and eggs, she quietly began to sing. She didn't recall it being a conscious decision since she hadn't sung since she arrived in Tampa.

I got my ticket for the long way 'round
Two bottle 'a whiskey for the way
And I sure would like some sweet company
And I'm leaving tomorrow, wha-do-ya say?

A crystal-clear voice chimed from behind her. She turned to see Chloe standing there.

When I'm gone
When I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me by my hair
You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone

Beca's knees went weak as she turned off the stove. She let Chloe sing the next verse before they finished the chorus together. Both girls were crying. "What is that song?" Chloe asked. "It's beautiful."

"You remembered the song, Chloe. That's amazing."

"I feel like I should give you a hug or something." Chloe slowly approached Beca for the first time since the brunette had gotten there. As Beca wrapped her arms around her friend, they both cried. The embrace wasn't long – however, it was incredibly intense for Beca.

While they ate, Chloe's questions came rapid-fire. "Did I used to sing?" Beca nodded. "Did we sing together?" "Was that song important?"

Beca found herself becoming overwhelmed with emotions and tried to redirect her friend's attention. "Hey, Chloe. After we eat, do you want to learn something cool?"

Both girls finished their breakfast quickly and cleaned up the kitchen. Beca told Chloe to have a seat on the kitchen floor while she dug in the cabinets.

"Seriously, Beca? On the floor?"

Beca rolled her eyes. "Just do it." She placed two large plastic cups in front of Chloe, one red and one blue. She had purposefully avoided the yellow one. "Pick." Chloe snatched the blue one.

They spent the next few hours with Beca teaching Chloe the "Cups" song. They spent time learning the motions of the plastic cups, and once Beca was confident Chloe had it down, they added in the song.

"Oh my god, Beca. That's amazing. Learning this has been the most fun I've had in forever." Chloe was wiggling and squirming where she sat on the floor.

"Think you can do it yourself? And sing? I want to take a video."

Chloe performed the song and routine flawlessly, and Beca didn't feel guilty at all this time knowing she was going to send the video to Aubrey.

After teaching Chloe the "Cups" routine, Beca felt she had stronger control of her emotions. She began staying with Chloe at night until she fell asleep. Beca was careful to always leave as soon as she was sure Chloe was out of it. She had finally admitted to herself that her not laying with Chloe wasn't in fear of keeping the redhead up; she was afraid of becoming more attached to someone who may not ever remember her.

One night, Beca found herself unusually tired and stayed in Chloe's bed longer than normal. Before she knew it, the morning light was creeping in through the window. Beca looked around, realizing Chloe was clinging to her like a koala bear, arms and legs wrapped around Beca. Try as she might, Beca was afraid she'd wake Chloe who was sleeping hard. She shifted a bit to one side to try to find a way out of the redheads' limbs weighing her down.

"Mmmm, you are still here." Chloe's voice was gravelly and full of sleep. "You normally leave."

"Good morning, Chloe." Beca pressed a kiss against the redhead's forehead before she realized what she was doing. Chloe hummed in appreciation. "I'm glad you are comfortable and all, but I really need to go pee."

After grumbling in protest, Chloe let Beca out of bed. The brunette spent quite some time in the bathroom, washing her face and trying to calm her nerves.

Beca took Chloe to her regular TBI therapy sessions. Periodically the therapist would ask to talk to her before she and Chloe would leave. Beca told the therapist of what she spoke to Chloe about and Chloe's reactions. "She said her dreams have stopped haunting her as much, that she's sleeping better. Whatever you are doing, keep doing it."

As the weeks progressed, the conversation had progressed beyond Beca and Chloe's friendship. Chloe wanted to know more about the singing, which naturally led to dancing, which led to the Bellas. Chloe's mother was resistant to bring the Bella's scrapbook out of hiding.

"I may have TBI, Mom, but I'm not a child. I want to learn more about my past. Besides, according to Beca, I only lack one class for my degree. If I want to return to Barden to graduate, I'm going to need to at least be familiar with these girls."

Chloe's mom was shocked by this news of her daughter possibly going back to Barden and gave the scrapbook up before leaving the house in a huff.

Beca and Chloe went through the entire album that the Bella sisters had lovingly put together. Beca also shared the other photos on her phone and ones Aubrey sent. They watched videos of the Bellas and the Treblemakers. Chloe seemed to be enjoying herself. Even if she didn't remember, she was getting into the spirit of the Bellas.

When Beca said she needed to return for Bella boot camp soon, Chloe announced that she had made up her mind to return to Barden to finish school. She was going to graduate come hell or high water, and she wanted to meet her other family. "I trust you, Beca. You'll keep me safe." After a great deal of assurance this was what Chloe wanted, Beca agreed to the plan.

Chapter Text

"She's coming home, Bree. Chloe may not remember us, but she wants to get to know us." Beca had tried to update Aubrey as regularly as she could, and as Chloe's other best friend, Aubrey agreed that the redhead seemed to be making excellent progress and wanted to see how she'd do with the other girls.

The plan was to send a group message to the rest of the Bellas to remind them of the mandatory boot camp out at The Lodge at Fallen Leaves. Beca announced the Bellas would be starting up again to work towards competitions, and she was bringing someone new with her, a legacy. Immediately the chatter began with everyone trying to find out who the legacy Bella was

Aubrey arranged for the team to stay in a cabin that had one private room typically reserved for a team leader. She didn't want Chloe to be overwhelmed by the antics of the girls. If that separation wasn't enough, there was a separate bedroom in her private cabin Chloe could use while Aubrey stayed with the Bellas.

"Are you sure you want to do this? The girls can be a little rowdy."

Chloe looked terrified but nodded her head. "I want to learn more about the girls who we've been talking about this summer."

"They've been threatened with their lives not to swarm you."

"Do they know I'm coming?"

Beca told her that Aubrey knew, but the other Bellas didn't. All they knew was that their captain was bringing a new legacy to meet them. Then Beca had to explain what a legacy was.

"How can I have an automatic spot, Beca? What if I'm no good?"

Beca chuckled. "Trust me, Chloe; you are more than good."

As they pulled up to the lodge, they could see the girls sitting around an unlit campfire. Beca texted Aubrey that they were there.

She could tell by Aubrey's body language change as she started reading them the riot act. "If any single one of you reacts – or flips out – or anything about the legacy, you'll be sleeping with the fishes tonight."

Chloe took a deep breath, got out of the car, and walked towards the group. The girls went to jump up to greet their friend before Aubrey gave a loud grunt and motioned them back to their seats on the logs.

"I'd like you to all meet, Chloe, the legacy I told you about." Beca studied the girls' reactions carefully to ensure they weren't going to swarm Chloe.

"Privet. Rad vstreche s vami." The Bellas were confused. "Oh, I'm sorry. When I get super nervous, I start speaking in Russian. I said Hello. Pleased to meet you."

Fat Amy started to say something before Stacie punched her in the arm. "Ow!"

Chloe cautiously went around the circle. She'd studied the photo album a great deal wanting to make a good impression on the girls who had been her second family before the accident. She stopped in front of each girl, speaking but not touching them. "Jessica." The blonde nodded and gave a blinding smile. "Ashley." The brunette followed Jessica's lead. "Emily."

Emily said, "Cute haircut, Chloe."

The redhead smiled before continuing. "Lilly." "Flo." "Fat Amy." "Stacie." "Aubrey." The redhead gave a sigh of relief that she had eight people in front of her and eight names in her head. And Beca, of course.

The shortest brunette of the group leaned over and whispered in her ear, "good job, Chlo."

Aubrey gave a speech recognizing how tough the last school year had been, acknowledging their personal and team challenges. "Welcome to The Lodge at Fallen Leaves! Where the corporate world sends its marketing divisions and digital groups to build teamwork skills." She then announced they were going to do some team-building exercises which would reenergize the girls and get them ready to bring home an acapella championship after the year hiatus. "Okay Bellas, ON YOUR FEET. Fall in line, Bellas! No slouching, no straggling!"

The women all jumped up and went to over to hug Chloe, who immediately shied away and hid behind Beca who glared at everyone. "Back off, pitches. Chloe and I worked extremely hard all summer to get to the point where she could be here. Don't ruin it."

"All summer?" Fat Amy began to squeal. "You've been with Red all summer and didn't tell us? Why, captain?"

"For this exact reason. Chloe's not even sure if she's going to join the Bellas. She certainly won't if you guys scare her off. Remember, she doesn't recall any of us."

The girls all began to speak at once. Aubrey hushed them this time and led the team to their sleeping area.

"This year's championship signifies a shot at renewal. A chance to pull yourself up from the wreckage like a phoenix from the ashes."

Emily leaned over to Flo. "Loving it. Did she just come up with that? She's so inspirational. Like a

white Beyonce."

Aubrey spoke again. "But you don't have a chance in hell of winning until you find your sound again. By no fault of your own, you've totally lost your harmony. And for the next two days, you're going to do everything together until you regain it."

"Ladies, get ready to be transformed. You're surrounded by the strength of your fellow Bellas,

the support of a proud female tradition and... a few dozen bear traps so don't stray from the marked path. Normally we'd pitch tents at this point, but I'm feeling generous and am going to let you stay in this cabin."

Chloe stood next to Beca, watching as the team of girls unloaded their bags from the bus. "Look, I already can tell that Aubrey's methods can be unconventional, and she probably gets results. I mean, I'm excited to see what happens when a bunch of college girls who have lost their way are forced to work together … but the Bellas lost their way because of me. I can't imagine they honestly want me here."

Beca gently grasped Chloe's face in her hands. Through the past few weeks, she'd discovered the redhead responded well to her touch. "Chloe, none of this is your fault. If you need someone or something to blame, blame the wild boars or Rowdy or me for making you switch rides with me. But this is not your fault."

"But none of them even seem excited to see me. I mean the girls did try to swarm me, but you stopped them." Chloe's voice sounded a bit sad.

Beca explained that she and Aubrey threatened them with their lives if they bombarded her with questions or acted if she were anything but a new legacy Bella. Beca kept reassuring Chloe that the girls were happy to see her but were holding back so their exuberance wouldn't overwhelm Chloe. "Come on, let's get settled in." She grabbed their bags from the car and headed towards the cabin.

The next morning, the Bellas were awakened with Aubrey blasting a whistle and yelling from the center of the cabin. "C'mon, Bellas! Let's go! Get out of bed!" The sleepy Bellas stumbled from the cabin, and Aubrey announced, "Today, you're going back to the basics to re-learn how to sing as a group."

"How do we do that?" CR asked.

"By drawing inspiration from female groups from across decades who had great harmony. Through their examples, you will rediscover your sound while also enduring death-defying team-building trust exercises. So… Let's begin!"

As the group arrived at their first activity, they found one long, thick log. Aubrey instructed them to crawl up on the wood, shoulder to shoulder. "Your task is to rearrange yourselves alphabetically without touching the ground. Now! Go!"

Then Aubrey started off singing the 1940's song from The Andrews Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". There was a famous trumpet man from out Chicago way… The Bellas joined in acapella style as they struggled to complete the task.

The next activity had the Fat Amy, Chloe, and Beca at the top of a high tower overlooking the lake. Below them was a large air bladder with Stacie, Emily, Jessica, and Ashley standing on it. As they got ready, everyone sang the next song which was from the '50's group the Chordette's "Mr. Sandman". Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream. Make him the cutest that I've ever…

Aubrey shouted, "On my count, 3-2-1, go!"

Chloe was afraid to jump, and Beca stayed with her as support. Fat Amy flew by them both, landing below, and launching the girls into the lake. Stacie and Jessica crawled back onto the blob and called up. "Come on you two. Do it!" The other Bellas joined in with encouragement.

"See, they want you to be involved Chlo. Let's go." Beca grabbed Chloe's hand. The redhead gave a small smile before giving a quick nod. Together, they walked to the edge of the tower then jumped off. As Stacie and Jessica flew off the bladder and into the lake, the rest of the Bellas began cheering. Chloe beamed from ear to ear as she paddled to the shore.

The other girls gathered around her, congratulating her on making the jump. Chloe seemed to be relaxing in the presence of this group of women. She was beginning to believe what Beca had been telling her about the love and dedication of the group.

The next activity was a zip line accompanied by a 60's song from the Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love." You can't hurry love; no you just have to wait…" This was followed by a wooden wall they had to get all the Bellas over as they sang their 70's song. The Bellas channeled Patti Labelle's "Lady Marmalade". Hey sister, go sister, soul sister… Because the girls were mastering the activities so quickly, they were growing more and more excited with each task. Chloe was feeling more and more a part of this bonded group of college girls.

The 80's song was the Pointer Sisters' "I'm So Excited". I'm so excited and I just can't hide it. The activity was a low-crawl mud pit. The Bellas were definitely all about the fun now as soon as they got over being dirty, all the girls but Beca. She stood to the side with her arms crossed, sulking and refusing to get in. Lilly lay in the middle of the pit making a mud snowman, and several others slung mudballs at each other.

"Come on Cap." The girls begged Beca who wasn't budging towards the pit.

Finally, Chloe scooped up a huge double handful of mud and smeared it all over her friend's face and chest. She locked her sparkling eyes with Beca's clouded ones and grabbed one of her hands. "Bec? For me?" She pulled Beca, who finally followed her into the pit.

"Good job, ladies. I'm proud of your progress." Aubrey stood before an exhausted group of women. "One final decade then we can clean up for dinner! The 90's and En Vogue." The Bellas started to sing… Never gonna get it, never gonna get it, never gonna get it.

Beca and Chloe looked at each other and belted out whoa, whoa, whoa, whooooaaaaaaaaaaa. Then the Bellas finished the song out. As the girls stood catching their breath, they looked around at each other, psyched at how great they sounded.

Later that night, the girls sat around a cozy campfire, some wrapped in blankets while others made s'mores. Chloe drank water from the blue plastic cup Beca had gotten from her cabinet in Tampa. She was rarely without the cup. The redhead had slid as close to Beca as she could be.

She drank the rest of the water then shook the remaining droplets from the cup. Chloe quietly began to tap out the "Cups" rhythm. When she realized the girls were staring at her, she stopped and focused her eyes on the orange and red flames licking around the logs.

Then the redhead began to sing. I got my ticket for the long way round.

Beca grinned at Chloe and took the next line. Two bottle whiskey for the way.

The rest of the Bellas joined in and I sure would like some sweet company, and I'm leaving tomorrow. What do you say?

Beca soloed when I'm gone and Fat Amy echoed when I'm gone

The girls finished the stripped-down, simple but campfire version of the song started by Chloe, each Bella fighting back her tears.

…. You're gonna miss my when I'm gone. You're gonna miss me by my hair. You're gonna miss me by my hair. Oh you're going to miss me when I'm gone.

They look around to each other, moved by the special moment.

Beca said, "Did we just find out sound?"

Chloe replied, "I think we did."

Aubrey wiped her hands on her shorts before announcing, "My work here is done."

Then Chloe put her hand on Aubrey's leg and thanked her. "You know Aubrey, you always had serious control issues, but this job working at the Lodge suits you well." The blonde's mouth fell open.

"Emily, I know all you ever wanted was to be a Bella. You definitely fit right in and make a great Bella. I'm sure your mom is proud." Emily's large brown eyes widened in shock. "And Stacie, I hope you haven't let the hunter distract you from achieving your goal of graduating with a naval engineering degree."

Chloe felt the entire group staring at her. She clapped her hand over her mouth and looked at Beca. "Ummm, Chloe? You okay?" Chloe nodded then rubbed her temples with her fingers. "Keep going."

Chloe was unsure of herself as she looked at the Bellas, who stared at her hopefully. "CR, I remember you were moving to Maine to get married to your girlfriend." She looked at Flo. "And even though you think getting deported is a possibility, I know your dream is to open up a chain of smoothie stands."

After Chloe told Ashely, Jessica, Fat Amy, and Lilly what she remembered about them, she turned to Beca. "And Beca, all summer in Tampa, we never talked about you. You want to move to Los Angeles and be a music producer. And all those mash-ups on my phone that I listened to when you convinced my mom to give my phone back, those are yours! Why did we never talk about you?"

Tears escaped Beca's eyes as she watched Chloe begin to remember. "My time in Tampa was never about me Chlo. Never."

The rest of the Bellas looked around, unsure at what to do next. Chloe stood up and locked eyes with each of them in turn. "Well, ladies, what are you waiting for? Do you know how long it's been since I've had proper hugs?"

Everyone screamed and rushed the redhead as they had a huge Bella-family hug with Chloe in the center. She then hugged each one individually, saving Aubrey then Beca for last.

The Bellas, particularly Chloe, were physically and mentally exhausted, so after dinner and showers, they quickly retired to their own cots and fell asleep. Beca was in Chloe's room, having not left her side since Tampa. When the redhead came back from the shower, Beca was crying. "What's wrong Becs?"

"You really remember?"

"Those things weren't in the scrapbook, Beca." Chloe sat next to her friend and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "Yes, I remember. I remember all that and more." Beca turned in Chloe's arm and squeezed her in a tight hug. "Please don't cry. Remembering is a good thing."

Chloe had shoved her bed close to the wall in the private room. She laid down and patted the narrow space next to her. When Beca laid down next to her, Chloe snuggled close. She whispered in Beca's ear. "Now I remember why laying with you has always felt like home. You've always felt like home. I love you, Beca Mitchell."

"I love you, too, Chloe."

Chloe was expecting this and had been planning her response since the moment her memories came back. She turned Beca to face her and placed her hands on Beca's cheeks. "Bec, I really love you. I'm in love with you and have been since your freshman year. One place my memory is spotty is – I don't remember why I never did this." She leaned forward and pressed her lips against a stunned Beca's, sealing her words with an intimate kiss.

Once Beca recovered from her initial shock, she returned Chloe's kiss through the grin which was threatening to split her face wide open. Once they broke for air, Beca's eyes searched Chloe's and found nothing but love and recognition.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Beca and Chloe emerged from their room holding hands. Fat Amy was the first to notice. She exclaimed in a loud voice, "Finally! Beca and Chloe! Together you're Bhloe, and everyone loves a good Bhloe." Emily gasped in shock, but the other girls cheered and began excitedly talking, letting the couple know how happy they had finally come to their senses. Of course, everyone already knew how the Beca and Chloe felt about each other and had been waiting for them to come to their senses.

Since the girls had already found their sound, Aubrey bypassed the remaining exercises. Instead, the girls spent time together, sharing with Chloe what had happened in their lives during her absence. Beca and Chloe talked about their summer and how they had spent their time. Having their entire group together was energizing in itself, and the Bellas could not wait to start their practices and get on the competition circuit.

Chloe took a week or so to adjust to her life back at the Bellas house before calling her parents on FaceTime. Every time Chloe thought about how to tell her parents, she became overwhelmed with emotion. So when her mom saw her daughter crying, concern was at the forefront of her mind. "What's wrong, Chloe? Do we need to pick you up from Barden? I knew we let you go back to school too early. Your father and I will be there tomorrow to pick you up."

Chloe finally was able to stop her mother's worried rant as she wiped her tears. "No, I'm not upset, Mom. I'm okay. More than okay. Mom, Dad? I remember. I remember everything."

Mrs. Beale didn't believe her daughter until Chloe started spouting off random facts from her childhood that she wouldn't have otherwise known. "… and the scar on my forehead – I got that running on the sidewalk in front of our house. You always told me not to run, that I'd fall and get hurt."

When her mom finally believed her, she insisted on coming to Barden to see her daughter. Chloe asked her to wait a few months to let her settle back into things at school. "I'm continuing to see my TBI therapist and following his orders to the tee. Chloe agreed to come home for Thanksgiving since it was her first long break of the semester. "May I bring Beca?"

"Beca is always welcome at our house, Chloe. You know that." Mr. Beale had been uncharacteristically quiet most the call.

"Mom, Dad. This time will be different. She'll be coming as my girlfriend." She shared how she and Beca had always been attracted to each other but had never admitted it to themselves and certainly not to each other. "I'm sure it's why she was able to get through to me when nobody else could."

The school year went brilliantly. Chloe completed her Russian Literature class with an A during the Fall semester after admitting that she had failed so many times because she was afraid of going into the real world as well as leaving the Bellas and Beca. Since she wasn't ready to leave after the Fall graduation, she immediately started her graduate degree in literature during the Spring semester.

The Bellas continued to work on maintaining and strengthening their sound as they worked their way through the collegiate competition circuit, once more qualifying for the ICCA National Finals. Beca found the perfect pair of songs to mash together – songs that not only represented the Bellas' journey but also ones that would bring another trophy home.

The Bellas were nervously wandering around backstage as they waited for The Treblemakers to finish their performance. The girls were not uniformly dressed but had on a mixture of black, dark blue, and white clothing. The one consistent item each had on was the silk, yellow-patterned scarf that had represented the Barden Bellas for years. Some traditions weren't to be messed with.

Finally, their time to head on stage had arrived. Chloe had stepped back into her co-captain role. She gave a quick pep talk then said, "hands in, aca-bitches. On three…"

Stacie stopped Chloe. "Wait… is that on three or after three?" Everyone laughed.

"One, two, three…" The girls all vocalized as the lights in the auditorium shut down, and they each shuffled out to find their marks.

A single spotlight shown on the center of the stage, shining brightly on Chloe. She had a yellow cup and began a familiar rhythm. After a few beats, the spotlight expanded to include Beca sitting next to her with another yellow cup, playing the same song. Then they stopped and stood.

Beca began to sing. Mmmm I won't let you down. I will not give you up. Gotta have some faith in the sound. It's the one good thing that I've got.

The lights flipped up on the group as CR chimed in. Got my ticket for the long way 'round. The other Bellas began to sing or create the needed musical accompaniments for the mix of the two songs.

Two bottle whiskey for the road
And I sure would love some sweet company
And I'm leaving tomorrow, wha-do-ya say?

All we have to do now
Is take these lies and make them true somehow
All we have to see Is that I don't belong to you
And you don't belong to me yeah yeah

Freedom! (I won't let you down)
Freedom! (I will not give you up)
Freedom! (You're gonna miss me when I'm gone)
Freedom! (Have some faith in the sound)
Freedom (It's the one good thing that I've got)
Freedom! (Oh, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone)

But guess what you've got
You're gonna miss me by my hair
You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
(When I'm gone)

That's what you get (That's what you get)
That's what you get (That's what you get)
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man, oh

All we have to do
(All we can do)
Take these lies and make them true somehow
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
All we have to see
Is that I don't belong to you
And you don't belong to me.

As the Bellas finished out the blended song, their faces each bore broad smiles, yet tears streamed down their faces. Nobody in the audience knew what they had gone through in the past year nor the meaning behind these two songs. Not only had they sang something significant, but they also had performed the routine of a lifetime.

After making it back to the Bella house with their trophy, Chloe and Beca lay in their bed together listening to the raucous Bellas downstairs celebrating their win. The couple had grown to understand the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity to spend time together as well as to appreciate life's small things.

Beca traced Chloe's face with her fingertips. "I won't let you down, Chloe. I will not give you up, ever. Our sound brought you back to me, so I definitely have faith. "

"So Beca what lies do you have to take and make true?" Chloe pushed tendrils of the brown hair behind her girlfriend's ears as they lay facing each other.

"Ummm sometimes the clothes don't make the man. Lie." Beca went on to explain how shocked she had been when she'd first seen Chloe wearing new clothes that seemed like they were right out of her wardrobe. "And your newly decorated bedroom…. And a black coffee cup. Chlo, really? I mean, I can't say I was upset, but those clothes just weren't Chloe!"

Chloe giggled. "What can I say? Those things spoke to me and drew me in. My dreams were guiding me to you. But I'll give you that – sometimes the clothes don't make the man."

"What about you?" Beca scooted even closer to the redhead. "What lies do you have to take and make true?"

"Hmmm… that I don't belong to you, and you don't belong to me. Lie. I belong to you. Always have and always will. And I hope you belong to me." Chloe leaned in slightly to kiss Beca. "Thank you, Beca. If you had not come to Tampa last summer, I'm sure I'd still be trapped in my head. I can never thank you enough for giving me my freedom."

Freedom!