Hey guys! So, this one totally ran away from me, I hope you enjoy it!

Schooled

"Everyone remember to read chapter 12 and start studying for the exam that we're having next week!" Stacie yelled after her students as they rushed out of the classroom. It was the end of the day at Marshall High School, the school year in full swing.

Stacie sat behind her desk and started shuffling papers when she noticed a figure standing in the doorway to her classroom.

"What's up Becs?" Stacie asked without looking up from her paperwork. Music teacher Beca Mitchell sauntered over to Stacie's desk, a piece of paper in her hand and a smug smile gracing her features. She slid the paper over to Stacie and waited for the other woman to take it, watching her face change expressions as she made her way through the printed-out email.

"We're getting a new principal? In the middle of the school year?" Stacie mused as her eyes raked over the email once again.

"Can they do that?" She asked and looked up at Beca, who simply shrugged.

"Doesn't matter if they can, Foster is retiring now so his replacement is coming in early." Beca replied.

"Her name's Aubrey Posen, apparently she's around our age but rumor is she's a total hard ass. Get ready, Stace." Stacie stood up and got her things together as she made her way out of her classroom with Beca in tow.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll definitely be ready."

"Cool, because we meet her Monday morning." Beca replied and walked away.

Well this was going to be interesting.

"Thank you all for coming in early! We know the departure of Principal Foster was sudden and we appreciate your patience with the transition to our new principal." Superintendent Sanders addressed the gym full of teachers. It was 6AM on Monday morning, two hours before school was set to start.

Stacie had a slight scowl on her face at having to be in the building so early, she never really showed up until a half an hour to ten minutes before classes started. Mornings weren't her thing. She was a play videogames-and-sleep-in type of girl, and she took pride in it.

Sitting next to Beca, who wasn't as bad as Stacie was as far as getting to work, but was definitely not a morning person herself, didn't help. The two women looked like they could use their second cup of coffee.

"Oh, I'm so excited to meet her!" English teacher Chloe Beale whispered.

"Babe, be quiet." Beca replied and grabbed Chloe's hand as the redhead smiled.

There was plenty of speculation about the new principal and her strict approach to things. It would be a change from Principal Foster, who had reached retirement age and had relaxed the reigns on his day to day duties.

"She's here to help us all make each other, and our students better, please join me in welcoming our new principal, Ms. Aubrey Posen!" Superintendent Sanders clapped. Stacie rolled her eyes and joined her colleagues in the applause.

Stacie wasn't expecting much, and frankly she just wanted to get this over with so she could get back to her classroom and maybe get some grading done since she was already up.

What she wasn't expecting, was for Aubrey to walk into the gym.

"Fuck." Stacie whispered under her breath.

A few months earlier

Stacie looked around the art gallery, a smile on her face as she found Cynthia Rose and made her way towards her friend.

"I'm so proud of you! This is amazing!" She exclaimed as the women embraced. Cynthia Rose finally had her own art displayed in a New York City art gallery.

"Thanks girl! You know how much this means to me, and you being here is all I could ask for! I'm going to go say hi to a few people, take a look around and grab a drink!" Cynthia Rose smiled and made her way to the other guests.

Stacie grabbed a glass of champagne and started making her way around the gallery, taking in all the images and a smile graced her features. Cynthia Rose really was one hell of an artist.

"She's a special talent." Stacie turned toward the voice, a beautiful blonde woman on her left who was sipping from her own champagne flute. Their eyes locked and the blonde cracked a smile before stretching out her hand.

"Aubrey." Stacie was lost in her eyes immediately. How could someone look that good? All the air left her lungs and her brain scrambled for a reply.

"Stacie. Um…I'm Stacie." She blushed and Aubrey chuckled. Stacie was pretty sure she felt her heart stop at the sound, and that smile?

Goddamn.

"Well Stacie, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Stacie groaned and dropped her head onto her desk. There was still an hour before the day started and she was finally able to get that second cup of coffee. Aubrey had made a speech about how she was there to help everyone, and she was going to run a tight ship but do her best to get to know all the teachers and staff. She hadn't noticed Stacie, and as soon as they were allowed to leave, Stacie rushed out of the gym.

"Dude? Are you okay?" Stacie groaned in response to Beca's question and heard her make her way into the classroom. She pulled a lab stool up to Stacie's desk and sat across from the other woman.

"What's going on?" Beca watched Stacie lift her head up and could feel the gears working in the other woman's brain. Stacie was about to say something when they noticed someone knock on the door.

"My apologies, I'm looking for a Ms. Conrad?" Aubrey asked, never looking up from her clipboard.

"That'll be me." Stacie answered and watched as the blonde lifted her head. Their eyes met and Aubrey was visibly taken back.

"Oh um…hi." Aubrey cleared her throat. Beca looked between the two curiously before getting up from her stool.

"I'll be in Chloe's classroom, I'll see you later Stace. Ms. Posen." She politely smiled before walking out of the room and down the hall to the English department.

"So…you teach here."

"I do. And you're my boss now."

Tension filled the room and neither woman knew what to do. Aubrey's grip on her clipboard had tightened to the point where her knuckles were white. Stacie was playing with a pencil to occupy her nerves.

"You know, I think we've taken about as much of this gallery in as we can." Stacie commented and finished her drink. They had been there for a few hours, downing a few drinks and chatting. The more time she spent with Aubrey, the more she wanted to find out about her. She'd never been fascinated by someone before, this was different.

"I completely agree. You know, my hotel isn't too far from here." Aubrey set her glass on a tray and met Stacie's heated gaze.

"Let's go." Stacie grabbed Aubrey's hand, said a quick goodbye to Cynthia Rose and the two rushed out of the gallery.

They made their way to Aubrey's hotel room in record time.

As soon as the door slammed shut, Aubrey pulled Stacie in for a heated kiss as Stacie roughly pushed her up against the wall. Aubrey let out a groan as Stacie bit her lip before moving to her neck.

Clothes were scattered. Moans filled the hotel room, neither woman caring about neighbors as they thoroughly explored each other until the sun came up, before falling into a deep slumber with Stacie's arm wrapped around Aubrey's waist.

"I'm um…I'm going to go check on the English department." Aubrey quickly said but made no move to leave.

"That's a…that's a good idea." Stacie's voice came out hoarse and pink colored her cheeks. A small smile tugged at Aubrey's lips before she walked out.

Stacie put her head in her hands and let out a frustrated groan.

"Did you guys see the new principal?"

Stacie was making her way around the lab tables, making sure none of her students did anything to injure themselves.

"Yeah man, she's so hot. I'd do it." Stacie's head snapped up from the table she was working at and she made her way over to the two boys.

"Tyler, Kevin you will not speak about our new principal like that." Stacie scolded. Teenage boys had no shame about these topics and Stacie could only roll her eyes so many times in a school year before she'd inevitably hurt herself.

"What?! She's so hot!" Tyler exclaimed. The class started chuckling and Stacie crossed her arms. Tyler hung his head and let out a sigh.

"Sorry Ms. Conrad." Stacie smiled before turning to look at Kevin.

"I'm sorry too. She's our principal, we won't speak about her like that again." Kevin said.

"Good, now get back to the lab."

The sun shone through the large windows as New York City was bathed in light. Stacie tightened her grip on Aubrey as she felt the blonde squirm and turn in her arms.

"Good morning." Aubrey whispered against her lips. Stacie groaned, the brunette's eyes fluttered open as a smile took over her features.

"You're beautiful."

Aubrey blushed and Stacie gave her a quick kiss.

"When do you go back to Boston?" Aubrey asked, grabbing one of Stacie's hands and interlacing them.

"Monday. When do you go back to Chicago?"

"Monday."

The two smiled and Aubrey straddled Stacie's lap.

"So, we have the rest of the weekend then." Aubrey raised an eyebrow at Stacie and smirked.

"Definitely." Stacie pulled Aubrey into a deep kiss.

"Ms. Mitchell, I wanted to speak to you about…" Aubrey trailed off as she walked into the Beca's classroom. Stacie was in there and the two had been chatting about their students. As soon as Aubrey saw Stacie, both women tensed up. An action that didn't go unnoticed by Beca.

"Oh, I'll um…I'll be back later." Aubrey stumbled over her words as she walked out. Beca noticed the breath Stacie let out.

"Okay, I usually don't pry, that's my girlfriend's job. But…" Stacie looked at Beca quizzically.

"Dude what the fuck is happening between the two of you? She just started not too long ago, how is it possible for things to be weird?! It's so goddamn tense every time you see each other!" Beca exclaimed. Stacie put her head in her hands and sighed.

Well, Beca was bound to find out at some point.

"We fucked."

Beca's eyes went wide and she nearly fell out of her chair.

"You what?! When?!"

"Two months ago. We met at Cynthia Rose's art gallery opening in New York City, went back to her hotel room and ended up spending the whole weekend well…you know."

Beca's brain felt like it had short circuited.

"She had a job in Chicago at the time, and I had to come back here. It wasn't going to work, and we left it at that." Stacie finished and stared at the headphones on Beca's desk.

"Holy shit, Stace."

"Yeah."

Silence filled the room, neither woman really knowing how to move forward with the discussion.

"So…are you still hung up on her?"

"I can't get her out of my head and it's driving me insane." Beca was taken back at the response. Stacie was never usually this wrapped up with someone.

"Well…now that you're aware of my personal hell about fucking and having a massive crush on my boss, how have you been?" Both women chuckled.

"She's killing me." Stacie was standing next to Beca in the hall before classes started, watching the students mingle and get ready for the day. Aubrey was standing outside one of the classrooms, going over notes and sternly lecturing one of the teachers. She was wearing a black pencil skirt, white blouse and heels. Her hair and makeup were done perfectly of course, and she had some bracelets on with earrings and red lipstick.

Aubrey turned around to grab something and Stacie immediately tilted her head, eyes focused on the blonde's backside. Beca chuckled and closed Stacie's mouth for her with her hand.

"Dude, you're drooling."

Aubrey had turned back and pulled out a pair of glasses. She put them on before continuing to go down her clipboard with the teacher.

"Oh fuck, she wears glasses too?!" Stacie groaned and turned away.

"Stacie, get it together!" Beca exclaimed so that only Stacie could hear her.

"But she's so hot Beca." Stacie whined. This was a completely different side of Stacie and it was a challenge for Beca to deal with it.

So naturally, she did the only thing she could think of.

"Chloe! Stacie needs your help!" Beca dragged Stacie into the redhead's classroom.

"Also, hi." She pulled Chloe into a quick kiss before sitting Stacie down at a desk.

"How can I help?" Chloe cheerily asked. Stacie didn't want to get any more people involved in this, but if there's one person who could help her ease tension with Aubrey, it was Chloe.

"I slept with Aubrey."

Chloe spit out the coffee she was drinking before turning wide eyed to Beca.

"It's been driving her insane, and the two of them can't even be in the same room together without it being all…weird! Chlo do something, she's a mess."

Chloe's eyebrows shot up at the last sentence.

"When did you sleep with her?"

"Two months ago, we were at an art gallery in New York City."

"You're still into her?" She asked.

"I'm a goner, Chlo." Stacie put her head on the desk and pulled at her hair.

"Okay, okay…I know! Let's invite her out for drinks after work, that way she can get to know all of us, and alcohol will ease the tension!" Chloe proudly smiled and watched as Beca nodded in agreement.

"I don't know Chloe, we get so weird around each other."

"Trust me, you guys will have a great time once the drinks start flowing! Plus, it's a Friday so we can go tonight."

Stacie sighed and looked at Chloe, the redhead excited about the potential to help out her friend.

"Yeah alright, might as well try."

Chloe squealed and pumped her fist in victory.

"Principal Posen!" Chloe called as Aubrey turned to her. She was walking through the halls, a patrol to make sure the kids weren't goofing around.

"Ms. Beale, how can I help you?" Aubrey greeted and the two women fell into rhythm walking the halls.

"I wanted to ask if you're up for coming out to grab some drinks with some of the girls after work. It'll be a great way to really meet everyone in a more casual setting!" Chloe finished and watched as Aubrey's eyes locked onto a student walking towards them. She checked her watch and glanced up at him.

"You're late." The kid's eyes went wide with horror and he gripped his books tighter.

"I'm-I'm sorry Principal Posen. I missed my alarm and I couldn't wake up."

Aubrey studied him for a second before crossing her arms and responding.

"Detention. Don't let it happen again. Now go." He nodded and ran toward the stairs. Chloe frowned before turning her attention back to more pressing matters. Aubrey was tough, and she'd been handing out detentions much faster than Principal Foster did.

She definitely needed to loosen up.

"So…drinks?"

"I don't know, I mean I'm your boss."

"It's not like we're getting drunk, c'mon it'll be fun! Plus, it's a great way for us all to get comfortable with each other."

Aubrey gave Chloe a tight smile and rounded the corner.

"Alright, I'll be there."

Beca, Chloe and Stacie entered the bar later that night and scanned the room for their co-workers. They found Fat Amy, Jessica, Ashley and Flo at the bar chatting.

"Hey guys!" Chloe greeted and they all hugged each other. Fat Amy dove into a story about how her drama kids were preparing for a play and how incredible they all were because they were learning from her. Jessica and Ashley talked about their history students, while Flo brought up her physics students and the new material they were learning.

"So…drinks with the boss huh?" Amy asked as they ordered the first round.

"It'll be a good way to get her to loosen up and we can get more comfortable with her." Beca piped up.

"She's definitely been different than Foster, that's for sure." Ashley said as they nodded in agreement.

As they were halfway through their drinks, Aubrey walked in. She looked tense and made her way over to the teachers once she noticed them.

"There she is! Thanks for joining us, Aubrey!" Chloe exclaimed and turned to the bartender.

"Get us a round of shots!"

"Oh guys, I don't know." Aubrey protested.

"C'mon, let loose Posen!" Amy shoved the drink into her hand and knocked down her own. The girls followed suit and Aubrey took a deep breath before downing her shot.

Aubrey noticed Stacie missing, and before asking anything she noticed the leggy brunette making her way over to the bar from the bathroom.

"Alright I'm ready to drink you bitches under the table." She smirked before noticing Aubrey's presence.

"Oh, hi Ms. Posen."

"Ms. Conrad." She nodded and noticed another shot being shoved into her hand.

"I bet Posen could drink you under the table, Stacie!" Amy exclaimed and Aubrey nodded her head 'no'.

"No one can, but she's welcome to try." Stacie smiled and downed her shot. The alcohol was rushing through her system and everything felt so easy. She saw the determination in Aubrey's eyes and smirked.

"Challenge accepted."

"I had some kid ask me who Shakespeare was the other day. I mean honestly, it's like they get dumber every year!" Chloe exclaimed and leaned back into Beca. Everyone was laughing and having a really good time. Aubrey and Stacie ended up being evenly matched in the drinking department and had taken it easy after drinking so many shots in such a short amount of time. Everyone was feeling a really good buzz though, and the stories about students kept the laughter going.

"Don't even get me started. One of them asked me if Stalin was 'the funny looking guy with the mustache', the other day." Ashley groaned and they all shook their heads.

"Try working in the science department, they try to set themselves on fire all the time. Little shits." Stacie and Flo clinked glasses.

"I'll drink to that!" Flo exclaimed. Stacie caught Aubrey's gaze from the corner of her eye and turned to face her.

"They almost set themselves on fire?!" She exclaimed and Stacie chuckled before leaning back.

"They're fine, I handle it. It never escalates." Stacie shrugged before sipping her drink. She stretched out her arm and rested it on the back of the couch, making sure not to touch Aubrey.

"Have you ever set anything on fire?" Aubrey asked and quirked an eyebrow.

"Myself. Once, when I first started a few years ago. I wasn't paying attention and burned a hole in my Star Wars t-shirt a few weeks before school was set to start." Aubrey watched Stacie before chuckling.

"Star Wars t-shirt?"

"It was my favorite shirt! I'm still mad about it. It had the Millenium Falcon on it and everything." Stacie pouted and Aubrey smiled. The rest of the girls watched the exchange, the chemistry not lost on the others. There was definitely something there between them, it was hard to miss.

"Well guys, we're gonna get going. Have some umm…stuff to do." Becaa announced and Chloe gave Beca a deep kiss before breaking out into a fit of giggles.

"More like you have someone to do, am I right?" Fat Amy snorted and Beca rolled her eyes.

"Thanks for coming Aubrey, goodnight losers." Chloe tugged Beca away from the group as the shorter woman finished her sentence.

"C'mon Becs, let's go have sex!" They could hear Beca's groan of embarrassment and all burst out laughing. After that Jessica and Ashley made their way home, before Fat Amy and Flo stood up.

"We're gonna go, you two…" Fat Amy pointed at the two women sitting across from her.

"Have fun." She winked and made her way out of the bar with Flo, who waved goodbye and wobbled away.

Stacie turned to Aubrey and met the older woman's gaze. They were closer than Stacie remembered being.

"Hey." Aubrey's voice was hoarse, and Stacie's gut tightened.

How was she getting hotter?

"Hi." She whispered back.

"So…it's just us."

"Yeah…" Stacie trailed off and felt Aubrey shift closer, thighs touching.

"I um…I can't stop thinking about New York." Aubrey admitted and looked into Stacie's bright eyes. The brunette wrapped her arm around Aubrey's shoulders and played with her hair.

"Me too." She softly replied. They were silent for a few beats before Aubrey spoke up.

"We should do it again."

To say Stacie was surprised would be an understatement. It had to be the alcohol, because there's no way her uptight boss would be suggesting sex while completely sober.

But neither of them were sober, alcohol muddling their thoughts and giving them the push they needed.

"Let's go." Stacie grabbed Aubrey's hand and led her out.

Just like New York.

"Stop moving, I'm sleeping." Aubrey groaned and Stacie kissed her shoulder. The sun was shining through Aubrey's bedroom windows. While Stacie would usually be asleep, she had woken up to use the bathroom and couldn't help but stare at the sleeping woman next to her.

What a night.

It had felt just as incredible as New York, and she had to make a note to send Chloe a thank you bouquet for suggesting the night out.

"How are you sleeping if you're talking to me?" Stacie teased and Aubrey turned in her arms, a pout grazing her lips, eyes still closed.

"You're annoying in the morning."

"Damn, guess I'll go then." Stacie jokingly replied and turned to get up. Aubrey whined and wrapped her arm around Stacie's waist, pulling her back towards her. She opened her eyes as Stacie tucked some of Aubrey's hair behind her ear.

"You're so cute." Stacie kissed her quickly and trailed her fingers down Aubrey's spine.

Stacie felt her tense up and panic rush into her eyes.

"We shouldn't have done this."

"We had fun."

"I'm your boss."

Silence overtook the room and they stared at each other.

"Tell me you want me to leave then." Stacie challenged and saw Aubrey's resolve crumble.

"How is this going to work? Fuck, we can't do this." Aubrey groaned and put her face into Stacie's neck.

"I'm only teaching until the end of the year, it'll be fine."

Aubrey's head snapped up with a quizzical look on her features.

"You're leaving?"

Stacie nodded.

"Why?"

"I got accepted into MIT's doctorate program. I start in September." Stacie's smile was the widest Aubrey had ever seen it, and it made Aubrey's gut do funny things.

"You're gonna be a doctor?"

"My lady, I'm going to be an aerospace engineer." Stacie wiggled her eyebrows. Aubrey chuckled and wrapped her arms tighter around the brunette's waist.

"What are you doing teaching high school?"

"It's a job. I initially did a double major, got my undergrad in engineering and education. Teaching was something that was really calling out to me at the time, so I went and got a masters in education and started working. Went back and got another degree in engineering and applied to the MIT program last year."

Aubrey stared at Stacie in shock.

"Did I break you?"

"You've gotten so many degrees in such a short amount of time. It's…I'm kind of intimidated." Aubrey admitted and Stacie shrugged.

"It's whatever. Teaching is cool but I want to build fucking spaceships for NASA." Aubrey laughed and Stacie rolled on top of her.

"So, Ms. Posen…principal?"

"Lawyer turned principal."

Stacie's eyebrows shot up and she laced her fingers with Aubrey's.

"And I'm the intimidating one?"

"I got bored, I thought it was what I wanted to do. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it in the beginning and I'm good at it, but watching kids grow and learn is…different. Being a principal just kind of fell into my lap, I was fine teaching politics to high schoolers, but it quickly spiraled into being principal. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love what I do."

"Aw, you softie." Stacie tickled Aubrey and enjoyed the sound of the blonde woman's laughter.

"Don't tell anyone, I have a reputation to uphold."

Stacie smiled and leaned down to capture her lips in a quick kiss.

"Okay Aubs, I won't tell anyone you're a total marshmallow."

Both women froze at the nickname.

"I-was that not okay? I'm sorry." Stacie quickly apologized and scrambled to get off Aubrey. Aubrey pulled the taller woman back down and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

"No, I…I really liked it." They both smiled as Aubrey leaned up for a kiss.

Monday morning rolled around soon enough, and Aubrey strolled through the halls before classes started, just watching the students and teachers interact. There was still plenty she had to learn and get used to, but every day was becoming easier.

She poked her head into Chloe's classroom to find her and Beca casually speaking to a student. She knocked on the door to announce her presence and the three figures turned towards her.

"I just wanted to say good morning! Hope your weekends went well." Aubrey smiled and continued down the hall. Chloe and Beca looked at each other with quizzical expressions.

"Umm…Laura we'll pick this up later, Ms. Mitchell and I have to go talk to Ms. Posen." The student nodded and walked out before the two teachers made their way to Aubrey.

"Hey, Principal Posen. We um…just wanted to thank you for joining us the other night." Chloe started. They were all walking together towards the drama department.

"Thank you for inviting me. It was definitely needed, and I feel like I know you all a little better now." Aubrey smiled.

A student suddenly came crashing into them, his iced coffee spilling and ruining Aubrey's white blouse. His eyes went wide, and he stood in shock before profusely apologizing. Beca and Chloe turned to each other, knowing that Aubrey was bound to give this kid a lifetime of detention for being stupid.

What a start to the week.

It took both women by surprise when Aubrey stuck out her hand as a gesture for the teen to stop talking.

"It's fine, clean this up and start making your way to class. Just pay more attention, alright?"

The young man nodded and rushed off to get paper towels as Aubrey started making her way toward her office, holding the wet garment away from her skin as they walked.

"Goodmorni-what happened to you?" Amy walked up to them and the three women turned toward her.

"Some kid ran into her with his iced coffee a few minutes ago." Beca responded as they continued walking. Amy nodded and joined them as they rounded a corner into the science department.

"Figures my office is on the other side of the building when this happens." Aubrey muttered as she shook her head. She wanted to change as fast as possible, her bra was definitely visible now and giving high school kids a peep show wasn't exactly on her list of ways to start the week.

She looked up from the stain on her shirt to find Stacie and Flo engaged in conversation outside of Flo's classroom, the shorter woman waving at them when she noticed them all making their way down the hall. Stacie turned when she noticed Flo waving and her eyes went wide when she scanned over Aubrey.

"What happened to you?" Flo asked. Stacie couldn't stop staring at Aubrey's chest, and the blonde woman's cheeks had flushed bright pink at the gaze.

"Some kid ran into her with cold coffee. We're helping her get to her office so she can change." Amy replied and the two science teachers nodded in understanding.

Stacie knew she wasn't being professional. She knew what was under all those clothes, had felt all of it and enjoyed every second of it.

But it still stopped her brain from functioning.

It wasn't lost on Aubrey.

"I appreciate it, but you guys have classes to teach. I'll head back to my office while you all start the day."

"Are you sure?" Stacie finally spoke up, her voice strained, and it didn't go unnoticed to the rest of the teachers. Aubrey met her gaze and bit her lip.

"Yeah. Go teach these kids something useful." She waved at her colleagues and started down the hall alone. Once she was out of earshot all the girls turned to Stacie.

"What was that?" Beca asked. Amy smiled and put her arm around Stacie's shoulders.

"You hunter!" She exclaimed and Stacie's eyes went wide, she felt her cheeks flush red as she looked at her co-workers.

"Wait, did you guys…?" Chloe asked. Before Stacie could answer, the bell rang, and she bolted to her classroom.

"Talk to you guys later, bye!"

"Well hello there, gorgeous." Aubrey turned to the voice and was met with the smirk of one Michael Harris.

Gym teacher, general douche.

"Can I help you, Mr. Harris?" She quirked an eyebrow as she watched him get closer.

"I see how you wrangle these kids, it's very admirable. I was thinking…"

"Sounds dangerous." She quipped. Harris chuckled in response but pressed on.

Stacie was making her way down the hall and noticed the two in conversation. She started walking closer when she noticed the discomfort on Aubrey's face.

"How about I take you to dinner and you wrangle me after?" He winked. Stacie rolled her eyes; the guy had no self-control and clearly no boundaries. Aubrey was the principal for goodness sake.

"Mr. Harris, I do not get involved with teachers. If I were you, I would keep my private life separate from my work affairs, or you'll be finding yourself without a job." She snapped at him. Stacie had just stepped up next to Aubrey in that moment and gave Harris a tight smile.

"Mr. Harris, I'm going to have to speak to Ms. Posen." Aubrey nodded and they walked down the hall to Aubrey's office.

The older woman locked the door and made sure the curtains were closed before turning to Stacie.

"Thank for saving me. What an ass."

Stacie shrugged in response and wound her arms around Aubrey's waist.

"He's always like that. Foster didn't really care, but I have a feeling he won't last very long with new management." She winked and Aubrey wrapped her arms around Stacie's neck.

"So…you don't get involved with teachers huh?" Stacie waggled her eyebrows before leaning down for a quick kiss.

"There's an exception to every rule."

"Hell yeah there is." Stacie smirked as she looked around the office. She taller woman turned to Aubrey with mischief in her eyes.

"You know what would be super hot?"

Aubrey raised an eyebrow in question and Stacie leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I want to bend you over that desk and fuck you until you can't walk."

Aubrey's breath hitched and her grip on Stacie tightened.

"No sex in school, Ms. Conrad."

Stacie whined and placed a kiss on Aubrey's neck.

"If you come over tonight, I'll let you do whatever you want, Ms. Conrad." Aubrey lowly said and something coiled in Stacie's stomach.

"If you keep calling me that we aren't leaving this office anytime soon."

"Your students call you that."

"But it sounds filthy when you say it."

Aubrey rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips as she stepped back from Stacie.

"I'll make dinner, stop by around 6." Stacie nodded as a smile broke out onto her features. Aubrey opened the door and gestured for the younger woman to leave.

"Ms. Posen."

"Ms. Conrad."

Stacie's eyes darkened as she walked out the office, and she noticed the playful look in Aubrey's eyes.

Six seemed way too far.

Aubrey and Stacie we're lounging on the couch after dinner, each going over their own papers they had brought home from work.

"Your full name is Anastasia?" Aubrey looked up from her documents as Stacie scrunched up her features.

"Don't call me that."

"I like it."

"Really? It's so lame." Stacie groaned and set down her papers.

"I think it's pretty." A shy smile adorned Aubrey's features and it made Stacie melt a little.

"I think you're pretty."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Anastasia."

Stacie straddled Aubrey's lap and kissed her deeply.

"Why don't you show me how far it will take me?"

"Kate, can you tell me what we learned in chapter 26?" Stacie questioned and the young woman's head popped up from her desk. It was her last class of the day and Stacie really wanted her students to help her out so they could get through the material.

"Umm…science stuff?"

The class burst out laughing and Stacie rolled her eyes as she leaned back against her own desk. Teaching high school had its challenges, and teenagers always seemed to think they were funnier than they actually were.

"Oh, here's an idea, let's all re-read the chapter and write a one-page summary to be turned in tomorrow morning."

Her students sat in shock at the words. Stacie was never really a hard ass, she was actually known to be one of the cooler and more laid-back teachers in the school.

The bell went off and the students scrambled out of their seats, eager to leave the building for the day.

"One-page summary, no one forget!" Stacie shouted after her kids, sighing as she sat behind her desk.

"Since when have you been strict?" Beca stepped into the room once all the students cleared out.

"You heard that huh?"

"Well your classroom door was open as I was walking by so…" Beca trailed off and sat at one the desks across from Stacie.

"Why do I have a feeling you've been spending a boatload of time with our new principal?"

Stacie looked down at her papers, but her blush betrayed her. A smile broke out onto Beca's face. She leaned back in her chair and waited for Stacie to break the silence.

"Okay fine, we've been seeing each other."

"I knew it! She is way nicer than she used to be." Stacie rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face.

"She's always been nice, she's just more open about it now." She replied. A dreamy look came over Stacie's features and she was lost in memories of Aubrey.

"Earth to Stace! C'mon dude, don't be gross."

Stacie shook her head to clear her thoughts before standing up.

"Listen…Chloe wants to invite you guys out to dinner with us tonight."

"A double date?" Beca shrugged as they walked out of the classroom, making their way to the parking lot.

"I guess, yeah if you want to call it that. Marco's at 7pm."

"Wait, how does Chloe even know we're seeing each other?" Stacie questioned as they got closer to her car.

"Have you met Chloe? She knows." Stacie sighed because Beca was absolutely right. Chloe just knew people, and it didn't take much for her to figure out who was involved with each other.

"Alright, I'll talk to Aubrey."

Dinner was a success.

It was fun and both parties left happier and more comfortable with each other. As Stacie shut the door to Aubrey's apartment, she couldn't help but stare at the older woman. Her black dress clinging to her in all the right ways and heels emphasizing her toned legs.

"So, what do I introduce you as when we go to these types of things?" Stacie managed to snap herself out of her haze to ask the question, making her way towards Aubrey and wrapping her arms around her from behind. Aubrey leaned back as she melted into the embrace, a smile grazing her lips and she closed her eyes.

"I know I said I don't get involved with teachers…"

Stacie snorted and hid her smile in the blonde's neck when Aubrey snapped her eyes open and turned to her.

"A little late for that, don't you think?" Stacie planted a kiss on Aubrey's neck as the blonde rolled her eyes in response. She bit her lip and placed her hands over Stacie's before softly whispering the next part of the sentence.

"I'd really like to introduce you as my girlfriend."

Stacie froze, not expecting to hear that from Aubrey. She expected a little more of a fight, more work. She knew throughout this whole thing the older woman had been hesitant to fully dive in, because at the end of the day they technically did work together.

"Really?"

Aubrey turned in Stacie's grip and placed a soft kiss on the taller woman's lips, a smile breaking over her features and foreheads coming together.

"Stacie, will you be my girlfriend?"

Stacie smiled and pulled Aubrey closer.

"I'd love to."

"Do you guys think Ms. Conrad has boyfriend?" Tyler asked, his buddies walking alongside him. They were wandering the halls on their way to lunch.

"I don't think so." Kevin replied.

"I'll be her boyfriend. She's got the biggest set of-"

"MR. CONNOR." The boys turned at the bellowing voice, cowering at the sight of their principal making their way toward them, fire blazing in her eyes.

"You will not speak about teachers like that in this school, do you understand me?" Aubrey crossed her arms and pinned the teens down with a glare that would make anyone cower.

"I-Yes Ms. Posen. Sorry. It won't happen again I promise." Tyler squeaked out, leaning back against his friends.

"You'll have plenty of time to think about it in detention for the next few days. Now get to lunch." The boys nodded and scrambled into the cafeteria, tails between their legs and cheeks red from embarrassment.

"Am I wrong to be turned on by that? Because seeing you be all strict and Principal-y is fucking hot." Aubrey turned to find Stacie next to her. The blonde's scowl didn't leave her face.

"Don't use that language in the hallways, there are kids around." Stacie put her hands up as her eyebrows shot up, surprise painting her features.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry. You want to give me detention too? Jeeze." Aubrey rolled her eyes and ran her hands through her hair.

"I'm sorry, you know how stressed I am about people possibly finding out about this." Aubrey gestured between the both of them, tension leaving her body.

"I understand, I'll be more careful." Stacie nodded.

"Plus…" Aubrey stepped closer and put her mouth right next to Stacie's ear.

"I have better ways of punishing you." A shiver ran down Stacie's spine and she watched Aubrey walk away, an extra swing in her hips that Stacie knew she was doing on purpose. She groaned and made her way downstairs towards her own classroom.

"Babe, are you coming?" Stacie shouted as she opened Aubrey's apartment door. They had a night of casual dinner and ice cream planned along with checking out the local carnival that had rolled into town.

"Yeah I'm here!" Aubrey rushed up just as Stacie had put on her glasses, adjusting the black frames so they were comfortably sitting on her face.

Aubrey couldn't stop staring.

They'd been doing this for a few months now, but Stacie hadn't broken those out before. The older woman had a hard time focusing on anything else.

"Aubs?" Stacie waved a hand in front of her face, noticing the way Aubrey's eyes had glossed over and Stacie smirked.

"The frames are doing it for you, huh?"

"I umm…fuck." Aubrey's voice was hoarse as she shook to clear her head. She didn't think glasses could impact her so much but Stacie in glasses was a whole different ballgame.

"Later." Stacie winked and walked out, leaving Aubrey standing in her apartment dumbstruck.

The carnival was a school sponsored event, and plenty of the students and faculty were around. It was March and the end of the year was creeping up on them, this seemed like a proper way to let off some steam.

"Aubs look, the balloon dart game!" Stacie pointed in excitement and dragged Aubrey over to the booth. One of the students was running it and her eyes went wide with surprise when she saw the Principal getting dragged over by one of the science teachers.

"The what?" Aubrey questioned after Stacie had let go of her arm. The excitement was written all over the taller woman's face and she paid the high schooler quickly. Aubrey watched as Stacie threw the darts at the balloons, putting her arms up in victory when she hit three out of four.

"This is my favorite carnival game." Aubrey rolled her eyes but smiled, watching as Stacie was handed a small prize for her achievement.

"Try it!" Stacie exclaimed and stepped aside to let Aubrey step up. Aubrey refused before caving, handing the confused girl a few dollars and focusing on the balloons.

Aubrey cursed under her breath when only one of her darts hit a balloon, the others falling to the wayside. Stacie smiled and handed the girl another few dollars before she turned the darts to Aubrey and stepped up behind her.

"Like this." She whispered and wrapped her hand around Aubrey's, guiding it and throwing a perfect shot into one of the balloons.

"Stacie, I can do this by myself." The brunette rolled her eyes but didn't move from her spot, continuing to help.

"Will you shut up and let me help you?"

The high schooler's eyes went wide at Stacie's statement, but the two seemed to forget she was there. Aubrey grunted in disapproval but didn't move, allowing Stacie to help her with the rest of the darts. After hitting most of the targets, the young girl handed Aubrey a prize and a smile.

"Oh, Aubs look, cotton candy!" Stacie started dragging Aubrey by the hand over to the cotton candy stand.

"Stacie!"

Aubrey leaned against the doorframe of her bedroom, watching as Stacie slept on her stomach, hair wildly coating her pillows. She couldn't help the beaming smile that came across her face, and in that moment, Stacie decided to wake up. She whined in disapproval when she reached her arm out and didn't find Aubrey next to her. She turned to find Aubrey looking at her, wrapped up in a white dress shirt and nothing else.

"Why are you all the way over there?"

"I got you something." Aubrey reached behind her and threw the shirt at Stacie. The younger woman opened it up, her eyes going wide with surprise. She stared between the t-shirt and her girlfriend, emotions gripping her.

"Come here." She croaked and Aubrey made her way over as Stacie gripped her hips and pulled her down for a harsh kiss.

"You got me that Star Wars t-shirt I had ruined." Stacie whispered against Aubrey's lips. Aubrey leaned her forehead against Stacie's and laced their fingers together.

"It was your favorite."

"You're my favorite."

Aubrey's cheeks flushed at the compliment and Stacie locked gazes with her, emotions bubbling up.

"I love you."

Aubrey's eyes went wide at the admission from the woman beneath her. She knew the t-shirt would mean a lot to Stacie, but she wasn't expecting that to come out.

"I don't know if you were ready to hear it or not, or if you even feel the same way. But god Aubrey, I'm so fucking in love with you." Stacie quietly continued, eyes shining as she squeezed Aubrey's hand.

Aubrey for her part was struggling to breathe, anxiety creeping up her chest. She took a deep breathe and planted a quick kiss on Stacie's lips before using her free hand to stroke the woman's cheek.

"I love you too, dork." Stacie smiled and flipped them over, kissing Aubrey until the both of them had to come up for air.

"Wear it to school today." Aubrey whispered. Stacie's eyebrows shot up and she thought about it.

"You think my boss will let me?"

"I think she'll be okay with it." Aubrey replied before kissing Stacie.

"I can't wait to show off my cool new t-shirt that my girlfriend bought me."

"Such a dork."

"You love me."

"I'm questioning that now."

Stacie gasped and both women laughed.

"Hey Stace?"

Stacie looked down, the silence stretching out between the two women.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Look who's gone full-dork today!" Fat Amy walked up to Stacie, who was in the teachers lounge going over papers, glasses on to pair with her new t-shirt. Beca and Chloe looked over at Stacie, who was sporting a small grin but tried to hide it by sipping her coffee.

"Is that a new shirt?" Chloe asked, eyebrow raised in question. Beca's face broke out into a wide grin, fully realizing where the shirt had come from.

"Your girlfriend buy that for you, Stace?" Beca teased and Stacie's cheeks turned bright pink. The girls scrambled to sit around the table Stacie was working on.

"That's so cute!" Chloe exclaimed while Beca and Fat Amy smugly grinned at Stacie.

"She gave it to me this morning." Stacie softly replied. She didn't want to keep egging them on, but she also loved talking about Aubrey.

"Who knew Posen was a total softie?" Amy leaned back, a smile on her face as Stacie's blush darkened.

"I wouldn't have guessed in a million years." Beca replied.

"It's always the people you think are the strictest who end up being total marshmallows." Chloe chimed in, her eyes bright with excitement. Aubrey seemed to have jumped head first into this relationship with Stacie, and Chloe had to give her credit. It had to be difficult for the woman who had started a new job in a new city to be dating someone she wasn't supposed to be seeing.

But Aubrey seemed to be all in and seeing Stacie this happy filled Chloe with joy.

"Are you wearing my shirt?" Stacie asked Aubrey as she watched the blonde put on a Game of Thrones sweater.

"I hope you don't mind, I need to get down to the school today for the PTO bake sale they're doing, and this is my favorite shirt. It's so comfy." Aubrey explained, throwing her hair up into a ponytail and applying minimal makeup. Stacie stepped up and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman from behind.

"I love seeing you in my clothes, so by all means, wear more of them. Or nothing at all." She winked and kissed Aubrey on the cheek before walking away and getting dressed.

"Can you get me some stuff from the bake sale?" Stacie asked while she fumbled with the zipper on her jeans.

"Come with me. It's a Saturday and you're not doing anything anyway. It'll be good for everyone to see a teacher supporting this." Aubrey replied as she watched Stacie finish getting dressed.

"We can't go together then." Stacie pouted, her gaze meeting the blonde's. Aubrey smiled and pulled Stacie in by the waist, kissing the pout on the taller woman's face.

"You can come separately and leave whenever you want. I'll probably be there longer than you anyway. We'll get to spend some time together."

"You know there's a much better way we could spend our time today, and it involves a lot less clothes." Stacie drew Aubrey in for a heated kiss and ran her hands under the other woman's sweater, drawing a moan out of Aubrey.

"Stace, I have to go. I hope I'll see you there." Aubrey replied when they pulled away. She gave Stacie a chaste kiss and walked out with a quick 'bye.'

Stacie sighed and ran her hand through her hair before grabbing her car keys.

She pulled up to the PTO bake sale half an hour after Aubrey had left the apartment. It was a perfect day for a bake sale, and she watched as Aubrey interacted with all the parents, making sure to be as professional and polite as possible. Stacie admired the way her girlfriend carried herself, especially when dealing with parents. She was always so understanding and explained everything in detail, easing any nerves they could have about their children.

"Ms. Conrad, thank you for joining us! Would you like a cupcake?" Ashley Johnson offered. She was one of the more active members of the PTO and her daughter was in one of Stacie's classes. The brunette smiled and handed over some money to Ashley before thanking her for the cupcake.

"So how is everything?" She asked as she bit into her treat. There seemed to be a good amount of people there, and the kids had set up some games and face painting stations. It looked to be a really well organized event, and Stacie couldn't help but wonder if Aubrey had helped put this one together.

"It's going really well! Principal Posen was kind enough to show up and help us out today. I'm sure you two know each other." Ashley smiled and nodded in Aubrey's direction. The blonde was talking to one of the students, a smile on her face that made Stacie's breath catch.

"Yeah of course we're familiar with one another." Stacie replied, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from Aubrey. Seeing her be strict with the kids was one thing but seeing her in a more gentle setting, laughing and joking with them was something Stacie was not prepared for.

Stacie watched as an older PTO member walked over to Aubrey and engaged her in conversation, the blonde woman shaking her head in a polite 'no', the smile still plastered on her face. Stacie made her way over to her girlfriend, noticing the discomfort in her body language.

"Ms. Conrad! Thanks for coming." Aubrey quickly turned to Stacie when she got close.

"Of course, glad to support the PTO. Marcia." Stacie nodded at the older woman who had been talking to Aubrey, and the older woman smiled at her.

"Ms. Conrad, always a pleasure. I was just speaking to Ms. Posen about this wonderful young man I know who I would love to set her up with. They'd be perfect together." Marcia's sentence was enough to annoy Stacie, but the excited tone of voice she used made it that much worse.

"And I was telling Marcia that I'm completely happy in my life right now and insisted that I am not looking for anyone." Aubrey explained and turned to Stacie, who nodded in understanding.

"Don't think I won't keep trying, you're a lovely young woman and deserve a handsome young man to take care of you. Same goes to you, Ms. Conrad." Marcia pointed at both young women before walking away. Once out of ear shot, Aubrey sighed and closed her eyes.

"She's a handful. I'm going to head out, don't be long? I have wine and I'm going to draw a bath for us. Let your beautiful girlfriend take care of you." Stacie winked and walked away, leaving a flustered Aubrey behind.

"Mr. Harris!" Aubrey's booming voice echoed in the hall, making everyone stop to look at her. This wasn't her style at all. She preferred taking teachers into her office to discuss their wrongdoings and punish them that way.

But after his comment about wanting to 'tap that ass and see what that mouth can really do', Aubrey had lost it. He hadn't done anything since their last incident and had seemed to be shaping up, but this was something that could not go unpunished.

If her students and faculty had to see her deal with scum like Michael Harris, then they would.

"You do not speak to anyone like that, do you understand me?!" He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest at her outburst.

"How are you so hot?" Aubrey rolled her eyes, anger rising in her chest.

"Pack up your things and get out of my school." She seethed.

"Why don't you make me? Get all sweaty for me?" He winked and stepped closer to her.

"I'm calling security and you are leaving the premises do you understand me?! If I see you here again you will be dealt with by the police!" She yelled. Aubrey didn't notice how big the crow around them had gotten, her focus solely on the degenerate in front of her.

Harris stepped even closer to her then, before being pushed away by tall brunette with fire blazing in her usually playful eyes.

"Back off Harris! Get out!" Stacie yelled and grabbed Aubrey's hand, leading her to the blonde's office and slamming the door behind them.

"Stacie! You can't just pull me out of something like that!" Aubrey yelled, anger still running through her from her encounter with the gym teacher.

"Aubs, listen to yourself! Don't fight with me! You were going to deck him, and it would be even worse!" Stacie exclaimed as she ran her hand through her hair.

"It doesn't matter, you do not get involved in my business! You're a teacher!"

"I'm your girlfriend!"

"Not here you're not!"

Stacie stepped back at that, words piercing her.

"Wow, Posen." She icily said and walked out of the office, leaving Aubrey to stew in her own thoughts. The older woman closed the door and sat down at her desk.

"Fuck." She put her head down and cried, regret settling heavily in her chest.

Stacie refused to answer her any of her calls or messages all night. She left voicemails, apologized a million times. She was avoiding her, and Aubrey knew how wrong she had been, how terrible her words had sounded.

There was one place Stacie couldn't avoid her though, and Aubrey was determined to not let this fight drag out any longer.

She walked in extra early and opened up Stacie's classroom door, placing her apology on the desk and walking out, dread and hope both filling her.

Stacie walked in twenty minutes before classes were set to start. She hadn't slept all night and felt like hell. Sleeping in her own bed felt foreign and sleeping without Aubrey next to her was absolutely miserable. She took a deep breath, opened the door to her classroom and settled in. Stacie was set on getting some grading done to occupy her mind before her first class of the day, when she noticed a box and a note on her desk.

She sat down before reaching for the note, her name hand written on the envelope. Stacie pulled out the small card and scanned it over.

Stacie-

I need you to know how sorry I am. If you're still angry I understand, but I want you to know I love you so much, babe. I shouldn't have said any of that, you're my girlfriend inside and outside of this building, and I'm so lucky. Thank you for saving me from myself the other day with Harris, you absolutely did the right thing.

I was totally going to deck him.

I hope you'll like what's in the box.

Always,

Aubs.

Stacie wiped a stray tear from her cheek and opened the small box sitting on her desk. She gasped in surprise when she opened it and found a small picture of her and Aubrey that they had taken at the carnival. Aubrey was kissing her cheek and Stacie had a huge smile on her face. She felt her tears fall faster and tucked the picture and note into her desk before standing up and walking out of her classroom.

She rounded the corner to find Aubrey speaking with Beca, Chloe, Flo, Amy and some students, exhaustion written all over her face. She looked like she was trying her hardest to hold it together and it broke Stacie's heart.

Aubrey was mid-sentence when Stacie walked up to her, determination painting her features. She grabbed the blonde's arm and Stacie swiftly pulled Aubrey into her. Aubrey's eyes snapped up at the taller woman, her breath stopping as she looked at Stacie's intense gaze.

Stacie made a decision then, and leaned in to give Aubrey a deep kiss, her hands tangling in the shorter woman's blonde locks. Stacie pulled away a second later, both women catching their breath as the students looked at each other with shocked expressions.

"You fucking romantic." Stacie breathed out and Aubrey smiled, a blush coming over her face. Chloe looked as though she was about to burst from excitement, while Beca and the rest of the teachers were curious about what Aubrey had done.

"Stacie, language." Aubrey tried to scold but it was half -hearted and the taller woman just laughed.

"We'll discuss this later." Stacie finished and walked away, a smile on her face and a spring in her step. Aubrey felt everyone's eyes on her, questions floating in the air and she snapped her self out of it, needing to regain control of the situation.

"Alright, everyone get to class c'mon let's go!"

The school was buzzing the rest of the day, everyone talking about Ms. Conrad kissing Principal Posen. Faculty and students were gossiping with one another. Students seemed extra unfocused, and Aubrey had chosen to lock herself in her office to deal with it.

Stacie didn't have that luxury though and had to face her students with their burning questions. She'd assigned a worksheet to keep them occupied for the time being, but noticed a hand go up and sighed softly before calling on the student.

"Uh…Ms. Conrad?"

"Yes, Tyler?"

"Are you and Principal Posen banging?" The class looked at her in stunned silence, Stacie let out a breath and took a second to compose herself before meeting the younger boy's eyes.

"Tyler, do your worksheet."

"So, is that a yes?"

"Tyler. Worksheet." She coldly said and her students were left speechless. Hell, she was left speechless too. She'd never used that tone before on anyone, and it made her want to pull her hair out. The students went back to their work and Stacie took the rest of the class to pull herself together.

She had literally no one to blame but herself for this mess, really.

"Babe, wine. Please." Stacie walked in just as Aubrey was settling down. She nodded and pulled out two glasses, setting them on the counter and pouring a generous amount in each glass. Both women took a large sip before Aubrey walked up and wrapped her arms around Stacie, head settling into the crook of the taller woman's neck.

"So, I take it you liked my apology?" Aubrey asked and Stacie could feel the small smile she was hiding in her neck. Stacie kissed the top of Aubrey's head and closer her eyes, feeling more relaxed than she had over the past few hours.

"It was perfect. Thank you." Stacie responded. Aubrey pulled back to look into the brunette's eyes and ran her free hand through Stacie's hair.

"Did you have to talk to Sanders today too?" Stacie asked.

"I got an earful, he was really pissed." Aubrey replied and walked over to the couch, both women took a seat and faced each other.

"Shit, I'm so sorry. I told him I'm leaving at the end of the year and it's not a problem, he probably ripped into you before speaking to me though. I know there will be parents that are going to be less than thrilled, but the schoolyear is almost over anyway. We'll be okay." Stacie laced their hands and kissed Aubrey on the cheek.

"It's going to be weird, Stace."

"One of my student's asked me if you and I were 'banging'." Stacie rolled her eyes after finishing her sentence and Aubrey chuckled in response.

"Well, we do bang." Aubrey smiled into her wine glass.

"I'm concerned you're starting to think like these teenage boys I teach." They both laughed, silence settling into the space between them.

"What do we tell them when they ask?" Aubrey reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind Stacie's ear, moving closer to Stacie in the process.

"That it's not their business. But I'm more than okay telling them we're in a relationship, don't let them think we're just you know…banging." Stacie finished before dropping a quick kiss onto Aubrey's lips.

"Okay." Aubrey smiled and dove back in for another kiss.

"So, there are some pretty pissed parents, huh?" Beca asked as she walked up to Stacie the next morning, both women making their way down the hall to Chloe's classroom.

"It's a nightmare Becs, but I'm leaving at the end of the year so I mean…whatever." Stacie shrugged. They walked into the redhead's classroom to find Aubrey sitting across from her, seemingly deep in conversation.

"Hey guys!" Chloe cheerily greeted as Beca dropped a kiss to her lips and mumbled a 'good morning.' Stacie went straight over to Aubrey, giving her same greeting Beca had given Chloe.

"You guys are so freaking cute!" Chloe squealed and Beca rolled her eyes.

"Gross." The music teacher responded in jest, Aubrey leveling her with a glare before standing up.

"Alright, I have a school to try and get back in line. Have a good day, guys." Aubrey gave Stacie a quick kiss and made her way to her office.

Stacie and Aubrey had gone through the next few weeks completely normal. They were professional at work and the students had eventually shifted their focus onto finals.

Then Marcia Rodgers walked in.

Old Marcia Rodgers, who had tried to set Aubrey up with a 'handsome young man' at the bake sale. Marcia Rodgers who was helping lead the PTO sponsored school dance that was taking place.

Aubrey and Stacie found out pretty quickly that the woman who had seemed so sweet if not a bit pushy, could be a walking nightmare.

All the teachers were at the dance, chaperoning and mingling as the kids stood around awkwardly or began to slowly make their way to the dance floor.

The group of Aubrey, Stacie, Beca, Chloe and Fat Amy were talking, Flo was busy lingering over the punch table to make sure no one spiked it. Stacie had her arm wrapped around Aubrey's waist, a relaxed smile on both women's faces as they listened to Amy tell a story about how she wrestled a crocodile and a dingo simultaneously. Amy finished her story and went to check on Flo at the punch table, leaving the two couples to laugh and smile in her absence. Unfortunately, the bubble was ruined when Marcia Rodgers walked up with the most disapproving look Stacie had ever seen.

"Inappropriate to have your arm draped over our principal, don't you think so Ms. Conrad?" Marcia spat, venom lacing her words. Stacie was understandably taken back, and Aubrey knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. Beca and Chloe just watched in silence, the tension thickening with each passing second.

"Marcia, there's nothing wrong with Ms. Conrad's arm placement." Aubrey treaded lightly, the last thing she needed was to be part of another huge scene in front of her students. Marcia looked over at Chloe and Beca, her sour expression worsening when she saw the women's hands laced together.

"This is a school event, keep it professional." The older woman shot at the young educators, who's expressions mirrored one another's in shock. Stacie pulled her arm back and Aubrey turned in disappointment before reading Stacie's gaze.

"You better go tell Mr. Chalmers and Ms. Rourke then, because they seem to be a little too cozy for a school event." Beca glared at the woman as she finished her sentence. She followed the older woman's eyes as they landed n the couple Beca had just mentioned and watched a smug smile unfurl on her lips.

"They seem to be having a fine time, good for them." Marcia finished. Aubrey could feel the heat of the woman's stare boring into her and she didn't think she had ever felt more uncomfortable than right there under Marcia Rodgers' intense glare.

"I offered to set you up with a handsome young man, but it looks like it was a waste. What a shame." She tutted and walked off. Stacie made a move toward her retreating frame before being held back by Aubrey.

"Let her go, babe."

"But she-"

"I know. Pick your battles. You leave soon anyway." Aubrey glanced up and laced their fingers together. Stacie brought her lips to the back of Aubrey's hand and placed her lips gently on the older woman's skin, lips lingering for a second longer than usual.

"You guys okay?" Stacie turned to look at Chloe and Beca, the two young women looking a mix of slightly shocked and angry. Beca seemed the angriest out of the pair and Aubrey could see the vice grip Chloe had on the shorter woman's arm, anchoring them both to their current spot.

"We're going to a bar after this, right?" Chloe asked and glanced up at three pairs of eyes, everyone nodding in agreement.

"It's the last day of school!" Stacie jumped on top of Aubrey, the blonde woman groaning in response at the sudden outburst and weight. Stacie draped herself on Aubrey's back and peppered kisses along her neck.

"C'mon sleepy. The faster we get the day started the faster it'll be over. Then we can have sex on your desk." Stacie laughed when Aubrey reached back to try and push her away.

"We have half an hour before we have to get up, why are you so jumpy?" Aubrey mumbled while gripping her pillow for dear life. Stacie grinned as her hands trailed under Aubrey's loose t-shirt.

"I told you! The faster the day is over the faster we can finally freely make out without anyone breathing down our necks. Now let's go shower." The brunette scrambled to her feet and pulled a protesting Aubrey up in a sitting position, the blonde still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Too early to shower, Stace." She yawned and stretched, noticing how Stacie's eyes raked over her body with each movement.

"With the type of shower I have in mind, we're going to need all the time we can get." Stacie winked and dragged Aubrey into the bathroom.

"Alright guys, it's been a heck of a year. I'm gonna miss you, I know there are some budding scientists in here, and I'm sorry I won't be here next year to teach you more. But I can only hope my replacement will be good." Stacie announced to her class. She scanned over the room and took in her last period class for the final time, her heart constricting with emotion. She was extremely excited about MIT, but teaching had been her life for the past few years and it was hard to let go.

"Ms. Conrad?"

"Yes, Tyler?"

The young man shifted uncomfortably in his seat before sighing and looking up at his science teacher. He wasn't an easy kid to teach, but he really enjoyed his science courses, seeing her go was tough.

"I'm going to miss you." He quietly said, but it was loud enough for the class and Stacie to hear. The kids made fun of him and jabbed him with comments about "being hot for teacher", which Tyler just laughed off.

"Thank you, Tyler I'm going to miss you too. You're smarter than you think, keep working hard okay?" Tyler nodded with a smile and it filled Stacie with joy. Seeing what she could do to impact these kids' lives was incredible.

"Is it weird if I tell you you're super pretty? I just wanted to say it before you left." The young man blushed as his classmates started up again, lightly taking shots at him, but it was all in jest.

"I think so too." Stacie's head snapped up to the figure leaning against the doorframe and her heart stopped. A wide grin broke out onto Stacie's face as she eyed Aubrey, a small smile gracing her features and eyes playful.

"Well hello to you too, gorgeous." Stacie flirted, her students were watching with rapt attention, never really seeing the two women interact given the professional lines that had to be respected.

Other than the one time Stacie threw caution into the wind and kissed Aubrey right in the middle of the hallway.

Aubrey glanced down and bit her lip, cheeks tinged pink from the compliment. There were a few minutes left of the schoolyear and she felt like the best way to spend it was right next to her girlfriend.

"Ms. Conrad, are you going anywhere before starting your doctorate?" Kate asked and she noticed how Stacie's eyes never left Aubrey's.

"Yeah, I'm going to travel around Europe with an incredible girl."

The teenagers let out collective 'awwws' at the admission and the small smile on Aubrey's face grew into a bright grin.

The bell rang at that moment, and the students scrambled to start their summer break.

"Be safe! I'll see you guys around!" Stacie shouted behind her students. As soon as the final kid left the room she turned towards Aubrey, her arms wrapping around the shorter woman.

"You know student's can still see us, right?" Aubrey questioned as her arms wound around Stacie's neck.

"Yeah, I don't care. I don't work here anymore, remember?"

"Well lucky me then, because I've been dying to give you a congratulatory kiss for finishing out the year." Aubrey smiled and leaned up to seal her lips against Stacie's.

"Best schoolyear ever." Stacie mumbled before diving back in for a kiss.