"Ok, that's the last of the boxes, so I think it's time to call it a night as far as unloading goes. Thanks again for helping me, Beca. You really didn't have to." Chloe said as she smiled, reclining on the couch inside her new apartment with a beer in hand. "Wow, I can't believe this is really mine. I mean, it's so strange to think that this I've graduated and am now like, an adult." She added, looking around the room, which was full of packing boxes and an assortment of discarded items. Chloe bit her lip and then grinned. "It's a good strange though."

Beca sat down next to her friend, crossing her legs under her and smiling at Chloe's comfort in her new place. "I'm really glad you like it here. I'll miss you on campus though. Who's going to run in on my showers now?" She teased, poking the redhead in the side. "I'm going to have to find a new person to do my bathroom duos with."

"Don't worry, we'll still hang out. I can't wait to see you rise to fame with the Bella's this year. You'll make an amazing captain, Becs."

"Thanks." Beca muttered, looking away. She was still pretty worried about being the only captain this year. "It's crazy, but I think I'll actually miss Aubrey's tyrannous reign once rehearsals start. I'm not really… good with people."

"Hey." Chloe turned to Beca and took her hand, squeezing it tightly and pulling her a little closer. "You'll be great. I know it. The Bardon Bella's are in great hands."

Beca blushed. "Um. Thanks." She mumbled, cursing at herself internally for having that kind of reaction to Chloe. The whole heart-racing-palms-sweating thing was a little to clichéd for her, but she couldn't help it. Aside from that, it was totally inappropriate for her to be feeling that way about her friend, who was fully oblivious to it all. "I, uh, think I have to go…" Beca announced when she noticed that Chloe still hadn't backed away. She awkwardly stood up and ambled around the room in search for her bag, which she finally found next to Chloe's stuffed pony. "I've got to go do the night shift for the station. It was really great to see you again, Chlo. And good luck with your new house. I'll drop off your housewarming gift tomorrow." She turned to walk towards the door, and Chloe stood up.

"I'll walk you out."

As they stood outside the apartment, beside Beca's car, the brunette felt a wave of nerves wash over her. It was elicited from the fact that Chloe had wrapped her arms around her, leaning in for a warm embrace. Although she'd never really had friends that were girls, Beca could have sworn that normal friends didn't hug like that. It was just a little too close, and a little too sweet, like she never wanted it to end, but of course was always over too soon. Beca couldn't explain how, but their bodies fit together perfectly and she felt like there was no place better in the world than in the redhead's embrace.Just stop, nothing's ever going to happen, she told herself, trying not to hear the other part of her that was screaming for her to cross the small distance between them and kiss the redhead.

"I'm- I'm really proud of you, Chlo." She stuttered, pulling away before she did something crazy and opening the door to her car. Before she could get in, however, she was stopped by her friend grabbing her arm. She stared at Chloe with a blank expression as the redhead seemed to be struggling for words, as if she was fighting her impulse to say something. Her expression changed and she muttered out a small "thanks" before quickly giving Beca a kiss on the cheek. As the younger woman put on her seatbelt, Chloe finally found the strength to speak up. "Uh… Beca?"

"Yeah?" Beca mumbled, pausing her actions and looking up at the redhead.

"Don't ever forget that you're amazing. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise, and if they have a problem with that, tell them to come to me. Anyone who wants to get to my girl will have to go through me." She finished with a small smile, looking up from the ground and winking at Beca, who had frozen in her seat. "Goodnight." Chloe whispered.

With that, she turned on her heel and crossed the sidewalk to stand on her porch. The last Beca saw of her friend that night was a small wave as the redhead watched the car disappear around the corner into the night.

Beca's eyes flew open and she narrowed them immediately when she realised where she was and what she'd been doing.

She'd been dreaming about Chloe Beale again.

It didn't matter that she hadn't seen her friend in over five years.

After the night that had been featured in her dream, they'd tried their best to stay in contact, but of course things had got in the way. Classes, rehearsals, work, and life in general. And even though they didn't want it to go that way, they both eventually grew apart. It was the fault of neither of them, as one can hardly be blamed for such a thing occurring. As Beca's dad was so fond of reminding her, some people came into your life for a reason, and some only for a season.

But Beca refused to believe that about the redhead. She knew that her friendship with Chloe had been real, and she didn't feel like the redhead she'd grown so attached to wasn't going to be a part of her future, no matter how small.

But the odds weren't appearing to be in her favour. For one, they lived in two different states, and Beca was constantly busy with the record label she'd started after her graduation. With its growing popularity and success, no matter how perfect for Beca's career, the brunette had virtually no time to spare.

So it was unhealthy. This obsession she had with her old friend, the one she'd fallen in love with in her freshman year. But she couldn't help it. She couldn't help the fact that every song she wrote was inspired by Chloe, nor the fact that every single time she checked someone out, she judged their attractiveness by the redhead's standards. Like if someone had gorgeous blue eyes, she'd remember Chloe's and how their radiance had managed to brighten her life.

She knew nothing would ever come from it. She knew, deep down inside her, that Chloe was probably happy without her, and that the redhead probably never even thought of her, or if she did, it wasn't half as frequently as Chloe crossed Beca's mind.

So with a sigh she rolled off her bed onto the hard tile of her bedroom, shouting a curse at the air when she remembered how cold they were in mornings. She staggered off the ground and into her closet, scavenging around for some clothes that at least resembled clean. She continued in her zombie state until the freezing water of her shower hit her face, startling her out of her trance and readying her for her day.

An hour later she was walking through the doors of "Mitchell Mixes", her record brand. She grinned as she entered her office and saw that her P.A. had been there before her, her desk being occupied by a large extra-strength latte and croissant on top of a neatly folded newspaper. She relaxed into her thousand-dollar chair and unfolded the paper, speedily scanning through the headlines for anything that might catch her attention. She was about to chuck it into her bin when a certain name caught her attention. The article was titled Chloe Beale: The Insight into the Rising Star's Struggles with Vocal Nodules and Her Triumphs With College A Cappella Groups.

Beca grinned as she read through the article, knowing well that what Chloe had been working so hard for was finally hers. She chuckled as she realised that what they'd discussed five years ago when lazing around between classes together was really coming true. She knew what Chloe would say about it all. That she knew Beca could do it all along.

There was something that made her heart leap, in the final paragraph of the interview:

Q: And when looking back over it all, would you say that there's anything in particular that you regret most?

A: [Laughs] I think that if I could go back and do it all again, I'd make sure that I didn't let some people go without a fight… I guess it's true that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. I mean, some of the people I met along the way, they really changed me, helped me grow, and I miss them in my life.

This made Beca stop and read it twice, sure that there was some hidden meaning in those words. She could have been desperate, but she thought that Chloe had been talking about her. She knew that it was completely crazy of her, but she couldn't stop the hope that had arisen inside her.

She jumped out of her chair and ran at full speed to her car, earning her plenty of strange looks from people she passed. She had no idea in hell what she was going to do, only sure of one thing- she couldn't lose Chloe again.