"How much do you think the girls would hate me if I used 'Bella' as a stage name?" Chloe asked as Beca entered the kitchen two weeks later.

"I think you would be haunted by generations of Bellas past, until Aubrey shot you and put you out of your misery," Beca replied, then glanced at the piece of paper holding Chloe's attention, "an application form? You're not seriously considering this?"

"You're right," Chloe replied, still deep in thought, "what about 'Red'."

"Stating the obvious, but better, and again I ask, you're not seriously considering this?"

Chloe shrugged, "well, I've got to find something to do until I start my masters, so I may as well keep my options open, and this won't clash with lectures, which is a bonus."

"Yeah, because parents everywhere want their kids taught music by someone who takes their clothes off in public for pay," Beca pointed out.

"I won't be teaching for ages yet," Chloe replied. "Besides, it's not all of my clothes, I do have some standards, you know."

"My freshman self would beg to differ. OK, non-related question. You know CR put me in charge of this party of hers?"

"Mm," Chloe replied, her pen still moving over the application.

"Um, problem is, I don't even know what she'd want for a bachelorette party."

"Stripping, alcohol and penis shaped everything is traditional," Chloe replied, not looking up, then she paused, frowned, and looked at Beca, "although I guess that last one's not really appropriate."

"Yeah," Beca replied, that was what everyone had told her, "but if she'd wanted that, why didn't she just ask Stacie or Fat Amy?"

"I don't know Beca. I mean that's just what I've seen happen at those kinds of parties, I guess it doesn't have to. But if you do have stripping, I could use the practice."

"Stripping? Who's stripping?" Stacie asked, coming in and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Chloe apparently," Beca replied, "I'm just trying to come up with ideas for CR's bachelorette party."

"Well I don't mind giving her a lap dance, as long as she keeps her hands off the goods."

"You know how to do that?" Chloe asked, then shook her head, "why am I even sounding surprised, will you teach me?"

"Sure Red, but not tonight, hunter's got a hot date. Don't wait up."

Beca waited until Stacie left again before saying, "seriously, you're planning on lap dancing now?"

"It's a competitive market out there, you can never have too many skills." Chloe replied, then looked back down at her form and added "Stacie's right, I'm going to have to go with 'Red', I've got a job interview in an hour at a bikini bar downtown."

"Uh, do you want me to come with?" Beca asked, not liking the idea of Chloe going somewhere potentially shady on her own.

"Why? Wanna see me nearly naked, Mitchell?" Chloe teased, bumping the brunette with her hip.

Beca rolled her eyes, "I've seen you actually naked Beale. I just though you might like some moral support."

Chloe looked up, a smile almost splitting her face as she looked at Beca, "I don't know that your 'moral' support is quite what I need, but yeah, I'd really, really like that," she replied.

#~~~#

"Hey CR"

"What's happened?" CR immediately asked, "is someone in the hospital?".

Beca had had enough to develop a pleasant buzz while she'd been providing Chloe with support, moral or otherwise, and CR's questions were enough to leave her puzzled, "no, and why do you think something's happened?"

"Because you called," CR replied. "You only call if you're late or when something's happened, otherwise you text."

"That is so not true—"

"Beca, it's cool, we all know you hate having to actually talk to people. It's just now you're worrying me, is everyone OK? Where are you?"

And that was just ridiculous Beca thought, because she'd called Luisa every night since they'd got back from Copenhagen, except for the few times the German had gotten there first. Although interrupting movie night with the 'Ride of the Valkyries' had really not been a good idea. Thank God Jesse just thought she'd finally appreciated 'Apocalypse Now', and didn't know what her phone alarm really sounded like.

"Everyone's fine," Beca reassured, "and I'm in a bar watching Chloe stripping. Which is kinda weird, but also kinda what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh. Well you're gorgeous and all, but you just don't have Chloe's curves."

"What?"

"Exotic dancing. You really need curves," CR explained.

"I'm not planning on doing it dude!" Beca said loudly, causing two men at the next table to stop looking at Chloe for a moment, and start looking at her. Beca ducked her head and stared at one of the empty glasses littering the table. Then picked up the half full one.

"You're not? But I thought—"

"No! So not what I wanted to talk about!" Beca whispered loudly.

"Wait, is this some deep confession thing about your secret love for Red? Because you should really be telling her that… and also Fat Amy since she's running the book—"

"I'm calling to warn you Chloe's planing on stripping at your bachelorette party dude," Beca hissed, "and why the hell is Fat Amy running a book?"

"Eh, that's been running since half way through freshman year," CR said, "why is Chloe stripping at my party?"

"Well she's got this job." Beca looked up and across the room for a moment, "At least I think from the expression on the manager's face, she's got it, and she wants the practice. Oh yeah, and while I think about it, Stacie's down for giving you a lap dance as well, as long as you keep your hands to yourself."

"No!" CR yelled down the phone.

Beca pulled it away from her ear, wincing as she did so. Her ears were precious, people shouldn't abuse them like that, no wonder she hated the damn phone. When she was sure CR would not be repeating herself, she put it back to her ear and said hesitantly, "What? You mean won't keep your hands to yourself?"

"Just no." CR replied in a more measured tone. "No stripping. No lap dances."

"But I though that's what happened at these things?" Beca said confused. Everyone she'd asked had said that it was practically bachelorette law.

"That's not happening at my thing. Especially not Stacie." CR said.

"Um, OK, now I'm confused," Beca replied.

CR sighed, "look at it this way OK. You're in my position, and you're marrying Chloe… or um, Jesse or whoever. I'm planning your bachelorette party, and I call up and tell you hot German chick is down for giving you a lap dance. What do you do?… Beca?… Beca?… Damn it girl, stop picturing it, you see my point here, right!"

"Not really?" Beca replied when she could finally get her brain to function again.

Cynthia-Rose sighed, "my point is, she's your wet dream, but Chloe, Jesse, whoever is the love of your life, see? And OK I'll admit, Stacie's my wet dream, hell, the girl's got legs that run on forever. But neither of us is going to actually do anything with them, because we know it's only a superficial physical reaction, and it will ruin what we have going on with the love of our life, right?"

And fuck! Beca thought, now she was going to be stuck with the image of that analogy in her head for all eternity, and Chloe, Jesse, whoever, was so not the love of her life! … Wait, she didn't think of Luisa that way either, her brain supplied, far too late for any other part of her body to believe it. "OK, no stripping, no lap dances, got it. Say hi to Karen for me, enjoy the rest of your evening CR" Beca said, then hung up panicking and downed the rest of her drink, signaling the exceptionally friendly and scantily clad waitress for another one.

She looked across to the bar, Chloe was stood in what was essentially some very nice underwear, totally unselfconsciously talking to the manager and one of the other dancers. She loved her, she was gorgeous, but Beca really didn't get the urge to go jump her. She didn't think she got the urge to jump Luisa either. Ok, so she had an irrational desire to reach out and touch her whenever she saw her, but that was just because she still didn't quite believe the woman could actually be real. She was far too perfect for that, and what the hell was she supposed to do about this party now? She called Luisa to ask, but the phone rang and then went to voice mail. Beca frowned and hung up. She picked up her fresh drink and sipped, putting all thoughts of the party aside, while she tried to come up with a suitable message to leave, then she called again.

This time Luisa picked up, breathing hard, "Ja, Was gibt's?" [Yes, what's up?]

"Um, nothing, why is everyone asking me that today?"

"Where are you Maus, I can hear lots of noise?"

"I'm in a bar, but I'm fine, sort of… no actually I'm having a mini freak out!"

"Wait a moment, we are in the middle of rehearsal." Beca heard the phone being put down as she slapped her own head at her thoughtlessness, then, "10 minuten DSM, und dann wiederholen wir." [10 minutes DSM, and then we repeat.] There was the sound of what she thought was a water bottle being opened, and then Luisa was back on the line.

"Oh God! I'm sorry I interrupted your rehearsal, I forgot what time you said you were getting into Prescott, which is ridiculous since you only told me last night. Are you sure you're OK to talk?" she asked.

"For the next 10 minutes I am," Luisa replied, her breathing slowing.

"OK, sorry I'm just freaking out."

"If it has gone from a mini to a full blown one in the last 20 seconds, I suggest you get it off your chest. What is it you wish to freak out about?"

"Cynthia-Rose's wedding. Well, not the wedding per se, because thank God I don't have to deal with that, but the bachelorette party."

"And what exactly is the problem, Bella Mine?"

"She doesn't want stripping and lap dances."

"A woman of sense. Which I imagine must be rare among the Bellas."

"Hey, that's not…argh… why did she ask me? I mean, I know we're friends, but she must have people who've known her longer than I have… or at least know how to organise one of these things!"

"Perhaps she thinks you will plan the sort of party she actually wants, rather than doing what everyone expects. You did put 'Where Them Girls At' in the set for worlds, after all. That was hardly traditional."

"Well Yeah, David Guetta dude!"

"And the girl on girl choreography for 'Give Me Everything' the first time you won nationals? That was a long way, I imagine, from anything an all girl A cappella group has ever done before."

"Now that was all Stacie and— Oh My God! You totally you-tubed us!"

"Of course. I you-tubed you after the car show, and you?"

"Ha!" Beca said, "Not 'til after the riff-off. But this is so off point. You know, until Chloe got in the shower with me freshman year, I'd managed the previous 18 being completely fine with only having casual acquaintances. Now I have all these people… friends even, who expect me to be there for them."

"I am sure they are there for you too Maus, and please explain Chloe and the shower. I find the dynamics you Americans have quite fascinating."

"Oh, it wasn't like that… at least I don't think it was, although now I guess it could have been… but she'd have said something wouldn't she…"

"Beca!"

Beca stopped, "um, sorry. I was uh, singing in the shower freshman year and Chloe came in and forced me to sing with her. She can be really intimidating when she wants something."

"Let me clarify, you were both naked in the shower and she wanted you to sing with her?"

"Yeah, and then she wanted me to audition, and I really wasn't going to, but I was naked and she was naked and who knows what she'd have done if I hadn't agreed!"

"I can't imagine," Luisa answered, her voice wavering.

"You're totally trying not to laugh right now, aren't you," Beca said.

"I'm sorry, but you have to admit it is funny!"

"No. It's not. Because now she feels like she's running out of time to experiment, and I worry that I'm going to end up a lab Maus! And CR seems to think I should be jumping at that, but it's like she's my sister dude, and so not you! And why does everyone keep forgetting I have a boyfriend."

"And why are you not calling him now, Beca?" Luisa asked seriously.

"Because he'll relate it all to some stupid movie, and then complain that I'm spending too much time with my friends instead of him, especially Chloe, which will lead to another argument about why I won't move in."

"I see," Luisa said. "Well, I don't think you needn't worry about Chloe, Bella Mine. Lesbians, if indeed she is one, can control themselves around you, you know. I believe Cynthia-Rose and I are both already cases in point."

"Lesbians in general, yes," Beca agreed, "and flawlessly gorgeous German Bugs Bunny Valkyries. Practically the rest of the human race, yes. Chloe, no. She has absolutely no filter between her hands and her brain. It's there, she touches it! But we're getting off the subject again. I don't know how to throw a bachelorette party," Beca whined. "Let alone a lesbian bachelorette party for someone I do actually care about. I know she doesn't want strippers or lap dances or any of that obvious stuff, but I want to do it right you know, I want it perfect for her, I just… I just don't know how."

"Well look at it this way," Luisa said calmly, "if it was your party, what would you want?"

And that brought back images of hot German chicks lap dancing, and that was so not what she needed in her head right now. "I don't know," she whispered.

"OK. So what I suggest, is that you stop drinking, leave the bar and take your cute ass to bed. Then get some sleep, since you sound like you have not had any for a while. When you wake up, you call Cynthia-Rose and ask her questions. Like how many people are coming to the party, age ranges, what her betrothed is doing or are you planning for both of them, and whatever else she thinks you should know."

"Oh God, I am going to be so horrible at this. I didn't even ask if I'm planning for them both! I'm the best freaking woman and I don't even know the basics!"

"Beca, calm down, you were only asked a couple of weeks ago and you haven't seen Cynthia-Rose since."

"I know but—"

"No buts, call her in the morning and find these things out."

"OK… Ok I can do that," Beca said, breathing deeply. She looked up, "Uh gotta go, Chloe's disappeared which hopefully means she's putting her clothes back on."

"Wait, Chloe is there with you?"

"Um, not right at the moment, like I said, I think she's gone to put her clothes back on."

"But you are both in a bar?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Forget it," Luisa sighed, "I will never understand you Americans."

Beca screeched as a hand landed on her shoulder, "wow, jumpy much," Chloe said, "who you talking to?"

"OK," Beca said into the mouthpiece, "Um, so totally dressed Chloe is here, and clearly you don't need beauty sleep, but you do have to go be awesome bugs."

She shut the phone off without waiting for a reply and turned to look at the redhead, "CR says thank you, but she really doesn't want stripping or lap dancing at her bachelorette party. But did you get the job?" Beca asked, "I'm guessing you did, manager guy looked like he was drowning in a pool of drool, so—"

"And I'm guessing that wasn't CR or Jesse you were telling they didn't need beauty sleep to," Chloe cut in, a look of concern on her face.

"What, I'm allowed friends who don't need it. In fact, I would say that no-one in this bar thinks you need beauty sleep, and they've seen more of you than most people."

"'Friends?' Beca," Chloe questioned.

"Friends," Beca replied, smiling dreamily, "you know though, I really hope you will always be the only friend I make naked."

Chloe looked down at the glasses on the table and knew she was unlikely to get any sensible response at the moment, "come on shortstack," she said, "I think it's time for us to head home."

#~~~#

Beca had been in bed about an hour, unable to sleep, when she finally turned on her light, grabbed her phone and stared at the buttons, bleary eyed. "I'm sorry I interrupted practice," she texted, and would have been grateful her phone was set to predictive text if she'd remembered, "I hope the show goes well tomorrow."

She was surprised when she got an almost immediate reply, "It's ok Maus, the team thank you for the break. Why are you not asleep?"

"Well why are you not asleep?" Beca texted back.

"There is a two hour time gap so it is 01.00 there and only 23.00 here," Luisa texted. While she was reading that Beca's phone beeped again, "also I have not been drinking."

"I only had a couple, maybe 4 or 5, I'm fine, not tired. Anyway, tomorrow is Sunday so I can sleep then."

There was no reply, but then her phone started a familiar tune and before the end of the first bar a voice was saying in her ear, "Sunday is already today Maus."

"It is? Well sleep is overrated and I'd rather hear your sexy voice."

Luisa thanked God Beca was so far away, because even her iron self-control could only be stretched so far and the Bella's husky voice, right at that moment, was sending it close to the edge. "Is that so?" she asked.

"Mmhm," Beca replied, took her phone away from her ear and grinned at it, then frowned and put it back to her ear "the only thing better is looking at your beautiful face, I could just get lost in your eyes and staring at my cell phone is really not the same!"

"I imagine not, well maybe we can skype sometime," Luisa replied smiling, "but you should really sleep now."

"Don't wanna," and the German sighed, wishing she could see the pout she knew was adorning her tiny Maus's face. "See, even your breathing is hot," Beca said.

Every part of her was hot right now Luisa thought as she said, "did you take aspirin and drink water before bed?"

"Uhuh, Chloe made me when we got back, but really I'm fine. Trust me I've been way drunker than this."

"I'm sure. So you are no longer worried about the wedding?"

"The wedding not so much. The party, you're right I need to talk to CR, I don't even know how many I'm supposed to be organizing for, her family haven't spoken to her since she came out. I didn't ask if she's told her mother yet, perhaps they've made up."

"I hope so, but it is easy to see why she asked you to do the job, since you obviously do know her the best."

Beca was stuck by the thought, "yeah, I guess I really do. I never thought about it like that, but she used to spend school breaks singing in a local bar because the owners let her crash on their couch, at least until we all moved in here. I used to go see her sometimes when Kimmy-Jin had people round, the Stepmonster was being a pain or Jesse was annoying me… although don't mention that to anyone. I only found out by accident and I don't think anyone else knows."

"Since I will not be seeing them again, I do not think you need to worry."

"You won't be… oh." The silence stretched.

"Maus?" Luisa said quietly.

"Still here," Beca replied, "I forgot, your tour's nearly at an end."

"I believe as you keep telling me, it is your tour, but yes, we have one more show here and then we fly to New York to film the puppy bowl before flying back to cross the border into Mexico."

"And then Canada, and then home."

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Beca?"

"I just, it's weird y'know. We talk to each other every day, but in a few days we won't even be in the same country."

"This is true, but we can still skype, and there is nothing to say we will never be in the same place again. After all, when you are a famous music producer you may wish to sign the world's best A capella group."

Beca snorted, "second best."

"That is not what you said after worlds."

"Well maybe I'll want to sign a famous opera singer instead."

"Then may I suggest you do not mention technical standpoints."

"Got it, I'll talk about emotion and passion instead," Beca said grinning.

There was silence and then Luisa said huskily, "I think that would probably work very well." Then, after another silence she added, "you should sleep now Maus, and so should I."

"I guess," Beca replied snuggling down in her bed with her phone still at her ear. "Do you snore?"

Luisa laughed, "only when I have drunk too much, why?"

"Just wondered."

"Do you?"

"The same I think, although sometimes I drool."

"Then you had probably better not sleep with your phone. Saliva and electrical products really do not play well together."

"Wow, you're really trying to get rid of me aren't you."

"No Beca, but I do think you would benefit from sleep and I am meeting Pieter to go running at 7am sharp."

"Ouch. You're a masochist."

"I do not believe I have been called that before, quite the opposite in fact."

"As big, scary Kommissar maybe, but my Bugs is all fluffy and cuddly and cute-y" Beca said yawning.

Luisa sighed, "and you are clearly too tired to know what you are saying."

"Mm, Schlaf gut Bugs."

"Schlaf gut Bella Mine," Luisa replied and then listened as Beca's breathing evened out before disconnecting the call.