My, I can't get enough of this universe. I know I said that after last chapter already, but this is OFFICIALY the last one.

Anywho, enjoy!

"Chloe Beale."

The redhead beams, quickly adjusting the cap over her head before walking across the stage to accept her diploma and shake the dean's hand.

There's a group of people hollering and whistling in the crowd, and Chloe twists her head to wink at the Bellas, who all came to her graduation ceremony.

She resists the urge to go over to them now, and sits impatiently back in her seat for the rest of the ceremony.

She's officially a vet.

It's both scary and exciting, and Chloe can't believe how fast the last three years went by.

Three years of hectic classes and brain-cramming. Three years of academic ups and downs. Three years of night shifts and early wake-up calls.

But also…

Three years of being blissfully in love with her girlfriend, Beca. Three more years with the Bellas (as coach) and three ICCA wins.

Chloe is engulfed in hugs from all places as soon as the ceremony is over. Her mother cries, and her father can't seem to stop smiling and her two brothers hoist her up over their shoulders despite her squeals of protest.

They set Chloe down after a picture and Chloe catches Beca walking to her. The brunette is holding a bouquet of sun flowers in her right hand, and a teddy bear with a cap on it in the left. She hands them to Chloe with a shy grin, before pulling her into a hug.

"Congratulations, baby," is whispered into her ear. Chloe feels Beca nuzzle the nook in her cheek before pressing her lips there. "I'm so proud of you."

Chloe pulls away and shoves Beca's presents in one of her brothers' arms, before her hand drifts up to cup Beca's face, tugging her into the kiss she has wanted to give her since they parted this morning. Beca melts into her, lips moving swiftly against Chloe's, until she seems to realize they have an audience and shily pulls away.

There's a collection of aws and get it girl that make Beca's face turn to the same shade as Chloe's hair. She dips her head down, letting her hair hide her face from everyone. Chloe giggles and pulls her into her side, dropping a quick kiss into her hair that has Beca mock-sputtering.

"Stop embarrassing her," Chloe's mother chastises with a tut. "How are you Beca?"

Beca gives a wave. "I'm good, thank you, Mrs. Beale."

The older woman rolls her eyes. "How many times have I told you to call me Helen?"

Beca lets out a nervous laugh as she leans further into Chloe's side. "Right, sorry, Helen."

Chloe's dad wraps Beca into a tight hug, so do her brothers afterwards and Chloe is afraid she might suffocate any second now if she isn't released. Her heat soars at how comfortable Beca is around her family, and how her family took Beca as one of their own from their first meeting seven months into their relationship.

It was a bit rocky at first as Beca hadn't been able to properly speak during the first meal at the Beale house, but Chloe's family had been very patient and hadn't pushed her.

Beca sends Chloe a reassuring smile and tugs on her hand, lacing their fingers together as they walk to the restaurant.

"You should have seen it dad, that goal was amazing," Chloe's elder brother, Michael, describes animatedly his last soccer game over coffee.

"What about you, Beca, any plans after graduation?"

Chloe chooses to tune her brother out and focus on her mother's question, ears peaking in interest. They haven't really talked about what Beca would do after graduation because of their hectic schedule over the last few months.

"No, not really. A producer called me to say he was interested in my work but… I don't know. Our life is here in Atlanta."

Chloe frowns at that. She's sure she would remember such an important piece of information if Beca had told her about it. Her head whips around so fast that she things she might have pulled something in her neck.

"What?" she croaks out, voice seemingly stuck somewhere in her throat. "A producer called you?"

"Um, yeah. But it's in LA."

So is Beca's dream, and she hasn't even thought about telling Chloe about the opportunity.

"In LA?" she inquires, trying to keep her tone free of the hurt slowly spreading in her chest. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Beca blinks when she looks up at her, fingers already blindly fiddling with a piece of cutlery. "You have that job lined up for in Atlanta and…"

Chloe can't believe what she's hearing. She can be a vet anywhere in the country, while most successful producers are based in LA. Not to mention that Beca has been set on going to LA since they met.

"You should have told me," she tells Beca quietly. Her voice isn't heard by the others over her brother's loud tale while her mother is pretending like she's not listening to give them some sense of privacy. "We could have talked about it."

"Chlo," Beca's tone is pleading, but Chloe is too upset to acknowledge it.

"Later, baby," she says lightly, tapping Beca's fingers gently, and turning her head to follow the rest of the conversation before Beca can say anything back.

It's much later when they get back to their apartment. Chloe dropped her family back at their hotel and the car ride back was eerily silent as Beca shot side glances to Chloe but didn't dare say anything.

"Chloe," Beca attempts once more as soon as the door clicks shut behind them. Chloe spins around, crossing her arms over her chest with a heavy frown.

"Los Angeles, Beca?!" she says, perhaps a bit louder than she intended do. Beca recoils, but Chloe chooses to ignore it. She's upset and ignores the fact that Beca's body language becomes irregular, an unmistakable telltale sign that she's on a verge of a panic attack. "Why would you keep something like that from me?"

"I..I," Beca takes a deep breath, screwing her eyes shut for a second, fists curling by her sides. "I don't know, you have an amazing job offer here, too."

"I can be a vet anywhere, Beca," Chloe states coldly, letting her hands drop and slap her thighs. "Your dream is to go to LA."

"It-it wasn't official or-or anything," Beca explains, gaze focusing on anywhere but Chloe as she transfers her weight from one foot to the other. "It might not lead to anything serious."

"You don't know that," Chloe states the fact, raising an eyebrow at Beca. She realizes her tone is a bit harsh, but she only wants what's best for her girlfriend. "But you still turned it down without talking to me about it when it could be a dream opportunity."

The brunette remains silent, eyes fastened on the floor and it infuriates Chloe even more. She huffs and walks to the door.

"Where-where are you going?"

"For a walk."

Beca is shaking her head restlessly, eyes slightly wider as they bore into Chloe while the redhead gathers her keys and wallet, just in case. She might go for a drive after all. "What-no, don't, don't leave."

She pecks Beca's lips quickly, as a testament that they're fine. "I'll be back soon."

"Chloe-"

Chloe closes the door and takes a deep breath. She doesn't know how long she drives for; long enough to think about her future, and Beca's. About Atlanta and LA. About moving or staying.

She comes back two hours later to a quiet apartment. Beca's laptop and headphones are still on the coffee table in the same spot they were when Chloe left. Beca's jacket is uncharacteristically thrown over the couch instead if its usual spot on the hook by the door.

Everything about the setting makes a red flag go off in Chloe's brain.

"Bec?" Chloe leaves her keys by the door and shrugs off her own jacket. She takes the direction of their bedroom and opens the door gently, suppressing a gasp as she does.

Their bedroom looks like a tornado swept through it. The bedside table lamp lies on the floor in two pieces, the things that had been on the desk in the corner of the room lay sprawled out on the carpet floor and the desk chair is upside down.

Beca lies on her side, facing away from the entrance, body shaking with silent sobs.

Chloe swallows with difficulty and takes off her shoes before climbing onto the bed behind her girlfriend. Her palm lies around Beca's hipbone while her body curls against her back.

"Bec, baby?"

Beca turns onto her back slowly, red and puffy eyes meeting Chloe's. "Y-you-you-"

Chloe finds Beca's hand and squeezes her fingers. "Take your time."

"You left."

Chloe's breathing halts in her throat, a wave of sudden guilt washing over her. She knew deep down that her leaving in the middle of an argument would have its set of consequences, but she was too angry and selfish to care.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs lowly, breath ghosting over Beca's skin as she nuzzles her temple. "I needed time to think."

Beca's fingers snap the elastic on her wrist repeatedly as she avoids Chloe's eyes. "Are we, are we breaking-up?"

"What?" Chloe's eyes widen dramatically. A humorless laugh flies from her mouth as she pulls away to seek Beca's fleeting gaze. "No, we're not breaking up, what makes you say that?"

"I don't know, I," Beca sighs, fiddling with the hem of Chloe's shirt as her body stirs into her. "I made you upset and you left, and I thought… nevermind."

"Bec, I love you," she says first, because it feels like the most important thing to clear up right now. "Yes, I was upset, and I'm still upset that you didn't think the news was worth sharing but… I just want what's best for you."

She reaches up to brush a strand of hair back from the brunette's face. "And I think you should seize the opportunity to go to LA, even if it's only for a small job. It will still get you a foot through the door."

Beca looks up at her with uncertain eyes. "What about your job? It's an amazing opportunity, too."

Chloe has been offered a position in a very respectable clinic in Atlanta, one that only few freshly graduates could hope for.

"Like I said, there are animals in LA, too. I'll figure something out. Do you think that producer of yours will still be interested?"

Beca shrugs. "I have to call him back but… are you sure?"

Chloe leans in to kiss her, hopefully to chase Beca's worries away. "As long as I'm with you, I'm sure."

"I love you," Beca says softly, resting her forehead against Chloe's. She leans in to press a kiss to Chloe's lips. "I feel like I'm the luckiest person alive."

Chloe hums, her heart fluttering in her chest. "Right back at ya."

"I'm sorry for not telling you," Beca whispers after a while. Her eyes move around the room. "And I'm sorry about the mess I made."

Chloe shakes her head, running a hand up and down Beca's arm. "It's okay. I'm sorry for leaving, too," she sighs and laughs quietly. "Maybe we've done enough apologizing?"

"Yeah…"

With one last squeeze to Beca's wrist, Chloe gives her an encouraging smile. "Now go call that producer of yours."

Beca is offered a junior position at Pacific Records starting a week from that day. It's scary and rushed but also very exciting. They pack Chloe's car with as much of their stuff as they can and leave the rest at the Bellas' house.

"Ready?" Chloe asks as she slumps down in her seat, Beca taking the one behind the wheel. She slips her sunglasses over her nose and smiles brightly at the younger woman.

"As I'll ever be." Beca replies, tone laced with some uncertainty. Cupping Chloe's cheek, she leans over the central console to give her a long kiss, then a series of small nips. Chloe giggles and stops her before it can turn in anything more than innocent kisses.

"Let's get this show on the road, goof."

Beca smiles and nods, lacing her fingers with Chloe's as she pulls onto the road, away from the home they built in the last three years, to start fresh across the country.

/

"Ugh, I'm exhausted."

Chloe complains as she drops on her back on the mattress in the middle of the living room. That's the only thing they bought today, and plan on going to IKEA the next day. The drive across the country took them more time than planned and all Chloe wants to do is curl into a ball and sleep.

Beca chuckles as she walks into the room, the glasses she's holding in her hands clinking together. Chloe lifts her head, frowning slightly.

"What you got there?" she asks, smiling as she sits up. Beca holds up the bottle of champagne in her other hand and kneels down on the mattress; their only piece of furniture as of now.

"I thought this had to be celebrated. It's not our first home but I feel like many great things are going to accomplished here."

Chloe watches as Beca uncorks the bottle with a pop and pours the champagne in both glasses. "In this specific apartment or in LA?"

There's a cheeky look in Beca's eyes as she murmurs, "Both."

Chloe laughs as she accepts the glass Beca hands her. "Well, there are many rooms that need to be christened."

Even after three years, making Beca embarrassed is still so easy that Chloe never passes up an opportunity of seeing her girlfriend get all cute and flustered.

But to her surprise, Beca leans in and kisses her fully and deeply, in a way that shows Chloe that they will definitely be getting to that later on. Chloe is panting when Beca parts with a smirk, and her jaw drops slightly at the brunette's mischievousness.

"To us," Beca says as she raises her glass, but Chloe holds up a finger before she can clink it against hers.

"And to your future, undeniable success out here in L.A," she adds, closing the scant distance between them to place a soft kiss on Beca's lips. "I love you."

Beca hums into the kiss, resting her forehead against Chloe's when they part. "I love you, too. So much."

Champagne glasses barely finished, Beca straddles Chloe's hips to, in her own words, get that christening started. Chloe squeals as Beca pins her to the mattress, claiming her lips a second later.

Chloe couldn't care less about sleep.

/

Chloe finds a job as a sub for maternity leave in a clinic a few blocks from their apartment. It's not the best clinic in LA and definitely a downgrade to the offer she had back in Atlanta. Beca starts to blame herself, but Chloe quickly put an end to it, telling her she'd rather be here with Beca and have not as good as a job than the other way around.

Beca, on the other hand, steadily thrives. The music she produces is heard on the radio on a daily basis, and while Chloe isn't surprised, as she was the first to really take into account Beca's immense talent, she can't quite put into words how proud she is.

When she comes home six months after they moved to LA to find Beca staring at her phone blankly as it sits on the coffee table, Chloe's heart jumps to her throat.

"Baby," she calls out, coming to sit by Beca on the couch, immediately grabbing her hand in an attempt to draw Beca's attention to her. Beca doesn't respond, gaze fastened on their coffee table instead. "What's going on? You're scaring me."

"I, uh, I got a call," Beca starts, voice sticking to her throat. Chloe swallows with difficulty in stiff apprehension of what is to come. "I've been nominated for a Grammy."

Chloe also knew this would happen eventually, just not six freaking months after moving to LA.

"You…" Chloe's eyes widen, and she shakes her head lightly to make sure it's screwed on straight. "What?"

Beca finally snaps out of her daze, and the grin Chloe is met with tells her it's pretty real. "I'm nominated for a Grammy."

"Oh my gosh!" Chloe covers her mouth with her hand in shock, eyes already twinkling with happy tears. She pounces on Beca to pull her into a tight hug, both women laughing as they stumble onto the couch. Chloe pulls away slightly, enough to capture Beca's lips in a long kiss. "I'm so, so proud of you. Not surprised, but so fucking proud."

Beca smiles warmly, eyes shiny as she squeezes Chloe's waist. "Thank you, baby."

Beca wins the Grammy.

Chloe goes for a kiss on the cheek, but Beca ends up kissing her full on the lips, and she knows that kiss is airing on national television and will be seen by millions of people.

"You'll be fine," she whispers into Beca's ear before the brunette stands up, knowing Beca is aware of what she's referring to.

The truth is, Chloe is worried Beca might not be able to say anything once she stands behind that microphone and faces hundreds of people. She is afraid Beca might black out and have a meltdown, even though it hasn't happened in a while.

But new settings tend to trigger Beca's anxiety, and that anxiety is often involuntarily transferred to Chloe. Leg bouncing up and down, Chloe watches with panting breath as Beca accepts the award.

She comes to stand behind the microphone and pauses for a few seconds, eyes searching the crowd until they settle on Chloe. The redhead smiles, giving her a subtle thumbs up that visibly make Beca's demeanor relax.

"Thank you for this," Beca starts, swallowing her fear. Chloe can tell from the way she's gripping the award that it's the only thing grounding Beca. "I-I moved here six months ago and I didn't imagine winning anything like this. I'm, I'm-" Chloe winces, watching Beca's fingers flew and unflex by her side. "…honored. Thank you."

Chloe is the first on her feet, clapping and whistling and just beaming because Beca did it. Sure, she won that Grammy, but Chloe knows it's the first to many more. What Beca did, speaking in front of so many people, albeit for a short time, is the bigger accomplishment of the evening and she honestly cannot fathom how proud she is.

"I wanted to speak about you, you know," Beca speaks into the darkness when they lie in bed much later that night. They skipped the after-party and celebrated their own way in their hotel room in New York.

Chloe was being lulled to sleep by Beca's hand drifting up and down her spine. She hums, lifting her head from where it has been resting on Beca's chest.

The streetlamp light filtering through the window allows her to trace Beca's features.

"I wanted to say a lot more things than what I did," Beca adds, tucking a piece of Chloe's hair behind her ear with her free hand. It then goes down, running over the arm Chloe has draped over her midsection, until it's gripping Chloe's fingers. "I wanted to say thank you for following me out here so I could pursue my dream, I wanted to say how much I love you. But I-I couldn't. I felt like I was going to faint out there if I stayed one second more."

"You did so good, though," Chloe laughs gets watery as she nuzzles Beca's neck. "Besides, I think you showed me how much you love me just now."

Beca flushes. "Yeah, but saying it on National TV is another level."

"I don't care," Chloe whispers, bringing their laced hands to her lips to drop a kiss on Beca's knuckles. "I don't care how many people know about how much you love me. I know how much you love me, and that's the most important thing. I hope you know I love you the same amount."

"I know," Beca confirms, tilting Chloe's chin up to press her lips to hers in a lazy kiss. "I'll talk about you next year."

"Next year?" Laughter bubbles up inside Chloe's chest at her girlfriend's cocky expression. "Who are you and what have you done to my modest girlfriend?"

Beca's own eyes widen as she looks down, suddenly self-conscious. "I…"

Sometimes Beca doesn't get jokes like other people do, and even though it was unsettling at first, Chloe now finds it endearing.

"I'm kidding," Chloe clears up, craning her neck to place a chaste kiss on Beca's lips. "I like that you're confident. Given your talent, you have every right to be."

"Oh. Right," she mumbles with a light blush. "Thank you."

Chloe laughs, lids dropping steadily as she feels that post-bliss drowsiness slip into her limbs.

"Anytime, babe."

/

Over her life, Chloe has known worst wake-up calls than this one.

It starts with soft kisses to her neck and chest, feather light touches, and ends with a mind-shattering orgasm that sends waves after waves of pleasure through the entire length of her still waking body.

Chloe whimpers as she comes down from her high, only laughing when she opens her eyes to find Beca resting her chin on her stomach, the blanket wrapped around her head with a mischievous expression.

"What are you doing?" she asks through a giggle, beckoning Beca up to her level. The brunette drops a kiss close to her navel and shuffles up, lying on her side to face Chloe. "What was that about? Not that I'm complaining, it was amazing."

"Happy birthday morning sex, baby."

"Hmm," Chloe moans, capturing Beca's lips in a heated kiss as she rolls on top of her. Her limbs are still mushy and tingling pleasantly, but she's ready for another round. "It's only eight, and you've set the bar pretty high there, Mitchell. You think the rest of your activities will keep up?"

Beca's finger is distracting her as it runs along the dip of her waist teasingly. "Well, you'll just have to wait and find out."

The day turns out amazing, not that Chloe had any doubt about the creativeness and devotion Beca put into it. It resumes (after another few rounds of love-making) with breakfast in bed and cuddles.

They step out of the house well after noon for a late lunch and spend the afternoon in an amusement park that have them both squealing like kids. Beca wins a teddy bear for her after many attempts and more money spent than the actual worth of the plush toy.

"Thank you for today, baby," Chloe whispers against the shell of Beca's ear, nipping at it slightly as Beca tries to open the door. It's well past seven PM when they step inside their apartment, and Chloe does a double-take upon seeing the state of their living-room when they walk in.

A sort of tent stands in the middle of the room when their couch should be, the latter tucked against the opposite wall. Chloe frowns and steps closer to investigate.

She gasps when she realizes it's a cozy looking pillow-fort, lit by tiny fairy lights. A fluffy blanket and more pillows are arranged inside, and a computer is set up, surrounded by snacks and drinks.

"How did you do all this?" She asks Beca, straightening up to face her. "I'm pretty sure you were with me the whole day."

Beca winks at her. "I've got connections," she grips Chloe's hips to pull her closer. "Go put on your pajamas and I'll set up the movie."

"What movie?"

"Sleepless in Seattle."

Of course. Her favorite.

Chloe narrows her eyes. "You don't like movies."

"True, but I like you," Beca replies smoothly with a shrug, and Chloe feels her chest soar with nothing else but love for the person standing in front of her. "Now go get your cute butt in those shorts. Pizza should be here soon."

Chloe is crying by the end of the movie, and Beca makes fun of her, but ends up pulling her into her side to kiss her forehead.

"I got you something," she murmurs as the end credits roll out. Straightening up, Beca puts the computer away and reaches inside a bag tucked in the corner while Chloe moves to sit up, resting back against her heels. Beca takes two wrapped-up presents out of the bag, handing the first one to Chloe.

Chloe doesn't waste time in ripping it open. It's always been that way since she was a kid. She never understood the people who neatly unwrapped their present as to not rip the paper. Where's the fun in that?

Peeling the paper away, Chloe glances down at a thin rectangular box, with the name of a famous brand of medical supplies. Looking at Beca in confusion, she opens the box. It's a brand-new stethoscope, much nicer than the one Chloe has owned since the start of vet school, that looks quite expensive.

She pulls it out of the box, examining it closely, when the lettering engraved on one of the branches gives her heart a startle.

Dr. Chloe Mitchell

Chloe's breathing halts in her throat, and she finally tears her eyes away from the letters to glance up at a sheepish Beca, who is holding a small square box in her hand.

Chloe's eyes are already swimming with tears as she takes in the scene before her.

"Beca…"

Beca takes a deep breath as she shuffles closer to Chloe.

"I-I'm, I'm-" she closes her eyes briefly and sighs in frustration. Chloe lets out a watery laugh and squeezes Beca's fingers.

"Take your time, baby. I'm not going anywhere."

Beca nods and gathers her bearings, twisting her hand so that her fingers are laced with Chloe's.

"I love you, Chloe. I think I have since-since the day we played together in that auditorium the-the first time. You scared me at first. All bubbly and with no personal boundaries whatsoever," Beca pauses to laugh, but it comes out a bit strangled under the weight of the emotion. "But you were careful and understanding around me and I fell in love with you fast and steady. I truly admire you. You are beautiful, caring, so talented at what you do and you've always believed in me. I couldn't ask for a better partner to do this life thing with, and I would love nothing more than to have the privilege to call you my wife."

Chloe chokes on a sob, head bobbing up and down as Beca opens the box to reveal a princess cut diamond set on a white, thin band. It's simple, but beautiful, and is everything Chloe pictured for her engagement ring.

"Chloe Beale, will you marry me?"

Chloe closes the gap between them to capture Beca's lips in a deep kiss that draws a surprised squeak out of Beca. Realizing she hasn't given an answer, she pulls away and rests her forehead against Beca's, baby blues locking onto midnight ones. She momentarily loses herself in the depth of Beca's eyes and takes a beat to gather herself.

"Yes. A thousand times yes, my love."

Beca grins, cupping Chloe's cheek to kiss her sweetly. She backs away to pluck the ring out of its holder and takes Chloe's hand with trembling fingers, sliding it onto Chloe's ring finger.

"I love you," Chloe rasps out against Beca's lips as she kisses her, over and over again. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

Chloe smiles, glancing down at the new item now adorning her hand. Beca looks behind her and hands Chloe her other gift. "I, um, I almost didn't go for the stethoscope thing, I didn't know if it was too bold or not," Beca flushes slightly as Chloe rips the wrapping paper off. "So I made this, too."

Tossing the wrapping aside, Chloe's eyes get misty as they take in the drawing before her. It's a sketch of the two of them in a similar setting to where they are now, with Beca down on one knee, looking up at Chloe with a sweet expression. Underneath is written in Beca's handwriting the words, 'Will you marry me?'

"Oh my god," Chloe laughs, running her fingers over the framed sketch. "I love it. And I love the stethoscope, too. And I love you."

"I should hope so, 'cause we're getting married," Beca answers cheekily, and Chloe squeals, tackling Beca down in a hug. Beca laughs and fake-complains about Chloe being too heavy, and suddenly sobers up. "I know we didn't talk about names, but I'm willing to take yours, if you want. Or do you want to hyphen it?"

Chloe doesn't have to think about too much. Maybe because it's not the first time her thoughts have drifted to this subject.

"I like the sound of Chloe Mitchell. I want our kids to be called Mitchell, too. Hyphened names are too much of a mouthful."

Her brain registers what she's just said upon witnessing Beca's sharp intake of breath and sudden stiffness, and Chloe panics for a moment, afraid that she might have said too much or burned steps.

"I mean-"

Beca squeezes her waist gently. "I agree," Chloe opens her mouth to ask for clarification, but Beca beats her to the punch. "Hyphened names are complicated for kids."

Chloe's face must show surprise because Beca laughs at her expression.

"Don't look so surprised. I know I've never imagined myself as a mom. But then again, I had never imagined doing all the things I have already achieved until I met you. It's like you make my insecurities vanish whenever you're around."

Chloe is pretty sure she's in for another round of tears at this point. She sniffles and cups Beca's jaw. "God, I can't wait to start a family with you," she leans and kisses Beca slowly, as if to burn the moment in her memory. "In our own time. Right now, I like just the two of us."

Beca hums in agreement, leaning forward to kiss the tip of Chloe's nose. "I like it, too."

/

Chloe gets into a car accident a few weeks later, and though she suffers from a minor head concussion and two broken ribs, she feels fine. A little bit sore, but fine.

Beca though, isn't.

Chloe hears her fiancée before she actually sees her. She hears Beca stutter out the words 'Chloe Beale' and 'fiancée', before the door to the hospital room she's in while she waits for a head scan swings open.

The nurse lets Beca through and the brunette wastes no time in making the distance between the door and Chloe's bed, wrapping Chloe in a tight hug.

Chloe winces and tenses, the pain in her side burning from the blunt pressure.

"I'm s-sorry," Beca lets out, eyes a bit panicky as they flick from Chloe's injured side to her eyes. "Did I hurt you?"

Chloe shakes her head and reaches out to pad Beca's tears away with her thumbs, "No, babe. No reason to cry."

"You scared me," Beca whispers shakily, moving to sit on the bed. The lack of focus in her eyes tell Chloe she is on a verge of an anxiety episode. "I got the call and-and- they said you were hurt and-"

"I'm okay," Chloe states hurriedly, grabbing Beca's hand to place it palm flat above her heart. Beca seems to relax from simply feeling it thump, shoulders slumping in relief. "I'm okay."

Beca seems to accept that as she puffs out a breath and wipes her cheek with her free hand, "Okay."

She gently climbs onto the bed, and settles against Chloe's healthy side, resting her head over Chloe's chest. Chloe sighs and drops a kiss into Beca's hair, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Beca feels it all and feels it deeply, in good or bad situations. It makes her sensitive but also considerate to other people's feelings, and that's one of the many character traits Chloe loves about her.

She used to internalize her emotions, especially at the beginning of their relationship, but showed more and more of her empathy as their bond grew.

Beca lifts her head after a while, as if having heard enough heartbeats to tell Chloe is truly okay.

"Is your head okay, too?"

Chloe hums. "They still need to check that. But I'm sure it'll be fine. It's screwed on straight."

Beca lifts a hand, pressing the back of it to Chloe's forehead and slowly drifting down her cheek. Chloe catches it before it goes away and presses a kiss to Beca's palm.

"Let me check," Beca suggests, sitting up a bit more. Chloe frowns at what she means by that. "Who am I?"

Chloe snickers, intertwining their fingers. "I'm pretty sure your name is Beca Mitchell."

"And?"

Chloe rolls her eyes. "You're one of the, if not the most, talented music producers in the US."

"That's not the most important part," Beca says with a tut. Chloe raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, it's not?"

Beca shakes her head, humming. "I'm Beca Mitchell, lucky future wife of Chloe Beale, the most beautiful and kindest soul there is."

Chloe laughs, but tears are definitely filling her eyes. "That was so cheesy, baby."

Beca shrugs. "But true."

Chloe leans in to peck Beca's lips. "Thank you."

"Mmm," Beca kisses her again, lingering this time. "Anytime."

/

"Hey Chlo?"

Chloe hums in reply, pulling her attention away from her book. They have been laying in bed, Chloe reading a book while Beca caught up on a few emails.

"We'll be married by this time tomorrow."

Chloe smiles giddily, closing her book and setting it on the bedside table. Rolling onto her side, she nestles into Beca's side and drops a quick kiss to her covered shoulder.

"I know," she sighs contently, resting her head against Beca's chest. "Are you excited?"

"Eh."

Chloe lifts her head, gaping at her fiancée. Beca has that smirk on her face that makes Chloe want to pinch her waist. She does, and Beca yelps, battling her hand away. It quickly turns into a tickling fight that have them both gasping for breath.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Beca gasps out, seizing Chloe's hand to keep Chloe from tickling her more. Beca sets her computer down on the floor and turns on her side to face her. "You know what I'm most excited about?"

Chloe shakes her head, hypnotized by the dark blue irises staring back at her.

"To get to call you my wife," she husks out, eyes dropping to Chloe's lips before swiftly moving back up. "I like the word. Sounds unbelievably sexy and just… right."

The whimper that flies from Chloe's lips is a testament of what Beca can do to her body and soul in just a few words. She feels lit all the sudden, from the tip of her toes to the top of her spine with a new sense of desire.

Beca leans in to graze the shell of her ear with her teeth, and Chloe's body stirs into her like a magnet, rolling until she's pressed flush against Beca's.

"I can't wait to call you my wife either."

She does wonder when they have become one of those annoyingly sappy couples, but that thought quickly flies out of her mind as Beca dips down to attach her lips to that spot on her neck that drives her crazy.

/

After working for a year in the same clinic, Chloe decides to open her own with a friend of hers, a year after she and Beca get married.

It's a big accomplishment for Chloe, the biggest professional one in her life yet, and Beca reminds her of that when she comes out of the clinic after her first day. She falters upon seeing her wife leaned against her own car, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other.

"Aw, babe," Chloe coos as she approaches, a lump forming in her throat at the attention. She kisses Beca swiftly, cupping her jaw. "Thank you."

Beca gives her an eskimo kiss, before dipping down for a proper one. "Congratulations on your first day, wifey."

"Thank you," Chloe repeats, heart fluttering at the nickname. It's been a year, yet it still manages to send a handful of butterflies in her belly. Accepting the flowers, she takes a second to smell them. Beca watches and pries the flowers from Chloe's hands a few seconds later to give her the bottle instead.

"Wanna do the honors?"

"Absolutely!"

Beca smiles sheepishly. "I forgot the glasses."

Chloe shrugs and pops the bottle open, squealing when it starts to overflow, and quickly brings it to her lips to catch the liquid. She takes a big gulp and lowers the bottle with a sheepish grin. Realizing Beca caught the whole thing on camera, Chloe flushes.

"Come here," Chloe curls a finger towards her wife, and kisses her fully, prying the phone from her hands. "I think a selfie is mandatory."

Beca rolls her eyes good-naturedly, and tugs Chloe closer so they both fit into the frame, as well as the name of the clinic above them.

Chloe feels Beca's lips to the apple of her cheek just as the camera click, and she thinks, upon looking at the picture, that their glow is so intense that the flash wasn't even needed.

Later that night, as Chloe scrolls through Instagram when Beca is already asleep, she realizes Beca uploaded the video she took earlier, captioned with,

DJBecamitch Couldn't be prouder of my beautiful wife tonight for opening her own clinic. Really, could she get any cuter? Chloemitchell

Chloe is downright swooning. She comments with a few hearts that will probably make Beca's fans go crazy and sets her phone aside before rolling onto her side to snuggle against Beca.

"I love you," she whispers into the brunette's ear, pressing a quick kiss into the crook of her neck. Beca hums sleepily, fingers lacing through Chloe's.

Chloe settles against her and sighs contently.

Life is good.

/

One of Chloe's cousins is in town a few months later, and drops by their apartment to catch up over lunch. The last time they have seen each other was at Beca and Chloe's wedding a little over a year ago and Chloe is delighted to see her niece, Zoe, who has just turned four.

"Sorry, I'm late," Beca apologizes as she breezes through the door, flinging her messenger bag over her shoulder and setting it on the ground. She greets Chloe with a quick peck and Chloe's cousin with a short hug.

"Aunty Chlo?"

Chloe looks down at the source of the voice and crouches down at her niece's level. "What's up, bug?"

"Can we color?"

"Absolutely. Get a head start and I'll be right there, 'K?"

The little girl nods, pigtails bouncing up and down, and trots back to the living-room. Chloe stands back up, and Beca squeezes her arm as she walks past her to follow the youngest person out of the room.

It's hard for Chloe to focus on what her cousin is telling her afterwards. Beca is laying on her stomach next to Zoe as they color, and she can faintly hear Beca talking animatedly with her niece.

Her heart does that weird thing in her chest it has done every time she's witnessed Beca interact with children lately. It's almost an ache; something her heart longs for.

"Chlo?" Beca whispers in their dark bedroom much later, a few minutes after they have turned off the lights and called it a night. The sheets rumple, and Chloe feels Beca's hand set flat on her stomach, underneath her top. "Can we talk?"

Chloe frowns at that, as those aren't words that promise for a good conversation. But Beca has never really been conventional with the way she speaks, Chloe has learned over the years, so she tries to tame down her concern.

She reaches over and turns the light on; having serious conversations in the dark isn't something she's keen of. She wants to be able to see Beca's features and body language, especially if something is wrong. She knows her wife's body expressions cover to cover and can tell when Beca is about to be upset, when she wants to be left alone, or when she seeks affection.

Right now, Beca doesn't seem to be distraught, but Chloe still wants to make sure as she blinks to adjust to the light, turning onto her side. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no," Beca immediately clears up, leaning in to kiss Chloe as testament of that. "I, um, I just wanted to let you know that I'm ready to have a baby. I really enjoyed spending the afternoon with Zoe today and it made me realize that I want to have those kinds of days with our own kids. Like-like, soon?"

Chloe raises an eyebrow, trying to gather her giddiness before it gets too out of hand. She's suddenly a lot more awake than she was a few seconds ago. "You do?"

"Yeah. Do you?"

Duh.

Chloe beams before kissing Beca lightly. "More than anything."

"I-I think you should carry it," Beca says shily, focusing on her hand, still splayed out over Chloe's stomach. Chloe's brain is still processing that Beca wants to have a baby soon, and it suddenly feels assaulted by many life-changing choices. "If you want to, that is."

"I'd love to be pregnant," Chloe confirms cautiously a few beats later once the shock has passed. "But, why do you think I should carry it?"

Beca shrugs, avoiding Chloe's gaze. "It's stupid."

Chloe lays her hand over Beca's and squeezes her fingers. "I'm sure it's not."

"I just…" Beca huffs in frustration as Chloe patiently waits for her to gather her words. "I-I don't want our child to have what I have. I don't want to take that risk by carrying it."

Pain shoots to Chloe's chest upon hearing Beca's concern. She lifts her hand, running her knuckles over her wife's cheek. "Beca,"

"I spent most of my childhood on my own because of ASD and selective mutism and I would hate for our child to go through the same thing."

"Okay," Chloe murmurs understandingly. "I get it. And your concerns are far from stupid. However, I think that our child is bound to grow up in a much more stable environment than the one you had. Your parents' divorce was the trigger to your mutism, right?"

"Yeah, but-" Beca swallows heavily, finally meeting Choe's eyes. "ASD can be genetic and I don't want our child to have it."

"You say that like autism is a bad thing," Chloe observes with a frown. "And I'm sorry that you had to spend most of your life thinking it was a defect of yours, but it's not, Beca. There's nothing wrong about being different. Not accepting difference is wrong, and that's on society. I don't consider it a disease or abnormality, even if science says so. You just see the world differently sometimes and I love that. You are such a beautiful person," she reaches up to tuck a strand of hair behind Beca's ear, letting her finger trail over smooth skin down her jaw. "Please don't believe there's anything wrong with you, because that's simply not true."

Beca inhales shakily, misty eyes blinking in slow succession as she lets Chloe's words set in. She doesn't say anything, instead captures Chloe's lips in a slow kiss.

"I love you," she whispers against Chloe's lips as they part. "And I think our child will be very lucky to have you as their mom; it seems like you always know exactly what to say to make someone feel better."

Chloe is about to speak, but Beca continues.

"I just think society has a lot of progress to make on this and I would feel more comfortable if our child didn't have it. Besides, I really want him or her to have red hair."

The comment brings a gush of levity around them and Chloe laughs, nuzzling the nook in Beca's cheek as she grins. "Do you now?"

"Heck, yeah."

Chloe takes a deep breath and laces her fingers with her wife's once more. "Are we really doing this?"

Beca squeezes her hand gently. "I think so."

They manage to find a donor who holds as many similarities to Beca as possible, with a clear medical history. After many medical appointments and much unbearable wait, Chloe finds out she's pregnant on a foggy Tuesday morning.

She didn't tell Beca she was taking the test, as the three other tests they have taken over the last two months came out negative, and the look of disappointment on Beca's face through each of those was borderline unbearable.

Being on her day off and not patient enough to tell Beca until that evening, Chloe drives to her studio and rushes up the stairs, hoping Beca isn't recording vocals so that she can steal her away for a moment. Upon stepping into Beca's office after knocking, Chloe realizes her wife is in the middle of giving a meeting.

"Oh," she lets out, stopping in her tracks. "I'm sorry, I'll wait outside."

Beca shakes her head and sets her notebook down.

"No, it's okay," she turns to her team and tells them to take five.

Chloe is barely able to hold her excitement in as the few people spill out of the room. When the door clicks shut, she strides to Beca and pulls her into a bruising kiss.

Beca moans in surprise, one hand drifting to hold Chloe's hip while the other sets flat against her stomach. She doesn't know if Beca put two and two together, but she feels as though that subtle touch is far from being a coincidence.

"Are you?" Beca asks when they part, confirming Chloe's suspicions.

The redhead is at loss for words. "How did you even…?"

Beca shrugs, slipping her hand past Chloe's top to lay it directly on her skin. "I had a feeling."

Chloe lies her hand on top of Beca's, and they momentarily get lost in their own little bubble of happiness.

"Bec," Chloe's voice croaks out as the situation dawns onto her. Tears fill her eyes to the rim. "We're going to be parents."

"I…" Beca seems at loss for words, the only sound that comes out of her mouth being a watery laugh. "Yeah."

She dips in to kiss Chloe gently, sighing contently as she rests her forehead against hers.

"I love you," Chloe smiles and reciprocates quietly. She watches curiously as Beca bends down, lifts her shirt and kisses her lower stomach too. Chloe is close to bawling her eyes out when she hears Beca tell their baby, who is probably no bigger than a peanut right now, that she loves him or her already.

/

"Mitchell and Holden veterinary clinic, how may I help you?"

"Hi, is this Mrs. Mitchell?"

"Yes, it is. Who is this?"

"My name is Michael, I, uh, I work with your wife, Beca."

She doesn't remember who this Michael is, but from the way the man speaks, Chloe immediately knows something is wrong. "What is it?"

"She, uh, she is having some sort of panic attack, and it's been that way for like, twenty minutes already. I thought maybe you could help? Should I put you on speaker?"

Chloe shakes her head, though the man can't see it. "I'm on my way."

She tells her colleague in a flurry that she has an emergency she needs to get to, and jumps into her car, slamming the door a bit too forcefully before speeding out of the parking lot. When she gets to the studio, everyone is whispering among each other in the open space. Her eyes scan the room, hoping to settle on her wife, but Beca is nowhere to be seen.

"Mrs. Mitchell?" she recognizes the voice from the phone call and snaps her head to its owner. A short man about her age is waving her over, "Through here."

Chloe nods and hastily walks over to be led into one of the back rooms. Her heart snaps into two from the sight before her. Beca is huddled in one of the corners, knees tucked into her chest and hands pressed over her ears as she wheezes and rocks back and forth.

She drops her purse on the floor and strides to her wife, kneeling in front of her.

"Beca,"

She whispers softly, leaning up to press her lips to Beca's forehead, allowing them to linger, hoping her sent and touch help Beca through her episode. She's not sure the brunette can hear her over the wheezing.

"Baby, it's me."

Chloe reaches out to run her hands over Beca's arms in an attempt to soothe her, but the second she touches her, the brunette recoils from her with a whine, shuffling further into the corner behind her.

"Okay, okay," Chloe relents as she keeps her hands to herself, unsurprised by the pattern. Over the years, she's learned to deal with Beca's episodes. Though they are fewer, some of them are intense and still hard to apprehend, like this one. "No touching."

Beca's wheezes turn into whines as she tugs on her hair and occasionally bangs on her skull with her fists. Chloe feels as though someone is squeezing her heart. Witnessing the person she loves the most hurting herself without being able to stop it makes it difficult for her to breathe.

As much as Chloe wants to reach out to prevent Beca from hurting herself, she knows it's best to sit back and help her with her voice rather than her touch, just like the first time she's dealt with one of Beca's panic attacks back when they barely knew one another.

"Today I treated an iguana. It was gigantic and stared at me with his side eyes the whole time. I wasn't very comfortable because reptiles are not really my thing, but in the end I kinda liked it. Maybe we should get an iguana. And a couple snakes. What do you think?"

Beca doesn't answer, but the rocking stops and Chloe's breathing grows steadier.

"Maybe we can get to this baby thing first, and we'll see about the iguana, huh?" Chloe suggests with a laugh. "I also had my doctor's appointment today. He said everything looks good, that our baby girl is healthy."

To that, Beca's eyes open and her hands fall from her ears as she stares at Chloe with bloodshot eyes. She was unable to attend that appointment because of an important meeting and had felt bad over it. Chloe doesn't believe that's the reason of her meltdown, though.

As if on cue, Chloe feels a kick to her stomach. She gasps and grabs Beca's hand gently, pressing it just to the side of her belly. Another kick is given, and Beca's eyes light up, a smile tugging at her own lips.

Chloe should give their baby some credit for her perfect timing as her interruption seems to ground Beca like an anchor and make her panic vanish.

"She's very active already," Chloe beams, slipping her hand into Beca's other hand and giving it a squeeze.

Beca puffs out a breath. Chloe releases a deep breath of her own, happy with the way she handled Beca's distress. She doesn't ask what its trigger was, Beca will tell her about it in her own time if she wants to.

Right now, Chloe focuses on the fact that her wife is okay.

That's what matters the most.

"Shall we go home?" she asks, reaching up to wipe Beca's tears away. "We can order take-out from that Italian place on the way."

Beca nods, and Chloe helps her stand up. Wordlessly, Beca pushes herself flush against Chloe's body, arms snaking around her waist as best as they can, given her large stomach. She rests her forehead against Chloe's sternum and Chloe feels the tension leave Beca's body as she wraps her own arms around her shoulders.

"You're okay," she whispers, dropping a kiss into Beca's hair. She sways lightly from left to right. "I love you."

She feels Beca's lips on the skin left uncovered by her open shirt and smiles. They remain this way until Beca pulls away and reaches for Chloe's hand, pressing a gentle kiss to her palm in what Chloe's grown to recognize as her silent thanks.

It always takes a long time for Beca to be able to speak after one of her episodes. The car ride is quiet, the white noise filled by the radio set on low. Beca hums softly under her breath to whatever song comes on, her thumb running repeatedly over Chloe's knuckles as they hold hands over the console.

"I think I need to take time off work," Beca murmurs eventually when Chloe pulls up into their street. "The pressure is a bit too much. More than I can handle."

Chloe parks in their driveway and takes off her seatbelt, twisting in her seat as best as she can to face her wife.

"That's perfectly alright. You've been working your butt off. You need a break."

"I didn't notice until today… One of the artists wasn't completely satisfied with the arrangement and I spent most of the afternoon wracking my brain for ideas that at some point, I blacked out. And then you were here."

"You kinda scared me," Chloe admits quietly. "It's been a while since I last saw you at this level of distress and you were hurting yourself, I was at loss of what to do."

"I'm sorry I scared you."

Chloe runs her thumb over Beca's knuckles repeatedly. "It's okay now. But I don't want your job to become a trigger for more episodes. I think taking time off is a good idea."

Like most nights, Beca ends up talking to Chloe's belly before bed, laying upside down on their mattress, while Chloe reads her book. She usually can't read more than two pages as she also focuses on what Beca is telling their baby.

Beca has taken a liking into telling their unborn daughter the story of their relationship.

"And then your mommy told your grandpa off and that's when I realized I loved her. Like, really loved her." Chloe squeezes Beca's ankle in wordless agreement that it was also when she realized she loved Beca. "And that was also the first time we made love."

"Beca!" Chloe gasps, looking at her wife incredulously. "You can't tell our baby that."

"Why not?" Beca shrugs, a smile painted on her lips. "It was an amazing night."

Chloe can feel her cheeks catch on fire as memories from their first night together flood her mind. She remembers every tentative touch and kiss, the way Beca had made her feel that night. She squirms slightly as her body hums with the memories that send a spike of lust right to her core.

"It really was."

/

Spencer June Mitchell is born a couple months later with a piercing wail that tells their mothers she will be anything but a quiet baby.

Chloe watches fondly as Beca holds her for the first time, remaining silent as her eyes trace every detail about their daughter.

She eventually glances up at Chloe with that look of awe in her gaze, mouth opening and closing without releasing a sound.

Shuffling up to Chloe while never tearing her eyes from the new addition to their family, Beca sits on the side of the bed so Chloe can see her as well.

"She's so precious."

Beca only hums, running her thumb over their daughter's clenched fist. The brunette bends down and presses a kiss to Spencer's forehead, the first of many.

"I love you baby girl," she murmurs, then twists her head to deliver the same kiss to Chloe's temple. "I love you, wifey."

Chloe leans against her wife, reflecting on her life as Beca rocks their daughter from side to side.

How it all started seven years ago when she chose to sit next to the quiet girl at the back of the classroom.

How that simple choice had changed her life in a way she would have never imagined back then.

And right now, as she watches her wife interact with their newborn baby girl, Chloe can't wait to see what life has in store for them.

She's pretty sure it's bound to be amazing.