A/N: So, this chapter was never supposed to happen. This was supposed to be where I revealed that there's a sequel to this story, but I re-read the rules and oops, can't make a chapter that's just a note. So, this is stuff that I really wanted to be in last chapter, but didn't have the space for it without it being crazy long. I like this though because it gives the story a nice place to end and a good starting point for the sequel.

I say sequel, but I guess I mean the second part of a trilogy. When I started this, I envisioned a three-part journey. The first part is love, the second part is loss, and the third part is growth/change. I'm working on the first chapter of the sequel and it should be up tomorrow. It's entitled Keep Breathing and I hope that you continue to read this series. All of your reviews and follows have been so great and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you for reading and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Here's the last chapter (for real this time!)

-Melissa

Chapter 10.5: The Other Side of Zero

Jesse sat outside of Chloe's room for what felt like an eternity, watching them work on the girl and try to bring some sign of life back to her body. It was so surreal to him, that it was almost like watching a movie. This couldn't be real life. This couldn't be happening to someone he knew, someone he could call a friend after this was over. This couldn't be real.

As he felt a warm tear pass over his cheek he reached out and swiped it away angrily, upset with himself for showing this kind of emotion in public. He was a man and men didn't act like this. He barely knew Chloe and while he liked her and had heard nothing but nice things about her, their relationship didn't warrant this kind of reaction.

A nurse ran into the room with fresh blood to be given to Chloe and as the door swung shut, he could still hear the haunting tone coming from the heart monitor. As he felt his own heart sink, he realized just why he was so upset. He loved Beca and Beca loved Chloe and losing her would destroy his best friend and he didn't want that to happen. She needed to make it and while part of his reasons for wanting this were purely selfish, he also desperately wanted to see her survive. No one should die this young and especially someone who had as bright of a future as Chloe did. She was going to be a doctor, for God's sake! Take away a murderer or a rapist, but not someone who was good and just wanted to make the world better.

As he looked down at his faded sneakers, he thought back to his conversation with Chloe's dad and how it seemed like someone else had taken over his body as he yelled at the stranger. He was usually so calm and collected and it had scared him as he remembered the tense and mean tone that he took with the man. He had practically screamed at the man, telling him to get off of his ass and get out here to see his daughter because she was in critical condition. Looking back at it now, it seemed a little bad ass to take charge like that but part of him felt bad for doing it. It wasn't his place to tell someone news like this and her relationship with her father was really none of his business either. Sure, Beca had confided in him one night when they had a late shift at work and he tried to understand, but he really couldn't and he shouldn't have thrown it back in the man's face. He would need to apologize for how he acted, but knew in his heart that the prospect of Chloe's father actually showing up was slim and that made it hurt even more.

He had been sitting there for ten minutes when the door opened and a nurse said "Sir, we need you to leave the hallway so we can take her out. Go back to the waiting area and someone will talk to you shortly."

Jesse nodded and got to his feet, holding onto the wall as his legs felt wobbly underneath him. As he took a few steps down the hall and away from the room, he listened intently and could no longer hear the heart monitor's beeping noise. He looked back and watched as they pushed her out of the room on the bed, but her body was shielded by the team of doctors and nurses and he could barely make out anything. It he couldn't hear the noise, then she was probably okay and going to make it. Or what if she was gone and he couldn't hear it because they had disconnected the monitors? His stomach did flips and as the door to her room was closed as they pushed her out, he spotted blood on the floor and gasped, leaning back against the wall as everything hit him at once. This was bad and he would have to break the news to Aubrey, which broke his heart all over again. What had he gotten himself into?

In a car driving quickly down a South Carolina highway, Ben Mitchell was gripping his steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles had gone completely white and were throbbing with pain. It didn't matter though. He had to get back to Duluth to see his daughter and to make sure she was okay. It was late and he was exhausted, but he had to get back.

Next to him, Sheila had just hung up her cell phone after a tense conversation with Susan, his ex-wife and Beca's mother. She slid the phone back into her purse and said "She's really scared, Ben. She's trying to get a flight out as soon as possible, but she probably can't get a direct flight and it's going to take long with a transfer and everything. I told her she could stay with us when she gets here and that I would pick her up from the airport."

Ben sighed heavily and Sheila simply said "Beca is hurt, Ben. I know it's awkward to have her in our house and for your wife to pick up your ex at the airport, but Beca needs her mother here and I can make a sacrifice for her. She's going to be okay. I have a good feeling."

Ben wiped his hands over his sleep filled eyes and said "Don't tell me that, Sheila. My daughter is lying broken in some hospital with God knows what wrong with her and you can't tell me that she's going to be okay. What if we don't get there in time and something happens to her? What do we do then?"

Sheila reached out and took one of his hands in hers, threading their fingers together and holding it tightly. After a moment she said "Aubrey told us that she's in stable condition and that's a good thing in a situation like this. I know that I can't tell you that she's going to be okay, but I have hope Ben and you need to have it too. I know you're scared about your daughter and I am too, but we just have to get there and wait. We just have to go home and everything will be okay."

Ben held her hand a little tighter and softly said "Yeah, everything will be okay."

Jesse trudged slowly back to the waiting room, freezing when he saw Aubrey sitting on a couch texting someone on her phone. Her hair was down from its bun and hung in loose waves over her shoulders. He looked down and saw that she had her shoes off too, propping her legs up on coffee table in front of her and relaxing for the first time since arriving at the hospital. His breath caught in his chest as he looked at her and realized for the first time just how beautiful she was. Behind her harsh attitude and fierce exterior, she was gorgeous and he hated to bring any amount of pain to her pretty face. Now wasn't the time for sappy or romantic thoughts though and he thrust them to the back of his mind as he walked towards the girl.

Aubrey heard him enter the room and sent her text before looking up at him, standing quickly when she saw dried blood on his hands and few spots of it on his shirt. He walked towards her with his head down and she softly said "Jesse…are you okay? What's with the blood? Did you see Chloe?"

Jesse nodded and bit his lip, trying to think of the right words to say. Finally he looked back up at her and said "I'm fine. I was back there with her, but something happened and it's bad Aubrey. I'm so sorry."

Tears filled her eyes and her voice quivered as she whispered "What are you sorry about? What was bad that happened? I have to…take me back to her so I can see her. I have to see her, Jesse!"

By now the tears were pouring from her eyes and he grabbed her shoulders, stopping her from moving and running to a scene that she didn't need to see. He wiped her cheeks off softly with his thumbs and meekly said "When I was back there, she looked really bad. I had never seen anyone look so pale and she…she started to throw up blood. It was everywhere and it got on my shirt and I…I tried to hold her hand and make it hurt less, but she passed out and then her monitors went crazy. They were doing CPR and shocking her heart and…I don't know if she's alive, Aubrey. They made me leave and they took her out of there and I couldn't hear the machines anymore. I'm so sorry, I wish I knew more."

Tears were now running from his face and Aubrey felt like she was going to pass out as her entire world broke apart around her. Chloe was her best friend and her sister and she might be dead right now. She couldn't live without her, she wouldn't live without her. She wavered on her feet and felt Jesse catch her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly. She couldn't move or talk or think or breathe. All she could do was sob into the arms of the one person she never thought would be here for her.

Aubrey and a Treble, hugging in a waiting room and bonding over a tragedy. Chloe would have a ball when she heard about this. If she heard about this. If. The two letters that sent her back over the edge and squeezing him back, knowing that if she let go she would lose it completely and finding sanity in his touch if only for a moment.

The End