Pitch Perfect One-Shots

Chapter CLXXVII - Bechloe: Why Do You Care?

"Oh, of course. You've got to impress Ms. Up-Her-Ass-Aubrey," Beca retorts with an eye-roll.

"It took me MONTHS to convince Captain Posen to allow me to arrange this deal with you. If she finds out that you've done this-"

"What? Your reputation is gone? She won't listen to you? You won't get that precious promotion you've been pining after for over two years?"

Chloe pauses. She can see Beca's hurt in her eyes. She can even feel it. But she can't. She can't be that way.

"Face it, Chloe - you don't care about me. You don't care about my art. All you care about is your precious promotion. Don't try to convince me otherwise."

Beca snatches her bag and flings it over her shoulder.

"I DO care about you and your art, Beca. If I didn't, I wouldn't have hounded my Captain to let me make this deal with you."

"What do you want from me, Chloe? To be the woman on the inside so you can climb the ladder? Is that it?"

"I want you to see your potential! You're an amazing artist! You can do so much with that gift!"

"Like what?"

"Like go to school, teach classes, help other kids who struggle to use their talents for good! So much!"

"Yeah, right," she snorts.

"Listen, there's only so much I can do to help you. You may not believe it but I really AM trying to help you... I can see how much pain you're in. I see that you're hurting. I can see that you've got so much anger inside of you that you don't know what to do with it all and I've watched it eat you alive over the past two years since I've known you. It WILL destroy you if you don't get a handle on it. How many fights have I had to break up because of you?"

By this stage, Beca isn't looking at Chloe. She never can when the older woman gets like this. The pain in her heart hurts every day. Why she was given this life, she doesn't know but she's got it and she has to survive it.

"Beca," Chloe steps forward, placing her hand on the brunette's shoulder, causing the girl to meet her gaze. "I won't ever push you into something you're not ready to do but, please, just let me help you, even if it is just a little bit. I see your potential and I know you're made for bigger things. You may not see it, but I do."

Beca finds herself tearful and she shucks Chloe's hand off her shoulder and quickly rubs her eyes.

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," she nods and Chloe smiles softly.

"Please do. Look after yourself and no more tagging."

Beca nods a goodbye as Chloe returns to her car. The brunette watches the door close and the light pulls away and just like that, the darkness surrounds her once more.

~

"Chloe, can you come here, please?"

Chloe freezes at the sound of her Captain. She hesitates and is reluctant but she can't disobey her.

"Yes, Bree?" Chloe enters her office.

"We're still at work so it's Captain," she corrects, her eyes glued to the paperwork in front of her.

"It's also after hours so it doesn't count. Besides, everyone knows we're best friends and have been since college."

"That may be the case but we're still at work and we have a sense of decorum to maintain."

"Bree, calm down, it's just me and you in your office. It's been a late night and I don't want to be a cop right now," Chloe sinks into the chair opposite the blonde who now takes her eyes away from her work to look at her best friend.