Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Creepy. The place was downright creepy. Someone should really have told this guy, that taxidermy hadn't been a decorating go-to for about 200 years. From what little she'd seen on her quest for a bathroom, and then the nearest exit, the kitchen was the most normal room in the house. Who the hell had flickering gas lamps in this day and age? Wasn't that like a crime against the environment or something, seriously someone should have called Al Gore. What was it about A cappella that attracted so many weirdos, and what exactly did that say about her?
Relief flooded through her as she heard the music up ahead, and thank God DSM had stopped celebrating. The words 'jump' and 'Kommissar' in the same sentence, had been doing strange things to her brain. Who called themselves that anyway? Although she guessed it was less grandiose than Kaiser… and Führer well, no. Even if they did seem hell bent on world domination.
She slipped through the curtain and around the edge of the room, making a beeline for the bar. Her height for once could be used to her advantage, ducking and weaving she moved unseen by Bellas, Trebles and DSM alike. Reaching her destination she saw a bar stool, half hidden by a group of what she guessed, were hangers on. Pulling it even further from the general view of the room, she grabbed a free cocktail, that was just asking to be drunk, and sat down. Trying really hard to pretend she was invisible, and not just too damn scared to walk down the driveway alone.
She'd had a few and relaxed her guard when the woman pounced. "So Tiny Maus, we will meet again at worlds, ja?"
Beca turned, and then dragged her gaze from the chest in front of her up to a flawless face, "yeah" she agreed, "where we'll kick your perfect ass…" she groaned, then said "stop smirking, we are totally going to beat you."
"Perhaps," Kommissar conceded, "perhaps not… but when competition is over, we will no longer be rivals. We could, how do you say… kiss and make up." Beca whimpered and the blonde's smirk got wider, "that is the expression is it not?"
"Ugh! How can you even make smugness attractive?"
"Perhaps because I am, what was it, a gorgeous specimen?"
Beca rolled her eyes, mainly at her own inability to say anything insulting to the woman, "I do have a boyfriend you know."
"He does not seem to pay you much attention," Kommissar replied, turning her head to watch Jesse, who was still hanging around the Green Bay Packers.
Beca was surprised the other woman even knew who he was. "Yeah, well we're not in each others pockets if that's what you mean," then she realized what she'd said, and added quickly, "no more short jokes."
The blonde grinned and grabbed one of Beca's hands, "If you were mine," she began, "I would keep you in my pocket all the time Maus." Then proceeded to show Beca exactly which one, as she trailed the brunette's hand round her body, putting it in the back pocket of her extremely tight pants.
It tingled, and Beca couldn't decide if it was nearness to that perfect ass or lack of circulation. Either way it was several seconds before she realized that the German has let go and was smirking down at her, and she still hadn't removed her hand. She pulled it away quickly, "Does DSM not have any groupies?"
The Kommissar looked puzzled, "We have some, why?"
"Just wondering why you want me to be one of your conquests."
The blonde looked momentarily offended, then, "perhaps I want to be one of yours Maus," she replied with a grin, "is that so hard to believe?"
"Um, yes, quite honestly. I'm 100% straight and I’m pretty sure you could have your pick of—"
"Apparently not." The interruption was quiet, Beca looked up startled, but ignored the comment as her companion continued seriously, "maybe," a perfect face moved closer, and Beca realized she'd go cross-eyed if she kept staring at the blonde's lips, so she transferred her attention to the room instead, "after this is all over, I could just desire us to be friends, Beca Mitchell.”
"um, really?" Beca asked, transferring her gaze back to that perfect face. The German nodded. "I, um, yeah, that’d be good," Beca replied.
Kommissar smiled, "then I will see you at worlds," she said, then turned and walked away.
Beca was momentarily incapable of speech or thought beyond, 'wow, she's beautiful when she smiles'. Then Jesse appeared, and she put the thought aside, vowing not to think of the woman again until the competition.
She didn’t succeed.

Beca really didn't want to have to listen to the word ‘DSM’ One. More. Time. And what the hell were they wearing anyway? Because she was really not sure how anyone could make something that looked like a roman legionnaire's skirt, sexy, but damn it, she did.
"Hear that?" Kommissar smirked, "they chant. For us. Now don't cry too hard when you lose, huh. It makes eyes puffy." She reached out and stroked Beca's cheek.
"Your hands are so soft," and she was really going to have to stop that.
"I'm sorry, I don't speak loser. What did you say?" and honestly, dissing the competition was to be expected, but folding herself nearly in half to get down to Beca's eye level, that was unnecessary. Not to mention all kinds of insulting.
"She actually speaks 8 languages," Pieter said proudly, because yes, Beca's honest enough to admit she'd googled them, and thanked the Lord for listen on repeat. "But loser is not one of them," and why did no-one seem to know Kommissar’s actual name?
"Everything must come to an end. Even the Bellas," the woman finished and before Beca could come up with a witty reply, they were walking away. She finally stepped out and called after them… and OK, so she'd been distracted with the whole leather skirt and shorts combo, and she really couldn't decide whether she liked the woman coming or going best, though thank God that thought stayed in her head, but cinnamon, really? She couldn't come up with anything better than that?

They’d won. Oh. My. Good. God. They’d won!! And while she was really happy that the Bellas continued existence was now secure, she was still not entirely sure how in heck they’d managed it. Because holy wow, was she the only one who watched those Germans? The power, the athleticism, the sheer eroticism of… the thought cut off as Chloe clung just a little bit too tightly to her neck, as she jumped up and down. Beca tried to breathe through it, but it became increasingly difficult, so she gave up, went with the flow and jumped in time with the rest of them.
Eventually they all calmed down. It must have taken a while though, because the crowd were pretty much gone and she could hear someone screaming up at her. “Be-CAW!” had never been a version of her name she’d liked, either the pronunciation or the manner in which it was usually screeched. She looked down at him and smiled anyway, because they’d won dude! Then it dawned on her that all this was really done.
The same feeling she’d got at the retreat came over her again, and she faltered as the wave of reality crashed in on her, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep her footing in the undertow.
She was now a ‘world’ champion A cappella singer, and pretty sure her boss was still not going to be impressed with that.
Talking of, she had impressed him with her arrangement of flashlight, though that could totally have been Emily’s awesome lyrics, because, hey, song that made them world champions.
Did she even want to stay in Atlanta anyway?
What happened to the badass who was going to take LA by storm?
And whatever she decided, where the hell was she going to live? and what was she going to live on? because when she got back Stateside she was officially homeless.
Jesse was still looking up at her like she’d hung the sun, moon and stars, and that was a whole heap of scary emotion that she just didn’t want to deal with, possibly ever. She turned, and Chloe was looking at her the same way. “We won,” she mouthed at the brunette, smile plastered ear to ear. Beca nodded and hoped she could crawl into a corner soon. These two were her significant other and her best friend, she knew she should be happy that they were sharing this moment with her. Instead, she felt the terrible weight of their high expectations.
As she wondered if she dared ask Amy for anymore of her confidence she was lifted off her feet by Cynthia-Rose, and then she was crowd surfing on top of the Bellas. She wondered if this was fate’s idea of a metaphor.

Eventually they made it back to where they got changed, but she was really not ready for all that noise in such a confined space. She grabbed an empty water bottle, wiggled it at Chloe across the room and motioned to the door. Chloe nodded and Beca slipped out. When the door closed behind her, the hallway was blissfully peaceful. The water cooler was empty, but she really didn’t need it anyway. Instead, she wandered back to the side of the stage and watched the lighting crew, who were already dismantling their rig. She lost herself in their busyness.
"Congratulations, tiny one.” A voice said near her ear, sometime later. “Why do you not celebrate with the others?"
Beca was silent for a long time, but Kommissar stood next to her patiently waiting, and then, "ihr wart besser als wir" [you were better than us]. Beca turned to look up at the blonde, and finally she’d removed the smirk from that perfect face, though she wasn’t sure if it was with the comment or the German.
"Not according to the judges Maus," her companion replied, and for the first time Beca saw the woman rather than the leader, as Kommissar gazed out over the stage. It was also the first time, she noted, that she wasn’t wearing black.
"It was a fluke. They preferred sentiment over spectacle,” Beca said, “and um, referencing World War II was probably, like, a really bad idea. Even if I'm 99% sure it was actually a dig at us, kitten."
"Kitten?" Kommissar turned her head to look at the Bella, an eyebrow raised.
Beca shrugged, "well calling you Kommissar gets old, and you do seem to like playing with this mouse.” Besides, she thought, there was definitely something softer about her like this.
The smirk made a reappearance, "Oh Maus, trust me, I am all grown up… and do you know what cats do to mice?" She leaned in and watched eyes widen in front of her, before she tilted her head and whispered in Beca's ear, "they eat them."
Beca couldn't have said whether it was then she moaned, or the moment after when she felt teeth nip at her earlobe playfully. Either way, her hands shot up to hide her face, although she was pretty sure the German could tell the effect she’d had. "OK,” she mumbled from behind them, “I'm never opening my mouth around you again."
Kommissar laughed, then snagged at her hands and pulled them away, an amused smile on her face, "that would be a great shame, and you can call me Luisa. Tell me, do you want to be here right now?"
"I, uh… you mean with you?"
"I mean here on your own, or here in the park with your friends. If you want, we could always go somewhere else."
Beca was now sure her brain had disintegrated. Her mouth opened and she looked frantically from side to side, as she tried to find words, "uh… I…".
"Shh," the woman said as she put a finger up to Beca's lips, "I meant only that Copenhagen is beautiful at night. Have you seen it yet?"
"Uh, no, we were too busy rehearsing and—"
"Will you come see it with me?"
Beca knew she should say no. Jesse was somewhere out in the park, expecting her to find him. Chloe was expecting her back in the changing room. She was really tired of people expecting things from her, "let's go," she said.
They were nearly at the car park when Beca realized she didn’t have her purse. She told the blonde but Luisa waved it off and then they were standing by "a scooter? Really?" Beca giggled "Ich habe recht, du bist ein Kätzchen" [I am right, you are a kitten]
"It seats two Maus," Luisa grumbled, "and it's all I could hire on short notice. Du sprichst Deutsch." [you speak German]
"Nu ein bißchen," [just a little] "von der schule, nicht annähernd so gut wie du Englisch." [from school, nothing as good as your English], then she grinned, "aber beßer als ich spreche verlierer." [but better than I speak loser] She pointed at the scooter again, “that is so the end of your badass reputation!”
“Kommissar will always be badass” the German scowled, then laughed, “me, maybe not so much,” she threw Beca a helmet, "kommen Maus, Kopenhagen erwartet." [Come mouse, Copenhagen awaits]
They left Kløvermarken and headed for Nyhavn, Beca had seen it during the day, but at night it was magical. The company didn't hurt either, especially when they got off the scooter and started to walk around. Luisa offered her her hand, and after only a moment's hesitation, Beca took it. She’d had four years of Chloe after all, and she was charmed to be offered an actual choice on PDA’s for once.
Next was a quick ride up to the Amalienborg Palace and then back to Kongens Nytorv, past the Royal Theater, the Charlottenborg Academy and the Hotel D'Angleterre, where Beca vowed silently that if she ever got rich enough, she was so staying there. They stopped for coffee in Gråbrødretorv, then wandered on foot again, holding hands and just enjoying the night air. They were looking at the stork fountain when Beca's stomach rumbled. "Hungry?"
"A bit, but seriously, there's nothing but fish to eat in this city!"
Luisa laughed, "trust me?"
"Um, I've no clue where I am, and yet I'm here voluntarily with a woman who's already admitted she wants to eat me. What do you think?" she said, then went red when she replayed it in her head.
"I think you don't have much choice Maus" the blonde smirked, "and I know just the place for eating." The look she shot her, had Beca wondering just when she'd thought playing with a cat was a good idea. "Come on, let's go."
Beca had no idea where they were going, but it seemed to be far enough to require their wheels again. Luisa took them past the lights of the Tivoli Gardens; past an awful lot of places that were actually serving food; and into… hell was that a strip club? Oh God, there was another one. What the… and just as she started to wonder if Luisa was really a white slaver, she realized they were pulling up in front of, well, quite honestly, it looked like a bit of a hole in the wall.
"Stay here," her companion said, and then she was gone. Beca looked around, she couldn't see anyone who looked like they might be about to jump her. In fact they all looked relatively normal and were probably heading home after a night out. On the other hand, the graffiti, along with the pictures in the window, told her that five star dining definitely wasn't in her immediate future.
Luisa came back a short while later and handed her something in a wrapper. At first she thought it was a burger. It wasn't, but Luisa was already standing there happily munching, and from the indecent sounds she was making, evidently enjoying what ever it was. Beca took a careful bite and there was an explosion of flavor in her mouth. The "oh my God" that came out next was decidedly garbled, Luisa just grinned at her.
"What was that?" she asked when she'd finished, embarrassed that she’d had to stop herself from licking her fingers, despite having held it in the wrapper the entire time.
"flæskestegssandwich," Luisa answered.
"A what now?"
"Roast pork... want another one?"
Beca felt herself drooling, "Um, better not," she sighed.
Luisa looked questioningly at her, "why deny yourself what you obviously want?"
"Yeah, because you got a body like that by not denying yourself," Beca replied.
"I work hard yes," Luisa agreed and looked at her with an expression Beca didn't recognize, "but life is too short to spend in denial," and suddenly Beca wasn't sure they were still talking about food, and Luisa was gone again.
She came back with another sandwich and gave half to the Bella, who took it without hesitation.
When they were finished, Luisa handed her her helmet again, "where to now?" Beca asked. Luisa just grinned.
The trip wasn't long, 5 minutes at most, and then they were standing outside a black door. There was a small plaque with white numbers on it and a blackened-out window. She looked up at the German suspiciously, the look she got back wasn’t reassuring. From what she'd seen so far this evening, Beca guessed sex clubs probably advertised more than this, but she could have been totally wrong, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out.
Downstairs, it was small and dark, all leather, velvet, brass and candle light, but she was relieved to find out it was a bar. A bar that had really good cocktails, sweet mixes, couches, and far too many people for the number of seats. Which meant she and Luisa had to sit close. She was practically on the German's lap and really, she would have been totally OK with that, and that was wrong, wasn’t it? Again she put it down to Chloe’s influence.
"Enjoying yourself Maus?" Luisa said in her ear some time later, and the whisper of her breath sent shivers down Beca's spine. She nodded and swallowed her current drink hastily, "I'm just gonna…" she pointed in the direction of the restrooms and Luisa bit her lip, unable to stop herself smirking as she nodded. Beca found out why as soon as she pushed open the door, and by the time she came out again her face was flushed, "OK, thanks for warning me about that," she said.
"I was the same color the first time," Luisa reassured her, "Pieter laughed greatly."
"Um, was that really…" she trailed off.
"I believe they are sampled from, er, porn," Luisa replied. "Either that or they have a very exhibitionist clientele, even for Copenhagen." Then they went back to their conversation on the merits of musical experience when learning a new language, until the German’s phone rang loudly. Looking down Luisa saw it was Pieter and frowned. “I must get this,” she said. Beca nodded and picked up her latest drink.
“Ja, Was gibt’s?” [Yes, what’s up?]… “Was denn? Wieso?[What? Why?]… “Verdammt!” [Dammit]… “Ja. Wir werden dort in 20 Minuten [Yes. We’ll be there in 20 minutes.] She hung up and turned to Beca, “It would appear that your boyfriend and the Bellas are trying to get hotel reception to call the police.”
“The police? Why?”
“At first they wanted you listed as a missing person. Now they have talked to Pieter, apparently they want me arrested for kidnapping.”
“What? Why didn’t they just call my… oh, I left my phone at the park.”
Luisa nodded, “along with everything else. Apparently they thought you were just going to get water and you never came back.”
Beca groaned, “seriously, I just wanted to be left alone for five minutes!”
“We have been away considerably longer than that Maus. I am sorry, I should have thought.”
“No. This is not your fault. It’s mine, and the fact I’m surrounded by people who won’t just let me be!”
“So,” the German said, standing up and finishing her drink, “I think it is time to go.” She watched Beca finish her own drink and then took the glass, “I will be back in a moment,” she said, and made her way towards the bar.
When she came back empty handed they fought their way upstairs. It was considerably cooler now and Beca shivered. Luisa took off her jacket and handed it to her. “But then you’ll be cold,” the Bella pointed out.
“I’ll be fine, I am used to colder temperatures,” Luisa replied, passing Beca her helmet and then picking up her own.
When they were seated, Beca snuggled into Luisa’s back and wrapped her hands around the woman’s waist, pulling herself as close as she could, telling herself it was for warmth. Luisa turned her head but could not see her passenger, so she covered Beca’s hands with one of her own for a moment, and then let go and started the engine.
Parking out of sight of the hotel lobby, Luisa took Beca’s helmet from her and set both of them on the ground, before shifting sideways on the scooter seat so that she was the same height as the shorter girl. She reached out, and tugging at Beca’s hand, pulled her closer, “Danke Maus,” she said, “I had a wonderful evening.”
“Me too,” Beca replied, wishing it didn’t have to end, then she wondered if the blonde was planning on kissing her and why her body perked up at the thought. Luisa however, just reached in to the pocket of the jacket Beca was still wearing, and then around, transferring whatever was in her hand to the back pocket of Beca’s jeans. She smirked as the Bella’s eyelids fluttered shut at the sensation.
“Maus” she said, and Beca’s eyes opened again, “you had better go face the music. I have never understood that particular expression, but now it seems particularly appropriate.”
“I guess,” Beca replied, her voice a little rougher than normal, “are you around tomorrow? I’d like to repay tonight, maybe buy you lunch or something?”
“That would be very nice, unfortunately DSM have a plane to catch.”
“Back to the States?” Beca asked hopefully.
Luisa nodded, “For 3 weeks only, then we go to Mexico, then Canada for the end of our tour. It is awkward, but we had to rearrange to accommodate your ineptitude.”
“Dude, remember who just kicked your perfect ass!” Beca replied, then her face fell, “then you go back to Germany?”
“Ja, back home.”
“Then I guess this really is goodbye,” Beca sighed.
Luisa grinned, “We’ll always have Copenhagen.”
Beca looked at her suspiciously, “why did that sound like it came straight from a movie?”
“You don’t like movies?”
“You are sounding so much like Jesse right now!”
“Heaven forbid!” Luisa shuddered. “Now Bella Mine, Kommissar wants her jacket back. You, after all, do not look badass in something so large.”
“But I’ll freeze!” Beca whined as she wrapped it more tightly around her.
Luisa rolled her eyes, “the lobby is just there!” she said nodding towards it with her head. “Besides I do not think your gespiele [boy-toy] will appreciate you wearing my clothing.”
Beca’s eyes widened, she hadn’t thought of that. She’d never hear the end of it from the Bellas either. Reluctantly she took the jacket off and handed it back to Luisa, who put it on and then enveloped her in her arms, so the smaller girl could still take advantage of it’s warmth. Beca moved closer and sighed, “am I really not going to see you again?” she asked, her mouth close to the German’s ear.
Luisa said nothing and Beca pulled back, a frown on her face until the blonde swallowed and said, “who knows Bella Mine. Irgendwann vielleicht werden wir uns wiedersehen.” [maybe someday we’ll meet again] She released Beca totally then, and added, “you should go before they actually convince someone to call the police.”
Beca nodded but made no move to leave, “you know you really aren’t who I thought you were when I first met you,” she said.
“You mean I am not physically flawless?”
“Oh God, you’re so perfect you can’t possibly even be human,” Beca replied, “ha, maybe that’s it… maybe DSM are actually just fabulously attractive borg, that would explain so much!”
Luisa smirked and held her arms away from her body, “If you think that Maus, you are welcome to check me for implants.”
Beca felt her jaw drop open, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Or the thought that she’d love to do just that, that crashed through her mind, bringing with it various images of costumes that left little to her imagination. She whimpered, then blinked repeatedly as she tried to get her brain to reset and her jaw to work. Luisa laughed at her predicament, before standing up and giving her a look that melted her to the spot and derailed her brain all over again. “Run back to your friends before you get cold” Luisa advised and Beca turned and did just that, even as her mind told her she’d never be cold again.
“Resistance is Futile,” the German whispered under her breath, though for which one of them, she couldn’t have said.

Chloe rushed towards her as she entered the hotel, and placed a hand on either side of her face, “are you OK?” she asked, looking carefully for any obvious signs of psychological trauma.
“I’m fine, Chlo,” Beca replied rolling her eyes.
“You’re sure? She didn’t hypnotize you with her snake-eyes or anything?”
“Snake hips you mean!” Cynthia-Rose stage whispered from across the lobby.
“Oh yeah,” Stacie agreed.
“Check for stress fractures in her neck, Red,” Fat Amy called out. Chloe turned puzzled, “what?”
Amy shrugged, “it’s obvious. When a force is applied perpendicular to a surface area, it exerts pressure on that surface, equal to the ratio of force to surface area. If the surface is small, i.e Beca's neck, the pressure on it becomes larger. In this case, the weight of German giant's head when she's kissing short stack also has to be multiplied by downward acceleration due to gravity. Trust me, I once got walloped by a koala falling from a gum tree, I was in a neck brace for months!”
“What the hell, Beca!” Jesse finally said.
“Ooh, angry boyfriend, four o’clock,” Amy said.
“OK, there was no kissing! We’re just friends,” Beca finally said, “and thanks for being concerned guys, but do you think you can give us a few minutes please?”
All the Bellas apart from Chloe, nodded and started to move off. Stacie came forward and grabbed Chloe’s arm, when it became obvious she was going nowhere under her own steam, and soon they were as alone as they were ever going to be in a public place. “So I fly half way around the world to support you, and you disappear on me!”
“OK, so One, I didn’t ask you to come, you decided that on your own; Two, I needed some space, this whole thing’s been really stressful you know, and when it was over, everything kind of came crashing down on me; Three, we both still have two more days here before real life takes over, so we have plenty of time to do stuff. I was only gone a few hours, and I know it was uncool of me not to tell anyone, but I’m safe, and now I’d really like a cuddle from my super awesome boyfriend and then to sleep until midday.”
Jesse frowned, “what about the German Terminator? I thought you hated DSM.”
“We were rivals during the competition Jesse,” Beca replied, “that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends now it’s over. I’m probably never going to see her again anyway, and even if I do, there’s no reason for you to be jealous like this. You’re my boyfriend and I love you.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do. Now come on nerd, let’s hit the hay.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the elevators, not noticing Pieter sitting with his back to them, in one of the lobby chairs.
When they finally reached their room, Beca spied her bag on the floor and checked that everything was there. She pulled out her phone, there were 17 missed calls and 23 texts getting increasingly hysterical in tone. She sighed, she really needed to leave a note if she ever went AWOL again. Picking up her pajamas she went to the bathroom to change. As she took off her jeans she remembered that Luisa had put something into her pocket earlier, reached in, and pulled out a napkin from the bar. Hesitantly she opened it, and smiled as she saw a cell phone number and email address, with the words “Schlaf gut Maus!” [sleep well mouse!] underneath, followed by a large letter K.
She texted the number, “Have a safe trip, borg tour stealer!”
The reply came almost immediately, “You too, Bella Mine. ”

Chapter Text

“C’mon Bec, I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate!” Cynthia-Rose said, pulling her aside as they reached the terminal after landing at JFK. She’d cornered her when she came out of the bathroom, half way back across the Atlantic, and asked her to be the Best Woman at her wedding. Beca had yet to give her more than a shocked look in return, since she knew it had been in its planning stages for months. “I need someone I trust to organize my bachelorette party…” CR explained in a low voice, barely opening her lips and looking furtively towards the rest of the Bellas, who were heading towards immigration. “It’s got to be one of you guys. Fat Amy’s already started calling it a butchelorette party and Chloe’s been hounding me to be her wingman. You have to help me out here.”

“Wait, Chloe’s what?” Beca whispered as loudly as she dared, back.

“That’s what you’re focusing on?”

“CR!”

“OK, OK, she’s goin’ through some sort of late-LUG crisis. I thought she told you all this at camp hell-hole?”

“A late what crisis?”

Cynthia-Rose rolled her eyes, “Man, you really need to get with the program girl, LUG, Lesbian Until Graduation, although I’d say she was definitely more of a BUG, which is—”

“Yeah,” Beca cut in, “I get the picture. That’s what she meant about experimenting?”

“We’ll unless they’re on drugs or in chem class, that’s usually what people mean. So will you do it?”

“Huh, as your last choice candidate for the job you mean?”

“Last person I expected to say yes, first person I asked,” Cynthia-Rose said smoothly, “only person I ever thought of asking, actually. So if you say no, I guess I’ll just have to organize my own.”

Beca sighed and wondered when she’d become the person that said yes to things like this, “OK, OK, ” she agreed, “I’ll do it!”

“Alright!” CR said happily, “so we have a fitting this afternoon, and if the traffic’s in our favor, we may even get back here in time for your connecting flight. Although if we don’t, at least you’ll have a good story for your speech.”

“Speech?” Beca hissed, “wait, what?”

“U’huh, it’s cool. You just need to make me sound fabulous, with the occasional funny anecdote thrown in. Ain’t nothin’ to it.”

“Oh is that all? You didn’t mention that when you were asking, ” Beca said feeling suddenly nauseous, “and what the hell do you mean by a fitting?” she yelled at CR’s back as she was heading back toward the rest of the Bellas. It turned out there was a reason CR had volunteered to sort out their flights to worlds.

Beca stared out of the Brooklyn window to the street below, but she was not looking at the view. It felt odd to be back. In her last two days in Copenhagen, she and Jesse had spent one with the Bellas and Benji at the Tivoli Gardens. The other, Beca had wanted to climb the Rundetaarn [Round tower] as Luisa had recommended the view, not that she’d told Jesse that was the reason. He hadn’t been enthusiastic, but he’d let her have her way, and afterwards they’d gone on a canal boat tour. It had been great, she only wished she could have shared it with her new found friend as well.

She turned back to the room, sat down, pulled out her phone and checked the time. God she hoped she’d make her flight, she had a meeting with her boss first thing tomorrow. She looked up at the closed fitting room door again, CR had been in there a while and she had no idea how much longer she was going to be. She chewed her lower lip, then scrolled through her contacts and hit dial.

“Maus!”

Beca groaned, “You have that word programmed into your phone don’t you!”

“Ja, Liebling, what else would I put?”

“I don’t know? How about, totally hot American chick?”

“That is a little long for the screen, but I promise I will think of something.”

“OK Borg, so how’s the tour going?”

“Perfectly of course. DSM have assimilated Dallas and Houston. Tomorrow afternoon is San Antonio, New Mexico will be next, then Arizona, before we move on to total puppy domination.”

Total puppy wha… Oh the puppy bowl! God, Chloe better never hear about that, I honestly thought she was going to cry when she heard we were losing that.”

“Since it will not be shown until February, I believe we are safe. You are back in America?”

“Yeah, we landed a few hours ago. Now I’m in New York about to get fitted for some sort of wedding outfit.”

“Wedding outfit? You and the gespiele are getting married?”

“What? No! It’s for Cynthia-Rose. She’s marrying her girlfriend and she asked me to be best woman.”

“Ah, congratulations.”

“Yeah, not so sure about that,” Beca said, pulling a face. “She never told me I’d have to make a speech.”

“I believe that is usual at a wedding.”

“She still should have told me.”

“Would you have said yes, if she had?” Luisa asked curiously.

“Probably not.”

“And yet you wonder why she did not?”

“Still not the point, weddings give me brain hurt. The last one I was forced to go to was my father’s to the step-monster. So, changing the subject, what do you think of the lone star state?”

“I think if we are judging on food, then that rating is probably fair. What is it with your American love for cold sweet tea and grease?”

“They taste yummy?” Beca replied.

“That is a matter of opinion.”

There was silence for a few moments and then they both spoke at once, stopped, then Beca said, “what were you going to say?”

“I was just wondering how you were feeling now that worlds is over, and you are back in real life?”

“I don’t know,” Beca sighed, “I guess it’ll hit me when I have to get up early in the morning. I have a meeting with my boss. Hopefully I’m going to become a full-time paid intern instead of a part-time unpaid one. Minimum wage isn’t great, but it might just keep me from sleeping on the street.”

“And if you don’t?”

“Then, I don’t know yet. I’m also going to take my mixes to some clubs, see if I can get any kind of gig DJ-ing. It’s not the glamorous life of an international A cappella singer, but it’s a start.”

“The life of an international A cappella singer isn’t that glamorous either, Bella Mine. It is long hours of practice and sitting on a bus. But it does pay better than the minimum wage, so I am not complaining.”

“Since it’s still our tour you’re doing, you’d better not… You never did say what you were going to do when you went back to Germany?”

“I have not decided yet. I have some ideas in my head, but I will have to see, what is the expression… what pans out?”

“Yeah. More world domination with DSM?”

“Not for a while, I am thinking of—”

“Hey, Beca” CR called from across the room, and the brunette raised her head, “your turn.”

“Um, sorry, looks like I’m going to have to go.”

“That’s OK, good luck tomorrow Maus. Schlaf gut.”

“You too,” Beca replied, then ended the call and put her phone in her pocket, ignoring CR’s quizzical look as she walked into the fitting room.

“THAC”

“What?”

“I said THAC,” Luisa replied.

“It is you. I thought for a second I had a wrong number. Which would be weird because it worked yesterday, and what the heck is thack? It’s not a word I recognize.” Beca asked, settling down on her bed when she finally got in from work the following day.

“I believe you wanted to be called Totally Hot American Chick. It was too long, so I compromised.”

“With THAC?”

“Why not? You keep calling me Borg.”

“Well, when I said you were a kitten you didn’t like it, remember?”

“I only remember saying that cats eat mice.”

“Exactly!” Beca squeaked.

“OK, so if I am Borg what is my designation.”

“Well, Six of Nine obviously,” Beca replied without thinking.

Luisa snorted, “I am flattered that that is the figure you immediately come up with when thinking about me, Bella Mine.”

“What? Why?… No, NO! Dude, I don’t mean it like that!”

“Then please, feel free to explain how you came up with that number.”

“Well obviously you’d be Six of Nine, because Jeri Ryan was Seven of Nine and, no offense, but she’s even more flawless than you, did you see those suits?… Oh God, I’m gonna have to stop calling you Borg as well now aren’t I?”

“Well you could just call me by my name?”

“Like you call me by mine?”

“If you dislike me calling you Maus, Bella Mine, you should just say so, and before we get away from the subject of maths. I do wish to question another mathematical calculation you have made.”

“Huh?”

“I believe that at that strange man’s riff-off, you stated you were 100% straight. I think you may need to downgrade your rating, given your obvious worship of Ms Ryan.”

“Um… anyway, so not why I called,” Beca said, thankful Luisa could not see the color of her face.

“There was a reason, besides you wanting to hear my sexy voice?”

“Uh… yeah, although that’s an obvious bonus,” Beca winced, then continued, “Don’t tease, my brain is totally fried from all the tragically bad demos, that seem to have accumulated on my desk since being away.”

“Ah yes, your first day back at work, did your meeting go well?”

“Well my boss is still calling me Reggie, but yeah, I do now have a paid job. I guess he really did like our demo.”

“Your demo?”

“Um, remember that song from our set that Emily wrote. We kind of snuck into the studio one night before worlds, and used the equipment to make a demo.”

“So, the name Beca Mitchell may be on itunes soon?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Beca replied. “At the minute I’m just pleased I’m getting paid at all.”

“You will not be sleeping on the street tonight?”

“No, or tomorrow. Turns out, I’ll be staying at Casa Bella a bit longer.”

“The Bellas have a house?”

“U’huh, we decided to rent one together when we all moved off campus sophomore year, and the landlord is an ex-Bella so we got a really good deal. All next year’s Bellas except Emily will be freshman though, so they’ll have to stay in dorms. Which means, as long as those of us who are left can cover the rent, we can stay.”

“And can you?” Luisa asked.

“Well apart from CR and Flo, everyone’s staying in-state. Fat Amy’s moving in with Bumper, but that still leaves 5 of us, so we’re going to try. Emily will be moving in at the start of next semester, so that will make things easier. But enough about me, what have you been doing with your day, apart from stunning the residents of San Antonio with your beautiful face?”

“We performed of course. This time, to a lot of very strange people wearing costumes, and we were singing in Japanese. I do not know how the Bellas would have faired, but I would have liked to have seen it.”

Beca grimaced, “thank goodness for Amy’s wardrobe malfunction, that sounds hideous!”

“It was not fun, but we have been practicing hard. The choreography was not a problem, but the songs, ugh! Fortunately we could practice those even when we were moving from place to place.”

“Japanese isn’t one of the languages you speak?”

“No Maus, although I know more now than I did before worlds.”

“I’m sure, what was it for anyway?”

“I believe it was an anime convention, but the performance was exhausting and we did not stay to find out. Besides, I wanted to see the Alamo and we were close by.”

“What did you think?”

“It was very educational. Tomorrow Pieter and I are going to cycle the mission trails before we have to leave. It will be interesting, and we will get some exercise before having to sit on the tour bus for hours.”

“Yeah, I can tell you need the exercise, you were beginning to look a little flabby there at worlds!” Beca said smiling.

“You think so Bella Mine? Well do not worry, I will make sure the next time you examine my abs so closely, you will have nothing to complain about.” There was silence, “What’s the matter Maus? Luisa asked, “Are you picturing my workout routine?”

She heard a slight whimper before Beca again changed the subject, “Pieter said you spoke 8 languages Borg, why not Japanese?”

Luisa’s own smile carried through the phone, but she accepted the change in conversation, “I speak German, French, Italian, English, Russian, Czech, Spanish, and Latin. The first seven are popular languages for opera, Latin I learned at school because it was expected. Western operas are not generally sung in Japanese.”

“Opera?”

“Yes Maus, it is what I am trained in.”

“Wow, that explains why the car show was so over the top! Why opera?”

“I have always had a passion for it. I joined the Staatsoper youth club in Berlin when it started, then I continued my studies at the Universität der Künste.”

“And now I have my new nickname for you, Brünnhilde.”

“You, have heard of Brünnhilde?”

“You know, that amount of surprise could be construed as offensive,” Beca replied. “Even I’ve seen Bugs Bunny… and Xena come to that.” Luisa groaned and a smirk crossed Beca’s face as she continued, “I’m just jerking your chain, we’re not all philistines you know. Opera may not be my go to music, but it doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it from a technical standpoint.”

“A technical standpoint?” Mein Gott! You are a philistine! The whole point of opera is that it makes you feel, Beca. Opera is the art of emotion.”

“Bull. Only two things happen in opera, drinking or death, sometimes both, and usually in a language I don’t understand. So excuse me, if watching wailing women taking way too long to expire, makes me want to yell ‘kill the wabbit!’”

“You have never actually been to see an opera live, have you?” Luisa asked.

“Um… no.”

“Then you should not knock things you have not tried, Maus.”

“I’m not, I’m open to new experiences. Especially ones involving gorgeous German Valkyries.”

“So, totally hot American chick, you are open to new experiences involving me are you?” Luisa asked suggestively.

“I meant in opera dude!” Beca blurted. “The next time you’re in one, I’m totally there!”

“Promise?”

“Well, your going to have to give me some notice. Trips to Europe don’t come cheap, but yeah, if I can, I’ll total sit through ever darned hour of it,” she paused momentarily, then continued, “just please don’t make it the entire ring cycle, I don’t think I would survive.”

Luisa laughed, then took the phone away from her face and yelled, “Augenblick!” [Wait!] Putting it back she said, “I must go, Pieter is hungry and he will be grumpy all evening if he is not fed soon.”

“OK. Schlaf gut, Brünnhilde, uh, that is way too long.”

“Schlaf gut, Maus,” Luisa replied.

Beca was about to put her phone down, when she had an idea, grinned, quickly found the link she wanted and sent it to Luisa. Then she changed the ring tone on the number, before heading downstairs to find herself something to eat.

Little did she realise, that her bugs bunny throw down would, over the next week, turn into all out war. Luisa had admitted that “What’s Opera, Doc?” was funny. She had then countered with videos of some of the best vocal performances Beca had ever heard, not that she’d ever admit that. They had continued to talk every night, even while the ‘opera war’ waged via texted link when they had both said goodnight. Beca trawled the web for examples of every operatic stereotype she could think of, including her last one, videos of substantially endowed divas, which she prefaced with the text “it’s not over ‘til the fat lady sings,” and afterwards added, “now it’s over.”

The next night there was no text after they had spoken, nor the one following that, and Beca wondered whether to ask if that meant she’d won her argument. Strangely though, it didn’t feel like winning, or at least, it didn’t feel like it did when she’d countered one of Jesse’s movie arguments. This felt like she had annoyed a much more heavily armed opponent, and was now waiting to be crushed under foot. On the third night after her ‘winning’ move, after she’d said “Schlaf gut, bugs,” a nickname Luisa had taken surprisingly well, a text message came through. It simply said, check your email.

Beca frowned, pulled over her laptop, and brought up her email. There was a message from Luisa with attachments. She briefly wondered if she should back up all her work before opening it, then decided it was probably safe. Opening the message she saw several files, all of them dated a few years previously and containing the name of an opera, and then that of what she guessed was the name of a character. She opened the first, marked Serse (Xerxes) - Serse. The video was grainy but the person on screen was clearly a younger Luisa and Beca realised these must be cut from productions the German had done at university. Luisa was leaning against a tree in white shirt and pants, with a patterned vest singing on stage alone. She let that voice wash over her and yeah, she’d quite happily listen to that for hours, days even. She watched the rest, Agrippina - Nerone, Carmen - Carmen, Alcina - Ruggerio. At some point she’d stopped just listening and started looking at the screen because oh my God, was she really pretending to snort cocaine? And while she didn’t altogether care for the dark hair in some of them, Luisa had been doing a side plank… and push ups dude… whilst belting out an aria, she checked the time stamps, over an hour into the freaking opera! No wonder DSM were so good, four minute A cappella sets were less than little league compared to this.

Above the last video Luisa had written, ‘for laughs’, it was labeled Die Fledermaus - Prinz Orlofsky. Beca opened it and blinked. Yes, that was Luisa in a tux and yes, she had ginger hair and a moustache. Beca bit her lip as she watched, determined not to laugh, but it was so over the top she couldn’t help it. She picked up her phone, typed “ok, you win. I’d totally sit through the ring cycle if you were in it” and sent it, then put her headphones on and started at the beginning of the videos again.

For the first time since she’d started as an intern, Beca was late to work the next morning.

Chapter Text

“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.