Chapter Text
In Aubrey's opinion, they'd really been doing an admirable job keeping up the ruse all weekend. They'd done better than she was expecting at being "Beca and Aubrey, Bella captains and accidental unlikely best friends" rather than "Beca and Aubrey, girlfriends who haven't seen each other in months". She was honestly impressed with Beca's ability to keep things so platonic. Of course, Beca had raced off the bus and been the first to hug her, but Stacie, as Beca's best friend and the only one who knew about their relationship, quickly covered it up by leading the rest of the group to do the same soon after. No one had noticed Beca sneaking out of the tent after she was sure everyone was asleep (or sneaking back in just before sunrise). And in the daylight hours, they'd done well at avoiding longing stares and lingering touches and anything else that may be deemed out of place for the two of them. Even Aubrey's staff that knew Beca from her regular visits the year before had managed to keep their mouths shut (although that one wasn't too hard with a few well placed glares from their boss). So things had really been going very well. She should've known it wouldn't last.
It really just started because Beca was so stressed and exhausted. Aubrey knew her girlfriend was stretched thin. With her senior year, the Bellas, and her internship, she barely had time to breathe. Their regular video chat "date nights" had been cut down from two hours three or four nights a week to fifteen minutes every other week if they were lucky. Beca hadn't been out to visit since the Kennedy Center incident. Aubrey hoped that letting her girlfriend sneak out to her cabin so she could sleep in a real bed and they could be near each other would maybe get her a little more relaxed and well rested, but she was starting to think that maybe she should've just had Beca stay in the tent so she could sleep as long as possible. Either way, it was too late now.
The two knew each other well enough that when Beca started complaining about their vocal exercises, Aubrey knew it wasn't personal. Things like this had always seemed tedious to Beca, and when she was frustrated, things that felt like a waste of time often pushed her to a breaking point. And besides, she really was just worried about winning Worlds to save the Bellas. She meant well.
Aubrey tried her best to diffuse the situation without giving their relationship away. She tried to explain to Beca why they were working on seemingly unimportant things. But Beca's mind was somewhere else and Chloe had latched on and there was nothing Aubrey could do now without making things worse.
"You don't think we haven't all realized you've been a little checked out lately?"
Stacie, clearly just concerned as Aubrey, was behind Beca in a flash. "Bec, you don't have to tell her."
"No, I heard that. Tell me what? What is so important? What are you hiding from us?"
"Look, I really don't want you guys to fight. You're both stressed out and you've got enough on your plates as it is and-"
"No, Stace, it's fine," Beca interrupted. She turned to Chloe, "I've been interning at a recording studio and a legit music producer wants to hear my work. God forbid I have something going on outside this group!"
"Okay, so why would you keep something like that from us?"
"'Cause you're obsessed! You all are! We're graduating and the only one thinking about life after the Bellas is me!"
Aubrey was pretty sure Stacie had plans for grad school, something astrophysics related, but she didn't think it mattered right now.
"What's so wrong with being focused on the Bellas? This has been my family for seven years!"
"Yeah, because you're too afraid to leave! Sack up, dude!"
"Girl fight!" CR called from her place perched on the bench. Aubrey shut her up with a glare.
"Okay, so you've been lying to us for the entire year and now you're just gonna flake out? Now you're gonna flake out when Worlds is, like, right after graduation?"
"Oh my god enough about Worlds! I ca- I'm out of here!"
"Oh, so you're just gonna leave now?"
"We all have to eventually, Chloe! Might as well be now."
Aubrey focused even more on Beca as she walked away. She trusted that the other girl knew the path and knew where the traps were. But Beca kept going and then the other Bellas were yelling to stop and she wasn't listening and then suddenly Beca was hanging in a net in the air and all Aubrey's plans to play it cool were out the window.
"I'm stuck! I'm stuck! I'm seeing spots, I'm seeing spots!"
"Well, well, well. Look who needs our help!" Chloe taunted.
"Not the time, Chloe," Stacie hissed.
Aubrey, panicking, pushed through the crowd of girls. "Beca? Bec, we're going to get you down, okay?"
"Aubrey! Help me! I'm dying, I'm dying!"
"You're not dying, Bec, we're gonna get you out of there as fast as we can, okay?"
The net dropped a foot. Beca screamed. Aubrey tried to steady her breath.
"Aubrey we need to get her down! We need a ladder!" Emily called.
"No, we don't have any ladders! It was some stupid suggestion from an intern. Shit, why did we do that?"
"Okay, um, if I'm about to die, I'm sorry! I didn't mean any of that stuff I said, I'm just so stressed out right now. And Chloe, I should've told you about my internship. We're supposed to be a team and I fucked up and I'm so sorry!"
The net dropped again and this time Aubrey shrieked, too.
"Stacie! You're my best friend and I'm sorry you've been keeping so many secrets for me!"
And again.
"Bree! I love you so much baby and I'm sorry I haven't had time for you! I've just been so busy and stressed out but I shouldn't have let it keep me from spending time with you!"
"Babe, all I'm worried about right now is getting you out of that net, okay? We're gonna get you safe Beca!"
"Wait, 'babe'? What the hell?"
"Not now, Chloe!" They both yelled.
"Right, sorry!"
The net dropped yet again. Chloe jumped into action.
"Don't worry Beca! We're gonna get you down! Focus up, get in formation. We can do this! Let's focus. Let's work together as a team!"
Before they could do anything else, though, Beca was falling to the ground and on top of Emily, Amy, and Ashley. She wrestled the net off of herself and Aubrey rushed to her side.
"Beca, baby, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Beca pushed herself up to sitting. "I'm fine, I think. I'm probably gonna bruise a lot, though. And my back'll be sore"
Aubrey wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "God, this is all my fault. I'm so sorry, baby. I figured you knew to avoid the traps but I should've known you're tired and you wouldn't be thinking-"
"Bree, it's not your fault. I'm okay. I wasn't looking where I was going and I should've been more careful, but I'm fine."
Aubrey kissed her carefully, like she was about to fall apart, before leaning their foreheads together. "I'm glad you're safe. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."
"I'm not going anywhere, babe. I'm right here."
"I love you, Bec."
"Love you, too."
Stacie cleared her throat from behind them. They both looked up sheepishly when they remembered their friends surrounding them.
"So…" Chloe said awkwardly.
Aubrey sighed, "Look, I know you all probably have questions, but Beca really needs to relax right now. So she's going to go take a nap in my cabin and you're all going to hang out at the lake for a couple hours and we'll talk at the campfire after dinner. Okay?"
Beca and Chloe both tried to protest, but Stacie interrupted. "That sounds good, Aubrey. We'll see you both later." She turned to face the rest of the group. "Come on, let's go, girls! Let Beca recover from...all this."
The Bellas reluctantly followed Stacie away from Beca and towards the lake. As soon as they were gone, Aubrey pulled Beca up, an arm across her back to support her.
"I'm really okay, Bree. Honestly. Totally fine."
"Beca, you fell out of a tree. Let me worry about you."
"Technically, I fell out of nothing. The net fell out of two trees."
"Beca…"
"Too soon. Got it. Sorry. I really am okay, baby. But if me relaxing for a while will make you feel better, I'll totally do that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. On one condition."
"What's that?"
"Stay with me?"
"I'm not leaving your side, Bec."