Hi :) This is my first attempt at Pitch Perfect fanfiction, so please excuse any horrific errors, glaring mistakes and the occasional jump out of character. I fell in love with this film, and frankly, I love the Bechloe chemistry. I'm writing this with a Bechloe endgame, but it may take a while...

Quick disclaimer - I'm not using these characters for any form of revenue generation - I'm only here to play. I own nothing, everything belongs to the creators / writers / producers, etc.

This is very much a scene-setting type of chapter. If you get bored, sorry, we'll pick up properly next time. All mistakes (and I'm sure there are plenty) are my own, constructive criticism and feedback is very much appreciated.

Right, enough chit-chat... on with the show.

Beca Mitchell took a deep breath, savouring her last few minutes of anonymity. It had been over three years since she had released her first record, and she had known that her clutch on a normal existence had been slipping ever since. She had, somehow, managed. She had never turned up to accept an award, declined every interview request and relied on her fan base enjoying the mystery. She had become the music industry's greatest question mark, but now, after demanding secrecy from the record label that had signed her, she was about to give up her greatest privilege.

She tapped her fingers on the arms of the auditorium chair as she listened to the list of nominees be read out, a snippet of each of their choruses filling her ears. She looked bored, she knew, and she was grateful that the camera wouldn't pan to her unknown face, and half of America wouldn't decide she was rude. She heard everything erupt around her as her latest CD was pronounced dance album of the year, and with a final moment of peace she rose from her chair. Beca tried to wipe the smirk off her face as she realised she had managed to walk ten steps without anyone realising she was finally showing her face and collecting her award, and she felt the tension in the room heighten as she walked up the steps to the podium.

"Well, firstly thank you to everyone who voted, this is such an honour!" She spoke into the microphone, trying to pretend that there weren't thousands of faces staring back at her, wondering who the hell she was. "I'd just like to thank every single one of my fans, whether you danced to my mixes or requested one of my songs on the radio. Without you guys, I'd be sitting on my couch, watching this on TV, filling my face with pizza. Thanks also to everyone at Capitol, for letting me get away with being a recluse – I know I made marketing difficult. To everyone I've collaborated with, you're amazing. Friends, family… I told you I had a job! Jesse – you've been my rock for so many years now, I'd be lost without you. And finally, Sophie, you're the greatest kid in the world." Beca paused for a breath, realising she had been talking ten to the dozen, "That said, do as your daddy says, and go to bed!" With a grin at the audience's chuckle, she waved the gold gramophone and gave a little bow. She left the stage, trying to inconspicuously make her way back to her assigned seat. She sank back down and inhaled deeply: it was going to be a long night.

Two hours later, and her name was called for the fifth and final time that evening. She racked her brain for yet another way to express thanks as she made her way to collect the award for Record of The Year. She heard murmurs of congratulations around her and couldn't help but appreciate the support from her competition. Applause filled her ears as she reached the podium, and she couldn't keep the smile from her face as she spoke.
"Tomorrow there's gonna be like a thousand pictures of me in this dress, I feel like I should have brought a costume change," she paused, as laughter rippled through the crowd. "Seriously though, I can't even begin to express how much the support and the appreciation means, it's truly humbling. Everyone who worked with me on this record, thank you; from everyone to the guys working in the studio with me to the kid who offered to grab me coffee, I couldn't have done this without you. Every radio station DJ who played it, and everyone who bought it, I have so much gratitude for you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" With a final wave, she disappeared from the stage, knowing that if she was going to avoid too many paparazzi, it was time to leave immediately.

Jesse Swanson sat in his sweatpants, a large bowl of popcorn resting between him and his companion. He stole a glance to his left and noticed that despite the crazy amounts of sugar his six year old daughter had ingested that day, she was struggling to stay awake.
"You wanna go to bed, sweetie?" A pair of big brown eyes flicked in his direction, narrowing slightly at the suggestion.
"No, daddy. Beca's not been on yet, I've got to see Beca!" Jesse chuckled lightly, no longer surprised at how stubborn she could be. He quickly checked the time and silently sighed; relieved it could only be another ten minutes or so before the girl would be satisfied. It had taken twenty minutes after the start of the ceremony before Sophie had allowed more than a foot of space between her eyes and the television, determined as she was to scour the audience for Beca's familiar face. Even then, she refused to blink whenever the camera panned across the audience. Jesse had felt a pair of big brown eyes flick toward him every time a new category was called, and so far, his response had always been a tiny head shake. He was determined to keep calm, he barely wanted to react if Beca didn't win, determined to teach his daughter that winning isn't everything. He knew the moment the words "dance album of the year" that he would be able to do no such thing: he was immediately on the edge of his couch. The shift in his body form alerted his daughter, and from his left he heard a whispered chant of "Beca, Beca, Beca, Beca".

He swelled with pride as he saw his best friend approach the stage, a little falter in her gait as she tried to control her nerves. His six year old jumped around the living room, having done a victory lap running around their home. The little brunette looked amazing: her hair pinned away from her face, cascading in soft waves; clothed in a long navy dress that brought out the dark hues of her eyes; a half-heart necklace that he hadn't seen her without in four years trickling down her neckline. He had just one regret, watching her on screen: that he wasn't by her side, his arm casually around her waist. The second she mentioned his name, he perked up, grateful for the recognition. He noticed a deep glow seem to come from his daughter as Beca complimented her, and an attempt at a grimace as she was told to go to bed. The next commercial break, he finally put his foot down and took the child to bed, carrying her upstairs and tucking her in. He returned to his couch as quickly as possible, wrapped himself in a blanket and watched to see if his best friend won anything more that night. His eyelids heavy, he drifted to sleep, pulled from his dreams every time he heard Beca's voice resonating from the television set. He wasn't sure by the end, but knew she had won at least four awards. He smiled, lazily. He had always known that she would have the world at her feet some day, and he liked to think that somewhere along the road, he had helped her get there.

Audrey Posen glared at her TV screen, a scowl etched on her face, unable to quite believe her eyes. Little Beca Mitchell stood at a podium, accompanied by ear monstrosities and coated in eye liner, in front of thousands of people, accepting a Grammy award. The concept was ridiculous, the very idea laughable. There was no way that Beca – Beca – had received any form of accolade for music. It wasn't that she couldn't sing, Aubrey was adult to admit that the pale brunette could carry a melody, but the fact that the Bella alumni's success had slipped under the radars of the entire old group… It was absurd. This couldn't be happening. Her initial displeasure was heightened as she heard the mention of Jesse and a child – she should have known that they were together, should have expected familial bliss, should have expected that the little alt girl had trodden on hearts without a care and never looked back. She tried to figure out what to do with this information, all of a sudden relieved that Chloe had ended up working a late shift and unable to fulfil their tradition of watching the Grammys together with popcorn and ice cream. Her brain raced through feasible ways to keep this new development from her red-headed best friend and with a sigh realised it was fruitless. Chloe would find out that the brunette had ended up sickeningly successful, with a family and with Jesse. She choked back a wave of nausea as she realised that this could easily tear her friend apart all over again.

She had never liked Beca, but for a long while tolerated her for Chloe's sakes. She had noted the gravitational pull the pair had to each other, the lingering glances and the invasions of personal space before either the ginger or brunette were aware of what was between them. She was aware throughout Beca's first year as a Barden Bella, and during the year that she shared an apartment with Chloe when they started graduate school that the two were drawn to each other, intricately entwined. It was one week that Beca was visiting her mother that Aubrey all of a sudden couldn't cope with Chloe's moping. The sparkling blue eyes had dulled, the glossy hair somehow less shiny… Aubrey just couldn't cope with the stress of hidden feelings and unspoken adoration.
"She'll be back, Chlo. It's just one week, and then the hobbit will be under our feet again."
"Yeah, I know," Chloe had sighed, "I just miss her."
"I know you do… Do you think maybe it's time you tell her how you feel?" Aubrey had tried.
"That obvious?" Chloe asked, a bitter edge in her voice. "I can't tell her… she's my best friend and she's straight." With that, Chloe had walked out of the room and Aubrey tried to avoid bringing up the topic again.

The next year, Aubrey had moved out of the apartment she shared with Chloe, and Chloe found a place perfect for herself and Beca. The two moved in together, and though it was never officially announced, the pair made an extremely happy couple. Always touching, always watching out for each other, always having silent conversations through their eyes. They were adorable to observe, until all of a sudden they just weren't. One day, Aubrey came home to find Chloe on her couch, dark eyed and miserable: a shell of the girl she had always been. The only thing that the blonde learnt was that Beca had gone, and was never privy to further information. It took months before she saw Chloe genuinely laugh again and her smile sparkle in her eyes; it had only been the last year or so that the girl's name hadn't caused the red head to completely shut down and shrink back into herself. Aubrey's lips formed a thin line. Yes, this new development was going to tear Chloe's happiness in two.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, I'd love to know what you thought ... so hit the review button. I'll even reward you with virtual cookies.

-S.