A/N: So, this is my first time writing for fun in a very long time, and I hope you enjoy it!

Prologue:

10 years ago…

The famous singer Cindy Charlotte married her high school sweetheart, the unknown college professor Walt Mitchell, and they no longer saw eye-to-eye on the way they each decided to pass their time. Her mother enjoyed a good drink every now and again and she had meetings, concerts, and charity events to go to, and sure she like to go out carousing after these events, but her father worked a lot too. It was almost like he wanted to be with his students on campus more than he wanted to be at home with her, his daughter. Poor Beca was beginning to know her mother's assistant as more of an authority figure than her own parents.

Beca could hear them fighting. She could always hear them fighting. She didn't understand why they fought, especially since Moms and Dads aren't supposed to fight. They are supposed to love each other until the end, right? And they did love each other, so they told Beca.

At least this time her mother's assistant, Deborah (Or Debbie as Beca called her), was around to keep her company, it made tuning the yelling out much easier. So they sat in an awkward silence surrounded by the sound of a television that was just a tad bit too loud to be considered healthy and just a little too quiet to cover the sounds coming from the one of the other rooms in the house. Fortunately, the fight was almost over. Unfortunately, that's when the door opened.

"You always threaten to leave, but here you are. Always blaming our problems on me, as usual!" Beca noticed Debbie cast a cautious glance over her shoulder towards her slightly swaying boss as she makes her way out of Walt's office, with Walt following closely behind. "You know, you aren't around much either, so how could you possibly know I'm not at home! You are just as guilty for this failing marriage as I am. If not more! With all the 'Extra credit opportunities' you are giving your students!"

Beca's father wasn't much of a yeller. Usually. "Are you saying that I've slept with students in order to help them pass?" He yelled with as much force as Cindy did, answering her anger with just as much of his own, "That's ridiculous! No self-respecting scholar or professor would ever allow that to happen! And just so you know I am completely serious this time. I am not coming back."

With that he stomped down the hallway of the spacious house into the master bedroom, not casting a glance towards his daughter in the room nearby, and emerging almost instantly with a large suitcase. He grabbed a pair of keys off the counter and then walked to Beca.

He knelt in front of her placing a hand on her knee. "Be good sweetie." He stood up and placed a small kiss on the top of her head. Without another word, he walked out the door and left.

A few days later, the divorce papers arrived.

It definitely was not an easy divorce, but what divorce is easy? They argued over the cars and the wine collection, the house wasn't an issue because Walt received a job offer at a college off near Atlanta. They didn't really argue over Beca, apparently she reminded her father too much of her mother, and he couldn't look at her for too long.

So Beca stayed with her mother in California. She still didn't understand what happened.

As the years progressed Beca has learned one thing: in her mother's world, work comes first. Period the end, no need for discussion. It was with gradual understanding that Beca learned that the people who surrounded her mother were closer to her than her mother was, moreso Debbie than anyone else.

Family dinner night mostly consisted of her and Debbie talking over school (for the first few years), or how she was doing with the home-schooling while on her mother's new tour, while her mother dined on a nice glass of wine. It wasn't perfect, but it was all Beca knew.

Current Day…

It was one of those rare occasions where they had been home for more than two weeks in a row when Beca heard a knock on her door. "Just a sec," she hoped she didn't yell too loud, but those big headphones distort your perception of vocal levels. Beca fiddled with a few more dials and knobs before she took her headphones off and stood up to get the door. Apparently she could have stayed at her computer.

"Beca. I hope you don't mind that I let myself in, judging by how loud you yelled, I assumed you had your music on," Her mother briefly smiled at her, "Since you're up though, why don't you come sit on the bed with me." She patted a spot on the bed next to her. Again she smiled. This one was a little longer, but there was something hiding behind it. This whole situation was strange. Her mom usually left her alone. They weren't exactly close. "We need to talk about something."

Uh-oh. Her mother never "needed to talk" to her about anything. She got the talk from Debbie, which was all sorts of uncomfortable. If her mom wanted, needed, to talk to her about something, it could only be something big.

Beca hesitated before she sat down next to her mother. "Hey Mom, so, uh, what's up?" This was not something she had experience in. Having a conversation with her mother? Rarely happened. What was going on?

"Well," Cindy fidgeted with one of the many bracelets encircling he wrist, before she continued, "I spoke, well, Deb spoke, to your father today," Beca couldn't keep the shock off of her face. "Yeah, its… complicated."

"I fail to see how it's complicated. Surprising, yeah, but complicated…" Beca was surprised. Really surprised. Her father couldn't remember her birthday, but called and spoke to her mom, well to Deb, but about something he wanted to speak to her mom about. "What's going on."

It wasn't a question. Something was going on and Beca wanted to know what it was. All this beating around the bush was making her nervous. "Well, your father thinks that you should go to college." Cindy finished her statement without flourish. In fact, the last words were almost a whisper. Beca's jaw was on the floor. Before she could gather her thoughts, her mother continued, "Now, I know how you feel about schooling, but you have been out of high school for a year now, only working on your music. And I understand why you love it so much, I do." When Beca looked into her mother's eyes. She saw that they were clear. For the first time since as far back as she can remember, her mother's eyes weren't clouded with alcohol.

Beca laughed quietly to herself while gently shaking her head back and forth, "No, Mom, apparently you don't." Her mother tried to interject, but Beca cut her off, "No, listen. Music has been the only constant in my life. When no one else was there, I had my music. When you were too busy looking for new inspiration in the bottom of a bottle, I found relief in the form a beat and rhythm. When everyone walked out, because eventually, everyone does walk out, I wrapped the music around myself because no one, no one, was there." She dropped her head and took a breath. When she lifted her head back up, she looked straight at her mother.

"Beca, I'm sorry that you feel that way," Beca almost believed that she meant those words, "But it's been decided. You are going to attend Barden University. It will give you a chance to be near your father, further your education, and, God forbid, maybe make some friends." Beca flinched at the last part, "Classes start in a week, and you fly out in six days. Start packing and say goodbye to who you need to."

With that, Cindy stood up to walk out of her daughter's room, and that's what she did. She left, because eventually, everybody walks out.

Six days later the car pulls up to drop Beca at the airport. In the car sits Deb and Cindy. She awkwardly car-hugs both of them, and opens the door to leave, but not before her mother gets in some last minute words, "Don't forget to call your father when you board so he can be there to pick you up and drive you to campus! Also, be good, play nice, make friends, and no matter how much you don't believe it, I think this will be good for you." Heartfelt as ever. Beca nods her head in recognition and goes off to find her terminal.

Beca sits there in the terminal wondering what she did to deserve this. What Mayan gods did she piss off that, instead of ending the world, ended her world. And that's her singular thought as she boards the plane, and waits for it to take off.

When the plane finally pulls it's landing gear in, Beca can't help but think about what her parents got her into, why they are suddenly taking an interest in her life, and what waits for her at Barden University.