Chapter 2

"Hey Mitchell, you got a letter!"

Beca was on her way from the work out room to the bathroom. She had spent the last two hours working out and was in desperate need of a shower. When she heard her name being called, she stopped walking and turned around to look at a brunette boy with a big grin on his face.

"What do you want Swanson? You know I don't get letters, don't try to play a prank on me."

With that the small brunette turned around and continued walking.

"Wait Beca, I wasn't joking. You really received a letter. Why did you never tell me that you registered with the 'Write a Soldier' program as well? We could have totally exchanged ideas."

Beca frowned. What was he talking about? "It's Mitchell to you, ever since I managed to get promoted before you."

"Don't be like that. I've been calling you Beca since I met you six years ago and I will continue to do so. Also you are younger than me. And I know that you secretly like me. There is no use in pretending otherwise." Jesse grinned and finally handed over the letter. "Here's the letter. Can I read it after you are done with it?"

Beca rolled her eyes. "No you can't. And I didn't register with the program. I don't know why my name was on the list. Do you know who is in charge of the program?"

Jesse nodded. "Yeah, I think it's Captain Harris. So if you haven't registered with the program you should probably go and talk to him."

"Well, I'll pay him a visit after my shower then. Thanks for bringing this to me Swanson. Even if it was some kind of misunderstanding."

"No problem." Jesse grinned. "And it's Jesse, how many times do I have to tell you? So, if you don't want the letter, can I read it?"

Beca held the letter a little tighter in her hands. "No. Nobody will read it. I'll get it back to Captain Harris and we'll sort this out. And didn't you just tell me that you were part of the program two minutes ago? Read your own letter."

Jesse pouted. "But I already read mine."

Beca turned around and continued walking in the direction of the showers. "Sucks for you. Wait for the next one." She waved her hand over her head to say goodbye and rounded the next corner.

"But it takes so long!" Jesse shouted after her.

Beca chuckled. Jesse never lost his positive attitude. It was one of the things she admired about him. They had been in the army together for the past six years and had been in some tricky situations. They always made it out on the other end but not everyone was that lucky. And yet, Jesse never lost his smile even when his friends lost their lives.

She wished she could be a little more like that but after all these years she thought it just wasn't in her personality.

They had met when they enlisted together. They both came from Atlanta and sat next to each other during all the introductory speeches. Jesse had leaned over to her and made jokes about the other people sitting around them. At first Beca tried to ignore him but when she let a small laugh slip after about two hours she had sealed her fate. Jesse never left her side after that and made a great effort in gaining her friendship. Which he eventually did and Beca was glad for that. Not that she would ever tell him about that.

Beca had always been a recluse. She didn't exactly go out of her way to avoid people but meeting new people and making friends had always been hard for her so she mostly just avoided the issue altogether. She was happy to spent her time alone making mixes, working out or hanging out with her mom. She loved music ever since her mother gave her her first piano lesson. They had spent hours making music together and Beca treasured those memories more than anything.

Her mother and her had a great relationship for as long as Beca could remember. They were best friends when Beca was little and spent a lot of time together. They had some rough patches as any family had, especially when Beca's father left them for another woman when Beca was twelve, but they always apologized to each other and their relationship came out stronger than before.

Since Beca didn't have many friends during high school, the death of her mother two weeks before her graduation hit her extremely hard. It was sudden and unexpected. Her mother had been coughing and complaining about a cold for about three weeks when suddenly she just collapsed. Beca called an ambulance but they couldn't do much for her in the hospital. She died a few hours later.

They doctors told Beca what caused her mothers death but she couldn't really remember anything except for it being a lung disease. She had been in shock and couldn't grasp the fact that her mother had just died. Just like that. Without any warning. The hospital called her father since she was technically still a minor even if her eighteenth birthday was coming up in a week.

She was numb the whole way back to her father's house and it didn't get better. Beca didn't really talk to anyone and spent her time in the guest room of her father's house making mixes and surfing the net. It was there that she got interested in the army. She took a few days to mull over the idea of enlisting but every day at her father's house strengthened the idea of going to a place that would be far away from her dad. He didn't ever do anything to her, apart from leaving, but their relationship couldn't be repaired. Most of it was because Beca didn't want to repair it. He had made his decision and she made hers.

It had been a hard few weeks. The funeral was held one week after her mother's death and she finished her last couple of exams and got her high school certificate one week after that.

After that she packed a few things from her old house and was on her way to the army three days later. She hadn't talked to her dad since. He had sent her birthday cards and wished her merry Christmas. She never responded. He tried calling but she never took the calls. Some people might say she was acting foolish and that she should mend her relationship with her dad since he was her last living family. But Beca simply didn't want to. He hurt her and he hurt her mom. It wasn't an accident, it wasn't a coincidence, he just chose to leave them. So Beca chose to leave him. Simple as that.

Beca arrived in the bathroom and took a quick shower. When she was clean and had put on new clothes she made her way to Captain Harris' office. She knocked shortly and after he called that she could come in, she did.

"Good Morning Sir."

"Ah, good Morning Lieutenant. I was wondering when you would show up."

Captain Harris was a man around sixty. He kept his head bald and was still in excellent condition. His uniform fit him in all the right places and he had a pair of stylish glasses on his nose. He smiled at Beca when she took a seat in front of his desk.

"You expected me, Sir?" Beca asked a little confused.

He chuckled. "Yes Beca, I did. I guess you received a letter?"

Beca was frowning now. "I did. I thought it was some kind of mistake? I didn't register with the 'Write a Soldier' program."

"Oh, I know. I wrote your name on the list."

"Um, why would you do that?"

Captain Harris leaned back in his chair and sighed. He looked Beca in the eyes when he spoke next.

"You can't continue your life like this. I've known you since the day you enlisted and in all that time I haven't seen you call anyone or receive any letter. It's like you have no other personal connections other than the people on this base. Who you also treat like acquaintances and colleagues. Which they are but would it hurt you to make a friend? I know you have Swanson but one friend isn't enough. I'm worried about you."

Beca's confusion had quickly turned to anger.

"With all due respect Sir, this is none of your business."

Captain Harris look hardened.

"It is when it affects the way you do your job."

Beca clenched her finger's tightly around the arm rests of the chair she was sitting on.

"It doesn't affect my job. I have always put the job first."

Walter Harris closed his eyes for a moment.

"And therein lies the problem. You always put the job first. Before your own health and life. You've become increasingly reckless over the past year and it puts your team in danger too. Or don't you remember the times I had to visit you in the hospital?"

"I didn't do anything wrong! And my team is fine! I saved them!" Beca was angry now. How could he accuse her of putting her team in danger? She took bullets to save them and everyone came home safe.

"Calm down Beca. I know that but what about the next mission? If you're saving them and then die in the process, who would lead them back? You are their Lieutenant, you have a responsibility to be there for them. Don't put your life on the line if it can be avoided."

"But I thought it was my job to risk my life. Even the damn pamphlet said something about protecting the American citizens with my life. And now you want me to stop?"

"I don't want you to stop, I want you to start cherishing your own life more and avoid the situations that will put you in danger if you can. From the reports I have gotten from your team, there were a few situation where you could have gone a safer route but you didn't. You took the faster one."

"I was trying to save people! Where is the problem with that?!" Beca was now standing and staring daggers at her Captain.

"Take it easy. Sit back down. Now."

Beca did, reluctantly. She couldn't understand why he was accusing her when all she did was what she was supposed to do.

"I don't know what I did wrong sir."

Harris smiled. "I know. And that is one of the problems. You are one of the best soldiers I have seen in my time and you've only been here for about six years Beca Mitchell. You are doing a good job and you know it. But there is something that you still need to learn. And I put your name on that list to make that happen. To let other people teach you what you apparently didn't learn here. I did this to help you, not to inconvenience you. Please just read the letter and reply to the person who sent it. It's all I ask. Receive a letter every once in a while and reply to them. See where it leads you."

Beca wasn't happy. She had no intention of making friends and didn't see a point in starting some kind of letter friendship with a stranger.

"And if I don't?"

Captain Harris' smile widened. "I can't force you but I would be very disappointed if you didn't even try."

Beca groaned. "Oh please, you know how I hate disappointing you."

Harris had been her Captain for the last six years and they formed a bond not unlike a father daughter bond. Harris didn't favor her in any way but Beca would come to him if she had a problem. They never talked about it out in the open but both appreciated the dynamic of their relationship.

"Just read it and reply? That's all?"

Captain Harris nodded. "That's all."

Beca resigned herself. Why bother fighting over this, she knew she would do it in the end if he asked her to. "Fine. But just for the record, I don't like this."

He smiled. "I know. But it will help you, I'm sure of that."

Beca sighed. "Okay then. I guess I'm off to read this damn letter then. See you later Sir."

Captain Harris nodded. "Yes, see you later Lieutenant Mitchell."

Beca quickly went back to her room and lay down on top of her sheets. Why did he make her do this? What was the point? She knew that what he was talking about was partly true, she had been a little reckless in the past months, but it got the mission done and nobody died. She didn't see the problem. Deciding that thinking about it any longer won't give her an answer, she took the letter from her pocket and looked it over.

On the back of the letter was the senders name.

Chloe Beale.

Huh, a woman then. I wonder why she would write to a Soldier.

Curiosity got the best of her and she opened the letter to read it over.

Good day Soldier!

I don't know whom I addressing and if you are a man or a woman but I'll just write down what I think. Firstly, good work on whatever you are doing! I don't really know anything about the army but since I can sleep safe and sound in bed every night I assume you are doing a great job of keeping us safe. So thank you!

My name is Chloe Beale and I'm an elementary school teacher. A friend of mine suggested this 'Write a Soldier' program to me and I have to admit I liked the idea instantly. I suggested writing letters to my fifth grade students and they liked the idea so we spent the lesson today writing letters. I originally hadn't really planned on writing a letter now but my student's caught me texting in class so I had to promise them muffins for tomorrow and that somehow led into me writing a letter along them.

Anyway, if some of your fellow comrades receive letters from my students, can you maybe ask them to reply? It doesn't have to be much, but my students were so excited about the prospect of getting a reply that I can't help myself and have to ask.

Also, I would be happy to hear from you. Or you know, if you don't want to reply that's fine too. I just wanted to express my gratitude for keeping our country safe.

Sincerely,

Chloe Beale.

An elementary school teacher? She must be an older woman then. But she said that her students caught her texting. Older people aren't that into texting are they? Huh, I guess I have to ask her. And what is that about the muffins?

Beca had to admit that she was intrigued. She would have to ask Jesse if he maybe received a letter from one of Miss Beale's students. Or is it Mrs Beale? So many questions.

The brunette Lieutenant wasn't happy that her Captain essentially forced her to write letters to strangers but she had to admit that this Chloe Beale sounded nice and friendly. Beca assumed she could have gotten a worse letter and decided to formulate a reply. Even if it was just to say thank you for the letter. And for thanking her that she could sleep well at night.

That was all that Beca wanted from enlisting anyway. Protect the American citizens. And if it meant being far away from her father, all the better.

A/N: Next chapter, we'll be back with Chloe and see her reaction to Beca's reply. Wow, I'm really happy that so many people seem to like my story so much. Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and favorites, it really means a lot to me. The idea of writing letters to a soldier is nothing new but I haven't read anything about it in this fandom so I decided to see where I could go with this. In case you wondered, I tried to figure out when you were a legal adult in the USA and most of the sites told me 21, others told me 18 and some said it depended on the state. Since I don't know which one is true I just decided to go with 18 since it's the legal age here in Germany. Sorry if that's incorrect, but just go with it for the sake of the story :) Again, I don't really know much about the army, so I'm making a lot of stuff up. Please don't be offended if I get something wrong. Oh and I'm sorry that I posted the letter twice (in the last chapter and again in this one), but I thought it would be better for the reader to read it again and hear Beca's thoughts about it when it was fresh in their minds. I won't do that in the future don't worry. If you liked it, please leave me a little review to let me know :)