A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it took long to upload. I planned to rest over the holidays and the universe wanted to make sure I actually rest by giving me a fever on thanksgiving (I was planning to upload a chapter midnight – after all the festivities of the day – but my fever only broke early this morning. I'm feeling better now though)… so that was that…

Anyways. It's Beca, Chloe, former Momma' Mitchell and a whole lot of childhood memories in this one.

Thanks for all the support so far!

I don't own pitch perfect.

Beca was tapping away nervously the whole day through.

It was all meaningless beats but she tapped endlessly nevertheless.

On her lap.

On the arm rest of her seat in the plane.

On the seat of the cab they were in.

Any normal human being who would choose to be her companion would have been driven mad by it.

Thankfully, Chloe wasn't.

She could tell Chloe was getting a little worried though with her display of anxiety, but the redhead just chalked it up to the fact that Beca hasn't been in San Francisco since the ferry crash.

Tragic incidents of the past are always a good excuse for jittery behavior, Beca thought.

Well, not really.

But she had a lot of reasons to be anxious.

Not only did she lose the damn ring – her grandmother's engagement ring to be exact – on the day she planned to propose she now had to face her mom about two things.

The first was losing said engagement ring.

A family heirloom of sorts.

Something she can't really forget.

Especially since Aubrey reminded her how 'the hobbit lost the precious' whenever she could in the last 24 hours.

The second reason… well…

…she never really thought of having to face the second reason ever again.

Because she never wanted to relive the memories.

The guilt mostly.

Because maybe it wasn't really her fault, true enough.

But she couldn't help but think back and reflect if she could have done something.

One should never really willingly let people close enough.

Or at least Beca thought.

But then again, the best things she had were all thanks to those people who barreled through her defenses with no remorse whatsoever. So really, she can't be thinking those thoughts.

Because that's how she found Chloe.

Or at least, that's how the universe sent her Chloe.

"Beca, are you okay?" Chloe finally asked, reaching out to hold Beca's hands in her own. The tapping got worse as they finally reached the neighborhood where Beca's mom lived.

"Yeah, just a little, you know, uh, nervous. Haven't been back here for a while."

Chloe nodded giving Beca's hand a reassuring squeeze, "I know. Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine." she said with a smile.

Beca simply nodded.

Really no turning back now as the cab pulled over in front of their destination.

The private residence of a Ms. Elizabeth Spencer.

"Hey mom, we're here." were the first words that left Beca's mouth as soon as she let herself and Chloe in with the spare key to the house that she had.

If the planned proposal had been successful, Beca had a much more grand and enthusiastic entrance in mind.

Yeah, she wasn't really planning on letting that go.

"Beca! And Chloe dear! How did it…" Elizabeth had begun to say as she pulled each of them into a hug. She was about to ask Chloe about the ring and all – because of course she knew of her daughter's plans – but as soon as she released Chloe she saw Beca with a panicked look in her eyes, shaking her head and frantically waving her arms behind Chloe as if to signal to her mom not to say anything about what Beca though he was about to say.

Elizabeth cleared her throat before asking Chloe how their flight was.

Messaged clearly received.

"Come now, you must be tired. Chloe, why don't you settle down in the living room? I'll help Beca take your things up in her room."

"Oh you don't really need to do that Elizabeth, I can help Beca…" Chloe started to say.

"Oh no dear, you're tired from the flight. Besides, didn't I tell you before to just call me mom? You're practically my daughter." Elizabeth said to which Beca nearly dropped her bags.

Mostly because it painstakingly reminded her about the whole 'ring incident'.

Because who the hell ends up ruining the perfect set-up to her own proposal plan?

Beca, that's who.

"Go on Chloe, me and Becs will join you shortly. Dinner will hopefully be here in fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes mom?" Beca asked, fully recovering, with a chuckle.

"Well of course I ordered pizza. Faster to clean up and more time to catch up with the two of you. And maybe I'll have more time to quiz Chloe about what you got me for my birthday?"

"Can't you just really wait until tomorrow?" Beca said with a smirk as her mom plain and simply said "No" with a serious tone. Beca sighed "Fine, I'll give it to you upstairs already."

"Okay Beca, care to explain why you stopped me back there?" Elizabeth finally asked once in the sanctuary of Beca's room.

Beca dropped the bags by the foot of the bed and opened hers to grab a tiny wrapped up box. She took a deep breath before turning to face her mom again. "Mom, before anything else, I wanna' say I love you and happy birthday." Beca said handing over the little box. She watched as her mom opened her present to find a gold locket, with a picture that she held close to her heart.

"It's beautiful Beca." her mom said with tears in her eyes, pulling her daughter closer to her for a hug.

A hug that Beca missed on the coldest days whenever she found herself alone.

Because it always gave her warmth.

It always made her feel loved.

No matter what.

"What is it Beca? I always know when you have things troubling you."

"I lost the ring." Beca mumbled and her mom finally let her go.

Laughing.

"Is that why you were vehemently shaking your head downstairs?"

"It's not funny!"

"It kind of is. Who loses a ring when they propose?" Elizabeth asked. "You didn't propose because you lost the ring did you? Of course you didn't. Knowing you, you would have panicked."

"Ho- well how would you have reacted then if you were me?" Beca asked a little at a loss.

Her mom still found it amusing.

"I would have proposed anyways. Ring or no ring, Chloe would have said yes. Beca, all I want for you is to find someone to love you unconditionally, someone other than me, and that's Chloe."

"Yeah, well, how about the fact that I lost grandma's engagement ring?"

Elizabeth laughed some more. "Oh Beca, it's a ring. I think your grandma can let that go. There are more important things than a ring, say like promising to love someone and making sure that whatever forever you do promise happens in the now. Things like knowing that nothing is ever perfect, that life and love can be messy, but still holding onto each other. Somethings are simply just more precious than material things, whatever they symbolize. The thing is important, I guess, as a symbol, but that can be replaceable. Without whatever it is it symbolizes in the first place, the thing itself is quite useless. Now that's what is irreplaceable."

Beca sighed and conceded to her mom's logic. At least that was one thing she didn't have to worry about. In the first place, she knew she didn't have to worry about it much. Her mom is awesome, so why does she keep forgetting that? "I'll fix that mess when we get home. But how about we go join Chloe now, before she starts getting all suspicious."

Elizabeth nodded. "There's something else, isn't there? I can tell when you lie to me or when you hide something from me Beca, so don't you even try."

"Well, yes." Beca said thoughtfully, her hand on the door. "But that's more complicated. How about our usual mother-daughter midnight tea later?" Beca gave as a reply.

"Just how complicated is this Beca?"

"Well, it's about opening old wounds and all." Beca mumbled.

"Beca?" Elizabeth pushed.

"Adrianne." Beca responded sounding defeated. "It's about Adrianne."

And all that Elizabeth sad as a reply was "Oh." before she agreed that Chloe must be wondering what's taking them so long.

Yep, they were sure to have quite an interesting talk. Beca could tell, just from the way her mom shrugged it off.

Chloe had clearly found a way of entertaining herself as she waited for Beca and her mom to rejoin her downstairs, trying to play some simple pieces she could remember in the old piano found in the living room.

"Didn't know you played?" Beca commented as she parted ways with her mom – the pizza arrived before time was up and they would have had it free – walking towards Chloe.

"I can play a little. I had lessons when I was younger with my brothers."

"And how did that go?" Beca asked with an amused chuckle.

"My parents had to cancel the lessons since they tortured our teacher. Made learning any new piece an insufferable experience for her." Chloe said with a little laughter. "Do you play? Or just your mom? I mean, I know you play the guitar. That and you did grow up in this house and I assume this piano's been here for ages. So you know, just wondering."

"I didn't exactly grow up here." Beca let slipped.

Something that Chloe was quick to catch, and from the look in her eyes Beca was sure the redhead won't quit until she elaborates on the fact.

"Well, we moved to San Francisco after my dad left us. A new start, I told you that before."

"And? You're hiding something Mitchell, I can tell."

"We moved around for a while after, settled in this house in my preteens. But you're right about the piano, it's been with us for quite a while."

Thankfully, Beca didn't have to go into much detail about that.

She still would like to talk it out with her mom before saying anything to Chloe.

"Alright girls, pizza's here. I didn't know you played the piano Chloe."

"Just a little." Chloe replied as Elizabeth set the coffee table in the living room so that they can just have their meal there, be more comfortable as they catch up. "It's actually funny since our old rehearsal space had a piano but no one really used it since none of the Bellas really played."

"Oh, I beg to differ." Elizabeth then said. "Beca can play really well."

"See, I thought so too." Chloe commented. "Why don't you play us something then Beca?"

"Oh I'm not that good Chlo. My mom's exaggerating." Beca argued.

"Oh come on Becs, for me. And your mom, it is her birthday tomorrow after all." Chloe insisted.

And how can Beca refuse when Chloe insists?

It's like a serious problem. A spell she can't break.

Not that she wanted to.

She'll do anything to see Chloe smile.

Yeah, Beca knows she was whipped.

But she really didn't care.

It was Chloe after all.

"Fine." Beca said with a sigh. "But I'm no prodigy or anything." she then mumbled as she took a seat running her hands over the smooth tiles of the keys.

It's been a really long time since she's played anything.

Almost more than a decade really.

She's mostly focused on making music with her mixes since then.

Beca tried the right notes as she recalled an old piece her mother loved so much.

But then she hesitated, she could never really play it that well.

Besides, that piece held too much memories. She wasn't ready for that one yet.

So she settled on another piece her mom loved.

And as she had her internal struggle, Beca listened to her mother ask Chloe how she got Beca to do what she asked without putting up much of a fight.

But then silence pretty much took over the two ladies as Beca started to play Bach's Prelude in C major.

It was a strange feeling really.

But that was how music was always with Beca.

She gets lost in the movement, in the beat, in every key.

It's like a trance really.

Like who she is just simply melds with the music.

Like it's in the very core of her soul.

And in the end, it was like the worry and the anxiety taking over Beca was completely washed away. She felt a calm taking over instead. She felt peace.

So maybe that's why she didn't notice the looks on her mom and on Chloe's face, not until she finished the piece and looked over to where they were seated on the couch.

Her mom with a beautiful smile on her face.

Chloe looking incredibly moved…

…and apparently puzzled?

"Guess I found another way to make you speechless Beale." Beca muttered highly amused.

And Chloe chuckled, snapping out of whatever spell she was in. "Oh shut up Mitchell."

"I shouldn't ask, should I?" Elizabeth then asked, joining the conversation.

To which Chloe quickly replied, "Well you see Elizabeth – I mean mom – Beca here…"

"She doesn't need to know Chlo!" Beca yelped getting all red and highly flustered.

Beca sometimes wonders how her mom and Chloe just clicks, it's like the universe conspired to make sure she had two people who always kept her on her toes.

It could have been three, Beca thought.

Late that night, Beca intricately extracted herself from the warmth and comforts of Chloe's arms as she tiptoed into the kitchen where she knew her mom would be waiting.

And true enough, tea had just been served when Beca finally reached the kitchen.

"So what about Adrianne? You've never brought her up in ages." Elizabeth asked as Beca took a seat on the breakfast counter.

"Aubrey told me she found out about her and that she told you she knows." Beca replied. Not the start she had on mind, but she really couldn't figure out how to properly open up this conversation in the first place. So that would have to do.

"Ah." Elizabeth replied thoughtfully.

"She also told me that she's been in contact with you a year before my accident."

Beca's mom hummed as a response. She was thoughtful for a minute before she looked up to see Beca waiting for an answer. "Well, you see, about a year before your accident, the ass of a man who is her father died."

"Oh, didn't know that." Beca commented.

She really didn't know how to react to that.

"Anyways, she wanted to come see me but couldn't. She was travelling back and forth between Paris and New York even a year earlier, finishing up her studies and starting to take over some responsibilities for their corporation. She finished school incredibly young you know, can't help but feel a little proud after finding out myself. She only got busier when Rohan died."

"You mean Satan?" Beca then commented.

Her mom chuckled. "He's not too bad to be actually called Satan. He had some good in him."

"Which I hope is all that he passed on to Adri." Beca retorted.

"Well from what I hear, that seems to be true." Elizabeth then replied. "She's doing great Beca, if that's what you wanted to know. I hear she has a girlfriend, someone she met in Paris before she finished her studies. She's also quite well-known in Europe and East Asia."

Beca nodded at all the information so far. "That's good then. Um, does she… like, how often does she call or write or something?"

"Not much in the beginning. But the more responsibility she got, the more freedom she had to move I guess. Her grandparents trust her instinct a hundred percent, or so it seems." Elizabeth with a shrug. "And she does ask about you."

Beca nodded again. She wasn't really sure how to respond to the information.

"She thinks you died Becs." her mom then said.

Which caught Beca a little off guard. "Wait, what?"

"She came to your service when she heard." Elizabeth elucidated. "She was quite inconsolable for a while."

"Oh?"

"You sound confused?"

"I don't get why she should be too sad about what happened. I mean with what I did and all…"

"Beca, she doesn't blame you with what happened to her. It was an accident. Ass-man Rohan was making it all dramatic, but you know, things between us were already tense anyways. Be- Beca Mitchell, are you actually going to cry about this?"

Beca sniffled a little, wiping her eyes a bit. She had to admit though, the 'Ass-man' comment made her laugh a little – one thing she loves about her mom. "But I ruined her dream." she finally said.

"Okay, I told you a thousand times, no you didn't honey."

"But I was… I should've…"

"Beca she's fine. She's well-known in Europe and East Asia, as I've said, as a concert pianist. You didn't ruin anything."

And Beca nodded.

But this time she couldn't fight back the tears.

Adrianne turned out to be fine.

Even when she messed things up for her.

But then she couldn't help but wonder if…

"Oh Beca, Adrianne's always been precocious. She wouldn't have ever blamed you even if she never recovered well. I should know. She always asked for you when she was still in the hospital. And she always wound up sad when Rohan or I told her that you weren't coming." Elizabeth said, her voice calm and comforting as she reached out to her beloved Beca. "If anything, the state she was in when you she heard about what happened to you is proof enough honey. She loves you very much."

"Even after all…"

"This years? You really have to ask that? You called her a little angel, and you're asking me that?"

And Beca had to chuckle at that comment.

It was true.

Because Adrianne was what brought warmth to her world again for the first time since her dad walked away.

She didn't know it at first though.

But it was the truth.

That's why she was quite devastated when that warmth was lost.

Rebuilding her walls even stronger than before.

Because she thought she ruined it forever.

Because she thought she destroys the things she loved.

So maybe that's why she couldn't trust herself when she first realized she was falling for Chloe.

It wasn't just about the thought of Chloe walking away.

It was also because of the thought she'd only hurt her endlessly. Ruin everything.

She almost did by almost dying.

So that was one hell of a lesson to never run away, even when she was planning to run back to Chloe. Beca knows that now.

She didn't hurt her the way she thought she did.

She didn't ruin everything for Adrianne.

"How do… how can I, you know reach out to her?" Beca finally said after a few moments of silence. She really wasn't sure how to put it into words. Adrianne was five the last time Beca saw her.

She was sure a lot has changed.

"Well, here's the thing Becs…" her mom started to say.

And Beca figured out what it was from the look on her mom's face. "You haven't told her I'm alive, haven't you?"

"See, she's been sending quick easy greetings during the holidays the past year but I think she's been busy with work and with moving around – which by the way, she just got settled down in LA now – and with all that we haven't had proper communication. That and she usually sends me emails or calls me without using her actual email or phone. Something about the snooty grandparents."

"You mean the once upon a time in-laws."

"Well, they never really liked me for their precious son." Elizabeth said nonchalantly.

"He's not so precious. And hey, if it makes you feel better they never liked me either, but they did adore Adrianne." Beca said dryly.

"They still do. Adrianne's just not too sure if they'll flip and make a big deal of things." Elizabeth then said. "If I remember her exact words, 'they might just go all soap opera drama over it and grandfather has a heart problem, so I'm trying to handle this as delicately as possible.'"

Beca laughed a little with that comment. "You really ought to tell her before she thinks she's seeing ghosts when we bump into each other." Beca commented, her mom quickly saying she'll try.

"You're feeling a lot better now, aren't you?" Elizabeth asked.

And Beca smiled.

Because it was the truth.

Not the homecoming she really had and mind.

But she did find some peace.

She's going to fix things, she knows.

And as much as she hated it, Aubrey was right. Facing the past helps moving towards the future.

After all, how can you write 'Happily Ever After' without 'Once Upon a Time'?

Especially when it's the past that forms the version of us who ends up facing the future.