Disclaimer: Universal Pictures owns all rights of Pitch Perfect.
Title: Coming out of the Dark
Chapter 14 - Family Ties
Summary: Beca Mitchell endured something so horrific in her past, it altered the course of her life. As an adult she's found love and acceptance that will be jeopardized when buried memories threaten to surface. Two fandoms will be represented; beginning as Bechloe but endgame will be Jeca.
A/N: Warning! Content will include depictions of a violent act with references to substance abuse and suicide. M rated for language and mature subject matter.
Since her declaration of love, Beca and Jesse had become inseparable and decided to live together in his small apartment until they found a more suitable place for a young family of three. Like the mornings before, neither were in a hurry to get out of bed.
Sighing in contentment at the warm body laying next to her, Beca decided it was time to wake up her partner and satisfy her needs. Hovering over Jesse's sleeping form she placed kisses along his neck to his collar bone then down to his pecs. He stirred more when she used the tip of her tongue to orbit his nipples then follow the dark happy trail to his impressive morning wood. As soon as her hand dipped under the waist band of his red Calvin briefs and wrapped around his girth, he let out a soft moan.
"Beca..." he was coming around as she lowered his briefs to expose the beast spring to action. "What're you...?"
"Shh..." she climbed up his body and silenced him with a kiss while slowly massaging his length. Smiling against him, he let out a groan when she bit down and tugged at his lower lip. "I'm hungry." she whispered seductively then stood up on her knees to rid herself of her snug fitting tank and shorts. Taking in the sight of her feminine curves he still couldn't believe the woman of his dreams was now sharing his bed. As Jesse reached for her breasts she stopped him by pinning his hands above his head. "Not yet, stud." she was full of desire as she pressed her chest to his and kissed him hard. When she broke off their contact she climbed down his body and settled on his legs.
Observing the love of his life lower herself to his prized possession, Jesse was treated to the most exquisite fellatio of his existence. The more he warned of his imminent release the more aggressive she became, bringing him to the brink of madness. It was the hardest and loudest he'd ever come, tossing his head back in ecstasy while she consumed every last drop.
"Fuck, Beca!" he was still out of breath when he brought her up for a searing kiss. As he tasted himself on her, she nearly laughed when he twisted his face in disgust. "For the record, you taste much better." he joked half heartedly, then kissed her again. "God, I love you."
"I love you too." she smiled against his lips. "But I'm not done with you."
Jesse was pretty sure Beca was going to kill him with her raging libido but then thought to himself; there were worse ways to go.
Now that they were officially a couple expecting a baby and moving in together they decided to meet with their families.
Arriving at Professor Mitchell's house for dinner, they entered his home where Jesse gave an enthusiastic handshake to Beca's dad and peck on the cheek to Sheila while father and daughter greeted each other with an one-arm hug.
With Sheila trying out a new recipe, Beca was convinced they were all going to be suffering from food poisoning for the next seventy-two hours. While the blonde bimbo fumbled her way through the preparation of their meal, the three of them went into the living room and took their seats. The professor could hardly contain his glee because he already knew something was going on between his daughter and young man that accompanied her as they shared a loveseat and held hands.
"Um...you're probably wondering why we asked to come over." Beca started them off. Her dad nodded and listened intently. "If you couldn't tell by now, Jesse and I," she paused. "Well, we're together."
"I can see that." he smiled at the lovebirds. "When did this happen?"
"Very recently but there's more we need to tell you." she took a deep breath. "I know what happened to me."
"Your memories?"
"Yeah. I have full recollection." she admitted with sadness. "Jesse was there when I had my breakthrough and helped me through it." she turned to her boyfriend and smiled warmly while he put an arm around her shoulder. "We've been together since."
Dr. Mitchell let out a sigh of despair for his daughter's sake. "How bad was it?"
"Pretty bad." her voice cracked with tears threatening to fall. "As you can see I'm still dealing with the fallout."
Professor Mitchell looked between the young couple, took a sip from his iced tea then returned his glass to the coaster on the coffee table. "What happened?"
For the third time Beca told the horrendous story of her and Lindsay. The professor broke down hearing about the atrocities of that night and grew even more furious with his ex-wife for keeping them in the dark.
"Beca, you have to believe me, had I known about this I would've insisted that you move out here much sooner and gotten the help you needed." he paused to rub his eyes. "DAMN that woman and her lies!"
Seeing her father so upset she stood up, sat next to him on the couch and placed her hand over his. "It's okay dad, I'm in therapy and even started attending a support group for other survivors like me." she smiled fondly at her love interest. "Jesse's been going with me."
The professor couldn't believe his ears. His daughter was not only facing the demons of her past, she was getting help with the support of a loving boyfriend. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah." Beca's smile lit up the room. "I'm better than okay." she looked to Jesse who gave her a supportive nod to continue. "There's more..."
Her father's anger was soon replaced by curiosity as he recalled the last conversation they had. "Becs...are you?"
She nodded slowly. "You're going to be a grandfather."
Frank Mitchell pulled his daughter to her feet and into his arms. "Sheila! Get your ass out here! Beca's pregnant!"
There was a crash from the kitchen then the bleached blonde with dark roots came barreling into the room and made a beeline for her husband and stepdaughter.
Their eyes widened like beach balls as the homewrecker smothered Beca with her silicone filled boobs. Jesse couldn't keep himself from laughing, watching his girl cross her eyes while being accosted by the older woman.
"Jesse, I'd like to speak with you in private." Dr. Mitchell glanced over at his daughter who was still preoccupied by his wife. "We'll just be a few minutes."
Beca's dad lead them to his backyard garden. As soon as they were alone, Jesse was pulled into a bone crushing manly hug.
"Jesse, thank you for everything you've done for her. I've never seen my daughter so at peace with herself." he continued to embrace him. "You'll find out someday no matter how old your kids get you'll never stop worrying about them."
"I can't wait to find out." Jesse gushed while the professor released him. "Sir, you already know the circumstances of how this happened however between you and me, I've been in love with her since our first day of college and was hoping she'd come around." he admitted truthfully. "She's an incredible woman and going to be an amazing mother."
"I couldn't agree more." he smiled at the young man. "Jesse, I don't mean to pry but she's my only daughter, and if I didn't ask…" The senior Mitchell stopped in mid sentence to organize his thoughts. "She's been hurt so much and now she's going to have this baby, what are your intentions with her?"
Jesse took a defensive step back, filled his lungs with air, then exhaled. "We love each other very much however, she's not the marrying type so I'm not going to pressure her to do something she doesn't believe in. With that being said, I intend to spend the rest of my life keeping her happy and safe."
"So, marriage is out of the question?" he furrowed his brow and let out a sigh of disappointment. "You're going to have this baby out of wedlock?"
"Sir, I mean no disrespect but it's really up to her. However, if the opportunity presented itself, I would marry her in a heartbeat, that is with your permission." he added as an afterthought.
The professor had been put through the ringer that evening as he finally understood what his daughter had been through and still managed to lead a productive life. Her story of survival would be the stuff that Oscar winning screenplays were made out of. He never thought he'd see the day Beca would settle down and start a family of her own, but it was happening before his very eyes with a bright young man who respected him enough to ask for his permission to potentially wed his only offspring.
"Son, not only do you have my permission to marry her, you have my blessing."
The next evening they met with Jesse's family...
It had been a long time since Beca experienced a Swanson family meal as they sat around a large dining room table while Jesse's mom and sister brought out the multi course meal. For the most part the conversations revolved around Jesse's younger sibling, Jeri who was in her sophomore year at Barden and performing with the Bellas under Emily's leadership. The youngest of the Swanson's could do no wrong and usually ended up being the center of attention, but not this evening...
With the meal starting off with a bowl of homemade chicken soup which Beca appropriately labeled 'Jew Brew', her nerves took center stage as she contemplated how and when they would share their news.
As they slurped away at their soup Jesse squeezed her knee and started things off.
"Um...Beca and I are together."
They barely reacted. It was Yom Kippur all over again and Jesse was going to be the punchline of his father's insensitive jokes who was first to break the silence.
"That's great son, so you're having a fling with a lesbian now?"
Beca stopped eating and looked over at Jesse who was doing a slow burn. Six years before she kept quiet while they embarrassed him with stories of his troubled teenage years when he was a victim of bullying. She decided it was time someone stood up for the man she loved.
"Actually, sir...I was bisexual." she dabbed her lips with her cloth napkin then placed it on the table. "Your son is an incredible lover." she looked over at Jesse then placed her hand over his. "I guess you can say, he converted me."
Jesse smiled at Beca while she went on. She didn't give a damn what people thought of her but nobody was going to make a mockery of the love they shared.
The family matriarch cleared his throat at her candor. "I guess there's hope for our son yet." his sarcasm silenced the room. "If he doesn't make it in the film industry, he could always turn to pornography."
Jesse blinked heavily and huffed at his father's insult.
"JONATHAN SWANSON...THAT'S ENOUGH!" his wife barked.
"DAD!" his sister added.
Beca smirked at his father's bad attitude as she quietly set her spoon down on her plate. "Guys, I've got this." she smiled at the other women at the table then winked at her man. "Sir, did you know your son has a blackbelt in karate?"
"No...I can't say I do."
"Well, let me share a little story with you." she looked over at Jesse who gave her a look of warning. "I was going through some pretty heavy shit recently and found myself at a bar, drunk off my ass and about to be violated in every way possible." she paused realizing the events of that evening paralleled the movie that triggered her lost memories. Shaking her head she brought herself back to reality and continued. "With no regard to himself, he took on the entire bar and rescued me. If it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't be here."
"You did that?" his father was genuinely surprised as he turned to his son who refused to look at him. "I'm impressed."
"You should be." Beca twisted the knife a little bit deeper in his back. "For as long as we've known each other, he's always stood up for what he believed in, including people who couldn't defend themselves. Jesse's far from being that nerd who got his ass kicked on a regular basis."
Beca wasn't done...
"Did you know your son's company was listed in the top one hundred active stocks to watch according to the New York Stock Exchange?"
"It is?" he asked, then got nods from everyone at the table who had read the articles that Jesse sent them. Turning to his son, he addressed him directly. "I remember you talking about starting your own business but I had no idea it actually got off the ground."
"Well, sir...if you had taken an interest in his life, you would know what an amazing man your son is, but I've saved the best for last." she paused to let the suspense grow. "We're having a baby."
The room erupted with joy as Jesse's mother and sister popped out of their seats to hug them while his father stared at them in shock.
"Jesse, may I have a word with you...in private?"
As the men distanced themselves from the group, Beca observed them in the adjacent room have a heated discussion.
..ooOoo..
"How could you be so damn irresponsible!?" Jonathan lashed out at his son. "You're too young to be settling down like this. What the hell were you thinking getting some girl knocked up? Do you even love her?"
"Yes, very much."
"Enough to make an honest woman of her?"
"If that's what she wants."
"If that's what she..." he started to repeat his son's words then stopped himself. "Jesus H Christ! Are you both insane?"
"Dad...chill, it's not what it seems." Jesse tried his best to calm him down as he glanced over at Beca who fully understood what was transpiring between father and son. By the look he was giving Beca she knew he needed to come clean with his dad and slowly nodded. Putting his arm around his father's shoulder, he guided them to the front door. "C'mon old man, let's take a walk."
..ooOoo..
Half an hour later the men returned...
When they rejoined the group, Jonathan went up to his wife, smiled to let her know everything was okay then pulled her into his arms while Jesse made his way over to Beca. "He knows everything and wants to speak with you."
"He does? Why?"
Before he could answer the head of the family was in front of them.
"Jesse told me what happened to you."
"Yeah?" Beca bit her lip out of nervousness.
"First of all I've been a fool for treating my son like shit all these years and have you to thank for making me realize the damage I've caused him. You'll find out soon enough that being a parent doesn't come with an instruction manual, so you're going to make mistakes; a lot of them. But at the same time, parenthood is the most wonderful thing." he fought back tears and continued on. "We've always been fond of you and hoped by some miracle that you two would end up together, and it's finally happened. With what you've been through and still managed to accomplish, you're truly a remarkable woman and my son couldn't have picked a better partner. Whatever you decide to do, we're here for both of you. Please accept my apology, I was wrong."
"Thank you Mr. Swanson, I think I can speak for both of us...apology accepted."
"Sweetie, I have one simple request of you, drop the formalities and call me dad. You're carrying our first grandchild so, we're family." he smiled warmly and extended his arms around her.
The rest of the evening was filled with joy as they celebrated the soon-to-be addition to the Swanson clan. Jesse couldn't believe what had transpired that night. For the first time in his life he and his father were getting along, and he had Beca to thank for that. With his father knowing the truth about her past, he promised to respect Beca's privacy and never speak of it again.
The following afternoon Benji stopped by unexpectedly to check on Jesse. It had been nearly a week since he'd spoken to or received any text messages from his friend, and he was getting very concerned. Spotting his VW in its assigned parking space, the former co-leader of the Trebles proceeded inside. When there was no answer at the door Benji took out his spare key that Jesse had given him and let himself in. Once inside he closed the door behind him and heard running water from the bathroom. Calling out his name there was no response which made him worry even more.
"Oh no, I'm too late." he muttered to himself thinking the worst had happened to Jesse after being devastated for several failed attempts to make Beca his own. With extra caution Benji approached the closed bathroom door and knocked. When there was no reply he hung his head low with sadness. "Why didn't you come to me, I was your friend."
The room was filled with steam from the hot running water and the shower curtain was drawn. With his heart rate racing Benji took a couple of steps forward, gripped the end of the plastic drape and braced himself while he quietly began to count backwards.
"Three...two...one." Then retracted the curtain and received the biggest shock of his life. His buddy was not only alive and well, he was balls deep inside a woman, taking her from behind while lathering up the most perfectly shaped breasts he'd ever seen. Benji was so fixated on the perky pair that he temporarily lost the ability of speech.
With her head tossed back Beca balanced on one leg while reaching for Jesse's hair with firmly shut eyes. She was so caught up in their lovemaking, it didn't occur to her that they had an intruder until...
"What the fuck, dude!" Jesse shrieked, spinning them around to shield her body. "Get out!"
"Oh my god!" Benji covered his eyes and quickly backed away. "I'm so sorry, I was worried that...WHOA!" he tripped over a pile of discarded clothing and "OWWW!" hit the back of his head on the sink. Shaking off his disorientation he rubbed the newly formed lump on his bruised scalp. Picking himself off the bathroom floor he was having difficulty seeing through the steam and tried to recall where the door was. "I'll just leave you and your friend to...SHIT!" he backed into the toilet stall and fell in. By this time Beca and Jesse had abandoned their sexual exploits and were guffawing at the situation as they observed their friend prying himself out of the toilet.
"Aren't you going to help him?" Beca managed between fits of laughter.
"Hell no! This is way too amusing." he joked, kissing the back of her neck. "I'm really sorry about this, I'll make it up to you."
"Yeah you will." she kissed him hard then slapped his firm ass. "You better help him before he knocks himself out. I'll stay here where it's safe."
Jesse reluctantly stepped out of the shower stall and wrapped a towel around his waist. "Dude, explain yourself. Why are you even here?" he questioned, extending a hand to his injured buddy who was still shielding his eyes with one hand. "It's alright, you can look now."
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Benji explained, drying himself off from the toilet water that saturated his behind. "I didn't know you were seeing anyone but, good for you." he approved, handing Jesse back his towel. Then he had to find out more. "Who is she?"
Jesse's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline because Benji still didn't know who the mystery girl was. "C'mon man, let's get you out of here before you do any more harm to yourself." he joked, leading them to the adjacent bedroom where he quickly got dressed.
"Is it serious?" Benji wanted the scoop.
"Oh yeah." Jesse responded without hesitation.
"Well, whoever that was, she's got a great rack."
"Thank you!" Beca yelled from the bathroom. The girl was proud of her assets and had no shame. "Is it safe to come out?" she asked, still held up in the bathroom.
"Yeah, we're in the bedroom."
"Why does she sound so familiar?" Benji inquired then recalled seeing a floral tattoo behind her right shoulder that could only belong to... "Was that Beca?"
"The one and only." she retorted, wearing a skimpy towel that barely covered her. "If you dudes will excuse me I'll just be a few minutes." and planted a chaste kiss to her boyfriend's lips then pushed them out into the hall.
Jesse brought them to the living room where Benji collapsed into the leather sofa. "You're together?" he finally asked. When Jesse confirmed with a nod he couldn't believe his buddy had finally gotten the girl he always wanted. "When the fuck did this happen?"
A/N: In this AU story Benji is an attorney but he's still the same lovable dork from the movies who needed a moment of his own. Next time Beca says goodbye to an old friend. Happy New Year!