Disclaimer: Universal owns all rights to Pitch Perfect.
Title: After A Cappella
Chapter 21 - Destiny (Epilogue)
Summary: Sequel to Solo Act. They were scattered around the globe and living out their lives but special circumstances will always bring the Bellas together. This story will follow Beca after becoming a successful recording artist.
In the months following the Lollapalooza incident, Beca found herself on the sandy white beaches of Kauna'oa Bay in Hawaii. With Allison staying behind with the Bellas in Atlanta, they insisted she take some time for herself before the arrival of her baby. Dressed in all white, her flowy skirt and off the shoulder lace blouse swayed in the cool ocean breeze while she walked along the coast.
Reflecting on her life, it had been anything but boring. Making the move from Seattle to Atlanta, Beca met a ragtag group of weirdos in college who shared a common interest in music then became her family later on. From college graduate to world a cappella champion she pursued her dream of producing music for others but would later become a Grammy winning solo act. With multiple platinum records under her belt, she became an international phenomenon, but it would be her latest role as a single parent that would define her existence.
The people in her life had convinced her to leave the UK and return to America where she would never be alone. Cupping her rounded belly, Beca felt movement of her unborn child and smiled to herself knowing the little weirdo would be arriving in a matter of months. With the sun's warmth on her face and crystal clear waters tickling her feet, the surroundings couldn't be more serene.
Beca felt it was best not to tell the biological father of her pregnancy so he could focus on his own drama; most notably his alcohol addiction as well as his father's recovery from open heart surgery. She also forbid anyone from telling Jesse, but that decision would be challenged by an unexpected source...
Two months earlier...
The famous music festival had been targeted for a terrorist attack. With several casualties including music executive Theodore Martin, things would never be the same. For the most part, the Bellas escaped the shooting without incident, however they found themselves at the side of their former a cappella leader who was now a patient in one of Germany's top medical centers. While Beca recovered from the shock of being widowed, she slowly regained consciousness.
"She's coming around." Chloe informed the gang, while sitting upright in a chair next to her bestie's hospital bed. "You gave us quite the scare, young lady."
"What happened?" Beca groggily asked, raising her arm to inspect the IV pinching her skin.
"You were brought here after you fainted."
"Where's here?"
"The Krankenhaus Hospital in Berlin" Aubrey replied. "We're under the protection of the U.S. Army."
When Beca realized the shooting wasn't a dream, she shut her eyes and fought back tears. "Besides my husband, was anyone else injured?"
"No," Chloe answered. "We all made it out okay."
"Good..." Beca was relieved that her sisters had survived the attack then pressed the bed controls to raise her back and prop herself up. After taking a sip of water she returned the styrofoam cup to a small tray table on wheels. "How many lives were lost?"
"It's too early to tell." Aubrey solemnly answered leaning on a wall. "They're calling this the worst terrorist attack outside of America with the death toll expected to rise in the hundreds."
"Jesus..." Beca shook her head in despair. "Who would do this?"
"The Islamic State is claiming responsibility." Emily read off her digital device while approaching her hospital bed. "It says here they're retaliating against the United States."
"What the f…?" Beca stopped herself from dropping an f-bomb. "Are you saying we were the intended target?"
"It sure looks that way." Chloe nodded in confirmation. "And they're threatening more attacks like this."
"Yeah...um, that brings me to the next point." Aubrey took center stage. "My dad always said, 'when in doubt, get the hell out'. In other words as soon as you're well enough to travel we need to leave this country and get back to our own."
The Bellas nodded in agreement.
"Just let me know when and I'll have the Flying Dingo Bitch standing by." Amy offered.
"I still can't believe you have your own private jet" Stacie spoke with pride mixed with a little bit of envy.
"And a gorgeous pilot named Sven who doubles as my personal masseuse." Amy smiled from ear to ear. "It gives 'flying the friendly skies' a whole new meaning."
"That's hot!" Stacie approved of their Aussie's arrangement with a high-five.
Beca rolled her eyes at her sisters' exchange who regardless of what was happening at that given moment still had a one-track mind, then realized someone was missing in action. "Where's my daughter?"
"Oh, she's still at the hotel with the nanny." Stacie answered. "Lily, I mean Esther is on her way over with little Bella, I can have her bring Allison if you'd like."
"No...not yet." Beca took therapeutic deep breaths. "I don't want her seeing me like this. Does she know?"
"I don't think so." Chloe replied. "Gertrude's been keeping her busy."
"Good." Beca nodded. "I'll check on her in a little bit."
"What're you going to tell her?" Emily asked.
"I don't know, I mean she's lost both parents now. What the hell am I going to say to her?"
"She still has you,"
"And all of us." Fat Amy finished Chloe's thought. "You're not alone, Beca. We're family and we're not going to let you fail."
"Guys, I appreciate the sentiment but you have no idea what I'm up against." Beca was on the verge of losing it. "I don't know what I was thinking, I can't do this."
"Sure you can." Aubrey reached out to comfort her sister. "That little girl adores you and-"
"-Bree, you don't understand!" Beca cut her off then took a moment to compose herself. "Allison's not the problem. It's just that...nevermind." she was too spent to finish her thought. "Let's just say I can't do any of this without Theo, I can't do it alone!"
"Sweetie...look around you, you're not alone." Chloe insisted, placing her hand over hers.
"Yes I am." Beca pulled her arm away. "I'm sorry, I know you're trying to help it's just, I don't know what I'm going to do. I never wanted this kind of life in the first place, I should have never allowed myself..."
The girls had never seen Beca so distraught and exchanged looks of concern while a lightbulb went off in Stacie's head.
"Oh, my God!" the tall brunette covered her mouth in horror. The psychology courses she took in college were paying off as she figured out what was plaguing their former a cappella leader. "No fucking way…not you."
"What is it, Stacie?" Chloe asked.
"Beca..." the statuesque Bella ignored the redhead then paused before continuing. "How far along are you?"
"WHAT!?" Amy, Aubrey, Chloe and Emily retorted back.
"You're pregnant?" Aubrey asked on behalf of the group. When a single tear escaped Beca's eye, it confirmed she was in fact expecting. "Holy shit, you are pregnant."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Chloe inquired, reaching for her hand again.
The cat was out of the bag. Beca took a deep breath and decided it was pointless to conceal the truth anymore. "Um...about twelve weeks." she spoke softly, wiping off moisture from her cheeks. "We were going to share our news after the tour...surprise!"
"Wait a minute," Chloe remembered an important fact. "You told me you guys were going to start IVF after the tour. What happened?"
Beca looked to the heavens and said nothing while Aubrey wrapped her arm around their token ginger's shoulder. "I think we all know what happened, Chloe." and winked suggestively at their knocked up sister.
"No Bree, that can't be." Chloe pulled away. "Beca told me that she and Theo were incompatible."
Aubrey looked back to the patient who was now shielding her eyes. She recalled seeing Beca on Barden's campus around the time Jesse's father had his life saving operation. With the pieces of the puzzle falling into place the blonde dared to ask. "Beca, who's the father?"
"Guys, I'm really tired." Beca avoided the dreaded question. "Can we please talk about this another time?"
"I don't think so." Emily replied from the foot of the bed. The Legacy Bella wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery and wasn't going to stop until the sperm donor's identity was revealed. "Jesse told us you were in Atlanta during his father's surgery. Did something happen between you two?"
Beca clenched her jaw. The girls were relentless in their pursuit of the truth and weren't going to let it go until all rocks were turned over. Taking a deep breath the solo artist was resigned to the fact that sooner or later the truth was going to come out.
"Hey boss," Fat Amy opened. "Is the idiot right? Did you and the Treble smash your backs out?"
"You mean, again?" Stacie jumped on the bandwagon, crossing her arms. "Is that what happened?"
"No way, those two broke up a long time ago." Chloe tried to defend the former alt-girl turned a cappella singer but when she refused to make eye contact with her, the Ginger became more suspicious. "Beca, is there something you want to tell us?"
"No, not really."
"Beca?" Aubrey asked again in her usual condescending tone while the Bellas backed her up. "Who's baby are you carrying?"
"Jesus H Christ! If you must know...YES! I SLEPT WITH JESSE!" and sighed for good measure. "His mom called me after he'd gone missing. I found him at the cabin by the lake and, it just sort of...happened."
"That wouldn't be the same cabin you lost your V-cards to each other." Stacie quipped, filing her nails with an emory board pulled out of her cleavage.
Beca rolled her eyes.
"I can't believe it!" Aubrey was just getting warmed up. "You got on my case about being with Michael when Calamity and I were somewhat together and then you go ahead and cheat on your husband?" the blonde huffed with disappointment. "What a fucking hippocrate."
"No Bree, it wasn't like that!" Beca went on the defense. "Theo forbid me to go. He gave me an ultimatum that if I left, our marriage would be over." she was becoming more flustered because she didn't know what to think anymore. "I know I risked everything by going, but Jesse was in trouble. I had to go to him."
"I know you did." Aubrey backed down and couldn't stay mad at Beca who had more history with Jesse than the Farmer's Almanac. With some reservation she gave a nod of understanding then had to ask. "Please explain to us again why you two aren't together."
Beca had no witty comback. In fact, she had nothing to say.
"So...you were separated." Chloe reasoned from their conversation. "Still, didn't you think it was important to use protection?"
"Honestly, I didn't think I needed it. Shit! I was told I couldn't conceive naturally which was the reason we were looking into IVF." Beca confessed, staring at the needle piercing the back of her hand then confided in her sisters. "Um...I made a promise to Allison's mom before she died that she would have a sibling."
"Why didn't you say something to us?"
"Because it's really personal, Chlo." Beca admitted. "Theo and I tried for months, but...nothing. The month after I returned from Atlanta we met with the infertility specialist and found out I was already pregnant."
"Whoa!" the Bellas sang in perfect synchrony.
"Did your husband know you were carrying another man's baby?" Aubrey asked the question everyone was afraid to.
"Yes, Theo knew but didn't care." Beca wiped her tears away with the pads of her fingers. "It didn't matter to him because he blamed himself for pushing me away. He would've raised this baby as his own. That's the kind of man he was."
"So..." Stacie sat on the edge of her bed. "Now that you're preggers and single again, are you going to tell Jesse he's going to be a father?"
"I can't even think about that right now."
"Girl, you know I love you but the dude has the right to know." Cynthia Rose insisted, from behind the gourmet food truck trio who were agreeing with her. "You have to tell him."
"I know...but I have no idea how I'm going to do it and what I'm going to do." as reality set in Beca was becoming more emotional. The father of her unborn child was a recovering alcoholic and trying to find his way back into society. Knowing his daily struggles with sobriety she knew he wasn't prepared to take on fatherhood. Her head was swimming and she needed to hit the reset button, but there was none. "Guys, all I know right now is that Theo gave his life for me and this little person, who will never know what a wonderful father and husband he was." and protectively placed her hand over her stomach. "And somehow and some way I need to tell my daughter that her daddy is never coming home. To be honest with you, I don't think I can."
"Then we'll tell her together." Theo's parents stood by the door. "Just after you tell us what happened to our son."
The Bellas acknowledged the need to give Beca and her in-laws some privacy and left the room.
It was one of the most difficult conversations Beca had ever had with anyone. Telling the Martin's that their son sacrificed himself brought them sorrow for being absent for a good portion of his life and grief for their loss but it also made them proud that their flesh and blood died a hero so his family would live on. As the conversation continued the Martin's convinced Beca she not only needed to move back to the states for her safety, she needed to be closer to her own family and friends so they could help her raise Allison. They told their daughter-in-law that they made a lot of mistakes in their lives and had no intention of making anymore. For this reason they reassured her that there would be no custody battle for their granddaughter because she belonged with her adoptive mother who had her best interest at heart. They also promised to make several trips to the U.S. to stay in touch with them. In return, Beca offered to deed the London cottage over to them and travel to London after the threat to the U.S was over.
Hawaii Present Time...
While Beca walked along the private beach she was being pursued by an island native.
"Miss Beca! Miss Beca!" a young man shouted from a distance as he sprinted towards her. "Malihini 'aneʻi no ka oe!"
"What?" Beca retorted back, not understanding the message. "I'm sorry but..." she shrugged her shoulders and held her palms up. "I don't know what that means."
The boy grunted in frustration then tried again. "Keonimana i 'aneʻi."
Beca was still confused at what the young man was trying to tell her. "Sorry dude, but I don't speak your language." she smiled politely. "Maybe you should go find a translator."
Grumbling to himself, the boy stormed off.
About fifteen minutes later he was back but this time he wasn't alone. Accompanying the young man appeared to be a distinguished gentlemen in a light colored suit. At first Beca couldn't make it out but when they approached closer she realized the boy had been trying to tell her she had a visitor. When the guest was clearly visible Beca froze in place. At first she was angry because the only people who knew about her being there was the Bellas and a certain five year old which, meant someone close to her had betrayed a confidence.
"No...not you!" Beca seethed. "I can't do this anymore." then turned around to make an escape.
"BECA!"
"GO AWAY JESSE!" she yelled, sprinting away.
"BECA!" he dropped his bags to chase after her. "WAIT!"
She ran as fast as her rounded belly and petite legs would let her. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"Will you please slow the fuck down!?"
"NO!"
"We have to talk!"
"NO WE DON'T!" she barked back, still running. "I'm going to fucking kill those bitches!"
"Go ahead but it wasn't them." he slowed down to a stop and bent over to catch his breath. "We're all worried about you."
"I'm fine!" she stopped running but refused to turn around. "I can take care of myself!"
"Beca, you helped me through my shit, I'm here to return the favor."
"I appreciate that but I didn't ask for your help." she spoke softly with her hands on her hips. "I don't need you or anyone else."
"Yes you do." he insisted. "I know you're hurting inside but I'm here now and I'm never letting you out of my sight." Jesse spun her around and pulled her into his arms. When he felt her baby bump pressed against him, he held her at arm's length and saw her protruding belly. "What the…?"
"Yeah..." she sighed, rubbing her stomach. "Real sexy...huh?"
With Jesse in a state of shock and not knowing what to say, Beca turned around and began to walk away. "That's what I thought, so long Swanson."
"Wait!" Jesse came to his scenses and chased after her again. When he caught up to her he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. "You told me you couldn't get pregnant." he recalled their time together in the cabin then began to mentally count the weeks back. "How far along are you?"
"Don't worry about it! It's not your concern!"
"Fine, I get it. Just answer me." he insisted, taking a deep breath before asking the mother of all questions. "Did I do this to you?"
When her eyes watered, Jesse got it loud and clear.
"I'm the father?"
After a beat she nodded.
"Oh, my God!" he clutched his chest. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you have enough to worry about, plus I didn't want to burden you with this."
"Really?" he asked rhetorically while tears of joy fell from his eyes. "The only woman I've ever loved is carrying my baby...this isn't a burden, Beca. It's a miracle." he gave it a moment to compose himself. "When are you due?"
"I'm in my second trimester." she finally answered. "And um...it's a boy."
"I've always wanted a son."
"Me too, I mean since I already have a daughter." Beca was slowly coming around. "But you're not ready to be a father."
"Yes I am." Jesse held her by the shoulders. "I've stopped drinking and I'm working for the studios again. In fact, I've recently been assigned to scoring animated films."
"Well, it's not The Breakfast Club, but it's a start." she joked. "I'm proud of you Jess, but that still doesn't mean you're ready to take this on."
"You couldn't be more wrong." he insisted. "I've always wanted a family of my own, you know that. Remember hood night during our Freshman year?"
"How could I forget, you were shit-faced and rambling on about us having aca-children." Beca chuckled at the memory. "God, you were such a weirdo that night."
"Yeah, and so were you." Jesse snickered then became more serious. "Beca, it was love at first sight with you and those feelings never went away. Then you serenaded me in front of hundreds of people, including your dad. We were each other's firsts and now we're having a baby. Don't you think there's something there?"
Beca couldn't deny it. He was right. As a couple they shared many first experiences and always seemed to come together when they needed each other most. "Jesse, I want to believe you, I really do but I have a five-year old daughter who needs me and a bouncing baby boy on the way. I can't risk being wrong about you and being disappointed again."
"You won't be Beca, because I want to be your rock again and take care of you and the baby."
"What about Allison?"
"Yes, what about your daughter?" Jesse smiled with affection. "That little girl loves you so much."
"I know she does, I love her too."
"What you don't know is that Allison reached out to me, about you." he pulled her closer. "Somehow she knows about our history and wants you to be happy. Beca, she's the one who told me where to find you. She's responsible for this..."
"What the...? Beca sighed. "That sneaky...little...shit."
"Yeah, she is and reminds me of a certain mysterious girl with gigantic ear phones I met in college." Jesse joked lightheartedly. "I'd like to get to know her better and be her friend."
"She would like that."
"So, what do you say, Becs. Don't you think we owe it to her?"
"Are you saying we should get back together for her sake?" Beca asked, her eyes locked on his.
"Something like that." Jesse spoke softly, leaning forward so they were inches apart. "We're both single now with nothing standing in our way."
"True, but if that's the case then we should probably engage in some intense pregnancy sex." Beca moistened her lips. "I read on some mommy blogs that it's really good for the baby."
"Okay," Jesse smiled at her suggestion. "Then we'll do it for our son."
"Our son." she repeated his words. It was the first time they acknowledged it and came together like powerful magnets.
From a distance the young island native yelled, "mau hoohiwahiwa!"
When the kiss ended Beca turned towards the excited boy. "I wonder what he's saying."
"He's congratulating us." Jesse translated, pressing his lips to her forehead. "I love you."
"I love you too." Beca confessed, kissing him firmly on his lips."
They came full circle in their relationship. From the beginning they were best friends and, or lovers but ultimately it would be raising a family together that would be their destiny.
Thank you everyone who followed this story to the end. Unfortunately with my life getting crazy busy this will be my last story. Take care of yourselves and Happy New Year!