A/N:Hi guys, happy new year! I'm sorry I haven't updated this in quite some time, but I've been really busy. Hopefully, I will update this regularly now. I decided to break this chapter into two parts because, otherwise, it would have been a really long chapter. I hope you enjoy this first part :)

One year and a half later…

August, 2014

"Beca, are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"I'm sure, Jess. You will get all bored in DC, better stay here with the guys."

"But my girl will perform for the POTUS, I really wanna see that!"

They were taking a walk in the gardens of campus. They were a few days away from beginning their senior year at Barden, and the Bellas had been selected to perform for the President on his birthday. It was a big honour, and although the pressure was high, Beca was certain they would do an amazing job.

"You won't be able to see us perform anyway, they won't let you into the building because you are not one of the especial guests."

"That's true, but—"

"Besides, you guys have to get ready for your performance at the orientation event for the freshmen."

"Oh shoot!" Jesse said, and put his hand on his forehead. "I completely forgot about it."

"You are kidding."

"I'm not."

"Dude!"

"Don't worry Becs, we'll figure something out; we always do. Besides, we still have like a month to prepare it, and I have a great song in mind."

"You guys never fail to impress me. We've been rehearsing our thing for three weeks and we still don't nail it."

"It's because we are more practical, we like to be spontaneous."

"It's easy for you to say it, you get to perform for a bunch of freshmen whose only worry is how they are going to survive without mommy for four years. I like being spontaneous, too. However, I'm afraid there's not much room left for spontaneity when you are performing for the President."

"I thought you weren't nervous about this whole thing."

"I'm not. As a matter of fact, I'm certain we'll do a great job," she said, with confidence.

"I'm certain too. However, I think you should leave the kickass choreography and the big production behind. This isn't the ICCAs, you don't need to impress the jury. Just sing your heart out instead."

"I'll keep it mind."

Two days later...

"Welcome back, a Cappella enthusiasts! I'm John Smith and sitting to my right is Gail Abernathy-McCadden Feinberger."

"This one's gonna stick, John," she said, as she pointed to her wedding ring. They were both in the press box, waiting for the military band to finish their song so the Bellas could take the stage.

"You are listening to 'Let's Talkappella', the world's premiere downloadable a Cappella podcast."

"We are coming to you live from our nation's capital, where the Barden University Bellas are about to rock the historic Kennedy Center."

"These ladies have broken down every barrier in their path, haven't they, Gail?"

"So right, John. The first all-female group to win a national title. Three-time defending champs. And now here they are performing for the President of the United States on his birthday."

The Bellas came out, and sang their mash-up of 'We Got the World' and 'Timber'. They sounded amazing, their harmonies and choreography were perfect. Obviously, they were at the top of their game, and they were delighting everyone in the crowd. Then, as they transitioned to 'Wrecking Ball', Fat Amy descended from the roof. She was sitting in a harness, and began spinning and flipping while in the air.

"Wow, what a surprise!"

"An overweight girl dangling from the ceiling," John said, bewildered. "Who hasn't had that dream?"

"Lots of us!"

However, as Fat Amy spun and flipped upside down, she lost control and her clothes ripped at the seam, exposing her butt to the audience. Everyone gasped, terrified, including John and Gail.

"She has no underwear on. We have a commando situation! There is a commando situation on stage!" John exclaimed, as he held on to Gail's shoulders.

The Bellas looked at her friend, and frantically tried to do something to stop the harness from turning to the audience. A hopeless Beca noticed Fat Amy's arms were caught up in the fabric, so she was unable to cover herself.

"She's turning. She's turning!"

"Not the front! Nobody wants to see the front!"

Then, the harness stopped turning, and the unthinkable happened.

"Oh… my God," Jesse said, mortified. He and Benji were having breakfast when they saw the 'Muffgate' news in The Today Show. "This can't be happening. Not to them."

"This is so embarrassing. And in front of the President!"

"It's like a nightmare. It's the Aubrey incident all over again."

"Although this time instead of vomit it was Fat Amy's—"

"I get it, man," Jesse said. He covered his face with his hands. "This is not good at all."

"You should call Beca. She must be a wreck."

"I will. Although I can assure you she is so pissed she won't want to talk to me —or anyone, for that matter."

Unfortunately for Jesse, Beca didn't pick up her phone. He tried to call her several times, without answer. He figured she was either sleeping or, as he had predicted, she was so pissed she didn't want to talk to anybody, not even him. He decided to wait until her return from DC, and went to the dining hall to grab a snack. However, he couldn't stop thinking about the mess the Bellas had gotten themselves into.

Most of the times, Beca didn't give a shit about what people thought or said about her. However, there was nothing she hated more than public humiliation. Jesse knew the whole 'Muffgate' incident would haunt her for weeks, months, and even years, and although he hadn't seen or talked to her yet, he could imagine her current state of mind.

The ICCA will sanction them, no doubt. I just hope they don't get too severe. He said to himself, as he left the Treble house and walked outside the Bella house. After all, it wasn't their fault. I mean, come on; anyone can suffer a wardrobe malfunction.

He wished he had gone to DC with her, although there was nothing he could have done to prevent Fat Amy's clothes from ripping. Still, he knew he could at least offer Beca some much needed support. After all, supporting her was one of his jobs as her boyfriend.

After eating, he went back to the Treble house. Before he went inside, he took a quick look at the girls' place to see if they had already made it back from DC. However, their van was still missing from its parking spot. He sighed and entered the house, and went straight to his room to take a nap.

He was woken up by some knocks on his door. Jesse hated when the guys interrupted him during his nap, so he decided to ignore them and go back to sleep, so he rolled to the other side of his bed. However, whoever was on the other side of the door was getting impatient, and kept knocking with insistence. He groaned, annoyed, and stood up. He opened the door and, although his sight was still fuzzy, he recognized Beca's small figure standing right in front of him. She seemed really upset, and Jesse got scared. Suddenly, he wished he hadn't waited so long to answer the door.

"Becs!" He exclaimed, surprised. "When did you— "

"Like three minutes ago," she interrupted him, clearly irritated. "Can I come in?"

When Beca was in a bad mood, she always went straight to the point.

"Of course," he said, and moved along so she could enter his room. He noticed she was still carrying her luggage.

"Before you ask about this," she said, noticing his stare, "I haven't gone home yet. As soon as I got out from that stupid van I came here."

"Why?"

"I needed some rest from the girls, it was a ten-hour drive. I didn't sleep last night, I haven't eaten or peed yet, so please, if I'm rude to you, try not to take it personal."

"I'll do my best."

Beca put her luggage in Jesse's closet, and slumped down into his bed. He sat next to her and gently caressed her brown hair.

"You must be exhausted."

"I am," she said, with her eyes closed.

"Do you wanna eat something? I can make you a sandwich."

"I'm not hungry, thanks."

"How are you?" He asked her, although he knew what her answer would be.

"I've been better."

"I'm really sorry about what happened, Becs."

She sat up in the bed, and looked at him with surprise.

"You know?"

"Beca, everyone who owns a TV must know by now; it's all over the news," he immediately regretted his words. "That came out wrong. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

However, instead of snapping at him, she laughed.

"You are right. It figures the whole country already knows," she said, through laughter. "Because this wasn't embarrassing enough!"

Jesse looked at her, a little scared at her reaction.

"I'm glad you can laugh at it."

"Either I laugh or I cry, and you know how much I hate crying," she said, as she laid back on the bed. "Man, I wonder what my dad must be thinking right now. He'll probably cut me off."

"But it wasn't your fault, Becs. Not that it was Fat Amy's, either, but I honestly believe it was just a very unfortunate accident."

"Yeah, an accident that'll cost us dear."

"You think the ICCA will punish you?"

"Honestly, I don't know," she said, and sat up in the bed again. "Fat Amy will issue an official apology tomorrow, and they are sending two representatives next month to talk to the Dean. I have no idea how this is gonna end, but I'm certain they won't let this go. I'm almost certain they will suspend us."

"What do the other girls say?"

"Not much. They are all hanging on, except Chloe. Last night she went completely catatonic. It was a big hit for her."

"I can only imagine."

"But she won't go down without a fight. Neither of us will; that I can assure you."

"I believe you."

"Would you mind if we change the subject? I'm too tired to talk about this."

"Of course."

They remained quiet for a brief moment, enjoying the silence in the room. Beca seemed much more calmed than when she arrived, which Jesse took as a good sign.

"I didn't tell you before, but I applied for an internship at a record label."

"Really?" She nodded. "Which one?"

"Residual Heat."

Jesse didn't know much about music production, but he knew Residual Heat was one of the most important labels in the country.

That is so amazing, Becs. I'm so proud of you."

"I don't think they'll accept me, but at least I tried. I guess that's better than nothing."

"It definitely is. I'm so proud of you."

"What about you? Anything important while I was gone?"

"Just the usual stuff; nothing to worry about."

"Good."

One month later…

September, 2014

That morning, before leaving with the other Trebles for the orientation event, Jesse went to the Bella house to see Beca and the girls. Their audience with the Dean and the ICCA representatives was in 20 minutes, at 10 o'clock, and he wanted to show them his support. He ran into Fat Amy as she was leaving the house with Cynthia-Rose and Stacie.

"Hi girls."

"Hi Jesse! What's up?"

"I just wanted to wish you luck in your audience. I'm sorry I can't be there."

"You are so sweet, thank you very much," Stacie said. "I just hope the Dean doesn't get too severe."

"Everything's gonna be okay, you didn't do anything wrong."

"If you think about it, I'm actually the victim! I sustained very painful fabric burns in my butt."

"I know, Amy. I'm sure the guys from the ICCA will be considerate."

Then, Beca appeared in the front door.

"Girls, move! We can't be late," in that moment, she saw Jesse. "Oh, hi Jess. What are you doing here? Don't you have a performance in like, 10 minutes?"

"I came to show you and the girls my support. I'll be sending you good vibes from afar."

"Thanks. We are gonna need them."

"I'm sorry I can't be there. I tried to get myself out of this gig, but it wasn't possible."

"Don't worry Jess, I understand. I can't believe I won't see you perform, but those idiots couldn't come another day. I was really looking forward to it," she said, with real sorrow.

"I don't think you'll miss much," he said, trying to cheer her up. "But I'll ask one of the guys from staff to record it so you can watch it later."

"Oh, by the way, no flirting with freshman girls, okay?" she warned him.

"When have you caught me flirting with one?"

"Never, but I don't want this to be the first time just because I'm not there."

"I will behave. As a matter of fact, I'm gonna print a photo of the two of us, and if anyone tries to hit on me, I'm gonna tell them: 'back off. Do you see this girl? She's the owner of my thoughts.'"

"I don't think that'll be necessary."

"Beca, we have to go," Cynthia-Rose interrupted them. "Chloe and the other girls are already waiting for us on campus."

"Right. I'll come by the Treble house later to tell you how it went."

"Good luck. It'll all be fine."

"Thanks. You too."

"Chloe, chill out. It was a mistake, they're not gonna burn us for witchcraft."

The redhead was nervously pacing in front of the Bellas while they waited for the Dean to receive them. Although Beca understood it was a delicate matter and was aware of how much was at stake, Chloe was beginning to get in her nerves.

"No, but the National a Cappella Asociation is in there talking to the Dean about us, and who knows what's gonna happen!" She said, as she anxiously pointed at the door of the Dean's office.

"We've won three championships. Whatever happens in there, we're gonna be fine," in that moment, Beca saw her oportunity to express what she really thought. "Maybe it's time to think about other stuff."

"What other stuff?"

"You know, school, jobs... life."

Chloe furiously looked at her, and Beca wished she hadn't opened her mouth.

"This group is my life. I've intentionally failed Russian Lit three times so I can be a Bella!"

Yikes. Beca thought. Chloe was obviously not in the mood to discuss life outside the Bellas, so Beca decided it would be a better idea to just shut up and keep her opinions to herself.

Chloe dropped into her chair, clearly devastated.

"This is the worst thing that's ever happened to of us! Ever!"

Flo patted her back, trying to cheer her up.

"You know, before coming to Barden, I had diarrhea for seven years," however, after noticing Chloe's brutal stare, she quickly clarified. "But yes, this is terrible."

In that moment, the Dean's secretary approached them.

"The Dean is ready for you tramps," she said, in a very judgamental tone.

Here goes nothing. Beca said to herself, and they went inside.

"Ladies, you have dragged the good name of Barden University into the gutter," the Dean said, with severity. "And you've really upset these people, whose names I've already forgotten."

Sitting beside the Dean were a blonde woman and a grey-haired man. Beca recognized them as the people who narrated the competitions, although she had only seen them in a couple of occasions. They were both looking at the Bellas with extreme rejection and disaproval.

"Your little southern exposure in front of the Commander-In-Chief has irreparably damaged the entire institution of a cappella," the man angrily said. "Funding has dropped, sponsors are pulling out. Unfortunately, an example must be made."

"It is the decision of this governing body that the Bellas are hereby suspended from competing at the collegiate level."

All the girls gasped, except for Beca. Apparently, she had been the only one who saw the suspension coming. Still, she found herself extremely bothered by the verdict.

"The terms of your suspension are laid out in this document. I'm sorry, but it's over."

Chloe took the file from the woman, and immediately read it. Beca, on the other hand, decided it was time to step up.

"Okay, can we be reasonable? Fat Amy apologized. It was an accident," she said, clearly annoyed.

"Was it?"

These dudes are overreacting. But I don't think we'll win anything by arguing with them.

"You're taking us off our victory tour?" Chloe said, with concern. "Who's going to sing the national anthem at the Puppy Bowl?"

"You're being replaced by the European champions. A German group of total professionals."

"In other words, they'll keep their pants on," John added.

Twist the knife in a little deeper, you prick.

"So we can't defend our title, we can't tour—"

"And you can't hold any auditions," the Dean interrupted Chloe. "We don't need your ranks to grow like a fungus."

"Oh, so that's it, then. So basically, the Bellas are over," she said, almost crying. Beca put her hand on her friend's shoulder to comfort her.

"Look, ladies, I'm sorry that this disciplinary action has shocked you, especially since you are all are seniors," John said. "But the truth is, you're just women. And you'll all be pregnant soon."

None of the girls said anything, as they were too upset to talk. Beca was almost certain Chloe was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. However, the redhead continued reading the document, as if she were looking for something.

"Hold on," she said, as she quickly turned the pages. "There's nothing in here that strips us of our ICCA title. And if we're still reigning champs, then we're automatically invited to represent America at the World Championship this spring."

The World… what?

"Ah, yes," Gail said, proudly. "The World Championship of a Cappella, where every four years, groups from around the globe compete for world domination."

There's a World Championship?

"Look, ladies, we can't stop you from World's competition, but it's not going to help your case here." John said, not very optimistic.

"Not at all."

Beca could not believe a thing such as the World Championship of a Cappella existed. However, a brilliant idea crossed her mind.

"What if we win it?"

John and Gail burst out laughing, as if Beca had told them the funniest joke in the world.

"What if you win it? What if you win it?" They both said, through laughter.

"How do you fit such big dreams in such a small body?" John asked Beca, who felt slightly offended. "What if you win it?"

"Yeah. If we win it, will you reinstate us?" She said, defiantly. John and Gail laughed even harder.

"Sure," Gail said, with tears in her eyes. "But no American team has ever won."

"That's because they hate us."

"The whole world!"

"The whole world hates us!"

They weren't taking them seriously anymore, and it seemed as if they didn't have any intention of stopping laughing.

"Can we go?" Beca mouthed at the Dean. He nodded and motioned at the door. As they exited the office, the girls looked at each other with newfound hope.

In Jesse's opinion, the Trebles' performance had gone well. It hadn't been their best, but he was confident it had been enough to convince the freshmen to join the group. With some luck, by the end of the week they would have two or three new members.

After the performance, he and Benji spent the next hour inviting freshmen to their Tikki party next Monday. Although most freshmen were indifferent and apathetic, some of them were pretty nice and easy-going. They even met a cute girl called Emily, who apparently liked a cappella and had thrown Benji completely off his feet.

By noon they were both back at the Treble house. The rest of the Trebles weren't there, and Jesse thought they had probably gone looking for young freshmen girls to conquer. However, the house wasn't empty; Beca was outside by the pool playing with Squeaks, the boys' pet pig.

"That audience didn't take long."

"Yeah. I don't know if that's good or bad. I'm scared to ask."

"Obviously, she wants to talk to you," he patted Jesse's back. "I'm gonna give you guys some privacy. I'll be in my room," he said, and walked away. Jesse sighed, he went outside and sat next to Beca.

"Hey," he greeted her. "How did it go?"

"Not well," she said, as she playfully tossed Squeaks aside. "As a matter of fact, it went pretty bad. You are not gonna like it."

"Don't tell me."

"The ICCA suspended us from ever competing again."

"Seriously?!"

"Seriously."

"Crap!" He exclaimed, mortified. "Assholes!"

"We saw it coming a month ago, Jess. It wasn't really a surprise."

"Well, yeah, but we never thought it would be such a harsh punishment!"

"What can I tell you?" She said, with resignation. "It's already done. The Bellas are over."

Jesse shook his head.

"But there must be something you can do."

Maybe Beca had given up on hope, but he wasn't willing to do so.

"There is something, but it ain't gonna be easy."

"Go on."

"The ICCA didn't strip us of our National title, which means we can still participate in the World Championship of a Cappella next spring. If we win, they will reinstate us."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know there was a World Championship."

"Neither did I. The whole thing was Chloe's idea."

"Well, I think it's brilliant. I mean, it's worth the try, right?"

"Right," she said, although not in a very convincing tone. "Although I wonder if it's worth it."

"What do you mean? Of course it's worth it. Otherwise the Bellas will disappear, and that can't happen. You girls are an institution."

"I'm aware of that. However, I'm afraid I'm not as worried as I should be."

"I'm not sure I'm following."

Beca took a deep breath.

"Ever since the 'Muffgate' thing, I've been thinking. Maybe it's time to leave all this behind, to move on. God knows I've enjoyed being a Bella, but I'm graduating in a few months. And I have dreams, you know? There are so many things I wanna do with my life," she made a pause, and looked at Jesse. "Besides, who knows? Perhaps the Bellas disappearing could be the best thing to happen to us. It will force us to grow up and to leave our comfort zone. I mean, look at Chloe. She is so afraid to live, she fears change so much she is throwing away the best years of her life just to stay in the group."

Jesse had always known Beca was the most realistic member of the group. Actually, he hadn't met another person who shared her ability to remain focussed and make plans for the future even in such a harsh time. Still, her words had surprised him. She had grown up so much in the past three years, and he was proud of her for that.

"I see your point."

"I'm sorry if I'm being cynical, but I'm so tired, Jess. I'm tired of competing, I'm tired of performing. Perhaps it's time to let it go."

He smiled at her, and caressed her cheek.

"You are not being cynical, Becs. If anything, you are just being practical. You are focusing on the future, not the past. That's a good thing."

"Is it?"

"Yeah, it's one of the things I admire the most about you."

"You don't really mean that."

"I do! I don't lie; at least, not to you," she smiled. "Besides, it's not like you are abandoning them. You wouldn't be capable of doing such thing."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you love them. You don't abandon the people you love."

"No, you don't," she sighed. "Well, I guess I'll have to update my passport."

"So you are going to the Worlds; for real."

"I don't think I have a choice. Those nerds wanna go, so I'm screwed."

Jesse laughed.

"Are you their bodyguard?"

"Sort of. They can't take care of themselves. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't last 10 minutes without me."

Yes, they need her. He thought. And she needs them, although she will never accept it.

"Anyway," she continued, "whatever happens, happens. I don't really wanna think about it, I have more important things in my mind right now."

"Like what?"

"Remember I told you I applied for an internship at Residual Heat?"

"I'm pretty sure I wouldn't forget something like that."

A smile appeared on her face.

"They called me today. I'm in!"

He hugged her and kissed her in the forehead.

"I told you they were gonna hire you!"

"It never crossed my mind they would actually hire me. I still can't believe it."

"Just wait and see, Becs. This is only the beginning of your career; trust me."

"God, I hope so. I'm gonna need you to drive me there on Monday."

"Sure."

"And one more thing," she said, in a more cautious tone. "Not a word of this to anybody, okay? Not even Benji."

"Why?" He asked, confused.

"Because I haven't told the girls yet, and I don't want them to find out while they are fooling around or drinking with one of the guys."

Jesse thought it was odd Beca hadn't told her friends about her new job.

"Okay, I won't tell anybody. But you will tell them, right?"

"Of course, but there are certain things you have to wait for the right time to share."

"Right."