Chapter Twelve: The Truth Hurts
"I have to go. NOW." She said, getting off the couch. "Beca, we just got here!" Hancock insisted. "It doesn't matter. I got what I needed, and I have to take care of this problem." She persisted, making her way to the door.
Before she had the chance to open it, Mary blocked her. "Hold on. Before you go, I have to ask… did you ever, or do you still, blame me for leaving?"
Beca pursed her lips, and thought about Mary's question. "I… I… I don't know."
Mary bit her lip, and turned her back to Beca and Hancock. "I understand that you're conflicted. And I will understand if you eventually come to the conclusion that I should have done more to get you back. And I am sorry. And I will be, until the day that I die."
Unbeknownst to Beca and Hancock, tears streamed down Mary's cheek, and she went back into the kitchen.
Hancock looked sadly at Beca. He sighed, and said, "Let's go, if you're ready."
They were back to Georgia in the same amount of time that it took to get to L.A. They flew back in almost complete silence. Not once did either of them even look at each other.
When they landed, they finally looked at each other. "You're going after that guy, aren't you?" Hancock asked. "You know I have to." She responded.
"Then you might need my help." He said. "You remember what… Mary said." Beca struggled to say the word 'Mom'. It brought back memories of the years where she never had one around.
"If we're together for too long, we'll lose our powers." She explained. Hancock shook his head. "You still can't take on this guy alone. He's too dangerous. Look, do you have a pen or pencil, and a piece of paper?"
Beca nodded her head. "Okay. Grab it, and I'll tell you my number, in case you need to reach me."
After Beca and Hancock traded numbers, the superhero flew off to his hotel, needing a rest after the long day he had. Beca, on the other hand, flew back in the direction of the Barden Campus.
When she arrived at Casa Bella, she found that the van wasn't parked. "Must be nobody here, then." Beca muttered to herself, as she took out her key, and unlocked the door.
At first, it seemed like there was no one in the house. The lights were off, the TV was off, and there wasn't the usual noise of the other Bellas chatting.
"Hello? Anybody home?" She called out. "I'm upstairs!" Amy said. "Okay, I'm coming up!" Beca said, as she went up the stairs.
She made her way to hers and Amy's room, and found Amy, sitting on the bed, playing on Beca's laptop. "What the Hell are you doing with my laptop?" She asked. "Playing Happy Wheels. This game is about addictive as a bacon-wrapped donut."
Beca laughed and sat on her own bed. "So, how was your little trip?" Amy asked, as she paused the game, and turned her attention to the brunette. "Uh, it was… fine, I guess." Beca responded.
"Cool, cool. So, um, anything you want to talk about?" Amy asked. "No. No, not really." Beca said, before turning to look out the window.
As she looked out at the beautiful day through her window, she sighed, and turned around to face Amy once more. "Actually, Amy… there is something that I want to talk about."
Amy looked into Beca's eyes, and saw a darkness that she never really saw before. "I… got fired from my job." Beca said, bluntly. "Okay. So, is that all?" Amy asked.
"No. That's not all. I've been… uh… doing some things in my spare time. Things that I'm not really sure I should talk about, or even know how to talk about with other people."
Amy nodded her head, trying her best to follow what her friend was saying. "I just… uh… honestly, I don't know if these things that I'm doing are right. If I should just give up on doing them, and try to find a real job, and focus on the Bellas, or on my future. Do you understand?" Beca explained.
"I think I do, Shortie. Listen, Beca, does this… stuff that you do… does it help you, in some way?" Amy asked, careful to not anger or upset Beca. "Yeah. It's more of a way to help other people, but, yeah. It's kind of like a job. A job that I don't get paid for."
"Okay. I think I get it. Beca, if it's something that you think is right, then why the Hell are you feeling guilty about it?" Amy asked. "Because I haven't really talked about it with any of you guys. The only other people who I've talked to about it are my Dad, Emily, and Jessica."
Amy nodded her head, again. Then, she put her hands together, and twiddled her thumbs for a bit, before saying, "Well, I appreciate you telling me. And, I feel that, if it's something that you think is helpful to yourself and to others, then you just go for it, am I right?"
Beca smiled. In all her time knowing her, she never would have suspected Amy to be someone to encourage her. "Yeah. Like how you're going out with Bumper, again." Before Amy could open her mouth to interrupt, Beca said, "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about your little secret if you don't tell anyone about mine. Deal?" Amy shook her head, before saying, "Deal."
A few hours later, the other Bellas arrived home. "We're back!" Chloe announced. Beca and Amy stepped out of the living room, and made their presence clear.
"Welcome back, Becs. How was your trip?" Chloe asked. Beca shrugged her shoulders. "It was fine. I got what I came for." She said, untruthfully.
Not that Chloe could detect the insincerity in her voice. It both warmed and broke Beca's heart, seeing a person as good as Chloe living under the same roof as her, a person who had adapted to lying about who she really was, and what she did.
Still, Chloe smiled, and said, "Well, that's all that matters, isn't it?" With a slight nod of her head, Beca indicated to Chloe that she agreed with her.
As the other Bellas adjusted to what they normally did, which was either sit on the couch, eat, or pull out their phones. Well, except for Emily and Jessica, of course, who almost instantly walked over to Beca, trying to be subtle.
"So… can we talk?" Jessica asked, eager to speak what was on hers and Emily's minds. Beca winked, and pulled her head in the upstairs direction, indicating a meeting taking place upstairs, in her room.
Within five minutes, the three girls were in Beca's room. Emily sat on Amy's bed, as Beca paced the room, while Jessica stood against the door.
For the first thirty or so seconds that the three were in the room, there was complete silence. Not a single one of them spoke. Then, that silence was broken. "Let me guess. You heard the news, too?" Beca asked, as both of the other girls in the room nodded their heads.
"Yeah. We all did. And when Chloe found out… Jesus, Beca. I'd never seen her so broken up, before. I'm worried about her." Jessica said, looking at Beca fearfully.
"Well, I for one am more worried about the fact that there's a fucking psychopath who somehow managed to hire an army of mercenaries to work with him, and the fact that he's out to get you, captain. So, what's your plan?" Emily asked, as she stayed still on the bed.
Beca sighed, and flopped onto her bed. She rolled over, and ran her arm down her eye. "I… I don't have a plan, guys. I don't know what to do." She remarked.
"That's not good. Beca, we need to have some kind of plan! I mean, what if that psychopath just storms over here, looking for you?! What if he's still out there? What are we going to do when the time comes for you to face him?" Jessica questioned, as Beca groaned in response.
"I already told you. I. DON'T. KNOW." She growled, her temper rising. "We can't just sit on our asses! Somebody's gotta be thinking about this shit!" Emily interjected.
"AND YOU THINK I'M NOT?!" Beca yelled, taking the blonde and the Legacy by surprise. "Look, I never asked for this! I never asked to have powers, Jess. I never asked to have enemies, Em. And I never asked to be a superhero!"
As soon as she said this, Beca looked down at the ground, immediately regretting the harsh, bitter tone she used with her friends. She then set her hands under her chin, and closed her eyes.
"I never asked for this… I never wanted to be a superhero. My Mom never wanted me to be a superhero, despite her wanting to tell me about my powers. My Dad never wanted me to lead my life as a superhero, either. But, deep down, there was always something inside me. Something that called to me, constantly telling me, 'save this world from itself, because no one else will'. And… I looked around at the world, and saw hatred. Fear. Rape. Disgust. Bias. Prejudice. And I wanted to fix that. And all I did was make it worse." Beca revealed, her eyes still unopened.
Jessica's look of shock turned into one of understanding and sadness. There was a sympathy in her eyes, and she looked to Emily, who felt the same way as she.
Sighing, the blonde took a seat next to her friend, and patted her on the back. Beca looked at her, and Jessica did the same. Both gave a look to each other that acknowledged it was awkward, but, at the same time, they didn't care.
Then, things got even more awkward, as Emily, much like a child with two parents, took a seat next to the two, and smiled at Beca. "I'm sorry, captain. We had no idea."
Beca shook her head, and looked back and forth at her two friends. "It's fine, guys. I shouldn't have freaked out at you. I just… I just need some time. Time to really get into the swing of things. And I'm gonna need all the help I can get, since I'm probably not gonna be spending a whole lot of my time practicing."
Jessica and Emily's eyebrows were raised, as they looked at the brunette, their confusion evident. "So… I take it you're gonna be hunting down Tom?" Emily asked, to which Beca responded by nodding her head.
"You got me. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to find the son of a bitch, and make sure he doesn't hurt anybody ever again. But, in the meantime, I'm gonna need someone to take command of the Bellas while I'm not with you guys, all the time." Beca explained, as the two girls beside her stared at her with growing curiosity.
"What do you mean by that?" Emily questioned. "I mean that I need someone to take over for me. I don't trust Chloe, she's an absolute mess at the moment. And do you honestly think that any of the other Bellas are qualified to power you all through?" Beca asked.
Jessica and Emily thought to themselves. And they came to the conclusion that they couldn't possibly see anyone really leading the Bellas without Beca.
"I take it that you can't see anyone doing it, can you? Well, I can." Beca said, making Jessica and Emily turn their heads. "You can?" They asked, simultaneously. "Mmm hmm. Jess, you up for it?" The brunette asked.
Jessica was taken aback. "What? M-Me? But, I… I can't lead the Bellas!" She stuttered. "Sure, you can. You're probably the only one I actually would trust to do this. No offense, Legacy, but I don't think you're up for a responsibility like that." Beca said, turning her attention to the Legacy.
"None taken. I don't think I'd make a great leader, either." She admitted. "But, still. Me? Most of the other Bellas barely even know I exist." Jessica said, concern in her voice.
"First of all, we do know you exist. Second of all, there are no two people in this house that I trust more than you and Emily. Jess, please. I need you." Beca pleaded.
And Jessica didn't know what to say. She was absolutely stunned. The girl who barely talked to her a few weeks ago, the person she looked up to, was now trusting her, of all the folks in the Bellas, to take command?
She breathed heavily, after coming to a conclusion. "Alright. I'll do it. But only for you, and the Bellas." Jessica said, as Beca awkwardly pulled her into a hug.
"Thank you, Jess. And, Emily, can you get in, too?" Beca asked. Emily, without hesitation, hugged her and the blonde, who smiled, and gave in, hugging her two friends.
THREE MONTHS LATER
Beca awoke with a start. Her head rested on the seat of the van, as she slept under the pale moonlight.
She rubbed her head, and yawned before checking the time on her phone. It read, 6:40 A.M. "Ugh… shit. Did I fall asleep in the van, again? Chloe is gonna kill me."
Beca stumbled out of the van, rubbing her head as she did so. "Jesus… it's been three months, and no sign of Tom, or his 'friends'. What's he planning?" She thought to herself, as she walked toward the door, and pulled out her key.
She fumbled around for a little, missing the key-slot in the door, before eventually managing to put the key in its place, and opening the door.
Then, she walked right, yawning as she did so. Beca closed the door behind her, and, almost instinctively, she walked to the kitchen. "Never too early for breakfast." She said, out loud.
"But it is too late to be coming home, right?" A voice behind her asked, making Beca jump.
The brunette slowly turned around, and came face-to-face with the icy stare of Chloe Beale. "Hi, honey. I'm home." Beca sarcastically replied, before going to the fridge.
Chloe rolled her eyes, and continued staring down Beca. "Why are you home so late, huh, Becs? Long night at the office?" Chloe interrogated, as Beca grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge.
"Long night at the office. Boss has had me working on stuff for ages. And, I guess I was up so late, that I was too tired to even walk into the house. So, I slept in the car. Is that alright?" Beca asked, as she opened the carton, and went to the cupboard to grab a glass.
"Really? Jeez, Becs. Then why was it that, when I called your job, they said you didn't work there, anymore?"
Beca froze instantaneously. Chloe… Chloe knew? "Oh, shit…" Beca thought to herself, as Chloe continued. "Or the fact that you've been missing practice constantly, Hell, you've even had Jessica practically replace you as Captain of the Bellas."
Beca sat the cup of milk on the counter, and could do nothing but stare at the redhead. "So… something you want to tell me?" Chloe asked, clearly trying to get to the bottom of whatever was going on.
"Chloe…" Beca started, but her friend walked over, and looked directly into her eyes. "Becs… what are you doing? Where do you go, at night?"
Tears stinged Beca's eyes. But she tried not to let Chloe see. She wouldn't let her see. Not now, not ever. "Chlo, I… I… I can't tell you. I wish I could, but I can't."
Now, Chloe frowned. She looked at the brunette, anger in her eyes. "Yeah. I was afraid you'd say that. That's exactly what I was afraid of you saying. And, hey. You know what? That's what the other Bellas were afraid of, too."
With that last bit, Beca became even more unsure of what to do. "What did you just say?" She asked. "Come on out, guys." Chloe called out, as all of the other Bellas walked down from the stairs, fully dressed, and ready to start the day.
Beca caught a glimpse from Jessica and Emily, and could read their minds just by the looks on their faces. They were nervous, and unsure of what was about to happen.
All eyes were on her. Chloe, Amy, Stacie, all of them, all had their sights on Beca. "So… tell us, Beca. What have you been up to, lately? For real?" Chloe questioned, as Beca gulped.
"I've been going to a shooting range." Beca lied, hoping that it would lead Chloe off her scent. It didn't, and Chloe scoffed. "Boo! If you're gonna lie, at least make it believable!" Amy butted in, earning her looks from Ashley and Flo, who rolled their eyes.
"Chloe, just please, please go to sleep!" Beca pleaded, as she tried to walk away. She made her way to the staircase, but was stopped by Cynthia-Rose. "Not tonight, shortie. It's time for you to explain yourself."
Beca looked around her. Aside from Jessica and Emily, who were obviously worried, the other Bellas all looked at her with suspicion.
"Beca, I don't think you realize this, but I CAN'T SLEEP. I can't sleep at night because I know you sneak out, and run off somewhere! I can't sleep knowing that my former boyfriend is out there, a prison escapee, and someone who could easily kill you if he wanted to! I know you take the van. I know you talk more with Jessica and the Legacy now than you ever did before. And I sure as shit know you aren't employed. So cut the crap, and answer me: what. Are. You. Doing?"
Tears stinged Beca's eyes, as she turned in circles, trying to avoid the situation. But as she looked around, she slowly started to realize that there was no avoiding this. There was nowhere left to run. No more excuses. The only thing left to do would be…
No. She couldn't. She wouldn't. It would be stupid. Wouldn't it? But, then again, what else was there to do?
So, Beca sighed, gulped, and said, "If you want an answer… go up into my room, look under my bed, and see for yourself."
Chloe raised her eyes, as Jessica and Emily protested. "Beca, you can't!" Jessica exclaimed, prompting a look from Ashley. "What the Hell are you talking about, Jess?"
"Is there something going on that we don't know about?" Stacie questioned. But Chloe stepped forward, and towered over the generally perky blonde, who gulped, and looked at Chloe with fear.
"What will I find under that bed, Jessica?" She interrogated. "I… I don't know…" Jessica stuttered, clearly afraid.
"Chloe, stop this! This isn't about her, or Emily! This is about me! Now, if you want fucking answers, go up and look under my bed if you're so damn desperate for 'em!" Beca yelled. Her anguish took all of the Bellas by surprise. But it surprised no one quite as much as Chloe.
The redhead snapped back to reality, and breathed in, albeit heavily. So, she urged the Bellas guarding the stairs to move. They did, and Chloe ran up the stairs, and to Beca's room.
When she was in the room, Chloe slammed open the door, and immediately looked under the bed. She kneeled down, and looked for whatever it was that Beca had.
But she saw only a dark space.
Then, just as she thought Beca was bluffing, Chloe felt a crack in the ground. She pressed down hard on it, and ripped it open. The redhead moved her hand around, and didn't stop until she felt something.
Once it was in her grasp, she grabbed it, and pulled it out from under the ground. And as soon as it was out from under the bed, Chloe's eyes widened, and her heartbeat stopped.
What Chloe held in her hands was a costume. A costume with a gray hoodie, an orange and brown bird emblem on the chest, with the shirt being a shade of black, along with boots of the same color, dark green pants, and a purple cape.
"No… Please, God, no…"
Author's Note: Finally. After all this time, it's back. The adventures of Beca, Jessica, and Emily are back, pitches! Okay, even I felt weird writing that. But, in all seriousness, I want to thank everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, and liked the first eleven chapters of this story! And, to all you wonderful people, I apologize for this taking so long. A combination of writer's block and a general idea of not knowing where I wanted to go with it were what made me want to quit it, altogether. But you know what? I decided 'no'. I won't quit this story, and I won't stop until it's done. For you guys. Thank you all. Bechloeisawesome, BTW amazing name, I thought about never updating this story again. Hell, I even thought of deleting it. But to delete something from a website is a lot harder to do than delete something from your heart and mind. ATLDuckDeeno, you have no idea how happy I was reading your review. It was what convinced me to bring this story back from the dead. I'm happy that you love it, I'm happy knowing that I'm writing and will finish a pretty different fanfic for these films, and I'm even happier that you think I'm a great writer! I hope what I have planned will satisfy! Also, on Jessica, I figured that it'd take the audience off guard if the first person to figure it out wasn't Chloe or Amy or Emily. Besides, with her, Beca, and Emily basically being partners in crime, they need a voice of reason. I hope that you were satisfied by this chapter, and will continue to read and review in the future! Anywho, thank you all for reading! As always, please leave a review, giving me your thoughts and general suggestions, or ideas on how I can better myself as a writer! And take care of yourselves, folks, at least until I see you next time! Until then, I'm the Flying Hawaiian 001, always dreaming up new ideas and stories to tell you guys!