A/N: So here is the next chapter. Updates may not be too frequentbecause sixth form gets in the way. Sorry if any of the language is off but I'm from the UK not America so I do my best. Okay please let me know what you think and let me know if anything seems off.

Disclaimer: (cause I don't want it to disappear and I am new) I do not own Pitch Perfect of any of the Characters etc.

On with the next chapter...

Chapter 2

Beca thought about how she had got here, what she had come to. She had never gotten over him, she knew that. It was never that they didn't love each other. If anything she figured that was what made it worse, they did, so much. Maybe if they hadn't things wouldn't have been so bad. Maybe after everything had torn them apart they would have been able to let it go, to stop. But they did, they loved each other so much it hurt and so they couldn't stop, it became some kind of strange, and perhaps even sick, obsession. At times it seemed like they hated each other, but even then they never loved each other any less. After all, to truly hate someone you had to love them didn't you, otherwise you would just forget them.

She was convinced he had moved on by now, she knew she hadn't. After she graduated and what had happened graduation night she fled to L.A. and got to work. She had focused completely on her job, and slowly her dream had come true but at the expense of her social life. She had one female friend at work and that was it. She had gotten used to having more friends after spending four years with the Bellas, now she felt as though she had regressed. Soon she fell into a habit of spending all day at work, yes Beca Mitchell had become a workaholic, coming home exhausted to fall into bed, getting up and to work when she woke up. She worked weekends too when she could, throwing herself completely into her work. At especially hard times: birthdays, anniversaries; she found herself in a bar, drinking.

It was the second time one of these events came around that she found drinking just wasn't enough. She desperately needed to forget, to drown herself. She picked up a guy. It worked for the night. It always did, except for last night, still in the cold light of morning the spell was over. She kicked them out. Most of them thought she was a dream come true; a one night stand where the girl didn't care. Others were trickier, some wanted more. She always said the same thing. It had shocked her a little the first time it came out. The three words they never wanted to here: 'There's someone else.' Only one had stayed even after that. Broke her down, she gave out, let it go. The one and only time in 7 years she told someone. As promised, she never saw him again. That was the way she wanted it. She was a little embarrassed that she had gotten herself a reputation; guys were warned before they went home with her, at the time she didn't care, that was the alcohol talking, in the morning when she thought about it, it was horrifying. It wasn't like she did it every night or even every month. It was her way of blowing off steam, getting through hard times. Last night had been by far the worst though. No amount of sex and alcohol could block it out. She knew she had to go, her work friend had insisted and wouldn't stop bugging her about it. Still, she thought that maybe she could forget for a night. It didn't work.

She left the bathroom and got dressed. He was still asleep. It was time now. She grabbed his clothes and threw them at him.

"Oy! Get up, you gotta go, I've got a flight to catch." She yelled. The body moved; a groan escaping. It jerked up into a sitting position, blinked at her, saw her face that said it all: 'get out'. He gathered his clothes, pulled them on hurriedly and muttered a quick "thanks" as he rushed out the door. John, Jake, Jim? She couldn't remember his name. There were too many similarities to face at this time in the morning and when she was sober. She just couldn't face it. Not when in 48 hours she would be face to face with the real thing. It really was just too much.

She gathered her last bits and packed them. She was running late. With her bags packed she hurried out the door locking up her apartment for the next two weeks. She slipped her key in one of her bags. She wouldn't need it for a while. She hated leaving L.A. to face her problems at Barden, but she wasn't sorry to be leaving her apartment for two weeks: it stood for everything that was wrong with her life. It wasn't that she couldn't afford a better one it was just that there wasn't much point in changing it. A honk of a car let her know her taxi was waiting. Sighing once more she picked up her bags and headed out. No backing out now.

The ride to the airport seemed way too short and all too soon she was settled on to her plane in a window seat up in the air. She put her head phones on and listened to her music. Before she knew it she was slipping back into sleep, who knew she was so tired?

She woke up with a bump. That dream again. Like she needed a reminder of how life could or should be like. The plane was landing and in no time she was outside the airport with her bags waiting. She had insisted on taking a cab but instead her father had insisted he pick her up. So here she was waiting. After a while a car pulled up and out stepped her father. She had sent him Christmas and birthday cards and presents but seeing him for the first time in 7 years was something else. She knew he would want to hug her. It had been 7 years but right now she wasn't sure she could deal. She picked up her bags and moved over to put them in the trunk. He sighed and opened the trunk, loading her bags.

"Hey Beca, I haven't seen you in a while, are you going to say anything, you did just take off." He started a little unsure of what to say.

"Yeah, sorry. I just need a minute. Being back here... it's just so... I don't know. It's good to see you. I should have stayed in touch" she tried, the words just not coming out.

"I'm your father not a stranger Beca. You can talk to me."

"I know you don't need to remind me. Can we just go already?" She knew it was harsh. She had been in his presence less than 10 minutes and already she was acting like she had before she came to Barden, She was nearly 30 and had a successful career going, why did she have to act like a teenager being forced to go to college all over again? Okay so the latter might be sort of true but she knew that was no excuse. She turned to see her dad getting into the car 'Oh great, now look what you've done Beca, a great start, now your dad hates you too.' She got into the car and put her head phones on. The car ride continued in silence, and not the peaceful kind.

As they reached the house she registered he had moved, that explained why he was so adamant that he pick her up. Sheila was waiting as she walked through the doors.

"Hi." Beca managed with a forced smile as she saw the woman.

"It's so good to see you Beca, we've been excited for your visit since you called, I can't believe your finally home." Sheila started, apparently oblivious to Beca's obvious dislike of being here and flinch at the use of the word home.

"So is there somewhere I can put these bags, I'll be out of your way tomorrow but I couldn't get a room at a hotel tonight. Seems everyone else got them." She said trying to keep a light tone as she changed the subject.

"Nonsense, you'll stay here for your visit." Sheila started. It was getting harder for Beca to keep it up.

"I really..." she started.

"I'm sure Beca wants her own space. Come on, your room is this way." Her dad interrupted her as he came in and lead her to her room. "Thank you" she mouthed to him, he didn't respond. She knew she had one more thing to add to the long list of things to make right. Right now running just sounded so good.

Her short stay with her Dad and Sheila went relatively quickly. She stayed in her room and only came down for meals. All credit to Sheila she made a pretty good dinner and did her best to make it all as smooth as possible ignoring the tension and making conversion to lighten the mood, asking questions about Beca's life and filling her in on what she had missed of her Dad's. Even the shocking news that her parents were now on speaking terms, although by no means friendly. Beca begrudgingly admitted maybe she wasn't quite as bad but she would still always be the Stepmonster to her.

Before she knew it she was moving out into the hotel. She would not be missing the atmosphere in the house. She was glad to leave it behind even if it was her own creation. Yes she needed to fix it but right now her state of mind was snap first, regret later. Not ideal for making up with her dad. What surprised her most was the mail that was waiting for her at the hotel. A letter with a Barden University Crest on it. She groaned and stared at it for a minute before carefully and reluctantly opening the envelope. There were two things in the envelope. The first was the letter. It turned out that everyone was invited to stay in the houses on Campus, hence explaining the room in the hotel being available. The second half of the letter explaining how her hotel room had been cancelled after that night and her money would be refunded at the end of the week by the university. It suddenly felt a lot like blackmail. Next was an invitation, inviting her to the pre-celebration-week party. And it was held tonight. This suddenly became the priority for her worry about. She soon found herself looking her something to wear. Would he be there? Would she be there? And who else would be? She was not looking forward to it but perhaps it was better to rip off the band aid. She just really hoped she wasn't there. There seemed to be no reason she wouldn't be. She had been a Bella so she should have been invited. She really hoped she wasn't. Beca almost backed out right there at the thought. 'No' she pulled herself together, 'I didn't back down then, I'm not backing out now'

Before she knew it she was walking into the party held at the same place as it had been at aca-initiation night. As people saw her she heard them whisper and look. Holding her head high she kept walking. It looked like everyone knew something of the story. She was going to need a drink. No, she was going to need a lot of them. Then suddenly she looked up to see that one person staring at her but not saying a word. More than anything she wanted to run. Instead she braced herself she was not the same Beca that ran away when things went wrong. She would never have got where she was in the career if she had. 'It's time to face the music' she thought, the irony of the statement when they were here to celebrated two a cappella groups not lost on her. Here it comes.

Okay so some questions are answered and no doubt more are planted. Next Chapter features Jesse and other characters we have yet to see. Also the flashbacks to what happened start. So as I said last time I'm not going to say it again, i'm going to be different and not say it. Next time I may not even indirectly mention it. Most importantly: I hope you enjoyed it.