A/N:It's me again. Here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy. Songs suggestions are always welcome. Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: (cause I remembered this time again) I do not own Pitch Perfect or any characyers etc.

So on with the next chapter...

Chapter 8

Practice for the riff off replica went smoothly and with some effort they managed to remember the details of what they had done. It seemed a little frustrating knowing what they could change but that they weren't allowed to. It was soon dinnertime and Beca was dreading it. Jesse had specified that he would see her at the riff off which was a more polite way of saying he wouldn't see her at dinner. So instead she decided to catch up with the girls. As she walked in to the other house she saw some of them at a table so she grabbed her dinner at sat down with them.

"Wow, you're actually sitting with us." Was the greeting Beca got as she sat down at the table.

"Yeah we thought you'd be too busy betraying us again to sit with us." Fat Amy joked.

"I think he's had enough of me right now, besides why would I want to spend time with him and neglect you guys?" Beca replied half jokingly.

"Well his loss, our gain." Fat Amy responded picking up on the underlying sadness buried in Beca's tone. For the first time since she had arrived Beca felt herself relaxing and enjoying herself with her friends. She had been so wrapped up with Jesse that she had not allowed herself to enjoy time with her friends. She soon found out that Fat Amy and Bumper had two children, Lily and Donald also had a child. Stacie was still as single but was considering getting into a relationship with a guy she was close to in New York. Cynthia-Rose and Denise were also still close; they had gotten close during college. Ashley was also married and Aubrey as it turned out had a long term boyfriend. Chloe also had a child with her husband. Surrounded by them Beca couldn't help but feel torn. Part of her was very happy for them and their happiness, in fact most of her was, but a small part of her was jealous that they were happy, that they had what she wanted but she didn't and maybe couldn't have it. Once again as had happened so many times since she had arrived back at Barden she found herself drifting back into the past again.

Second Year at Barden

Beca was furious, at herself and Jesse. He had betrayed her, and she had allowed him in so he could do it. Above all though she was hurt but she didn't want to mourn him anymore, she had done little more that cry for the last two days and now she was sick of it. Worse still it was only two weeks until finals and two of the girls had a virus which meant in short that they couldn't sing and were out for the competition. They only needed 10 but it meant Carly had to stay. Her voice was also distinctive and was necessary for the performance. This had been a big blow to Beca. For this reason Beca had not told anyone else about Jesse cheating on her with Carly. It would only cause fights and then they would have no chance at finals. She didn't want anyone to know that she had been tricked either, it was embarrassing. Only Benji knew about it but she hadn't seen him since they first found out but she had heard that he and Jesse had had a fight. It made her smile slightly that Benji would be so protective of her, not that she felt she needed it. This all meant, however, that she had to deal with Carly's smirks and comments, which meant nothing if you didn't know what had happened, by herself. Beca hadn't spoken to Jesse since their fight so there had been no real break up. Officially they were still a couple. She wanted to get him back, she wanted revenge. She had managed to convince herself that he didn't care about her but there was one thing that she knew bothered him, something that would get to him even if he didn't care about her. Luke. It wasn't like her to go after revenge like this. But it also wasn't like her to fall hard like she did for Jesse. She was aware that Luke was 'attracted' to her; it would be so easy to flirt back in front of Jesse. The next time she and Jesse were at the radio station she put her plan into motion.

Jesse ignored Beca for much of the first hour. They were as usual stacking CDs and Luke was not there yet. He seemed mad at her although in her opinion he had no right. When Luke did arrive Beca started a conversation with him. It wasn't hard to sway the conversation towards a new DJ he thought she should here. It didn't clash with the ICCA's and Beca found herself in the ideal situation. Making sure Jesse could here she agreed. As the week progressed she continued to flirt, Luke flirting back. She could feel the anger and jealousy coming off Jesse in waves, especially when he had to leave them alone so he could fetch both Beca and Luke's lunch at Luke's request. While Beca had a feeling Luke was aware of Beca's ulterior motives he seemed happy enough to indulge them.

She was certain he knew when at the end of the week they had kissed. It had been quick and meant nothing but it had been in front of Jesse and that was really all that had mattered. Jesse had quickly excused himself as it was the end of shift. Beca could tell he was practically exploding. Once he had left Luke turned to her.

"So, was it worth it? Making him jealous like that?" Luke asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on Beca, we both know you have no interest in me and it was all just an act."

"When did you work it out?"

"On Monday when neither of you were talking when I came in and you immediately came to me."

"You knew all along? Do you think Jesse noticed?"

"I doubt it, I don't think he's ever liked me so I doubt he was calm enough to pay attention to those kind of details."

"Huh." Beca made a sound of acknowledgement.

"Back to my original question. Was it worth it?"

"Making him jealous?"

"No, losing him. Was making him jealous really worth it?"

"Hey, I didn't lose him just now. He already lost me. And I guess I lost him long ago. If I ever really had him." Beca couldn't believe she was having this conversation with Luke of all people.

"So what was this then?" He asked an eyebrow raised.

"Revenge. Sorry I kind of used you."

"You could only really use me if I didn't know what was going on and go along with it. Revenge for what? What do you mean if you ever really had him? I watched the guy watching you like you're his world for almost a year before you got together. You can't say you never had him. It was pretty pathetic at times"

"It wasn't pathetic it was sweet and it won me over in the end didn't it"

"So what lost you?" He persisted.

"You really want to know?" Luke nodded. "Fine, he cheated on me." Beca turned away, it was still too painful to talk about and Luke wasn't the kind of person she would allow to see her cry.

"Yeah, right. What's the real reason?" Luke asked obviously not believing her.

"I'm serious. I saw it."

"You saw Jesse, the guy who would jump off a cliff for you if you asked, with another girl, actually saw him cheating?"

"Okay, first he would not jump off a cliff," Luke raised an eyebrow disbelievingly but said nothing, "and secondly, I saw her leaving his room telling him she would see him later."

"So you didn't actually see him there. It seems to me this girl played you. I mean Jesse isn't the kind of guy that cheats. You can say what you like about him being, a nerd is it, but he's always seemed pretty loyal and honest to me. I just don't see him cheating."

"But I saw her. She was leaving his room, wearing his clothes, talking to him."

"Did you see him?" He paused and she stayed still, he face giving him the answer. "Did you hear him?" The same response. "Do you have anything other than this girl's actions alone as proof?" Again the same response. "Well, my guess is that girl has played you like a fiddle." Realisation seemed to hit Beca full force.

"Oh my god! What have I done?" She murmured more to herself in shock.

"Go, it's the end of your shift, I'll finish up here." Luke said, unsure what else he could give her. She nodded numbly then gathered her stuff and left. She had to find him. She had to apologise. She was going to get Carly for this. She couldn't kick her out until final were over but she would make her life a living hell and once finals were over she could show Carly for who she really was.

"Beca, earth to Beca, you there?" Fat Amy was calling her and waving a hand in front of her face.

"What? Oh sorry, must have drifted off just then, what were you guys saying?"

"We were discussing how this war started, then we realised we didn't know all the details."

"Oh, its funny how that happened, I'm full, anyone else done with their plates?" Beca changed the subject; the last thing she could handle right now was explaining to them how this war was born from a misunderstanding on her part. Reliving the memories that this place brought back was bad enough. She needed to explain it to them but she couldn't until she was in a better place, until things were sorted with Jesse. 'God my life now revolves around him. I'm one of those girls, great.' She thought to herself.

It was soon time for the Riff off replica. She had not seen Jesse since Lunch time and he had not been in the other house for dinner when she had been, or at least if he was then he had been excellent at hiding from her. Still the nature of this joint event ensured that she would see him. That he would have to sing directly to her. Justin must have come just for the event because as they found themselves in their first year groups surrounded by the later generation Bellas and Trebles she heard the familiar sound of Justin saying "Welcome to the riff off!" as the people around made the background noise for him. Beca felt like they would be judged for any action that did not happen that had happened and anything that did happen that hadn't before. They had all managed to find similar clothes to the one they wore that night. The fact that this had been part of the instruction only served to further convince her that someone had records of everything and was judging them for accuracy.

Beca remembered Jesse looking at her and telling her he was going to take her down. As Justin started to repeat the words he had said all those years ago Beca saw Jesse catch her eye. Like he had done the first time he gestured and said almost silently "I'm gonna take you down" she shrugged and like the first time she responded in the same fashion as he with "I don't care" again he repeated the past, "fair enough". She felt herself smile inside but tried to keep to script. They skipped the 'Ladies of the 80s' part and went straight for the 'Songs about sex'. Again Cynthia-Rose started off with Rihanna's 'S&M' and Stacie joined her as they all started to back them up. Donald cut in with 'Let's talk about sex' and the rest of the Trebles started to back him up. Stacie responding perfectly like she had the first time ending with Aubrey dragging her away only for her to come back with 'I'll make love to you'. It was like last time soon cut short by Jesse jumping in with 'Feels like the first time' Stacie again shook her head and backed away. In a strange way everyone had known even then that he only had eyes for Beca, Stacie could have no fun with him. Beca felt her heart flutter as Jesse turned to point at her as he sang. It was exactly as he had done all those years ago. She felt herself falling in love with him all over again like she always did when she heard him sing. She was almost paralysed and mesmerised by it. She remembered the first time he sang to her when they first met. She had been unable to turn away as she looked at him thinking he was a little strange as she nodded thinking 'Okay then' but still unable to turn away even as she watched his car disappear until the girl had snapped her back to reality. She nodded sarcastically as he pointed, it was talking all her effort to react the same way she had done. She knew she would have to interrupt him again but while a part of her was thrilled to be the only one to do it, it talk, or sing, back to him another part never wanted to stop listening and watching him sing to her. Still their performance had been perfect so far. She managed to find the strength to do it. She ran up in front of him and interrupted him with 'No Diggity'. He responded the same as everyone was caught up in the past. She had loved every minute of it even though they had lost. Once she came to the end of the intro she turned full circle to see no one stepping up, like they were trying to figure out what she was singing. As she turned to face Jesse once more he nodded and told her to "Keep going". Taking a deep breath she sang the next line. Her group of Bellas began to join in. Soon everyone but the original Trebles opposite them joined in. She got the same incredible feeling she had felt the first time that came with singing with so many people. As they finished she repeated the same cocky phrase she had said the first time before Justin announced they had lost and the Trebles had won. She heard Jesse apologise as he had the first time before the groups parted ways.

The rest of the night went by successfully although many of the middle ones were not quite as smooth. The later ones were among the best mainly because they were still quiet fresh in their minds. At the end of the night Beca was proven right as Judges popped up with scores for accuracy. One of the newest groups won but Beca and her first year groups came a close second. It was quite late by the time all the groups had finished. 11 years worth of Riff offs had taken a while. As they were heading back to their houses and their rooms Beca found herself falling into to step with none other than Jesse. For few moments they just walked in silence neither of them knowing what to say. Finally Jesse broke the silence.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have freaked out like that."

"No, I shouldn't have asked."

"It was an honest question."

"It was a personal question, too personal when you haven't spoken for 7 years."

"How about we stop with the apologising for tonight? It's way too late to have a serious conversation about this and I don't know about you but I'm too tired for it not to end in a fight."

"I know what you mean." They continued on in silence for a few more moments. It was quite a walk back to the houses from the pool and the night was cool. Jesse noticed Beca was shivering a little although she didn't say anything. She looked so small and fragile in that moment. He shook his head a little smiling.

"You're freezing." He said as he put an arm around her and pulled her close. She rested her head against him, revelling in the feel and the heat of his body against hers.

"You know most guys would just give the girl their jacket, it's in all the movies" She teased hoping he wouldn't take it seriously. As always he understood.

"Well, I'm not most guys and I figured we don't always have to follow the movies. Wait, since when did you watch movies?" She buried her head in his chest trying to hide from his question. He laughed sensing her embarrassment and decided not to push it although he was genuinely curious. "I guess there's a lot we don't know about each other anymore," he said on a more serious note, "We've been so caught up with the past that we have yet to talk about that we forgot to get to know each other again. Not what's happened it the last 7 years, that much we know, but likes and dislikes, have you become fun or do you still hate fun things? Stuff like that." He explained as though the thought had just occurred to him.

"I know, we will. But I think we may need to work through the past first. One step at a time."

"I think I heard Benji say something like that."

"Huh, really? Well, he stole it from me." She joked.

"I'll be sure to let him know that." He laughed. Everything was so easy but Beca knew that until they sorted through their past it was a minefield. One wrong word, question or statement and their whole dynamic would do a 180. Talking and spending time with him was both easy and, strangely contradictory, a lot of hard effort, constantly trying to mind where to tread. It was exhausting and energizing all at the same time. She just wished she could go back to a time where there weren't really any danger spots, or hardly any. Back when they could take and joke about anything. Now almost every other topic had some bad or damaging memory attached to it. Tainting conversations with her own past actions. As they reached the houses he removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

"Well, I can't let you freeze, besides you must be rewards for learning something in your movication," he teased, "She you at breakfast?" He asked. She nodded.

"Sounds good" She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she said it. They waved as they went their separate ways, after a moment she turned, pulling his jacket close around her; it smelled of him, she walked back to the Bella house and her room.

It was not easy as it once had been talking to Jesse. Still, she wasn't about to give up. It may take time but she was determined to make sure that someday they would get back to where they used to be when they could talk about anything and everything without having to dance around stuff, only this time she wouldn't be so closed up, she would do her best to be an open book to him. 'Tomorrow here I come' she thought as she lay down in her bed. Whatever tomorrow would bring it could only bring improvement.

Okay, Luke was necessary. Remember Beca didn't know Jesse was innocent. She just knew that the probably most important person in her life had betrayed her. Who better for revenge than Luke. Yes they were back on good terms at the end so who knows what tomorrow may bring. I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews make me feel obligated to write faster. Let me know what you think. See you in the next chapter.(*smiles*) (See less babbling this time).