A/N: Sorry it's shorter than normal. As you know by now it doesn't mean anything is missing it will just be in the next chapter because the only time I do time gaps between chapters is when they are sleeping. It was also a good place to stop. I got a review that gave me some advice. I will take half of it. I don't have twitter or tumblr(?) I don't even know what they are. I have an email address and that's about it, I intend to keep it that way. The review did depress me a little because it remindeed me that i have no friends really so there would be no point anyway. And yes I am sweet apart from the scorpio and the sting in the tail. Though 'Hon... You seem incredibly sweet' sounds a little condesending but maybe it's just me. Anyway I am going to stop with the long note so i will just say i have been incredibly busy and have not had time to sit and write all week end until 9pm tonight apart from a bit of time in pubs so it's late and short but at least it is here. I hope you enjoy it. We are back to only one flashback. Let me know what you think. Song suggestions are welcome.

So on with the next chapter...

Chapter 16

It was now time to start looking for the missing group. They all agreed that it would be best not to split up and head in different directions as they had before. Instead they split into groups of about 6. They would spread across so they had another group in sight. They groups had an equal number of Bellas and Trebles in them. This time everyone agreed it was best in case someone was injured. The fact that the other group had been gone for hours worried everyone. All fighting between the opposing a capella groups had ceased. Beca, Jesse, Fat Amy, Bumper, Chloe and Unicycle were all grouped together.

The groups spread out so they could see and hear the groups to either side of each other as they had no other form of communication. Beca was once again coordinating as the only one who did not really hate either group. Once they all got into the trees the communication between groups stopped and conversation within the groups started. Beca's group split slightly: Her, Fat Amy and Chloe, and Jesse, Bumper and Unicycle.

"So, what you said on the bus," Amy started.

"Subtle." Beca muttered.

"It's always been one of my strengths. You know the Aborigines-"

"So, the bus." Chloe cut her off. Amy looked put out briefly before shrugging and listening for Beca's answer. Beca sighed. She wasn't sure where to go next with this one.

"What do you want to know?" She asked.

"Why didn't you tell us the truth?" Amy asked.

"Honestly I don't know. I was going to. I planned to. I opened my mouth to but something else came out. To this day I don't know how or where that came from." She answered the question as best she could. It was the one question she didn't really know the answer to.

"To start with I was embarrassed so I kept it quiet but I honestly don't know why I lied."

"Why did you keep up the lie?" Chloe asked. At this question everyone in their group stopped talking and turned to her. All of them wanted to hear this one. Beca took the lead as they continued to look for their missing peers. She needed time to think about the answer to this question. It was true that there were many opportunities to tell the truth, so why didn't she? She thought back to the first time she had actually considered telling them the truth and consciously chosen not to.

Third Year at Barden

Both groups headed to regionals on their separate buses. The Bellas had to do a fundraiser to get the money together for regionals. About a fortnight before regionals the Bellas found out their funding was being pulled, or rather had been pulled, by the University. There was very little valid reasoning given but something about them not winning the previous year and their win maybe being a one off was mentioned. They ended with telling them that their house was 'like funding'. Basically it was a nice way of saying 'at least you get to keep your house'. Whatever the excuses, it said Treble all over it. She did wonder though how they had managed it and got the necessary information from the Bellas to pull it off.

They all arrived at the same time. The now usual insults were hurled at each other before they went their separate ways to await their turn on stage. As always they watched the Sockapellas. They were always different but Beca couldn't decide whether they got better or worse each year but she was leaning towards the latter. It was the Bellas up next. They put on a strong performance and the crowd went wild. As they exited the stage Jesse caught her eye. He was clapping the Bellas but Beca couldn't help but feel it was a little sarcastic. He would never deny that they were good but she had a feeling that he would never admit it anymore either. Once they were walking along the aisle and the clapping had died down she saw him turn to talk to, or flirt with, one of the fan girls. She felt jealousy flare over her no longer, she reminded herself, boyfriend. Looking around the Bellas she could read what the looks on their faces meant. They were remembering last year when they had celebrated with the Trebles, everyone happy regardless of the outcome, when they Trebles had congratulated them on their performance before going up to perform themselves and receiving the same praise from the Bellas. She could tell they missed it. She thought of telling them the truth. It would make everyone happy to stop fighting. She was sure it wasn't too late for everyone else, the way it was for her and Jesse. Jesse. She would lose him. Her thoughts were interrupted by a fan.

"You're the leader of the Bellas, right? He asked as he approached her. She nodded. "You were pretty amazing up there." She could tell he was trying to flirt. Her mind went back to moments ago when she saw Jesse doing the same thing. Well, if he could...

"Thanks." She replied, listening as he started to pile on the compliments, she could feel him working up the asking her out or something. As he spoke however she found her concentration snatched away from him. She cursed the person who had done it. The Trebles were now on stage and had started to sing. As always despite her best efforts when Jesse started to sing she was powerless to think or listen to anything else. Her back was to him but she still couldn't concentrate on anything else. Eventually she managed to recognise that the guy in front of her had said her name twice now to get her attention. "Yeah?" She asked finally managing to drag enough of her attention from the person singing on stage to listen to the one in front of her.

"Is that guy your boyfriend or something, cause he keeps pointing at you and singing to you?" She didn't need to turn around to know who he was talking about but she did anyway. She immediately regretted it when their eyes locked and she was paralysed. She managed to speak.

"No, he's my ex. There's nothing going on." She tried to explain, her voice coming out distracted. Still unable to pull her eyes away from the stage.

"Yeah, right. Look I don't know what you call nothing going on but that's not my definition. I don't want to be in the middle of that. It was nice talking to you." Without waiting for her to respond he disappeared into the crowd. She barely managed to process what he said. She again cursed Jesse's voice for having this effect on her. She watched as a look of victory showed on his face. Unnoticeable to all but those who knew him well enough. All but her. She realised what he had been doing. He had broken their stare and was now flirting with the audience but she could see he was still watching her out of the corner of his eye.

She knew then that he was the one who orchestrated their money troubles but she still couldn't be sure why he had intentionally scared off a potential date. She couldn't be sure whether it was part of the war, pay back for the party on hood night or just pure jealousy. Either way she didn't want to risk it. It worked 2 ways. It made her seem unavailable but it made him seem unavailable too. She couldn't risk that changing if she ended the war as selfish as it was. Besides, she reasoned, it could be too late anyway now to repair their relationships. Now they had stepped up the war. The new Bellas already hated the Trebles. It was too late really she assured herself. 'No, they don't need to know the truth. Not anymore.' She decided.

It had not been the last time she had made that decision, only the first. Still, they couldn't know that. Telling them her reasons wouldn't do any good. There were some things they didn't need to know. Some things they shouldn't know. Telling them her reasoning would only cause problems not solve them. No, she wouldn't tell them.

"I really don't know." She said as she turned to face them, walking backwards as she did so. "In the beginning I couldn't, then I guess I started to believe it a little. Then it was never a possibility. There was never a right time, never the chance. Then I stopped thinking about it as the war got into full swing there was never chance to think of anything but lessons, preparing for competitions or planning our next move in the war. Somehow it got brushed aside." She explained. It was half true. They were always busy and it was never the right time. It was just that there would never be a right time and even when they were busy it was still there at the back of her mind. They all nodded, seemingly accepting her answer as the truth albeit not necessarily happy with it. Except from Jesse. He just narrowed his eyes slightly and she could tell he had seen right through her lie. She should have known really, he seemed to be able to read her mind, he knew her better than anyone even still. She just hoped he wouldn't call her on it, not until they were alone at least. The others would never understand her true motives her keeping the war going but he might just be able to forgive it. She hadn't known until graduation night what the war, or lack of, would or wouldn't have affected, but it was too late by then.

She felt something stop her foot moving back and she started to fall unable to stop herself. She was about to hit the ground she was sure when she felt a pair of hand grab her and pull her back up right. She was wrapped in a pair of strong arms while she slowed her breathing, recovering from the shock. The others walked on, needing time to talk through what she had said.

"We need to talk. And this time it's going to be the truth Beca." A voice whispered into her ear as he held her. His voice was cold and she knew he was angry. She couldn't blame him really. In telling them what she had she had basically admitted to Jesse that she had thought about telling the truth and actively decided not to. She was thankful at least that he was being subtle about it though. Clearly he was content, at least for now, to let the others believe that but he wanted the truth. He released her and looked her in the eye. To others it looked as though he was checking she was okay but Beca knew he was waiting for her confirmation that she would tell him the truth.

"Okay, I'll tell you. I just couldn't tell the others. They wouldn't understand and it would only cause more problems." She explained, nodding to keep up the charade that he was merely concerned for her well being.

"You didn't hurt yourself did you?" He asked now he knew she would tell him. His voice genuine. She smiled a little and shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you for catching me." He nodded but stayed silent. A sign he was waiting for the truth. They started walking again. They walked slowly so they would not be over heard. The rest of their group were already a distance ahead of them. "I didn't tell them the truth because my reason was purely selfish. It was because of you." She started, her voice staying even.

"Yet another thing you want to blame on me Beca. What did I do this time? Did I actually do something or is it another one of your stories where you pretend I did something?" his voice was raised and full of venom as he stopped and turned to her. The others were apparently out of earshot as there was no sound of their friends wanting to know what was going on. This was starting to spin out of control.

"No, you paid me attention-" She tried as she too stopped and faced him before he cut her off.

"I didn't know it was a crime Beca. Would you prefer I ignored you? Would that have been better?"

"No, I-"

"Then what did you want Beca?" He was shouting now.

"Stop-" She pleaded, but he continued to speak over her

"I shouldn't have paid attention to you, I shouldn't have ignored you. What did you want?"

"You!" She shouted, sounding almost hysterical now. He stopped; stunned at her response. He took a moment to process before speaking again. His voice calmer this time,

"I don't understand Beca."

"I wanted the attention. In whatever form it came. I didn't stop the war because I thought it was the only way to hold on to you." She said quietly, her voice a little steadier but not by much.

"It wasn't the war that kept me near you." He stated quietly as it all started to make sense.

"I didn't know it then. I was afraid in case it was the only thing. I couldn't let you go. It was selfish. The others would never understand." She was almost pleading him not to tell them now, as well as understand her reasons.

"I don't know if I can understand it Beca." He sighed. "Beca?" He asked. She had turned away and now she didn't seem to be paying him any attention.

"Jesse? Where is everyone?" She asked her eyes wide as she turned to him. He looked around before his eyes met hers again. His eyes widened as well as it dawned on him too. There was no one else in sight. They were alone.

Okay, I have noticed that you review more when they fight, careful you are giving me ideas. I know it is shorter but at least it is here and it seemed like a good place to end. Nothing has been missed. Yes Beca lied to the others. Let me know what you think I love to here from you. Also can anyone guess what happened at graduation. I just want to know if anyone has guessed. It may be obvious, I have left a lot of hints. Right. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think. See you in the next chapter. (*smiles*)