A/N: It's here! And it's early! Okay so this is another short (2,000 word) chapter but I wanted to end it where it ends. If you like you can think of it as the second half of the last chapter. So here is the next chapter. I will discuss it at the bottom as always. I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think. Song suggestions are very welcome even if it's to fill in past song has been suggested. I have now bought it off iTunes and I listen to it regularly (it's what I do when I put new songs on my ipod) and I have sort of written (in my head) a part for it because I think it is so perfect for it.

So on with the story...

Chapter 17

Beca started to worry, then she turned on Jesse.

"This is your fault! It's your fault we lost them." She accused as she spun round to face him again.

"My fault? Care to explain how it's, yet again, my fault this time?"

"You were the one that insisted we stop and talk about it now. You couldn't wait until a more convenient time?"

"Well, if you hadn't lied it wouldn't have been a problem but I forgot, apparently everything is my fault now. The break up, the war starting, the war not ending, the truth not coming out. What's next after this one?"

"You know that isn't fair! I've tried to explain it to you."

"Maybe an explanation isn't enough. Maybe it can't fix the past. Especially when you keep lying. How do I know you're telling the truth now?"

"Because you knew I was lying before! And no, it can't fix the past but maybe we can move past it. The others couldn't know why I kept the secret. They would never forgive me."

"There! That's it. That's the real reason you are obsessed with fixing us and this war. You don't really care you just want everyone to forgive you. Whether the war ends or not doesn't matter to you. You just want to stop feeling guilty for the trouble you caused. You're not doing this for anybody but yourself." That one cut deeply.

"I can't believe you said that! Is that what you really think? If so maybe it is hopeless. What I wanted was to make things right between us because god knows I can't move on and neither can you. Deny it all you want but you're stood here too! But maybe I was wrong. You don't even love me anymore do you? You can't say it. It was always the one thing I could count on. The one fact I knew to be true, the thing that kept me sane but I see it now." With that said she turned and headed off into the woods away from him.

"Run away like you always do then Beca!" She heard Jesse shout after her. She soon turned around to find he was no longer in sight.

It was her fault this time; the fight. She had started it but he had hit below the belt. The worst was he was partly right. One of the reasons she didn't tell them the truth was because she was certain that they wouldn't forgive her. It was pretty unforgivable. She sacrificed their happiness so she could cling onto someone she had already lost through no-one's fault but her own. As the trees got denser they blocked out more of the sunlight. She started to feel vulnerable. She suddenly felt quite tired, aware that she had not had lunch, it had to be lunchtime gone by now and she was now aware of just how hungry she was. She also felt cold as the sun's warmth was also blocked out by the trees. Most of all however she felt very, very alone.

She felt panic rising. She wasn't normally one to panic. She had only had one potential panic attack in her life but this situation was out of her control and she felt very lost. She wasn't sure where she had come from anymore. She had spun round to scan for any sign of, well anything, enough times that she had lost her bearings. She blindly stepped back unsure of where she was heading. She felt her foot sink, she instinctively stepped back with her other but she couldn't get her foot to move. She felt a sharp pain in her ankle as it gave out. She collapsed on the ground. Her foot was stuck and she couldn't bear any weight on it anyway. She had never felt more vulnerable than she did in this moment.

Fear took hold. No-one knew what was lurking in these woods and right now Beca was a sitting duck, almost literally. She was also aware that no-one knew where she was and the combination of the pain, being tired and being hungry made her weak. She was no longer sure when she left Jesse, a decision she regretted more than anything right now, she was losing track of time and to top it off her watch had stopped. She looked around for a phone but couldn't find it in a pocket or in her bag. She realised she must have dropped it when she nearly fell when Jesse caught her. He wasn't here to do that this time. She was no truly and totally alone.

Panic started to set in. She was scared, alone and helpless, her least favourite thing to be, and with no help on the way that she was aware of and if there was they had no way to find her. She could feel her breathing quicken, she was starting to hyperventilate. Her mind wandered back again as she sat shaking in the middle of the woods.

Third Year at Barden

They were all headed to the semi-finals now. The Bellas had succeeded in getting their funding back after their win at regionals and the pranks had continued although they were all been planned with the intention of ruining the other group. They were no longer about tormenting the other group. The Bellas had something big planned for the Trebles now though. It was time for pay back for the funding. They were confident that they had this win. As was now usual the insults were thrown about on arrival before they split off and went their separate ways. The Bellas had set their plan in motion. They were going to get the Trebles kicked out of the competitions. It wasn't that the Bellas felt threatened, it was just that they had all agreed that they wanted to hurt the Trebles that much. Only Beca had her doubts about going through with the plan. She knew how much both Jesse and Benji loved to sing onstage. They both seemed to come to life onstage, not that Jesse wasn't offstage, but on stage it was something else. Losing that would crush them. Still, the others had agreed and as leader she had to be strong. She couldn't let them see her weaknesses.

They had already set the plan in motion. The rest of it would play out itself. They couldn't stop it now if they wanted to. They walked on stage, they were up before the Trebles this time, confident that they would win this. The Trebles were in the audience this time which was suspicious in itself but as the Bellas started to sing Beca realised what they were doing there. She watched as Jesse sang along to the song with them. She couldn't hear his voice but it was still having the desired effect. It was distracting her. By now she didn't actually need to hear his voice for her to lose all train of thought. All she had to do was see him singing, or to know that he was singing. Her traitorous mind somehow managed to finish the rest and supply the soundtrack. This was exactly what happening as she sang onstage. She did her best to keep up with the song and the dance but she could tell the judges could see she was distracted. She just couldn't pull away from his stare. She was trapped and she knew it, knew it was all just a game but she was powerless to do anything about it. As she walked off the stage she had the sinking feeling that she had just blown it but she consoled herself with the knowledge that the Trebles wouldn't beat them, they wouldn't have the chance.

Even though she had been distracted the crowd was still impressed and cheered loudly as they finished and left the stage. They prepared themselves for the announcement that the Treblemakers were disqualified but it never came. Instead she heard them being called to the stage to perform. She felt a range of emotions simultaneously in that moment. Relief, confusion, dread, anger. Their plan hadn't worked but the only way that could have happened was if the Trebles themselves prevented it and the only way that could have happened was if they found out about their plan and only a Bella could have told them. Betrayal. That was the next emotion.

The cheering that welcomed the Trebles onstage was deafening, it was always that way. Even after the Bellas had won the finals for some reason the Trebles still seemed to be the favourites whether they won or not. Not that the Bellas weren't loved, they were but somehow the Trebles still managed to remain the most popular. Beca had hung onto the hope that the Bellas had done enough to win but as the Trebles ended their set she felt her heart sink. There was no doubt in her mind as to who had won and, as much as she hated to admit it, it wasn't the Bellas.

The Trebles had beaten them that time at the Semi-finals and it had crushed the Bellas. Their plan had failed, their foolproof plan had failed but it had planted the idea that this time there really was a mole among them. It was the only explanation. Beca had clutched at it, and nearly torn the group apart looking for it. Naturally who was sticking to the oath came into question. She regretted throwing around those unfounded accusations now but at the time she had felt insecure about it. She had a feeling not everyone had followed the oath the first time. There was no hard proof but it was pretty obvious. The second time round though Beca wasn't having the oath broken. Not for anybody. While her fears in that area were unfounded she knew she had done irreparable damage to her friendships with some of the girls.

At that time she had once again chosen not to tell them the truth. It would have eased the pain of their plan failing. Maybe even made them glad the plan had failed but it would also have worked against her. Not only would she have lost her friends and maybe her tenuous hold on Jesse but she would also have lost their trust and they wouldn't believe her about the mole. She would be the girl who cried wolf. Or spy in this case. She comforted herself with the knowledge that this time her reason for keeping her secret just that was not purely selfish.

Beca pulled herself from her thoughts as she felt the wind get up slightly. She was shivering uncontrollably now with the cold and the pain, her hunger and fatigue making her feel the cold that much more. She wasn't exactly sure when she started to cry but she felt tears running down her face. She was really sick of this now. It was like all the tears over the years had been collecting in a reservoir and now the tap had been turned on and they were all pouring out and she couldn't stop them. Looking around she was still alone. She shouted out praying that someone would here her. She couldn't move from the spot she had collapsed in but it was starting to hurt. She shuffled herself closer to her trapped foot, crying out in pain as it pulled. She managed to arrange herself into a more comfortable position where the pain was minimal. She knew it was futile but she shouted out one last time for anyone to help her. Well, she didn't say just anyone's name but it was still an open invitation.

Her situation began to sink in again. She was alone, injured, in the middle of some unknown woods. She had no idea where in the woods she was or where the others were. She had no idea where the woods were. She had no way of knowing what time it was or contacting anyone. She couldn't move. She was cold and hungry and oh so tired. She was feeling sick and light headed from the hyperventilating and her tears. She slowed her breathing as she realised no one was coming. Her head was too fatigued to care anymore. She could feel herself giving up. She knew it wasn't a good idea but as her head started to feel heavy and her breathing slowed she let herself fall to sleep.

Beca jerked awake. She had the same dream she had been having since she got the letter inviting her to the reunion but this time once she had left the bathroom she found the house empty. She had looked everywhere only to find that she was totally alone with no way out and no contact to the outside world. She woke up breathing heavily. Looking around the panic set in again. She was alone in the forest. She felt freezing and could feel the cold trying to pull her back to sleep, fighting she called out for help again, her voice sounded weak now. Her breathing increased. She wasn't sure if what she had at finals was a panic attack or not but she had a feeling that this one was definitely heading towards one and she was powerless to stop it. She had never felt this helpless and she hated it but it only added to her distressed state. She felt the desperation set in. If someone didn't find her soon she was afraid of what would happen. That thought alone was enough to tip her further towards the edge. Another thought made her blood run cold. 'Jesse's alone out her too.'

Okay, I really wanted to leave her in that situation for this chapter. Partly because I'm sadistic like that and I wanted you to suffer and partly because right now I am undecided who comes in first next chapter. I love an audience for fights and big events, you may have noticed as some of their biggest fights were in front of everyone but I love to see people's reactions to things. It's why I always ask what you think. There are 27 flashbacks after this chapter to come so we still have quite a way to go. That doesn't mean there will or will not be that many chapters left it just means there could be or there will be chapters with more than one flashback in, I don't know yet. I write them how they come. Thursday (Yes it's still Thursday) is taking alot of chapters. If you think it's dragging it out let me know. It has been about 5/6 chapters so far but it's just how it's coming out. Like I said before you seem to review more when they fight, let me know if it's true. I'm going to do a running question where I ask you to let me know what you think happened at graduation. It's mentioned alot. Right really got to go. Let me know what you think. Song suggestions are welcome. Hope you enjoyed it. See you in the next chapter (*smiles*)