A/N: Sorry it's late again. I'm going to try and update about once a week until my exam period is over and if the story is still going then then updates may increase in frequency again. (I blame my physics for that last sentence) I unfortunately have to put my school work first if I want my AAB for York. I intended to update on friday but I found out that afternoon we were going to the boat that night instead of the next morning so I couldn't finish it. I had to go this week end as I am the only one who can fit into the small gaps to put the new insulation in the engine bay. I managed to cram myself into a very small very awkward place. I couldn't stop shaking after I came out. I have a theory that your mind can push your body to do more than it's physically capable of. I think I came pretty close to testing it out. Naturally now I am covered in bruises, scrapes and very achey muscles. I babbled a bit there. Anyway I managed to write the rest of this chapter today and I am not updating it now I am home. I am supposed to be going to sleep now so I will end my babbling here. I hope you enjoy the chapter, let me know what you think and see you at the bottom.

So on with the next chapter...

Chapter 24

Fourth Year at Barden

The Bellas had held their second auditions and picked 2 new Bellas before they had a chance to put their latest plan in motion. One of their newer Bellas had made it possible. Beca was aware of how this prank was again raising the bar. It wasn't just dangerous, it was illegal, but nevertheless the Bellas were all on board. The plan was simple in theory but risky in practice. However in the last year they had gotten used to sneaking into each other's houses. They waited until about 4am to set the plan in motion. By that time the Trebles would all be asleep. The next challenge was to find out where to plant them. Then all they had to do was get out of there and report it to the university in the morning. If they reported it early enough none of the Trebles would be awake so there was almost no chance they would find them first.

As predicted they had got into the Trebles house undetected. They had then split up to hide the drugs around the house. Once they had finished they had again successfully got out without getting caught. Exhausted the Bellas had then gone to bed. They had all fallen straight to sleep, all except Beca. She couldn't sleep. She knew that they prank was much different from the rest. It hadn't been provoked to this degree. There prank at finals wasn't to the same level of the Trebles' spy but this was more than payback. This one had the potential to ruin people's lives. In fact it was almost guaranteed to. She wasn't sure why she had allowed it, why she had gone along with it, but it was too late now. There was no backing out.

The Bellas had overlaid slightly and had not got up until 10am but the Treble house was still silent, it wasn't exactly surprising; they weren't known to be early risers. As soon as all the Bellas had assembled in the main room they had called to report the Trebles. Everyone had gathered outside to watch as the Treble house was searched; it was not just the Bellas who had gathered to watch. All the Trebles had been dragged out the house and were lined up outside while the house was searched. They all had their eyes trained on the Bellas, perfectly aware of how this had come about. Beca felt a pang of guilt; they probably thought they wouldn't find anything. Most of the Trebles' were giving them challenging looks, apart from Benji. His look was what really got to Beca. He just looked disappointed, his head bowed and he was shaking it slightly as though he couldn't quite believe it had really gone this far.

The Bellas had been surprised to find out nothing had been found in the Treble house. At the same time it suddenly made sense as to why the Trebles were looking at them in that way. They had found out. Beca didn't know how but they had. She couldn't deny the relief that washed through her. Their plan had failed but they had still got the Trebles back and no one got into too serious trouble. Somehow though Beca had a feeling the others wouldn't see it that way.

Beca had started to doze off after she had finished her musing and reminiscing. She was woken by whispering.

"Beca, Beca, are you awake?" The voice whispered.

"No," she groaned, immediately regretting saying anything and cursing her mouth for speaking without her brain's permission.

"Beca, can we talk?" She didn't respond; hoping he would think she was sleeping again. "Beca I know you're awake." She knew she wasn't going to get away with it this time. She groaned again before rolling onto her back and staring up at the top of the tent, refusing to look at him. She could feel him staring at her. She stayed silent her change in position the only indication they she would listen. "I'm sorry Beca, I didn't me-"

"Don't." She cut him off. She couldn't hear this right now. Not when she was stuck in a tent with him with no way to get away from him. She didn't want to listen to him to apologise for telling her like that.

"Please, I shouldn't ha-"

"Don't!" She cut him off again a little more force in her voice this time. "If you want to talk then pick another topic." She finally spoke more than one syllable.

"Why did you keep stepping up the war?"

"The pranks?"

"Yeah, Why did you keep moving them up?"

"Just for the record I wasn't the one who started them."

"I guess I have to take the blame for that one."

"Um hmm."

"Okay, I accept the pranks were all my fault, I started them."

"Good. Are you sure you care for my explanations?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't"

"The burning your things was probably the first one wasn't it?" She saw him nod out the corner of her eye. "I wanted to wake someone up for that one. I don't know why I didn't. I couldn't sleep after we had done that one. I was so worried no one would wake up. I don't know why I didn't. I don't even know where the idea came from."

"I guess I can understand that feeling."

"It was nearly getting you kicked out of the ICCA's next. I can't put into words the relief I felt when it didn't happen. All I could picture was yours and Benji's faces when you found out. You both love it so much. Of course it was short lived, you went out and beat us."

"Then you found out we had a spy planted in your group."

"Yes."

"I should probably explain that one then?"

"It would help."

"At first it was just a joke. 'let's plant a spy in the Bellas at auditions' kind of joke. Then it became possible. One of the Trebles started dating a good singer. She wanted to join a group anyway. I guess you could say we manipulated her. Made her loyal to us then pointed her in your direction. Planted a few negative ideas towards you in her head; all true just not the whole story. At first she was just going to be a defence mechanism, she was a person I know, to protect us from your pranks in case they were ever too bad; a way for us to find out if one of your pranks needed to be averted, like the ICCA's. Once she was in however we started to get other ideas. We saw how it could help our own pranks. She didn't actually know what we were doing until it happened, she'd get us what we needed then we'd use it and she'd find out why she got it when we pulled the prank. I may have engineered that one but it wasn't my idea. I was glad when you found out and stopped it though."

"Then you set out to seduce all our Bellas at hood night."

"That was really just a last minute idea in response to yours the previous year. We never thought about the consequences, it was really just a drunken idea. You kicking them out was really just a bonus for us."

"I can't really blame you for drunken ideas can I?"

"Beca I-"

"No, we're not talking about it. So after that it was the drugs."

"That one really was too far."

"Yeah, I know."

Fourth Year at Barden

After The Treble house had been searched and cleared and the Trebles were allowed to go back in again the crowd had dispersed and headed off to their lessons. It hadn't been until that night Beca had had a chance to process what had happened, what they had done and what the consequences could have been. As if on cue Beca heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." Beca called through the door ready for a Bella to come in complaining about how their prank had failed. Instead Beca was greeted by Benji. He came in and shut the door then moved over to sit on her bed. She paused her music programmes on her computer and went to sit next to him on the bed and turned her full attention to Benji. He didn't speak, only looked at her as if waiting for her to say something.

"I'm sorry Benji. I don't know what we were thinking. We just wanted to get you guys back."

"What did we do for this Beca?" He sounded a little lost as to what they could have done to deserve the possibility being arrested and going to prison but still calm at the same time.

"I honestly don't know."

"I was really hoping there would be a reason this time Beca."

"I've always had my reasons."

"I guess I just hoped you would let him go before it got this far."

"I don't think it's possible."

"Have you even tried?" He asked putting his arm around her, as expected he got no answer. "I try to stay out of the way of the pranks, I don't join in when they retaliate, your pranks always manage to affect me anyway but this one went too far Beca."

"I know, I sorry, I never meant-"

"I know you didn't Beca. You never do." His voice didn't lay any blame it just spoke the truth. That was what hurt the most, and it wasn't his intention. "I can't say I didn't see it coming, not exactly like this but I'm not that surprised."

"I don't know what to say Benji,"

"It's okay Beca, you don't have to say anything. I understand. I don't know the exact reasons but I understand why you did it."

"You're disappointed."

"I just wish it hadn't come to this."

"How can you even talk to me right now?"

"Because I know you can't help it."

"Can I break our unspoken rule?"

"It's there for a reason Beca."

"How is he?"

"This one hit him hard. I won't say anymore."

"Thank you."

"I should get going."

"Okay. I feel like I should be tucked in my bed, I always am when you leave."

"Things are changing Beca, nothing can stay the same indefinitely."

"I wish they could."

"We all do." With that he gave Beca one last squeeze then removed his arm from around her and got up to head towards the door. "I didn't want to tell you this but maybe it will help you I don't know but; he has a girlfriend now Beca. He's trying to move on." When Beca didn't respond he just nodded a goodbye and left her alone in her room.

She was frozen after Benji's last words. She had caught the silent 'you should do the same'. But she couldn't, she didn't even know how or where to begin. She could barely process what he had said or what they meant. Benji had become like the big brother she never had in the last 2 years, she knew he would only tell her if he thought it was best but right now it just hurt. She had also broken their unspoken rule: She doesn't ask about Jesse. Beca was aware of how hard it had to be for Benji, he was in the middle of a war he wasn't fighting but regularly became a casualty of, he was confidant to the girl who was, most likely, putting his best friend through hell as well as the girl who started and fuelled this war. Not to mention he had to keep both of their secrets from each other. He must feel like he was in the middle of a tug of war but he never let it show. She wished she were that strong.

"I'm not sure who came up with that idea." She started to explain. "One of the new Bellas had made it possible. Everyone went along with it, I really just followed after them, that was the last prank I really had a leading position in, the others started to take over. It's still my fault, I know. I had the power to say no and stop it but I didn't."

"I'm guilty of that too. After Katie I didn't really had much to do with it, still I could have stopped them."

"We were both to blame then."

"I guess we were. Up to that point at least. You guys stepping it up again."

"We did."

"That one was by far the worst. Not only was it illegal and dangerous but someone could have died, someone almost did."

"We're not there yet. We're not ready to talk about that one. It's too late and I'm way too tired to even begin to process that one and the whys and how's of it."

"I know."Beca rolled back over so her back was facing him, she was too tired for anymore of this, she gave an involuntary shiver from the cold and prayed he didn't see it. "You're cold."

"I'm fine," she lied.

"I know when you're lying remember." She teased her before pulling her into his arms to warm her up. She let him, glad of the heat and too tired to fight him. "What were you dreaming about before?"

She groaned again. She hadn't realised she had been sleep talking, no wonder he woke her up.

"It was just a reoccurring dream I've been having."

"Since when?" He sounded genuinely interested and it made Beca wonder what exactly she had said in her sleep.

"Since I got that stupid invitation to come to this week."

"What's it about?"

"What life should have been like." She was too sleepy to evade.

" What's it like?"

"We're not ready for that yet. I don't know if we'll ever be anymore."

"Beca-"

"Please don't."

"So you'll tell me someday?"

"Maybe, if we get to the right place."

"Okay."

"We're not okay you know." She mumbled; already half asleep.

"I know." He whispered into her hair. "It's when Beca, not if." He added as though it had just occurred to him how she had worded it. She was already asleep.

Okay, this chapter didn't get far in terms of present time but we got to the more serious part in the past. It was all Beca and Jesse in the present, sort of to make up for almost none of it last do you think about the Bellas prank. Was it going too far? They have also hinted at another one what do you think it could be? Next chapter we will finish with the songs so if anyone has any they want to add let me know. I'm making myself what to write stories for my fictional Bellas and Trebles. I don't plan on it but I can feel their stories forming. I have also realised that they haven't really talked to each other since they broke up in the past. What do you think happened to make them okay to talk to each other in the present?

To my guest reviewer. Thank you it means a lot to hear (read?) I'm glad your enjoying it. For obvious reasons your suggestion isn't in this chapter (There were no songs) but there will be ones in the next chapter so thank you.

I think that is everything. Let me know if you think the Bellas should find out Beca has lied to them again or just what you thought to this chapter or anything in general. I hope you enjoyed it. Any song suggestions for whenever are welcome. And see you in the next chapter. (*smiles*)