Hey everyone! It's Monday(: This is my favorite chapter I've written so far, so I hope you enjoy and feel the same way! I had a couple people suggest this idea, so credit to all who submitted it. Also, thanks a bunch for all the reviews I received last chapter! It's such a great thing to receive feedback on something you worked hard on! So keep those reviews coming! I hope you all had a great spring break! (Mine was last week, not sure about you…)
I don't own Pitch Perfect. If I did… I would have the Trebles do an arrangement of Thrift Shop. Why? Because that would just be fucking awesome. And that's just it. No pun intended.
Episode 11: What We Do at the ICCA'S
"Oh my God, mom! Is that you?" Madi scrunched up her nose at the screen and Aiden laughed along with her.
Beca rolled her eyes from the front seat but shrugged. "What? Have I honestly changed that much?"
"If Josh were here," Aiden glanced up, "He would say that you were hot." Madi smacked his arm playfully and the two snorted in the backseat.
"I can't wait to see Josh. Can you believe we're going back, Beca? And to see our aca-child perform at the ICCA's." Jesse gushed, shaking his head in the driver's seat.
"Wow. We are old." Beca frowned.
"Ooh! Click on that one. I think that's dad's senior year." Madi instructed Aiden, who clicked on the video on the family's iPad. (I don't know if they still have iPads this far in the future! But just work with me here!)
The car was silent as everyone listened to Jesse's last ICCA performance. "That set was truly extraordinary, Jess." Beca smiled a bit.
"Well, we weren't crowned the winner for nothing right?" He smirked.
"Okay one, I have three years on you. Freshman, sophomore, and junior year all go to the Bellas. And two, there was a fricking proposal at the end. Of course you were going to win! That's almost as bad as dedicating a tribute to a dead person!" Beca explained, only causing Jesse to grin more.
"But you said yes." He pointed out.
"Exactly why you won! You're welcome." Beca argued. "Plus, you included like all of our songs. Not that I'm admitting that we have a song or anything."
"You totally are." He grinned cheekily." My mixing lessons paid off."
"You gave dad mixing lessons?" Madi asked curiously.
"Yeah I did. Fatal mistake on my part..." Beca trailed off.
"Mistake? I beg to differ. My arrangement of Carry On (My Wayward Son)/Don't You Forget About Me/Cup Song/Marry You, which I worked on all by myself I might add, won us the ICCA's." Jesse said matter-of-factly.
"You're so full of yourself."
"Tell more, tell me more, like does he have a car?"
"You're a weirdo."
"You're in denial."
"No, I'm pretty sure you are indeed a weirdo."
"You think?"
"Therapy is always an option."
"Denial."
"Weirdo."
"D. E. N. I. A. L."
"F. U. C. K. Y. O.-"
"That escalated quickly." Aiden announced awkwardly.
"Newsflash: Twelve year old in the backseat!" Madi chimed in, but with a smile on her face.
The parents exchanged looks and muttered apologies quickly.
When the family arrived at the competition, everything came flooding back to the acapella veterans.
"I cannot believe we're back, Jess." Beca said rather wistfully, grabbing onto Jesse's arm. He nodded in agreement as the kids followed close behind, almost as excited as their parents. The family took their seats in the middle section. They had pretty good seats, seeing as Jesse was an "important Treble veteran".
"Um, excuse me, ear spike and friends. I think you guys are in our seats." Someone stated and the family looked up from their phones to find a peppy redhead and a smirking blonde.
"Chloe, Aubrey?!" Beca stood up and hugged the two girls in surprise.
"What the hell are you guys doing here?" She asked with a huge grin on her face. The two ladies sat down in the empty seats next to the Swansons, after hugs were exchanged all around.
"Why to see Josh of course! Who would have thought... Beca with child. Beca with child in the Trebles." Chloe's eyes got significantly wider.
"Tsk, tsk Beca. You let him penetrate you..." Aubrey sing-songed and Beca rolled her eyes. "What did we say about that word?" Beca grimaced.
"Aunt Aubrey, what does pe-nah-trate mean?" Madi's eyes furrowed.
"Well," Aubrey started, "When a man and a woman-"
"Brie!" Jesse hissed from a couple seats down. "She's twelve."
"No one asked you, Romeo." She snapped.
"You're honestly telling me that you're going to root for the Bellas instead of our son?" Jesse asked curiously.
"Don't be silly. Of course I'm rooting for Josh." She rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Then why did you-"
"Let it go you two!" Beca interjected forcefully, and the frenemies quickly shut up. But that didn't stop the two from taking the time during performances to glare at each other.
"Josh is up next you guys!" Chloe announced excitedly, looking at the program.
"Ohhh my god." Beca whispered and started to fan herself with a program.
"What's up, Bec? Oh...you're sweating buckets." Jesse observed in mock horror. Beca just rolled her eyes.
"And up next we have...the Barden Treblemakers!"
Beca reached over the armrest and took Jesse's hand in hers. They exchanged a proud and loving smile, before turning back to the stage to see their son perform.
"You were amazing, Joshy!" Beca cried and pulled said boy into a bone-crushing hug. "Mom, hey." He smiled and pushed her back slightly. "Oh my god are you crying?" He asked in disbelief.
"No." Beca sniffed, "My c-contact is just being a bi-"
"Great job, man." Jesse interrupted her and embraced Josh quickly, "You've made an ex-captain proud."
"Aunt Chloe, Aubrey!" Josh exclaimed and hugged them also. "Are you guys going to stay for a while?"
"Might as well!" Chloe grinned and handed Josh flowers. "Um, thanks?"
"What? You don't like flowers? Everyone likes flowers." She looked and Aubrey and she shrugged.
"Every girl I know likes flowers." Josh smirked, "But thanks again. That's really sweet of you guys to come all the way down here to see me."
"Oh please." Chloe waved her hand dismissively.
"And broham and hermanita!" Josh brought the other kids into an awkward sibling hug. "How's dorkville?" He asked, more directed towards Aiden. "I don't know. I'm not the one participating in organized nerd singing."
"Oh grow a pear you two and enjoy the day!" Jesse separated the boys before they could tackle one another right there in the lobby.
"My baby was so good!" Beca cried and pulled Josh in for another hug, "I can't believe you helped put together that set as a freshman." She wiped some rare tears away.
"He must get it from his mother." Jesse grinned and slapped his son on the back.
"God what is happening to me? Am I really this mom now?" Beca blew her nose loudly into a tissue. "I don't know. I think you might be crying more now then when we got married and Josh went off to college combined." Jesse frowned.
Beca chose to ignore him and instead looked Josh in the eye. "You kicked some serious ass out there. You know that? And don't let some dumb Bella bitch that doesn't deserve you tell you any different. Got that?" She put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him into another embrace.
"Aca-scuse me?!" Aubrey gasped.
Beca sighed and mouthed "Rachael" to her, causing her to quickly shut her mouth. "Have you talked to her recently?" Jesse asked carefully.
"Why would I?" Josh spat.
Jesse gave everyone looks before pulling his son off to the side of the auditorium. "Because you love her, Josh." Jesse replied simply.
"So? She obviously doesn't return the feelings. All those fucking stereotypes of jerk-boys that break innocent girls' hearts are a whole bunch of bull crap. If this isn't a broken heart, then I don't know..." He trailed off and Jesse's soft eyes encouraged him to continue.
"If this isn't a broken heart then I don't know what is." Josh admitted quickly and ran his hand through his hair, a nervous habit.
"Have you learned nothing from my college days?" Jesse asked, "Your mother broke my heart quite fine. But you can't give up on this, Josh." He pleaded with his son. "You're too in love with your romantic comedy movies." Josh laughed nervously and Jesse side-hugged him.
"And technically, mom serenaded you with Simple Minds. I highly doubt...Rachael...is going to do that." He said slowly.
"And you think I thought your mom was?" Jesse matched his eyebrow raise.
"Fair point." Josh smirked. "But thanks, dad. I have forgiven her...I'm just waiting for her to come to me. You know, when she's ready. I mean it hurts like hell. But if I end up with...Rachael...in the end I'm sure it'll be worth it."
"And you will, dude. You'll see." Jesse smiled.
"Come on it's time for awards!" Beca ran over and grabbed Josh's hand, pulling him towards the auditorium. "Get back to your team, slow poke!" Jesse heard her yell. "Shit's about to go down when you beat those damned Bellas!"
Jesse shook his head and laughed. Yeah, that's his wife. He couldn't help but think she had changed sides pretty fast. But Jesse was sure that when Madi goes off to college (hopefully to Barden), that she'll be team Bellas once again. The only reason she hated them now was because of Rachael. You know how Beca is... Never forgiving. Well, to the people that hurt her Joshy.
Jesse was positive it would work out between the two. It had to. He was sure of it. Yeah, she may have pulled a Beca on him, but he'd get through it. Jesse would know, he'd had first hand experience. And it sucked, but it'll be worth the prize in the end. After all, endings are the best part.
Jesse made his way to the auditorium and leaned against the entrance frame because it was too late to get back to his seat now.
"And in second place, the Barden Bellas!" The announcer called, and Jesse glanced at the girls who were only a couple feet away on his right. They looked disappointed, but sent Rachael and another girl up to the stage to receive their trophy. On her way up, Rachael made eye contact with Jesse. At first she looked ashamed, then nervous, then finally gave in and looked him in the eye. She half smiled almost sadly and mouthed, "He deserves it," before running off with the other girl. Yeah. They'd be okay, Jesse reasoned.
"And this year's ICCA champion team is...the Barden Treblemakers!"
Jesse smiled. Yeah, this was what being a proud father felt like. And if he hadn't forgiven Beca, none of this would be possible.
Josh and Rachael would find their way to each other again, he was sure of it. They were in rival acapella groups. It was kind of inevitable.
Thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing! Those are what help me carry on…my wayward son… sorry couldn't resist. Please review, review, review!
Questions for this chapter:
1) What would you like to see happen with Josh and Rachael's relationship? And would you like to see more of it/ get to know her better?
2) Does anyone know any great movie quotations about love/life etc? I'm decorating a folder with various quotes from movies so if you have a favorite you would like to share and help me out that would be fantastic!