A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourite/followed. Thanks to the kind words of those who assured me that last chapter wasn't the disappointment I feared it'd be. I'm so critical of my own work sometimes.

BTW The drama is stepped up a notch in this chapter.

Rating: T

Characters: Beca/Jesse, the rest of the Pitch Perfect cast (eventually), plus some other characters.

Warnings: Mature situations referenced and swearing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pitch Perfect or the songs used in this fic in any way. I'm just playing with them.


Hurricanes – Chapter 9 – Hard Truths


"You are an evil woman, Beca Mitchell."

"I try," she replied smugly.

Jesse gave her his own version of a fake smile and said, "No, really, you are. Signing me up to sing 'You Sexy Thing' by that Hot Chocolate band and then 'Barbie Girl' by Aqua. You are such a cruel, cruel thing to shoot my ego to pieces like that." He grimaced in remembrance of the odd looks he received upon attempting to sing that last song.

Beca just snickered softly, greatly satisfied. She had laughed loudly upon hearing Jesse sing both songs, so hard that tears had leaked out of her eyes.

"Payback is a bitch, just so you know," Jesse murmured, reaching over the poke her upper arm insistently until she grabbed it and slung it around her shoulders. They were a minute away from the house, so Beca decided to soak up Jesse's warmth and presence as much as she could before they returned. It had been another pleasant experience at Mindy's and as far as she could tell, Jesse had enjoyed himself immensely, even through the embarrassing songs she had made him sing.

Upon unlocking the front door and entering the darkened house, Beca felt that something was off.

It wasn't even 9.30 yet, and her mother was in her room, as evidenced by the light shining through a small gap. She was in the house, which was clear because her car was in the driveway. But why wouldn't she be watching tv like she usually did…?

Jesse had just come in behind her when they both heard it.

A low, male voice emanating from Vicki's room, accompanied by her high, icy tone.

"Please, mistress, whip me again."

"Only because you asked so nicely, my pet."

Beca froze, a wash of emotion hitting her. She felt repulsed by the knowledge her mother had brought a rare man home for some of her dominance sex games, grossed out by the fact her mother knew they would be returning at this time and had gone ahead anyway, and most of all, utterly ashamed and humiliated that Jesse was present and hearing this. "Oh my god," she groaned, face darkening with a pink flush.

"Oh, mistress," the male replied, clearly heard through the door.

Jesse cocked his head to the side, incredulous. "Wow…" he muttered. Of all things that he had expected, this was definitely not one of them. He was grossed out by it, but in taking in Beca's posture and muttered words, he felt sorry for his girlfriend. She had to live with this. And he had a feeling this was intentional. After all, the door was ever so slightly opened, like Vicki had wanted them to know exactly what she was doing. He decided to ignore it and roll with the hand he had been dealt. Taking Beca's hand, he pulled her from her stunned state and guided her into her room, enclosing them from the noise by shutting the door with a snap.

"Fuck. Fuck. Shit, fuck, crap, and shit," Beca cursed, stumbling back and collapsing on her bed, her hands covering her face. She was amazed that Jesse had taken 'it' in his stride if his silence and concern for her was any indication.

"Yep."

"I'm so sorry you had to hear that Jesse," the prone girl replied, peering through her fingers to see Jesse sitting in her desk chair, rolling it over to her bed.

He shrugged. "I know it's natural for people to want to scratch that itch, and hell, I know my parents aren't celibate, but we never hear them. But that was pretty blatant," he said.

"No shit Sherlock," Beca grumbled, punching a pillow in disgust for her mother. There was that feeling, that angry ashamed feeling like someone had scooped out her insides from her ribcage down. Upset, she told him, "She's done that before. Brought a guy home and kept me up all night by keeping the door open and being…loud. I swear, she does it just out of spite to annoy me."

"Why?" probed Jesse quietly.

"She sees having a man under your thumb as a measure of success and flaunts it that she's more sophisticated and so attractive that men will willingly fall at her feet," Beca mumbled softly, anger and hurt warring within her. She loved her mother to some extent but when she acted like this is made it easy to dislike her.

Jesse looked thoughtful. "I'm all for girl power and feminism, but I think that's going about it the wrong way."

Beca stared at the ceiling. Why couldn't she have a normal family? Why, for once, couldn't her mother let her have some happiness? Why wasn't she, Beca, enough?

She must have said the last question aloud for Jesse grimaced and he gazed upon her with so much sympathy she almost growled at him. Instead of retreating, Jesse crawled into the bed behind her slender figure, sliding his arms around her. "This ok?" he checked. With Beca facing away from him (it usually made talking about personal things easier), he felt more than saw her nod. He wanted to address what she had said.

"Beca, it's not that you're not enough," Jesse began. "You are. You totally are. For me and for the Bella's, and for your father too. I can't speak for your mother. I don't think anyone can, but the way she treats you isn't right, regardless of anything that's happened in the past. If she's just taking out bitterness over the divorce on you, or because you want to carve your own path in this world, then that's on her, not you. She can't control you, just like I can't control you." He paused, feeling Beca shudder in his arms, trying to hold back her emotions. Jesse shut his eyes, deciding to just bite the bullet and say what he had been wanting to say about Vicki. "Becs…if you've been enduring this since the divorce, then it's years of emotional abuse."

"It's not abuse," she protested quickly. She wouldn't label herself as abused, it made her feel weak.

"It is, regardless of how strong it's made you. It's playing stupid mind games. It's making you feel like you're not worth anything, it's making you not feel at home at a place you should feel at home. It's not supporting you through thick and thin and showing care," Jesse pointed out fiercely. "You shouldn't have to put up with this." He squeezed her, glad she didn't fight against him like he expected. Instead, he felt Beca's shoulders sag and she pressed back into him.

"I…" Beca hesitated. His words put things into perspective – but in all honestly, it was a perspective she had subconsciously known for a while. Her mother's indifference and emotional back and forth, the neglect at times, wasn't normal.

It was just so much simpler to push away cold evidence into a realm of denial.

Jesse decided to suggest in the ensuing silence, "Why don't you move to Atlanta soon rather than wait out the summer? Why prolong such a bad experience? You deserve better."

Beca's stubbornness reared its head. "I can't."

"Why not? Or better yet, why don't you come to spend some time in North Carolina with me? You know my parents would love to have you," he pushed.

Beca bit her tongue to keep from snapping, composing herself and saying forcefully, "I have to stay. I have to endure this-"

"What for?" Jesse asked exasperatedly.

"Because she's my mother," Beca finally answered softly, choking up at the end. She couldn't explain it. She felt like she would fail some sort of test if she didn't. And because, at the end of the day, this summer was the last chance she would probably have to make her mother proud in some way. Deep down, Beca wanted her mother's approval, the love she had felt as a young child before something had gone wrong in Vicki's brain.

Jesse seemed to understand, pressing a kiss to the gap of skin at the nape of her neck. "Okay then. I guess we'll just have to make the most of the rest of this week then." He sat up and said, "I better get to my room."

Beca's hand shot out, gripping his arm with a force that surprised the both of them.

"Stay," she implored, staring at the door blankly.

Jesse, indecisive, wondered if it was wise, but lay back down all the same, collecting the lithe body in his arms again and throwing the light blanket over them. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Beca managed a wan smile at that. So sweet of him, really, making sure that she was comfortable at all times, knowing that pushing too hard would make her react unfavourably. "Would I tell you to stay if I wasn't?" she shot back.

Jesse's chuckle rumbled through her body wonderfully and his melodic voice whispered, "Who knows with your mind. But can I just say that this is a first for me – sleeping in the same bed with another girl that's not my mother or sister."

The information made Beca feel like she had just drunk a fresh, hot coffee, all warm inside. "Same here too, weirdo. You're the first guy, ever," she admitted. She knew he was grinning at the comment, and settled down to rest.

"Good night million dollar baby."

"Good night dork."

It was new, but surprisingly comfortable to get used to the position they were in, curled up together. When Jesse's breathing evened out, Beca reflected that she had never felt so safe, secure, and wanted in the world as when she was in Jesse's arms. While music was her comfort, her inspiration, her sanctuary to retreat to, there had never been a physical embodiment of it until now.

With that knowledge warming her heart, she fell asleep against the peacefully slumbering Jesse.


Vicki Parting woke up very satisfied with herself.

Not only did she feel somewhat relaxed from the orgasms she had demanded Tim (or was it Tom? Oh who cares, he was young and active, and most of all, willing) give her, but she had successfully timed it so that Beca and her friend Jesse had known exactly what she was up to.

Was it petty? Probably. But she didn't care.

She had to remind the two who had the power and supremacy within the household. She did. If she wanted to have sex and have them know about it, then she would.

Maybe it was time to introduce Beca to the wealthy sons of high end law firm partners, to show her how good this life was. Vicki hummed thoughtfully as she slid out of her silk sheets and pulled on her robe. She convinced herself that this life had been a much better one than the one before the divorce.

Vicki paused, a tremor of emotion making its way up through her facade as she remembered that time in her life. She hadn't gotten what she had wanted at the time, with David being so resistant to something that would further her own career, so she had initiated the divorce and gotten her revenge.

Now, if Beca hadn't taken after her father so much, maybe she wouldn't find it so hard to love her.

Vicki sighed, irritated. Beca had been a lovely child at first, if headstrong. But her father had tainted her with idealism and dreaming and had turned Beca against her. Why else would Beca prefer David to her? So when the divorce happened, and Vicki had set out to make sure Beca would never go to David permanently by lying to the young girl about why 'daddy' had left them.

Because Beca was the prize against David Mitchell, and she had won.

Smirking faintly, Vicki moved to her computer. She had to check the camera logs, see if anything interesting had happened. Maybe she would see that Jesse boy in his boxers again. He was good looking, if a bit too young for her tastes.

As she reviewed the footage, her face twisted from blankness to outright rage.

'He broke my RULES!' she screamed internally, rewinding the living area footage, seeing the pair go down the hall and presumably into Beca's room together, for the boy didn't show up in his room according to the camera.

"I'll show them," Vicki hissed. She controlled Beca. And this Jesse boy had just made a huge mistake.


A/N: I promised drama didn't I? :D It's coming. Next chapter will be good, I promise. I'll try and get it up before I go travelling.

I hope you enjoyed Jesse and Beca talking about the subjects they did. And yes, Vicki is a psychopath, but there is a reason for it which will eventually be revealed. Reviews are always awesome and treasured! Just saying ;)