A/N: I think it's obvious who the new talent is.
Next chapter still won't have Chloe in it… mostly because I just thought of something happening to make their mission more urgent, let's see how that turns up. But Chloe will make her appearance soon!
I was also thinking of doing a chapter or two on Chloe's perspective as well as Aubrey and Stacie. So let's see. So far I have the story planned for about 24/25 chapters.
Thanks for all the comments so far!
I don't own pitch perfect.
Beca's night was riddled with question after question.
It was starting to come to her, and oh so naturally too.
The memories of this world's Beca.
Well, for as long as it related to Chloe that is.
And while it was a bit of good news, the relative ease that it comes started to worry Stacie.
Which definitely translates to not being a good news.
"I thought you'd be able to remember things, you know, take a peek at our Beca's memories. Like you're watching a video, and you were the viewer, not view things from the same perspective. Definitely not feel the emotions those memories invoke. By the sound of it, it seems like you're memories – and to an extent, who you are – are fusing with the memories of our world's Beca."
"Which mean I could be one with your Beca?" Beca asked.
"Which mean yes, you could fuse entirely with our Beca. Best case end result, you simply slip back to your world. Worst case, you disappear."
"No. Stacie, that can't happen!" Beca protested.
"I'll look into it. But if that happens, our worlds might end up merging, or colliding. Either way, the repercussions of such an event shouldn't be ignored. Can you swing by the lab tomorrow after your earlier appointment?"
"I definitely will." was all that Beca gave as a reply.
Which made Beca even more determined to wrap things up early with the new artist she was about to meet.
Who of course just had to be someone she actually knew.
"Legacy?" Beca mumbled as Emily walked into the studio with her manager.
"I'm sorry?" Emily asked genuinely confused.
"Ah, nothing, sorry. My mind's a bit scattered here and there lately but don't worry about it." Beca quickly gave as a reply.
Working with Emily was easy.
She was pretty much the same Emily she met in her own world.
Other than the fact that she's not a Bella.
Just like Flo.
So she had no idea about who Chloe is.
Never even met Stacie and Aubrey.
The Emily of this world also turned out to be just as talented as the Emily she knew from her world.
As talented and clumsy as she almost knocked over the mic stand in the booth.
"Careful there Ems." Beca sighed.
Yeah, same old tall, talented and clumsy Emily.
Exactly like her version of the Legacy.
They finished up earlier than expected, which meant Beca had some free time before meeting up with Stacie and Aubrey at the lab. Emily thought it would be a great idea to try to get to know each other better since they would be working together lot in projects and such, so Beca accepted her offer for lunch.
"So what's got you so distracted?" Emily asked. "Sorry, hope I'm not prying into your personal life or anything. I heard you were a very private person. I was just curious."
"No, it's no problem. Sorry for being a little spaced out when we met." Beca replied and smiled back at Emily. "So Ems, not in college?"
"No, I am. Part time. My schedule has me constantly travelling, so I'm taking a lighter load for now. I'm trying to get the best of both worlds."
"Good. Where do you go?"
"Barden. My mom was a member of this acapella team there. Flying in and out is insane but so far I'm loving it there."
"Sounds good. And you should totally join them next year, the Bellas. That's her acapella team right? My best friend was also a former member." Beca then suggested, glad to hear that there was the chance for the Legacy to become a legacy.
Emily looked incredibly excited about it and started rambling endlessly about the stories of the Bellas she's heard from her mom before she realized she was probably chatting Beca's ears off. She cleared her throat as she apologized again, prompting Beca to laugh a little. "So what's got you in a bunch?" Emily then asked.
Beca sighed, hesitant to answer, but if Emily was truly the same Emily form her world, then she knew she could – and should – probably tell her. She might actually be able to help her.
So Beca explained it anyways.
"See. The hard thing is, sometimes I feel like she's too good for me. I'm too broken, damaged. But at the same time, she makes me feel better. That I'm better. That it's okay that I'm a mess, and she doesn't even try to clean me up or fix me. She lets me do it on my own, with my own time. She doesn't force her ideal of 'being fixed' for me. Neither does she expect anything more than just being who I am." Beca explained. She was totally talking about her version of Chloe to Emily, but what the Legacy didn't need to know, she didn't need to know.
"Sounds like she really loves you." Emily commented.
"God, I really hope so." Beca then said. "I guess the problem is me. I'm flaky. I keep running away from her every time we get so close. I never knew that the word 'almost' could hurt the most. We had too many of those. 'Almost'. Just because I keep running away. I keep leaving her hanging, waiting. She deserves someone better."
"I think you're wrong. You're being too hard on yourself. What if it's not about who stayed, but about who came back despite of everything? What if it's not about the number of times you run away, but about the number of times you came back? It doesn't matter if you keep staying, if you never left, if it means you're just settling for what is a sure thing. My mom told me once, life is all about its ups and downs, like what your heart beat is like in a cardiogram. It's what tells you you're alive. If you don't have those moments when you're at your lowest and you keep getting tested, and you don't have those moments when you're at your highest and happiest, then everything is stagnant. It's a flat line. You're not alive. Maybe the struggle is important so that you'll learn to treasure what it is that's right on front of you, 'cause you know, you end up fighting so hard for it."
"You know, you're pretty wise for being so young."
"I'm not wise, I'm just quoting my mom. Sort of/" Emily replied. It was the truth. "So are you going to fight for her?"
Beca looked thoughtful for a moment and smiled. "Yes."
"Good. She's one lucky girl then."
"How can you say that when you already know my reputation? I heard your manager keeping you posted with constant reminders."
"Because I can see you really love her, just from the way you talk about her. Besides, the Beca Mitchell not wanting any other lady around other than her must mean something, right?"
"Yeah, I guess it should." Beca answered. "Thanks Em, I've got to go, but call me or whatever if you need me."
"Hey, I should be thanking you! And if you need any help, give me a call too!" Emily answered back a little too enthusiastically.
Beca soon found herself on her way to Stacie's lab.
Emily's words in mind.
She had to admit, she's learning a lot from this experience.
Things she should have learned and realized earlier if she had not been so obstinately trying to be oblivious.
And from the people she knew too.
Well, different versions of them.
But it still counts.