It's An Aca-Wonderful Life
SUMMARY: Beca learns what life would be like if she never joined the Bellas.
Set not long after Who Framed Aubrey Posen.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I've noticed that the It's A Wonderful Life gimmick has been overdone on TV shows and I'm surprised no one else thought of doing that here before I did. Well, let's see how this turns out.
CHAPTER 1:
One day in mid-December, the very last Bellas practice for the semester was coming to a close.
"I should've taken that cardio tip more seriously," Amy admitted.
"How much have you done?" Aubrey asked.
"You just saw it," Amy replied.
"Chloe, you need to hit that last note," Aubrey said.
"I can't. It's impossible because of my nodes," Chloe complained.
"Well, if you can't do it, someone else will have to," Aubrey told her.
"I think Beca should take my solo," Chloe suggested.
"Wait; you want me to solo?" Beca asked.
"Yeah. Come on; you'll be great at it," Chloe encouraged.
"Just one condition: I get to pick another song and make an arrangement out of it," Beca stated.
"Let me break it down for you - our goal is to get to the finals, and these songs will get us there," Aubrey reminded her.
"Oh, I beg to differ!" Beca argued.
"Aca-scuse me?" Aubrey fired back.
"Think about it, Aubrey; do you honestly think the judges at regionals will want to listen to songs that are way too retro for this day and age?" Beca asked.
"Yes! Because I'm always right!" Aubrey said firmly.
"Aca-scuse me? You've been wrong lots of times in your life!" Chloe reminded her.
"Like you're any better?" Aubrey fired back, causing Chloe to scoff at her.
"ENOUGH! If you're not willing to let me pick another song, then I'm not doing the solo," Beca said, standing her ground.
"Very well. Amy, you'll solo," Aubrey said.
"YEAH!" Amy said excitedly.
"Okay, everyone. Have a good holiday break, and please remember the choreography so it'll be fresh in your mind when we return. See you in a month," Aubrey said as everyone left.
"You okay?" Chloe asked Beca as the two walked out.
"Yeah. I just think it'd be nice if Aubrey would be willing to sit down and listen to my mixes," Beca said.
"Well, I think your mixes are great, and I think she would too if she ever heard them," Chloe said as Beca pondered an idea.
"There is one way," Beca said before taking out her phone and sending a text to Aubrey which read: "Meet me at my dorm room at 6 p.m. tonight."
Later that evening, Beca was working on a mix in her dorm room when someone knocked on her door.
"Come in," Beca said as Mary Elise entered.
"Hey, Beca. I just wanted to say goodbye," she said.
"Heading home for the holiday?" Beca asked.
"I'm transferring schools," Mary Elise said.
"Why?" Beca asked.
"I came to this school to be a Bella, and now that I got kicked out, there's no reason for me to stay here. I would've left right after being kicked out, but I thought it'd make more sense to at least finish the semester," Mary Elise explained.
"Oh. Well, wherever you end up going, good luck to you," Beca said, hugging Mary Elise.
"Thanks. I'll never forget you, Beca," Mary Elise said.
"Take care," Beca said as Mary Elise left.
Thirty minutes later, someone else knocked on the door.
"Come in," Beca called out as Aubrey entered.
"Hey, Beca. You wanted to see me?" Aubrey asked.
"Yes, have a seat," Beca asked, pointing at her desk chair.
Aubrey sat down, and Beca reached out to hold her hands. Aubrey was confused by the greeting. In a flash, Beca had handcuffed Aubrey's wrists together.
"Ha! Now you'll have to listen to my mixes," Beca said.
"You gotta be out of your mind if you think I'm willing to listen to your mixes," Aubrey said.
"I thought you'd say that," Beca said as she proceeded to grab a roll of duct tape and taped Aubrey's mouth shut.
"Don't fight it. Just sit back...and enjoy the show," she ordered before pressing play on one of her mixes.
Fifteen minutes later, after Beca had Aubrey listen to her stuff, she took the tape off Aubrey's mouth.
"Ow!" Aubrey yelled from the pain of having the tape removed.
"Well?" Beca asked, waiting for input.
"First of all, NEVER tape my mouth shut again. Second, I will admit...you have a good ear when it comes to music. But don't think that'll change my mind about our set. As long as I still hold the pitch pipe, what I say goes," Aubrey said as she left while Beca stood with a shocked look on her face.
"Well, that could've gone better," Beca said.
Later, someone else dropped in. "Haven't you torn me down enough, Aubrey?" Beca growled as she glared at the door.
"It's Chloe," the voice said from behind the door.
"Oh. Come in," Beca said as Chloe entered.
"Hey, just thought I'd drop by before I go home. You okay?" Chloe asked.
"My plan backfired," Beca said, bummed out.
"To get Aubrey to listen to your mixes?" Chloe asked.
"Oh, I got her to listen to them all right. It's just that she's still not convinced that anything but her idea of a setlist will lead us to a national championship," Beca said.
"I agree with you, but it's like I said; there's just no reasoning with her," Chloe said.
"There are days I wish I never joined the Bellas," Beca said, a bit discouraged.
Chloe gasped. "Beca, don't ever say that! The Bellas love you. You know that," she assured her.
"Then why doesn't it feel like that sometimes?" Beca asked.
"Listen, I know you're upset things didn't work out as you hoped, but some things in life aren't worth getting worked up over," Chloe said, wiping Beca's tears.
"Maybe you're right. For Pete's sake, her setlist better end up working out. If it doesn't, I've got four words prepared for her," Beca said.
"I told you so?" Chloe asked.
"Exactly!" Beca said.
"Alright. Well, I have to get going, but I'll text you later. Merry Christmas," Chloe said, grabbing her purse and leaving.
"Same to you," Beca said before falling asleep.