A/N: Ok so I wasn't sure I was going to post this because it's pretty pointless but I thought fuck it.
I love the friendship between Anna Kendrick and James Corden and everything they do together so I kind of wanted to bring a bit of that into this world.
Beca could hear the animated cheers of the studio audience as the show went back on air after a commercial break. This was her first public appearance since Charlie was born and she was thrilled that it was with James Corden. She had appeared on the show a few times since her rise to fame and had been pleasantly surprised to find an easy repartee with the British talk show host. It was always one of her favourite shows to do, that and Ellen of course. She smoothed out her little black dress as she heard him begin her introduction.
"My next guest is one of the hottest music producers on the scene right now and long time friend of the show. Ladies and gentlemen it's the beautiful, the hilarious, the wonderfully talented Beca Mitchell!"
The house band played her cue to step out on to the stage as the host stood up to greet her. The audience broke into riotous applause as she smiled and gave a small wave.
"Hi James!" She greeted him with a hug.
"Lovely to see you again Beca," he smiled at her as they took their seats and waited for the audience to settle down.
"Thanks for having me back," she smoothed her dress out over her lap.
"Yeah, it's been a bit of a while hasn't it?" he began the talk portion of the segment, leaning one arm on the table as he turned slightly to face her.
"Yeah, I've been pretty busy," she chuckled.
"I know that, you've got what 3 albums you've worked on in the top 10?"
"Yeah 3 in the album chart and 4 in the singles," she confirmed with a nod. "Which is just absolutely crazy and amazing!"
"It is absolutely crazy and amazing," he agreed with a light chuckle. "But it's not just work that has had you busy though; I believe you and your wife have just had a baby, haven't you?"
"Yes we have," Beca nodded unable to stop the beaming smile pulling across her face. The audience cooed and cheered. "A little baby girl, Charlie who is 3 weeks old now."
"Wow that's great. Congratulations!" He smiled and Beca genuinely believed he meant it. "How are mum and baby doing?"
"They're doing great, thanks for asking," she leaned forward in her seat as she spoke. A loving smile on her face as she talked about her little family. "Chloe is incredible, she's got this routine down and she's like walking around the house with Charlie wrapped to her like making dinner and doing laundry and just getting shit done! Meanwhile I'm just over here like desperately trying not to drop her."
The audience laughed.
"Which I haven't yet, by the way," she assured them, earning another laugh.
"It takes some getting used to doesn't it?" he laughed, a father himself he knew how it was adjusting to a newborn.
"Yeah, she's great though. I mean her favourite things in the world are like eating and sleeping, so we have that in common," she shrugged. "She's amazing though, so tiny and perfect."
"Do you have any pictures we can see?" He asked, having cleared it with Beca beforehand.
"Oh I've got pictures!" She nodded, pulling her phone out of her pocket.
She pulled up one of the pictures she and Chloe had decided to release and held it across to James. It was one of the more recent pictures she has taken of Charlie sleeping in her onesie that looked like she had headphones around her next. One little hand was balled up into balled up into a fist at the side of her head and her little lips parted slightly as she slept.
"Aw that's adorable. Can we get a look at that?" He held the phone out for the camera to zoom in on. The audience gave a collective aw at the picture. "Following in your footsteps already I see."
"You have to get them while they're young James," Beca nodded seriously. "Although after 3 weeks I can tell you that she has definitely inherited her mom's vocal range!"
"Really?" He laughed.
"Oh yes, she might be little but she can really belt it out of her when she's hungry!"
"It's funny, you mentioned Chloe's vocal range there and am I right in saying you met your wife through a college a capella group?" he asked and Beca laughed.
"Actually I met Chloe because she forced me to join an a capella group in college," she explained nodding her head.
"Now I don't know if you know this, Beca, but I'm something of an a capella singer myself," James leaned back in his seat.
"I did not know that, no," Beca chuckled.
"Oh yeah!" He nodded confidently. "So I was thinking to celebrate the birth of your new baby we should have a baby themed riff-off!"
"Really? You really sure you want to do that," she asked laughing cockily and narrowing her eyes at the host challengingly.
"I'm pretty sure, yeah," he nodded with a cocky air to match Beca's.
"I mean, you do know that I won 3 national championships and 1 world title with the Bellas?" she smirked smugly at him. "Do you really want to embarrass yourself on your own show?"
"You think you can beat me?" he scoffed.
"Oh no, I know I can beat you!"
"Alright so we're doing this then?" He stood up from his seat and stretched out his shoulders and neck.
"Let's do it!" She agreed, standing to follow him to the side stage as the audience cheered.
"Alright then," he began decidedly. "Standard riff-off rules apply and to help us out with this, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Filharmonic!"
The audience cheered as the curtain behind them parted to reveal the a capella troupe.
"Ok let's have a look and see what our first category is," he paused to allow the effects to be added in post. "Songs about making babies!"
A chuckle rippled through the audience. James made a show of stretching and warning himself up.
"Think you've got this," he asked.
"Pretty sure, yeah," Beca nodded with a smug grin on her face. "It's your show though so I feel it's only right I at least give you a head start before I kick your ass!"
"Oh! Some fighting talk there Mitchell. We ready guys?" He gave a nod to the band and they started to sing.
"Throw your clothes on the floor
I'm gonna take my clothes off too
I made plans to be with you
Girl whatever you ask me you know I can do."
He moved around the stage as he sang and the audience cheered. Beca made a show of looking unimpressed and bored.
"I'll make love to you, Like you want me to
And I'll hold you tight
Baby all through the night
I'll make love to you
When you want me to
And I will not let go
Till you tell me to."
"Baby I'm hot just like an oven," Beca cut him of by belting out the first line of the Marvin Gaye classic and earned an impressed cheer from the audience.
"I need some lovin'
And baby, I can't hold it much longer
It's getting stronger and stronger.
And when I get that feeling I want sexual healing."
The audience went crazy cheering when she finished singing and she grinned proudly.
"Alright so that was a tie," James said decidedly, looking just a little put out that the audience clearly preferred Beca. "I've underestimated you Mitchell. But I'll just have to bring it in the next category."
Again he paused for effect.
"Name songs!" He announced excitedly. "Filharmonic we ready?"
"Well sometimes I go out by myself and I look across the water
And I think of all the things, what you're doing and in my head I paint a picture," he danced around the stage exaggeratedly, making a show of dancing in Beca's face. She had to bit her tongue to keep from laughing.
"Cause since I've come on home, well my body's been a mess
And I mess your ginger hair and the way you like to dress
Won't you come on over, stop making a fool out of me.
Why don't you come on over Valerie!"
"Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her?
Takes to the sky like a bird in flight and who will be her lover?" Beca stole the focus entirely as she launched into the Fleetwood Mac classic. She easily slips into her stage persona sending smouldering looks down the lens of the camera. Beside her James frowns at being upstaged.
"All your life you've never seen a woman taken by the wind.
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
Will you ever win?
Rhiannon."
The crowd roared as she drew out her final note. She grinned and encouraged them to keep going.
"Alright, alright!" James stepped up beside her and tried to settle the audience. "Let's not forget who's show this is!"
Beca joined the laughter of the audience as James poured at his obvious defeat.
"Ok I can tell when I've been beaten," he conceded. "That was pretty impressive Beca."
"Thank you," she giggled. "Don't feel too bad James, pretty much every party with my friends ends in a riff-off so I've had plenty of practise."
"Those sound like parties I need to be invited to," he said keenly before turning to the camera to wrap the show.
"That's all we have time for tonight. A huge thanks to the wonderful Beca Mitchell and of course the Filharmonic for making this a great show. Be sure to tune in tomorrow when my guests will be the incredible Elizabeth Banks and Hailee Steinfeld! Goodnight!"
The house band kicked up as the crowd clapped and cheered for the end of the show.
"That was amazing Beca, thanks for doing it," James smiled at the producer now the mics had been cut and they were making their way off stage.
"No, it was great," Beca laughed. "A Bella never backs down from a riff-off!"
"Anyway make sure to come back again for a re-match! Give my best to Chloe and the baby."
"I will thanks! Chloe is going to be so mad she missed out on a riff-off!" Beca laughed, she could picture her wife's pouting face already.
"Well invite me to one of these riff-off parties and I'll take her on too," he scoffed. He had met Chloe when he and his wife had been seated at the same table as the couple at an awards show and had really enjoyed their company.
"Hey, if you think you can handle it, you and Julia are more than welcome to come to our next cook out," she said, genuinely extending the invitation to the host. She knew Chloe would only be too happy to hang out with the couple again. "I gotta warn you though my girls can get kind of crazy!"
"Sounds like my kind of people, count us in!" he laughed.
They reached Beca's dressing room and said goodbye. The DJ hurried inside to grab her things. She had enjoyed doing the show but all she wanted to do now was get home to her girls.