So I finally got this written! I hope you all like it. It's a combination of all the flashbacks to make the Lily thing a little easier to follow, but there's some extended bits and one or two brand new scenes. If you don't want to read it all again, skip the second to last part! What happens after graduation is included there but BE CAREFUL because if you go too far too quickly you will ruin it. I have put three seperating thingys (the grey lines, I don't know what they're called) so you know where it begins.

This is my final thank you to everyone who read, followed, favourited and reviewed this story. You are all truly amazing, and being able to talk to some of you (I'm looking mainly at you Jael House Rock and Hannah!)has been just incredible. I'm sad to finally see this story end but am glad for all the support I got in the process of writing it. Thank you all, I love you guys! :)

18 – HAPPILY EVER AFTER

"Jesse Swanson! What the hell is this?!"

Freshman year in the studio, a week after her arrest. They had been working separately, their friendship still rocky after the happenings outside the police station. Okay so not rocky; they hadn't spoken at all. Until, it seemed, that moment, when Beca went to put back an album and found, attached to Creed's My Own Prison, a pair of pink fluffy handcuffs.

Beca looked up at the balcony that Jesse was leaning over casually, holding the handcuffs gingerly between her finger and thumb. He was grinning at her while she glared at him. She was suppressing a smile though and she knew he knew it.

"Those are so next time you want to get handcuffed you'll be more comfortable." He said it so seriously that Beca had to take a second to collect herself. It felt like forever since they had interacted and it seemed her tolerance level had been significantly weakened.

"You think this is funny?" She held them up and raised her eyebrows. Their eyes were locked in a battle, his mouth twisted into a smirk and hers perfectly serious. The neon pink cuffs were dangling from her finger, her other hand on her hip (Jesse would later tell her how attractive she had been in that moment, standing there with a sexy attitude).

And then she snorted and began to laugh. Because she couldn't believe he had gone out and bought handcuffs just to break the tension. Because he had so obviously wanted them to be friends again that he's given in when she, honestly, should be the one to apologise. But mostly because she had missed him, no matter how much she had tried to not get attached.

He joined in, her laughter infectious. He lent further over the railings, his eyes shining at her, and she settled into a smile. Beca was glad they were able to talk again; the station had become weirdly awkward and lonely without their usual banter.

He winked at her slyly. "Who knows, maybe you'll find an ulterior use for them."

She rolled her eyes and he went to turn back to his work, but she stopped him. "Hey, Jesse?"

He spun around and nodded. "Yeah?"

"I uh, I'm sorry. About regionals. I shouldn't have shouted at you like that, you were just trying to help me." She looked up at him and saw his face had softened. "Thank you," she added. "You didn't have to stick around for me, but you did and I appreciate it."

Jesse smiled softly at her and she felt a flutter in her stomach. "You don't need to say thank you. And I'm sorry Beca, really. I didn't know about your daddy issues but I know now - next time you get arrested for being my knight in shining armour, do not call the father!"

She glared at him but it was ruined by her smile. "Be careful mister, or you'll find yourself handcuffed to the school statue in just your underwear." She shook the offending present at him.

Unfazed by her threat, he lent over the bannister and winked at her, saying quietly, "As long as it's you that undresses me, I'm game."

She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, refusing to show him how his comment had sent a thrill up her spine. "I don't know, I think I remember Amy saying something about being happy to do me a favour after her running off. Maybe I'll just have to set her on you."

She didn't miss the way he swallowed nervously at her empty threat, and she smirked at him. It was good to be back to normal.

"Jesse, seriously, this could not get any more corny." Beca scoffed and popped a grape in her mouth, smirking as he held his hand out to her. It was their third date and he had taken her for a picnic at the beach, the sun set casting a glow on Jesse's face. They had eaten all the picking food Jesse has been able to find, their blanket now scattered with dirty paper plates and used napkins.

"Beca, if you deny me the opportunity for a perfect movie moment, I might just have to do something drastic." He gestured her to him with his fingers but she stayed stubbornly on the blanket, her arms and legs crossed.

"Like what?" she challenged with a grin.

"Like…" He made a show of his face falling into an evil snare. "Throw you in the ocean."

Beca had every intention of going to him, but she found his desperation amusing. The sun was so close to being gone and she didn't want to ruin his apparent dream, so she rolled her eyes dramatically and huffed as she let him pull her up.

"This isn't going to work you know," she said matter of factly. He ignored her and wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping tight hold of her hand close to his chest. His thumb was stroking circles on her lower back and it was distracting her, so the end of her sentence came out breathy. "There's no music."

He winked at her and pulled her even closer, beginning to sway gently. Her hand, acting on its own, traced up his arm and held onto his bicep, her fingertips digging into his muscles. Nothing could hide the smile on her face, could stop her from swaying with him. Beca let him lead and felt herself relax into his arms as they swayed to a beat playing only in Jesse's mind.

"When I look into your eyes, it's like watching the night sky, or a beautiful sunrise," he sung under his breath, staring into her eyes and smiling at the blush that graced her cheeks. "There's so much they hold and just like them old stars, I see that you've come so far to be right where you are. How old is your soul?"

"You're a weirdo," she said, laughing, wrapping her arms around his neck. She couldn't stop smiling and she knew she should hate the effect he was having on her, but she couldn't help it. He made her feel free and loved and special.

"I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough, I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up." Jesse rested his forehead against hers. "And when you're needing your space, to do some navigating, I'll be here patiently waiting, to see what you find."

"'Cause even the stars they burn," she found herself joining in, and he stopped singing to let her carry on. "Some even fall to the earth, we've got a lot to learn, God knows we're worth it, no, I won't give up."

"You're pretty good," he said with fake surprise. "I mean, I'm obviously better but-" She smacked him playfully and then rested her cheek on his chest.

"I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily, I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make," Beca sang softly, feeling his arms tighten around her. "Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use, the tools and gifts we got, yeah, we got a lot at stake. And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend, for us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn, we had to learn how to bend without the world caving in, I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not, and who I am."

"I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough," they sung together; him into her hair, her into his shirt. "I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up, still looking up."

And as they sang, Beca knew she meant every word. She wasn't just smitten with the guy – she was a goner, he had her hook line and sinker and somehow, despite everything that should tell her otherwise, she knew she had found her guy. She would never love another, never be with another, and even though it would get difficult at times, she would never leave. Because Jesse was it for her. She wouldn't give up on him.

"Beca this is completely ridiculous, it can only end in some form of pain," Jesse tried to say seriously but his amusement leaked through. He grabbed onto her hand, letting her pull him up through the window. Jesse had been living in the Treble house for 8 days – which Beca had slept in for the past 6 – and had very reluctantly let his girlfriend of 4 months plan a surprise for him. Which, to her delight and his increasing certainty of death, involved climbing out of a window and having a midnight picnic on the roof.

"Would you relax? The people in your movies do this all the time, you should be loving this."

Beca dropped the canvas bag full of their food at her feet, awkwardly arranging herself so that she was sitting down with her arms supporting her weight. She looked up at him, grinning at the adorable little wrinkle of worry forming between his eyebrows.

"This is why you don't get to pick what we do." But Jesse sat down beside her anyway, lying back with his arm behind his head. She lay down beside him and they both looked up at the stars above them. It was a cloudless night and they twinkled prettily in the warm air.

"You know, I'm kind of an expert on stars." His tone was casual, his eyes focussed on the sky.

"Oh are you now?" Beca said in amused surprise.

"Totally. See that one there?" He pointed up to a cluster of stars and Beca nodded. "That's Orion's Belt. Fun fact; it doesn't actually look anything like a belt."

"Yeah I can see that." Beca bit her lip but let him continue.

"And that one, that's Throwback, the only ogre to ever spit over three wheat fields."

Beca scoffed. "Right, of course."

"And look, there's Blood-nut the Flatulant!" Jesse pointed up again, his tone perfectly serious. "You can guess what he's famous for."

"Now I know you're making this up…" Beca muttered dryly despite finding him very entertaining. Not that she'd ever tell him that.

Jesse couldn't believe how perfect her comeback had been.

"N,o look, there he is," Jesse traced a path between the stars and then pointed to another cluster, "and there's the group of hunters running away from his stench."

Beca elbowed him in the ribs. "I cannot believe you are quoting Shrek at me."

He turned his head and met her eyes, his amusement making his eyes shine just like the stars. "I find it so hot that you know that."

Beca grabbed the bag of food and shoved it at him as he laughed at her. "Just eat the cheese and shut up."

"No donkey, that's the moon."

"Call me donkey again and I will push you off this roof myself."

Her birthday in that second year at Barden had been different to the rest. In her past years she had no one to celebrate with so often her day passed like most others. She didn't mind, she didn't think they were that big a deal. It was the anniversary of your birth, nothing more; there was no real significance other than you were legally deemed an older number.

But that birthday had been different, because the Bella's had organised a giant surprise birthday party for her at the Treble's house. The house was full of people, dancing and drinking and having a good time. The music thumped in Beca's chest, echoing dull and warped around Jesse's bedroom as she stood with her back to the door, watching him in amusement. He was fumbling around in drawers, having drunk a fair amount after getting forced into doing a keg stand. She was a little worse for wear herself, which is why she made no attempt at hiding how badly she was checking him out when he leaned over and she could see that strip of the elastic band around his underwear peeking out – her favourite of course.

"You know that you don't need to check me out, you've already seen me naked," he called over his shoulder.

"Exactly."

He didn't miss her wicked grin as he finally straightened a red box in his hand that he held up triumphantly. But before she could react, she watched how his eyes dilated a little more. Beca winced; that only meant one thing, it meant Jesse was going to make a big deal out of a small thing because it would apply to a movie plot.

Sweeping her up in his arms, he lifted her off the ground as he attacked her mouth with his own. She gripped his shoulders, passion bursting out of their kiss, his touch like wildfire. It was incredible and beautiful and Beca never wanted it to end.

"Happy birthday Bec," he murmured against her lips as he set her gently to the ground, a corner of the box digging into her back.

"If it carries on like that it'll be the best birthday ever."

Jesse chuckled as he pulled away slightly, just enough to be able to hand her the box. It was tied with a white ribbon and was a square medium jewellery box. She stroked the top of it, unsure whether to open it. Out of anything she had expected from Jesse, this had not been it. She wasn't really a jewellery kind of girl and he knew it.

"It won't bite I promise." Jesse tugged lightly at one of the ribbon ends and Beca slapped his hand away. She instead pulled the ribbon free and allowed it to fall, landing partly inside the neck of her dress so it hung there. Casting one more nervous glance up to Jesse's expectant face, Beca pulled the box open.

Inside were a pair of simple diamond earrings, sparkling even in the dim lighting. Gasping, Beca almost lost her grip on the box. They were perfect.

"Jesse, they're… This must have cost a fortune!" Beca breathed around the lump of shock constricting her throat. Tears pricked her eyes and she placed a hand on his chest to steady herself.

"They're worth it." Jesse shrugged it off casually, his gaze still on her as she admired her present from all angles. "You going to put them on or what?"

Within seconds her old silver studs were out, and she was replacing them with her new ones. Jesse grinned as she gushed about how perfect they were. They looked beautiful on her and he knew she felt it. Pulling back her hands, she proudly displayed both her ears to him. They really were incredible.

He kissed her softly and smiled at her in a way that took her breath away. "You look good wearing my future."

"Not until the fat lady sings," he breathed as his right foot twitched. He was lying on his stomach, as was the way he always slept, sprawled out across her bed in what looked to be a very uncomfortable position. The bass of her mix vibrated in her chest from her headphones as they rested on her collarbone. But all she could focus on was how adorable he looked. Jesse's face was turned towards her and she couldn't help but smirk at his nose crinkling.

She watched him dream about Independence Day, mumbling about aliens and the president and 'getting home to Beca'. She felt herself melt a little bit; he was dreaming about her? She'd heard him muttering in his sleeping about her before but it never failed to thrill her. Not that she'd ever admit it, but she found the fact he was dreaming about saving the world and coming home to her the most incredible thing she'd ever experienced.

She knelt beside her bed and leaned close, watching his eyes flicker under his eyelids. A grin broke out on her face and she stroked a finger down his cheek. This should be weird to her, the romance and the gushy feelings, but she found it didn't matter. She couldn't help it; she loved him too much to care how cheesy she had become.

Not that he knew how she really felt yet. At least, she hadn't said the words out loud to him; it scared her and even though it should be easy because she knew how she felt, somehow, translating the feeling into three words was a bit too much for her.

She gave him a soft kiss at the perfect moment, just as he began mumbling about 'seeing her beautiful face again'. He smiled lazily and kissed her back gently, reaching out towards her, his hand caressing her upper arm.

"I love you," he muttered as he tried to pull her closer. Beca felt every muscle in her body tense. His eyes were still closed but he frowned as he was met with resistance. "Come on, we gotta go see the President."

She rolled her eyes but let him pull her closer as he rolled to his side to face her. She rested her outer leg over his and rested her hand on his neck, stroking his jaw with her thumb.

"I love you too," she whispered, settling against his shoulder and closing her eyes. Surprised how easy it had been to say, she grinned and knew exactly what she was going to say when he eventually woke up. "I love you too."

She stirred two hours later, snuggling further into the giant pillow that surrounded her. She was warm and cosy, perfectly at peace. Beautiful music was being whispered into her skin and she groaned quietly, stretching her ankles and curling her toes. The humming faltered around a chuckle, and then it continued, her pillow caressing the skin under her ribs.

"Jesse," she whispered sleepily. "What are you doing?"

He just chuckled again against her neck and pressed a gentle kiss there. She turned her head awkwardly and looked at him, smiling at his gleaming eyes. She cupped his cheek with her hand, and felt his breathing hitch against her back. He grinned back at her, kissing her gently.

"You're always at your cutest when you've just woken up," he murmured against her lips, and she laughed because she was long past being able to pretend to be insulted in some way.

But then her face fell into a more serious expression and she stroked his cheekbone with her thumb. "You know I love you, right?"

She expected shock. Surprise. Elation. She expected something big and overwhelming and typically Jesse-ish. But instead, his eyes remained clear and he just smiled and nodded.

"I know." He brushed her nose against hers. And she could see it; he did know, maybe even longer than she had known, but he knew and even though she hadn't said it, he had been so sure. Her words were no big deal because that's all they were; words. The feeling was what mattered, and he was always aware of how she felt.

Beca kissed him hard, letting him feel her love, trying to show him how much she felt for him because he may have known she loved him, but he didn't know just how much.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips. She kissed him again and he kept saying it. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

She grumbled and pulled away to see him better. "I love you too weirdo, but if you don't take your pants off right now I'm going to have to take it back."

Beca hadn't known how important that day was when she woke up two months later. How could she? When she climbed begrudgingly out of bed and opened the door for her boyfriend who was wringing his hands anxiously and had a very serious frown developing across his forehead, Beca had glared at him. Because how was she supposed to know this was an important day?

"Jesse, what have I told you about waking me up early at the weekend?"

He glanced at his watch and looked up in surprise. "Bec it's gone midday."

"Oh!" she said in surprise. She opened her door further to let him in and she started to settle back under her duvet, fully expecting him to join her for their usual cuddling that she insisted she hated.

"You haven't been answering your phone." Jesse just stood there in the middle of her room, her eyes focussing on her record stacks instead of her. Something was off. Jesse always looked at her; she had joked that his gaze was surgically altered to only be attached to her.

"I've been sleeping…" Beca sat up, leaning back on her hands, trying to decipher what was going on.

"You should check it."

Unsure what was going, Beca reached behind her for it, her eyes never leaving Jesse's unusually unhappy face. He finally glanced at her, watching her hold it but not turn it on. She was confused; she wanted answers.

"What's going on?" Beca narrowed her eyes are him. "What aren't you telling me?"

Sighing into submission, Jesse sat on the edge of her bed, taking her free hand in both of his. His eyes were sad, gentle, sympathetic. She had never seen him this way and it scared her.

"The Bella's need you," he began, and he watched her sit up a little straighter. She had become very protective over her harmonising group of friends; a threat against any one of them was a threat to them all.

"Is Amy missing again?" Beca tried to joke. "Because there was a swimming competition last night. She's probably just at their hotel."

But Jesse was shaking his head and he was so serious, so subdued, that Beca found herself beginning to panic, pulling her hand away to turn on her phone and find out what Jesse seemed very reluctant to break to her.

He stood up, ready to do whatever she needed, ready to take whatever she threw at him. Figuratively or literally. This was unchartered ground for them; he didn't know her reactions for this kind of thing yet.

She listened to her full up voicemail, her eyes scanning Jesse's weary face. He watched her face grow pained, watched her eyes grow round and her free hand clenching tightly into a fist. After a few minutes she dropped the phone to her duvet. She threw herself out of the bed and Jesse braced himself, but she just flew past, her pyjama top already off, rooting through her wardrobe for anything she could find to wear.

He didn't speak. He let her have her time to think as she changed. She appreciated it, and showed him by threading her fingers with his when she was dressed, pulling him out of her room and towards Lily's dorm.

"How long has she known?" Her grip was tight and Jesse trailed two steps behind, rushing to keep up with his girlfriends determined pace.

"A few hours I think. Stacie said she got the call pretty early. Denise heard her smash something through their joint wall and she called Cynthia Rose, which started the chain. Stacie called me when you didn't answer."

He saw the back of her head nod and jogged so he was beside her, pulling her to stop to look at her. Beca was in full blown mother-hen mode and she resisted, baffled at why he had stopped her. He just pulled her closer, wrapping his other arm around her, kissing her hair.

"Just take a moment to calm. You cannot storm in there like this. Lily needs a friend, not an army general."

She breathed in deeply, letting his scent calm her frayed nerves. She was anxious to go already, but she knew he was right; he was always right.

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning up to kiss him quickly. They walked together at a more relaxed pace, gearing up for what was about to greet them. Knowing Lily, the scene on the other side of her door could be pretty much anything imaginable.

So when Beca flung open the door and was met with the sight there, she was surprised. The Bella's were spread out around the room, sitting on the floor or the chair or the spare bed, all apart from Cynthia Rose. She sat on her friend's bed, stroking Lily's hair as she slept fitfully against Cynthia's thigh.

"Beca!" Stacie clamoured up from her spot on the floor, keeping her voice quiet as she rushed towards her. "Thank God you're here." She glanced at Jesse and smiled at him in appreciation as the couple walked further into the room and Jesse shut the door.

"Shit guys I'm so sorry." Beca let go of Jesse's hand and stepped quietly towards her friend.

"How is she?" Jesse whispered, taking in the rumbled clothes and the tear-stained cheeks.

"She won't talk to us, she just broke a few things and cried a lot." Denise gestured to the oddly shaped towel that held all the broken shards of glass. Jessica was snivelling and Jesse wrapped an arm around her shoulders supportively.

"What was the diagnosis?" Beca asked, crouching by Lily's head and frowning sadly.

"Stage 4 melanoma." Cynthia let out a breath and leaned her head against the wall behind her. "Her mom is screwed."

Beca straightened up and walked to Jesse's side, leaning against him wearily. His hand snaked around her waist and he kissed her forehead. She had no idea what any of them were going to do.

"This is going to destroy her," Beca said unhappily.

"We need a plan of action." Jesse sounded determined, trying to make up for everyone's loss of spirit. "We can get her through this if we really try."

Beca couldn't help but smile at how he seemed to include himself as being a part of this 'we', as being a Bella. She put a hand on his stomach as a silent thank you for being so incredible and he squeezed her hip slightly. How did she get so lucky?

"I'm here, I'm here, I'm sorry." Stacie gasped for breath as she completed the tight circle huddled in the hallway outside Lily's room. They were all there, anxious expressions clear. Cynthia's eyes kept darting back to the door, and they all understood. No one liked a fellow Bella being so sad – one Bella's pain was every Bella's pain.

You're late!" Amy hissed.

"It doesn't matter, she's here now," Jessica said, smiling half-heartedly at Stacie who shot her a grateful look.

"Who's with Lily?" Stacie asked as she saw everyone there.

"Newbies," Amy answered simply in reference to the two freshman who had joined their ranks at the beginning of the year.

"Lily heard back from her family," Beca began sadly, her arms crossed tight around herself. "The doctor's told them this morning there's nothing more they can do."

Every set of eyes in the group filled with tears as they realised what this meant. Lily's mother was going to die – soon – and their fragile friend was not going to take it well. It had been a month since her mother's diagnosis, and Lily had remained holed up in her room ever since. She hadn't spoken a word since, and the group were getting increasingly worried about her. They had discussed bringing in professional help, but they worried it would make her worse.

"So Plan Neighbourhood Watch is in action?" Amy asked. Beca eyed her over the name that none of them were particularly happy with, but nodded warily.

"You've all got the timetable we worked out. Lily can't be left alone, so at least one Bella has to be with her at all times, night or day. If you can't make your shift for whatever reason, you must find someone else to cover it. And with absolutely no exceptions can you bring any matches or lighters into her room. She cannot have any access to anything that can start a fire. It's too dangerous." Beca looked around at her friends one by one, making sure they all agreed before breathing a sigh of desperation. She wondered how long Lily would be a fire risk. Maybe they should have brought in some help.

"Who's on first shift?" Denise asked.

"I am." Beca nodded resolutely. "Go home, get some rest, do some work, whatever you need. It's going to be a difficult few weeks or months so use your spare time wisely."

She dismissed the Bella's with a sad smile as Jesse walked up the corridor towards her, hands in his jean pockets as he saw the hardness to her eyes. Something had happened, he could tell, and he frowned at how dishevelled she looked. He couldn't remember the last time she had slept.

"What's going on?" he queried, glancing at Lily's closed door. "She okay?"

"Yeah she's fine." Beca sounded tired, and she ran a hand through her hair.

"Okay." Jesse didn't know what else to say.

"Lily's mum is terminal. She doesn't have long left. We're on shift duty so…" She gestured to the door, avoiding his gaze. He frowned.

"Oh it's your shift? Well I don't have any more classes today so I could join –"

"Just go home Jesse. Get on with something else, I'm fine coping on my own." She was short, blocking him out, and she was combing her fingers through her hair again. Beca was tired, physically and mentally, and she wished she could go back to when things were easy and her friend's mother wasn't dying and causing her friend to go crazy.

"I just thought maybe you could use the company," he tried weakly, knowing it was no good. Her mind was set.

"I'm fine Jesse. I don't need you so would you please just go?" she snapped, and without another word, she walked into Lily's room, shutting the door behind her before he could even move to say another word.

"What do you want from me Jesse? I'm trying here but you're never satisfied!" Beca fumed, stepping back from him and hiding her shaking hands behind her back. Don't show weakness. Don't let him see your fear.

"I want you to stop thinking that this is some, some fling! I want you to take this seriously! All you've been doing for weeks is shutting me out-" Beca's phone began to ring for the third time and she glanced at her pocket. "If you answer that I swear to God-"

Beca pulled it out of her pocket and denied the call, throwing the phone at her bed. "I take us very seriously. You really think this thing means nothing to me? It means everything! But I am not perfect; I cannot do everything right all of the time."

"And don't I know it! My God Beca how do you not see that what you're doing is tearing us apart? You're shutting me out again and I cannot –"

Her phone rang again on her bed and Beca dove for it. No one rings four times without it being important. She ignored Jesse's threat and answered it, glaring at him as he threw his hands up in the air and groaned.

"Beca, something's happened. You need to get to Lily's right now! There's... There's smoke Beca," Amy said frantically. "I'm scared, please hurry."

Beca's phone fell from her hand. "I have to go," she whispered, still frozen in the spot.

"Beca, you can't leave now," Jesse said furiously. "We need to talk about this!"

"Later!" Beca raced to the door. "I'll come back later! I promise! I... Lily needs me!"

Beca raced down the corridor towards Lily's room, hearing Jesse in the distant shouting, "I need you!"

She ignored it, running out of her building and towards Lily's a few minutes walk away. Beca's hands were shaking. She was supposed to be with Lily. She had been responsible for her. And she'd been late, because Jesse just had to have a problem with her at the moment she had to take over from the freshman's. They must have left. Neither of them had ever got how important it was to keep a careful eye on Lily.

From a distance Beca could see the smoke too. It was faint, but Beca knew it wasn't normal. The fire alarm began as Beca entered the building, and she took the flight of stairs two at a time, her heart pounding. This wouldn't be happening if she had just been there.

"Amy?" Beca called, fighting against the stream of people that had begun to surface from their rooms. Her blonde called back and Beca found her, shifting from foot to foot outside the room. Smoke billowed out from the crack under the door and Beca swallowed anxiously before glancing at her friend. "Break it down."

After that, it was all a blur, a bright hot blur that made her eyes sting. She didn't understand how it had gone so powerful, so large, in a matter of moments.

All she could see were the flames. They were all consuming, unpredictable. The fire licked up the walls of the hallway – it had already engulfed the room, it was looking for bigger prey. The heat was unimaginable. Patches of her skin were melting, her clothes burning. But she couldn't move away. She couldn't run. She had to stay. She had to save her.

"Amy! Amy I-" Smoke came thick and fast and she struggled to breathe. She could feel it taking hold of her lungs. Spluttering, she tried to find her friend.

"There's, there's no water!" Amy was beside her, searching desperately for anything to stop the flames, but there was too much panic. They were running out of options fast.

"Can you see? I can't see!" Beca lifted her shirt to her mouth to stop her inhaling too much smoke, trying to see through the flames into the dorm room. She thought she could see the computer screen melting, a poster succumbing to the flames that had been creeping up it as it fell out of view. There was nothing else, just the bright light from the fire as it burned the room down.

"She must be here somewhere!"

CRACK. Beca looked around, trying to find the source of the noise. "Amy did you hear that?" The flames were converging on them and her survival instincts told her to run – get out before it was too late. But she couldn't leave. She couldn't abandon her friends.

"What was that?" Beca looked around as she heard the crack again. The wall right in front of her, the wall that was already crumbling down on her. She didn't even have time to scream.

Jesse jogged to a stop as he saw the fire escaping out of a window. It was bright and the evacuating students were staring up at it, some crying, some too stunned to keep on moving. He was surprised at how quickly it had gotten so big. A crowd was gathering on the lawn a little ways away from the growing blaze, and Jesse couldn't move his limbs. He didn't know how to process what was happening right before his eyes.

One thought made him start move again. Beca.

He had to find her. He had to keep her safe.

"Beca? Beca!" he shouted, rushing between people, trying to look inside open rooms, down busy corridors, anywhere that she could possibly be. The flames roared just ahead, but he refused to believe... No, he couldn't even think about it. Jesse scanned the faces, desperately hoping that she was there somewhere. She was here; he just had to find her. Staff members were trying to keep the crowds calm, trying to get the students to safety. A professor grabbed his arm, trying to turn his arm, but he pulled away – he wasn't leaving without her.

"Beca!" he yelled, over and over, as the people began to thin out. The smoke was flowing along the ceiling, and he bent down, trying to stay with the fresh air for as long as possible.

"Jesse!" Turning wildly towards the call, he spotted Amy waving at him further down, right by the flames. He raced towards her, forgetting all about the danger. As he got closer he saw she was trying to move chunks of plasterboard and bricks, scrambling through the mess that surrounded her.

"Amy where's Beca?" He grabbed her wrists and she cried out in pain. He looked down and instantly saw her right wrist was badly broken.

"I can't… There's too much." Amy coughed, the smoke so heavy in her lungs.

"Amy I need you to keep calm. Beca. Where is Beca?"

Amy used her good hand to point at the rubble she had been lifting, and Jesse felt faint as he looked at it. Could someone survive that?

"We were trying to save her," Amy began to ramble as Jesse began to desperately plough through the bricks. The flames were only feet away. "There was a crack, it fell on us."

Hair. He could see hair. Jesse pushed the pieces aside and found her face, covered in blood, dirt and ash. Her eyes were closed but he could feel her pulse. Jesse let out the breath he didn't know he was holding; she was alive.

"Amy, help me move this stuff!" Jesse called frantically. She helped to shove the rubble aside, one eye anxiously on the quickly spreading fire. She kept her broken wrist cradled against her chest. Together, they managed to free Beca's body, and Jesse slid his arms under her legs and back, lifting her close to his chest.

Jesse turned his head to look at Amy, and he saw the tears drip quickly down her face. "Lily… She's in there still!"

But Jesse knew there was no time. The flames had consumed the room and an ajoining one already – Lily was already gone and they needed to get out before it was too late.

"We gotta go Amy," he called over the roar of the flames. She looked at him, torn, so Jesse grabbed her, pulling her with him by her sleeve as they rushed to the exit, Beca still unconscious in his arms.

"Where am I?"

The room was bright, too bright. Beca squeezed her eyes shut. It smelt funny, like bleach and chemicals and death. Trying again, she opened her eyes and looked around the room, taking in the plain walls, the blinded window, the table covered in pills and coffee cups. She was panicking, unsure where she was or what had happened. She tried to remember but all she could think of was a face, his face-

"Beca thank God."

That face. She turned her heavy head, letting her mind process his features, his expression, his strange blue clothing. She found his name.

"Jesse." Her throat was scratchy and raw, and her voice croaked as she spoke. "What-What's going on?"

"Everything's okay Beca." He lifted a hand, her hand, and pressed a kiss to her fingers, relief flooding his eyes with tears. "You're at the hospital but you're fine."

Beca tried to move; her panic was increasing and all she wanted was to be in his arms, to let his touch soothe her. Why wasn't he holding her? Why was she here in this bed? Why was he crying? "I don't, I don't remember."

"I know this must be scary," Jesse whispered to her, his free hand delicately cupping her jaw. "But try and stay calm. You need to keep calm." She registered a fast-paced beeping on the other side of her head. A heart-rate monitor. Taking some deep breaths, she heard the beeping begin to slow.

Jesse grabbed a cup from beside him, holding the straw to her lips. She eagerly drank the water, hoping to soothe her throat.

"What happened?"

The boy beside her looked away as he put the plastic cup back, but when he turned back to her his eyes still avoided her, instead focussing on their re-joined hands.

"There was a fire." He hesitated. "You were trying to-"

"No," she croaked without really knowing why. The flames were in front of her eyes, taking over her vision. Fear twisted and clamped down on her sore chest; she wanted him to stop. She suddenly didn't want to know at all.

"You couldn't find Lily. A wall collapsed on you." Her grip on his hand made him wince. "You were knocked out but Amy and I got you out."

She watched a tear fall down his cheek and drop onto his top – scrubs, she realised. He was wearing scrubs. "I don't understand." Her heart rate monitor was beeping wildly again and Jesse pressed kisses onto her hand, willing her to stay calm. He couldn't see the blaze that licked at her skin, see the smoke that was slowly choking her.

"You were injured so they brought you here. You're going to have to stay for a couple of days but you should be-"

"Lily. She's dead." She could see it in his expression, the way he held himself. He had been trying to find a way to break it to her gently but she didn't need him too. She could feel that Lily was gone.

"Yes. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. Not your fault."

"Beca don't do this, you need to keep relaxed."

"I am. I'm fine."

She didn't notice the tears at first. When a sob echoed around the room she thought it was someone else. But suddenly her entire body was wracked with her crying, the memories of the night catching up with her and seeming all too real. Jesse fussed over her, out of his seat and trying to get her to relax, but she was already moving, trying to curl up.

Beca felt skin tear. It took a second for the pain to come, but when it did, she screamed; agonising and hideous screams that drowned out Jesse's panic and the door bashing against the walls as her room filled with people, fighting to calm her down. She saw them push him out the door and she cried out for him, begging him to come back, but he was gone and a strange sensation was working its way up her leg. She felt her body begin to relax against her will and she glared and hurled abuse at the doctor holding the needle, her mind slowly clouding over into total blackness.

Two days into her stay at the hospital, she woke up and grumbled at the constant ache she had had for days. Her skin tugged and was tight and itchy, wrapped up in bandages and making her very uncomfortable. She wanted to get up and walk back to her dorm room, she wanted to play her music at full blast and got lost in her world when none of the stupid crap that had happened over the past few weeks existed and she could just be. Beca was dazed, unsure and angry. She was furious at the world and Barden and at herself and-

Jesse.

She could feel his hand in hers now, his forehead resting on her forearm as he slept. Once more, he was mumbling away – Beca's favourite Jesse quirk. Just the feel of his touch was calming her, and she turned to watch him. He really was handsome, with his strong jaw and his full lips and his beautiful brown eyes that were watching her warily. Hang on…

"Beca, you're awake," he croaked. Clearing his throat he sat up and strengthened his grip on her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"I ache," she grumbled, pouting comically in a way she knew would make him smile. Except for then, it seemed, because he just continued to examine her face with worried eyes. "You don't need to be so worried. I'm okay." She cupped his jaw and smiled half-heartedly.

"I don't expect you to be okay love. You've been through a trauma; you're allowed to fall apart." He put his hand over hers and watched her shrug casually.

"I'm okay, seriously. Though I'd kill for pizza right now."

He frowned, his eyes flickering over her face, looking for any signs she was lying. He found them, because he knew her so well, but all he did was press his lips together and nod. He could tell how much she didn't want to talk about it all – even more so, how much she didn't want to fall apart in front of him. And so he let her pretend to be okay, because that's the kind of guy he was – he wouldn't push her too far, because he understood that she'd let him in when she was ready.

"I can order some pizza for you. While we wait, you wanna watch a movie?"

She smiled despite herself and did her best to shuffle across the bed. He grabbed his bag and pulled out his laptop, not even needing to ask what she wanted to watch to distract herself – The Breakfast Club was already loaded onto the screen. He squeezed himself into the space she had been made, and despite the tugging she could feel, Beca got comfortable against his side. He wrapped his arm around her, being careful not to touch any of her bandages.

And as the beginning credits began to play with their song playing in the background, Beca let herself sink into Jesse's embrace, completely at ease in his arms.

She didn't know why she was running, but the wind felt good against her face as she did.

The funeral had been agonizing. Physically, yes, because her burns were still so sensitive, and wearing clothes that weren't hospital gowns for the first time had been horrific when Jesse helped her climb into the loosest black dress she owned. But also, emotionally. The funeral meant Lily was really gone, that Lily had really died in her own fire, that Beca had failed to save her.

Lily's mother had been there. It was strange, seeing the mother of the girl you had been trying so hard to keep from breaking down for so long. Her mother was the cause of it. Beca had watched the woman sob in the front row, tightly clutching her husband. No dying woman should spend her last few months on Earth mourning the loss of her daughter.

The following hours were a blur of dark space and heavy drinking. It was a strange comfort, but it eased the pain of her scarring flesh and her wounded heart. Her friend was dead, had died on her watch, and somehow the alcohol made that overwhelming guilt and self-hatred a little easier.

She didn't know how, but she found herself in Jesse's room – empty because, she presumed, he was still at the funeral – and she was stuffing every belonging of hers into a bin bag. Her toothbrush, her spare jeans and shirts, the bra under his bed that she had forgotten about a few months ago after a quick dash to class. His Treble's hoody was lying on his bed, and she paused to lift it up, smelling his cologne in the fabric. Beca fell to the bed, feeling tears prick the back of her eyes. She couldn't leave this way. If she was going to run, she had to say goodbye first.

And so she wrapped the hoody around herself and, finding a pen, did her best through her alcohol induced haze to put it all into words.

Jesse,
I know you will hate me for this. I hate me for this. But know I will never forget you and all you've done for me. You saved my life in more ways than one. You're an incredible person – find someone just as incredible who deserves you.
I love you.
Beca x

And with a shaky breath and only a few escaped tears, she grabbed the bag and dragged it behind her. Out of his room, out of his life, out of her own life. Beca was going to start anew, in the place she had always been destined to go.

Jesse chuckled as his phone rang again.

"We have to answer eventually, you know." His lips stayed on hers as her fingers trailed down his bare chest.

"No we don't," she answered back, and she groaned as he began to kiss down her jaw and press his palms into the skin of her lower back under her shirt. The shirt that quickly disappeared and let the cold air in, making her break out in goosebumps. His fingers danced along the newly revealed flesh and ran along her scar, the smile on his face faltering as it always does when he feels them. She looked down at him, lying beneath her, and pressed her hips into him more, his grin becoming genuine again as he looked up at her.

"Beca? Beca are you- Oh my god!" Chloe squeaked as her eyes found them. Beca yelped and she fell to Jesse's chest, trying to hide herself. Jesse snorted a laugh as Chloe stood dumbfounded in their doorway, her emergency key in her hand.

"Chloe!"

"Beca?"

"Chloe."

"Jesse?!"

"Beca?"

"Aubrey?!"

"Jesse!"

"Aubrey..."

"Okay wow does this need to stop!" Beca rubbed her temples, and felt Jesse chuckle beneath her. "You two go wait outside!" Beca waited until she heard the door slam and then grabbed her stolen Trebles hoody, zipping it up to cover her already lost dignity.

"You look so sexy in that thing..." Jesse said wistfully, grabbing her knee and trying to pull her back. She slapped away his hand, stepping away quickly.

"Let me deal with this first," she compromised, "Meanwhile, find some clothes!"

Beca slid out of her door, biting her lip as her two old friends stared at her with bug eyes.

"I can't believe this Beca!" Aubrey exclaimed. "How could you?"

"You've been missing for three days. I can't believe you've both been ignoring our calls" We were worried!" Chloe stated, crossing her arms and eyeing up Beca's chosen attire.

"We've been celebrating!" Beca tried to explain, staring Aubrey down. "We were a little distracted, so sue us. This is exciting!"

"Just because you guys are playing house now doesn't mean you get to just fall off the face of the Earth," Aubrey said, her hand on her hip. Beca remembered back to a few years ago, when the blonde had accused her of having a toner for Jesse. She smirked at how right she had been.

"Oh my god, look," Beca sighed heavily. "Jesse and I have just taken a giant step. We moved in together! It's a big deal and I'm still trying to show him he can trust me, so yes we ignored your calls, and I'm sorry. It's just been a bit of a crazy year, and we're finally back to where we were and there's –"

"I can't believe you guys moved in together here in LA." Chloe grinned at her.

"Aw, you guys are going to have aca-babies!" Aubrey squeaked. Beca eyed her suspiciously, wondering if it was that obvious.

"Okay you really need to stop adding aca to things," Beca groaned. "I'm not talking to you two about this. I'm supposed to be celebrating my new apartment before I have to go to work!"

Chloe smirked. "You guys are too cute. I'm glad he chose to come here after graduation."

"We just wanted to make sure you were okay moving across country and taking that big step." Aubrey glared at her but Beca could tell she had been worrying about her.

"In sorry, I should have called. I was... Busy." She tilted her head towards the door and Chloe raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Oh stop it."

"Will you call me later?" Chloe eyed the hoody again, evidently trying to make a point. Beca definitely had some explaining to do.

"I will call you when I can," Beca said uneasily. "Now will you please go?"

Finally shooing her friends away, Beca entered her apartment to find Jesse in the kitchen area, reheating some of their takeout from last night. Glad to see he'd at least thrown on pants, she jumped into the counter and swung her legs, watching him as he washed up her dishes. His muscles rippled as he scrubbed, and she wondered if she could persuade him to walk around shirtless all the time.

"You don't need to do that."

"Yes, I do," he teased. "You're going to give yourself some horrific disease if you continue to eat off these."

The microwave beeped and Jesse gestured towards it. "It's for you. You really can't afford to not eat for so long, you know."

Beca slid off the top and pulled out the food, the smell making her stomach rumble. "This takeout is incredible." Beca nodded approvingly as she slurped up some noodles.

"God does it smell good." Jesse groaned, his own stomach empty.

Beca laughed. "Every time someone mentions god, I'm think of you."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she grinned. She slid towards him, offering a fork of noodles. "You want some?"

He happily accepted, his hands still immersed in dirty dishwater. When he finished chewing, he watched her for a moment before speaking. "Who'd have thought we'd end up so domestic."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "Love makes us do crazy things." And he beamed with pride as she placed a hand on her stomach, a smile tugging at her lips as her heart swelled with love.

"And the winner for International Producer of the Year at this year's Music Producer's Guild Awards is… Beca Mitchell!"

A grin broke out across her face and she laughed happily as Jesse pressed a sweet kiss against her cheek. She squeezed his hand and got up out of her seat, ruffling Lila's hair and grinning at her dad. This moment meant she'd made it. This moment meant she'd achieved her dream.

She walked towards the podium a champion, and then she realised she was going to get up and speak in front of all of these people in a country she didn't really know and suddenly she panicked that she didn't deserve this award at all. Maybe it was a mistake? Maybe they had called out her name in error?

But everyone was grinning at her and cheering and when she walked onto the stage, clutching the hem of the floating skirt of her dress, they handed her the award happily. And as the applause died down and Beca shifted uncomfortably in her spot, she let her eyes find Jesse, the one man who could calm her nerves and make her feel like herself again.

And she did, for all of half a second before she saw the sign he was holding high above his head with the help of their three year old daughter on his shoulders. Her little family, her perfect world; the man of which getting her back in the most beautiful of ways. She cursed quietly at the bold words on the large piece of card.

Marry me.

The crowd waited for her to talk but all she could do was struggle to take a breath. The giant screens either side of her flickered and on one, Jesse's smirk was displayed for all to see as Lila hid her face in his hair. His eyes never strayed from hers and despite the distance, he could see her emotions racing.

She was angry. Why would this man possibly think it okay to propose right now in front of all of these people? In that way? Yes, okay, she had told him about their unexpected pregnancy at graduation with a sign (and really, was he incapable of coming up with his own ideas?) but that had been subtle. No one but him would have interpreted that sign any other way. But his sign? The words smacked you in the face with their obviousness.

On the other screen, Beca shifted as she kicked off her uncomfortable heels under the podium.

But this was Jesse. He was the guy who sang to her on her first day of college. Who said from the day they officially met at the radio station that they'd be together. He was the dorky records guy who loved to make her smile no matter how much she fought it. He was the guy who took all of her crap and saw her as beautiful all the same. Who she pushed too hard and almost faded away from her life, but forgave her with just a few lyrics from a song. He was her everything that had literally saved her life and accepted her back into his arms even after she caused him so much pain by running.

He was the father of her daughter. The co-creator of the most beautiful thing in her life.

Really, there was no need to hesitate. She'd known her answer for seven years.

Putting her award down on the podium, a grin grew wide on her face as she nodded, and with no care to the audience or the cameras recording her every move, ran straight back into his arms. Her father, beaming proudly, grabbed Lila away just in time for Beca to crush herself against her new fiancé, kissing him with all the love she could muster as his fist punched the air above them. She laughed against his lips and looked up into his sparkling eyes, feeling something strangely akin to bliss.

"You're such a weirdo."

The ending of last chapter was slightly up for debate, I guess, with the card and all. But how I imagined it was her revealing she was with unplanned child. I know it's kinda soon after their make up but I don't know, it's what I saw when I wrote it. I hope you guys liked the ending! The awards thing is a real thing hosted in London. You can Google it if you like.

Okay, I'm going to go cry over the fact I have to let go of this universe I created and panic over the homework I've put off to write this. See how much I love you guys? (Actually I'm going to freak out over Community finally returning today but all the same) Goodbye my pretties!