OMG! Can you believe it? I certainly can't! The moment you have been waiting for has finally arrived! The first chapter of One Last Time is here! Please enjoy and tell me what you think of the story so far. I'm so excited that I've finally started it.

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Pitch Perfect or any of it's characters besides my OC, Grace.

"Grace! Are you even paying attention to me?"

The daze from staring at the road for four long hours is disrupted by Emily Junk smacking me in the shoulder, repeatedly. The new group of Barden Bellas, which I joined my freshman year, are on our way to the Brooklyn Aquarium for a performance. I'm still not sure how we got the gig or why we're traveling all the way to NYC to sing and not get paid.

Emily had taken over as captain of the Bellas, naming me her co-captain. She does most of the work, while I yell at the girls when they don't pay attention, occasionally helping her with a set.

It's a great job.

"Grace!"

I take my eyes off the road to glance at my girlfriend, who's sitting in the passenger seat while the rest of the girls are chattering away behind us.

"Sorry, Em," I give her a soft smile and reach out to squeeze her hand. "I'm just really focused on getting there. What did you say?"

Emily giggles, replying, "I was asking if you were excited to see everyone this weekend?"

Oh, right. We invited the original Bellas to come and see us perform since most of them have relocated to New York and nearby areas. The rest of the group is flying in from their own respective cities.

Don't get me wrong, I'm super excited to see them,—Beca and Chloe especially—but the trip is a lot easier when you're on an hour and a half plane ride, not driving the Bella bus fourteen hours to get there.

"Of course!" I start to grin, but it changes halfway into a wide yawn. "I'm super stoked to see them. Beca promised to show me the studio and Chloe has a bunch of tourist stuff for us planned this weekend."

"Me too!" she claps her hands together, excitedly. "Do you want me to drive for a little?"

That elicits a loud laugh. "Thanks, but I'd like to get there alive," she smacks me in the shoulder in false offense. "Sydney offered to take over if I need it, but I'm hoping to make it a straight shot to NYC."

"Whatever you say!" the clumsy senior offers me a salute before slumping back in her seat. "I'm tired."

"Take a nap, you have a ten hour window," I tell her. "I'll wake you up before the next bathroom break."

"Thanks, Grace. I love you," she mumbles, sleepily.

"I love you too, Em," my only answer is a loud snore, causing me to laugh.

Glancing once more at my girlfriend of three years causes me to smile affectionately. It had been almost four years since I met the Bellas all that time ago and so much has changed. I'm in the second semester of my junior year at Barden, while Emily is a senior. I'm currently majoring in Communications with a minor in Radio Broadcast. I discovered a passion for radio when Beca had forced me to sign up to intern at the station she worked at freshman year.

Turning my full attention back to the road, I turn on the radio and let Sia's newest hit become the first song of many on this road trip.

"Do you think they'll show?" Emily rocks back and forth on her heels, nervously biting on her bottom lip.

We'd arrived at the Brooklyn Aquarium a couple of hours ago and after a quick tour to see all the marine life, quickly went through one last run-through of our performance and are now searching the crowd for the original Bellas.

Letting out a quick laugh and quickly covering it when she shoots me a glare, I answer, "They're coming, Em. You created a Facebook event that everyone RSVP'd to, confirmed it in the group chat, and I just talked to Chloe this morning, who promised me she would be here, which means everyone will be here."

"You're right," the girl sighs, running her hands over the golden sparkly bomber jackets that each of the group was donning, with a pair of black shorts and white converse.

I brush a hand through braided ponytail that one of the girls—Jasmine—had done and smirk. "I'm always right, babe."

Emily rolls her eyes. "Last time you said that—oh look!" something over my shoulder catches her attention. "There they are! Let's go girls," she calls to the rest of the group as she turns me around and starts pulling me through the crowd.

I have to assume she spotted Beca or somebody, because I can't see anything through this sea of people and she has giraffe legs.

"Hey, Bellas," Emily greets when we get to the break in the crowd, finally giving way to the group of girls that I haven't seen altogether since Cynthia Rose got married the summer after they graduated.

Everyone was here, even Aubrey, strangely dressed in the flight attendant uniforms that Beca had shown me pictures of. But, why were the girls wearing their old performance uniforms if all they were doing was watching?

"Grace!" Chloe broke formation to give me a tight hug, kissing the top of my head repeatedly. "I missed you!"

Successfully, I manage to separate the two of us. "You just saw me for winter break a month ago!"

"I know. It's so hard being a parent."

"Okay, okay," Beca moves forward, slinging one arm around my shoulder. "I still think it's too soon."

Chloe slaps the brunette on the shoulder playfully. "You were just saying how boring it was in the city without her, Becs," she ignores the blush that forms on Beca's face. "So, what do you want us to sing? A little, Who Run the World? Some Bullet Proof? I didn't know what the crowd would be," reaching into her bag, she pulls out a blue solo cup, "so I brought this just incase."

The cup is immediately slapped out of her hands by the former brunette co-captain.

But, wait.

Why do they think they're performing?

One look at Emily's nervous and guilty face clues me into the fact that maybe I didn't see exactly what she told the others to get them all to come tonight.

"You didn't," I murmur from my position next to her.

"Our voices are warm," the former Barden Bellas sing a collected, "ah!"

If possible, the awkward look on Emily's face worsens. "Oh, god."

Oh yeah, she definitely did what I think she did, I think, burying my face in my hands.

"We didn't invite you here to perform," thankfully, Jasmine, another junior, takes over. "We invited you to watch," her statement is echoed faintly by Emily, who is nodding nervously and breathing erratically.

"Aca-scuse me?" Aubrey interrupts, most likely voicing all of the other girls thoughts.

"I just thought you guys were so busy with your awesome jobs and amazing lives," Emily continues to dig herself deeper.

There's a weird pause that tells me that maybe their lives aren't as awesome and amazing as my girlfriend thinks they are. It only lasts a couple moments before they're all nodding and agreeing with her statement.

I'll have to figure that out later.

"Okay…" I take a small step between both groups before Fat Amy, who looks ready to strangle Emily, can act. "We have to go perform now, but we'll see you afterwards, right?"

Beca gives me an affirmative, so I turn to the new Bellas and wolf-whistle to get their attention. "Alright, ladies. Get your asses to the stage and let's do this!"

The groups files back through the crowd the way we came. I give the older girls a wave before following behind Emily, but not fast enough to hear Amy ask, "Is it me, or does she sound like Aubrey?"

Our rendition of Daya's 'Sit Still, Look Pretty' goes off without a hitch. The performance is as good as I could've hoped for, but I can't help but notice that Chloe, Beca and the rest don't seem that excited about it. It only furthers the thought that something is definitely up.

After we finish, the girls disperse to mingle a bit before we head back to the hotel across the street where they will be staying while Em and I couch surf with Beca, Chloe and Amy.

I'm talking to one of the workers at the aquarium when Beca taps me on the shoulder.

"Hey, dude," she gestures to the group behind her. "We're going to go and get drinks at the bar Lilly works at. I'll text you the address and you can meet us after this is done?"

"Yeah," I nod, looking around for Emily. "I just have to make sure the group makes it back to their rooms alive."

She frowns playfully, "Wow, you really are starting to sound like Aubrey."

"Do not!"

"Okay, tiger," the music producer points at me, "whatever you say. I'll see you later."

Watching as my former foster parent sneaks up behind Chloe and scares her, I can't help but smile and be thankful that the redhead had hit me with her car. Even though I've aged out of the system in July when I turned 19 and they aren't legally responsible for me anymore, both women haven't relinquished their roles.

"Grace!" Emily appears behind me, along with the rest of the group. "The girls are ready to head out, so we can grab our stuff and meet the OG Bellas."

I nod, leading the sparkly bunch of girls through the front doors to the aquarium and across the street to our hotel. After making sure everyone is accounted for, I leave the group with some strict—rules—suggestions.

"One, please don't set anything or anyone on fire."

I can thank CR for that one.

"Two, no strippers, last years ICCA championships should be a clear reminder of why."

That one's better left unexplained. I don't think I'll ever be ready re-live it.

"And lastly, do not, under any circumstances use a ouija board. I'm very serious. We do not mess with spirits."

My girlfriend giggles, causing me to shoot her a glare, "I'm serious."

"Alright, General, I think they get it," she reaches out to take my hand, silently telling me that things were going to be okay for one night.

"Fine," I sigh, making eye contact with the curly haired brunette lounging on one of the beds. "Jasmine, you're in charge. Please don't make me regret it."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Jasmine salutes with a wink. "Or, should I say co-captain."

"Ugh," I groan. "We'll see you guys tomorrow."

There's a chorus of goodnights as Emily and I depart with our bags, the uneasy feeling in my stomach increasing they further we get away from them. We call an uber and as we're waiting Emily squeezes my hand.

"They're going to be fine, Grace," she promises. "I think you've trained them well-enough."

Nodding my head in agreement, "I know, but they might look all well-put together, yet they're just as dysfunctional as the original group," my eyebrows knit together in thought. "Maybe Beca's right, I am starting to sound a lot like Aubrey."

Emily laughs so hard she doubles over. "I don't think Aubrey would have allowed a drunk slip n slide contest or agreed to skinny dip in every hotel pool on the block when we were here last."

"You're right," I sigh, spotting the car we were supposed to be looking for, pulling up to the curb. "I just feel like since you're so nice, I have to yell to even it out."

"They love you," the girl reminds me, grinning as I hold the door open. "Just like I do, and Chloe, and Beca and the rest of the girls."

"Speaking of," I say, as the car starts moving again. "Why did you make it seem like the OG Bellas were performing and not tell me about it?"

My question causes her to slide down in her seat, the leather making a comical 'squeak' as she does. "I know! I feel so bad, but I didn't think that they would come if they didn't think they were singing!"

"Well, it's already done, but you should know those girls will use any excuse to get together." I remind her, "One time, Stacie flew in from Stanford just to borrow a tampon."

We both laugh at the memory, but Emily quickly frowns again, pulling on her hair. "I just feel really bad and I'm really sorry."

"Em," she looks up to meet my eyes. "Tell them, they'll understand."

The older girl nods and quirks an eyebrow. "Since when are you the smart one?"

Leaning up to kiss her, I whisper, "I've always been the smart one."

Emily tilts her head with a rare predatory look on her face. "We'll see about that," she pushes me against the window, gripping my hips for support in the start of an unexpected make-out session.

After apologizing profusely to our flustered uber driver and compensating with a large tip, we head into the bar Beca had told me there were at, which conveniently is where I think Lilly works.

"You guys!" Emily jogs ahead of me when she spots the group sitting around the bar, forcing me to quicken my pace to keep up with her. "I'm so sorry! I realized that I should not have used the word reunion. I should've said that it was an excuse to see each other. I didn't think that out, I'm sorry."

"…what she said," I pant out, resting my elbow against the counter next to Chloe.

"No, no," said redhead responds looking around at the group. "You guys were so great, and this was a really nice chance for us to get together, right ladies?"

There's a chorus of really weak agreement, allowing me to see that they were trying and failing to make it seem okay.

"I was supposed to go to my brother's wedding," Flo informs us. "But, this is nice, too."

I wonder if anyone else finds it odd that Flo would skip her brother's wedding to perform with the Bellas.

"Bellas," Chloe raises her beer. "A toast," the rest of the girls raise their glasses while she continues, "to the most amazing group of women I have ever known." I manage to find an empty glass to raise.

The group cheers.

"I would do anything to sing with you guys again," Chloe looks like she's holding back a waterfall of tears. "Anything! Really, I could just crap myself!"

"Okay, Chloe," I pat her on the shoulder, taking the beer from her as the rest of the girls clink their glasses together nervously. "Maybe someone should cut you off."

"Wait, wait!" Aubrey puts down her drink, "I'm having a crazy idea! You know how my dad's in the army and basically killed Osama Bin-Laden, right?"

"Some new information in that sentence, but okay." Beca points out.

Definitely never hearing that before, I raise my hand. "Can we come back to that later?"

Aubrey continues without acknowledging either of us, "But what I mean is, he's kinda a big deal in the army and every year the USO puts on a performance to entertain and support the troops and this year DJ Khalid is hosting."

Holy shit! DJ Khalid?

"He has like a gazillion hit songs," Aubrey adds, "and he's super famous, I saw him in a tax commercial once." The fact that each of them are impressed with DJ Khalid starring in a tax commercial baffles me. "What if I can get us an invite?"

"…to sing?" Chloe asks, making me slap my forehead.

"No," Aubrey responds sarcastically. "To run military dark ops!"

Lilly, who's cleaning a glass, gets super excited and this reminds me of how much I don't want to know about what she does in her free time.

"No, of course to sing!"

"Well, is there a competition?" It's not a surprise that that's Chloe's next question. "There should always be a competition."

"Um, no," Aubrey hesitates, but I'm ecstatic at the idea of not competing for something. "But, let's sing together again, and maybe I'll see my dad. Or, maybe I won't because he has something really important to do," her crazy smile increases tenfold. "Or, maybe I'll be the most important thing in his life this time…maybe."

I honestly feel bad for the blonde. I may have known my biological father, but I'd rather that than never seeing him.

There's a moment where everybody looks at each other, silently.

"Who's with me?"

Unsurprisingly, Chloe is the first to raise her beer and agree.

"Yeah," Beca is next, confusing me because usually she's very busy because of her job. "I've suddenly got a lot of free time, so yeah!"

"Well, I just got kicked out of flight school for killing three hundred fake people," CR explains with Amy adding that she 'hates fake people'. "I hate a fake bitch!" she slams her hands down on the bar, followed by the blonde Australian.

"Can you fly when your eight months pregnant?" Stacie wonders, and I watch as Aubrey's face falls slightly.

For reasons I'm unsure of, Stacie and Aubrey had broken off whatever was going on between them during my freshman year. I'm still not sure why, but I know that Chloe spent hours on the phone with the blonde when it happened, comforting and consoling her.

I'm also pretty sure that Stacie was upset about it because the next time I saw her she didn't look as happy and didn't make any sexual references to the 'Hunter'.

But, my train of though is interrupted when Stacie stands with a hand on her stomach.

Her very pregnant stomach.

"Holy shit, Stacie's pregnant!" I blurt out, quickly covering my mouth like I could take it back. Everyone's staring at me, "I mean…congrats?"

"You guys didn't notice?" the pregnant woman asks with a wide smile, hugging Flo and Fat Amy.

"Do you know who the father is?" Chloe questions while the rest give their own congratulations.

Stacie shrugs a shoulder, "Eh."

If that isn't a typical Stacie move, then I don't know what is. At least Aubrey looks a little happier now that there isn't a man in the picture.

"Well, Stacie's out," Beca moves forward with the conversation. "So, I guess Emily, you're in!"

The way she says it makes me think that she forgot about the legacy. "Um, sure!" my girlfriend seems to catch on. "Was I not always in?"

Every Bella's eyes widen while they try to reassure the girl that she was always 'in'.

"Uh," I raise my hand in the air. "Does this mean I don't have to participate, because I would rather cheer you on for old times sake."

Chloe laughs like I'm saying the funniest thing in the world. "Of course you have to participate, Grace! I've always wanted to perform with you!"

The rest of them raise their glasses with another cheer and Emily wraps an arm around my shoulders.

And that, was how I got roped into the craziest trip of my life.

Thank you for being patient with me and I hope you enjoyed chapter one. I really don't know what updates will be like, but I'm a broke college student so they will probably be more sporadic than scheduled. Let me know what you think!

P.S. Venmo me at RCLARKIE18 to support the cause, lol. I'm so broke it ain't funny.