Chapter Text
The rest of the morning flew by in the blink of an eye.
Final rehearsals.
Sound checks.
Last-minute instructions.
And an absurd amount of nerves.
The Bellas waited backstage as the rival group was announced.
The tension was obvious.
Even Amy was strangely quiet.
Which was honestly a little unsettling.
“Are you okay?” Chloe asked.
“I’m planning twenty different responses for when they lose.”
“Amy.”
“What? I like being prepared.”
A few feet away, Aubrey watched the stage.
Listening to the rival group's performance.
Months ago, it would have made her nervous.
She would have started comparing herself.
Questioning herself.
Wondering if they were better.
If the Bellas would be enough.
But not anymore.
Because for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t afraid.
She just wanted to sing.
She just wanted to get up there.
And enjoy it.
Beca appeared beside her.
“You’re smiling.”
Aubrey turned her head.
“So?”
“Usually before a competition, you look like someone who's considering fleeing the country.”
“Thanks.”
“I mean it affectionately.”
Aubrey let out a small laugh.
And Beca felt her chest swell with pride.
Because she remembered exactly who Aubrey used to be.
The girl who carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.
The one who thought every mistake was a catastrophe.
And the woman standing in front of her now wasn't that person anymore.
Then the Bellas were called.
Five minutes.
Five minutes before they took the stage.
Everyone started getting ready.
Last adjustments.
Last breaths.
Last hugs.
And while everyone else was distracted,
Beca took her chance.
She gently grabbed Aubrey’s wrist.
And pulled her a few steps aside.
“What are you doing?” Aubrey asked.
“Something important.”
“That sounds concerning.”
“Trust me.”
“That sentence isn't helping either.”
Beca smiled.
And before Aubrey could say anything else,
she kissed her.
Quick.
Soft.
Perfect.
Just enough to surprise her.
Just enough to make her smile.
“Beca,” Aubrey murmured.
“Good luck.”
“Did you just steal a kiss for luck?”
“Yes.”
“That makes no sense.”
“And yet it worked.”
Aubrey shook her head.
But the smile never left her face.
“I love you,” Beca said.
Aubrey’s expression immediately softened.
“I love you too.”
“Now go out there and kill it.”
And for some reason,
those words managed to calm the last of her nerves.
---
The rival group finished their performance to loud applause.
Confident.
Self-assured.
Even satisfied.
Because they still believed their accusation had worked.
They still thought the Bellas were distracted.
That they were nervous.
That something had gone wrong.
They couldn’t have been more wrong.
Because the moment the Bellas stepped onto the stage,
everything clicked.
The harmonies.
The energy.
The presence.
The connection between them.
It was one of those performances where everything just works.
Where no doubt can find its way in.
Where every note lands exactly where it should.
And as they sang,
Aubrey felt something she hadn’t felt in years.
Freedom.
She wasn’t thinking about mistakes.
She wasn’t thinking about the past.
Or the rivals.
Or the incident that had haunted her name for so long.
She was simply enjoying herself.
And when the final note ended,
the auditorium erupted into applause.
---
Later,
as they were leaving the participants’ area,
the Bellas crossed paths with the rival group in one of the hallways.
The guys looked far less confident than they had that morning.
Far less satisfied.
One of them looked at Aubrey.
And smirked arrogantly.
Trying to regain some ground.
“Nice show,” he said.
Aubrey simply nodded.
“Thanks.”
The guy seemed disappointed by the lack of reaction.
Then he added,
“Just try not to throw up on the audience this time.”
A few of his teammates laughed.
Waiting for a reaction.
Waiting to see her uncomfortable.
Waiting to see her embarrassed.
Like before.
But Aubrey just looked at them for a moment.
And then...
she laughed.
Not a nervous laugh.
Not an uncomfortable laugh.
A genuine laugh.
An amused one.
As if the comment was ridiculously childish.
“That’s the best you've got?” she asked.
The guy blinked.
Confused.
Aubrey smiled.
Calm.
Relaxed.
“You should update your material.
It’s years old.”
And without waiting for a response,
she kept walking.
The Bellas immediately followed.
Amy even made a very impolite gesture toward the group before disappearing down the hallway.
“Amy!” Chloe shouted.
“It was already done!” she called back.
Behind them,
the rivals stood frozen.
Because for the first time,
they hadn’t managed to hurt her.
And ahead,
as she walked beside Beca with a smile she couldn’t hide,
Aubrey realized something.
Those guys were still living in the past.
But she wasn’t.
And that was the real victory.
The wait for the results was worse than the competition.
Much worse.
Because there was nothing left to do.
They couldn’t rehearse.
They couldn’t fix anything.
They couldn’t go back.
All they could do was wait.
And waiting had never been one of Aubrey’s strengths.
Or Amy’s.
“How much longer?” she asked for the fifth time in less than three minutes.
“Three minutes,” Chloe replied.
“And now?”
“Amy.”
“And now?”
“It’s still three minutes.”
---
The auditorium was packed.
All the participating groups sat in their assigned seats.
The judges reviewed documents.
The organizers prepared the stage.
And the tension could be felt in the air.
Aubrey sat beside Beca.
Their hands discreetly intertwined.
Not saying much.
Simply watching the stage.
“Nervous?” Beca asked.
“A little.”
“Liar.”
“A lot.”
Beca smiled.
“Now that sounds more realistic.”
Aubrey rested her head on Beca’s shoulder for a few seconds.
Just a few.
But it was enough to calm her.
As always.
---
Finally,
the lights dimmed.
And the host stepped onto the stage.
Applause filled the auditorium.
They began announcing smaller categories.
Special recognitions.
Honorable mentions.
And little by little, the tension grew.
Until the important moment arrived.
“And now...” the host said.
“The award for Best Group Performance of this competition.”
The entire auditorium fell silent.
Aubrey felt her heart pounding against her ribs.
Beca gently squeezed her hand.
Chloe closed her eyes.
Amy looked seconds away from exploding.
The host opened the envelope.
Smiled.
And looked up.
“The Bellas.”
For a moment,
no one reacted.
As if none of them could believe it.
And then,
the world exploded.
Screams.
Hugs.
Tears.
Amy jumping on several people.
Stacie nearly knocking over an entire row of seats.
Cynthia Rose openly crying.
And Chloe covering her mouth with both hands.
“We won!” Amy shouted.
“WE WON!”
Aubrey barely heard the rest.
Because suddenly Beca was hugging her.
And she was hugging her back.
Tightly.
As if everything that had happened over the past months had led to this moment.
---
The Bellas made their way onto the stage to thunderous applause.
They received the trophy.
Posed for pictures.
And just when it seemed everything was over,
the host spoke again.
“Before we conclude,
we have a special recognition awarded by the judging panel.”
The Bellas exchanged confused glances.
“This recognition highlights leadership, personal growth, and exceptional contribution to teamwork.”
Aubrey barely paid attention.
Until she heard her name.
And the world stopped once again.
“Aubrey Posen.”
The auditorium erupted into applause.
Aubrey froze.
Completely froze.
“What?” she whispered.
“Oh my God,” Chloe breathed.
“AUBREY!” Amy shouted.
Beca simply smiled.
Because she already knew.
Not officially.
But she knew.
She had seen the effort.
She had seen the change.
She had seen everything Aubrey had fought through to become the person she was now.
Aubrey slowly walked toward the center of the stage.
Still in disbelief.
And one of the judges took the microphone.
“Years ago, many people remembered this participant for one unfortunate moment.”
The auditorium fell silent.
Aubrey felt a brief knot form in her stomach.
But the judge continued.
“We prefer to remember her for everything she did afterward.
For how she got back up.
For how she helped build a team.
And for proving that one mistake never defines a person.”
The applause grew even louder.
And this time,
Aubrey felt tears beginning to fill her eyes.
Because for years she had believed that incident would always be the first thing people remembered about her.
And now.
For the first time.
She understood that it wasn't.
---
From the front row,
Beca couldn’t take her eyes off her.
She wasn’t even trying.
Because this was the Aubrey the world deserved to see.
Not the terrified girl.
Not the perfectionist who punished herself for every mistake.
But the strong.
Brave.
Extraordinary woman.
The one she had fallen in love with.
And when Aubrey looked up from the stage,
her eyes immediately found Beca’s.
Among hundreds of people.
Among all the lights.
Among all the applause.
They found her.
And she smiled.
A small smile.
Just for Beca.
As if she were saying:
“We did it.”
And Beca gave her the exact same smile in return.
Because it was true.
They had done it.