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“I can’t come to the afterparty guys. I’ve got… plans.”
The Bellas all look at Beca with disbelief.
Aubrey scoffs. “Plans on Christmas Eve that could rival the biggest party in Hollywood?”
Beca sighs. “I know it’s hard to believe but not only does it rival it but it is the most important kind of plans.”
“Just stay for an hour,” Chloe says, grabbing Beca’s hand. “Okay? An hour of mingling and lifechanging networking and perhaps an impromptu acapella holiday performance and then you can go do whatever it is you need to do.”
Beca softens. “Ugh, that’s cheating. You know it is.”
Chloe beams. “Now, c’mon. They’ve got hot chocolate. I know it’s your favorite.”
“As long as it’s not the evil monstrosity that is the instant powder.”
“Well, if it is, I’m sure you’ll be able to tell.”
The party is indeed the biggest one in Hollywood. Anyone who is anyone is there. And apparently, the Bellas are someone enough to be invited.
They had just performed their first live broadcast Christmas special, a new milestone for the acapella group.
“Take that Pentatonix,” Stacie says.
“I’m pretty sure Pentatonix has probably had like 10 Christmas specials,” Cynthia says. “I mean, they come out with a new damn Christmas album every year.”
“They haven’t done ‘Whose Child Is This’ yet. Whose child is this?” Lilly whispers.
Chloe shakes her head fondly at her friends and presses a kiss to Beca's cheek. “Thanks for coming, babe. I know you’ve probably got plans with your family or something.”
“Mhm,” Beca says, her voice totally not high and suspicious at all. “You know me. Family traditions and all that.”
“The way you talk about your Christmases growing up, it just… it makes me wish I had something like that. It’s so perfect.”
“Yeah, they were,” Beca says. “They were never the same after Dad died. And now with Mom… it’s just me and Nick.”
“Speaking of Nick, I think that’s him over there.”
Beca’s eyes go wide as they lock onto her brother’s who is not Nick at the moment but famous standup comedian, Richie Tozier.
He frantically runs up to them and grabs Beca’s shoulder. “Santa!” He hisses. “What the fuck are you doing here? You should be in the North Pole!”
“I know, I know,” Beca says, drooping with guilt. “It’s just, the Bellas had a big televised performance and it would be so naughty of me to not be there with them and the power of Christmas carol brings so much merriment, you know that!”
Richie runs his hand over his face. “I know. Ding dong, ding dong that is their song with joyful ring. It’s just… you know what happened last time—” He stops, finally noticing Chloe. “Chloe. Hi. What a… surprise it is to see you. Here. With Sa— Beca.”
“Hi Nick,” Chloe says. “I didn’t realize you’d be here either. Why are you here?”
“Uh…”
“Richie!” An irritated man shouts, coming up and grabbing him by the arm. “You can’t just fucking abandon me in a crowd of strangers I don’t know.” He pauses and looks at their company. “Who is this?”
“This is my sister… Beca. And her girlfriend, Chloe.”
“Oh wait, you’re from that singing group whose singer blew chunks over the audience.” He elbows Richie. “Just like Richie.”
“Thanks for the reminder, Eds,” Richie says. “Look, now’s really not a good time because Sa— Noe— Beca really needs to get home.”
“Is something wrong?” Chloe asks. “If you guys have to go…”
Phones begin to ping throughout the room.
“What the actual fuck,” Amy shouts. “I just got a text from Santa with an evaluation of my Christmas Spirit. That dickhead said I’m on the naughty list! And I mean… yeah. I knew that. I’m a naughty girl. But still! It’s the principle of it.”
“Oh my fucking garland.” Richie looks at Beca with wide eyes of panic. “Santa, you have to get back!”
“I’ll call the reindeer. Valet didn’t take them so I had to park them on top of a Costco.”
“No, wait, shut the fuck up,” Eddie says. “You can’t honestly believe that she is Santa C—”
“When you were 9 you wanted a Furby but your mom said that their fur were cesspools of germs and bacteria waiting to happen so she got marbles instead but Santa got you a Furby. She had no idea where it came from. You thought that she had changed her mind but she didn’t. That was Santa. That was our dad.”
Eddie pales. “Mommy really didn’t get it for me?”
“Sorry, did you say our?” Chloe says. “As in you and…”
Richie sighs. “Me. Yes.”
“You’re Santa’s son?” Eddie gapes.
“Yuck it up,” Richie groans. “I’ve heard it all. Believe me.”
“And you had the gall to joke about my mom.”
“You made fun of his mom?!” Beca gasps. “That’s so naughty, Nick!”
“Your name is Nick?!”
“Everyone knows Richie Tozier is a stage name,” Richie grumbles. “No, that doesn’t matter. Santa. You have to go before Cousin Gabe ruins Christmas.”
Beca puts a hand to her mouth and sings a wordless melody and suddenly the sleigh crashes into the ballroom, Snowcone leading the reindeer.
Beca, no, Santa jumps in and lets out a belly laugh. “Merry Christmas!”
The room, completely silent after their shrieks of fear, stare as she flies away.
“What. The actual fuck?”