When Finn joined the army most disapproved, Santana did not. She thought he was brave for wanting to do it even after learning his father was broken from the war. He was determined not to let it break him as well. While Santana, Kurt and Rachel went to New York City, Finn traveled twenty hours to Killeen, Texas to train at Fort Hood. Despite the hardships all three managed to become pen pals with him for a while. Rachel's communication with him ended first while he was still at Ford Hood. The last letter Kurt got was post marked from Paris, France. Santana never stopped; in fact she found solace in Fin. Telling her former glee member everything from her classes, classmates and teachers to her relationships with Kurt and Rachel as roommates and even her love life. He was very sympathetic when she told him about her break up with Brittney. Finn's letters were filled with advise as well as his life in the army along with what he did when they gave him 'shore leave' of sorts where he told her about the sights, sounds and of course the women. When he was shipped overseas she knew it would take longer for the letters to arrive however eventually, they stopped and she feared the worse especially after three months passed with no letter. One day while she was relaxing on the couch while Kurt and Rachel were out at an audition, when there was a knock at the door she jumped up thinking her New York pizza had arrived. Picking up her purse she was searching through it when she opened the door but it fell to the floor when she saw the man in a military uniform. Seeing the shock in her face, the fear the man spoke.

"It's not the worst case, are you Ms. Lopez?" he asked and she nodded not able to stop the tears from flowing down her face. "IS Mr. Hummel around?" a shake this time, "From what we learned from Private Hudson's personal information Mr. Hummel is his brother and you are the person he kept the most in touch with. Private Hudson's unit went missing three weeks ago. At first we feared the worst but after a raid of an enemy facility we found one of his squad mates barely alive. He advised us that Private Hudson along with two others were taken deep into enemy territory, as of right now he is declared MIA." Reaching out and grabbing onto his arm to steady herself she felt the world turn on it's side as she fell to her knees. Holding her steady the soldier remained silent as they heard excited clattering coming up the stairs. Pausing seeing the man over a crying Santana the duo ran over to them.

"Do you want me to explain?" the soldier asked as Kurt and Rachel helped Santana up.

"No, I'll tell them, thank you." Santana managed to get out and the man apologized and left as Kurt led her to the couch where she proceeded to tell them what happened to Finn. Rachel was in denial and Kurt couldn't stop crying hugging his Latina friend. Two more months passed and life moved on as it tended to do. Kurt got cast as Peter Pan while Rachel scored her dream role in the revival of Funny Girl. Santana loved to sing however Broadway wasn't her dream, instead she got more into dancing and took a job teaching at NYADA taking over Cassandra's old job to get the last of her credits. After class, and walking home, Santana decided to swing by the bank of mailboxes to collect everyone's mail, instead of the massive amount of junk mail they normally had Santana was taken back to see a single letter with familiar scrawl on it. Dropping her bags she quickly took it out and tore it open pulling the letter out and reading it to herself.

"Santana, I am so sorry that I haven't written, things have been a little hectic. My squad was on a routine patrol when there was an explosion, the front of the two trucks we had hit an IED. Three of my friends were instantly killed, five of us were captured. Two were left behind as a warning and the last of us were taken away somewhere. I guess they thought we had secrets or something because they tortured us to near death." Shocked at that Santana felt herself gasp before pushing on. "I kept the letters we were sending each other on me and hid it well enough where at first they didn't find them. I read them over and over thinking about you the whole time and even after they found and destroyed them I had them memorized. All the time they were hurting me I kept on surviving for you, the thought of seeing you again, hearing you sing, held me together, and I hope it doesn't make me sound too presumptuous (Had to ask the guy in the next bed how to spell that…and what it meant)" She surprised herself by chuckling. "But you saved my life Santana. I was going to tell you this in my last letter that never got sent, but I love how close we were getting and I was starting to fall for you. This last bit may be a bit dramatic, but check the return address. They asked me where I wanted to transfer to when I returned home to the states, which hospital and I asked for a New York City hospital. I would love to see you again and I'll be here for a long time considering that I need to heal up, they say I have PSTD. Hope to see you soon. Your Friend, Finn Hudson. PS check the mailing address. "

Quickly turning it over she recognized the street and even the hospital having walked by it after class, it was close to her favorite frozen yogurt place. Quickly grabbing her bags and running up the apartment she tossed them into her room and into the bathroom to shower and get dressed. It was crazy but she was so scared that she lost him that she too felt the connection he had felt. Coming out in a towel, drying her hair she hurried into her room rushing pass Kurt who was coming into the kitchen from his room.

"Where's the sale?" Kurt asked and this surprised Santana that he saw the excitement in her.

"Finn's back," she explained and the wonderment turned to joy. Quickly she dressed and came back out as Kurt hugged her.

"I called my dad, he knew that Finn was back as well but Finn asked to keep it a secret unless I asked." Pushing the letter into his hands for him to read she kissed his cheek and took off. Knowing where he was calmed her mind as she drove through the insane traffic that made New York famous. Pulling into the lot connected to the Veteran's Hospital she check herself in the mirror and actually felt nervous. Climbing out the car she went into the building and saw the nurse behind the counter and walked right up to her.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a tall slow guy." She said and the woman looked at her and smiled.

"Tallest current resident is Hudson but he's not slow and should be in the break room for another ten minutes before his physical therapy."

"Is he okay?" Santana asked, a little worried about the answer and the woman smiled softening it.

"Yes, but he'll never dance again." She said with a smile that made Santana think that the nurse heard more than one of Finn's stories. Thanking her she went the way the she was directed and paused at the door looking into the room and seeing Finn sitting in a wheelchair. Stepping into the room she paused hoping that if he was confined to the chair she wouldn't feel any different about him. Suddenly he turned and saw her, a huge smile forming on his face, he looked the same except for the military style hair cut that was actually cute on him, his features also looked a little hardened as well. Suddenly he was up and had scooped her up into a big hug.

"I missed you," he said into her as she laughed and hugged him back. Setting her back down he looked at her unable to remove the dopey smile from his face until he saw her tears.

"Are you okay?"

"Am I okay? Are you okay?" he asked selfless as always.

"I'm happy. They said you had therapy" She asked as his eyes went cold for a moment as if remembering something, but he returned to the now and smiled again.

"I lost my left foot," he said lifting his pant leg revealing the prosthetic foot and leg, "Lost it at the knee so can't dance again," he smiled at his joke, "Also I suffer from PSTD, I wake up some nights screaming and thrashing about."

"It's PTSD" she said with a soft smile worried about him, he thought about it and nodded noticing her concern.

"Don't worry though, I'm alive and got an honorable discharge. I got my dad's dishonorable status changed as well, the Hudson line will be known as heroes again. I asked for New York because I wanted to see you and become friends with the new you, if you'll still have me?" Part of her wanted to scream yes to the heavens but she wasn't that type of person and didn't want to change just for him. Knowing her for so long she hoped he knew that so instead of saying yes she said.

"You should come over for dinner, Kurt would love to see you but I can't speak for Rachel."

"That would be great I'd love to catch up with everyone including Rachel." He was acting so grown up it was a refreshing change, last she saw him he was this man-child and now he was a real man, it was hot. "Did you need to be somewhere or did you want to watch some NCSI with Matt and I?" The other soldier he was with finally looked up at the pair.

"Wow Hudson she could be my nurse any day of the week," earning him a quick blush but regaining her feistiness she pushed Finn back into the wheel chair and settled down on his lap, throwing a little bit of a grind once the other guy looked back at the TV. She left once the show was over and Finn left for therapy but heading out to her car she paused seeing Kurt leaning against her car.

"Before you launch yourself at me I actually called ahead and know he's in therapy. Should I brace myself?" Kurt asked knowing Santana had spent some time with him.

"Aside from losing his haircut to the military style." She stated.

"Always a faux pa," he joked and she smiled.

"He lost a good portion of his left leg, be wary of his joke about dancing, he's taking it really well though very positive."

"That's our Finn," Kurt said with a smile.

"Did you tell Rachel?"

"Yeah, she's at rehearsal but I told her to call me afterwards for an update. She's happy he's okay and alive but cares as a friend, not someone with romantic interest in him." Santana blushed again, damn twice in one day what was that boy doing to her?

"I invited him to dinner; we can text him the address," she realized that he probably didn't have a phone yet, "or call the VA hospital."

"Tomorrow?" he asked and she nodded, "Okay well I'll let him know when I get in there."

Saying goodbye they parted ways, Kurt to visit his brother and Santana to head home to get ready for tomorrow. Kurt filled Finn in with what had been happening for the trio surprising him when Finn hugged him goodbye.

"Not that I don't like the brotherly closeness…" Kurt started only to see Finn smile.

"Just in case anything happens between now and the next time I see you I want you to know I care."

"Is the depression that bad?" Kurt asked his brow furring with worry.

"I didn't survive the war just to die back home. I've lost a lot of friends out there even doing normal things and I never got a chance to say goodbye or let them know what they meant to me."

"You've really grown up," Kurt said also noticing what Santana had seen, "Dinner is tomorrow at six, do you need to address?" Shaking his head Finn watched as Kurt went home waving goodbye from the street.