Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 51st cycle. Now cycle 52!

"Lights, Camera, Action"
Rachel/Puck, Rent company
Project No Day But Today series
(all series now listed under the communities tab in my profile)

The progress of the costumes department had apparently lit a fire under all of them. They were starting to see it all take shape, and it spurred them on. The sets were coming along nicely, everyone was working, and then Rachel had an idea.

It had started with the pictures that they had taken in her basement, the whole cast. Rachel had been looking at them again and again until she knew exactly what she wanted to do, what they should do.

"We should film it," she declared to the collected cast and crew. They were quiet.

"The performance?" Craig asked.

"No, well… yes, when we get to that. But I mean now. We can run through parts of it, and we'll film it. That way we can see how it looks from the audience's perspective, and we can see what needs fixing," she explained.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Quinn spoke up. "The pictures were one thing, but something about this just feels like… it could be a mess…"

"I think we should do it," Santana cut in, surprising a few. "I'm not going to have her yelling at me because there's something wrong with the costumes," she pointed to Rachel.

"Thanks… I think," the co-director blinked. "Look, if you guys don't want to do it, we don't have to include you. Those of you who would like to though…"

In the end, they had gotten everyone on board, after a negotiation which came down to them filming three numbers. This was the easier of the decisions, as they then had to choose which three. They had very nearly come to blows before they had locked in a set list.

The first they would film was the aptly-titled "Rent." As they had two of several roles, and taking into account following numbers, Puck took on Roger while Sam sat out along with Mike, as Artie would play Mark. Mercedes took on Joanne while Santana sat it out. Along with Finn as Benny and Blaine as Collins, their other players followed.

Mike manned the camera, Rachel standing at his side to see how he did it. Puck showed himself in his co-director capacity, physically placing those who stood on stage, and as she held up the camera to test it, Rachel hit record, something she'd later swear was an accident, even if they could hear her amused laughter through it all. Finally she had stopped and returned the camera to Mike before calling out that they were about to start. All those who weren't meant to be on stage scurried away, everyone got back into place, and they were off. They didn't have an eternity, they knew, and at any moment they could get caught. They all knew this, so no one could mess around.

When the music started, Rachel just felt her heart thump giddily in her chest. They'd been working these for a while, as long as it was all taking, but still it did something to her to see it… This was the first time it hit her that they were actually nearing a turning point… This was ready, it wasn't half done, or missing an element here or there… Everyone was on point, perfect… It gave her chills. When they finished and Mike called cut, everyone cheered.

"Guys, guys! Easy!" Rachel called. "Let's move on and set up for the next one, please!" They didn't argue on that. They got moving, picking up what had to be picked up, moved… Their next one had been selected to see how it would all come together. It had never been performed with all pieces in place.

For the "Tango Maureen," Mike would join Santana and they would get their turn as Mark and Joanne. As they had decided to play it, the two would perform before a screen/curtain which spanned the stage. Behind the curtain, Brittany, as Maureen, accompanied by Elliot, would appear as a shadow, projected larger than life as they tangoed away.

"Britt, you know we can see you up here?" Santana called out as the shadow Brittany fixed her dress as she waited. She stopped.

"Oh… right. She headed out of sight, waiting for her cue.

"Want me to do it?" Puck asked as he came to stand with Rachel, now handling the camera.

"I, hey, I got it," she shooed his hand away. "Places!" she called, getting a squinted glare from Santana. "Please?" she added.

So they took their places, and when they began, everyone watched. The two of them had been working on this for a while, they could tell. Elliot had been picked out as Brittany's shadow partner as he could match her height and was surprisingly skilled at the tango.

Puck could see the pride in his girlfriend's face as she watched the shadows loom out, and it was just as she had pictured. He'd been the one to call cut; she was too happy to speak.

For their final filmed number, as much as they had wanted to do "La Vie Bohème," they had decided on another, and for this the camera had been handed to Roger, the newest recruit to the tech team, as Rachel called all cast members to the stage.

"All of us?" Tina asked, looking to all the doubles.

"Yes, all of us… Line up," Rachel smiled. "Santana, first half, Mercedes second?" she directed of Joanne's contributions to "Seasons of Love." The girls gave a silent nod.

The line was twenty-five strong, spanning the stage. It might not have been that way when they'd actually perform to an audience, but this time was symbolic to all of them, to the work they were putting in… They all belonged on that stage right then.

Puck stood at Rachel's side as the music started, and it took all he had not to reach to take her hand. His fingers still blindly tried to reach her though, and when they did they brushed up against hers… She'd done the same. Their gazes met just out of the corner of their eyes and their smiles turned into words as they all started to sing.

It had been right, for them to close this filming day with this song. After all they'd been through to get here, it was absolutely perfect.

As the song ended, silent hung until they heard 'cut,' and then voices erupted all over again, all of them feeling enough energy that they could have done the whole show right then. Instead they had to pick up and pack up.

When it was ready, the video was sent out to the whole cast and crew, so they could see the fruits of their labor. They would be ready soon, very soon, and they knew it meant taking new steps in all their efforts, but at this point, she wished, seeing the video, they would bottle up that energy and turn it into hope for the leap.

THE END

A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.
In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are
always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!