Rachel pulled her hot pink mini-cooper into her house in Lima. Her father's had left it for her in their will, after they passed on in an unfortunate plane crash, and she had never had the heart to sell it. Luckily for her, the mortgage was paid off which would help her make the most of her meager teacher's salary. It looked the same on the outside, but she wasn't expecting the cluster of people sitting on the front lawn. She had of course called Kurt and Mercedes to tell them she was coming back, but she hadn't expected the entirety of New Directions, including Mr. And Mrs. Schue to be there.
She signaled for the moving truck following her to park in the street, and took a deep breath as she opened her car door. A chorus of "Rachel!"s and "You're back!"s graced her ears, and she braced herself for the hugs that would follow.
Quinn, not suprisingly, was first. She gave her a tight squeeze. "I can't wait for us to hang out. I've missed you so much." Another squeeze, and Quinn stepped back to let Finn approach her.
"Hey Rach, I'm glad you're back. You're my co-captain, and I've been missing your butt-kicking around here." Finn gave her a tight hug and let Mr. Schue and Emma step forward.
"Hello Rachel. Good to have you back, and I'm glad it's you taking over. Em and I are excited to tour the world, but it makes me feel better knowing it's you who's going to be taking over. And don't worry, Sue left last year, so you won't have to worry about her." Mr. Schue gave her a quick hug, followed by a hug from Emma.
"I've been preparing myself for this, but I've gotten a lot better about germs ever since I married Will." Emma blushed as she stepped back. Brittany, Santana, Matt, and Mike hugged her quickly, with well wishes, and then Artie rolled forward.
"Hey Rachel, good to see you again." She bent down to give him a hug. Tina stepped up to give her a hug, and then rolled Artie back to allow Mercedes a chance.
"Girl, it's good to see you again!" Mercedes was shoved out of the way by Kurt, who hugged her equally as fiercely.
"What are those hideous socks you are wearing?" Rachel was wearing the socks, forced onto her legs by Danny and Seb before she left New York. Rachel smirked and did a little twirl before pushing Kurt back into the line. Al last, Puck stepped forward, hands in his pockets. Rachel reached out to give him a small hug, but when Puck grabbed her by the waist, he held her tight, burying his face into her neck. He pulled back slightly and whispered into her ear.
"I really missed you, Berry. A lot. Call me later and we'll catch up, okay?" Rachel heard some wolf whistles from behind her that she recognized all too well. She stepped back from Puck but he kept his hold on her waist as the rest of New Directions gathered around them, facing the street.
"It looks like we pulled up just in time to see you and Mohawk Man getting frisky on the lawn!"
"Danny! Seb! What are you doing here?" Her two best friends from New York parked their car and stepped out onto the lawn. Rachel could feel Puck's grip tighten around her and it sent shivers up her spine. She shrugged it off though, as the power-couple stepped up for their turn in the Rachel hug-a-thon.
"I couldn't let you leave just yet, babe! We had some time off between shows and I promised I'd visit my girlfriend in her dramatic little town." Danny planted a wet kiss on her lips, much like the ones they had shared on stage, only a lot more awkward, seeing as the entire Lima crew was gawking at her.
"I just came along for the car snacks. I honestly didn't miss you that much." Seb winced as she slapped him in the shoulder.
"So, who are you?" Kurt stepped forward, hands planted on his hips.
"I'm Danny, and this is Seb. We starred alongside Rachel in Next to Normal on Broadway, but we became great friends offstage as well. We spent over three years together, and then we fell in love, and well, here we are." Seb saw the stormy look on Pucks face and decided to clarify for his boyfriend.
"And by we, he means us. Danny and I have been dating for a little over three years now. Rachel's just our bestest friend. I was her dead brother, and Danny was her stoner boyfriend, onstage though." Seb reached out to grab his lover's hand to pull him away from Rachel. As soon as he did, Puck's face relaxed, and he stepped back up to Rachel's side, much to the delight of everyone there.
"Well, as long as you're all here, grab a box and help me move in! I'll order pizza, I'm starving."
