Rachel couldn't help but smile a little in excitement for the next two weeks, always having looked forward to her music theater camps. However, the usual relief hadn't followed as it had in the past; no, Rachel, though she was elated to saturate her life with her love of performance for the near future, wasn't looking at the camp as an escape from the troubles of McKinley High.

The strange thing was that even though they'd lost at Nationals, which was certainly enough to put a damper on most positive elements in her life, Rachel was exiting her junior year of high school feeling a little bittersweet. Since her Saturday movie marathon with Kurt the previous weekend, her social life had been on the upturn, with three social gatherings with Kurt, and sometimes Blaine, since. Additionally, Tina had brought Rachel over for a year-end dinner, which allowed them time to catch up and get back to where their friendship used to be. Even Mercedes had accepted Rachel's invitation for coffee on Thursday morning.

And then there was Santana. Everything with her newest friend was more than she could have hoped for. Their dinner date had been so wonderful and relaxing after a hard week, just cuddling up together and enjoying each other's company for nearly the whole night. While Rachel had asked Santana to stay the night, her friend had made the executive decision to keep things slow and steady between them, which apparently meant not having sleepovers yet.

Which, Rachel could understand, of course. They'd only napped together a small handful of times, and escalating that into more intimate territory might have truly been too fast for them. So she didn't blame the Latina for exercising caution at all. In truth, she'd found herself conflicted, wanting more from Santana, while being equally scared of what that 'more' could do to them.

That had been something of a regular theme throughout the final week of the semester, both Rachel and Santana showing a little more open affection at school as time passed. A hug here, some hand holding there, a brief massage on occasion; nothing major, but it was absolutely exhilarating for Rachel to be the target of such affection publicly. Santana, of course, had moderated their moments with occasional glares to their McKinley peers, but Rachel couldn't quite blame the girl, knowing how Santana wasn't quite ready to be out yet.

Still, they'd discussed their situation that Monday, and Rachel had decided that it would be fine if Santana instigated most affection between them, if only to see how she'd respond to the lessened control over the gestures. Outside of a hug or two that had gotten Rachel feeling a little anxious, it had been a positive experience, and they'd talk about it all each night, if only just a little, to make sure they both felt good. For the first time in her life, she felt healthy about how a relationship, even if not in name, was progressing. It felt good, all in all, and despite Santana's impatience coming to a head at times, the girl had been immensely considerate.

Given her own reputation as an openly affectionate diva at the bottom of the social ladder, Rachel was quite certain that no one's suspicions were raised in the least, not with Santana also being slightly warmer to the rest of the gleeks, minus Finn, of course.

So all in all, things had been going quite well at school, which made it a little sad for her to leave it for a few weeks. The prospect of camp brightened that mood substantially, but couldn't remove all the worries of lost progress that her two weeks away might cause. Not to mention losing the closeness she had with Santana, even if just temporarily.

The worry over that loss was why Rachel, at ten after ten at night, on the Saturday night before leaving for camp, reached for her phone and quickly dialed Santana's number.

She was pleasantly surprised when the other girl picked up on the third ring.

"Here I thought Rachel Berry wasn't one to bow to impulsiveness. Not that I'm not happy to hear from you, Rach, but...well, are you okay?" Santana asked, her voice softening from its prior amusement, the clear concern creating a flutter of butterflies in Rachel's stomach.

"I'm okay, Santana. Not everything I do is scheduled out in advance, as you well know. But...I suppose calling so late is unlike me." Rachel answered in kind, getting nice and comfy in her bed, tossing her duvet further down the bed due to how warm she felt. It had Rachel smiling to herself a little, knowing Santana would happily soak up her heat were she present.

"So what's up? Something's gotta be bouncing around in that pretty little head of yours for you to be calling so late. I know you have to get up at stupid o'clock tomorrow morning." Santana shot back softly, the creak of a mattress letting Rachel know that Santana was probably sitting in bed as well.

In truth, Rachel wasn't sure why she called Santana. She'd just been worrying about the distance that would soon separate them, and what it might do to them. "Would it be strange to say I'm pre-emptively missing you?"

Santana's lighthearted laugh, if nothing else, helped alleviate that concern. "No, that's pretty normal. Like, whenever my mom's home, I try to spend as much of it with her as I can, and as soon as I know when she's leaving, I start to miss her, even if she's still there with me." Santana explained, the details about her mom helping fill some blanks in Rachel's understanding of the Lopez family. "Kind of like how I've been with you this week, just hanging out together all the time so I can enjoy you while you're here."

Rachel nodded to herself, supposing that all made some sort of sense. "This week has been pretty wonderful. Even just memories of our brief friendship so far should help my nights at camp pass a little faster, I'd think." Rachel confided, only to blush at the potential sexual subtext that could be read into her words.

Santana's chuckling had Rachel at least aware that the other girl had caught on. So embarrassing. "Anything I can do to help you out, Rach. But yeah, it's shit like that, you know?" Santana asked, likely rhetorically if Rachel were to guess. Her relief over Santana not turning it too sexual with a trademark 'wanky' was a little distracting, even if it DID let her know that Santana was navigating their somewhat romantic waters a bit more easily these days. "You gotta make time for people. When they're here, you make the best of it, when they're gone, you keep them in mind. Like, I know Q-ball wants to head out to some east coast ivy league school after McKinley, and I doubt I'd feel up to living in New Haven or Boston...but damn right, I'll make a trip regularly enough to see her. And I'll probably even miss Blondie or whatever, but it just makes spending time together a bigger priority. I mean, if you're not gonna miss someone when they're gone, what's the point?"

Rachel just sat there in bed, digesting the oddly clarifying rambling of her newest friend, realizing there was a lot of truth to her words. She'd missed Tina, and had loved reconnecting with her. She'd missed Kurt lately, even with their on-again off-again rivalry. But there were others she didn't particularly miss, despite having been close to them recently enough, and Rachel knew that such a new understanding would likely lead to some late-night journaling to clear her head on the matters.

"Yes, that makes a lot of sense, Santana. Even if you used curse words." Rachel noted playfully, earning a sheepish hum from the other end of the call.

"Ah, yeah, my bad, Boo. Can you forgive me?" Santana asked, the dorky amusement evident in her voice, and had her friend not used the forsaken pet name, she might have said yes.

"Only if you agree to never call me that name ever again." Rachel negotiated, even if she knew it would be fruitless; she was Rachel Berry, she HAD to at least try.

Santana's laughter was answer enough, even if her friend felt a need to add to it. "No way, mi estrella! That name's pure gold!"

Rachel fought to tamp down on her grumbling, knowing Santana was just being teasing and playful; besides, there wasn't much harm in being called it in her early pre-stardom days. Just so long as it never translated to her glory years on Broadway.

"Anyway, thank you Santana, I'm feeling a little better about this now. Even if you still insist on referring to me as a brand of cereal." Rachel said, her lips unable to keep from curling into a smile as Santana hummed happily.

"You know me, Rach, I gotsta mix some light in with the heavy. Anything else on your mind, querida?" Santana asked in a tone that Rachel would characterize as sweet if doing so wouldn't get Santana all pouty and defensive. She'd keep it to herself, unlike her enjoyment of the Spanish terms of affection Santana had been throwing her way lately.

"See, why can't you just keep calling me that?" She asked, hoping her pout was audible across the phone call.

Santana's hardly stifled laugh let her know more lovely Spanish words weren't in the cards. "Come on, Boo-Berry. I can't sweet talk you all the time, it wouldn't be so special anymore. Besides, you know I love having an assortment of nicknames to call people or tease them with. It's how I roll."

"Sadly, I'm quite aware of that unfortunate habit." Rachel shot back with a smile, letting out a laugh at Santana's faux-offended 'Hey!', knowing her friend's names for her were mostly positive, anyway. "As for anything else on my mind...well, I AM feeling a little sleepier, now that I'm not worrying so much. Could you...could you sing me something before I fall asleep?"

Another happy hum from Santana had Rachel settling down in bed, hoping her newest friend would indulge in her request.

"I got just the song in mind, so why don't you snuggle up under the covers and let me get you knee deep in dreamland, 'kay?" Santana asked, her voice smoothing out into a wondrously soothing purr, her vocal tone inducing some wonderful ASMR responses already.

Rachel let out a contented sigh as she closed her eyes and turned her lamp off, all too ready to fall deeply into slumber with a lovely song, Santana already leading in with melodic hum that had her feeling boneless.

"I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven, when I awoke I spent that on a necklace..." Santana sang, her lovely, sweet tone nearly masking the lyrical content, drawing Rachel's brows together in temporary confusion as she mentally flit through her internal music catalogue. "I told God I'd be back in a second, man, it's so hard not..."

"SANTANA!" Rachel yelled out, ignoring San's immediate giggling as she shot up into a seated position, having realized what her friend had been singing. "Are you REALLY singing Kanye West to me?! Really?!" She yelled out, quite justified in her annoyance as Santana's previous giggles broke out into full-on laughter.

Of course. Of course Santana would prank her before she went away. Rachel just hadn't thought the girl would take so long to get around to it.

"I'm sure the look on your face is priceless!" Santana spoke through her laughter; not even Rachel's entirely justified scoff could calm her friend down. "Oh come on, you're cute when you're all flustered."

Okay, well, that very well might be flattering, if a bit peculiar... Rachel mused to herself, but it was all beside the point. Rachel was tired, and truly did want a song before sleeping.

"Flattery won't get you out of this, Tana. Can you give me a real song to sleep to? Please?" She asked, fighting off a yawn and trying to infuse every ounce of sweetness into her tired voice. She just wanted a song. Was that too much to ask?

"You know I can't say no to you. Not when you're all sleepy and stuff." Santana noted with a largely theatrical sounding sigh; if Santana was anything, she was loyal. Past all the smokescreens and amusement, there was a girl who Rachel was quite sure would do just about anything to help her friends. "Alright, alright, I've got another song in mind. Why don't you lie back down and let me send you off for the night, okay, Rach?"

Deciding to trust her friend again, Rachel settled back down in bed, getting fully comfy before letting out a happy hum at her current state; comfy, in bed, and on the phone with Santana. At such an hour, Rachel wasn't sure there were many better situations she could find herself in.

She could hear some shuffling around on the other side of the phone, but after a few seconds, it settled down; enough to draw some of Rachel's curiosity, but not quite enough to have her ask about it and possibly delay her song.

"Okay, so...I guess you know I play music, since the New York stuff. I'm not great at guitar, but my dad showed me the ropes a few years back, and this song is simple enough for me to handle, and...well, it was my mami's favourite, and I play it on loop when I need help sleeping. So maybe it helps you, too." Santana rambled, sounding nervous and cute in her vulnerability. It was nice to learn another snippet of Santana's past, and it had her excited to hear the song that her friend would use to soothe herself on sleepless nights.

The slow, gentle strumming of a guitar filled her ear, the simple tune already bringing her a sense of comfort.

I made a lover's prayer
I made a lover's prayer
Then watched the sky
Then wanted to cry
It's only you and I
And how I try
I made a lover's prayer

Santana's voice was so silky smooth, so warm as she sang the simple folk song; it was the emotion the girl put into the quiet, heartfelt performance that gave Rachel a sense of yearning, of faith, rather than the lyrics. It reminded her that over the next two weeks, her opportunities to see Santana were limited, and that she'd have to try to keep connected with her. She'd have to be patient with the both of them, and reach out, and hope for the best even if she knew that she'd be lonely.

Even if she knew Santana might be, too.

I made a lover's prayer
I made a lover's prayer
Help me rise above
What I'm thinking of
Just a little more love
Just a little more love

As Santana broke into some melodic humming, Rachel focused on the little prayer at the end, there. 'Just a little more love', such a simple way to express a need to endure. That no matter the trials she might face in the coming days, it'd all be well with a little more love, whether given or received.

Rachel could see why the song had comforted her friend so; it had her own heart blooming that her request had made Santana think of such a beautiful song, with such an astute message. Even with her consciousness slowly slipping away into the sandman's clutches, she couldn't help but think they could get through the next two weeks much more comfortably if they had each other to lean on. Even at a distance, the place Santana held in her heart, and the place she held in San's, could shine through with a little effort. With a little faith.

I made a lover's prayer
I made a lover's prayer
I made a lover's prayer

Santana's sweet voice trailed off, replaced by a slow strumming and a low hum that she couldn't help but succumb to, a smile on her face, and a four letter word starting to take root in her heart.


"We have different heartbeats...but all the same heartbreak...and...and..." Santana mumbled to herself, brow knit as she slaved over the lyrics of her newest original piece. Honestly, it was damn frustrating to have a great piece of music come together in her head, only for the lyrics to just...

Well, not manifest as easily as she'd like.

"...and this is fucking bullshit, argh!" She lashed out, crumpling her paper up and tossing it across the room where the other sixty or so balled up sheets were. Sure, a few of those had yielded a few lines she'd kept, lines that resonated with her, but there was so much empty real estate in her song. "So much for meeting my mid-week goal." She finished with a sigh, pushing her chair away from her workbench.

Life had been ridiculously boring since summer break had hit. Britt went off with her family for their regular visit to Holland, and pretty much everyone else was busy or MIA, so Santana had been stuck at home, alone.

Which, whatever, it wasn't exactly a brand new experience for her, but she just didn't really like it all that much. Even her dad had been putting in more hours at work, so her life had gone from decently full to pretty empty in a stupidly brief period of time. Not cool.

And so, to combat boredom, she'd set some goals for herself; nothing too wild, but missing out on one so early in her summer break was disheartening. She'd had this song idea hopping around in her head for about a week, and she'd set out a goal to get it done by Wednesday morning, which usually wasn't a big deal, except she rarely ever added a vocal element. And the vocals, the lyrics? That was a big brick wall she kept ramming herself into, to no avail.

So yeah, it was frustrating as hell. Santana was not impressed in the least, and while she knew she could do better, she wasn't writing something like Trouty Mouth this time. This was something more legit.

In truth, she'd been a little inspired by Rachel, but even though it was a love song, or at least it was shaping up to be one, it wasn't some intense sappy love ballad or anything. She just got these feelings floating around in her head sometimes, and she had to deal with them. Nothing weird about that!

Thankfully, the buzzing of her phone rescued her from that fate, at least temporarily. Santana grabbed her phone and checked the new message from Quinn.

'Hey I'm coming over.'

Santana rolled her eyes at the presumptuousness of her friend, but wasn't entirely opposed to the girl's company. Still, Q couldn't just make those decisions.

'Short notice much? I could be busy, Q'

Barely five seconds after she'd send her text, the phone started ringing. Of course. Santana let out a sigh and answered. "What?" She let out, knowing Quinn probably deserved the simple reply.

Instead of an immediate reply over the phone, Santana heard her doorbell ring. "Let me in, S." The blonde added after a second or two of Santana's brain trying to piece together what was going on.

Rolling her eyes again, Santana darted downstairs and swung the door open, setting a glare on her former captain. "Way to be super obnoxious, Q."

"You can complain to me in your living room, instead of out in this heat." Quinn noted flatly, strolling past Santana and promptly slipping her sandals off in the foyer. It was more than a little presumptuous of Q to invite herself over on no notice, and then waltz into her damn living room.

Still, it did mean she had an excuse to take a break from song composition, which after a few hours of steady work, she desperately needed. It was only that reminder that had Santana following Quinn instead of yelling at her for being so freaking entitled. While Q could be annoying at times with her indignation and attitude, it usually wasn't nearly this blatant, especially outside the walls of McKinley where that sort of thing was amped up. Free time was supposed to be where the blonde mellowed out, but even a brief glance could tell her that Q was absolutely on edge, even if her former captain was trying to hide that.

"So, what other ways have you planned out to derail my day, Q?" She asked as she plopped down beside the blonde on her sofa.

Quinn let out a light scoff. "Please, as if you're not as bored as I am." The blonde asserted with a shake of her head, but Santana definitely wasn't on that wavelength. Most summers, she'd been pretty busy; last year, she'd served as a lifeguard as a part time job, but this year, she was focusing on her portfolio in preparation for graduation.

"Speak for yourself, Q. Not all of us are spending our summers in church groups or whatever." She shot back, crossing her arms defensively, knowing Q would likely bite back at her. Still, it'd be the easiest way to weasel information out of the blonde on what was up.

"Considering my pregnancy got me kicked OUT of my church, you know that's not what I've been doing. And you can't tell me you're not counting the days until cheer camp." Quinn argued in a low growl that was maybe one magnitude of anger lower than Santana had aimed for. Still, it was something, and it gave her a bit of an in.

"Yeah, counting the days of my freedom ticking away." Santana said with a roll of her eyes, knowing the theatrics combined with her words would probably push Quinn closer to that edge. Sure, Santana looked forward to getting back with her squad, they were a strange kind of family, and it had sucked leaving them behind earlier that year. If Quinn thought otherwise, as the sudden blazing fire in her hazel eyes suggested, maybe she'd get some answers.

"Are you hearing yourself?! You love cheer! We LIVE for it!" Quinn blurted out in disbelief, hand planting down hard on the sofa beside Santana's thigh as she leaned towards her aggressively.

Certainly not one to cower to the blonde's unusual antics, Santana held her ground and kept a calm expression, knowing it'd only infuriate her friend more. "It can be fun, and the girls can be great, but I don't miss the practices or Sue putting us through hell. I don't miss the social obligations. I don't miss the fucking cannon. And I DEFINITELY don't miss you pulling shit on me like last year after promising we had each other's backs."

She couldn't help but twist the knife a bit at the end, and perhaps it overplayed her hand a bit, but Quinn's signature 'I'm-so-uncomfortable' laugh escaping the blonde was enough to know she'd stuck the landing, so to speak.

"Like you didn't revel in the power it gave you. In your precious reputation you flaunted to get Head Cheerio when I was kicked out." Quinn bit back roughly, but all the rage in the world couldn't hide the glimmer of fear in the girl's eyes. "Like you didn't use your status just like I did."

Santana kicked her feet up on the coffee table and gazed skeptically at the blonde, knowing she had to keep a cool, stable demeanor even though she knew a rant was coming on. "You think I liked knowing a bunch of randoms each week would spread stories of them getting laid by me, or head from me? That was fucking GROSS, Q. And I didn't fucking appreciate the fact that you and B had given handjobs for over a year by the time I was painted as the school bicycle after Sean Opilka got me blitzed on vodka late freshman year. Nothing like some good ol' Ohio racism at play with the fucking spicy, loose Latina shit getting thrown around." She ranted, holding Quinn's glare with her own, willing the blonde to challenge her on any of that horseshit.

"I used that status because if I didn't, it'd ruin me. I protected B with it. I protected YOU with it. And sometimes I fucked up, and I won't deny I like sex, but let's not pretend we've been in the same boat with this, Q. And let's not pretend that I'm not every bit the cheerleader you are. Sue sees herself in you, so you got the job. You might strike fear in the team like she does, but I'm the one they go to for help, whether it's feel-good shit or them needing me to tear someone apart. I'll be in camp for them...and for you too, unless you keep going off the rails, but damn it Q, I don't live for it. I don't even look forward to it. I'm a lot more than just a cheerleader, and so the fuck are you." Santana finished, syllables shaking out of her with the last bit of oxygen in her lungs. For certain, Rachel would have applauded her for her breath control and dramatics, but all Santana knew was that the longer she spoke, the more spooked Q appeared to be.

The room was quiet for a few long seconds as Quinn ever so slowly got off the sofa and onto her feet. "What the hell is wrong with you, San?! Since when do you ever give up? You're not even going to challenge me this year for captaincy? Is this some trick?" The blonde's questions were needling, but not in a way Santana felt comfortable with at all, given Q was just hardcore deflecting.

"It's not giving up to realize another cheerleading championship might only net me a scholarship big enough to pay for two or three books. This is our senior year, I have other priorities. So should you, Q, we've got a clean slate right now, we can get our ticket out of here." Santana argued in return, only to earn a disbelieving scoff from her friend, who stood stock still before her.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this. This is ridiculous!" Quinn growled, fists clenching and relaxing in a cycle that was a clear giveaway that Q's fight or flight response was seconds away from engaging in full.

Santana slowly pushed off the sofa and stood toe to toe with Quinn, knowing it was a bit of a risk, but there was no way the blonde would be able to ignore her if they were face to face. "What do you think I've been doing this summer so far? I'm getting out of Lima, Q. You can, too, if you just tried to get more than Head Cheerio, a steady and soulless relationship with Finnept, and Prom Queen! As if any of that shit's made you happy before! You've read all up on that feminist stuff, I know you have, so why don't you just push yourself instead of settling into Suzy fucking Homemaker?"

She heard the impact of the slap before she felt it, her head twisting from the impact as Quinn's laboured breaths met her ears. "Fuck you, San."

The three words were dealt like a threat, anger blooming in each syllable, but the deep undertones of fear were there. It was all she could manage to keep from blurting out some snarky shit and calling the blonde 'mom', knowing it'd be a little satisfying bit of vengeance at the low, low cost of destroying the fragile girl for a few days, if not longer. The fact that the blonde didn't continue on to taunt her over the state of her life, or her future, or anything Q could imagine up, had Santana thinking she'd hit a home run, even as Quinn marched out of her living room and home, door slamming hard in the distance.

Santana shook her head and went to the kitchen to grab something cold for her cheek, wondering if her calculated strike would help or hurt her friend in the long run. Quinn was so often a big fortress with shifting defenses, all guarding a single, vulnerable girl inside; any direct hit in the past had led to either exile or a delayed cry for help.

She could only hope it would be the latter again, because losing Q as a friend for months at a time in her senior year would make it hard to patch things up before graduation. And she didn't WANT to lose Q. She just didn't want Q to spiral out into a mess of a woman like the blonde's mother.

Well, I guess I got my distraction, anyway...


"It's just tiring, I suppose. We have busy schedules from six in the morning until four in the afternoon, and that's even earlier than I'm used to. And ten hours of largely physical work...it's a bit draining. It's fun, though, so don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm just a little tired, San." Rachel explained over Skype, laptop perched on the desk in front of her showing Santana's smiling face. Her friend's left cheek looked a little swollen, but she was sure it was probably just bad lighting or something. Or her exhaustion from the day's trails catching up to her. It was a lot of work, and she cherished the rush of doing things right and earning praise, but it was wearing on her.

"Hey, at least they're more your speed there, right?" Santana noted encouragingly, making a decent enough point. "You're getting a workout, you're being challenged...that's a good thing."

Rachel grabbed at the duvet Santana had sent her to camp with, asserting that the dorm sheets would probably be 'scratchy as hell' and that since the diva rarely felt warm, perhaps it would help. Of course, the quality was perfectly fine, and the weather saw to it that she wasn't remotely chilly, but Rachel suspected that her friend just wanted to give her something to remember her by for the time being. Either way, it was a nice gesture, and it made for something comfy to halfway cocoon herself in, knowing she'd be heading to bed after the videochat.

"It is. There's quite a lot of talent at the camp, though no one quite on my level that I've noticed at least. Still, the coaches are skilled, and some of them have been on Broadway. One of the vocal coaches is a NYADA alumni who won his junior year winter showcase, even, so that's exciting." Rachel rambled happily, recalling with a grin how excited she'd been to know some of the guest coaches had been on Les Mis and Spring Awakening. One of them an understudy, but still, a very good one, reviews had claimed.

Santana nodded along at that, smile shifting to a smirk that tended to happen whenever Rachel was 'in the zone', so to speak. She wasn't sure what was so amusing, but given her friend rarely teased her in those moments, Rachel found it difficult to care. It was good to see Santana happy.

"Any talent in your dorm, specifically?" Her friend asked, which was an easy enough question, even if it had Rachel scanning the rest of the room momentarily. Only Hannah was around, and if Rachel had anyone to compliment, it was her.

"One of my dorm-mates is a remarkably skilled dancer, for what it's worth." She noted quietly with a brief glimpse over her shoulder at the roommate in question. Hannah didn't seem to hear her, so she brought her focus back to Santana, who was giving her an inquisitive look. "She's on the other side of the room. Didn't want her to think I was gossiping about her."

Santana gave an understanding nod at that, brow furrowing and mouth frowning in thought. "Would'a thought they'd pack your dorm with other singers to bring out competitive streaks."

"Well, while the camp has strong representation in acting and dancing and comedic abilities, it's...not as strong in vocals. I'm quite clearly head and shoulders above the rest in that department, but it only makes me hungrier to improve in areas that are more competitive." Rachel explained, earning another nod. "Anyway, enough about me, we've been talking for thirty minutes and I haven't heard a peep about you."

The exasperated sigh that escaped Santana was hardly unexpected; the girl rarely seemed to enjoy delving into her own personal details, or at least the significant parts. Still, it was a sign that her request would, eventually, be granted.

"It's been boring so far. A lot of the same old stuff, and days seem a lot longer when there's not a lot to do, or what I AM doing is dragging. Papi worked late yesterday, and it's Tuesday today, so I haven't seen him around much. It's basically just been me here, with the exception of a super brief visit from Q." Santana finished with a dismissive hand wave that hardly masked how her friend's eyes hardened during that last bit. She'd press on that, but in the meanwhile, it was sad to hear Santana sounding so listless, when the same girl was bright eyed and full of wonder in the city. Rachel couldn't help but feel that Lima was much too small for Santana.

"Well, say hi to Juan for me the next time you see him." Rachel inserted, deciding to slowly weasel information out of her friend. Santana seemed a little too down and out after a mere three days of her being away at camp. It didn't make sense that the girl's mood would change so drastically unless something big happened.

"I will, for sure. Though it'll probably only push him to keep experimenting with vegan barbecue recipes." Santana added with a groan, Rachel immediately wondering what the girl's father could have possibly made to deserve such a reaction. "Don't roll your eyes at me, mi estrella, he made this freaky fake ribs made of seitan last night, but I can fucking tell you that it was SATAN instead. I don't know if my body can handle another week and a half of this."

As Santana descended into a pathetic pout, she couldn't help but laugh, even when her friend's dangerously effective pout shot out in response. "You know full well vegan food can be tasty, Santana. I'm sure he'll find a recipe he likes soon enough, and that will be all."

"As if he'll stop at one. He likes cooking, Rachel, and he knows you're going to be around for a while, so he's going to stock up. We're looking at probably five or six by the time you get back. So you gotta pray I'll survive, alright?" Santana continued complaining, hands waving dramatically in the air, eyebrow cocking, that playful glint in her eyes mixing with the clear annoyance. It was times like this that Rachel could appreciate that she wasn't the only drama queen out of the two of them.

"I'll say one every morning, and every night, San, I promise. Anyway, if you're so bored this summer, why not work on your portfolio? You're so talented, I'm sure you can add a few new pieces to it over the summer and hone your craft." Rachel rambled excitedly, happy for the momentary shift in topics; it had been an exciting discovery, learning Santana made music, especially for her original song. It had been quite flattering, and a little bit intriguing, that Santana's backing music had complemented her vocals as well as it did. If nothing else, she knew she wanted to work with the girl again, even if just on a more minor project.

Her excitement dulled a little at the comparatively tired sigh that left her friend, frustration clear across the girl's tense face. "Not making much progress. I keep hitting a wall...I set all these weekly goals and all, but it's hard to hit them when I can't even get one or two out of the way without freezing up. Like, the song's just whirling around in my head, but the vocals...it's like ramming my head against a brick wall, and trying to put the dust back into something workable." Santana finished with a disappointed shake of the head.

Rachel shifted around in her seat, pulling part of the duvet underneath her for added cushion. She'd definitely need something if she was to focus completely. "What kind of music are you making, exactly?"

"Honestly, my brain's scattered around a lot of inspirations, but this one, I guess, is kind of eighties pop meets modern aesthetics and production trends. You know it's strange when it's easier to lay out vocals for something acoustic, but this fucking bit of pop is killing me." Santana explained, eyes averted downwards, which made sense a few moments later when she heard a few idle keys sound off, the girl clearly at her work desk. "It's not really suited for my voice...I was thinking Q or Tina would do the style a bit more justice. Mine's a little too...it lacks the kind of airy sound I've got swirling in my head. So I guess that just makes the whole process more annoying."

Rachel nodded along, taking in what she could imagine from Santana's description. It wasn't much, but it was a start. "Pop music tends to follow formulas of what's successful, it's never so much the lyrics that are important, but how they sound, the phrasing, the structure they follow. Don't feel like you're letting yourself down if you dip into clichés for the words, sometimes that adds just the right familiar flourish to reel listeners in." She detailed, trying to imagine a song that would be more suited for the sweeter, lighter, more velvety tones of Quinn. "Could you play what you have to me? A second pair of ears couldn't hurt, right?"

"Ugh, it'll sound like shit on your laptop's speakers, but yeah, I can." Santana noted with a roll of her eyes. And okay, her laptop wasn't the best around, but it was serviceable. Her headphones would probably be a better option, though. Swiftly, she reached over to her bed and grabbed her set from her pillow, slipping them on and plugging them in.

With a thumbs up, her audio channels filled with Santana's vocal track, a soft pad synth in the back of the soundstage, the beat and melody popping in at what was either the bridge or the chorus. Whatever it was, it wasn't nearly finished, but as she listened to the rest of the vocal-less audio track, some words came to mind. It was a bit of an oddball song, with a healthy mixture of sensuality and confidence mixing with yearning and uncertainty, along with odd phrasing in the vocals that mirrored both eighties pop and some more avant-garde pop she'd come across in recent years. It was an interesting mix, quite fresh, if a bit disjointed. "Can you set the chorus section to loop? I think...maybe I can brainstorm this with you?"

Santana nodded and seconds later, that chorus was looping through her headphones. Rachel nodded along with the song, ignoring Santana's oddly shy expression for the moment as her musically educated brain processed as many variables as she could think to consider. She found herself softly singing along with Santana's track as an idea popped into her head. "And you say it's gonna last forever. We have different heartbeats, but all the same heartbreak...and I can feel it..." She added, letting those five additional words flow out of her.

She nearly jumped at the sound of Santana's voice adding to the mix, sounding uncertain and oddly quiet, but the words fell into place. "...in the way you hold me..." Santana's eyes grew wider, as if the words were a realization to her, and Rachel couldn't help but smile at the sight and continue on while her friend was distracted.

"The way you hold me..." She repeated, feeling it was a good fit, especially since it seemed like a chorus portion. Still, her words drew Santana's attention back again, along with a smile that broke all of that shyness away. And it was that moment that the rest of the words came to her, with them over a hundred miles apart, and Rachel already having felt that distance tremendously, something Santana seemed to share. "I know you're lonely, too."

Rachel held her vocals, fading off just before the loop reset. It was a near perfect fit that she was a hundred percent sure Santana would crack down on and polish into something impeccable. Feeling a little excited after the impromptu brainstorming, she nearly missed Santana's hands reaching out to seemingly grab hold of the sides of her computer monitor.

"You're a lifesaver, mi querida. Just a few words, and you solved a puzzle that's been blowing around in my head for a week." Santana said with a laugh, shaking her head as her grin stretched wide and brilliant. "Seems I might just meet my mid-week goal, with a late night of working."

"Well, I couldn't have done it without some inspiring music, and a wonderful bit of inspiration staring back at me." Rachel shot back happily, feeling a little warmth in her chest seeing Santana bit her lip over mere words of hers. "That little songbird perched on my windowsill is just so cute."

"You know, you really have a thing for height difference, don't you? Can't deny the appeal of a partner with a damn fine voice, though. It's always pretty sweet if you can make beautiful music together." Santana spoke with a cocked eyebrow and smirk in place, clearly a little amused by her tiny teasing jab.

Which, well, good; she liked the idea of even slightly being able to keep up with Santana on that particular element. "Anywho, speaking of Quinn..." Rachel started, hoping Santana's good mood would allow her little segue.

"Hold up, when was anyone talking about Q?" Santana interrupted, taken aback more than just a little bit. Definitely a clear sign that her attempt at slowly lowering San's defenses just wasn't going to work. She shifted her approach to complete blunt obliteration accordingly.

"You said Quinn stopped by earlier, and while I WAS going to ease into discussion given how upset you seemed to be, I think it might be better to face this head-on." Rachel said with a hopefully encouraging smile.

"Do you? Well that changes everything, of course." Santana grumbled, eyes rolling extra hard as her sarcastic tone bit into Rachel's mood quite effectively. As much as she loved her friendship with Santana, having that familiar harsh sarcasm directed at her was still uncomfortable.

"You know I just worry about if you're alright. I'm your friend, and we're apart for a while, so since I can't come over and cheer you up with a bad movie and a comfy couch...well, I'm doing my best." Rachel let out with a sigh, running out of steam midway through her argument as the reality of the time and distance between them sank in again.

Rachel wasn't quite thankful to see a similar gamut of emotions run through Santana, but it was relieving to hear the girl let out a faint sigh. "She invited herself over short notice and practically marched into my living room, all...well, on edge." Santana started as she leaned back in her computer chair, hand running through her hair. "Look, me and Q, we're usually a pretty well oiled machine, but she was off today. Was talking about a lot of the stuff we play at, that we perform, at school, you know? All the power, the status, that shit."

"Language..." Rachel added softly, Santana's only response a sharp exhale out her note.

"Anyway, Lucy Q's always a little weird, but this was off the charts for her, because she was always clear before that this all was a charade, you know? Like, it was real enough, but it was something we did to get through school safely. Except today she went on about how she planned on being Head Cheerio again, that she was running for prom queen, and that those were what mattered. And like...we'd always said our senior years were where we'd break away and do our thing. But this isn't her thing, Rachel." Santana added, body slumping a tiny bit as she went on, and even though it was just a collection of slight movement, she could tell quite clearly how sad Santana was about her friend.

"What happened?" Rachel probed softly, bracing herself for whatever response.

"I challenged her, and she iced me out." Santana noted with a shrug that did nothing to hide the hurt in the raven-haired beauty's eyes. "I told her she could be...should be more than that. And I was more than that, too, and she freaked out." The girl finished with a reluctant finger lifted to point out her swollen cheek.

Rachel bit the inside of her cheek, pushing the immediate and surprising wave of anger at the realization that Quinn slapped Santana. Hurt Santana. "It was wrong of her to hit you. And to treat you like that." Rachel started, allowing herself a deep breath to steady herself, pushing her emotions away to try and give some sound advice from what she knew about the blonde. "Quinn has been through a lot in the past two years, she may be having something of an identity crisis. She...she lost her family, at least the way it was structured and functioned. She lost her church. She lost her spot as Head Cheerio numerous times, and vacated it this past year. She lost Finn. She lost the prom queen voting. She lost a lot of power and status and security. But most of all, she lost her dau...Beth. She's lost so much, and it makes sense for her to be clinging to those things in hopes of getting them back."

Santana blinked a few times at her, eyes wide in surprise. "Okay, so you're on her wavelength, too. Thing is, I just don't know what to do about any of it. Every time I push, she shoves me away hard."

"Then don't push. You've pushed already. Just...I know you hate it, but be patient." Rachel started, fighting a smile against Santana's immediate groan of disapproval. "Be patient, give her space, but let her know you're there for her, that you're her friend, that you care. I'm not saying you have to forgive her right now, but she needs someone right now, and you two can settle your differences when she's feeling more stable. Just be her friend, San."

Again, Santana's sigh wasn't unexpected. "That heart of yours is way too nice sometimes, you know. Sometimes it'd be nice for you to be all 'it's totally cool to just slap her back, San, or at least prank the hell out of her'. Cut me some slack, Tiny."

"Sorry that I have to be the angel on your shoulder, sometimes. I know that must be so hard for you." Rachel teased, earning a predictable roll of the eyes, but also a tiny little smile that she was a little proud of.

"Yeah, yeah. Almost tiny enough to fit there, too." Santana shot back with a grin, one Rachel matched with her own unimpressed stare. She seriously was NOT that short. She was THREE INCHES shorter than Santana, not three FEET. "Alright, maybe not, but you were cute in that angel getup back in sophomore year, as bat-shit as that video was."

Rachel curled up a little tighter in her duvet cocoon at the memory of 'Run Joey, Run'. Back then, she had Finn, Puck, and Jesse practically eating out of her hand. Three suitors, yet none really compared to the girl on the other end of the video feed. Times had changed, certainly, and maybe Rachel was happy to leave that past in her past.

"You were, too. I always liked seeing your hair down..." She admitted with a smile hat was perhaps a little shy, even if she didn't want to feel that way. She wanted to feel confident, bolder. It was definitely something to work on, even though Santana seemed to appreciate the sentiment anyway with a soft smile of her own. "Anyway, it's getting late, I shouldn't keep you from your work, and I have an early start tomorrow."

It wasn't like she necessarily wanted to say goodnight and end the videocall. In truth, she'd very much prefer keeping it on until she fell asleep, but it just didn't seem like the best decision, especially with it getting pretty late, and her having to get up tremendously early.

"Yeah, I know how important sleep is to you. And I guess I should get cracking on the song..." Santana spoke, all soft syllables and reluctance spilling out of her. It had only been a few days, and all she wanted to do was crawl through her laptop screen and rest up in Santana's proximity, but Rachel knew camp was important. As wonderful as Santana was, Broadway was still her top priority, and she'd just have to put up with missing her newest friend for a little while longer.

"I'll Skype you tomorrow, okay, Santana? I want to know how the song turned out, and what else you have planned for this week. Same time tomorrow night?" She asked, deciding to throw herself a bit of a bone, one Santana seemed eager to take as well.

"Lookin' forward to it, mi estrella." Santana whispered with that same soft warmth, teeth just slightly nibbling on that wondrously supple looking lower lip. "Sweet dreams."

Rachel felt her cheeks flush as she returned Santana's tired smile. "Goodnight, San."

With that, the connection ended, and Rachel flipped her laptop lid closed, her tired mind and body prompting a stretch before she hauled herself and the duvet back to bed. She'd already finished her nightly routine, so Rachel was more than ready for a nice, restful sleep.

"You need to be careful with that one."

The words pulled Rachel from her thoughts of rest, relaxation, and Broadway futures, and back to her dorm, noticing Hannah perched against her desk. The girl was giving her a look somewhat like Quinn when the former Cheerio was mixing that sickly sweet tone with a healthy dose of intimidation. Her dorm-mate had been a little abrasive so far, and while Rachel didn't really want to give her the time of day, she also didn't want to make an enemy of someone she'd be spending her nights with for another week and a half.

"Santana's my friend, and the only thing I need to be careful about with her is her temper." Rachel explained succinctly, hoping that would nip that conversational topic in the bud.

"Look, you're annoying as hell, Berry, and I wouldn't butt in if that whole scene wasn't so pathetic." Hannah asserted with a weary sigh. "That girl is entirely out of your league. Take it from someone who's worked her school's social ladder instead of probably floundering around at the bottom...she's just using you."

Rachel sat up in bed, halfway discarding the duvet to properly express her annoyance, arms crossing in defiance of the blonde's words. "Our friendship is new, but it's strong, and I know she cares for me. She's not using me, not everyone sees people as commodities, Hannah."

"Let me guess...she strikes up a friendship with you. It's secret for a while, as she gets her claws in you and gets close. She's encouraging, helpful, nice...a big change from how she used to treat you." Hannah started, and alright, some of her guesses were accurate, but Rachel knew the girl was likely working from some personal track record. Santana wasn't Hannah. "It's near the end of school when she goes public with you, when everyone else is too distracted to notice or care. The attention is nice, anyways, so even if someone did, you'd convince them it was alright, this girl is different."

Rachel settled back into her duvet, a sudden chill prompting her to burrow back into the warmth of the duvet. Of Santana's duvet. Not that she at all needed a reminder that what she had with Santana was real.

"She gets closer to you, shares her goals with you, wants to include you. You feel special, wanted. It's a nice feeling, and you want it to stick." Hannah continued, stepping ever closer to Rachel's bedside. "Thing is, girls like her use people like you for personal gain and to boost their ego. She used you to help with her song, didn't she? Something she might need to get into some music program after graduation? Just like she'll use you to make her feel better about herself by looking way hotter than you in comparison."

Flashes of the day out in Manhattan played in Rachel's mind, remembering that spike of envy, of inferiority, of how absolutely gorgeous Santana was in comparison to her. How confident and proud she was in comparison to her. For a brief moment, Hannah's words hit their mark, and Rachel's stomach sank accordingly.

But then came the memories of Santana confessing her medical struggles to her, Santana selflessly sacrificing her quality of sleep to help Rachel out two nights in a row. How Santana had curled up with her and laid vulnerable in Rachel's arms as she slept, tan arms holding her like she truly did matter. How Santana had endured an awkward night at her home just to keep her company and show her support. How Santana had let Rachel peel back layer after layer until she could witness the girl underneath the mask.

Perhaps Hannah had a history with what she was discussing, but Santana was not Hannah. She'd trust that much, at the very least.

"Thank you for your advice, but I can handle myself and my friends." Rachel asserted before settling back down in bed and getting comfortable. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep now."

Hannah was thankfully silent, just crossing the room back to her own bed, seemingly, leaving Rachel to her thoughts. The blonde just could not be right about Santana. Such a vague narrative, on a surface level, somewhat matched her friendship with Santana, but the depths of her connection with her newest friend couldn't possibly be a trick. It couldn't be. She was about ninety eight percent certain of that.

That tiny two percent didn't keep her up at all.


A/N: Welp, sorry for the delay, but I haven't had a tremendous time to write, and I've been splitting my focus a bit between projects. Happy to get this one out of the way, because there's a scene next time around (or, probably will be in next chapter) I'm looking forward to.

Santana's song to Rachel ("I Made A Lover's Prayer") courtesy of the esteemed Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, who I adore, who fit my headcanon that Santana's love for Fleetwood Mac and similar music came from her mom. I mean, as much as canonically, Santana loves her more upbeat pop/rock/R&B/etc. stuff, she seems to have a sweet spot for more acoustic music, too. The thought of her mom passing a song like that onto her just...clicked with me, I guess. Well, that and my love for Gillian and Dave.

The song Santana was working on was Susanne Sundfor's "Slowly", for the record. A nice little 80's-style airy romp. I picture Santana's dad as the kind of guy who loves embarrassing Santana by keeping up with music and singing around her, calling himself a "cool dad". And maybe he just gets a bit nostalgic about the 80s, too.

Anywho, thanks so much for taking the time to read, I hope you're all doing well!