Santana Lopez never expected to become Rachel Berry's friend. She seemed just so overwhelmingly intense back in high school, for such a ridiculously small person. Everything about her, even her love life, seemed so dramatic. Everyone in her life seemed to be actors in her own personal musical. It didn't help that Santana had started out as one of Sue's minions, dedicated to destroying the Glee Club. Rachel, as one of its leaders, was her natural enemy, at first.

Over the years, however, Santana realized Rachel was the real deal. Her astounding performance at the first Sectionals garnered her Santana's musical respect. But her grating personality brought out the worst in Santana. Probably the worst thing she ever did was to punch Finn's V-Card and then drop that bomb on Rachel at the worst possible moment. She didn't have many regrets, but that was one of them, especially after their kickass duet, and Rachel's subsequent reaching out to her.

Here in New York, the two of them had become even closer. Not only was Santana in awe of Rachel's talents, and how she was crafting her education to get her to the top, she had come to love her open, caring nature. Free of the all the high school baggage, she seemed to have grown into a wonderful person. And how she had recovered from Finn's train station trick showed how personally strong and self-aware she had become.

But Rachel Berry wasn't Superwoman, Santana noted. The cancellation of the wedding had taken its toll on her. She still deeply loved Finn, and he obviously loved her, but the separation was wearing her out. Despite the innovative idea of just texting, Santana knew Rachel was worried sick about Finn's safety. And sleeping with Spicoli, while temporarily beneficial, didn't solve the problem, for either of them.

Frankly, she had been shocked when Kurt contacted her about talking to Finn and delivering that message. But then Kurt dropped the most wonderful news she had heard since graduation: Finn hadn't joined the Army after all. He was in Fort Benning, Georgia, but had been working with Burt to get his father's name cleared. Finn was, basically, a private detective, gathering information so it could be presented to the Department of Defense under Burt's congressional sponsorship.

Santana had practically lost it when she found out, at first.

"Goddamit Lurch," she screamed on the phone, "Do you know what thinking you are in the army may have done to her? Kurt says she isn't sleeping and hangs out at a sleazy diner at all hours."

"There was a reason I let her think that," Finn replied calmly. "She would have followed me, and you know it." She hated when he was right.

So Santana agreed to deliver the message to Rachel when she was at that diner. And she promised Finn that she'd have Rachel's back, as best she could, until his work was done in Georgia. And it was far from done, the Army being as ridiculous over this as it was. That's why she slipped her phone number to Marge, to keep her informed.

Of course, it was clear now, that, settled in New York and back in charge of her destiny, Rachel wasn't about to run off to Georgia after Frankenteen. So their relationship needed some TLC, soon, Santana decided.

She and Marge started talking every day.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rachel waited in the dorm lounge for Geoff's text. It was one AM Friday morning again, and both of them were back to the pattern of insomnia that nearly drove Geoff over the edge. He was on his way so they could walk to The Arabica together.

Thanksgiving was in two weeks, and Geoff, while excited at the prospect of seeing Elena, was looking haggard again. Rachel was excited to be seeing her dads, Kurt, and Blaine, and getting some down time. Maybe she would hear from Finn, too. But a break. Oh, that sounded good.

She went downstairs to meet him, and they walked together in the cold, but bracing air. Fortunately, the night they spent together did not come between them. In fact, they joked about it. Geoff told her how he had broken the news to Elena, and Rachel shrieked with laughter over her reaction. She was glad for the two of them: they were so fiercely in love, and so sweet and kind to each other. But she also felt good about her and Finn, if you ignored her anxiety over his welfare. She told Geoff there were times when she would gladly trade her wedding day if it meant she could be certain he was safe for just one night.

"That's epic love," Geoff commented, delighting her no end.

They could see the diner was empty, as usual for this time. They took their usual seats . Marge emerged from the back.

"Did you enjoy your few days off, Marge?" Rachel asked, as her coffee was poured. It tasted especially good.

"Thanks, hun, I did," Marge said.

Geoff was already engrossed in a text;, he had a big exam next week. Rachel sat, rapidly losing her will to study. Sometimes the insomnia robbed her of the energy to get the work done; she hated those nights, because it meant being alone with her thoughts, worrying about Finn. Marge had gone into the back again. So Rachel decided to just relax, and pulled the latest issue of Broadway World out of her backpack. She looked at the counter, and realized the pastry tray wasn't there.

"Hey Marge, is there any banana bread in back?" she called. Marge didn't answer right away. It was late-night quiet, both in the diner and the street.

The little bell on the front door jingled. Geoff paid it no attention; Rachel idly looked behind her.

She had resigned herself to day-to-day life without him; she no longer expected to see him every day, that luxury she once was able to enjoy without even thinking. These were the mindlessly kind mechanisms she needed to remain integrated and sane, the same mechanisms widows employ to endure their grief, and move forward. So she wasn't prepared to see his ridiculously large frame filling the doorway, dressed in a leather jacket, white shirt, and jeans. Rachel sat motionless on her stool, mouth slightly open, trying desperately to prevent herself from hoping it was actually him. After all, his hair, while neat, was not in a military cut. But there was the smile. It wasn't the quirky, sexy, half-smile she loved. It was full, sweet, innocent, as if he had just told a girl he loved her for the very first time, backstage, long ago. She swallowed and stood up. Neither of them said anything. There probably were no words two people could say at that moment, after all they had been through. And there were questions each had for the other. But not now. Finn moved forward and just picked Rachel up in his arms. She pressed her face into his neck, feet dangling, her arms wrapped so tightly around him that she thought there was no way he could breathe, and inhaled his familiar, beloved scent. She felt like she was home again.

"You're safe," she whispered.

Geoff sat, amazed at what he was seeing, happy for Rachel. He never noticed Marge emerge from the back with someone. Yet, somehow, he knew. She was near. He turned around, and there she was, bobbing in the swell, sunlight glittering all around her, gloriously ocean-wet, so fucking beautiful it hurt, engraved in his heart, forever.

They were in a bowling alley. She had thrown her first strike, beaming, and jumped up, arms flung around his neck, holding on tightly, feet dangling because he has over a foot taller, her scent filling his world, her small, toned body pressed against him. There was no going back, then; it was all coming back, now.

She was everything to him, his eyes told her, just as they had told her on that beach. The familiar rush came over her, but, this time, it didn't end. She hoped it never would.

Marge stood, watching them. Santana joined her from the back.

"You did good, Marge," Santana said.

"We did good,' Marge corrected her.