AN: Thanks for all your super nice reviews, they're helping me write extra fast! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)
Chapter 21 – Old Meets New
Friday night found all of the New Directions once again in the Berry's Oscar Party Room, or the basement. There was dancing, music, alcohol, but unlike Rachel's last party the point of the evening was not to get drunk. They were all there to catch up, to have fun, to enjoy each others' company and of course, to sing and dance.
"How are things with the musical going?" Quinn asked Rachel as they sat on a lounge together, talking. Brody was across the room, talking with Sam and Blaine, who he seemed to be getting along with fairly well.
"Alright, I mean, I love learning the songs and the dances and the lines, but it still hurts sometimes to know that I won't be the one performing them for the audience," Rachel said a little flatly.
"Well, you will be performing before thousands of people before you know it," Quinn said confidently. "But enough about that, I want to know about Brody, you hardly tell me anything over Facebook and email!"
"Well, you never know who'll read that stuff. I mean, I know you wouldn't spread around what I said, oh you know what I mean." Rachel replied.
"Yeah, I do," Quinn said with a light laugh. "But I'm here now, and he's over there talking with other people, so I want to know everything, and now."
"Okay, okay," Rachel said with a smile. "I'm happy to tell you, but I don't want to go around telling other people, okay? I mean, Kurt and Santana already know, and Tina knows a bit, but that's more than enough. I love Mercedes and Brittany, but I don't want everyone knowing everything! Especially not these new people."
"Yes Rachel, we can dissect the new people soon, but tell me about Brody!" Quinn exclaimed, but making sure to keep her voice low enough that it wouldn't attract attention.
"Well, things are good, really good. We've gone on a few dates, and we spend a lot of time together, in and out of class. I love that I have one class with him. He asked me to be his girlfriend the other week. I mean, we'd been together for a while, but not with a label," Rachel explained. "Sometimes I think he's actually too good to be true, I mean what did I do to deserve him? He's so funny, and charming, and so attractive, I mean look at him! Well, actually, don't look too closely at him."
Quinn laughed, a real laugh, one that lit up her whole face, a face that most people paused to admire on the street. "Rachel, you'll never change, at least I hope you want. I use to hate you, you know that. But now I actually know you I never want you to change. Brody likes you for you, and he's hot, so don't question it, just run with it. So, any chance of you making me an aunt any time soon?" Quinn asked playfully.
Rachel laughed and covered her face with her hands, amused at Quinn's round-a-bout way of asking her if she was sleeping with Brody.
"No chance, yet. But soon, very soon I think. He's staying here tonight, after everyone goes," Rachel divulged. "Of course you know that doesn't mean we're actually going to have a baby soon. I don't plan on having any children until after I'm married, and I've won a Tony."
"That is something I do know," Quinn said with a laugh. "We spent years being enemies, but that doesn't mean my ears didn't work!"
Rachel laughed, acknowledging her point.
"So, what about you? Is there anyone new?" Rachel asked curiously.
"No, there's not. I'm not really looking for anything, of course if something did happen I guess I'd just go with it. But I'm not searching around for anyone to date, I want to do well at Yale, so I'm working really hard. I'm also still keeping in touch with Joe, and Puck occasionally if you would believe it," Quinn told her. "I mean, Puck and I've had our highs and lows, but I guess after going through something like we did, you can't just let the other person go entirely. If it ever comes to a point where I get to know Beth, I'd at least still like to be friends with her father."
"Come on, enough talking in the corner girls!" Mercedes said, coming over and sticking her head in between them. "Or at least include me! What do you think of the newbies?"
"Not much yet, I've hardly said two words to them," Rachel replied. "I didn't even really want to invite them, because we don't know them, but that's not the way of the New Directions."
"That's true, but I bet we could at least school them in how you perform a group number," Quinn remarked, her eyes dancing.
"Oh Quinn, I like you're thinking," Mercedes said delightedly. "They just finished Grease, how about we show them how it's done?"
"Definitely, come on, we'll go round the others up, Rachel. You go explain what's happening to the hunky Brody," Quinn instructed her.
"Santana told you!" Rachel wailed melodramatically.
"And Kurt told me!" Mercedes added cheerfully. "Go on, girl. Get the others."
Mercedes and Quinn walked off towards Kurt, Santana and Brittany and Rachel stood and walked over to where Brody was still talking with Sam and Blaine.
"Hey Sam, Blaine," Rachel said, wrapping an arm around Brody's waist and leaning into him. "Quinn and Mercedes are organising something, so why don't you go catch up with them now?"
Sam and Blaine looked puzzled, first looking curiously at Rachel, then questioningly at each other.
Sam shrugged and Blaine said, "Sure, Rachel."
"What are you up to?" Brody asked with interest.
"We're doing a New Direction's number for old time's sake, and to show these babies how it's done," Rachel informed him, grinning with anticipation.
"I can't wait to see you in action," Brody told her sincerely. "You're seriously sexy when you scheme like this."
Rachel blushed slightly and said, "So you're happy to just watch?"
"Definitely. So long as, so long as," Brody said, pausing mid sentence.
"So long as what?" Rachel asked softly.
"It doesn't matter, I'm being an idiot," Brody said ruefully.
Rachel pulled him away into a corner and said, "No, it does matter. Please tell me."
"It's just, I know you and Finn were the leads, and co-captains, and I kind of didn't want you to dance with him or anything. He's been looking at you all night, longingly," Brody admitted with reluctance.
Rachel's face softened and said, "Even if I do have to dance with him, I'm going to wish I was dancing with you. How about we do a duet later?"
"Sounds good," Brody said, mollified. "Go show those poor newbies how it's done!"
Brody sat down on a couch and Rachel joined the rest of her old glee club, minus the new people of course. Jake and Marley were sitting next to each other, looking somewhat out of place and looking puzzled at the activities of their older members. Unique was sitting off to the side of them, looking impressive in the bright pink dress he was wearing.
A few minutes later, after some quick talking and planning, Rachel jumped onto the stage and grabbed one sparkly, pink microphone.
"Hi everyone, well, actually, mainly just the new comers. The Nationals winning New Direction's members are going to give you the honour of watching us all perform again together," Rachel announced.
Artie wheeled away from the group and pulled up next to Brody.
"I'm not going to join in, I wasn't in the musical, I directed it, and we have odd numbers now anyway, since Rory went back to Ireland," Artie explained.
Naturally, Brody had no idea what Artie was talking about and thought it amusing that Artie didn't mention the fact that he was in a wheelchair as an excuse not to perform.
So Brody just nodded and said, "Sure."
Sugar ran over and turned the music on and the New Directions started to dance.
"Before I was born, late one night, my papa said everything's alright. The doctor paid, mama laid down, with a semitone bouncing all around," Rachel sang, as she danced with Blaine, her jive lessons from NYADA proving very useful for keeping up with the style of dancing that had been in McKinley's production of Grease.
"Cause the beebop stork was about to arrive, Mama gave birth to the hand-jive," Blaine continued, spinning Rachel around.
"I could barely walk when I milked a cow. When I was three I pushed a plow," Brittany sang, dancing mesmerisingly with Mike.
"While chopping wood I moved my legs, and they saw me dancing when I gathered eggs," Finn sang, trying to keep up with Tina, who he was dancing with.
"The townfolk clapped, I was only five, and I danced 'em all, he's born to hand-jive," Santana and Puck sang together as they danced.
"Oh yeah, yeah, yeah – everybody," Sam sang, as he and Mercedes danced, and Mercedes tried not to laugh at his funny, affected deep voice.
"Born to hand-jive, baby, born to hand-jive, baby – yeah," they all sang, their voices blending beautifully as they had always done before.
There was a break in the singing and they all danced energetically around the room, feet flying, Mike and Brittany performing impressive steps, and Sugar and Kurt making hilarious faces.
Brody watched on, impressed. He was very glad that Rachel was dancing with Blaine, as Kurt's boyfriend he posed no threat to him, and Blaine and Rachel moved well together. On top of that, the entire group sounded good together, even after being apart for months, it was clear why that had won Nationals.
"How low can you go, how low can you go, how low can you go, how low can you go," Sam sang, his voice getting lower and lower, as Brittany slipped down into the splits and Mike bent his knees, lowering himself backwards towards the floor.
"Higher, higher, higher and higher," Finn sang, trying not to think about the fact that he was dancing with Tina instead of Rachel, it felt wrong and unnatural.
"Now can you hand-jive, baby, oh can you hand-jive, baby. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah," they all sang together again.
"Born to hand-jive, oh yeah!" Rachel finished, as Blaine dipped her low and Brittany jumped up and onto Mike's side.
The other dancing couples stopped in their final dance positions, breathing hard and grinning for their audience.
Unique looked unimpressed, he was aware of what Rachel and the other graduates were doing, and he wasn't intimidated, he'd also already seen them perform together before.
Marley on the other hand looked stunned, and somewhat in awe of Rachel. Jake was trying not to look impressed, but it didn't change the fact that he was. He did however think he was a better dancer than his half brother.
However, they all clapped appreciatively, and Brody in true admiration.
Rachel and the others all dispersed, and Rachel walked quickly over to Brody and sat down in his lap, kissing him quickly.
"So, what did you think?" Rachel asked breathlessly.
"Amazing," Brody replied. "I can't wait to sing with you later, and show them how amazing we are."
AN: Up next, more partying, with a song, a hook up (or maybe a few) and a punch up!
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