A/N: Thanks to all who continue to read and provide support. As I often say, I do not own the characters from Ryan Murphy's 'Glee', but I do enjoy utilizing them during the pandemic. Stay safe everyone!

"Put down that pen and paper and come dance with us!" Santana Lopez leaned in to sneak a peek at Rachel's latest letter to Finn.

"I was just putting on the final touches," Rachel said, placing her stationary in her purse.

"I'd think you'd want to celebrate Showcase with your old gang while we're still here," Santana smirked with her hands on her hips. "Apparently everyone's asking about you."

"Well then let's not leave the Legions crowd waiting," Rachel laughed, coming face to face with Brody.

"You were sensational," he laughed, lifting her into the air.

Rachel laughed, catching her breath back on the ground. "I'm glad you came tonight."

"So this is the guy you've been texting?" Santana asked, extending her hand towards Brody. "Santana Lopez, part of the world-famous Cheerios from Lima, Ohio."

"Rachel's mentioned you," Brody said, pumping Santana's hand. "She says you've had some of the best high kicks she's ever seen."

Santana tossed her ebony hair behind her shoulder. "Well I do try."

Quinn and Tina brought a round of drinks over to the table. "So this is where everyone is."

"Puck's off checking out the local talent," Tina said, taking a quick sip.

"Has anyone seen Brittany?" Santana asked.

Quinn pointed to a tall blonde standing next to the stage. "She met a fellow Brittney – spelled with an 'e' and they're comparing life stories."

"Sounds stimulating."

"Are things better between you two?" Rachel asked Santana.

"You should have seen them in the cab over here?" Quinn muttered. "They couldn't keep their hands off each other."

"Well you missed the conversation we had just before the show started," Santana cut in. "We're back where we started when we graduated – I'm still in Kentucky, she's still in Ohio with everyone else."

"You can write letters," Rachel said helpfully.

"It's a lost art," Brody added.

Santana wrinkled her nose. "Too nerdy for me. I just need to focus on finding another friend to pass the time with." Santana passed a round of tortilla chips to Rachel. "You know, like you and Brody."

Rachel rejected the bowl, passing it back to Santana.

"Well you never can have too many friends," Tina giggled, trying to break the tension.

Brody leaned into Rachel's ear. "I'm going to see a few other friends, but I'll check in with you later."

"Sure," Rachel said quietly, refusing to take her eyes off Santana, who waved to Brody as he walked away.

Santana stirred her glass. "Well now that he's out of the way…"

"What is your problem with Brody!" Rachel hissed under her breath.

Mercedes slid into the table. "Sounds like I got here just in time."

"No one has a problem with Brody," Quinn said, raising her hands.

"That's not entirely true," Santana countered.

"You don't even know him," Rachel shot back.

"I think what concerns Santana is how well you know him," Tina suggested.

Rachel crossed her arms. "We all have friends outside of Glee Club. Tina, you have your friends from Asian Camp, Quinn has her sorority sisters, Santana's probably real cozy with her fellow cheerleaders, and Mercedes…"

"I'm still finding my way," Mercedes laughed. "LA is a lonely city and I'm thinking of making the move back to Lima permanent – at least semi-permanent."

"You guys all have big plans," Rachel mused. "It makes my four year plan here at NYADA seem small in comparison."

"You, Santana, and I are all in the same boat," Quinn assured her. "And we have each other's backs, which is what I think Santana was trying to say earlier, in her own special way."

"You know you wouldn't like it if Finn was becoming good friends with any female Army recruits," Santana said with a raised eyebrow.

"Finn says it's mostly men on base, and I do feel safer knowing that I don't have any direct competition," Rachel admitted. "But you guys have to lay off Brody – he's harmless."

"You didn't see how he was looking at you while you performed," Tina added. "You may not be interested in him, but he's interested in you."

"He came with you to the club," Mercedes said.

"So did half of NYADA," Rachel laughed. "Brody got me through dance class this semester, and he's gonna be there for me next semester as well – as a friend and mentor."

"Does he know that?" Quinn asked.

"He knows about Finn. And he knows I'm not the kind of person to cheat."

"We seem to be forgetting that little run-in with Puck sophomore year," Santana sang, earning a kick from Mercedes in the process.

"Does Finn know about him?" Quinn asked, propping an elbow on the table.

Rachel nodded her head. "He came up over Thanksgiving break."

"He was the one who told you about the showcase!" Tina remembered. "That was the one bright spot from Thanksgiving break."

Rachel's expression softened. "At least we're together now. And if you go off to Asia this may be one of the last times we're all together."

"We're going to stop seeing each other at some point," Mercedes pointed out. "As much as we hate to say it out loud."

"Let's make a pact – just us girls – that we stay in touch, one way or another," Rachel urged. "It doesn't have to be writing letters," she added, seeing more than one blank stare in her direction.

"The next time we're all together may be Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury's wedding," Quinn mused.

Santana couldn't help but grimace. "So we'll see each other at weddings and funerals – we're getting old, just like our parents."

"It was going to happen at one point or another," Tina laughed.

Brittany bounced over to the table. "There's three different Brittany's at this club – this may be my new favorite place in the whole world!" Throwing up her hands in delight, the ladies stood to follow her to the dance floor.

"Hey," Tina said, pulling Rachel aside. "I'm sure Brody's a great guy and everything, but you still have us…even if we don't see each other as much as we used to. I want you to remember that."

Rachel hugged her friend. "I will," she promised, watching her friends from the sidelines. Santana, Quinn, and Brittany now had a group around them as they practiced through some old moves; Puck and Sam were throwing darts at a corner of the club.

Brody came up from behind Rachel, pulling her away from her thoughts. "Hey you."

"Hey," Rachel said quietly.

"I can't believe how you guys all stay in touch after all this time. Most of my high school friends and I don't speak anymore."

Rachel looked at him quizzically.

"People grow apart, they create new groups."

She shook her head. "Some groups stay together forever." Rachel's glance crossed over to another corner of the bar, where Kurt and Blaine were holding hands at one of the tables. "In fact, if you find the right person, you may never let them go."