Okay guys the feelings are starting to get real. I hope that you all are enjoying this story still. Once again I have to think Allie and Sara for making sure that I'm keeping my wording straight.

Disclaimer: You know the drill, I still don't own Glee or any of the original characters. I wouldn't mind owning Finn though. :) Reviews would be lovely, they let me know that you are still reading this. Love, Melanie

Rachel, always the perfectionist; is preparing the table for the meal by placing a white linen tablecloth on the table and a centerpiece made of fresh flowers and candles. Quinn, Santana and Brittney start bringing the food over from the outdoor kitchen to set it on the table as the men stand around the grill as Finn finishes.

"Rachel, do you really think that we need garden salad, broccoli and cauliflower salad, ranch eggplant boats, fire roasted butternut squash with kale and honey roasted red potatoes?" Quinn asks.

"Oh Quinn, don't forget the caramelized banana pudding and mixed berries angel food cake for desert!" Santana smirks at Rachel, "Are you trying to fatten us all up, or are you planning on us eating this all weekend?"

"Well, I don't know what their tastes are, so I just made some of my favorites to share," huffing as she crosses her arms, "there is no such thing as too many choices."

As Finn and Puck carry the platters of steak and salmon to the table, Puck whistles as he looks at all of the food in front of him, "Wow, look at this spread; ladies you certainly know the way to a man's heart."

"Hey Puck why don't you come help me get the wine out of the cellar instead of standing there drooling over the food?" Finn asks as he turns to walk back into the house.

"Sure dude, but I hope that you have beer in the fridge too because this shark doesn't do wine." Puck turns toward everyone else and threatens, "Don't think about touching a crumb of that food until we get back!"

"I promise you Puck that we made plenty for everyone." Rachel says as she places the last place setting on the table.

Everyone's sitting around the table enjoying the feast; their mouths so full of food the only sound that could be heard is the crashing of the waves on the beach.

'Don't stop believin', Hold on to the feelin' Quinn's phone sounds, "Oh my God, I'm sorry Rachel, but I've been waiting on a call from Maverick all day; excuse me" Quinn quickly says as she stands and walks away from the table.

"Journey is Q's ring tone, really?" Puck smirks.

"Journey has always been our favorite band, when we were little we would dance around and sing their songs all the time." Rachel tells Puck.

"And it is our anthem; you know the whole being from a small town and gaining fame thing?" Blaine adds with a blush.

"We grew up listening to Journey too, and we performed their songs all the time in our glee club back home!" Brittney offers totally missing the looks that she is getting from Finn and Puck.

"Wait, I knew that Britt & Princess were in the glee club," Santana says as she points between Finn and Puck, "but you two? You were in the glee club too?"

"Thanks, Britt." Puck mumbles as Finn just ducks his head into his hands.

"Actually, Finn was the male lead, and Puck was also one of our stronger voices as well." Kurt adds smiling at Finn and Puck, enjoying their embarrassment.

"Why didn't you guys ever tell us that you were in glee club?" Rachel asks, "You know that Blaine, Quinn and I were in schools of performing arts since kindergarten."

"That's why we never said anything," Finn tells Rachel, "we were scared that you would want to hear us sing."

"Which won't be happening, I haven't sung in years!" Puck adds effectively ending the conversation as Quinn walks back out to the table.

"What's up Quinn?" Rachel asks as soon as Quinn sits back down, "What did Maverick want to talk to you about?"

Sighing, Quinn looks at her cousin apologetically, "Colombia has pushed up your album release a little bit. He wants you to start doing promotion work a week from Monday."

"What? The last thing that I heard was that they were going to wait until I was finished filming 'Full Moon'; why has that changed and why was you, my manager, not involved in the decision making?" Rachel rambles unable to believe that her mini vacation is getting ready to be over soon.

"Whoa, calm down and I'll explain everything for you!" Quinn scolds her cousin. "Columbia and Paramount have reached a deal to push back filming by a month and they will add three songs to the soundtrack; they want you to spend a week on the east coast promoting and a couple of days out here when you get back."

"East coast, as in where on the east coast and exactly what kind of promotion will I be doing?" Rachel asks starting to get the feeling that she isn't going to like the answer.

"Per your request, you will first perform a set in Baltimore and interview with Mark and Cory, then we'll head home so you can perform a few songs and have a meet and greet at The Pavilion," Quinn says dreading the next words that she has to say; "then we will go to New York City for two more meet and greets."

"I'm not ready to go back to New York… not yet," Rachel says as she stands to storm off to her bedroom "I'm sorry guys, please excuse me, I just need to be alone for a little while."

"What the hell, Quinn?" Santana asks much too loud, "Why would you agree to her going to New York?"

"Because Tana, this was the best deal for Rachel's career!" Quinn screams angrily, "If we agree to release the album before she starts filming the studio agrees to have more of her songs on the soundtrack AND it will give her more exposure."

Blaine stands up from the table and excuses himself so he can go talk to Rachel, "Quinn, this is an amazing opportunity for Rachel and she will realize it."

"For the record, I did try to avoid New York but the both of the executives thought that since she is a well known Broadway star that it was essential that she promote there." Quinn tells her friends before she excuses herself for her room.

"Santana, why is Rachel so worked up about going to New York?" Puck asks since apparently everyone else at the table has lost their voices.

"Brody;" she shrugs "we promised her the night that we decided to move out here that she wouldn't have to worry about seeing him again."

"But New York City is huge," Finn finally says as he continues to have an internal fight about whether he should go after Rachel or not, "what are the chances that she would even see him?"

"I'm not sure what you have been told about Brody, but he is a very self-centered, heartless asshole who only thinks about what can get his noticed." Santana growls with frustration, "I wouldn't put it past him to try to get close to her again just for the publicity!"

"Do you think that he would want her back?" Finn whispers, automatically fearing that Rachel wasn't totally over Brody.

"No, he left her for her male co-star, citing that he was madly in love with him;" noticing the look on Finn's face, "and even if he did want to get back with her, she wouldn't."

Blaine walks back out to the table and sits down before he continues Santana's thoughts, "She is ready to move on from Brody; I think that she feels that her happiness is out here in LA." Sharing a look with Puck trying to relay exactly what he means by what he just said.

"Who will be able to go with her?" Brittney asks, "Because she's going to need as much support that she can get."

"Blaine won't be able to go since he is still filming, so I guess it will just be Quinn and I." Santana answers, "Rachel doesn't believe in security, so I doubt she'll let Columbia hire any."

"Why the Hell not?" Finn fumes, "She'll be a moving target."

"Because; and I quote, security guards are mean to my fans!" Santana says while making air quotation signs. "She believes that she wouldn't be where she is today without her fans, and she always takes time out to talk to them and pose for pictures with them; which as you probably know is a security guards worst nightmare."

Before any one could ask any more questions about Brody, Rachel came back outside with her face still tear stained, "Sorry guys, I ruined our meal because I acted like a spoiled brat; please forgive me." She says without looking in anyone's eyes.

"You didn't ruin anything," Finn says reaching over and rubbing her arm, "you just found out that your schedule has completely changed and it threw you through a loop; totally understandable!"

"Thanks Finn," Rachel looks around to the remaining faces around the table; "I'm really sorry; but can we get back to having fun now? I will worry about this promotion tour when we get home on Sunday."

After the meal, everyone starts clearing the table so they can get everything cleaned up so they can enjoy the rest of their evening.

Rachel walks over to Quinn and hugs her as she apologizes for the way she acted and asks which songs were going to be used in the movie.

"Rachel, I knew that it is going to be hard for you to go back to New York so soon, but I promise that you won't be alone." With a squeeze of her shoulder she adds, "And the songs they chose were 'Burn with you' 'Cue the Rain' and 'Don't Let Go'.

"Okay, you're right, I can do this." Rachel says as she walks back into the house. Rachel reminds her self that she is a star and that she decides right then and there that she will not let Brody ruin her life any longer.