Author Note: Sorry it's been so long guys. I've noticed my motivation to write/read fanfiction tends to fluxuate a lot. I went a few months there without the want/need to write anything new and got a little confused with where I wanted this story to go. I think the impulse of writing it has left me at a dead end. I'm going to get to an actual plot line over the course of the next two chapters and then we will be back on track. I can't promise the updates will be on a set schedule but I will try not leaving you waiting for so long next time!

12 months. It had been a whole year since Finn Hudson's death. The Glee Club past and present all attended the funeral. There wasn't a dry eye in the house, even Santana cried. The graduates stayed behind for a week of songs with their little musical family, it was wonderfully sad.

12 months. It had been a whole year since Rachel lost her first love. She had since moved on before his death but he was still that first love you can't erase. He would always be someone she would care for dearly.

12 months. It had been a whole year since Kurt lost his brother. Their family was sewn together rather clumsily but they managed to make it work. Finn was someone Kurt learned to trust. They came from different social circles, they had different ways of viewing the world but they learned in time to see things in a mutual respect. That person was gone now. Kurt still felt empty and the aching in his heart for his loss but also everyone else's was still very much alive.

12 months. It had been a whole year since Santana lost someone she would always say she hated. Finn Hudson had always been nothing but a waste of space in her eyes. Or at least that's what she told everyone. Sure she found him annoying but Santana didn't like anyone but herself most of the time. She learned to deal with him though, he might've shoved her out of the closet when she wasn't ready but eventually they got past that and he became a friend to her. She lost another person in her life she learned to trust.

'Meet me at callbacks tonight, 9PM. - R'

The phone made an audible click as Rachel hit the top button. Setting the phone down on the kitchen table she rested her chin in her palms. Looking around the empty apartment she had no clue what to do. Santana was at work, as was Kurt. It was her day off and she couldn't find a thing to occupy her time, she was so bored in fact that she contemplated over time!

Sitting up from the table Rachel grabbed her coat and scarf from the hook where they lived and bundled up, the temperatures were dipping particularly low this year and she couldn't have her voice affected by a cold.

The cool air hit her cheeks like a slap to the face. The weather woman really wasn't kidding when she said this week was to be worse than the ones past. As she shuffled down the street she left a trail of light cloud from her breath, luckily she wasn't going to be walking too far.

"Watch where you're going would ya?" A stranger shouted as Rachel collided with their shoulder.

"S-Sorry!" She shouted back, trying to sound as apologetic as she could but the disgruntled man was having none of it. She was beginning to make this zoning out thing a habit as of late.. She didn't know why. All her life Rachel had been a very focused person, she just felt distant from the world lately. Like nothing really mattered as much. Except one thing…

Standing in front of the diner Rachel could just see through the steamy glass and past that was the one thing she had been focusing on for the last few months. Santana. She was doing something so simple but it still managed to mesmerise her as always. The two had become quite close since Finn died, it was a weird thing for them to bond over given their past with him but it was nice to finally feel like she had a female friend that she could count on. The only problem was the girl friend part. She would much rather they were girlfriends if anything.

Shaking her head Rachel snapped herself from her thoughts so she cold focus on what she had actually planned to do with this walk. Reluctantly she peeled herself from Santana's view to head across the street and up the stairs of an unfamiliar apartment building. She hadn't been in this close before but she knew exactly who lived here. Looking on the board inside she scrolled down until she saw the name 'Harper' and next to it the apartment number. 'Harper – 04'.

Shifting in her stance slightly Rachel brought her phone out and quickly tapped out another text.

'No need to come tonight, other plans. – R'

Shoving it in her pocket she headed along the close until she was at the right door. Giving it a confident knock she reflected that same confidence with her stance, she was sick of feeling weak and vulnerable, it was time to be strong.

Turning down the TV Dani could hear something coming from her door.

"Hello?" She called before opening it. This apartment complex had a bad habit of its residents being mugged, Dani wasn't about to be it's next victim. "Mr. Wallace? Is that you? I told you the rent money must've got lost in your other mail!" She added sheepishly.

"It's Rachel." The voice deadpanned, the voice she now knew was Rachel Berry.

"Oh…" She replied, her expression falling on the floor. "Two seconds."

Fiddling with the numerous locks Dani eventually got the door open to see Rachel standing with her head as high as possible.

"Hi?" Dani spoke slightly confused as to why Rachel would ever be at her door.

"We need to talk." Rachel replied in a bright tone. Dani was even more confused because last time they had spoken properly she was being yelled at.

It had been a year since Dani last went to the loft and it had also been 8 months since she stopped working at the diner. After Finn's death things got weird between herself and the gang at the loft. They all got really close and refused to let her in on it. She understood why but it didn't stop it hurting. Eventually work just wasn't fun anymore and she got offered a better job bartending at Callbacks.

"C'mon in then I guess.." Stepping to one side Dani watched as Rachel clip-clopped past..

Rachel didn't sit down. Instead once she was inside she turned on her heels to face Dani who knew that look her former… acquaintance had on her face. This was going to either be long winded or ridiculous.

"I'm sorry." Rachel finally spoke. She must've been thinking pretty hard on that one because it took her a few seconds to fill the awkward silence that was getting worse as time went on.

"Okay?" Dani replied, that was all she was going to say? She had no clue what Rachel was apologising for, it's not like they had been in each other's company in a long time. Surely anything they said or did to each other that needed an apology was long forgotten by now.

"I'm not finished." Rachel snapped back. Time had passed but there was still bad blood between the two that much was obvious. "I'm sorry for freezing you out. Santana's been asking about you ever since you stopped hanging out with us and she wont stop pouting at work because you didn't tell her why you left." Rachel's gaze moved past Dani's face to the wall behind her, it must've been easier to swallow your pride that way. "I don't like that it's making her so upset so I'm asking you to come to the loft tomorrow night for movies and snacks. It's Kurt's choice so it's going to be a musical, just so you know." Rachel didn't have a smile on her face, if anything she looked angry at the thought of Dani joining them. It wasn't making agreeing to go much of an option.

"Look, I'm sorry bu-"

"See you tomorrow night, Dani." Rachel cut her off and moved for the door. She didn't even give Dani a chance to show her out before she was gone.

"Movie night it is then…." She whispered to herself. Slightly excited to see Santana and Kurt again. Slightly nervous that they would be mad at her for removing herself from their lives without much of a reason and very scared Rachel was going to poison her popcorn.