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A Rachel/Puck fic.

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Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own Glee. Not even a little bit. *Sigh*

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A/N: Yes, another "Puckelberry" fic from me. This one I've been thinking about for a while, but trying to decide how best to spin it. Basically: Rachel's dads adopt a seventeen-year old boy after he's been apprehended from his father, who was beating him up. Rachel convinces him to join glee with her ... and that's where we begin!

Takes place early in the season, but after Puck joined glee. Also with the assumption that most of the glee kids are in grade eleven.

I hope you guys like this fic, I know I'll have fun writing it. Don't know how long it's gonna be yet. We'll see how it goes while I'm writing it.

P.S. I haven't been able to stop listening to the Glee soundtrack since I bought it this morning. I was kinda hoping that the version of Sweet Caroline would be longer than it was on the show, and I wish the mash-up songs were on there, but I've hitting repeat on "Alone" and "Somebody to Love".

Anywhoo, let's get on with it, shall we?

As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!


Brandon had come to live with them a week ago. Her dads had agreed to take him in until he turned eighteen, as he didn't have a job, or any relatives to live with. His mom had left when he was 5, and his father had been beating him since then. He was skinny, malnourished, still had many bruises, and was nursing a broken left wrist, but Rachel had high hopes for him. She knew that he would be happy in her home until he was old enough to leave.

He still had 9 months until his eighteenth birthday, and though he was old enough to be a senior, he was stuck repeating the eleventh grade. His miserable home life had reflected poorly on his grades, and until now, no one had tried to change that.

Today would be his first day at McKinley High, and Rachel intended to make him feel as comfortable as possible.

She drove them to the school in her green punch-buggy, helping him gather all of his things out of the back. Her dads had been spoiling him rotten in the last week, and he was a little thrown-off by it all. New clothes, new school supplies, new haircut ... new family.

She knew her dads had gone a little overboard with the shopping, and as a result, Brandon had a few bags to many, and more items than he could carry. She showed him where all his classes would be, took him around to the library, cafeteria, auditorium (her personal favorite), and was just making her way to her locker when she was doused with an icy-cold, red beverage.

Brandon watched in shock as Puck continued walking, dropping the slushie cup into the garbage as he passed.

"Are you okay"? Brandon asked her.

She nodded. "Don't worry about it. It happens to me all the time," she confessed. "Many people here dislike the fact that I am going places, where they are not."

Brandon nodded slowly, not really sure what he should do.

"Well, your locker number is ... 241," she pointed down the hall. "You can drop your stuff off and meet me in biology. I'm just going to go clean this off."

He nodded, seeing that he might have more in common with Rachel than he'd previously thought.

Rachel shrugged out of her clothes in the bathroom, rinsing them out quickly and cleaning herself off before changing into the second pair she always carried.

She had kind of hoped that Puck joining glee would mean she would get less - if no more at all - slushies thrown at her, but apparently she was mistaken.

She hung the damp clothes in her locker, grabbed her books and made her way to class. She and Brandon had mostly the same schedule, and she would try to make of point of keeping him on track as best as she could. He was already a year behind, after all.

He stood outside the door to the room awkwardly, not really wanting to go in by himself, so Rachel came up behind him and nudged him inside. As he'd expected, he drew the glances of most of the people in the classroom, their staring eyes asking a thousand silent questions.

He fell into a seat beside Rachel, sorting out which books he would need.


At lunch, she showed him where she usually sat with the other glee members: Mercedes, Artie, Tina and Kurt. Sometimes Finn would stop by and say hi, but he was usually too busy chatting with his jock and cheerleader friends.

He was grateful his dad had broken his left wrist this time, as he was right-handed, and hated trying to eat with the other one.

Kurt scooted closer, holding his head up on his hand with his elbow on the table.

"And who are you?" he asked the taller boy.

Brandon looked at him sideways before answering, "Um, Brandon Lewis. I'm uh ... Rachel's parents took me in."

Kurt nodded interestedly.

"Well, I'm Kurt Hummel, that's Artie, and those lovely ladies are Mercedes and Tina," he pointed out each one in turn before turning back to Brandon. "So, what's your story?

Rachel interjected, informing them that it was a personal situation, and they should talk about more important things, like the choreography for their next routine in glee.

Brandon asked her, "What's glee?"

She looked at him in surprise. "You've never heard of it?"

He shook his head.

"Well, it's basically show-choir. It's very fun, and though we only have barely enough people to compete, we hope to win at Sectionals, and then Nationals."

Brandon nodded.

"You should join," Rachel urged him. "It's a really great way to expel some energy after a long day, and I'm sure you would fit right in. You would have to audition, though I'm sure Mr Shuester would be glad to have you join."

He considered it. "I'll think about it."

Rachel nodded, satisfied. She really wanted Brandon's last two years of high school to be memorable and fun.


"Who's the dude with Berry?" Puck wondered to his table.

Some of them looked over.

"I dunno," most of the guys answered.

Finn shrugged. "I'm sure she'll tell everyone in glee."

Puck rolled his eyes, glancing back at the brunette to see she'd changed her clothes. It made him smirk in satisfaction before digging into his food once more.


End of chapter one. Short I know, but mostly an introductory chapter.

What do you guys think? Yay? Nay?

Reviews are appreciated, positive or negative.

Until next time ...!