Disclaimer: The usual - Don't own Glee. I wish I do, though. I will be ultra-rich by now.

Chapter 1: Passenger Seat

I don't think that passenger seat
Has ever looked this good to me

Rachel's dad was late in picking her up. She was waiting outside the school's building, and she took the opportunity to talk to Puck when she saw him on his way to the parking lot.

"I don't do friendship with the opposite sex, Berry. It decreases the caves that the Puckasaurus must explore," he said, smirking, then saunters off towards his parked truck. Rachel thanked him for standing up for her when she recounted to her fellow Glee clubbers the egging that Jessie, and the other members of Vocal Adrenaline, gave her and this was his reply.

She pouted, appalled with his crass reply, and turned to go back to her waiting spot. She was not hurt, however, unlike when he threw back on her face her offer of friendship after their little-over-a-week of relationship in the middle of the school year.

"Berry!" Rachel heard Puck calling her. She turned to face him. He has reached his truck and is opening the door to the driver's side.

"Father's late?" She heard Puck asked. She only nodded. Well, she wanted to explain why but she refuses to strain her vocal chords and carry a conversation close to a shouting match with someone who is far away from her. She once again turned to walk. She thought he grunted something, but she was not sure if he was speaking to her so she continued walking back to her spot.

"Berry!" She heard him shout, way much louder this time.

"What?" She cannot stop herself from shouting back as she turned to look at him, again, hands on her hips. What she saw confused her. The passenger door of his truck is open. He was scowling at her from the driver's seat. He pointedly look at his passenger seat.

Rachel, understanding what he wants, refused to budge. She just stared him down, hands still on her hips. If that it is his way of offering me a ride, he better think again, she thought.

He raised his eyebrow at her and smirked. "Get in", he grunted.

"What, Noah?" She shouted in reply.

"Get in, Berry! Don't make me go there and haul your fucking ass in here!"

Rachel knew that's the most that she'll get from him. She smiled, walked towards his car, and climbed on his passenger seat.

"You have such a tainted mouth, Noah." She told him as she closes the car door. "And thank you," she added, looking at him.

Puck just looked at her like she had grown two heads, and started the car.

-0-

"I'll make out with you, if you want," he said lewdly, wriggling his eyebrows twice at her. That made her laugh. She swatted his arm, turned her back to him, and opened the door of his truck to get out. She knew that it was his way of thanking her for checking up on him three days after Shelby, her birth mom who refuses to have anything to do with her, adopted Beth, his daughter with Quinn.

"You're welcome, Noah." She replied, looking at him with a soft smile, before walking towards her house.

He opened the door to her insistent ringing, with only a sweat pants on. He is such a sexy mess, was Rachel's uncensored thought when she saw him. The blush that instantly flared on her cheeks with the thought didn't go unnoticed. Puck raised an eyebrow in response. "What d'yo want, Berry?" Puck quietly asked, leaning on the door jam and giving Rachel a lazy once over.

Rachel refused to be flustered again. She huffed, placed her intertwined hands flat on her stomach, "I know you just gave Beth away to my mo-er-Shelby. I can only imagine how painful it must be. You did not go to school today, again. I assume that we have already given you the requisite time to grieve on your own and I just wanted to check on how you are doing."

"I'm still alive, Berry, if that's what you want to know."

"It is preposterous of you to imply that I would think that you will choose to end your life because of this difficult but pragmatic decision. Your harder-than-nail demeanor will make it difficult for anyone to assume such. I am here because on the brief period of our er-ahm-association (She fought the urge to blush, again, when she noticed that Puck almost smiled on her description of the eight days that they dated), I have known that you have a soft heart (She almost laughed when Puck uttered a choked sound). However, I am pleased to know that you can still reply in the manner that I am used to; thus, signifying that you are, indeed, ok."

Rachel's eyes never left Puck's face during this speech. His eyebrow remained raised and his forehead furrowed as she finished speaking.

"What the hell, Berry! You are making my headache worse!" Puck exclaimed, running his hand through his head, after her speech.

Worry etched on Rachel's face, "Oh, I am sorry. I just want you to know that should you need someone to talk to, I am here." She did not mean to make him feel worse. She turned her back and proceeded to leave.

"Berry, wait" Puck quietly said behind her. She turned to look at him. "My mom and sister aren't home, but would you want to come in? I wouldn't force myself on you or anything…" He added, trailing off.

Rachel beamed, so pleased with Puck's invitation. She nodded twice, deliberately choosing to disregard Puck's non-interest on her as an opposite sex. She bouncingly walked before him into the house.

-0-

Summer before junior year brought a lot of romance and healing in Rachel's life. Her relationship with Finn took off. She knew that Puck and Quinn are embarking on a similar journey of their own. Finn and Puck's relationship started its healing, and, subsequently, her's and Quinn's, as well. It was, also, during this time that Rachel and Puck's friendship starts settling.

She had a superb time with him when she dropped by his place before summer. She, also, understands that Noah is uncomfortable with feelings, which is why she decided to move along their friendship in baby steps. Rachel would have brief conversations with him whenever they see each other in the temple. At first, she will just wave or say hi. This graduates from her approaching him to ask how he is spending his summer, sharing how she is spending hers and reintroducing him to her fathers, to him actually answering her in a sentence, introducing her to his mom, Deborah, and seven year old sister, Hanna, and, eventually, offering to bring her home from the temple on occasions when Rachel's parents failed to attend the service.

-0-

Despite losing the Regionals, the start of junior year was easier than Rachel expected. She guessed it helped that she and Finn and Quinn and Puck walked into the halls of Mckinley High together on the first day of school. She thought that Karofsky and his gang, and the rest of the school, cannot comprehend what they are seeing since baby gate happened and all (well they are not as smart as she is, that figures) and is thus unable to decide properly what course of action to take. The fact that Quinn got her throne back as the head cheerleader befuddled these people more. Well , the quarterback, the head cheerleader, the school's resident badass and sex god (Puck insisted that this description be put into the equation), and the crazy diva turned sweet ingénue in one clique (Puck choked at that description. Rachel was adamant that he accepts it since she had to accept his description of himself)? Even the occasional jeers and insults that Rachel still gets when she was alone was reduce to nil since it became obvious to everybody that Quinn has her back. It's difficult to explain, indeed.

It was during the last game of the football season when the drama-less existence for Rachel Barbra Berry ended.

"We slept together, you know?" Santana spitefully whispered to Rachel when she passed her by. The football game had just ended and Rachel was waiting for Finn outside the boy's locker room when she noticed Santana purposely walking towards her.

Her head whipped up to look at the cheerleader, surprised. Despite her improving relationships with the other Glee members, Santana remained to be an antagonist.

"Who are you pertaining to, Santana? Please be specific as we know that your reputation precedes you".

"Ask your boyfriend," was Santana's loud and haughty reply as she continued to walk away.

Rachel felt life draining out of her. Finn said he didn't go through with it because he wanted to wait for the right person. Finn said he understands why she lied to him about sleeping with Jessie and that he is glad she decided to wait as he did. Finn agreed that they should not lie to each other about anything.

"Rachel, the boys not out yet?" Quinn's hand on her arm shook her out of shock. "What's wrong, B? She asked upon seeing her ashen face.

"Hi, babe. Sorry you had to wait, Coach had something to say to us." Finn kissed Rachel on the cheek when he reached her, not noticing the tension in her stance nor the worried hold that Quinn has on Rachel.

She looked up to her boyfriend's face and quietly asked, "Did you sleep with Santana, Finn?"

Finn's face paled."I…uh…", was the only sound he uttered.

But for Rachel, that was enough confirmation. She looked at him with hurt and disappointment and ran away.

"Rach…" Finn said, stepping forward to pursue her.

Puck, whose arrival none of the three noticed, grabbed Finn's arm to stop him. "Not now, Finn. "

Realizing that Rachel did not have a ride home since she came with Finn and his mom, Puck added, "I'll bring her home." Finn nodded his thanks. "Q. can you get a ride home with Mike, instead?" Quinn agreed. Being in one car with Finn and his mom is still something to be avoided.

Puck ran towards the school parking lot to look for Rachel.