Ever since Finn's death, Rachel and Puck had grown closer than they'd ever been.. some said that it was weird, that Rachel was just clinging to a part of Finn that had been left with Puck, using him to bring back what she'd lost. But they didn't think that, they just sought solace in one another, the love of Finn's life and Finn's best friend, coming together to mourn him in the only way they could think. It was never their intention, to fall in love... Puck would never steal Rachel from Finn and in a way.. he wasn't, Puck knew.. that Rachel could never love him the way she loved Finn.. the way she still loves Finn, but part of her loves Puck just as much.. and Puck loved her..
When they'd told their friends they'd gotten mixed reactions, a few were happy for them.. others didn't quite understand but they came around, their families of course were happy for them, Finn's family understood.. Kurt just wanted Rachel to be happy, she would always be like a sister to him, even if she would never marry into his family.. Burt still treated her like the daughter he'd never had, Carol still called her on her birthday and told her how much she loved her. Rachel would miss Finn, every day. But she learned to live with it, that heavy burden on her heart. It lightened every day, as she remembered Finn. Puck thought about his best friend all the time, when he and Rachel would fight, Puck couldn't help but think, maybe Finn would of handled it differently... he compared his and Rachel's relationship to hers and Finn's a lot.. Rachel called him silly and said he was just making himself sad, he considered leaving her, but he knew he would never... it would break her heart.. and his as well..
When Puck proposed, he used Finn's ring, everyone warned him not too, said it would make Rachel upset.. but Puck felt like it was the right thing to do, that way when Rachel would look at it, she'd remember Finn and in a way.. maybe she'd be married to him too.. when he got down on one knee.. exactly 2 years after dating, she was elated, she cried and she laughed, when she recognized the ring.. she was silent, Puck waited.. on baited breath and stared up at her, tears frozen on her face as she stopped crying for a moment, she went down on her knees and she took Puck's face in her perfect hands and she whispered the word that made Puck's heart skip a beat.
"Yes.." The tears started up again as she sobbed softly. "Noah, yes.." She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Thank you.."
Puck had never been happier and he couldn't wait to tell his best friend, they told him together.. hand in hand, ring facing outwards to let him know, that he would always be in their memories, they looked at the tree and they both cried. They told him how much they missed him, how they would always love him.. Puck even invited him to the wedding.
"Play your drums man, I can't wait to hear it." Puck laughed.
When it came time to have the wedding, it never stopped raining. Thunder boomed loudly as they stood in the Synagogue. But Rachel and Puck didn't mind, they knew it was Finn.. as they said their vows and their I do's, they sealed their love with a kiss, not just the love they had for each other, but the love they each had for Finn. They left the alter together, hand in hand.. walking down the aisle and out into the rain, they didn't mind getting soaked as they both stared up at the sky. Everyone ran to the cars waiting to take them to the reception. But Puck waited, swallowing back the lump in his throat..
"I'll take care of her, I'll love her the way you did... I love you.. my brother." He whispered brokenly, the rain masking his tears.
Rachel squeezed her husbands hand, smiling up at him through the tears and the rain..
"Thanks for coming, Finn. It means a lot." They said, walking to the car... hand in hand.