Hi all. I haven't written a fan fiction story in a couple of years. This was something that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. It's rated M, but it will take a moment to get there. I hope you enjoy. Reviews are wonderful even if you hate it lol

Just like a star across my sky

Just like an angel off the page

You have appeared to my life

Feel like I'll never be the same…

Rachel

This year was going to be different. It had to be. She's not the same girl she was at the beginning of the summer devastated by the jock returning to the girl who cheated on him. The Rachel Berry that cried herself to sleep over that catastrophe was gone. Quinn delivered a healthy girl named Grace and she was adopted by loving parents. Apparently Finn was there to help her deal with the grief because underneath the baffled humor, he really was a nice guy. And if that's what he wants, then that's what he deserves. She wasn't going to spend another second obsessing about it.

She actually hadn't wasted any seconds on it in a couple of months. A summer in New York training with Julliard's future stars had changed her. She was still the optimistic girl who used a thousand words when four would do; she was also the girl who spent an entire summer developing friendships and relationships based on who she was, not other's preconceived notions of her. It was liberating.

Rachel sighed as she flipped through her closet looking for the right ensemble for the first day of school. It just seemed like a day that demanded drama. Her head tilted as she considered her options. After selecting her wardrobe, she placed them neatly on the bed. She hummed contentedly to herself as she clipped her hair up and headed into the bathroom for her shower.

Puck

This year was going to be different. It had to be. He's not going to settle for being a Lima loser anymore. His daughter is gone. She's with people who love and cherish her, but the ache from her absence is a wound that seems to throb at the strangest moments. Even though he can't be her dad, he can become a man she would be proud to have as a father. He owes her that much. Hell, he owes himself that much. So he's going to pay attention. He's going to try. He was going to be nice.

Okay, maybe that's going too far. But he's still going to take his ass to class and put in as much effort as he can stand. And on the days where it seems like it's too much, he's going to suck it up and keep going. His Grace is gone… but she will never be forgotten. So he has to make it work.

Puck had spent the summer patching up his friendships with Quinn and Finn. He smiled to himself as he thought about them. He already knew they were heading towards a white picket fence and a gaggle of children they could keep. That was fine with him. He was over wanting Quinn. He's positive that his total attraction to her after the sex was based on the fact that she was carrying his child. Now she was just Quinn… someone who lived with the same heartbreak every day but kept going. If she could do it, so could he.

He swung out the front door of his home and threw his bag in the bed of the truck. As he pulled out of the driveway, he realized he was excited to get to school. He smirked as he sped down the street.

*~*

Rachel clipped through the hallway towards her class. It was strange but even though she felt different, she hadn't really expected others to notice it. She even had a spare set of clothes in her locker in case of slushie attack. But instead of ridicule, she'd received second-glances and whistles as she moved. At first she would look around curiously to see who was causing such a ruckus. As soon as she realized it was her, a soft smile broke out that could not be erased. She ducked into math chuckling at the difference.

She slid into a seat and pulled out her notebook and pen, anxious to begin. It was still early and there were only a couple of other people in the room. She slid her phone out of her bag and began to check the entertainment news. When someone sat in the chair beside hers, she didn't even look up.

Her lack of notice gave Puck a chance to pull his jaw off the floor. All day he had been hearing about the "Juicy Berry" as she was currently being referred to, but he'd shrugged it off. How hot could one girl get in like 3 months? Well, she had already been hot in her little schoolgirl way, but she was too prim to improve on that right? Wrong.

He started at her feet, taking in the sharp heels on her loafers. They had to add at least another 4 inches to her height. His eyes slid up her legs, covered in black sheer tights with a crazy star pattern tracing over her warm-toned skin. Her black skirt and yellow short-sleeve sweater looked like anything she would have worn last year, but when combined with the tights and the black-framed glasses, it turned the whole look into a "Hot for Teacher" thing that was driving the boys at McKinley crazy.

Of course, he couldn't let her know that he was one of the drooling masses. He was still Noah Puckerman. He was way too badass to pant after some skirt, no matter how short it was. He stretched his legs out and deliberately tipped her bag over. As it slammed into the floor, she turned immediately to grab her possessions and looked down at a scuffed Nike. Her eyes traveled up well-worn jeans and a faded T-shirt. She looked into familiar hazel eyes and luscious lips that had once pressed passionately against her own. Her smile was instant and huge, even though her voice was soft. "Hi Noah."

He smirked at her as he pulled the bag out of her hands and leaned it back against her chair. "Hey Berry… looking good." She nodded. "You too." The classroom flooded with their peers seconds before the bell rang and the moment was broken. They both turned to the front to focus on their teacher. Rachel was surprised at his sudden interest in academics and arched a brow at him. He caught the movement and shrugged.

When the bell rang again, she slid her things into her bag and stood. He towered over her frame even in her new shoes. She glanced up at him. "Going to Glee?" He rolled his eyes at her eagerness. "Yes Berry." She nodded and headed towards the door. He fell into step beside her as they entered the hallway. They each snuck looks at the other as they walked the familiar path to their favorite class. When they reached the door and he pulled it open for her to walk through, she smiled at him knowingly and strolled slowly past. He watched the slight sway of her hips and swallowed.

Yeah… this year was definitely going to be different.