A/N Really random, banged out in about an hour so hope it's ok! This song was just an inspiration :D

Runaway

"And second to last we have Rachel" Mr Schue said from the desk at the centre of the auditorium seating, wondering idly why Rachel hadn't demanded to go first like she usually did remembering that she hadn't demanded in a while actually. "Rachel?" he questioned as the small brunette didn't jump to her feet and march up the stage as usual.

"Coming" Rachel said quietly from her seat next to puck, hopping over his sprawling legs she walked up to the stage and over to the band before standing in the middle of the stage the microphone held loosely in her hands her former meekness forgotten as the music started, the gentle piano confusing everyone as they expected another spectacle.

One they could laugh at and tease her for.

I've got my things packed, my favourite pillow
Got my sleeping bag, climb out the window
All the pictures and pain, I've left behind
All the freedom and fame, I've gotta find

She started with her eyes closed, seeing something none of the rest of them could see.

And I wonder, how long it will take them
To notice that I'm gone
And I wonder, how far it'll take me

She opened her eyes meeting the eyes of the glee club who were looking at her with a mixture of curiosity to this song that was supposed to be representing their feelings. The music picking up Rachel used her amazing lung capacity to belt out the chorus.

To run away, it don't make any sense to me
Run away, this life makes no sense to me
Run away, it don't make any sense to me
Run away, it don't make any sense to me

Meeting the eyes of her biggest tormentors she shamed them with her sad expression as she sang out the second verse, her biggest wonder always being why they hated her for being who she was, wasn't being fake worse?

I was just trying to be myself, have it your way, I'll meet you in hell
It's all these secrets that I shouldn't tell, I've got to run away
It's hypocritical of you, do as you say not as you do
I'll never be your perfect girl, I've got to run away

Well, I'm too young to be taken seriously
But I'm too old to believe all this hypocrisy
And I wonder, how long it will take them to see my bed is made

She sang her eyes filling with tears of her sad and distant fathers who pulled away from her more and more the more she needed them.
And I wonder

If I was a mistake, I might have nowhere left to go
But I know that I cannot go home
These words are strapped inside my head
Tell me to run before I'm dead

Chase the rainbows in my mind
And I will try to stay alive
Maybe the world will know one day
Why won't you help me run away

It don't make any sense to me, run away
This life makes no sense to me, run away

I could sing for change on a Paris street
Be a red light dancer in New Orleans
I could start again to the family
I could change my name, come and go as I please

She sang barely moving as the song was shown for what it was, the eyes she was meeting dropping in shame, Santana and Quinn blushing to their roots as Rachel stared them down.

In the dead of night
You'll wonder where I've gone
Wasn't it you

She sang at Santana and Quinn

wasn't it you

She sang at Finn and Mr Schuster, both of them shifting uncomfortably in their seats, Finn for his constant abuse of the girls feelings for him even after she had finally moved on. Will for all the times he had used her as an example of a lesson to the glee club without thinking of the effect he was having on the fragile ego of a scared and lost little girl.

Wasn't it you that made me run away

She cried out with tears running down her face as she met the gaze of the rest of them, the ones that never stood up for her even though she was expected to support them, the only person's eyes she didn't meet being Puck's as he was the only one who ever did defend her.

I was just trying to be myself, have it your way I'll meet you in hell
All these secrets that I shouldn't tell, I've got to run away
Hypocritical of you, do as you say not as you do
Never be your perfect girl, I've got to run away

Finding Finn's eyes again she stared him down as her feelings of hatred for the boy with the puppy dog gaze was stripped down to show who he really was, a boy just as much as a jerk as he accused Puck of being, maybe even more.

It don't make any sense to me, run away
This life makes no sense to me, run away
It don't make any sense to me, run away
It don't make any sense to me

This life makes no sense to me
It don't make any sense to me
It don't make any sense to me
Life don't make any sense to me

Dropping the microphone to the floor with a dull thud Rachel walked away before they could stop her, snatching her bag as she went she passed Puck without meeting his eyes tears running down her face freely as she left.

Still stunned the club sat in silence as Puck got to his feet and ran after her as quickly as he could, exerting everything he had he followed her only seconds behind her but knowing she would have started running as soon as the auditorium doors closed behind her.

"Rachel!" he cried out as he exited the school and saw her crossing the parking lot to her car, a very nice new BMW 3 series in gun metal grey, as he looked though he could see the car rode lower than usual, a heavy weight in its trunk. Rachel paused at his cry but didn't turn around as she waited for him to catch her up, tears still running down her face at her goodbye to the club that had meant so much to her at first only for them to almost continually pull her down.

"What Noah?" she asked sadly as she felt him stop behind her his close body next to hers warming her more than she imagined it could "I cannot stay just because you are the only one to care about me, and please don't try to make me stay anyway. I don't think I could stand another day here, another day in my house, another day as this Rachel Berry who everyone hates and ridicules almost constantly"

He reached out and placed a hand on her hip gently tugging her back to lean against him more, his head leaning against hers even as her back was to him "I'm sorry I didn't say more, do more" he muttered still not comfortable in apologising even to the girl who had come to mean so much to him this year.

"It's not your fault" Rachel assured him lifting her hands to lean against his as they sat wrapped around her waist now pinning her to him tightly "I'm not going to stay no matter what you say Noah" she warned quietly as they stood there for a while.

"I'm not going to ask you to" Puck finally told her "I know why you want to go and I can respect why you want to as well"

Turning in his arms Rachel rested her hands against his chest as his arms slid around to rest low on her back, needing to see him eyes and make sure that the one person she cared about wasn't lying to her.

"I am going to come with you though" Puck told her, his tight hold not letting her go as she pulled back in shock "I'm not going to convince you to stay but only if you take me with you"

"Why would you want to come?" Rachel asked in shock "I know you care about me when no one else does but why..."

"Because you're the best part of my day Rach, in fact you are the only good part of my day. My mom and sister have their own life now with Jason and school means nothing to me now that I have worked my butt off and already earned enough credits to graduate. Rach you mean everything to me and I need you, I need you in my life and if that means following you, joining you on this journey then I'm going to"

"It's your senior year" Rachel protested lamely, shivering as his hand slipped below her shirt to rest on the bare skin of her lower back.

"And yours, and I love you and we are going to leave together because that's what you need, and I need you" letting go off her he tangled their fingers together and led her over to her car pressing her up against the passenger door to kiss her thoroughly and steal both her bag and car keys from her hand. "Get in" he ordered pressing another kiss to her lips before opening the door for her and ushering her in, circling the car to slip into the driver's seat, tossing Rachel's bag into the back "we'll swing by mine and then leave" he informed her starting the car he had driven a lot since the start of their friendship.

Nodding at him Rachel curled up as she always did when she was a passenger, watching him handle the car with ease and a confidence that he lacked in so many areas of his life "are you going to tell you mom?" she asked sleepily, the stress of finally leaving haven gotten to her over recent weeks that her sleep pattern was disturbed.

"Na she won't care" Puck shrugged as they turned into his street, pulling up beside the curb he leaned over and pressed another kiss to her lips before promising he would only be five minutes before hopping out and hurrying into his house. Keeping to his word he returned quickly his guitar and a duffle bag tossed over his shoulder that he slid into the back seat before taking back his seat and clicking the seat belt in, kissing Rachel again quickly as she looked up at him in a ridiculously cute way.

"So where are we going?" he asked as he started the car "New York? Broadway?"

"I was thinking, would I be good as a musician, a singer?"

"Course" Puck shrugged, no doubt in his mind when it came to Rachel and her ability to do anything she wanted.

"New York was my father's idea I was thinking more LA" Rachel admitted

"Would be nice to have good weather more often" Puck laughed "LA it is" he declared putting the car in gear and pulling away.