I loved seeing Mark Salling wearing the Phantom mask in "Bad Reputation", and thought it might be amazing if he sang "All I Ask of You" with Lea and Cory. Since I can't have that on the show (are you reading this, Ryan Murphy?), there's always fanfiction – so this is just a little fic using that song, and The Phantom of the Opera, as inspiration.

Thanks to my amazing Sharpie for the feedback. Love ya Jo!

(By the way, go read our crossover Glee fic – the link to our joint account is at the top of my profile!)

~Brandi

Consider Glee Disclaimed. I'm not that creative.

All I Ask of You

Puck had tried it on as a joke.

"You actually have one of these?" He picked up the mask and pulled it onto his head. "Santana made me sit through that creepy-ass movie. Raoul should have sliced and diced the Phantom when he had the chance."

Rachel tried not to be impressed that he had recognized the prop. "I discovered Phantom right after Les Mis. I went through an intense opera period when I was eight."

"Huh."

She suppressed a giggle as he peered into the mirror, obviously trying to decide if the mask made him look badass or just deranged.

"Do you know that when we dated the rest of the school gave us a nickname – Puckleberry?"

~L~

That night, she saw him in the mask again.

He was in a tuxedo, too. And he was standing next to her on an island in the middle of a misty lake.

She glanced down and gasped in surprise. She ran her hand along the ruffles of a full-skirted evening gown, one that she'd never seen before, let alone worn.

"Come, we must return. Those two fools who run my theater will be missing you," Puck sang. Rachel glanced at him oddly. What was going on? Puck held out his hand to her and they stepped into a tiny boat that Rachel hadn't noticed until just then.

As Puck pushed the boat from the shore, Rachel closed her eyes, wondering if this strange setting would still be there when she opened them. Surely this was a dream.

She could feel light flooding through her eyelids and when she opened her eyes, she was in the hallway at school. So it had been a dream.

"Finn!" she called as he approached with his trademark goofy grin. "I just had the most fascinating dr—"

He reached her and placed a finger to her lips, quieting her instantly.

"No more talk of darkness," he cooed softly. "Forget these wide-eyed fears…" His voice lifted at the end and he began singing. "I'm here, nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you," he crooned as he pulled her against him. "Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears. I'm here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you…"

Rachel melted into his arms, because, well, this was Finn, and he had done stranger things. May as well play along. She gazed up at him, singing lyrics she had known over half her life, "Say you love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime…"

"Summertime…" Finn echoed in harmony.

Oh, so they were glee-ing this up. Fine with her. "Say you need me with you now and always…"

"Now and always…" Finn replied, spinning her out and leading her down the hall.

"Promise me that all you say is true…that's all I ask of you."

There were more lyrics before the chorus, but Rachel decided to speed the song up a little. She executed a little waltz with Finn, knocking into people in the crowded hallway. Oddly, no one reacted, or even seemed to realize they were there.

They sang together, "Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude…"

She tried not to read too much into the lyrics, but this was Rachel, so of course her head began spinning with possibilities. Was Finn actually professing his love? Telling her that he wanted to be with her always? She wasn't sure she was ready for that. Besides, she was with Jesse now.

Finn continued solo, "Say you need me with you here, beside you…anywhere you go, let me go too…Christine, that's all I ask of you…"

"Say you'll share with me one love, one life—" Rachel stopped short and Finn dropped her hands, looking confused. "Wait a minute. Did you just call me Christine?"

Finn's eyebrows furrowed. "That's your name, isn't it?"

Rachel had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was still dreaming. Somehow this must be connected to the scene in the lake…and that meant… "We have to get out of here!" She tugged at his arm and turned down another hallway, searching for a door out of the building.

"What? Why?" Finn allowed himself to be pulled, but he hadn't lost that perplexed frown.

"Because the Phantom is watching us." She glanced around wildly for Puck, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Christine, he's not going to hurt us. Everything's cool."

"Seriously, Fi—uh, Raoul, we have to find a way out of here. We're in danger…"

Finn swept her up into his arms and stared into her eyes. "Share each day with me, each night, each morning…" he continued the song, oblivious to Rachel's distress.

Rachel kicked her feet. "Put me down! I mean it, Finn, we have to leave."

After more squirming, he put her down and asked, "Who's Finn?"

Rachel finally spotted a door and ran to it. She pushed it open and stepped into the sunlight.

She gasped as she felt cloth enclose her legs. She was back in the full skirt. And painful corset. Ouch. Finn followed, now dressed in an old-fashioned white shirt and breeches.

"Go back!" she cried to Finn, but it was too late. The door had disappeared. They were the courtyard of the school, with no discernible way out.

She felt her lips begin to form words and couldn't stop them. "Say you love me…" she sang, turning to Finn.

"You know I do…" Finn replied, putting his arms around her waist.

"Love me, that's all I ask of you," they harmonized, and Rachel finally relaxed. The Phantom wasn't going to attack them in this scene. They were safe for now. This time she began to sing of her own volition. "Anywhere you go, let me go too. Love me…that's all I ask of you!" She actually wanted the next part to happen – Finn leaned down and kissed her, and she let herself get lost in the moment. It wasn't cheating if you dream-kissed someone, right?

They broke apart, and Rachel leaned her head against his chest. Now they would go make plans for their wedding. Well, Christine and Raoul's wedding.

But something wasn't right. Suddenly the sky grew dark, and Rachel heard a flapping sound in the breeze. She moved closer to Finn, and he placed a protective arm on her shoulders, looking more than a little scared.

Puck swept towards them, his cape billowing around his body and rustling in the wind. He glared at Rachel, and she cowered against Finn. She wasn't sure why she was so afraid of Puck, but there was something in his eyes just then that she didn't trust.

"I gave you my music…I made your song take wing…" Puck's whole demeanor changed as he sang, and he began to sound less like a threatening monster and more like a sad little boy. "And now, how you've repaid me…denied me and betrayed me…" he cried mournfully.

Rachel realized what it was in his eyes: they held not only contempt but betrayal. She stepped forward as his eyes clouded with grief.

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime," she found herself singing to him, unable to stop herself once again. She felt a strange pull towards Puck and left the safety of Finn's arms.

"Christine!" he called out to her, but she kept stepping forward. She almost didn't realize when Finn disappeared into the distance. She didn't have time to reflect; she and Puck had suddenly been transported into her bedroom. He was now wearing Finn's costume, and she was in a less formal gown.

Puck grasped at her waist and brushed one hand along her cheek. "Say the word and I will follow you…" he sang, gazing at her with his typical mix of affection and annoyance.

They shared a smile and she joined him on the next line. "Share each day with me, each night, each morning. Anywhere you go, let me go too…" He leaned in, and she removed the mask from his face and threw it aside, expecting to see the Phantom's deformed skin. But it was only Puck, magnificent cheekbones and all. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, but just as their lips touched, she was jolted back by another voice coming from her doorway.

Jesse glowered at them, clad in Puck's caped tuxedo and mask of a few moments earlier. "You will curse the day you did not do…" he howled, "all that the Phantom asked of you!" He held the note on "you" and his eyes bored into Rachel's. She gulped. This was not right. They were too far off script. This is not how things were supposed to go. And where was Finn?

Jesse began to laugh, and the sound of it shot up Rachel's spine and made her tremble. Something was very, very wrong. Jesse continued to cackle, and Puck pulled her against him.

"Watch out!" he yelled, and dove with her onto her bed, just as a crystal chandelier fell out of nowhere on the spot where they had just been standing.

Puck had his arms around her, and he shielded her body with his own as the chandelier came crashing down. She could hear the sound of the crystals breaking, along with Jesse's maniacal laughter and ominous music coming from somewhere. She squeezed her eyes shut and the last thing she heard was Puck singing, "Love me, that's all I ask of you…" into her ear.

Rachel woke with a start and sat up in bed. She tugged at her clothes, feeling only her cotton nightgown. She glanced around her dark room and saw no trace of broken glass or the people who had been with her moments before.

She turned on the light by her bed and glanced around. The Phantom mask Puck had tried on earlier was sitting on her dresser. She got out of bed, raced to the dresser, and chucked the thing into the hallway. She'd deal with that tomorrow in broad daylight.

The rest of her night was spent in a peaceful slumber, and she forgot all about the dream until she stubbed her toe on the mask the next morning. Even then, she was fuzzy on the details. Something about Jesse being jealous, and Puck wanting to be with her, and Finn trying to protect her…unfortunately, she didn't remember enough of it to do any analysis. Even so, she jotted down what she remembered in her Dream Journal. All she could conclude was that she had found her cast for "Run Joey Run" – Puck, Finn, and Jesse, the three guys who meant something to her. And also that she would never allow Puck to wear that Phantom mask again – too creepy.

~L~

That day at school, her face broke into a grin when she saw the single red rose taped to her locker. Jesse was so sweet. But when she got closer, she realized that a black ribbon was tied around the stem. Rachel lifted it gingerly and glanced around. This wasn't from Jesse. He would have tied a pink ribbon around it, or some other romantic color.

It hit her. This was from Noah. She blushed. He couldn't possibly know about the dream, though. This was just a little Phantom-inspired thank you for the day before. She could tell he had had fun planning out the "Run Joey Run" scenes with her, despite the lack of making out. They were going to start principal photography after school.

Puck and Quinn approached Quinn's locker, talking about doctors and ultrasounds. Rachel watched Puck, and as their eyes met, he gave her a wink. She nodded her head with a smile and turned away before Quinn could sense that something was up.

This meant nothing, Rachel told herself. It was a friendly gesture of solidarity, that's all.

Puck watched her walk away, clutching the rose to her chest. He smiled, and then turned his attention back to Quinn.