What if Puckleberry never truly died? Puckleberry is my OTP, not Finchel - thus Glee fics written by me will be all Puckleberry but no huge hate on Finn, just Quinn really.

You can picture whoever you want for Puck, but despite what has happened to the actor (5 years and he's guilty? You would think 20+ years for his crimes), he is still Puck for me (Childhood Ruined). For me, Puck's replacement could be main actor from Step up Revolution who played Sean. Regardless, Puck will still be Puck and in no way associated with the actor.

Chapter One

Rachel sat on couch in her apartment that she shared with Kurt and Blaine, right opposite Santana and Brittney's apartment. She was sipping her hot chocolate while flipping through her photo album of the memories that she kept from her time at McKinley and Lima. She was smiling at the photos with her and Kurt photobombing their friends in Senior Year.

"Rach, are you home!?" The sound of Santana's loud voice echoed through the apartment as she walked into lounge room holding a bag of Chinese take-away and a photo album in her hand.

"What are you doing, Rach?" She sat down next to Rachel and took out the food from the bag and handing a box of chicken fried rice.

"Just looking through some old photos from high school – look at this one." She pointed at a photo of Santana and Brittney in a compromising positon. "Artie and I were walking to the art room storage room to get some stuff for glee, and we opened the door and we saw you. I was a blubbering mess apologising like crazy but Artie was in shock – you two didn't even notice. I pushed him closer because he was clearly enjoying seeing you two make out so I took a photo of his face. Aww, look at how happy he was." Rachel giggled. Santana smirked as she remembered how sexually active she was back in high school.

"So, what's with this photo album?" She pointed as she leaned back eating her dinner.

"I think it's time you see this." Santana opened the photo album and on the first page was a photo of Puck with his arms slung around Rachel's shoulder and Rachel's arm wrapped around his waist and a hand pressing on his chest, both smiling happily holding their high school diplomas and dressing their graduation gowns and hats.

"Santana, what is this? Why do you photos of us?" Rachel asked steely. She looked at the photo closely with tears forming in her eyes. Graduation night was the most heartbreaking things that she had ever experienced – no matter how hard she tried, but she cannot forget that night.

"The glee kids and I made this photo album for you and Puck to keep with you when you both moved to New York. Clearly, it didn't happen, so we didn't give it to you on graduation night. I think eight years has been enough time to hide this from you." Rachel nodded and looked through the album – there were photos of the two of them kissing on the football field after a game, there were photos of them holding hands in the school hallway and photos of them in glee club. She slammed the album shut with tears running down her face and walked over to the window looking out into the New York night sky.

"It still hurts, San" She clutched her chest with her broken heart thumping rapidly against her chest.

"He hurts too honey. I talked to him last night." Rachel gasped. No one in New York ever mentioned Puck when Rachel was around, let along mentioned any of them keeping in contact with him

"It's been eight years, why hasn't he tried to contact me?" Rachel whimpered.

"He told me this last night. Look at me when I say this." She looks at Santana's eye with sadness and truth. "He didn't want you to keep hurting because of him anymore. He wanted you to move on and find someone to marry and have a family with. He said even if it meant bringing a broken heart to his grave, it would be worth seeing you happy again." At this point, Rachel bawls her eyes out at that admission. She collapsed on the floor sobbing into her hands being wrapped up by Santana's arms.

"What do I do San? He is the love of my life… I can never move on." She croaked.

"Come with me back to Lima for a few weeks. He's back from his Marine base for a few weeks for the summer."

"Noah's a Marine?" Rachel's eyes widened.

"He joined a week after you left. For the two years after you left, he was based in Connecticut where Quinn went to Yale after she deferred for two years and Puck would be able to see Beth as often as he can but he rarely sees Quinn when he's at home from base."

"Typical Quinn…" Rachel scoffed as she wiped her tears away.

"Things hadn't been good a year after you left. Blaine said that whenever he came to Glee Club for a sit-in, his looked tired and just sad. He said he looked so sad that even I would want to hug him for hours." Rachel giggled as she knew that Santana was never very affectionate with Puck, they were too much like each other – tough and sometimes assholes.

"I can't go back to that place. I'm just going to be reminded is that everyone picks Quinn – she'll always win and gets everything that I've ever wanted."

"Hello! Wake up Rachel!" Santana grabbed her shoulder and shook her hoping she'd realise is she has everything. "You've won! She cheated her way to graduate from Yale and became a stay-at-home mom. She won't go out and work because she relies on her mom and step-dad to pay for everything she and Beth needs. Puck doesn't even bother helping her out. She doesn't have a huge penthouse in New York and a lead role in Chicago! She doesn't have sell-out shows or dedicated fans! She doesn't have best friends like you. You have everything you've ever wanted."

"Not everything. I don't have Noah. I don't have a family with Noah." She said sadly.

"Well get him back!" Santana shouted. "We are going back to Lima, you are going to show-off this reinvented you! You are going to get to know Beth and show everyone that you care and love Beth more than Quinn does. You are going to off those sexy legs and get your man back!" Rachel let Santana's words sink in and nodded strongly.

"You're right. I've let Quinn ruin my life for far too long. I loved Noah and still do and I will get him back. Noah's sister told me a lot about Beth – apparently Sarah babysits her twice a week." Rachel said determinedly.

"As my lawyer, can you call me agent and publicist to clear out my calendar for the next month and book me a first class ticket and upgrade all your tickets to first class?" Rachel asked as she started cleaning everything up.

"Of course, can I threaten to fire them if they won't do it?"

"Mention the word Noah and they'll do it – no threats needed." She grinned. She picked up the photo album of herself and Noah and began walking to her room as Santana was getting ready to leave.

"Can you and Brittney help pack my bags when I'm at the show tomorrow? It's my last performance for a while, so I want to focus on that."

"Yes! Of course!" Santana responded a little too excitedly. Santana had bought some lingerie for Rachel this morning as she hoped Rachel would go back to Lima with them… now that she is; Santana can sneak it into her bag hoping she would bang Puck as soon as they see each other.

Rachel sat on her bed looking through the photo album again smiling at the wonderful memories she had with Noah only for it to end so sadly. At one point, she had blamed Shelby for writing that stupid will but she mostly blamed Quinn for again, taking something that Rachel had. Her eyes began watery and ran a fingertip along Noah's face in the photo remembering the contours of his face – the chiselled jaw line, strong cheekbones and green-hazel eyes. She can only imagine how much more handsome and sexier he would look since he joined the Marine. She heard from Kurt that these men worked out like crazy building strength and muscles.

She placed the book on her bedside table and walked to her table picking up the class ring that Noah had given her after their first date. She slid under the covers and pressed it closed to chest as she remembered that dreadful day.

"Noah, this is a perfect way to end the night. I'm so happy." She sighed leaning against Noah's chest sitting on the couch at Santana's place. Everyone was in the basement playing poker and drinking. "Soon, we're going to be New York in our small apartment – you at NYU and I'm at NYADA. We're going to make New York our town and –"

"Rachel, we need to talk…" Noah interrupted. Rachel immediately sat up looking at Noah alarmed. A million thoughts flashed through her mind. Did he defer NYU? Does he want to go somewhere? Does he want to break up.

"Quinn…" he said darkly – he hated her after everything she has done to Rachel and refuses to grow up and take some responsibilities. "She talked to me in the hallway after graduation when you were all taking photos."

"What happened honey?" She ran her fingers through his Mohawk trying to soothe Noah from any frustration and anger he had about Quinn.

"After we left Shelby's funeral, the lawyer approached Quinn and talked about her will – including about the custody of Beth." Noah said nervously. Rachel's eyes widened – did Shelby leave Beth in Rachel's custody? No, she thought… otherwise the lawyer would've contacted her instead of Beth.

"The will said that Quinn and I must be married if we were to get full custody of Beth."

"What!?" Rachel screeched. This was her worse nightmare. "I-I-I don't get it! How does something like this happen!?" Rachel stuttered.

"I don't know. I can't do anything about it. It was stated in the will. Quinn wouldn't lie to me about something like this when Beth is involved – she even showed me the will." Noah was almost sounding desperate, trying to make Rachel understand his situation and support him.

"I can't believe this!" She screamed. She was on the verge of collapsing on the floor and sobbing her eyes out. The both of them were looking at each other, not realising the rest of the Glee Club minus Quinn was in the room.

"What about New York!? What about NYU? WHAT ABOUT US!?" She shouted angrily. Quinn was still ruining her life despite having just finished high school.

"I can't go to New York. Beth and Quinn are staying here. I had to pull out of NYU and I lost my scholarship."

"YOU HAVE A FULL-RIDE SCHOLARSHIP AND YOU GAVE IT UP!?" She screamed in disbelief. Her head was starting to ache, so she began rubbing her temples.

"I'm sorry, baby… I have to do it." He said with tears forming in his eyes – he was losing the love of his life. He would always tell Rachel that he loved her infinity times infinity and she would always recite it back to him.

"I understand Noah, I really do but why can't we do it together? We don't have to do this. Contest the will. Daddy and I will help you."

"I can't contest it; the lawyer specifically stated that the will cannot be contested. Don't you see? I have no choice! My heart is breaking seeing you like this - that I am the reason for our hearts breaking."

"Everyone has a choice. We had plans! We were meant to go to New York and take it by storm together. You want to get out of this God forsaken town. Now, you're stuck here." He was holding her hands in his lap as they both looked at each other.

"I know baby but I have to do it…for Beth." He whispered his final words. Rachel sagged her shoulders in defeat knowing that having a second chance with Beth was his weakness. She pulled her hands out of his grip angrily and stood up. She took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

"Noah, I have our plane tickets - we are leaving on Sunday night at 10am, I will be waiting for you till our flight leaves and if I don't see you, I know that I was never meant to be yours forever. So much for loving me infinity times infinity." She scoffed at her last words and ran out of the house sobbing and continued running till she reached a park 2 miles down the street where she sat on a bench and began sobbing her eyes out.

She waited….and waited…and waited… till the plane took off. Her heart shattered into pieces seeing the empty seat next to her and looked out the window quietly sobbing.

I hope you enjoyed this :) I'm open to one-shot requests - just shoot me a DM or leave a comment below ! I would love to hear your thoughts.

xox Caz