Author's Note: Sorry this has taken so long guys! I got stuck for a bit because I knew where I wanted to go, but not how to get there. Plus I got swamped with homework because the end of the semester is creeping up! Anyways, thank you to everyone for the reviews and alerts! It was inspiring! Keep them up!

P.S. I still don't own Glee, the characters, or the music involved in the chapters.. just borrowing them for my own enjoyment! The last song was "Hold on to the Nights' by Richard Marx too, by the way!


"Remember to keep working on your parts for sectionals. Your duets last week were great, but now we have to polish one to perform, and add in the rest of the group. We'll vote next week. Think on it," Mr. Schue said, while heading out into the hallway after rehearsal.

Puck looked over at Finn and Quinn as they walked hand and hand out the door. He let out a frustrated sigh and grabbed his bag. Ever since the duets were finished, Quinn had refused to even look at him, responding only with eye rolls at anything he said. Needless to say, he was pissed.

He walked out of the choir room just in time to collide with her. Of all people… and when I'm in this mood… He steadied himself in the doorway and turned on his arrogant act, not wanting to deal with any of her questions she no-doubtedly had for him.

She bent down to pick up her book that had fallen to the ground and stood up to find those hazel eyes piercing her yet again. "Oh… um… I… just needed to ask Mr. Schuester a question about the duets. Sorry." Why do I turn into a bumbling idiot every time he looks at me like that? She regained her composure and continued, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to proceed through the doorway that you are blocking."

"Move."

Her eyes widened. "Huh?" She couldn't believe his nerve!

"That's all you had to say, Berry. 'Move.' Instead you throw in all those words like you ate the dictionary." He watched the redness creep across her cheeks, which caused a smirk to form on his lips.

"Arghh… I can't believe I even thought that you and I… WE, could be friends. Now move!" She huffed past him quickly and headed towards Mr. Schuester.

He turned and watched her go, his eyes fixed on her skirt. Damn, those skirts should be illegal. What I would do if given the chance… He shook the thought from his head. Not her. God, what is up with me? Must be the fact that pool season is over… He turned and walked down the hall, laughing to himself. He loved the fact that he could still get under her skin. Not like he was trying too hard. She just made it easy for him. The fact that he rendered her speechless at all was just a bonus. The way she was at a loss for words was priceless, he thought to himself, though he couldn't ignore the feeling that rushed over him at that idea. Get a grip, Puckerman… "I gotta get laid," he said out loud, heading outside towards his truck.


Ridiculous. That's what it is. Well, I'm not going to let him get to me any longer. Noah Puckerman is… a Neanderthal, she thought to herself as she threw her bag down on her bed. "A hot one, though." She found herself staring wide-eyed at her bed after realizing what she had said. "Damn those eyes!"

Looking at her took her back to that day. She had to be honest. He looked good on her bed. But she couldn't put Finn out of her mind. Finn had Quinn though. Noah was there and available. And he had those eyes.

She had to admit, she had actually started enjoying his company. He was a much different person than he personified while in school. She could talk to him about anything. Though she was certain he didn't listen to everything she said, at least she knew he understood it. Unlike Finn, who would stare at her blankly until she used smaller words to explain things so that he could understand.

Ughh! Why am I even comparing them? Noah made it clear that I chose correctly in ending our pseudo-relationship. She laid back and closed her eyes. Soon he was in her room again. She could almost feel his lips on hers.

So say good bye, I'm defying gravity…She sat up quickly when she heard her phone, not sure what annoyed her more, reliving that day one more time or the fact that her phone interrupted the best part. "Arghh… Hello," she answered, not bothering to check who it was before answering.

"Rachel. Hey."

"Hi, Finn," she said, allowing a smile to form.

"So, Mr. Schue said we're gonna vote next week, on which duet to do at sectionals. I was wondering if you wanted to work on ours, ya know, so we win?"

"That's a great idea. I was thinking that maybe we could change a few of the steps and possibly work on the harmonies, so that we sound even better, since I think that is where our weakness is on this song. Not that it's bad because we sounded great, but we don't want there to be any question about who deserves it." Why on God's green earth was she rambling? One makes me speechless, and one makes me talk non-stop… "Arghh!" Crap, that was out loud!

"Uh, Rach?" Finn asked in the questioning tone. "Sounds good. Are you ok? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just remembered I left one of my music sheets at school," she added quickly. Nice cover-up Rachel. You might as well tell him you were comparing him with his best friend… "So, do you want to come over here? My dads are out for the night. Some banquet or something," she said trying to quiet all the voices in her head.

"Sure. I'm gonna get something to eat and then I'll be over. See ya in a bit."

"Bye, Finn." Good, this is just the distraction I need. Realizing that she admitted that she needed to be distracted from thinking about Noah Puckerman, she pulled her pillow over her head and let out an exasperated sigh.


He grabbed the remote from the table and turned on the TV. He flipped through a few channels and found an old Jim Carrey movie. "Better than nothing…"

Just then, his phone rang. Reaching over, he looked at the caller id before answering. "Hey baby."

"I'm not your baby," Quinn replied before continuing. "I am calling because I was wondering if you had time to work on our duet. Finn went over to the thing's house, so I'm free."

Always Finn. He's really starting to bug me. First Quinn and now Rachel…er, Berry. Damn it! I gotta get a hold of Santana later!

"Um, hello? Puck?"

"Yeah, that's fine. My mom's working late so I'm stuck home with my sister. You'll have to come here," he answered smiling at the thought of her being at his house.

"Fine. I'm leaving now." The phone went dead.

Glad I just took a shower, he thought, smiling, before returning to watching the movie.


"I'm sorry, Rach. I am trying. It's just that one step. Can we do it again? One more try and I'll have it, I swear!" Finn pleaded, grabbing a hold of her hand to move her back to the last position.

Just kiss me already,she wanted to scream at him. Instead, she followed his lead. "Remember, when you hear the guitar solo, that's when you turn."

They ran through the steps again, this time completing the song and routine perfectly. "Told you I could do it," he said stepping closer to her.

"It was great. With our new steps added in, our duet is going to win next week's vote. We'll get to showcase our talent in front of all those schools at sectionals." She threw her arms around him and felt a smile cross her lips when his arms wrapped around her waist.

They stood there in the embrace for a minute. She was the first to loosen her grip, but his arms remained clasped around her. She looked up into his eyes. Just do it, she was yelling in her head.

He brought his head down until she could feel his breath on her nose. She tilted her head back, raising her lips until they met his. This feels so right, she thought, feeling the tingles all the way to her fingertips. She brought her hand to the small of his back, pulling him closer to her, which he didn't resist. She felt his tongue part her lips and she sank deeper into the kiss. When his hand found the back of her neck and he started running his fingers through her hair, she pulled away slightly, letting his mouth trail kisses down to her neck. As he found the spot behind her ear, a small sigh escaped her lips. Together they began moving towards the bed.

She placed her hands on his chest, feeling his heart racing. "Rachel," he moaned as her hands slid down his stomach. One hand teased the hem of his shirt and the other rested on his belt buckle, and he put his chin on the top of her head while he tried to catch his breath.

When they heard the phone, they both jumped, stepping away from each other. He looked at her, and then moved for his phone. "Quinn," he answered.

She stood there smoothing out her skirt as he talked, trying to calm her racing pulse. Quinn. It's always her. Noah is right. What am I doing? Arghh! Him again! Rachel, you've got to stop this, she scolded herself. She turned to him when she heard her name.

"Um, so Quinn needs me to go get her some ice cream. So I'm, uh, gonna go…" he said hesitantly.

"Yeah, those cravings…" She tried to hide her disappointment.

He grabbed his coat and started putting it on. He stopped and looked at her. "Listen, Rach. About the kiss…"

"No, Finn. You don't have to apologize."

"But I do. I like you, I really do. But I've got to think about Quinn and our baby. We can't keep doing this…" he said, feeling really terrible about the whole thing. If only Quinn weren't pregnant, he thought, things would be different.

"You're right." She sat down on her bed. "I'll see you tomorrow Finn." She caught his eyes and added, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." She smiled when she saw him let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks. Later Rach." He waved and closed the door behind him, leaving Rachel staring at the spot he had been standing.

"They're never breaking up." His words echoed in her head, as she fell backwards onto her bed. Frustrated, she threw a pillow at the wall, not sure if it was because he was in her head again, or because of the truth of his words.


He had watched her walk out to her car from the window. To say that their practice had been disastrous was an understatement.

From the moment she arrived, she had been a bitch to him. It was a never-ending thing with her. He had tried to tell himself it was the hormones, but who was he kidding?

While rehearsing their song, she had warmed up a bit, but the minute he opened his mouth to speak, he regretted it. They had just finished the last note and they were left staring at each other. Her eyes looked so sad. "Quinn, what're we gonna do?"

He watched the anger flare in her eyes. "WE? WE are not going to do anything! YOU are not going to do anything! Finn and I are going to figure it all out," she spat at him, moving toward her coat and keys.

"Quinn, that's my kid too. I deserve to have a say." God damn Finn, always getting everything!

She turned to face him and paused, looking him right in the eyes. "I've told you, I will go to my grave swearing it's Finn's. You have done enough. Anyways, Finn would be a better dad than you ever would. You'll be free to chase your cougars and do your 'sexting.' Finn and I will do what's best for our baby."

He wanted so badly to ring her neck, but he knew that would only cause more problems. "OUR baby," he snapped back instead. "But, whatever. Go ahead; choose the guy who thinks you can get pregnant from a hot tub. Keep up your charade. You're gonna lose it all when your happy little fantasy world comes crashing down around you. Then you'll come running back to me. But it'll be too late. I'll be busy with my cougars and 'sexting.' I won't be here to pick up the pieces. Good luck with that." He turned and walked out of the room.

"Ughh," Quinn sighed. "You are an awful human being." She grabbed her phone and started dialing as she headed for the door.

The last thing he heard as the door shut was, "Finn. Hi." He got to his room and slammed the door. He moved towards the window.

"You just want it too much…" She didn't know just how right she was! Damn, her again!

He picked up his phone and dialed. "Santana, hey… You free tonight?" He had to get her, well both of them, out of his head. Finally…


They had just finished their duets. "Ok, guys. Here's a piece of paper," Mr. Schuester said while handing out a scrap to each member, along with a pencil. "Write down the pair you think will do the best in representing us at sectionals."

"Oh, that's easy. We killed it," Mercedes said.

"Not so fast. You cannot vote for yourself. After you write your vote down, put your slip in this," he added, holding out the hat again, and eliciting a groan from the room.

Ignoring them, Mr. Schuester walked around collecting the papers. When they were all in the hat, he walked over to the piano and dumped out the slips. Opening them all, he counted the results. "And the winner is… Rachel and Finn."

Upon hearing that, Rachel snuck a glance towards Finn and they locked eyes, him smiling at her. She gave a smile back, but turned away when she saw Quinn glaring at her while clutching Finn's arm. As she turned away, she saw Puck looking over at Quinn. Must not be going well for him, either… She took a deep breath.

Mr. Schue's voice got her attention. "Congratulations you two. We'll start working on including the group at Thursday's rehearsal."

"Thanks, Mr. Schue," Finn replied. Turning to Quinn, he said, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here," she answered, shooting a look at Rachel and making sure it was loud enough for Puck to hear.

Finn, Finn, Finn… God, he was really starting to hate the guy. He stood up and moved towards the door, overhearing her talking to Mr. Schue.

"Can I use the auditorium tonight? I'd like to start working on some choreography."

"Sure, Rachel. Just make sure you get someone to lock up. See you tomorrow," Mr. Schue said as he left the room.

When he got to his truck, he realized he had forgotten his guitar in the choir room. "Shit," he muttered turning back towards the school. He walked through the halls till he got to the room. As he picked up his guitar, he heard her voice coming from the auditorium. Wonder what she's singing now… He found himself heading toward her voice.

Standing in the shadow, he watched her on the stage. She looked so tiny. He listened to her sing, feeling mesmerized by her performance.

I keep taking
Taking you back
But I don't know why I do
You keep breaking
Breaking me down
So I'll find somebody new
Alright

He didn't recognize the song, but he could see the hurt in her eyes, even from a distance.

I don't want to feel I'm buried alive
And now your begging me to see you tonight
It's funny how easy you can mess me up
Now look how easy I got you
Outta my head, outta my head
Say goodbye
Somebody's gonna get you
Outta my head, outta my head
And tonight
I'm doing what I want to
You made the biggest mistake
And now I'm going to get you way
Outta my head, outta my head
Say goodbye
Somebody's gonna get you

He laughed to himself, watching the emotion pouring out of her. So he chose Quinn again. I told her so…

I kept taking
Taking the blame
And it tore me up inside
So defeated, losing myself
But you'll never make me cry again
Where were you when I didn't want things to end
And now your tasting all the pain I was in
Its funny how easy you can mess me up
Now look how easy I get you

He found himself taking a seat in the chair next to where he was standing, not taking his eyes off of her as she danced around the stage. She really can sing. Too bad she talks too much…,

Oh
Outta my face and thoughts forever
And maybe I'll sleep and breath much better
And finally I'm seeing everything clearer
So watch me now, Oh
Just watch me now
Outta my head, outta my head
Say good-

He had moved and his guitar slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground with a crash. She stopped singing and got wide-eyed. Crap, he thought.

"I…uh… didn't know anyone was here," she stammered, walking off the stage towards him. Stop stuttering! It's just Noah!

"Yeah, well I just came back to get this," he replied picking up the guitar from the floor. "I heard you and wondered what lame song you were singing now. Came to check it out so I could taunt you later," he smirked. Nice save, Puckerman…

She could see that he added that last part rather quickly, but decided to ignore it. Instead, she asked, "Things not going well with Quinn? I saw the way you looked at her again today."

"She was cut off by him. "They're fine. All well with your golden boy, Finn?" he said snidely.

"Yeah. This duet has been a wonderful thing," she lied. He sees right through me…

He laughed. "Okay, Berry. You might be able to lie to yourself, but that song you just sang? Gives you away." He turned to leave, but added, "Nice try."

She sighed as she watched him leave. Damn him! Then she chuckled to herself, as she realized that he had actually been listening to her sing. You're pretty see through yourself, Noah…"