Noah Puckerman threw his duffle bag into the back of Finn's 2008 red Ford Mustang then proceeded to get into the passenger seat. This wasn't the start he thought he'd have to commence his weekend but once Finn told him what was happening, he didn't need any further convincing. A certain Biff McIntosh had a beating coming to him and he would be the one to administer it.

"All set," Finn said as he buckled into the driver's seat.

"Your mom was okay with it?"

"Not really, she's worried we'll get in over our heads. Burt certainly wasn't happy either – he even offered to come with but I told him it wasn't necessary."

Puck buckled his seatbelt too then turned to look out the window. The spring sky was slowly giving way to the summer brightness. "Quinn is going to hate us," he said.

"Dude, that's a small price to pay if we are able to get this douche away from her. She deserves better. And I can't believe she's letting him do that to her. If you or I would have even tried to do something like that to her she would have had our balls."

"Yeah," Puck said. "But we wouldn't do that because we're not assholes. Let's just go. We've got a long trip ahead of us."

With a nod, Finn started the engine and grinned as it roared to life then settled into a purr. That was one good thing about having free access to a garage – his car was always in pristine working order. He stepped on the gas and drove away from his house and toward the highway.

Puck was right. It would be a long trip. The drive from Lima to New Haven was about ten hours straight but of course they would have to stop to eat. Sleeping wouldn't be an issue as they could trade off if Finn got too tired. Rachel had asked them to stop in New York for a quick visit but Puck really didn't want to make any unnecessary stops. He wanted to get to Quinn as soon as possible and really put the fear of God into this Biff character.

When Finn had told him the news Puck had gotten that familiar glint in his eyes, the same glint he had when anyone harassed or harmed his friends. Finn had known Puck basically all their lives. They met in the third grade when Puck had transferred into Finn's school. They became friends almost immediately when they saw that they were interested in the same things … sports, girls, and breaking the rules, although Puck proved to be more of a badass than Finn ever had.

"Come on dude," Puck's voice broke Finn from his daydream. "If you're going to drive like a grandpa let me take over. We need to get there fast."

"Calm down," Finn said. He knew he could go faster and he wanted to but he and Burt had recently stripped and repainted his car and really, he was still in the treating her like a baby mode. "The important thing is that we get there in one piece."

Puck huffed and looked out the window again.

"She'll be okay, dude," Finn said quietly.

Puck remained silent. "I'm worried about her."

"Quinn is one of the strongest people we know," Finn tried to soothe. "She'll be okay. And when we get there we'll talk sense in to her."

"You can talk all you want but the only talking I'll be doing is with my fists on Biff's face."

"Dude, do you really want to go to jail again?"

"No, Finn I don't but if it's between that or letting Biff have his way with Quinn then I'll gladly get locked up."

Finn turned onto Interstate 80, eastward and sped up. "We just need to be careful is all I'm saying. I really don't want my best friend to get locked up. I need you, dude. I mean, who's going to keep me on the right track in college?"

Puck looked at Finn in silence.

"What?" Finn asked.

"Since when do you need a loser like me to keep you from doing something stupid? It's the other way around and always has been."

"Puck, I know you probably killed a lot of brain cells last night at that kegger but do you think I'd be anywhere if it weren't for you? You're my wingman, dude."

"Well as your wingman," Puck said, "I say it's time to see how fast this badass can go. Pedal to the metal, Hudson."

A couple hours later Finn was still driving and Puck, well … Puck was sleeping. Finn side glanced and watched as his best friend lay as curled up as possible within the passenger seat. His head leaned awkwardly on the window and his chest rose and fell slightly as he snored away. What Finn had told him was right. He really wouldn't be where he was today if it weren't for his friend. They had been a dynamic duo for so long that Finn couldn't even fathom going through life without him. Throughout their school days whenever Finn's mouth would get him into trouble – which was often because he had always had this awful habit of speaking before thinking – Puck was the one who would bail him out either by talking the person down or by defending him with his fists. When Finn inevitably would get his heart broken, it was Puck who was there to calm him down as he cried then piece him back together telling him that he was worth more than what any girl could give. When Finn became anxious about not being good enough, not being talented enough, not knowing what future he had it was Puck who reminded him that he was a leader – and a damn good one at that. Of course they had their arguments and problems – baby-gate being a huge one - but Finn knew that when it came right down to it, there was no one in his life, aside from his mother, who was more vital to his well-being than Noah Puckerman – not Burt, not Kurt, not even Rachel. Finn knew that if there was no other way, Puck would die for him. And he would do the same for Puck.

Finn spotted at small diner off the highway and pulled in. It was time they got some lunch and really he had to use the bathroom. He parked then shook Puck awake, "Dude, wake up. It's lunch time."

Puck groaned. "It's always lunch time for you, dude."

"I'm a growing boy, now come on," he thumped his fist on Puck's shoulder and got out of the car.

The diner was a greasy spoon – maybe even a dripping with oil spoon but the boys didn't care. They ordered the biggest burgers on the menu with sides of fries and gravy and dug in.

"I'm surprised you're eating that," Puck said around a mouthful of meat and cheese.

"I know but if we are going to get all up in Biff's face I'm going to need my strength. My diet is on hiatus right now."

"I'm proud of you dude. What Rachel did to you was not cool and if she was a dude I'd punch her out for it. But you didn't let it get you down. You made yourself better. You lost the weight and got into college."

"Let's not talk about Rachel please," Finn said as he shoved four fries into his mouth.

"Why? Because you still love her?"

"Of course. I always will but I'm trying to move on."

"The Puckerman's best advice for moving on from a chick is to…"

"Find another chick," Finn finished for him and nodded his head. "Yes I know. But that's not gonna happen."

"Why, are you gay or something?"

Finn laughed. He didn't take it as an insult and he knew that Puck didn't mean it that way. They had plenty of gay friends along with his brother. "What if I am?"

Puck looked up with cheeks full of food. He chewed and swallowed then took a sip of his diet coke. "Then I'd be completely insulted."

"Why because I haven't banged you," Finn said mirthfully.

"Exactly."

"Since when are you gay?" Finn leaned it with a smirk.

"I'm not. I'm just saying."

"Uh-huh."

"You know the Puckster is into chicks, dude."

"I also know that the Puckster," Finn said mockingly, "has been known to be full of shit."

"Don't make me beat your ass."

"Oh, I think you'd enjoy that a lot," Finn said without being able to contain his laughter any more.

They both laughed and then finished their meal in surprisingly comfortable silence before topping up the gas tank and heading back on the road.

Puck had been driving for a while. After lunch Finn had thrown him the keys and proceeded to hop into the back and lay across the seat to nap. As the green rolling hills of Pennsylvania passed steadily by, Puck watched his best friend through the acutely angled rear-view mirror. Finn slept like a log but Puck though he was a beautiful log. Puck had always thought so. And no one in Puck's life had been able to keep him anchored … able to keep him on the right track … as Finn Hudson had. He had a quiet presence about him – a natural leader that Puck had always been happy to follow. Finn made him want to be something. He inspired him to be more than what had been drawn out for his miserable life – with a dad who abandoned him and a mother who was never around because she had to work two jobs to put food on the table. Puck was stubborn and a work in progress but he thought he had done pretty well considering he was a Lima loser. Maybe everyone though he was a Lima loser … but Finn never did. No one had ever shown him compassion and given him the benefit of the doubt like Finn had – sure he had others in his life now – his brother, although that was fairly recent, Coach Beiste, and even Quinn but Finn – he was someone special. He was Puck's person.

Finn woke up as they were leaving Clearfield, Pennsylvania. "How long have I been out," he murmured.

"Just a couple of hours."

"Is that all? I'm starving."

Puck rolled his eyes because Finn was ridiculous, adorable but ridiculous – although Puck would never admit to the sentiment if asked. "I'm not stopping again until we get to New York."

"New York?" Finn sat up in the back seat with an incredulous look on his face. "Seriously dude, that's like four hours away or something. I'm starving and I need to pee."

"You are really needy, Finn," Puck said teasingly. "Are you absolutely sure you're not gay?"

"I'm going to tell Kurt you associate being gay with being needy," Finn said.

Puck laughed out loud. "I'm not scared of Kurt, Finn. Besides, he loves me."

"Yeah well that makes one of us," Finn huffed.

Puck grinned because he knew that wasn't true. He also knew Winburne was about an hour ahead and they had one of the best Pancake houses he'd ever eaten at. Finn would love it.