Authors Note: Holy shit guys. I really did not expect the response! THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'm really glad that you're liking this. Please R&R and tell me what you loved/hated, how your feel about the chapters/characters and what you think is gonna happen next. I like a little challenge. I know my tenses can get a little erratic at times. I'm working on it! I'm not really sure how I feel about writing from 3rd person's POV too, so a major overhaul might be in the near future. What do you think?

Also, HOLY FREAKING GLEE SPOILERS. I don't know how I feel D:

Puck bustled around the tiny room slightly more composed than he was back then. As he served his last drink of the hour he took a seat at the end of the bar and surveyed the place. Full house – correction - filled beyond capacity. Couples were leaning towards each other in hushed whispers with their drinks in hand while leaned up against whatever little space they could get, frat buddies meeting up in office wear were laughing over the nostalgia of a memory of old school days with jugs of beer on the table. His head throbbed slightly and he put his head into his hands finally savouring the moment of repose as he took a moment to catch his breath and recount what had happened earlier.

Despite the tired worn lines that had formed at the corner of her eyes seemingly melded into her skin and the pallor that had since taken over the effervescent glow she had back then, he could have sworn she had gotten more beautiful. Her big brown eyes were wide, her jaw was slack and her shoulders were moving up and down rhythmically, as though she had as much of a problem catching her breath as he did.

His chest hurt and it felt as if his heart was filling with an overwhelming, piercing emotion like Pandora's box waiting to spill over everything he'd been keeping inside for 10 long years.

"Berry?" he whispered.

The space between them felt thick and everything felt, sounded and even tasted muffled, muted, like he had been thrust into a higher altitude or plunged into water on a deep-sea dive, but really it was just the deluge of emotions he had buried for too long.

"Lowell."

"Sorry?"

"It's Lowell now. Rachel Lowell."

That was one thing that wasn't in the papers. God, the others were going to flip when they found out he'd been poring over the papers scoring every section for something about her again. The day Mike and Matt walked into the bar at lunchtime looking for a free meal only to find him on her Wikipedia page, they had sat him down and proceeded to give even the hardest drinker a run for his money. The boys stumbled back to Wall Street hours later unable to tell 10 from 2 and "Stacks" was left almost completely out of commission.

He gritted his teeth.

"Did you come here just to tell me that." You're such a fool Puckerman.

"No. I..." she began. "Why did you come, Rachel?" he swallowed, hard.

"I don't know."

He stared at her, weird shooting pangs in his chest, like a rubber band on an elasticity test.

"Maybe I shouldn't have," Rachel said turning to leave. Unbeknownst to him, he reached out and grabbing her wrist, pulled her back.

She looked up bewildered with tears welling up in her eyes as the words tumbled out from Puck's mouth.

"No, don't go. Stay. Please. Just a while." Tears were now rolling down her face, like a broken pearl necklace flowing freely. Before he could stop himself he gently swiped a wayward tear with his thumb as she nodded.

He could have sworn it was as if his heart that had earlier swelled up to vast proportions, like a balloon stretched beyond its capacity had finally burst from the pressure. Noah Puckerman was not sure he had a heart anymore.

So here he was hours later with a semblance of his heart back, apparently it wasn't gone just smashed to smithereens. His eyes wandered to where she was sat perched on a high chair at a tall cocktail table. Her glass of red wine barely touched. Dressed in a white long-sleeved lace mini-dress with a hem that flirted dangerously with the top of her thigh and killer black suede pumps, she really was quite a sight. He smiled. Some things just haven't changed. Only Rachel Berry would wear such a tiny piece of cloth in this weather. Oh wait, Rachel Lowell.

He sighed.

God, she's so beautiful. Her hair - now short, teased her collarbone, it had always been his favourite feature.

Almost like a sign, the clock behind the bar struck. 9pm. Showtime.

Taking toward the stage, he took a deep breath and picked up his guitar and stood silently near the edge of the stage, just behind the microphone as the crowd hushed as if he had given a cue to do so. The lights in the room dimmed except for the spotlight on him that got considerably brighter.

Stepping toward the microphone, he felt his lips graze the perforated weave of metal. He closed his eyes as his hand moved to caress the delicate neck of the Gibson, a gift from her 11 years ago.

The notes came even before he realised he had started playing. He loved these moments, when he was his music and his music was he. The lyrics came out in the same instance, uncontrolled, unhesitant. Real.

"Lightning strike
inside my chest to keep me up at night
Dream of ways
to make you understand my pain"

It was as if the lump in his throat that had been persistently forming then ebbing had finally started to completely disappear.

"Clouds of sulfur in the air
Bombs are falling everywhere
It's heartbreak warfare

Once you want it to begin
No one really ever wins
In heartbreak warfare

If you want more love why don't you say so
If you want more love why don't you say so

Drop his name
Push it in and twist the knife again
Watch my face
As I pretend to feel no pain"

The pangs were back harder, more purposeful, hard painful pounding on his chest.

"Clouds of sulfur in the air
Bombs are falling everywhere
It's heartbreak warfare

Once you want it to begin
No one really ever wins
In heartbreak warfare

If you want more love Why don't you say so
If you want more love Why don't you say so
Just say so

How come the only way to know how high you get me
Is to see how far I fall
God only knows how much I'd love you if you'd let me
But I can't break free at all

It's heart, heartbreak

I don't care if we don't sleep at all tonight
Let's just just fix this whole thing now
I swear to God we're going to get it right
If you put your weapon down

Red wine and ambien
you're talking shit again.
It's heartbreak warfare

Good to know it's all a game
Disappointment has a name:
it's heartbreak warfare"

He hadn't even realized he had had his eyes closed for the entire song. When they finally opened they instantly found hers and though the whole room were in a rambunctiously ruckus, clapping and screaming in approval, he heard nothing but the sound of his blood rushing through his veins and the sound of his heart beating, like a bass drum in his ears.

He lost her once, he wasn't going to again.

Song: Heartbreak Warfare by John Mayer. If you haven't heard it, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY MISSING OUT. His new album's going to be killer.