Rescue Me Chapter 2, a glee fanfic

Disclaimer: No claim to ownership of Glee, the characters, the recognisable scenes, Daughtry or their song, Start of Something Good.

A/N: Thank you to Chloe, Quickgirl75, misguided ghost 777 and guest. I really appreciate that you're taking the time to read my work and I'm feeling a lot closer to returning to my other current pieces.

Well, duh! Why did she think his brain was a roach motel? Nothing to do with her smooth, silky, soft arm reaching over his shoulder, pointing at the atlas on the desk. Nothing to do with her delicate, unique perfume invading his nostrils. Nothing to do with the fact that the only other times he'd been in this room with her they'd spent all of that time on the bed behind him. And she thought he could concentrate on geography? Get real.

Puck stood up abruptly, sighing. He heard himself telling Quinn not to worry, he'd manage without her efforts, she'd still get her Brownie patch.

"I'm not doing this for a patch," Quinn replied, quickly as he walked toward the door. "I'm here because I love you." she revealed almost breathlessly.

Puck's step faltered. He slowly turned to face the girl he'd been in love with for over three years. He studied her face, looked into her eyes, wanting desperately to believe her. Puck sat down heavily on her bed and apologised for how he'd behaved throughout their time at school together, he apologised for a lot of stuff but most of all he apologised for ever hurting her. He still didn't want to tie her to him, have her feel she had to help him, he didn't want her pity.

Quinn's encouraging words, extolling all that he had achieved whether good deeds or idiotic stunts during all the time they'd known each other, wormed their way into his brain, chasing out the roaches. Quinn leant towards him, her voice soft, gentle, her lips aiming for his. Puck knew he had to give her another chance to escape, he turned his head.

"I'm not worth it," he murmured, praying she would tell him that he was. "Save it for all those Yale dudes," even though it would break his heart if she did.

"There's no one who deserves this more," Quinn's whisper was so quiet that he almost missed it as her hand cupped his cheek, bringing his lips to hers.

Puck, ever the sex shark, couldn't help his slightly cheesy reply. "I guess it'd be rude to refuse," he murmured as their lips met for the first time since he'd told Quinn of his brief, idiotic fling with Shelby Corcoran. Their kiss went on and on. Kiss merged into kiss, touch merged into touch and so much more…

Puck walked with purpose, with intent down the hall towards his geography class, his test re-sit, his last chance. The expression on his face pure 'Puckzilla', confidence at an all time high. His thoughts almost readable. "Yep, I am the dude. I got the knowledge, I got the power, I got the girl." Puck entered the class and sat down, pencil at the ready. Bring it on.

"I know this is almost the last Glee class of the year," Puck said as he entered the choir room after his geography test, "but do you think there's time for me to sing one more song? Please?"

"You found time to get a song ready as well as studying for your geography test?" Finn asked, his eyes wide with amazement.

"I've had this one ready for a while," Puck admitted. "I just had to wait for the right time to sing it," he said with a smile towards Quinn. "I really hope this is the time. Here goes, " he said as he picked up his guitar and spoke quietly to the band. Puck took the centre of the room once more.

"You never know when you're gonna meet someone
And your whole wide world in a moment comes undone
You're just walking around and suddenly
Everything that you thought that you knew about love is gone
You find out it's all been wrong

And all my scars don't seem to matter anymore
Cause they led me here to you

I know that its gonna take some time
I've got to admit that the thought has crossed my mind
This might end up like it should
And I'm gonna say what I need to say
And hope to God that it don't scare you away
Don't wanna be misunderstood
But I'm starting to believe that this could be the start of something good

Everyone knows life has its ups and downs
One day you're on top of the world and one day you're the clown
Well I've been both enough to know
That you don't wanna get in the way when its working out
The way that it is right now

You see my heart I wear it on my sleeve
Cause I just can't hide it anymore

I know that it's gonna take some time
I've got to admit that the thought has crossed my mind
This might end up like it should
And I'm gonna say what I need to say
And hope to God that it don't scare you away
Don't wanna be misunderstood
But I'm starting to believe that this could be the start

Cause I don't know where it's going
There's a part of me that loves not knowing
Just don't let it end before we begin

You never know when you're gonna meet someone
And your whole wide world in a moment comes undone

Puck's eyes landed on the one person everyone in the room knew he was singing to. He caught her shy, hidden half smile. Quinn looked up through her lashes, her breath catching in her throat as she bit her lip. She stood and walked over to him as he stood waiting, swallowing hard.

"You know what, Puckerman?" Quinn whispered as she threw her arms round his neck. "You got this," she said just before she drew his lips to hers. Around them they could both hear the rest of the Glee club cheering and clapping as Puck's arms circled her waist. Even they had been waiting months for this day to finally come.

After practicing the final song of the year ready for graduation all of them walked together to wait for the results of Puck's geography re-sit. Puck paced nervously in the hallway outside the classroom, in danger of hyperventilating. What if he hadn't done it? What if Quinn's special brand of tutoring hadn't unleashed the answers that were stored away in his brain? What if….the door to the classroom opened, slowly. Rachel was the first there to pounce on the teacher. Puck pushed her aside and snatched his test paper. He took a few steps away from everyone and held the paper to his chest, too afraid to look. This would be it. Make or break. Graduate high school or be a Lima Loser forever. He took a deep breath and slowly brought the paper up to see. He wanted to make his eyes open but they wouldn't obey. Deep breath. Just do it. Then he looked. And he couldn't believe what he saw. Oh. My. God. A B-. B-! He'd never got a B- before in his life. Ever!

Puck's face lit up as he spun back to face all of his friends. He held the paper above his head triumphantly. "B-," he said excitedly. "That's a Puckerman A+. I'm graduating," he cried.

Quinn was the first to congratulate him. "I'm so proud of you," she murmured into his ear as they hugged tightly just before they were engulfed in a huge group hug.

"Do you think you might want to take a room mate to New Haven?" Puck asked Quinn very quietly as the rest of the team dispersed. "I know your mom rented you an apartment, I saw the papers on your desk the other night," he admitted.

"What do you mean on my desk?" Quinn laughed. "They were in the drawer," she said with a smile.

"Well, I might have taken a quick look through your drawers when you fell asleep after," he shrugged instead of finishing what he was going to say, aware that a few of their friends were still in earshot.

"You were checking out my drawers, Puckerman?" Quinn grinned with an eyebrow raised high.

"Always," Puck replied, not even trying to hide his smile.

"That's ok," Quinn told him softly, "and I'd love to have a room mate. Are you sure though? I thought you were heading to LA?"

"Why would I want to go to LA when my girl is at the other end of the country?" Puck asked, his arms drawing Quinn close. Just as his head bent towards hers, lips almost touching he drew back sharply. "It is only one bedroom, right?" he asked. Quinn swatted his shoulder and laughed before pulling him back for a long, long kiss. This could be the start of something really, really good, and they both knew it.