Hi Everyone,

Sorry this took so long. We just closed on a new house and are trying to get everything fixed, painted and packed to move in. I have to send out a huge thank you to Beth, as always she is the best beta anyone could ask for and all of the readers benefit from her taking the time to help me as well. For all of you who have read, reviewed and added this story to your alerts and favorites, I am deeply humbled and totally excited! Thank you!

**** Chapter 2****

The hallway was filled with people scrambling about between morning classes, due to the fact that first period had just let out. Puck was still doing okay on his goal to be a better person; so far this morning he had yet to throw someone into a dumpster or terrorize a freshmen, but the day was still young.

"So, I see one hottie isn't enough for you, now you have Rachel Berry panting after you as well. Is she a screamer? I bet she lets out the best high note." The weird computer geek had suddenly popped into Puck's line of vision.

"Are you talking to me?" he demanded as he grabbed the shorter boy and threw him against the nearest locker.

"I am merely inquiring if Puckleberry is back on, with St. James away my readers want the latest information, and word is that one baby mama isn't enough for you. Of course, details are always appreciated and it's no secret that Rachel is on many spank bank lists."

"Listen, you little turd," Puck slammed him against the locker again. "One word about Quinn or Berry in that stupid blog of yours, and I castrate you and make you eat your own balls."

"You're just jealous that I have a pair of Rachel's panties and you don't. I guess the Puckerone isn't as irresistible as he thinks he is."

With one quick glance up and down the hall Puck pulled back his fist and gave the shorter boy an upper cut to the kidneys that knocked the wind out of him and left him in a heap on the floor. Fuck, one frigging hour and I've already punched someone; not that the fucker didn't need it. Why the hell does he have Berry's shit? Hell, she is waiting at my locker. But Christ her ass looks good in those jeans.

Out of years of practice, Puck put on his best smirk and swagger to keep the student body out of his way as he walked over to a fidgeting Rachel. He rested his shoulder on his locker and bent over to whisper in her ear, "You look hot in jeans; you know you can't resist me forever."

Rachel had turned her head to look at him and their lips were just millimeters apart. Time seemed to stand still and the noise around them fell to silence.

"Noah…" He could feel her breath on his lips, "I can't." She tore her head away, looking back at the floor.

"One day you will." With that he straightened up and opened his locker and threw the textbook he hadn't bothered to open in class into the pile at the bottom. "So why are you standing here looking like a toddler that has to pee?"

"I was wondering if your offer is still open."

"You know you have a standing invitation to tap this anytime." He gave her a suggestive onceover from head to toe and could hear her breath hitch as he watched her chest rise and fall in her tight white oxford. Shit, yeah Berry, I know exactly what I do to you.

"Noah Puckerman, that's completely disrespectful and not at all what I'm talking about." She glared up at him as she crossed her arms in front of herself not realizing the enhanced view she provided him.

"But you're not denying it, are you, sweetheart?" He just raised his eyebrow at her and laughed as she stomped her foot.

"Forget it, Puck." She started to walk away, and he reached out and grabbed her elbow.

"Don't go. I was just playing. Why were you waiting for me and what do you have in that death grip of yours?"

She turned back toward him, but didn't meet his eyes, just stared at some spot on the floor between her feet as she reached out her hand and opened her palm, face up. He could see her hand was red with dents from the edges of the square case she had been gripping like a lifeline. He gently took it from her and turned it over to read a subscription that read 'From Mother to Daughter.'

"It's the recording Jesse found while going though boxes of my childhood achievements. I wanted to inquire if you were available to listen to it with me, and if your offer in the park was sincere."Shit, feelings again… this is why I don't do feelings…

"Yeah, come on, lets go out to my truck." He sighed, handing the tape to her, and placing a hand at the small of her back to give her a nudge.

"Noah, we can't, I thought maybe you could meet me during lunch," she protested, while walking in the direction he was guiding her.

"Berry, you're going to burst if we wait that long, it won't kill you to skip a class. My truck is ten years old; I have a CD player and tape deck in it."

"But I'm not ready, not really." She continued to protest as she walked out the entrance with him and headed toward his F150.

"Bullshit, if you weren't ready you wouldn't have hauled your cookies from one end of the school to the other to wait by my locker with enough time to spare to watch me drop Jew-Fro." He stopped and opened the truck door for her and took her books as she climbed in.

"I saw you watching." He winked at her as he closed her door and walked around to the driver's side. I am the fucking man, getting Berry to skip, epic shit right here, and she was total in awe of the guns. Wait, that peeve has her….

"Which reminds me; why in the hell does Jacob Ben-Israel have a pair of your underwear?" He demanded as he turned the key in the ignition to start the stereo.

"It doesn't matter." Rachel answered as she passed the tape back to Puck with her hand visibly shaking.

"You wouldn't let me touch your boobs but you gave him your panties?" Puck cocked an eyebrow. "It matters. My rep is on the line here." He mocked scowled at her as he inserted the tape into the cassette player.

"I never wore them, I just gave them to him so he wouldn't write about Quinn in his blog." Rachel was staring at his hands as he pushed play. "I'm going to hyperventilate."

"Look at me" He had quickly pushed the pause button and had turned sideways in the truck to face her. "Breathe, calm down" I can't believe I'm about to say this, I am going to sound like a pussy. "Do you want to hold my hand?" he asked, and reached out the hand that had been resting on the back of the bench seat.

He could see the relief in her eyes as she latched onto his hand between them and reached forward to hit the play button. Static could be heard just before a voice started speaking.

"Hi baby, it's your mom, Shelby Corcoran. I think this pretty much says it all."

For the next three minutes the lyrics of "I Dreamed a Dream" enveloped Rachel and Puck. A beautiful voice rose and fell, creating an aching since of lose and regret, of hope and dreams and wanting unfilled.

"What do you think she meant by that?" Rachel's voice had been small and when Puck looked over, there were tears running down her face. Oh, hell, she just had to cry. He pulled her into his arms and let her weep into his favorite t-shirt. After a few minutes she pulled herself together and back away from him.

"Thank you, I'm sorry I cried all over you." She wiped the last tears from her face and dried her hands on her jeans. "I'm not sure what to do now. I think, I may know who she is but…" I am a fucking glutton for punishment, probably won't even get any action out of this either. What the fuck is my problem? He grabbed the stick shift and threw the truck into reverse.

"Noah, where are you taking me? I have Greek mythology to attend." Her brows knit together and Puck could see her revving up for a lecture. Only Berry takes fucking Greek Myth.

"I'm taking you home." He put the truck in drive and started of towards the exit gates.

"Noah, we can't leave. Why are we going to my house anyway?"

"Because your Internet is faster than mine, and I don't think you want to look up personal shit in the library."

"Oh."

"Oh? The always eloquent Rachel Berry just says oh?"

"Eloquent?"

"Just because I think school is a waste doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"Why do we need the Internet? I don't feel like posting a MySpace video currently, although music is very soothing."

Puck let up a deep breath and run his hand down his face, struggling not to roll his eyes or strangle her.

"Because, Berry, with stealth you can find anyone on the Internet. I figured since you have a name, we would start there."

"What do you know about the finding people online?" Rachel asked as they pulled into her driveway.

Puck waited until they were at her front door, "Berry, how many times do I have to tell you I'm a badass, part of the rep is knowing how to find crap to blackmail people with-you know, espionage and shit." Spying is always fucking awesome, how else would I know about Figgins and that hilarious commercial?

"Noah, are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked, as she led him to her room. Still looks the same from when we dated, right down to the glitter message taped to her elliptical.

He reached out a hand to stop her as she bent to turn on her laptop. "Rachel, I'm not going to force you to do something you're not ready for. You know her name, do you really want all your questions answered? Sometimes the answers aren't what we want."

"Did you ask why your dad left?" He let go of her shoulder and walked over to look out the window.

"Yes." He felt her walk up behind him and place a hand in the middle of his back.

"And you didn't get the answers you wanted."

"He's a deadbeat, Rach, he didn't have any real reason other than being a father was too much work." He took a deep breath and turned to face her. "But this isn't about me, it's about you. Are you sure you want to find her?"

He watched her lick her lips and bite down on the bottom one before she squared her shoulders and turned back to the computer. "Yes, will you help me?" Her huge brown eyes looked up him almost begging Puck to help her.

"Yeah. Here, let me. Goggle is always a good first stop after that we can look up stuff like credit scores, job history and crap if you want." He quickly typed in "Shelby Corcoran" and milliseconds later, pages of information appeared. The first of many articles began:

'Shelby Corcoran, acclaimed director of Vocal Adrenaline…"