Author's Note: AU (sort of) from 'Mash-Up'.

Thank you, from the bottom of my shipper heart, for all the reviews and alerts and support. You're amazing and I love you.

Disclaimer: Not mine. It belongs to RIB and Fox.

Never Gonna Be Alone

Three: With a Little Help From My Friends

Noah

With Finn gone, Rachel weeping in his arms and Quinn sobbing openly as she leans against the lockers, the silence that fell over the crowd that was watching them raptly just now is broken. Buzzing surrounds them, snippets of comments made in gossipy tones coming to their ears as the mass of teenagers look at them, some with pity, some with glee, most with malice. Suddenly Santana's voice is heard, loud, demanding and clear in the rustling hall, and she orders aloud, "What are you guys watching? Fucking show is over! Get the fuck away!" She tells the crowd, glaring at the susceptible freshmen who look scared at her then scurry off. Brittany, meanwhile, has rushed to Quinn's side, wrapping her arms around the pregnant blonde and rubbing the latter's back, the two blondes sinking to the floor, Quinn clutching desperately at a completely lost Brittany.

Santana nods at Brittany and then turns to him and Rachel, both still snuggled together, Rachel's face, sticky with her tears, pressed against the curve of his neck, his arms still holding her tightly. He and Santana exchange a glance and he nods gratefully at her, not needing words to know she has his back. They were together for so long, before his cougars and her need for financial stability tore them apart; plus, he and Satan are basically the same person, only, you know, she's a hot Latina and he a BAMF.

Brittany and Santana pull Quinn up and, pressing her in between them, take their former head Cheerio away for the day. Santana barks at the staring crowd to fuck off before she cuts them, and the bite in her tone is enough to send everyone scurrying on their way. Left alone, he gently pushes Rachel up and stands up himself, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her away to the bleachers, the only quiet place at this time.

As they go outside, Rachel hiccups every now and then, sniffling on occasion. The crisp October air licks at her arms and he feels her shudder against his body; concerned, he stops walking and then takes his letterman jacket off, wrapping it around her smaller, slimmer frame. The coat practically swallows her whole, but as he zips it close and helps her bunch the sleeves so they won't fall over her hands, he can't help but think she looks fucking hot with it. He smiles softly as she snuggles into the jacket and smiles a little wetly at him. "Thanks, Noah", she whispers, standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips.

"You're welcome, babe", he mumbles against her mouth, letting go of her quickly to take her up the bleachers. He decides to sit on one of the top bleachers, Rachel sitting on his knees, one of her arms wrapped around his neck as his come to curl around her waist. She takes his face on her free hand, lifting it up so she can examine the damage caused by Finn's fists. He can feel a bruise blooming in his left eye, and, since the corner of his mouth is stinging and he had tasted blood a little earlier, he knows he has a busted lip too. Eyes brimming with tears again, she leans a little and presses a sweet little kiss to his injuries, whispering apologies against his skin. He can feel her tears against his cheek, and his eyes burn.

"Don't be stupid, babe", he huffs out, gruffly. "It's not your fault. Q and I are paying for our fucking – literally – mistake". His eyes soften as he cups her face on his hands, feeling her smooth skin under his calloused fingers. "How are you?" He asks her seriously, and she shrugs.

"Don't worry with me, Noah", she chides him quietly. "I'm fine, just a little unsettled because I never imagined Finn capable of such violence", she explains to him quietly, eyes faraway as she looks out at the empty field. His insides clench a little with jealousy, but he ignores it firmly. Rachel has made repeatedly clear that he is the one she wants, not his (now former) boy.

"Hey", he puts a hand on her cheek and gently forces her to look at him, pressing a kiss to her lips (he winces just a little when the contact of their lips causes pain to zing through him because of his busted lip), "it'll be okay. Finn just needs to cool his jets. We hit rock bottom, now we can only get better", he repeats to her something he remembers his mother telling him (and herself) on the days immediately after his deadbeat dad fled on them. With a sigh, he feels Rachel press a kiss to his palm and nod softly against his hand.

"Okay", she whispers quietly.

Rachel

The rest of the day goes as smoothly as possible. Thankfully, it isn't a day of rehearsal for Glee, so as soon as the school lets out, she and Noah are allowed to leave that hellish building. She has no idea how he handles the whispers and the stares and the gossip – as a Broadway star in training, she knows she has to get used to it, but for now she can't. The weight of the silences that her entrance at her classes would entail had been extremely difficult to handle, but it was the looks, some pitiful, most mocking, that had her sometimes shivering with anger. People are judging her for her support of Noah during this trying time, but what was she expected to do? Turn her back on her love, because of a mistake he made before they were even together?

Her thoughts are interrupted by the quiet sound of sobbing that projects out of the auditorium. Rachel frowns, finding it weird that someone (other than her, Mercedes and Kurt, that is) would hide at the auditorium to cry away their issues. Readjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder (and firing away a quick text to warn Noah she's going to be just a little late), she quietly pushes the door to the auditorium open.

The spotlights are off, only the average lights on and thus it makes harder for Rachel to recognize the female sobbing her eyes out on the front row of the auditorium. Narrowing her chocolate brown pools, Rachel silently sneaks up to the occupied seat, a suspicion rising in her mind as she recognizes the waving blonde hair spilling down an outfit that Rachel imagines would fit perfectly in a Mad Men set. "Quinn?" She calls out, cautiously, lamenting when she sees the blonde's posture stiffen in response to her voice.

"Go away", Quinn mumbles, lifting her hands to her eyes and hastily wiping away the remains of her tears.

"Oh, Quinn", Rachel breathes as she hurries up to the seat Quinn has taken, putting a light hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I'm so sorry everything had to come out in the open this way", she says quietly, squeezing the former Cheerio's shoulder comfortingly. "Are you-" She trails off before making a question whose answer is obviously in front of her – Quinn is as far as possible from being fine – and says instead, "Do you need anything?" Her voice is quiet and her hand never leaves Quinn's shoulder as the brunette sits down by her side.

Quinn, at first stiff with Rachel's proximity – and unaware of what her former rival would say since the two of them are currently alone in the auditorium – relaxes as time passes and Rachel simply sits down by her side, squeezing her shoulder every now and then. The two girls allow silence to settle back on them, and Quinn is the first to break it, mumbling, "I don't think you know how to go back in time, do you?"

Rachel lets out a sigh, and Quinn chances a look at her face, seeing a small sad smile curving the brunette's lips. "Unfortunately, no, Quinn, I don't. God knows I wish I knew, if only to prevent you and Noah to have the horrid discussion to led to our current predicament", the female lead of New Directions says honestly, making Quinn frown.

"That's all you'd wish erased?" She asks, disbelievingly. "I thought you'd be one of those who wished my night with Puck never happened".

Rachel shrugs delicately, taking her hand off Quinn's shoulder. "You got pregnant for a reason, Quinn. We don't know why this child is supposed to be born to teenage parents, but fate has something great in store for her". Rachel speaks with such care that it causes Quinn to tear up again. The sight of Quinn's emotion causes Rachel to tear up a little, herself, and she carries on, "Do I wish you hadn't gotten pregnant? I admit sixteen isn't an appropriate age to welcome a child into the world, and the circumstances of your daughter's conception aren't the best, but she's a living human being. To wish to have that lapse of judgment erased would mean to erase a person who hasn't had the chance yet to live. If anything, you owe your child that".

Quinn starts crying again, and Rachel wraps an arm around her shoulders, rubbing her fingers in a comforting way. She can feel the wetness of Quinn's tears soaking Noah's jacket (he refused to take it back when they came back in from their moment at the bleachers, earlier that day), but she doesn't care. "Why don't Noah and I take you home?" Rachel offers quietly, but Quinn shakes her head negatively.

"No... I don't want to go home", the blonde whispers in response, her voice rough with tears. "My parents... They don't know yet, but I doubt they're oblivious to it now. They know a handful of people whose children go here, and my cell phone has been blowing up with calls from my father, my mother and even my sister". The girl Rachel once considered her greatest rival shoots her a pleading glance. "Can we go somewhere else? Please?"

A little hesitantly, Rachel nods. "Noah and I are going to my house, but we need to stop by at his to pick his sister up. Mrs. Puckerman has the night shift at the hospital tonight and it starts in-" the brunette quickly checks her phone, sighing as she sees two missed calls from her boyfriend, "-an hour and a half. My dad, Leroy, left today for a seminar in Chicago, and my daddy, Hiram, went with him, so I'll be alone at the house for five days. If you feel like it, you can crash there...?" She offers, uncertainly.

"Sure!" Quinn says, obviously eager to stay as far away from home as possible. Silence stretches between the two girls before Quinn's brow furrows. "Berry, no offense, but you're vibrating".

"Oh!" Rachel squeaks out, pulling her cell phone out of her skirt's pocket. She rolls her eyes with a fond smile. "It's Noah. Excuse me, Quinn". She takes the call when the blonde nods, briskly walking away from where she and Quinn have taken seat. "Noah?"

"Babe!" His voice is frantic. "Where the fuck are you? We have to go pick up the brat, remember, Ma has to work tonight!"

"Relax, Noah, I know. We still have more than an hour, don't we?"

"Yeah, we do", Noah sounds a little more relaxed and Rachel smiles. "You can't vanish like that, Rach", he warns her, and she chuckles, nodding even though she knows he can't see her. "But remember we have to pick the brat up before going to Casa Berry, and the little twerp always takes a long ass time packing, so we better hurry up".

"Noah! Don't call your sister names!" She says warningly, eyes wandering up to where Quinn is sitting, wiping under her eyes and checking her reflection on a small hand mirror. "Hum, Noah..." She sounds a little hesitant and she picks up the moment he notices it and tenses in response. "We'll have an extra guest to our sleepover at my house".

"An extra guest?" He parrots, obviously intrigued.

She bites her lower lip, walking a little further away from where Quinn is. Her voice takes a hissing quality and she works it so the pregnant blonde won't be able to pick it up from her seat. "I ran into Quinn. She was crying in the auditorium, Noah. And she doesn't want to go home. I know you two have been having a hard time trying to connect since she realized she was pregnant, so I invited her to come over. I thought that maybe her joining us would help improve your relationship. I mean, you two are having a daughter together, and you need to decide what you're going to do about that little girl".

A long silence stretches over them, and, when Noah speaks, his voice is wary. "Are you certain, Rachel? Normal Quinn is a whiny little bitch. I can't imagine how a high-on-baby-hormones Quinn is going to act like".

"Yes, I am, Noah", she replies with a certainty she's far from feeling. However, she knows Noah hates the feeling of uncertainty that he carries around concerning his situation with Quinn and the baby. He wants to do what's right by that child. He wants to be a father to the little girl growing inside Quinn's stomach. For that to happen, he needs to sort things out with Quinn.

Quinn doesn't want the baby. They do, and if bringing Quinn along for their sleepover is the way to make sure that happens, then, by Barbra, she's going to make it happen.

"Okay", he replies, quietly, relief palpable in his voice. "Thanks, babe".

"You're welcome, Noah". They quickly set up a meeting – he'll be waiting for her and Quinn on the parking lot, the engine running so it won't take long before they drive to the Puckerman residence to pick Nina up – and she hangs up, a smile on her face as she goes back to Quinn, who looks perfect, pristine and beautiful – if not for the slight, red puffiness on her eyes, no one would know she was crying just before – and picks her bag up. "So? You ready? We have to stop at Noah's house to pick his sister up before driving to my place, but that usually doesn't take long. Despite Noah's claims that she takes a lifetime to pack, Nina has gotten pretty used to our routine so she has a bag packed when it's sleepover nights".

Quinn seems a little lost – it's the first time she's on the receiving end of one of her rants, so Rachel cuts her a little slack – but then she looks curiously at the brunette. "You know Puck's family?"

Rachel chuckles. "Since I was pretty much in diapers. The Jewish community in Lima is small, and we're a very tight group. Of course, even in a very close-knit group there are those who exclude people who are different, and Anne Puckerman being an unmarried mother and my parents being a same-sex couple meant our families always gravitated towards each other, which means Noah and I know each other from the get-go. We 've lost each other for a little while after his dad left the family, but now... Now we've found our way back". She knows she looks a little foolish, spilling her heart to the girl who up to yesterday would do anything to tear her apart, but she can't find in herself to care. She loves Noah Puckerman. She wants the world to know it.

Noah

He has no idea how a quiet night with his girl and his sister becomes an animated sleepover with his girl, his sister, his baby mama, his former fuck buddy and... Brittany. All he knows is that Quinn and Rachel joined him on the parking lot and, on the journey between the school and his house, Quinn and Rachel have put a full-blown sleepover together. Five minutes after he parks in front of the Berry house, Santana and Brittany arrive, Cheerio bags on their shoulders and looking almost normal outside their cheerleading outfits. After a quick contemplation, Rachel decides they're all crashing on the den where the Berry men have their home theater, and so he's sent upstairs to the attic to bring down the air mattresses. He finds three of them and carries them back to the living room; Nina's crashing on the couch, where she has already set up camp, cuddled underneath one of Rachel's quilts. Brittany and Santana are going to share one of the mattresses; he and Rachel, the second one; Quinn gets the third one all for herself.

The five girls decide to braid each other's hair while they watch Nina's movie pick, Disney's The Lion King. As expected, when the songs start Rachel sings along and he, Santana, Brittany and Quinn harmonize with her (it's a given considering they're all in glee club and used to provide back up vocals to her). Nina, lucky brat, looks all starry-eyed at them, clapping cheerfully when the songs end. When they're all with similar braids on their hair, Brittany takes a seat next to Nina on the couch, and Rachel calls up for food on the Chinese place her family orders from.

He knows Quinn's watching him with his sister, since it's the first time she sees them together. He doesn't hide his family from his school mates, but since Nina's so young, she doesn't hang out much with him when he's with other teens. He knows this is his chance to prove to her he can raise a kid right, so when the movie's over (Nina, Brittany and Quinn all have teared up when Mufasa died), he tells Nina to break out her homework and do it. She grumbles a little, but Santana suggests they all work on their school assignments before they start a new movie. The food arrives and Rachel passes plates around and they eat while he and Rachel work at their own homework and take turns helping Nina with hers. He can feel Quinn's eyes on him, and it's making him nervous. He knows Rachel can tell, because every now and then she reaches out and squeezes whatever part of him her hand manages to find. It's comforting, her touch, but he can't help but think it's not going to end well for him.

Once they're done with the food, he tells Nina to go upstairs with Rachel to change into her PJs and brush her teeth. Quinn, Brittany and Santana decide to tag along, so he decides to work on pumping the mattresses full of air and get everything ready for them to sleep. He can hear the muffled voices of the girls on the bathroom, Rachel's gentle voice as she talks to Nina, the same tone Santana uses when addressing Brittany. He can hear Quinn as she sneaks out to the hall to call her parents, and tell them she's crashing at Santana's. Once he's done with the mattresses (he had to move the coffee table so all the mattresses fit), he picks up the dirty dishes and takes them to the kitchen. He plops down on the mattress close to the couch and, shortly afterwards, the girls all file in.

Quinn takes the mattress further away from the couch; she explains it's best for her to be closer to the nearest bathroom since she still has bouts of morning sickness. She cuddles with the pillow, one of Rachel's pajamas stretching over the blob she calls a baby bump. Brittany and Santana lie down together on the middle one, their pinkies linked as they share a pillow. Nina curls up on the couch, all tucked in underneath a sea of blankets.

He and Rachel lie together on the final air mattress, her head against his shoulder, his arm draped over her body and her leg curled around his hip. It's hard for him to stop his natural reaction to Rachel's proximity – his first, natural instinct is to pull her closer and start making out with her, but Santana clears her throat loudly and Brittany giggles; Nina whispers, "Ew, gross", and he can almost see Quinn rolling her eyes, so he presses his forehead against Rachel's, closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and chastely kisses her lips.

"Let's watch the movie, shall we?"

Santana has picked White Chicks, her favorite, and it's the first time Rachel's watching it, so she's making a handful of questions and sitting up so she can pay attention to the plot – he's the Puckerone, after all, and his girl can't keep her hands off him more than he can keep his off her. Brittany makes an off comment about how she and Chang have learnt the choreography of the nightclub scene, and Rachel looks all wide-eyed and shocked at the blonde airhead. Santana's smiling smugly and Quinn's looking at them with a soft, slightly surprised look on her face.

He can understand the feeling. When he first started dating Rachel, he couldn't believe this was his life either: nights in with his girlfriend and his sister, watching movies and ordering takeout and doing homework. He struggled for days with his growing feelings for Rachel and his need to be topdog at school. Until one night, when he walked in the Berry living room, dirty, sore and tired like hell from a football practice, and saw Rachel sitting on the floor next to Nina, helping her with her homework, a plate of Thai food sitting on the table across from them, waiting for him. He could see this happening every day of his life; he wanted it to happen. He stopped fighting his growing love for Rachel, and instead embraced it. The next day he told Rachel he loved her. The day after that, he told Rachel about the baby.

Quinn will get used with this new world. He's sure of it. He cuddles with Rachel, presses a kiss to her forehead and sinks into her warmth to pay attention to the movie.