Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

Mark Salling, why must you be so adorable?

"Noah, it's late." Rachel complained glancing at the clock to see it was almost ten o'clock. They had just gotten done with their date.

"It'll just take a second. I'll be right back. Stay here." Puck pulled into the gas station parking lot and hopped out.

Rachel looked around quickly. It was dark but she could see several men standing at the other end of the parking lot. Puck was almost to the door when Rachel jumped out of the truck and ran towards him. She finally caught up with him as he was looking through some aisles.

"I thought I told you to stay in the truck." He looked down at her when she grabbed his arm.

"I was scared." She mumbled quietly.

"Rachel Berry was scared?" Puck laughed.

"Noah." Rachel hissed swatting at his chest. "Can we just get what you need and go?"

"Okay." He chuckled.

"Oh sorry." A guy mumbled as he walked by and bumped into Rachel.

"It's okay." She smiled at him.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" Puck asked the guy.

"I-I said I was sorry." The guy stuttered.

"Noah." Rachel put her hand on his chest. "It was an accident. Let's get what you wanted."

Puck gave the guy another hard look before letting Rachel drag him down the aisle.

"You don't have to go all caveman on everyone." Rachel told him but he didn't have time to reply before a woman screaming made them freeze.

"Get down." Someone else yelled. "Get the fuck down on the ground."

Puck pushed Rachel behind him as everyone in the gas station was ushered into the back corner. The same guy that had run into Rachel was swinging a gun around wildly.

"Noah." Rachel whispered.

"Get down!" The guy screamed again and everyone did as he said.

Rachel sank down again the wall and Puck positioned himself in front of her but it was awkward because she still held tightly onto his arm.

"Everyone just stay there." The guy looked nervous. "Damn it!"

"You can have whatever you want. I'll open the safe for you." The cashier was saying. "Just don't hurt anybody."

"Shut up!" He aimed the gun at her. "Everyone needs to shut up or I will start splattering brains everywhere.

Mike pulled into the gas station parking lot to see several cop cars outside of it.

"What's going on?" Tina asked seeing the cop cars and even a swat team truck.

"I have no idea." Mike got out and walked up to his dad who was the police chief of Lima. After a few minutes he walked back to Tina who was waiting outside of his jeep. "A guy's got a gun. He's got a few people inside."

"Oh my God." Tina said and Mike thought she was gasping about what he said but when she pointed across the parking lot he paled. Puck's truck was parked on the other side of the parking lot.

"Puck must be inside." Mike said out loud.

"Mike, Rachel had a date with Puck tonight." Tina told him. "Do you think she's inside too?"

"I don't know." Mike shook his head. "Dad says they don't know who alls inside yet, but the guy's been in there for almost an hour. They tried negotiating with him but he just kept saying something about wanting a helicopter."

"Son of a bitch." The guy ran his hands through his hair. "This wasn't supposed to happen like this." The guy was pacing around.

"Why don't you just let us go? You didn't hurt anyone. You won't get in trouble." Someone suggested.

"Be quiet." The guy shook his head. "You!" he pointed the gun at Rachel and motioned for her to get up. "Come here."

"No." Puck shook his head. "She's not going anywhere near you."

"She can either come with me willingly or she can watch as I blow your brains out." The guy told Puck.

"Then shoot me." Puck stood up bringing Rachel with him because she was still gripping onto his arm. "Because that is the only way you're going to get to her."

"Noah." Rachel begged. "Don't be a hero."

"Come here." The guy told Rachel again and when she went to step towards him Puck gripped her waist.

"No." Puck said again.

"Don't be a damn hero." Rachel's voice got louder as the tears spilled out of her eyes.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere with him." Puck said pushing her back behind him.

"Get over here." The guy lunged for Rachel.

"No!" Rachel screamed when his hand wrapped around her wrist.

"Get away from her!" Puck pushed the guy back.

The guy raised the gun on Puck. "Not so bad now, huh?" The guy asked Puck.

"If want someone you can have me." Puck offered. "If you take her out there in front of you she ain't gonna cover you much. She's too small. I'm bigger than you. They won't be able to shoot you with hitting me."

"Noah, please." Rachel sobbed digging her nails into his arm.

"It's okay Rach." He assured her kissing her hard on the lips. "I'll be fine."

"Let's go." The guy motioned for Puck to walk with him.

Puck untangled himself from Rachel and carefully sat her back on the floor in the corner. "I'll be okay." He kissed her cheek and stepped towards the guy.

"What do you think is going on in there?" Tina hugged herself against Mike.

"I don't know." He watched the door as two shadows neared the door. "I think someone's coming out."

Tina strained to see clearly through the tears in her eyes. "It's Puck." She said loudly.

As they got close to the door Puck saw this was the only chance he was going to get. He swiftly turned bringing his palm up and hitting the guy in the nose. He heard it crack knowing he had broken it and thanked God for fight club. The guy howled stumbling back and not thinking he dropped the gun.

"What happened?" Tina asked when she saw the swat team running forward. After a few seconds they came out with the guy in handcuffs and bleeding. As the people ran out of the gas station, Puck and Rachel were in the back.

Rachel clung to Noah's arm for dear life as she tried to stop crying. Her dads were there because Tina had called them. They ran forward to hug their daughter but when they realized she wasn't going to let go of Puck they pulled him into the hug as well.

"What happened?" David, her dad, asked.

Rachel shook her head. She couldn't form the words to explain what happened so instead she let go of Noah's arm to cling to his neck. "Oh Noah." She cried into his chest.

"It's okay." He whispered hugging her back.

"Are you guys alright?" Mike asked.

"We're fine." Puck nodded. "I should never have stopped here in the first place."

"It's not your fault." Rachel finally separated from Noah and sniffled wiping her nose.

"We should get you home." Logan, her other dad, said.

"I don't want to leave Noah." Rachel shook her head grasping his hand.

"Rach, look at me." Puck said. "You'll be fine. It's late. You need to go home and get some sleep. You have school in the morning."

Rachel shook her head again as she swallowed back the tears. "I can't."

"I'll only be a few blocks away." Puck smiled wiping her tears away. "You'll be okay. I promise."

"Okay." Rachel gave in. "But I want you to drive me home."

Puck looked up at her dads and they nodded. "Come on."

When Puck pulled into Rachel's driveway he looked over at her. She was still shaking.

"Wait." Rachel said when he went to get out to walk her to her door. "I need to tell you something."

"Okay." He shifted to turn towards her.

"After I tell you I don't want you to say anything, okay? You have to promise me, Noah." Rachel pleaded.

"I promise." He was starting to get a little worried. Was she going to break up with him? Were they really even dating? They had gone out on a few dates, they held hands at school, and she even called him her boyfriend. Puck wasn't an expert on relationships but he figured that those were the type of things people do when they date. He snapped himself out of his mental babble focusing back on what Rachel was saying.

"…and I know we haven't been dating for very long but—" Rachel was saying.

"Shit, you are breaking up with me aren't you Berry?" He groaned.

"No. I'm not breaking up with you Noah." She took his hand and kissed his cheek. "I was trying to say that I… love you." Rachel studied the look on his face trying to read his expression. "I love you, Noah."

"Rach." Puck wasn't sure what to say.

"You promised you wouldn't say anything. You don't have to say anything. I know you can't say it back because you won't mean it. If you need time I can give you time." Rachel nodded. "I wanted to tell you because after what happened tonight, I don't want you to go home and not know how I feel. You probably think I'm crazy – or crazier – for telling you that I love you when we've only been dating for a few weeks but I do love you." Rachel scooted back in her seat. "I'll see you at school tomorrow Noah."

"She what?" Mike asked.

"She told me that she loved me." Puck sat the weights down.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. She told me not to say anything. Something about how I wouldn't mean it and she said I needed time." Puck shrugged.

"So how do you feel?"

"I don't know. I mean, I think I might love her eventually."

"Eventually?" Mike chuckled.

"Soon." Puck corrected. "I'm getting there."

"That's good." Mike smiled.

"What's good?" Tina walked into the weight room.

"Puck thinks he lo—" Mike started to tell her but when Puck punched his arm he stopped. "Nothing."

"Secrets?" Tina turned to Puck. "I don't like secrets."

"It has nothing to do with you, Cohen." Puck shrugged.

"Let's go Mike." Tina said. "You know I'll get it out of you eventually."

When Tina said 'eventually' Mike burst into laughter. Puck shot him a hard look and Tina rolled her eyes ignoring it as she pulled her boyfriend with her. Puck sighed but then stiffened when he heard someone behind him. He turned to find Finn looking at him.

"I guess there's no chance you didn't hear that?" Puck asked and Finn shook his head.

Rachel was sitting in the cafeteria with Quinn and Sam when she heard someone yelling from the doors.

"Fight!" Jacob yelled. "Puckerman and Hudson are fighting!"

Rachel rushed over to where Jacob was. Puck and Finn were in the middle of the hallway arguing outside of the weight room.

"You're just using her!" Finn yelled pushing Puck.

"I'm not the one that lied to her." Puck pushed Finn back.

"Why do you always have to do this?" Finn was getting mad. "You always have to have what I have. Why can't you get your own girls? You're always stealing mine."

"You need to back off, Hudson. You're pissing me off."

"Do you like my sloppy seconds?" Finn asked.

Puck swung out and punched Finn making him stumble back against the lockers.

"Noah!" Rachel screamed. Puck was too distracted by Rachel to see Finn tackle him onto the ground.

"She loves me!" Finn punched Puck before Mike and Sam could separate them.

Rachel ran over and stood between them. "Stop this! This is ridiculous. You're both acting like complete Neanderthals."

"Rach." Puck started to apologize but she stopped him.

"Oh God, Noah, you're bleeding." She winced looking at the bruise that was starting to appear on his eye.

"I'm okay Rach." Puck smiled when he realized she wasn't mad at him.

"Come on." Rachel grabbed his hand and pulled him into the closest boys' bathroom.

She went a few paper towels and dabbed at the blood.

"Do you remember the last time we were in here?" Puck asked.

"How could I forget?" Rachel chuckled.

"A lot has happened this past year." He noted.

"Noah." Rachel asked and he looked up at her. "Why are you being weird?"

"I'm not."

"If I knew you were going to react this way I would never have told you that I love you." Rachel sighed.

"No. I'm glad you told me." Noah pulled her into his lap. "I care about you Rach. And I will say it back… soon. I promise. I just can't say it without knowing that I really mean it."

"I understand." Rachel kissed his cheek and suddenly a thought occurred to her. "Why were you fighting with Finn?"

"It was nothing." Puck shrugged it off.

"Noah." Rachel warned.

"He got mad after he found out that we're going out." Puck told her. "He started yelling at me in the locker room and when I walked out he just kept going on and on. I didn't want to hit him Rach, I really didn't but he just got to me, you know."

Rachel stood up from Puck's lap and sighed. "What was he yelling about?"

"You." Puck said quietly.

"What?" Rachel couldn't help but laugh. "You were fighting about me. That is the stupidest reason I have ever heard."

Suddenly the door of the bathroom swung open and Mike poked his head in. "Figgins' is looking for you."

"Shit." Puck whispered standing up. "I'll see you later babe. Hopefully." He sauntered off.

"What?" Rachel asked Mike when she saw the look on his face.

"Nothing." Mike gave Rachel a knowing smile as she left the bathroom.

Rachel was waiting outside by Noah's truck when he finally walked out of the school. He didn't look happy.

"What'd Figgins say?" Rachel asked when he leaned up against his truck next to her.

"I was already on probation so I'm surprised I wasn't expelled." Puck told her.

"You didn't get expelled?" Rachel sighed in relief.

"Naw. Mr. Schue convinced him that it wouldn't do anybody any good to kick me out. Instead, I got suspended for a week." Puck shrugged.

"What about Finn?"

"Same." Puck's jaw tightened at Finn's name. "Come on. I'll drive you home."