Sanctuary

Summary: What happens when Rachel's sanctuary becomes her personal purgatory?

Rating: M for content and language

Story note: Jews have a ritual bath called a Mitveh that I have included in the story without really explaining. The Wikipedia site gives great information and for Christians this is the ritual that baptism is based on. .org/wiki/Mikveh

Personal Note: I have a wonderful beta Beth who has helped me a great deal with this chapter! Sorry it took so long to post. I will be fixing the earlier chapters as well.

******Chapter 7**********************************************************

I can't believe Tanaka is making us do these stupid drills again.

Dinner last night with Rachel's dads didn't go as bad as I thought it would. Still don't know what the fuck to call them, maybe Kurt knows. He's such a diva, he even runs like a girl, but hell, he's still the best kicker we have. "All the Single Ladies"….NO, NO, NO I will NOT get that gay ass song stuck in my head!

Another 500 yard sprint! Is this guy on crack? What the hell, neat freak still won't let him near her, so he takes it out on us? Puck gave Tanaka a death glare as he passed him on the track.

I wonder if she slept last night. I mean, she has to crash sooner or later right? It's kind of cool that she trusts me and shit. Too bad Quinn doesn't trust me with my own kid. How am I going to not be like my douchebag dad is when Quinn won't let me near my kid? What if one day the kid thinks I didn't want her, so she must be a Lima Loser? NO kid of mine will be a Lima Loser. Puck pushed himself harder with anger and sprinted the last 250 yards faster than he had all practice.

What did Berry say she had to do today? Oh yeah, her dads were dragging her to go talk to a shrink or some crap like that. Puck was doubled over, hands on his knees, and he gulped in air. He could feel his leg muscles twitching in exertion. Damn I hope we're done, I think I'm going to fall over. Not good for the badass rep.

"You're a bunch of slackers!" Tanaka called out, "I want 200 push-ups and sit-ups, NOW!"

Puck looked up enough to see Finn behind Tanaka flipping him the bird. Fucking hilarious, Finn flipping the bird, Puck smirked and raised an eyebrow towards Finn before flopping down onto the ground to start his sit-ups.

What am I going to tell Finn, should I tell him anything? I mean, if Quinn keeps the baby I'll have to tell him. I can't make my bro take care of my kid, but if Quinn gives her away, then Finn will just hate us both and we will all lose each other and our little girl.

Puck rolled over to start doing push-ups, his body protesting the whole time.

I can't believe Mr. Shue's wife is preggo. There is one seriously messed up chick. Who the hell gives freaks drugs? Hell, at least the drama guy makes you pay for it. Bit by a shark, fuck, Puckerman that was brilliant. Brilliant, now I'm starting to sound like her, not good…"

"All right, everybody hit the showers!" About time, Tanaka. Puck dropped to the ground, every

"Hey, Kurt! Wait up," Puck yelled over as the rest of the team slowly moved off the field.

"Yes, Puck? You know I need to wash this grime off before it clogs my pores," Kurt replied, one hand on his hip and the other circling around his face.

"Whatever, look, I need your help," Puck said, struggling to look sincere and not roll his eyes.

"What could you possible need from me? Granted, I love makeovers, they're like crack to me, but you've got that hot stud thing going for you..." Kurt eyed Puck from top to bottom and back up again.

"Don't test me, Hummel," Puck snarled. "It's about Berry."

"Wellll, why didn't you say so?" Kurt huffed in his normal (if high-pitched) voice as he dropped the diva act. "What do you need?"

"I have an idea, but I am going to need the Gleek squad's help. Can you call Artie, Mercedes and Tina?" Puck asked. "I don't have their numbers. Have them meet at my house after sundown." He tried to keep his irritation in check, hating that he had to ask for help.

"Sundown?" Kurt asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Hello, Jewish. My mom makes an exception for practice, but she gets all hormonal about the Sabbath after that. It's just easier to humor her," Puck told Kurt with a laugh.

"Fine, I have to help my dad at his garage anyway. How does 8:00 o'clock sound?" Kurt asked with his hand back on his hip as swished his bangs to the side.

"Cool, I'll get the rest of the group to meet then." Puck nodded his head and started back to the locker room.

It was several hours later and Puck could admit, if only to himself, that he had been a wreck all day. Rachel had texted him after her appointment that her dads were taking her to her aunt's house because they felt she could use a woman's touch. Puck hadn't heard from Rachel in hours, and for some reason it was starting to piss him off.

Puck stared at his cell phone. It's sundown, Berry, come on; text or call or something. Oh for fuck's sake, I'm acting like a freaking girl here. He threw the phone onto his bed. I have no reason to worry; she is with her dads. Shit, I keep hearing her voice in my head: "I don't understand how I can feel so safe and protected when you hold me, but it freaks me out when my own dads try to hug me. I mean, my brain knows they would never hurt me but… I don't know... it gets all screwed up somewhere…" STOP, she will be all right, she WILL be all right! Puck stood in the middle of his room with his hands fisted at his ears.

"Sweet Caroline…" Puck dove for the bed and grabbed the phone. About time, Berry, Puck thought as he flipped it open. "Hi, Berry," he replied in what he hoped sounded like a casual voice, like he hadn't been waiting for her to call all day.

"Uh hi, how did you know it was me?" Puck scowled, he could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

"My phone plays "Sweet Caroline" when you call, uh… like it plays the Monday night football tag when Finn calls," Puck told her, feeling like a fool.

"What does it play when Santana calls?" Rachel asked innocently.

"Gold Digger," was Puck's deadpan answer.

"And Kurt?" Puck could hear Rachel starting to smile in her voice.

"All the Single Ladies," Puck replied, and could hear Rachel give a small laugh, as he flopped back onto his back and looked up at his ceiling.

"Do you have a different ring for everyone?"

"Almost, why does it make me less of a badass?" Puck teased her.

"No, but it makes you kind of nuts," Rachel teased him back.

"So, are you feeling better today?" Puck asked, true concern tingeing voice as his body tensed waiting for her answer.

"Yes.. no… both, I guess. Going to talk to someone helped, but I don't know when or if it will get easier, or better or whatever," Rachel replied with a sigh.

"How was visiting your aunt, did she help any?" Puck asked, trying to relax again.

"Yeah, it did a little, I mean, I love my dads but there is some stuff that they just don't understand. I was… well, I wanted to ask…would you come over tomorrow?" Rachel's voice hesitated over the request.

"Sure, Hannah is going to spend the day with her friend. Krystie's family is going to pick her up after they're done at church, so I could probably be there about 11:00." Puck informed her.

"Great, my dads are making dinner, so I better go," Rachel mumbled.

"You have eaten today, right? Please tell me you that you changed your clothes, too." Puck attempted to mask his concern with laughter.

"Yes, Mom, I have eaten." Rachel sniped back.

"Berry," Puck demanded in a surly tone of his own, "You have showered and changed right, because even you would be rank after three days. I spend enough time with guys in a locker room that I know girls should NOT smell that way."

"Noah, I have showered, thank you very much! I even went to Mitveh at my Aunt's temple," she replied with heat in her voice, but continued softly, "even if I don't feel clean."

"Rachel," Puck tried to reassure her, "You are not dirty; you did nothing to be ashamed of." In this instant Puck wished he could reach through the phone and hug her.

"I wish I believed you," Rachel said sadly, and hung up before Puck could respond.

"Damn it!" Puck growled to the room in general, just before he heard the knock on the door.

Within twenty minutes everyone had arrived and were sitting around the Puckerman's now crowed living room. People were talking back and forth and finding places to sit.

"I call this meeting of the Gleek Squad to order," Kurt's voice rang out though the room as he stood next to the side chair that Mercedes was sitting in having appointed himself head Gleek with Rachel missing.

"I am not a Gleek, Beyonce," Puck snarled for effect from the doorframe he was leaning on.

"So Puck, why are we all here?" Santana asked, her snotty tone ringing out from her place on the floor next to Brittany.

"I have a plan, but I need everyone's help," Puck informed the group, running a hand along his Mohawk.

"A plan for what?" Brittany asked as several people in the room rolled their eyes at her.

"Rachel has decided to come to school Monday, and I want to keep her protected but I need all of your help," Puck admitted.

"Well, you're going to need more than just Matt, Finn and I to beat everyone up at school," Mike joked, trying to break the tension in the room. Puck being protective and concerned was just too far out of the group's comfort zone.

"Step off, boy, I can do my fair share of damage, just ask Kurt," Mercedes winked up at her friend.

"Yeah, I'm still paying my dad back for the windshield you busted," Kurt huffed.

Puck laughed with the rest of the group at the disgusted look Kurt was gracing Mercedes with. "While the idea of beating the crap out of people sounds like the badass thing to do, it isn't what I had in mind."

"Well, then what is your plan?" Quinn asked from were Finn had an arm around her shoulder on the couch. The group had silently, without any real thought, started to take care of Quinn, making sure she had the most comfortable seat and clear path to the nearest restroom if needed. When did they all start taking care of her without even realizing what they're doing?

"I know Kurt, Tina and Mercedes usually meet Rachel in the morning, what I was kind of hoping that we could make it a point of never leaving her by herself, without making it noticeable to the rest of the school," Puck told the group.

"I was hoping we could figure out her schedule and make sure a couple of us are with her between classes and at lunch. Artie, I thought if you and Brittany walked with her between second and third period that maybe you could steer her toward the wall and block the other students with your chair. Brittany, you could keep talking so she didn't realize what was happening. That kind of thing," Puck continued his explanation.

"Maybe we should make sure there is at least one girl with us if we walk Berry somewhere." Matt added. "I mean Mike and I both tower over her, I wouldn't want to freak her out if it was just the two of us with her."

"Maybe you guys shouldn't wear your jackets either?" Tina asked the group hesitantly from her place on the floor where she was leaning back onto Artie's legs.

"Wow, I hadn't even thought of that!" Finn exclaimed. "Did Brad have his on?" Finn asked, turning toward Puck.

"I will not EVER talk about the details of the event. PERIOD. It was bad, the worst thing I have ever heard and I will never repeat what she told us at the hospital," Puck ground out, and the group was on edge again, waiting for him to explode. His jaw was clinched, both hands were fisted and the cords of every muscle in his body were all outlined.

"Hey, it's alright." Quinn said gently, as she got up and moved to stand in front of Puck and run her hands up and down his arms.

"Sorry, dude, I didn't mean to upset you," Finn apologized.

"I puked." Puck told the group quietly.

"What are you talking about?" Artie asked.

Puck was looking at the floor when he began to talk as Quinn continued to rub his arms. "I found her … you know… oh, god, the shape she was in. She didn't talk for hours." Puck looked up at the group and asked, "I mean, has any of us not heard that girl talk nonstop? Then when she was finally talking and told the cops her story, she asked me to stay. I'm an ass but how could I say no." He stared down at his sneakers again, "After, I practically ran out of the room and puked in the nearest trash can I could find."

The group sat in silence with the ticking of the clock on the wall thundering though the room. Finally, Finn stood up and moved over to Puck, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You did the right thing, and it's awful what happened. You may never forget, but you took care of her when she needed someone the most. You're a good guy, Puck."

"That's it people, group hug." Kurt called out as he dragged Mercedes and then Santana and Brittany over to where Quinn, Puck and Finn were already standing. Tina wheeled Artie over and the rest of the group joined into what quickly dissolved into a group tickling war. Soon everyone was laughing and smiling at each other.

"Hey guys I have an idea." Artie called out over the pile of wiggling, giggling people around him. "Tina drove my dad's van over and we were going to play Rock Band over at her house. All the stuff is in the back if we want to play here instead."

"That's awesome dude, I can totally beat you on the guitar," Mike boasted to Artie.

"Dream on, Other Asian Kid." Artie threw his challenge down.

"Yeah, will I can kick all your butts on drums," Finn started to boast.

"Whatever, baby daddy, I could take you any day." Puck turned toward Brittany and smirked at the looks of shock on everyone's faces. "What, only the guys are allowed to talk smack?"

Who would have thought that is messed-up group of freaks would become my best friends? Puck thought with a smile as he and the guys went to get everything out of Artie's van. The only way this could be better was if Rachel was here, too.