Seven Swans a Swimming

It rained for three days just before Christmas the first year after Finn died and then the temperature dropped twenty degrees and barely moved above freezing for a full week. And yet, Puck still agreed to do the stupid Polar Plunge when Rachel showed up at his door with a bright smile and a donation form.

"You're the first person who actually agreed," she said excitedly when he handed over the signed commitment form. He already regretted, though maybe a little less when he saw the please smile on her pretty face. "I promised the committee that I would get seven people. I'd do it myself, but I can't risk muscle damage with the show coming up."

Puck started to wish her luck and shut the door behind her so that he could go back to the warm confines of his bedroom. And then she pushed out her bottom lip in the cutest little pout and he found himself agreeing to help her recruit six other guys. "Thanks, Noah!" she chirped, leaning up to kiss him chastely on the cheek. His skin tingled a little beneath her gentle touch. "And if you look in the bottom of that basket I gave your mom earlier, I believe you'll find a loaf of that challah you like so much and some of my best sugar cookies. I even used real eggs just for you."

Later, after he had gone through all the cookies and most of the bread, he headed over to McKinley to catch up with his brother. Jake and Ryder were messing around in the gym, just shooting around on the court, and it reminded him so much of himself and Finn a few years ago. He missed his best friend all the time but it was especially hard when he saw two guys just hanging out. It felt a little fruity if he was honest with himself, but he'd never have another best friend like Finn.

"What are you guys doing on Christmas morning?"

"I don't know, probably the usual," Jake shrugged before lobbing the ball for an easy free throw. "We usually go see a movie and get Chinese. You guys want to hang out again this year?"

Puck looked at his brother. "What? No, that's not what I was asking," he said impatiently. "Look, Berry showed up at my house this morning and she tricked me into doing this stupid charity thing where you jump into the lake or something. You're doing it; you too, Lynn."

Ryder frowned up at Puck. "But we always have pancakes on Christmas morning."

"Well, unless you want me to kick your ass for disappointing Berry, you'll have your dad keep them warm in the microwave," he threatened menacingly. He only half meant it. Puck just didn't want to let Rachel down. She'd been through enough. "Now sign the stupid form so I can get four other fools to agree to this."

Once he had pocketed the paper, Puck headed straight across town to the Hummel household. Carole's entire face lit up when she opened the door. "Noah!" she greeted him cheerfully. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't have the heart to jump right into it, so he told a tiny little white lie that he knew would make her happy. "Just wanted to come by to see my favorite Mom," he said affectionately, using the nickname he'd always used for her. Finn had always called Puck's mother Ma. "Are you guys almost ready for Christmas?"

She led him into the living room, and he tried not to think about how wrong it felt to see Finn's stocking missing from the oak mantle. He could still see some of the familiar ornaments on the big tree in the corner, some of which he and Finn had made in grade school back when the Lima Public School District didn't seem to care that he was Jewish. His favorite had always been a candy cane they'd made out of twisted red and white pipe cleaners.

"Yes, I'm excited to have Kurt and Burt home," she smiled happily. "I thought that one or the other would be stuck out of town, but they both managed to get back here in time. Kurt just got in last night, in fact."

"I'll have to say hello before I leave," he grinned, mentally already preparing how he'd convince the prissy man to risk his porcelain skin in the frigid temperatures. "I'm still going to come over for Christmas dinner, right? You know I look forward to that ham all year long."

Carole reached out and patted his hand. He'd always spent it with them. "Of course, honey," she agreed affectionately. "Rachel is going to come too. It'll be nice to have you kids here."

Puck spent several minutes catching up with Carole before excusing himself to the basement. He could hear the terrible pop music as soon as he was halfway down the stairs. Blaine's familiar voice echoed off the walls. "God, don't you ever stop?" Puck mumbled, scratching at the back of his neck in false irritation. "What's up?"

Kurt looked at him with wide eyes. They hadn't really talked much since the whole letterman jacket thing happened earlier in the year. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to see Mom," he answered carelessly. He didn't owe Kurt any explanations. "And to make sure that you two were on board to do this charity thing Berry's organizing."

"She already talked to me, and I had to refuse," Kurt told him hotly. "I can't risk frostbite."

Blaine seemed less bothered by the risk. "I've done the Polar Plunge before. It's actually kind of fun," he proclaimed as he took one of the sign-up forms from Puck. He read quickly over the specifics before grabbing a fancy silver pen from Kurt's vanity. "Anything for Rachel."

Puck moved his gaze back to Kurt. "Beyonce?"

"Stop calling me that; you know my name," he huffed. "I guess I could consider it…"

"Look, dude, I'd usually go to Finn for this stuff, but you know," he murmured. He knew it was a little weak to play the guilt card, but it was actually sort of true. "I don't know, dude, I think he'd like it if we did it together. We were his bros, you know?"

"My name is Kurt," he retorted, although a little less harshly this time. "But Finn would like it."

Puck knew that he had him on the line, something that was confirmed a few minutes later when Kurt signed his big, loopy signature on the dotted line with a flourish. "Thanks, Kurt," Puck said pointedly, actually meaning it. He was mostly grateful that he only had to track down two more suckers. "Berry will get you all the details. I'm sure she has some form email she's just waiting to send."

He didn't have to wait too much longer to land his next target as Sam came bounding down the stairs then. "Blaine, dude, why didn't you tell me you were back in town?" he asked his best friend excitedly. Both Kurt and Puck had to wonder a little which one was of the homosexual persuasion as they watched the lanky blonde jump up and down before throwing himself at the shorter brunette. They both squealed like little girls. "I can't believe you're here!"

Sam had stayed in town to go to OSU – Lima with Puck. The two of them were going to share an apartment next semester now that Puck had officially decided that the Air Force maybe wasn't for him. He wanted to be a teacher, maybe because he felt like someone needed to finish what Finn set out to do. Mr. Schuester had even agreed to let him help out with the glee club provided that he stay away from the girls.

"Dude, quit being a chick," Puck announced finally. "Look, I need you to sign this. We're going to jump in a freezing lake so Berry can raise money for sick kids. Don't argue, you're doing it and you're going to do it in that Speedo you're so fond of."

He didn't bother waiting for Sam's reply. He just threw the paper and a pen at him, tapping his food impatiently until he signed it messily. "Cool, see you dudes later," he shot off before stomping up the stairs. Carole wasn't in the kitchen when he went through, but that didn't stop him from snatching a cookie off the platter on the counter.

Chang was getting the mail when he pulled up to his house. Puck was able to convince the dancer easily enough. He'd always had a soft spot for Berry, and he'd actually been a patient at the hospital when he was a kid himself. They ended up playing a game of Halo for old time sake, something that used to be a weekly ritual back when it was just him and Finn and Matt and Chang. He missed those days more than he let on. He also invited him to the Hummels for Christmas dinner.

"A lot of the old gang will be there if you can come," he said. "Carole would love to see you."

"Sure, man, I'm there," he promised kindly. "And I'll me there Christmas morning."

As promised, when Christmas morning rolled around, Blaine, Kurt, Sam, Mike, Ryder, Jake and Puck all showed up at Lima Park ready to jump feet first into the freezing pond. Kurt had even made them all matching shirts, ones that were actually pretty decent and had "For Finn" printed in bold black writing across the front. He even handed over a small version for Rachel, which of course made her cry. And afterward, when she had handed out heated towels and hot cocoa to her seven freezing swans, she cozied up next to Puck and smiled at him in this really hot but adoring way that reminded him yet again that it was worth it – that she was worth it.

She held his hand when they walked to his truck and still as they drove across town to the Hummels and all through dinner. No one was surprised when they were officially together by New Years.