A lot of people have complained about the lack of Puckleberry interaction. A few have asked that I stop making Rachel into the villain. I haven't really had her around to be a villain. Her actions had lasting consequences in a very (I think) realistic way. In many ways this story is more about Blaine and Puck's friendship than Rachel. She plays her part but she isn't the main character the way she is in all of my other fics. That being said, this chapter features the return of Rachel and the next few will bring Rachel and Puck face to face for the first time in a while in a way that my detractors might like.

I own nothing. Enjoy!


Blaine sat on Rachel's bed and watched her as she busied herself with fixing up her already immaculate room. Her shock at seeing him on her doorstep had quickly become nervousness. It was so strange that their friendship had evolved into this.

"You look good Rach." He told her finally.

Something in his words, perhaps the nickname or the tone seemed to set her at ease.

"New York looks good on you."

She smiled and the atmosphere warmed considerably.

"LA looks better on you." She replied, gesturing to his relaxed style and shorter hair.

She was different. She didn't have to speak for him to know that about her. Physically she had grown into herself. Her hair was highlighted and her style had matured. She was older, happy perhaps. There was knowledge in her eyes where there had only been hope in high school.

"What are you doing here Blaine?" She asked finally.

"I've missed you. I've spent a lot of time thinking about you since I walked away from you at Santana's party. I should have kept in touch." He answered quietly.

He had gotten so caught up in his own life and his fierce loyalty to Puck. But Puck had never and would never ask him to give up a friendship with the woman in front of him. At some point in the last year and a half she had become an adult.

"You did me a great favour by always being honest with me. I needed the time away from everyone Blaine. Everyone I knew just reminded me of the mistakes I had made. I needed the separation to grow up and accept responsibility."

Santana had been strangely silent about her interactions with Rachel since she'd moved to New York with Brittany in September. Though he supposed that he would have been skeptical if she had told him who Rachel had matured into.

"Are you going to the party tomorrow night?" Blaine asked after a moment.

Rachel's eyes studied him for a moment before she looked away with pursed lips.

"I wasn't planning on it." Her tone was contrite.

"Rach, you don't have to avoid your friends just because of –"

"I was the one to mess everything up. I hurt him so much and if missing a few holiday get-togethers is my penance then I accept it."

He reached over and placed a hand over hers. He thought over his words before he spoke.

"I think there has been enough penance. If things are awkward then you guys can figure out like shifts or something." He teased lightly. "I won't pretend that it might not be uncomfortable, but no one really knows what happened between the two of you. And Lima will always be your hometown."

Rachel considered his words for a moment and pursed her lips.

"I just don't want to hurt him anymore." She whispered.

Blaine nodded and felt something akin to pride swell up in his chest. The woman in front of him might just be worthy of his friend one day.

"Then don't. Avoiding him would hurt him."

Rachel nodded and wiped at a stray tear as they pooled in her sad brown eyes.

"Finn won't be around. Kurt told me that he's stationed somewhere overseas for quite some time." Rachel assured him.

Blaine quirked an eyebrow.

"Kurt told you? You and Finn don't talk?"

It wasn't really any of his business and he realised it after the words left his lips. He considered apologizing but Rachel shrugged.

"He was so angry with me when I left for New York. We broke up a week after the graduation party. Thanks for that by the way." Her tone was filled with gratitude instead of the sadness he had expected in association with Finn. "We spoke once before he left for army training but it wasn't a pleasant conversation. That was that. I returned the ring and he told me he'd never forgive me." She finished with another shrug.

"And you're okay with that?" Blaine asked.

"Not really. I wish that he wasn't so angry with me but I deserve it. I also know that I did the right thing, even if it took an inappropriate amount of time. He'll find someone who loves him the way he deserves to be loved. I haven't felt that way about him since sophomore year." She admitted, playing with her bedspread. "The hurt that I caused him doesn't even rate in comparison to the way I treated Noah."

The two of them sat in silence, each reflecting on that last year of high school. Blaine couldn't find a trace of the selfish, stubborn brat who had broken and abused his best friend. He now understood just why Santana had kept quiet about Rachel. He was sure that the two of them would get along famously and Santana wouldn't want the situation to be misunderstood. In his wildest dreams he hadn't expected for Rachel to grow so much in the short year and a half since he'd seen her last.

"You need to forgive yourself for all of that. You're not the same girl who did all of that." Blaine broke the silence gently. "I see that. Eventually he'll see that too."

Her eyes were tearful and disbelieving, but he detected just the tiniest spark of hope buried in their chocolaty depths.

"I can't promise that the two of you will ever be friends again, but he's a good man. He's always seen people for who they are and he'll see that you've changed. Just give him a bit of space." He smiled at her sadly. "Just no graduation-like surprise hugs okay? He was so shaken by that. But please come to the parties. I know that he wants to see you, even if he doesn't know why."

Rachel nodded and he pulled her into his lap. She curled against his chest and he held his old friend tightly.


"You did what?" Puck bellowed as Blaine leaned against his childhood bedroom wall.

"I told her not to avoid the parties." Blaine repeated himself.

Puck looked like he might hit him but Blaine didn't miss the look of relief that had crossed his features a moment ago. His friend glared in his direction as he tore through his closet. Blaine watched him shoving his shirts aside repeatedly for a few moments before sighing. He pushed himself off the wall and walked over to his friend. His hands covered Puck's frenzied ones until his friend took a deep breath and stepped away from the closet. Blaine pointed to the bed and Puck sat on the edge of the bed and glared at the floor. Blaine gave him a moment to think as he picked out Puck's favourite dress shirt and jeans. He placed them on the bed before sitting on the desk chair in front of Puck.

"This is the part where you tell me what you're so worried about. Because we both know that it doesn't matter what shirt you wear. Hands down, you'll be the most attractive man in that room." He waited for a ghost of a smile to cross Puck's lips before continuing. "So tell me what this is really about."

He watched as Puck rested his elbows on his knees and began twisting his hands together. He'd noticed that Puck only resorted to this little tick when he was stressed out.

"I don't know if I want to see her." Puck said tonelessly.

"Try again." Blaine replied to his friend's obvious lie.

"I don't know if I'm ready to see her again?" Puck's voice was indecisive.

"Nope. Come on Puck."

Puck's eyes left the floor and found Blaine's. Blaine was almost amused that his friend thought he could stare him down after all these years. Puck exhaled tiredly and his shoulders slumped.

"I've been dying to fucking see her." He muttered so quietly Blaine almost missed it.

Blaine simply nodded.

"And that makes me a total fucking idiot. Or maybe just a sicko masochist." Puck scrubbed a hand over his scalp. "Either way it makes me more fucked up than I'd like to be."

Blaine had already known all of this. He'd heard his music. He'd heard the thinly veiled self-loathing and the desperation with which he missed Rachel.

"You're not a masochist."

Puck snorted and Blaine frowned.

"If you had insisted on seeing her two years ago I would have called you a masochist. But it's been two years Puck. You're not the person that she broke two years ago." Blaine paused for a moment before continuing. "She's not the same girl who broke you either."

Puck's head snapped up.

"I didn't know that the two of you had kept in touch." Puck's voice was cool.

"We haven't. Today was the first time we've spoken since graduation." Blaine explained.

Puck nodded, instantly regretting his tone.

"I told her not to avoid the parties. I did that for her. But mostly I did it for you." Blaine told him quietly. "I've heard your new demos. I know that you miss her and I get that you hate yourself for it. Maybe once you see each other you won't resent yourself anymore."

Blaine clapped him on the shoulder and left him to get ready for the party.

"I'll be back in an hour to pick you up."

Puck nodded and sent him a half smile before he walked out of the room.

This was going to be an interesting night.


Please let me know what you think. Thanks!