A/N: Sorry for the delay. Got a little bit frazzled with the update this week, but I should be back on track after today. Hope you enjoy!

.-.

"So you're telling me that that Blaine guy is a warlock with magical powers, and you were talking to an invisible unicorn?" Puck asked incredulously, his tone bordering on absurd.

Rachel sighed. "You said you'd keep an open mind, Noah."

Puck shot Rachel a pointed look. This was him keeping an open mind. It was all just so mind-blowing.

"Okay, then." He said, trying to stay rational through all this. "So say I believe you. Why does he want to send you back?"

Rachel looked away uncomfortably. "He just... doesn't understand what it's like to be a star. He just thinks things should be a certain way, and that's all they can be."

Puck frowned. He had a feeling that it was definitely more than that. This "warlock" seemed like he feared for her life.

"But who the hell are the Unholy Trinity?" he pressed on as his mind ran a mile a minute.

Rachel hesitated again, looking away. "They're nothing. They don't exist."

Puck looked at her skeptically. "They seemed like a fucking big deal earlier. That Blaine guy looked like he was about to shit his pants over them."

Rachel frowned at Puck's crude words. "Noah," she finally looked him in the eyes. "Earlier you asked me to trust you."

He wanted to roll his eyes, thinking this was completely different. There weren't any guys with daggers and dudes with magical powers chasing them when they were sitting in a car coming up on New York City. He opened his mouth to point that out, but Rachel spoke over him. "So, can you please do the same for me? I promise you, I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you."

Puck once again opened his mouth, wanting to tell her it wasn't himself he was worried about. Again, man with a big knife, threatening to cut her wish out of her.

But once again Rachel interrupted him. "Please, Noah," she pleaded, her hands moving to hold his, tracing soothing circles with her thumbs. "Please, I need you to trust me."

Puck sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Fine, Rachel. I trust you."

She smiled and threw her arms around him. Slowly, Puck's hands moved to land on her waist, surprised at her sudden close contact. He resisted the impulse to bury his face in her hair, to close his eyes, to just hold her forever. He cleared his throat and his mind, gently guiding her backwards to place some distance between them again.

"Okay," he said finally, scrambling for a distraction. "It's getting late, we better go look for a place to stay."

She smiled brightly at him, and Puck briefly wondered what that smile was doing to him. He'd been with a lot of girls, had a couple that kind of stuck for a little while too, but still, none inspired the same feelings that that smile did.

"Wonderful." She clapped her hand together and stood up. "Smile, Noah," she said, finally looking around and taking in her surroundings excitedly. "We're in New York City!"

Puck chuckled and joined her, "You win, Rachel," he said smiling. Burying all his concerns and worries, at least for now, he offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

She giggled at his attempt at being charming, slipping her arm through his. "We shall!"

.-.

"Noah, I don't think I want to stay here." Rachel said, uncertainly, staring up at a seedy motel. Puck had the exact same thoughts as he studied the rundown building, but who the hell knew that decent hotels in New York were so fucking expensive?

"I know, Rachel, but I don't think I can afford anything better," he said apologetically. "I'm not exactly made of money."

Rachel nodded reluctantly, an evident frown on her face. "I guess it'll have to do." She agreed with a sigh. "I suppose that every true star needs to go through hardships such as these to fuel their art. As I obviously can't tell my soon-to-be adoring public my true history, it'll be stories like these that will shape my image as a suffering performer."

Puck raised an eyebrow her. He opened his mouth, a question forming on his lips before he thought better of it, shutting his mouth again and shaking his head.

Their first excursion into New York hadn't been everything Rachel had expected. He could tell by her face that she was far from impressed at the streets, sometimes lined with trash and seedy alleyways. They'd even passed a fair share of homeless people, which he knew scared her a little. She felt both sad and frightened for their raggedy appearance. It didn't help that they seemed to be in a very shady part of the city.

Puck felt really bad and wished he could afford a good place for them to stay, or at least one less… disgusting. But he had to be practical. His bank account had some cash, but they needed it. He had promised to help her until she became a star, and that would take time.

Neither of them had probably thought this out realistically. There were many hopefuls out there trying to make it in this city. What made Puck think that this was going to be a simple task? They had nothing. No clothes. No apartment. Barely any money.

He'd heard stories of people making it big with nothing more than the clothes on their back, but he had a feeling those were just those pipe dream stories used to keep struggling artists motivated. So until they formed a proper plan, the bare necessities would have to do. At least until she became famous and… she didn't need him anymore.

He shrugged away the thought, as well the unexpected pang in his stomach, and continued his way into the hotel.

They checked in and made their way up to their room, Rachel pressing against his back, trying to hide from the moldy walls and stained carpet. The inside of the room wasn't much better.

"Hey, at least they have a fireplace," Puck joked feebly, trying to make the most of the situation.

Rachel squealed when something scampered across the floor.

"No, no, no." she protested adamantly, backing out the door. "We can't stay here, Noah. It's unhygienic and unsanitary and just plain disgusting! I know I said I was willing to suffer for my craft, but I refuse to stay here!"

Puck sighed. Although he completely agreed with her, he didn't see that they had much choice. "We have to, Rachel. It's all we can afford. Unless we rob a bank, I don't think we're gonna be able get anything better."

Rachel's face lit up suddenly. "You know, Noah, you're exactly right!" she said, brightly.

Puck looked at her nervously. "Er, Rachel, I was kidding. Like I'm all for fulfilling your dreams and all, but we can't actually rob a bank!"

Rachel shook her head ridiculously. "Of course not, Noah. Don't be silly." She entered the room again and shut the door behind her before striding over to the fireplace and daintily picking up a small lump of coal.

"Uh, Rachel…" Puck said again, uncertainly.

"You said you were going to trust me, Noah." She reminded him with a smile. "Now, trust me, you're going to want to see this…"

He watched in apprehension as her fist enclosed around the lump of coal, just like the other day with the flower. A faint light glowed from her hand, escaping from between her fingers, and when she opened her hand again, there sat a small diamond where the lump of coal used to be.

Puck stared on astonished. "What the…?"

"It's all about energy," Rachel said, slightly out of breath, like she had just run a mile. She looked a little uneven on her feet too, but she tried to hide it. "Everything in the world has a certain energy, and energy can be transformed." She explained. Puck picked up the small diamond from her hand and examined it as she continued. "But only similar energy can be transformed. That's why I could change the flower into a butterfly, since they were both living things. But I can never, say, turn a rock into a butterfly."

He looked at her with wide eyes. "Who the hell needs butterflies when you can do this?" he asked incredulously, but then his expression changed. "Rachel, if you could do this all along, then why the hell did you need me? You could just make diamonds, literally."

Rachel smiled at him weakly, taking a shaky step closer to him. "As I said, it's all about the energy, and doing that transformation, even just a small one, takes a lot of energy. It's unsustainable."

Puck nodded, tucking the diamond into his jacket pocket. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of this shit hole. He didn't know how much a diamond like that could possibly cost, but hell, it was definitely worth more than this. It would be enough to get her established here in New York.

Together they searched for a pawn shop. He figured it was their best bet. They couldn't go to a professional jeweler, otherwise they might seem suspicious. Not that they wouldn't seem suspicious walking into a pawn shop and trying to offload a diamond, but Puck figured they were less likely to ask questions.

Rachel stared around, wide eyed, when they finally found one. The walls were lined with many so many different things, from musical instruments to old paintings. She clung to his arm as he led her up to the counter where a grubby old man sat, examining them calculatingly.

He smiled lecherously at Rachel as they approached. "Wot can 'aye doo fer yer?" he asked in an indistinguishable accent, still eyeing Rachel.

Puck coughed loudly, commanding the man's attention, while inching to stand in front of Rachel and shield her from view. He dug the diamond out of his pocket and laid it on the counter. "How much can I get for this?"

The old man looked at them in surprise, his expression becoming intrigued. Slowly, he picked up the diamond and pulled out a tiny eye glass, lifting it to his eye for closer examination. If the man was suspicious, he didn't show it. In fact, he didn't show much emotion at all.

He lowered his hands and stared directly into Puck's face. "Fifty," he said gruffly, his voice steady and unwavering.

Puck frowned. He didn't know much, but he was sure diamonds were worth much more than fifty dollars. "Fuck no," he said, reaching to take the diamond back.

"Fine," the old man rolled his eyes. "One hundred. But 'ats me final offer."

Puck scoffed, pocketing the diamond, turning to leave. "I guarantee yer, no matter where yer go, for 'at size and clarity one hundred grand is the best yer gonna get. Especially without any paperwork."

Puck froze on the spot, trying not to seem stunned. One hundred thousand dollars. He turned slowly, looking the old man dead in the eye. "One twenty-five," he replied. Somehow, he didn't know why, it seemed like the thing to say. He had watched enough movies to know that it would be strange if didn't at least try to haggle a little.

It was now the man's turn to scoff. "One-ten." He said finally, in a take-it-or-leave-it tone.

"Deal." Puck replied, walking back up to the counter. "But I want it upfront."

The old man nodded and sighed, heading towards the back, getting the money out of a safe no doubt. He came back with a small duffel bag and showed him the cash. They completed the trade without another word, and Puck tried not to show that he was shaking inside.

He'd never seen so much money in his life. In his life. It all seemed unreal. It was more than enough to set Rachel up here. Hell, if her abilities didn't make her so exhausted, she could live here on that alone. But he supposed that wasn't the point. Rachel hadn't travelled all this way, light years from what he gathered, to get lazy now.

As soon as they step out onto the street, Rachel squealed and threw her arms around Puck's neck, laughing.

"I can't believe something so small could cost so much!" she said, happily. "I never realized! Though now that I think about it, it was rather pretty! I guess Lorelei Lee was right; diamonds are a girl's best friend. "

Puck laughed and spun her around. "You got that right! We can definitely stay somewhere fancier for a few days while we look for a place for you."

Rachel paused, her smile falling slightly. "For us, you mean?"

Puck studied her face, smiling weakly. "Yeah, I guess, for us."

"Noah…?" She looked up at him uncertainly.

He tried to smile at her more genuinely, but he guessed it came out as more of a grimace. "I just, I figured, after I got you here and set you up, you wouldn't need me anymore. I'd be heading back home."

Rachel frowned, shaking her head vigorously. "Of course that's not true. I wouldn't have made it this far without you, and now I can't picture myself making it all the way without you by my side."

Puck smiled widely at her, relief washing over him. He didn't even realize he was feeling nervous. "Besides, we made a deal. You're stuck with me until we see my name in lights!" Puck laughed. "And you still need to help me pick a stage name, Noah Puckerman, so it's seems you're here to stay."

He laughed and picked her up again, twirling her around. "Okay then, Miss Star. Let's go find a place for us to stay."

.-.

"Now this is much better," Rachel said, taking a seat on one of two large beds, staring around the lavish hotel suite.

Puck nodded in agreement. It was awesome. Really fucking awesome. There were pillow mints and a minibar, hell, there was even a safe for the money. He plucked out a few of hundred dollar bills and locked the rest safely away.

Turning to Rachel, he said, "Okay, let's go!"

She looked at him curiously. "But we just got here."

"Rachel, it's your first night in New York City, are you sure you want to spend it in a hotel room?"

She smiled. "But it has a great view!" she joked.

Puck laughed. "You've spent your entire existence with a great view. Don't you want to get a closer look?"

Rachel laughed, too, looping her hand around his arm and nodded excitedly. "Lead the way!"

.-.

He laughed as he watched Rachel. She kept spinning around, just like earlier in the car, trying to see everything around her at once. He was glad that she seemed to bounce back from the earlier drama. It was strange and intense, but he truly hoped they could put it all behind them. She seemed to think they could.

He didn't exactly know where he was going, but after getting some directions from the concierge, he knew there was only one place they had to go.

"Rachel," he said, trying to calm her down. "Come here."

She skipped over to him. "Isn't it wonderful, Noah?" She asked, unable to contain her enthusiasm.

He laughed. "Yep, and you still trust me, right?"

She nodded eagerly. "Of course."

"Okay, then I need you to close your eyes again."

She looked so cute as she smiled up at him, unfailing in her faith in him, and closed her eyes.

Slowly, avoiding the bustle of people around them, he guided her around the corner and positioned her in the middle of the walkway.

"Okay, now, open." He instructed.

She gasped as she opened her eyes, taking in the bright flashing lights and giant billboards.

"Noah! It's Broadway!" she exclaimed. Puck laughed again as she ran a little way up the sidewalk before realizing that she had left him behind. She ran back to him, almost giddily and reached for his hand, pulling him along. "Come on!"

She was just as energetic as ever, and Puck found it adorable. She was like a kid in a candy store, running here and there. They made their way along, walking the streets and taking in the sights. She gave him a lively explanation of every play, theatre and poster they passed. Puck learned more about the Great White Way than he had in his entire life.

"Oh look, Noah!" Rachel yelled giddily, pointing joyfully towards a group of buskers. She tugged him forward again to listen. "It's lovely!"

Puck nodded his agreement, laughing as he dropped some money in the open music case.

"Come on," she said, pulling on his hand again. Puck had expected her to drag him somewhere else, assuming something else had caught her eye, but instead, she pulled him closer to the performers, into the center of a gathering audience. Then, to his horror, she began dancing. Not that her dancing was horrible; she was actually really good. What was horrifying was that she expected him to join in.

"No!" he laughed, taking a step back as she twirled her arms in time with the beat.

"Come on, Noah!" she urged, but Puck firmly shook his head.

She laughed at him again, refusing to take no for an answer. His resistance was futile as she pulled him forward, and Puck found himself shuffling awkwardly on the busy sidewalk, surrounded by a crowd of people. To Puck's relief, no one seemed to be laughing at him, but rather with him. In fact, a few other couples began joining in. His eyes trained in on Rachel, and he couldn't take them off her.

She was radiant.

She didn't even need to glow to exude brilliance.

She was breathtaking.

Puck stopped dancing and stared at her. He wondered how one girl could make such an impact on his life in such a short amount of time. All he knew was, wish or not, his life would never be the same.

Rachel spun around again, and noticed Puck's staring. She paused in front of him, looking up at him with a vibrant smile.

"Rach–" he began, but suddenly there was a loud bang behind them. Instinctively, Puck covered his body over hers protectively and ducked down. "What the…?"

It was absolute chaos as the sound of screaming tore through the air. There were people running everywhere, and Puck started pulling Rachel along, trying to also get out of there. Whatever was happening, he didn't want to get caught in the middle of it. They'd had enough drama for one day.

Unfortunately for him, they were the middle of it.

Suddenly, he felt something grab him by the collar and pull him upwards, flinging him through the air. He landed with a thud some twenty feet away.

"Rachel!" he called out groggily as he pushed himself up, ignoring the intense pain in his shoulder. It was still bruised from the accident. He looked for her frantically, cursing himself for letting her slip through his fingers yet again. "Rachel!"

Straining his ears, he heard her screaming for him, and as the crowd dissipated, Puck finally saw her. She was backing away from three girls dressed in cheerleading uniforms who were descending upon her. And they were not just any cheerleading uniforms. He recognized them to be McKinley High Cheerios.

"What the…?" He muttered, scrambling to his feet and racing towards Rachel.

The Cheerios quickly surrounded her, and just as Puck thought frantically that he wouldn't be able to reach her in time, another loud bang wrought the night air. This time, however, the three Cheerios were thrown backwards, but instead of flying haphazardly through the air, they seemed to pause mid-flight, twisting their bodies skillfully and landed deftly on their feet.

Puck finally reached Rachel, protectively standing in front of her and readying himself to do whatever it took to keep whoever these girls were away from her.

The three Cheerios grinned evilly in their direction. "This doesn't concern you," they said almost gleefully.

Puck opened his mouth to shout back, but just at that moment, the warlock guy from earlier stepped up beside him and he realized they weren't talking to him.

"Leave here!" Blaine commanded, exuding power. "Leave and I'll spare you."

The dark-haired Cheerio threw her head back in laughter. "Like you could do anything to us."

A pulse of energy travelled towards them, knocking over several stands and trash bins, but one of the blondes, the leader by the looks of things, just waved her hand dismissively, and whatever pulse had been left them unaffected.

"Pathetic," she said, taking a step forward. "Now, give us the star and we will leave."

"It doesn't work that way, Quinn," Blaine shouted back. He waved his arms and sent another wave of energy towards her. This time, however, the blonde was unable to stop it entirely, stumbling backwards slightly.

"Enough," she commanded sternly, her face angry in displeasure. In an instant, she had Blaine around the throat, lifting him in the air and throwing him like he was a ball. He was hurling through the air, but then something seemed to catch him. He was suddenly riding upon something invisible, and Puck realized that the unicorn must be there, trying to help.

The Latina Cheerio rolled her eyes and groaned. "What are you doing here?"

Blaine leapt off his perch and landed swiftly on his feet, running towards Quinn.

Puck watched on, both amazed and terrified at the ensuing battle as they traded massive blows. Blaine shot dark blue balls of energy towards Quinn, but she shrugged off the hits like they were nothing more than paintball bullets. Quinn was much more physical in her assault, launching herself at Blaine, her fists landing powerful strikes to his body. But the warlock seemed to be able to hold his own.

"Come on, Rachel," Puck said quietly, backing away. Whatever was happening, it was because of her, which meant he needed to get her out of there. "Let's go."

Before he could take another step, the Latina was in front of him, her hand grabbing him around the throat. "Not so fast, white boy," she said menacingly, squeezing hard.

"Stop!" he could hear Rachel shouting loudly as Puck struggled against the hand. His vision was rapidly blurring, the hand around his throat clutching ever tighter. And just as he thought he was going to die, his body screaming for oxygen and his mind getting weaker by the moment, a bright white light engulfed him.

He was sure that this was the end, briefly hoping the bright light would at least bring him peace. But then, the hand gripping his throat was gone, and the white light was getting stronger and stronger, blinding him until it slowly started to fade.

As the light dissipated, Puck suddenly found himself standing in their hotel room, clutching his throat gingerly and gasping for air. He realized that Rachel must have brought them here, had somehow transported them here. It was the only explanation.

Whatever she did, they had somehow managed to escape. They were safe.

He laughed with relief, his voice hoarse. "Hey Rachel, why didn't we simply do this before?" he asked in wonder as he turned around. He paused when he saw her pale face. "Rachel?"

He watched in horror as her eyes rolled to the back her head, her body crumbling beneath her. He lunged forward, barely managing to catch her in time before her limp body hit the ground.