Summary: "She slowly waved the can between the pair, daring them to follow her, before turning on her heel and sprinting towards the port-a-potties outside." Had Rachel been the one to find Puck. AU from Special Education
Endings
"Aw, Rachel," Noah whispered, rubbing his thumb in circles on the small of her back. "Come on, little mama. You know I hate seeing you cry. Especially if I can't beat someone up for it." He heard her choke on a laugh through her tears. "It's gonna be okay, Rach."
There were many times throughout their relationship that Puck had been able to keep his girlfriend from completely losing her mind. He convinced her that she hadn't ruined her entire future after she rigged the ballots in Kurt's favor during his run for class presidency. He helped her through her nervous breakdown when she choked during her NYADA audition. He'd supported the weird New York makeover that Brody gave her when she was lacking in confidence, sent reinforcement through Quinn and Santana when Kurt told him about some student film she was casted for that would include a non-tasteful topless scene, and somehow calmed her during a frantic phone call about her Funny Girl audition. He'd even talked Rachel down from going full diva on Santana when she auditioned and won the Fanny understudy. Finn had once joked that the reason Rachel had chosen them as the two great loves of her life was because they were both pretty good at reigning in her crazy, and that he won in the end because he was better at it.
But for the life of him, he couldn't stop her crying over the end of glee club.
"Jesus, Rachel, I get that it's upsetting, but you're freaking me out here," he told her, disconcerted at how hysterical she was.
"It's not like I was this sad about it before!" she hiccupped defensively. "B-but it's just so depressing! Everything we worked for is just going down the drain, and those poor kids must feel so bad right now! And why did I have to go and get into another sing off with Mercedes? This goodbye is hard enough as it is! And, oh god! Quinn!" Noah winced when she began sobbing again, clutching at the back of his uniform jacket.
Despite the meltdown Rachel was currently going through, he felt his heart clench at the thought of his baby mama. They had found Quinn in the locker room, staring at Finn's jersey. Although most of Lima was expecting Rachel to dump his sorry ass and bring life to Finchel once more, their small group of friends knew the truth and had hopes that the Inns would find their way back to each other someday.
Honestly, he could understand why Rachel was having a hard time ending the New Directions on a happy note. Their best friend wasn't there to see it off with them.
But this was a bit much, wasn't it?
The bathroom door opened and the girls walking in froze at the sight. One glare from Puck had them backing out and running away before he could tell them off. The interruption did snap him out of his thoughts, though. "Rach, maybe we can move this party somewhere else? That's the third group of girls that have walked in here."
"You're the one who followed me in," she accused.
His brow slanted upward and he scoffed. "Because you would've killed me if I didn't." Noah took her hand and gave it a tug. "Come on. We can go to Finn's tree and hopefully talk about this without you getting snot all over my uniform."
She stomped her foot, indignant and embarrassed as he guided her outside. "Noah! You're supposed to be sweet and comforting and telling me you don't mind things like that!"
"Right, you're my girlfriend and I love you, but do you know how off the charts my dry cleaning bill is?"
"As off the charts as your ego, maybe?" she spat sarcastically.
Noah paused and nodded appreciatively. "Can't even lie, that was a good one. Imma let that pass because you're teetering off the edge right now." He was relieved when they finally got to the tree, plopping down and pulling her with him. "Alright, Rachel. Wanna tell me why you're freaking out right now?"
Rachel crossed her arms. "Would you like to tell me why you aren't upset about this?"
"Of course I'm upset about this, but I'm not falling apart at the seams."
He was right of course. There was no reason to be that distressed by it, but she was. She shifted in his lap until she felt comfortable and wound her arms around his waist as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't know... They just mean so much to me. It helped Jake shape up. It helped Marley follow her dreams. It really hurts to know that it won't be there anymore for them." Rachel's over the top reaction was starting to make sense, he admitted to himself. Had she not become so close to their newest members, she might have taken it better. Call her self-centered or over-ambitious, but Rachel did care for the people she loved, and if they were hurting, then she was too. "I really care about them, Noah. I just wish they didn't have to go through this."
Noah softly brushed the pad of his thumb over the dry tear marks on her cheeks. "Do you even know the names of the other ones?" he joked.
His attempt to make her laugh was much more successful than his last one. The corner of her eyes crinkled and the lines in her face were there because of a wide smile, not a frown. "Of course I do!"
"Oh really?" he countered challengingly. "Name them."
"Unique!"
"She doesn't count. We knew Unique before we graduated."
"Ryder," she continued, unperturbed. "As in Jake's best friend, who I talk to on occasion."
He smirked. "And the last one?"
Rachel mocked ignorance. "Uhm… K-Kristen?" Noah barked with laughter. "Kitty. And she is not a fan of me. Quinn Junior indeed."
Noah hugged her closer. "What are you talking about? Quinn loves you."
"Now she does. Or do you forget when she used to call me Man Hands, Treasure Trail, RuPaul-"
"Point taken."
"…In fact you used to call me, Man Hands, Treasure Trail, RuPaul…"
"I said point. Taken," he repeated through clenched teeth. "Alright, Rachel, here's the plan. That building over there is filled with our friends and family. Forget what Mercedes said about her awesome career in Hollywood or whatever it was she was going on about. Everyone knows you are the baddest bitch around, which means you have to go back in there with your head held high, no tears in your eyes, and stay strong for the youngins. Because if you're looking like a puppy that just got stomped on, then that'll give them all the reason to give up too."
Rachel leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "How did I get so lucky to have an amazing boyfriend like you?"
Noah helped her stand before getting to his feet as well. "Why do you think everyone hates you so much? You always get the best of everything."
Instead of picking on his arrogance once more, she leaned up with a coy grin and gave him another peck. "Ain't that the cold hard truth," she murmured.
They walked back into the school together, joint hands swinging between them. Mr. Schue had asked them to meet him in the auditorium before Rachel had her mini-episode and if they quickened their pace, they'd make it just in time.
It turned out he wanted to show them Mrs. Adler and Finn's new resting place backstage. Mr. Schue had no pep talk prepared, no last minute plan to save the New Directions. It was simply a goodbye. This time, when Rachel began crying, she wasn't hysterical or gasping for air. She held onto Noah's hand and quietly wiped her tears away, trying her best not to make a spectacle of herself.
"This sucks," she whispered to her boyfriend while they followed behind the group that was slowly making their way back to the choir room.
He looked down at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We'll get through this, mama. We all will."
Blaine knew he was risking being vomited on by sitting in front of her, but he parked himself on top of her table, blocking her view of the mirror behind him. The heat from the lights was seeping through his jacket, and he shifted forward to escape the discomfort he was feeling. He didn't say a word though. Rachel's nerves were much worse than his perspiration. "You're sure about this, Rach?" he whispered, reaching out to stroke her short wig.
Rachel covered one of his knees with both of her shaking hands.
"What?" Blaine gasped. "I- I'm sorry, did I just hear you right?"
Kurt squeezed her shoulder supportively. "If this is what you wanna do, honey…"
Blaine reeled back, bewildered. Sam, Mercedes and Artie weren't sure what to say. "You've only been Fanny for half a year," Artie finally spoke. "Don't get me wrong, Rachel, but are you sure this is a good idea?"
Rachel nodded confidently, betraying all the fear and uncertainty she was drowning in. "Do you guys remember when that big Hollywood producer came and offered me my own TV show? And you flew Puck out here to stop me from taking the offer and ruining my Broadway career? Doing something like that would've been a bad idea. This... this is right. I need to do this."
Blaine bit his lip and, hoping he wouldn't sound patronizing, thought over what he wanted to say before addressing his best friend. "Rachel, Madame Tibideaux isn't Will Schuester. She's not gonna hand you a second chance on a silver platter. You'll have to cry, beg, plead for-"
"For my rightful spot back at NYADA, which I did."
That surprised them all. When Rachel dropped out of school so she could put all her focus on Funny Girl, her showdown with Carmen Tibideaux became infamous in the halls of NYADA. No one had ever spoken the way she did to Madame Tibideaux, nor did they run from a school like theirs as if staying there any longer would give them incurable, airborne diseases, but Rachel Berry was who she was. She was headstrong and determined.
And prideful, young and stubborn.
It took three months for her to realize that Carmen Tibideaux was right. She wasn't fully ready for the demands that the stage and spotlight expected from a green girl like her. It took two months more to swallow her pride, meekly make her way to Madame Tibideaux's office, and beg for a meeting. Her former dean was pleasantly surprised when what she thought would be an arrogant monologue about her successes was actually a humble apology and a plea to return to NYADA. "Miss Berry, your name is being thrown around as the future darling of Broadway. Sooner than you think you could be getting a Tony. You're really willing to risk all of that after the spectacle you made in here just a few months ago?"
Though she had cringed at her tone, Rachel knew she deserved it with the way she treated the woman before.
"Madame Tibideaux. I once told someone that I have the tendency to want everything too much. You were right. I had no foundation. I had trouble listening to my directors and always fought too hard to have things staged the way I wanted it to be. I was tempted too often to leave Funny Girl behind for something shiny and new. I need you to understand that I can never regret my time as Fanny, never. She's been my dream since I was old enough to memorize the songs and lines, but you were right. The next time I put myself out there, I need to be ready for the workload, the stress… everything, and NYADA is the only place that can give that to me. I know I have no right asking this of you… but I'm begging you for a third chance."
She received a call from Madame Tibideaux two weeks later to tell her she was welcomed to return. With that, Rachel gave Rupert and Sidney her month's notice. They were unhappy, reluctant to let her go, but understood and supported her decision. When her leading man, Paolo, found out, he pulled her into his dressing room, pointed at the spot on his calendar that would be her last performance and gave her a tight, one-armed hug.
"Get ready," he had told her confidently. "We're going to make that one your best, Fanny. No one that fills your spot will compare."
"So you told everyone," Blaine sighed. "That's really it then?"
Rachel nodded. "That's it. Rachel Berry is taking a long hiatus from Broadway."
"I'm sure, Blaine."
He gave her a sad smile. This was entirely too emotional for them to deal with, and that was saying something for two of the biggest divas that McKinley High had ever seen. "How are you feeling?"
"Nervous," she blurted out before she could lie. "Scared. Everyone is here, Blaine. Everyone."
Blaine immediately knew she wasn't talking about the media hounds scattered around the orchestra seats to see their beloved Rachel Berry's final performance as Fanny. She was talking about her friends and family. Mr. Schue and Emma, her dads, Mercedes, Kurt, Blaine, and Sam would be taking up the row that her friends had occupied on her opening night. Mike, Brittany, Santana and Quinn sat just behind them and the Puckermans, including Jake and his mother, were in the row before them. Tina and Artie were in the back, and across from them, not that she knew who they were, sat Carmen Tibideaux, a soft smile gracing her stern face.
Everyone was there to see her last night, but-
"I can't believe Noah couldn't make it," she murmured quietly, a tear threatening to slide down her face.
"Don't," he panicked, grabbing a tissue and dabbing the corner of her eye carefully. "You'll ruin your makeup. Come on, little mama. You know what Puck would say."
She forced a grin. "He'd tell me to go out there and show them what they'll be missing when I'm gone."
Blaine nodded in agreement, glancing at the door when they heard a stagehand call out a five-minute warning. He got up and hugged her, pressing his lips to her temple lovingly. "Bring this house down, Rachel."
And she did. From the last word in "I'm the Greatest Star" to the way she pointed her toes in every dance number, everything Rachel did in her final performance was flawless. There was not one mistake she had to cover, not one malfunction with the wardrobe or background. Paolo and she fed off each other's energy, adding more spins and holds in "You are Woman" than they would have gotten away with if it weren't their last time on stage together. Rachel soaked in the feeling of the spotlight on her skin, breathed in the scent of the theater as she went from scene to scene. The crowd laughed at every joke and roared with applause whenever she stretched her vocal chords to reach notes higher than what was actually in the song. She miraculously remained in character until her final song, the "Don't Rain on My Parade" reprise, where she couldn't help but smile sadly and subtly wipe a tear away with the joint of her index finger while singing,
"Let's give'em hell, Brice, we'll cry a little later.
Well, Brice, that's life in the theater!"
When the show was done, she caught a glimpse of the audience on their feet before the lights went down and the curtains closed in front of her.
Rachel hurried off stage and into Paolo's arms, who was watching her from the wings. Their cast mates walked around them to begin the curtain call when the curtains opened again. "You did amazing, Rachel!" Paolo shouted over the loud cheers. "Simply amazing!"
"So did you," Rachel told him sincerely. "It's been an absolute honor having you as my Nick."
Paolo, who had moments when he was a bigger diva than Rachel, grew on her and had become a good friend over their few months together. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "And you as my Fanny, Rachel Berry." He squeezed her forearms gently before leading her to the back for their entrance. Throwing a wink over his shoulder, he waited for the actress that played Rose Brice to go off to the side then jogged out and waved to the crowd. Rachel grinned at how much louder the audience became, knowing that even now, she'd still be getting an even bigger response.
The drums rolled and she saw the cast stretch their arms out in her direction. The climax of "My Man" began blaring from the orchestra and for some reason, out of the hundreds of times she's taken her bow, Rachel suddenly felt shy as she walked on stage and was deafened by the theater. A few tears ran down the side of her face while she raised her hands up, waved to everyone and bowed. She snapped up, a huge smile on her face, and she mouthed a clear "thank you" to everyone. Through her sadness, Rachel laughed and instinctively threw an arm around her stomach to stop herself from doubling over when the house lights came on. It was done to show her that every seat was filled, but her eyes were on Sam, Mike and Jake, who were literally standing on their seats. Like sports' fans with foam fingers, her family and friends were holding up giant golden stars above their heads. Kurt and Blaine's had "THAT'S OUR BESTIE" written proudly on it in black sharpie.
Rachel sent kisses to them all and bowed twice more, and after pointing to the orchestra for their round of praise, she beckoned the others to come forward as she did every other night. Instead, her cast mates continued clapping when Rupert and Sidney came out from the wings with two very large bouquets for her. The director and producer stood on either side of her, hugged her tightly, and then gestured at her in an effort to rile the audience up. Rachel nodded her head to her director and producer, bowing to them individually. She laughed through her tears when she realized the voices in the theater did indeed increase in volume once more.
A stagehand ran out and passed Rupert a microphone, cuing everyone to quiet down. "Thank you, thank you so much for coming tonight," he began. Rupert took Rachel's hand and pulled her up to him. "As you all know, this is a bittersweet night for us. Our Fanny is leaving us to return back to college to get her degree."
This earned her another thunderous applause.
"I think I can speak for the entire cast when I say it has been a great honor getting to know you, Rachel. We had our reservations hiring someone as young and inexperienced as you were, but you sure as hell proved us wrong. It's been a privilege watching you blossom on this stage, and I know in my heart that the world will be waiting with baited breath to see what Rachel Berry has in store for us next."
Rachel cradled both bouquets in one arm so she could rub the tears off her face with the palm of her free hand. "Thank you," she murmured into Rupert's ear when he leaned in for another hug. "Thank you so much for this opportunity. I'll never forget it."
Rupert stepped back and Rachel's brow quirked up in curiosity when Paolo slid next to her.
"One last thing before we all say goodbye tonight," he announced. Paolo took her flowers and set them to the ground. "I've had the utter pleasure of playing opposite to Rachel for six beautiful months. There is no greater joy than being her leading man, except maybe... being her real-life leading man."
Everyone in the crowd nearly gasped in unison.
Rachel's face lost color dramatically. What was Paolo doing? Was he about to ask her out? Profess his undying love? He knew she was off the market. And wasn't he gay? At least, he seemed like he was and she always assumed…
"It's been very hard keeping this a surprise for her, our cast and crew do love our gossip," he jested.
Rachel stared at him with wide eyes and forced smile, giving him a tiny shake of her head. My God, it couldn't be... he wasn't really doing this, was he?
"We wanted this to be a special night for you and we knew it wouldn't be complete without everyone you love being here. So, we pulled a few strings, got him on a red-eye and… please welcome to the stage, Rachel Berry's leading man!"
Her jaw dropped and she whipped around to look at where Paolo was pointing.
The cast parted and there Noah stood, holding a teddy bear that was wearing a uniform to match his. Rachel's hands flew to her mouth and the floodgates burst open. All the ugly crying she had been trying her best to hide was out for everyone to see, not that she cared. She was too busy running into Noah's arms, her hands exploring every inch of his face, hair and back. He picked her up and carried her back to the center of the stage, her feet dangling in front of his legs. Rachel was sure the media would spin this reunion to be much more dramatic than it really was. She could see it now, headlines in tabloids about Rachel Berry seeing her boyfriend who had been deployed for months. She idly wondered if anyone would get it right, that he had only been at the Academy and that the tearful reaction was just because she was the overemotional type.
"You lied to me!" she accused as everyone cheered for them.
Noah smirked and kissed the tip of her nose. "You were always one for theatrics. I just wanted you to leave this stage with a bang… in every sense of that word."
She pinched his side and he waved to the crowd before letting her have her final bows.
The moment the curtain closed, she dragged him to her dressing room with the excuse that she needed to change for the goodbye party they were holding for her downtown. Only their friends had the guts to tease them for their late arrival that night.
Rachel whined and squirmed away from Noah every time he wiggled his fingers against her side. He locked his legs around hers, trying his best to stop the way she was kicking at his shins. "Would you stop?" he laughed. His amusement went ignored as she continued her struggle.
"You're the one tickling me!" she huffed, shoving him away again. All he did was tighten his grip in return. "Noah! It's too hot for this!"
"Which is why we're naked!"
"It's not helping! The body heat is too much!"
Noah rolled his eyes. "We've been away from each other all year, Rachel. A little summer sun isn't going to keep me away from you."
"But the sun is right on top of us!"
With an irritated sigh, he jumped off her bed, whipped her curtain shut and plopped back down next to her. He'd waited months to finally be with her again. So help him God if she was going to make him sit an arms length away. He roamed his eyes around her walls, scrutinizing every corner intensely. "We're going to the store later before i meet the guys, get you a god damn fan." Noah waved in the general direction of her mirror. "Put it over there or something, because seriously? It's a turn off when you're screaming about how 'hot' it is while we're fucking and not even remotely mean it in the dirty, sexy way. Which by the way, kudos to me, am I right? I'd like to see you listen to all that complaining and still keep a hard-"
"Alright!" she snapped.
Puck grinned and, after much resistance from her, finally got her to lie on top of him. Their legs intertwined once more and she reached up to play with the shaved part of his head while he drew circles on her thigh with his thumb.
"So, you're hanging out with the boys today?"
He nodded. "Hitting the town," he said through a yawn. "No worries, we aren't going to a strip club or anything." Rachel's eyes, which had been slowly closing, snapped wide open. She scowled and twisted his ear. "Ay!"
"I wasn't thinking that!"
Noah chuckled and kissed her hair apologetically. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry."
She hummed and snuggled closer. She had missed this, and so had he. It was near torture being away from each other during the school year, and the handful of phone calls and video chats had done nothing to alleviate their ache for each other. They were counting down the days till graduation, when they'd both have some rest and time for each other. Noah had already spoken to his mother about moving to New York once school was done and, although she wasn't sure she was ready to let go of her son yet, she was willing to support his decision. "Recruit personnel in NYC," he had told her. "That's what I'll start with, so I can be there while Rachel's hitting up Broadway again." When he revealed his plan to Rachel, she nearly burst at the seams with excitement. For his birthday, she had sent him a handmade countdown till the day they would be moving into their own apartment together.
"Do you know what you're doing for your third-year project yet?"
Rachel glanced up at him approvingly, happy to know he remembered. She had taken two extra classes and enrolled for as many summer classes as she could get herself back on track. By some miracle, she had done it, with As in almost every class, and was now caught up with Kurt. "Actually… Kurt and I have this one idea, and Madame Tibideaux has approved it if we somehow manage to do it…"
"Somehow manage? Oh God. You two aren't actually going to try convincing the Wicked crew to let you guys perform for a week, are you? How many times do I have to tell you guys that that isn't going to work?"
"No..."
Rachel scooted off of him and sat up to look him in the eyes. He pushed himself up to his elbows and gave her a curious stare.
"No… we were thinking of going back to Lima and starting New Directions up again."
"...Are you sure you don't want to give Wicked another try?"
She pressed her lips into a thin line then, too quickly for him to react, reached down and tickled the bottom of his feet. Noah cackled and jolted away from her. Unfortunately, he was so close to the edge of the bed that he fell off and hit the floor hard, face down. His squeal of pain echoed around the apartment and Rachel jumped off to help him. "Oh god! Noah! Noah are you okay?!"
"I fell on my junk," he muttered. She bit her lip when she saw tears in his eyes. "Fuck... Oh god is it broken? Did I break it?!" Rachel rolled him over, ignoring the way he was groaning.
"Shh, you're fine," she told him, doing her best not to laugh. "Y-you're fine, it just hurts right now, is all. I-I'm gonna go get you ice, okay?"
"Rachel, this isn't funny!"
She threw a hand over her mouth and shook her head, but she couldn't stop her snorts. "N-no, it isn't j-just let me find a robe."
"Rachel, hurry!"
"What the hell is going on in here?"
Rachel shrieked and tripped over Noah in surprise when Blaine and Kurt came into her room. Puck yelped when her ankle landed right at the top of his groin. "FUCK."
"Get out!" Rachel screeched. "Get out! Get out! We're naked!"
Blaine rolled his eyes and came in, helping Puck back onto the bed. "Please. As if we've never seen you two naked before."
"What happened?" Kurt gaped. "What's going on!"
Rachel grabbed one of the blankets off the bed and wrapped herself with it. "Can someone get him some ice?! We can talk about what happened later!"
"This is it," Puck moaned miserably as Blaine jogged out to get him a cold pack. "I can't feel Puck Jr. We're never gonna have sex again!"
"You two seriously need to take it easy in the bedroom," Kurt mumbled through Puck's loud pity party.
She rolled her eyes. "We weren't doing anything! He fell off the bed because I was tickling him for making fun of our third-year project."
Apparently, Noah was listening. "Oh hell! Even if I do fix my dick, Sue Sylvester is going to murder my girlfriend!"
"Noah! Must you be so crass?!"
