Author's Note: This has been my favorite chapter to write so far. I hope you all like it. And I'm going to make a request to all who are adding this story to favorites and/or placing it on alert and not reviewing: might you review, please? Because I would love to know your thoughts on the direction of this story, the foibles of this story, what you like, etc. Thanks! And if you don't review but still read...well, thanks to you too for taking the time to read. :)

PS - I changed the ending to chapter 8, so if you haven't read that, please do! This will make more sense if you do!

Puck's Girl

Waking Dream

Puck drove, pedal to the metal, as his dad used to say, not exaclty sure where he was going. The girl currently sitting in the passenger seat had yet to say anything but he wasn't worried.

Not worried at all that she might throw whatever he might say back in his face and abandon him, just like others in his life had.

Cursing at himself for being such a freaking head case, he rounded a corner a little too fast, eliciting a cry from Rachel. Feeling bad, he slowed down just as he realized where he wanted to go. Several minutes later, he came to a screeching halt at the Point.

The Point, where most kids went when they wanted to make out. Being here would most likely make Rachel squirm.

A devilish grin crept across his face before he mentally slapped himself. Rachel was already pissed enough at him and his antics, no matter funny they might be, only made things worse. They sat in complete silence for an eternity before Puck realized he would have to be the one to break the ice (and it literally felt like he might need an ice pick to break up what was between them).

"Rachel…I…"

Clasping her hands in her lap, Rachel waited for him to go on but he didn't. Swallowing, she gazed out the windshield, knowing where they were and curious as to why he picked this spot. Did he think that she would forgive and then immediately go at it with him?

Well, maybe… Especially if he said her name the way he always did, with a little hitch in his voice on the last syllable that nearly sent her into a frenzy.

No…no, she could not let him effect her like this.

"Rachel," Puck said, again, trying the quell the nervousness rising in his chest. Quit being a girl and just spit it out, he yelled at himself inwardly. "Brittany and I aren't-"

"I know," she interrupted, wringing her hands in her lap. "I…talked to Finn and he told me. Why couldn't you tell me?"

Pursing his lips, he tried to think of the most delicate answer, because he did care about her feelings. He cared about her. He really was a girl. "Because…I was an idiot. Am. Am an idiot." His eyes twitched a little as he turned them in her direction.

All she did was raise an eyebrow. "I'm not going to disagree with you."

Licking his lips, he went on, shoving his pride to a place deep inside of him. "I lied to you because of your thing with Finn. I know you made it clear that you were over him but I still felt that…that it was impossible…" He felt his will dissolving and suddenly he was just a kid again, begging his dad to stay. He was himself, the previous day, standing in a room with all his relatives, a sobbing Brittany clinging to the front of his shirt, around a bed that contained a body that was just a shell.

Rachel sensed that something was wrong. Her belief was confirmed when her eyes traveled to Noah's scrunched up face. It was then that she realized that though there was a spark between her and the young man sitting next to her, she didn't know many of the details of his life. "Noah…what happened? Why did you flee - I mean, leave yesterday?"

The emotions were too raw, the events too recent for him to discuss. But if he wanted a future with Rachel, he just might have to tell her, even if he started to cry in the process. Not that he would cry. He didn't cry. He hadn't even cried when his dad left all those years ago. "Brit is really close with my family," he began. "Especially my grandma." Rachel did not need to know that he called her Gran-Gran. That was a secret better left unexposed until later, maybe. "About a month ago, they found out that my grandma had cancer. That's why Brit and I have been so…tight lately. She was just upset and we…shared my grandma, you know?" When he looked down at his hands, he saw that they were shaking, so he quickly tucked them into his armpits. "It happened so fast and yesterday-" His voice broke and he found that he couldn't go on.

But he didn't need to. Rachel understood everything and, even though she was still a tad angry at him for intentionally hurting her by implying Brittany was more than just a "sort of relative," she had to comfort him. Sliding across the seat, she took one of his hands, which trembled in hers, and placed it in her lap, rubbing her ringers across his knuckles. Moving closer, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his temple. "I'm so sorry Noah," she whispered. It was a strange hope she had then, a hope that he might completely break down and just sob in her arms. He clearly needed to. Her hopes were dashed when he gulped and removed his hand from hers, placing it around her shoulders and drawing her near. When he rested his chin on the top of her head, she decided that his choice of position wasn't all that terrible. Wrapping her arms around his middle, she felt content and comfortable.

She fit so perfectly into his arms (and again, he was woman…a big womanly puddle…how did she do this to him?). Hugging her tighter, he thought of all the things he wanted to say but bit his tongue hard. There was already too much emotion floating around in the cab of his truck and he refused to add more. Even, and especially, the comment his Gran-Gran had made to him days before she had passed.

"You like a girl," she had said, a glint in her eye. He didn't understand how she always knew. "I can tell." Pausing, she had placed her index finger on her upper lip and giggled a little. "You need to tell her Noah. Don't bottle up your feelings. It's important for a girl to know, and to know that she's special to you. Don't be a meathead young man."

The words echoed around in his head and he smiled. Pushing Rachel back, which made her frown, he said quietly, "I like you Rachel and I'm so-sor... I was a jerk, okay? Shouldn't have been one. Not to you."

Though it wasn't quite an apology, it was probably as close as she was going to get. "You were. But I accept your admission of being a jerk and gladly…" Frowning, she realized she didn't know how to properly respond. Gladly what?

"Gladly accept my offer to take you on a real date?"

Her whole face softened and she had the urge to weep with joy. However, she was a strong woman and she wasn't going to allow herself to weaken that much (she had already worn her heart on her sleeve too much with him and since when did she actually weep for joy?). Pressing her lips together, she composed herself and then whispered, "Of course."

When he looked down at her, she almost thought she saw adoration in his eyes, but it quickly vanished as he stretched out a finger to brush a stray hair off of her forehead. "So, can I kiss you now?" Though the comment came out rather flippantly, that was not how Puck meant it. He had lost his grandmother the day before (just another person to exit his life) and all he wanted to do was forget, for a little awhile. Plus, he just really wanted to kiss her. His Gran-Gran would've approved.

The way his fingers brushed tenderly across her forehead, then skimmed down her cheek, to lightly tap her chin, made her shiver. "I suppose it would be-"

Pressing his lips to hers, he effectively ended whatever pontifications she had been about to utter, kissing her until they both forgot to breathe, then kissing her some more. When they finally separated, mostly out of the need for oxygen, he touched his forehead to hers, a dazed smile on his face. She traced her fingers over his lips and smiled herself.

So, she thought. This is what it's like to dream while awake.