Chapter ten

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!

X-X-X

"Hey Rach, You look stunning." Puck smiled at the short Brunette who sat on the table beside Barney's tools, her legs swinging back and forth as she was too short to reach the cement floor. She was wearing an old pair of white converses that had grown a grey shade that matched Barney's spare work overalls that hung loosely on her tiny body. Her long dark hair was tied back in a loose, messy ponytail and her bangs had been swept into a side fringe in a failed attempt to keep the pesky hair out of her eyes.

"Why thank you Noah." A small laugh escaped Barney's lips as he reached for the wrench she had hidden behind her back. Rachel wasn't usually allowed in the work shop as Puck had set a rule saying that no one with the first name Rachel and last name Berry was allowed to enter under any circumstances after the last time she came to join Barney for lunch and created utter havoc; but since it was their two year anniversary and Barney had pleaded with Noah for weeks today was the only exception, though she had been given a set list of rules that she had to follow no matter what.

"C'mon babe, I need that." Barney's rough voice spoke as he tried to reach behind her back, causing a giggle to escape her lips as she shoved her hand high up above her head. Puck shook his head, a smile on his lips, choosing to ignore the childish little game and kept his concentration on the paperwork that had been piling up for weeks. "Please just give me the wrench and then all of my attention is yours." Her brow creased as a look of thought took over. It only lasted a few seconds before she slid off the table and ran towards the other side of the workshop.

"NO RUNNING BERRY" Puck's eyes never left the paper work as his bellowing voice shouted out angrily, reminding her of the number one rule he had given her. The sound of her footsteps immediately slowing down brought a smile to his face but he knew that she would have rolled her eyes and quietly mimicked his words. By the way Barney tried to hold in his laughter Puck's theory had been confirmed, but he was so glad to see her happy again that it didn't bother him. Over the four years before they had gone to Hawaii he would always catch Rachel crying when she thought she was alone and while other's easily missed it, he saw the sadness in her eyes. But since they came back he had noticed a great change in her overall mood and knowing that she was happy again made him happy as well.

"Hey man." Puck's head snapped up as he heard Finn's low voice. The overly tall man sported a giant grin as he high fived his best friend. "So how's my car going?" His eyes scanned over the workshop, spotting his prized possession sitting over towards the side. The smile on his lips didn't drop until he heard Rachel's loud laughter coming from further back into the large garage. His curiosity overcame him, causing him to look down to where the all too familiar laughter was coming from. His smile grew larger as he saw Rachel, backing up against the wall, a giant smile on her lips and a loud snort breaking through her loud laugh.

Puck's eyes followed Finn's line of sight, noticing the way he still had that look of love and adoration in his eyes whenever he saw her. But as soon as Barney entered the picture, trapping her up against the wall and pressing their lips together in a passionate kiss. His big, greasy hands held the sides of her face, keeping her in front of him long enough to steal another kiss before she slipped out the side and ran off again. The feeling of utter happiness radiated off her, causing everyone around her to be happy... everyone except Finn. Watching her with Barney reminded him that he was just her dirty little secret, the person she didn't want everyone to know about.

"You alright man?" Puck's dark eyes bore down on him, his arms crossing over his perfectly toned chest. The overly tall man before him slowly nodded his head, tearing his eyes off the couple that continued to play around, completely oblivious to his presence. "So are you coming to Mercedes and Sam's welcome back lunch next week?" His mind was back on the giant mound of paper work, his attention only moving back when he didn't get a reply. Once again he followed Finn's gaze, noticing that Rachel once again held all of his attention. "You still love her."

A small smile slipped onto his lips when Finn's eyes immediately snapped away, looking at him like he was crazy. "I do not. Rach and I are completely over and there is no way I am going back." It didn't take much to know that he was lying, especially since he and Puck had been best friends from the first day of the first grade. A loud laugh escaped his lips as he started typing a bunch of numbers into the old, dying computer. Finn knew that this laugh meant he suspected a lie. In most cases he would retaliate and plead with him to believe that he wasn't lying, but in most cases he was actually lying and his actions would just prove that he really was. "Whatever man, I'm just going to come back another day. See you when I see you."

As he turned to leave a large, warm hand grabbed onto his wrist. He had expected it to be Puck but was both surprised and angry when he noticed the hand belonged to a smiling Barney who had Rachel clinging to his side with a nervous look in her eyes. "Hey Dude, haven't seen you in ages. How are you?" His chipper voice caused anger to course through Finn's veins, the blonde man couldn't see the obvious reaction as he continued on, leaving the other three to fight through the awkwardness in the only way they had ever been taught... through silence.

"I'd love to stay and talk but I'm kind of on a tight schedule. I'll see you all next week at Mercedes and Sam's welcome home lunch."

Rachel's eyes immediately moved from the clock she had been focusing on as she heard his words, wondering if that was a hint that he didn't want to see her later that night. She really hoped that it wasn't as seeing him was always the best part of her day and she really didn't want to lose that. Sure it seemed bad that she was still with Barney and spending time with him, but the right moment to lightly let him go just wouldn't seem to arise. There was always one little thing that got in the way of her telling him those two simple words... It's over. "I thought we'd be seeing each other sooner than that."

Both Puck and Barney looked to Finn, awaiting his reply as they had both been confused by her statement as they still thought the pair hated each other. "No, I don't see any reason why would be seeing each other anytime this week." Before he turned to leave he looked her up and down, his jaw clenched as his fists balled up. Puck looked between the pair, his eyes lingering just that little bit longer when he saw the way her lips slightly parted and a single tear slipped down her cheek. He had noticed that the pair had gotten closer ever since the night of the wedding causing him to gain suspicions of a secret affair, but seeing her reaction in that moment caused his small little thought to blossom into a full blown belief... Now all he needed was proof.

x-x-x

Ahhh, another chapter... We are coming into the homestretch so it shouldn't be too long now!