AN: Sorry for the long(ish) wait! So, first thing: I don't own anything. Second thing: I went to dinner last night with an old friend, and in the table next to us was a cute little boy about 5 or 6 who was totally rocking a Mohawk!!! It was too adorable! My friend and I were both like, "PUCK!" Anyway, I just wanted to share that! :o) Third thing: You guys are awesome! Please R&R! :o)

Oh, and here is the key to the songs. I hope it made it clear enough…the keys are in order of the respective songs. Also, it was really hard to write Puck and Rachel's choreography the way I had it in my brain. I had it all envisioned to a T, so I hope it came across on paper! :o)

Italics:
Santana
Quinn
Rachel

Bold:
Mercedes
Artie
Puck

Bold Italics:
The other Gleeks
Q/A together
R/P together

Chapter 11: Made to Finish Your Duet

Today was the day of judgment. They were to sing their duets in Glee. Puck was more than ready, not even nervous. He had had a great night with Rachel, and he knew they would kick butt on their duet today. She was a brilliant performer, and he was a stud: Seriously, what more could they ask for? Yep, he was so ready for today.

Rachel had never been nervous to perform before. She couldn't quite put her finger on why she didn't feel ready. She knew the lyrics and the choreography, and she had complete faith in Noah. However, she didn't feel right. Perhaps it was because she couldn't quite keep her heart out of her eyes when she was singing with Noah. It was okay for him to see because he knew how she felt and he felt the same. But, it was different showing it in front of the other Glee kids. Nope, she was not ready for today.

Rachel checked her makeup and hair in the mirror one last time. The other girls were crowded around, chaning into their costumes as well. Rachel sat on the counter tugging on her cowboy boots as she surveyed the others. Mercedes and Santana had on embellished jeans and sparkly tops. Every one of Mercedes' fingers had a ring on it, and multiple necklaces hung from Santana's neck. They were "blingin'" as she heard Mercedes say. Tina was wearing a flowy white top and khaki capri pants; she looked so much girlier than her normal Goth self. Brittany was dressed to the nines in bell bottom jeans and a psychedelic colorful top. Rachel surmised she and Kurt were doing some song from the seventies. Then Rachel looked at Quinn; even in her black ripped up shirt and black pleather skirt, Quinn was beautiful. The tight shirt held snug against her baby bump which was beginning to show now. The pretty blonde had on black ankle boots and fishnets. Her hair mussed up, and she was struggling with her eye makeup.

"Here, let me help," Rachel offered.

Quinn looked up at her and gave her a tiny smile. "Thanks, I'm actually not too good at eyeliner."

"No problem, I'm pretty handy with an eye pencil," Rachel smiled.

They sat there while Quinn looked up at the ceiling and Rachel applied liner to her lower lid. She repeated the action on the other eye.

"Do you want it a little smudged on top?" Rachel asked. "It will make it look a little edgier."

"Sure, that'd be great," Quinn said quietly.

Rachel set to work lining Quinn's upper lids. She used her finger to gently smear the liner which gave Quinn's eyes a smoky look.

"There! All done," Rachel said, backing away.

"Thanks, Rachel," Quinn said seriously.

"You're welcome," Rachel replied.

The former head cheerleader squeezed Rachel's arm lightly and smiled before she ran out the bathroom door. Rachel smiled at herself at how much had changed in so little time. Taking a deep breath, she exited the bathroom and headed for the Glee room.

When she entered, her eyes took in all the couples readying themselves for their duets. Kurt was primping himself; he had on a gaudy white blazer with velour lapels and some crazy sunglasses. Artie looked like a rocker down to the core, and Rachel deduced that paired with Quinn's edgy appearance, they might be performing as Roger and Mimi from RENT. Matt and Finn were decked out in black suits and black skinny ties, complete with dark sunglasses and black fedoras. They looked very sharp. Mike was wearing a navy blue tee shirt and dark jeans; he made a stark contrast to Tina's light colors.

Finally, Rachel's eyes rested on Noah. He was dressed a pair of fitted jeans, cowboy boots, a red and white plaid long-sleeved shirt left unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a white wife beater, and a dark cowboy hat. There was no other way to say it: he looked hot. Rachel fidgeted with her clothes as he watched him talk to Kurt and Brittany. He looked up and met her eyes. He stared at her with a smoldering gaze, and Rachel suddenly felt ten degrees warmer.

Puck stared at Rachel. She was beautiful. She had on a criminally short jeans skirt with a belt slung low on her hips. Her blue plaid shirt was tied up in a knot that rested right above the hem of her skirt, showing only a sliver of her tanned abdomen. Her hair was in a loose braid slung over to one side. Puck felt his stomach clench, and he hoped he could remember his lyrics. Then, Rachel flashed one of her winning smiles at him and turned to sit down, swaying her hips ever so slightly. That girl was going to be the death of him.

Puck slid in the seat next to Rachel and brushed his knee with hers. She blushed at the contact. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut short by Mr. Schuester.

"Okay, guys, I don't know about you, but I am very excited to see what you all have planned for today. You all look great," he said excitedly. "Let's pick an order."

He passed around the hat which apparently had the numbers one through six in it. Rachel reached in and showed the slip of paper to Puck. Six. Sweet, they got to go last. She smiled and nodded in approval.

"All right," Mr. Schuester prompted. "Who's first?"

"We are," Mike said as he and Tina made their way to the front.

Rachel watched as they began singing "Set the Fire to the Third Bar." Rachel was impressed by Mike's voice; he'd never really sung much before. He and Tina were singing together, but he could definitely hold his own. She found herself enjoying their sweet choreography as well. The song talked about lovers so far from one another, so they kept their distance for most of the song until the very end, and it was soft, so a lot of the dancing was ballet-like.

The next couple to go was Brittany and Kurt. They did a fantastic imitation of Kiki Dee and Elton John's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." They had adorable choreography, incorporating many disco moves, and they looked like they were having a great time. Rachel was impressed by Brittany's enthusiasm, and of course Kurt's falsetto was flawless.

Santana and Mercedes cracked everybody up with their sassy rendition of "Who's Got Your Money?" Rachel found that she really liked Santana's voice; it had a raspy quality to it, but not so much that it was displeasing to the ear. Rachel's favorite part of the song was the bridge when the girls danced around getting the other Glee kids involved. They got to yell "Money!" when the girls pointed to them.

Mercedes
He broke my heart
So I took his money (MONEY!)
Yea, it may seem funny but
M-O-N-E-Y
For every time that he makes you cry

Santana
He broke your heart
Now, go get that money (MONEY!)
Yeah, green cash money
M-O-N-E-Y

Found the dough you were hiding in the tin can
Flew to Vegas with the girls for the weekend
Finally, my heart is starting to mend
Money now (You're broke!)
Money now
I'm feeling better now, oh oh
Cause who's got your money now?
Me! Me!

Puck had to laugh at Santana and Mercedes' song. It figured that Santana would sing about money seeing as how she dumped him over a nonexistent credit score.

Finn and Matt gave a rousing rendition of "Soul Man" complete with Blues Brother dancing and showmanship. Rachel was glad to hear Matt sing, because like Mike, his voice had yet to be showcased. He had a distinct sound about him; yet he was smooth, kind of like Usher. Rachel was proud of herself for coming up with a relevant pop culture comparison, and when she leaned over to tell Puck, he had all he could do not to crack up at her words.

Rachel was right about Artie and Quinn. Artie played a riff on his electric guitar of "Another Day" when Quinn burst in on him. They played it just like Roger and Mimi with Artie trying to shut Quinn out by rolling away and Quinn following him or blocking him from the door. Rachel was impressed by the progress Quinn had made on strengthening her voice. It still needed work in Rachel's opinion, but it was getting better. Puck's favorite part was when Artie started singing his solo and Quinn sang hers in unison.

I can't control
Control your temper
My destiny
She doesn't see
I trust my soul
Who says that there's a soul?
(My only goal is just to be)
Just let me be

There's only now. There's only here
(Who do you think you are?)
(Barging in on me and my guitar)
Give in to love or live in fear

No other path
(Little girl, hey)
No other way
(The door is that way)

No day but today
(The fire's out anyway)
No day but today
(Take your powder. Take your candle)
No day but today
(Take your [green] eyes, your pretty smile, your silhouette)
No day but today
(Another time, another place, another rhyme, a warm embrace)
No day but today
(Another dance, another way, another chance, another day)
No day but today

Then, it was finally Puck and Rachel's turn. They got up from their seats, and made their way to their spots. On their way, Puck casually winked at her, making Rachel blush. She edged away from him but he tickled her sides. She squirmed out of the way and glared at him. He had his normal Puck smirk in place.

"Stop it," she hissed, working hard to keep a smile from showing.

"Just getting into character, baby." he whispered. She flushed more and shivered as his hot breath tickled her ear.

This did not go unnoticed by Puck. He made his way to the edge of the classroom. He saw Rachel get in place against the wall with one leg perched under her, her foot pressed to the wall behind her. She was looking down toward the audience. He knew she was ready, but she looked like she was coiled tighter than a rattlesnake. She needed to loosen up, and he knew just how to do it. She nodded to Brad, and the band began to play their duet.

There you go
in all your beautiful glory.
She watched with her head against the wall as Puck strutted across her path.

Messing with my head
like you always did.
She hung her head low and turned her face away from him.

I'm thinking things I don't want to say,
And I can't breathe.
He began to walk toward her.

Wait, Rachel thought. What the heck is he doing? He is not supposed to come toward me yet!

What do I have to tell you, girl,
So you won't leave?
He rested his left hand on her cheek and smirked when she gave nothing away even though he knew she was probably freaking out inside.

Tell me what I want to hear.
Just then, she snatched his hand with her right one, and laced her fingers with his. Her face read "Two can play at this game, Puckerman."

I don' t care if you're lying, baby
I just want to feel you touch me right now.
She backed him up toward the center of the room, in full view of the audience.

Go ahead and call it love
Tomorrow you can deny it, baby
Kiss me again, let me pretend
that it's not wrong.
They held that same position and swayed to the music.

Baby, lead me on.
Rachel disentangled her hand from Puck's and ran a finger seductively down his chest.

I wanna touch your skin.
I wanna taste it.
As she walked around behind him, she stood flush up against him with her cheek to his back, and her hands made their way to his shoulder blades.

I wanna feel that love like we used to make it.
She ran her nails down his back and felt him shudder.

I don't care if we go nowhere
He turned to face her and spun her so that her back was against his chest, and they were both facing forward with his hands gripping her waist.

You're all I see.
He grabbed her right arm and slung it up to rest behind his neck as he traced a finger down her side a la Dirty Dancing.

One more night with you is all I need
Her hand followed and clasped with his left hand which was still at her waist.

Tell me what I want to hear
He spun her out quickly, and even she was thinking of Baby and Johnny's dance.

I don' t care if you're lying, baby
With the flick of his wrist, she turned back in but stopped herself with a firm hand on his chest.

I just want to feel you touch me right now
Go ahead and call it love
They stared into each other's eyes, as if trying to read some hidden emotion.

Tomorrow you can deny it, baby
Kiss me again, let me pretend
That it's not wrong
She encircled his neck and he her waist, and just as they got close enough to what appeared like a kiss, she jerked away, but he still held her waist.

Baby, lead me on
She pulled away and backed a few steps away from him.

He backed away from her to the other side of the piano.
I know what you want
I know what you need
I know when I'm gone
You'll still think of me.
He faced away from her.

She followed him, as if begging him not to walk away.
You know what I want
You know what I need
I know when you're gone
You won't even think about me.
But then, she took one step back, and looked away at him.

Tell me what I want to hear
They both quickly turned back to each other.

I don' t care if you're lying, baby
They rushed back to each other in the center of the room but hesitated to touch.

I just want to feel you touch me right now
She reached up to touch his face, but he grabbed her hand and had his other hand at her waist.

So go ahead and call it love
Tomorrow you can deny it, baby
Whisper my name, baby, no shame
Is it so wrong?
She slowly leaned back at the waist like he was dipping her into a backbend until her head was almost to the floor and her shirt rode up, revealing her toned stomach. Then, she unhurriedly made her way back up to face him.

Puck was thrown off for a second because he found that the most sensual thing he'd possibly ever seen.

Baby, lead me on

He let go over her, and walked around the piano.
I know what you want
I know what you need

She followed him but stopped when they were on opposite sides.
(Baby, lead me on)

I know when I'm gone
You won't even think about me.

I know what you want
I know what you need
Oh you know, you know, you know, know…
You won't even think about me
She left her spot at the edge of the piano and began to walk past him toward the door.

I know what you want
He grabbed her hand as she passed, and she turned back to him.

(Baby, lead me on)
I know what you need
Puck backed her up against the wall in a similar position that she began the song in, but he boxed her in with a hand on each side of her head. He stood with their chests brushing, both breathing heavily.

Baby, lead me on…

On the last word of the song, he took his left hand and caressed his finger against the side of her cheek, and she closed her eyes.

Everyone in the room was silent for a beat or two after the music ended. The two that had just sung were staring intensely at each other. No one was sure where the electricity that suddenly filled the room had come from.

Then, all of the sudden, Mercedes started whooping and that started everyone cheering. Puck's gaze on Rachel softened, and she began to giggle. Through the loud applause and "ow ow!"-ing of Kurt, they all heard a loud "Meowwww." Everyone turned to Brittany, who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"What?! Isn't it called a cat call??" she asked frantically.

That lightened the air considerably as everyone laughed. Puck led Rachel back to their seats with a warm hand to the small of her back. She didn't know if she was still blushing, but if the considerable heat she felt emanating from her cheeks was any indication, she was pretty sure they were still red.

Puck eyed Rachel from his seat. He might get an earful for rearranging the choreography, but looking at the smile on her face and the blush that covered her cheeks, he didn't care one bit.

"Wow!" Mr. Schuester marveled as he made his way back to the front of the class. "I am so impressed with all of your duets! But, I think it's pretty clear we have a winner: Puck and Rachel!"

The other kids cheered, congratulating the two. Rachel blushed at the praise, and Puck simply smirked. It was about time they recognized him as a Glee stud too.

"I have to say," Mr. Schue started, "I must comment on your choreography. It was so fluid. Guys, take a note from these two. It is so important to make your dancing seem spontaneous instead of forced."

Puck's eyes darted to Rachel. Her eyes were just as wide at Mr. Schuester's praise. They shared a special smile because only they knew just how spontaneous it was.

"Okay, well, you guys are dismissed. See you next week!" Mr. Schue told the students. "Rachel, Puck, be thinking of a duet to perform at Sectionals."

Everyone began grabbing their stuff when Rachel finally found her voice.

"Why? Aren't we going to perform the song we just sang?" she asked, confused at his words.

"Well, I just think you might want to practice another song," Mr. Schue hesitated, taking in the curious looks of the students. He chuckled nervously. "We wouldn't want to give the judges a heart attack."

"Yeah, or the greatest pleasure they've even known," Kurt said smugly.

Everyone laughed at Kurt's appropriate description. Rachel choked on air, but Puck just smirked, throwing his arm over Rachel's shoulder.

"Bummer, that could've been fun," he murmured in her ear.

Her jaw dropped, and when she looked at him in shock, he just winked at her. She just rolled her eyes, flipped her hair, and huffed exaggeratedly out the door in true diva-like fashion, but not before Puck could see the smile forming on her lips. He knew she wasn't mad but he needed to catch her anyway, so Puck playfully wagged his eyebrows to those still intently watching the two and ran out after her.

"Hey, Berry!" he called after her.

She turned to him with her eyebrows raised. "Yes?" she asked coyly, with a smirk of her own on her lips.

"We did it!" he cried.

Then, Puck pulled her into a hug and spun her around. She giggled in delight, throwing her arms around his neck.

When he settled her back on the ground, his eyes were shining, alight with a happiness and sense of accomplishment Rachel didn't think she'd ever seen before.

"We make a great team," Puck said, meaning every word.

As if she sensed his underlying meaning, Rachel smiled and said simply, "I know."

AN2: Hope you guys liked this chapter! Songs performed in this chapter in case you want to listen to them:

Tina and Mike: "Set the Fire to the Third Bar" (Snow Patrol)

Brittany and Kurt: "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Elton John and Kiki Dee)

Mercedes and Santana: "Who's Got Your Money?" (Tina Parol)

Finn and Matt: "Soul Man" (Sam & Dave)

Quinn and Artie: "Another Day" (RENT – Roger and Mimi, played by Adam Pascal and Rosario Dawson)

Rachel and Puck: "Lead Me On" (Gloriana)

Remember, R&R = Love! :o)