A/N: Sorry for the delay, but you know... school, exams, summer, World Cup! Anyone of you watching? And if yes which team are you rooting for? Anyway, I'll just let you read the new chapter now, so: enjoy!


Rachel was turning him into an alcoholic. Seriously, this was the second time this week he came to this pub and it was all her fault. And alright, maybe also his. He probably shouldn't have kissed her. Then he wouldn't be sitting here right now, thinking about her while drinking his third beer and waiting for his friend to get his ass over here. But even if he hadn't kissed her, he'd probably still think about her now. At home, sitting next to Quinn on the sofa while she was reading a crappy book and ignoring the hell out of him. He wasn't sure if that would be better or worse. (Probably the latter.)

When Chris finally approached him he already felt slightly drunk. The red-haired girl behind the counter was trying to flirt with him by giving him one drink after another. He didn't really mind as long as he didn't have to pay for that shit. She was cute and had a pretty smile, but he wasn't interested. And anyway, the girl in his thoughts was way cuter and her smile wasn't just pretty, it was gorgeous. Everything about Rachel was freaking gorgeous. Her smile, her eyes, her hair, her lips, her legs, her everything. Puck wondered, not for the first time, if everything were easier if she wouldn't be so damn beautiful.

"Dude, you better have a good reason for calling me. I was about to get it going with Jess and just came here because you said it was an emergency! You know how moody she is these days, it can take weeks before she let's me touch her again." Chris groaned and he flopped down next to him. From what Puck has heard, pregnant women weren't a lot of fun when their horny phase was done. Chris had talked enough about his problems in the last weeks.

(But really, Quinn never even had a horny phase, so dude should be happy.)

"I kissed Rachel." He slurred, not even looking at his friend. There just was no sense in lying now. And Puck wanted to talk about it with someone. Preferably with Rachel, but since she was the one who didn't want to talk (fuck, when did he become the sentimental one of them?), he'd take what he could get. Which wasn't much at all.

"Really? Oh, alright..." Chris said and took Puck's beer out of his hands to take a sip.

"Alright? That's all you gotta say?" Puck tried to snatch the beer out of Chris' hand, but his friend didn't let him. Chris knew drinking wouldn't help his friend now.

"I mean, I can't really say I'm surprised." He shrugged, taking the last sip of Puck's beer. What a great friend, Puck thought.

"... the fuck is that supposed to mean? I'm not some cheating jerk!" Puck exclaimed, glaring at his friend.

"Well I don't think you'll deny that you can be a jerk, like, 90% of the time. And you did kind of cheat, so..." Chris laughed and ordered two glasses of water. He'd have to get Puck at least a bit more sober before sending him home to his girlfriend again. (Or maybe soon-to-be ex girlfriend?)

"It's not like I did it that often..." Puck mumbled, burying his head in his hands. Maybe talking about it had been a bad idea.

"Woah wait a second! So this already happened before?" Chris asked shocked. He knew Puck since about two years and never, ever had he said something about cheating on Quinn. He knew that they had their problems, which wasn't surprising since that girl was fucking insane, but cheating? No single word about it.

"Just once! And was two years ago. With... Rachel." Puck murmured, sighting deeply.

(Yes, he saw the connection here, thank you very much!)

"So that's the whole problem? You cheated on Quinn with Rachel two years ago and then you were acting like a jackass because you were afraid of what could happen? But now you cheated again?" Chris stated, looking way too amused for Puck's taste.

"Yeah that's what I just said, are you deaf? And stop looking at me like this okay? I know this is fucked up!" Puck had hoped his friend could make him feel better, but all he did was remind him on how badly he screwed up.

"And what are you gonna do now?" Chris asked curiously.

"Fuck if I know. I had hoped you'd tell me." Puck looked at him expectantly. If there was one person who knew how to handle chicks, it was his best friend. Hell, his girl was pregnant with his child so it was safe to say they'd stay together for a long ass time. (And no, it wasn't the same with Quinn and him.)

"Well I don't know, but for me it's pretty clear." Chris shrugged. "Break up with Quinn and make that girl yours!"

Alright, is he fucking stupid? "Are you fucking stupid? I can't do that!"

"Why?" Chris asked seriously.

"Because! Quinn and I... we're... I can't just break up with her. And Rachel has a boyfriend anyway." Yeah, the second reason was probably it.

"Okay, did she kiss you back?" As if he ever kissed a girl who didn't kiss him back.

"Hell yeah." And for the record, she didn't just kiss him back, she was fully making out with him. No one could resist the Puckerone.

"Well then she probably doesn't care that much about her boyfriend. Or is she the kind of girl who goes around and kisses various guys without having feelings for them?" Thinking about Rachel kissing other guys made Puck's jaw clench. It always had this effect on him, regardless if it was seeing her with Finn or Jesse or hearing her talk about how hot that guy from One Direction is (please, as if). Even when she had this stupid crush on Mr. Schuester he had felt kinda... alright, he had been totally jealous. There. He said it. (Don't tell.)

"Nah, she's all romantic and shit. Searching for her big love. When we dated that one week in sophomore year I didn't get to second base even though I sang a song by Neil fucking Diamond for her in front of the whole Club!" Puck shook his head and had to smile. Rachel was probably one of the biggest dreamers he had ever met. It was kind of adorable. (Not the only adorable thing about her, though.) "Wait does this... you think she has feelings for me?"

"I don't know, dude. You're the one kissing her!" Chris laughed and earned a glare from his best friend. "Alright, so let's analyze this."

"Shit, you sound so much like her now. Like, seriously!"

"Shut up, I'm trying to help you!" Chris ordered and Puck raised his arms in surrender. "So you kissed her. What did happen afterwards?"

"She slapped me." Really fucking hard, actually. Girl had balls. (Well no, she really hadn't. He knew that first hand! But whatever, you know what he meant.)

"Ooookay. Well, that's not ideal. Maybe it was just a reflex?" Chris said questioning.

"A reflex?" Puck laughed. His best friend wasn't only stupid, he was freaking insane.

"Yeah well if someone kissed me all of sudden, I'd probably... well I wouldn't slap them because I don't hurt woman and if it's a dude I'd rather punch him. Although... why would I punch someone for kissing me like it's a bit harsh, don't you think? Maybe he's confused and wants to test something and punching him wouldn't help to-"

"Fuck, dude, chill. Think about your gay fantasies later and just help me now!" Puck hissed.

"Fact is, you kissed her and she let you. But she also slapped you afterwards. This could mean she was either mad at you or, I don't know, at herself? Women are crazy like that. And you just need to find that out to start phase 2." He said and clapped into his hands. Puck just stared at him.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Well you want her, right? So phase 1 is finding out how she feels about you. If we don't know that, we can't start phase 2: getting both of you single!"

"Alright, just forget everything about that! I shouldn't have told you... you're worse than Rachel with all your analyzing and planning and different phases? Really, Chris?" Maybe he should have waited until after Chris got some from his girlfriend. Dude was missing tons of masculinity right now.

"Hey, but I mean... you're into that kind of stuff, right?" Chris joked, clapping Puck on the back.

"Seriously, fuck you."


Rachel was sitting on the sofa, watching an episode of Pretty Little Liars. Her 'sick break' lasted two whole days, but was finally over now, so she didn't get hot water bottles and tea cups every 5 minutes. The sleep did her well, her dads had said. (And yes, she still felt bad about lying to them. And to Cedric, of course.) But it honestly did! She had her whole bed for herself since Cedric was still afraid of her possible virus infecting him too and slept in the guest room. At first she had been pissed since she never had been ill in the first place and if she were, he should be the one taking care of her. But maybe this little time-out wasn't all that bad for their relationship. They had spent every single second together for the past week, sometimes she just needed time for herself.

So yeah, were was she? Right, watching 4 girl on her TV running away from somebody, without even knowing who it was. If she started to get text like 'I'm still here and I know everything', her first idea would be to go to the police. Or at least talk to her dads. Like seriously, if someone tried to kill you, wouldn't it be smart to tell somebody? Anybody, really? But then the show would've been over after only 2 or 3 episodes, so Rachel tried to overlook the illogic and just enjoy the show.

"Rachel?" Cedric said as he came out of the guest room. It kinda became his room since he was in there everyday for at least an hour, talking to someone from the hospital. (After a few days she just stopped trying.)

"Mhh?" She answered, stopping the episode.

"I just got a call from the hospital. One of my patients had a cardiovascular failure, so they put him into an induced coma." Cedric told her, swatting his mobile phone in the palm of his hand again and again. She hated it when he did this, telling her about operations and complications and people nearly dying. It belonged to his daily schedule, but he had seen so many people dying. Rachel couldn't handle it that well.

"Will he be okay?" Rachel asked after a few seconds.

"I don't know." Cedric answered honestly. "But I have to fly back. We'll have to open him again and find the problem."

"...what?" He had to fly back?

"I'm really sorry, Twinkle, but I have to!" Cedric said as she got up from her place on the sofa, stopping in front of him.

"But... you said you'd take two weeks off! It's bad enough that you're glued to your phone the whole day, can't someone else... do the operation thing?" She whined. Maybe it was selfish to want her boyfriend for herself and keep him from saving lives, but it wasn't like he was the only one who could operate someone. He wasn't even the chief physician, so really. What was the problem?

"Sure, but I'd rather do it myself. If it comes out we did something wrong or overlooked anything, I want to be in charge to fix it!" He explained calmly.

Rachel sighed deeply, shaking her head. She knew she couldn't change his mind anymore, so it was pointless to argue. "When is your flight?"

"Tomorrow at 7am." He answered. Cedric knew Rachel wasn't happy with him at all, but he still stood in front of her and looked her into the eyes while they talked. At least she had to give him that.

"Tomorrow? Wow..."

"I know, I know and I'm so, very sorry, Rachel! But I promise I'm going to make it up to you." He said, taking her face into his hands. "Okay?" Cedric looked her deep into the eyes and she could see that he was completely honest.

"Yeah..." She mumbled, trying to not let him see how angry she actually was.

"I'm sorry." He breathed against her lips as he bend down to kiss her. "I'll try to make it better, okay?"

Rachel found herself nodding. She just didn't want to be mad at him! And he was obviously trying to apologize in every way possible.

So she let him.

Thing was, Rachel wasn't sure if he actually could make it (them) any better. No matter what he tried.


"Dude, you totally suck today! I won for the 6th time in a row!" Chris said as he threw the controller on the pillow next to him, frustrated with his best friend and his non-existent abilities to play Battlefiled.

"Fuck off and be happy you get to win once in a while!" Puck replied, taking a sip of his coke. He wasn't allowed to drink any alcohol today. His fucking friend forbid him to drink alcohol! He'd have to get a new buddy because Chris was slowly turning into Christina.

"What's with you? Still Rachel?" Chris asked, watching him curiously.

"Shut the fuck up, man" Puck hissed, looking around for his girlfriend. She was working in her office even though they had two weeks off (again, fucking insane!), but what if she came out to get something to eat and heard them talking about Rachel? Wouldn't end very well. (Because no, he hadn't told her yet.)

"Relax, man. Quinn might be crazy, but she doesn't have any super powers. But with your behavior, I'm kinda surprised she hasn't realized anything yet!" Chris wondered out loud.

"Whatever. You wanna keep talking like girls or keep playing?"

"And see you losing again? Nah, it's more entertaining to watch paint dry." His best friend laughed and switched of the TV. It's not like he didn't enjoy winning, but Puck was so bad, it wasn't even fun watching him missing the target every single time. "So, I take it you didn't talk to her?"

"No, I didn't." Puck clenched his jaw.

"Come on, Puck, just get over yourself. Seriously, this is turning you into a total pussy and it's no fun hanging out with you!" He was calling him a pussy? Puck snorted loudly.

"It's not like I'm forcing you to stay." He scowled, rubbing his hand over his head.

"Why don't you just call her?" Chris sighed. He really wanted to help Puck, but he was just so stubborn - like always - that he was in the way of himself.

"I don't even have her number." Puck tried.

"Quinn does." Chris countered.

"Well I can't really ask her, you moron!" Hey Quinn, can you give me Rachel's number? I just need to talk to her cause I kissed her at the lake and I wanna know if she feels the same so I can break up with you. Uh huh. Sure.

"Then drive over to her house."

"And when her fucking douche of a boyfriend opens the door?"

"Then you say you need to talk to Rachel in private, she can't really say no without giving something away when her boyfriend is standing next to her." Chris explained. He made it sound so simple. But it wasn't, it could be. Right?

"I don't know, dude... what am I even supposed to say to her?" Puck sighed.

"Just what comes to your mind. Well maybe nothing too sexual because that would be pretty unappropriated, but you know. If she really is into you she probably doesn't mind that you're a pervert." The dark-haired boy laughed.

"Fuck off." Chris earned a glare that could kill. Just because he enjoyed sex and wanted to have it 24/7 (at least with one girl) didn't mean he was a pervert.

"Oh come on, don't act like you didn't already imagine those kind of things with her!" Chris patted his friends back as he got up. "Just tell her how you feel."

"I don't even know how I feel." Puck mumbled as he walked his friend to the door. (Yeah, he had manners. Shut up.)

When Chris turned around, he just smiled. "Yeah, you do. You're just too afraid to admit it!"


Another build-up chapter, but I hope you liked it nevertheless?
Next chapter will be the start of the second week, yay! Took us long enough...
And who knows what might happen next with Cedric gone and Puck getting pushed into the right direction (aka Rachel) by Chris?
You'll find out soon (hopefully)!