Finn was ready to spill to Rachel about how he felt about her. He needed to let her know that he had true feelings for her, that he wasn't like those jerks from her past. He placed a hand on either side of her face as he stared down into her eyes, willing her to see the seriousness floating in them. "God Sprout, I…"

He paused, trying to get the courage to voice his feelings when all hell broke loose. Kurt's door exploded open, sending wood everywhere. Instinctively, Finn pulled Rachel to him, covering her slight body with his much larger one, protecting her from the flying shards of wood.

Rachel screamed as Finn felt someone with strength rip him from her, throwing him off the couch and up against the sliding doors of the balcony. Before Finn's Navy training could even kick in, an arm was around his neck, the bicep squeezing on his windpipe, constricting his air flow. Finn couldn't even turn around due to the strength his assailant was using against him. Finn gasped for air, but whoever had him wasn't about to let go and he knew it wouldn't be long before he blacked out.

His thoughts went to Rachel, wondering if she was okay but knowing there was no way that was possible if he was being assaulted this way. He struggled against his unknown assailant, calming slightly when he heard her speak.

"Let. Him. Go. Noah! Let Finn go, right now!" She was yelling and it sounded like she was right behind him. He could hear the sound of skin being slapped and wondered if Rachel was actually attempting to free him by slapping the guy to death.

"No way Rachel. He was molesting you! He had his hands all over you. I told him to take care of you and I come up and hear grunts and moans, what the hell was I supposed to do, let it continue? Hell no! He's gonna learn you don't mess with my baby cousin."

It all made sense now. Rachel really was slapping his assailant, but only because it was her cousin. He could feel Puck's breath on his ear and his grip around his neck tighten even more with each slap. Everything was becoming blurry and the more Finn tried to pry Puck's arm off his throat, the tighter Puck's grip became. Lake Michigan and the sailboats were becoming blurrier by the second and Puck and Rachel's voices, still in the midst of their argument, became fainter until everything darkened.

Even in his haze of blackness, Rachel's lyrical voice still managed to call to him. "Finn, Finn can you hear me? Finn, wake up." Her voice, which had been soothing, now turned sharper. "Noah, if he doesn't wake up in the next two minutes I'm going to shoot you! Why in the hell did you do that?"

Finn wanted to open his eyes, wanted to see Rachel's face, but it just hurt. His neck hurt, his chest hurt, hell everything hurt. Even if he couldn't see her, he could hear Rachel though, and her soft voice whispering to him, urging him to wake up, and he wanted to so badly, but things just hurt too much.

He felt her stroke his hair and forehead softly. For someone that wasn't supposed to have any people skills, she sure knew just how to comfort him. Her warm breath tickled his ear as she whispered words she knew only he would hear and understand. "Jolly Green Giant, I need to see those eyes of yours. Please let me see those beautiful eyes."

He felt her lips touch his ear briefly before she pulled away. Slowly he tried to open his eyes for her, managing to let his eyes to flutter against the light of the setting sun. He groaned as he tried to push himself up onto his elbows. He felt Rachel wrap her arms around him and pull him against her, his head resting on her shoulder.

Finn finally got a look at his assailant, Noah Puckerman, who had two bandages wrapped around both of his upper arms and a pissed off look on his face. The sight of those minor injuries made his blood boil and Finn couldn't hide the anger in his voice. "Why in the hell were you trying to kill me Puckerman?"

"You were molesting Rachel!" Puck's retorted his face scrunched up in anger, as if that answer was enough to commit murder. He eyed Finn's head still resting comfortably on Rachel's chest and shoulders, daring him to try and take a peek down her shirt. Instead, Finn kept his eyes level with Puck's hazel one.

"No he wasn't Noah. We were kissing. That was it," Rachel said, not releasing Finn from her clutches. Her voice was full of aggravation directed towards her cousin, making Finn glad it was aimed at someone else for once. He just leaned his head closer to her neck, taking in her scent, as she started to gently stroke the back of his head, her fingers playing with his hair.

His eyes closing from her movements, Finn managed to ask, "What happened to you anyway? How did you get winged in both arms?"

His eyes flew open at the voice that answered, because it certainly wasn't Puck's. "I did. I got him in both arms with my sai swords. You forget brother that I used to compete in weapons, and the sai's were my specialty. You laughed when I decided to keep those on my hallway wall as decorations, but who's laughing now? This Cro-Magnon let go of you rather quickly after he got nailed in both arms."

Finn smiled at the sound of satisfaction in Kurt's voice. His brother may look like he couldn't even hold those damned swords, but he sure as hell knew how to use them, a fact Finn knew only too well, having been on the inadvertent receiving end of Kurt's sword skills one too many times.

Finn watched Puck shake his head in embarrassment. "First, I get taken out by a Hummel figurine and now my baby cousin keeps giving me death stares. What in the hell have you done to her Hudson? She's already filled me in with everything that has happened back in Boston and in Indianapolis, but what the hell have you gotten her into? While you've been out, she filled me in about the map and the thieves and the chase and the treasure map and the damn sapphire key."

He took a step towards Finn and Rachel on the couch. "Fun time's over. You aren't a detective Hudson, you're a damn reporter. You need to let the professionals like Rachel and me take care of this. You're just a reporter." Puck stuck a finger in Finn's face, trying to get his point across.

Finn opened his mouth to respond, but then just shut it. Puckerman was wrong. He was more than just a reporter, but no one would ever know it, and it was best that way. From his perch on Rachel's shoulder, he heard Rachel's soft voice come to his rescue. "I'll have you know Noah, that Finn was in the Navy as a weapons person on a helicopter and a rescue diver, so he is much more than a reporter. So shush."

Finn couldn't hide his smile for Rachel sticking up for him. No one besides his family or his crew on the helicopter had ever stuck up for him. Finn observed Kurt looking on with a sense of pride as Rachel spoke, while Puck's grimace got deeper with each word Rachel uttered. He slowly removed himself from Rachel's arms when he felt her move and reach to grab his backpack.

Still recovering from Puck's greeting, Finn just sat back and let her unroll the map and explain everything to Puck and Kurt. He'd nod at her when she'd look at him for confirmation of what she was saying, but she explained everything perfectly, and added background information that the others didn't know.

When she had finished, Finn watched the expressions on both Puck and Kurt's faces, astonishment appearing. "Finn, I've been your brother for a long time, and I didn't even know you were that smart. Who knew you reading all those comic books in high school would actually come in handy?" Kurt deadpanned as he got up to grab his laptop.

"What are you doing Kurt?" Rachel asked before Finn could retort about the insult to his beloved comic books.

"We're going to plan our way to San Francisco. I figure we can't fly there, so we can map out our way there," Kurt announced, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

Finn frowned as hearing one word he didn't want to. "What do you mean by 'we' Kurt? 'We' means me and Rachel. You aren't coming with Rach and me. You're staying here."

"Oh no I'm not Finn," Kurt said firmly. "Think about it. The two people chasing you don't know me, or Puck for that matter, so we can get around a little easier than you two. You need us, besides, I need to live a little. Ducking knives thrown by angry French chefs is fun, but I need a little more excitement in my life."

Finn shook his head no, knowing his mom and Burt would kill him if anything happened to Kurt. "Finn, I'm an adult and there is no way you are going to stop me. I'm coming with you. Besides, how are you going to stop me? Hmmm?" Kurt cocked on eyebrow, daring him and knowing that Finn hated that particular gesture.

Not moving his eyes from his brother Finn growled out, "Hey Rach, do you still have your handcuffs? I think Kurt wants to see what it's like to be chained to a chair."

"I'm coming," Kurt repeated as he walked towards the kitchen.

Sighing as he sat back, Finn grabbed Kurt's laptop while Rachel sat down beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. Puck kept his distance, but Finn could feel his eyes watching their (mostly his) every movement as he looked on.

"I was thinking Finn; since we are being chased, and they know we are going to San Reyes, why don't we like take a random route, so they can't predict where we'll go next?" Rachel suggested, pointing to something on the screen. "I'm going to be honest, I'd rather meet them at the end and have time to plan than try to stay one step ahead of them and be afraid they may find us."

Puck spoke up before Finn could answer. "Rachel, that'll still be a possibility no matter what you do. You are right though, taking a random route will throw them off our trail, and Hudson here did take precautions for you not to be tracked, so hopefully it'll work."

As the three sat around the computer, talking and arguing about the route, Kurt fixed dinner for them, not knowing when their next home cooked meal would be. Over steaming bowls of pasta, Finn informed Kurt of the plan. "We're grabbing the train to St. Louis, and then from there we can rent a car, but I think we need to keep switching up the way we travel. Does that make sense?"

"Yea, and we are going to switch up the roads and highways, traveling all over the country," Puck added. "The only area we are staying away from is the northern plain states since traveling through them is desolate and we don't need to be totally isolated with killers after us."

Finn sat there and listened as the three bantered back and forth over the total trip, with Kurt interjecting about clothes and Rachel and Puck arguing about logistics. Grabbing his laptop, Finn opened up a secure file marked "Herald Response", and typed in his lengthy password while he kept an eye on Rachel and the other two. As soon the three got into a discussion about something Finn wasn't paying attention to, he quickly typed in several things and waited for a response, which happened only in a few minutes. Reading the response, Finn closed it out and spoke up, getting the trio's attention. "I've got us tickets on Amtrack to St. Louis for tomorrow morning, and then a rental car there. We can drive to Tulsa from St. Louis. When we get to Tulsa we can decide from there how to travel."

Finn watched Kurt scrutinize him closely as he gave them their itinerary. Finn needed to deflect Kurt's scrutiny. "While you three were talking, I just went ahead and booked it. At least I'm getting us there." Finn shrugged and grabbed his and Rachel's bowl and took it to the kitchen, hoping no one was going to ask any more questions. As he turned on the water to wash the bowls, he felt two small arms slip around his waist.

Looking down to see two deep brown eyes staring at him, a question in her eyes. "Hey Sprout, what's up?"

"Besides my partner becoming very quiet and distant. Nothing. What's going on Finn?" Her eyes felt like they were a lie detector and if he lied she would know instantly.

Shaking his head he tried to divert her, but he felt her hand on his cheek, guiding him to face her, "Tell me Finn, what's going on?"

"I'm freaked out! We've been chased, shot at, and now I've been almost choked to death by your cousin. I know you're a cop, but what if I can't protect you. I promised Puck I would take care of you, and I'm not doing that. Puck's right, I'm just a damned reporter. I don't know why I even thought I could solve such a huge crime like this." Finn looked at her, all the worry he'd kept to himself came out in his infamous word vomit.

He felt her squeeze his middle tightly and rest her head against him, "Finn, I had already decided to do this on my own before I met you. You haven't made me do anything I wasn't going to do anyway. Don't blame yourself. You've saved my life. You even figured out the key to Drake's treasure. I would have never have figured it out, and I'm the detective. Don't sell yourself short Finn. You're awesome." Finn could hear the truth in her voice. He had never really felt awesome. Even as the quarterback and lead in his glee club he knew he was good, but still just never felt awesome.

"I'm a screw up Sprout. I screwed up a full ride to IU by joining the Navy. I screwed up my first solo assignment as a reporter and possibly my job now that we are essentially on the run. And I have your cousin ready to rip me to shreds every time I even look at you! Please tell me that I'm not a screw up." Finn looked at Rachel, daring her to contradict him.

He was shocked when her arms snaked around his neck and pulled him down into a sweet kiss, her lips moving lightly against his, compelling him to open his mouth allowing her tongue to move in and stroke his, causing him to groan. Grabbing her hair and tangling his fingers into her hair, he angled her head to deepen the kiss, eliciting a moan from her throat.

Rachel felt butterflies and fireworks surge through her as she and Finn kissed against Kurt's sink. Every kiss was more and more potent, and she never wanted them to end. She wanted to show Finn just how awesome he truly was. Then she heard it, the voice that was like ice water, "Hudson, stop trying to eat my cousin or I'm gonna break your damn jaw! Get off of her!" Rachel felt Puck's hand encircle her arm and pull her roughly from Finn.

She'd had it. She wasn't a baby that needed to be babysat. She was a grown woman. A woman trained in offensive and defensive fighting. Taking hold of Puck's hand, she pushed on his palm putting it at a ninety degree angle to his wrist and kept pushing to backward, causing him to gasp in surprised pain as he let go and started going down on his knees to try to relieve the pain. Rachel kept pushing on his hand and then took her thumb and placed it where his ear and jaw met and pressed on those nerves forcing him to look her in the eye or have more pain inflected on him.

"I am a grown woman Noah. I can take care of myself, despite what you and my fathers think. I will not be treated as a child. The department, you, dad and daddy and even the damn force treats me like I'm a five year old. I'm not! Finn has been the only person to treat me like a real adult that can do things on my own. He has treated me like an equal, like a partner. So you can either shut up and deal with it, or go back home to Boston and keep screwing the woman that took my case. Do you understand me Noah Miriam Puckerman?" Rachel could see the tears of pain in Noah's eyes, but she didn't care, she kept the pressure on his wrist. She was tired of being pushed around. She resorted to the one thing from childhood that always pissed Noah off, "Miriam don't you dare say one more derogatory thing about Finn or threaten him in any manner or I will personally take you out. Do you understand me? Plus I'll tell Aunt Jeannie that you and Lauren eat pork on the Sabbath instead of going to temple." Rachel saw the fear cross Noah's eyes at the mention of his mother. Every good Jewish boy was scared to death of his mother, if he was a good Jewish boy, and Noah was despite his apparent badass persona.

"Now I need you to walk back out into the living room and talk to Kurt while Finn and I finish up in here. If you don't and keep pestering Finn and me, I will get Finn's gun and put a shot in each ass cheek for Lauren to take care of . Now be a good boy and leave. You and Kurt can figure out where you are sleeping, because Finn and I are taking the spare bedroom" Rachel looked Noah directly in the eye, daring him to say or do anything, but all she had to do was watch him back out slowly out of the kitchen, not saying anything.

As Noah left, she heard Kurt's high pitched giggled from the other room as Noah must have entered, "Oh Miriam, how did a smack down from your little cousin feel. And you called me a Hummel figurine, really Noah Miriam Puckerman. Does your girlfriend know your middle name? Can I tell her, please? Please, oh please?"

"Shove it Hummel. My mom swore she was having a girl, so she had a girl's name picked out, but no boy's name and then I appeared with a Puck Jr. between my legs; she gave me the orderlies name Noah, but she liked Mariam so much she kept it as my middle name. And I swear to God if my middle name is leaked I will personally give you the body parts to match your voice, got it?"

Rachel watched Finn's face turn bright red as he tried to keep in his laughter over learning Puck's name. A snort would escape his mouth through the hand he had covering it. Rachel just had to add into Noah's embarrassment even more so she yelled, "Hey Kurt, you know what Miriam means in Hebrew? It means rebellious, and considering Noah, it's the perfect middle name for the boy."

"Well Miriam, let's go get things set up for tomorrow morning, shall we?"

"Stop calling me that Hummel. I haven't made fun of your girliness while I've been here, and you parade it around." Rachel could almost hear the steam coming out of her cousin's ears while Kurt teased him, but then Finn put an end to all the teasing the Puck truly deserved.

"Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, be nice to Puck. He does have a gun and can use it." Rachel listened as the banter between Noah and Kurt continue, but at a much quieter level.

Turning back to Finn, who looked extremely impressed, she smiled as he leaned down and whispered, "Wow, who knew you were as much of a badass as your cousin. I have to admit, that was all kinds of hot." Rachel felt Finn nibble on her ear and experimentally traced the shell, causing her to moan and giggle at the same time, until Kurt's doorbell rang, causing them to freeze.

Both of their eyes trained in the direction of the door as they heard Kurt's voice, "Santana Lopez, what on earth are you doing in Chicago? More importantly, what the hell are you doing at my condo? I haven't seen you since high school."

Rachel's froze in fear, because she was known by Santana as Caroline Revere, not Rachel Berry. Not needing to be outed, she placed a finger on her lips and crouched down behind the island just in case Santana came into the kitchen, whispering fiercely to Finn, "You need to get rid of her." She saw Finn nod and then leave to go into the living room to get rid of the Latina.

"Satan, what are you doing here in Chicago?" she heard Finn ask.

"I could ask you the same thing Frankenteen. I just saw you a few days ago serving me my breakfast in Boston. So what are you doing here in Chicago?"

Rachel heard Kurt butt in, "He's visiting me, his brother, Santana. What's your excuse? You hated me all through high school."

"I can't visit an old high school friend. DAR sent me here for another fundraiser. I thought I'd try to have you get me a table in your fancy restaurant. I needs me some fancy food and some fancy wine. What do you say Hummel?"

"Again, you hated me and bullied me all through high school, so I say no Santana. I'm on vacation and leaving in the morning with Finn. We're having some brotherly bonding time." Rachel could hear the waver in Kurt's voice, and he obviously wasn't the best liar around.

"Really, you two? You two can't decided on anything. You two can't be anymore opposite then chocolate and vanilla. So what are you Lady Lips and you Man Boobs up to?" Rachel could hear the distinct sound of stilettos coming toward the kitchen. Crouching down and going further towards the corner, Rachel hoped that it would stop, because she was small, but not small enough to fit in a cabinet. Then she heard Puck.

"Hey Hummel, you may want to light a candle in your bathroom, I had to take the Brown's to the Super Bowl. Anyway, who's the hottie in this place? I thought you batted for the other team." Rachel didn't even hide her smile as she pictured Noah in his normal sex shark mode. "My name is Puck, but you can call me Puckzilla, sweet thang. What time can I pick you up for dinner, honey? I figure I'll take you some place spicy since you are so hot." Rachel bit her lip to keep from laughing. She could picture the scenario taking place with Puck putting his hands in the arm holes of his wife beater and pulling it to show his nipple rings. He had always thought he was irresistible since high school when he got them pierced.

"Um, I think I need to leave now. Bye Lady Lips, bye Man Boobs. See you at the next reunion." Rachel listened as the stilettos left the apartment and the door shut. She could have sworn she heard a collective breath be let out from the boys. Standing up she walked out into the living room to give her cousin a thumbs up for a job well down, as he just smirked and motioned to his body like he was all that. Rachel just rolled her eyes at his bravado.

"That was a rather unexpected surprise. So what time do we leave in the morning?" Rachel asked, her hands on her hips as she looked at the three men she would be traveling with to San Reyes.

"The train pulls out at four thirty. We need to get there an hour before so leave here at three o'clock." Finn said looking around at the other three.

Rachel clapped her hands gaining their attention, "Good, that means it's time for bed since we have an early start. Kurt, I'm to assume that you have already packed for Finn and I since you bought us clothes. Puck, I know you have a backpack full of clothes, so I think we are all set. Let's get to bed." Rachel said, looking at the boys and ushering them to their rooms, grabbing Finn's hand to lead him to the guest bedroom.

Rachel felt Finn's hand tighten on hers as she closed the door and clicked the lock. As she turned, she licked her suddenly dry lips as Finn stood at the side of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. She had never seen anyone so adorkable with his strong presence and child like demeanor. She had never met someone like him before. Never had anyone really put themselves out there for her and didn't get upset over her diva-esque anger. She started walking towards him as seductively as she could, having never done anything like it before. As she slid her hand up his neck, wanting to bring him down to her and let their lips meet again, only to be met by his cheek as he turned his face away from her whispering softly, "I can't do this Sprout. I just can't do this."

Huge shout out to Mida212, blameSmelLycat and Gleekky4LC on twitter for helping me out with Puck and his middle name. If you for some odd reason want to follow me or want to help when I need ideas, I'm on twitter kamcoleman.