Hello! I'm back and now I have a professional bachelor, yay. No more school! Well, for now - just work. Gives me more time to write again. I can't wait :)

Okay so I wanna - as always - thank you for reading my story and taking the time to review it as well. Warms my heart to read what you think and know that you're following this story :)

A few questions were asked about where I'm taking this story and Jake in it. Firstly; this is Puckleberry. Don't worry, not gonna change over to whatever abbreviation Rachel and Jake would have (Rake? Juckleberry? Puckleberry 2.0?). Puck and Rachel will end up with each other. You'll have to stay tuned to find out how but rest assure it'll happen :) I brought in Jake because he's Puck's brother (and cos I really like him and the dynamic he and Puck have). So don't worry, I have a plan :)

This chapter took forever to write..God, it's plagued med for days on end. Just couldn't get it to sound out right but here you go, I think you've deserved it waiting for it almost patiently ;)


A side dish of paranoia

The wait to get off work the following day was the longest Puck had ever had to endure. It wasn't a longer day than normally but knowing that Jake was out and about with Rachel in the city made him itch to get of out of the hospital ground and join them as soon as possible. He couldn't stand the idea that Jake got to be on good terms with Rachel when he wasn't. Life was so unfair!

Puck was surprised as his phone rang and Jake's name lit up the screen with just as he was in the locker room changing to his normal day wear. He was already hurrying to get done and call Jake but with one leg in his pants he picked up and grunted a frustrated hello as he struggled to get his pants the rest of the way on.

"Yo bro! You off soon?" Another frustrated grunt answered Jake in the positive.

"Just canting now," Puck said as he finally got the reluctant pants to slip on and he could buckle the belt over his taut abdomen. "What are you two up to?"

"We're right outside, man. We were waiting for you to get off so we could take you out for a meal." He could hear Rachel in the background saying something and Jake laughed at her. "And Rachel is about to turn into a gremling with hunger so please get down here fast before she starts to chew my arm off."

"I'm on my way down now," Puck said and hung up. He put on the rest of his clothes and checked his own reflection in the mirror before he left.

Puck hurried down to the lobby happy they were there waiting for him and he didn't have to crash what they were doing but had opted to take him along. He felt a small hope of progression with Rachel. If she'd agreed to have dinner with him he felt sure she'd have cooled just a bit. When he reached the lobby he stopped his fast pace as he saw them on the steps outside clearly sharing a joke. Rachel's eyes fixed on Jake with a happy smile, shining eyes and lightly touching his arm as she laughed next to him. Jake smiled back down at her with an equal ease and happy demeanour his dark brown eyes fixed on her.

Puck felt a surge of insane jealous just barely managing to not run out there and beat the living shit of Jake because Jake was his brother. And looking at Rachel she actually looked happy for once and there was no excuse in the world Puck could make to dissuade her from dating Jake if that was who she wanted to be with. Jake was a good guy through and through Puck sadly had to admit to himself.

Rachel turned her head as she smiled shyly and Puck imagined Jake saying something flirty to her as her cheek coloured slightly and she half closed her eyes batting her long eyelashes at him. With her head to the side she caught sight of Puck and her face changed from shyly flirtatious to annoyed. A mere flash of emotion form one to the other - just like that, just by seeing him. She furrowed her brows and pursed her lips before pointing at him for the benefit of Jake who turned and waved at him with a big smile that, unlike the one Rachel plastered on, reached his eyes. Puck walked the last few steps out of the metallic grey double door leading out to the front steps of the hospital where the two stood. He was greeted with a slap on the arm by Jake and the same sinking fake smile from Rachel as she'd paltered on when she saw him. It was a smile designed to hide her anger, hurt and frustration in a pretence that she didn't care but she was fooling no one, least of all him. He however couldn't help compare it to the one she'd offered Jake just moments before. Jealousy was riding him like mare as he searched her eyes for something more than annoyance and forlorn smiles.

"So Rachel here suggested that we go to your favourite restaurant and get some early dinner, very late lunch," Jake interrupted Puck's contemplations about Rachel's smiles. Puck looked at Rachel as if to check that she'd agree to it being her idea. She shook her head with a mischievous smile at Jake.

"No I didn't. You asked where Puck likes to eat and I said he'd be just as happy as Mc-D." Jake grinned and shook his head at her and his stomach was asking him if he had had his head severed off some time during the day without telling it to stop expecting its usual feed.

"So I asked where you'd like to eat. Rachel just knew where it was." They exchanged a look between them and Puck was so close to kicking Jake's ass he fisted his hand so hard he could feel the skin break. How could his brother do this to him?

"So where are we actually going to get some grub? I'm hungry as hell," Puck growled partly angry about Jake and Rachel and also just out of hunger.

"Wow, someone's cranky," Jake laughed and bumped his fist at Puck's arm.

"Always is when he's hungry. Let's go to All's. Should satisfy the growling troll," Rachel said as the pained angry look on Puck's face didn't pass her by unnoticed and she knew she had to defuse the tension if she didn't want it to explode. She might hate Puck right now but she still knew him and she knew when he was tense as well as hungry and just what a bad combo that was. She couldn't however really understand why. It was his brother not some freak she'd picked up somewhere random and had been hanging out with all day. She'd just shown Jake the city. Even if she'd been a little mean last night when she'd said she was sorry Puck had to work so he couldn't and didn't mean a word of it. That just didn't warrant for the tense expression he was now sporting. Maybe he'd had a bad? she knew how hard he worked and the foul moods he'd sometimes be in after one of those days. She ached to ask him if he was okay but her pride forbade her to address him only to curtly answer if he spoke or indirectly as she answered Jake.

"Good idea," Jake smiled easily and made sure to walk between Puck and Rachel. "Did you know," Jake began. "What a good city guide Rachel is? She showed me what running in Central Park is like then treated me to breakfast at Tiffanies and then we went to MoMa," he told Puck cheerily. "And tomorrow we're-"

"You're going about he city again tomorrow?" Puck cut him off. "Don't you work anymore?" He directed his question to Rachel who looked taken back by the question readily rising to the challenge with a heated defence.

"Of course I still work but I have some time off," she snapped at back him. "And I like showing Jake here the city. He," she empathized the he to pointedly make a point. "Is good company." She knew she should have turned her head to look at Jake for the compliment to be one rather than an attempt to stab at Puck but she couldn't tare her eyes from Puck until it was too late.

"The girly version of it," Puck huffed sarcastically.

"I asked him where he wanted to go," Rachel growled back at him. "Besides feel free to take the time off to show him around. Oh," she shot him daggers with her eyes. "You can't, you're working." She tore her eyes from him to focus ahead of her on the busy street. Her anger had for a moment stopped listening to her pride and allowed her a minute of bickering with him even if she'd vowed not to allow him to get a rise out of her. Arguing with him was petty and she tried to tell herself to rise above it but it proved a harder task than she could rise to at the moment.

"Wow, looks like someone else is hungry as well," Jake joked trying to lift the tension between the two. He couldn't help the image of walking with two fighting dogs on each side of him ready to chew right through him to get at each other. "So tomorrow we're going to the West Village and later the PS1."

"I never thought you were this into the arts," Puck replied curtly. Jake merely grinned.

"I want to see something that's beautiful and creative after being in the Army. I kinda like museums," he said as if he'd only just realized himself just now. "It's so nice and quiet there and you can walk or sit down and look at other people's versions of the world. Not much of that in the Army," he offered a soft smile telling them maybe he'd seen more than he signed up for during his missions. Puck nodded with a shrug.

"I guess that makes sense," he agreed. "But don't think you can drag me there," he said half joking. Jake merely smiled.

"Not in a million years. Only if they made one with boobs and asses of the most attractive females in the world," he grinned.

"Like you wouldn't go to that as well," Puck snickered and Rachel rolled her eyes at the two as they shared a gleeful grin at the thought of such an art exhibit.

"Of course I would," Jake nodded eagerly. "But," he sent Rachel a smile. "Tomorrow we're looking at just the regular cutting edge kind of art where nudity isn't about sex." Rachel smiled appreciatively and nodded.

"Gonna be good," she replied.

"So, how was your day?" Jake asked Puck to defuse any potential blow outs between the two and Puck replied in length, also trying to defuse the tension. He didn't wanna fight Rachel any longer. Walking there next to his brother he realized that he was tired of fighting her but that he most likely would have be at the receiving end of her wrath for a while if he wanted to get on her good side. Or?

He gave her a side-glance and an idea sprung to mind praying on her goodwill and ever weak heart. He could make her like him again; easy, he smiled to himself. All he had to do was make Rachel feel bad enough for him so that he'd get on her good side and once there he could turn this whole thing around and get her back. He felt confident he knew he well enough to pull something like off but he felt a small jitter of nerves as he knew that if she ever found out that he'd been lying and scheming to get back in her good graces, she'd most likely never talk to him again. He glanced at her and it didn't take him long to decide she was worth taking the risk for. He needed her back in his life and he knew no ordinary apology would even halfway cut it. He had to make something up. He had to get her to feel sympathy for him. He couldn't see any other way out of this mess.

Rachel was ambivalently considering full blown bitchy annoyance wanting to hiss and hurt Puck like she'd never done. She used to think of herself as a particularly nice person who hardly ever felt the need to revenge anything but something about Puck's whole attitude pissed her off. He could have Jake back on the weekend and do all the "dirty-New-York-older-brother-version" when he was off. She wasn't trying to steal Jake from him or even remotely try to win Jake over to her side of this rift between them. She was just hanging out with a nice guy, new to town and in need of company. She gladly offered it as she had the time. She wasn't thinking of Jake in any way romantic (even if he was really good looking and all she had to admit) but merely as a friendly distraction. And, she slowly admitted to herself, she liked being with him making sure Michael and his freaky stalking was kept at bay. She felt safe with Jake confident he'd be able to handle pretty much anything a creep like Michael could throw at her. She sighed. She had been on edge all day looking for Michael everywhere. It was like a curse; she didn't want to but once the determination of not wanting to had settled it was all she could do. Running in the park she expected him at every bench, every corner turned as they walked around town and even at MoMa she expected him to just be creeping along after them. She had no reason, she tried to reason with herself but it seemed a more primal part of her nature had taken over fully convinced that Michael was a predator she needed to look out for. Make sure she didn't get her alone. It was ridiculous but none the less happening to her. Even now, walking between Puck and Jake, she found herself looking around paranoid he'd all of the sudden pop up and stand there looking at her. A thought occurred to her; he might be standing looking at her right now where she couldn't see him. She felt jittery on top of her annoyance, which, she realized, wasn't a good mix of emotions as she was with Puck who was the first and foremost source of annoyance.

As they made their way to All's she tuned out Jake and Puck looking around and thinking about everything that was going on right now. If things had been normal she'd have told Puck about it all but being as they were, she couldn't tell him. She didn't want to. It would mean that she had to forgive him for every idiotic thing he'd done, as he would most likely gallantly offer his services as a heroic knight in shining plastic and fend off yet another idiot she had been unable to deter herself. That kind of loss of self-pride wasn't the next step she'd be willing to make. She held onto her dignity and told herself that should things become worse she'd contact the Police and let them deal with Michael.

As they entered All's restaurant with its warm light and welcomed heat, she entered last happy to be the last wheel in this dysfunctional cogwheel and at first she didn't pay attention to who was there to receive them before a voice broke her inner grumbling.

"Hello and welcome to All's. I'm Michael and I'll be your waiter for the night," he said with slow smile and fixed his eyes on her with a gleeful resolution that gave Rachel goose bumps all the way down her arms and back. It was like looking into the eyes of a snake, slowly waiting to strike, she thought as she let the guys handled the talking.

"Table for three," Puck said with his usual brisk but somehow polite manners.

"Certainly," Michael answered gesturing to a table for four near the window. "Right this way," he walked with them and handed them each a menu as they sat down. Rachel hurried in front of Puck and Jake and before any of the guys had made up their minds about where they wanted to sit, Rachel had seated herself in the corner next to the window. She didn't meet Puck's questioning eyes or returned Jake's curious stare, she just opened the menu and hid her face from Michael with it. "Would you like to order your drink now or would you like to look-?" Puck cut him off.

"I'll have a beer. Rachel you want some water or some other healthy stuff?" Rachel bobbing her head agreed to the water.

"I'll have a coke," Jake said as he finally sat down opposite Rachel. Puck gave Michael a side-glance and noticed the way he stared at Rachel. He didn't like it so he sat down next to her and for a fragment of a moment she looked at him with a grateful and relieved look in her sparkling brown eyes, then she turned back to the menu and ignored him again.

"I'll be right back," Michael said with sugary sweetness making Rachel feel sick. She wasn't sure she'd be able to eat at all even if her insides were telling that she was hungry enough to eat even with Michael at the table. Jake looked through the menu as well as Rachel and then after a minute or so he put it down.

"Mind ordering the big cheese burger with fries for me? I really have to use the bathroom." Puck nodded.

"Sure." The moment Jake was out of earshot Puck turned to Rachel. "What the hell was that?" She shook her head at him stubbornly staring into her menu that was still held up like a protective shield in front of her making it impossible for Puck to see her face. "Don't just shake your head at me, Rach. I know you're mad but you're acting really weird right now." She peered over the colourful menu with one eye at him but he quickly realized she wasn't even really looking at him; her eyes were frantically scanning the room. Her eyes stopped for a moment and Puck hurriedly turned to find out what she'd been looking at. His eyes meet the eyes of Michael's pale blue ones staring at Rachel with a loopy smile paltered over his all too handsome features. "Is it that guy?" Rachel's eyes snapped to his unintentionally answering the question. She tried to shake her head but she knew he knew her well enough to know when she was lying. It was useless trying to cover it up.

"It's just," she finally spoke her voice strained and sounding odd even to herself. "It, he, that guy, I, rem…?" she didn't know what to tell Puck. The truth? "You remember that guy I, erm, slept with?" Puck turned to take another look at Michael. "That's him." Puck waited for a second to let the idea of this guy fucking Rachel settle but no matter if he'd had 20 years to let it settle he knew the anger wouldn't have been any less.

"That guy?" He tried to keep the anger and jealousy out of his voice but looking at Rachel he could see he hadn't succeeded. She saw it.

"Yes. That guy," she snapped for a moment holding onto his gaze with conviction and determination only she could hold onto but then she broke the contact and returned her eyes to the menu. "Try not be a dick out it," she said coldly detaching herself from the situation. The anger in Puck's eyes told her not to tell him about what Michael was doing. She didn't want Puck to make a scene or do something stupid like try to tell the guy to fuck off in his own Puck way. She'd deal with Michael on her own.

"He's a creep," Puck answered but managed to plaster on a smile as Michael brought them their drinks.

"Are you ready to order?" He asked this time looking a little less confident as Puck was staring up at him with his jaw muscles flexed.

"Yes. One cheeseburger with fries. And I'll have a double cheeseburger with bacon and fries. Rachel?" Rachel didn't look at Michael as she ordered a salad. Puck took her menu and handed it to Michael with a harsh smile clearly trying to show Michael that he wasn't wanted there or anywhere else near Rachel.

Jake came back just then and Rachel imagined in her head the two brother like wolves communicating via body language and the sense of the pack: Jake took one look at Puck and then at Michael before he also gave Michael the stare. Two stares and Michael was off with a polite smile. Jake however didn't ask and for the rest of the meal no one brought it up. Sitting next to Puck she felt safe even if Michael stared at her almost every other minute and it made her skin crawl; with Puck there she knew she'd be fine.

Knowing where Michael worked, she felt a sense of security. She knew something about him, too. Leverage? She told herself she wasn't this person as the thought occurred. She wasn't planning to retaliate, was she? He hadn't really done anything and already her head was spinning with nervous plotting of what a creep he was and how she'd remove him from her life - even if he wasn't even really in it. So far all could be contrived to mere coincidence: he could just have been in the park and seen her. At the station he could haven been on the same train to go home or to see someone else. And now; he had said he was unemployed and looking for a job. But even as she tried to write the three instances of meeting him down to mere coincidence she couldn't shake the feeling that nothing about it all was mere chance.

"Rach? You there?" Puck's voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned her head to him confused why he had talked to her in the first place. "Wow, you're on some totally other planet," he grinned. "Thinking about your ex there?" Rachel furrowed her brow and her lost facial expression turned to a menacing one instead.

"I said don't be a dick about it."


She'd made it through dinner, endured Puck and enjoyed Jake's company even with Michael staring at her the whole time. She even managed to wolf down her dinner as she felt like she would otherwise collapse with hunger or start chewing her sleeves. All the while Michael's eyes followed her and took in every detail of her time at All's. She tried to ignore him and he left them mostly alone, as Puck's death stares seemed to work and ward him off - except for the looks.

As they exited the restaurant she glanced over her shoulder and Michael caught her eyes and winked at her with a sideways smile that made her almost trip over her own feet. Puck caught onto her arm and steadied her with a frown.

"Easy, Rach." She thanked him quickly and gently pulled her arm from his when she was sure she could stand on her own.

"Just a bit tired now after the whole day walking around. I should get home and leave you two to it. I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do," she offer with a polite smile as her eyes left Puck and started to scan the street for a taxi.

"Yeah, okay," Puck answered slowly trying to figure out how he could get her to stay but also not cause a fight. "Maybe going home would a good idea," he agreed unable to think of anything that wouldn't render him a pussy and then thinking maybe he should quit while he was a ahead. He however hadn't calculated the minute flicker of hurt as he practically told her he was happy she'd go. Could you ever win with chick? She nodded and pulled her coat tighter around her.

"Yeah. A good night's sleep," she agreed. Jake looked from one to the other inwardly rolling his eyes at their common stupidity.

"How about," he punctured the bubble of uncomfortable silence. "We all meet for lunch tomorrow? Rachel and I could come to you at the hospital and then we could go somewhere near enough for a nice lunch." Rachel gave him a meek smile but nodded.

"Sure. Sounds like a good idea."

"Yeah," Puck chimed in. "I also think I should get to bed a descent time. Gonna be a long day tomorrow." Rachel looked up at him for a moment as if to try and guess why he was telling them that. He offered her a soft smile. She didn't return it at first but merely frowned as if she didn't understand why he was smiling at her. But then a hesitant smile made its way to just the side of her mouth pulling the corners up just half an inch but Puck noticed it. He stepped up next to her and started to hail a cab when Rachel's phone rang. She fished it out and stared at the screen before she quickly picked up.

"Hello?" She asked more than greeted the caller. He couldn't make out what the person on the other end said but whatever the person did say she stepped back from him. "You take that cab. I'll take the next one." She pointed to her phone indicating that it was important and he nodded a little deflated.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She nodded as a cab pulled to the side.

"Night Rachel," Jake bid her. "See you tomorrow," he smiled brightly. She returned the smile with the same ease as they took leave of her.

"Yeah thanks for today." They both got in even if neither liked leaving her standing back alone. It was after all New York even if she was in the central parts and a myriad of people were milling around her making it safe enough for her to get a cab on her own. There was not reason to worry, Puck told himself as the he gave the driver his address and the car swung into the traffic. He kept his eyes on Rachel as she talked her face changing as always filled with expressions to accompany her words. He lost sight of her as they put more distance between All's but as they took a right turn he could make her out again. She had begun to walk down the street as she talked still. She smiled slowly, hesitantly he could just make out. But what caught his eye wasn't Rachel herself but the person behind her. Like a dark shadow looming over the waiter from All's was right behind her.


Thanks for reading :) Hope you enjoyed it.