Hey guys!! Sorry for being late. Hope you enjoy chapter 11! I hope it was worth the wait.

Rachel took a deep breath; she loved feeling the fresh brisk air hit her lungs. She closed her eyes as the fall air fell around her. When she re-opened her eyes she caught Puck's anxious stare from the sidelines, she smiled and waved to let him know she was fine. He grinned back but it was still slightly anxious. She knew that he was nervous about her being there to watch him play.

"Hey, Rachel!" A voice hollered. Turning she grinned as she saw Mercedes and Tina heading towards her.

"Hi, guys. What are you doing here?" She asked curiously knowing that her friends would rather gouge out their eyes rather than watch a football game. Especially a McKinley game when the chances of them winning were slim to none.

Mercedes rolled her eyes "I knew you would be here for Puck and I figured I should come to one of Kurt's games. He gives me play by play of all his dance moves for each kick anyway."

Tina shrugged sheepishly, "Mercedes threatened to make me be "Glenda, the good witch for Halloween if I didn't come with her."

Rachel laughed, tucking her windblown hair behind her ears. "What?" She asked noticing that Mercedes was staring at her slightly.

"You're different." Mercedes stated bluntly.

"Uh…, "Rachel trailed off unsure how she meant that.

"You seem better. More like your old self except…relaxed." Rachel smiled softly looking down at the ground. "Noah's good for me," was all she replied before refocusing her attention to the game.

She knew squat about football even after asking Puck a billion question wanting to know a little about the game he loved. He had laughed trying to explain it to her and the fact that she had maybe understood one word he had said. He finally kissed her on the head and told her to just cheer every few minutes and not worry about the rest.

She suddenly shot to her feet clapping and cheering. Tina looked over confused, "what happened? Did we do something?"

"I have no idea but I was told to cheer so that's what I'm doing." Rachel answered sitting back down calmly.

"Hello, Girls." Ruth Puckerman interrupted with a smile.

Rachel stood up giving her quick hug, "Hi, Mrs. Puckerman. Noah didn't mention you were coming."

"I know. I usually cannot come because of work but I was able to get off a little early. Rachel this is Sara."

Rachel smiled over at the fifteen-year-old girl next to her mother. She looked just like Noah; except her eyes were chocolate brown and her thick black hair fell down in waves over her back. She had a slim figure that was starting to show of womanhood. Rachel bit back a smile knowing that in a year or so Puck would have to be beating the boys off with a bat.

"Hello, Sara. It's nice to finally meet you."

Sara smiled shyly dimples gracing her cheeks. "Thanks, its nice to meet you too. Noah told me about you being in the hospital last week, are you feeling better?" She asked quietly.

Rachel nodded, "Yes, I'm fine."

Ruth stared at her for moment before turning towards Sara, "hey sweetie, would you mind going to the concession stand and getting me a drink?"

"Sure, Ma, "

"We will go with you, "Mercedes offered.

As Sara and them headed down the bleachers Ruth turned towards Rachel, her eyes filled with motherly concern, "Rachel I hope you don't mind me asking but are you ok? Noah filled me in with what you're dealing with and I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about it?"

"Thanks, Mrs. Puckerman, that's sweet but I'm okay." Rachel answered automatically.

Ruth nodded slowly, turning her gaze to the game below, "you know I was just a year older than Sara when I got pregnant with Noah." Rachel stared stunned at the calm in her voice as Ruth continued to watch the game not even looking at her.

"We had been together since I was thirteen and it just happened. I had no idea what to do. Elijah, that's Noah's father was just a year older and we probably had two cents between us. When we finally got the courage to tell our folks, my parents were horrified but they agreed to help but his…well it was not pleasant. Elijah was so outraged at their demand that he dump me and that we give the baby up for adoption. He didn't say a word to them; he just dropped to his knee and proposed right in front of them."

"That sounds like something Noah would do," Rachel told her quietly smiling as she watched him run across the field.

Ruth nodded smiling proudly, "Yes it does. It took me forever to answer. I was terrified, I was only sixteen and he was asking me to be a wife and mother. Everything I had dreamed of was gone." She turned towards her, her eyes bright with unshed tears, "I wanted to go to school in England. I made sure I had a 4.0 all through school so I would be eligible for scholarships and I knew I was being asked to choose. Then I looked down into the eyes of this man who was staring at me with so much love and such a fierce protectiveness and I knew what I had to do. We were married three months later."

Rachel gulped past the lump in her throat wondering why she was telling her this.

"My entire pregnancy I just kept thinking my plans were changed forever and everything that I thought I wanted was gone. I adjusted but it wasn't until the day that Noah was born that I realized that my dream was nothing compared to having my son in my arms."

Ruth put her hand on Rachel's arm. "I know what's like to have the rug ripped out from underneath you. To have everything you've worked for suddenly vanish and to realize all that time you have worked for that one goal was for nothing but I'm here to tell you that sometimes life has a way of taking away your dreams and giving you the best reality you could ever hope for."

Rachel could feel the tears slipping down her cheeks and Ruth wrapped her arms around her, "I have a feeling Rachel that something you didn't even know you wanted is about to come in your life that is going to make your Broadway dream seem like nothing."

"You really think so?" Rachel whispered.

"With all my heart."

Rachel smiled and gave in to her impulse; wrapping her arms around Ruth. "Thanks, Mrs. Puckerman."

"Ruth."

"Thanks, Ruth." Rachel hesitated for a moment before her curiosity got the best of her, "If you don't mind me asking, what happened between you and Noah's dad?"

Ruth sighed giving a sad smile, "We were really happy for the first few years. We struggled but somehow we were able to make a life together. We had Sara three years after Noah and I guess I just took for granted that because I was happy and content so was he." She shrugged helplessly, "He left when Noah was six and Sara was three. He never said why but one day I woke up and he was gone. You know when I got pregnant I was so focused on what I was losing I never stopped to think of what he was. I guess he decided that keeping that dream whatever it was, was more important than his family."

"I'm sorry," Rachel, told her feeling terrible for asking.

"No, its okay. Noah and Sara is the best thing to ever happen to me and I know if I had to do it all over again, I would." Ruth smiled as Noah scored a touchdown causing McKinley's first score of the season.

Noah hurried to his truck, he had sent Rachel a text telling him to meet him there and he knew the air was getting cold. He did not want her standing out there to long. He smiled as he saw her sitting in the bed of his truck. Her longs legs covered in jeans, a sweatshirt and a leather jacket over it. Her hair down and blowing around her face.

"Hey, babe, "He kissed her before sitting down next to her.

"Hey, Noah. Good game." Rachel told him happily leaning into his chest as his arms wrapped around her.

He laughed, his chest rumbling underneath her, "Did you understand anything that happened?"

"No, well your mom helped explain a few things but mostly not. Although I do know that you scored a touchdown but that's about it."

"Ma was here?" He asked confused, "She usually works late on Fridays."

"She was able to get off early. Both her and Sara were here." She grinned cheekily, "Except Sara ended up sitting with some freshmen boy for most of the game."

Puck sat up straight, "What? And Ma let her! Who was -What?" He demanded feeling her body shake not understanding why Rachel was finding this so funny.

"I'm sorry Noah, but what did you except? Sara is very pretty and she is fifteen. Of course boys are going to be coming around."

"Over my dead body. There is no way in HELL my little sister is going any where near a boy until she's at least thirty." He told her harshly making a mental note to find out who this boy was and use him as example so that ever guy in Lima would know that Sara was off limits.

Rachel laughed softly patting his hand, "whatever you say, Noah."

Puck frowned realizing that she patronizing him but before he could reply he saw Rachel yawn deeply, her eyes fluttering slightly.

He swept her up carrying to towards the passenger seat, "Sorry, babe. You're probably exhausted."

She nodded wrapping her arms around his neck. As he set her down in the seat, she grabbed his arm pulling him in close. She kissed him deeply, wondering why it was that every time he would touch her, sparks would fly before her eyes. They had probably kissed over a thousand times these past two weeks and her lips and skin still tingled and burn. He groaned low in his throat as his arms circled her waist sliding her closer. Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her chest against his.

He pulled back slightly running his lips down her neck. She arched her back giving him better access. She moaned as his touch burned her skin feeling it all through her body. His breath was haggard as he recaptured her lips; he kissed her deeply for a few minutes before pulling back, "You're making it very difficult to take you home." He whispered laying his forehead against hers.

She smiled trying to re-catch her breath. She leaned in kissing him softly before climbing back into the truck.

As he took her home, Rachel took his hand. She smiled the whole way home realizing that in some ways she ought to be grateful to CFS because without it and that time in the hospital she might have never ended up with him.

"What's that smile for?" Puck asked with a smirk.

She shrugged but scooted a little closer, he let go of her hand wrapping his arm around her waist.

"You want go to the park tomorrow?" Rachel asked.

Puck looked down in surprise, "Sure but why?"

"I have decided something. It's time to stop looking at CFS as a curse and maybe think of it as blessing."

Puck pulled the truck over to the side; he turned so he was facing her, "What do you mean, Rach? He asked quietly.

"I mean I'm seventeen and I've never slept in past six in the morning in my life. Tomorrow is the first Saturday in years when I don't have to be at three different dance and singing lessons." She smiled softly, "I get to relax and just enjoy the weekend. It is supposed to be beautiful tomorrow and I realized that all I wanted to do is go to the park with you. We can walk around and be together. Maybe this was my body's way of telling me that, that this was all it needed all along "

Rachel kissed his cheek, "I know that I still won't be able to sing and dance like before but for the first time it feels okay." She told him softly.

Puck stared down before gathering her up kissing her deeply.

"I'll pick you up at noon," He whispered huskily in amazement at this woman, never feeling more lucky than he did at that moment.

She grinned, "I'll be ready."

Let me know what you think!! I love hearing from you!!!

One more chapter and then epilogue. Thanks again!