Disclaimer: I do not own glee or any of the characters.

Here is another installment, sorry the updates are a bit here and there, lots of work to do but I'm trying my best to update as fast as I can. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 14

"You look cheerful this morning," Judy said as she poured herself and Quinn a glass of orange juice.

"I feel cheerful this morning," Quinn replied almost radiating happiness.

"Want to talk about it?" Judy asked, a little scared of the answer, but thankfully she was met with Quinn shaking her head and announcing that she was off to meet Puck.

It was a brisk walk that took Quinn to the park quicker than she expected. However, despite being early Puck was already occupying a swing, slowly rocking backwards and forwards. The clouds hung over the small park like a bad omen. Quinn took the swing next to Puck and kicked off with her right foot letting herself swing loosely next to the jock.

Puck seemed lost in his thoughts, which to Quinn, was rather unusual. His Mohawk seemed to have lost its lustre just like the expression on the jocks face. Quinn wasn't sure whether to ask what was wrong or to just let him talk in his own time, but then all of a sudden he silence was broken by a down trodden Puck.

"Do you ever feel like your heart and soul into something hoping for the best possible outcome, yet it just turns to absolute shit?"

A tear fell down Puck's creamy complexion. He turned his head hoping that the blonde sitting next to him hadn't noticed but she had. Wiping the tear away with a swish of his hand he spoke again, trying to seem cheerier than what he let on.

"So how was your hot date?"

"It was a kinky date not a hot date," Quinn said trying to lighten the mood.

Puck looked confused, so Quinn elaborated. "Santana said you can only have a hot date with two hot people, and nor Rachel nor I are hot apparently, anyway not important."

Puck frowned.

"For someone that swings towards chicks Santana hasn't got a damn clue what she is talking about. You and Rachel were the hottest chicks in school. Well along with Brittany and Santana and Mercedes isn't half bad, and I'm just going to stop talking because I'm digging myself a hole so deep that only my Mohawk will poke out of the top."

Quinn laughed; but wasn't fooled by the hearty exterior Puck was putting on, she knew it was something more but she had to play along or she'd never find out.

"It was quite good; it felt natural if that makes sense. I said I'd plan something next time we want to see each other."

Quinn just trailed off with the last part, she knew Puck wasn't listening. Small pools of glistening tears were accumulating at the bottom of Puck's jaw, and then slowly trickling onto his vest top. This time though, he didn't try and hide the fact he was crying. It was almost as if he wanted Quinn to notice. Quinn stopped the momentum of the swing. She didn't turn to look at Puck when she spoke as she didn't want to see the hurt in his eyes. It takes a lot to upset Puck and Quinn didn't want to see him at his most vulnerable point, because if she did, she wouldn't feel safe. As selfish as Quinn felt, she knew Puck understood because he felt the same with her. They seemed to have developed a mutual understanding of the safety they gave towards the other.

"Is it a girl?" Quinn asked in a very blank tone of voice.

"I don't know what to do Quinn? What do I do?" The boy pleaded. At this point in time all Puck felt like was a scared little child who was scared to try and ride a bike for the first time. He wanted to try so much but he was too scared of trying and getting hurt. Tears continued to flow freely from his eyes. Before Quinn answered she tried to think of what could have possibly happened, but this time she was truly stumped and didn't have a clue.

"Everything is falling apart, and no amount of alcohol or sex is going to make this pain go away. Not this time Quinn."

Quinn didn't know how she felt. A rush of emotions came over her. At first she felt helpless to Puck as he was indirectly asking for his help and she had no idea what to do. The next emotion that filled her was love and admiration for the man because he had chosen her to talk to; he'd chosen her to help him. Quinn knew exactly what it was like to have high expectations from everyone and then hide what you really felt. She knew that this was exactly how Puck must have felt. This tugged at Quinn's heart strings, so she jumped off the swing and kneeled in front of him. She still didn't look him in the eyes; she needed to wait until the time was right.

"Whatever is going on, I'll help you with okay, and I'll do my best. You're my best friend but most of all you feel like the brother I never had. You need to tell me what's going on though Puck."

Puck clenched his fists and his knuckles turned bright white, but as soon as he clenched them, he unclenched them again. His head was a mass of emotions and feelings and he didn't know where to start. He bit his tongue and tried to string a few sentences together hoping that they'd make enough sense for Quinn to understand and not need to question it.

"I love her Quinn. She's off with someone else and I can't do anything. He has everything I don't. My family is falling to pieces. We don't have a lot of money and my mum just lost her job. Pool cleaning isn't enough to cover the bills, get food, and pay for education and everything. My sister is only young; she needs a head start in life that none of us got. And there's nothing I can do."

A final stray tear found its way to Puck's chin. Quinn was ready. She lifted her gaze and met with Puck's chocolate brown eyes. His eyes seemed like a murky pool of water, glazed over with ice. His stare wasn't cold, but it wasn't filled with warmth and comfort either. Quinn lifted a finger to the stray tear that was about to drop onto Puck's top and wiped it away. He let out a feeble smile. How could someone so different from himself care so much about him, he thought.

"Life isn't perfect Puckerman but I was a cheerio and you were on the football team, so lets go."

Puck had a puzzled expression on his face.

"What? Where are we going?"

"To get you your woman back and get some money for your family okay?"

Puck snorted. "Yeah right, because everyone is dying to employ me and I'm sure Lauren is going to forgive me after I had sex with someone else when I was meant to be on a date with her."

"Puck, you're dweeb but I will help you. So come on, let's go."

Quinn was now standing with a defiant look on her face and her hand outstretched. No one crossed Quinn when she had a face like that. Puck lazily pulled himself off of the swing and grabbed Quinn's hand. Quinn started to march him off much to Puck's distaste.

"Where are we going?"

Quinn didn't answer.

"What are we doing?"

Still no answer.

"Quinn, for love of sex what are we doing and where are we going?"

To this, Quinn couldn't ignore.

"You are buying me a smoothie and I'm going to sort out your life. Then you're going to help me figure out a date to take Rachel on."

Puck pulled a face, but quickly retreated in doing so as he saw Quinn's vicious glare. If looks could kill he would be dead, Puck thought to himself.

Twenty minutes later they were both seated under the sheltered seating area of the smoothie bar. The weather had turned from bad to appalling. Rain was lashing from the sky like sharp daggers. Luckily they'd got under shelter before it got heavy enough to hurt. Neither Quinn nor Puck wore a jacket, which they both quickly regretted. Puck stared up at the melancholy sky and sighed. What a day this is turning out to be, he thought to himself.

Whilst Puck was amidst in his thoughts, Quinn stared over to her favourite field. The rain morphed the grass into a jade coloured sheet which accompanied the dark grey clouds perfectly. Little water droplets formed on each peak of grass and the tree's in the distance swayed silently in the slightly breeze. On the horizon the sky and grass danced together perfectly in a misty haze of colours and textures. Beautiful, Quinn thought, little did she know however, she spoke her last thought a loud.

"It is beautiful. Who knew something that brought back so many bad memories could be so beautiful all at the same time."

"Your words stun me Puckerman," Quinn teased.

He smiled. His smile didn't reach his eyes but it was a start. He was trying.

"You really love her don't you," Quinn said squeezing Puck's hand from across the table.

"Yeah I do, but I screwed up big time Quinn. It was my last chance and I managed to have sex with someone I didn't know on the supposedly most romantic night of my life."

"Yes, you were a muppet I'm not denying that but we can fix it."

Pucks eyes lit up slightly. "You really think we can?"

"Yeah, why not. We can try at least. I'll text her to meet her, and instead of meeting me she'll be meeting you."

"Um, how does that work if you're going to be, oh, I get it, don't worry," he blushed.

The waitress brought over two Cranberry Crunches's and then left them to it.

They sipped their ice cold drinks in silence. Neither knew what to say, and then suddenly a light bulb appeared in her head.

"Wait here," she told Puck.

A little bewildered Puck nodded. Quinn walked swiftly to the counter and began a conversation with the waitress who jut served them. Puck hadn't got a clue what was going on, he'd got a smoothie? He didn't need anything else? Did he? No, of course he didn't, why was he questioning himself, he thought. Ten minutes or so passed and then Quinn trotted back to the table with a huge grin plastered across her face.

"You totally just chatted her up didn't you? She's quite hot you know. I wouldn't mind having a go."

Quinn's grin turned to a frown. "Look, you want Lauren back so stop thinking of other women for just one moment; please?"

"Okay, fine," Puck said reluctantly.

"You start next Monday."

"Come again," Puck asked.

"You, Noah Puckerman, start work, here, next Friday, do you copy that?"

"Alright sarcy arse," Puck retaliated.

Quinn was quite pleased with herself. She had asked if any jobs were going and the waitress said they were really short staffed at the moment as one of the other waitress's was off giving birth. The job wasn't permanent but changes could be made if Puck put in enough effort.

The atmosphere between the two seemed much lighter and happier now that Puck had half solved one of his problems, but he still wasn't sure how on earth he was going to start with the other one. Quinn noticed the questioning look on his face and answered it almost at once.

"Take one step at a time okay, your family comes first okay."

Puck couldn't disagree with this, his family meant everything to him, and even if he abused every rule his mother made for him.

"Okay babe, now let's solve this Berry big problem that you've got."

Quinn snorted into her drink as she realised the pun Puck had just made.

"What?" he asked incredulously, "It was funny."

"Goddamn hilarious," she sighed but still had a Cheshire cat smile plastered onto her face

"I was going to cook for her, but she's vegan and I don't know the first thing about them."

"You make it sound like they are a dying species or something, probably are but still."

Quinn frowned and Puck apologised.

"I have an idea," Puck said after another few minutes of silence, which was only broken by the sounds of slurping and drinking smoothies.

After Puck explained what his idea was, Quinn clapped in excitement.

"That is the best idea I think you have ever had! But are you sure? I mean, I don't want to feel like I'm intruding or anything."

"It's fine, I wanted to help and I am."

"Lauren is very unlucky Puck, if I were straight and looked and acted like Santana I'd probably offer you complimentary sex as a congratulations for such a genius idea, but as I'm none of the above, it's not going to happen, sorry."

Puck sighed jokily and Quinn playfully punched him.

She couldn't be happier; Puck had just given her the basis of the perfect date. All she needed to do now was set it up and tell Rachel. Quinn just couldn't contain her excitement and whipped her phone out from her bag punching in a hurried text.

'Got perfect date, I'll pick you up Friday at 6:30, no excuses.'

Rachel didn't reply, but Quinn had a gut feeling that everything was going to be perfect. Little did she know however, that within twenty miniutes time Rachel was to drop a bombshell making Quinn question everything.

Thank-you for all the comments and reviews and stuff, they mean a lot and more would be very welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for sticking with this story, it does have a direction even if it doesn't seem like it yet. Enjoy (: