Title: All's Fair In Love And War

Rating: T

Pairing: Rachel x Puck (Noah)

Summary: They were sick and tired of the social food chain ranking them as the losers of the school. They were fed up with having to bring extra sets of clothes to school knowing that they would have to change somewhere through the day. But most of all they wanted to put a stop to it all. So when the one girl who was at the very bottom of the ladder decides that enough is enough will they stand beside her to take revenge on those who have bullied and tormented them all throughout their school lives or will they just stand in the background and let it all continue?

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of the songs used.

Chap 14 ~ Complications

After Friday afternoon Rachel didn't see Noah until Tuesday having only gotten a few glimpses of him during the day before. Tomorrow was audition day and she wanted to desperately ask Noah if he had picked out his song yet.

She was walking down the hallway when she saw him standing at his locker and had full intension to go up to him and ask him about his song choice but before she even got two steps towards him she was cut off with someone blocking her path. Also causing her to lose sight of Noah.

"Hey Rachel" Finn said flashing her another one of his goofy smiles causing her to want to roll her eyes at him.

"What can I do for you Finn" She forced out feeling the need to be nice until he did something to either anger her or annoy her to the point that she snapped at this freakishly tall boy.

"I just wanted to let you know that I have picked out my song for tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted to hear it?" He asked hopefully

"Sorry Finn but I don't think its appropriate for me to hear your song until tomorrow at auditions" She said hoping she didn't sound to harsh as she tried to get passed him but he simply blocked her way again

"Oh ok, that fine" He said slightly taken back.

"Finn I'm kind of in a hurry so if there was anything else you wanted to say I would appreciate it if you got on with it" Rachel sighed in frustration

"Oh of cause… well I was just wondering if you, um… I don't know, like if you wanted to hang out or something this afternoon?" He asked as he nervously rubbed his neck "We're going to be team mates so I just thought that we should get to know each other better"

Did he just say what she thought he said? Finn Hudson… THE Finn Hudson. Quarterback of the Football team… Quinn Fabray's boyfriend… the same Finn Hudson who used to throw slushies at her and torment her friends was asking her to… hang out with him?

"Why would you want to hang out with me?" She asked before she could stop herself but after she said it she decided she should just go with it

"Well I saw your video and I thought it was pretty cool of you to do it" He smiled and that's when it dawned on her

Finn Hudson was trying to use her. He didn't want to be victim to one of their videos so he was trying to get on her good side with this whole lets hand out thing.

If he was going to play dirty then so was she. Finn was meant to be best friends with Noah so he would have to know something about his past, right? It was worth a shot.

"Alright Finn I don't see why we cant hang out" She agreed "I'll meet you in the parking loot after school and we can go out and get something to eat or something"

And with that she walked away but when she got away from him she noticed that Noah was already gone.

'Just great' She mentally sighed before heading towards her first class of the day.

She got no further than lunch before she was once again bombarded with questions that she did not want to answer.

"So Rachel what's going on with you and Puck?" Kurt asked while the others nodded in agreement all having been wondering the same thing.

She took note that he called Noah 'Puck'. Even though her friends had forgiven Noah on some scale she knew there were still not on first name basis. But hopefully they would soon realise that Noah wasn't Puck when he was around them and that he was really trying to get to know them the best he could.

"I don't know what you are referring to Kurt" Rachel's instant reply was

"Oh please Rach don't play us for fools" Mercedes laughed "Do you always hold hands with all your new friends?" And Rachel understood what she was getting at and only sighed.

This was going to be hard to explain.

"You all saw a side of Noah on Friday that he barely ever shows anyone. I saw it for the first time by accident but I'm glad I did because I'm getting a friend out of it. There are things in Noah's life that none of you know about and until he is ready to speak about them openly your just going to have to understand that frequent hand holding and spontaneous hugging every now and again is something that Noah needs right now. He needs friends who except him for being Noah and not Puck. He needs people who are going to be there for him no questions asked. I already made a promise to myself that I will be there for him for as long as he needs me and I hope that you all in some way or another try and do the same… Glee club is a family and our soon to be newest member needs exactly that… a family, who will have his back through thick and thin" Her little speech shocked at left the four people sitting around her stunned.

They had not been expecting it she knew but now it was out in the open she knew that they understood a little bit more to why Noah is like he is.

"Alright Rachel" Tina nodded "We will try"

That afternoon Rachel stood in the parking lot waiting for Finn to arrive. When she felt a hand on her shoulder she turned around expecting to see the tall boy but instead came face to face with Noah.

"Hey" He said softly trying to flash her a smile but coming out short

'At least he was trying' She thought as she gave him a quick hug as greeting

"Hey" She smiled hoping to make up for his lack of one. And from the look on his face she knew it had.

"So what you doing this afternoon?" He asked and she felt her heart almost stop.

Here he was trying his hardest to get somewhere with this friendship. He was making the next step putting himself out there willingly knowing he could get hurt. And here she was having made plans to hang out with his best friend.

When she didn't answer he seemed to get nervous.

"I was just thinking we could go to our playground… I know we usually go at night but I… I just want to get away for a bit you know? And I want you to be there" He admitted and it only made Rachel feel even more guilty.

'Don't lie to him Rachel' Her conscious told her quickly 'If you lie and he finds out he will never trust you again, you've come to far to screw this up'

"I, umm" She gapped trying furiously to find something to say but before she even go the chance to come up with something she was interrupted by another voice.

"Hey Rach!" Finn called as he jogged up to then but stopped short upon seeing Noah standing there "Oh, hey dude" he said nervously as he waved to his friend but Noah only grunted in return.

And that's when she saw it. Noah's whole appearance changed within a split second. No longer was there the venerable lost dead inside boy standing in front of her having just put himself out there. No in his place now stood the glaring, smirking, self proclaimed badass who called himself Puck. The boy Rachel knew she would never get through to.

"So, um… you ready to go Rach?" Finn asked obviously noticing the awkwardness that had surrounded the two.

Puck turned to her and she saw in his eyes a flash of Noah but it was gone as fast as it came and she could no longer see those dead eyes.

"Oh umm" She stuttered as she looked at Finn before turning back to face Puck to see him shaking his head at her.

"Noah I can explain" She said quickly but he simply continued to shake his head and take a step back.

"There's nothing to explain Berry" Puck spat as he glared between her and his best friend

"Yes there is Noah! Its not what it looks like!" She said trying to walk towards him but he simply took another step back.

"Like I would believe that" He growled "This whole thing has just been a sick joke, am I right? To get back at me for everything I've done to you, right? Get me to think you care and get me to let you in so you can then stomp on my heart and throw it back in my face. Well congratulations Berry you got what you wanted"

"Puck really it isn't what you think" Finn tried to help her out and she was grateful for it because a glance at the taller boy made her realise that his intentions about wanting to hang out may have not been as bad as she first thought… she got a feeling he had wanted to hang out to find out exactly what was going on with her and Noah.

Finn actually cared about Noah… but it looked like now both their plans had been thrown back in their faces. Finn had the best intentions at heart wanting to make sure she didn't hurt his best friend and she had just wanted to get some answers.

But it looked like now they had both hurt Noah without meaning to. And she could practically see him locking away his heart in that iron proof vault that she had worked so hard to penetrate.

"Don't pretend you weren't in on it Hudson" Puck snapped at his best friend "Why else would you be talking to Berry"

"Because I'm planning on joining Glee and try out for male lead and I wanted to get to know her so if we are working together it wont be so awkward" Finn snapped back but obviously by the look that crossed Puck's face it was the wrong thing to say.

"You didn't tell me that someone else was auditioning" He said his voice harsh and Rachel felt like she was close to tears. "But I guess that was your plan. Make stupid naïve Noah believe he's got some talent so he can go up there and make a fool of himself by getting beaten by Hudson"

"Finn wasn't meant to be auditioning I told Mr Shue that I had already found someone for the spot of male lead but obviously he didn't care and somehow convinced him to try out! Noah I swear I was going to tell you I just hadn't found the right time and you were so happy after Friday afternoon I didn't want to take that away from you" She pleaded with him

"Dude you overreacting a bit don't you think?" Finn asked but regretted it immediately when Puck turned to face him

"Overacting Hudson! You think I'm overreacting! I let someone in! I let HER in" He spat as he gestured towards Rachel "You know I don't do that! You know I don't let people in because you know I cant survive getting hurt again"

"Noah" Finn pleaded and it shocked Rachel to hear him call Noah by his first name.

"NO!" Puck snapped "You don't get to call me that anymore, neither of you do!"

And with one final glare at the both of them Puck turned and stormed away ignoring Rachel's calls for him to come back.

Spinning around she let the tears fall as she let her emotions spill out of her at the only person that was around.

"WHY did you have to do that!" Rachel screamed as she gestured to the place Puck had been standing moments ago "I was finally getting somewhere with him and you had to come and ruin it! He was ready to talk to me and let me completely into his life and you had to ruin that for me! Don't you understand that you probably just ruined my one and only chance to get to know the real Noah! Don't you care about him at all!"

"Of cause I care" Finn snapped "He is like a brother to me! I care more than you ever will"

"Then why haven't you been there for him these past few weeks! Why was it ME who found him passed out smelling like alcohol the other week! Why is it ME who see's that his is this close to the breaking point and no one but ME is doing anything about it!" She yelled and from the look on Finn's face she knew she had won.

"What are you talking about?" Finn asked his voice confused and panicked

"If you don't already know then why should I tell you?" Rachel asked angrily

"No he said he was fine!" Finn said his voice now full of panic and desperation "His mum was going into remission, everything was fine"

These comments caused her to shake her head sadly.

"Well obviously everything is not fine because every time I have been over to their place she hasn't been there. And I know for a fact that the other week Abby rung Noah telling him Sarah had fallen down and wouldn't wake up… everything is not fine Finn. Sarah is not fine, Abby is not fine and Noah… Noah is defiantly not fine" She explained her voice no longer angry but now simply tired.

"Rachel… I'm sorry I didn't mean to mess things up for you" Finn sighed

"Its fine Finn… I'm sorry for yelling at you" She sighed as she whipped her tears away

"I never wanted this to happen… I just wanted to know you weren't going to hurt him. He's been my best friend forever and I've seen the way he stares at you… he gets this look on his face that I haven't seen in years… you make him feel Rachel… just don't hurt him" Finn told her before he walked away leaving her standing there not knowing how she was going to make this up to Noah.

A/N ~ I am so nice :) giving you all these new chaps. Now be nice to me I want TEN! reviews and then you get the next chap. And if I get more than you get TWO NEW CHAPS!