Author's note: Since I'm in an especially foul mood over Rachel giving it up for Finn in this past episode "The First Time", and because I still haven't completely gotten over Sam leaving, here's an extended scene featuring Sam, along with another little treat for all you Puckelberry fans. To me, a promise ring is more than just a prop and passing whimsy. It actually means something. But then, I've always been pretty serious, even when I was an actual teenager. (That was a little more of my rant that didn't make it into the last chapter, lol.)

Music suggestions: 'Hello' by Martin Solveig & Dragonette, 'Want you bad' by The Offspring, 'Thriller/Heads will roll' by Glee Cast.

Disclaimer: Don't own Glee.

Tackling Time

Warming up on the sidelines between Puck and Mike, Sam glanced over his shoulder at where Quinn used to stand. At the rear left corner in front of the home crowd stands, with Santana directly to her right when facing the field, and Brittany four girls down in the second row.

But none of them were there. None of the cheerleaders were. Because Coach Sue had a serious ax to grind concerning the glee club.

Sam shook his head morosely and returned his attention to the field and pulled his other arm across his chest for a stretch.

Downside to an already depressingly hopeless game...his good luck cheerleader was prepping to leave for her own cheerleading competition.

He had bigger problems, though. Like 95 percent of the football team quitting. Even with the girls on the field, they really didn't stand a chance. There were only five guys that knew what they were doing and could actually play.

Thinking back, it'd been rash of him to start that fight with Finn. It wasn't exactly qualifying leadership material to start fights. Especially such a pansy-like, barely shoving kind of fight. He was surprised one of them didn't start girl-slapping the other. In front of Quinn, no less. How macho did that make him look?

On the other hand, Finn really had no right insulting Quinn for quitting glee club. Especially considering how Finn had buckled under the pressure and chosen football over glee the year before. He hadn't been there himself, but after Quinn had told him the whole story, and how Puck, Mike, and Matt – someone he'd never met, but sounded cool enough – had manned up and chose glee over football, Sam couldn't help but have a lot of respect for those three. Along with a certain amount of contempt for their supposed almighty leader.

It wasn't Finn's place to chastise Quinn over her decision. She was more than old enough to make her own decisions. It didn't matter if Finn was her former boyfriend or current glee club co-captain. He understood what peer pressure felt like. So did Finn. He didn't think she was making the right choice, and he'd told her so when she'd first confided in him about Sue's ultimatum. But that was what she wanted, so he supported her.

After all, he promised her he would.

After Rachel stepped up and convinced Coach Beiste to let her and the other girls join, he could see why the guys had a secret admiration for her determination and willingness to do what was right even when it wasn't easy. She may not be the most popular, and she could sort of scare him on occasion, but he could see her as a believable leader.

Finn meant well most of the time, but he was mostly kind of a tool.

He'd never used to like fighting. Never really needed to. He'd actually been pretty invisible at his old high school. No one picked on him, and he kind of liked it that way. But then, being a second-string quarterback didn't exactly bring visibility. Not until he transferred into McKinley. Unfortunately, it wasn't the favorable kind. Now, it felt like all he did anymore was defend everything about himself, from his actual physical well being to his sexuality. And now he was about to dive head-first into a fight he had no chance of winning, against a team that could kick their asses into the next decade.

The one thing that made him smile...Quinn would have looked adorable in full football gear.

ooowooooo*ooroooooooo*

Puck wasn't sure if he was more proud or frightened out of his wits when he caught sight of that crazy girlfriend of his strutting onto the field, decked out in full football uniform along with Tina, Mercedes, and Zizes. They couldn't have possibly looked any more out of place. He could say one thing though, for a bunch of girls, they had more balls than all those quitting posers.

All huddled together after the girls finished with their debut and joined the guys on the sidelines, with the guys making the rounds to pump each other up, Puck stepped up to Rachel and grabbed the grill of her helmet. Pulling her in, he asked in a hushed tone, "You ready for this?"

Removing her mouthguard all business-like, she then balled up her fists and shouted, "Let's kick some ass!"

Yep. That was his Caroline.

ooozooooo*ooooosoooo*oooorooooo

"Alright...how's everyone doing?" Finn asked once everyone had circled into a huddle.

"Kill me now." Mercedes gasped out, elbows on her knees as she bent over and struggled to breathe. "I'm gonna die."

"I think someone kicked me." Rachel chimed in, minutely insulted as if it hadn't been enough.

"That was me. Sorry." Tina admitted in a rueful tone, sending an apologetic grimace Rachel's way. "Is anyone else getting tired of lying down all the time? I wanna play."

"I do too, Tina." Rachel agreed in a solemn tone. "But we're not big enough. We'd get crushed if they caught us with the ball."

"Still gonna die." Mercedes chipped in after Rachel finished speaking, still short of breath.

"Let's just get through this." Finn said after a few terse seconds of silence. "Ready...Break!"

oooaooooooo*ooocooooooo*

Time slowed as Puck realized what was about to happen. He knew it would have been impossible to block for Tina all the way to the goalpost. His legs ached and his chest burned as he plowed into an opposing running back right as one of their opponents got lucky and took Tina down from behind. He caught Mike's horror stricken expression as the whistle blew and everyone took off towards Tina's prone form.

He knew without a doubt that Rachel was okay, but his gaze was pulled away from the crowd gathering around Tina to find Rachel. His eyes closed in relief and a deep breath exhaled from his lungs as Rachel finished brushing off her knees and started jogging over.

His heart leapt up into his throat as he turned his gaze back to Tina as they flipped her onto her back. He resisted the urge to reach out for Rachel when he felt her brush against his shoulder. She still hadn't adjusted to the additional space she occupied in the pads. He held his breath as the medic checked Tina over, releasing it in a whoosh when Tina weakly questioned if they'd won.

Holding back as the team trailed behind Tina as she half-walked, half-leaned on Mike to the sidelines, Puck had to fight the urge to fall to his knees and give his thanks to God. Instead, he clapped Rachel's shoulder padding hard and focused on Finn as he called out to Sam.

That could have been Rachel.

ooozooooo*ooowoooooo*oouoooooooo

Half-time showed up a lot quicker than he'd thought it would.

Standing just outside the boys' locker room, he rolled different ideas around in his head, trying to think of what would sound the best and bring all their starters back. Looking up at the sound of footsteps, he watched as all the girls shuffled slowly into the girls' locker room. Catching Rachel's eye, he gestured with a tic of his head for her to come over to him.

Separating herself, she let the other three girls enter the room before making her way over.

"What is it, Noah?" Rachel asked in a weary tone, looking up at him tiredly.

Touching one hand lightly to her face, he smeared the black paint line under her right eye with his thumb as he cupped his palm to her cheek. He then pulled her in and crushed her in a tight embrace.

"You're not going back on that field after the half-time performance, alright?" Noah stated fiercely.

Pulling away, Rachel looked up into his eyes. "I believe in you, Noah. And after you talk to those boys in there, I won't have to."

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. Turning her around by the shoulders, he then swatted her rear end to send her on her way.

"For inspiration." Puck supplied in a cheeky tone at her indignant yelp.

He grinned as he heard her muttering something along the terms of "Inspiration, my ass." as she walked away. He opened the door to the boys' locker room and went inside.

He knew exactly what to say to motivate them.

oomoooooo*oouoocooo*ooonoooooo

They won. Rachel hadn't doubted for a second that somehow it would all turn around in their favor. And it was mostly due to Noah and whatever he'd said to convince the rest of the football team to come back.

He wasn't prone to thinking much of himself when it came to intelligence, but she knew just how smart – and dare she say it, diplomatic – he could be. He could be just as persuasive with his words as he was with his fists. She liked to think that it was her influence on him that had such a calming effect.

Looking back on her recent past, she realized she'd absorbed a few of his core personality traits just as he had hers. A few of them less than stellar in appearance, most of them questionable in integrity, but had vastly improved her quality of existence at McKinley High. She wouldn't trade any of them away for what she'd had before Noah.

The high that resulted from winning as they had made her want to do something spontaneous, something adventurous...something thrilling.

And she knew just who could help her with that.

She had to wait for the girls' locker room to clear out, and when it did, she had a feeling he'd be game for what she had in mind. It had been one of his fantasies to have shower sex in the girls' locker room, after all.

It was a good thing she'd decided to pack her controversial underwear.

oooxoooo*oosoooeoooo*oouooovooooo*

I know, this chapter is kinda on the short side, but I just wanted to get this episode wrapped up so I can start fresh with the next one.