I'm sorry that it has taken me over two years to update this story. I could explain why and give you all numerous excuses as to why it has taken me this long to update this one. But the list is long and I will save you all from that. And instead let you get on with this chapter.
I have opted out of using lyrics in this chapter because while I was writing it, I couldn't figure out what songs to use so I opted out of not mentioning what songs they were singing, I know it's wrong of me, and I'm sorry about that.
I do enjoy the episode which this chapter is based off; I just didn't do everything the same way as that wouldn't work out for me, and I needed to change things greatly but a few things are still the same. And I left one part out for my own reason. We will see it later in a different little way.
Again I'm sorry for the long wait and any and all mistakes you may find, being to me. I am going to work on getting this one finished, as I don't like leaving a story unfinished. Please enjoy this chapter!
Regionals came and went; they weren't pleased that they had tied for first place with the Warblers, but there wasn't anything they could do to change the outcome of it now. Quinn had stayed clear of Puck and Rachel the best she could. She wanted to explain her actions to Rachel but thought better of it. Rachel and Noah were doing really well. Fights couldn't always be avoided, but they had always fixed things; it was never anything serious and the more they could fix things between them the stronger their bond grew.
The time to go to New York was upon them with a set list that was going to blow the judges out of the water. This was their year to be national show choir champions. They were determined now more than anyone to win after their tie at regionals.
"Hey babe, you okay?" Puck questioned trading seats with Matt. He could see something was wrong with his girlfriend and confronting her on the plane was the way to go because she couldn't run off on him.
"Everything is fine, Noah," she replied back, turning to look at him and not the passing clouds beneath them.
"Now I know that's a lie, you didn't cuss me out for calling you babe," he smirked, taking her hand between both of his. "Don't deny it Rach, what's going on?"
"I forget how well you know me," she sighed, moving to rest her head on his shoulder. "I'm happy to be going back home to New York, but I'm scared," she confessed, closing her eyes. Going back she already made a promise that she'd see her mom, but there was more to it. She had left behind her entire life, just like she hadn't told Matt she hadn't told anyone about the move because she had been in denial the entire time.
"There's nothing to be scared of," Noah gently told her, kissing her head softly, his eyes closing as he rested his head on top of his girlfriends.
"I have everything to be scared about, Noah. My mom, my old friends. Am I even going to like the city any more? Will I want to leave my mom, the only home I've ever known again?"
Hearing his girlfriend ramble on about the city, dread filled his stomach. She had to come home with him; he couldn't let her stay. He didn't care how selfish that made him. They'd be back to conquer the city together, until then they would rule over Lima.
"You have nothing to be scared of because I'll be right there with you being the strength you need," he assured her. Rachel smiled, moving her head to tenderly kiss his lips. "I've got you, Rach, always," he whispered against her lips.
She smiled, moving back to use her boyfriend as a pillow, her worries, her nerves and being scared no longer filled her; she was happy, content and felt safe right where she was at and that's all she needed for the moment.
The flight had been a short one, and before they knew it, they had been sorted and in their hotel rooms. Rachel was happy to see that she was placed with Santana and Brittany. She placed her things in the room and headed out to wait for Noah in the lobby.
Puck dropped his bags on a bed, letting Finn and Sam fight over who was getting the second bed and who would be using the couch in the room. It didn't matter to him. He nodded and headed to the lobby where he promised he'd meet his girl. He plopped himself down next to her, flinging an arm over her shoulder.
"What's the game plan?" He asked, twirling a strand of her hair. She didn't get the chance to tell Noah what she had in mind when the very blonde cheerleader they were at odds with walked up to them. "What do you want Fabray?" Puck growled out, pulling Rachel closer to him.
"I'm sorry," Quinn nervously told Rachel and Puck. Neither teen said anything looking at her waiting for her to say more. "I wanted to come over that night and see her. I got the best of myself; I kept thinking that I was going to screw it up and that maybe it was better if I didn't get involved not until I can come to terms with everything," Quinn told them honestly.
"We can't make you do anything, Quinn," Rachel told her, getting up, Puck standing up with her, his hold on her not close to loosening up. "I didn't realize how bad off you were, how messed up and how lost you truly are. You work on you that's all that can be done right now, Quinn." With that being said, Rachel walked off, Noah following suit. She felt for Quinn, but she had lost respect and trust where Quinn was concerned.
After they got their emotions in check, Rachel showed Noah some of her favorite spots on the walk to the place she still considered her home. Noah didn't know where they were headed, but with each step closer he could feel his girlfriend tense up next to him, and he didn't like it. He held her close and assured her the best he was able to. She smiled, relaxed a tiny bit even, but it didn't help her, not really. Nevertheless, he did the best he could do, and she appreciated that immensely.
"We should have had Matt come along so he could've visited his parents," Noah commented when Rachel abruptly stopped in front of a very expensive apartment building.
"That would've been very nice. I'm certain he misses them. Though I'm confident that he'll make his own way here to see them as well," Rachel responded, tightening the grip on his hand tugging him to the front door.
It was a matter of seconds before they were off the elevator standing in front of a door. On the way through the lobby he had whistled lowly, his eyes taking in just how fragile everything around him looked; he was afraid to touch anything not wanting to be forced into selling an organ just to pay for it. He found it was best to keep his hands where they were at.
"We didn't come this far for you to pussy out, Rach," Noah told her, taking the set of keys from her.
"Language," she warned, glaring at him. "What if she doesn't want to see me?" She asked so lowly he wouldn't have heard it if he didn't know her the way he did.
"She loves you and the cancer that isn't going to make her hate you. She'd be mad once she found out you were here and didn't come see her. We all need the light you bring into our lives, Rachel," he told her sincerely, hooking a finger under her chin, locking his green eyes with her brown ones.
"Thank you, Noah," she smiled, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss the corner of his mouth. He cupped her cheek, his thumb softly caressing the apple of her cheek.
"I'm always gonna be in your corner, Rach, always," he whispered against her lips. She smiled, firmly pressing her lips against his.
They jumped apart hearing the throat clear. Rachel blushed; Noah smirked, hiding his discomfort of getting caught making out with his girlfriend in front of her mom.
"I see you two wasted very little time in getting back together," Shelby smiled, pulling the door open to invite her daughter and her boyfriend in. She thought she had heard voices at her door and for a second she wanted to believe that she was going crazy, not liking that idea she checked to see if someone was at her door. "I'm happy that you decided to come," she shared, giving her daughter a tight hug, missing her more than any words could possibly describe.
"Me too," she whispered, hugging her mom as tight as possible loosening her grip fearing that she was hurting her mom.
They had easily fallen into a comfortable conversation, mother and daughter happy to see each other once more. Rachel had invited her mom to Nationals, insisting that if she felt up to it that she should come and see Beth. Hiram wasn't going to be able to make it to New York with work and no way to get out of it, Leroy had promised that he would be there with Beth and Clint. Shelby couldn't promise as much but told her daughter, she would be there if she could make it because some days were better than other days. After that, laughs were easy to come by as they talked and got caught up with everything that has been going on. A photo album or two made its presence known, Puck laughing at memories of not only his girlfriend, but of Beth as well.
"See that wasn't that hard," Noah half joked pulling Rachel into his side as they walked back to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the glee club before rehearsals that night. She rolled her eyes gently pushing him for his remark, but he was right; it wasn't as hard as she had made it out to be.
They had all went to bed exhausted after practice. Morning had come too soon for them. Well not everyone as Rachel quickly snuck out meeting Kurt under the blue awning for Tiffany's. He had brought the muffins, and she had brought the drinks. They laughed as they enjoyed their breakfast.
They had easily talked as they walked around New York pleasantly wasting a few hours before each of them was needed elsewhere. They had an easy friendship, becoming such good friends after he had transferred to Dalton where he was still at, not sure if he would return to McKinley in the fall. However, the friendship had bloomed when Blaine had made plans to hang out with Rachel the weekend after the party that had been a bust at her house, Kurt had tagged along, and they learned of the many things they had in common, even joking about having breakfast at Tiffany's the second they stepped foot in New York together. It was a silly idea at first, over the days leading up to both of the Glee clubs heading for New York. The more they talked about it the more the idea blossomed and it became one of those things they needed to do.
Puck had watched in shock at his girlfriend and the one guy who had been his biggest target, get on like they had been friends since they were in diapers. That had been one friendship he never saw coming. Not that he had anything against Kurt, not any more, but Rachel and Kurt never hung out that he knew of, but seeing how close they were showed him he was missing a piece, but he let it go, because some things he didn't need to know.
Their freedom grew less and less as they spent more time getting every song and dance routine to be better than perfect.
The night before Nationals, Puck had swept Rachel off her feet with a romantic night out on the city. They had dinner at her favorite restaurant; she was shocked because she couldn't recall telling him that, only her parents knew, and that warmed her heart to know that he had talked to one of her parents about the date. What date wouldn't be complete without their date busting into a romantic song as they walked back to the hotel? Only for it to start raining and the glee boys who Puck had gathered together to play the instruments for him made a mad dash to safety, but Puck kept on signing, buying an umbrella for Rachel as he did so.
It was the best date she had ever been on. Puck promised her more like it in their future.
"This is what you get for signing in the rain," Rachel huffed with annoyance, a smile forming at the thought of the previous night.
"Worth it," he croaked out with a cough. "Someone can fill in for me, and I'll stay in the back," he said between coughs.
"Rest for now," Schuester told him, herding them off to figure out what guy could sing with Rachel.
In the end, it was Matt, they had agreed upon signing with her. They didn't have to move much around for Puck to sing very little as long as he was good to go by show time. Most the team shoved remedies at him all day long, needing for him to be cured. He wasn't sure if he was going to be better or worse, by the time they needed to leave to get ready to perform.
The first two songs went off without a problem, Puck's voice holding out just enough, but it was slowly slipping away to nothing, and he could only hope that he would have a little voice left to finish off the last song once he came in with the rest of the glee club towards the end of the duet between Matt and Rachel.
Puck was in awe as he listened to Rachel sing, her voice floating through the air caressing him softly, wrapping him up in a warm fuzzy blanket. He was in a trance his eyes watching her every move on stage.
"Move it lover boy," Santana hissed in his ear, pushing him enough to get him to walk without making him trip over his own two feet.
Snapping from his trance, he hurried back out to the stage, taking his spot as he moved to the music. It was the last few parts of the chorus he couldn't sing and just mouthed the words not wanting the judges to think he had just given up on his teammates, that wouldn't sit well with any one of them, especially his girlfriend.
Puck growled seeing Matt gently kiss Rachel on the cheek, a tad too close to the corner of his girlfriend's lips, after they were backstage and the next club was on stage; he won't admit that he was jealous and that the medication and lack of sleep had a bigger role to play into his fist connecting with his friend's nose.
"What is your problem?" Rachel seethed pulling him away. "I thought you were over this thing with Matt? It didn't even mean anything, it was a friendly kiss on the cheek!" She ranted, throwing her hands in the air as she paced the hall they were in.
"I don't know," he horsed out, running a hand through his hair.
"You will apologize to him, and you will never act like that again, not when he's your friend, Noah. Even so, uh thank you for ya know…"
He didn't let her finish that sentence; his lips pressed lightly against hers, knowing she was talking about him sticking up and defending her honor.
"You best not get me sick, Noah," she laughed, linking her hand with his. He had a retort on the tip of his tongue, this whole not talking thing driving him absolutely mad, but he didn't get the chance when he felt the presence behind him.
"And here I was thinking that I wouldn't see you again, such a shame, we could've been something special." Hearing those words coming from that voice had Rachel blanching.
Puck turned around to see the smug look on the brunette guy's face that talked to them. Douche was the first word that came to mind.
"And I told you that you weren't worth it, that I never wanted to be a part of anything you were in. You're just a jerk, Jesse," Rachel scowled at him, pulling Noah off with her. Once they were far enough away he stopped her and gave her a look wanting answers on what that was between her and the guy who had thought he was god's gift to women. She shook her head.
"Rachel," he pleaded hoarsely, catching her gaze.
"He wanted to date me, he wouldn't take no for an answer. I thought he was my friend, but to hurt me for turning him down countless times; he hooked up with my best friend and spread rumors about her and there was this thing with eggs, a lot of eggs," she explained, her eyes gazing over with tears.
Puck cupped her cheeks, wiping the tears that had flown over her bottom eyelids away, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, holding her and giving his girlfriend the comfort she needed.
When they had made their way back to the rest of the club, they wanted to ask what was wrong but Puck shook his head. Rachel wouldn't want them to start a scene, even if he did want to take Santana, Matt, Mike and Finn and confront Jesse with a fist or two.