Chapter three

The first time Rachel Berry fell in love with Noah Puckerman she was 5 and he was 7. Santana had pushed her over in the play ground and Noah had dumped Santana and scooped Rachel into his arms, taking her to the nurse and kissing her knee better. He told her that Santana was nasty and he never liked her anyway.

The second time Rachel Berry fell in love with Noah Puckerman she was six, he was eight. They had been playing together for a couple of years and Rachel had just been diagnosed with leukaemia. She had to go to hospital for chemotherapy. She was scared and noticed her hair falling out, how she looked so pale. She thought no one would want to be her friend when she looked like this. But Puck had sat in the bed next to her every day, helping her eat and drink, holding her hair back when she puked. Letting her rest her head on his shoulder when she slept and kissing her cheek and telling her to be brave when she cried.

"You alright Shorty?" Puck asked entering her room and making her shove up on the bed to make room for him.

Rachel wiped away her tears and nodded.

"Come on, tell me. What's the matter?" He put his arm around her.

"I-I..I look terrible. I'm so ugly Noah!" Rachel wept into his chest.

"Hey-hey," Noah titled her chin up to look at him, "You are so beautiful Rachel. Just because you're sick doesn't mean you're not still beautiful, because you are. You're the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."

Rachel smiled brightly before pressing her lips gently to his.

The third time Rachel Berry fell in love with Noah Puckerman she was 8 and he was 10. In school they were doing a play and they all had to pick who their wives were. Puck had stood up before anyone else and said, "I pick Shorty so keep all your eyes to yourself!"

The fourth time Rachel Berry had fallen in love with Noah Puckerman she was 14 and he was 16. The Leukaemia had come back around a year and a half ago and she just nearly better now. Just like the first time Puck had sat with her the whole time. He didn't even really mind when she accidentally threw up on him because he understood that she was ill and couldn't help it. When she'd been let home he stayed with her. Helping her get better. After about a week they made love. It was slow and sweet. It was Rachel's first time and Puck had never had it like that. So pure and loving. The both whispered "I love you,"'s as they released.

Puck had been thinking about her non-stop for six days. Why had she pushed him away when he was trying to help? Was she okay? Was Liam okay? Had Jesse followed through with his plans for her that night? All the questions were swimming through his head but the most important one was a complete mystery. How could he help her now?

He'd just got back from work and was ready for a beer and some TV before sleeping. But the sight when he got into the house worried him. There on the sofa curled up with a stuffed bear on the opposite side of the couch to his sister was Liam. With a black eye.

"The fuck?" He asked softly, so as not to wake the boy.

"Puck…" Beth said sympathetically, "Rachel's in hospital."

"Is she okay?" Puck paused, stupid question, "What happened to the squirt?"

"Says he fell over," Beth says running her fingers through Liam's brown locks.

Puck picked Liam and his bear up, taking him upstairs and tucking him into his bed.

"You can sleep in my room tonight bud."

Liam sat up sleepily, "Take care of mummy," He mumbled before flopping onto his belly and hugging his bear into his chest.

Puck kissed his head and left the house, shouting a goodbye to Beth as he went.

When he walked into the hospital room that was housing Rachel he gasped at the sight, she was black with bruises. She had deep cuts on her arm and two on her face. She smiled lightly when she saw him.

"Shit baby what happened?"

"How's my son?" Rachel asked in a soft, broken voice.

"Told me to take care of his mommy. The only question is will she let me?" Puck asked, sitting in the chair beside her bed.

"Yes." Rachel whispered wiping a tear away from her eyes, "If you're willing to help me then I would love that."

"Good. Now what happened?" He asked.

"H-he came home and I was asleep…he was angry because I wasn't 'ready' for him so he got me by the throat against the wall. I blacked out and when I woke up him and Liam were arguing, he hit Liam so I sent Liam to his room and told Jes-him he could do anything to me…so he did everything to me. All I remember is him…raping me then punching me…then waking up here." By this time Rachel was in full tears.

Puck pecked her softly on the lips and took her sobbing form in his arms. He only stopped hugging her when he heard a male clearing their throat behind him. Rachel sprang away from Puck when she saw it was Jesse.

"Evening Puck. What are you doing here?" Jesse asked calmly. He sat on the other side of the bed.

"I have more right to be here than you." Puck answered slowly. He rolled his shoulders to try and relax himself.

"Rachel honey. Tell him to leave or I'll tell him your secret." Jesse said in a patronizing voice. Rachel's eyes snapped to him.

"Y-you wouldn't…Jesse you promised." Rachel wept.

"The fucks going on?" Puck asked.

"When she was 14 and you took her virginity…" "JESSE! Please don't! I'll do anything?" "…you also knocked her up. She lost the baby when she was 7 months pregnant."

"Jesse," Rachel whispered shaking her head.

"Rach is that true?" Puck asked, locking eyes with her.

"Of course its true! Why do you think she took 4 months off school?" Jesse sneered, smacking his hand down on Rachel's stomach, making her wince in pain.

"Leave her alone," Puck seethed.

"My wife, Puckerman," Jesse shot back.

"I mean it. Hurt her again and I'll be back on parole or worse." Puck threatened, standing up.

"Yeah? And what are you gunna do about it? That," Jesse pointed at Rachel, "Use less slut is mine. Not yours."

"She's not use less, or a slut! And what ever other bullshit you've been tossing her way for years is crap too." Puck hissed, trying his hardest to not start punching this douche yet.

"Please stop," Rachel whispered quietly, tears running down her cheeks.

"Shut your fucking face. I've already told you that, that mouth only has one purpose and that's sucking my-" Puck laid him out on the floor repeatedly punching him in the face before he could finish.

"Noah Eli Puckerman!" He heard his mothers voice. He turned his head around with his busted knuckles still clenched.

"What on earth is going on?" Miriam asked, glancing at Jesse who was still on the floor clutching his face.

PUCKS POV

I didn't realize the tears streaming down my face un till now.

"Noah," Rachel's tiny broken voice cried out.

I took her in my arms instantly. Kissing her temple as she cried and clutched at my shirt.

"Ma why didn't you tell me you were Rachel's nurse?" I asked.

"More importantly, why is my patient's husband on the floor needing medical attention because of my son?"

"He did this to her Ma!" I whispered. I felt Rachel's tiny hand grip mine tighter.

One week later Rachel and Liam came to stay with me and Beth un till they figured it out. Liam and Rach went to bed about an hour ago. Liam chose the biggest spare and Rachel asked if she could sleep in my room because it smelled like me and she felt safer. How damn cut was that? That fuck-tard Jesse better watch his fucking back! I was planning to sleep in one of the other spares. I crept into my room to get some sweats to sleep in.

"Noah," I turned to those beautiful, chocolate, doe eyes, "Wou-uh…would you mind-uh…h-holding me tonight?"

"Of course," I whispered, changing into my sweats and climbing into bed with her. I pulled her into my arms. She was so tense I did the only think I could think of to relax her. I began to draw lazing patterns into her lower back softly. It worked after a little while and I felt her slowly relax against me so I nuzzled my nose into her hair and smelled her sweet sent.

"Jesse lied…I didn't get pregnant the first time we…did it." Rachel whispered, "We had sex at your party when I was 15 and you didn't remember it, that's why I didn't tell you…you didn't remember even sleeping with me, let alone what you said."

I felt a sharp stab of pain, remembering what I had found out in the hospital, about the…baby. "What'd I say?"

She buried her head in my chest, "You said, It's always been you, Every-" I cut her off, remembering.

"Everything I've ever wanted, you're it. The one I'm gunna marry, the one I…" I paused.

Rach finished it off, "Love." She swallowed hard.

"D-did you know what sex…our …baby was?" I asked. Just saying 'our baby' hurt like a fucking bitch.

"She was a girl,"

And image of me and Rach in a park playing with a little girl with soft brown curls and chocolate doe eyes flashes through my mind. I swallow hard.

"What happened-tell me everything," I asked, playing with the ends of her hair. I felt Rachel fidget next to me.

"We had sex at your 18th birthday party. The next day you came up to me and told me you were sorry for ditching me for a hook up the night before. 3 months later I knew I was pregnant and I was going to keep her…I wanted to keep her. I tried to tell you but I couldn't get you alone, this was when I was 6 months pregnant, you were with some jocks and I asked if we could talk privately. You said 'sorry Berry I don't do fat chicks' and walked off. My fathers took me out of school after that because Lea was in a funny position and because I'm so little it was dangerous for me to walk a lot."

"Lea," I smiled.

"Yes, Lea." Rachel carried on. "The night I lost her, I only got out of bed to check my fucking bathroom light was off," Rachel started sobbing, "It was my fault, why did it matter if the light was on or off? I slipped on the bathroom floor and the next thing I knew I was bleeding…a lot."

"Shh, Shorty. S'not your fault." Puck smoothed his hand in her hair and pecked her forehead.

When I woke up I felt a very soft hand rubbing me through my boxers. I look to my right to see Rachel smiling up at me, stroking me.

"Mmm," I moan, "You're so fucking sexy."

"No I'm not. My eyes are too close together, don't get me started on my nose, my lips are too plump, my boobs are too small, my body too rectangular and my legs too scrawny, there's nothing sexy about me," She waffled on.

"How many of those insults came from…him?" I asked.

"A-all of them…but there true," Rachel said dismissively.

"Shut up Shorty, anything he's ever said to you is a lie, you are fucking sexy," I said, rubbing my hand on her waist.

"Really?" Rachel looked up at me with hope full eyes and continues rubbing me.

"Yes Shorty, very." I nodded. My dick was so hard by now, her hand was skilled and soft. But when she slipped her hand into my boxers alarm bells went off. She had been out of an abusive relationship for a week…one week.

"Ahh…Rach, stop!" I said.

Rachel's face went face went from turned on to confused to angry in 2 seconds flat. She shot out of bed, slipped on her room and practically sprinted out the door, shouting, "Sorry, I was and idiot to think you wanted me," Over her shoulder.

"Fuck." Puck whispered scrubbing a hand over his face.