This chapter ended up being twice as long as the first two but I didn't want to split it. I know things may seem a little OOC in places but trying to put teenage Puck and Rachel in a situation that they've never been in before was hard.

3.

Sitting in the large, oversized hospital chair Rachel hugged her knees to her chest. Opposite her, her father's sat huddled together as they both faced their daughter.

"Star-"

"Please just take me home," Rachel pleaded, her voice nothing more than a heartbroken whisper as she looked down at the floor, purposefully avoiding making eye contact with them.

Standing up Richard Berry pulled his chair across the floor so that he was sat just inches in front of her. "Rachel. Honey. I know things may seem impossible right now but I've done the research and New York is where you need to be."

"My life is just one big ironic joke," Rachel laughed bitterly.

"Rach-"

"Ever since I was four-years-old I've dreamed of going to New York and living my life on Broadway. From the very first time I saw my first Broadway musical I knew that was where I wanted to be. Now you want me to go there to die?" Rachel asked sadly.

Richard shook his head. "We don't know that Rach. This study has had very positive results, people are surviving years longer than anyone ever thought they would."

"I don't just want years, I want my life back," Rachel cried.

Moving so that he was sat the opposite side of his daughter Eli Berry took her hands in his. "I know it's a lot to take in but if anyone can beat the odds, you can."

"Take me home. Please," Rachel cried, picking up her bag and holding it close to her.

Richard and Eli looked at each other, silently coming to an understanding. They knew that she needed to do this, that Rachel needed to feel like she was in some control of the situation.

"Ok," Eli agreed. "We'll go home."

Rachel nodded, her eyes bright with tears. "Yes. Home."

"Have you got everything?" Richard asked, as he rested his hand on the small of her back, trying to provide as much comfort as he could.

Without saying a word Rachel followed her fathers out of the hospital and towards the car, climbing into the backseat she closed her eyes and rested her head against the cool, window of the car.

The familiar Lima scenery passed her by in a blur as Rachel could think of nothing but the diagnosis that had been handed to her. As phrases that just hours ago would have meant nothing to her suddenly meant everything to her.

Malignant, high-grade, aggressive, glioblastoma multiforme, stage four, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, brain surgery, clinical trials.

A whole new dictionary had been opened up to Rachel and it terrified her. Her life had suddenly been sent into a tailspin and she didn't know how to deal with it. Usually when she was stressed she would practise the dream waltz from West Side Story, or sing a song from Les Miserable. But singing and dancing felt like the last thing Rachel wanted to do, right now she just wanted to curl up in her own bed and cry.

"Rach, Rachel," Eli gently called as he stroked his sleeping daughter's face.

Slowly Rachel opened her eyes to find that the car had come to a stop and was now parked outside her house. "How long have I been asleep for?"

"Just a few minutes," Eli whispered as he stroked her hair back from her face.

Taking a deep breath Rachel sat up, swinging her legs out of the car she made her way inside the house. She could hear her father's talking to her, offering her food, drink, asking if she wanted to watch a movie or listen to music.

Rachel knew they were just trying to help, to do anything they could to help her come to terms with the diagnosis but right now she just wanted to be left alone.

Heading straight up to her room Rachel closed the door behind her, kicked her shoes off and curled up under her duvet, trying to forget that the last week had ever happened.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs a tearful Eli turned towards his husband. "She's shutting down on us."

"Just give her time, it's a lot to take in," Richard reminded his husband as he led him into the study.

Eli didn't want to have to face the reality that Rachel could die before him but he couldn't help but fear the worst at the moment. "But she doesn't have time, that's why we need to take her to New York."

"She'll come around, Rachel is an intelligent girl, she knows this is her best option she's just angry and confused at the moment," Richard explained.

"I wish it was me instead," Eli whispered.

Richard nodded as he leaned against his husband, knowing that they would need to be strong for each other, and for their little-girl over the coming weeks, months and hopefully years. "I would give anything for it to be me. But it's not. So we just need to be there for her, with whatever she needs as soon as she's ready to let us in."

"What are we going to do if we lose her Rich?" Eli asked, his voice heavy with grief.

"That's not going to happen," Richard insisted.

Biting his bottom lip Eli looked at the wall opposite which was lined with pictures of Rachel. "You heard what the neuro-oncologist said, you're a doctor, you know what it means."

"Maybe so but I also know our daughter and Rachel is going to beat this, she's going to be that one-in-million just like she always has been," Richard whispered, closing his eyes and allowing his body to relax as he tried to mentally prepare himself for the challenge that faced his family.

GLEE - GLEE - GLEE

Standing in front of the full length mirror Rachel pulled her hair back above her ear to show the small bald patch that had been left by the biopsy. Letting her hair fall back down she pulled her red alice band on being sure that no one could see it. Taking a step back she looked at her outfit in the mirror. She was wearing a pleated navy skirt, white knee high socks and a red fitted top with blue anchors on it.

Plastering on a fake smile she reassured herself that nothing looked any different, not that Rachel had anyone that would actually care to notice, if they did look close enough they would see the carefully hidden signs; the small patch of hair that was missing behind her right ear, the dark circles carefully concealed under her eyes, the bruise that had been left by a cannula and the way her hands shook with fear and anger at the hand she had been dealt.

Swinging her bag over her shoulder Rachel headed downstairs, looking towards the study she was pleased to find it empty as she took her keys from the side and headed towards the front door.

"Rachel. Honey, where are you going?" Richard as he approached his daughter.

"School," Rachel replied, as if the answer should have been obvious.

Richard took in his daughter's steely determination and knew that she needed him to support her on this, and not fight her decision. "Ok. But let me drive you, please?"

"Ok," Rachel agreed, putting her keys back down and waiting while her dad found his keys and pulled on some shoes.

"Have you had any breakfast yet?" Richard asked, not knowing what to say or do.

Looking out of the passenger's side window Rachel slowly shook her head. "No. I'll get something at school."

The rest of the journey passed in silence with Richard not knowing what to say, instead he did the only thing he could think of as he took his daughter's much smaller hand in his, silently letting her know that he was there for her. No matter what.

"Abba or I will pick you up after school," Richard smiled, softly.

Wincing against the bright sunlight Rachel sat perfectly still, almost as if she had forgotten how to get out of the car. "Ok, I'll ring you when I finish."

"Ring me anytime, even if it's ten minutes into the day," Richard told her as she reached into his bag and pulled out two small bottles of pills.

"What are these?" Rachel frowned.

When she didn't take them from him Richard dropped them into her lap. "The white bottle is painkillers and the brown one is an anti-sickness medicine, it's the same medicine that they were giving you at the hospital to help with the symptoms of the … of-"

"Daddy you're a doctor, you can say brain tumour," Rachel smiled sadly at her father.

"I may be a doctor but you're my baby-girl and nothing about this will ever be easy," Richard replied, tightening his hold on her hand.

Rachel picked the bottles up from her lap and put them in her bag. "I feel good. But I'll keep these with me just in case. Thank-you."

"If you need anything, anything at all we're just a phone call away," Richard assured his daughter as he watched her climb out of the car and head slowly into the school. A part of him wanted nothing more than to sit there all day, so that he was just seconds away if she needed him. But he knew that he needed to give her space, to let her deal with everything in her own way.

So it was with a heavy heart that he reversed out of the car-park and headed home, to a house that for the first time in nearly sixteen years was void of music and laughter.

Meanwhile back inside the school Rachel slowly opened her locker, her fingers struggling with the lock as she tried to remember her code.

"Berry?" Puck shouted, surprised to find her at school.

Finally getting her locker open Rachel threw what she didn't need inside and took her pink English folder out. "I have class," Rachel muttered, not wanting to answer the many questions she knew he would have.

"English right?" Puck asked.

Rachel nodded. "Yes."

"Me too," Puck smiled as he followed her towards the English class and sat down at the desk directly next to hers.

Any interrogation Puck might have had planned was cut short by the teacher and the rest of the students arriving. Rachel ignored the staged whispers about where she had been the last week and instead concentrated on opening her book to the right page.

Most of the lesson passed without event as Rachel continued to ignore her surroundings and concentrated only on what the teacher was saying. It wasn't until just a few seconds before the bell rang that Rachel started to struggle, unable to hold her pen she had dropped it to the floor as her vision started swimming and head pounding.

Leaning down Puck picked her pen up for her, handing it to her he immediately noticed the strained look on her face. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Rachel lied.

"Hi," Santana whispered, wrapping her arms around Puck as the rest of the class started to file out.

Watching as Rachel shut her folder Puck reluctantly turned his attention to Santana. "Not now."

"Mr. Schuester has scheduled an extra Glee club practice during the free period, you want to skip it with me?" Santana asked, her voice taking on a seductive tone.

Ignoring her Puck ran after Rachel who was already halfway down the hallway, leaving behind a jealous and confused Santana.

"Berry," Puck called after her, running to catch up with her.

Rachel threw her folder into her locker before pulling out her small over the shoulder bag and heading into the still empty choir room. Sitting down on one of the empty chairs she held her head in her hands, trying to will her headache away, she didn't want to have to take any medication right now, she wanted a clear head.

Sitting down next to her Puck waited for her to say something, when she didn't he shook his head and waited for her to look up. He waited five minutes before finally giving in and breaking the silence. "I didn't expect to see you back at school yet."

"I needed to get out of the house, my father's are driving me crazy with their need to wrap me up in cotton wool," Rachel sighed.

Puck nodded. "They're just worried. So am I."

"I thought badass Noah Puckerman didn't worry," Rachel tried to joke.

"Well when a girl tosses her cookies on me and then tells me she has a tumour in her head it's enough to worry even a badass like me," Noah replied.

Lifting up her head Rachel turned to look at him. "I shouldn't have burdened you with my problems. I apologise."

"You obviously needed to talk to someone," Puck shrugged.

"Well it's not exactly like I have friends knocking down my door, I mean I've been off for a week and the only person who cared enough to enquire after my well-being was you, and even then it was only because I was sick on you," Rachel reminded him.

A park of Puck knew she was right but a part of him was desperate to reach out to her, one Jew to another. "I care about you Berry. And not just because you tossed you're cookies all over me."

"Why?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know," Puck admitted. "You seem to get under my skin," he laughed, watching as she winced at the loud noises that filled the room as the rest of the Glee club made their way inside.

Mr. Schuester spotted the brunette Diva sat back in the front row for the first time in a week and smiled. "Welcome back Rachel."

"Thanks Mr. Schue," Rachel replied, plastering on a false smile and facing the front.

"Hope you're feeling better," Mr. Schuester smiled, like everyone else at the school he had been told that Rachel had been off school with a bad case of the flu. The only person who knew otherwise was Puck.

Rachel nodded. "Much better. Thank-you."

"This week we're going to be deciding on our opening number for Nationals, I want everyone to submit a song and then we can vote on them. It needs to be a group number, one that we can all take lead on," Mr. Schuester explained.

Rachel could hear Mr. Schuester speaking but she couldn't make out what he was saying, his words were all mixed together as the pain in her head intensified and the nausea returned with a vengeance. She had been able to hide her discomfort until Kurt and Mercedes got up to sing a duet they had been working on.

As the song reached it's climax and Kurt reached the High-F she found herself unable to stand the noise any longer, lost in a world of pain and confusion she brought her hands up to her ears to try and block out the noises.

"Hell to the no," Mercedes screeched. "You did not just do that, you did not just cover your ears in a blatant diss to our singing."

Shakily Rachel took her hands down. "I … I didn't mean that it's just … the noise …"

"Noise?" Kurt shouted. "We all have to put up with you and now you're calling our singing noise?"

"I didn't mean your singing," Rachel explained, struggling to talk as everyone's faces and voices began to swim around her.

Jumping to his feet Puck stood in front of Rachel, protecting her from the angry glares of Kurt and Mercedes. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you guys blind as well as stupid, can't you see she's sick?"

"Noah. No," Rachel pleaded, shakily getting to her feet she instinctively held onto him for support.

"I know all of you are so wrapped up in your own drama that you rarely see what's in front of you but Berry wasn't bitching out your singing," Puck insisted as he felt Rachel stumble next to him.

Everyone seemed to shut up, stunned that Puck of all people had jumped in to defend Rachel. Kurt was about to say something when he was cut off by Mr. Schuester.

"Rachel are you alright?" he asked, he didn't think it was possible for her to look any worse than she had last week but as he took in her pale, clammy and shaking form he actually felt fear.

Rachel shook her head. "I think I probably came back to school too soon," she half-lied, not wanting to draw any more attention to herself. "I'm sorry I interrupted, the song was good, really good. I er … home."

"I'll take you," Puck offered as he tightened his hold on her and led her out towards the truck, once she was safely in the passenger's seat he shut his door and turned to face her. "Now don't try and tell me you're fine. It's true what they say; you can't kid a kidder."

With shaking hands Rachel reached into her bag and pulled out the two bottles of tablets. Opening one she placed two pills in her hand, before taking two pills from the other bottle too. Looking at the four pills in her hand Rachel tried to stop the tears from falling as she realised that this was going to be her life now.

Silently Puck reached into his glove box and pulled out a bottle of water. "It's warm, but it will do the job."

"Thanks," Rachel smiled as she swallowed the four tablets.

"So did they find out what that thing in your brain is yet?" Puck asked, watching as she tiredly leaned her head against the back of the car seat.

Rachel looked out of the window. "It's a brain tumour. Highly malignant and very aggressive. I have about six months to live without treatment and not much longer with. It's one of the most untreatable forms of cancer."

"And you're just going to lay back and accept that?" Puck asked. "Well that's not the Rachel Berry I know, the Rachel Berry I know doesn't let anyone push her around."

"The treatment would mean high risk brain surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy and even then it would only make my life longer, it wouldn't give me back my dreams," Rachel cried.

Puck shook his head, he was no good in situations like this, he didn't know the right thing to say or what she needed to hear. "There has to be a chance."

"A hospital in New York is running a trial, it's gamma knife brain surgery to remove the majority of the tumour, then an experimental combination of radiation therapy and oral chemotherapy," Rachel explained.

"So why aren't you there?" Puck asked, dreading the answer.

Closing her eyes Rachel felt her muscles finally begin to relax as the painkillers kicked in. "I don't want to lose who I am. The treatment could take everything away from me."

"And so could the brain tumour," Puck argued.

"Maybe so but on my terms," Rachel countered.

Puck leaned back against his chair. "When I was a kid my Mom used to work on the oncology ward. When the babysitter had to leave early I would hang around in the playroom. I met this kid there, Mark. He was nine, same age as me and he had been fighting brain cancer for five years, the doctors had told his parents he had six months, his determination gave him those extra years."

"Where is he now?" Rachel asked.

"He died when he was eleven," Puck whispered.

Rachel opened her eyes and wiped tiredly at her tears. "It still won in the end though."

"But he had all of that extra time, just think what new treatments they could come up with in five years?" Puck pointed out.

"When did you become a motivational speaker?" Rachel asked.

Puck looked to her, slowly he reached out his hand and wiped away a lone tear that she had missed. "I'm not. I just don't want you to give up."

"Please just take me home," Rachel asked, closing her eyes, too tired to keep them open.

Puck nodded. "Sure. But just promise me you'll think about what I said."

"I promise," Rachel assured him with a tired small as she allowed herself to fall asleep and dream of a time where cancer didn't exist and Broadway was still a believable dream.