Rachel Berry had always prided herself on being a law-abiding member of society. It was a badge she had worn with honour (that little incident with disturbing the peace aside) but now, but now…

'Oh quit acting like it's 2012 Berry,' Puck's voice drifted to her from the opposite end of the holding cell. The smug expression on his face made her want to slap him.

'This is entirely your fault,' Rachel saw fit to point out. Puck raised an eyebrow.

'Really?'

'Yes. While I respect your decision to imbibe copious amounts of alcohol to temporarily forget about your…situation,' Rachel worded it delicately, 'I sincerely do not appreciate being labeled as an accessory to your drunken caterwauling.'

Puck shrugged. 'You were clinging to me like I was a Tony. Guilty by association.'

Rachel looked aghast. 'I was simply trying to prevent you from incurring what would have been a fatal head wound should you have fallen over yourself in your alcohol-induced stupor.'

'I am not nearly drunk enough if I can still understand what you're saying.' Though the slur towards the end contradicted his assertion completely.

She pressed her lips together and reminded herself that this boy was a friend and the bonds of Gleehood clearly stated that grevious bodily harm was frowned upon. Instead she released a ragged sigh and cradled her chin in her hands. Rachel heard the rustle of fabric and then found Puck seated beside her.

'You can blame it all on me. So your dads won't like, take away your stereo or whatever.'

'I was going to in any case,' Rachel informed him somewhat primly. Puck didn't reply and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, noting the same weary expression on his face.

'You know Puck, I believe that we have come a long way these past few months towards establishing a common, beneficial-'

'I thought we discussed this. I won't use any words you need to Urban Dictionary if you quit speaking as if you belong in a museum.'

'Perhaps discussing what has been weighing you down would alleviate some of the stress,' Rachel suggested, ignoring what Puck had said in favour of maintaining some kind of continuity to their conversation.

'I don't do the whole "discuss your feelings" thing,' Puck said, hooking his fingers in the air. 'I'm not Finn,' this was said somewhat bitterly and Rachel drew her head up in realization.

'Oh. I see.'

'What?' Puck frowned.

'You're upset because despite the fact that you are the father of the baby has become common knowledge, Quinn has remained resolute in her decision to have Finn act as the father.'

Puck didn't answer her, sliding his gaze away.

Rachel felt her heart shift slightly and wondered how it had taken her this long to notice how this had been affecting him. When he had pressed his hand to her cheek, said the word "Thanks" like it was holy, Rachel knew that despite appearances Puck needed someone in his corner. Of course she was there for Finn and Quinn, but Rachel had also made it a point to make her allegiance to Puck well-known. This had caused strife with Finn, particularly early on when the wound of his girlfriend's infidelity and best friend's betrayal was still fresh.

'Why Rachel?' Finn had demanded. 'You barely know Puck. Heck, I'm pretty sure you don't even like him.'

Rachel had looked at the boy who had held her heart (yes, had, as in past tense) and grasped his hands gently in her own.

'You're my friend Finn, the both of you are,' Rachel had told him, looking over his shoulder at Quinn. 'But Glee isn't about taking sides. And despite what you might feel now, you'll soon come to realize that Puck has been just as affected by all this as the both of you.' If the last words had been a thinly veiled barb directed towards Quinn, Finn hadn't noticed.

'I don't even know why you care half the time,' Puck's words rang across the empty cell. Rachel bit her lip.

'I care because you're my friend Noah.' His eyes flickered towards her when she said his given name, the way it always did. The green in his eyes blended with the slight bits of brown and Rachel thought she was looking into a forest. Hesitantly she reached over and laid a hand on his shoulder.

He didn't move away.

'I thought that when the truth got out everything would be better. Quinn would finally stop being such a bitch and yeah, Finn would hate me, but there'd be no more lying and trying to cover shit up. You think having a little heart-to-heart, all that sharing and caring crap, will make everything better Berry? It won't.'

'Finn doesn't hate you,' Rachel said soothingly and she knew it was partly true. She'd seen Puck speaking with Finn a few days ago, barely a few words but neither boy had needed medical attention after. That, in her mind, was progress.

Puck snorted.

'I'm seventeen. This kind of shit doesn't happen to studs like me.'

'I hope you realize that a stud is an animal retained for breeding offspring.' A pause. 'Well, it appears you are using it in the right context.'

'Is that supposed to be a joke?'

'Bazinga?'

This elicited a genuine smirk from Puck, obvious remembering how he had forced Rachel to sit through an episode of The Big Bang Theory. Rachel had heard the five dollar words being utilized with great abandon and lapped it up.

'If you're afraid if Babygate has somehow affected your sexual appeal, your worries are unfounded.'

Puck seemed to ponder her statement before saying very seriously, 'Don't objectify me.'

Rachel rolled her eyes as Puck's face split into a grin.

'Berry, did you just acknowledge that I'm a hot piece of ass?'

'No,' Rachel said. 'I said no such thing.'

'Admit it,' Puck replied, pressing his face closer to hers. 'I make them good girls go bad.'

'If you're attempting to distract me from the real issue at hand, you're not succeeding,' Rachel managed to say with a level tone, resisting the urge to wipe her hands on her jeans. Puck righted himself, crossing on ankle over the other and putting his hands behind his head.

'It's going to work out Noah,' Rachel injected as much assurance as she could into her tone. Puck barely looked at her.

'That's a load of crap and you know it. Yeah okay, Quinn's finally admitted that she slept with the Lima Loser-'

The frustration Rachel could feel ebbing underneath the surface reached a simmer, a slow burn that made her clench her fists and spring to her feet. Placing herself directly in front of Puck's line of vision, she curtailed the impulse to stamp her Mary Janes on the concrete floor.

'I have had enough of this self-pity Noah Puckerman!' Rachel wished she knew his middle name – it would have had more of an impact then. 'Our friendship might still be in its infancy but if there's one thing I know for sure, it is that you possess goals and dreams that while in no way comparable to mine of course, is something that you should be proud of. Not only that, you have voluntarily shouldered the burden of aiding Quinn during her pregnancy while most teenage boys would have shirked away in absolute fear. That alone shows that you are not only a mature individual, but also extremely responsible…' Her tirade lost steam and Rachel felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Puck was staring at her, mouth slightly agape, as if her tangent had stunned him speechless.

With a haughty toss of her hair, Rachel folded herself neatly back on the low-lying wooden bench, mindful to keep a few extra inches between their bodies.

'Thanks,' was all Puck managed a minute later.

'You're welcome.'

'And thanks for…being there, you know. When everything was going down. And for committing a misdemeanor with me.'

Rachel felt her face soften into a smile and Puck averted his gaze, slightly embarrassed.

'You're welcome,' Rachel parroted his words.

'Yeah well, this is the most honest I've been with a girl. Ever.'

'I'll take it as a sign of growth then,' Rachel remarked dryly.

'There are other ways to thank me.'

'Must you cheapen the moment?'

Puck shrugged his broad shoulders, as if asking her if she expected anything less. Rachel knew why Puck kept up the façade so she let it slide.

'You really think everything's going to be alright?' Puck asked and this time there was a slight note of vulnerability weaved into his words, so faint that if you hadn't been paying attention you would have missed it. He stretched his palms out on the bench, leaning forward.

Rachel wanted to tell him that she didn't know, that she couldn't possibly know. But the susceptible look on his face, and the way he was willing to lay himself exposed no matter how fractionally…

Instead she reached over and covered her hand with his, gently tracing over the knuckles. She felt some of the stress on his overwrought muscles ease and was grateful. He was looking down at her hand, the ridge between his brow puckering slightly. Rachel watched in fascination as he tentatively brought his other hand over and sandwiched her small one between his brown, calloused fingers. A swarm of butterflies beat against the edges of her stomach like the pounding of drums.

What are you doing?

Rachel saw the way he was moving closer, saw the way his sun-dappled forest eyes narrowed in on her lips.

'You're under the influence,' Rachel whispered haltingly. Puck paused, inches away now that she could feel his breath fanning across her face.

Do you want me to stop? His eyes asked.

No.

It wasn't magical or anything at all like how she expected it to be. His lips fused over hers and their noses bumped against each other and Rachel couldn't help but giggle.

'I'm not an understudy Noah,' she said softly. 'I'm the star of this play or nothing at all.'

'You talk way too much Rachel,' Puck replied, tucking her under his arm.

They sat like that, quiet. Rachel absently played with the edge of his shirt. She didn't know what the kiss meant, or what they were.

But suddenly being a repeat offender didn't seem so bad.