Title: A New Direction
Pairing/Characters: Puck/Rachel with Rachel/Kurt (friendship), Rachel/Finn and Kurt/Blaine (in later chapters)
Rating/Warnings: Probably T for language, may go up in future chapters.
Summary: Post Special Education, Rachel has a few difficult decisions to make, and finds allies in both Kurt and Puck.
Spoilers: Anything up to Special Education can be considered fair game.
Disclaimer: Glee does not belong to me.
Authors Note: First, I have to say a huge thanks to everyone who reviewed or put me on any of the alerts, you guys rock! You have no idea what a boost it was to get up this morning and see all of them sat in my email. It gave me such a boost that boom, chapter two was written in under two hours this afternoon! I hope you enjoy.
Chapter Two: Decisions, Decisions.
Puck was sat in the back of Kurt's navigator listening to Kurt and Rachel talking about everything and nothing. He was still in shock over the fact that he actually agreed to this. Him, Noah Puckerman. Willingly hanging out with two of the people a year ago he would have thrown himself out of a window to avoid. Recently though he had discovered that the people that he had spent the better part of a couple of years tormenting were a hell of a lot nicer and a hell of a lot cooler than the so-called popular kids. He sat forward. "So are we just driving around for the hell of it, or do we actually have an idea of where we're going?" Kurt looked in the rear view mirror and he smiled. "I was thinking a dairy queen run?" Puck nodded and then looked at Rachel. "You okay with that, tiny? I know you don't like eating dairy." Rachel turned to look at him, puzzlement written all over her face.
"No, I don't. However, since I don't see solo's any time soon in my future, just this once shouldn't hurt. What I don't understand is how you know." Puck shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. When he didn't say anything else Rachel turned around, with a look on her face that he couldn't decipher. He sat back in his seat with a small smile. A few minutes later they had got their ice cream and was sat at a booth in the back. Kurt looked at Rachel. "Okay, Rachel. Honesty time, this week, how bad has it been?" Rachel was swirling her ice cream around the bowl and it didn't look like she was going to answer, so Kurt looked at Puck and arched an eyebrow. Puck sighed and slumped down in his seat. "It was really bad. Santana and Quinn went on a major bitch offensive, and the rest of the glee club were just totally disinterested, and no-one would speak up in her defence. Not to mention Mr Schue was a complete ass hat in shouting at Rachel when she was just trying to make a point. Finn was the biggest fuckwit though. He couldn't seem to get through his thick skull that the reason it upset her so much was because it was Santana. The one chick in McKinley who has made it, like, her life goal to make Rachel's life a misery and also due to the fact that Finn totally cheated on her with both Santana and Brittany the first time they were together."
By the time he was finished talking, both Kurt and Rachel were gaping at him. He shrugged feeling his cheeks heat with a combination of embarrassment and anger. "Don't look so surprised. I may not say much, but I can see what's pretty damn obvious right in front of my face." When they didn't say anything he went to slide out of the booth, and Rachel caught his hand. "You weren't entirely right Noah." He sat back and looked at her in confusion and she flushed and dropped his hand. "I did have someone speak up in my defence. You." Puck shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. "I just told the truth. I do like you, and not only are you smoking hot, you are talented. Sure you can be controlling and a total pain in the ass with more ambition packed into that tiny body than your average small town combined," He paused and looked at Rachel, then looked back down at the table. He knew he was risking total pussy status but this needed to be said. He was sick and tired of everybody treating her ambition and drive like its a bad thing, because as far as he could see, it was a good thing. "And true, in the past I might have made fun of you about it, but recently I've noticed you have a point. Lima sucks. You're ambitious because you want to get the hell out of here. Believe me, you're not the only one who wants to get the hell out of this crappy town. The difference between you and me?" He looked up, meeting her eyes, completely ignoring the fascinated audience they had in Kurt. "You have a damn good chance that it's gonna happen, me? Not so much."
Rachel sat back in her seat and huffed in frustration. "Do you know what really annoys me about you Noah Puckerman?" Puck looked at Kurt, who looked as confused as he felt. "I pay you compliments?" He asked with a small smile and she smiled back then huffed. "Your complete lack of faith in your own abilities. If it isn't directly related to women, or football, you just seem to lose your habitual cockiness." Puck shrugged.
"Nah, mostly I'm just realistic. I know I'm a stud or whatever, and I'm a not bad football player, but I'm not good enough to make it to the big leagues. And my grades aren't bad, but even if I did want to go to college, with me and Sarah, there is no way my ma could afford it." he shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, while being completely aware of the fact he was fooling no-one. Rachel looked at him. "Noah, you have so many options you can choose from. Tomorrow after school meet me in the library and i'll go over some of the options for you. If I'm getting out here, I'm not going to be the only one."
An uncomfortable silence hung over the table and in an obvious manoeuvre to try and break it, Kurt looked at Rachel. "Now, miss diva, it's time for explanations. I heard what you told Mr Schuester. Have you seriously been thinking about transferring to another school." Rachel flushed and looked at the table, as Puck choked on his ice cream. "The hell?" He said looking accusingly at Rachel. "You never mentioned any of this when we were talking at your house the other day." Rachel went red. "We really didn't do that much talking though did we Noah?" As he met her eyes he felt everything go tense at the heated look in her eye. "No, I guess we didn't. We were too busy making out. That was fun times." He looked at her and smirked not trying to hide the heat in his gaze. "Leaving damn near killed me, but I was serious. I do like you, like a lot, but I'm not doing that to Finn again, even if he is being a complete douchebag right now. We've just gotten our friendship back on track and I'm not throwing that away. I can't. I legit nearly died though. That shit was difficult." He'd been so busy looking at Rachel he hadn't noticed the mischievous smile on Kurt's face. "I think saying that shit was hard might be a tad more apropos, no?" As both Rachel and Puck gaped at him, Kurt threw his head back and laughed. "So, I take it you told Finn what happened then?" Rachel nodded and her eyes filled with tears.
"He was so angry when I told him what had happened between Noah and myself." Just as Puck was about to say something, he saw Kurt lean forward and tilt Rachel's chin and look at her. "And you didn't point out how completely hypocritical him getting mad at you kissing Puck was, because?" Rachel looked at him in confusion, and muttering something about blind fools and something else Puck didn't catch, Kurt started talking again. "When it comes to kissing someone when in a relationship Finn has no grounds for complaint. Did he not kiss you more than once when he was dating Finn?" Rachel nodded, and her skin flushed with a hint of temper that quickly died and she sighed looking back down at the table. "Believe me, I was going to, but I just don't have the strength right now to deal with him. And to answer your earlier question, yes, I have been very seriously considering leaving McKinley High School to attend another school. I just don't know how much more abuse I can take. I mean, I try to put on a brave front, but its been two years and instead of getting better its getting worse." As she was talking, tears started trickling down her face, and Puck felt something in his chest clutch. It wasn't right seeing Rachel Berry cry. She was a live wire, not this sad person sat in front of him. He growled. "That does it, I'm going to kick everyone's ass." When he went to stand up, Kurt stopped him, holding up a hand. "While I realise that violence has its place, I think right now we need to plan more strategically."
Puck narrowed his eyes at Kurt, recognising from the look on his face, that he had some sort of plan forming. He sat forward with a smile. He might not be big on words, but when it came to thinking shit up, he was a master. However, he had a bone to pick with Kurt first. "Before we get down to any planning, Kurt, I need to talk to you." He narrowed his eyes at the younger boy. "Why all of a sudden are you being so nice to Berry? I mean a couple of weeks ago you were all up in arms when she tried to take over Glee club when Schue was ill." Rachel looked out of the window, ostensibly ignoring the conversation, but Puck knew they had her complete attention. Kurt sighed. "It was when Karofsky got worse in his bullying it made me realise that I was doing the same thing to Rachel, just with words rather than physically. So I tried to think of ways to broach the subject, but well, everything happened and I left, so after we spoke at sectionals, I decided I owed it to both of us to try again. Okay, Uncle Puck?" He said with a smile, and Puck smiled then scowled. "Hey now, don't be comparing me to John Candy. I mean the dude was the shit and hella funny, but I do not look like him. Have you seen my guns?" When he heard both Rachel and Kurt laugh he sat back with a grunt. "Whatever, you guys suck. So tell me, oh wise one, what's this plan?" As he listened to the plan Kurt was laying out, Puck started to grin. This plan was the shit. He leant forward and put across a few of his ideas and then sat back with a happy feeling. Glee club had no idea what was about to hit them, and as far as Puck was concerned, this shit couldn't happen soon enough. He still had a few things to settle himself, over the way he was treated when baby-gate exploded.
He looked at Rachel, as something suddenly occurred to him. "This plan is awesome, but I need to know, are you still down with this?" Rachel looked at the table and bit her lip and Puck felt a sinking sensation in his chest, he knew this was too much for her. His thoughts were broken when Rachel looked up with a smile on her face that he'd never seen before. It was, well for lack of a better word, evil. She leant forward. "You guys are genius and I for one can't wait to carry out our plan." Pucks smile faded as a thought occurred to him. "Rachel, I don't want to be a downer, especially as some of this plan was my idea, but you do realise you run the risk of ruining things with Finn for good?" Rachel nodded, looking both sad and determined. "To be honest, Finn and I haven't been working and I think we work better when we're apart. I mean I love Finn, and part of me always will, but he has never once supported any decision I made since this school year started, and I think a clean break would be best for both of us." Puck nodded, sighed and then looked at Kurt, who raised his eyebrows. "I had nothing to do with this, I was never here. I mean, I don't even go to McKinley any more, so why would I have anything to do with planning something, especially with you two. I mean everyone knows we don't get along." Kurt laughed and the other two joined in. Kurt sobered and looked at Rachel. "Okay, first things first we need to do is go to the mall. You need a new look." Puck groaned.
"Okay I'm all for change and those assholes need every square inch of their ass kicked. But this is where I draw the line. Puckzilla doesn't do shopping. Just drop me off at school and I'll get my truck and head home. I need to get home to look after my sister anyway since my ma has night shift this week." Puck sat there as Kurt and Rachel looked at each other and then nodded. He stood up and with that they headed out to Kurts car.