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Make Me Forget

Chapter 7 – All About Noah

"Rachel!"

Rachel turned at the sound of Finn calling her name and sure enough there was Finn waving at her as he ran down the hall.

"Hey Finn," Rachel greeted him clasping her books to her chest. He looked down at her and smiled.

"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to work on "Don't Stop Believin'" today," he asked and Rachel bit her lip. A month ago she would have jumped at the chance, but after what happened outside her house a couple of weeks ago she didn't really want to be alone with him. But she couldn't exactly just say no to him and risk him messing up their chances at Sectionals because she didn't help him with his parts.

"Oh, umm..." Rachel hesitated trying to think of a way that she could say no, but when Finn whipped out those puppy dog eyes she relented, "I have free period just before lunch?"

"Ok, so I'll meet you in the choir room?" Finn confirmed and when Rachel nodded Finn grinned widely, "Awesome see you then."

Rachel didn't wait to watch him go as she usually would have done because at that moment Puck walked into school and was coming down the hall. He and Rachel locked eyes and he smiled but said nothing as he passed by, his sleeve brushing her arm and she felt a fire shoot through her body and her knees felt weak. Rachel released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding and felt herself blush red. Damn. Moments like this with Puck were almost better than sex; almost.

Rachel was waiting in the choir room when she heard the sounds of an argument. Curious, she crept to the door and saw Finn and Quinn glaring at each other outside of the door. Quinn yelled something at him that Rachel couldn't quite hear then turned and stormed off down the hall. Finn ran a hand through his hair helplessly and Rachel backed away from the door so that he wouldn't see her watching him. He walked in and slammed the door behind him a lot harder than necessary. Rachel sat down at the piano, trying to not look like she had been spying on him and Quinn. Finn sat down heavily next to her on the piano bench and the chair shook under his weight.

"Is something wrong Finn?" Rachel asked hesitantly not sure if she was ready to help him with his Quinn problems, but she knew there was no way he would be able to concentrate on the music if he didn't get whatever it is that was bothering him off his chest. Finn sighed.

"Quinn's on my back about money, we have all these bills. I really need to get a job but I can't get one, no one is hiring," Finn rambled running a hand through his hair again worriedly and Rachel really felt sorry for him; and Quinn as well. Rachel wanted to help them out somehow and she bit her lip thoughtfully. Her dad Alan was a lawyer while her daddy Richard owned an interior design studio. Maybe one of her dad's would be willing to help Finn out.

"I can talk to my dad's, see if one of them could use you," Rachel told him, pausing as she thought about how wrong that sounded but said nothing because Finn didn't pick up on the accidental innuendo like Puck would have done. If Puck heard her say that he would have laughed at her.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Finn asked his eyes softening as he leaned closer to her and Rachel discreetly leaned away from him not keen to go down this road with Finn again.

"We are friends Finn, we need to help each other out. I'd do it for any of the Glee club members," she pointed out quite bluntly and Finn pulled away from her like she had slapped him. Which she kind of had, like a verbal slap to the face.

"I really appreciate it," Finn said to her tightly as he got up and started heading for the door.

"Wait, what about the song?" Rachel queried frowning at his abrupt departure and Finn turned his head to her for a second, looking hurt.

"I'm not in the mood for singing," he informed her grimly, "Thanks anyway."

Rachel watched Finn go.

Puck wasn't stalking Rachel...not really. So what if Finn had told him he was rehearsing with Rachel before lunch during her free period and Puck just happened to be hanging around the choir room, skipping English. Puck certainly wasn't there to check on Rachel and Finn; he just decided to go for a walk. When Finn came striding out of the choir room way before the lunch bell rang Puck felt a little relieved. Making sure the coast was clear Puck walked into the choir room to see Rachel gathering up her music at the piano not paying attention. She jumped when Puck slapped his books down on a chair and spun to face him, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw it was him.

"You scared me," she gasped pressing a hand to her chest and Puck grinned trying not to seem like the jealous boyfriend. Because he totally wasn't jealous, and he really wasn't going to say something that made it sound like he was jealous either because that would make him a pansy.

"What's up with you and Finn?"

Ah shit, the brain to mouth filter wasn't working and the question blurted out. Luckily Rachel didn't notice the jealousy in his tone. She shrugged.

"Nothing, he just wanted someone to talk to, apparently Quinn is harassing him to get a job as she needs money to pay for her doctor's bills, I told Finn I would ask my dad's if they had any job openings," Rachel explained standing up with all her items and Puck felt like someone hit him with a bus. Quinn needed money to pay for doctor's bills, why hadn't she come to him? Oh right, because in her mind, this baby was Finn's not his.

"Oh, okay," Puck said a little distractedly and Rachel noticed the abrupt change in his demeanor and walked over to him quickly.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly and Puck shook his head at her feeling guilty that she was so worried for him when he was worrying about Quinn, the mother of his baby. A fact that he had kept from her. Shit. More guilt wormed it's way through him, making him feel ill.

"Nothing," Puck said quickly, and then he brushed his lips against hers, "I gotta go."

Puck walked out of the choir room leaving Rachel to watch another man leave her presence after less than five minutes.

At lunch Puck didn't go to the cafeteria, instead he hopped into his truck and drove to the nearest ATM. He didn't even pause to think when he drew out all the money he had saved up after cleaning pools all summer. It was only $500 bucks but it was something and he figured it was the least he could do for Quinn. It was his baby too, no matter how much Quinn liked to pretend it wasn't. Puck got back to school and slipped the money into her locker, no note. He figured she would know it was from him. Puck then went about his day as if he wasn't $500 poorer, knowing that he had done a good thing, even if Quinn wouldn't appreciate it.

Puck was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. He felt like such a douche for just walking away from Rachel the way he had today with no explanation. That was probably why she hadn't texted him or come over, since it was her night to come to his place. He had screwed things up with her like he always did. Like he screwed up everything.

"Don't you look cheerful," Rachel commented lightly as she crept through his window and Puck sat up grinning like an idiot. Rachel walked over to him with a hand behind her back and then she produced with a flourish, and item wrapped in paper.

"What's this?" he asked taking it from her and ripping it open.

"You looked sad today, so I sang some songs for you that's why I'm a little late," Rachel explained when he pulled out the CD labeled 'Noah's Happy Songs'. Puck mentally made a note to scribble that out in case anyone saw it because he would not live it down. Ever. Rachel sat down on the edge of his bed taking the CD from him, "My dad's say I have the voice of an angel and just hearing me sing calms all their worries. Being the female lead of Glee, and also your co-lead for our duet, you must also be aware of how brilliant my voice is. I thought hearing me sing a couple of songs for you would cheer you up."

"That's really thoughtful, and slightly conceited of you," Puck said jokingly but Rachel took him seriously as a hurt expression came over her face as she rose to her feet.

"Well if you don't want it I'll just throw it away," she said huffily tossing it into his bin and Puck dived across the bed to retrieve it from his bin.

"Rach don't do that, I love it," he protested taking the CD out and placing it in his CD player just to prove it to her. Her voice came filtering out of the speakers and Rachel stood there glaring at him with her arms folded across her chest, not quite forgiving him.

Puck retreated back to his bed and sat down with his back against the wall before looking up at her.

"Come here," he gestured to her and after resisting for a moment Rachel crawled in between his legs and sat down leaning back against him and Puck bent his head to whisper, "Thank you."

Puck's arms wrapped around her middle and he rested his head next to hers. They sat there in perfect silence and Puck fell asleep with her in his arms, listening to her sing, with not a care in the world.

"What do you say to taking chances? What do you say to jumping off the edge? Never knowing if there's solid ground below, or hand to hold, or hell to pay, what do you say?"

Quinn wasn't having a good day. Yesterday she found $ 500 in her locker and knew it had to have been from Puck, which annoyed her because she really needed the money but hated that he was still trying to claim the baby. Plus Finn persisted in referring to the baby in her belly as Drizzle and the rest of Glee had picked up on the name and were using it, which was driving Quinn crazy, even more so with her hormones all going haywire. Add to that Finn finally got a job, but it was working for Rachel Berry's gay dad at an interior design studio. Quinn hated looking like Fin's 'beard' and his new job just made it look even worse, but Finn couldn't get a job anywhere else which frustrated her to no end.

So when an acutely irritated Quinn, who had left class to go for yet another toilet break, spotted Rachel Berry standing by her locker with Noah Puckerman, father of her baby, Quinn's eyes narrowed. She may not have wanted Puck but she did want him to suffer along with her and right now it annoyed her that Puck looked happy while she was a fat and miserable pregnant girl. Puck leaned over to whisper something in Rachel's ear and Rachel blushed in response and placed a hand on his chest. Puck winked at Rachel before striding off to class leaving Rachel to watch after him. Quinn pulled back her shoulders and stalked over to Rachel, startling her.

"Something is going on with you and Puck," Quinn stated folding her arms across her chest. Quinn had been expecting Rachel to flat out deny anything was going on. If Quinn was in her position she would have denied, but Rachel just tilted her head proudly.

"So what if there is? You didn't want him Quinn, I do," Rachel replied calmly closing her locker and heading towards her class. Quinn stood there stunned then moved after her. Quinn was around four months pregnant now and power walking was still an option. Quinn knew Rachel was one of those people who was surely getting out of Lima and if Rachel wanted Puck that meant Rachel believed he would get out of Lima too. And that was like a slap to the face for Quinn who had talked herself into denying him his baby because he was never getting out of Lima.

"Why?" Quinn asked and Rachel paused her storm off to turn and raise an eyebrow curiously.

"What?"

"Why do you want him? Noah Puckerman is a loser, he will be stuck in this town till the day he dies, he's rude, and a jerk and only cares about himself," Quinn listed off all the things that were wrong with Puck and Rachel's eyes flashed with fury.

"Don't you act like you know him. He's sweet and caring, he has dreams to leave this town and he can make them come true, I believe in him," Rachel retorted furiously and Quinn narrowed her eyes.

"You're wasting your time," she told her surely, giving a smirk. Quinn thought she was the best thing to happen to McKinley High and Rachel was done listening to her talk about Puck like she knew him. Quinn Fabray didn't know anything about Noah. Rachel couldn't for the life of her figure out what Puck thought was so great about Quinn.

"You're one to talk, you are going to be a mother at seventeen, if anyone isn't ever getting out of Lima, it's you," Rachel spat at her and Quinn blinked rapidly at the major burn.

That was the first time anyone had said something like that to her. Quinn sure as hell knew people would have been thinking it but no one had ever said it to her. Quinn's mood changed dramatically and she started to cry. Rachel instantly felt horrible; she had just yelled at a pregnant woman. She was going to hell. Today had started out so well. She woke up in Puck's arms, which had happened lately since Puck fell asleep beside her at night, and she had woken him up and sent him on his way after a 'session'.

"Quinn don't cry, please," Rachel tried to make amends rummaging through her bag for tissues which she found and handed them to Quinn. Quinn wiped her tears and her nose with the tissue and sniffed.

"You're right, I am stuck here, I'm a bitch and I'm stuck here and you've been so nice to me and I still try and pick fights with you, " Quinn said downheartedly, then she looked down at the ground, "I'm sorry I said that stuff about Puck, I was just lashing out, my hormones are all over the place."

"Noah is a good man. I'm sorry that you can't see that, I'm sorry that you refuse to see that," Rachel told her, and then she turned on her heel and hurried off to class. Quinn leaned back on one of the lockers and thought about the conversation she had just had with Rachel.

Rachel Berry thought Noah Puckerman was a good man. Quinn felt awful about what she said to him all those months ago when he found out about the baby. At this time Quinn thought she was protecting herself from a loser, but according to Rachel he wasn't one and Rachel was smart. Quinn thought back to Puck over the past couple of weeks. He had changed dramatically and she hadn't really noticed until she actually thought about it. He didn't slushie anyone, he was always on time to Glee practice, he worked hard on his songs, and he was going to math class. He was growing up. He wasn't a Lima loser, Quinn had been wrong. Quinn made her way to the girl's bathroom and quickly did her business, the whole time thinking about Puck. When she exited the bathroom Puck was waiting for her.

"What did you say to Rachel?" he demanded protectively and Quinn frowned.

"Nothing much," she muttered looking at the ground and Puck shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

"I saw you crying, I just wanted to check you were okay," Puck said gruffly turning to walk away and Quinn looked up at his departing back.

"Noah," Quinn began seriously and Puck's face turned to one of panic. Shit she used his first name, something was wrong; Quinn had never called him Noah. It felt wrong to hear her say his name. Rachel was the one who called him Noah.

"Is something wrong with the baby?" Puck asked urgently rushing back over to her and Quinn shook her head.

"No, I just wanted to talk..."

"About?" Puck interrupted her impatiently. Puck may have had a huge crush on Quinn Fabray once upon a time, but now, to Puck she was just the mother of his baby. The baby she was saying belonged to his best friend, and was going to give up for adoption.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for calling you a Lima loser and thank you for the money," Quinn blurted out apologetically and Puck eyed her suspiciously before nodding.

"Okay."

Puck stared down at her. What did that mean? Was she going to tell people the truth about the paternity now, or was she just apologizing for being a cow? Quinn saw his confusion and hesitation and hurried to explain herself.

"I still want Finn to be the father, but I want you to know that it's not because I don't think you will make a great father, because you will, but because I'm in love with Finn, and this baby is supposed to be his," Quinn said firmly and Puck made a face at her. He was glad he never dated Quinn. He had thought Rachel was crazy; she had nothing on Quinn and all her craziness.

"That makes no sense what so ever," Puck told her rolling his eyes and Quinn shook her head.

"If anyone was supposed to get me pregnant it was Finn, not you," Quinn tried to explain and Puck frowned at her. It was all well and good to live in dreams where Finn was the father of her baby but the truth was that Puck was the father and Quinn still couldn't accept it.

"But I did get you pregnant," Puck reminded her and Quinn winced slightly.

"Please Noah, give me this. I know you don't owe me anything, but let me have her, let me do this my way," Quinn pleaded and Puck sighed deeply his eyes drifting to her belly.

"If that's what you want," he replied darkly, his voice monotone and Quinn nodded then bowed her head.

"I'm sorry Noah," she whispered, and then she turned and fled.

Puck reeled his fist back and punched the locker before he stormed out to his car and just drove, he didn't know or care where, he just had to go.

Rachel hadn't seen Puck all day and she was worried. When she had asked Finn about Puck's absence Finn had just shrugged and said Puck used to skip classes all the time but Rachel knew that he hadn't skipped for more than a month. Something had happened and Rachel had an inkling it had to do with the way Quinn kept looking at her, almost apologetically. Rachel knew that she probably shouldn't be this worried, she wasn't supposed to be feeling anything, but she couldn't help it. She cared about Puck, that's all there was to it. She got home and recorded a MySpace video to keep her mind off him; though she made sure her phone was nearby in case he texted or called her.

There was a knock on her window and Rachel opened it up to find Puck waiting there. Rachel stepped back as Puck entered her room. He looked awful, his face was dark.

"Noah what...?"

Noah wanted to throw her down and fuck Rachel until all his memories of Quinn and her bitchiness disappeared but the warm feel of Rachel's arms around him and her caring questions caused a completely different reaction in him. He cried. He, Noah Puckerman badass extraordenaire, fucking cried like a baby. Rachel held him tenderly in her arms, thankful her dad's were away for the weekend. Softly she starting singing a lullaby as she stroked his face gently and Noah shuddered against her.

After a while he was able to control himself and Rachel lay back, pulling his head onto her stomach so that Noah could lay there with his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rachel ventured to ask and Noah shook his head.

He could never talk about it. Quinn wanted this, and he supposed this was the best he could do for his little girl. Give her up so that she would have a chance at a happy life with a family who loved her. Noah knew that he could probably tell Rachel the truth, but he couldn't bear to risk losing her too. In less than five months Quinn was giving the baby up for adoption and the whole ordeal would be over.

"I just want to lay here with you," Noah mumbled and Rachel kept stroking his face until she heard the telltale breathing that indicated Noah had fallen asleep.

Rachel lay there thinking of the man in her arms. She wished she knew what had caused a reaction like this in him. Any memories she may have had of jock Puck were gone the moment he cried in front of her. She felt a small sense of pride that she was the one he came to, but also there was a deep sense of protectiveness. She wanted to know why he was hurting, she wanted to know who had said or done something to reduce him to this. Noah was a good man, he was honest, and sweet, and drove Rachel crazy.

Rachel's fingers stilled on his face. Dear God, she was in love with Noah Puckerman.

AN: Hurray Rachel finally realises she loves Puck. Her problem now is that she thinks he loves Quinn and he thinks she loves Finn. These two really need to communicate better huh?? LOL I'll update early this week.

NEXT CHAPTER: Smutty scene because apparently my fingers felt there weren't enough in the story already. Kurt questions Puck's badassness. Santana, Brittany, Mike and Matt discover the great secret and discuss chocolate and bacon.

Chapter 9 is when all the drama begins so keep your eyes peeled for that :) Thank you so much for all your reviews and adding me to your alerts. You honestly all make me smile with happiness! Much love!

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