A/N: This chapter is filler. Well, except for at the end. Enjoy!

Noah Puckerman knew he had the right address for where his daughter was living. He had checked ten times. He didn't know that Rachel Berry was caring for his daughter. It had been, what, five years since he'd last seen her. After their dating in high school, they never expected to see each other again.

He decided to play cool. "Well, well. Rachel Berry. I never thought it was you who was caring for my daughter." He smiled at his high-school sweetheart.

It took a moment for Rachel to compose herself. "Hello, Puck," she said. "What are you doing here? I have to take Violet to school in fifteen minutes. We're about to have pancakes. Would you like to join us?"

For a moment, Puck was shocked. Rachel had lost her dictionary-speech. "Whoa, Berry. I can understand you. Did the dictionary in your head die or somethin'?"

She glowered at him. "I never had a dictionary in my head. And you never answered my question. Would you like to stay for pancakes or not?"

Puck raised his hands. "I surrender and accept pancakes." He expected her to laugh, as she would have when they were in high school, but all she did was turn around and walk back to the kitchen, where Violet was sitting patiently at the table.

The girl jumped up when she saw her father. "Dad! What are you doing here?" The sadness had disappeared from her face.

"To see you, what else?" Puck asked, picking up his daughter. He sent a quizzical glance at Rachel. "Why are you both so sad?"

Violet became sad again, Rachel's face crumpled. Puck knew he had said something wrong. "What happened?" he asked, more gentle this time.

"She died," Rachel whispered. She broke down. She ran to the bathroom, and Violet slid down from Puck's arms.

"It was Mama," Violet explained. Her head bowed, and she left the kitchen to be with Rachel.

Puck just stood there. Quinn had died?

True, the two had never been close friends, only connected by Glee…and Rachel. Rachel had become Quinn's best friend after she had moved in with Rachel. They were inseparable, giggling in the school hallways, arm in arm, staying up late chit-chatting. Basically shutting Puck out of their lives. So of course he'd become jealous—Rachel and he were dating back then—and a huge argument had ensued. And then high school had ended. Quinn moved to the big apple, while Puck stayed in Lima. The two pretty women must have met and stayed together. Violet already seemed to accept Rachel as her new mom. Puck was fine with is as—shush—he still had feelings for her.

Puck shifted his weight, his fingers flexing, not knowing what to do. Biting his lip, he examined the room. It was very homey, with pictures (and more than a few movie posters too, he noticed) of Rachel. Not in a snobby way, but in a this-is-me way. The apartment was small, but that made is even cozier.

"Puck," Rachel said, snapping Puck out of his examining of the room. "I'm going to have Violet go to school late. There's lots of explaining to do, and that won't happen in one minute, along with pancakes."

Puck couldn't help admiring how pretty Rachel looked, her pretty and dark brown hair awry, her dark brown eyes sad yet bright. She wasn't wearing a skirt and knee-socks, instead jeans and old-looking t-shirt. Rachel had changed so much since he'd last seen her.

"Sure," replied Puck, a few moments too late.

Rachel darted him a glance. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I just was thinking, you know, for Violet. For your daughter." She cleared her throat, almost nervously.

"Of course," Puck said. "I want to stay. I need to know what happened."

Rachel's eyes darkened, her shoulders slumped. She looked—was—depressed. Puck crossed the small room, mussing his daughter's hair on the way, to stand next to Rachel. He rubbed Rachel's back in small circles, attempting to calm her.

"Thanks, Noah," Rachel said. "Sorry. It's so hard to be without her. She was the sister I never had. Barely a minute goes by without something reminding me of her."

"I know," Puck said. Without noticing it, he had pulled her into an embrace. He knew about this. True, he had only been seven when his father had left him, his mom and sister, but it was just as bad.

"Do you mind talking about it?" Puck asked, gently pulling away from the sad woman. "I just want to know."

Rachel, holding back tears, told the story, with help from little Violet. Puck listened as Rachel told of when they had met up until now. "It's so hard to be without her," Rachel confessed. "She was like my sister."

"I am so sorry," Puck said, twisting his hands in his lap—they were sitting at the kitchen table, eating pancakes—and biting his lip.

Rachel gave him a watery smile. "I need to take Violet to school," she said. "Would you like to come?"

"Sure." Puck was agreeing without thinking. "I've got my truck here."
Rachel's eyes widened. "Drive?" she asked. "At eight-thirty in the morning on a weekday? You're crazy. We're riding the subway."

Puck opened his mouth to protest, but then Rachel gave him one of her don't-mess-with-me glares and he closed his mouth. "Sure, sure," he said.

After they had dropped Violet off at school and returned to Rachel's apartment, she and Puck were settled comfortably next to each other on the small couch, their arms and legs pressed against each other. They were chatting about life, about jobs, about any topic that popped into their minds.

"Rachel?" Puck said during a short silence.

"Hmm?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Rachel glanced at Puck. He was staring at her. "Why?"

"Because," he said, "I want to know if it's okay to do this."

He kissed her.

I know I went on overly long about the pancakes. I was hungry when I wrote this chapter. Review!!!!!!!!!!