a/n again wow I've had a great response to this story. I'm watching the Buffy the Vampire slayer episode with the Gentlemen where its the silent ep and can i say creepiest ep ever! I love it. on a side note if you feel you must flame me do not put it anonymous flames. that's rude. i can take all the constructive correction or criticism you want to give me but for the good Lords sake allow me to defend myself to you. Kind corrections on spelling and grammar are always appreciated. my spell check was trying to tell me to spell in Spanish, (I'm bilingual and needed the spell check to be in Spanish) back to my point flames of the anonymous sort shall be deleted. all signed flames shall be responded to and left up. flames on grammatical issues quite frankly just annoy me, about plots however different story. thats about it. this chapter just finished setting the stage so enjoy and review.

Chapter Three

A few days after the auditions Noah sat in his living room drinking a beer while watching a basketball game. It was more for something to do than any particular commitment to a certain team. His case files for the case he was on as well as a case a friend asked him to take a look at lay haphazardly around the floor and coffee table. The chief called and messengered him over Berry's file. She had an impressive record for such a young cop. Five major case arrests with several major case assists plus a large number of smaller cases and partnerships with vice and various other departments that lead to arrests, no doubt in Puck's mind this girl had what it took. To be a cop that was. Her file didn't say much about her personal history. Just that she grew up with two gay dads in a small Minnesotan town. Finished damn near close to the top of her grade in high school moved to New York to start at NYU. Noah knew she started as a theater major but in her sophomore year suddenly switched to become a cop. As she already finished her generals she was able to bypass the first year of academy and become a cop at twenty. Noah had to wonder what made someone make that drastic of a change. By twenty one she was promoted to detective and now at almost twenty four she was gaining a decent reputation. Undercover opps seemed to be her thing even; two out of her five major cases had been short undercover opps. Noah Puckermen licked his lips at the thought of what someone with that much drive and apparent passion would do in the sack.

Up the stairs and directly above his ceiling Rachel Berry settled into her own apartment. She poured herself a glass of wine and made herself a salad before making her way to the tiny office barely big enough to fit her desk with its file folders and laptop with plug ins. Setting her glass of wine on the desk, far enough from the corner it wouldn't be knocked over and on to the carpet Rachel opened her laptop and brought up the file her captain emailed her about her partner. The guy at the audition who did the Skillet cover. She clicked the education/profile tab on the computerized file.

Noah Puckermen
Age: 27
Height: 5 feet, 11 inches
Ethnicity: Jewish American
Education: Lima Community Technical College- Police Academy
High School: Lima High School
Academy and Personal History: Mr. Noah Puckermen grew up in Lima Ohio with mother and younger sister, father not present. Entered the Police Academy in Lima after high school graduation, graduated upper half of his class. Became a member of the Lima Police Force, worked in Lima for three years until the age of twenty three became a detective at twenty three also. At twenty three Puckermen worked on a joint drug operation with New York NYPD. Moved to New York at the age of twenty four. Became a member of the NYPD. Assigned to homicide.

After reading through his arrest record, both in Ohio and in New York Rachel was impressed. She closed his personnel file and opened the case file. She sipped her glass of wine and waited for the theater to call. Director Shuester promised to inform the auditioners of call backs and casts placements a few days after the auditions. Once she knew if she received the part or not she would go meet her partner. If she had to be honest with herself, and in most other cases she was, she was doing everything she could to delay starting this case. Several times during her audition she considered missing a note or tripping on a dance step or fumbling a line during the script readings. In the end her dedication to her job won over her utter desperation to not go back on stage. Even now she was torn between wanting the part and praying to God she wasn't chosen. She was in the middle of typing notes off the files she read when her cell phone rang.

"Hello, Rachel Berry's phone." She still had to pause not to answer "Detective Berry" she hoped that her new greeting didn't become second nature. Detective Berry was who she had been for the past three years, she barely knew Rachel anymore.

"Rachel, this is Will from the New York Modern Acting Company, is this a good time?"

"Um, yes it's a great time. Hello Will, how are you this evening." She responded almost knocking her wine glass over.

"I'm doing great. Now there won't be any call backs for the female and male openings."

"Oh," Rachel said, still fighting the inner battle between dedication to the badge and her really really not wanting to have to get back up on that stage.

"Don't worry Rachel," Will said, misunderstanding the tone of her voice, "You are our new female actress. Your first practice is Monday. Sense you're a new member we'd like you to prepare a song that showcases a bit of where you are in your life or tells us a bit about yourself."

"Oh," Rachel said again, for one of few times in her life not quite sure what to say, she knew she should sound excited, she needed to find Rachel again, "well I'm sure that is perfectly acceptable, I'm positive I can find a suitable piece from my rather immense repituoar. If I may ask who received the male acting position?"

"Of course, in fact I'm calling him next. Noah Puckermen, he sang the Skillet cover. Great song." Will said excitedly, "In fact it says here that he lives in the same building you do. Maybe you both could work out a duet along with your solos for Monday, let the others see your voices blend."

"Oh, I'm sure that would be wonderful. I'll have to go introduce myself. Do you know by chance what apartment he's in?" Rachel asked glad to be given the perfect excuse to visit her neighbor/partner.

"Apartment 2A. Well can't wait to see you all on Monday."

Rachel said her goodbyes and hung up her cell phone. She glanced over at her clock and saw it was nine o' clock. She rolled her eyes, trust directors to forget common curtosy such as when is it a good time to make a call. Deciding it was too late to go introduce herself to her partner tonight she turned back to her work.

Down in apartment 2A Noah hung up the phone with his new director. He smiled to himself, he got the roll all he had to do now was solve the case and hopefully get laid. Oh and perform a solo and duet on Monday.

Eh, he decided, there was plenty of time tomorrow. For now he had a game on and a cold beer in his hand it was good enough for now.