A/N: Sincere apology for delay in updates… I have 3 WIPS's and they're all getting this sporadic update treatment.

That being said, this is a super long chapter : )

And its dedicated to YWYCBPOOF as always 3

RPOV:

"Rachel." I heard a soft voice calling my name and a gentle pressure on my shoulder. I opened my eyes slowly; my daddy was leaning over me, a confused look on his face. I looked around, realizing that I'd fallen asleep cuddled up to Noah on the couch while we were watching "Annie." I'd asked him if he wanted to watch a movie and he'd said "Anything but 'Funny Girl'." So I chose 'Annie' of course. I guess we'd both fallen asleep during the movie.

"Ahem." Dad cleared his throat from across the room, giving me an inquisitive look. I guess it was probably a little shocking to come home and find your daughter asleep on the couch wrapped in the arms of the guy who'd been her best friend growing up, then bullied her in the beginning of high school, then dated her, knocked u her ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend and was now sort of her friend by way of being on the same team. It probably was worse when said boy was covered in scrapes and bruises. I slipped out of Noah's arms, sitting on the edge of the couch.

"He got beat up this morning."

"Well I can see that. What'd he do this time?" My dads were not unfamiliar with Noah's knack for getting in fights. Many times oh so long ago when Noah had practically lived with us, he'd come in with blood on his face from whoever he'd been fighting with that day.

"Dad! I actually don't know. But I found him tied up and locked in the dumpster!"

"What?"

"Yes. So I think that it probably wasn't his fault."

"All right. It's dinner time, so I suggest you wake him up."

"Okay."

"Boy's a walking stomach." I heard him muttering as he walked towards the kitchen. Daddy smiled at me before following him.

"Noah?" I said softly, grabbing his hand as I began trying to wake him up. I knew from experience that it was nearly impossible to wake him up, but after the day he'd had, I didn't want to startle him. I gently shook his shoulder and he suddenly began panicking, thrashing his body around as if trying to escape. I squeezed his hand tightly, making sure that that was the only contact between us. "Noah it's okay. You're safe, I'm here." I said reassuringly. He slowly calmed down; forcing the eye that wasn't swelled shut open.

"Rachel?" His voice was harsh and hoarse, so I grabbed the glass of water sitting on the table at the edge of the couch, holding it to his lips carefully.

"My dads are home, they're making dinner."

"Oh. I'm not really hungry." He still looked puzzled, like he couldn't quite figure out what was going on.

"You know that that's not going to fly in this house." He laughed dryly.

"Yeah. Rachel, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Just everything! For being such a fucking douche to you."

"You already apologized for that, a while ago."

"No, I apologized for slushying you. I never apologized for turning my back on our friendship. I miss being your best friend." I sighed quietly.

"I miss you being my best friend too." I admitted. "I love being friends with the glee club, even if Kurt and Mercedes bug me about getting a makeover all the time, but it's not the same."

"No one else sees through my crap like you do."

"You do have a lot of that." He swatted my arm gently.

"So how bout it Berry, can we be best friends again?" He asked cockily.

"One condition, Puck." I used a mocking tone as I said his nickname, earning a raised eyebrow. "Call me by my name?" He laughed.

"Deal." I leaned toward him, wrapping my arms around him gently but firmly. He returned the hug, holding me like a lifeline. "You're amazing Rach, you know that right?"

"Rachel, Noah!" Dad called from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!" I stood up, taking Noah's hands to pull him off the couch. He grunted with pain as he struggled to his feet.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I kept a hold of his hand as we slowly walked to the dining room. Daddy pulled the chair out for Noah to sit in, before taking his own seat.

"How're you doing son?" Dad asked him.

"All right sir."

"Since when am I sir? You know better than that."

"All right Leroy." I smiled. Just like good old times.

"Your mom know where you are Noah?" Daddy asked.

"Um, no. But she won't be worried." I could see the matching looks of disapproval that they were giving him. "I'm not home a lot after school I either have practice or go out with the guys. I'll call her after dinner. Shoot! She's going to flip when she sees my face."

"Well are you staying here tonight?" His face lit up. Obviously he had not thought he'd be welcome.

"Well I don't want to intrude."

"You're more than welcome, and it'll put off your mother's heart attack for a little bit longer." Dad laughed dryly.

"Thank you."

After dinner I cleaned up the dishes while Noah and my dads talked. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop but I couldn't help overhearing bits of their discussion.

"So who did this?"

"Some of the guys from the team. They want me to quit."

"And why is that?"

"Because I…" His voice dropped so that I couldn't hear his next words. It didn't matter; I had a pretty good suspicion as to what was going on.

"Oh Noah, I'm so sorry that this had to happen." Daddy said. "You know that if you ever need anything, or someone to talk to, you can come to us, right?"

"Thanks Hiram, I don't deserve that."

"You're always welcomed by us Noah. We've missed having you around almost as much as Rachel has. You're like a son."

"You don't know how much that means to me."

I finished the dishes quickly, walking out to the dining room when I was done.

"So what are we doing tonight?"

"Homework?" Dad suggested.

"First of all, tomorrow is Saturday, and secondly neither of us went to school today, so we don't know what it would be."

"Well call Finn or someone."

"Finn's not in my classes and I wouldn't call him anyway."

"You went to him for help." Noah muttered. I chose to ignore him as Dad said.

"Well what about that boy Kurt who's in glee club with you? Isn't he in your classes?"

"I'm not speaking to Kurt. Remember?"

"Oh the irony here." Noah muttered.

"Shut up! Finn was the only one I could find that I trust, at least a little, and Kurt inserted himself."

"Uh-huh. You do know that Finn has decided that he's done with this douchey crap, right?"

"That's what he told me today, while you were having your little lovefest with Kurt."

"Shut it Berry."

"What are you going to do to me Puckerman?" He reached out and grabbed me around the waist, yanking me onto his lap and tickling me mercilessly.

"Stop it!" I screeched, breathless.

"Take it back." He said, fingers dancing across my ticklish skin as he spoke.

"No!" I jumped off his lap, running around the table to hide behind Dad's chair.

"Why do I feel like we have two eight year olds running around here again?" Dad asked rhetorically as Noah glared at me.

"I don't know because we are most definitely seventeen! Now come on Noah, let's go watch a movie or something." I grabbed his hand, tugging him towards the living room.

"Not 'Funny Girl'! You got Hannah hooked on it and trust me I think I've seen it more times than ANYONE has the right to."

"You can never see 'Funny Girl' too many times."

"Yes you can."

"Can't"

"Can"

"Can't"

"Can"

"Can't!"

"I think it's some people's bedtimes." Daddy said laughing. "Can't you just find a movie you both want to watch?"

"No." We both said at the exact same time. Noah walked over to our DVD shelf.

"Avatar. Why do you have this and can we watch it?"

"Long story and sure."

"Good and tell me the story."

"You kids be good okay, we're going upstairs." Daddy interrupted.

"Of course Daddy."

"Okay Rach. Story." He sat on the couch, pulling my feet into his lap.

"Well, you know how, well you might not know, Kurt had a crush on Sam for a while, he was originally going to sing a duet with him when Sam first joined glee but Finn talked him out of it for the sake of not rocking the boat at school."

"Didn't know that and of course Finn did that, sounds just like him." I was almost surprised by the bitter edge to his voice.

"Well anyways, Sam apparently loves this movie so much that he can like speak the Avatar language or whatever, so Kurt decided that he wanted to watch this movie. And I guess he couldn't get anyone to watch it with him but Finn who didn't understand it and brought it over here to watch with me. And he left it here; he broke up with me the next day."

"Rach." He hugged me tight. "Finn's stupid and a fucking asshole. And look who's eating his words now."

"Am I a bad person for still wanting to be with him?"

"No. I don't know that I'd recommend it, simply because of his failed track record, but you're perfectly within your rights to still have feelings for him."

"And if I give him another chance?"

"Just guard your heart Rach. You don't take break-ups well. I don't want to see you go through that again if its avoidable."

"You're right Noah. Thank you."

"No problem, now let's watch this blue people planet."

L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

3rd Person POV:

When Rachel's dads came downstairs later that night, they found their daughter and pseudo-son curled up on the couch asleep. If it hadn't been for the sure knowledge that the kids were trustworthy and wouldn't make stupid choices, along with the likelihood of Noah having some sort of trouble sleeping, they might have woken them up and made Rachel go to her bedroom. But watching the two sleeping peacefully, arms wrapped around each other, brought back memories of watching them grow up, side by side and arm in arm.

A/N: WOWZA! Long chapter! That makes up for the delayed update, right?

So Are you like Rachel? Do you have that strong suspicion of why Noah was beat up, or do you have no clue?

Um I originally wrote "Sam loves Narnia so much that he can like speak the Avatar language or something." Wow, Sam Evans come out already so that I stop thinking about you being in Narnia!

PLEASE REVIEW! It encourages me, and it just makes me smile!

So? Thoughts? Suggestions? Rotten Tomatoes? Let me know!