Hello guys, here's the next chapter and I'm sorry about the wait. I'd just like to point out that due to the unfortunate fact that I an not an American citizen nor do I live in the US, I have no clue about the American Army and their training and stuff so all of the army related things in this chapter and those to come are based on what I can find on the internet and logical guesses so I'm sorry for that and if I do get anythign wrong just let me know. Thanks for reading (:

"Afghanistan?"

He's genuinly shocked about that major detail that seemed to have been left out and try as he might he can't think of a decent excuse as to why or how Rachel could have forgotten to mention the fact that he's enlisted into the army.

"Yeah, you want me to repeat that? I've got the fucking badge to prove it if you want" Puck looks pissed now as he pulls the military card out of his jacket pocket and giving it to Sam, almost like he can't believe thats he left that detail out either. "Enlisted 6 months after graduation. She really didn't tell you?"

"Dude, I didn't know! She's never mentioned it, nor has anyone else either" It only briefly crosses his mind that Puck might be lying as he twirls the card around in his hands, staring at the picture of a teenage Puck minus the mohawk. It wouldn't be the first time that Puck has disappeared off the radar and come back with a shitty excuse that makes someone else the bad guy, and its Rachel, the girl forgets nothing! He can still remember that time she sent his mother a birthday gift from him and Lucy even though he'd actually forgotten himself. He has the card to prove that he's in the army but there's not date to show when he enlisted and though he hates himself for doubting Puck, he can't help but wonder if the storys true but he's just changed the dates to make Rachel the bad guy.

"I didn't tell many people. Ma, Santana. Didn't want the going away party, nor the sympathy" Puck doesn't say it but Sam can see it in his face and the way his shoulders slump and his eyes suddenly become interested in the shine of his shoes. He can hear the old women in Lima, Poor little Noah Puckerman, such a rough life. Its a good thing his mothers shipping him off into the army, might straighten him up a bit alhtough I doubt it, he's just like that waste of a father. Always giving his mother grief, she's lucky to be getting rid of him before the dirnk turns him nasty on her too! He'd spent his entire life tying to shake the ghost of his father and he didn't need the gossips of Lima sending the memories to army camp for him. "I told Finn all of this when I rang her in New York, he must have been visiting and she was busy. Said he'd pass on the message and make sure she'd ring back but I was shipped out before she ever did. Ma said she'd give her an adress to write to as soon as she got in touch but she never did. I got over it."

"Wait...wait" It all clicks in his mind the second Finn's name is mentioned. He didn't realise that Finn was this much of a douche but the guy just can't seem to help it. "You told this to Finn? Not Rachel herself?"

Puck shakes his head slowly but Sam can tell the pieces haven't clicked in his mind yet. He's interpupted by Lucy running back to the pair before he can say anything else. There's a wistful look plastered across Pucks face as he watches the small girl pulling on his jeans and Sam doesn't miss the small smile tugging on his lips either.

"Daddy, stop talking to Noah. Aunt Tana's waiting for me!"

Neither of them miss the fact that Sam introduced him as Puck and not Noah.

"Look man, I'll talk to Rach" Puck winces slightly at the nickname "see what's going on and I'll drop round later without this little brat" he chuckles lightly, lifting Lucy from the ground and dropping her over his shoulder as she gliggles, her tiny legs flailing in the air. Puck nods once before shooting one more sad glance at Lucy and walking away, his shoulders hunched and his eyes downcast.

Sam turns and heads towards the car, Lucy still squealing over his shoulder and his mind consumed by thoughts of whether Finn was that much of a prick as to put Rachel through the ordeal of losing her best friend, her only friend, in such a cruel way.

She's leaning against the car door when he gets out there, her chest heaving with deep breaths as she tries to calm herself down and stop the tears that are threatening to break through her barriers. He knows she's trying not to cry because her eyes are staring at the sky and her hands are rooted firmly in her hair, tugging slightly as if the pain will calm her down, distract her. He puts Lucy on the ground and whispers that there's some chocolate hidden in the back of the car, watching as she scrambles through the door and starts searching eagerly for it, before leaning next to Rachel.

"Hey"

"Hi" her voice cracks and a tear slips down her cheek before she has a chance to angrily swipe at it, like she's ashamed at herself for crying. She had always told him that if someone wanted to talk they would do and it takes a few minutes of silence but then she takes a deep breath and starts talking. "How is Noah? Actually I don't want to know. I didn't think seeing him would hurt as much as it does. Is he happy Sam? Did he get everything he wanted?" He can tell she hates herself for having to ask, for needing to know did he get everything he wanted without her.

"Actually no, he's angry. And he's hurt. He lost his best friend and he can't understand why because her boyfriend at the time promised to tell her he'd called. He never did." The confusion on her face is evident as her brows knit together and her mouth opens slightly. "He joined the army. Did you know Rach? Did Finn tell you? Because if not then you're both angry at eachother and you're both hurting for nothing but if he did Rach, if Finn told you that Puck was enlistsing like he was supposed to, then you can't go on pretending that he's the bad guy."

"The...the army? Thats where he's been?"

He spends the next 10 minutes explaining the story, how Puck had rang her apartment whilst Finn was there and he'd asnwered, promising to let Rachel know he'd rang and that it was urgant. How he'd been shipped out before she'd rang and the address had never been given to her because Finn had never passed on the message. Lucy starts getting fussy in the car though and he knows that they'll have to start heading over to Santana's place if they want to keep her quiet. They need to talk to Santana anyway, check that Pucks telling the complete truth because he knows Rachels still hoping that Finns not that much of a prick because he was her knight in shining army once upon a time and she had never really stopped believing that, although he wasn't hers, he was still that same old knight.