'Fuck no,' Puck stated decisively, flexing his jaw. 'This isn't some kind of game, Princess.'

'Of course I know it isn't a game. Don't patronize me Noah Puckerman! I simply think that this is a logical use of my time now that the startling truth of the paranormal has been revealed to me-'

'You think I'm gonna let your ass in my truck and let you hunt with me? I'm not training some pampered, spoilt-'

'I am neither of those things and I would kindly ask that you not make such assumptions-'

'I am not taking you with me!' Puck exploded, throwing his hands up in the air and narrowing his gaze at the defiant woman in front of him. 'This isn't the kind of life I would wish on anybody and the last thing I want to be responsible for is some rookie who doesn't know shit about how to watch my back.'

'I can learn,' Rachel retorted, taking a step forward and jabbing her finger into his chest, brown eyes flashing. 'I'm adept at picking things up quickly. Ask anyone.'

'So if I ask you to decapitate a vampire, you'll do it?' Puck asked, folding his arms across his chest. The room Puck had dragged Rachel into was quiet for a minute and he sighed loudly, wondering why the fuck crap like this always happened to him. It had been bad enough when he had taken Bekah with him to hunt that poltergeist down in Alabama. The last thing Puck needed when he was staring down potential life and death situations was Rachel Berry and her tight body and nice ass distracting him.

'There are vampires?' Rachel whispered, almost in awe. 'Do they resemble Edward Cullen? I swear I saw Jake Thompson sparkle the other month. He told me it was body glitter from rehearsal but now-'

'Vampires are ugly motherfuckers who grow another set of teeth to rip their victims throats out,' Puck answered evenly, watching Rachel wrinkle her nose. 'Look Berry, I get that losing your brother is some life-changing shit. But you weren't born into this. This job sucks the life out of you. You don't get to keep friends and it's fucking lonely alright? Most days it makes me want to eat my Beretta.'

'Then why do you do it?' Rachel wondered.

'Jesus woman, why the hell are you making this so difficult?'

'You do this because you want to help people. Am I right? People like me who don't know how to deal with this unimaginable evil that's been lurking around, hidden. You can't ask me to remain ignorant. If there are people out there, sisters who are looking for a way to save their brother, I want to help them.'

'It's just guilt-'

'It's not,' Rachel interrupted him, pushing her hair behind her ear. Puck saw the way her hand shook slightly, closed his mouth.

'Look what about your parents huh?' Puck tried. Rachel tensed, averted her eyes.

'Both my fathers passed away years ago. Blaine was all I had left.'

Her words struck him in the stomach and Puck stared at this small, fragile woman who suddenly didn't seem so vulnerable. His throat felt like it was closing up so he cleared it, rubbed the back of his neck.

'If you don't let me come with you, I'll do this regardless. I've already made up my mind Noah. You can either ensure I develop the requisite skills to survive, or I strike out on my own-'

'You are not saddling yourself to some lameass schmuck you don't even know,' Puck told her seriously. 'Just because hunting seems like some kind of noble profession, doesn't mean there aren't jackasses out there who'd take advantage of you.'

Rachel clapped her hands together in excitement, beamed up at him with a wide grin.

'Excellent. I'm so glad we had this little discussion.'

'Wait. I didn't agree to anything.'

'Well clearly you said that I was better off with you. I'll take that as a binding agreement to train me, so to speak.'

'You know what? Fuck this noise. I'm not taking you anywhere unless my mother says its okay. You get her to agree with you, and I'll do it,' Puck said, knowing there was no way in hell Abigail would let her do this.

An hour later saw Puck pacing at the bottom of the stairs, flicking glances upwards every so often. Santana watched him, smirking slightly.

'What's so funny?' Dean questioned, keeping a cautious distance away from her. Santana saw him rub his thigh when she looked his way, rolled her eyes.

'I already said I wasn't going to kick your ass Winchester. Chillax.'

'A little higher and you would have taken away half his personality,' Sam commented from behind his laptop, earning a dark scowl from his brother.

Highway to Hell chimed from her pocket and Santana resisted the urge to groan, knowing that there was no way she could avoid her father much longer. Hitting ignore she continued to observe Puck, ignoring the green eyes tracing her cheek.

'Nice ringtone,' Dean finally said.

'Thanks,' Santana answered shortly, trying to be polite.

'Is she being serious about this?' Dean asked, coming closer so that Sam wouldn't hear his question. He was slightly taller than her and the heat from his body made Santana shift away a few inches.

'If there's one thing I've learnt about Rachel Berry, it's that she always gets what she wants in the end,' Santana smiled, recalling how Rachel had gotten Sandy Ryerson fired. Underneath those too-wide eyes and painted innocence lurked a manipulative devil, a fact that Santana had fast picked up on during high school, a trait which she enjoyed immensely.

'And you're okay with her risking her neck out there?' Dean said skeptically. Santana glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, frowned.

'No, I'm not. But if this is what it takes to keep her sane, then I've got her back,' she answered, no levity in her tone. Dean cocked his head, seemed to measure her, before her phone chimed again.

Guppy face

Trouty mouth

Is that how people's lips look

Where you come from in the South?

Dean saw a genuine smile blossom on Santana's face as she pressed the phone to her ear, wondered why that bothered him.

'Hey,' Santana said softly into the phone and Dean noticed Sam jerk his head, as if telling Dean to give the Latina some privacy. 'Yeah I'm with Ray. Blaine didn't make it.'

Santana's mouth pressed into a thin lip, her eyes closing as she swallowed.

'Round up the gleeks aight? I think Rach's gonna need us to lean on. I'll get hold of Father Schuester and organize Blaine's…thing. She doesn't need to worry about this shit right now. Fuck that – I got the dough covered. Just get everyone's ass down to Omaha by tomorrow. We clear?' A pause. 'Whatever Evans. Quit being such a fucking pussy. I'll see your Bieber cut soon.' Another beat. 'Hey Sam? Thanks.'

Santana hung up the phone and stared down at her Blackberry, feeling the tears burn at the back of her eyes. You alright Pez? The simple question made her remember that Blaine was her friend too, had been like the brother she always wanted during those confusing adolescent tears. The bond between the Berry siblings had been ironclad, forged in a happiness and grief so profound Santana had a hard time wrapping her head around it. But the Berry family had always, always welcomed them into her home, even the times her father had refused to. She wondered if it was wrong to consider Tony and Leroy better fathers than her own could ever hope to be.

'Huh. Puckerman looks like his mohawk his gonna explode off his head,' Dean's remark had her pocketing her cell, blinking her eyes to get rid of the insistent burn. Rachel stood smugly to Abigail's side as Puck gaped at his mother, gesturing wildly in Rachel's direction.

'Looks like she did get her way,' Dean chuckled, studying Santana's reaction.

'Yeah, guess she did,' Santana's voice sounded weak.

Why does it feels like I'm losing the only family I've got left too.