"So, where do you want to go?" Puck asked Rachel as they got into his car.

"Where do you usually go?" Rachel asked, unsure of whether she was doing the right thing.

"Depends. If my mom isn't home I would go there, or just drive around, or get something to eat."

"Let's go home."

"Your house it is." Puck said as he started the engine. They drove in silence for a few minutes until Rachel broke the silence.

"Thanks for sticking up for me. In the cafeteria."

"I've had it in for those guys for months. That was the last straw. They're insensitive bastards." Puck's voice filled with anger as he spoke.

"I don't think they know about..."

"It doesn't matter. You've done nothing to them. You don't deserve to be treated like that." Puck said angrily, keeping his eyes on the road. Rachel didn't answer, Puck glanced over to see if she was alright. She was looking in front of her smiling, she turned to face him when she realized he was looking at her.

"You've gotten soft, Noah. It wasn't too long ago that you were throwing people in the dumpster." She said with a quiet laugh. Puck laughed.

"Shut up, Berry."

They pulled into Rachel's driveway and they got out the car. Rachel unlocked the front door and they entered the house. "Do you want something to drink?" Rachel asked Puck.

"Have you got any alcohol?" Puck asked almost innocently.

"Are you serious?" Rachel replied, shocked.

"You'll understand afterwards. I promise. I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to."

"I'll see." Rachel left and returned with a unopened bottle of Jack Daniels. "Will this do?" she held up the bottle for him to see.

"Perfect." Puck replied. Rachel grabbed two glasses out of the kitchen and brought them into the living room where Puck was sitting on the couch. Puck poured a little into the bottom of each glass and they both held them up. Rachel followed Puck as he held the cup up to his lips and drank. Rachel's face twisted as she swallowed the liquor. Puck laughed.

"That is foul. How can you drink that?" Rachel laughed.

"It takes practice." Puck smiled "Maybe try mixing it with coke." Rachel got a bottle of coke out of the fridge and filled her glass. Puck watched as she tasted it. "Better?" he asked.

"A little. It's still kind of gross, though."

"Okay, Berry, it'd be irresponsible for me to not tell you the golden rule of drinking: Never drink alone. Got it?" Rachel nodded. Puck finished his glass and poured himself another, Rachel slowly finished hers and Puck kindly refilled it for her. "What are you doing to me, Puckerman?" Rachel asked.

"Huh?"

"Skipping school, drinking. This isn't what Rachel Berry does."

"No one's forcing you, Rachel." Puck answered.

"Touche." Rachel said as she drank another mouthful. "Is this what you always do when you skip?" she asked.

"No. But it's your first time skipping and your first time drinking, so why not celebrate?"

"We can't go back to school drunk."

"We don't have to go back to school."

"What will we say when they ask why we disappeared?"

"That's easy. You'll say you were upset and overwhelmed, and I'll say I was just being a good friend."

"You're too good at this." Rachel smiled.

A few hours later they found themselves lying on the floor with their heads side by side but their bodies in opposite directions, staring at the ceiling. Puck turned on his side to face Rachel. "My mom loved you, you know." he said. She turned to face him.

"What?"

"When we were dating. My mom loved you. A nice Jewish girl."

"Oh...my dads hated you."

"It was the mohawk, wasn't it?" Puck smiled.

"Among other things. The mohawk definitely didn't help." Rachel smiled back. Then as if a switch had been flicked she started to cry. "I miss them so much." She said through sobs. Rachel sat up and Puck followed. He sat cross legged and pulled her into a hug, she moved in closer to him. "It's like, every time I smile or laugh I feel horrible. How can I possibly be happy when they are dead?" Puck didn't know what to say so he pulled her in closer, until she was practically sitting on his lap as she cried into his shirt. He rubbed her back. "I feel terrible taking comfort in the fact they weren't around to see their little girl have a miscarriage, or pregnant."

"They loved you, Rachel. More than anything. I only met them a few times and I could see that." Puck assured her.

"I know."

"They hated me because they loved you."

"I don't think they'd hate you now."

"I bet they would. I just introduced their daughter to skipping school and drinking alcohol."

"Yeah." Rachel took her face off of Puck's shoulder and wiped the tears from her face "But in the nicest possible way." Puck smiled a small smile, looking into her eyes. Even after crying she still looked beautiful, if anything her eyes looked brighter, more clear. Without even thinking Rachel kissed him, after a split second of surprise on his end, Puck kissed back. This wasn't the same as the other kisses they'd shared; this kiss was sweeter, more genuine. This wasn't them kissing because they wanted to make someone else feel something. This kiss wasn't about anyone but them.

More soon. :)

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