CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

We Need To Talk

Quinn huffed, annoyed, as her doorbell was rung continuously. "I'm coming!" She snapped "What?" She asked as she flung the door open. "Puck." She stared coldly at the mohawked football player; who stood, glowering furiously on her front porch. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Puck ignored the blonde's obvious sarcasm "Cut the shit, Quinn."

Quinn crossed her arms over her chest "What do you want, Puckerman?"

"I want you to fucking stop."

"Stop what?" The smirk on the former Cheerio's face belied the innocence of her voice.

"Stop your little slushie agenda. What are you trying to prove anyway?"

"That I'm better." Quinn answered angrily "Your little gleek friends are nothing."

"Not sure if you've noticed Fabray, but you're a gleek too."

"Technicality." Quinn shrugged.

"You think you're still head bitch?" Puck asked incredulously.

"I know I'm still head bitch." Quinn smirked again "And so do the Cheerios."

"I wonder how Santana would react to that."

Quinn snorted and arched one delicate brow. "And I wonder how your little girlfriend would react to this."

Puck narrowed his eyes as the blonde rested a hand on her slight baby bump. "You're the one that wanted to keep the fact that I'm the father a secret in the first place. Why would you tell the truth now?"

"You didn't have anything to lose before." She stated simply. "Now you have Man Hands."

Puck just stared at the former cheerleader, "What happened to you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What could possibly have happened to make you such a cold, heartless bitch? I might not be perfect, but hopefully my kid's more like me and has, you know, a soul."

"Your kid?" Quinn asked. "You'll never have anything to do with this thing. As soon as it pops out it's gone."

"You can't do that." Puck protested.

"Watch me." Quinn sneered, slamming the door in his face.

Shocked, Puck walked silently back to his truck. Sitting at the curb he made a choice. Dialling blindly he held his phone up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Rachel?"

"Noah? Are you alright?"

"No. I need to talk to you."

"I'm at Santana's right now, do you-"

"I'm driving back to your place right now. Meet me there."

"Okay… Noah, what happened?"

"I'll explain everything." Puck promised as he started his truck. "I just… I need to tell you something. It's important."

"I'll be there."

"Don't- don't talk to anyone until you see me, okay?"

"I don't understand."

"Promise me, Rachel."

"Okay-"

Without another word Puck snapped his phone shut and tossed it into the passenger seat. This was it, all or nothing.

"Noah?" Rachel asked anxiously as she got out of her car. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Puck rose from where he'd been waiting on his girlfriend's porch for the last 10 minutes. "Rach-"

"Is your mom okay? Your sister? You were with Mike, weren't you? Is he okay? He broke his leg, didn't he? Oh God, how are we going to win sectionals if Mike can't dance?"

"Rachel," Puck placed his hands on the brunette's shoulders "Chang's fine, Dani's fine, Ma's crazy… but fine. Relax."

"What about you?" Rachel asked softly, her brown eyes full of concern.

Puck sighed and pulled her into a fierce hug. Resting his cheek against her hair he closed his eyes tightly. "We need to talk."

Rachel pulled out of his arms slowly "We do?"

The footballer nodded "Can we go inside?"

"Oh, of course, how remiss of me." Puck silently followed Rachel into the living room and sprawled onto the couch. "May I offer you a beverage?"

"Jesus, Rachel, I'm not the fucking queen." He stared at her, sitting nervously on the edge of her chair, her hands folded primly in her lap.

"Are you breaking up with me?" She blurted out suddenly.

"What? No!"

"It's just… you said 'we need to talk' and most social conventions dictate that phrase means 'I'm breaking up with you'."

"Berry, unclench. I'm not breaking up with you."

Rachel visibly relaxed "Okay. So what do you need to talk about?"

"Come here." Noah gestured for her to sit next to him on the couch.

"Noah?" the diva asked when he just stared at her.

Puck leaned towards her slightly and reached out to gently brush a loose tendril of her hair behind her ear. Rachel's breath hitched as he cupped her face in both hands and stroked his thumbs across her cheekbones. Then he leaned in further and kissed her; the softest, sweetest, saddest kiss she'd ever experienced.

"Noah?" she repeated.

"I just wanted to do that in case it was the last time you let me…" He took a deep breath "I've been lying to you."

"I don't understand…"

"Promise you'll hear me out."

"Of course. What have you been lying to me about?"

Puck let out a ragged breath. "Quinn."

"You are in love with her."

"Fuck no. For the millionth time; I'm not in love with Quinn, you're not in love with Finn. Got it?"

Rachel nodded and bit her lip to hide the smile she knew would be completely inappropriate. "Got it."

"It's about the baby."

"What about the baby?"

"It's not Finn's."

"Whose is it?" Rachel asked uncertainly, clasping her hands together anxiously.

"Mine."

"Yours…" She repeated. Puck nodded. "I need…"

Puck watched as Rachel stood up, mid-sentence, and walked into the kitchen. When she didn't reappear he got up and hesitantly followed her. "Rachel?"

Rachel turned to look at him and he watched as she guzzled an entire bottle of water. Neither of them said anything until she turned to refill the bottle under the tap. "Explain, please."

Puck shifted uncomfortably before moving to sit at the island. "It was a couple months ago."

"Probably two or three." Rachel said sarcastically. Puck shot her a look "Sorry. Continue."

"We were at a party. It was at Azimio's house. It was the last party of the summer, the weekend before school started. I was drunk and probably a little high, I don't really remember…" Rachel made a disapproving sound in the back of her throat. Puck just looked at her again. "Smoking a joint is hardly the worst thing I did that night, Berry." Rachel made another little sound and motioned for him to continue. "So Quinn and Finn got there late, most of us were already trashed, but Finn caught up pretty quick. For a giant, dude cannot hold his liquor. Anyway all the Cheerios were wearing their uniforms that night and stupid, drunk Finn says something about it to Quinn. She got pissed and came to me for booze. I gave her a pack of wine coolers that I'd swiped from my mom."

"Noah!" Rachel scolded.

Puck rolled his eyes. "So the Ice Queen downs, like, two in a row and demands I follow her. I was blitzed, but bitch is crazy scary so I followed her. We ended up in the guestroom and Quinn started asking me all these questions about if I thought she looked fat in her uniform and stuff. I remember getting really dizzy and laying down and then she was straddling me and then nothing."

"Nothing?"

Puck shook his head. "The next thing I remember is waking up the next morning and ralphing into the garbage can."

Rachel wrinkled her nose in disgust "Lovely."

Puck shrugged "It's weird, booze doesn't usually affect me that way -even when I mix it with weed." He added when Rachel opened her mouth to interrupt.

"You need to tell Finn." Rachel said, placing her water bottle on the counter.

"I know." Puck said, burying his head in his hands.