Chapter 16

In the days that followed, Noah reluctantly made peace with his current state, eagerly awaiting the day when he would be free from the shackles of his infirmities as well as the well-meaning (if a bit heavy-handed) attempts by his mother as she attempted to redirect (or so she thought) the course of his life (and increase her potential for grandchildren). By Monday, they had settled into some semblance of a routine; Deborah was marketing, this time picking up some child-friendly treats, because Brittany was stopping by with her two daughters after Daisy finished school.

The buzzer rang and Noah testily called out "Coming…coming", although nobody could actually hear him. He rose, steadied himself, and walked (as best he could) to the door to find out who was outside, and then buzz his guest in. He was extremely happy to see Rachel and Maisie as they approached the opened door. As soon as they entered the apartment, Rachel closed the door, let Maisie off her leash, and the dog quickly ambled over to her bed, settled herself, and looked at the two humans as if to say "Well, what are you two going to do to amuse me?"

Noah wrapped Rachel with his good right arm and kissed her…and then again…and again. Rachel smiled as they ended their greeting, softly saying "It's nice to see you too, Noah." He led her over to the sofa and they sat down, Noah propping his injured leg on the nearby ottoman.

"I've missed you woman," he confessed.

Rachel giggled, replying, "Noah, I saw you yesterday afternoon."

Noah shook his head. "It's not the same thing, Rach. I miss being close to you. I miss waking up next to you. I miss being able to do this…" he grabbed her (as best he could) and kissed her deeply, which she returned, wrapping her arms around his neck, careful not to lean onto him and hurt his mending ribs.

After a moment (or two), Rachel playfully pulled away, teasing, "What would your mother think if she caught us in such a compromising position?"

Noah chuckled, answering, "She'd probably toss a bridal magazine in your lap, run out for the nearest rabbi, and see to it that I make an 'honest woman' out of you." He looked at Rachel thoughtfully, continuing, "Seriously, though, Rachel, how would you feel about that?"

Rachel looked at Noah curiously, replying, "About what, Noah?"

"Ya' know…getting married," he responded, continuing softly, taking her hand and threading his fingers with hers, "you and me…house, kids…the whole nine yards."

"Are you asking?" she teased, smiling shyly. "Because if you're asking, I would consider accepting."

Noah broke out in a huge grin, replying, "Well, let's say for now that I'm testing the waters…I've been thinking about this since before the accident; it kinda intervened…" He took a deep breath and looked at her hopefully. "Ya' know, I always thought 'variety was the spice of life' and commitment was a four-letter word. When I was running around, I was really 'running on empty'; the past few weeks with you has made that abundantly clear." He paused to look at Rachel, who was hanging onto his every word, her face a combination of surprised and hopeful, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I figured we'd take a vacation to visit your dads, and make sure they were OK with 'us', and then drive down to Lima so you could 'pass inspection'…" Noah grinned, rolling his eyes, and Rachel giggled. He continued, "Although 'breathing', 'female', and 'Jewish' are about her only criteria these days…not necessarily in that order." By this time, Rachel's silent tears had begun tracking down her cheeks, and Noah paused to wipe them away with his right hand.

"Are you sure about this, Noah?" Rachel inquired. "We really haven't known each other that long, and we don't need to take things so fast."

"If this is moving too quickly, Rach, let me know and it won't go any further. Take as long as you need, and know that I'll be here whenever you're ready." Rachel thought for a moment, smiled, and quietly avowed, "I'm ready whenever you are, Noah. Getting married wasn't on my 'radar' when I met you, but I know this is the right step for me, too,"

Noah took a deep breath and smiled broadly, looking deeply into Rachel's eyes. "Obviously, I can't get down on one knee, and we can't 'seal the deal' with anything more than a kiss, but…well, I guess I am asking…Rachel, will you marry me?"

"Oh, yes, Noah, of course I'll marry you," she happily replied, tears flowing freely again. She leaned her head gently on Noah's right shoulder, hands still clasped.

"Guess I'll straighten this out with your dads, and then I'll get the ring from Ma," he decided.

"OK, then I won't say anything until it's official," she confirmed.

The couple sat in companionable silence, each reflecting on the past few weeks that brought them together. "Santana will get to wear her red dress, after all," she mused aloud. Noah looked at her curiously and she explained, "After our first date, Santana predicted that we'd get married. She told me that she wanted to wear a red dress as my 'Maid of Honor'." Rachel giggled, continuing, "I wonder how much money she and Kurt have riding on this…"

"I'm sure that Chang and Evans have a bet going, too," he added. "Mike said something the first time you stopped by; I guess he could see it even before I could…damn Ninja skills," he teased. Before Rachel could reply, the buzzer went off. Since Deborah had a key, they assumed it was Brittany and her girls. Rachel confirmed that it was, in fact, them, and let them into the building.

Brittany embraced Rachel and introduced her two little girls, who were staring inquisitively at her. "Girls, this is 'Auntie' Rachel; Rachel, this is Daisy," the older girl looked up and tentatively said "Hi". Brittany continued: "And this is Violet." Violet looked shyly at Rachel, still clinging to her mother's leg.

"Hello, girls; it's nice to meet you," a bemused Rachel replied.

"Well, this is a fine hello," Noah announced from the sofa. The girls broke away from their mother, running to the sofa and stopping abruptly when they saw their "Uncle's" condition.

"It's OK, girls," Brittany reassured them, "just be gentle with 'Uncle' Puck; he had a big 'oopsie' the other day." The girls approached him gingerly, holding out the drawing and card they had made for him. "Daisy drew a picture for 'Uncle' Puck today during art class, and Violet made him a get well card," Brittany explained to Rachel.

Noah accepted his gifts appreciatively, stating, "Well, thank you, guys, these are the best gifts ever. Rachel, would you mind putting these up on the refrigerator?" Rachel walked over, took the art work from Noah, and entered the kitchen, adhering the drawings to the refrigerator with kitchen magnets. Upon returning to the living room, Maisie raised her head, causing her tags to jingle, and the girls first noticed that there was a dog in the room.

"Doggie!" Violet called out, pointing to the dog excitedly.

"Would you like to pet the doggie?" Rachel asked, squatting down so she was eye level with the little girl. She nodded her head and grinned, and Rachel returned to standing, taking her hand. "Would you like to come, too, Daisy?" Rachel inquired of the older child, currently sitting next to Noah on the sofa.

"Yeah!" she replied, climbing down. Rachel walked with the girls over to the dog bed.

"This is Maisie," she said, introducing the girls to the dog. They stood a bit back, eager to move forward but afraid to do so without permission. "Maisie would love it if you'd pet her," Rachel explained, smiling. "Stroke her gently, like this," she instructed, stroking the dog's coat in the direction that the fur grew. "Here, honey," she said, taking Violet's hand and guiding it over the dogs coat. Daisy was less shy, and immediately began copying what had been demonstrated.

"She's really soft," Daisy commented. "Yeah," agreed her sister. Rachel sat with the girls and talked quietly with them as they fawned over the dog, who was thoroughly enjoying the attention.

Brittany sat down next to Noah and watched the interaction. "She's gonna make a great mom some day, Puck," Brittany commented. Noah smiled contentedly, contemplating the life he would share with Rachel and the children they would have together. Brittany noticed his expression and smiled to herself; those two were headed for matrimony, she could just feel it. She squeezed Noah's right hand, whispering, "Puck, you picked a good one. I really like her."

He grinned, whispering back, "I agree, Britt. I definitely agree."

Deborah arrived back from the market shortly thereafter and was bombarded with cries of "Bubbe Debbie!" and hugs from the Evans children as Rachel and Brittany took the groceries in the kitchen to unpack. Laughingly, Deborah inquired "OK, my 'little Munchkins', who's up for some ice cream?"