Title: Blackmail Is The Best Type Of Mail
Rating: M - Language
Pairing: Rachel x Puck (Noah)
Summary: Glee needs a leading man and Rachel knows exactly how to get one
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee
Chap 4 ~ Let The Games Begin
The sound of ticking was the only sound that echoed through the quire room no one daring to even utter a single word as everyone watched Rachel Berry watch the clock as the second had ticked closer and closer to the dead line she had given Noah to arrive.
Upon arriving to Glee practise she had taken it upon herself to inform her fellow members along with Mr Shue that she had solved their little problem involving the male lead. Mr Shue had been the most shocked but had excitedly congratulated her for finding someone who obviously must have some natural talent to be deemed worthy by her. The other members had been a little surprised but also expected nothing less from her.
So now they sat and waited not wanting to start rehearsals until Noah turned up… there was still the little fact that she had yet to tell anyone who she had recruited for Glee and no matter how much they had asked her she had refused, telling them they would just have to wait and see.
Truth was she didn't want to tell them who was coming. She knew for a fact that none of them minus Mr Shue would like who would walk through that door any minute now. Each and every one of them had been subject to Noah Puckerman's childish treatment in some way or another and she also knew they all either hated him or very much disliked him.
Sure they would all argue about him joining to start off with but after they heard his voice they would see things her way. Noah Puckerman's voice was amazing, for lack of a better word and even though her fellow Glee members would probably rather ignore that fact she knew they wouldn't be able to because he was all they had if they were serious about getting anywhere.
Her patience was wearing thin when there was seconds left, she was just about to get up and go find him before the quire room door open and straight after a chorus of gasps were heard through the room.
"Oh no! Tell me you are joking" Mercedes was the first to verbally show her annoyance
"Unfortunately Mercedes I'm not" Rachel nodded her head as she stood up from where she had been sitting
"Well this defiantly is a surprise" Mr Shue said a little shock in his voice but his face full of the same excitement that had been edged across it from the moment she had told him she had found a male lead.
"Come in" He said gesturing for Noah to come further into the room
He didn't say anything and didn't make eye contact with anyone but did as he was told and trudged further into the room his guitar case held in his left hand while letting the door swing closed after him.
"Mr Shue! Rachel! You cant be serious!?" Kurt gasped realising this wasn't just some awful prank. Kurt had been her best friend since they were little and for her not to tell him something like this obviously annoyed him to no end but he was also pretty angry about the fact that she had chosen Noah Puckerman of all people to be male lead.
"Guys please, before you make any rash judgments at least hear him sing first" Rachel quickly said not wanting this to get into a fight and it seemed that one was fast approaching
"I agree, Puck do you have a song you would like to sing for us?" Mr Shue asked the newest arrival
"Yeah I guess" He shrugged like it wasn't a big deal before walking over to makeshift stage and sat on the edge.
"Wonderful lets hear it" Mr Shue said as he went and took a seat and gesturing for everyone else to do the same
Rachel sat down just as Noah lifted his head and looked at her. She braced herself for him to look at her with hatred and anger but what she saw surprised her for the smirk that was usually always on those lips of his wasn't there instead it was replaced with small weak smile that was gone just as fast as it had been there.
Stopping her train of thought she watched as he took his acoustic guitar out and sat it on his knee before he started to strum and expertly glide his fingers across the frets.
"It's been so long since I have met You here
Since I have said these words or cried these tears
And like a child would come I run into our secret place
And as the music fades, the tears are rolling down my face
I am alive in this moment
In this moment I am found
I am alive in this moment
In this moment I belong
It's been so long since I have met You here
Since I have heard You speak or let You near
And like a wayward son I've come with nothing left to hide
Here in this moment I have come to offer up my life
I am alive in this moment
In this moment I am found
I am alive in this moment
In this moment I belong
Here only one fire burns, it burns
Here only one melody is heard
Once again for the very first time
My eyes are opening
I am alive in this moment
In this moment I am found
I am alive in this moment
In this moment I belong
In this moment I am found
I am alive in this moment
In this moment I belong… I belong…"
The words fell from his mouth so smoothly just like they had the last time she had heard him sing and that had been a few years ago at a Jewish dinner party Noah's mother had invited her family to. And like always the adults had begged Rachel to perform a song and then thought it would be a brilliant idea if Noah played his guitar as well so in the end they had ended up singing a song together with Noah playing his guitar.
Rachel had been surprised to say the least that none other than Noah Puckerman could posses such a voice like his but she couldn't deny what was there. Now she was thankful that she had decided to go to that dinner party because it was about to seriously change so much.
When she finally snapped out of her thoughts she realised the whole room was completely silent. Looking around at the others a huge smile slipped its way onto her lips when she noticed their shocked faces but this time it was a good thing. Deciding it was time she jumped up out of her seat and started to clap loudly not being able to stop herself from giggling all the while. Soon everyone else was clapping along with her.
"Ok I'll admit the boy got game" Mercedes said
"Well I'd like to be the first to say, welcome to New Directions Puck" Mr Shue said
Rachel was happy with how things had turned out during the rest of Glee. Noah surprisingly actually got involved and did as he was told, by the end of the session it felt almost natural for him to be there and she knew by the looks on everyone else's faces that that they were thinking the same.
When Mr Shue dismissed them and left the room everyone else hung back and Rachel waited nervously knowing that this was the point that her friends would either except Noah with open arms or continue to hold grudges against him for all the things he had done in the past.
Artie however was the first to break the awkward silence.
"Dude cool guitar skills" Artie said inkling his head towards Noah's guitar case in his hand "We should play together sometime"
And there it was.
The olive branch that Rachel had been hoping for. Artie wasn't the type of person to hold things against someone for long and it was obvious that if Noah was going to continue to come to Glee then the least he could do was offer Noah a chance to bond over the common interest they two boys shared.
"Sure dude, sounds good" Noah nodded his head wile grinning weakly at the boy in front of him
"Cool" Artie said as he rolled his wheelchair over to where his backpack sat and grabbed it
Rachel turned to the rest of the ground and realised that even though they all seemed some what happy with Arties extending an olive branch of sorts towards Noah they all still looked slightly sceptical about his intentions.
She couldn't blame them, it wasn't like either of them had given any explanations to why out of all people Noah Puckerman was joining Glee club.
"Look" Noah broke through her train of though making her realise that he was speaking
"I get it. Your all probably thinking why I'm here and why I'd want anything to do with any of this" He said gesturing with his free hand around the room
"Well yeah actually" Kurt nodded
"Ok let me break this down for you cause I'm only going to explain this once. I'm Jewish and guess what so is Berry over there, and as much as I hate to admit it me and crazy basically grew up together because of the whole Jewish community being retarded and feeling the need to stick together like glue. That is and will always be the only reason she knows that I play the guitar and can sing" He explained making a hell of a lot of things for the other Glee members clear
"So what you two are like friends?" Mercedes asked
"What!? Hell no!" Noah said his eyes widening
Rachel almost wanted to stop him from what he said next but allowed him to because she knew that none of the Glee members would say anything.
"Put it this way the only reason I agreed to join is because Berry despite the craziness defiantly knows how to blackmail someone. Lets just say that she has a fair few videos thanks to our childhood years that would be embarrassing for me if they got out" Noah said actually telling the truth for once
"Oh my god" Kurt smirked as he turned to Rachel "You blackmailed this poor boy… classic!"
"What we needed a male lead and Noah is perfect for the part… so I may have had to go about it in a way that I am not exactly approving of but he is here now and that's what matters" Rachel shrugged her shoulders defending her actions
"Look… today has been… as much as I want to hurt myself for saying this… it has been surprisingly fun" Noah said through clenched teeth as if saying the words caused him physical pain
"And yeah ok so the only reason I'm here is because Berry over there blackmailed me but I guess that as long as I'm here I should at least enjoy it… and I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry, O.K?" He said
It was then that everyone just stopped and stared at him in shock. This hadn't been part of the agreement and Rachel and Noah both knew it. All Rachel had been hoping for was that Noah showed up and sung for them, plus playing guitar when it was needed. She had never thought about nor expected an apology from Noah Puckerman and to get one was shell shocking.
This was Noah Puckerman and Noah Puckerman never ever apologizes for anything. Especially not for what they all knew the apology was directed at. He was saying sorry for all the times he had ever done something mean to them and they knew that by him saying those simple words would mean more than a heartfelt speech could ever.
"Look your all pretty cool for Gleeks I mean but then again… I guess I'm a Gleek as well now" He said shrugging his shoulders as if the statement didn't mean much.
But he knew that it meant almost as much as his apology had. To admit not only to himself but also to the rest of them meant a hell of a lot more than anyone would ever imagine. Because after all 'Puck' was not a Gleek but yet he had just admitted he was now.
"Welcome to Glee Puck" Tina said and it wasn't the statement that surprised them it was that she had spoken without stuttering
"Thanks… I'm actually glad to be here. But forgetting that for the time being, hand over to tape Berry" Noah turned to her holding out a hand waiting for her to give it to him
"I guess you can have it Noah, but just remember what I told you Friday I have more where this came from" She said pulling the cassette tape out of her pocket and handing it over to him
"Yeah yeah Berry I know you do" He grumbled as he dropped it on the ground and then smashed his foot down on it, instantly shattering it into pieces
"You better not have any more copies of that Berry" He said as he focused his attention on jamming the heel of his foot into the bigger pieces of the cassette breaking them up into smaller pieces wanting to make sure there was no way it would ever play again.
"Fairs fair Noah you held up your end of the bargain and I promise that I have no copies of that particular video and if I did all of which have been deleted and erased" Rachel nodded her head
"One down -" He said looking at Rachel expecting an answer
"Nineteen to go" She said with a grin
"I hate that we grew up together Berry" He groaned running his free hand through his Mohawk.
"Keep telling yourself that Noah, maybe one day it will come true" Rachel said her grin growing wider
"Whatever" Noah said turning and walking to the open doorway before stopping and looking back over his shoulder "And I expect you all keep this to yourselves because even though I don't think your all freaks anymore if this gets out then the whole Blackmail angle will no longer have any real effect on me. So here's the deal, you all keep this shit a secret and if nothing gets out about the videos then I'll help you all with your Glee club. I'll help you all win sectionals and if we somehow get there then I'll try my hardest to help you all win nationals… so deal?"
"Deal" Kurt, Artie, Mercedes and Tina all said together nodding their heads knowing that after everything at Noah had just admitted there was a chance that throughout all this they could become friends and if Rachel trusted him then they would give him the benefit of the doubt and would trust him as well.
"Berry?" Noah asked looking at her from over his shoulder
"Deal" She nodded her head "But you do know that the student body will sooner or later find out you are in Glee"
"Berry I could come to school wearing a dress and still make it look cool. I'm not worried about what everyone is going say when they find out because they know I'll rearrange their faces if they give me or any of you guys for that matter shit" He informed them
And with those final words he turned back and walked out of the room disappearing down the hallways.
"Rachel who was that and what has he done with Puck?" Kurt asked turning to look at her
"That Kurt is Noah… that's the boy I grew up with before he turned into Puck" Rachel said smiling at the now empty doorway
Maybe… just maybe things would work out.
Well tell me what you all thought?
Its much longer than the past three chaps and I hope you all appreciate that little fact lol
If you hadnt already noticed with each passing chap it changes from Noah's point of view and emotions to Rachel's point of view and emotions.
Next chap will be Noah's point of view.
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