Disclaimer: I do not own Glee and am making no money from this.

Hypothermia

"No-No-Noah…"

"Rachel?"

"S-s-so C-cold N-Noah."

"Rachel! Where are you?"

"Under the city limit sign, Route 30. The snow is so pretty N-Noah. So soft…"

"Rachel Wake up! I'm on my way. Please baby I'm coming. Just stay on the line. Keep talking to me."

Puck already had his keys in his hand when she said she was cold. He could hear the wind whistling around her and knew she was outside and no where safe.

"I'm so c-cold Noah."

"I know baby I'm on Route 30 now. Just a mile away baby. Keep talking. Why are you out there?"

Puck cranked the heat in his old truck up as high as it would go. He blindly reached behind the seat to pull the blanket he used for parking out. He threw it in the floor boards near the heat vents in warm it up. Hypothermia emergency training raced through his mind he focused on that and not the picture forming in his head of his tiny Rachel black and blue with cold and death.

"F-f-finn broke up with me in the C-christmas tree lot. I walked till I got signal and called you…c-cause you like me Noah. Right? N-no one else does but you l-like me..I think..I-I hope…Noah…"

A surge of angry ran through at Finn but it was overcome with worry when he didn't immediately see her small form next to the YOU ARE LEAVING LIMA, OHIO sign "I'm right here baby I see the sign. Where are you?"

"RACHEL!" Puck yelled and he slammed the truck into park and began to wade through the snow to the vague dark shape he could see under the sign. The dark shape formed into Rachel, one tiny mitten reaching out for him the other hand, bare, still clutched the phone to her ear. The blowing snow had gathered around her knees and her face was as white as the snow that blew around them. Her lips were starting to turn purple when Puck scooped her up in his arms and sloshed back to the truck. He climbed in the open driver's side door and slid her across the bench seat. Slamming the door behind him he started to strip her of her wet outerwear as gently as possible. He remembered this part from the class at juvie but he didn't realize it was so hard. She was so tiny and her hands and feet so cold he wanted to roughly pull her to him and hold her until she was warm; to rub her hands between his own but he shouldn't and he knew he shouldn't but when she looked at him all big sad brown eyes in a too pale face it was much harder to concentrate on what he shouldn't than it was when he scoffed in class.

Rachel was trying to help but her cold fumbling fingers just got in the way she looked at them confused as if she couldn't fathom their current lack of dexterity. Puck pulled her coat, hat, shoes, stockings, mittens and everything else he could find that was wet on her off and retrieved the blanket from the floor. He pulled his own hoodie, warm from his body heat off and slid it over her cold form and pulled the hood up over her head as he wrapped her in the thankfully warm blanket.

"But you'll get cold." She whispered reaching out to touch his chest now only covered by the tiny sleeveless shirt he'd been laying around the house in when she called. He shuddered at her icy fingers and slowly gently pushed her hand back into the blankets.

"Not as cold as you babe. You just sit there and shiver we'll be home soon and I'll finished warming you up."

He put the truck back in gear and U turned to head back into town. His house sat near the outskirts of town luckily he hadn't had far to drive to get her. Vaguely he noted that not even one more car had driven past while they were there. How long would Rachel have been out there if she hadn't called him?

"You do like me don't you Noah?" Rachel asked again in that tiny whimpering voice that he hated. Rachel was loud and confident with a voice so big it seemed impossible for it to come out of that tiny body. He'd noticed the last few weeks that she had become quieter and quieter as Finn maintained his unforgiving stance on her kissing him. Shit pissed him off, Rachel and him had kissed for a few minutes, while her and Finn were on the outs yet it was okay that he'd slept with Santana then lied about it for almost a year while again him and Rachel were on a break or rather when Finn was going to find his inner rock star, whatever the fuck that means.

"Noah?"

Her voice sounded pitifully close to tears and since it seemed so important to her likely confused mind Puck answered honestly. "Yeah Berry-baby I like you. I like you a lot. You and all your crazy kind of grew on me."

"Good." She replied in a happier tone. She made slow halting progress towards him on the seat until she made her intent clear. He lifted one arm and pulled her up against him. Instead of the blanket making her warmer she was making the blanket colder and Puck knew the next several hours would be full of worry.

He pulled into his drive and cut the engine. He wrapped the blanket around Rachel's face though she whimpered confused at why. He slid her out of the truck still wrapped in the blanket and quickly bought her into the house. The phone was ringing and he knew it was probably his counselor wanting to know exactly why he'd driven to the edge of town. He deposited Rachel on the sofas and grabbed the phone.

"Puckerman."

"What the fuck did you think you were doing Puck? Lucky you turned around I was about sent a car down there to grab you!"

"Easy Jimmy. A friend called needing help. Rachel, 'member I told you about her. That douche bag ex best friend of mine dumped her in the Christmas tree lot outside of town where she walked from till she got a signal to call me. Does chamomile tea have caffeine?"

While Puck talked he kept one eye on Rachel staring around her somewhat dazed and heated up some water for tea in the other. He knew he had to get some warm liquids in her. He glanced at the box of tea, no caffeine, good.

"I don't think so. Is she okay?"

"It's blowing up a blizzard here so no, she's not okay. She's probably got hypothermia but I don't think she needs a doctor. Good thing I took that First Aid class huh?" While the water heated Puck ducked into the utility room behind the kitchen to toss the clothes from the washer into the dryer. In an hour he'd be able to wrap Rachel up in warm clothes.

"Kid I think you took everything but the Christian seminar to get out of there earlier. Look you need me you call me and for my peace of mind if it's at all possible think you could give me a ring before you head out of town to play hero next time." Jimmy's voice had a joking tone to it now. He wasn't a hard-ass and he and Puck actually got along alright. Jimmy wasn't just his parole officer he was Puck's counselor too. The little blip of Puck's ankle bracelet heading out of town fast had triggered the alarms down at the police station. Luckily they'd called Jimmy first instead of just heading out to grab Puck themselves.

"I had to keep her awake and talking or I would have." Puck checked the water and glanced back into the living room to see Rachel trying to struggle out of her blanket. "Whoa! Rach, no. You have to keep the blanket on Baby so you can get warm. Jimmy I gotta go."

"Yeah. Call me tomorrow. Take care. Bye."

"Bye." Puck tossed the phone on the ground near the TV and tried to rewrap Rachel.

"No, Noah itchy. Mmmm you're so warm Noah."

Puck noticed that indeed the blanket from the truck had sticky bits of dried grass on it and tossed it away. Grabbing the blanket from the back of the couch he tried not to jerk away from Rachel's icy fingers where they had slipped under his shirt to the warm skin of his back. He tried not to moan as her long bare legs wrapped around his waist and reflected that this was in fact the next warming step. He let Rachel twine herself around him comfortably then raised the hoodie back over her head and wrapped the new blanket around her making sure to tuck it around her bare legs. He lifted her up onto his hip like a small child and carried her with him into the kitchen.

"What are you making?" Rachel's speech was clearing up the slightest bit which Puck found reassuring.

"Tea. We need to get some warm fluids into you." Rachel giggled and Puck chuckled remembering the reaction that line had gotten out of the guys in juvie. He was surprised that Rachel was catching on to innuendo though. He recalled her words in the Chastity Club meeting she'd stormed out of last year and thought for a second that she might not be as innocent as she acted.

He shook his head trying to drag his thoughts up out of the gutter not an easy task when some of the more lewd suggestions of his fellow inmates running through his head about how to get Rachel warm. Her cute little butt wiggling just inches above his now half hard manhood wasn't helping either. He concentrated on her for a second on how cold she still was. How her normally hot little body was radiating cold not heat and effectively choked any desire he felt for her.

The water was finally warm enough but not boiling that he poured it out into the cup he'd dumped the tea bag into. "You're not allergic to chamomile or anything are you?"

Rachel shook her head slightly before pressing her nose back into his neck. His arm began to ache from holding her up so he pulled out a chair and sat down with her in his lap. For the few minutes it took for the tea to seep neither said anything. Puck slipped his big warm hands under the hoodie to very gently and very lightly run them up Rachel's back, down her legs and back up again. He avoided her hands and feet though he knew those spots were likely the coldest he also knew that he wasn't suppose to get those warm before her core warmed up. He wasn't exactly sure why but he did know that it could kill her. Her hands and feet he'd been relieved to see earlier when she stripped out of the blanket were merely very very white and not black like some of the more gruesome pictures they'd showed them in class. Rachel for her part purred in his arms and shivered constantly moving her feet trying to find a way to tuck them up against his warmth.

Finally he stood back up shifting her to the other hip and retrieved the cup tossing the bag in the sink. At his low question she mumbled back "Three sugars." He held her easily with one arm and the tea cup with the other while he carried her up stairs to his room. He put the tea down on his desk and deposited her into the middle of his bed. Luckily it was unmade and he wrapped her up in the covers. She reached for the tea cup but he stopped her. "No Baby it's still too hot."

"Isn't that the point?" Rachel pouted.

"Too hot too fast is bad for you Baby we gotta do this slow okay? I'm gonna get a thermometer just sit tight okay?"

"Okay." Rachel was still sort of pouting at him and before he could convince himself it was a bad idea he dipped down to gently kiss her cold lips.

When he pulled back she smiled at him just the slightest curl at the corners of her lips. He smiled back and walked back out the the bathroom to retrieve the thermometer from the first aid kit. When he came back Rachel wasn't smiling but instead was staring down at the twisting sheets covering her hands.

"I shouldn't kiss you. That's what got me in trouble in the first place." She whispered to her hands. The hood of his sweater covered her face but for her lips which she quickly licked as if remembering those kisses.

Puck felt his heart squeeze then anger roared through him. "Fuck that Berry! You're not with him anymore! You have every right to kiss me now and keep kissing me forever 'cause I'm never letting you go again!"

She looked up at him startled. "Let me?" She started to look somewhat mad and he could see the self righteousness clearing the fog from her eyes but he stopped her.

Stepping forward he cupped her chin. "Open your mouth and lift your tongue." Her brow furrowed in confusion but cleared when he waved the thermometer in her face. She opened her mouth obediently and let him slide it gently under her tongue. Once she'd closed her mouth around the glass vial Puck began to speak.

"For once you're gonna be quiet and listen to me. You can sprout your woman's lib at me another time. You almost died tonight Rachel. Finn did that. Your Precious St Finn who wouldn't hurt a fly left a small girl alone in the cold to die tonight and I will never forgive him for that. Yeah I'm never letting you go again. You were right last year. I wasn't going break up with you. I loved that week I spent with you. Loved ever fucking second of it even the slushie. Then I lost you to St Finn and at first I thought it would be alright he's always been the better man. He'd treat you right I thought. Then I got to sit and watch as he did everything he could to tear you down. I miss the old Rachel, loud, proud, driven Rachel. Then I finally get my chance at her again and I blow it 'cause I can't go after another girl who's hung up on Finn again. Just 'cause I'm a man just cause I'm a whore don't mean I don't have feelings Berry. Before you, before Beth it was actually kind of awesome that I was the guy girls slept with to piss their boyfriends off but then you had to go and try and make me a better person and fuck you if you didn't succeed a little bit."

He looked at her then frustrated, running his hands over his Mohawk, and stopped and had to smile a little. She looked so much like a child right then, swaddled in blankets, thoroughly chastised face thermometer sticking out of her pouty lips. He reached out and pulled the glass vial from her lips.

"90 degrees Baby, that's still too cold." Puck sighed as she dipped her head again apparently in thought. He tested the tea and held the warm cup to her mouth. She bought her own hands up still swaddled in sheets to hold the cup. "Drink it all Baby."

She nodded and he made sure she could hold the cup securely before getting up and stripping out of his shirt and pants. He figured his boxers were good enough and began arranging the covers again. Rachel finished her tea and let him pull her remaining clothing off until she was sitting there cold in nothing but her bra and panties, green with yellow kitties on them. Puck felt his heart twinge at the sight of sexy cuteness; Rachel personified. He pushed her back in to the covers and then crawled in after her. She looked over at him again with those big brown eyes as he reached for her, hesitantly at first then with more boldness she met him in the middle of the bed to twine their limbs together. Puck couldn't contain his shudders as her icy hands and feet trailed against his legs and back but when she went to pull away he just urged her closer. Her hands finally came to rest on his chest tucked there with her breasts. He pulled the blankets over her head till just her face showed looking at him. As he gazed softly at her he sighed into her mouth when her last move before going to sleep was to lever herself up to kiss him good night.

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Hours later as the sun began to peek into Puck's bedroom window Rachel woke up not knowing where she was at first. She had the oddest sensation of being cold while wrapped in warmth.

Cold, she remembered setting out down the road towards town with the snow blowing, cutting through her woolens. She cursed the fact that as a small person she didn't make much heat in the first place. She reached the city limit sign before her cell phone signal had picked up enough for her to make a call. She was having trouble figuring out just how long she'd been out in the approaching blizzard with the harsh wind that persistently ripped her scarf away from her face. Her face felt like it was getting stabbed repeatedly with tiny needles which were good because it was all that was keeping her awake. She stumbled down the road with feet that felt like blocks of ice or would if she could have felt them at all. When she did get signal she wasted more precious minutes trying to figure out who to call. Her father's were at a conference states away. Finn had abandoned her..she struggled to stay on her feet as the knowledge that she was here because of a boy she'd thought she loved almost sent her to her knees. Kurt was another town over. Mr. Schue had mentioned visiting his own parents before the surprise Christmas party to be held at his place in a few days, again a couple of towns over. Finally in the words of Santana no one in Glee liked her…except Noah… Deciding not to dwell on her state of loneliness in the world instead she tried to dial Noah. Only to feel the wind tear her tears away when she realized that to work the touch screen she'd first have to expose a hand to the bitter cold.

Her stuttering words into the phone, the sounds of running feet and a car door slam as Noah's voice rough with worry came through the phone urging her to stay awake and keep talking to him. She was glad he was coming to get her but was having trouble remembering why it was so important he come quickly. She answered his questions in a dazed fashion. She turned to face the bright lights of Puck's truck and vaguely heard her name before the wind ripped it away. She reached the hand not clutching her phone out towards the bounding figure coming towards her. The rest is a blur. She remembers Noah's arms and hands, somehow he was warm though everything in the world seemed frozen. She was out of the wind and under Noah's arm she'd been insistence about something what though she couldn't recall. Then through the wind again to Noah's house where she sat and studied the dark room while Noah's spoke on the phone to someone in the kitchen. Then like a switch flipped the blanket became unbearably itchy on her suddenly sensitive skin. Just where were her clothes anyway? She turned a pout on Noah's back. She hazily wondered if he possessed superpowers; since no girl left alone with him kept their clothes on for long.

She'd regained his attention then as he'd came to try and put the blanket back on her eventually substituting it for a softer one as she wrapped herself around him. He was like a space heater and she a slowly melting ice cube. After he made tea and carried her upstairs her mind cleared more and more. Enough to first bask under his kiss then realize that she shouldn't, which led to his rant. That she remembered. She was his. What a Neanderthal thing to say, and yet it filled her with this wonderful feeling. The same feeling she'd had as a child when Daddy would wrap her up in his arms. Safe, loved that's what Noah made her feel. He was right of course; she could never go back to Finn after this. In the thin light of morning she struggled to come to terms with the fact that she almost died last night. She had no trouble coming to terms with the fact that Finn left her there. Where once her heart held him there was a scar, as if he'd been cruelly ripped out then before she could bleed to death the wound had been seared shut. Noah's arms around her, his words, his solid warmth were healing her both inside and out.

She smiled at the sunlight and pulled herself up to kiss Noah good morning. Much like last night when she'd kissed him good night. He blinked open his eyes then closed them again as he kissed her back.

"Good Mornin'" He rumbled out, his deep voice rougher with sleep. He stretched his impressive frame and crunched his face as he groaned. She merely snuggled down deeper into the blankets and watched him with a soft smile on her face. When he'd finally completed his morning exertion he glanced down at her and returned her smile. "What are you smiling at Beautiful?"

She blushed, "You like me."

"We went over this last night Baby." He smirked.

She frowned trying to remember, the conversation in the truck came back to her, and she blushed again. She looked back up at him to see him shaking the mercury down the thermometer. She opened her mouth obediently as he popped the little glass vial in her mouth and ordered her to stay while he got some warm clothes for her.

He rolled out of bed and quickly tucked the blankets back around her. Then he pulled the grey sweatpants he'd been wearing last night back on and walked out scratching the back of his head trying to wake up more. He stumbled downstairs and turned the dryer back on as the clothes from last night were now cold. He started heating water again then with a jaw cracking yawn headed back upstairs he wandered down the hall with his eyes mostly closed and almost sent little Rachel flying when he bumped into her coming out of his room.

Luckily the Puck's reflexes did not require his brain's engagement to reach out and grab her. He pulled her to him and looking down at her glared. "You were supposed to stay in bed." He grumbled.

"95." Rachel chirped hoping to take his mind off her disobedience.

"Better, but still not where you need to be. You'll hover around this for the next couple of days though. You're stuck here with me for the next little bit Babe 'cause there's no way I'm letting you out in that cold."

She pouted a bit and he laughed, "What? You don't wanna spend more time with me?"

She smiled shyly at him and went up on tiptoe to kiss him again.

He led her downstairs to sit in his lap in the living room. She'd wrapped herself back up in the blanket before walking out and Puck explained that he had some clothes in the dryer warming up that he was going to put on her soon.

She pouted, "So no more skin to skin?"

Puck's mouth slowly stretched into a suggestive smirk. "Oh we'll have lots of skin to skin me and you, as much and as long as you want Baby."

She giggled at him as he tucked her into a corner of the couch making sure her to pull a flap of the blanket over her head again. Again he leaned down to kiss her. When he pulled back her lips were upturned in a smile. He smiled back at her and walked back in the kitchen to make some more tea.

His stomach rumbled and he called back into the living room, "Babydoll what do you want for breakfast? Gotta be something hot."

"Hmm Oatmeal?" He heard from the doorway.

He spun around to see her shifting from foot from foot with the blanket wrapped around her. He knew her feet must hurt and she seemed loath to put them on the cold linoleum. He sighed and walked over to scoop her up in his arms only to immediately put her back down on the kitchen chair. "Why don't you stay where I put you?"

"I'm not a doll." She pouted as he tucked tugged the blanket back over her head again. He wasn't sure if he had to keep her head covered now that she was warming up but better safe than sorry.

"Yeah you are. My little Babydoll." He wrapped his palms around her cheeks and lifted her face to give her a deeper kiss. She looked a little dazed afterwards and he sighed and smiled. "I love getting to kiss you anytime I want; one of the best things about being with ya." He stood and wandered back into the laundry room where he grabbed an armful of clothes and bought then dump them out on the kitchen table. He quickly located two gray woolen socks that slipped up over Rachel's knees, and blue plaid flannel pajamas. After that he took off her blanket to layer over her a t-shirt, a flannel button up and a McKinley High sweatshirt. Lastly he pulled a frayed black beanie and snuggled it down over Rachel's soft brown hair. She tucked her hands into the sleeves of the too big sweat shirt and grinned up at him.

"I think the best thing about being with you." She said as she stood up and stepped closer to him. "Is being wrapped in your arms." He obligingly wrapped her up and pulled her close. "Although the kisses come a really close second." She grinned up at him and licked her lips.

He grinned back and bent down to kiss her again. He cupped the back of her head and disturbed her beanie as he threaded his fingers through her hair. Her tummy rumbled gently between them and he chuckled as he pulled away from her soft lips. "So, oatmeal?"

She nodded happily and sat at the table rewrapping the blanket around her and fixing her beanie as he cooked a large pot of oatmeal.

That Evening

The day had mostly been spent lazing around Puck's house mostly in his bed as he taught her how to play Mario while they lay on their bellies under the covers. He'd found some old gloves and snipped the tips off so she could use the controller although in between turns she tucked her cold fingertips under his body. Her temperate had risen to 96 but Puck still insisted she stay completely wrapped up retrieving tea and hot food from the kitchen to keep her from stirring from his warm bed. There were frequent, necessary pauses for making out.

After dinner they finally moved to the living room where Puck once again cocooned Rachel's body with blankets before crawling under himself. They were watching some old 'Friends' re-runs when Puck's phone lit up. Santana was calling. Rachel wrinkled her nose but the Latino girl was still Puck's friend so he answered.

"Hey, Satan. How's it hanging?" Despite their numerous sexual encounters Santana and Puck had settled into an odd friendship. Not to say that they still didn't hook up sometimes but for the most part they were just friends. Brittney sometimes referred to Puck as her and Santana's regular scissor for when they needed or thought they needed a man. Now that he was with Rachel that'd have to stop. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to mind.

"Hey, listen, Mr. Schue's party in a few days. We were thinking about a major snag in our plans, namely that we don't have a key to the place. So we were hoping you could show up early and pick the lock." Santana sounded distracted and he could hear Brittney from what sounded like across the room giggling.

"The word probation mean anything to you? Anyway we're not going."

"Who's we?"

"Me and Rach."

"You and ManHands?! When the hell that happen?" In the background Puck heard Brittney squeal about Puckleberries being delicious. "Anyway why aren't you going? Some Jewish thing?"

"Finn."

"What don't wanna rub your Puckleberry goodness in his face?" He knew Santana well enough to hear the smile in her voice. Once again in the background Puck could hear Brittney nearer to the phone now babbling happily about Puckleberries. He could picture Santana's bedroom now; Santana on the phone smiling at Brittney as she happily bounced around the Latino girl like a joyful puppy.

"Nah. I'd love to rub his face in it but Rachel can't get back out in the cold after douchebag left her to walk a mile in the snow."

"He WHAT?!" Santana did not like Rachel Berry let's be clear here. They were polar opposites and did not get along and probably would never get along. Hell half the reason Santana had messed around with Finn was to piss the midget off. But there were some lines you didn't cross. Even she wouldn't have left Rachel alone in the snow.

"He broke up with her at the Christmas tree lot and left her there. She hiked a mile in the snow before she got a signal to call me. She had hypothermia, San. If she'd been out there any longer she would have died!" Puck had been growling into the phone angrily while gripping Rachel's body to him harder and tighter. It wasn't until she whimpered that he turned his attention down to her and loosened his hold. Though not crying she looked very distressed and it occurred to him that she probably didn't like being reminded about the almost dying part.

On the other line Santana was cussing angrily in Spanish while Brittney asked what was wrong. When San finally calmed down enough to tell Brittney what had happened Brittney pulled the phone from her grip. "Puck is Rachel okay? Finn's an idiot you don't leave people, especially small people like Rachel, out in the snow they can freeze to death."

"She's okay Britt. I got her warm now."

"Can I talk to her?"

"Wanna talk to Britt Babydoll? Here Britt." Puck handed the phone to Rachel.

"Hey Rachie are you okay? Are you warm now?" Rachel was somewhat surprised by Brittney's worried tone.

"Yeah Britt I'm warmer now. Still really chilly but Noah's keeping me warm and taking very good care of me."

"That's good let your Puckleberriness warm you up. Do you need anything? I bet you don't have any clothes at Puck's house. Do you need like panties and stuff? Me and San can bring you some." Rachel looked at the phone in some confusion and shock at Brittney's generosity but stammered out, "That would be very nice of you Brittney. Thank you."

"Okay." The blonde chirped. "Do you want us to come by and get your keys and go to your house to get some things or just bring you some of ours? I think my little sister has some training bras you can wear."

Rachel winced especially when she heard the enhanced Latino girl snort with laughter in the background but she could tell that Brittney didn't mean it to be mean. "Umm just come by and get my keys. Thanks Britt."

"Okay. San, road trip!" Britt hung up and Rachel turned a bemused face up at Puck who chuckled and shrugged.

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Brittney and Santana stepped quietly into Rachel's empty house. It was eerily silent and the closing door made an echoing sound and Santana quickly walked over to the keypad to input the code Rachel had given her to disable the alarm. It was dark in the cool afternoon. The only light came from the windows letting in the reflected sunlight off the snow drifts outside. Although Santana had intended to poke about a bit now this place was seriously creeping her out. How did Berry stay here by herself all the time?

They quickly trotted up the stairs to Rachel's room. Normally it was a warm happy room but without its exuberant occupant the yellow walls seemed cold and dead. San pulled out Rachel little pink suitcase and Brittney gleefully filled it with animal print pajamas. Brittney squealed in delight over Rachel's under wear though. They were a variety of colors each with different animals on them. She even had some leopard and zebra print ones. Underneath what was likely her everyday attire there were a precious few silk and lace ensembles. One light blue sheer nightgown, a lavender bra and panty set, and one red hot corset, garter belt and stocking combo. This last one Brittney held up and turned to Santana with a devious smile. "How hot do you think Rachel would get wearing this over at Puck's?" Her smile widened, "Especially if we tied a pretty red bow around her neck. He could open her for Hanukah!"

Santana smiled, "I love the way your mind works Britt." She reached out and kissed the blond girl deeply before helping her pack up the silky bits and a few toiletries Berry had asked for.

Rachel's dads would away from home until New Years. Rachel was suppose to be spending a tremendous amount of time with Finn and had there by declined their invite to be flown to relatives for winter break. Now Rachel had called them about her staying at Puck's a situation which they seemed much happier about. Meanwhile Puck's mom was working in Chicago for the next 3 weeks staying at her sisters while his little sister stayed at their Nana's. Puck and Rachel would be alone in Puck's house for the next few weeks.

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"HoHoHO Merry Christmas!" Brittney gleefully skipped into Puck's house wearing a Santa hat and dragging a large suitcase behind her. Santana had a fond smile on her face and closed the door behind her.

Brittney was gleefully handing Rachel a red ribbon and started explaining while Santana caught Puck's arm and drug him into the kitchen.

"So I've been thinking about this Frankenteen leaving girls to walk home thing."

"In the snow." Puck growled.

"That does make it worst. Look, you know about the Cheerio phone tree right?"

"Of course. You need to take me off stress relief. Me and Rach…I think we really got something here I don't wanna mess that up." Stress relief meant guys that could be trusted to take the edge off a stressed Cheerio without getting entangled. There were eight guys on stress relief. There had been more but Matt moved and Mike got with Tina now Puck was leaving it for Rachel. It was a privileged position but was also very secret. If only Tina and Rachel knew the things Mike and he were giving up for them.

"You'll be missed but done. That mean nothing for me and Britt too?"

"Not unless Rachel okays it."

"I'll have Britt ask her if we need something. Anyway I was thinking of enacting Foxtrot."

Puck raised both eyebrows in shock. Sue Sylvester was an insane ex-military dictator with her own private army. One should expect that that army was well organized. Foxtrot was the name of a plan that included the complete ostracizing of a person, usually a boy, because they had done something unforgivable. Leaving a girl in the middle of nowhere counted as a douchebag move of Foxtrot proportions. It was usually only enacted for Cheerios that happened to and Puck knew Rachel wasn't Santana's favorite person.

"That's big of you."

"It's not for Rachel."

"I didn't think it was."

"Finn's quarterback. He has way too much influence in the school. If he did this to her then he could do it to one of my girls. I can't have that."

Puck nodded. He figured that's what it was.

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The two Cheerios stayed only a few minutes longer before Brittney trotted back down stairs with a mischievous smile and told Puck she'd left his ChristaHanukah present on his bed upstairs.

Puck made sure Rachel stayed very very warm for the rest of the weekend.