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

"AaBbCc" = English

"AaBbCc" = Hebrew

Skype Soldier

Rachel sat down at the computer and turned on Skype. It was summer back in Lima and the Gleeks were all gathering at Artie's house to Skype with her since she couldn't return. Rachel had an agreement with her father's that happened before high school, before Glee, before Finn. That was that they would pay for any college she wanted but she'd have to study the first two years in Israel. Her father Hiram had grown up there and was insistent. With that her New York plans were put on hold and she lived in a tiny apartment upstairs from a shop and just a mile or so away from the college.

Although she hadn't thought she would at first Rachel had to admit she loved Israel. For one thing, like Noah Puckerman had pointed out, her nose was very Jewish and in Israel it was considered much more a sign of beauty that it was in America. It also wasn't like she was deprived of the stage. In fact she was becoming quite well known and popular for her voice and acting in school and other productions.

The connection was made and the first thing she saw was Finn's face followed by Artie's as he adjusted the camera and then Finn again as he placed the camera high enough that she could see the whole room. Everyone waved at her and she waved back smiling. She looked over all of them looking for changes and just rejoicing at seeing them again. The first thing that struck her however was how pale they all were. In the sunny desert country such pale skin was rare and Rachel herself was darker now than she'd been in high school as well. For the most part many of them looked the same. Artie was wearing his hair differently and Quinn's had grown out more. Santana seemed calmer and with Brittney seeming if anything more in love than ever. Tina and Mike however were the opposite they sat on separate sides of the room and seemed tense. Mr. Schue was handing out soda pops and even Sue Sylvester was there sporting a green tracksuit and holding a blonde curly haired baby. Mercedes and Kurt's fashion looked to have if anything gotten more bizarre and curiously Blaine was standing near Mike and studiously ignoring the Hummel boy. Sam happily waved at her and returned talking to Artie about something. Of course Noah wasn't there.

"Hey Rach." Finn beamed at her.

"Hi Finn." Rachel replied gently. "Shalom everyone." Many heads turned at her voice. Softer now, gentler. Israel was a very different place than America and in turn it let Rachel be a different person. She was still driven, still all about the music and performing but she'd learned how to relax more and it showed in her gentler voice, her soft eyes. In America she'd had to shout to be heard above the noise. In Israel if she had something to say people listened. She wasn't that midget freak Berry in Israel. She wasn't the short, dark, outcast in a country that worshiped tall busty blondes. In Israel she was a beautiful young lady; short and dark and Jewish in a land were such girls were the norm. It was quite refreshing.

Various greetings came over as they too studied the Jewish girl to determine changes. Her darker skin was immediately obvious. Instead of a weak ashy tan her skin glowed with golden health and vigor. Her long dark hair was glossy, thick and curly her bangs having grown out. Her face was dominated by her soft brown eyes and pouty pale lips. There was a relaxation in her manner now that hadn't been there before; a grace in her movements; in the way her dress fell when she lifted her legs over the arm of the chair and relaxed back in the cushions.

Comments were passed about how she looked different and she replied with her own observations. Finn remained silent. He wasn't sure he liked the new look Rachel was sporting. The darker skin was off putting though he knew better than to say so and he'd never liked her hair all loose like that. Her dress showed a lot more skin than he was comfortable with being low cut enough to show the swells of her slight breasts. It irritated him the way Sam and Mike's eyes stared at the tiny strap of her dress when it fell off her shoulder. Mainly it was her manner that put him off. Before she left she was nervous, flighty and completely enthralled by him. Now as she conversed with Mercedes and Kurt she didn't treat him any different than she did anyone else.

Finally she turned to Finn with a gentle smile. He smiled back but it was a bit nervously. Before they left her dad's had forced them to break the engagement and gave Finn his ring back but Rachel and Finn had sworn that love would prevail. They had exchanged letters over the last year but even Finn couldn't fail to notice that the letters got shorter and shorter as they ran out of things to converse about. Especially since Rachel could care less about the goings on of Lima and Finn wasn't sure he could find Israel on a map. At first he'd suggested being able to visit Rachel but she'd gently explained that Israel was very very far away and that it would be impossible.

"So…did you get the part in that one thing you were going for?" Every word was separated by a pause. Truthfully Finn couldn't pronounce the play Rachel was going to be in and he'd forgotten the translation. He was racking his brains to think of anything he could talk about with her. In the letters it had become increasingly apparent that outside of Glee and high school there was pitifully little they could talk about. Besides singing they had next to nothing in common and if he'd thought it was difficult to keep up with Rachel in person then reading her letters was a trail by fire. He resorted to keeping a dictionary on hand and a liberal use of Google at first but now he barely cared to do that.

"Yes I did." Rachel turned to tell Kurt who was looking interested in a part she'd gotten but Finn broke in desperate to retain her attention.

"Tell me about it."

"O-kay." Rachel looked back at him blinking her big eyes as if she couldn't quite believe he was asking. She launched into a joyful deluge of information about a musical called Love Impossible. Finn relaxed. This Rachel was much more his speed, fully concentrated on him. Sure he didn't understand half of what she was rapidly saying but every time her attention stared to wander away to Kurt or Tina in her dialogue he'd say something to bring her attention back to him. It was very rewarding to have those bright brown eyes shining on him again. He didn't notice at first the way Artie and Sam winced whenever he'd drag Rachel's attention back towards himself but he definitely noticed when he suddenly wasn't able to grab Rachel's attention at all. She held a quick hand up to the camera to silence him and seemed to be focused on something behind her in the dark room.

"Oh Baby I'm beat." Came a male voice from behind her. The voice almost sounded familiar but in the guttural Hebrew tongue neither Finn nor the rest of the Gleeks could quite place it.

"Are you hurt?" a note of distress in Rachel's voice put them on edge.

The rough voice again, "Just tired. Will you rub my feet later?"

"Yes. My strong man so weak and weary a little kitten could knock him down?" Rachel now spoke in a teasing tone as she got up and the Gleeks saw the man for the first time. Most of him anyway. The camera was angled in such a way to see Rachel while she sat at the computer. They could still see her due to her diminutive height but the man's head was cut off from view.

From what they could see he was military of some sort. He sat various guns and knives down on what looked like a kitchen table they could now see as he'd flipped on a light when he came in. Rachel flitted about him unsnapping snaps and unbuttoning buttons as she helped him get out of what looked like riot gear while keeping up a constant stream of chatter. Finally the man was divested of most of his gear and he sat down to take off his boots as Rachel gathered up the helmet and vest to hang on the wall. Unfortunately his back was to the camera so beside the fact that his hair was shorn close to his skull they still didn't see his face.

Meanwhile Finn's face grew darker and darker. He didn't know who this man was but he didn't like the way Rachel doted on him and he especially didn't like the way the man seemed to constantly be touching Rachel. The first things he'd taken off had been his gloves and he'd busied himself with the feel of her skin as soon as he was able.

The man pulled his shirt over his head and stood back up and Mercedes let out a hum of appreciation. Broad shoulders, a heavily muscled back and huge arms covered by dark olive skin Mercedes was merely verbalizing what every woman in the room was thinking; damn that was a finely built man. Kurt elbowed his black sister and nodded towards Finn's frowning face. Mercedes looked confused because surely Kurt would appreciate such a fine specimen but seeing Finn's face cleared up the confusion. The former quarterback looked ready to blow as Rachel disappeared from sight when the big soldier wrapped his arms around her from behind and dipped his head in what was presumably a kiss.

"Rachel!" Finn barked out. This time he did see Sam and Artie wince at his blatant attempt to regain Rachel's attention. Finn thought they must be as pissed off as him at the liberties this man was taking.

The soldier's body tensed and when he turned a knife was in his hand although how or from where was anyone's guess. Again they couldn't see his face due to his height and the angle of the camera but the rest of the view from the front more than made up for it in the ladies and homosexual's opinion. Heavy pectoral muscles flexed and jumped as the man relaxed at the sight of the computer and rolled his shoulders back. The flex of muscle led an impressive chase down a smoothly muscled torso where two tight lines like arrows disappeared into his pants. His body unlike Mike's and Sam's in high school was not incredibly defined and ridged. While it was absolutely clear that the man was in perfect condition his was working muscle and when at rest was smooth and firm looking. Rachel ran a hand down the big soldier's chest and he turned his attention back to her. She looked up at him with pouty lips and soft eyes as she traced the line of muscle that led down into his pants before lightly running the back of her fingers up and down his lower belly. He further relaxed. They spoke in low voices. Rachel pouted and frowned but the soldier was adamant about something. He put the knife away and stalked further back in the house while Rachel returned to the computer chair while muttering under her breath in Hebrew.

"Stubborn ass." She cursed but when she sat down she turned a concerned and sad face towards the room the soldier had disappeared into. "Sorry everyone my roommate is back. So what were we talking about?"

"That's your roommate! He looked like a hell of a lot more." Finn growled out.

Rachel at first looked surprised but then frowned at Finn.

"Finn still running his fucking mouth? Why do you even talk to him anymore Baby? I thought we agreed he was toxic for you." The man's voice came back as he walked up right behind Rachel's chair. His heavy pants had been exchanged for loose boxers and he ran his hands over Rachel's head, face and shoulders as he stood behind her. She rose up on her knees to face him and he bent to definitely kiss her again.

Finn grit his teeth as the soldier's hands roamed over her soft skin. Sam and Artie exchanged a grimace at the angry jealousy that had rolled over Finn's face. Various other looks were exchanged around the room.

"This is a meeting with all the Gleeks so of course he's there. Are sure you won't sit down and talk to them? Sam and Artie and Mike are there. Don't you want to…shoot the shit… with Santana or something."

"Yeah, Lovely, I do but you know he's going to cause a big time or say something that's gonna make me want to kill him."

"Well ignore him and concentrate on the fact that not only is he 7,000 miles away but tonight after we turn off the computer I'm going to follow you into that bedroom and let you do lots and lots of wild and wicked things to me while he has nothing but a few dark memories of the three times we had sex. You get to do those things for the rest of our lives. You got the girl Noah. He lost."

A slow smile curled the lips of the mystery man of which the rest of the Gleeks could still only still his mouth along with the magnificent rest of him. Santana's eyes widened. She recognized that smile.

"Puck?" Santana asked in almost a whisper.

A dark chuckle came from the man before he walked around and slouched back into the chair sideways. "Hey kids." Sure enough Noah Puckerman was the mysterious soldier. Like Rachel his skin was darker and seemed to glow with health. Unlike Rachel there was a new tightness to his body, a new hardness in his eyes. He wasn't a jock now but a soldier and now there was coiled deadly power in his muscles as opposed to the juvenile bully he had been. Rachel laid down across his body in a comfortable and familiar way, snuggling into his warmth and kissing his chest before turning to lay her cheek on the kiss and smile at them.

7,000 miles away Finn exploded and Artie quickly ended the transmission.