A/N: I am so sorry. I've been caught up in exams and studying and results, but school holidays are coming up, so I should be writing again regularly. Unfortunately, no-one won a one-shot because I changed my mind about how this chapter was going to go, and for that, I'm really sorry.

One reviewer said that they felt like the kiss came out of nowhere, and I'd like to briefly address that. For Rachel, yes, the kiss came out of nowhere. She's not in a place where she can even think about getting in a relationship right now. However, for Puck, it felt like a natural progression of things. His thoughts have been consumed with Rachel, and he's used to getting what he wants. The only other girl he's ever spent this much time thinking about is Quinn, and we all know how that turned out.

And finally, the one-shot prizes are being posted in a story. Please go to my profile and story alert the story so that you can read the prizes! And while you are on my profile, feel free to vote in the poll regarding this story. Thank you!

He's quietly confident that Rachel will eventually cave and agree to go out on a date with him. She may not be interested in a relationship, but one date with him and he's sure that she'll change her mind.

Or he was quietly confident until Santana corners him on his way to the kitchen the next morning.

"You have to stop this Puck. You're freaking Rachel out and you know how hard it's been for her to come to terms with everyone knowing... I don't want you to mess up the fact that she's finally feeling semi-comfortable around us", Santana orders as she pulls him away from the kitchen.

"I haven't done anything Satan, so lay off", he growls, his eyes narrowing as she digs her nails into his arms.

"Announcing to the group that kissing her was the highlight of your month is not nothing", she hisses back as she fixes him with her own death glare.

"San, you have to see where I'm coming from. I really like her", he pleads, his eyes softening as he looks at the girl as he considers his best friend.

"Don't you dare pull that sappy romantic shit on me", she snaps. "I'm not in the mood for any of that... not today"

"What the hell is your problem?"

"It may have slipped your mind but Matt and I broke up last night, so forgive me if I'm not in the mood to listen to you moan and whinge about a girl who isn't interested in you", she yells, her eyes wide and her chest heaving as she screams.

"Santana, I'm going to say this one time and one time only... I'm sorry that you and Matt broke up, and I'm sorry that you're hurting because you don't deserve it, but I am going after Rachel whether you like it or not"

"After everything she's been through, she deserves better than that crap Puck, and for you to think its okay to kiss her, and then tell everyone, and then try to manipulate her into going out with you... that's not on. I'm not having you pull that on her"

"Maybe we need to stop treating her like the girl that survived a horrific car accident, and start treating her as Rachel, Brittany's roommate. Did you ever think of it like that Satan?"

"Don't you twist this around and turn it back on me. She still cries at night when she thinks Brittany is asleep... she still gets nervous when she's in a car, and getting close to people terrifies her. You may think we should be treating her as just Rachel, but she isn't just Rachel. Not right now. Right now, she's a shell of Rachel... she's barely holding on, and she's struggling so much, and even though she wants us to see her without seeing the accident, we can't, because that's such a large part of her right now"

He's silent for a moment as Santana pauses, struggling to regain her breath. "And if you ignore what I'm saying right now and choose to go after her, I will destroy you. I don't care if you are one of my closest friends... Rachel needs me more than you need me, and I will not hesitate to inflict a world of pain on you", she growls before turning and storming away from him.

It's safe to say he's not that confident anymore.

He eats breakfast silently, alone in the kitchen, before tracking Rachel down. She's sitting outside, her chin resting on her knees as she stares blankly at the horizon.

"Hey Rach", he says softly as he sits down beside her. "I brought you a jacket", he adds, draping it softly over her shoulders before falling silent, waiting for her to start the conversation.

"Thanks", she whispers softly as she turns to face him. Her face is emotionless, like a blank mask, but her eyes are incredibly sad, and he realizes just how wrong he was.

"I came to apologize", he informs her. "I was selfish, and inconsiderate, and I was only really thinking about myself. That wasn't fair to you"

She doesn't say anything, but her eyes drift over his face as if she's searching for something, but he has no idea what she's looking for.

"Apology accepted", she says lightly, forcing a smile onto her face before turning and staring at the sky again.

"I'm not finished yet. I know that you're probably uncomfortable around me, and I know I went from zero to a hundred way too fast, and for that I'm sorry. You probably don't even consider me a friend, and that's understandable because I was a huge, huge jerk to you. There was no excuse for the way I treated you, and there's no excuse for my actions over the last couple of days"

"Puck..."

"Just hear me out. I've been thinking about you a lot... ever since I found out about the accident; you've been in almost every single one of my thoughts. I've worried about you, and tried to think of ways to make you smile and to tell you the truth... I got a little obsessed with you. I was so wrapped up in these images I had in my head that I didn't stop to think about what you would be thinking. I just wanted to be the one to make you feel better, and I got so caught up in that, I didn't think about anything else. I'm really, really sorry Rachel"

She doesn't say anything in response and he can feel his hands getting clammy as the silence stretches on. What if his apology isn't enough? What if she doesn't feel comfortable being around him? What if he's screwed everything up? What if Santana decides that he hasn't done enough?

"I'd really like it if we could be friends", he adds, his eyes focusing on the side of her face as he silently begs her to turn around and forgive him.

"Thank you", she whispers, her eyes softening as she turns to look at him again. Her eyes are still sad but there's a genuine smile on her face this time, and he finds himself smiling in return. "I'd really like to be friends too", she adds.

He ignores the little flicker of fear in her eyes and pushes away that sinking feeling in his chest that's telling him that things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. "Deal then", he smirks, extending his hand and biting back the smile that threatens to re-emerge as she shakes his hand.

They sit there together silently as the sun steadily rises further and further overhead, and he marvels at the way the sunlight reflects off her skin.

Her face remains blank and her eyes remain sad and distant but she's still one of the most beautiful people he's ever seen, even though her hair is piled messily on her head; even though she's wearing no make-up; even though she's wearing a baggy jumper and an old pair of track pants...

Rachel Berry is beautiful.

A/N #2: One line of this chapter is foreshadowing the things yet to come. Guess the line, win a prize!