A/N: So this chapter is the second to last of the story. It gets a wee bit graphic towards the end - my muse is a pervert, what can I say. We're so close to the end and I'm hoping that you are still enjoying it. =)

It was just a waiting game. That's what Dr. Harvey told them the morning after Nathan had coded. They were waiting to see if the change in medications would allow their son to live. Puck knew that both he and Rachel were on edge waiting for something to happen, waiting for something to change. But still Nathan remained in a coma, seeming to not get any better or worse.

It had already been a week and Puck knew that both he and Rachel needed a break. Time to get away from it all. So he called in reinforcements in the form of Quinn, Sam, his mom, and Abby. Between them they planned an evening that might not allow them to forget what was happening in their lives, but maybe to at least push it aside for a few hours.

It took a lot of convincing, but he was able to get Rachel to leave the hospital and put on a dress. He wouldn't tell her what they were doing and he could tell it was driving her crazy.

"Noah, you know I hate surprises."

Puck laughed. "No you don't, you love surprises. You just like to act like you hate them so that people will tell you what you want to know. I've known you far too long for you to try and pull that over on me, Berry."

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, sinking down in her seat and full on pouted. It was all he could do not to laugh. If there was one thing he could say about Rachel it was that she knew how to pout. "Pouting is not going to help you. You'll find out when we get there."

And they were almost there, but he wasn't about to tell her that and ruin his fun. Another thing that hadn't changed was his need to be a pain in her ass. If she didn't make it so easy he might not enjoy it so much, but there was no changing it now.

He pulled up in front of the restaurant and parked. It didn't look like much, just a run down building in a not so great part of town, but he'd been told that it had the best food in town. Santa Rosa Cafe was raved about by locals and he wasn't even sure how his mom and Abby had found out about it, but they swore by it. It helped matters that they had private dining rooms, one of which he'd been able to procure for his and Rachel's evening out.

"You drug me out of the hospital and made me get dressed up for this run-down shack?" Rachel's voice rose with indignation.

Puck chuckled. "Calm down, Berry. This is just the first stop of the night and it's really not a run-down shack. When did you turn into such a snob?"

She turned her head away from him, nose in the air and it was all he could do to not laugh. "I am not a snob."

"Right." Puck shook his head as he exited the car. "Well then, come on."

He watched as she took her time exiting the car and he knew that she knew she was doing it on purpose. It was something she'd always done to make a point that she was doing something that she didn't want to. He held her door for her, took her by the arm and led her into restaurant. Once inside, he saw Rachel perk up. He'd known that she'd love the dimly lit, romantic feel of the place. "Puckerman for two." He smiled at the hostess as she took out two menus and led them around the tables and down a hallway. She pushed open the door to the private room, nodding for them to go ahead.

It was more than he'd been hoping for. The entire back wall was a window that overlooked dense forest and the room was lit by candles and fairy lights (fuck you, so what if he knew what they were called). Beside the table sat a bottle of champagne chilling.

"Oh, Noah. It's beautiful." Rachel clutched as his arm, a smile breaking out on her face as she looked up at him. And he knew that for a moment she was forgetting the heartache that had been their lives for the last few days.

"I'm glad you like it." He pulled her chair out, pushing her forward after she'd sat just as his mother had taught him. He was going to pull out all of the stops tonight because they'd reached a point where they needed to decide what was going on between them. He loved her and knew that she loved him, but was it enough? That's really what the night was about.

They spent the evening talking as they ate and drank, the conversation never steering towards anything too serious. It was like a casual meal between friends, but he didn't want to push her. At least not yet. They talked about the weather, sports, and their hometown, everyday things that put them at ease.

Once they'd finished eating, he sat back in his chair and just looked at her. She was even more beautiful than she'd been when they'd first started dating all of those years ago. There was something special about Rachel and she'd been in his mind (and his heart) for so long.

He took her hand in his, squeezing lightly. "Rach," he started, not really knowing what it was that he wanted to say. "I know that there is so much going on right now, but I need to know…do we have a chance?" He paused. "I love you, I always have, and I want to be with you."

Her eyes were shining with unshed tears as she looked up at him. He couldn't read anything in her eyes and it was driving him crazy. She just sat there quietly, watching him. He thought he would go crazy when finally she spoke. "Noah, how can you ask this of me now? With all that is going on with Nathan?"

"That's exactly why I have to ask. I love you and I love my son. I want us to be a family."

"And what if he never wakes up?" She closed her eyes as the tears spilled down her cheeks. "How can you ask me to promise you something when we don't know what is going to happen to him?"

He stood quickly, going to kneel beside her chair. "You can't think like that Rachel. And we can't base us on Nathan. If we do this, we do it for us not for him. Because two people being together for a child isn't good for anyone, especially that child."

Rachel shook her head, trying to push him away as she did so. "You can't ask me this. I can't deal with it."

"And I can't deal with the not knowing. What do you want from me Rachel?"

Later he'd still have no idea exactly what happened, but somehow Rachel ended up in his lap, legs straddling him and lips on his. His hands were cupping her ass as she ground against him. Her hands were under his shirt, nails digging into his back.

"Does the door lock?" Her voice was raspy with lust as she glanced towards the door.

"Fuck if I know." He set her back on her chair, standing and quickly locking the door. He heard a rustle and when he turned he found Rachel standing there in nothing but her red lace bra and panties with her red fuck me heels. He lost all coherent thought.

He was on her in seconds, pushing her against the wall as she yanked up his shirt. He unclasped her bra, pushing it to the floor as her little hands went to work on his belt. His head bent to take first one nipple and then the other into his mouth. He bit lightly, smirking at the noise she made.

He pushed his pants down and kicked them off before sliding her panties down her legs slowly as he placed open-mouthed kisses on the inside of her thighs. Once they hit her ankles she kicked them free, spreading her legs further apart to allow him access. Her hands gripped at his scalp, nails digging in as he traced her center with his tongue.

"So hot...and wet." He grinned up at her before she pushed on his head. He happily obliged, burying his tongue deep within her as his thumb began a tempo on her clit. It took barely any time at all before she coming, making the hottest mewling noises he'd ever heard.

He stood quickly, lifting her by her hips and wrapping one leg around him as he buried himself in one stroke. He took her hard and fast, slamming her into the wall with each thrust. They came in a rush before sliding to the floor, boneless.

He pulled her into his arms, lying a kiss on the top of her head. "I really do love you, Rach."

"I love you, too." She slowly pulled away enough so that she could meet his eyes. "And you're right. We need to make a decision about us and I think that we should give it a try."

And with those words she'd made his night. He could've cared less about the sex, it didn't mean anything if she didn't want to be with him. But the fact that she loved him and wanted to try again meant the world to him. His kissed her lightly, knowing that although they were just beginning again, there were many roadblocks already awaiting them.