Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storyline…if the writers would like to borrow it, feel free to contact me via my FF account ; )
Lima, dinner with the Puckermans
Everyone has been sitting there eating for a few minutes, when Mrs. Puckerman suddenly realizes she wanted to tell Noah something when she found out he was here.
"I saw that Corcoran woman today. What's her name…Shelby?" She looks to the ceiling as if she could pull the answer out of the air. Puck stiffens, surely his mother hasn't forgotten that's whom adopted his little girl!
"You mean the woman who adopted Beth?" He sounds a little more pissed than he means too, tell me you honestly didn't forget that shit, Ma!
"I knew who she was, I'm sorry if I sounded like I didn't. I just couldn't remember her first name, Noah! Besides, don't take that tone with me young man…I don't care if you are 21, you're still my son. I brought you into this world and I can take you out!" His mother's threats have never worked on him. He rolls his eyes, then laughs. At first his mother looks like she's going to explode, then she finally starts laughing too.
"Wow, mom. Seriously? That was so ridiculous!" Ariel joins in and soon the uncomfortable expression on Finn's face dissolves and he grins. Yep, just like high school.
"So, what did she say? Did you talk to her?" Puck's curiosity is on fire. He wonders if she was being a good mother to Beth. She probably was, better than she'd been to Rachel. That's someone he hadn't thought about in a while. From time to time her face still makes an appearance in his dreams. What? Screw you if you don't understand that hot Jew girl fantasy he had back in high school!
"Yeah, I did. Apparently she's meeting up with Rachel this weekend so that she, Beth, and Rachel can get to know each other. I thought that was nice…" Puck finds that moment a difficult one to swallow his food. He interrupts his mother, but not to annoy her.
"After five years? She wants to play family?" Mrs. Puckerman seems taken back. Finn spits out his tea and Ariel stares in disbelief. Puck looks at them, "What?"
"Dude, that's pretty awesome! I mean, yeah it took her long enough to realize she should get to know Rachel. But don't you think that would be good for Rachel and Beth?" Finn interjects. Really, dude? WTF? Puck doesn't get Finn sometimes. He's guessing this statement comes from that Humanities degree Finn got at Rhodes.
"Yeah, but why now? Did she say, Ma?" Puck won't let it go and it is starting to bother his mother. She frowns, but answers him.
"No, Noah. She didn't, but she has that right, don't you think?" Mrs. Puckerman looks expectantly at her son. He mumbles a whatever and his tone seems to scream drop it.
Of course, Finn doesn't get that either so he gives his opinion again,
"I think that is great! Hey, you think maybe we could all hang out? Rachel, you, and me?" Finn looks at Puck, who seems darker than he was a minute ago. His face is so red, it's almost purple.
"Uh, Finn? Maybe you should move on, Noah's a tad pissed. See his face? It's scary." Ariel decides to intervene. Smart girl, his sister. Finn actually pays attention now, mutters a sorry and digs right into his food again. Mrs. Puckerman decides she'll talk to him in the morning when they've all mellowed.
"It's cool, dude. I'm sorry for getting so mad. That's a sore subject." Puck decides to cut Finn some slack. Finn nods his understanding and asks if Puck wants to go out and shoot some pool. He agrees, and that's where they spend the rest of the night. Playing pool and drinking a few beers. It eases some of Puck's tension, but not all of it. He really isn't digging the fact that his daughter and Rachel Berry are now related. And he only admits it to himself after say, five mugs of Budweiser, that he kind of even misses the chick that made him want to light himself on fire back in the day.
New York City
Friday morning
Rachel has figured the distance from New York City to Lima is approximately 532 miles. If she drives at 70 mph she can be there in 7 and a half hours. She decides this will be a better way of getting home. She will have plenty of time to go over what she'd like to say to Shelby. And it gives her enough time to calm her nerves, she will listen to her iPod in the rental car and it will keep her busy. She is really stressed right now. She researches a breast cancer sight. She's not sure what kind Shelby has, but she wants to familiarize herself before starting a conversation about it.
She has packed her things and placed them in the trunk of that car. Her iPod is plugged in and she's ready to hit the road. Once she's been driving a few minutes, her mind starts going into overdrive.
That's when she thinks of Beth, she begins to wonder what the little girl looks like? Will she still have Quinn's blonde hair or maybe it's darkened now…she is half-Jewish. Right? The fact that she's about to meet Noah Puckerman's daughter is slightly alarming to her. She's my sister and she's part of Noah. I really hope she doesn't have either of her biological parents' attitudes. Rachel is rambling to herself during an inner monologue, but that's what she does. She doesn't speak her thoughts out loud as much as she used to. Apparently, people don't appreciate that sort of straight forwardness all the time. So she muddles through the thought process. What if Shelby hasn't told Beth about her being adopted. Rachel realizes that she looks almost identical to Shelby, what will Beth's reaction be to that? Will she start to wonder why she looks so differently from her mother? What if that's something Shelby doesn't have time to tell Beth and that responsibility falls to Rachel?
So much is going through her mind, that she doesn't realize that her iPod has started from the very beginning of her song list. She sees a road sign, and realizes she's one hour outside of Lima. Welcome home, Rachel.
Puckerman Residence
Puck wakes up in a very anxious mood, at first he's not sure why. Then it hits him, it's Friday. This is the day his mother said Rachel was coming into town, because his mom and Rachel's daddy(?) Brian work together. He can never remember whom she calls dad and whom she calls daddy. And why the fuck is he debating this at eight o'clock in the morning? He scrubs his palms against his cheeks and thinks maybe he should shave.
Ariel is apparently not going to school today, some sort of teacher workday bullshit. So of course she's sitting in the kitchen when he goes down for breakfast.
"Wow, you look like shit, bro. You really ought to shave, ew." She is even more grossed out when he grabs her head and rubs his stubble on her face. He finds that absolutely hilarious!
"Yeah, well you should get a part-time job on these teacher workdays. Keep yourself busy and whatnot." Ariel rolls her eyes and fires back a response.
"Yeah, well you just need to get a fucking job and stop eating all the food! Jeez, Noah…at least I'm still in school!"
"You know what, brat? I am going to get a job because I went to college and earned a degree. Let's see if you do that!" They are playfully yelling at each other. It's been so long since he's had anyone to banter with. You know, traveling like he did, he never really was in one place long enough to make acquaintances, much less friends. She waves a dismissive hand in his direction before trotting off to the living room to watch television.
He just shakes his head, she's a pain! He busies himself with his breakfast and inevitably his thoughts lead back to the girl coming in on the wind today. Rachel Berry was never really his type of girl, he dug those short skirts and knee socks, but that was the extent of things. Okay, maybe that's a lie…he spent an entire week as her boyfriend and it hadn't been too bad. Then he'd been around her again during the "Run Joey Run" shitvid she'd made him do. And after that, I guess you could say they sort of became friends. He did a duet with her to make Finn jealous. That was like her main objective in high school (outside of glee), making his best friend jealous. The last thing he remembers about Rachel Berry is the fact that she got down and dirty during one football game with him and the rest of the guys. They actually won that one with the girls' help. Why was he thinking about her? It's weird.
He needed to get out of this house and busy himself with something. Finn was at work, so he was totally alone in that sense. Matt and Mike had moved away right after high school after receiving scholarships to Ohio State University. Football was their ride, even though their team sucked ass, apparently the brothers from another mother were really amazing ball players! Shit, he'd figure something out.
Just inside Lima City limits
Two o'clock pm
"Hey, Shelby. I'm here, yeah, okay. Let me drop off my things at my parents' house and I'll meet you where ever you want me to." Rachel managed to drive and talk on her cell at the same time, she'd put away her iPod about thirty minutes before hitting town. Dead, she always forgot to charge that damn thing.
She decides to stop at a gas station before going to her parents' house to grab a snack. She's been driving for so long and ate lunch somewhat early because she'd not eaten breakfast. She pulls up to the 7/11 and sees a familiar pickup truck parked in front of the door. No. Fucking. Way. Calm down, Rach. He's just a person. Her stomach is knotting and she feels as if she is going to heave. She takes several deep breaths, an exercise she's learned from performing, to center herself.
When she walks inside, she doesn't see him. Relief washes over her, maybe that truck belongs to someone else. So she goes about her business without a second thought. She is perusing the store's limited selection when she nearly bumps into someone a foot in front of her. Immediately, the voice is angry and recognizable.
"Dammit, Berry! Would you watch where you're going, hobbit?" Puck leers at her, her face is defiant.
"Shut it, Puckerman! One would think after five years that you would be more mature! Hobbit, was it?" She tilts her head as she says the last part.
The clerk behind the counter thinks he might need to call the sheriff. These two look as if they could start throwing punches at the other any minute.
Rachel stares at Puck, her face softens as soon as his does. He smiles a toothy grin and she returns the favor. The clerk is obviously confused now, cause they are just staring at each other, not saying anything after such a passionate opening. Maybe he should get some popcorn. This could be interesting.
"C'mere! How the hell ya been, Rach?" Puck grabs Rachel in a hug, he'd only wanted to get a rise out of her. She hugs him back as well, though she really thinks he needs to go back to school for a refresher on the English language.
"I've been great! I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm in a play on Broadway now." She beams, he smirks.
"Of course you are, and did you really just say 'toot'? That's considered potty mouth where I'm from." He jokingly replies, but tells her congratulations. He's kind a proud of her, and he's not ever going to tell her that! She playfully slaps his chest.
"Same old Noah." She lets it roll off her tongue, his name has never sounded so good to him as it does right now.
"So, you wanna grab a snack and head to the park?" He inquires, he really would like to know what's going on with Shelby and his…her daughter.
"Um, well that sounds pleasant. But I've really got to get to my dads'. I have to drop off my things. I'm only going to be in town for the weekend, and I'm pretty booked. Rain check on the park?" As much as she would love to catch up with Noah, and she probably will have to in a business sort of way very soon, she really needs to meet with Shelby.
"Yeah, okay. Good seeing you, Rach. You look great, by the way." He smiles flirtatiously and gives her a quick hug. She thanks him for the compliment.
Outside the store, they go their separate ways and she wonders just how soon she'll be seeing Noah again. And he wonders just why the hell she didn't mention Shelby or Beth.