AN: I'm sooooo pissed. Was supposed to go to a Christmas party for some band but then my brothers girlfriend got sick (and she was the one who was invited) and my brother told me at the last minute we weren't going... I left one party and a hot guy on a dance floor to go to this Christmas party and poof! It's not happening!

Now I'm going to vent my frustrations with writing...

Diva(dot)divine: Your review made me laugh so hard...

Thank you to all my reviewers and this chapter is dedicated to couragetcd because you are greedy :)

Sorry to alley83, I know it's moving slow but I kind of like drawing out tension...

Happyseaturtle, I love your name... Awesome you like the story.

Ladybug Jess and Literati Lover: Here is more.

Keiri Bradon: One symbol: 3... Hehehe. Yes, I celebrate Christmas, so thank you :) AND I'm glad someone picked up on the screen names... Put a lot of thought into that... (well not really for Puck but more so for Finn... Think I'm gonna do some more of that in later chapters).

Xnerdark: Thank you very much :) I'm feeling a little egotistical now because of your comment.

Bit of Finn love in this chapter...

Someone like you and all you know and how you speak
 Finn was about to get into his car and drive off when Quinn approached him, her books in one hand and her bag in the other. "Hey Finn, can you drive me home?" Finn stopped, looking at Quinn before looking over her shoulder to where Mike was trying to convince Rachel there was no need for her to come back to his house. Quinn looked up at him with a small amount of desperation in her eyes. "Please?"

After sighing he nodded. "Yeah, yeah okay." Matt had already left to go pick up Isla and Daniela about ten minutes ago and Finn would have to wait for Mike to get there anyway.

He climbed into his car after opening the door for Quinn and putting her bag and books into the back. He was getting slightly frustrated because it seemed like he was getting caught in every red light from school to Quinn's.

The ride was silent and Quinn could tell his was agitated and she had no idea why. At the same time, guilt and fear ate away at her. She loved Finn so much, which is why she didn't want to let him go but at the same time that love made her want to. Because what she was doing was wrong and bad and Quinn felt so horrible all the time.

Tears crept into her eyes as they drove but she pushed them back, glad that Finn was one of those ultra safe drivers who never ever took his eyes off the road. "Are you alright?" she asked him softly.

Finn just nodded stiffly. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just pissed."

"Why?"

With a roll of his eyes, he thought to himself, Puck. Okay, the guy wasn't the most emotionally stable and he'd been like that since they were kids. But he didn't usually do things as stupid as come to school obliterated. Yes, okay, they had once both come to school high. But they hadn't been gone to the point where they'd passed out. And, yes, they had both come to school hung over but that had just been painful and easy to cover up with dark glasses and earplugs. The two had been friends since they were five so Finn knew that the only reason he was doing this was because something really bad had happened.

Like that time when his dad left and Puck scared the shit out of me... Finn shook his head and tried to forget about that horrible day. He looked over at his girlfriend and gave a tight smile. "Just Puck."

Quinn sighed, "He was drunk this morning."

Finn chuckled darkly. "You noticed?"

"I stopped him in the parking lot." she explained. "Vodka."

"Yeah well, he's at Mike's. That's where I'm going after I drop you off. To find out what happened."

Quinn frowned, trying to think. "You care about him a lot, don't you? Even after you guys fight you always seem to become friends again."

Finn squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. As Puck would say, this was a chick moment and Finn liked talking about his feelings as much as the next straight testosterone filled man. "Yeah, well. Dude's been my friend since god knows when."

"Language."

"Since forever." Finn thought it was kind of cute how even when she was unceremoniously pregnant, Quinn was still a devote catholic. "We've gone through a lot of crap together and well, he's pretty much like my brother."

And there was that guilt again, eating away at Quinn, starting in her stomach and then burying into her soul. "What..." Quinn swallowed. "What if he did something really bad? Like... what if he did something that you couldn't forgive him for?"

Finn laughed and it wasn't sarcastic. "He couldn't. I think I'd always forgive him, even if he tried to kill me. And he already has once or twice. I mean, we've gotten into a few punch ups." Quinn remembered the most recent, over her, and just nodded, letting the rest of the ride go on silently.

Finn pulled up in front of her house and pulled up the handbrake. "I'll walk you to the door." he muttered, getting out of the car. Quinn got out on her side just as Matt pulled up into his driveway. Finn threw Quinn's bag over his shoulder, picked up her books and walked around the car. "My keys are in my bag." Quinn murmured just as something flew from their left and slammed straight into to Finn's knees. It made him stumble for a moment but then he caught himself and looked down at Isla, clutching his legs and crying onto his jeans.

"Isla?" Finn frowned and handed Quinn her bags and knelt down next to the small girl. "Isles, what's wrong?"

"N-Noah h-h-hates me!" she cried. "H-he yelled at me this-this morning and n-now he doesn't want to see me!"

Finn blinked a few times at the small girls scrunched up face and then let out a low chuckle. "Isla, no he doesn't. Trust me, you are probably the only person in the world he cares about." And with that he pulled Isla into a hug and ruffled her hair.

Matt walked up to him with Daniela behind him. "She was silent all the ride home and then she started crying once we got here and she saw you." Finn nodded understandingly and held the small girl. He'd grown up with Puck and felt like Isla was as much his sister as Puck's. Now he definitely knew there was something severely wrong with Puck because he never yelled at Isla, even if he was furiously pissed at her. He'd just grit out whatever he was trying to say through clenched teeth which would cause Isla to laugh hysterically and Puck to eventually relent, laughing with her.

"Puck is at practice." Finn explained to Isla. "Which is why he isn't picking you up today."

"But you p-play football too." she sniffed, her whole face messed up with tears.

"Practice for Glee." Quinn cut in. Matt and Finn both looked up at her, confused. "He has a big solo and needs a lot of practice. But uh, didn't he say he'd come pick her up later Finn?"

Finn smiled at Quinn, thanks for her help, and nodded to Isla. "He was really upset he couldn't pick you up Isles but he had to do this thing for Glee and he did say he'd pick you up later. For now, why don't you hang out with Daniela and get your homework done here?"

"Actually, I have a better idea." Quinn said, leaning down to Isla. Isla looked up at Quinn, a little confused at who she was. So she explained. "I'm Quinn. I'm one of Puck's friends. How about you and Daniela," Quinn added to the girl who was hiding behind her brother, "Come over to mine. I'll call over my girlfriends and we can have a girl's afternoon. We'll watch some movies, paint each others nails and do each others hair... It'll be fun!"

Matt looked at Quinn like she'd just grown, not just a second, but a third head too. Finn smiled at her, wondering how he got so lucky. Isla looked at Daniela who was positively beaming and gave her a questioning look. Daniela just nodded her head fifty-times in a row. "Her friends all are really pretty Isla. They can make us look like movie stars."

Isla's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked looking up at Quinn who just laughed and nodded.

"Really." she said. "But only if it's okay with Finn and Matt."

Both little girls looked up at Finn and Matt with big wide eyes. "Please, please, please, please?" They begged.

"Well..." Finn pretended to look reluctant. "You promise to do all of your homework afterwards? Because your brother will kill me otherwise."

"I promise." Isla said.

"Fine." Finn said and Isla jumped up and down in delight.

"Please Matt?" Daniela tugged at her brothers jacket. Matt just chuckled and rubbed her head. "Okay kiddo. But no tattoos or piercings."

Quinn just laughed as the two girls jumped up and down and then ran up to Quinn's front door. Finn leaned down and kissed Quinn chastely on the lips. "Thank you."

"It's okay." Quinn said. "Make sure Puck's alright, okay? Like, his sister would go crazy if something happened to him." I would too. We all would. Finn read between the lines but didn't quite realise how deep those feelings ran.

"Hey, seeing as you don't have to look after the girls, want to come back to Mike's?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, okay. Want to go in one car?"

Before Finn could answer Isla turned around and shouted. "You have to make me look really special." she said. "Because Daddy's here."

Finn and Matt both came to a standstill as pieces fell together in their heads. Quinn just tilted her head to the side. "Your dad?"

"Yeah." Isla said, bouncing on the spot. "Puck was really angry at him but Mummy came and told me at lunch it's going to be okay and daddy is only here for a little bit while they figure things out. Can we go inside because I really need to go to the toilet?"

Quinn looked at Finn and Matt who both had the same dumbstruck looks on their faces. She realised too what they were thinking without knowing the whole 'Berry-pepper-sprayed-some-random-at-Puck's-house' story. "Yeah, okay." She reached up and pecked Finn on the cheek. "Go." she said quietly and then she went inside her house.

~*~

Rachel insisted she go back to Mike's house after Glee and when they got there, she insisted on helping Puck. "Just let him sleep it off." Mike said as they climbed up the stairs.

"I will once I make sure he's fine." Rachel muttered, climbing them quite quickly for someone of her stature. Mike was more than surprised that she wanted to help Puck, probably more than any of them. He says that for two reasons. Firstly, there was absolutely no need for her to be there at that moment. Finn, the only person who could get through to Puck, was on his way and Mike, the owner of the house, was there and had his housekeepers watching him. Plus they had someone taking care of his little sister and Finn was going to call Puck's mum later once they figured out what exactly was going on.

So there was no need for Rachel to be there except for the fact that she really truly cared and wanted to help.

The other reason was that Mike had watched Rachel spin around school for the rest of the day, in a total daze and constantly asking him about whether or not he thinks Puck will be okay. Mike felt like telling her that Puck was just wasted, not dying, but she looked so confused that he couldn't really help but assure her over and over again.

"Fine then." Mike eventually relented to Rachel's madness because, really, what choice did he have? He reminded himself to Google Hurricane Rachel and see if it exists. If it does he wants to see how much damage it made because he was sure Rachel was named after some unstoppable force of nature.

Rachel went into the guest bedroom and was met with a foul smell. She sighed and crossed the room quickly, pressing her hands against Puck's forehead. He was still out cold, lying on his side with one arm hanging off the bed and the other squashed underneath him. "He has a fever." she stated simply.

Mike nodded and went to the bathroom. He came out later with a wet hand towel. "I'll go grab him some clothes because he smells foul." Mike commented. "And I really can't stand it anymore."

Rachel couldn't either but she forced herself to deal with it. She pressed the towel against his forehead and pushed it down, hoping it would take some bite away from the fever. Some of the water from the towel trickled down his forehead, over his eyes. Rachel smiled as he crinkled his face at the feeling and reached down to push the water away.

Just as she did, Puck groaned and reached up, latching his fingers around her wrist. Rachel was more than surprised, especially when his hand pushed her away from him. She jumped back as he leaned over the bed and felt her empty stomach roll as he threw up right in front of her, nothing but liquid.

Rachel moved back and adjusted herself so she was more on the bed and away from the vomit (she hoped that the rug wasn't expensive) and over on Puck's other side so she could gently rub his back as he dry heaved whatever of the alcohol was still in his system.

Puck groaned and fell back against Rachel's stomach, his head buried in her clothes. "Where am I?" he murmured, trying to block out all the light.

"Mike's house." Rachel said quietly, still rubbing his back. She was a little shocked that he moved towards her so quickly but at the same time grateful. "You were drunk."

"No shit Berry." he murmured. He recognised her voice anywhere, unfortunately. He was only slightly aware of how awkward this would be one day but at the moment he didn't care. Her hand, rubbing small circles on his back, actually felt better. He felt his body relax under her hands and calmed his breathing. "Why are you here?" he muttered.

Rachel smiled. "You fainted on me Noah. Literally, you fainted and fell onto me."

"Sorry." Puck murmured. "Next time I'll aim left."

"No, it's okay." Rachel said. "I didn't mind at all."

"Uhuh." he tried to think back. "I remember... going to my house. And you pepper spraying my dad."

Rachel gasped and pushed Puck off her to see his face. "That was your dad?!"

Puck blinked a few times. "That really happened?"

"Of course it happened!" Rachel squealed. "What did you think that we just brought you straight to Mike's? We were going to take you home first! Remember?"

"Stop screaming." Puck growled and pushed Rachel back down into a sitting position. He once again buried his head in her stomach because that was the only way he could block out all the light. "No I don't... not really. I remember the pepper spray." He then chuckled. "You pepper-sprayed my old man. Awesome."

"Puck I'm so sorry." Rachel groaned. "I didn't know, neither did Mike..."

"No." Puck turned over and looked right up at Rachel with steely eyes. "Don't be sorry. Not for that. Not for that... that... that..." Rachel watched as Puck tried to find the right words to describe his dad. In the end, Puck just shook his head in defeat, not able to find something horrible enough. "Man. And that's giving him credit."

He slowly relaxed back onto Rachel's stomach and she really had no idea what to say to him so instead, she just gently rubbed his back, under the top of his t-shirt.

Puck felt tears burning the back of his eyes and was grateful that he had his face buried in Rachel's pink sweater because he couldn't stand anyone seeing him fighting off this. This breakdown.

Get over it Puckerman, he told himself. You've already broken down with alcohol as your bungee rope. He just closed his eyes and hoped he could fall back to sleep for a while. He started too, but he heard the door open and his curiosity was spiked.

"Shush, I think he's sleeping." Rachel said, watching his calmed breaths. "But he may have thrown up."

"I see that." Mike said, thoroughly disgusted. "I guess I'm going to have to clean that up."

"I can help you later." she said, still rubbing Puck's back. It was something her fathers did for her when she was sick and she only hoped she was doing it right. "I'm kind of stuck." She pointed at Puck's face which was still nestled stomach.

"I see that too." Mike's voice was amused. Too amused for Puck's liking but whatever. He was drifting back to sleep anyway.

"Mike, did you know that man at Puck's house was his father?"

"What?!" Mike exclaimed and Rachel instantly hushed him.

"Sleeping." she said, rubbing the circles slower and longer. No, dude seriously speak louder. Puck thought. The louder you speak, slower she does this and the better this feels.

"Rach, his dad has been like AWOL for... well since before his sister was born." Mike whispered dramatically. "Puck like, hates his dad. If anyone mentions his dad he goes crazy. Remember back in middle-school the father-son camp that was organised? Finn took it in good grace and tried to get Puck to do the same but he didn't. He just went nut job crazy at the principal who organised it and then beat the living daylights out of some kid who said it was stupid for him to think that just because he didn't have a dad the rest of us couldn't enjoy our dads."

Rachel gasped and her hand came to a standstill on Puck's back. No Rachel, no... don't stop. Please don't stop. His thoughts were pleading but not from sexual deprivation but rather, from the fact he wanted her to understand and still be there. He wanted her to understand exactly why he was who he was and by stopping it meant she didn't want to understand. Or she couldn't. Please don't stop, please don't stop...

What Puck didn't know was that Rachel was fuming on the inside about how cruel that child was who had teased Puck. Her hand instantly moved up from his back and gently rubbed his head. She had been told something similar when she thought the mother-daughter luncheon was unfair for those who didn't have mothers. No wonder he had laughed at what he thought was a dream.

"He hates that man because he just walked out on him and his mum when he was 'fed up'. Well, that's how Puck described it." Mike continued. "At least this explains the drinking. At least it's not as bad as last time, when his dad actually left."

"What happened last time?" Rachel asked quietly and the mood in the room switched to uncomfortable.

Mike shook his head. "It wouldn't be right if I told you. Finn told me and Matt a few years ago when we all became really good friends. Only so we can look out for him though. Because Finn worries pretty much all the time about Puck. They fight a lot but seriously, Puck and Finn are like inseparable. They're worse than brothers and they can take shit out on each other but as soon as someone else starts to, world war three breaks out." There was a pause. "Speaking of Finn, I wonder where he is."

Oh fuckidy, fuckidy, fuck. Finn... Puck groaned and pulled himself out of his half-sleep. He blindly reached up to grab Rachel's hand. Rachel instantly linked her fingers with his, not really thinking. "Noah?" she asked.

Puck nodded and pushed himself up. "I'm getting up now." he muttered. "I'll clean that up." He pointed generally to the vomit puddle before rolling out of the bed and placing his feet on vomit free ground.

"Don't worry about it man." Mike said, reaching down to help Puck up.

Puck just pushed him away. "I'm not a chick dude." he growled. This is why he didn't want his friends finding out. Everyone was gonna treat him differently now. Not because they wanted to, but because they felt guilty and pity and all those other crappy emotions that fucked with peoples heads.

Puck pushed himself up off the bed and paused for a moment to grab his bearings on the world. Up is still up, down is still down, take one foot and put it in front of the other, it's that easy Puckerman. Noah followed his own command but he felt it hard to get his sea legs and ended up stumbling instead of walking to the bathroom. Mike didn't help him at all, knowing it would probably infuriate him more, but just watched.

"Here." Mike threw a t-shirt and sweats Puck's way. "They're Justin's. You two are about the same size. Wear them."

Puck nodded and closed the door behind him. "Sit outside the door, will you?" Mike asked Rachel. "If you hear a thump, just go and check on him. I'm going to go get some help to clean this up."

Rachel nodded and went and sat in front of the bathroom door, hoping to God she wouldn't hear that thump.

AN: Okay, now some people might think that this interpretation of the side effects of alcohol is a little dramatised, but trust me it isn't. Personal experience knows it isn't. (I wasn't the drunk one, just so you know. Twas a friend who decided my apartment window was the best place to upchuck... I think the people down on the street highly disagreed with him).

Review peeps... Seriously... Only reason why I'm still alive is because these reviews keep my heart pumping... Why do you guys think I started writing fanfiction again? Pfft! I do value my life... :)

TFW – FTW ;)