AN: I literally sat there with this blank look on my face for an hour before figuring out how I was going to write the first part of this chapter... I had the last part figured out long ago... First part, not so much...
I kind of had a 'bash-Brittany' thing going on in this chapter... Sorry, but my mind was reeling with jokes that could be made at her expense... Ones that she'd probably laugh at to because she would have no clue.
Ladybug Jess: Thank God... for once your psychicness has nothing to do with this chapter... in full... :P
Chrpangel: Sometimes you need to write 'Puck Moves' although, like I said it's the last massive Santana/Puck interaction... like, their might be a bit after this but it's either a) nothing serious or b) friendship... or c) Santana just trying to knock some sense into Puck...
Jenny0305, Gleebaby: Thanks!
Alley83: took me about ten minutes to figure out what you meant by 'cuddling up on the couch'... I just stared and stared until I got it... Why do reviews confuse me so much? LoL... maybe it's because I just rolled out of bed (literally, rolled out onto the floor) and then picked up my laptop and climbed back in. (Again literally... I was still on the floor, put my laptop on the bed then clawed my way up the mattress... I just really couldn't be bothered standing up... it took more effort to do what I did, didn't it? Oh lord...) Thanks! Glad you're back up with us...
EscapeSomeday: Aww, thanks! You're an awesome writer too... :)... Not meaning to sound stuck up here, but I'm pretty proud of my Santana... keep reading on to discover why she's doing what she's doing...
Agent626: I don't know how you eat your peanut butter and oreos but I inconspicuously twist it, lick it and then put peanut butter in the middle and remake the sandwich... it's awesome... hehehe, I love turning people crazy... it's like my lifes goal for everyone on this planet to be as nutjob as I am... cause really, the world would be so much happier... I just like laughing... seriously, I just laughed at that and I'm not completely sure as to why... And I should be doing my English homework, but I'm writing instead so... Go us! Woo!
Diva(dot)divine: Two in the morning... we were walking back to my friends place from a party... Newtown backstreets... Seriously unhygienic but whatever... although, I went to go get my nose pierced (yes everyone, I'm going to do it... I took my best friend with me so I could squeeze his hand... stupid fear of needles...shudders) from the pharmacy in Newtown (thought I'd be sanitary) and they said fifty bucks and I was like... That'll be taking out of my guitar money... I don't want to wait another two weeks to buy my guitar for a needle! Shudder... Need to get over this! So like, I didn't get it...
November 123: Oh no, I'm glad I went to the New Years party now... Apparently my brother doesn't like it when people make me upset and everyone copped a lecture about letting me colour my hair and live my life my own way with out their weird input (because seriously, whilst they may have liked their office jobs, I spend my holidays working as a secretary and I hate it... I just do it for the cash but I could never see an office job as my life goal... I'm freaking claustrophobic in their... And is it so bad I want to go to a music university instead of doing economics like everybody else? I HATE BUSINESS!) (sorry about that)... so then I got fifteen apology phone calls and three apology bracelets and I'm going out for an apology lunch... I was in a bit of a shock but then Justin told me what he did... He's awesome...
Oh yeah, if you didn't like the song thing in the previous chapter, sorry I'm trying it again... Songs called Stranded by Jeremiah Freed!
Countless lovers under cover of the street
You know that I could use somebody
You know that I could use somebody
Someone like you
For the rest of the week, Puck and Rachel avoided each other like the plague had hit. This was pretty hard because whenever Mike and Brittany were giving choreography advice, they paired Rachel and Puck together. Both of them thought spitefully that they must've been doing in purpose. While they both also thought it was stupid to be so paranoid, they were right. Mike and Brittany were doing it on purpose.
Finn kept mentioning Rachel while the boys were playing x-box or Playstation, just to get Puck to rise. Puck thought it was because Finn was becoming more and more infatuated by her and wondered if he should warn Quinn.
Mercedes and Tina would mention Puck to Rachel, hoping she'd react in a way that would make her feelings more obvious, but Rachel just grew silent or pointed something else out. In her mind she was wondering if she should warn Puck about his new stalkers and tell Artie that he might have some competition.
It was only on Thursday afternoon, after Puck had showered after football, made sure Isla's homework was done and gotten her to bed, did Finn's attempts at getting Puck's attention work. "Dude, did you notice how Rachel..."
"No!" Puck threw the controller to the ground. "Seriously dude, enough. You're dating freaking Quinn. If you want Rachel, go for her but stop freaking dragging her and Quinn along. Do you know how much you've hurt her?"
"Quinn?" Finn frowned.
"No!" Puck glared at Finn. "Rachel. Do you realise how much you've hurt her since you joined Gleek club? Seriously... She likes you so much and you're just a jerk to her, setting her up on that date thing and then not showing up for those freaking photos... I at least told her there was an ice cubes chance in hell. You got her hopeful and then dumped her without a word. Do you get how lucky you are? You got Quinn and Rachel, wanting to be with you more than anything in this world and you go play both of them. First you're kissing Rachel and then you're running back to Quinn. Just decide already man. Stop playing mind games with them. Seriously!" Puck huffed and picked up the controller again, staring straight ahead at the screen. He tried to regain calm. "And freaking stop hurting Rachel. Cause like... it's fucked."
Without realising it, Finn got really mad. "Oh yeah, and throwing slushies on her is like saying, 'I love you'. Seriously, I'm fucked? You tortured Rachel for a year. You were as bad as Markus. Probably worse cause Markus has the decency of looking her in the eyes while he's bullying her. You didn't even try seeing how she felt. Plus you go screw Santana in the gym -and yeah dude, we freaking heard you- then go kissing Rachel at Sectionals. We got photos from Miss Pillsbury." Finn stood up and left the room, leaving Puck alone.
He groaned and fell back onto the bed he was sitting on, cursing his slight bitchy moment. But fairs fair... Finn couldn't have it both ways. It was like Kurt what had said. One can't wear denim on denim. It's too much of a good thing and no one man can handle it.
Puck's jaw dropped as the thought that and he looked around and was glad to find that nothing pink and fruity had tried jumping at him. He didn't know what he was more scared of in that moment. The fact he remembered denim on denim meant or the fact he understood the analogy.
He quickly un-paused Halo, deciding he needed to shoot some shit quickly. He did. Only like four dudes. Cause then he felt slack because they were Finn's dudes. So he grabbed Finn's controller and shot four of his own men so it was even.
Then he decided he didn't want to screw up his own points anymore so he hit pause again and grabbed his guitar. Lying back on Finn's bed, Puck started playing something random. It quickly formed into a familiar set of chords and Puck started humming along. Eventually, he was singing.
Here I stand, with open hands.
With nothing to show, I stand where I began.
You talk so strong, you do no wrong.
Save your breath, I won't be here for long.
It was then that Finn decided he should probably go in and apologise. He was baiting Puck. He leaned on the doorway and waited for Puck to finish the verse. Puck did and then looked up, feeling someone watching him. He got up off Finn's bed. "Uh... hey."
"Songs not about me is it?" Finn asked. "Cause like, I like you living here. Makes midnight slushie runs easier."
Puck rolled his eyes. "Nope, just some random song I've been singing lately." And that's all Finn needed to know to know why he'd been singing it lately.
Finn rubbed the back of his head. "Look, about the whole Rachel thing..."
"Yeah, sorry. It's none of my business."
"Yeah, I know. Just like it was none of mine... and the rest of Glee's." he looked down apologetically and Puck was officially confused.
"What?"
Finn smiled sheepishly. "Well, like... you and Rach weren't getting together and we kind of thought you should so we've been like... trying to..."
"That freaking song." Puck muttered. "And Mike and Brittany with the dance moves... Far out, man. Do you know how difficult that's been making it for us?"
Finn blinked. "Okay, what do you mean?"
"Rach and I know we like each other... I think." Puck frowned. "We just know we'd be fucked up together." Well I do. "Cause she still likes you and I'm still a womanizer."
"Oh..." Finn blinked. "I thought... we were just trying to get you to realise how you felt about each other."
"We realised a little to well." Puck felt like yelling but he couldn't. Because something in him was telling him that they were just trying to help and it would be pointless to be mad. Also because he was kind of happy that everyone thought he should be with Rachel. "I mean we've kissed and almost kissed twice. Which was frustrating because the first time we were interrupted by Isla's imperfect timing which meant that things may have been different. The second time, cause I was actually thinking, I figured it would be a bad idea."
"Dude, I thought we agreed. Thinking is bad."
"I know, I know!"
"But like... you two went out before." Finn frowned. "What's different this time?"
Puck shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "Uhm... I'd rather not say."
Finn took a step forward. "What?"
Puck winced. "Last time we went out, I think we both did it to like... get back at you?"
Now Finn fell back onto the bed. He was silent and then looked up at Puck. "Why?"
"Well, Rachel was truly madly deeply for you and like I said, you kind of loved her and left her for your own personal gain." Then Puck fell silent, not wanting to say the next part. Maybe he didn't have to.
"And you?" Finn waited expectantly.
Puck sat down at the desk, choosing his words carefully. He couldn't say the truth because it wasn't just his secret and while Mercedes might know and probably the rest of Gleek club, Finn didn't and that was the most important thing. "Well, I... I always had a thing for Quinn." he muttered. "And like... you knocked her up and I knew my chances, however slim were totally gone." Liar. They're through the roof now. "And you had all the friends and the support and dude, if that had been me I would've gotten laughed at and people would've said 'typical'." Totally legit. "You were favourite and starting to piss me off because you had Quinn and then you went for Rachel and it screwed my brain as to why. Well, I know now but like... I still had to think about why back then. So Rachel and I hooked up so you could get the shits, but the slushie wars started and you didn't even notice. So it was kinda pointless but at the same time, kind of fun." Puck smirked, thinking back to that one week.
He'd shown her many supply closest and in returned she'd tried to knock up his grades. She probably would have succeeded if they'd gone out a bit longer too. He hated the fact she broke up with him. Would never admit it, but he did.
Finn sat on his bed, concentrating on the floor. "So you liked Quinn."
"Yeah."
"And you were pissed at me cause I was dating her."
Puck nodded his head as he couldn't trust himself to speak.
"Oh." Finn frowned. "Well if it makes you feel better, I'm jealous that you can be with Rachel. Like, I want you two to be happy together but like... I do still kind of like her."
Puck winced and briefly saw the sonogram on the mirror. "Nah man, that doesn't make me feel better." he said honestly.
The boys sat in silence for a couple of minutes until Finn reached down and grabbed the controller, handing it to Puck. "Rematch?"
"Yeah." Puck took the controller and they started playing again.
Without noticing, the two started to sing 'lean on me'. When they finally noticed Puck just smirked, shaking his head. "Next we'll be getting our periods."
"You mean you haven't yet?" Finn grinned and this ended up with Puck punching him in the arm.
~*~
Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Tina, Mercedes and Kurt grabbed Rachel from the hallway and yanked her into the bathrooms, gathering around her looking like an angry hoard. "I've had nightmares about this and they never end happily." Rachel said, looking at all of their angry faces with pure fear. "What's wrong? I'll give you all whatever solo you want."
"Well now that you mention it..." Kurt started but Tina and Brittany slapped him. "Oh fine. We're not here to ambush you about any solo."
"We're here to ask you what the hell you're doing avoiding Puck?" Santana demanded. "Especially seeing as I've backed off."
Rachel looked at Quinn alarmed. While she hadn't spoken to the other girl about it, she had hoped that Quinn would reveal her secret to the others. Quinn gathered this was what the shocked look was about but just laughed. "Seriously, we're not blind."
"We saw the looks sweetie." Kurt muttered. "You two are as bad as Jay-Z and Beyonce when they were trying to hide from the world."
"It failed hopelessly, just like this dance is." Santana said. "Seriously, why aren't you making out in the third floor janitors closet?"
Rachel blinked a few times then shook her head, not wanting to know how Santana knew that was one of Puck's favourite make out spots. (Rachel didn't quite want to admit how she knew it). "I don't know what any of you are talking about."
"Oh please," Kurt spun Rachel around so she was facing the mirror. "Does this look like a girl who doesn't know what we're talking about?" Tina mouthed 'What?' but Rachel seemed to pick up something in Kurt's confusing words. She felt her eyes tear up and then fell onto Kurt's shoulder crying.
Everyone froze, looking alarmed as Rachel just sobbed onto Kurt's shoulder. Kurt looked like he was about to have an aneurism because Rachel was crying onto his favourite D&G shirt which matched perfectly with his Versace shoes that he bought particularly for this shirt. If Rachel ruined it, he would loose it.
So Brittany swiftly pulled Rachel away from Kurt and let her cry on her shoulder instead while Kurt was trying not to hyperventilate. Santana and Mercedes jumped up to help him (Santana was surprisingly good and cleaning stains out of clothing for someone who had never been slushied).
"This wasn't what I was expecting." Tina murmured.
It took a while for them to get her to stop sobbing, but soon enough, Rachel was sitting on the sink with everyone gathered around her. They had missed class, but this was probably (definitely) more important.
Quinn stood behind Brittany, trying to look at Rachel. "Explain."
But Rachel didn't. She couldn't. She had no idea what she was trying to explain. She had no idea she'd needed to cry at all because she thought she'd gotten that out the previous week. This time she had fallen for the wrong boy all together and she knew it from the first time she started feeling that butterfly feeling when he came near. So the girls just waited, (Santana somewhat impatiently) for her tears to subside and decided not to bring up Puck again. At least not for a while.
~*~
Quinn was sitting with Finn and the football team as usual, along with the normal straggle of cheerleaders. It was kind of sad nowadays because Quinn had realised that while she was still friends with Santana and Brittany she didn't particularly like hanging out with the rest of the Cheerio's anymore. There were one or two that were okay-ish but they mostly seemed to ostracize her even though she was still the captain's girlfriend.
Her eyes glanced over at Puck who was laughing with Karofsky about something or other. Karofsky had formed a bond with Puck over the beat up of the basketball team which annoyed said basketball team to no end.
There was something different about him. She could tell he changed in the past two weeks. She knew it had to do greatly with the fact his dad was back in town but she also had a feeling it had to do with Rachel. Which is why she was pushing for them to get together.
Okay, so Quinn still wanted Finn to be the baby-daddy but she knew that this peace wouldn't hold for long. She knew that the walls holding back all her secrets were soon to break because they just had to. Nothing about this pregnancy was working out and she knew that until all the secrets were revealed, they wouldn't.
So she would need Puck. Actually, no... She would need Noah. The side of Puck that Rachel, for some crazy reason seemed to see. And for some reason, the more the two were together, the more Noah would come out. So when the time came for the damn to break, Noah could be there to take care of their child.
It was selfish, she knew that, but at the end of the day, Quinn couldn't deny she was a self-centred being.
The one thing she felt horrible about was what would happen to Finn and Rachel. She did love Finn. She knew she loved him. Especially since she saw all he did to help her since she told him of the pregnancy.
And Rachel... well, Quinn couldn't say she was ready to be best friends with the girl (although Brittany was and kept commenting on how they should invite Rachel out with them whenever they went out, earning an eye roll from Santana and Quinn). She did feel... something for her. She didn't go out of her way to bully Rachel anymore and had even spent an hour scrubbing off something another Cheerio had written off the bathroom wall because she had happened to glance at it during an episode of morning sickness and she thought it was a particularly cruel joke. (Something about Rachel and the Ben-Israel freak).
And in truth, after everyone found out Quinn was pregnant, although Rachel was horrified with Finn, she was the first one to accept Quinn into the Gleek fold. Even Brittany and Santana had taken a few moments to consider their friendship.
(Well, Santana... Brittany didn't quite understand because it took her a while to figure out how Quinn could still be a virgin and pregnant. Quinn remembered the exact moment Brittany had come around. Her eyes had gone all saucer moon-eyed and pointed at Quinn in shock and exclaimed, "You had sex!")
Quinn looked across the cafeteria and saw Rachel sitting by herself with her geometry books, trying to do her homework. She was real quiet after their little bathroom intervention. She just hoped that she hadn't done any permanent damage... well... anymore permanent damage.
Santana saw Quinn looking between Puck and Rachel for the lunch hour. She knew why of course. Mercedes had spilt the beans to Kurt. Then they all knew. Even Mike and Matt. Even though they both refused to say anything being both boys were their best friends.
See while Quinn thought her and Finn were apart of this whole 'hook Rachel and Puck up' plan, they weren't. Yeah, they got them to do stuff, but none of them knew the extent to why the Glee club were helping Rachel.
The inevitable would happen. Somehow Finn would realise you can't get pregnant in a hot tub and pieces would click. Puck, Quinn, the freaky dance they were doing around each other. Puck had cooled off a bit since the whole 'sexting' thing and it was only after that did Santana realise what Quinn was doing. (she got the text from Kurt about the real baby-daddy the next day).
And she had to admit, she felt bad about blowing up at her on-again off-again friend. But seriously, she knew that once Puck touched blonde, he'd never go back. Well, once she touched a pregnant blonde. Who happened to be impregnated with his kid. Sad, but totally true, she always knew Puck would be there for his kid. It's one of the reasons she felt so comfortable with him. Out of all the idiots she fucked he was the only one who'd stick around if they made a mistake. Well, him and Brittany as she had assured her the first time they had screwed each other. (Santana had felt too much pity to correct her).
Where was she going with this again? Oh yeah... She knew that although Puck wanted to be a good dad and all and would totally fall head over heels for the little girl. Then he'd get his heart crushed beyond repair when he realised he'd never be her daddy when either a) Quinn adopted the kid out or b) Finn raised her.
Either way, Puck needed help to drag him out of this suicide attempt he was having and figured that she had found the perfect distraction for him.
A committed relationship with non-other than Rachel Berry.
It was only after she saw them acting together after his little episode and how she seemed to make Puck nicer (emphasise: seemed to make. Santana wasn't so sure how seeing as she was certain they weren't giving up each others cookies... actually Santana didn't think Rachel's cookie had ever been crunched, despite the rumours she threw around about her and Rachel's little monologue at Celibacy club. Ha. Celibacy club... that always made Santana laugh), did Santana realise how perfect they would be together. Fair enough, Rachel wasn't... normal. Her fashion sense was questionable (although when she wore short skirts, even the footballers turned their heads her way... fuck it, even Santana turned her head Rachel's way sometimes) and when she started ranting, everybody felt like cocking a gun.
But Puck knew how to shut her up and was one of the many footballers who enjoyed her short skirts. He'd once walked into a set of lockers checking out those legs. Santana knew because she was holding onto Puck's arm when it happened.
And she knew they would be good, for each other. Why Santana was being nice to Rachel? Well that sure as hell was the question of the year. Santana even hated the fact that when baby-gate did burst open, Rachel was going to be hurt almost as much as Finn. But she was doing this more for Puck and because she knew that Finn and Rachel would find solace together and then Quinn and Puck could go live in their secret shame.
Everyone else agreed too. No one wanted Finn upset and they felt kind of bad taking for Quinn so if Puck and Rachel were together it would take the stress of Puck off of her shoulders. Santana glimpsed at Mike who was staring at her disapprovingly. Mike wanted no part of it. Neither did Matt. They had started to be into it but the two of them only found out about the full details of Quinn's pregnancy after Sectionals.
They had both argued that pushing Rachel into Puck's arms was wrong for both of them and that it would all just end badly.
They'd all get over it... In the end, it'll keep us all together... And although Santana would never admit it, that's probably what she wanted more than anything.
It was Brittany who chose the most direct approach and went over to Puck and sat next to him and Karofsky. She looked upset and Karofsky just chuckled at her because they all knew the blondes idiotic tendencies.
"Sup Britt?" Puck asked.
Brittany shrugged sadly and pointed at Rachel. "She's really upset Puck."
Karofsky smirked, "Your girlfriend Puckerman?"
Puck narrowed his eyes at Karofsky. "No. My ex for a few weeks."
Brittany sighed and said in a slight sing-song voice. "She doesn't see it like that."
"What?" Puck's head snapped so he could stare at Brittany.
Brittany smiled sadly, still staring at Rachel. "The girls, Kurt and I tried to get her to admit she likes you, but she just ended up crying for two hours." She pointed to the mascara stains on her cheerio's outfit. There were a few of them, all blotched in different places. "See? She cried all over me and stained my dress. I don't mind though. That one was the first. Kind of looks like a duck if you tilt your head this way." Karofsky was actually staring and tilting his head with Brittany.
"Hey, it does!"
Brittany then pointed to the next mascara mark. "Her neck got a kink so she moved her head more to the left. There was a lot of crying this morning. I think it's because you haven't talked to her this entire week but you like, made out with her at Sectionals."
Karofsky barked out laughter. "Ex?"
Puck growled, ignoring Karofsky. "I thought I told Finn to stop with this whole matching making thing."
"I'll let you match make me." Karofsky stated but Puck just shot him a look and he put his hands up in defence. "I'll back off now."
Brittany sighed, "Look, Puck. I know you're not very bright sometimes, but can you please just go out with Rachel already?"
Puck rolled his eyes, "Britt, don't get involved. Okay?"
With a shrug of her shoulders, Brittany stood up and flounced over to Rachel to sit with her so the girl wouldn't be completely alone. Rachel just smiled politely at Brittany, starting small talk.
Karofsky looked at Puck, his eyebrows raised. "So is this the business I wasn't supposed to mind?"
Puck just glared at him and then got up, leaving the lunchroom moodily.
AN: The reason why this took so long was something else was supposed to happen that I'm going to make happen next chapter... Because it wouldn't have made sense. (Well it would've but like...hmmm) I know everyone likes long chapters but I'm OCD about some things and I pride myself on each of my chapters being like a story in itself... Or trying to anyway... Which is why if I added the part it wouldn't have made sense. And every time I re-read over this chapter I kept trying to figure out what was wrong with it so I didn't upload it. Now I think it's alright....
But guess what this means?
The next chapter is already half-written so it won't take as long to upload. (yay!)
Reviews:
Ch3lsBishop: Hahaha! I love how you go, 'I need another word' then wrote 'awesomely epic'... Your reviews are hilarious... Glad you like my AN... Today's isn't really big but I was kind of annoyed with myself at how long this took... Plus, I just woke up to upload this (figure out in my dreams what was wrong... oh yeah, the writing dream finally paid off)
Karma22: Socks and turkey? People will think that's weird? Hahaha... my quote on my folder says, "When you smile at the world, the world smiles back. When I smile at the world they think, 'What the fuck is she up to'." My friend/enemy (a guy that... we're friends but we would never admit it... cause we take the piss out of each other all the time and we're too similar to like each other... we go out together and stuff, but we'd never say we were friends... weirdest relationship ever) was the one that said it suits me to a tee. My sister-in-law and I went to the movies that night and didn't tell the boys. It was hilarious...
Literati Lover: Thanks! I know, I know... I want to see the others sing too... Although I think in some interview Heather something (can't remember at the moment...) said that she couldn't sing... But I don't believe that... unless you're truly tone deaf, everyone can sing... I have met some truly tone deaf people... like... woah... Sad thing is, they thought they could sing.
Mag721: That's cool... Yeah, I figured people would be getting confused... I got confused and I performed that exact same thing only a few weeks ago (ago, seven weeks ago... I counted). LoL, get back to work :P
Fantasy's forever: I vote handcuffs... Because with a strong enough acetone you can undo superglue (which makes me wonder why it's so super) but handcuffs... you can throw away the key and then if they want to risk cutting off their hand, they either have to pick the lock or slip out (slipping out is much harder than one thinks if they squeeze them tight enough... and no I haven't been arrested... got a relo who's a cop)
JustAmazing: Kisses don't lie or Two Seconds too long? I love both... But I was getting kind of annoyed because at one stage I had them both on repeat so I could write that chapter.... For your question about his mother... Well see, it's going to happen like this... (:P)