AN: Woo! Got my L's back! I only lost them because I'm a procrastinator and forgot to renew them after my referee (aka my mother) got her license suspended, ergo something with my paper work went wrong and my license was suspended... so then I had to start again... bastards... I am the idiot who waited eight months to renew them though...

Almost didn't pass the test this time... cause I haven't studied for ages and there was some stupid question about a duck, a chicken and a cow crossing a road, which got me laughing so I hit the wrong button on the touch screen... it was about animal crossings... worlds stupidest question if you ask me but whatever, I still passed.

Oh and it took me a little longer to update than expected because, guess what? I've started sleeping before four am again and stopped writing until my fingers fell off... cause my complexion was being ruined (yeah, I usually don't care but my mum's lecturing me...)

Reviews:

Jenny0305, mdemantee, emonemo96: Soon enough?

EscapeSomeday: Mwaahahaha! Updated ;) (I don't know what's wrong with me...)

xXxLolliPopKidxXx: Thank you!

xDamnGirlx: Know what's that's like... at least you're not like me. I have a list of stories that I couldn't review on my phone but I planned on reviewing... Still haven't gotten around to that yet... THANKS!

Sweetantidote: Why thank you. I love rocking. It's like... the best. I heart rock music so it just makes it awesomer...

JustAmazing: I hope this chapter makes up for the last one :(...

None of the Glee club went home that evening, staying back at school to practice and get ready for the concert. As well as their performances, drama club, band, dance and choir were preforming as well. It was an all round music night.

Mike was asked to be MC which he happily did, wearing his costume as host and introducing all the acts.

Puck hadn't talked to Rachel properly but decided he should probably do something seeing as she'd been pretty down all week and they had to sing that song together so it was pretty imperative they could preform together. (It briefly registered to Puck his internal monologue sounded like Rachel, but he pushed that thought away).

"Berry." Puck said, jogging backstage to where Rachel was singing 'Don't rain on my parade' under her breath.

She stopped and looked up at Puck, forcing Puck to stagger back in surprise. He wasn't ready for her to look like that. She was wearing a purple corset dress that stopped just below her bust and let loose to a white frilly shirt. The skirt was pretty short. Like, if she bent over it would be too-short.

Mercedes and Kurt had done a number on her hair and it was in soft curls, cascading down around her. Her make up was simple and light and didn't make her more beautiful but showed off what was already beautiful about her.

Puck realised right then and there he was a total girl and if Rachel wanted to start a lesbian relationship he was hers for the picking. "Noah?" she asked, looking at his dumbstruck expression.

"Uh..." he couldn't speak for a whole minute. "Knock 'em dead Berry."

Rachel couldn't help but to smile. "I'll try."

"You don't need to try." he reached out his hand and rubbed her arm. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm... I'm sorry for acting strange this week and ignoring you. I shouldn't have but..."

"I'm sorry for ignoring you too." she cut across him quickly. "It was rather childish of me and quite rude to do after all you have done for me."

"Yeah, same here." he looked down sheepishly. "I'm also sorry for the crap the girls and then have been giving you. About uh..."

"Rachel!" both of their heads snapped to see Mr Schue waving his hands frantically. "You're on in two minutes!"

Rachel nodded. "Okay."

Mr Schue disappeared and Rachel was about to leave too when Puck caught her arm and stopped her. He stared right at her, trying to forget how beautiful she looked so he could talk. "Afterwards, say we can talk."

She just smiled at him and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "I promise Noah, we can talk about this afterwards."

Puck grinned like a fool and went into the wings of the stage.

"Good evening, good evening. Everyone good evening!" Puck felt Finn walk up behind him as the two watched Mike on stage. The audience was packed and they couldn't see anybody from where they were, except for those who sat all the way on the opposite side. "Well welcome to McKinley high's charity concert where all the money raised will go to the school." Mike looked down at his palm cards which Figgins had given him. "We're hoping to raise enough money to fix up McKinley's computer labs." Mike frowned at the palm cards then looked up to Principal Figgins who was in the wings opposite Puck and Finn. "We have computer labs?" Principal Figgins looked alarmed and then waved Mike off. "Oh yeah..." Mike looked back to the audience. "So first up is a girl who has been preforming since I was walking. And seeing as I'm older than her, that's a pretty long time. Welcome onto stage, the beautiful Rachel Berry!"

There was applause and Rachel came out of the wings and started to sing. Puck grinned as he watched Rachel sing in front of him and Finn just clapped him on the back. "I know I said I wouldn't say anything any more but like, dude. She could so be yours."

~*~

After Rachel's solo they performed Don't Stop Believing and You Can't Always Get What you want. In between were some drama monologues and a musical performances, but the crowd were only really there to see New Directions.

During the interval, Puck wanted to go over and talk to Rachel (because backstage they were banned from speaking so could only give each other meaningful looks) but couldn't find her at first.

He stopped by Mercedes, who was flirting with some senior guy, and put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey have you seen Rachel?"

"Uh, yeah. Her uncle and aunt were in the crowd, she just went out into the hallway to say hi."

"Thanks." he muttered before giving the senior a small scowl and heading off. He walked out the fire exit, around the building and through the front door of the school to find Rachel. He saw Rachel chatting to an older black man who had a wide smile on his face, hugging Rachel and a Latino looking woman. Rachel looked up as if sensing him and caught his eye. Rachel blushed and looked down, leaning further into her uncle's grip. Definitely Richard's brother was all that popped into Puck's mind.

He didn't want to interrupt, so he milled around a bit until he saw his sister rush out of nowhere and tackle into his shins. "Oi, midget. I told you not to do that." Puck leaned down and picked up his sister and she wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Sorry." she said. "But you guys were so cool up there. I really liked the songs and I didn't know you could dance. Whenever I ask you to dance with me you always say you can't, but you can dance."

Puck rolled his eyes and ruffled his sisters hair. "Sorry Isles, but I can't really dance with you. You're too short."

Isla gave him her best shocked look and he just kissed her head and put her back down in front of Mrs Hudson who looked panicked. Puck mistook this panic and looked annoyingly down at his sister. "Did you run off from her?"

Isla shook her head. "I pointed, said your name and ran."

"Oh." Puck looked back up at Finn's mum. "Are you alright Mrs H?"

With a swift nod of her head, Carol Hudson smiled and pretended like everything was fine. "Uh... okay."

He felt Isla tugging his hand and Puck knelt down to her level. "What's up shortie?"

"Can we say hi to Rachel? I miss her. She hasn't been over all week."

Puck smirked and nodded. "Yeah, I think we can." He slipped his hand over hers and stood up. "Hey, we're just gonna say hi to Rach, Mrs H."

"Okay." Carol nodded, forming a tight smile. "Okay Noah."

With his head held high in confidence, he half strutted towards Rachel and her family. Rachel's smile just grew and grew with every step he took. "Hey Rach." he said when they were close enough for her and her company to hear. "My sis just wanted to say hi."

"You were so pretty up there!" Isla said, letting go of Rachel's hand and throwing herself at the older girl.

Rachel had to let go of her uncle's arm and leaned down to hug Isla. "Oh, thank you so much Isla." Rachel then looked up sheepishly at her aunt and uncle who were looking at her with matching grins of amusement. "Uh, Uncle Dave, Aunt Trisha, this is Noah Puckerman and his younger sister Isla."

"Isla Maddie Puckerman." Isla said, trying to stand up straighter.

"Also know as Imp." Puck said, tapping her lightly with his foot. "Or Midget, or Shortie or Brat... whatever comes to mind at the time usually does it."

Isla looked up at Puck, her eyes wide and shocked. "Noah!" she cried and then let go of Rachel to bury her face in his legs. "You're mean."

Rachel scoffed. "Don't say things like that to her, Noah."

Dave chuckled. "Oh don't worry, your dad used to give me the same treatment Rachel. Except worse, because we were closer in age. He would smack me around so bad..."

With a laugh, Puck nodded to Rachel. "I may have to ask your dad for techniques."

"Oh Richie will give them to you alright." Dave put his hand out and Puck clapped it. "I'm David and this is my wife Trisha. We're Rachel's Aunt and Uncle."

"Cool." he said. "I'm Puck, Rachel's... friend." The pause wasn't intended but it just slipped out. He looked at Rachel with some meaning behind his eyes and she just smiled, using her hair as a curtain to hide her blushing cheeks.

"Friend, hey?" Dave crossed his arms over his chest and seemed to be sizing Puck up. "Uhuh..."

"David." Trisha smacked her husband lightly and then smiled at Puck nicely. "Sorry about my husband but you're a boy and Rachel's his niece. You'll have to forgive him."

"I don't particularly blame him." Puck said, but he was smiling at Rachel the entire time.

"Uhuh." Dave said again. "You wouldn't be too cocky if I was holding a gun, now would you?"

Sadly, it wasn't the first time Puck had heard that threat. Except it was usually by a father or angry husband. An uncle was a first. "Why would you be holding a gun?" everyone's head snapped to look at Isla who they had apparently forgotten. "Guns are bad. Or at least that's what mummy says. Noah said once when we were watching a movie it would be cool to own a gun but then he bought a pair of nunchucks off the computer because guns are illegal."

"If you're under eighteen." Puck muttered under his breath but then remembered who present company was. He winced, "I uh, do fight club so... I got the nunchucks. To learn, not to fight... And the gun... Well I'm pretty much an idiot so..."

"Daddy said you can be an idiot sometimes." Isla said innocently. Puck and Rachel both froze and slowly turned to face Isla.

"W-When did he tell you that?" Puck stuttered.

"Just now."

Puck briefly looked at Rachel, trying to warn her that at any moment he was about to explode so she should probably run. "How?"

Isla frowned. "Daddy and mummy came tonight. They're over there." Isla pointed, but Puck didn't look. He didn't want to look. He didn't want to know. He wanted it to be a lie.

Mrs Hudson's worried face popped into his mind and things suddenly fell into place. Hesitantly, Puck looked over his shoulder to confirm what his sister said. He didn't want to but for his own sanity, he had to.

Standing almost on the opposite side of the hallway, hands clasped together, was not only his mother but his father too. Before Puck knew what he was feeling, he pushed through David and Trisha and bolted to the boys bathrooms on the other end of the hall. He proceeded to throw himself into one of the cubicles and empty the contents of his dinner the glee club had eaten together as well as, he noted foully, parts of his lunch.

He recognised that small hand on his back, rubbing circles anywhere but he didn't turn to acknowledge them. "Do you want to go home?" Rachel asked softly and like a wimp, Puck just nodded. "Come on, I'll take you."

His father had watched him on stage. They had been out their in the audience. He had sang and did all of those moves in front of his dad and... His mind flashed briefly to when he was seven.

He'd turn the music hits show on TV.

He was dancing in front of the television to Mumbo No. 5. His dad had woken up angry because the music was too loud.

"Real men don't dance." Josef had yelled at him.

Then when he proceeded to beat Puck up and Puck started crying all he was told was, "Real men don't cry."

Puck had broken two of his fathers rules that night, because he could feel the tears at the corner of his eyes, making their way down his face. He wasn't sure whether or not it was from vomiting or seeing his dad but it didn't matter because Rachel wiped them off with the back of her sleeve. "Thanks." he murmured.

"I told Uncle Dave to come back with water. Would you mind waiting for a moment?"

Puck nodded deftly and was going to rest his head back on the porcelain but Rachel instead helped him up and closed the toilet lid so he could sit on top. "I hate him." Puck murmured and Rachel froze at the confession before letting him continue. "I hate him because he left. I hate because what he did. I hate that he's back." Puck paused then leaned back. "I hate that he does this to me. Makes me loose control."

"Noah, it's a rational reaction." Rachel tried to assure him. "I... I don't claim to know the details of what happened to you before your father left but from what I can piece together, it's normal for you to feel this way."

"Why does she want him back?" Puck said, almost as if he didn't hear a word Rachel said. He did. Every one. He just didn't want to acknowledge it. "He's a total prick. He makes me look warm and fuzzy."

Rachel sat down on his lap after trying to find somewhere else to sit, and leaned down to hug him. Puck just rested his hands on her hips like so many weeks ago when they were in this bathroom washing slushie from his mohawk. "Noah, you are warm and fuzzy." she chuckled slightly then hugged him tighter. "Warm." she scratched the back of his mohawk. "And fuzzy. See?"

Puck closed his eyes as he pressed his eyes against her shoulder but then looked up, grabbing her chin and pulling her down. He was about to kiss her when he remembered his mouth must taste like a garbage tip, so he didn't. Instead he kissed her cheeks, one after the other. Rachel gasped and thought that maybe that was better than an actual kiss. "You're one of the most kind hearted people I know Rach." Puck said, holding her tighter. "Don't change."

Rachel nodded and rested her chin on Puck forehead, leaning into his grip. "I will try not to."

David and Finn came into the bathroom at the same time and Rachel was going to jump off of Puck's lap, but he held on to tight. "I'm so freaking sorry man." Finn said quickly but Puck silenced him quickly by a half-assed smile while taking a sip from the bottle of the water.

"It's okay. Thanks." he nodded appreciatively to David. "I think I'm gonna meet you at home, Finn."

"I'll drive him." Rachel murmured.

Finn looked alarmed. "But dude, we have the second half of the night. You and Rach need to perform."

"You and Quinn can sing instead." Rachel said.

David frowned. His niece was not known for walking away from performances. "What if I took him home?" David asked. "Would that suffice?"

Puck thought about being alone all night and shook his head. "No, no... it's alright. I guess I'll hang out until the rest of the show, hey?" he added the last part weakly and Rachel reached her hand up and pressed it against his cheek, moving his head so she could look into his eyes.

"You don't have to Noah. No one expects you to put on a brave face."

Puck smirked, "I'm a stud, babe. I've only got one face."

Rachel nodded and Dave looked half-way between angry and sad. Angry because his niece was being hugged by a testosterone filled boy in a cubicle, in front of him and sad because the boy in question looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

~*~

They left the bathrooms, Finn, Rachel and Puck (David had gone off to find Trisha and to tell her everything was okay) while there were only a few people left milling the halls. To the greatest displeasure of Puck, two of those people milling the halls were his parents.

Mrs Hudson was whispering furiously at his mum who looked saddened and taking it all in stride. He stood still, staring at his mother. She must have felt his eyes on her because she looked up and smiled. Puck didn't care how much of a pussy it made him at the time because for a brief moment, all he wanted was his mum to hug him and make it all better. It was stupid to think she could do that because she was apart of the problem, but it didn't matter.

Deborah pushed past Mrs Hudson and walked up to Puck, her arms open and Puck took three strides to her and leaned down, hugging his mother tightly. "Oh, I've missed you my boy." she whispered, stroking his strip of hair.

Puck didn't say anything because he didn't trust his mouth at that moment so stayed hugging his mum. Oh yeah... what a man you are, Puck.

"How have you been Noah?" Deborah asked, wiping the tears away from her own eyes as she pulled back. "I haven't seen you for almost three weeks?"

Finn had to put an arm on Rachel's shoulder because she looked angry and looked as if she was about to start yelling, but Puck stole the words right out of her mouth. "No offence ma, but who's fault is that?"

"Can we talk, Noah?" she said quietly. "Just you and me. Privately."

Puck nodded hesitantly then looked at Finn. "How long until we go on?"

"About ten minutes." he said.

Puck indicated his mum should follow him and was about to walk off when Rachel caught his hand. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked.

He tried his usual cocky grin but it quickly failed. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Finn looked back to where his mother was standing, keeping her distant from Josef Puckerman. Josef looked their way and then briefly at Rachel. Rachel just flushed, remembering the pepper spray and moved closer to Finn without realising.

AN: Here's the thing... I keep meaning to write something else... I was kind of going to rush over this part and skip straight to the Puckleberry but you know what... I've kept you all holding on this long, you can wait one more chapter...

Chill folks and hold on tight!

Next ones angsty ;)

Couragetcd: there was a good reason I wrote about duck shaped mascara... I was shouting out to someone... I cannot for the life of me remember who though... I just read a hilarious story about Brittany and ducks.

Maggiequeen: Thanks! Yeah, kind of liked that line too... Thinking can be horrible sometimes... :P

Diva(dot)divine: Subconsciously, I know I'm putting myself off... I just consciously refuse to admit it. :D

Ch3lsBishop: Oh yeah... Recurring dreams about writing at my laptop... occasionally I remember what I had intended on writing... usually I don't. Creepy is cool with me. Seriously... except that stupid spider living in my blinds... he creeps around and I can here his feet tapping against the wooden blinds. IT'S SO ANNOYING! It also freaked the fuck out of me when I was home alone and I didn't know he was there... I swear he's dancing. Oh and all those conversations are real. The last two were just shortened... But they were all real. Now you know why I'm a little 'woohoo'...

Ashswim: Your sneaking suspicion is half right but not now... like... I have the story planned and it will happen eventually... but like... just STOP BEING PSYCHIC! ALL OF YOU! :) Oh, and I would never kill off Puck... that'd be like cutting off my right hand... it's just not done, especially seeing as I'm right handed and it would be very difficult because added to that, I'm not sure which one is my right until I hold a pen.

Literati Lover: I've always wondered if tone deaf people can hear themselves sing... I don't mean to sound cruel but... really can't you hear the difference between yourself and the music? My mum's tone deaf... poor woman...

Noelle86: Me too... She's in my top five... 1. Sue, 2. Puck, 3. Mike, 4. Rachel, 5. Brittany... I love Sue... Yes she's evil but gawd she has some of the best one liners...

Iolar abu: yeah, the whole babygate thing... I've already written that... be very worried... but smile for now, because it doesn't happen for a while... have some other loose ends to tie up first... Like that pesky basketball team...

Alimard: I think it's official. Brittany is the best.

Karma22: You know what... just... no... I so didn't forget frienemy... pfft... like I could forget that word... pfft... (I forgot). And feeling like Brittany... uh... that was the point, confusious master says... (looks down sadly) sorry!

Ladybug Jess: Your wish is coming true :) I actually didn't intend that to happen at first but whatever...

Myhiddenlove08: I didn't want it to be totally out of character and I even thought it was weird Santana and Quinn was helping... I ended up having to sit down and figure out why... I let the little bitchy slut in me out and then the pregnant girl... who I didn't know existed until recently... But yeah... I figured out why they would want Rachel and Puck together... not the rest of Glee though... I just wrote that they were helping... so wait for me to chat to my inner gay man and maybe I'll write about Kurt... btw, Mike and Matt aren't apart of it... they don't want to be... so there is hope within our little Gleekish hearts. :)