AN: Here's the new chapter. Forgive me for any mistakes that I have missed, I'm sick! There is only going to be one more chapter after this! Thanks again to those who reviewed, alerted, read, favorited. It means the world to me.

R&R please! :D

When Rachel opened the door to let Brittany and Santana in Saturday morning, Puck was still asleep on the couch. Though all three girls knew that the boy could sleep through almost anything, Rachel 'shushed' them as they quietly flutter up the stairs.

"It was late and he didn't want to wake his mother," Rachel said as a response to the four questioning eyes that greeted her once the trio had entered her bedroom.

"Why was he here in the first place?" Brittany questioned.

"I went with him to see Will," Rachel explained, "We came back here and we went to bed. And as you can tell, my bed was slept in and he's still asleep downstairs," Rachel continued as she gestured towards the bed that she had not finished making before her friends had arrived.

Rachel ignored the questioning glance that the two girls did not aim towards her, but at each other, as if they were having a secret conversation, as she began gathering some of the things she had yet to put into her bags.

A few moments later Rachel's phone rang signaling Finn's arrival. Rachel grabbed her bag along with all of the bags she needed for the club and she and Brittany made their way downstairs to meet Finn at his car, leaving Santana to take the nap she said she desperately needed. Though it was still early morning, the sky held no sun and the clouds sat in the sky dressed in a threatening shade of gray. Once Finn's car was packed, Rachel made one last trip into the house to grab some bottled water from her refrigerator when she noticed Puck sitting up on the couch.

"Morning," he mumbled, not fully awake.

"Morning, Noah," Rachel responded as she grabbed what she needed, "Santana is upstairs, please behave. Remember, Finn and Brittany is coming with me to the New Directions regional competition. Feel free to stay as long as you need and we should be back before seven."

"Yeah, uh," Puck stuttered, "be careful. And make sure you don't let Hudson do anything stupid."

"I won't," Rachel said with a laugh.

"Oh," Puck chimed, "and good luck."

"Thank you, Noah," Rachel said before she nodded quickly and headed out the door.

By the time the trio had arrived at McKinley, it had begun to snow, and hard. Rachel spoke with the bus driver and it was decided that once all the members of New Directions arrived they would immediately begin their journey to the convention center. Rachel would worry about the list of things that needed to be done while they were on the bus.

"I saw that Puck was awake before we left," Brittany said from her seat beside Rachel. Finn was in the back of the bus reliving his days as glee co-captain in slightly exaggerated manner.

"He was," Rachel said.

"Did you talk to him?"

"I was inside for two minutes, Brittany. I reminded him that I had to attend the competition today and that he should stay as long as he likes."

"Are you guys getting back together?"

"I don't know. We haven't discussed anything and I'm not sure there is anything to be discussed."

"But you love him," Brittany pushed.

"We haven't been together for months," Rachel responded, "I don't know if he's seeing someone or if he even wants to be with me. He's only here for Will."

"He's not," Brittany said, "seeing someone I mean."

"Oh," Rachel said, "why have you taken such an interest in our relationship?"

"Because," Brittany started, "Santana and I were maybe thinking of having a commitment ceremony in a couple of months and we were hoping everyone would come."

"Oh great another wedding," Rachel said before realizing that she had spoken her thoughts out loud and they had been completely out of line and then placing her hand over her mouth, "I'm so sorry Brittany, that was terribly rude of me. Of course, I'll be there. Whether Noah and I are together or not."

"Good, because I was kind of hoping you'd be my maid of honor."

"Really? Me?"

"Yes, of course. Santana is my best friend so I obviously can't have her as my maid of honor and then I thought that it should be you."

"Oh Britt, that's incredibly sweet. Of course I'll be your maid of honor," Rachel said, "though this whole thing is actually kind of surprising. I never thought of Santana to be one for weddings."

"I think she just wants the presents and a day where everyone focuses on her. And I want to give it to her."

"Well whatever the reason, I'm happy for the both of you. Soon everyone will be married and I'll have to move to Florida to retire in a senior center."

"But you're so young," Brittany said and Rachel laughed.

As the trip continued, the snow began to fall harder until it was becoming almost impossible to see more than a few feet in front of the bus. Rachel moved to the front of the bus to ask the bus driver if this was going to be an issue and he reassured her that they would make it safely to the convention center.

And they did make it, ten minutes before they were scheduled to go on stage. Always prepared for a crisis, Rachel made sure New Directions were vocally warmed up properly on the bus, though the acoustics were driving her insane. But it was the best she could do. New Directions went from the bus, to the green room to change, to the stage in less than ten minutes. And even though they were scrambling to get on stage, they managed to walk off it with a first place trophy and a tear in their eye as they remembered their sick leader. Once she was off stage, Rachel did little to hide the tears in her eyes from Brittany as the blonde wrapped her in a tight hug. New Directions were going on to nationals, and Rachel wished more than anything that Will could be the one leading them to another victory.

Not soon after he woke up did Puck make the decision that he was going back to the hospital to see Will. He was even civil enough with Santana to convince her to go with him. Santana had been hesitant at first since she really wanted Brittany to be there with her but Puck reminded her that with Brittany at the competition, she wouldn't be able to go until the next day. He reminded her that the truth was that everyone was in town to see Will; No- everyone was in town to say goodbye to Will and Puck reminded her not to waste her opportunity. Puck had called his mom to let her know that he was in town and that he would be by that night and he hated how excited she sounded when he told her that he spent the previous night on Rachel's couch. She knew better than to say anything about their hopefully impending reunion but Puck could hear the unasked questions dripping from his mother's voice. If he were lucky, he'd get home after she'd gone to sleep.

When Puck and Santana arrived at the hospital, Sam and Quinn were waiting outside Will's room watching Emma and Eric inside. With an uncertain amount of time left, Emma had decided that it would be best for Eric to see his father and for Will to know that Eric was there. Puck planted himself against the wall across from the room watched the family an overwhelming tightness in his chest. The four were quiet, just waiting (no one was really sure what for though) until Kurt, Mercedes, and Artie showed up. Hugs were exchanged, and everyone was updated on Will's condition, Emma still in Will's room. The conversation was light after that. Puck looked up from the spot on the floor he was staring at to meet Quinn's gaze. She gave him a questioning look and he wondered exactly how he was supposed to interpret it. She obviously had questions that she wanted to ask but this wasn't the time or the place so Puck just shrugged. She turned then to Sam who was sitting beside her and whispered something in his ear. And Sam softly argued at whatever Quinn had said before Quinn practically shoved his shoulder and he was out of his seat and headed in Puck's directions.

"Hey man," Sam said, "You wanna get out of here for a little bit. The silence is killing me."

"Sure," Puck said pushing himself off of the wall and following Sam down a hallway to another

waiting area. This one had a television and the basketball game was on so despite the fact that no one was really talking here either, there was some background noise, as Puck sat down in the empty chair across from the television.

"Haven't talked to you in a few weeks," Sam said sitting next to his friend.

"Been busy. Not much time for anything right now. I've got an apartment to pay for."

"You sound bitter."

"Yeah well everything fucking sucks right now okay? And my problems aren't half as important as the shit going on in that room right now so me whining like a little girl isn't going to help anyone."

If it weren't for the fact that Puck realized that his problems weren't the only ones that mattered, Sam could have sworn that he was sitting next to a teenage version of Puck.

"There nothing we can do for Will, but instead of just sitting here staring at each other we can try to work through your problems."

Puck gave Sam a look. Sam had always been smarter, more rational than all the other guys in the club. He was just not noticing that as they grew up, Sam was still wiser.

"I stayed at her house last night," Puck said.

"Rachel's?"

Puck nodded, "And it fucking killed me that she was upstairs in her bed, alone, and I was sleeping on the damn couch."

"You miss her."

"Of course I do," Puck said thinking he may have to revoke Sam's title as 'The Wise One' for his completely obvious comment.

"Then tell her."

"Dude, I don't think it's that easy. She left because I wouldn't marry her."

"Is that still true?"

"Yeah, well, no. Maybe," Puck stammered, "I just know if fucking sucks without her."

"Look man, don't tell anyone, especially Rachel, but even Quinn thinks you're both being stupid and that coming from Rachel's best friend, who will stick with whatever Rachel wants even if she doesn't agree with it."

"I don't know if I've changed my mind. And I don't know how to change hers if I haven't."

"Dude, being married doesn't suck. In fact it's exactly like the arrangement you and Rachel had except a whole lot more legal stuff."

"Then why does it have to happen? If it's exactly what we were doing, why do we have to get married?"

"Because when girls are little, it's all they dream about mostly because society deems it what they're supposed to. But really, it's about security. There's some kind of benefit for being married. And they like to show of the ring when guys hit on them in bars."

"How do you know this?"

"Quinn actually. I pay attention most of the time."

"You're whipped."

Sam shrugged, "Look if you're worried about losing her, wouldn't you rather you guys break up for a real reason than this one?"

"I can't think of any reason that would have happened."

"So stop freaking yourself out and be with her before she finds someone whose going to want to marry her."

Puck stayed silent for a moment knowing Sam's nickname was intact. The idea of Rachel marrying someone else made his blood boil and it wasn't fair of him to not want someone else to marry here when he wouldn't do it himself. So he made the decision that he would make Rachel talk to him when she got back from the competition.

The clicking of heels on the tile caused both Sam and Puck to look up and find Tina who must have arrived while Sam and Puck had been talking with a panicked look on her face.

"You both have to come, right now," Tina said turning back without a response hoping they'd follow her.

"Is it Will?" Puck asked.

Tina never answered.

"There's got to be something you can tell us, they're our friends," Quinn shouted at the receptionist, Anna, at the front desk of the hospital.

All Quinn knew was that the bus that had been transporting New Directions, Rachel, Finn and Brittany back from regionals had an accident when they lost control of the bus and rolled into a ditch. Most of the performers were all right, a few of them were being treated for cuts and scraps, and a few bumps on the head. But Finn, Rachel, and Brittany were taken behind a door and no one would tell them anything because they 'weren't family'. Quinn spotted Tina, Sam and Puck rushing towards the group gathered around the desk.

"What's going on?" Puck asked when they approached Quinn and the rest of the group waiting.

Quinn looked at him for a second before she whispered, "There was an accident."

Puck looked around and noticed the kids dressed in costumes and McKinley jackets and turned back to Quinn.

"Rachel?"

Quinn shrugged, "They won't tell us anything. We aren't family. I called Benjamin, and they're on there way but it might be a while because of the storm."

Puck pushed past Quinn an instant later and looked down at the tiny woman behind the desk.

"Look lady," he spat, his voice getting louder than he probably had intended "I'm the closet thing she's got to family here right now."

"The doctors are checking on your friends, but we can't give out any information to non-family members. Especially if we don't know how severe the injuries are."

Puck started yelling at the receptionist. He wasn't sure what he was saying, he just knew that he needed answers and they weren't giving them to him and in his moments of panic, he snapped and the woman obviously frightened.

Santana pushed in front of Puck and tried to convince Anna not to call security on the obviously frustrated and angry Puck, Mike and Sam tired to get Puck seated and calm. But it wasn't really working. Puck fought against his friend's arms because truthfully he was scared to sit still. He was scared that if he stopped moving for just a moment that he'd get so far into his head and start imagining the worst, that it was going to take Rachel walking out herself to believe anything but the macabre thoughts that were waiting to dance around his head the second he let them.

He knew that Sam and Mike were yelling at him to calm down so he stopped for a moment, ripped his arms free from the boys and began pacing. A moment later a door opened and Brittany and Finn walked through, Brittany running immediately into Santana's arms, Finn walking towards Kurt, the group immediately coming together around the two. But while everyone rejoiced that Finn only had a cut on his face and Brittany sprained her wrist, Puck was more concerned that Rachel was still nowhere in sight. When he asked, the only thing Finn knew was that she hit her head and that she was unconscious when they took her in the ambulance; he hadn't seen her since.

Sheldon and Benjamin arrived in the midst of all of this, catching Puck's eye almost immediately. Puck watched as they spoke to the receptionist who gave them instructions and then pointed to the group waiting. Benjamin turned catching Puck's pleading eyes and gave him a nod as they both disappeared behind the door that seemed to be secret and you couldn't enter without a password or approval from the gatekeeper. That should have reassured Puck but it did little to calm his nerves. He took a deep breathe and Sam came up and tried once against to get him into a seat telling Puck he'd be no good to Rachel if he had a heart attack. Puck didn't find Sam's attempt at humor entertaining and he sent a scowl in his direction, but took his friends advice. To take his mind off of the situation at hand he imagined what Rachel would say if he had a heart attack because he was stressing over her. She'd berate him for hours but at that moment, he wanted nothing more.

Puck was pretty sure sitting in the waiting room, waiting to hear from the Daddies Berry or Rachel to come out and let everyone know she was, was one of the scariest moments of his life. His legs bounced as his elbows rested against his knees, his hands held his head that was trying to imagine the best cast scenario. The only thing that Puck could come up with though was that as soon as they got out of here, he was telling Rachel that she couldn't go anywhere without him anymore. She was not allowed to drive or go on buses that take show choirs to competitions anymore. But once he had planned an entire speech out in his head, he realized that Rachel would have his head for even suggesting any of those things to her.

So Puck just stared down the hallway that Sheldon and Benjamin had disappeared down. It was empty except a couple of nurses that scurried back and forth between rooms to check on patients. Nothing he could see gave off the vibe that there was something wrong but he knew better than to trust that things were as they seemed. Months back, he thought he and Rachel were perfect. He loved her and would have given her almost anything. But the one thing she wanted from him, he couldn't give her, or wouldn't, whatever. And because of it, she left, leaving him with a partially empty apartment that did nothing but haunt him nightly and a bunch of memories to remind him in the sunlight that she was no longer his. Even without being married, he was planning to spend forever with her. He didn't want anyone else, he just wanted her and for the longest time he thought he was doing the right thing. He wasn't so sure now staring down an empty hallway. He wasn't sure what was going to happen with him and Rachel, but all he knew was that regardless, he needed her to be okay.

His gaze never left the hallway and when he spotted Sheldon and Benjamin coming back towards the waiting room, Puck thought that maybe everything was going to be all right. That was until Sheldon turned to Benjamin and broke down in his partner's arms. As Puck watched the scene unfold before him, he wasn't sure if he wanted to punch something or jump off a building.