Puck stood in the school parking lot. He unlocked the back door to his car and threw his backpack on the floor. As he went to get into the driver's seat, he saw Rachel walking toward him at a furious pace. Puck figured she was probably mad because he hadn't met back up with her at lunch like they had planned. The whole encounter with Quinn had freaked him out though, and he had spent the rest of the day hanging out under the bleachers.

Puck put on his most apologetic face and prepared to beg for his life if necessary.

"Hey Rachel, I've been looking for you. Sorry I didn't meet you during lunch when I went to the bathroom." Puck grabbed his stomach with both hands, "Bad tacos." Puck knew that the grosser the excuse, the fewer the number of questions would be asked.

Rachel stopped a few feet away from Puck. She didn't seem too impressed with his explanation.

In a determined voice, Rachel said, "I wish to terminate our business arrangement."

Puck didn't know what the hell she was talking about. "What?"

Rachel refused to meet his eyes. "I would like to renege on our deal."

"Come again?"

"I…I'm…breaking up with you," Rachel struggled to get out.

Puck wasn't sure what he had been expecting her to say, but that wasn't it.

"You're breaking up with me," Puck repeated the words slowly so as to give his brain time to process them.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Rachel kept her focus on the ground. "Because I realized that I don't have any more time to waste on this…" Rachel gestured toward herself and then Puck,"…thing between us…this distraction. I have more important things to focus on."

Puck was insulted. "You can't break up with me," he asserted.

Rachel became indignant. "Yes I can, we're not even really dating. Therefore, all I am doing right now is pretend breaking up with you after our imaginary relationship."

Puck wasn't sure why this was bothering him so much, but it did.

"I thought we were having a good time," he stated.

Rachel lowered her voice. "We were. But I was just acting, you know, playing a role. I know you don't care about me. We're not really friends."

Rachel took in Puck's surprised expression. "Come on Puck, none of this was real. Don't tell me you believe in unicorns too."

Puck noticed that Rachel was distancing herself from him by no longer calling him Noah.

"I know we're just pretending." He pointed a finger at Rachel, "Have you forgotten the whole reason we started doing this in the first place?"

Rachel shrugged. "We wanted to make Quinn and Finn jealous so that they would break up with each other."

"Has that happened yet?" Puck answered his own question, "No. Therefore, we need to keep doing what we're doing."

Puck was hoping she would see things his way.

"It's only a matter a time," Rachel said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Puck asked.

"I saw you."

"You saw me?"

"Yes, I saw you."

Puck wasn't sure what she was referring to. "Is this like the Sixth Sense? I see dead people," he joked.

Rachel decided to clarify. "I saw you…with Quinn…at lunch."

Damn.

Rachel rushed on, "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you. I'm glad the plan worked."

Puck said the following words carefully. "What exactly did you see?"

"I came to find you when you didn't show up. I walked by a classroom and saw you and Quinn kissing. I didn't stay and spy or anything, I left right away."

So Rachel hadn't seen Quinn storming out, and leaving him high and dry.

"What about you and Finn?" Puck thought to ask. "Do you think he'll want to be with you now?"

Rachel waved her hand in dismissal. "It doesn't matter."

Puck wasn't sure he believed her. "You don't…like…Finn anymore?" he said while trying to keep a casual tone. It's not like he cared who Rachel liked or anything.

"It's not that," Rachel said as Puck's shoulders slumped. "I just feel weird about the whole thing now. I can't believe I was so willing to mess with people's lives. I should be concentrating more on school and glee and less on boys."

"If that's what you want to do," Puck shrugged since Rachel seemed like she had her mind made up.

Puck leaned against the side of his car. "Get on with it then."

Rachel was curious, "Get on with what?"

"I think you were in the middle of dumping me," he teased.

Rachel smiled. "I thought I already did it."

"After what we've been through, I think I deserve a little more than a generic 'I'm breaking up with you.'"

"I've never broken up with anyone before," Rachel stated.

"Well, here's your chance to practice. Make it good," Puck warned.

It took Rachel a few moments to get the cheerful look off her face.

"Noah," she started in a serious tone, "there's something I have to tell you. I'm afraid things just aren't working out."

"Good start," he approved. "Keep going."

"I've enjoyed the time we've spent together, but I think it's best if we go our separate ways."

"Oh my god, are you breaking up with me!" Puck said in a mock hysterical tone. He was good at pretend crying because it could be used to help him get what he wanted. "I thought what we had was real. You know something special, something worth fighting for."

Rachel looked around the parking lot to see if they were drawing attention as she heard Puck wail, "I can change!"

Thankfully, there were only a few other cars in the lot.

She bit her lip to keep in character. "What do I say next?" Rachel whispered.

Puck stopped his pretend sobbing for a second, "Say, it's not you, it's me."

Rachel took his advice. "It's not you, it's me. I've decided to make some changes in my own life, and I am not in a good place right now to give you the time and attention you deserve."

"That's right," Puck responded in a high girly voice. "I have needs. I deserve someone who will put me first. I am intelligent, hardworking, and extremely attractive, and you aren't worthy of me!"

Rachel could barely contain her laughter. "Thanks for understanding. Can I have a hug good-bye?"

Puck got in a few last sniffs. "I guess that would be okay."

Rachel stepped forward and Puck wrapped his arms around her. Puck held on for a few extra seconds because this really did feel like a good-bye.

They finally broke apart.

"I guess I'll see you around school and at practice," Rachel said.

Puck suddenly thought of something. "What about the play? You bought the tickets already."

"I won't make you go to that," Rachel said. "I lied. There's only two scenes with nudity, and one of them has a guy."

"I'd go anyway for you."

"That's because you're a good person."

Out of all the things Rachel could have said, Puck wished it hadn't been that. He wasn't a good person. He had lied to her from the start, and he had used her. Puck didn't want to lie anymore; he owed Rachel the truth. He could care less about the consequences.

"I'm not you know."

"You're not what?"

"I'm not a good person."

Puck could see Rachel open her mouth to tell him he was wrong. Puck didn't want that, he didn't want any praise when he didn't deserve it.

Puck opened his own mouth and let the words that he had been holding in for months finally escape.

"Finn's not the father of Quinn's baby."

Rachel dreaded the answer. "Then who is?"

"I am."

SMACK!!!

Puck had barely finished his declaration when he felt a sharp sting on his right cheek.

He couldn't believe it, Rachel had slapped him.

*********

Rachel couldn't believe it, she had actually slapped him. She hadn't planned on doing it, but she had heard the words "I am" and "the father" and her hand had shot out immediately.

She watched as Puck rubbed the side of his face.

"Sorry." She apologized even though she wasn't feeling all that remorseful.

"It's okay, I deserved it.

"You did deserve it."

A part of Rachel wanted to believe that Puck was just messing with her, but she knew it wasn't true. Several pieces of information clicked in Rachel's brain at once. Puck had approached Rachel of all people. He was the one who had come up with the scheme. On multiple occasions, Rachel had been confused when Puck had questioned Finn's ability/right to take care of a child. When Puck had driven her home, he told Rachel about his dad being absent and how that had adversely affected him.

It all made sense. Puck was telling the truth.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Rachel really wanted to know. "You don't owe me anything."

Puck moved his hand away from his face and put it down at his side. "I just wanted you to know."

Rachel was annoyed, insulted, and slightly pleased that Puck had told her. She wasn't going to let him know that though.

"Why now?" she repeated.

"Because it's been eating me up inside. I can't sleep. I can't concentrate. This lie has been all I can think about. I needed to say the words or I was going to freaking explode."

"So glad I could help you relieve your guilty conscience," Rachel said sarcastically. "You didn't have to tell me though. You could have talked to that empty dumpster over there and gotten the same effect; less judgment too."

"You're easy to talk to though," Puck mumbled.

Rachel was silent for a moment. She wondered how this whole mess got started.

"Why did you and Quinn hook up?"

"We were hanging out, having a few drinks, and certain things just happened…"

"And there's no chance that Finn could be the father?"

"No." Puck stated firmly. "He and Quinn never made it that far."

Rachel was confused. "Then how could he possibly think…"

Puck shrugged. "He skipped health class that day?" he ventured a guess. "Finn mentioned something about a hot tub and um…" Puck coughed into his hand, "an early arrival."

Rachel remembered Finn mumbling something to that effect. "Ew."

Rachel did her best to scour that image from her mind.

"Why haven't you just told Finn what happened?"

"That's not what Quinn wants." Puck sounded resentful.

"What about you? What do you want? Do you want to forget the whole thing and just chase after any girl you can get your hands on?"

"No! I love my kid, and I want to be a good dad but Quinn thinks I'm going to screw it up."

Rachel was disgusted. "That's crap. Quinn can't change a person's biology no matter how hard she tries. She obviously liked you enough to sleep with you, so she should let you be involved in making decisions."

"It doesn't matter what I do, either way I lose," Puck said. "If I don't tell the truth, then I lose my kid. If I do tell the truth, then Quinn will hate me forever and I will still lose my kid."

Rachel moved closer to reason with him. "What you're doing is wrong. You're messing with people's feelings. Finn has his hopes up so high. If he ever finds out, he will be devastated."

"So that's what you're really concerned about," Puck accused. "You're worried about poor Finn's feelings. If Finn finds out, he will be upset for a little while. Luckily, he'll have your waiting shoulder to cry on. Don't pretend you care about what's best for the baby. You're just as selfish as Quinn." He practically spat at her.

Rachel's palm was itching to give him another slap.

"I didn't create this mess: you did, and Quinn did. Don't you dare blame me for how it turned out."

Rachel turned to leave, and Puck grabbed her arm. "Please Rachel, don't tell Quinn I told you, and don't say anything to Finn."

Rachel pulled her arm away. "Coward. Something has to be done," she said vaguely.

She put her back to Puck and walked towards the school.

Puck shouted after her. "What are you going to do? Rachel, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?"

Rachel refused to look back because she had no idea what she was going to do with this volatile information. She needed to think about it.

Puck watched her go. He sagged against the truck. He was screwed. He knew Rachel. He knew that she wasn't going to keep her mouth shut. It was only a matter of time before this secret got out.