AN: Thanks to the reviewers, alerters and readers!

I forgot to mention this in the previous part but this goes out to my GF Pucklefam! They were the inspiration behind this story! I love them SFM!

Thanks again to Sassy_26 for her amazing help with this story.

Less than two weeks later Rachel calls Puck again, asking him of the same favor. But this time, she wants to rehearse. So he met her at her house three times in one week. They bicker over everything because Puck feels the need to tell Rachel that she needs to change up her set. Because he's pretty sure that the Sarahs and Barbra is only going to go so far. She's furious with him one day because really, what does he know about her singing? Only Rachel knows what works best for her voice.

"So then what are you suggesting Mr. Know-it-all?"

"Really Rachel? That's mature."

"I'm waiting."

"I Love Rock 'n Roll."

"You're kidding me right?"

"Dead serious. If you're going to sing in a bar, you need to be singing bar music."

"And what exactly constitutes 'bar music'?"

"Rock 'n Roll."

"I can't do that with just you and me."

"Why not?"

"Because, you need drums and electric guitar."

"Not true. I can play it on the acoustic just fine. And you don't need drums."

"I don't know," Rachel says as she worries her lip between her teeth.

"Come on. You'll get all the horny drunk guys into it."

"That's not why I perform Noah." "I know. But it wouldn't hurt the tips at all if you were a little more…sexual."

"Come on Berry get with it. You're hot, teenager girl in a bar full of mostly men who are drinking. Fact is, if they think that maybe they have a chance in hell of getting under your teeny tiny skirt, they'll put more money in your jar."

"Noah. That is absolutely ridiculous."

"You know just as well as I do that sex sells."

"I suppose you have a point."

"If you want to hit your goal in time you're going to have to work harder for them to make so that they work harder for you."

"You should go into business, or marketing."

"Nah, that's not what I want. So are we doing this?"

Rachel looks at Puck hesitantly and Puck can't tell if that look dancing in her eyes is fear or anticipation.

"Fine," she says simply.

Puck somehow convinces Rachel that she needs to spruce up her entire set list. She goes from what Puck has just termed 'chick pop' to something more appropriate and to his liking. Rachel adds 'Don't Stop' to her set list because really it was that song that changed her whole life. She adds 'Man, I Feel Like a Woman' because Puck told her country music was never hotter. She adds 'I Wanna Know What Love Is' because Puck has always loved the intensity of the song. Rachel tells Puck that keeping 'Gravity' by Sara Barielles is not only necessary, it's happening because she just really needs to sing that song.

So the next time Rachel performs , she's got the whole bar's attention. Like every single person. Puck notices that there are a lot more women there that night but doesn't care because when they get the tip jar, there is over a hundred and fifty dollars in there. Add that to the small amount that Randy pays Rachel, and she's made over two hundred dollars that night. Puck is pretty sure he's never seen her this giddy, or anything. Except maybe that one time Mr. Shue told them they were going to have to sing ballads…her face was brighter than a fucking Christmas tree that day. She treats him to dinner because she doesn't know how else to show her gratitude.

They play four more shows over the summer. She even managed to get a gig at the Lima carnival on the performance stage right after Willy Jenkins and his special flavor of country western music. But somewhere between singing in bars and festivals and the final performance before Rachel gets ready to leave for New York, something happens. It's not significant, its not historic, but Rachel and Puck find that they have gone from mild acquaintances to full fledged friends somewhere in the summer heat. It's not something to write home about but they hang out, like without rehearsing, and with some of the other glee kids. She even goes with Puck to a party thrown at Santana's house. It's something that just happens and neither of them question it.

And Puck is pretty sure that he is experiencing hell freezing over when Rachel tells him a week before her last performance that she wants him to sing, with her. She pulls out a stack of papers from her bag and throws them on his bed.

"These are duets. Ones that you'd approve of, I'm almost certain. We should do one or two of them at the final performance."

"What happened to this being about you?"

"It is. But as a star they are going to expect me to be able to work collaboratively with other artists. I might as well start now right?"

"I suppose."

And they tear the house down with their rendition of "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" by Elton John and Kiki Dee. The tips are greater than they've ever been and Randy gets a cake and tells her not to forget him when she's all famous and stuff.

Puck treats her to dinner because the truth is, he's proud of her; she's getting the fuck out of town. And that is all that he can think about when he gets home that night. Rachel Berry was getting exactly what he wanted. She was leaving and hell hath no furry if that girl wasn't going to become next big fucking deal in the country, in the world. So as Puck stares at the ceiling in his room, he daydreams. He thinks what would happen if he were Rachel, if he were leaving. He thinks that the small amount of money he's got saved up from this or that wouldn't get him half as much as Rachel's thousands would. His mom definitely wouldn't be able to help out, not really. He could easily do it, he wanted to do it, he just didn't have the monetary means. And then the craziest and most brilliant idea Puck has ever had crosses his mind.

The next morning he calls Mike first thing and basically demands that he meet him at his house. When Mike shows up Puck tells him to follow him and they end up at CarMax. When Puck hops out of his truck, Mike is looking at him like he's grown two heads.

"What are we doing here man?"

"I'm selling my truck."

"You're doing what?"

"I'm going to New York. You don't need cars in New York right?"

"I feel like I've missed about ten steps here."

"I'm selling my truck so that I can go to New York."

"Do what?"

"Hell if I know. But I want to go, so I'm going."

Mike doesn't say anything but just follows Puck inside the building.

And half an hour later he's getting into Mike's car with a check for more money than he's seen…ever. Mike drops him off at home and he calls Rachel immediately after he's in the safety of his room, so his mom doesn't find out he sold his truck and was leaving before he was ready to tell her.

"Noah? I'm leaving in a few hours." "I'm coming with you." "I'm sorry? Did you just say that you were coming with me? You can't come with me."

"Well I don't have to come with you, but I'm going to New York."

"Since when?"

"Since right now."

"You just made that decision?"

"Well I sold my truck."

"You did what? Noah, that's absurd."

"Why? You would have done the same thing."

"Where are you going to stay?"

"I don't know. I'll figure it out when I get there."

"You can't just do that Noah. You have to have a place or you could end up on the street. I've had my apartment for weeks."

"Then I'll stay with you." "Noah, it's a one bedroom."

"Then I'll pay half the rent and sleep on the couch."

"Noah," Rachel says, "Do you really want to do this?"

"I need to," he says and Rachel agrees.

His mother is less than thrilled. She cries and yells, and she goes on and on about how this is one of the stupidest mistakes he's ever made. But the truth was, he hadn't made it yet so she really doesn't know that it's stupid. And as much as Mrs. Puckerman doesn't want him to go, he does.

He sits exactly seven rows behind Rachel on the plane. And its not until they land and they suddenly come face to face with the greatest city in the world that Puck realizes that he has no idea what he's actually doing in New York, he just knows that he needs to be there.

He asks Rachel what she thinks he should while in the huge city that night after they've unpacked most of their things. She's decided to cook dinner for them and she's currently standing over a pot of boiling water and he's sitting on their itty bitty dining set that came with the extremely tiny apartment. Their place is small and definitely not intended for two people.

"I still don't know why you came here Noah.? You have no idea what you want to do with yourself."

"I want to play music."

"So you aren't as lost as you think you are. So you want to play music. Now that you know that. you have to just do whatever it takes to get there."

"Like what?"

"Honestly, in New York City it's going to be difficult. The first thing you need is a job, one that pays for this place because I really don't want to have to fly back to Lima anytime soon. And then you…I don't know! Play on street corners and in the subway until people actually listen and someone picks you up." "That could take, a long time."

"You can't expect to be an overnight sensation, Noah. Even I know that."

"But I just want to be a rock star," Puck says out loud for the first time ever.

"Than you will be, it just takes time."

Six months later, Puck is pretty sure that he's frustrated (again) about how long it's taken. Honestly, he's surprised that he and Rachel had made it this far without killing each other or giving up all together (and there were sure times in which it was definitely close). Rachel getsa job as a waitress (as cliché as that is) and Puck, well Puck is currently between jobs and he's had five different ones in the last six months (which he thought would be nearly impossible). But somehow they're making it work. Rachel is finally eighteen so they can at least start working at the bar, legally at least and Puck tells her one night while they are listening to the radio (because they really can't afford television) that maybe it was time to introduce their act to New York. Rachel laughs and rifles through her page for a minute and pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to Puck. It's a flyer for an open mic night. But she doesn't want to do it together, she wants to do it alone.

"Seriously? We rock together."

"We do, however I want to do this solo. Feel free to join yourself."

He's pissed at her for about five minutes before he realizes that she should do this alone, because if he did it with her she'd sure to make him just play guitar and he'd get nowhere. So he decides that he's going to join, and he's going to blow Rachel Berry out of the water.

But the truth is that doing that is a lot easier said than done. It's Rachel Berry and she's super talented and all that other stuff so watching her sing on stage, he kind of realizes that she's probably going to win this thing. Which is okay because that means they actually have the rent money for next month. But he realizes during the end ofthe two songs they get to sing that this is the first time he's really heard Rachel sing since they'd left Lima. Sure she sang around the house, but nothing was in full Rachel Berry mode. Her voice is still as sweet as he'd remembered and she's singing Idina so there's power in her voice. When she finishes she gets a great ovation from the crowd and runs over to the table they'd gotten and is all smiles as she throws herself into the chair across from him.

"It feels so good to really sing again," she says smiling so damn bright, "What are you singing Noah?"

"Nothing you've heard before."

"How do you know, I'm well versed in most popular music."

"No one's heard it before, it's original."

"Original? I didn't know you were composing music Noah? Why haven't I heard it before?"

"Because, I usually fuck around on the guitar when you're at work."

"Well I would have listened when I got home," Rachel says and Puck thinks for a moment that she might actually be offended that he didn't share it with her.

Truth was he was shocked he was going to share it with anyone. But if he wanted this he had to take chances right? He needed to do something to get himself noticed, which was why he was sitting on a stage in front of a bunch of strangers with his guitar on his knee, about to open himself up and bleed on everyone.

So he sings the song that he's been hiding since he was in high school. The one that spoke of never being able to find the one who thought you were worth something. And then he sings Sweet Caroline because he knows it's always a crowd favorite and he can see Rachel's face light up when he starts. She's even singing along with the 'Bah bah bahs ' and he can't help but smile.

And when neither of them take home the prize money at the end of the night (it goes to some old lady who reminded Puck of Susan Boyle) neither of them are upset. In fact, Puck has learned that getting alcohol is a hell of a lot easier in New York than it was in Lima. So when they get back to the apartment Puck pulls out a bottle of tequila because they're going to do shots. Rachel protests because she has work the next afternoon but it only takes a good five minutes before she gives in.

An hour later they're both completely drunk sitting on their couch (and Puck's bed) laughing about something that Rachel said wasn't funny. They're laughing at the fact that Rachel kept spitting while she was talking and it was all over Puck's legs. Rachel continues to laugh as she tries to wipe it off with her hand. Puck takes her hand and removes it from his leg (because really she's not helping) but he doesn't let go. Instead he holds onto it and though he's drunk he's incredibly aware of how tiny her hands are -, he'd even call them cute (not necessarily out loud though). He moves his hand across hers and he's surprised when her hand moves against his. Without letting go of her hand, he continues to let them do their dance but he looks at her face. He's drunk, he knows that, but looking at Rachel, he realizes that she's absolutely stunning. Okay because he was well aware of that in a sober state but right now, looking at her, he couldn't bring himself to look away from her beauty.

He feels a magnetic attraction that, if he was being honest, he's felt since high school. He's always felt himself drawn to her since that week they dated sophomore year. It would have never worked out if it hadn't ended then, but now things could be different. Even through Quinn, Jesse and Finn, Puck found himself pulled towards the petite brunette who was currently so close that he could smell the tequila on her breath.

He really isn't sure what would happen if he would just kiss her. But you could blame the alcohol for him not caring. He wants too. He closes the distance between their lipsand he remembers what it felt like to kiss her at sixteen; this feels a million times better.

And she doesn't attack him, she doesn't even fight him, she just kisses him back. She doesn't stop him when their clothing begins to be removed. She doesn't stop him when he lifts her up and guides both of them into her bedroom. And she doesn't stop him before he's doing things to her that make her scream his name over and over into the vacant air of their otherwise quiet apartment.

And it doesn't get weird with them. There isn't that awkward tension. And nothing really changes except that sometimes Rachel will thank Puck with a kiss on the cheek or he'll read the script she has for her audition over her shoulder when she's drinking her tea in the morning and sometimes he'll rest his chin against her shoulder.

The day Rachel has an audition for an off Broadway production, Puck has an interview at a bar. They're looking for bartenders and Rachel had told him that if he didn't get a job and fast, she'd have to find someone else to sleep on her couch. The last thing Puck wants is to crawl back to Lima with his tail between his legs letting his mother tell him 'I told you so'. So he makes sure that he looks impeccable and actually let Rachel run a mock interview with him in the night before. And walking in he feels like he's got this. He's super excited to see that his interview is female because all he has to do is turn on his signature charm and the deal is sealed.

He sits down with her at a table, where she learns her name is Amy, and she begins asking all sorts of questions. He never went to school to be a bartender but he's pretty sure his years of underage drinking make him overly qualified. He answered Amy's questions with ease and as Puck but before the interview could end Amy's phone rings and she excuses herself to take what she deems an important phone call. Puck doesn't care because honestly he'll wait here forever just to prove that he's trustworthy and can get this job. He watches as Amy is pacing around the bar screaming into her phone. He hears something about untrustworthy and talent less but he really isn't paying too much attention to it all. Amy slams her phone shut and comes back to the table the interview was being conducted at .

"I apologize for that," she says taking her seat, "My house band has suddenly decided that they are too good to play in a bar so they have quit. Now I am without a band and people will be here tonight expecting live music they can dance to if they want to."

"Do you need a whole band?"

"At this moment I will take the next street musician I can find that can carry a tune."

"I can play. Guitar I mean, and I can sing. I know a little piano too."

"So what you're a one man band?"

"Not really but I can pretty much play anything."

"Anything? Will it cover about two hours?"

"If you need me to."

"You sir, are a savior. Be back here tonight around eight, you go on at nine."

"Seriously?"

"Consider this your audition. This goes well tonight you might be my new house musician."

Puck smiles and thanks Amy before practically dancing out the door.