Hi fellow glee lovers, I'm back for another spin. Thanks for the reviews, wow, plural, I couldn't have imagined it.
Before starting, I want to apologize for the many I found rereading my second chapter, I've been too eager to publish it, won't happen again.
I know that this chapter could easily be mistaken for Puckelberry, but patience, everything thing comes for those who waits and who doesn't love a bit of Rock'n Roll.
Chapter 3
Sing, little bird, sing…
Rachel continued to stare at the window, trying to see past those images that were making her heart bleed. She stood there, like a statue, for what seemed to puck like an eternity.
"Come on say something, it's SO not like you" said Puck dropping the glasses he was holding on the floor next to him
"Ok, who are you and what have you done with Berry?" He went toward her, reached out to her, putting one hand on her right shoulder. "I don't feel like myself anymore, there is only one half of me left Noah" she said letting her tears falling freely on her cold cheeks. "And I know it's not the better half, I could I have been so fatuous?"
Puck started to stroke her shoulder and moved in even closer. His hand slide down her arm to reach her hand but he couldn't take it because her arms were firmly crossed on her chest, her hands imprisoned beneath them.
"Look at the window Noah. Don't you see what I see" Rachel said not losing sight of the window in front of her.
"Yeah, it must be really cold outside. Glad I brought my scarf, even though its not sexy." said Puck pretending to shiver.
"They really seem to have fun, aren't they?" said Rachel sadly.
The only thing Puck saw was the wind playing with the snow flakes and twirled them around.
"I don't think you can say that snow flaked can have fun" said Puck asking himself if she hadn't completely lost her mind yet.
"Are you sure you're ok Rachel?" he asked her, concern.
Rachel's posture remained the same as if she hadn't ear what Puck had just said. She was still staring at the window, silent.
To him, she seemed really lost in her thoughts. He thought that she must have had taken a hell of blow to the head. Then Puck followed Rachel's eyes and realized that it was more a bullet to the heart.
He moved closer to the window and he finally saw what the brown haired girl was seeing. He saw Finn and Santana brushing against each other, talking, exchanging glances. Their looks, at each other, smelled like sex. He saw the cocky smile Santana was given his friend then he knew that someone was going to get laid tonight and he also knew that it would destroy someone else's heart.
"There only talking" he said looking at Rachel, trying to sound positive. "It's not like they're jumping in each other's pants".
Hearing those words, Rachel couldn't help to sob and cry even more than she already was.
"When will you learn to shut up Puckerman" he told himself, cursing him.
Suddenly, he took her by the waist and brought her to him. He started caressing and taping on her back while she kept crying like a baby.
"I know it suck a big deal right now, but thing are going to get better, you'll see." Puck said trying to comfort her. He lay down his head on hers.
She stayed rigid at first, but, few seconds later, she let herself go, she let her tears drench puck's shirt. He held her close for a couple of minutes without saying anything. He knew she needed someone right now, I had to be there for her, in the name of their commune Jew roots and even though it was their closeness that had gotten her into trouble.
There little comforting session was interrupted by the slam of a door. Both their heads turned toward the Christmas tree where almost everybody was rejoicing, and exchanging comments, whispering, a bit too loud. Blame it on punch…
"It Looks like someone will get lucky tonight" sang Artie exchanging crude glances with the other glee club members.
Rachel couldn't help to notice that Finn and Santana were missing. Quickly, she left puck's arm, dried her tears with a piece of puck's shirt and went straight to Artie followed closely by a very annoyed Puck.
Rachel stood in front a bubbling Artie, her arms crossed in front of her.
Who's going to be a lucky man?" Rachel asked Artie, speaking weakly.
Puck was standing behind her, making gestures to Artie not to say anything. A clever Mercedes took the lead and spoke for her friend.
"Sam... Sam is going to be a lucky man." said Mercedes sharply, giving a smack to Artie.
Rachel looked at her astonished.
"Yeah, He and Quinn are going to do it tonight, Christmas present" said Artie rubbing his shoulder.
"Where is Finn?" She couldn't help asking?
"He's gone home, tired, he wanted to go to bed." said Mercedes not so convincing.
"And Santana?" asked Rachel, hands on her hips.
"She left with Brittany, didn't she, Artie?" Mercedes said exchanging glances with Artie.
"Yeah, I'll be meeting them after this party." said Artie a bit too smiling.
Feeling relieved, she turned her back on them, facing Puck.
Without a word, she took his hand and guides him onto the sofa. While Artie rolled in the kitchen without Rachel seeing him.
"I'm sorry, you must be so sorrowful, you can drench my shoulders too, go, don't retain yourself, it's my turn to be there for you."
Puck looked at Rachel, uncertain.
"The Quinn and Sam thing, you must feel really miserable" The girl told him full of concern.
Then Puck realized what she was referring to and decided to fully play the game to make the lie more believable.
"Yeah, you're right, I feel really really miserable" he said making sure he sounded has sad as he could. He dived on her chest and pretended to sob.
"Yeah, let it flow" Rachel said nearly rocking Puck who was asking himself how he would get out of this one.
He didn't have to wait much longer to see the lie blow up in their faces.
It started with a knock on the door.
"Hey guys, did you see my wallet, I think I forgot it here."
Rachel knew his voice but it couldn't belong to who it did because Sam was suppose to be in an adjacent room, making love to Quinn. Rachel got off the sofa escaping Puck's arms who was trying to hold her there.
"No, I left her at her house earlier and went to mine like I said I would do to the others." Sam said not understanding the gestural that Mercedes, Artie, Mike and Tina were making behind Rachel's back.
Still on the sofa, Puck pretended to dry up his fake tears.
"Where is Santana?" questioned Rachel annoyed.
"Like we said earlier, she went home with Brittany" said Tina held from behind by Mike Chang.
"No, I just saw Brittany a few minutes ago, she seemed to be sneaking out of the house by herself and she was going into Finn's car, I really found it weird to be honest" Said a nervous Sam blasted the other's gaze.
"Nice one Sam, no questioning why you're blond..." said Artie rolling out of the room.
Without another word, Rachel took the same direction that Finn took with Santana earlier that night but didn't get to the door, Puck caught the hand before she knock on the door.
"Don't do this, you're going to regret it" Puck said softly, sadly.
Rachel got rid of Puck's grip and stuck her ear against the door. She listened through the door. All she could hear were weak but sharp groans and the rustling of the bed sheets, the weak squeaks of the bed. Finn. It couldn't be anyone but Finn and Santana.
Out of will and hope, she fell on her knees crying, breathing heavily. Knowing that she couldn't raise up by herself, Puck took her in his arms and brought her into the living room. He put her down and forced her to sit down on the couch and he went to take their coat.
Rachel had totally lost the notion of time and space. She felt nothing, she didn't want to feel anything either, she just wanted to wake up, wake up from this bad dream and live her happy ending with Finn. She wasn't even conscious of the others, starring at her, she didn't even heard them talking.
Then, Puck came back with his coat on. He dressed her up.
"I'm bringing her home" said Puck while looking for his car keys in pockets.
"Are you sure you can handle her" said Mercedes looking worried.
"Yeah, I'll be fine" sighing taking Rachel in his arms.
Mercedes went to open to door while Puck said Merry Christmas to the others, Rachel repeating like a robot after him.
Puck brought Rachel to his car and deposed her on the passenger seat. He fastened her belt and closed the door and went to the driver seat. While getting there, I saw the others watching him through the window. He saluted them and they responded. He clearly saw that they were talking but he wasn't superman to hear through walls but he could guess they were taking pity of but he didn't care. He had a job to; he needed to get Rachel home. He started the engine and, direction Rachel's casa.
He knew where her house was because he had been there a couple of weeks ago. He preferred not to think about the mess it had caused. But, the mistake had been made and it was too late to go back. They would all have to live with the consequences of their actions. Rachel was taken them pretty hard and he told himself that if he could help her now, make it more comfortable, it would be better than nothing, right.
He parked his car into the parking lot. He got off the car and went to Rachel's side and got her off too. She stood next to him, livid and without energy. He fumbled into her coat's pockets and found her keys. He lifted her up on a shoulder. He brought her to the porch as if she was a big bag of potatoes. Rachel still perched on his shoulder, he unlocked the door, opened it and got in.
Inside, darkness had swallowed the entire household. Puck told himself that her dads must have been away or fast asleep. Guiding himself with his hands clinging on the walls and holding on to his memories, he kept Rachel on his shoulder and went upstairs without too much trouble.
He slowly opened Rachel's room door and laid her down on the fluffy bed. She let herself fall heavily. He undid the bed beneath her, and peeled off her coat and her shoes. He covered her with her blanket.
Rachel continued to lay there, silent, feeling dead inside. So she decided to do the only thing that came to her empty mind, the only thing that ever made her feel alive in any situations, she sang:
Memories, light the corners of my mind
Misty watercolor memories of the way we were.
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
smiles we give to one another
for the way we were.
Can it be that it was all so simple then
or has time rewritten every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
tell me would we? Could we?
Memories, may be beautiful and yet
what's too painful to remember
we simply choose to forget
so it's the laughter we will remember
whenever we remember
the way we were
Then, carefully, Puck left the room, went down the stairs and left the house to go back to his home. He knew Rachel Berry would be ok, she still could sing...
Song: the way we were, by Barbra Streisand.