.-.

The last thing Blaine knew, he was being propelled backwards through the air, pushed by an angry Quinn, desperate to get to the star.

And the next?

He was landing safely onto his bed back in his small, isolated cottage. He looked around, stunned.

Kurt, too, was standing beside his bed, the anxious shake of his mane telling Blaine that he wasn't expecting this either.

"Damn that girl!" Blaine cried, thumping the mattress with his fist. Kurt trotted over and nuzzled his nose against Blaine's shoulder.

"I know, I know. But if she doesn't stop using her powers, she's going to run out of energy." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to sense her. "She's weak. I can barely feel her life force anymore. She won't be able to handle another attack. No matter what that girl says, she can't face the Trinity." Blaine groaned, scrubbing a hand over his face.

Kurt whinnied and Blaine sighed, nodding.

"Yeah, I know, at least she's safe. For now, anyway," Blaine rubbed his forehead. Obviously, chasing after Rachel wasn't working. She didn't want him there any more than she wanted the Trinity to be there. Though he guessed he was slightly less intimidating. At least he wasn't trying to capture and kill her.

He stood up and walked to his window, staring up at the cloudless night sky. Kurt trotted over to join him, silently speaking to Blaine.

"You know, I think you're right, Kurt." Blaine said, struck by the same sudden epiphany. "A different approach would be best. In fact, I think I know a way to get Rachel to see reason and neutralize the Unholy Trinity." His head turned and he smiled eagerly. He quickly busied himself around the small cottage, collecting supplies and readying his well-worn apothecary table. "And if I hurry, I can have him summoned here by morning."

.-.

Rachel's eyes blinked open slowly, taking in her surroundings. She found herself back in the hotel room, staring at the ornate decorations and the lavish furniture. The bed felt soft beneath her, much softer than the Schuester's fold-out couch, and she could tell by the touch that the sheets were made out of a fine material. It reminded her of life before she came here; the feeling of weightlessness, like she was floating.

She blinked again and looked around, finding a worried Noah pacing back and forth. He held a lamp in his hand, brandishing it like a weapon. She watched as he paused every few paces to stare at the door, as if he was expecting someone to come bursting inside at any moment.

"Noah," she croaked out hoarsely. Her throat felt parched. She tried to push herself up, but Noah was by her side in an instant, there to gently guide her.

"Careful…" he said, looking down at her, his face etched with concern. He quickly paced an extra couple of pillows behind her back, allowing her to sit upright. He then took a seat next to her on the bed, his hand moving to hold hers as he carefully examined her. "Are you okay?" he asked, tentatively reaching out to pat her hair with his other hand.

She nodded tiredly and opened her mouth to speak, only to find that the words wouldn't come out.

Noah reached over to the night stand and handed her a glass of water. She smiled at him gratefully before taking a sip.

Clearing her throat, Rachel tried again. "I'm fine, Noah," she said, her free hand rubbing his reassuringly. His body relaxed slightly, and he took the glass from her, taking a gulp himself, before settling it back on the table. She watched as he swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. It was only then that she noticed the dark marks around his neck, a large bluish-back bruise marring his features. "Oh my god…" she whispered in shock, her hand reaching out to gently trace the bruise with her hand.

Noah leaned into her touch, and offered her a trying smile. "It's nothing…" he said, "I'm just glad you're…"

Rachel could feel tears stinging her eyes as her bottom lip began to tremble. "I'm so sorry, Noah." She whimpered. He was taking such good care of her, and how did she repay him? She almost got him killed. "Oh god, what am I doing?" Her chest felt like it was closing up. She was struggling to breathe, gasping for air.

"Rachel…Rachel…Rachel!" Noah exclaimed loudly, gently shaking her shoulders and trying to snap her out of her panic-induced haze. "Calm done. I'm fine. It's okay."

"No, no it's not okay, Noah!" She sobbed, shaking her head vigorously. "It's far from okay! I thought it would be so simple. Come to New York. Be a star. I was so selfish that you were almost strangled to death. I can't, Noah. I'm so sorry."

Noah pulled her close, gingerly cupping the nape of her neck as Rachel's tears soaked into his shirt. It was a while before she managed to calm down, his kindness just serving to exacerbate her guilt. But he just held her, running a soothing hand along her back.

When it seemed like she had no more tears to cry, Noah pulled away gently and looked at her carefully, studying her tear-stained face.

His hand moved to cup her cheek, brushing her tears away with his thumb. "Rachel, what is going on?" He asked calmly, like he didn't have the heart to reprimand her. It just made her feel worse. "Who were those girls?"

She nodded somberly, taking a deep breath before meeting his gaze. "They…" she began, trying to find the right words without scaring him. "They were the Unholy Trinity."

He leaned back, wide-eyed, muttering a low curse under his breath. He didn't look entirely surprised by this revelation, but was reluctant to hear it all the same.

"Dammit, Rachel! I was hoping you wouldn't say that…" She watched as he tried desperately to contain himself, but she could see his jaw clenching and unclenching nervously until he burst out, "Okay, seriously, Rachel. I know you said you didn't want to talk about this, but fuck, it's the second time today that someone's come after you! You need to tell me what the fuck is going on!"

She nodded again before staring at their hands again, clutched tightly together, and steeling herself for the very long story.

"They work for the witch queen," she began with a sigh. "Her name, well, it was once Sue Sylvester. She's old; older than most of this world. She's gained more and more power over the millennia, by stealing mostly, but when she was human, she was a truly remarkable witch. About five hundred years ago, Sue heard of a rising witch coven, their power rapidly growing throughout the Americas. So she set out to destroy them and take their power.

"By that time, Sue was already very old, and her power, while still formidable, was weakening. So, instead they bargained with the queen, pledging to give her everything she wanted. But they betrayed her, and Sue used the bulk of her power to curse them, bound to do her bidding until their debt had been repaid."

As Rachel continued her story, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest, but not from fear of what she was saying. She was scared about how Noah would react. So much had happened in such a short period of time, and she wouldn't blame him if he left, but she just felt like she couldn't bear to lose him right now. She just couldn't.

"And thus, the Unholy Trinity was born. For centuries, they wreaked havoc around the world under her command until around 300 years ago when they completely disappeared. Nobody's seen or heard from them since, and it was believed that Sue killed them in a fit of jealousy over their eternal youth and immortality because it seemed like Sue's curse backfired on her. They had achieved all that she desired through this curse, but no one could figure out how."

Noah sat quietly listening to Rachel, the frown on his face ever deepening. "Okay…" he said slowly. If he was scared, he didn't show it and she was grateful for that. "But what the hell does that have to do with you?"

Rachel sighed, reluctant to impart this particular information. "She wants me…"

"For your wish?" Noah prompted when she trailed off. She could see the struggle on his face as he attempted to take everything in, which only served to deter her even more. "Rachel?" he asked. His voice was full of concern that she knew she couldn't not answer. No matter how reluctant she felt.

She looked away, shaking her head and taking a deep breath. "No, she wants my heart."

"What?" Noah asked, surprised, obviously no expecting this twist.

"There's this legend, 'He who possesses the heart of a star shall live forever.'" Rachel said sadly, looking up at him through her dark lashes. "Sounds romantic doesn't it? But it's far from it. A star's life is long, almost eternal. In order for someone to own it, they must take it. Sue wants my heart, to take that energy and become immortal."

"How-how do you know?" Noah asked, disbelievingly.

Rachel sighed. "Because she's done it before."

"But… but…" he stammered out, his calm demeanor quickly evaporating. "What?"

"She's killed numerous stars that have previously come to earth. She's the reason stars are forbidden to come here anymore, because while the energy sustains her life, what she didn't count on is that she would continue to grow old. She's able to magically maintain her youth for a few centuries before her powers start to wane. The last star to be captured by her was almost eight hundred years ago. And the last star to fall, about five hundred years ago, managed to narrowly escape her clutches. Now, she's getting desperate. She's almost out of power to sustain herself. It's probably why she sent the Trinity rather than come for me herself. She's conserving her energy for…" she trailed off, but Noah didn't seem to notice as her words hung heavily in the air.

He looked at her in horror, realization dawning on his face. "But if she wants your heart, then that means…"

"She must cut it out." Rachel completed, her voice full of dread.

"Fuck…"

She could almost see the wheels turning in his head, the connections being made. That's why Rachel had understood Will's behavior earlier so easily, why he believed cutting her wish out of her was the only way to save his wife. He had been misinformed, because in truth, he would have instead gained immortality. Rachel didn't want to think about how horrified he would have been to learn the truth. He would have to spend an eternity living with his guilt. It was quite sad, really. Especially since his wife would have continued on just as she is now.

Rachel truly believed Will thought he had no other option. Even though she knew she should at least be angry at him, she couldn't find any within her. Will was just a lost man trying to save his wife. She could only hope that one day someone would love her as much as Will loved his wife.

Rachel was just glad Blaine had shown up when he did. As meddlesome as the warlock was, she was grateful for his concern. Even though she refused to believe that she couldn't have all her dreams come true.

She studied Noah's shocked face, trying to gauge the shadows of emotions playing across his face.

"Noah…" she began tentatively.

She expected him to yell, scream, shout, anything. But instead, his incredulous gaze turned towards her and he asked, unexpectedly calm. "Rachel, what the hell were you thinking?"

She flinched at his words. While his demeanor was calm and collected, his words stung worse than any knife trying to cut out her heart.

"You shouldn't be here!" He continued, his voice slowly getting louder and louder. "Blaine's right, it's way too fucking dangerous for you to be here!" She looked away, fresh tears stinging her eyes. "Look, I know you want this. I do. But I can't protect you! I'm helpless against those girls. That black-haired chick almost snapped my neck like a fucking twig, and I don't even want to think about this queen bitch! You would have been defenseless Rachel…"

"You don't understand, Noah!" she protested, raising her voice as well. "I told you, I have a dream–"

"And you think your dream is worth all this?" he interjected, fear lining his voice. "Rachel…" he took her by the shoulders and shook her forcefully, as if he was trying to wake her up. "Someone is trying to cut your heart out! Why are you doing this if it's so dangerous?"

She looked at him beseechingly, begging him to understand. "Noah, please understand. I've been alive for a very long time. A very long time. Except I've never really lived. These past few days with you, I've experienced more, lived more, than I have in a millennia of being a star. I was simply just existing. Do you know how painful it is to have a dream and spend an eternity knowing it'll never come true?"

Noah shook his head in disbelief, unwilling to hear anymore. He stood and began walking from the room, but Rachel's quiet pleading voice seemed to cause him pause, at least momentarily. "I just couldn't sit idly by anymore, Noah. I had to at least try..."

She watched as his hand moved up to scrub over his forehead and he groaned in frustration. She could feel the tears streaming down her face as he continued out of the room without so much as a word or even a glance over his shoulder. She was sure he was going to leave her, and she realized that she feared that more than anything else, even more than an evil witch queen hell-bent on cutting out her heart.

Because right now, it already felt like her heart had been shattered into a million pieces.

.-.

Quinn felt the agony of the Queen's wrath coursing furiously through her body, each blow causing her to writhe in pain. She knew both Brittany and Santana were right beside her, enduring the same torture, their bodies contorting brutally as Sue shot bright blue jolts of electricity from her fingertips.

And yet there was silence. Not even a single syllable of their anguish lingered in the air. They had each learned long ago not to voice their suffering; it only served to fuel their Queen's sadistic anger.

It had been a nasty shock to everyone when they appeared unceremoniously back at the Queen's fortress, directly in front of the Queen herself. It had taken a moment before they each realized what happened; Brittany perhaps a little longer, but watching their Queen's triumphant smile turn to bitter rage had been enough to give Quinn nightmares for the rest of eternity.

"Where is she?" The Queen bellowed ferociously, swiping at them through the air. Three large gashes appeared on each of their cheeks, marring their perfect features.

Quinn looked up at her Queen from her position sprawled on the floor, wiping at the blood and sweat running down her face and panting harshly.

"Our deepest apologies, my Queen." She pleaded bitterly. "She was within our grasp and we failed."

"Yes, you did," Sue looked at them coldly, this time sending another blue jolt of energy their way. As they jerked haphazardly on the floor, she continued, "And you remember what happened the last time you failed me, don't you? You disgust me!"

When she took another moment's pause, Quinn slowly tried to sit up suppressing a groan at the pain.

"We tried, my Queen. We really–"she began, but the Queen caused her words to be cut off suddenly. Quinn gritted her teeth together as she felt like every cell of her body had been set on first, the pain overwhelming her again. "We tried, My Queen! We tried!" she shouted through the pain as the Queen continued on her rampage.

"Shut up! You think this is hard? You should try dying inside, that's hard!" the Queen yelled angrily, sending another unbearable assault their way.

Quinn could see Santana and Brittany out of the corner of her eye, the pain threatening to overcome them. She watched as Santana's hand reached out and took Brittany's, trying to comfort her even as she thrashed about.

Even as she lay there panting, granted a brief reprieve as her Queen continued ranting, Quinn couldn't take her eyes off their entwined hands.

She knew about them, of course. You don't spend half a century with two people and not know certain things about their lives, but she felt a deep sorrow for failing them once again.

"Please, my Queen," she gasped through each spasm of pain. "Give us another chance. We won't fail again!"

The Queen laughed, but the sound was hollow, filling them each with chills.

"Like you have a choice," she growled at them before muttering more quietly to herself. "Like I have a choice..."

The past three hundred or so years had been very hard on the Queen. The heavens had forbidden the stars from journeying to earth, and her supply of power had dwindled exponentially. It had been too long since she had claimed a new heart, and she could no longer sustain herself. Even though her power was still formidable, she kept just enough reserved to complete the ritual should another star fall.

However, time was not on her side.

It was part of the reason the Queen hated them so much; why she was happy, gleeful even, to see them bound to do her bidding.

It had long vexed the Witch Queen that despite being the most powerful being to grace the earth in its entire history, three seemingly simple witches had inexplicably been able to achieve what she had yet to accomplish: youth and immortality. Even now Quinn could feel her skin slowly healing, the large bleeding gashes mending themselves as the burns and bruises started to fade away. By the end of the day she would be back to normal, ready to face another battle.

After the first century of their servitude, the Queen had grown increasingly more aggravated as her jealousy overcame her. Her curse upon them had somehow bestowed upon them everything she had yearned for since the beginning of her reign.

Beauty. Youth. Power.

Ultimately, it was an invulnerability that both enraged and perplexed the Queen to the point where she locked them away, unwilling to face her own failures. It was only her curse upon them that stopped the Trinity from turning on her and retaliating. It protected her.

Now, the Queen harbored a deep-seated hatred for the three of them, especially when she had started showing signs of aging, and could no longer use her powers to maintain a visage of health and beauty. It also meant that she was trapped within this castle until she could regain her power to return her appearance to normal, especially her hair.

The queen had always prided herself on her ability to turn her hair into full blonde locks that shone in the sun, though Quinn knew that wasn't how her hair had look all those years ago when the queen was actually human. There was something in her past involving an unfortunate incident with peroxide that made her hair hang lifelessly to her scalp like an old mop. It had sparked the Queen's desire to remain young and beautiful forever. It was the driving force behind her desperate need for immortality.

It was why they were all here today.

But now, the Queen's appearance issues were the least of Quinn's problems. She was a vindictive, angry old woman, her bitterness only worsening during her time locked away in this castle. Quinn feared what would happen to them once she managed to get her hands on that star.

However, as much as Quinn dreaded the inevitable day when the Queen regained her powers, she also looked forward to it for she knew only then would they finally be rid of this prison. She unconsciously fiddled with the gold band encasing her wrist, the handcuff binding her to this life. There was every chance that she would kill them as soon as she released them, but Quinn didn't care. At least then they'd be free.

"What would you have us do, my Queen?" she asked, slowly staggering to her feet, her head bowed subserviently.

The Queen scoffed, turning to stare at her wall of trapped animals. "I gave you one job. That was it. One job and you couldn't even do that properly. What makes you think you pathetic lot deserve another chance?"

Quinn stared at the ground, knowing that her silence was prudent, despite the thoughts running through her head. Like the Queen said, she didn't have a choice.

But Quinn also knew, neither did she.

"Tell me again what happened," the Queen demanded coarsely as she studied a particularly ugly rodent with matching beady eyes and a large frown on its face. The animal seemed to almost sigh with relief when the Queen walked away, dismissing its shivering form.

The three of them immediately rushed to recount the events leading up to their unexpected arrival back at the castle.

The Queen looked perplexed. "She's using her powers," she stated unhappily. "So at the moment she must be weak. It'll take her at least a few days before she's able to regain what little external power she has. We must strike now, as soon as possible."

Sue pulled a large black snake from its confines as it hissed at her menacingly, but the Queen shushed it with nothing more than a threatening glare. "And it is imperative that she not use her abilities again. You must find a way to subdue her. She's no use to me if her magics are all drained." She lifted her crooked dagger once more, slicing the snake cleanly down the middle before continuing, "And so here's what you idiots are going to do..."

.-.

Puck stalked out of the hotel suite, the door closing loudly behind him.

He didn't know what to do. He wanted to rant and rage about the impossibility of it all. He wanted to run away and never look back but he found that he couldn't. So instead, he tiredly collapsed against the hallway wall, his head tilting back against it with a loud sigh.

What the hell was he going to do?

To say that he was scared shitless would be an understatement. His basic instincts when shit got heavy was to run and hide. Not literally. But normally, he'd just go off and do something self-destructive that would punish him for his past mistakes.

And he had made so many mistakes.

As much as his mind was screaming at him to leave, just turn down the hall and walk away, he knew he could never do that to Rachel. Running away was out of the question. He found himself drawn to her; he was filled with an overwhelming need to help her, save her, to protect her.

Truth was, he did understand why she had come, why she had risked everything just for the sake of her dream. These past few days, well, he'd never felt more alive. She made him feel… she made him feel. And the fact of the matter was, he liked her, and not just because she was a hot chick from among the stars.

No. He cared about her. She made him want to change. And not even the lame, cheating way he had started off wanting. He thought he could just make a simple wish and have the life he always dreamed of. But now, he wanted to change himself. For real.

If she could risk so much just to live her dream and become a star, then so could he.

He took a very deep breath and slowly let it out, stealing himself for the implications of what walking back into that room meant, trying to release all his fears in the process. He took a few moments to collect himself before he walked back inside.

He found the room pitch black but he could hear Rachel's muffled sniffles through the darkness. As his eyes adjusted to the light, Puck made his way over to the bed and crouched down in front of her. She stared up at him sadly, her tear filled eyes glinting in the soft moonlight filtering through a gap in the curtains.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered hoarsely, her lower lip trembling.

Puck smiled at her gently and nodded, his hand reaching to tuck a fallen strand of hair behind her ear. He lingered there momentarily, his hand tenderly stroking her silky soft hair.

"I didn't think you'd come back," she said shakily.

"Of course I would," he said softly, barely above a whisper, offering another small smile. "Crazy girl…"

She returned his smile, causing a single tear to slide down her cheek. She closed her eyes tightly, almost as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

"I don't know why," she replied, her voice straining to remain steady. "With everything that's happened… it'd cause any sane person to run away and never look back. I wouldn't blame you if you did."

Puck chuckled, the deep timbre oh his laughter filling the darkness. "Well, maybe I'm a little crazy, too..."

She beamed up at him sadly and Puck felt like he was falling. It wasn't the terrified falling he had witnessed in his dreams or even in his worst nightmares as he flew through the air. No, it was something else entirely. Something extraordinary that he couldn't explain.

"Get some rest, Rachel," he replied lightly, his hand moving to give hers a gentle squeeze, but as he stood up and moved towards his own bed, he felt her hand enclose around his, tugging gently.

"Stay," she said. Her voice was soft yet held a hint of desperation, as if she thought he might disappear.

He gulped nervously and nodded before rounding the other side of the bed.

Silently, he removed his shoes and jeans, tugging off his shirt before slipping beneath the covers in nothing more than his boxers. He slowly slid closer to Rachel and wrapped his arms around her waist. She pressed her back against him, and Puck had to suppress the groan threatening to come out. She obviously had no idea what she was doing to him, shimming her body against his like that, but to him, it almost felt like torture.

He wanted nothing more than to roll her on her back and press himself closer to her, to savor every kiss, every touch, everything. But it wasn't the right time. Not right now. Too much had happened in the past two days and they both needed sleep. Sleep and time. They also needed to figure out this Unholy Trinity stuff first, and deal with this Sue-bitch. And then there was also Blaine.

He wasn't sure he was ready to start anything with her yet. But what he did know was, when he did, he was never going to let her go.

.-.

A/N: Thanks for reading and to those who took the time review! I hope you're enjoying this so far!