A/N: Quick update this time. I thought I might as well since this fic is winding down. Only 4 more parts to go! I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think. I'm not above begging. lol. (Please, please, please ;P)
.-.
Smoke billowed up from the large bonfire Blaine had set up in his backyard. He sat kneeling on the ground, his head bowed as he chanted.
His eyes were closed as he meditated, drawing power from all around him; the earth, the wind, the sky. In front of him sat a large ceramic bowl filled with herbs, spices and other ingredients he needed to complete the ritual, including a single unicorn hair which Kurt had gladly provided. The ingredients before him started to rise and began to dance around leisurely in the air, suspended by some unknown force, moving gently to sprinkle themselves over the flames.
The flames burst out suddenly, turning from bright orange to a dark green, all the while Blaine continued chanting. Kurt stood beside him, silently watching the ritual with a keen eye, waiting for something to happen.
As he chanted softly to himself, a light appeared out of nowhere, willing itself into existence. The light started off small, hovering inches from Blaine's face, but then it began to move, twirling around as it slowly grew larger and larger. It steadily became brighter as it grew, almost enough to blind any normal man, but Kurt and Blaine continued on, unfazed.
The light began to dissipate when it reached about the size of a small tree, fading to reveal a tall young man standing before them.
Blaine opened his eyes and smiled weakly, his mind and body drained as his powers slowly sapped away. He rose shakily to his feet and moved to embrace the new-comer into a friendly hug.
"It's good to see you, Blaine." The man said, as a large dimpled smile stretched across his face. But as Blaine pulled back and looked up into his old friend's face, he could see a hint of sadness lining his features.
"It's good to see you too, Finn," he replied, offering a small smile.
Finn nodded and turned to Kurt, patting his gleaming coat affectionately.
"How are you, Kurt?" he asked, staring imploringly into the unicorn's eyes.
Kurt tossed his mane slightly, the pearly-white strands fluttering gently in the wind – equivalent of a human shrug.
Finn laughed, enjoying the moment with his long-time friends before he addressed why he'd been summoned. He took a deep breath and sighed, steeling himself for what lay ahead.
"I suppose you've been watching," Blaine asked, getting straight to the matter at hand.
Finn nodded gravely. "I have. I need to hurry. There's not much time. Even now the Trinity are closing in on her, and her powers won't be enough to protect her. Not against another attack."
Blaine nodded in agreement. "Then we should hurry." He replied urgently, turning to prepare for another journey, but Finn placed a hand on Blaine's shoulder to stop.
"No," he interjected. "You need to stay here."
Blaine looked up at him confused, his brow furrowed. "Why? You're a star, too, Finn. Your powers won't be enough to fight off the Unholy Trinity."
Finn nodded sadly, but with a determined expression on his face. "I know, but I need you to prepare the spell for us to return as soon as possible. I might not be able to defeat them, but if I can get her out of there, then escape is a better option."
Blaine nodded slowly in understanding, taking in the plan. He should have expected that. The spell to return a star to the skies was a difficult one, taking painstaking hours to prepare. It was even longer than the summoning ritual and required a good deal more energy as well. The last time he had performed it, it had almost completely drained him of his powers. It took him almost a month to recover. Not that he minded helping out, anything to stop the evil witch queen. Besides, he knew Kurt would be there to help him.
Finn paused for moment, looking at Blaine hopefully before asking, "Unless you happen to have a Babylon candle?"
Blaine shook his head grimly. A Babylon candle would make everything so much simpler, but they were extremely rare. In fact, in Blaine's long life, he couldn't recall ever seeing one.
Finn sighed, laughing softly to himself. "Yeah, I didn't think so."
He turned to Kurt and smiled, "Are you ready for another journey?" Kurt's head bobbed up and down in acquiescence, and Finn clumsily swung himself up on the unicorn's gleaming back, holding on tightly to its silver mane. "Okay, let's do this, Kurt."
Slowly, he guided Kurt's movements and began to move towards the neighboring forest; however, Blaine's concerned voice caused both of them to pause.
"Wait, where are you going?" he asked, once again confused, staring into the dark, shadowy tree line. "New York City is northeast."
Finn turned his back slightly and nodded. "I know. But it's too late to get there in time. The Trinity has almost closed in on her. If I cut through the forest, I should get to the castle just in time. It's okay; they won't harm her before then. They need her alive."
Blaine nodded as Finn and Kurt turned, continuing on his way, struggling not to voice the one other concern he had about their mission. Finally, when Blaine couldn't contain himself any longer, calling out to Finn and causing them to stop again.
"And Finn," he said uncertainly, trying to gauge the best way to ask the question burning within him. "Do you know she's…?"
As Blaine's voice trailed off, the words lost in his throat, Finn seemed to understand.
"Yeah, I know…" he finally said, nodding slightly and letting Blaine know that it was okay. "I know. "
.-.
Rachel smiled contently as she lay in bed, her eyes wide open and staring at the rising sun peeking through the curtains. She remained as still as possible, relishing the feel of Noah's arms wrapped loosely around her as he slept.
She listened to his soft, rhythmic snoring, his breath tickling the hairs on the back of her neck. She wanted to remember this moment forever; to lock each touch, feeling and sound in her memory. She had never felt so safe before, even compared to floating hundreds of light years away in space. There was just something so comforting about Noah that made her feel... everything.
She yearned to turn over so she could study his features as he slept, but she guessed that could be construed as very weird if he were to wake up and catch her. She giggled at the thought, inadvertently causing the bed to shake from her laughter.
She heard Noah groan softly, snuggling her closer to his chest as he wavered between sleep and wakefulness. She smiled to herself, when... she felt something odd poking into her back, something hard… At that exact same moment, she felt Noah tense behind her.
Suddenly, Rachel felt the bed shift violently as he scrambled off of it, heading, straight for the bathroom. She turned her head just in time to see the door close behind him.
She stared at the door perplexed, wondering why he had left so quickly; it seemed like very odd behavior. She sighed and rolled over, tucking her hands beneath her head. Sometimes she didn't understand humans, let alone human males.
Noah had been acting strangely around her since their run-in with Will. At first she assumed he was merely freaked out by everything that was happening. He acted like it didn't faze him, but surely any normal man would have run out the door by now. She felt extremely guilty that she had gotten him caught up in all her drama, and yet she couldn't regret her decision to keep certain things from him.
He had proved to be more than anything she could have asked for in a guide and a friend – her first real friend. He had decided to stand by her through all the mayhem and she felt blessed to have found him.
No, she definitely didn't regret having Noah in her life.
She closed her eyes and lay there, listening to the sound of the shower running. It was probably time to get up now that Noah was up, too, but she didn't really know what to do with herself.
He stayed in the bathroom for a while, so long that Rachel got bored waiting for him to emerge. Instead, she got up and walked around the room, properly taking in its features for the first time. After quickly ordering some room service from a very helpful menu, she drew open the curtains and smiled at the sight before her.
They were on one of the top floors of the hotel, looking out at the city around them. This was her dream, and she was so close that she could almost taste it. She knew there was a lot to do, a lot to worry about; yet at that very moment, she found that she couldn't. For the first time in her life, she saw the endless opportunities in front of her. She would find a way to deal with Sue and the Trinity later; right now was for her.
A short while later, the bathroom door opened and Rachel turned with a smile to look at Noah, only to have her face fall in shock. He had a towel slung low on his hips as he stepped out, but that wasn't what drew her attention. All along his neck and chest were the dark bruises the Trinity had caused him. But as she looked closer she realized she was wrong. She tilted her head, scrutinizing each black and purple bruise, and some were more faded than others; they were older. The fresh ones contrasted darkly against the greenish-yellow bruises that had already begun to heal.
"Did-did I do that?" she asked, her voice shaking.
He glanced down and closed his eyes, muttering a low curse. "It's nothing," he said, shaking his head.
He immediately walked over to the side of the bed and quickly pulled his shirt over his head, trying to hide the bruising from view. She rushed over to his side and pulled up his shirt to closely examine his brutally marred body. Her hands reached out shakily, tracing the lines of each bruise. They covered his shoulder and chest, one even reaching around to his back like a nightmarish blemish against his tan skin.
"Rachel..." he said, grabbing her hands to stop her. His hand reached up and tilted her chin towards his face. "It's okay. They don't even hurt."
She narrowed her eyes shrewdly, before poking him in the chest with her finger tip, causing him to wince and pull away slightly. "Don't lie to me, Puckerman," she bit out angrily, tears stinging her eyes. "I don't like being lied to."
He sighed and reclaimed her hand in his. "I'm telling you the truth. It's okay. Just some battle scars." A teasing smirk grew on his face as he looked down at her. "I saved your life, you know."
"This isn't funny, Noah!" she said, trying to push against him stubbornly, but he held her steady.
"I know," he replied, his tone suddenly serious, and Rachel looked up once more to meet his gaze.
She felt her breath leave her as they stared at each other. She bit her lip nervously and his eyes fluttered downwards at the movement, staring. She could hear her heart beating wildly in her chest. Something wonderful was about to happen. She could feel it, and suddenly all thought flew out of her mind. Her head inched closer to his, her feet arching up on her toes in impatience as she instinctively closed her eyes, preparing to savor every second when...
"Room service!" A man called, knocking loudly on the door.
Rachel's eyes snapped open, and from the dazed look in Noah's eyes, he had been as equally surprised as she was. They continued looking at each other for another moment before the impatient knock sounded again.
"Yeah, coming!" Noah finally replied, his voice slightly hoarse. He took a step back, their eyes connecting for a few seconds longer before he looked away. He distractedly fished a couple of dollars out of his wallet and headed for the door.
Rachel's hand reached up to cup her cheeks, her face flushed and hot. She honestly had no idea what to do with the torrent of emotions swirling inside her. So how did she respond?
She ran. Well, walked.
She swiftly headed towards the bathroom and locked the door behind her, leaning up against the counter as she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Her heart was still pounding fast and hard in her chest, and all she could feel was the ghost of Noah's hands on hers. She looked down at her hands, now glowing richly in front of her eyes. Every fiber of her being felt like it was vibrating. Even as the shine began to fade, her body continued humming, more alive than ever before.
It was all too much. How could anybody possibly feel so much in matter of mere seconds? It felt both wonderful and terrifying at the same time.
She heard Noah knock lightly at the door and tell her she could shower before they ate. "The... er... food's not going anywhere."
She found herself grateful for the temporary reprieve; she needed the time to collect her thoughts. As she prepared to take her shower, she thought about everything that had happened in the past few days. She had been on an emotional rollercoaster, she had encountered numerous setbacks along her journey, but nothing, not even the threat of imminent death, had affected her like standing silently in a room with Noah had, their hands entwined together as an unseen spark of electricity passed between them. She wondered if the feelings inside her were the ones she'd heard tell about in all those Broadway shows, where a simple touch could speak a thousand words. She wondered if this was what it felt like to be falling in love.
.-.
Puck stared at the door Rachel had disappeared behind, cursing himself for almost kissing her. What had he been thinking? She was probably hiding from him, horrified that he'd crossed the invisible line between them. They were just friends – kind of – on a journey together. He didn't need whatever messed up ideas floating around in his head were telling him.
There was the "old Puck" inside him, the "Puck" he used to be, screaming at him for being such a pussy, for not going to her and kissing her with all the fire and passion she inspired inside – but then there was the other "Puck." The "Puck" that had suddenly emerged out of nowhere and did shit like take on knife-wielding mad men and crazy cheerleaders hell-bent on kidnapping Rachel and sacrificing her to their Queen; the one she liked to call "Noah".
And Noah? Had no fucking clue what he was doing.
She had just arrived here, all naïve and willing to learn. She probably had no idea how he felt when she was with him, had no idea what it felt like to... To what? He asked himself as he pushed the small food trolley further into the room. His head felt like a mixed jumble of thoughts, each even less coherent than the last.
He sighed and walked over to the bathroom door, telling her to take her time before returning to the food. He was glad she had decided to take her time; he needed time to think.
He lifted the sterling silver tray cover to find an assortment of breakfast foods in front of him: eggs, sausages, pancakes, fruits, and, of course, his waffles. He smiled to himself. She already knew what he liked.
He ate while he waited for her to emerge, fully dressed and her hair twisted into a knot at the back of her head. They were both wearing the same clothes they had been wearing for the past few days; the only clothes he owned since his duffel bag was probably somewhere in Cleveland right now. He made a mental note to go shopping later. They probably didn't have a Wal-Mart in NYC, but he was sure they could find something suitable.
She walked over and sat beside him before gingerly picking a strawberry from a bowl of assorted fruits. She smiled as she brought it to her lips, humming at the sweet taste. Puck laughed, pushing aside the thoughts of how great it would be to taste strawberries on her lips.
"So, er," he began as they ate, struggling to decide what to say. "I figured we should start looking for an apartment today. As great as it is in this hotel, we shouldn't blow too much money staying here."
She looked at him contemplatively and nodded. "Sounds good, but how long will that take? I really wanted to get started today!" Her face lit up with excitement. "There are probably thousands of aspiring performers out there on the streets of Manhattan, waiting for their chance to shine, and as they say, the early bird catches the worm. I don't really want to waste any time. What if the perfect part is out there for me today and I miss it because of such trivial things like where we should live?"
Puck raised his eyebrows in amusement, wanting to laugh at her skewed priorities. Whatever awkwardness she might have felt earlier was obviously gone; she was ready and willing to jump into the race for Broadway stardom.
He nodded and smirked at her. "Okay," he said slowly, thinking it over. "I guess a couple more days living here couldn't hurt, but we can't stay here forever." Rachel clapped her hands together giddily. "And we definitely can't be walking around in the same clothes as we have for the past few days. So as much as I want to help you get started, we should probably hit up a few stores first."
Rachel nodded her head in agreement, her expression determined. "That sounds reasonable, but only for a short while. I have a lot of work to do! There's no rest for the wicked. Oh! Wicked! Do you think anyone will be recasting that masterpiece anytime soon? I think I'd be a perfect Elphaba."
"Elf-a-who?" Puck asked, his brow creasing as he laughed.
"You've never heard of it? It's–"
Puck chuckled as he lifted his hand and covered her mouth. "I'm sure it's great, and you can tell me all about it while we're shopping, but first you gotta eat. The faster you eat, the faster we can get out of here, and the faster you'll get to be an Elf. You sure are short enough for one."
Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes. "Elphaba is a girl. A witch, in fact." Her eyes darkened slightly at the mention of witches, but the moment was quickly replaced by her bright smile. "Anyway..."
Puck smiled as she began chatting merrily. Today was sure to be a long day, but as he watched her talk and dig into her breakfast, he found that he really didn't mind. It was good to see her back to her enthusiastic and talkative self again.
He pushed the thoughts of witches and the Unholy Trinity away. He knew they were an ever-looming threat, but as he watched her unrestrained excitement, he found he couldn't bear to burst her bubble. At least, not yet. He would give it a day, one single day, before he needed to figure out what to do with this shit. He'd give her this day.