A/N I should probably start by saying I haven't got a plan for this story I've just been sort of going with it chapter by chapter so I hope this fits in :/ let me know what you think? Hope you enjoy.

Her head hurt. And not in the ow I have a headache sort of way but in the oh my fucking god did a truck run over my skull, sort of way. What happened? She racked her brain for answers. Ok so she remembers being slushied, then she was in the shower? Yes the shower-gym shower. No shampoo and conditioner. Then-then... Oh no. It all came flooding back, gun shots, locked door. She was about to die. Oh my god was she dead? She started to panic. But no wait she remembers falling, that would explain the head pain. and a voice. Someone shouting her name?

Groggily Rachel opened her eyes. Squinting against the light above her. Her head pulsed to the point were she could feel her brain beating. She lifted her hand to her head hissing when it made contact with the open wound, it was wet, she knew it wasn't slushy this time.

"Uuhhnngg" she groaned unintelligibly , where was she?

"Was wondering when you were going to wake up." Came a voice from across the room.

Rachel jumped bolting up straight, head snapping to the side were a figure sat casually back on the desk. She rubbed at her eyes to clear her vision and she finally saw who the voice belonged to.

"Noah?" She asked incredulously, not being to contain the grin that threatened to spilt her face.

"You had me worried for a minute there berry." He said nodding at the cut on her temple.

See the thing was,contrary to the schools beliefs Rachel and puck were friends, they had been since they were little due to them being two of the few Jews in Lima. They grew up together, with there families being close. They were best friends. But then high school came, with its status and reputation and oh so cliche expectations. in the first term of freshman year they still hung out as much as they could after school, then puck tried out for the football team and became a jock and Rachel was left labeled as a loser. Even though he got called out on it and even sometimes a slushy facial puck refused to stop being friends with Rachel just because their school was full of ignorant assholes, but they both felt the strain on the friendship. During the second term, Rachel couldn't take it anymore all they did was argue Rachel insisting they stop being friends because he was going to grow to resent her and puck adamantly refusing telling her he wouldn't. Rachel knew he didn't want to hurt her so she used that to her advantage. She told him if he left her and became popular then he'd be able to protect her more so than now, he'd have power over the other jocks. He didn't like it but he knew she was right so they ended it. He couldn't stop all the slushies or the bullying but if it wasn't for him it would of been ten times worse.

"How long was I out for?" She asked.

"not long, 'bout twenty minutes tops." He replied jumping off the desk and walking over to her. "Why are you still in the school Rach?" He said sitting down on the floor next to her.

"I was in the shower when the gun went off." Seeing the confusion on his face she elaborated. "Slushy." His face hardened for a split second before he schooled his features changing the subject.

"How's your head?"

"Hurts like hell, you don't happen to have aspirin by any chance do you?" He chuckled lightly at this and shook his head. They fell into a comfortable silence. If there was slight awkwardness between them it had gone now, it almost felt like old times.

".. I thought I was going to die." Rachel whispered breaking the silence. Puck turned to her, his face uncharacteristically serious, slowly he reached over taking her small hand in his relishing in the feeling of familiarity he found there and gave it a light squeeze before saying with so much confidence Rachel had no problem believing him.

"I'm not going to let that happen."

Before he knew what was happening Rachel had jumped into his lap wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder inhaling his aftershave which she noted was the same one he had always used. Automatically he wrapped his strong arms around her small frame holding her tightly to his chest. They both had missed this.

They sat there comfortably for a few minutes before Rachel lifted her head unwrapping her arms from his neck but stayed seated in his lap because it made her feel safe and secure which is exactly what she needed right now.

"Why are you still here Noah?" She asked the question only just coming into her mind. He thought for a moment before saying.

"When the gun went off everyone panicked and it was just crazy. Everyone was pushing and shoving to get out and I bent over to get my bag and some dick knocked me over. Hit my head pretty hard. Out cold. I guess no one noticed me cause when i woke up it was empty. I locked myself in her and waited for the police to come or something."

He shrugged and Rachel noted the bruise forming on his forehead where she guessed he had hit being knocked over.

"Then another shot went off, It was louder than the others I panicked and then you tried to open the door and I thought it was the shooter. I was so fucking scared. I wasn't going to open it but then I heard you crying. I didn't know you were leaning against it, sorry." He said looking apologetically towards the cut on the side of her temple. He would never even think of ever admitting to anyone else that he, noah 'badass' puckerman was scared. But he'd known Rachel nearly his whole life, he felt comfortable around her to be himself.

He was brought out of his musing when he felt soft lips peck his cheek and small arms once again settle around his neck.

"You saved my life. Thank you Noah." She smiled gratefully, burying her head in his is neck and sighing contently.

"Anytime." And he meant it. He would do anything to protect his Jew babe, she was really special to him. It had hurt him so much when they stopped being friends but he knew she was right he couldn't protect her that way. That didn't make it hurt less. But that was when he was a freshman, basically a nobody, now he is THE Noah puckerman. Everybody knows his name and nobody would question him or they'd get there ass kicked. Over the years he had tried to build up the courage to speak to her ask her to be his friend again but each time he saw her he chickened out, for what reason he didn't know. Maybe it was because he thought she might have changed? That she would brush him off, reject him. He couldn't handle that. But now, with her sitting on his lap just like old time he knew he wasn't going to loose her again and with that he made a promise to himself, he would get them both out of this and when he did things would change.

"Noah, you're thinking to loud." he heard the smile in her voice. She still knew him so well even after all this time.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked when he didn't respond.

"Nothin' just whats gonna happen when we get out of here."

"If." She whispered sadly but he heard her. He turned her around until she was facing him, looking straight into her eyes and with the most serious look Rachel had ever seen on his face he said sternly.

"I am going to get us out of here Rachel. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise." She nodded seeing noting but sincerity and determination in his eyes. But she had to ask-

"How?"

"How what?"

"How are you going to get us out of here?" He paused, he hadn't actually thought about that..

"We'll, just have to wait for the police I guess."

"They won't come in until they are sure where about the shooter is there aren't that many police in Lima they wouldn't risk it. Besides before you opened the door the shooter was about to come around the corner so assuming there is only one of them, they would be far enough away." Noah frowned.

"So what are you suggesting, we got out in the open and risk getting killed?" He asked incredulously.

"I was out there before I came in here, if we're quiet-" she got cut off by Noah before she could finish.

"Yeah and you almost got killed! I promised you I would protect you and letting you going out there would break that promise!" His voice was raised now but he was to angry to care. Rachel stood up off his knee and puck followed her movements.

"Well I can't just sit here and wait for the police to come, who knows how long they'll be Noah! And if the killer comes back and finds us we'll be blocked off with nowhere to run, we can't even go out the window because we're on the second floor!" She shouted, to concentrated on the argument to care about being quiet.

"I am not letting you go out there Rachel now drop it!"

"You don't get to decide what I do! We haven't spoke in two years!"

"Yeah well, go ahead then and try getting out because incase you've forgot its locked, I've got the key and ill be damned if I let you have it."

Rachel was about to reply when she suddenly stopped hearing a sound. Apparently she wasn't the only one because noah had also stopped, eyes wide. The both turned there heads on the same direction.

The door.

Someone was trying to get in.

Rachel's breath caught in her throat and her hand blindly searched for pucks all anger towards him forgotten.

Puck stood frozen. they had been too loud. The door handle was shaking rapidly and whoever was on the other side was eager to get in. Rachel gripped his hand tightly and he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. The noise stopped but they heard no footsteps indicating the person had left.

"I'm scared." Rachel breathed into the silence. Puck wrapped an arm around her body and held her close, he was scared too. The silence was excruciating, what was the person doing on the other side of the door? Waiting? Then a thought occurred to Rachel what if that person was like her just trying to get in, to hide. She was about to voice her thoughts to Noah when she heard the sound that never fails to make her blood run cold. A gun shot. She stifled the squeal that rose in her chest. And then she heard an unfamiliar sound but it wasn't hard to guess what it was. A body. Or more distinctively a body hitting the floor.

She felt faint.

Someone had been trying to get in to hide just like her, she could have saved them..she let them die. This was her fault. What if it had been someone she knew? Oh god her knees felt weak. To make matters worse the shooter was right outside with only a piece of wood separating them. She was pretty sure she was about to pass out. She moved out from under Noah's arm and stumbled backwards.

Into a chair.

Which fell scraping the floor on its way down.

Loudly.

Puck whipped his head towards her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights, face a rapidly turning sickly shade of white. Rachel was certain she looked the same.

Her heart was in her mouth.

Silence.

They waited. Frozen in position afraid to move. If the shooter was outside they'd defiantly of heard it, what were they waiting for?

Asif to answer Rachel's question another shot rang out this time she didn't even try to cover her scream. Puck instinctively stood in front of her. both there stomachs dropping as they watched the door handle clatter against the floor. Rachel's heart was beating so fast and her breathing was coming out ragged. Her legs were jelly she couldn't stand. She fell, knees inches away from hitting the floor when she felt two strong arm encircle her waist. That was all she felt before passing out, for the second time today.

A/N bit off puckleberry bromance for you there, I apologise about the shortness of there background story I was just trying to get it in there sort of..