11 Nationals New York

Puck couldn't pinpoint when he started to see Rachel Berry as more than an annoying but gorgeous girl he wanted to slushie half the time and kiss the other half, and when she became the girl he just wanted to kiss. Sometime during sophomore year she'd morphed from that weird designation in his head to his friend who was incredibly hot and gorgeous but was in love with a moron. Puck was aware that calling Finn a moron even in his head was a lot like the pot calling the kettle messed up but hey it took one to know one right?

What made Finn even more stupid than usual was that Rachel had been making a huge effort to not get involved with Finn again even if he had broken up with Quinn. Puck knew he wasn't the most observant guy in the world but he paid attention to Rachel because she was his girl. And his girl had sworn off boys and dating after their disastrous prom and spent her time hanging out with him, Lauren and Artie. She'd told him privately once that she didn't want to do anything that would lead the club to kicking her out, and that included getting involved with anyone before Nationals. When he'd worriedly asked if that meant she was waiting until after Nationals to take Finn back Rachel had rolled her eyes at him and said that she was done with Finn forever, but telling him that unequivocally would cause more drama than it would prevent.

So now they were all on a plane, with Rachel sitting next to Tina and he could see she was getting more and more wound up and tense. He knew she was a nervous flier, her dads had cautioned him about that on their way to the bus. They'd even handed him a little packet of Dramamine for Rachel in case she'd gotten sick but so far she was just nervous.

The plane ride was pretty cool, though the ear popping thing sucked and Rachel was nervous as hell across the aisle from him. She kept glancing at him and finally he shook his head and leaned over, "Rachel, we're not gonna crash and end up an a crazy island in the tropics with polar bears, I promise."

"That's not it," Rachel shook her head. "It's really not, even though I don't care for being off the ground."

"Hey Tina," Puck leaned farther over to catch the attention of Rachel's seat mate. "Switch with me will ya?"

Tina looked up and smiled and nodded as she took in the snoozing Mike Chang next to Puck. With a little maneuvering they were all settled in their new seats and Puck was able to put an arm around Rachel and tug her hair like he had when they were little at Synagogue together. She was always chilled and the plane's air wasn't helping. "Now what's up with you? You're gonna be great Rache, some Broadway dude is gonna see you and snatch you away from me you're gonna be so great."

"You're so sweet to me when you aren't trying to protect your rep," Rachel cracked a smile. "You know how Finn keeps trying to get back with me." He nodded and she sighed before she continued, "Am I doing the right thing Noah? Not being with him? He keeps saying how we're…perfect together but…"

"But you don't feel perfect," Puck realized. "And you want to?" He frowned, for Rachel Berry to be with a guy he had to be strong enough to stand up to her without making her feel like crap. Finn couldn't seem to manage one without the other. This was the first time she'd asked his opinion on her relationship and he knew it was because she was genuinely worried. He'd made his opinion of Finn's behavior pretty clear but if Rachel had an Achilles heel it was her belief that she was selfish and unkind.

"I don't feel right with him anymore," Rachel shook her head. "It's like a bad habit, like your smoking, you get a craving but you know it's bad for you."

"Yeah ain't easy breakin' bad habits," Puck agreed. "'S why I put up with alla your crazy 'cause you help me deal with mine. An' it ain't like I'm totally sane."

Rachel giggled a little bit, "You're the sanest person I know."

"I've seen who you hang out with Berry, that ain't sayin' much," Puck shot back with a grin. His hand slid to the back of her neck and he started to knead the muscles with his fingers knowing how tight they'd be when she was stressed. It was the one thing he'd been able to do for her that she couldn't duplicate herself, and he took shameless advantage just so he could touch her. She carried all her tension in her neck resulting in some truly awful headaches. And damn if he wasn't right, she felt like she had rocks in her neck. "Damn Rachel, you've gotta de-stress."

"Can I have your opinion on something then?" Rachel looked at him with those serious chocolate eyes of hers and he'd do just about anything short of cutting off his balls when she did that.

"Sure," He nodded, his fingers still working her neck and getting a little moan out of her that went straight to his already aware cock.

"Do you think Finn and I are…good together?" Rachel asked softly, "You know us both really well Noah, and I trust your opinion. I'd like to hear your take on us. I don't know if it'll change my mind but it might help me to figure a few things out."

"Dude ain't good enough for you," Puck said flatly. "But then there ain't a guy in the world good enough for you, to me at least, your opinion's somethin' else." He shook his head, "I was just thinkin'…" He began slowly trying to figure out how to say it without makin' an ass of himself, more than usual anyway. "I thought before that you need a guy strong enough to stand up to you without making you feel like shit when he does it. An' Finn can't seem to do one without the other. I've seen him do stuff real romantic when he remembers, and I've seen him say and do things that just about broke you Rachel. Not sure I can forgive him for that. More'n a year of slushie facials from me didn't break your spirit but he nearly broke you this year with all his bullshit. I don't think that's love. Or not the good kind." He hesitated and looked at her straight in the eye when he spoke next, "If you love somebody you want what's best for them, even if they hate you for it. You love somebody you want them to be happy. And if you love somebody and they want you in their life then you do your best to be who they need 'thout givin' up who you are. An' if you can't be what they need 'thout givin' up your dreams or yourself, then it ain't right. It ain't love."

"I think that's the truest thing I've ever heard about feelings," Rachel mused. "I really appreciate you telling me all that Noah, it does help." She looked at him in sudden concern, "I don't…I don't…I mean I know I pressure you and push you to be your best…but I don't make you feel like you should give up who you are do I?"

"I figure there's a difference between whipping an' ass like me into shape so I can improve myself and makin' me into the image of what you want me to be," Puck said easily. He shook his head, "Nah Rache, you make me want to change, not who I am, but how I act. I'm still Puck, still the badass, as anyone who tries to slushie you can attest," His mouth quirked up at the SAT word and her little smile at his use of it, "But you make me want to be better, you believe I can be." He gave her neck a gentle squeeze and felt some of the tension ease out of it. "You know that movie with Nicholson you made me watch? With that waitress and the gay artist with the little dog?"

"Yes," Rachel nodded easily. "You complained the whole time unless you were commiserating with the waitress about the healthcare system." Her smile hadn't faded as she looked at him and she moved a little so his hand had easier access to her neck.

"I call it multi-tasking," Puck grinned. "But the guy at the end, the one who started takin' his meds? I know how he feels." He sobered for a moment, "I want you to be happy Rachel. I want you to have your dreams. I wanna see you on Broadway," He couldn't help smiling at the thought. "But the dude was right, when he told her why he started takin' his meds. And it's the same thing with you gorgeous," He absently realized he'd called her gorgeous when her eyes rounded in shock and remembered that was his private in thoughts name for her, oh well, wasn't like she was stupid, she'd figure it out eventually. "You make me wanna be a better man."

"Noah Puckerman," Rachel whispered, "I…" She shuddered as the plane hit turbulence and he felt her neck tighten up so bad he could have used her nerves for guitar strings. "Thank you." She finally got the words out. "Can we just sit…and maybe work on some music? Talk about…well anything but this for a while?"

"Lighten the mood up some?" Puck knew what she meant, normally after a heavy conversation with his mom or Rachel or even Rachel's dads who were fairly cool for old dudes he was ready to play football or guitar or Xbox or anything but talk for a while. 'Cause sometimes stuff needed to gel in his head. "Know 'xactly what you mean." He pulled up his phone and nodded at hers, "We could play Words with Friends, even though it ain't our designated time."

Rachel chuckled, "How about something silly?" She teased, "I think Words with Friends might be too hard for me to deal with right now."

"So when I have a chance to win you don't wanna play?" Puck grinned, "I'm totally holdin' this over your head Rache."

"How about a thumb war?" Her dark eyes were twinkling as she held out her hand.

Puck hesitated a minute and nodded extending his other hand so he didn't have to stop rubbing her neck. For some reason, and he was not going to admit in his head (again) what it was, he didn't want to stop touching her soft skin, wanted to feel her relax under his fingers. "You're so gonna lose."

Puck rolled his eyes at Finn's elaborate plan to get Rachel back and restrained a sigh. The girl didn't want to be romanced, she wanted to be left alone, at least until Nationals were over. Finn pressuring her wasn't helping. When he said as much he got accused of being jealous of Finn's and Rachel's relationship. For a second Finn sounded more like Rachel than Rachel did. "Dude, I'm just saying, she's stressed enough. You tryin' to put the moves on her isn't going to help. Leave her be for a while. At least until after Nationals." He was vaguely aware of Artie backing him up and Mike making noises about how stressed Rachel was for all the good it did.

Finn then proceeded to ignore him and Puck rolled his eyes and left the room. Knocking on the door where Rachel and the other chicks were hanging he gave Santana a hopeful smile when she opened it. "Can I hang you Rachel an' you guys?" He leaned against the doorjamb and looked for his tiny little Jewish American Princess over Santana's head. "Finn's drivin' me up the wall."

"She and Kurt went out to see some famous stage. They were all Glinda and Elphalba," Brittany told him from behind Santana.

"Oh yeah, she's totally into Wicked," Puck remembered with a grin. "Cool, can I come in and wait? I mean I'd try to hunt them down, 'cause you know they're gonna totally sneak in and sing but I don't guess I'll ever find 'em."

"Rachel left the address in case we needed to post bail," Santana said dryly. "I'll write it down for you."

And that's how he ended up being one of an audience of two, the other being a slightly bored security guard as Rachel and Kurt sang on a Broadway stage.

Puck knew the minute Finn stormed into the room that Rachel hadn't fallen for his huge romantic gesture. Artie looked at Puck and jerked his head towards the hallway, not even bothering to come into the room. "Hey man," The eyes behind the glasses were worried, "I know the guys are always goin' on 'bout bros before hos but Rachel could really use…"

"Rachel ain't a ho, she's my best friend," Puck said automatically. "Of the female persuasion," He added hastily not wanting to hurt Artie's feelings, something he'd really been working on this past year.

"Yeah well I'd say you're her best friend too these days and she really needs you right now," Artie told him seriously. "You know how she puts up that front and says everything's fine? She's doin' that again and man I just can't take how miserable she is under it."

"I told him to leave her be," Puck was getting seriously pissed at Finn. "I told him she didn't need this shit from him."

"I was there when you said it," Artie reminded him, "I even backed you up on it, not that Finn hears anything but his own voice these days."

"Boy needs a serious ass kickin'," Puck muttered. "You take care a that wouldcha? I gotta take care a Rachel."

"I got it covered," Artie nodded solemnly. "She was down in the lobby at the piano. Take your guitar and just do a duet or something with her…she looked like she was having some serious self-doubt."

Puck nodded and went back in the room for his guitar, holding the door so Artie could roll in before he left. Rachel was exactly where Artie said she'd be, still all dressed up, though every time she wiped away a tear and her mascara she left a little smudge on the ivory piano keys. "Hey gorgeous," He greeted her with a smile. "Lookin' even better'n usual."

"Do you really think I am?" Rachel asked him seriously.

"Hell Rachel, the one week we dated I could barely keep my hands off you," Puck reminded her. "I knew I wasn't going to get you in bed and I still wanted to make out with you. That ain't changed." He smiled, "I figured you knew you were beautiful and stacked with stems that make me choke on my tongue, never figured you'd need me to tell you."

"You never did anything about it," Rachel reminded him. "Except that one week where we misguidedly attempted to make the people we liked jealous. You didn't even do anything this year after Finn dumped me."

"You're my best friend Rache," Puck shifted uncomfortably, she really looked way too hot for his peace of mind right now. "Wouldn't be too friendly to try an' feel you up when you're helpin' me study. Wanted what was best for you an' it sure wasn't my jd hands all over your fine ass."

Rachel grinned at him suddenly, obviously trying to lighten the mood, "Noah you're so big you could cover my ass with one of your hands."

"I keep trying' to tell you that gorgeous but you won't ever let me prove it," He followed her lead and chuckled. "So what are you workin' on?"

"Oh, just…noodling a bit," Rachel shrugged. "I didn't want to deal with everyone else," She looked up and frowned at him worriedly. "You're welcome Noah, but not…Santana's better and Brittany's a doll but… I'm totally not liking all the drama."

"I told him to give you a break and let you breathe, at least until after Nationals," Puck offered quietly. "He didn't want to hear it."

"He never does," Rachel said dryly. "Finn never wants me as I am unless he can't have me. When he gets me, he wants me to dial down the Rachelness. Not just the crazy, but all of it." She shrugged, "I just…wish I could make him understand that I can't be with him if he doesn't love me for who I am. I'll always love him Noah, like you'll always love Quinn. We both have these connections, but… that isn't enough anymore." She looked down at the mascara-smeared keys of the piano and sighed, "Does that sound selfish?"

"Sounds like you want to do what's best for you," Puck observed. "An' you're right. You're probably always gonna love him. He was your first love. But that don't mean he's your first, last and only." He smiled slightly. "You don't sound like you're in love with him anymore, just that you care about him." He shrugged as he absently strummed the guitar, "I don't know if I was ever in love with Quinn, but damn I cared about her an' I loved Beth. Didn't really know what 'in love' felt like," He looked down at the guitar and mentally adding not until lately to the end of that sentence.

"Never?" Rachel tilted her head, "What I could have sworn you were in love with Quinn. Of course you've been putting up a great front with Lauren this year." She smiled slightly.

"More liked how kickass she is," Puck grinned, "That girl'd bust my balls if I fell in love with her never mind that she's into girls." He shook his head, "Gettin' an inklin' lately a how it feels. Worried alla the time, like if something happened to her I'd have to get violent on whoever hurt her. Tryin' to look out for this chick and let her know she can count on me." He ducked his head, "Maybe if I make somethin' of myself she'll give me a second look."

Rachel tilted her head and her pretty dark eyes narrowed as she looked at him, "Noah Puckerman, get your fine ass over here and sit with me," She demanded suddenly.

"You been lookin' at my ass gorgeous?" He wondered if he'd said too much, if she'd figured it out. Damn he was screwed if she thought it meant he was going to hit on her and act like an ass. They both knew they had chemistry but neither of them had to act on it. Still he got up and sat with her on the wide piano bench. Every time he sat next to her he was amazed at how tiny she was. "Damn you are a tiny little thing," He muttered, "You just got so much personality and that voice…I keep forgettin' how little you are."

"Forget my size for a minute Noah," Rachel looked up at him thoughtfully. "I want you to be honest with me."

"Sounds painful but all right," Puck took a deep breath. He wasn't going to lie to her, he wasn't going to lie to her he told himself over and over again.

"This girl you're starting to have feelings about," Rachel said sternly. "Does she know about them?"

"I think she might be figurin' it out," Puck said slowly, "She's a helluva lot smarter'n me."

"And do you feel you have things in common with her?" Rachel's question was still stern but her voice gentled a bit.

"Yeah, we both like music and we got plans and she's startin' to get football and basketball a little bit even, which is cool," Noah smiled slightly. "We never run outa stuff to talk about."

"That's promising," Rachel nodded slowly, her voice a little softer. "And do you think she's good enough for you?"

"She's too good for me," Puck's voice was sharp. "She's too good for anybody. She's fuckin' perfect just the way she is and if her idiot ex can't see that he's—" He stopped and took a deep breath. "Rachel, could you just…" He shook his head as he looked at her.

"I'm going to stop asking questions now," Rachel told him quietly. "Because I think you're right and she is figuring it out, but you've been very good about not putting any pressure on her and that's probably what she needs right now. So you're being the better man." She looked at him and put her hand over his, "That is deeply appreciated Noah. After Nationals, I'd like to talk to you about this again. I'm going to need to talk to you about this girl and how she feels about you."

Puck felt a deep twisting sensation in his chest and shuddered for a second, "Rachel, can you give me a hint so I don't, like, die of a heart attack or a stroke…if I'm gonna like the outcome a that conversation at all?"

"I think you'll find the outcome favorable," Rachel smiled at him. "Will you sing with me?"

"Best thing I'm allowed to do with you in public," He teased with a hint of the old Puck in his smirk. He strummed the guitar with the opening chords of 'Don't Stop Believing', "Always wanted to sing this with you."

"Then sing," Rachel smiled up at him, "And then we are going to write a kick ass song for Nationals."

"Damn straight," Puck grinned at her and began to sing.

Rachel had been right, they'd written a kick ass song for Nationals. Unfortunately Finn had also written something and Mr. Schue liked Finn's song better for Finn and Rachel to sing. Puck had wanted to deck the quarterback the guy had looked so smug and had deemed it wise to simply sit down on the floor next to Rachel's legs and wrap his arm around her ankles so he could calm down. Her slender little fingers rubbed his scalp and he sighed and tried to relax.

"We'll get to sing together on stage soon Noah," Rachel whispered with determination, "Our song. Even if I have to have Dad and Daddy book a hall to do it."

"You are…fuckin' perfect," Puck told her fervently. "Now let's all pay attention to the dumbass who has trouble letting go."

"Yes sir Mr. Puckerman sir," She whispered with a giggle in her voice.

"I know I'm awesome gorgeous, you don't gotta call me sir," Puck closed his eyes and concentrated on her hand on his scalp petting his tension away.

Rachel threw herself into the song, performed the choreography to the best of her ability and in general did her best to act as if the music was everything she was feeling. Even when it called for Finn to hold her close, for them to dance as if they were in love, she didn't pull away, didn't flatten her voice or stiffen up.

It was a good song, not great, but good. But it wasn't enough for Nationals and she knew it. Chances were the song she and Puck had written wouldn't have been good enough either, nothing last minute was. So she was doing her best with what she had, a routine choreographed at the last minute, costumes that were generic and a song that half the club had very hastily learned.

And then Finn did the unthinkable, he leaned in. On the last note of the song as their voices were dying away he leaned in and kissed her. A sweet echo, a sting of love seemed to pierce her heart and then die, the last remains of whatever she felt for him as Finn pressed his lips to hers. She held herself still, let him do it since it was too late to prevent, and kept her face still and neutral until he pulled away. The club behind them was stunned silent and it took all her control to keep from flushing in shame and embarrassment.

She could barely hear the applause, desultory at best, as she took her place for the group number and did her best not to cringe. Puck was standing one spot away from her and she could tell he was furious with Finn. Puck knew her well enough to see when she had her show face on and she was definitely wearing it now. The music began and they began to sing about lighting up the world and it was all she could do to not cringe over the rough lyrics and really basic choreography. They weren't going to win, they weren't going to even make it to the top ten.

Finn seriously had no idea how close he was to being decked and then pounded into the ground. First he'd written that song and gotten Mr. Schue to let him sing it with Rachel. Then at the end of the number, he kissed her. She'd accepted it, at least on the surface, but Puck had been able to see, even if Finn couldn't, that she was simply trying to keep from pulling back and humiliating him on a national stage. That her other ex was in the audience totally did not help either.

Now after their second number they had to sit and watch Vocal Adrenaline perform and Puck saw Rachel meet Sunshine's eyes and nod, giving the girl she'd once exiled to a crack house an encouraging smile, "Whatcha doin' gorgeous?" He leaned down to murmur in her ear.

"I'm helping someone be great," Rachel whispered back.

"Yeah, you tend to do that," He couldn't help himself, he put an arm around her shoulders and stroked her hair. "This okay?"

"More than," Rachel leaned her head against him and sighed happily. Sitting here with Puck's arm around her, playing with her curls she was the happiest she'd been in a while. They wouldn't win this year, wouldn't even place, but there would be next year and she'd see New York again. This wouldn't be her last time breathing in the air here or the only time she'd perform in the city she'd been dreaming about since she could dance.

Nationals were over, at least for them, and she'd finally be able to talk to Puck, tell him honestly how she felt, how much she needed him. How much she'd come to care for him. It was odd how much of a relief it was to think that. She let her head rest on his shoulder and felt his hand squeeze her arm gently, whatever else happened, Puck was her friend, nothing would change that.

Oddly enough Rachel didn't seem completely devastated when New Directions didn't even make the second round at Nationals. Puck knew she was upset, especially with herself for what she seemed to see as an epic fail on her part to write a superior song that would wow the judges and simultaneously keep Finn's stupid under control. Everyone else was supremely pissed at Finn and Rachel though, until Puck put a stop to that shit.

"Hey you all be pissed at Finn if you want, but Rachel's been telling him for weeks that they're over and the boy don't listen," He told them all heatedly. "An' if she weren't so nice she'd have told Mr. Schue about what an ass he was makin' of himself pushin' her to come back to him."

He looked at the girls and saw that they weren't buying his story even though it was the stone cold truth, "Quick Rachel, how'd you feel when Finn kissed you?" This was a gamble of a question but he was pretty sure he knew her answer.

"Embarrassed," Rachel couldn't get the word out fast enough, "Humiliated that our duet was completely forgotten by a stupid kiss. Awful, because I knew it would wreck our chances." She stared at Finn angrily, "We are done. Done done done didy dum dum done! Get it through your thick skull. Humiliating me on stage and forcing a kiss on me that I have to just let happen so you aren't mortified and taking it out on me for the rest of this and next year is not the way to get me back. I want you to leave me alone. I'm not in love with you anymore."

"But, Rach, we're, you an' I are…" Finn wasn't very good at speaking about anything important without a lot of thought first.

"I'll always care about you Finn," Rachel's voice didn't sound too caring at the moment but Puck really wasn't going to call her on that. "But I'm not in love with you. I don't like who you want me to be when I'm with you. I happen to like who I am. I know that very few other people do, at least wholeheartedly but one of them should be my boyfriend if that's he wants. Not someone who wants me to change not only my actions but myself."

"Rachel I don't think this is the time or the place to—" Mr. Schuester attempted to stop the rant but that just made Rachel turn on him.

"And you! You just…" She threw up her hands, "I am so sorry we lost. And I'm sorry you all feel I have some part in that, but I really can't see how I'm supposed to keep my own crazy under control like you all want and keep Finn's stupidity regulated as well. I'm a full time job all by myself and I don't have time to babysit a man-child."

She began to walk determinedly towards the exit and Puck shook his head calling after her, "Rachel, please don't try to do the dramatic exit when we're in New York and you'll be alone on the street." He was aware that he sounded a little pleading but he really didn't want her alone in this city.

Rachel stopped and deliberately turned to look at him, "All right Noah, since you ask so nicely and with concern for my welfare." She nodded regally and took a seat on a chair far from the rest of the group. "I know who my friends are," She warned them with the steely look in her eyes that Puck secretly (maybe not so secretly anymore) loved because it meant she wasn't going to take anymore shit. "And the rest of you can just shut it. This isn't my fault any more than it's the rest of yours. We half-assed this thing, writing songs two days before competition, our choreography was hardly tight, and Finn pissed off the judges and me. Next year we practice and we will make Nationals our bitch."

Puck whooped and couldn't help himself, he was at her side in three steps and scooping her out of her chair to twirl around, "You tell 'em gorgeous!" He laughed and wrapped her up in what she called the patented Noah experience hug, "Because you have never been more right."

"I think that's enough of that," Mr. Schuester had this tone to his voice like the queen, 'We are not amused', and he was glaring at Rachel and Puck. "Let's all get back to the hotel before Vocal Adrenaline comes to rub this in our faces."

Rachel took a deep breath and kept packing, Santana and Brittany were talking to each other, but not to her. She knew they were annoyed with her, and probably thought she'd encouraged Finn. "I didn't want him to kiss me," She told them quietly. "I'm not in love with him anymore."

"Rachel you're always gonna be in love with Finn," Santana wasn't completely unkind about it but she wasn't thrilled either.

Rachel shook her head and closed her suitcase, "No I'm not," She turned and looked at Santana, "I don't love him anymore. I don't like who he wants me to be when I'm with him." She folded her arms, "If he loves me he shouldn't want to change me. And if he cared about me at all he wouldn't have kissed me and humiliated me on stage."

"So you're done with him?" Brittany sounded a little unsure, as if she wasn't certain Rachel could be believed. Rachel didn't really blame her, she hadn't been exactly strong willed when it came to Finn in the past.

"I've been done with him for months, I've just been trying to, you know, get my life straightened out," Rachel sat down on the bed with a sigh. "And when I'm finally over him, and ready to be done and get past the whole thing, that's when he starts to want me again." She looked at Santana, "I was trying to avoid more drama, more insanity and not talk to him about it until after Nationals."

"Well that worked out well," Santana said dryly and Rachel chuckled.

"Yeah, that was great," She rolled her eyes. "I didn't think he'd kiss me during the competition. I didn't think he'd try to do the romantic date thing either. I underestimated his stupid."

"So what will you do?" Brittany asked curiously. "We still have school."

"What I've been doing since he dumped me," Rachel shrugged and closed her suitcase, "Go on with my life. Hang out with my friends. I'm not going to let Finn Hudson break me. Not again."

Santana grinned, "Be interesting to see his reaction to the new Rachel."

Brittany looked from one girl to the other, "She looks the same San, why is she new?"

"Because I'm not Finn Hudson's girl anymore," Rachel stood with a grin and pulled on her coat.

Brittany shook her head, "Of course you're not. You never were. You're Puck's girl. You always have been."

Rachel tilted her head, vividly aware of the blush beginning to form on her cheeks, "He's my friend Brittany." She said quietly. "He's never told me he wanted more."

"Doesn't have to," Santana chuckled, "He's been your guy since you two dated last year."

Brittany nodded her agreement, "You're his girl. You've always been his girl."

Rachel shrugged and tilted her head, "It doesn't mean we'll be together." She began buttoning her coat and grabbed her suitcase.

"You will be though," Brittany smiled happily. "Puckleberry is my favorite fruit." Rachel just shook her head at the Cheerio and began to leave the room.

"Just keep it to yourselves until Puck actually decides he wants me to be his girl in public?" She suggested quietly, "I don't want to embarrass him the way I did Finn. Noah doesn't deserve that."

"But Puck likes it when you're yourself," Brittany pointed out helpfully.

"And since when has Puck ever had a problem telling you to slow your roll when you're on the crazy train," Santana pointed out as she threw on her own coat and grabbed hers and Britt's suitcase.

"This is very true," Rachel agreed wryly. "Between Puck, Lauren, Artie and occasionally Sam I'm kept pretty sane. Or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof." Brittany's giggle as they left the room rang through the hallway and Rachel grinned in response.

Puck looked at Artie as they got on the bus to the airport. Tina, Brittany, Mercedes and Kurt had surrounded Rachel in a show of solidarity while Mike and Sam and Blaine were hanging around close by, Santana was arguing with Schuester about something. "Dude, I'll pay you twenty bucks if you'll help me sit next to Rachel on the plane," He offered pulling out his wallet.

"For you homes, no charge," Artie grinned. "What's up with you and our Diva anyway?"

"I'm still a badass right?" Puck looked down at Artie hopefully, "I mean my rep is solid as someone with whom it's a mistake to fuck around?"

"You are the biggest badass at McKinley," Artie reassured him with a smirk.

"Think I'm gone for her man," Puck shook his head at himself. "She's my best friend, she's awesome, gorgeous and…damn I'll run outa adjectives 'fore I run outa ways she's cool."

"You think that makes you less badass?" Artie rolled his eyes, "Seriously dude, priorities."

"It ain't for me," Puck protested, "Not totally. But you know how much shit everyone gives her. If I'm still badass it'll be easier to take care a her." He looked over at Rachel and smiled as she met his eyes and grinned at him. "I'm just…damn I sound like a chick but…she's the one man. She's it. She's the last woman in the world for me."

"Damn," Artie sounded impressed and Puck shrugged.

"Don't mean much if she don't feel the same way," He smoothed a hand over his Mohawk nervously. "But I think she's kinda figuring it out, and she wanted to talk to me after Nationals but we ain't had but a second alone thanks to that colossal fuckup."

"Yeah, this has not been the dream trip to New York we were all hoping for," Artie agreed. "But at least we got to go."

"Yeah, it was a blast seein' New York," Puck grinned, "So can you hook me up?"

"Consider it done," Artie nodded his jaw set with determination.

"You are the man," Puck grinned.

Author's Note: So what did you guys think? Next chapter they're back on the plane. And Puckleberry is verrry close to happening. This wasn't meant to be drawn out or delayed, I just really wanted everyone to get a good idea of how things were going. Santana is still a little on the fence about Rachel I think. She wants to like her but Puck is her boy and I think she's a little protective of him. And let's face it, Rachel doesn't have the best track record with guys. But then she's never really been with Puck when they weren't distracted by other issues. So this should be interesting.