Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.
A/N: Not beta'd; all mistakes are mine. Please mention them if you find any.
A/N2: Sectionals was amazing! I loved it! This story is mostly AU after Mash-up, but with some of the topics discussed in the later episodes, I may sneak in a conversation or cover the same topic, but I will put my own twist on it.
A/N3: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all my readers! For you; a little more Puckleberry for the holiday season. :D
...
A/N4: A lot longer than the last chapter, but hope you all enjoy. Happy reading!
...
Rachel was able to sleep peacefully for another two hours, but she wasn't used to staying in bed so late in the morning, so opening her eyes around nine-thirty, she laid back against the pillows, content to stay next to him for a little longer.
Puck felt her stir, so he opened one eye and looked at her, "I like this wake up so much more," he murmured.
She smiled, "me too," she agreed. Most nights they slept apart, but sometimes she found her way into his room and last night she didn't want him to be alone. She liked to wake up next to him; sometimes it took her a moment to realize where she was when she didn't see the familiar colors of her room, but feeling his arms around her always made her feel safe.
Now awake on Christmas Eve, the couple got up reluctantly, knowing her dads and Arin wouldn't let them stay in bed all day.
As Puck showered, he couldn't help the continued reaction to waking up next to her. He didn't know if she realized that this part of a relationship was new to him, too. Sleeping with random girls and even the cougars, he always was gone as soon as they'd had sex, so he never experienced waking up together; feeling the same person next to him, with their warm bodies pressed together as if meant to be, but in hindsight none of them meant anything. Rachel was it and he was glad he'd made the right decision; he only had twenty-four hours until he'd find out if she felt the same, but as the last few weeks meshed together in his mind, he was pretty sure he already knew what she'd say.
Standing by the coffee pot in the kitchen, he filled up a cup and added sugar to it, reaching for the creamer, but he found the bottle missing and in closer inspection, found it in the trash. With a sigh, he settled for just the sugar and took a drink as Rachel walked into the kitchen. He poured her a cup and handed it off to her with a smile. His social skills before two cups of coffee usually consisted of grunts and nods, but he usually tried to smile at her. "Looks like we're going shopping later," he commented moving to the fridge to get something out to make breakfast for them and his sister.
"Why? I thought we already purchased everything you needed to make dinner tomorrow?" She asked sitting down at the island.
"Well, we do, for dinner," he held up the now empty egg container, "but there's still lunch, dinner today and brunch tomorrow and you're out of stuff," he commented. "And there's no more creamer," he muttered.
"But it's going to be so busy," Rachel sighed, remembering how it was when her and Quinn had gone out the day before Thanksgiving.
He shrugged, "I thought you said you wanted to bake more cookies today," he told her motioning to the jar on the counter holding the flour, which only had a cup or two in it, "don't think that will be enough."
Rachel's eyes widened at the sight and rushed over to check on the rest of the ingredients that she needed, "I'm out of vanilla and there isn't enough brown sugar!" She exclaimed.
"Make a list," he told her, "and we can go after breakfast," he added glancing up to see his sister coming into the kitchen.
As he finished breakfast and set it on the island for the three of them, Rachel was still looking through the cupboards for things they were missing, but she stopped long enough to eat a little.
"And what are we going to have for dinner today? And brunch! I never even thought about that," she was halfway done with her plate when she jumped up to grab her list and sat back down, quickly adding more to the list.
Arin laughed, "going to the store?"
Puck nodded, "yeah, out of stuff and need things for today and tomorrow," he replied, "Rachel's making a list."
"I was really hoping for a nice day to just cuddle up on the couch together and watch movies," Rachel sighed.
Glancing at her, he smiled, "we will have plenty of time to do that," he told her.
"Really?"
"As long as it doesn't involve musicals," he commented.
"I don't have many movies that are not musicals, but dad and daddy have a lot in their movie collection," she explained.
"Where are their movies?" He asked.
"Under the TV in the living room; the drawers under it and on the side," she explained, "I'm surprised you never saw them."
"I usually don't snoop around in someones house," he noted.
After breakfast, David and Alan came into the kitchen and they started talking about the shopping list and Rachel was adding things left and right to it. Leaving them to discuss the necessities, Puck went and opened up the drawers under the TV and glanced through the movies, "oh wow, real movies," he murmured, seeing several of his favorites.
"He's looking to see what you have for movies. My selection consists of musicals," Rachel explained and he looked over to see David and Alan looking curiously at him.
"Oh yes, that is true," David nodded with a laugh.
Puck went back to looking at the movies and his eyes landed on one, "oh my God, this is out on DVD?" He asked pulling it out and looking at it.
"Which one?" Alan asked.
Puck held it up, "this is mom's favorite movie. She has it on VHS and loves watching it. I didn't know it was on DVD."
"I got that at Wal-Mart. It's the twenty-fifth anniversary edition, too," David said, seeing the cover.
"What is it about?" Rachel asked.
"Oh my God, you don't know?" Puck stood up and moved towards her, handing the case to her, "I've seen it a lot; it's awesome. It's from the early eighties, but my mom loves it. Richard Gere and Debra Winger are in it. We'll have to watch this one when mom gets home and Arin's asleep," he said glancing at his sister.
Arin rolled her eyes, "I've seen it before, Noah, mom just fast forwarded through the sex scene."
Puck shook his head, but couldn't really say anything else since his mom was the one who let her watch it; it was a great movie, but there were just a few scenes that were not so appropriate for a ten year-old girl to be watching, or maybe he just didn't want his sister to see them or get ideas. "Got everything on the list?" Puck asked going to another topic.
"I believe so," Rachel said.
"Alright, Arin go get your jacket," he glanced at her and she did as she was told.
"We're going now?" Rachel asked.
"Might as well, sooner we go, we can get back," he said with a shrug.
"Oh, um," Rachel bit her lip nervously.
Puck could tell she was nervous, so he wrapped his arms around her, "babe, remember what we talked about last week," he murmured.
She nodded, "I know," she whispered, "just haven't been out since, in the snow."
"Well, the only way to know if you feel better about it is if you do," he told her, "I'll be there, and so will Arin. I wouldn't put my sister in danger, or you," he assured her.
"I know," she repeated, "alright, lets go," she said.
Saying goodbye to her dads, the two headed for the door as Arin came downstairs with her jacket on. Rachel got hers from the closet and the three went outside, heading for his jeep. Between the time that Puck had moved his jeep for his mom and they had gotten up the second time, her dads had cleared off the sidewalk, so they didn't have to be as careful until they got right to his jeep. He unlocked the door and helped Arin get in before Rachel slid into the passengers seat. He moved around to his side and got in, starting the engine. After hooking his belt, he shifted into gear, going towards the main road. Glancing at Rachel, he reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently, "I'm here," he whispered. She smiled at him and nodded, squeezing his hand in response.
"Uh, Noah, I thought we were going to the grocery store," Rachel commented seeing that he was taking a detour to Wal-Mart.
"I have been dying to get mom to retire the VCR, but considering that she loves that movie she won't, but if I can get it on DVD, my prayers are answered," he laughed.
"I read the back of it, but I don't get what the big deal about it is," Rachel commented.
Puck bit his lip, glancing back at his sister, "well, it's about this guy who is kind of a loner; his dad was in the Navy living in the Philippines his whole life, but when the kid was twelve his mom commits suicide so he has to go live with his dad. When he turns 18 he and his dad come back to the states and he goes to school and just after he graduates from college, he goes off to Officer Candidate School up in Washington State to become a Navy pilot. He and a guy he is friends with, meet these two girls. The main guy has spent his whole life not needing anyone, so he has trouble with being in a relationship, but as things change and he becomes a team player, he finds out he really does care for her and in the end he sweeps her off her feet in full dress-whites," he explained, not wanting to give away too much.
"Dress-whites?" She asked as they parked in the parking lot.
"It's a uniform; the formal uniform for the Navy," he said shrugging.
The three got out and he walked around to the front of the jeep to wait for them, when she asked, "how do you know so much about the Navy?"
This was a topic he didn't want to get on at that moment, so as he slipped his arm around her he shrugged again, "well, I like military movies so I look stuff up."
"Oh, well, I guess I'll have to see this movie to understand it more," Rachel commented.
"Thank you," Puck thought glancing up to the sky before they stepped into the store.
The store was crazy, every aisle was packed with people doing last minute Christmas shopping. As they reached the video department, Puck groaned, but managed to get down the movie aisle. The three scanned the shelves and Arin was the one to find it, handing it off to him, "found it."
"Score, thanks sis," he smiled.
All of them were getting a little claustrophobic with the amount of people, so they headed for the checkout, but with the long line, Puck and Arin stood in it, while Rachel picked up some things so they didn't need to get them at the store. Finally paying for their stuff, they returned to the jeep and headed for the grocery store.
It took several hours, but they managed to get everything on their list, making their way back to the Berry's and putting things away. Puck was proud of Rachel; after the issues she had the last week, he was glad she had gotten better, only tensing up a few times while they were out or squeezing his hand if she got nervous.
After a quick lunch, Rachel and Arin started working on the cookies. Puck laughed as he watched them; finding that sitting at the island was a nice change, because usually he was the one to take command of the kitchen. "Good job, Puckerman, now you're even thinking like an officer. You won't be able to keep your secret much longer if you keep this up," he thought, his eyes landing on Rachel's back and trailed down to other regions, "I could definitely watch this show all day, too."
Rachel was focused on the cookies; she was adding ingredients while Arin mixed and as she went to set something down, a plastic measuring cup landed on the floor, so she bent down to pick it up, unaware of the eyes on her backside, until she heard a gasp from across the room. She stood up and looked at her boyfriend, who's eyes were wide. "Are you alright, Noah?" She asked.
"Never better," he stood up and disappeared quickly; afraid to stick around much longer or he'd have to explain why he took a second shower in the middle of the day. "Does she have to wear those fucking skirts all the time? And was that black? I really didn't see that one coming," his thoughts were jumbled and he needed to refocus, so he moved into the living room and put in one of the movies he had picked out. He had seen it before, so he didn't have to focus on the details, but it was a good distraction.
He could hear his sister and Rachel talking in the kitchen as they made the chocolate chip cookies and also could smell them so he knew they were baking as well. Half way through the movie, Rachel sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and kissed her forehead, begging his thoughts to stay back, "okay, this is normal. Just relax... Damn it! What is her hand doing," he glanced down and saw her hand had moved down from his heart to just above his belt, but her eyes were on the TV, "getting into dangerous territory, Rach, back off or we could have issues," he thought.
Snuggling up to her boyfriend, she watched the movie. She knew her hand had been on his chest, but didn't realize until moments later that as she had relaxed, her hand had drifted down to just above his belt buckle. Glancing up, she saw him looking down at her and she felt her cheeks flush, "sorry," she murmured moving her hand away.
"Where's Arin?" He asked softly.
"My room," she said, confused as to why he was asking about her.
"Your dads?"
"Um, the den, why?"
Assured that they were semi-alone, he continued, "God, Rachel, you don't know what you do to me," he murmured. "The only part that bothers me is I don't want to scare you away."
"How could you scare me?" She questioned, her voice low.
"You've never been that far before. I'm not -"
Her lips found his, silencing him from the speech he was trying to make, "Noah, you're not going to scare me away," she whispered against his lips before kissing him again.
He reached up and rested a hand against her cheek as they kissed, gently brushing her hair away as it fell from behind her ear. He didn't want to stop, but he had a nagging in his gut; if they were talking about this he might as well admit why he was so concerned, "I got Quinn pregnant," he murmured pulling away from her kiss.
Rachel opened her eyes to look at him and saw he was looking away from her. At what he said, she tried to figure out what he meant, "I know you did," she said, "why does that matter; you know-"
"Because I was her first; I'm scared I'll get you pregnant," he replied softly, glancing at her.
Catching his gaze, she reached over and brushed a hand against his cheek, "you can't... At least not right now," she whispered.
"What? Why?" He asked confused.
"I've been taking a contraceptive since July," she replied, "I have a hormone imbalance."
His mouth fell open at the shock; he never thought she would ever need or want to be on those, "you're on the pill?"
She nodded, "yes. It has helped me a lot, and the one I am taking is at least ninety percent effective in-"
"I get it," the words were falling off his lips as soon as she said 'effective.' He pulled her onto his lap and tugged her against his chest and she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm going to make it special for you," he whispered.
She pressed a finger to his lips and shook her head, "any moment I have with you is special, Noah, that time won't be any different," she replied softly.
He nodded silently, unable to think straight at the moment. The news he had just gotten seemed to lift his spirits as much as it surprised him.
The movie was nearing the end, so they let it play out and heard talking in the kitchen and both turned their heads to see David standing nearby. "Hey, it's almost five, so we're gonna get dinner started; I think we can manage it tonight," he commented.
The couple nodded and her dad headed back in the kitchen. "Lay back," Puck murmured motioning to the side of the couch she was near and set up one of the throw pillows so she could use it. Laying back against the pillow on her back, she watched him shift, settling between her and the back of the couch on his side, draping an arm over her body. "Much better," he murmured reaching for the remote to turn off the TV.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Getting comfortable with my girlfriend," he replied pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"I like this," she said shifting her whole body just slightly so she was also on her side.
"Me too," he leaned down closer to her ear, "this is a first for me," he whispered pressing a kiss to her cheek before relaxing.
Turning to look at him, she studied his face, "really?"
He nodded, "yeah. This whole being in a relationship is new."
Taking in his words, she snuggled back against him closed her eyes, enjoying feelings she was having, but her thoughts were interrupted by Deborah returning for the night. "Hey," she said entering the house.
Puck raised his hand, "hi mom," he called.
Arin came downstairs at the same time, and before too long they were being called for dinner. Rachel sighed, not wanting to move. "We can do this again," Puck murmured pressing a kiss to her cheek, but wasn't able to move much until she did.
She slowly stood up and he followed, the two heading into the kitchen where Deborah was greeting Alan and David and they were all getting dinner on their plates.
"You don't look much different than when I left this morning," Deborah smirked at her son, "have you done anything today?" She asked curiously.
"Yes, I took the girls to the grocery store, watched them make cookies and then a movie, and just kicked back after," he said in his defense.
"Deborah, Noah tells us that you like the movie 'An Officer and a Gentleman.' He found it in our DVD collection," David said.
She nodded her head, "yes, it is one of my favorites. A classic in my book."
"We're watching it tonight," Puck commented, "Rachel has never seen it."
"I seem to limit my movie selection to musicals," Rachel explained, "and I do not get some of the things he told me about it, so I should watch it to see what he means."
"It's a very good movie, very dramatic. Not your typical romantic drama either," she said.
Finishing dinner, the adults did the dishes, while Arin, Puck and Rachel headed into the living room. Puck put in the movie and set it up so all he had to do when they came in was hit play. Puck and Rachel took up the spot they had been in before, laying on the couch together, and Arin sat on the end of their couch, so Alan and David took a seat on the other one and Deborah sat on the same one as David and Alan. Once they were all settled, Puck hit play and sat the remote nearby, replacing his arm around Rachel's body.
Settling against him, she took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together as she stared intently at the screen, knowing she was the only one in the room who hadn't seen it.
...Explanations of the movie in italics below...
The main character, Zack Mayo, is introduced by flashbacks of a tough childhood; at twelve he was forced to go live in the Philippines where his father is stationed in the US Navy, because his mom committed suicide, but he has never known his father. Present day, somewhere in Washington State, Zack just graduated college and says he joined the Navy to be a pilot. His dad thinks he's making a big mistake, but Zack says he's leaving for Officer Candidate School (OCS). His dad tries to talk him out of it, but Zack just leaves.
Arriving at school, he and the rest of his class meet their drill instructor for the first time; Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley. Foley tells them he expects half of them will be dropped on request (DOR) before the program is over. While the class heads to the barber shop, Sgt. Foley tells them about the "Puget Sound Debs," local girls who come over and hang around the base, hoping to tangle up with an officer candidate so they can marry a naval aviator and the the girls will do anything they can to trap them, including getting pregnant.
The two female characters of the movie, Paula and Lynnette, are introduced as working in the town's paper factory and are next seen driving through town. Zack and Sid, Zack's soon-to-be buddy, get in trouble for talking, so Foley pulls them aside and makes them do push-ups at the same time as Paula and Lynnette walk past, which Sid asks Zack, "did you see that bodacious set of ta-tas?" (20:31)
Rachel scoffed at the language, "that's just barbaric."
Puck laughs a little, pressing a kiss to her shoulder, "babe, it's just a movie."
"I know, but that still is very inappropriate," she said.
"And conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman," he murmured. At his last words, he felt the whole room stare at him, "what?"
"That's part of the universal code of military justice, the UCMJ," Alan commented, "how did you know that?"
"It's come up on NCIS a few times, so I looked it up, and if you search for this movie on Wikipedia, it explains that's where the title came from," Puck replied, turning back to the TV.
A month into the program, there is a dance at the base that Paula and Lynnette attend, where Zack and Sid meet the girls for the first time, officially. Sid quickly whisks Lynnette away, while Paula and Zack slowly start to talk where a relationship begins to form.
Another week passes and while on liberty for the weekend, the guys are hanging out at a bar in town waiting for the girls to meet them. When the girls arrive and then the four end up leaving the bar, some of the local guys begin to harass Sid and Zack and one even tries to fight them, so Zack fights back; breaking the guys nose before they leave quickly, going to a hotel in town. Alone in their room, Zack is thinking about what happened, and Paula tries to get him to talk about it, but he doesn't want to, so she gets upset that he won't open up to her, which only makes him madder.
(45:30)
Zack: "What do you want? Wanna fuck? Is that what you want? You want a fuck? Alright, come here. Get on the bed. Take off you clothes. I'll give you a good fuck."
Paula: "Where's that comin' from?"
Zack: "Get on the bed."
Paula: "I wouldn't fuck you now if my life depended on it."
Zack: "Then get the hell out of here! 'Cause I don't need this shit!"
Paula: "I don't know who you think you're talkin' to, you know? I'm not some whore you brought in here. I'm tryin' to be nice to you. I'm tryin' to be your friend, Zack."
Zack: "Then be a friend, get out of here."
Paula: "Fine." Grabbing her stuff she stumbles to the door, "you know man, you ain't nothin' special. You got no manners, you treat women like whores, and if you ask me you ain't got no chance at bein' no officer!" She exclaimed. At the door she's unable to get it open right away and she starts crying, falling against the door.
Zack: He snaps back a little and rushes to her, trying to comfort her, standing behind, "hey... shhh... shhh... It's okay... It's alright... Shhh... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." He helps her calm down, kissing her head and neck, and she begins to relax and kiss back.
(46:45)
The morning after, Paula and Zack talk; she wants to have a good time until he has to leave, but they agree the night before was incredible and she dares him not to fall in love with her, which leads to them making out on the floor.
(49:30)
Paula: "So Zack, what do you do with a girl when you're through with her, huh? Do you save something or just disappear?"
Zack: Looking at her intently, he admits, "I've never had a girl."
(49:40)
"That's..." The words fell from her lips and she turned to look back at her boyfriend.
Puck knows she's looking at him, so he smiles, "yeah, babe, I know," he nodded.
Blinking her eyes briefly, Rachel turned back to the screen, realizing that talking about that with others in the room wasn't a good idea.
During and inspection, Foley finds out that Zack has been using his classmates as customers, selling them clean and shiny boots and belt buckles that he is having a sailor shine for him. Foley takes Zack's weekend liberty away and tells him by the end of the weekend he will want to DOR, but Zack says he'll never quit. Foley tries to break Zack any way he can, using the knowledge of Zack's mom committing suicide and the not-so-good life his dad leads, but Zack stands strong.
(1:01:18)
Foley: Hey Mayo, why don't we quit this little charade of yours, over a couple of beers over at TJ's. Come on man, you're about as close to being officers material as me.
Zack: Sir, this candidate believes he would make a good officer.
Foley: No way, Mayo, no way. You don't give a shit about anybody, but yourself. And every one of your classmates knows it. You think they'd trust ya behind the controls of a plane that they'd have to fly in... Come on, man, I figure you as the kind of guy that would zip off one day in my F-14 and sell it to the Cubans, right?
Zack: No sir, no sir, I love my country.
Foley: Sell it to the Air Force, Mayo, sell it to the Air Force... Talk to me. Why would a slick little hustler like you want to sign up for this kind of abuse, anyway?
Zack: I wanna fly jets, sir.
Foley: My grandma wants to fly jets.
Zack: I wanted to since I was a kid.
Foley: We're not talking about flying here. We're talking about character.
Zack: I've changed, I've changed since I've been here.
Foley: The hell you have!
Zack: I've changed, sir.
Foley: No, you just polished up your act a little bit, you just shined it up. Now tell me what I want to hear. I want your D-O-R.
Zack: NO SIR
Foley: I want your D-O-R.
Zack: I ain't gonna quit.
Foley: Spell it! D-O-R
Zack: I ain't gonna quit.
Foley: Yeah, so then you can be free and you and your daddy can get drunk and go whore chasin' together, eh?
Zack: NO SIR
Foley: D-O-R
Zack: I AINT GONNA QUIT
Foley: Alright, then you can forget it! You're out!
Zack: Don't you do it! Don't you... I got nowhere else to go! I got nowhere else to go... I got nothin' else... I got nothin' else.
Foley: Alright Mayo, on your feet.
Foley breaks a little, getting Zack finally admit why he's there.
(1:03:20)
Puck knew what scene was coming so he reached for the remote, getting a whimper from Rachel when his hand broke from hers, since they'd been holding hands and he smirked, "hang on a second. Arin, close your eyes," he said glancing at his sister. Seeing her sigh dramatically, she did close them, so he fast forwarded through the sex scene until the last part and returned the remote to the arm of the couch, freeing his hand so he could slide it back into Rachel's. Pressing a kiss to her neck, he smiled as their hands fit together, as if they had been made for each other.
After an awkward dinner with Paula's parents, Paula shows Zack a picture of her real father, at the time he was an Officer Candidate just like Zack and her dad didn't want to marry her mom, so he left them and her mom ended up marrying her step-dad. Zack tries to hide the emotions as he sees the picture, passing it of as no big deal, but after finding out about Paula's biological father, he starts to avoid her. She calls the base looking for him, but he won't talk to her, so she gets upset and wants to go talk to him, but her mom talks her out of it because she knows that she'll say anything just to keep him. Paula realizes that her mom is right and decides to just move on.
Lynnette admits that she would do anything she could to trap Sid, while Paula says the opposite. Sid's parents visit and take Sid and Zack to dinner, where they find out that Sid's dad and brother were also pilots and Sid's brother was killed in action. Zack mentions later that Sid should cut ties with Lynnette, just like he did with Paula, because though they had some good times, nothing good can come from it. Sid soon finds out there's a 'chance' that Lynnette is pregnant and he offers to pay for an abortion, but Lynnette won't think of one, so Sid decides he wants to marry her, but Zack tries to talk him out of it.
Sid has a major accident during a test and the following day, Zack sees Foley and Sid come out the barracks; Sid dressed in civilian clothes. Zack tries to defend Sid because of the accident, and Foley says that he didn't want him to to DOR, but Sid requested to drop the program because he realized that he wasn't there for him; he was there because his parents expected him to do it like his brother. Zack blames Foley, but before he could talk to Sid, Sid takes off.
Unsure where Sid went, Zack goes to get Paula and she shows them how to get to Lynnette's, where she tells them that Sid was there, but had left. She said he came over to propose and when she found out he quit, she turned him down and told him there wasn't a baby anymore. Zack says there never was and Paula agrees with him, knowing what Lynnette said a few weeks prior. Paula and Zack end up at the hotel and find out Sid is there, so they break into the room he's staying in and as Zack goes into the bathroom, he finds Sid hung himself.
"Oh my God!" Rachel exclaimed, stiffening at the night of Sid's lifeless body.
Puck tightened his arm around her and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "it's okay," he murmured. "I got you," he whispered in her ear.
She smiled at him, "you do," she agrees.
Paula tries to talk to Zack, but he's very upset and is blaming himself for his mom and Sid's suicides. She admits that she knew what Lynnette was doing and should have said something, but she didn't and now she feels horrible. Zack says it's not her fault and he doesn't know why she cares because as soon as the next class comes through they'll be right back to doing what they were; hooking up with new recruits. Paula defends herself, because she really does love him and never would lie to him like that.
Still blaming Foley, Zack goes back to the base and demands to speak with him in private and Foley tries to calm him down by saying they already know what happened, but Zack continues to asks to speak to him. Being refused again, Zack tells him he wants to DOR, but this time Foley refuses, leading him in the direction of the blimp hanger where they get into a fist fight. Though Zack knows some fighting techniques, Foley wins, telling Zack that he can quit if he wants, but it's up to him.
At graduation, the class is lined up on the parade grounds, dressed in their dress whites. The base officers, family and friends are there to watch the ceremony and while the recruits are being sworn in, Zack appears on the screen, showing that he didn't quit after all. As the new Ensigns in the US Navy are dismissed to go find their families, Zack is left alone because no one is there for him.
Zack has one last thing to do, so he leaves the base and goes to the paper factory where Paula works, catching the attention of everyone as he walks through. Finding Paula, he goes up behind her and startles her, but she turns around to him. He whispers something to her before they wrap their arms around each other and kiss; Zack is guiding them away from where she was. The last scene, Zack picks Paula up and carries her out of the factory as everyone claps and cheers for them and Lynnette even exclaims, "way to go Paula! Way to go!" (2:01:07)
...
As the credits roll, Puck removed his hand from Rachel's and turned the TV off, noticing Rachel wiping her eyes, "you okay?"
She nodded, sitting up, "when I saw him alone at graduation, I felt bad for him, but when he went to Paula like that, it was... It's so romantic," she smiled. "When are you going to do something like that?" She asked him playfully.
Puck groaned, "I've got a year and a half to think about it, I don't know if I'm joining for sure or not. It's a solid job for a family..." He closed his mouth when he realized she wasn't talking about that, the clue was the wide eyes and his mom's gasp. "I, uh, take it you weren't talking about the Navy part, were you?" He shook his head, pissed at himself. Closing his eyes he leaned back against the couch, waiting for the explosion.
"When were you planning to mention this?" Deborah asked calmly from across the room.
"I was going to bring it up after the holidays," he told her, but looked at everyone. "I don't know if I will join, but it's a good option for me; I've got a family to think about, right?" He questioned softly, glancing at Rachel.
Rachel bit her lip, turning towards him, "yeah, I'm not going anywhere," she whispered, "it's a scary thought, though. There are so many other options out there," she added.
"Do we have to talk about this now?" He sighed.
"It's kind of out in the open, so we might as well," Rachel commented softly.
Sitting up he stretched his arms, "I don't know what the future holds, but what I do know is that there isn't any money for me to go to college and my grades are average, so there isn't a chance for me to get a full-ride anywhere, so I have to think of alternative ways of taking care of my family. The baby will be a little over a year old when I graduate and I know that is still a way off, but I've got to start coming up with options. The military is one that has medical benefits and steady money, but the down side is that it could mean I'm gone for long periods of time. I want her raised here; I know the town, I know the people and I think this would be a good place for her to grow up. I also don't want to take her away from her mom and her grandparents," he explained, "so I'd suck it up and sacrifice part of my life so I can take care of my family."
Reality hit Rachel like a ton of bricks; she realized he was right, as much as she didn't want to admit it.
Puck could see that Rachel was thinking and his mom, Arin and Rachel's dads were silent. Knowing why his sister would be upset, he slid down the couch towards her and pulled her against his chest, "I'm not leaving you, Arin, I'll always be a phone call away, I just might not be able to be home much for a while," he whispered.
"Promise?" She asked softly.
He hardly ever promised something, but this he could, "I promise," he said kissing her forehead. She nodded in reply and hugged him tightly.
"Have you spoken to a recruiter yet?" Alan asked.
Puck shook his head, "no, I figured after the new year I would," he said slowly.
"There are a lot of pros and cons with joining the military, but it is a solid income; for that you do sacrifice time with your family, but we'll help you out if that's what you choose to do," David smiled, getting a nod from Alan in agreement.
"Thank you," Puck smiled, "I want to be able to take care of your daughter, too," he added looking at them and then turned to look at Rachel. She was just a few feet away, so he slid down the couch, "what do you think?" He asked softly.
Biting her lip, she slipped her arms around him, "I love you, Noah. It scares me, but I'll support you in whatever you choose. I know you're looking out for," she paused, but smiled up at him, "our family."
Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her, "I love you, too, Rachel, thank you," he murmured, hugging her tightly before turning his eyes to his mom. "Mom?"
Deborah looked at her son, wiping her eyes, "Noah, it's one thing to become a grandma, but now you're talking about joining the military... It's making me realize that my baby boy is growing up so quickly," she whispered.
Being referred to as 'baby boy,' Puck got up and moved to her, hugging her tightly as he sat down next her, "I'll always be your baby boy," he whispered, "I love you, mom."
Smiling, she nodded, "I love you, too, Noah, this is just a lot to process, but if it's what you want to do, I'll be there."
He nodded, "thank you. It's just something I've thought about and it's not what I wanted to talk about on Christmas Eve," he admitted. "It just slipped out," he added.
Deborah wiped her eyes and laughed a little, "well, it's out in the open, so when you know more, talk to us, okay?" She requested.
"I will," he nodded. "I never wanted to hide it; I just planned to bring it up after the holidays," he replied.
It wasn't too late at night, but the next day would be busy, with an early wake up, so Deborah talked Arin into going to bed when she did and shortly after, Alan and David followed, leaving Rachel and Puck in the living room.
"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked her softly.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Rachel asked taking his hand and guiding him back to sitting next to her on the couch.
"Well, with all the stuff we just talked about," he replied, "it could make for a difficult life and... I'd understand if it would be too much," he whispered, "you know, for you to deal with, since you've got your dreams set on Broadway," he added nervously.
"I appreciate your concern, Noah, but you can't get rid of me that easily. No matter what happens, we will work it out, for us and for our daughter. Did you know that Ohio State University's Lima campus is where all their music and dance programs are?"
"No, I didn't," Puck leaned back against the couch, "are you looking at going there?"
She nodded, "my dad went there to get his doctorate in psychology. It is a very good school and would keep me here in Lima," she said snuggling up next to him.
"What about Broadway?" He asked looking down at her, concerned.
"Dreams can change, Noah, just like people can. I still want to be a Broadway star, but I want to be a mom just as much," she explained.
Puck bit his lip nervously, looking in her eyes, "babe, I don't want to hold you back," he whispered, "I don't want to be the reason why you never made it to Broadway."
"Noah, don't talk like that. You're not holding me back," she promised, sitting up to kiss him, "I love you and I want to be with you forever," she added a bright grin on her face.
Brushing a hand along her cheek, he smiled, "I love you, too," he whispered, pulling her against his chest, and kissing her lovingly, hoping their kiss showed just how much what she said meant to him; their future may still be undecided, but at least they had each other and surprisingly supportive family members to be there with them along their journey.
...
Movie: "An Officer and a Gentleman" (Numbers in () are times when quote is said). I do not own the rights to "An Officer and a Gentleman," just borrowing it for the sake of the story.
This movie is one of my favorites and it was also filmed in my area; the beginning scene was shot in my town and the rest was filmed up north, in a small town called Port Townsend. 'OCS', is actually a former Army base from the 1800's that was turned into a state park in the mid-1900's just after WWII. The park is called Fort Worden State Park and is one of my favorite places to visit.
...
A/N5: As usual, I wrote too much; this had all been part with chapter 21, but was too long, so I figured I'd split them up. Hope you like. A little more Puckleberry interaction. :) Let me know what ya think.
A/N6: Okay, so I did research and the music and dance programs at OSU are at the Columbus campus, but since OSU does have a Lima campus, I figured, why not move the program? ;)
A/N7: I struggled with parts of this; the movie specifically; I didn't want it to take over the story, but honestly; some of it needed to be explained... A lot of it reminds me of Puck and Finn and some of the issues they are going through.