Come Home Soon
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
Chapter 1: Holding On
Quinn Puckerman sat in her living room with Kurt and Blaine Anderson after a visit from some Navy officers who informed her that her husband, Noah, was missing in action. When "Come Home Soon" by SheDaisy started playing on the radio, Quinn began to sing along. Soon, she was overcome with emotion and started to cry in Kurt's arms. As she continued singing, she remembered the last time she saw Noah before he left for deployment. When "I'll Never Love Again" by Lady Gaga started playing, she sang along again. Finally, Quinn took a deep breath and looked up at her friends, determined to remain strong and keep Noah's memory alive.
Meanwhile, at a hospital in Iraq, doctors were puzzled by the case of an American naval aviator they had found without any identification apart from his dog tags that had the name "Hulk" written on them. Lacking other clues, the staff called him Bruce Banner due to his temper. To figure out the man's identity, the hospital staff contacted the American authorities for more information. However, despite their best efforts, they could not determine the aviator's original identity. As such, Bruce Banner became the mysterious aviator's name.
Mercedes Jones hadn't seen Noah for three years. However, when she arrived in London for her concert tour, she was shocked to see a man who looked like him. The only differences were a scar on his face in the shape of the letter P and the muscular build he had acquired in the last three years. As soon as Bruce saw her, he asked, "Who am I? You know me, Mrs. Jones." Mercedes couldn't believe it. Despite the differences, she recognized him as Noah.
"Mercedes sighed as she spoke. 'Noah Elijah Puckerman. That' is your name. Your friends call you Puck.' You have a wife, Quinn, and a three-year-old son, Noah Jr. Your mother is Norah, and your sister is Sarah."
She hands him a picture of Rachel with Beth and says, "The little girl is your daughter. You and Quinn gave her up when you were sixteen. I'm sorry, Puck."
Noah sighed as he spoke, his voice heavy with emotion. "I don't know anyone named Puck, Ms. Jones," he tells Mercedes, and he continues, saying, "I've been Bruce for three years, and now I find out I have a family. A daughter I don't remember, a son I never met, and a life I can't remember. I know you want me to return to Lima, but I don't know if I'm ready. How can I go back to a life I can't remember?" He looked up at her, his eyes filled with uncertainty.
Mercedes showed Noah a picture of Quinn and told him, "I already told her I found you. She will meet us at the airport when we return. I know this is a lot to take in, and I won't pressure you to go with me. Just try to think about how Quinn must be feeling right now." Noah sighed heavily, but said nothing. He had to think about it, and Mercedes gave him time.
A week later, Noah was on Mercedes's private jet, thinking of Quinn. He doesn't remember everything about her. But he now knows she is the girl in his dreams. As they arrive at the airport, Noah gets anxious about seeing his family. Mercedes texted Quinn as they touched down, saying, "Puck has changed so much, Quinn. He is not the same man you remember."
The moment Noah and Quinn's eyes met, all the worries and pains of the past three years melted away. It was as if time had frozen and the world around them had disappeared. They were two souls reunited, and nothing else mattered. The feeling was indescribable. Noah could feel Quinn's love for him, filling his heart with joy. It was like he had a second chance at life, and he was determined to make the most of it. Quinn was equally overwhelmed by the moment and her love for Noah. They embraced, and nothing else mattered.
When Noah arrived home, nothing looked familiar to him but Quinn. He didn't remember any of his friends or family. Noah hid in Junior's room every time his friends would come over and would talk with Kurt's daughter Tracy a lot in Hebrew.
One day, Noah saw a picture of himself with Finn and asked, "Who's the dork?"
After Quinn told Noah about Finn. He calls Rachel and says, "I'm sorry about Finn. I know I should have told you this after he died, but I'm sorry I wasn't a better friend to you after Finn died. You were his girlfriend, and I was a dick."
Rachel sighs and says, "No, I'm sorry, Puck. I tried to get Quinn to move on after you went MIA. Kurt was the only one telling her to hang on."
Noah ends the call and screams, "Why would she do that? Everybody says she loved Finn as much as I loved Quinn! Why is it so hard for everyone to remember that my name is Noah? Why does everybody keep calling me Puck? Puck was a dick that only cared about sex and himself! I am not Puck! I will never be Puck! I am Noah! I was Bruce for three years and knew that wasn't my name!" Noah soon flips over a coffee table and storms off to Junior's room.
Noah was only around Tracy and Junior for months. It was hard for Noah to be at his new job working at Hummel's Tire and Lube when the guys called him Mr. P and talked about his past. Mick noticed how uncomfortable he was, then took him to Katharine Elizabeth Hummel's grave. Mick looks at the grave. Then he said, "Quinn came here every other day to yell at God when you went MIA. Kurt and Blaine stayed with her for six months. This is Kurt's mother, and Carole is your buddy Finn's mother. Kurt got Carole and Burt together before Beth was born. I know you don't remember your past, but it wasn't that different from Burt's."
Noah looks at the grave and says, "My memory is coming back slowly. I know I was Kurt's bully and defaced her grave a few times. The rest is still blank. I never want to be called Puck again, Mick."
Noah sighs and asks, "Who is Nick?"
Mick clears his throat and says, "Your dad. He ran out on your family before Quinn had Beth. Jake is your half-brother."
Noah asks Mick to leave him alone as soon as he is gone. Noah whispers, "I'm sorry. I don't know how I got your diary, but you seem like a cool person. I'm tired of lying to people I don't know. Quinn is the only one I remember; the rest are second-hand stories I overheard. I know Kurt talked to you a lot growing up. Now, it looks like you'll be keeping my secrets."
He sighs and continues, "The last thing I remember is being chained up like Samson and hearing guys laughing at me before I brought the place down. The next thing I know, I'm in the hospital being called Bruce Banner. I could have gone home three years ago, but I didn't want to face a life I didn't remember. I wish I had never met Mercedes. The person I was before was an ass, and I'm glad my memory is gone. I don't want to remember my past and wish everyone would stop talking about it." Soon Noah is in his truck, screaming before breaking down.
When he gets home, he goes to Junior's room, where Kurt laughs about something Noah did in high school. Soon, Noah storms out and yells, "That's it! I have had enough of you laughing at me! If I was such a loser. Why are you here, Kurt? I was happier in London! Quinn is the only reason I came back! She is the only thing I remember! I don't remember Finn, Beth, or bullying you!" He storms off to his bedroom and returns with Elizabeth's diary, which he throws at Kurt, and the box of Finn's things, which he dumps on the floor.
He sighs and says, "Quinn, I don't mind you hanging out with them, but I don't want them here anymore. You know them better than me, and their being here is not helping me." Then he returns to Junior's room.
Quinn goes outside with Kurt and Blaine and says, "I saw him at your mother's grave with Mick before he came home. I think the guys at work are getting to him too. I get that Puck feels like a stranger, but it doesn't help that I feel like I'm married to one. He spends more time in Junior's room than with me. I love Puck, but that man in there isn't Puck. It's been three months, and he stopped kissing or touching me two months ago. Every time he has a nightmare, he pulls away from me more and more."
Kurt hugs Quinn goodbye and whispers, "Keep holding on," which made her chuckle.
Quinn goes inside and watches Noah asleep in Junior's bed as To Make You Feel My Love by Adele plays on the radio. She thinks of what Rachel went through after Finn died, and what she went through for the last three years, as she prayed for Noah to return. As she sings along with the song, she prays for Noah's memory to return and hopes they can get past this soon. She kisses Noah's cheek and whispers, "Keep holding on," before going to fix supper.
When Noah wakes up, Junior is in the living room watching Beauty And The Beast. Noah didn't pay much attention to the movie until he looked at Quinn during the closing credits, when the song How Does A Moment Last Forever by Celine Dion played. He gets up and takes her into his arms as they slowly dance to the song.
Suddenly, Noah has a seizure that lasts for thirty minutes. When he comes out of the seizure, he looks around and grabs Quinn, crying while saying, "I remember! I was raped! Call Kurt!" Quinn texts Kurt, telling him what happened as she gets Noah to sit on the couch.
Kurt returns with Tracy and has her go play with Junior as he sits beside Noah, who is still crying. When he calms down, he says, "My squad got shot down, and I was the last one hit. I woke up to two guys raping me at once. As soon as one guy pulled out of my ass or mouth, another guy was in me. After I bit one of them, I was chained up like Samson and whipped for days. I heard them laughing as they whipped the other guys. I refused to scream, but they still laughed at me. The more they laughed at me, the angrier I got, until one day I couldn't take it anymore and brought the place down. When I woke up in the hospital, the doctors kept calling me Bruce Banner. I was dreaming about Quinn praying at your mom's grave. But since I only remembered speaking Hebrew, I didn't understand what she was saying. I was released three months later and got a job as Lady Gaga's bodyguard while she was on tour there. I earned enough money to rent a better apartment for three years. Then I met Mercedes, and you know the rest."
He looks at Quinn as he says, "I slept with a few guys in London and thought I was bisexual for a while. I would never fuck the guys, but I let them fuck me. That's why I was pushing you away; I couldn't bring myself to tell you."
He looks at Kurt and says, "That's why I went to Scandals with you and Karosky. By the way, I still don't want to be called Puck. Another reason I wanted you here is because I want to prove to myself I don't swing that way anymore."
He sighs and asks, "Can I kiss you, Kurt?" Kurt nods in response, and Noah leans in to kiss him.
As he breaks from the kiss, he looks at Quinn and says, "Thank God, Mr. H is not with my mom, and Kurt has Blaine."
He kisses Quinn and pulls her onto his lap. She looks down at Noah's crotch and then asks Kurt to watch Junior as they head to the bedroom. Soon, Kurt hears Noah and Quinn moan in pleasure as he says, "Finally."
Chapter 2 will be up soon.