Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This chapter title comes from the song "Hanging by a Moment" by Lifehouse.

Rachel tried to figure out a way to peer around Finn's hands over her eyes, but he was blocking her sight completely. She giggled and tugged at the sleeve of his jacket. "Come on, Finn! Where are you taking me?"

Finn chuckled and stopped walking momentarily to press a kiss to Rachel's cheek. He began to nudge her along again, excited for Rachel to see their destination just as much as she was. They were finally there, and Finn pulled his hands away from Rachel's eyes and slipped them around her waist.

Rachel gasped at what was set up before her. Somehow without her knowing, Finn had taken Rachel into the auditorium at school. A blanket was laid out on the stage, along with a picnic basket. Rachel turned around in Finn's arms, her eyes wide.

"Oh my God, Finn! What is all of this?"

"This is a date," Finn told her. "A real date. I know that Santana planned our first one, and everything, but this was something that I wanted to do for you."

Rachel beamed at Finn and stretched up onto her tiptoes to press a quick kiss to his lips. Taking his hand, Rachel eagerly tugged Finn over to the blanket and sat down. Finn reached into the basket and pulled out their meals. He passed Rachel's container to her and added a kiss to her forehead.

"How did you even manage to get in here?" Rachel asked as she looked around. It was a Saturday afternoon, so it wasn't like the school was open to just anyone. Finn, for his part, just smirked and took a bite of his food.

"I have my ways," he answered. Truthfully, Beiste had a soft spot for him and when Finn had revealed his plan, Beiste had agreed to open the auditorium for him. Finn knew that she was feeling guilty for his collapse on the field, but he also knew that he had no one to blame but himself.

While they ate, Finn and Rachel traded stories about their days. Once they were finished, Rachel pushed the basket and their empty containers aside and then crawled into Finn's lap. Sliding her arms around his neck, she nuzzled her nose against his chest and closed her eyes.

"Thank you for this," Rachel murmured.

Finn rested his chin on top of Rachel's head and traced his fingers up and down her back. "No, thank you," he said. "You're amazing and you like me for me and you accept me. I just wanted you to know how much that means to me."

Rachel was mildly embarrassed to feel tears burning in her eyes. Finn truly didn't know how wonderful he was, and Rachel was determined to show him. She shifted in his lap, tilting her face up towards his. Taking Rachel's cue, Finn brought his lips down over hers.

Their kisses quickly grew heated and passionate. Rachel's tongue danced with Finn's and she pressed herself as close to him as she could get. Still not satisfied with the space between them, Rachel pushed Finn back against the blanket. A happy little sigh escaped Rachel's lips against Finn's mouth and he groaned a little.

Finn's hands slid up and down Rachel's back, but he was careful not to put them underneath her shirt. He remembered how uncomfortable Rachel was the last time they got this heated, but he didn't want to push her like that again. He was happy just to feel Rachel against him.

Eventually, Rachel's lips slowed against Finn's. She placed kisses along the line of his jaw and then rested her head against his chest. Finn traced his fingers lightly across Rachel's shoulders and tilted her head up so she could look at him.

"This isn't about sex for me, you know," Finn said quietly.

Startled by Finn's statement, Rachel sat up a little with her hands on either side of Finn. "What?"

Finn slid his hand from Rachel's chin up to her cheek, cupping it tenderly. "I don't want just sex. You need to know that too, Rachel."

Turning her face into Finn's hand, Rachel kissed his palm. "I know that, Finn." Her voice was soft, her smile gentle and caring. Finn's thumb brushed against her cheek, and all he could think about was how he didn't deserve her. He knew that he had done some pretty messed up things over the years, so the fact that Rachel had chosen him blew his mind.

Looking directly into his eyes, Rachel added, "I trust you, Finn."

The look on Finn's face was one that Rachel would never forget.

Rachel was just walking through the quad on her way to her next class. So she was completely surprised when someone latched onto her arm and yanked hard. With her eyes narrowed in annoyance, Rachel's head snapped towards her new companion.

Of course, it was Santana Lopez. "What do you want?" Rachel asked in as nice a voice as she could muster. After all, it was kind of because of Santana that Rachel had ended up with Finn. She might have been the cause of Rachel's humiliation, but she was also did her best to fix it.

Santana didn't waste any time with beating around the bush. "You're Puck's best friend, right?"

"Yes, and…?"

"Has he said anything to you about Quinn? I mean, has he been spending a lot of time with her lately?"

Rachel hesitated, unsure of what to say. It was an odd question, certainly. Rachel had noticed that Puck had been spending quite a bit more time with Quinn then he had before. She had gone into café more than once over the past couple of weeks and found the two of them giggling together (not that Puck would ever admit to giggling). Rachel had definitely taken note, because Puck had told her that Santana was now officially his girlfriend. Rachel had found it odd that Puck claimed that one girl was his girlfriend while he was spending a lot of time with another girl.

Rachel decided to just settle with a vague response. "He hasn't said anything to me." It wasn't really a lie, either. Besides some encounters in the café, Rachel hadn't seen much of Puck recently.

Still, Santana looked worried. Rachel was a little put off by Santana's behavior, because she had never seen the Latina look so unsure of a relationship with a boy. Santana was one of the most popular girls at Lima High School, after all. Even so, Rachel didn't really want to continue with this conversation. She kept walking, hoping that she could make it to her next class before Santana could tell her anymore. Of course, it didn't work out like that.

"I just don't understand what's going on," Santana told Rachel. "Things were going great between Puck and me, especially in the beginning. I mean, the sex is great—"

Rachel made a face and stuck her tongue out. "Please stop." Puck was basically her big brother, and she so didn't need to hear about his sex life.

"Sorry," Santana added before continuing. "But I've seen him with Quinn a lot over the past couple of days. I mean, I know they have a lot more in common than I do with Puck, but I didn't think that he cared about that…" She trailed off with a distressed sigh, and Rachel finally stopped trying to escape Santana by making it to her next class.

Rachel might not have gotten along with Santana that well, but she couldn't help but feel bad for her. Santana was trying to compete with Puck's lifelong crush on Quinn Fabray, but that wasn't fair to her. Santana didn't know the full story between Puck and Quinn, and she probably never would.

"I'm sure that it's not really a big deal," Rachel said to Santana. And she hoped that it wasn't. Puck made Santana happy, so she deserved the truth. "I think Puck likes you as much as he always has."

Santana took a deep breath, and she transformed into the confident girl that Rachel had known since elementary school. "Okay." She smiled and nodded her head firmly. "Thanks, Tutor Berry!"

After Santana walked away, Rachel shook her head. She didn't think she would ever get used to how weird things were getting.

If there was one place that Rachel could always find Puck, it was at the River Park. He was just standing in the middle of the park, looking up and down the field. Rachel knew that look; that was Puck's pensive look. She had no doubt that he was trying to figure out what to do about Santana and Quinn.

"Don't think too hard," Rachel teased as she approached him. "You might hurt yourself."

Puck snorted and glanced down at Rachel when she came to a stop next to him. "Haha, very funny." He sighed then and ran a hand through the hair standing straight up on the top of his head.

"So," Rachel began. "Santana and Quinn."

"Santana and Quinn," Puck repeated.

Rachel saw that Puck really was torn between the two girls. It was probably best to be straightforward with him, because he couldn't keep himself in this weird limbo. "Santana came and talked to me today," Rachel revealed. "She's concerned that you might like Quinn more because you have more in common with her."

Puck closed his eyes. He had been afraid this would happen. Even though he and Quinn had decided to just remain friends, there was a connection there that neither of them could ignore, on matter how hard they tried. "This is hard," Puck said.

"Of course it is," Rachel said immediately. "But you can't do this with them, Noah. You can't string both of them along."

"I know that," Puck said sharply.

Rachel ignored Puck's comment. "You chose Santana, and you're just going to have live with that. You can't keep bouncing back and forth between them when you get tired of one."

"Rachel!" Puck dragged his hands over his face. "I know, okay? I know that. I'll talk to Santana. Just get off my back, Rachel."

Rachel decided not to acknowledge Puck's snappish attitude. He was going through quite a bit at the moment, and she didn't blame him for being touchy. Still, Puck was her best friend—so that meant it was her job to help him whether he wanted her opinion or not.

Finn tucked his hands behind his head and let out a heavy sigh. "So now even though my parents are separated, my grandparents are coming over and everyone is going to pretend like nothing has ever happened." He shook his head and looked down at Rachel, who was curled against his side. "This isn't going to end well."

"You can't be that pessimistic already!" Rachel exclaimed. She poked in him the chest to emphasize her point. "Your grandparents have only just gotten into town, Finn."

"You don't know my grandfather, though." Finn closed his eyes and his arms subconsciously tightened around Rachel. Simply having her near him made Finn feel better. "Imagine my father, but worse."

Rachel bit her lip and tilted her head to look up at her boyfriend. He had been dealing with so much lately, what with his parents' sudden separation and the never ending pressure from his father. Beiste was trying to act as a buffer between Chris and Finn, but there was nothing she could do while he was at home. The last thing Finn needed was further bullying from another family member.

"You know that you can always stay here," Rachel said. "It's not like you don't spend almost every other night here, anyway."

Finn waggled his eyebrows teasingly and Rachel laughed, pushing playfully at his chest. Ever since the night that Finn passed out on the field, he would sneak into Rachel's room with her and just sleep. Rachel was almost positive that her fathers definitely knew that she had an extra sleepover buddy, but they never said anything. They trusted Rachel and they knew the story with Finn and his parents.

Once Rachel stopped laughing, Finn's face grew serious. He thought for a long moment before he finally said, "You could come with me, you know."

Rachel pushed up on her hands enough so that she could look down at Finn fully. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Finn sat up as well and wrapped his arms around Rachel, pulling her against him. "It's not really fair of me to ask you to deal with my family."

"I don't have a problem with it," Rachel assured Finn quickly. Finn had spent too much time in his life dealing with difficult things all on his own. With whatever happened between them, Rachel wanted Finn to know that he didn't have to face everything alone.

Finn gave her a genuine smile. "At least Burt and my grandmother will be there. They're pretty good buffers against my father and grandfather."

Rachel put her hand against Finn's cheek. That simple touch alone made him feel a million times better, and he relaxed. "I'm sure it won't be that bad," Rachel said.

Finn snorted. "You've never attended a Hudson family dinner."

Carole wiped her hands on her apron and smiled when her son and his girlfriend entered the Hudson house. Finn greeted his mother with a kiss on the cheek, and Rachel hovered shyly behind him.

Carole hugged her son before he turned towards Rachel. "We're so glad that you could join us, Rachel. Finn told me that you have more of a vegetarian diet, so I made sure to make some extra dishes."

"You didn't have to do that," Rachel said. She slid her jacket off and handed it to Finn. "Is there anything I can help with?"

Carole smiled. Rachel was certainly much more personable than the girls Finn had brought home in the past, and she could see that Rachel made him much happier. "That salad needs to be tossed," she said as she handed Rachel a pair of tongs.

Finn grinned as he watched how easily Rachel interacted with his mother. He knew that his grandparents were being entertained by his father somewhere else in the house, but Finn preferred to stay right in the kitchen. Besides, he kind of enjoyed watching Rachel get along with his mom.

His reprieve didn't last very long, however. Ella and Ian Hudson came into the kitchen, followed by Chris. Ella immediately squealed when she saw her grandson and bustled her way over to him, wrapping him in her arms.

"Hi, Grandma," Finn said with a laugh as he returned her embrace. Ian Hudson could be a jerk all he wanted, but Ella was just the sweetest woman. Seeing her when his grandparents visited always made it a little more bearable.

"Finn Hudson, I swear that you just keep getting taller and taller." Ella wasn't exactly a short woman herself, but she had to reach up as high as she could to ruffle Finn's hair. "And sweetheart, your hair is getting messy." Ella didn't give Finn a chance to defend his haircut before she rounded on Rachel. "And who's your friend, Finny?"

Finn slipped his hand around Rachel's waist and pulled her close. As she always did when he touched her, Rachel blushed. "This is my girlfriend, Rachel Berry."

Rachel beamed brightly. She knew that she was Finn's girlfriend, but this was the first time he had said it aloud—and to his parents and grandparents, no less. Her hand found Finn's and she squeezed it tightly. He smiled down at her because he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Ella and Carole exchanged glances when they saw how Finn was looking at Rachel. They were young, but they had never seen Finn this happy before. For the first time, he looked truly at peace with himself.

"It's so nice to meet you, Rachel," Ella said. Surprising both Finn and Rachel, Ella reached forward and wrapped the younger woman in a hug. Rachel laughed and returned the hug. When Ella pulled away, she clapped her hands together.

"I have the cake made and it's in the fridge," she announced. She always made her son's favorite cake for his birthday. "Don't worry, Chris. It's your favorite. And you should call your cousin, by the way. Where is he?"

Right on time, the front door of the Hudson house opened and closed. "Right here, Aunt Ella," Burt said. He had a bottle of wine in one hand and a birthday gift for Chris in the other. "Kurt is sorry that he couldn't come, but he had a concert at Dalton tonight. And if you don't mind, I invited another guest. She'll be here soon."

"Oooh, Burt!" Ella exclaimed. She had always been like a second mother to Burt, so she was just as invested in his life. "Did you bring a date?"

Burt laughed and popped open the bottle of wine. "Not exactly." He grinned when he spotted Rachel. "Hey, Rachel, Finn. And happy birthday, Chris."

"Hey, Uncle Burt," Finn said. He had always wished that he would have got to spend more time with Burt. If he was being honest with himself, he would say that Puck had definitely got the better end of the deal because he had someone like Burt helping to raise him.

Chris, for his part, just raised the glass of scotch in his hand by way of greeting. Ella jabbed his shoulder, and Chris mumbled a hello.

"Where is Noah?" Rachel asked as nonchalantly as she could manage. Things had been tense between her and her best friend since they had their little spat about his actions with Santana and Quinn. Rachel hadn't had a chance to see him since then, but she had seen him around school. Finn squeezed her hand in return, knowing that it was hurting her that she and Puck were fighting.

Burt gave her a knowing look before he said, "He's out with Santana for the night." He took his baseball cap off, knowing that his aunt hated it when he wore it at the table. "And hopefully they're not getting into any more trouble. Anne is already going to kill me when she finds out about the tattoo."

Finn snorted. "Puck got a tattoo?"

Carole reached over and poked Finn's arm with the wooden spoon she was using. "I hardly think you have anything to say about it, Finn Hudson. You have a tattoo on your arm."

"What?" Rachel let out a sharp gasp and tugged on the sleeve of Finn's shirt. "Show me!"

Finn chuckled at Rachel's reaction and rolled the sleeve of his t-shirt up. There was a tribal armband around Finn's upper arm, and Rachel reached out to touch it with his fingertips.

"Wow," she murmured. Okay, she definitely thought his tattoo was hot. "When did you get this?"

"He was sixteen," Carole cut in before Finn could explain. "And his cousins convinced him to have a little too much fun." She gave her son a pointed look, and Finn sheepishly shrugged his shoulders. He would never forget when his mother saw his tattoo for the first time. He had never been grounded before (but Chris's incessant football training and constant bullying could be considered its own form of grounding), but he had never come as close as that time.

Rachel giggled. "You certainly know how to get into trouble, Finn Hudson." He winked at her in response and squeezed his arm around Rachel's waist.

"Alright, alright. Let's move all of this food out into the dining room so we can get this birthday dinner started!" Ella declared. She clapped her hands again, urging her son and daughter-in-law into the living room.

Finn ducked down to murmur in Rachel's ear. Chris and Ian had already gone into the dining room to get a scotch, and Carole, Ella, and Burt were moving the food out into there as well. "I'm pretty sure it charmed you, so I think you like it."

Rachel blushed wildly. She glanced around quickly and saw that no one was paying attention to them, so she stretched up onto her tiptoes and kissed Finn quickly. He caught her by the waist and didn't let her pull away too soon.

But they had to go out into the dining room before any of the parents caught them. Finn and Rachel walked in hand-in-hand just as Shannon Beiste entered the dining room as well. He grinned when he saw his coach and knew exactly what his uncle had done. While Burt, Rachel, and Ella (and sometimes Carole) would act as buffers against Finn's father and grandfather, Burt wanted to make sure that he had another one.

"Hey, Coach!" he greeted. "I'm guessing you're the guest that Uncle Burt invited?"

"You guessed right. And happy birthday, Chris," Beiste added.

Chris nodded his head and took another long swig from his glass. Finn frowned at his father and resisted the urge to shake his head. And then Rachel's small hand was wrapping around his, her fingers slipping between his. He smiled down at her and bent to press a kiss to her cheek before they moved towards the table. Finn pulled Rachel's chair out for her, and Rachel didn't miss how Finn seated them in the two chairs between his grandmother and football coach. The move was an attempt to buffer Rachel from his father and grandfather.

They had barely been seated for sixty seconds when Ian started in on Finn. "So Finn, I've noticed that you haven't been throwing as many yards lately."

Finn's grip tightened around his fork. He hadn't even taken a bite of his food yet, and he was already being told that he wasn't playing football well enough. His jaw tightened and he stared down at his plate.

Ella swatted at Ian's hand. "Stop it," she ordered. "No football talk during dinner."

But of course, Chris was the one to answer. "I'm trying to get him to bulk up some more," he told his father. "He's needs to lift more weights and do more reps. His arms aren't strong enough."

Finn hated how they talked as if he wasn't there. And no matter what Finn said, Chris and Ian were going to insist that they were right. Finn was used to it by now, but the last thing he wanted was for Rachel to see this. No one knew what his family life was really like, and even though he trusted Rachel implicitly, he was ashamed of how he let his father treat him.

But, as Rachel always did, she ended up saving the day. Looping one of her arms around Finn's, she said in a bright voice, "Finn's arms are great!"

The whole table stared at Rachel for a beat and then Finn cracked, letting a laugh slip past his lips. That caused the whole table (minus Chris) to join in, and Rachel's cheeks flushed. Finn slid his hand down to hers and squeezed her fingers tenderly. Somehow, she was his relief. He didn't know how he was so lucky to find her, but he was glad that he had.

Ella smiled at her grandson's girlfriend with twinkling eyes. Finn immediately noticed that the look was full of fondness, as well, and he was so glad that his grandmother liked Rachel. But it wasn't as if he really doubted that, after all.

Turning to her husband, Ella repeated, "No football talk. We're here to celebrate Chris's birthday."

"Football is one of Chris's favorite things," Ian pointed out. It was clear that he wasn't going to let the topic drop anytime soon. "Why wouldn't we talk about one of the things he loves most on his birthday?" Directing his attention towards Rachel, Ian added, "You know, Chris could have been one of the greats. He played for Notre Dame and would have made it to the NFL if it hadn't been for his knee injury."

Chris glanced at his mother, shook his head slightly, and then said, "Dad."

"Chris, you know I'm telling the truth! You were the best quarterback Notre Dame had seen in years. Don't you remember, Burt? We used to watch Chris play all the time."

Burt snorted. "Oh sure, I remember." He definitely remembered Ian nitpicking everything Chris did on the field, and he also remembered the timing of Chris's injury.

"Stop it, Ian," Ella admonished. "Why would we talk about Chris's injury right now?"

"Because Chris could have been one of the greats! And now Finn has the chance to do the same."

Finn sighed and pushed his food around on his plate with his fork, his appetite suddenly gone. Rachel squeezed Finn's hand comfortingly. She didn't know what to make of their strange dynamic, let alone what to say. It seemed as if Beiste and Burt were thinking the same thing, while Carole just had her fingers pressed to her temples.

"Please, Grandpa," Finn finally said. "My football practices are going just fine. Everything is great." The dull tone of his voice said otherwise, and Finn could feel Beiste's sympathetic gaze on him. Honestly, the only people that truly encouraged him while at football were Burt and Beiste.

"But what about your stats?" Ian demanded, unsatisfied with Finn's vague answer. "You know, your father had impressive stats, even in high school. Have you even come close to breaking any of them? I know that Chris would have broken some records if it hadn't been for that career-ending injury—"

"It wasn't."

Ella's quiet voice caused Ian to cease talking, and he turned his eyes towards his wife. "What?"

Ella looked towards Chris, who was now staring down at his empty scotch glass. Seeing that Chris wasn't going to come forward, Ella said, "It wasn't a career-ending injury."

Finn tensed in his chair, his fingers clutching his fork so hard that the handle bent slightly. Rachel tried to sooth him by rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand, but was too focused on what was happening between his parents and grandparents.

Chris seemed to snap out of his stupor then. "Mom," he bit out harshly. "Don't."

"Chris, everyone deserves to know!"

"What is she talking about?" Whipping around to face his son, Ian demanded once again, "What is she talking about, Chris?"

Chris sent a dark glare towards his mother, one full of contempt. Ella shook her head, completely unfazed by her son's behavior. She hated to know that Chris was bullying Finn the same way Ian had done to him.

"Enough is enough, Christopher," Ella said firmly. She looked around the whole table before her gaze settled on Ian. "Yes, Chris had a knee injury. But it wasn't career-ending. Chris wanted out because you wouldn't stop bullying him, so I gave him a way out."

A blanket of silence fell over the dining room. Then Chris suddenly shoved his chair back, causing it to tumble to the ground. Carole winced and they all watched him storm from the room. Finn squeezed Rachel's hand once to let her know that he just needed a moment to himself before he got up and left the room as well.

Rachel twisted her napkin between her fingers, unsure of what she should do. Finn did need a moment to himself, but she also knew that it probably wasn't best for him to be alone for very long, either.

Burt was quietly talking to Carole, trying his best to get her to calm down. Beiste was telling Ella that no matter what happened, she had made the right choice. And Ian was staring off into space with a blank look on his face.

Rachel slipped out of her spot at the table and quietly made her way through the large house. It wasn't long before she found some type of study down a long hallway. She peered into the room just in time to see Finn kick over one of the chairs.

Rachel jumped and bit her lip. Unsure of whether or not she should announce her presence, her decision was made for her when Finn looked towards the door. Standing in the middle of the room, he tried to calm his anger and catch his breath.

Without any hesitation, Rachel stepped into the room and placed her hands on Finn's chest. He looked down at her before his hands suddenly encircled her waist and he drew her against him, his lips coming down over hers. The kiss was insistent but tender at the same time, and Rachel melted against him.

When the kiss broke, Finn's breathing had returned to normal. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Rachel's, holding her close to him. Somehow, in an interesting twist of fate, Rachel Berry had become his rock.

"He lied," Finn whispered. "This whole time, he had lied. And now…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. Why would Chris put him through all of that when his father did the same thing to him? Finn knew that he would never understand Chris Hudson, but this just completely threw him for a loop.

Rachel put her tiny hands on either side of Finn's face. "You shouldn't have to go through any of this, Finn. You deserve so much better than this."

Rachel and Finn had spent a few more moments together before she felt it was best for her to leave. Finn needed some time with his family to sort things out, and he knew that she was always just a phone call away.

Rachel had just stepped into her bedroom when her phone rang. Checking the screen, she was surprised to see that it was Puck calling. They had never fought like this before, but it seemed like Puck was making the first move.

Rachel tapped the screen on her phone to answer and held it up to her ear. "Noah?" she said cautiously.

Puck didn't hesitate. "Rachel, I messed up."

"Noah, relax. Tell me what's wrong." After being best friends with Puck for years, she had never known him to freak out like this. Even though she didn't know exactly what was going on, she had a feeling it had something to do with Quinn Fabray and Santana Lopez.

"I messed up," Puck repeated. "Quinn and I were alone together and we just couldn't help ourselves and things happened…"

Rachel sighed and shook her head. She had a feeling that something like this was going to happen. Puck's feelings for Quinn had been developing for years. No matter how much he cared for Santana, she really didn't stand a chance against Quinn. "Noah, you need to relax," Rachel repeated. "No matter what happened, it can be fixed."

She heard Puck take a deep breath on the other end of the line. "I care about Santana and I don't want to hurt her. She can't know that we did anything."

"You…" Rachel paused. She didn't think it was wise for Puck to keep this a secret, but what else could they do? Quinn and Santana were best friends and Puck had somehow managed to find himself in the middle of an odd love triangle with them. "Don't let it happen again, Noah," Rachel finally advised. "And if it does, you need to end things with Santana. It's not fair to her, Quinn, or you if you keep this going on."

"I know," Puck said. "I know. Damn, Rachel. When did our lives get so complicated?"

Rachel thought back to just an hour before, when the revelation had happened at the Hudson dinner. "I don't know," she said honestly. Their lives had been turned upside down and things were probably never going to go back to normal.

Rachel Berry was freaking out.

She wasn't normally one to freak out, but she was about to fail gym. And frankly, it was nice to worry about something so normal for once. The boys were busy with football training and practices, and Finn had been doing much better in his classes, so Rachel had some free time on her hands. Unfortunately, no matter what she did to practice for gym, nothing improved.

They were going to be judged on tag football. Rachel understood that Lima High School was all about football, but she thought it was kind of ridiculous to build a whole grade around it. Even though her best friend had played football for years, Rachel still knew next to nothing about it.

Naturally, she had to head back to said best friend and ask him to help her out. She followed him as he paced back and forth in his bed room, holding one of his footballs in her hands. She was kind of hoping that if she held the football enough, she might figure out what to do with it.

"So basically, Noah, I need a lot of help. I have absolutely no idea what to do with this thing." Rachel looked up to find that Puck was paying exactly zero attention to her. With an annoyed huff, she brandished the football in his face. "Hello? Noah!"

"What?" Puck jerked and then pushed the football away from his face. "What the hell, Berry?"

Rachel tossed the football at Puck and planted her hands on her hips. "I need help, Noah!"

Puck laughed outright at that. "Sorry, Rachel. I don't think there's a teacher in the world that can help you with football." Seeing the scowl on Rachel's face, he reached over to ruffle her hair. "It might be just a little bit of a lost cause at this point."

"Noah—"

Puck grabbed his jacket and headed towards the door. Rachel watched with her brow furrowed. She had only arrived at Puck's house fifteen minutes ago, and they hadn't made any plans to go anywhere.

Puck cut off Rachel's protests and pulled his door open. "Listen, I have to meet up with Quinn. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

He was gone before Rachel could say anything else, and she was left staring at the door he shut after him. What the hell was that?

Finn had been surprised when he showed up at the Berry house and was told that Rachel was actually at the River Park. He was even more surprised when he saw Rachel standing in the middle of the field with a football in her hand. She had several more by her feet, and she stared straight ahead as she spun the ball in her hands.

Finally, she pulled her arm back to launch the ball forward. It veered off to the side and Rachel stomped her foot and let out a frustrated noise, and Finn had to bite back a chuckle. Even though she was getting angry, he couldn't help but think that she also looked very adorable.

Finn quietly moved behind Rachel. Just when she was reaching for another football, Finn slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. Rachel let out a squeak of surprise but relaxed when Finn kissed her cheek.

"Oh, why are you here?" Rachel groaned. "I don't need you to see me embarrass myself!"

This time, Finn actually let his laugh loose. "What is it that you're doing, exactly?"

Rachel kicked the football at her feet. "I'm trying to learn how to play touch football," she grumbled.

"You know that you need at least one other person to play touch football with you. It's not exactly a one-player sport."

"I didn't say that I was succeeding." Rachel leaned back against Finn's chest and closed her eyes. "I'm going to fail gym, Finn! I don't fail things! What am I going to do?"

Finn chuckled and shook his head. His girlfriend really was something else. But she looked so cute as he stood there and pouted up at him. Finn kissed Rachel's cheek again, hoping to offer some comfort.

"You're going to relax, Rachel Berry. Because you're not going to fail your gym class." Finn took a step back and grabbed one of the footballs that Rachel had left on the ground. "You tutored me in music. I'm going to tutor you in touch football."

"Oh really?" Rachel laughed and stepped further back, preparing to catch the pass Finn was going to toss her way.

Finn spent twenty minutes instructing Rachel on how to properly toss a football. He teased her about her tiny hands and she poked fun at his giant genes. It wasn't long before Rachel had the football again and was trying to toss it towards Finn.

Deciding to take advantage of the fact that Rachel was trying to situate her fingers on the ball, Finn silently and quickly ran towards Rachel. Wrapping his arms around her, he tackled her to the ground. The strong cage of his arms made sure that she didn't get jostled, and Finn twisted his body so that he took the brunt of the fall.

Rachel giggled and placed her hands on Finn's chest. He rolled her beneath him and brushed his lips across her cheeks. She smiled up at him with shining eyes and slid her arms around his neck.

"I was under the impression that there was no tackling in touch football," Rachel murmured.

Finn bumped his nose against Rachel's. "Sometimes I like to break the rules." His lips came down over Rachel's then, his teeth nipping at her bottom lip. Rachel let out a moan and slipped her tongue into Finn's mouth, her fingers curling into the collar of his shirt.

Breathless, Rachel simply lay beneath Finn with her eyes closed when the kiss broke. Finn set her body on fire in the best way possible. And it didn't all go up in flames within seconds. It was a slow burn that made Rachel squirm and want more whenever she was even near Finn.

His forehead remained pressed against hers as they both struggled to catch their breath. Finally, Finn rolled off of Rachel and stared up at the blue sky above their heads. He tried his hardest to get his body to calm down, but it was hard with Rachel so near to him.

"You don't know what you do to me, Rachel Berry," he said.

Rachel giggled and rolled over, pressing her side against Finn's. When Finn groaned, she pressed another kiss to his lips and smiled.

Rachel didn't ever think that she would be hanging out with Puck, Santana, and Quinn all at the same time. Yet she was sitting in the café with all three of them, simply watching as they chattered back and forth.

"Honestly, though," Santana said. She grabbed onto Puck's arm and tugged to make sure that she had his attention. "Do you think your mom will like me?"

Puck seemed distracted, but he shook himself out his stupor long enough to say, "Yeah. I've told you that before, haven't I?"

Santana's eyes narrowed in a glare at her boyfriend. "Puck, how many times do I have to tell that this is important to me? I want to make sure that your mom likes me." She kissed Puck's cheek to punctuate her statement, and Quinn looked down at her hands. Rachel looked between Puck, Quinn, and Santana, her brow furrowed in thought. She had a feeling that Puck was even more confused about the two cheerleaders than he had been before.

Even if she didn't agree with what Puck was doing, Rachel had to help him out. It was her job as best friend, after all. "You're probably just excited to see your mom after all this time. Right, Noah?"

Puck gave her thankful look. "Right," he agreed.

"Well, that makes two of us." Santana snagged a fry off of Quinn's plate and then poked her in the shoulder. "You've been acting weird, too, Q. What the hell is going on?"

Quinn's face turned an interesting shade of red and she nodded her head. "I'm fine," she said quickly. "Completely fine."

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Santana nudged her shoulder against Quinn's. "We're best friends, Quinn. It doesn't matter what it is, because I'll want to help you no matter what."

"And best friends can get through anything," Rachel added. She sent Puck a meaningful look and he glanced down at his hands, obviously getting her meaning. "Noah forgave me for dating Finn," Rachel continued.

Puck snorted. "That doesn't mean I want to talk about it, or whatever."

Rachel rolled her eyes and ignored his jab. "And honestly, if he can kind of get over that, then anyone can get through anything."

The tension at the table finally (mostly) dissipated. Santana began explaining their next cheer routine. Quinn participated in the conversation but still seemed distracted. And Puck acted like he was paying attention to his girlfriend, but his gaze was almost constantly straying towards Quinn.

Today was an important day for many reasons. Mostly, it was because Anne was coming back. But it was also important because Rachel had received that fantastic news that she had passed her gym class. Naturally, she had to head over to her boyfriend's house and immediately share that information with him.

Luckily, Rachel reached the house just as Finn was finishing his run. Without any concern for his sweatiness, Rachel threw herself into Finn's arms and pressed a kiss to the first place her lips could reach (which just happened to be his jaw).

Finn laughed as he caught his petite girlfriend against him. "Well hello there. What did I do to get this greeting?"

"I passed gym!" Rachel squealed and jumped up so that her legs could wrap around Finn's waist. She finally managed to give him a proper kiss, and Finn held her under her thighs to support her.

Finn kissed her again quickly and began to move towards the house. "That's great, baby!" Rachel giggled and continued to pepper kisses across her boyfriend's face. Before they could reach the front door, however, it swung open to reveal a disheveled Burt.

Rachel immediately slid down Finn's body, her cheeks turning bright red. "Hello, Burt," Rachel greeted. She straightened her shirt, wishing that the ground would open up underneath her when she realized that it had ridden up because Finn had slid his hands under her shirt. Burt was Finn's uncle and he was practically another parent to Rachel. It was incredibly awkward to have Burt catch her making out with Finn, to say the least.

Burt mumbled an incoherent greeting and placed his hat back on his head. He hurried past the two teenagers, his attention on something else entirely. Finn's brow furrowed in worry and he glanced down at Rachel, who shrugged her shoulders.

"Uncle Burt, are you okay?" he asked.

Burt finally looked at Rachel and Finn and managed a smile that was really much more of a grimace. "Fine," he said. Even as he was speaking, he was still walking towards his car. "I'm just fine." Knowing that there wasn't really anything they could do, Finn and Rachel made their way into the house.

Carole was standing in the kitchen with her hands pressed to the counter at the island. Finn smiled when he saw his mother. He wasn't used to having her around so much, and it was kind of nice. "Hey, Mom."

Carole jumped and sniffled when she looked up. She passed her fingers under her eyes quickly, but it was clear that she had been crying and there wasn't a whole lot she could do to hide it. Trying to act as if nothing had happened, she said, "Hey honey. Would you like me to make you and Rachel a snack?"

But Finn wasn't really focused on his mother's question. Stepping around the counter, he asked, "Mom, are you okay?"

Carole backed away before Finn could reach her. "I'm fine," she said quickly.

Finn's face grew hard. That was the exact same thing that Burt had just said. Given their reactions, there was no way that Burt and Carole weren't stressing about the same thing. Finn wondered if his family could handle another blow, and it looked as if he was going to find out.

Rachel slipped her small hand into his and squeezed comfortingly. Relaxing immediately, Finn squeezed her hand back.

Quinn tore her lips from Puck's. Breathing hard, she placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away. Puck looked down at her and didn't remove his hands from her waist.

"Puck, we can't keep doing this," she said. Even as she spoke, she moved her hands up and down his abdomen. Ever since the weekend they had slept together, she had been unable to keep her hands off of him.

Puck seemed to be having the same idea as he slipped his hands underneath Quinn's shirt. "Quinn, you've been saying that for the past two weeks. And here we are."

Quinn slowly nodded her head. "But we were going to tell Santana—"

"And then you decided that you didn't want to," Puck interrupted. He moved his hands from her waist to her face and cupped it. "Quinn, you need to relax. We tried. I tried to be with Santana and we tried to stay away from each other, but we couldn't."

Quinn rested her head against Puck's chest. It was true—they had to tried to keep their distance. But even though Quinn constantly reminded herself that Santana was her best friend, she couldn't deny her feelings for Puck. It had been the weekend before that Quinn and Puck had decided to tell Santana what was going on, but then Quinn had chickened out at the last second.

"I don't want to sneak around with you anymore," Quinn said. She reached up and kissed him gently. "We need to tell everyone."

"You're right," Puck said. He sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around Quinn. He had to break up with Santana, and soon. While he truly wanted to be with Quinn, he also cared about Santana and didn't want to hurt her any more than he was going to. He had put himself in an awful situation and he had to face the music eventually. He might as well do it sooner rather than later.

Rachel peered over at the worksheet Finn was working on. Impressed with his progress, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. He grinned at her in surprise but then continued on with his work. Rachel grinned and slipped out of the chair she had been sitting in. They were in the library, and she needed to find a book for her research paper.

Of course, her book was somewhere in the back of the library. Making her way between the dusty shelves, Rachel checked the aisles until she was close to the one she was searching for. However, something caught her eye and made her pause.

Pausing, Rachel backtracked and peered down an aisle. What she saw made her mouth drop open, and she immediately ducked back out of sight.

Puck and Quinn were making out in the stacks at the library.

Sure, Puck had always liked going after girls and having a fun time. But Rachel had never known him to intentionally play around with two girls like she was now. She was disappointed in her best friend, but she was also upset with herself. It was clear that Puck needed his friend during this time, and she had been caught up with what was going on in her own life.

She took the walk back to her table with Finn as a chance to calm down and collect her thoughts. However, Finn took one look at her and instantly knew that something was wrong when she sat down.

Finn's large, warm hand slid over hers on the table. "Rach, are you okay?"

Rachel managed a tight smile. Glancing up, Rachel saw Santana enter the library. It was only a few moments later that Puck came from one side of the back, and Quinn came from the other. They all greeted each other. Santana reached up to kiss Puck, and Quinn looked on with sad eyes.

Puck managed to catch Rachel's eye, but she immediately looked away.

Rachel thought about being angry and just pretending that she hadn't seen what she had. But that wasn't who Rachel was. And that was why she found herself banging on Pucks' door right before he was supposed to go with Burt to pick up Anne from the airport.

"Hey," Puck greeted. "Are you coming with us when we go pick my mom up?" He was already ready to go, and he was grabbing his jacket as he spoke.

Rachel didn't respond to that question. Instead, she said, "Do you want to tell me what you were doing with Quinn today?"

Puck froze for just a brief second. "I wasn't doing anything with her," he said. He pulled his jacket on but instead of facing Rachel, he acted as if he was looking for something in his closet.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, we haven't even seen each other today."

Rachel threw her hands up in the air. Puck was her best friend, yet here he was, telling her all of these lies. "Yes, you did see her today, because I saw the two of you today! And while you're figuring out what lie to tell me next, let me remind you that you have a girlfriend named Santana."

Puck slammed his closet door shut and whipped around to face Rachel. "You don't need to lecture me, Rachel! I know, okay!"

"No, you don't know! Because if you did, you would realize that this is wrong. And if you can't see that, then I don't like the person you've become." This wasn't the best friend that Rachel had grown up with. And she felt as if she was partially at fault, because she had missed when he turned into this person.

Puck thrust an accusing finger at her. "What about you? What about the person you've become?"

Rachel planted her hands on her hips, feeling her anger flare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You and Finn! He said a few nice things to you and you fall for it! You know that he's just fucking with you, right? None of it is real!"
Rachel gasped. The pain that sliced through at Puck's harsh words was unreal. He had tapped into every insecurity that Rachel ever had and was ripping it open. Puck's words were nearly unforgivable in that moment.

"Take that back!" she ordered. "Finn and I are together and I've never been happier! And I only started talking to him in the first place to help you!"

"Is that what you tell yourself every time you kiss Finn, Rachel? That you're doing it to help me?"

Rachel had enough. She yanked open the door. "You know what, don't talk to me anymore!"

"FINE!" Puck yelled.

"FINE!" Rachel slammed the door shut behind her, and that was that.

Puck entered the café, where he was supposed to be meeting Burt. He just wanted to get to the airport to pick up his mom. Maybe she would be able to help him figure all of this out.

Burt set aside the beer he had been drinking and stood up. "Ready to go?" he asked. Puck nodded his head but otherwise didn't say anything else. He and Burt got into the car, and Puck still remained silent during the drive through town.

"Are you okay?" Burt eventually asked.

Puck released a heavy sigh. "Rachel and I got into a fight," he revealed. "She said some things and…"

"And she might have been right?" Burt prodded gently. He wasn't going to sugarcoat it for Puck. Even since Anne had left, Puck had been getting himself into quite a bit of trouble. Every kid went through a phase like this eventually, and Puck just had to realize that it wasn't always going to be like this.

Puck grunted and crossed his arms over his chest. He knew that Burt and Rachel were both right. And even worse than that, he regretted everything that he had said to Rachel. It hadn't been fair at all. She had just been looking out for him, because she didn't want him to make mistakes. But then he had to go and throw her insecurities back in her face.

Puck knew that Finn really did care for Rachel. He may not have liked the guy, but Finn had become a better person since he started his relationship with Rachel. He kind of doubted that he and Finn would ever be best friends, but he could support their relationship. They made each other happy.

Burt pulled up to a stoplight and looked towards Puck. "So?"

Of course Burt knew that there was something else he wanted to add. "I said some things to her that I probably shouldn't have," he admitted.

To Puck's surprise, Burt simply smiled. "You guys will be fine. Best friends fight, but they get over it. That's the point of having a best friend."

He glanced up at the light and began to pull out into the intersection. Puck glanced out the window just in time to see a car barreling towards them.

"Burt!" Puck yelled. And that was the last thing he remembered before that car slammed into theirs.

Rachel rested her head on Finn's chest. Her brow remained furrowed and there was a permanent frown on her lips. Finn wasn't forcing her to talk—instead, he had just rubbed her back, holding her in his arms.

Finn pressed a kiss to her forehead and pressed his thumb against the pout on her face. He tried to smooth the worry lines away, and Rachel released a sigh and relaxed fully in Finn's arms. If she was going through all of this, she was glad that she at least had Finn there with her.

"I just don't understand," Rachel said for what was probably the hundredth time. "What's going on with him? Noah has never been like this before."

Finn's hands traced random patterns on her back. "Speaking from experience, football can be pretty stressful. That might have something to do with it."

Rachel lifted her head and arched an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "Are you actually defending Noah?"

"Well…"

"Oh my God, you're defending Noah!"

"I'm just saying." Finn smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead. "I know a little bit what it's like. It's a big adjustment and there's a lot of change. Plus, Santana is really intense. And Quinn is… Quinn."

"We're so not talking about your ex-girlfriends right now," Rachel stated. Finn's cheeks turned red and Rachel patted his face gently. She had to take a little bit of pity on him. Finn really had changed, and she couldn't hold his past against him. Things were different now. Plus, they were all sort of friends—in a weird, odd sort of way.

Steering the conversation back to the original topic, Finn said, "It's just a little weird, that's all."

"What is?" Rachel asked. She snuggled further against Finn and closed her eyes.

"That Puck is the jerk now. That used to be my role."

Rachel let out a delicate snort and nodded her head. Somehow, Finn and Puck had reversed roles. The world as they had known it had been turned upside down, and Finn was right. It was going to take a bit of adjustment, but Rachel knew that they would be able to figure it out.

"This whole thing started because I was trying to mess with Puck," Finn continued. "Now look where we are."
Wait a second.

Rachel's head shot up and she stared down at Finn, who looked as if he didn't have a care in the world. His eyes were closed as well and he had a smile on his face as his hands tightened around Rachel's waist. When she sat up, his eyes opened and he gave her a playful look.

"Hey, where did you go?"

Rachel pulled further away from Finn. "What did you mean, this all started because you were trying to mess with Puck? What are you talking about?"

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "Back when Puck first started on the football team, we tried to screw with him. You're his best friend, so it kind of seemed like the best way to—"

Rachel jumped up from the bed and held her hands out. "Don't even finish that sentence," she ordered. "Don't you dare."
Finn seemed to realize that he had made a grave mistake. "Rachel, it may have started out like that, but it's different now. I care about you so much—"

"Don't!" Rachel interrupted once again. Her heart tightened in her chest and she felt as if the room was spinning. Had Puck been right all along? What had Finn been trying to do? Was everything that happened between them a lie? "Was this all some sort of game to you?"

Finn climbed off the bed and reached out to Rachel, but she backed up and avoided his touch. "Rachel, it's not like that! Of course this isn't some sort of game. I'm sorry that I said that. I shouldn't have."

"You shouldn't have said anything at all," Rachel snapped. She thrust a finger towards the door. She was so upset that her entire body was shaking, and she wanted Finn out of there before she burst into tears. "Get out."

"Rachel, please—"

The ringing of Rachel's phone cut across Finn's pleading. Seeing that it was Burt, Rachel quickly answered it and held a hand up to keep Finn from speaking. "Hello?"

Burt didn't waste any time beating around the bush. "Rachel, there's been an accident. It's Puck."

No, this was too much. Her heart was breaking because of Finn and now her best friend had been in an accident. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"There were some complications during surgery, and they don't know if—"

Rachel didn't hear the rest, because the phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor. Finn scooped the phone from the floor and then pulled Rachel into his arms. She went without a fight, as she was too focused on trying to wrap her mind around what was happening.

"Uncle Burt?" Finn asked. He listened intently as Burt explained the situation. He swiped his fingers under Rachel's eyes, trying to wipe her tears away. When he hung up the phone, he took her hand and began to pull her towards the door. "Come on, Rach," he said. "Let me take you to the hospital."

Rachel dug her heels in and tugged her hands from Finn. "I can't go," she said.

"Rachel—"

"I can't go. And you need to leave."

Without giving Finn a chance to respond, Rachel left her bedroom and ran from the house.

Puck had flat-lined while they had been doing some emergency surgery. The doctor had told Anne that Puck was going to be fine, but now they just had to wait for him to wake up. Santana had already taken residence up by Puck's bed.

What shocked everyone was that Chris had witnessed the accident and had given the doctors permission to perform the surgery on Puck. What was even more surprising was that Burt was just under the legal limit while he had been driving. It had all been an accident, but it had angered Anne enough to kick Burt out of the hospital.

Rachel had been spending as much time as she possibly could at the café. Finn had tried to bring her to the hospital, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. And since that night, she hadn't been able to talk to Finn. In a matter of minutes, everything that Rachel had known had fallen apart, and she didn't have a single idea of what to do about it.

The door to the café dinged and Rachel looked up to see Quinn entering. The blonde looked as bad as Rachel was feeling, and she dropped the cloth she had been using to wipe down the counter. Quinn took a seat and watched Rachel for several long moments.

"You should go see him," the blonde cheerleader finally said.

"Have you seen him?" Rachel countered.

"No." Quinn sighed. "I can't. Not while Santana is there."

Rachel slowly shook her head. "I can't see him either. Not after… not after the huge fight we had."
Quinn shrugged her shoulders. "Friends get into fights all the time. Wasn't it you that said that best friends can get through anything? It was just one little spat. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Besides, I think Anne really needs you right now."

Rachel picked at the hem of her shirt. "You don't understand, Quinn. I said terrible, awful things to him. I told Noah to never speak to me again. And now there's a chance that he might not…" She trailed off, biting down on her bottom lip hard to stop the tears. Puck was in the hospital and she was fighting with Finn. She couldn't talk to the two people that she needed most, and it was tearing her up inside.

Quinn could tell. "Look, I'll go visit Puck when you do," she said. "You need to do it eventually. Why don't you bring Finn? I know that he and Puck don't even like each other, but I'm sure he would go with you."

"I'm not talking to Finn," Rachel whispered. "He… he told me that he began to talk to me in the first place because he wanted to mess with Puck."

Quinn sighed and shook her head. Finn was so close to messing up the best thing that had even happened to him, and all because he had to open his big mouth. Quinn knew that Finn was probably in love with Rachel, because she had never seen him act like this with anyone before. Somehow, Finn needed to fix what had happened.

"You know that Finn cares about you," Quinn began. "And—"

"I don't want to talk about it," Rachel interrupted. She picked up the cloth again and went to clean the tables out on the floor even though they were spotless to begin with. Rachel didn't know when this would feel better. At this rate, she wasn't sure it ever would.

I swear, we'll get through all of season one soon. I forgot that so much happened!