Rumor Has It

[ineedapplause]

Rachel had finally had enough. Thanks to stuffing the ballot box she now had an unforgivable stain on her perfect permanent record. She had been suspended and banned from competing in Sectionals when the New Directions needed her most to fight their traitors. Sam, sweet Sam, had been dancing for ladies in Kentucky and while it was true that she and Finn had saved him she couldn't help but keep thinking about his dire circumstances alone and in need of money so far from Lima. She would be in that boat soon, especially if she couldn't get into NYADA, and even if by some miracle she still did Kurt would not be going with her. She needed her best Gay. She was destined for New York and she would get there no matter what it took, but the truth was the closer that her time at McKinley came to an end the more that she realized she didn't want to go alone. She was terrified. Sure she was the star here, but what about New York? Her conversation with Shelby had haunted her for days. Shelby's talent hadn't been enough when it was pitted against the accomplished girls who had been from programs like NYADA. Her dreams, her life, was hanging in the balance and as much as she'd tried to hold her head high, breathe deeply and soldier on there had been one thing that had sent her over the edge.

Quinn. No, not Quinn. Quinn had only been the insane and slightly scary messenger. Puck was the one that was to blame for sending her over the edge. As if she didn't have more than enough to deal with she now had the knowledge that he was sleeping with her biological mother. It was so wrong. So gross. And yet somehow she wasn't surprised at all by his actions. How many times had she heard him brag about the MILFs his pool cleaning had serviced? She should've seen it on her own, really. What with Hot for Teacher and the intent way that he'd stared at Shelby when he sang I'm the Only One. Still she had never imagined in a hundred years that he would seriously throw himself at her biological mother. How had he managed to break through the cool exterior that Rachel had tried to hard to break herself in the past? If what Quinn had said was true - and Rachel wasn't entirely sure it was - then he had somehow seduced her and lowered her to his ways. The adopted mother of his child!

The longer she stood just outside the choir room with her arms crossed angrily over her chest the more stewed over the situation she became. She had messed up by stuffing the ballot box. She had fallen to a new low and she knew that, but this? She had never done anything as low as this. What was Puck thinking? How dare he think that he could take advantage of Shelby like that? Who did he think he was?

She looked up as he sauntered down the hallway, the last to arrive before Sectionals. She narrowed her eyes as he approached, reaching out and grabbing the lapels of his white tux and tugging him into the nearest empty classroom. She moved to block the door, crossing her arms over her chest, her tone terse. "Tell me it's not true."

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His outburst only made her expression that much more stony as she regarded him. Nevermind that when he said it that way it did sound pretty absurd. After all her and Puck were on mostly good terms and there hadn't been any hard feelings after he'd turned down her down when she'd broken up with Finn. There was no reason that he would have a vendetta against her or any evidence that he had any feelings for her. Still, why did he have to have gone after Shelby? Of all people.

She swallowed when he went on to clarify what she'd meant. That was exactly what she meant. She herself had fallen for Puck's charms more than once. She knew how irresistible and persuasive he could be when he wanted to. Surely that was what had happened to Shelby. Why else would she have risked her job? She'd believed that Puck had real feelings for her when he clearly did not. Right?

"Is this about Beth?" She asked, her tone still tight, but not quite as hard as it used to be. "You know you don't have to seduce her to see Beth. I understood it that she wanted you and Quinn to see her. That's part of why she moved back here." She wanted to tell him that he didn't have to make it gross by throwing sex into the mix, but the more she thinks about it, the more she wonders what her biological mom must have been thinking to even get in this kind of a situation.

Puck is certainly to blame, but he might not be the only one. "Helping her take care of her, how?"

[countpuckula]

Rubbing his hands over his face and then back over his mohawk, Puck took a deep breath. In her own way Rachel was trying to understand. He had never pulled any punches with her in the past, so why should he expect the same from her? To be honest, if he had wanted to confide in someone, he was probably looking at the person he should have picked. He had always respected Rachel, even admired her at times, and as many times as he had stood up for her he should have hoped she’d be on his side with this... but then she was rarely there when he defended her, and this was her mother.

Damn, when did his life get so complicated?

Honesty. He could do honesty, right? If he was going to be with an older woman like Shelby, and he was going to be a good dad, then he could have this conversation maturely without all the accusations and yelling. Sure he could. This was the perfect situation to prove himself.

“It wasn’t like that,” he said, unable to keep from at least giving Rachel a glare for her opinion of him. “Okay, so it started out being about Beth, but it’s not anymore.”

Of course it had started that way. He had never wanted to give up his baby in the first place, but he’d had no choice in the matter, so of course he was going to jump at the chance to be a part of her life. “You’ve always had two parents, you have no idea what it’s like taking care of a kid on your own.”

Puck had watched his mother do it for years, struggling to take care of he and his sister while working full time on top of it. And sometimes while she was working he’d had to take care of his little sister instead, so he felt like he at least sort of knew how hard it was.

“Beth needs a daddy, and Shelby needs a man. Why shouldn’t they both be me?”

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Rachel listened as Puck went on to explain, her expression steadily becoming more troubled. While it's true that she had fallen prey to Noah's charms in the past, she also knew he didn't play vulnerable without an immediate reward and never about something like this.

She let out a slow breath, her shoulders relaxing the tiniest bit. "I understand what you were trying to do," Rachel said slowly. "But Noah, you have to realize that you're hardly in a position to be either right now. You're just a teenager. Not to mention that a relationship with one of your teachers is high inappropriate for both of you."

She swallowed and stepped closer to him, reaching out to put a hand on his arm. "I think that your feelings for wanting to be there for Beth are getting in the way. I know this seems like the easiest solution, but it's not really a good one for you or Shelby."

She sighed. "I don't want you to get your hopes up, because this isn't a permanent solution."

[countpuckula]

Puck rolled his eyes at Rachel’s condescending little speech. “I’m eighteen. I graduate in a few months. I have my own business, I make my own money; I’m hardly a kid anymore. Let’s face it, Rach, I’m a catch.”

He didn’t even bother to comment on her claim that the relationship was inappropriate... mostly because he didn’t have an argument against it. It was probably against some teacher’s code or something, and his mom sure as hell wouldn’t approve, but the path to true love was never easy, right?

There was a moment there that he wanted to lean into her touch, to accept the comfort he hadn’t known he’d needed, but in true Rachel Berry fashion she just kept talking, eventually saying too much and, more importantly, the wrong thing. His expression growing angry again, he abruptly shook off her touch.

“Who says it can’t be permanent?” he said, but there really was no question in his tone. “I love her, and I know she’s feeling it too.”

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Rachel had to swallow hard in order not to laugh at Noah's comment that he was a catch. She wasn't sure if he actually knew how absurd what he was saying and he was joking with her, or if he actually believed that he could support a family on a pool cleaning business. Sometimes with Puck it was hard to tell.

For a second, Rachel thought he might be seeing reason, but then she saw the dark cloud come over his expression and she sighed, withdrawing her hand and crossing her arms.

"Has she told you that she loves you?" Rachel asked, knowing that with Shelby the answer was probably no. There was no way that Shelby would've led on one of her students, was there? "I think you need to make sure that she's coming from the same place you are," Rachel said slowly. "Catch or not, I don't see her throwing away her reputation to be with an eighteen year old."

She sighed, studying his face. "You're serious about all of this aren't you? You really love her."

[countpuckula]

Puck’s anger and confidence faded visibly at Rachel’s words. Damn, why did she have to go and make sense? Shelby was a stand-up woman, and it was true she probably wouldn’t risk her rep, something Puck knew all too well about. He’d been all about his rep for a long time... though he had almost thrown it all away by choosing Glee over football two years ago, something that he’d done for the girl standing right in front of him. Now here he was, going all in with her mother. Good thing he wasn’t one to think about such things. Or think about much of anything, period.

Still, back on the predicament at hand, just because Shelby hadn’t admitted it didn’t mean she didn’t feel it.

“She’s just being practical,” he replied, trying to sound like this was an obvious fact, but failing quite miserably. His own feelings, though, those he was sure of, those he knew. “Serious as a heart attack, Rach. And I know this is probably weird for you, since she’s your mom and all, but I’ll make her happy. Her and Beth.”

He meant it, too. He was happiest when he was with them, and he knew Beth was happier when he was around. They could make this work.

“I should probably get in there before the show starts...”

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Shelby was being more than practical. Rachel thought she was playing with fire. How could she not see the look on Puck's face and wonder if Shelby realized just how much he was reading into their tryst? She had been certain that Puck was the one taking advantage of Shelby, but now she wasn't sure.

Rachel wanted to tell Puck that he was being delusional, but when he said he would make Shelby happy the words were so genuine and sincere that she felt her resolve crack instead. She lets out a frustrated sigh and drops her hands to her sides in defeat. "Noah..."

She paused, not sure what to say. She could argue with him until she was blue in the face, but she couldn't say that he didn't love Shelby when it was clear he did have feelings for her. Even if she suspected that those feelings were a mix of physical attraction and wanting to be a dad for Beth. They were still entirely blameless and Rachel knew that trying to tell Puck that he should step down from an opportunity to be there for his daughter was pointless. If anything, it was the last thing he needed to disregard her completely.

"Break a leg," she said after a long moment, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. It was clear that she was going to have to talk to Shelby about this one. Which, talking to Shelby was hard enough already without feeling annoyance at the fact that she couldn't see how deep Puck was into all of this.

"I'll be cheering you guys on from the audience."

[countpuckula]

Puck was waiting for it, practically holding his breath as he waited for Rachel to launch into another tirade, so when she gave in and wished him luck he let out his breath in an audible puff, looking relieved. This time he didn’t brush off her touch, instead reaching up to take her hand in his for a moment.

“Wish you were out there with us, but don’t worry, we got this one. Even without the great Rachel Berry, they don’t stand a chance,” he said, grinning widely now that the hard part was over. Sure, there might have been some sarcasm in there, but he doubted Rachel would pick up on it. Besides, while she might be overbearing and try to outshine all the rest of them, nobody could claim she had no talent.

Giving her a wink, Puck released her hand and strutted out the door. Only once he was safe in the darkness of the auditorium did everything rush back at him, threatening to tear him down. It took the entire set of the Retards or whatever their name was, and half of the Troubletones’ performance for him to get himself under control again, but by the time he hit the stage he was back to plan A, and speaking of A’s, his A-game was what he brought.