Eight Months Later

If there was one thing Rachel hated about Los Angeles, it was the traffic. She didn't mind the fact that everyone was self-obsessed because, to an extent, she was, too. The smog irritated her but there was nothing she could do about it so she installed a small air purifier in the apartment and moved on. She certainly didn't mind the weather and hadn't found any real reason yet to miss the cold and snow that she was so accustomed to. The earthquakes that she'd heard about while growing up in Ohio weren't that bad either (so far.) They were usually minor and over jut as fast as they'd started. She really thought she was adapting to life in California quite easily. But the traffic. She hated the traffic.

By the time Rachel made it back to the tiny apartment she called home, she was exhausted and irritable. Her apron smelled like greasy French fry oil and the smell turned her stomach. But, she supposed, that came with the territory when she was a waitress at a diner known throughout the city for it's spectacular fries. Adding to her frustration was the fact that it was unseasonably warm for April in Los Angeles and the wispy tendrils of hair at the side of her face stuck to her skin.

It had been a long shift at the restaurant and by the time Rachel unlocked the door and pushed inside the small apartment, she was ready to drop. The hum of the air conditioner greeted her and her entire body seemed to sigh as it welcomed the cool darkness that made up the tiny front room.

Rachel tossed her keys on the bar that divided the kitchen and living room and kicked off her shoes as she removed her apron and threw it into the laundry basket that was waiting by the door to be taken to the Laundromat. She eyed the clock on the microwave as she cut through the kitchen, discarding her shirt and bra along the way. By the time she made it to the bed, she was just in her panties. Within seconds of climbing beneath the cool sheets, she drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

The light was pink and waning when she awoke again. Rachel noticed the other side of the bed give way and then she felt two arms encircle her. Sighing happily into the embrace, Rachel scooted back against her boyfriend of eight months. "How was your day?" she asked sleepily.

Puck nipped her bare shoulder with his teeth and let his open palms graze against her rapidly pebbling nipples as he sighed. "Another day. Got another new client at the gym. He's some dude that was on some TV show way back in the 90s. He tried the, 'Don't you know who I am?' bullshit on me but I just ignored him. He's fat. He needs to work out. That's all I give a fuck about. His show probably sucked anyway."

Rachel laughed softly as she turned in his arms to face him, nuzzling her nose against his neck for a moment while she quietly inhaled his scent. "And how was AA?"

"I got my chip today," he said, reaching into his pocket with his free hand and removing the small, blue metal coin. He pressed it into her hand and waited as she turned the coin over and over, her eyes sliding over the big, bold 6 MONTHS printed on the surface, and then she grinned at him.

"I'm so proud of you," she said, handing the coin back to him and then curling her arms around his neck. Puck pressed her back against the sheets, gazing down at her wide eyes, before dipping his head to kiss her.

Six months of total sobriety. He wasn't proud of the last time he'd gotten drunk. They'd been in LA for two months and they'd been fighting over money and after she'd gone to sleep, he got back out of bed and snuck the whole bottle of JD that he'd been hiding. When she woke up the next morning, she'd found him passed out and then she'd been so furious that she left him for two days. For the first 24 hours, he told himself that he didn't give a fuck. He was gonna mess up his life regardless so why bring down Rachel, too? But then the next day, the apartment was too quiet and it didn't smell like her shampoo and lotion and he just really fucking missed her. She finally answered his calls that day and it wasn't until he promised that he'd start AA immediately that she agreed to come back to him. The loss of her had only been temporary but it had been enough to force him to stop saying he was okay with handling the drinking thing on his own. And once he got over the fact that the meetings could get uncomfortable and emotional, AA was actually kinda cool. He'd learned how to deal with his urges and he had a sponsor he could call whenever he felt weak. And Rachel was proud of him. If he was honest with himself, he'd admit that she was what mattered most, anyway.

Rachel nudged his shoulder and pulled his focus back to the present, kissing him on the side of his mouth before shaking her head and saying, "Don't think about it. It's all in the past. I'm so proud of you!"

Puck kissed her gently and then asked, "D'you hear about the audition yet?"

The smile slid from Rachel's face and was replaced with a scowl. "Not a word. Three callbacks and now I just wait? I'm going completely insane, Noah! I nearly snapped at a customer today because her ketchup bottle was empty and she wanted more. I depend on customers for tips. I can't be rude but oh my goodness, would it kill these casting agents to make a timely decision? I feel like my entire future is hanging in the balance."

Grinning at her while she had her mini-tirade, Puck waited until she took a breath and asked, "Are you finished, baby? Because when I walked into the apartment, your phone was ringing. It was probably just your dads but it could have been one of those assholes you're waiting on, right?"

Rachel perked up, pushing Puck off her so that she could go find her phone. Laughing, he watched her go and then called out after her, "I'll be in the shower!"

Once she was gone, Puck pulled his shit over his head and shoved down his pants and boxers, walking naked to the bathroom. He felt grimy after a long day of dealing with sweating complainers at the gym and once his shift was over, he'd had a heavy workout himself before heading to AA.

The water came on and Puck stepped under the spray, closing his eyes as the slightly chilled water hit his face. He thought her heard Rachel squeal from the next room and he grinned into the water, hoping that she had gotten the voicemail she'd been waiting on. She'd put up with so much shit – from her failure in New York to her fathers' disappointment to having to deal with the stupid bullshit he'd put her through – that she deserved to get this part.

Just as he was finishing soaping up, the thin shower curtain was yanked open and Rachel was propelling herself into his arms, completely uncaring that she was now getting soaked by the shower spray. "Noah! It's mine! The part is mine! I can't believe it!"

Puck grabbed her around the waist and spun her around, pressing her against the shower wall. He pushed his lips against her in a smacking, wet kiss before pulling away and dropping her down to her feet again. Rachel looked at him, her eyes huge and shining. "Next week! I have to be on set next week! And it's not just for one episode, Noah! It's for an eight episode story arc!" Rachel's voice rose as she spoke and by the time she was done, she'd reached a high-pitched octave and she was bouncing up and down on her toes, her fingers digging into his forearms.

Puck stared at her, stunned. "Wait… what? I thought it was just that one episode… You went in, said a few funny lines, sang a song, and that was it?"

Rachel let out a happy squeal and Puck took the opportunity to slide the shower off so that they could talk.

Rachel shook her head. "I know! Me, too! But the writers loved the dynamic so much and thought it would be better to write it as an ongoing battle between Lola and Evelyn and so, between the time I auditioned originally and now, they changed it! And it's all mine!"

Letting go of Puck, Rachel bounced out of the shower and then looked down. "Oh my God, I need a towel! And some clothes!"

Puck laughed at her enthusiasm as she disappeared into the bedroom and came back a minute later in a pair of pajama shorts and one of his t-shirts. He licked his lips automatically, loving the way she filled out his soft, grey shirt in a way he (thankfully) never could. She finished dabbing a towel at her hair and then threw it at him, watching as he stepped out and rubbed away the water from his skin. Once he was dry, he dropped the towel and padded toward her naked.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she tucked her head against his chest and said, "I'm sorry I interrupted your shower! I tried to wait but I couldn't."

Puck shook his head, kissing her forehead. "Don't care. This is awesome! So tell me… will you get to sing more than one song now?"

Grinning, Rachel let go of Puck, linking her fingers with his to tug him toward the kitchen. Puck stopped her long enough to snag a clean pair of boxer-briefs out of the tiny, second-hand dresser they shared. After sliding them on, he allowed her tiny body to drag his large one into the kitchen and watched as she pulled two cans of soda from the fridge, tossing him one and popping the top on hers. He pulled out one bar stool for her and one for himself, sitting down so she could fill him in on the part she'd just landed.

"I don't know. They said I'll get the scripts for the next two episodes on Monday. And I have to meet with Mandy because we're apparently doing a duet later on in the arc and…" Rachel stopped, staring at Puck with a look of shock in her eyes. "Noah, I just realized that I'm going to be on network TV! I'm going to be singing on network television. How is this even happening to me?"

Puck grinned. "Because you're fucking talented and we live in Hollywood, baby. I told you this place would be good for you. Fucking told you."

Rachel couldn't even be annoyed at the smug look on his face because he was so completely right. Shaking her head, she said, "I just can't imagine that it only took a few auditions. And granted, it's not like I need a publicist or anything yet but Noah, this is a primetime, network TV show where I not only get to act but sing. And I'm starring opposite Mandy Moore! How in the world… I just…" A stunned look settled over Rachel's face. "I can't even…"

"Does this mean I have to start watching that show now? It's such a chick show," Puck whined playfully. The show, in its second season on ABC, starred former pop actress Mandy Moore as a washed-up rock star who was now too old to make it in the music industry but not yet ready to retire. It was one of the first shows to successfully incorporate music and actors breaking into song regularly. Puck had thought the whole thing was weird but Rachel had assured him that it was the closest possible thing to being on Broadway except that it was on television.

"Not only do you have to watch the show," she said with a sly grin, "but you're going to have to go to the award show with me when I win an Emmy for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy."

Puck let out a laugh and outstretched his arms, pulling Rachel against him. "Now there's the determined woman I love."

Rachel lifted her head, her eyes wide. They'd never approached the "l" word since they'd been together but suddenly, there it was. When Puck didn't take it back and just stared down at her, his breath obviously hitched, Rachel let out a yelp and hugged him tightly, whispering "Me, too" into his neck.

After holding onto her just long enough to feel like a sappy douchebag, Puck unwound her arms from his neck. "Get dressed, baby. We're going to celebrate. You pick the place and it's on me."

Rachel bit her lip and shook her head. "We can stay in. We have plenty of groceries and I can easily cook something. We can't afford it and we really, really should save money."

Shaking his head, Puck pushed Rachel toward the bedroom. "Nope, baby. You're about to be a huge star. We can afford one dinner to celebrate."

Grinning, Rachel nodded. "Well, okay, I do really do love that little Thai place in Venice Beach. Can we go there?"

"Sure, baby. Get dressed and we'll go."

Puck slipped on some clothes while Rachel disappeared into the bathroom. When she came out minutes later, she linked her fingers with Puck's and they left the apartment together. As they climbed into the car, Rachel asked, "Noah? Do you really think I'm about to be a star?"

Laughing, Puck threw the car into reverse and shook his head. "Of fucking course."

Rachel bit her lip and looked out the window, happiness welling up inside her. No, LA wasn't New York and her life wasn't what like she'd planned at all. But once Puck dropped his hand onto her knee and squeezed it as he drove down the street, Rachel decided that no amount of planning for life could actually beat living it. And all it took to make it all come together was a simple road trip with a friend.

-End-