Rachel hummed to herself as she put the finishing touches on the enormous platter of cookies in front of her. This had to work. Everyone loved cookies but more importantly everyone loved Rachel's cookies. Her dad's had both tried to sneak into the kitchen, twice, to steal one but she glared and sent them both on their way with nothing more than a napkin filled with the broken cookies that couldn't be salvaged.

Rachel smiled as she put the finishing touches on the last cookie and set it down on the platter. It was a strange collection of things to be sure but from what she'd managed to pull from Puck, they were all of Dani's favorite things. There were soccer balls because Rachel knew she was on the JV team at school. Puck said she was the best player. There were owls because Puck said she loved owls. He said she collected them and Rachel remembered seeing a stuffed owl on Dani's bed and a collection of little owl statues on her dresser the one time she passed by Dani's room.

There were tiny little Vespa's because no matter how many times Puck told her they were the lamest motorized vehicles ever made (to which Dani only had one word – Segways), she'd been asking for one since she was eleven. Every birthday, Hanukah, 4th of July, the only thing on her list was a Vespa. The shining star of the platter however was the almost 12 inch, extremely detailed Eiffel tower that took three hours, because Rachel knew that even more than the Vespa, Dani had always, always wanted to go to Paris.

Rachel wrapped the platter very tightly with plastic wrap, set it delicately on the passenger seat and drove a very sedate ten miles an hour through the back roads to Puck's house. She walked carefully up to the front door and rang the bell. Puck yanked the door open and smiled when he saw the platter of cookies in her hand. "Hell yeah. Cookies!" He slid his phone in his pocket and reached for the tray.

Rachel yanked it out of his reach and slapped his hand, earning her a wounded puppy dog look. "These are for your sister." Rachel pushed past him and into the house.

"Why does she get cookies?" Puck pouted, following her into the kitchen. "She's a brat."

"She's your sister," Rachel tore the plastic wrap off and re-arranged the cookies until they were perfect. She pulled a small note out of her purse with Dani's name hand written on the front and balanced it on top of the cookies.

"Speaking of my sister, she's got soccer practice until five and mom's working the night shift." Puck said slipping his arms around Rachel's waist.

"Yeah?" Rachel turned around, sliding her hands up his chest. Puck smirked and lowered his lips to her neck, kissing a soft trail up to her jaw and Rachel pushed slightly on his chest and glared at him. "Put it back."

Puck groaned and dropped the soccer ball cookie back to the platter and groaned. "Tell you what? You have a Spanish test tomorrow. If you make at least a C, I'll bake you your own batch."

"A C?" Puck frowned.

"I'll help you study," Rachel rolled her eyes and grabbed his wrist pulling him toward the stairs.

"Are you gonna do that thing where every time I get a right answer, you take off a piece of clothing?" Puck asked following her to his room.

"Calm down Noah it's just a test, not a final." Rachel smiled.

When five rolled around and they heard the front door slam, Puck groaned as Rachel practically threw him off the bed. He was inches away from the bra strap but once again he was cock blocked by his sister. "Have you seen my shirt?" Rachel asked franticly and Puck pulled it out from under his bed and held it up.

They could hear Dani banging around downstairs, opening and closing the fridge and slamming cabinets shut. Rachel tucked her shirt back into her skirt and grabbed Puck's Spanish book from the corner of the bed where it had been forgotten almost two hours previous and threw it at him. He caught it, just barely, and glared at her as she pulled the door open. Rachel had a very strict open door policy when his mom and sister were in the house. She said it promoted trust and openness. Puck was pretty sure the only thing it actually promoted was his balls shriveling up and falling off.

"Dani, hi! How was practice?" Rachel asked, desperately trying to tame her hair. Puck snorted from behind her on the bed cause Dani wasn't stupid, she knew what they'd been doing.

"Fine," Dani said dismissively to Rachel and opened her bedroom door.

"Your mom's working the night shift again tonight so I was going to go start dinner. I'm thinking Lasagna." Rachel asked hopefully.

"Whatever," Dani rolled her eyes and walked into her room.

Rachel bit her lip and ducked her head before heading down the stairs and Puck groaned and climbed off the bed. "Dani, did you see the cookies Rachel made for you?" he asked from his sister's doorway and Rachel stopped on the top step.

"Oh yeah, thanks." Dani said and Rachel smiled as she continued down the stairs. She might not have heard the sarcasm in Dani's voice but Puck had. It was hard to catch sometimes, Puckerman's were masters at making something sound as sincere as possible while secretly thinking fuck off.

"It wouldn't kill you to be nice to her," Puck glared at his sister.

"Actually I think I just might," Dani said before slamming the door in his face.

Puck sighed and headed down the stairs and into the kitchen. Rachel was at the counter chopping onions, her eyes watery. "Hey," Puck dropped a kiss on her forehead. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Rachel looked up and Puck wiped away one of the tears that slid down her cheek. "Just the onions," she assured him.

Puck walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. He saw Rachel's empty platter next to the sink and smiled. "She liked the cookies," Puck smirked, picking up a spare crumb with his thumb and licking it off.

"Yeah," Rachel smiled tightly at him over her shoulder. "I'll have the lasagna in the oven in about thirty minutes and then we should get back on Spanish."

"I knew I wasn't going to get out of that." Puck rolled his eyes and walked back to the stairs, opening the trash can to throw the lid to his water bottle away and noticed all of Rachel's cookies at the bottom of the bag next to the crumpled up note she'd left with them. Most of them had broken and the giant Eiffel tower in five separate pieces.

Puck looked back over at Rachel who had moved onto chopping green peppers but her eyes were still watering. She wiped her cheek on the shoulder of her shirt and Puck cursed his sister before heading back up to his room. Rachel had been insisting, since before they even got together, that Dani hated her. Puck had brushed her off and said that was just Dani being Dani. Sure she could be rude and difficult but she was a Puckerman, that's just the way they were.

Except, she'd always been really nice to Santana, practically idolized the girl which was disturbing on too many levels and probably the main reason that Puck eventually put an end to their arrangement. And she'd practically been in love with Quinn. For the few months she lived with them, Quinn and Dani did everything together. There were manicures and pedicures and Quinn braided Dani's hair and Puck didn't even know his sister was into that girly shit. But she'd never really warmed up Rachel, no matter how hard Rachel tried and Rachel tried really hard.

Puck stopped at Dani's door and raised his hand no knock but stopped because what the hell was he gonna say? Why don't you like my girlfriend? That sounded lame even to his ears and he knew Dani would just laugh in his face. So he just walked back to his room and opened his Spanish book to learn how to conjugate "to eat".

Two hours later Rachel called he and Dani down to dinner and he stopped at the top of the stairs. There was steaming hot lasagna, fresh made salad and the most awesome smelling garlic bread. Rachel had the table all set, plates and silverware and fabric napkins. Puck didn't even know they had fabric napkins. "God who does she think we are? The Brady Bunch?" Dani snorted and pushed past Puck. She grabbed her plate from the table, scooped up some lasagna, by-passed the salad completely grabbing two pieces of bread before walking right back out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Rachel's face fell and Puck had no idea what the hell he could do so he kissed her cheek. "It looks really good baby," Puck said encouragingly and she thanked him and sat down. "And," he said in a fit of, I've-suddenly-misplaced-my-balls, "Without the brat here, we can have a nice romantic dinner."

"Noah."

"No, just give me a second," Puck said and walked to the hall closet, digging through it for some candles and candlesticks and coming up empty. He slammed his forehead against the closet door then got a good idea.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Rachel couldn't help the grin that split across her face as Puck came back into the kitchen walking very slowly holding a menorah in one hand as he lit the candles with the other. "Noah that's hardly appropriate," she said, trying to keep her tone scolding but she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped as he set it down on the table.

"It's all I could find." Puck slipped the lighter back into his pocket and sat down. "Plus, we're Jews, it's allowed."

Rachel just shook her head and grabbed his plate, serving him up a healthy slice of lasagna and an even healthier portion of salad, which he groaned at. He cleaned his plate though, earning him another smile and that was good enough for him. "She hates me." Rachel said when she was clearing off the table.

"She doesn't," Puck protested but even he didn't believe what he was saying.

"I just. I don't understand," Rachel turned around, leaning against the counter. "I'm nice to her, I take an interest in her life, I try not to be too annoying when she's around. I make you happy, or at least I try to make you happy that should count for something."

"You do make happy," Puck kissed her softly. "And it does count." He tapped her forehead softly with his. "Dani's just a brat." Rachel chuckled. "Look, my mom loves you and I—"

"You…what?" Rachel looked up at him from under her eyelashes.

"I love you," Puck mumbled and Rachel slipped a finger in his belt loop, pulling him closer.

"Yeah?" Rachel smiled softly.

"Yeah," Puck nodded, kissing her again, a bit more forcibly this time, his fingers sliding up under her shirt, lightly tickling her sides.

They jumped apart when Dani slammed her plate in the sink, glaring at them as she walked back to her room. "Do you want me to talk to her?" Puck asked pulling away.

"No, it's fine, that will probably just make things worse." Rachel said. "It's fine, it's just going to take her some time. I'm not going to give up though." Rachel stood up straighter, that familiar Rachel Berry I-can-do-anything-I-put-my-mind-to look on her face.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Rachel was patient but it didn't seem to be getting any better, in fact it was getting worse. Instead of just ignoring her now, Dani seemed to be actively hostile toward Rachel. So it came as quite a surprise when Rachel saw Dani's name flash across her phone screen at two in the morning. "Dani?" Rachel asked groggily.

"Can you come pick me up?" Dani asked. Rachel could here that ever present sharpness in her tone that all the Puckerman's had, but underneath it there was something else. She sounded tired and a bit scared.

"Dani, are you ok?"

"Can you come get me or not?" Dani asked.

"Yeah, just tell me where you are." Rachel said grabbing her shoes out from under her bed and pulling a sweatshirt over her head as Dani gave her the address.

She pulled up to the house twenty minutes later to see a party going on. Dani was sitting on the curb, her knees tucked up under her chin, her hair covering her face. Rachel stopped the car and Dani jumped up and climbed in. "Did you call my brother?"

"No," Rachel said softly as she pulled away. Dani's eyes were red rimmed and her cheeks were puffy and she reeked of stale beer. "You've been drinking." Rachel said softly.

"So," Dani snorted looking out the window.

"Your fourteen years old," Rachel wanted to say but she bit her tongue.

"Are you going to tell him?" Dani asked softly and there was that scared tone again.

"I should," Rachel said and Dani's head whipped around quickly to stare at Rachel. "But I won't." Her whole body sagged in relief in the passenger seat.

.

"Thanks," she grumbled and Rachel snorted this time. "This isn't the way to my house."

"We're going to my house," Rachel said turning down her street. "If there's one thing your brother knows, it's hangovers. He'll take one look at you and know. You can stay at my house and in the morning I'll take you to soccer."

"Right," Dani nodded as they pulled into Rachel's driveway.

"Did something happen at the party?" Rachel asked as she turned the car off and pulled the keys out. Dani didn't say anything so Rachel sighed and grabbed the door handle.

"Are all boys….assholes?" Dani asked and Rachel paused and moved back into her seat.

"Not all of them no," Rachel shook her head. She didn't say anything else, let Dani tell her what she wanted to when she was ready.

"There's this guy, he's a senior." Dani said pulling at loose thread on hem of her skirt. "He invited me to the party tonight. At first it was nice, he was nice," Dani looked up and smiled softly. "He gave me a beer, then another one and then he suggested we go upstairs, where it wasn't so loud so we could…talk."

"Oh God," Rachel closed her eyes and leaned back against the headrest. "Please tell me he didn't—"

"No," Dani shook her head. "He kissed me but when he tried to put his hand up my shirt I kneed him in the balls and I ran away."

"Good girl," Rachel said with a soft smile and Dani smiled a little too. "Come on," Rachel opened the car door and headed up the front steps, Dani right behind her. She gave Dani some clothes to sleep in and they made a little pallet on the floor of Rachel's room for her. Then Rachel made her drink two glasses of water and down some aspirin even though Dani assured her it was just two beers.

After Rachel turned the lights off and the two of them just lying there she couldn't take it anymore. "Why do you hate me?"

Rachel had expected Dani to say, "I don't hate you, how could you possibly think I could ever hate you". But she didn't. She didn't say anything for a long time. "You're going to take him away from me."

Rachel sighed, actually surprised that she hadn't figured it out sooner. "Dani—"

"No. He's all I've got you know. Him and mom." Dani told Rachel. "After dad left…he's the one who taught me how to ride a bike. He drove to the store at five in the morning to buy me pads when I got my first period. He's been to every single one of my soccer games and when mom had to take double shifts to pay the mortgage, he's the one who came to my parent teacher conferences."

"I didn't know that." Rachel said softly.

"With Santana, he was never serious, she was just a booty call so I didn't care. With Quinn and the baby, I thought for a second they might get married and raise the baby. But that was ok because then he'd be here. He'd stay in Lima. Then you happened and suddenly he's talking about moving to New York and leaving us all behind."

"It's not about leaving you. You know that don't you?" Rachel said and when Dani didn't answer Rachel sat up. "It's not. He's doing this because he's better than this place and one day he's gonna make it, I know he is."

"I know," Dani grumbled.

"But the thing is Dani, so are you." Rachel smiled at her. "You Puckerman's are just too damn big for Lima. Noah's going to come to New York with me and in five years or so we're going to be visiting you in Paris." Dani smiled softly at that.

"This doesn't mean we're like friends or anything. You know that right?" Dani called up to her.

"Right." Rachel tried to suppress her smile, lying back in her bed.

"Just so we're clear," Dani yawned.

Rachel sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Look, I won't tell Noah about anything that was said tonight. About the drinking, or the other stuff?"

"If?" Dani asked, knowing there had to be a catch.

"If you give me a name." Rachel told her.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Monday morning Rachel strode down the halls of McKinley, determination in her ever step. She was a woman on a mission. She stopped at the end of the hallway when she spotted her prey. He was wearing a letterman's jacket, leaning up against the looker, leering at the legs of a Cheerio as she walked by. Rachel's eye narrowed and she moved forward until she was standing in front of him. "Grant Wright?" Rachel asked him and he raised an eyebrow, standing up straighter.

"Yeah?"

"You don't know me—"

"You're that lame Glee chick right?" Grant asked and his friends chuckled behind his back.

Rachel's jaw ticked but she shook her head. "Yeah, that's me, the lame Glee chick."

"So what can I do for you?" Grant asked her.

"Right." Rachel nodded, stepped forward, then kneed him in the balls. He doubled over in pain, screaming out. His friends jumped forward but stopped, unsure what to do. It wasn't like they could hit Rachel, she was a girl, but they couldn't do nothing.

"What the fuck?" Grant fell back against the lockers and Rachel bent down so she was eye level with Grant.

"Do you know who my boyfriend is?" Rachel asked him quietly, so quietly only he could hear.

Grant nodded. "Puck-Puckerman," he managed to spit out thought the pain.

"That's right." Rachel nodded. "And do you know the girl-he fourteen year old girl that you got drunk and tried to take advantage of at the party on Friday. Do you know who she was?" Grant screwed his eyes shut and shook his head no. "Danielle Puckerman." Grant's eyes opened wide in horror. "That's right. His sister."

"Oh fuck," Grant slid down to the ground, still clutching at his groin.

"Yes, I believe that sums up your predicament quite succinctly." Rachel nodded. "Right now, Noah doesn't know. And I think it would be best for all involved if he never knew, because that would just end with you in the hospital and him in jail. We don't want that do we?" Grant shook his head. "Good, glad we're on the same page. So here's what you're going to do. You're going stay away from Dani. You don't talk to her, you don't look at her, in fact if you see her coming down the hall, you turn and walk the other way."

"Deal," Grant panted and Rachel stood up, brushing her hands off, congratulating herself on a job well done.

"Oh and if I hear that you've forced alcohol on unsuspecting minors again, you won't need to worry about Puckerman. Understand?" Rachel asked and Grant nodded. "Good." She spun around, a smile on her face, congratulating herself on a job well done. She took a few steps and stopped to see Dani in front of her.

Dani looked at Rachel then over her shoulder at where Grant's friends were helping him up. "We just might make a Puckerman out of you yet." Dani said before nodding and walking away.

Rachel smiled broadly at the compliment just as Puck walked up. "Apparently someone shoved Wright's balls up into throat. Wish I'd have seen it, dudes a douche." Puck dropped a kiss on her forehead. "What did Dani want?"

"Nothing." Rachel shrugged and slipped her arm in Puck's.