A Senior Year of Unexpected Events

A Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman fanfic;

By emmielovestonks;

Disclaimer – I own nothing but the plot.

Okay so I had originally said I was going to write more Pezberry one-shots but I got this idea in my head and didn't pause. I have written another Pezberry fic that I will upload in a couple of days but I wanted to get this one up and going before I start college.

I'm one of those people that ships Rachel with practically everyone because you can adapt her personality to go with many people. I also wish that the writers had made her and Shelby reunite properly but they didn't so instead that's what I'm going to try and do. I hope that you'll enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing.

It had been the summer of her dreams. She had Finn again, everyone seemed to be getting along, despite what happened in New York and she was going to be starting her senior year in the fall. There was just one party left before everyone had to sober up for the school year and it was as this party where everything seemed to go wrong for Rachel Berry.

Finn called earlier in the evening saying that he barfing up chunks and wasn't able to make it to Santana's party. Rachel offered to go to his to make sure he was okay but he refused, stating that she should go out and have one more night of fun; he'd make up for it when he was better. So that was why Rachel was stood by the drink bar wearing a very short and revealing dress on her own. She had arrived with Kurt and Blaine but they were on the dance floor with a couple of beers already knocked down.

She had been there for a couple of hours watching the scene unfold. More and more people came over to her asking her to dance and some she accepted like Mike and Sam and some, like Jacob Ben Israel, God knows how he got in, she rejected and had to push away. There was always a glass of something in her hand, Puck kept going over to her and pouring more in. At first she was just drinking Coke, then it became Vodka and Coke and now she had no idea what it was, but it tasted nice.

Puck noticed again that Rachel's glass was empty and that wouldn't do. He'd wanted to get in her pants since their sophomore year really but he blew her off as the jumpers turned him off. But right now, her dress was highlighting every curve and barely covered up her thighs. Not to mention it was bright red and he couldn't keep his eyes off her. Tonight he was going to get his way!

"Hello, hottie!" Puck whispered seductively into her ear as he poured more vodka into her glass then topping it up with an energy drink.

"Hello, Noah," Rachel slurred and then giggled with the way her voice sounded. "Maybe I've drank more than I thought I had."

Nodding, Puck wrapped his arm around her body and pulled her close. With her mind fogged with alcohol, Rachel seemed to forget about the tall football player that she called her boyfriend. Instead, she leant upwards and kissed Puck on the mouth with him responding straight away.

And that's how that started. When Rachel woke up in the morning she was lying next to Puck in a bedroom that she didn't recognise. She rubbed her eyes and sat up and the previous night came flooding back. Getting drunk, kissing Puck…..having sex with Puck.

"Oh, shit!" She cried a little too loudly, her head clanged and Puck started to stir. Not wanting the confrontation, she quickly threw on her clothes and grabbed her shoes before running out of the room.

Once safely out, she stepped into her heels and left the Lopez' and made her way to her house.

oOoOo

She tried not to remember that night and told Finn that she got a little drunk but went upstairs and went to sleep before going home in the morning. Fortunately for Rachel, there was only her and Puck that knew about them; well that's what she thought.

Finn picked Rachel up early on the first day of school and they walked in together. It was their senior year and Finn wanted to end it on top, being the captain and quarter back of the football team and having the hottest girl in the school and hot she was.

Kurt and Santana had finally got their wish; Rachel had agreed to let them take her shopping. All of the animal sweaters and knee socks had been thrown out and replace with short dresses, tank tops, jeans and so many other things. Santana didn't mind being in public with Rachel anymore and the two had become great friends.

Santana was the first one to greet Rachel as she walked down the corridor with Finn to their lockers.

"Hey, Rach!" Santana called and motioned her over. "Looking fine!" The Latina was looking proudly at what Rachel had put on this morning. She was wearing a white tank top and a deep blue blazer over the top. She also had a short black skirt and was wearing black wedges with no knee socks in sight.

"Hey, San!" Rachel called back. Then as she got closer, the smaller girl said, "You don't look so bad yourself." Santana grinned, smoothing out her Cheerio uniform and linked her arms with Rachel as Finn just followed behind.

The three of them then made their way into the choir room to greet the other glee clubbers. Quinn beckoned Rachel and Santana over and Finn went and sat down next to Mike and Sam. The two girls joined Quinn, Kurt, Blaine and the other girls. Kurt was gushing over how happy he was that Blaine had transferred. No one, bar Rachel, noticed that Puck was sat on his own, his eyes full of shock looking at Rachel's transformation. He didn't admit it out loud but she looked fine, it was now that he was glad Lauren had ditched him during the summer.

Everyone was excited to be starting this year, convinced they were going to become National Champions, as for some, it was their last year at McKinley. Everyone was so engrossed in all the different conversations going on that they didn't notice a woman stood at the door watching everyone. Her long dark hair framing her face, holding a folder to her chest, her eyes filled with guilt as she looked at the back of Rachel's head. Shaking her head slightly, she backed away from the door and moved on to her classroom.

"As happy as I am for you guys," Mercedes began, Brittany and Santana had just announced their relationship, "there is something we've been meaning to tell you too."

"We?" Tina asked curiously. Mercedes nodded and stood up and made her way over to Sam. Sam looked up at her questioningly and she nodded. He then stood up and took her hand.

"Yeah," Mercedes began.

"We started dating just before the summer and we're still together!" Sam finished and kissed Mercedes soundly on the lips. All the girls, as well as Kurt 'awed' but as the boys stood up to congratulate them, the bell rang indicating it was time to move to first lesson.

Rachel rushed to Finn's side and kissed him goodbye, not noticing the jealousy in Puck's eyes, before linking arms with Kurt and Santana and heading off to her first lesson.

oOoOo

Rachel, Kurt and Santana got to their English class in the nick of time but were surprised to see that the teacher wasn't there and fortunately, there were three empty seats on the back row of the class. The three headed to them and started getting out their paper and pens just at the sound of heels clicked into the room announcing the arrival of their teacher.

Kurt and Santana gasped but Rachel had her head under the table with her hand in her bag trying to find her pen.

"Hello everyone, I'm Miss Corcoran and I'll be your English teacher for this year," Shelby announced after she wrote her name and the lesson on the board.

There was a loud bang heard and everyone turned to the back of the room. Rachel was clutching the back of head. In shock, she'd lifted her head too early and clonked it on the table, forgetting that she was underneath it. She groaned in pain and felt something slipping down her hand.

"She's bleeding!" Kurt gasped and stepped back to make sure none of it got on his outfit. Santana, however, grabbed some tissue from her bag to put pressure onto Rachel's cut.

Shelby rushed forward and with Santana on the other side, they helped Rachel out of her seat.

"I'll be right back," Shelby announced to the class, "Kurt, you're in charge."

Rachel stumbled blindly down the corridor, not registering who was holding her but the pain got too much and she passed out.

"Santana, go to the office and the nurse, she needs to go to hospital!" Shelby ordered. Santana nodded and rushed off.

Well this was definitely not the way Shelby's return to Lima was meant to go. She knew it was going to be chaotic, but she never thought she'd have to take Rachel to the nurse with the back of her head bleeding. Moments later, Santana hurried back and she was followed by Mr Shuester and the school nurse. The nurse went into action checking Rachel and then rushed off to meet the ambulance.

"What happened?" Mr Shuester asked Shelby.

"I don't know, I was introducing myself and there was a bang," Shelby began, "I then looked to where the sound was and Rachel was clinging to the back of her head." She began to panic and started to hyperventilate, what if something happened to Rachel and it was her fault!?

"This isn't your fault," Will assured Shelby, "She'll be fine."

At that moment, the nurse was followed by the ambulance crew and they began working on Rachel immediately. They attached a drip to her arm and placed her head into a brace and lifted her onto the stretcher. Will thought it was best to go with her to the hospital and to tell her fathers what had happened.

Slightly shaken, Shelby and Santana went back to class and the Latina quickly filled Kurt in with what had happened and Kurt finished his text message to Finn about the situation.

Calming herself down quickly, Shelby restarted the lesson and told them about what they were going to be studying over the year and in the next few weeks. Fortunately for all of them, the drama had taken up most of the lesson and the bell quickly rang indicating that it was time for them to go to the next lesson.

Santana and Kurt went separate ways, Santana to Spanish and Kurt to French and Shelby stayed getting things ready for her next class. This class also happened to contain seniors and this time, it was Puck and Mercedes from the glee club that entered her classroom. Both having received messages from Kurt and Santana, they were aware that not only was Shelby back, but Rachel was on her way to hospital. Shelby was surprised that the first thing Puck said to her was about Rachel, not Beth.

"What the hell did you do to Rachel?" He questioned after he gave Mercedes his bag to put on the desk next to her.

"I didn't do anything, she hit her head on the table," Shelby replied calmly trying not to feel guilty. She knew it was her fault; if she hadn't announced who she was to the class while Rachel was sorting through her bag, she would have risen so quickly ending up with a bashed head.

"She'd better be okay!" Puck cried but Mercedes walked up to the front and pulled his arm to make him sit down.

"Rach will be fine," she murmured to him as they sat down. Puck and Mercedes had a strange friendship but it worked for them. She was the only one who Puck trusted with anything and therefore, she knew all about Rachel and Puck at summer.

Puck didn't relax the whole lesson and kept glaring at Shelby. He knew she wasn't worth it but he wanted someone to blame.

The lesson passed quickly and when the bell rang, Puck threw his things back into his bag and started to follow the others rushing out for break.

"Hold on for a second, Noah," Shelby called. Grumbling, Puck turned round and went to her desk after telling Mercedes he'd catch her later. Mercedes gave him a worried look but Puck shook his head and she left.

"Why are you back?" He asked.

"I came back for two reasons," Shelby replied, glad that he wasn't shouting at her again. "I want you and Quinn to be able to see Beth and have a relationship with her like I didn't have with Rachel. I'm also back to make amends with Rachel."

"Nice way to start," Puck muttered.

"I know," she said holding herself. "I just hope she's okay."

Just as Puck was going to reply he felt his phone buzz. Not caring that he was technically in the presence of a teacher, he whipped out his phone and looked at the text message.

Come to the hospital after school, it's important – Rachel.

Puck breathed a sigh of relief. "She's okay," he muttered to Shelby, "She's awake enough to text me."

Shelby nodded and made to say something but Puck left. He needed to find Mercedes and tell her about the text. Knowing that she'd be in the choir room, he ran to there as fast as he could, dodging between the other students through the school.

Once he was there, he noticed everyone was smiling.

"Rachel's okay!" Quinn cried as Puck walked into the room.

"How do you know?" He asked, pretending that he didn't get Rachel's text.

"She text Finn saying she was awake. She won't be back to school until next week at the earliest though, she's got concussion," Quinn replied.

"Where are you going?" Mercedes called as Puck turned and headed out of the room.

The mohawked boy quickly filled Mercedes in with the text and she agreed to cover for him as he rushed to the hospital. He was expecting the worst but what he was met with was worse than the worst case scenario in his head.