Twelve Drummers Drumming

"I need your help."

Puck looked across the table at his best friend. Finn grinned as he threw his arm around his wife, allowing his hand to slide along her side until his fingers were splayed over Santana's swollen stomach. She was pregnant with their second kid, a little boy that Puck hoped took after his father. The world couldn't handle a male version of Santana Hudson.

'You know that December is a huge month for Rach," he reminded them. "With her dad being sick, it's been a really hard year for her. I want to do something really special to celebrate her 30th birthday and our anniversary. That's where you guys come in."

Puck and Rachel had gotten together the summer before their senior year when Finn had gone away to some football camp and Lauren had broken up with him when she found someone at wrestling camp. They'd both been roped into helping with swim lessons at the JCC, and there was still nothing hotter than Rachel in a two-piece. They'd gotten married on a lark that same December, just a few days after she turned 18. She wasn't pregnant and their parents weren't trying to keep them apart. There was no real reason for them to get married then, but they had been young and in love. Twelve years later, Puck had never once regretted his decision.

"Alright, Puckerman, what do you have in mind?" Santana asked. She was even moodier than she had been with their first spawn. He would have thought that motherhood would have calmed her down, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. The only people she was actually tender with anymore were the kid, Finn, Brittany and surprisingly, Rachel. They'd gotten really close over the past several years of their husbands being best friends. "And it better be good. She gets back from her fathers' house in Boca on Saturday, and I've made it my personal mission to make sure she doesn't spend her birthday all kinds of sad."

He couldn't help but smile at the woman across from him. San had always been his girl, and getting to live just down the street from the two of them had been an incredible blessing for all of them. Rachel had been sad when they had left New York, but it had been her decision. An exhausting run in a string of successful plays had left her yearning for the simplicity of Lima, so she had informally retired when she decided that she wanted to start a family. Eli had been born a year later and Miriam had followed two more years after that. Now, she was happy to spend her days being a mother while Puck still managed his songwriting career with the same company he'd worked for in New York.

"I was thinking that Finn could maybe talk to the band teacher and borrow some drums. I have some old friends coming into town, and Rachel always responds best to music," he smirked. It was the same signature look that had dropped panties and garnered detentions in high school. "Everyone else is coming in on Friday night so we'll have some time to practice."

"Practice what?" McKinley's music teacher asked. Finn had taken over for Schuester when he'd moved to Philadelphia with the former Miss Pillsbury six years ago.

"Our musical number," Puck answered. "The Glee Club is getting back together."

The rest of the week flew by, and before Puck knew it, he was dropping Eli off at his best friend's house for a sleepover and leaving Miri with his mom so that he could head to the airport. Part of the old gang was already there waiting when he pulled up in one of the big passenger vans he had borrowed from Burt's new dealership. The man had four in the Lima area now. Finn wasn't too far behind with Santana belted into the passenger seat.

"It's so good to see you guys!" Tina said excitedly as she rushed around her husband's wheelchair to hug Finn and then Santana. Artie was busy shaking hands with Puck and showing him the latest photos of their daughter on his iPhone. "I just heard them announce a flight from New York. We could go down and meet them."

Puck still couldn't believe that all their friends had ended up paired off. He and Rachel had been the first to marry, though Sam and Brittany hadn't been too far behind them. The two of them had wanted to go to New York for college, and her father hadn't been too keen on sending her to the Big Apple on her own. In their weird, twisted blonde logic, they had thought getting married was the only way to go. However, it had worked out for the best, and Puck secretly thought that he had never seen two people more in love. They were pretty perfect for each other.

"Brit Brit!" Santana cried as she waddled over happily to embrace her pregnant best friend. The blonde squealed as she threw her arms around the Latina, both of them hugging as they tried to jump up and down together. Santana pulled back and peered down at Brittany's stomach. "You're getting so big."

"She should, there are three babies in there you know," Sam reminded her. He turned and looked at his best friend over his shoulder. "I think Blaine here is doing more sympathy eating than me though."

"And he still looks as handsome as ever," Kurt complimented his husband with a chaste kiss on his cheek. Kurt smiled at everyone before hugging his brother and then his sister-in-law. "The triplets cannot come soon enough. I don't think our grocery budget can handle too much more of this."

"I still can't believe the two of you managed to get pregnant at the same time," Artie laughed. "Did you have a calendar or something?"

"Oh, yeah, it was pink with unicorn stickers," Brittany said seriously. Puck had seen the one that Brittany had sent for Finn. It had been pretty comical. "We just wanted to have our kids be the same age so they could grow up being best friends just like San and me!"

Finn looked at his wife and then over at her ex-girlfriend. "Not just like you and Santana," he decided. "But whatever, I guess, as long as they're all happy."

"Good save, Hudson," Puck chuckled. "I'm going to go over to the international arrivals. I think the Changs should be here any minute."

Time stood still as Puck watched Quinn Fabray stroll down the corridor toward him. She still looked as pure and untouched as she did fifteen years ago when they had shared wine coolers and a little girl. "Hey, Q," he murmured softly as he hugged her tightly. Quinn didn't really keep in touch with too many people from her days in Lima, but she still talked to Puck regularly. They met up once a year in San Francisco where Shelby was living with Beth to visit her on her birthday. It was one of his favorite weekends of the entire year.

"Hey, Puck, you always smell the same. It's like coming home," she grinned when they pulled back. She turned around and grabbed her husband's hand, pulling Mike into a three-way embrace. The two of them lived in London now where Mike choreographed shows on the West End and she taught English Literature at the city's branch of Cambridge. Ending up in a foreign country where you didn't know anyone else tended to throw people together. "I'm so glad we decided to come home for Christmas."

"Yeah, man, this is going to be so great. Where is everyone?" Mike asked. "I got an email from Matt a few days ago. He said that he and 'Cedes should be in from LA by now, right?"

"They're all waiting back by ground transportation," Puck answered. "I thought we'd swing by to meet the Rutherfords. I wanted a minute alone with you guys before everyone else stole you away."

Quinn, Puck and Mike fell into easy conversation as they walked toward the Southwest gate where Matt and Mercedes's plane was just unloading. Quinn was talking about her tenure track when she stopped mid-sentence, screeching more like the cheerleader she used to be than the professor she now was. "Mercedes!" she hollered as she bounced on the heels of her stilettos excitedly. Puck and Mike exchanged an amused smile. "You look fantastic!"

"Don't I always?" the girl giggled as she primped her naturally curly hair. The Grammy-winning singer had her arm looped through Matt's. He was on the coaching staff with the Clippers. "But look at you, girl, London agrees with you!"

Matt was already busy talking shop with Mike when Puck started to usher them toward where the rest of the old glee gang was waiting. It was another flurry of squeals when Kurt and Mercedes reunited. Quinn found herself in the middle of an Unholy Trinity sandwich, and Tina burst into surprising tears when Mike swept her off her feet in a big hug. Despite all their old couplings and fights, they had all managed to remain good friends. Even if they saw each other only sporadically, Puck knew he could call on any one of them and they'd come running. Them being there right now was proof of that.

Sometime later, Finn unlocked the door to the choir room and let them into their old stomping grounds for the first time in years. Santana and Puck had been there often enough, of course, but it was the first time some of them were seeing it since graduation. Kurt held Brittany's hand as they went in first, the two of them grinning at each other as they ran to their old seats. Artie and Tina weren't too far behind, laughing as followed their friends. Sam, Quinn and Mercedes stopped talking long enough to look around the room. Matt wasn't quite as fazed as he slid into the back row with Mike, Blaine sitting on the other side of the Asian as they all talked about dance.

"Alright, so you guys all know that I asked you come here to help celebrate Rach's birthday," Puck announced once Finn had sat down in his old seat behind the drum kit and Santana was perched on the edge of the piano bench. "It's been a really rough year for her with her dad's cancedr. We don't know how much time he has left, but I want to make sure that this birthday is one she won't forget."

"She considered spending it in Florida with Leroy, but she didn't want to be away from the kids," Santana explained. "If she can't be with that part of her family on the big day, we wanted to make sure that she was with this one."

"I was up late for a week trying to figure out what I could do when I caught an old repeat of 'The Office' on Comedy Central. It was the one where Andy is trying to impress that secretary chick, Erin or whatever. Anyhow, he does this whole Twelve Days of Christmas, but we're Jews, right? So I thought that I could just do the best part, the one with music. I knew that'd be her favorite."

That was when Finn jumped in. "Puck and I spent all of last night coming up with a percussion version of 'Sweet Caroline' that should be easy enough for everyone to learn," he said as Puck handed out photocopies of the sheet music. "I borrowed a whole bunch of drums from the band. There are some snares and a few of the big basses and some small tom toms for the girls."

"Twelve drummers drumming," Brittany realized aloud. She grinned over at Sam and then at Puck. "I approve!"

With Brittany's vow of support and several hours of patient instruction from Finn and Puck, the rag-tag group managed to learn their part to Puck's surprise. He was going to abstain from the actual drumming so that he could do the vocals instead. They all agreed to meet up the next day at the airport, where Kurt would take over Puck's driving responsibilities so that he could sneak off with his wife to the most expensive B&B afterward.

"Flight 1372 is now arriving from Miami International at Gate 32," a monotone male voice announced over the loud speaker. Puck grinned to himself as they took their positions a bit outside of the security area. He was really glad that the airport had been gracious enough to allow the somewhat impromptu performance.

"I think I see her," Blaine stage whispered loudly.

'Yeah, yeah, there she is!" Tina agreed excitedly. "Are we ready?"

"One, two, three, four," Finn counted off.

Where it began, I can't begin to knowin', but then I know it's growing strong…

Rachel was in tears by the time it was over, but there was a smile underneath it all. She beamed at him the same way she had when they were sixteen and Neil Diamond had first given him the chance to know what it was like to shine in Rachel Berry's light. He took a step back to allow their friends to envelope her in a big hug. Her eyes kept finding his in the crowd, delight and desire and just pure love dancing in the dark chocolate orbs he had grown to know better than his own.

"You're amazing," she whispered by the time she finally found her way into his arms. "I love you so much."

"Love you too, baby," he smiled against her lips. "Happy birthday, Rach."

"Happy anniversary, Noah."

FIN.

Author's note: Thank you all so much for all the kind words of support and love with my Twelve Days of Puckleberry. My writing muses plan to retire for the holiday, but you never know when inspiration will strike. In the meantime, my next planned project is a series of one shots that encompass all the characters in various pairs and entanglements (i.e. not just Puckleberry, though you know they'll get their turn). So if there is something you would like to see or a pairing you want me to tackle, drop me a note. I'll see you all in the New Year.