Fic: Starlight, Chapter 29 by Sapphire (PG-13)

[sapphireej]

Title: Starlight, Chapter 29
Author: Sapphire (sapphiresfic)
Fandom: Glee
Pairing/Characters: Rachel, Puck, Rachel/Puck, the Glee clubbers
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 7,087
Spoilers: Up to 1x22 ~ Journey; just to be safe
Series: 'Starlight' (List of all the parts on my LJ)
Summary1: He's the star who just wants to be a high school student; she's the loser, who dreams of her name in lights on Broadway... When they meet at WMHS on the first day of a new school year; how will they take each other? ~ AU from the eps.
Summary2: Lady Liberty and 'Kiss Me At Midnight'.
Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.
A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.
A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

~*~

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

~*~

Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Noah woke up smiling, with his arms wrapped around Rachel, "I love waking up next to you. What the hell are we going to do when we get home?" He thought, picking up her right hand and studying the ring she was wearing, he'd noticed it before, but never paid too much attention to it. It was a small band with a single purple stone in the center of it. "I wonder..." His thoughts broke when she stirred, "morning," he smiled at her.

"Morning," she replied, noticing his hand holding hers, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he assured her, "just looking at your ring. I've never looked at it up close before."

She nodded, "it's an Amethyst. One of my favorite colors is purple and dad and daddy got it for me when I turned sixteen," she explained.

"It's pretty," he told her honestly, "but wow, you've got tiny fingers," he smirked.

"I wear a seven," she laughed, "it's not that small. Well, I mean it is, but it's nice because most of the time that's the size of the display rings in a store," she told him.

"I know, but my hands are huge compared to yours," he pressed their palms together to show his point.

"But I like your hands, Noah," she slipped her fingers through his and joined their hands, "they're strong and make me feel safe."

"Well, then in that case, I won't complain about them," he said, kissing her hand.

"Do we have to get up?" She asked, snuggling closer to him.

Noah turned to look at the clock, "not right this second, but soon," he replied, "we're catching the ten-thirty boat, right?"

Rachel nodded and saw it was just after seven, "and we're meeting Nick, Joe and Demi there at ten," she added.

"Did you and Quinn decide if we're going to Ellis Island, too, or just the Statue of Liberty?"

"She doesn't really want to go to Ellis, and as much as I'd love to, there's so much to see there, that's a day trip in itself," she admitted, "so we're only going to the Statue of Liberty; we'll have plenty of time to look around."

"Works for me," Noah smiled. "As long as I'm hanging out with you, my friends and my family, we're good," he kissed her gently.

She smiled into the kiss and shifted one of her arms around him to hug him, then gasped and pulled away when they heard a knock on the door.

Noah smirked a little and tugged the blankets up, "yeah?"

The door opened and Alan stuck his head in, "you two might want to get up, you have visitors coming soon," he commented, keeping his eyes pointed towards the ceiling.

"Dad, we're down here," Rachel said, sitting up a little when she saw him.

"Oh, I know," he replied, "but the less I see of my daughter in the same bed with her boyfriend, the better," he laughed lightly, turning his gaze to them, relieved to see both of them in clothes.

"Who's coming over?" Noah asked, smirking at Alan.

"Burt, Kurt and Ryan," Alan said.

"Huh?" Rachel stared at her dad, "as in Kurt and Ryan from Glee Club and Kurt's dad?"

"Yes, that would be them," he nodded, "we forgot to tell you about them coming with us."

Rachel rubbed her face, "but they never said anything about coming to New York."

"Get up and by the time you two get showered, they should be here and they can tell you," he said.

Noah and Rachel exchanged confused glances, "alright, we're up," Rachel murmured moving to get out of bed.

Alan nodded and as he left the room and closed the door, Noah leaned over and wrapped his arms around Rachel and pulled her back into bed, "two more minutes," he murmured against her neck.

Rachel giggled and sunk back into his chest, "Noah, we need to get up and get ready."

He shifted and kissed her lovingly, letting his hand brush against her cheek, enjoying their last final moments in bed for the day, "okay, now we can get up," he whispered, smiling at her.

She shifted and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him once more, "I don't want to get up, I assure you, but there's always tonight," she smiled.

"I like how you think, babe."

~*~

Because Noah took quicker showers, Rachel insisted he take one first, so he moved into his private bathroom and was done in less than fifteen minutes, coming out of the bathroom in his underclothes. Rachel met him at the door and kissed him quickly before she moved into the bathroom to take a shower and once he was dressed, he left the room and headed into the rest of the condo to figure out what was going on, not that he minded having Ryan, Kurt and his dad, Burt, around, but he was surprised, because the last they heard, Kurt and Ryan were spending their Winter Break in Lima together, so he was confused what changed.

"Morning," Noah said, seeing Deborah and Carole in the kitchen, both sitting at the table drinking coffee.

"Good morning, Noah," Deborah replied as Carole waved at him, "sleep well?"

Noah blushed and nodded, "yeah. Slept great," he admitted.

"That's good," she smiled, "would you like something for breakfast?" She asked.

"Uh, sure, but I can make something. Where is everyone? What's going on with like Burt, Kurt and Ryan coming over?" He asked curiously.

"Dad and David just went down to the drug store to get some Dramamine for everyone, Alan is in the office making a reservation at the ferry for all of us, Quinn and Finn are just getting up and Arin is sleeping for a little longer. I'm not sure on all the details," Deborah admitted getting up and shooing him from the stove, "something about they got here yesterday and wanted to surprise you guys," she added.

Noah took the hint that she didn't want him cooking and plopped down at the table, "you know, I can cook," he laughed.

"Yes, but you cook for yourself, when was the last time you made a meal for more than you?" She asked with a laugh, "I'll make you guys breakfast," she added.

"Thanks mom," he smiled, "and you're right. So... Kurt called dad to surprise us? As in, Rachel, Quinn, Finn and I?"

Carole nodded, "yes. They knew from messages you would be in the studio yesterday and Kurt had your dad's number from the club, so he called to let him know they were in New York and wanted to know what you guys had planned. Your dad invited them along on our trip today," she explained.

"Nice," Noah smiled, "the more the merrier. Do you guys know his dad?"

"Burt does my oil changes," Carole admitted, "but I didn't know he was Kurt's father."

"Oil changes, huh?" Noah looked at Carole with a grin.

"Noah Aaron!" Deborah snapped, waving the spatula towards him, "be nice."

"What? I am!" He laughed.

Carole blushed, "I admit he's a nice man, but I don't know..." She trailed off as Finn entered the kitchen in his pajamas, "morning sweetheart," she said.

"Morning," Finn murmured, "why do chicks take so long in the bathroom?" He sighed, plopping down next to Noah.

"I showered first," Noah commented with a grin, "I'm faster than Rachel is."

"I should have done that, but to be a gentleman I let Quinn go first, and she's still in the bathroom."

"There's time to be a gentleman and that wasn't it, bro," Noah laughed. "I have a sister and share a bathroom with her at home."

Finn laughed, nodding at his comment, "I get it. I'll remember that for next time."

Hearing female voices, they looked up to see Rachel and Quinn coming into the kitchen and both went to their boyfriends to greet them. "Hey Noah," she smiled, kissing him gently as she sat down on his lap.

"Hey baby," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her, just as Alan came into the kitchen and told them that their ferry tickets would be waiting for them when they arrived.

~*~

Finn went to take a shower and by the time he was done and back in the kitchen, Arin was also up and the kids ate breakfast, since the adults had already eaten, and Ethan and David were on their way back from their trip to the drug store. David, being the medical doctor, was concerned that some people may get sea sick on the ferry ride to the statue, so he and Ethan walked down to the local drug store to pick up some Dramamine, just in case someone wanted or needed it.

When the door pushed open just after nine-thirty, the teens were in the living room, watching a movie, "we're back and we have visitors," Ethan called out as he came in.

Noah hopped up, from the couch and went to greet who was there, expecting to find Ryan, Kurt and Burt only, but he also saw Nick, Joe and Demi, "oh, wow, hey everyone!"

"Hey Noah," Ryan said, moving towards him, shaking his hand, "surprise."

"Yeah, totally! I didn't know you guys were even coming to New York," Noah admitted as he greeted the others, "and I thought we were meeting you guys at the ferry terminal."

"Well, we were up and ready early and Nick knew where you lived, so we figured we'd come over, and happened to bump into them on the way on the way," Demi explained, motioning to Ethan and David.

"Nice, well, we're not leaving for a while and we're watching a movie in the living room. Have you guys eaten?" He asked, looking around.

With a chorus of affirmative words, Noah motioned towards the living room and the teens followed him, "hey guys, Demi, Nick, Joe, Ryan, Kurt and Burt are here," he said, "but Burt's in the kitchen with the adults."

Everyone got up and started greeting those they knew and Noah introduced the new faces, "Arin, come on, don't be shy, they don't bite," Noah said, motioning her over.

Arin, who had never met any of the teen celebrities there, walked shyly towards her brother and stood next to him, waving at the familiar faces of Ryan and Kurt, and then blushed, "uh, hi!" She waved at Joe, Nick and Demi, unsure what to say.

Demi stepped forward and held out her hand, "it's nice to meet you, Arin!"

"You, too!" Arin agreed, shaking her hand and then shook Nick and Joe's.

With time to kill, the kids all sat down and finished watching 'Nim's Island', one of the movies Noah and Rachel had picked up when they first got to the city and slowly Arin was warming up to Nick, Joe and Demi and by the time they all headed down to the parking garage where a limo was waiting to take them to their destination, Arin was just as comfortable with them as she was around Finn, Quinn, Kurt, Ryan, Rachel and Taylor.

"Not that I don't agree with you guys wearing your Letterman's jackets, but you two stand out like a sore thumb," Kurt commented, looking at Finn and Noah.

"What's wrong with that?" Noah asked, pushing his glasses up on his nose a little more as he slid into the limo. "We earned these jackets."

"I think what Kurt is getting at," Rachel adjusted her own jacket as she sat down next to her boyfriend, "is that red is a bright color and may bring attention to our group, making it easier for you all to be recognized."

Noah shrugged and glanced at the others, "it's okay. We're used to it and it should be kind of quiet. I hope at least," he admitted.

"In case it is busy, Tim and Alex are meeting us at the park, too," Ethan explained and when he got a 'why' look from the teens, he laughed, "we're going to a very popular tourist destination and it's Winter Break for the majority of schools in the country. I'm just being cautious. I don't want anything to happen to anyone," he told them.

"Must be the cop in you," Finn commented with a laugh.

"No, it's the dad in me," he replied simply.

~*~

The limo brought them as close to the 'Castle Clinton National Monument', in Battery Park, as they could get and when they started piling out of the limo, Tim and Alex joined them. As greetings and introductions were passed around, they started walking towards the line for the ferry and Ethan and Alan went up to the ticket counter to pick up the tickets Alan had called about earlier.

The ten-am boat left, thinning out the massive group that had collected and the ones who hadn't been there before were taking pictures and looking around. Rachel and Demi were with Quinn and Kurt pointing out things and the others, Noah, Finn, Joe, Nick and Ryan were leaning against the railing by the water, "so what brings you, Kurt and Burt to New York?" Noah asked Ryan.

"My grandma," he admitted, "my dad's parents live here and she wanted to meet my boyfriend. Burt wasn't thrilled with the idea of Kurt and I flying out here alone and my mom couldn't go, so he took some time off at the shop and came along," Ryan explained.

"Wow, must be serious if he's already meeting your grandparents; pretty soon you'll be the younger versions of David and Alan," Finn commented with a grin.

Ryan blushed a little, "dude, we just started dating," he replied.

"I don't get it," Nick commented looking between Finn, Noah and Ryan.

"David and Alan are Rachel's dads," Noah said, stressing the words.

"Oh... Oh," Nick shook his head, "I get it! So, is like, Rachel adopted?"

Noah shook his head, "no. They had a surrogate, so one of them is her biological dad," he explained, "and speaking of Rachel, I need you guys to come shopping with me tomorrow."

"Shopping? Isn't that the girls' territory?" Finn asked scratching his head.

"Not necessarily, and it's kind of a surprise for Rachel," Noah said softly, "and aside from wanting my friends there, I could use the back up, so the media doesn't get wind that I'm going into an NYC jewelery store and buying promise rings," he explained, "I love Rachel and I don't want to hide our relationship, but I'd rather her find out when I give them to her and not because a photographer caught me and it's all over the web," he added.

"Wow, you are serious," Nick commented in surprise.

Joe looked at his brother and smirked, "Finn mentioned it yesterday and you'll really notice it today. What did you say they were?"

"Sickeningly sweet," Finn smirked.

"Are you guys talking about Noah and Rachel?" Kurt asked as he and the girls joined them.

Rachel blushed as she slipped her arm around her boyfriend's waist, "guys, we're in love; we're happy," she told them, smiling at Noah.

"Damn right we are," Noah agreed, kissing her gently and wrapping his arms around her in a loving hug.

~*~

The teens and adults spent the afternoon walking around Liberty Island, taking pictures, enjoying the view from both in and outside, even if it was freezing cold in the late-December New York weather.

Ethan didn't want the group to separate too much, just in case Nick, Joe, Demi or Noah were recognized, so the large group stayed close together, but the couples were still able to have some private time.

At one point, Noah pulled his parents aside and talked to them about his idea to get promise rings for him and Rachel and like he figured, they were happy to support his idea, but also suggested he talk to her dads, so while Rachel was pointing out different places to Quinn and Kurt in the New York skyline, Noah saw that David and Alan were standing along the railing, looking out over the water and didn't have anyone around them, so he walked over and slipped between them.

"Hello, Noah. What's up?" Alan asked, surprised to see him there, but when he looked to see Rachel animatedly pointing things out to Quinn and Kurt, he knew she was busy.

"I wanted to talk to you guys," Noah admitted.

"Really?" David asked.

Noah nodded, "yeah. I love your daughter," he told them.

Alan laughed lightly, "yes, we know... And?"

"When Taylor was in Lima, I know that David overheard me talking to Taylor and Finn about wanting to marry Rachel someday, and I'm sure he told you, Alan, and I... Well, I know we're too young to get married right now," he started, looking at them, "but I was thinking about going out tomorrow and looking for promise rings, because I don't plan on proposing for a while," he said, "and I wanted to ask you guys first before I did."

The two dads exchanged smiles, "Noah, as I told you, we already think of you as part of the family and I'd be alright with that," David said.

Alan nodded, "me too. Though, what would your promise be?" He asked.

"That she's the one, that I'll be faithful to her and when the time comes, we'll be husband and wife," he said truthfully.

"I know she'll agree," Alan told him, "she loves you, too," he assured him. "Are you going out before we leave here or when you get back home?"

"I figured if Finn, Ryan, Joe, Nick and I went out tomorrow it'd be hard to tell who was shopping in the jewelery store if we're seen by paparazzi. I think Taylor and his family are on their way here, but I'm not sure when they'll get here. I'd like him to come along, too, and I'm gonna see If Zac will join us, too," he added.

"That is a good idea, but if a bunch of teen celebrities go into the same store, won't that draw more attention?" David asked curiously.

"Maybe, but they won't know why we're there," Noah replied, "especially if none of us walk out of there with a shopping bag. Hide in plain sight."

Alan smirked, "sounds like you've already got it planned out. How are you going to get out of the condo without Rachel figuring it out?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I'll come up with something," he replied as his phone began howling. "What the...?" Noah grabbed his phone, "oh it's Taylor. Excuse me," he said, clicking the answer button, "hey man, what's up?"

"Hey, my parents, sister and I are in New York. What are you guys doing?" Taylor asked.

"We're at the Statue of Liberty and should be leaving here soon, and then dinner, wanna join us?"

"Sure, just let me know where you guys decide and we'll meet," he replies. "I can hear the wind; aren't you guys freezing?"

Noah laughed, "yeah, a little, but I'm wearing layers and I'm used to it."

"Dude, I've been in Detroit for almost two weeks, I'm used to the cold, too, but I wouldn't put myself outside willingly when it's freezing out," Taylor replied, laughing at them.

"Ah, come on, it's not that cold," he replied.

"Alright, well you just think that and I'm gonna stay in this nice warm hotel room until you let me know about dinner," Taylor said with a grin.

Noah smirked, "yeah, man, I'll talk to you later," he replied, hanging up his phone and as slid it into his jean pocket, he felt arms around him. "Oh no! I'm being attacked," he laughed lightly, seeing his girlfriend's jacket sleeves.

Rachel giggled, "I was wondering where you went," she commented.

Noah smirked, "you found me," he commented, turning around and kissed her forehead. "Miss me that much?"

"You could say that," she agreed, slipping her arms under his open jacket and snuggled against him, "I'm cold," she murmured.

"Oh, so now you just come to me when you need to warm up?" He pouted.

"Noah, you know that's not true," she replied.

He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back and kissing her gently, "I do know that," he assured her.

~*~

Content that her dads were okay with him getting a set of promise rings, Noah just had to figure out how he was going to get out of the condo with Finn in the morning, without the girls being suspicious about why they were leaving. He didn't figure they'd have an issue, but if the guys were too vague they would be curious about details.

After hours spent on Liberty Island, they caught a ferry back to Battery Park and Ethan called for the limo. While they waited for it to pick them up, once they arrived back in the city, they discussed dinner ideas and suggested they 'regroup' at the condo so they could decide where to go, but once the large group was safely in their limo, Tim and Alex said 'goodbye' and returned to their homes, since their 'job' was over for the day, even though Ethan invited them to dinner, too.

The Lautners met up with them and everyone was excited to see Taylor and meet his family as everyone met up at the condo. The large group chatted about dinner and other things and finally, after a long discussion, dinner plans were made and Ethan called to make reservations at the restaurant they had chosen to go to.

Relaxing around the condo until the limo arrived, everyone piled in and headed out for an entertaining dinner with friends and family, no one feeling out of place or uncomfortable with the company or place they were.

As dinner came to an end, Demi, Joe and Nick caught a cab back to their hotel, and so did Ryan, Burt and Kurt, but the rest went back to the Puckermans for a little while longer, before the Lautners left, with plans to return the next day.

~*~

Thursday, December 31, 2009
The occupants of the Puckerman's condo were up for the day just after nine and soon were joined by the Lautners, Kurt, Burt and Ryan by eleven that morning. Kurt wanted to go out, but Finn, Ryan, Noah and Taylor played the 'shopping is boring' card, so Quinn, Rachel and Kurt decided to go out, and left about noon after calling Demi to meet them. The shopping trip gave the guys an opportunity to get out of the condo without Rachel finding out, "um, what did I miss?" Taylor asked, realizing as they left the condo, that Finn and Ryan knew why Noah wanted to go out.

"I want to go get promise rings for Rachel and I, but I figured it'd be all over the internet by tonight if I went alone, so if we, along with Nick, Joe and Zac went, no one will know for sure what we're shopping for. It'll throw off the scent, so if Rachel sees pictures, I can just say that Zac was getting something for Vanessa or Nick and Joe wanted to get something for their mom," Noah explained as they walked towards the main flow of people in Time's Square.

"Oh, I get it," Taylor grinned, "you two act like you're already married, so the rings don't surprise me," he laughed.

"I was thinking the same thing," Finn agreed, patting Noah on the back.

Noah blushed, "guys, go ahead and keep teasing, but just think... When you are in a serious relationship with someone, imagine what I'll say to you," he grinned, looking up to see Nick and Joe waiting for them at their scheduled meeting place.

"Crap, he's got a point," Taylor laughed, "maybe we'll cut back on the comments," he added.

The other guys agreed and greeted the others, waiting a short time until they saw Zac walking towards them, "hey, dudes! What's up?" Zac greeted.

Nick, Joe and Noah greeted Zac, since they knew him and then Noah introduced Finn, Ryan, and Taylor to Zac. Taylor never had an opportunity to officially meet him at the events they'd been at, so it was a new experience, and soon the guys were heading towards a jewelry store that Noah knew well, a place that he and his dad had gotten gifts before and Noah hoped they'd have what he was looking for.

"What kind of store is this?" Taylor asked, looking around and realizing the designs on the wall were not typical of a general jewelry store.

"They specialize in European cultural jewelry, but mostly it's Celtic or Irish designs," Noah explained, "but they have other things, too. Dad's Irish. We found this place just after we moved here when were looking for a gift for his mom and we have been coming here ever since."

"Welcome, Mr. Noah Puckerman," Oliver, the owner said with a grin, moving to greet Noah.

"Hello, it's so nice to see you again," Noah said shaking the man's hand.

"And you as well. What can I help you find today?" He asked.

Noah told Oliver what he was looking for and the owner began pointing out all sorts of options for rings that he had that could double as promise rings, but nothing jumped out at him and as he was beginning to wonder if he'd have to go somewhere else, he came upon a section titled 'No Anam Cara', "my soul mate," he whispered and then grinned, "is that a bracelet?" He asked Oliver, when he saw a larger white gold band sitting in the case with those three words on it.

"Oh yes it is," he nodded, taking the bracelet out, "and I see you know what it means, too," he replied.

"Yes, I do," Noah nodded, taking it from Oliver and reading the words, and then looked over the rest of the band, seeing several Claddagh symbols filling the empty space, "it's prefect," he grinned.

"I thought you wanted rings," Finn commented.

"I did, but these are perfect," Noah admitted, "simple, yet it has more meaning than a single ring does, and besides, when we get married we'll get rings then," he added.

Oliver smiled, "do you know how big her wrist is?"

"I wouldn't even have a clue," Noah commented, thinking for a moment, "but I think I might know how to find out," he said, pulling out his phone.

"Who are you calling, man?" Taylor asked.

"Excuse me a moment, I'm gonna call her dad," Noah replied, "he'd know and if not, he can call her and find out," he explained, calling David.

After explaining to David what he needed, David admitted he didn't know, but promised he'd find out and message Noah quickly with the answer. Once Noah hung up, he passed on that her dad was finding out, so while they waited Oliver sized Noah's wrist and went looking for a white gold bracelet in his size, and just as Oliver returned, Noah got a message from David with her size, so Oliver went back into the store room to get a matching one in her size. Coming out moments later, Oliver smiled in success, "it's your lucky day, Noah. We had both of them. Usually that doesn't happen," he commented.

"Having her as my girlfriend makes me one lucky guy," Noah grinned, taking the larger one and wrapped it around his wrist to make sure it fit. "I really appreciate this, Oliver," Noah told him.

"It's my pleasure, Noah," he smiled.

Noah looked at the bracelet and then took it off, carefully returning it to it's box and then looked at the one for Rachel, smiling when he saw it matched his and nodded at Oliver, "these are it. Thank you."

"You're welcome and they are an excellent choice," he replied, stepping towards a stack of empty boxes and looked through them, "I think I have a box that will fit both, if you'd like them together," he added.

"That would be awesome," Noah said truthfully.

Successfully finding the box, he laid the two bracelets into the box, Noah's larger one wrapping around Rachel's smaller one and then the owner rang up the sale. Noah paid for them and slipped the box into his hoodie pocket, to keep his hands free and to keep the box hidden for the moment. Shaking the owner's hand and thanking him, Noah and the guys left the store and headed back towards the condo.

"So what's it like to be one step closer to being married?" Taylor asked, patting Noah on the back with a grin.

Noah shook his head and laughed, "remember what I said earlier about the teasing?"

"Oh come on, you gotta give us a little room to tease you and I think we all will deserve a little in return," Taylor grinned.

"Alright, I give," Noah threw his hands up in surrender, "bring it on."

~*~

With the banter between friends, they made it back to where they had met up and Zac, Nick and Joe parted from the group to go back to their hotels, promising to return later for the party, and then Noah, Finn, Taylor and Ryan went back to the condo, after stopping at Best Buy so Taylor could get something. Noah was relieved to find the shoppers had not returned yet, so once he had his jacket off, he went into the kitchen where his mom, Carole, Taylor's mom and all the dads were and smiled, "look what I got," he said, holding out the box.

"Oh! Let me see!" Deborah grinned, reaching for the box.

"I went out looking for promise rings and found these bracelets instead," he admitted.

Deborah opened up the box and smiled, "oh Noah, they're beautiful," she smiled, picking up one of them and looking at it, "what does 'Mo Anam Cara' mean?" She asked.

"My soul mate," Ethan replied, glancing at the bracelet, "these are awesome, son."

"Thanks," Noah replied, "oh mom, don't cry," Noah begged, taking the bracelets back from her as she wiped her eyes.

Deborah wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek, "I'm trying not to, but you and Arin are growing up so fast. What happened to my babies?"

Noah hugged her and kissed her cheek, "just because we're older and taller, doesn't mean we're not your babies anymore," he told her. "We always will be," he assured her.

"Yes you will be," she agreed, "but I can still get emotional about this. It's a big deal," she told him.

He blushed, "yeah, I know, but I love Rachel," he said handing the box to her dads, "do you think she'll like these?" He asked looking at them.

David looked at them, "no, I think she'll love them," he said truthfully.

"She will," Alan agreed with a nod, "they're beautiful," he added.

Noah smiled, "awesome."

"Have you decided when you plan to give them to her?" David asked.

"No," Noah shook his head, "I know I want it to be special, but I'm not sure when. When we get back home, probably."

"You'll figure out a great way to give them to her," Deborah smiled.

"I will," Noah smiled.

~*~

After some lunch Noah hid the bracelets in his luggage so Rachel couldn't find them and the boys took over the TV to play XBox 360; Noah still had one there with a few games and before long the guys were deep into Halo, while the adults helped getting the snack foods ready for the party that night.

"Did anyone mention when Kurt, Quinn and Rachel are gonna get back?" Ryan asked curiously.

Noah and Finn shook their heads 'no', so Noah got up and moved into the kitchen, "um, anyone have any idea when our shoppers are getting back?" He asked the adults.

"I mentioned they should be back before dark," David said, "Rachel knows her way around town enough, and from what I'm told, so does Demi, so I'm sure they're fine," he added.

"Well, I wasn't worried about them until you just said that," Noah commented with a blush, "the guys and I were just curious when they'd be back," he pulled his phone out and headed towards his room to call Rachel privately.

Dialing the number he knew by heart, he listened to the ringing and hoped she'd pick up. After the third ring, he didn't think she would until he heard street sounds and her voice, "hey Noah!" She greeted happily.

"Hey baby, how's the shopping trip?" He asked sitting down on the bed.

"It's great! We came back to Rockefeller Center since it's has a lot to see and great shopping," she explained, "how are you guys? What are you doing?"

"We went out and wandered around for a while, but came back. We're playing XBox now," he replied. "Glad you guys are having fun, but when do you think you'll be back?"

She giggled, "are you checking up on us?"

"Well," Noah blushed, "kind of. I don't want to sound like one of those guys who's gotta know where his girlfriend is every hour of every day, but considering we're not at home, I would like to know where you are and if you're safe," he explained honestly.

"We're fine," she assured him, "Quinn, Kurt and I are on our way back now, actually. Demi is going back to their hotel and will be over with the guys in a while," she explained.

"Okay. Did you guys max out the credit cards?" He asked with a grin.

She laughed lightly, "no! Well, it's tempting, but we kept a limit. Kurt did the most shopping since he hadn't been here before; Quinn and I got an opportunity the other day," she added.

"Oh yeah," he smirked, "but today you didn't have boyfriends complaining about being bored."

"Good point," she agreed, "we're about to catch a taxi, so we'll be back in a little bit."

Noah could hear the traffic as it passed her, "alright, babe, be careful. Love you. See you in a bit," he replied.

She blew him a kiss, "love you, too," she replied before hanging up the phone.

~*~

When Kurt, Quinn and Rachel finally returned, the three were exhausted; they had the taxi drop them off at the same spot they picked one up at, but this time they had shopping bags to carry, too.

Noah took Rachel's bags from her and kissed her, "hey babe, welcome back," he murmured against her lips.

"Thanks," she hugged him, returning his kiss.

"What did you get?" He asked, peaking into the bags, but only saw tissue paper wrapped items.

"Just some new clothes," she admitted, "a few shirts, some pants, oh! And a few souvenirs."

"Cool," he replied, then motioned towards the bedrooms, "I'll go take these to our room."

"I'll come with you," she replied, "I need to drop my jacket and bag off," she added, following him towards their room.

As Noah stepped inside, he waited for her to come into the room completely before he closed the door and set the bags down on the floor. She had moved to her suit case to lay her jacket on and he moved towards her, slipping his arms around her from behind and pressed a kiss to her neck, "missed you," he whispered.

Rachel leaned her head to the side to give him better access when she felt his lips on her neck and sunk against him with a smile, "missed you, too," she agreed, turning in his arms to kiss him on the lips.

He held her close and smiled, "I'm addicted to you," he murmured against her lips, "love you so much. I want to be with you."

"I love you, too," she smiled, kissing him again, "I never thought I'd have someone tell me they were addicted to me," she blushed, "but I kind of like it."

"Good, because you're the addiction I never wanna kick," he commented, taking a seat on the bed and pulling her into his lap.

"You won't have to," she assured him, "I'm not going anywhere. Being with you makes me feel so good and I never want to be without this feeling," she admitted, "I know we live apart and I can deal with that because we see each other, but if you had to go away for a while, I don't know what I'd do."

"Hopefully we never have to find out what it's like to be apart for that long," he whispered.

~*~

The guests for the Puckerman's New Year's Eve party slowly arrived throughout the night. When Vanessa and Zac got there, Makena and Arin were overly excited to finally meet them, but managed to be civil and not scream. Noah and Taylor became the coolest brothers in the world when they both, because Noah suggested it to Taylor, produced the three movies and three soundtracks for their sisters to get signed. Both actors from the movies were more than happy to sign the stuff for the girls and that prompted them and the rest of the teens to sit down in the living room and pop in the first 'High School Musical' movie while the adults mingled around the condo.

"This are pretty good," Ryan commented from his spot on one of the couches.

"You've never seen these movies?" Kurt asked in surprise.

"No," Ryan shook his head, "I've heard about them, but never had an opportunity to watch them," he paused to listen to something said on the screen, "but there's a first time for everything," he added.

Kurt leaned against Ryan a little, "I'll tell you all about them if you get lost," he assured him.

Ryan nodded his thanks and draped his arm around Kurt's shoulders as they continued to watch the first movie and once it was over, the second one went in, and as 'All For One' ended the movie, and with plenty of time before midnight still, they put in the third movie to watch.

About three-quarters through the movie, Noah looked at his watch and saw what time it was, "wow! There's only ten minutes left in 2009."

"Really?" Rachel perked up from where she'd been snuggled against him, "we need to turn on the TV! We've gotta watch the count down," she said.

Noah smirked and nudged his sister, who was leaning against him from the other side and once she moved, he reached for the remote and switched to one of the local stations covering 'Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve' live from Time's Square and there was just under ten minutes left. "I know just the song we should listen to right now," he said, getting up and pulling his phone out. "I think I was about six when this came out, but when I heard it a few years ago, I couldn't help listening to it at least once on New Year's Eve, even if it didn't have any meaning until this year," he explained, docking his phone in the stereo system and hitting play.

Rachel narrowed her eyes in confusion, not recognizing it as it began with an upbeat tempo. "Hey, yeah... Yeah... Kiss me at midnight (5...) Hey yeah... (4...) Oh... (3, 2, 1!) Kiss me at midnight, dance until the morning light, party into the New Year. All of my friends are here and when the time is right, kiss me at midnight... Kiss..." Noah moved towards Rachel and took her hand, pulling her up and into his arms as he kissed her gently while the first verse played in the background, singing along to it lightly, "I've been waiting for this special night to be with you. The colors of Christmas are still shining bright and I know what we're gonna do. Anticipating, music is playing. The magic is in the air. All through the season, you've been the reason I have so much love to share..." As the chorus began again, the others in the condo were drawn to the music and soon everyone was listening to the song, following along much like Noah and Rachel were, "kiss me at midnight. Dance until the morning light. Party into the New Year. All of my friends are here and when the time is right, kiss me at midnight... Kiss... Kiss me at midnight... Kiss..."

Listening to the next verse, Rachel smiled at up at her boyfriend as he continued to sing along while they swayed to the beat, "we've been making promises in the dark, our resolutions, as a brand new year is about to start and we're together. Celebrating, no more waiting, our time has arrived... The beat of my heart as the countdown starts, just look into my eyes... Kiss me at midnight. Dance until the morning light. Party into the New Year. All of my friends are here and when the time is right, kiss me at midnight."

Kissing her once more, Noah sang the bridge, "baby, it's New Year's Eve, a time we can believe in making wishes, dreams come true, just for me and you..." The words trailed off into the chorus three more times as it faded to the end and he hugged Rachel, "this is the best New Year's Eve, ever," he whispered to her as the song ended.

With watery eyes, she nodded and hugged him, "yes it is," she agreed, kissing his cheek.

He smiled and guided them to the stereo, grabbing his phone and turned up the TV, just in time to hear the one minute call, so everyone made their way towards the windows and watched the large ball slowly dropping and at the ten second mark, they all counted down to the new year, snuggling closer to their loved ones and at zero, Dick Clark exclaimed, "Happy New Year!"

Couples on TV and in the Puckerman's condo kissed, and for the first time ever, Noah pulled his girlfriend to him and kissed her lovingly, his arms holding her tight against him, "happy new year, Rachel," he murmured, a bright grin on his face as they pulled from their kiss.

Still teary from moments earlier, she nodded and returned his bright smile with her own, "happy new year, Noah. I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied.

~*~

I got some information on the ferry from Battery Park to Liberty Island here: http://statuecruises.com/ferry-service/battery-park.aspx

Lyrics used: 'Kiss Me At Midnight' by *NSYNC on their 'Home For Christmas' album that came out in 1998.

~*~

A/N4: Wow! This chapter was tough. There is so much going on and having all the people around really threw me for a loop, so that's why I didn't do many scenes with them. Talk about a lot, lol. I hope you all enjoyed it and we're getting close to the drama. I think it'll start in the next chapter. I have to look at my notes to be sure... Sorry for the mistakes, if there are any. I also struggled with the flow of the chapter. When I edited it, I fixed a lot, but I'm sure there may be a few rocky spots, but I hope not. I've been working on this chapter on and off for almost a month and several times I thought I'd scrap it and start over.
A/N5: I have updated 'Returning Home', 'Broken Road' and 'Out of the Blue' in the past week or so and I'm currently off of work for two weeks for my sprained ankle while I do some physical therapy, so I hope to get one more chapter of each done before the new year.
A/N6: News about my mom: As of December 7th, her doctor said she is 'technically cancer free'!!! She has to go a few years with being tested every few months and have a clean blood test before they can say she's in remission or cured, but the last CT scan they did showed no cancer cells, so the doctor is quite sure that it is gone. The tumor is gone now to a point he can't even see where it was!!! This is an awesome Christmas present and he's even saying that he doesn't think she should have a hysterectomy at all, because it could do more harm, because that area of her body has already gone through a lot with all the radiation they did. I really appreciate all of your thoughts, prayers and kind messages! They mean so much and I couldn't have gotten through all of this without you guys, so THANK YOU!!! Hugs to everyone!!!

~*~