Title: For Good
Author: Arc/Dare
Rating: PG – 13, maybe?
Genre: Drama/Humor/Romance
Summary: It's the night that would change them all – for good.
Pairings: Finn/Rachel, partially Will/Emma, Puck/Quinn
Additional Characters: All the Glee kids.
Note #1: I'm not a native speaker, so bear with me.
Note #2: It's a story about Finn/Rachel, but the first part includes quite some Puck/Quinn, mostly to stress how Puck/Quinn's relationship influenced Rachel's and Finn's. But it's really Finn/Rachel.
Note #3: Not beta-ed. Sorry, but I don't have a beta, so ...

For Good (½)
by Dare

Finn sees Rachel sitting opposite of him in the darkness. And he's nervous.

She prattles on about songs and musicals and singing to calm herself down, but he knows the worry and the excitement of the situation would resurface again. And then she would look at him, her eyes huge, her expression questioning, penetrating him with her stare.

And she sees a person she dearly loves, she yearns for, she feels complete and utter passion for, love even.

You can see the raging hormones in her eyes, Finn thinks, but she holds herself back.

„She is waiting for you, big guy," Kurt once says, interrupting a staring match between Finn and Rachel during Glee sessions.

As if Rachel is able to hear what Kurt told Finn, she averts her glance and her face becomes unbearably sad, as she bites her lips and plays with her hair, pretending to listen to Mr. Shuester.

Finn knows why she is restraining herself.

Why she never tried to kiss him again.

Why she never sought contact with him again.

It's because of Quinn. A lot of things have happened.

Finn punched Puck in the face, because of the baby. Puck's nose is broken, blood all over the place, they accompany Puck to the emergency room.

Three months later, Finn and Puck are speaking again. Mr. Shuester separates from his wife, the crazy school nurse who doesn't take it very well and spills the prison food they have been serving the students over Miss Pillsbury. Miss Pillsbury's instant reaction is panic and the overwhelming need for a decontamination shower.

They accompany her to the emergency room – again.

Some of the nurses smile seductively at Puck, apparently recognizing him from broken-nose-incident some time ago, but before Puck can smile back, Quinn whacks him so hard, the black spot on his arm is still visible.

They start arguing instantly: „I haven't done anything!", „Your girlfriend is pregnant!", „A fact that's hard to miss!", „You are such a jerk!" A lot of expletives are used, Finn notes.

They argue all the time – between classes, during classes, in the hallways, during Glee practice, everywhere.

Finn realizes something – the fighting misses edge. It's like they use swords but you can't poke people properly with them. There is neither blood nor poison.

When Finn was still around in Quinn's love life, Puck and Quinn used to argue about him. About the tension, the unspoken secrets, the jealousy.

And now, they argue with each other. Truly with each other.

But Puck has changed.

When Kurt comes to football training and starts to warm up, he still calls him „the gayest gay elf that ever nanced down the pike", but somehow, the malice is missing.

Finn remembers one particular incident when they were still not on speaking terms. He sees Puck in the hallway, holding a slushie, and then, there's Rachel, standing in front of her locker, searching for her books.

Finn is furious and the angry, betrayed boyfriend of Quinn sees the perfect opportunity to tear Puck apart. Slowing gaining momentum, Finn starts to move and watches Puck – seemingly in slow motion – look at his slushie, then at the unassuming Rachel, back at the slushie, Rachel, the slushie, Rachel. And then, Puck just shrugs, lifts the slushie (Finn is ready to pounce him at that moment) and sips from it through a straw.

Rachel passes him without any incident and suddenly, all the anger has drained from Finn.

Puck notices Finn staring at him and asks, rather irritated:

„What?"

Two days later, Finn and Puck start talking again.

Puck starts to open doors for Quinn (still arguing with her), helps her with the stairs (arguing with her), and tells her (rather tensely and through his teeth, because he has said it at least a dozen times) that she should not dance, because it's not good for the baby.

They fight about the dancing, of course, and if it's good for the baby or not and Quinn is really angry, because Puck knows everything better, until he retrieves a book from his backpack.

It has a pink cover and says „The Parents' Guide for Dummies".

Quinn stares at it. The Glee kids stare at it. Even Mr. Shuester stares at it. Puck doesn't seem to notice.

The book has bookmarks made from ticket stubs, coke labels and newspaper pieces and Puck chooses a particular page and points at it, while reading rather shakily from it. It emphasizes his point and Quinn's anger has just dissipated.

He continues fighting with her, still pointing at the book, and looks up to her, expectantly, hoping she will see that he's right.

And Quinn – takes him by the ears and kisses him soundly.

Then she leaves, rather twinkle-toed for someone in eighth month.

Puck is dumbfounded – then he recovers and shouts (but she's already out of the door): „You are so going to take those prenatal vitamins!" And in his hand, he has the box containing the vitamins and it rattles as he continues to shake his fist.

All the other Glee members just watch them – it's like a spectacle in zoo, where one lions tries to rip apart another lion. You just can't help but stare. During one of their fights, Mercedes, Kurt, Artie and Tina actually bring popcorn.

Finn stares too, smiles and tries to share the smile with Rachel who doesn't stare at Puck and Quinn, but at himself. She quickly averts her thoughtful and sad glance when Finn meets her eyes, and Kurt and Mercedes, who are way too wise for their age, shoot Finn a looooong glance.

They know what's going on. Finn doesn't.

„She always chased after you," Mercedes says softly. „She is wondering if she's the only one fighting."

Then, one afternoon, it's happening.

They are singing „I Need A Hero", and their chorus is drowned by a distinct groan. They all look at Quinn – she is holding her stomach and there is a puddle of blood and liquid between her feet.

And of course, Rachel has trained for this.

„Mr. Shuester, call Miss Pillsbury! She should inform Quinn's parents! Kurt, we'll need your car to drive her to the hospital („She'll ruin the seats!" „I'll ruin you if you don't go – now!"). Mercedes, Tina, get her spare clothes out of her locker and try to catch up with us! Puck, Finn, help her to Kurt's car!"

Everyone suddenly starts running, but Quinn groans and her face is a grimace of pain: „I can't move! It hurts too much!"

„Take my wheelchair," Artie says.

Finn and Puck turn to him, their hands still on Quinn's upper arms to help her up. Puck's face is beyond priceless.

„Don't stand there like that, help me out of here! She needs my wheelchair!" Artie says, decidedly, but gently, knowing he is toying with Puck's sanity and world view.

Catching his eye, he is earnest for the first time and tells Artie: „Thank you."

Puck starts to push his wheelchair after that.

Seconds later they are in the hallways. Rachel has taken the lead, shouting at everyone who is not fast enough to jump out of her way. Finn is carrying Quinn's stuff, Puck is pushing the wheelchair while Kurt struggles to find his keys.

„You have to breath, like this: Hff – hff – hff – hff!" he says.

„Shut up!" Quinn and Puck say in unison.

They leave the building, they struggle to get Quinn and the wheelchair into Kurt's car, and then, Kurt drives like a crazy maniac.

It happens rather quickly after that – Quinn is taken away. She screams and groans and screams again, and Puck tries hard not to panic as he follows her inside the labor ward. Finn sees that he is, for the first time in his life, scared shitless.

Then a whirlwind of chaos arrives: Mercedes, Tina, Mr. Shuester, Miss Pillsbury and Quinn's parents stomp down the hallway like a giant stampede.

„Where is she?" Mr. Shuester asks, and, as if on cue, Quinn howls in pain and a nurse comes out of the labor ward, her hands covered with blood.

End (1/2)