Title: Something Beautiful Remains.
Pairing: PuckleBerry. Santana/Finn.
Rating: K+ Only because of a few mild swear words.
Summary: After the shocking events of Graduation night Rachel fled Ohio taking the secrets of that night with her. Now over four years later a tragic event forces everyone to face the truth.
Notes: I wasn't going to post this until I had finished Sweet Child but there's only the epilogue left and it should be up tomorrow. This is a story that I've been planning for a long time. It's a Santana/Rachel friendship story and a Puck/Rachel, Finn/Santana romance story set four and a half years after graduation.
I've also started a prequel to Sweet Child which should be ready to post when Forever Young is finished.
1.
Pulling her sunglasses down over her head Rachel watched as her three-year-old son Gabriel 'Gabe' Berry ran through the fountains, his dark brown locks soaking to the side of his face as he squealed in delight.
"Mama," Gabe laughed as he ran over to where his mother sat, wrapping his tiny arms around her, his wet clothes soaking her summer dress in the process.
"Hey Little-Man," Rachel smiled, lifting him up onto her lap.
Looking over at the ice cream truck Gabe pointed a chubby hand in the same direction. "Lolly?"
"What's the magic word?" Rachel asked as she reached into her bag, taking a handful of change from her purse.
Gabe frowned as he tried to think of the right answer. "Doodle?"
"Close, but not quite," Rachel chuckled.
"Noodle?" Gabe guessed, squinting his eyes as he found himself looking straight at the sun.
From her place on the bench next to him Santana leaned over and whispered something into the young boy's ear.
"Oo please?" Gabe practically shouted, as Rachel threw Santana a half-amused, half-angry look.
"Please it is," Rachel chuckled, covering the small boy in kisses as she stood up, carrying him in her arms as she headed towards the ice cream truck.
Hearing the truck's familiar melody Gabe clapped his hands together in an excited manner. "Yeah lolly."
"You want anything?" Rachel called over her shoulder, stopping as she waited for Santana to reply.
"Surprise me," Santana grinned, as she pulled her Marc Jacobs sunglasses down over her face and turned her attention back to the latest edition of Cosmopolitan.
Reaching the ice cream truck Gabe eyed the pictures on the window before eagerly making his selection. "Please Mama, please can I please have that one?"
"Three pleases, I'm impressed," Rachel smiled as she ordered the desired lollies before handing the money over to the vendor.
"This is the best day ever," Gabe sung as he waited for his mother to unwrap his lolly, once he had it in his hands he wriggled free from her grip and ran over to where Santana sat, still totally engrossed on her magazine.
Looking up from her magazine Santana held her hands up in warning. "Oh no you don't Little Man, you are not getting me wet, this is a one-of-a-kind Vivienne Westwood dress."
"Look what I got," Gabe announced, showing her his dripping lolly.
Santana eyed the lolly suspiciously as the bright red liquid dripped down onto the ground. "That looks … messy."
"It's yummy," Gabe corrected.
"Just keep it away from my-"
Approaching her son and friend Rachel couldn't help but laugh as she finished the sentence for her. "One of a kind Vivienne Westwood dress."
"You both talk funny," Gabe frowned.
"That's because they're talking girl," Finn pointed out as he walked up behind the trio.
Turning around Gabe ran towards the familiar voice. "Finn. You came."
"Hey Stitch," Finn chuckled as he gave the young boy a high-five before scooping him up into his arms, ignoring the dripping red lolly that was now smothered all over his khaki shorts.
Turning to her friend Santana smirked. "He certainly doesn't get his table manners from you. Miss Prim and Proper Rachel Berry."
"He's three," Rachel reminded her friend.
"It's never too early to learn to keep dirty fingers away from designer clothes," Santana insisted as she watched Finn and Gabe head towards the fountain.
Taking a lick of her watermelon ice Rachel watched as Finn lifted Gabe up and almost dunked him straight into the middle of the fountain. "Okay then."
"What time are you due at the theatre?" Santana asked, looking down at her watch.
"In about an hour," Rachel answered, watching as Gabe ran from fountain to fountain, his laughter so loud that she couldn't help but smile.
Santana carefully finished her ice cream before following Rachel's gaze across to where Finn and Gabe seemed engrossed in a game of tag. "He'll make a good father one day."
"You getting broody Satan?" Rachel teased, using the familiar nickname.
"No," Santana growled, throwing the brunette a death glare. "Children make you all mushy and hormonal and just … no."
Rachel nodded, her eyes flickering with amusement. "Says the girl who cried when Gabe was born."
"I hadn't slept for twenty-four hours, I was surviving on nothing but coffee and then I had your huge man hands crushing my fingers to the point I almost ended up in the ER myself, they were tears of pain," Santana insisted as she watched Rachel fiddle nervously with the pendant around her neck.
"Of course they were," Rachel nodded, her voice suddenly distant.
Santana watched as Rachel's eyes glazed over. "What's on that crazy mind of yours?"
"Just thinking," Rachel shrugged.
"About?" Santana probed.
Rachel watched as Gabe tilted his head back in an attempt to drink the fountain water before Finn realised what was happening and put a stop to it. "Gabe's going to be four next month."
"Party time," Santana sung.
"Yeah party time," Rachel absentmindedly replied, her thoughts clearly somewhere else.
Santana reached out and gently tapped Rachel on the back. "What's really on your mind? Because I know you're as excited as I am about Gabe's birthday. Maybe more so than he is."
"It's just maybe it's time to find out for certain," Rachel finally whispered.
"You mean?" Santana breathed.
Rachel nodded. "He's a smart boy. It's only a matter of time before he starts asking questions, especially when he starts kindergarten."
"But Rach … is that a can of worms you're ready to open?" Santana asked.
"I … no … it's a can of worms I'll never be ready to face but for Gabe's sake I need answers, he needs answers," Rachel insisted.
Watching her friends eyes darken Santana feared that if she started down this road then there would be no way back for the young, single mother. She had been there at the start of it all, she had seen how the events of the past had nearly destroyed the young diva and how hard it had been for her to get to where she was now.
So she couldn't help but fear that if Rachel started searching for answers to the demons of her past then not even Rachel Berry would have the strength to recover from that.
"Mama," Gabe shouted, breaking Rachel and Santana free from their silent soliloquy.
"Yes Baby?" Rachel smiled, plastering on her biggest smile, a smile that only those closest to her could see through.
Pulling himself up onto the bench Gabe began rooting through his mother's bag looking for a snack. "I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry," Santana chuckled.
"No I'm not," Gabe frowned.
Santana nodded. "Are so."
"How old are you?" Rachel asked, turning her attention to her friend as she pulled a small snack box out of her bag and handed it to the hungry youngster.
Opening the box Gabe hungrily helped himself to the treats hidden within as he squashed a whole strawberry into his mouth. "I'm three," he answered, his words barely audible through the mouth of food.
"I should head to the theatre," Rachel announced.
Santana helped herself to one of Gabe's strawberries before nodding. "Depending on what time we get back from MOMA I might just keep Stitch at mine tonight."
"Sure. Just text me, let me know where you want me to pick him up from," Rachel asked as she packed everything into her bag before handing Santana his overnight bag.
"Will do," Santana agreed, taking the bag from Rachel.
Turning her attention to her son Rachel wiped the strawberry juice from his face before giving him a kiss. "Be good for Santana yes?"
"Promise," Gabe grinned, returning the kiss.
"And Mommy will pick you up tomorrow and we'll have breakfast together, how does that sound?" Rachel questioned as she stood up ready to leave.
Gabe nodded before squeezing a handful of grapes into his mouth. "Love you lots Mama."
"Love you more Little Man," Rachel laughed as she ruffled his hair affectionately before heading off to work.
Once his mother was out of sight Gabe put his snack box down before turning his attention towards Santana. "Can I have a lolly?"
"You've already had one today," Santana reminded him.
"I know but that was ages ago," Gabe groaned, his eyes wide and pleading.
Ignoring the feeling of déjà vu that washed over her Santana helped herself to another strawberry. "It wasn't even an hour ago. But nice try Mister."
"Urgh," Gabe groaned as he closed the lid on his snack box before heading back towards the fountain where a group of children his age were running in and out of the water sprays.
Watching as Gabe played with a small boy his age Finn wrapped his arm around his girlfriend of two years. "Sorry I was late I overslept-"
"Hangover?" Santana guessed.
Reluctantly Finn nodded. "You could say that."
"What aren't you telling me?" Santana asked, after two years of living with him she could tell when he was keeping something from her.
"I had drinks with Puck last night," Finn admitted, his voice nothing more than a whisper.
Santana glared at him. "Puck. Why … what … what's he doing in New York?"
"His construction company has a job here, it's going to be about three months before it's completed," Finn explained.
Santana could feel herself starting to panic. "Oh God. Rachel so isn't ready to see him again, not after … not with … it's going to be alright though I mean New York is a big city, people can live here their whole lives without ever meeting right?"
"Right, but would it be such a bad thing if he did find out?" Finn questioned.
"Yes," Santana practically shrieked.
Finn placed a calming hand on her knee. "It's just Puck got really drunk last night and he was sort of emotional and really un-Puck-like. He started going on about Quinn and Beth and how his little girl was already five-years-old and he had only ever held her once. It got me thinking-"
"I've warned you before that you plus thinking equals very dangerous territory," Santana growled, not liking where Finn was going with this.
"We're helping Rachel keep Gabe from him," Finn whispered.
Santana shook her head. "Puck isn't Gabe's father."
"So you and Rachel keep telling me but I'm not stupid San, I know there's something you're keeping from me," Finn pointed out.
"I love you Finn, but you need to let this drop because if you don't it's going to end up hurting people, people I care about," Santana explained.
Finn could hear the pain in her voice, and a part of him was proud, proud that she cared so much about Rachel and Gabe to get so upset while another part of him, that part that knew what it was like to be lied to felt guilty for keeping Puck in the dark.
"I mean it Finn, it's not our place to say anything, Gabe is Rachel's son and that's all that matters," Santana told him, her voice low and warning.
Knowing when he was beaten Finn nodded. "Okay."
"I need you to promise me Finn, I need to know that I can trust you on this," Santana explained.
"I promise," Finn reluctantly assured her.
Santana nodded. "Good. Because I will do everything in my power to stop Rachel and that little boy getting hurt."
"I get that, I really do but do you really think Puck would hurt them?" Finn questioned.
"Not intentionally no, but the past is still something that Rachel can't deal with and Puck is a big part of that and I can't risk Rachel having to go back there again, not when … that isn't-"
Finn could hear the pain in Santana's voice as she spoke about the past. "What happened all those years ago San?"
"I can't-"
"Why not?" Finn asked.
Santana squeezed his hand. "Because it's not my tragedy to tell."
"Maybe I could help, I just need you to be honest with me," Finn pleaded, he wanted desperately to be let in, he wanted to know what was so painful that for six months after he was born Rachel could barely look at her own child. He wanted to know why they never talked about life before Gabe, he wanted to know why his close friend and one of the strongest people he knew cried herself to sleep every night. But more than that, more than anything else he wanted to know what had broken Rachel Berry.
Untangling herself Santana looked across at the fountain, her heart doubling in speed when she failed to spot the small child in question.
"Gabe," she called running into the fountain, suddenly not caring about her one-of-a-kind designer dress.
Panic set in as Santana ran back towards Finn, her heart beating out of her chest. "He's gone. Gabe's gone."
Falling into Finn's arms Rachel heard him calling the police as he spoke to the growing crowd. The chaos around her was lost on Santana as she could think of nothing but the little boy who had melted her heart and how she was going to tell her best friend that she lad lost the only thing that kept her breathing every day.