Disclaimer: Ownership is neither claimed nor implied, the author does not make any profit from this work of fiction.
A/N: "Is it possible? Can it be done so quickly?" she asked, she hardly dared to hope.
"I don't know, I'm just thinking out loud here," he answered.
January 2023
"Quinn, please, I'm begging," Rachel cried dramatically and sobbed slightly as she waited for the answer, the right answer.
Quinn wondered how the hell she could refuse, she really didn't have time to spend a week at McKinley just to try and beat some sense into Rachel's misfit glee club. "Rachel, look, I have a huge caseload, I just don't see how I can possibly..." she hedged, but the word 'no' still wouldn't come.
"Please," Rachel begged again, drawing the word out as long as she possibly could.
Quinn sighed and closed her eyes, she knew that she was going to cave, Rachel knew that she was going to cave, she suddenly wondered why the hell she was even trying to delay the inevitable. "Fine," Quinn grumbled, she was as mad at herself for giving in as she was at Rachel for even asking her in the first place, "I'll be at school on Monday morning, but I don't know if I'll be able to swing the full week, ok?" she said, she truly did not sound pleased and she wasn't, she was not at all pleased. In truth, Quinn was pissed that she was probably going to have to dip into her precious vacation time, the time she usually kept for when Puck managed to roll into town. Quinn ended the call before Rachel could thank her, she didn't want the sickly sweet gratitude, she wanted her bumps felt for abandoning her work to help out the most irritating and persistent person in the world.
"Thank you all for coming," Rachel said with a smile as she skipped joyfully into the choir room early on Monday morning, before the start of the school day. "Quinn, I know that you're busy at work and I can't thank you enough for giving us your time, but I think your particular brand of tough love is just what these kids need," she explained. "Mercedes, I need you to teach Jane how to use her voice to the best advantage, she needs guidance, so does Roderick," she said. "Santana, could you do something with Kitty, please?" she asked although she wasn't sure that anyone remotely human could possible change that girl's miserable countenance – not that Rachel could understand why the girl was still a student at McKinley, she should surely have graduated years ago.
"No probs," Santana sighed and rubbed her hand over her rounded stomach.
"How is Baby Lopez-Pierce doing?" Quinn asked, she hoped that she'd hidden the little bubble of envy that had appeared the moment she'd seen Santana's neat pregnant belly. Quinn metaphorically smacked herself upside the head, she knew that she wasn't in any position to be craving babies in her life right now, she and Puck had talked about it a long time ago, they'd discussed the pros and cons of getting married and having kids and they'd decided on a wedding at twenty-five and to start trying for kids at thirty…but here she was, on the cusp of twenty-nine and it still hadn't happened – he hadn't even proposed to her yet. Quinn shook herself and tuned in to what Santana was saying.
"Baby Lopez-Pierce is doing absolutely fine, thank you very much," Santana replied and stretched to ease the kink out of her back. "Two more weeks of internal incubation and then that's it, Baby Lopez-Pierce will be here in the flesh," she sighed tiredly. "Brit sends her apologies, by the way," she added, just in case anyone wondered where her wife was. "She's caught up in some huge calculations for NASA," she explained and then dismissed it from her mind, in truth, Brittany's worked bored Santana rigid – not that she would ever tell Brit that, she wouldn't, she'd never want to hurt her wife that way!
"I tried to get Puck to come too," Rachel sighed and flopped down into the seat beside Quinn, "but he's on some stupid training thing, he says he's getting ready to deploy somewhere," she grumbled, but she sounded as though she didn't quite believe it, as though Puck had exaggerated the importance of what he was doing rather than take the opportunity to return to McKinley to help her out. "Is that even a real thing?" she asked.
"Of course it's a real thing," Quinn snapped. "The Middle East," she added and adjusted her skirt on her knees, brushed away an invisible piece of lint. "He's training on a particular aircraft ready to deploy to the Middle East," she explained, and yes, she was hurt that he'd passed up a chance to spend some time with her before he was whisked out of the country for nine months to a year – especially as it was going to be her birthday in just a couple of days.
"How are things with you two?" Mercedes asked, she'd heard the snippiness in Quinn's voice, knew from her mannerisms that she wasn't handling the separation well. Mercedes was well aware that Quinn was pissed about something!
"Apart from the fact that he chose to go scuba diving with his buddies rather than coming to Lima to spend the weekend with me," Quinn muttered through gritted teeth, "and that he has, so far, managed to miss every birthday and anniversary since we started dating, fine, it's all fine," she said – even though it was a complete lie, it was nowhere near fine, but at least Mercedes had her answer.
"He'll still be able to keep in touch once he's overseas, though, won't he?" Mercedes asked and patted Quinn's hand to placate her friend.
"And I might just strip naked and dance around when he calls me on Skype," Quinn growled. Yes, that idea seemed to have some mega possibilities, she could do many, many things to cause Puck some discomfort when he would only be able to rely on himself for relief!
"See, I really don't care that you have attitude coming out of your ass," Quinn stated as the students all stared at her with fear in their eyes. "I deal with hardened criminals every day," she reminded them, she was a lawyer after all. "You," she said and pointed at Kitty, "quit being Sue's puppet, life's too hard to be that much of a bitch every day, it'll give you wrinkles and frown lines," she advised, Kitty frowned even more. "You two," she said and pointed at Mason and Maddison, "you're just super creepy, you need to get involved with other people," she advised and ignored the sharply indrawn breath from both of the dark-haired Cheerio twins. "And you," Quinn pointed at Spencer, "get over yourself," she sneered, "you are not the first gay, singing, football star we've had here at McKinley," she informed them all. "Mercedes will deal with you two," she said as she pointed at Jane and Roderick, Quinn sighed and went back to her seat though she didn't feel in the slightest bit accomplished. Quinn wished she'd ignored Rachel's cry for help and just gone to work, at least there she'd have a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day.
"I think she's done now," Santana murmured to Mercedes, and then shifted again in her seat. "You know, this baby is lying on the last freakin' nerve I have," she declared and then stood and stretched. "All right," she said, she clapped her hands as she spoke and brought the group's attention to her. "Quinn's given you the love and affection," she mocked, "now it's time for the hard stuff," she warned. "Just because you're at the centre of your families' universe, doesn't mean you'll be at the centre of anyone else's," Santana announced and then swept her gaze across the entire group. "Life's a bitch, get used to it," she advised.
Quinn sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "Don't I know it," she whispered, more to herself that to anyone else. Quinn sniffed delicately, there was a wealth of emotion just hovering below the surface and it wouldn't take a great deal to make it break through the hard shell that she had been striving to build over the last two months, ever since Puck had announced that he was going overseas. Quinn listened with half an ear to the harsh words that Santana bestowed upon the rather shocked – they were certainly surprised at any rate – glee club members.
"I know, I know, I know," Quinn sighed sadly when Santana called her on her bad mood. Quinn picked up the menu and sighed even harder, they were at Breadstix for dinner, just the four girls. "I know he loves me, and I love him, I truly do," she hastened to add the last part in case they thought any different, "but he just pisses me off sometimes, you know?" she asked with a pout. Quinn sighed heavily, she wanted to explain properly, she really did, but every time she tried to voice it, she just sounded like a petulant two-year-old - even to herself! "See, he shows every bit of commitment to the air force, to his squadron and to his buddies," she said with a scowl, "but if I ask him to come home, just for one night, because it's my birthday, for instance," she said and rolled her eyes at how petty she sounded, "well, that's a different story, he never seems to have time for that," she grumbled.
"Be fair," Santana reasoned, "he has to be fully committed to the air force," she said as if Quinn didn't know it already. "If he's in a hostile place, it could be the difference between life and death," she reminded Quinn.
"I know," Quinn sighed dramatically and covered her face with her hands, her elbows were on the table. It was something she knew, she just felt extremely emotional and vulnerable right now, she hadn't seen Puck in the flesh for weeks and Skype wasn't actually the best substitute, an hour on there with him often left her wanting – needing – more.
"Well, I just know that he loves you more than life itself," Rachel broke in to say and then went back to studying the menu.
"How can you know something like that?" Santana demanded, she felt emotional and angry on Quinn's behalf, but she knew it was just her hormones working at a ridiculous level.
"Because he defied his nana's dying wish to find himself a nice Jewish girl," Rachel answered. "And there was no one more forceful than his nana," she muttered with a shudder.
"Who told you that?" Quinn demanded, she smiled nostalgically as she sat back in her seat and remembered the night that Puck's nana had finally lost her fight against cancer.
"My dads, I think," Rachel mumbled, she wasn't sure, she thought it was possibly her dads who had told her, but it could have been anyone else from temple. "It might have been Rebecca," she decided and named Puck's sister as her source of information. "Anyway, someone told me that she told Puck to find a nice Jewish girl to marry," Rachel stated with confidence.
"She did not say that," Quinn replied. "She told Puck that if he didn't hurry up and marry me, it would be his own fault if I left him and she told him he'd struggle to find himself a nice Jewish girl because they'd all heard about him already," she explained with a roll of her eyes. "And don't let anyone fool you, Puck's nana wasn't so much of a badass, she was always nice to me," Quinn admitted.
"You know he's only ever had eyes for you," Mercedes reassured her friend. "He was always telling everyone that your ass was smokin'," she added with a giggle. Quinn blushed, that was very true, Puck had often commented favourably on that part of her anatomy.
"Didn't matter what he was singing or who he was singing to, his eyes always found you," Satana confirmed. "Even when he was supposed to be dating me," she added with a heartfelt sigh.
"To be fair, he was only ever 'dating' you," Mercedes interjected and used her fingers to make air quotes for emphasis, "to cover for you and Brit being a couple and to hide the fact that he was completely in love with his best friend's girl," she pointed out and winked at Quinn to remind her that she still was that girl. Santana shrugged, she had no answer to that, it was totally true.
"Anyway, let's get this back on track," Rachel suggested brightly and smiled at all of her friends around the table. "Tina is coming in on Thursday, most of the guys are able to get in then too," she said and then looked as though she was thinking hard, making plans. "How about we do something special on Friday for your birthday?" she suggested to Quinn.
Quinn shrugged and looked despondent. "Cool," she muttered, she would rather be making plans with Puck, she so wished that he could make it, even if it was only for the one night. "God, I miss Puck," she sighed and then felt a single tear slip down her cheek. "Jeez, listen to me being a miserable selfish bitch, and he hasn't even left the country yet," she grumbled light-heartedly. "I know he has a duty to serve this country and I don't grudge him the chance to do so, I'm proud of him for it," she stated firmly, "I just wish I could have some time with him before he has to leave," Quinn said in a very small voice, she was less than an inch away from losing control of her emotions altogether!
"He'll be thinking about you," Mercedes said firmly and patted Quinn's hand gently, "there's no doubt he'll be thinking about you even if he can't be with you," she decided with absolute certainty. Mercedes sat back from the conversation, she had an idea in mind, she just had to work out some of the finer details and she knew just who to speak to for advice…
"So, I hope you have all learned something this week," Rachel said on Friday afternoon as she stood centre-stage, looking out at her friends and students. "Take note of all the advice that these people have given you, and remember, they know stuff, they were national champions after all," she reminded them. Rachel glanced at Mercedes and received an almost imperceptible nod. "We have one more performance for you to enjoy today," she announced as the giant screen slowly lowered into place behind her. "Watch and learn," she advised and then hurried down the steps to sit and watch the wonder that was about to unfold. Rachel glanced behind her and saw the faces of the people who had hidden at the back of the auditorium until now, and then she caught sight of the two that she'd hoped would be there - well, one of them at least. Rachel covertly gave a thumbs up and received nods and waves in return. Thank God for Mercedes' idea!
Quinn watched and listened with interest when the intro started, it was one of her favourite Ed Sheeran songs, she loved the way that guy sang and his songs always spoke to her, said something to her, she sighed as the screen lit up. "Puck," she whispered and sat up straighter in her seat as the image of Puck, perched on a tall stool - like the ones in the choir room - began to play his guitar. Quinn drank in the sight of him, his t-shirt stretched taut across his magnificent chest, the muscles in his arms moving beneath his tanned skin as his talented fingers expertly drew a tune from the strings. Quinn sighed, she noted the way the strands of his hair touched his forehead and the slight wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, she looked further, deeper, she checked out the background, it was a nondescript sky and meadow scene just like a photographer would use, nothing gave away where he was. Quinn drew in a deep breath, she trembled inside with anticipation just an instant before he began to sing - she knew it was to her, it was always to her. Quinn adored it when Puck sang to her, especially the romantic songs, she held her breath as his voice filled the auditorium.
"When your legs don't work like they used to before
And I can't sweep you off of your feet
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?
And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70
And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23
And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe just the touch of a hand
Well, me - I fall in love with you every single day
And I just wanna tell you I am
So honey now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your hand on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
Maybe we found love right where we are
When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades
And the crowds don't remember my name
When my hands don't play the strings the same way
I know you will still love me the same
'Cause honey your soul could never grow old, it's evergreen
And, baby, your smile's forever in my mind and memory
I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe it's all part of a plan
Well, I'll just keep on making the same mistakes
Hoping that you'll understand
That, baby, now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your hand on my beating heart
Thinking out loud
Maybe we found love right where we are
La la la la la la la la," Puck hummed as he played his guitar, he smiled on the screen, his usual slightly cheesy, half-smile.
Even as she concentrated on the vision before her and savoured the sight of the man she loved with her whole heart, in the back of her mind, Quinn wondered when Puck had recorded the performance because surely he wouldn't have had time to do it this week when he was so busy with training. Suddenly, Quinn became aware of a presence in the aisle beside her seat, she jumped as if she'd been touched by electricity when she looked up into Puck's glowing eyes, she stifled a giggle as he held out his hand to take hers to assist her to her feet. Quinn shivered as Puck's arms wrapped around her, she felt his breath on her hair, his face on her cheek, in the back of her mind, Quinn realised that he had the same shirt on as he did on screen. She melted inside when his hands rose to cup her face, as she stared into his eyes and he into hers, her breath caught in her throat slightly as he began to sing again.
"So, baby, now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Oh, darling, place your hand on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
Maybe we found love right where we are
Oh, baby, we found love right where we are
And we found love right where we are," Puck sang to complete the song. The emotion he felt at singing this song to Quinn was apparent to everyone in the auditorium. As soon as he'd stopped singing, Puck's arms enfolded Quinn into a warm, tight, hug.
"I think we did," Quinn whispered to Puck, her eyes were closed and she was shaking, she had missed him so much.
"Think we did what?" Puck murmured back, he swayed a little and hugged her just a touch tighter.
"Find love right here," Quinn replied and leaned back enough to see him, see his eyes. "I missed you," she whispered with such a wealth of understatement.
"Missed you too," Puck murmured less than a second before his lips touched hers in a long-awaited kiss of reunion. Puck surfaced just before Quinn when he realised that their audience was cheering and clapping them once more. "There's a reason why I was granted leave to come here today," he whispered and then took a step back, he allowed his hands to leave Quinn's back – actually, they were on her ass – and he missed her curves immediately. "First of all," Puck began, fairly loudly and theatrically, Quinn thought, "I would like to say happy birthday to the most understanding woman in the world," he said with a grin and lifted one of Quinn's hands to his lips to gently kiss the back of her fingers, "and secondly, I have a question for you," he added. Quinn gasped as Puck descended to one denim-clad knee, he looked up at her and grinned. "Yes, it's that question," he said with a snort of slightly embarrassed laughter - he couldn't believe he was doing this in front of all these people, what was he thinking? What if she said no? Puck glanced around, he saw his mom and his sister, he saw Judy Fabray and Russell with his new wife, Puck saw his own dad which surprised the life out of him, he saw Mr and Mrs Schue and Coach Beiste, he saw Principal Sylvester and Beckie and then he thought he saw two people that he would never have expected to see, he thought he'd seen the one person who would make the moment complete, and for once - just in case his eyes weren't deceiving him - he thanked God for Rachel Berry. "Quinn Fabray," Puck began quite formally, and then swallowed as a surge of emotion bubbled up inside him, "I have loved you since we were fifteen years old, I will love you till we're a hundred and fifteen if I possibly can," he joked and then bit his lip just exactly as Quinn was doing, Puck swallowed again to gather himself. "Will you marry me?" he asked breathlessly as he revealed the stunning, platinum and diamond solitaire ring that he had saved damned hard to buy for her.
Quinn couldn't speak, she didn't have room for words with the huge flood of emotions that came bubbling up from deep inside her. Quinn nodded, she cried and she nodded, she just couldn't say anything at all. Puck placed the ring on her finger then stood up and grabbed her into his arms. "Yes," she whispered into his ear as he hugged her tight. "Yes, I'd love to marry you," she sighed and then fell into the most romantic, tongue tangling kiss ever. In the distance, Puck became aware that the song he'd recorded – with help from Artie and Sam – was being played again, he could hear his own voice singing those words, words he'd only ever wanted to sing to Quinn.
"Erm, hi," a hesitant voice followed by a throat being cleared brought both Puck and Quinn back to awareness of their surroundings. "Cool," the young girl said with an embarrassed grin. "Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself, you know, before things get too hot, like when my mom slaps her hand over my eyes when we're at the beach and see people making out, or like when something comes on TV that she thinks is above my age limit," she twittered on.
"Beth?" Quinn breathed, she was in shock, she looked at Puck, he looked like he'd been smacked with something too.
"Erm, yep, that's me," Beth answered. "Beth Corcoran," she added as if they wouldn't know that part. "Your daughter," she tagged on after a slight pause and with an embarrassed giggle, it was like she wanted to stop talking, but her brain couldn't quite make her mouth obey its instructions.
"Oh my God," Puck sighed, he couldn't believe this was actually real, he was so sure she'd been a figment of his imagination or maybe wishful thinking or something.
"Nope, not God, just Beth, but I'm trying really hard to be good," Beth teased and then looked embarrassed, she realised that her own particular brand of humour - and it always came to the fore whenever she felt awkward - might not be for everyone. "Sorry, inappropriate, my mom's always saying so," she muttered. Puck and Quinn were silent, they just seemed to be hugging each other and staring at Beth, drinking her in. "Awkward," Beth whispered to herself. "Ok, so, cool, looks like you're finally getting married," she commented and nodded, Puck and Quinn mimicked her nod. "So I thought I'd offer my services as a bridesmaid," she added with a cheesy grin. "I mean, I've always wanted to be one and who better to be one for than my birth parents, right?" she suggested brightly and then wished she could stop talking because her nervous verbal diarrhoea was even making her uncomfortable, never mind her parents – and she was used to herself!
"I'd love for you to be my bridesmaid," Quinn whispered tearfully, she couldn't believe this was happening, she didn't dare blink just in case she opened her eyes and everyone had disappeared. Quinn was more than eighty percent certain that she was going to wake up any second, that her damned alarm clock was going to go off and she was going to have to deal with a long day in court, no way could this be real, this was like all of her fantasies coming to life at the same time.
"Great," Beth replied with another huge smile, she paused for a second or two. "So when are we doing this?" she asked, there was no time like the present in her mind, now that she'd decided that she wanted to meet her birth parents, wanted them to be a part of her life – with her mom's agreement and understanding, of course – she saw no reason to delay.
"Erm, well," Puck stuttered, he couldn't organise his thoughts so rapidly, not while Quinn was in his arms and their beautiful daughter was standing right there in front of them.
"I'd like it to be soon," Quinn admitted breathlessly.
"How soon?" Puck asked, he wondered how soon they could pull things together, and he wondered if he should tell her his news first. "It's only two-thirty," he commented after checking his watch, "the courthouse should still be open, there's no waiting period in Ohio, we only have to get the licence," he said, his tone was both pondering and suggestive.
Quinn's heart leapt in her chest, how did he know all that, had he been doing some research? "Is it possible? Can it be done so quickly?" she asked, she hardly dared to hope.
Puck gulped and then thought about what he'd said. "I don't know, I'm just thinking out loud here," he answered.
"Maybe it can," Beth said to both of them and grinned even wider. Everyone in the auditorium held their breath. Puck nodded. Quinn nodded. "So we're doing this today?" Beth whispered excitedly. Puck and Quinn nodded again. "We're doing this today," she yelled and then jumped up and down to demonstrate her excitement. Puck felt like doing that too, but he restrained himself. Barely.
"I have Rabbi Stern on the phone," Ruth Puckerman called and hurried towards her son with her phone held out to him.
Puck shrugged. "Any objections?" he asked quietly.
Quinn shook her head and wondered if her mom would do the same. She did. "Father Bryant says he's available tonight after seven and he has no objection to a combined faith thing," Judy called breathlessly as she rushed down the steps towards her daughter.
"Rabbi Stern?" Ruth said into her phone. "Can you do it tonight? With Father Bryant?" she asked. Ruth listened for a moment. "Rabbi Stern can be available after eight if that's ok with everyone," she announced happily.
"Yes, Father Bryant can do that time," Judy confirmed. "Oh, I never thought of that," she replied into her phone to an unheard question. "Just a moment," she said to the priest. "Does anyone know where we can actually hold the wedding?" she asked.
"How about right here?" Puck asked, he was staring into Quinn's eyes, he was asking her really, but everyone else jumped in to answer. "So much of our history has been played out on that stage, I think it's the right place to start our future," he added quietly, though a few people heard him say it, some of them were surprised by the emotion and feeling that were evident in his voice and on his face.
"Perfect," Rachel and Mercedes cried together.
"No reason why not," Principal Sylvester agreed with a rare smile, a genuine smile. Sue Sylvester didn't like people very often, but when she did, she was loyal and Quinn Fabray had always been one of her favourite students – despite her obvious fall from grace.
"Sounds like a plan," Quinn whispered to Puck, she knew the excitement she could see in his eyes was reflected in her own, oh how she had prayed for this day. "Let's go," she suggested and led the way to the exit. "We'll be in touch soon, you guys," she called and blew a kiss to both her mom and Puck's.
"See you after we sign our lives away," Puck joked as they headed out of the auditorium. "You're sure you're ready to do this?" he asked once they were alone in the corridor.
"I'm more than sure," Quinn sighed. "And I'm ready to start our family too," she added.
"We'll have a couple of weeks to work on that if you want," Puck replied. "I have two weeks deployment leave," he explained. "It's to give me time to make sure everything is in order before we head out."
Quinn stopped short. He was leaving the country in two weeks? As much as she'd been prepared for it, Quinn was still shocked to hear the words. "We better make the most of it then, hadn't we?" she asked huskily, she was trying desperately to hold it together and she wasn't exactly sure how she was doing it.
"Noah Levi Puckerman," Puck supplied his full name and ID when asked by the court official.
"Lucy Quinn Fabray," Quinn gave her full name and ID too.
"And how would you like to be addressed after the marriage?" the smiling clerk asked Quinn.
"Quinn Puckerman," Quinn replied, she didn't have to think about it, not even for a second, she'd secretly been practicing the name and her signature for years - just in case a miracle ever happened - she'd written it in her notebooks a million times, she'd written it even before Puck had kissed her for the first time, though Quinn had never admitted that fact to anyone, not even Puck!
"One moment please," the clerk said as she concentrated on the paperwork in front of her...
Puck and Quinn giggled nervously as they stood on the courthouse steps with the licence in his hand. "Can you believe this was so easy?" Puck asked in surprise.
"I know," Quinn laughed. "So why does every woman in the world turn into bridezilla?" she demanded. "I mean, I know I can be demanding and maybe I'm a bit of a perfectionist," she admitted about herself and waited for Puck to refute her claim - he didn't. "Can you imagine what months and years of planning a wedding would have done to me?" she asked. "I'd have turned into my mother," she said with a shudder and a grimace.
"Please don't do that," Puck jokingly begged. "Please just stay my Quinn," he added and then kissed the end of her nose. "We should get back, maybe we can spend some time with Beth before everything turns to chaos," he suggested and held out a hand for Quinn to take, she did so.
"Sounds good to me," Quinn replied and grinned as they headed back to Puck's SUV.
"Oh my God," Tina, Mercedes and Rachel all squealed together as they hugged and bounced up and down in excitement.
"What should we wear?" Tina demanded all of a sudden, the practicalities had just imposed themselves in her brain.
"We have years and years worth of competition dresses in here," Rachel said and pulled open the door to the huge storage area.
"Cool," Beth sighed and stepped inside to inspect the dresses, mesmerised by the myriad of jewel-like colours.
"Tina is a dab hand at alterations," Rachel praised her friend. "We should all choose something, don't you think?" she suggested. "But what about Quinn?" she added when she suddenly remembered the bride.
"Never fear," Judy cried breathlessly as she rushed into the backstage area with a plastic shrouded white creation. "This is the dress that she refused to wear for senior prom because she said it looked too bridal," she explained, still trying to regain her breath. "Downside is, Puck might have seen it, it's been hanging in her closet for years," Judy said and wrinkled her nose up a little.
"What do you mean, he might have seen it?" Russell demanded. "What the hell has he been doing in her room, never mind looking in her closet?"
"Chill out," Judy snorted. "They're twenty-nine years old, they've been together for almost ten years," she reminded her former husband and his third wife - a youngish, surgically remodelled woman who bore a remarkable resemblance to a Barbie doll - who looked just as outraged as he did. "Whenever Puck comes home on leave he stays with Quinn at our house," she whispered loudly, as though passing on some huge, scandalous secret. Judy rolled her eyes and shook her head, she glanced at Ruth who was trying to hold back a grin and no doubt a giggle. "What?" she demanded of her ex-husband. "Did you think they just went out on dates and kissed goodnight on the porch at ten o'clock?"
"Well, I…" Russell stuttered, he wasn't actually sure what he thought, but he didn't expect Judy to be quite so blasé about allowing their daughter to sleep with her boyfriend under her very own roof - a roof that he still damn well paid for!
"You must have known they'd done it at least once," Beth reasoned from the doorway of the storage room. She looked up from the gold and black dress that she was holding. "I mean, they had me, right?" she asked with a grin that was so like Puck's it was uncanny. Russell nearly fainted, he could not reconcile this girl with the reason he had tossed his daughter out on her ear all those years ago. "Mom?" Beth called and held up the dress. "This is like the dress Quinn is wearing in the picture I have, isn't it?" she queried, Shelby nodded. "So, can I wear it?" she asked.
Shelby Corcoran hid the smile she'd had at her daughter's words to the man who, in other circumstances, would have been her grandfather and silently made her way over to see the dress. "That one would suit you, sweetie," Shelby agreed - she remembered seeing Quinn in that very dress just hours before Beth was born, she also saw the dress every day in the picture of Puck and Quinn that Beth had on her nightstand, maybe this was just meant to be. "Let's get altering," she suggested and sprang into action, she could already see how to make the dress more suited to a very precocious, not yet thirteen-year-old.
Puck was whisked away to the choir room as soon as the happy couple returned to McKinley. "Guys, I need you all to wait here, we have a lot of alterations to make to the girls' dresses," Mercedes explained.
"How about we go out for a while," Sam suggested – he'd joined them as soon as his last class was over. "I mean, waiting around here for another three hours is going to get pretty boring, and we all know Puck isn't at his best when he gets bored," he commented.
"Aren't there any jobs we could do?" Puck asked, he'd grown so used to having tasks to fulfill and a schedule to keep that he hated to be idle. "Flowers? What about flowers?" he suggested, he'd just remembered they were quite a necessary part of the proceedings.
"Judy and your mom have arranged the flowers," Mercedes replied. "Rings?" she cried.
"We called in at Von's and bought them when we went for the licence," Puck answered. "They're just plain but they fit so they'll do for now," he explained with a shrug, he had plans to have a custom designed ring made for Quinn eventually, possibly utilising some of the diamonds that his grandpa's parents had smuggled out of pre-war Poland. "Look, how about we go to Breadstix, maybe have something to eat and arrange for all of us to go back there tonight?" he offered.
"Sounds like a good idea," Mercedes agreed, she hoped that the guys would be sensible and not have too much to drink before the actual ceremony. "Hold up," she called, a sudden thought had struck her. "What are you going to wear?" she asked Puck with a worried look on her face.
"I have a dress uniform in my closet at my mom's house," Puck replied, "I'll call in and get changed after we've eaten," he told her.
Mercedes nodded her approval. "Go, enjoy yourselves," she encouraged with a smile, "but not too much," she added and gave Sam a knowing look.
"Promise, we'll be good," Sam murmured close to Mercedes' ear as he passed her. Sam turned and gave a warm, nostalgic smile to the girl who had taken his heart in their junior year and had never returned, even though she had neither want nor need of it. Mercedes gave Sam a tight smile back, she really wished he would move on, she wished she had the guts to tell him that she had moved on.
"Quinn, you look stunning," Judy managed to say through a flood of tears.
"I have to agree," Ruth said, she felt just as emotional but was managing to control it more, she took a moment to adjust one of the flowers that had been woven through Quinn's hair to complement the Grecian style of her long, flowing dress.
"You could wear a garbage bag and still look gorgeous," Mercedes assured her friend.
"True that," Santana agreed. "But I could too, so don't think it makes you special," she teasingly bitched. "Your boobs look awesome by the way," she whispered under the guise of giving her friend a hug, she knew it was the sort of thing that Quinn needed to hear to break the tension, and true enough, Quinn began to giggle.
Quinn looked around at all of her female friends and family members who were present. "This is like that movie, 27 Dresses," she commented with a happy smile and in truth, Quinn loved it, loved how everyone looked, loved the randomness of it, loved the memories that some of the dresses invoked. Quinn sighed with happiness as her gaze wandered over the group once again, every one of the ladies had a different style and colour dress on, and they all looked fabulous.
"Ta-da," Beth announced as she walked into the dressing room with her mother a step or so behind her. "What do you think?" she asked nervously, she wasn't exactly sure how to respond to the stunned silence and the jaws that were literally on the floor. "That bad, huh?" she muttered with a scowl.
"Good," Santana corrected the disappointed young girl, "that good," she repeated. "You look so much like Quinn I think it shocked all of us," she explained.
Beth looked directly at Quinn. "I really look like you?" she asked hopefully.
"No," Quinn replied quietly. "No, you don't look at all like me," she refuted Santana's claim, and she didn't miss the hurt on the young girl's face. "I have never looked as beautiful as you," Quinn added with a hint of tears and emotion in her voice. She took a step towards the daughter she had given up. "You are the best of me and the best of Puck and you are so, so beautiful and I thank God that you are here with us today, you make this day complete, thank you," she said, though her voice trailed away on a sob as Beth threw herself into Quinn's arms. There wasn't a dry eye as the two beautiful blondes hugged it out for endless wonderful moments.
"Hey, it's time," Mr Schue hissed into the open dressing room, he chanced a glance in when he didn't hear anyone yelling for him to get out. "Quinn, you look stunning and oh my God, Beth, you took me back a few years, I swear I could be looking at one Miss Quinn Fabray from way back when," he said with a smile. Beth smiled back at the guy who'd been introduced as a teacher. Mr Schue noted that the smile in the young girl's eyes seemed to be less Quinn and more Puck...and he prayed for the sanity of her future high school teachers.
"Are you ready?" Judy asked Quinn and searched her daughter's face for signs of nerves or doubt, she saw none.
"Yes," Quinn replied with a huge sigh of contentment. "I'm ready," she confirmed.
"Wait," Frannie, Quinn's older sister, yelled as she charged into the dressing room. "Oh, thank God we got here in time," she panted. "Here, I brought you this," she managed to say though she still hadn't caught her breath. "It's one of the garters I wore at my wedding, I wore two but Tom only threw one," she said as she handed over the pale blue lacy item. Quinn looked puzzled. "Something old, the dress, something new, the ring, something borrowed and blue, the garter," Frannie explained with exaggerated patience. "Come on, we can't leave Puck waiting there forever," she encouraged her sister. "Give me a hug," she insisted and squeezed her sister tight.
"Here, this should fit," Judy said as she handed a purple and black dress to Frannie. "Be quick, we're ready to go," she encouraged. Judy was glad that her elder daughter had made it, her two girls looked so beautiful with their heads together, no doubt trading wedding secrets, she glanced over at the young girl in the doorway and sighed with pleasure, so far her family was complete, now she was just waiting for grandchildren...
"What if she changed her mind?" Puck muttered out of the side of his mouth, he was shuffling and shifting on the spot, he couldn't have stood still to save his life. What would he do if she didn't show? How could he possibly live without her in his life?
"Relax," Sam murmured soothingly, "she'll be here," he assured his nervous friend.
"But what if all this is too rushed?" Puck asked. "I mean, I didn't exactly give her much of a chance to back out, now did I?"
"Puck, she has been in love with you and ready to marry you for years and years," Sam said and patted Puck's shoulder. "Just relax, she will be here in a moment, alright?" he reiterated. Suddenly the quiet background music - that was being so thoughtfully provided by Brad the pianist and the glee band - segued into the wedding march. Sam glanced at Puck, he was frozen to the spot, he couldn't seem to even lift his head. Sam peered over his shoulder and drew in a shocked breath. "Dude, you're going to want to look at this," he urged Puck.
Puck half turned to look behind him. "Holy sh...I mean fu...I mean crap, she looks amazing," he stuttered, aware that both Father Bryant and Rabbi Stern would be frowning at him about his language. "She looks just like Quinn," he whispered with pride. Beth walked - very slowly and savouring every second of being the center of attention - down the aisle between the seats towards the steps to the stage. She noted the smiling approval from the various friends who had gathered to witness the union, she noted the sappy smile on Puck's face, it almost matched the look on Quinn's face when she'd seen Beth in her chosen bridesmaid's dress. As soon as Beth had her foot on the stage, all the other girls - Rachel, Tina, Mercedes, Santana, Frannie and Rebecca - walked out from the wings to line up with Beth. A second or so later, Quinn appeared at the back of the auditorium. Puck felt a warm peace descend on him the instant he saw Quinn. "God, she's so beautiful," he sighed, and he knew that his life was all the better for her being in it.
Quinn's slow approach to the steps was Santana's undoing. "For God's sake, Fabray, can we move it along here," she groaned loudly and clutched her stomach. "I'm guessing I can manage another twenty minutes or so and then I'm booking it to Lima Memorial," she added in a more normal tone. "Jesus, Quinn, how the hell did you do this?" she demanded crossly. "It freakin' hurts," she muttered to Mercedes and then gripped the other girl's proffered hand tightly.
"Shall we postpone?" Quinn offered nervously, she was so torn between hurrying to join herself in matrimony to the love of her life and supporting her best friend through the worst pain she would probably ever know!
"No," Puck, Beth, Ruth, Judy and a multitude of voices shouted all at the same time.
"Not a chance, sweet cheeks," Santana said with a giggle. "See? I'm fine now, I want to witness this union, I think it's a really good pairing," she added a little flirtatiously and gave Quinn a not so subtle wink. "Can we do this?" she asked the two gentlemen who were waiting to begin the joint service.
"Of course," Father Bryant replied and gave both Quinn and Puck a gracious nod. "Dearly beloved," he began, his warm melodious voice was the perfect tone to start the wedding. "We are gathered here this evening to witness the marriage of Noah and Quinn..."
"...mazel tov," Rabbi Stern cried as Puck quickly and efficiently smashed the ceremonial glass under his foot.
"Mazel tov," the cry echoed around the stage, everyone joined in - even Russell and his wife!
"You may kiss the bride," both Father Bryant and Rabbi Stern announced together, it was almost as if they'd rehearsed it. Puck and Quinn did not need telling twice! The instant the words were uttered, Puck had wrapped Quinn up so tightly in his arms like he never had any intention of letting her go. Ever!
From way off in the distance, the applause, the whistles and the cheers eventually penetrated Puck's brain. "I don't want to stop kissing you, ever," he murmured against Quinn's lips.
"I don't want to stop either," Quinn whispered back.
"Screw it," Puck whispered with a grin and deepened their kiss once again.
"Woah," Beth cried. "Little kid here," she shouted, her words didn't seem to have any effect on the passionately kissing couple. "Starving little kid," she called to see if that made any difference.
Puck forced himself to end his kiss with Quinn. "Ready to go to Breadstix to celebrate?" he asked everyone on stage, they all answered affirmatively. "Breadstix it is," he said with a huge grin, he tugged Quinn close to whisper in her ear. "Promise you'll lay off the garlic breadsticks, though, right?" he asked, Quinn giggled but declined to answer.
"Are you sure you want to stay?" Quinn asked Santana, she was very worried about her friend. "We can take you to the hospital," she offered.
"Sure I'm sure," Santana replied during a break from her breathing exercises. "I'm not going anywhere until Brit gets here," she said once again. "There is no way this baby is coming out until she's here, not a chance," she insisted. "I'll just keep my legs crossed," she muttered under her breath.
"Good luck with that," Quinn whispered and kissed Santana's slightly damp, flushed cheek. Quinn gave a certain look, one with her eyebrow raised and a smirk on her lips, to the other ladies in the room, the ones who had been in Santana's position at some point of their lives...and they all knew that, despite Santana's wishes and protests, the baby would have its own agenda and timetable, Santana was just along for the ride!
"Congratulations," Puck's dad murmured beside him. "Shame that Jake couldn't be here," he added, Puck nodded his agreement. "It would have been nice to have all three of my kids in one place at one time," he said almost conversationally.
"Sure you only have three kids?" Puck asked with a half-grin.
"Three I know of," Jim Puckerman acknowledged the comment for the teasing joke it was. "Thank God for vasectomies, huh?" he muttered.
"There would definitely be more of us if you hadn't gotten that done," Puck snickered. "How are you doing, anyway?" he asked, he was concerned about his dad, he didn't have the settled life and the support that Ruth did, he always seemed to be stumbling from one disaster to another with barely a breath in between.
"Good," Jim replied and took a sip of his beer. "I'm doing really good," he confirmed. "I have something for you," he said suddenly and reached into his pocket. "Remember way back, I came to you for a loan?" he asked, he was still embarrassed about that, about having to ask his child for money. Puck nodded and drank from his own beer bottle. "Well, I didn't use it for rent, I invested it," Jim sighed, "and here's your stake back plus interest," he announced as Puck glanced at the value of the check.
"Holy crap," Puck spluttered as he choked on his beer. "Seriously?" he demanded of his dad.
Jim nodded. "I won't tell if you don't," he offered with a nod towards Quinn, who seemed to be enthralled with the young blonde girl.
"I am showing this to Quinn right away," Puck insisted, "we don't keep secrets from each other. What the hell did you invest in to earn this much interest?" he demanded. Puck wondered if it might be a good idea to reinvest the whole lot if the returns were so good, and if his dad was earning this sort of money, how did he always manage to look like he was just about to lose everything?
"Erm, let's call it adult entertainment," Jim muttered after giving it a little bit of thought.
"Is there anything illegal about this?" Puck asked with a touch of trepidation, he looked again at the check in his hand and then fluttered it slightly towards his dad.
"Nope, totally legit," Jim insisted. "I'm talking DVD distribution," he explained. "I used the money to buy into a failing business, we got things changed around and here we are, happy as Larry, money rolling in, top of the line product and totally legal," he added with a fair amount of pride. "You can reinvest if you want," he offered.
"No thanks," Puck quickly refused. "I'll just take my ten grand and do something stupid with it," he muttered. "Thanks, dad," he added and gave his dad a hug before heading off to find his bride.
"My pleasure, son," Jim whispered to himself as he watched his son walk away.
"Hey," Puck murmured into Quinn's ear from behind her.
"Hey yourself," Quinn whispered as she turned and found herself in her husband's arms.
"I think we should think about heading to a hotel for the night," Puck said quietly as he swayed to the quietly playing background music. "I know we always stay at your house, but I don't really want our wedding night to be overheard by your mom, that would just be weird," he mumbled with a snicker of laughter.
"I think you're right," Quinn agreed immediately. "We'll need to call in at home so I can pick some stuff up, but I'm ready right now if you are," she said with a sexy, husky note to her voice. Puck trembled with anticipation and then hurried Quinn from the restaurant after rushing through the traditional tossing of the garter and the bouquet. They both called quick goodbyes to everyone and received raucous cheers in return. "Well, that didn't make it too obvious," Quinn grumbled, she was so embarrassed.
"Like they wouldn't know we want to be alone right now?" Puck questioned as he bundled Quinn into his SUV. Quinn failed to hide the smile when Puck tore out of the parking lot so fast that he made his tires squeal. "Don't tell me you're not desperate too," he said with a half-smile on his handsome face, Quinn grinned and shrugged, and then she leaned over the center console to smack a kiss on his cheek. Puck knew that she was as needy as he was right now, and he was glad of the fact.
It took Quinn all of ten minutes to throw some stuff in an overnight bag, she tossed stuff in for Puck too, luckily he kept some items in her room at Dudley Road. "Ready," she sighed as she hurried down the stairs. "I was going to change," she told him, "but I think I look bridal enough for us to snag the honeymoon suite at The Courtyard, don't you?" she asked.
"You look awesome," Puck growled and grasped her close to devour her lips once again. "Let's get moving," he sighed once he could actually tear himself away, it had been so tempting just to run up the stairs to Quinn's room to begin their wedding night in earnest.
"The bridal suite, if it's available please," Puck requested of the clerk on the desk at the hotel. "We've just gotten ourselves married this evening," he added with a smile and a wink at Quinn. Puck noticed that the woman was hesitating, as though trying to decide if she could rent them the room or not. "Look," he whispered and leaned a little closer, "we only have two weeks to celebrate our marriage and then I'm being deployed to the Middle East for nearly a year," he explained. "We could use a break," he suggested with a pleading look, he noted the softening in the woman's eyes. "Thank you," he murmured once she had handed the key card to him. "Let's go," he murmured to Quinn as they headed towards the elevator.
The second the elevator doors slid shut with a sharp ping, Quinn's phone chimed with an incoming message. "Santana and Brit are in the delivery suite at Lima Memorial," she read the message out to Puck. Quinn felt uneasy. "Look, I know this is our wedding night," she said with a rather unhappy sigh, "but I'd really like to be there for them, even if we're just in the waiting room," she explained. "They were there for us when Beth was born, I'd sort of like to return the favour," she mumbled into Puck's chest as he drew her close.
"I get it," Puck sighed and buried his lips into the intricate updo that her hair had been woven into. "Can't say I'm completely thrilled about it, but I get it," he whispered. "Let's just put our bags in the room and then we'll go," he said decisively. Puck almost wept when he saw the sumptuous bed in the huge, romantically - yet tastefully - decorated room. "Ten minutes," he begged, "please, I swear, we don't even need to take our clothes off," he groaned and dipped to kiss Quinn thoroughly.
"Quick," Quinn urged, and then fell backwards onto the soft bed...
"I cannot believe that you two are here instead of mixing it up in the bridal suite," Mercedes exclaimed when she emerged from the delivery room with an update for all of her friends. "Ok, so, Santana is still only eight centimeters dilated, she is holding up pretty good," she commented, "Brit is the one who needs the meds, Santana is coping without," she added. "And I bet she'd really like to see you," she said to Quinn. "It'll mean a lot to her that you're here," she said with a smile. Mercedes noticed - but refrained from mentioning - that Quinn's dress looked a little more creased and her hair wasn't quite so neat as it had been before she and Puck left Breadstix.
Quinn nodded and headed to the delivery room. "Hi," she said quietly when she opened the door after being bid to come in.
"Quinn," Santana mumbled through her pain. "The unholy trinity," she cried and clutched even tighter at Brit's hand. "You get to have the next one," she growled at her wife.
"Fine by me," Brittany answered, she wished that she could take the pain from Santana, she wished that she could do it for her.
"How are you doing?" Quinn asked gently when the obvious contraction had passed.
"I don't like this," Santana cried. "I want it to be over, I want the baby to just be here," she sobbed. "It's not fun anymore," she wailed.
"Honey, it will all be over soon and we'll have our adorable little baby with us," Brit encouraged, she didn't know what else to do, she looked at Quinn for inspiration, Quinn could only shrug and shake her head.
"I have to push," Santana cried. "Call the doctor, I have to push, now," she screamed.
Quinn quickly alerted the medical staff to Santana's dire need and then made herself scarce. "Soon," she said to everyone in the waiting room, "she seems to be in the final stages, that last two centimeters has gone in a flash," she commented when Mercedes asked if it was truly time or just Santana's wishful thinking.
For what seemed like an age, the group of people lingering in the dull waiting area sat in silence, the only sound was the odd sigh or yawn. Puck twined his hand with Quinn's, their fingers laced together. "I can think of so many better places to be right now," he whispered almost silently to her. "We could be in our room, working on getting us to this point," he reminded her with a cheeky little wink.
"And when we are at this point, Santana and Brit will no doubt be out here, waiting for news and ready to offer support if we need it," Quinn pertinently reminded her new husband. "And, don't forget, if we are lucky this next couple of weeks, you might still be out of the country when I'm in here, so I'll need all of our friends more than ever," she added with more than a slight touch of apprehension.
"Remember that episode of Friends that you love?" Puck murmured against their joined knuckles. "The one where Rachel gives birth?" he asked and nudged her knee with his knee. "The one where Chandler and Monica sneak off to find an empty room?" he added, his smile and the glint in his eye was more than a touch suggestive. "I bet they wouldn't even notice if we were missing," he whispered with a grin.
Quinn contemplated Puck's suggestion for an incredibly short amount of time. "I need the bathroom," Quinn announced quietly but just loud enough to be heard by the others if they were listening.
"Cool," Puck murmured as he and Quinn left the waiting area to find somewhere they could be alone...
"That was a hell of a long trip to the bathroom," Mercedes muttered when Puck and Quinn finally rejoined the group in the waiting room. "It's a boy, by the way," she announced with a happy smile. "Henri Lopez-Pierce, note the French pronunciation, it's not Henry, it's Henri," she informed Quinn with a look that divulged exactly how pretentious Mercedes found that distinction.
"Cool," Puck replied, his hand was still in contact with Quinn's back, the upper slope of her buttock really, he did not want to be apart from her, not even for the briefest moment. "Can we go in?" he asked.
"Yes, they're waiting to see you both," Mercedes nodded.
"Hi," Quinn whispered as she and Puck entered the room, the calmness was all enveloping, she felt another flood of envy as she watched her friend nurse the dark-haired little mite at her breast. "He is so beautiful," she whispered with a little sob, she couldn't help the rush of tears. "He's gorgeous," she said as Santana moved the blanket further away from her baby's face so that Quinn could see him better. "I'm so proud of you," she told them both.
"Do you want to hold him?" Santana asked and moved to lift the baby away from her breast.
"No, no, don't disturb him," Quinn quickly refused the offer.
"He's not eating anymore, he's just sleeping," Santana informed them with a chuckle. "It's just such a nice feeling that I let him stay attached even when he stopped."
Quinn accepted the tiny boy into her arms and felt the immediate flood of maternal instinct rush to fill her soul. "I need to do this," she murmured so quietly that only Puck heard her. Quinn glanced up into his eyes. "I really need to do this," she reiterated.
"Maybe you should give him back to his mommies and we'll get out of here, get back to the hotel and get started," Puck suggested without embarrassment. Quinn didn't need telling twice. "We'll stop by tomorrow to see you again," he promised as he and Quinn hurried out of the room. "Nope, we're going to the hotel," he stated in answer to Sam's question about going out to celebrate the birth when they rushed through the waiting room towards the exit. "Night, y'all," he added with an exaggerated wink.
"Night," came the slightly teasing chorus from all of their friends. Quinn blushed as Puck hurried her out to the car...
"Morning," Beth trilled happily once Quinn answered her phone. "My mom got your number from your mom, you don't mind that I called, do you?" she asked, suddenly unsure of herself.
"No, no, I don't mind at all," Quinn assured the girl happily.
"Is Puck there too?" Beth asked and then rolled her eyes at her own question, of course Puck would be there with Quinn, they'd just gotten themselves married last night, where else would he be?
"Yes, Puck is here too," Quinn giggled and leaned over to kiss Puck's lips, he was still half asleep.
"Morning," Puck said in a husky voice, "who's on the phone?" he asked and then turned over to brush against Quinn.
"Beth," Quinn whispered to Puck. "She got my number from my mom," she added and pressed the speaker button so that Puck could hear and speak to Beth too.
"So, I wondered if you would like to have lunch today?" Beth muttered, she felt stupid now, calling and inviting her birth parents out for lunch, it made her sound like a dork.
"That would be fantastic," Quinn sighed. "Where are you staying? Can we pick you up? Will it just be the three of us?" she threw the questions at the young girl.
"We're staying with Rachel and yes, my mom suggested just the three of us so that we can get to know each other," Beth replied, she felt more hopeful after hearing the excitement in Quinn's voice.
"We'll be there at one," Puck announced, "and maybe we'll go somewhere other than Breadstix," he suggested.
"Cool," Beth sighed and ended the call. "Mom, they said yes," she yelled, she was really excited for this to happen, especially as Flora Bancroft had said that it wouldn't. Beth really hated Flora Bancroft, she was the most irritating know-it-all girl in her school. She was the only other person that Beth knew who was adopted, and when Flora had tried to make contact with her birth parents, things hadn't gone well, she had tried to tell Beth that it would be the same for her, that her birth mother wouldn't even know who her biological father was. "Well, ha, Flora Bancroft," Beth muttered to herself, "my parents love each other, they always have, they were just too young to have me," she repeated the words over and over to herself, just to be sure she believed them.
"This is wonderful," Quinn sighed as she tucked into her burger. "So burgers are your favourite food?" she asked. "I haven't eaten one for years," she mumbled as she prepared to take another bite.
"Mmm," Beth nodded with her mouth closed. She chewed and swallowed. "I love burgers, especially Kewpee burgers," she sighed happily as she took another bite. "So, can I ask you some stuff?" she asked once they had finished eating.
"Of course," Quinn replied brightly. "You can ask us anything you want," she offered without any outward sign of the trepidation she felt inside - it was a skill she utilised every day in her job.
"Thanks," Beth murmured and then thought for a second. "I have a picture of the two of you on my nightstand," she began, "I think Rachel took it," she added - the comment was totally inconsequential and Beth wasn't exactly sure why she'd made it, she mentally rolled her eyes at her own lameness.
"Didn't she take it just before we went out on stage?" Puck asked Quinn, he had a feeling it was the picture of their very first regionals competition, it would be appropriate if it was as Beth was born just a few hours later.
"Yes," Quinn replied and remembered the moment, she could remember wondering how no one had noticed that she had gone into labour. "I gave that picture to your mom when you were about a year old, I hoped that she would give it to you, I hoped that you would want to have it," she explained, and then also remembered the time, that dark time when she and Puck were in a bad place, when Puck was confused about love, loyalty and the desire to be in Beth's life.
"Anyway, I just always had that picture there, I don't ever remember a time that it wasn't there and my mom always explained that you were my birth parents and that you had given me up for adoption," Beth said. "So, my first question is, were you always going to give me up?" she asked, she concentrated on her coke, she didn't really want to see any hurt or discomfort on either Puck's or Quinn's face.
"It was the most sensible solution," Quinn replied carefully, she glanced at Puck and swallowed hard. "But I was the one who decided that, Puck wanted to keep you all along," she admitted and felt the familiar layer of guilt coat her skin once more. "Right up until we had to sign the adoption paperwork with your mom, he kept asking if we could keep you but I couldn't see a way to make it possible," she explained. "And it's not that I didn't want you or want to keep you, I just couldn't see how it could be done and quite honestly, I think your mom is the best person you could have been with," she said and the looked at Puck.
"It's true that I kept pushing for us to keep you," Puck agreed, "but to be fair, I wasn't the most reliable person in the world back then and I don't blame Quinn for sticking to her guns and going through with the adoption," he admitted. "It was a hard time for both of us and it tore us apart, it took a long time for us to find our way back to each other," he explained. "I have always loved Quinn, but there was a time when I didn't like her very much and I bet that Quinn would say the same thing about me," he said with a snicker of laughter. "We were destructive for each other," he added, "I think we had to grow up a lot first before we were ready to be together," he said softly, honestly.
"I think that sums it up exactly," Quinn agreed just as quietly. "But there hasn't ever been a time when either of us forgot about you, you have always been a huge part of who we are," she explained with an intensity in her voice that Beth found quite endearing.
"Your first birthday was like a day of healing for us," Puck reminisced. "We hadn't spoken to each other for months except to maybe make digs now and again," he said and glanced at Quinn, they'd both apologised for their actions years ago and had forgiven each other. "But that day," he sighed and shook his head, his eyes prickled, "that Sunday morning, it was like, I woke up and I knew I needed to be with Quinn, I knew she would need me too, so I showed up at her house, Judy let me in without saying a word, I went up to Quinn's room and found her curled up on her bed, she wasn't crying, her face was wet and she had tears but she wasn't crying anymore," he told Beth but his eyes were on his wife. "I laid on her bed with her, we held each other and we both cried, we talked and we cried, we talked about the things you might have done in that year, we wondered if you'd learned to crawl or if you'd learned to walk, how many teeth you had or if you'd said your first word," he said and gave a half smile to Quinn as he remembered how close they'd felt on that day, more so than they had for a full year. "We planned out everything that you might have done, we wondered who you looked more like, me or her," he added and then reached for Quinn's hand, "and then we slept, we just slept all day, it was such an emotional day, my mom knew where I was, obviously Quinn's mom knew too but they left us alone to grieve because that's what it was, grieving, it was like we were accepting that we would never have you back in our lives and we had to work through that loss all over again, but on the plus side, we came out the other side of that day as friends," he reminded Quinn with a little squeeze of her hand.
"It was the very first time you slept over at my house," Quinn commented softly. "My mom brought food and drinks up to us and we just stayed there all day and all night," she said with a smile and a glance at Puck. "Remember how she left the door open every time she came to bring us anything and every time she left you got up and closed the door?" she giggled at the memory, Puck snorted a laugh and nodded, yes he remembered that and the distrustful glare from Judy every time she snatched open the bedroom door, Puck had thought she might have been trying to catch them in the act. "Not that it was an issue or anything," Quinn hastened to explain, "all we did was talk and watch videos," she added. "We watched all the videos from our glee club rehearsals and performances to sort of chart your growth inside me and to savour all of the time that we'd actually been able to spend with you," she said.
"And when you and your mom came back to Lima for a short time just after that," Puck said and sat further forward to talk to Beth, "we babysat for you, we spent time with you, Quinn gave you that picture of us," he listed but left out the bad stuff, he left out the whole ridiculous crush on Shelby and the consequences of his ill-advised dalliance with her, he left out Quinn's stupid plan to get Beth back and the idiotic things she did to try and prove that Shelby wasn't a competent mother. "It wasn't for long, but it had a huge impact on my life and Quinn's," Puck told Beth. "Once you had gone again, we both set out on our career paths, Quinn went to Yale and studied law, I joined the air force and became a pilot and eventually we found each other again and we knew we were destined to be together, it took some time, but we knew it had to happen, we were meant to be, but despite all the setbacks, the delays and the heartache, one thing is for sure," he assured her, "you have never been far from our minds or our hearts."
"I always wondered if you just didn't want me," Beth said quietly, her voice was thick as though she was holding back the tears. "I mean, my mom always told me that you gave me to her because you loved me, but I thought she just might be telling me that so my feelings weren't hurt or something," she quickly explained.
"No, your mom is absolutely right," Quinn assured the young girl. "I knew that we couldn't take care of you, we were too young, we didn't have the tools or the life skills to be able to give you the best and that is exactly what you deserve, what every kid deserves," she said quite forcefully - it was something she believed in totally - "so the only way to make sure that you got the best, was to give you up for adoption," she said in a much quieter manner. Quinn took Beth's hand in her own, they were both trembling. "When your mom asked us if she could be the one to adopt you, I knew that she would be the best person, not only because she wanted you so much, but because, when she very first saw you, and you were only a couple of hours old at the time, but when she very first laid eyes on you, I could see it, in her face and in her eyes, she'd fallen in love with you, she wasn't asking on a whim, it was like she'd found the one thing that had been missing in her life for years and it didn't happen when she looked at the other babies, only when she looked at you, it was like you were destined to be mother and daughter, like me and Puck were destined to be together and even though I feel sad that we have missed so much of your life, I also feel grateful that your mom has brought you up to be the most well-adjusted, mature and spectacular kid I have ever met," she praised, both Quinn and Beth sniffed back a tear and a sob and fell into each other's arms.
"I'll second that," Puck said. "Do you think we could get out of here, maybe go somewhere else?" he asked.
"I think so," Quinn agreed. "Where do you want to go?" she asked Beth.
"Can we go and see your moms?" Beth asked. "I've never really had grandparents and I think they might be really cool," she mumbled shyly.
"Let's go," Puck said with a huge grin as he stood up from the table. Damn straight they would be cool grandmothers, they'd been waiting years to get their hands on a grandkid!
Beth called her mom to let her know where she would be. "But sweetie, this is the day after their wedding," Shelby murmured to her daughter, "don't you think Puck and Quinn would like some time alone?" she suggested.
Beth gulped as she realised how unfair she was being. "Just a sec," she whispered to Shelby. "My mom says I'm intruding on your alone time," she announced from the back of Puck's SUV, "and you should take me home so that you can get back to being a newly married couple," she added with a blush.
"Oh, hey, no, it's fine," Quinn and Puck cried out immediately. As much as they wanted to spend time alone, they wanted to spend time with Beth even more.
Beth listened to her mom again. "Mom says we're going to be here for a month," she announced, Quinn knew the excitement in her eyes was genuine, she could see it in how they sparkled. "She says you'll have plenty of time to spend with me if you want," she said with a lot of hope in her voice.
"I've only got two weeks," Puck reminded Quinn and informed Beth. "I'd really like to spend as much time with you as possible," he told the beautiful young girl. "Of course I want to spend time with Quinn too," he admitted with a suggestive wink at Quinn, "but spending this time with you has been like the answer to a thousand prayers," he added quietly.
"Mom?" Beth asked uncertainly, she didn't know which way it was going to go. "Can I? Please?" she asked.
"Well, alright," Shelby conceded. "But just for today and then we'll schedule some time for you all to get together, alright?" she offered.
"Thanks, mom," Beth cried happily and then ended the call. "So who will we see first?" she asked.
"Judy," Puck replied with a glance at Quinn. "She's been waiting years to have grandkids, ever since Quinn's older sister married her college sweetheart, so far, there's only you," he added with a wink at Beth.
"Hm, Frannie just never seems interested in kids," Quinn mused before Beth could ask. "My mom is going to love getting to know you," she added with a smile over her shoulder to Beth. "Here we are," she announced as Puck pulled onto the driveway on Dudley Road. "Ready?" she asked, Beth nodded.
Puck hung back and let Beth and Quinn reach the front door first, he was amazed at how close in height they both were, despite Quinn wearing a pair of her customary wedges. Puck's eyes were drawn to the blonde hair they both sported, to the way it fell midway down their backs, the same little kink to the left at the bottom, his gaze fell to the little birthmark on the back of Quinn's left calf, he couldn't help but check Beth's leg too. Puck smiled as he noted a similarly shaped birthmark on the back of Beth's left calf. He followed Quinn and Beth into his new mother-in-law's house.
"I didn't expect to see you guys today," Judy exclaimed as she hugged first Quinn and then Beth. "Hello, honey," she crooned as she hugged Beth tightly. "It's so wonderful to see you again," she sniffed. "Damn, and I promised myself I would be really good if I had the chance to meet you again," she giggled and then sniffed some more. "Oh, look at me," she mocked herself as she tried to stem the flow of tears down her cheeks, "stupid old woman that I am," she mumbled.
"My mom cries all the time," Beth kindly informed Judy in the hope that she could make the older woman feel better and also that she herself wouldn't feel too awkward.
"Thank you, sweetie," Judy replied happily, it did make her feel slightly better that she wasn't the only sentimental woman in the world. "Have you been to see Ruth yet?" she asked and glanced at her daughter and son-in-law.
"Not yet," Puck replied, "we came here first, then we'll go and see my mom," he explained.
"Shall I call her and invite her over?" Judy offered. "Have you had lunch yet?" she asked.
"Yes, we've been out for lunch and yes, it might be nice to invite Ruth over," Quinn answered her mom's questions. "Beth would like to meet both of her grandmothers," she announced with a shy smile at Beth. "She doesn't have any other grandparents," she added, "so maybe we'll eventually include dad and Jim," she said in a slightly considering way. Quinn wasn't entirely sure that either man was going to appreciate being a grandfather.
Puck pulled his phone out of his pocket and called his mom. "Hey, it's me," he said when she answered. "We're at Judy's house," he explained, "Beth is with us, she'd like to get to know you and Judy," he added and then grinned at Beth. "She needs a nana if you're up for it," he informed his mom. "I think she's excited about that," he commented with his phone well away from his ear as his mom screamed.
"Oh, sweetie," Judy sighed and swept Beth up into her arms. "I would love to be your grandma," she mumbled tearfully.
"I'd like you to be," Beth mumbled into Judy's shoulder. "My mom is cool with it," she assured Quinn and Puck.
"I'll be right over," Ruth called from Puck's forgotten phone. "I'll bring Rebecca with me too," she shouted. "Every girl needs aunts," she added firmly.
"What? Did you take a jet?" Puck teased as he answered the door to his mother and his sister a scant fifteen minutes later.
"No," Ruth denied with the hint of a blush on her cheeks. "And I didn't run any lights either, no matter what your sister tells you," she muttered with a stern look at her daughter. Puck laughed out loud at the look on his sister's face which completely negated everything their mother had said.
"I'll believe you," Puck snickered as he led the way into the kitchen where Judy, Beth and Quinn were seated comfortably in the breakfast nook, chatting and getting to know each other. "Hey," he called to bring their attention to the newcomers.
"Hi," Beth cried and stood to greet the lady who she could now call 'nana'. "I called my mom and invited her over too," she informed Ruth and Rebecca.
"She was big on Broadway, wasn't she?" Rebecca asked nervously. Rebecca's dreams rivalled those of Rachel Berry, even though her brother teased her about it. "I was too nervous to talk to her yesterday, it was bad enough with Rachel Berry, Mercedes Jones and Kurt and Blaine Hummel-Anderson being there never mind Shelby Corcoran," she muttered more to herself than to anyone in the kitchen.
"She's fine," Beth assured her new aunt, "she's just my mom," she reminded the trembling young woman. "So, what can I call you?" she asked Ruth. "This is my grandma Judy," she announced, just to give Ruth an idea.
"I'd love to be nana," Ruth sighed emotionally. "I've been waiting to be your nana for a very, very long time," she admitted in a voice that trembled.
"Nana Ruth," Beth said softly and hugged her again. "Should I just call you Rebecca or would you prefer aunt Rebecca?" she asked.
"I'm too young to be an aunt," Rebecca replied. "I'm just Rebecca," she confirmed.
"Cool," Beth sighed and then glanced around at all of her new family members. "Do you think your dads will ever want to be grandpas?" she asked several seconds later.
"I have no idea," Quinn answered. "But let's stick with the ladies right now, we know how much they have wanted to be a part of your life," she added and then shrugged. "They wanted it just as much as we have," she informed the still excited young girl. "There's the door, it must be your mom," she said.
"I'll go," Puck said quietly and glanced at Quinn, he wasn't exactly sure how to tell her that he wanted a moment alone with Shelby. Quinn nodded but gave Puck a searching look. Puck walked to the front door and opened it to welcome the dark-haired woman on the doorstep. "Hey," he said quietly.
"Hello, Noah," Shelby said, and then held out a hand to shake. Puck took it warily. "I'm glad we were there yesterday, glad that Beth wants the chance to get to know you and Quinn, she deserves that chance," she told him quietly, they were both aware of the giggling and the chattering coming from the kitchen.
"Look, Shelby, I want to apologise," Puck said with a quiet intensity. "I know it was years ago, but my actions were totally inappropriate, I took advantage of you when you were in a vulnerable state, I not only hurt you, but I hurt Quinn too, and because you left afterwards, it also hurt Rachel and she was totally innocent of anything. Can you forgive me?" he asked and looked into her dark eyes.
"There's nothing to forgive," Shelby replied, she'd been just as nervous of the meeting as Puck obviously had - and at least he'd been man enough to bring it up and get it out there instead of them both festering with embarrassment! "I think we were both to blame, me more so because I was the adult, but in any case, I shouldn't have run away like that, I should have faced up to the consequences of my actions."
"Everything alright out here?" Quinn asked quietly from just outside the kitchen.
"Everything is cool," Puck replied and then walked towards Quinn. "We were just clearing the air," he admitted.
"And I should apologise to you too," Shelby said to Quinn. "I should have been more understanding of what you were going through, I mean, I'd been in the same position, I should have understood and I'm sorry," she apologised sincerely.
"Mom," Beth called from the kitchen doorway. "Come and meet my grandma Judy and my nana Ruth," she instructed.
"I've already met Ruth and Judy, sweetie," Shelby corrected her daughter as she walked towards her and passed both Puck and Quinn.
"Yes, but they weren't grandma or nana then," Beth replied with a logic that couldn't be ignored.
"Very true," Shelby commented with a giggle. "Have you had a good day?" she murmured as she kissed Beth's blonde hair.
"It's been great," Beth sighed as she and Shelby went into the kitchen
Puck and Quinn hung back a moment. "It's really alright?" Quinn asked quietly.
"Mhm," Puck murmured as he drew Quinn into his arms. "I apologised for what happened, I take full responsibility for it all, for hurting you, for hurting Rachel, for Shelby running away and taking Beth with her, it was all my fault," he said quietly as Quinn's arms slid around his waist. "But you know that there hasn't been anyone else for me since before you ended it with that Biff guy, don't you?" he asked.
Quinn looked up into Puck's eyes. "I know," she said with a nod, and she did know, she had complete trust in Puck, she had faith in his love for her.
"I think we're alone now," Puck sang softly as they entered the bridal suite quite late in the evening.
"There doesn't seem to be anyone around," Quinn sang the next line.
"Thank God for that," Puck replied with a heartfelt sigh. Puck turned Quinn in his arms and held her tight. "I have loved today, getting to know Beth and spending time with her, but tonight it's just about you and me," he murmured against her lips just before Quinn pushed up on her tiptoes to take it to the next level. "Mmmm," he moaned with pleasure and then there wasn't another word, at least, no distinguishable words, not until much, much, much later...
February 2023
"I can't believe I have to report to base tomorrow," Puck murmured into Quinn's hair as they lay in bed in Quinn's room. They'd woken about an hour before but had yet to even think about getting out of bed, they'd been far too busy.
"It's been a very quick two weeks," Quinn agreed sadly. "Can't you just hide in the closet and stay here?" she asked with a pout. "If they come looking for you, I'll tell them that you left on time," she offered over her shoulder.
"Nice thought," Puck grinned and hugged her tighter, "staying here with you, but you know I can't," he sighed. "But we got everything signed and sealed, you are now listed as my next of kin, and yeah, everything is in order, right?" he asked with a little nudge.
Quinn pouted and frowned. "I wish we didn't have everything in order," she grumbled.
"Wouldn't matter," Puck replied, "I'd still have to go," he reminded her, "it's my job."
"I know it is," Quinn sighed and turned into his embrace. "But we still have today," she whispered throatily, suggestively.
"Damn straight," Puck sighed just before his lips touched that spot on her throat, the spot that always made her shiver and had done since the very first time he had kissed her, since the very first time he had touched her, since the very first time he had loved her, and Quinn melted all over again, just like she had every time since that first time. It was a long, long time before they got up to face the day...
"Thanks, Judy," Puck said as he stood and raised his glass. "I'd like to thank all of you for coming to dinner this evening, my farewell dinner," he added with a roll of his eyes. "It's great to see all of you before I head out," he said and glanced at his family members around the large dining table. "I know you'll all help Quinn, you'll all help take her mind off me being away and I thank you for that in advance," he said and then took Quinn's hand from the table. "I know they'll all make sure you don't work too hard, they'll make sure you eat right and don't spend your time imagining that something dire has befallen me just because I'm out of contact for a short while," he listed with a grin, reminding her of the last time he was posted overseas - Quinn had not handled the separation well! Puck sat down as Beth stood up.
"My mom and I have news," Beth announced breathlessly. "We're relocating to Lima in the summer," she cried happily and grinned at Puck and Quinn, she couldn't wait to be able to see her birth mother all the time, and her birth father once he returned home from wherever the air force was sending him. The hubbub that followed was totally expected.
"I have been offered a position within the Allen County Board of Education," Shelby explained, "to further the arts within schools and to garner outside funding for arts projects," she announced with pride.
"So you're really going to be living here?" Quinn asked, she pinched herself under the table, she had to be sure she wasn't dreaming. At the very time her husband, her soulmate, the love of her life was leaving her life for the duration, the other most loved and important person - in Quinn's estimation anyway - was entering her life! Quinn couldn't believe her luck. "And we'll be able to spend time together?" she asked nervously.
"Of course," Beth and Shelby answered together. "Anytime you like," Beth added warmly, she really wanted to spend time with Quinn - with Puck too once he came home, but for now, time with Quinn would be enough.
Quinn sniffed back the tears and held herself as upright as she could as she waved Puck off. "Don't worry, baby," Judy murmured as she hugged her daughter from the side. "He'll be home before you know it," she assured her.
"Of course he will," Ruth agreed and wiped away a tear from her own face. "I always hate seeing him go, but I know he'll come back," she reminded her daughter-in-law. "You have your job to keep you busy," she said with enthusiasm, "and you're going house hunting, right?" she asked, reminding Quinn of the things that would pass the time on until Puck came home. "Plus you get to spend time with Beth, right?"
"I know," Quinn wailed, "but it doesn't make me hate this part any less," she sobbed.
"I liked that I was here to see him off," Beth sniffed and came to hug Quinn from the other side. "I didn't think it would feel like this, though," she mumbled quietly.
"Feel like what, sweetie?" Quinn asked as she hugged Beth close.
"Feel like he was taking my breath with him," Beth explained quietly.
"That's exactly how I feel," Quinn confirmed quietly. "I only know how to breathe properly when he's with me," she murmured and then squeezed her arms even tighter around Beth, as Beth did around her. "But we'll all be here for each other, won't we, we'll all help each other until he comes back, right?" she pleaded, she knew she would need even more help this time because somehow it was different, it was even more intense. "Especially if I am pregnant," she silently reminded herself. Quinn didn't actually want to move from the spot, she just wanted to stay, rooted to the place where she had last seen him. Eventually, Quinn was ushered into the house.
"Hey," Puck sighed as the Skype call connected and he saw Quinn on his screen.
"Hey," Quinn replied, her heart leapt into her throat, she could feel her pulse pounding in her veins, hear her heartbeat whooshing in her ears. "I miss you so much," she said in a rush of breath.
"I've only been gone a week and a half," Puck teased, he traced Quinn's face with his finger, "but I miss you too, babe, so much," he added with as much feeling as Quinn had. "How's things?" he asked.
"Fine, everything is fine," Quinn replied, and really, she wondered how anything could be so different in just a short space of time. "I downloaded the details of some houses for sale," she said, "I emailed them to you," she added. "If you get a chance you could email me back with any you think are suitable," she offered.
"Will do," Puck agreed, he knew he'd get plenty of down time so would be able to assist with the house search - albeit remotely. Their conversation went on, Quinn was acutely aware that Puck was not alone so neither of them felt able to express their feelings or get down and dirty as they had done via Skype in the past. A noise in the background reminded Quinn that actually Puck was at work. "Baby, I have to go," he sighed as the rest of his crew hurried from the room.
"Take care," Quinn called, "I love you," she added slightly desperately.
"Love you too," Puck called just before he ended the connection.
"Well that wasn't at all dissatisfying," Quinn grumbled with a pout. "And I didn't even remember to tell him I got my period today," she muttered about a second or so before she fell flat on her face on her bed and sobbed as though the world was about to come to an end.
Judy, who was just outside Quinn's room with a reviving cup of tea for her, felt her heart break at her daughter's distress. "Oh my poor baby," she thought with a nearly silent sigh. Judy left Quinn to her misery and quietly crept downstairs.
June 2023
"I think I found the house," Quinn cried with excitement when Puck answered her Skype call.
"Cool," Puck replied with his trademark half-grin. "Is it the Britt Avenue one?" he asked, that was the one he'd liked best of all the ones Quinn had emailed to him.
"Yes," Quinn answered with a huge smile on her face. "I went with both our moms to view it, it's perfect," she sighed. "It's just been remodelled, it's all done, we don't have to do anything," she gushed, full of enthusiasm for what she thought could be their 'forever' home.
"The pictures look good," Puck agreed. "So how can we do it?" he asked. "I'm over here for another four months," he reminded Quinn.
"I know," Quinn sighed and pouted at Puck on the screen. "Anyway, I can get the financing in order, that's no problem and when you come home we change it to joint names," she suggested. "Or we can wait a few more months till you come home and we look together, I really don't mind doing that, I've just been searching to give myself a distraction," she admitted. "It's been hard enough with you being away, I was really geared up for Beth and Shelby coming to Lima, but it looks like it's going to be another couple of months before they make the move, it's just awful," she said, it was almost a sob, but not quite, Quinn managed to hold it together - just!
"Aw, baby," Puck sighed and stroked his finger down Quinn's cheek - he always did that and Quinn sometimes felt like she could feel the touch on her skin, even from across the miles!
"I know, pathetic," Quinn mumbled. "Promise me they won't send you anywhere again for a long, long time," she pleaded, her sad eyes tore into Puck from his laptop screen.
"Baby, you know I can't promise that," Puck sighed. He wished he could make her that promise but there was no way he could, his job was to defend the nation from wherever the powers that be told him to. "I like the look of the Britt Avenue place and the crime reports are promising, the whole area seems to be really good, I say, go for it," he suggested with a wink, anything to try and distract her.
"Are you alone?" Quinn asked once the burning question of the house was out of the way.
"Yep," Puck sighed happily and stretched out on his single bed. "Totally alone," he confirmed.
"Good," Quinn murmured and then started to strip.
"Oh, baby," Puck moaned with pleasure as her naked body called to him from across the miles. "I miss you so much," he groaned as they began a tantalising, teasing dance of courtship that would make the next four months seem almost unbearable...
October 2023
"Twenty-four hours," Quinn sang quietly but excitedly on Friday afternoon, as she thrust the file she'd been working on towards the clerk. "Twenty-four hours, twenty-four hours, twenty-four hours," she hissed, her excitement level had increased to almost giddy schoolgirl proportions the second the woman took the file from her.
"I take it that's when your husband will be home?" the smiling clerk asked.
"Yes, this time tomorrow he'll be home," Quinn sighed with a feeling of relief. "And this case is the last I'll be working on for two whole weeks," she stated happily. "I have arranged for some vacation time," she added with a cheekily arched eyebrow, "and boy is he going to know he's home," she whispered and then winked at the now giggling woman.
"You go, girl," the clerk chuckled and waved at Quinn as she hurried from the office with a definite spring in her step. "Enjoy, sweetie," she whispered to herself and thought longingly of her own husband and the job that kept him away from home for six months at a time.
"Hi, mom, I'm home," Quinn called as she closed the front door behind her. "Mom?" she called again when she was met with silence. "Mo-om," she shouted and then sighed and headed towards the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. "No bad thing, I suppose, having the house to myself," she muttered as she unfastened her suit jacket and thought about a good, long pamper session for herself to get ready for Puck's return. "Argh," she screamed as a strong pair of arms grabbed her from behind.
The instant Puck's arms wrapped around her, Quinn's body recognised him, her initial scream morphed into a moan of delight as his lips touched the sensitive skin below her ear. "Your mom very kindly went out for the evening," he groaned against her skin as his hard body pressed into her.
"Hurry," Quinn sighed against Puck's lips as she twisted in his arms. "I don't want to wait," she groaned.
"No, no waiting," Puck agreed, his voice was as tight as his body. "Oh, baby," he moaned as they sank to the floor...
"Puck," Beth yelled the next morning when he answered the door. She squealed with sheer excitement, just an instant before she launched herself at him. "I've really missed you," she announced with what sounded like surprise in her tone. Beth wasn't exactly sure how she had missed Puck so much, she'd literally only known him for a couple of weeks before he'd gone. It both surprised and confused Beth, but in a good way.
"I missed you too, sweetie," Puck answered and he meant it, he really did. "I was pleased to get all of your updates on Facebook and I'm sorry I missed your birthday again," he said as he hugged the growing teen, "but I didn't forget," he promised, "here, I bought this for you," he told her as he delved into his pocket for the small, tissue-wrapped object. "Happy birthday, sweetheart," he said and then kissed her cheek.
"Thank you," Beth whispered, she was slightly embarrassed because she'd already received a gift from Quinn that was from both of them, she hadn't expected something from Puck on his own. Beth opened the wrapping and gasped as the beautiful, intricate, silver and enamel-work pendant was revealed. "Really," she sighed, "thank you, this is beautiful," she exclaimed as she held the small butterfly up by the chain. "Can I wear it?" she asked and then turned for her mom to put it on for her. "How did you know I love butterflies?" she asked, she was in awe that he had got her so right. Puck gave Quinn a covert wink to thank her for the insider information, she'd been the one to listen intently to all of Beth's likes and dislikes and had passed on the knowledge, but at least it made Puck look good.
"Puck!" Quinn cried as he scooped her up into his arms.
"What?" Puck teased. "No one is looking," he said with a glance over his shoulder out onto the street behind him. "It's tradition," he reminded her with a grin.
"What is?" Quinn asked - she'd decided to play dumb.
"Carrying your wife over the threshold," Puck replied as he shouldered the front door open and whisked Quinn inside. This was it, this was the moment that they were officially moving into their new home.
"So is christening every room," Quinn said on a husky sigh.
"Let's not break tradition then," Puck murmured as his lips connected with Quinn's. They had actually worked their way through the living room, the dining room and were about to get busy on the table in the middle of the kitchen when they were rudely interrupted.
"Hello?" Rachel called as she stepped in through the front door. "Anyone home?" she shouted. "Hello-o," she called again more cautiously. "I know you're here somewhere, Puckerman, your truck is outside," she announced loudly from just beyond the kitchen.
"Shh," Puck hissed to Quinn as she tried to stem her giggles, he wasn't faring much better, either. "She'll hear you," he whispered and then snickered with laughter despite his warning to Quinn. "Oh, crap, go away," he murmured as Rachel came closer and closer to their hiding place in the small utility room.
"Oh," Rachel cried as she opened the door to the small room and found Puck and Quinn, naked except for the towels that they had hastily wrapped around themselves - Quinn had, fortunately, washed, dried and stacked the towels there, ready for them to move into their new house.
"Hi," both Puck and Quinn murmured at the same time, both with an identical sheepish grin on their face. Rachel just stood, rooted to the spot, and stared at them, open-mouthed. "What?" Puck demanded as the minutes wore on. "We just moved in, I've been back less than twenty-four hours, we weren't exactly expecting company," he pointed out rather crossly. Rachel came to her senses, blushed and scurried away calling out her apologies as she left them to get themselves together. "At least it was just Rachel," Puck muttered as he swooped in for another long kiss from Quinn, "it would have been much worse if the whole gang was here," he snickered and then led his towel-wrapped wife out of the utility room into the kitchen.
"Surprise," thirty or so voices called out as soon as they saw the happy couple.
"More like the shock of my life," Quinn muttered as she blushed harder than she ever had before. "Oh, crap," she whispered as her eyes connected with first her amused mother and then her near hysterical daughter.
"We'll be down in ten minutes," Puck sighed as he ignored the giggles and laughter and headed towards the stairs with Quinn's hand firmly in his, there was no way he was leaving her to face this bunch of inquisitors - he'd be incredibly pissed if she tried to leave him to it too. Puck caught his brother's eye, Jake was almost apoplectic with mirth, he could barely stand for laughing, but at least it was silent. "Oh, crap," Puck thought as his gaze drifted to the scattered clothes that littered the living room floor, they hadn't actually thought about being neat and tidy when they'd ripped the clothes from each other!
"Nine months, right?" Beth whispered to Shelby.
"Sorry sweetie?" Shelby replied she was slightly distracted because she was watching the covert romancing that was going on between Rachel and Jesse St James, there definitely seemed to be something going on there - and it pleased Shelby immensely.
"I bet I'm a big sister in about nine months," Beth explained in a louder voice – a little louder than she'd expected it to be.
"Oh, oh," Sam cried, he sounded both outraged and startled that Beth would even mention such a thing. "You did not just say that," he accused Beth, he looked almost disgusted.
"It happens," Beth countered loudly and held out her arms to indicate herself. "And I bet I'm right," she insisted with a grin.
"I bet you are too," Puck thought as he and Quinn descended the stairs – now dressed to receive polite company in their new home. "Might I request that you call first, next time?" he asked as they both received hearty congratulations - and some good natured ribbing - from their friends.
"And how would that be a surprise party?" Beth asked, she looked as puzzled as Sam, he was about to ask the same thing.
"You surprised us alright," Quinn giggled as Mercedes hugged her.
"Shocked the freakin' life out of me," Mercedes whispered into Quinn's ear, they both laughed together.
The party filled the whole of the first floor, Ruth and Judy took over the kitchen to rustle up salads, pizzas, chips, dips, garlic bread and many other delicious offerings. Puck glanced around and sighed as he took in the wonderfulness of friends and family. "Hey," Quinn said quietly as she brought him another bottle of beer.
"Hey yourself," Puck replied and kissed the top of her head as he drew Quinn into his arms, her face was smooshed into his chest. "Even though I really wish we were alone," he mumbled, "I'm kind of glad they're all here, you know?"
"I'm glad that you're here," Quinn whispered and then breathed deeply just to try and take him into her whole being. Quinn glanced around, she felt both thrilled and fulfilled at the warmth and love that came from the happy group of people - her friends, her family!
November 2023
"I'm thankful to have come home safely," Puck said with a glint in his eye as he glanced at Quinn, "I'm thankful that my beautiful wife has worked so hard to make our new home perfect for us and I'm thankful to be eating a wonderful meal, cooked by wonderful people, in such wonderful company," he finished and then leaned over slightly to touch his lips to Quinn's.
"I'm thankful that you're home safely too," Quinn said quietly. "I have a lot to be thankful for this year," she added loud enough for everyone to hear. "There was the romantic proposal and then the wedding on my birthday, which, by the way, means you can't ever forget either event, my birthday or our anniversary," she informed Puck cheekily and then resumed her speech. "I am so thankful that Beth chose to come back into our lives, you made Puck being away so much easier to bear," she told the young girl at her side. "And to simply be here with you all," she finished as the emotions built up inside her. Puck had been home just a few days and she was thrilled that they had been able to throw together a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner for their combined families in their new home.
"I'm thankful that I have a chance to get to know Quinn and Puck," Beth said after taking a deep breath. She wasn't really sure how the next bit was going to go, but she knew she had to say it. "I'm really thankful that my mom adopted me and has given me everything a kid could ever need or wish for and I'm glad that she loves me enough to know that, even though I want to spend time with Quinn and Puck, it doesn't mean I love her any less," she said with a sniff.
Shelby acknowledged Beth's words. "As ever, I am thankful that Quinn and Noah gave me the chance to raise their - my - daughter," she began, "I'm thankful that Rachel has welcomed me into her life and I am looking forward to the future, whatever that may bring," she finished and then dropped a kiss on Beth's head before taking a sip of her wine. All around the table people voiced the things they were thankful for and also their hopes for the future, it was a wonderful evening.
"How about we celebrate Hanukkah with my mom and Rebecca and then Christmas with your mom?" Puck suggested once everyone had gone home.
"Sounds good," Quinn agreed. "I wonder if Beth will want to join us," she mused hopefully.
"She probably will, she said at dinner that she wants to spend more time with us," Puck reminded Quinn. "Anyway," he sighed and drew her close into his arms, "I thought we were going to work on a certain project," he murmured and then bent to kiss her deeply.
"Oh, yes," Quinn sighed into his mouth. Yes, they had a lot of time to make up for, they were at least nine months behind where Quinn wanted to be!
December 2023
Puck wasn't really sure why he was shocked as he and Quinn sat on the tiled floor of their bathroom, a positive pregnancy test in pride of place between them. "Wow," he exclaimed for the fifth time, it was the only thing that had been said since the little plus sign had appeared on the screen.
"I know we've been trying, but I really didn't expect it to happen this quickly," Quinn finally managed to say - she'd had to swallow back the wave of nausea first.
"Hey, Quick, that's us," Puck reminded Quinn with a cheesy grin. "But seriously, wow," he said again and then picked up the wand to inspect the screen closely.
"We have to tell Beth first," Quinn insisted and then gulped. How on earth could she say to the thirteen-year-old girl they had given away that they were now expecting her replacement and by the way, this one would stay in the family?
"Yes," Puck agreed, "but not just yet," he added, he looked at the screen again. "It says three weeks and five days, that's not so very much, is it?" he asked, Quinn shook her head. "Can we wait, can we just have this for ourselves for a while and tell them in a few weeks?" he suggested.
"Even though I'm so excited for this," Quinn replied and scooted around to face Puck, she was still on the floor with her legs crossed, "and I really am excited, I want to absorb it all for myself first, work through in my head what it will actually mean for us as a family," she explained and nodded her agreement to hold on to their secret for a while longer.
January 2024
Quinn's idea of holding onto her secret wasn't quite as practical as she'd assumed. "Your honour," she said faintly and then swallowed hard. "Might I request a recess at this time?" she almost pleaded. Quinn wondered if she would have to admit that she was about to toss her cookies all over her immaculately dressed - though far too cologned - client.
The judge looked at Quinn quite intensely for a moment. Maybe it was lucky that Judge Sarah Lambert was as observant as she was judicious. "Granted," she said and then, with a bang of her gavel, instructed everyone to return in thirty minutes.
"All rise," the usher called as the judge stood to make her way to her chambers. Quinn wasted no time in hightailing it to the nearest bathroom to puke for what felt like an eternity.
"It was awful," Quinn told Puck as they both giggled over her horrendous day in court.
"But she didn't say anything?" Puck asked as he carefully placed the fish he'd cooked for them onto plates.
"No, not until we were done for the day," Quinn sighed as the delicious aroma wafted up her nose. "Then she called me to her chambers and suggested I keep a stash of crackers or ginger snaps in my briefcase although she did advise me that her obstetrician prescribed medication for her when she was pregnant with her second child because she couldn't even stomach water," she added. "Oh dear God, this is like a party in my mouth," she sighed at her first taste of the lightly seasoned trout. "Mmmm," she moaned, "you so deserve a medal for this," she insisted and tucked in like she hadn't eaten anything for months.
"I've cooked trout for you before," Puck stated, he was both puzzled and pleased at Quinn's excessive reaction. "Maybe this is the heightened senses thing I was reading about," he suggested as he sat down at the opposite side of the small kitchen table.
"Reading about?" Quinn queried nervously. Puck blushed and then went to the living room to pick up the bag he'd hastily tucked the books back into when he'd heard Quinn's car on the drive. He passed the bag over to Quinn. "What To Expect When You're Expecting," she read the first title and looked at Puck's face, saw the slightly shy, slightly nervous look in his eyes. "How To Raise A Baby On Five Dollars A Day," she read and then grinned at him. "Don't tell me you stole these," she said with as much seriousness as she could muster though she couldn't quite tame the grin.
"Nope, I bought them, they're totally legit," Puck stated and then picked up his fork again. "But it said in that one that the sense of taste and sense of smell might be heightened in the first trimester," he explained. "Come in," he shouted towards the front door when they heard the knock.
"Crap," Quinn muttered as she tried to stuff the books back in the bag and failed. "Hey, sweetie," she cried happily as Beth walked into the kitchen.
"Hey," Beth replied. "Happy birthday for tomorrow," she muttered as she kissed Quinn's cheek. "Happy anniversary too," she added and then kissed Puck's cheek too. "I hope you don't mind me dropping by, my mom just dropped me off, she's going to see Rachel, but I asked if I could come here to see you two," she announced. "I know I should have called first, but I saw both your cars as we passed and asked my mom if I could, she said to call her if you were busy and she'll come by and pick me up," she explained in a rush.
"It's totally cool that you're here," Puck insisted. "Did you eat yet? Are you hungry?" he asked and stood to fill another plate with salad, rice and trout.
"No, I'm good, thanks," Beth hurriedly assured him and pulled a face at the fish. "Fish sticks, fine, tuna out of a can, no problem, but real fish? Yack," she muttered and winced at Quinn. "Books, cool, what are you reading? Are they for your birthday?" she asked as she noticed the books on the chair between them.
"Oh, erm," Quinn stuttered as Beth picked them up.
"What To Expect When You're Expecting," Beth read out the title just exactly as Quinn had. "Getting the knowledge already?" she teased. "You know I really want to be a big sister, don't you?" she queried with a cheeky smile.
"Oh, well," Quinn began to say until Puck spoke over her.
"That's good to know because we just found out that we are definitely pregnant," Puck announced and then made an apologetic face to Quinn. "Just about nine weeks along," he supplied the information even though Beth hadn't asked, she was too busy hugging Quinn so tightly that Quinn's face had almost turned blue! "I take it you're pleased for us?" he asked, jokingly.
"I am so excited," Beth cried. "Can I call my mom?" she begged with her phone in her hand already.
"We haven't actually told anyone yet, besides you and obviously Quinn's doctor," Puck replied. "Look, how about we call the family together and tell them tonight so you can tell your mom later?" he suggested when Beth looked disappointed but yet so pleased.
"So besides you two and the doctor, I'm the only one who knows?" Beth asked, her voice was full of emotion, she looked close to tears.
"That's right, we wanted to tell you first," Quinn confirmed and took Beth's trembling hand in her own.
"That is so cool," Beth breathed with a shimmer of excitement. "When they all come, can I be the one to tell them?" she begged.
"Sure," Puck agreed as Quinn nodded happily. "Do you want to make the calls while I get in here cleaned up?" he asked her, again Quinn nodded, Puck's regimented military training had some marvelous benefits - for her anyway!
"I have my suspicions," Ruth muttered as she and Rebecca climbed into Judy's car. "Thank you for picking us up," she added as she settled herself. "We were on a wine tasting mission to decide what wine to have with Noah and Quinn's anniversary dinner," she explained, Judy nodded with interest, she too had been invited to Ruth's house for dinner tomorrow to celebrate with the young couple. Ruth glanced over her shoulder at her daughter and then blushed as Rebecca snorted, she obviously didn't agree with Ruth's explanation. "Fine, so we were just relaxing with a bottle of red," she admitted.
"I think I have the same suspicions, I mean, it has to be that, right?" Judy asked and looked at both Puckerman women for confirmation, they both nodded in agreement. "But it's still so exciting," she cried happily. "And another hour or so and I was planning on a white wine party for one," Judy muttered and then grinned at Ruth, "I just had to go through a couple of accounts first," she added with a pout.
"I think we should play dumb and let them tell us," Rebecca said in a slightly bored voice as she considered other options that might derail her brother.
"Oh, definitely," Judy agreed, "we should feign ignorance and let them announce it," she said decisively. "I wonder if Russell and the Barbie doll will be there?" she muttered as she negotiated the traffic.
"Jim already called me, he said he'd been invited over and wondered why," Ruth answered the question in a round about way - she assumed that if her son had invited his father then Quinn would have invited hers too.
"This is going to piss Russell off then, being told he's going to be a grandfather," Judy announced with delicious malice, she hoped it would make him feel his age, an age that no amount of hair dye or Botox would be able to deny. They travelled on in comfortable silence until they reached Britt Avenue. "Russell is here already, that's his new McLaren," she sighed and rolled her eyes at her ex-husband's ridiculously expensive sports car and his ever increasing attempts to make himself feel younger.
"Dad's here too," Rebecca said when she spotted her own dad's more sedate car. "Is that Frannie just arriving?" she asked as another car stopped behind them.
"Frannie, darling," Judy called as she climbed out of her car and went to hug her older daughter.
"Hi, mom," Frannie replied and waved at Ruth and Rebecca too. "I think I can guess why we've been summoned," she joked. "The very thing that I have no intention of ever providing you with," she commented. "A grandchild," she added, just in case there was any doubt!
"We think so," Judy agreed. "Hello dear," she said to her son-in-law as he politely kissed her cheek in greeting. "One day you're going to surprise me and make the announcement yourselves," she stated - with more wishful thinking than hope that it would ever actually happen.
"In your dreams, Judy," Tom, Frannie's husband, laughed. Neither Frannie nor Tom had ever wanted children, it was a big piece of the attraction between them, and they both acknowledged that they were too selfish to have kids and far too busy enjoying life! "Only if vasectomies can reverse themselves," he thought as he gave his wife a covert wink, he knew she would be thinking exactly the same thing.
Rebecca rushed ahead and knocked on the door. "Hi," she cried as Beth answered her knock, the two girls went inside and chatted together, and even though Rebecca hinted and dug for information, Beth did not spill the beans.
Once everyone was seated and had been welcomed with refreshments, Puck, Quinn and Beth stood together in front of the fire. Beth glanced up and received the nod. "Ok, so we have invited all of you here this evening," Beth began in quite a formal way, "to announce that," she said and then paused dramatically, "that I'm going to be a big sister," she finished in an excited rush, her last couple of words were drowned out by cries of 'Mazel tov' and 'congratulations' from almost everyone in the family. Beth noted that Russell was noticeably silent, he actually looked as if he was going to throw up!
"I thought so," Ruth cried as she rushed to hug first Quinn and then Puck.
"I knew it," Judy cried as she rushed to hug her daughter too. "Oh, sweetie," she sighed as she hugged Beth close too, "you sound as excited as I am," she whispered.
"I am," Beth replied. "I am excited and I can't wait to be able to help out, maybe babysit or something," she suggested.
"Well, I'm not offering that,"Frannie muttered to her sister, "but I am pleased for you, I can see it in your eyes, this is the thing that's going to make you complete, both of you," she whispered and hugged Quinn close again. "Oh, honey, I didn't mean to make you cry," she wailed guiltily as her sister broke down in floods of tears.
"Been this way for a couple of weeks," Puck told Frannie, "doesn't matter what you say the tears just keep on flowing, but it sort of gave us a clue, especially when she cried at a Mattress Land commercial," he scoffed.
"I did not cry at a Mattress Land commercial," Quinn corrected Puck with a gentle slap in the direction of his chest. "I cried at an ASPCA appeal that was on after the commercial," she explained and felt quite justified that both her mother and her mother-in-law supported her.
"Oh, those things make me cry every time," Ruth exclaimed, and when Judy, 'Barbie Girl' and Frannie all agreed with her - even if it wasn't true - it made Quinn feel better!
"I'm so glad they all know now," Quinn sighed as they waved everyone off from the front porch. "I kind of liked having a secret, but it's so hard to maintain, especially when I feel so sick sometimes," she groaned as the thought of how she would feel in the morning struck her. Morning sickness was absolutely right, from the instant she opened her eyes until she actually, physically, vomited, Quinn was plagued with a sensation similar to vertigo - or being completely shit-faced drunk! "I won't be sorry when this part of it is over," she sighed.
"I like that your boobs have gotten bigger," Puck sighed with total happiness and allowed his mind to wander for a moment. He must have actually felt the heat of Quinn's stare burning into his skin. "Not that I didn't like your boobs before," he hurried to assure her when he realised that once again, he had been thinking out loud - and how bad his thoughts sounded. "I did, I mean, I do, like, a lot," he stumbled through his explanation before deciding he'd dug a big enough hole.
"Fine," Quinn replied, and kept her expression stern, "so you like my boobs," she stated and almost dared him to try to defend himself some more. "Anything else?" she asked and then folded her arms across her chest and tapped her toes.
"I love every part of you, you know that," Puck murmured into Quinn's throat as he hoisted her off of her feet and carried her back into the house. "There isn't one inch of you that I don't find delicious," he said and kissed her neck, "sweet," he added and kissed the other side, "or delectable," he growled and then swooped in for a full-on lip-lock. Quinn smiled to herself as Puck carried her up the stairs to their room, he took all night to convince her of his total devotion!
March 2024
"Do we want to find out?" Puck asked as he, Quinn and Beth waited in the ultrasound suite for the doctor to arrive. Puck hoped that Quinn would say yes because he wanted to know - like when Quinn and Finn had attended the appointment together and found that Beth was a Beth and not a Seth. In some ways, Puck was still jealous of that, jealous that Finn had been afforded a privilege that should have been his. He wanted that privilege now.
"No," Beth and Quinn cried at the same time. "No," Quinn repeated though quieter and much more calmly. "I think we should keep it a total surprise," she explained, she was nervous to find out in case they were expecting another daughter, she was worried about how it would make Beth feel. If she'd been able to put her worries into words, Beth would have admitted that she was worried about the same thing. The second the doctor came into the room, Quinn explained their preference.
"Ah," Dr Carlton murmured as he began his examination. "I'm afraid," he said with the hint of a smile, "that it's a little difficult to hide the gender with the baby in this position," he explained and then chuckled silently. "We can wait until next time for you to see if you prefer," he offered with his hand ready to turn the screen their way.
"I don't want to wait," Quinn admitted a little truculently, "I want to see it right now, see that it's really there," she added breathlessly and then giggled as she glanced down at her protruding stomach.
"I think we know it's definitely in there," Puck muttered as he looked at her stomach too, Beth giggled along though a little nervously. "Yes?" Puck asked them both, both Quinn and Beth nodded. "I think we can take it," Puck informed the doctor and then steeled himself for the emotions that were no doubt going to flood the room.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Dr Carlton murmured as he turned the screen around.
"Oh, yeah," Puck snorted at his first glimpse of the child that was being lovingly incubated within his wife.
"Oh," Beth cried and turned away with her hand over her eyes.
"Just like you," Quinn sighed and rolled her eyes at Puck, "not a bit shy," she added as the image of her son's butt and testicles hit them all right between the eyes!
"Trust me, it's definitely a boy," Puck retorted as Sam tried to explain that the umbilical cord sometimes confused people - as it had his parents when his youngest sibling had turned out to be a girl and not a boy as they'd thought from the ultrasound images.
"There's no denying that," Sam spluttered as he choked on his beer when Puck thrust the grainy picture in front of his face. "Congrats, buddy," he said and slapped Puck's shoulder. "Did you tell the others yet?" he asked.
"We did a mass Skype thing earlier, but you weren't online," Puck replied. "Took me a while to track you down, even Mercedes didn't know where you were, what's that all about?" he asked and then sipped his beer while he waited for Sam to reply. Sam sighed and contemplated the wisdom of actually telling Puck the truth. "I take it there's a girl involved?" Puck murmured and then nudged Sam's shoulder as they sat side by side at the bar. Sam sighed again, yes, there was definitely a girl involved and her name was Rebecca, Rebecca Puckerman! Sam kept that information to himself.
August 2024
"And breathe," the instructor said and breathed deeply as she walked among the pregnant ladies who were currently laid on the floor of the training room with their birth partners behind them, propping them up.
"Like we weren't doing that already," Puck murmured and managed to cop a feel of Quinn's boobs under the guise of assisting her to sit up.
"Hey," Quinn squealed and then glanced around her, she knew for a fact that she would be blushing if anyone had seen Puck grab her boobs.
"No one was looking," Puck lied as he winked at the guy who was closest to them on their right. "Shh," he mouthed at the guy, the guy winked back and nodded. Puck knew he wasn't taking these classes as seriously as some of the dads there, there were one or two who seemed to be so far into the classes and the experience, you'd have thought they were the pregnant ones, not their wives, they were the type who would be kicking the doctor out of the way to deliver the baby themselves and then burying the placenta in the garden. Puck was planning to stay well away from the business end of things, he was planning to stay right at the head end of the bed, holding Quinn's hand and giving verbal encouragement, he had no intention of looking when they announced the crowning thing like he'd done the last time – he'd had nightmares for months after Beth was born!
Puck assisted Quinn to her feet and bent to collect her mat and pillow as she puffed and panted tiredly. "Are you taking me out to dinner tonight?" she asked with an endearing pout. "Neither of us feels like cooking, do we?" she asked and looked at Puck through her lashes.
"I suppose not," Puck replied and wrapped his arm around Quinn's shoulder as they walked to the door.
"See you next week," the instructor called.
"Maybe," many of the mothers replied, it had become their standard answer as each of them drew closer to their due date.
"Think we'll still be here next week?" Puck murmured as he helped Quinn to climb into his SUV.
"Jeez, I hope not," Quinn sighed and shifted to try to find a comfortable position to sit in. "Technically we only have three days left," she pointed out as her stomach lurched to the side. "It feels really weird when he does that," she grumbled and stretched again.
Puck reached over and stroked the bump of his son as he waited for a gap in the traffic. "Won't be long now," he said with some reassurance, some trepidation and a fair old sprinkling of fear – though no one would have known that by the confident tone of his voice. "Can you get that?" he asked as his phone rang with Beth's assigned ringtone – Beth by Kiss! "Hey, baby, how are you?" he asked when Quinn put the call on speaker.
"Hi, honey," Quinn added.
"Hey you two, or is it three yet?" Beth teased hopefully.
"Nope, still only two," Quinn sighed. "Joshua doesn't seem to want to move just yet," she added and shifted in her seat again. "What are you doing this evening?" she asked and looked at Puck, he was shaking his head and she knew it was in response to her baby name idea.
"No plans really," Beth answered. "I wondered if I could come over and stay tonight," she added. "It might be one of the last times before my little brother William arrives," she suggested.
"Yes you can come," Puck replied, "we'll swing by and pick you up in about ten minutes," he added, "but William is out, Mr Schue will think we named the baby after him," he explained to Quinn with a shrug, Quinn wrinkled up her nose and nodded her agreement.
"We're going to pick up dinner," Quinn told Beth, "is there anything you feel like eating?" she asked.
"Anything," Beth replied, "you know me, I'll eat anything," she added.
"We'll pick you up first and then dinner and then we'll go home and relax and maybe we'll agree on a name tonight," Puck said decisively. "See in a few," he added before Quinn ended the call. "I love that she likes to come and sleep over at our house," he told Quinn.
"I do too," Quinn sighed with satisfaction, she hoped that Beth would still like to visit once the baby arrived, it would be quite amazing to have both of their children together and getting to know each other. "I'm glad that Shelby allows it," she whispered with more feeling and emotion than she'd expected. Quinn gulped back a sudden influx of tears, what the hell was that about?
"Are you sure you don't mind her sleeping over?" Shelby asked Quinn quietly as Puck tossed Beth's duffle bag in the back of the car and teased her about the shirt she was wearing with the latest fad in boy bands emblazoned on the front.
"We love having her sleep over," Quinn assured the older woman. "Do you have plans this evening?" she enquired saucily, Shelby blushed.
"I might have been invited out to dinner," Shelby muttered with more than a touch of shyness.
"Who by?" Quinn asked, she was smiling widely.
"Well, you know how I canvas local business owners to contribute to the arts program?" Shelby asked, Quinn nodded. "So, I called in personally at this office downtown and met the CEO who was in town for a meeting, we sort of hit it off, he loves the arts and remembers me from my Broadway days, he used to take his late wife to the theatre apparently," she explained with a slight shrug. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing, going to dinner with him?" she asked, suddenly very nervous.
"Of course," Quinn cried, "you have a life to live too," she reminded the other woman. "Beth is fine with us," she assured her. "She can stay the full weekend if you want," she offered and gave Shelby a suggestive wink.
"On the first date?" Shelby cried with a grin. "Quinn Puckerman," she exclaimed as though she was totally shocked.
"Hey, I was dating someone else the first time Puck and I got together," Quinn reminded Shelby.
"What was that?" Beth asked from just behind Quinn.
"Nothing for your delicate ears," Quinn answered and hugged the young girl. "Ready?" she asked, Beth nodded. "Cool, in you get," she said and motioned towards the back of the car.
"Night, mom," Beth said and hugged her mother.
"Night, sweetie, see you tomorrow," Shelby replied and hugged her daughter.
"In you get," Puck repeated to Quinn and once again assisted her to climb back into the front seat of the SUV. "Later," he called as he climbed in himself. "Dinner?" he asked as he backed off Shelby's drive.
"Breadstix," Quinn sighed with anticipated pleasure, she could almost taste the garlic breadsticks already.
"Crap," Puck sighed. "Million tons of garlic tonight?" he asked with a glance at Quinn's satisfied expression. Puck pulled a face and caught Beth's eye in the rear view mirror. Beth giggled.
"Cravings must be satisfied," Quinn replied and closed her eyes to rest for a few moments. She actually had another craving that she was sure Puck wouldn't complain about when she begged him to satisfy that tonight!
Puck flopped back onto the bed, he panted as he tried to regain his breath, he hadn't had a workout like that in weeks, absolute weeks! "You know doing that can bring on labour, right?" he asked as his breathing started to slow down.
"I know I like doing that," Quinn replied and then rolled her to her side to climb out of bed.
"Where are you going?" Puck asked as Quinn waddled naked around the bedroom.
"Bathroom," Quinn responded over her shoulder and then gave Puck a saucy wink. "Be ready for when I get back, lover," she ordered with a huge grin.
Puck glanced down his body at the part of him he knew Quinn was most interested in right now. "Hear that?" he asked and gulped with a little bit of fear. Puck waited and waited for Quinn to come back from the bathroom, he started to doze off…
"Holy shi-it," Quinn groaned loudly as the contraction ripped through her stomach. "Hellfire," she whispered to herself and gripped on tight to the edge of the sink. "Oh my God," she whimpered as yet another pain sliced through her almost immediately. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," she cried as quietly as she could. "How could it possibly happen this quickly?" she asked her reflection as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Crap," she muttered as she noted that the bathroom door had just opened, both she and Puck sucked in a breath at the same time as a full on splash of liquid landed on her feet.
"I think your water just broke," Puck said faintly and gulped. Puck's eyes caught Quinn's as they both looked up from the puddle on the floor.
"I think it did," Quinn whispered and giggled nervously. "Will you time them?" she asked and turned slowly to face Puck.
Puck nodded and glanced at his watch, he knew she meant her contractions. "Tell me when the next one hits," he advised. Inside, Puck was trembling, he hoped to God that Quinn couldn't tell, he really needed to be the strong one, the one in control, she would really need him to man up and be there for her. "Do you want me to find some clothes for you?" he asked as he belatedly realised that Quinn was still stood in front of him absolutely stark naked, and so was he!
"Yes please," Quinn replied, even her voice was shivering, Puck could see the faint, intermittent tremble of her body. "Could you call Dr Carlton?" she asked and then bent over, hunched over a little as another contraction struck her.
"Sure," Puck replied and hurried for his phone, Dr Carlton was number two on his speed dial. Puck's eyes never left Quinn as he spoke to the doctor. "Dr Carlton says to tell you to relax, maybe take a bath and we should call him again when we're timing you out at forty-five to sixty seconds and about five minutes apart," he explained. "Right now they're only lasting twenty seconds or so and about eight to ten minutes apart," he said and drew Quinn into his arms as she suddenly burst into tears.
"So it's going to be a while?" Quinn sniffed, Puck nodded. "Oh," she moaned as she heard a knock on their bedroom door.
"Just a minute," Puck called. He passed Quinn her robe and pulled on his shorts before going to answer the door. "Hey," he said as Beth's worried face appeared in the open doorway.
"I thought I heard something," Beth mumbled nervously, she shifted from foot to foot as she spoke. "Is Quinn alright?" she asked.
"Well, her water broke and she's having some contractions," Puck replied and noted immediately how scared Beth looked.
"I'm fine," Quinn added as she too saw how unnerved Beth was. "I'm going to have a soak in the tub, Dr Carlton said it would help," she explained. "Puck, can you check my bag, make sure we have everything ready to go?" she asked as she winced with another pain that she tried to hide from the terrified teen. "Don't worry," she urged Beth.
"Should I call my mom to come and pick me up?" Beth asked, her eyes were huge, she wasn't totally sure what she was more scared of, witnessing her baby brother being born or missing the single most spectacular event of her life!
"It's up to you," Quinn replied as she paced the bedroom with her hands at her back, she was breathing deeply as she walked, consciously using every breath as her instructor had advised. "I think you should call her and let her know what's going on, maybe she doesn't want you to be with us right then," she added as another thought swept through her brain. Maybe Shelby thought Beth was too young to be present at the birth.
"I called our moms and our dads plus Frannie and Rachel, Rach said she'll cascade the news on to everyone else," Puck announced as he hurried back into the bedroom with Quinn's bag in one hand and his phone in the other. "I have to call the moms again when we go to the hospital and they'll contact everyone else," he stated.
Quinn sighed and bent over with her hands on the bed, she really could not imagine having the energy or the will to climb into the bath, not without assistance. "Can you time me again?" she begged quite tearfully. Beth looked nervously between Quinn and Puck, she was torn, on the one hand she wanted to go to Quinn and comfort her, help to ease the pain of her brother coming into the world, on the other hand, she wanted to run to Puck and have him wrap her up in his arms, to take the comfort that he would afford her - as only a father could. "Can you call Shelby? Ask her if Beth can stay?" Quinn whispered the question as her pain eased.
"That was forty-eight seconds," Puck replied as he scrolled through his contacts to find Shelby's number. "Hi, sorry to disturb you so late," he said when Shelby answered with a tired, croaky voice. "Thing is, Quinn's gone into labour," Puck informed the suddenly alert woman. "Beth is here with us, obviously," he said and then rolled his eyes at his own ridiculous statement, "we didn't know if you were cool with her coming to the hospital with us or if you pref..." Puck paused as Shelby broke into his conversation. "Cool, we'll see you there then," he said with a grin and a thumbs up to Beth. "Your mom is happy for you to be in with us, as long as you want to be, but she'll be in the waiting room if you want a break," he told the young girl, he looked over at Quinn, she gave a tearful, tremulous smile and then sucked in a breath when the next pain caught her off guard. "And that's just over five minutes since the last one, like only ten seconds over, I think we should head to Lima Memorial," he said and looked for Dr Carlton's number again. Puck's muttered conversation disappeared when he went into the bathroom to get dressed. "We'll be on our way in about five minutes," he promised as he emerged, fully clothed.
"Can you just pass me those yoga pants and that long, sloppy tee, please?" Quinn asked Beth, she sounded breathless, breathless and scared. Beth hurried to do Quinn's bidding. "Do you want to go and get dressed too, honey?" she suggested, again, Beth hurried to do as Quinn asked.
"Good to go?" Puck asked when Beth returned to their bedroom. "Alrighty," he sighed, suddenly nervous for the immediate future. "Ready to have a baby?" he murmured with a grin, one that showed both his excitement and his nervousness.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Quinn replied with a scared snort of laughter.
"Elvis songs," Puck suggested, he was slouched in the easy chair beside Quinn's bed with his bare feet propped up on the bed.
"No, not Elvis," Quinn grouched grumpily. "Here's another one," she groaned and shifted as she sucked hard on the Entonox tube.
Puck sat up, immediately alert. "Breathe," he murmured as he stood and took Quinn's hand. "In two, three, four," he intoned, he nodded, Quinn nodded along with him, their eyes were locked together. "Out two, three, four," he said, "in, two, three, four, out, two, three, four, wonderful, you're doing really well," he praised as Quinn sighed her pleasure that the contraction had passed. "Pick an artist," Puck suggested as he sat back down again.
"Can't be bothered," Quinn whined, she really didn't want to carry on with the game, she just wanted the baby to come. "Oh, God, again, another one," she cried and sucked in a breath.
"Hi, can I come in?" Beth asked when she poked her head through the door. "I come with supplies," she grinned and held up a disposable tray containing take out food from Breadstix. "Nana Ruth thought you might be hungry," she explained. "Well, not you Quinn," she added as Puck pounced on the food, Quinn turned away and pulled a face, she truly didn't think she would ever want to eat again. "Grandma Judy says they'll come in to see you soon, give you a break, Rachel said she didn't realise anyone could be in labour for so long, Mercedes said to hurry up, she has a world tour starting in three months and Santana said you're just doing it for the attention," she rushed to pass on all the messages. "Phew," she sighed, she was totally out of breath after that long speech.
"Santana would," Quinn mumbled, she felt close to tears, she'd really thought, when they rushed to the hospital in the early hours of the morning, that everything would have been over by now. Nineteen hours later, and Baby Puckerman was still resting comfortably inside his mommy, with apparently no intention of meeting the outside world. "Please, Lewis, just hurry up," she groaned and patted her stomach.
"We're not calling him Lewis," Puck snorted. "I already told you his name," he reminded her. Quinn rolled her eyes and pulled her tongue out.
"You didn't tell me," Beth squealed, she pouted and used all of her skills to get Puck to tell her, but he remained resolute. Beth poked her tongue out at Puck too.
"And push," Dr Carlton encouraged from his position between Quinn's widespread thighs. "You're doing really great," he said. "And again," he urged.
"Arghhhh," Quinn's scream was muted and held in, she used the energy to bear down, she really wanted this to be over, she wanted to hold her son in her arms, she was tired, really, really tired. "I can't," she moaned and then sank back onto the pillows. "I can't," she repeated, "I don't want to do this anymore," she cried and then began to sob as though her heart was about to break.
"Come on Quinn, you can do this," Dr Carlton urged her, his hand was actually touching the baby's head, just a few more pushes and he should be born.
"Come on, baby," Puck murmured close to Quinn's ear, he wished he could do this for her, he wished he could take her place, but it wasn't possible.
"Quinn, give me your hand," Dr Carlton said quietly and held out a hand to her. "Feel that?" he asked gently, Quinn nodded even as she sobbed. "That's your son's head, I just need you to work with your contractions, let's get him out here, right?" he encouraged, again Quinn nodded as she snivelled.
"Let's go," Puck said as he felt Quinn prepare herself for the next onslaught...
"Do you think it's going to be much longer?" Beth asked her mother quietly.
"Probably not," Shelby replied against her daughter's fair hair.
"You were a lot quicker than this," Judy murmured at Beth's other side. "I remember the day you were born as if it was yesterday," she sighed and picked up Beth's hand. "Actually, you are the only baby I've ever seen being born, I had emergency c-sections with both Quinn and Frannie so they were hours old before I remember seeing them," she announced.
"What was it like?" Beth asked, she wondered about her own birth, even more so since spending all that time in the delivery room with Puck and Quinn.
"Well, Quinn wasn't too complimentary towards Noah," Judy said as she cast her mind back, "she kept telling him that he sucked. He seemed to be rather shell shocked and kind of kept out of things," she added. "He was only sixteen years old, though, so you have to forgive him, but he hadn't attended the birthing classes so he wasn't really prepared for what was happening," she sighed. "Quinn on the other hand, she'd been to all the classes, but she just went to pieces and forgot everything she'd learned," Judy explained with a slight snicker of laughter.
"A bit like now then, for Quinn at least?" Beth snickered.
"Yes, she does seem to have forgotten everything again," Judy agreed. "Ruth, do you remember the very first time you saw Beth?" she asked.
"Oh, yes," Ruth sighed. "You were about an hour old, I'd broken every speed limit between Lima and Cincinnati to get to the hospital on time but I was too late," she explained to Beth. "It was Finn who called me to say that they had rushed Quinn to the hospital and that you were on your way," she added, her eyes were misty with long forgotten memories. "By the time Noah remembered to call me and tell me what was going on, I was already in the parking lot and trying to find a space to park," she snorted. "And then a few minutes later I was gazing at you through the nursery window and it was such an awesome moment," she sighed and then paused. "You know, even though you looked so much like Quinn, even back then, there was still a hint of Noah in you," Ruth murmured as she looked at her granddaughter with considering eyes. "I think, especially around the eyes, you're a little more Noah than Quinn," she said, almost as though she was talking to herself.
"You know, I think you're right," Judy agreed as she studied her granddaughter's face in minute detail. "You are incredibly like Quinn, you are very beautiful, but there are just the tiniest hints of Puckerman mixed with Fabray," she teased.
"And James will be the same mix," Beth said with a touch of wonder in her voice. "I wonder if he'll look more like Puck but with a hint of Quinn," she pondered.
"They're naming the baby after me?" Jim Puckerman asked, he was quite aghast, thrilled, but aghast.
"Nope, we're not," Puck answered the question. The whole group turned at the sound of Puck's voice. "He's here," he added, he was so very emotional and was close to tears. "Finally," he said with a snort of laughter, "he's here," he repeated. Beth was the first one to launch herself at her dad.
"Can we see him?" Beth asked, she looked up at Puck's face.
"In a few minutes," Puck replied. "There's been a little bit of a complication," he said wearily. "The baby is fine," he hurriedly explained as everyone drew in a nervous breath. "They've had to take Quinn to the operating room," he said through a throat that seemed to be closing up. "I don't know what's happening exactly, the doctor said something about a possible hysterectomy if they can't stop the bleeding, but I don't really know what's going on," he managed to tell them before he almost broke down.
"Noah," Ruth gasped and rushed to hug her son. "She'll be fine, she'll be fine," she assured him quietly as he sniffed back his tears against her shoulder, his face hidden from his friends and the rest of his family.
"She will, she'll be fine," Judy agreed firmly. There was no way she would accept anything else, not a chance!
"And people wonder why we don't want kids," Frannie murmured to Tom as he hugged her. "My poor baby sister," she cried quietly against her husband's chest. "She wants kids so badly, she should be allowed to have a houseful," she complained. Tom comforted her, but he was at a loss, he didn't really know what to say. The wait for news seemed endless.
"Noah?" Dr Carlton said quietly from the doorway. Puck immediately walked over to him, he was prepared for the worst...or at least, as prepared as he could be. "We've managed to stop the bleeding, she's not totally out of the woods yet, but we didn't have to perform the hysterectomy, it's something we'll keep a close eye on in the future," he assured Puck.
"But she's going to be ok, right, doc?" Puck begged, he couldn't see a future where he and Quinn weren't growing old in a houseful of kids and grandkids.
"Can we see her?" Judy asked breathlessly, her heart was beating in her throat, she was sure she was going to vomit on the poor doctor.
"Baby's gone to the nursery, why don't you go see the baby and then once Quinn is comfortable in her room and awake, you'll be able to visit with her for a few minutes, but please, not all at once," Dr Carlton suggested gently - though the last part was more of an instruction than a suggestion. "Noah, you'll be able to stay with Quinn and the baby if you choose to," he reminded Puck.
"Thanks, doc," Puck murmured his reply. Absolutely he was going to stay with Quinn, wild horses could not have dragged him out of the hospital tonight!
"So?" Ruth asked as the group gathered to peer through the window at the tiny little scrap of humanity that bore the name tag 'Baby Puckerman'. Puck gave his mom a puzzled look. "So, what's his name?" she demanded. Seriously? Her son really didn't know what she was asking?
"Quinn can tell you tomorrow," Puck replied, he turned back to stare at his son, he had to swallow back a huge wave of churning emotion, he really was going to cry. "When your mommy can hold you and show you off to the world," he murmured, "then they'll all find out your name," he promised. Puck looked up at the nurse who was motioning for him to come inside. He didn't say a word as he walked the short distance to the door of the nursery, he followed advice and instructions to scrub up and don a blue paper gown. "Hey little man," he whispered as he lifted his son to his shoulder. "All wrapped up like a little bug," he muttered. Puck swayed as he stood beside the plastic crib, the baby in his arms blinked tired eyes. "You look just like Beth," he sighed and gazed at him, took in every detail, "you are so lucky to have her as a big sister, she'll take care of you," he promised. The baby yawned, his little toothless mouth stretched open even as his eyes closed. "And it's been a really big day for you, hasn't it?" Puck murmured. "So far, it's the biggest day of your life," he added. "This is the second time I've done this," he explained to the now sleeping baby, "but it doesn't get any less scary, no matter how old you are," he said as he realised it was the absolute truth. Puck touched his lips to the baby's forehead. "I'm going to go see if your mommy is awake yet, I know she's dying to meet you," he breathed and then laid the baby back in his plastic, see-through crib.
"Hey," Puck whispered as he closed the door behind him. "How are you?" he asked as he approached the bed.
"Tired," Quinn croaked. "Did you see him? Is he alright?" she asked the questions, her eyes pleaded for the answers.
"Yes, I saw him," Puck confirmed, "and he looks just exactly like Beth did when she was born" he added. "I think he's going to look like you too," Puck muttered, not quite jealously, more like enviously. That's it, he was envious. Anyone who glanced at Beth and the baby would know they were siblings, anyone who glanced at Quinn, Beth and the baby, would know that the three of them were related, Puck felt slightly left out, he'd rather hoped that his son would resemble him - even just a little!
"I bet he grows up to look like you," Quinn assured Puck, she kind of knew what was in his head, she could see it on his face. "As long as he isn't as popular with the ladies," she murmured and lifted one eyebrow, Puck snickered, he couldn't disagree, he had been incredibly popular among the female inhabitants of Lima - especially through his teenage years.
"As long as he grows up to be his own person, like Beth has, I think I'll be happy," Puck stated and came to sit on the edge of the bed. "Everyone wants to come and see you," he added and searched Quinn's face to see if he could tell what she was thinking. "I still haven't told them the baby's name yet, I wanted us to be together when we did that," he explained with a hitch in his voice. Puck breathed deeply and calmed himself down from the almost overwhelming wave of emotion that had just washed over him, it had suddenly just hit him, they were now a family, they would never be a couple again.
"I'd like our moms and Beth to come in just now if that's possible," Quinn requested quietly, she squeezed the ends of Puck's fingers gently, it was like they both needed the physical reassurance that they were actually here, together.
"I'll go get them," Puck promised, he bent to kiss her forehead before he left the room for a moment. "She's really tired, she just want the moms and Beth to come in for a few minutes, I'm sorry guys," he explained to the waiting masses. "I'll see if she's ok to see you all once they've gone," he added at the crestfallen looks from Rebecca and Frannie - Jake looked just as crushed as Jim did, Russell was the only one who didn't show any emotion, though that could have been because of the Botox!
"Oh, honey, hi," Judy whispered as she approached her snoozing daughter. "You look so tired," she commiserated. "How are you?"
"Fine," Quinn replied with a voice that was far more croaky than she had anticipated. "Really, I'm fine," she insisted a touch brighter. "Beth, sweetie, are you ok?" she asked, Beth nodded, she couldn't speak, she wanted to burst into tears now that she could see how tired and ravaged Quinn looked. There was no wonder she'd made the decision to give her daughter away if she'd looked like that the last time! "Could we have the baby in here with us, do you think?" Quinn asked Puck.
"I'll go ask," Puck replied and swiftly left the room to head in the direction of the nursery.
"Are you going to tell us his name?" Beth asked with a shimmer of excitement in her voice. Beth knew that she was excited and nervous and that she had a whole range of emotions running through her mind and body. Beth knew that she was shivering, even though she wasn't cold, and she knew that was just reaction to the situation, she felt reassured when she looked around and saw the same range of emotions tremble through her grandma Judy and her nana Ruth, they looked exactly the same as her, well, almost the same, Beth knew that she was feeling something else too, something she hoped she was hiding. Beth was the only one who knew that she was feeling a little jealous.
Quinn sucked in a breath as the door opened and a little plastic crib was pushed into the room by a nurse with Puck close behind. "Here he is," Puck announced with a proud smile. Silence reigned in the room until the nurse left with a few brief instructions. Puck lifted the baby from his bed and carried him over to Quinn. "Are we going to tell them now?" he asked, his full attention was on the beautiful sight in the bed, one that he'd waited over fourteen years to see.
"Not yet, can we just get everyone else in first? Just for a minute, just so we can tell them his name, then they can go home," Quinn pleaded, she felt sorry for their friends and the other family members, they must be bored witless just waiting around for news.
"Fine, but if Dr Carlton asks, it was your idea," Puck responded quickly, and then went to gather the rest of the group.
"You won't tell us first?" Ruth asked with an exaggerated pout.
"Nope," Quinn replied with a grin, no, she wanted to do this once but with an audience of her favourite people. "Good, you're all here," she murmured as she made herself a little more comfortable in her bed. Puck hurried to her side to help her and then stayed there. Quinn took a deep breath to swallow the sudden onset of tears. "So, we'd like to finally introduce you to," she said clearly and then paused for a second, "Caleb Finnbar Puckerman," she finished and then looked at Rachel, she saw her friend's face crumple.
"To be faithful," Rebecca murmured with a half smile. She glanced around and noted the slightly puzzled looks from some of the people. "Caleb, that's what it means, to be faithful," she explained. Puck winked at Quinn, that was exactly the reason they'd chosen his name, because they wanted their son to grow up and be true to his name. "I study the meanings of names, so kill me," Rebecca mumbled, she was a little embarrassed at her hobby being exposed, especially to Sam, but she couldn't see his face because he was standing right behind her with his hand on her ass! Rebecca's heart was beating at a million miles an hour, she hoped to God her brother didn't see where Sam's hand was.
"Congratulations," Judy sighed as she reached across the bed and hugged her daughter and grandson. "And welcome to you, Caleb, you're going to be a remarkable young man someday," she promised and then looked up at Beth's face. "Just like your sister is a remarkable young woman," she added and held her arm out for Beth to join her.
"Hey, Caleb," Beth whispered near the baby's ear. "I'm your big sister, I'll watch out for you," she vowed and then kissed his tiny bald head.
Ruth stood with her son and looked down on her first grandson, she could barely see him for the tears in her eyes. "He's so beautiful," she sighed, "I'm proud of you, Noah, proud of both of you," she said and then bent to kiss Quinn's cheek too. Ruth hugged her daughter-in-law tightly, she just couldn't put her feelings of joy into words, she had waited so long for this, for this moment. Ruth leaned over further and kissed Beth's head too. "I think he's going to look like you," she whispered to the young girl. Beth nodded, she could see that the baby looked quite like all of her baby pictures, she could see he looked quite like Quinn.
"Hey, Caleb," Jim said quietly as he approached the bed. "I'm your grandpa," he introduced himself. "I'm going to teach you to fish, just like I taught your daddy and maybe together we can catch that big old catfish I've been trying to get for years," he said with a wink at Puck.
"Still haven't caught him yet?" Puck snickered, he and his dad had been chasing the legend of 'Buckeye Bob' for longer than Puck cared to remember.
"One day, son, one day," Jim promised with a shake of his head. Jim had vowed for years that he would catch that damned fish, and he would - or die trying!
"Seriously?" Ruth hissed with a frown at her ex-husband. "You're here to meet your grandson for the first time and all you can talk about is a stupid fish?" she demanded. "And he wonders why I divorced him," she grumbled to Judy, Judy sighed and rolled her eyes, clearly commiserating with her friend.
"Well, we're going to go, we have to get back to Henri," Santana said as she pushed to the front of the crowd. "Congratulations to you all, he is very beautiful and hopefully, he will grow up to be best friends with Henri," she grinned at Quinn. "Besties for life," she added with a cheesy wink. "We'll get together soon," she whispered as she hugged first Quinn and then Puck. "Take care of them," she warned Puck and poked him in the middle of his chest.
"I will," Puck promised - and he meant it sincerely. One by one their friends and family congratulated them and then left, soon the room was empty apart from Puck, Quinn and their baby. "Wow," Puck sighed as he sat on the bed beside Quinn and hugged her to his side. "It's real now," he murmured into her hair, "we really are a family."
"But they said they didn't mind," Beth grumbled and then gave her mom's back the most mutinous, black stare of any fourteen-year-old, ever!
"Yes, I know," Shelby sighed, she felt like a bitch because Beth wanted to spend so much time with Puck and Quinn and the baby, but she couldn't help it, she was feeling rather insecure. "But surely they want some time alone too," she reasoned. "I mean, they only came home from the hospital three days ago and so far you've been there every day," she said with a sigh of exasperation.
"Quinn wants me to be there," Beth mumbled, her tone full of teenage anger.
"I'm sure she does," Shelby agreed with a sharp nod, "but I'm also sure she'd like a little time alone with her son and her husband," she repeated her earlier sentence.
"My brother and my dad," Beth reminded herself silently. "And she's my real mom," she thought as she stared insolently at her mom.
"I know exactly what you're thinking," Shelby announced shortly, she was sick to death of all this moodiness. "They are your birth parents, that does not make them your real parents," she said with a look at Beth, "I am your real parent," she informed the pouting teen. "Deal with it," she snapped and then headed upstairs to put away the laundry that she'd been folding. "Don't cry, don't cry," she hummed to herself, although the tears were already leaking out of her eyes. Shelby sniffed delicately and dabbed at her eyes once she had herself back under control.
"Mom?" Beth said softly from the doorway, Shelby turned to look at her daughter. "I'm sorry," she whispered and threw herself into her mom's arms.
"That's ok, sweetie," Shelby murmured against the soft, blonde hair. "I know it's a little strange, you're only just getting to know them and now there's a baby in the mix too," she said quietly, "but just because Quinn and Puck have Caleb, it doesn't mean they love you any less, it doesn't mean they won't think about you all the time," she assured the snivelling teen. "Hey," Shelby said and nudged Beth to look up at her. "They've been thinking about you and loving you for fourteen years," she reminded her, "that isn't ever going away."
"Thanks, mom," Beth mumbled into Shelby's shoulder as she hugged her tight. That was exactly what Beth needed to hear, she had been worrying - subconsciously worrying - that she wouldn't be needed anymore, now that Caleb had finally made his appearance.
Quinn hummed quietly as she rocked her son to sleep, she felt exhausted - totally drained of emotion and so utterly, utterly exhausted. Puck slept on, oblivious to the fact that his wife had just spent the last two and a half hours trying to get their son back to sleep after his diaper change and his late night feed. Quinn stood carefully to place the tiny child in the crib next to the bed, she held her breath as Caleb's breathing changed the instant her hands withdrew from him - it seemed like every single time she put him in his crib, Caleb sensed it and objected, it was like the only place he wanted to be was in his mommy's arms. "Please, Caleb, just go to sleep," Quinn begged quietly. "Please," she pleaded, she stroked his tiny tummy in a soothing, circular motion. Caleb snuffled and then settled, Quinn breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey," Puck murmured as Quinn climbed back into bed. "Did he wake up?" he asked, Puck hadn't heard a sound!
"Yes, but he's asleep again now," Quinn replied, she didn't have the energy to smack Puck round the head, she just wanted to sleep. "There's a bottle in the fridge, I pumped it earlier," she commented just before sleep overtook her, "you get to do the morning feed," she yawned, her words distorted as she spoke through it.
Puck looked over Quinn's shoulder in the direction of the beautifully decorated crib. He was looking forward to that, to some uninterrupted father/son bonding time, he couldn't think of anything better - except for maybe if Beth was there too, like, father/son/daughter bonding time, now that would be just perfect!
"La, la, la, la, sh, sh, sh, sh," Puck hummed and shushed the baby as he rocked Caleb back to sleep. "Mommy is sleeping and daddy has no idea what he's doing, so be a good kid and go to sleep till mommy wakes up," he sang quietly. Caleb tried to focus on Puck's face, he stared up at the giant human looking down at him, his little body scrunched up a tiny bit and his face turned bright red. "Oh, dear God, what the hell is that?" Puck demanded of the little boy, he turned at the sound of someone knocking on the door. "Jesus, please let that be my mom or Judy," he prayed as he went to open the front door. "Dad," he said in surprise when he saw who was standing there.
"Can I come in?" Jim asked with a grin and motioned to enter the house.
"Sure," Puck replied and took a step back. "It's grandpa Jim," he said to the child in his arms.
"Thought I'd drop by, see if you guys need anything," Jim said as he paused beside his son to inspect his grandson. "Holy hell, " he hissed and gagged. "Didn't you change his diaper yet?" he demanded. "Like ever? Since he was born?" he added. "Man up, son," he advised Puck, "you can't keep relying on Quinn to do it, you're going to have to brave it some time," he announced with a grin he didn't even try to hide. "Have you changed a diaper yet?" he asked.
"One," Puck replied honestly, "but Quinn was with me and it didn't stink like this one does," he muttered and then swallowed deeply. "Hey, grandpa Jim can help, right?" he suggested with a pleading tone in his voice. "I really don't want to wake Quinn up, she needs her rest."
"Sure," Jim agreed and then smiled at the baby. "I used to change your daddy's crappy ass," he smilingly informed Caleb, "I wasn't a total deadbeat dad," he added and then winked at Puck. "I was good for some stuff."
"Ok, so, talk me through this," Puck murmured quietly once he, his dad and Caleb were in the nursery, "but be quiet, I don't want to wake Quinn."
"Ok, so, first you need to make sure you have everything to hand," Jim advised and peered over his son's shoulder at the tiny boy on the changing table. "Don't worry, he isn't going to go anywhere, not yet, he's a couple of months away from crawling off," he teased. Puck glanced over his shoulder and gave his dad a look, exactly like the one he used to give his mom when he was a teenager. "Sorry," Jim apologised with a snicker of laughter. "Ok, so, are we ready?" he asked, Puck steeled himself with a deep breath and nodded. "Righty, so, first of all, we have to unfasten his romper," Jim advised and then stood back a little.
"Romper?" Puck scoffed. "What the hell is a romper?" he demanded.
"The little suit thing he's wearing," Jim explained with a roll of his eyes. "That's what they used to be called, anyway," he muttered. "Do you want my help or not?" he demanded.
"Yes," Puck muttered. "Sorry," he apologised. "What next?" he asked as he followed his dad's instructions.
"Now, be prepared for this kid to piss all over you the second you unfasten his diaper," Jim warned. "You used to do that all the time," he added under his breath. Puck, with his hands at the ready to unfasten the disposable diaper, glanced at his dad again. "Trust me, just be careful, and boys can take aim, don't forget," Jim said, he kept his eyes on the baby. "Woah," he hissed as Puck revealed the horrific mess inside the diaper, both Jim and Puck gagged. "Holy sh-" Jim spluttered but managed to stop himself from actually saying the word - even though it was so apt! "So have you contacted Rabbi Stern yet for the bris?" Jim asked as Puck manfully wiped away the worst of the mess.
"We haven't decided yet if we're going to go down the Jewish route or the Christian route," Puck replied, he knew he was still pulling faces as he worked, but man, oh man, he'd never thought he would have to wade through that amount of shit, ever! "Jeez, we could sell these diapers to the military to use as weapons of mass destruction," he joked - partially joked - actually, Puck was deadly serious! Quinn watched silently from the doorway, neither man had noticed her and she didn't want to interrupt, she wanted them, Puck at any rate, to realise that he could do this. "There, your ass must feel better without that crap all over it," Puck said to his son. "Cheers," he cried as Caleb did exactly what Jim had warned of, he peed right in his daddy's eye. Puck turned at the sound of a soft snicker in the doorway. "Don't tell me he hasn't done that to you yet," he said to Quinn with a smile as he wiped his face, Quinn laughed and shook her head, no, Caleb hadn't peed on her, he'd puked on her a few times, but he hadn't yet peed.
"I like the idea of Caleb following your faith as well as mine," Quinn said as she stepped into the nursery. "Hi, Jim," she said in greeting and kissed her father-in-law's cheek, "good coaching," she praised.
"I wasn't so bad as a dad," Jim replied and gave Quinn a hug. "But time is marching on, he's five days old already, has to be done on the eighth day," he reminded Puck.
"I'll call Rabbi Stern," Puck replied with a firm nod. He knew for sure that his mom would be pleased, and he also knew for sure that Quinn had no idea what she was agreeing to. "You know what a bris is, right?" he asked Quinn.
"I can use Google as well as the next person," Quinn answered with a sniff, "of course I know what it is, it's the circumcision and naming ceremony," she added and looked at Puck, "and I know it's the first, most important ceremony for you as a father," she murmured as she came closer. "Are you sure you can handle it?" she asked.
"I can handle it," Puck replied with a half-grin. "Sandek?" he asked Jim with one eyebrow raised in question.
"It would be an honour," Jim answered after he'd gulped and cleared his throat.
"Think your dad will want to be involved?" Puck asked Quinn, he had an idea that maybe both grandfathers could take an important part in the ceremony.
"Maybe," Quinn murmured with a shrug, she wasn't sure how involved her dad wanted to be with any of them.
"If he does, he can do the name part along with you," Puck told Jim, "you can do the speaking stuff, he can say the name," he added to explain a little more clearly the way he pictured both men in their roles.
"I'll go call him, he shouldn't be on the golf course just yet," Quinn said with a sigh as she walked away. Quinn picked up her phone from her nightstand and scrolled till she found her dad's number. "Hi, it's me," she announced when Russell finally answered his phone.
"Good morning, darling," Russell said with an overload of unfamiliar warmth in his voice.
"You're already on the course with a business associate that you want to impress," Quinn said quietly, she was well used to her dad's tactics.
"That's right darling," Russell agreed, Quinn could hear his beaming smile over the phone. "What can I do for you?" he asked, Russell hoped that Quinn would get to the nitty gritty soon, he couldn't quite take his eye off his ball as it teetered on the edge of the bunker, one gust of wind and his dreams of a double eagle on the sixth - a feat that Russell had never yet achieved in thirty years of playing on that course - were history!
"Dad, we are going to hold a bris for Caleb," Quinn began to explain, "that's the ceremony where he'll get circumcised and officially given his full name," she added, she wanted her dad to understand the importance of the event. "We want both you and Jim to be actively involved in the ceremony," Quinn told her dad and then held her breath as she bit her lip and waited for his response.
"Why, Quinn, darling, I would be honoured," Russell replied with more enthusiasm than Quinn had ever expected. "What do you think, Hiram?" Russell called to his companion. "They want me to take part in the brit milah," he announced with what sounded like pride - he'd obviously done his homework. Quinn barely held in the snort of derision that bubbled up from deep inside her. "Mhm, I'm not stupid," Russell thought to himself, smugly. "If you want to court a potential client, you find out what makes them tick - and the fact that Hiram Berry is Jewish and also the father of one of Quinn's best friends is just a coincidence, obviously."
"So, we'd like you to take part, obviously, we don't expect you to learn Hebrew," Quinn explained, she couldn't help the little twist of anger that snapped inside her stomach, she knew her dad was only agreeing for the benefits it would bring him, he wouldn't be giving any thought to Caleb or to Quinn. "Is that Rachel's dad with you?" she asked.
"Yes, it is," Russell replied. "Hiram is considering making an investment and I'm on hand to advise him," he explained - again the smile in Russell's voice was obvious to Quinn.
"Maybe you could ask Hiram for advice," Quinn suggested, she knew she'd just played right into her dad's hands and given him permission to use her and use her son to further his investment career - her heart sank, she knew for a fact that her dad would lose interest in the baby once he'd outgrown his usefulness.
"What a wonderful idea, Quinnie," Russell gushed happily. "Hiram, my daughter suggested I pick your brain, maybe you could guide me, tell me what I should do, what to expect," he said, his voice grew fainter and then disappeared when he ended the call without any sort of goodbye to Quinn.
"Yep, thanks, dad," Quinn whispered to herself and then sniffed as two giant tears rolled down her face.
"He's not worth your tears, you know," Puck murmured from the doorway. Quinn turned around and looked at her husband, he was leaning against the door frame, he looked so relaxed. "My dad took Caleb back downstairs, he's explaining the intricacies of using the right bait to catch Buckeye Bob," he added with a grin. Puck sighed, he was amazed, but pleased, that his dad had stepped up to be the type of grandfather that every kid deserved, he was glad that Caleb would have him in his life. If Russell didn't want to take an active part he could just eventually fade away out of their lives for good.
"No, he's not," Quinn agreed and then sighed as she found herself hugged up close to Puck, her face buried in his chest. "I'm glad your dad seems to be taking an interest," she mumbled. Puck smiled and nodded and then kissed the top of her head as he rocked her gently from side to side until her tears stopped. Eventually, they went downstairs to their son.
"So what exactly happens?" Judy murmured to Ruth as they waited for the ceremony to start.
"Well, as soon as Mr Cohen arrives," Ruth replied as she and Judy put the finishing touches to the meal they would eat after the brief ritual was concluded, "Rebecca will take Caleb from Quinn and hand him to Jake, Jake will lay him on the pillow on Jim's knee, Jim will hold him while Mr Cohen does the snippy stuff, there will be a few prayers, Noah has some stuff to say, Jim has already instructed Russell how to deliver the name and when, then it will be job done, diaper on and breakfast time," she finished in a rush. Ruth sounded confident, a lot more confident than she actually felt if the truth was known.
"It sounds far more complicated than a christening," Judy whispered to Ruth as Mr Cohen entered the house.
"Well, I know that Quinn is planning a christening for the end of August before Noah has to report back for duty," Ruth muttered back, she wasn't sure how Ruben Cohen would feel about her grandson having a foot in both faiths, he'd always been such a stickler for tradition.
Beth watched with a sort of fearful fascination as the guy picked up his scalpel, she sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, she couldn't look anymore. Beth squirmed back against her mother, Shelby's arms went around her daughter, she closed her eyes too, the instant Caleb let out a sharp cry.
Puck's own voice was huskier than he'd expected when he had to recite a traditional blessing, Quinn was by his side, and although she had been coached in the wording, she couldn't speak, she just wanted to snatch her child up and comfort him. Puck looked at Russell and nodded to him, the pre-arranged signal that the time had come for his contribution to the ceremony. Jim had handed Caleb to Ruth and stood alongside Russell, Jim said the traditional words in Hebrew, he nudged Russell's foot with his own to give the man his cue. "Calev Chaim," both men said together and then Jim finished the blessing, still in Hebrew.
Ruth sighed and passed her grandson to his rather desperate mother. "There we are," she whispered to Quinn. "How are you?" she asked. "I hated this when it was Noah, I wanted to kill the Mohel for hurting my baby, even though I knew it had to happen for him to be brought into the faith."
"I can't say I like it either," Quinn replied with a sniff and wiped away the stray tears. "At least he never has to go through it again, it's just a one-time thing," she added with a touch of humour.
"Good job," Puck muttered at her side. "Brings tears to my eyes at the thought of it," he added with a shudder. "Glad it's all over," he sighed.
"So, his name?" Rachel asked as she helped herself to the breakfast buffet that Ruth and Judy had just uncovered.
"His name," Puck repeated, this was a tradition peculiar to Jewish people, he knew that generally speaking, people didn't explain why a particular name had been chosen over another name. "We chose Calev because it means faithful and it's another form of Caleb and we chose Chaim because it means life, so to put them together, we hope our son will lead a faithful life," he explained.
"That's cool," Sam whispered, more to himself than to anyone else, he could see the beauty of choosing a name with meaning that you would wish your child to have or to be, it seemed so simple. "I wonder if Samuel means deceiver of friends?" he thought to himself and then covertly glanced at Rebecca, he knew they really needed to tell Puck that they were in a relationship, but he still wasn't sure how his friend would take the news. Sam chickened out...again. "Well, congratulations once again," he said and hugged Puck manfully, "I have to go, I have work to do with the football squad to get them ready for next season," he explained and then left after a brief hug from Quinn.
"I know what's going on, it's only a matter of time till Puck finds out too," Quinn whispered to Sam, he shivered before his arms dropped from around her, he didn't answer, he just glanced at Rebecca before leaving the house.
The short celebration ended soon afterwards, with everyone taking their leave apart from Ruth, Judy and Rebecca, they stayed around to help Quinn with the clear up. "So, are you ever going to tell your brother that you're dating his best friend?" Quinn asked her sister-in-law.
"Erm, no," Rebecca answered with a nervous gulp. "And how did you find out?" she hissed, she was aware that her brother was close by, although not in the same room.
"I see things, I'm observant," Quinn replied with a grin. "I don't know why you're worrying, I think it's great, Sam's a really great guy, he's got a good job, I mean, football coach at McKinley High is not to be sniffed at, right?" she muttered and nudged Rebecca to get her to answer.
"You don't think he's too old for me?" Rebecca asked - actually, it sounded more like she was pleading with Quinn to answer in the negative.
"No, I don't think he's too old," Quinn replied. "You're twenty-three, he's what? Twenty-eight, twenty-nine?" she asked.
"He just turned twenty-nine and I'm almost twenty-four, there's only just over five years between us, is that too much?" Rebecca asked.
"You both must think I came down in the last shower," Puck announced from the doorway. "You don't think I missed all the little looks and touches, do you?" he asked his sister scornfully. "And as long as he's good to you, I'm glad that you're dating my best friend," he said and accepted his sister in his arms as she rushed for a hug, relieved that she could now openly date the man she hoped to marry. "It's been fun watching them squirm for the past six months, though, right?" he asked Quinn with a grin. "Why do you think we've had more parties and get-togethers since I got back from the Middle East?" he demanded and laughed at the look on Rebecca's face.
"You knew?" Rebecca demanded of her brother. "All this time, you knew?"
"Course I did," Puck replied and smiled into his sister's eyes. "I know he loves you, he wouldn't have gone to all this trouble if he didn't," he explained.
Rebecca and Ruth left shortly afterwards, Judy was slower to follow them. "Life is truly wonderful, isn't it?" she asked Puck and Quinn as they stood beside their son's crib and just watched him sleep.
"It really is," Quinn sighed and held her arm out for her mother to join them. "I know that we missed out on so much because we didn't keep Beth, but I also know that we wouldn't be the people that we are if we had done that, if we had kept her, we would probably have split up at the first sign of difficulty and she would have been so disadvantaged," she sighed.
"I don't think you can second guess yourself," Judy murmured, she knew her daughter had taken the right path all those years ago, despite the heartache it had caused, and at least now, Beth was back in their lives and in such a positive way.
"You know?" Puck said from Quinn's other side. "I think our lives are exactly how they're supposed to be," he announced with a firm nod. "I mean, if we had kept Beth, you wouldn't have gone to Yale, you probably wouldn't be a lawyer, I would probably have dropped out of high school instead of actually, barely I know, but actually graduating," he added, slightly mocking himself. "If I hadn't graduated I wouldn't have been able to join the air force as a pilot, so I wouldn't have the opportunities that I do right now, I'd probably still be bumming around cleaning pools for a living," he snickered. "Everything happens for a reason," he added and then sighed as Caleb snuffled in his sleep.
"That was pretty deep and insightful," Quinn murmured, she had a smile on her face. "Been planning that speech long?" she asked mockingly.
"Nope," Puck replied and kissed her forehead. "Didn't plan it at all, I was just thinking out loud."