Three Berrys Against the World
AN: This idea came to me awhile ago and I had to keep telling myself to finish Shatter Down My Walls and Finding Love on Tour first. REMINDER: THIS STORY IS TOTALLY AU I haven't seen any other stories like this before and it may not seem like it at first, but I promise that you will see tons of Hudson on Berry action. With this said, I will only be using a couple of canon characters in this one. I will be introducing two new characters that will have heavy influence in this story. I must send a shout out to my twitter lifelines; you have helped me more than any of you will ever know. As with all of my stories, this is for our Drumming Quarterback Angel, Cory. Finn will always get his happy ending and we all know who makes Finn happy. This story is rated M for later chapters…I may not do it well, but I can't stay away from it when it comes to our favorite couple.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any real person, place or thing that may appear in this story. I do own some of my characters, and a big thank you to someone who I consider a very special friend who agreed to be the model for my third Berry. I hope y'all enjoy it.
TBATW
Chapter 1: Home Forever Changed.
Mid-spring: Senior Year
"Rachel Barbra Berry, slow the hell down!" Quinn screams over the wind at her fraternal twin as Rachel speeds down Leroy Boulevard toward the Berry Estate.
"Oh lighten up Q; it's not like any of the officers in a town named after our great-great-great-grandfather will pull me over. It's a beautiful spring afternoon and I want to feel the wind blow through my hair." Rachel tells the more timid twin before swinging the turn into their family's estate; the estate actually started out as a farm outside of Boston in a small town named Thomasville. The Berry family is a family of both old and new money. On the Estate are six homes which belong to members of the twins' family.
Rachel slams her 2012 candy apple red corvette into the three car garage before looking at her sister. "So do we have our story straight about what we're telling the parents?"
"Yes Rachel, chill out Allie came up with an awesome 'escape' story for us to use tonight." Quinn replies as she shakes her hair back into place before giving Rachel a wink.
"Oh yeah…Allie always has the best 'escape' plans." She laughs as she raises her ragtop closed.
"There are my precious beauty queens." Leroy Berry says as the girls walk through the door.
"Hi papa, mom" Rachel replies before placing a kiss on Judy Berry's cheek and hugging their father on her way to drop her book bag in it's forever weekend place beside the hallway table.
"How was school, sweeties?" Judy asks when Rachel walks back into the living room and hands Quinn a fifty dollar bill; it's a daily bet on to which one of their parents were going to ask.
"Just awesome; we are just counting down the days until we walk across that stage." Quinn smirks.
"Don't rush your life sweetie." Judy tells her mini me. Rachel looks like their father with her brunette hair which she chose to wear long and flowing down her back and big brown eyes while Lucy Quinn Berry has blonde hair that she wears in a choppy bob and crystal blue eyes. The only think that the girls have in common physically is their small stature which they inherited from Judy.
"Soooo…we are going to hang out at Emily McMillan's tonight, is that cool?" Rachel starts the conversation.
"Now that's not a name that I've heard in a long time." Leroy pipes in, looking at Rachel over his newspaper.
"I didn't think you two liked any of the other girls in school." Judy says as she looks from Rachel to Quinn. Unfortunately for both of them, they realized at a very young age that not everyone who claimed to be a friend really was. But as far as Emily, she never tried to use the girls for anything; they'd all really had just been real busy this school year preparing for college in the fall; and that's exactly why Allie had came up with the plan of using Emily as their 'escape' plan because she is visiting New York University this week-end.
"Is Allie going too?" Leroy questions before giving them an answer if the can go or not.
"Of course daddy; we wouldn't go without Allie." Rachel tells him, using her special powers on him by calling him daddy.
It works too, "Sure you girls go and have fun and we will see you tomorrow." The twins are heading for the stairs before Leroy can finish his sentence.
TBATW
"Get your sweet ass dressed and over here as soon as you can, Allie." Rachel tells her cousin over the phone while tossing clothes out of her closet as she looks for the perfect outfit for tonight's party up at the lake at the edge of town with the rest of their senior class.
Less than forty-five minutes later, Allie walks through the living room door scaring the hell out of Maryanne, the maid. "Oh sweet Jesus, how many times do you have to be told to knock?" Maryanne asks, just like she always does when Allie comes over.
"Maryanne, I have a key so why would I knock?" Allie asks while she jiggles her keys in front of the maid's face.
Just as Maryanne started to say something back to her, Leroy walks in and asks how his favorite niece was doing.
"I'm your only niece Uncle Leroy, and I'm great." Allie told her dad's older brother before heading upstairs to her waiting cousins in Rachel's room.
"Hey chick, why did it take you forty-five minutes to get here from next door?" Quinn asks while she continues curling her sister's hair.
"This doesn't happen in five minutes." Allie answers as she turns around showing off her brand new outfit.
"You look beautiful Allie!" Quinn tells their cousin who looks more like Rachel than she does with her long ombre hair and hazel eyes.
"Why thank you Lucy!" Allie tells Quinn while she rumbles through Rachel's closet because the outfit that Rachel is currently wearing just will not do for tonight.
"Allie Marie Berry, do you want to die tonight? Call me that god awful name again and you my dear will not live to see graduation." Quinn growls at her.
"Sure, anyway Rachel what in the hell are you wearing? You look like you're seven years old. Here put this on!" Allie tells her as she throws a short mini dress at her before retreating back into the walk in closet to find the perfect pair of shoes to go with the hot pink mini dress.
TBATW
The intoxicated teens have just entered their room at the Streetlight Motel at the lake, (they aren't crazy enough to drive after they've been drinking), when Rachel's and Allie's cell phones ring simultaneously.
"Hello?" They both slur at the same time.
"Daddy?" Allie asks.
"Aunt Stacey?" Rachel replies as she looks between her twin and cousin.
Allie had told her parents the truth so they knew where the girls were. "Okay daddy, we'll be waiting for you. Love you too. Bye." A confused Allie tells her father.
Rachel disconnects the call from her Aunt Stacey, "We are in so much trouble Quinn. We won't see the outside of our house until we leave for college in the fall."
"Why did both your mom and dad call, Allie? I wonder what's going on." Quinn states as she pulls her shoes back onto her feet.
"I don't know, all dad said was that they needed to come get us now." Allie shrugged.
"Maybe one of our parents called them asking them what Allie had told their whereabouts tonight; and they are coming to get us so we won't get in trouble." Rachel hopes.
"What did my mom say to you?" Allie asks Rachel as they head out front of the motel to wait on her parents.
"She basically told me the same thing. She just said that she and Uncle Mike were coming to get us." Rachel tells her as she looks up and sees headlights pulling into the parking lot.
Michael Berry jumps out of the driver seat and goes around his vehicle to open the door for the girls.
"Dad, what's going on?" Allie asks as she buckles her seatbelt.
It's her mother that answers, "Wait until we get to where we are going before we explain it to you please sweetie."
"Where are we going?" Quinn asks, noticing that her Aunt didn't say that they were going home.
"We will be there is a few minutes sweetheart, I promise." She answers.
About a mile from the lake there is two vehicles tangled together so badly that you can't even distinguish what type of vehicles that they are. Police officers are directing traffic; Firemen are fighting the flames from the tangled mess as the Emergency Medical Technicians are shining flashlights into the car that isn't on fire any longer.
The three girls look at each other, all of them wondering if those tangled cars were of their classmates who had insisted that they were capable of driving. It never dawned on any of them that it could be anyone else. The girls are too busy looking at each other that they didn't notice that the car is now parked in the hospital parking garage.
Rachel starts to panic, "Uncle Mike why are we at the hospital?"
"Will someone please tell us what's going on?" Quinn almost screams.
Allie notices that her father is crying, in her eighteen years on this earth, she has never seen her father cry, "Mom, why is daddy crying; please tell us what's going on." She begs while uncontrollable tears fall from her eyes.
Rachel feels tears falling down her face, she has an uneasy feeling in her stomach; flashbacks of the scene that they had just passed flashes in front of her eyes. It hits her; she recognized the license plate on the engulfed car. "NO! No it can't be, Aunt Stacey please tell me that I am not thinking right, I know that this can't be true." She sobs uncontrollably.
Quinn, who is sitting in the middle of the backseat between Rachel and Allie; not understanding what is going on just keeps looking around the other occupants in the car confused as to why everyone is crying. She looks at her sister and asks, "What are you talking about? Rachel you just made absolutely no sense right now."
Finally, Allie's mother gathers herself so she can explain to the girls before they escort them into the hospital. She turns to face her daughter and nieces; she grabs her husband hand before she starts explaining, "There was an accident, as you saw." She pauses a moment trying to analyze the teenagers' facial expressions before continuing, "One of the cars that were involved was owned by one of your classmates, Kyle Simpkins; there were five boys in that car. There were no survivors in the accident."
"Oh no, we lost at least five classmates, an..nd one of them was Kyle?" Quinn asks as she finally breaks down, even though they had broken up at the end of their junior year she still has feelings for him. She had tried to get him and his friends to stay with them at the motel instead of driving.
Stacey speaks up, "You lost five classmates tonight, and the other car wasn't students. Come on girls let's get inside of the hospital and we'll talk more inside."
The flipping of her stomach intensifies, she has to ask, "It's mom and dad isn't it?" Rachel asks her aunt and uncle as they walk toward the elevator to the hospital.
Michael and Stacey Berry stops abruptly, Michael grabbing Rachel and Allie while Stacey grabs Quinn. The Berry family is a tight knit family; this news will affect Allie as hard as it will the twins. Michael may have lost his best friend, his older brother but he knows that he must try to stay strong for his daughter and nieces. "I'm so sorry baby, I wish I could tell you no." Michael whispers into Rachel's ear.
"Wait, wait just a minute, you said that no one survived the accident." Quinn says as she pulls away from her aunt's embrace.
Stacey tries to embrace her again, but Quinn starts running in the opposite directions.
"Q stop, please come back." Rachel screams at her twin sister. She has to go after her, she needs to comfort her. Quinn doesn't handle things well. She never has been able to.
Michael tells the girls to stay there with Stacey as he runs after Quinn; he catches up with her just as she collapses. He is able to catch her so she doesn't hit the concrete of the parking garage. He cradles her limp body in his arms as he walks back to his wife, daughter and other niece. "Come on Stacey, we need to get Quinn in there and looked at by a doctor." He tells his wife when he returns to where they are standing.
The group finally makes it into the emergency room; the waiting room is full of grieving parents and police officers. Michael snakes around all of the people and goes to the counter and tells the registrar that Quinn needs to see a doctor immediately. He isn't one to use his name; but he is prepared to do anything to get his niece back to see a doctor now.
"Yes Mr. Berry; I'll let the doctor know that Quinn needs immediate attention." The registrar tells him as she picks up a phone and calls back to the treatment area. As soon as she hangs up the phone a nurse comes out and calls her name to come back. Michael walks back with her still cradled in his arms; he's relieved when he realizes that they have already moved the bodies from the accident from the emergency room treatment area. The doctor came into her private room and took her vitals, he looks to the nurse that is standing beside her and asks her to get her some smelling salt. He then turns to Michael and tells him that Quinn's vital signs are fine and that he believes that she may have just fainted.
"She has just found out that both of her parents were killed in an accident caused by classmates who she had just been partying with out at the lake." Michael tells the doctor.
"I assume that is what has happened. I'm sorry about your brother and sister-in-law. Once we get Quinn aroused, I will send a nurse out to get the rest of your family." The doctor tells Michael before excusing himself to go check on another patient.
True to his word, as soon as Quinn is sitting up in her bed he sent the nurse out into the overcrowded lobby to retrieve the Berry family.
Rachel practically runs into the room, hugging Quinn and starts crying even harder, "I've already lost my parents, I can't lose my sister too." She tells her fragile twin. Quinn wraps her tiny arms around Rachel and whispers in her ear, "What are we going to do?"
Michael and Stacey overheard the question and tell the girls that they would be staying with them. Michael explains that when both couples were doing their wills they both had it drawn up that if something were to happen to both parents, the other set of parents would take care of their children.
"Daddy, where were Uncle Leroy and Aunt Judy going this late at night?" Allie asks her father through her tears.
"They were on their way back home. Since the twins were out with you they went into Boston for shopping and dinner. Leroy called me and told me that they had got a late start back from Boston but they were on their way home." He says while trying to control his tears. He is so thankful that they were raised by parents who always insisted that their family show love toward each other and not to be afraid to tell each other that they loved them. His last words to his brother were "I love you" and the last words that he heard from his brother were the same.
"So if we had stayed home tonight our parents would still be alive?" Rachel asks her uncle.
"Don't do that Rachel; this isn't your fault. This is the irresponsible teenager who chose to climb behind the wheel of his car after drinking fault." Stacey tells her before engulfing her back into her arms.
"Can we stay at home instead of moving into your house?" Quinn whispers.
"We will see, but I think that you two should stay at our house for the next few days, okay?" Stacey tells her. Quinn just nods her head before laying her head over onto Allie's shoulder.
The doctor comes into the room and tells the Berry's that they can take Quinn home; he tells them to just keep an eye on her throughout the night. The doctor also offers to give the family something to help them sleep for the night since they wouldn't be able to see their family physician until the next morning.
"I think that would be a good idea for Michael and the girls." Stacey tells the doctor and thanks him when the doctor excuses himself to go get the medication.
TBATW
Three days later: Leroy and Judy Berry's Funeral
The church is filled to capacity, it appears as if everyone who lives in their small town is sitting in the church ready to say goodbye to Leroy and Judy. Two of the students' funerals are scheduled later the same day while the other three are scheduled to be buried the next day.
The church bell tolls ten times, signaling time for the family to walk through the closed doors to make their way to the front of the church. All of the Berrys are present, even those who live at the top of the property, only time the girls ever see them is on holidays.
The family makes their way to the front of the church. Rachel and Quinn walks up to the closed caskets and places special trinkets on top of the family's wreaths before sitting down between their aunt and uncle.
"Today is a sad day in Thomasville…"the pastor starts his sermon. Rachel can't listen to the words so she thinks about all of the good times that she had with her parents, yes their parents were strict but neither of the girls can ever say that they weren't loved by their parents. Rachel comes back to the present as the pastor leads the church into the final prayer. Once the prayer is finished, he tells the congregation that the service will resume at the Berrys' private cemetery. The family is led out before the caskets are taken out of the side door of the church.
TBATW
May: Graduation Day
Cynthia Ann Arnold, with honors…Allie Marie Berry, with highest honors; also your Salutatorian…Lucy Quinn Berry, with highest honors; also one of the Co-Valedictorian…Rachel Barbra Berry, with the highest honors; and the other Co-Valedictorian…Tabitha Sue Bills…
Since the twins were Co-Valedictorian instead of doing separate speeches they chose to do theirs together. Allie is the first to speak as the Salutatorian.
"Parents, distinguished guest and the class of 2012, welcome to the day that we all have dreamt about since we walked into our kindergarten class. We all have worked so hard to get ourselves here. Let us all keep our fond memories in our hearts as we embark on our journeys through college and as we move onto our careers. Unfortunately, we did suffer tragedies throughout our school career; today let us remember our fallen students and keep them into our hearts as well. I would like to close my speech with our final 'Go Mavericks' and congratulations to the class of 2012." Allie offers as a single tear slides down her cheek. She walks off of the stage to a round of applause and even a few cat calls from the guys in their class.
The principal introduces the Co-Valedictorians to the podium. The auditorium erupts in applause as Quinn and Rachel walks to the podium.
Rachel starts the speech off, "Welcome everyone to the Thomasville Mavericks class of 2012 graduation."
Quinn speaks up, "First of all; Rachel and I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for your love and support after our parents' death."
"One thing that Quinn and I were certain about, we were determined to continue pushing towards the goals that our parents had set for us, and here we are standing here as your Valedictorians. We have crossed the first hurdle that they put in place for us and we will continue to meet every single challenge that they set for us." Rachel adds.
"And to elaborate on what our cousin Allie said, please always keep Kyle Simpkins, Dylan Stephens, Tommy Webb, Roderick Richards and Jordan Michaels in your hearts always." Quinn continues as she clings onto a picture of Kyle.
"And we would like to wrap up our speech with this, 'Always follow your heart, fight for what you want and never allow anyone to take your dreams away. Thank you and everyone be safe tonight." Rachel ends the speech to a standing ovation as the twins link their arms together and walks off the stage and returns to their seats.
The principal wraps up the commencement as large beach balls and strands of silly string flies through the air from the graduation class; they were threatened not to throw their mortarboard over fear that someone might lose an eye or something like that.
While most of their classmates were taken trips abroad or flying to their destinations throughout the United States, the Berry ladies had decided to take a road trip across the United States; their plans were for an adventure to the west coast but they wanted to see the rest of the country. They all have been very fortunate to have seen most of the exotic vacation locations of the world and they thought that it would be more enjoyable to travel the country and see it all for the first time. They are leaving the next morning and are currently hearing the same speech that they have heard for the last month from Michael Berry about safety and how he has already pinpointed all of the hotels that the girls were to stay in during their travels.
After a quick family get together for the three graduates, the rest of the Berrys head back up the spiraling road to their homes as the girls head to finish packing. Allie pretty much stayed with Quinn and Rachel at their house every night. Maryanne has stayed on at the request of Michael and Stacey and she has been invited to stay there while the girls are gone. The girls burst through the front door and flies up the spiral staircase to their rooms to pack up the clothes that they would be taking with them on their adventure. It was decided that none of their cars has enough room for all of the luggage that they would need for a three month trip so Michael and Stacey purchased Allie a brand new red Mercedes-Benz M class SUV for graduation. Once the luggage department is packed, leaving not an inch of space to spare; the girls drive back over to Allie's house to sleep as they promised her parents. After quick showers the three Berrys climbs into Allie's king size bed with their phone's alarms set for six a.m.
THREE BERRYS AGAINST THE WORLD
Meanwhile in Lima, Ohio
May, 2012
"Puck hand me that crescent wrench, will ya?" Finn Christopher Hudson, the former quarterback of the McKinley Titans asks his best friend.
Noah Wayne Puckerman, don't even think about calling him Noah; hands the wrench to Finn asks, "Why in the hell are we stuck in this fucking hot garage instead of at the lake trying to pick up some hot chicks?"
"Because dumbass I am saving up some money so I can eat at OSU when I get there, I suggest that maybe you do the same thing with your money instead of blowing it on some hot chick." Finn grunts as he loosens the bolts on the carburetor on the mayor's car. "Look when dad offered us these jobs, we both promised that we would earn our money; so quit bitching. This is the only car that we have today so maybe if you quit whining like a little girl and help me we can head out to the lake so you can pick up a date."
"Damn dude, I'm thinking of you too. When's the last time that you got laid?" Puck smirks as he takes the extended carburetor from Finn and walks over to the workbench.
"I don't have time for girls right now, besides I've dated most of them through the years and I haven't felt anything for any of them. Unlike you, I am looking for more than a quick lay." Finn tells his best friend before joining him at the workbench.
They both turn at the sound of footsteps coming up behind them to be greeted by Finn's
cousin, Braxton Allan Hudson, "Hey dudes what's up?" Braxton asks.
"Oh you know doing what you were also supposed to be doing, working." Finn growls at his cousin.
"Hey chill; uncle Chris knew that I was going to be late because I needed to take my parents to the airport this morning so their car wouldn't be stuck in Cleveland," Braxton tells his dumb stricken cousin who had totally forgotten that his father had told him this information before he came to the shop this morning.
"Shit I forgot sorry, how long are they going to be gone?" Finn asks.
"They're going to be gone until the Fourth of July." Braxton says with a huge half-smile on his face. Anywhere these two go together; they are always asked if they are twins. When they were in middle school, they used that to their advantage. Once Finn had this girl named Sally who wouldn't leave him alone, he finally agreed to meet her at the movies one Friday night and sent Braxton, who kind of like Sally; in his place and she never found out the difference.
Even now as freshly graduated young men, with their tussled hair and shiny brown eyes; the 6'4" cousins could still pass as twins. Braxton, just as Finn and Puck is heading to OSU in the fall on a football scholarship. They were called the "Titan Triple Threat" with Finn as the quarterback, Braxton as the running back and Puck as the wide receiver for two state championship titles. It was a no brainer for the recruiters at OSU that this was an amazing package that they had to have.
"I guess that means that my house will be the place to be on the Fourth of July." Finn tells Braxton, flashing an identical half smirk. It is a known fact that the Hudson clan threw the best parties. Carole and Lauren Hudson plans for months for their parties.
"Yep, mom and Aunt Carole have been making plans since last month; don't you ever pay attention to anything?" Braxton responses as he slips his coveralls over his clothes.
"Cool, now that we know where the Fourth of July party is going to be; can we get back to work so we can go to the lake so I can find someone to have a private party with later tonight?" Puck chuckles before heading back to the workbench and the waiting said carburetor.
Less than an hour later, after quick showers at the shop; the guys are heading toward the only local hangout for the younger generations of Lima; Lima Heights Lake. Finn pulls his new Chevy Tahoe into an empty parking spot next to a hot pink Ford Mustang that belongs to the ex head cheerleader and ex girlfriend of Finn, Natalie Brown.
"Ugh, Natalie is here; sure in the fuck don't want to deal with her bull shit." Finn tells Puck and Braxton as he shifts his truck into park.
"Don't sweat her Finn, we have your back." Puck tells him as he jumps out of the front seat of the truck.
"I can take care of her for you real quick." Braxton smirks, "Lydia is here, and I'm sure that she wouldn't appreciate hearing that her best friend tried to sneak into her boyfriend's bedroom window."
Puck bursts out in laughter before saying "Yeah, because I don't think the whole shit that she thought it was Finn's window would work on her either, since you know, there is only three blocks between your houses."
Finn doesn't hurt anymore. It took awhile to get over her deceit. He didn't think that she was the one for him, but he did have a good time with her; maybe he did care for her. He made the decision then that he wasn't going to mess with anymore girls. He was going to concentrate on his school work and football for the rest of his senior year, his GPA went up. His football skills became more developed and he really is happy with the decision that he made at the beginning of the school year.
"Finn, hey there baby! I haven't seen you in a while; how have you been?" He hears Natalie say sickly sweet. Just before he was going to answer Lydia comes running up and lunges herself into Braxton's arms. Yes, they had broken up but they were able to stay pretty good friends. Finn gets a devious idea, one that would certainly make Natalie to leave him alone for the rest of the summer. While he stares at Natalie he asks Lydia, "Hey Lydia, do you have any idea why Natalie and I broke up?"
Natalie's eyes double in size as Lydia answers, "She said something about you cheating, why?"
"That I cheated; more like she tried to cheat on me. But, get this; this is the best part," he tells her; never wavering his eyes off of Natalie, "She climbed into Braxton's bedroom window a couple of nights before I dumped her sorry ass."
Lydia realizes what this means quickly and she slides down Braxton's body and turns to her best-friend, "You snuck into my boyfriend's bedroom window trying to hook up with him?"
"I was drunk; I thought that I was at Finn's house." Natalie replies, trying to sound innocent of any wrong doing.
Nope that didn't work, "Bull crap, first of all Finn doesn't live anywhere near Braxton's house and secondly Finn's bedroom is on the second floor of his house; did you think that you grew wings and flew up into his window?" Lydia fumes.
"That was nine months ago, and you and Braxton aren't together anymore anyway, the last I heard is that you are hooking up with a guy in Lincoln." A now standing Natalie tells her with her hands on her hips.
"Yes, I am with someone now, and Braxton and I mutually broke up with each other and we are very good friends now; I am friends with all three of these guys, and I think that it's pretty screwed up that you think that just because it happened so long ago that its okay with me." Lydia tells her.
"It's not like anything happened between us." Natalie shrugs her shoulders.
"Oh I know that, because Braxton stopped you. This is the first that I have heard of this, but because Braxton is a good guy; I know that he stopped you. This friendship is over Natalie." Lydia tells her before turning to the guys and asking if she could sit with them and since she had rode to the lake with Natalie, would they take her home also.
The guys told her that she is welcome to sit with them and Finn tells her that he would drop her off on their way over to Puck's house.
The Titian Trio spends the rest of the afternoon chilling with their friends, listening to their plans for the summer; it seems as if Finn, Puck and Braxton were the only ones who aren't leaving Lima this summer.
Once every one goes their separate ways; Puck looks at Finn and whines, "I'm bored."
"No surprise there." Finn deadpans.
"That is what you get for running through so many girls in high school, Puck." Braxton deadpans. Much like Finn, he also didn't like playing games.
"Hey, I'm a young guy with a healthy sex drive. I can't help that you two act like grandpas." Puck tells the cousins, "Let's ditch this place and hit up Breadstix."
"Sounds like a plan to me. What do you say Finn?" Braxton asks before he stands up to put his shirt back on.
"Sure, I need to get out of this damn sun anyway; go find Lydia B and Puck can help me load this stuff in the truck." Finn answers.
TBATW
Later that night…
Finn, Braxton and Puck are sitting on Finn's back porch discussing about OSU and how they can't wait to get out of this small hick town. Chris overhears their conversation as he walks through the sliding glass door to the porch to join them.
"Whoa boys; don't be in such a hurry to grow up; enjoy your life while you're young. It's not all fun and games when you grow up." He tells them, sitting down in the vacant chair beside his son.
"I'm not in a hurry to grow up dad but I am in a hurry to get out of Lima. I haven't been able to find my happiness here." Finn seriously tells his father.
"Why are you so unhappy son?" a concerned father asks his son.
"Uncle Chris, it isn't that he's unhappy; he just can find him a woman here. He is in search of his soul mate." Puck jokes.
"There isn't anything wrong for wanting to find ms. right, Puck. Finn has a huge amount of love to give to the right person." Chris tells Puck.
"Yeah dude, not everybody wants to be a man whore like you." Braxton says before bursting out in laughter at the confused look on Puck's face.
"I'm not a man whore, thank you very much; I just like a variety." Puck shrugs.
"Puck you sound like you are talking about flavors of ice cream. One day, a young lady will steal your heart and you won't realize it until you are into it to deep to walk away." Chris tells his faux nephew.
"Naw, there ain't a woman out there who can tame the shark." Puck smirks.
"You remember that dude when it happens." Finn tells him before heading back inside the house to see if his mom needs any help in the kitchen.
"Hey mom, do you need any help?"
"No baby, I have it. I'm almost finished. Is Puck staying tonight too?" Carole responds to her son. Even though Braxton; like Finn is eighteen would be staying at their house while his parents are away.
"Yeah, pretty sure he is. I took Lydia home from the lake and he didn't say anything about going home." Finn tells his mom before placing a kiss on the top of her head. Puck practically lives with Finn's family. His home life isn't a walk in the park. His alcoholic father can be abusive to his mom. There is always fighting at his house and every since Carole found out about it; their door has always been opened for him to stay with them.
"It's like this Wayne, you can let me take Puck back home with me or I can call the police and have them remove him from this craziness and he will still stay with us; and you can sober up in a cell tonight." Carole screams at Wayne Puckerman when she took a ten years old Puck home from taking them to the movies, pulling up in front of the Puckerman's house during one of Wayne's violent rants. She hears Wayne screaming at Marie and the sound of glass shattering instantaneous with Marie's cries. Carole instructs the boys to stay in the locked car. She dials her husband's cell phone number and tells him what she has just heard and tells him to call 911. Armed only with the knowledge of knowing that the police would soon be there, she knocks on the door.
"You're not taking my kid any fucking where." He slurs before he starts yelling at Puck to get his ass in the house.
"Puck, don't mom said to stay in the car. Stay here where it's safe." Finn tells his frightened friend before asking if it is like this all of the time.
Puck, who was visually shaken; only nods his head yes as the blue lights of the police cars come into view. One of the police officers instructs Carole to take Puck with her for the night but they aren't able to arrest him since Marie refuses to press charges. One of the police officers escorts Carole to her car, telling her that they were called to the Puckerman's home at least once a week and Mrs. Puckerman would never press charges on her husband and until she is ready to, there isn't anything that they can do unless he steps out of the house and then, sadly all they could charge his with is drunk in public.
The next day, Carole called Marie and tries to convince her to leave Wayne. Marie tells her that she can't leave him because she loves him and he is always sorry for what he does the next day. This angers Carole; she threatens to file a petition in court for custody of Puck.
Marie begs her not to, telling her that he never lays a finger on Puck.
Carole tells Marie that she and Chris have instructed Puck if his father comes home like that to call them and they would be there to pick him up with the police in tow.
TBATW
"Has Wayne been drinking again?" Carole stops washing the dishes and turns toward her son.
"I don't know; Puck hasn't mentioned him for a while. I'm just happy that he is coming with us to Columbus." Finn shrugs.
"Me too babe; He's had a hard way to go and I am so proud of him for staying in school and now going to OSU with you guys." Carole whispers while she wipes a tear from her eye.
"Don't cry mom." Finn wraps his strong arms around his mom.
"I'm just so damn proud of you three. I feel like I'm losing three sons to the world." She tells him before collapsing into his arms.
TBATW
AN: The first few chapters will be split up between the girls' adventures and the guys' living their lives in Lima but I promise that the stop in little ole Lima won't be too far away and I'm certain that they will be spending much more time there than they do anywhere else. I do NOT condone violence or any abuse ever and I only added that part about Puck's father to explain why the dynamics of Puck and the Hudson family is so strong. Please remember that this is a total AU story. I hope that you enjoy. Reviews are loved. 3 Mel