She was little, so very little when he first saw her. It was an accidently meeting, but it was a meeting none the less. He was getting some medication for Quinn, seeing as both she and Sam were sick. She was lost, clutching on to a worn in yellow blanket, barely even three. There was a yellow bow in her dirty blonde hair, a mixture of buttery blonde and golden brown. Her dress was pure sunshine, with white tights and black patent shoes. He got the medication, and walked up to her, bending down to her level. She had such pretty eyes, his color eyes with the hints of hazel, like little golden flecks of sunshine. In fact, everything about her screamed sunshine, in the best way ever. Her eyes grew wide, as Puck began to talk to her. She had a three year olds lisp, and giggled shyly.
"Hey, sweetie, what's your name?" Puck had always had a good way with children. He was funny enough, and loved kids as long as he could remember. He wanted a house full of little rays of sunshine, and he wanted them to be this cute, and smile and giggle and run to him when there were thunderstorms. His wife would sing to them when they were cranky, and he'd teach all of them how to play football, and play a simple song on his guitar.
"Beth." She looked up, shyly, through her thick blonde eyelashes. He grinned at the little girl, and swooped him up in his arms. She didn't know why he did, but Beth liked being in a guy's arms, even if she didn't know him. The way she was being held made her feel like it was a Daddy holding her. She rested her head on his shoulders, and sucked her little thumb. Puck smiled, a hint of sadness in the smile, and asked her where she last saw her Mommy.
"Mommy went to the cash register, and I wanted some candy. I couldn't find the aisle though, so I went down this one, cuz Mommy went down an aisle and it looked like this one." Beth explained. Puck was in awe of her vocabulary. It was bigger than his, and he was fucking eighteen. She was only three (nearly three). Puck headed towards the cash register, in hopes to find Shelby.
"Bethie!" Shelby spotted her daughters bright yellow bow (yellow was her baby's favorite color. But, that could be because she had an obsession with ducks.) Puck heard Shelby say Bethie, and they way Beth perked up when she heard her mom's voice was another indication that they had found her mother. Shelby ran over, and Puck handed her the three year old.
"Mommy was so worried, Bethie. Where'd you go?" Shelby kissed her daughter all over her pretty face, which was just like Quinn's, but Puck could see that it'd be getting a little darker in the summer, since Quinn was pretty pale right now, and Beth was a little darker. Beth shrugged, still clutching that baby blanket, and looked over at Puck. She grinned, and explained the whole story, her eyes wild and widening and it took all of Puck's will to not cry right then and there. Shelby must have noticed his face, and politely told Bethie to be quiet for a mere moment. Beth nodded, her eyes growing wide and solemn. If he hadn't been so sad, Puck would have laughed.
"What do you say to Mr.?"
"Noah." Puck heard himself say. Because Noah was the man she wanted her to remember him by. Because Noah was smart, and calm and he was soft, and he loved Beth so fucking much that it hurt. But Puck was all those things, but he had a reputation. Noah didn't.
"Tell Mr. Noah thank you." Shelby told Beth. Beth grinned, and thrusted out the baby blanket to Puck. He took it, carefully.
"You look sad. I think you need it more than me Noah. Thank you for helping me find my Mommy. I love you!" Beth grinned, innocently. Puck (and Noah) wanted to capture that smile, put it in his pocket, and cry every time he saw that smile. It was worse than when she was a little baby in his arms. He walked out of the store, forgetting the damn medicine, because all he could hear in his thoughts was her echoing parting words.
"I love you!"
Yeah, well sometimes love fucking sucks.
"Puckerman, where the hell is the medicine I sent you for?" Quinn asked, her hazel eyes staring into him. Puck looked at her, and Quinn instantly backed off. The pain in his eyes could only mean one thing, the way he looked at her longingly, and the way his eyes were all glassy meant he saw her today. And Quinn started tearing up, because she could only imagine his reaction.
"Beth." It came out more of a whisper than a statement. Puck nodded, and he brought out a baby blanket. Quinn's eyes welled up with tears, and she took it from his hands. Putting her head in it, she smelled the way she smelled. The only word that came to mind was sunshine. Pure sunshine. She felt tears slide down her cheeks, and she took the baby blanket away from her so her tears wouldn't penetrate the smell of Beth.
Puck sat down and wrapped his arms around her, and he cried to. Sam came in, and walked out, quickly. He couldn't believe he thought he loved her. Sure, he did, but Puck would always have here, somewhere inside of her, she'd always want Puck. He wiped the sweat off his head (damn sickness) and walked away, sad with the realization.
Quinn put her sick head on Puck's well defined chest. He stroked her hair, touching it so beautifully, and he imagines running his hand through Beth's hair if she ever felt this way. Puck kissed Quinn, softly, and Quinn kissed back. They kissed and kissed, and cried and cried. She let her walls down, and they fell asleep clutching a baby blanket.
Quinn woke up with a killer headache. Puck got some Advil, and Sam dumped Quinn, but she didn't mind because Puck was there. Puck didn't need to pick up the pieces. Puck took care of Quinn all that time when she was sick. On one particular night, they kissed and went further.
She moaned his name, his hands tangled in her hair. He groaned, licking her so passionately. They held one another in each other arms, and they kissed till all their emotional scars weren't even thought of. Two months later, the same 'mistake' was repeated, but Quinn didn't think of it as a mistake. She kissed Puck's nose when they found out it was a baby girl.
Three years later, their living in this little place called Lima, Ohio. Sure, it's not a magical wonderland, but it's not the hell they went through. He watches his little sunshine play in the park, and he sees Beth – six years old now- playing with her. Puck and Quinn cannot resist her little smile to this day. Quinn rests a hand on her pregnant belly, with their second child (a little baby boy). Shelby walks up, and they chat. She notices the couple aren't crying over their first child, but are rejoicing over their second (the first one they raised as parents together, though).
"What's her name?" Shelby asks, as she watches the dark haired three year old giggle, holding on to a familiar yellow blanket, and her golden haired child plays with her. Puck grins.
"Lucille Angela Puckerman. We call her Lucy."
And it sounds as if Lucy is the sunshine in his life, Shelby thinks. They part, and Puck sweeps up both Beth and Lucy in his arms, telling Bethie goodbye, and keeping Lucy all to himself.
"Puck," She hears Quinn, exasperated at her boyfriend, "Why can't I hold Lucy for once?"
Lucy reaches for her mother, but Puck takes her back, and tickles her. Her delighted giggle makes him think of the first time he saw Beth, but now he has someone else to love.
Quinn sees the look on his face, and rubs his arms. She knows how important it is to give Beth the one thing he could have given her, even if she doesn't know. A father figure. For one person who didn't have one, Puck was the most amazing father any child could ask for.
Now it's been five years, three kids, and one amazing afternoon by themselves and Quinn's not a Fabray, but a Puckerman. They kiss, and smile and hug and love one another, all through the two days they have to themselves, since they both want to see their little sunshines (Lucy, Gabriel and Anna). When they get home, sassy nine year old Lucy runs to her Dad, shy Gabriel (whose only six) hugs his Mom, and little Anna, still an infant, smiles at her parents.
At that moment in the grocery store had Puck near tears, he thinks one day when Beth is getting married, Lucy's going to college, Gabriel's learning how to drive, and Anna wants a boyfriend. He got more than he thought he was going to get. Hell, he got more than he fucking deserved. And one night he holds that baby blanket in his hands, and wonders what life would be like if none of this happened.
The one word he thinks of is hell.
Because he doesn't know what he'd do without his sunshines.
His Lucy, that sassy little sunshine that comes out, peeking through the clouds.
His Gabriel, the kind of sunshine that warms your skin, lightly and quietly on a lazy spring morning.
His Anna, the kind of sunshine that gives you a sunburn or a tan, fiery and passionate, summer pool sunshine.
His Beth, the kind of sunshine you find in fall, warm but diming, and a mystery.
And then there's his Quinn, which is all his sunshines in one amazing person.
He asks God for him to never take his sunshines away.
Whenever I have writer's block, the only thing I can write is Quick, though I don't ship themDX I wrote this last night, when I needed to write. I love Beth, and Puck and Quinn stories, but, I just don't ship them. Maybe I should... (can you ship Quam and Quick at the same time? No? Okay then.) Anyways, thanks again to Claire, for being all excited when I said I'd write Quick for her!
Random note: The name Lucy has something to do with the sun, as does Anna (I think). I don't know if Gabriel has anything to do with sun, or if Beth does. Okay, done rambling about this random note.
Thanks for reading!
-Madi