A/N - Hey people, this is my first fic EVER, and I hope you enjoy it. I'm not too sure about the years in American High Schools so I'm just going to make an informed guess, and hopefully you will understand it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of the characters used in this fic.
It had been 16 years since the birth of his daughter Beth, and Noah 'Puck' Puckerman could barely believe it. When he had been forced to give her up, he had absolutely no idea that in those 16 years, he would lose her, find her again, and eventually become her father, just like he had always wanted.
As he lay in bed beside his gorgeous wife, and, knowing that his daughter was asleep in the bedroom right across the hall, Puck could only wonder how he had got so lucky.
As a young child, his father had abandoned him, his mother and little sister, and had held onto that anger right up until high school. That anger had got him into a lot of trouble over the years. Then, in his sophomore year of high school, he had impregnated his best friend's girlfriend. Of course, that child was Beth, but the pregnancy of Quinn Fabray was not an easy one. It was full of lies, deceit and love triangles. But when that little girl was brought into the world, Puck could feel all that slip away as he looked into the hazel eyes of his new-born daughter.
When his beautiful baby girl was taken from him, Puck had struggled to see away back to his old life. He may have only been 16, but he was ready to be a father. He would never turn out like his own dead-beat, good for nothing father. He was eventually arrested during his next year of high school for stealing an ATM machine. He hadn't even been sure why he had done. It kept him from thinking. That was the only feasible explanation he could think of. He had grown too much during Quinn's pregnancy to revert back to his old ways.
Then, it happened. She came back into his life. After the defeat at Nationals in junior year, Mr Schue had decided that they needed a change more experience in their ranks. Shelby Corcoran became the co-director of New Directions during the 12 original members' year of high school. She was a tough coach, but Mr Schue had been right. She had the experience to give them a better chance at winning nationals before the original members graduated.
With Shelby, came Beth, and Puck could not have been happier. Now he would have the opportunity to see his daughter. Quinn, on the other hand remained disconnected from her. Not because she didn't care, but because she cared too much. She knew that Shelby was now her mom and that would be the best thing for Beth. She didn't want to cause any confusion for herself, or Beth.
Rachel Berry also revelled in the return of Shelby. While Puck wanted to build a relationship with Beth, Rachel wanted to build a relationship with Shelby. And it seemed as though Shelby wanted that too. Senior year passed in no time at all. They destroyed their opposition at both sectionals and regionals, and were stronger than ever.
Puck and Rachel build a strong friendship through that year, and together with Shelby and Beth, they became a sort-of family, along with their extended glee family. Due to this new friendship, Will and Shelby decided that for nationals they should sing a duet. Finn hadn't been happy about this, but eventually came round when Quinn pointed out that since she was now dating him he shouldn't be feeling any jealousy.
Nationals of their senior year took place in Los Angeles. Puck and Rachel nailed their duet. Puck could only put it down to all the extra help Shelby had given him. Although he also thought that she only gave him the extra help so he could also spend more time with this daughter. Either way, he was happy.
They won nationals. New Directions WON nationals, beating Vocal Adrenaline into second place. Their after party was a truly amazing night. They all celebrated together, everybody enjoying each other's company, the way it should be.
Puck spotted Shelby chatting to someone across the room. She was smiling and laughing, and he felt a pang of jealousy. Jealousy, wow, that's something different he had thought. As he moved forward to see who she was talking to, he did a double take. Jesse St. James? That was not possible. How could she even look at him after what he had done to her eldest daughter?
Turns out Jesse had been in the national's crowd, cheering on New Directions. Cheering on Rachel. He had never stopped loving her. That night Jesse and Rachel disappeared for a few hours, after having decided to talk things through. They came back holding hands, with show-choir grins on their face. They looked so optimistic that together they could cure cancer.
So there he was. Surrounded by couples. Will and Emma, Finn and Quinn, Artie and Mercedes, Mike and Tina, Sam and Lauren, Kurt and Blaine, Brittany and Santana, and Rachel and Jesse. They all looked so happy. He was jealous of them, they could share this experience with the person that they loved. He couldn't, well, not yet.
He moved quickly and determinedly. He knew if he stopped he wouldn't start again. I mean, what was this? He was Noah Puckerman, he was the BAMF. Why was he so nervous.
He spotted her at a table with Beth sitting contently on her lap. That image took his breath away. His girls. At least he hoped, his girls. As he stopped in front of her, he took a deep breath, pulled Shelby up out of her seat, and kissed her softly yet meaningfully, attempted to put all of this feelings into that 1 kiss, 'cause he didn't know if he would be getting another. As they separated he could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on him. He knew this was wrong, and that Shelby was his teacher, but Mr Schuester and Miss Pillsbury were the only teachers in the room and he was sure that they would understand. He was weeks from graduating anyway. He could wait if he had too.
As his eyes met Shelby's, he knew that she was feeling the same as he was. He placed another kiss on her lips before giving his daughter peck on the forehead, and turning to face Rachel. He wasn't sure how she would react to her best friend kissing her mother. He caught her eye and to his amazement, she shrugged her shoulders, as if to say "If you must".
With Rachel's approval, Puck scanned the room to see nothing but smirking faces. Puck chuckled to himself and thought that he's never going to hear the end of this. As he threw his arm around Shelby's shoulder, he thought this is a family.
Puck graduated with good grades, but decided to stay in Lima. No matter what anybody said, he knew he wasn't a Lima Loser. He was happy here. He had a family here. He attended the closest university he could find, and trained to become a physical education teacher. Eventually, he graduated and got a job at McKinley, and helped the glee club out whenever he could. New Directions were still going strong, but had never won another national title.
Rachel, Kurt, Mercedes and Blaine moved to New York after graduation, and Jesse followed Rachel not long after. They were currently Broadways power couple. Blaine is recording his first album, while Kurt and Mercedes had started their own fashion range. Beth was always receiving exclusive, free samples.
Mike and Tina are still going strong and are even engaged. Mike is a successful choreographer, while Tina is a published novelist. Beth is sent books regular, and is in love with Tina's book series.
Brittany and Santana also remained in Lima, and are currently coaching the Cheerio's, after taking over from Sue Sylvester. They both build a very strong friendship with Puck, and consider themselves to be Beth's favourite aunts.
Artie moved to Chicago and became an accountant, and is currently expecting his first child with his new wife.
Sam and Lauren broke up shortly after graduation, and Lauren is now and world-famous journalist, while Sam is playing in the NFL.
Finn and Quinn are also still in Lima. They own their own bar, of which Puck is a silent partner. 'Inns', is the most successful bar in Lima, and earns them more than enough.
As Puck awakened from his thoughts, he saw that the sun was up. 'Holy shit' he though, that took a while. As he looked at Shelby sleeping peacefully beside him. It was Thanksgiving weekend, and he knew it would be a busy day. All of the original New Directions members came to the Puckerman household for Thanksgiving, no matter where they had to travel from.
That night, as they all settled down for their Thanksgiving dinner, Puck raised his glass and made a toast to family. If you had asked Noah Puckerman what his life would be like the day head to give Beth away to Shelby, he would never have said he would actually be a father to his daughter, and that Beth would grow into such a beautiful, talented, kind and understanding young woman, but with a badass streak a mile wide. He would never have said that he would be happily married to the truly kind and beautiful woman that was Shelby Corcoran. He would never have said that Quinn and Finn would be Beth's godparents, and that Beth would be happy to know that her godmother was actually her mother. He would never have said that he would be this happy, and have such an amazing family.
But, in a weird way, it was surprisingly unsurprisingly.