Father's Day has never been a day that Noah Puckerman was too fond of. Even before his father left it wasn't a happy day. His dad wasn't usually around and when he was he was miserable because he'd rather be anywhere but where he was.

His father never liked being home. He would leave for days at a time and not tell any of them where he was going or when he'd be coming back. And then when he did come back he wasn't really there. His body came home but his mind was still wherever it was he had gone.

So he drank and he ignored his kids. He pretended that he wasn't there until he left again. And for some reason when Father's Day rolled around he was even more annoyed than usual like being reminded he was a father was the worst thing in the world. So the day was always awkward in the Puckerman house. It was like walking on broken glass.

But then his father left and they just pretended the holiday didn't exist at all. It was just a normal day in their house after that. Nothing special, nothing to celebrate. And that suited him quite well. He pretended the holiday didn't exist for years.

And then Beth happened. Beth was born and they had to give her away and Father's Day was just a reminder of that. The first one after Beth was born was like having his heart torn out of his chest. He didn't talk to anyone about it but the people that knew him the best? He was sure they knew. But the second one was a little easier. So was the third. Time healed that wound enough that it wasn't a dull ache every time Father's Day rolled around.

But, of course, he had to end up dating the girl with two fathers. Which meant that to her Father's Day was a pretty big deal. Sometimes it wasn't that bad. Sometimes it just meant that she was sending her dads cards and calling them, talking for hours. But the Father's Day just after Puck turns twenty-four Rachel comes and sits on their couch next to him while he's watching TV and just looks at him.

And he knows that look. It's the look that tells him she's about to ask him to do something. Usually something she knows that he's not going to like.

So he clicks the 'mute' button and turns to look at her and she gives him this sugary sweet little smile that she always uses as extra insurance that he's going to do what she wants him to do. She knows him well enough to know just how to get him to do what she wants him to do. It's almost sad.

"Noah?" she says in the sweetest tone she can manage. "I have a favor to ask you."

"I know." He just looks at her and tries not to let her super sweet smile get to him but it gets to him every time. Ever since they started dating she managed to figure out every single way she could possibly get him to do things he wanted. To say that she has him wrapped around her little finger at times wouldn't be too farfetched though he would never admit that out loud. It's just not badass.

"Well, you know Father's Day is coming up…"

He grunts his acknowledgement, refuses to talk about a day he doesn't celebrate.

"And I was thinking…maybe this year we could go home to Lima. To see my dads."

For a few moments Puck just looks at her like maybe she grew an extra head or something. She had never suggested that they leave their nice little apartment in New York to go home to Lima just to see her fathers for a silly holiday. Yes, they went home during Hanukah and shit but never for Father's Day.

And he almost tells her 'no' but she has the sweetest little look on her face, this hopeful little look that says she really, really wants him to say that they can do. And he knows he can suggest that she go without him but he also knows that she's not going to let that fly. He has to go with her or else she'll pout and complain and when he goes to bed that night she'll sleep with her back towards him and if he even touches her she'll shrug his hand off.

"You know I hate Father's Day, babe."

"I know." She does, pout then. She juts her bottom lip out and she takes the remote out of his hand, puts it onto the coffee table before she slides into his lap, rests her head against his shoulder. "I know you do, Noah. But I'd really like if we could go home for Father's Day. I haven't seen them in almost six years for Father's Day. I just really want to see them this year."

"It really means that much to you?"

"Yes."

Puck really doesn't want to do. He really hates the idea of going back to Lima for that holiday. Hanukah was one thing but Father's Day? No, that was different. He doesn't want to go there at all. But she tilts her head up and looks at him with this super sweet pleading look and he knows that he can't tell her that he won't go. He can't bring himself too. "Alright," he agrees even while he hates the idea. "Alright, we can go."

He hates the idea but the kiss she gives him makes it worth it.

It's not that Puck doesn't like Rachel's dads. He does. Well, he does now. Back when he and Rachel first started to date, really date, they weren't on the best of terms. The Jewish community in Lima wasn't all that big and so they knew his reputation so they had their doubts. They were pretty sure that he was going to screw their daughter and then dump her. Not that he could blame them. That had mostly been his pattern.

But in the end when they realized just how much Puck actually cared about their daughter they had gotten to know him beyond his reputation and that's when they started to like him. They accepted him and that's when he started to get along with him. So no, it's not that he doesn't like her dads. He gets along with them very well. But sometimes it's weird to see Rachel with her dads acting so very happy when he can't remember a single time he was happy around his father.

When they get into town her fathers put them up in Rachel's old room which is still way too girly for his taste but he deals with it because its only for a couple of days. And then she spends the rest of the day catching up with her fathers, telling them how life is for them in New York so he goes to see his family.

He spends a lot of the days watching television with his sister like he did all the time when they were little and Father's Day rolled around. And his sister is getting too big for his liking and he has this strange surge of over protectiveness at the idea of his sister dating. And that's just because he feels like she'll end up with a guy like how he used to be. And it makes him feel like a fucking father. He's not exactly cool with that.

But then he sits down to dinner at her childhood home and she's laughing with her fathers and he adds stuff to the conversation when he can but they have years of history to talk about and he's never been good around fathers. But they're good guys and so he tries to make the best of the whole thing, tries to act as comfortable as he can.

Then when dinner is done he goes and sits out on the back porch because her fathers insist on cleaning up. And he's out there for almost an hour before Rachel comes outside and closes the door behind her with a soft click, climbs into his lap in the chair she's sitting it. She throws her legs across his and rests her head against his shoulder. And she smells fruity like she always does.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming."

"Eh, it was nothing." It was hell, actually, but she doesn't need to know that. She'd probably just think it means that he still doesn't really like her fathers. So he decides to keep his mouth shut about that.

"I know you hate Father's Day. I appreciate you coming out here." But he knew how much it had meant to her so he had to go. If he hadn't gone then he would have felt guilty because when she got home she would have just pouted at him and he would have spent a week feeling like a total asshole.

"It's whatever, babe."

"No, it was really sweet." She knows that she had asked a lot of him when she asked him to come with her. Even the mention of Father's Day is always a sore subject with him and it just shows her how much he loves her. It makes her feel warm and tingly inside. It really does.

"I said its nothing."

"Yes, well, maybe next year Father's Day will be better for you," she insists as she snuggles closer to him. "Daddy."

His body tenses for a moment because all he can think of is Beth, that little girl who he will never get to see grow up, who is about eight years-old at this point. He can't help but imagine her and what she looks like, what she's doing, what she enjoys. And he wonders why she would say something like that to him.

But then she takes his hand and she slides it over so it rests on her stomach and when he looks down at her she has this tiny little smile on her face. "Rach…?"

"Yes, Noah?"

"Are you…?" He lets the question hang in the air because he's almost afraid of the answer. But her smile just grows and his heart does this little pitter-patter in his chest. "Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"A baby?"

"That's generally what that means, yes."

His eyes flicker down to where his hand is on her stomach and then goes to her face and he leans down to press his mouth against hers. He kisses her like he can take the breath out of her and she laughs against his mouth.

"So," she whispers against his mouth. "Think next Father's Day is going to be better for you?"

"I think this one just got a shitload better."