She officially decided to get him back when he told her she's crazy for wanting full custody. It wasn't his harsh words or his angry tone, but the look in his eyes when he said it. It's like he knew it was a bad idea but wanted it just as much as she did. And she knew he did.

He wasn't exactly quiet about it for the first few weeks of summer after she had Beth.

But she brushed him off and brushed it aside and ignored him. She couldn't handle what she felt when she was with him, couldn't decide what the feeling was, and by the time she thought she had an idea, school was back and she was a Cheerio again and she couldn't risk it. Him versus her popularity could only have one winner. And her popularity won every time.

And then Sam came along and he was perfect and blonde and easy to manipulate. She could mold him into Finn 2.0 (he was just as dumb and loyal) and she could be back on top again.

But that blew up in her face too.

So she got back with Finn and ignored the odd pairing of Puck and Lauren and got on with her life.

Until Rachel screwed it up again.

Whatever. She was so over it.

And now Shelby was back with Beth and Puck was being Noah and it was weird but kinda hot. And perfect. Because she wanted her baby back and she knew he wanted Beth back and how better to go about it than as a united front?

They would get together and prove to Shelby that they were responsible and then pull the rug out from under her and she would get her baby back. Or, okay, they would get their baby back.

And if that meant being with Puck, she figured she could learn to love him. Again. Or whatever.

But her main objective was to get her daughter back.

"No."

"Puck, c'mon," she called as she followed him down the hall.

"No."

"Puck," she sighed, "I know you want her back too. We could be a family."

He stopped short and turned to her and she almost ran directly into him. She couldn't deny the closeness made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"No," he said strongly as he pointed a finger into her face. "Forget it. Beth is happy. She's cared for and loved and she's perfect. We would fuck her up too much. You knew that two years ago. You weren't wrong then, Quinn. You are now. So give it up."

"She's our daughter," she told him fiercely. "She should be with us."

He shook his head and turned away from her without another word.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched him walk away. She thought this was what he wanted, to be with her, to have their daughter, to be a family. That was a big thing to him, wasn't it? Family?

So why was he turning her down? She knew Zizes had dumped him (and how pathetic was that?) and that it was only a matter of time before he started needing some female companionship again. And Santana was apparently off the table and Berry was so far up Finn's ass it was a wonder she could breathe let alone bitch about solos or bug her about rejoining glee club.

Well, at least she'd shut up now about one of those things. She was back in glee.

And she was going to get Puck back so she could get her daughter back.

That was her main objective: Puck then Beth.

"Welcome back, Quinn," Mr. Schue said with a smile as the blonde walked into the choir room.

"Great to be back," she replied in her soft, friendly voice. "And Mr. Schue, I'd like to apologize …"

"Not necessary, Quinn," the teacher said as he placed a hand on her back. "Go ahead and take a seat."

She nodded and moved to take the seat next to Puck. She reached over and placed her hand on his thigh a bright smile crossing her face as Mercedes scoffed and whipped out her cell phone, no doubt texting everyone about the latest glee couple reunion.

She turned to give Puck a winning grin but looked down when she felt his hand cover hers. Her smile widened and she looked up to meet his eyes but she froze at his scowling mouth. Brow furrowed, she looked up into angry green eye and then felt her hand being removed from his leg.

"No," he said simply before standing and moving to the other side of Rachel.

She heard the tell-tale sound of fingers on a cell phone keyboard and she knew Mercedes was telling everyone she was shot down. By Puck.

How pathetic.

So she made a snap decision and stood up, asking Mr. Schue of she could have the floor. When he agreed, she took a deep breath, moved to the front of the room, and turned to the club. "First, I want to thank you all for welcoming me back with open arms," she smiled. When no one responded, she let her smile widen. "I've prepared a song."

She watched as Rachel sat a little taller in her seat and had to resist rolling her eyes. Of course Rachel would be more thrilled with the idea of being able to critique someone else than with having enough members to compete again.

Whatever.

She slowly started singing the words to Taylor Swift's "Back to December" and had to hold back her smile when the band picked up with the music. Her eyes wandered from Puck to the other club members and back, annoyed when the other girls started harmonizing.

Couldn't she just have one song?

(Her mind reluctantly reminded her that Puck let her sing "Papa Don't Preach" without making a sound.)

When she finished, the girls, Kurt and Blaine stood and applauded and the other guys kinda just stared at her, then Puck, then her. It was kinda disconcerting.

"I'm out," Puck said as he stood. He headed for the door but paused and turned to her. "You might have them fooled," he told her, "but not me. Forget it. It's not gonna happen."

Her eyes followed him as he left the room. He had some kind of nerve humiliating her in public. Well, public for them.

She wouldn't be deterred, however.

First Puck, then Beth.

She needed him to get her daughter back.

She'd just have to change her tactics.

"I'll sleep with you," she said as she slid up behind him at his locker, her lips brushing his ear. "As many times as you want. All the time. Anywhere. Any way. No holds barred."

He slammed his locker shut and turned to her, his eyes narrowed. "So now you're a skank and a slut? Forget it, Quinn. I already told you: I don't care about you. I care about her. Beth. And you … I don't even know what the fuck is going on with you." He shrugged his shoulder and laughed humorlessly. "And until I figure it out, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to keep you away from Beth."

"You can't do that!" she screamed as he turned to walk down the hallway. "I'm her mom!"

"No!" he shouted as he turned around and stalked back to her. He pressed a finger into her face and clenched his teeth before gritting out, "You're her mother. Like Shelby is Rachel's mother. Shelby is her mom."

"They're the same thing!"

"No," he denied with a chuckle. "And until you learn the difference, stay away."

"You can't tell me what to do, Puck," she spat at him. "You're not the boss of me."

He stared at her for a moment, head shaking slightly, before backing away from her. "I'm an ass and not a good guy. Yet I've seen Beth twice. Think about that."

He turned and walked away again and she was confused. What the hell was he talking about? She frowned as she watched him turn the corner and disappear. Her eyes narrowed and her resolve firmed. She knew he was the way into Beth's life.

She just had to figure out how to get him back.

And then they could get Beth back.

She flattened her shirt against her stomach and smoothed her skirt before entering the cafeteria with a dark blue lunch bag in her hand, a bright smile on her face. She spotted him immediately, his ridiculous mohawk making him easy to pick out of the crowd.

He was at a table with Finn, Kurt and Berry and she wanted to scream. She'd really rather not have to do this in front of an audience but whatever. It had to be done.

"Good morning, Noah," she said in a syrupy voice. "I made some lunch for you. Well, okay," she corrected as she pulled out a container of lasagna that her mother'd made the night before, "I brought lunch for you. Leftovers from lasagna night at the Fabray house."

He looked up at her and she couldn't tell what the look on his face meant, but she was pretty sure she wouldn't succeed at winning his affections just yet. "S'cold," he said tonelessly.

" I figured you could charm a lunch lady and heat it up," she responded with a bright smile, her head turned so she couldn't see Kurt's snickers. "I know how much you love lasagna. I thought about baking cupcakes for you too but it's just not the same without you," she shrugged.

He looked down at the Tupperware and then back up at her. "You cook this?"

"Of course," she beamed, the lie not even phasing her.

"Then I'm not fuckin' eating it. You're a shitty cook," he told her as he stood and slung his bag over his shoulder. "I'm out," he sighed as he glanced at Quinn. "This is getting sad, Stepford Q. And it's never gonna work. Give. It. Up," he told her before turning and exiting the cafeteria.

She stood there, hands on her hips, and watched him go. Nothing was working and it was driving her insane.

"Quinn? If I may …?"

She turned and narrowed her gaze on Berry. "No. You may not. This is none of your business."

"Quinn, you don't have to be mean," Finn said.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm just being honest. This is none of anyone's business but mine and his. We're going to get back together. He loves me."

"No he doesn't," Rachel said strongly as she stood. "He loves Quinn," she added before turning and stomping out of the cafeteria.

"Rach!" Finn called as he looked down to his half-eaten lunch before sighing and chasing after her. "Babe, come back!"

Her eyes focused on Kurt, her eyebrow arched, just waiting for him to say something. But the boy just raised his hands and shook his head before turning and smiling at Blaine, who set his lunch tray down and sat beside his boyfriend.

"Hey, Quinn! You look lovely. Will you be joining us for lunch? Where did everyone else go?"

She just rolled her eyes and walked away, mind searching for a different way to win him back.

"And Shelby's taking her to get her ears pierced this weekend. She asked if I wanted to go but I'm not sure I'll be able to watch some stranger stick a metal rod through my baby's head," Puck said to Mike just as she was passing the in the hall.

"She won't remember it though," Mike answered before looking up and noticing her. "Right, Quinn?"

She froze. Her eyes swiveled to Puck and she watched him purse his lips and roll his eyes. "Right, Mike. I don't remember getting mine pierced and I was about her age."

"You don't remember a lot of shit," Puck spat. "Like who you really are."

Mike's eyes widened and he held his hands in the air much like Kurt had done the other day at lunch. "I think I heard Tina calling me."

"You didn't," Puck denied. "You just told me Goth Asian was home sick today."

"She can be loud?" Mike said (asked) before turning and booking it down the hall, a hasty "See you later, Puck," shouted over his shoulder as he darted into an adjoining hallway.

"Fucking chicken," Puck muttered. "Ninja my ass."

"I want to go."

"Then fucking go," he shrugged. "I don't really wanna fucking talk to you."

"This weekend, Puck. I want to go with you and Shelby to get Beth's ears pierced."

"Forget it. You're still fucking blacklisted, faker. You're not fooling anyone. Especially not me. Or Shelby. And we're not letting you bring your fake shit around the baby. You could scar her or something."

"Tell me where you're taking her."

He didn't say anything, just shook his head and walked away, once again leaving her alone in the hallway. It was really starting to irritate her.

But she had to get him back so they could get their daughter back.

So on Saturday, she went to Zales and got a perfect pair of pink stoned earrings for babies. She went to Shelby's apartment (yes, she knew where it was because Rachel has a big mouth and, okay, so she might have borrowed her planner and copied the relevant stuff) and put the box on the welcome mat before knocking and scooting around the corner.

Her eyes narrowed as Puck opened the door (did he fucking live there now?) and picked up the box. His eyes scanned the hallway and she pulled back before he could spot her. She peeked back around and the door was closed so she figured it was safe to sneak out of the building.

She had no doubt he knew who they were from.

Maybe that would win him back. Her caring side or whatever.

"The fuck is wrong with you?" he yelled at her when he stomped up to her in the choir room.

"I'm sorry?" she asked as she turned to him just in time to have a small box shoved into her chest. "What're you doing?"

"You don't get to do this. You don't get to give her little presents."

"Why not? I bet you stole her a nice pair yourself," she sneered.

"I bought her a pair. The pair she's wearing now, actually. But that has shit all to do with you. So take them back, get a fucking refund. Maybe you'll be able to buy the old Quinn back at whatever pawn shop or street corner you cashed her in at."

"Puck," she scowled.

"No. Just … stay away from us. All of us. Me, Shelby and Beth," he told her as he turned and headed down the hall again.

But fuck that. She was so sick and tired of him bossing her around and telling her she wasn't the real Quinn Fabray. What the hell did he know?

Nothing, that's what.

"You stop right there, Noah Puckerman!" she shouted before stomping after him, moving quickly so she could cut him off. "Stop," she repeated as she pressed her hand against his chest to stop him from moving.

"Wha-?"

"Shut up," she demanded. "Just shut up. Who the hell do you think you are?" When he opened his mouth to answer, she cut him off with the wave of her hand. "That was rhetorical. Which means you don't have to answer it." His eyes narrowed and hers mirrored them. "I've been doing everything I could think of to prove to you and to her that I can be in Beth's life and all you do is shut the door and walk away. Well guess what, Puckerman. Not this time." She poked him in the chest, hard. "You're not walking away from me. You're gonna tell me what I have to do to see my daughter. What I have to do to get you back. What I have to do to have a family with you. Our family. Because it's ridiculous and cruel that you're acting like this. You're getting the chance to prove to everyone how great of a dad you are and I'm stuck in the background staring at pictures of you holding our daughter. I'm sick and tired of sitting on the sidelines, Puck. And I won't anymore. I want to see Beth and I want to see her today."

He started at her for a moment, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. He didn't make any other move, just stared, for a good minute before he smirked. "There you are," he grinned. "About fucking time, Fabray."

She frowned and arched a brow at him, crossing her arms across her chest. "What?"

"You're fucking sexy as hell when you're being a bitch." He leaned in and kissed her, his tongue slipping past the seam of her lips to tease her own before he pulled back. "I'll go talk to Shelby."

She watched him walk away, the ghost of their kiss still lingering on her lips.

And then she smiled. Because she felt better than she had in a long time and she had Puck back. She thought. And she was going to get to see her daughter. She hoped.

Either way, she felt more like Quinn in that moment than she had since Regionals sophomore year.

Thank you to tjcrowfoot. You are my muse and my inspiration and I would not be writing without you. Thank you for always being there for me, whenever I need you. You're the best friend a girl could ask for and I love you.

Title is from Lady Antebellum.