A/N: This is just a short fic that I wrote for my friend Ella for Christmas. Nothing special just a glimpse into what could be the future of one Quinn Fabray and one Noah Puckerman. Please let me know what you think. Reviews are love...oh and any mistakes are mine, was a slacker and betaed it myself. =)
Five years, half of a decade. No matter how it was looked at it was a long time, too long for Quinn Fabray. Because five years was how long had passed since she'd laid eyes on her daughter. Five years since she'd pushed Beth from her body before giving her away to someone who could provide for her better than either she or Puck could at the time.
As she stood outside of Shelby's house, hand clasped in Puck's she could barely breath. She knew what Beth looked like because Shelby had been kind enough to send pictures, but it would be different seeing her in person. Seeing the young girl that was her daughter, but wasn't. She wasn't sure that she could do this.
As if sensing her hesitation Puck squeezed her hand, drawing her attention to him. "It's okay, babe."
Quinn felt herself melt a little, like she did every time he looked at her like that - like she was his entire world. They had spent years apart, always finding their way back to one another after trying to date (or in Puck's case sleep with) someone else. There was a link between the two that they'd been unable to break no matter how hard they had tried.
Then last year they'd decided to stop trying to break it, to give in to the inevitable. They loved one another and shared a past that no one else could understand. So here they were together, both afraid of what was about to happen, unsure of how it was going to go.
And Quinn knew that she wouldn't be there if it hadn't been for Puck. It had been he who had broached the subject with Shelby of them meeting Beth. It had been Puck who had kept at her until she'd agreed. It had been he who had held her while she cried when he'd told her that they were going to get to meet their baby girl.
But then she shouldn't have been surprised. Everything in her world revolved around Puck and he had done everything in his power to make her happy. But she still wasn't sure that she could be happy without Beth. She knew that she had made the right decision, but regret ate at her everyday. What if they had kept Beth? What if she had kept her baby girl?
Shaking her head she smiled up at Puck before lifting her free hand and knocking lightly on the door. Puck pulled her closer to her side and she sighed. She really didn't know what she would do without him in her life, keeping her grounded.
She almost laughed at the thought because if you had asked anyone in high school if Puck would ever be anyone's rock, a person to depend on no matter what, they would've laughed and said no. But he'd grown up. It had started when Beth was born and she had watched the transformation throughout the next two years of high school and by the time they went off to college he was almost a man.
The door opened, breaking her from her thoughts. Shelby stood framed in the doorway exactly as Quinn remembered her. She looked so much like Rachel that it made her double take. Rachel was turning out to look just like her mother and it was a little disturbing. With another shake of her head Quinn offered Shelby a smile. If she was going to get through this day she needed to get her head in the game.
"Quinn. Noah." Shelby nodded at them before stepping aside to allow them to enter the house.
"Thank you again, Shelby-" Quinn started, but was cut off by Shelby.
"Don't thank me yet. By the end of this visit you might not be thanking me." Shelby shook her head before shutting the door. "I've told Beth since she was old enough to understand that she had another mommy and a daddy out there somewhere who had given her to me to care for. I'm not sure how much she understands, but she's always said that she wanted to meet them which is the only reason you're here." She glared at Puck. "Not because you hounded me into it."
Puck had the grace to look ashamed as he looked down at the ground. "Look Shelby, I'm sorry. We just wanted to see her."
Quinn placed her hand on Puck's arm so that he would look at her. "She knows that Puck. She's just worried about her - our - Beth. She's worried about Beth."
"She's waiting in her room, she was very excited that you were coming." Shelby turned on her heel and headed down the hallway leaving Quinn and Puck to trail behind her. She stopped in front of a door that was pulled partially shut and she glanced back at them once before pushing it open and stepping inside.
And there she was playing on the floor, blonde hair falling into her face. When she heard them shuffle into the room she looked up and Quinn saw Puck's eyes in that young face causing tears to well in her eyes. She could see so much of herself in Beth, but also so much of Puck. There was no denying that this was their child.
"Mama?"
Quinn perked up, about to step forward as tears of joy filled her eyes. Her baby girl knew who she was.
"Yeah, Beth?" Shelby knelt beside Beth and Quinn felt the breath rush from her. Of course Beth hadn't been talking to her. Shelby was her mother, the only mother that she had ever known.
"Is this my other mama and my daddy?" Beth's eyes were curious as they roamed over the two of them and Quinn couldn't help but wish for some recognition, some sign that her daughter knew who she was.
"Beth, this is Quinn Fabray and Noah Puckerman, your birth parents." Shelby kissed her lightly before standing. "I'll leave the three of you to talk, play, whatever. If you need me I'll be in my study next door."
Without another word Shelby breezed through the door, leaving them alone with Beth. With all of the times that she had imagined meeting Beth and all of the things she wanted to say Quinn could think of nothing. Her mind was blank and all she could do was stare at the child that she'd given up.
After all of this time it came down to the fact that she was just too afraid, but when Puck squeezed her hand and smiled down at her she knew that she could do this - that she had to do this.
Kneeling down in front of Beth Quinn smiled. "Hi Beth, I'm Quinn…what are you playing?"