Author's Note: The second chapter of Lessons Learned is in the works but here's a quick one-shot that popped into my head. Enjoy.

Their loss at Regionals had been devastating to the gleeks. Their only consolation was that, while they came in second, Vocal Adrenaline had come in third. The bus ride back to Lima had been a somber one and after saying their goodbyes, Rachel and Quinn—who had somehow ended up living at the Berry home after Babygate broke—packed their things into Rachel's car and headed home.

The two girls didn't really know how to describe their relationship. It was hard to say that they were friends after everything they had done to each other, but there was a definite companionship there. They had even become confidantes in the short four months that Quinn had occupied the bedroom across from Rachel's. Quinn had been the one to comfort Rachel when Jesse broke up with her for not having sex with him and they had cried together when they found out that Finn did have sex with Santana

When they had arrived home—alone since Daniel and Chris Berry were away on business—and had unpacked, they ordered a pizza and settled on the couch to watch a movie. A movie that was unceremoniously interrupted by the boy with a Mohawk who had become a permanent fixture in their home.

"How ya feelin' baby momma?" he asked as he plopped down on the floor in front of the couch.

Quinn had quickly realized—with a little help from the Berry's—that she couldn't deny Puck the chance to be part of their daughter's life. Especially since it looked like she wouldn't be giving her up for adoption after all. Since then no one could deny that Puck was attentive to all of Quinn's needs—even when it drug him out of bed at three in the morning to buy ice cream—but the two had wisely decided to remain just friends.

"I'm fine Puck." The blonde laughed. "I swear your daughter is going to be a soccer player though." she said as she grabbed Puck's hand and placed it on her stomach.

"Or a dancer." Rachel offered.

"Or a totally badass kick-boxer."

Rachel and Quinn just looked at each other before bursting into laugher. Puck's loud protests only made them laugher harder.

"Well I, for one, don't care what she does as long as she's happy and healthy." Quinn said as the laughter died down. Rachel and Puck just nodded in agreement and restarted the movie.

At the end of the night, Rachel and Quinn were curled into Puck's sides as the three slept on the couch. The television played soft music in the background and the empty pizza box sat forgotten on the coffee table.

It was just a regular night at the Berry house.

With the end of her sophomore year rapidly approaching, Rachel couldn't help but think about how things had changed. She was a part of an amazing glee club and had even learned to be a team player; she had fallen in love twice and had her heart broken twice; she broke up the super couple of McKinley High and then repaired a broken friendship; and she actually had something like a best friend.

But for all that had changed, some things remained wholly unaffected. Kurt was still hateful, Mercedes still barely liked Rachel, Jacob Ben-Israel was still a disgusting cretin trying to have sex with her, and she was still getting slushie facials—if only less frequently.

Which was how she ended up in the locker room blow drying her hair. The football team had backed off—which Rachel strongly suspected had to do with Puck's threats—but the hockey team was still trying to prove their badassness, to quote Puck. So, she was still packing her emergency bag. They could at least have the decency to make it grape.

"Hey Rach." She heard Quinn say from the door. "We've only got a few minutes before glee."

"Oh, alright, I'm almost done." She replied and then smiled as Quinn grabbed the hairbrush and began to braid her hair. "Thanks.

"You're welcome." The blonde replied. "Puck's mom bought a crib yesterday."

"Really? What does it look like?" Rachel asked excitedly.

"Like it cost a fortune. It's white and antique looking. It'll be perfect in the guest room with all the other furniture. And I found the perfect bedding. It's got the same yellow as the walls in it." Quinn smiled as she finished talking.

"That's great! I can't wait until we actually get to decorate."

"Me either. Puck said that business is starting to pick up since it's getting warm again and he should make enough to buy it next week."

When Quinn had moved in with Rachel, the first question her father's had asked was how she was paying her medical bills. When Quinn had said she was using her college fund they had been certifiable. Then, after a phone call to Quinn's father and a well placed threat to take the story of Mr. Fabray abandoning his only daughter public, her bills were covered by his insurance. When Puck, and his mom, got involved they showered Rachel with tons of clothes for her and the baby as well as a bunch of other baby necessities that were quickly piling up.

Once the two girls had made it to the choir room everyone else was already there. They quietly took seats next to Puck as Mr. Schue began practice.

"You guys were awesome at Regionals. I'm so proud of you all for how hard you've worked." He gushed. "Now, we've only got four weeks of school left and I want you guys to relax. But stay sharp and keep working on your ranges. I've got some exciting things planned for next year."

When he finished they all decided to do some songs just for fun. It was the first time in a while that they were all together without being divided into their clicks. Rachel wished it could be like that more often. By the time they finished and Puck had made plans to bring the crib over to set it up, Rachel's irritation over the slushie facial was gone.

That night Puck and, shockingly enough, Finn were putting the crib together while Rachel and Quinn packed her hospital bag.

"So, um, I have a favor to ask you." Quinn started and Rachel motioned for her to continue. "My doctor says that I can have two people in the room with me when I deliver and, of course, Puck will be there but I was hoping you'd be there too."

Rachel smiled brightly at Quinn and hugged her as she squealed. "Of course." She laughed.

"Fuck." They heard from the other side of the room and pulled apart to see Puck looking as confused as Finn normally did and glaring down at the instructions in his hand. Laughing, the two girls walked over and took the paper from him.

Between the four of them—well, three since you couldn't really count Finn as a contributing factor—they had managed to decipher the instructions and assemble the crib. Even if it was three hours later.

Quinn had been having Braxton-hicks contractions for a while now. So when the first contraction hits her in the hallway, she simply leans against a row of lockers until it passes. When it does, she makes her way into Mr. Schue's classroom and takes her seat between Puck and Rachel. It's not until twenty minutes into class that she gets worried as her fourth contraction hits her and her knuckles are white from gripping the desk as she rides out the pain.

"Puck." She whispers. "It's time." She finishes and he turns to her with wide eyes.

"Right now?" he asks and she nods then rolls her eyes as he jumps up, knocking his chair over in the process. "Oh my fucking god." He says.

"Language Puck." Mr. Schue scolds. "What's wrong?"

"We gotta go." He replies frantically. With pleading eyes, Quinn turns to Rachel. When the girl stands up she silently thanks God for giving her such amazing friends.

"Puck, calm down. Go get the car and pull it around." Rachel says, taking control of the situation. When he leaves the room she turns to Mr. Schue. "Can you please inform the other teachers that we will not be in class?" He just nods and winces as Quinn lets out a pained cry when another contraction hits her. "Breathe Quinn." Rachel reminds her soothingly.

When Puck returns to the room he picks up Quinn and cradles her to his chest. Through her pain induced haze and his soothing words, she hears Rachel calling the hospital, Puck's mom, her father's and finally, Quinn's own parents.

Quinn doesn't wonder until later why Rachel is calling her parents.

Six hours later Quinn's in a hospital issued gown and laying in her bed, already weakened from the contractions. Puck's pacing the room worriedly and Rachel is curled in a chair singing softly. The waiting room is filled with Puck's mom and sister, Rachel's dads, the nine other gleeks, Mr. Schue, Miss Pillsbury, and April Rhodes—who randomly showed up at the hospital and decided to stay.

Fifteen hours later Rachel is sure that everyone is happy that it's a Friday—well early Saturday morning—and that there isn't any school tomorrow.

Eighteen hours later Quinn's screaming, Puck's gritting his teeth from the pain in his hand where Quinn has gripped it, and Rachel's uttering encouraging words.

Eighteen hours and thirty-two minutes later at 5:13 a.m. on May 27, 2010, Evelyn Sophie Fabray-Puckerman enters the world.

For three days people are in and out of the hospital bearing gifts and words of praise for the tiny baby, affectionately dubbed Evie. They hold her and the gleeks sing to her. Puck tries not to cry when his mother presents the baby with a tiny gold bracelet and Quinn laughs when Santana and Brittney present a onesie with the saying Daddy's Little Bad, uh, Tail that they made in Home Ec.

When Quinn's parent's show up the blonde expects a lecture on her choice to raise Evie. But when they see the beautiful baby that is clearly Quinn Fabray made over with darker skin, crystal clear green eyes, and a mop of dark hair that refuses to lie down and screams I'm Noah Puckerman's badass daughter, they fall in love. After tearful apologies and much cooing over their granddaughter, they ask Quinn to come home. For one agonizing second Rachel thinks Quinn's going to say yes and she realizes that she would mourn the loss of her best friend more than she would mourn the loss of a Tony.

And then Quinn says, "Thank you but my home is with the Berry's for as long as they'll have me and my daughter and where they'll accept her father and won't judge us."

Rachel doesn't think that her smile could get any bigger.

Four days after Evie comes home from the hospital Rachel's fathers bring a television into Quinn's bedroom. Puck arrives bearing the gift of pizza and the three teenagers take turns feeding and changing Evie.

Hours later, as their movie choice of the night plays softly in the background and the empty pizza box lays forgotten on the floor, Daniel and Chris Berry snap a picture of their daughter curled into one side of Noah Puckerman, her best friend curled into the other side, and their arms forming a protective barrier around the beautiful Evelyn Sophie Fabray-Puckerman as she sleeps on her father's chest.

End.

=)