I only own Glee in my dreams

Mother's Day

11:00 p.m. May 8, 2010

The pain coils around her and pulls her down.

She grips his hand so hard that it turns white, but he does not pull away. He squeezes back, whispering encouraging words as her confidence wavers.

11:32 p.m. May 8, 2010

The doctor comes in with a wide grin on his face. She glares at him, his too-cheerful smile. His tie covered in smiling babies. When he announces that it's time to push she tries to set Puck on him, but he just chuckles.

11:55 p.m. May 8, 2010

The pain tunnels down to an intense burning and she's screaming and screaming but Puck doesn't care. The doctor's letting him look and even if it might gross him out, he can see the head and he can't believe it's actually happening.

11:58 p.m. May 8, 2010

She feels the head pass through the seal of her skin and the doctor yells for her to stop. It takes all her energy but she does. She hears him squeegee the nose and mouth clean, and then feels his sure hands uncurl the tangled cord. She's about to lose it – to give in to the incredible urge to push – when he finally tells her it's safe.

11:59:48 p.m. May 8, 2010

The shoulder's too wide and she can feel it and it hurts so badly but she keeps going until it finally comes free.

12:00:01 a.m. May 9, 2010

Suddenly the rest of the baby slips free and Quinn gasps in sweet relief. The warm, slick body is paced on her stomach and she knows she's crying, but she can't stop herself. All at once, her fears are gone. She watches through half-open eyes as Puck clamps down on the cord, severing her ties to the baby. When the nurse caries the baby away to be checked Puck follows and he counts her toes, her fingers, her eyes, her ears. Everything's there. She's perfect and he wants to cry.

Before they can bring the baby back to her, Quinn's asleep and Puck won't let anyone wake her.

10:34 a.m. May 9, 2010

Quinn wakes when a nurse brings in her breakfast and Puck wants to kill the apologetic nurse.

"Can I see her?" Quinn asks once the nurse is gone and Puck nods. He pushes away the breakfast tray and carefully pulls the bayinet close. He settles in beside her on the bed before lifting their daughter into her arms. Quinn doesn't think he's ever been so careful before in his life, he treats the baby like glass.

The tiny girl's weight is warm in her arms. She has Quinn's round face and golden curls, and Puck's darker skin. Her eyes are a startling blue, and Quinn knows she'll be sad when the color fades to a hazel or brown. All she can think about is how much she loves this little being, what she hopes for her in the years to come, how she'll protect her daughter from the cold world.

4:26 p.m. May 9, 2010

The Glee club comes to visit after class and they all want to hold the baby, but Quinn won't let them touch her precious daughter unless they're seated.

The room fills with talk and giggles as people wait their turn and Quinn realizes how much she's missed them all. Santana fills her in on all the dirty gossip, and Artie pretends to take the baby's nose. Rachel leads the group in a lullaby they've been working on and Quinn can't believe how much she missed them all, even the weird ones.

The most bittersweet moment is at the end. Mr. Shuester took the baby in his arms, his eyes brimming with tears as he holds the little girl. Then he places her in Quinn's arms.

"She's beautiful," he tells her, a sad smile across his face. "And I'm glad Terri didn't succeed in her plans. You'll make a great mother, Quinn."

Quinn's taken aback for a moment – Mr. Shue never mentioned his wife's plans before, although she had known that they'd fallen through.

"Thanks. But for what it's worth, you'll be a great dad someday." She promises him. He smiles, pats her shoulder, and goes out into the hall where the Glee kids are waiting to go home.

8:42 p.m. May 9, 2010

Puck enters the room with a balloon on his wrist, a bouquet in his arms, and a bag dangling off his elbow.

Quinn is so shocked; she can't speak as he places the flowers in a vase, wraps the balloon's ribbon around the frame of the bed, and holds out a card to her. She takes it wordlessly, reading his sweet message. It's a Mother's Day card. She counts days back in her head and realizes that it is, in fact, Mother's Day.

9:13 p.m. May 9, 2010

The room is dark and Quinn curls into Puck. Neither of them are asleep yet, but both are exhausted from the day's events.

"Thanks." Quinn whispers into the dark as she snuggles against him.

"For what?"

"For making this the best Mother's Day ever."

Author's Note: I know it's no longer Mother's Day, but I felt this needed to be published. Thanks to all the amazing mothers the world over.