Disclaimer: No ownership claimed or implied.

A/N: I think it might have been more dramatic to have come out like this.

"I'm not singing to them, urgh," Puck grunted before turning away from Mercedes in frustration. "It's not fair," he complained. "Finn gets everything. He gets the sympathy, he gets the girl," Puck's eyes darted round the room, empty except for himself and Mercedes.

"What is your problem?" Mercedes asked, not able to understand why Puck should sound so angry, so jealous.

"Finn's not the father," Puck revealed, his voice louder than perhaps it should've been. He let out a big sigh, "I am," he said, looking at Mercedes, waiting for her reaction.

Mercedes absorbed what she'd just learned then gave decisive, concise advice. Someone walking by just at the right moment heard Puck's confession and lingered to hear what advice he was given.

Finn was trying hard to sing quietly in his bedroom. He didn't want to disturb his mom again. He laid on his bed watching the DVD of Quinn's sonogram on his laptop, practising his ballad. As his finger traced the tiny beating heart on the screen, Carole Hudson came through the bedroom door carrying his laundry.

"What're you doing?" she asked, trying to look over his shoulder at the laptop screen.

Finn sat up abruptly. "Nothing," he said, not giving his mom any eye contact. "Singing," he added.

"To a sonogram?" Carole asked, glancing at the laptop. She looked more closely and read the name at the top of the screen. "Quinn's pregnant?" she asked, shocked, surprised.

Finn couldn't make his mouth answer so he settled for nodding his head and murmuring, "Uh huh."

"Do her parents know?" Carole sat down at the side of her son, taking his shaking hand in hers. She saw Finn shake his head.

"I have to man up, tell them when I go for dinner on Sunday," Finn told his mom, finally able to meet her eyes. "I'm so sorry, mom. I've let you down," he broke down into tears, sobbing into his mom's lap.

"Finn, no," Carole said, stroking his hair, "you haven't let me down. Ever," she raised his head to be able to see into his eyes and smiled at him.

"But?" Finn stuttered as he pointed towards the laptop and the grey image on it.

"Finn," Carole said gently, "Puck is the father."

Carole had been waiting for two days for Finn to break down and tell her what was wrong so that she could tell him what she'd heard his best friend say. Carole had been passing the choir room on her way to a meeting with Finn's English teacher when she heard Puck and a girl whose voice she didn't recognise, talking in the choir room. As soon as she'd heard Puck say that Finn wasn't the father, she knew that Quinn must be pregnant. She knew for sure once the unknown girl spoke again.

Finn looked at his mom, shock written all over his face. "Puck?" he asked, not quite believing but not able to disbelieve it either. He looked back at the laptop. "She's not mine? Puck's her father?" Finn seemed to need a lot more reassurance. Carole nodded and hugged her son close. This was probably going to be really hard for Finn. The first big break up of a relationship but even worse, the betrayal of a decade long friendship. Finn stood up and went to the door.

"Where are you going?" Carole asked, seeing the anger in her son's eyes.

"I'm going to kill him," Finn told his mom quietly, deliberately and at that very second he actually meant it. Finn left the house slamming the door behind him.

Finn rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. "Oh, hello Finn," Mrs Fabray said in surprise. She took a step back. "Come on in, Quinn's upstairs, I'll shout her down." She led Finn to the lounge where Mr Fabray sat sipping his scotch. "Quinnie, you have a visitor," she called up the stairs.

Quinn came down to find Finn sitting with her parents. He seemed to be saying something quietly to them. He stood as Quinn came further into the room. "Thank you for your time, I just thought you should know," he said to the stoney-faced couple in front of him.

"Finn?" Quinn turned and called after him as he brushed past her and let himself out. She turned back to her parents, both of whom seemed to be staring intently at her middle.

"So," Mr Fabray said as he stood up. "You have one hour to pack your things and call Mr Puckerman. Maybe he'll give you and your child a place to live," his voice was toneless, emotionless but the disgust he felt for his daughter was written all over his face.

Quinn saw the futility of begging, she turned and ran to her room. "Please, please, please pick up," she murmured as the number she'd dialled rang and rang.

"S'up MILF?" Puck asked, wondering why the hell Quinn would be calling him.

"Finn just told my parents about the baby," Quinn said with a sob. "They said I have to leave. He knows too. He told them that you're her father. I didn't know who else to call. Will you help me? Please" she couldn't carry on, she broke off in tears.

"I'll be there in ten," Puck agreed immediately. "You have to leave tonight? They're throwing you out?" he asked, making sure he'd understood her fully. Quinn barely managed to answer him but he thought that she said yes. "Mom," Puck called without taking his phone away from his ear. "I'm going to pick Quinn up, I'm bringing her here, her parents know."

Quinn interrupted him. "You've already told your mom about me?" she asked, surprise evident in her tone.

"Yeah, I told her weeks ago, as soon as I knew you were pregnant," Puck admitted with a little laugh. "I'm on my way babe, you're coming here to live with me," he told her. Puck heard a relieved little noise. He smiled the whole way on the drive over to Dudley Road. Good old Carole. He knew she'd eventually tell Finn what she'd overheard. Lucky he'd seen her passing one of the choir room doors the other day. Finn had been bleating all day long about his mom having to meet his English teacher so Puck knew she'd have to pass the other door on her way to Mrs Watson's room. Mercedes hadn't ever realised he'd raised his voice deliberately just to make sure Carole would hear every word. Sometimes you just have to play dirty.