Disclaimer: There is no claim to ownership of any of the character names from Glee, there the similarity ends. This is totally AU.
A/N: A little peek into the world of Quick from an angle that was never explored by Fox.
"That's the best excuse I've ever heard," Santana scoffed, meaning that it was the exact opposite. "I'll have to remember that one. Not that I'm ever likely to use it, I won't be stupid enough to get knocked up, but good work Puckerman. How long did it take you to come up with that one?"
"It's not an excuse," Puck insisted. "Accept it or don't, I don't care. Quinn is living here with me and my family, we've decided not to give Beth up, we're parenting together, that's it."
"So what happened to Judy?" Santana asked, annoyance still surrounding her, vibrating from her. "She seemed pretty keen to take over on Saturday. Did it come out a lizard baby or something? Was it too scary to look at?"
"My daughter is not a lizard baby," Puck ground out. "Don't insult her again. And I'm not joking with that. Don't ever insult my daughter again," he repeated, fiercely.
"Chill out, daddy," sneered Santana. She looked up at a noise at the top of the stairs. "So you really are here. Nice move Q. Slick. What was it? Your mother couldn't stand the sound of your stretch marks rubbing together? Is that why she threw you out again? Can't say I blame her," she was cut off by Puck dragging her roughly by the arm, spinning her round.
"Have you done?" he asked. "I think you should go. Now. And no, I'm not available for you, find someone else to scratch your itch, I'm done with you," he said before he stepped back to let Santana pass.
As soon as Santana slammed out of the house Quinn came downstairs. "Did she wake up again?" Puck asked, moving round to the back of Quinn to see Beth's face peeking over her shoulder. "Are you hungry, baby?" he asked.
"Why do you do that?" Quinn asked sounding tired, upset, angry. "She can't hear you."
"Because she can see my face, so she can get used to seeing lips moving," Puck said, still talking to the baby. "And I've been researching on the internet. Just because she isn't hearing us doesn't mean we should ignore the usual things that people do with babies, I mean, maybe she'll pick up lip reading or whatever. If we've always been used to looking at her when we're talking it'll just be natural, we won't have to think about it and she won't miss out on stuff."
"Oh," Quinn nodded. It made sense, she supposed.
"And I've found that Rhodes State College teaches Sign Language, we should see if they do a class for non-students," Puck said as he lifted Beth's tiny hand to kiss her fingers. "If we start learning it now and use it all the time when we're talking to her, with her, with each other even while we're learning, it becomes normal, natural language, same as just talking does with a hearing baby."
"Google?" Quinn asked, resigned to the fact that she was going to be inundated with information from Puck, he had that look in his eyes. Determination. "Look, I'm really tired, can you just find out what we need to do, who we need to speak to then bombard me with information later when my brain's not fried?"
"Sure," Puck agreed with a smile. "Do you want me to get her bottle ready?" he asked, already heading towards the kitchen.
Quinn nodded as she sat down on the sofa, sighing, yawning, feeling exhausted. "Yes please," she murmured even though he'd already gone to do it. She laid Beth across her lap. Beth started to cry as soon as Quinn sat down. "Why do you keep crying as soon as I sit down? You stop when I'm walking about but when I sit down, you cry," she asked the baby, staring into her face. Not that the baby was looking back at her, she wasn't. Beth's eyes were screwed up, her hands were shivering little fists at the side of her head, her tiny little feet were pedaling furiously and her jaw trembling with each lusty 'wah' yell. "I'm not cut out for this," Quinn wailed as she started to cry along with Beth.
"Oh God," Puck sighed as he came back into the room carrying Beth's bottle of formula. "Two crying females. One, I can cope with, two, I'm screwed," he said out loud to himself, shaking his head.
"Shut up Puckerman," sobbed Quinn. "I don't know why I'm crying, I just can't help it," her voice rose on a wail.
"Here let me feed her, you go back to bed and get some sleep," Puck offered lifting Beth from Quinn's lap and sitting down with her. He handed Quinn the bottle before he stripped Beth down to her diaper, she stopped crying as soon as she was cuddled up to Puck's bare chest. That made Quinn cry even harder. Puck took the bottle back and started to feed the now silent baby.
"She hates me," Quinn sobbed, falling sideways away from Puck to bury her face in the cushions. "She knows I didn't want to keep her, she knows it's my fault she's deaf. She loves you and she hates me."
Puck looked upwards, seeking advice and inspiration from a God who didn't seem too forthcoming with answers. "Why me? What did I do to deserve this?" he mouthed silently, then he sighed. "Quinn, you need to chill out. She doesn't hate you, she probably just likes skin-to-skin contact. Most babies do. It said that in the baby books, didn't you read them?" he asked.
"No-o," Quinn wailed, "why would I read them? I was giving her up for adoption," she let out another pitiful sound. "I'm a bad mother, she knows I didn't read the baby books, that's why she hates me," Quinn's tears and self-pitying seemed endless.
Puck was torn, should he disturb Beth from her bottle to comfort Quinn? Would that make Beth cry again? Probably. Would Quinn blame herself for that too? Probably. "Quinn," Puck tried to get her attention. "Hey, waterworks. I'm about to drown here," Puck called. Quinn stopped crying abruptly and turned her tear stained face towards him. Puck propped Bath's bottle up holding it with his chin against his chest and held out his arm for Quinn to cuddle up. "You hold her bottle, I'll hold both of you, ok?" he said, his voice distorted.
Quinn leaned against him, rubbing her cheek on his chest as his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Quinn held the bottle for Beth to drink from and gazed at her baby. She sniffed a little. "It is nice, I see why Beth likes it so much," she said quietly.
"Likes what?" Puck asked quietly, his eyes on Beth's face.
"Your chest. Being held against it. Just skin," Quinn shrugged, still sniffing and occasionally shuddering. "It's nice. I like it."
Puck pulled a face over the top of Quinn's head. He hoped the irrational, hormonal crying jags would fade away fairly soon. The baby books didn't give any specifics on that. Both he and Quinn turned to look as the front door opened.
"Hi," Leah called as she skipped in the house in front of Miriam. "She's eating? Again?" she asked incredulously. "All she does is eat, sleep, poop and cry. She's no fun yet," Leah frowned.
"What do you want her to do?" Puck asked. "Turn cartwheels? She's five days old Leah, give her a chance."
Leah turned and pulled her tongue out at Puck before scurrying off to the kitchen.
"Did you get much sleep?" Miriam asked Quinn, seeing the tear tracks on her face, the bags under her eyes.
"Not really," Quinn replied. "I dropped off after Beth went back to sleep this morning. Then Santana came over and her shouting woke me up, then Beth woke up and wanted her diaper changed and another bottle."
"And what did Santana want?" Miriam asked her son, her voice a little less friendly.
"How to put this without making me sound like dad….hmmmm," Puck pondered out loud. "Me. She wanted me because she had an itch she wanted me to scratch."
"God, Noah," Miriam almost growled in exasperation. "Have you learned nothing?" she asked, pointing at Beth.
"I didn't say I took her up on it," Puck cried, defending himself. "I told her no and that I'm done with her," he looked to Quinn. "And I know we're not 'together' together, but I'm totally done with her. For good. Ok? It's just us, a family. Alright?" he asked.
"Thank you," Quinn sighed. She didn't like the idea of Santana being around her baby and if she was still getting naked with Puck that would be something that was bound to happen sooner or later. "But don't go getting any ideas either. We're not going to be together. We're just friends who're raising their baby together. Ok?"
"I know," Puck said as he rolled his eyes. "You keep telling me that," he grinned down at Quinn's serious expression. "But hey, we share a room after all, and a bed. You might find that you can't control yourself when I'm asleep and defenseless."
"Keep dreaming Puckerman," Quinn almost managed a laugh. "I think I might go shower and get dressed, if that's ok with you," she looked to Puck for him to agree. "Maybe make myself feel a little more human."
Puck took over holding the bottle for Beth as Quinn stood up. He waited till she was out of earshot before asking his mom if the mood swings would ever stop because he seriously thought that the house was going to collapse from wet rot with all the tears that were being shed just now.
"Noah, have a little compassion, please," Miriam said tiredly. "Quinn's been through a lot of emotional trauma over the last few months. She's lost her family, twice, her friends don't seem to be around, she has no one she can relate to and then your skanky booty call turns up whenever she feels like it. Can you blame her for feeling emotional?"
"Not when you put it like that," Puck replied, feeling a bit ashamed of himself. He wondered if Mercedes would find time to drop by and spend time with Quinn, if he asked her to. He'd need to get her number. Maybe Quinn had it on her phone. He'd check.
Puck finished feeding Beth and patted her back till she burped then sat on the sofa with her in his arms just watching her sleep. He was about to lay Beth in her crib when someone knocked at the door. He went to answer it carrying Beth with him. "Hi," he said in surprise. Half of Glee club stood on the doorstep looking expectantly at him. "What are you all doing here?" he asked.
"We came to visit," Rachel replied, reaching out to stroke her finger down Beth's soft arm. "And to meet this gorgeous creature properly. Can we come in? We brought gifts," she added as an enticement.
Puck opened the door wider. "Come on in," he invited. He turned to see Quinn at the top of the stairs, dressed but with a towel wrapped round her wet hair. "See who's come to visit?" he called up to her.
"I'll be down in a minute," she replied. "Is Beth asleep now?" she asked.
Puck looked down at the baby in his arms. "Yep," he said. "Fast on." Puck closed the door and followed his friends into the living room. "So you've all come to meet Miss Bethany Quinn Puckerman, right?" he asked.
"We have," Tina grinned. "That is way too big a name for a tiny girl like that. Can I hold her?" she asked.
"Sure, here you go," Puck placed the sleeping baby gently into Tina's arms. "Watch her head," he advised.
"I've baby sat like a million kids," Tina told Puck laughing, "I know to watch their heads."
"I wouldn't take offence at that Tina," Quinn said as she came into the room. "He tells me that too every time I pick her up," she leaned over and checked her daughter. "And is she not getting dressed again today?" she turned and asked Puck. "Are you going to actually put some real clothes on today too?" she looked him up and down in his shorts riding low on his hips, bare foot and shirtless.
"Don't try to hide it Fabray," Puck teased, "you're just using that as an excuse to check me out. Right on, I'm up for it," he winked at her, giving her his little half smile, the one that usually had girls panting after him.
"Don't hold your breath," Quinn replied quickly. "That might happen sometime after hell goes through its second ice age," then she couldn't hold the grin, "if you're lucky."
"You better stop snuggling up to me when you're asleep then," Puck shot back at her with a grin, "there's only so many times a guy can be noble and right now you're pushing my limits. Next time you turn over and throw your leg over me, I might see it as an invitation. I'm just saying. Fair warning," he held up his hands, looking away from her to hide the smile.
"You do remember you have guests here, don't you?" asked Rachel, embarrassed on Quinn's behalf.
Miriam came through to the living room and offered drinks to everyone. "Can you give me a hand Noah, please?" she asked, her tone letting Puck know she didn't expect a negative reply.
In the kitchen, Miriam spoke quietly to her son. "I heard what you just said to Quinn," she told him. "Leave her be. You know that she still has to recover and she may not want to get into that with you anyway even when she's able to. Accept it. You're not in a relationship with her, she doesn't want to be. But don't dare go bringing any other girls here, especially to a bedroom you share with your child's mother," she looked sternly at Puck. "And your Aunt Freda said your dad wants to stop by to visit with you and meet the baby. Is that ok?" she asked.
"Sure, he can visit," Puck shrugged. "He knows where we live."
Puck and Miriam turned together towards the living room and the sound of Leah entertaining Glee club with her trumpet playing. As they entered the room, Puck carrying a tray of soft drinks, he saw the looks on his friends' faces. They'd all immediately looked at the baby and noted that she didn't stir even through the loudest of the off-key blasts. Finn looked at Puck, slightly puzzled.
"Beth has some hearing issues," Puck announced. "We're starting tests next week to find out exactly what, if it's something that can be resolved or if it's a permanent thing."
Quinn took over. "We're planning on learning Sign Language, just in case it is permanent," she swallowed hard before asking, "would any of you like to join us? Maybe learn some too?"
"Just let us know where and when," Finn nodded, seeing the relief on Puck's face. "I've got to be able to talk to Drizzle when she's bigger, otherwise how would she know about her real name?" he finished with a huge, cheesy grin.
The visit went well. There were a few tense moments when Rachel asked if Brittany and Santana had visited yet. Quinn replied that Santana had, all the while glaring at Puck, her lips set in a hard line.
"Don't blame me," Puck held his hands up and shook his head. "I didn't invite her, she just turned up."
"And we both know why," Quinn said quietly as she stood to answer yet another knock at the door. Just before she opened it, she turned to Puck. "I lived here for months before and I don't think there were this many visitors in that whole time," she sounded just a little surprised. Her voice, when she saw who was stood on the doorstep was overloaded with surprise. "What are you doing here?" she asked Judy Fabray. "I thought you'd disappeared out of my life for good on Saturday. Nothing's changed mother. Beth still can't hear anything," she ended, her voice completely without emotion, just hard, unforgiving.
"I came to see you," Judy almost whispered. "Both of you," she indicated both Quinn and Puck who was stood close enough behind Quinn to see Judy and hear what she had to say.
"It's probably time we were going," Kurt said, breathlessly, nervously. "Can we come by and visit again?" he asked with a parting look at Beth.
"Sure," Quinn nodded, smiling. "You're all welcome, anytime. Bye," she called as they walked down the path towards the street. Then she looked at her mother again, still stood on the doorstep and the smile evaporated.
"May I come in?" Judy asked quietly, nervously. Quinn didn't answer but stepped back to allow Judy to enter. "Thank you," Judy said, nodding.
"Why are you here?" Quinn asked again, not offering her mother either a seat or refreshment. "Your face said everything last week when you couldn't even look at your granddaughter without looking like you'd sucked on a lemon," Quinn's voice was getting higher, louder.
Judy couldn't help but glance at Beth laid sleeping in her crib. Even her mommy's loud voice hadn't disturbed her. Judy felt the sinking feeling of disappointment again, she'd really hoped things had changed because without that issue, Beth would be perfect. Quinn had let her down, and in some ways so had her older daughter, her granddaughter would have been another chance at raising perfection, maybe getting it right this time.
"Your father and I have decided to continue to support you financially until you finish your education, whether you decide to go to college or not," Judy began, her tone formal, stilted. "We will take responsibility for all of your medical costs, both you and…." she couldn't say Beth's name, she just waved a hand in the direction of the crib, "and your living expenses. Money will be paid into your bank account on the first of the month. If there are any unexpected issues, anything that comes up that you need help with, just let us know and we'll sort that out."
"That's it?" Quinn asked her disbelief audible. "Here's some money, don't darken my door again, is that it?" she asked. "Don't get me wrong, I'll use the money, but, God, mother, you are one cold, heartless bitch. I hope to God I don't turn out like you. You need to leave now. Goodbye," Quinn walked to the door and held it open, not even looking at her mother as she swept past. Quinn pushed the door shut after her.
"Are you ok?" Miriam asked, unsure if Quinn would even get over a meeting like that. She didn't think she'd have been able to bounce back if her mother had taken that stand when Noah was just days old.
"I'm fine, thanks Miriam," Quinn replied, putting her shoulders back, standing up straight. "That's how the Fabray's roll," she mocked herself and her family. "See a problem, throw money at it and hope it'll go away," she tried to sound like she didn't care but the tears pricking her eyes were a dead give away.
Miriam came up to Quinn and hugged her for a second. "At least you can stop all the talk about getting a job and concentrate on just looking after my beautiful granddaughter, right?" she smiled at Quinn.
"Yes, you're right," Quinn agreed, nodding. "Did you actually order that stroller yet?" she asked Puck. He'd been comparing prices of a few of the more expensive items that they still had to buy on various web sites.
"No, not yet," he replied. "Why?"
"Because we are going to order the most expensive, all singing, all dancing, full of accessories stroller we can find and charge it to my mother," Quinn told both Puck and Miriam. "I know her passwords for all of her accounts," her tone did not invite either Puck or his mom to argue her out of her decision. Neither of them was quite brave enough for that. Scary Quinn.
Late in the afternoon, once Quinn had calmed down, had a nap and even managed to feed Beth without feeling as though her daughter hated her, they all sat out in the backyard. The sun was still fairly high in the sky but the house cast a shadow over most of the patio giving them somewhere to sit in comfort. Puck had carried Beth's crib outside and she was sleeping in between her parents.
"Hi," a man's voice called from behind the tall gate at the side of the house. Puck went to open it.
"Hi dad," he said to the man waiting on the other side. "Nice of you to call," Puck sounded bored.
"Don't start already Noah," sighed the man, "I just got here. Hey Leah, how are you? Still playing the trumpet?" his voice was friendlier when he spoke to the little girl who ran towards her dad to be picked up and hugged. The older version of Puck walked towards the patio, greeting his ex wife in a friendly enough tone then turning his attention to Quinn and Beth. "So you are….?" he asked Quinn.
"This is Quinn Fabray," Puck introduced her to his dad, standing behind Quinn's chair, his hands on her shoulders, almost like he wanted her to know he was giving her extra support, or maybe he was taking it from her. "And this is our daughter," he indicated with a sweep of his hand towards the crib, "Bethany Quinn Puckerman." Puck looked at his dad, his eyes slightly narrowed as if waiting for Ethan Puckerman to find fault, make a comment, something.
"My granddaughter?" Ethan smiled, "she's beautiful Noah. Nice to finally meet you Quinn," he nodded then looked back at Beth. "Do you like being an aunt, Leah?" he asked his daughter, still held on his hip.
"Not really," Leah sighed. "She's really boring, she doesn't do anything. And she smells when she poops her pants."
"May I?" Ethan asked, putting Leah down and reaching out to pull a chair out, to take a seat.
"Of course," Miriam replied. They did try to be civil to each other, especially in front of their children. It didn't always end up that way, especially when Ethan became over critical of their son. She wondered when he was going to realise that Noah only acted as he did, cut his hair the way he did and slacked off at school just to get a reaction from his dad. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked as Ethan sat down.
"Apple juice would be nice if you have some," Ethan smiled at his ex wife who nodded and went in to the kitchen to bring some juice, ice and fresh glasses. "So," he turned to look at Puck. "You decided to be a man and take care of your baby, then?" he asked. "Last I heard from your Nana was that you were getting the baby adopted. I can't say I was happy when I heard that. I'm glad you've done the right thing. Time you took care of business instead of playing the fool. Maybe being a father will teach you about responsibility, make you grow up a bit, get a real job instead of 'cleaning pools'," he said using air quotes for the last bit, knowing full well what Puck actually did when he was servicing his clients.
"Actually, Mr Puckerman," Quinn said, leaning forwards, her elbows resting on the table. "I was the one who wanted to give Beth up, Puck didn't, he wanted to keep her from the start so I don't think it's very fair of you to speak to him like that."
Ethan sat back in his chair and looked up at his son, still stood behind Quinn, massaging her shoulders absently, scowling. "Is that so?" asked Ethan in surprise. "Good, good," he nodded. "I'd hate to think of my own flesh and blood out there in the world somewhere and not being allowed to know anything about her. Thank you," he acknowledged the delivery of the apple juice from Miriam. "My mother says you're still going over to help her out, give her a break a couple of nights a week, Miriam, thank you for that, I know dad is a bit of a handful now. Alzheimer's is a terrible affliction," he sighed then looked at Puck again. "It's time to talk business Noah. You have a family to provide for now. Time to get a real job. It's time you came to work for me. And I'm not taking no for an answer this time," Ethan sounded like he meant it. "And will you please stop using that ridiculous old truck and use the car I bought you for your birthday? It's safer for your daughter. You don't have just yourself to think about anymore. It's time to really step up, really be a man. Show me that you can be."
Puck knew his dad was right, he just hated agreeing with him on anything. He'd felt the same ever since his dad had admitted having the affair with the tattooed freak, which was why his mom had thrown him out and divorced him.
"Where have I got to work?" he asked without enthusiasm, imagining his dad would set him off in the lowliest position in the company, sweeping the floor in the workshop, picking up after the mechanics, just to make him work hard.
"With the design team," Ethan replied. "Jim and Paul think you're a natural at it, they've used some of your designs to build bikes already. They had to adapt some stuff but hey, you drew them when you were what? Twelve? Fourteen? Anyway, they both think they could teach you a lot, what do you say? Get your grades up at school? Go to college? Maybe make the 'Puckerman and Son' sign above the door a reality?" he asked.
Puck wasn't quite sure how to react. Here he was being given his dream by the one person who had let him down big style in the past. Should he trust it? Puck glanced at his daughter, stirring in her crib. Yes, he had to provide for her, he needed to be able to meet her needs. For her he would suck it up, go back on his own personal vow to never accept anything from Ethan Puckerman again. "When do I start?" Puck asked his dad, still not showing a whole lot of enthusiasm.
"Monday. Be at the office at nine. Jim is on vacation but Paul will be there," Ethan told Puck nodding. "And please, use your car not that damn truck. Sorry Quinn, I shouldn't have said that in front of the baby," he apologised.
"Don't worry dad," Leah piped up still at her dad's side. "She can't hear you, she's deaf."