Daddy's girl – Puck meets his daughter and wonders if Quinn's made the right decision.
Characters –Puck/Quinn [a tiny snippet of Mercedes and some Emma]
A/N Reviews/concrit are always welcome. Oh, and I'm from the UK, so if there's anything American that's not quite right, please let me know and I'll change it.
Puck groaned, it was 2am and Beth was screaming for the second time that night. He felt someone move beside him, and was surprised to feel Quinn move from his loose embrace, "She'll be hungry" Puck told her, "I'll fetch a bottle if you try and get her to quieten down a bit?"
Quinn grabbed his wrist as he went to leave the room, "Do you think I could, y'know, try feeding her?" she asked, glancing down at her chest, "I mean if we're doing this we should do it properly right, and we want what's best for her, and this is what's best right?"
Puck nodded, "Do you know how to?"
Quinn shook her head as she lifted Beth from the cot, cradling her gently, a far cry from the awkward cuddle she'd had with her daughter earlier that day, "I guess I just put it in her mouth right?" she asked settling herself in the rocking chair. Puck flicked on the small lamp in the corner of the room, reaching under the bed he pulled out a book, "what's that?" Quinn asked, rocking slowly in the chair. Puck held up the book so she could read the title, 'the complete idiot's guide to bringing up baby'.
"There must be something about it in here" he told her, flicking quickly through the pages. "What?" he asked defensively as he heard Quinn giggle.
"Where did you get that from?"
"Amazon" he told her, "96 cents" He sighed as he flicked through the pages on feeding. "It just says it's best for her, doesn't actually tell you how to do it"
Quinn nodded and rocked Beth as she became more restless, "fetch her a bottle, we can look online tomorrow".
"Sure?"
"Sure"
Puck sat on the end of the bed, watching as Quinn fed their tiny daughter, "It suits you" he told her, "Having Beth I mean."
Quinn nodded and yawned, "Thanks. I don't know how you do it though" Puck was puzzled, "It's 2am and she's already woken up twice, how do you cope with not sleeping and stuff?"
Puck shrugged, "I slept through Spanish yesterday" he told her.
Quinn sighed, she wanted to be part of Beth's life, but she was scared she wasn't strong enough to cope, that she'd let Beth don the way her mother had let her down.
"Come on, let's go and see if Mummy wants to go for a walk". Puck tucked Beth into her buggy and began to push her down the street, pointing things out to her as they walked even though he wasn't sure she understood him. "Is Quinn in?" he asked as Mercades opened the door.
"Yeah, she's upstairs, want to go up?"
Puck shuck his head, "I'm good here, will you tell her I'm taking Beth for a walk and we wondered if she'd like to join us."
"Okay, I'll just be a minute" Puck stood humming softly to Beth, rocking the buggy gently as he waited for Mercedes to return. "She says he's doing homework" Mercedes said sadly a while later.
Puck nodded, trying not to let his disappointment show, "looks like it's just you and me BB" he sighed, thanking Mercedes and beginning to walk in the direction of the park.
"Noah, come in, take a seat" Emma glanced up from cleaning her desk and was shocked to see Puck stood outside her door. "What can I do for you?" she asked as he slumped in the chair opposite her completely exhausted from the sleepless nights his daughter had introduced into his life.
"I, I don't really know" he sighed
"Well did you want to talk, or did you just want a time out?" Emma asked.
Puck shrugged, "Both I guess. I really want to graduate, I want Beth to be proud of me, but I'm so fucking exhausted all the time. Quinn's no help, I thought she was coming round last week, she spent the night, even talked about breast feeding Beth. I thought she was doing all that bonding shit, she even sang to her for God's sake, but she left before I woke up and she's been avoiding me ever since."
Emma sighed sadly, "I'm sure Beth will be proud you. I've heard you're doing well, despite . . . despite everything, and even if, in a worst case scenario you don't graduate, you can always graduate in a few years, and I'm sure Beth will appreciate the fact that you gave up everything you had to look after her."
Puck laid his head in his hands. "I love her, don't get me wrong, I loved her from the minute I set eyes on her, but sometimes, sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I'd have left her crying in her crib in the hospital."
"I'm no expert" Emma began, "but you'd probably have spent your whole life beating yourself up for letting her go, constantly wondering what she was doing, if she hated you for giving her up. It might be hard Noah, but that little girl will grow up knowing her Daddy loves her, and that he'd do anything to see her happy, cos I know that underneath that tough exterior there's a man that will do anything for that baby."
Puck nodded, "she's my everything" he sighed, "I just wish I didn't feel like Quinn was going to miss out on all the important stuff. I don't mind if she like doesn't want to be full on mum cos it's hard, but it'd be nice if she made the effort to see Beth now and again. I know I was the one that wanted to keep Beth, but I thought once Beth was home. . ." Puck shrugged, "Even just an hour or so a week, just so I could get some bloody sleep".
"Does Quinn support Beth financially?" Emma asked, "Because she has a legal duty to p. . ."
"No" Puck cut in, "It's hard enough trying to get her to be a part of Beth's life as it is, it would be impossible if I was hounding her for money." He shook his head, "I wanted to keep Beth, so I'll support her unless Quinn decides she wants to help out."
"There are support groups" Emma told him, "you can meet with other teenage parents, support each other".
"Thanks but no thanks" Puck shook his head firmly, "I don't. . ." he shrugged, "It's not for me"
Emma nodded, "Okay." They sat in silence for a while, "I could speak to Quinn if you want?"
Puck nodded, "That'd be cool, I mean chick to chick, might be better than her thinking I'm nagging at her."
"I'll find her after lunch" Emma promised as the bell rang and Puck picked his bag from the floor.
"Thanks Miss P"
"Anytime, you know my door's always open" Emma smiled, shutting the door behind Puck, trying to work out what she was going to say to Quinn.
Next time: Emma and Quinn have a heart to heart.
If there's anything you'd really like to see happen then let me know and I'll see what I can do.
