Okay this chapter is going to be difficult to write, mostly because I have a feeling it is going to turn out overly cliché or downright ridiculous but let's see where this goes. Thanks to everyone who reviews. They make me smile

Quinn had agreed to meet Puck at the small town diner at six o'clock. It was now six-fifteen and there was no sign of him. Quinn pursed her lips, considering what to do. She could leave or eat by herself because she was starving. However, she knew he would probably turn up. If her memories from high school served correct it was not uncommon for Puck to be late for a date or for anything, really. So she continued waiting there and sure enough, just twenty minutes after he was expected to arrive Puck pulled up.

He got out of his car and approached her, a sly smile on this face. There was something else there too. For a second Quinn thought that they were nerves but she shook that thought away. The only time she had seen Puck nervous or scared or anything like that was at Beth's birth.

"Hey, Quinn," he said casually, not even attempting to apologize for being late.

"You're slightly pushing fashionably late, Puckerman," Quinn responded. She was smiling but couldn't completely hide her irritation.

"I was busy," he answered with a shrug. There was still no sign of guilt in his features. He was the same old Puck.

Quinn rolled her eyes. He usually had better excuses. They walked inside and the waitress led them to a table in the back. The diner was not the nicest place to eat. Everyone was wearing casual clothing and Quinn knew she was overdressed in her dark jeans, heels, and adorable light blue blouse but she didn't have the heart to tell Mercedes and Kurt that. They had spent hours dressing her and making sure her hair and make-up were just right.

"So, Quinn, really, what brought you back to Lima after all these years?" Puck asked just moments after they had sat down.

Quinn flinched a little but regained her composure rather quickly. "I suppose I could ask you the same," she answered, nonchalantly. She did not intend on telling Puck about what happened before she returned to Lima.

Puck smirked. "Like I told you, I was everywhere trying to find a job and I got a permanent one here."

Quinn shouldn't have pushed him, she knew, but she wanted to get him to admit Tina's suspicions. "That job also happens to be at Steve's Auto Repair. Not to be impolite, Puck, but I'm sure you could find a better paying job somewhere else. You always told me how you loathed the idea of being a Lima Loser."

"Well, I kind of felt like I needed to come home. This job doesn't pay that bad, I could live off it and afford rent. I figured what the heck? Plus, Lima isn't the worst place you could end up, trust me." Puck shrugged and looked away. Quinn could tell she would not be able to get much else out of him so she nodded. She knew the truth of his last statement.

"He cheated on me," she muttered before she could stop herself. Instantly she wished she hadn't said it. She didn't want to tell Puck anything about Chris.

Puck looked up at her; there was anger in his eyes. "What? What a Douche! I'd beat him up for you if you wanted," he told her and she had no doubt he was truthful. But she could also read his face which seemed to be screaming 'See, you would have been better off with me!' She shook her head, resolving not to dwell on the past.

"I don't know why I came here but I'm happy I did," she said after a moment. "You're right, Lima isn't so bad. It feels like… home. And everyone has been so great."

Puck smirked. "Lima isn't as bad as it seemed in high school now."

"I guess not," Quinn agreed.

The waitress came and took their orders and they spent most of the evening chatting about insignificant things. The conversation drifted between the other former glee club members, baby Juliana, and Quinn's new plans for an apartment of her own. They had to carefully maneuver their way around several uncomfortable topics so the conversation was difficult. When the waitress finally brought their food (another thing about cheap diners; bad service) they were both thankful for an excuse to stop talking.

Before, when they had been babysitting they had at least had Andy around to distract them when things got weird. Now, all they had were their meals. Despite the strangeness of it all Quinn was kind of enjoying herself. Talking to Puck wasn't bad. He had even matured a bit and managed to make very few inappropriate comments.

When they were half done with their meal Puck finally decided to bring up her situation again. He raised an eyebrow at Quinn and she wasn't sure if he was attempting to or not but he looked sexy. Well, that wasn't hard for Puck; he always looked sexy. "You okay?" he asked.

"Huh?" Quinn responded, unsure of what he meant.

"I mean, do I have to go kill that douche or are you okay?"

This time Quinn knew exactly what Puck meant and what 'douche' he was talking about. She was slightly taken aback. Puck did love revenge and punching people's guts out though. "Yeah, I'm fine. I wasn't at first but I am now," she answered after a moment of thought. It was the truth. Sure, she still wanted to kill that… that… douche she had once called a husband but she was no longer an emotional wreck.

"You sure, because I would be more than happy to go over and knock his guts out." Puck was smirking mischievously.

Quinn giggled. "That'd be nice but I don't want you to get arrested… again."

He sneered. "I've only gotten arrested a few times."

Quinn raised her eyebrow. "As far as I know you've only been arrested once."

"Now, that was a total accident. That guy insulted Finn. How was I supposed to not punch him?"

She rolled her eyes at his response. "You gave that guy a concussion, not to mention he was at least forty-five years older than you two and he was drunk."

Puck smirked. People had had a field day with that senior year. 'Puck got arrested because he punched an old man.' He had been teased about it for months. "Quinn, you and I both know he started it."

She rolled her eyes again. "You've been arrested since then?"

Puck shrugged. The way his eyes sparkled made Quinn think that he was actually proud of this. "Nothing too major, I never got more than a fine and community service."

"What did you...?" Quinn began to question but Puck cut her off.

"Well, the dumbest thing I ever did was to try and rob a convenience store with my buddy. He's lucky I'm a good liar or we'd probably be locked up right now."

She shook her head, slightly amused. "Why did you try to do that?"

"Why not?" he answered with a nonchalant shrug.

Quinn began laughing at him. "I swear Puck, you are almost as dumb as Finn sometimes, in your own way."

"Ah… come on, Quinn, take that back. Finn couldn't tell his rights from his lefts till like senior year. I, on the other hand, managed to graduate without attending a single math class."

Quinn gasped between giggles. "You're just lucky, Puck, that's all."

"Maybe I am," he agreed with a shrug. "Come on; let's get out of this place." He threw some money on the table and grabbed Quinn's arm, dragging her along.

The two emerged from the restaurant to see the sun hanging low in the sky. Puck looked up and smirked. "Where should we go?"

I'm not sure."

"Star Lake?"

Quinn smiled. "Yeah, that sounds nice."

Star Lake was about a mile away from the diner they ate dinner at. It wasn't really a lake but a large pond and looked nothing like a star. Still, it was the biggest body of water in the town of Lima. It had a small beach and a cute little park that had been recently refurbished. Many glee club parties had been held by Star Lake. Stars were Rachel's thing, after all.

The two walked side by side in a peaceful silence. Occasionally, their arms would brush against each other's. They stopped by a bench and sat down. Puck was surprised when Quinn laced her fingers through his. After a few minutes of silence he finally asked a question she hadn't quite been expecting.

"Do you ever think about… her?"

She looked up at him, knowing exactly what he meant but having to make sure. "Beth?"

He nodded in response and looked away, hiding the emotion on his face. He hated to feel at all vulnerable.

"Yes… occasionally." She answered. Truthfully, she thought about her daughter more than she would like to admit, especially since Rachel and Finn brought home their own baby.

"Do you think we made the right choice?" Puck's voice shook a little as he asked.

Tears tugged at her eyes. "Yes, she needed a stable family. We couldn't have given her that."

Puck nodded in agreement, staring at the water. "I wish I knew her. I wonder if she hates me. I mean, I hope she doesn't think I abandoned her."

Quinn looked at him, her tearful eyes bearing into his brown ones. "No, Puck. You're not a dead beat. I'm sure, Beth, wherever she is, understands. And if she doesn't, she will someday." A single tear began to fall down her cheek. "Sometimes, I wish I had the comfort of seeing her, of knowing her, of letting her know that I love her but… I can't and that's just the way it is."

"Sometimes, when you truly love something, you let it go," Puck added as if as an afterthought. When he noticed her surprised expression he shrugged. "Girls like deep guys." She laughed at that. They both were aware that their faces were mere inches from each other. Puck would have kissed her had Quinn not gotten up.

"It's getting late, we should go back," she announced.

Puck sighed and the two slowly meandered back to their cars in the fading sunlight.

OMG I am sooo sorry for my long absence. And now I give you that cliché little fluffy chapter that was probably kind of stupid. I decided they could be a little OCC because if you think about it no one would have exactly the same personality they had in high school. They mature and change sort of. I have no good excuse about absence but sorry. The next chapter will be up soon.