Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even a fully functioning imagination. That really is a sorry state to be in. And I go back to work tomorrow. With a different colleague on shift with me. I don't care what people say, change is not always good! So there!
A/N: Boris Yeltsin, please keep the ideas coming, I'm still struggling. Puckme, the shower scene followed from the end of Chapter 4 when the Hudsons had to go to Washington so Keegan is to stay with the Puckermans, they've had the weekend together then the shower scene was Monday morning before school. Misguided ghost, I'm trying to bring my muse back. Fall4you14 thank you for joining the story, I hope you enjoy how it goes. Thank you all for reviewing.
Corrected and reposted following suggestions and guidelines from luvtheheaven. Thank you.
On Friday, after a full week of living with the Puckermans, Keegan was feeling a lot more relaxed. He had a laugh a dinner with Jesse and Puck, the three of them managing to gang up on the girls, manpower sticking together. Until Quinn reminded both him and Beth of their appointment with Dr Chin on Monday. Results day.
"Cra….ooh, I forgot about that," Keegan murmured, almost forgetting that Reuben was sat next to him. "Ramon offered to come round tomorrow and help to decorate Evie's new bedroom. Is it ok if he comes?" he asked, looking at Puck then Quinn for approval.
"The more hands on deck the better," Puck nodded. "Are you sure about those colours you've picked Evie?"
"Yep," she nodded, her feet swinging as she sat at the table. "I like pink and and I like green. Can we have ice cream?"
"Who else wants ice cream?" Quinn asked, standing up. She looked round the table to see hands being raised. Puck's was the first hand up. "I might have known that was a stupid question," she laughed.
"What's the plan for tonight? Are we going to empty the bedroom?" Puck asked, "get everything prepared? Then it'll be an easier job tomorrow."
"Sure, where will we put the furniture?" Keegan asked.
"For now it can go in Roo's old nursery, that room's empty for the moment," Puck replied, taking a sip of his beer. "Jesse, are you going to help?"
"What's in it for me?" Jesse asked, wondering what he could bargain for. "I know what Keegan'll get out of it. An Evie-free bathroom," he muttered, causing sniggers from Puck, Beth and Quinn.
"How about that guitar you were looking at last week?" Puck offered. He knew he wouldn't have willingly given up his Saturday when he was 13 just to help out his sister.
"Cool. I'm in," Jesse agreed straight away. "What about Temple?"
"You and me will go early, Nana will come by later and pick up Evie, Roo and Beth to take them. Although," Puck sent a sidelong glance Beth's way, "if your sister didn't keep failing her driving test she could have taken them herself."
"That's right. Mock the afflicted," Beth grumbled. "It's not my fault I have no spatial awareness. It looked like I could get through the gap. And anyway, what do you really need wing mirrors for?" she asked, causing everyone to laugh at her. Again. Especially Jesse.
"You know I'm going to be driving before you, don't you?" Jesse crowed. "It's a chick thing Roo, girls just can't drive," he said, then he heard his mom clear her throat, he glanced round. Quinn stood at the back of him with his bowl of ice cream raised high. "Except mom. Mom can drive," he hurriedly qualified his last statement. "Thank you mom," his tone was exceedingly ingratiating as he took possession of his ice cream.
"Rachel is a terrible driver," Keegan admitted. "When she has to overtake anything she closes her eyes and breathes in."
"She still does that?" asked Quinn. "How has she never had an accident?" she marvelled.
After dinner Puck, Keegan and Jesse stripped the bedroom of bed, bedside tables and dressing table while Quinn supervised. Once the furniture, pictures, lamps and ornaments were out of the way, she and Beth gave the room a thorough clean. Puck made sure all the walls were sound and ready for painting. Keegan taped off the walls where the two different colours would meet and the wood so that paint wouldn't drip onto the oak skirting boards and door frames. Evie had decided that she would have the same colour on opposite walls, two pink walls and two green walls. At least the colours were soft and sort of went together. Quinn had bought Evie some beautiful new bed linens and curtains, a green background with small bunches of pink flowers on them and new rugs for the floor to tie everything together.
"That's enough for tonight," sighed Puck. "We'll get a good start tomorrow when we come back from Temple." He looked at Keegan and asked, "did you call Ramon?"
"Yep, he'll come over about ten-ish," Keegan nodded glancing round at the now empty room.
Keegan and Beth spent the rest of the evening watching a DVD with Jesse, Puck and Quinn till Quinn claimed to be really tired and was going to have a bath before bed. The three of them watched Puck almost squirm till twenty minutes later he was claiming exhaustion as well and running off upstairs to bed too.
"They are so not subtle," Jesse laughed. "You know they're planning on giving us another brother or sister, don't you?" he asked Beth.
Beth's mouth and eyes couldn't have opened any wider. "What?" She couldn't believe it. "But…..but…..but they'll be grandparents," she exclaimed. "That's just gross."
"They'll be very young grandparents," Keegan reminded Beth. "Look at Mr Schue and Ms Pilsbury. He was nearly forty when they had their first baby."
"But grandparents having babies, it just sounds ewww," Beth shuddered and grimaced. "And how would you even know about that?" Beth asked, turning to her brother for the answer.
"God," breathed Jesse, "I swear you live in a bubble. Don't you ever hear anything apart from 'me me me me me me'?" Jesse shook his head in disgust at his sister. "I walked in on them talking about it," he admitted with a huge grin.
Beth shuddered again. She still didn't like the idea. Wasn't four kids enough? And a grandchild. Surely they didn't need anymore kids. Beth couldn't turn her mind off. "I'm going to bed." she said as she stood up, "are you watching the end of the movie?" she asked Keegan.
"Mhm, I'll be up in a bit, I just want to see the end," Keegan nodded, his eyes never leaving the screen, it was just getting to the crux of the story, the pivotal moment. That wasn't actually the answer that Beth wanted so she huffed and flounced out of the room.
"Oooh, that might not have been the best answer," Jesse grinned.
Keegan looked over at Jesse spread out on the couch. "You're probably right. But I'm still going to watch the end of the movie."
"Are you getting a lot of stick at school?" Jesse asked, "you know, for living here, for getting my sister pregnant?"
"Some," Keegan answered, his eyes on the TV. "Not as much since we made it public." He glanced back over to Jesse, "now that the speculation is over and it's all out there, what can people say? They can't make up stuff because everybody knows everything and yeah, it's been easier than having people stare and whisper about us."
"My dad has been going overboard with 'the talk' since this happened you know?" Jesse screwed up his face, embarrassed, "like girls would even look at me." He shook his head. "I mean, I'm a dweeb who's into music. Who'd look at me twice?"
"Are you kidding?" Keegan asked, "do you know how many of Beth's friends ask about you? The only thing stopping them is that you're only 13. Man, if you were older you would be getting so much action. You'd be just like your…..like…..errrm," Keegan stopped abruptly, he didn't know if Jesse knew what his dad was like in his younger days. "Crap. I missed the important part, I'll watch it another time," he pointed at the TV, "I'm going up to bed. Goodnight." Keegan almost ran out of the room and up the stairs.
Beth was out of the shower and getting dried when Keegan walked into the bathroom. "I thought you were watching the end of the movie?" she asked him.
"I was till Jesse started talking, then I missed the important bit so I decided to come to see if you wanted company." Keegan said as his arms wrapped around Beth's waist. "A few minutes earlier and I could have joined you in the shower."
"I'm not dry yet," Beth's voice was low, "I could be persuaded if you want a shower right now," she stretched up and joined their lips, dropping the towel that she'd wrapped around her body.
"I'm persuaded," Keegan whispered back. "Is Evie's door locked?"
"Yes. I locked it." Beth replied quietly then took a step backwards towards the shower, her hand in Keegan's. "You've still got way too many clothes on" she smiled as she stepped under the spray. Keegan's clothes disappeared very rapidly, he stepped inside closing the door behind him.
Keegan loved the feel of her wet skin under his hands, stroking the full length of her body, his lips sipping from her throat. Beth's arms were wrapped round his neck, keeping herself upright. The shower ran cold long before they did.
"Hi, Ramon, come on in," Quinn smiled next morning when she answered the door just after 9.45. She led the way to the kitchen. "Jesse and his dad aren't back from Temple yet and Keegan's still in bed. Can I get you anything?"
"No thanks Mrs Puckerman, I'm good," Ramon replied with a smile. "Hey Beth, how are you today?" he asked, seeing Beth sat at the table.
"Good today, Ramon, thanks," Beth looked up from her magazine. "It's really good of you to come and help out. Thank you."
"Morning," called Rosa coming through the front door. "Where are my grandchildren. Are you ready to go?" she asked.
"We're ready Nana," Evie shouted. "I'm moving bedrooms so that I don't have to see Keegan in the shower again," she informed Rosa causing Ramon to have to hide his face.
"That's nice honey," Rosa replied cautiously, looking to Quinn for a better explanation.
"Beth will tell you all about it on the way to Temple," Quinn told Rosa, shaking her head. The incident was still at the forefront of her mind and was incredibly funny but she didn't feel it was right to give the full story with Keegan's friend sat at the table. "Oh, hi, you're back," Quinn greeted Puck and Jesse as they came through the door just before Rosa and the kids set off.
"Back and starving. Breakfast first then work," Puck decided, rubbing his hands together. "Where's Keegan? Isn't he up yet?" he asked Quinn.
"I think he'll still be tired," Jesse mumbled, "busy night," he informed his parents quietly, nodding knowledgably.
"I could have done without that information Jess, but thanks," Puck patted his son's shoulder. "Any more little nuggets like that, feel free to keep them to yourself. Ok?"
"Morning" yawned Keegan as he wandered into the kitchen dressed only in sweat pants. He stretched and shook himself. "Oh, hey Ramon," he said as he noticed his friend sitting at the table. "When did you get here?"
"About ten minutes ago," Ramon replied.
"What's for breakfast?" Puck asked Quinn. "Do you want any help?"
"No I'm fine, you've all got enough work ahead of you, the least I can do is make you breakfast. Waffles and turkey bacon. One day you'll realise that it can't ever compare with the real thing."
"And one day you'll stop trying to bring real bacon into a Jewish house." Puck countered the age old argument that had been going on for seventeen years.
"Yeah, like that'll ever happen," Quinn scoffed. "My biggest treat is having bacon for breakfast whenever we have breakfast out."
"I have to agree Mrs Puckerman, they don't know what they're missing," Ramon sniffed deeply, savouring a remembered smell and taste.
"You never miss what you've never had," Puck intoned sanctimoniously. "Keep that in mind Jesse and keep your pants zipped."
"DAD!" Jesse wailed, "I'm thirteeeeeeen" he replied, "it's not like I'd even have an opportunity, do you think we can hold off on all the "don't do what I did son" stuff till I'm at least, I don't know fifteen, sixteen? Please?" Jesse's face was scarlet.
"No." Quinn stopped Puck from speaking as his mouth opened to reply to Jesse, pointing a spatula at him. "Don't," as Puck tried to speak again. "Not another word," she stopped him for a third time. "Ah ah-h" she shook her head smiling. Puck glared at Quinn.
"I was only going to say….." Puck started till Quinn cut him off again.
"You don't need to say anything. Eat your breakfast," Quinn said with a smile as she put a plate in front of Puck. "Coffee?"
"Yes dear," Puck replied, his voice smarmy. "That would be lovely."
"Are they always like this?" Ramon asked Jesse.
"Pretty much," Jesse answered, "it's sometimes hard to know who are the kids and who are the adults in this house. It's weird really because he has such a responsible job. He must have been on his best behaviour at the academy."
"Puts the police force in a whole new light," Ramon agreed.
"Yeah, till he pulls his gun on you," Keegan grumbled, "even if I couldn't see through the shampoo, I still know it happened," which caused a raucous outburst of laughter from everyone else sat at the table.
Keegan was first upstairs, he went into Beth's room to get dressed. Ramon had followed him upstairs, Jesse and Puck were finishing their breakfast. "Fuck, you really do share a bedroom," Ramon whispered from the doorway. He glanced round the bedroom noticing all the girly touches, the only thing of Keegan's was his school bag on the floor near the closet.
"Did you think we really didn't?" Keegan asked, opening the closet and drawers to find the oldest clothes he'd brought over, to use them to paint in. He found a fairly faded though favourite t shirt then glanced down at his sweats. They were quite new but worth the sacrifice. A bathroom to themselves. No Evie. So worth the sacrifice. Keegan walked into the bathroom to wash and dress. Ramon was still stood in the doorway. Keegan was cool with Beth watching him get dressed but he drew the line at random guys watching him. He walked back into the bedroom while brushing his teeth. He held his still whirring brush inside his cheek as he picked up his oldest trainers and sat on the bed to put them on. He moved the brush about and was about to straighten the bed clothes as Puck appeared at the door.
"Ready?" Puck asked. He was dressed in a paint spattered old t shirt, sweat pants and trainers too as was Jesse although his were less spattered than his dad's. Ramon had his old clothes on already so they were all set. Puck called down the stairs to Quinn, "keep the drinks and the snacks coming babe."
An hour and a half later and each wall had received its first coat of paint. Puck was currently painting the ceiling white. Jesse, Ramon and Keegan were enjoying refreshments brought up by Beth. "There better be some left for me," Puck said, his voice distracted as he concentrated on keeping a clean line at the edge of the ceiling.
In the kitchen, "Mom, can I ask you something?" Beth asked.
"Sure honey, anything," Quinn agreed, smiling.
"Are you and dad trying to get pregnant?" Beth didn't look up as she asked, she carried on making parcels with the pasta and the spinach and cheese mixture.
Quinn thought for a few seconds before answering. "Mmm, so Jesse did hear us talking? I wondered if he had," she glanced at Beth before continuing. "Yes we are. We decided we want to have at least one more child."
"Don't you think it might be a little weird, having a grandchild older than your child?" Beth asked, pulling a face, showing her distaste.
"It would be gross if I was like, fifty or sixty, but I'm not, I'm thirty two. Some of my friends haven't even had kids yet, never mind grandkids. No, I don't think it will be weird." Quinn finished softly, shaking her head. "Why? Do you think it would be weird?" she turned the question on Beth.
Put on the spot like that Beth wasn't sure how to answer. Did she tell the truth and hurt her mom's feelings or did she lie and allow her mom to think she fully support them. Beth sighed. "I'm sorry mom, but I think it would be weird. Especially if we end up at Dr Chin's together," she replied.
Quinn considered this. She sat down with Beth at the table. Quinn put her hand over one of Beth's. "I'd rather you were on board with this, but it's not going to stop it happening, even if you really don't like it," Quinn said quietly with a sad smile. "This is mine and your dad's decision. Our choice. We've always loved you, all of you. We'll love your baby too, Can't you find it somewhere in you to love a new brother or sister?"
Puck paused in the doorway not wanting to interrupt. As Beth sighed, not yet answering Quinn he decided to make his presence known. "It won't mean we love you any less," Puck reminded Beth of the way they had broken the news of both Evie's and Reuben's impending appearance in their lives.
Beth choked out a mixed sob and laugh. "I remember you telling me that before," she said. Beth wiped her damp eyes then continued. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be acting like this. I'm just emotional and confused and scared and you're right, it's your choice. But can I place an order for another sister, please? Boys are way too smelly."
Quinn hugged Beth to her, kissing her head and tucking it under her chin. She smiled over the top of Beth's head at the only man she had ever loved. He walked towards them and engulfed them both in his arms, kissing Beth's head as Quinn had done before turning his attention to Quinn's lips.
"Are we done here?" Beth asked, her voice sounding funny from being squashed between her parents. They let her up, Puck stepping to the back of Quinn, his hands on her shoulders. "You do make the best parents you know. Especially now," she whispered as smiled at her mom and dad through her tears.
How was that? Any good? PM me any suggestions, all gratefully recieved.