A/N: I...Wow. It just kept going and going and going. Please keep in mind my knowledge of the legal system is extremely limited.

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

The rest of their day was spent in bed, Puck only leaving long enough to tend to Beth periodically. He took extra care to be quiet as he came and went. Even as he returned quickly, the fear in Quinn's eyes as she sat up curled up in fetal tore at him in ways he never imagined possible. Laying his daughter across the bed and placing a bottle she barely touched on the nightstand Puck scooted closer to her mother; glassy eyes, a lip pierced and bleeding, and trails of silent tears his welcome as he brought her in close.

"I was only gone a second," he said quietly, trembling arms wrapping around him almost immediately. "Not going anywhere, Q, I swear," he promised. Pulling away slowly Quinn could only glare at him. You said that last time she thought. Puck only smiled softly at the look in her eyes bringing a light kiss to her forehead. "The only reason I'd go anywhere is because of Beth," he said softly. "And even then I'm always going to come back," he added gently. His heart sank as her eyes clouded with doubt.

As much as Quinn wished to believe him, doubt was all she knew. Her father was gone. Judy, for all intents and purposes was nowhere to be found. Puck was all she had and even he had a history of loving and leaving. How could she suddenly start to trust that he could keep to his word? That's not to say that she thought him a liar. Not anymore. Being shaken to the core had brought every bit of it back. She couldn't help but think that if he wasn't physically touchable, he would find his opening and finish what he started. If she wasn't careful, every last one of her bones could be slowly and painfully broken while Puck had his back turned.

"Don't go," she whimpered clinging to him like the lifeline he always was for her. Pulling her into his lap, her small frame found a way to be completely tucked in against him. Puck could only shush her quietly as he kept his fingers along her matted hair. Looking at the alarm clock on his bedside table, he finally realized how late it was. The readout screamed 2am in big blue lights. Well that explained the extra layer of fear. It didn't take a scientist to know how the night would affect her. Puck was suddenly praising his laziness, Beth's bag brought up after only his first trip down to the kitchen.

"I didn't want her to wake you," he explained gently knowing now that even if Beth turned to screaming, his trips down to the kitchen were done for the rest of the night. "We won't leave anymore," he promised quietly. "Got lazy anyway. Try and get some sleep, okay? I'll be here," he offered softly, the back of his hand brushing along her eyes still struggling between awake and asleep. "Don't fight it," he whispered. "You're gonna have to be nice and rested so we can talk to Berry's lawyer," he said not even trying to hide his lack of excitement.

The lawyer part of it was fine. Even Puck was grateful for that. It was the idea that he would be grateful to Rachel Berry that irked him. She wasn't the world's worst person; just incessantly annoying. The fact that she was culturally acceptable to his mother did even less to ease the frustration. His mother would be far too pleased if he "found himself a nice Jewish girl" regardless of how much Ava had grown to love Quinn. Puck still wasn't sure if it was all that genuine but if what they'd just gone through a few hours before was any indication, she was coming around. She would have to if they were going to give Beth the life she deserved. Watching her as she slept he sighed. Bouncing her between homes was out of the question. As messed up as it was, knowing that they no longer had that problem eased him just a bit.

Puck's thoughts were interrupted as her warm even breaths blew across his neck. Carefully placing her back under the blankets he sighed collecting Beth and resting against the wall as he continued coaxing the bottle between her lips.

"C'mon," he mumbled softly. "You downed that waffle like a champ." As if he couldn't hate Shelby anymore than he already did. Now she was too afraid to even eat. He shuddered at the possibilities, could barely think about what had gone on while his back was turned without wanting to be sick. "You going to live on waffles now?" he laughed. "Not that I have a problem with that. Mama's not letting me move for a few more hours though. Finish this up and I'll let you wipe me out. Please? We got all night," he said resisting and failing the urge to yawn. Finally after ten minutes of further urging, Beth slowly took to finishing. "That's my girl," he murmured brushing a kiss along her forehead as she came to rest on Puck's shoulder.

It was a quarter to three before the baby's breaths grew even and he allowed himself to give in to his exhaustion. He guessed he'd have at least two more before they would all have to be up and ready to start the day. "Two hours? Can I get two hours before you need anything else? Otherwise I get cranky and nobody likes Daddy when he's cranky," he teased. "And I got to be on my best behavior for the lawyer people." Watching as her eyes fall open once more, her small body going rigid, Puck carefully eased a hand over her back kissing her forehead quietly. "I love you."

Xxx

Puck gasped as he met Beth's wide eyes. He had no idea how long she'd been awake but he figured (or at least hoped) that it wasn't too long. She hadn't so much as squirmed and simply lay there watching him as though his face were the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Jesus Beth," he whispered. "What are you lookin' at?" he laughed propping himself into sitting position. "Morning," he mumbled running a free hand over his tired face. "Do I got something weird on my face or do you want something?" he mumbled. "And what time is it?" Turning to look, Puck sighed. "6:30? Really?" Beth only continued to stare seeming to think that the longer she did, the more likely her dad was to start moving. "Alright, I'm either really interesting to look at or you're trying some mind game on me," me mumbled stretching as he stepped out of bed.

Feeling the shift, Quinn quickly let her eyes fall open silently watching Puck's every move. As he turned, a light smile came across his face. "Morning sleepyhead," he offered in greeting. She returned it with a light smile of her own as she mimicked his earlier actions. "I was going to hop in the shower real quick. You think you can handle watching her for ten minutes? You can wait in the bathroom," he added. She slowly nodded then wondering how well this would go over considering the struggle it had been the day before. Add her own silence and well, anything could happen. But Quinn found herself agreeing nonetheless. "Tight and close," he prompted lightly as she took her perch on the toilet seat. Beth whimpered for only a few seconds at the exchange, eased by her father's hand resting on her back.

Beth surprised them both by staying absolutely silent finding her entertainment on the ends of Quinn's hair as they waited. Quinn was another story, still on edge even after Puck fell just behind the curtain. She could feel herself growing less tense as he began quietly humming to himself as the water ran. Enough to know that he was there. Even so her gaze only shifted between the shower and the little girl in her arms, never wandering elsewhere. The allotted ten minutes passed slower than they should have but as Puck finally emerged, Quinn felt the tension in her body lessen. Following him back in, the two girls found a spot on his unmade bed and watched as he dressed.

As her eyes fell to the toned muscles of his turned back, Quinn could feel a blush creeping up her neck. At the moment she was grateful that he wasn't facing her because even if he said nothing about it, she was sure she'd be able to read the laugh in his eyes. It was nothing she hadn't seen before and yet, here she was flaming up at the sight of just his back muscles as he put on a shirt. It was a wonder she could think those things at all. But this was Puck. She knew him well enough that she was allowed to think such things as innocently as she wanted and he wouldn't press her. Turning to face her, he smiled.

"Enjoying the show?" he teased as he buttoned his dress shirt and flipped on a tie. Quinn shook her head in denial earning a slight smirk from Puck.

"I don't know...You're all pink," he chuckled fumbling with his tie. She shook her head hiding a face behind her hand at his observation, the denial only deepening her embarrassment. "Hate this thing," he muttered. Putting Beth down gently making sure she faced them as she stepped forward, Quinn patiently worked his tie with a light smile of her own. "What? I never have to wear these things," he pointed out moving his hands to give her more room. "Thanks," he said. Taking back her spot, she was more than a little surprised as Beth tentatively found a way into her lap. As she settled, the little girl eyed her curiously almost as if waiting to be rejected. Quinn only pulled her closer pressing her nose to her hair, her lack of fear (at least for the moment she was sure) and willingness brought her to a calm she often only felt with Puck. After he slipped into his only pair of dress pants, he smiled at the two before him.

"First time she's done that for longer than a minute. Impressive," he joked. Quinn offered him a slight smile; somewhat pleased with herself. Beth carefully turned her head keeping wide trained eyes on him. "Woke up to this one staring at me. I showered, I'm clean, I'm actually dressed nice for once and she won't move." Puck's stomach clenched then in realization. "I'm not gonna disappear, baby girl. Not anymore." To prove his point, Puck shuffled closer to them kissing her forehead silently. The only reply he got was the slightest whimper as she took hold of Quinn's shoulder, her eyes never leaving her father. He couldn't help a moment of confusion shared with Quinn.

"I don't...Bethy, we're not going anywhere," he whispered. "Neither are you," he said more to himself this time. "Relax," he mumbled running a hand over her tiny body suddenly gone rigid with fear. "Can't get this over with soon enough," he sighed. "I just hope it's not too big a headache. She's been through too much." Quinn nodded in muted agreement playing for a moment with her short hair. "I'm not even sure how this works. I guess we...go to them or something? But that means leaving her here...I think we'll have to...explain..."

Quinn nodded slowly just as confused about how to reverse an adoption as he was. She suddenly groaned in frustration with herself. If she had just stuck it out...If she had listened to herself they wouldn't even have this problem. If it weren't for her she wouldn't have all these added problems, period. If she had just been good...Warm tears pricked her eyes then as she eyed the man beside her, suddenly sharing her daughter's fear. One day soon Puck would realize what a mess she really was. The shock of it all was suddenly too much. As her breath picked up she had enough in her to move Beth over to him before bringing her knees up rocking herself as the fist of terror gripped her heart.

"Hey...Shh...What is it?" She only shook her head in reply; face still buried in her knees as she shook. "Look at me, Q. What is it?" he asked gently.

"I'll be good..." she said desperately. Puck silently cursed himself as he moved in closer wondering what he had said or done to bring her back to this.

"I know you will," he offered quietly.

"I know I was bad but I promise to be good. I'll do better."

Quickly removing his dress shirt and tie (they would have to rework it later because he had a feeling things were going to get ugly fast) he brought her into his lap where she promptly found a space to shrink in against him. Quickly drying her eyes he tipped her chin to look him straight on.

"You weren't bad, sweetheart," he whispered. "You're doing just fine." As if she didn't hear him, Quinn went on, seemingly oblivious to his reassurances.

"I'm sorry...Was a mistake...A big mistake," she mumbled, tears still running down her face as she spoke. He brought his lips against her sleek skin offering her the most honest answer he could. Puck still had no idea what the hell she was talking about but she'd already used them once. He wasn't even sure she was talking to him anymore. Or maybe she was and still fighting something else alongside him.

"We'll fix it," he said. Quinn shook her head frantically at his words, highly doubting he could do anything about this. If she couldn't fix her own problems, why should he have to?

"Can't fix it...My fault...I was bad." Resting his chin lightly on her head, his fingers played against her warm skin still hidden by the shirt he let her borrow. He felt her flinch at his touch and quickly pulled back eliciting a sob from her throat.

"Relax," he murmured. "I'm sorry I touched." Quinn only burrowed further into him, the absence of his gentle hands too much to bear.

"You said you wouldn't go..." she whimpered.

"I didn't go anywhere," he pointed out, his brow knit in further confusion than he already was.

"Hands..." she mumbled.

"What about them?" he asked.

"Don't go..." Puck thought for a minute trying to piece together what he was hearing. He knew better than to ask her for complete thoughts. It was enough that she was verbalizing at all.

"Use your words," he coaxed quietly. It wasn't like Puck had dealt with any of this first-hand. He only knew as much as his mom shared with her medical knowledge. For once he was glad he'd sat through one of her-at the time-boring lectures about whatever Quinn was going through. He'd forgotten the name of it or didn't care to remember it.

"Hands..."

"What about my hands?"

"Safe..." she mumbled.

"You didn't want me to move my hands?" Quinn nodded silently watching his face for any sudden expression changes. Here she was being the mess he was almost guaranteed to run from. She doubted she made any sense, her own thoughts a complete tangle in her head. Puck shrugged bringing his hand back to rest along her spine. "Better?" Again she nodded, not even sure how she could stomach let alone crave his touch when anyone else made her skin crawl.

"Safe..."

"Glad you think so," he smiled. It was almost as though his touch was her off switch. Quinn was now completely silent and unmoving except for the claw-like grip she seemed to take on him. If she could think these things 'round the clock like she seemed to, Puck was even more determined to keep them exactly where they were. "Let me know when we can move." Quinn nodded mutely soaking in his protection for another couple of minutes before allowing herself to pull back and take hold of his pillow instead. "Can't stay up here all day," he smiled. "Gotta go get some food in you." Again Quinn grimaced at the idea. "I owe the kid a waffle, Q. You can either stay here and I'll bring you something or come down and show me what you want. I might get something you hate," he said lightly. She rolled her reddened eyes, a sigh dragging through her lips. "Your choice." She nodded reluctantly carefully pulling the covers back. "Good," he said softly laying a kiss along her hair.

Padding quietly down to the kitchen, Ava greeted them at the stove. Puck could feel Quinn go stiff as soon as they entered easing her with a light squeeze of her hand. The older woman smiled softly as they entered, her face falling slightly at the cowering fear she saw in Quinn's face.

"Good morning," she said warmly. Puck offered no more than a quiet nod in response. He couldn't help wondering if her sudden openness was the result of what she'd walked in on the day before or something more. Quinn seemed to find nothing warm about it as she cowered in against him instinctively hiding her wrapped hand while squeezing Puck's tightly with the other. Ava frowned as he watched the girl keeping a respectful distance. Her mood only worsened when Beth refused to meet her eyes keeping her face buried in Puck's shoulder.

"They're not morning people," he said by way of explanation. The woman nodded pointing to a stack of homemade waffles. Despite himself Puck's mouth began to water. "Nana made us the good ones," he smiled. "Better eat 'em all up fast before they all end up in my tummy," he whispered. This only earned him a confused look from Beth and a roll of the eyes from his mom. "Go have a seat," he said gently. "I'll be right over." Quinn did as she was told looking on into the early morning as she waited.

Eyeing her son carefully she sighed. "Noah, we don't walk around naked in this house," she chastised. Puck resisted raising his brow at his mother's tone.

"I'll put it back on later," he grumbled.

"No. You know better. Give me the child and go finish getting dressed before you so much as think about sitting at the table," she said firmly.

"Ma, that's not..." he started as Ava stepped in to take Beth from him eyeing him with her familiar finality.

"She's fine. No need to worry," she said softly. Puck highly doubted that the moment Beth was taken. The look of confusion the little girl met him with only grew more severe as he backed further away.

"Give her to Quinn, please," he muttered before disappearing up the stairs. As he reached the landing a familiar wail could be heard from down below. Puck quickly threw on a wife beater and growled as he made his way back down two stairs at a time. At times like this he really wished his mom could look past formality and just let it go. Coming back into the room Puck took his daughter throwing his mom and angry look. "What'd I ask you?" he grumbled.

"She was staring off into space, Noah. I wasn't going to give her a baby to hold while she was all checked out like that," Ava pointed out. Puck didn't even bother offering his mother two words as he took Beth back from her. "See? All better," she grinned laying a light hand over her trembling form as he tried to silence her.

"She's not gonna drop her kid," he muttered letting her quiet down as he moved to sit next to Quinn. He groaned as he took in her balled up position, her body trembling as she covered her ears while mumbling to herself. "This is the kinda stuff we're trying to avoid!" he hissed.

"I know how to handle a child, Noah. I've had two of my own," she said flatly. Puck ignored her as he brushed a strand of hair from Quinn's tear-stained face.

"It's over," he whispered. She only continued to shake her head not quite believing him so soon after. "Everyone's nice and quiet," he promised carefully uncovering her ears. He saw her bite her lip, new tears pricking the corner of her eyes. "Breathe..." Finally she nodded, new breaths coming out slow almost as though she was uncertain of his promise. "That's it," he murmured brushing along her arm. "You wanna take her?" he offered. Quinn offered him a tentative node as shaky arms extended to accept her weight. "Good," he nodded. "Sit tight for just a minute. I'ma go grab us some OJ." Quinn said nothing and simply nodded.

As he went over to the fridge, Ava watched them in odd fascination. Both had fallen absolutely silent, Beth's reddened cheek resting against Quinn as they waited. Though she didn't offer a word, her fingers combed easily through her short hair. Gone was the shaking and remained only a hint of uncertainty. Though her focus was elsewhere, Quinn seemed to be completely aware of the little girl's presence.

"I don't understand...She was shaking not two moments ago."

"Magic," Puck supplied rolling his eyes.

"No need to get smart with me, Noah. I honestly thought..."

"That I had no idea what I was saying?" he laughed.

"Well...yes," she admitted. "I was only being logical."

"So was I. She's got a calming effect on Quinn. I didn't really see till earlier this morning so I didn't know if it would even work but I figured it'd be better than sticking her with someone she's never seen before. Looks like I was right," he smiled. "Now who wants a waffle?" Quinn smiled lightly at Beth's wide-eyed expression letting her ignore the knot that formed in her stomach. "Open big. And try chewing this time. Don't wanna give Nana a reason to hit me if you choke."

"Noah..." she warned laughing quietly.

"What? You would," he said. Ava just shook her head watching silently as the two of them worked. Beth took to them eagerly, the look of excitement on her face produce a laugh of his own. "If you needed anymore proof," he smirked. "Slow..."

"Half," she reminded him. "Last thing we need is the little thing hyped up on all the sugar."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Puck's phone vibrated in his pocket stopping a piece halfway to her mouth. "Hang on, kid. I gotta take this." Pulling the fork far enough away brought her lip out in a pout, her small hands eager to reach for it. Watching the exchange, his mom only shook her head. Shooing her son to the next chair she easily took over. Puck nodded gratefully as he spoke with the voice on the other end of the line. "Okay, that sounds good...Yes, we'll be there...You want us there by ten? Okay." Nodding periodically, he waited for an opening for the only question he had. "I've got a couple questions. Beth's got really bad anxi..." Again he returned to nodding as he listened. "And my...Quinn's not quite feelin' too great so she might not...Yes I understand. Thank you." As the call ended Mrs. Puckerman looked over to him.

"I can watch her while you two go off to your appointment." Puck shook his head in polite decline. "You can't take a child to a courthouse."

"It's not the courthouse, Ma. Just his office. I've already asked him and he says it's fine. We won't even be that long. We've got a strong case and he's found a loophole."

"The hospital doesn't need me until four," she provided.

"We know how well that went a few minutes ago," he muttered. "Thanks Mom but I think we got this."

"I'm not sure that's wise, Noah."

"We've got no other choice," he shrugged. "If we leave without her, she'll scream until we come back. Until she finds out we're not going to leave her, she's going to be clingy as hell." Not that Puck minded. If anything it meant he was doing his job. The only challenge was making sure Beth didn't scare herself every time they moved. "I've already explained it and he gets it. He's like...a specialist or something in these kinds of things."

"What kind of 'things'?" she sighed.

"He specializes in...domestic violence or something," he mumbled. "He gets how shaken up she is and how wrong any of it is. He spent all day yesterday trying to find a way to make it less of a hassle than it has to be. We have up to a year to change our minds anyway. This extra thing just makes it almost painless. God knows we've got enough of that going around."

"Well I'm at least coming with you," she said firmly. "You may have a child but you still need someone there to advocate for you." Puck nodded. She had a point. With Quinn unable to speak, it would be good to have someone there to do the extra explaining.

"We leave at nine."

Xxx

Sitting in the attorney's office put Puck slightly on edge. He'd only ever dressed up on one other occasion. A period of time he would much rather forget. Even if this reason was different, sitting face to face with a suited man wasn't exactly comforting especially when they remembered why they were here at all.

"Hello, my name is Harold Archer and we spoke to one of you on the phone earlier about the case of Elizabeth Puckerman Fabray. I understand you'd like to reverse an adoption?" Puck was the first to greet him with a firm handshake which the other two quietly followed. As he introduced himself, his name felt foreign in his mouth. Still, Puck stayed cordial and waited as the man explained what could be done about their situation. "Under what terms did you sign this agreement?" he began. Puck wrung his hands nervously before speaking, his eyes shifting to Beth who sat quietly in her mother's lap.

"We were both young," he began. "Quinn spent the whole time going back and forth on whether she'd actually want to keep the baby. Eventually, she settled on giving her up. We just...Well, she didn't feel we were ready to take on parenting and all the extra work."

"And you did?" he asked, his face free of judgment as he prompted the young man to continue.

"Well, I knew it would be hard. Probably the hardest thing either of us would have to do. I knew there'd be sacrifices but...I was ready to give it a shot. Told her that from the beginning."

"So you simply went along with Ms. Fabray's wishes." Puck nodded taking Quinn's hand quietly. "Did you see that as fair?"

"Well, I mean, I wasn't the one carrying a baby. There was all this extra stress on her and adding a baby to the mix was just going to make it worse."

"But you wanted to keep your daughter, yes? Despite all that you would have to give up to raise this child."

"More than anything, sir. My dad was never really there for us when I was a kid. I know what we did was...reckless and kind of wrong but...I was going to take responsibility. I was going to be there for my kid and her mom. But that's not what Quinn wanted."

"Do you feel as though you signed away your rights by force?" Puck thought for a moment meeting Quinn's eyes as he thought about how to word his response.

"She didn't force me, sir, if that's what you're getting at. I signed out of respect for Quinn and what she thought was best for our baby. Sure I was dead tired and not really paying attention to much but I understood what I was doing."

"But you still feel wronged," he said.

"Not wronged. More like sick," he said. "We gave her to someone we thought we could trust. We were wrong. We made a mistake. I'm not handing my traumatized daughter over to CPS. I've made that mistake once already and she's already terrified."

"And why weren't you paying attention, Mr. Puckerman?"

"I was stressed from losing our show choir competition and getting like no sleep that night so I was a bit foggy on the whole thing. We still had a month to figure out what we were going to do about Beth but...well that didn't work out," he muttered.

"She was born premature," he said matter of factly. Puck resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the guy. For a person who was supposed to help them figure something out, he wasn't exactly as attentive as he would have hoped.

"Yeah. I was under a lot of pressure to see if Quinn would change her mind at the last minute or something. Would have done anything I could to keep her but it wasn't my choice."

"You understand that both parents must sign to make this a legally binding contract, right?"

"Yes and I signed it. I don't remember much from that day but I do remember that."

"Mr. Puckerman from what you're telling me, it sounds like you signed her over under duress."

"Under what?"

"Duress. It means that you were essentially forced or coerced into signing over your rights. If Ms. Fabray hadn't asked you to, would you have offered up your daughter for adoption?"

"If it was up to me, of course not," he said, his lip forming a tight line.

"It was up to you," Harold pointed out. "To make such a life-changing decision, both parents must be in agreement on its outcome."

"I did what she asked me to," he said.

"But had you the time, the proper sleep, and not the added stress of other activities, you would have tried to sway her choices."

"I only did what she wanted."

"But the end result was not what you wanted."

"No sir."

"Mr. Puckerman, you signed under duress. Now, that essentially makes this contract incomplete. That's not to say that you've always obtained your rights as a father. It simply means that we go ahead and set this aside."

"So that means..."

"It means you have obtained full, legal rights to your child." The smile across Puck's face couldn't have spread any wider if he tried. Seeing the boy's expression, Harold brought his hand up. "I need to run a few more things by you. As a specialist in domestic violence-as is stated in the child's file-I must be sure that you have complete understanding of not only your rights but your responsibilities as a caretaker."

"I do," he said simply.

"Do you have a proper and reliable form of income?"

"Yes and my mom has agreed to help out where she can until we can get ourselves figured out." The suited man looked over at the woman in question who offered her agreement.

"Does anyone in your home take to any form of illegal substances?"

"No," he said, his answer riding on a breath as he kept his cringe as discreet as possible.

"Do you believe that anyone in the home is an immediate danger to the child in question?"

"Of course not," he said, his voice beginning to ride on the edge of frustration earning him a warning glance from his mom.

"Standard procedure," he said.

"With all due respect, Mr. Archer, we're not a danger to our kid. Especially if it's anything compared to what she just got out of. Nothing is worse than that," he said biting his lip.

"I understand your concern. We just have some of our own."

"Well you don't need to have them. I'm a good dad," he said somewhat defensively.

"I do not doubt your abilities, Mr. Puckerman." Puck nodded silently somehow not quite believing the man behind the desk. Then again, at their age, everyone had something to say.

"In cases like these we make sure to be extra cautious."

"I get that but you really don't have to be. I would never..." he trailed feeling sick at the very idea of laying a hand on Beth. He couldn't help the tone he'd fallen into as he spoke now. First Quinn (who had eventually figured out otherwise), and then Shelby who was so clearly in the wrong he couldn't even see straight. And now this guy. He understood the worry but couldn't keep from being slightly offended. He'd spent his whole life being judged and criticized and being enough a man for his daughter...enough man for Quinn was the only place where he felt he did something right for a change.

"From what you've shown me of your determination today, I highly doubt you would," he said in consolation.

"So does that mean we get our kid back now?" He cringed as Quinn kicked him discreetly. Even though she hadn't said a word, her eyes said enough, the glare in them enough indication that his attitude left a lot to be desired. "Sorry," he mumbled. Harold only offered a curt nod.

"Not so fast. I'm only building up your case. By providing your statement, you're giving us enough to show a judge, who will essentially make the final ruling."

"How long before we can do that?"

"Well, all we really need is a judge willing to review your case so that they can make the final decision. According to what I've read in the file and what you've shared with me today, the ruling should be a breeze. I'll be sure to give you a call when we find one."

"Is there any way we could speed up the process at all?" Ava asked. Howard Archer raised his brow in contemplation.

"We've been dancing this dance for a while," Puck sighed. "The sooner I know that she's home for good, the better we'll sleep. It's already enough of a challenge with the nightmares she has because of what's been done to her." He could feel his jaw tighten at the very thought of Shelby cursing her and her actions. He wanted to do much more to her but seeing as that would land him right along-side the number one problem, he fought the urge.

"I understand. I actually have a few officials in mind. I considered them as I looked all of this over earlier this morning." Puck sighed, quietly taking Beth closer to him to calm his nerves. With her hands now free, Quinn settled a hand along his leg as they waited.

"Almost done," he whispered, the wind of his whisper bringing Beth's eyes to meet his. A gentle poke of her nose produced a light giggle.

"Shh or we'll have to wait outside." As she grew quiet Beth settled in against him admiring the shapes and colors in his tie.

"Yes, thank you." Quietly hanging up, Harold nodded over to the small family in his office. "I requested a rush on your behalf. Judge Garland has a moment after his lunch hour at two. The court house is over one 12th and Main. I'll meet you there as legal support."

"So we just...tell them what we told you? Or is there another hoop we have to jump through?"

"No more hoops," he laughed. "The rest is really quite simple. You just need these statements properly authorized and she'll be yours before the ink dries."

"You hear that, Beth? You get to come home. For good," he grinned. Puck's happiness quickly turned to a grimace as she tugged at his ear. "Owwww, that's my ear, baby girl," he chuckled pulling it away gently. Beth seemed not to mind as his reaction only made her laugh. He rolled his eyes and sighed as they rose to thank Harold for his patience and going the extra mile in the favor.

Xxx

Thankfully the last step didn't take as much work as the first. After briefing and reviewing prior information (and Puck once again having to repeat his stance on the wrongful signing and proper care-all of which made him roll his eyes), the four were on their way home. As they finally pulled into the driveway, Puck could feel a weight being lifted.

"One less stress," he breathed. "Now there's just about a dozen more to worry about."

"Like finding a job," Ava provided.

"Yeah...that. But I will. I swear I will. She's home and for right now, that's all I'm gonna worry about." His mother nodded making her way back into the house, the small family following close behind. Falling back in against the couch, his tie came off in one swift move. That thing's a choking hazard," he mumbled popping his first couple of buttons relieved that he was finally able to breathe. Quinn smiled gently resting her head at his shoulder. "Welcome home, baby," he smiled. "Now who wants lunch?" He laughed quietly at the groan Quinn produced easing her up into standing position. "C'mon. It won't be so bad." Right...

A/N: Alright well, there's that. I'm just gonna go stretch out my fingers now...You know the drill :)