So first off, I want to thank you guys for all being so awesome last chapter. I'm really glad you liked them being back home and Santana and all that good stuff. Honestly I just love Santana, I have such a soft spot in my heart for her and I believe there is so much more to her than the bitchy cheerleader we see every week and I like to write her when I can. But anyway, thanks again for being so awesome and sending me reviews, you guys have no idea how much they make my day!
Second, I'm posting this on Monday because I have a paper to finish tomorrow on my usual posting day, and I work and I'm honestly 99% sure that I will not make it on tomorrow to post this.
Third, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but next chapter is the final chapter. I've had this story finished for months now but it just feels so real that I'm finally posting and its almost done. But on the upside, I'm working on a new Quick/Finchel fic that revolves around Rachel and Quinn and I'm really excited about it. Its really loosely based on the movie The Holiday which is one I just love. Its longer than this one too so that's something to look forward to. Anyway, I'll quit rambling, they're still in Lima in this one. I hope you guys like it, and remember, reviews are love!
Christmas music drifted softly throughout her childhood home and Quinn softly sang along with the songs as she went about making cookies. Its something she'd done since she was a little girl and it wasn't something that she planned on stopping anytime soon. She couldn't wait to be able to do this in a few years time with Maggie.
The thought alone made her smile grow bigger and she rubbed small circles on her stomach as she read a recipe for shortcake cookies. She was the only one home, her mother had gone out to do some last minute Christmas shopping and Puck was with Finn visiting Finn's mom and step-dad.
She didn't hear the front door open so she jumped, spilling flour everywhere when Puck came home and slipped his arms around her waist, resting his hands on her ever growing belly. He laughed softly in her ear when she turned her head to scowl at him and pressed soft kisses along the back of her neck.
"What are you doing baby?" he asked, surveying the mess he had just caused her to make.
"Baking cookies. There's some sugar cookies over there if you want one. How are Carol and Burt?" she asked, wiping up the excess flour from the counter.
"Good, said to say hi. Carol says she'll see you tomorrow at the shower. Speaking of which, where are your two accomplices?" Puck asked, referring to Rachel and Mercedes.
"They're setting up for my shower. And its all some big surprise so I'm not allowed to go see. And they enlisted Santana, Brittany, Kurt, and Tina to help so I don't even have anyone to entertain me."
"Oh I'll entertain you baby," Puck smirked, bringing his hands to rest on her hips.
Quinn laughed and lightly pushed him away. "You're going to come shopping with me?"
"Fuck that. I've got other ways to keep you entertained."
"You're impossible!"
"Its part of my charm. Admit it, you'd be lost without me and my wicked ways."
"What if I wasn't?" Quinn asked, turning around and leaning against the counter, her belly in between them.
"You would be," he assured her leaning closer, careful not to squish Maggie between them.
"I totally would be," she agreed closing the gap and kissing him. And for the first time in her life, Quinn Fabray burned a batch of cookies.
Later that night Quinn rolled over onto her other side and pressed herself against Puck. Or at least as close as she could get with Maggie in between them. She smirked when Maggie started kicking up a storm against his back.
"Babe, what the hell are you doing?" he mumbled, his voice full of sleep.
"We can't sleep," Quinn replied pouting. Puck rolled over and faced her.
"Why's that?" he asked as she started tracing random patterns on his chest.
"I think we're both excited that its snowing. You know I love snow and Maggie hasn't stopped kicking since my mom announced it was snowing when we all went upstairs to bed two hours ago."
"And what exactly did you have in mind to make you two sleepy?" Puck asked placing his hand onto her hip and rubbing small circles.
"Let's go for a walk!"
"Q, its after one in the morning."
"So? Just a quick one around the block. Babe its so pretty when it snows. Do this just once. For us?" Quinn begged pouting a little bit. "We love you," she threw in for good measure.
He groaned and climbed out of bed. "Put this on with your winter coat," he told her, thrusting one of his hoodies at her.
She pulled it over her head and bump before tossing her hair up into a quick ponytail. "You just like it when I wear your shirts." Quinn smirked, making her way out of her room Puck right behind her.
"That's because you look damn hot in them. Pretty sure you're wearing one of my old football t-shirts under that hoodie too."
Quinn smiled at him over her shoulder and the pair quietly made their way down the stairs and pulled on their coats and boots.
She slipped her gloved hand into his once they were outside and the other rested on her stomach to try and calm down her over-active daughter.
"Its so pretty," Quinn gushed, looking around at the winter wonderland.
"It's alright," Puck told her pulling her closer. He'd be dammed if she caught something from this late night walk.
"You're just mad because we dragged you out of bed."
"Baby this isn't anything new. You're always craving something that sends me out at all ungodly hours of the night."
Quinn laughed. "Next year at this time she'll be walking and she'll almost be one."
"Pretty un-fucking-believable huh?"
"Mmhmm. Do you remember the last time we wandered around late at night like this?"
"Wasn't it senior year right after we won regionals in New York and me, you, Finn, and Rachel all ended up sprawled out on the grass in Central Park at two in the morning just looking at the stars?"
"Yeah. I thought for sure you were going to kiss me that night. I spent weeks afterwards obsessing over why you didn't with Rachel, Mercedes and Santana. And I only stopped because San told me to 'shut the fuck up and quick your fucking bitching.'"
"I was going to. But we were finally friends, good friends, and as pussy like as this sounds, I didn't want to fuck that up. I figured having you around as my friend was better than not having you around at all."
"I love you you know that?"
"I love you too. Both of you."
"Mom says she's sorry she can't make it today but she needs this extra rehearsal with Vocal Adrenaline because she's not losing to New Directions again this year," Beth announced, throwing herself into Puck's truck the next day.
"Hi Beth its nice to see you too," Puck smirked, looking over at Quinn who rolled her eyes.
"Whatever you guys talked to me yesterday so its not like we haven't talked in ages or something," Beth replied, leaning over to fiddle with the radio until she found a station that played Christmas music. "She does say that she would love for us to join you guys for Christmas dinner since we had no plans since her family is Jewish and we already saw them for Hanukah."
Shelby, who was Jewish, had raised Beth with Christian holidays too so she'd have a little bit from both of her birth parents.
"You spend too much time talking to Rachel Beth," Puck smirked.
Beth scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You're just mad that I can string together more than one sentence at a time."
"You're such a smartass!" Puck exclaimed pulling into the restaurant where the shower was going to be held.
"I get it from you, at least that's what Quinn and Rachel tell me!" Beth retorted, launching herself out of Puck's truck and waiting outside for Quinn.
"Bye babe, have fun today. I'll be back at three with the truck to load everything up okay?" Puck asked, leaning over and kissing Quinn softly on the lips.
"Have fun with the boys. Don't get too reckless, and don't give Tina's husband too hard of a time okay? Greg is a good guy."
"I know he is. Last time we were just initiating him into the group, just like all six of you gave both Lexie and Savannah the third degree," Puck said referring to Matt's and Artie's wives.
"Will you two hurry the hell up? I'm freezing out here!" Beth called.
Quinn laughed and kissed Puck again. "I'll see you later," she said against his lips.
"Or we could just go now," he replied deepening the kiss.
"You know its still gross to watch your birth parents make out in your birth father's truck while your birth mother is eight months pregnant. Just saying."
"I better go," Quinn told him getting out of the truck and closing the door. She wrapped an arm around Beth's shoulders and started to lead her inside.
"Wow Quinn, you got huge!" Beth exclaimed noticing her belly.
Quinn laughed, "I have about three weeks to go, I'd hope I'm huge."
"No I just didn't notice it the other night, I think you grew since then."
"Probably," Quinn told her leading her inside where her friends were all gathered. "Come on let's get this over with," Quinn added kissing the top of Beth's head.
The shower was a huge success, their friends had really spoiled them too much. It was late in the afternoon when they arrived home and Quinn collapsed onto her childhood bed to take an afternoon nap while Puck and Finn brought everything into the house until they got back to Cincy next week.
She woke up around five thirty and the house was quiet as she paddled her way down the hallway. She found Puck set up on his laptop at the kitchen island and she softly slipped her hands onto his shoulders, massaging them as she peered over his shoulder.
"What are you looking at babe?" she asked her voice still laced with sleep.
"Apartments," Puck replied not looking away from the screen.
"Why?" Quinn asked leaning closer, her belly pressing into his back, to get a better look.
"My lease is up at the end of January so I thought I'd try and find something closer to your condo."
"Oh," Quinn replies her lips forming a perfect 'o' shape. "You should just move in with me," she whispers.
"What?" Puck asked pushing the chair back and pulling her onto his lap.
"Move in with me."
"Baby are you sure? Don't you think everyone will think its too soon?"
Quinn laughed softly to herself. Usually it was her questioning everything like this. She thinks she likes this little role reversal they have going on.
"There's no way any of our friends will think its too soon. We're having this baby together, we're together, and you've been my best friend for years. I think this is a long time coming."
"You're absolutely sure this is what you want. Because the thought of living with you sounds amazing, but I don't want you to do something that you're not one hundred percent sure of."
Quinn nodded her head. "I'm sure. I want you to move in. I want you to be with us all the time not just sometimes. I want us to be a real family."
"I'll start packing my shit the moment we get home," Puck replied leaning his head closer to hers.
"Good," Quinn replied, closing the gap between them and kissing him softly.
