A/N: This totally should have either happened tonight or should happen at some point this season. Why wouldn't Puck and Rachel have a conversation about Beth? It's ridiculous.
Rachel had been pacing on the front porch for the better part of fifteen minutes. Everytime she went to knock on the door, something else popped up in her head and she went back to wearing a hole in the concrete. She stopped suddenly when she heard a baby crying.
She stepped off the porch and looked in the first window she came to. Her heart jumped to her throat when she saw the scene before her. Her mother was sitting on the arm of the couch, watching on as Puck sat in the floor with his daughter. She watched as he picked her up, awkwardly, and held her to his chest, attempting to stop the crying. When she looked back up to Shelby, she was looking back at her.
Rachel jumped back from the window and stumbled over the garden hose stretched across the lawn. Just as she was recovering, the front door opened and Shelby stepped outside.
"You know, heels are not the footwear for spying." She said. "Just a little advice."
"I...I'm sorry." Rachel stuttered. "I swear it isn't what it looks like."
Shelby smiled at her daughter. "You wanna come inside or would you rather watch through the window?"
"Don't you have company?"
She shrugged. "Aren't you and Noah in Glee Club together? You don't hate each other or something do you?"
"No, of course I don't hate Noah. We're friends...I think."
"Then come on in." Shelby laughed. "Would you like to meet your little sister?"
She nodded quickly and followed her mother inside.
"Noah, I believe you and Rachel know each other?"
"Sup, Berry?"
"Hi Noah." She replied, looking to the little girl in his arms.
"This is her first time seeing her." Shelby whispered.
"Oh." Puck chuckled. "Beth? Hey Beth, see her? That's Rachel. She's your, uh, well I guess she's your big sister now. She's pretty cool. Maybe when your older she can teach you to sing or somethin'. Berry, this is my little girl."
"Hi." Rachel smiled brightly. "You are so beautiful. Wow."
"She looks like Quinn."
"She looks like you too." She responded. "She's got your smile and your eyelashes."
"Thanks." He mumbled. "You wanna hold her? Is that cool Shelby?"
"It's fine."
"Cool." Puck picked her up and put her on Rachel's lap.
"Hi Beth." Rachel cooed.
"Hi." The toddler repeated, causing Rachel to gasp.
"I think she likes me."
"Course she does." Puck told her. "Everyone likes you."
"No they don't." Rachel laughed.
"Well whatever. I do."
Rachel couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.
After Beth had been put to bed, Shelby agreed that the two of them could come back sometime later in the week. When they got outside, Puck looked around.
"Where's your car?" He asked.
"Oh, I walked."
"You want a ride home?"
"O-Okay."
He opened the passenger door for her, earning a very surprised look. He smirked in response.
"So what'd you think?" He asked, as he started the car.
"She's amazing Noah."
He sighs, shaking his head. "I can't believe I made that. Everything I do is so...fucked up. But Beth is perfect. I mean, how is it possible that part of her came from me?"
Rachel reaches over and touches his arm. "You are not that bad."
He smiled. "Did you see the picture on the fridge? I brought one over the first time I got to meet her and then last time she and I drew one together. She's so talented. Did you hear her say my name before Shelby put her to bed? God, that was awesome." Finally he looked over at her to notice the look on her face. "What's with the grin?"
"Hearing you talk about her," She bit her lip and looked at the floorboard. "It's just a side of you I've never seen. It suits you."
"Thanks?"
She giggled. "It's a compliment Noah. Beth's going to love you. Shelby's going to let you keep seeing her, right?"
His face fell. "As long as I can keep Quinn's selfish ass in check. You know what that bitch is doing now?"
"Noah,"
"She's gonna try to get custody of Beth." He slammed his hand on the wheel. "She's gonna mess everything up! I would love to raise my daughter myself, but the reality is that I'm a senior in high school and I can't provide the life she deserves. I'm really, really lucky that not only is Shleby gonna give her that life but that she's even considering letting me be a part of it. No court in their right mind is gonna give Quinn custody, all she's gonna do is make it so Shelby doesn't let either one of us see her."
"Noah pull over." She ordered. "Now." He pulled off the road suddenly and slammed the brakes on. "What exactly did Quinn say?"
"That everything, the whole dying her hair back, joining Glee again is an act. She just wants to get Beth back."
"She's not going to."
"I know." He growls. "But Rach...what if she does. I mean, she's an evil bitch. Sorry, but it's true. She's almost as evil as Santana and I'm afraid of what she could do. If she got custody, she'd never let me see her again."
"She won't get custody."
"What if she kidnaps her? Dammit." He raised his hands to his head. "I couldn't stand the thought of my little girl in danger."
After a couple of moments of silence, Rachel scooted across the truck seat and put her arm around his shoulder. "Have you told Shelby about this?"
"I'm afraid." He whispered, putting his head on the steering wheel. "That she won't let me come over anymore."
"It's not your fault Quinn's crazy. I'll talk to her. I'm quite persuasive. I'll do everything I can to make sure you can keep seeing her."
He looked over at her, and smiled. "Thanks Rachel. That's pretty awesome of you."
"Well, my birth mom adopted your daughter. I think that kind of makes us family."
He nodded and then knitted his eyebrows together. "Wait, but in the metaphorical way right? Cuz I know you don't forget us totally making out sophmore year. And junior year."
She nudged him with a smile on her face. "I just meant that I'll always have your back."
"Back at ya, baby."
She laughed. "And the Puckasaurus is back. I'm not single Noah."
"I know." He rolled his eyes. "Seriously, though, thanks. It means a lot."
She smiled. "Anytime."
"And if you ever find yourself single again, you'd make a great step mom."
She shoved his shoulder and scooted back across the seat. "Take me home Noah."
He started the truck back up again and started to put it in gear. "Hey Rachel?"
"Hmm?" She responded, looking out the window to her right.
"Do you gotta go home?" He chuckled a little at the look she gave him. "Chill out Berry, I just don't wanna be alone right now." He didn't like the way her smile made him feel. "Tell anyone I said that, and I'll go back to slushing you."
"You wouldn't dare. You're too sweet."
He rolled his eyes again. "Shut up Berry."
"Beth's lucky to have you." She told him.
"I'm thinkin' of moving to New York after high school." He said. "You know, Shelby's got a place up there and maybe if I make somethin' of myself up there, she'll let me keep her while she's workin'." He looked at her across the seat to find that same smile on her face. "I know, it's stupid."
She shook her head. "Actually, I was just thinking how nice it'll be to have a friend in the city to hang out with me when I blow auditions."
He smirked. "Screw that, I'm gonna be the dude you go party with when you kill every single one."
Even though she knew she shouldn't, she scooted back across the seat to kiss him on the cheek, and didn't say one word when he put his arm around her back to hold her there at his side. She just rested her head on his shoulder and stayed that way as he took her on the very long route home.
