A/N: Good evening Gleeks! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've had last assignments for this semester of university, exam preperation and moving house to keep me distracted, and I've also bee addicted to writing another Glee story, which I was really excited for until I got stuck... anyway, do enjoy this chapter guys!
Chapter 13:
Puck was being deployed the following Monday, and he and Quinn took a raincheck on Sunday night dinner with the glee alumni at Rachel's to tell Beth;
"Beth, honey," Quinn said gently as she sat her daughter on her knee on the couch "your daddy and I have something we need to tell you,"
"Is it about the baby?" Beth asked enthusiastically.
"Not quite, monkey face," Puck took over when Quinn shook her head tearily "I've gotta go away and work for a while,"
"How long?" Beth asked, turning to her father.
"Six months, darlin'," Puck answered solemnly, and Beth gazed up at him, her bottom lip wobbling; six months was longer than her little four and a half year old mind could comprehend!
"Daddy!" she let out worriedly.
"I'm right here, Beth," he said gently, scooping her into his arms "and I'll be home before you know it, OK?"
"OK," Beth said reluctantly before pulling her father into a hug.
The following morning, the young family was standing at the departures gate at the airport, saying their goodbyes,
"Bye daddy," Beth nuzzled into Puck's neck as he held her tight in his arms.
"Bye, monkey face," Puck said gently, hugging her and kissing the top of her head "take care of mommy for me, OK?"
"Ok," she sniffled as he put her down to open his arms for Quinn, who allowed herself to fall into them and be held in his safe embrace.
"Be safe," Quinn told him weakly.
"Will do," he promised "I love you,"
"Love you too," Quinn mumbled.
"And you," he kneeled down to put a hand on Quinn's belly as she fought a giggle "I know you can't hear me in there, but by the time I get home, you'll be almost ready to be born, so you wait for me, OK squirt? And don't give your mom too much trouble!" he stood up and pulled Quinn into another hug, "I'll be back before you know it, babe, I promise," he mumbled, and she nodded wordlessly, blinking at tears as he let her go and headed towards the gate, giving his family one last wave before disappearing into the crowd.
It wasn't until a few hours later, when Quinn and Beth were in bed and Quinn was shut in her and Puck's bedroom, wrapped up in her blankets, that she finally let the tears she had been holding in fall. She sat with her knees up to her chest and cried so hard that she was shaking, for the first time since Finn had died. She cried and cried until she had a pain in her chest from the sobs that wracked her body and her head ached.
"Mommy?" Quinn looked up at the little voice, and saw Beth standing in the doorway to hers and Puck's room.
"Hi baby," she gave a weak smile, and the little girl made her way over to crawl into bed beside her mother and cuddle into her side "I miss your daddy already,"
"Me too," Beth mumbled "is he home soon?" she asked, her big brown eyes gazing up into her mother's teary ones.
"Not for a while, honey," Quinn answered, sniffling "it's pretty lonely though, huh?" Beth nodded and Quinn put her arm around the little girl's shoulders "You wanna sleep in here with me?"
"Yeah," Beth said in a small voice, and soon the mother and daughter were curled up together in the big bed, finally sleeping soundly.
A/N: Aww it's actually really sad for me to think about Puck leaving his family behind! Poor Beth and Quinn!
Leave me a review if you think this super short chapter (sorry!) was worthy, and I'll see you in the next one!