A/N: Oh my gosh, this chapter is so long! It had so much to be put in it, otherwise the pace and the story won't work. I'm kinda nervous about the next couple of chapters - there's some MAJOR stuff coming, and I'm not sure whether you'll love it or hate it. Either way, I'll write it and you'll let me know. Please read and review!

Disclaimer: Same old, same old.

They were a team. Noah had driven to her house at top speed, shouting a, "Hey, Mr. Berry… Mr. Berry!" as he throttled up the stairs to her room. They had stayed on her bed for hours, poring over print-outs, her computer, and some law books that she had checked out of the library that afternoon.

"What?" she had asked him innocently. "It never hurts to be prepared."

She smiled when he laughed, and they went back to going over the reading material, making lists and compiling notes. They spent the rest of the weekend in the same fashion, sometimes changing their location when Noah needed to be home to watch his sister. After 2 days she found herself settling into a pattern that felt natural to her, and felt almost at home in Noah's house; although he still wouldn't let her meet his mother.

Going back to school that Monday had been awkward – Noah had shown up at Rachel's house early so that they could go over what they had each managed to dig up overnight, and then he had given her a ride to school. When she had stepped out of his truck in the parking lot (fell out was a lot more like it) she had seen everyone in the vicinity stop and stare at her. Well, it's not like they haven't seen it before, she thought, and had walked with Noah into the school building.

No one slushied her anymore. No one taunted her anymore. In fact… almost no one said anything to her anymore, except the glee kids. Even they were unsure of what to say, though, so she expected that they were just keeping their distance until the other shoe dropped.

Quinn was still in the hospital, but Finn had returned to school that Monday, too. She and Noah had kept an eye out for him as they passed through the corridors, and when they walked into the glee room (Noah trembling, Rachel half-pushing him through the doorway) they both expected Finn to erupt as he had done the other morning.

No eruption came. As it was, Finn had adopted a stony silence towards everyone, and curtly answered all questions about the baby and Quinn. He was sticking to what he had told Rachel he would do; however, and was still with Quinn and still pretending the baby was his. She and Noah had decided that for the time being, a don't ask/don't tell policy was the best policy to be adopted.

Mr. Schuester had seemed to come (slightly) to his senses and realized that he had had no right to start to open that can of worms. As it was, he looked neither Finn nor Noah in the eye and spoke only to Rachel.

The days passed by, and though Quinn returned to school, news of a "scandal" did not break. Every time she entered the room she looked pointedly away from Noah and Rachel and maintained her distance. Despite her cold shoulder, she sent Rachel text messages updating her on the baby. She seemed to think Rachel was an acceptable middle-man for dealing with the true father of her child.

Weeks passed and their piles of research mounted up and Rachel stopped hearing rumors that she was sleeping with Puck to make Finn jealous. Instead, their togetherness was viewed as commonplace. Even the glee kids viewed them as a team – pick one and the other comes with. Kind of like a buy-one, get one free.

She and Noah were currently sitting on her bed doing homework. She had finished her essay for English 20 minutes prior, and had been rifling through their notes when she shoved the stack of papers away from her and said, "Enough."

Startled, Noah looked up at her. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Can't come up with a good enough conclusion, Berry?" He was teasing her.

"No, I finished that a while ago. My brain powers are exceptional, and uh… I typed my rough draft out last night after I left your house, so I didn't have too much to do today," she concluded.

"But, no," she picked-up again, "enough. We have done weeks worth of research. We have pored over dozens of law texts and paternity case precedents. We have documented everything, listed every witness, and made notations of everything we possibly could have noted. It's time."

She could see that he was hesitant to move forward – going to the lawyer they had decided upon made it really real. Scary real. The threat of the lawyer and the research they had been doing was all well and good, but Quinn was getting bigger every day, and she was just as determined to give the baby up for adoption as she had been when Noah had last spoken to her face-to-face.

"You're right, it's time," he agreed with her, and closed his textbook.

"Should I make an appointment for us tomorrow?" she queried.

"Rachel," he began slowly, "I think it would be best if, at least for the initial meeting, I went to the lawyer…alone."

She tried to hide the hurt that she felt at his words – what about the team? – but she knew she was unsuccessful when he immediately scooted towards her and took her hand into his. She immediately felt the little zing that popped through her whenever they made physical contact, but once again, she pushed it away. That was over. It was different now.

"Just because if we go together, the lawyer may look at it as if we are trying to win this custody case – which we are – but we as a couple, not we as a team. And…"she watched him run his fingers through his peach-fuzzy hair (he had started growing it out in an effort to look "more mature") "I think that this is one step that I need to take on my own."

"Oh," she said softly, her eyes focused on the piles of papers they had compiled.

"Well, of course you're right," she said brightly. "You should take this step on your own. It will show you in a positive light; that you, and truly you, are dedicated to becoming a good father. That that is your first, and only goal with this lawsuit. To be a good father to your daughter."

"Do you really mean that, or are you just saying that to make the situation easier?" he asked her, and it was hard for her to lie.

"Of course I mean it, Noah," she said and thrust a piece of paper at him. "Call tomorrow, first thing. Book the first appointment available. Don't lose that paper!" she admonished him.

"Rach…" he whispered, and this time it was his turn to speak softly. "I was kinda hoping that I could call tomorrow morning before we go into school. Before we get out of the truck. I need you…r support," he stuttered.

She tried not to linger over the fact that he had nearly said "you" and not "your support." "Of course I'll be there to support you," she said. "Now finish your homework."

The next morning he made the phone call and, true to her word, she sat beside him in the truck, her hand resting on his arm. When he hung up, he turned and grinned at her.

"They have availability this afternoon. I can't believe I'm actually doing this!" he said, and she could tell that he was elated and scared at the same time.

"You're actually doing this," she repeated, and wondered why she felt odd about using the word "you."

"I'll come over right after the meeting," he said to her as they got out of the truck.

"Aren't you going to take me home?" she asked him, surprised.

"Well, the appointment's at 4, and school doesn't get out until 3:30, and you know there's always a jam in the parking lot, and you won't skip AP Lit no matter how many times I try to convince you it's okay, so…" he trailed off.

"I guess I need to find a ride," she finished for him, and they spent the rest of the walk into school in silence.

Throughout the day she queried her friends as to who could drive her home after school – surprisingly, everyone seemed to be busy. Even Mr. Schue had an appointment at the obstetrician with his wife, and was unable to drive her.

"I can drive you," she heard from behind her as Tina finished stuttering her apology about having to baby-sit.

They were the first words he had spoken to her in weeks. "What?" she said, whirling around to look at him.

"I can drive you home, if you need a ride," Finn repeated. "I kind of…owe you after what happened. I wanted to apologize for my…behavior."

Rachel stood still in shock as she processed his words. The last time they had spoken had been so heated, and even though they had evoked some semblance of a cease-fire since the "incident" as she, her dads, and Noah had come to refer to it, they were nowhere close to achieving détente.

She felt, rather than saw, Noah's gaze shift towards her down the hallway. Almost instantly, he was at her side.

"Is there a problem?" she heard him growl, and she almost giggled at how ferocious he sounded protecting her.

"Finn just offered to give me a ride home from school," she told him, sharing her thoughts with him through her eyes.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Hudson. The last time you were outside school grounds with her, you almost hit her. I don't know if you can control yourself well enough to drive her safely home."

Rachel could feel the testosterone levels rising, and she knew that she had to exert some modicum of control over Noah so that he didn't revert to "Puck" and potentially impair his lawsuit.

"It's okay," she said quickly, stepping between the two boys. "Finn wants to apologize. He will drive, I will listen, I will get out of the car, and he will leave. I will be safe. He will not hurt me. Will you." she warned Finn.

"I'll meet you at your car, Finn. I remember which one it is. It's hard to block out the images," she slung a barb at him. "Now come on, Noah, we're going to be late for class," she said, and grabbed his hand, towing him away from Finn.

"Yes, come on, Noah," she heard Finn sneer behind her, "you of all people don't want to be late to class." She tightened her grip on Noah's hand and tugged him harder against the sea of students.

"Do not let him get to you. Do not ruin your focus. He is worthless. And furthermore, do not worry about me. I know what I'm doing, and, let's face it, I have no other options. I can take care of myself," she breathed to him as they wound their way down the hallways.

"If he lays even one finger on you, or harms you in any way, so help me God, I will kill him," Noah said, and ran his fingers through his stubble.

"He won't. Now focus!" she commanded him, and steered him into the classroom.

She was worried, but she knew she couldn't let Noah see that. She expected that he probably saw through her tough act, but she also knew that this afternoon was too important to jeopardize over an issue as trivial as a ride home. He had to remain confident. He had to convince the lawyer that he had a case.

She fretted over him for the rest of the day, making sure he ate lunch and had all of his notes and precedents and paperwork. Anytime he tried to broach the subject of her car ride with Finn, she steered him back into safer waters. As the school day came to a close, she walked with him out to his truck.

"Good luck," she said, and pulled him into a fierce hug. "You'll be wonderful. It will go well, you'll see."

"Maybe this time…" he half-sang at her, and she grinned.

"You'll win," she replied and hugged him again. "Now, go! You'll be late!" She shut the truck door and watched as he pulled out of the parking lot. Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket and she opened it to reveal a text. It read, "Be safe."

Sighing, she walked towards the beat-up Volvo that had brought drama to her household. Finn was leaning against the trunk, waiting for her.

"Where's Quinn?" she asked him; she had expected to have a buffer between the two of them for the car ride home.

"She had a doctor's appointment this afternoon. Her mom picked her up, and then they're going to go get maternity clothes. Hers apparently aren't "in vogue" enough," he joked.

"Why couldn't Puck give you a ride home?" he continued as he got into the car.

"He had an appointment with his sister that he forgot about until we got to school," she replied. They had worked out a believable excuse because they wanted the lawsuit to be a surprise to Quinn. They knew that she probably thought Noah had just been bluffing when he mentioned a lawyer, seeing as how nothing had happened in weeks.

"Huh," Finn grunted. She strapped herself into the seat and settled back, feeling highly anxious about the situation. She decided that the best way to get through it was to play a role, and not let Finn ever get the upper hand.

"You wanted to apologize. So apologize," she said sternly. As he opened his mouth she tuned out his blather – there was nothing he could say to her that would fix what had happened between them. While she truly believed that he had just reached a mental snapping point that day, and that he wouldn't have actually hit her if her father hadn't stopped him, enough had broken between them that could never be repaired.

The streets passed by her and she felt herself instinctually tune-in when she heard the word, "lawyer."

"What? Repeat that?" she requested, unsure of what he had said.

"I said, I'm glad that Puck decided against his decision to get a lawyer, because we all know how well that would work out."

"Oh yeah?" she questioned, "how would that work out?"

"He'd lose," Finn stated bluntly. "He's Puck. Who in their right mind would ever give him a child?"

"Your misconception of Noah Puckerman is astounding, Finn, and what's more astounding is the fact that you think that you are more highly qualified to be a father than he is, when you're dumber than a box of rocks!" she finished vehemently.

They had pulled into her driveway while she had shouted at him. Now that she realized she was home, she angrily unclicked the seatbelt and got out of the car.

"And once again, we have reached an impasse, and I must, once again, remind you that I never wish to speak to you again." She had a burst of Puck-ish inspiration, and (in a very un-Rachel fashion) leaned forward towards the open window and said, "Fuck. You." With that, she diva-turned and tossed her hair over her shoulder and strutted towards her front door.

After she let herself in, she leaned her back against the door, feeling a wave of euphoria rush over her. Ha! She had successfully defended Noah, defended herself, ridiculed Finn, and had not managed to spill the beans about the lawyer, all in the same 10 minute car trip. Suck on that, Finn Hudson, she thought, and beamed at her Puck impersonation.

I'm damn good, she thought, and went upstairs to start her homework and wait for Noah to arrive.

She was so absorbed in her math book that she didn't hear him pull in. When the front door opened (he had his own key now, he was there so much), she leapt up from her bed and raced down the stairs. She ran towards him and threw herself into a hug.

"How did it go?" she asked, searching his face for an unspoken response.

"It went…pretty well," he breathed at her, clutching her into a hug. "I was terrified going in there, and I was wishing I had brought you with me so that you could push me through the doorway, but then I just thought of how happy I'll be when my little girl comes home with me and… I walked in."

He told her about the case that he had presented to the lawyer, and how the lawyer had responded to all of the information they had gathered. "He said we have a very good chance of winning," Noah said, his grin faltering. "There's just one problem."

"What problem?" she asked as she walked into the kitchen. She knew that he would be hungry after such a long break after lunch.

"We have to find out if Quinn entered into any sort of legal agreement with the people she wants to adopt the baby. If she did, we have to find out if she entered into that agreement before or after I was informed of her pregnancy and my paternity. If she didn't, then the case is stronger," he stated as he rummaged through the refrigerator.

"But we don't know who those people are!" Rachel cried, dropping the spoon she was holding back into the silverware drawer. "And without being completely obvious, we can't find that out from Quinn!"

"Ah, young padawan," Noah smiled, removing a tub of ice cream from the freezer. "You are yet young in the ways of being sneaky – we shall achieve what we desire," he continued goofily.

She was so happy that he was pleased with the way things had gone – he seemed buoyed with optimism and she loved that he was teasing and joking with her. Even more, she realized, she loved that he was back to using "we" instead of "I."

"So, what, we're going to stalk her now? That will be a change from the 'Avoid at All Costs' plan of action we have in place. Teach me, Jedi Master," she teased back.

And so he did. They watched Quinn at school; they watched her go home. They watched her house from the park across the street; they watched her go to, and come from, her obstetrician appointments. They watched her shop, they watched her eat, they watched her all the time, waiting for her to meet with the people that were better parents for Noah's daughter than himself.

Rachel was trained in the Jedi ways of spying and hacking. She managed to con Jacob Ben Israel into hacking Quinn's passwords, and they spent days poring through her emails, but they found nothing, and saw nothing, that indicated that Quinn had ever made any contact with any adoption agency or anyone interested in adopting a baby. They were beginning to reach the end of their rope when Quinn had to leave rehearsal to pee, and Rachel was sitting right next to her purse.

Deftly, without even thinking about it, she snagged Quinn's cell phone from her open purse and slipped it into her own. No one noticed, not even Noah; they were all paying attention to Mr. Schue.

That night, they scrolled through Quinn's contact list and call logs, but found nothing of note. It wasn't until they got to her text messages that they hit pay dirt. Someone Quinn referred to as "TS" only was asking for an update on the baby, and confirming the next drop date for sonogram pictures. It was the next day.

They waited at the drop point attempting to be as inconspicuous as possible in Noah's mother's car. They saw Quinn walk into a maternity store with her mother, and then emerge an hour later with four shopping bags. When Quinn and her mother went to get into the car, Quinn discretely placed one of the shopping bags on the ground outside her mother's field of vision. They watched as their car pulled out of the parking space, and waited, camera trained on the shopping bag.

They didn't have to wait very long. A blonde-haired woman got out of the car parked next to the now-empty space and bent down to retrieve the bag. As she stood up, they got a clear shot of her face and Rachel gasped out loud. Noah swore, loudly.

"Mrs. Schuester, Quinn? Really? I mean, I can understand thinking that Mr. Schue would be a better father than me, really, I do, but you think that the woman who handed us uppers is a more qualified parent?" Rachel stood back and watched as Noah confronted Quinn in the glee room before school.

Rachel had cornered Quinn in the hallway and practically dragged her into the room (gently, of course, given her condition). Once inside, Noah had cornered her and begun his tirade.

"She's faking a pregnancy, Quinn! She's deceiving a man who has been there for you during some really hard times, and is one of the only people to truly believe in you. And you're helping her lie to him about a baby?" Rachel shook her head in disgust as she watched Quinn attempt to explain the situation.

"No! Forget it! You can't just explain it away – it's bad enough that you lied to everyone about me. I can't let you lie to Mr. Schue about this. I won't let you. I won't let you help his wife convince him that she's pregnant when she's not," he stopped abruptly.

Rachel looked at Quinn worriedly – was there another issue with the baby? What had happened? She saw Quinn's eyes fill with tears and she gasped out the words, "I'm sorry," but she didn't appear to be directing them at Noah.

Rachel followed her eye-line and turned around. Standing in the doorway, having witnessed the last part of the conversation, was Mr. Schuester, his face a mask of shock and pain.