I don't own Glee.
*/*
"When are we going to tell him?" Finn questioned and glanced over at the naked blonde beside him in bed. "He comes home later this week. Puck's is my best friend; I can't lie to him anymore, Quinn. He deserves to know the truth."
Quinn took in a breath but seemed oddly calm for the current situation. "If he tries to start anything when we tell him, just remind him how he slept with me when I was with you in high school. He can't exactly punch you for doing something he did years ago."
"Doesn't that kind of make it worse? I remember how it felt when I found out Drizzle wasn't really mine." Finn stared up at the ceiling.
"Don't call her Drizzle," Quinn told him softly.
"All I'm saying is that I've been in this situation before. We all have, you, me, Puck—"
"And Rachel," She added quickly.
"–and he kind of has the right to get in a few good punches..." Finn furrowed his brow. "What does Rachel have to do with anything? She's not even involved with this situation."
Quinn rolled her eyes. "Who do you think Puck is going to go running to when he finds out his girlfriend is sleeping with his best friend? Who does he always go running to? He's going to run straight into Rachel's arms just like she always goes straight to him when something bad happens to her. It's been like that since high school, Finn; why would it change now? Why do you think he's been spending every available minute he has in New York? I can tell you it's not because he likes the sights."
"I don't understand," He frowned.
She turned over onto her stomach and smiled softly at him. "It's always been Rachel and Puck just like it's always been Quinn and Finn. You might not have realized it yet, just like those two emotionally-stunted idiots haven't either, but we're meant for each other, Finn. I don't love Puck and he doesn't really love me. He loves the idea of me. The idea that me and him could somehow get Beth and be a family. And Rachel doesn't love you. Not really. She may care for you but she will never give up her dreams to be with you. It's just not who she is. Puck knows that; it's the reason he's been talking with some music producer about a record deal with his band. He's trying to go on tour so he can spend some extra time in New York. You would be doing the same if you really, truly loved her. But you're here with me. What does that mean, Finn?"
Finn turned his head away from Quinn and let out a breath. Was Quinn right? He knew Rachel and Puck had always been in each others lives; it was something he didn't like but could never control, either. It was something that had always caused problems between Finn and Rachel. He mulled over Quinn's words and she traced circles on his bare chest. Finn had thought he was supposed to be with Rachel. When she was adamant about leaving Lima behind, Finn had decided to give her some time and space. He would let her get New York and Broadway out of her system before she came back to him, back to Lima. He frown deepened as all these thoughts swirled around in his head and when he glanced down at the mess of blonde hair lying on his chest he couldn't help asking himself the same question he'd been asking since high school: Why was he with Quinn?
*/*
"I feel horrible," Puck gripped the sides of the toilet, preparing him for the next wave of nausea. He'd been doing this since he woke up around noon. "I can't believe you let me drink so fucking much last night," He complained to Matt behind him. "Aren't you supposed to keep me from getting so wasted that I can't see straight?"
Matt rolled his eyes. "I tried to get you away from the bar after about your fourth shot but you actually growled at me, Puckerman."
"I fucking hate New York. I hate Lima. I hate everyfuckingbody. Especially Quinn. I don't ever want to see her again. Or Finn. If I see his Jolly Green Giant ass I'll fucking kill him," Puck groaned and spit into the toilet. "And you. I hate your ass, too."
"What the fuck did I do?" Matt frowned but already knew the answer when Puck just shot him a glare over his shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry, man, okay, but it's better to learn the truth now than have her keep this affair up behind your back. You really think I'm the only one that knows about that bitch of a girlfriend you have hooking up with Hudson? I only heard about it because of Santana."
"Lopez knows?" Puck groaned. "Fuck, half of New York City ought to know by now. Please tell me Rachel doesn't know. I don't want her to get pulled into this and I definitely don't want her to feel sorry for me."
Matt let his gaze fall to the floor and Puck clenched his teeth tightly. "I'm pretty sure she already knows, Puckerman; San shot me a text about fifteen minutes ago saying that Berry's on her way over her."
"Shit," Puck let his head fall into his hands and he slid across the floor, away from the toilet, to lean his back against the cool bathroom wall. "I don't want her to see me like this."
"Too late." Matt stood up when someone knocked on the hotel room door. "Do you want me to tell her to leave? I'll just say you aren't here or something."
"No," Puck forced himself to stand up and he leaned over the sink, trying to make himself see straight. "Just make yourself scarce, okay?"
"Yea, sure." Matt nodded. "I'll let her in when I go."
Puck took a few minutes in the bathroom before wiping his face off with a towel and walked out to find Rachel sitting awkwardly on the foot of the bed. She was wringing her hands and he could tell she was nervous but he didn't know why. Maybe it's because they haven't had a real conversation since that day in her dressing room. He stalls for a few seconds in the doorway but goes to sit by her despite the awkwardness in the room. He kind of already knows how this conversation if going to play out anyway. He really doesn't want to screw it up, though.
"You didn't have to come," He told her. "Satan shouldn't even have told you in the first place. It has nothing to do with you. Quinn cheated on me. I was kind of expecting it anyway."
"It has everything to do with me, Noah." She looked up at him sadly and he knew she could see right through his facade. "It hurts, doesn't it? Not the cheating part, that you can deal with, but the part that any chance of ever getting to know Beth is gone. The part where you'll never meet your daughter even though it's all you've ever really wanted since you were sixteen."
He ran a hand down his face and moved to sit next to her on the bed. "We had a plan, Rachel. Quinn, she promised me. It's like she just wants to forget Beth ever happened. Quinn thinks she can just pretend Beth doesn't exist and everything will okay. I can't do that. I can't forget what it felt like to hold Beth in that hospital or feel my whole damn life being ripped away from me when I had to sign those papers."
"It's Quinn's loss," Rachel whispered. "Really, Noah, you would have been a great father to Beth. And I know you'll be an amazing dad to the children you'll have in the future. I think Quinn is just scared. She's trying to run away because that's the only thing she can do. She wants to pretend because she can't face the fact that she messed up. She got pregnant and she had a baby, but it wasn't in her plans, and now she thinks she can just forget. The only problem is it's kind of hard to forget someone you love so deeply. I know Quinn's loves Beth, just like you do, it's just harder for Quinn to realize that."
"Do you think she'll ask about me? When Beth is older, do you think Shelby will tell her about me?" He asked. "I mean, did you ever want to know who Shelby was when you were younger? Even though she wasn't in your life, she was your biological mom."
She sighed. "I didn't even know I was adopted until I was nine when a group of girls made fun of me for having two dads and I realized that wasn't normal. I can't promise that Beth will ask about you. But I can tell you that even through everything Shelby has put me through coming in and out my life, a little part of me still really, really wants know my mom. Even after all of this, I'd like to meet Shelby, like really meet her and get to know her because she's my mom, Noah. I love my dads, just like I'm sure Beth loves Shelby, but she's my mom and I love her, too. Even if it's just a little bit."
"It hurts you, too, doesn't it?" He looked down at her. "Knowing that Shelby is out there and she knows about you but she walked away anyway. Knowing that she picked Beth over you."
Rachel sucked in a ragged breath and nodded. "It did, for a long time it really hurt, but not so much anymore. I've grown up, Noah, and you can't dwell on the past. I don't blame Shelby for adopting Beth and I don't see it as Shelby picking Beth over me. Shelby knew what she wanted and, unfortunately, I wasn't it."
Puck didn't say anything else, afraid to push the subject any longer because he could tell Rachel was on the verge of tears. "About the other day," He began but she cut him off.
"I didn't know you knew about me and Finn," She told him quietly. "I didn't know he was going to run all of Lima telling everyone he had finally slept with Rachel Berry."
"Santana said you were mad at me. She said that's why you did it."
"I may have been a little upset about your reconciliation with Quinn. I wasn't thinking and it's not like I planned it," She sighed and looked over at him. "It wasn't planned at all, Noah. If I could take it back, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I was mad at you, yes, you were my friend and it was like you were picking her over me. And I know that's selfish because I was with Finn and I had no right to even question your feelings for Quinn, but it's always been like you've had to choose between us. When you got back together with her, it was like you were choosing her. So yes, maybe you getting back with Quinn in some small way influenced my decision to sleep with Finn."
"Santana was right," He admitted. "We're fucked up."
She gripped his hand and leaned over to kiss him softly. He was a little confused by the small gesture but let his eyes fall shut to savor the moment nonetheless. She seemed hesitant to pull away and he was tempted to pull her back in for a much more heated kiss just so he could feel her warmth again. "Go back to Lima, Noah. Deal with Quinn and Finn and whatever else you have to do."
"Then what?" He asked.
She stood slowly, letting him know she was going to leave. "Then we'll see."
*/*
"She's on her way," Santana said casually over the lunch she was having with Brittany in their favorite diner.
"Do you think this is such a great idea, San?" Brittany asked, poking a grape with her fork. "What if Puck gets mad? I don't like it when he yells at me."
"Puck won't be mad. Actually, I'm hoping he might cry. Which means I need to make sure I bring my phone with me so I can tape that shit." Santana shrugged and bit into her burger. "Besides, Rachel knows what she's doing. This is all her plan, remember?"
"I wish Rachel could be here," Brittany sighed.
"She wants to be." Santana nodded. "But she's not ready, Brittany. Rachel wants us to get everything set up and then maybe she'll arrange some kind of meeting."
"I hope so. I don't like it when Rachel is sad and she looked really sad earlier today when she got off the phone." Brittany looked up at Santana. "Do you think she'll be happier once Puck is happier?"
Santana smiled softly at her girlfriend and nodded. "She'll be ecstatic, Britt."
"Is that her?" Brittany questioned suddenly and both girls turned their attentions to the door of the diner. "It is!" She practically squealed when a tall woman walked through the door holding the hand of a small, fragile looking little girl.
"Hello girls," the woman smiled when she reached the table Santana and Brittany were sitting at. "I was surprised to get a call from Rachel this morning but I was happy to her from her. I just wish it was under better circumstances and that she could have been here today as well."
"Have a seat, Shelby," Santana crossed her arms, still a little wary of the woman's presence. "Like Rachel said over the phone, she's not ready for that just yet. Not after everything that's already happened. But she did say that once everything was more concrete she' be happy to discuss things further."
"Of course," Shelby's smile faltered. "May we sit down?"
Brittany grinned widely when the little girl chose to sit next to her and Shelby watched the interaction curiously when the little girl introduced herself to the blonde.
"I know who you are, silly," Brittany giggled. "I was there when you were born."
"You were?" The little girl asked with wide eyes.
"Beth," Brittany gave the girl the best serious face she knew and the words spilled from her mouth before Shelby or Santana could stop her. "I'm your Aunt Brittany."