Authors Note – Sorry it took so long for the update…My hard drive crashed and I lost everything I had written…Hope you enjoy

Part 8

"Rachel's teaching me how to make lasagna!" Hannah told Puck excitably as he entered the Berry kitchen with Beth.

"That's great, squirt," Puck smiled at his sister's enthusiasm. He again caught himself thinking about how easily Rachel had rolled with all the changes in her life. Not only with he and Beth, but she had accepted Hannah into their routine as if she had always been there. He thought his sister had a little hero worship thing going on with Rachel now. He put Beth in her highchair as he watched Rachel explain to Hannah how to brown the beef correctly. "Ya know, Berry, for someone who is all vegan and stuff, you sure cook a lot of meat."

"As much I would love to convert everyone in this family," Rachel replied, looking at Puck over her shoulder, "I understand that my dietary choices are a little strict. I can not see my fathers or you converting to tofu and soy milk."

"That's nasty," Puck grimaced. "And why do they call it soy milk? There is nothing milk like about it. I still have nightmares about the morning I grabbed that instead of the real stuff. I can't figure out how you can drink that!"

"It is an acquired taste," Rachel acquiesced, "but I am committed to doing what is best for my body and this is the choice I have made."

"The meats all brown," Hannah interrupted. "What now?"

GgLlEeEe

Rachel was awoken by crying in the middle of the night. She got out of bed and went in search of the sound, finding Puck walking around the family room with a crying Beth, trying to soothe her.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked quietly as she approached the pair. While Beth had her fussy moments, they had found that she was usually a very good sleeper.

"Sorry we woke you," Puck apologized. "I don't know what's wrong. I changed her and tried to burp her. She doesn't seem hungry. She's drooling a lot, though."

"She's probably teething," Rachel surmised. "Let me get her some Tylenol. That might help."

How do you know all this shit?" Puck asked Rachel as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Language, Noah!" Rachel admonished first before replying. "When I was younger I babysat. To make sure I was adequately qualified, I took the Red Cross babysitter course at temple."

"Maybe I should take that," Puck muttered as he watched Rachel give the medication to Beth then wrap a piece of ice in a cloth and let her suck on it."

"As much as I applaud you wanting to better your parenting skills," Rachel giggled, "I can't quite picture you sitting in a room with 12 year old girls learning to change diapers and such. Though it might make a wonderful YouTube video."

"Ha ha, Berry," Puck grumbled. "Sometimes I just think that maybe Quinn was right, that I am not cut out for this…"

"You stop right there!" Rachel demanded, frowning. "No new parent knows what they are doing. It is a learning process. Ask Daddy to tell you the diaper story if you don't believe me."

"Diaper story?" Puck asked.

"Apparently, Dad and Daddy thought I had a urinary problem because I always leaked out of my diaper," Rachel explained, blushing. "It turns out they were just putting the diaper on backwards."

"Okay," Puck chuckled, "that does make me feel a little better. And it looks like you were right."

Puck gestured to Beth who looked to be nodding off in her father's arms.

"You should get her back in her crib," Rachel smiled at the picture they made.

"Come help?" Puck asked.

"When did you become incapable of putting her to sleep?" Rachel cocked her eyebrow.

"Oh, I am MORE then capable, Berry," Puck teased. "I'm just not that tired anymore and want company."

"I wonder how many Cheerios you've used THAT line on," Rachel chuckled as they made their way upstairs.

"Cheerios don't need lines," Puck scoffed as he lay Beth down. "They just need a letterman jacket."

"Charming," Rachel wrinkled her nose as she sat on the bed.

"And that was a long time ago," Puck reminded her as he moved to sit beside her. "That was back before Beth, before you."

"Me?" Rachel squeaked, noticing just how close he was sitting to her.

"Yes you, Berry," Puck chuckled at her nervousness. "I've always thought you were hot, but you are so much more then that. You're so driven and determined. When you decide what you want nothing is going to stop you. If you hadn't picked me as a project, I don't know where I would be now. For some reason you see something in me no one else does. Besides my mom, and she, like, has to, no one has ever really believed in me in a good way. I was always treated like I was going to end up like my dad, so that is how I acted."

"You are nothing like your father!" Rachel insisted, resting her hand on his bicep.

"I know, Rach," Puck smiled at her immediate defense of him. "And the reason's I am not are in this room."

"I think you give me too much credit," Rachel argued.

"You never get enough credit," Puck countered. "You know, before Shelby went crazy, I was working up the courage to ask you out. I wanted to make sure you were over Finn and that you would take me seriously. Now I'm worried that you might think I am asking just because of the whole Beth thing."

"You want to ask me on a date?" Rachel questioned.

"Have for awhile," Puck shrugged. "I didn't want to break up with you last year. I was never in love with Quinn like everyone thought. I was in love with my kid and wanting to give her the life I thought she needed. But I knew that you thought you loved Finn and I didn't stand a chance against that."

"If you ask," Rachel said shyly, "I'll say yes."

"Good to know," Puck smiled and took her hand in his. "So, Rachel, if I can find a babysitter would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?"

TBC