Hey all!
It's Saturday, so let's celebrate with a new chapter!
Enjoy - Klaine2314
Chapter Fourteen:
"Hi" Puck finally said as the three of the same awkwardly in the Lima Bean. Quinn looked over at Beth to open a conversation with her father, "Hi" she finally muttered. Quinn knew she had to break the tension, "So Beth, pink hair? You clearly inherited both mine and your father's rebellious attitude."
"Rebellious attitude? I was the ambadassador of the rebellious attitude." Puck joked, emphasising on the use of 'bad'. "I'm glad to see you've finally got rid of the Mohawk!" Quinn joked back.
"Yeah, well the girl I'm dating didn't dig it."
"Noah Puckerman is whipped?" Quinn gushed with shock.
"I suppose you could say that." He blushed.
"I never thought I'd see the day." Quinn quickly finished realising Beth hadn't spoken since the very faint 'hi'.
"So Beth, tell us about school or something you love?" Quinn asked. She saw Puck screw his face up at the thought of talking about school but Quinn caught his eye and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah tell us about school" he choked.
"Well I graduated in summer and was set to attend University of Albuquerque but being pregnant kind of put an end to that." Beth said forcing a coy smile.
"Hmm, yeah." Quinn mumbled, secretly thankful that she'd fallen pregnant a couple of years earlier than Beth.
"Beth, can I ask, what do you plan to do after the baby is born?" Puck asked. Quinn was stunned she always thought she'd have to ask on their behalf. Puck really had grown up.
"Well, I don't know, I'd like to keep him but then I think of how you two made Mum so happy by giving her the chance to be a parent, I'd like to give someone that happiness too."
"Well, when are you due?" Puck asked. Quinn realised she'd never asked Beth when she was due. She looked at her and Quinn figured she had around four months to go. "I'm due on January 14th, so just under three months."
"Whatever you decide, we'll support you, won't we Puck?" Quinn said arching another eyebrow at him.
"Of course we will. We couldn't be parents to you at sixteen, but we can try and be the parents you need to be now." He stated.
"Thank you." Beth simply said.
Conversation flowed steadily and smoothly for the rest of the afternoon. Puck told them all about his new life, his girlfriend and his job. Quinn noticed that he didn't tell them the name of his new girlfriend or say where he's actually living. "Come on Puckerman, spit it out, what's her name? That's the single most important detail, then I can work out if I know her or not." Quinn asked pointedly. A blush flashes across his face and he purposely avoids the question. "That doesn't matter, all that matters is that because of her, I'm a changed man."
"Fine, I'll drop it." Quinn mumbled, in her head she has an image of a small brunette girl, a familiar, small brunette girl.
"How long are you around for?" Beth asked Puck.
"I have the weekend, but then I have to go back home. I can visit pretty much whenever necessary, being your own boss has its perks." He replied.
"Well, we could get dinner tonight, the three of us?" Beth continued. Puck caught Quinn's eye and tries to plead with her, Quinn understands what he is trying to convey. "I'm going to have to give it a miss, I'm afraid." Quinn uttered.
"Why?" Beth replied, arching an eyebrow like the woman sitting across from her.
"You need some time just with your fath-, with Puck. We've had that time, he needs it too." Quinn answered truthfully.
"Oh right ok... Is that ok?" Beth asked turning towards her father.
"Of course, I've waited eighteen years to take my daughter for dinner."
"I'll warn you now, I don't like mac-n-cheese, I outgrew that stage about ten years ago." She laughed.
"Aw really? I was looking forward to mac-n-cheese, my girlfriend doesn't have cheese in the house." He quipped. 'Bingo' thought Quinn.
"Excuse me a minute. I have to call a friend, I promised her." Beth said rising from the table.
"Come on then Puckerman. You and Berry, how long?" Quinn blurted as soon as Beth was out of earshot.
"How did you-"
"Know? I'm Quinn Fabray, nothing gets past me. So...how long?"
"Two years." He replied smugly.
"TWO YEARS!" Quinn exclaimed. It appears things could actually get past her. "Why didn't you tell us last Thanksgiving? You just told us you were leaving and you were already with Berry then!"
"We kept it a secret"
"No kidding! Why? That's something big that we would have loved to have known."
"Well, there are a number of reasons. I'll keep it brief. Firstly, she's famous, so her life is documented and hounded by the press and paparazzi from the minute she opens her amazing brown eyes in the morning until she closes them at night. Secondly, I'm an old friend and we have history. I didn't want to be portrayed as a blood sucking leech, a parasite leeching off her fame, and thirdly, I didn't want Finn to kill me."
"I was wondering when he'd come into all of this."
"They finally moved to New York about seven years ago, she was ready to settle in the city rather than Lima. She didn't want to raise their children in the Lima; she wanted them to have a city life, one she dreamed of as a child. Finn being Finn however is a country boy, when he realised that they didn't really want the same things, they split amicably."
"She's famous, why wasn't a divorce in the tabloids?"
"The press weren't interested in a high school sweetheart romance, they wanted to link Rachel to A-List celebrities and Grammy award winning musicians, plus Finn and Rachel never got married. He never manned up and asked her."
"Gosh, I assumed they'd got married and settled down." Quinn said with a tone of shock in her voice.
"Well that's what happens when people lose touch Quinn." Quinn felt her heart sink. Puck's words piercing her chest like a dagger.
"You're right." She began. "That's why I called Rachel first. I always had your phone number; I never thought for a minute you'd change it and not tell me. I had to speak to her, I hate that we lost touch." She confessed.
"Is she here with you this weekend?" Quinn asked but before Puck could respond Beth returned.
"I'm going to have to go. My friend's just been broken up with, she needs me, but I'll see you tonight?" She said facing Puck.
"You certainly will, is eight ok?"
"Perfect, and I'll see you at home?" She said turning to face Quinn.
"Most definitely. I think Larry found some more medals to show you."
"I can't wait. See you later." Beth beamed as she turned to leave. Quinn and Puck watched her leave before both uttering 'boys' at the same time. Neither honestly believed that Beth thought she could pull a fast one on her parents.
"So is she here with you this weekend?"
"Nope, she's got a show that she couldn't get out of."
"You miss her already, don't you?"
"Of course, the past two years have been amazing. We've changed each other...for the better, of course."
"I'm pleased for both of you, I really am. You both deserve happiness and Rachel wouldn't get that with Finn. Look after her Puckerman."
"Oh I will." He smiled
"Now come on details please! How did you finally man up and get together?" Quinn saw a red blush shoot across his face and knew that this was going to be romantic.
They ordered another drink each and Puck knew he wasn't going to be able to avoid telling Quinn the details of his and Rachel's relationship. "Finn turned up on my doorstep, two and a half years ago, when he and Rachel had just broken up and he knew everything was over. He told me how they'd wanted the same things but in different ways. He didn't want Rachel to have to give everything up for him, she was always going to be a star and he was always going to be the country boy. He admitted that everything was definitely over. He crashed at mine for a few days until he got his head sorted. I got Rachel's number from his phone, I needed to check she was ok, you know, one hot Jew to another. I called and she sounded like she was a mess. I went to New York to see her, it was awkward and we hadn't seen each other for years, hell maybe since your wedding. I just felt like I had to check on her though.
I stayed over that weekend and she cried over Finn all weekend. She cancelled public appearances, got her understudy to perform for her, that's how bad she was. I began to understand how Finn would never be able to adapt to this fast lifestyle she was leading. I began to imagine if I could, which scared me because I realised I could. I started to imagine being with her and being beside her when her big dreams came true.
I had to get back to Lima on the Sunday evening and the drive was agonising. One short weekend and again I'd fallen for my best friend's girl, or ex-girl. We spoke regularly and I became a frequent visitor and I guess things just transpired and here we are. I made the choice to move to New York last year because you do anything for love. I love Rachel and she loves me. It just took us a lot longer to get there." He finished.
Quinn looked deep into his eyes. She could see the truth at the forefront of his eyes. Love spread through his face. Quinn opened her mouth and made a 'whipped' sound. "I've just poured my heart and soul out and all you can do is make a whipped sound." He laughed.
"Well you are!" She chuckled.
"I guess I am. If being whipped means I'm in love and happy with the girl of my dreams, then I'll be whipped forever!"
"Oh Puckerman, if only you could hear yourself!" Quinn mocked.
"I'd better head out. I've got to phone Rachel and tell her how this went."
"Hold on... isn't it weird that technically you're dating your daughter's sister?"
"Almost as weird as when you and Berry hooked up in high school!" He blurted out.
"You knew about that?" Quinn whispered her eyes wide with shock.
"Oh yes. I had to keep a close eye on my baby mamma, didn't I?" Quinn blushed profusely, "Don't worry your secret's safe with me." He winked.
"How about we never mention this again?" Quinn asked.
"Deal! I'll pop around before I leave to see Sam and Larry."
"Of course, Sam would be disappointed if you didn't." Quinn said as she opened her car door.
"Bye Puck, send you-know-who my best." She winked.
"Oh I will, don't worry, I'll tone it down to what she's used to." He said winking before he closed his car door. 'Somethings never change.'Quinn thought.
I hope you all enjoyed this little chapter. I thought Quick interaction was necessary and I love their ship on the show so I wanted to incorporate them into my fic...same with Puckleberry. Sorry if any Finchel readers are reading this and seeing that I kinda don't like Finn. He won't be mentioned anymore, I don't think.
I have no idea how long is left in this fic, I'm just taking it a chapter at a time. I'm going to update soon I think, it's just when I get inspired I can write for ages.
I hope to see you all soon!
-Klaine2314