Disclaimer: I don't own Glee all rights belong to Ryan Murphy and Fox…I'm only borrowing the characters for a little bit of fun writing!
Blended Family
Rachel closed her phone, sighed and made her way to the guest room. She was exhausted, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Which was no surprise to her, though she was nervous as well. Had she really just asked to hang out with her sister's biological father? That is going to be so awkward. But she needed to deal with him and Beth's situation eventually. And Rachel had never been a procrastinator. She had always dove headfirst into everything. Why should this be any different? Well, it may be. She thought more, how will this affect Beth? She hadn't even considered what her sister might think of this man that would be hanging around them. Rachel laughed softly to herself, she as a five year old would have been talking about suing if that man was a pervert. Hopefully, Beth wouldn't be that way. Rachel finally drifted to sleep, and it came swifter than she thought it would.
Noah hung up the phone he'd been using in the kitchen. His mother looked at him strangely when he rejoined she and Ariel in the living room.
"What was that about? You seemed upset at first, now you're smiling like a Cheshire cat." His mother commented.
"Yeah, um…I was pretty upset. Well not upset, but concerned. Anyway that's not important. The important thing is that I'm going to see Rachel and Beth tomorrow." He answered. The smile was still plastered on his face.
His mother had been sipping coffee and at his revelation, she'd choked on it. "What? You're going…what?" His smile disappeared at her reaction.
Ariel stopped mid-bite of her ice cream, and just stared at the interaction between her mother and her brother.
"Jeez, Ma. Okay, I know it's fucked up," his mother gives a look indicating her disapproval of his language, "it's screwed up," he amends, "But I need to see her."
He's of course talking about Beth, but his mother's eyebrow raises at his last words.
"Beth, mom. I need to see Beth. Godda…" his mother's stern look makes him cut that last word. "Gosh, I want to know what she looks like, and what kind of person she is. I realize she's only five, but don't kids develop their personalities early on?"
Mrs. Puckerman is impressed at his thoughts. "Yes, Noah. But I'm just slightly worried how this will affect you and her. She's a little girl, who's never known you as her father. And if you even indicate this to her, even subtly, it could send her into a whirlwind of emotions. Do you understand?" She looks at him expectantly.
He nods, "I understand that. But I want her to know she has a dad. Rachel said that Shelby is dying, ma. She has cancer." His mother looks saddened by this information.
"I had no idea, Noah. But that still doesn't warrant you or give you the authority to tell Beth whom you are." She's rubbing her head now. Apparently, this is disconcerting news to her. She's feeling sorry for Shelby, Rachel, and Beth at one time. Ariel even seems concerned.
"How do you think I feel, knowing that Rachel Berry will be raising my daughter if Shelby dies? Rachel is a good person, but she's not Beth's parent. I am. And I need to figure this out on my own as far as that goes." Puck doesn't really dislike Rachel, but for her to raise his daughter when he could do so, is something he's going to look into.
"Noah, promise me. Promise me that you will not jeopardize Beth's feelings or Rachel's feelings." His mother pleads with him. He rolls his eyes, but he concedes to think about it. While he will be researching his rights as a parent in the meantime.
The next morning
Rachel was awakened by Beth jumping onto the guest bed the next morning. The little girl's dark head bobbed with her bouncing, but she got right by Rachel's ear asking what they were going to have for breakfast.
Rachel yawned, pulled back from Beth's impatient expression, and told her she wasn't sure what her dads had. Beth rolled her eyes in a very Puckerman fashion, causing Rachel to flinch. Oh, hell no!
"Beth, can you back up just a bit. I'm not used to people getting that close to my face so early in the morning. And we'll go down and ask my dads what we'll have in a moment, okay?" Rachel watched her sister's face go from impatient to downright angry.
"Rachel Barbara Berry! You get your fanny out of this bed this instant and make me some eggs, woman!" Beth's blue eyes, so much like Quinn's, blazed. Rachel immediately started laughing. This girl was a hoot! She also sounded alarmingly like Noah at the woman part.
"Okay, okay. Don't kill me, little one! I'm getting up." Rachel was still smiling as she excused herself to the bathroom adjacent to the guest room. Beth tapped her foot outside the door as she waited for Rachel to come out.
The rest of the morning crept by, she'd made her sister some eggs as commanded. Then the two of them sat down to eat. Rachel opted for coffee and a muffin that dad always kept in the house. The brand muffins with cranberries baked in were her favorite. So she was currently enjoying one as her cell started ringing.
"Hello? This is she, great! Yes, okay, thank you. I really need this time off to be here for my sister and mother." Rachel closed her phone, sitting it next to her plate on the table. Beth's curious look caught her attention.
"That was my director, he said he was going to get my understudy to fill in for me until we can figure out what's going on with mom. How are your eggs, little one?" Beth's face fell for a moment, then she smiled.
"I like your nickname for me. It's nice, I love you Rachel. You're an awesome big sister. The eggs are good."
"I love you too. Good, glad you like them. Okay, well I have some news for you. I know you're sad, we both are, about mom. But I have a friend who's offered to take us to the park today. Well, we're going to meet him, as I don't trust his driving. Would that be okay?" Rachel watched as Beth thought this over. She really was something else!
"Yeah, that sounds fun. But, Rach, when can we see mommy? I miss her. It's nice being here with you, but I'm a little scared of being away from her. You know?" Beth stuck her hair behind her ear, the way Rachel always had, the way she'd seen Shelby do also.
"I know you are. And yes, we can see her after while. I spoke to Dr. Mann while you were in the bathroom earlier. He said that she's still sleeping. But we can try to talk to her. Apparently, coma patients can still hear what's going on around them." Rachel explained, she hoped Beth understood what she had said. Beth quietly said okay and went back to her breakfast. Then she seemed to realize something. Rachel watched the emotions change so quickly on her little sister's face. Wow, she would be great in theatre!
"Who's the friend? What's his name?" Beth asked, obviously she'd caught that Rachel had said him and his.
"Oh, his name is Noah. Noah Puckerman, he's a friend of mine from high school and he also goes to Temple with me." Rachel declared.
"What's temple? Is that a club?" Beth inquired, this caused Rachel to giggle a little.
"No, Temple is where I go to church. Hasn't mommy ever taken you to church? Or something like that?" Rachel hadn't even thought to ask Shelby about that. How had her mother been practicing religion with her sister, or if she even had a faith.
"No, she never took me anywhere like that. I guess she didn't have a temple. We went to a Cathedral. Mommy said we were Catholic." Beth stated. Oh, Rachel hadn't known that. Well, okay, she could deal with that.
"Oh, okay. Well, where? What's the name of the Cathedral?" This was an odd conversation for Rachel. She'd known only one Catholic, Santana Lopez.
"Um, it's called Our Lady of Perpetual Health. It's really nice, has colorful windows and the Priest has a really nice voice. Like you and mommy." Beth smiled wide, thus Rachel did as well.
They finished up their breakfast and headed upstairs to take showers and baths. Rachel thought she should pack a picnic for she, Beth and Noah. Her mind was so full of ideas, that she barely had time to register the fact that her cell was ringing.
"Hello? Hi, Noah. Yes, we're almost ready. No, thank you. I insist I drive Beth and myself. Of course I am, you know I've always disliked your driving. We'll see you soon." Rachel rolled her eyes, something she wasn't really accustomed to. Though, it seemed Beth was rubbing off on her.
"Hey, babe! You guys ready? Would you like me to pick you up? Rach, what the hell? Are you doubting my mad driving skills? Fine, okay. See ya soon." Puck hung up his cell, he'd been somewhat disappointed that Rachel seemed so adamant on driving herself.
He really thought it would be more gentlemanly if he drove the girls. But oh well, he'd be seeing them soon. He again thought about his daughter, what she might look like. He knew she most likely had blonde hair like Quinn, but he hoped she was remotely like him in some way.
Both parties arrived at their destination in under twenty minutes, Lima wasn't exactly a big town. Small really. Puck parked his truck next to Rachel in her rental, she'd told him it was a red BMW. He sat there for only a second, gathering his courage. He wasn't that nervous to be hanging with Berry, but he sure as hell was nervous about hanging out with Beth.
Beth Corcoran held tightly to her big sister's hand as the introductions were made. She shook Puck's hand, she was very formal. He suspected that was Berry's influence, maybe Shelby's. He was somewhat floored when he saw her dark hair, but those blue eyes…Quinn's eyes…shocked him too. He didn't see any of the judgment in them that he had seen so many years ago in Q's. He was relieved, and Beth seemed to be studying him very closely.
"Are you Rachel's boyfriend?" Rachel instantly turned red from embarrassment, she hadn't expected Beth to ask such a thing. Puck's laughter was low and seemed to rumble inside his chest.
"No, I'm not. I'm just her friend. So, you're Beth? Nice to meet you, little one." Puck greeted. Beth looked at him oddly, he felt a little self-conscious. "What?"
"That's what Rachel calls me, did she tell you to call me that too?" Beth crossed her arms over her chest. It clearly didn't make her happy that he'd called her what her sister called her. Puck chuckled then.
"No, it just seems to fit you. But what would you like me to call you?" He asked, crossing his own arms over his chest. It looked like the two were having a stand off. Rachel didn't know if she should intervene or allow them to "duke it out". Beth rolled her eyes and said it didn't matter to her and stalked away.
Puck leaned in to whisper to Rachel that he felt like she didn't want him around. Rachel gently told him to give her some time. She was a little shy around people she didn't know. Though, it felt like a lie. Cause Beth hadn't had any issues with Rachel. And they had only met yesterday. He shrugged nervously. And the two followed the little girl whom was already swinging on the playground.
The park was a little deserted, it was still fairly early. Maybe eleven o'clock or so. Rachel and Puck talked quietly amongst themselves about nothing in particular. It was nice, in her opinion, that they could converse so easily with each other. As if it hadn't really been five years since graduation. That being the last time, with the exception of the day before, that they had actually talked.
Puck watched his daughter in amazement. She seemed so much older than five. Rachel had explained to him that Shelby had always spoken to Beth in an adult-like manner anyway. She had told Rachel that she didn't believe in baby talk the night before at dinner. He nodded, he wasn't sure how he'd have talked to her. Probably would have talked baby talk, or forgotten to watch his cursing. Something he was constantly battling with, she probably would know every swear word in the English language. He felt appreciative of Shelby Corcoran in that moment.
"Beth, be careful. Noah and I are going to sit over there at the picnic table, while I set up for lunch. If you need me, just call. Okay?" Rachel said to her sister. Beth had shouted an okay as she got off the swing to play on the slide. Puck was impressed that Rachel seemed to take a pretty decent approach to the parenting thing. He even decided to help her with lunch. They worked together silently for a while before he started asking questions.
"So, what exactly is wrong with Shelby? If you don't mind my asking, that is." Puck was a tad nervous, but he really wanted to know where things stood. Rachel thought about it for a moment.
"She has Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. It's a form of breast cancer that starts in the milk ducts and spreads to other areas. If not carefully monitored. Which apparently they didn't catch in time, cause her Oncologist thinks it's already spread to her lungs." Rachel explained dejectedly. Puck's shock was evident on his face.
"So, what they don't expect her to live much longer? Or they're going to try chemotherapy?" He inquired, Rachel hadn't expected him to know what the options might be to move on to the next level. She was proud of him for actually paying attention once in his life.
"They're not sure. They said there's a possibility of chemo, but she's in a coma, Noah. They think her body is shutting itself down from the pain that's consumed her. Almost like, her body has given up of it's own accord." Tears had sprang to her eyes, she desperately tried to hold them at bay. Puck's arms encircled her instantly; he just pulled her to him in an attempt to make her feel better. She was grateful and a little taken aback. He hadn't done this in a long time.
"Thank you for being here, it's not your place, but thank you anyway." Rachel spoke, her voice quivered from her tears. That almost pissed him off, but he knew she wouldn't take kindly to him yelling.
"It is my place if I put myself here. And I am, you've got a friend to help you cope. I'll be here for Beth and even Shelby, if that's what it takes for me to keep my daughter close to me." Rachel saw the transformation right before her eyes, Noah Puckerman had become a man. A caring, intelligent, respectful man. And that made it hard for her to stay in his arms because of the mixed feelings she was getting. She felt like he still truly was her friend, but it made her weary as well as far as the way he'd said keep his daughter close. Would he take her sister away from her? Was that his plan? She stepped back, he looked confused, but let her do as she wanted.
"Thank you, Noah. But I need to ask you something…are you going to take my sister away from me? Because if that's your plan, you're sorely mistaken. I'm not giving her up! She's the only family I have!" Rachel didn't recognize this anger, or even knew where it'd come from. Puck seemed to swell with his own anger, but he took a breath and calmly replied,
"She's my daughter, Rachel. I think she needs a father more than she needs a sister." Puck's voice was low.
Neither of them noticed, during they're last few statements, that Beth had come to the picnic table. She was staring at her sister and her? Her what? Her daddy? Her little five year old mind was very confused, and she felt hurt, then anger, and she wasn't sure how to convey that.
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, hope this satisfies you guys! Thank you to all who have story alerted me or favorited my story and me as an author! Please review, let me know what you think : )