The Private Escapades of Puck and Quinn

by BMontague

A series of one-shots focusing on Puck and Quinn's 'private' relationship post-high school and how each encounter helps shape their life together. Rated M for language and lemony goodness.

13. Crazy Little Thing Called Love

A/N: So, I bet you all thought I had given up on this story…but no. I had been working on my other story and after writing a few of those chapters, it became a bit taxing, to say the least. I need a fun outlet after writing the last few chapters of 'Be All That You Can Be.' Hence, the return of The Private Escapades! This one is a bit of a doozy and I'm not sure its my best work, but I felt like I owed it to you all to put out a longer one as a way of saying sorry and thank you for reading! A big, big, big thanks to Alex (x2), Kate, Rae, Marine04, cpfalmeida, Shananigan, Ellii51, andsoitis2, gleeothfriends90210cccjsAMD, readbetweenthesigns, FF2Addict, olacindy, and Kelly for your wonderful reviews!

Like I said, I'm still not sure about this chapter, and I'll admit I read through it once, but if there's mistakes…my bad. The title comes from the awesomely epic band Queen.

---

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

"Oh God, Noah," Quinn moaned as she arched her back and ground down on top of her boyfriend, her hips circling on top of his, "Almost there."

Puck gripped her hips harder as he thrust up into her, matching her movements as they rocked together. He looked back up at her and couldn't help but grin at the expression on her face; the head back, eyes-closed, lip-bite look of ecstasy he created always helped to inflate his ego, among other things.

She jerked on top of him when he hit a particularly sensitive spot, Quinn lurching forward and sinking her nails into his chest, crying out her release as Puck pounded into her a few more times, his own release hitting him hard as they shattered together.

Quinn collapsed across his torso and simply lay there, enjoying the rise and fall of his chest as he tried to catch his breath. Puck curled an arm around her shoulders, his breath coming in short pants as he soaked in the afterglow of yet another mind-blowing orgasm.

"Wow," he groaned, "Holy shit, that was hot."

"Mmm, you could say that again," Quinn murmured before placing a delicate kiss on his chest and sitting up, "Thanks for the ride, cowboy."

She hitched her eyebrow up at him and grinned before dismounting him and crawling off of the bed, "But you need to get up and get moving," she whispered against his ear.

"Where are you going?" Puck asked, watching her nude retreating form, "Babe, come back to bed."

"Get up, you bum," she called, sticking her head out of the bathroom, "We only have a few hours before our flight and you have yet to pack."

"Oh, cuz it would be a total travesty if we missed out on a day or two with your mom and Steve," he replied sarcastically.

"Haha," she laughed humorlessly, "Now get your ass up and get packed or you won't be getting any ass for a while."

Puck groaned before kicking off the sheets and sliding out of bed, grumbling as he walked into their bathroom and swiping his toothbrush and toothpaste from the drawer. He tossed a sideways glance at Quinn in the mirror, his girlfriend focusing intently on applying eyeliner and mascara. He began to brush his teeth as he looked her up and down, Quinn never having bothered to pull her robe on after she left him in bed.

But even with the current view, Puck still scowled at her for the threat.

"It's not like I'm gonna get any ass this week anyway," he replied, leaning over the sink and spitting the toothpaste out, "Judy barely lets me get within five feet of you when we stay at her place."

"Well, can you blame her?" Quinn replied, pulling her hair up into a ponytail and grabbing her own toothbrush, "After all, you did deflower and impregnate her youngest daughter under her own roof."

"That was a long time ago," he replied, rinsing his mouth under the tap, "We've been dating for like four solid years, so I don't see what the big deal is? And why do I always have to stay in the guest bedroom downstairs? Why can't we stay in the same room? I mean, your mom does know we've been living together for the past two years and sleeping together for longer than that!"

Quinn just rolled her eyes and finished brushing her teeth before looking at him in the mirror, "Puck, my mom's not stupid. She knows what you and I living together implies. She's just somewhat conservative and traditional is all." Quinn opened the medicine cabinet and handed Puck his deodorant before popping a small blue pill out of her birth control packet and swallowing it, rolling on some deodorant of her own thereafter, "Besides, maybe if we were married she wouldn't care as much."

Puck simply arched an eyebrow and rolled his eyes before shaking his head and deciding to change the subject, "So you're saying there is no chance of one last quickie before we leave? Babe, I may die if I can't touch you for an entire week."

Quinn grabbed her make-up bag and a few toiletries before making her way out of the bathroom and tossing him a cheeky grin over her shoulder, "You're not going to die, you drama queen. And no, I'm not saying there is no chance…but your chances of another romp may exponentially increase if you got your cute ass in gear and packed quickly."

Puck's eyes widened and he grinned, quickly gathering the few toiletries he needed from the bathroom before rushing out and snatching a few other items of clothing, throwing all of his stuff into his garment bag.

"Anything in particular I need to remember to bring?" he asked, rifling through his clothes in the closet and picking out a few shirts and pairs of shorts.

"Well, we may go golfing one day and we'll probably head out to the lake to go boating so plan accordingly," she replied, heading back into the bathroom, "Oh, also bring something somewhat dressy just in case. Mom mentioned some sort of charity ball out at the country club that we've all been invited to."

Puck groaned upon hearing that new development as he looked through his closet. He hated these damn events and always still felt like the poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks when he had to go to these things, his worn black suit no match for the designer suits and tuxes the other men would no doubt be wearing. Despite Quinn always being supportive and telling him she didn't care about these silly events, Puck still felt somewhat inadequate and lowly among the upper class attendees, his own background and career nowhere near as impressive as some of the businessmen, lawyers and financiers who attended these sorts of soirées. And he really couldn't stand the looks some of the people there gave him, like they were judging him from the moment he walked through the door with Quinn, their eyes all displaying their disapproval of their relationship, like Quinn was better than him and deserved more.

But he loved Quinn and with her came her mother and Judy's boyfriend Steve, and if he wanted to be with her, he'd have to suck it up for a night and just go with it. He stood there for a few moments contemplating which suit he should take before spotting another alternative hanging off to the far side. Puck smirked to himself as he grabbed the hanger, folding the outfit neatly and packing it away, silently wondering to himself how people would react at his choice of wardrobe for the evening.

He continued to toss things into his suitcase before rummaging through his underwear and sock drawer, a small object in the bottom corner catching his attention and causing him to look around their room to make sure Quinn was still in the bathroom before gently placing it in his carry-on bag.

He tossed the rest of his clothes and shoes in his bag and zipped everything shut, grinning to himself as he strolled back into the bathroom just in time to find Quinn bending over an outstretched leg and smoothing lotion into her skin.

The view was quite enticing and Puck couldn't help himself as he made his way toward her and grasped her waist, pulling her up against his hardness.

"Kinda eager, aren't we?" Quinn joked as Puck began to pepper her back and shoulders with kisses.

"You promised if I packed fast, we could get back to the fun stuff for a bit," he murmured against her skin.

"I made no such promise," she teased, standing up a bit straighter, "I just said your chances of a quickie could increase."

Puck gave her a sharp love bite and growled into the crook of her neck, his fingers wrapping around her hips as he forcefully turned her around to face him briefly before lifting her up and slamming her back down onto the counter top. The slight wince of pain from his forcefulness along with the almost feral look of hunger in his eyes was a huge turn on for Quinn, Puck taking charge in their sex life and playing a bit rough never failing to get her libido going.

His lips, teeth and tongue were on her all at once, Puck nipping and suckling along the tender skin of her neck and shoulders as he pulled her knees apart and settled himself between them, his fingertips ghosting through her dripping folds earning him a throaty moan.

"Mmm, Noah," Quinn groaned, "But we gotta make this quick." She shuddered as he hit a particularly sensitive spot. "Three hours til our flight… hour drive to airport," she panted.

Puck simply grinned and captured a nipple between his teeth, biting gently as he stroked himself a few times before lining himself up with her center and thrusting home, the couple losing themselves in the haze of lust as they frantically chased their release together.

---

"Oh Lima, how I've missed you," Puck mused sarcastically as they passed the city limits sign.

"Hey, growing up here wasn't all that bad," Quinn replied as she stared out the window at the familiar scenery.

"Yeah, but it wasn't all that good either," Puck replied under his breath.

Quinn felt his hand tense in hers and she glanced over at him, Puck's jaw clenching as he stared straight ahead.

"Hey," she murmured softly, gently moving one of her hands up to knead the tense muscles of his neck, "We all had our ups and downs but we survived. And if you ask me, we've done pretty damn well for ourselves."

"Says the Yale grad," he teased, "Summa cum laude, may I add."

"Yeah well, while I was safe in my cushy apartment studying for whatever test I deluded myself into thinking was the most important thing in my life at the time, you were out in the middle of the desert fighting for something bigger than a lot of people could ever truly understand. It's because of you and the rest of our military that those of us over here can enjoy stressing out over stupid shit and enjoying our cushy apartments without fearing for our lives on a daily basis. Not a lot of people have the discipline or courage it takes to do what you do, and personally, I think that's a hell of a lot more impressive than that ridiculously expensive piece of paper on my wall," Quinn countered, watching as he visibly relaxed under her touch.

"Ha, I bet the cops around here wouldn't be surprised by my career choice at all, seeing as how I used to light stuff on fire and get into fights when I was younger. Now I just get paid to brawl and blow shit up. Not a bad gig."

"I'm being serious, Puck," Quinn replied softly, "You should be proud of your accomplishments. I'm damn proud of what you've done and I'm proud that I get to call you mine, Marine. So if we run into someone who thinks otherwise this week, fuck 'em. Their opinion doesn't matter."

"I'm not worried about this week really," Puck responded honestly, "Pretty much all of our friends and family know what I do and where I've been, which is actually pretty cool to me, but I'm not really all that excited for this stupid charity thing at the country club."

"Why? It's free food and alcohol and there's dancing. And I know how much you love to dance," she chided.

"Besides watching your sexy ass in those dresses of yours, the booze is the only good part of those ridiculous things. And I hate going to them because everyone still looks at me like I'm trash that doesn't deserve to be with you, like I'm a certifiable Lima Loser even though I haven't lived here in over five years."

"Who looks at you like that?" she asked, "And why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I recognized them as a few of your dad's friends when I used to clean the country club's pool and I never told you because it's not a big deal. We haven't been to one of these things in over a year and I just need to suck it up, but it doesn't mean I don't want to punch those dudes in the face every time they glare at us."

"Ok, first of all, if these people are friends with Russell, they're a bunch of assholes who aren't even worth your time. And second, don't play it off like it's nothing if it bothers you. In fact, if they wanna play that game, you should go ahead and punch those guys in the face. It would definitely make things more entertaining, that's for sure. I'm positive Judy would be rooting for you the whole time and would probably even bail you out of jail if any of them pressed charges. And finally, I don't care what anyone says, I love you, I'm proud that you're mine and I will spend the rest of my life supporting and defending you in front of those yahoos," she replied, smirking slightly as she ran her fingernails down his arm, "Of course that rest of my life part would be a lot easier if we were married."

"Not again," Puck groaned as Quinn giggled in the passenger seat next to him, "You're not going to let up at all are you?"

"Nope, probably not."

"You've been doing this for a few months now," Puck complained, "Could we at least take a week long break while we're here?"

"I'd take an indefinite break from bothering you if you just asked one simple question," she further prodded, tickling his shoulder with her left ring finger.

"And the more you bother me about it, the more I almost don't want to ask you that one simple question," he replied, watching Quinn's face drop before she looked back out the window, "Q, I didn't mean that. You and I both know we're getting married eventually. I just want to be able to ask you on my terms and actually try to surprise you for once instead of caving in when you pressure me. How fun of an engagement story would that be to tell?"

Quinn exhaled heavily before sighing, "Fine. I guess you're right."

"Try not to sound so excited about it," Puck teased.

"I know, I'm sorry. I guess I just want something more permanent than just a boyfriend. I want to call you my fiancé or my husband instead and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. But I feel so middle school calling you my boyfriend after all of these years, and I can't exactly call you my man-friend or something like that because that's just strange," she explained, "Plus, I do love things that are sparkly."

Puck couldn't help but laugh out loud at her last remark, "First it was sparkly prom queen crowns in high school and now we've moved on to sparkly jewelry –discussing these things on a Marine's salary no less. Woman, you're going to be the death of me…or my credit score. One of the two."

Quinn grinned before slapping him on the arm, the two of them continuing to tease one another until they pulled into the Fabray's front drive.

With a groan from Puck and a quick re-application of lip gloss by Quinn, the two of them hopped out of their rental car and made their way to the front door. Before they could even knock, Judy threw open the door and engulfed Quinn in a massive hug, leaving Steve to shake Puck's hand in greeting before Judy flung her arms around Puck as well, a new development ever since Puck proved that he and Quinn were in it for the long run a few years back after reconnecting with Beth and Shelby.

"How was the trip?" Judy asked animatedly, pulling back and looking at the two of them.

"Just fine Mrs. Fabray, thank you," Puck replied, giving her a smile and trying to ignore the roll of Quinn's eyes as she tightened her grip around Puck's bicep, a small reminder that Quinn hadn't forgotten the fact that he tried to talk her into joining the "mile high club" en route to Ohio...and the fact that she said she would consider it if he was on his best behavior this trip.

"Oh, stop the flattery Noah," she chimed in, "Call me Judy."

"Thank you, Judy."

"Good Lord, Noah, you and your manners," Judy blushed, "Those lean, mean Marines sure have you squared away."

"Always, ma'am."

"Oh geeze, this is making me nauseous. Stop flirting with my mother, Puckerman, and get our bags," Quinn groaned, flinging an arm around her mother's shoulders as they entered, the two women immediately beginning to gossip and giggle as the men gathered the rest of the bags.

As soon as the men re-entered the house, Judy spun around and grinned at Puck, "Oh, and Noah, we have you all set up to stay in the guest bedroom down here. You can go ahead and put Quinn's bags on the stairs and get yourself settled in down here."

Puck gave her another smile and a nod before setting Quinn's suitcases down on steps leading up to the second story of the Fabray home and following them into the kitchen, Quinn giving him a sympathetic smile in return as he joined them in the kitchen for a few happy hour drinks.

After a few cocktails and some take-out Italian food for dinner, Judy, Steve, Quinn and Puck spent the remaining hours of the evening talking and catching up on their lives before getting down to the schedule for the week.

"So Noah, I spoke with your mother earlier this last week at the grocery store and she informed me that she and your sister were visiting your grandparents this week."

"Yeah, bad timing I guess," he replied, taking another sip of his beer.

"Well, she did tell me that they would be back by Saturday so I hope they will be able to make it to brunch that morning or we can host a dinner for everyone on Saturday night so you'll able to see them before you head out on Sunday," Judy offered, taking a sip of her wine before setting her glass down on the coffee table.

"That sounds great!" Puck replied, "I was hoping I'd be able to meet up with them at some point while I was back. I'm past due for a visit, according to my sister."

"We'll spend the rest of the weekend with them," Quinn assured him, patting Puck on the leg, "And we are quite overdue for a visit. We have been for a while."

"Good, it's settled then," Steve replied, "We'll host a brunch or dinner over here once the Puckermans return from Wisconsin. I'm excited to meet them too!"

"They'll be excited to finally meet you too, Steve. It's about time, anyway," Quinn joked before turning back to her mom, "So, on the phone you mentioned the lake one day and golf or something, but I guess I was just curious as to what your schedule looked like this week. I know Puck and I are wanting to see Beth for a few days while we're here, but besides that, I guess I was wondering if you had any other plans."

"Well, you just let us know what days you plan on spending with my beautiful little granddaughter and we'll plan around it. Unless you think Beth would like to come out on the boat with us one day?"

"Puck and I will have to ask Shelby if she's ok with that, but now that she's been in swim lessons and on swim team for the past few years, I think Beth would love that," Quinn replied.

"That would be lovely if she could join us!" Judy exclaimed before looking back over at Steve for a moment, "I think the only other thing I can think we have going on this week is the charity gala at the country club on Friday night."

Puck let out an audible groan on accident, Judy and Steve both laughing as Puck tried to recover quickly by trying to cough but it was no use.

"Try not to sound so excited, son," Steve drawled, laughing as he finished his scotch.

"Sorry," Puck apologized, looking down at his shoes momentarily, "You know we military men hate stuffy suits."

"Oh, if I remember correctly, which I do, we soldiers much preferred our fatigues to stuffy suits any day."

"I hear ya on that one, Sir," Puck replied, holding up his pint glass in a mini-salute, "I'm not really the suit type."

"Eh, get out of here with that 'sir' crap. We're not wearing ranks right now," Steve teased, "But the charity gala will be a good time." Puck hesitated to share the same positive outlook, to which Steve continued, "Plus it's for a good cause this year, one that's near and dear to my own heart since I was one of the coordinators."

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Quinn asked, turning her attention to her mother's boyfriend.

"You'll see on Friday," Steve joked and Puck blanched a bit, hoping his own attire he chose to bring for the gala would be appropriate before finishing off his beer.

"Well kids, I think it's that time of the night again where I must say good night before I turn into a pumpkin," Judy joked, standing and gathering their discarded glasses, "Good night, and you two better not stay up too late if you're going to see little Bee tomorrow."

Puck and Quinn simply smiled back, Puck waiting until both Judy and Steve disappeared from the room before leaning in and kissing her, Quinn smiling up into the kiss.

"Oh and Noah? Quinn?" Judy called, suddenly appearing in the doorway prompting the two of them to split apart immediately, Puck wiping the corners of his mouth as he stared at the floor.

"Yes, mom?"

"You two know the rules around here. No funny business and Quinn, no boyfriends in your room," Judy replied, smiling before she ascended the stairs and made her way to her own room, leaving Quinn and Puck sitting there awkwardly.

"Well, this is gonna be fun," Puck murmured, earning him a smack on the arm.

---

Monday

Quinn had been so excited to see Beth that she hardly slept the night before. It had been almost a year since they had been back to Lima, and despite getting to chat with their vivacious seven year old over the internet or phone once in a while, nothing compared to the moment when Quinn was finally able to wrap her arms around her little girl and hold her tight.

And she would soon get to do just that, as Puck and her were scheduled to pick Beth up from Shelby's at around nine that morning, the duo staying up last night to pick out the perfect activities to do with their first born. But that wouldn't be for another three hours at least and try as she might, there was no way she was getting back to sleep. Plus, the night before had been the first night in over a year that Quinn had slept by herself. In her opinion, Puck was the best body pillow in the world and she really hated sleeping without him.

Instead of spending any more time trying to eek out a few more minutes of sleep, Quinn decided to get up, slipping on her robe before heading out of her room, the scent of fresh coffee smacking her in the face as she descended the stairs.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Puck replied from his seat at the counter, a steaming mug in his hand.

"What are you doing up at this ungodly hour?" Quinn asked in return, walking toward the breakfast bar, "It's five thirty in the morning."

"It's a military thing, Quinn," Steve replied, rounding the corner into the kitchen, the man already fully dressed for the day, "Hell, I've been out for the last ten years and it's still just habit. Coffee?"

"Yes please!" she exclaimed, taking a seat next to Puck and accepting a kiss before laying her head on his shoulder.

"You excited about today?" he asked quietly.

"I'm nervous and excited," she replied honestly, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Why are you nervous?"

"It's been over a year since we've seen her in person," she replied, "What if she doesn't recognize us? What if she doesn't want to go with us today?"

"Oh, she will. Trust me," Puck replied, holding up his phone, "Shelby's already text me twice this morning to tell me that Beth hardly slept last night because she was so excited."

"Like mother, like daughter from the looks of it," Steve teased, causing Quinn to grin at the truthfulness of that statement. She really liked Steve. He was a good match for her mother and her, his gentle and kind nature and his witty sense of humor a stark contrast from her father. Even Frannie had taken to him on her last trip here, which was saying something as she tended to side with her father through the whole divorce.

"Touché," she answered, holding up her coffee cup in mock salute.

Puck laughed before scrolling through his texts and handing his phone over, "And from the looks of it, Beth seems to think the amusement park opens at 5 a.m. I guess she has been hounding Shelby to go for a while now, but this will be her first time this afternoon. I bet she about flipped when Shelby told her what we were doing today."

Quinn laughed at the text message, obviously sent by Beth earlier this morning. Time-stamped at 5:13 a.m., the simple text read 'When we go to rides?' "Well, she sure is crafty."

"And smart, just like her mama," Puck grinned, leaning over and kissing her again, "I mean, just look at that spelling and grammar!"

Quinn and Steve broke out laughing, the three of them continuing to enjoy their morning coffee for a bit longer before Judy came out, scowling at the noise at first, but lighting up at the sight of everyone laughing together, immediately going into chef-mode and whipping up breakfast for the four of them.

x-x-x-x-x

After an action packed day riding every single roller coaster in the park, and much to Quinn's dismay, spinning around in the tea cups four separate times, the two of them finally made their way back to Shelby's house. They had done a good job wearing Beth out that day, the little blonde girl completely tuckered out in the back seat as she clung to the giant stuffed tiger Puck won for her at one of the carnival games. The two parents shared a smile when they heard her snort and watched her head lull to the other side of the seat, the stuffed tiger moving with her as a pillow.

They had been planning on having her over for dinner at Judy's house, but given the fact that the seven year old could barely keep her eyes open for more than two minutes on the drive home, they figured dinner could wait until another day that week.

As soon as they got home, Quinn retired for the evening, exhausted from the day at the amusement park and a bit nauseas from the spinning tea cups. Puck, on the other hand, took a few breaths before heading into the kitchen, wanting to seek out and speak to Judy in private at some point during their trip. Unfortunately for him, Steve was the only one still awake, Judy having gone to bed just prior to their arrival back home. Puck thanked him and walked back into his room, or the guest room much to his dismay, and rifled through his backpack, finding the small object he was looking for before securing it back in the front pocket and retiring for the evening.

---

Tuesday

Puck's feet couldn't move fast enough, his body crashing through the trees as he fled the predator that followed closely behind. His body trembled and brow glistened with sweat, his head turning frantically from side to side to try and catch a glimpse of his pursuer.

As he continued to run, all noise behind him ceased, his body slowing to a stop as he chanced a look behind him, his predator disappearing completely. He took a 360-degree look around him, the forest enveloping him in a green cocoon.

A tree to his right began to rustle, Puck barely having time to glance over before a huge cougar jumped out from behind a boulder, its paws knocking him over as it's glistening white fangs chomped in his face. As he stared up at what was sure to be his sudden death, he oddly felt no fear. In fact, the cougar's face began to morph slightly, distorting til it almost looked like Judy Fabray. She lowered her head, cougar fangs still bared, and kissed his lips gently. She began to nuzzle his neck, her lips ghosting across his pulse points until she began to descend down his collarbone toward his chest, Puck grimacing at the touch. This was just too fucking weird…and he definitely would never look at cougars the same way –feline or female alike.

"Ms. Fabray," he tried to plead with her, begging her to stop, "Judy, please."

Judy took the hint and pulled back, looking back down at him with a scowl on her face.

"Puck, I swear to God, if you're having a sex dream about my mom, I'm going to kick you in the balls," Judy replied, although her voice sounded a hell of a lot like Quinn's, "No, seriously, wake the fuck up!"

"Puck, get up!" Quinn replied, reaching for the glass of water on the night stand and dribbling some over his face, Puck sputtering as his eyes shot open and his body lurched into a sitting position.

"What the hell, Q?" he complained, wiping his face off on the sheet, "What happened to a gentle shake or something."

"I tried that, then I tried sitting on you and when that didn't work, I tried kissing you to wake you up in the fun way," she replied lightly before her expression turned hard, "But then you started calling out my mom's name. So maybe I should be asking you the same thing. What the hell, Puck?"

Puck simply scooped her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly, leaving Quinn breathless as he pulled away.

"No offense to your mom, but that was a fucking nightmare," he explained.

"Nightmare? Of what?"

"Babe, it was too fucking weird to even begin to describe. All I know is there was a lot of running in the forest and a mountain lion was chasing me and it turned into your mom. I can't even explain it."

Quinn smirked and settled more comfortably on his lap, grinding her hips down on his morning arousal, causing an audible groan to escape Puck's throat.

"You know, they say people have strange nightmares when they're anxious or nervous about something," she explained, trailing kisses up and down his throat, "Does my mom make you nervous or anxious?"

"Well, she can be kind of a man eater, so that's kinda scary. Plus now, I'm going to start picturing her as a mountain lion…awesome," he muttered sarcastically.

"Aww, poor baby," she teased, grinding her hips down even more before running her hand over the bulge in his boxers, "You want me to help take your mind off of it?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely," he grinned, pulling her in for another kiss as Quinn continued to fondle him, Puck slipping his own hand down the backside of her shorts to cup her ass.

Before they could get much further, however, Judy pushed though the door, "Quinnie?"

The two of them shot apart, failing to look like nothing had happened before Judy cleared her throat, "Well, pardon the interruption," she continued, crossing her arms over her chest, "I was going to say, I thought Quinn came to wake you up a while ago, Noah, but it looks like you are both up and at-em already."

Quinn simply looked away, her cheeks burning bright pink, while Puck stared down at the bedding, offering a quiet, "Sorry Ms. Fabray."

"Noah, please call me Judy. I'm not too fond of the last name as it is, no offense Quinn."

"None taken," Quinn replied, looking pointedly at Puck, "I'm not a fan either. I want it to change…soon, hopefully."

Puck gave her a pointed look in return but Judy didn't seem fazed by the exchange, clearing her throat once again to get their attention, "Well, in any case, you both know the rules. Quinn, no funny business with your boyfriend under my roof. And Noah, please get dressed. Breakfast is on the table, you two!"

And with that, she turned on her heel and strode out of the room, making sure to leave the door wide open so they wouldn't be tempted to sneak in any more "funny business" that morning.

"Thanks for that," Puck murmured as he pulled on a pair of shorts, "You mom already hates me. Let's keep giving her more reasons and examples as to why I'm a heathen and a bad influence on you."

Quinn chucked a shirt at his head, standing from the bed and heading toward the door, "My mother doesn't hate you," she reiterated, "and sorry for wanting to wake you up in a nice way. I'll use the water from now on if that's how you're going to be."

She spun around and made her way to the door but Puck was quicker, grabbing her arm and pulling her into his embrace, kissing her sweetly before catching her eye, "Babe, I didn't mean it like that. You know how much I love you being my sexy alarm clock, and I definitely love waking up to your lips, wherever they may roam on my body," he smirked, Quinn blushing at the memory of the last time she woke him up with her mouth, the mind-blowing morning nookie that followed definitely enticing her to continue surprising him like that on occasion. His smile softened as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "But I also want to make a good impression on this trip. I want her to see me as more than the horn-dog who knocked up her daughter when we were 16."

"You are still a horn-dog," she teased, her expression turning serious when she noticed how genuine he was about making a good impression, "But I suppose I could try to keep my hands to myself this weekend. It's just hard cuz I want you so bad all the time," she whined, rolling out her upper lip in a pout.

"Q, I will make it up to you ten-fold when we get home," he grinned, "Trust me, when I get done with you, you won't be able to walk normally for a few days."

"Is that a threat, Mr. Puckerman?"

"That's a promise, Ms. Fabray," he explained before leaning down to kiss her.

Quinn turned away and twisted out of his grip, "Yeah, the whole Ms. Fabray thing is still a little creepy. Especially after this morning."

"Yeah," he agreed, following her out into the hallway, "Guess I'll have to resort to calling you hot-buns then."

x-x-x-x-x

After a morning spent visiting with the Schuester's fawning over the couple's infant son, the afternoon and evening was spent at the country club. Or as Puck liked to call it, "his own personal hell."

The afternoon was ok for the most part, the majority of the day spent golfing the eighteen hole course at the club. Puck was actually pretty proud of himself for playing as well as he had, keeping up with Steve's score for the most part despite a few frustrating shots here and there. Quinn even tried to give him a little treat for keeping his cool throughout the day, pulling the cart off of the path in a wooded area next to the course and sitting on his lap, taking a few moments to make out like they did back in high school. It did get a little heated there, the tiny golf skirt Quinn wore leaving little to the imagination as she ground down on his hips.

But once again, just like earlier in the day, their little intimate moment was interrupted before things could go any further, the high-pitched honk of an incoming golf cart breaking them apart. Both Quinn and Puck whipped around just in time to catch Judy and Steve coming around the corner, the duo sliding apart as they pretended to look for a wayward golf ball.

Steve just laughed and teased Quinn for her mean slice, but the look on Judy's face was a little less humored, her eyes bearing down on Puck. He swallowed hard and tried to look away but the heat of her stare never waivered, the young couple switching the cart out of park and putting it into gear, Puck making sure to follow close behind Judy and Steve's cart for the remainder of the afternoon.

Puck was thankful when the round was over, excited to get out of his goofy golf clothes, commenting to Quinn that the tight fitting pants were giving him a wedgie only to earn an eye roll and a snort in return. However, Steve and Judy had other plans, leading the two of them into the bar first, then into the dining room of the country club for dinner. Puck was glad for the first stop, Steve treating everyone to the first round before dinner.

But dinner was a different story. A few other club patrons stopped by for dinner, the two other couples sitting at their table and proceeding to have conversations with everyone – everyone except for Puck, that is. One of men even had the balls to suggest that his son and Quinn should go out sometime, seeing as how Quinn went to Yale and his son went to Harvard and how they would just be perfect for one another.

Puck 's entire body went rigid as soon as the words left the man's mouth, his hand shaking in anger as he raised his glass and took another sip of his cocktail. He glanced around the table and realized that while everyone was listening to the man, nobody came to his defense. Hell, nobody even introduced him, let alone mentioned that Quinn already had a boyfriend and he was sitting right next to her!

Quinn could sense his discomfort, placing a soothing hand on his knee and squeezing, trying to let him know she cared about him and supported him but it didn't feel like enough. Puck stood and excused himself as politely as he could, stopping by the bar again and grabbing another whisky, taking a few moments to let himself calm down.

He tried to think back to what Quinn said earlier, about being proud of him for getting out of that town and making something of himself, but it was still tough to hear that other people still didn't think he was worthy of Quinn.

"You know, if you wanted to get some fresh air, the view from the patio is much nicer than this one," a female voice said from behind him, Puck turning around to face Judy Fabray herself, the woman smiling at the hulking bartender, "No offense, Brian."

"None taken, Judy," he replied, "Can I refill your glass?"

"Yes please," she answered, handing over her wine glass for a refill before turning back around to Puck, "In fact, I was heading that way myself. Would you care to join me?"

She didn't even wait for his response, turning on her heel and walking out of the French doors leading to the patio. Puck followed behind, a bit apprehensive as to what her motives were and what she had to say, but she simply stood at a spot near the railing on the large balcony looking out over the pond and admiring the setting sun.

"So," she began, the hairs on the back of Puck's neck bristling as waited for her to drop the hammer, "Pretty sunset." Puck nodded in agreement, the statement surprising him as he thought she was going to give him hell, but she kept the surprises coming, asking about him for a change, "You've traveled quite a bit since graduating high school. Where was the prettiest sunset you've ever seen?"

"Not the Middle East, that's for sure," he joked, taking another drink before smiling at her, "The desert never ends and the sunset always signaled a new danger, you know, one you can't see in the dark of night." Judy nodded in agreement as she gave him her full attention, Puck continuing his answer, "Sunsets in San Diego were pretty out over the water, but there's just something special about sunsets in the Midwest. Reminds me of home, and there's no place like home."

"Wow," Judy awed before giving him a goofy grin, "That was cheesy." Puck glanced at her again before laughing with her for a few moments, Judy clearing her throat and continuing, "But very sweet, if that is how you feel. The Midwest is beautiful in its own way."

"What about you? What's the prettiest sunset you've ever seen?"

"The sunsets near the beach are always pretty, but my favorite would have to be in Colorado. The mountains and the beautiful blues, oranges and pinks are something else," she answered, smiling back over at him, "But enough about me, I want to talk about you. What's been going on with you?"

"Well, it's funny you said that because I wanted to talk to you about Quinn and I. We –"

"Honey, I asked about you. I want to hear about you and your adventures. We can talk about Quinn later," she cut him off, smiling before leaning over and joking with him, "Plus, I talk to Quinn like every other day. I want to talk about what you've been up to!"

Puck was kind of surprised at her interest in him and his life, the two of them talking about everything from his interests to his job for close to a half an hour. They were broken out of their conversation by a light rasp on the window pane, Steve signaling at his watch that it was time to go. Puck was glad for the awkwardness of the meal because it led to that moment with Judy, getting a chance to finally bond a bit with her.

He decided it was a good time to broach the subject he had been wanting to talk about for the past few nights, seeing as how they were on pretty decent footing at the moment and it just felt like the right time.

"Hey, Judy, before we go, I wanted to talk to you about Quinn and me," he began, opening his mouth to continue only to be cut off by Judy again.

"Sweetie, we have all week. We'll talk later," she replied sweetly, "But Steve is right, we should get going before the rest of the yahoos inside rope us back into another ridiculously fake or awkward conversation."

Puck couldn't argue with that, smiling kindly at her before holding the door open and escorting her to the front of the dining room where Quinn and Steve were waiting. He was still a bit disappointed that Judy wanted to avoid a conversation about him and Quinn but she was right, they did have all week. And he sure as hell was having that conversation with her before he and Quinn left Lima that upcoming Sunday.

---

Wednesday

Their third full day in Lima was rather uneventful as well, Quinn joining her mother for a day of shopping while Puck joined Steve for a day of fishing. While Steve was a great guy and all, the former Army Colonel was a bit intimidating. The two men spent the day chatting, sharing miscellaneous stories from each of their respective tenures in the military and exchanging casual sports talk as they attempted to fish from an apparently fish-less river spot.

Puck thought the whole day was going well until they headed back toward the car and loaded up all the gear, Steve stopping Puck before they could get in the truck. He may not have been Quinn's biological father, but he was definitely just as protective of her as if she was his own daughter, taking a moment to warn Puck that he'd shoot him if he hurt Quinn. Puck didn't have to question whether he was being serious or not, Steve's eyes shooting daggers at him as he let Puck digest the threat. Puck simply nodded, offering him a "understood, sir" before reassuring him that he loved her and there was no way he would ever hurt her.

That seemed to satisfy Steve, the two men climbing back into the truck and sharing a respectful silence all the way back into town.

x-x-x-x-x

That evening wasn't much better for Puck either. First, Judy brushed him off again when he tried to talk to her earlier in the evening when he tried to bring up Quinn. Then, Quinn got the two of them in trouble again when she tried to sneak into his room for a little late night action.

While he definitely appreciated her friskiness as of late and was usually up for anything, even if it may get him in trouble, this week he wanted to keep his nose clean and remain respectful toward Judy's wishes about no funny business in the house. She had knocked and tried to sneak in, Puck intercepting her at the door and refusing to let her in, Quinn taking to kissing his neck and nibbling on his earlobes to try and convince him otherwise.

However, like a cockblocking radar, Judy and Steve decided to show up at that moment, saying they were 'on their way to bed.' Judy lightly tsked at the two of them, reminding them of the no funny business with the boyfriend or girlfriend in the house.

Puck gave them a quiet apology while Quinn simply rolled her eyes, Judy wrapping her arm around her daughter and escorting her up the stairs to her room. Steve wished Puck a good night, but didn't hesitate to shoot him the stink eye on his way up the stairs.

Puck shut his door and groaned, mimicking Judy's words about no funny business with boyfriends in the house, murmuring that maybe everyone in the house should have to abide by that rule and not just him and Quinn.

But he couldn't stay peeved for too long, smiling when he saw the picture of his daughter, Quinn and him on the side table next to his bed. He loved the moments they were able to spend together as a family, and if he were being really honest, he was excited to start a life and a family with Quinn. He still had a few hurdles to overcome on that front, but for now, he could drift off to sleep, anticipation filing him with joy at the thought of spending the entire next day and night with his little girl.

---

Thursday

Quinn could barely sleep the night before, the sound of Beth's voice on the phone last night making plans with her to go boating on the lake exciting her to the point where she could hardly wait for morning to come. Quinn spent the early morning hours plotting out their day and picking out the perfect swim suit and outfit to wear. Judy heard her daughter puttering around her room, pouring two cups of coffee and fixing them the way they both liked it. As she walked down the main hall, she stopped to check on Puck, his soft snores audible through the door, before making her way up the stairs and gently pushing Quinn's door open.

"Good morning, sweetie," she murmured softly as she extended a cup of coffee toward her daughter, "Why are you up so early? We're not heading out there until around ten."

"Morning," Quinn whispered in return, graciously accepting the cup and smiling at her mom before continuing, "And I couldn't sleep, so I figured I would get ready for Beth's visit today. I want everything to go perfect."

"Quinnie, everything is going to go just fine. You're working yourself up over nothing," Judy replied, taking a sip of her coffee.

Quinn gave her mom a contemplative look before responding, "I know, I just… I want her to have a great time when she's with us," she paused, giving her mom a sheepish smile before her eyes began to tear up, "I want her to know that we love her and care about her. I want us to be able to create memories with her that she can look back on when she's older and finds out the truth about who Puck and I really are to her and I want those memories to be perfect, so she knows that we've loved her since before she was even born. So that she knows how hard it was for us to give her up."

Judy took a deep breath and gave her daughter a soft smile as Quinn wiped the stray tears from her cheeks and looked away, the elder Fabray setting her coffee down and embracing her daughter, kissing her forehead gently, "Quinn, you have nothing to worry about. That little girl loves both you and Puck so much and I know that once she finds out about the adoption, she may have a few questions, but the one thing she'll never have to question is how much the two of you love her. She's a very lucky girl, to have three parents who love her, but no parent is perfect. Hell, you know I'm not. But even if you make a few mistakes or things don't go absolutely perfect like you had planned, it's not a big deal. She's just thrilled to get to spend time with the two of you."

"You think so?" Quinn asked, her voice thick with emotion.

"Sweetheart, I know so," Judy smiled, "I can see it in her eyes every time she's around you guys. And when we run into her at the store or the mall, she's always asking about you both. She loves you just as much as you love her. So stop worrying so much and enjoy the day with your daughter."

Quinn gave her a watery smile before wiping her eyes again and picking up a few options for bathing suits, scrutinizing which one she should wear for the day. Judy took a sip and watched her daughter for a few more moments, clearing her throat as she pointed to the suit in Quinn's left hand.

"And I think you should go for the one piece," she murmured, ignoring the light glare coming from her daughter as she set the yellow bikini in her other hand down on the bed, "I would hate for you to lose your top if you went tubing or skiing today."

"Good point," Quinn conceded, hanging the black one-piece suit on the back of her door before looking around for her sandals and cover-up, "I don't want to scar Beth for life, though I'm sure Puck wouldn't mind." She slapped her hand over her mouth at the inadvertent slip, blushing furiously before looking away and busying herself with something else.

Judy let out an amused snort as she continued to watch her daughter flittered around her room, "Quinn, I wasn't born yesterday," she laughed, "You and Puck already had a baby and I'm under no illusions as to what goes on between the two of you in the apartment you share."

Quinn whipped back around to face her mom, her jaw wide open as she stared back.

"Honey please, close your mouth. You look like a fish out of water," Judy teased, before turning a bit more serious, "Speaking of Puck, I was hoping I could talk to you about the two of you."

Quinn swallowed hard and sat down next to her mom on the bed, wondering what she had to talk to her about regarding Puck. She thought everything was fine, besides the occasional PDA slip-ups that week, but she didn't think that was that big of a deal. Hell, she thought things were great between them. Granted, she always knew her mom had secretly hoped she would end up with someone from a wealthy family, a Yale or Harvard grad like the Mitchell's son they had been talking about at dinner the other night at the country club. However, even then, Judy was always kind to Puck, never forgetting to send him a birthday card and praising him regularly for everything from his military service to his gentle nature with Beth. She found herself confused as to what this mini-intervention could be about.

Before her mother could even begin, Quinn decided to speak-up first, "Look mom, I'm sorry about the few PDA moments this week. I guess we are just used to being around each other and I promise we'll respect your wishes –"

Judy set her mug aside and cleared her throat, effectively cutting her daughter off, "I appreciate that honey, but that's not what I want to talk about." Quinn nodded and looked down, clasping her hands in her lap before Judy continued, "Now I know that you and Puck have been together for a long time and you've really only seriously dated one other person and even then, you broke it off with him to be with Puck again."

"I know mom, but –"

"Just – just let me finish," Judy replied calmly, "All things happen for a reason, and I know you Quinn. You're a smart girl and you've got a great head on your shoulders, so if you felt Jason wasn't right for you, then I support your decision. I just want to make sure that you don't end up regretting anything in the future. I met your father when we were young and you know how that relationship ended up. To be honest, the last five or so years of our marriage were miserable, and despite hating the situation I was in, I felt stuck. Leaving him scared me, but at the same time, I will never be able to forgive myself for letting your father kick you out when you were pregnant."

"As you know, your children are a part of you, they came from you and while it took me a while to digest the situation, I realized that my children were more important to me than a relationship with a man I didn't really love. Someone I only stayed with for the comfortable lifestyle, and it made me sick when I realized what I had actually let happen to you, what I had done," she explained, swallowing hard and brushing a stray tear away, "It physically hurt knowing how badly I hurt you. It's a parent's job to make sure their children are healthy and safe and happy. Watching you and Puck with Beth, that's all you've cared about since the day she was born and you've been doing all of that from afar for the past several years. I couldn't even provide that for my daughter who had been living under my roof for her entire life and now that you've let me back into your life, I'd be damned if I let you down again."

"Mom, I don't know what to say," Quinn replied honestly, wiping a few of her own tears away before hugging her mom. Before that morning, she had never heard much about her parent's marriage other than the fact that her dad cheated on her mom, and she knew her mother felt terrible about the events from their sophomore year that lead her to live with three different classmates over the course of her pregnancy, but she had never heard the full explanation as to how her mom felt. It was a relief though, finally knowing what her mom thought of the whole situation. It still didn't quite answer her question as to how this all related to Puck though.

"I guess what I'm trying to get at here is that I don't want you to have the same regrets that I have,"
she explained, "You're young, you've got a lot of years left to decide what you want for the rest of your life."

And Quinn finally had her answer as to where Puck fit into this whole conversation. Pulling away from her mother and turning to look her square in the eye, Quinn's gaze never leaving her mother's.

"I may be young and I already have a few regrets of my own," she began, her certainty never wavering as she spoke, "But Puck has never been, nor will he ever be, one of them. I love him and despite a few rocky patches in our relationship in the past, I'm pretty sure I've loved him since day one when we first, um – made Beth," she paused, the fact that the same act she just mentioned happened on the bed they were both now sitting on making things a tad awkward.

But she quickly recovered, "I tried to deny it for a long time in high school, even thinking that I regretted everything that happened between the two of us, but that attraction, those feelings were still there. I still felt them when I was with Jason and when Puck came back from boot camp my first year at Yale, everything felt right, you know, like I'd just found the missing piece to the puzzle. I could never regret Beth and I don't regret the man or the actions that helped bring her into this world. Yes, I'm young and I have a few years to figure out what I want to do with my life, but the one thing I've always known for certain was Puck's place in my life and in my heart." Quinn felt her own heart pounding as she finished, still unsure and wary of the conversation she was currently having with her mother.

"So, it may be redundant but I have one final question," Judy replied, waiting for Quinn to nod before continuing, "Are you happy?"

Quinn couldn't help the small smile that broke out upon hearing that question, for in her heart, there was no question what she felt. "Yes," she answered simply, "I'm the happiest I've ever been. Puck's deployment a few years ago was stressful but even though there were 7,000 miles between us, he still made me happy. Just being with him makes me happy," she replied, pausing as another thought crossed her mind, "At times he can be the most frustrating man alive and I'm a bit baffled as to why my left ring finger is still bare, but despite all of that, I love him and I am truly and honestly happy with my life."

Judy broke out into a huge grin upon hearing her daughter speak with such conviction about the man she loved, who was still probably snoozing in the room below them. The very same man Judy was convinced was trying to get her alone at some point for a very specific reason without Quinn knowing. She sighed and reached out toward her daughter once again, hugging her close.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear that," Judy whispered in Quinn's ear, "And just for the record, I think Noah turned out to be a great guy. He's lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have him," Quinn replied softly, smiling as her mother pulled away.

"True," Judy replied as she stood and collected the two empty mugs, "I'll leave you to it."

She had almost made it out the door when Quinn called out for her, "Hey mom?" Judy spun around once again, raising her eyebrows at her daughter, "Thank you."

"Anytime sweetheart," she replied, taking a few steps out the door before peeking her head back in, "Oh and Quinn? This doesn't mean I'm relaxing the rules. No messing around with your boyfriend in the house."

Quinn simply rolled her eyes as Judy retreated out of her room. Like she needed to be reminded to keep her hands to herself again…

x-x-x-x-x

Ten a.m. rolled around and with it came Beth's arrival. Puck and Quinn helped pack food and drinks for their day on the water, the group jumping into their cars and heading out to the lake where Steve's powerboat was docked. Puck and Steve helped load up the boat while Judy and Quinn helped Beth get settled, and before they knew it, they were in the middle of the water, enjoying the perfect weather as they floated around.

The group spent the most of the morning taking turns on the water skis and wakeboards. Beth even got in on the action when Puck took her out on the tube, the father wrapping a protective arm around his daughter as Steve pulled them around the lake… at a much slower pace than they had been skiing, of course.

After sufficiently tiring of the water sports, the five of them anchored the boat and enjoyed a picnic lunch before deciding to jump off and swim the short distance to the swim beach. Beth and Quinn played in the surf and built sand cities surrounding their sandcastles while Puck napped on the sand for a bit, resulting in him getting partially buried by Beth's "accidental" excavation of the beach for the castles.

They laughed and played, enjoying their time as a little family for as long as they could before having to return to the boat once again. They puttered around the lake for a bit more before the sun began to set, heading back to the marina and docking the boat. Once they had everything loaded up, the group embarked on their trip home, Beth surprising both Puck and Quinn by asking them if they wanted to have a sleep over…well, more like asked if she could sleep over with them. While secretly thrilled, they both tried to remain calm, telling her they were fine with it but she needed to check with Shelby first. So Beth called her mom from Quinn's cell phone, Shelby agreeing to the plan instantly before handing the phone back to Quinn, the two mothers making plans for Beth to swing back by home after dinner to grab her overnight stuff.

The rest of the night seemed to fly by in a flash, the group devouring Steve's famous steak and ribs combo as they sat out on the patio and enjoyed the night. Once supper was finished, Judy brought out a pan of brownies with a carton of ice cream for dessert, scooping out large pieces and spoiling her granddaughter with the sweet treats. The four adults continued to catch up with Beth, asking her anything and everything about what was going on in her life while the group relaxed after their meal.

As the evening turned into night, Quinn and Beth both decided to make their exit and headed over to the Corcoran's to pick up Beth's overnight bag. Puck decided to stay behind and finish the dishes, nervous yet excited to finally have a time to speak with Judy alone. After wiping off the last dish and placing it in the dishwasher, he headed into his room and grabbed the small object that had been stowed in his backpack under the bed before making his way back out onto the patio.

"Um, hey Judy, do you have a minute?" he asked, waiting for her to nod in the affirmative before clearing his throat gently, "I was hoping I could talk to you about Quinn and me."

Judy took another sip of her wine, finishing the last little bit in the glass. "Oh Noah, you and Quinn are fine. I know that it's hard for you guys to stay in separate rooms, but I appreciate you and Quinn respecting my rules," she replied before standing and making her way toward the door leading inside, "I think Steve's going to have a cigar. Would you like one while I'm inside."

Puck's brow scrunched in confusion before realizing she thought he was talking about the few times they couldn't keep their hands to themselves, "Actually, that's not what I was wanting to talk about –" he began before Judy cut him off.

"Well, if there is something going on between the two of you, you should work it out with Quinn. You don't need me for that," she replied, flippantly waiving her hand dismissing him before opening the back door to head inside.

"Wait, look I've wanted to talk to you about something for a while now," he began once more before getting cut off once more.

"Let's not get into this now, Noah."

"No!" he exclaimed, startling both himself and Judy, who turned around to look at him with a shocked look etched on her. Even Steve heard the outburst from inside the house, making his way toward the rear exit and joining the two of them on the patio, the elder Fabray and her boyfriend staring at Puck.

"Excuse me?" she asked, giving him the same incredulous look her daughter often gave him when he said or did something stupid.

Puck swallowed hard and straightened his posture, "I said no. You said you didn't want to get into it now and I don't agree with you. I've tried talking to you in private several times over the past week and you've blown me off at every opportunity. I have something to say and I want to talk to you about it now," he said firmly, softening a bit at the end, "Please?"

Steve merely looked over at Judy before glancing back at Puck, "Do you mind if I'm out here too or would you like some privacy, son?"

"You're more than welcome to stay, sir. I just didn't want Quinn around for this," he explained, Steve nodding at him before taking his seat at the patio table and lighting up his cigar.

Judy shifted her gaze between the two men before reaching inside the door and grabbing the bottle of wine, pouring herself a refill before making her way back to the table and taking a seat next to Steve, signaling for Puck to continue.

"Thank you," he replied, sitting down across from them at the table and clearing his throat once again, "I first want to apologize for that outburst. That was rude of me and really stupid considering the next few things that are about to come out of my mouth."

Steve chortled quietly, Judy giving him the stink eye before Puck continued, "As you know, Quinn and I have been together for the past four years. I personally like to think that we've been together for longer than that, considering our relationship in high school and Beth and all, but we've been official for the past four years. I also know that you weren't thrilled when the two of us moved in together after Quinn graduated and I came back from my deployment, but at the time it really felt like the right thing to do. It felt like the appropriate next step in our relationship."

"The jury is still out on the appropriateness of that move," Judy murmured, Steve elbowing her and giving her a look before she apologized, "Sorry, please continue."

"Well, I was thinking that now is a good time to take the next step in our relationship," Puck explained, his voice trembling with nerves as he spoke, "Judy, I love your daughter more than life itself. She's the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep at night. The year I spent in boot camp right after high school and the year I was deployed were the two worst years of my life, and it wasn't because I was being forced to do a million push-ups or getting shot at. Yeah, that sucked and all, but they were terrible because I couldn't be with Quinn. I've known her for what seems like forever, and despite the drama that went down in high school, she was always there. And I always want to be there for her too…for the rest of our lives."

"I know my job is stressful and I may not always be able to physically be there with her. I may not make the most money in the world and I may not be the most successful guy out there. But I promise you that I will always do everything in my power to provide for your daughter and I will spend the rest of my life making sure she's happy, healthy and loved."

Judy turned away momentarily, wiping away a stray tear before turning back to face Puck, "So you'll be faithful to my daughter? You'll love her, flaws and everything?"

"Forever," he promised sincerely, "I love your daughter and I can't wait to start a life and a family with her. From the time I first met her, I knew she was something special and I know how lucky I am to have her in my life."

"She's lucky to have you too, kid," Steve interjected, Judy smiling softly in agreement.

"Thank you, that means a lot," Puck replied, swallowing hard and fidgeting with his hands a bit before refocusing on Ms. Fabray, "Judy, I uh – I know it's tradition to ask a girl's father for their blessing, but I could honestly give a shit about Russell's blessing," he tried to joke, earning a chuckle from both of the people sitting across from him before turning serious once again, "But truth be told, it's your blessing that matters most to me and I know Quinn would agree. So, I was hoping to ask you for your blessing to ask your daughter to marry me."

Judy's face remained impassive for a moment, the elder blonde standing up and making her way around the table. Puck had been dreading this moment, thinking she was going to no or agree with those country clubbers that he wasn't good enough for her. But before Puck could think of something to say, her face breaks out into a wide smile and engulfs him in a tight hug.

"It's about time," she joked, "And you definitely have my blessing. You've had it ever since you stuck by her side when she was pregnant with Beth."

Puck stands and gives her a more proper hug, whispering his thanks as his throat is too tight with emotion to verbalize much more than that.

Judy pulls back and looks him in the eye, cupping his face in her hands, "And while I wouldn't mind you guys waiting for a few years or so, I can't wait for you to give me more beautiful grandchildren, just like Beth."

Puck grinned widely as she pulled him back in for a secondary hug, "Believe me, we're perfectly content with waiting on that one for a while."

As Judy pulled away once again, Puck glanced around and peeked inside to make sure Quinn hadn't returned yet before pulling a small black velvet box out of his pocket and handing it to her, Judy gasping at the beautiful three-diamond setting Puck had picked out for Quinn's engagement ring.

"It's beautiful Noah," she gasped, admiring the sparkling stones and the platinum band.

"I thought so," he admitted proudly before giving her a sheepish smile, "And I got some ideas from Quinn, who has been printing off or cutting out pictures of rings she likes and strategically placing them around our apartment for the past several months."

"Smart girl," Judy teased before taking the ring from him for a closer look near the light.

"She's nothing if not crafty," Steve agreed, "Congratulations." He clapped Puck on the shoulder and leaned in toward his ear, "But I meant what I said, Marine. If you hurt her, I'll kill you."

"I'd be the first to give you a free shot, sir," Puck replied, smiling before shaking the man's hand.

"So when are you going to ask her?" Judy asked them, rejoining the two men outside.

"I don't know yet, but I want a time when she least expects it. She's been on my ass the last few months and I don't want it to be super predictable. I've got some ideas, but I'm just not 100% sure."

He felt bad lying to his future in-laws. He already had a plan for the most part…they just didn't need to know about it quite yet.

---

Friday

After a blissful night of snuggling with Beth as they watched the latest Pixar movie and a morning spent snarfing down pancakes, bacon and eggs while watching cartoons, Puck and Quinn finally had to say goodbye to their daughter that afternoon. Once they dropped her off, Puck made sure to invite Shelby and Beth over to the Fabray's house for dinner the following night when his mom and sister would be around as well. He knew his mom would be bummed out if she missed out on her granddaughter time as well while Puck and Quinn were home, so he invited the whole group just like Judy had suggested at the beginning of the week. Shelby graciously accepted the invitation and it was settled, Quinn and Puck would at least get to see their daughter once more before they had to leave on Sunday afternoon.

The rest of the day was spent lounging around by the pool, Quinn quietly reading as she tanned her fair skin while Puck spent the time trying to psych himself up for another stupid event at the country club that night. The gala Steve helped organize was that evening and to say he wasn't thrilled about having to attend would be an understatement. He just hoped he didn't run into that asshole Mr. Mitchell at any point in the night because if that man made one more comment about how Quinn should be with his son, he was going to end up with a broken nose.

At around five that evening, Quinn gathered her things and headed inside, telling him they needed to start getting ready. The two of them shared a quick kiss before Quinn hustled up the stairs to jump into the shower before he could, stealing whatever hot water was left. After a rather refreshing rinse, Puck made his way back to his room, pulling out his outfit for the evening and smiling before beginning the process of getting dressed, making sure each piece was in its place.

Once finished, it was almost time to head out to the gala, Puck making his way out into the kitchen to wait for Quinn. Steve smiled at Puck's attire for the evening, offering him a drink while they waited. After a few more minutes, Judy called down to them, the two men moving to wait for their ladies at the bottom of the stairs, Puck feeling like he was getting ready to go to prom again. Judy came down first, smiling at Puck before accepting a kiss from Steve, turning her attention back to the top of the stairs. Quinn descended next, her jaw dropping as she let out a laugh at Puck's evening wear, but Puck could care less. His eyes were glued to the hazel-eyed beauty in the siren red dress as she made her way down the stairs toward him, her hips swaying sensuously under the sateen fabric causing his mouth to go dry.

"Wow," he sighed when she finally stood in front of him, Puck taking her hand in his and placing a gentle kiss against the back, "You look incredible."

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself," she replied, smiling back at him before looking him up and down, "So, didn't feel like going with a traditional black suit and tie?"

He grinned back as he watched her gently finger one of the gold buttons on his jacket, "Nah, those monkey suits are overrated anyways."

"Well, you do look pretty hot in that. You know what that outfit does to me," she whispered in his ear, biting her tongue lightly as she turned and followed her mom and Steve out of the house.

Puck readjusted his pants and jacket, the room all of a sudden feeling ten times hotter after seeing Quinn in that dress as she retreated, following her out the door shortly thereafter.

x-x-x-x-x

If Puck had a dollar for every shocked or surprised look he received as he entered the ballroom with Quinn that night, he'd be a very rich man. Whether it was the crisp midnight blue Marine Corps dress uniform he wore, the fact that the girl on his arm was smoking hot or the fact that Quinn Fabray was actually there with him, of all people, that night, needless to say, they had the attention of pretty much every person in the room.

They made their way toward their table, Quinn's hand tucked into the crook of his arm as he led her to her seat, the four of them taking their time in getting settled before accepting an offer to go grab a few drinks prior to the dinner service. Quinn laced her fingers through his as they wound their way through the crowd, smiling up at him as they walked, drawing even more stares.

"People think you coordinated with the red dress and all," Judy whispered.

"I had no idea what he was planning on wearing," Quinn replied with a smile, following Puck to the bar.

Puck ordered a Jack and Coke for himself & Steve and a glass of wine for Quinn & Judy, smiling back at the two women as the bartender made their drinks. As he slid the drinks across the bar, Puck pulled out his wallet, prepared to pick up the first round.

"It's on the house, man. Thanks for your service," the bartender replied, reaching out to shake Puck's hand.

Puck smiled back at the guy and extended his own hand, "Thank you."

The bartender looked over the ribbons on his chest and smiled back, "Afghanistan, eh?"

"Yeah," Puck replied, his interest piqued.

"10th Marines, Camp Lejune, North Carolina," the bartender replied, rolling up his left sleeve to reveal his own anchor, globe and eagle tattoo on his forearm, "Iraq 2003."

Puck grinned, "2nd Recon Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejune, North Carolina."

"Whoa, hardcore dude," the bartender joked, "I remember those guys being certifiable badasses around camp."

"Ha, please don't inflate his ego any further," Quinn chimed in, smiling back before introducing herself and Puck.

"Well, it's cool you chose to wear your uniform tonight," the bartender, whose name turned out to be Nick, "It's rather appropriate."

"How so?" Quinn asked, curious since Steve hadn't really mentioned much about the gala.

"Because all the proceeds of the event tonight are going to the Wounded Warrior Project. I figured you knew."

"Steve failed to mention that," Puck whispered to Quinn, looking over at Steve and smiling, holding up his glass in salute.

Quinn set her glass on the bar and asked for another one and a glass of water, turning back around and facing Puck once again, "Well that's nice. At least the charity benefits military vets wounded in combat. That's a good thing, right?"

"Totally. It's a great charity," Puck explained, "I just wish I had a bit of a heads up, is all."

The bartender returned with Quinn's drinks and they chatted a bit more, Puck leaving the man with a handshake as they made their way back to the table for dinner.

However, their trip back was a bit different than the trip to the bar, people stopping and shaking Puck's hand on multiple occasions, thanking him for his service or using their own military stories to bond with him. Puck took everything in stride, smiling and taking his time to speak with each person as they approached him. To be honest, he was kind of excited at the new way people looked at him. People actually wanted to talk to him and respected him like an equal, not like the gum on the bottom of their shoes anymore. It was a totally new feeling, and Puck had to admit, he didn't hate the feeling. He was surprised at all of the 'country clubbers' who had served in the military, deciding to give them all a second chance instead of continuing to think all of them were pompous assholes.

After a delicious dinner of steak and seafood, the president of the country club introduced Steve and asked him to come up and say a few words. Steve obliged and thanked everyone for attending, explaining the basic premises of the charity they were donating to that night and took a moment to thank all of the veterans and active duty military before introducing the silent auction items. He then excused everyone and signaled to the band to begin playing, the musical notes filling the ballroom as people stood from their tables, some checking out the items up for auction, others mingling or making their way toward the dance floor.

While Judy and Steve made their way around the room, Puck stood and offered Quinn his hand before asking her to dance. Neither of them had the money to bid on anything at the auction anyway as the life of a Marine and a law student weren't exactly conducive to purchasing much besides the usual essentials. Plus, the ring currently stowed in Puck's pants pocket also cost a pretty penny…but even if he had to eat Ramen noodles for the rest of the year, it was totally worth it. Hopefully…

The band began to play an upbeat tune, Puck swinging Quinn out onto the floor and wrapping an arm around her waist, taking her other hand in his as he led her across the expanse. It was times like this he was glad his mother made him attend cotillion at the local community center, the manners training and the dance steps coming in handy every once in a while.

He tried to pull out all the stops too, spinning her a few times and even dipping her, kissing her softly whenever the song would end. Quinn couldn't help but giggle whenever Puck acted like this, the rough and tumble rebel turning into her own Prince Charming every once in a while. After several up-tempo songs, the band slowed things down a bit. Puck pulled her close and Quinn snuggled her cheek into his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck as they swayed together.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?" he asked, placing a tender kiss on the crown of her head.

"Thank you," she replied softly, "You always make me feel beautiful when I'm with you."

Puck glanced around the space, Judy smiling softly their way as she and Steve danced, the whole ballroom floor packed with couples swaying to the music.

He took a deep breath, kissing her forehead once more before pulling back, "Hey, it's pretty crowded in here. You want to get some air?"

Quinn would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed he wanted to step out the second a slow song came on. The whole night had been perfect up until then, Quinn feeling like a princess in her gown and her prince in his fancy Marine Corps dress blues. She wished they could just have a few more moments to savor the slow tempo but he had been so good the whole night through, so she figured she owed him.

She took his hand and followed as he led her out onto the balcony, leaning up against the stone railing as they looked out over the vast expanse of land behind the building.

"It's a beautiful night out," she commented as she looked up at the crystal clear night sky, the stars twinkling above them as the moon illuminated the building and golf course in a soft light.

"It is," he agreed, "But not as beautiful as you are."

Quinn smiled back before rolling her eyes, "Wow, nice line."

"I know," he chuckled, "I'm a little rusty. Gimme a break."

They both chuckled at that, Puck pulling her close and kissing her gently. They stood there quietly for a few more moments, Quinn leaning into his embrace as they savored the alone time together. She felt completely at peace in his arms, safe and loved always. It was easy being with him, and regardless of their occasional spats here and there, his kindness, sense of humor and gentle strength always drew her back in time after time. These quiet moments were rare for them, but Quinn loved it, simply content just being there with him.

Puck, on the other hand, was far less at ease than Quinn was. He loved feeling her relax into his embrace, but he had far heavier things weighing on his mind…or his pocket. He heard Quinn sigh before her fingers snaked through his, pulling his hand up and kissing the back. Her lips on his skin sent chills through his body, the simple gesture causing his heart to race as a gentle warmth settled throughout his body.

And while he thought he had a plan the night before, it went straight out the window the second he looked down at the angel in his arms. It was the perfect moment.

He felt like he had been waiting for years to get to this moment and practicing what he wanted to say for months now, yet standing there with her in that moment, his mind went completely blank. He tried to wrack his brain to come up with something he had prepared earlier but he came up with absolutely nothing.

So he decided to wing it and speak from his heart….and hopefully he didn't screw anything up too badly.

Puck pulled away from her and turned his body toward hers. Quinn stood back a few steps, her brow scrunched in confusion at the abrupt movement. She instantly missed the warmth and comfort of his embrace, but the anxious look on his face told her something was up.

He grasped both of her hands and pulled her closer, his body mere inches from hers as he took a deep breath and cleared his throat.

"Q, you and I have been together for the last four years, longer if you count all the time we spent figuring out what we were to one another in high school," he began, the nerves causing his voice to tremble lightly as he spoke, "Before I met you, before we were together, I was a punk. I was an ass to everyone in high school and for the most part, I'm really not proud of the person I was during that time. However, I felt like my life turned itself around the moment I first met you. Your smile lit up the room and your sense of humor drew me to you instantly. Sure, we may not have gotten along at first and we were too busy putting up our walls and pretending to be people we weren't for popularity's sake, but there was an instant connection between us and I knew that I wanted to make you mine."

Quinn smiled up at him, touched by his words. She reached up and cupped his face, tracing a line down his jaw before he swallowed hard and continued.

"I may have gone about that the wrong way, but I want you to know that I will never regret the first night we spent together. In fact, that may have been the greatest night of my life. I know the repercussions of sleeping together were hard on you, on us both, but it was the best night of my life for two reasons. One, despite the hardships and tough decisions, you gave me the most beautiful daughter in the world, something I will be eternally grateful for even though she doesn't live with us all the time. And two, I fell in love for the first time in my life that night. You were my first love, and you've held my heart ever since then."

Quinn had no idea where this was coming from or where he was going with this and while she had her suspicions, he had pretty much shot them all down with his rant in the car earlier this week. However, he was so eloquently spoken, a rarity for Puck, and his words were so genuine and soft, Quinn tearing up as told her how he felt.

"I know that life's not perfect and things get rough at times. I know I'm not an easy man to love either. My job is stressful and not exactly easy to deal with and I know that I have plenty of flaws to boot. But you accept me for me and you've never pushed me to change, always supporting me in what I do, and I don't think I will ever be able to thank you for what you've done for me over the years. And I don't think I ever want to know what my life is like without you."

Her jaw began to drop as she watched his body tense, his hand releasing hers before it found its way into his pocket. Her own hands began to tremble as she watched him step back a pace, his own eyes meeting hers before he smiled gently back at her.

"Quinn, you are my best friend, the mother of our child and the love of my life. I can't put into words how much I need you in my life and how much I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he stated, pulling back just a bit further before dropping down to one knee and pulling the black velvet box out of his pocket, propping the lid open to reveal the ring inside, "So, will you make me the happiest man alive by agreeing to be my wife? Will you marry me?"

As soon as he dropped to his knee, Quinn burst into tears, her entire body trembling with emotion as she watched him pull out the ring and ask her to marry her. She had been wanting this moment to come forever but standing here, she felt like this all was a dream. She even literally pinched herself to make sure this was real.

Puck watched her for a few moments, anxiously waiting for her answer as he remained perched on one knee. Finally, she began to nod her head, letting out a gasp before the word "yes" tumbled from her lips.

"Yes, yes, Yes!" she cried as she launched herself at him, pulling him in for a crushing kiss and an equally enthusiastic hug, almost tackling him in the process.

Once she finally pulled back, Puck grinned up at her and took her left hand, slipping the sparkler onto her ring finger and kissing it once it was in place, "For good luck," he explained.

He pulled her in once more and kissed her hard, embracing her and pulling her off the ground, spinning in the process as they savored the moment. Though it had been tough to see through the waterworks, Quinn could tell her ring was beautiful when he first opened the box, but once she wiped her eyes and took another look, a loud gasp escaped her throat, the ring much more beautiful than she could have ever imagined.

"Ohh, Puck," she murmured, "It's absolutely beautiful!"

He set her back down and took her hand in his, looking down at the ring he picked out, "You like it?"

"It's amazing," she replied, lifting her chin once more to give him a tender kiss.

However, a bright flash interrupted their kiss, Puck and Quinn immediately shifting their attention to the French doors that separated the ball room from the balcony just in time to watch Steve take another picture with his phone, Quinn's mother in tears holding her hand over her mouth as she grinned at the couple.

"Did you tell them what you were planning?" Quinn asked, grasping his hand.

"No, honestly I didn't even know I was doing it tonight but it just felt right," he replied before a thought struck him, "But they may have known something was up once you and I ducked out of there tonight."

"What do you mean? Not that I care if you did tell them or anything, I was just curious."

"Well, I did talk to your mom last night about it. I wanted to get her blessing before I asked," Puck explained, earning him a heartfelt smile in the process, "I'd been trying to find a time this whole week but she kept thwarting all of my efforts. Crafty lady."

"Ahh, so that's what that conversation was all about yesterday morning," she murmured to herself, turning towards Puck and explaining, "She came into my room and started asking me all these questions about our relationship. She was probably expecting you to say something is my guess."

"Well I did. And I got the answer I was looking for!" he replied, a cocky grin spreading across his face before he leaned down and kissed her once more before they made their way toward the door leading back into the ballroom where Steve and Judy were anxiously waiting for their return.

Once they reentered the ballroom, a rather large group of people who had been standing near the windows and doors all broke out into applause after having witnessed the proposal while Judy gathered her daughter in her arms, squeezing her tight and offering her congratulations. Steve settled on a handshake with Puck before Judy pulled him into a hug as well, welcoming him to the family. Several other family friends came up to offer their congratulations as well, everybody wishing the couple well before allowing the two of them to mingle a bit more. Steve offered to head to the bar and request some champagne to toast the young couple, Puck, Quinn and Judy following behind him as they made their way to the crowd, stopping every so often to receive their congratulations from other well-wishers.

Steve signaled for the bartender and ordered a bottle of champagne, the man pouring it into four glasses before handing them over to the group, offering his own congrats in the process. Steve hoisted his glass and offered a few words of support before the four of them touched glasses and took a drink, the cool liquid helping to calm both Quinn and Puck's racing hearts, their bodies still buzzing from the thrill of finally getting engaged.

However, the smile quickly slipped from Puck's face as he watched the one person he didn't want to see that night make his way toward the four of them, the smarmy look on the man's face enough to get Puck's blood pumping once again. The man walked straight up to him, looking Puck up and down for a few moments before letting out a chuckle, his breath reeking of an unpleasant mixture of wine and scotch.

"Silas, what can I do for you?" Steve asked Mr. Mitchell, breaking the tension already settling over the group.

Mr. Mitchell didn't even glance over at the man speaking to him as he continued to scrutinize Puck for a few more moments, a grin breaking out on his face.

"Is this some kind of gimmick you came up with for the charity tonight, Steven?" Mr. Mitchell asked indirectly, his gaze never leaving Puck's as he spoke, "I have to tell you, it's brilliant! Getting some guy to dress up like a Marine to get people to donate? Genius! How much is he paying you to do this, kid? Ten bucks an hour?"

Puck could smell the alcohol on him and could tell he was a bit hammered given his slurred speech, but Puck didn't care if he was in his right mind or not. He was not about to sit here and listen to this guy rag on him again, especially not tonight. This was his and Quinn's night and this guy was threatening to ruin it.

But before he could say anything on that subject, Mr. Mitchell turned toward Quinn and asked her how she was doing, not even waiting for an answer before signaling to his son to come and join them. The equally smarmy Mitchell Jr. immediately reached out toward Quinn, offering her a hug and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before she could even do anything. Her entire body went rigid as she stood there, Steve and Judy frozen by the audacity of both of the men, but the second that guy touched Quinn, Puck saw red.

He grasped Quinn's hand and pulled her back toward him, Mitchell Jr. glaring at him while Mitchell Sr. let out an indignant snort, "What the hell do you think you're doing, boy? Learn your place. Your rudeness will not be tolerated, right Steve?" he asked glancing over at where Steve stood next to the bar.

Puck glanced over at Steve, the older man raising an eyebrow and shrugging before Puck turned back toward the Mitchell's and took a few steps toward them, stopping only a few inches from their faces as he glared down at the older of the two men.

"My rudeness? My rudeness?" Puck challenged, staring the man down, "You wouldn't know the first thing about manners, Mr. Mitchell, because if you did, you certainly wouldn't be challenging me and my occupation and you sure as hell wouldn't be trying to pawnyour son off on someone who is already taken."

The man snorted again and rolled his eyes but ceased immediately, his body going rigid as Puck took another step closer, invading his personal space.

"I assure you sir, this uniform is no gimmick. I am real deal Marine and I'm damn proud of what I do. I serve this country while your pompous ass only thinks of serving yourself and your own interests. I have more honor in my pinkie finger than you have in your entire body, so the next time you insult me, or my profession, thus insulting my brothers in arms as well," he Puck replied, gesturing to the bartender who stood at the ready to jump in if necessary, "You better be prepared to take on a Marine like a man instead of a chicken shit socialite. And if you ever insinuate that the brave men and women in our armed services aren't worthy of attending an event in which the charity directly benefits them because they are not high class enough, I will personally see to it that all of the veterans within the community know how you see them and judging from the number of former military members I met here tonight, that could ruin your business, your membership at the country club and your status in the community. So make a wise choice."

Puck turned around and began to walk away, leaving the Mitchell's standing there stunned, the rest of the bar silent as they watched the exchange.

However, Puck only made it a few paces before he looked up and saw Quinn, another bone to pick popping into his head as he spun around on his heel and pointed his finger at the two men standing there, "Oh, and if you try to set your sleazy, punk-ass son up with my fiancée ever again, the next time we meet, there will be no words exchanged, understand? Consider yourself lucky this time, pal."

He turned back around and marched back to Quinn, his fiancée still slightly stunned at the exchange. Judy cleared her throat and took another sip of champagne while Puck leaned up against the bar. Steve walked over to where the Mitchell's stood and suggested that it was a good time to leave, the two men escorted out of the ballroom immediately causing the rest of the crowd that had gathered to disperse, many quietly murmuring of their intense dislike for the man and praising someone for standing up to him after all these years.

But none of that really made Puck feel any better, until the president of the country club walked up to him and joked that he would have paid to see Puck punch the guy in the face, assuring the group that this was the last straw and the country club would be revoking the Mitchell's membership effective the next morning.

Overall, besides the slight altercation, the night had been almost perfect for Puck and Quinn. The people at the club were actually kind to him, treating him like a real person instead of the kid from the wrong side of the tracks. And the love of his life agreed to spend the rest of her life with him too! Honestly, this night couldn't get any better, he thought to himself as he stood there with his arm around his fiancée.

"So, what do you say we get out of here and have our own private celebration?" Quinn murmured into his ear before kissing his neck. And suddenly, his night just got a whole lot better.

Puck's pulse began to race as he looked back down at her, Quinn biting her lower lip as she smirked at him, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Huh?" was the only thing he could verbalize at that moment, his pants already feeling tight as she wrapped her arms around him even tighter.

"It's not even nine o'clock and my mom and Steve have to stay til the end of the auction. Best guess, they'll be home in the early morning," she replied, quirking an eyebrow at him, "We'd be all alone."

"I uh – I," he sputtered, the feel of her hands roaming his chest enough to distract him, "I don't know. What about the rules?"

"Mom's rule was that there was to be no messing around with my boyfriend," Quinn smirked and grasped his hand, leading him away from the party and toward the main entrance where they had parked, "She didn't say anything about my fiancé."

Puck glanced over at her and grinned, "You and your technicalities. I love it!" He let out a light chuckle as he helped her into the passenger side of their car before rounding the other side and hopping in himself, "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"Well, you did ask me to marry you less than an hour ago, so I think that's pretty much the same thing," she replied, sliding her hand onto his thigh before letting it wander toward his rapidly tightening pants, "But I wouldn't mind hearing it a few more times."

Just then her hand brushed against his hardness, a groan escaping his throat, "Oh God, I love you, Q."

"Mmm, I like the way that sounds, fiancé," she replied, working the zipper on his pants before cupping him fully, "Now stay focused on the road. It's only a two minute drive. You think you can handle that?" she asked, squeezing him gently.

He nodded enthusiastically, clutching the wheel and making his way down the streets of Lima as carefully as he could, determined to make it home in one piece despite the magic Quinn's hands and mouth were creating at the moment.

He couldn't wait to strip her out of that dress and claim her as his own once more, smiling at the thought that, from here on out, she was his forever.

---

A/N: So, after a 3 month hiatus on this story, did I do ok? Let me know what you think! I love to hear what you have to say! More chapters for this coming up, but I'm open to suggestions or prompts. Also, look for new chapters for 'Our Best Friend's Wedding' and the final installment of 'Be All That You Can Be,' coming soon!

Also, as most of you know, I have a soft spot for military men...but I will say, imagining the Marine Corps dress blues on Puck/Mark Salling makes me drool. Seriously, google the uniform if you dont believe me. Hot!