A/N: Damn, another three month hiatus! I'm so sorry. These chapters tend to get the best of me and end up being pretty damn long, so I apologize for not getting this one out sooner. I did want to let you all know that I do have several other ideas/chapters outlined, so I have not abandoned this story, I promise! Thanks again to all of my readers/subscribers and especially to readbetweenthesigns, safeandsound13, FF2Addict, marine04, olacindy, agronderwood, QuinnyLucySexyFabray, MaximumFire, ChocolateMilkyWay, walkingthegardengnome, MsKylie93, troyella2468, guest, guest, RAGML, and Madjean99 for taking the time to review! You all are awesome!

Now, a little family bonding for the Puckerman family…I'll let the title speak for itself.

Daddy's Little Girl

"Babe, did you already pack my toiletries?" Puck yelled up the stairs as he double checked the family's luggage. It was tough enough to rally his wife to get organized for work in the mornings, let alone for the entire family of five to prepare for a trip back home to Ohio for a long weekend.

It was Beth's Senior Weekend at Ohio State and it was an opportunity for her entire family to celebrate her accomplishments both in the classroom and on the volleyball court. This weekend would be the last time she would play volleyball on her home court, and seeing as how she had played for the Buckeyes since graduating high school, it was quite the accomplishment to continue to play the sport she loved for all four years of college too. Plus, it definitely had been a relief for Shelby knowing she wouldn't have to pay for Beth's college tuition as the girl worked hard enough to earn herself a scholarship for each year she competed.

"No, you need to finish packing… like usual," Quinn yelled back in return, trying to wrestle a t-shirt onto Riley as the little girl squirmed in return, "The kids are all set. Just put your shit – I mean, stuff – momma didn't mean to say that," she looked pointedly at her now giggling daughter, "Into the black bag at the bottom of the stairs."

"The black bag at the bottom of the stairs…yeah, that really helps," Puck murmured, taking in the three large black bags lying on the ground in front of him. "You do know this is three day trip, right? You didn't need to pack the whole damn closet!" he yelled again.

"Yes, but you're not considering the possible contingencies, soldier."

"Dammit woman, I'm a Marine! You know that," he yelled again, Quinn chuckling to herself as she finally let Riley run free. "I swear, sometimes you can be such a bit – beautiful woman," he replied, correcting himself as he watched Ella give him the Quinn-patented death glare from her spot on the couch.

Quinn simply laughed as she strode down the stairs, tossing him his shave and toiletry kit as she rounded the corner, "Such a gentleman."

"I try," he smirked, greeting his wife with a kiss, Ella and Riley each grumbling their own 'gross' before walking off.

"Ok, so we have five sets of clothes for the three days we're there and for the return trip home," Quinn asked, looking down at her list.

"Roger that."

"And we have all of our shirts for Beth's senior night?"

"Roger that."

"We have toiletries, toothbrushes, and toothpaste for all of the kids, especially while they're at your mom's?"

"Roger that, and in their own separate suitcase for tonight."

"We have checked in and all of our boarding passes have been printed off?"

"Roger that, and I got you and me a free cocktail on the flight too."

"Crafty," she grinned, "I knew I loved you for a reason."

"Well, let's roll then," Puck replied, helping himself to a slice of toast after slathering one in peanut butter for Danny, "You've got Beth's Senior Night gift, right?"

"I've got it in my purse," Quinn assured him, patting her bag for the eighteenth time to make sure the black box was still in there.

After much deliberation, Quinn had finally decided it was time to pass along a family heirloom onto Beth. She had several pieces her grandmother had left to her through her mother Judy, and despite her own mother waiting until Quinn's wedding day to pass on the family pearls, Quinn felt that after everything Beth had gone through in her past twenty-two years, it was her time now. She had been through so much with finding out who her real parents were and the transition Shelby agreed to in letting Puck and Quinn see her, let alone ingrain her into their lives and let her be a part of their family, that she knew it was the right time. In all honesty, they truly owed Shelby a debt of gratitude for her hospitability in allowing them back into their oldest daughter's life. Plus, they had a chance to get to know Shelby a lot better as well over the years, their relationship improving immensely to the point where their other kids referred to her as 'Aunt Shelby.' Puck even packed her an extra "Corcoran Spike Squad" t-shirt, complete with the "Can You Dig It?" quote on the back, as at least several of Beth's friends and fans would be rocking it during her Senior Night match against Nebraska.

"Good," Puck murmured as he passed his wife her travel mug of coffee, before pausing and shouting out to their children, "Pucklings… fall in!"

Just like a good little unit, Danny, Ella, and Riley all moseyed into the kitchen, grumbling and groaning at their father's formality before each of them grabbed their carry-on backpacks from their mom and filed out the kitchen into the garage.

"It kind of disgusts me how well you have these kids trained," Quinn commented as she checked the locks on the front and kitchen door before hopping into their SUV, "Looking back on the past, who would have thought you'd be the organized hardass parent out of the two of us?"

"Hey, you know I love them but train them like my teams," Puck commented as he climbed into their Toyota 4Runner, "Even you can't deny the efficiency of my organization."

"That I can't" Quinn offered, giving her husband a peck across the center console, earning her a 'ewww, gross' and 'get a room' from their kids, which in turn earned the kids a glare and a giggled response before Puck backed out of the driveway and away from the family home.

"Do we have to stay with Grandma tonight?" Ella groaned, "Why can't we go see Beth with you?"

Quinn just smiled as she took Puck's hand, her heart full at the thought that all of her children absolutely adored their big sister. Puck's fingers intertwined with hers as he leaned back slightly to answer his daughter, "I know you're excited to see Beth, but your Grandma and Nana want to spend time with you guys too. They don't get to see you guys as often as they would like and you know they spoil you rotten when you go visit. Plus, you'll get to see Beth tomorrow morning, so enjoy your night of freedom without mom and dad."

"Plus, Nana Ruth always lets us stay up late," Danny chimed in before plugging in his earphones to his iPod.

Quinn rolled her eyes before glancing over at her husband, "Maybe they need to stay over at Grandma Judy's more often."

"Oh come on, they're fine. Grandmas are supposed to be the fun ones," Puck replied, "Plus, your mom is the one who buys them practically everything they ask her for, regardless of what we say. So what if my mom lets them eat junk food and stay up late?"

"You have a valid point," she conceded, pursing her lips as she applied a thin layer of chapstick.

"Mama, is Mr. Jason going to be there too?" Riley asked, interrupting their conversation.

Puck audibly groaned at the reminder of Beth's long-term boyfriend, earning him a slap in the arm from his wife. It wasn't that he didn't like the guy… he just didn't think the guy deserved his little girl. Call him a little protective, but after everything they had gone through with Beth in the past, he wanted to do everything in his power to ensure his little girl would stay his little girl. Plus, as far as he was concerned, no man was good enough for any of his girls… and at this point, he was going to make sure that his youngest two didn't date until they were at least thirty.

"Yep, Mr. Jason will be there," Quinn replied, ignoring her husband's grumbling, "He cares about Beth a whole lot, so he'll be excited to watch her play. Plus, I secretly think he likes hanging out with you guys."

"I know he does. I'm his favorite," Riley stated proudly as she looked out the window.

"And what makes you think that, young lady?"

"Because he told me so," the eight year old answered, leaving Puck to groan yet again that all of the women in his family were seemingly swooning over the guy.

"He's a nice guy and he's been really good to Beth for the past several years, even you can't deny that. But, at least we'll get her to ourselves for a while tonight before Shelby and the rest of the crew arrive tomorrow," Quinn reminded him, running a soothing hand up his arm before quirking her eyebrow and biting her lip in that way she knew turned her husband on, "Plus, if you're a good boy, maybe we can enjoy our own alone time back at the hotel tonight."

She grinned as his eyes went wide, a mischievous smirk appearing on his face as he clutched her hand tighter, "Oh, you know I'm always a good boy."

She quirked an eyebrow at his retort, "Always? Ha, we'll see about that."

"Whatever," he smiled back, "Such a tease."

Quinn let out a hearty laugh at his ribbing, "Well, you remember my favorite saying… It's all about the teasing, not about the pleasing."

Puck laughed in response before they were both interrupted yet again by their youngest clearing her throat. "Mama, you know it's not nice to tease people," the little girl stated with authority, "Especially daddy. You shouldn't tease daddy because you love him and it's not nice to tease the people you love."

"Yeah Quinn," Puck replied, a smug look crossing his face as Riley stood up for him despite not catching on to the entendre they were referring to, "Riles is right, you shouldn't tease me. It's not nice!"

Quinn clicked her tongue against her teeth a few times as she realized their little inside joke had just been called out by their eight year old, shaking her head a few times before smiling at her daughter and rolling her eyes at her husband, the family arriving at the airport shortly thereafter as they embarked on their journey back home to Ohio.

A cool autumn breeze wafted through the open windows as an old Frank Sinatra song crooned through the small iPod speakers, the air in the room thick with lust as its two occupants completely lost themselves in one another.

"Ooh, right there," the female groaned, shifting to straddle the man below her before leaning down and kissing him hard, wanting to take full advantage of what alone time they could sneak. Clutching him tightly, she continued to move over top of him, her lips ghosting across his collarbone as her hand clenched the pillow next to his head, his fingers digging into her hips, urging her on.

An audible groan escaped his lips as he pulled her in close, their sweat-slicked skin sticking to the sheets, tangling them up in a delicious cocoon of sensuality.

"I love you," his breath tickled her neck as he suckled her pulse point below her ear, earning him that guaranteed moan each and every time. Shifting slightly, he raised his knee and grasped the back of one of her thighs, creating a new angle that made both of them shudder.

"I love you too…Mmm, God," she moaned, her whimpers turning into a laugh as he blew a raspberry against her shoulder, "Somebody is definitely on top of his game today!"

"Well, I hope that it'll relieve some of your stress so you can be at the top of your game this weekend," he murmured, kissing her again as he tried to control his movements underneath her, "Plus, it needs to be good considering I won't be able to touch you for the next four days."

"You can touch me whenever you want," Beth moaned as he shifted underneath her, her body trembling as she neared her peak.

Her boyfriend Jason continued to thrust up into her, reveling in her soft sighs as he kissed her neck, "Yeah well, definitely not while your dad is watching. I swear he's just waiting for me to screw up so he can kill me."

"Aww, babe, I've told you, he likes you!" she panted, "He doesn't want to kill you."

"You don't see the look in his eyes every time I even get close to you," he replied, slowing down briefly as he caught her gaze.

"Can we please not talk about my dad anymore. Don't kill the mood," Beth groaned, digging her nails into his back, "I just need you closer to me right now."

He sat up and held her close, her torso draped around his as her legs encircled his waist, the two of them continuing to move in tandem as they both chased their climax.

-o-o-o-o-

Quinn grabbed her purse as Puck locked the car door, grasping his wife's hand as they walked up to the front of the apartment building, catching the front door as another co-ed exited. As they made their way toward the elevator, she paused momentarily, checking her phone to see if Beth had texted her back yet as they waited in the lobby.

"Do you think surprising her a day early is a good idea," she asked, glancing over at Puck as he watched for their lift.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," he replied, glancing at his watch as he mentally recalled Beth's class schedule, "She should be done for the day. Plus, this means we'll get to watch both games this weekend instead of just tomorrow's game. Besides, I'm sure she'll be happy to just hang out tonight and go out to dinner with us instead of the whole crew that's coming in tomorrow morning, especially if we're buying."

"I guess so," she commented, stepping into the elevator before Puck pressed the floor number, "Say, what time are Rachel, Finn and Santana supposed to land tomorrow?"

"Early. I think they're all on Shelby's flight too. Supposed to get in around eight tomorrow morning."

"Ouch," she laughed, following Puck out of the lift once it had stopped on Beth's floor, "San must really love Beth if she's willing to get up that early in the morning just to get here."

"No shit. She has never been a morning person," he agreed, "And you better believe she'll be wanting to strangle Rach by the end of the trip too, seeing as how that girl is practically the Energizer bunny from the minute she wakes up at five a.m."

They rounded the corner and made their way toward Beth's apartment, Puck firmly knocking on the door as they both waited for their daughter to open up.

"Maybe she's out," Quinn commented, taking her phone out once again, "I should call her."

"No! That'll ruin the surprise," Puck replied, "Besides, I think I hear something inside." Pressing his ear to the door, he confirmed his suspicions, "Yeah, I hear music. She's probably just studying or something and can't hear us knocking."

Reaching under her doormat, he dislodged the hidden key from under the door-frame before unlocking the door and letting himself and his wife in.

-o-o-o-o-

"Did you hear that?" Jason murmured as he continued his pace, clutching her tightly as he continued to pump up into her.

"You're being paranoid. Just focus on the two of us right now and how we feel together. I'm so close," Beth replied, kissing him hard as Jason forgot all about everything else except for the woman straddling him.

-o-o-o-o-

Their groans could be heard all the way into the entry way, a giggle following suit as both Puck and Quinn's eyes shot open wide.

Quinn recognized that giggle and realized very quickly that now was definitely not the time to surprise their twenty-two year old daughter. She spun toward her husband and grasped his arm, trying to pull him back out the door. "Maybe we should go grab lunch first. I'm starving, and we can text Beth on the way."

But despite the fact that his wife was trying to hold him back, Puck wasn't about to be swayed. His eyes stung and his face burned bright red, sheer fury racking his body causing his hands to shake as he gently removed his wife's hand and stormed toward his daughter's bedroom.

"Puck! Noah Puckerman, wait!" Quinn yelled, but it was no use.

He threw the door open, the bare back of his daughter exposed as she sat astride her boyfriend's lap, their bodies entwined around each other as their lips tore apart from one another in utter shock.

"Oh SHIT!" Jason cried, grasping for the comforter as he covered the two of them, practically throwing Beth off of him as he tried to hide her behind him.

"I'm going to fucking kill you, you little bastard!" Puck yelled back, making a move to lunge at Beth's boyfriend, Quinn barely able to restrain him.

Beth was absolutely mortified as she clutched Jason's shoulders, completely unable to make eye contact with her parents before screaming, "GET OUT!"

Her mother tried to apologize profusely as she used all the strength in her body to pull her husband out of the room.

x-x-x-x-x

Puck was still pissed as hell as he plopped down on the couch, absolutely fuming as he refused to leave the house before he got his hands around Jason's neck.

Jason, on the other hand, looked particularly green as he sat on the end of Beth's bed after hastily dressing himself, feeling like he was going to be sick as he rocked back and forth. He honestly couldn't believe what had just happened. While he got along great with both Shelby and Quinn, Beth's dad had always terrified him, and he was convinced that almost certain death awaited him once he walked out of the sanctuary of Beth's bedroom.

Beth took her time putting on lotion and fixing her hair, wanting to hold off the inevitable for a bit longer while trying to talk her boyfriend off the ledge at the same time, knowing that the conversation they were bound to have was going to be awkward at best.

"It's really not that big of a deal. Honest," she murmured, pulling on a t-shirt before sliding onto the bed behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders before kissing him gently on the neck.

"Not a big deal?" Jason groaned, grasping one of her hands with his, "He just walked in on me having sex with his daughter. He's going to kill me."

"Really? Babe, we've been sleeping together for a few years now. He can't be that naïve. Plus, he's not going to kill you," she replied, trying to make him feel better but knowing damn well he wouldn't believe a word she said, "Well, at least I hope my mom has talked him down enough so that he's gotten over the urge to resort to violence."

"Oh God," he groaned again, dropping his head into his hands.

"Jay, I'm just kidding," she laughed, patting his chest, "Besides, both of my moms know about us. Hell, Quinn was the one who went with me to get onto birth control. We've been together forever and we love one another, so I really don't see what is so wrong about this."

-o-o-o-o-

"I really don't see what is so wrong with all of this," Quinn groaned, moving to sit on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"You don't see what's so wrong about this picture?" Puck spat, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as he continued to glare at Beth's bedroom door, "They're too young. She's too young to be doing that. And don't even get me started on him…"

-o-o-o-o-

"Oh please, don't get me started on my dad," Beth replied, leaning her chin on Jason's shoulder, "He and my mom have no room to talk when it comes to the whole premarital sex thing."

"Fuck me! Now he's going to want to crucify me because we're sleeping together before we're married? I never thought of that."

"No, hun, I just meant that they had me when they were sixteen," she murmured, "They have no room to talk on the matter. If they did, that would be a bit hypocritical, don't you think."

-o-o-o-o-

"I know you're not very happy about this, but it's not like we can really say anything—"

"Oh, I have plenty to say," Puck argued, Quinn giving his knee a tight squeeze in warning.

"Like I was saying, you and I had Beth when we were sixteen and we got married at twenty-two, which, if I'm not mistaken, is how old Beth is right now. Plus, we had Daniel about a year after that," Quinn continued, ignoring her husband's outburst, "Let's just keep this in perspective."

"What other fucking perspective can I have besides knowing that – that boy defiled her?"

"Just like you defiled me when we were still in high school?" she shot back, "At least I know for a fact that she waited until her sophomore year of college."

-o-o-o-o-

"At least we waited longer than my parents," Beth said, trying to reassure her anxious boyfriend. "They had me when they were very young. We waited until we had been dating for a year. You're the only person I've ever been with and you're the only person I ever want to be with. That has to count for something."

"Babe, believe me, that's all I want too," he replied, gently kissing her hand, "That is, if I survive the night."

"It'll be awkward, and I'm not saying he'll come around right away, but you'll survive the night, I promise."

"Fuck," he murmured, scrubbing his face with his hands before running his fingers through his hair, "This was not how I wanted to start this weekend."

"I know. And I'm sorry," she replied, smiling down at him before placing a gentle kiss on his temple, "We can take all the time you need until you're ready."

"Yeah, better not take too long or your parents will probably think we're… you know."

"Good point."

"Well, it's not going to get any better, so might as well take the Band-Aid approach and rip it off all at once."

"If you're sure."

"Oh, I'm certainly not sure of anything except for the fact that I'd rather get my nose broken sooner rather than later so the swelling will hopefully go down prior to your Senior Night game tomorrow."

Beth let out an indignant snort before standing and offering him her hand, "You ready to face the music?"

Jason simply looked back up at her, hesitantly taking her hand as he stood too, leading the two of them toward the door, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Beth leaned back up on her tip-toes and kissed him one more time, smiling wide with reassurance before turning the doorknob and escorting him out into the living room where the impending confrontation was waiting.

Sure enough, Puck and Quinn were still there, both sitting on the couch as their gazes snapped up with the sound of the door opening down the hall. Quinn tried to offer her daughter an apologetic look as the young couple made their way into the living room, Jason taking a seat across from her parents as Beth closed the distance and hugged (or tried to hug) them in greeting before taking a seat next to her boyfriend, the poor boy looking as if he was about to throw up as Beth reached out for his hand and entwined their fingers together.

Puck couldn't help it, his body shaking with rage as he spat, "Don't fucking touch her. You've already defiled my little girl enough."

"Daddy, knock it off," Beth shot back, her eyes flaring with indignation as she stared her father down, her patience with the situation already waning, "I'm touching him, not the other way around. Plus, if you really want to go there, we mutually defiled each other a while ago."

"Oh God, not helping," both Quinn and Jason sighed in unison.

"What?! Excuse me, young lady!" Puck replied, standing as he leered down at his daughter.

Not to be outdone by her father, Beth stood up and matched his gaze, "You heard me."

Quinn just shook her head and caught Jason's gaze, rolling her eyes at the fact that her oldest may be the spitting image of her mother, but her attitude was entirely courtesy of her father, leaving Quinn to wonder how Shelby handled her all these years.

Beth then surprised them both and took a deep breath, taking a step back before looking down at her boyfriend, "Dad, Mom, look, Jason and I – we –"

"B," Jason murmured, taking her hand and gently pulling her to sit down as he stood up, "Your father terrifies me, but I need to stand up and be a man about this," he whispered, kissing her forehead before turning toward Puck and Quinn.

"Mr. and Mrs. Puckerman, I know what you saw and I'm not going to stand here and say that it wasn't what it looked like, because frankly that would be insulting to your intelligence and making excuses for our behavior, neither of which I wish to do." He took a deep breath, glancing down at Beth briefly before finally turning his focus back toward Puck, "I love your daughter very, very much, and I know that you're not my biggest fan, but I just wanted you to know that I have nothing but the best of intentions when it comes to Beth and my relationship."

"And how would I know that exactly?" Puck commented in return, his wife pinching him in the back of the leg letting him know he needed to tread lightly or else he'd suffer her wrath, "You haven't quite shown me that your intentions for my daughter are anything other than physical at this point."

Jason took another deep breath, both Quinn and Beth shooting daggers out of their eyes at Puck, but he didn't seem to notice, staring the boy down as he tried to think of the best way to approach this subject. Beth watched as her boyfriend struggled, deciding to help him out just a bit before he received the third degree from her father that she knew was coming.

"Well, we wanted to talk to you guys about some things this weekend," she murmured, taking her boyfriend's hand and giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"If you're about to tell me that you're pregnant," Puck shot back at Beth, sharply turning his gaze back toward her boyfriend, "I swear to God you're a dead man."

"Don't be such a drama queen, dad. I'm not pregnant, and we're always safe," Beth replied, rolling her eyes, "That's not what we wanted to talk to you about."

"Fine, I'm all ears," he replied, crossing his arms, "Please, do share."

Jason took a deep breath and swallowed hard, looking back down at Beth for a bit more reassurance before turning his attention back toward the Puckermans.

"Sir, your daughter means the world to me, and I plan on doing everything in my power to prove that I'll be a good man for her," he said, taking a moment before solely focusing on Puck, "I know you're a military man, sir, so I hope you can appreciate the fact that I want to better my own future, as well as my future with Beth, by pursuing a career in the Navy."

"The Navy, huh?" Puck took a few moments to consider what the young man had just said, "What's wrong with the Marines? Don't think you can hack it?"

"DAD!"

"PUCK!"

But Jason stood his ground, his gaze never leaving Puck's as he spoke, "No sir, nothing's wrong with the Marines. And I know I could hack it," he paused, letting that sink in a bit before continuing, "But my grandfather, my father and my older brother are all Navy men, so it's a family thing. Plus, I'm finishing my degree in engineering and I've already been accepted into the SeaBees upon graduation."

"Officer Candidate School?"

"Yes sir, three months down in Pensacola this summer followed by another month in Mississippi after that for tech school."

"So, let me get this straight," he began, looking the boy up and down, "You'd just be leaving Beth for four months during training? Or are you expecting her to wait for you? Does your plan consist of her following you and your career around the country while disregarding her own future? I'm not quite sure where you're going with this."

"Watch it, Puckerman!" Quinn warned, her voice dripping with venom as her husband recoiled slightly from the sharpness in her tone, "I waited for you while you attended OCS and the few times you were deployed."

"Sir, I'd never ask her to drop all of her future plans for me," Jason qualified, before Beth chimed in.

"And it would only be four months, Dad."

Puck turned his focus back to his daughter, his hands settling firmly on his hips, "What about law school, B? Or are you canning that too?"

"No, I'm still going to law school," Beth replied, glancing at her mother and offering her a soft smile, "In Richmond, Virginia. University of Richmond Law."

Puck's face dropped in surprise, looking over at Beth and his wife in surprise as it was obvious the two of them had talked about this decision in depth prior to this particular conversation and feeling almost a little hurt that Quinn hadn't said anything to him about it. Granted, he'd just assumed she would stay at Ohio State for law school like she had first discussed with him that previous summer, but he didn't know she was seriously considering any other places. He knew that she'd gotten into almost every place she applied, but he had no idea she was looking at University of Richmond.

But the more he thought about it, the better it started to sound, especially given the fact that Richmond was all of two hours from where he and Quinn lived outside Washington DC.

"Richmond? Really? When – When did you decide that?"

"A few months ago when I got the early acceptance letter," she replied, standing and grasping Jason's hand, "His billet after tech school is in Virginia Beach. You guys are near Quantico in DC. And Momma Corcoran is seriously considering a change of pace and taking a job she was offered at the Lincoln Center." Beth paused, smiling back at her grinning mother, "It all makes sense. Kinda feels like fate to me."

Puck sat back down next to his wife and thought about it for a while, realizing he didn't have much to argue against with that kind of logic. Richmond was a great school, and he couldn't help but feel absolutely thrilled that she would be that much closer to their whole family.

"You'd be out of Virginia Beach?" he replied, looking back at Jason.

"Yes sir," he replied, "Perks of a good GPA, I guess."

"And having an Admiral as a grandfather," Puck replied, quirking his eyebrow as he took one last shot at the boy.

Jason smiled in return, "Yeah, that tends to help too."

Puck nodded and sank back into the couch, "Well, good for the both of you for having a plan. But that's one thing. It still doesn't excuse what I saw this morning."

"Dad, you shouldn't have barged into my apartment, let alone my bedroom, if you weren't prepared to see what was on the other side."

"I knocked."

"And yet you used my spare key to get in, and then barged into my bedroom," Beth replied, "I can't say I remember the last time I just went tromping into your and mom's room when I couldn't find either of you around the house for that very reason."

"You know what –" Puck replied, his face turning red again as his daughter continued to tear down his entire argument.

"Beth," Jason murmured, pulling his girlfriend back and giving her a warning shake of the head, "Mr. Puckerman, I know we got off to a poor start this weekend, but I was really hoping to make it up to you."

"How? And you better take your hands off of my daughter if you want me to take you seriously right now."

Jason recoiled and dropped Beth's hand, the younger blonde letting out an exasperated huff as she glared back at him. The man gave her a pleading look before she dropped it completely, sitting back down on the loveseat as she let her boyfriend talk.

"Well sir, I have four tickets to the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game tomorrow at noon. I was hoping I could take you, Dan, and Mr. Hudson when they get in tomorrow morning."

Now this was an intriguing proposition, Puck thought as Jason managed to produce the tickets from his bag near the door. They were on the forty yard line, eight rows up. Amazing tickets to one of the biggest games of the year…and he knew the kid had to have shelled out a small fortune to snag four of them.

But something in his gut told him this was a total ploy; that there was something else going on here. He got along well enough with the entire Puckerman family and Puck knew that Danny practically idolized him, so he was a good man for not crushing Danny by not letting him come along. But for Jason to go out of his way to get an additional ticket for Finn, that was something else.

No, deep down, Puck knew the kid was up to something, but the prospect of finally seeing one of his favorite teams – a team he'd rooted for since he was a kid and passed his love of Buckeye football along to his kids – in person, with his son and best friend… well, he couldn't say no. In fact, he'd be insane to say no to those seats. And he supposed he could deal with Jason for a few hours too if he had to.

"You drive a hard bargain, kid," he replied, "But you're lucky I love the Buckeyes just about as much as I love my children, and I know Dan and Finn would love to go to the game too."

"Ouch, seriously dad?"

"Great," Jason replied, offering them a wide smile, "Kickoff is at noon, so we'll be able to make Beth's Senior Night without a problem."

"Good," Puck nodded, glancing at his grinning wife before suddenly finding the book on the coffee table fascinating.

Beth simply smiled as the two men made a tentative peace, turning toward her mother and making plans for breakfast with San and the girls the next morning. The two women chatted a bit more before the four of them decided to go their separate ways, the Puckermans needing to check into their hotel before Beth's match that night and Beth needing to meet up with some teammates to go over strategy, Puck making sure Jason left her apartment when they did as to not tempt them to return to their activities prior to their arrival.

"So, your Mama C told me you had a hell of a match last night," Santana grinned at her goddaughter, taking a sip of her latte, "Eighteen kills, fourteen digs, and three aces. Nice work, champ!"

"Thanks," Beth smiled in return, "I just hope I can put up a decent performance tonight too. It would suck to suck on my Senior Night, especially after you all flew in for it."

"Nonsense, you're a hell of a volleyball player," Rachel replied, "Your dad talks about all of your awards and statistics with Finn all the time. We're just excited we're finally getting a chance to see you play in person! You're going to do great, like always."

"Thanks, really," Beth murmured, glancing between her moms, Rachel, Santana and Brittany, "It means the world to me that you all made the trip out here to see me play."

"We wouldn't miss it!" Britt laughed as Ella finished painting the nails on one of her hands, "Mercedes sends her best too and feels terrible she couldn't be here to see it."

"I'm just bummed we missed last night's match," Shelby sighed, patting her daughter's hand, "I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, don't worry," Beth reassured her mom, throwing an arm around her shoulder and giving her a side hug, "We won pretty easily anyway. It wasn't much of a game to be honest. Plus, you're here for today, and that's what matters. Besides, I'm thinking tonight is going to be a lot tougher of a match, considering Nebraska is the defending national champions."

"Ah, you'll kick ass—I mean ace – tonight," Santana replied, trying to quickly correct herself before Riley noticed the slip. Unfortunately for her, the little girl perked up as soon as the curse word left her mouth, the eight year old holding out her hand and clearing her throat as she waited patiently. Quinn and Shelby laughed while Santana pulled her wallet out of her purse and handed Riley a dollar.

"Wow, Auntie Tana," Riley smiled, pulling several other bills out of her pocket, "If you keep cursing, I'm going to have all of your money by the end of the day."

Everyone around the table laughed as the little girl began to count her money, Santana rolling her eyes as she stuffed her wallet back into her purse.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't spend it all in one place, rugrat," Santana groaned, turning her attention back to Beth and wiggling her eyebrows, "So B, tell me, how's that sexy man-candy of yours?"

As soon as she asked the question, Beth began choking on her coffee while Quinn's face turned bright red, neither blonde able to make eye contact with one another for a few moments thereafter.

"Whoa, wait a minute. Did I just strike a chord there?" Santana asked, suddenly far more interested now that she had seen her best friend's reaction, Quinn completely unable to look anywhere else except for her coffee cup, "What's going on?"

Shelby glanced between Quinn and Beth, neither of them saying a word as Beth continued coughing. Handing her daughter a napkin, she rubbed her hand across her daughter's back, "Sweetheart, are you ok?" Once Beth had calmed down a bit, she continued, "Is everything ok between you and Jason?"

Beth struggled to compose herself a bit before finally calming down enough to answer, "Yeah, I'm good. Jase and I are both good. Why?"

Shelby seemed satisfied by that answer, but Santana wasn't. She knew Quinn better than that and knew Beth took after her mother in that regard too, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Hey B, you know both you and Quinn are terrible liars, right?"

Shelby and Rachel's glances shot back and forth between the two blondes and the Latina, a bit confused by the exchange while Santana merely cocked an eyebrow in Quinn's direction, knowing she'd break sooner or later.

To say she felt a little awkward was an understatement, but more than anything, Quinn felt terrible knowing how embarrassed Beth was by the whole situation. She may have acted tough in front of her father yesterday, but she could hardly make eye contact with her mother for the rest of the night and dinner was beyond awkward with her dad. The only time she had to talk to Beth about everything was for the five minutes it took for Puck to get the car after dinner, the mother reassuring her daughter that she was sorry again and that everything would blow over before she knew it, but Beth was still pretty embarrassed to say the least.

She knew Santana would press her luck, but Quinn was just hoping she'd drop it for the time being, giving her a pleading look before she spoke, "San, not right now."

"So I was right? Something is up?" San tried to confirm, a shit-eating grin breaking out on her face as she looked across the table at Beth, "How is Jason, B?"

"San –" Quinn tried to warn again, but Ella had caught onto the conversation too, now interested in what her older sister had to say.

"Are you still with Mr. Jason?" Ella asked, perking Riley's interest as well, Beth completely mortified as her little sisters looked up at her.

"Yeah, Mr. Jason and I are still together," Beth commented, smiling back at them.

Shelby glanced between the fake smile plastered on her daughter's face and Quinn's bright-red cheeks, turning suddenly toward Brittany, "Hey, would you mind taking Ella and Riley to the park over there for a few minutes," she asked, gesturing toward the playground across the street from their Starbucks.

As soon as Britt and the kids crossed the street, Shelby turned back toward the table and looked at her daughter, "Would somebody please tell me what is going on right now?"

"Shelby, it's really nothing," Quinn commented, trying to help Beth save a little face in front of the group.

"Bullshit," Santana chirped, Rachel sitting quietly sipping her coffee as she tried to avoid the confrontation.

"San, it's none of your business," Quinn replied defensively, snapping at her friend as she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, trying to show that she was being serious.

"Mom," Beth finally murmured in defeat, giving Quinn a half smile before turning back toward Shelby and the rest of the table, "Look, Jason and I are fine. Really." She sighed and took a deep breath, wanting to laugh at how awkward she felt, "In fact, we're so fine that my mom and dad might have – seen something yesterday. Walked in on something, so to speak."

Rachel looked confused for a brief moment before Santana cracked up laughing, Shelby nudging her in the arm as she tried to keep her own expression neutral, seeing how her daughter refused to meet her eye.

But for Santana, this felt like a field day, the Latina giggling at Quinn's obvious discomfort. "They walked in on you guys going at it?" she asked, waiting for Beth's nod of acquiescence before adding, "Wanky!"

"Santana!" Both Quinn and Rachel yelped, Shelby adding in her own "Ms. Lopez!" in surprise.

"What? She's twenty two and has had a boyfriend for the past four years. Don't tell me you were surprised," she commented, sitting back and taking a sip of her coffee, "Though I would have paid good money to see Puck's reaction. Wait, is Jason still alive?"

Beth couldn't help but laugh at look on her 'aunt's' face, the woman always managing to put her at ease even when she was giving Beth a hard time, "Yes, Jason is still alive. Though I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be if it weren't for Mom here holding him back."

"No way!" Rachel offered, finally getting in on the conversation as she glanced over at Quinn, "How awkward for you too!"

"You have no idea," Quinn murmured, glancing over at Shelby before finally making eye contact with her daughter, "I mean, I'm not naïve and I know Puck's not that dumb either, though I know he prefers to live in denial about some things. I know they have been together for a while and I could only assume they've –been intimate – but there are really just some things that parents shouldn't see."

"Not you too," Beth replied, rolling her eyes, "Dude, you guys were the ones who let yourselves into my apartment! You were the ones who barged into my bedroom! My bedroom door was closed and my front door was locked and you guys were persistent enough to get past both of those doors to see what you saw yesterday. It's not my fault that you're nosy and saw something you didn't want to see."

"Beth!" Shelby scolded, "Don't talk to Quinn like that. I understand that you're embarrassed and that Quinn and Noah were probably embarrassed as well. Believe me, I'm not sure how I would have felt if I saw that either, even though I've known about you two for a while now. But that's no reason to be rude."

"Am I the only one here who thinks that they were in the wrong by practically breaking into my apartment?" Beth asked, looking toward Santana and Rachel, "Honestly, I'm not embarrassed by what they saw. I love Jason and like you said earlier, we've been together for a long time. He's the only person I've ever been with, we're always safe, and I don't see what's so wrong with expressing how much we care about each other physically. I know for a fact, looking around this table right now, that not one of you can say you haven't had sex for fun or because you loved someone the way I love Jason."

The table went silent for a few minutes, Beth's words sinking in a bit before Quinn finally spoke up. "Beth, we all understand how much Jason means to you and how much you mean to him. I mean, the fact that he tried to hide you behind his back yesterday when your father barged in and was threatening him spoke volumes about how much he cares and wants to protect you," she explained, Rachel offering a quiet "aww" before she continued, "And believe me, I am so, so sorry that happened yesterday. I could tell you were occupied when we walked through the door, and I really tried to stop your dad, but you know Puck."

"Thanks, Mom. I appreciate that, I really do," Beth replied, "And I do know dad. I know how he is and how he can get sometimes, but honestly, I'm kind of tired of that excuse. It's not good enough anymore." She paused, the entire table staring at her waiting for her to continue, "Dad knows Jason and I have been dating for four years. He's met Jase multiple times and has been a jerk to him every time. He's tried intimidating him and making threats for if he ever hurt me and it's getting really old. In all honesty, I love Jason even more for the fact that he hasn't broken up with me yet because my dad is crazy and hates him."

"Your dad doesn't hate him," Quinn replied, "He's just protective of you."

"Yeah, and while I appreciate it, he needs to tone it down big time. I mean seriously, do you know how much anxiety Jason has every time he knows he's going to see Dad? Even though Dad gives him hell, Jase still wants to be a good guy and try to impress him and it drives him crazy leading up to each meeting. I mean, even though he has family in the military, he never really gave it much thought before he met Dad. He admires Dad so much, but is terrified of him almost to the point of panic attacks. I honestly considered trying to get him to take something for it, it's that bad. So if sex helps calm him down enough to even face Dad, let alone offer him ridiculously expensive tickets to a football game where it'll be just the boys without me as a buffer, I'm willing to help in any way I can."

"If it's any consolation, Finn is under strict instructions to make sure Puck behaves himself around Jason today," Rachel added, taking another sip of her coffee.

"That's great, but sometimes it's too much," she paused, swallowing hard as she bit her bottom lip, "While I love being around my family, Jason means a lot to me too, and I'm really starting to feel like I almost have to choose between my dad and the man I love and it's not fair. I shouldn't have to feel like that."

Shelby paused before stroking her daughter's hair, "Beth, I'm sorry you feel that way. But maybe this football game will be good for them. There are just some things that men need to talk through in their own manly ways, so hopefully they'll be able to come to an understanding."

"I'm sorry too, sweetheart," Quinn murmured, feeling a little guilty as she swirled her coffee in her cup, "I never knew you felt that way, but I really think your dad still sees you as his little girl."

"I get that, I do, but I still think that's total crap!" Beth cried indignantly, "I don't understand why he can't get it through his head that I'm an adult. I've been able to drink legally for the last year and I'm pretty sure you and dad were only a few months older than I am now when you got married. Jason and I are responsible, we haven't had any scares, we both have set plans for the future, he's been nothing but polite and helpful and kind to everyone in our family, and he's done nothing to dad to deserve the wrath he's been receiving, not just for last night, but for the past few years. I'm tired of the same excuses of 'you know how he is' or 'he's just being protective.' It's not an excuse for him to not even try to get to know Jason and it's not a free pass to be a jerk to him either. It's not cool, and frankly, I'm sick of his shit."

Quinn knew her daughter had a point, the elder blonde sharing a look with Shelby as she bit her lip and leaned over her cup. Rachel decided to keep her mouth shut and leaned back in her chair as she sipped her coffee, not wanting to intrude in what was clearly a family matter. Santana glanced around the table, noting Quinn's expression of defeat while Beth's chest heaved, the two blondes looking incredibly uncomfortable as they sat there while Shelby looked at a loss as to what to say to both.

Finally, after the silence had become a bit much, Santana let out a humorless laugh, "Ok, look B, you deserve the truth, and since it doesn't look like anyone else here is going to say anything, I'll shoot it to you straight. No sugar-coating."

"San," Quinn grumbled in warning, the blonde glaring at Santana as she worried just what was going to come out of the Latina's mouth.

"No seriously, Q. She's twenty two years old, and like she said, she's an adult. It kind of sounds like she's tired of being treated like a kid in this matter," she explained, glancing at Beth, "Plus, when has Auntie Tana ever led you astray?" Beth opened her mouth to answer before San held up a hand and cut her off, "Yeah, don't answer that. Anyway, since these two ladies are too classy to dredge up the past, I'll fill in the gaps for you. Auntie Tana's History Lesson 101."

Shelby wasn't quite sure what to expect or say, instead simply sitting in silence as she stared at Santana, while Quinn buried her gaze in her coffee.

"You see, when you were still a bun baking in Q's oven, your mama and dad had an incredibly hard time trying to decide what they wanted to do about you. Whether they should keep you or give you up to somebody so you could have a better life than two sixteen year olds could provide," she began, "So be honest, when you were sixteen, could you have had a kid? Keep that in mind."

Beth shrugged before Santana continued, "Anyway, after you were born, your mom and dad still had an incredibly tough time. They both wanted to keep you so badly, but with your mom kind of being on the outs with her family at the time and your dad struggling to stay out of trouble and earn money, they decided that Shelby would be better equipped to give you the life they knew you deserved. It was very hard for them to come to terms with you being gone. They both handled it very differently, but the pain and guilt they felt for giving you up ate them up inside."

"I know all of this, San," Beth murmured, "Both of my moms have explained this to me before."

"Good, then you get to hear it for a third time," Santana shot back before continuing her story, "Anyway, a little over a year later, your mom and dad got a chance to see you again and spend time with you when you and Shelby came back to Ohio our senior year of high school. However, and I think I can say this in all honesty and everyone will probably agree with me, all adult parties involved, as in both of your moms and your dad, kind of screwed up. Some poor choices were made, emotions were running incredibly high, there was a lot of deep-seated regret and resent that boiled to the surface, and essentially everything ended up exploding all around them. Your mom did what she thought was best and chose to remove you and herself from the equation by heading back to New York for a while."

"However, your dad and mama didn't give up, and after close to three years and a lot of apologizing and trips from Connecticut and from wherever your dad was stationed to New York just to spend a few hours with you at a time, they finally got to spend time alone with you. Your parents worked very hard to prove to Shelby that they could be a part of your life in a positive way, and it really wasn't until you were four years old that all of your parents finally came to an agreement to make a relationship work for your sake."

Santana took another swig of her coffee before swallowing hard and continuing, "But you need to understand, or at least try to understand, how difficult it was for them during those three or so years when they were trying to earn their way back into your life. I know your mama doesn't like to bring it up or really talk about it, but during that time, she felt like she was missing a part of herself and I know your dad felt kind of empty without you. They constantly wondered where you were, or how you were doing, or if you were happy and healthy, or if you would ever even know who they were."

"So I think you declaring your adulthood and independence from them hurts, especially considering how hard they worked just to be a part of your life again. And though he won't admit it, I know your dad feels like he'd be losing you all over again," she commented, her voice going soft as she finally had Beth's rapt attention, "Hell, when your mama was pregnant with you, she still latched on to your uncle Finn instead of your dad. I mean, it was all for show, but still. At the time though, he felt like he'd lost your mom to another guy, so when they—ahem – reunited again their senior year, it was brief and they went their separate ways again, your dad feeling like he'd lost his girl yet again. But he's a persistent guy, and he's now married to your mama and has you in his life, but you having this serious boyfriend – to him – seems like you want to be free of that and choose another man – well, he probably feels like he's losing one of his girls again. So, it's probably part that and part the fact that you're his little girl and he still feels guilt over everything that happened, so he wants to hang on to you for as long as he can. I think he feels like he and Dan should be the only men in your life, even if this Jason is a great guy, nobody will ever be good enough for you."

Beth's shoulders sagged a bit, her eyes glossing over a bit as Santana laid a hand on her leg, everyone else at the table silent as they let Santana continue.

"However, on the same hand, your parents need to realize that you are a grown woman, and they should feel reassured by the fact that you've been raised by three incredible people, you're an incredibly bright young lady with an incredible future ahead of you. That and the fact that you're hoping to attend law school in the fall while your boyfriend – fiancé – whatever – pursues a career in the military, one that your father helped inspire none the less, they should feel flattered that you want to follow in their footsteps too. They all should know that you've got a good head on your shoulders and you know what's best for you. You do you. And they should know that you can make your own intelligent, well thought out decisions, and they should support you in said decisions as well. You know I'll always support you, mi sobrina."

Quinn swallowed hard as she registered everything Santana said, her best friend knowing her and Puck all too well as she finally divulged everything Quinn and Puck had been feeling and thinking for so many years, things they had hoped they would never have to burden their daughter with and hoped she would never find out about. She felt frozen, staring into her coffee cup, completely unable to look up at either Santana or Beth in that moment. She had barely been able to get her heartbeat back under control when she felt a hand creep into hers and give her a gentle squeeze, finally looking up to notice it was Shelby giving her a reassuring smile.

Despite their differences, the older lady had always managed to make her feel better about how foolish she had acted in the past. You were feeling like a mother without a daughter, she had once told Quinn after the blonde had broken down into tears after Beth's fourth birthday party. She had made the two and a half hour trip just to spend a few hours watching her daughter play before spending the next hour profusely apologizing for what seemed like the hundredth time. Shelby simply smiled and proceeded to reassure Quinn that it had taken her a while to fully accept her situation with Rachel, even though she was just a surrogate, but for a very long time it had felt like she was a mother without a daughter. She then told Quinn that it had taken a while for her to realize that Quinn was feeling the same way Shelby had, and even though she had acted out and came up with some crazy ways to get her daughter back, Shelby could empathize with her plight. She had worked her relationship with Rachel out later in life and had decided that it would avoid confusion and hurt feelings in the future if she allowed Puck and Quinn to be a part of Beth's life from a young age.

As Quinn sat there staring at Shelby, that very conversation came to the forefront of her mind, offering the raven-haired woman a grateful smile as they turned their attention back to their daughter.

Beth, on the other hand, was a complete mess, tears rolling down her cheeks at her aunt's words. Even though she had heard most of the story before, she finally realized that there was a lot more behind that story than she really knew or could fully appreciate. She never knew the full extent of what her birth mom and dad had to do to go through to see her again, and she felt absolutely gutted knowing how much her parents suffered and how guilty they felt over not being able to be a part of her life for her first few years. How much they had missed and how much they had missed her. She just couldn't hold it in, heavy sobs wracking her chest as she tried to regain control over her breathing, Santana taking a moment to glance at Shelby and Quinn before leaning over and placing an arm around Beth's shoulders.

Hugging Beth's shoulders, she leaned in a bit closer before offering her a reassuringly genuine smile, "Sweetheart, I know that you love this boy and that he loves you too. That much is obvious. I also know that your moms know you love Jason, and my guess is they probably have an inkling as to why he spent all of that money on taking your dad and your brother to the football game. They love you, they sympathize with your plight, and will probably try a little harder to treat you like an adult," she grinned, shooting her best friend and Shelby a wink in the process before turning her attention back to the young blonde next to her and nudging her gently, "However, you may want to tread a little more lightly with your dad. You know, he never really had a very good relationship with his own dad, and ultimately ended up asking your Grandma Fabray if he could ask your mama to marry him since your mama's dad wasn't the coolest guy either. He vowed it to himself to be there for all of you, to protect you, and love you, and to be the best dad he could be to all of you kiddos. So, maybe cut him a little slack and show him a little love. Who knows, maybe he'll come around sooner rather than later. I think your pops might surprise you."

Even though her adoptive aunt was always a bit snarkey and definitely a little more than a bit sarcastic most of the time, Beth had to admit that Santana was being genuine and definitely had a point, one that truly resonated deeply with Beth. She knew her parents were totally committed to their family so she always had that small, niggling question as to why they gave her up for adoption when they were always so excited to have her around. It had always been a "don't ask, don't tell" topic in her mind, but now that she knew a little more of the back story and everything, she could honestly say that she was finally starting to understand her parents better. And if she were being really honest with herself, if she had been in their shoes, she didn't know what she would of done or how she would have felt, but she knew that she was glad they were so persistent with her adoptive mother, because she simply couldn't imagine her life without her mom or dad, or Danny, Ella, or Riley either.

Swallowing hard, she gave Santana a soft smile before standing and rounding the table, silently embracing both of her moms as the three women shared a tearful moment, all of them finally on the same page.

"Though I question your tact and approach to most situations, I've got to admit, that was a nice thing you did just now," Rachel whispered in Santana's ear, the Latina smugly smiling in reply. "So, are you thinking what I'm thinking about what's really happening at this football game?"

"Oh, the kid is totally asking Puck for permission," San replied, draining the last of her coffee as she watched Britt heading back toward the coffee shop with the two littlest Puckerman girls in tow, "The big question is whether Puck is going to flip his shit there at the game or if he'll wait until he's in private to lose it."

"You really think he will? I mean, Jason is a great guy and he's been nothing but good to Beth for the past several years."

Santana simply smiled as Riley plopped down on her lap, "No, I stand by what told Beth. I think he'll come around and end up surprising people. But there will be a point where the dam breaks. It'll just be about when and where it happens that'll be the interesting thing. She's his little girl after all. It's inevitable."

"So, how much do you think he actually shelled out for these tickets," Finn asked, nudging Puck before taking a swig of his beer as they watched the Ohio State Marching Band take the field for their halftime performance.

Puck simply snorted before spitting out an empty sunflower seed shell, "Dunno, but with a view like this, probably at least a hundred to a hundred and fifty per ticket is my guess."

"Wow, somebody is trying to impress you."

"I know, the kid is totally sucking up to me, which isn't surprising considering what happened yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?"

"Quinn and I may have walked in on something no parent should ever see, if you catch my drift."

Finn just stared at him in disbelief before letting out a hearty laugh, "Holy shit, that's priceless! I'm surprised he's willing to be alone with you without Quinn or Beth for protection!"

"As much as it pains me to admit, at least he has the balls to face me. I actually kind of admire him for that too," Puck replied, Finn raising his eyebrow in challenge, "Just don't tell Quinn I said that."

"She'd have bragging rights for life if you admitted that," Finn laughed, turning toward where Danny and Jason were returning to their seats, the younger of the two beaming from ear to ear as he clutched his brand new prized Ohio State jersey.

"Dad! Check it out!" Danny grinned, pulling the jersey over his head, "Jason said he also knows a few guys on the team and he may be able to get some autographs for me too!"

"Wow dude, that's pretty cool!" Puck remarked, shooting a glare at Jason as the boy shrugged.

Jason, on the other hand, was sweating bullets. He gratefully accepted the beer Finn handed him, trying to brush off the scrutinizing look Puck was shooting him. He knew this weekend was going to be tough, but it meant a lot to him and he knew it would mean even more to Beth if he swallowed his pride and did whatever he needed to do to get along with Puck.

As the game progressed, the men seemed to forget their petty differences as they cheered on their team, the two teams far too evenly matched for comfort. Even though the Buckeyes were winning, it was only by a field goal going into halftime, a mere three points ahead of the Wolverines as they retired to their respective locker rooms.

The first half was a bit stressful and tense, and while Jason wasn't sure if it was the best time to broach the subject, it wasn't like he was going to find any better time with Puck either.

Taking a deep gulp of his beer, he turned toward Puck and cleared his throat, "Um, Sir, may I have a word with you?"

Puck glanced at Jason before meeting Finn's gaze, his best friend's eyes twinkling as if he knew something Puck didn't. Glancing between the two men, Finn ushered Danny to the aisle, mention that he had to "take a whiz" before promising he'd get the kid a hot dog if he came with. Danny complied as he followed Finn out of the row, Puck shouting 'traitor' at his friend's back before turning back toward his daughter's boyfriend.

Jason's whole body broke out into a sweat as he wiped his forehead, taking another swig of his drink for courage before setting it aside and looking Puck square in the eye.

Puck stared the kid down, challenging him to say what he suspected the kid wanted to say. He took another pull of his own beer before setting his glass down and sitting back in his seat as he watched the young man intently.

"Go ahead," Puck said, crossing his arms as he waited.

"Well, um," Jason began, swallowing hard as he took a few deep breaths, finding the last shreds of his courage and strength to get the rest of his words out, "I know that this weekend did not start off well, but I'm not going to apologize for what you saw."

Puck's eyes flashed dangerously and the kid knew he needed to backtrack a bit, swallowing again before continuing, "What I mean is that, I'm sorry that you had to see what you did, but I'm not sorry for what Beth and I have together. In fact, what we have is the most important thing to me, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

Jason took another deep breath, closing his eyes briefly and exhaling before catching Puck's gaze again, "Sir, I love your daughter more than anything. She's the best part of my life, she makes me who I am and she drives me to want to be a better man each and every day. She is the first person I want to see in the morning and the last person I want to see at night, and she's the only woman I want to be with," he sighed, pausing to glance down at his hands before looking back up, "She's my everything. And I know you're not my biggest fan and I know I have a lot of work to do to prove that I'm the right man for her, but I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to love, support, and provide for your daughter for as long as I live."

Puck chewed the inside of his cheek, knowing exactly where this was going. Part of him wanted to scream "hell no and fuck you" to the kid, but the other part of him knew that his irrational detest of the young man was just that: irrational. He was a good man with a good head on his shoulders and a solid future ahead of him. As much as he hated to admit it, the kid kind of reminded him of himself. He had the drive to succeed and the desire to provide for his family, but it still killed him a little bit that it was his little girl this other man was talking about.

"Ok," he murmured, "Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

"Not exactly, Sir."

"Well, spit it out, kid," Puck hassled him, trying to get a rise out of the young man while turning a few eyebrows in their direction as a result.

"Look, I know that I'm taking a shot in the dark here, but I do love your daughter more than life itself. And it would mean the world to me if I could have your blessing-" Jason paused, swallowing and taking another fortifying breath before continuing, "If I could have your blessing to ask Beth to marry me."

He felt it in his gut that it was coming, but the declaration still stunned Puck. He continued to stare at the boy for a few more moments, time seeming to slow as he tried to fully process what he had just been asked. An entire lifetime's worth of memories seemed to flash before his eyes; from the day Beth was born, to the first words she ever spoke to him, to her dressed as the flower girl in his and Quinn's wedding, to her graduation from high school, to just the night before as he finally started seeing his little girl as the grown woman that she was.

He swallowed hard and took several deep breaths through his nose, exhaling out of his mouth as his eyes refocused on the anxious young man in front of him, the kid's gaze affixed to his own while his hands continued to tremble with nerves.

Finally, after several silent minutes, Puck was ready to give Jason his answer, forcing himself to stick his hand out in a friendly gesture toward the young man, Jason looking at it in confusion before extending his own hand and shaking Puck's hand.

"You're a good man, Jason. I know you love my daughter and I know you'll take care of her, so you have my blessing," he replied quietly yet firmly, grasping the kid's hand just a little harder as he pulled him a bit closer, "But I swear to God, if you do anything to hurt my little girl, I will come after you."

Jason simply grinned in response to the man's threat, "I wouldn't expect anything less, Sir."

"You keep that in mind, son," Puck replied.

"I will," Jason replied, beaming in triumph as he shook Puck's hand, "Thank you, Sir."

"You're welcome," Puck murmured before rolling his eyes, "And I guess I should be saying thank you for the tickets."

"No trouble at all," Jason grinned, still smiling from ear to ear as he couldn't contain his excitement, watching as Finn and Danny wove their way back through the crowd toward their location, "I can't think of a better place to spend a Saturday."

Yet, while Jason was on an absolute high, Puck still couldn't get rid of the hollowness he felt in his stomach after he gave the kid his blessing. He simply sat there and went through the motions the rest of the game, cheering when he was supposed to and smiling like he was expected to, but nothing felt the same knowing that he had given some other man permission to take his daughter from him. The Buckeyes ended up scoring late in the fourth quarter, electrifying the crowd as they took their lead all the way to the end, winning by ten points.

Puck tried to put on a happy face, faking it the rest of the game and even when Jason made good on his promise to help get Danny a few autographs, one being from the popular and NFL draft-worthy quarterback too, but it was no use.

As hard as he tried, he couldn't rid himself of the sinking, empty feeling he got just thinking of his oldest daughter. Jason was a good man, he wasn't just saying that… but he also wasn't quite ready to let his daughter go. Puck knew it was the right thing to do and knew that the boy made Beth happy, but it still hurt a little, knowing that his little girl would spend the rest of her life loving another man while he would love his little girl for eternity from afar.

It was a little hard to reconcile, and despite dedicating his life to the military and all of the hardships he had endured and survived during his thirty-nine years on the planet, this felt like the toughest blow. He knew it would eventually get better, but it would definitely take some time.

x-x-x-x-x

After leaving the stadium and walking back toward campus where they would eventually meet up with Quinn and the rest of the gang, Finn noticed his friend's demure demeanor, holding him back from the two other boys as they continued on their way.

"Ok, so what crawled up your ass just now?" Finn asked, tossing a handful of sunflower seeds in his mouth, "You've been acting weird for the past few hours."

"Like you don't know," Puck spat back, taking a swig of his water as he continued to stare straight ahead.

Finn raised an eyebrow at his old friend, "I have an inkling, but it seems I struck a chord so I must be on to something."

"Dude, shut the fuck up."

"Oh, now I really know there's something up," Finn chuckled, spitting a few seeds to the side, "So no more bullshit. What's going on?"

Puck eyeballed his friend for a few moments before turning his gaze back toward the bane of his existence and his son, "What do you think?"

"What did he do now?"

"Asked me for my blessing to marry Beth," Puck replied back, the bitterness still leaving a poor taste in his mouth.

Finn remained quiet for a few moments as they continued to walk, Puck taking the extra time to chew on the inside of his cheek. He was grateful that his friend knew him well enough not to make some sort of crack at his expense, their usual playful banter not exactly what Puck was in the mood for at all at the moment.

Finally, after a few long, introspective minutes, Finn clasped him on the shoulder, "You know, Rach and I don't have kids yet, so I'm not exactly the best person to be saying anything about this, really. And I'm not gonna blow smoke up your ass and tell you you're pouting like a little bitch right now, because frankly, you know how much I love Beth too and I'm even having a hard time swallowing that… so I can't really fathom how you're so calm right now." He paused, taking a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking again, "But at least you know your daughter, and you know how good of a kid she is. She wouldn't pick someone who would be an asshole to her and she wouldn't bother even entertaining a guy who wasn't at least remotely intelligent, so at least the kid has that going for him. She's a great girl, he's a solid guy, and I know it's not easy to think about right now, but would he be so terrible to have him in the family in the future?"

"No. That's just it," Puck replied, still staring straight ahead as his son shared a laugh with his prospective future son-in-law, "He reminds me a lot of myself. And knowing how I was in the past, I'm not sure if I should be concerned or if I should be flattered that I'm welcoming my clone into the family."

"That is a little scary to think about," Finn laughed, turning back toward Puck, "But I know you better than you think, champ. What's really going on?"

Puck sighed and swallowed hard, not sure he was quite ready to verbalize what he was really feeling, but offering a forced smile instead, "I just – I'm not sure I'm ready to let her go, you know?"

Finn saw the sparkle in his friend's eye, knowing how hard Puck was fighting off the emotions he no doubt was feeling, deciding to forgo the usual ribbing and instead throwing an arm around his friend's shoulders in support as they continued to walk toward the campus in silence.

The volleyball game that night went as well as all of the girls on the team could have hoped for, topping the Nebraska Huskers three games to two. It was a hard fought battle, but they eventually pulled out the win, and the seniors could not have asked for a better send off on their home court. Beth had a stand-out night in her own right as well, putting up some of her best statistics of the season and all but signing the paper to guarantee herself a spot on the All-Conference and All-American team at the end of the year. It was a huge honor and a huge night for the team and for the girl, and Quinn, Puck and Shelby couldn't be more proud of their daughter.

Quinn had noticed that her husband had been a bit despondent after returning from the football game, and as curious as she was to see if Santana and Shelby's predictions were true, she had sensed that it was not a good time to pressure him for details. Plus, attempting to wrangle three children in the massive crowd that had come out to support the Lady Buckeye volleyball team that evening was proving to be an exercise in futility.

After the crowd had settled from their raucous celebration of victory, the announcer came back over the speakers, inviting the families of the four senior players onto the floor to celebrate their daughters' accomplishments. The Puckermans made their way down toward where Beth stood waiting for them, Quinn linking arms with her moms as Puck took his place next to his wife as they waited for the other three girls to be introduced.

When the announcer finally said Beth's name, the crowd went wild, cheering for their star hitter as Beth waved and smiled, wiping away a stray tear as she knew this would be the last time she played in front of her home crowd. The speakers began to detail her career statistics before introducing Shelby and the Puckerman clan as well, her younger teammates holding out flowers and offering hugs to their senior captain before the head coach presented her with a commemorative framed jersey of her number, complete with a photo of herself in action and a list of all of her accolades in a beautifully inlaid plaque.

Beth was beside herself as she cried and spent a few moments with her teammates, the accomplishment of playing for the same college team for all four years of college finally hitting her as she took a bit of time to thank all of her friends and fellow classmates, Quinn and Shelby snapping photos with their phones as fast as they could to capture the moment. Puck stood off to the side and admired the way Beth snuggled with her youngest sister on her hip and her other two siblings flanking her sides as she socialized with all of the well wishers and supporters, simply admiring his oldest and her dedication to not only the sport that she loved but her family as well.

However, he did have to look away and cringe slightly when Jason walked up and greeted his daughter with a kiss, Riley giggling as Santana, Britt, and Rachel snuck up on the pair and thankfully broke up the moment, stealing Beth away for a full group picture. Everyone looked awesome in their matching "Corcoran Spike Squad" t-shirts as they lined up for the full picture, a little piece of Puck grateful that Jason excluded himself to take a few snaps before jumping into the photo at Quinn's insistence.

All in all, it was a great night for Beth and a wonderful night to celebrate their daughter, but just as before, Puck felt a little somber as they exited the coliseum. His little girl was all grown up, and while he would give anything to go back in time and make her little again, reality was finally catching up with him. She was growing up right in front of him, and there was nothing he could do to slow it all down.

After a fun filled night of teammate teasing, gag-gifts and stories at a local pizza place near campus, the party disbanded and everyone went their separate ways, Shelby and the Puckermans making plans to meet up with Beth for brunch the next morning before their flight out of town.

The next morning came too quickly as Quinn and Puck loaded their rental car full of their family's bags, conferring with Finn and Santana as they all pulled out of the hotel parking lot and made their way toward Beth's favorite breakfast spot in Columbus.

Quinn knew Puck was struggling a bit with everything that had happened between him and Jason, Santana and Rachel having needled the necessary information out of Finn the day prior after Puck had really tried to grin and bear it through the team's senior party after the match. She really wanted to help him too, but frankly, knowing what was coming and trying to see it from her husband's perspective, she had simply found herself at a loss for words as to what to say to pull him out of his funk.

The entire crew flooded into the breakfast place as both Beth and Jason stood to greet the crowd, the couple smiling and hugging everyone before re-taking their seats and continuing their conversations about the weekend. The girls chatted about the volleyball match and planned for Christmas break, the boys talked about the football game and how the team looked like it needed serious improvement if they wanted to win a Bowl Game that year.

Puck, on the other hand, offered a courteous nod and a smile here and there but didn't really ever engage himself in any conversation, instead choosing to tuck into his waffle as he continued to simply observe. Quinn tried to be supportive as she squeezed his knee under the table, his hand finding hers as they wound their fingers together and watched as Beth teased her younger siblings, the family sharing a moment with their nearest and dearest as they enjoyed their last few hours together as a group.

However, as always, their time together began to run out, and Britt, Santana, Finn, and Rachel all said their goodbyes before heading out to wait in the car, letting the family take their time before they all had to rendezvous at the airport to head back to their respective cities. Ella and Riley all clambered toward their big sister, fighting over who got the first hug, while their brother held back a bit, accepting a hug and a kiss on the cheek, Beth razzing him about the girl on the soccer team at his high school that he liked before the youngest three Puckerman children filed out of the door toward the waiting car.

Puck went to say goodbye next, thinking the girls may want to take a bit longer saying their goodbyes when Shelby swooped in, hugging and kissing her daughter before doing the same with Jason and Quinn, waving goodbye to Puck as she left to meet up with Rachel and Finn. Quinn went next, saying goodbye to her daughter and Jason before leaving to wait for her husband by the door.

Jason then decided to take his leave, offering Puck a smile and a firm handshake before heading toward the door, leaving Puck and his oldest to say their goodbyes on their own.

"It was so fun watching you play, B-Rex," Puck murmured, pulling her in for a hug, "It's always good seeing you. Don't be a stranger come Christmas time."

"I won't. Thanks for coming out. I know it's not easy organizing everyone to get here, but I really appreciate it," Beth murmured into her father's shoulder, clutching him tightly.

"Ok, well, I guess it's that time," Puck commented, glancing at his watch as he pulled away, trying not to look his daughter in the eye for fear of losing it completely. It was always hard to say goodbye to her, and this time, he really wasn't looking forward to it.

"Dad, wait," Beth replied, reaching down to grab a box off of the chair she had been sitting on before handing it to him, "I have something for you."

"You didn't need to get me anything, B."

"I know, but I wanted to," she smiled, "Open it."

"Now?"

"Yes, now!"

"Ok," he smiled in return, deftly cutting through the pieces of tape before opening the top flap of the box and pulling the item inside out.

He glanced up at Beth's smiling face, the young girl biting her lower lip just like her mother as she looked on. He tore through the tissue paper to discover the back of a photo frame, curiosity getting the best of him as he turned the frame around to see what it was.

The moment he saw it, his heart began to pound and his throat tightened with emotion, practically having to force himself to take deep breaths as he surveyed his gift.

Inside, was a photo from seventeen years prior, Beth posing with her flowers in her pretty pink tutu at her first dance recital at the age of five, Puck kneeling proudly next to her in his uniform, embracing his daughter after traveling eighteen straight hours there to surprise her while on leave from a deployment in the Middle East.

But as if that wasn't enough, the silver plated frame was engraved too, the words "Daddy's Little Girl" etched along the bottom.

Puck didn't know what to say as he stared at the photo, tears welling in his eyes as he realized the gesture meant a whole lot more than just framing an old photo. Running his fingers along the engraving at the bottom, he truly understood and appreciated what Beth was trying to tell him.

Glancing up at his daughter, he gave her a half smile, Beth answering in her own watery smile as she wiped a few tears of her own away.

"Just because I'm getting older doesn't mean I stop being your little girl," she shrugged and tried to smile. "Ella, Riley, and I – We'll never stop being your little girls."

A few tears escaped the corners of his eyes before he responded by pulling her in for a tight hug, clutching her to his chest as father and daughter shared a touching moment.

Quinn, Santana, Shelby, and Jason smiled on as they watched the exchange, Quinn mouthing a silent 'thank you' to her friend as they all snuck out of the door, giving Puck and Beth a bit of time to themselves.

As Puck climbed into the rented SUV several minutes later, his wife offered him a supportive hand, his red-rimmed eyes telling her all she needed to know as they waved back at Beth and Jason one last time before turning the corner and heading to the airport. Quinn smiled and laced her fingers with his, giving him a gentle squeeze.

Handing the box to his wife, Puck took a few deep breaths as they drove away, finally at peace knowing that, while there may be another man in Beth's life, his own place in her life was still secure too.

He would always be her dad no matter what, and no other man could ever take his place.

I know, kind of cheesy, but I was missing Puckerman family time…and I love writing Santana too. I really hope you liked it! I know the wait gets a bit long, but I promise I have more chapters coming!