"Daddy, am I pretty?" He takes his eyes off the road for just a second to glance at the eight year old next to him. What brought this on, he wonders. She'd climbed into the car from swimming practice with a frown on her cute little face and the resemblance to her mother had been uncanny.

"Of course you are baby," he says nonchalantly as he makes a left turn.

"You're not even looking me," Lily mumbles dejectedly, as she sinks into her seat. He frowns, but keeps his eyes on the road.

"I don't have to look. I know you're gorgeous."

"Yeah," she mutters dryly. "Right."

"Lily Eva Hudson, are you implying that I'm a liar?" he asks in mock outrage, turning to look at her and raising an eyebrow. She rolls her eyes in a huff, crossing her arms together.

"No," she mutters, looking away. Now he's worried. He stops the car as they approach a red light and turns to face her fully.

"What's wrong Liliput?" he asks as he ruffles her hair to make her smile. She pouts and makes a face instead. And sighs dramatically. He knows his dramatic sighs. This does not bode well.

"You won't understand," she tells him, just a hint of her mother's melodramatic tendencies lurking beneath the surface.

"Try me. I'm pretty good at understanding things you know."

"But mommy always says that when she tells you something, it goes in one ear and out the other."

"Yeah. Well- Mommy lies. Wait no. She's misinformed," he finishes triumphantly. He sobers up when he sees his daughter glancing at him doubtfully. The loud honk from the car behind startles them, and as he quickly shifts his gear into drive, he hears that dramatic sigh again.

"Let's just go home," Lily says quietly, leaning her head down, her hair covering her face. He frowns. He can't say he's not just a little hurt. What happened to the little girl who used to tell him everything (including Starla, her sparkly pink imaginary friend, who sounded oddly like uncle Kurt)?

Xxx

"Something's bothering Lily," he tells Rachel that night as he closes their bathroom door behind him. She looks up at him from the latest script she was flipping through. He smiles as he notices the way her reading glasses had dropped to the tip of her nose.

"What is it?" she asks, watching as he turns off the light and walk towards their bed. He lies down and stares at the ceiling for a few seconds while she waits patiently for him to turn and face her.

"I don't know," he answers, frowning.

"She didn't tell you?" Rachel asks, surprised. "She tells you everything."

"I know." He doesn't notice the smile growing on her face until she puts her script on the bedside table. She leans over him, grinning widely.

"Aww honey, are you upset?"

"No," he mumbles.

"You sure? You're not just a tiny bit sad that she's starting to grow up and starting to pull away from you? Soon she's going to be a teenager and you know what that means. No communication. At all."

"Shut up Rachel," he mutters, feeling his face heat up with all the unwanted possibilities. Her musical laugh fills the air and he relents a small smile. He reaches out and grabs her waist before she notices and she squeals as he pulls her down to roll on top of her.

"You think you're funny Hudson?" he asks mockingly as he hovers over her, grinning.

"Oh I know I am," she smirks. "The Village Voice once said that I had an uncanny comedic timing. That's a direct quote you know."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. And, if I remember correctly, you once told me that nobody can make you laugh like I can," she answers smugly, giggling as he nuzzles his nose onto her collarbone.

"You sure it's the right guy?" he whispers against her ear, grinning when he feels the goosebumps along her neck

"Well he kisses like you," she whispers back. He trails her lips up to her jaw and pulls back to grin at her shamelessly as he plucks her reading glasses of her nose and sets it on the side before leaning forward to kiss her. She wraps her arms around his neck to pull him in closer as she deepens their kiss, and he's almost halfway through with taking her shirt off when she suddenly turns her head and pushes him away.

"Yes, it was definitely you," she answers hoarsely, smirking up at him. He laughs and leans forward to kiss her again, but she splays her hands over his chest to stop him.

"You know," she tells him seriously, and he holds back a groan, wondering why she wants to talk now. "At least now you understand how I feel. The two of you are always keeping secrets from me!"

"That's 'cause we don't want to get in trouble babe," he answers wryly.

"I'm a fun mom!" she yells defensively, slapping his chest and pushing him off of her. He falls back in surprise as Rachel suddenly shoots up off the bed to glare at him.

"Uh," he starts uncertainly, wondering what has gotten into his wife. "Yeah. You're a totally fun mom."

"Liar," she replies sourly. And she lets out that dramatic sigh. What is with all these dramatic sighs from his women lately?

"I'm not lying," he answers. "You're- you're fun, Rachel. Like, the best! C'mon Rach," he says slowly as he stands and walks towards her. Placing a hand on each of her shoulders, he turns her to face him. "What's wrong?"

She sighs dramatically. Again.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Hey!" he says defensively. "I'm understanding. Why do both of you keep saying that?"

"Finn," Rachel says wryly. "Most of the time when I talk to you, it goes into one ear and out the other."

It seriously amazes him sometimes how their daughter could channel her so well.

"Okay fine so I'm a bad listener, which has nothing to do with understanding anything." She's staring up at him doubtfully and it annoys the hell out of him to see that exact same expression that he's seen on Lily just a few hours before. She shakes her head and leans up to kiss him.

"Let's just go to sleep," she says quietly, stalking back to bed before he could say a word.

Women, he thinks irritably. They're all the same, young or old (-er, he amends or she might kill him), all they do is confuse him.

Xxx

"Good morning," he says cheerfully as he enters the kitchen, receiving two half-hearted replies in return. He frowns.

"Ready for school Lily?" he asks brightly, smiling at the eight year old who is glumly staring at her cereal.

"Whatever," she mumbles. He glances up at his wife with a raised eyebrow as if to say, see? She just rolls her eyes and walks over to him. He leans down automatically while Rachel expertly ties the tie around his neck.

"Thanks babe," he says, pecking her on the lips while Lily rolls her eyes in the background. They're almost at the door when Rachel stops them.

"Hey Lil," she calls out. Lily turns around and looks at her expectantly. "Let's have a girls day this afternoon. You want to come and watch me rehearse a little? Then we can spend the whole day having fun."

"Yeah," his daughter answers excitedly. He smiles as an almost identical grin crosses over Rachel's face.

"Yay!" she answers, pumping her fist awkwardly into the air. He holds the snort until he's out the door.

"What's so funny daddy?"

"Nothing."

Xxx

"I know what's wrong," she whispers, her tone oddly satisfied, in his ear two nights later as she lies down next to him on the bed.

"What is it?" he asks curiously, turning to look at her. The gleam in her eyes is kind of making him nervous. She leans in closer and nudges her nose against him.

"You have to promise you won't get upset."

"Why would I get upset?"

"Finn."

"Fine. I promise." She looks at him doubtfully until he rolls his eyes and holds up a hand in a solemn swear. She nods, satisfied.

"It's a boy," she tells him giddily. He sits up faster than she can say 'Lily's all grown up'.

"Why is it a boy?" he asks quickly, alarmed.

"Relax Finn," she says, burrowing her head further into her pillow as she laughs. "It's Tyler."

Oh Tyler. Tyler's her bestfriend. That's fine.

"Apparently, Tyler has a girlfriend," Rachel continues, amused.

"What do eight year olds know about dating?" he asks blankly.

"They apparently know enough to buy heart-shaped chocolate candies. Valentine's is next week," she clarifies at the confused look on his face. Oh. Is that a warning look on her face? He makes a mental note to remember Valentine's this year.

"So what's the big deal?"

"Tyler thinks his girlfriend, Ashley, is really pretty." When he was eight, the only person he ever thought was pretty was his mom, and he's pretty sure that was 'cause she's his mom. What is up with eight year olds these days?

"So?"

"So," she answers rolling her eyes. "Lily's jealous."

"What does she have to be jealous for? She's eight. What does she know about being jealous? What? I'm not upset," he finishes at the roll of his wife's eyes.

"Sure."

"I'm not. Why is Lily jealous?"

"She thinks she's not pretty like that girl. That's why Tyler's giving those chocolates to her and not Lily."

"That's ridiculous. Lily is beautiful."

"It doesn't help when you hear it from your parents Finn. Trust me." She says when he gets off the bed and heads towards the door. He stops at the door.

"Why not?" he asks her, shooting a disgruntled look.

"Because we're her parents. Of course we think she's beautiful."

"Then why did she ask me if she's pretty?" he asks, heading back to his wife. He sits at the edge of the bed and Rachel sits up next to him.

"Because sometimes we just need a little temporary reassurance, you know?"

"Well then how can I help?" She shrugs her shoulders, one hand smoothing out the crease on his forehead.

"It's a girl thing. We always think we're not pretty enough."

"You know you're gorgeous," he argues. She smiles and kisses him on the cheek.

"Well now I do. But," she sighs. "That wasn't so easy to remember when we were young. I remember when we were fourteen and Quinn called me RuPaul, I cried for days."

"I-" talking about their lives pre-Glee will never not be uncomfortable for him.

"It's fine Finn," she tells him in amusement when she catches the guilt on his face. "I got over it. And so will Lily, because she's a strong girl and things like these, it always gets easier after a while."

"Is that what you told her?" he asks curiously, allowing himself to be pulled back onto the bed.

"I told her about my nose."

"Your what?" he asks, amused.

"My nose. When we were in elementary, they called me 'Big Honk Rachel'. Do you remember that?"

He shakes his head as she snuggles closer into him.

"Well good. It was a horrendous name, not to mention just plain uncreative."

"The kids at our school were idiots," he offers consolingly at the hint of contempt in her voice.

"I know. I wanted to tell her about Santana and those Yentl comments, but I don't think she'd understand. I think she got what I meant though. She definitely looked like she felt better, poor baby."

Rachel smiles up at him brightly, looking proud at her accomplishment, and he stares back thoughtfully.

"You know," he says quietly. "I always thought you were cute."

"Why thank you," she answers, slightly confused.

"No I mean when we were kids. I always thought you were cute. You used to have those pigtails and you were always in those little dresses that flare out. If my eight year old self could have comprehended girls then, I'd totally think you were beautiful."

The smile on her face widens into a full-blown grin as she pushes him back and straddles him. She leans in close to kiss him fiercely before pulling back.

"You're just saying that to get into my pants," she murmurs breathlessly against his lips. "Aren't you?"

"Is it working?" he jokes, smirking.

"You got me at the pigtails comment."

Xxx

"How was your day Lil?" he asks conversationally as he pulls out of her school.

"It was okay," she tells him, shrugging her shoulders and swinging her legs. It's Valentine's day. He's been on pins and needles ever since Rachel gave him that little insight on the complications of the female mind. He knew they started thinking so early?

"That's awesome. I've got something for you."

"A present?" she asks, perking up. "What is it?"

"Look in the glove compartment," he says nonchalantly, although if he's honest, he's kind of nervous. This is a different kind of gift giving with his kid. He's never done this kind of thing before, this girl kind of thing, with Lily. He holds back a sigh as the realization that she's growing up hits him once again. Gone are the days of the Lily who laughed hysterically at the sight of a worm because it 'looks ticklish', or the Lily who used to follow him around tirelessly after work, her little pink blanket (aptly named Blanket) trailing behind her, waiting for a piggyback ride. He misses Starla.

Lily's popping open the glove compartment like a boss.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" he says boisterously when she holds the box of candy in her hands.

"Thanks daddy," she says, the smile on her face is unfamiliar to him. "It's awesome," she continues, grinning by now. He relaxes back into his seat. They drive in silence for a few minutes while she takes a small bite out of one chocolate heart and he organizes his thoughts.

"You know Lily, boys can be stupid sometimes."

"Tyler's not stupid!" Lily exclaims. He hides a smile, even though he feels like he may never see Tyler the same way again. Sure, the kid's eight now. But in a few years, he's going to be a teenager and next thing you'll, he'll be corrupting their little stargazer in ways that might require physical threats on Finn's part.

"Who says I'm talking about Tyler?" he asks. She gapes at him for a few seconds, the chocolate in her fingers forgotten.

"Well- why were you talking about boys then?" she counters. She's a smart kid. She takes that after her mom too.

"I meant boys as a whole."

"I know mommy told you daddy," she tells him wryly. He turns to look at her in surprise.

"You do?"

"Yeah. She said you were worried about me and that we should ally-allev- she said you'd feel better if you knew."

"I see."

"Yeah. I'm sorry daddy."

"For what Liliput?" he asks, surprised.

"I didn't mean to make you worry." He grins and ruffles her hair playfully.

"That's what you do in family kiddo. You worry. You feeling better?"

"Yes," she answers. "Mommy tells me it just takes a longer time for boys to see what's right in front of them, is all. She says sometimes they won't see it until they're sixteen and you go right of to their faces and sing it to them. I'm not sure what that means," she finishes, frowning in confusion.

"Well she's right. We're a little slow you know. You gotta be patient with us."

"She told me that too. She said that sometimes a boy can really like you and not know it for months, even when everyone else around him can see it."

"Mommy got everything covered, didn't she?" he asks wryly, wondering if Rachel had literally gave their daughter a complete recount of their history.

"Yep." He shakes his head and continues driving, making a mental note to remember to pick up the other box of, slightly more sophisticated, candy and stargazer lilies from the florist.

"Boys are a little stupid," Lily concedes after a moment of contemplation. He nods his head in agreement.

Xxx

He sits back on the couch, grinning at the sight of Rachel and Lily leaning against each other and giggling hysterically. He catches Rachel's eye and when she silently mouths I love you over their daughter's head, he knows he's got Valentine's right this year.

"Daddy?" Lily calls out and he snaps out of his thoughts. She's looking at them shyly, swivelling her head from him to Rachel.

"Yeah baby?"

"Am I pretty?" she asks quietly. "Like mommy?"

He grins.

"Better. You're pretty like Lily."