A/N: Hope you guys like this chapter. Please continue to review. Let me know if you like where this story is going. If you like the pace, should I speed it up or slow it down? Are there and character POVs that you would like me to do soon. I have a few in mind but I am not sure of the ordering. Your critiques and opinions are more than welcome. Disclaimer: I do not own GLEE or any of its characters. GLEE is property of its creators and FOX. ENJOY!
"Hey Baby Mama." Quinn smiled as Puck peaked in the door. He was the first visitor to her new room. She'd been officially released from ICU yesterday. Not only had it been a great day to get out of the ICE but also because for the first time since waking up she'd felt her need to go to the bathroom. She hadn't been able to control it, but according to the doctors, being able to feel the need was a great sign of regaining the control over her bladder and bowls, which was also a great sign in of itself of regaining feeling and maybe function in her legs, though Quinn wasn't going to get ahead of herself. She had a long road to full recovery and there was no guarantee that she ever would.
"Hey Puck, come on in."
He smiled and looked behind him before turning back to her. His eyes laughed as his smile grew wider as if he knew something she didn't. "I have a surprise for you."
Quinn perked up. Using her forearm strength like Frank had taught her, she pushed herself into a sitting position. "What?"
Puck disappeared a moment than walked in the room. Quinn's breath caught as she saw the blonde child in his arms. Beth giggled happily as Puck bounced into the room like a rabbit. "Bethy hippidty hoppidty into the room," he sang until he was sat next to Quinn's bed with Beth on his lap.
Tears welled in Quinn's eyes. She hadn't seen her daughter in three months. Sure Shelby had come to see her, even told her that she wanted Quinn to be in Beth's life, but Quinn hadn't let herself believe the older woman's words. Big break like this, second chances, good things, they just didn't happen to Quinn.
Beth looked so much bigger than the last time Quinn saw her. She was taller, her white blonde hair thicker, the little girl smiled at puck "Uck, Uck". Oh my she was talking.
Quinn swallowed the lump in her throat, "She knows your name."
Puck kissed the top of Beth's head, "We've spent a lot of time together since your accident. Here watch this."
Puck pulled out a picture and showed it to Beth "Whose this Beth?" The toddler pointed to the picture "Kin, Kin Uck," she beamed with pride of her accomplishment.
"Good job, Beth it is Quinn. Now look whose this?" Puck pointed to Quinn. Beth for her part looked over at Quinn than the picture and back to Quinn, "Kin, Kin."
Quinn laughed, Beth knew her. Puck had taught Beth about her. Tears fell, "Oh Puck."
"Shh. It's cool Quinn. Would you like to hold her? Can you?" Quinn could only nod and reach out with her hands for her daughter. "Beth time to sit with Quinn." Beth didn't object. Instead she snuggled into Quinn's side.
Quinn reflexively kissed the girl's head and breathed her in. The permanent ache in her heart eased as Beth babbled at her. Random words coming through clear. It was joyous to be holding Beth again. All of Quinn's worries and fears melted away with the sound of the baby's voice.
Soon Beth became antsy and Puck produced a book, Eloise at the Plaza. It was a gift from Quinn to the little girl, it had come with a plush Eloise as well, it was the last gift Quinn had given to Beth before her exile. "It's her favorite, as is the doll, but that is at home."
Quinn took the proffered book and began to read, by the end of the story Beth was asleep. Quinn couldn't take her eyes off of Beth. "She's even more beautiful than I remembered."
"She takes after you."
Quinn smiled looking up at Puck, "Thank you for bringing her."
"No problem. Shelby thought it was time, and with you being out of ICU we could actually bring her."
"Well thank you anyway and thank Shelby for me. Also Puck,"
"yeah?'
"I'm sorry." He looked shocked at her words.
"Sorry for what?'
"For putting you through everything I did at the beginning of the year. For jeopardizing your chance to know Beth, fore making you choose between me and Beth."
Puck shook his head, "No don't, I was wrong too. I lost sight of everything. I had this fantasy in my mind. One where Beth was in my life, that I was her father and casting Shelby in the role of mother and partner seemed the only way to make the fantasy a reality. I abandoned you. I was getting to be with Beth and I forgot about you. I should have supported you more. Gotten you help when I realized how sad and depressed you'd become."
Quinn rested her hand on his, "No. Fixing me isn't your responsibility."
"What if I want it to be?" He was deadly serious and Quinn could tell. He took a hold of her hand tightly. His eyes bored into hers. "What if I've been a young, stupid, foolish boy? What if I realized all I'd been craving, yearning for was right in front of me all this time? What if I'd given up on the best thing in my life too easily?"
"Noah, "she squeaked, he heart rate rising. His words they flooded over her. She knew what he was saying; they were words she'd been waiting for, aching for since she came to her senses, since he admitted to sleeping with Shelby. When Noah was with Lauren Zizes, Quinn hadn't been threatened than because one Lauren had never been a serious choice for Noah nor had Quinn been a place to be with him. Shelby was different; Shelby was a real threat, a true possibility. Shelby had Beth, the one person Noah yearned to be with most in this world. Yes, Quinn wanted Noah, had for some time now, but things were different now. She was different. She was paralyzed a cripple, could she condemn Noah to a life with her? No she loved him too much to be a burden to him.
"Quinn, please listen." He sounded so desperate that she couldn't help but listen. Unconsciously she pulled their daughter closer to herself. "The day of your accident, it was the most horrible day of my life. Worse than my father leaving, worse than being arrested and going to juvie, worse than watching Beth being taken home by someone who wasn't us. I felt like my heart was being ripped apart. Waiting to hear if you'd survive was agonizing. All I could do was thing of the 'what ifs' and my regrets. 'What if I hadn't gotten you pregnant?' 'What if I hadn't let you pull away from me after Beth was born?' 'What if I'd held you instead of going to Shelby?' 'What if you died and I never got to tell you how sorry I am and how I feel about you?'"
Quinn was shocked by the tears running down his tan cheeks. She'd only seen him cry once and that had been when Shelby took Beth away. She'd never wanted to change her mind, bring Beth back to them, more than she did as held him in her arms that day as he cried and cried his pain away.
"Noah I…"
"I'm not done please listen. My thoughts changed when we heard you were in a coma. They moved to focus on all our time together and I realized not only did the hardest days in my life revolve around you, but also that happiest. I've never been more happy and content than when I could call you mine. When I could hug you whenever I pleased, when I could taste your lips, when I could hear your giggles and snorts over movies and TV shows, when I could hold and comfort you on your hard days; it's you Quinn, everything good in my life is because of you. I love you Quinn. I love you as a teammate, I love you as a friend, I love you as a girlfriend, I love you as my baby's mother. Is this a forever, let's get married love, I don't know, and I won't say it is because that would be lying to you and myself, but I want to find out. I want to learn if what we have is something wonderful and special. I want to give this, us, a fresh start, a real chance. If there is one thing I've learned these past months it's that you are the girl for me, Lucy Quinn Fabray, the only one I want. So please give us a chance."
Noah Puckerman had just bared his soul t her and Quinn didn't know what to say. Well she knew what she wanted to say, 'yes', but she didn't know if she could, not now, not with things as they were. Noah deserved 100% of her attention and she didn't know if she could give that to him. She had to focus on herself, fix herself. "I…I'm broken," was all she could get out.
"Then let me fix you," he whispered.
"You can't. It wouldn't be fair to you. I couldn't put you through that. I…I have to fix myself."
He shook his head, "No you don't. Let me help. You've been fighting to get back on track all alone for so long, let me help you, I broke you let me glue you back together."
"Oh Noah," She lifted their hands and kissed his, "I was shattered long before we had sex. The pregnancy, it was just the icing on the top, and I don't nor would I ever regret Beth, I'd do it all again because I know she is the prize. My father broke me years ago, his words and fist were a sledge hammer that struck my spirit over and over until I no longer resembled myself any longer. I need to rebuild my spirit, find who I am, as well as heal physically from the accident."
"We'll start slow then, friends, good ones." His crocked smile made her heart flutter and her lips giggle.
"I can do that. Friends; good ones."
Slowly he leaned in and placed a loving and adoring kiss on her forehead, "Deal."
They sat in companionable silence until Beth began to fuss. "I best get her back to Shelby, its dinner time."
"Alright. Goodbye Beth. I love." Quinn kissed Beth's cheek.
"Bye Kin." Beth responded groggily as she rubbed her eyes and lifted her arms to Noah. Noah scooped her up and gave Quinn's forehead another kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow friend."
"Tomorrow." Quinn smiled.
When Noah was gone Quinn laid back and looked out her window. Now she wasn't ready to be with Noah, but she could be friends, and maybe one day when she was whole mentally and physically, they'd get that chance to be something more.
Please Review!