Mercedes was setting up the guest room in her house for a very old friend from high school. Jasmine sat in front of the door eagerly awaiting the guest's arrival.
"Jasmine, don't sit so close to the door sweetie. I don't want you to get stepped on." Mercedes cautioned.
"I'm fine mom. " The little girl responded without even turning her head.
Mercedes decided to let it be, Jasmine was 8 and could sit where she wanted to. Plus, she knew trying to remove her would only result in a big fuss. She wondered if there was something in the Hudson gene pool that made them so freaking stubborn. About halfway through her channel surfing, Mercedes was interrupted by her daughter's blood curdling scream.
"Uncle Puck!"
The little girl leapt into her uncle's arms as he dropped his bags.
"Hey princess Jasmine," Puck held on tight to the little girl as she rubbed his Mohawk.
"You still have it!" she squealed.
"Of course, I couldn't shave it after you told me how cool it looked last time."
"It's so awesome." The little girl said with a very wide grin on her face.
"No love for daddy?" Finn frowned standing behind Puck.
"Daddy I see you every day, its Uncle Puck!"
"Yeah dude, I'm Uncle Puck." Puck smirked
Finn was not amused. He still wanted a few more years of being the most important man in his daughter's life. Puck was greatly amused and loved making Finn make what he called the "Bitch Finn" face.
"Come on bro, the girls have always liked me more."
"With one exception," Mercedes said as she turned the corner.
"Hey Nissan" Puck flirted.
"Who's that?" Jasmine questioned.
"Nothing baby, why don't you show Uncle Puck his room?"
"OK!" The little girl climbed off her uncle and grabbed his hand. "It's this way!" She pointed up the stairs.
"I remember where it is." Puck said growing a little tired of all the screaming.
"Yeah but it's so different now," Jasmine responded as she dragged Puck up the stairs.
Mercedes was laughing so hard her sides were hurting. She loved the sight of the boy who manipulated all the girls in high school being bossed around by her daughter. Maybe there was something in the Jones gene pool that made the women bossy. It was probably true, but she would never tell Finn that.
Speaking of Finn, she noticed he had his "Bitch Finn" face on again.
"What's the matter baby? Was Puck being a jerk again?" Mercedes' said rubbing her husband's back.
Finn hadn't moved an inch from the doorway.
"She likes him more than me…she likes him better." He pouted.
"No she doesn't, she adores you." Mercedes said reassuringly.
"Then why was she excited to see him?" Finn said sounding a little more jealous than he intended.
"Because the last time he was here he changed her hair color to purple, which reminds me, I'm supposed to kill Puck for that."
"Oh yeah I remember that, you got so mad…and it isn't funny at all." Finn was slowly learning the ropes of being a good husband, whatever your wife disapproves of; you have to disapprove of as well.
Puck came down the steps with Jasmine riding on his back.
"OK Bro let's hit it, I'm starving." Puck said as he put Jasmine down.
"Where are you going? You just got here!" The little girl cried.
"Daddy and Uncle Puck are going out to a grown-up restaurant, we will back really late but you'll be able to play with Uncle Puck all day tomorrow." Finn assured her.
"Yeah…but not too early though. Uncle Puck is going to be tired from drinking all that….adult apple juice?" Puck looked to Finn for approval who in return gave him the thumbs up for that ultra-convincing lie.
"You mean you guys are going to a bar?" Jasmine questioned.
Finn looked at Mercedes with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't look at me; you let her watch Law & Order with you. And I don't remember you telling me about this trip to the bar?" Mercedes said folding her arms.
"Yeah I was going to tell you about it but…"
"But then he remembered he was a grown man and can do whatever he wants." Puck interrupted.
"Puck, not helping." Finn said.
"Yeah Puck, if you don't like the way I treat my husband you could always go back home to - oh that's right, you can't because she kicked you out again." Mercedes responded.
Puck got an angry look on his face but Mercedes would not back down. Finn, who somehow managed to be the tallest and smallest person in the room at the same time, gently led Puck out the door before turning to his wife.
"We'll be back probably around 11, and I won't be drinking so I'll be OK to drive so no worries." Finn said with a hopeful smile.
Mercedes furrowed her brow and looked at her watch, "He needs to drink for three hours? What did he do this time?"
"He mentioned how hot Brittany looked only a couple of weeks after having her baby while Quinn is still struggling to lose her baby weight."
"He said that to my sister!" The black diva nearly shouted.
"It's Puck." That was the only explanation Finn could come up with.
Puck was honking the car horn from the outside.
"Fine, go with him, recall your glory days over that disgusting beer you drink and make it back her safely OK? I'll call Quinn and try to smooth things out…again."
Finn kissed Mercedes on the forehead.
"Love you babe," he said.
"Love you too," she responded.
"Good night Jasmine" Finn said as he bent down to hug his daughter.
"Good night daddy" Jasmine responded with a kiss to his cheek.
Finn went out to the car smiling ear to ear; his daughter did still love him.
"Mom?" Jasmine asked as Mercedes was tucking her in for the night.
"What is it baby?"
"How do you know when you're in love?"
"You just know sweetheart, your heart will let you know when you've met the right person." Mercedes knew all too well what that felt like; she got to see her love every day. "Why do you ask baby?"
"Because I'm in love with Uncle Puck and I'm going to marry him one day." Jasmine responded as if she had no doubt in her mind that this would happen.
A cold shiver went down Mercedes spine. In 10 years her daughter would be 18, and Puck is….Puck. But after the initial shock, she began to calm down and realize that this was just a little girl's crush.
"But he's already married to Aunt Quinn," Mercedes tried to reason.
"Maybe they won't stay married." The little girl stated.
"The way he acts, you might be right about that."
Before Mercedes went to bed, she prayed to God that Puck would never become her son-in-law.