Whispers

by wordsaremyescape

{PREVIOUSLY TITLED SET ME FREE WITH NEW SUMMARY} As hard as she tries to run, there's no escaping the truth. It comes in haunting whispers that make her blood run cold. But he has a way of keeping her warm, keeping her human when all she wants to do is stay numb. The truth doesn't settle in ice. It always slips right off. But his breath is warm...So warm.

3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry this one took so long, guys. Made it...rather extensive to make up for the lack of update.

Disclaimer: *See Chapter 1*

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Just as quickly as she gave into sleep, Beth's contained whimper brought her to consciousness, her small breath quickening to a steady cry in the darkened room. Launching into an upright position Quinn felt for the light, a portion of the room now bathed in false sun beam. When her eyes finally adjusted, the young mother could almost taste her heart in her throat when she noted the panic in her expression, something identical washing over Puck's face when he finally joined them in consciousness.

"Da..." Quinn raised a sharp brow when she noticed how easily the syllable brought Puck out of his fog. With one eye barely open, the tension he could sense across her tiny body brought him to full awareness in mere seconds. "Da!" Said with hesitation and shaking confidence before, her second attempt seemed laced with tearful frustration, the little girl curling up so tightly, her anguish came across with struggle.

"Beth..." Quinn whispered, the sigh she gave in response almost a moot point. There was no way she was going to be heard over the steady sob. What made it even more painful to hear was the fact that what she wanted was right there in front of her, though she called for him as if it was just her and an empty room of silence. The potential for that very situation made the blonde's blood boil, the conversation from earlier now echoing in her head. Who would just let her...?

"Dude, I'm right here...Relax..." Swallowing hard, she met Puck's confusion and shook her head softly. "I don't..."

"Keep talking," she offered. "Touching...I don't know," she shrugged biting her lip. It wasn't until she said as much that she realized (rather pathetically) that having him do one or the other, sometimes both, quieted her own nerves. Not even sure where to begin, Puck began massaging her scalp gently, Beth's desperation coming out in peaks and valleys.

"Shh...Everybody's right here," he whispered. "Daddy's right here...I'm not leaving...Not anymore..." Even while saying so, he couldn't help hating himself for every other time that he did. In this moment it didn't even matter that he never had a choice. It had become enough that he left at all, leaving the little girl so confused she couldn't process anything different, no matter where he was. As she once again struggled for breath, she met him with haunted eyes, the sight of them layering his mouth with sandpaper. "I need you to breathe for me, pretty girl...Nobody's going anywhere." The air in his lungs froze when he felt Beth trying to bite down as hard as she could on his knuckle, her caged sob crawling up her chest until it exploded through the room.

"Da..." she whimpered helplessly. The two looked at each other, completely lost. Puck couldn't hold Beth any closer if he tried.

"You're as close as you can get, baby girl. I'm holding as tight as I can without hurting you..."

Quinn watched as he brought her even closer, his attempts to tighten the hold he already had on Beth only easing her little. Despite staying buried in her father's chest, he could feel the steady stream work its way down centre. "What happened?" he asked tiredly. Struggling to a sitting position only seemed to sharpen her cry, tiny nails leaving pink tracks down his chest. "Hey..." he yawned bringing a steady thumb across her back. "I'm not a scratching post..."

"He's not going anywhere, sweetheart," she mumbled drying the moisture with a soft sweep of her fingers. Her aching heart chipped away all the more when Beth rubbed her face against him, avoiding her completely. "Neither am I..." she sighed, realizing as she said it how much she actually meant it. She'd already made that mistake once before. After the day they'd just had, she couldn't fathom pulling away again, even if in some capacity, it still made all the sense in the world.

"Mama's not gonna hurt you, B. I promise..." The tension in her small shoulders lessened incrementally, until eventually she went still against him. If it wasn't such a relief to see her relax, Quinn would have laughed at how easily she seemed to listen to him. "There we go..." he crooned. The sound of it almost made her feel worse. Around his daughter, Puck seemed to take an almost foreign identity, buried so deep inside of him that Quinn hardly believed it existed at all. If she had just been smart...If she could just go back... She had to fight the wave of nausea that threatened to consume her, her focus drawn entirely to the pair before her. "We good now?" They were packed in so close that the blonde could feel here attempt at a soft sigh as it blew between them. "Good girl..."

"Da..." It sounded almost musical, somewhat of a comfort to Quinn while she tried to find a soft smile.

"That's right, baby. That's your daddy." He loves you so much she thought, trying to fight her own disgust when she realized just how fucked up things had to get to bring them here. And to think, it all came down to a stupid piece of paper. One that held the power of a promise broken, possibly before it was even made. "I won't take him away ever again..." His own shoulders fell when Puck took in the tone of her voice, the natural instinct to shake his head already working without so much as a thought. "We both know I did, Noah...It was selfish. I did that. I own that. We don't have to lie just to make me feel like less of an idiot."

"I think she needs some love..." he whispered, the thought clearly meant for only Beth to hear as he pressed it against her tiny ear. Quinn quietly rolled her eyes, shoving him a little.

"You're not going to force her to like me," she mumbled. Puck blinked, looking her over slowly. "She feels safe where she is," she shrugged. "She doesn't have to move." Though not her intention, Quinn almost kicked herself for sounding disappointed. As good as it was for Beth, her preference for him just spoke to how inadequate she was as a mother, how much better prepared Puck was and would ever be by comparison. The sudden shift in behaviour would never lose its ability to shock her. Watching him bite the inside of his cheek in some kind of apology, she offered a wave of her hand. "Sorry...She's good...She's happy. I would rather see that than watch her hurt."

"There's only so much of my finger she can bite off before she gets tired of it," he pointed out. She was ready to counter that with the fact that it wasn't about using his body parts as chew toys. With him, Beth felt protected. In his presence she could be reassured that nothing would ever touch her again. What more could she possibly need than to know those two basic things right now? The quiet pop of his released digit moments later made Quinn smile some. "Exactly." When small fingers wrapped around her shirt to pull herself over, the blonde turned, acknowledging her attempt to reach after barely a second, welcoming the warmth of her small body with an openness she never thought herself capable of. The fear that resulted from what they'd witnessed earlier that day sat heavy in her chest. To know that her attempt to keep Beth safe had backfired in practically every single way was paralyzing. When her daughter—the term still felt so alien in her mouth—nuzzled comfortably against her, every one of Quinn's frazzled nerves settled to a dull roar.

"Hi... " she found herself murmuring softly. "He makes everything better, huh?" Much like her father, Beth seemed all too content to ignore her, a steady sigh warm against the woman's chest while the baby made herself comfortable. Once in prime position, Quinn felt the contrast of wet lips and gums across her skin and found herself going still. The look of longing the young mother received made the woman's heart constrict. "I can't..." she whispered. "I don't have anymore..." The fear that earlier wrapped her so tightly had lessened considerably, despite the unease that came over her. No longer a case of feeling entirely self-conscious, there was still that silent reality. The window of opportunity had come and gone, and no matter how many different ways she asked for it, comfort like that was no longer an option.

"Mama," Beth cooed sleepily, her brown eyes wider than ever. If the bond forged between father and daughter wasn't already enough of an indication, Puck's reflection was heart-stopping. Not for the first time, she was reminded how easy it was to fall into them, how effortless it seemed he was able to win her over. She would never dream of saying as much out loud but all egos set aside, she had a sinking feeling that part of him knew that too. "Mmmm..." she moaned, the majority of a fist shoved in her mouth while she rubbed her face tiredly against her mother's breasts.

"I know..." she whispered, fully aware that karma might just be biting her in the ass now. There was a time when she would be able to do at least that right. All she had left was a hope and a prayer that she had the slightest chance of pulling any of this off. "I'm sorry..." Quinn mumbled while a whimper built in the little girl's tiny chest.

"I won't look," he muttered. Quinn shot him a doubtful look, surprised when there lacked a familiar light of jest in his eyes. She amazed even herself when Quinn realized it wasn't about what he did and didn't see. After seeing one another completely naked, there wasn't very much hiding either of them could do anymore. Hesitation stemmed from knowing that no matter how frequently Beth asked to "feed" she would always be waiting for the nourishment that would never come. Still, she found herself making no motion to stop her as she shuffled closer to her breast, nipping at it though the shirt she wore with a quiet whine and an all too familiar pleading gaze. "Beth..." Knowing better than to think this fight was going anywhere, Quinn sighed in defeat, pushing the little girl back for only seconds while she sent the tshirt up over her head. "Come here, love." Settling her right up against the warmth of her body, she smiled, small hands wrapping themselves around her while the little girl tugged at her nipple in a chorus of contented hums.

"You like that, huh?" Puck smiled combing gently through her hair. "I totally get it," he mumbled. Quinn could only scoff in response. "We know what we like," he shrugged as if that were all the explanation necessary. Rather than give into the urge to throw a pillow at his head, Quinn found herself nodding, her fingers carefully caressing her daughter's cheek. The small cry that hummed across her skin while she did so allowed her to worm her way back into the sheets. Beth kept her steady gaze, as though even blinking would ruin the sight before her.

"Can you close those eyes for me?" she murmured. Even though she didn't feel the need to hold Quinn in a steal trap like hours before, the little girl seemed determined to keep the nipple in her mouth for as long as she could, burrowed as close to the blonde as their bodies allowed. "Are you going to hang onto that for a bit?" she inquired softly. Beth just continued to study her, neck craned to take in as much of her mother as she could before the woman disappeared again. "It has to come at some point, sweetheart..."

"Mmm..."

"If you plan is to wait until something happens, I think you'll be there a while," Puck muttered.

"I...don't even get it. She would have stopped needing this a while ago. I...stopped," she whispered trying not to choke on her words.

"We talked to her a lot," he pointed out. "If she's like you, I think part of her remembers that." Quinn quietly stared at him, piercing her lip while she considered it. There had been nights when only the sound of her father's voice would settle her. That was something true to babies in general. But Quinn recalled far too many times when nothing would stop the constant spin of her thoughts. Noah would touch her...sometimes even talk to her and her eyes would finally grow impossibly heavy. By contrast, Quinn only seemed to take advantage of her daughter's ear when there was no one around to listen to her vent her frustration. How the hell was that worth remembering?

"All I ever did was talk at you," she muttered more than disappointed in herself. "When you weren't around, I ended up doing the same to her..." Puck grinned, quietly folding a golden thread behind her ear. As much as she tried to ignore it, the heat of his breath was unmistakable against her skin. The warmth that radiated made breathing impossible for all of five seconds before she forced herself to do so. Even when no proper sound fell out, she could tell by his presence that Puck wasn't even trying to hide his amusement anymore.

"You're a good mama," he whispered kissing her temple. She could taste a firm no growing bitter on her tongue only seconds from spilling out. Instead she felt tears building at the back of her throat, silently spilling down her cheeks. He'd already said so in various ways. As sincere as this one sounded, no matter how honest he always was there were parts of her that would never see any of that. Words like this should be said by her mother. Instead, they found shape in the boy she'd never thanked enough. Over the last year, Puck had gone above and beyond to give her what she wanted, the things she needed, and she never so much as thanked him.

"Thank you..." Puck carefully pulled them in against him, kneading his thumb against the small of her back, nibbling tenderly at her neck. Quinn could feel her breath catch when she realized just how close he was. "Noah, we can't," she warned. When she heard Puck settle in behind them, she instinctively leaned into him, Beth now fast asleep. She practically jarred when his eager fingers found their way around to her sensitive chest. "Noah..." What started out as second warning fell flat in her mouth as she gravitated into his chest.

"I miss my baby mama," he admitted. She couldn't even stop the bob of her head, the sound of his voice making her more agreeable than she knew she should be. "I think I know how to give her the real deal." Quinn eyed him suspiciously, quietly pulling away from him.

"We're not having another baby," she said firmly. "We just got this one back." He only continued to ignore her as he offered her a subtle twist of her nipple, the sudden sensation forcing her to bite down on her own tongue to keep quiet. "Puck! Not here!" she growled. "We're not doing this in front of our daughter."

"I'm not stupid," he muttered. "Just something to think about for later. Mom's a nurse, remember? Says that after a few days, stimulation starts you up again."

"She's over a year old, Noah. Why would I want to start my breast milk up again when she shouldn't even need it anymore?"

"I don't know. I just thought it would be something we could try," he mumbled. "And I thought it'd be kind of fun."

"For you," she grumbled. She felt him go rigid behind her, every fiber of her being wishing she could take back the harsh tone. "I'm sorry. I just don't think it makes a lot of sense. In a couple of weeks, I'd start producing milk again. It's just going to set her back more. I know she's scared. I know she wants to feel safe but that's not the way to do it. If she's doing it just for the comfort, eventually she'll stop asking." He just nodded, knowing that no matter how he looked at it, Quinn was right. She sighed. As usual, his heart was in the right place. It was his plans of action that always fell short of something logical. If they had any hope of helping Beth get past this, they couldn't be facilitators. No matter how much I miss you she thought.

"Sorry."

"I know," she whispered. "So am I." Even though Beth had long since latched on, finally giving into sleep, something about covering back up felt cruel. He'd already seen all there was to see. She'd already robbed him of so much in just the last year. To let him hold her bare seemed the least she could do to reward all of his patience. "You could maybe hold us though. I think that would be good."

"Can we stay like this?" he asked, fully prepared to help her back into his shirt. When she slowly nodded, he impulsively pulled her in closer in an attempt to keep her warm. The tired sigh she offered him made the grin on his face impossible to hide.

"I miss you too," she conceded. "I shouldn't but I do. She's right to love you more."

"Quinn, we're not doing this again..."

"You're safe. You've done everything you can to make her feel safe. I know you were determined to be her father. With or without me, you made that happen. You keep telling me that I have this natural instinct about her. Maybe I do. Or maybe I'm just starting to find it. But so do you. I think you always have. Short of being Berry's mom, I didn't want to believe there was anything wrong with Shelby. I couldn't believe that. If I let myself even consider it, I wouldn't let this little girl go. I guess I did..." she whispered. "I just sent her off in the wrong direction."

"She started off okay," he said quietly. "I think she was even excited for a while. It's when B found her true nature that she got kind of lost. Neither of us like to be told no," he laughed. "Shove all of that in a tiny little body and all you get is screaming."

"She's so used to things going the way she wants them to..." Quinn said softly. Watching Puck nod, she felt her heart begin to hammer quietly.

"Not exactly a match made in heaven." Resting his lips at her collarbone, he quietly inhaled her, unsure of how his next few words were going to sound. "After about a month...I got the first call. Beth wouldn't stop crying. She hadn't slept in two days and Shelby was losing her shit." Quinn stiffened, instinctively bringing the little girl in closer. "I brought my guitar and played until she cooled off. When she was calm...I kind of forgot about everything else. The math test I failed that week didn't even matter. I didn't know shit about math but I was able to get her to sleep. When she realized that music got her to relax, Shelby tried the singing thing. It kinda worked but not really. She started calling me every few days, just to get me to do that. She was out in like a minute," he said proudly. Quinn smiled, her heart filling up when she recalled exactly why that might be.

"You played for her all the time," she said softly. "When Burt was crazy enough to make you work late nights, I didn't have a hope in the world. Pretty sure she liked the sound of the actual instrument. Either that or I was just a terrible singer," she teased. He smiled fondly at the memory as he traced along the blonde's shoulder.

"Didn't take long for me to just start showing up. I went over every night and before I even got to strumming, she would just go completely silent. A few days later...she looked at me. Really looked at me. Like she finally got around to figuring it out. When I went over for Thanksgiving, I didn't even have it with me. She just...reached for me. After that, the music didn't matter. I'd just come over and hold her." She had to fight the natural tendency toward jealously that often surfaced when he talked about the small milestones she was stupid enough to miss.

"How come it wasn't you?" she asked, a sense of peace washing over her as the darkness enveloped them.

"I don't like talking about me, remember?"

"So you talked about me." When he nodded, a subtle chill travelled from the base of her spine. Even as he noticed this, Puck just shook his head.

"You really think I'd spend every damn day with her and you'd never come up? Quinn you came up all the time. I don't think there was a time when you didn't. I don't care that Shelby's look could kill me where I stood. We promised to tell her the truth one day. And that was part of it. Making sure she knew who you were. I'm really glad she's smart like you. Otherwise she wouldn't have put two and two together as quick as she did."

"Noah...that's..."

"Stupid, I know," he mumbled. "I just...I couldn't live with myself if I lied to my kid."

"No," she countered gently bringing a kiss to his lips. If he wasn't so focused on letting her finish her thought, Puck would welcome the fog that washed over him with open arms. "Noah, that's beautiful...and brave. You didn't let Shelby say no. I did...I let everyone say no. I listened to my head instead of my heart. You made sure to do everything I told you not to. And tonight...Tonight being a hardhead worked in your favour," she chuckled. "Beth is safe...She's loved. And even though I don't quite understand it, a part of her knows who we are. You did that all on your own. You've always done more than enough for the people you..."

"She's my kid." The blonde shook her head, pressing a small kiss to his jaw.

"But I am not your wife," she added. "Just because I am the mother of your child does not make it your responsibility to...love me," she said meekly. "I don't for the life of me understand why you do when all I have ever done is deny you the things you so rightly deserve but I..."

"I don't know how not to..." he mumbled. "Quinn, you just make things make sense. Not school stuff but just...life. Before I met you, things just kept falling apart. When he left...Mom just...For a while she threw herself head first into work. I know she didn't mean to and it didn't last but...I think we all had ways of avoiding it. As messed up as it sounds, it didn't matter if he was a drunk. For us it was enough that he'd just abandoned his family. Becca doesn't remember him, which makes it easier sometimes. To know that she won't have to live with my scars. But then she's gotta go through life not having a dad, you know? I do what I can but I'm sixteen. I can't give her everything she needs. With Beth it's...It's different. I'm not replacing anybody. I don't have to try and live up to some standard that some other dude put out there. Because she's mine. She's ours. And I promised myself when you were pregnant that I was going to do better. I had to keep her family together as much as I could. As long as she had an idea of where she came from...As long as she knew we loved her that was enough for me. And I guess...part of me hoped we'd get here," he confessed. "Maybe not with Beth but...you and me. We'd get to this place where we could actually sit in the same room together and not claw at each other's throats. Because...being angry with you...Being angry with you...It sucks. It hurts. I'll fight with you but I can't spend every day of my freaking life hating you. It makes me out to be like him. And I'm not him. I know you don't trust me—"

"You wouldn't have my virginity if I didn't trust you, Noah. I'm a Christian. I was raised to believe in God. I was raised to believe in love. Daddy had a very warped perception of that. But that's all I know. I don't understand how someone can just...give you the things you ask for...the things you don't, and keep giving. Even when they know that they won't be receiving anything at all in return. How can you continue to love me when all I've done is take things from you? How can you even look at me when I've never even dared to see you as my equal?"

"It's the same thing when you see me throwing kids in dumpsters. He hurt you just like mine hurt me. And we do what we have to do to protect them...You did what you did for Beth because you were trying to protect her. You were trying to save face for your parents. When you really look at it, giving Beth to Shelby wasn't about you. It was making sure she had better. And just because it didn't work out, doesn't mean you didn't try," he murmured brushing his mouth across the top of her spine.

"She's been through a trauma..." Quinn whispered. "Because I was selfish. Because I didn't see..."

"I was here almost all the time. I lied a little because I knew it would hurt you to know that I went and did what I did. What happened to Beth is on me. I knew something was off the minute I walked into this house. When she started recognizing faces, I saw it even more. Whenever she cried, Shelby would just let her thinking she'd figure it out and calm herself down. I never let it get that far. The minute she freaked out, I did something about it. It got to the point where she seemed almost robotic. Like Shelby had taught her not to cry. That shit freaked me out. For a couple months, I crashed in one of these rooms and drove myself to school every day so I could...try and reverse the fact that she forced her to go numb. At that point, I didn't care at all about what Shelby thought. After a few weeks...it was like Beth had a switch. Somehow she figured out which one of us would actually listen to her. I don't know what Shelby's deal is but she wasn't ready for this..." Quinn stayed uncharacteristically quiet, unsure about which to let out first; her flood of tears or some kind of response to everything she'd just heard.

"Noah..." she choked. "I...I want you to touch me," she said hoarsely. After the horror she'd just listened to, how her baby knew the difference between the two women made even less sense. Whether it was some kind of instinct that taught her different or her father's obsession with telling her Quinn's whole life story, she would never know. But the decision to give into him had again worked its magic. "Not now but...I want to try..."

"Another baby?" he asked trying to bite back his shock. It took her a minute of consideration before she shook her head. It would make a lot more sense to offer her the comfort she needed if her body was to produce it naturally but they were in no position to go there at all. "Oh. The other thing." Even though it was a stupid question, he had to wonder if there was even the slightest chance. Even if it came years from now. "Yeah okay, we can do that."

"I still don't know what this means...What I'm supposed to do. I'm going to mess this up. Again." As his arms wrapped around her, Quinn had to steel herself while she cupped and pinched at her breasts. Though currently the last of her intentions, she gave into him, neck exposed as she wrapped her lip around his earlobe with her own tug of warning. "I said later," she growled. Placing a light kiss at her throat, he dropped his hands, though his arms remained tightly wrapped around her. Quinn's focus shifted when Beth squirmed in her lap, a long yawn giving way to a soft whine. "Be ready to move your hands..." Finally giving into her own yawn, Quinn remained completely still when their daughter found her breast again, the little girl letting out a musical sigh while she suckled. "There's nothing there, baby," she whispered. Beth hardly seemed bothered by it, fully satisfied with just the mechanics of pretending.

"Mmm...aaah"

"Pretty girl just wants her mom," he whispered. When small fingers crawled up to her chin, Quinn kissed them lightly. "Not that I blame her. She's pretty amazing."

"I already said yes," she muttered. "You don't have to sweet talk your way into it."

"Just stating the facts," he mumbled. When Beth quietly turned away minutes later, she reached around to meet her father's eye. "Hey you, are we ready for some real sleep now? Watching you nap was pretty cool but I think..." he started as he slowly gave into a yawn, small fingers aimed directly for his mouth. Beth offered them a full belly laugh that shook the entirety of her tiny frame. "...after we get something in that tummy, it's time for Mommy and me to try and close our eyes."

"Pretty sure that at this point, sleep isn't even worth it," Quinn mumbled. Catching the light breaking through what remained of the night sky, he shrugged.

"Got nowhere to be. As long as she gets food, we can sleep as long as we want." The blonde closed her eyes, laughing quietly. "For those who don't understand, that's what napping is," he teased.

"Thank you for the insight...I think Daddy should go do it so I can put some feeling back in my arm," she smirked nudging him lightly. Where most would put up even the smallest fight, the support of Puck's sturdy body disappeared rather quickly while he took her at the hips and nudged her forward. "Somehow, I'm not sure that excitement's going to last," she laughed. Repositioning herself against the pillows, she couldn't help but fixate on the two of them, Puck hovering over Beth after tickling her feet, the little girl giggling profusely as she kicked and flailed. Simple as it was, what she was watching wrapped Quinn in the warmest of any human hug. This is what she'd imagined to be an impossible scenario. And in that moment, she'd become a part of it. "If she laughs too hard, that's your fault."

"Nah, she wouldn't do that to me. Beth and I have an understanding. Right?" As if on cue, she seemed to laugh harder. "Why do I get the sinking feeling that's a no?"

"Because Fabrays were born to make you suffer," she joked.

"Fantastic...We'll leave you up here to try and get some shut eye. Back in a minute." After twenty minutes, Beth had effectively rejected every solid food the fridge still had in it. Half surprised she hadn't turned to throwing it on the floor like she'd often done with Shelby, he finally reached some kind of breakthrough when she gladly took a bottle strategically kept tucked in the very back of the fridge. "She scared you that much...?" he whispered, more for himself than to have his question answered. He was barely through the door when he noted Quinn's fallen expression. "She said no to literally everything else..."

"What did she do to you?" Quinn wondered quietly.

"She's never been a great eater. I think my genes failed in that department," he muttered, trying to make light of an otherwise grave realization. "She'd start in the chair a lot of the time but hardly ever stayed in it. That was when she started the solid food thing. Before that, Shelby would only ever sit with her long enough to watch her take a bottle. I wonder if she was surprised when she realized I just sat with her because I wanted to. I know she was pissed but I wasn't going to stop just because Shelby didn't like it. If she really had such a problem with it, she should have been able to do this kind of thing herself." Making her way back over to the king sized bed; he carefully laid her across the sheets, grinning when she glanced between them intently.

"She's lazy," Quinn tried to joke. "That's all your genes." In truth, what she'd seen left her with an unquenchable fear that in an attempt to make her daughter's life better, she'd somehow made it worse.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence..." he muttered.

"That's what I'm here for," she smirked. "We'll fix it though, right?" the blonde offered quietly brushing bits of hair off her forehead. Pressing his fingers gently on her belly, he laughed when she curled into him.

"Is it about that time?" Rolling onto his back, the little girl followed close behind, burrowing herself into what could only be described as her Beth-shaped space. As her breathing evened out, Quinn inched her way over to him, hesitant at first to intrude on their space.

"Mama..." Beth offered sleepily, holding her gaze in an attempt to fight dreams.

"Why do I get the feeling she hasn't slept in days?" Quinn whispered, her chest heavy.

"Or it could be she just likes sleep," he offered. "Either way you're free to join us. I think she wants you to." Finding her own groove in his shoulder, Quinn quietly made herself comfortable, her eyes much heavier than she realized. At this point, where the sun was in the sky didn't mean anything. Sleep was sleep no matter when or how she found it. "Goodnight babe..." After all that he'd just disclosed to her, she couldn't even deny him that anymore. When his head fell in her direction, she lightly traced a small heart at the base of his throat. "Always have..." he mumbled, the feeling of her tracing lingering for moments. What would normally be considered random made all the sense in the world to her now.

"I know..." she murmured.

---

Quinn wasn't quite sure where the sun was coming from as she felt it beat down on her face. Blinding probably but she wasn't about to open her eyes just yet and find out. Instead, she found herself rolling even closer to some kind of solid wall, convinced that hiding behind it might make the damn thing disappear. Even stranger still, she's reaching for it, clinging to it in some kind of blind and foreign desperation. Quinn startled when she felt it move, the curtain of her eyes brought up completely. Puck was close enough so that the heat of his breath blew quietly along her cheek. Her eyes widen even further as she finally registers, connecting the dots in ways she's not supposed to. Before she could figure out if freaking out about this is appropriate, she hopped out of bed and shot across the room. Caught between rolling her eyes and allowing herself the smallest of smiles, she watched as his free hand groped the space she'd just vacated. It almost seemed as though he needed her to…No. Quinn shook her head not allowing herself to think like that just yet, if at all.

"Baby, come back," she heard him groan as he reached blindly for the pillow next to him. Quinn was only the slightest bit surprised to still see Beth tightly brought to him. The little girl seemed to serve as some kind of trigger, bringing all that had unfolded hours before back to her. The blonde had to grip her head to keep the tornado of thoughts from screaming over one another. Though he'd offered her antidotes that made her smile, Puck's telling of the horrors sat more permanently. From where she stood, pressed up against the bedroom wall, her baby seemed as though she hadn't moved all night. Quinn of course knew better, her own heavy eyes all the evidence she needed to prove the minimal sleep they'd all gotten.

She bit her tongue to keep from countering his mumbled claim but couldn't bring herself to shatter his illusion just yet. As much as Quinn knew she shouldn't, something's pulled her back into her spot on the bed as she carefully took the pillow from his hold. When he finally released it, her head came to rest on it as she ran a finger along the little girl's cheek, small hands clinging to her father like anything less would make her lose hold of him. Beth remained asleep, a relief to Quinn in more ways than one. This was probably one of the only decent rests she'd gotten in days.

Eyeing Puck's sleepy expression, she could feel her heart pick up speed. She's thrown back into thinking for just a second, allowing herself to decide whether or not this is normal or acceptable. Before she could make proper use of 'yes' and 'no', a shaky finger traced along his defined jaw. She couldn't quite recall ever doing this before but something about his face is so familiar that she can't seem to stop herself. Puck looked so relaxed. Probably the most relaxed she's seen him in a while. She was quick to decide the little girl wrapped tightly around him had something to do with it, almost as if he's finally at peace with how things are. She's reminded once more that this is exactly how things are supposed to be or should have been. She spent a few more seconds in guilt before shaking it off. What's done is done she remembered him telling her a few times. Quinn quickly pulled her hand back as he shuffled again, his eyes opening slightly. Not even seconds later she's greeted by that sleepy smile that puts a hammer in her chest, its presence scaring her a good ten seconds before she finally calmed down enough

"Morning," she whispered.

"Its 'cause I've got a baby, isn't it?" he smirked. Raising a brow in confusion she looks between the two. "The reason you ran off and then came back," he clarified. "It's because I was holding her." Shaking her head she just laughed. He must have still been hazy because even if those were coherent sentences, his reasoning is a little bit off.

"What does Beth have to do with me crawling back into bed?" She waited, resisting the roll of her eyes as she could hear the sarcastic remark coming off of his tongue. To her surprise, there was none. "It's cold," she half lied proving her point by burying herself closer to him and into the blankets. "Cold and lonely," she whispered.

"If that's the story you wanna tell…." He muttered. She wasn't about to tell him how fascinated she'd become with watching him sleep. She didn't need to tell him how pleasantly surprised she was to see him take to fatherhood as effortlessly as she should have as her mother. She'd made sure to say as much to his face before sleep took them. Quinn could only hope that he didn't say anything about the way she'd studied him. Not only was it creepy but she felt it wasn't her place to admit such a thing given their…whatever they had. "I personally think you just couldn't resist all of this," he smirked sleepily before propping on his elbow to wake himself a bit, a smile coming across his lips. Quinn just rolled her eyes smacking him lightly as she did so. "Do that enough times and they're gonna roll right outta your head, Fabray," he chuckled. Puck bit back his next comment as he allowed himself a look into them for a few beats longer than should be allowed. He didn't have to wait long to see them skewed in a proper glare.

"What are you looking at?" she asked pointedly. Puck just shrugged.

"Nothing," he said quickly, turning away before he allowed himself to get lost in her gaze once more.

"Liar," she whispered, a heat crawling up her neck that she tried to hide with little success.

"I like them," he said with an uncharacteristic shyness. Quinn only blushed deeper at his admission sinking further into the bed; almost wishing it could actually swallow her before she could grow even more embarrassed and oddly taken aback by this side of him. She'd seen it only a handful of times before, the feeling of his compliments still somewhat foreign to her. She cleared her throat kicking the sheets back quickly.

"We should probably…get home," she said finally standing as she threw the covers off of him. She startled as he allowed himself a subtle growl, pulling them back over himself and Beth. Biting her lip, she waited a beat as the little girl blinked, a subtle whimper passing her lips as she looked over at Puck, trying to make sense of the noise he'd just made. Quinn half expected her scare but smiled softly as she just took a firmer hold of him. "Did Daddy scare you?" she whispered offering her a cautious run through her short hair. Beth only sighed, repositioning to find sleep once more.

"I didn't do anything," he mumbled. Now that she had a good look at her she realized how right he was the day outside the nursery window. Beth looked almost nothing like him with the exception of her darkened mess of hair. "If it weren't for the hair…" he smiled. Quinn offered him a playful glare as she ran her fingers through it.

"Personality's all you," she said. "I've been here a day and I can already tell that gets exactly what she wants, down to the letter."

"Sounds a lot like you," he countered. She rolled her eyes but chuckled nonetheless. "You wanna try taking her so I can get up?" he offered. Looking between them, Quinn was quick to shake her head.

"What if I...? You know…"

"You're not gonna break her," he laughed. She groaned, the words he stuck in her mouth not exactly the ones she was planning to use.

"I don't think she…likes me," Quinn muttered.

"Quinn, that's BS," he muttered. "You can't feel your boobs right now...Don't tell me that doesn't mean anything." Alright so maybe he had a bit of a point but asking to be fed didn't exactly equal likability. That came more out of necessity than anything else. In only a few days, Beth would come to realize that her efforts weren't getting her what she was looking for, making Quinn's uses less than they already were. Not liking her was only part of it. "I don't wanna scare her," she admitted quietly. Puck carefully rose with the little girl still taken to him. She watched him carefully detach her, keeping contact until Quinn timidly took her. Any and all shreds of confidence she felt yesterday were gone now. As she settled and Puck took his hand away, Quinn's eyes widened just waiting for her reaction to the change of hands. Puck smiled as she offered no complaint. Quinn could only bite her lip waiting for the scream. Instead, she was met with a pair of pleading eyes as the little girl took a spot below her chin and clung to her.

"Mama..." She could feel a natural smile, though small, come across her own face which was quick to meet Puck's knowing eyes; that satisfied smirk at the corner of his mouth.

"Just keep her tight and close." She nodded, her arms instinctively tightening around her. "Well, now that you've got the kid, I guess that's my cue to figure out what we've got to eat in this joint."

"And then we go home," Quinn muttered silently wondering where exactly home was. Spending the night at Puck's house (or what they could of the night before all hell broke loose) was the best few hours of sleep she'd gotten in a while. She had no intention of facing her mother today. She felt even less inclined to do so where Beth was concerned.

"That's the plan," he smiled taking a good long look at Beth. "I just gotta figure out how to tell Mom…"

"The truth?" Quinn suggested.

"Well yeah but she isn't going to be…thrilled," he said finally. "We have to find a way to break it to her without yelling."

"Puck, once you tell her what we saw...show her what we…" Quinn allowed herself to visibly cringe. She was quick to silence herself before saying anything else she knew would upset him as she took a seat at the kitchen table. She saw him grimace as he gave the fridge and its contents a once over.

"Should've stayed…"

"You didn't know," she said carefully.

"Felt it in my gut. You know those things you just…know? You don't quite get where they come from but you just…feel it somewhere in you? It showed up the minute she walked through the door. Shelby was so quick to get us out, so determined to see us go home. Almost like she wanted to be left alone to…"

"Stop. We already talked about instinct. Yours are amazing. Ignoring them once doesn't make you a bad person," she said quietly. Quinn noticed her phrasing moments after they left her mouth. "I ignore mine all the time, it's different," she mumbled. "Do you need to hold her to believe anything I said last night?" Puck shook his head while watching Beth bury her face further in her mother's shoulder. "She's safe because of you. She smiles because the minute you saw something was wrong, you didn't rest until you addressed it. She knows her Daddy loves her because he didn't once forget to come back for her." It wasn't until drool slipped between her cleavage that Quinn remembered she'd done to bed with her tshirt forgotten. There was something about being in his presence that made none of it matter. Skin to skin contact was supposed to be better for Beth anyway, and though he made sure to remind her how much he still wanted her, Puck knew when to keep his distance, doing and saying nothing about what he saw. "Where did they put her last night?"

"The slammer," he said gruffly. "Where she should be." Quinn nodded, a small smile finding a way to her face. The expression fell as Beth shuffled, a whimper turned shrill cry and desperate clawing at her shoulder breaking the semi silence that had fallen over them. Quinn could feel her teeth working their way through her lip as she took note of Beth's shaking frame.

"She…was fine. I didn't…I didn't…." she said quickly, covering her bases on instinct.

"I know," he said slowly. "She'll be okay," he mumbled kissing her forehead. Turning to his daughter, he began quiet patterns across her back. "Shh," he murmured. "Easy Beth. Nice big breaths. It's okay. Mama's got you nice and tight." Breathing her in at her temple, the baby's tiny toes brushed her stomach. The subtly instinctively brought her fingers across the little girl's painted calves. Beth's watery yelp, frozen before she could finish it coated sand in the blonde's mouth, the young woman's legs beginning to come loose beneath her.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie," she murmured. "I wish we could kiss it better…" Beth quietly shook while her sobbing echoed against her mother. "They'll be gone soon. I know it hurts..." Puck watched the exchange, his heart throbbing in his throat. Quinn continued to prove herself wrong in so many extraordinary ways. Even if they both knew that fading bruises didn't always follow the same timeline as the fear that went with them, letting herself be that constant for Beth was the one form of proof that only she could give Quinn. Watching the blonde pale, he quickly closed the space between the three of them, taking his place behind her and keeping a firm hand at Quinn's shoulder.

"She can't hurt you anymore," he whispered. In that moment, he wasn't quite sure if he meant that for Beth or Quinn. There was a good chance he meant that as comfort to all of them. Alerted to the sound of Puck's voice, Quinn could feel the baby's body weight shift in an attempt to break free of her hold. "Don't hurt yourself," he chuckled, pulling her toward him, her back pressed against his chest. The little girl simply curled into him further, fist firmly kept in her mouth as she slowly released her mother. Guiding her carefully to the kitchen table, he made sure Quinn was relatively steady before he turned to a virtually empty fridge, at least when it concerned Beth and her food preferences. "You wanna go sit while I get you something to eat? I would say a waffle's a great start but something tells me we're not there yet. One day though. Those things are like heaven."

"Second to bacon," the blonde countered softly, the smallest of voices used to make sure it didn't crack as she let Beth settle into her lap, the baby letting loose a quiet mewl when Puck had his back turned to her once more. Beth attempted to struggle free from Quinn's hold on her while she grunted relentlessly for Puck to come back.

"She's right there, baby girl. It's all good." Pivoting her so that Beth came face to face with her chest, she allowed her to nuzzle gently along her skin, tiny limbs finally coming to rest when she seemed to recognize the smell of her.

"Mmm..." she hummed running her small tongue along her chest. "Mama..."

"That's right, honey," Quinn whispered, wide brown eyes turning up to face the owner of the arms that held her, just to be sure. Quinn could feel her heart plummet for just a second as the little girl seemed to calm instantly, falling face first into her warmth. She shouldn't have to question her safety. But considering all the wrong that she hadn't seen, she knew there were questions still unanswered. She couldn't do a single thing but be angry, a flame of guilt surfacing at the sight of them. Her daughter's gaze shouldn't be this haunted, not even for a second. Exactly what I was afraid of she thought, quick to keep her face blank before Puck had a chance to look over and ask questions. She only watched the time on the microwave come to zero, drawing mindless patterns along Beth's soft skin to keep busy hands.

"Waffles," he shot back.

"Shouldn't we let her decide?" Quinn chuckled, though it lacked the natural normalcy it should have had. Puck offered a curt nod brushing along his daughter's back while she offered Quinn the warmed bottle. "When she's back on real food, she might choose something completely different. Like pancakes," she mumbled trying hard to keep her tone light.

"First up, waffles. Food of the gods." Quinn couldn't keep from rolling her eyes, a light laugh escaping her. She was surprised at just how light she felt despite the weight of last night's events. There was something about Puck that eased her in almost every way. Not quite able to put a finger to it was something new for her. Usually, everything she ever said or did had a decent, well thought out reason. Noah Puckerman was somewhat of a mystery to her, even now. Beth's small world had fallen to pieces. Who knew how long it would take her to find any sense of normal. With him at least she knew she wouldn't be facing the unknown alone. She took in the edge of a small piece of paper, Rachel's perfect script sprawled out across it.

"Didn't even hear her leave this morning," she muttered. "Maybe I could get her to…" She let her thought fall off as she read the note carefully.

Good morning!

I'm off to get some practice in before another full day. I heard back from a couple of the calls I made last night. They need at least a day to review your case and outline a plan of action. Enjoy your day.

Rachel

At the bottom was her signature gold star at which Quinn couldn't help letting out a subtle roll of her eyes.

"Who?"

"Rachel. I'm usually a really light sleeper…"

"When you sleep," he pointed out. "We saw the sunrise before we got to do any of that."

"Oh," she whispered, for a moment forgetting all of the secrets they shared under the blanket of darkness. "I hope we didn't keep her up. And...you're right. The nap was nice."

"We told you so," he smirked. "Feels good, doesn't it?" Before Quinn could give him any answer, she saw Puck nod out of the corner of her eye and smiled a bit. She couldn't remember getting such a decent sleep since…"Haven't had one of those in…Well…"

"Since moving out," he provided; the smallest of smirks on his lips. "I could tell."

"I never…"

"You called me every night, Fabray. Do you not remember?" She shook her head slowly noticing the hint of disappointment in his eyes as she agreed that she didn't. It seemed she made a point to erase everything that had anything to do with Puck after that day in the hospital. Not that she wanted to. It was more along the lines of needing to in order to…function. She had to forget in order to figure out what anything was like before Puck had….She shook her head to clear the thought. All she seemed able to recall were the calls in which she was the one to need him. The first six months were nowhere near as needed as the days leading up to yesterday. Not once did she remember returning the favour. Selfish. Everything she'd ever done in regards to him was selfish. Some of it blind, some of it intentional but selfish all the same.

"I…I'm sorry," she whispered. "I guess I…"

"It's fine," he said, the incident quickly forgotten. Even so, it didn't make her feel any less guilty. "Just hearing you talk helped me." Taking the seat beside them, Puck watched while Beth ate methodically, her eyes never leaving Quinn's face.

"I don't think I've seen her blink yet..."

"Yeah, she's real good at staring contests. We've been practicing," he joked.

"Puck..."

"Sorry," he mumbled running a finger along the length of one of her feet, letting it beat across his hand. "I think it'll take her a bit. Pretty sure she still feels like Shelby might come banging through the door again."

"I know. I just hope I'm helping."

"You are," he whispered. "In ways that I never could. She needs you just as much as she needs me. Just 'cause I've been here doesn't make you any less important to helping her trust."

"You say that but...What if this is forever? She's going to be scared of me until she remembers every single—"

"Q, when she went cold, it took me a couple months. This might take a little bit more than that to get her through this stuff but all she needs to know is that it's you and me. We won't let anything happen to her again. Once she realizes that, she's not going to need a minute to remember. She'll just know."

"She'll just know, huh?" She intended for it to come out as a bit of a tease but there was something about how he reasoned that made it almost unrealistic.

"She's sixteen months old, babe. Not sixteen. Yeah, a lot has happened to her. But not enough that we can't fix it. You have to believe that. Look at how happy she is," he mumbled, watching the small smile form when she found Quinn's beating heart.

"Mmm," she crooned bringing her fingers to her mouth.

"I think she found her spot," he grinned.

"Her Beth-shaped space," she nodded. "They're kind of in the same place," she observed.

"Kind of figured they would be," he said softly. "Blood flow's pretty calming," he chuckled. In reality, he liked to believe that the little girl was gauging their honesty through the way their hearts sounded, as though, her real parents held a very particular sound.

"Home…" Quinn muttered to herself almost as if trying to figure out where that was for herself. Puck could see her contemplating and offered her a small smile.

"Home," he nodded. "She's smart. Somewhere in there she knows where that is. Who that is. I think part of her might just be afraid to lose that."

"No," she almost barked, though it fell flat when the words caught in her throat. "I'm not letting go again. I won't. I promise I won't," she whispered, the words mumbled against her downy hair.

"I know." As simple as the words were, they were all he knew to say. He did know. He knew more of what the blonde was capable than she dared admit. He knew the minute she set foot in this house and laid eyes on her that very little if anything could shake the little confidence she had concerning their daughter. "Are we ready to go see Nana?" he whispered, almost dreading the explanation he would have to give his mother.

"I…don't know if..." Puck looked at her with a hint of a laugh in his gaze. Even though it took her a while to warm up to the idea of the two of them sharing a bed, Ava thought more highly of Quinn than she did her own son. "I mean I'd love to but I...What's she going to say when we have to tell her that I let Shelby hurt our baby? I...I already know I'm a terrible mother..."

"Quinn...Terrible would be letting what we found out keep happening. Is it still happening?"

"No but I..."

"Then I don't see the problem. You did what any mother would do. You slapped the bitch who hurt your daughter and made sure it wasn't allowed to keep going. You're gonna bond over that shit. And once Ma sees this face, I don't even think she'll question anything else," he mumbled massaging Beth's belly with his thumb. Her tiny tight limbs uncurled, a happy sigh falling from her lips.

"You like it when Daddy touches?" Quinn murmured.

"Da..." she whined happily, meeting his gaze directly while she kept herself at the pillow of her mother's breast.

"Nice and soft..." Quinn muttered. "There's no better place than your daddy's arms..." she whispered, more for herself than the conversation it was meant for.

"Right now, I'm pretty sure she has a slightly different opinion," he said softly. "I'd take this option myself. But that's...personal opinion."

"Real subtle, Puckerman," Quinn grumbled rolling her eyes.

"I've never been subtle, Fabray. You know that better than anybody."

"Ava must be so proud..." she muttered.

"I don't know if proud's the right word but she still calls me her son." Puck watched her go stiff while the collection of words left his mouth. Only a second later, he realized what he'd done, taking her hand in his and squeezing gently. "It took her a little bit but she still calls you the daughter she never had," he murmured. "You will always have somewhere to go, Quinn I promise you that. It doesn't have to be living with Mom. We can...find our own place or something if that makes you more comfortable. It's up to you but I think it'd be nice if you at least stopped by. Mom's been dying to see you. The house is kinda…quiet. I'm not sure but I think she misses the fighting," he smirked.

"Doubt it. I still feel bad for shattering her favourite vase..."

"That's nothing. She's got a thousand favourite vases. As long as you don't touch the one that her mom gave her, throw all the vases you want. She has that one framed anyway. I doubt you can break the thing fast enough to throw it at my head." As much as she wanted to believe all of those things he relayed about Ava, a part of her knew that even the smallest hint of resentment still existed.

"I'm not your 'nice Jewish girl'."

"Quinn when she realized the only Jewish anything McKinley has to offer is either Jacob Israel or the hobbit..."

"Do we have to keep calling her that?"

"Yes... My point is, she misses you. Asked me all week when you were gonna stop by. Not exactly sure why. I think she figured you might have a birthday present for me or something," he smirked.

"My birthday present to you was supposed to be my silence," she mumbled, having told herself that she wasn't going to cause him any undue stress with all her whining for at least one night.

"That woulda made me worry and it would've ruined my whole day," he corrected. "I like listening to you bitch and whine."

"Where the hell are your standards?" she muttered.

"Don't have 'em. I already got all I need right here."

"You actually told her that. Jesus..."

"I don't think I have to. Ma's creepy smart. Might be all the medical crap shoved in her head but..."

"She knows about us? God Puck..."

"Quinn, the only people who ever call me are you, her, and Becca. Finn just kicks down my front door. When there's just one number between the hours of 11 and 4am, something's going to click. It kind of helps that she has your number programmed in her phone..."

"She what?"

"I gave you hers as a 9-1-1 for when I was stuck at the shop, remember?"

"Oh..." she whispered dumbly. All of these small little details she'd so conveniently blocked out where coming together to paint an embarrassing clear picture.

"I think you've called her 'Mom' a couple times...I still have that scar in the back of my head from when she threw a pen at me for making you cry..."

"I cried to your mother about you? Why can't I remember any of this?"

"Mhm...I would say it was mostly hormones but then you're gonna kick me..."

"Now there's no way I can even show my face in that house again...I've been downright pathetic."

"Sweetheart, you've been pregnant," he whispered. Quinn's head almost snapped when the term of endearment fell out of his mouth. She'd seen him use it around Beth countless times. When she let him, he'd even let it slip in reference to his sister. Up until this moment, she never thought he'd shape it for her. "And I'm not stupid enough to say I've never been a dumbass.

"I don't want to take advantage of your mother..."

"I think she'd find it an insult if you didn't. She may have wrapped her head around being a grandma at 40 but I'm not sure she's totally okay with the split custody thing. I mean, we'll do it that way if that's what you want but..."

"No," she said almost instantly. "Look at what that did to us," she whispered.

"Well my old man left but—"

"So did mine. It's basically the same idea. Still hurts. I don't want her to hurt anymore. I don't care if she won't remember anything different. When she's older, she's going to see all of her friends and their parents...together and...I don't know. She's going to have questions." If he didn't already know better, he would say that Quinn just found a roundabout way of suggesting they got married or something.

"Is she finally gonna stop pestering me or what? Cause the way this is sounding, I gotta call her and tell her to put out an extra plate for dinner." Quinn offered a small smile warming a bit at the thought of being so welcomed in a home she once thought she'd tainted just by setting foot in it. Strange though it was that the missing came from a woman who didn't particularly like her at first, the idea was nice. At least she was missed somewhere.

"Can we…stop by my place?" she asked quietly. "I have a couple things to take care of before I leave."

"Leave?" he asked in question. She only nodded, grimacing at the mental picture of her mom yet again passed out on the couch. She highly doubted she was missed there; her mom's only focus being the search for the bottom of another bottle of wine. She cleared her throat with a light shake of her head.

"Together right?" she asked in the quietest of whispers. "That's the only way this is going to…"

"If that's what you want," he said bouncing a bit on the inside. "We could figure something out if you don't. I wouldn't keep her from you." Even if it was offhand and in a completely different frame of mind the comment still stabbed her a bit, a subtle reminder of what got them here in the first place.

"Can't do it anymore…" she finally admitted."I don't think she'll even…miss me," she whispered, the thought bringing a catch to her throat, even though it really shouldn't have. "Literally all she cares about anymore. I'm…scared for her," she said softly but I can't help her if she doesn't wanna be helped." It was when she met his gaze that she knew her answer, even before she spoke it. "That's not home anymore. Hasn't been for a while, if ever. That's not…not the environment I want her in…"

"It's the one she wants," he said slowly.

"Not Mom," she muttered nodding over to the small body pressed between them.

"If that's what you want, Quinn. Open invitation." She couldn't help but appreciate the fact that he didn't make it sound like they'd been having this conversation for the last twenty minutes, just going in circles while Quinn came to a conclusion that should have been found well over a year ago.

"It's what I want," she said with a final nod of her head. "Take me home," she whispered; her voice small like that of pleading child. "Please." As it often did when she took on this tone, Puck's heart sat low in his chest when she finally dared to ask for help. He knew how hard it was for her and couldn't be prouder of her than he already was when she allowed herself that.

"What are we stopping at the house for?"

"I need to…at least try and tell her." Puck offered a nod and light squeeze to her shoulder. "Alright girls. We leave in 20. Then we get to tell Nana about her present," he grinned poking Beth's nose with the biggest smile on his face. Quinn couldn't remember ever seeing it so big before. It lit Puck up entirely. Then again, she hadn't exactly seen this side of him either. The side that seemed to work by the power of a light switch wherever Beth was concerned. When he pressed a kiss to her forehead and let it linger, she could feel her eyes mist over.

"I guess I should start packing her up," she said, not at all surprised at how quickly he accepted the exchange. When the little girl readjusted to her surroundings, Puck only nodded, not quite believing what had just happened. When he thought she was out of earshot, he turned to Beth.

"Well, isn't this my lucky day? Both my girls are coming home with me," he said, the sheer joy of it all unmistakable in the way he spoke to her. Only halfway up the stairs, Quinn had to strain to hear him, her eyes brimming with tears as he heard the hushed comment shared with Beth. Even after all this time he still held out some kind of hope for them, still believed. Quinn only wished she was that determined. If the last twenty four hours hand proved anything, she wasn't so sure he was far from getting what he wanted.

It didn't take much to see just how much he wanted this, how much the role of a father seemed to suit him so nicely. The tears came down harder as she remembered what had happened after they left. Puck didn't take her home even though that would have been the obvious choice. He took her all the way over to his house. He laid her in his bed. More than that, she woke several times to find herself folded neatly in his arms, his fingers unconsciously running over her abdomen. Part of her had to wonder if he had any idea what he'd done. Other parts realized that it might not even matter. He still had a way of making her feel impossibly safe.

Considering that outcome alone, if the opportunity was placed in front of them, she would be an idiot to walk away from it a second time. Maybe he saw something that she still wasn't entirely aware of, something about the unspoken that she wasn't even trying for. He deserved this much. If it gave Beth the stability she'd always hoped for, she wasn't going to deny the offer.

Quinn would be lying if she said her time at the Puckerman house wasn't enjoyable. Honestly, it may have been the first time she ever truly felt welcome anywhere. Over the past few months he'd proven to be just as good a protector, though she claimed she didn't need it. The fact was that she didn't deserve it. Not after what she'd done. Hurrying up the stairs before she could bring herself to tears that would get her caught for listening in, she gathered all of Beth's necessities and hurried to meet them.

---

She froze as the truck pulled into her driveway, swallowing hard as she messed with the hem of his tshirt. How many times it had been worn had become irrelevant. There were parts of it that still smelled like him. His lingering presence would give her the courage she needed to set foot in that house. When Judy's voice found its way into the back of her head, Quinn whimpered, gripping his hand across the console. Was doing this really necessary? Would her absence even be noticed if she just told him to continue driving?

"I can come back and get everything for you," he whispered. There was no question that this would be near impossible for her. He'd known Quinn to have more guts than anyone. When it came to her parents, she quite literally shrank right in front of him. "Honey, you don't have to do this," he murmured. "Let me take you home. Mom can make you some soup and get you to relax."

"She has to know..." Quinn whispered, even while knowing that Judy could honestly care less. As much as she wanted to get it out, the idea of confronting her mom, coming out with the truth was feeding at her, her stomach twisting harshly at the idea. As they came to a stop she took hold of the door handle, knuckles going white. She eyed him suspiciously when the master lock sounded, the passenger side door now child proofed. How appropriate she thought.

"Look at me." She hadn't realized how cold her hands were until Puck had taken them, the contrast of his heat almost a form of shell shock. "No matter what you hear in there, I love you, you got that?" Swallowing hard, the blonde nodded, a cry that lingered sounding at the base of her throat.

"Can you hold me after?" she whispered. Puck bit his lip. It had been months since she'd asked him that. "Hold tight and not let go?" He quietly nodded, carefully draping his letterman over her shoulders. "You love me, right? No matter what?" Again, he nodded, hating this idea with every passing second. If she was already slipping, it was going to take every bit of her strength to throw her head back into the game to confront Judy.

"You sure you wanna do this?" he asked quietly. She nodded despite herself taking a deep breath, letting it travel her entire body before she opened the door just barely. "You want me to come with—?"

"No," she said sharply. "Someone has to stay," she said nodding to the backseat.

"We'll wait right here." She nodded again before slowly making her way up the walk. Hands clasped together, she slowly opened the door, the sharp scent of alcohol filling her senses. She made quick work of packing up everything she could carry out before making her way downstairs. She didn't have it in her to be in there longer than necessary. Staying would only make her angry. Quinn quickly swiped up the lamb that sat perched against her pillows hugging it close, clinging to it almost as desperately as Beth had to Puck. Inhaling quietly she let it settle under her nose as quiet tears came down her face. She knew Judy had no idea, didn't care that her actions had brought her this far but Quinn was past feeling trapped, left to wander like a ghost. Finally getting to the bottom of the stairs, brushing her tears along the way, she turned to face her, bags already left standing at the door.

"Mommy?" she whispered shaking her sleeping form lightly. She was still fighting to suppress her fear but her mother would never be able to tell the difference. After a few minutes, the woman startled, a sharp snarl leaving her lips at being disturbed. "Sorry to wake you," she said, thanking whoever it was that returned her even tone of voice. "Just thought I'd let you know that I'm…leaving," she muttered, the final word catching in her throat. The surprise in her mother's face was evident, mouth wide open in some kind of counterattack but Quinn pressed on. "I can't do this anymore….All you ever do is…this," she whispered indicating to the stack of forgotten bottles. "Mother's Day…. We used to have...breakfast together and...buy lunch in the late afternoon. We used to watch movies until it was too dark to see outside. That was the only day you let me eat before bed...I've been gone for two days...You didn't even notice I left, did you?" Judy just stared at her blankly taking another swig as she clutched the neck of the bottle between her fingers. The quiet blonde was quick to take it away. "Five minutes," she pleaded. "Give me five minutes and then you can do whatever the fuck you want," she said softly. "Didn't even care that I left….Never care. It's all about the drinks. All about how long it'll be before you're next swig, your next bottle. I came back to…give you a chance, a chance at being my mom…." Quinn could feel tears gathering but did nothing to stop them. "And you can't even give me that…."

Whatever he did to you…It's nothing…nothing compared to…us. You've destroyed us, Mommy. I…I can't do this anymore. I have a child. I don't…I can't sit here raising another. I've cleaned up after you, made excuses for you. And I'm so tired... I'm so tired of bending over backwards for you. I used to think that after a while, you might love me again. But It's been sixteen years...Sixteen years of the same damn shit!" she growled, no longer afraid of the tears that ran down her face. The sting that followed when Judy saw them was nothing compared to the hole her mother had left. It took her a full two minutes to cradle the growing welt, out of tears to express how much it hurt.

"You know better..." Judy growled, her mouth stuffed with cotton. "If you think that hurts, just wait for your father to get home."

"He's gone, Mama. He's been gone a long time. You're just too damn drunk to remember that he left you for a whore," she whispered. No matter how quietly she spoke the words, the older woman still left the skeleton of her hand across her skin in its wake. At this point, letting herself feel anything was going to leave her more broken and mangled than when she first set foot in this room. If she didn't make it out of here soon, Puck would think that something had happened. He would find her, bruised and bloodied in her own living room. But he would find her. He always found her. No matter what.

"You...really...thin...tha...anyyyone gonna love you like I do Youuuu reallyyy thin...they gonna car?"

"He does," she whispered. "Noah does," she whimpered turning just in time for her mother's slowed reflexes to reach her arm rather than her face.

"S'a lie...The boy don't give a damn 'bout you. He made you give him your...And that little bastard baby of his..."

"Noah didn't make me do anything," she growled. "I let him. I let him 'cause he loves me! He may be just some boy to you but he's my baby's daddy. Noah is ten times the father that Daddy ever was...At least a hundred times the husband that Russell ever was to you..."

"Gonna go off and marry 'im now too? Spreading your legs for him wasn't enough?"

"Maybe...You know, maybe one day I will. I'll make sure we pick a day you'll be too drunk to remember ever seeing me happy..." she whispered. "Right now I have to go. My family is waiting for me..."

"Where the hell are you gonna go?" Judy slurred.

"Home."

"S'is home…"

"I wish it was," she said quietly, the wish digging down deep into her. A wish she knew would never really come true. "This isn't home anymore. Not since Daddy left and you know it. You know how I know? You let it go to shit. We had about three months of normal before you turned to the bottle. After that…After that it was never the same. I can't keep up…I can't compete with booze and not gonna try. To some people, their daughter comes first. She's a priority over anything else in this world. You strive to want the very best for her….I…I guess you start naming them now. Mom, this….this toxin? That's your Quinn. That's the Quinn you want, then that's the Quinn you get. I'm done fighting this. I'm done being a ghost in my own home. I love my mom. I'll always love her no matter how….But this? This isn't her. I've looked for months and months and still she hasn't shown. I'm so tired. I'm so tired of you choosing this…." Quinn said angrily shoving the first available bottle at the wall. "….over me! I'm sick and fucking tired of being nothing to you!" Quinn hissed as a piece of shattered glass came across her skin, blood trickling quietly onto the carpet. She would have cleaned it up but decided against it. The house was already piled high with trash, its walls silent witnesses to the mess it had really become.

"The only home you have!" Judy laughed. Quinn could shake her head.

"You wanna know where I was last night? I went to see Beth. Puck took me to see my baby, helped me remember that…birthdays aren't all about expensive breakfasts or spa days or…dinners. It's about who you're with. Who you're willing to actually remember you have rather than the things you don't. You're not the only one who lost Dad. The day he walked out on you, he walked out on me. In fact, I lost him long before you did so don't go giving me excuses about how hurt and broken you are. The wine seems to be putting you together really nicely. I be damned if I do that to Beth. I still have Beth and I'm not about to lose her by trapping myself in pain and misery for the rest of my life. I may have lost everything I ever cared about, ever loved but at least I still have her. The one thing I've ever done right in my life. Beth. Beth and Puck. They're my family now. They are my priority. So go ahead, Judy. Drown your sorrows, swim in your pain. I won't be around to stop you."

With that, she gathered her bags pressing her bleeding hand against the shirt, hoping he wouldn't mind that it was splattered with blood, and closed the door firmly behind her. She stood there for a minute considering all she was really leaving behind. The guilt that flooded her not hours before was suddenly washed over with a sense of relief. Turning to face the truck, she sighed, every muscle in her body loosening for what felt like the first time in her life. Puck met her at the passenger side door hoisting up what she'd packed before noticing the crimson red dripping from her hand.

"There's blood," she mumbled brushing quickly at her moistened eyes.

"Are you….?"

"Uh uh..." Shit...

"C'mere," he whispered. Helping her into the cab, he quickly made his way through her neighbourhoood before pulling onto the side of the road.

"She hit me..." Quinn watched his face harden for no more than a second before he softened again. She barely heard him release her seatbelt before crawling over into his lap, his arms coming around her before she even had to ask for them. "She doesn't like it when I cry...She said that he was gonna make it hurt even more when he got there. But he's not coming. He's gone..." she said, her voice somehow even smaller. "Mama did it three times...I turned my face at the end. But now my arm hurts..." Finally able to take in the damage, Puck could feel his insides coiling with anger.

"Lemme see," he murmured, settling her chin on the fold of his index finger to examine both sides. "Mama will fix it, okay?" he promised, his voice faltering in several places as he tightened his arm around her.

"No! Gonna make it worse..."

"Ava sweetheart. Ava will fix it," he clarified.

"Oh..." she whispered, even while Puck noticed the quiet panic make its way to her eyes. "But I want you...I want you to fix it. Please?"

"She's not going to hurt you, baby. I promise. I'll be there to make sure," he mumbled, even while knowing that his mother wouldn't even...consider...

"Will you hold me?" Again he nodded. "She won't be mad if I cry? 'Cause it really hurts..."

"I know..."

"Home now?"

"Yes. Go put your seatbelt back on, okay?" Nodding slowly, she curled back up in the passenger seat, taking hold of his hand until he was pretty sure it had gone numb. Puck found himself inspecting the cut for himself before offering her a spare t-shirt from the backseat, pressing it gently to the open wound.

"Press hard so the bleeding stops." Quinn nodded, hesitantly taking her hand back, though not before he kissed her split palm. "Better?"

"A little," she nodded. When the car finally picked up speed again, she quietly turned to him. "You're a really good daddy," she mumbled.

Quinn's not even sure exactly how much time has lapsed since they pulled out of her driveway. The perfect castle structure she once called home standing tall as it grows smaller and smaller behind them. Looking back on it now, she wonders just how many secrets these four walls kept over the years. Though she was only six, Quinn was quick to figure out that her family was far from normal. The constant fighting, the first threatened divorce after her dad came home from a week long "business trip". It wasn't until she was ten that she finally saw it with her own two eyes.

---

With the moon shining through her window, the milky white quivering across the calm quiet lake behind her home, the shattering of glass ripped her from sleep. Quinn pulls the blankets in closer to her shaking body, the long line of small pageant trophies bouncing on her dresser, their fear, her fear protected by the shadows of night.

"Not again," she whispers. She's not sure how much time has passed since the yelling started or just how long they've been going at it while she was still asleep. All she knows is that it never ends well. She's asked herself a dozen times why they just can't be happy, why Daddy needs to break things or drink to be happy. The most recent question she had, the most pressing, was who that tall lady always dressed in tight black suits was. She looked nice enough. She'd even played dolls with her a couple of times. But she wasn't her mom. Quinn didn't even know her name. Maybe she'd shared it once or twice but Quinn didn't care to remember.

As she quietly slid out of bed, the little girl could feel herself trembling even more. She wondered if it was more from the sudden chill or the all too familiar fear. She quickly decides it's a mix of the two. Making sure to stay quiet enough to go unheard, she takes the stairs one at a time, gripping to the banister so tight she can see her knuckles turning white, her mother's shrill, almost sickening laugh echoing through the three story home.

"WHAT DOES SHE HAVE THAT I DON'T HAVE?" Judy bellows. "I mean, besides the obvious. More money? Nicer hair? Better in bed? What? What does this little bitch say to you every single time you don't come home from work? What kind of sick promises does she make you that make it so hard for you to come home to your FAMILY?" As many times as she's seen this, Quinn still can't take her eyes off the scene playing out in front of her. "Spit it out, Russell," she hears her mom swallow over what she knew to be a swig of alcohol. "How much is that little tramp paying you to fuck?"

"Not near enough," her father said gruffly. He muttered it so quietly Quinn had to strain to hear. She had no idea what half of those words meant. All she knew was they were bad. Really bad. Swallowing a growing lump in her throat she can't fight the quiet tears pouring down her face. She suddenly hated that mysterious woman. At only ten, even if she can't quite piece it all together, she knows the woman has a hand in making everyone she cares about hurt.

Fighting the urge to scream she sees the bottle Judy has in a death grip at the neck fly across the room, red wine staining the pristine white walls. Instead, the tears came faster, stronger while she somehow managed to contain the scream that's begging release. At only ten, Quinn Fabray knows it was only a matter of time before her fairytale is torn to shreds.

---

Quinn can't help but hiss as a light pressure to her wrapped cut was applied, fully aware that of all people, Puck would never intentionally hurt her. The drive from her house to wherever it was they were going now is still a solid blur of passing cars and buildings, her memory of their travel completely blank. All accept for when he stopped. She remembered better than anything the warmth of his body when he held her close, whispering every comfort she needed as she cried quietly. If she accented it with a telling of what had brought her here, she couldn't remember. If all she did was cry, he had more love and patience than Quinn had ever given him proper credit for. Feeling salt settle on her tongue as she bites down on it, she hasn't even realized she'd been crying until she hears Puck mumble quietly. She's still too far out to make coherency of it but she can see his lips forming all too familiar words. With a slow nod she quietly pulls away from the safety of his hold, words still not shapeable as she sees the blood of her childhood slip down the wall.

"Quinn…" Puck can see her eyes glazed over, her vision directed up front. He knows almost immediately where her head has gone and that those eyes might as well be blind to the road ahead. Only a pinch of hurt flies through him as she pulls away from him, growing slowly as she throws off her seatbelt curling into fetal. Wide eyed, he quickly pulls over away from oncoming traffic once more. Daring to take a hold of her shoulder, he makes sure that Beth is still asleep in the backseat or at least calm before directing his focus to her. It takes only a second for her to throw his hand off, shrinking back even further. Satisfied for the moment that Beth has not been disturbed by any of this (yet), he cuts the engine. For a moment he only watches, Quinn seeming to grow smaller and smaller into her seat.

---

She barely ambles back into bed before large footsteps are heard. The shadow of a giant hovers for no more than a second but she can still feel herself shaking. He'll throw the blanket off again, just to see if she's asleep or come in, rummage around and walk back out. Tonight she hopes for the latter, her pillow soaked and cheeks raw with fresh tears. Almost as if on cue, the lights are flipped burning her already tender eyes. Quinn tries to brush off an excessive evidence of crying but the red in her eyes and pale cheeks she knows will give her away in only seconds.

"How old are you now, sweetheart?"

"T-ten D-daddy," she stammers. Almost as quickly as it slips from her lips, Quinn regrets speaking, even though she knows that if she kept silent it would just be worse. The white of his eyes are almost drowning the icy blue of his irises. The answer she provided only seems to make him angrier, an undeniable pressure brought to her fragile wrist.

"That's right," he whispers, his lips quirking in a way that makes the little girl shiver. "And what does that mean?"

"That I-I'm a big girl n-now…" she whispered, the tone in her father's voice making her choke on tears she dare not let slip. She tries to reason that he was only like this after he'd had a drink or two. It was true. The poison did something to him, took him away. Drinking makes him a monster. The difference is that it's a habit, a daily occurrence that's made her stop asking where her daddy really is. He certainly isn't this monster, overtaken by these poisons.

"That's right. And what do big girls never do?"

"Cry," she whispers meekly, the pressure in his grasp letting off a quiet snap. She'd have to sneak into the nurse's office and wrap it in the morning. Watching her hand fall limp in her lap, Russell trudges back out, lights plunging her into darkness once more, the sudden slam of her door making her squeak as she startles.

---

Puck watches her take her hand cradling it carefully with the other, her elbow fighting to open the car door. The struggle lasted for a minute before he gently took her hand, a shrill cry bubbling to her lips.

"Quinn…Quinn," he said a bit louder this time, the shock evident in her widened eyes.

"I'll be good…" she mutters."I promise I'll be…Please don't...Big girl…"

"Q, it's me," Puck offers in a whisper, the last part of her plea making him wonder just where exactly she is in that pretty head of hers. Watching her release her hand, he sees it fall completely limp, his brow knit in curiosity. "It's Puck," he murmured.

Little fucker.

Before he can get another word out, Quinn has bolted, the rain coming down in sudden sheets as she runs far ahead of the truck. A quick glance into the rear view mirror reminds him he can't just up and run anymore. Gunning the engine, he makes sure to stay hot on her tail, watching her figure become a shadow behind the curtains of ice.

Quinn doesn't even know where exactly she's headed. All she knows is she had to get away. She has to stop being such a blaring disappointment. Her dad had told her never to cry. Bite her tongue until it bled but never was she allowed to cry. Crying was weakness. Crying was for the ugly. Quinn Fabray is a princess. The prettiest of all princesses. Daddy told her that there were times she even made Sleeping Beauty look like second best. A few years ago, she would have smiled at the thought. Now the idea just brings more tears. The faster they fall, the harder she runs, her heart racing, breath coming in shallow spurts as the rain soaks her. She not sure how long she'd been running for but there's a car hot on her tail. Daddy's come back for more. He always comes back. If it's at all possible Quinn finds herself running so fast she's almost taken flight, her feet knotting under her as she counts the seconds to her face meeting the pavement. The crash is in perfect sync with a crash she hears overhead. The scream she lets out is so shallow she wonders if she's being heard at all. It's raining too hard for anyone to save her. They won't even know she's gone. They never know she's gone.

It doesn't take her long to realize she's bleeding. How deep the cut has gone she isn't sure but there's more salt. He's coming…He always comes… Gathering enough strength, she drags herself a bit further, as far away from the lights as possible. She knows it won't be far but it's better than staying in one and letting him treat her like a punching bag. Again. There's a second crack of thunder as she starts to collect herself. Before she's even upright, she falls back on her haunches, a dark crimson meeting her eyes. Brushing the all too familiar salt-rain combination from her face, a shade of pink has coated her fingers. The awareness brings a sting to her face. She's bleeding. There's blood and it's the stab of a thousand knives. A third crack shatters her entirely; moisture she knows isn't rain soaking her further. Whether its of sheer embarrassment or the realization that there's a good chance she'll freeze out here, what began as a whimper escalates to a steady sob. She's gone and made a mess of herself in more ways than one. She's bleeding and dirty and...oh god...It's dripping down her shaking legs. The fact that she's practically shivering leaves her even less will to stop it, the warmth a perfect end to her disgrace.

"I'm sorry…" she chokes, the lights finally coming to a stop revealing a tall figure. He's coming closer and she can't help but slide back on the sidewalk to put that much more of a distance between them. "Big girl…Big girl." The figure nods, a small smile coming to his lips. "It was...It was a mistake. I didn't...Please don't hurt me...I got scared..."

"I know," he says more gently. He can't even begin to count the number of things wrong with what he sees. The blame isn't on Quinn but whatever it was that triggered her to something so small she couldn't even prop herself up.

"I'm sorry," she whispers once more. Once he finds out what she's done Quinn knows she's in for it. Big girls don't have accidents. Big girls aren't supposed to wet themselves. Being scared is no excuse. "Please no…I'll do better, Daddy…"

"Quinn?" Puck says only loudly enough to be heard over the sheets of rain. Puck is careful not to touch her too much but if he's going to get her attention he has to pull her out somehow. "Quinn, it's okay. It's Puck. Just Puck." Quinn can feel herself fighting his hold but one bad arm makes it inevitable that she's not going to be very successful. "Just me," he murmurs keeping a firm but gentle hold on her good arm.

"I'll be good…"

"I know," he repeats tenderly. He has no idea where she's gone off to but she's more checked out than he's ever seen her. The best he can do for the moment is play along until she's out. Averting his eyes quickly Puck makes sure that Beth is still securely in the backseat, the only evidence he has being her small head of dark hair that he can just make out through the window. He's not sure if it's a brush of luck but the fact that his daughter hasn't woken yet is some kind miracle. It's a miracle he's grateful for seeing as he can't exactly offer enough attention to more than just one person at the moment.

"Don't be mad…"

"I'm not mad," he says softly. He notices Quinn shake her head and urges to ask her why but she carries on.

"I…"

"You what?" he coaxes quietly.

"…was an accident." Puck wordlessly nods pulling her carefully toward him. The rain has made his smell all the more potent and Quinn suddenly realizes whose arms are really wrapped around her. It may have helped that they were worlds gentler than her father had ever been but for a while she was too far gone to notice anything other than the rain, its thunder and the embarrassment she's made of herself. Quinn doesn't even have enough time to realize what she's doing. This whole thing has been a blur all its own. All she knows is that she's curled up in the single safest place she's ever been. "Please don't let him hurt me," she pleads. Puck is quick to put two and two together, rational anger tabled as he lets her cling to him, so tight it's almost as though her life depends on it, which technically, it does.

"Shhh…He won't touch you," he promises. "Won't lay a finger on you," he whispers placing the most gentle of kisses to her forehead.

"Blood," Quinn sputters. "So much blood…." It isn't until now that he realizes what she's talking about, or at least has a pretty decent guess. His borrowed boxers have done nothing to shield the gashes the sidewalk left on her skin.

"We'll take care of it," he says clearing up as much of it as he can before hoisting her off the ground.

"On the walls…" she mumbles. "So much blood. Always blood."

"Whose blood?" he asks, his question more careful now that she's closer and he can be heard more easily. Knowing better than to expect one, his question goes unanswered, Quinn's grip on him only intensified. "Easy Q, it's okay." Quinn can't help but shake her head. Nothing's okay. Not anymore. Nothing's been okay for so long.

"…was an accident," she repeats. Holding her close, Puck expertly opens the passenger side door slipping Quinn carefully inside. It's warmer in here but not by much. The only difference is the rain has stopped. The salt still courses her face and she's still soaked to the bone but she's not being pelted on anymore. Quinn gasps when she realizes that her stupidity will stink up his car, a blush shooting up her neck. "I'm sorry," she chokes trying to sit on her hands as she figures it's the best way to lessen the stench her urine will leave in the cloth of the seat. Puck gently pulls them out flat and smiles at her softly. "Didn't mean to…Thunder…Yelling…Please don't be mad."

"Nothing a little Fabreze can't fix," he reassures quietly, the smell finally traveling to his nose. "Let's get you home," he mumbles threading through her rain drenched hair. Quinn has to fight the urge to flinch again, his sudden touch almost too much. But this is Puck. Puck would never even dream of hurting her.

"My arm…"

"We'll take a look at that too. After a nice warm bath," he whispers. Even though he knows it's just her hand, the faster he agrees, the sooner he can keep her from going into some kind of shock. As soon as Puck closes the door he can see Quinn returning to her familiar use of fetal position, growing even smaller than when he found her out in the rain. With a quiet sigh, he closes the door jogging as quickly as he can to the other side. He's barely in behind the wheel before Quinn's taken a hold of his hand. Puck can still see she's glazed over but at least she hasn't lost it since realizing it was him who came and got her.

"Luckily we're not too far off," he says, quickly realizing it's more for him than her. "Can I hand Beth off too Mom really quick before I come and get you into the house?" Puck can see her eyes go wide, a frantic shake of her head.

"Don't leave…"

"I'm not leaving, Q just making sure the baby's inside before I take you up the stairs."

"He'll come…He always comes…" Taking a quick minute to think he decides he'll just call his mom from the driveway. Any questions or bitching she might have for him will just have to wait a bit.

"Not leaving," he says carefully. He can see her nod but again, her eyes are somewhere else. For a minute he wonders what the hell she actually saw but then realizes it's really no use given her current silence. "I'll just have Mom come get her." Another nod, eyes still dead. He sighs again averting his eyes to the backseat. If he and Quinn were the only ones allowed to touch her, he could only imagine the fight his mom's about to have as she takes her inside. "Just two minutes," he whispers "Two minutes and then you can need me all you want," he quietly pleads, almost convinced that bargaining with Beth will change the outcome for Ava.

Taking a deep breath Puck pulls carefully into his driveway. Using one hand to dial and call, he almost hopes it's his sister and not his mom who picks up. Thankfully he gets his wish, cutting off her rambling before she can even start. "Beth's in the backseat and Quinn won't let me leave the car. I'll explain it all when I get inside." He hangs up before his sister can pull in another argument. Only a minute after ending the call, his flustered sister comes out, walking slowly towards the truck.

"What the—?"

"Just take the baby and get inside fast, before she flips shit."

"But what—?"

"No time for questions right now. We're kind of in a hurry."

"You're in trouble…"

"Inside. Now."

"Mom! Noah's home with—"

"Shut it," Puck says behind clenched teeth. "Ten bucks to keep your trap shut until I've given Quinn a bath."

"But Quinn can…"

"I said don't ask," he growled. He watched Becca's eyes go wide, clearly not expecting him to take it that far when she'd barely put up a fight. She really just wanted answers. Why the hell was he home with his baby? Didn't they like...give her up? Why did Quinn look like she was ready to puke? Why was she almost breaking her brother's neck? Why was she crying?

"Did you make her cry again?"

"Fuck I wish it was that easy..."

"I'm gonna tell Mom you keep saying bad words."

"Trust me, when she finds out why we're here, I don't think she'll care all that much. Just get B inside please. She's going to wake up and start crying and I can't fix it until I've gotten Quinn out of this wet clothes. Which means you'll have to deal with her screaming at the top of her lungs for at least an hour."

"Fine."

"Run. She's gonna flip in about a minute. Move fast." Becca only rolled her eyes and nodded. "I'm gonna ignore the fact that you rolled your eyes at me right now because Quinn's a few seconds from hypo whatever it is and I'm already freaking out enough. Straight to my room, grab all the pillows you've got. I have an old shirt somewhere on the floor. Put it like right next to her." She nodded quickly, a quiet whimper tearing through Puck as Beth became all too aware of where she was. "You've got a minute before she starts screaming."

"If Mom were here right now…"

"Lucky for us she's not," he said. "MOVE!" Becca scurries up the stairs, Beth's cries becoming louder with every stride. Fast on her heels, Puck slipped out of his shoes taking the stairs two at a time to their small bathroom at the end of the hall. Turning the tap, he saw her jump about a foot shrinking in against herself. "Sorry," he said quietly. "It's just the tub…Do you want help?" he asks nodding towards her after he's stripped his own wet clothes, already ready to help her do the same. Puck can barely see the nod allowing him to quickly but gently peel his shirt off of her. It doesn't take long for six layers of goose bumps to present themselves making it all the more important that she get warmed quickly. As he takes hold of her waistband, Quinn's scream echoes through the bathroom.

"Shh…I won't touch anything. Just going to help you into the tub, alright?" he says lifting her gently off the floor. Carefully placing her inside, he can feel his stomach fall to his feet as Quinn lets a set of sobs wrack her already fragile frame. He knows it's not even that hot but the contrast makes the burn all the more painful. "I know it hurts, babe," he whispers, the blood caked on her knees making his stomach turn. "You wanna just sit for a minute?"

"Hurts," she offers weakly. Puck only nods. "Everything hurts."

"I know, baby." It's half a lie really because he doesn't know what she means by "everything". Hurt yeah that's clearly evident. How much? Well that's all up to her. "But we're gonna fix it, okay?" Quinn blindly nods. "Can we start?" Again a nod, this one with a hint of hesitation. "I'll be careful." Regardless of the fact that he wants to tear Russell's head off with his own two hands, the calm remains. For her.

"So much blood…" The frailness in Quinn's usually confident voice makes his own boil with a rage he's trying so hard to keep to himself.

"Head back," he says gently. The water cascading down her back burns but not near as much as before. This is a comfortable burn. A burn that'll keep her warm. At least that's what she hopes. As the blood slowly washes away, Puck realizes just how many cuts she's really sustained. She's stopped the screaming but the pierce of her lip tells him it hurts badly enough to do so if she let herself. He always knew her to be one of the strongest girls he'd ever met but time and time again she surprised him. The pink of the water widens her eyes even more.

"So…much…" Puck nods in agreement, his stomach turning at the sight of it. "….was bad," she muttered. "…always bad."

"It's okay," he repeats. "We'll fix it." Quinn only shook her head. There was no fixing this. Not even Puck, strong and determined and so set on making everything okay could do anything about this. This one was on her. It was all on her that her father broke almost every bone in her body, though he was smart enough never to do it all at one time. It was her fault he left making her mom turn to the bottle. She couldn't even keep her own baby safe. That one cut deeper than anything else ever would.

"Beth!" she yelps with sudden realization, eyes scanning in a whirlwind across the room.

"She's fine. Becca's got her. Think she's still asleep." For a minute Quinn feels selfish. What she's been through is no comparison to what's been done to her daughter. Somewhere in her rationale she knows the little girl's separation anxiety could kick in at any second yet she can't find it in her to let him leave her.

"Don't go," she pleads, her voice no more than a whisper hand gripping to his defined forearm.

"Not until we're done here," he promises. She almost wants to clarify that she meant never but nods in agreement. She can't find the strength let alone the words to say much of anything at the moment. Quinn isn't even sure how long she's been in there but the formally hot water is growing cold. As if he's read her mind, the water is already beginning to drain. With the exception of a small puddle, the water's already gone leaving Quinn in the empty tub. "You want help or you wanna do it yourself?" Quinn hasn't moved in ten seconds, back to shivering, giving Puck a clear enough indication. "Going up," he warns letting her wrap completely around him. Reaching for the first available towel, he wraps it tightly around her.

Leaving her to sit quietly on his bed, unmade from the night before, Puck quickly grabs the first dry outfit he can find and dresses in them. He really doesn't care that it's come off the floor. At the moment, he's pretty sure Quinn won't either. He finds the First Aid kit he leaves in a drawer in his nightstand. He almost laughs at how much use he gets out of it. The quiet hisses he gets as he gently applies a small bit of Neosporin to all of her cuts makes him a little uneasy but Puck makes sure to apply to every cut before he lets himself be done. As soon as he's covered her he pulls the warmest sweater he's got from his closet, pairing it with his only clean set of sweat pants. "They probably won't fit too good but all you're stuff's still in the truck." If Quinn weren't so beat up and bruised Puck would take the opportunity to make a comment about how much better it looked on her than him. As it stands, she's so shrunken and small that Puck's almost scared one word will make her disappear. She nods sliding over to the top of the bed to snake in between the covers. "Can I go check on Beth for a minute?" he whispers. She's literally in the same room but diverting his attention without some kind of permission would probably end badly. A barely noticeable nod gives him the okay as he brushes her forehead quickly.

Reaching over he takes the little girl to him, her awareness of him made apparently as she burrows so far into him he almost worries that she's going to let herself stop breathing. Running his fingers gently through her hair, he smiles. This is the most calm she's been all day, the novelty of it a bit alarming. A quiet sigh as she relaxes all her tiny tense muscles produces a sigh of his own.

"Hi baby..." he whispers, a callused thumb going over her cheek. Puck's still surprised at how much an effect just holding her has on his mood. "You and your mama puttin' me through the wringer," he chuckled. "Is this some dad certification course or something? 'Cause if it is, I'm wondering how well I'm doing. You're gonna tell me if I suck, right? 'Cause I uhh…I haven't done this before. I might be really bad at it," he sighs. The subconscious squeeze of his collar she takes is enough to make him smile a little. "You both have so much faith…" he muttered, his fear of letting either of them down amplified even further."I'm gonna try really hard. Promise. Gonna try so hard to be the dad you deserve. I'm not guaranteeing I'll be great at it but you're home. This is where you're supposed to be. With me and your mom."

The slight squeeze of his arm and the hint of a smile from Quinn gives him all the reassurance he needs. At least for the moment. "You know what's gonna be really fun? Telling Nana. I might be in really big trouble tonight…You're gonna back me up though, right? Puckermans stand together against the bad guys. Not that Nana's bad just…really hard to….You know what? Nevermind. The minute she sees you she probably won't even be that mad at me. Just go ahead and give her that smile and she's a goner," he chuckled.

A quiet knock averted his eyes away from Beth briefly, Becca's somewhat suspicious smile the first thing he saw. Expecting some kind of smartass retort, she just sat next to him, not at all concerned with Puck but the baby he held. He held his breath as her finger ran through her hair, only the slightest flinch offering any sign of discomfort.

"Do my homework for a month and I'll back you up at dinner," she promised.

"What the hell?"

"Mom's gonna rip you apart at the table. Baby can't talk, your girlfriend is like mute or something—"

"Watch it!" he snapped.

"…so all you've got is me. Even if blondie can't talk, won't talk, whatever, she's in no place to fight Mom for you. All you've got is me. Even though she practically disowned you after you got her knocked up—"

"Shut the fuck up," he mumbled. "I did not—"

"Right and this baby fell out of the sky. I'm not five. I know where babies come from, Noah. You made a baby and then you gave her up. Blondie here made a decent choice. Well, anything after deciding to have your baby is a decent choice really—"

"Is there a point to trashing my sex life? And for godsake you're eight. Who gave you permission to talk like that?" His sister just shrugged. "You know I didn't. Don't you dare go there. Ma still slaps me across the mouth. I am not doing your homework just so you can keep yours shut long enough for me to say anything. Just keep quiet and let me do the talking, alright? I actually have real reasons for bringing them home."

"You actually missed your baby? Do you even know how to take care of one?"

"Bex, I can't do this right now, okay? Just trust me when I say I have a damn good reason for them being here. If you really need help with your homework, when she's feeling better Quinn will help you."

"How's she supposed to help me if she can't even talk?"

"Rebecca please...Not right now, okay? I promise it'll make sense later. Go watch TV or something. Maybe do some homework." Only now did she realize the sudden shift in her brother's gaze. Any further sarcasm and spite had evaporated when she dared to look between the three of them. Quietly making her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs, the younger Puckerman returns with a mug of hot tea, hoping that the box of apple cinnamon the blonde left at the house might still be her favourite.

Before she even comes to stand at the threshold, she can hear her brother's heavy breath of impatience. Fully intent on ignoring him, the girl quietly pulls a wisp of loose hair from the shaken girl's forehead like her mom always does when she's sick, just before offering her a mug of hot cocoa. Watching the exchange between his sister and...kind of girlfriend puts a familiar knot in his chest.

"Give me your hands," he whispered. The fear in her gaze is unmistakable, the time between keeping her trembling hands to herself and pressing them into his palms something that would have tried his patience at literally any other point in time. "Shh...Try and relax. It's over...You're warm and you're safe." Swallowing hard, Quinn nodded, a full two minutes lapsing before her hands were even relatively steady. "Good job. You ready?" He watched as frantic eyes zeroed in on the mug, waiting for an unsteady nod before silently prompting his sister's placing of it in their hands.

"Thank you," Quinn barely whispered.

"Mom says it's going to help," Becca offered, her tone of voice a harsh contrast from when she first met them on the porch.

"Thanks Sissy."

"You're welcome. Do you want me to...?"

"Yeah just for a minute. She'll be good as long as she's got something that smells like one of us. If she gets sick of me, the truck's full of stuff that smells like Quinn."

"But you always say it's rude to touch other people's stuff..."

"You're allowed to this one time, alright?"

"Okay." Puck finds himself biting the inside of his mouth when he notices that Becca's still travelling in what would be the opposite direction. "Mama always brushes my hair..." she said softly. "If Quinn wants I can do that after."

"Right now I need you to look after the baby. We'll talk about the hair thing later."

"Okay..." Once the two have made their exit, Puck turns his attention to Quinn and the steaming mug. He periodically tips it gently, waiting for steady hands that he knows will never come. Once cleared of its contents, he sets it aside quietly, pulling her into his lap. Short of the birth of her daughter, she's never felt more overwhelmed in her life. Once again, she remains oblivious to the tears cascading down her cheeks, the steady sob a dull roar as she buries herself so far into his neck. It's only after finding such an extreme...after taking on behaviour that reflects her last two days with Beth that she finally understands. As many times as he's held her, he's never smelled so safe. As many times as she's heard her name fall off his tongue, she's never needed it more than she does in that moment.

"It's over, Quinn...I swear to you, it's over. All of it..."

"Again," she whimpered.

"Again what?"

"Say it again. I need you to say it again..."

"Quinn..." he murmured, wrapping her tightly in his comforter.

"Don't stop..." And he doesn't. Puck finds himself saying her name until it doesn't even sound like a proper word anymore. He says it so softly that the word has to be pressed up against her ear to be heard. He says it until he's close to forgetting how it's really supposed to sound coming out of his mouth. He carries it until her name is wrapped in his tears, her shaking body pressed so closely to him he has no idea where one of them begins and the other one ends.

"Okay..." she whimpered, quietly collecting every last one of them until she's drowning in them, consumed in everything they were always supposed to be and never were. Only then does she let her eyes finally close. Only then can she find peace in what is otherwise a burning pit in Hell.

"Don't go…Please don't go...I...I need you to..."

"I'm right here, Q," he whispers kissing her hair. "Right here…" Despite the circumstances, there were only two things that ever made this place feel like home anymore. Over his dead body would anyone be allowed to take any of that away from him again. He still hadn't figured out what the hell Quinn had seen on the way over, or the full extent of lasting damage done to his daughter. All he needed to know in that very second was that they were safe. His girls were safe and hell or high water he'd make damn sure they stayed that way.

---

A/N: There we go! :)