Love Will Find Away
Ok so first I'm oh so sorry on the delay of update but I got in an accident the other day and was in too much pain to type…. Anyways that being said I don't know yet if I'll be doing NaNoWriMo this year…. If I do then this may be the last chapter (or I'll have one more) before I go into a month long fanfic writing hiatus…. Anyways while some parts of this verse are pre-determined others like this one are being made up as I go along LOL…. I hope you are enjoying the ride and I promise the jumping of time will end pretty soon…
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Winter Break 2013:
It was her first time back in Lima since the summer and so far so good. Since she left the last time Burt and Molly cleaned up the shattered glass and flayed stuffing from her rampage and packed up any undamaged memories of Artie and placed them in a box in the coat closet.
She looked at the box on her first night home and let out a laugh as she thought about her sister's ex Jason and his famed Box-of-Pain © for a short time before entering the living room where she spotted Kurt who'd arrived a few days before from New York playing dress up with Danielle.
"Kwissy," the three and a half year old said with a smile, "wook, Kurt pwitty."
Kristina had smiled as she looked at her stepbrother dressed in a purple princess dress.
"Are those my shoes," Kristina simply asked smirking to Kurt while she pulled out her cell phone.
"DB's dress up shoes were too small, anyway your not snapping pictures of this to put on facebook are you?"
"No, just to text to your boyfriend."
"Matt's seen me in ….never mind."
Kristina let out a little laugh while she listened to Danielle make an inquiry as to if uncle Mattie would play dress up. Somewhere in this conversation the topic of baking had to of come up as a couple days later Dani was standing on a stool in the Hummel's kitchen helping her aunt bake a batch of vegan sugar cookies from the recipe Rachel had shared with her junior year.
"Kwissy, can I wick the spoon?" the little girl asked with childish wonderment.
"When we're done Dani."
The little girl clapped letting ingredients fly around a bit as a voice rang out from behind them.
"So, my girls are having fun I see."
At the sound of said voice Dani hopped off the stool and ran to the male figure standing in the doorway.
"Daddy," she squealed as Puck scooped her up, a smile crossing his lips.
Fatherhood definitely suited the former delinquent turned PI.
"So, what are you and your aunt baking," he said turning to the older of the two girls, "it wouldn't be brownies perhaps."
Kristina let out a laugh at her psudo brother in law's comment.
"No, we're not making brownies Noah, we're making cookies."
"Cookies huh! Now would those be real cookies or that cardboard hippy crap that Berry gave you?"
"I thought you liked my vegan cookies? Anyways I do plan on making my famous cannoli for 'Chrismukkah' Dinner.
Puck let out a little laugh at the term that Kurt coined their holiday festivities when he'd first insisted that despite Dani's mother(s) being gentiles how he wanted her to know of her Jewish roots. This was a term that the young man mentioned he heard on an episode of Gray's Anatomy while Puck smiled knowing he'd heard it on The OC, a show that Rachel used to make him watch on DVD all the time.
"Anyway," Puck said as he placed Dani back down on the ground, "I'm heading to the airport to pick Santana and Brit up."
Kristina just nodded.
"So run upstairs and get changed, cause your coming with me, we need to chat in an environment that doesn't feel like some nineties sitcom."
"I would but I'm in the middle of baking with Dani."
"I can take over," Sam said with a smile.
Kristina smiled at her older sister as she headed upstairs to her bedroom to get changed.
"I'll try to sneak in a batch with chocolate chips," Sam said with a smile as her sister left, "and I mean real chocolate none of that carob nonsense."
Puck's mouth turned up into his trademark smirk as he lent over and kissed the older woman on her cheek.
"That's my girl," he said causing Sam to roll her eyes as nothing romantic whatsoever was going on between them despite the fact that they were co-workers and co parents…not to say that something wouldn't happen eventually.
A few moments passed as Kristina came downstairs dressed in a clean outfit…
"Mommy," she heard Dani say, "Kwissy said I could wick the spoon when we're done."
Sam smiled and reassured her daughter she still could lick the spoon as she waved goodbye to Puck and Kristina as they left.
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Hopping into Puck's car Kristina leant over to flip on the radio:
You get the limo out front,
Hottest styles every shoe, every color.
Kristina rolled her eyes as the song continued to play through the speakers.
Yea when you're famous it can be kinda fun
It's really you but no one ever discovers
In some way you're just like all your friends
But on stage you're a star.
She tried not to laugh as the chorus went on…
You get the best of both worlds
Chill it out, take it slow
Then you rock out the show
You get the best of…
It was in that moment that Puck clicked off the radio.
"It was in there for Dani."
"Yea…sure…"
"No, seriously…do you think I'd actually listen to this garbage on my own free will."
"True, Miley Cyrus… totally not bad ass, anyway you said you wanted to talk to me? Is something wrong."
"Why, do I sound like something is wrong."
Kristina shook her head.
"I'm just worried about you, I mean you helped mold me into the man I am today and so I kind of owe you one."
"You owe me one?"
Puck nodded.
"It's been a year since Abrams wheeled over your fragile heart and well… the best way to get over one guy is to get under another."
"NOAH PUCKERMAN! We are not having the conversation I think we're having."
He ignored her comment and smirked.
"I mean if it wasn't borderline incestuous I'd gladly volunteer."
He watched her eyes roll as he continued.
"I think Finn is single at the moment, he's home for break I believe seeing as he's already in Ohio for school anyways."
"I'm not having a one night stand with Finn Hudson or anyone else."
"Right, I'm sure that if Chang wasn't practically married to Mercedes you'd be ready and willing to jump his bones."
Kristina blushed.
Ok, sure, she did think Mike Chang was all kinds of attractive…after all his abs…however after Artie she had no intention of ever trying to pursue anything with any member of her extended New Directions family because even if the guy wasn't the father of her niece like Puck was just the thought of Finn or Mike being her boyfriend or bed buddy was all kinds of ick.
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It was his second time in Lima after everything and like when he went home on Thanksgiving. This time as he had left the airport to go back to his home the day before it felt less surreal and more natural. However he wasn't planning on being in Lima long enough to actually see anyone as he was heading to Cleveland to see relatives… however there was one thing that weighed heavy on his heart as he walked through the mall, eyeing all the little kids waiting to see Santa.
He was a shitty godfather.
Sure he had his reasons for not sending her anything for her Birthday the previous April what with his surgery and all but still he had no excuse not to leave her something for Christmas.
Walking by a storefront he noticed an aqua colored charm bracelet with charms dangling of all the characters from 'Little Mermaid', Kristina's favorite movie that he was sure she introduced her niece to.
A smile crossed his lips as the perfect plan to 'reach out' to everyone came into play.
He just hoped he didn't have any awkward run ins in the meantime.
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"What's SHE doing here," Santana said as she shot daggers at Kristina before letting her perfectly painted lips to curl into some semblance of a smile, "how are the Ivy's treating you Bitch."
"Pretty good, I just made the deans list for my third semester in a row."
"You slept Dean three times?" Brit said in her usual naïve tone.
"It's not that kind of list Brit," Santana said, "but speaking of sex have you gotten over Wheels yet?"
"You mean have I had any random hook up?"
Santana nodded.
She was about to open her mouth to make some witty comment about how Santana and Puck were made for one another when from the corner of her eye she spotted a familiar figure making his way toward the baggage claim area.
"Milo?" she said.
"Whose Milo," Brit asked, "is he a friend of Dean?"
Her father's former bodyguard noticed her in that moment and approached her.
"Kristina, what are you doing here?" he asked as he smiled, "I mean I know you live in Lima but I mean…are you just getting in?"
"Actually I was here with Noah to pick up some friends of ours," she said pointing to Britney and Santana.
"Whose your friend K," Santana said.
"He's HOT," Britney said.
"Brit's right, he's got rebound sex written all over him."
"I'd tap that."
The two girls smirked as they linked pinkies; Milo meanwhile rolled his eyes not wanting to know.
"Santana, Brit, this is Milo Giambetti he used to work for my dad."
At hearing this Santana's flashed a seductive glance at the older man as she reached out to place a hand on his muscular chest.
"I find gangsters to be hot."
"Totally hot," Brit said doing as her friend was and placing her hand on his chest.
Milo blushed nervously.
He'd always dreamt of what it would be like for two girls to be fawning over him the way these two girls were…usually said girls were Maxie Jones and Lulu Spencer but still…however the fact of the matter was that he was seeing someone.
"Milo," a familiar voice rang out causing the four Lima residents to turn their head.
"You've got to be shitting me," Puck said watching his ex lean over and kiss the former bodyguard on the cheek.
"Hey guys," Rachel said.
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"Mommy, can I pway in the snow?" Dani asked Sam once they cleaned up from their baking.
Sam smiled as she looked out at the light layer of snow that had fallen in the front yard.
"Only if you promise to stay in the yard."
Dani nodded.
"And don't talk to strangers."
She nodded again as Sam helped her bundle up.
At this same time Artie had left the mall and began making his way toward the direction of where the Hummel's lived, or at least where they lived when he'd been dating Kristina. For all he knew Burt, Alexis, and Molly moved to a new place once Kristina and Kurt went off to school. Shaking off that thought he slowly approached the old address with all intentions of leaving the bracelet anonymously in the mailbox, that was until he spotted a blur of pink lying down in the snow making a snow angel.
He stood and watched Dani from afar for a few more moments however he realized that doing so wasn't such a great idea as the neighbors probably thought he was some sex fiend or something and would call the cops on him.
Sucking in a breath he approached the front yard and smiled at the young girl.
"Your getting so big Dani," he said as he locked eyes with the girl who seemed to be shivering a bit and not cause of the coldness in the air either.
"I-I-I'm not sposed to talk to stwangers," she said.
Artie had to laugh a bit at her comment. Of course she thought he was a stranger after all the last time she saw him was at Burt and Alexis's wedding where she was two and he was in a wheelchair.
"I'm not a stranger," he said as he tried to explain who he was to her, "I'm an old friend of your dad's."
"Pwove it."
Artie smiled at the little girls tenacity. She was Noah Puckerman and Sam McCall's daughter after all.
He let out a small laugh.
"Well, I used to sing in glee club with him and your mom…your birth mom."
"Auntie Quinn?"
"Yes, your Auntie Quinn."
"She's pwitty."
Nodding he thought that yes, Quinn Fabray was very pretty but that was not here nor there.
The little girl meanwhile was looking the man up and down. She had seen pictures of her father's glee club and while this guy looked like the boy in the wheelchair who made her Aunt Kristina cry he wasn't in a chair so it couldn't be him.
"Sing," she demanded.
He blushed a bit at her demand for an impromptu performance however who was he to deny his goddaughter a show. So, while he didn't have his guitar to accompany him he softly began to sing:
I wanna be where the people are
I wanna see, wanna see them dancin'
Walking around on those - what do you call 'em?
Oh - feet!
Her lips turned into a smile.
"I wuv that song."
"You do?" he asked.
"Yea, huh."
"So you like Little Mermaid huh."
"It's Aunt Kwissy's favewit movie."
"Yes, I know it is."
She stared at him as he said this before his mind flashed to the task at hand.
"Anyway I got a present for you."
"A pwesent?"
Artie nodded as he handed her the package that held the bracelet.
"Pwitty," she said.
"Dani," he suddenly heard Sam call from inside causing him to panic as he stood up.
"If anyone asks where you got it just tell them one of Santa's elves gave it to you."
"But you a fwend not an elf silly."
"Danielle Beth Puckerman," Sam said stepping outside as Artie quickly moved away from the yard.
Looking at the bracelet on her daughter's wrist she rolled her eyes.
"Where did you get that."
"Fwom an elf, but he's weely daddy's fwend."
Sam just nodded as she saw a glint of the young man walking away from the house, a man that was dead ringer for her sister's ex minus the wheelchair however knowing all too well about doppelgangers she thought nothing of it as she entered the house with her little girl.
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Puck and Kristina soon returned to the Hummel home along with Milo and Rachel. It turned out that after following in his brother's footsteps in quitting the business Milo moved to the city where he worked part time as a personal trainer which is where he'd met one Rachel Berry and after a lengthily chat about organic shakes it was clear that it was a match made in heaven….
A couple hours passed and soon the family was sitting down for dinner.
"Dani," Kristina said, "I love your bracelet, was it a Hanukkah gift from your nana?"
The little girl shook her head, as the bracelet wasn't from Puck's mom.
"She said it was from and Elf who wasn't an elf but one of Puck's friends."
Puck watched Sam glare at him.
"One of my friends?" Puck replied.
Dani nodded.
"He sang!"
Puck nodded.
"This friend DB," Kurt said, "He wasn't in a wheelchair was he?"
"No, he stood."
Puck just nodded thinking that it was probably someone who used to be on the football team with him at McKinley despite the fact that his daughter said the person sang.
Whoever it was he was Noah Puckerman PI and he'd figure it out sooner or later….
TBC
Phew… updated… songs used in this chapter 'Best of Both Worlds' by Hannah Montana (thanks Katy for helping me pick that song out in a brain twin moment) and 'Part of Your World' from Little Mermaid. Also I hope you like the way Artie is shaping up to be in this cannon and all the twists and turns I have in store….