Summary: The continued journey of Rachel Berry, Noah Puckerman and their New Directions family as they handle new gleeks, old friendships, surprise siblings, love, a second run at Nationals and senior year. The sequel to Living for the First Time.

Pairings: Puckleberry, Bartie, Chang-squared, Samtana, Finncedes, hints of Seblaine, and one-sided Klaine. Puck/Rachel/Santana/Sam, Blamman, Faberrirtana, Puckerwilde, St. Puck friendships.

Warnings: Caution, this fic may contain crude language and discussion of sexual activities. In other words, I have a potty mouth and watch way too many cable television shows! There may be spoilers for season three but I'm trying to avoid seeming anything like that season. So yeah….

Disclaimer: I don't own this show or anything related to this show. I wish I did because seriously Season Five is already a train wreck and it really only just started!

Author's Note: Hello all. This is quite honestly the fastest I've ever written a chapter before. It's kind of nice. Hope the rest of the story flows this easily. For all those looking to see Shelby get her comeuppance I hope that this chapter satisfies you. Thanks so much for all the great reviews guys. Means a lot to me. Thank you so much! And I hope you enjoy.

We Are Family

When Jesse first met the New Directions, he wasn't interested in getting to know them or even worse, being friends with them. He was only there because Shelby forced him to be there… or so he told himself every day before he showed up for school. The truth was the silly teenagers with their petty problems and actual joy for performing very quickly wormed their way under his skin. It wasn't just Rachel. Sadly, it was all of them. That's why he left as soon as he could. He knew that if he stayed around them any longer he was definitely in danger of becoming attached to the merry band of freaks. It was definitely better to stay away.

Except that he didn't. He made the mistake of coming back… and he got attached. Honestly, he was more than just attached. He actually cared. He wanted more for them than just victory in competitions. He actually wanted the little bastards to be happy. No one was more surprised by that turn of events than him. Once upon a time he would've mocked and berated their practice time shenanigans and now he participated. In a time not that long ago, he would've found joy in their weakness. And now… now he was sitting on the floor of their stupid freaking high school with an arm wrapped around the shoulders of an emotionally devastated Noah Puckerman. How the hell did his life come to this?

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do. It's not fair."

Jesse sighed, tightening his hold on Puck. "No, it's really not."

This was literally exactly what Jesse hoped to avoid. Attachments, concerns, caring… it all led to pain. Because he actually felt hurt when his friend was hurting. Especially since the hurt was coming from this particular friend. Jesse was there during the whole scandal over Beth. He knew all too well what Puck had been through in his few short years on this earth. But the kid never cracked. He never broke down. He pushed through any and all obstacles with a strength that was simply amazing. So to see him crumpled up on a floor that probably hasn't been considered clean since it was first installed, struggling to hold back tears, it was enough to make Jesse really angry.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough to know Shelby's crazy bitch side is showing. Again," Jesse muttered. Puck snickered softly, pulling away enough to lean back against the wall. Jesse stayed close though. He really didn't like that broken look in the kid's eye.

"How the hell am I supposed to do this? How do I pick?"

"I really wish I could tell you what to do but this has to be your decision. It has to be something that you can live with."

Jesse leaned his head back to look at Puck. The former Vocal Adrenaline lead admittedly never found time for things like being a teenager. He was all about show choir from the minute he entered high school. That was the thing he (secretly) enjoyed about New Directions. They encouraged each other to be kids. But kids weren't supposed to have to make choices like this. Puck was way too young to have to choose between his daughter and his girlfriend (and consequently their friends). That just wasn't right. And it made him even angrier at Shelby, even though he was starting to get an idea of what prompted the woman to issue the ultimatum in the first place. Didn't make it right, but he was starting to catch on.

"Listen, Puckerman, I'll deny this if you ever try to tell someone I said it but… your instincts actually aren't crap. You're smart enough to know what you can and cannot live with. Either way, this is a shit situation and I wouldn't wish this type of choice on anyone, much less you. But it's happening. You'll make the right choice."

"You think so?"

"I know so. I didn't suggest you take over as the male lead because I'm a fan of your dazzling good looks," Jesse quipped. "And the rest of your assorted collection of freaks and geeks don't choose to follow you every day because you're pretty. They all follow your lead because of who you are. They trust you to do the right thing because at the end of the day, no matter how much of a badass you're trying to be, you actually care about your friends and doing the right thing. That means everything, Noah."

He heard Puck take a shaky breath even as he nodded. Jesse wasn't lying. He did trust the kid to make the right decision. And if he didn't, well that's what Jesse was there for. He would happily help him make that right decision. Because there was no way that Jesse was going to stand by and let Puck walk away from Rachel or New Directions. They were not going to lose this kid to Shelby's insane machinations. But he also wasn't going to let Puck lose his daughter either. No, the kid was going to have his cake and eat it too…. and that analogy was kind of gross when discussing a baby. But anyway, Jesse felt confident that he was going to be able to pull this off. He was resolved to make sure that Puck walked away from this with everything that he wanted. And he knew exactly where to start.

Once upon a time, Jake was an only child. Okay, so he was actually never an only child. He always had Puck. But for a very long time, he was the only child. So it was a bit of a struggle to adjust to suddenly being the middle child in a decidedly dysfunctional family unit comprised of two women that had no reason to like one another but were united by the children they shared with a deadbeat. That connection alone united them to forming a family. Debra and Tanisha worked together to unite the three siblings through regular family dinners and movie nights. Puck also put in a lot of effort at connecting Jake and Sarah as they were both dependent on their older brother. The plan had its good days and its bad days. Then there were the days when Jake really wondered how Sarah could talk so freaking much without taking a breath? He loved his little sister by virtue of the fact that she was his little sister but, damn, she was kind of a pain in the ass. Wait, is that what Puck thought about him? Did he think Jake was a pain in the ass?

"Puck?" he elbowed his brother in the side. There was no response. He turned his head to the side to regard the older Puckerman sitting beside him. The three siblings were gathered in the living room watching a movie while their mothers cleaned up the dinner dishes in the kitchen. Sarah, of course, requested Disney and spent most of the time blathering on about the superiority of one Disney princess to the next. "Puck?"

Puck shook his head, glancing down as if surprised to see Jake sitting there. The younger of the two brothers cocked his head to the side. There was something off about him. Or maybe it was more accurate to say that his brother wasn't putting up his usual fronts and trying to make everyone look past the actual crap going on with him. For the amount of times that Puck loved to tell him that he understood Jake because he used to be like him, Puck had a tendency to forget that it was a two way street. Jake could see through the masks his brother put up like a shield. But he let him have that façade. It worked for them. But Jake was at a loss as to why Puck wasn't trying to mask his feelings right now.

"What's wrong?" Puck asked. Jake's brow furrowed. "You look like you're worried about something."

Jake snorted. "Yeah, I'm worried about you. You're acting funny."

Puck scoffed, slouching lower in his seat and kicking at Sarah with his left foot. "Funny like how, brat?"

"Well, you're quiet for starters. That's weird. And you've been staring at Tangled like you've never seen it before when I know for a fact that we've watched this movie ten times this summer alone. Also you're not obnoxiously quoting along. So yeah, safe to say you're being weird. What's wrong?"

Puck was silent for a few minutes. Suddenly Sarah stopped the movie and rose to her feet. "Finally!" she exclaimed. "I'm going to my room. Feel free to talk about all the stuff you guys think I don't know about but totally do." With that said, Sarah flounced out the room with far more attitude than someone her size and age should have. Jake has mentioned he really does like his little sister, right?

"That wasn't super weird at all," Puck muttered. He glanced at Jake and rolled his eyes. "It's not a big deal. It's just something I need to work out." Jake stayed silent. Puck shrugged again. "Ok, since you're clearly not going to leave me alone…. I guess I have a question. How did you feel growing up… without dad?"

Jake tensed. That was definitely not the direction he thought this conversation was going. Why was Puck thinking about their sperm donor anyway? But he could read the seriousness in the older teen's expression. For some reason Puck really needed to know about this. And well, Puck had given pretty much all he had to Jake. Answering a question was the least he could do.

"It sucked," he finally admitted quietly. "I had my mom and I know she loves me. But sometimes I would wish that he was around."

"Do you think it would've hurt as bad if you didn't know about us?"

"Maybe," Jake shrugged. "I mean it was kind of easier for you, you know? You didn't know I existed until a few months ago. So when dad left, it was because he's an ass. Dad left me and my mom so he could go back to you and your mom. Then they had Sarah. And I tried to ignore it but it really hurt. It felt like we weren't good enough. Like I wasn't good enough." Puck winced. "Bro, what is this all about?"

"Nothing," Puck patted him on the knee. "Just getting a migraine. I think I'm going to turn in a little early tonight."

"Noah?" Jake asked, his real name slipping out. Puck gave him a weak smile before jumping to his feet. Jake watched as he said goodbye to Tanisha who was just leaving the kitchen and then goodnight to his own mother. That feeling that something was wrong was growing by the minute and Jake had no idea what he was supposed to do about it.

Puck wiped his suddenly sweaty palms on his jeans as he made his way through the crowd. All around him students were milling about, enjoying the still warm sunshine during their lunch hour. Puck didn't notice any of it. His internal thoughts were dark and he felt a cold pit in his stomach that hadn't gone away since Shelby delivered her ultimatum. Following his talk with Jesse and Jake, he briefly contemplated calling Rachel and telling her everything. But then he remembered what Shelby said. She was here for Rachel this time. She wanted to be her mother. And Rachel really wanted that. Besides being a hit on Broadway, the thing she always wanted the most was her mother. And that was Shelby. Rachel wanted Shelby. If Puck told her about the ultimatum, it would create a wedge between mother and daughter. He couldn't be the one that did that. He just couldn't. So he made his decision. He was going to break up with Rachel… and consequently the glee club.

He gave it a lot of thought. More thought than he normally devoted to things and he reached the same conclusion every single time. He reached it even before he talked to Jake. There was no way that he was going to let Beth grow up without her dad. He loved Rachel. She was his… everything, but he couldn't turn his back on Beth. Sure he could be a part of her life but from the fringes. Instead of being her father, he would be her sister's boyfriend and nothing more. He couldn't deal with knowing that she would grow up hating him like Jake did with their father. That she could grow up hating Rachel for the being the one that kept them separated. So, no, he was going to do this. He knew it would hurt Rachel, but she would move on and she would find someone better. He always knew she was out of his league, and Shelby just helpfully reminded him of that. Rachel would be fine in the long run. And him? Well, he would have a huge Rachel sized hole in his heart but he would have Beth. So slight win, right?

The part that made all of this even more painful was that he would also lose the rest of the glee club. There was no way that he could be around Rachel and not be with her. He did that for a year and a half and he knew he could never go back. He also couldn't be there to watch her fall in love with someone better. So he knew that he needed to just leave. He had to quit. Again, they would all probably be mad. They would be disappointed that they placed their faith in him for nothing but they would be alright as well. They had Jake now. Like Mercedes said, he was the total package. Maybe this was all happening for a reason.

With his decision settled in his mind, Puck finally approached the corner of the quad his friends had claimed as theirs. He steeled his nerves and got ready to open his mouth to get it over with when he made a mistake. He stopped to look at them. To really actually look at them. They were more than just the glee club. They were his friends… his family.

He watched as Sam lay on his back with Santana draped over his chest. It was the first time the couple had really spent any time together since school started, so it was refreshing to see them back to their old ways. Blaine was sitting Indian style on the grass beside them with a clearly confused Sebastian opposite from him. Puck laughed despite his heavy feelings. That's exactly how it started with Blaine. Poor Sebastian, he was already a gleek and he didn't even know. The current Warbler was watching the very odd game of Red Light, Green Light going on not too far from where they were sitting with Brittany, Rachel, Jake, Tina and Mike. Artie was playing referee which explained why the game was now being called 'Weeping Angels: Don't Blink'. Quinn was holding court with a captivated Kitty, Sugar and Unique while Finn sat nearby talking with Joe and throwing longing glances at Mercedes. His ex-girlfriend was involved in her own discussion with Kurt, Dave and Lauren. But Puck could see that she was throwing looks of her own at Finn while Kurt continued his single minded effort to assassinate Sebastian using the power of his mind. He was clearly failing.

Puck laughed softly as his looked at his friends. They were at times completely insane but they were genuine and they made him feel like he was somebody. They made him feel like maybe he did serve a purpose to someone. He exhaled slowly. Who was he really trying to kid? There was no way he could actually leave them. He couldn't quit. He had to face the reality. Even if he did try to leave, they probably wouldn't let him get very far. He knew once Brittany got her mind on something, there was no one who could tell her no. All of them would cave at the blink of her eyes. And Puck knew Brittany wasn't going to let him go. None of them were really. The ties between them had only gotten deeper since his accident. They would hold on with a titanic effort and he would lose his daughter. Again.

He ran a hand through his hair as he finally realized his real choice. He couldn't live without them. Not without his "assorted freaks and geeks". He needed them and they needed him. Beth wouldn't have him but she would be okay in the end. She may hate him but she had Quinn and Shelby. They wouldn't let her be anything less than amazing. She would have the most amazing sister in Rachel. Jake grew up without a father and that kid was amazing. So maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world for anyone but him if he didn't give up Rachel. Maybe….

"Puck?"

Santana's voice dragged him out of his circuitous thoughts. The former Cheerio was now standing with her arms crossed over her chest watching him warily. She wasn't the only one. The game was over and all the participants were staring at him. Jake was looking at him with understanding. He might not know exactly what was going on but he knew this had to do with their conversation last night. Puck didn't realize what was happening until he felt the familiar stinging pain in his eyes give way to tears sliding down his cheeks without abandon. Well shit, now he was crying. Well, shit, how could he not?

"Come along, Puckerman," Jesse drawled, appearing from nowhere (again!) and pulling Puck away from the others. Puck heard the others making moves to follow them but Jesse paused his forward march to glare back at them. "If I even think I see any of you nerds following us, you'll be doing dance camp twice a week for the next three months!"

God Puck really hoped they didn't follow him….

Fortunately, or not, none of them did follow as Jesse dragged Puck inside the school and straight to the choir room. He shoved him in one of the seats before he started pacing, running a hand through his wild curls of hair. "So you want to answer two questions for me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Smart boy, no, you don't. First question, where have your balls gone exactly? And second, when exactly did you make the moves towards full retard?"

"I knew it was mistake letting you watch Tropic Thunder with us," Puck glared up at the older teen. "I asked you yesterday what I should do. You told me that I'd make the right choice. Now you're telling me that I'm choosing wrong?"

"That's because you're making the wrong choice," Jesse retorted, not at all helpfully. Puck glared some more. Jesse rolled his eyes. "Puck, the reason I like you so much is that you're not like the others. You don't look at the world through rose tinted glasses. You know this world is fucked up. You know that people are more likely to try to screw you over than help you. So you can imagine that I'm totally shocked you don't see a scam like this from a mile away!"

Puck sat up. "You think Shelby is trying to scam me?"

"No, I think Shelby is scamming you. She very deliberately touched on every one of those insecurities you think we don't see and basically insured that you wouldn't tell Rachel. She made you think that you ruined Quinn's life and that you'll probably ruin Rachel's because somewhere in that messed up head of yours, you actually believe that. You also didn't want to tell any of the others because they would tell Rachel. You're scared that Rachel would get pissed and cut ties with her mother. You're trying to protect their relationship and I can't even begin to understand why you would do something that stupid."

"Shelby is Rachel's mother."

"And you're Beth's father. You deserve to get to know her, especially if Quinn. Last time I checked it took two people to make a baby. Quinn deserves some of this teen parent shaming Shelby's indulging in. She can't just pick sides. But…I know you. So here." Jesse trailed off with a sigh before, reaching into his back pocket. He pulled out a piece of paper that he handed to Puck. "Call this number."

Puck squinted at the numbers printed there. "But this is…."

"Yeah, I know," Jesse smirked. "I kind of figured you'd take the noble high road. So I took the liberty of calling him for you. He'll be expecting your call. And bonus, he's offering his services pro bono. Seems he doesn't take lightly to Shelby's manipulations either."

Puck felt a smile pull at his lips. "Thanks," he said sincerely. Jesse shrugged. "You know, I'm kind of shocked you care. I would've thought you would be on her side." He yelped when Jesse punched him on the shoulder.

"Really? I've been hanging out with you losers all summer and you're actually surprised I'm siding with you. I take it back. You're really not that bright after all." He plopped down in the chair next to Puck. "Just think about it for a bit. You'll figure it out."

Puck laughed softly. "The feeling is mutual, dude."

"You guys are so lame," Jesse muttered with no real meaning behind it. Puck smiled brighter, turning the piece of paper over in his hand. Maybe this wasn't the end after all.

Puck walked towards the music room feeling lighter than before. He did call the number Jesse gave him, and after being lectured for taking so long to call, Puck was given the leverage he needed to make sure that he got both his daughter and his girlfriend. The best part about the whole thing was that no one from New Directions even had to know. Most importantly, he wasn't ruining the relationship between Rachel and her mother. It was perfect…. it was a lie. He pushed open the door and was surprised, yet not really, to find Quinn and Rachel standing in the room glaring daggers into Shelby's head. He sighed even as he knocked on the door and walked in the room.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Wondering how long you thought you were going to hide this from us," Quinn replied pointedly. Puck frowned. The blonde laughed. "Don't worry. Your bromance with Jesse is fine. He actually wouldn't tell us anything when asked him about it."

"Then how…"

"You should really learn to talk in areas that aren't surrounded by the best eavesdropping spots in the building," Rachel retorted with a sharp smile. "But anyway, you're just in time to hear Shelby's wonderful explanation as to why she's decided to let Quinn see Beth but not you."

"Well?" Quinn snapped in a very flustered looking Shelby's direction.

"It's not exactly like that," Shelby tried to explain, looking first to her daughter and then to Puck. He stared back with a blank expression on his face. "Rachel, I was just trying to do what's best for you and for Beth."

"You think its best that Beth gets to one of her birth parents and not the other?" Quinn asked, incredulously. "If that's the case then you should've gone with Puck. He wanted to keep her from the very beginning. I wanted to give her away."

"And you think you were doing what's best for me?" Rachel hissed. "That's actually laughable coming from you. You have been a non entity in my life for years. Then you suddenly pop up and pull that crap with Jesse before leaving because I was too old for you to parent or whatever excuse you came up with. Now you suddenly want to be my mother?! Now you suddenly have some grand idea of who I should and should not date?"

"Rachel, it's just that…."

"Let me guess you don't want her to end up like me, right?" Quinn asked, bitterness coloring her words. "I love my daughter. I don't regret her for a minute. I don't regret giving her away either because I know that right now I'm not capable of raising her. But you don't get to judge me. My life is not the mess you want to make it out to be. I have friends who love me. I have a good relationship with my mom now. I'm going to college with my best friends next year. I'm happy. The only regret I have right now is giving her to you. Your parenting technique leaves a lot to be desired."

"Girls, if you would just listen to me for a minute."

"Listen to you?! There is literally nothing in this world that you can say that would make any of this ok. You hurt the boy that I happen to be completely in love with," Rachel retorted, venom dripping from her voice. "You picked at things you have no right even mentioning. You think that Quinn was the only one affected by giving up Beth? Noah loves his daughter. He loves her more than anything. He loves her so much he was actually willing to give into your ridiculous ultimatum. He was really going to break up with me for her. And now that we've opened the door to that particular subject, mother. Since you're so fond of delivering demands, here's one for you: either you let Noah see Beth or you can kiss any type of relationship between you and I goodbye."

Puck didn't bother to register the gasp from Shelby. He was too focused on this wonderful, amazing girl in front of him. He stepped up to her side placing a hand on her shoulder to turn him towards her. "Rachel, do not do this. This is everything you've always wanted. You wanted a relationship with your mom and she's here for you. I can't let you do this."

Rachel smiled softly. "You're not letting me do anything. I'm doing this for you. Because I know that you want a relationship with Beth. You deserve that. Because if there is anyone in this world that is going to love that little girl the way she needs to be loved, it's you. And Shelby has no right to keep you from her."

Puck hugged her to his chest for a brief moment. "You know I love you, right?"

"Of course."

"And you trust me?"

"Always."

Puck smiled brightly. "Awesome." He threw a wink at Quinn before whirling around to face Shelby. "I thought about your choice a lot. And Rachel is right. I almost did give in. I was actually about to breakup with Rachel so that I could be in Beth's life. But then I got some advice and a strongly worded talking to from a surprisingly really great friend. He helped me realize that I'm Beth's father. I never signed over my rights to Beth. Only Quinn did. So I have a right to petition for visitation rights as well as full custody of her. "

"What?" Shelby gasped.

"Yeah, I apparently have the right to take you to court to fight for the right to see my daughter. I really don't want to take it that far but I will if I have to. But trust me, you don't want that. My lawyer is good. He will fight for me to get to see my kid."

"You have a lawyer?"

"Yeah, his name is Hiram Berry."

Rachel looked up at him with surprise in her eyes. "You called Daddy?"

"Not right away. St. Pain in My Ass actually called him first. He yelled at me for not calling him last night. Stupid snitch ass choir assistant," Puck trailed off, continuing to mutter curses under his breath. Rachel giggled while Quinn smirked.

"Hiram is going to represent you in court?" Shelby repeated numbly.

"Both of my fathers approve of Noah," Rachel answered for him. "They love him for who he is and for who he helped me to be. I know who I was last year and I don't like it. But the woman I am today is pretty much a direct result of this man's influence."

Shelby shook her head. "Rachel, I... I didn't… I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't. Because you never asked. You just swoop into town, observe a scene and think that you have the whole story. You don't know me. You don't get any say in any aspect of my life. You sure as hell don't get to try to ruin my relationship with Noah."

"Rachel, I'm truly sorry."

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," Rachel pointed out. She glanced up at Puck. Shelby let out a shaky breath. "It's up to you, Shelby. But just remember, Daddy hasn't lost a case yet. I don't really think you want to make this any uglier than you already have."

Shelby ran a hand through her hair. "Noah, I'm sorry that I put you in an uncomfortable position. I hope that you find it in your heart to forgive me. And I hope that the three of you can come by tonight. I can make dinner and we can make a schedule of when you and Quinn can come see Beth."

Puck glanced down at Rachel. She smiled up at him. "What do you think?"

"I think…." he tilted his head to the side as he heard voices coming closer. He put his arms around Rachel and grinned. "I think that you might want to amend that dinner invitation to include a few more."

He could tell that Shelby was confused but that faded soon after as Santana, Blaine, Brittany and Sam all barged into the room demanding to know where she got off interfering in anything. A smirking Jesse trailed after them. Puck gave him a look. The older teen shrugged and the smug look grew. Puck found himself smiling in return. He was a fool for ever thinking that he could let these people go. He was an even bigger fool for forgetting that he had a family now. He had people that cared about him and were willing to fight for him and with him. But he got it now. He definitely would not be making the same mistake again.

Shelby was willing to admit that she made a huge tactical error when it came to her oldest daughter. She learned the last time she was in Lima that Rachel gave her all in a relationship. She fell hard and she fell fast for people that didn't always bring out the best in her. The fact that one of those guys was the direct result of Shelby's own manipulations was not a subject she was in the mood for dwelling on at the moment. The point was that Shelby figured she might have burned her bridge with Rachel during their last meeting but she could start to work with her on building a new relationship... on the ashes of her current romantic relationship. They would break up and Shelby would swoop in and pick up the pieces. It was going to be perfect. Her last update on Rachel found that she was very much with Finn. Splitting them up was going to be easy. Finn Hudson never struck her as the emotionally mature type. Then she came back and found that Finn was long gone and Puck was in his place. She should've known Noah Puckerman was going to be a problem after the whole tire slashing thing. Still she couldn't predict any of this.

When she first met the New Directions, they barely tolerated one another's existence. They never stood up for one another and calling them even acquaintances would be a stretch. Now they were this cohesive unit. They had each other's backs. Shelby witnessed more than a few incidents during the day when some jock stepped over the line and the glee club members stood up for one another. They were more than just a team. They were friends… a family almost. And apparently it all came back to Puckerman. Somehow that kid managed to bring together the most random and eclectic students in that school and make them work in ways they never thought they could. Hell, he even managed to tame Jesse. She glanced at the new assistant coach of New Directions who was sitting on one of the couches with his ever present smirk in place. When he noticed her looking at him, he winked. Bastard.

"It's crazy how much she looks like you two," Santana's voice dragged Shelby back into the moment. The Latina was taking her turn holding Beth and cooing to the little girl. Beth, for her part, seemed as enamored with the feisty girl as her biological parents and adopted sister. Her tiny fists were clutching handfuls of Santana's shirt as she made excited babble talk. Brittany hovered around her shoulder, tickling Beth's stomach occasionally.

"Well she is our kid. I would hope that she would look something like us," Quinn chided even as she continued to make funny faces at her daughter. "It's funny though. She has my looks but Puck's eyes and smile."

"Let's hope it's just the eyes and smile," Blaine quipped. "We've all met Sarah. Now just imagine that but with Puck's brains and personality."

"The world isn't ready for Quinn's looks with Puck's brains," Sam replied sagely.

"It would be so awesome," Brittany countered. "Beth is going to take over the world with help from her sibling cousins the Pucker-babies."

"Sibling cousins? So gross," Rachel pulled a face. "But it's actually what they would be. So much wrong in this conversation."

"You guys are dorks," Quinn said fondly. She looked at Puck. "You ready to hold her?"

Puck chewed on his lip before looking hesitantly to Shelby. "Is that going to be ok?"

"Wouldn't want to get lawyers involved," Shelby couldn't help but retort. Judging by the kicked puppy look on his face and the murderous glares from the others, she definitely didn't win any points with that one. Great. "Sorry, Noah. That was uncalled for. Of course you can hold her. She's your daughter."

Santana walked over to where Rachel and Sam were seated on either side of Puck. She gently eased Beth into her father's waiting arms. The connection between them was evident from the minute she was in Puck's embrace. Beth was destined to be a daddy's girl. Shelby raised Beth from the very beginning. In one and a half years, she never elicited a smile quite that bright before. Not even during dinner time. It was as if he hung the sun and the moon just from the simple act of sitting down and holding her.

Shelby turned away from the sigh. She really didn't want to face the fact that this was what she was worried about since the minute she found out the Puck and Rachel were together. When she initially decided to move back to Lima, she had every intention of sharing Beth with both of her biological parents. But that was before she knew about Rachel's new boyfriend. That was before she knew that she wasn't likely to come between them. That Puck was going to be the number one in both of her girls' hearts. That's why she said no to him yesterday. That's why she had to clench her hands tightly to resist the urge to snatch her daughter out of his arms now. She couldn't compete with him. She got it now. She tried and she failed.

"Sucks, doesn't it?"

She turned around to find Jesse leaning up against the kitchen counter beside her. She arched an eyebrow. "What sucks?"

"The fact that all he has to do is exist and your daughters love him," Jesse answered. "But you definitely didn't do yourself any favors with this stunt. You thought that you might have a tough time with Rachel before? Whew, consider this the ultimate challenge. If I were you, I'd just quit now. It's what your best at. Quitting when it looks like things might get too hard."

Shelby narrowed her eyes. "Since when have you been so close with Rachel and her friends anyway? I thought you hated them."

"Things change," Jesse shrugged. "Sometimes people change and grow. They also learn from their mistakes. But you, Shelby, you haven't learned a damn thing." he pushed off from the wall and started to walk away. He stopped, however, to give her a look over his shoulder. "Seriously, I'd stop if I were you. Rachel really loves Puck. You don't see it because you're… you but Rachel is better with him than without. She's confident. She's smart and more passionate than before. And the thing is that Puck is the one that inspired that. She's never going to choose you over him. If you want to be in her life, I suggest you respect that."

"Why do you even care?"

He shrugged again. "I guess it's because the brat has worked his mojo on me too. I'm better with them than without. What is it that those losers are always saying… oh, yeah... Gleeks stick together. And I'm definitely a gleek now. Don't mess with my friends, Shelby. That's your only warning."

With that said he finally walked away, joining the rest of the teens gathered around Puck. He dropped down on the sofa he had previously claimed, falling easily into a discussion about some television show with Blaine. Shelby was amazed watching him laugh and joke. Jesse was never a team played. He was always looking out for himself. But now…. now he cared. Now he worried about other people. It was if she were looking at an alternate universe version of her former protégé. He was literally a different person and it was all because of…..

"Puck!"

Shelby's head snapped to her younger daughter still sitting on Puck's lap. She was clapping her hands together and chanting 'Puck" with obvious glee in her voice. Puck seemed surprised but also happy. Rachel was beaming in his direction as were the others.

No, this was not the New Directions Shelby left behind over a year ago. This was a family and it would be difficult to get in between any of them. Though he proved to be easy to knock down, Shelby realized that the rest of the glee club wouldn't let him stay down… her own daughter included. Jesse was wrong. She did learn from her mistakes. She definitely wasn't going to underestimating Noah Puckerman again.

*The end…for now. To be completely honest, I'm really not sure if she actually has learned her lesson or not. I still feel like she's going to be rearing her head every now and then and causing trouble. But for now she's going on the backburner. The next chapter is about Sectionals, the wonder that is the Seblaine friendship and the final explanation as to what's going on with Sam (I hope. Who knows? I was trying to get to that this chapter!) Ciao for now!