October 15 Two weeks later

"Where it began, I can't begin to know, but then I know it's growing strong." Sang out Puck's phone in his father's pocket. Nathan pulled it out and read the screen aloud "My Hot Little Jewish-American Princess." He raised an eyebrow at Noah who blushed a bit before mumbling it out, "It's Rachel."

Nathan gave his son a shit eating grin and tossed him the phone. Nathan had kept Puck's phone on his person as part of his punishment. He got it to call his grandparents and his sister but that was it so having his Tate toss it to him in order to talk to Rachel was a surprise. Of course Puck talked about Rachel a lot without realizing it and Naomi had told her son how happy Noah had been while dating Rachel, how they gone to Temple together and how she had nearly cried when Noah had been such a gentleman to the pretty Jewish girl. She then gushed about how talented Rachel was, how beautiful and smart and how she had prayed they get back together. "You mark my words Boychik Rachel will be the one the straighten little Noah out you just watch." So when Rachel called Nathan had no problem handing his son the phone trusting that his mother was right. The tirade he heard coming out of the phone once Noah answered indicated that as well. He shook his head and at his son's pained look chuckled at him and walked out of the hotel room to him some privacy.

"Hey Rachel." Noah spoke barely realizing the effect his soft voice would have on the girl so many miles away.

"Oh Noah thank goodness you're alright. I've been so worried. Why didn't you call and let me know you were okay. I was so worried when Mr. Schuster said you were in juvie but then they never got any more information and Finn lied and said you were fine but I couldn't find out where you were to visit you and I tried to talk to your mother but she was very rude to me on the phone I think she thought I was Quinn and your grandmother as well though Sandra said you were ok she couldn't tell me where you were or anything and she was so scared to talk about you it just made me worry more so finally I drove to Oakville to talk to your other grandparents, I got the address from the Rabbi and they finally told me what had happened and how to get a hold of you and they were so nice, Noah. How are you? Are you eating okay? They said you were on the road and I worry you're not taking good care of yourself. You're with your father right? Is that okay? How do you feel? I'm sorry I'm rambling and not letting you answer but I've been so worried about you Noah. I've not been able to think of anything else and..and.." her breath started catching as she started to cry.

"I'm ok Rachel. Sorry you had to go to so much trouble to find out about me." Puck winced as he heard her cry. She really must have been torn up about him. Rachel had two types of tears, the stage tears and the real tears. The stage tears she could talk through. The real tears she could barely breathe through. Sometimes he felt like the only person who got to see her cry. He had seen her crying after they broke up in the choir room when he went back for his guitar. He'd told her they could be friends if she didn't tell anyone and if she stopped crying, then he held her in his lap till she regained control of herself. They'd went out for grape slushies afterwards and she'd laid down in the seat so no one could see her even though he told her it was okay. Again he'd been the one to take her home after Jesse's egging. She'd held herself together until he got her home and into a shower. Afterward he'd held her on her bed while her dads hovered over her refilling her water glass. With his shirt still wet from her tears he'd driven to Carmel and slashed their tires despite her begging him not to do anything stupid. Thinking about it now he could have probably used Rachel as an alibi. Now she was crying and he was miles away. Who was going to hold her this time. "Rachel are your dads home?"

"N-n-no." She sobbed out before taking a deep breath.

"Okay Baby, take a deep breath, hold it and let it out easy. Come on Baby, you called to talk to me. Don't cry over the phone when I'm too far away to hold you, please Baby." Puck winced. He only got this way with Rachel and his sister. He didn't really want to think too hard about why he cared about Rachel so much, not when she was dating his best friend. Stuff like that got him in trouble like last time when Quinn had come to him crying and he'd consoled her with wine coolers and making out that went too far. Making out. Making out with Rachel, running his hands up and down those long smooth legs of hers, cupping the soft globes of her ass in his big hands and pressing her into where he was hard under his zipper, tangling his hands in her soft shiny hair, kissing her pretty mouth that always tasted like fruit, having her cute little hands traveling over his body. Even if she'd never let him really touch her boobs making out with Rachel was nearly as good as sex with other girls. He took some deep breathes himself and concentrated on her breathing as he adjusted himself. Rachel knew all about breathing from her voice lessons.

"Better now Baby?"

"Yes Noah."

"Now what do you wanna know Rachel." He knew his girl. She was practically bursting with questions.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

He winced, crazy Jewish women and their built in lie detectors. "Yeah I was pretty bruised from the wreck…and jail but I'm okay now."

"Why?"

"Not ready to talk about that yet Rachel. I've been doing a lot of thinking and Tate is helping but I'm not ready to talk about it yet." He bit his lip hoping she bought that because seriously one of them crying over the phone was enough.

"Beth."

He nearly bit though his lip and a surge of anger roared through him. Didn't he just say he didn't wanna talk about it?

"Shelby adopted her you know. She's my little sister now."

He slowly ungrit his teeth and replied, "How'd you find out?"

"After…everything I talked to my dads and my therapist and we got a hold of her for some group counseling. Did you know Mr. Schuster tried to make her go away? Like he had any right to advise someone on being a parent. I guess he was afraid of losing me to Vocal Adrenaline. Him and Finn only want me when they're about to lose me. But anyway we email other now pretty regularly and she bought Beth to the last session."

"How is she?" He cut in unable to help himself.

"She's fine Noah. She's beautiful. Her eyes are hazel like yours and she has black curly hair." Rachel's voice was soft, lilting, sharing her wonder at her baby sister, his daughter. "I got to hold her."

"I didn't."

"Oh Noah."

"They handed her to Quinn who handed her to Mercedes who passed her right back to the nurses I never even got to touch her." He closed his eyes and followed his own instructions breathing deep ignoring the tear that blinking had loosened from his lashes. He felt the bed dip next to him and a big hand rub his back. Tate gripped his shoulder and gave him a comforting shake but remained silent.

"Noah." Rachel's voice hitched like she was going to cry again and he heard her take a deep breath mimicking him. "Noah, Shelby asked about you and Quinn. She mentioned an open adoption. How you could be a part of Beth's life if you wanted. She was really worried about you when I told her about…everything. Everything I knew then anyway."

"Really?" He could hardly believe his ears. He thought he might be dreaming. Next Rachel would climb in the 30 story window in her white nightgown and smile at him like she loved him. His dad was beside him, the girl he loved was on the phone, he was going to get to see his daughter; he had to be dreaming.

"Yes really. Shelby mentioned that her self-destructive habits after giving me up were one of the reasons why she never succeeded on the stage. She's been there Noah. She's been where you are right now and she said and I quote, 'I never wanna be responsible for putting another human being through that.' I have pictures, Noah, pictures of Beth she wanted me to send to you and her phone number and email address so you can call and keep in touch."

"That's..that's great. Rachel, send them to me please. You have my email right?" Puck bit his lip and struggled to keep his voice steady.

"Yeah I have some I took on my phone that I can send you right now."

"Please."

"Can I call back tomorrow? Please? I miss you Noah." Rachel's voice took on that tentative tone that she got when she talked about them being friends; like she was scared he was going to suddenly change his mind.

He turned to Tate. "Can Rachel call back tomorrow? She's gonna send me some pictures of Beth so she has to get off the phone. Please Tate?"

Nathan smiled, "Yeah Rachel can call."

"Thanks Tate. Rachel? Tate said you can call. He's been keeping my phone; part of my punishment."

"Okay. Talk to you tomorrow Noah. Bye."

"Bye."

He turned to Nathan who was relieved to see an easy grin on his son's face for once instead of the tight smile that had dominated it for the last few weeks. "Rachel's gonna send me pictures of Beth. Remember how I told you Rachel's birth mom had adopted Beth. Well they've been going to these group sessions and Shelby knows what it's like to give up a baby and she wants an open adoption and I'm gonna get to see her." Puck's voice caught there at the end and he let Tate pull him in to hide his face on his chest. His body jerked with his silent sobs but he pulled away when his phone beeped an incoming message.

His thumb flicked over the screen to reveal Rachel holding the most beautiful baby he'd ever seen. She'd taken the picture herself from her phone while she was holding the 7 month old cradled in her other arm. The baby looked up at her with a gummy smile one tiny hand was fisted near her ear and the other was open reaching up to Rachel's face and the camera. Her hazel eyes shined and her tight curls fell lightly around her head. She wore a tiny pink jumper with yellow music notes and a look of such happiness as if nothing could be as good as meeting her sister for the first time. Her skin tone was olive like Rachel's and his own and she had his nose and fat rosy cheeks. A tear marred the screen. Puck swiped a hand across his eyes. He hadn't even realized he was crying.

"She looks just like you as a baby." Nathan murmured as he too stared at his grandchild.

"She's prettier I'm sure." Puck smiled.

"Girls tend to be. Like Rachel, I bet she's pretty."

"She's gorgeous Tate."

"Rachel or Beth?"

"Both."

Nathan smiled at his son as with his phone beeping repeatedly he started scrolling through more and more pictures. Some had been taken by other people so he got to actually see the gorgeous Rachel along with her lookalike mom Shelby and her two dads, Hiram and Leroy. Beth mostly got shuffled between the two women one of Rachel feeding the baby a bottle got Puck choked again and Nathan silently agreed with his mother. Noah and Rachel would have beautiful children and they would be wonderful parents.

"Listen Noah, keep your phone but your grandparents, your sister, Rachel and this Shelby woman only. No sexting cheerleaders okay? I'll be checking. But if you're gonna be getting emails I reckon you need your phone back. You're on my plan now but I kept your old number obviously."

"Thanks Tate."

"No problem, Zun."