Thursday, November 25th, Thanksgiving Day, Rachel's house
"Shelby! Welcome! Come on in. Let me get that." Leroy was happy to escort the lady into his home. Only months ago he'd wished he'd never seen her face again but now she was as much a member of the family as ever. They walked farther into the house and Leroy left to continue puttering in the kitchen.
"Thank you. Sorry we're late. We were just about to head out the door when she needed a diaper change." Shelby said to the tall man standing near the foyer.
"Oh I remember those days." Nathan chuckled.
"You mean yesterday Noah?" Shelby laughed.
"Nathan."
Shelby looked at him strangely. Wait he looked… "Nathan?"
"Nathan Puckerman. I'm Noah's father."
"Oh." Shelby's mouth formed that natural 'o' that Rachel's did when she was surprised.
"'S that my granddaughter?" Nathan smiled. He remembered the fun he and his own Tate used to have messing with people, still did sometimes. Now he got to do that with Noah.
Shelby nodded and unbuckled the curly haired baby from her car seat. Nathan carefully slipped his big hands under the baby and cradled her delicately to his chest. The sight of the big man so carefully handling the eight month old made Shelby internally sigh. Despite the near identical looks there was something different in the sight of Nathan holding a baby than there was in Puck. Now that she looking the differences in the two were obvious. Nathan was taller, broader; a full grown man compared to his still teenaged son. It was that difference that caused in Shelby a reaction to Nathan very like Rachel's to Noah. Outwardly she giggled, "She isn't going to break you know? She's eight months old. She can nearly stand on her own."
"I can't help it. She's so little." Nathan smiled at the lovely woman. If this was what Rachel was growing into then Noah was a lucky boy.
"Your son was the exact same way. Still is with her in fact." Shelby smiled up at the handsome with very similar thoughts in her head.
Later that day, After dinner
Hiram and Amos were talking about gun shelving in one part of the living room while Leroy and Naomi discussed cooking experiments in another. Every now and then Leroy would delve into chemical reactions but the cool stare of the old woman would quickly cow him and bring his words back into conversational terms. Nathan and Shelby were talking about the organizational parts of music tours and show choirs with some not so subtle flirting going on between them. Rachel sat in the floor, her back against her mother's knees one hand tangled in Puck's Mohawk the other playing peek-a-boo with her little sister. Puck was laying with his head in her lap and Beth sitting up on his chest held in place by one of her father's hands. Beth clapped and shrieked in delight.
Rachel wished she could freeze this moment and save it in her heart forever. As Puck looked up at her and smiled she smiled back and let her fingers feather gently along his jaw. Holding Beth securely to his chest Puck half sat up and caught her smiling lips sending zings and zips of electric heat through her body. He settled back in her lap and smiled up at her stunned face. She took a deep breath and licked her lips before playfully glaring at him. He chuckled and Beth shrieked at how his chest bounced with the laugh and he started flexing his chest muscles as the baby happily rode. Rachel laid her hand against the tensing muscles and slyly tickled Beth's feet. The baby laughed but then got a curious expression on her face right before Puck felt the warmth spread in her diaper.
"Well feels like someone needs a diaper change." Puck grabbed Rachel's hand and kissed her palm before rolling to his feet and pulling her up with him.
"Gonna need some help Noah?" Nathan chuckled.
"Nah I intend to steal kisses from both of Shelby's daughters." He smiled at them cheekily before pulling Rachel after him to the guest room where Beth's diaper bag was.
"Noah you can't keep doing this. I have a boyfriend." Rachel protested but he wasn't dragging her out of the room rather she let herself be tucked up under his arm as they walked out.
"Like that's ever stopped me before. Exhibit Beth."
"Noah, if we ever get to that point we are having a very in-depth and detailed discussion about birth control." Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Looking forward to it. I figure Beth will be ready to be a sister slash aunt when she's around 10 or so."
Rachel paused and Puck gently nudged her forward again. "Noah did you sneak a look at my ten year plan?"
"No I paid attention when we dated last year." The words 'unlike Finn' hung in the air between them.
He laid the baby out on the blanket Rachel spread out and slowly and carefully changed Beth's diaper while she kicked her feet happily. After he was done he let her kick around happily and try to roll over while he pulled Rachel to him. He tilted her contemplating face up and kissed her deeply. She seemed dazed after their lips parted and he tucked her head under his chin and watched his daughter try to catch her toes and bring them to her mouth.