Talking To Puck
A/N: You will be lucky if I finish any of my stories.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.
Chapter 1: Noah
After the funeral for Kurt Anderson's husband, Blaine, Noah Puckerman was the last friend to leave Kurt's house. He stopped and looked at a picture of Kurt with Carole's stepson, Finn. Noah watched as Rachel Berry left with her husband, Jesse St. James. He stormed into Kurt's room and yelled, "Do you think Finn would let you shut everybody out, Kurt? It took Rachel six months to move on! I won't stand here and let Tracy watch you repeat your dad's mistakes!"
Kurt's father, Burt Hummel, storms into the room as Kurt yells, "I am not Rachel, Puck! You try watching Quinn's life slip away after she was in a coma for a year and see how you feel! I just lost my husband, Puck! I don't know why I am even listening to you! You didn't last five years with Quinn. You haven't lasted three months with her in the past year! Why are you even here anyway, Puck?"
Tracy stormed out of her room and yelled, "No one was here for me, dummy! He may not be your friend, but he is mine! Did you even think about how I felt? I lost my papa, Daddy! Now I won't have anyone to protect me from my bullies!" Soon, Noah picked Tracy up and took her back to her room. They soon heard Noah singing "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw on Tracy's baby monitor.
They hear Noah crying before he says, "I should have never let you go, Beth. I am the worst dad ever. I'm sorry." before Tracy hums "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley.
Burt checks on Noah, who is asleep in Tracy's arms. Then he turns to Kurt and says, "Blaine's funeral was the only funeral Puck got to attend in the past three years. He missed out on attending Carole, Beth, and Santana's funerals because of the pandemic. Tracy only remembers Blaine and is the only girl Puck can really bond with right now. Puck has lost way more than you in the last three years and needs you. Please."
Kurt sighs and says, "I fought with Rachel after Beth's funeral. Puck could have gone but wasn't invited. I bet Tracy invited him here."
Burt states, "I invited him here, son. After Puck lost his mom and sister to COVID-19, he had no one to turn to. Like I said, Puck lost way more than you; and I figured out why he couldn't stay in a relationship with Quinn. She is a reminder of everything he has lost. Just like Tracy reminds you of Blaine." Kurt glares at Burt but says nothing as he glances over to a picture of himself as a boy with his mother, Elizabeth.
When Noah woke up, he saw Kurt standing in the doorway. He sat up and said, "Every time I looked at Tracy at the funeral, I saw Beth."
He looked up, then continued, "Quinn hasn't spoken to me since I came home, and your dad was right. Seeing her today reminded me of everything I lost. Like I told you, I won't let you go through what your dad did. Tracy needs you right now, Kurt. Do you want her to make your mistakes and try to set us up?"
Kurt chuckles and says, "She already tried asking Mrs. A to go out with my dad at Blaine's funeral. I'm sorry for yelling at you; you're right. Finn wouldn't want me to mourn him forever, either."
Noah chuckled and looked at Tracy as he told Kurt, "I quit the Navy and have been working at Mick's for a month. I've been staying with Brittany since I got into town. I had Rachel stay with her tonight. I was planning on leaving without telling you, but after seeing Tracy for most of the night, I realized that Blaine's death might make her feel the same way your mother's death made you."
Kurt tries to speak, but Noah grabs his arm and drags him to his bedroom. He shouts, "You're right, Kurt! I did turn my back on God, my faith, and my friends! But I am trying to make up for it! Goddam it, Kurt! You saw what Rachel went through before Jesse came back into her life! Do you want to put Tracy through that?"
Burt peers in as Noah continues, "Brittany has been acting like Santana is still alive and doesn't even know I am there half the time! Everybody has tried to get me to have her committed to the psych ward, but I won't because that's not what Santana would want! You have Tracy to think about, Kurt! Did your dad shut everybody out after your mom died? No, he had a shop to run! He didn't have time to mourn! I know it will be hard, but like Rachel and your dad, you have friends that will help you! Now, show Tracy you are a fighter, Kurt!"
Kurt chuckles and says, "Puck, I'm glad you stayed. You're the only one who doesn't baby me."
Noah put Kurt in a headlock and gave him a noogie. Then he said, "Well, you might be a diva, but you are no baby, Kurt." Kurt freed himself from Noah's hold and glared at him, but he didn't respond.
Rachel called Noah soon after, and he answered, hearing Sam say, "Brittany, what did you take? Come on, Brittany, stay with me. What did you take?"
Brittany murmurs, "Puck's happy pills."
Noah ran out of the house, shouting, "Fuck, not my painkillers! God, Brittany, why?" Burt followed him as they headed to Lima Memorial.
Burt says on the way there, "Finn and Santana would be proud of you, Puck."
He chuckles and continues, "I'm glad you or Tracy didn't tell Kurt about me playing paintball wars with you every Saturday."
Noah rolls his eyes and says, "I'm glad Kurt doesn't know you started the Mr. P jokes."
He looked at the picture of Quinn, Santana, and Brittany he had taped to his visor as he said, "Quinn was taking care of Brittany, but she left after I came by to check on her. We got into a fight about Beth, and she packed up all her stuff and then left. Neither of us can deal with Beth being gone, and we haven't spoken since our fight. By the way, I put Elizabeth's diary in your room."
Burt blushed and asked, "Is the bookmark still in it?"
Noah smirks and says, "No, but it's in a safe place with Elizabeth's photo album. I almost thought the pictures were of me, and it took me a week to figure out that they were of you. I found the pictures before the diary and wanted to keep them as blackmail against Kurt, not you."
Burt and Noah notice Quinn in the cemetery as they head to the hospital. Then Noah says, "Do me a favor and see if Elizabeth's stuff is under my bed. If Quinn finds it, we will never hear the end of it from Kurt."
Before Burt could respond, Rachel texted Noah a picture of the diary and photo album and a message, saying, "They are in my car! Get them now! Or I will tell Kurt about this! My dad saw them under your bed and knew the pictures weren't of you."
Burt sees the text and says, "I double-dog dare you to say it, Mr. P."
Rachel is standing outside when they arrive. Burt hurries out of the truck as Rachel tries to block Noah, who picks her up and says, "I kept the pictures to use as blackmail against Kurt. Give Mr. H a break. He was an idiot teenager like me, and it took Kurt's mom to change him. Now, you better return everything where you found it, Rachel." He puts her down before she can run away.
Burt tries to stifle his laughter as he says, "I swear, Puck. You may not be my son, but I would be honored to be your dad." They soon meet Brittany's parents in the lobby and wait for news on Brittany.
As they waited to hear about Brittany, Quinn entered with Rachel. Quinn was about to yell at Noah when Burt said, "Quinn, this isn't Puck's fault. You are all Puck has left, Quinn." Quinn slapped Burt and stormed out without saying a word.
After learning that Brittany is fine, Quinn returns to the hospital to ask Burt if they can speak. They head to the cafeteria and sit down at a table by the window. Quinn says, "Puck ran out on me when Tracy was born because I compared him to his dad. I tried to get back together with him at Mrs. H's funeral. He clings to Brittany because she is the last good thing in his life, not me."
Taking Quinn's hand, he says, "Puck still loves you, Quinn. He's only hanging onto Brittany because of Finn. Come on, Quinn. Puck is acting just like I did when I lost your mom. And by the way, Elizabeth helped me become a better man. Just like you helped him, Quinn, we need to be there for Puck, Brittany, and Kurt. I can handle Kurt and Puck, but Brittany's parents need to take her." Quinn glares at Burt but says nothing.
They returned to Kurt's house, and Noah headed to Tracy's bedroom. He soon sang along with "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw as it played on Tracy's iPod Boombox. Tracy said sleepily, "Nono, you still got me, and Queenie will apologize someday." Noah cried himself to sleep without responding.
Chapter 2 will be up soon.