A/N: Okay, my newly formed obsession with Quick has given me a muse that wouldn't shut up and it turned into this. Lemme know what you think. Just fair warning, this is my first attempt at a Glee fic. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

She has no idea how long she's lying there, simply in a daze. After nine months, she's finally done it. In no time at all, any evidence of her blimp-like physique will be gone. It'll be like the night of wine coolers and naked bodies never even happened. The smells of antiseptic, so strong that she can taste it, is a harsh reminder that no matter what she does when she leaves, the memory of shallow cries echoing through the maternity wing will be with her forever.

Glee club, the twice a week gathering of McKinley High's outcasts, was originally supposed to be a job, hired by coach Sylvester to destroy it from the inside. As much as Quinn enjoyed status, she had her own motives. She had to be sure to watch his every move when it came to the likes of Rachel Berry. Not that he was even really hers. But he was on the football team, she the head cheerleader. Cliché as it was, they belonged together. And they had been together. They weren't sober by any means but she gave him something of hers that meant everything.

Puck didn't work like that. Noah Puckerman wasn't one to stick to a single girl. Knowing this, she'd done it anyway. Not that she remembered that night. It was all just a buzzing blur of alcohol and proclamations of love that she knew meant nothing. By the end of the night, she'd just be another one of the girls, drunk enough to have a little fun with. His lack of self-control when it came to girls was no surprise to her.

Even so, she wasn't going to let Rachel be one of them. Not that she liked the short brunette who insisted on the most bizarre outfits. Her inability to stop talking was one of the many things that made her insides burn. It took every bit of inner strength not to strangle her, if she was really being honest. So, as much as it killed her, when Quinn heard that Puck was encouraged to join glee club, she was more than happy to spy.

She wasn't there to sing. Cheerios didn't sing. Singing was for the outsiders, the ones who didn't belong anywhere. Quinn Fabray belonged somewhere. Her place was the top of a pyramid, pompoms in hand, spotless white toothed smile on her face. Once they were done, she was out. Once glee was destroyed she could walk out, the widest smile on her face, football player on her arm.

Months later, here she was, the dim lighting of a delivery room serving her a hefty dose of harsh reality. Her usually well kept hair stuck to her forehead as she struggled to regain her breath. It took her a minute to understand what exactly she'd just done. At sixteen, Quinn had just finished giving birth to a little girl she had yet to see. If she had anything to say about it, things would stay that way. Not knowing what she looked like would make things so much easier.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. Sporting his signature mawhawk, Puck sat next to her not daring to make eye contact with anything but the wall in front of him. She knew why he was doing this. He was leaving it up to her, just as she'd asked him to do. The decision to do so hadn't come quietly.

The two went at each other for months, the truth hidden to everyone but the two of them. Puck approached her at least once a week, his attempts to convince her to change her already made up mind, coming up empty. As many times as she shut him down, he'd come right back, determined to let her see it his way. He wasn't his father. If she let him, they could be a family. Being parents at their age wasn't going to be easy but, if they wanted it bad enough, they could pull it off. She didn't want it, couldn't want it. She saw him rise from the seat next to her, his callused hand slipping out from under hers. Quinn wasn't about to tell him to put it back. She wasn't about to tell him how much she missed the warmth.

"Where are you going?" she whispered. For the first time, his eyes met hers. She could tell that behind the tough exterior, he was falling apart. Not that he gave off any obvious signs. Puck wasn't about to show anyone any form of weakness. She knew how well he tried to hide it. Quinn understood him well enough, better than anyone how he chose to grieve. Their daughter wasn't dead, no. After today though, it would be like she never was. They both knew how much a lie that was. No matter what happened to her, they'd always remember. They had months of late night cravings and mood swings to show for it.

"I…I have to go and say goodbye," he whispered. Quinn nodded solemnly, keeping to herself the fact that she could see a single tear begging to crawl down his cheek. Without a word, he turned around and headed for the nursery. As he walked away, she couldn't help thinking how brave he was. As much as it would hurt him later, he was determined to see her. Quinn wasn't so brave. If she stayed here, bringing a pen to paper won't hurt so much.

The constant buzz filled his ears was his only friend as he made his way down to the nursery. He couldn't even remember making it past a nurse. Whether he had or hadn't wasn't entirely clear, nor all that important. His main focus was Beth. Beth he thought. The name sounding more fitting with each time it rolled around in his head. Puck hadn't said it out loud yet but he doubted that would change anything. The name would stick. It had to. Her name was the only thing she'd be able to take with her, the only thing she had to remember them by. Naming her was the one thing Puck had control over.

Already late into the evening, he'd been here six times before. The only thing that brought him back to Quinn's room was the nurse's insistence that he should grab something to eat. He couldn't bring himself to leave her. If she was going to be gone after today, he'd take in every minute he possibly could.

Every time they kicked him out, Puck would simply nod, robotically handing his daughter off to the attending nurse. His daughter. The thought brought a small smile to his face. Before handing her off, he made sure to bring a feather light kiss to her hair, a silent "I love you" passing his lips. As much as they insisted, he never really left. The knot in his stomach made it impossible to eat anything. So instead, he'd walk back to her room, silently taking his spot next to the bed, neither saying a word. He didn't have to, didn't want to, couldn't. If he said anything to her, he'd have to look at her. If he looked at her he'd let everything slip out before he could stop himself.

Puck knew that the minute he opened his mouth, they'd be right back to where they were not too long ago. The anger, the disappointment, the pleading for Quinn to change her mind, out before he could stop himself. Silence was best. Silence was safe. He could feel what he wished with no judgment from her. Within his own mind, she had no place to tell him right from wrong. He could grieve for, fantasize, and love his little girl all he wanted.

When he wasn't watching the chipping plaster on the walls, he was watching the hands of the clock above his head. He'd give himself long enough for them to believe he'd eaten and then find his way back. Just as he'd done a half a dozen times before, he silently returned, taking in the sight of her tiny body as it lay wrapped in a soft pink blanket. Hands, so used to sending a football halfway across the field, carefully removed her, bringing her safely to settle against his chest.

By now she'd gotten used to his presence, her ability to settle almost instant. Puck took in her every feature, each one sitting perfectly on her face. The little girl was all Quinn, the only evidence that she was his was her tuft of dark brown hair. Sitting down quietly, he felt her stir, her mouth opening and closing for a minute before quieting once again.

"I'm back," he whispered. "Just like I promised," he smiled. He saw her little ears perk up at the sound of his voice as he brushed her cheek gently. Her soft, virtually untouched skin felt feather soft under his thumb. Hovering his hand over her, he felt her take hold of his forefinger and smiled. Puck could feel a tear crawl down his face as he took in his imprisoned finger. If anyone ever knew how soft he'd become, he'd deny it in a second. He had a reputation to keep up. Men weren't supposed to cry, weren't supposed to feel. Well, they felt. It usually meant harsh words and flying fists though. This, his willingness to cry was never going to leave this room. Not if he had anything to say about it.

"Listen Beth, if you ever let anyone know that you saw me cry, I'm gonna be forced to call you a liar. Daddy's not supposed to cry." Daddy he thought. Never in a million years had Noah Puckerman ever pictured anyone ever calling him that. It had been years since he himself had said it. The last time it rolled off his tongue was the night he heard the door slam, fists banging the wooden door until he have himself splinters, as he begged his father to come back, begged him to see what a mistake he was making in walking away. He was nothing like his father. He wasn't going to walk away from responsibility. He wanted this. Puck wanted this more than he was wiling to say out loud. You can't always get what you want he thought. As much as it pained him to think so, the lyrics rang true. As much as he wanted this, he knew it was only a matter of time before he watched it slip right through his fingers. For right now, he was here, his daughter safely in his arms. For the time being he'd just sit with her, hold her, protect her as best he could, until he was forced to give it all up.

"Hey you," he whispered. "You may be too young to remember this, but I'mmuna say it anyway. No matter what anybody says, know that I love. Know that your mom and I…" he said, the next few words catching in his throat, "…It's because we love you that we're giving you up. May not make sense to yet and that's okay. We can't do this yet, so we're giving you to someone who can. We're giving you to someone who's gonna give you everything you want, everything you need. I fought as hard as I could for you. I want to keep you, raise you. But your mom, she's…Well, she's stubborn. Once she gets an idea in her head, there isn't anybody who can change it. Believe me, I've tried. Would you mind if we just…If we just sat here? Lookin' at you beats grimy old walls any day," he smiled. Knowing she could give him no reply, he laid back, bringing a gentle rock to the chair they sat in, his eyes taking in every little bit of the perfection laid in his arms.

Pulling herself out of her daze, Quinn finally took in the stack of papers sitting on the nightstand. Picking them up, she just looked at them, not even bothering to read what they said. She knew what they said. With a few signatures, her life could go back to normal. It took her not too long to realize that no matter how many pieces of paper she painted with her name, nothing about her life was normal. Not anymore.

At sixteen, she'd given birth to a baby girl. A baby girl that, once everything was signed and dated, would no longer be hers. She had to do this. Quinn wasn't about to go back on her final decision. She'd decided, on her own, that walking away from everything would be best for everyone. Not that making the choice was all that easy. Puck's constant reassurance that they could be a family, that they could do this if they really tried, wasn't making her mind up any faster. Thankfully, he'd eventually just given up, grudgingly going along with her choices. She knew he hated her for it. She knew she sounded selfish. Really, this was what was best. Why then, was it so hard for her to see the page in front of her, pen trembling in her hand?

I'm doing this for her. I'm giving her a life that I can't offer her. I don't even know the first thing about being a mother! I have high school to finish. I have college to go to. I have….I have...What exactly did she have? Getting pregnant had gotten her kicked off the squad, diminished her standing to virtually nothing, and earned her more slushie facials than she could count. She never thought she'd actually find herself admitting it, but Beth gave her glee club. She blinked back tears as she heard herself say the name. Yes, her little girl had given her glee club.

Her quick tumble off the top of the popularity pyramid made her an outcast. An outcast who now had a circle of eleven other students she now considered friends. Glee was there to fall back on when everyone else had turned their backs on her. Unlike the rest of the school, they didn't care that she was pregnant, didn't care that she was once the lead bitch. As much as she knew she didn't deserve it, they saw her as a person.

Even Puck, the one who offered her everything he could without letting the truth slip. As much as he wanted to, he kept quiet. He kept quiet for her because he knew that's what she wanted. When she moved in with him, after her parents kicked her out for the disgrace that she now was to her family, he'd wake up bleary eyed at the world's strangest hours to satisfy her late night cravings. As much as she bitched and complained about how much everything hurt, he was there to stop it. He'd given her so much more than a roof over her head. He'd given her someone to lean on, depend on. He had no obligation to her. He didn't have to stay. Through every wave of raging hormones, every accusation of what a pain in the ass he was, he stayed. Something that, if she was being totally honest, was completely new to her.

Noah Puckerman had treated her with more respect than she deserved. If she went through with it, he'd hate her forever. After fighting so hard, she was just going to take it all away from him. No she thought you're doing this for her. You're signing these papers to offer her a better, brighter future. Despite how much she tried to convince herself, why did this feel so wrong? Why did she feel sick to her stomach at the sight of this stack of documents?

They threw you out she remembered. They gave up on you. All at once it came back. The night Finn revealed to everyone that she was with child. She couldn't clear the rage in her father's face, out of her head if she tried. The sheer disappointment was written all over. He'd given her a half hour. A half hour to pack up everything she could and leave. She remembered her mom just standing there, watching tears stream down her face, as she begged her dad to hold her, love her.

Through tears, her blood boiled now. Her mom just stood there and did nothing. She had just watched it all unfold, her face expressionless. And she'd known. Long before Quinn said anything Judy had known and still did nothing to shield her from her father's anger. Puck's still here she thought. He hasn't gone anywhere. He's been nothing but supportive. With tears clouding her vision, she settled her pen on the stack of unsigned papers. Where once she was so certain, she wasn't so sure anymore. Carefully removing the covers, that really failed in keeping the constant chill from leaving her body, she trudged down to the one place she knew he'd be.

As she approached, she saw a nurse come up and greet her. In a whisper, so as not to disturb the sleeping newborns, the attending nurse asked her who she was. Giving her, her name, Quinn was led to her daughter's cot. A moment of panic flew through her when she saw that it was empty. The minute her eyes settled on a head of dark brown hair and the owner of hands that were much too familiar to her, she sighed, relief washing over her. Much too absorbed in watching his daughter, Quinn could tell he wasn't at all aware that she'd come in. Silently, she simply watched as he carried on their deep and meaningful one-sided conversation.

"You know, I may not be your dad for too much longer," he said, his voice laced with hurt. As soon as she heard it, Quinn felt guilt hit her like a freight train. You're the one putting that catch in his voice she thought. Your name's gonna change," he sighed, "But not your first one 'cause that was all me. I made sure that when Shelby takes you, you keep it. The only condition I made when your mom and I agreed to this. Well, I never really agreed, I just went along with it. What my baby mamma wants, she gets. It's the whole stubborn thing. You can't fight a Fabray. You can't fight a Puckerman either. We tend to get…a little violent." Quinn couldn't help smiling now. "We don't pull out the fists for no good reason though. We fight to protect the ones we care about. I'm only now just learning that," he sighed. "You've got a set of feisty genes in you kid, don't be afraid to use 'em. Remember though. You gotta use 'em for good and not bad. I did that and it landed me in some not so good places. That's a story for another time though."

Quinn could feel her eyes mist over once again when she realized that Puck wouldn't get to share those stories with her. Not that they were all that great to begin with but the main point was that he would never get another chance. This was it. This was why he'd spent his entire day here. Puck came in here to soak up every second he could with their little girl, before it all went away. That alone made Quinn Fabray love him even more. She stopped for a second, realizing that she didn't even know for sure if she loved him at all.

Having a baby changes you, molds you, bonds you in ways you don't' even realize. That much, she was learning. No one else sat with her while she cried without reason, held her until the tears stopped flowing. No one rebelled against his own belief just to feed a craving. No other man would just hold her until she felt safe enough to fall asleep. No one but her baby's father. No one in school could even pretend to understand what they'd been through together. No one could understand the sacrifices, the changes they made for the tiny person they'd created. No other high schooler could begin to comprehend the struggles they faced in their own lives. As much as they tried, they could never walk in their shoes. Not until they themselves were parents.

Parents. She could deny it all she wanted. She could pretend that the last nine months never even happened. But that would make her a liar. Not that she was all that bad at lying. She hid the truth for months without even trying. This though, this was different. This was their future. A future that, whether she was ready or not, involved the little girl, curled comfortably in her fathers arms. I'm not like them she reminded herself. That alone gave her the strength to finally speak.

"It's not gonna be easy," she admitted. Puck's head shot up, his expression telling her he had no idea she'd come in. "I…I don't know if I can do this…" she whispered.

"Do what?" he asked. All she could do was take a heavy breath.

"Be a mom." Puck just looked at her, not daring himself to hope for what he thought she might be saying. As much as he tried to hide it, she could tell. The hope was clear in his expression.

"I thought we agreed…"

"We didn't agree to anything," she sighed. "I made up both of our minds and that's not fair to you. To her."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he whispered, his eyes shinning brighter than she'd seen them in months.

"I can't, Puck. I can't give her up. I'm not my mother," she whispered, tears coming down slowly. Silently he rose from the rocking chair, his rough hand catching her small bit of weakness. She offered him a small smile, not ready to pull away from his touch just yet. He made no motion to move it either, which made her smile internally.

"I'm so scared," she whispered. "Scared that I wont' be good enough, scared that I'll end up failing her, scared that…scared that…"

"I'm not my old man, Quinn. I'm not going to abandon my family," he reassured, knowing her fear long before she could pull it from her throat. She closed her eyes, grateful that he'd understood without her having to say it.

"This isn't how it's normally supposed to work," she sighed, finally brave enough to brush her daughter's cheek.

"Haven't you already figured it out, Quinn? Nothing about us is normal." She laughed knowing how true that statement was. He was the badasss. She was a Cheerio. Everything about them screamed impossible. Yet somehow, they'd do it. Somehow, despite everything stacked against them, they'd make it through.

A/N: So, should I continue or just leave it as this? Reviews would be lovely. :)