A/N I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but anyway. Yes this is an update. I'm shocked too.

Puck exhaled heavily as he exited Rachel's hospital room and closed the door with a gentle click, not wanted to wake his girlfriend who had only just fallen into an exhausted sleep.

He started slowly down the hallway towards where he knew the waiting room was located, aware that he needed to update his sister and best friend on Rachel's condition, but suddenly, he just couldn't. Talking about it would just make it real and he wasn't ready to have that conversation.

Instead, he slumped against the wall and slid down until he was resting on his haunches, head bowed wearily as the events of the evening played through his mind over and over again. Rachel's tears, the painful grip on his hand, the violent beeping of the monitor and the hurried medical jargon tossed around as nurses and doctors scrambled around them…

His throat felt tight and he could feel hot tears gathering in the corner of his eyes as he sniffed ineffectively. Without a doubt, this was the worse day of his life.

The corridors were quiet and it appeared as if the ward was abandoned. There was no patient chatter behind the closed doors, or visitors roaming the halls. Even the nursing staff seemed to be sequestered away. Had he been sitting by Rachel's side for hours or just a few short minutes? He wasn't sure, time had lost all meaning. His surroundings seemed to fade into non existence as he lost himself in a feeling of spiralling helplessness.

Eventually though, he was jolted from his melancholy by loud footsteps and the sound of someone calling his name. "Puck….Puck…."

He managed to lift his head and through damp lashes he could make out the pinched expression of Kurt Hummel who had crouched down in front of him, hand on his shoulder.

"Hummel," he managed to choke out and he felt the hand tighten as the slender man's face crumpled.

"Oh no, please, tell me Rachel and the baby are all right."

He took a deep breath and swiped his eyes. "They're stable, for now."

Kurt's relief was palpable but it was evident from Puck's posture and the fact that he had been insistently summoned by Quinn's hysterical phone calls that her condition was serious. "Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong with my best friend."

Though he was disinclined to talk about it, Puck knew how much Kurt loved Rachel and vice versa and as her friend, who had dropped everything to be by her side, he deserved an explanation. Fortifying himself with another deep breath, Puck began to fill the other man in on what had happened and what the doctors and nursing staff were doing to keep her stable.

"The doctor administered a second, higher dose of medication to stop the contractions and if she doesn't have any more in the next 12 hours, they think it'll be ok. They'll keep her for a few days and with a few safety measures, there should be no issue in her carrying safely to term."

Silence stretched between the two men until Kurt asked the question that had been plaguing Puck, "And if the contractions continue?"

"They'll take her in for an emergency c-section."

Kurt mulled that over for a moment, "It's too early," he murmured in dismay, unknowingly echoing the anguished proclamation both he had Rachael and uttered themselves many times that night. Puck couldn't force himself to relay what the nurses had reluctantly confirmed with him as Rachel had temporarily stabilised; a fetus delivered at 20 weeks has just a 50/50 chance of survival.

He let his head drop once more, the weight of the world on his shoulders, unaware and uncaring of Kurt's appraisal of him.

"Right, well you look like a light wind could take you down, so why don't you head out to the waiting room and take Finn with you to get some air, maybe something to eat."

Puck shrugged off the hand that had curled around his bicep and vainly attempted to tug him to stand. "I'm fine, I just needed to step out for a sec but I have to get back in there. I don't want her to wake up and find me gone, I can't leave her by herself."

Kurt's grip tightened until Puck looked at him, "Puck, she won't be alone, I'll sit with her. Just take a few minutes and sort yourself out. When she wakes up, she'll need you then. The last thing she needs to be burdened with is you looking like a mess."

Reluctantly he nodded. It would take more than a few minutes to sort himself out, but Kurt was right. He could at least drink a cup of coffee and eat something and then, when he got back to her room, he would take a nap while she was sleeping so he at least had a shot at keeping his wits together in the morning when they would no doubt receive more news.

"Thanks man."

Kurt nodded wordlessly and gave him a small wave before slipping into Rachel's room to sit with her until his return.

Like the corridors, the waiting room was quiet and Puck took note of the fact the only inhabitants were his people; his sister, his best friend and Brad, who he supposed had made it onto his friend list as well, so his presence was not unwelcome.

Rebecca appeared to be asleep, lying across several uncomfortable chairs with Finn's jacket draped over her, while the former quarterback was sitting a few rows over, conversing quietly with the casually attired lawyer who had obviously driven back from upstate with Kurt upon receiving news of Rachel's hospitalisation.

They both noticed him at the same time, standing in unison as Puck tread wearily towards them. He loathed having to explain Rachel's condition all over again, but they deserved an update as well, so he provided one in short clipped sentences. "She was having contractions, they've stopped them for now. We just have to wait and see."

Both men accepted his succinct explanation but Finn ventured to ask carefully, "And how are you doing?"

"I'll be ok when I know she's ok." He answered heavily and accepted the bottle of water his best friend handed him, unscrewing the cap and guzzling half the contents. A wrapped sandwich was pushed into his hands but before he could think about food or resting for a few minutes as Kurt had suggested, his sister stirred and upon waking, she sat up and threw off her jacket blanket, stumbling towards him.

"Noah!"

He caught her easily and wrapped his arms around her, much like he had done upon his arrival earlier that evening. "Both Rachel and the baby are stable," he told her. "She's resting now but you can come back see her tomorrow." Selfishly, he didn't want to tell her too much and cause her any unnecessary worry. His sister may have acted most of the time like she was 17 going on 30, but she was still a kid and it was his job to protect her.

"I'm not leaving," Rebecca proclaimed firmly, as she pulled away, rightly assuming that her brother would next be directing her to go home. "I'm fine right where I am."

He scrunched his eyes shut and in his mind, he slowly counted to 10 not wanting to start an argument. "Bec, I know you want to be here and I appreciate that, but there's nothing you can do," Puck reasoned."You can however go home and get some shut eye, and then bring Rachel and I some clothes and toiletries in the morning. You know she's particular about her toothpaste and she'll want her own pyjamas."

The teenager bit her lip, battling with indecision. "Do you want me to call mom back for you too? I called her when I wasn't sure what was going on, she's probably going spare and you don't need to deal with that."

Puck recognised her need to feel useful as he was battling the same sentiment himself, so he conceded, knowing his mother wouldn't leave off until he had spoken to her himself at length, but happy to put that off as long as possible.

"That would be great, which reminds me, I should probably call Rachel's dad's too. She'll want them to know."

Before he could turn to his best friend and ask him to escort his sister home, they were interrupted.

"Touching," an unfamiliar voice drawled sarcastically, "but you know it's only polite that a husband is notified when his wife in hospitalised."

There in the flesh, decked out in a tuxedo indicating he'd just come from an event, was the very last person who should darken Rachel's door. Her estranged husband, Michael fucking Weitzmann.

In a flash, Puck had darted across the room and pushed the unwelcome intruder against the wall with a strong forearm braced against his throat. "You!"

"Puck!"

"Noah!"

He was deaf to the chorus of voices around him as he focused on the piece of shit he was certain was one of the reasons Rachel was lying in that hospital bed. His own sense of responsibility for contributing to her distress weighed heavily in his heart but just then, he needed an outlet for his pain and Rachel's piece of shit ex was a prime target.

While he's usual M.O would entail a swift punch to the face and old fashioned ass whopping, the primal power Puck felt coursing through his veins as he towered over this snivelling suit, pressing into his windpipe and watching as his skin took on an unhealthy hue as he gasped for breath was so darkly satisfying.

Finn and Brad were trying vainly to pull their friend back but they were match for the months of suppressed rage Puck had been nurturing towards the man who had not only dared to once lay a violent hand on the woman he loved, but who was cruelly toying with her day in and day out and just generally being an unwelcome roadblock when it came to the life they were trying to build.

Michael was struggling in his hold, kicking his legs ineffectively in a vain attempt to disarm his attacker.

"Noah, stop! He's not worth it. Rachel needs you here, you moron. You'll be no good to her if you get yourself arrested!" It was his sister's shrill voice that finally permeated through the cloud of his blind rage and reluctantly he loosened his hold, shoving hard as he pushed the other man away.

"You're a lunatic," Michael gasped, clutching his throat as he fought to return air to his lungs. Seconds later though, as Finn and Brad were urging Puck to calm down, he forced himself to straighten and his lips curled into a smirk. "I'll press charges for that."

"You can't press charges if your dead," Puck spat furiously. "If Rachel loses the baby I'll fucking rip you apart, limb by limb. She's in here because of you and the shit you've put her through. You know the biggest contributor to pre term labour? Fucking stress." Puck shoved Finn's hovering hands away from him as he glared at his adversary. "

Michael's smirk dropped a fraction as the reason for his estranged wife's hospitalisation was revealed to him.

"What are you even doing here?" Brad demanded authoratively, stepping up to stand between the two men who had nothing in common save for a pint sized brunette. "You've been instructed to direct all communication through her lawyer, which in case you forgot, is me. You have no right to be here."

"She's my wife-"

"Because you haven't signed the fucking papers!" Puck roared, his fists clenching and unclenching in agitation.

Nurse Wendy, who had been so kind to Puck earlier in the evening, appeared with a male orderly, the confrontation having drawn their attention from the nurses station.

"Gentlemen, what seems to be the problem here?" The nurse's eyes flicked warily between the two men while the smarmy blond adjusted his tie and pasted on his best smile, unaware of how blatantly phoney and off-putting the expression was as he stepped forward. "No problem, I'm Michael Weitzmann and I'm here to see Rachel Weitzmann, my wife."

Puck growled and moved again to strike, but Brad and Finn were both prepared for him and this time, their combined strength was enough to hold him in place.

Fortunately the middle aged nurse was both unimpressed by the Broadway producer's posturing and experienced in navigating difficult family dynamics, having seen it all in during the course of her career. That and she had an excellent bullshit radar and someone in that room positively stank.

"Well, unfortunately Ms Berry is only allowed minimal visitors right now and you, sir, are not on her approved list. As you aren't permitted to be here, I'll have to ask you to remove yourself from this ward and if you wish to remain onsite, confine yourself to the waiting room downstairs."

The shade being thrown in both refusing to refer to Rachel by her married name and denying the Douchebag's right to be there, endeared the nurse to Puck even more. As a gesture of his appreciation, she'd be walking in to more flowers that a flower shop when she came on shift the next day, Puck would make sure of it.

Michael meanwhile had dropped all pretence and was scowling, "I'm her husband and as such, I have a right to be here in the event any decisions need to be made about her care."

"Actually you don't," Brad interjected, smoothly switching on to Lawyer mode. "New York State law allows the nomination of an individual as a health care proxy, it's not a right automatically granted to a spouse. Rachel legally appointed Kurt as her's months ago."

Michael spluttered, clearly not expecting that.

"Since you aren't her nominated health care proxy," Brad continued confidently, "it begs the question as to how you knew she was here. You weren't notified."

"He's having her followed," Puck guessed shrewdly, "when we changed her number and he couldn't reach her by phone, he chose to harass her in person. You couldn't have just run into her by accident in Brooklyn last week."

Michael's silence spoke volumes and Rebecca, who had been silently watching the drama unfold took the opportunity to interject and put her own stamp on the proceedings.

"Phone harassment, stalking, private detectives, that's text book escalation you psycho. So first thing in the morning, we'll be seeking a restraining order because you're a clear threat to both Rachel's safety and her baby. You step within 200 feet of her or attempt to contact her by mail, text or email and you'll be thrown in jail so fast your head will spin."

All four men turned in surprise to the teenager who was standing tall with her arms crossed, casually threatening the wealthy man with her lips twisted in a fierce scowl, "What? You think I'd let this slime ball put his hands on my sister right in front of me and not figure out how to protect her? My Bff's dad is a Captain on the force and he legit adores Rachel, think's she's a good influence or something. A phone call from me and he'll have both a tap and tail on this loser 24/7 just waiting for him to fuck up."

"That's an excellent idea," Brad supported without missing a beat. "We have cause to believe he is a threat to her person. I have the photos from when he attacked her and the copies of her phone records detailing the frequency of his harassment including his voicemails. I'll go down to the station in the morning and the protection order should be issued before noon."

Puck grinned proudly at his sister who smirked back. It didn't escape his notice that Becca had referred to Rachel as her sister, and it was one anecdote he couldn't wait to share with his girlfriend who he knew would be so touched. She would need something to smile about.

Michael was rendered silent as he knew the evidence against him was damning, he had feared it since Rachel had divulged the fact she had photos and a signed affidavit from their doorman, but in his arrogance he had been certain she wouldn't use them. But it appeared he might have underestimated his wife, who was no longer isolated and vulnerable to him and his need for control. No, she had a support system now and he was acutely aware that his claim on her was hanging by a tenuous thread, their divorce proceedings delayed only on technicality that would be resolved as soon as her baby was born and paternity established. If what her lover had said was true, she was in danger of delivering early and his claim on her would evaporate entirely.

It was as if Puck could read his thoughts as the mechanic reached into his pocket and retrieved the crumpled piece of paper and envelope that would prove to be the loose end needed to finalise Rachel's divorce and remove this unwanted cum stain from their lives once and for all.

"Before I forget, this came in the mail today. Paternity result, the baby's mine with a 99.99% certainty." He passed the document off to Brad who accepted it and immediately took out his phone, snapped a photo of the result and tapped his cell phone display a few times until a whooshing sound indicated an email had been sent.

"I've added this to the file," Brad stated needlessly, expression hard as he advised his client's estranged spouse, "I'll contact your legal team in the morning advising them I require the signed papers returned by close of business day."

For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the loud ticking of the clock on the waiting room wall. That was until the ever helpful Nurse Wendy, who had been silently observing the proceedings carefully, interjected with the best interests of her patient at heart.

"Mr Wietzmann, I'll ask you again to remove yourself before I call security and make you."

With a scathing look, Michael spun on his heel and strode quickly through the double doors and turned a corner that would take him back to the elevators.

The remaining party looked at each other, trying to process what had just occurred.

"So its over then?" Rebecca ventured finally, "He'll leave her alone now right?"

"Yeah Bec," Puck assured her after quirking his eyebrow at Brad who wordlessly replied with a self satisfied smirk. Despite the uncertainty they still faced as they waiting for Rachel's condition to improve, Puck felt lighter at the realisation that finally, they could get some closure to at least one of their problems. "Rachel will be free of him now. He'll sign the papers."

He hoped that come tomorrow, it wasn't the only piece of good news they could share.