A/N: Yes, it's been a while. I'm so sorry! The start of the year is always stressful and there seems to never be enough hours of the day anymore. Anywho, you may or may not still be reading this story, but if you are, I want to thank you big time for sticking with me! (And you may be happy to know I already have another chapter that I have ¾ done and another two that have been outlined already and need filing in after that, so I haven't quit on this story yet!) Big thank you to Andsoitis2, Guest, sinfullyquick, olacindy, RAGML, autumn1999, MaximumFire, cpfalmeida, JustaLittleWallflower, QuickFan, Littleredwriting, kelly, gez lutz merrygold, and prettylittlegleek for taking the time to leave wonderful reviews.

This is just kind of a drabble (at 14,000 words that sounds kind of like an oxymoron) of some things I had been thinking about with regards to what their dynamic could look like in the future. Hope you all enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day

Squinting his eyes open just a crack as the sunlight splashed across his face, Puck internally cursed at the fact that Quinn refused to put blinds or curtains up over the rather large bay windows in their master bedroom. 'It would impede the incredible view we paid an arm and a leg for just for this property.' He could even hear her voice in his head, the playfully patronizing tone she reserved just for him saying those exact same words less than a month ago as he tried to enjoy sleeping in one morning while the morning sun was blaring in.

He really shouldn't complain after all. They did live on a pretty picturesque lot in a great neighborhood surrounded by grass, rolling hills and even a bit of wooded forestland as well, the family dogs Atticus and Rudy loving the chance to explore every square inch of the property.

Yep, I have it all, Puck mused as he turned to glance at the woman slumbering peacefully next to him, one bare breast exposed as it peeked out from under the sheet.

Last night had definitely been a bit of a surprise, Quinn seemingly feeling rather frisky after a few glasses of wine. It had been a while since they'd had 'rushed and hushed' sex, seeing as how three out of the four of their kids and both of their in-laws were staying under the same roof that weekend, but regardless of the speed or sound of their coupling, it was still as hot as ever.

And not gonna lie, the fact that they were both forty-two years old, had been together for the past twenty-three years (twenty-six if he counted the years in high school), and it was still that incredible after all of that time was pretty fucking awesome.

Smiling to himself, he leaned over his wife to give her a morning kiss before a thought struck him suddenly, pulling back slowly as that smile turned into a full-fledged grin at his new plans for the morning.

Easing the sheet aside, he made his way down under the covers, placing gentle kisses down his wife's sides and stomach. Quinn stirred slightly as she rolled over onto the flat of her back, Puck waiting to continue his descent until her breathing had evened out once again.

As soon as he knew she was asleep again, he continued his ministrations, traveling further south as he placed delicate kisses down her lower abdomen, around the side of her core, and down the inside of her left thigh before crawling in between her legs. Resuming the same pattern up her right thigh, he used his tongue and lips to trace a pattern around her bare center, causing Quinn to shift her legs restlessly and offer a soft sigh in her sleep.

Deciding to get down to the good stuff, Puck smiled against her skin before tracing his tongue up and down her slit, interspersing those long licks with small pecks here and there, deliberately skipping over her clit as he worked her up. As soon as he felt her shift again, he stopped once more, waiting for her to settle back in once more before continuing his assault.

Gently sliding his tongue up and down her slit, he found the tiny button nestled at the top and began to swirl his tongue around the bundle of nerves, slowly at first before picking up the pace a bit as her body jerked in response to the stimulus. He laved his tongue up and down her lower lips, making sure to circle the tiny nub on each pass, seeking it out of its hiding place among her folds as he teased and tasted her over and over again.

Quinn groaned above him as her head thrashed against the pillows, her eyes still closed as her mind fought the urge to wake up while her body responded to each and every touch. She was so luscious; slightly tangy, sweet, and utterly divine even after their romp the night before, and Puck still couldn't get over the fact that the woman the beautiful pussy under his tongue belonged to was all his. After twenty years of marriage, she was still his and he could still make her back arch off the bed just as easily as he used to back when they were teens.

Rolling his tongue up and down a few more times, he sealed his lips against her center, suckling gently as he worked his tongue over her clit. He could feel her moan reverberate through her entire body as her fingers wove through his hair, prompting him to glance up into the heavy-lidded gaze of his wife. Watching intently as he continued to suckle her clit, Quinn's body began to shake under his mouth, her head thrown back on the pillow as an almost incoherent, garbled response tumbled out of her mouth.

"Oh, nnuuhg, Puck," she groaned, biting her lip as her hands found his arms wrapped around her hips, her nails digging into his skin as he continued his torment.

Sliding a single finger up and down her already soaking slit, he gently inserted the tip before pulling back out slowly, setting a maddeningly slow pace before adding in a second finger. Keeping his thrusts slow and thorough, he crooked his finger up inside of her and stroked her g-spot, his wife almost flying off of the bed at the sensation.

"You've gotta be quiet, babe," he murmured against her pussy, continuing to thrust his fingers in and out of her, "We wouldn't want to scare the kids now, would we?"

"Oooohhh, I hate you so good right now," Quinn moaned back, grabbing his pillow from his side of the bed and covering her mouth as she let out a muffled scream.

"That's it, baby, just a little more," he chuckled, placing his lips around her clit and suckling hard as he simultaneously pressed up into her g-spot.

A wave of moisture flooded his fingers as Quinn came hard, her legs tightening around his head as the pillow thankfully muffled the string of profanities that spilled out of her mouth. Her internal muscles fluttered and clenched around his fingers as he continued thrusting, helping her ride out her orgasm. Quinn's entire body quaked with exertion and pleasure, her hips jerking as Puck placed one last lingering kiss against her mound.

Puck couldn't help the grin that took over as he looked back up into his wife's sleepy, sated, and supremely sexy gaze, chuckling slightly at the soft hiss that escaped her lips as he finally withdrew his fingers, earning him an additional moan as he placed them both in his mouth and suckled her essence off of them, savoring that last lingering taste before sliding up her body and placing a soft kiss against her lips.

"Mmm, happy Mother's Day, baby."

"Thank you," Quinn smiled in return, the taste of herself on his lips erotic as she ran her nails through his hair and pulled him in closer, lacing their legs together as they cuddled and continued to make out in all their naked glory.

A few minutes later, a thought came to mind, Quinn pulling away slightly as she placed her hand against her husband's chest, "Speaking of Mother's Day, are our children downstairs in the kitchen?"

"You know them so well," he smiled, twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers.

"So they are making me breakfast in bed?"

"Yes, and don't worry, Danny is supervising the girls."

"Oh Lord," she groaned, pulling in a deep breath through her nose, "Did you pull the fire extinguisher out just in case."

"Babe, they're fine," Puck snorted, stifling a laugh at the serious look in his wife's eye, "But yes, I actually did. Left it on the counter last night for them with a note."

"Way to think ahead, Puckerman," she grinned, pulling him in for another kiss, "And don't get me wrong, I love the fact that the kids go out of their way to actually get up in the morning to make me breakfast in bed."

"But…"

"But I hate eating in bed," she cringed, "Something about crumbs in the covers is kind of not my thing. I like clean sheets."

"Clean sheets? Ha!" he laughed, "Were you here last night? Or like five minutes ago? Because things got a little dirty in these sheets."

"I know, and believe me, I appreciated my earlier 'breakfast in bed'" she giggled, "But …" she paused again before taking a deep, calming breath, "You know what, it's the thought that counts. It's the thought that counts."

"Danny has stuff for mimosas," Puck replied bluntly, knowing just what to say at the right time.

And sure thing, that one statement was enough to change her whole outlook on the morning.

"Ooh! I love breakfast in bed!

"I thought you might like that. But speaking of breakfast in bed," he began, reaching down onto the floor next to the bed and grabbing her clothes before tossing her the sports bra, t-shirt, and pajama shorts he divested her of the night before, "You may wanna put these back on before the kids come up here or we may scar them for life."

"Ooh, good call," she murmured, pulling on her clothes quickly before sliding back under the covers, "You know, it kind of amazes me that, out of all our kids, the only one who ever walked in on us was Riley."

Puck had to laugh at that one as he pulled on his own boxers and t-shirt, the comment throwing him off a little as he briefly reminisced on that night a few years prior, "Yeah, we were doing really good until the last kid. Poor girl. Though I don't think she saw much. At least, I hope she didn't see much."

"Yeah, not gonna lie, 'the talk' after that was still a little weird," Quinn murmured, kissing her husband again before a knock at the door broke them apart.

"Ma? Dad? Ya decent?" Danny called out, barely opening the door as he waited for an answer.

"Yes, smartass," Puck called back, earning him a slap on the arm and a 'language' warning from his wife.

"Hey, just trying to be polite! There are definitely some things a child should never have to see," Danny teased, raising an eyebrow at Riley after hearing the story second hand from Beth, the whole thing turning into an inside joke.

"Come on, Danny, the eggs are gonna get cold if you just stand there!" Riley called out, following her older sister Ella toward the bed as they each carried a tray of food carefully toward their parents. Danny smiled at the littlest Puckerman before following suit, carrying in a bottle of champagne, a carton of orange juice and juggling five glasses on a tray. He set two glasses down first and filled them with juice for his sisters before popping the cork and pouring a decent amount of the sparkling wine into the other three glasses and topping them off with orange juice.

"Excuse me, Mister? You just helping yourself to the alcohol?" Quinn asked, raising an eyebrow at her son.

"Mom, really? I'm eighteen. I'm graduating in two weeks and shipping out for my plebe summer at the start of July," Danny commented, "I feel like one glass won't hurt."

"Yeah hun, he's heading to the Naval Academy anyway so it's not like he's gonna be doing a whole lot of partying while he's there like he would at other schools," Puck remarked, smiling back at his son, "Let him just enjoy it."

"Oh fine," Quinn relented, winking at her son before holding up her glass in cheers, "But I'm not ready to admit that you're about to graduate and fly the coop so soon."

"It's not like I'm the last kid you have here at home," Danny joked, "You'll have your hands full with these two."

"Hey!" Ella commented, shaking her head and swallowing her bite of eggs before turning back toward her mom, "Plus, Annapolis is like forty-five minutes away, Mom. It's not like he's moving across the country."

"Yeah, and we'll still get to come watch you play football, right Danny?" Riley asked.

"Well I hope you'll come visit, Squirt," Danny joked, "Contrary to popular opinion," he began, shooting a sideways glance over at his sister Ella before continuing, "I'll actually miss you ladies."

"We'll be there every game we can, Sweet Pea," Puck promised, kissing his youngest on the top of the head before lathering up a piece of toast with jam.

"But enough about me, it's mom's day today," Danny smiled, trying to avoid the inevitable crying that usually came when his mom thought about him leaving. Helping himself to a slice of apple on her plate, he glanced at his watch, "When is Beth coming over?"

"She, Jason, and Aunt Shelby are supposed to be here at around two this afternoon," Quinn chimed in, "But your Grandma, Grandpa, and Nana will be back here around noon."

"Why can't Beth come until two then?" Ella asked, topping a slice of her toast with s spoonful of eggs before taking a big bite.

"Because they're celebrating Mother's Day at brunch with Jason's parents," Puck reminded them, setting aside a few slices of bacon and some eggs on a piece of toast for Quinn before handing the plate to his wife.

He had to admit, the Alexanders' were pretty good people. He had been expecting Jason's father, a Captain in the Navy to be a rather pretentious man, but he was the complete opposite, much to Puck's surprise. Both of Jason's parents were very warm and gracious, the couples and Shelby bonding instantly when they first met to discuss their children's wedding.

After asking Puck for his blessing, Jason had waited until Christmas a few years ago to propose to Beth while on a ski trip out in Colorado; Puck, Quinn, and Shelby flying in on his behest to be present to celebrate with them afterwards. However, after a serious conversation with both sets of their parents chiming in and realizing the stress of the start of law school for Beth and boot camp/tech school for Jason would take its toll, they had decided on a long engagement, one that was soon to end at their upcoming nuptials in August.

But it was still very sweet how close all of the kids had gotten ever since Beth decided on law school in Virginia four years ago, and adding Jason to the mix seemed like a perfect fit considering he and Danny were like brothers already.

Plus, both Quinn and Puck knew that their daughters all loved each other very much, but part of Quinn still couldn't figure out if Riley and Ella were more excited to see their sister or continue to pester her about their bridesmaid dresses that afternoon.

"So, we sticking to the usual plan for Mother's Day, Ma?" Danny asked, biting off a large chunk of bacon.

"If by usual plan you mean heading to Home Depot and picking out flowers for the pots and flower beds out front, then yes," Quinn grinned, watching both her son and husband roll their eyes at the fact that the two of them would be digging quite a few holes this morning.

"Can we each pick some out again, too?" Ella asked before downing the rest of her orange juice.

"Of course!" Quinn replied, wiping the corners of her mouth with her napkin before sitting back against the headboard, "You gals have a great eye for the really beautiful flowers too."

"Hey, what about us?" Puck teased, sitting back and wrapping his arm around his wife before planting a kiss on her temple.

Quinn just had to laugh at the look on his face, "The last item that you and Dan picked out to plant ended up being the biggest pain in the rear to remove," she commented, remembering the tangled limbs and roots of the tree they had planted a few years prior, only to have the tree die less than a two years later, forcing them to dig the whole thing out of the ground and effectively leaving a rather large hole and several smaller pock marks throughout the yard.

"In our defense, at least we know where the dogs like to bury things when they go missing," Danny shrugged, shoveling another forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"You can defend yourselves all you want, but it was still a bad idea that Mom warned you about in the first place," Riley commented, snuggling into her mother's side while Quinn wrapped her arm around her youngest.

"Alright, alright," Puck cut in, effectively ceasing any argument that would have most likely started between his spunky eleven year old and her eighteen year old brother who almost always managed to get sucked into minor spats with his younger siblings.

At times, Puck felt for his son. Danny was the only boy out of four, and while he loved his sisters dearly and defended them fiercely when necessary, he was definitely like his father in the sense that he hadn't quite learned to shut his mouth when he needed to. Both Puck and Quinn knew that their younger daughters were usually the instigators of many of the tiffs between the kids, and while it was usually their fourteen year old daughter Ella who frequently goaded him into arguments, Riley had started taking after her older sister in that respect and they were none-too-pleased about it. Usually, they ended up letting Dan off the hook but after years of trial and error they determined it was just better overall to stop the argument before it even started.

Beth had managed to escape the sibling spats for the most part, as the age difference mixed with the fact that she was around only about a third of the year helped aid in the avoidance of conflicts, but even the twenty-five year old was not completely immune to her younger siblings. In fact, over the past Christmas, Beth had gotten into a small row with Ella, the elder sibling swearing up and down to her parents afterwards that she was convinced Ella would follow in Quinn and her footsteps into becoming an attorney with how argumentative and well-spoken the middle sister was.

"Riley, you know the dogs aren't supposed to eat people food," Ella commented, snapping the family's attention toward the little girl currently feeding the crusts from her toast to the two dogs sitting patiently next to the bed.

"It's whole grain bread! It's not gonna hurt them," Riley replied, rolling her eyes before deliberately reaching down and feeding their older hound dog, Rudy, a healthy bite of her remaining toast.

"It's still not good for them, Sweetheart," Quinn explained, giving up on telling her daughter no the second Riley tossed the other half of the toast to their black Labrador, Atticus, "Besides, the way they're chewing it is getting crumbs and slobber all over the floor."

"They're dogs, Mom. They'll clean up after themselves," Riley commented, "See, look." She pointed to where their lab was currently licking up the rest of the crumbs off of the floor.

"Great…" Quinn sighed, smoothing the little girl's hair down as she pulled her in closer to snuggle up next to her. Unlike her other children, who she was sure would take after either Puck or herself when it came to career choices and become either career military or attorneys, Riley was in a class of her own.

She and Puck had talked in length about their kids and what they could see them doing in the future, and while Danny was convinced he was either becoming a Navy SEAL or following his father into the Marine Corps upon graduation from the US Naval Academy, Quinn and Puck weren't so sure and could easily see his fascination with airplanes and helicopters turning into an aviation specialty within either the Navy or Marines. Both Beth and Ella were convinced they were going to be lawyers just like their mom when they were little, Beth following through with it and becoming a licensed attorney the year prior while Ella was still hell-bent on following suit.

But Riley was different. Riley was sweet, kind, easy going, entirely unassuming and completely carefree, the little girl loving to learn and explore all about the world around her. Puck often joked that she'd become the artsy one in the family, pursuing a life in painting or music, much to her parent's delight. All of their children had excelled in music, both vocally and instrumentally, as Puck and Quinn really pushed and supported them to appreciate the arts all through school.

It was made even easier with the help of Shelby being a part of their lives as well, even moreso since she and Beth had made the move to DC four years ago, the three adults often sharing stories about their love of music and how, if it weren't for music and their involvement in the arts in high school, none of them would be together, let alone be where they were today. Even Daniel, the one who was originally the most reluctant to stay in his high school choir after it started conflicting with his football and lacrosse schedules, stuck with it, earning himself a spot on the Midshipmen Glee Club for the upcoming year, a feat not too many plebe freshman can say they've earned. But while all of their children were great musicians, Riley was by far the most talented of the bunch, picking up several instruments, excelling in dance, and even edging out Beth and Ella in the vocals department at her age as well.

But Quinn was convinced the little girl had something else in store for her future, as her love and care for animals had always been something that had stood out above the rest to her. She was the one who had begged her parents for a dog, and even after they adopted the hound, she still managed to come home with a stray Labrador, refusing to part with the puppy despite their protests, promising to care for both dogs. And she had made good on her word too, ensuring both dogs were fed and walked twice a day. She even convinced Quinn to allow her to volunteer for a few hours each weekend down at the humane society so she could help walk and feed the dogs and cats there, often coming home with new stories about how she helped care for an injured animal here and there. Her compassion for people was one thing, but her innate compassion for animals of all kinds around her was something truly unique, so much so that Quinn was convinced her youngest would most likely become a veterinarian or something like that.

"Alright Pucklings, thank you for breakfast, but it's time for your mama and I get up and get going if we wanna get back in time to see your grandparents and your sister, so let's move out," Puck exclaimed, breaking Quinn out of her thoughts as one by one the kids stood from their places on the bed and collected all of the plates and trays before filing out of the door.

"At least the eggs were fully cooked this year," Quinn commented once the kids had all left, taking another sip of her mimosa before crawling out of bed.

"Yeah, and while I know it's not the same as oven-crisp bacon, at least the microwave slat thingy you found online actually works ok too," Puck commented, pouring a little more champagne into her glass before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss against her lips, "Plus, I'd be seriously worried about their ability to fend for themselves in the real world if they couldn't figure out how to make a decent piece of toast. I'm thinking this was their best effort yet."

"Very true," she conceded, pulling the covers back up as she made the bed before brushing a few excess crumbs off of the comforter, "Though they still can't quite pull of the cheese eggs I adore just yet."

"Hey, that's my specialty… and I'll make you those for breakfast in bed any day," Puck joked, downing the rest of the champagne in his glass and setting it on the dresser before shucking his shirt and making his way toward the bathroom to start the shower.

Quinn followed in his wake, wrapping her arms around him from behind and tracing her nails up and down his stomach before placing a kiss in between his shoulder blades. "Yeah, well, if I'm being honest," she began, lowering her voice as she stood on her tip-toes and whispered in his ear, "I liked your version of breakfast in bed this morning a little better."

Grinning before spinning around, Puck caught his wife around the waist, "I thought you may enjoy that."

"Oh, immensely," she murmured, reaching up and pulling him back down for another kiss, "Best alarm clock ever."

"I'm glad you liked it," he replied in return, kissing her hard as he backed up her up against the wall, "How about we save a little time and water and shower together?"

"I like the way you think," Quinn replied, pulling off her shirt and kicking her shorts off before grasping his hand and pulling him into the shower behind her, giggling as his mouth closed over hers.

Puck shucked his soaked boxers before hoisting his wife's legs up around his waist and guiding himself toward her center. "I know you have volume control issues, but remember the kids are down the hall," he taunted, "Think you can stay quiet?"

"I'm always up for a challenge, Puckerman," she murmured, letting herself sink down on his erection, a slight hiss escaping her throat, "Now shut up and kiss me."

"With pleasure."

Five hours, several new holes, a multitude of new flowers, a few blisters, and a slew of curse words later, the entire Puckerman clan finally had a chance to sit down on the back porch and enjoy the incredible May weather. Puck and Steve had fired up the grill while Jason seasoned the steaks they had purchased for their bar-be-que, the men falling into easy conversation as they enjoyed Steve's home-brewed beer, a new hobby of his that made Judy roll her eyes at how animated he got talking about the different ingredients he used. They even let Danny in on their boy's club as well, both Steve and Puck defending the boy yet again when Quinn mentioned the underage drinking by stating how ridiculous it was that "someone can join the military and go off to war to defend their country, but can't have a beer to celebrate making it home." It sounded reasonable enough, and frankly, Quinn knew that she had to pick her battles with her son and husband, and this was not one she was going to win.

The women, on the other hand were sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the sunshine and mild spring day with a few glasses of Santana's Famous Sangria in their glasses. Riley and Ella were keeping themselves busy bumping, setting, and hitting their new volleyball with one another, a gift from their older sister to go along with the outdoor net she had given the girls over Christmas, the girls thrilled to finally be able to set it up and enjoy it now that the snow was gone.

They spent the afternoon laughing, telling stories and joking around, enjoying a few appetizers and chips and salsa while they waited for the meat to finish grilling. As soon as it was done, everyone pounced all over it, the whole crew devouring their steaks and veggies as they sat around and chatted even more, letting everything settle before bringing out the desert.

However, before anything could really settle any further, the doorbell rang, Puck cursing the interruption and hoping that it was one of the neighbor kids asking to play instead of someone ruining their first full family day in months by trying to sell them something.

Popping up immediately, Danny shoved another roll in his mouth and attempted to say that he'd get it, swallowing hard as he walked back into the house.

"I swear, the one thing I'm looking forward to him heading to the Naval Academy is the hope that they'll teach that boy proper etiquette and manners," Quinn sighed.

"Maybe it's a family thing, because it took me years to break Beth of some bad habits," Shelby teased, Beth shooting her mom the stink eye in the process.

"I wasn't that bad," Beth groaned, much to the eye rolling of both her mom and her fiancée, "Ok, so I wasn't as bad as Dan though. Come on, throw me a bone here."

"What are you talking about? I heard my name," Danny replied walking back out on the deck, "Oh, by the way, someone is here for you and Grandma."

"Me and your grandma?" Quinn repeated, waiting for her son to nod in the affirmative before the two former Fabray women stood and made their way up to the front door.

However, as soon as she opened the door, Quinn about fainted, a soft gasp escaping her mother's lips as she held onto the doorframe for support, neither woman expecting what was waiting for them on the front porch.

x-x-x-x-x-x

After close to five minutes later and no sign from his wife or mother-in-law, Puck was starting to wonder what the heck was keeping them. While the conversation flowed around him, he was still stuck, wondering if the Girl Scouts were out selling cookies again, as that was the only explanation he could come up with for their delay.

"Hey Dan," he commented, getting his son's attention, "Who was at the door?"

"Just now?" he asked in reply, pursing his lips as he thought about it before answering, "I didn't recognize 'em but I think he said his name was Russ, or Russell, or something like that. I can't really remember –"

His son's voice faded away as his heart began to pound, concern rising in his chest as he stood abruptly and turned to make his way back into the house.

"Noah, wait," Steve called, "Is that who I think it may be?"

"That's my fear," Puck replied, turning back around and heading toward the front door, Steve hot on his heels, "Do you know any other Russell?"

"I swear to God," Steve began, failing to finish his statement as they glanced out the front window.

x-x-x-x-x-x

"Why did both Dad and Grandpa jump up like that?" Ella asked, "And who is Russell?"

Beth's eyes went wide with realization as she quickly glanced at both her mom and her Nana Ruth, the two older women sharing the same look as they glanced around the table.

"You know, maybe we should all play a game of volleyball while we wait," Shelby suggested, trying to take their kids attention off of what was going on.

"You're not telling us something. Your eyes give it away," Danny commented, "What's going on, Aunt Shelby?"

"You know what, I have a feeling the man at the door is someone your grandma and mom haven't seen in years," Ruth Puckerman commented, "And if it is, we need to give them their privacy. I agree with Shelby. Let's play some volleyball."

"Are you kidding me?" Beth cried incredulously, glancing back and forth between her mother and nana, "Is that seriously him at the door?"

Standing so fiercely that she knocked over her chair, Beth began to charge into the house, only to have her fiancée try and stop her, the blonde batting him off and refusing to heed his comments to 'calm down.' Finally snapping, she turned to face him and her mother, red faced and full of fury as she finally spoke once more.

"No, I will not calm down! If that's who I think it is, I'm gonna go kick his ass personally!" she cried, "No, seriously, who kicks their child out on the street when he finds out she's pregnant? Who essentially influenced her to give their child up for adoption then bailed on his wife and daughter for some younger woman? Mom, don't get me wrong, I love my life and wouldn't trade having you as a mom for anything, but come on?!"

Making her way toward her daughter, Shelby wrapped her arm around her and helped pull her back toward the table, whispering in her ear, "We can talk about this later, but just look at your siblings. Now is not the time."

Beth glanced around the table at her younger brother and sisters, all three of them staring at her with wide eyes, looks of concern on every one of their faces as they watched her closely. She realized she may have over-reacted slightly and tried to reign in her anger as best as she could, fighting with her own emotions as she tried not to cry or scream, the only two things she wanted to do in that moment.

"Just take a few deep breaths, and calm down," Shelby cooed, "I know you're upset right now, and you have every right to be. But think about your siblings. Think about your mom and dad and grandma and how they're feeling right now."

Beth knew her mom was right, and knew it would be a lot harder on her parents and her grandma than it would be on her to confront the man who had caused so many problems and created so many trust issues within her family. Turning back toward the kitchen, Beth just sighed and began to walk back into the house, before pausing at the door and glancing back at her family.

"Look, I get it and I'm not going to do anything. I just – I need a little bit of time," she murmured, making her way toward the stairs and up to her room, which conveniently sat just off to the side of the front door, Beth cracking her window to see if she could overhear the conversation going on below.

Feeling completely helpless and unsure as to what to do, Jason made his way toward the front of the house, watching as Puck and Steve stood there by the front window and scoped out the scene, the elder of the two waving him over to join them.

"I can't believe that asshole actually came all the way here," Steve commented.

"He has balls to be standing on my front porch right now," Puck murmured in reply, glancing over at his soon to be son-in-law, "See that asshat? That's Judy's ex-husband and Quinn's biological father. He bailed on them years ago, so I can't figure out why, after all this time, he decided to come back."

Jason took a glance at the older, weathered man on the front stoop, the last remaining individual to carry on the Fabray name, and had to admit, he looked like a stuck-up, smarmy piece of work. "Yeah, Beth heard the name and something clicked. She was about to charge out here herself, but I think she just needed a little space."

"Probably a good call, kid," Puck replied, glancing out the window once more and focusing on Quinn, noting the tears coming to her eyes as she crossed her arms defensively, "Oh fuck no! He does not get to make my wife cry."

Pushing away from the window, Puck charged toward the door, swinging it open before stepping out on the front porch, "Is everything ok out here?" he asked, turning his attention toward the man in front of him, "Can I help you?"

"No, actually. I was just talking to Quinn and Judy," Russell began, still staring at his ex-wife and daughter before finally breaking his gaze away from the women and directing it at the men in the doorway, surprise etched on all of his features before continuing, "Oh wow! Just wow, Quinnie," he commented, leaning forward and squinting his eyes to get a better look at Puck, "I mean, I thought your mother stooped a little low by rebounding from me with Steve Woods of all people. But I mean hey, Steve-O, she's all yours. Enjoy the leftovers."

"Hey! You do not get to speak to my wife like that," Steve snapped back, but Russell just continued, completely unfazed.

"But honestly, this may take the cake. You're still with this loser?"

Puck heard his wife's breath hitch, and saw his mother-in-law's face go bright red, the two former Fabray women barely keeping it together after what Puck could only assume was a barrage of insults as opposed to the long-awaited family reunion he knew Quinn was secretly hoping for after the past twenty five years.

"Russell, you have no right –" Quinn began, only to be cut off once again.

"Oh, now it's Russell? I mean, after all I provided for you and gave you, the least you could call me is Dad, Q." Russell commented, patronizing his daughter with a smug grin on his face.

"Ok, you know what, I frankly don't give a shit why you're here or what you came here for, but on behalf of myself and my family, I think it's time for you to leave, Sir," Puck interjected as calmly as possible.

"Your family? Ha, it was my family first, you punk."

"Yeah well they became mine when you bailed on them," he commented, turning toward Quinn for validation, "I believe the legal term is actually abandoned. You lost your right to call them family the moment you turned your back on them."

Russell's smug grin turned into a snarky grimace, glaring at Puck with nostrils flaring, "You know what, you little piece of shit, you have no idea what it's like to be a responsible adult or even a productive member of society at that. I mean, just look at you. What are you doing in a house like this, I mean, that is if you're not here to rob the place? It's a good thing you two didn't end up keeping that abomination of a child you had in high school. I'm sure she would have turned out to be a piece of work, just like you."

Quinn let out an audible gasp and Puck felt his fists clench at his sides, but before he could react, his future son-in-law jumped in first.

"You watch your mouth," Jason sneered, the young man lunging forward only to be held back with a firm arm-bar by Puck, "That's my fiancée you're talking about."

"Oh shit, am I interrupting some fucked-up family reunion? Oh, this is good," Russell chortled with glee.

"Quinn, why don't you and Judy head inside and pull out the ice cream to thaw a little before dessert." Puck asked calmly, looking back at his teary-eyed wife and offering her a soft smile, "Please?"

Giving him a slight nod, Quinn grasped her mother's trembling hand and helped pull her back into the house, quietly closing the door behind them.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Puck whirled around and took another two steps toward Russell, glaring back at him the same way his old drill sergeants used to.

"Listen here, Russell. You have absolutely no right to come to my home on this holiday of all days and run your mouth at my wife or my mother-in-law."

Russell gave a loud laugh, "I'm sorry, I'm still tickled by the fact that she's actually still with you. I mean, you forced her to sleep with you the first time, so I assume you probably forced or coerced her into marrying you too."

Puck's eyes grew huge as stared the man down, "I NEVER forced Quinn to do anything! Never! And I never would either. In fact, that first time? Yeah, I may have kissed her first, but the rest was her idea. Even the whole 'doing it under your roof' was her idea. I may have been the complete opposite of Quinn, but I do respect women and I do respect my wife and I would never cross that line, unlike you."

"God, you still talk a big game, but at the end of the day, you're still a loser who is probably living off of residuals from my money, or sucking it all from Quinn. I heard she was a lawyer these days… you know it's kind of humorous that your wife makes more money than you. I guess she really does wear the pants in this relationship, primary bread winner and all."

"I wouldn't say that," Puck sneered, "First of all, our finances are none of your business, but if you really want to know, we worked hard to get to this point and none of your dirty money has ever gone into anything Quinn and I have built together. Second, she is a damn good attorney, but I also have a very good job and I also know how to invest well too. We're doing just fine on our own, thank you. And third?" Puck commented, lowering his voice as he grinned at the man in front of him, "While our relationship is great as it is, it's a whole heck of a lot more fun when neither of us are wearing pants at all."

"You arrogant, smug, little –" Russell began, the creak of the door behind them catching him off guard.

"Uhh, what's going on out here?" Danny asked, wandering out onto the front stoop, "And why are mom and grandma so upset?"

"Mom?" Russell scoffed, "You mean to tell me that little whore was dumb enough to get knocked up again? Ha!"

"You son of a bitch!" Danny yelled in return, pointing a finger at Russell as he moved to get into his face as well, Jason and Steve barely able to restrain the kid as he charged the older man, "What? Let go of me! Did you just hear what he called my mom?" he asked, looking at the two men holding him back. "No seriously, you think you're a tough guy, old man? Come prove it!" he challenged, Puck even taking a moment to turn back around to address his son.

"Easy now, Tiger," he murmured, "I've got this."

"You may want to teach that son of yours a little respect, especially when addressing his superiors," Russell scoffed.

"Superiors, ha!" Jason grumbled, rolling his eyes, "You're no better than the dirt under my boots, sir."

"And yet you still address me as Sir."

"Sheer habit, for you see, I was raised and trained to address people as human beings, not as scum, a trait you're obviously lacking, sir," Jason replied sarcastically, "And frankly, I feel like you don't have much room to come up here, insult my future bride and in-laws, and stand there with that shit-eating grin of yours. Honestly, shame on you, Sir."

"Shame on me? Ha, shame on you young man. And shame on you, Puckerman," Russell commented, turning his attention away from the glares, "The way you run this home is a joke. Though, not surprising seeing as how your own father was never around for long enough to show you how to be a man and run a household. I bet he never even taught you how to piss standing up."

"Ok, you know what?" Puck commented, keeping his voice as calm and collected as he could, "I think you need to leave now."

"What? No snarky comment? No shitty comeback? No explanation for ruining my daughter's life?"

"Mr. Fabray, it's time for you to go," Puck said, a bit more forcefully, crossing his arms in front of him as he stared the older man down.

"Oh, but I'm not done here," Russell snapped, "You see, I came here to speak to my ex-wife and my daughter and I'm not leaving until I get to finish my conversation."

"Well, that's not going to happen, so you can either leave now or –"

"Or what? You're gonna make me leave?" Russell interrupted, "And how do you plan on doing that, huh? Especially when your other bastard children are looking out the windows watching what you do."

"Ok, you know what," Puck snapped, keeping his voice low as he took another step closer to the man in front of him, "You can say whatever you want about me, but you will NOT speak another word about my family and my children. Do you understand?"

"Oh, I understand perfectly. Quinn and her mother are one thing, always running when shit gets hard, but you're just a goddamn coward. You want me to leave?" Russell challenged, "Well, unless you're willing to settle this like a real man, I'm not going anywhere, and I don't think you're willing to do that with little eyes watching. So move out of the way so I can go speak to my daughter and wife."

"Ex-wife," Steve shot back, "And just like my son-in-law said, you're not going anywhere near them ever again."

"Oh yeah, just watch me," Russell replied.

He took a few more steps forward, making to move toward the front door before Puck stepped in front of him to block his way, holding his hand up against the man's chest as he pushed him back slightly. "That's far enough."

"Take your goddamn hand off of me, boy!" Russell stated incredulously, "That's assault."

Puck continued to glare back at the man, showing no signs of either removing his hand or stepping back out of the way, holding his ground as he stood up a little taller. "Oh Mr. Fabray, believe me, from this standpoint, my hand on you is the least of your worries," he gritted through his teeth, "But take one more step and I'll really show you what assault is."

"Is that a threat?" Russell asked, "Because that sounded an awful lot like a threat."

"No sir, that's not a threat," Puck grinned, "That's a promise."

Russell narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him, grabbing Puck's wrist as he tried to throw it off of him. Puck held his ground and turned the tables on the older man, pulling back quickly and twisting Russell's wrist in the process, applying just enough pressure to make it extremely uncomfortable but not enough to do any real damage.

"Let go of me! This is assault and battery! I'm pressing charges!" he cried, twisting in discomfort.

"You were practically asking for it. And no you're not going to press charges, and even if you do, who would believe you?" Puck replied, pulling Russell in even closer so he fully understood the situation he had put himself in, "For you see, this porch you're standing on, this is my home. You came onto my property, insulted my wife and my mother-in-law, and threatened my children. You were then asked repeatedly to leave before you decided to try and walk into my house to further threaten my family," he explained slowly, "Frankly, you're fucking lucky I didn't shoot you where you stand."

"Talking about murder now too?" Russell groaned, Puck still twisting his wrist as their showdown continued, "At least you'd be in jail, where punks and menaces to society are supposed to end up."

"Oh no, see, that's where you're wrong. Ever heard of the Castle Doctrine? The whole 'make my day' law? I'm well within my legal right to protect my home and my family from intruders who pose a threat to my family's safety," Puck murmured in return, "And you'd better know that I will do anything to protect my family from anything by whatever means necessary."

"You talk such a tough game –"

"No sir, my game is just as tough as my talk," Puck cut him off, "For you see, over the past twenty-three years, I've been constantly honing my skills as a United States Marine, and let me assure you I am a crack shot. In fact, I'd even give you a ten second head start, just to make it fair. But I know you'd prefer to avoid that, so I'm going to tell you what you are going to do now."

"You think you can tell me what to do?"

"Yes, I do. I'm going to give you until the count of three to get the fuck off of my front porch before I'll be forced to take action that you know you don't want to be on the receiving end of," Puck continued, letting go of Russell's wrist and taking a step back, "I suggest you take me up on my offer."

"Fuck off, kid."

"ONE!" Puck barked, startling Russell a bit as he took a step back.

"We're not finished here," Russell snarked.

"We are very finished here," Puck shot back, "TWO!"

Stumbling down the front steps, Russell backed toward his car, sneering back at the men still standing on the porch as he rubbed his sore wrist, "This isn't over! You'll be hearing from my lawyer!"

"Won't that be fun! An alcoholic, philandering, waste of space who abandoned his family but decides to sue a decorated war veteran whose wife happens to not only be said philanderer's estranged daughter but also happens to be one of the top attorneys in the state. Add in the whole 'stalked said family to their home and confronted said estranged daughter and ex-wife, threatened the Marine and his children, and refused to heed requests that he leave,' and then still decided to file a frivolous suit against these individuals?" Puck mused, "Hmm, I wonder what the judge will have to say to that."

Russell shot him one last dirty glare before stepping back into his vehicle, turning on the ignition, and gunning the gas, clipping the family's mailbox and running it over as he peeled away from the curb.

Puck ran his hands through his short hair before letting out a loud sigh and turning back toward the house, only to catch his son flipping off the retreating vehicle, "Ok, show's over, Champ. Back inside."

As soon as they stepped back through the front door, Jason headed up the stairs while Steve made a beeline straight for Judy, wrapping his arms around the woman and murmuring in her ear before the two of them decided to take their leave and go for a walk down by the pond to clear their heads.

The second the front door shut behind him, a swirl of chaos engulfed him as the dogs began to bark and Ruth and Shelby finally made their way out of the kitchen to see what was going on. But none of that seemed to matter the moment he looked into his wife's eyes, the conflict and hurt swirling in those deep green pools. He knew the two of them needed to talk, but before he could make his way toward her, his son stopped him first.

"Why did you just let him walk away?" Danny asked, confusion etched on his face as he stood there still shaking from the confrontation, "After what he said about mom and Beth, why did you just let him leave like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't even put up a fight," Danny replied, shrugging, "I mean, yeah, you made some good points, but still."

"Are you saying I should have hit him or something?"

"Well, yeah, kinda. It's not like he didn't deserve it."

"Oh, believe me, I'm well aware of what he deserves, son. And I'm in agreement with you," Puck replied, "But that's exactly what he wanted."

"What?"

"Danny, I love your fire and I love how protective you are of your family. That's a good quality to have. But if I would have fought him, he would have won. It would have gotten the reaction out of him that he wanted, and I refuse to let that man win." He paused, taking a few moments to gauge his son's reaction before continuing, "You see, Russell has never liked me and blamed me for 'tainting' your mom when we first got together in high school," Puck explained, "I mean, you know the whole story behind your older sister and the confusion with your Uncle Finn, but as soon as Russell found out that it was me and not Finn, and even though he had already bailed on your mom and grandma, he still paid me a personal visit to tell me how I ruined his daughter and her life. I was so angry with the allegations and comments he was making that I did just that; I hit him, and hard too."

"Seriously?" Quinn interjected, her voice shaky as she spoke, "I never – You never told me that."

"Yeah, well, wasn't one of my finer moments," Puck replied, glancing over toward his own mother, "So much so that he threatened to sue me for my actions. After spending at least half of my savings on a lawyer, we got him to drop it, but still. I learned my lesson."

"Fighting is not always the answer, Dan," Ruth sighed, taking another sip of her tea, "Even if you sometimes think it may be the easiest answer."

"Now, don't get me wrong, I would fight to the ends of the earth for you, and your mother, and your sisters, and our family, and to protect our nation and our way of life," Puck commented, piggy-backing on his mother's comments, "But despite not knowing how he found our address or even why he made the effort to travel here, he came here looking for a fight. That's what he wanted, and I refused to give him that satisfaction this time. Plus, let's face it, if I had fought him, he'd be in the back of an ambulance on his way to the hospital and I'd probably be in the back of a cop car heading to jail. "

Danny pursed his lips and nodded again, trying to wrap his head around the whole dynamic regarding the dysfunction on his mother's side of the family.

"Besides," Puck murmured, dropping his voice a little lower as he glanced over at his wife, "You mother has been defending me from haters and nay-sayers throughout our whole relationship and marriage. I was a punk with very little future prospects before I met your mom, so people automatically assumed I was a deadbeat just like my dad. But from the moment we got together when we were sixteen, throughout all of the drama with Beth and the subsequent years thereafter, she never once lost faith in me and she always defended me," he said, offering Quinn a soft smile, "And while I have no doubt that she would have been there for me in court if it came down to it, she shouldn't have to keep defending me, yet again, from the same type of behavior I was known for when I was a teenager."

"But he was on our property," Danny replied, "I mean, don't you think Mom would have won that case."

"Oh absolutely she would have won. Your Mama doesn't like to lose," Puck replied, "But my point is, she shouldn't have to. It's my job to look out for all of you, but not prove idiots like that right by losing my cool."

Danny nodded and looked like he was about to say something else, but the sound of little footsteps coming down the stairs effectively halted that conversation, Ella and Riley both peeking around the corner to see if the coast was clear before making a beeline to Quinn.

"Mommy, are you ok?" Riley asked.

"Your hands are still shaking," Ella commented, "Who was that guy, anyway?"

Quinn plastered on a smile and wrapped her arms around her two youngest, kissing both of them on the top of her head. "Yeah, I'm ok. I'm fine," she murmured, "I promise. That man was just someone your grandma and I knew from a long time ago. However, just like Aunt Rachel likes to say, nothing can rain on my parade today," she grinned, glancing at her mother-in-law for a little extra support.

The elder Mrs. Puckerman definitely took the hint, clearing her throat and mentioning that the ice cream ended up melting in the heat and that she needed some helpers to go get more, rounding up all of the children that she could before she and Shelby led them out the door, leaving Puck and Quinn to themselves.

As soon as the door shut, Quinn fell apart, bursting to tears as she sank down to the floor. Puck watched her expression crumple as her sobs filled the living room, quickly making his way to her side and settling on the floor next to her, pulling her into his embrace as he just let her cry.

"I promised myself, from the moment that he set that timer on the microwave and told me to get out… I promised myself I wouldn't cry another tear over that man," she whispered, "but I can't help it."

"You deserve so much better than that. I'm so sorry, baby," Puck replied, kissing her softly on the temple.

"I just… God, Noah, it killed me hearing him talk to me like that. And my mom like that," she gritted through her teeth, "And the fact that he had the audacity to call you out on being a bad father? Are you kidding me?"

"Q, it really didn't bother me. I know it was all talk."

"But it's not ok!" she cried, "It's not! You and me; neither of us had a good experience with our fathers."

"More like sperm donors," he replied off-hand, "It takes more than just a few thrusts to make a man a father."

"Exactly! It sucks that our dads weren't around. It hurts to know that my father wasn't there when I needed him the most. It really hurts to know that he wasn't there to love me and support me when times got tough and he wasn't there to see me graduate, or walk me down the aisle, or to meet his grandchildren when they were born, or celebrate birthdays."

"I know…"

"But the thing is… I don't even know why I'm crying right now," she sobbed, "Because overall, I think I'm honestly crying because I really don't know what to feel. And I'm confused because I don't feel anything for that man anymore." She paused, wiping her cheeks before continuing, "I mean, Steve has been there for all of that. He loves my mom more than anything, and he's treated her so much better than my father ever did. He's been there for our wedding, even though my mom walked me down the aisle, and he's been 'grandpa' to our kids from the time they were born. Frankly, I couldn't ask for anything more. And I wouldn't want it any other way. It's just… it's just been a whirlwind of emotion today, and I'm just… I honestly, I don't know how to feel, Puck. I really don't. Please, help me understand what I'm supposed to feel."

"You know I can't tell you how to feel about all of that, Q," he sighed, "But I do know, just by the look on your face right now that you've finally admitted how you feel about Russell and Steve, and it looks like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders."

"I know," she murmured, licking her lips, "I guess I'm just more upset over how he treated you. What he said to you…. He had no right."

"Babe, like I said, it was all talk."

"But it's not, Puck, and I can see it in your eyes how much it truly hurt to hear him say those things," she admitted, turning towards him and soothing his jaw with her hand, "That is what I'm most upset about. I'm most upset about the fact that he challenged you as a father. His words and comments… utterly false and totally unfair. He knows nothing about how amazing of a father you are, and how loving and caring and supportive you are of this entire family. How completely opposite of a man you are from him. And he doesn't have the right to say that."

And while he would never truly admit how much it stung to hear someone say those things to him and dredge up the past like that, the reassurance he felt at hearing his wife's words felt like a cool breeze on a sweltering summer day. "Babe, I know. It's just talk. I swear! It always hurts to hear shit like that, but that's just what he's full of. Shit. You know I've never cared what he thinks of me or of us, and that hasn't changed. He knows nothing about our lives together or our family but he just wanted to feel important for a moment or two. We'll get over this, just like we always do, but he's the one who now has to live with the memory of our children's faces and know that he'll never have an opportunity to get to know his grandchildren. Or the memory of Judy and Steve, blissfully happy without him. Or the fact that, despite all of shit he put you through or what he thinks of me, he just has to live with the knowledge that we're still together, we made a pretty damn good life for ourselves, we have four beautiful children, and a lifetime of happiness ahead of us… which is something I don't think he can say."

"You're right," Quinn agreed, "I know you're right."

"Plus, everything happens for a reason, and even though it hurt and was quite unfair of a parent to do to their child, maybe kicking you out after we got pregnant was a blessing in disguise. For if it weren't for that moment, neither of us would have known what it was like to be faced with the hardest decision we'd ever have to make. Neither of us would know how to stand on our own two feet and face the harsh world or truly understood what either of us wanted or were capable of," he replied, "Plus, without that moment, who knows if we would have ever gotten to the point where we're at now. I have no doubt that you're my soulmate, but that moment was one of the defining moments that brought you back to me," he paused, pursing his lips for a moment before continuing, "And after working that all out in my head, maybe I should send Russell a thank you for being such a dick."

"Let's not go that far," Quinn smiled, leaning over and kissing him softly, "And while I agree with you on most of that, I think we would have found each other anyway. We were too drawn together from the get-go."

"Animal magnetism," he joked, leaning in to kiss her again, "I am a sex shark, after all."

Quinn laughed before pushing his face away, "And if you ever say those words again, I may be divorcing you," she joked, finally accepting a sloppy kiss from his puckered lips before wiping her eyes again and turning more serious, "But seriously, you're an amazing dad, Puck. I'm just so thankful that you are the one giving our children what neither of us had."

"Well, thank you. That means a lot," Puck replied, helping her wipe away a smudge of mascara, "Speaking of being good parents –"

"We should probably go talk to Beth," Quinn finished for him, taking his hand and standing before making their way up the stairs and down the hall toward their daughter's room.

They could hear Jason's voice through the door, and while they hated to interrupt, they knew they needed to at least try. While they had always answered her questions about her birth and drama surrounding the two of them and Finn, they kept other details a little more vague, mostly in an effort to protect her feelings and shield her from some of the more serious drama at the time. However, she was an adult now, and they both knew that they needed to be more open about everything that happened.

Knocking lightly on the door, Quinn took a step back and waited until Jason opened it, signaling for them to enter before taking his own leave.

"Hi Princess," Puck murmured, grabbing the chair at her desk while Quinn sat on the bed next to her daughter, "I know that a lot of stuff happened today, but you looked pretty upset. Wanna talk about it?"

Beth let out a loud sigh before shrugging her shoulders, "I guess I just don't even know where to begin."

"I didn't either," Quinn admitted, "Just take your time. We're always here."

"I just – I guess I want to know why the hell he thought it'd be ok for him to come back like that? Why would he do that, after all of these years?" Beth asked, "I mean, honestly, how can he not have moved on by now?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. I don't know," Puck replied, "We kind of think he just wanted to come and pick a fight… nothing better to do, and all."

"He's always felt fairly self-important," Quinn interjected, "I think he just wanted to feel relevant again, especially after going from having a family to nothing thereafter."

"Maybe," Beth agreed, "But honestly, why would someone travel somewhere just to dredge up the past. I mean, really, what kind of human being just decides they want to show up and be rude and hurtful to people, especially if that was their whole plan all along? I mean, I can see the whole 'wanting to see us or reconcile with us' kind of thing, but just going out of your way to ruin someone's day?"

"He's never been incredibly sensitive to other people's feelings," Puck replied, "Plus, it's Mother's Day. He could do the most damage on this holiday."

"I just – wasn't it enough that he ruined your life by kicking you out and disowning you, Mom?" Beth groaned in frustration, finally getting to the heart of the problem, "I mean, I get that he was probably disappointed and all, but he was the one who made you give me up in the first place. Was that not enough?"

"Beth –" her father began before she cut him off again.

"No, I mean it! Was it not enough that he refused to support his own daughter?" she cried angrily, her voice rising in volume, "Was it not enough to him that he made you give me up? That I'll never know what it's like to grow up with my birth parents? I love my mom and all, but that's bullshit!"

In the back of their minds, they knew it was coming, but nothing could really quite prepare either Quinn or Puck for the way it sounded coming out of their first-born's mouth. It stung. And while they thought they had explained it as best as they could, they were obviously mistaken. Granted, they kind of glossed over a few things, but they never really fully appreciated just how many questions and hurt feelings Beth still may harbor after all these years.

Puck opened his mouth to respond when Quinn gently patted his hand, nodding her head that she'd take a crack at this first.

Swallowing hard, Quinn grasped one of her daughter's hands and took a deep breath.

"Sweetheart, first and foremost, we want you to know that the hardest decision we ever made ever was giving you up. We knew it was the right thing to do, but it didn't make the decision any easier because we wanted to keep you so badly and we loved you so much," she began, biting her lip as she felt the tears begin to rise again, "And I'm not just saying that either. That decision was the most miserable and most difficult thing either your father or I have ever had to do. Going to law school, taking the bar exam, boot Camp, going to war, every hardship we faced in our life…nothing will ever hold a candle to how we felt that day."

"Nothing, and I mean nothing was harder than those few hours holding you and having to make a decision we knew would impact you and us for the rest of our lives," she continued, tears now freely running down her cheeks, "Part of me wants to apologize to for making that decision, but the other part of me knows it was the right one to make and you had a much better life for it."

She began to speak again, but her words got stuck in her throat. Even after twenty-five years, it was still hard to actually talk about.

Puck knew his wife had more to say, but decided to give her a bit of a break, choosing to step in and help her out. "Because when you have a child of your own, you will know what it feels like to want to do everything in your power to make sure you give that child the best life they possibly can have and afford them every opportunity that you did not get yourself," he explained, his own throat growing tight as his emotions began to overwhelm him, "Your Grandma Judy and Nana Ruth are saints for stepping up and raising the two of us on their own, and they did the best they could. I'll be honest, Sweet Pea, both your Nana and Grandma offered to try and help us out as best as they could if we decided to keep you, and as much as we wanted to…as much as your mom and I argued and discussed and cried and dwelled over how much we wanted you and how much we loved you, it was because we loved you so much that we had to make the decision we did."

He paused, glancing over at his wife briefly and watched as she wiped the tears from her cheeks before he continued, "As much as I can't stand that asshat, Russell Fabray, the decision we made to allow Shelby to raise you instead is all on us. That was our decision, not his. And just like your mother said, I want to apologize for that decision with all of my heart, but I know that we made the decision that was best for you at the time."

"Best for me? More like best for you," Beth grumbled under her breath, unfortunately still loud enough for her parents to still hear, crushing them even more.

"Sweetheart, it wasn't like that at all," Quinn explained, "There has never been a day that has gone by where I say to myself 'glad we gave Beth up for adoption because it's so much easier without her.' Baby, believe me, it's the exact opposite. I know I speak for your father on this one as well, but over the past twenty five years, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you and worried about you and wondered what it would have been like to have kept you or wished that we had made a different decision all those years ago."

"I get that it was hard and all, but why?" Beth asked, tears rolling down her cheeks, "Why did you give me up? Did you not want me or something?"

"We were sixteen when we had you, Bee," Puck interjected, "When you were sixteen, you were the president of your student council, captain of the volleyball team, a member of the glee club, and volunteering at Habitat for Humanity regularly. If it was you, your child would be nine years old now. We wanted you to be able to have all the best things in life and all of the chances in the world to excel, but having two teenage parents who made their money via an allowance, babysitting, and cleaning pools was not conducive to giving you that life. We wanted to try and we wanted to keep you so badly, but the overwhelming fear that we'd end up failing you was too much for us to risk. Neither of us had our own lives together, and your mother didn't even have a set place to live until after you were born, so we were not in a place to give you the life you deserved."

"It gutted us, Beth. Please try to understand how much it killed us to make that decision," he continued, pausing briefly, "We were both a mess afterwards too. I know you've heard bits and pieces of the aftermath, but neither of us were the same afterwards. It took years to get to the point where we finally started to come to peace with our decision, and while the pain and hurt that came with parting from you drove a wedge between your mother and me for a while there, you were the reason we even had a chance in the first place. Our love for you was what kept us tethered to one another and ultimately led us back to each other and back to you. But please don't think that our decision was in any way easy or made selfishly."

"As a parent, when you first get to hold your child, you immediately realize that the little person in your arms is the most important thing in the world to you and you would do anything to ensure that your child is happy, healthy, and well loved. That child matters far more than you or your own happiness," Quinn murmured, wiping her own tears away before pulling her daughter in close, "And we loved you. God, we loved you so much, but it is because we loved you that we made the choice we did. Holding you and kissing you for the last time before handing you to Shelby felt like the end of the world, and I could have sworn that my heart actually physically broke when I had to turn around and walk away, and the second I stepped out of the door, I wanted to turn back around and take you back. But I know what we did was the right thing to do… and I had always held out hope and prayed every night that we would one day get to see you again and reconnect."

"As much as it hurt, and as much as it still hurts at times, I couldn't have asked for a better person to raise you and care for you over the years than Shelby," Quinn continued, attempting to gather her wits about her and reign in her emotions, "While she and I may not have seen eye to eye during the first few years when you came back into our lives, she was patient and generous and understood how hard that was for us, allowing us to slowly start to reintegrate into your life. And for that, I will be forever grateful. There was a hole in our lives when we made that decision, but now our family is complete, not only because you're a part of it but because Shelby is too. We love you both dearly and want you to know that you were so wanted and so loved and we are blessed to have been given not only you to begin with, but a second chance with you as well."

Beth sniffled and wiped her cheeks once more, biting her lip before speaking again, "While I understand the reasons behind your decision, I'll admit it still kinda hurts. Plus, waiting until I was twenty-five to divulge that?"

"Yeah, we dropped the ball on that one," Puck admitted, "We knew we needed to tell you the whole story from our perspective and your mom was graciously holding off telling you everything until we had a chance to tell our side. I will admit, twenty-five years was probably a bit too long."

"Ya think?" Beth joked back.

"Our bad," Quinn smiled, "Timing has never been our strong-suit."

"Speaking of bad timing, Russell is still a total dick," Puck commented, "I'm sorry he ruined today for you both, dredging up the past and all."

"He didn't ruin it," Quinn replied softly, squeezing his daughter "If anything, he made today just a little better… in his own douchey way."

Beth smiled up at her mom before letting out a crack of laughter, shaking her head in the process. "He is kind of a douche."

"That's kind of an understatement," Puck commented, shaking his own head before running his fingers through his hair, "So, we ok, Bee? You know you can always come talk to us about anything, right?"

"Yeah," she replied, smiling back at her dad, "We're ok."

"Good," Puck replied, pulling both of his girls into his embrace, "Because if we weren't, I'd have to binge on all of the s'mores stuff downstairs to drown my sorrows."

"Ahh hell no!" Beth replied, "I've already got dibs on like five of those suckers!"

"Well, as long as you and Jason don't give your baby sister too many toasted marshmallows, I think we can arrange that," Quinn replied, "Though if you do, you're the one who gets to stay up with her when she's still wired at three in the morning."

"Speaking of Jason, I should probably go find my fiancée," Beth sighed, "I'm sure he thinks we're all crazy now."

"Oh honey, he's thought we were crazy from the moment he met us," Puck replied, "This is not a new discovery. Plus, if I had to bet, I'd say he was outside having a beer with Shelby, Steve, and Judy."

"How do you know?"

Puck pointed out the window, "I can see them from here."

"Poor guy probably needs one right about now."

"Well, I hope he saved me one," Puck murmured, standing and making his way out of his daughter's bedroom.

"Me too," Quinn agreed, following her daughter and husband down the stairs and out the backdoor to meet up with the rest of their family.

x-x-x-x-x-x

At the end of the day, after all of the extra sugar from the ice cream and more than a couple of glasses of wine or beer for the adults, the entire Puckerman, Corcoran, Woods, and Alexander clan spent the rest of the evening out by Puck's new fire pit, eating smores and watching the dogs swarm Riley as she managed to get marshmallows and graham crackers all over herself, the pups helping lick her clean.

It had been a rather stressful day, and while it didn't exactly go as Puck had planned, he and Quinn both agreed that it had felt like a weight had been lifted off of their shoulders after telling Beth everything they had been keeping in over the last twenty-five years. Shelby and Ruth had been great during the whole ordeal and the rest of the day as well, the two women supporting and rallying around their family when Judy, Quinn, and Beth needed it the most. And the rest of the kids seemed to sense something had shifted as well, none of them choosing to rehash anything that had happened after they all got back from ice cream.

Puck and Quinn knew that they needed to fill their other three children in on what happened and be as open and honest as needed be to answer any questions they may have, but for now, everyone looked pretty content sitting around the fire and enjoying their drinks and dessert.

Shelby and Ruth were currently giggling over something one of them had said, their fourth or fifth sangria of the afternoon in hand. Danny was seated next to his 'aunt,' helping his littlest sister attempt to remove the rest of the sticky mess from her hands with a wet-wipe while Ella looked on, covertly sneaking the dogs chunks of graham cracker as they sat patiently and stared intently at her. Judy and Steve flanked Ruth on the other side, the two inseparable since they returned from their walk, and seemingly in good spirits now considering they were all smiles as they watched their grandchildren scarf down their desserts. But Quinn couldn't help but smile as she watched her eldest daughter snuggle up next to her future husband across the fire from her, the amount of love and adoration in their expressions evident as they giggled at their own personal story.

She felt her husband wrap and arm around her shoulders before he pulled her in closer to him, smiling down at her and kissing her softly as they watched their eldest interact with their future son-in-law.

However, despite how happy the two of them looked, Puck recognized the grin on Jason's face and decided he'd rather not know, or even guess, as to what they were talking about…

"You know, while it wasn't the best day ever, I'm glad you were here with me," Beth murmured, lacing her fingers in between her fiancée's.

"Always," Jason replied, kissing the back of her hand sweetly as she tucked into his side, "You and I, we're a team. No place I'd rather be."

"You're sweet, especially to put up with some crazy former members of my family."

"You know I love your family just as much as I love my own," he replied.

"So, just so you know, hearing you stand up for me like that was kinda hot," Beth whispered in his ear, placing a delicate yet suggestive kiss on his neck, "Maybe a little later, we can sneak away and I can show you just how much I appreciated it."

Jason's eyebrows shot up in surprise, a lazy grin sliding across his lips as he felt his future wife's hand drift just a little bit higher up his thigh.

"Well, I mean, a simple thank you would work, but I'd definitely accept whatever you had in mind," he murmured in return, leaning forward to place a delicate kiss against her lips before pulling back slightly, separating even further the moment he saw the raised eyebrow expression of his future father-in-law staring at him from across the fire pit.

"Down boy," Quinn murmured to her husband, noticing the shift in his posture, "They're getting married in a few months. Just let it go."

"Ugh, fine," Puck groaned, "But can't a man still intimidate his future son-in-law every once in a while?"

"You do that just fine just by being yourself," Quinn replied, patting her husband on the knee before settling back into his embrace once again. She stared back into the fire for a few minutes before breaking their intimate silence once more, "Not gonna lie, I really would rather not go through something like today ever again."

"Understandable," Puck agreed, tracing gentle lines up and down her back, "So, be honest, how are you really doing?"

"You know what? I'm actually ok, I mean, it was awkward and some of the things that man said to my mom and me before you came outside were hurtful. But at the same time, I feel like I finally got some closure."

"Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe we should consider filing a restraining order against him," Puck replied, "I heard Steve was already on the phone with people back in Ohio right after he and your mom got back from their walk."

"Yeah, maybe that's a good idea," she agreed, offering him a small wink, "Though frankly, I'm pretty sure Russell would be an idiot to come back around again. I think your little conversation there at the end was enough to scare him away."

Puck chuckled, "How do you know what I said?"

"I was listening from the window."

"Why does that not surprise me?" he joked, offering her a slight nudge before turning serious again, "You know, I was being honest too, Quinn. I would protect you guys from anything or anyone."

"I know, and I love you for it."

"I love you too."

She glanced back up at him and smiled, "And while today wasn't the easiest day, like I've said before, I'd rather do hard with you than easy with anybody else."

"Wanky," Puck replied, letting out a small snort.

"And now you're channeling your inner Satan… I mean Santana," she sighed, "First the girls, and now you? What a great role model."

"Haha," he laughed before leaning forward and kissing her sweetly, "Happy Mother's Day, baby."

Quinn glanced around the fire once again, her heart full at the sight of all the people in front of her as she cherished the fact that all of her children and extended family were there with them, chatting and laughing around the fire, just like nothing had even happened at all that afternoon. They were all one big team, through thick and thin, and would support, protect, and defend one another from anything that came their way. Because that's what real families do.

"It sure is," she agreed, pausing for a moment before quirking an eyebrow and offering her husband a devilish grin, "Though, do you know what would make it even better?"

"What would that be?"

Leaning in closer to him, Quinn squeezed his thigh before biting her lip, "Another one of your 'oh-so-famous' breakfasts in bed again tomorrow..."

"Oh, I think I can definitely make that happen," he grinned, murmuring in between kisses, "Again, and again, and again."