He didn't know that the enchanting smile she'd given him as they passed in the hallway that afternoon would be the last time he ever saw it. He didn't know that when he kissed her that morning as they went to their separate classes that it would be the last time he ever did. He didn't know that the song she sung in Glee Club first period would be the last song she'd ever sing. He didn't know he was going to lose her and he didn't know how much he loved her until she was gone.

He cried when they told him. He cried for what felt like the first time in his life. She was the one person he'd ever truly loved, and when he said truly loved, he meant it. She was the only person in the whole world who could make him feel alive, who could make him smile on the darkest of days. She'd make him laugh til' he couldn't breathe, when she kissed him the earth stood still and every nerve in his body would light on fire. She was the best thing he'd ever had and now she was gone. Ripped away from him. A freak accident. A terrible tragedy. Whatever you want to call it. But that one little thing, that one tiny fraction of a second had taken Quinn Fabray from him and he'd never felt a greater pain in all his life.

That day had started as every other day did. It was a Tuesday which meant Puck and Quinn had school and Beth had nursery. As usual they were running late and as usual it was Puck's fault.

"Come on Puck!" Quinn yelled at him from the bottom of the stairs "Beth has to be at Nursery in 10 minutes!"

"Okay, okay I'm going as fast as I can!" He called back. Once again he'd managed to misplace his cell phone and as he scanned his cluttered bedroom for it, he tried desperately to remember what the hell he'd done with it.

"What are you looking for?" she called, sounding more impatient by the second.

How did she do that? How did she know he was looking for something? If he believed in all that psychic mumbo jumbo he'd have sworn she could read his mind.

"My dang cell phone" He called back as he rummaged through his school bag, hoping maybe that he'd already put it in there and forgotten about it. No such luck.

"It's here!" Quinn shouted.

"Where?"

"On the table, where you left it" Her voice was laced with sarcasm and he could imagine the smug smirk he knew would be plastered across her face.

Of course it was. It was only right that it be exactly where he left it and it was only right that Quinn would find it because it was only right that he made himself look like a complete douche in front of his girlfriend and daughter at least 3 times every day, usually more. He cursed himself under his breath for being so dumb and made his way downstairs to where Quinn and Beth were waiting.

Quinn, dressed in her Cheerio's uniform was stood by the front door, her school bag in one hand and a squirming, 11 month old Beth in the other.

"Here, you take her." Quinn said, gesturing towards Beth with her head. "My arm's about to fall off."

Puck smiled as he took his daughter from her mothers' arms and planted a gentle kiss in her soft, blonde curls.

"S'up baby girl, you ready for nursery?" He asked but of course there was no answer. Not that he expected one, Beth wasn't talking yet. She tried, she made sounds that sometimes resembled actual words but she hadn't quite mastered the art of making sense yet, so she just tended to stick to pointing at stuff she wanted. And right now, she was pointing at Quinn, leaning towards her and gurgling something incomprehensible.

"Errr, I think someone wants their Mamma" Puck said, struggling to hold on to his school bag and Beth at the same time. Beth's gurgles were becoming more impatient as she reached desperatley towards Quinn.

Quinn rolled her eyes at Puck's failed attempt to control their daughter but as Beth grabbed hold of the strap of her school bag she couldn't help but take her little girl into her arms once again. Quinn always found it incredibly difficult to say no to Beth. She'd tried it before but then Beth would look at her with those big green eyes and her heart would melt and she'd give in to whatever her daughter wanted. Puck had the same problem only worse. Those eyes could destroy his very soul, turning it into a big pile of lovey dovey mush. And as Beth had her mother's eyes, Quinn had the same effect on him. From the first day he met her Quinn's eyes had made him go weak at the knees and now living in a house with her and another identical set of those moss green eyes, he didn't stand a chance.

Beth giggled happily as she buried her face in Quinn's shoulder and Puck couldn't help but smile. Even if Beth had chosen her mamma over him, he guessed he'd just have to accept that Beth was a mommy's girl. Mind you, looking the way she did, she couldn't really be anything else. Her soft blonde curls matched the colour of Quinn's hair exactly. She had Quinn's eyes, Quinn's nose, Quinn's lips, Quinn's smile. Basically Beth was just a miniature version of her Mamma and Puck thought that was just about the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

Still smiling, Puck moved forward and opened the front door and the little family filed out onto the porch.

"Okay, check list time." He said. They did this every morning before getting into the truck because more often than not, they'd manage to forget something.

"Cell phones?"

"Yep" Quinn replied.

"Spare clothes for Beth?"

"Uh-huh."

"Diapers for Beth?"

"Check"

"School bags, lunch money, glee club sheet music?"

"Yep, yep and yep."

"in that case, I think we're good to go." Puck said, beginning to pull the doors closed behind him.

"Wait!" Quinn said quickly "Do you have the car keys?"

"No, I thought you had them."

Quinn shook her head and raised her eyebrows at him. Why would she have his car keys? Honestly, sometimes she really did worry about him.

"It's always the damn car keys" Puck grumbled as he hurried back into the house to retrieve them from the table in the hallway.

"Car keys, check!" He said, this time actually closing the door behind him. "Now we're good to go."

Quinn smiled as they made their way to the truck. Oh, how she loved her strange and slightly dysfunctional little family.

Puck took Beth from Quinn and put her in her seat in the back of the truck, making sure she was securely strapped in and had something to play with before he shut the door and got into the drivers side. Almost as soon as he did, it started to rain. Not a lot, just a light, misty drizzle that glittered in the sun that was still managing to shine through the clouds. Quinn gazed out of the window and smiled.

"I love it when it rains like that." She said with a happy sigh.

"I don't. It just means that the weather can't make up it's damn mind. I mean, is it raining or is it sunny? It makes no sense." Puck said as he started the engine and pulled out of the little drive way.

"You make no sense." Quinn mumbled under her breath.

"Okay then, so why do you love this freaky weather so much?" He asked, his voice almost mocking.

She thought for a few seconds, continuing to look out of the window. Just then the sun got a little brighter and she beamed as she saw the faint colors of a rainbow beginning to form.

"Because..." She started, answering Puck's question "After the rain, always comes a rainbow."

"Isn't that, like, a metaphor or something?" Puck asked. He was sure he'd heard that saying before.

"Uh-huh" Quinn replied, still looking up at the rainbow as its colors started to get brighter. "It's a metaphor for life. It means that when things get bad, if you keep trying, never giving up, things will always get better." She smiled at Puck, pleased with her explanation and he smiled back. She was so cute when she did that "deep meanings" stuff.

"You see the pretty rainbow, Beth?" Quinn said, turning around in her seat to smile at their daughter. Beth giggled happily, despite probably not having a clue what her mamma was talking about. But Quinn didn't care, Beth's laugh was enough to make her whole world a little brighter, whether she was laughing for the right reasons or not.

10 minutes later Puck pulled the truck into the Sunnyside Daycare parking lot and he and Quinn prepared themselves for their least favourite part of their day. Saying goodbye to Beth. They hated leaving her all day, feeling forever guilty about the whole situation but there was nothing else they could do. Quinn's parents refused to have anything to do with their granddaughter and Puck's mom worked all day at the hospital, so daycare was their only option. Beth didn't mind going, she never fussed or cried but still, leaving her in the care of someone other than the two of them never failed to put them on edge.

"You want me to take her?" Puck asked. He knew Quinn didn't like that job.

"How about we take her together today?" Quinn asked hopefully. For some reason today, she wanted to spend as much time with Beth as possible.

"You sure? We're already running late."

"I'm sure." She said, smiling a little. "What d'you think Beth? Want mommy and daddy to take you in today?"

Beth responded with a high pitched squeal and a little giggle. Quinn laughed too.

"See, even Beth thinks it's a good idea." She said as they both got out the truck and Quinn collected Beth and her baby bag from the back seat.

"I got it." Puck said, taking the bag from Quinn. He locked the truck behind him before their little family made their way into the daycare center

"Good morning guys." called a happy voice from inside the play room. It was Miss Suzie, Beth's favorite nannie. She was plump and loud and full of fun and Quinn and Puck always felt better on days when she was there to take care of their daughter.

"Hi Suzie" Quinn replied as the round brunette reached them.

"And hello there, Miss Beth. You're looking awfully pretty this morning." Suzie cooed at the giggling child in Quinn's arms. "Are you ready to play?"

"She sure is." Puck said as he watched his daughters eyes grow wide as she took in the bright room full of colorful toys and excitable children.

"Well, Beth you say goodbye to mommy and daddy and we'll get started with those building blocks over there!" Suzie said, pressing the end of Beth's nose playfully with her finger which of course made the little girl squeal with delight.

"Okay, baby girl" Quinn said, holding Beth tightly to her "You have fun and mommy and daddy'll be by to pick you up before dinner. I love you." she placed a lingering kiss on the top of Beth's head and breathed in deeply, savoring her sweet, warm scent.

"See you later, kid" Puck said, stepping forward and kissing Beth on one of her rosy cheeks.

Beth gurgled happily as Quinn reluctantly passed her into the arms of Miss Suzie and Puck handed her Beth's bag.

"She has spare clothes and diapers in there." Quinn said, gesturing to the bag on Suzie's shoulder.

"Great!" Suzie replied "We'll see you around 5. Say bye bye, Beth!" She took hold of Beth's hand and made it wave gently at Puck and Quinn who both waved back.

"Bye baby."

"Be good, kid!" They called as they left the play room, hand in hand. Quinn looked over her shoulder, stealing one last look at her daughter who was still smiling and 'waving'. Quinn blew her a quick kiss before they turned the corner and Beth was out of sight.

That was the last time Quinn ever saw Beth. And that was the last time Beth ever saw her Mamma, because later that day only her daddy would be there to collect her. They wouldn't go home for dinner like Quinn had promised, they'd spend the night at the hospital, waiting, praying.