Disclaimer: Ownership is neither claimed nor implied, the author does not make any profit from this work of fiction.

A/N: "Say something…"

Puck didn't know when he'd ever felt so helpless. He couldn't ever remember a time when he hadn't been able to fix something or change something just by sheer hard work, will power, perseverance, or just outright bullying. But he didn't know how to change this, he didn't know how he could fix it…or even if he could fix it.

Say something, I'm giving up on you

Hour after hour he sat there, praying silently to a God he didn't quite believe in, didn't quite trust. Puck was aware that other people kept coming into the room and then leaving, he was aware that people were sniveling and crying, whispering and praying but he wasn't really listening to them, he was listening for another voice, for another sound, he was listening for her. Puck stretched his tired back, he glanced down at his rumpled clothing and surreptitiously sniffed near his armpit, he didn't really know why he did that because he wasn't going to go home to shower and change, he wasn't going to leave her alone, not for a second.

Say something, I'm giving up on you

"Noah, please, you have to leave," Judy Fabray begged tearfully. "They want to do some more tests on her," she added. Judy turned slightly at the touch of strong hands on her shoulders, she hadn't expected to see her former husband here, nor see him so upset. The last time Russell had either spoken to or laid eyes on his daughter, it was to order her out of her childhood home, to banish her for her mistake – and Quinn had never forgiven him for that. In turn, Quinn had banished her dad from her life, Judy had no idea who had contacted Russell to let him know that Quinn was sick.

Puck turned tired, almost insolent, eyes on Judy, eyes that said everything his voice couldn't. "You have to leave," Russell Fabray insisted. "We have to leave too," he said with a shrug. "You can come back when they're done but the doctor says the tests can be distressing to loved ones," he explained - though it galled him to say those words - and then helped his ex-wife from his daughter's hospital room. Russell didn't look back to see if Puck was following them, he just assumed that he would.

Say something, I'm giving up on you

The wait to be called back in was endless – or so it seemed. Puck sat silently in the waiting room, he didn't interact with anyone, he didn't acknowledge their presence, their hushed conversation, their questions, nothing, he just prayed, silently prayed.

Say something, I'm giving up on you

"Thank you," Judy responded to the nurse's whispered instruction that they could go back in and sit with Quinn.

Puck was the first to stand, he reached the doorway and then turned. "Can I have a few minutes alone with her, please?" he asked in a husky voice, a voice that sounded like it hadn't been used for a thousand years.

Judy, who'd stood up ready to go back to her daughter's bedside, flinched slightly, she hadn't expected Puck to talk – he hadn't spoken for three days, he hadn't said a word. "Yes," Judy replied quietly. "Yes, of course," she agreed. Judy's mind drifted back to the last conversation she'd had with her daughter.

"…I love him so much, I always have, even when I hated him because of Beth, I still loved him, I always will, I hope we'll always be this happy…"

Puck sat down in the plastic chair beside Quinn's bed. He lifted her hand and brought it to his lips, kissed her knuckles gently. "Hey," he murmured against her cool skin. "I need to talk to you," he whispered and reached out to brush the blonde hair from her scarred forehead.

Say something, I'm giving up on you

"I need to tell you that I love you," Puck whispered through a tight throat, he was managing to hold back the tears, but just barely. "I need to tell you that it was a stupid, stupid thing that you did," he added with a snort of laughter as a tear broke free and rolled down his cheek. "Texting and driving is stupid and we talked about that once before. You're an idiot but I still love you, I'll always love you," he sighed and then closed his eyes and brought her knuckles to rest against his lips. Puck knew he couldn't kiss her like he wanted to – he'd given her a tiny peck on the lips when he'd returned to the room, but he really wanted to lock his lips to hers and not allow either of them up for air until at least Hanukkah, but he couldn't, not with all those pipes and tubes up her nose, and in her arms, at least they'd removed the one that they'd shoved down her throat when she'd first been brought in to the emergency room, but he had to be touching her with his lips in some way and this was the safest way. "I need you to come back to me, Quinn, I can't do this without you," he whispered just before a sob broke free from his tight chest. Puck somehow managed to hold it together – but only just.

Quinn's jagged, fragmented, and jumbled mind grasped his words. It grasped them and rejoiced. "He loves me."

I'll be the one if you want me to

Puck felt the first flutter of movement but didn't quite recognize it for what it was. Quinn's thumb flicked again, it flicked the edge of his lip, scraped it with her nail. Puck gasped. "Quinn?" he whispered, his body couldn't move, it was like he was suspended from taking part in the world, in life, in his surroundings. "Quinn?" he called as her thumb flicked again. It was definitely a reaction to something, some sort of stimulus, isn't that what the doctor had called it? Stimulus? Puck couldn't remember and he didn't particularly care. "Quinn," he yelled and then the door burst open, a doctor and three nurses ran into the room. One of the nurses ushered Puck from the chair and out into the hallway before he could even blink.

Anywhere I would've followed you

Puck found himself surrounded by everyone, by Quinn's family and friends. "I don't know, her thumb moved," he answered their frantic questions in a distracted sort of way – he really didn't want them to bother him, he wanted to know what the doctors were doing in there with Quinn. "I don't know, no, I didn't see if she opened her eyes, no she didn't speak, I don't know, God, just leave me alone, I don't know," he shouted as they all tore at him with even more questions. No, he didn't know if she was awake. No, he didn't know what it meant. No, he wasn't going to leave and let the rest of them come in, it was him she'd responded to, him.

As soon as the doctor came out of Quinn's room he approached her family. "The monitors showed significant brain activity for a short while," the doctor explained, "but for some reason that's stopped, we're back at square one," he said with the hint of apology in his voice. The doctor was an expert in his field but he was stumped, he had no idea why Quinn's brain was refusing to allow her to wake up, why it was keeping her comatose, there was no specific medical reason, it was like she'd shut down, almost as though she was waiting for something.

"Can we go back in and see her?" Judy asked tremulously.

"Actually, I'd like to recreate the last few moments, if that's alright," the doctor said in a thoughtful tone. "Noah, you were in there alone with Quinn, right?" he asked. Puck nodded wordlessly. "Did you speak to her? Did you touch her?" he asked, fishing for information, trying to find out what the stimulus had been.

"I held her hand," Puck whispered, "I told her she was an idiot and," he said croakily as his voice began to break, "I told her I love her," he admitted before he turned away to hide his tears, hide his emotions.

"Can you do it again?" the doctor asked, he ignored Judy's gasp of dismay, he knew that she would feel insulted that her daughter hadn't responded to her but had to Puck. "There's nothing stronger than your first love," he reminded himself silently as he guided Puck back to Quinn's room. "Just do the same thing as you did before," he whispered and then went to stand quietly in the corner of the room.

Puck sighed as he sat down on the plastic seat again. He paused and blew out a nervous breath before he picked Quinn's hand up. Gently, he kissed Quinn's knuckles. "Say something," he whispered. "Please, Quinn, just open your eyes, do something, show them you're still here, show them you still love me," he begged with a snort of embarrassed laughter – Puck hated that the doctor was there listening to him. "I promise, if you still want me to, I'll do you what you asked," he said with quiet intensity. "I love you, Quinn, I'll always love you," he vowed and grasped her hand in both of his as he held it to his lips. Once again, Quinn's machines went wild.

"She's there, she's responding to you, she's responding to your voice," the doctor hissed as he noted exactly where the activity was coming from. "Let's try it with her parents," he suggested, the doctor had an idea about bringing all of her family and friends in one or two at a time to see who she responded to best. Dr Carter suspected that she'd already 'told' them who that person would be.

Puck left and let Judy and Russell spend time with their daughter, talking to her, promising her the earth if only she'd wake up. Quinn's older sister arrived to do her part too. Nothing. Quinn didn't make any effort to respond to anyone, no matter who tried.

"Noah, please, can you try again?" Judy begged, she just had to know that the response was real, that it hadn't been a blip, a one-off. "Please," she pleaded hoarsely.

Puck nodded and returned to Quinn's room. "Hey, there," he whispered as he took his seat again. "This your new party trick?" he asked with a sad smile. "Just trying to make everyone jump through hoops for you? Head bitch in charge?" he suggested as he lifted her hand to his lips. Immediately the machines registered a change in Quinn's brain pattern.

"I don't believe it," Russell Fabray whispered angrily to himself. How could it be him? How? The one person on earth who had done so much damage to his daughter – Russell didn't recognize that, actually, he was the one who had done the damage – was the one she responded to.

"You know I love you," Puck murmured against Quinn's knuckles, "I've always loved you," he added and then a thought struck him, he wondered if she'd remember it. "Especially now," Puck said a little louder.

"Oh," Judy cried, she was shocked and thrilled that her daughter's eyes flickered open. She was mortally disappointed that they closed again almost immediately. "Did you see that?" she demanded of the other people in the room. "She opened her eyes, Noah, tell her again, make her open her eyes again," she ordered.

"Tell her what? That I love her?" Puck hissed over his shoulder. "Don't you think that's going to wear out pretty quick?" he asked. He had to find something that would make Quinn open her eyes and keep them open. There was a song going round and round in his head, it was driving him nuts, he had no idea where it had come from, he didn't think he'd heard it on the radio recently, he was sure they'd never sung it in glee club and he wished to God he could just tune it out, but he couldn't, maybe the words were just too powerful right now.

"Say something, I'm giving up on you," he sang the first line slowly and then paused.

"I'll be the one if you want me to
Anywhere I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you," Puck's voice was husky with emotion but he sang it well.

"And I... am feeling so small," Puck's voice was quiet but even so, the faint sound of Quinn's croaky response was almost missed below it. "Shh," Puck hissed over his shoulder at everyone in the room, he'd heard her, he knew he had.

"It was over my head
I know nothing at all," he sang and Quinn mumbled along with him, she wasn't actually singing, but she was following the tune. Puck paused as he looked back at the dumbstruck audience of Quinn's family and her doctor.

"And I... will stumble and fall
I'm still learning to love
Just starting to crawl," Puck's lowered his voice, quieter and quieter so that they could all hear Quinn.

"Say something, I'm giving up on you," Quinn sang just slightly off-key, the words were coming from somewhere deep inside her sleeping brain.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you
Anywhere I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you," Puck and Quinn sang together, Quinn's voice was even more recognizable as her.

"How is she doing this?" Frannie whispered to the doctor.

"I don't know," the doctor admitted. "Maybe this is their song?" he suggested with a helpless shrug.

"And I... will swallow my pride
You're the one that I love
And I'm saying goodbye," Puck sang – his voice broke, he couldn't believe he'd actually said those words, he never wanted to say goodbye to her, never!

"Say something, I'm giving up on you
And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you
And anywhere I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you," Quinn sang huskily, her voice broke too, as if she was aware of how harsh those words sounded when said out loud.

"Say something, I'm giving up on you
Say something..." Puck said, it was less than singing, it was more of a plea.

"Puck?" Quinn croaked, she knew he was there, he had to be there, she felt warm and she only ever felt warm when he was there. "I'm on my way," she promised, he had to know that she was coming, she would hate to think she'd let him down.

"I know," Puck assured Quinn, she was getting agitated, the doctor motioned for Puck to calm her down. "Baby, I know, I know you're coming, I'm waiting for you," he promised. "I'm waiting for you."

"Honey?" Russell said softly as he leaned over to speak to his daughter, he wished to God she would respond to him. "Quinn, darling, come back to us, please," he begged, his voice broke, he couldn't stay strong anymore, he needed someone to be strong for him.

Quinn frowned as her head turned towards her father's voice. "Dad?" she asked, she sounded confused. Quinn was confused. Why would her dad and Puck even be in the same room? "Where's mom?" she asked.

"I'm here, sweetie, I'm here," Judy managed to say before she broke down in tears, unable to say another word. Judy was so relieved that her daughter appeared to be waking up. Finally. "Do you know where you are?" she asked gently.

"No-o," Quinn replied warily. "Maybe, I don't know. Where's Puck?" she cried, she was so distressed.

"I'm here," Puck answered straight away. "Shh," he murmured to calm Quinn. "I'm here," he repeated. Puck looked back over his shoulder at the doctor. "How much do we tell her?" he mouthed.

"Nothing yet," the doctor replied very quietly, "let's wait and see what she remembers on her own."

"Did they get married?" Quinn asked and tried to move in her bed.

"Who, sweetie?" Judy asked, she didn't know who Quinn was talking about.

"Finn and Rachel," Quinn answered. "Did they do it?"

Puck looked at Judy with wide eyes, Judy looked in horror at Puck and then at Russell and Frannie. "No," Puck replied after a moment or two, "no, they postponed," he explained.

"Because of me?" Quinn asked, she sounded distraught. Slowly Quinn opened her eyes and looked around. "How long have I been here?" she asked tremulously, once her gaze landed on him, she couldn't take her eyes off Puck.

"A few days," Puck replied gently and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"What happened to your hair?" Quinn demanded, she knew that if she closed her eyes, the man in front of her would sound like Puck, she knew that if he leaned in close he would smell like Puck, and if he kissed her lips, he would taste like Puck – but he didn't look like Puck, he was way too old!

"Nothing happened," Frannie answered with a puzzled frown. "It's just Noah, same as he always is," she assured her sister.

"That's not Puck," Quinn insisted and tried to edge away from Puck. "And why are you calling him Noah?" she asked. "You always call him the impregnator," she reminded Frannie. "And why are you here, why aren't you with the tattooed freak?" she demanded of her father. "Mom?" Quinn wailed, surely her mom would sort everything out.

"Sweetie, it's ok," Judy crooned, she had to reassure her daughter somehow, the look of fear on Quinn's face when she saw her upset Judy more than when she wouldn't wake up!

Puck stepped away from the bed and approached the doctor. "Last time she was in a car wreck was twelve years ago, back when we were still in high school," he murmured. "She was texting and driving then too and she promised she'd never do it again," he added. "When should we tell her the truth?" he asked.

"I think she just found out," the doctor murmured as Quinn screamed in distress, her hands had just touched the huge mound of her eight-months pregnant belly. "Quinn?" he said to gain her attention. "Quinn, my name is Dr Carter, I'm head of the neuro department here," he explained.

"What's happening, what's going on?" Quinn cried, she didn't want to look at Puck, he was old and he didn't have a Mohawk, she didn't want to look at her mom, her mom's hair was more silver than the beautiful blonde that Quinn was expecting to see. Quinn was frightened of looking at her dad or her sister. "What's happening? Tell me, please, Puck, tell me what's going on," she begged tearfully.

Puck approached the bed again and sat down beside Quinn. He took her hands and leaned over so that she could see his eyes, see that it was really him, see that he was telling her the truth. "Quinn, baby, I love you, but I need you to calm down, alright?" he said with a touch of urgency – Puck glanced at the fetal monitor, saw what Dr Carter was pointing out, the baby was getting distressed too.

"Tell me what you remember," Puck suggested, he caught sight of the doctor nodding, obviously, that was a good way to go.

"I was on my way to Finn and Rachel's wedding," Quinn replied in a shaky, tearful voice. Quinn gasped as she remembered the sound of the truck when it smashed into her, the force that spun her little red beetle, the sounds of glass breaking, metal twisting and tangling – the horrific sensation of being on an out of control rollercoaster. "I don't know," she whispered. Her hands fell again to her stomach. "I don't remember this," she admitted in a quiet voice, it was almost like she was afraid to say it, like she was scared that someone would take it away if she told them she didn't know she was pregnant. Puck looked up as the monitors went nuts again.

"Quinn, sweetie," Judy said as she sat down on the other side of her daughter. "We need you to calm down, everything's going to be ok," she assured Quinn. "Noah, maybe she should see Beth," she suggested.

"Beth's here?" Quinn asked tremulously, she just couldn't comprehend this, it was too much.

"Of course, she is," Frannie replied – her tone suggested to Quinn that it was an idiotic question. "I'll go," she murmured and patted Puck's shoulder before she left the room.

"Dad?" Beth said warily as she came into the scary looking hospital room.

"Come here," Puck murmured and held his arm out for his fourteen-year-old daughter to reach him. "Quinn?" he said and jiggled Quinn's hand to get her to open her eyes again. "Honey, Beth's here," he told her and brought Beth forward into Quinn's line of vision. Puck replayed Quinn's responses in his head and realization struck him, this was going to freak her out totally. Suddenly, Puck didn't think this was a good idea – and he knew for damn sure she shouldn't see the other kids yet!

"No," Quinn whispered in a quivering, shivering voice as the teenager approached the bed. This was all too much, what was happening? Who would be so cruel as to play these mind games with anyone? "My Beth is only two and she lives in New York with Shelby," Quinn she reminded everyone firmly. "She's two," she hissed at Puck – she blamed him for all of this, she really did. If Puck hadn't chickened out and removed all the stuff she'd planted at Shelby's, then they would have their daughter with them, but she would still only be two years old!

Quinn's stomach lurched as the child within attempted to turn in the cramped and confined space. "Argh," she screamed when she was reminded once again that things weren't exactly as she remembered them. Quinn glanced at her hands. "I'm married," she stated with both of her hands up in the air, her gaze on her left hand and her beautiful diamond wedding band.

"Yes," Judy acknowledged. "To Noah," she revealed. Judy glanced at Puck and Beth and then the doctor. "Ash and Caleb are going to want to come in too," she mouthed at them.

"Judy's right," Puck whispered to the doctor, "God knows how my mother is keeping them occupied for so long, she's probably sold them to some unsuspecting fool in the cafeteria," he joked – Puck knew how much of a handful his young sons could be. "We have to get her to remember," he insisted.

"Quinn," Judy said once again. "You and Noah married during your senior year at Yale and you only just managed to get through finals before-" she stated, before being interrupted by Quinn.

"Before I gave birth," Quinn whispered – she suddenly had a vision of Puck handing her a blanket wrapped baby while dressed in a flight suit and she knew for sure that hadn't happened when Beth was born.

"Yes," Puck sighed, he was relieved, it seemed like Quinn was remembering something. He wondered if she would remember when Beth had come to live with them and why.

"But that doesn't explain Beth," Quinn stated plainly. "Where's Shelby, why did Beth call you dad?" she asked.

Puck sighed as he thought back to that time. It had been dreadful. Quinn had been coping alone with a colicky baby, Puck had been seconded to a flight unit taking part in some intensive training in the wilds of Canada, Judy had been on a three-month world cruise to recover from a serious illness, Puck's mom had been forced to work extremely long hours to bring the business she'd bought back from the brink of destruction following some scandalous insider trading that had ruined the previous owner, Puck's dad and Quinn's dad were nowhere to be found, neither man was interested in helping out with a small child, Frannie had been pulled all ways just managing her own family and Hattie, Puck's sister, she'd still been a bit too young to rely on. So, when Quinn had received a call from a lawyer in New York asking her to confirm her details, asking her to validate why a Ms Shelby Rachel Corcoran had named her, Lucy Quinn Fabray Puckerman, as guardian of her child should something untoward happen to her, well, Quinn hadn't had the first idea. It only became apparent three days later when a lawyer turned up on their doorstep with six-and-a-half-year-old Beth and all of her belongings.

"Oh, my God, she died," Quinn hissed, she was wide-eyed with fear. "No, she was murdered," she corrected herself as more facts unscrambled themselves from her mushy brain. "Did they ever get the guy?" she asked.

"Yes," Puck confirmed, "it was Howard, remember?" he reminded Quinn – he didn't see any reason not to, not now that she was remembering stuff for herself, but he glanced at the doctor for approval.

"The guy she almost married?" Quinn asked, her voice rose higher. "Oh, God, that's right, she caught him with kiddie porn on his computer and threw him out before she informed the authorities, didn't she?"

Puck nodded, he didn't think it would be wise to go into too much detail, not with Beth still there, she still hated to talk about that time, the time before she came home to her mom and dad – that was how she always described it, 'the time before'. Puck winked at Beth, gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. At least she was safe now.

"I have a headache," Quinn murmured and closed her eyes against the pain.

"No, baby, no, don't go back to sleep," Puck begged as he surged forwards to grasp Quinn's hand before she drifted away again…