The Baby (Puck/Carole/Finn)

                                    

                                          
"Hi, Mrs. H." Puck said when the Hudsons' front door opened. "Is Finn home?"
"No, he's out." Carole answered.
"Oh." Puck nodded. "Okay, thanks."
Puck turned around and started walking back to his car.
"Puck." Carole said. "Can you come inside for a while?"
Puck paused and looked at Finn's mom.
"Please?" Carole requested. "I wanna talk to you."
"Uh... okay." Puck gave in as he walked back to the door. He took out his phone. "I just have to text someone that I'm here."
Carole nodded and let Puck in. She closed the door behind him.
"Mrs. H, I'm sorry about everything." Puck blurted as he and Carole sat down in the kitchen.
"When Finn told me what happened, I was surprised and upset, but you've always been like another son to me." Carole reminded Puck. "And Finn will come around. To tell you the truth, I'm pretty relieved that he isn't gonna be a father yet."
Puck nodded slowly.
"But you are." Carole pointed out. "Any day now, right?"
"Yeah." Puck said. "Yeah, the doctor said mid to late June, but with all the stress she's been dealing with, I'm sure it'll be earlier."
"You can say Quinn's name in front of me." Carole told Puck.
"Right." Puck replied. "Quinn."
"Are you guys ready?" Carole wondered.
"She seems ready." Puck noted. "I've paid off all our bills and I packed and unpacked and repacked a hospital bag, so I guess there's nothing else we can do except wait."
"And what about the baby?" Carole questioned Puck. "Are you two keeping her?"
"I don't know." Puck said. "I don't think she wants to, but..."
"You do." Carole finished.
"She's my kid." Puck shrugged. "My daughter."
Carole nodded. "I think you're gonna be a great dad. If that's what you and Quinn decide."
"You do?" Puck asked, holding back a smile.
"You've always been good with your sister." Carole reminded Puck. "Taking care of her and keeping her safe."
"Yeah, I guess so." Puck said.
"And I know your mom is busy so I wanted you to know if you need anything, no matter what happens, I will always do my best to help and support you." Carole promised.
"Thank you." Puck replied. "That means a lot to me."
Carole grinned and paused as she heard the front door open and then close.
"Kurt?"
"Kurt's out with Mercedes. I..." Finn trailed off when he saw Puck sitting opposite from his mother. "What's he doing here?"
"I invited him in." Carole replied as she got up. "Maybe it's time for you two to talk."
"I'm really busy with homework and stuff." Finn said.
"Finn, I'm sorry." Puck apologized. "Both of us are, but we shouldn't have gone behind your back and we shouldn't have lied."
"Yeah, you shouldn't have." Finn agreed.
"Look, I don't know what's gonna happen with the baby or with me and Quinn, but I do know this: you're my best friend." Puck reminded Finn.
Finn didn't say anything.
"To tell you the truth, I'm terrified." Puck confessed. "But I love her and the baby and-"
"Wait." Finn interrupted. "You love her?"
Puck nodded slowly. "I think I have for a while. I'm just trying to hold everything all together for her."
"Honestly." Finn took a deep breath. "Better you than me."
Puck looked at Finn.
"You're an asshole and what you did is really bad." Finn continued. "But you've been handling it a lot better than I did, and you know, maybe you won't screw this up."
"Yeah?" Puck asked.
"Yeah." Finn said. "Look, I'm with Rachel now and things are actually going pretty great. And you and Quinn seem to be doing good, too. So just take care of her and the baby. Let her decide what she wants to do, okay?"
"Yeah, of course." Puck said, taking a deep breath. "So are we cool now?"
"We're cool."