(Un)Happy Family

9

"I'm sorry about her." Puck apologized as he started driving.

"It's okay." Quinn sniffled.

"Are you crying?" Puck asked as he glanced at Quinn.

"I'm okay." Quinn replied.

"I'm not like my dad." Puck told Quinn.

Quinn nodded. "I know."

"Just making sure." Puck said.

"You know." Quinn took a deep breath and looked at him. "I didn't know your middle name was James."

"Yeah, that's my dad's name." Puck said, rolling his eyes. "My mom only uses it when she's yelling at me. Or reminding me not to be like him."

"What was your dad like? I've heard a lot of stories, but..." Quinn blurted. She paused and looked at Puck. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Puck shook his head. "My dad used to beat my mom. And me. He would disappear for days and always come back drunk. And one day, my parents had a fight and he just took off. I haven't seen him since I was, like, ten."

Quinn bit her lip and nodded. "I'm sorry."

"We're better off without him." Puck stated.

"Yeah." Quinn agreed.

The pair went silent for a moment as Puck kept driving.

"Noah James." Quinn said softly, testing it out. "If it wasn't your dad's name, it would actually be kinda nice."

"Yeah, I guess." Puck shrugged as he parked the car in the diner parking lot. He paused and looked at Quinn. "You have a middle name?"

"Quinn." Quinn answered as she got out of the car.

"Your name is Quinn Quinn Fabray?" Puck asked as he got out of the car and led Quinn inside.

Quinn shook her head.

Puck furrowed his eyebrow. "Then what's your middle name?"

"Quinn." Quinn repeated as she and Puck sat down at a table for two.

Puck raised his eyebrow as he started studying the menu.

"My first name is Lucy." Quinn told Puck. "I've never told anyone that before, not even Finn."

Puck glanced up at Quinn, who was biting her lip.

"Lucy Quinn Fabray." Puck said softly. "How come you don't like Lucy?"

Quinn shrugged.

"Well, I love Lucy." Puck replied with a smirk. "But seriously, how come you don't go by it?"

"How come you don't go by Noah?" Quinn wondered.

"I don't know." Puck admitted. "No one really calls me that. Except my family."

"And me." Quinn said.

"Well, you're family now." Puck said softly.

Quinn smiled slightly. "Do you think when you're, like, eighty people will still call you Puck?"

"I love how you think I'm gonna make it to eighty." Puck responded.

"You could." Quinn said. "Why not?"

"If I don't die because of my own stupidity, I'm gonna be killed by my mother." Puck informed Quinn.

Quinn shook her head. "You're not stupid, Noah."

Puck furrowed his eyebrow.

"You're not." Quinn promised. "And even though you want everyone to think you're bad and be afraid of you, you're actually a good person."

"You think I'm a good person?" Puck asked.

Quinn nodded.

"Thanks, Quinn."