After Deployment

10

"You were pretty hot this morning." Puck told Quinn as they got out of the car at McKinley. "Talking about your cheer legacy."

Quinn looked at Puck. "I'm gonna go talk to Coach Sylvester. I'll meet you at Finn's tree afterwards?"

"Okay." Puck nodded. "I'm gonna go make sure no one carved anything into it."

"Only you're allowed to carve something in it?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah." Puck said. "It needed quarterback. I'm just glad I spelled it right."

Quinn smiled. "I'll meet you in a little bit."

"I'll be there." Puck nodded.

Quinn kissed Puck's cheek before heading inside.

Quinn walked to Coach Sylvester's office. The door was open, and the cheer coach was sitting at her desk looking over paperwork.

"Twice in one week?" Sue asked Quinn. "I thought you graduated."

"I did." Quinn said. "Noah and I are back today to see Finn's tree."

Sue nodded slowly. "It's grown a lot since Beiste planted it."

"Yeah, we wanted to see it yesterday, but our visit got cut short because Noah's sister got suspended." Quinn stated as she sat down.

Sue took off her glasses and put them down as she looked at Quinn, waiting to hear more.

"Sarah punched a girl in the face." Quinn informed Sue. "One of the Cheerios actually."

"Which one?" Sue wondered.

"Kelsey." Quinn answered.

Sue furrowed her eyebrow. "I don't know her."

"Apparently she's the captain. Or co-captain." Quinn said. "Anyway, she was bullying Sarah's friend and I was concerned about my legacy."

Sue looked at Quinn. "Your legacy?"

"I was captain." Quinn reminded Sue. "I was the only one who never had a co-captain. And I don't want any Cheerios captain to be a bully. That's not my legacy."

"Well, I've been looking to kick someone off the team for a while so I guess I got my girl." Sue decided. "Plus, these kids need an example, and what better way than to humiliate one of them?"

"Oh." Quinn said, furrowing her eyebrow. "Okay, thanks."

Sue nodded. "Go see the tree now. I'll take care of this."

"Thanks, Coach." Quinn said as she left the office and headed to find Puck.

-

"Hey." Puck smiled slightly when he saw Quinn. "How'd it go?"

"Much easier than I expected." Quinn said as she took Puck's hand and looked at the tree. "The tree is beautiful."

"Yeah." Puck agreed as he looked at the memorial stone for Finn. "It's still so weird that he's gone. It isn't right. And it's not fair."

"It's not your fault." Quinn told Puck. "You know that, right?"

"I was the one driving, Q." Puck reminded Quinn.

"You weren't the drunk driver that slammed into your car." Quinn stated. "It was a scary accident, but it wasn't your fault or Finn's."

"Then why is he gone and I'm fine?" Puck asked as he looked at Quinn.

Quinn could see the slightest hint of tears in Puck's eyes, which made her tear up. "We all thought we were gonna lose you, too."

"It's just fucked up, Quinn." Puck said with a sniffle. "One minute we were joking around and talking about you and Berry, and the next minute I was waking up in the hospital and finding out my best friend was dead."

Quinn wrapped her arm around Puck's back and held him. "I know. It's not fair. He should be here with all of us."

"He was a good person." Puck stated. "Why the hell is he gone?"

Quinn wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't know."

"Beth doesn't even remember him." Puck continued. "And if we ever have more kids, they won't get to know him."

"We'll make sure they do." Quinn promised. "When we have more kids, we'll make sure they know who he is. We'll keep him alive in our hearts and in our memories, and I know it's not the same, but..."

Quinn trailed off as she started crying. Puck put his arm over Quinn's shoulder and they stood there in each other's arms crying over Finn.