Quinn had landed in New York and was currently standing outside the apartment of one Shelby Corcoran, nervously biting her lip. She had told her mom the truth about where she was going, forgetting why she'd wanted to lie about it in the first place until her mom had tried to persuade her not to go. She knew her mom was only concerned about her and what it might do to her when she saw Beth again. When Quinn had made it clear that she couldn't stop her from going, her mom had tried to persuade her into letting her go with her. Luckily Quinn had managed to talk her out of that by naming some of the stores she could shop in as leverage. This was one thing Quinn needed to do alone.

Taking a deep breath, Quinn rang the doorbell and waited, her hands trembling slightly. A few seconds later, the door was opened by Shelby but Quinn didn't see her. Her eyes fell instead on the little girl on her hip.

Her blonde hair, just the slightest shade lighter than Quinn's, hung in perfect ringlets around her face. Her eyes and the shape of her lips matched Quinn's perfectly though when she smiled, Quinn was reminded of the goofy way Puck smiled.

Beth was perfect in every way and seeing her was more painful than she thought it would be. She could feel tears burning in her eyes as she couldn't pull them away from her daughter.

"Quinn!" Shelby said in surprise.

Finally able to tear her eyes away, she looked at Shelby and realised that not even a couple of seconds had passed, though it felt like she'd been staring at Beth for hours.

"I...I..." Quinn stammered as her eyes slid back to Beth. "I'm sorry. I can't do this." She turned on her heel and started to run back down the hallway. It wasn't until she reached halfway that she remembered the reason she came. She stopped and took another deep breath. "No. I'm not here for me. I'm here for Rachel."

"Rachel?" Shelby frowned as Quinn walked back towards her.

"I need to talk to you." Quinn told her.

"Alright, come in." Shelby nodded, though she was still confused. Quinn walked past into the apartment and she spotted Beth's toys scattered on the floor. Ignoring them, she turned to face Shelby who was currently putting Beth down in her playpen. "What's wrong with Rachel? What's happened?"

The concern in her eyes and voice made Quinn feel slightly more confident about the outcome of her trip here.

"Rachel's pregnant." Quinn answered. "Seven months."

Shelby's eyes widened and she froze on the spot for a few moments. Quinn saw the colour drain from her face.

"Pregnant? How – what – what happened? Is she ok?" Shelby demanded.

"Rachel's fine, I promise." Quinn reassured her. She saw a tiny amount of relief wash over her face but she was still mostly concerned. "Look, I need you to promise me that you won't tell anybody what I'm about to tell you and that you let me explain before you ask me anything or say anything."

"Ok, I won't say anything." Shelby nodded. "Tell me what happened." Quinn explained everything to Shelby, not holding anything back. There were times when she thought Shelby would interrupt but she kept true to her word. Once she'd finished, Shelby nodded once then leant against the wall beside Beth's playpen and watched Beth play. "Wow. Rachel and Will that's...interesting. Are you sure he didn't force her into anything?"

"No, he didn't. He would never do anything like that to Rachel. They worship each other." Quinn told her.

Shelby nodded again, satisfied with her answer.

"Good, I'm glad they've both found someone that makes them happy." She replied. "I just...I don't understand. Why are you telling me all this?"

"Rachel needs you." She answered.

"Did Rachel ask you to come here? Did she ask for me?" Shelby asked.

"She doesn't know I'm here." Quinn replied.

"Rachel doesn't need me." Shelby stated and as she said it, Quinn saw pain flash across her features. "Besides, she has her dads."

"Her dads are great and they're doing all they can to support her but they still don't fully accept Will. Will and I are doing everything we can too but it's not enough. There's only one person who could make things complete." Quinn said.

"Well Rachel obviously disagrees. It sounds like she's doing pretty good without me and she hasn't asked for me. She doesn't need me." Shelby repeated.

"Every girl needs her mom at some stage." Quinn argued.

"Rachel understands and agrees that I'm her mother...but I'm not her mom." Shelby replied. "We both know it's a bond we can't seem to make."

"I disagree." Quinn said simply. "I think you can make that bond, it's just not going to be easy. I think you're a coward, I just don't know what you're so afraid of."

"I'm scared that no matter how hard I fight, we can't create that bond. I'm scared that I can't be the mom she wants. I'm afraid that I've lost her already the last time I tried to be a part of her life and any attempt I make to put that right will just push her further away." Shelby blurted out.

Quinn was stunned for a few moments.

"Shelby, you can be a mom to Rachel. Yeah, she might be upset that you left her last time but you can fix that. I hate to admit it but Rachel will find out about me coming here. She has this annoying ability to get the truth out of someone. If she finds out I've asked you to be there for her and you turn your back, then you will lose her. But if you come with me and prove to her you care, she'll start to trust you and accept you into her life. You could have your daughter back and be her mom like you've always wanted." Quinn told her. "So what's it going to be? Fight or run?"

Shelby looked away and sighed. For the first time since stepping through the door, Quinn's confidence about Shelby's decision started to waver as the silence stretched on. Shelby's face twisted into an expression of pain and the younger girl wondered whether she'd done the right thing in coming here. She had done it for Rachel but she hadn't thought to think about what she might put Shelby through. This was going to be hard for her too.

Just as Quinn was about to give up hope, Shelby's eyes met hers and her face smoothed out into a determined expression.

"Fight." Shelby said.

"You'll come back with me?" Quinn asked.

Shelby nodded.

"I want my daughter back." She answered. Quinn grinned and gave herself a mental high-five. As she celebrated, her eyes travelled to the little girl in the playpen. Beth was sat watching her curiously and when she noticed Quinn's attention had turned to her, she held up her chubby little arms and whimpered. Quinn's eyes widened and she looked between Shelby and Beth, unsure of what to do. Beth's whimpers began to become louder and threatened to turn into full scale wailing. "Hold her."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Quinn protested.

"Go ahead, you'll be fine." Shelby smiled reassuringly. "She wants to meet you." Beth screwed her face up and let out one loud, long cry. "I think you'd better pick her up before we go into full on tantrum mode. Trust me, you don't want to see that." Quinn swallowed and stepped slowly towards Beth until she was stood in front of the playpen. The little girl opened her eyes to see if her crying was achieving her goal. Quinn took a deep breath before scooping Beth into her arms. Beth smiled and made a satisfied gurgling sound as she made herself comfy. One of her hands grabbed a lock of Quinn's hair and held onto it as the other started to play with the cross on her necklace. Shelby stood beside them and ran a hand through Beth's hair but the girl ignored her. "She's never been so relaxed around a stranger before and she's certainly never let them hold her. She must know you're someone special."

Quinn couldn't help but smile and giggle as her and Beth stared at each other with the same curiosity.

"Hi there." Quinn smiled. Beth chuckled and clapped her hands together clumsily. Quinn made her way over to the couch and sat with Beth facing her in her lap. "Are you clapping? Should I clap with you?"

Shelby watched as Quinn played with Beth, her emotions mixed. She was happy to see the young girl bonding with her daughter but she was worried at the emotional damage it could cause Quinn. She didn't want Quinn to snap the way Shelby had done when she went looking for Rachel. She'd forever been worrying if her daughter would like her or if she would show any emotions or feelings towards her at all. Would Quinn feel the same if she came looking for Beth in a few years?

She also felt jealous. Jealous of the way Beth smiled at Quinn, the way she laughed, the way she accepted Quinn so easily. It was silly to feel this way, she knew that. She loved Beth dearly and she knew Beth loved her back.

Other than her worry and her jealousy, there was one other feeling that dominated her, that overshadowed any other feeling. Something deeper than jealousy. Envy. She was envious of the instant bond that Quinn and Beth seemed to have. The bond that herself and Rachel didn't have. Would they ever create that bond?

Shelby shook herself out of her thoughts and smiled, walking over to join Quinn and Beth.

"She likes you." Shelby told Quinn.

"Really? Do you think so?" Quinn asked.

"I know so. I told you, Beth's never been this relaxed or happy around a stranger." Shelby answered. "She normally cries or hides her face in my shoulder. For her to ask you to hold her, she must really like you. You make her feel safe."

"Well, Beth, I like you too." Quinn smiled.

After a while, Shelby observed the tell-tale signs of Beth becoming tired. She became more and more unwilling to participate and was happy to just let Quinn entertain her. She rubbed her eyes and whimpered quietly when she did. When she yawned, she looked around for Shelby and held up her arms. The part of her that worried Beth was forgetting about her vanished as she realised, although Beth liked Quinn and liked to play with her, she still wanted her, Shelby, her mom at the end of the day. Quinn handed Beth to Shelby and watched as the babe snuggled into her and rested her head on Shelby's shoulder. Shelby kissed her forehead and ran her fingers through her curls.

"Is someone sleepy?" Shelby asked with a fond smile. "You can always tell when it's around bedtime."

"I should go. I don't want to disturb Beth's bedtime routine." Quinn said. "Besides, it's getting late and my mom will be wondering where I am."

"It was good to see you Quinn." Shelby told her as they made their way to the apartment door.

"Yeah, you too." Quinn nodded. Before she left, she turned to Shelby and searched her face for something. "Are you sure you want to come back with me?"

"I am." Shelby nodded determinedly.

Quinn smiled before looking at the little girl who was now asleep on Shelby's shoulder. She reached out and gently ran her finger over her cheek.

"You're doing a great job with her. She looks happy, healthy. I know I've made the right decision in giving her to you." Quinn said.

"Thank you." Shelby smiled.

"She's so beautiful." Quinn breathed as she watched Beth sleeping.

"Well that's all down to you and Puck." Shelby laughed.

They stood for a few moments just listening to the sound of Beth's gentle breathing before Quinn remembered that she was supposed to be leaving.

"My mom and I are catching the flight back home around midday on Sunday. I...I hope you don't mind but I kind of already bought your ticket." Quinn told her.

"How did you know I'd come?" Shelby asked.

"I just...I had a feeling." She shrugged. "Are you ok to meet us at the airport?"

"Sure. Are you sure your mom's going to be ok with this?" Shelby asked sceptically.

"My mom won't be a problem. She knows this is for a friend and she'll go along with anything at the moment just to try and get back in my good books." Quinn explained. "I'll see you there."

"Yes." Shelby nodded.

With a parting smile, Quinn turned away and made her way back to the hotel she was staying in with her mom. Along the way, she took out her cell phone and made a call.

Back at Will's apartment, Will was lounging on the couch flicking through the television stations as Rachel was in the kitchen making them cups of cocoa. His cell started to ring and he glanced at the name before answering.

"Hey Quinn." He greeted her.

"She's coming." Quinn said.

Will sat forward quickly and lowered his voice.

"She is?" He asked.

"Yes. She wants to be a part of Rachel's life, she always has." Quinn explained. "She was just too scared of Rachel rejecting her but she's willing to fight now."

"Good. Now all we have to worry about is how Rachel's going to react when Shelby gets here." He said.

"I know. I'm starting to worry about that part myself. I didn't think that far ahead, I honestly thought Shelby was going to be more of a problem." Quinn admitted. "I'm just hoping that once Rachel sees her mom is here for her, she'll be alright."

"I'm sure everything will be fine." Will replied.

"What will be fine?" Rachel's voice asked as she carried two cups of cocoa into the room.

"Erm – Quinn's worried about her flight back. The...weather in New York is...bad." Will lied.

"That's Quinn?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah. You want to talk to her?" Will replied.

"No, just send my love and tell her to stop worrying, everything's going to be ok." Rachel smiled.

"Rachel sends her love and told me to tell you not to worry because everything is going to be fine." Will said.

"Oh Rachel, if only you knew. Then maybe you wouldn't be saying that." Quinn sighed. "Send her my love too."

"Quinn sends her love." Will said to Rachel.

"Look, I'd better be going. I'll see you Sunday – don't say anything to Rachel. I don't want her freaking out on us just yet." Quinn told him.

"Agreed." Will nodded. "We'll see you soon and enjoy the rest of your trip."

"Thanks, I'll see you soon." Quinn replied.

Sunday came around all too fast and Will was suddenly nervous about Rachel and Shelby's reunion. He tried not to let on to Rachel how he was feeling – if she picked up on it, she'd have the truth out of him in seconds.

They were currently lying on the couch together, Rachel's head on his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. She could hear his heart beating faster than usual and he held his body a little tensely. She lifted her head up to look into his eyes and frowned slightly.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"Fine." He answered. "Why?"

"You seem a little..." She shrugged. "I don't know...nervous or something."

"What do I have to be nervous about?" He laughed.

"I don't know." She shrugged again then narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You tell me."

"Nothing." He lied. "I'm not nervous about anything."

"Are you sure?" She asked suspiciously.

"Positive." He nodded and decided to change the subject quickly. "Hey, the songs everyone wrote for their Glee assignment were really good. I still think yours was the best though. A good choice for Regionals, evidently."

"You have to say that though, you're my boyfriend." Rachel laughed.

"That's not why I'm saying it." He chuckled. "It really was the best. Yours came from the heart, it had...real emotion behind it. Don't get me wrong, they all worked hard and some were fun to perform but none were really winning songs. Except yours – and I'm not saying that because I'm your boyfriend, the rest of the Glee club thought so too. That's why they all voted for your song to be our solo at Regionals."

"I was a little nervous." Rachel admitted. "If we didn't win it would have been entirely my fault. It would have been my song that wasn't good enough."

"Rachel, your song was amazing and it did win us Regionals. I believed in you, the Glee club believed in you...have a little faith in yourself." He said.

Rachel smiled before leaning in for a loving kiss. A knock sounded on the door and Rachel sighed as she pulled away.

"I'll get that." She told him. As she pulled herself up and made her way to the door, Will stood up and took a deep nervous breath. Rachel opened the door and grinned when she was met by her best friend. "Quinn, you're back. I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow."

"Please don't hate me." Quinn whispered.

Rachel frowned at her friend before movement behind her caught her eye. Her eyes widened and she gasped as Shelby stepped out from behind Quinn.

"Mom?" Rachel gasped.

"Hi." Shelby replied nervously.

A few seconds of silence passed before Rachel's shocked expression turned hard and cold.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded.

"I came here for you. Quinn told me what had happened and I wanted to be here for you." Shelby answered.

"I don't need you. I've been fine without you for the past seventeen years of my life, I don't need you now." Rachel growled. "And you." Her eyes slid to Quinn, blazing with fury. "Why did you do this to me? You know she's just going to turn her back and run away from me when things get a little bit scary."

"No, Rachel, she's not. She wants to help you, she wants to start again with you." Quinn told her.

"Well I'm sorry you've had a wasted journey. I'm through with giving you second chances." Rachel hissed at Shelby before looking back to Quinn. "And don't bother calling us friends any more."

She turned and started to storm into her and Will's bedroom but he caught her arm and stopped her before she passed.

"Rachel, stop. Quinn did this for you because she's your best friend and she knew having your mom here would make you happy. Shelby is here for you. She's come here, despite how hard this might be for her too, for you. Doesn't that show you how much she cares for you? Please Rach, give her a chance." Will begged.

"You knew about this." Rachel growled. "That's why you've been so nervous and jumpy all day and you've been lying to me ever since Quinn left for New York. I can't believe you."

She pulled her arm out of Will's grip and stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Will sighed and turned to Shelby and Quinn. Quinn looked devastated while Shelby looked pained and close to tears.

"I'm sorry." Will sighed.

"I shouldn't have come." Shelby whispered.

"This is all my fault." Quinn mumbled. "I had to interfere. I just thought she wanted Shelby here, I thought it would make her happy."

"Rachel will come around. Just give her time." Will told them.

"Maybe I should go back to New York. Rachel doesn't want me here and I don't want to cause any more trouble by staying." Shelby said.

"No, stay." Will said. "Rachel does want you here she's just in shock and needs time to think things through. She's been through a lot lately. When she's had time to think, she'll realise Quinn, that you did this because you're her friend and you care about her."

"I hope so." Quinn sighed. "I'd better go."

"Me too. I'd better get Beth to the motel and into bed." Shelby said.

It was then that Will noticed the stroller behind Quinn and Beth sleeping inside.

"You can stay here if you want to." Will offered.

"I...I don't think I should." Shelby said hesitantly. "I don't want Rachel to think I'm forcing myself on her. Besides, I don't think having Beth here with me is going to help things between Rachel and myself."

"I could take her for a few nights." Quinn volunteered.

Shelby and Will looked to see Quinn looking down at Beth with adoration in her eyes.

"Are you sure about that Quinn?" Shelby asked.

Quinn nodded then looked up at Shelby. She knew Shelby was concerned for her well-being but Quinn honestly thought she could handle this.

"We'll be fine." Quinn reassured her. "Look, I'll take Beth for a few nights and while Rachel and I are at school, I'll drop Beth back off with you. It'll give you and Rachel plenty of alone time to bond and when Rachel feels comfortable enough, Beth can stay here with you."

Shelby looked between Beth, Quinn and Will before staring longingly at the door Rachel had left through.

"Ok." Shelby agreed. She bent over Beth's stroller and kissed the sleeping girl's cheek. "I hope she doesn't freak out when she wakes up in a strange place and I'm not there."

"She'll be fine." Quinn told her. "We'll see you tomorrow."

Shelby waved as Quinn pushed the stroller away. There was an awkward silence once Shelby had brought in her bags and stood in the middle of the room.

"So..." Shelby started. "You and my daughter...can't say I'm too crazy about the idea, but as long as she's happy. Plus, in an odd way, I can't think of anyone more suited."

"Thank you." Will smiled. "And I promise to care for your daughter and your...granddaughter and to love them always. They are my world."

Shelby smiled then rolled her eyes.

"Grandmother, me." She laughed. "I feel so old."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you certainly don't look old enough to be anybody's grandmother." He told her.

Shelby laughed again and shook her head.

"Well aren't you a charmer. No wonder Rachel fell for you." She smiled. "Seriously though, look after her."

"I will." Will promised. They talked for a while, catching up and getting to know each other all over again. Will finally looked at the time. "It's getting late, we should go to bed. You can make yourself comfortable in the spare room and if you need or want anything, just help yourself."

"Thanks Will." Shelby replied. "And not just for letting me stay here but also for giving me a second chance."

"You're here." Will shrugged. "If you weren't truly sorry for what you'd done to Rachel, if you really didn't want to be a part of her life, you wouldn't be here putting yourself through this pain. But the fact that you are, that you're willing to work through the pain to make things right, that suggests to me that you deserve a second chance."

"I wish Rachel saw it that way." Shelby sighed.

"She will in her own time." Will said. He gave her a smile before heading into his and Rachel's room. "Goodnight Shelby."

"Night Will." She replied.

When Will entered the bedroom, he found Rachel already in bed facing away from him. Her eyes were screwed shut and he knew she was only pretending to be asleep and that it meant she didn't want to talk to him. He sighed as he got himself ready for bed and slipped in behind her. He watched her for a few moments before leaning over her shoulder and kissing her cheek, watching as her lip trembled and her eyes shut even tighter.

"I love you Rachel." He whispered. "And so does Shelby. She's here because she wants to make things right, just give her a chance."

He waited to see if she'd say anything or open her eyes – anything. Will sighed again as he received no reaction and lay down beside her.

Rachel's head was bursting with questions she wanted answers to. Why was Shelby really here? What was in this for her? Was what Will said really true? Was Shelby here to make up for what she did to her last year? Did she really want to be a part of Rachel's life...be her mom?

Curiosity eventually got the best of her. She waited until she was sure that Will was fast asleep before sliding soundlessly out of bed and tiptoeing out of the room.

When she went to Shelby's room, the door was still open and Shelby was rummaging through her bag, dressed for bed in loose pants and a tank top.

"Sh-Shel..." Rachel stuttered quietly. Shelby obviously hadn't heard her so she took a deep breath before saying in a louder voice. "Mom?" Shelby turned quickly and the two stared at each other. "Can – can we talk?"

"Sure." Shelby nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the space beside her. Rachel made her way over and sat down, fidgeting nervously as if she were the guest here and not Shelby. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Why are you here? Really?" Rachel asked. "You left without even a goodbye, just some lame excuse that you felt that 'you were my mother but not my mom'. Now you're back and you say you want to be my mom again? Have you any idea how confusing that is for me? How much it hurts?"

"I am so sorry Rachel, I never meant to hurt you." Shelby explained. "In truth, I was scared. When I came here to find you, I was hoping to find my baby, this tiny little girl who needed her mommy. But when I got here, you'd grown up into this beautiful, independent woman with her own mind. You didn't need me. I was so sure that some part of you would resent me for leaving you in the first place. I got so scared that you'd reject any attempts I made to be a part of your life, that I did the only thing I could think of at the time and I ran. I was selfish and only thinking of my own feelings and how I might have got hurt when I should have been thinking about you. I'm here now though and this time I'm not running. I'm here as long as you want me to be."

Rachel sat quietly watching Shelby and the older woman knew she was searching her face for any signs of a lie. Shelby only hoped she found the sincerity and honesty she felt. After a while, she saw Rachel's eyes start to water and she heard her breath catch.

"Mom." She whispered. Rachel threw her arms around Shelby, taking her by surprise as she buried her face in her shoulder. Shelby held onto her tightly, her eyes closing as she breathed in her daughter's scent. "I do need you mom. Don't leave me. I'm so scared."

"I won't baby girl. I'm here for you always. I won't leave you again. There's no need to be afraid." Shelby whispered feeling tears of joy and relief start to spill down her cheeks. She could feel Rachel trembling in her arms and she ran a hand through her hair. "It's ok sweetie, I'm here. Do you want to sit here for a while?" She felt Rachel nod into her shoulder. "Ok, baby girl, let's get ourselves into a more comfortable position."

A little while later, Will rolled over and put his arm out to put it around Rachel. When he found nothing but cool empty sheets, he lifted his head and looked around the room with blurry eyes. He frowned before getting out of bed and going in search of her. He spotted the guest bedroom door was open and padded over to look in.

He saw Shelby lying in bed, slightly propped up by the pillows. She had an arm around a sleeping Rachel who was curled into her side, one arm draped over Shelby and her head on Shelby's shoulder. Shelby was running her free hand through Rachel's hair and pressing kisses there. Will smiled at the scene.

He watched for a few moments longer before he quietly cleared his throat. Shelby looked up at him and smiled.

"Everything ok?" He asked.

"It's fine." She smiled.

They both smiled lovingly at Rachel as she slept.

"Want me to take her?" Will asked as he stepped towards the bed.

"No!" Shelby said quickly, holding one of her hands out to him. Rachel mumbled and snuggled closer into Shelby. "Leave her. She's fine where she is."

Will held back a chuckle so as not to wake Rachel and nodded.

"Right, well, I'll see you both in the morning." He said.

Shelby smiled before turning her attention back to the young girl in her arms. She rested her cheek on the top of Rachel's head and closed her eyes as Will left the room.

The next morning, Shelby woke to find Rachel gone and she started to panic that the young girl had regretted her actions the night before. She sighed and ruffled her hair as she sat up.

"I thought you might like some breakfast." A voice said.

Shelby looked up and smiled in relief as she saw Rachel holding a tray with a plate of pancakes and some fresh orange juice. She walked over to the bed and placed it in front of Shelby. Shelby looked at Rachel as if it was the first time. Her eyes fell on her protruding stomach, something she hadn't really noticed the night before due to all the drama, and felt a little saddened that her baby girl was forced into motherhood so young. When she looked into Rachel's eyes she saw that the young girl was glowing, an effect the pregnancy and being in a happy, loving relationship were having on her. It suited her well. She could sense no feelings of sadness or fear from her, only warmth and love and happiness. Shelby knew though, that these feelings were bubbling under the surface ready to burst like last night.

"You shouldn't have done all this for me, not in your condition." Shelby said, breaking herself out of her observations. "It should have been the other way around."

"You're our guest." Rachel shrugged as she sat down with Shelby. "But if you insist, you can make me breakfast instead."

They both laughed before Shelby started to tuck into her food.

"This is beautiful. Thank you Rachel." She smiled.

Rachel smiled shyly and shrugged once more.

"Rach?" Will's voice called.

"In here sweetie." Rachel called back.

"Did you two make up?" Shelby asked.

"Sort of. I mumbled an apology when we ran into each other in the kitchen. I guess I owe him a better apology though." Rachel answered as she looked down at her hands.

"I should have guessed really." Will grinned as he entered the room.

Rachel and Shelby smiled at each other then the younger girl walked over to Will and pulled him into a hug.

"I am sorry for last night. I should have known you were only trying to protect me and make me happy." Rachel told him.

"It's ok. I'm sorry for keeping secrets from you, that's not how I want this relationship to be." Will replied.

"But you had good intentions so I'll forgive you this time." She smiled. "Just no more secrets ok?"

"I promise." Will smiled back.

She caught his lips in a sweet kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Shelby smiled at the two before looking away and feeling awkward. She did her best to ignore them as she ate her breakfast, feeling as if she was intruding on their moment.

"Was there something you wanted?" Rachel asked as they pulled apart.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you both something." Will answered. Rachel and Shelby shared a confused smile before they looked back at Will. "I was wondering if I could take you both out to dinner tonight. I thought it might be a good place for you two to get to know each other a bit better. You could talk over a nice meal, it's a nice relaxed environment."

"Breadstix? Relaxed?" Rachel laughed. "Besides, there's always someone that knows us there so we'd have to hide our relationship and our feelings. How can I enjoy myself if I can't show any affection towards my boyfriend?"

"I wasn't thinking about Breadstix. There's a little place out of town I wanted to try." Will told them. "So, after school, both of you get changed into your pretty dresses and then I shall drive us there."

"Sounds exciting." Rachel grinned. "What do you think mom?"

"It sounds wonderful." Shelby agreed.

Rachel was just putting the last few things she needed into her school bag when someone knocked on the door. She turned just as Will opened it to reveal Quinn with Beth in her stroller.

"Hey Quinn, come on in." Will smiled.

Quinn pushed Beth into the apartment and Shelby quickly went to stand in front of Beth.

"Hi Bethy!" Shelby said. The little girl's arms shot out and reached for her. She tried her hardest to wriggle out of her chair causing Shelby to chuckle before taking Beth into her arms. She kissed Beth's cheek as she buried her face in her shoulder. "How was she? I hope she wasn't any trouble."

"No trouble at all, she was absolutely perfect." Quinn told her. "She fussed a little when she first woke up because she didn't know where she was and she couldn't find you but she settled soon enough."

"Were you a good little girl for Quinn?" Shelby cooed. "Did you have fun?"

Quinn smiled as she watched them before her eyes fell on Rachel. Rachel was watching Shelby and Beth together and Quinn thought she could see a tiny amount of sadness in her expression but she was mostly watching them with curiosity. When her friend's eyes swivelled to hers, Quinn bit her lip nervously and stepped slowly over to Rachel.

"Hey." Quinn mumbled.

"Hi." Rachel replied. "Look, Quinn, I'm so sorry for what I said last night. I didn't mean any of it, you're an amazing friend. I'm so grateful to you for bringing my mom here, everything feels complete now. I still can't believe you did this for me."

"You're my best friend." Quinn told her. "And I am always loyal to my best friends and I'd do anything for them."

"Thank you." Rachel smiled and pulled her friend into a hug. "You know I'd do anything for you too right?"

"Yes. You already did so much for me before we became friends even though I was a complete bitch to you." Quinn replied. "So you do forgive me? We are still friends?"

"Of course. Practically sisters." Rachel laughed.

Quinn laughed with her as they let go of each other.

"So...how are you and Shelby?" Quinn asked.

"We're good." Rachel nodded. "I mean, there's still a lot of repair work to be done and some bridges to build but we're ok. We talked a little last night and Will's taking us to dinner so we can talk some more. I'm certain that things are going to work out this time." Rachel smiled as she looked over at Shelby. "I'm going to have a mom."

"That's great." Quinn grinned. "I'm so happy things are working out."

"Me too." Rachel nodded. "So, I erm...I hear you're taking care of Beth for a while."

"Yeah I am." The blonde girl smiled. "I offered to take care of her during the evenings so you and Shelby could have some quality bonding time."

"Well, thank you." Rachel smiled. "But...do you not find it...hard? I don't mean physically I mean...she's your daughter and you've not seen her in over a year, does that not...affect you?"

"Well, it was kind of hard when I first saw her. I spent a couple of hours with her at Shelby's and when I went back to the hotel room, I did go through the whole 'why did I give her up? I want my baby back – no I don't – yes I do' in my head but then I realised that she has a really good life with Shelby – better than anything I could give her. Shelby is her mom and knowing that made it easier for me to make a bond with her. It's not the mother-daughter bond it's more like a...loving aunt bond. That's ok though, I like the idea of being cool Aunt Quinn."

"But...don't you worry that one day it's not going to be enough and that you'll want to be her mom?" Rachel asked.

"No, I don't." Quinn answered truthfully. "I'm not ready to have kids yet. When I'm older and wiser and in a serious relationship with a secure job and a home, then I'll think about having children. Beth...I'll always want to be a part of her life now but...not as her mom. She's happy and healthy and safe with Shelby and she loves her so much, I can't take that away from her. I want Beth where she's going to have the best life and the best chance of a future and that's with Shelby and knowing that, like I said before, makes it easier to put a little distance between us and for me to be cool Aunt Quinn."

"I think you'll be an amazing aunt." Rachel told her.

"Thanks." Quinn grinned. "Come on, we'd better get going to school."

"Yeah. Will, are you ready?" Rachel called.

"I'll be with you in five, I've just got to grab my class notes." He told her.

Shelby put Beth down then made her way over to Rachel.

"How about you give your mom a hug before you leave?" Shelby said. Rachel smiled shyly as Shelby pulled her into a hug. The young girl clung to her mother tightly and closed her eyes. "Have a good day, baby girl. I'll see you when you get home."

"Bye mom." Rachel replied.

"Ok, ready to go." Will said as he stood beside them. The two women pulled apart and smiled. He hugged Shelby briefly then put his arm around Rachel. "See you later Shelby."

"Bye Will. Bye Quinn and thanks again for watching Beth." Shelby said.

"Not a problem. I told you, I'll take care of her whenever you need me to." Quinn said.

The three left for school in Will's car and Shelby held Beth on her hip and waved as they went. Rachel turned her body so she could speak to Quinn who sat in the back.

"So, are you going to tell Puck that Beth's in town?" She asked.

"Oh...I didn't think of that. What do I do? I don't want him to freak out and I don't want him pounding on the door demanding to see her. Beth doesn't act well around strangers, I can't let Puck just burst in on her life and freak her out. I don't know what to do, I...I think I should talk to Shelby about this first." Quinn replied. "So neither of you mention Shelby or Beth around him."

"We won't." Rachel promised.