A/N: Second update today, just for you!

You all have been wonderful with your reviews, and for making this story a "favorite." I've never done any sort of fanfiction before, but I really wanted to tell this story and I am glad you enjoy reading it. So, I know that last chapter ended sadly for Rachel, so here's a little something to tide you over till the next big chapter. And I promise a lot will happen in the next one, so just bare with me :)

Also, just because I misspelled Shelby's last name, I will correct it in future chapters. Sorry about the mistake. Correct spelling is "Corcoran."

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any music featured.

Chapter 7: Redemption Song

Quinn decided that she would talk to Mercedes while she sent Puck to figure out what really happened with Shelby. She found Mercedes by her locker just after the last bell rang out signaling the end of the school day.

"Mercedes, I need to talk to you." She wanted to keep an even tone, but she hadn't been able to recover since hearing Rachel sing her song looking so broken.

"If this is about whose side you're on, you better choose wisely." Mercedes responded without looking at her. She was still shuffling around looking for something in her locker.

"Sides, Mercedes. Really? We're all friends." That made Mercedes scoff and turn to face her.

"Friends? Please, your skinny white ass hasn't been my friend since you gave away Beth, lost your baby weight and rejoined Cheerios."

"Mercedes, look, I made mistakes. A lot of them."

"Would you like me to list them? Starting with infidelity…" Mercedes was dripping with malice.

"But of all the mistakes I made, the one I seem to keep repeating is how badly I treat my friends." Quinn said quietly, reaching out to touch Mercedes' forearm. "You guys have always been there for me and I always let you down."

"Why the sudden change now? I see you've rejoined glee and you and Puck seem to be…"

"Puck and I are making amends. You're not the only person I dropped as soon as I dropped the weight." Quinn was ashamed of herself.

"It's nice, you guys seem happy. Kurt even showed me a picture of Beth…"

"Kurt? How does he have a picture?"

"Rachel sent it to Finn, who sent it to Kurt. I guess you all went there last night; it was a picture of Rachel holding Beth, and she's beautiful Quinn."

"She's very good natured too. And she's walking, not much but it's the most amazing thing I've ever seen." Quinn beamed; it was the first time she actually got to be a mother bragging about her daughter.

"So, you and Rachel have made amends too, huh?" Mercedes didn't sound bitter, just curious.

"I'm the one who needed to make amends. But ya, we're getting there." Quinn smiled sadly, and she hoped they were.

"So, you're on her side?"

"No sides, Mercedes. Can I tell you something? And this stays between us, not even Kurt can know, do you hear me?" Quinn made sure that Mercedes knew how serious she was about this.

"You have my word, on our former friendship, I won't tell a soul."

"Did you know what you were doing when you joined Shelby's choir? What I mean to say, you saw Rachel when she first met Shelby and how fragile she looked. I couldn't stand the girl at the time and even I felt bad, you know? Anyway, their relationship is…complicated."

"What are you getting at Fabray?" Mercedes replied, crossing her arms defensively.

"Rachel considered you and Kurt her only friends. And you left her to join her mom's choir, Mercedes. She'll never admit it, but it crushed her."

Mercedes shifts uncomfortably, but remained silent. "And for the record, Rachel didn't tell Shelby to kick you off the team."

"I know."

"What?"

"She told me that she couldn't accept New Directions' members and that I should go back and sort things out with my friends." Mercedes sighed. "I was just so mad. Rachel gets everything. It's like everyone's so scared to break her…"

"First of all, she works for everything she gets. She takes dancing and singing classes outside of glee. She practices every night, Mercedes. She doesn't get anything she didn't earn. And second, you think people are scared to break her? She gets picked on every day, even by those of us who are supposed to be her friends."

"We all pick on each other. She knows we love her. Remember when she wanted the nose job and we talked her out of it?"

"The only reason she thought she needed one in the first place is because we've all been so horrible to her that she thought she had to change for us to like her!" Quinn hissed.

Mercedes tried to respond but no words came out.

"And just so you know, Rachel had one of the worst days of her life yesterday and when she got to school today, you threw her into a locker and had some stranger slushy her." Quinn lowered her voice, but what she said carried more than enough impact.

"I, I…d-didn't know." Mercedes sounded so small. She shuffled her feet and looked at the floor, not looking up she asked "What happened, yesterday?"

"Let's just say things didn't go well with Shelby."

Mercedes nodded.

Puck knocked on the door to Shelby's classroom. It was empty except for her. She nodded at him and he walked slowly toward her.

"Thank you for last night. I know it didn't go the way you intended, but both Quinn and I were happy to see Beth."

"You're welcome. And I appreciate you bringing Rachel; I only wish it went better." She studied him before continuing. "You heard everything last night, didn't you?"

Puck nodded, solemnly.

"Does Rachel know?" Puck shook his head and she breathed out a sigh of relief. "And you're here because?"

"Mercedes shoved Rachel into some lockers today after you cut her from your choir."

"Is she ok?" Shelby was out of her seat and half way to the door, but stopped as soon as Puck answered.

"Physically, yes. She always says she's okay. But it's hard to tell you know. After the…altercation, she got slushied."

"The things she said last night. I didn't know how she felt. I wouldn't have left if I knew she wanted me." She slowly turned to face Puck. "I wouldn't have come back if I knew it would make it worse, it's just that…"

"You couldn't stay away." Puck locked eyes with Shelby, and shrugged when she gave him a questioning look. "I've got my own little girl; I know what it's like."

Shelby nodded. "I won't keep you from her. I'd never do that. She'll grow up knowing she has two biological parents who love her and you will be a part of her life, as much as you want to be. She won't grow up like Rachel, she won't feel…"

Shelby broke down, she couldn't finish the thought. She cried herself into exhaustion last night, and never got to sleep. How could Rachel feel so rejected? She didn't choose Beth because she was better, she chose Beth because she could be hers unlike how Rachel never would be. She hadn't lied when she spoke to Quinn about being broken after giving up Rachel, it shattered her. She truly did search every face hoping to find her daughter's. It was the most amazing moment in her life when she heard Rachel sing, "Don't rain on my parade" two years ago at Sectional's. It was the moment she knew she finally found her daughter. And then she had to screw it up.

"You weren't the only one who dropped the ball." Puck pulled Shelby out of her thoughts; she had forgotten the boy was there. He saw her look at him, so he continued. "So many people have let her down, but we're going to make it up to her. Quinn, me, and the rest of glee club. She doesn't only have one friend, Shelby. She has all of us."

Shelby smiled through her tears. What a nice boy. If he hadn't gotten Quinn knocked up when they were sixteen, she might have considered someone like him as a suitor for Rachel. For a moment she wondered what would have happened had it been Rachel and not Quinn, who fell for Puck's charms. But only for a moment, because if that were the case she probably wouldn't have gotten to know Rachel and she definitely wouldn't have Beth. She sighed, she was glad he chose Quinn. But she was grateful he was so good a friend to Rachel now.

A/N: I was hoping to give redemption to the characters who I felt needed it. And Quinn got to make her amends to Mercedes, they used to be friends after all.

What are your opinions on what should happen to Beth? I know where I'm planning on going with it, but I wanted to know your thoughts.

Next chapter quite a bit of Faberry just for you. But it doesn't mean everything is roses, as they say…

Redemption Song- Bob Marley