Thanks as always to everyone who reviewed. You have no idea how happy it makes me.

And thanks to my beta Scarlett88 :)

It's hard to believe there will only be one more chapter after this one! I can't believe this story is already ending. Thanks so much to everyone who has been reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well as the final one I will be posting as soon as its written!

Chapter Seventeen

Beth was lying in her room, attempting to read her World History book when she heard her mom call her name. "I'm in my room," she yelled back. A second later, Shelby's footsteps could be heard until Beth's door finally swung open. Beth looked up from her book to her mother who was standing in the doorway, and she quirked her blonde eyebrows at her mom, expectantly.

"Mrs. Roberts said she needs to see us right away," Shelby explained.

"What? Why?" Beth wondered nervously.

"She didn't say, but it didn't seem bad."

Beth nodded, hoping her mom was right. She shut her book and grabbed her purse before following the elder woman to the car.

There was a bit of tension in the car because both women were scared of what they were about to hear. It could either be really great news or it could be really horrible news. For Charlotte to call them down to her office, they knew it would either be one of the two extremes and probably nothing in the middle.

Shelby pulled into the parking lot before they got out of the car and made their way into the building. While sitting in the waiting room, Shelby attempted to read a magazine while Beth picked at her fingernails (a habit she knew wasn't good, but it distracted her).

After just a few minutes, the same receptionist as the time before came out and showed them back to Charlotte's office. Beth and Shelby relaxed a bit as they entered the room because they saw a large smile pasted across Charlotte's face.

"Thanks for coming to see me on such short notice," the lawyer began, "But I thought this was the kind of news I should tell you in person."

The mother and daughter leaned into Charlotte in anticipation. "Jim's lawyer called me earlier today," she began, "And said that Jim changed his mind, and decided to plead guilty, which means there won't be a trial."

Beth felt her heart leap inside her chest as tears of happiness filled her eyes. There isn't going to be a trial anymore. She doesn't have to tell all the disgusting details anymore. She can finally let it all go; she can finally be free.

"Did he say what changed his mind?" Shelby wondered.

"He just said Jim talked to someone who made him look at everything from a different perspective, and he didn't want to hurt Beth anymore."

Shelby felt as if a boulder had just been lifted off her chest. It was over, everything was over, and now she and Beth could heal and get on with their lives. She knows it isn't something that's going to disappear ever, but it's also something that they can deal with in strides.

She stood up from the table and walked to Charlotte before enveloping her in a hug. "Thanks so much," she cried.

Charlotte, used to this kind of behavior by now, hugged the mom back. "You're most welcome, although I didn't do much."

Shelby nodded as she sniffled a little. She reached out to grab Beth's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Beth stood up to join her mom so they could leave.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope I never have to see you two again," she winked.

"We hope that, too," Shelby said, giving Charlotte one more hug before wrapping her arm around her daughter and heading towards the door. Beth turned around and gave the lawyer one more grateful smile before leaving the room.

Once in the car, Shelby smiled wide before leaning in and kissing her daughter gently on the nose. Beth smiled at her mom and laid her head on the woman's shoulder. "I love you, Mom," she said.

"I love you more."

Shelby started the car and headed home. When they walked into the house, Beth felt some sort of ease settle over her. It was official, she was safe now and Jim was never going to get her again. And as much as she lost during this whole thing, she had gained so much more. It had led her to meet her birthparents as well as a sister she never knew she had. Now that this was all over, she could enjoy getting to know these new people in her life, and focus on school and Glee. She wasn't naïve enough to think it was going to go away in one night, but she knew she had a great support system and soon she would be as good as new. When it came down to it, she was a lucky girl, luckier than some in her position and for that, she would be eternally grateful.

X-X-X-X-X

Word soon got around that there would be no trial, and Carol and Burt offered to have a celebratory dinner at their house the next night.

Carol and Rachel were in the kitchen making the food while Finn and Burt were "cleaning" in the living room to get ready for the guests that would be coming over.

"I'm really glad you and my son are going to try and give a relationship a shot," Carol said nonchalantly and she stirred the spaghetti sauce.

"Yea, me too," Rachel said a bit dreamy. "I really do care about your son, I have since high school, and I really hope things can work out this time around."

"Well, if it helps, Burt and I are rooting for you two," Carol said. "Finn has had a tough couple of years with Kennedy and her mom running off and it's nice to see him happy again." Rachel smiled. "He deserves to be happy; he's such a great person. You raised him really well."

"Thank you," Carol blushed a bit. "I did my best."

"Well, your best is a very good best."

Before Carol had the chance to answer the doorbell rang and Burt went to answer the door. There was a bit of commotion as he and Finn greeted the guests.

A second later there was a loud, "Rachel!" that came from the kitchen door.

Rachel looked over to see a small blonde walking towards her. "Beth!" she greeted as a Rachel Barry world-class-smile adorned her face. She walked to her sister and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tight.

"How are you?" she asked after she had let go.

Beth shrugged. "I'm doing fine."

"Good to hear," Rachel smiled as she hugged the teenager once more.

"Now isn't that a sight every mother wants to see," Shelby said as she entered the kitchen.

Beth and Rachel laughed.

"We haven't known each other long, give it some time, I'm sure we'll find something to fight about," Rachel joked.

"Yea, like who is the best singer," Beth chimed in.

"Wow, slow down there," Rachel warned. "I will teach you my tricks, but no one is as wonderful as the great Rachel Barry."

Beth just rolled her eyes and giggled.

Beth and Shelby offered to help with dinner, and soon the four women found a nice rhythm as they finished the cooking.

Meanwhile, Puck, who had come with Shelby and Beth, was standing a bit awkwardly in the living room with Finn. (Burt had gone upstairs to get Kennedy). He hadn't talked to Finn since high school and he honestly didn't know if Finn was still mad at him for sleeping with Quinn all those years ago.

"So, uh, how have you been?" Puck asked.

Finn shrugged. "Things have been looking up." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You?"

"Just happy all this shit is over," Puck answered. They both nodded and stood in silence.

"So, uh, how's the garage?" Puck asked.

"Business has been good; can't complain."

More silence.

"So what do, uh, what do you do for a living?" Finn wondered.

Puck chuckled a bit. "I worked at a diner when I was living in New York. But it, uh, doesn't really have vacation time so I had to quit to come here, not that it matters, that place was shit. I'm thinking about moving back to Lima anyway."

"That's cool. You know, we're always looking for extra help at the garage; I'll talk to Burt for you if you decide to move her for sure."

"That'd be cool," Puck nodded.

"You still like the Bengals?" Finn asked.

"Yea," Puck nodded.

"I think they're playing right now, I'll turn it on."

"Sounds good," Puck smiled as he sat down on the couch. Finn turned the TV on.

"Want a beer?" Finn offered.

"Yea, that'd be cool."

Finn nodded before disappearing and returning a second later with two beers in hand. He handed one to Puck before joining him on the couch. The awkwardness seemed to have disappeared and the two were hanging out again, just like old times.

At 7 o'clock when the dinner was to start, the doorbell rang and Quinn arrived with Ayden and Ella. Now that everyone was accounted for and dinner was ready, they all sat down in the dining room to eat.

It was a nice meal and everyone felt happy to be back together. It was the first time a lot of them had been together since high school, and there was a lot of catching up to do. Each person explained what they had been doing in that fourteen years time, and told their share of funny and sad stories.

Half way through the desert of chocolate cake, Ella and Ayden decided to tell their own stories. The most important was what they were going to be for Halloween because it was only a short ten days away.

"I'm gonna be a pirate, like Captain Jack Sparrow!" Ayden said in his best pirate impersonation. "Arrrggg!" He made a fake hook out of his finger and scrunched up his face. Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

"And I'm gonna be a fairy!" Ella practically yelled to get the attention back on her. "A purple fairy with pink wings and mommy even got me sparkly heals!"

Everyone cooed at the two kids as they continued to talk about their costumes. Finn looked to his left to see Kennedy playing with her macaroni (specially made for her because she always had macaroni on Fridays).

"Kennedy, do you want to tell everyone what you're being for Halloween?" Finn urged.

The little girl didn't even look up from her plate. She just continued to play with the noodles, swinging her head from side to side in rhythm.

"Kennedy…" he said again. This time she looked up at him for a short second before shaking her head and going back to her food. Finn sighed.

Carol, who could sense Finn's frustration chimed in. "Kennedy's going to be Dora the Explorer."

"I love Dora!" Ella said excitedly, distracting everyone and leading to a new conversation about how children's shows these days are nothing like they used to be.

After dinner everyone went outside so Puck, Finn, and Burt could help Ayden with his baseball, and Beth decided to join in. The women sat on the deck and watched the game while Ella swung on the swing set and Kennedy played in the sand box.

It seemed so right and not forced; like this was something they had been doing for years. Everyone was able to forget all the problems swirling around in their minds as they relaxed and enjoyed being with friends.

But like everything, it didn't last forever. The kids began to get tired and cranky, so everyone migrated back into the house to say their good-byes.

Quinn planned on staying in a hotel, but Shelby insisted she and the kids stay at her house. Beth would sleep with Shelby in her room and Quinn and the kids could take the teenager's room, while Puck continued to sleep on the couch. It seemed like a fair enough deal so Quinn agreed.

When they got back to the Corcoran house, Quinn got the kids ready for bed while everyone else watched a movie in the living room. Half-way through the movie Beth was out, and Puck carried her back to Shelby's room where Shelby thanked him and bid him good-night. He returned to the living room to see Quinn was still sitting on the couch.

He walked towards her slowly. He could tell she was in deep concentration about something.

Quinn heard Puck walking back towards the couch and sighed. "I guess we should talk about this now."

"Okay," Puck said joining her on the couch.

She looked over at him, her eyes settling on his. He felt like she could see right into the very depth of his soul. "Do you love me, Puck?"

Her eyes were desperate and confused, and he wanted to do something to fix it. "I've loved you since high school, Quinn. Since the day I found out you were pregnant more specifically."

She nodded and closed her eyes, contemplating what she had just heard. She felt a bit of déjà vu sweep over her as she thought back to the day Beth was born.

"Did you love me?" she had asked.

"Yes, especially now."

But she hadn't ever answered him. She hadn't been honest with the fact that she had indeed loved him, but was too scared and insecure to admit it. But she was older now, and she was different.

"I love you, too." The words came easily from her tongue, and she knew then that it was right. She didn't regret saying it like she thought she might, but instead felt a calming sense of relief wash over her body.

Puck's heart skipped a beat when he heard what she had said. She had known for years how he felt about her, but she had never acknowledged that the feelings were mutual. He was glad he was sitting because he began to feel weak at the knees and a goofy smile overtook his face. Damn, he was such a pussy.

"But…" he said, knowing there was always a catch.

"But it's complicated, with my marriage and all," she said.

"What's complicated about it? He cheated on you, more than once," Puck said a bit angrily. "No way in hell you're going back to him."

Quinn nodded. "It's just scary. I told myself that my kids weren't going to have the same life I did."

"The only way your kids will have the same life is if you live in a loveless marriage like your parents did for so many years," Puck answered.

Quinn let out a small sob as she nodded. "Yea, you're right."

She leaned her head onto Puck's chest and took in his familiar scent that hadn't changed since high school. It made her feel a bit of nostalgia and she couldn't help but smile through her tears.

She pulled back so their eyes were locked again. "But we can't be together until the divorce is final. I'm not doing that."

Puck wanted nothing more than to be with Quinn as soon as he possibly could, but he knew waiting was important to her so he nodded and agreed. "But the minute it's final, you're all mine."

She snuggled back into his chest. "That's fair, but what about the distance? You live in New York and I live in Cinci," she explained.

"Finn said something about needing help at the garage," he shrugged, "so I was thinking about moving back to Lima."

"I wish I could," Quinn sighed. "But I don't want to have Ayden and Ella leave their school and friends on top of everything else. But we can be together on weekends and days Joe has the kids. And Cinci isn't too far of a drive."

"We'll make it work," he said kissing her forehead.

They snuggled on the couch a bit longer before she snuck back to the bedroom and slept.

X-X-X-X-X

After everyone left the house, Finn changed Kennedy into her pajamas and had her sleep on the couch while the adults cleaned up. Carol and Burt took the dining room while Rachel and Finn did the dishes.

"Tonight was fun," Rachel smiled as she dried the salad bowl. "I forgot you could actually have fun in Lima."

"We're not as hardcore as New York, but we have our moments," Finn chuckled.

"Speaking of that," Rachel said. "I talked to Shelby tonight and she said she would love for me to help her with the play."

"So you'll be staying for sure?" he wondered.

She nodded. "I'm going apartment shopping tomorrow, so for now, at least, I'm staying."

Finn smiled before leaning in and kissing her gently on the lips.

Rachel continued to dry a few dishes before speaking up again. "You seemed upset earlier, at dinner," she said carefully.

Finn sighed, knowing exactly what she was talking about. He didn't talk about Kennedy's Autism much, but he knew this was an important conversation to have. "Sometimes it's just frustrating to see other children fully engaging in conversation and being so open, when I know Kennedy will never be like that."

Rachel nodded as she took his hand into hers, urging him to continue.

"I mean I love K, don't get me wrong," he started. "But sometimes it's hard not to wish for things that will never happen because of her Autism. And I know it's not her fault, and that she can't help it, but it still frustrates me."

Rachel looked straight into Finn's hazel eyes and gave him a gentle smile. "You're a wonderful father, Finn," she said patting his hand. "And what you're feeling is only normal. Sometimes it's hard to except that Kennedy will be different, but that doesn't mean you love her any less. You've given up so much for her, and she knows it, she just doesn't know how to express her thanks. But I can see in the way she listens to you, more than anyone else, that she loves you so much."

"Thanks, Rach," he said kissing the top of her head. "It's only been a couple days and I already don't know what I'd do without you."

"I feel the same way," she smiled.

The next day Rachel found an apartment. After it was official she took out her phone and dialed her agent's number, finally deciding to tell her the truth. For now, she wasn't looking for any jobs. She had achieved her dreams of being a Broadway star and now she had different dreams to fulfill.