Thank you all for continuing to follow this and read my story! I so appreciate the wonderful feedback you have given me, and it's really quite a trip seeing 600+ people (or hits) on this story when I updated it last! You all are amazing.

Also, big thanks to andsoitis, Lovetheday, MsKylie93, olacindy, and Eliza Jane Kelley for taking the time to review. Thank you!

So without further ado, I give you the final chapter of The Five Stages of Quinn Fabray! The title credits go out to a Mr. George Strait. I hope you all like it, and seeing as how this is the first story of mine that I have completed, I hope it has lived up to all of your expectations! Thanks!

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A Love Without End, Amen.

Before anyone really realized it, a few weeks had flown by since Quinn and Puck's meltdown in the choir room.

Nobody really said anything once the two of them walked back in holding hands that day, but they all breathed a sigh of relief that things were starting to go back to normal. Puck and Quinn had spent so much time trying to ignore one another and go out of their way to avoid each other that the rest of the group was just thankful they could get back to business as usual without the obvious looming tension between their friends.

Everything had gone back to normal…well, as normal as they could given the crazy personalities within the group. It was really starting to feel like the tight knit group they formed two years ago before they went to Regionals, except this time they had new additions Rory, Blaine, and Sugar to help them out… and on a high note, nobody was expecting a baby this time!

No, this time Regionals went almost perfectly. New Directions performed and the Troubletones were allowed to get back together and perform a song just like Mr. Schue promised and their set list was perfect. That snotty Sebastian from the Warblers never stood a chance, and despite a rather strong set list and initially being awarded the first place trophy, Sebastian and a few of his cronies had been found to have violated competition rules by bribing the judges and the award and the trip to Nationals went to New Directions. Watching his embarrassment and public disgrace was a win in itself, but the chance to go to Nationals again and win that coveted title lit a new fire within every member of New Directions and they all wanted nothing more than to beat Vocal Adrenalin and bring that Nationals trophy to McKinley.

But the best part about their impending trip back to New York was the fact that they were all going drama-free this time. No moping about not going (Blaine), no moping about lost loves or confused relationships (most of the rest of the group), and no hard feelings or resent toward anyone anymore.

They were going to Nationals as a group, as a solitary unit, and they were going to win it all this time. Together.

While they still had a few months until Nationals, Rachel had already gone on a bender to try and get everyone started on preparing for the competition. She had already polled everyone in the club and even took the liberty to find sheet music to songs and set lists that would highlight both her and Finn's vocal strengths as well as a group number that would absolutely blow away the judges. Or, if they were to write original songs again, she was adamant that they get their songs in a month or so in advance to they would have enough time to rehearse, unlike last time.

Quinn and Puck, on the other hand, were still going strong, taking one day at a time and enjoying each other without any more lies or resent or manipulation. They were content just working on the two of them for the time being and that was enough for them.

Until they received a phone call that would change their lives…yet again.

And now here they were, walking into the choir room hand in hand, Puck toting his guitar along with him as they made their way through the room. Mr. Schue was about to reprimand them for their tardiness when Quinn stopped him, asking quietly if they could say something before he started class. Realizing how much they had gone through over the past few months (and years), Mr. Schue stepped aside, taking a seat in the front row near Finn.

Quinn smiled at Puck and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Despite both of them joking about how Rachel would probably throw a fit knowing the two of them had been coming up with something totally different than what she had assigned everyone to work on for Nationals, they hoped their friends would understand why they wanted to do this.

Puck cleared his throat and looked back at his classmates. But before he could say anything, Santana butt in.

"Oh God, please tell me you two aren't getting married," she said, rolling her eyes, "one engagement per year is about all I can stomach."

Rachel snapped her head around and glared at the Latina, but Puck and Quinn just laughed it off.

"No, we're not engaged," he replied, "And we're not expecting again, so don't even ask."

A few of their classmates chuckled before he continued.

"Uh, so as you all know, we've kinda had a bit of a rough road these past few years," he stated, looking over at Quinn, "and uh, we know that you all, or at least you Mr. Schue, rigged the duets competition before Regionals."

Mr. Schue gave the pair a guilty look before Puck continued.

"But instead of dwelling on the fact that you rigged the pairings and you chose our song for us," he paused, shooting Rachel a sideways glance, "We thought we should actually thank you all."

The two of them were met by a few confused, guilty stares, so Quinn picked up where Puck left off.

"Yeah, we wanted to thank you for being so supportive of the two of us throughout the years. I'm not sure that I personally feel worthy of you all being so kind and caring that you would go out of your way to help us through our rough times and help us confront our feelings in the best way you could think of, as well as providing a safe environment to express that, but for all of that we're truly thankful."

"Well, thank you for your kind words Quinn and Puck," Mr. Schue replied, standing from his seat, "I'm sure I can speak for everyone when I say that we're always here for you. And we're sorry we, or should I say I am sorry I deceived you in the way I did. It wasn't fair on my part, but I'm glad it all ended up working out."

He began making his way to the white board to start the lesson before Puck stopped him again.

"Mr. Schue, we actually had something prepared that we wanted to share with the class before we get started today, if that's alright?"

Mr. Schue looked back at his two students and sighed. Here were two kids who had seen and had to deal with more adult issues and problems than he probably had to in his entire adult life, the stress and drama of the past few years aging the two of them more than one would hope for two people that were barely eighteen.

He smiled back at Puck and Quinn before motioning them to continue, returning to his seat next to Finn.

Puck ran a hand down the back of his mohawk before continuing.

"So, even though we knew Rachel would probably be pissed that we prepared something other than a song for National's or whatever," he explained, smirking over at Rachel before looking back at Quinn, "We wanted to go ahead and perform a song of our choosing to complete our duets assignment. You know, it's only fair, right?"

Mr. Schue nodded in acquiescence, and Quinn picked up where Puck left off.

"We did really appreciate the song you picked Mr. Schue. It brought back a lot of memories and dredged up a lot of feelings and while it was really what brought us back together, we wanted to find a song that really expressed where we're at in our lives now," she explained, pausing to look around at their friends, "We've talked through a lot of our feelings toward each other and Beth and what not, and worked through our drama, so we searched and searched for a country song that would truly express how we felt and what was most important in our lives. We hope you like it."

Puck let go of her hand and made his way to where he had set down his guitar, pulling it out of his case and putting the strap around his shoulder, strumming gently and tuning it a bit while Quinn set up two stools in front of the classroom.

"I also want to point out that Quinn picked this song. It's a little less rock and roll than I was looking for," Puck explained before receiving a nudge in the shoulder and an eye roll from Quinn, "But it is pretty perfect."

Quinn smiled softly before making her way toward the choir room door.

Mr. Schue watched her retreat with a puzzled look, "Quinn, where are you going?"

"You'll see," she replied, disappearing out into the hallway for a few seconds.

The rest of the club began looking around at each other, quietly murmuring amongst themselves and wondering where Quinn went and what she and Puck were up to.

Their questions were answered a few short moments later when the blonde re-entered the classroom, a familiar brunette toting an equally familiar blonde baby following close behind.

"Shelby?" Rachel gasped as she watched her birth mother make her way through the room.

By this time, everyone knew all about the drama surrounding Quinn, Puck, Beth and Shelby and were all staring at the four people standing in the front of the choir room, waiting with bated breath to see what was about to go down.

"Hi Rachel," Shelby murmured, taking the seat behind her.

She set Beth down on the floor, the little blonde girl ambling her way toward a crouching Quinn before Quinn swept her daughter up into her arms, Beth giggling as they made their way to the stool next to Puck. Once Quinn had Beth settled on her lap, Puck leaned over and kissed the little girl on the head before looking back up at his classmates.

Quinn smiled down at her little girl before offering an explanation.

"Most of you have no idea what it feels like to have a child. The first time you meet them and get to hold them, your whole world changes for the better," she explained, smiling as she watched Shelby stroke a lock of Rachel's hair, the brunettes sharing a look of understanding. "We could sit up here and sing a song about breaking up or making up, but after seeing this little one again and making long overdue amends with Shelby after she called a week ago, we realized that there are much more important things in this world than a relationship or high school popularity or winning a football championship."

"I know I'm probably not making a whole lot of sense right now, and you all know I went a bit crazy earlier this year, and while I would take back all of the stupid things I did and said, I will say that I did them all out of love for this little one. For a chance to be with my daughter again. It wasn't right, I know that now, but being a parent and being around your child again, especially after you thought you lost them once, is a pretty heavy feeling," she said, drawing a deep breath to keep her emotions in check, "And I know I can speak for Puck and Shelby as well when I say that the love a parent has for their child is one of the strongest bonds imaginable and it has no end. I know I would do anything for my daughter, and almost did everything trying to get her back, but simply having her back in my life, in our lives, means more to us than you will ever know. So thank you, Shelby."

Quinn blinked away the tears forming in her eyes before looking back over at Puck, letting him know he could begin. She hugged Beth tighter to her chest while Puck cleared his throat began to strum his guitar, smiling at his two favorite girls before he started singing.

"In my daughter's eyes,
I am a hero,
I am strong and wise,
And I know no fear.

But the truth is plain to see,
She was sent to rescue me,
I see who I want to be,
In my daughter's eyes."

Quinn felt her heart swell as she watched Beth listen to Puck sing. In that moment, holding Beth and watching as her attention shifted back to Quinn, looking down at the little blonde girl in her lap staring back up at her with those big hazel eyes, she finally felt whole again. She leaned down and kissed Beth on the top of her head before she began her stanza.

"In my daughter's eyes,
Everyone is equal,
Darkness turns to light,
And the world is at peace.

This miracle God gave to me,
Gives me strength when I am weak,
I find reason to believe,
In my daughter's eyes."

Quinn could feel the tears welling in her eyes as she sang to Beth, but she didn't care who saw. She loved this little girl more than life itself and knew Puck felt the same, and neither of them cared what anyone else thought. She looked over at Puck who sat there and continued to strum the bridge, his eyes sparkling with emotion as he smiled at them. She smiled back and they both looked down at their little girl, sitting perfectly still on Quinn's lap, mesmerized as she watched Puck play. After a few more chords, they both took another deep breath and began to sing the rest of the song together, their eyes never leaving their daughter.

"And when she wraps her hand around my finger,
Oh, it puts a smile in my heart,
Everything becomes a little clearer,
I realize what life is all about.

It's hanging on when your heart has had enough,
It's giving more when you feel like giving up,
I've seen the light,
It's in my daughter's eyes.

In my daughter's eyes,
I can see the future,
A reflection of who I am and what will be,
And though she'll grow and someday leave,
Maybe raise a family.

When I'm gone, I hope you'll see,
How happy she made me,
For I'll be there,
In my daughter's eyes."

Quinn cuddled Beth close and kissed the crown of her head once more as Puck finished the final notes, setting aside his guitar and wrapping his arms around the two girls next to him, kissing them both as he tried to blink away the remaining moisture from his eyes.

The little family savored the moment for as long as they could. Puck held his girls tight, finally feeling at peace with everything for once in his life. No more guilt, no more anger or hurt. Nothing but love for the two perfect blonde girls wrapped in his arms.

The whole room was silent as they took in the scene in front of them. Not even Santana had anything sarcastic or snippy to say about the sappy moment taking place in the middle of the choir room. Most of the girls sat there wiping away stray tears while the boys simply sat there and smiled, happy that their friends finally got their happy ending after so many heartbreaks and hardships. Watching the two parents dote over their child was quite the sight and as if there was an unsaid understanding among the group, everyone just let them be and allowed them to enjoy their moment.

After a few minutes, Quinn and Puck finally realized that they were still sitting in the middle of the choir room while their peers looked on. Quinn glanced over Puck's shoulder at where Mr. Schue sat, a wide smile breaking out across his face as he wiped away a tear of his own. He was the first to break the comfortable silence, clapping his hands together in applause, the rest of the room following suit thereafter.

"Wow, you guys, just wow," he said, "I don't even know what to say… That was beautiful."

Quinn nodded and Puck murmured a quiet thanks. They both looked around the room at the rest of their classmates, everyone offering their own soft smiles in support, even Shelby.

Puck cleared his throat again and pulled Quinn into his side as she balanced Beth on one of her hips.

"It's easy to sing a song about a relationship or heartache or about rocking out with your buddies or drinking and partying like some other country songs do, but we know there's so much more to life than that. Beth here helped show us what was really important," he explained, gently stroking his daughter's hair, "She's the best thing that has ever happened to either of us and we've come to realize that now that she's here, our lives will never be the same. We were given a second chance, both as a couple and as Beth's parents, and we'll be damned if we hurt her or screw that up again."

He gave Quinn a soft smile before kissing her forehead. Quinn sighed and smiled back at her classmates.

"This little girl right here is someone we both love more than anything," she said, her throat going tight again, and for once it wasn't from any sad or despondent emotions, "and while other relationships may come and go, while people may break up or get back together, our love for Beth will never end."

"We love you, baby girl," Puck replied, kissing his daughter again, "and we always will."

Almost all of the girls 'aww-ed' as the group stood from their seats and made their way to the front, anxious to hug their friends and offer their own support and congratulations. (Or in Santana's words: "It's about fucking time you both got your shit together" only for Quinn to cover Beth's ears and to be jokingly reprimanded by pretty much everyone for her language).

Rachel, however, stayed behind. She slowly turned around and gave Shelby a small smile, the older brunette offering her a watery smile in return before engulfing her biological daughter in a tight hug, both women bawling as the pain and hurt of the past several years seemed to dissipate as they held each other close.

"I love you, my little girl," Shelby whispered in Rachel's ear, causing a small sob to escape from the younger brunette, "and no matter what, I always will."

Quinn glanced around the room at all of her friends, the people who mattered most in this world to her, smiling as she watched Rachel and Shelby savor their own little moment.

She looked back at Puck then back down at Beth, smiling while she watched the little girl giggling and basking in all of the attention. Sure, she wasn't perfect, but she finally was coming to terms that she probably never would be perfect. Sure, she made mistakes, but the people now crowding around her and the man she loved, cooing and making funny faces at their little girl, didn't care that she had slipped up in the past. Sure, Beth wasn't legally hers and Puck's anymore, but as long as she was in their lives, nothing else mattered.

But now, standing here, surrounded by her best friends with her perfect daughter snuggling into her chest, the man she loved holding her close, she didn't need anything else in the world.

She finally felt whole again.

She finally felt complete.

And she knew, without a doubt, that everything would turn out just fine in the end.

-The End-

A/N: I had a really hard time deciding what song I wanted to do. It was between Tim McGraw's "My Little Girl," Jim Witter's "Stolen Moments," and Heartland's "I Loved Her First," but I thought Martina McBride's "In My Daughter's Eyes" was the most appropriate given the circumstances in the story. If you've never heard them, YouTube them. They are beautiful, and perfect for a dad to sing to their daughter (or to dance to at a wedding – I know my dad and I danced to Tim McGraw's song at my wedding).

Thank you so much to all of you who have been so fantastic in reviewing and following this story! It started out as a small drabble at the beginning of the Quinn/Puck/Shelby/Beth storyline this season and grew into so much more, all thanks to all of you. Thanks to my amazing reviewers out there! You all mean the world to me, and I hope I was able to personally thank all of you.

Also, thanks for adding this to your Favorite Stories list: everybodyhurtsalittletoomuch, as92, SpiffytheHiccupingRaineboe, agandglee, Quick-I'm-Proud-of-You, Amanda0310, NiaLFC123, Avivush, Cali-447, Gone Rampant, Siriusly Loopy, fakeemail1989, ilovequinn11, Gleefanx10, and babyhorse.

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You all are wonderful! Thanks again!