Whatever Will Be, Will Be
AnniKay

Sam/Mercedes, Noah/Santana
Disclaimer: I own Nothing…Murphy, Falchuk, and Brennen along with Fox and others own this fandom and all the characters there in…Anything you recognize obviously belongs to them
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Summary: AU/Alternate Universe. World famous country/rock artist Sam Evans and the 2020 Grammy award winning R&B Artist Mercedes Jones meet at a Grammy after party and find that had things gone just a little differently they would have met years before. However despite the obstacles in their path True Love refuses to be denied.

The Staples Center
Sunday, February 9th, 2020
The Grammy Awards

The night was full of the normal glitz and glamour. Mercedes Jones had been careful to ensure that she arrived not too early, and not at all late. She was trying valiantly not to look as excited as she felt, and that was made a lot easier by the presence of her best friend. Santana Lopez sat next to her in the limo, exhibiting every single ounce of giddiness that Mercedes was feeling. Mercedes looked over at Santana Ximena Lopez. Sometimes Mercy still found herself wondering how one of her biggest high school bullies had become her best friend. They had bonded over a common hatred of one of their classmates and their glee club director. For two years they had towed the party line…but when they had had the chance to leave the New Directions and establish the Troubletones, they had jumped on it immediately. They and their new director, Shelby Cochran, had realized that the two of them were stronger and more talented than either their classmate or former director had ever hoped or dreamed of being.

"You know when I knew we were going to be here, like this, for you?" Santana's voice interrupted Mercedes' thoughts.

"No, when?" She asked, smirking at the way Santana had phrased the question.

Santana smirked evilly at her friend. "Sophomore year when Ms. Pillsbury had control of the glee club…when you did 'And I'm Telling You'…you were so good that poor Finn-a-tin-tin risked the wrath of the ManHands to cheer for you. We all loved every second of it. Hell, hearing you sing like that, then later getting to sing with you… that was the only reason I kept going back to glee club in the first place. Shit, I knew then that you were gonna be bigger than that Berry bitch ever would. Why do you think I let you talk me into going with you to the Troubletones?" she teased, winking good-naturedly.

Mercedes laughed. She adopted a sassy tone and a barely there Spanish accent. "Because Santana Ximena Lopez is nobody's backup singer." She cut her friend a side eye. "If you were determined to latch onto my coat tails all the way back then, why did you still try to make my life hell for the rest of that year?"

Santana gave her best friend a shrug they would both always refer to as a 'Kanye Shrug'. "Well, I was fairly sure we'd get here after the 'Dreamgirls' song, was pretty positive after 'Hate On Me' and absolutely certain after 'I Look To You'. Besides, the bully to bestie transformation had to be gradual for you to believe it." She said it simply. "Who the hell knew it would actually be true."

With a shake of her head and a wry grin, Mercedes pinned her friend with an assessing look. Kurt had designed both of their dresses for the evening. The short and curvy diva didn't delude herself; Kurt had done so more to get himself some name recognition than out of a true sense of loyalty or friendship. But that didn't mean he hadn't done a great job. Kurt had put Santana in a gorgeous ruby silk gown. Most of the original New Directions would always consider red to be Santana's signature color, and the girl did looked fierce in it. Kurt had given the dress a modified, slightly higher than usual, sweetheart neckline highlighting the bodice with gold embroidery and beading. The back was rather low, showing the smooth expanse of latte skin to just before Satan's slender waist. The silk was given form with invisible boning and hidden underpinnings that made it mold to Tana's curves to her natural waist. The skirt was a waterfall fit and flare that was gathered on the right and the sheen of the silk tempered with one panel of silk shantung in the same rich jewel tone. Santana's hair had been swept up and away from her face, but then allowed to fall down her back in a waterfall of curls that seemed to mimic the fall of the silk of her dress. Her makeup and jewelry was as understated as her dress was eye catching. A simple diamond and ruby tennis bracelet and matching chandelier earrings stood alone drawing ones' eye to her small wrists and beautiful face. Santana had begged, borrowed or stolen, she wouldn't admit to which, the money for a pair of black suede Louboutin four inch stiletto pumps with architectural looking sides. Mercedes was sure that no one would ever convince Santana there was anyone there that Grammy night that looked better than she did.

However, Mercedes would have been wrong on that front. Santana knew she looked good, but there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Mercedes looked better. Kurt had gone old fashioned glam for Mercedes' dress. It was a full skirted ball gown of gun metal gray charmeuse. The lustrous fabric of the dress was covered at the adapted strapless neckline with a swath of iris lace just wide enough to highlight the phenomenal swell of Mercedes' ever more impressive breasts. The iris lace reappeared where the wide skirts of Mercedes' dress had been cut and draped to show the lace overlaid charmeuse there as well. The cutaway of the skirt was topped with a round platinum and amethyst encrusted pin. The stones were also dripping off Mercedes' ears and neck as well as being wrapped around both of her wrists and her upper arms as per the current trends. The on trend jeweled cuffs at her upper arms drew one's eyes to her striking cleavage.

The dress had a lace-up back that started right below mid back. Rather than using normal grommets for the lacing, Kurt had used smaller versions of the platinum and amethyst circle that highlighted the gown's skirt. Mercedes hair was first done in an abundance of curls with straight side swept bangs. The curls were then pinned up into a complicated chignon that would be taken down for her two performances. Mercedes makeup was totally dramatic. Her doe eyes looked amazing, done in shades of purple and silver that opened them up and made them look both more alluring and more innocent. Her lips were lined in a lip stain MAC called sangria and then glossed in the very shiny purple they called 'Dark as Night'. The color made her 'dentist's daughter' smile look even brighter and whiter. Her shoes were Louboutins as well, the five inch high T-strap pumps had a plethora of the straps flowing from the central T back to the heel counter. Santana laughed. "Girl…Kathy Griffin is going to have to eat all kinds of crow on Fashion Police this week." Tana teased. The Fashion Police comedienne had spent the seven months since Mercedes broke onto the scene complaining about Mercedes' around the town fashions which were more about comfort and expediency than haute couture.

Since Mercedes' debut album had dropped too late for her to really be seen at the MTV Music Awards or the AMAs, and she had only been a preshow performer at the World Music Awards, this was the first time the new fashion maven would have to dissect a Mercedes Jones Red Carpet look. Cedes was going to very happily shove the redhead's words down her throat. "Oh please. It's been five years and she is still just a wannabe Joan Rivers," she threw back to her friend. "Besides Kelly, George and Guiliana like my going out clothes. They all respect the fact that I am a diva no matter what I happen to have on my back."

"Georgy Porgy respects the fact that you have the biggest natural breasts to have graced the music industry in a long, long time. That guy is as bad about boobs as that rich boy Hummel used to date back in the day, Santana joked. "Man, can I just say how glad I am that fashion has swung back to respecting the music and the fans enough that the stars are expected to do it up big. All that understatedness or austerity, or 'I'm too cool to dress up for the Grammys or AMAs or whatever' got boring as hell." Santana rolled her eyes, a small sneer crossing her lips.

"Could not agree with you more." Mercedes laughed. "If they hadn't gotten to this point by themselves, they would have after tonight. I'm going to be fly and divalicious on the red carpet, then I'm going to be all diva gorgeous and glam during the Chaka Khan tribute and supa dupa fly for my solo number."

"Are Kurt and Deja already backstage with the wardrobe and hair change stuff?" Santana asked as the driver signaled that they were finally the next car to disembark. She cast eyes over Mercedes happy to see that the drive over from the nearby hotel they had used to get ready hadn't mussed the diva up.

"Yup. Deja's says she has everything ready for the hair and makeup changes and Kurt's already arranged to have drinks with Carrie Underwood's stylist. He's happy." They exchanged exasperated looks. Kurt had become a serial dater after he graduated FIT. They knew he would date the new guy for a while, find some reason he wasn't perfect any longer- a reason that had always been true- and dump the poor guy. Yes, he was their friend, but that just meant they knew his faults better than anyone.

"For the moment," Santana returned as the door to the limo opened. One of the Awards interns helped both young women from the limo. Tana quickly twitched Cedes' skirt into perfect position and they were off.

The red carpet was nothing like they'd expected and yet, simultaneously, everything they had dreamed of. First there was a gauntlet of fans, paparazzi and security trying to keep the other two groups off the stars and starlets and from killing each other. Then there were the more creditable photojournalists from noted fashion mags and shows. Mercedes was the epitome of graciousness. She stopped and had a ready smile and kind word for all of them. When she got to the E! 360 booth, Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Osborne were waiting. "Mercy My O My…you are looking amazing tonight." Ryan began nicely. He had interviewed Mercedes several different times and had coined the nickname on his radio show.

"Thanks Ryan," she returned sweetly. "It's nice to know that I clean up well."

Ryan chuckled. "Clean up well…Mercy you are beautiful at five o'clock in the morning…you are just looking even better right now."

Santana laughed from the side. "You're lucky she comes in to the studio at all because Mercedes hates early mornings. If she didn't like you so much, she would probably just phone it in from her bed."

"Is that why you always come with her, Santana? To make her rise and shine?" Ryan laughed. "I assumed it was because I always buy the two of you breakfast afterwards. Come out for the camera, you are looking very lovely too."

Santana literally walked out, waved and turned in a circle so they could see all of Kurt's creation and slipped quickly off camera. "We're both wearing Kurt Hummel original designs. There Hummer…I said your name, now Ryan, you may pay attention to the star." Santana smirked as Ryan and Cedes grinned at her last barb at their old classmate and friend.

"Always." Ryan continued charmingly. "So Mercy, this is your first Grammy awards and Congratulations. You are up for nine categories, are you nervous?"

Mercedes carefully contemplated her words before answering. "Yes and no. I'm very blessed. God has given me the opportunity to follow my dreams. I believe that if he means for me to win tonight, I will. Now that isn't to say that I'm not doing my part. I have my acceptance speeches all written out and ready." Mercedes chuckled without an ounce of self-consciousness. "I've always lived my life by one ideal…with prayer and preparation I can achieve it all through Christ who strengthens me."

Ryan nodded with a smile. "That reminds me. My mother wants me to thank you for convincing me to start praying again."

The Los Angeles Convention Center
Sunday, February 9th, 2020
Los Angeles, CA

The world watched and fell just a little more in love with the diva as she threw back her head and laughed in total, unabashed delight. Further down the red carpet a young man, a security professional, who was walking the carpet with his boss who had become one of his best friends, stopped and listened. "I know that laugh anywhere. That sounds like Sexy Mama." Noah Puckerman crowed to his boss, Grammy award winning country artist Sam Evans. "I told you about her. She's up for like half of everything tonight."

Sam nodded. Puck had told him about his classmates the ones he'd known through his participation in the school's glee club a lot in the time since he had become Sam's chief security officer. The two, similarly aged men had well and truly bonded despite the fact that Sam had been very much against his label's and his mother's desire for him to have a dedicated security person. He truly felt that he could well defend himself from anything at all, until someone pointed out that usually almost all stalkers and superfans were of the opposite sex of the star. Sam was a born and bred southern gentleman. He had a hard time being mean to a female let alone fighting one. He'd interviewed several prospective body guards…most were Hollyweird natives who had worked in the industry for years. They had all seemed way too pretentious or far to club/party oriented. Then this guy had walked in with barely any hair, a guitar case on his back and a duffle bag in his hand. Sam and Noah had hit it off immediately and their 'broship' was sealed when they found out that they had both attended high school only a few miles apart.

Through their friendship, Puck had gotten to see more of the inner workings of the music industry than he would have ever thought possible. He even got songwriting credits on a few songs he'd helped Sam work kinks out of. Having heard him sing, Sam was constantly barraging the Lima born Badass to let him introduce him to some execs. Noah Puckerman would never be a country singer, that much was true, but old school blues and rock both sounded great when sung by the former military man. But Puck always laughed it off with a smirk and an amused, casual, "Dude, I don't have the chops for it. I don't have the patience for it. I'm good being the entourage guy. All the benefits of fame, none of the cameras trying to catch me taking a shit."

Sam hadn't been able to argue with that sentiment. It made quite a lot of sense, though he did feel that Puck's voice was probably better than the former Marine gave himself credit for. However, Sam forced himself to pay attention as they entered the E!360. He and Ryan Seacrest had bonded years before when Sam was new to Hollywood and feeling homesick. After an interview Ryan had taken the other southern boy to Carolyn's Kitchen, a soul food restaurant that combined the very best of soul/southern cooking with a traditional southern meat and two sides kind of buffet. The very ambiance of the place seemed designed to soothe a southern soul. Best of all no matter how famous or whatever you were, they treated you exactly the same…as a poor hungry soul in need of feeding. It was damn refreshing, to tell the truth.

"Man, Sam. I hate to say it…but you are looking smooth tonight. Who did you go with?" Ryan chuckled after the two men had exchanged the usual pleasantries.

Sam gave him an 'aw shucks' smile. "Simple, classic Gucci tux and shoes." He said with a grin. "Puck managed to talk me into buying him a Brioni…"

"I didn't talk you into anything," Puck retorted with a cheeky grin. "You lost the bet. You didn't believe me when I said that Sexy Mama would get nominated for every R&B category. That was on you…and if she wins more than six tonight you best to believe that you're ponying up for that Ducati. A bet is a bet, man…I just play to win."

Ryan laughed. He listened for a moment to his assistant in his ear piece. "Noah Puckerman, formerly of the US Marines. Served with distinction and now head of security for Sam Evans, and apparently man of expensive tastes…come on out and show the world how a Brioni tux is supposed to look. And explain to us all who Sexy Mama is."

Puck came out and with much the same attitude Santana displayed less than half an hour before did a quick turn. "I do make this look good. But hey, if you're making a bet with a rich man, and you're just a lowly servant, you better make sure that you win something you can't buy for yourself." He smirked to the amusement of Ryan, Kelly and Sam. "And Sexy Mama is what I've called Mercedes Jones since we play dated for a hot minute back in our sophomore year of high school."

Kelly looked at him closely. "You were the one in her pictures that had the Mohawk? Her friend that was serving in Afghanistan last time she came on Fashion Police. She made us all pray for you."

Puck nodded, becoming slightly more serious even as his eyes retained the genuine affection he obviously held for the diva. "And I thank her and all of you for that. I came way too close to not coming back from that last tour. But I'm gonna be honest with you…I have only seen Cedes' prayers fail once, and that was probably only because he was gone before she could do anything but pray it wasn't true. Probably she's the reason I came back, not just, not under a flag, but whole." He spoke solemnly.

"Wow, Puck, I wasn't sure you even believed in God," Sam said quietly, forgetting the crowd and the audience in light of his friend's earnest confession. He'd noticed that though Puck identified as proudly Jewish, he rarely if ever went to temple and he never paid attention when he had to accompany Sam into his church.

Puck both blushed and shrugged. "I believe," he said simply. "I believe in God, I believe in Mercedes Jones' deep and abiding faith…and I believe that Cedes is gonna sweep at least the R&B category." He shot back testily to cover his embarrassment. "Now go and do the 360, there is a line forming."

Ryan and Kelly laughed heartily. But Sam was quickly through the Entertainment channel's area and on to the rest of the gauntlet. Since Sam wasn't dating anyone and he had learned not to just take anyone, and his mother was with his little brother as he was playing in a state championship game for the first time, Sam had brought Puck as his plus one. The Evans' PR guru had despaired that the country music fans might think he was gay but Sam had only laughed. There was more than enough evidence showing the fallacy of that supposition, so Sam was unconcerned. As the show started, Sam thought back to his first Grammy attendance a few years before.

He had only released his debut album eight months before, just days before the cut off for entry into the Grammy awards selection group. And just fifteen months before that he'd been a star collegiate quarterback hoping to get drafted into the NFL, only to tear out his rotator cuff and his ACL on the same bad play. That had been the end of that dream. He'd just been lucky that it had been after the semester change and the second semester of his junior year had already been paid for. He came out with an associate's degree in composition and started writing his own songs and going to every open mic night or talent show or showcase within driving distance of his grandparent's farm outside Nashville. He'd gotten a deal and he hadn't cared that it was mostly based on his looks. When the call came in it had been just days after burying his grandfather, he had prayed and prayed for a way to help his grandmother be able to keep the farm, which didn't have a mortgage, but it was too much for her to manage with just his part time assistance. He'd worked his ass off on that first album. Written old school country songs, songs about his loneliness, his desperation…the farm…they had resonated well with country radio and his record sales had soared. He'd never been so proud as he had been when he'd walked the red carpet with his MeeMaw and was able to thank her in his speech as he won his very first Grammy of the night. He had been devastated when she passed away just a month later, but mollified by the fact that he knew she had died knowing that her farm would stay in the family and that it would be there for generations if Sam had anything to say about it. He had always known that she was proud of him, so that wasn't a concern for him…his family would have been proud of him for just about anything as long as he tried his hardest and gave it his all. He had definitely done that when it came to his music. He had won two of the five Grammys he'd been up for that night.

Sam was brought out of his reverie as LL Cool J, the show's host for almost a decade, introduced the opening act for the night. Kelly Rowland did a great job with her performance of her new song, but though he was clapping enthusiastically at the end, he hadn't really paid a lot of attention to it. Then Miranda Lambert and Ariel Winter announced the Best New Artist category. Puck was squeezing Sam's arm in anticipation as they read off his old classmate and friend's name. "And the Grammy for best new artist goes to…Mercedes Jones."

"Whooohoooo!" Puck yelled, jumping up and clapping very, very aggressively, not paying an ounce of attention to the stares of amusement he was garnering nor giving a flying fuck at what others thought of his enthusiasm. "You go Sexy Mama."

Two sections of seats away, Mercedes and Santana were embracing in joy and happiness. When they heard Puck's voice over the more polite reactions, they both looked around, but Mercedes had to get up and head to the stage. She carefully ascended the steps and hugged both of the presenters. "Oh…oh…Okay. Um… Lord thank you, God, for allowing me to win this. I think I heard my friend Pucky-Puck somewhere in the crowd…so thank you Lord for bringing him home from his deployment safe and sound too. Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliot, thank you for taking a chance and backing me when everyone else said I was too thick, too black or just plain too much. I want to thank my mother and my father. My older brother Montravious…All my fans, my manager Toni, I want to thank Shelby Cochran for helping me to believe when it seemed like I was never going to get out of someone else's shadow. Thank you so much." She laughed merrily. "I hoped and dreamed, but this is more than I ever thought…Kids believe in yourselves…even when it seems like there is no way and the path is dark. If you believe in you others will too…maybe not everyone…but," Mercedes threw a cheeky grin back at Arielle as she remembered a line the other woman had delivered on the role that had made her famous. It also didn't help that it had a special meaning for the New Directions too, "Don't stop believing."

Puck settled down into his seat smiling as if it had been his name that was called. The next award presented was the best pop duo or group performance, and since the return of the girl group the preceding year, the whole category was filled with them. Little Mix took the win for that. Then LL threw to Mary J. Blige who introduced Mercedes with glowing yet completely sincere accolades. The short chocolate diva came up through the floor as her band started the opening strains to her third single. 'Leave a Light On' . The song was a throwback to the late two thousands, early twenty tens R&B sound. It was fun and upbeat, belying the song's deep lyrical support of monogamy and faithfulness. Sam was watching the stage with rapt attention that he hadn't given the previous performance of the night. When Mercedes had climbed the stage to get her award, Sam had thought she looked quite angelic. In the beautiful ball gown she had looked like a princess. She was very beautiful, but seemed almost too perfect to be real. But her solo performance look was anything but angelic.

Mercedes stepped down off the elevator the lights glinted off her metallic silver split front booties. Then the lights flowed up a longer than believable given her lack of height pair of chocolate legs with strong, shapely calves and thick, smooth thighs that Sam had to admit made his mouth water, before finally encountering the wickedly short hemline of her 'deconstructed' blue and green paisley print mini dress. The dress hugged each of her curves making her ass seem even more luscious and her breasts larger and more voluminous. As she sang Sam found himself mesmerized by her large, glossy deep red lips. The words dropped from his lips without thought or consent. "She's fucking gorgeous."

"Oh man," Puck laughed. "Sexy Mama is even hotter than she was when I gave her the nickname…but Sam, man…I don't know if you're her type."

Sam cut a hard look at his friend, inexplicably aggravated. "What? I'm not good enough for your friend?"

Puck shook his head. "Naw. You're a good guy, mostly. But the only guy that she ever dated in high school was huge and had skin even darker than hers. They dated our senior year. There haven't even been rumors of her with anybody since and I'm not talking about rumors in the tabloids, but among the New Directions. My boy Finn is her stylist's stepbrother. If she dated anybody he'd have told Finn and Finn can't hold water."

Sam mentally sighed. He hadn't had a reaction that strongly to a woman in a long ass time. "Still, I'd love to just meet her. That voice. It's like it…"

"Like it makes your nerve endings tingle. Like it makes your ears wanna run away with her vocal cords and elope. Like just listening to her sing works better than Viagra." Puck said pointedly. "I spent three years straight feeling that way. I'd go through two sometimes three of the MILFs in Lima after every Glee rehearsal. Most of the straight guys in the club felt the same."

After Mercedes solo performance, Sam and Puck enthusiastically led the standing ovation. Adele, Sam Smith, Nelly and Kelley Rowland all got gold statues. Then Sam's name was called for the first time that night. He was nominated and won for both record of the year and best country album. He came up on the stage and began by thanking God and his fans. He thanked his family, people and his fans. Then he closed with a smile. "And Miz Jones…just wanna relieve your mind, yes, that is your friend Puck. He's right proud of you and I almost hate to root against you, but I really don't want to have to buy him a Ducati." He joked.

The audience loved his speech and, later, his black jeans and a white Henley clad performance of his hit song 'Beautiful Girl'. Much like Mercedes' his digital sales skyrocketed by the end of the broadcast. Soon he was back in his seat realizing that he was going to lose Song of the Year. He was up against both Mercedes and Adele. He was quite surprised that when Kenny Chesney and Hayley Kiyoko read off Mercedes' name rather than his own, he didn't feel any envy or jealousy. In fact he clapped almost as hard as Puck did. Puck was really grateful that Sam seemed happy for his old friend; it could have gotten hairy if the new friend/boss had gotten pissed. Mercedes thanked a lot more people, including Santana, Noah and Kurt and Missy and her people again. There was another performance, then LL Cool J introduced the head of the Recording Academy and Mayim Bialik who read the list of the non-televised awards. Sam had won his other two country specific awards, only the fact that he wasn't in the running in the duo or group category kept him from sweeping that set. Mercedes had won every R&B award except the Urban Contemporary which went to Kelly Rowland.

The In Memorium section rolled and their intrepid host introduced Clay Aiken and Anastasia who introduced the Grammy's Lifetime achievement award that was being award to Chaka Khan. They played a video dedicated to telling the story of Chaka's fifty years in the industry. Jazmine Sullivan came out in a knee length gold mididress and launched into 'Tell Me Something Good', Chaka Khan's first Grammy award winning song. She threw to Adele, who was resplendent in a tea length sapphire blue frock, singing 'Got to Be There'. Adele called Mercedes forth, the chocolate diva wore a floor length slinky sliver evening gown and together all three of them gave the audience 'Ain't Nobody' before Mercedes launched into a solo version of 'I Feel for You'. She called forward Jeanette McCurdy, who joined the other songstresses wearing a pretty emerald green mini dress, and together they all sang 'Missing You' before Jeanette finished them off with 'Angel'. Chaka was very kind to all of them hugging them and thanking them profusely.

It was then time for the last award of the night…album of the year. Once again Sam was prepared to lose. He was again up against both Mercedes and Adele, but that time Adele took the golden statue. There were still interviews to be done so by the time the two different duos of friends, and entourages, made it back to their hotel rooms there was barely enough time to get changed and make their way to the Los Angeles Convention Center where the official Grammy After Party was being held. Puck spent some time texting with his old friends to get Santana's number. He was determined to catch his girls at the after party. While he was at it, he also managed to get his hands on Rachel Berry's cell number; he just knew that Santana would love getting her hands on it too. Oh the pranks they would play, however, Puck had a brand new reason for wanting it too. The fact that Mercedes had won a Grammy before Rachel had won a Tony was too good not to crow about.

Here is the Out With A Bang Big Bang Writing Comp Story.
I will post two chapters at a time until it is fully posted. The story is completely complete and if you want it posted faster, all you have to do is REVIEW!

Si C'est Noel & Les Ames Soeur will be back in the next 2 weeks.

Thank you all for your patience.

TTFN,
Anni