So I heard what was going on with the show and saw the trailer with the whole Samchel/Mercedes accepting thing. It made me roll my eyes so hard! I think what they've done to Rachel's character in this is an insult to her because I like to believe their friendship at the end of Season 5 was stronger than that. So glad I gave up on Glee ages ago although I'll always remain grateful for what it used to be when it was good and the entertainment that it gave before becoming distasteful.

Anyway, I really haven't written little oneshots since my early Glee/Twilight days (oh the shame) but as I'm procrastinating over my next chapter I thought I'd stretch my mind a little…

This one's not for fans of Rachel I'm afraid…

Mercedes looked at her phone and smiled at the selfie Santana had just sent her with Brittany hanging on her neck trying her best to choke her. Those girls were crazy but she'd loved every second they'd spent on tour. With the exception of the whole Puck incident, Santana had always been a good friend to her, and in a rare moment of clarity, Brittany had actually sat her down and apologized for the way she used to confuse her and Wade/Unique. She'd said it wasn't that she was genuinely confused, more that she just sometimes wished it was Mercedes that was there instead. It had been a dark time without Santana and the familiarity had led her to Sam and to wishing things hadn't changed and people hadn't graduated and moved away. It meant a lot to Mercedes to hear those words.

Putting the phone away she smoothed down her hair and stepped again into the halls of McKinley. The place was like a bad smell that refused to go away but this time it was different. This time was going to be her last for real. She was cutting ties for good. She'd already agreed to come and help out before finding out a certain piece of information, but not being one to go back on her word she'd plant a smile on her face and follow through for the sake of others.

Let nobody say that Mercedes Jones is a quitter.

Not like someone else who would remain nameless.

Stopping into the bathrooms she checked herself out in the mirror and added another coat of lip gloss.

Flawless.

It had cost her good money to come here, for the second time, at the request of Rachel Berry. And she'd been happy to do it. Their on/off friendship hadn't been too bad, and in New York she felt like they'd really bonded and confided in each other as they'd done on a couple of occasions in the past. She knew how hurt Rachel had been over the mess she'd made with Broadway and the bad decisions that came after, but she was young and fickle and if anyone could bounce back from anything it would be Rachel-shit never sticks to me for long-Berry.

She'd actually gone out on a limb enquiring about the Broadway part. Rachel's name understandably was dirt there, but Mercedes loved to help out her friends. She didn't think twice about trying to get Santana on her album, and when she met someone with Broadway connections of course she was going to ask about her friend who'd had to return to Lima with her tail between her legs.

But now this…

The coaching session with the New New Directions had gone well. There were some really good voices in the mix and naturally she'd gravitated to Jane. That girl had a voice to die for but her hair was the hottest mess known to man! Thankfully she knew the perfect woman who could sort it.

Rachel had been there, smiling at her, acting all friendly and her niceness just made Mercedes even madder. But she was classy. She held it together in front of the Glee club and even forced a grin when she mentioned a certain name in passing, but now they were together alone, it was time for the act to finally drop.

"It's so good to have you back Mercedes. I've missed you! And you're looking really good!"

Mercedes couldn't bring herself to look at Rachel as she gushed. "I missed you too!" She mumbled. Then she forced a smile turned to her former friend knowing that it was now or never. "So what's going on with you and Sam?"

Rachel immediately paled. "I… I honestly don't know."

"Really? Because I heard there's been kissing and even an exchange of 'I love you's!"

Rachel swallowed nervously. "You heard?"

"Yeah I heard. Apparently my former man Kurt didn't think it was important enough to tell me. But then again, you and he were quite persuasive about how I should break up with Sam back when we were all in New York so maybe this wasn't such a surprise after all."

"It's not what you think."

"I'm not thinking anything other than the fact that you were supposed to be my friend Rachel."

She hung her head down. "I'm just so confused. I haven't even had a chance to even process it myself yet. How did you find out?"

"Well let's see... So it started with Kitty who saw and overheard you guys. Never being one to pass up on a piece of gossip she spoke about it to a group of cheerleaders, one of who turns out to be a cousin of Brittany in some weird six degrees of separation. The tells Britts who lets slip to Santana who went Lima Heights and told me to rip up this piece of paper that I'd just got for you."

"Oh boy…"

"Oh boy indeed! So are you going to be honest with me or are you going to lie to my face? Because lord knows your crocodile tears are having no effect on me!"

That wasn't true, Mercedes was always affected by tears, but she knew that Rachel could turn that on and off just as she could pretty much anything else apparently, including feelings for the man she knew Mercedes was still in love with.

Rachel sniffed and started to wring her hands. "I- I don't know what to say Mercedes. I was here and alone and so lost and Sam, he's so familiar and…"

"Familiar? Has this been going on before?"

"No! I mean he's familiar because we're friends and we were in New York together."

"The same New York where you told me that me and him were meant to be!"

"Mercedes I-"

"Don't worry, I blame him too, but seriously. Six months! Is that as long as it takes in the Girl Code Manual before you can move in on someone else's man?"

"I didn't move in on him!"

"So you weren't there when I cried on your shoulder after our break up in New York. You weren't there hugging me and telling me that it's for the best but you just know that we'll find our way back together eventually."

"Mercedes-"

"You conveniently forgot the conversation where I opened up to you about my virginity you described me and Sam as soulmates!"

"Merce-"

Her eyes started to sting with tears of her own. "I already spoke to Sam who claims some sort of short term memory loss but yours seems to go back further. Remember after we sang The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face? Remember who it was I said I thought of who wasn't my current boyfriend at the time Shane? You of all people knew how I felt about Sam and how long I've loved him. I'm not going to get over that in six months. I'm not going to get over that in six years! You knew that it would burn me to see him with any other girl, but it's a fiery hell seeing him with someone I considered a friend and a confidante!"

"He came on to me!"

"And you just couldn't say no! You were the one who did the asking!"

"He was blowing so hot and cold. One minute he's all over me then the next he's saying he's still in love with you. Then he's trying to kiss me and calling you and old hag and-"

"Oh HELL NO!" She didn't know that bit and Rachel visibly flinched at her reaction. "My Sam would never say…"

One look at Rachel told her it was true. For a second she was so hurt she couldn't speak, then an even darker thought overtook her. "And I'm guessing as my friend you stood up for me and corrected him…"

Again Rachel cast her eyes downwards and began to wring her hands, tears dripping from her chin.

Mercedes expected to feel angry but instead she felt cold. She loved Sam with all her heart even though his IQ always dropped through the floor whenever they weren't together but this was the final straw. Something was up with Sam, she could see that now, but Rachel, she had both eyes open and was taking everything she could as usual.

"You know what Rachel, you can have Sam. You deserve each other. I'll even give you my blessing. Some weird shit is going on here and I don't even want to know what it is, I'm just going to stand up, and much as I hate it I'll be the bigger person and concede defeat. I love Sam. I've always loved him and you of all people know that. But what you'll never get is the fact that I love him enough to let him go. I did it once in New York before I went on tour and I'm doing it again. Much as I want to snatch you right now and slap the taste out of your mouth, in the eyes of God I could never stoop down to that level. So here it is Rachel Berry, you win! You always win. I had a best friend in Kurt and you took him. I had the love of my life in Sam and you take him too. You're toxic and the best thing for me to do is cut you out of my life before you take my career too." She pulled the piece of paper she'd been holding onto out of her pocket and pushed it across the table towards her former friend. "This is the number of a guy I met who has contacts in Broadway. There's a small role on offer but he's willing to consider you for it. Do us both a favor and give him a call. Because I swear if you ever attempt to sing R&B or gospel and start reaching for my Grammy I swear I won't be this kind!"

Rachel sniffed but immediately reached for the paper. Mercedes scoffed. Of course she would. That girl would always have opportunities handed to her, it was just the way of the world but she was big enough to understand that. Rachel would never be the grafter that Mercedes was forced to be. Some people got the charmed life and the constant support from others and that's just how things worked. But it didn't matter, because the day Mercedes finally got her Grammy it would taste that much sweeter knowing she'd done it and she'd done it alone without trampling on others to get there.

She stood and went to the door, looking back one last time. "You know, nobody will ever replace Finn. You'll have to accept that and adjust, the way I have to adjust to the fact that nobody will ever replace Sam even though he's broken my heart. Even though you both broke my heart!" She opened the door and exited the room, slamming the door behind her, leaving Rachel staring at the details on the paper.

No thanks and no apology.

She'd nearly made it to the front entrance when she heard Sam running after her.

"Mercedes! Please don't go! I may not understand what's happening but I do know that I still lov-"

"Bee Sting! Aretha! My office, NOW!"

Mercedes glared at the sudden appearance of Sue. She was no longer a student here and had no reason to actually go along, especially when Sam was going to be there, but for some reason her feet took her in that direction even though she refused to even glance at or acknowledge Sam along the way.

Once in her office, Sue locked the door and forced them to take a seat. She sat opposite them at her desk and mischievously smiled as she threaded some sort of a gold chain between her fingers.

"Hot Chocolate number 1 and Hot Chocolate number 2, this might just be your lucky day…"