DISCLAIMER: I don't own glee nor do I own Sam, Mercedes,Puck or Mr. Schue. This is a work of my over active creativity and wishful thinking.

Mercedes paced nervously back and forth in the last riser in the glee room. In just fifteen short minutes she would be laying her soul bare. Or not. She wasn't sure what she was doing anymore. Her relationship with Shane had ended the second Sam's lips touched hers; it just took a few days to tell him so. During that time she avoided any and all unnecessary contact with Sam. Ignoring his texts and the poor kicked puppy looks he sent her way wasn't easy. She just needed time to sort her feelings out.

"Hey Hot Mama ," Puck said as he walked into the room carelessly throwing his backpack into a chair as he made his way into her path.

"Hey Puck," Mercedes said with a weak smile.

"I heard about you and Shane. Sorry it didn't work out," Puck said gently tugging on her chin.

"You don't sound surprised."

"I kinda figured early on he couldn't handle all of your chocolate thunder. Not many guys can."

"Oh really?"

"Yes really. I mean naturally I can but the combination of your hotness and my bad assery is illegal. I'm pretty sure I heard Bush call it a WMSR," Puck said settling himself in a chair.

"WMSR? Do I even want to know," Mercedes asked moving to sit next to him.

"Weapon of Mass Sex Riot."

Mercedes snorted out a laugh and playfully slapped Puck's arm.

"Now that is a sound for sore ears. I haven't heard a good laugh like that out of you in awhile. Not since Michael week at least. Wanna let me in on what's got my favorite ex all up tight?"

"I'm not up tight Puck. Just working through some things is all."

"One of those things wouldn't happen to be a Trouty Mouthed blond kid would it?" Puck asked with a raised eyebrow.

Mercedes turned her head and bit her lip slightly. Puck was a great friend and had been since they, and she uses this word very loosely, dated but she wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about this with him. Not because he wasn't a good listener she just wasn't ready for an answer that wasn't sugar coated and rainbow bright.

"Your silence and lip biting is a resounding yes by the way. So what's the problem?"

"There is no problem."

"Ok I hear ya. Now just say it again but this time without the complete and utter bullshit part."

"Boy I know you did not just cuss at me," Mercedes said her divaness flaring up.

"Oh come on Mercedes. Even you rolled your eyes as you were talking. Next thing you're going to tell me is breaking up with Shane had nothing to do with Sam."

Mercedes scooted her chair closer to Puck so that she could rest her head on his shoulder. She sighed deeply comfort in his unique scent, a mingling of Axe body spray and chlorine.

"I'm terrified Puck. I was content before he came back. I mean I was dating a football player. I hadn't been slushied in God knows how long, and I was planning my future."

"You mean Shane was planning your future. You were kinda just nodding and smiling like a Stepford wife."

"I wasn't a Stepford wife. I had my own plans. They just synched up with Shane's."

"Really? Since when did you want to go to Ohio State and not NYU or Berkeley?"

"Those are really hard schools to get into and Ohio State is a sure thing," Mercedes said furrowing her eyebrows as she realized how pathetic the reason sounded. It sounded so much better when Shane causally beat her over the head with that notion.

"Come on Mama. You know you could have your pick of schools. You were going to settle for Ohio State because you settled for Shane."

Puck shifted his shoulder so that Mercedes had to remove her head and look him in the eyes. He gather her face in his hands and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Mercedes closed her eyes and as a soft smile caressed her lips. Puck pulled back and waited for Mercedes to look him in the eyes.

"You aren't built to be anyone's trophy wife. If you stayed with Shane that is exactly how you would have ended up. And I can't let you become some trashy loud mouth on a bad Vh1 reality show. You need to shine. More importantly you need someone who will help you shine. Sam is that guy."

Mercedes couldn't control the steady stream of tears that flowed down her cheeks. She knew Puck was right. She wasn't sure if she could put her heart out there like that again.

"What if he leaves again?"

"What if he doesn't?"

Mercedes opened her eyes shocked at the thought. She never considered he could stay. That they could get more than just the few months they shared during the summer.

"Do you really think he would stay for me?"Mercedes asked hesitantly

"Woman he joined the synchronized swimming team for you," Puck said wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Mercedes let out a bark of laughter at the slightly horrified and are you serious look he gave her.

"He loves me," Mercedes whispered like it was a secret to be kept between playground buddies.

"Yeah he does. And you love him," Puck whispered in the same child like manner.

They looked at each and burst into a fit of laughter. Puck pulled Mercedes over to sit in his lap. Once settled she put her head atop his and softly hummed. Puck was never sure of the song or the melody, but he enjoyed this little tradition of theirs that began when he showed up on her doorstep drunk and distraught days after signing Beth away. He came to scream at her for letting Quinn talk him into giving his daughter away. Instead he ended up dropping to his knees crying asking why over and over again.

They were so lost in their own little world they barely noticed the rest of the glee club showing up until the not so subtle coughing of Sam caught their attention. Puck simply smirked at the blond and held Mercedes a little tighter. True he wanted Mercedes and Sam to work out, but that didn't mean he couldn't needle the guy some. Mercedes for her part simply smiled at Puck's antics. She placed a kissed on his Mohawk and moved back to her seat next to him. She glanced shyly at Sam and waved.

Sam was caught off guard by this simply display of communication that comically looked behind him and then placed a finger to his chest and mouthed "Me?"

Gigling lightly Mercedes nodded her head and turned her attention to a simply giddy Mr. Schue.

"Alright guys Regional's is around the corner," he started but was interrupted by Mercedes raising her hand.

"Mr. Schue I would like to sing something."

"Sure thing. The floor is all yours," Mr. Schue said as he moved to take a seat in first row of the risers.

Mercedes locked eyes with Puck for encouragement before shifting them to Sam.

"Here goes nothing," she thought to herself.

A/N: Yes I did in fact just end here without her song. Why you may ask? Because I honestly thought this was a great place to end. If you disagree, please do so in a nice and preferably funny matter in the review section. It is really easy actually click the the word review below and leave me your thoughts...and any shirtless pictures of Chord Overstreet, Harry Shum, Mark Sailing, or Corey Monteith you may find. Toodles!