'I'm really, really going to miss our TV.' Tina said as she watched it being towed out the door.

'None of us were ever around to watch it.' Quinn pointed out, and Tina sighed in acknowledgement.

'I know,' she agreed sadly, 'but I liked having the option.'

'Well, the option was costing us an extra twenty dollars per month.' Kurt pointed out, and Mercedes nodded.

'I'm sure you'll feel better about the TV when you have that extra money in your purse.'

'Yeah…' Tina sighed again and then went back into their apartment to flop down on the couch. 'I guess this means I'll actually have to talk to you losers now though.'

Tina grinned as Quinn tossed a throw pillow at her head, catching the offending item before it could make impact.

'Why, thank you.' Tina shot the blonde a cavalier grin as she raised the pillow in toast, propped it up against Kurt's lap and rested her head on it.

'Well, Tina has a point.' Quinn agreed after sticking her tongue out at her friend. Curling up against Mercedes' side on the other mismatched couch she added, 'You guys are my best friends in the whole world, but I feel like I see you the least out of everybody.'

'Oh, to be rich!' Kurt quipped and Mercedes screwed her nose up in disagreement.

'I'm not sure that being rich is really all that great.' she told them all with a thoughtful look on her face. 'Most of the rich people at that gig I played seemed kinda miserable. It's like they were cash rich, but… happiness poor, you know?'

Quinn nodded against Mercedes' shoulder and picked up her hand intertwine the other girl's fingers with hers.

'You know, you never told us about that gig, Merce.' Quinn pointed out curiously as she admired Mercedes' smooth, soft skin.

'She won't tell anyone about that gig.' Kurt interrupted before Mercedes could say anything. 'Believe me, I've tried.'

Quinn turned curious eyes to the girl beside her, and even Tina shifted in Kurt's lap to eye their resident songstress.

'Was it something bad?' Tina asked, a note of steel putting a dangerous edge in her voice. 'Because I don't care how rich they are, if they hurt my Mercy, then I won't show them any.'

Mercedes felt a swelling in her chest as her friends all nodded their agreement, looking about as intimidating as a box full of puppies.

'It's fine. No one hurt me.' she promised smiling warmly at them all. 'It was actually really good. I just want to keep it perfect in my head.' she explained. 'I feel like telling people might ruin it.'

There was a moment where no one said anything, and then Tina nodded and relaxed against Kurt again.

'Ok. I can live with that.' She told them. 'As long as you're happy then I'm happy.' She finished, shooting Mercedes a sleepy smile as she stifled a yawn.

'I am happy.' Mercedes told them, hoping to convince herself as much as everyone else. She was happy - in a way - it was just that she'd been happier not so long ago, and even though she'd only spent a short time with Sam, she found that she missed him everyday.

That thought alone was threatening her happiness.

Mercedes had never been one to buy into the fairytale. Even when she was small, she'd never put as much stock in the idea of someone coming to 'save her' as the other kids did. She'd believed in earning her achievements even then, and the idea of some guy on a white horse swooping in to save her with his wealth and status had never really appealed to her.

That was why it was so annoying that she couldn't seem to get Sam out of her head.

Mercedes wasn't one of those girls who dreamed of castles and princes, she didn't believe in fairy tales. So why did her subconscious keep trying to cast her in one?