Don't Scratch! It Will Leave a Scar - Chapter 9

(Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the characters. I do not own any of the brand names mentioned in this chapter. All names are fictitious and appear only by coincidence.)

The count down was underway for what would be the last Sectionals for the seniors. New Directions wasn't really sweating this round much to Mr. Schue chagrin. The competition for this round was the Hipsters and The Ohio School for the Deaf. They had defeated both groups easily in the past. New Directions also had Kurt and Blaine in their arsenal this time around. Artie told Mr. Schue to make room in the display case. The trophy would be their Christmas present to him.

Over at the Berry/Hudson home everyone was preparing for Hanukkah. At the Hummel home the Christmas tree was up and the house was decorated. The two holidays over lapped this year so that made things a little easier.

"Finn," Rachel asked him. "Last year Beth celebrated Hanukkah with Shelby. Do you think throwing Christmas and Santa Claus into the mix this year is going to confuse her? She's still a toddler, but she has just now stopped searching for Shelby every day, and she's sleeping through the night again."

"Do you really think we're going to deny Carole Hummel Christmas with her first grandchild? Technically, Beth isn't her grandchild until the adoption goes through, but Mom couldn't love her anymore than she does now. But if you think its going to confuse Beth, I'll have a talk with Mom," Finn offered. "We could leave the Santa Claus part out."

"I know how much you love Christmas too. Let's just keep the celebrating very low keyed this year. It's nice to have Beth on a routine again," Rachel compromised.

"I couldn't agree with you more. Sleeping all night with you is certainly better than rocking Beth all night," Finn smiled making sure he worked his dimples for the right effect. Rachel absolutely adored his dimples, and Finn knew how to use them to make her melt.

New Directions gathered in the auditorium for rehearsal the Monday before the competition on Saturday. Everyone was there and in their places except for Sam and Mercedes.

Mr. Schue asked Finn and Rachel to go and look for them as the others worked on blocking the dance steps.

Finn found Sam first standing outside the girl's locker room in the athletic wing. Sam was pleading with Mercedes to come out.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Finn asked as he approached Sam. "I'm not exactly sure," Sam confessed. "Her dad found out that we were dating and threw a fit. He told her to break up with me before she comes home today."

"Is it because you're white?" Finn asked.

"Mercedes says no. That's the part that has me confused. I tried talking to her, but she just ran in the locker room. I'd go in there, but Coach Sylvester and Coach Beiste are still in the building," Sam said shaking his head.

Finn pulled out his cell phone and hit number one on his speed dial. It was Rachel's number. "I found them, but we need you to come over to the girl's locker room in the athletic wing," Finn asked Rachel.

"What's going on?" Rachel asked when she joined Finn and Sam outside the girl's locker room.

"Mercedes is in there and she's very upset. Her dad found out that she and I were dating and he told her to break up with me before she comes home today," Sam explained.

"Okay, I'll check on her," Rachel agreed. "Why don't you guys go back to rehearsal? Right now Mr. Schue is missing four of us."

Rachel entered the locker room and found Mercedes in one of the back changing rooms sobbing.

"Mercedes, what's wrong? Sam told me that your dad found out that the two of you were dating, and he told you to break up with him before you come home today. Is it because you are from two different races? Look at me and Finn. He's Caucasian and I belong to the Jewish race."

"I thought he would object to me dating a white guy. That's why we have been keeping it a secret, but that's not the problem," Mercedes sobbed.

"Then what is it?" Rachel pleaded.

"He doesn't want me to date Sam because Sam's family is living in a motel. He doesn't want his daughter to date a homeless guy. He thinks Sam's family is a bunch of dead-beat drifters. I can't tell Sam that, it would crush what self esteem he has left."

"Doesn't your dad know that Sam's dad lost his job, and that's why they lost their house? Sam's dad is working as a night watchman now, and his mother is working as a nanny and housekeeper for us. I don't know how we would manage without her. It's a big step down for both of them, but they're willing to do what ever it takes to keep a roof over their family's head," Rachel defended them.

"Daddy says that he doesn't want to see me with any boy who has no chance for a future and can't afford a haircut."

"We can fix the hair cut. Artie's mom cuts his hair, and I think she does a very good job. We could ask her to cut Sam's hair," Rachel offered.

"Rachel, there's no such thing as a healing haircut. It's going to take more than that to convince my dad, but what am I going to tell Sam in the mean time? It's not his fault that his dad lost his job. I won't lie to my dad, and I can't hurt Sam either?"

"Has your dad even met Sam?" Rachel asked. "Maybe if he got to know what a decent young man he is, he might see him in a different light. Sam can't help it that his dad isn't making five or six figures right now."

"No, neither one of my parents have met him. Like I said we have been keeping it low key because we were afraid my dad would object to Sam being white and I'm black."

"Make sure that both of your parents come to Saturday's competition. Maybe if they met Sam and his family, your dad might change his mind. This competition is going to be a walk in the park."

"Wait, I've got an idea," Rachel smiled widely. "What do you think about you and Sam doing the duet instead of me and Finn? We've been preparing Foreigner's Waiting For A Girl Like You, but you can change songs if you think its too personal. If your parents saw you and Sam perform, they would see how good you are together. Finn and I are so different too, but when we perform together the differences all melt away, and the chemistry flows."

"You would do that for me and Sam? I've never known Rachel Berry, I mean Rachel Hudson to give up the spotlight during a competition voluntarily," Mercedes asked.

"Mercedes, you've got the pipes to take the lead away from me anytime you like. We'll have to run this by Mr. Schue and the others first, but its fine with me."

Finn really didn't understand why Rachel asked Mr. Schue to give the duet to Mercedes and Sam, but he knew that Rachel must have a good reason for her to give up the spotlight.

On their way home, Rachel told Finn why Mercedes' dad objected to Sam. Finn agreed letting Mercedes' father see the two of them perform together might help change Dr. Jones attitude about Sam.

Rachel and Finn pulled up in front of the Berry house just as the school bus was letting Stevie Evans off. His mother, Sharon, was working for the Berry's now, so Stevie rode the bus to their house every afternoon.

"How are you doing Stevie?" Finn asked. "Want to toss the football around after we have a snack?"

"No thanks Finn. I'm not feeling okay," Stevie struggled to get the words out. He really looked sick, and when Finn touched his forehead he was hot.

"Sharon, we're home, and Stevie is with us," Rachel called out. "He says that he's not feeling well, and his forehead feels hot."

"Mom, I feel lousy," Stevie said when his mom came down from upstairs with Stacey.

Sharon felt her son's forehead and agreed. He was sick.

"Rachel, I feel like I should get Stevie and Stacey home. Stevie may need to go to a doctor. Everything is done for the day, and Beth is still asleep," Sharon told Rachel.

Rachel and Finn agreed with Sharon and helped her get Stacey and Stevie's things together before they left.

"Well Finn," Rachel said. "I knew our arrangement with Sharon would last until someone got sick. If Stevie is sick, Sharon won't be here tomorrow to take care of Beth. What do you think we should do? We don't have a Plan B," Rachel asked.

"We have Hiram or Leroy, and I'll ask my mom if she can come over and keep Beth if Sharon has to stay home with Stevie. Don't worry, it's just probably a cold and he wasn't near Beth," Finn offered.

Finn called his mom and she said that she could keep Beth the following day if necessary.

Sharon called Rachel later that evening. She had taken Stevie to the doctor and Stevie had chicken pox. The bumps and blisters were just beginning to show. Stacey would probably be showing symptoms soon too since she had been exposed to Stevie. It was understood that Sharon wouldn't be Beth's nanny for the rest of the week and maybe longer.

Rachel looked at Finn and asked, "What are we going to do if Beth gets chicken pox too? We have Sectionals on Saturday, and I can't ask your mom to take the rest of the week off."

"We'll do what every other parent does when their kid gets sick. We'll cope. I'm not sure how, but we'll figure something out."

Before dawn on Tuesday morning, Beth woke up the whole house crying loudly. She was hot and sweaty. When Rachel took her sleeper off, she had the bumps and blisters starting to show on her chest.

"I'll call Mom," Finn offered. "She's a nurse and I know she can probably get Beth in to see her pediatrician today. That will take care of today, but we need to figure out a plan B for tomorrow and the rest of the week."

Carole made the necessary arrangement at work and was over to keep Beth. Every doctor in town loved Nurse Carole and getting Beth an appointment with her pediatrician was easy for her.

Having a nurse in the family helped. When Finn and Rachel came home from school that afternoon, Carole had everything under control. Carole was explaining what the doctor had said to Rachel while Finn dropped his book bag and collapsed on the couch.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Carole asked going over to check on her son.

"Mom, I started feeling bad during Glee rehearsal. I think I have a temperature," Finn moaned to his mom.

Carole felt Finn's forehead and then the glands in his neck. She pulled up his shirt and sure enough there were pink spots beginning to form on his chest and stomach.

"Finn, I think you have chicken pox too," Carole said with a worried look on her face.

"Mom, didn't I have chicken pox when I was little?"

"You had a very mild case," Carole said rubbing her son's cheek. "It's very possible that you didn't build up your immunity the first time."

"Man, I can't believe this," Finn groaned to his mom and Rachel. "This can't be happening now. What about Sectionals on Saturday?"

"Sectionals will be okay, remember Sam and Mercedes are taking the duet," Rachel reassured him

"Finn and Beth are going to feel pretty bad for the next day or two, but after that the two of them will be scratchy. They can watch cartoons and eat Popsicles when they aren't asleep." I'll call my supervisor and explain the situation to her," Carole told Rachel.

Beth was still sleeping in the Pack-and-Play in the guest room so Finn moved to the bed in that room with her.

"I'm going to be the laughing stock of the entire school, when this gets out," Finn grumbled out loud. "Eighteen years old, a newlywed, and I have a kid's disease. A kid's disease that makes you look like you've got leprosy."

"I'll take care of you," Rachel smiled. "Winter break starts next week so you'll only miss three days of school."

"Tell Glee club that I was hit by a bus while trying to save a kitten or an old lady or something. This is bad enough without being humiliated too."

"I tell them that Beth has the chicken pox and like a responsible dad, you're at home taking care of her," Rachel smiled at a miserable Finn. "It won't be a lie."

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were miserable for Finn and Beth. All they wanted to do was scratch when they weren't asleep.

The Sectionals competition was on Saturday and New Directions was performing without Finn. Rachel told the group that Finn was sick- period.

True to Artie's prediction, New Directions won easily. Only Mr. Evans attended the competition since Sharon was home with a sick Stacey and Stevie. Sam and Mercedes had changed the duet to Stevie Wonder's and Paul McCartney's Ebony and Ivory. The song was not only perfect; it brought the house down with a standing ovation and calls for an encore.

When the celebrating was over, Mercedes brought Sam and his father over to meet her parents.

"Mom, Dad, I would like for you to meet my friend Sam Evans and his father Seth Evans. His mother, Sharon, couldn't be her with us tonight because she taking care of Sam's little brother and sister who have chicken pox."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Evans; I remember when Mercedes and her brother had chicken pox. They had a rough time, but they survived thanks to my wife who took care of them. I was just starting my dental practice, so I wasn't much help."

"This is the second round of chicken pox for us. Sam had them before our two youngest children, Stevie and Stacey were born," Mr. Evans explained.

"Do all of the members of your family have names that being with the letter S?" Mrs. Jones asked.

"It was my wife's idea. Sam's named after my grandfather, but when Stevie and Stacie came along, it seemed like the thing to do."

"What brings your family to Lima, Ohio? Mercedes tells me that you moved here last summer," Dr. Jones asked. It was obvious to Mercedes that her dad was fishing for information.

Our family is originally from Nashville, Tennessee where I was a sound engineer. I had the opportunity to come to Ohio last year with a job that would have secured my family's future, but this economy had other plans. You've heard the saying last hired, first fired. That's what happened to us. All our savings went into the new house and the move. When I lost my job, we lost the house too. I'm working at night now as a watchman, and my wife is working as a nanny and housekeeper for two lawyers. My wife and I hardly ever see each other, but it saves on the cost of daycare for our youngest. It's not great pay, but it's keeping a roof over our heads." Seth Evans concluded.

"Why doesn't your family move back to Tennessee?" Mrs. Jones asked as Mercedes shot her a look.

"I hate to take my two boys out of school in the middle of the school year. I have my applications out in Nashville too, but no one is hiring. When the economy picks up, I know that our fortunes will as well, but in the mean time my family comes first. It has been a pleasure meeting you, Dr. and Mrs. Jones, but if you will excuse us, we need to be going. I have just enough time to run home, change clothes and get to work."

Sam and his father turned to leave. "I'll see you in school on Monday," Sam said to Mercedes.

"What did you think?" Mercedes asked her mother after Sam and his father had left.

"I think that I didn't give Sam and his family enough credit," Mrs. Jones conceded. "They're like the majority of Americans today. All it takes is two or three missed pay checks and you're on the streets. That could happen to anybody including us."

"I just wish we could have had more time to talk to your friend Sam," Dr. Jones commented. "He seems like a nice enough young man. He sang Ebony and Ivory to you like he thinks a lot of you."

"Daddy, did I tell you that Sam pawned his guitar to buy groceries for his family? The Glee club put our money together and bought it back for him. That guitar is his most prized possession, but he sold it for his family. I wish you could hear him play."

"Okay, Baby Girl," Dr. Jones surrendered. "Bring Sam and his guitar over to the house sometime. I have an old flat top Gibson that I used to play in a house band while I was in college. Do you think he can play rhythm and blues, or is he one of those heavy metal screamers?"

"His family is from Nashville, Tennessee. His dad is a sound engineer. Sam has been in the studio since he could walk. I think he could keep up with you Daddy," Mercedes smiled at her father.

"Bring him over and we'll see," Dr. Jones laughed as she hugged his daughter. "If his dad plays bring him too. We might have to form us an Ebony and Ivory band if you can find us a half decent drummer."

"Oh, I can find you a drummer. He can't dance, but he can sure play the drums," Mercedes laughed with her father.

"Don't have to dance if you can play," Dr. Jones laughed as he escorted his wife and daughter to their car.

Hiram, Leroy, and Rachel came home that night after the competition to find Finn sound asleep on the couch. He had his arm protectively wrapped around Beth who was sound asleep beside him. The Cartoon Channel was playing aimlessly on the television.

Rachel slowly released Beth from Finn's arm without waking either one of them. She carried Beth upstairs while Leroy turned the TV off and pulled a blanket over Finn.

Upstairs in the dim lit room Rachel was lowering Beth into the Pack-and-Play when the toddler stirred from her sleep. Beth double fisted both of her little hands into Rachel's long hair and mumbled "Mommy" half asleep.

Beth was waking up so Rachel sat down in the rocking chair and started to sing a lullaby to her. Beth never opened her eyes, but once again she said "Mommy" as she renewed her hold on Rachel hair with her tiny fingers.

"No baby, Rachel whispered. I'm not your mommy. I could never take her place, but if you like, some day you can call me mommy too."

Beth wiggled one more time before she went back to sleep. As she released her grip on Rachel's hair, she softly said, "Mommytoo."

No matter how sound Finn was sleeping, Rachel had to wake him up. "Finn, Beth called me Mommytoo!"

Rachel that wonderful, she called you mommy for the first time, Finn yawned.

"No Finn, she didn't call me Mommy, she called me Mommytoo. Like Mommy number two. I didn't want her to call me Mommy, because it felt like I was taking Shelby's place, but Mommytwo is perfect. I know that I'm really number three, but Quinn is her birth mother, not her mommy. I'd kiss the both of you if you weren't covered up in chicken pox."

Finn was now fully awake so Rachel went on to tell him about the competition, the win, and Sam and Mercedes' duet.

"Did Mercedes' mom and dad make it to the competition?" Finn asked.

"Yes, but Sam and Mercedes didn't sing Waiting for a Girl Like You as you and I had planned. They sang Ebony and Ivory. It was perfect. From the look on Dr. Jones' face, it was brilliant!"

"Well it was your idea to let them have the duet. Our Mommytwo is nothing but brilliant, beautiful, perfect, sexy," Finn said as he leaned in to give Rachel a kiss.

"Oh no you don't!" Rachel squealed as she jumped back from Finn. "You aren't getting anywhere near me as long as you have a single chicken pox on you. I don't care if I have had them. You get better first, and then we'll talk."

Finn was pretending to pout when the phone rang. He saw that it was Mercedes on the caller ID.

"Hey Cedes, What's up?" Finn asked.

"Rachel's idea worked! Daddy saw Sam and I sing together and he's willing to give Sam a chance. And by the way, if you ever get over the chicken pox, I might have a gig for you as a drummer!" Mercedes gushed.

"How did you know that I had chicken pox? Did Mommytwo tell you?" Finn asked.

"Who's Mommytwo?" Mercedes wanted to know.

"Oh that's Rachel, Beth named her Mommytwo. Rachel and I both think it's perfect. Rachel didn't want to take Shelby's place, so she's Mommy number two. Anyway who told you that I had chicken pox?"

"Kurt told us," Mercedes laughed. "I've heard of people bonding with their children, but you took it a step further. You and Beth can sit around and compare scars one day. I hope Mommytwo tells Beth all about the time she and her Daddy had chicken pox at the same time."

"If she doesn't, I'm sure Kurt will," Finn laughed before handing the phone to Rachel.

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