"This actually makes sense!" Puck exclaims.

"Told you!" Mercedes sticks her tongue out at Quinn, who quickly reciprocates.

"How is it my fault he doesn't understand it the normal way?" The blonde asks sullenly.

"This is the normal way. Every way to learn is the normal way." Mercedes turns back to Puck. "Now do the next one."

Puck sticks his tongue out as he concentrates on his biology homework. He and the girls have been studying the entire lunch period and he thinks he has a shot at actually learning something. Mercedes is a great teacher and very patient with him, which he appreciates. What he doesn't appreciate are Quinn's unnecessary comments about his intellect.

Quinn chews on her pencil as they watch Puck figure out the questions on his worksheet. She knows it's way too soon to gripe about him but she can't help it. Mercedes is being way too nice to the jock and it's driving her crazy!

Mercedes doesn't understand why Quinn is being so hard on Puck but she's proud of him. He admitted to needing help and gratefully took it. She knows a lot of people (especially males) refuse help when they really need it so Puck reaching out is showing her how much of a man he is. And she really likes it.

"Okay! I think I got it!" Puck slams down his pencil with conviction. He slides the paper to Mercedes.

She takes it and looks it over. "You got them all right! You did it!" She jumps up. "You did it, Puck! You did it!"

The librarian comes over to check out all the noise. She presses her finger to her lips and shushes them.

Mercedes sits down sheepishly. She waits until the older woman is gone before jumping up again and giving Puck a hug. She claps her hands silently and whispers, "I'm so proud of you!"

"I like studying with you, Mama. You don't make me feel stupid!" He glares at Quinn.

Quinn rolls her eyes. "Lunch period is almost over. You should get rid of our trash, Puck."

He glares more fiercely. "I didn't know your legs were broken."

"You're a gentleman, right?" It's not a question. "Gentlemen take care of the small details. Merce likes gentlemen. Look at Sam. He opens doors, lets women walk in front of him, he carries their things, he's respectful. All signs of a true gentleman."

"You don't have to do that, Puck. I can throw away the stuff." Mercedes moves to get off his lap.

Puck lets her but says, "Q's right. You should never touch trash."

She does every time she touches you! Quinn mocks internally.

"Puck, it's just garbage. I can do it." Mercedes refrains from giggling but barely.

Puck stands and grabs every bit of refuse from the table. "I don't wanna hear it!" He walks to the trash receptacles by the entrance of the library.

"Quinn, why'd you send him away?" Mercedes turns to the blonde with a no nonsense glare. "And that gentlemen spiel?!"

"Please! Whenever Sam does any of that country boy routine he has stashed in his back pocket, you act like he invented it!" Quinn rolls her peridot eyes.

"He grew up with manners!"

"Which are important to people like us! If Puck wants you like I believe he does, he needs to step it up!" Quinn leans back. "Besides I wanted to spend two seconds with you! La knows I can't do that with you alone anymore!" The last bit is murmured too low for Mercedes to hear.

Mercedes rolls her eyes. "Okay, Q-Card. We'll spend more time together. I hear you loud and clear. GGST!"

Quinn's face itches to frown but she brightens her smile instead. "Yup. Girl God Squad Time. Exactly what I meant."

Puck walks back to the table. "Class is in ten minutes."

The trio gathers their belongings. Puck takes Mercedes' books from her. "I can carry stuff."

"Since I'm part of this, too-" Quinn snatches the books from Puck. "I'll hold your books. You can hold something else."

"Like her hand?!" Puck grabs Mercedes's hand tightly.

"Or her backpack and lunchbox, dingbat!" Quinn tries not to roll her eyes but Puck is getting on her last nerve.

"Oh!"

Mercedes laughs. "I can hold my own stuff!"

Puck takes her backpack. "I can hold it. I don't mind."

"It's purple and covered with BTR stickers!" Mercedes points out.

"I'm a badass, Mama! I can rock a dress and still look good!" Puck boasts, shuffling his books to his other arm.

"Fine!" Mercedes snatches Quinn's lunchbox from her. "I'll hold your lunchbox then. I won't be the only one not carrying something."

Quinn grabs Mercedes's free hand. "That's fair."

Mercedes threads her full hand through Puck's arm. "Yes, it is!"

They make their way to Mercedes' locker. She opens it and throws her lunchbox inside.

"Won't that break?" Puck asks.

"No way! It's like steel or something." Mercedes shakes her head. "When are you going to return that tray to the cafeteria?"

Puck purses his lips. "I don't know. Maybe never. If I keep eating lunch in the library with you two, I could just keep it there."

Mercedes puts away her morning work and takes out the work for her afternoon classes. She puts everything in her backpack, which Puck has open for her. "You could just bring your own lunch from home. It's cheaper, healthier and tastier." She leaves out the work for her immediate class.

He rubs the back of his neck. "Who's gonna make it? Moms works all the time and I barely have time to make Nic's lunch before I gotta split."

"This sounds crazy but how about you make the lunches the night before?" Mercedes says gently.

Quinn gives a bark of laughter. "That's too much foresight, Mercy."

"Stop it!" Mercedes closes her locker. "It's what I usually do. I get my clothes ready for the next day, iron them, make sure I have everything laid out. Then I make my lunch for the next day. Though sometimes I slip up and I just don't care. My mom makes my lunch sometimes. I don't care. I love her for it."

"My mom makes mine, too." Quinn admits. "Since the divorce, she's all about making me her life."

"How's that going?" Mercedes asks, worried.

Quinn shrugs. "It's weird. I hope she doesn't want me to take over my father's place as the center of her world but at least she's paying attention to me."

Mercedes cups Quinn's chin. "Of course you're the center of her world. You're her awesomely talented, smart, sweet daughter."

Quinn smiles warmly. I'm glad someone thinks so! "I see Satan. We better jet." She takes her lunchbox back from Mercedes. "We'll see you later."

Puck hands her the violet knapsack. "See you in Trig., Mama." He gives her a kiss and Quinn quickly follows suit. They make their way down the hall pass Sam and Santana.

"Hey, guys!" Mercedes waves.

"Have a good lunch?" Sam asks, kissing Mercedes softly.

"It was... enlightening."

"Is that code for Puck showed you his?" Santana sasses.

"Santana!" Mercedes covers her face with her Spanish textbook. "He would never do such a thing!"

Sam refrains from telling her he would. "Can we walk you to class?"

"Is that why you're here super early? To make sure Team Quick didn't walk me to the other side of school?" Mercedes shakes her head. "Me and Tana have the same class so we would have seen each other anyway."

"I didn't know you were in the same class." Sam looks confused.

"Of course not, gringo!" Santana wraps her arms around Mercedes' waist. "I was transferred into her class two weeks ago."

"Why?"

"Remember the test they had everyone fill out when Mr. Shue switched to the history department?" Mercedes asks. Sam nods so she continues. "Santana was placed in her correct class afterwards. You do realize it was an evaluation, right?"

Sam shakes his head.

Santana sucks her teeth. "Why are you even in Spanish?! You can't even speak English!"

"Tana! He's good with languages. He just needs for someone to make it fun. He knows the Avatar language and the one from that book that guy from WW2 wrote." Mercedes watches him.

"You are not a nerd!" Sam yells.

"I never said I was, dork!" Mercedes bites her bottom lip. "What? Do you not like me anymore?!"

"You like comic books and video games! What a betrayal!" Sam teases.

Mercedes laughs. "Boy, you're crazy!"

"Crazy for you." He presses a quick kiss to her lips.

That's two! Santana squeezes Mercedes' waist. "We need to get going. Señora Ramos is on my butt about being tardy."

"Get to class on time then!" Mercedes removes Santana's arms from around her middle and holds her hand. "Let's go!"

MJ

"Baby, I say this with love; you're damn near hopeless!" Mercedes blows out a breath.

"I don't know what the hell you're sayin but it's damn sure not "shoes"!" Santana spits.

"Okay, easy. Moon and sun." Mercedes says before Sam could retort.

"Um… moona and suna?" Sam guesses.

"¡Te odio! Usted es una vergüenza para la lingüística! ¿Cómo puedes sobrevivir sin nada en su cerebro! ¿Eres muerte cerebral?" Santana blows up. "Tú eres el idiota más grande que he visto en mi vida! ¡Qué vergüenza a toda su familia!"

"Tana!" Mercedes admonishes. "That was incredibly rude and hurtful!"

"I'm sorry, Cedes but "moona" and "suna"? It's insulting!" Santana pouts.

"So insulting his intelligence is supposed to help?"

"What intelligence?!"

"I'm right here!" Sam shouts.

The girls look at him. Luckily the trio are studying on the bleachers by the football field so no one pays any mind to their outbursts.

"What did she say, Mercy?"

"She was just being Santana." Mercedes tries.

"What did she say? I understood "idiot". What else did she say?" Sam crosses his arms.

"She just said you weren't bright. But that's not true! You're very smart, Sam. You just need to think of Spanish in a different way!"

Sam won't budge. "Her exact words, please."

Mercedes rolls her eyes. "I hate you. You are a disgrace to linguistics. How can you even survive with nothing in your brain? Are you brain dead? You are the biggest idiot I've ever seen. Shame on your whole family." She repeats verbatim.

Sam looks at Santana sourly. "Thanks a lot."

"You're frustrating me! You've been in this class for months and can't even remember a freakin moon and sun?!" Santana is exasperated.

"Luna y sol." Mercedes whispers.

"What?" Sam leans closer to hear.

She repeats it louder. "Moon is not "moona", it's "Luna." Sun is not "suna", it's "sol". And before you ask, "y" is the word for "and", though it's the letter "Y"."

"Oh." Sam says nothing further as the information gains no reaction in his mind.

"You're really into space and stars." Mercedes starts suddenly and watches as her man's eyes sparkle. "Whenever anything happens to the moon, they call it "lunar" something. Anything as long as it has "lunar" in the name. When you think of the moon, drop the "R" from "lunar" and you've got your Spanish moon."

"I think I get it. So for the sun it would be "sola"? Cuz it's solar?" Sam wants to confirm.

"For the sun you should leave off the "A" and the "R". "Sol" sounds just like "soul". As in Santana has no soul but she sings like she does." Mercedes bats her eyelashes at the sultry cheerleader.

Santana sticks her tongue out. "If you can't get this, I know you're beyond help, Evans."

MJ

Rehearsal time is here before Mr. Shue knows it. He nervously looks at his watch, knowing the group won't cut him any slack on this issue.

"Team Quick has benefits, William." Coach Sylvester baits.

Mr. Shue wipes the sweat from his brow. "This is completely inappropriate, Sue!"

"What's the matter, William?" Coach Washington's shrill voice is like nails on a chalkboard to Mr. Shue as he fidgets in his seat. "You're in these kids' personal lives so much, I'd think you were their daddy or a pervy old man!"

"Maybe he just needs to see them together?" Coach Beiste suggests. "Like a fashion show for couples?"

Ms. Pillsbury claps. "That's a great idea, Shannon! They could dress in matching outfits. Sam would look great in a suit! Mercedes and Santana could wear bright red dresses. Sam's tie would be red to match."

Kurt squeals. "I love that idea! Cedes could have her hair in bouncy curls and pinned back with a rose. Santana could have a rosette hairband with soft waves in her hair. Sam could have a red rosette in his lapel."

"I have a sparkly red tie." Blaine tosses in.

"I'm sure if you don't have a suit, Burt would loan you one." Finn offers.

"Wait a minute, Team Lazy!" Coach Sylvester throws up her hands, halting the excited stream of words from the left side of the choir room. "That was Team Quick's idea. We're going to do it better. I have a sweatshop of young Vietnamese children that are at my beck and call."

"Cedes could wear a skirt?" Tina asks more than says.

Mike nods. "Show off her legs. She's got righteous legs."

The class looks at him while Mercedes and Quinn hold back laughter.

"How do you know that?" Sam can't pick his jaw up off the floor.

But Puck sure can. "When have you ever seen Mama's legs?!"

Mike flushes. "We all have. When the girls wear dresses?"

Everyone laughs as they realize the quiet football player is right. Mike looks to Quinn and Mercedes, who are wiping tears from their eyes.

Mr. Shue is relieved for a moment before Rachel takes control of the conversation. "Team Quick's colors can be silver and black. Like Puck's and Quinn's shirts. We can all have shirts made."

"I like the way you think, Streisand wannabe!" Coach Sylvester trills.

Rachel rolls her eyes. "Thanks, Coach Sylvester. I'm just saying the uniformity would be amazing for group morale. We can wear them during the show for support. Also, I think Quinn would look fantastic in a black skirt while Cedes wears a silver one. Of course Noah would wear a black tuxedo."

"Ooh! Mercedes could have her hair straightened. Like really straight." Sugar vibrates with excitement. "Quinn's could be a little messy. And they could have sparkles everywhere!"

"And both could wear button up shirts like Quinn's wearing now but definitely more sparkly." Rachel continues.

"Sparkles?!" Kurt looks upset. "Why didn't I think of that?!"

"Wait; if they have colors, we need colors!" Finn interrupts his brother's pitiful murmuring. "Sam and Santana's shirts are blue with red writing so blue and red could be our colors!"

"We could get shirts made up." Blaine adds. "Have red pants with the shirts. Maybe hats too?"

Mercedes gestures to Mr. Shue, Quinn, Puck, Santana and Sam. They huddle together by the piano and Brad. "Does this make any sense to you?"

Brad shakes his head with a sad smile.

"I say let 'em do it." Sam shrugs.

"Why?! This is crazy! A fashion show for Mr. Shue to pick a side?! We need to be concentrating on Regionals, Nationals and I don't know; school!" Mercedes angry whispers.

"But look how happy it's making them, Merce." Quinn points to both teams and how excited they are for the project. Even the adult members of the groups are into it. "Most likely it won't interfere with our singing and I know school is fine."

"Yeah." Santana confirms. "We got school on lock. With all the drama, we usually don't forget about our work so you'll have to come up with another excuse."

"Like why you're so against this?" Puck puts in. "Are you ready to make a decision now?"

Mr. Shue severely hopes so. Hopes that are dashed seconds later.

"No!" Mercedes snaps. "There hasn't been any time! Fine! You want this show so bad, have it! But I'm not giving any input!"

"You hear that, Lady Hummel?!" Santana shouts to Kurt, who looks up and shakes his head. "Wheezy says you have creative control and freedom!"

"YES!" Kurt screams as if he's being killed. "I've waited for this day for three years!"

"What about us?" Sugar whines.

"Go ahead." Quinn smiles mildly. Team Quick celebrates. "You know you shouldn't have said that."

Mercedes looks at Quinn. "I see!"

Mr. Shue claps his hands to get everyone's attention. "Guys, we need to rehearse!" He gets an idea. "If we win Regionals, the show can be held in the auditorium or the gym for the entire school to see!"

The adults cheer louder than the students.

"I'll need at least four confetti cannons!" Coach Sylvester mutters to herself.