Sam enters the kitchen a half-hour later to find May, Mercedes and Puck all sitting around the kitchen table just snapping peas. The carefree way they all toss the ends to the side, along with their constant smiles makes Sam feel even more left out.
"Sam!" Noah says being the first to notice him enter in. "How's it goin'?"
"It's..." Sam gives a weak laugh scratching his head; he's not sure how he should respond. Everyone's looking at him, Mercedes has this concerned expression waiting for his answer. "It's..."
"What?" Noah asks.
"Miss Quinn" Mercedes finishes with a knowing smile;
Sam let's out a frustrated laugh. "I'm not sure what you're going to say to her, but-"
"Wait what?" Noah asks confused.
"Miss Quinn is here" May says irritated
"In the parlor" Sam finishes. "I had to step away from her for a bit...How's your cheek May?"
She shrugs continuing to snap peas. "I'm fine Master Sam...just a quick hit-"
"Wait, what?!" Noah says shocked. Everyone looks at him unsurprised. "You mean to tell me she hit you?! Why?!"
"No good reason" May says exaggerating the 'good'; but remembering her place and who's in the room she apologizes. "Sorry, Master Sam-"
"No I'm sorry, it shouldn't have happened at all" he says solemn."It won't happen again"
"You're sure as hell it won't" Noah says storming out of the kitchen heading straight for the parlor.
Sam chuckles a bit, but the laughter stops as soon as they hear the parlor doors of the house slam shut.
"Quinn Anne Fabray" Noah growls calling her by her full name. "You tell me right now why you hit that woman?"
"Because" Quinn almost laughs showing no remorse.
"Because" Noah repeats feeling his anger start to boil. "Because why?"
"Because she couldn't hit me back."
Noah can't stop himself, he's raging towards her using both of his strong hands to trap her in a tight grip.
"Tell me Quinn," he says with an even darker tone. "The fact that you can't hit me back," he shakes her a little. "Is that enough of a reason for me to hit you?" His grip instinctively tightens. "Huh!"
"You're hurting me!" Quinn lies a little, although no one has ever handled her this rough before. Noah's hands are squeezing the sides of her body making it difficult to escape.
"All these years I've watched your family mistreat people time and time again, and I've never said anything! Even when I knew it was wrong! And it's because of you; you were the hope I once had!"
"Those are pretty big words for such a small town hick" Quinn teases wickedly; hoping her words are enough to make him let her go.
"I thought you were like this because you had no choice; because you were never loved, so you didn't know how too...I never imagined you enjoyed ruining people! You're just as cruel as the rest of your family" Noah says with cold eyes.
And unexpectedly to the both of them he bends low to kiss her passionately. Noah knows what she likes, a heavy pressure with complex rhythm. The way their tongues latch together is almost a sin at how pleasurable it is to the both of them. His hands burry themselves deep in her golden hair, and he's already biting hard on her plump bottom lip...and just when Quinn feels herself starting to lose her inhibitions Noah stops the kiss abruptly.
"I'm done."
He says releasing her from his grip. He backs away taking a final sight at the beautifully wicked woman he's so in love with; but refusing to stay with her he opens the sliding doors preparing to leave. Quinn stands there shocked and ruffled. Her hair's a mess from having Noah playing with it and her lipstick is smeared on her face. It takes a few seconds to realize that he's not standing in the room with her and immediately she's running out of the parlor after him. She finds him talking to Sam in the kitchen but as soon as he sees her he storms out continuing to the outside of the house.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Quinn shouts following Noah out to where he left his horse. "You just kissed me! And you're gonna walk away?!"
Noah doesn't answer unraveling the reins to the post that tie his horse.
"You're a coward-"
"No, I don't want you anymore. There's a big difference" Noah says cold. "You fooled me Quinn, but I'm not gonna fight for someone who's just as horrible and conniving as what I'm trying to leave behind."
Quinn stumbles backwards unable to hear the truth come from Noah. She can handle it from anyone else; she's used to hearing it from everyone else...but not from him. Noah's always telling her how he likes her for who she is; not because she's rich or beautiful but the fact that she has a strong temper but can have a real sweet nature. She's never let anyone see the softer side to her; and now the one person who truly cares for her is ready to walk away? Quinn really isn't sure how to take any of this...
"So you lied" Quinn smiles a watery smile. "You don't love me...just like everyone else..."
"I can't keep affording too" Noah says turning to mount his horse. "You don't love yourself."
May left Sam and Mercedes alone in the kitchen a while ago; she was trying to give them some alone time. Sam sits across from Mercedes as they continue to snap peas.
"How long have we been doing this?" Sam whines tiredly continuing to snap.
Mercedes giggles. "You just started."
"Oh yeah?" Sam challenges picking up a few more. "Then how do you explain this gigantic pile right here?"
Mercedes grins even bigger. "May and I did those...Mr. Puckerman tried to help but he does more talkin' than actual work...if you've snapped 20 peas you're doin' good."
Sam makes a face at her continuing to snap the ones in his hand. He picks up a handful and begins snapping those but Mercedes who's been doing it much longer is able to pick up twice the amount and finish them in half the time. Sam watches her impressed, before looking at his handful.
"What?"
"Nothing" Sam grumbles a bit continuing to snap peas.
"You see!" Mercedes shakes her head and laughs. "This is why I laugh!"
"At what" Sam glares playfully.
"At your ranch!" She laughs even more. "You can't even snap peas without whinnin' and you wanna take me out to some ranch! How are we gonna eat?"
"We'll eat what I hunt, and what you grow" Sam smiles like it's the obvious answer. "And we'll have beef! And pigs, and chickens!"
"Hunt!" Mercedes laughs hard. "You can't even catch a chicken!"
"Can too!" Sam says throwing his fist-full of peas back in the pile. "Watch me."
"This isn't going to end well" Mercedes laughs watching Sam get up from his seat holding out his hand for hers.
She takes it smiling knowing how funny this is all going to be. They end up in the back of the house next to the garden with the chicken coop to the side. It's a fairly large fenced in area that has dozens and dozens of chickens strutting about. Mercedes takes the grain bucket and scoops some into her apron.
"I guess I should feed you while he's out makin' a fool of himself" Mercedes chuckles talking to a nearby hen before sprinkling some grain on the ground.
"I'm gonna go after the biggest one!" Sam says scanning the area for the largest chicken. "There! That one!" He says picking it out.
"You'll do know such thing, Mr. Evans!" Mercedes laughs. "We need that rooster."
"Fine!" Sam shouts back determined to find a better choice. "How about that one?"
"Depends on what you're doing with it" she answers tossing more grain on the ground. "Are you just catching it for fun, or do you want to eat it?"
Sam thinks about it for a minute. "What do you want to do?"
Mercedes shrugs. "Did you want me to cook it?"
"You can cook!" Sam says impressed turning to look at her and Mercedes looks at him insulted.
"Well I've only worked in the kitchen's all my life!" She says like he's missed the obvious.
"Oh yeah" he says remembering. "Well, what can you make?"
Mercedes shrugs again. "My fried chicken's alright" she says frowning up her face. "But don't you go thinking that I'm as good as Flora; I only know a little."
Sam grins wide at her. "It'll be good practice for when we leave."
"Uh-huh, sure" she smiles waiting for the hilarity to take place. "But we can't start plannin' on a meal until you first catch a chicken."
"You think I can't catch one?"
Mercedes eats another laugh, but he clearly can feel her doubt hanging over him. This makes him want to catch one even more, to prove to her that he can. Sam turns back around and narrows his eyes on a plump golden-red hen strutting around the pen. He creeps up on it slowly before charging at it like it was a bear. The chicken takes off avoiding Sam's large hands that are swinging like a giant. He chases the chickens around the area, practically tripping and falling over himself in the process. He looks large and awkward and Mercedes is practically rolling around on the ground in laughter.
"When...I...catch...this...damned...chicken..." Sam huffs out of breath as Mercedes tries to muffle her laughter but it's not working.
Sam turns to look at her trying not to laugh as she's got about four nice sized hens sitting around her, and the golden-red one sitting in her lap.
"You mean to tell me, I've been chasing the wrong one?!" Sam yells frustrated.
"Give up now?" Mercedes smiles like she's won.
"Yeah, if you can do better go for it!" Sam says frustrated. "Go on! Do it!"
Mercedes laughs even more removing the bird from her lap. "Do you wanna know your main mistake?"
Sam pouts even more, sitting on the ground next to her. He puts a hand under his chin preparing himself for her answer.
"You went after the main hen of the group" Mercedes smiles bigger. "You shouldn't mess with Carol-"
"Wait what?" Sam says trying his hardest not to laugh. "Carol?"
"Caroline" Mercedes corrects sounding like a young kid with their first pet. "Caroline the chicken!"
"She's too cute" Sam thinks laughing under his breath. "You named the chicken?"
"Yes; and her husband's name is Clark" Mercedes says explaining.
Sam ducks his head and smiles even bigger listening to her.
"You can't go after her for two reasons" Mercedes explains. "One, she keeps the other's in check and two-"
Sam raises his eyebrows listening. "What's two?"
"She makes the most eggs, so we need her" Mercedes says wrapping her arms around her knees.
"Really?" Sam asks.
"And she knows it too!" Mercedes glares a little. "That's why she's the main one in charge."
Sam chuckles as she get's up from the ground. She reaches out for his hands before helping to pull him up to his feet. She prepares to let him go, but he hangs on tighter enjoying the contact. Mercedes purses her lips inward before panning up to look at Sam's loving stare.
"I just wish..." Sam begins. "You wouldn't doubt me so much."
"Doubt you how?" Mercedes challenges narrowing her eyes.
"In how I can provide for you" Sam says looking hard at her. "Not that you need me too" he grumbles on the end.
Mercedes grins seeing his adult face, pout to mimic that of a child's. "Sam, I know you would-"
"Will" Sam says canceling out her statement. "I can, I'm not helpless."
She sighs deeply. "I don't think you are. It's just I have more practice."
"At what?"
"Taking care of you" Mercedes laughs. "I've been doing it all my life."
Sam frowns thinking it over.
Mercedes drops her hands to place them on her hips. "Do you know why I agreed to go with you?"
Sam smiles wide, blushing a little at his answer. "Because you love me?"
"Besides that" Mercedes says rushing over the sappy moment. Sam shrugs his shoulders. "When you asked me to go away with you, like really asked me...I thought about how different my life would change. For me, it really wouldn't. I'd still be getting up early and going to bed late, working hard in the house or on the farm, cooking and cleaning and washing...and I couldn't help but think...if you were brave enough to go away; you needed somebody to go with you...someone to show you those things."
"What do you mean brave enough to go away?" Sam says insulted. "I'm not that sheltered-"
"No, you can do a lot when you actually get started...but if you're taking me out there so I can do all the work, waitin' on you hand and foot like I do now while you swing in some hammock...you might as well leave me right here Sam Evans" Mercedes warns stepping closer to him. "Cause I'd be happy in our little house you built on this plantation, and we wouldn't have to go nowhere."
She stand on her tip-toes and gives him a quick and sweet peck on his lips.
"Why are you with me?" Sam laughs feeling useless. "You should be with someone who isn't such a waste-"
"I'm here because I love ya" she says poking his face. "And you love me and that's that!" Mercedes goes to pick up another handful of grain to scatter on the ground. "But if you want to learn...no time like the present."
Sam twists his mouth taking some grain from her apron and tossing it lightly to a group of young chicks.
A Week Or Two Later...
"Why don't you just come with us?" Sam says annoyed with Quinn. Quinn bites her lip hard sitting at the piano at her house. "This is our chance to be happy...to be free! Unless, you like staying here pressed under your family's thumb."
"I never said I liked it-"
"Then prove me wrong" Sam challenges. "Come with us? We're leaving tonight-"
"Tonight" Quinn says startled. "A little soon don't you think?"
"Not really" he answers shaking his head. "We've been planning this for months...ever since our engagement."
"Our engagement?"
"I'm sorry Quinn, but I can't be with you in that way-"
"Am I really that awful? So awful that you would pay a large sum to get rid of me?" Quinn says cold; almost like she's starting to believe it.
"Not to Noah" Sam says skillfully avoiding her question. "Noah's crazy about you-
"Noah hates me" Quinn snaps. "He's never loved me."
"Are you kidding!" Sam shouts almost with a laugh. "This whole plan is for you!"
"He's leaving me isn't he?"
"He wants you to go with him."
A beat of silence goes by before Sam continues.
"Just come with us...forget this place and whatever is holding you here and go" Sam says turning to leave the music room.
Later That Night
Mercedes is pacing back and forth with the few belongings she has waiting for Sam to meet her at their spot. She has to hum a little melody in order to stop herself from crying; she wasn't able to tell her mother goodbye in fear that she would be able to leave or that her mother would try and stop her. Out of nowhere a distinct deep voice begins humming the tune with her.
"How'd you know that song?" Mercedes asks when she sees it's Noah Puckerman coming to meet her.
"My ma, used to sing it to me as a kid" He smiles at the thought. "Are you cold? It's a lil chilly tonight."
"I'm alright" Mercedes says wrapping herself in a blanket. "Just nervous."
"Running away can do that to a person" Noah smiles.
"Sounds like you've got a story Mr. Puckerman" Mercedes teases.
"I've got a few" he says stretching out his neck. "By the way, you can call me Noah."
"Mr. Puckerman, I don't think that's-"
"Is it true you call Sam, Sam?"
"Yes, but things are a little different with us" Mercedes explains. "Besides, that's only when we're alone."
"If I call you by your first name, you can do the same with mine."
Mercedes stares at him a while trying to figure him out; but when she can't she has to bring herself to ask.
"Why are you so different?"
Noah frowns at her question. "How so?"
"With us!" Mercedes says getting excited. "You don't look at us funny or-"
"Who is us?"
"May...or even me?" She explains. "We talk and laugh, like-"
"Friends?"
Mercedes nods still trying to understand. "None of Sam's other friends do that...they treat us like shadows...but not you..."
Noah chuckles stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Not to mention what you did for May" Mercedes says with wonder. "How you handled Quinn? Why'd you do it?"
Noah shrugs it off like it's no big deal. "Maybe I didn't do it for her...maybe I did it because I wish someone could've done that for my mom."
"You're mom was hit too?"
"Yeah."
"By you're dad?" Mercedes asks before she can stop herself.
Noah smiles, but it soon fades away. "No, but the plantation owner she used to work for..."
"How can that be?" Mercedes asks innocently. "You're white."
"White enough to pass" Noah smirks kicking dirt up into the sky
Mercedes eyes spread like she's been let in on some huge secret...before she begins laughing hysterically.
"Oh!" She shrieks. "If Miss Quinn knew!"
"Knew what?" Sam voice carries before him as he's walking into the clearing.
"Nothing" Mercedes says still smiling. "Are you ready?"
"Just about, Quinn's coming...I'm not sure how she's gonna survive though" Sam says looking for her through the tall grass. "The girl can barely walk through a field."
There's laughter when she get's there, and almost instantly Quinn's eyes narrow at the sight of the girl who's beaten her. As she gazes at the plump figure of the slave girl Mercedes; a figure she's passed so many times through the years, she can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of rejection. Surely this can't be the woman he's chosen...the one he will spend the rest of his life with? Has Sam gone ill? Is he insane? He must be, to refuse her for a common girl; ugly, fat and plain...
Quinn can't handle the thought of loosing Sam to Mercedes...a girl she's made fun of so many times; a girl with torn clothing and a round shape...dark skin the color of dirt and hair the texture of straw...
Noah steps closer to her with his hand extended. "I'm glad you changed your mind..."
It would be so easy for her to leave...to run away and never look back...but her upbringing creeps back into play...and loosing one of the most eligible bachelors in the state, to a lowly slave girl is just not acceptable...
"I haven't changed my mind" Quinn spits backing away. "Stay the fuck away from me!"
She's running back through the fields and both Sam and Mercedes let out a groan as Noah calls after her.
"I have to go get her" Noah says preparing to go after her, but Sam's hand catches him quick.
"I still say we get outta here! We can't go back!"
"I can't just leave her!" Noah says breaking away from him.
"She left you man! She made her choice! You tried" Sam says making his way to Mercedes. He pulls her in the opposite direction of the Evans' Plantation House; but she refuses to move.
"I have to go get her" Noah says leaving for the house.
"Merce...let's go!" Sam tugs on her arm pulling her away but she won't move.
"We can't leave him" she says firmly.
"Yes we can!" Sam says. "This is our chance..right now!"
"If that were me back there, could you just walk away?" Mercedes challenges. She knows the answer as soon as she looks into his eyes. And he lets out a groan. "We have to go back" she says pulling him in the other direction.
"I have a bad feeling about this" Sam says trudging his feet a little before breaking into a jog to catch up to her.
A/N: sorry for the angst...but i did give you a smidge of fluff lol you'll be happy to know that i worked out the whole story in my head, which means updates should be more frequent because i actually know where i wanna take this story...uh...Mark Salling (the guy who plays Noah Puckerman) i feel has some very ethnic features, so in this story i made him part african-american (not like half b/c in my head his mom's like half so he'd be like a 1/4) but yeah i kinda liked that...and idk why i make Quinn so mean in this story, it's just easier for me to write her as a complicated villain with an occasional sweet side lol idk if she loves Puckerman, like i don't think she even knows but this part was all about how it's a shock to hear Noah talk/treat her the way he did because he's always like her escape from her family...he's always positive and nice and never gives her any tough love and the fact that he's walking away pushes her to an edge...but when Quinn sees Mercedes as Sam's lover that just pushes her over another type of edge; like she can't handle loosing to someone who looks like her...
hopefully that explained some stuff...and i hope you liked it...expect another update soon...
THANK YOU for reading and commenting as always...i freakin love reading reviews i'm becoming addicted to your reactions lol much love...pce!
