A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and continuing interest in this fic, I am so flattered. Thanks to my beta Jill although sista girl have a very busy schedule she always makes time for me!
Disclaimer: Don't own glee nor do I want to! Wicked Games belongs to Chris Isaak...Enjoy!
Chapter 13
Alys woke up and found Sam and Mercedes sound asleep and the movie credits rolling. She slowly pushed herself off the couch, careful not to disturb them and turned off the movie. She tiptoed out the den, only to return shortly and find them cuddling. She covered the sleeping couple with a blanket and turned off the lights as she softly hummed "White Wedding" under her breath.
XXXX
The next morning Alys hopped out of bed and quickly ran downstairs to the den. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found her Uncle Sam and Mercedes just as she left them the night before, cuddling as they slept. She thought they looked cute; her Uncle Sam had his arms wrapped around Mercedes' waist as he nestled his head in the hollow of her neck. Alys tip-toed out the room and made her way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Sam stirred slightly as Mercedes burrowed her head further into his chest; strands of her hair tickled his nose, irritating it. He brushed away the offending locks and returned his arm to its former position. A lazy grin formed on his lips, the faint smell of cocoa butter made his dream of slathering the thick, creamy lotion on Mercedes' velvety mahogany skin more real.
In his dream, Mercedes had ripped off his clothes and ordered him to lie down; it was his turn to have cocoa butter rubbed all over his body, starting with his dick. His breath caught in his throat as Mercedes' slick hands slowly slid up and down the entire length of his hard shaft.
"Fuck!" He gasped, grabbing a fistful of the bed sheet. Her sensual touches were getting to him!
The corners of Mercedes' plush kissable lips curled upward and she dipped her head until her lips brushed against his. "Does that feel good baby?" she whispered against his lips.
Before Sam had a chance to answer, his dream was interrupted by a loud snore. He opened his eyelids half way and blinked once, he was greeted with a warm soft body snuggling against his. "What the fu…?" he said startled. Sam's eyes widened in surprise when he discovered a sleeping Mercedes softly snoring with her head buried in his chest. Well looky here. He chuckled to himself, brushing back her hair to get a good look at her face. Mercedes is going to slap him stupid when she wakes up and finds out that she had spent the entire night sleeping in his arms, even though it was through no fault of his own.
Sam lifted up the blanket and swallowed a moan, his green eyes clouded with desire as he stared longingly at her curvilicious body. He almost lost it when Mercedes unconsciously wiggled her voluptuous ass against his morning erection. Dammit! Sam's heart pounded so loudly in his chest, he was afraid she would wake up from the beating against her back. He pulled the blanket over them and lay back thinking he could get use to waking up like this. Too bad he wasn't in love with her, no matter what his heart said.
"Mmmm," Mercedes moaned in her sleep. "Oh Sam…"
Sam's eyes widened; she was calling out his name in her sleep! If he wasn't such a corroded asshole, he would've awakened Mercedes and saved her from saying anything embarrassing; but since he was a corroded asshole, Sam decided to let her sleep in hopes Mercedes would say something juicy about him.
"Oh Sam…" she moaned again, biting her bottom lip. "Oh baby that's it…"
He grinned…Mercedes was having a sex dream about him!
"Oh god Sam, that feels so good…" she continued, "Don't stop baby, don't…I'm so close…I'm…I'm…" Mercedes gasped as her orgasm washed over her body.
Oh shit! Sam couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Damn I knew I was good, but to make her cum in her dream…I'm fucking her like a boss!
In the middle of her climax, Mercedes jolted straight up from her sleep. Her heart leapt in her throat when she found herself staring into a pair of green eyes.
"What the fuck…?" Mercedes hissed, horrified when she realized she has been lying on the couch with Sam – asleep.
"Morning Sunshine," Sam greeted with a knowing smirk on his lips. "Damn, you're beautiful in the morning."
She narrowed her eyes, tossing the blanket aside. "You set this up didn't you?" she spat accusingly as she tried to ignore the warm gush between her legs. Shit! She hadn't had a wet dream in years! "I should have known that…" she stopped in midsentence as Alys bounced into the room with a huge smile on her face.
"Good morning Uncle Sam, morning Mercedes," she sang, thinking how adorable they look, waking up together. "Breakfast is ready." Her blue eyes shifted from her Uncle Sam to Mercedes. "C'mon guys it's not everyday that I cook."
"Uh…" Mercedes replied, combing her fingers through her hair. "Okay," she plastered a smile on her face. "Would it be okay if I brush my teeth first?"
"Sure," Alys grinned. "Uncle Sam and I will be waiting for you on the patio."
"Um…Shortness I better wash up first, okay?" Sam said. He had a problem that needed immediate attention.
"Five minutes guys," Alys replied, holding up her right hand. "Then I'm coming after you."
Sam and Mercedes smiled as they watched the twelve year old bounce out the den and out of earshot. Mercedes pushed herself off the couch and turned to Sam with hand on hips.
"You are so lucky that Alys came in when she did…" she said, fighting the urge to kiss him. There should really be a law against Sam Evans; no one should be allowed to look that hot in the fucking A.M.
"Or what?" Sam butted in, wondering how in the hell a woman can look so damn sexy when she's pissed off. "You were going to kiss me?" he graced her with his trademark grin. "Listen darlin', if that what you want I'm right here," he patted the vacant spot next to him. "I'll be more than happy to make your dream come true and yes, I'm a damn good kisser." He licked his lips and puckered up.
Mercedes looked at him, appalled he had the audacity to think she wanted to kiss him. Even if it was true, she wasn't going to let him know it. "You corroded asshole!" She did an about face and stormed out the den.
"That's my name, sweetheart." Sam watched her ass dance from side to side and blew out a breath of frustration. Yep, Mercedes Jones is going to be the death of him.
XXXX
Mercedes submerged her face in the sink of cold water and grabbed the plush towel off the rack. She dried her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Really Mercedes, really? She chastised herself. A fucking wet dream? She brushed her teeth as she tried to remember the last time she had one. She shrugged her shoulders and quickly ran the comb through her hair wondering why the hell she bothered. After applying a coat of lipgloss, Mercedes took the back stairs to the patio where Alys had her nose buried in a book.
XXXX
"Mercedes!" Sam cried out in the privacy of his personal bathroom. "Shit!" he hissed, spilling his seed into the toilet. He took a deep breath, grabbed a wad of toilet paper and cleaned himself up. "This makes no fucking sense," he mumbled, turning on the hot water. "I need some pussy." Sam thought about calling his psycho bitch ex-girlfriend Lola. It wouldn't be hard to talk her into a few hours of fucking, but he quickly nixed that idea. He was not in the mood to deal with her brand of crazy.
It was too bad he didn't keep Contestant Number Two's phone number so they could have finished what they started at El Azucar…the memory of Mercedes catching them together in the women's bathroom popped into his mind. "Nah, that wouldn't work out either," he said aloud. "Maybe I'll phone Puck." He knew Puck had a slew of women that would be discreet and take it for what it was: a hook up and nothing more. He finished washing up and walked into his bedroom to change into a pair of swim shorts and to call Puck to make arrangements for him to get his dick wet for that afternoon.
He hung up after the first ring…
Fuck! What is the hell is wrong with you Evans? He scratched his head and growled in frustration. Okay, okay, so maybe calling Puck to arrange a random fuck buddy is not a good idea at this time.
Sam thought about how selfish he was for even considering a douche move with Alys home for the weekend. She was his number one priority, not his need to get his dick wet. Besides, it wouldn't have mattered if he went through with it or not; he wouldn't be satisfied until he had Mercedes under him, over him, or in any sexual positions in between. One thing was for certain and Sam had to begrudgingly admit it to himself: if her name wasn't Mercedes Jones, the woman was a waste of his time.
Puck's ringtone interrupted his thoughts…
"Hey bro, if you're returning my call from earlier forget it, it was a mistake," he explained. "I didn't mean to intrude on your beauty sleep."
Puck laughed sleepily. "Yeah, my baby did keep me up rather late," he said, winking at the woman lying next to him. She smiled at him and winked back.
Sam chuckled, wondering where Puck picked up his latest fuck buddy. "I'll let you get back to replenishing your strength and your… uh…baby," He said knowing damn well Puck didn't even bother to remember the woman's name.
"Yeah," Puck yawned. "And you run along and play happy family with Mercedes and Alys," he said teasingly. "Tell me did you build the white picket fence yet?"
"Fuck you, man."
"Nah, I'll leave that up to my honey," Puck replied, reaching over to pinch the woman's nipple.
"Talk to ya later, bro."
"If you must, make it much, much later."
Sam shook his head as he disconnected the call, thinking it was going to be funny as hell when Puck gets bit in the ass by love. He made a call to his florist and ordered a small bouquet of daises and two dozen of long stemmed pink roses for delivery.
XXXX
The preteen closed her book and pushed it aside as Mercedes approached the table. "Everything looks good." she said, looking at the boxes of cereal among the plates of sausages, bacon, toasted bagels and sliced fruits. "Wow." She sat in the nearest chair and poured herself a glass of orange juice. "Impressive."
"Thanks," Alys replied, beaming. "Usually I don't get a chance to show off my limited cooking skills because the women Uncle Sam seems to attract don't like to eat, which I think is pretty asinine. I think that's the reason why they were so irritable all the time, they were hungry."
Mercedes began to laugh, and Alys soon joined her.
Sam stepped on the patio and heard Mercedes and Alys laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked, approaching the table. "Can I get in on the joke?"
Mercedes nearly choked; Sam was dressed in a pair of short tight swim shorts. Jesus, keep me near the cross!
"Mercedes are you okay?" Sam asked, rushing to her side. He placed a hand on her back; chills immediately ran up and down their spines.
"I'm…fine…" she assured him, clearing her throat, several times. "I was drinking too fast."
"Okay," Sam grinned, rubbing her back in a circular motion. He wasn't ready to relinquish contact.
"You can stop now," Mercedes replied, squirming under his touch. "I'm fine…please sit and enjoy the breakfast Alys made for us."
He reluctantly pulled away. "Shortness, you went all out didn't you?" he smiled, sitting next to Mercedes and scooting closer – invading her personal space.
Alys shrugged her shoulders. "It's nothing major," she said nonchalantly, it didn't go unnoticed that her Uncle moved his chair closer to Mercedes. "Are you going for a swim later?"
"Yeah, I have to keep the sexy." He patted his six pack. "That's what pays the bills and keep you in books." He poked Mercedes gently in the side. "Want to feel them?"
She cut her eyes at him. "Um…no thanks," she said, finding it hard not to stare at his rock hard abs. "I'll pass…" she moved her chair several inches to have some breathing room.
"So what do my girls want to do today?" he asked, filling his plate. "Do you have anything special in mind?" He glanced at his niece. "Alys?"
Alys shrugged her shoulders and quickly shoved a spoonful of Fruity Pebbles in her mouth to prevent herself from laughing as Sam moved his chair closer to Mercedes. "Um…whatever you want to do is fine with me." she replied. "How about you Mercedes?" she asked.
"It's your weekend," Mercedes replied, she and Sam reached for a bagel at the same time, their fingers brushed against each other sending a warm tingling jolt up their arms. Mercedes pulled back. "S-sorry." She mumbled.
"No harm done, darlin'." Sam said, placing a bagel on her plate before placing one on his.
"Cream cheese?" he offered.
"Sure, thanks." Mercedes watched as Sam spread a generous portion of cream cheese on her bagel. "Juice?" she asked him, it was only fair that she returned the favor.
"Yes, please." He smiled at her as she poured him a glass of orange juice. "Fruit, cereal or both?" he asked, grabbing her bowl.
"Fruit," She replied. "Do you want bacon, sausage or both?" she picked up his plate, waiting for him to answer.
"Both."
Alys thought she was going to die from an overdose of cuteness as she watched them prepared each other plate.
"Hey I know what we can do today," Alys spoke up, excited about her idea. Mercedes and Sam gave her their undivided attention. "How about going sailing?" she suggested. "Uncle Sam it's been a while since we went and Mercedes informed me that she has never been on a sailboat…" she trailed off, looking between them.
Sam turned to Mercedes. "What do you think?"
"It seems that you're dressed for a day of sailing," she remarked, smiling. "It's only fair for Alys and I to do the same."
"Great!" Alys exclaimed, "Mercedes, you're in for a treat…" she began.
Sam couldn't help but smile at his niece as she told Mercedes about the last time they went sailing. He was dating Quinn at the time and knew by their sixth date he was falling for her. Sam had intended the outing to be a getting-to-know-you trip for Alys and Quinn as well as a romantic one for them. Alys was excited about the trip because she was interested in seeing the dolphins. Quinn was less than thrilled, but agreed to go.
The night before the outing, Quinn started an argument with Sam about Alys' eating habits. She couldn't believe Sam had allowed Alys to have an extra scoop of ice cream and warned him if he wasn't careful, he was going to have a little oinker on his hands. He couldn't believe that his girlfriend would say something so cruel about a ten year old who had just lost her mother. Alys, instead of finishing her ice cream, dumped the bowl on Quinn's $1500 hair style.
Needless to say, Quinn didn't join them on the outing. He should have known then things weren't going to work out between them…
"Uncle Sammy," Alys said, bringing Sam back to the present. "Tell Mercedes how the dolphins swam along with the boat," she laughed. "It was incredible."
Sam smiled at the excited twelve years old and nodded "Mercedes, you have to experience it for yourself," he told her. "It was incredible! They were close enough for us to touch them." He checked the time on his cell phone; the florist should be arriving any minute. "Be right back," he said standing up. He walked to the front door just in time. He thanked the delivery person for being prompt and gave her a huge tip.
He was about to shut the door when he saw the UPS guy sprinting towards the house with a small package in his hand.
"Mr. Evans?" he greeted him. "I have package for you."
Sam raised his eyebrows in curiosity as the delivery man handed him a small package. He read the name and address of the sender; it was from his mother. He signed for the package and immediately called his mother. She answered after the third ring.
"You got the package?" Mary Evans greeted her eldest son, knowing he would call the moment he received it.
"Uh…yeah..." Sam replied, kicking the front door shut with his foot. "What is this about?" he rested his cell phone between his shoulder and ear to free his hands as he opened the package-it was a DVD. "What's on the DVD?" His heart began to beat a little faster and his mind began to imagine all kinds of scenarios. "Mom, what's on it?"
Mary cleared her throat in an effort to get a control of her emotions. "It's…um…it's…um…" she took a deep breath. "It'savideoStaceymadebeforeshedi ed," she said in one breath.
"WHAT!" he yelled, his heart skipping a couple of beats. "Did you say Stacey?" he whispered into the phone.
"Yes," she confirmed, her voice quivering. "It was made several days before she died," she explained, Dwight who had his arms around his wife for support, held her tighter against him, giving her the strength to go on. "It's for Alys, when she's becomes…"
"You don't have to say it," Sam sighed, butting in. The thought that his niece had gotten her period still freaked him out. He caressed the DVD. A lump formed in his throat-to have something in his hand that was once touched by his sister…
"Sam, it's up to you when you want to show her the DVD," Mary continued. "When Stacey gave it to me for safe keeping, she said that you would know when the right time would be."
Sam nodded, wiping a stray tear. "Well, Alys has her heart set on taking Mercedes sailing today," he said. "Mercedes Jones is my personal assistant," he explained. "She…uh…been great helping me with Alys…"
"I know who Mercedes Jones is," Mary informed him. "I had talked to her on three-way with Alys…"
"Oh…"
"I'm grateful you have a close female friend that is helping you with Alys," Mary added.
"Uh…yeah…mom I hate to cut this short, but I uh have a lot to think about."
"Of course Sam, I'll talk to you soon."
Sam walked into the den and placed the DVD along with the flowers on the coffee table and scrubbed his face with his hands as he thought about what he should do. He took a deep breath and stared at the DVD before picking it up and running his fingers gently over the case. If I show Alys the DVD now or later the result will still be the same, he reasoned, twirling his phone nervously.
XXXX
Alys finished her bowl of cereal and reached for the orange juice. "Mercedes?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"I hope you're not bored," Alys replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm sure this isn't how you envisioned your weekend, spending time entertaining a kid you barely know."
"No, I didn't," Mercedes admitted. She thought about how she was looking forward to spending time with Balthazar in an effort to warm up to him and get past this thing she felt for Sam. Mercedes had to admit the cold hard facts to herself: it was useless to try and force her to feel something that just wasn't there. So when she had gotten Alys' call, she was more than happy to leave an awkward situation. "But, to tell you the truth, I am having a great time." She smiled warmly.
Alys raised her eyebrows – skeptically.
"It's true!" Mercedes laughed, and she didn't blame the young female for being cautious. Alys had seen her share of women who pretended to like her in order to keep themselves in her uncle's bed. "I can't believe someone as cool and smart as you is related to Sam."
Alys' blue eyes brightened. "I know right? She giggled. "Uncle Sam is such a dork…"
"What this about your Uncle Sam being a dork?" Sam asked, returning to the patio with the bouquets of flowers. He handed a surprised Alys the bouquet of daises. "Here you are Shortness, I hope you like them," He turned to Mercedes and handed her the large bouquet of pink roses. "And these are for you, darlin'."
"Wow Uncle Sam, thank you." Alys gasped, staring at the bouquet. It was her first time receiving flowers. "The flowers are so pretty." She jumped out of her seat and ran to his side. "Thank you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed it tightly.
"Hey, don't worry about me, I don't need to breathe," Sam said jokingly, grinning from ear to ear.
Alys loosened her grip and rolled her eyes. "Uncle Sammy…" she giggled, kissing him on the cheek.
Mercedes stared at the pink roses, drinking in their beauty. She should be used to receiving flowers from Sam by now, but she couldn't help the warm soul-consuming feeling. "Thank you, Sam." she said. "You really shouldn't have."
Sam turned and stared into her beautiful brown eyes…
"I promised you that I will send you flowers every day." he reminded her. "I'm keeping my promise and yes I should have, you deserve it and so much more for putting up with me."
"Truer words have never been spoken!" She picked up her glass of juice and smiled shyly against it; Sam returned her smile with one of his own.
Alys, hating to interrupt yet another moment between her Uncle Sam and Mercedes cleared her throat."Um…Uncle Sam was you able to reserve a sailboat?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ears.
"Of course," he said, breaking eye contact with Mercedes. "We set sail in two hours, which gives you and Mercedes plenty of time to get ready."
"Wow, how sexist of you," Mercedes said, punching him hard on the arm.
"Ouch," Sam laughed, "Don't hurt the sexy, I was joking." He rubbed the sting out of her punch "I didn't know your little hands can pack a punch."
"You'll be amazed what these little hands can do."
Sam was going to say something inappropriate, but thought better of it because Alys was in earshot.
Before going upstairs to shower and change, Mercedes went to the den to retrieve her cell phone and she was surprised to find Sam sitting on the couch cradling a DVD. He saw her and quickly placed the disc on the coffee table.
He chuckled softly, sniffed and wiped his eyes. "I really need to dust this room," he said, answering her silent question, hoping she believed him.
"I guess it's time to call in a cleaning crew," Mercedes replied, glancing at his tear stained face.
She didn't…
"Is there anything you want to talk about?"
"Nah, I'll be alright," he said, running his hands through his hair.
"Okay," she said. "I hope you know that in spite of your corroded assholism, I'm a good listener and if you need someone to talk..."
"I received a DVD this morning from my sister Stacey." Sam blurted out in one breath, fighting hard to hold back his tears.
'Oh.' She mouthed, dropping on the couch next to him; she didn't expect to hear that.
"Yeah, she gave it to my mom for safekeeping." He continued, wiping his eyes. "Apparently, I'm supposed to play it for Alys when she…as she…fuck I can't even say the words." he huffed.
"You mean when Alys starts her period?" Mercedes guessed, filling in the blanks.
Sam nodded. "Would you think any lesser of me if I waited and show her the DVD after we get home tonight?" he asked, "I mean this is the first time Alys had laughed,I mean really laughed in a long time and I know it's mainly because of you." He looked into her eyes. "Am I being a corroded asshole for wanting to hear her laughing for just a little longer?"
"No," Mercedes said, shaking her head. She reached over and placed a comforting hand over his and squeezed gently despite the fact her goose bumps had goose bumps. She refused to let go. "You're just being a good parent."
Sam looked at her small hand on his a ghost of a smile formed on his lips. "I'm glad I got kind of a partner in this," he confessed. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'll go insane trying to handle a young female by myself. I know I'll always have my mom, but what can she do in Tennessee? She and my dad deserve to live out their retirement years in peace. After all, they already raised their children."
"It's only until you find someone permanent," she reminded him, although the thought really didn't sit well with her. In the short time Mercedes had known Alys; she was becoming attached to the preteen. "Like your future wife…"
"Nah," Sam said, shaking his head. "You're it! Alys and I wouldn't have it any other way." he said with such finality Mercedes knew the subject was closed–forever.
"So prepare yourself for teacher's conferences and all that grown up shit that comes with Alys."
Mercedes pouted. "Do I have to?" she joked.
"Yes, you have to…partner."
"You're still a corroded asshole."
"I know."
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Mercedes' phone buzzed, she read the Caller ID and inhaled deeply. It was Balthazar.
"Your stalker?" Sam quipped, reading her facial expression. I thought I told the fucker to leave her alone!
"I'm going upstairs to get dressed," Mercedes replied, ignoring his question.
"It is, isn't it? Why don't you tell Dreads you're not into him?" he said loud enough for Balthazar to hear. "It will save you both a lot of trouble."
Mercedes threw Sam a death glare as she left the room…
"Hello?" she said softly into the receiver. "Balthazar?"
"You tell your boss I don't appreciate that shit." he said, getting straight to the point. "And I didn't appreciate what he said last night."
Mercedes really didn't want to have that conversation right now. "When did you talk to Sam?"
"Oh that's right," he laughed bitterly. "We were talking and then nothing, I stayed on the phone like a damn fool, hoping you will remember that I was on the phone, but no such luck…"
"Then why in the hell didn't you hang up?" Mercedes asked. Although she felt guilty about leaving him hanging, she was now getting pissed.
"I wanted to salvage what's left of the weekend…"
"Too late, I made other plans." She said quickly, cutting him off
"Oh I see, Sam and his niece…" he scoffed. "So have you two made it official yet?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Geez Lois Lane! You need to stop acting all brand new! You think I don't know that's there's something between you two?" he said. "I've seen the way you two act around each other and it is very hard to compete with that."
Boom there it was…
"You're delusional if you think…"
"Stop it Mercedes, just stop it." Balthazar interjected. "I ain't even mad," he chuckled. "I only wish you would have given us a chance, a REAL chance…but hey, no harm, no foul."
"Balthazar…" What could she say? She felt nothing romantic for him. "I'm…"
"Please, Lois Lane, let's end this on good terms, okay?"
"Okay," Mercedes agreed, she felt a little lighter.
"Don't pretend that you don't know me when you see me around the set that is all I ask."
"I won't," she said softly.
"And when you and Sam finally declare…
"But there's nothing…"
"Still denying it, huh?" he chuckled wistfully. "You two be killing me…bye Mercedes."
"Goodbye Balthazar." Mercedes disconnected the call and placed her phone on the nightstand. Well Mercedes that went better than expected.
XXXX
The trip to Marina del Rey was everything they hoped it to be. Mercedes gasped the moment she stepped out of the car. The scenery before her was simply breathtaking. The boats in the harbor were gorgeous.
"Mercedes, what do you think?" Alys asked as her Uncle Sam grabbed the picnic basket from the backseat.
"I love it," Mercedes replied, breathlessly. "My Daddy would have loved this."
They walked to Pier 5 where the captain of the Blue Raven was waiting for them.
"Hello Mr. Evans, welcome aboard the Blue Raven." The attractive elderly man greeted, shaking Sam's hand. "My name is Captain Atwood and it'll be an honored to take you and your lovely family sailing today."
"We're not together." Mercedes and Sam said in unison.
"Mercedes." She extended her hand for him to shake.
Captain Atwood grinned, taking her small hand in his and shook it gently. "It's nice to meet you, Mercedes."
Sam's green eyes darkened as jealously washed over him. "Mercedes, darlin', why don't you and Alys go on aboard, there are some things I like to discuss with Captain Atwood before we set sail." He said, with his tone unusually cool. "Please."
Alys slipped her hand in Mercedes and the two of them went aboard. Alys had a feeling her Uncle Sam was going to read Captain Atwood the riot act, just like he did the waiter at Boa Comida. She was right. Sam politely informed Captain Atwood if he likes breathing without assistance, he better stay away from Mercedes.
Captain Atwood apologized to Sam for causing him any discomfort and explained he was only being a good host. Sam clapped the captain on the back as he accepted his apology and walked aboard the Blue Raven with a triumphant smile on his face.
Sam, Mercedes and Alys sat on the deck of the Blue Raven, hypnotized by the calming affect of the Pacific Ocean. There was a lot of lively banter, laughing and goofing around as Sam videotaped them. He almost lost the camcorder when Alys knocked his hand while jumping up and down when they spotted a group of whales.
Mercedes wiped the tears away as she sat in awe watching as sea lions seemed to greet them while they sunbathed among the rocks.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked, handing her a napkin.
She nodded. "Everything…it's just so beautiful." She sniffed. "I really can't wrap my mind around just how beautiful the world really is."
Six hours later, the Blue Raven dropped anchor at the dock, and everyone thanked Captain Atwood for a great experience before heading to the gift shops along the Marina del Rey pier to buy souvenirs.
"Any one up for ice cream?" Sam asked as they climbed into his baby. He turned to look at Alys. "Shortness, want to stop somewhere for ice cream?"
Alys shook her head. "I'm good," she assured him. "But if you and Mercedes want…"
"I can't eat another bite." Mercedes remarked. She knew Sam was trying to prolong the inevitable.
"Alright," he sighed, backing his car out of the parking lot. "Next stop, home."
Thirty minutes later, Sam parked the car in the garage and turned off the ignition. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Mercedes, sensing his nervousness, turned and gave him a sympathetic smile.
"See you two inside," Alys said, grabbing her Blue Raven t-shirt as she slid out the backseat.
Sam watched his niece as she bopped inside the house. He nervously combed his hair with his fingers. Mercedes placed a calming hand on his forearm.
"It'll be okay," she assured him.
"I hope you're right," Sam replied, getting out of the car, "because we're about to find out."
XXXX
Sam caught Alys before she ran upstairs and asked her to meet him in the den once she puts away her souvenirs. He walks into the den and picked up the DVD and stared at it, wondering if he was ready to see Stacey.
Five minutes later, Alys walked into the den, humming along with her iPod, "Where's Mercedes?" she asked, plopping her body in the nearest chair.
"I have no idea," Sam replied, he ran his hands through his hair. "Alys…"
"Do you want me go find her?" she interrupted.
"Not really," he replied. "I…"
Alys stood up. "Uncle Sam, whatever you're about to tell me I prefer Mercedes to be here…Okay?"
Sam took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay," he sighed, knowing he would prefer her to be there too for emotional support. "Go get her."
Mercedes had just finished texting her mama when Alys lightly knocked on her bedroom door.
"Mercedes, can I come in?" Alys asked.
"Sure," she replied, sitting up.
Alys opened the door and stepped in, her blue eyes filled with uncertainty. "Mercedes, I'm scared." She said, "I know my Uncle Sam is going to tell me something horrible and I don't think I can handle it without you there."
"Okay," Mercedes replied, getting off her bed. "Let's go."
"Thanks Mercedes."
XXXX
Sam was relieved to see Mercedes enter the den with Alys. Mercedes sat on the opposite end of the couch while Alys sat in the middle.
"Okay Uncle Sammy, you can continue," Alys said.
A thin smile formed on his full lips. He took another deep breath. "Alys…" he began, "Alys…" he glanced at Mercedes and shook his head. "This is much harder than I thought."
She gave him a supportive smile…
He blew out a breath of frustration and started again. "Alys, I received a package from your Grammy this morning," he picked up the DVD and handed it to her. "It's for you, and it is from your mom…
The twelve year girl's heart rate sped up as her fingers gripped the case until they turned white…
"It…um….it….um…" Sam stammered. "S-she wanted to-to…"
"Alys, sweetheart, your mother made it for you to see when you started your period." Mercedes explained. Alys looked at her surprised. "Your uncle told me about it this morning." she added.
"D-do you want to play the disc?" he asked.
Alys nodded, handed Sam the DVD, he placed the disc in the DVD player and returned to his place on the couch.
He picked up the remote and pushed play…
All eyes were glued to the television as an older version of Alys appeared on screen. In the background there was a huge Christmas tree, wrapping paper littered the floor and the sounds of Merry Christmas Baby by Otis Redding filled the air. Stacey sat in an old comfortable leather chair with a homemade crocheted red blanket thrown over her legs. She flipped her shoulder length blonde hair over her shoulders as she adjusted the Santa hat on her head. Her blue eyes were filled with life as a wonderful smile graced her face.
Seeing Stacey looking so alive and vibrant got to Sam as tears immediately rolled down his cheeks…
It was hard because knowing underneath Stacey's bubbly personality, the cancer had ravished her body…
Alys was sobbing quietly to herself, memories of celebrating Christmas in the middle of the year fresh on her mind…
"Hello Alys," she began waving both hands frantically into the camera. "First of all I wanted to say how much I love you and I'm sorry mama couldn't be here to share this special moment in your life." Her bright blue eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry baby and I hope you can forgive me, I didn't want to leave you, but…" She took a deep breath and chuckled softly. "I hope by the time you see this DVD your Uncle Sam would have settled down with a nice girl who will take you under her wing and be a surrogate mom to you, so be good to her for me okay? It takes a very special woman with a kind heart to raise a child that isn't her own and to my big brother Sam's special woman, I like to say thank you, my brother had definitely picked a winner."
Mercedes' cheeks grew hot as she felt a pair of eyes on her. She slowly turned her head and caught a glimpse of Sam staring intensely at her.
"Alys, I know you have a lot of questions concerning what is going on with your body, so please don't be afraid to ask, okay?" She smiled brightly and played with the blanket, picking at the loose yarn. "Alys, I know you are going to grow up to be an awesome woman who is going to do awesome things. You are going to turn this world upside down." She bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering. "And although I will not be there in the physical to see how wonderful you turned out, I will always be here." She placed a hand over her heart. "In your heart, watching over you, night and day." She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "So be good to your Uncles Stevie and Sam, and pretend that you like fishing for your Poppa's sake and remember to kiss Grammy at least twice a day when you visit and…um….be the best person you can be…that's all I ask."
"This is Stacey Marie Evans, mom to the most beautiful girl in the world, signing out…" She blew a kiss to the camera and waved goodbye.
The screen went blank…
For a few minutes no one moved…
Sam turned off the DVD and scooted over to embrace Alys. She buried her head in her uncle's chest and cried hysterically. Mercedes, feeling as if she was intruding on a family moment decided this was the perfect time to leave. She pushed herself off the couch and Alys immediately reached out for her.
"Mercedes don't go," she sobbed, her voice muffled. She lifted her head and stared at Mercedes. "Please stay." She reached for Mercedes' hand. Mercedes slipped Alys' small hand in hers and squeezed it gently.
Sam smiled gratefully as Mercedes sat on the couch. 'Thank you.' He mouthed.
For the next several hours Mercedes sat quietly and listened to Alys and Sam reminisced about Stacey. It warmed her heart to see uncle and niece share good memories of the person they both loved and missed very much.
XXXX
Once Mercedes felt the atmosphere was right, she went upstairs to her room and took the small ruby red ring box from her overnight case and returned to the den; Alys was watching the DVD of Stacey with a smile on her face while Sam was on his cell phone having a conversation.
She sat next to Alys and placed the ring box in Alys' hand. Alys stared at the box then turned to Mercedes; she raised her eyebrows with a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"For you," Mercedes replied, without any farther explanation.
Sam ended the call and glanced at the box in Alys' hand. "Shortness, aren't you going to open it?" he asked, curious to see what was in the box.
"I hope you don't mind," Mercedes said to Sam as Alys opened the box and gasped in surprised.
"Shut the front door!" Alys stared at the ruby butterfly ring she had fell in love with at the jewelry store. "Ohmigod Mercedes, why? She took the ring out the box and slipped it on her finger.
"There is a tradition among the women in my family to celebrate this important rite of passage into womanhood," she explained. "I received a necklace."
"I'm part of your family?" Alys said softly, touched by the thought.
"Yes, that's if your Uncle Sam doesn't mind."
"Do you?" Alys asked her uncle, her blue eyes, pleading.
"No," he replied, smiling. "You can't have too much family."
"Thank you, Mercedes." Alys gave the gorgeous woman a warm embrace. "You're amazing, like my mom."
As Alys and Mercedes admired Alys' ring and talked about girl stuff, Sam quickly left the room to call his parents.
They put him on speaker phone…
"How did it go?" Dwight asked his eldest son.
"How's Alys?" Mary asked, without giving Sam a chance to answer her husband.
"It went surprisingly well." Sam replied. He ran his fingers through his hair as he walked to the den and leaned against doorframe, a smile spread on his lips as he watched Mercedes interact with Alys. "After the tears, Alys and I talked and…Mercedes…" he sighed, pushing himself off the doorframe and headed towards the kitchen. "I can honestly say, I don't know what I would have done if she wasn't here."
Mary and Dwight glanced at each other and smiled.
"This Mercedes Jones sounds like a wonderful woman son," Dwight replied. "It seems like you're lucky to have her around."
"I think you're right, Dad." Sam agreed.
XXXX
"I made smoothies for everyone," Sam announced, setting down the tray. "I know you two must be thirsty from all that chatting," he said, jokingly.
Alys and Mercedes rolled their eyes in unison.
"Not funny Uncle Sam. Remember you are outnumbered." Alys huffed as she stood up and stretched her legs. "Be right back."
"Did you make sure to inform Alys that any guy interested in dating her will be shot on sight?" he asked, once his niece was out the room.
"No," Mercedes replied, taking a sip of her strawberry and banana smoothie. "Um, this is really good."
"Thanks. When I first arrived in California, I used to work at a small smoothie shop," he replied. "I used to live off these until I got sick of them." he chuckled. "Now I must have a smoothie at least once a day."
"After I graduated from UCLA, I used to work at a little Italian restaurant, and I used come home reeking of garlic." She giggled. "Kurt literally would gag when I came near him."
"Is that where you learned how to make your amazing lasagna?"
"No, that is all Mama."
"I called Brown Private and informed the attendance secretary that Alys will not be returning to school until late tomorrow evening and I need for you to come with us so I can add your name to the list of contacts."
"What? No kidnapping this time?" she said, pretending to be shocked.
"It depends. Do you have another date with your stalker?" he smirked.
Balthazar…damn how easily she had forgotten him!
Silence…
Sam stared at her, his green eyes darkened. "Please don't tell me, you are still trying to make you and whatever the hell his name happen," he hissed, feeling his jealously rising. "Mercedes as a concerned friend who cares deeply for your happiness…"
Fuck! She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "You might as well know, since you're going to find out anyway." She took a deep breath and exhaled, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Balthazar and I decided that we're better off as friends," she announced, waiting for Sam's I told you so.
"Well it's about damn time." he smirked, arrogantly. "You don't even dream about him." he scoffed.
She narrowed her eyes. "And how in the hell do you know?" she asked, feeling her cheeks heating up, the events of this morning fresh on her mind. Did she say something in her sleep?
Before Sam could answer, Alys returned with a bag and dumped it in his lap.
"It's time for your gifts Uncle Sammy!" she announced, beaming. "Mercedes and I had put a lot of thought in what to buy you..."
"Not really," Mercedes said. "So don't get too excited."
"Loot," Sam said, cheerfully. "Let's see what I've got." He opened the shopping bag and peeked inside. "Are you serious?" He laughed, taking The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars lunchbox out to examine it. He opened it and took out the thermos. "This is so cool."
"Mercedes picked that out for you," Alys informed him, smiling.
"Thanks darlin'," he winked, placing the lunchbox on the coffee table.
"It's no big deal." She said, smiling softly.
Yeah, right. Alys said to herself, looking between her uncle and Mercedes.
Sam reached into the bag and took out the complete sets of the classic anime series Kimba, The White Lion, Speed Racer and Astro Boy.
"Wow…nice, Mercedes?"
"Besides being a comic book fanatic, my daddy loved anime…"Mercedes trailed off. "I have the receipt if you already have those in your collection."
"Are you kidding me?" Sam said, smiling brightly. "It just that I'm blown away…"
"I told you Uncle Sam would nerd out once he saw them," Alys smirked, tucking her hair behind her ears.
"Thanks for the presents," Sam said. "I like receiving stuff for no apparent reason other than I'm so awesome," he quipped.
Alys rolled her eyes.
"Am I lying?" he questioned, "It's true."
XXXX
It wasn't long before Alys called it a night. She wanted to call her Poppa and Grammy before going to sleep and send a text to her Uncle Stevie.
"Goodnight Uncle Sam," she yawned, giving him a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too, Shortness." Sam replied, kissing her forehead. "Are you alright? I know seeing the DVD of your mom…"
"I'm fine, Uncle Sam," she assured him. "Yeah, it hurts seeing her and hearing her voice after all this time because I do miss her something awful…" She smiled wistfully. "I love her even more for the fact that she made it for me, knowing she would not be here when I needed her the most."
"Your mom was always the thoughtful one," Sam agreed.
Alys yawned again and gave her uncle another peck on the cheek. "See you in the morning."
"Okay,"
Mercedes, who was watching them from the chair, smiled when Alys approached her.
"G'night Mercedes," she said sleepily, giving the woman a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you for the beautiful present."
"You're welcome sweetie," Mercedes said, warmly. "Pleasant dreams."
Sam stood up to stretch his muscles. "I'm going for a swim," he announced, "Care to join me?"
"No thanks," Mercedes replied. "I think I'll head up to bed."
"All right, see you in the morning."
Mercedes stood up and gave him a small wave. "You too," she turned to leave when Sam reached out and caught her by the arm.
"Mercedes?"
"Yes Sam?" she asked, the warmth in the pit of her stomach began to grow…
"Alys is right…you're amazing."
"Thank you…"
Sam looked into her doe eyes. "Well…um, that is all…" He let her go.
XXXX
Sam stared at the cornflower blue (what ever the hell his decorator called that shade of blue, it still looked light blue to him) ceiling in his bedroom and groaned in frustration, images of Mercedes' soft billowy lips was plaguing his mind. Why in the hell didn't he kiss her when he had the chance? He thought swimming several laps will clear his mind…nope, he was thinking about them more than ever. To make matters worse, he was not only thinking of her lips, but Mercedes' whole damn body!
Sam, why haven't you done the deed yet? He asked himself. What makes this woman so fucking special that you're acting like a fucking Hallmark card? You're all sweet and sappy like you're in fucking l…
"You better not fucking say it!" he growled aloud, punching his pillow. "Well hell if I'm not going to get any sleep then neither is she!" He picked up his cell phone and dialed her number.
Four doors down, Mercedes shifted in her bed for the umpteenth time, she kicked the covers off and sat up, she reached for the remote control and turned on the TV, and after flipping through the channels for several minutes, she settled on the Lifetime Movie Channel and turned it off two minutes later. She didn't need to watch a sappy love story right now!
Mercedes got out of bed, opened the sliding door and stepped out onto the balcony. She looked up and gazed at the stars as the warm breeze caressed her skin. She smiled and imagined Sam's full pink lips…Mercedes shook her head vigorously.
You don't have time for that Mercedes! She reminded herself. Your main purpose in coming to California was to go after your dreams and not to distract from it with delusion of love, especially with that corroded asshole that's sleeping down the hall! Sure, he's acting all cutesy and sweet towards you because of Alys but never forget how you got into this situation in the first place! The bastard is using Blaine's job as a bargaining chip in exchange for you to be his personal assistant and you still don't know the fuck why!
Don't fool yourself, girl. Sam Evans is NOT the one for you!
She heard her cell phone ring and walked quickly into the room. When she read the Caller ID, she rolled her eyes and a small smile spread on her lips. Speaking of the corroded asshole!
"Too lazy to walk down the hall and knock on the door?" she said coolly.
Sam chuckled. "I can't have my innocent niece think that her charming uncle is a creeper."
"So what's with the phone call?" Mercedes sat on her bed and turned off the television.
"Did I wake you?"
"Nah, I was looking at a movie."
"Anything interesting?"
"Not really. Just icky love stuff…"
"You're sour on love now, just because things didn't go the way you wanted for you and your ex-stalker?" he quipped.
"Remember the chat we had about my personal life is mine and your personal life is yours?"
"Vaguely."
"Figures," she scoffed. "Just a reminder, I'm not discussing my personal life with you."
"Okay, but talking about the ex-stalker has nothing to do with your personal life,"
"Sam, what is the purpose of this call?" she asked, annoyed but not really.
"I can't sleep so I thought I'll talk to you until I shut my eyes."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Well since your personal life is off limits, tell me what it's like growing up in Smallville, USA?"
"Smallville is more exciting," Mercedes began. "We had no alien spacecraft crashing in the middle of a cornfield with a small baby inside," she quipped. "And the only strange happenings in town are people will live and die in Lima and be content."
"Mmmm sounds so intoxicating," he laughed.
"Says the guy who grew up in Tennessee," she countered.
Sam and Mercedes talked into the night. Sleep was the furthest thing from their minds, so they met downstairs in the kitchen. Mercedes whipped up a batch of pancakes for an early breakfast while Sam ran to his art room to grab his sketch book.
As they sat down at the breakfast table, Sam handed her the sketch book. "I want you to look at something," he said, piling his plate.
Mercedes flipped the book to the first page and stared at the drawing…
It was her.
Only she was dressed in a Dashiki mini dress and thigh high boots.
"Woodson's party," Mercedes replied breathlessly, amazed how he had captured her likeness from memory.
"There's more," he said, before stuffing his mouth. "Keep going."
She turned the page, her bottom jaw dropped; Sam had made her a character in a graphic novel. Her character's name was The Angel. To say Mercedes was blown away was an understatement-there were no words to describe how she felt. "This is incredible," she whispered.
"I'm glad you like it," he said, smiling. "Because it's yours."
"Sam, I can't…"
"Yes you can and you will," he butted in. "It's a thank you gift."
"But-but," she protested.
"Mercedes, please. It's the least I can do, you have been so incredible with Alys this weekend, and my family is forever grateful..."
"All right," she sighed in defeat. "I'll accept it under one condition."
"Name it,"
"If you're not too arrogant, will you do my first album cover?"
"You got it."
Alys found them deep in conversation as they pored over some of Sam's sketch books. She grabbed a plate off the counter and joined them at the table.
"Who made the pancakes?" she asked, not sure if she should press her luck.
"I did." Mercedes replied, looking up.
"Well in that case…"
"Hurt my feelings," Sam muttered, under his breath.
Alys and Mercedes looked at each other and giggled.
"What's with all the sketch books?" she asked. "Are you drawing again?"
Sam glanced at Mercedes and smiled. "Mercedes has this crazy idea that I should publish my own comic books," he replied. "She thinks I should have a backup plan just in case this acting thing is a bust."
"Uncle Sam, I can see you at Comic Con," Alys nodded.
XXXX
"Did you pack everything?" Mercedes asked Alys. She was helping Alys pack for the trip back to school.
"Yeah," Alys said, looking around her room. "I got everything." Mercedes looked at the shopping bags and chuckled softly. "I guess we should've brought you some luggage."
Alys smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Next time, I'll make sure to bring extra luggage." She sat on the bed next to Mercedes. "Can I ask you something? Well two things actually."
"Sure, anything."
"Will it creep you out if I tell everyone that you're my aunt?" Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. She diverted her eyes and played with the bedspread. "I mean, I need one and…" She tucked her hair behind her ears. "We are family…right?" She nervously chewed on her bottom lip
"I have no problem with it," Mercedes assured the twelve years old. "Did your Uncle Sam inform you that I'm going to be put on your list of contacts at school and I will be attending all those boring teacher's conferences?"
Alys grinned at the news. "No, he didn't, but I'm cool with it."
"So what is the second thing you want to ask me?"
"It's about my Uncle Sam,"
Mercedes' heart skipped a beat. "What about him?"
"Can you keep an eye out for him?" she requested. "I would do it myself, but the law says I have to go to school…"
Mercedes looked at her, surprised at her request.
"I know it's a lot to ask, but let's be real; when it comes to certain things my uncle can be really stupid, and doesn't think of the consequences."
"I can't promise you anything, but I can be there for him if he needs a friend."
XXXX
Sam tried to keep everyone entertained with his impressions and lame jokes on the return trip to Santa Barbara.
"Uncle Sam, give it up you'll never make it as a comic," Alys said, annoyed. "If I hear one more knock-knock joke I'm going to hurl."
Mercedes giggled. "Yeah, Sam your jokes do stink to high heaven." She agreed. "I'm surprised God Himself hasn't struck you dead."
"But everyone loves my jokes," he quipped, grinning from ear to ear. "My audience is always begging for more."
"They're lying or trying to kiss up to you," Alys spoke up, which earned her a high five from Mercedes.
XXXX
Alys rolled her eyes as her uncle parked the car. Many of her school mates were fangirling over Sam Evans, the hunky movie star, the moment he stepped out the GTO.
"Hi Alys," several of her classmates chirped without looking at her. "Missed you in class this morning."
"Whatever," she replied; she was annoyed they were eyeing her uncle wantonly. They acted like straight up shameless hussies!
"Shortness, aren't you going to say hello to your friends?" Sam asked, getting the luggage out the trunk.
"They're not my friends," she said, grabbing her laptop. "They only want to get close to me because of you."
"Fake friends are the worst," Mercedes agreed.
Sam and Mercedes followed Alys to her room, where she unlocked the door and ushered them inside. "Thank goodness for small favors," she sighed, referring to her absent roommate. "I have the room to myself for a while."
"Wow." Mercedes replied, looking around the spacious room. "My room at UCLA wasn't nearly this nice."
"Well it better be for what they are charging for tuition," Sam replied, placing Alys' luggage on her bed.
"Do you need help unpacking?" Mercedes asked.
"No, I'll unpack later," Alys said.
Sam glanced at his watch. "We better head over to the attendance office," he said. "I have to sign you back in and add Mercedes to your list of contacts."
"Since, you're going to be coming here for teacher's conferences; I might as well bring you up to speed on my teachers." Alys said to Mercedes as they exited the room.
On the walk to the administration building, Alys linked her arms with Mercedes and her uncle and gave them a hysterically funny yet cynical view on her teachers.
The predominately female staff of Brown Private gushed as Sam entered the building. In a secret poll among the staff, Sam Evans, The Tennessee Charmer, had been voted the hottest male parent for the second year in a row, beating the nearest competitor by fifteen votes.
"Hello ladies," he greeted, his southern twang melting a few panties.
Alys narrowed her eyes. The staff was just as bad as the students when it came to her uncle.
Marley, the wide-eyed innocent looking receptionist, smiled shyly at Sam as the trio approached her desk. "Uh…how are you doing, Mr. Evans?" she greeted, nervously tucking her hair behind her ears. She couldn't believe she was having a conversation with her fantasy man! She made a mental note to stock up on batteries, because her vibrator was definitely going to working overtime!
"I'm great darlin', and please call me Sam."
Mercedes was waiting for the woman to burst into flames at any moment by just staring at him. She felt a twinge of jealously fluttering within her.
"Oh…I keep forgetting…Sam." she giggled, biting her bottom lip.
Bitch you ain't cute! Mercedes huffed to herself. Why in hell was this bothering her so much?
"Uncle Sam…" Alys warned, wondering how he could flirt with another woman in front of Mercedes.
"Just making friendly conversation, Shortness," he explained, noticing the evil look she was giving him. "Miss…" he glanced at the receptionist name tag. "Miss Marley, I'm here to sign in my lovely niece Alys Evans and to add this beautiful woman's name to Alys' list of contacts." He turned and gave Mercedes one of his nose crunching smiles.
Marley's raised her eyebrows, finally seeing the short, curvy dark skin woman standing by Sam's side. And from the way he was gazing at Mercedes, it was obvious he felt something more than friendship for her.
Mercedes returned his gaze…
"Why of course, Mr. …Sam." she said, bringing up Alys' file on the computer. "Name?" she asked while giving Mercedes the fakest smile she could muster.
Silence…
Alys smirked as Marley rolled her eyes in annoyance.
She gently nudged Mercedes in the side. "Mercedes, she asked for your name." The preteen giggled.
"Oh…sorry about that," Mercedes replied, tearing her eyes away from Sam. "My name is Mercedes Jones."
Marley typed in Mercedes' name. "And what is your relationship to the student?"
"She's my aunt," Alys said proudly, without batting an eye.
Several hearts immediately broke…
"Oh," Marley said, tightly, typing in the information.
"Mercedes is a valuable asset to our family," Sam complimented. "We are so grateful that she's part of our lives."
The preteen nodded. "We are so lucky that she's ours, right Uncle Sammy?"
"I couldn't agree more, Shortness."
Mercedes' heart tap danced in chest….
XXXX
"I think we left the wrong impression back there guys," Mercedes said as Alys showed her around campus. "Sam, they think that we're married."
"Yeah," he laughed.
She raised her eyebrows. "Sam…"
"Mercedes don't worry, Brown Private have a confidentiality clause. That's why a lot of celebs children attend here. Whatever is discussed here will stay here," he explained. "So…"
"So if this information is leaked to the press, you can sue their asses?"
"Right, so you don't have to worry about your playa status, it's safe," he joked.
Sam and Mercedes walked Alys back to her dorm to say their goodbyes.
"Mercedes and I have to go in a few minutes, Shortness," Sam said, ruffling her hair. "I have to be on the set early tomorrow morning."
"I know," she said, moving her head to avoid him from ruffling her hair for a second time. "I had a great weekend, but I wish it were longer."
"Me too," Sam agreed. "Thanks to Mercedes, it was memorable." He winked at her.
"I know," Alys gave Mercedes a warm embrace. "Thank you."
"You're welcome sweetie." Mercedes replied, trying to hold back her tears. She wasn't ready to say good bye. "I wished it was longer too, I had a wonderful time with you and your uncle."
Sam checked his watch and sighed deeply. "It's time for us to leave," he said sadly. He dipped his head and kissed her on the forehead. "Love you."
"I love you too, Uncle Sam." Alys said, burying her head in his shirt.
Mercedes felt the tears stinging the back of her eyes as she watched them embrace. Alys released her uncle and gave Mercedes another hug.
"I love you, Mercedes."
"I love you too, Alys." She kissed the younger female on the head. "I'll see you soon."
Sam and Mercedes walked to the car in silence.
XXXX
"Take you straight home?" Sam asked, once they were on the highway. He glanced briefly at Mercedes through the rear view mirror. She nodded her head.
"Yeah, I have all my things in the trunk," Mercedes answered.
"All right," he said, disappointed. "Are you hungry? Do you want to stop somewhere?"
"No, I'm good."
Sam turned on the radio…
Chris Isaak's haunting guitar riffs filled the car…
"Do you want me to pick you up in the morning?" Sam asked. "I have a feeling your ex-stalker will not be in the mood to give you a ride."
"It's okay. I'll get a ride with Blaine."
"Darlin', it will be no problem…"
"The world was on fire and no one could save me but you
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do…"
"Sam, stop," she interjected. "When I told you that I will not be riding to and from work with you I meant it," she said, "Sam, we are spending way too much time together…it was fine when Alys were here but now that she's back in school…"
"You sound like you're breaking up with me," he joked, laughing at the absurdity of it all.
"I'd never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you
I'd never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you…"
"Sam, please! I'm not even your type and the only reason I am sitting in this car is because you are holding Blaine's job hostage. Otherwise, you wouldn't breathe the same air as me."
"What if I tell you Blaine's job is secured?" he said, surprising himself.
"No I don't want to fall in love (this girl is only gonna break your heart)
No I don't want to fall in love (this girl is only gonna break your heart)…"
"Don't you fucking joke about that shit," Mercedes growled.
"I'm not," he said. "I'll have Puck call Blaine's manager in the morning."
"With you…"
"Yeah right," she scoffed, looking out the window.
"No really." He pulled out his cell phone and punched in Puck's number and put his phone on speaker. Puck answered after the third ring.
"What a wicked game you played to make me feel this way
What a wicked thing to do to let me dream of you…"
"What's up Sam?"
"Puck, I have Mercedes on speaker because I want her to know that I'm not bullshitting her."
"Okay…" he drew out.
"I'm not going to hold Blaine's job over her head anymore," he announced. "Please call his manager in the morning and tell him that Blaine has nothing to worry about."
"What a wicked thing to say you never felt this way
What a wicked thing to do to make me dream of you…"
"Wow…okay. I'll do it first thing."
"Thanks dude, talk to you later." He hung up. "Believe me now?"
"Not until I hear it from Artie." Mercedes replied.
"This also means that you are no longer obligated to work for me."
"No I don't want to fall in love (this girl is only gonna break your heart)
No I don't want to fall in love (This girl is only gonna break your heart)…"
"I know."
"So there is a good chance I won't be seeing you again, isn't it?"
Mercedes shrugged her shoulders.
"Should I be hopeful?" he asked, feeling the tears welling up in his eyes.
"(this girl is only gonna break your heart)…"
She shrugged her shoulders again, looking out the window to avoid his eyes.
Mercedes felt relieved when the car stopped in Kurt and Blaine's driveway. Sam quickly went around to the passengers' side and opened the car door for her.
"Thank you," she said.
He got her bags from the trunk and walked her to the front door.
"Mercedes…" he said, before she went inside. "Will I see you tomorrow?"
"I'm not sure…" she answered, truthfully.
Sam quickly did an about face and walked quickly to his car. He heard his cell phone buzz. He fished it out his pocket and saw that he received a text from Alys.
Don't mess it up, Uncle Sam.
Sam chuckled bitterly as he tossed his phone on the dashboard.
Mercedes peeked out the window and watched as Sam peeled his car out the driveway…
"Nobody loves no one…"
XXXX
"Cedes!" Kurt exclaimed. "I didn't know you were back."
"Just got in," she mumbled, turning away from the window, tears streaming down her face.
Kurt rushed to her side and embraced her. "It's going to be all right," he assured her.
"No it's not," Mercedes sobbed. "Kurt there's something I have to tell you…"
She told Kurt everything.
He was so angry with Sam that she had to talk him down.
"The next time I see that blond prick, I'm going to snap his pretty neck!" he hissed. "Who gave him the fucking right to do that to Blaine and to you…" He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly to calm his nerves – it didn't work. "Fuck Mercedes, I thought he really liked you." He kissed her on the forehead. "It was all a lie. I'm sorry I pushed you toward that piece of shit. I can't believe it was all an act."
"Yeah, because guys like Sam can't find women like me attractive." she said, wiping her eyes.
"That's not true, Cedes." Kurt countered. "Plenty of men love curvy women, including guys like that bastard Sam Evans."
"Well, hey…" she sniffed. "I didn't come to California for that shit anyway," she smiled weakly. "I mean I had just gotten out of a relationship with Anthony I don't need to rush into another one so soon."
"Wait until I tell Blaine what an asshole he is working with…"
"Kurt, please don't tell him," she pleaded.
"Why not? Blaine and I don't keep secrets from each other."
"If you tell Blaine, he is going to beat the shit out of Sam and might end up losing his job anyway," she explained. "Remember Sam is the star, and Blaine is the new kid on the block."
"Um…I never thought about that," Kurt said. "Okay, I'll keep it from him for now, but once the movie wraps up, all bets are off."
"Thanks bestie, you won't regret it," she sniffed. "Besides, Blaine is really good."
Kurt looked at her and smiled softly. "Cedes, honey are you really going to be okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "I-I…dammit Kurt, no I'm not going to be alright, at least not for a while," she sobbed. "Despite everything, that arrogant prick did, I fought my attraction to him and I fought it hard…" she continued as Kurt handed her a tissue. "I was using Balthazar to get over my feelings for the corroded asshole, but Sam knew I wasn't feeling Balthazar…"
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Kurt butted in. "Are you telling me that you're in love with Sam?"
"I-I don't know, maybe…?" she blew her nose. "I have a thing for him."
"Dammit it Cedes…"
"I know," she bawled, feeling guilty. "God help me, I have a thing for the spawn of Satan." Mercedes heard her Mama's ringtone she dug in her bag and pulled out her phone. "Hello?" she sniffed.
"Mercedes, t-this is A-Anthony," he stammered, his voice strained. He sounded like he had been crying.
"Anthony, what are you doing with my mama's phone?" She asked."Where's my mom?"
"M-Mercedes…there's b-been an accident…um…it looks b- bad…"
The phone slipped out of Mercedes' hand, she felt her chest tighten.
Kurt picked up the phone. "Anthony? Kurt what happened?"
"Mama Jones took a bad fall at church," Anthony explained. "S-she was on a ladder and some kids were playing nearby and um…they were running and the ladder tipped over…s-she landed on her back…" He took a deep breath to calm himself. "She's in a coma…"
"Mercedes will be on the next flight to Lima…"
Mercedes was in a haze as Kurt made all the arrangements, packed her bags, and drove her to the airport.
"I called my Dad and he is going to pick you up from the airport and take you straight to the hospital," Kurt replied, "Cedes, do you hear me?"
Mercedes nodded, not able to speak.
"Good, good." He held her hand tight. "Honey it's going to be okay, Mama Jones is too stubborn to die…" He laughed to prevent himself from crying.
Kurt walked her to the security post and sighed deeply.
"Call me as soon as the plane lands," he reminded her. He gave her a bear hug and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Cede."
"I love you too Kurt," she whispered.
He stood and watched her pass through security as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
XXXX
Sam parked his car in the garage and slammed the door. He marched into the house and threw his keys against the wall. He can't believe he was going bat shit crazy over pussy! He went into the kitchen and turned around. He could hear Mercedes' voice in his head as she praised him for his drawings. He headed toward the den but changed his mind; a lot of recent memories with her were still fresh in his mind.
Fuck! Can't he go anywhere that didn't remind him of Mercedes?
He needed to talk to somebody!
Sam took out his phone and punched in his dad's cell phone number.
"Do you know what time it is?" Dwight greeted.
"Sorry to disturb you at this late hour," Sam apologized, "but dad, I really need to talk you."
"What about?"
"It's not about what, but whom."
"Then who are you talking about?"
"Mercedes…dad, I think I have a thing for her…"
XXXX
The next morning, Sam drove to Blue Moon Studio and waited in his trailer hoping Mercedes would surprise him and show up. After pouring his heart out to his dad, he was more than ready to start anew with Mercedes; to have a real relationship that wasn't forced on her part. Sam checked the time and sighed, he had to report to wardrobe soon. It was something he wasn't looking forward to, especially since his muse wasn't there to inspire him.
"I wonder if Blaine had reported to the set," Sam wondered. He stood, stretched his muscles and headed out of his trailer. He spotted Balthazar walking with the young woman from wardrobe; whatever he was selling, she was buying lock, stock and barrel, because she was hanging onto his every word. Sam could have sworn he heard Mercedes' ex-stalker call her Lois Lane.
Sam approached Blaine's trailer. He raised his fist to knock on the door when an intern informed him Blaine wasn't on the work schedule.
'Well looks like Mercedes will not be showing up today.' He blew out a breath of frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. Sam checked the time again. "Fuck it!" he said aloud to no one in particular. He fished his car keys out his jeans pocket and walked to the parking lot.
He didn't care how pissed off Mercedes was going to be. Dammit, she was going to see him.
XXXX
Kurt absentmindedly stirred his cup of coffee as he sat on the patio. His thoughts were on Mercedes and Mama Jones. Although mother and daughter didn't have the best of relationship at the moment, Mercedes would be devastated if anything happened to her mother.
Blaine walked out on the patio and placed a gentle hand on Kurt's shoulder, startling him. "I'm sorry babe." He apologized, kissing the top of Kurt's head. "I didn't mean to startle you. Have you heard from your dad or Mercedes yet?"
"No, Mercedes should be landing in Toledo around two. Right now she's got a three hour layover at Chicago O'Hare."
"Maybe you should call her?" Blaine suggested.
"I did, but she's not taking any calls."
Blaine looked at his watch and pouted. "Well I have to be on my way, I don't want to be late for my photo shoot." He kissed Kurt on the lips. "Call me, later okay?"
"I will." He looked up at Blaine and smiled. "Have a fun day."
XXXX
Mercedes sat in the snack bar at Chicago O'Hare International Airport and chewed on a tasteless hamburger. She had been calling Anthony every half hour to get the updates on her mother's condition. So far there was no change. She was so afraid that she wouldn't get there in time. If her Mama takes a turn for the worse…
'No, you mustn't think that way, Mercedes!' she chastised herself. 'Positive thoughts only!' She took a sip of the unsweetened tea and shut her eyes. Things still seem so surreal, like she was looking at her life through some else's eyes. She checked the time on her cell phone and called Anthony to get the latest update on her mother's condition.
"Mercedes, there has been no change in her condition," he replied.
"All right," She said. "What are the doctors saying?"
"They are waiting for her to wake up before they can tell us anything about her injuries she has to her brain…hopefully you will be here before she wakes up."
"That's the plan," she said. "Anthony?"
"Yeah, Mercedes?"
"Thanks for being there…"
"You don't have to thank me. You know how I feel about the Jones women."
Awkward silence…
"I'll see you when I arrive."
"Okay."
She ended the call and punched in Kurt's number.
XXXX
Sam parked the car in the driveway and checked his appearance in the rearview mirror. He blew his breath in his hand and inhaled. He reached over and searched the glove department for gum; instead, he found an opened pack of Certs instead and popped two in his mouth. Sam slid from behind the wheel and walked up to the front door and leaned on the doorbell several times before the front door opened.
He plastered a smile on his face. "Hello dar…" He was greeted with a solid punch to his right eye. "WHAT THE FUCK!" he yelled, stumbling several steps back.
Kurt glared at him. "You have some fucking nerve showing your ass at my house after the shit you pulled," he growled. "Get the fuck off my property before I call the police on your ass for trespassing!"
"So Mercedes told you," Sam said. His eye was hurting like a motherfucker. "Does Blaine know too?"
"Not yet," Kurt hissed. "But he will…didn't I tell you to fuck off?"
"Not until I see Mercedes," Sam countered.
"And what make you think she wants anything to do with an asshole like you?"
"That's what I'm here to find out." he said. "So can I please talk to her?"
"She's not here."
"Stop lying," he tried to go around Kurt, but was blocked. "MERCEDES! MERCEDES!" he shouted.
"Stop that fucking yelling! I told you she's not here."
"Then where is she, at the studio?"
Kurt rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. He took an invisible key and locked his mouth.
"Com'on man, I'm sorry for what I did to Blaine and Mercedes. I want to make it up to her. Please tell me where I can find her…PLEASE?"
Silence…
"Okay, I get that you don't like me very much, but that is too fucking bad. I know you are protecting her from the corroded asshole and I admire you for it; but Kurt it's not going to work, I can be stubborn and I always get what I want. Now, where the fuck is my personal assistant?"
Kurt looked at him as if he was fucking crazy…Oh hell no! This motherfucker has lost his ever loving mind!
"Fuck…I'll tell you the reason why I want to see her…" His eye began throbbing harder. "I'm in love with her," he confessed. "I'm in love with Mercedes…now will you tell me where I can find her?" he pleaded.
Kurt, taken aback by Sam's confession, looked at him coolly. "I don't know," he said. "Why should I believe you?"
"You're going to have to trust me," he begged. "Where is she, Kurt?"
"I don't know if I'm doing the right thing," he began. "In fact, I know I'm not doing the right thing, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt here."
"Thank you, Kurt." He smiled. "Where is she?"
"She is on her way to Lima, Ohio. Her mother had a bad accident, and she is now lying in a coma at the hospital."
Sam gasped, surprised by the news. "I have got to be there for her," he said without hesitating.
"Are you sure about that?" Kurt asked. "This is not the time for your bullshit."
"Kurt, I'm going to charter a private plane and I will be there for her."
"All right," Kurt sighed, "I'll give my dad a call and he can pick you up at the airport."
"Thanks, man you won't regret this!"
"I better not or I will jack up your other eye. Better yet, I will kill you and I won't even make it look like an accident!"
Sam whipped out his cell phone and called the airport to book a private jet. He was scheduled to leave in two hours. His next call was to Puck.
"How's everything?" Puck greeted.
"I'm going to Lima."
"Lima, Peru, since when?"
"Lima, Ohio," he corrected. "Mercedes' mom is in a coma and I'm going to be there to support her," Sam explained. "The jet leaves in two hours. I need for you to tell the studio that I'm on emergency leave. Something came up with the family. Let them know that I will be gone for at least two weeks."
"The big execs are going to be pissed…"
"Who fucking cares? I got an iron clad contract, baby," Sam replied. "They can take me to court if they want to, but they will lose."
"Keep me informed."
"I will."
Two hours later, Sam was on a plane headed for Lima, Ohio…
tbc...
A/N: Next stop Lima, Ohio! Thanks for reading!