Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I'm out of meds so I haven't been sleeping well and I ended up going to sleep twice. But I haven't forgotten you guys and I never will.
Enjoy and review!
NJPNJPNJP
Quinn yawned. "Why didn't we leave last night?"
"Because we planned this months ago and we're taking a private plane." Mercedes reminded her.
"Right! That means we could've left any time we chose! Why are we up at four AM?!"
Mercedes giggled. "It's six."
Quinn pursed her lips. "Fine! It's six! Still way too early to be getting on a plane."
"Girl, come on here!" Mercedes taped a note to Santana's door before going to the bathroom and taping another to the mirror. She came from the bathroom and picked up her bags.
Quinn followed behind with her own luggage. They were only staying with their parents for the weekend but of course in Quinn fashion, she had way too many bags. "I'm boycotting this."
"Hush!" Mercedes led the way downstairs and out the door.
Quinn locked it behind them then leaned against it. "The taxi's not even here yet."
"I know but Marcy will leave us as soon as it comes if we're not down here."
"I resent that." Marcy griped.
Both turned. She was sitting on the stairs with Mickey in her lap and bags around her feet. "Marcy!"
"I would not leave you." She grumped.
Mercedes went to her and made kissy faces. "I'm sorry. You would not leave us."
"I wouldn't." She sniffed.
"Yes, you would." Quinn sat next to her.
Marcy hit her. "I don't want you anywhere near me this weekend."
Quinn laid her head on her shoulder. "Love you."
"Get off me."
"But I love you."
"I don't like you."
"I love you."
"No, you don't. You love you."
Quinn scoffed in offense.
Mercedes laughed. "You do love you!"
Quinn pouted. "Wake up, Mal! Your sister's being mean to me!"
Mal, who was sitting behind Marcy with Mally on his lap, stirred. "Shut up, Q. I'm trying to sleep."
She hit his leg. "Wake up!"
"Leave me alone!" He kicked at her.
"Don't kick me!" She hit him again.
"Fighting already?" Mike called out as he walked down the stairs.
"Your brother is a menace!"
"Your sister's about to get suckerpunched." Mal snapped, his eyes still closed.
Mike laughed. "So we're starting this morning off with violence?"
"Ignore them." Mercedes waited for him to clear the last step before pulling him down by his coat and kissing him. "Good morning."
"Morning, babe."
"How'd you sleep?"
"Not as good as when I'm with you."
"Yeah."
He chuckled. "Don't sound so broken up about it."
She shrugged lightly.
"You're so cute." Marcy said.
They turned in surprise. "You're mocking us."
"No."
"Of course you are." Mike stated.
"No, I'm not."
"But-?" He was so confused.
"But what? You're cute."
Mercedes smiled wide. "Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome." Marcy beamed.
"Her hormones are so adorable." Mercedes whispered to Mike
Who blinked. "I'm scared."
Mercedes swatted his chest. "Stop it!"
The door to Marcy's and Mal's apartment slammed shut and Karou came stomping down the stairs. "Ugh! Why am I up so early?!"
"That's what I've been saying!" Quinn moaned.
"I hear the taxis." Marcy said.
"You are part wolf."
"Just come on."
They got up and grabbed their bags to leave the building. There were in fact two taxis waiting on them. They climbed inside and were off.
Mike, Mercedes, Quinn, Marcy and Mal were taking the twins to the States while Karou was going to Japan.
They made it to the airport and went through security. The siblings went aboard their flight while their cousin got on hers.
Hours later, the seven made it to Lima, Ohio. They took cabs to their individual houses and promised to let each other know if their parents were home.
Mercedes and Marcy held the twins as they unlocked the door to their parents' house. They came inside to stomp their feet and peel their layers off.
Marcy picked up both twins. "I'm going to put them down in the den. You look for Daddy."
"Got it." Mercedes nodded before going to the guest room Marcus was using for a bedroom since April.
She knocked on the door before peeking her head inside. "Daddy? Are you here?"
No one answered and the room was empty.
She went to the office and went inside. No one was in there either so she checked the kitchen and living room.
She went upstairs to check the rooms but her and her siblings rooms were still cleaned out while the guest room looked the same and her parents' room was bright pink.
She went back downstairs and checked the laundry room and the backyard before going to the den. "I don't think anyone's here. I haven't checked the dining room or kitchen but I really doubt they're here."
"I'll call Daddy." Marcy offered.
"Okay. I'll call Momma. Want something to drink?"
"Can you make tea?" Marcy was bone tired.
"Yeah. I'm craving some peach tea."
"I'll take nearly anything."
Mercedes giggled low to keep the twins asleep. "Okay."
Marcy took out her phone as she sank into a chair to get off her feet. She dialed her father's cell phone number.
Mercedes took her phone out as she walked to the kitchen. She dialed her mother's cell phone number as she filled a tea kettle with water.
Rose picked up while she was putting the kettle on the stove. "Hello?"
"Hi, Momma." Mercedes piped up.
"Mercy, baby?" Rose perked up. "Hi, baby! Are you on your way?"
"We're here. At least me and Marcy are."
"Marc's not there? Well he'll get here. I'm at the store with Judy and Jeanette. We wanted to make you kids a big breakfast."
"Ms. Judy's going to cook?"
"We're going to cook at one house. The Changs."
"Okay, well I'll call Quinn and we'll go over there."
"Are you dressed?"
"Not for the shoot."
"Take your clothes with you."
"Okay. We'll see you soon. Bye."
"Bye." Rose hung up.
Mercedes hung up and finished making the tea. She picked up two mugs and poured in sugar and tea bags before pouring in piping hot water. She set inside two spoons then took them into the den. She gave Marcy her tea. "Here you go."
"Thank you." Marcy set it aside, preferring a cooler tea. "Daddy's at work but he'll be home in less than an hour."
"Momma's at the store with Mrs. C and Ms. Judy. They want us at the Changs for breakfast. I gotta call
Quinn and tell her." Mercedes brought out her phone to call her.
"I might call Mal and have him walk us over."
"You just can't stay away from him, can you?" Mercedes loved it.
"Do you think he doesn't like it?" Marcy worried.
Mercedes rushed to reassure her. "Of course he does! He loves it! He loves it so much!"
"You're just saying that." Marcy pouted.
"I am not! I'm fairly certain that he loves your behavior!"
"Even if it's clingy?"
"It's not clingy! It's loving!"
Marcy sniffed. "Really?"
"Really. Don't cry."
"You said you wanted me to cry."
Mercedes blinked. She did. "Well don't cry right now. Mal will think I did something to you."
Marcy wiped away the few tears produced. "Like I'd let a pregnant chick make me cry."
"You're pregnant, too!" Mercedes set her fists on her hips.
"Your tea is getting cold and you still haven't called Quinn." Marcy picked up her mug.
"Ooh! You get on my nerves!" Mercedes itched to hit her.
"Hello?! Is anyone home?!" A voice called out.
"Marc?!" Marcy climbed to her feet and raced from the room.
Mercedes called Quinn quickly. "Hey. Is Laura home? Good. Did you call your mom? Quinn! Stop that! Look, they want us at the Changs so bring all your stuff there. Okay. We'll see you in a bit. Bye."
Marc and Marcy walked in. Marc hugged Mercedes. "Hey, Lil Sis. How was your trip?"
"Hey, Marc!" She hugged him tightly. "I hear you came with Laura. Have fun?"
"Ooh! You didn't tell me that!" Marcy teased. "Didja make up?"
Marc pulled a face. "Would you two stop it? Now how did the party go?"
"Mal was so amazing." Marcy smiled dreamily.
"Huh?!"
Mercedes smiled. "Stop it! She's in love!"
Marc was blown away. "Those hormones are working you over real good, aren't they?"
"I'm not hormonal!" Marcy hit him.
"You must be if Mal is "so amazing"."
"I buried the hatchet with my true love. What's your excuse?"
"Ooh." Mercedes pursed her lips.
Marc sighed. "I'm trying but she won't let me anywhere near her."
His sisters grew excited and if it weren't for the twins sleeping, they would have screamed in happiness. "Really?"
He groaned lightly. "I don't know. Maybe I was wrong all those years ago? I just- I don't want my son growing up thinking I hate his mother. I don't."
Both Mercedes and Marcy started crying.
His eyes widened. "Whoa! Why are you crying?! Stop crying!"
They hugged him and bawled.
"This is stressful. I can't wait until you give birth."
MMC
Mike couldn't get comfortable. "Maybe we should have gone and walked with them?"
"I told you! Let's go!" Mal leapt to his feet.
Maddie cleared her throat. "And leave me by myself?!"
"Mad, you know you're plenty safe here by yourself for ten minutes."
"Anything could happen while you're gone!"
"Like what?" Mike pressed.
"Someone could break in."
Her brothers looked at each other baldly.
"They could! The pipes could freeze up and break down. The snow on the roof can get too heavy and cause the roof to cave in. I could fall and get hurt."
"You're really reaching…" Mal monotoned.
"I don't want to be here by myself while you go running to your fiancées." She sniffed.
"They're your sisters." Mike pointed out.
"Not since getting engaged. Everything is about you guys or your wedding or the kids."
"Marcy talks about me?" Mal missed the point entirely.
She gave him a look as Mike snickered. "Really?!"
"What? She's never talked about me before. Not without it hurting my feelings."
Maddie could admit that. "Yes, she talks about you. Nicely. She says how amazing you are."
Mal beamed.
Mike shook his head. "I can't believe that's my same sister."
"Me either." Maddie sulked. "I liked her better when she hated you."
"You wanted us together!" Mal didn't get it.
"I know but she used to like you and like me, too but now she just likes you."
"That is not true!"
"Feels like it."
"And you feel like that about Mercy, too?" Mike wanted to make sure.
"Yes." Maddie nodded. "She's so excited about becoming Mrs. Mike Chang that she hasn't asked a thing about me. She just goes on and on about you."
"It's been a week! Can't she be excited?!"
"It'll only get worse. Girls that get crazy about their boyfriends never get better."
"How would you know?! You're ten!" Mal exclaimed.
"I'm thirteen!" She side-eyed him. "And I know plenty of girls like that. Laura and Quinn are like that."
The brothers grimaced. Laura and Quinn were like that.
Maddie sat back, satisfied she'd made her point when they could hear the front door open. Laura's voice called out her hellos and the twins ran in. Maddie sat up, thrilled to have attention from them at least.
Mike and Mal noticed that after hugging Maddie for a quick second, their fiancées headed straight for them. They nodded to each other. They had to make this right.
MMC
"What?!"
Mike and Mal pulled Mercedes and Marcy to face them. "Shh!"
"She really feels that way?!" Marcy turned anyway.
"Don't look!" Mal turned her again.
"But how can she feel that way?!" Mercedes pouted.
"She says you haven't called to talk about her." Mike shrugged.
"So in order for her to like us, we have to talk about her constantly?" Marcy narrowed her eyes.
Mal smirked. "Apparently."
"That's so rude! We care about that kid so much and she says we don't?!"
"Don't get upset. Remember the baby." He wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I'm not upset!" She bit off.
"You're totally upset."
She reigned in the urge to kick him. "Stop telling me I'm upset! I'm pissed!"
Mike laughed. "What's the difference?"
"She has the right to be both!" Mercedes frowned. "How dare she say we don't care about her anymore!"
"I don't think that's exactly what she meant."
"Then what did she mean?!"
Mike was at a loss. "Maybe you can talk about her more?"
"Than we already do?!" Marcy snapped. "So we talk about you for a week? Fuck us for being happy about being engaged!"
"I could go without the cursing but she's right!" Mercedes was hurt. "I would never throw away her love and she's making it seem as if we've completely abandoned her!"
"Don't cry." Mike took her in his arms. "We probably shouldn't have told you."
"I'm glad you did."
"Yes." Marcy disentangled herself from Mal.
"Where are you going?" Mal panicked. "Don't go yell at her."
"I'm not going to yell." Marcy tapped his nose with her index finger.
"Why don't I believe that?"
"We're not." Mercedes pulled away from Mike. "We're going to talk like reasonable adults."
Mike believed Mercedes. He truly did. But… her emotions ran hot when something hurt her deeply and now that she was pregnant, he was afraid of what could happen. "Uh…"
She kissed him lightly. "We'll be right back."
He narrowed his eyes as they grabbed each other's hand and walked away. "This is going to be a disaster."
"Oh yeah." Mal nodded.
The girls walked to where Maddie was playing with the twins as they waited for Paul to get ready the cameras for their Christmas shoot.
Maddie looked up as they approached. "Hey!"
"Don't "hey" us, you little backstabber!" Marcy bit off.
Maddie blinked. "Huh?!"
Mercedes squeezed Marcy's hand to get her to calm down. "We just want to talk to you."
"Why on Earth would you tell Mike and Mal that we were ignoring you?! How dare you say we don't love you anymore?!" Marcy sped over Mercedes's words.
Maddie's mouth fell open and she glared at her brothers. "I didn't say that exactly."
"Then what was it "exactly"?!"
Maddie hated being put on the spot but she felt how she felt. "You guys have totally ignored me since getting engaged. When we talk, we talk about Mikey and Mal or the weddings or the kids. We don't talk about me or what I'm going through."
"So it's okay to talk about you but not talk about us?"
Maddie looked down. "It's not like that. When girls just talk about their boyfriends, it doesn't change. They only talk about boys and everything else is pushed away."
"Where on Earth would you get the idea that we'd be like that?" Mercedes wanted to know.
"Laura and Quinn are like that."
"We're not like those man-crazed harpies!" Marcy spat. "We think about things other than boys. We taught you there was more than boys to a girl!"
"Hey!" Laura and Quinn obviously overheard. They were promptly ignored…
"Why would you think we'd be anything like Laura or Quinn?" Mercedes wanted an answer.
"You're just like Laura and twins with Quinn." Maddie admitted.
"What about me? I'm nothing like that fire breathing dragon or emotionally unstable egg." Marcy bit off.
"Hey!" The blondes snapped again. Again, they were ignored.
"But love changes a person." Maddie said.
"What have I always told you?" Marcy rolled her eyes. "People don't change. And I've always loved Mal. The only thing different is I'm admitting it now."
"I've never put a boy before you and I'm not going to start now." Mercedes added. "Even if he is my one true love."
"So you guys are just happy right now and you won't forget me?" Maddie was afraid to hope.
"Of course not!" Mercedes hugged her tight. "We love you and nothing is going to change that!"
Marcy hugged her, too. "Our heads will never turn because of a masculine face, no matter who it belongs to. You're stuck with us, kid."
Maddie felt warm and happy. "Thanks, guys. I'm sorry I said you didn't love me anymore. I love you guys."
"We love you, too." Mercedes squeezed her.
The others clapped.
Laura was still unhappy and crossed her arms before clearing her throat. "I am not man-crazed! That is Quinn!"
Quinn scoffed in hurt. "Hey! I am not!"
"You are not going to stand up there and tell that bald faced lie, Lucille Quinn Fabray." Marcy wagged her finger.
Quinn pursed her lips. "Humph!"
"Quinn, you get so wrapped up in boys, you forget all about your friends and everyone and everything that's not him." Mercedes told her.
"And where the hell did you go when you married grandpa?" Marcy lifted her chin at Laura. "You saw his family regularly but came home like twice a year."
Laura swallowed. "I was married. I had to be with him."
"Let's pretend that sham of a marriage was a love match. You still threw us overboard for a stranger. We know you go away for college, where you promise nothing is going to change then you come home to tell us you're getting married. Then we don't see you for months!"
"I had to plan the wedding and go to classes and try to fit in with his family!"
"Why couldn't he try to fit in with us?"
"He knew you hated him!"
"Because he took you away!"
"I thought you hated him because he wasn't Marc?"
"That was fifty percent in the beginning but then we never saw you. It became about him. Then you because we knew you weren't happy."
Laura's head dropped and she breathed deeply. "I didn't mean to disappear. I just wanted it to work."
"If it was going to work, you would have had faith it would."
"When have I ever picked a boy over you guys?!" Quinn stomped a foot.
"Casey, Jean, Pete, Adam, Jeff, Finn, Puck, Sam, Finn again, Biff, Puck again." Mercedes listed. "I'm leaving off a bunch of guys."
"Adam?" Mike wrinkled his nose in thought. "Adam Bingham?"
Quinn's eyes widened. "No!"
"Yes." Mercedes nodded.
"Mercy!"
"You did it."
"He was my friend!" Mike yelled.
"I know!" Quinn raised her hands.
"Quinn!"
"I'm sorry!"
"I should kill him."
"How many guys did you date?" Marc wanted to know.
"Marc!" Quinn whined.
"I feel like we should find these guys!"
"No!"
"Yes!" Mike pointed.
"You're making a big deal out of nothing!" She stressed. "The point is that I know I kinda make a big deal out of my boyfriends but my family comes first. Period. Always. I promise."
"Right." Marcy didn't believe that at all.
"It's true! What do I have to do to make you believe me?"
"Well when you get engaged, you can get a week's reprieve to talk about him as much as you want."
Maddie sulked. "I said I get it!"
"I can't wait for you to get a boyfriend. You're going to hate me."
"She's not getting a boyfriend!" The men roared.
"I actually need your help." Maddie admitted. "There's this guy in my algebra class."
"Is he barely getting by or is he acing it?" Marcy wanted to know.
"He's doing pretty good."
"Always start out with a nerd."
"Marcy, don't tell her that!" Mercedes grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
"Why?" Quinn scoffed. "It's true."
"Yes but we don't call them nerds. We call them educated." Laura sniffed.
"Fine." Marcy rolled her eyes. "Is he "educated" or is he just good at math like 'Zilla?"
"I don't know." Maddie shrugged. "I only have math class with him."
"Please tell me this fool is attractive."
"Of course he is." Quinn rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. "We don't entertain the thought of the ugly."
"Guys?!" Mercedes couldn't believe them. Then she couldn't believe she couldn't believe them.
"He's so cute!" Maddie piped up. "He's Greek!"
"Yes!" Marcy raised a fist. She was a Greek citizen.
"He's so cute!" Maddie repeated. "He has long, wavy black hair and these dark green eyes and he has dimples!"
"Aww! He sounds adorable!" Judy cooed.
"He's hot! He's getting muscles from playing lacrosse and his name is Tomas."
"You know your ship name is Toddie." Marcy said.
Maddie clapped and squealed. "We have a ship name!"
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Marc waved his hands. "What is going on here?!"
"We can teach you how to trap him." Laura ignored him. "It'll be easy."
"We've all trapped our fair share of men." Rose added.
"Why are you teaching her this?" Marcus demanded. "She's just a little girl."
"She's thirteen." Jeanette waved that away.
"Way too young to be trapping men!" Mal snapped.
"We were younger than her when I trapped you." Marcy smacked her lips.
"How is that a good example?!" Mike waved his arms. "She's not sleeping with this kid!"
"You don't know."
"No!" The men yelled.
"That's a little far, Marcy." Jeanette said. "A date will suffice until she's older."
"Don't we want them endgame?" Marcy asked. "We got to make him want her to the exclusion of all reason."
"We understand that but she's a little young for all of our tricks." Judy assured her.
Marcy blew out a tiny breath. "Okay."
"She doesn't need any of your tricks!" Michael waved his hands.
"Yes, I do!" Maddie insisted. "So far, I haven't said two words to him!"
"You don't need to say two words to him!" Mike snapped.
"We can't get married and have three kids and a German Shepard puppy if we don't have a conversation!"
"I like German Shepards." Marcy said.
"How is that your takeaway?!" Mal didn't get her.
"Where are you trying to live?" Mercedes asked.
"He's actually from Greece so I'm sure he'd like to go back. He moved here last year." Maddie told her.
"How do you know anything about this kid if you haven't spoken?" Marc demanded.
The girls looked at him like he was stupid.
"What?!"
"There's thousands of ways to get information about a boy without ever speaking a word to him." Laura shook her head slowly.
He threw up his hands.
"Point is." Marcy rolled her eyes. "Use your friends. They're going to be invaluable in your quest to land Tomas."
"We can give you a blueprint." Rose added.
"As much as I love hearing how women trap men, we need to go about this shoot." Paul drawled.
"Of course. Come along."
"How did this even happen?" Mike was confused. "We were talking about something completely different."
"Woman magic." Mal waved his hands.
"We will have to watch her." Marcus shook his head.
"Agreed." Michael nodded.
"Does that mean we have to come home more often?" Marc asked.
"You might have to."
"This will not stand." Mal shook his head.
"We just have to make sure they don't give her any tips." Mike said.
MMC
That proved easier said than done. The moms wanted the guys to put up the Christmas decorations outside.
The pictures went well with multiple shots of the whole family then a couple of each family, with the twins in both the Jones' family picture and the Chang's family picture.
Then Marcy and Mal took family pictures with the twins and Mike and Mercedes took family pictures by themselves before everyone insisted Marc and Laura take family pictures together.
The two fought against it but the sheer volume of defense for it overrode their protests and they ended up taking them.
After, they got lunch then headed home to decorate. They started with the Fabray home first. The men hung up the lights while the women decorated the inside and gave Maddie advice on how to get Tomas's attention.
When they finished with the Fabray home, they went around the corner to the Jones home and did that house before going to the Chang home and doing that house.
Then they had dinner. It was an enjoyable time had by all.
MMC
"Okay, I need to know what everyone has going on." Quinn opened a notebook and picked up her pen.
"We're leaving in a couple hours and you're just now doing this?" Marcy raised a brow.
Quinn blew out a breath. "Why are you always against me?!"
"Nobody is against you! You're just backwards."
Mal fell out laughing.
Quinn glared at both. "You get on my nerves!"
"At least you think about us." Marcy said innocently.
Marc sputtered before laughing at Quinn's frozen face. "She's got you there!"
"Marc!" Quinn pouted.
"Okay." He grinned. "Be good, Marce."
"You spoil her too much." Marcy crossed her arms.
"I do not."
Mal snorted and rolled his eyes. "Humph!"
"I do not!"
"Yes, you do." Laura stabbed at her quiche.
He glared at her. "I do not."
"Yes, you do." He narrowed his eyes but she beat him to it. "You do. She can do no wrong in your eyes."
"That is not true. I don't treat Quinn any different than any of you."
"I never said you did. It's just most apparent in her because she calls for you more than the others."
He upped his glare but she didn't care.
"How about Babygirl just write down what we've been up to so she can send it in?" Marcus's lips twitched.
"Fine with me." Marc bit off.
Quinn wrote down all of their names with space between them. What she was doing was writing their news for the family magazine that was more like a newspaper but as thick as a book as everyone got a chance to shine.
What it held was a paragraph of what each family member had been up to for the past year and what they had coming up in the next. It kept them up to date and let them learn more about their extended family. Someone from each branch of family always gathered the information for their branch and sent it in to Olga Allen, Judy's mother, who'd give it to a friend, who'd in turn create the issue. For their branch of the family, it was Quinn's turn.
"Okay, Pop. You go first." Quinn said.
Marcus wiped his mouth on his napkin. "Nothing much has happened to me this year. I got my daughter back and got to know my grandchildren. I'm going through a trial separation-"
"Are we sure we want to tell people about that?" Rose interrupted.
"I don't know about we but I'm sure."
She pouted.
"I've made some good business deals and next year, I'll be opening a new business in Germany so I'll be able to see Mother and Father more."
"They'll like that." Marc nodded.
Marcus smiled. "I'll be out of the country a lot."
"Is that such a good idea?" Rose asked. "We're supposed to be working on our marriage."
"I need to work."
"Out of the country?"
"If need be."
She sighed.
Quinn played with her pen. "What about you, Momma Rose? What have you been through the last year?"
MMC
"Can you believe brunch?" Mercedes asked.
Mike peeled open an eye. "What part?"
"All of it."
"Yes, I can believe Marc spoils Quinn."
She smiled. "No! Like with Momma and Daddy. I can't believe they're still separated."
"What would you like to happen there?" He took her hand.
"Ideally? I'd like for her to have never done what she did so this wouldn't even be happening but I guess I'm a little late on that."
"You can't change the past."
"I know." She leaned against him.
"So what outcome are you looking for?"
"I don't want my parents divorced. I don't want to be a child of divorce. I don't want to come from a broken home. I don't want to be a statistic. I don't want my parents apart."
"But…?"
"She was really wrong and it'll serve her right to lose everything."
Next up on This Life I Lead… Marcy, Mal, Mike and Mercedes meet Dr. Fontanilla and Mike and Mal make a wager.