Don't Make Me Over 29

Mercedes knew that she was not getting the full story… like… about anything, but that was probably for the best. The tension between her mom and Sam was already bothering her and she didn't even know what had happened. She'd presume that it was Maryvonne's fault. Tension usually was, if she was around it. When her family made moves to leave, she watched her mother jerk her head subtly and nonchalantly towards the door at Sam and when he went to her, she faintly heard her whisper, but that harsh Ryvie tone was present, "The shit isn't over, by a longshot," she said, with a smile.

"You don't control me," he replied and gave her and Ra a hug and shook Godfrey's hand as the man frowned at his wife. Sam returned to Mercedes' bedside and asked, "Need anything? Wanna see anybody?"

"Who's still here? I wanna see everybody," she commented.

"You can see three at a time and I'ma be in here, no matter who it is. We got Dave and Azimio out there, Mike and Tina – which for some reason I JUST NOW realized rhymes with Ike and Tina and I don't know if I find that funny or scary – Kurt and Rachel, Jesse's still here," he rolled his eyes when he said his name, "Unique, Blaine – I mean, everyone's here. Nobody left."

"You didn't say Stevie and Sheila," she noticed.

Sam sighed and gave her a smile, "You don't really need to see Sheila, right now. She'll just upset you and you can't be upset, not even for a little bit. I love Sheila and all, but not like that. I can't put our family through what happened today again. I'm not gonna make it through another one of those, Jonesy." He reached for her hand and squeezed it. "She's gonna understand. Everybody's gonna just have to understand – I stood back before and I won't do it again." Sam kissed her on the top of the head, then rubbed her belly with his free hand. "She's already as strong as her momma."

Jonesy looked at his hand contrasting on her dark flesh and covered it with a tiny hand of her own, with a smile. "Is she? I hope her momma doesn't put her in another position to test that out, though…" She looked up at Sam with damp eyes and when she saw the concerned look on his face, she lost it. The tears came streaming down. "I just felt like I needed to keep myself occupied so that I wouldn't think about the bad stuff and the possible problems…"

"It ain't your fault, Jonesy. Now, calm down before you stress my baby out, Woman. She's already had a hard day." He cupped her belly with both hands and gave it a small smooch, then rested his head on it. "You can wait before taking any company. We'll just sit here a little while. I can sing y'all a song, or something."

Jonesy sniffled, "That would be nice."

Sam stroked her skin and began singing to them in a soft voice, "Sometimes, it feels like I'm gonna break. Sometimes this world gives more than I can take. Sometimes, sunshine gets lost in the rain, and it keeps pouring down. It just keeps coming down. This life would kill me if I didn't have you. I couldn't live without you baby. I wouldn't want to. If you didn't love me so much, I'd never make it through. 'Cause this life would kill me. This life would kill me if I didn't have you…"

Jesse had his arms folded and his eyebrows furrowed. Rachel rubbed his arm and he tried to force a smile, but she could see his concern. "They said that she's stable, Jesse," she told him, trying to smooth out the crinkles in his forehead.

"I'm actually thinking about something else," he said, with bloodshot eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She wondered.

"No," he said, politely, but it still hurt her feelings. She nodded and sighed, then fiddled with her skirt while he stared out into space.

Jesse had his arms wrapped around Mercedes as they strolled through the hallway together. He wondered how they would be when she started getting bigger and more cranky. She wasn't someone he saw himself with forever, but now – they were connected forever and he didn't know what to do with that, but it wasn't horrible. In fact, he was certain that he was starting to fall for her. He never anticipated that. Actually, a few short weeks ago, if anyone had suggested that he would be a senior with a pregnant girlfriend and not be devastated by it, he would have thought them to be crazy. But, he really liked her and cared about her and now… they were gonna have this… whatever between them.

… He spent a lot of time crying when he was alone. Not even really for the aborted thing… It wasn't even a baby yet. Whatever it was, it had brought him and Mercedes closer together and now, they were completely torn apart. She… barely even looked at him and when she did, it was not at all the same. He missed her, missed them, missed that hope of what they could be, what they could have been. He was so glad to run off to New York right after graduation, but even being gone, they were in communication. He couldn't break that thread between them and for a time, when he came back into town, he couldn't resist the urges. He still wanted her…

The last time was the worse. She was living with Sam and he came into town and bunked in her bedroom. This was about three years before her miscarriage scare, and Jesse told her that he didn't have any condoms. She wasn't to be deterred, though. He was actually more turned on by not having one. He made love to her in a way that they never had, before – still rough, because that's how she liked it and he wasn't going to disappoint her. When he came to completion, he held her tightly closely and came inside of her, exhilarated by how that felt. She was still the only person he had EVER done that with before (and after their first mishap, he was always extra careful not to ever make mistakes with another woman). With her, it wasn't a mistake. It was perfect.

He didn't mean to say it. He didn't mean to do that to her. It just came out. "I want you to have my baby…" He was as shocked as she was when she shoved him off of her, mid post orgasm bliss and pushed past him to get to the bathroom. "Jonesy… I'm sorry… FUCK!" He climbed out of bed and went after her. He was naked, knocking on her door. "Please, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to say that."

"Did you MEAN it?" she asked, crying.

He sighed, "I… did… but, I know that's not happening." He rested his head on the door and said, weakly, "I miss what we had and I still think about what we could've had. I got caught up in the moment. Please, come out…" And he heard something shuffling and turned to see Sam walk in. Jesse sighed and said, "Hi, Sam…" Then, the door opened and Jonesy rushed out and Jesse went into the bathroom to grab a towel.

Jonesy sniffled and asked Sam, "What are you doing in here?"

"Did he hurt you?" Sam asked.

"Can you leave, please?" She practically shrieked at Sam. "Both of you! Get the fuck out of my room!" She squealed and proceeded to shove Sam out, then pull Jesse and shove him too. He stood in the hallway with folded arms and fumed.

"Can you give me fucking stuff, at least?" He yelled at her.

"Don't, Dude. I don't know what you did, but don't talk to her that way."

Jesse opened his mouth to say something when Jonesy threw all of his possessions out of the room. He yelled through the door, "I'm sorry that you can't handle anybody caring about you or wanting you, but that's not a reason to treat people like shit! For wanting you? For CARING FOR YOU? Why is that punishable, Mercedes? Make me understand?" She opened the door and slammed his keys into his palm, then shut the door in his face. Jesse chuckled and looked at the keys. "I hope you're pregnant!" He snapped and turned to Sam, "Don't be the fucking fool that falls for her!" He said, snatching his possessions from the floor and storming out, wrapped in a towel.

She called him the next day to apologize and he forgave her, but it was obvious that whatever the thread was – even though it would never go away, it would never pull them together again.

It hurt to see her going through what she was going through, but it also stirred up stuff that he thought was gone. He felt bad for Sam, but… oddly enough… he envied him, too; especially when they found out that everything was alright. That was so fucked up! He should have been happy for them both, just as her friend. But, he was envious. He wanted to be in there, with her, celebrating the victory of a baby surviving. That really bothered him. He felt uncomfortable with Rachel looking at him, -wondering what was wrong. He couldn't figure it out. But, he didn't want to make an issue out of it. It was probably just the situation. It triggered something… yeah… that had to be it. "I was going to be a father, once, but I was too young and our parents decided that she needed an abortion," Jesse admitted, pained to mention it.

Rachel thought hard before asking… "Was… was it Mercedes?"

He nodded, gently and sighed. "It kind of messed us both up, but mine wasn't as obvious. I… like… really wanted that to work out and it didn't and sometimes, it still bothers me. It hasn't in quite some time, but today, something was triggered and I can't stop thinking about it. I wanted a family with her and she just… shut me out."

Rachel nodded, too. "You're a great person, Jesse and I'll bet that you'll have a wonderful family, some day." She patted him on the shoulder. But, I refuse to be a replacement for Mercedes again.

"I don't want it with her, necessarily. She's just my natural go to place when I think about it, because we almost… I'm not in love with her and I no longer want to have a family with her, Rachel. I know how you think."

"You do," she said and smiled softly.

"It's one of those things that I can't explain, but I know it isn't that."

She held his hand and sighed. "Okay. I believe you," she told him and pressed her forehead to his. "If you try not to shut me out, I'll try not to shut you out."

"Deal."

Maryvonne waited, seated with Sue, in her slick suit, enjoying a hearty meal while the client watched for Carol Hudson Hummel to enter. She had been given enough time and today, Ryvie was having none of her ignorant shit. The woman walked into the place and Ryvie upturned her nose at her. "Play. Nice," Sue said sternly.

"Your. Ass," Maryvonne answered, just as seriously and rolled her eyes as Carol sat down.

Sue greeted Carol with a, "Carol Hudson Hummel, take a seat and look over the menu. I recommend the steak and eggs. I order mine bloody rare with the eggs over easy, runny yolks. Mrs. Jones orders hers Kosher, medium rare, with extra zest, and the lobster and caviar omelet drenched in hollandaise. She shouldn't have hollandaise with the condition of her heart, but she loves the stuff. However, as you can see, today, she has no plate, because she has no appetite. Would you like to order, Carol?"

"No, thank you," Carol said, trying not to look at Maryvonne.

Sue shrugged, "Suit yourself. Down to business…"

"It's personal," Maryvonne said.

"No one asked you," Sue reminded her, and passed her the basket of bread. "Have one." Ryvie rolled her eyes and took one of the soft, small loaves to break a piece and dip it into her dipping oil and herbs. "Carol, we drew up a proposition for you and gave you more than enough time to consider the offer…" Sue simply raised an eyebrow as the completion of her thought and took another bite of her steak. "Mmm! So good! There is a crew of top chefs in this place and we can request dishes from different ones."

"There is no price that can be put on my love for my son," Carol said.

"Let me tell you about some love for a child…" Ryvie said. Sue just continued to eat. "I watched my daughter from afar become this woman that I didn't know and couldn't even understand, because what I thought was loving her was doing nothing to help her. I watched her get into situations repeatedly that hurt her and damaged her and watched those things change her, at times for the better, at times for the worse. In the past few months, I watched her become a different woman, and I was allowed to see it up close and personal, because of the baby that she has inside of her, she's made some decisions to try to live life differently. Yesterday, I watched her almost have to be induced into a coma to stop seizing, because she's had to have such a stressful and unfavorable pregnancy – you know the kind that comes from when loving sons attack and rape other people's children?" Carol bit her tongue and took a deep breath, "What? You got something you want to say?" Ryvie asked.

"Ryvie," was all Sue said and the woman went back to what she was saying.

"After the doctors were able to stop her from seizing, there was something going wrong with the baby, because of I don't know – all of the trauma her mother and hostess were causing with the seizure… and then this wonderful things happened – the doctor informed her boyfriend, in front of her father and I that he was listed as her next of kin and might be charged with a decision of whom to save, if only one could be salvaged. And… and he said – 'it has to be the baby.' The baby! The rape baby that your beastly monster son gave her without her permission that she for whatever reason kept which also contributed to her having a damn seizure in the first place! That's who he wanted to save. If it would have come to it, I couldn't say shit about it. I lost that right a long time ago and Mercedes gave it to someone else."

Carol's eyes were getting damp and she was still holding back, but Ryvie continued, "And when I objected, he said to me – 'She'll hate me, she'll hate everything if I choose her. Neither of us would be able to have her anyway! This baby is too important to Jonesy and I don't give a shit if deep down inside I resent her, I'm not going to let that baby if I have the chance to save her. Jonesy would easily tell all of us that the baby is more important!' Maryvonne's eyes glazed over and she thought about the heated argument between herself and Sam.

She said things to hurt him and he attacked right back. "You haven't learned your lesson from the last time you had her baby killed?" He asked. He wasn't even trying to hurt her. It was a serious question, on his part, but it cut her deep.

"She was only a couple of months along. It wasn't a baby and it ws the best decision for her…"

"It wasn't your decision to make!" He fussed, "And this isn't either. I love Jonesy more than anything in this fucking world, more than myself, more than you even ever could try to love her. That's why I'm not going to be selfish and say that I have to have her alive, even if she ends up worse off than she ever was! I'd rather see her dead than to see how she would be if I decided to save her and let our baby die!" Ryvie glared at him and wanted to say more, but her chest was hurting and Godfrey had to sit her down and make her calm.

She blinked at Carol and said, "So, that's a little synopsis of your son's great work and the fruits of his labor." Ryvie nodded, then suddenly mocked alert realization, "But wait, you actually contributed more to my daughter's stress in the past few weeks than your son, who she has barred from her life. So, maybe, since I can't get my hands on him I ought to just put them on you, while I have you here…" Maryvonne leaned back in her chair, folded her arms and glared at the woman.

"Carol Hudson Hummel – do you want the money, or do you want to see my face in a court setting?" Sue simply asked.

Carol took a deep breath and said, "I will leave the issue alone for the price that was offered to me."

"Under the stipulation that the money is NOT bestowed upon Finn Hudson," Maryvonne reminded her.

Sue clarified, "If we find out that you've given even one cent of Jones issued money, you will regret that you ever agreed to meet me. You will loathe even the thought of me. As stated in the contract, the money will be given to you in agreement to diminish unnecessary stress to Mercedes Jones specifically in matters regarding her daughter. The agreement states that you are legally waiving any claims to her daughter as a guardian or otherwise, that you will make no contact with Mercedes Jones, nor her daughter in the future, that should your son make an act against Mercedes Jones as it relates to her daughter, you will not involve yourself in it in any way, shape or form and breaking this legal contract can and will result in you being sued for the entire amount given you, as well as additional fees such as court costs, medical bills associated with any stress or trouble your actions may have brought upon and a healthy amount for pain and suffering…"

"Wait…" Carol started, but Sue continued to speak.

"Should you decide not to sign the agreement, you are not legally obligated not to make attempts to contact Mercedes Jones or her daughter, but as a result of her current medical condition, we have already drawn up triggering factors of her health complications and listed you and your son among those factors. The doctor has signed off on a document that indicates that he strongly recommends that Mercedes Jones not be exposed to these factors, and while it is legal for you to do so until you actually threaten or harm her; (Maryvonne mumbled, 'I wish she would try it'), it would not look good in a court of law while battling for custody over a child who isn't yours to begin with that you were informed by a lawyer that your presence and activity could cause harm to the unborn child and you yet proceeded." Sue took another bite of steak. "This thing is the best one that I have had here yet. I am definitely going to request this guy for my steak and eggs in the future."

Carol reached for the paper and wondered, "Could I have my lawyer look over this?"

Sue tapped the contract with the tip of her fork, "Oh, she has. Fran J. Fabray, correct? We had lunch and went over it. You can call her up and ask her what she thinks of it. We'll wait."

Maryvonne reached for a menu, "You know, I think I'll get my regular and some freshly squeezed lemonade, sweetened and slushed."

"Oh, I think I'll get a lemonade slushie, too!" Sue said, waving over a waiter.

"It isn't a slushie. A slushie is one of those ice and flavored high fructose corn syrup. You can't get that shit in this fancy establishment. This is a genuine, delicious and natural drink infused with slushed ice."

"It's like an all-natural virgin daiquiri," Sue told Carol. "You should have one while you're talking with little Frannie. I'll order you one." Carol bit her lip and read over the paper, while she tried to get Frannie on the phone. Sue continued to talk to Maryvonne, as though Carol was not even a factor. Whether or not she signed the paper, they had won. In fact, it was better for them if she DIDN'T sign, because not only would she not receive a penny, but she could never contend with them in a courtroom. She couldn't contend with them at a restaurant.

Carol sighed when she heard Quinn's voice, "Quinnie! Hi, Love. It's Carol…"

"Carol let me stop you," Quinn said. "Give me just a moment, please." Carol heard Quinn shuffling around to get something and when she began speaking, it was obvious that she was reading, "Carol Hudson Hummel, the law offices of Fabray, Smythe and Associates have looked over your information and decided not to proceed with further representing you. If necessary, we can provide you with possible references more suitable to your current needs. We apologize for any inconvenience and wish you the best in your future legal matters. If you have any questions, please submit them to our website and we will address them at our earliest convenience. Please note that all lawyers in the office are currently working on cases and responses may be delayed."

"Quinnie…" Carol said, sadly.

"Carol…" Quinn repeated, just as sadly; "Do you need me to repeat myself for further clarification?"

"No… I understand. Thank you."

"I'm sorry," Quinn said. "If there's nothing else, I'm not allowed to say anything else to you but the office's decision for conflict of interest."

"Conflict? What conflict?" Carol wondered.

"If there's nothing else, have a good day, Carol. Good luck." Quinn hung up the phone and Carol put hers into her purse as Maryvonne and Sue enjoyed chatter and frozen lemonade. Carol turned to look at the women, with damp eyes.

"Need a pen and a tissue?" Sue asked. Carol shook her head and grabbed a pen from her purse to sign the paper. "Did you have any questions? Concerns?"

"Quinnie mentioned some type of conflict of interest or something. I didn't understand that."

Sue tilted her head and said, "Hmm… That's interesting."

Maryvonne said to Sue, "Oh – did I tell you that Sam is going to go through the steps to adopt my granddaughter. I believe that the offices of Fabray, Smythe and associates are handling the details of it."

"Oh!" Sue said. "Well, you'll have to congratulate them, for me. THAT must be why representing Carol would be a conflict of interest, because she was trying to steal the baby. I understand, now."

Carol shoved the paper to Sue and asked, "How do I get my money?"

Sue rolled her eyes, "You didn't read that part?" Sue flipped the paper over to her and tapped it with her fork. "I'm not your lawyer. You're expected to read anything that you sign. I have no legal obligation to explain it to you… which is why you should utilize a lawyer." Carol sighed and began to read, to try to look for this information. Meanwhile, Sue and Maryvonne continue talking and Maryvonne glared at the top of Carol's head.

"The amount will be in an account that is going to be monitored and I can't make withdrawals of cash from it?" Carol asked. "Is that legal?"

"Of course it is. You signed off on it," Sue said. "We have to have something set in place to assure that you won't be using any of my clients' money on Finn Hudson. It shouldn't be a problem, considering that you weren't going to do that anyway, because you understand that it would be a breach of contract." Carol frowned. "And that one is my copy. I gave you your copy the last time we talked. If you need another, I will be more than happy to mail you one." Carol gave her the paper and got up to leave.

Maryvonne said, "If he ever tries anything again with my daughter, I'll kill him." Carol froze and looked at the woman. Ryvie simply smiled and lifted her glass of lemonade to the woman, who quickly left, afterwards.

"That wasn't a smart thing to say," Sue warned.

"It slipped out," Ryvie told her. Sue shook her head. "Oh – you were as bad as me!"

"Being mean, but not making a threat on someone's life, for crying out loud, Ryvie!" Sue laughed, then waved a hand at Ryvie to silence her and answered her phone, "Mom… I swear to God, if you're calling about the same shit, I am going to hire someone to blwo your brains out!" Ryvie shook her head, now. "This isn't the same thing. This is my mother. This is how we talk… One of my clients, Mom. No, I don't find it unprofessional. You know what? She's about to hear some even more inappropriate shit if you called about the family legal stuff you dragged me into!" Maryvonne got up and kissed Sue on the cheek, squeezed her hand and waved to her on the way out.

Maryvonne walked out to the front of the building and handed the valet her ticket. Lunch went well, even though she was still seething about Sam Evans. She didn't really like him very much to begin with, but she knew that he loved Mercedes, so there was no need to be concerned about him. But, that situation at the hospital rubbed her the wrong way.

"You would rather save a baby that you haven't gotten the chance to meet yet – a baby that a monster gave her and will probably fight you for, especially if Mercedes dies, than to save HER?" Maryvonne practically squealed.

Sam was crying and she knew that this was a hard decision for him, but his behavior was more of a reason for him not to be allowed to make such decisions. "I've already spoken, Ryvie!" He snapped. "The reason you can't accept it is because you don't know how to love people how they need to be loved. You want to love them in your own way! Don't think that Jonesy's condition hasn't been effected also by your crazy, mobster type retribution shit!"

Ryvie reached out to punch him, but Godfrey grabbed her fist and commented, "Both of you need to lower your voices and try to calm down. Both of you have a point, but Ryvie… the hospital already told us – Mercedes has SAM listed to make this decision, IF it even comes to that. The doctor said to be prepared, but not that it was definite."

"If there's even a chance that this little fuck is gonna just let my baby die for a baby that nobody else will want but her, then he needs to be far the hell away from both of them!"

"That's my family!" Sam snarled. "How DARE you? She's more my baby than she will be your granddaughter and with that kind of fucking attitude, maybe YOU should be kept away from her, just like Carol fucking Hummel." Maryvonne's eyes widened and she stormed down the hallway, to find some place to get some air.

"Tension is high, Sam. But, you please try to watch what you say. Ryvie's not the softest person alive, I already know that, but she is the mother of one of the people whose life is endangered right now and the grandmother of the other. I know this can't be easy for you. Just try to understand that it isn't easy for her, either," Godfrey said.

Sam rubbed his forehead, "I'm sorry, Godfrey. I didn't mean to disrespect her. I just… I feel like I can't breathe and that she's trying to fight for me to suffocate all the way." Maryvonne stopped and leaned against the wall. Godfrey and Sam both rushed to her and helped her to a chair.

"Sam… PLEASE, don't let my girl die. She wouldn't even have to know that it was a decision. She could just think that there was no other choice!" Ryvie cried.

"I… wish that it was that simple. I can't do that to her, though. We love her in different ways, Ryvie. My way doesn't leave room for that." He sniffled as Maryvonne broke into a fit of sobs and Godfrey had to console her. Sam sobbed too, now, walking down the hallway back towards the room and their friends in the waiting room. He was about to collapse when the doctor appeared with a smile and a 'Good news, Mr. Evans.'

When the valet returned with Maryvonne's vehicle, she got in and drove away, with a car behind her car. Carol was not the type to hurt anyone, but she had to talk to this woman again. There was something about her that wasn't right, and Carol had a feeling that she knew something about Finn's attack. Ryvie got home and got out of her car then furrowed her eyebrows at the unfamiliar car pulling up next to hers. When she saw the driver, she frowned and reached into her handbag. "I need to ask you about something."

"No… you need to get off of my property. You JUST signed papers to indicate that. You want to lose your money, already?" Ryvie asked.

"Did you do that to my son?" Carol asked, crying. "I have to know!"

"No… you have to get off of my property," Maryvonne pulled out her small handgun and pointed it at Carol, "Or I am going to shoot you." Carol raised her hands up and backed away, getting back into her car. "And if he comes for anybody in my family, I'll shoot him ON SIGHT," she said still pointing the gun at the woman through the car. By the time she drove off, Maryvonne took a deep breath and put her weapon away as she called Sue to tell her what had just happened.

Jonesy smiled at all of the gifts and stuff that were in the house when she finally was allowed to go home after a few days. She had not been able to talk to her mother all of that time and felt a little bit bad that she was relieved about that. Sam settled her in the bedroom and started trying to set up things for her to be able to be comfortable but not completely bored. "I am gonna be able to go to the premiere of the show, aren't I?" She worried.

"Yeah, Baby, of course. You worked too hard on everything." He kissed her on the temple and went to get some other things straight as she fought the huge urge to get out of the bed. It was all that she wanted to do, but the doctor told her to take it easy and she wanted to be able to get up and move around for the premiere of the Diva Experience. She knew that Sam would be right at her side, probably making it impossible for her to do virtually anything, but as long as she was able to see things come to fruition, she was at least partially satisfied.

Visits were especially awkward for her. Everyone was trying to do everything for her and they all were babying her. She couldn't tell if the kid gloves were because of the confession or because of the seizure, but they were all bugging her with it. She had a moment, but she wasn't fine china. Ugh! Kurt was particularly weird. All of the joking that they generally did was stifled. "Kurt, I need you to lighten up, PLEASE! Everyone else is stuffy enough. I need you to remain sassy and social."

"Sorry, Bay. Stuff on my mind," he said.

"Like what?" She wondered. "Maybe talking it out could help you out."

"Family stuff," he said and folded his arms, shaking his head. She took a swallow and nodded, understanding – nothing to talk about with her. "Good news is that Carol totally is off of the subject of the baby." He smiled. "Not that she would have gotten her, anyway."

Jonesy rolled her eyes, "My mom gave her money to go away."

"Really?" Kurt asked. "Well, at least she's leaving you alone." Kurt sighed, "Hopefully Finn follows suit."

"If he doesn't, at least I see that I have a wonderful support system. I didn't realize that I was as important to everybody as everybody made me feel the past few days…" Jonesy admitted.

"Of course, Girl. We love. All of us." He climbed into the bed and rested next to her and took her hand. "In fact, I love you more than my own family." He kissed her hand and held it close to himself. So, whatever it was, it was about her.

"Kurt…"

"Hey, I thought we were gonna have a Drag Race marathon," he commented and she smiled and turned it on, careful not to bring anything up again.