Growing Ensemble
AnniKay

Sam/Mercedes/Puck
Disclaimer: I own Nothing…Murphy, Falchuk, and Brennen along with Fox and others own this fandom and all the characters there in…Anything you recognize obviously belongs to them
THANKS to everyone who has taken the time to review. Your encouragement helps more than you know. Take a moment and let me know what you enjoyed most about the update.

AN: This is the third story in the Learning French Universe. The New Directions begin their Senior year.

Please excuse any mistakes. One of my Betas is experiencing technical difficulties, and the other is on bed rest and is only allowed a few hours of computer time every day. I couldn't possibly have bothered her with editing my stuff when she could be reading and working on her stuff.

Chapter 33
House Hunters, New York

Puck PoV

Man, I'm not one for bitchin' and moanin' but by the time we finally made it back to our hotel room, I was wiped. I mean…seriously. Plus we got back at quarter of six and had to meet Cedes' Uncle Bryant for dinner at some 'bistro' a few blocks away from the hotel. Mercedes, Sam and I quickly came to an agreement that we could hold off on my night of total control until Saturday night since we were sleeping in on Sunday morning. That was cool with me, I still hadn't made up my mind as to what all I wanted to do to them anyway. We stripped down, God was it great to be out of that damn suit, and took a great shower, I mean totally awesome. Mercedes wrapped her hair up and stuck on a shower cap and blew me and Sam until we came all over her pretty little face and sexy ass tits. Then Sam and I soaped her up all three of us kissing and touching up on each other. Sam and I finger fucked Cedes' tight wet little pussy until she flooded our hands with her sweet ass juices.

We barely made it out of the shower, dressed and back down to the lobby by our six thirty deadline. Sam and I were both rocking our Henley and jeans look. He was comfy in his usual converse all-stars while I shoved my feet into my motorcycle boots. I grabbed my black leather jacket, I'd spent all day in my 'grown ass man' coat, and I was ready to be eighteen again. Sam must have felt the same cause he threw on his letterman jacket. Mercedes wasn't looking all glammed up either. She had on some skinny jeans and she'd tucked them into some knee high brown boots, but these boots were flats and looked actually comfortable. Up top, her tits were looking 'right' in a purple, tight, long sleeved, vee neck tee shirt. The vee wasn't deep enough and she covered up what cleavage she was showing with one of those infinity scarfs. I guess she saw the little bit of disappointment on my face; she patted my cheek and reminded me that she was going to have to be dressed up again for the next two days. She was relaxing while she could. She pulled on the corset coat I had picked out for her, and with it buttoned, her tits were large and in charge.

The whole family was downstairs by the time we got down lobby, everyone was waiting on us. Shelby was having drinks and dinner with some of her friends so Beth was waiting on me with Tessa and Triple S. Burt and Carol wanted a 'date night' in the big city, so Finn and Kurt were going out with us. Kurt was looking as dressed and excited as he had when we were all here for Nationals, maybe even more so since his interview at NYU had gone so well. The restaurant was less than a block from the hotel. Seven Bistro was a casual dining restaurant, or at least as close as you came in this section of the city. They really didn't seem very casual to me at all. But by the time we joined Bryant and his date, a nice looking chick with a decent rack and good legs he introduced as Rhiana. I was warming up to the inherently irritating dude that was Moms D's oldest brother; he'd actually gotten a high chair from the hostess and had it seated between two of the chairs at our big ass, pulled together dining area. We took our seats, Sam sat on one side of me, and I had Beth's chair on my other side. Cedes was in the chair next to the high chair and Kurt had, of course, commandeered the chair on her free side. Everyone was pretty quickly seated. Bryant asked us about our trip so far. Mercedes told him all about our college tours and our interviews. I did notice that she hadn't mentioned anything about our Warner Records tour. Bryant apparently figured out what I was thinking. He caught my eye, cut a glance at his date and subtly shook his head.

I got his meaning; don't mention our good fortune outside the family. That made a certain amount of sense. Especially since something about the trophy chick was rubbing Dani the wrong way. I could tell because Moms D was shooting all these little barbs at the chick. It was hilarious. I kinda wished that Arielle Harris could have been there. Moms D could have shown her how to actually be subtle when you insult people to their face. Dinner was awesome. I ordered for Beth since they didn't have a kids menu, I just got her the small plate of handmade chicken empanadas. Looking the menu over, I ordered the simplest thing I could find, the steak. My steak came with steak fries and creamed spinach. I had them hold the blue cheese crumbles. I can't stand stinky cheese. Mercedes was back to being 'good' after being bad for Christmas dinner. Fortunately she'd been able to be as bad as she wanted to be since Coach Sylvester ate with the adults and, according to Benton and George, she out ate them all. Cedes ordered the Atlantic which came with a lot of green beans and some leafy lettuce looking vegetable. Sam got a blackened pork chop that came with the collard greens he loved and some mashed potatoes with corn mixed right in. I didn't really pay attention to what the others got. I know that we all really enjoyed it. I was half way through my meal; I'd cut Beth's empanadas up small enough that she could manage them with her special little toddler spork, before I turned my attention to my own plate; when I got a text message. I was more than a little surprised since the only people who would have been texting me were almost all at the table with me. I mean, Bubbie Ruth was on a date, so I was pretty sure it wasn't her.

I checked it careful to make sure that the others didn't see me looking at my phone. "You'd better be happy I love you. This bitch is CRAZY!" was the text I received from Uncle Saul. I had completely forgotten that he was meeting with Francesca to go over the plan of action for the next couple of days. I texted him back. "We love you too. Just don't sleep with her again; you'll never get rid of her."

Sam laughed when I showed him the texts. After dinner, we talk a long walk around the area. Moms D and Bryant were discussing everything they hadn't been able to talk about at dinner while Benton, Gabbie and Sander distracted his date. Eventually we made our way back to our hotel. We took Beth up to the two room suite Mom and George were staying in. We gave her a bath and built her a nest in the deep couch in the front room. Part of me wishes that I could have kept her with us, but I knew we couldn't risk rolling over onto her and we only had the one bed. After giving her good night kisses and cuddles, we tucked her in, said good night to Mom and George and made our way down to our room.

"Okay, so now that we have a chance to talk…which school did you prefer? Be honest." Mercedes said as soon as we were settled in.

I laughed. "I don't care either way. They both have the programs we want. The main thing NYU has over Columbia is that Tisch is pretty much right in the heart of NYU while Julliard is a long ass walk from Columbia."

"Yeah, but Columbia and Juilliard have the perk of having the Ivy League to it." Cedes pointed out.

"Did anyone else notice that NYU seemed to want us more?" Sam pointed out.

"That's true." Cedes fretted. She told us all about her interviewer at Columbia.

"Shit, now I want to go to Columbia just to rub the bitch's face in us being there. My interview lady was awesome." I had already showed them the email she had sent in response to my thank you e-mail. She had made a point to mention that I was very well spoken and polite. Mercedes and Sam had told me how proud they were of me. "But still…maybe we're jumping the gun. We still have to see which schools we get into."

"True." Sam nodded. "Man, I'm starting to really want to be here over anywhere else though. I think I had the hardest time with the idea of living in NEW YORK CITY." He said like he was in a salsa commercial, "but today, even more than yesterday or last May is really showing me why you and Kurt want to be here so much Mercy."

I laughed. "Just wait, we've been so busy that we haven't really had a chance to go and see or do anything. There are some good twenty one and under clubs we can hit if we have to come up for auditions, or when we get here in the fall."

"I looked over their schedules, no matter which one we choose if we get into both, our orientation dates are the same. They start August 25th and continue through Labor Day and then classes start that Tuesday." Cedes said with a big smile. "Daddy thinks that we should look at moving to our apartment on either the tenth or the seventeenth. Those are both Saturdays, and it will give us time to get fully unpacked and settled in before classes start."

I looked thoughtful. "What are we going to do if we find the perfect place tomorrow and they won't give it to us because we're still so far from moving in?"

"Actually, I'm thinking that Saul and the parents have already figured something out about that. I mean we may just be looking now to get a feel for the city and our target areas. We've really only got this week to look until like June, not one of us is enough of a procrastinator to be comfortable waiting that long." Sam soothed my worry.

"Good, cause I'm ready to move in tomorrow. I'm just that fucking tired of Lima Ohio." We all laughed and turned our attention to dissecting our interviews that day. That soon led to a discussion of the similarities and differences of our answers. That led to kisses and caresses, touches and licks…before long all three of us were naked and moving together on the bed. We actually started in a sexy ass triangle of oral, I was eating Sexy Mama's sweet little pussy while she sucked Sam's cock and he sucked me off. I kept licking and sucking and teasing her g-spot. I made her cum over and over and over and over again; only when I was pretty sure that Sam was about to blow his load and I knew I was did I pull my mouth away from Cedes' pretty, pretty pussy. I moved so fast that I almost kicked Sam in the head. I turned and spread Mercedes thighs, buried my cock inside her before any of us had a moment of thought. I fastened my lips around the shaft of Sam's dick and five strokes later we were all screaming and coming so hard that we could barely move. I say barely because Cedes and I were still kissing around the head of Sam's softening dick, licking him clean and sharing his jizz back and forth until he rolled away from us. We fell asleep that way.

I woke up the next morning to the bouncing of the bed. Sam had awoken before me and he was fucking our woman doggy style, his hands full of her sexy ass butt cheeks. "Fuck." I hissed. The reason I woke up wasn't just the bouncing bed, Mercedes had her mouth wrapped around my balls and she was playing with my asshole. "Shit Babygirl." She had me going hard. I don't know how long she had been blowing me before I actually woke up, but fuck I was so damn close to cumming all in her pretty mouth. I wanted to ask her to tongue fuck my ass but decided to save that shit for the night I got to call all the shots. But with how good it felt when she moved her mouth back to the head of my cock and then she took me balls deep into her sexy throat and "FUCK!" I moaned. I heard Sam roar and felt that very special feeling as Mercedes throat worked screaming around me as I poured my cum directly down her throat.

It took us all a long time to get moving that morning after that. We were fucking spent. Finally after Uncle Saul called the room to make sure that we were up, and remind me that if he didn't love me enough to want me to have the best possible apartment, he wouldn't have had to suffer the presence of Francesca Jarrard again. I laughed in his ear and pointed out that he had dated her in the first place. Then I asked him if he'd fucked her again. "She's not charging us a brokerage fee…of course I slept with her again."

I relayed the fact that Saul had gotten the brokerage fee waived. Mercedes reached over and grabbed the phone. "Saul, I swear if you have to dick her down from now until August, as soon as we move in, I will make sure that she never darkens your door step again." She promised.

"How are you gonna do that?" I wondered.

I guess Uncle Saul asked the same thing because Mercedes replied. "Give me just a few minutes to talk to her, let me find out what it is she likes about you. Then I'll have a game plan. But if all else fails…I'm guessing that Puck's cock is hereditary, fuck her up the ass hard and tell her that it's a twice weekly requirement."

We all had to laugh at that shit. Sam and I never get 'dat ass' twice in the same week, unless Cedes doesn't have anything else to do that week. But the simple truth was that we always both got her ass when one of us did. "Uh, Mercy, I think you mean four times in a week. That would be two times the amount of dick you get in your ass any given week." Sam pointed out. "And we don't get to take your sexy ass every week."

"Hell no, do you not see the size of your dicks, I need some recoup time." She shot back saucily.

Uncle Saul told her to get dressed and reminded her that we were all do in the lobby in ninety minutes. We were having a briefing breakfast in the hotel dining room and getting underway by ten. I rolled off the bed and headed to the bathroom to get showered. Of course as soon as I stood up, Mercedes reached over and slapped my ass so hard I'd have the print of her hand there until we got home. "What was that for?" I gasped.

"You know good and well what that was for. Going bareback last night." She chided. "If I get knocked up, all three of us are dead. Sometimes, I think you want to get in trouble."

I don't want to get in trouble. I just love feeling her with nothing between us. I apologized and promised to be good. I don't know if she believed me, but I was going to try to keep myself in check, otherwise she might lock me out of heaven and no way was I having that. Sam came over and gave me a hug. "Its not his fault Mercy. You just feel so damn good when we're inside you and all we feel it you squeezing us, so tight and hot and wet…it is just so goooooddd…"

"I know I got the good good…but you two are not and I repeat NOT gonna get me pregnant yet." She said warningly. She stood up and crossed to her lingerie bag. She dug out a cream colored bra and thong set and went to the bathroom. The door was closed and locked letting Sam and I know that we were not invited to join her this time.

I decided that I wanted to get us out the dog house, so I went over and plugged her hot rollers up and turned them on. I went over to my suitcase and pulled out one of the sweaters Cedes had picked out for me for Christmas. It was blood red and I think it was cashmere; a pair of black jeans would look good with it. I grabbed the pair that made Mercedes walk around with her hand in my ass pocket all damn day. Oh that was an awesome day. My ass in those jeans got her so hot and bothered; she let me talk her into a janitor's closet. I spent all of football practice licking my lips and remembering the sounds of her screams as I teased her pussy with my tongue. It was so damn bad Sam pulled me under the bleachers and kissed me down for a taste of his own. I looked over and saw that he had pulled out his purple pullover and his ass jeans. My man wasn't dumb, he knew that he was tottering on the edge of doghouse land too since he'd defended me…and probably dicked her down bare this morning. Gotta make the sperm fight each other so they are all killed off before they hit the egg. Thank God Cedes' and Sam's Anatomy teacher had confirmed that that was a real thing. They had to ask after class one on one, but the information was correct. When Mercedes came out of the bathroom she was already lotioned, and wearing her bra and thong. Fuck I love seeing 'dat ass' in a thong. I scooted past Sam and hit the shower hard; leaving the evidence of the fact that Cedes' ass was hot enough to get me hard as hell even when I would have said I had been completely spent as hell just a few minutes before.

I got out and used the unscented Lubriderm that belonged to Sam and I. One thing living with Mercedes and her family had taught all of us was that white folk need skin lubrication too…especially in the winter. I brushed my teeth and hit my cheeks with a quick shave; I had the barest of five o'clock shadow. If we'd been chillin' I'd have probably left it alone. I pulled on my red boxers before I left the room and vacated it so that Sam could get cleaned up. Mercedes was standing at the mirror, wearing a pair of rich, dark cream/light brown leggings and her socks and bra, rolling her hair on hot rollers. I carefully wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing the soft skin of her shoulder and pressing against the round mounds of her perfect ass. "I really am sorry Babygirl, I don't want to get you pregnant yet. I want to enjoy this time just for the three of us." I said sincerely.

"I know that it feels good to go without the condoms, it actually feels really good to me too…but it is also addicting. Once we finish college, we can have our commitment party and after that I will continue to get my shots, but you and Sam can leave off the latex then. That way if something happens, we'll have kept our promise to Daddy, and probably be a lot closer to having everything we need to take care of us and any kids that come along." Cedes said reasonably.

I nodded. I knew she was right. I hated it, but I knew it was true. My eyes met hers in the mirror. I allowed my lower lip to slink out. "Forgive me."

She hunched back rubbing her ass against me. "Yeah, you're forgiven…unless you make me late. If your Uncle jumps on my ass, I'm pointing him straight to you."

I laughed and gave her a sweet kiss on her cheek. "Yeah, you're right." I agreed. I moved over and threw on a wife beater and a crew neck black tee shirt. I pulled on my jeans and my motorcycle boots. I grabbed my cell and wallet, a quick chapstick check and I was ready. I'd leave my sweater 'til just before we headed down. I asked Mercedes if she needed me to change her bags for her. She asked me to grab out her brown tote bag and switch her crap from the new Michael Kors bag Bubbie had gotten her. I could tell that she was still geeking out about having a brand new MK bag of her own; her other one had been a hand me down from Moms D. I looked through her bag o'bags and found the brown Marc Ecko Luxe tote, another gift from Moms D…Danica Jones carried her purses for a season and then Mercedes Jones carried them as long as she wanted to. When they were both through with them, they usually got donated. I remember hearing Kurt and Cedes laughing on day junior year about some Cheerio who was stylin' and profilin' bragging about her 'new' Calvin Klein bag. A bag that Mercy had sold to a consignment store just a few days before. They wouldn't have said anything about it if the chick hadn't called Kurt's scarf a knock off. Even then they didn't shame the broad like they could have. They just laughed at her behind her back…I would have put that bitch on blast on front street.

By the time I got Cedes brown tote bag out and her stuff moved over, Sam had finished in the bathroom. He came out and got dressed. Mercedes didn't do much in the way of makeup, which was awesome; I love it when she is all fresh faced. She had on some sexy ass lip gloss that was a pinkish brownish color that made me want to kiss that shit right off her face. Cedes had done something that made her eyes look big and bright and sexy as hell. Sam and I watched as she crossed the room and pulled on two layered cream and brown tank tops with lacy straps. Mercedes grabbed a pale peach colored, long sleeved scoop neck sweater that stopped high on one hip and lower on the other. Then she grabbed a long ass, deep brown, rib knit cardigan that stopped a little above her knees. She buttoned the three low buttons that started right over her honey pot, shit that sweater had me thinking some dirty thoughts. Like how she would look wearing it and nothing else. With that on, she added a couple of gold and bone colored bangles. Her hair was down in big curls over her shoulders and down her back, it fell into her face as she pulled on her knee high brown ugg boots. She grabbed her shorter jacket and purse. "Will I do?" she asked turning in a circle. She looked like a native New Yorker ready to go run errands.

"Hell yeah, Sexy Mama." I said appreciatively. She laughed and gave me and Sam hugs. I threw on my shit and we headed down to the lobby. Santana was already there with her parents. She was rocking a red mini sweater dress, black leather textured tights, black ankle boots with a heel she was gonna be cursing by lunch time, and a waist length black quilted down jacket. Marisol Lopez was looking straight up 'fashion forward' as Kurt liked to say. She was wearing black suede knee high riding boots, black jodhpurs and a black sweater that was tight as hell. There was a white button down collar showing above the neck line of the sweater. I was wondering how the hell she got a shirt under that tight ass sweater when Moms D and my Mom came over to check us out. Mom was wearing a cream tunic sweater over slightly darker tights with brown riding boots. She looked cute and trendy bit not at all like she cared. Moms D looked like any Mom in any city of the world she was wearing a black, blue and red color blocked maternity tunic, skinny jeans and some black, two inch ankle boots. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she had not only her purse, but a laptop bag too.

Gabby was talking to Bubbie Ruth. Both women were wearing blue, but the color was the only similarity. Gabby was rocking a royal blue v neck sweater with a light blue tank top under it. She paired the sweater with some regular boot cut jeans that show that Gabby Evans was still a MILF of high order. She was rocking her cowboy boots that had that air of authenticity…you know like they may have actually been worn when riding a horse or walking through a cow pasture.

Bubbie was wearing a blue skater dress with winter white tights and a long sleeved tight turtleneck in the same almost white color. She had on some thigh high, heeled boots that tied up the front and reminded me of that J-Lo, LLCoolJ video from back in the day. Bubbie had originally planned to go with us, but she and Tessa were instead going to take Triple S and go to the toy store and get them their Christmas/Chanukah gifts. This was totally text book Bubbie Ruth, Saul preferred to send us our gifts so we would have them on the holiday. That didn't change just because he suddenly had eight more nieces and nephews to buy for now. Bubbie and Saul both loved having so many kids in the family. Bubbie had always wanted tons of grandkids, and Saul was loving the fact that she now had them and was off his back about giving them to her. Plus he got to buy adult gifts for Kev, Dev, Patrice and Tonya, while at the same time being able to buy gadgets and clothes for Tessa, Sam, Cedes and me, and fun kids shit for the Trilogy and Beth.

Thinking of my uncle had me searching him out. He and Kurt looked like they had gotten dressed out the same closet. Both were wearing black jeans, Kurt's were skinny jeans, while Saul's were just well fitted. Saul was looking real NYC in a black v neck sweater, black walking moccasins, and a white and black check patterned infinity scarf. Kurt had paired his jeans with a teal button down shirt and a black suede waistcoat. He'd taught all of us not to call what he wears vests…vests are what Mr. Schuester wears. As one would expect, his shoes were black suede and he had a black suede hat too. That kid really needed to be a little less coordinated. Like Finn. He was wearing a blue flannel shirt over a black Henley shirt, and his kind of baggy jeans and his sneakers. Burt was wearing pretty much the same thing only his flannel was red and he had a quilted down vest on. Sander and George weren't too much better either. Sander was dressed like me with a brown sweater and dark wash blue jeans while George was rocking a Henley and dark brown slacks.

Benton was looking completely large and in charge. He was in black slacks and a sweater that just screamed 'MONEY' it was cashmere or something else that was totally too expensive for me to buy in that size. The sweater was a shade of red that was noticeable different from mine but only by a few degrees. He came over to herd us all into the dining room. We got settled at the table, ordered our breakfast and were joined by two well-dressed strangers. Saul stood and walked over to them. He kissed the tall redheaded woman on her cheek. I assumed that she was Francesca Jarrard. She was pretty, but the fake tits and the slightly crazy look in her eye were a huge turn off. She was wearing a black pencil skirt, a blue top with a trendy asymmetrical neckline. She may have been totally nutso, but she had on some serious blue, high heeled, suede shoes. I wanted to swing by where ever she got those and get a pair in purple for Mercedes. They were that sexy. Saul introduced her first and then he turned to her partner, a short little Black woman with an athletic build, great rack and nice ass. Granted she didn't have shit on Cedes, but if I weren't taken, I'd have had to step to her. Saul introduced her just as Mills, no other name. She had longish hair, but I don't think it was long enough to be a weave. She was wearing black tailored slacks and a vee neck long sleeved top. Her jacket was a well cared for vintage, brown bomber jacket. She was no nonsense and told us quickly that she was taking half of us and showing us several apartments in the Upper West Side, Morningside Heights and Hoboken. Within a matter of moments she had decided who would be in her group, and we got less than no say in it. She culled Sam, Mom, Sander, Benton, Kurt, Santana, Finn and Carol to go with her. "Hopefully this way we'll have enough of the future residents and their parents in each group to have the best possible read without us taking everyone to each property at the same time." She told us before anyone could argue. None of us were going to. Bubbie and Moms D had already told us it was going to be that way the day we got here.

The Moms were nodding encouragingly. Angel Mom asked/ordered the ladies to join us. And Mom quickly had us shifting to make room. We ate breakfast rather quickly and got underway. Cedes and I kissed the hell out of Sam. It had been a long ass time since we'd been apart from him for more than a class or two. As we took two separate trains on the subway, I knew for sure that we all had to get into and go to the same school, we weren't dealing with this separation well, I'd have hated to see what it would have been like if Sam were in Tennessee and Cedes in Cali and me who the hell knows where.

Francesca PoV

I knew that Saul Mayzer thinks that I'm a crazy bitch. He really isn't the first to label me thus, but the simple truth is that it is his own damn fault. If he weren't so fucking good in bed, I wouldn't have gotten hooked on his dick. I mean, come on, it is Manhattan, he's good looking without being head turning handsome, he has an amazing job, he comes from a good Jewish background and has shown time and time again that he cares deeply for his mother, sister and nephew. The guy was a great date and when I slept with him, I knew that he was the one. I'd never cum that hard or that many times in one night before in my life.

I talked him into having dinner with me the night before I was to take his nephew and the kid's roommates around the city trying to find them an apartment for when they moved to school. I was sure that I could find them the perfect place, the only problem would be finding a landlord who would be willing to wait the better part of the year to collect their rent. That problem was solved after a conversation with the pregnant mother of the little girl that Saul's nephew was hanging all over. Saul really should have a talk with Noah. I mean, I know that love is blind, but if his nephew had to date outside our race, couldn't he find a black girl who was trim and fit like Mills…but I suppose that to each their own. I did not appreciate the fact that he was talking to them rather than me.

After going back over my mapped out game plan, and speaking with Mills…I decided to stick with the original idea. I would try to work in a few purchaseable condos, near our last stop in Kips Bay, but I knew that there wouldn't be anything in the price range that these people would have that would fit as many people as they needed an apartment to fit. I herded them to the train, grateful that no one seemed to be trying to sight see as we walked. The big camera the blonde woman was carrying had me worried. We went first over to Hell's Kitchen, the neighborhood was much improved from what it had been. "There are two identical apartments in this building that I want to show you." I said perkily.

"Are they both disability accessible?" the Hispanic woman with the incredible boots interrupted me to ask.

"No, the first apartment we'll see here is the one that has been designated as handicapped accessible." I told her. I led the group into the lobby and the landlord took one look at me and tripped all over himself to be helpful. I knew that having my breasts done rather than my nose was the better investment in my future. We made our way up the four flights of stairs. I pointed out the elevator, but I never take those things. Besides the exercise would be for Noah's girlfriend and her mother. "This apartment is a three bedroom, two bathroom flat. The kitchen was recently renovated when the last occupant passed away last year." I told them cheerfully.

"Natural causes?" the short gilr asked giving me a side eye.

"What?"

"Did the last resident die of natural causes?" She asked again.

"Yes. Mrs. Herrington was ninety six years old when she died. She had unfortunately out lived her husband, and son and siblings. She was a very kind old lady. I renovated the space completely. Not only the kitchen, but we've removed the walls so that the kitchen opens up into the open concept living, dining room. The bathroom we updated as well, but it would have cost too much to return it to a shower tub combo, so we left the stall shower and the walk-in tub in place." He told us with a smile.

In the end after looking through the entire apartment, the blonde woman taking pictures and videos of everything she could, they thanked the landlord and we left to go to the next stop. We headed into the Theatre district, it would be near NYU and Tisch and FIT so they should be happy. "This apartment is in a complex that is designed for those who are young and attractive. It may well be a bit too trendy for students. It is in the heart of the Theatre district and that could be very distracting. The complex offers a lobby with twenty four hour concierge service, fitness rooms, pool and is less than a stone's throw from dining and shopping. There is a clubhouse for mingling, and they offer social events and meet and greets for the residents. You can elect the housekeeping service; there is onsite laundry and drycleaning too." I said as I led them through the lobby. I made contact with my usual tour guide and allowed him to take over.

He introduced himself to the group and spoke with them for a few moments. "This unit would actually work for three couples. It has three bedrooms and two and a half bath rooms. The Master is a comfortable fifteen by thirteen, and has its own ensuite bathroom with its own linen closet. The walk-in closet in the Master suite is quite big." He said showing them the deep closet. "every door way has a thirty six inch clearance and this unit does have the accessible peep hole in the front door, and the kitchen counters are slightly lower, allowing them to be comfortable for those with disabilities and those without." He led us through the kitchen. The chubby girlfriend asked an abundance of questions about the cabinets and appliances. I suppose she cooks; she does look like she likes to eat. The galley kitchen opened into a twelve by twelve dining room which in turn opened into a nineteen by twelve and a half living room. The apartment also boasted a balcony. "The second full bathroom and the powder room each have the required bars and accessibly standards. The full bath has a walk in shower/tub combo and a slightly lower sink and raised toilet."

We walked through the apartment and he pointed out a few other points of interest. The mechanic looking gentleman asked about the closet space of the other bedrooms and laughingly told Todd, "unless you're hiding another three walk in closets, this place won't be able to hold all of Kurt, Cedes and Santana's shoes." Then they discussed the rent and I could see that this apartment wouldn't work. "Cedes, you think you and Kurt can both be in that kitchen?" when she shook her head, He thanked Todd for his time and it was time to head to the third stop.

That one didn't go over any better. We were in the East Village, but the apartment was four tiny bedrooms and there had been a few nods made to accessibility, but the Hispanic woman ended up cursing out the Landlord when he kept trying to insist that the apartment would perfect for all eight of the students including the one in the wheelchair. We made our way to Parc East in Grammercy Park where I again showed them two separate units, a three bedroom and a two. But despite the great location and the amazing amenities, the chubby girl immediately said that it was entirely too small for as much as they were wanting them to pay. To be honest this apartment had the smallest rooms we'd seen so far in a real complex.

We had a break and I took them to a very trendy café in Murray Hill. I showed them a nice apartment that would actually work for all of the kids, and had enough closet space to suit them all. And they still politely thanked the landlord for showing it to them and we left without a commitment. I schlepped them all the way out to Roosevelt Island to see a wonderful complex with all the amenities a person their age could want. They still weren't happy. So I took them to Kips Bay were we saw a four bedroom three bath, completely wheelchair accessible apartment and the landlord lost all interest in us when he realized that they wouldn't be moving in in what he considered a 'timely fashion'.

The next place I showed them was a renovated brownstone. It was available for purchase and had most of the needed accessibility standards, but they didn't like the changes that had been made. The kitchen's appliances were too low end; the bathrooms were already looking dated. So forth and so on. Thankfully the pregnant woman started texting her husband and it was decided that we were all going to meet at Blue Smoke for dinner. I would have preferred somewhere else, but Saul pointed out that there would be a toddler, his grandniece, and three other younger kids.

The entire group made our way to the restaurant and we got everything set for the rest of the people to make their appearances. Two African American couples joined us. The men were both tall and very attractive. They were obviously brothers and they greet the pregnant woman, I cannot remember her name, and the chubby little girl with kisses asking the all the questions a son or brother would ask. I was a little surprised that Saul and Noah were treating them as family as well. A very pretty lady came in with a little baby who called Noah, Abah…father. He took the little girl and gave her kisses, teasing and playing with her until she reached for his girlfriend. Who then played and teased the baby. Some more children came in hugging all of the other adults at the table and greeting me politely.

They were accompanied by Saul's mother, Ruth, who asked me several questions about the properties. She wrinkled her face at several of my favorites. When she realized that I was having a hard time remembering the names of anyone not directly related to Saul, she looked at me like she was seeing into my soul. "You know, if you really cared for my son, you'd take the time to learn about the people that he cares about." She said pointedly before turning her attention to the baby. Mills led in the other group and I turned to her to her about the locations they had viewed.

Benton PoV

As soon as we got underway, I pulled Mills aside. "Are the apartments you're showing us, only for rent, or are any of them available for purchase?"

Mills gave me a sharp smile. "Let me check." She pulled out her iPad and checked over the listings she had for us to look at. "I've got one listing that I hadn't planned on showing you because it is a little above your fifteen hundred per resident budget. But it is in the target area, Upper West Side, the owner would prefer to sell rather than rent anyway. Why the change? If you don't mind my asking."

"My brother in law raised a valid point last night, we are looking at apartments but the kids won't be moving in until August. How many landlords are going to be willing to hold an apartment that long?" I told her honestly. "Danica and I along with Burt Hummel pooled our resources and started a small incorporated business last year, because when we group our employees together we got a better rate on their insurance plan than either of us could have gotten alone. He said that since we had a great credit rating for the inc, we should look at buying the apartment for the kids through it. We can easily include the other parents in as a board of directors. If we're buying not renting, then the landlord or owner wouldn't care less if the place is technically empty until August, and it would allow Saul and Ruth to go ahead and start getting furniture delivered for the kids in advance."

She nodded and looked at me consideringly. "Francesca might have been able to convince me to waive our brokerage fees, but if I make this sale, I'm gonna get a commission." She told me with a grin.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, though Saul will probably try to convince you to cut your partner out of it. He thinks she is crazy." I said conspiratorially.

"Only when it comes to men. I think she saw Fatal Attraction one too many times. That or Saul is just that damn good in bed." She laughed. "But Frannie is my girl, Chicks before Dicks and all that." She looked back down and did some things on her gadget. "Alright, Francesca and I are both expanding our searches to look for purchase properties. Apparently your wife pulled her aside to have this same discussion. Why don't you want the kids to know?"

"Because the only level headed one I've got on this excursion is Sam. Kurt and Santana would run us crazy on their demands. Plus, we just talked everything out with Marisol, Sander, Gabby, Becah, George, Burt and Carol last night. We were only able to get the go ahead from the Andersons this morning and we're technically still waiting to get a reply from the Abrams and the Pierces. We'll go ahead anyway. The Abrams and the Pierces were planning to give us their rent money every month so the landlord wouldn't get eight different checks every month if they were all in the same flat anyway."

She did some quick calculations. "How would you feel about Harlem? It's right on the other side of the Morningside Heights neighborhood and very near the Upper West Side, but you can get a lot more house for your money there. In fact I've got a 2 family brownstone, six total bathrooms, seven total bathrooms, new construction, I can show it to you this afternoon before we head back to your hotel."

"You should talk to Santana, she has a whole list of features that Artie will need to have in place. He has significant nerve impairment that impacts his ability to walk, so he is in a wheelchair." After catching him, Brittany and Santana celebrating their Sectionals win, I would never call that boy paralyzed again. Apparently certain parts still worked below his waist. I just thank God that they didn't see me. It was bad enough that I knew I saw them…I'd hate to consider how awkward it would have been if they knew too.

Mills nodded. She was really a pretty little thing, probably only a few years older than Kevon. "I'll do that. I've already made appointments for the five places I had pulled for you, so we'll be hitting those this morning. I've got a confirmation for a viewing of two purchase properties, one on the Upper West Side and one just inside Morningside Heights. I'm waiting to hear back from the builder in Harlem. We'll do those this afternoon."

We hit an apartment complex in Hoboken, New Jersey first. The North Independence at the Shipyard in Hoboken, New Jersey was just across the bridge and really didn't add a super significant amount of time to their commute. They kids would definitely need their cars here, and it would be two different units; none of the apartments there had enough bedrooms for them all to live together. First Mills took us through a three bedroom two and half bathroom flat.

"This apartment goes for six thousand a month; it is approximately seventeen hundred and fifty square feet. As you saw the lobby is attended and that is true twenty-four hours a day. The complex is right on the river which gives it some spectacular views. While you won't be in Manhattan, you are still a short walk from restaurants, theatres, shopping and a great waterfront park. The complex does have elevators, which is necessary for Mr. Abrams, it also has handicapped accessible units. There is an onsite fitness center, dog run and bike racks. There's even a residents lounge with free wi-fi. As you saw we enter the unit and immediately encounter a coat closet then if you turn right you see the open concept kitchen and dining room. The appliances are all stainless steel, and you will have both a dishwasher and a garbage disposal. The living room is twenty four by thirteen and has French doors which opens onto a fourteen by thirteen terrace, which gives you some great outdoor living space." She led us down the hall to show the rest of the apartment. "Now, you'll see that there is a powder room with its own linen closet and a shallow linen closet that hides the HVAC unit."

"Wow, that's quite ingenious." Kurt laughed.

"Very." She agreed. "Next to the powder room you have the first of the full bathrooms. That one also has the stacked washer dryer unit. It has a shower/tub combo, toilet and sink. Outside it there is another, deeper linen closet. Across the hall there are two thirteen by ten bedrooms, one would be perfect for the duo and the other for the office. Each of them have classic closets, that gives you quite a bit of storage. Finally there is the master bedroom and ensuite bathroom. The master is sixteen by twelve and has a walk-in closet. The master bath has a separate bathtub and shower, toilet and sink. They do have a three bedroom that is twenty four hundred square feet that might have worked for all of you but it is a townhouse setup and it doesn't have a bedroom on the first floor."

"Will we be able to paint?" Kurt asked. "These plain beige walls…just no."

"Actually you might be able to paint; you'd have to discuss that specifically with the landlord. However you would have to do it on your own dime and you'd be responsible for painting it back before you move out." Mills told him honestly.

"If we were to paint, is that one of those expenses we could provide receipts for and be able to take the amount off our rent?" Sam asked. That kid has his head in the right place.

Unfortunately Mills shook her head. "Not really, it would be considered a voluntary décor expense, like furniture."

"Alright, I'm ready to see the other apartment, the one for me and mine…where is it in relation to Cede and the Fairy?" Santana broke in.

Mills looked down at her tablet. "The apartment I want to show you is two floors down and a lot closer to the building center. It is closer to the elevators. We headed out and as soon as Mills got the door open, Santana was there with a tape measure.

"Ok, thirty four inches of clearance in the doorway and there is a chair level peephole in it and everything. I can work with that." Santana told her. "Knobs are acceptable for Artie…he doesn't have any problems with his hands."

"OVERSHARE Santana." Carol chided. I could tell that Kurt had dressed her that morning. She was looking very cute and put together, but she still looked comfortable and like Carol. Her top was dark brown and teal with geometric patterns that made it look trendy, it had been paired with some nicely fitted jeans. Carol has an alright but for a white woman, her jeans were brown, and distressed and showed that off. "Now, I know that Artie doesn't have any problem with doorknobs or even clearance, but what we need to concentrate on is the kitchen and bathrooms." She turned her attention to Mills. "Artie is extremely independent and if he doesn't have the ability to do for himself, this is not the apartment for them." Carol had become almost as protective of Artie as Santana was ever since she saw Finn's SAT score. Artie Abrams could do no wrong in Carol Hummel's eyes now.

Mills nodded. "Well, let's start in the master bathroom." She lead us back through the hallway, she showed us a twenty four by twelve living and dining room area. We walked into the master bedroom and I could tell Santana liked it immediately. It had a similar waterfront/cityscape view as the other apartment and the huge windows let in a lot of light. The room was a nice comfortable seventeen by twelve and the closet might actually have had enough room for Santana and Brittany, Artie would probably get stuck with the closet in the other bedroom…much like Sam, Noah and Blaine would probably be sharing the closet in the 'study' in the other apartment. The bathroom was nice, like the other apartment there was a separate shower stall, however unlike the other shower, this one had a built in wooden bench and a removable shower head with a long flexible nozzle that would allow Artie freedom to shower by himself, but the large tub would allow Santana and Brittany the chance for a soak when they wanted it.

"Now as you can see, where the other apartment had carpet in the bedrooms, this apartment has hardwood floors throughout." Mills pointed out.

"This could actually work. I kind of wish we were closer to Cede and the Fairy…what if I need an emergency fashion or reality check?" Santana bemoaned.

"Mercy and Kurt are just a phone call away, and I know that will be down here with the perfect accessory or a pint of ice cream at the drop of a hat. " Sam assured her.

Santana nodded, but looking around I could tell that she wasn't truly enraptured of this apartment any more than Kurt or Sam had been of the other. "Alright then people, we've got more to see. Since no one just fell in love with either of these, let's head to the next stop." I suggested.

We made our way to Midtown to the Mantena apartment complex on West Thirty-Seventh Street. The complex was all steel and glass from the outside. "Now this complex is just a train ride away from both NYU and Columbia, and most would consider it walking distance to Juilliard." Mills began. "It has Wi-Fi in the clubhouse, concierge service, and a fitness center with both weights and cardio machines. You are in Midtown Manhattan which puts you a stone's throw away from everything. Each unit has a frost free fridge, large windows and a full gourmet kitchen. The unit I'm showing you first is a three bedroom duplex, but with it having a bedroom and bathroom on the bottom floor; it makes it doable for Artie."

"The bedroom placement might have made it doable, but the separate shower stall was in the bathroom upstairs and it didn't have the bench or shower head we'd need. It might work just for Cede and her boys and the Fairy and Blainewise Gamgee…but not for Brits, Wheels and me." Santana said shaking her head.

Mills made some notes on her pad and showed us a two bedroom in the same complex. This one was better suited for Artie with wide open rooms and a disability ready shower. But no one liked the size of the extra bedroom and the kitchen wasn't as nice as the one in the three bedroom. So we headed on to the next stop on our venture. "The Westmont on the Upper West Side is owned and managed by the same people as the Mantena we've just left so the complex amenities are pretty much the same. These units don't have the gourmet kitchens, though the kitchens are still nice. They offer laundry onsite, not in the units."

"Wow…Umm…we're either going to have to buy more sheets or keep looking." I pretended not to hear Sam tell Santana.

"I know, right." She agreed readily.

They were patient as we walked through both a three bedroom and a two bedroom, but all agreed that the kitchens were entirely too small. So we headed to the next stop, Morningside Heights. There were two three bedroom units, but despite the landlord's assurances that they were designed for the disabled, neither had any of the things Artie would need to have in his place other than the doorway clearance. "Okay, those are all the rentals I have to show you today. Why don't we break for lunch and then we can go see the other properties that I have available for purchase."

"Purchase…like to buy?" Sam asked warily. He glanced over at me to see my reaction.

So I chose to be the one to answer him. "It actually makes more sense to buy over renting, Sam. If we can find the right location and buy something, maybe we can do some renovations to make it work for all of you. Now I will say that if we purchase you guys will be living together for all four years, so you'd best to be mature and make sure that you resolve any drama and not try any bullshit." I warned. It took some doing but I managed not to look over at Santana. She lives to start drama, but I think she was close enough with my daughter to keep that tendency under wraps.

We stopped for lunch at a Subway right around the corner from the last complex, and very near the Columbia campus. Then we grabbed the train and headed into Harlem. We probably could have walked it, it was that close to Morningside Heights. Mills met up with a nice lady name Trudy who walked us through the model home. "Now, each of the brownstones is actually a duplex. Each side can be differentiated and you will have the pleasure of selecting the finishings for each room including flooring, paint and wall treatments. Each duplex will be a three bedroom, three and a half bath home. This model home is set up with an open concept living and dining room with a full kitchen. The kitchen is set with midrange appliances and finishings, but you can always purchase the kitchen upgrade package which would bump you up to a gourmet kitchen and higher end appliance, tiles and woods. Now feel free to personalize one side of the duplex more than the other if you will be living in one and renting out the other."

"Would it be possible to create an exterior entrance that is shared for both halves of the duplex, and then have two, indoor 'main' entrances into the separate apartments." Sam asked. The way it was currently set up, the two homes shared a twelve step stoop, which their front doors opened up to. Sam's alteration would be safer and allow them to have a shared security system. "And what about wheelchair accessibility?"

Trudy nodded. "Those are both available upgrades. You would simply have to elect to add a street level wheelchair entrance, and an elevator to the package." She told him as she showed us the rest of the first floor which included a room that would serve as a perfect study for the kids. "The downstairs only has a powder room right off the main living/dining area. She smiled at Sam, "believe it or not we actually have an upgrade package for this room that will include built in bookcases that double as a secret door connecting the two units."

"That is so totally awesome." Sam whispered.

"Yes…I can raid their fridge without getting dressed." Santana laughed.

Trudy laughed at that. "So I take it, you'd only need one kitchen upgrade package."

"Is there an upgrade package that can put sprinklers throughout the other kitchen?" Sander teasingly asked.

"Actually that comes standard. There is a fire suppression system standard in the kitchens of every unit we sell." Trudy assured her. She directed us up the stairs to the second floor. "Each duplex is a mirror image of the next. You will be able to choose all the fixtures for each bathroom as well as the closet system upgrades for the walk in closets in each of the smaller bedrooms." The second floor was a simple hallway with some lovely windows. There were two largish bedrooms separated by a well-appointed bathroom. We went up the final flight of stairs to find a master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. "The Master bedroom has a hers' walk in closet and a his traditional closet. The bathtub in the master bath standard package is a separate shower stall and a traditional claw foot tub, but you can upgrade to a jetted, sunken tub instead, or even down grade to a shared shower/tub combo. The master also comes with a double sink that you can upgrade to include a vanity as well."

"Can we do a similar upgrade in the bathroom on the second floor?" Kurt asked excitedly.

"Yes." Trudy told him with a smile. "Now, these are traditional brownstones, meaning that they have four floors. I've shown you three. The fourth floor is the basement. The Accessibility Upgrade package includes a finished basement. However you have the ability to choose to have a washer and dryer room only in the basement, a half-finished basement, which would allow for you to further finish it later. You can also choose to fully finish the basement or even convert the basement to a separate living unit that would then give you some rental income since you'd be utilizing both units."

Becah looked fascinated. "Really? Would you be able to do so and still leave them access to their laundry room?"

Trudy checked something on her pad. "Actually, we could do that or we could create a washer and dryer closet in the kitchens or second floor bath, which would negate the need for having a communal laundry room at all."

"Could we do this for both basements, and what kind of rent could we expect to gain from a basement apartment unit?" I probed.

Again Trudy looked thoughtful. "If we create a similar hallway to the main entrance so that the wheelchair bound occupant could access the elevator and the tenant could access their entrance as well, you should be able to do so."

Mills broke in to answer the other part of my query. "If you go one bedroom one bath, with in apartment washer and dryer hookup, we could probably get anywhere from twenty one hundred to twenty five hundred dollars a month. If you can step it up to two bedrooms we can bump the rent up to as much as thirty-five hundred dollars each."

"We'd have to install fire walls between the basement and the first floors, but we can easily handle the changes necessary to do so." Trudy said with a smile.

"Okay, first of all, how much are we talking for the home with the upgrades we've mentioned?" I asked quietly.

"The baseline for the brownstone is a million five. The list of upgrades that you've indicated will add between two hundred and fifty and five hundred thousand. Depending on your down payment and interest rate, you are looking at thirteen thousand five hundred dollars a month for a fifteen year fixed rate mortgage." She figured out quickly.

Becah looked thoughtful as she did the math in her head. "If we rent out both basements for twenty-one hundred a month that will bring our responsibility down to nine thousand three hundred…roughly twelve hundred dollars per person for all eight of the kids."

Sander nodded. "We can handle that. If we do go for this one, Gabby and I will also handle their cable, phone and internet bill every month." He had been our silent partner that day, manning the camera, cataloging each apartment we visited with pictures; just as Kurt and Mills had been taking copious notes with their iPad and tablet.

The smile was growing on Trudy's face. She knew that we were interested. "Will you need to hire a decorator? We do have a list of preferred vendors I can give you."

Santana, Carol and Finn all started laughing. "No…that won't be necessary." I told her with a smile. "Kurt and Mercedes along with my wife and Santana's mother will be more than able to handle it."

Carol looked thoughtful. "When would we need to let you know by to have everything finished by the second week in August?"

"We would need at least six months to complete the building. If you're looking for financing through us, we'd need to start the paperwork soon, within the next two weeks." She said honestly.

I looked to Mills, "Would you be able to work with Ruth and Saul to make sure that everything goes according to plan? We would, of course, increase your fee."

"Actually if you make me the exclusive broker for the rental units, I'd be willing to help to make sure that the building goes smoothly." Mills agreed.

We made arrangements with Trudy to let her know within the next two weeks. I knew that we'd be utilizing the same finance company that held the almost complete mortgage of my home, Burt's shop and had held the mortgage on the dental office. Danica and I had finished with that one the year Mercedes began high school. In fact from a strictly monetary stand point, buying was probably going to prove the best choice for all of us. As soon as we were clear of the model home, Mills asked me if I still wanted to see the other purchase property.

"Since you've already made the appointment, sure…but I have to say I think the duplex with the basement rentals is going to be almost impossible to top." I said honestly. I was right the other house she showed us was great. It was a four bedroom two bathroom condo on the edge of Midtown Manhattan. It was three point four million dollars and didn't have all the amenities that would make independence a reality for Artie. The kitchen was too small for Kurt and probably Mercedes and while it was in a complex, it didn't have half of the things the other complexes we'd seen that day. I didn't like the look of the 'doorman' either. The way he was watching Santana pissed me off way too much. As we were leaving I texted all the different parts of our group and with some help from Mills, we decided to all meet up at Blue Smoke, Zagat's most family friendly restaurant in New York.

Bubbie Ruth's PoV

Francesca's group had finished their day in Kips Bay so they got the restaurant first and arranged for them to put enough tables together seat all thirty of us, including Beth's high chair. While we were placing our drink orders, I spoke with her for a while and realized that she hadn't even taken the time to get to know her actual clients. I decided then and there that my son was right, this bitch was crazy. I was quite happy when the rest of the family joined us. We all discussed what we had done that day and I told them about taking the kids on a tour of the ABC studios and how they had gotten to meet the Bieber boy, Sarah had almost passed out. I didn't bother telling them all about the toys and such that I had ordered that would be sent to their homes in Ohio on the second. Kev, Dev, Pats, and Tonya had done some more sightseeing, and gone to visit some places they hadn't been able to visit when the younger kids were with them.

Then the discussion turned to finding out all about the places they had seen and the things they liked and didn't like about each. Gabby and Sander had both manned the cameras and had plenty of shots and even videos of everywhere they visited. Tessa, Santana and Mercedes pulled out their tablets and soon the Anderson, Pierce, and Abrams parents were all in the know about the place they had found for purchase. By the time the waitresses and server came to take our orders, it had been decided. The parents would band together under the BDB HJ, Inc. header to buy the duplex, Kurt, Mercedes, Marisol and Danica would work together to select all the materials and paint colors and everything else, while Saul, Mills and I would work together here to make sure that everything would be finished and ready for move in by the second Saturday of August.

Then things inevitably turned to finances. Becah and Noah quickly had the dollar amounts worked out, they amended the totals Becah had originally come to so that they included they included a down payment of just about five percent. Benton got in contact with Bryant and the accountant they used for both the dentist office and Burt's garage, and in what seemed like minutes, but was probably closer to an hour they had the financing in place. "Okay, I'll have all the paperwork to get everything started tomorrow morning. Hiram is going to email it to me so we can just print in out in the business center at the hotel."

Mills spoke up quickly. "I've canceled the appointments I originally made for tomorrow and scheduled a meeting with Trudy at ten."

I could see Sander and Gabby looking worried. So I spoke up before they could fret themselves to death. "I'll kick in fifteen grand for the down payment, too."

"What?" everyone gasped.

I shrugged unconcernedly. "I spent last weekend in Atlantic City, that isn't even a third of what I won. I can make a gift of five grand to Noah, Mercedes and Sam, and it will lessen my tax burden. I had already planned to use some to plump up Beth and Triple S college funds; this is what I want to do for my grandkids…are you telling me that I can't use my free money to spoil my grands?" I dared them each to protest with a look.

Not one of them was stupid enough to say a word. That's the great part of being Ruth Mayzer, no one ever tells me no. we finished our desserts and I helped them all get back to the motel. Francesca had bailed after the main course, during which she only had a salad…airhead, but Mills decided to walk back with us. After having a chance to talk with her, I decided that I had found the perfect woman for Saul. I was so happy that when we got back to the hotel lobby, before everyone went their separate ways, I decided to share the last of my surprises. "Now, I want to make sure that none of you, and Mills you are included in this invitation, have made plans for Monday night, because you are all going to be my guests at the live filming of ABC's NEW YEAR's Rockin' Eve. Sunday we've already planned to go shopping, and I'll be dressing each of you…you too if you'd like to come Mills. Monday, we'll be going to have a spa day for the ladies, and gentlemen I've got you a tee time at Hoboken Golf Course for that morning. We'll meet up for dinner and then a big ass family photograph session and then go down to Time Square. I've got to work for a little while but I'll be down with you guys to ring in the new year. Shelby, I have set up a babysitter for you if you'd like for Beth for the evening. She has been my neighbor since before Becah graduated college. She babysits a lot of the kids in the building and is fully licensed. But I am willing to let you bring her back here if you'd rather. Mills…I don't know if I'm willing to take any excuses for you not coming with us."

While everyone was speechless, I gave all my little bubbelas, from Kevon all the way down to Beth, kisses and exited stage left. They could try to change my mind on the way up to the brownstone…it wouldn't work. I'd paid for everything advance so there was no way they could even try. I smirked to myself; I always get my way, even if I have to stack the deck in my favor. Saul, Becah and Noah got their insane math skills from somewhere.

Alright people, No more updates 'til the reviews pick up. I'm serious...I'm holding the next chapter hostage, and it includes Puck's night of control, the photo shoot and more of Bubbie Ruth's machinations and matchmaking.

If you want the chappies, you need to pony up the goods...see...Yeah.

Okay for real,

I hope that most of you enjoyed the updates, but only getting like ten reviews for three chapters hurts like a SoB.

You guys are making me cry...Except ZEEJACK & Isis who rock big time.

TTFN
Anni