Damn It Janet
When you finally let go of the past, something better comes along
Christmas had been a total disaster; they'd decided as a group to rent a property out in the sticks and get lost for the season with a few friends. They'd been friends since forever so when the ten of them decided to do this it didn't seem like it was going to be a problem, but the season of good cheer turned into one of gloom and there was nothing any of them could have done about it.
One couples relationship was in trouble for sure they all knew it, and maybe secretly some hoped the time together would have helped to bring the focus back in their relationship. Christmas Eve they'd all arrived with the holiday cheer ready to spend time together for the first time in nearly seven years. The wood fire burning heating the large room equip with enough seating for all of them and more to sit comfortably to watch TV or talk. The couples were sat in the couches snuggled up, talking about everything and nothing, remembering times gone by, and catching up, everything was set for happy Christmas.
They didn't notice anything was wrong until Quinn jumped up mumbling something before she abruptly left the room, leaving a sudden chill, everyone's faces blank and shocked at how fast the mood had changed
"Is everything alright dude?" Finn asked looking at Puck sat there with his arm across the top of the couch where Quinn was just sitting and his face saying fuck it
"Well, obviously it's not" he pointed at the door Quinn had just walked out of "Sorry" he got up "I'll just…" he stepped off in the same direction
"It's worse than I thought" Rachel looked at Mercy worried
"What can we do?" Tina shrugged her shoulder
"Don't get involved unless they ask" Blaine suggested "We know Puck"
"If this is the atmosphere we can expect, we're not staying" Brittany warned Santana
"I don't think they'll be staying the weekend anyway; Quinn didn't look happy" Kurt added
"So why the hell did they agree to come if they knew they were going to put a damn downer on the whole weekend?" Sam snapped frustrated
"Babe" Mercy looked at him
"No" Santana looked at Mercy "Sam's right, we've all put family aside this year to make this special, if they knew they couldn't bury the hatchet for the weekend, they shouldn't have come"
"Come on, let's get this back on track" Rachel jumped up "Snacks?" she asked looking at Tina
"Let's cook something" Tina suggested "Come on" she called the women to follow her
Mike sat smiling at them all running off "Their code for come on let's talk about Puck" he nodded at them closing the kitchen door
The Women
"Do you think he's done it again?" Brittany asked as soon as the door closed
"He wouldn't, would he?" Tina asked shocked "After the last time, she warned him"
"Once a snake always a damn snake" Santana hissed
"I don't even see the argument, she did it, he did it back and now they expect something different in their relationship, they started wrong" Rachel told them
"Just because it started wrong, doesn't mean you can't try to make it right" Mercy told her
"I guess" Tina smiled "You always think the best"
"And get the worst" Santana reminded her "What's to cook?" she asked not seeing anything in the cupboards
"Salad" Rachel laughed opening the fridge "Cooks due in the morning"
"Thank the lord for that" Brittany rolled her eyes laughing
The Men
"It's always the man's fault isn't it?" Finn laughed
"In our house it's always the man's fault" Blaine laughed
"Funny" Sam pointed at Blaine and shook his head grinning "But seriously they have got a bit of a fucked up relationship"
"I know" Finn laughed "Fuck who you want until it doesn't suit me, then I'll be pissed about it and punish you for the rest of our relationship"
"Was that Puck or Quinn?" Mike asked
"Your guess is as good as mine" Finn laughed
"If you listen to the girls version, Q did it first" Kurt told them
"Which means she definitely did" Sam whispered, "Because if it had been any other way, think about it" he held his finger up "We'd all know about it wouldn't we?"
"I think you might be right" Blaine agreed
"I just have one question" Sam held his hand up "I say this with love guys" he looked around the room "Please tell me we've got a cook coming in, because those women in there, were not made for that place"
"We have" Finn laughed "And there's only salad in there right now"
Later
Quinn and Puck made an appearance for dinner, it seemed things had been sorted in a fashion, they weren't their usual selves, but they were both being sociable. By late evening things got progressively worse, the ladies had gone off to clean up in the kitchen, there was talking and laughter and then suddenly Quinn started shouting, they were trying to calm her down, but she just kept getting louder
"Fuck it" Mercy hissed stepping through the patio doors into the garden
"You're so fucking selfish" Brittany hissed at Quinn
"I'm selfish?" Quinn screamed at the top of her voice
"She's right, you shouldn't have come, you knew you were going to be like this" Santana hissed at her
"Why, because I don't believe in being false about shit, why should I come here and pretend to be happy when I'm not?" the whole thing was turning into a slanging match
Puck was pacing the floor like he wanted to do something about her words and Sam, Blaine, Mike, and Finn were trying to calm things down with him. One by one they finally left them to it, determined not to spoil their holiday, the whole thing came to a head when the feuding erupted near midnight.
Brittany stuck to her word, after yet another personal insult from Quinn, she grabbed her wife, their things, and they left that night, stayed in a local hotel, and flew out Christmas morning back home. The actual Christmas day was icy because of the previous night's event, Quinn had taken the time, in between arguing with Puck, to let each of them know exactly what she thought of them, and their perceived perfect little lives. More or less cursing their relationships so even those that weren't arguing didn't feel like talking, they were all pissed, if not at Quinn at Puck.
Dinner was rushed and quiet, ending with Blaine and Kurt making some excuse about being needed back at the theatre they owned, both wondering if there was any truth in Quinn's statement about them not being sure if this was the relationship the other wanted.
Tina had been crying for most of the night, after Quinn had told her that it would only be a matter of time before Mike would be looking elsewhere, her specific words being 'Let's face it, you've got nothing special to keep a man like him entertained for life have you?'. Mike fed up with reassuring her, gave up on the idea of this break coming to anything good, packed their things and shared a cab with Kurt and Blaine to the airport.
Quinn and Puck left separately, having ruined the holiday for everyone it was clear they'd made alternative arrangements, Quinn had a definite smirk on her face, as she cut her eye at the women sat around the dinner table. She hadn't even waited around for presents, not that they were opening any, but they'd all gone to the trouble of buying them so the least she could have done was at least looked at them.
That left Sam, Mercy, Rachel, and Finn to clean up the house, Mercy and Rachel reassuring each other that the lies Quinn had left them with were just that, lies, they trusted their partners. While Sam and Finn sat watching their phones not saying a word, each knowing when they got home life was going to be difficult for a while. They left early evening for their flights home, the whole thing was a washout, and they were unsure as to whether they'd ever forgive Quinn for the things she'd said
30th December
Five days later and Mike was on the phone inviting them to his villa to bring in the new year "Dude" Sam huffed he was still pissed about Christmas
"Puck and Quinn won't be there" Mike butted in "Blaine, Kurt, have got some work thing on, as you know, and Santana, and Brittany have flat out refused to come, it will just be the six of us"
"I don't know" Sam flicked through paperwork on his desk "I'm snowed under here"
"Let me get Finn in on the call" Mike laughed "Dude" he laughed when Finn joined the conversation "Weekend at mine, give the ladies a treat what do you say?"
"It would stop Mrs Hudson moaning" Finn laughed "Yeah I'm in"
"See" Mike laughed "It's as easy as that Evans"
"He just doesn't want to leave the new PA of his, what's her name, she is banging dude" Finn laughed
"Her name's Janet and she's just a PA" Sam laughed
"A fucking fit PA" Mike laughed "So are you in?"
"Okay, count us in" Sam laughed
"Great, I'll text you the details"
Tina & Mike
"Fancy a walk after this?" Mike looked out at the sea view
"Sure" Tina smiled jumping up
They were the newest couple of them all in regard to marriage, they'd been married for just over a month and were obviously still in their honeymoon period. They were happy and in love, with nothing to think about other than each other, until that dreadful argument with Quinn at Christmas, now all Mike was hearing was how she didn't want their love to die. No matter how many times he told her the quickest way to get something to die was to keep talking about it dying, she was still fearful. This move was another way of getting her to think about something else, to focus on them here and now and not think too negatively about the future. They slipped their sandals on and went out onto the beach via their patio doors
"I'm thinking of making this our main home" he announced
"Why?"
"It's so far away from our lives in the city, I think winding down out here every night might just be the relaxation we need" he grabbed her hand "What do you think?"
"Wherever you are my love" she grabbed his bicep with her spare hand and rested her head on his shoulder
"We'll make new year special"
"It's our first one as man and wife" she grinned "I've got a game for tomorrow, they like games don't they?"
"You always think of everything" he leaned in and kissed her lips "I love you Mrs Chang"
"I love you Mr Chang" she giggled "Sounds nice doesn't it?"
"I like having you attached to me like that"
"I'm still thinking about Quinn" she looked up at him "It's sad"
"It is, but they've chosen their lives, and we have to do the same"
"I still think there might be a way back for them" she stopped walking to look at him "Do you think I'm being silly?"
"No" he smiled "There was a way back for Sam and Mercy"
"But there was no one else involved in that"
"With Puck and Quinn, it's more about trust than anything else, we can't let their misgivings impact on our lives, we have trust"
"Your right" Tina squeezed his arm to carry on walking
Rachel & Finn
"Are you sure about this new year thing?" Rachel sat combing her hair making ready for bed
"What do you mean?" Finn looked up from the notes he was reading to ask
"I mean after last weekend with Puck and…"
"Why did all that have to be Puck's fault?" Finn snapped at her
"It didn't, I'm just saying, it wasn't pleasant"
"Nothing's ever pleasant for you is it?"
"What's that supposed to mean" she stopped combing her hair to ask
"Forget it" he snapped, throwing the paper down and turning his back to her "Early start tomorrow" he mumbled
"No" she stood up and walked across the room to sit on the bed "You've started it so…"
"Forget it" he snapped pulling the covers up higher
"Is this about… forget it" she snapped
"No" he spun round "Let's not forget it"
"Finn" she gasped "I hate talking to you when you're like this"
"Like what?"
"Like this" she got up flicked the covers back and climbed into bed, making sure he knew she was turning her back on him this time "Maybe we shouldn't go"
"Maybe we shouldn't"
"Do you mean that?" she turned her head to look at him
"No" he breathed out heavy "I guess I don't, I'm just a bit pissed at what Quinn said, it hit a nerve"
"For me too, but we both know what she's like"
"Yeah" he hugged her "Sorry"
"Me too" she turned to hug him back "We're stronger than we've ever been"
"We are" he pulled her in
Of all the couples, having clocked up eight years, they'd been married the longest, they'd married young and had a smooth start, but of late there were little niggles creeping in. Rachel got the feeling he was regretting making such an early commitment, they really hadn't known each other as well as they thought they did, and they were very naïve in thinking that love could conquer all, life was tough. These past couple of months he'd been angry about everything, and she knew she'd got something to do with that, but she couldn't get past his shield of silence enough to get to the core of it, she'd tried going through his friends, but they seemed to be clueless too.
They were the ideal couple in front of their friends, but when it came down to it, he wasn't afraid of letting her know he was pissed at her and the world for some of the things that had happened either to them or because of them.
"Are you going to tell them about the shares?" she asked looking into his eyes
"I've got something brewing for the new year, if it goes to plan we'll be celebrating" he kissed her forehead
"I have every faith in you, things will go to plan"
"You always have enough faith for the both of us" he hugged her tighter
Mercy & Sam
"Hey" Mercy's voice worried and relieved as she finally spoke to Sam on the phone
"Hey" his voice sounded strained
"Where are you?"
"At the office"
"I called your office phone, your mobile three times, I called the janitor too, he said everyone had gone, I was getting worried"
"Sorry babe, I was on third floor, I'm on my way home now anyway"
"Carole was just finishing off the packing and I wondered if there was anything specific you wanted her to pack for you?"
"There's a doc…"
"No work Sam" she butted in
"No, nothing" he laughed "I was joking"
"I know you weren't" she laughed "I was at the studio, wondering if you'd pick me up on your way through, but I'm home now"
"On my way" he closed the call
They'd been married for just over four years, so in some ways they were still quite new to the whole relationship thing. With Sam being a very successful businessman with nearly three hundred staff working for him, their eighteen month, what her parents called a courtship, was patchy at best. Since their two week honeymoon, they had the odd weekend together, but most days were mainly hampered with work for Sam of some sort, or Mercy performing. They didn't mean to, but It was clear they'd been forced, by their work, to become that old married couple they swore they never would be.
45 minutes later he was stood in their living room, watching her bounce off the couch "Babe" she jumped up and threw herself at him as if she hadn't seen him that morning
"Okay" he smiled taking her kisses, he preferred her this way to the alternative "Everything alright?"
"Everything's fine, I'm just excited for…" she giggled "Come sing with me"
"Do you know what time of night it is?" he laughed
"Of course, I do"
"Is everything sorted?"
"Yes" she smiled dragging him off towards the studio
"Babe" he stopped her
"What's up?"
"We promised to finish what we started this morning tonight remember?"
"Bedroom?"
"Yes" his hand slipped around her waist and carried her off to their bedroom
31st December
21:00
"Hi" Tina and Mike greeted their first couple
"Cocktails on the tray help yourselves" Tina pointed to the maid stood holding the tray before hugging Rachel then Finn and passing them on to Mike
"Welcome" he laughed in jest
"You've decorated?" Rachel looked at the hallway "This was yellow before wasn't it?"
"Yes" Mike smiled "It's our home now and of course Tina wants to put her stamp on everything"
"Which is only right" Tina came up behind him smiling
"This green looks nice too" Rachel spun around looking at it, before grabbing a cocktail off the tray
"Go on through, we're on the patio" Mike told them
"We're expecting Sam and Mercy in an hour, he's working late" Tina told them
"As you can guess she's planned the evening" Mike laughed looking at Finn, knowing full well his friends idea of relaxing was doing just that cocktails, and music would do him just fine in a lay low, or better still a hammock
"How was the journey" Tina and Rachel walked away from them chatting already
"Rest at last" Finn rolled his eyes watching them walk away "She never shuts up"
"I think you knew that from day one" Mike laughed
"You know when you meet someone and everything's perfect except for that one thing and you think, in time, they'll get that you hate that about them?"
"No" Mike laughed "Tina's perfect in every way"
"Yeah she would be" Finn smiled "I'm happy you found your happy dude" he knocked fists with him, they settled on the patio listening to their wives chatter
22:00
"That must be them" Mike commented at the sound of a ringing front door "The happy Evans'" they all went to the door to meet them laughing when they opened the door to them carol singing.
Mercy: Looks like we made it, there goes another Christmas Day
We've been too lazy hosting, champagne toasting, no time for you and me, mm
Sam: Ooh, there ain't no Christmas party like the one we throw, but in the midst of it all, I didn't get to let you know
That dress you got on, baby, what can I say? Sam & Mercy: you blew me away 'Kiss Me It's Christmas' by Leona Lewis & Ne Yo
"That was to make up for Christmas day" Mercy laughed hugging their friends
"She had me over a barrel, I didn't do it last night" Sam pointed at her laughing watching Finn and Mike shaking their heads at him
"You need a drink" Mike handed him a cocktail
"Give him two, get him to relax a bit" Mercy laughed
"I'm relaxed"
"Right" she huffed at him playfully "And take that damn phone off him, if you can get it" she grabbed Tina and Rachel' arms and walked off leaving the men to themselves "Wine, song and man on the menu?" she asked when they'd settled in on the patio
"I've been bursting to tell" Rachel checked the door to make sure the men weren't descending "Quinn called, apparently some bitch sent her a picture of Puck having his way with some random in a public bathroom"
"Vulgar" Mercy screwed her face up at the thought of it
"They can't all be as perfect as Sam" Rachel snapped
"Sam's not perfect" she huffed "He's spending more and more time at work since 'oh damn it, hi this is Janet' started" she mimicked his PA's voice
"You don't think…?" Tina gasped
"No, I trust him" Mercy giggled "We both focus on work when we need to, it just seems he's doing more of it nowadays, that's all I'm saying"
"It gets worse" Rachel nodded "Finn's not asking for sex anymore, It's always down to me to make the first move nowadays"
"Trust me it will never get that bad for us, we both know what we need in that department" Mercy told them "The only time we ask is for all-nighter's"
"Is there anything other than all-nighter's?" Tina asked laughing
"Oh, to have those days back" Rachel wished
"Only you two have the power to make that wish come true" Mercy told her
"To right" Rachel smiled as all their attention turned to the guys walking out onto the patio
23:00
"Hey" Mike walked out first, followed by Finn then Sam, all finding seats by their wives "What's the plan?" he smiled at Tina
"I thought we could relieve ourselves of some deep dark secret we don't want to take with you into the new year" she looked at her friends "And you can't speak until you've got this" she passed a pink teddy at Rachel
"Mine's easy" Rachel looked at Finn "I'm about to become a boss in the bedroom"
"Go girl" Tina smiled watching Rachel pass the teddy to Finn
"So, get scared" she told Finn
"Okay" Finn got serious "I have something we haven't told anyone" he sat up "The big Wall Street crash" he frowned "I was waiting until after the holidays, but as it's truth time" he looked at Sam and Mike "Sorry guys but we've taken a massive loss"
"How much?" Sam asked
"Five maybe six" he looked from Sam to Mike
"Six mil, Jesus" Mike gasped "You have a plan, right?"
"Yeah" Finn smiled "I've got something I'm hoping will give us some joy at midnight, everything's crossed"
"Listen" Sam looked at him "I trust you with my life, the money's nothing"
"I still have to tell Puck and Blaine" Finn huffed
"They'll be cool, you'll make it back" Sam assured him, watching Finn throw the teddy to Mike
"Mines easy, I want children, I know we promised to wait, but I want them now" Mike blarted out looking at Tina "Sorry babe I just…" he watched her snatch the teddy out his hand
"Me too" Tina giggled "That was my truth, I don't want to wait" she threw the teddy at Sam when Mike hugged her
"I really don't want to…" Sam looked at Mercy
"Sam" Mercy rolled her eyes
"As I was saying" he looked at her worried "I really don't want to upset the apple cart, but truth is the name of the game, so I need to confess that I've been doing something behind your back"
"I knew it" Mercy sat up to look at him
"Only Sam is holding the teddy" Tina reminded them
"Thanks' T" he smiled "I've been seeing a counsellor" he frowned at her
"Why didn't you say?" Mercy asked
"You're not coping as it is"
"It's our shit Sam, we both lost him" she grabbed the teddy out of his hand "And I'm coping a lot better than you think"
"You've gone back to work, I'll give you that, but…"
"I've got the teddy" she held it up at him
"Sorry" he smiled
"Life's about to change for us babe, in the best way and I'm so pumped about it, scared as well but… we're pregnant again"
"Are we ready for this?" he gasped
"Are we?"
"Bring it on" he laughed hugging her
"See" Rachel smiled "The perfect man" she looked around "Actually, they're all perfect men"
"Damn straight" Finn laughed, everyone rolling their eyes at Sam's phone ringing, he took it out and gave it to Mercy
"Can I?" she giggled
"You've got the teddy, go for it" he laughed watching her take the call
"Hi" she smiled putting the call on loudspeaker "Mrs Evans, can I help?" everyone sat listening to Janet's weak excuse for contact "Damn it Janet" she smiled at Rachel "I'm sure you know it's new year's eve" they sat listening to more fluffy conversation "Well from now on he doesn't work weekends, holidays and weekdays he finishes at 6pm unless he says otherwise, outside of those hours he's my husband, do we understand each other?"
"Anybody else want this thing, it seems to have some sort of power?" Sam took the teddy off his wife watching her close the call
"We've got fifteen minutes to midnight, grab the champagne" Tina ordered Mike
"Juice for Mercy and me" Sam called after him
"Hold up it's a group call" Tina smiled "I'm sending you to the TV screen" she told Blaine and Kurt, watching as Santana and Brittany joined too
"Hi everyone" Quinn's face and voice sending the room quiet "I just want to apologise for our behaviour over the holidays, and let you know we've sorted everything out now" she smiled at Puck's face appearing in the picture, everyone shaking their heads at the drama
"Not impressed with your foreplay guys" Sam told them
"I too have notes" Santana told them
"Here we go" Mike walked in with the drinks, waving at all the faces on the screen "Okay everyone, Five, Four, Three, Two, Happy New Year" they raised their glasses