AN: Thanks to all of the favorites, follows, and reviews I received last chapter. Sorry it has been so long since I have updated but life hasn't been treating me so kindly. Sorry for any mistakes I don't have a beta. Here's chapter eleven and please don't forget to review. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or the characters on the show.

CHAPTER 11: Stress Upon Stress

Three Months Later…..

Mercedes stared blinking wildly at the object in her hands. This can't be happening. She was in so much disbelief that she was speechless.

"They can't be serious." She said to herself, or so she thought.

"Who can't?" Sam asked entering their bedroom and she jumped startled by the sound of his voice. She didn't realize how deep in thought she was. She was staring down at the piece of mail in her hand. "Babe?" He tried again and when she didn't look up he took it upon himself to walk over to where she was sitting.

He removed the letter from her hands a look of concern and confusion on his face as he flipped the envelope over and saw an invitation.

You're cordially invited to attend the 30th Anniversary of Marriage for Benjamin and Elise Jones.

Saturday June 16th 2012

12pm-TBD

*Attendance is mandatory for all immediate family. Please contact Dayna Jones for any questions and to RSVP plus ones.

He noticed a small white slip of paper inside the envelope and removed it reading it with a chuckle.

Mede, Paco said you better have your butt there and to bring your new little play friend. We are all dying to meet the man that had you go slap off on Mama. That dick must be other worldly cause Mama all up in her feelings. Lmbao!

Day-Day

"Mede?" He asked still chuckling from the last sentence of that letter.

Mercedes head shot up when Sam said her nickname that only her siblings called her. "How do you know that name?" She wondered.

"This note was with the invitation." He held it up and she snatched it from his hands reading it with a horrified look on her face.

"Oh god, someone kill me now." She groaned and threw herself backwards on the bed.

Sam was full on amused by the situation and how cute she looked frustrated by the whole ordeal. "Hey, we don't want to hear none of that mess. We've been doing amazing since that run in with your parents and we aren't about to let a little invitation deter us."

Mercedes covered her face with her hands shaking her head wishing the bed would just swallow her whole. She knew he had a point, in fact they had been doing good, more than good, since the run in with her parents. Their relationship was better than it ever has been, and Sam even agreed to move in with her and Butterscotch. Work was going great for them both, Sam was selling artwork like crazy since opening his gallery. Mercedes was finally done with that big case involving the mafia and she and Harmony were even getting along much better.

"I know, it's just I don't want to go to this party but I'm afraid I'm going to have no other choice." She sighed into her hands. "Good thing one of us is off the hook, despite that little letter of Dayna's I'm not going to make you suffer with me baby."

"Too bad, so sad." Sam said removing her hands from her face and pulling her upwards. He moved her till she was facing him. "You and I are in this together boo. I told you, the moment you stood up for me against your mom you were stuck with me. So if you have to go face the wolves, so will I."

"Sam, I don't know…" she began but was cut off by him kissing her pouted lips.

"No debate, I'm going. If we just so happen to run into your mother we will be nice, say hello and then bounce as far away from her as possible. If that doesn't work, then I'll grab the mic which I'm sure they'll have one, and start doing impressions. I bet she'll leave us alone then."

Mercedes threw Sam a look and had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. He was dead ass serious about that last part. "I don't deserve you."

"No, it's me who doesn't deserve you, but I'm thankful for you every single day." He stated earning a smile from his girlfriend. "Now, I'm thinking we should have some kinky sex to get upcoming parties off our minds for as long as possible." He suggested running his hand down Mercedes' bare thighs.

"How kinky are we talking cause I did just purchase some fluffy new handcuffs…." she teased, pushing him back and straddling his lap. "Wanna see them?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Two weeks later….

"Sylvester & Schuester this is Harmony speaking, how may I direct your call? Look buster! This whole thing is played out! Stop calling here or I will have your ass thrown in jail!" Harmony yelled before slamming the phone shut.

"Again?" Mercedes asked looking up from her paperwork. "That's the fourth time today."

"I'm starting to get worried, they are getting worse." Harmony stressed.

Ever since the mafia case ended the calls began. The Cantone Family had been found guilty on all charges which had Sue and Will on high alert. Sue blamed Will for the whole thing citing that he let his personal life interfere with the task at hand and he dropped the ball. She didn't lie, his main job was to ensure there wouldn't be any surprise witnesses or evidence that the prosecutor could use against them. So when they called a former nanny to the stand who had also been having an affair with one of the body guards, Sue and Will knew it was a done deal. She gave them everything they needed to seal their fate.

Mercedes had to admit she was a little spook by the calls as well. The Cantone had a certain reputation and she knew they didn't fuck around. "I'm right there with you. Will and Sue need to do something and fast." Mercedes agreed.

The phone line rang again and both she and Harmony just stared at it. "I guess it's my turn." Mercedes sighed and picked up the line. "Law offices of Sylvester and Schue, Mercedes speaking, how may I direct your call?" She braced herself for the bullshit but the line was quiet.

"Hello?"

…

"Is anyone there?" She tried again.

"Your boss is a dead man. Heed the warning Sunflower. Be careful of the company you keep. Wouldn't want to be caught in the crossfire."

The line disconnected and Mercedes felt a chill drop down her spine. Seconds letter a loud crashing noise startled her and she was barely able to react before an object thrown through the glass window landed on the floor before her. She was too stunned to move. Her heart felt like it was in her throat as she gripped the receiver even tighter in her hand.

It was the sound of Harmony's shrieking that brought her out of her haze. She bent down picking up the item. It was a brick, heavy and large wrapped in tape. On one side it had the words 'count your days'. She turned it over and it was a picture of Will with his eyes blacked out.

"Hell to the no. Fuck this. I'm not about to die for Will's incompetence. I'm out." She handed the brick to Sue who appeared beside her, a large pistol in her hands. "This is some serious shit. I don't feel safe." Mercedes stated.

"Mercedes I know things have been a bit hectic." Sue tried to reason.

"Hectic?" Mercedes threw her boss an incredulous look. "You're calling this," she motioned to the scene in from of them, "hectic?"

"Okay maybe a bit more," Sue began but was cut off by Mercedes.

"The phone calls are one thing, the threatening emails, and notes stuck to our cars. Oh, not to mention the package that Harmony received address to Will that she still refuses to share what was in the box. The poor girl was scared to death Sue. I had to cradle her like an infant for half an hour before she finally calmed down."

"It was a pig's head." Harmony confessed, her voice low and terrified. "A very large pig's head. The eyes haunt me in my dreams."

"See? Fuck no, I'm not sticking around for this. He called me Sunflower. I wore a sunflower dress on my off day two days ago. I'm done." Mercedes finalized and continued packing her desk up.

"I'm out too." Harmony echoed. "They aren't after me, and from the sound of things Sue they aren't after you either. They're after Will. If you're smart, you'd leave too."

Sue had to admit the truth laid right out in front of her. She did her part and successfully. She was even working on a counter suit to get the charges appealed. Will hadn't even bother to show up to work since after the first day of calls came through. Why should their aides have to suffer if he was too cowardly to even show up to work his damn self? She sighed defeated as the two girls headed to the door.

"Wait! Let me at least escort you out with my gun in case someone is still lurking." She offered getting nods from them both.

0000000000000

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sam's brows were etched with worry as he held Mercedes on his arms.

"For the fourteenth time Sam I'm fine. Just a little spooked is all." Mercedes tried to reassure her boyfriend but the look on his face told her everything she needed to know.

He wasn't okay with her answer.

She loved Sam. She loved him before she even knew his name or they shared their first kiss. One thing she knew for certain he was a worry wart. She would chop that up to the fact that Sam loved with his whole heart, weak as it was, he gave his all. So when she finally let him in on what had been going on since the verdict, he was angry as hell at first but anger quickly turned to concern. He came home immediately after she called him and told her she quit her job. His face flushed as he made his way to their bedroom taking her into his arms where his hasn't released her since.

"I hear you saying you're fine but Mercedes this is dangerous."

"I know, which is why I got the hell out of there." She replied, looking down at their intertwined hands.

" I appreciate you recognizing how dangerous the situation was, and getting out of there immediately. I have to admit that I'm a little bit angry that you didn't get out of there when everything first start to happen. Things could've gotten a lot worse, you have to know that." His jaw was a little clenched, and she reached up and placed a calming hand on his cheeks.

"I know but a weird part of me felt I dunno, obligated to our other clients. Looking back I realize how stupid it was to even hang around when the wave of first calls came in. Hell Will didn't even stay. He's the one that got us into this mess in the first place." She shook her head.

"He's a fucking coward. If I see that slicked hair motherfucker I swear I'm going to sock him in that butt chin of his." Sam threatened eliciting a laugh from Mercedes. Sam looked down at her slightly annoyed. "This isn't funny Mercedes. I'm dead ass serious. He better hope the Cantones get to him first."

"Easy killer," Mercedes chuckled. She turned to where she was now straddling Sam's lap. Her hands going up around his neck, her fingers locking behind it. "I love you Sam. You make me so happy. You take all of my cares away. Promise me you'll never change." She kissed him deeply before he had a chance to reply.

Sam knew exactly what she was doing. Distracting him from worrying about her so much and for right now he would surrender but she was crazy as hell if she thought this conversation was anywhere near over.

00000000

It was the night before the party and Mercedes was nervous as hell. No matter how much Sam tried to calm her, and no matter how much they prepared for the craziness that was her family she was having doubts. Doubts about bringing Sam into that side of her world. It wasn't that she was ashamed of what they would think of him, but more so she wanted to protect him from them. Her family could be ruthless, extra, a bit on the judgmental side. Hell who was she kidding a lot on the judgmental side. She knew Sam could handle himself, he proved that with their encounter with her Mother. He was the best thing going in her life right now and she didn't want anything to ruin it. She felt protective over him and she was trying to mentally prepare herself to drag any and everyone who so much as came incorrect when approaching Sam.

"You're thinking so loud right now." Sam spoke into the darkness. They had been in bed for the night for about two hours and she could've sworn he was asleep. "Baby if this has anything to do with that party tomorrow I might just pop you."

"Ugh, you're supposed to be sleep." She rolled her eyes with slight annoyance.

"I was until you started thinking so loud. I'm sure half of the Upper East Side heard you. Not to mention the dramatic sighing." This earned Sam a jab to the shoulder which he replied with a chuckle. "Baby why are you so worked up?"

"I don't know Sam, probably because in less than 16 hours you'll be entering into the pit of despair." She stressed.

"Okay….so? I'm not the least bit nervous about meeting your family." Sam shrugged.

"That's part of the problem right there," she voiced. "You should be. I don't get how you're so damn calm about all of this. You witnessed first hand an encounter with just my mother and you see how hectic that was. This is my entire family. Aunts, Uncles, siblings, grandparents, cousins, you name it." She sighed for what felt like the fifteenth time rubbing her hands down her face.

Sam reached over and grabbed her hands kissing the inside of them near her wrist. She had the cutest pout on her face and all he wanted to do was kiss it away. He rolled over till he was on top of her hovering so he could see her face more clearly and she his. He was silent just breathing her in and like any other time before, he got lost in her. She was his, and even if things may had been uncertain before he would never have any other doubts. Especially since he had concerns about an entirely different thing. He decided he'd broach that with her once they survived tomorrow. He kissed her lips gently, then her nose, and lastly he placed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"I died." He said quietly.

"Huh?" Mercedes questioned.

"I died. Not once, but twice, and yet in still I am here. I'm alive. There could be no you, there could be no party, no meeting the family. Only a funeral and me no longer existing." He confessed. "So dealing with your parents and the rest of your folks doesn't scare me. Thoughts of dying before ever meeting you, that scares me. Not being able to have the life that I have been fortunate enough to have so far with you cause I could've stayed dead that night I had my heart attack, that petrified me. Thinking that if I don't get a heart, my future with you could get cut short, terrifies me. So if I have to suffer through a stuffy party while getting roasted by your family, I'll gladly do it. It's something else I get to share with you. You're the love of my life Mercedes. However short or long it may be. I want to be in it always with you. Good or bad. Beautiful or ugly."

"Oh it'll definitely be all of the above." Mercedes laughed inwardly. She wrapped her arms around Sam's neck bringing him down for a kiss. She wanted everything for him and with him. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been worried about if or ever Sam would find a donor heart. She wouldn't be able to take it if something happened to him. She'd lose her shit completely.

She pulled him closer sucking his bottom lip in her mouth showing him appreciation for just being him. He knew when and how to make her forget about any and every stressful thing. She poured her all into the kiss, deepening it as he opened up to her. It wasn't until air was really becoming a factor that she broke the kiss.

"I love you so much Sam Evans. You're my entire world baby." She said still trying to catch her breath. "You haven't been dealt the best hand and you still have the best outlook on things. You're truly one of a kind. Your heart is so full despite it all." She could feel tears threaten to prick her eyes and she blinked them back. "Make love to me?" She asked with a fiery passion in her eyes.

"Always," he replied.

AN: Next up is the party and I've already began writing that chapter so it shouldn't be too long before it's updated. All imma say is it's about to be some mess mess mess. Think I'm lying? Peep below…

Mercedes felt someone bump her knee under the table.

"NO. HE. DIDN'T." Her sister Dayna said a little too loud.

Just then the other seven pair of eyes looked up to where Dayna's line of vision was directed.

"He has some type of nerve bringing that heifer here. Of all places." Mercedes sneered.

"Bold as fuck." Her big brother Jr. chimed in.

"Pops is going to lose his shit." The youngest Jones sibling stated.

"Don't say shit." The four oldest said in unison but never took their eyes off of the couple walking in the venue.

"Uncle Ramsey, so nice of you to join us." Dayna stood greeting her uncle on her mother's side. She ignored the female that accompanied him.

"Let me show you to your table." Dayna offered.

"Hey kids! Man it's good to see you all. Your folks sure know how to throw a party huh?" He greeted the table.

"Uncle Ramsey," they all said in unison again each eyeing him and his plus one up and down.

"You guys remember Roz don't you?" Their uncle introduced his date.

"How could we forget her. We've practically seem just about all of her." Elijah said mumbling the last part to himself but not quiet enough.

"Oh look at that more guest coming in. Really let's get moving towards that table." Dayna interrupted practically pulling her uncle from the table.

Sam looked over to Mercedes confused as ever. "What was that about?" He whispered.

"Uncle Ramsey is….." she hesitated not sure of the right word to use.

"A dog," Jr. interjected.

"Snake," Duncan added.

"Trifling as hell." Elijah stated adding his two cents.

"I was trying to be nice but yeah he's all that and more. That woman he was with is trouble." Mercedes said.

"I mean this in the most sincere way possible but was she a, um…you know." Sam pondered.

"A hoe," Duncan finished.

"Stripper, was the word I was going to say." Sam blushed.

"Yep, she sure is or was till she got her claws into our Uncle and destroyed his marriage." Mercedes answered. "Uncle Ramsey was married to our Aunt Evelyn, she's our favorite Aunt. He began an affair with Roz and Roz being the dirty bitch she is exposed the affair in hopes it would end their marriage which it did." Mercedes' began explaining.

"So Aunt Evie was crushed naturally but we loved her so much we wanted her to stay around so we would continue to invite her to family gatherings and she'd come." Elijah picked up where Mercedes left off. "That's when she grew close with our other Uncle, Zeke."

"Our father's brother." Mercedes inputted.

"Two years later and Auntie Evie has married herself right back into the family." Jr. laughed and his siblings joined him.

"Interesting," was all Sam could say with a shake of his head.

"Oh this about to be more than interesting," Dayna said walking back up to the table. "Look who just arrived."

The group turned their heads just as another couple approach their table.

"Uncle Zeke, Aunt Evie!" Dayna said way more chipper than she meant to. "Follow me I have just the table for you." She said with an evil grin and led them in the same direction as Uncle Ramsey and Roz.

To be continued…..tdminor86