This chapter is pure fluff and literally the calm before the storm.

-Kela-mae: I hate her family too! Forewarning, they get worse.

-Mottwatts87: You are right lol

A Ball of Fire and Ice

Sam stood in the corner nursing his third scotch, he made his rounds like Stacey demanded and now he was itching to leave. Every business owner was there and they all had on different shades of colors that matched the theme… well kinda.

"Samuel Evans, why are you huddled off in this corner?" Roz Washington, the local crafts store owner asked. She was a tall woman with blonde hair and a big personality. Sam may have disliked a ton of people but he liked Roz for some reason.

"I was trying to stay hidden so no one would talk to me…" He answered with a half smile.

Roz rolled her eyes. "Honey, I saw those lips from a mile away and that suit is too flashy to be hidden." She quipped, Sam chuckled hoarsely.

"What made you pick white?" He asked right as he saw Marley Rose walk in, along with Santana who made him shake his head because she was wearing fire engine red and then he saw Mercedes.

"... because I'm pure." Roz concluded before realizing he wasn't even listening to her anymore.

Sam eyed Mercedes and realized she was wearing the same colors that he was but she wore it significantly better. He took in her complete look, admiring how the green and gold made her skin glow and how her curly hair danced in the bun with the gold flecks. He forced himself to look away when his thoughts began shifting from pure admiration to wondering if her skin felt as soft as it looked.

"Wow, she looks stunning! She pulls that color off better than you." Stacey said teasingly, Sam looked over at her wondering when she approached him.

"Well, if I had been able to wear black this wouldn't be a topic now would it?' He asked and Stacey snickered.

"Stevie's wearing black, see." She replied pointing over to where their brother was, Sam noticed he was going over towards Mercedes.

"Have you… has he been off to you?" Sam asked seriously and Stacey looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked and Sam shook his head, not wanting to ruin either of their nights.

"Nothing." He answered, looking back at Mercedes who was now talking to Stevie. "Excuse me." He said before walking towards his brother.

"So you're the little witch that my brother has been angry over?" Stevie asked and Mercedes smirked.

"Didn't realize your brother spoke so highly of me." She quipped and Stevie smiled.

"Oh I understand it now… you're like him with the dry and somewhat dark humor. I was confused as to why he could be so angry at someone as gorgeous as you…"

Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "Mhm and yet you seem to be nothing like him or did you get the flattery gene while he got… whatever he got."

"Oh I like you." Stevie said, chuckling. "And to answer your question, I'm the better, more exciting version of my brother."

"You'll have to forgive my brother, he inherited the Evans arrogance gene, which is why his head is so massive." Sam said from behind Mercedes.

She turned and looked at him, looking him over and realizing they were basically dressed to compliment each other's colors. The flecks of gold in his jacket made his eyes look like green sparkling pools, she scanned over his face taking in his freshly shaven jaw before looking away when they finally made eye contact.

"I highly doubt he inherited it all." She said, taking a sip of her drink, peering at him through her lashes.

The corners of his lips quirked. "Considering how you're dressed, shouldn't you be brewing something in your cauldron?" He asked.

She looked away, scuffing. "If only I knew a spell to rid my presence of vampires…" She remarked as Marley, Tina and Stevie all shared amused looks.

Santana looked at them before smirking. "Seems lips has found someone that piqued his interest." She muttered to Tina.

"I'm honestly surprised he's still here… and who would've thought they'd choose the same colors." Tina replied, noticing a sly smirk cross the woman's face. "What did you do?"

Santana shrugged. "Maybe I called Stacey to see what color he was wearing then told Kurt…" She replied. "I had a feeling they had some form of something even if it's tiny…"

Tina shook her head. "Mercedes is private and so is Sam so maybe they just have a bond over that fact… besides, Sam Evans does not date."

"Who said anything about them dating? This is just for my amusement, look at them." Santana said, nodding over to them and sure enough they were both standing there painfully trying to avoid making eye contact.

"Wow… they look like two teenagers who have a crush on each other."

"Mhm and what's crazy is that neither of them seem to notice." Marley chimed in.

"Attention! Hi everyone! Thank you for coming out to our annual Colors Ball! We have some new exciting businesses coming to the great town of Stowe! Also want to shine some light on one of our newest residents who has taken on the task of reopening the old Schuester Bookshop, Mercedes Jones!" Stacey said, raising her glass in Mercedes' direction.

Mercedes smiled, raising her glass back in acknowledgement. "Thank you." She said softly.

"Also while we're on the topic, Ms. Jones has let me in on when she plans to open and she's planning a huge reopening event that will happen in ONE WEEK!"

Everyone cheered and Mercedes felt a twinge of excitement over how happy everyone was about the bookshop being reopened. She smiled looking over her shoulder seeing Sam standing there with his brows furrowed before he raised his glass to her with a sharp nod.

"Congratulations on stealing that place from up under my brother." Stevie said toasting her glass. "He hates to lose so I will forever be on your side."

Mercedes giggled. "You are certainly unpredictable." She quipped.

Stevie smirked. "Well how about you let me take you to dinner sometime so you can find out just how unpredictable I can be." He asked boldly and Mercedes was taken aback by his boldness not sure what to say back.

"I… I would need to think about that." She replied bashfully.

"Don't think too long." He said smiling before excusing himself.

"Don't do it." Sam said, making her turn around. "He's my brother and I love him but he will ruin you."

Mercedes tilted her head. "Ruin me how?" She asked but instead of him answering, he just walked away and she shrugged it off.

The rest of the event, Mercedes spent it with her friends and mingling with the other business owners. She learned that Roz and her husband Miguel stumbled upon Stowe accidentally a few decades ago and never left. She met Terri Shuester who was married to Will for a brief time before they divorced and he married Emma. Terri was an interior designer that owned a series of chain stores called Sheets and Things.

She finally met Noah's wife Lauren and immediately knew she liked her but for some reason, she and Santana had a long listing beef between them. She didn't ask why but she did find it slightly amusing that every so often Lauren would shoot daggers at the Latina.

"Oh honey, you look absolutely breathtaking." Blaine said when she finally made her way to him.

"Thanks… you look pretty good yourself." She said, taking in his purple three piece suit. It was tailored to fit him perfectly and the pants stopped right at his ankles. He paired the suit with black shoes and a slightly darker purple bow tie.

He blushed. "Thanks, I take Kurt dressed you?"

She nodded. "He did… you know he's staying in town for a few more days." She nudged him and he sighed.

"I know… he came into the music shop looking for sheet music and told me."

Mercedes smiled. "Oh really?"

He chuckled. "Yes really, I was brave and asked him for coffee and he said yes… we're going tomorrow."

"See I told you he was into you."

"You did." He agreed. "So you and Sam Evans?"

She looked at him confused before shaking her head. "God no, I mean… no… he… we're just… I didn't know he was wearing this color." She stammered and Blane snickered.

"I was only asking…" He said, right as a flash went off making them both blink.

"Thanks." The photographer said walking by and Mercedes shook her head.

"What.. what is that for?" She asked Blaine.

"Oh this event is heavily photographed for our local paper." He answered, pulling his phone out and showing her the pictures from the previous year. "See this was last year."

Mercedes looked at the pictures nodding. "Oh so just a local thing?"

"Mhm, they'll send you copies. All the business owners get galleries from the night." He replied. "Excuse me, gotta check the piano. You should really consider singing with me."

She smiled and shook her head. "No, but I will be front to hear you sing."

He nodded before walking away, right as another flash went off. Mercedes winced, hating having her picture taken. "Please no more of me."

The photographer just nodded then headed towards the other side of the venue.

"I thought witches loved having their pictures taken." Sam said, walking up beside her, holding two flutes of champagne offering her one.

She took the flute. "I guess you're used to this but what I don't get is why they bother taking pictures of you if it's going to be blank." She snarked, taking a sip. "You also have the stalking and hiding in dark places down."

"Are you going to accept my brother's invitation?" He asked, catching her off guard.

"I hadn't thought about it… why? Big vampire jealous of his little vampire brother?" She teased and he frowned.

"There's nothing to be jealous of, I'm not remotely interested in you. I just figured asking since he's going to expect an answer."

Mercedes scuffed. "Rude vampire."

He smirked, taking a sip of his drink intentionally stepping into her line of sight as a flash went off.

He turned his head, narrowing his eyes at the photographer. "She asked not to be photographed again."

"I.. sorry Mr. Evans. We just needed a photo of the two of you.."

"Well that won't-"

Mercedes moved around Sam. "It's okay… I'll take the picture." She said with a nervous smile. Sam looked at her before nodding to the photographer to make it quick.

"Thank you Ms. Jones. Okay on three say cheese!" The photographer said and the both gave small smiles before the photographer quickly walked away.

"Well, I can't wait to see the picture. Surely this will be the proof I need to expose your true self." She said and he smiled fully.

"Assuming you're even in it, how do I know this isn't a disguise?" He countered.

"You think I would pick this body?"

He looked her over before looking back at her face and shrugged. "It's a decent vessel." He replied and she felt herself blushing.

"As far as vampires go, you don't look terrible yourself."

"Sam it's time." Stacey said before smirking after realizing she might've interrupted something. "Or it can wait."

Sam shook his head. "No, I want to get this over with so I can get out of this stuffy thing." He said walking towards the stage.

Mercedes walked over to where Tina and Mike were sitting and sat in the vacant chair. "What's about to happen now?"

"The winner of the colors is about to be announced and then it's basically an open bar until everyone leaves." Tina replied.

"Ah, hello so it's time for a winner to be announced." Sam said into the mic before grabbing the card from his sister.

He opened it and shook his head. "She's not even dressed appropriately…" He muttered. "The winner is Santana Lopez."

Everyone laughed and cheered because according to Mike this had been an ongoing joke to annoy Sam.

"You see, she wears red every year except when we did shades of red. That year she wore white, the committee votes for her every year." Mike explained and Mercedes laughed.

"I take the town finds joy in annoying him?" She asked.

Tina shook her head. "Only for this event, the committee steers clear of him… much like everyone else. Well except for Santana, she finds joy in irking his nerves."

"Oh… I see." Mercedes said, looking over at the stage where Sam was presenting Santana with a check.

"Are you going to stay for drinks?" Tina asked her.

"No, I have an early morning finishing up the last minute details. You should come and see the bookshop! I can do a soft opening for you all."

Mike smiled. "Just tell us what time!"

Mercedes stood, giving Tina a hug. "I'll text you, enjoy your night." She said before heading out.

"I think that's the last of it." Noah said as she placed the final book in its place.

Mercedes smiled looking over at a now completed shop. "I can't believe it's done." She replied, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She had been up with his team since five, putting all the finishing touches on her bookshop. All of the big furniture was placed, the books arrived and painting was done. She made sure to add in some hidden gems from some of her favorite books, she added quotes all around the shop.

The stage was adored with beams and starry lights, she was gifted a piano and guitar from Blaine. She placed plush white and black chairs with small tables that had candle like lamps in the center. There was a fireplace shaped like a tree with books adorning the nooks, she wasn't entirely sure if she'd ever light it but she was assured by Noah that it wouldn't spread or catch fire.

"You think it's good enough for a soft open?" She asked him and he sighed.

"The wiring for the sound system needs tweaking but other than that, yes but I would keep it small." He suggested.

She smiled. "Thank you for everything…" She said walking over and hugging him for the first time ever. "You've been a huge help."

Noah smiled, hugging her back. "No worries, just when you decide to steal another business from Evans, I get dibs." He teased.

She chuckled, shaking her head. "I will definitely have you on speed dial."

After Noah and his team left, she walked around her shop wishing she could tell her grandmother about this. She made sure to add in a tiny piece of her grandmother throughout the shop as well. They both enjoyed the Harry Potter series, Matilda and the Chronicles of Narnia series. Out of all of those, her favorite was The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. They would read it around Chritsmas time and when the movie was made, they would watch it with hot chocolate.

She walked over to a section of the shop solely dedicated to that memory. It took a lot of haggling but she found the perfect wardrobe that reminded her of the one from the movie. She had Noah hide a staircase in it and it led up to her own nook. She started to go up when she heard the chimes of the door open and walked towards the front.

"We're not open." She said before frowning. "Which you already knew…"

Sam shrugged. "I wanted to see it before everyone else, sue me." He said, looking around.

"I'm doing a soft opening, I guess I'll invite you." She said, stopping him from pulling a book from the shelf. "These are first editions…"

He looked at her before walking further inside, nodding his approval. "I like what you did with the stage, it's almost like a separate place within the shop."

Mercedes smiled. "Yeah? I made a few themed sections to highlight my favorite books and series…" She said walking over to where she had the Harry Potter series on display. "Me and my nana read these together and watched the movies… well most of them." She added.

Sam looked at the area, seeing her attention to detail and nodded impressed that she was able to make one section feel like it was a completely different world. She had the different houses as bookshelves with memorabilia matching each house.

"Which one are you?" He asked and she looked up at him confused. "Which house?"

"Oh… Hufflepuff, you?"

"Slytherin but for a short time I was Gryffindor." He answered and she snorted.

"Everyone assumes Gryffindor is all light and goodness but it's not… but Slytherin fits you."

He smirked. "How far did you two get?"

Mercedes sighed, walking towards the children's section. "We got to The Half-Blood Prince, she died before the last two came out." She said, picking up one of the teddy bears sitting at the table. "I still haven't seen how it ends…"

Sam looked at her carefully, seeing the sadness in her eyes. "Well, considering you're a witch I understand your connection to the series. But you not finishing it is a crime, even I watched it."

She shook her head with a soft smile. "Why do you think I'm a witch, vampire? Are you a Twilight fan?" She teased, walking over to the YA section with him in tow. "We have all the books and movies, I can offer you a discount."

Sam grabbed one of the books, skimming through before looking back at her. "Could you make a sale today?" He asked, seriously.

"Ah… I… yeah." She said getting choked up.

"Then I'll take the whole collection with the movies." He said, pulling out his wallet and handing her his card. "I do expect it to be wrapped." He added pointing to the signage stating all large orders would be wrapped.

She smirked. "Would you like Twilight paper or black like your soul?" She asked, grabbing the items and walking towards the register.

"I want the full experience." He quipped, following her.

She nodded, ringing him up and smiled once her first transaction was completed. She looked at the screen for a while longer before handing him his card back. "Well vampire, you are officially the first person to buy from Elise's Place."

Sam chuckled. "So that's what you decided to name it?"

"Mhm, that was my nana's name." She replied pulling out black wrapping paper to wrap his items. "She actually gave me the idea about wrapping books."

"Really now?"

Mercedes nodded. "We used to exchange them as gifts and she would always require them to be wrapped. She always said a good book deserves to be presented as a gift."

Sam leaned against the counter watching her before walking over to where she was and grabbing a piece of paper. "My mother was the same way… she used to wrap everything, even made me learn to do it." He said, wrapping the box collection of movies.

Mercedes watched, smiling before giggling when he ripped the paper. She shook her head, grabbing his hands stopping him. "You're too rough, here." She said, grabbing another piece and placing it down.

She grabbed his hands and guided them while they wrapped the box perfectly. "Just gotta go slow." She said looking up and seeing that he was looking at her.

"You are a little witch." He said, looking down at her lips then back up to her eyes. "Beautiful witch."

Mercedes blushed, starting to look away but he stopped her by turning her to look back at him. He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers, kissing her softly. Mercedes was caught off guard before standing on her toes and kissing him back, reveling in how soft his lips felt. Sam smiled against her lips, wrapping his arm around her waist and deepening it before making himself stop.

"Shit, sorry I…" He stammered and she just smiled.

"Don't be. Everyone should kiss a vampire once in their lives."

He chuckled, leaning down and kissing her again before grabbing his items. "I look forward to the grand opening." He said walking towards the exit. "Oh and these better be good." He added before walking out.

Mercedes smiled, biting her lip realizing that was the first time she'd been kissed in years and it made her feel giddy inside. She quickly walked around making sure everything was in place before locking up and walking to her car, right before she reached it she ran into the photographer from the colors ball.

"Ms. Jones, I was just about to deliver this to you!" He said, handing her a black portfolio.

"Ah… thanks." She said before getting into her car, opening the book when immediately taking in a sharp breath and shook her head reading the note that was inside.

See you soon, sis.

They are so cute! And yes the drama is about to start.

I want to say this now the next chapter is very VERY dark. There will be a trigger warning!