TW: ABUSE

It had been a single week and there was no sign of Matt or Karen-Jean. After Matt got rocked by Sam they were informed that the pair left the town that day on their private plane. However, Mercedes knew they weren't done with her or Iris. If anything, they were planning for something more significant to ensure that Mercedes returned. She had been on edge all week, sleeping with her gun on her nightstand, and locking all the windows. She was even afraid to send Iris back to school, but she knew she couldn't put her daughter's life on hold because of her psycho relatives. She just wished everything could go back to normal.

Sam saw Mercedes's going over a patient's chart, and knew on the inside she was fighting a battle inside her mind. She had been on edge for weeks, and he could tell that it was affecting Iris to the brink. Everyone stopped surprising the little girl when they picked her up because she would always jump and cower, and it didn't help that she got nervous to hold an adult's hand now. He wanted to do something special for the two, so he was going to invite them for a small getaway, to hopefully relax their minds and thoughts.

"Hey, babe, how are you today?" Sam greeted her as he gave her a kiss.

"Uh, fine, just trying to make it through the day," She answered glumly.

"You afraid they are going to come back aren't you?" He replied back

"Oh they are coming back that's not a doubt in my mind, I just don't know what they will do to make us go back?"

"You don't have to, you have your own life, both you and Iris."

"No, we don't. We aren't allowed to have our own lives unless it perfectly coincides with theirs, and besides-." Mercedes stopped when her phone pinged with a message. She pulled out and went to her messages. Her mouth dropped when she saw Iris in the backseat of a car with tape over her eyes and tears covering her face, and what looked to be a bruise on her cheek. Then the message read, "if you want her back you know what to do."

"No, no, no," Mercedes cried.

"What's wrong, what happened?" Sam questioned confused as to why Mercedes started running for the entrance.

"They took her, they must have gotten to her when she was at school, and they have her, they took my baby Sam." Mercedes cried out. She looked around frantically and noticed that they weren't in the parking lot, so they had to be at her home. She quickly got into her car, ignoring Sam, because her main focus was getting to her daughter. She put the car in drive and slammed on the gas hoping that she would make it to her house in time. When she made it there she noticed the black SUV in the driveway, she parked the car and got out, and just as she did they pushed Iris onto the ground but a security guard was there holding the girl tight so she wouldn't run. Then Matt and Karen-Jean exited the car with smug smirks on their faces.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE, SHE IS AN INNOCENT FIVE-YEAR-OLD, AND YOU USE HER AS LEVERAGE TO FORCE US BACK TO NEW YORK!?" Mercedes screamed out in a rage.

"And we told your ass to get back to New York, and you didn't not once, now you have pissed both Matt and us off, and most of all your father, and he'll want a word when we get there," Karen-Jean replied.

"Iris and I are not going anywhere with you," Mercedes spoke standing her ground

"Mercedes, you know I am not far above hurting children, but I will get your ass on that damn plane. You know what never mind, Matt change her mind." Karen-Jean sighed. Matt stalked over to Mercedes and she stepped back, before she knew Matt had punched her clean in her face causing her to fall to the ground. She heard Iris's muffled scream, but her vision was blurred. She made out Matt squatting her over.

"Now I can make this really hard for you, or you can just come with us. The choice is yours." Matt hissed. Mercedes decided that the safest thing for her to do was to put her pride on the side.

"I'll go," She whispered, feeling sick to her stomach as the words came out.

"Good, real good. Mama Jean bring the second car around she said she is coming with us." Matt shouted to her mother. Karen-Jean sent a message on her phone and just like that, a second car came around. She grabbed Iris from the guard and yanked the tape from her mouth causing the little girl to shout, but she ran to her mother after it was all said and done.

"This car is going to have two men in the passenger and driver seat, and there will be some stuff in the back so you can clean yourselves up. See you on the plane," explained Karen-Jean. Just then a swarm of cars pulled up which meant that Sam had called for backup. He exited the door and ran to Iris and Mercedes.

"I came as soon as I could, are you both ok?" Sam asked concern riddling his eyes.

"S-Sam, it's over we have to go back."

"W-What no, we can work something out."

"No, Sam listen to me," Mercedes said ignoring her voice breaking, "They are powerful people, if I stayed it would only be worse on everyone and here, and I can't do that. Thank you for the help, the friendship, and the relationship but I have to go back, and it would be different if it was just me, but I have Iris to think about now. I'm sorry Sam." Tears dropped from his eyes and Iris went and gave him a hug, as Artie, Santana, and Quinn came towards them.

"I'm gonna miss you, Mr. Sam," She whispered.

"I'm gonna miss you too, bug," He whispered back. Mercedes turned to her friends who all had tears in their eyes.

"I love you guys, and please, please don't do anything it will only make everything worse," She whispered to them as they pulled her into a hug.

"We'll help you get out of there Mercy, just please don't shut us out," Quinn replied softly.

"MERCEDES WRAP THIS SHIT UP SO WE CAN GO!" Matt screamed at her. She gave her friend sad eyes and let Iris hug her aunts and uncle before they walked off the second SUV. Once they were settled in the car pulled off, and all of their friends saw Iris waving back at them with sad sad eyes.

"We are going to get them back right?" Artie began breaking the long silence.

"Yeah, because I am not leaving my best friend and her kid with those damn monsters," Santana growled.

When they had arrived on the plane Mercedes and Iris decided to sit in a secluded corner of chairs. Matt and Karen-Jean tried to talk with Iris but she stayed quiet and wrapped around her mother the whole time, even when she fell asleep. Mercedes wanted to fall asleep but she was worried about what might happen when she did besides, her father was going to be a whole other issue.

Markus Jones was the epitome of evil. He barely did anything with Mercedes when she was growing up, only interacting with her when it was to spank her, hit her, or do anything else that involved him berating her, or hurting her. When she was old enough to get away she enjoyed the freedom of it all but it was cut short, because her dad was having guards tail her consistently and report back to him, which caused him to stop paying for her tuition, and all of her bills. Then when she was pregnant, he basically told her to get rid of it because she and Matt weren't married and he insisted he wanted nothing to do with the baby. It also didn't happen that he seemed like Scar in human form, with a large scar slicing from his eyebrow to his mouth. He was evil on the outside, and evil on the inside as well.

When the plane finally landed there were two cars, and of course Mercedes and Iris got in their own car while Matt and Karen-Jean got in their own. Mercedes could tell that by the familiar surroundings that they were heading back to the main estate. That place held too many bad memories, and she wasn't sure if she could handle it anymore. When they finally made it to the large house she carried Iris in and took her upstairs to her old bedroom. Nothing had changed it looked the same as it did in high school, most likely because her parents wanted nothing to do with it. She placed a still-sleeping Iris in the bed and left the room making sure to lock the door behind her since she was the only one who had the secret key to unlock it. Deciding to face this new torture head she headed down to her father's office. The house was still cold, and eery and it didn't help that the marble floor gave away her every move. When she arrived at the office she knocked on it and then entered.

"Well, well, if it isn't my little daughter, who thought she could run away with my granddaughter, and be happy." Markus sneered.

"Why the hell do you want me and my daughter here?" Mercedes replied.

"Because people been asking about you, people remember you and her, and I need you both here to get the family name back in good graces," Markus answered.

"Ok, so telling them that I had fled the country to Europe for charity work, and internal renovation was no longer working." Mercedes bit back.

"You fucking bitch, I give you everything and this is how you repay?"

"You've never given me a damn thing in my life, and the only reason I am here is for my daughter because if she wasn't a factor I wouldn't be looking your ass in the face." Markus's eye twitched and Mercedes knew what was going to happen next. She clenched her fists at her side and shut her eyes as she felt the devasting blow towards her face. Her face felt red and hot but before she could fully compose herself she felt her father's hands wrap around her neck and push her up against the wall.

"You disrespect me again, and I promise I'll do my worse," He hissed, he let go and Mercedes fell to the ground sputtering and coughing, "Now get the hell out of my office."