Mercedes had been doing a great job pretending not to be distracted by everything that had happened. She had left her office to drop her billing statement off to finance on the third floor. Though she could email it, Mercedes liked to hand it in, in person. As she made her way back to her office, she froze, seeing her father at her desk. She said a silent prayer of thank you that she didn't bring any of her plans to work. If he knew what she was getting into, she would get an earful. "Dad, Is there a reason you are in my chair? In my office?"

He smiled and stood as she entered the room. "Do I need a reason to come visit my daughter?"

She placed her files onto her table and raised an eyebrow. "You haven't really made a habit of talking to me before. Color me shocked. So I can only assume you are here to talk about me wanting to use my inheritance."

"And to offer you a gift for your birthday," he smiled. He was an odd man, Mr. Jones. Impossible to read with a secret sadistic side.

Mercedes laughed, "Oh, you remembered my birthday is this weekend; how kind of you." She placed her hair behind her ears. "May I have my seat?"

He nodded. "Of course, Mercy. This is your office, love."

Once he was out of her seat, she sat down and sighed, "Okay, I will bite; what's the gift?"

"A vacation. You definitely deserve one." He was dancing around everything.

"A vacation? I have more than enough vacation time saved up, dad. Now, if we can talk about my inheritance, we can end this conversation."

"I do have the paperwork now. But there are a few... legal stipulations."

She sat up with a nod. "I am all ears."

He took a deep breath. "It comes in like an annuity. It's not going to come as all lump sum."

She raised her eyebrow. "What?" She grabbed the paperwork from inside of her desk. "There is more than a couple million in that account; how much are you trying to say I get a year?"

"About half a million a year over the next few years. Of course, that is broken down into smaller quarterly payments."

Mercedes laughed. "You love this. I have access to my money; you made it clear I do, but you, you love being in control, being able to tell me when I can get whatever I want. But see, the difference is you shouldn't have made me a Lawyer and a damn good one, Even if that is the case. I have been able to have access to my account since I was 21. Seeing as I am 28 now, that is 7 years I could have had access, so you can either grant me access to what I would have by now, or we can go to court and hash this out there." She hated when she had to play hardball, but in truth, she was his daughter.

The man stared at her for a few moments. "You are too smart for your own good, Mercedes," he replied, his words a bit short. "But be aware that what you say and do... in and out of court... can have a way of coming back to haunt you."

She smiled. "I am my father's daughter." His words struck a chord with him, and she frowned. "And what does that mean? I have been nothing but an upstanding part of this firm and a daughter that most men would be proud of,"

"I am very proud of you, Mercedes. I just want you to be careful, is all. There are some very powerful people out there, and I don't want you getting hurt."

She looked at him for a moment; she felt like maybe he did love her after all. But then, she bit her bottom lip. "Powerful people? Dad, I know I have put away some people who are not all that good, but I don't think they can find a way to hurt me."

He stared at her for another few moments. He did love his daughter, he always would, and she was getting tangled in something way over her head. "I know that, but I really just want you to be careful. But, unfortunately, I can't always be there to protect you."

She looked at him, and a part of her wondered if he knew what she was about to do. "Protect me from what, dad? Is there something you want to tell me or ask me?"

"I know," he replied cryptically. "And I need you to stop."

"You know what?" Of course, she challenged; she wasn't going to give anything up, but she sure as hell was going to fight as hard as she could.

"I know about him," he replied coolly. "And I'm telling you that it's not worth the shitstorm that's about to erupt."

Mercedes didn't let herself be phased; she just stared back at her father. She could play this one of two ways, but being coy was never her specialty. "He is worth it; he has always been worth it." She frowned. "And if you know about him, how could you let him be sent there."

"There are things that you do not understand, Mercedes. This is one of those things."

"Then help me understand it." She asked.

"I'm not in a position to do that. Just know that you're wading in dangerous waters."

"I won't stop. I love him."

"You don't love him," he replied simply. "You love the idea of him. He will use you for all he can and break your heart."

She laughed, "The only one who I have ever let break my heart was you. And he loves me too. He wouldn't hurt me. So I am not even doing this for me; I am doing it for him and his family."

He never understood why Mercedes spent so much time with them, to begin with. They didn't live the lavish lifestyle they did. They had nothing. "They're all using you."

"I had nothing back then for them to use, and I have given them nothing now. I will help him; I will make this right. It's the right thing to do."

"Is he really worth losing everything for?:

"What do I have?!" She took a deep breath. "Dad, I have to do this."

"You have the world at your feet, Merc! Don't throw that away for a man."

She stood from her chair. "He's not some man Dad, he's the man! I have loved him since I understood what love was, and I was ripped from him! And now I have a chance to be with him again. I can't take it."

He shook his head. "When he robs you of everything you have and breaks your heart, I'll be waiting to comfort you."

She stared at him and moved towards him. "So you will give me the money?"

"You are not giving me a choice."

She smiled softly, "I understand that you are trying to protect me, and it's a nice feeling, it really is, but I am trying to protect someone too."

"You're going to end up hurt." It wasn't a threat, but he truly believed his words.

"Like you said, if I do, then at least I have you to comfort me."

He sighed. "That's not what worries me."

Mercedes sat on the edge of the table. "Can you, can you please tell me what is going on?"

"They're gonna hurt you, Mercy. If you don't back off."

"Who? Dad, please. Because I am afraid that he is gonna get hurt if I don't help him." She sighed, "If someone you love was in there if I were in there, wouldn't you try to get me out?"

The man sighed. "That's above my pay grade."

"You didn't answer my question." She said softly.

"The Elite," he finally sighed. "It's dangerous to play games with them."

"I meant about me being there. Would you risk your life saving me?"

"Of course I would."

"So maybe you can understand why I have to do this."

"Family is different," he replied. "Is he worth dying for? Think long and hard about that."

"He may not be your family dad, but he's mine; he's always been mine. We lost touch, but he never left my heart. I would do anything for him, and he would do it for me." She said with no hesitation. "But I love dad; I love you so much for caring." And she did, even if it was 28 years after she was born

He hesitated. "I don't want to lose you too, sweetheart."

She leaned in and hugged her dad for the first time in as long as she remembered.

That shocked him a bit, but he slowly hugged her in return.

She pulled away from him and wiped her eyes. "How much about me do they know?"

"Far too much."

She nodded and sat back. "I should have known. Turning down that bastard River probably pissed him off."

"Be careful."

She nodded. "How do you know about the Elite Dad?"

"That is a long story to not be spoken of at work."

"You know I didn't go there in search of him. It was a gift, and when I got there, it all just spiraled out of control."

"That is none of my business, sweetie."

"It is; I didn't seek it out; I didn't even know it was him the girls stuck me in a room with...not until I went back because I wanted to help. I just needed you to know that."

"I understand."

"And if I have to leave, you will understand?" She asked softly.

"You've left me before, sweetheart."

Mercedes shook her head. "You sent me away. There's a difference."

"After that," he responded simply.

She frowned. "You had a new wife dad, you didn't need me around."

He sighed. "You never gave her a chance."

"What was the point. She wasn't mom. "

"She was never supposed to be your mother," he replied. "No one will ever be your mother."

She nodded, folding her arms against her chest. "Dad...did you know he was there? At The Elite?" she finally asked.

He lied through his teeth. "No, I did not. I haven't been there in years."

She wanted to believe him, and even if a part of her didn't, this breakthrough was enough to let her give him a little trust. "This was not the conversation I thought we would ever be having, but I am glad we did."

He nodded. "Me too." He paused for a moment. "Why don't you join us for dinner soon?"

Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Smiling, the man nodded. "Yes. Jessie would love to see you again."

Biting her bottom lip, she nodded. "Okay, maybe during the week sometime." She didn't know how long it would take to put her plan in motion so she would spend as much time with him as she could. "Have you decided if you are going to give me the money? I won't take you to court if you don't. I was just...being my father's daughter." She said honestly.

"We'll discuss over dinner." He glanced at his watch. "I have a meeting to get to."

She nodded. "Thanks for coming by, dad. And thank you for the early birthday wish; it was a nice change."

He offered her a smile. "Of course."

She moved over to her desk and watched him for a moment, not believing all of that just happened but feeling like maybe they just had a breakthrough.