Yall were supposed to get an update long ago lovebugs but so much happened.

Anyways here is the time jump. Enjoy lovebugs. ;)

1 YEAR LATER

It had been a remarkable year for Ms. Jones. She graduated from therapy and now had the tools in her back pocket to keep succeeding in life again. Will had been in custody and his court date was just a few months away where she would be giving the victim impact statement and testifying against him, and she was back in Michigan where she was running the club Luxe Deux. The difference between the old Luxe and the new one was the complete interior decorating. In the beginning, the colors were dark tones of black and grey with a spot of gold, but this time there were dark reds with complimenting browns, the customers were screened more, and most importantly the girls were safe.

Not only that but now she was in a partnership with the Unholy Trinity. They each had 25% of the company which was fair considering the fact that they had been running the place while Mercedes was back home with her mother and Roz. They kept the place running and afloat which she was more than grateful for. Not only that but they kept the new girls safe and kept an eye out for the men so there were no more Will situations. Then another change was that they stopped exchanging information with Evans. They stood firm on the belief that if they wanted information they would simply need to get it themselves.

Mercedes herself had changed for the better. Her triggers were identified, she wasn't afraid and most of all she gained her confidence back. She was currently on her way out to an old friends' engagement party. Instead of pulling a boring look, she decided on long ginger curls that flowed down her back with a black cotton dress, some thigh-high boots, and a leather jacket. She paired on a pair of golden earrings and she was ready to take on the night.

The party was at this private restaurant that was rented out specifically for the event. She fluffed her hair out one more time before making it inside. She signed the guestbook and looked around before spotting the person the party was here for.

"Hi Quinnie," Mercedes greeted her.

"Mercedes, hi, baby you look gorgeous I am loving the new hair," Quinn replied.

"Awe well, thank you, and congratulations again on the engagement, you and Puck are perfect for each other," Mercedes answered.

Puck interrupted the two, "That we are, and hello Mercedes, and if you are ever interested in a threesome just let me know,"

"No thank you Puck," Mercedes laughed as she hugged him.

"Awe maybe next time then," Puck replied.

"Ignore him, we have to make our rounds, but head to the bar though and drink and eat," Quinn replied. Mercedes smiled and took her advice and made her way over to the bar. She sat down on one of the stools and ordered a nice dry martini, the waiter passed her the drink and Mercedes said thanks as she settled into her phone. She was scrolling on Instagram when she felt someone bump into her back.

"Oh shit I am sorry," The man said.

"Oh no problem," Mercedes replied as she swiveled around and looked.

"Sorry I am normally not this.. clumsy. Mercedes," Sam said. Mercedes knew seeing Sam was a possibility and she was prepared to see him again, he looked good. He was hitting the gym more and he cut his hair while growing a small beard. He still looked as sexy as ever.

"Hi Sam," She said.

"Hi, shit how long have you been back?"

"Um, a few months I just got settled in," Mercedes answered.

"Well you look amazing, I love the hair,"

"Thank you."

"Mercedes I-," Sam's sentence was interrupted when a perky brunette called out his name as she walked over to him.

"There you are, Puck and Quinn wanted to know if you were ready to give your speech babe?" She said.

"Um yeah, of course, Jordan this is Mercedes, Mercedes this is Jordan, my fiancee," Sam said quietly.

Mercedes didn't let the news bring any emotion from her she simply smiled and placed her hand out for Jordan to shake, "Pleasure to meet you,"

"Likewise, well c'mon baby we gotta go," Jordan said as she pulled Sam away. Mercedes swiveled back to the bartender asking for something a bit stronger. She grabbed her new drink and headed in the direction where the speeches were going.

"Thank you all for coming out to support the new couple first off. Puck I never thought that I would see the day that you would be engaged, but I guess Quinn finally got you to calm down. I am proud of you man, you have grown tremendously and I can not wait to see what this new marriage is going to bring for you. I know that it will always take a special woman to tame one of us down," Sam said as he locked eyes with Mercedes, "All I know is you better not break her heart or she is going to break your balls. Anyways congratulations you two. To Puck and Quinn."

"To Puck and Quinn," Everyone repeated. Mercedes slowly made her exit and headed outside. She didn't know that seeing Sam with a new woman would make her react like this, and a part of her would have hoped he waited, but she knew she practically pushed him away. She sucked in the cold air and let the breeze flow through her veins as she tried to calm her nerves.

"Mercedes," Sam called out to her as he walked over to her.

"Congratulations, she looks great, you two make a pretty nice couple," Mercedes answered.

"Mercedes, I didn't know you would be here tonight."

"What you thought I wouldn't come to support my two friends on their engagement?"

"No that's now what I meant, I just I was taken aback,"

"Sam, I am happy for you, you don't have anything to be ashamed about. When we ended it was my decision I have been gone for a year I never expected you to be single till I was ready," Mercedes said assuringly.

"I know, I know but fuck you are back truly back."

"Sam you should go in there and be with your fiancee,"

"But you are here in front of me," Sam replied as stepped closer unbeknownst to Mercedes.

"Sam we can catch up later I promise-," Mercedes's words were cut off when Sam placed his lips on hers. Everything in Mercedes's brain screamed for her to step away. For God's sake, she was kissing an engaged man, this shouldn't feel so good, but fuck it did. Her heart wanted, no, needed this. She pulled him closer by the lapels of his shirt as he slid his hands on her lower back. This was everything she missed about Sam. The passion, the intimacy, knowing she was the only one in the world that mattered to him. When Sam placed his hand on the nape of Mercedes's neck she started pulling on the strands of his hair causing him to growl in her mouth lowly, which she matched with a low moan. He backed her up against a car started kissing at her neck.

The click of the door caused the two to break apart and Mercedes jumped down as quickly as she could and fixed herself, as Sam fixed his clothing and wiped the lipstick from his face.

"There you are I was looking for you inside," Jordan said as she walked over to them and kissed Sam on the lips.

"Yeah I was just catching up with Mercedes," Sam answered as he looked at her as she smiled and looked normal.

"Oh ok, well are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, uh let's go,"

"Great, it was lovely meeting you Mercedes,"

"Likewise Jordan, and congrats again on your engagement," Mercedes said sweetly. She walked to her car and quickly pulled off not wanting to think about anything at the moment.

It took about five months for Sam to even entertain women again after Mercedes had left. He buried himself in the speakeasy, and the restaurant and tried to make sure all loose ends were tied up. Jordan was one of the new waitresses and she was a great gal to be around. She made Sam laugh, and think, and he enjoyed being around her, and he did love her that is why he proposed a few months after they initially met. He thought he loved her and that she was for him until Mercedes came back.

Granted Mercedes was always going to have a piece of Sam's heart he thought that he had moved on, but the moment he saw her he knew he was in deep shit. He was still in love with her, he still wanted to hold her, touch her, kiss her, make love to her. That's why he kissed her in that parking lot. He knew was in the wrong and that as an engaged man who was supposed to be married in a few short weeks that he should have never put either of them in that situation. But he couldn't help himself. He needed to know if Mercedes still felt the fireworks and by the ways of that kiss she still did.

"That party was great right babe," Jordan said as they walked around their bedroom and started getting dressed for bed.

"Yeah it was something, I can't wait for the wedding," Sam answered.

Jordan answered, "Yes, so I know we have everything squared away for our special day but I can't help but wonder is there any secret Evans family tradition I am missing out on,"

"Nope." Sam knew he was telling a bald-faced lie. Of course, there was the tradition that the bride go pick out the rings with the Evans father but truth be told that Dwight and Mary could not stand Jordan. They hated her in fact when Sam went to announce the engagement they begged him that it was a joke. They wanted him to end up with Mercedes but he had made his decision, so they simply stayed out of the way.

"Alright then, and babe what do you think about that Mercedes girl?"

Sam looked at her skeptically, "What about her?"

"There seems like there is some tension between the both of you. Like what was going on outside before I came out there?"

"Nothing J we were just catching up, I told you about her before remember."

"You told me you were engaged to her, but you never specified what the relationship was like or how you two ended."

"There was nothing to harp on when we are in past and you are my present and future."

"I am just a little concerned that is all," Jordan sighed.

"Just old friends catching up no harm no foul. Look I am going to hop in the shower and then we head off to bed," Sam suggested wanting to end all conversation of Mercedes.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck I can't believe I kissed him. Shit Mercedes he is engaged what the hell were you thinking?" Mercedes said to herself as she lay on the couch drinking wine and watching reruns of bad 90s movies. She kept replaying that kiss over and over again with Sam and she wanted to feel bad but she couldn't. That kiss was everything she wanted, and right now she wanted more. She wanted to get reacquainted with Sam's body again, but how the hell was she going to do that with him being engaged. She was so disappointed in herself because this isn't who she was, she didn't go around kissing people in committed relationships.

She pondered over her issues some more when her phone rang. She picked up her phone and was staring at the digits of Sam's number. She should have declined the call and gone back to berating herself until she felt less guilt but she was never a logical person when it counted so answered.

"Hello, Mercedes," Sam whispered.

"Sam why the hell are you whispering?"

"Jordan is sleeping,"

"Sam please go to bed with your fiancee, you can not be calling your ex-fiancee while your current fiancee is asleep."

"But Merce, I can't stop thinking about that kiss,"

"Sam chalk it down as some moment where we were both drinking, and the feelings resurfaced, but we both know it is wrong. For God's sake she probably has already been out with Dwight to pick out the wedding bands, and with Mary to do venues and dresses. Don't do this to her please."

"Mercedes, just please stay on the phone with me,"

"Sam you are engaged, you decided to take that step, What happened tonight can not and will not happen again. Please Sam go be with her." Mercedes said into the phone as hanged up and placed her phone on silent. She rubbed her temples together and drank the rest of her wine as she cozied up on the couch, and eventually fell asleep.

"Hold the hell up you kissed Sam, at Quick's engagement party?" Santana questioned. Santana and Mercedes were shopping at one of the clothing stores and Mercedes was running down the night with her.

"Yes, and San it was great, hell it felt so much better than the last time we kissed."

"Well babe, the last time you kissed you were threatening a man with having his victims come forward, and you were leaving the love of your life for a year, but go ahead and continue.

"Anyways smartass, San it was amazing, and I think we probably would have had sex in that parking lot but Jordan came out."

"Damn, you guys were caught by the fiancee."

"No, luckily we heard the door and pulled apart just in time. Then he called me later on in the night when she was sleeping."

"Damn, well if it is any consolation from what I saw of her and how she was hanging around Sam last night I think he still loves you. Puck and Artie explained to us how they believe that Sam is just using her to fill that void in his heart, and for while it was working so well that he worked the nerves to propose. But Mercedes now that you are back do you think it is a possibility that you and Sam could try again?"

"San even if there is one he is engaged about to get married, and I am not that type of girl,"

"Ok but say if he wasn't engaged both of you were single, and you guys met again at the engagement party."

"Then we definitely would have sex in that parking lot," Mercedes joked.

"Ha ha ha."

"San I love Sam I do, but he moved on, and I am not the other woman. If he wants to get married then that choice is up to him, I am in no position to stop him.