AU Samcedes Romance Based on JT Schultz's Tickled Pink. While reading this story, I could see Sam and Mercedes' characters as the protagonists, so I rewrote the story with them in mind. I posted the first two chapters on my Tumblr account and received a lot of love. So thanks for all those readers who liked it. I am dedicating the posting of this story on FF to sunichii!
Background Information:
Mercedes Jones age 30 is the singer daughter of Dr. Malachi Jones a dentist and Judge Melanie Marshall Jones. Melanie is a distant relative of Thurgood Marshall, and every person in the Marshall family goes into law. Mercedes went to Harvard as a pre law student and later to Middleton Law School in Philadelphia. She graduated with her degree but has failed to take the Bar Exam choosing instead to become a professional singer much to her mother's dismay.
Samuel "Sam" Evans age 32 interior designer/comic book author son of architect Dwight Evans and Assistant District Attorney Mary Evans. When Sam was young, his father lost his job which prompted his mom to go back to school and get her law degree. Mary tried to encourage Sam to go in to a stable career like law so he wouldn't have to experience the loss of his home and standing in their community like they had when Dwight lost his job. Sam totally ignored his mom and combined his love of art with his love of architecture and went into design and works for his father's architecture firm as head designer as well as having his own profitable side business of publishing his own comic books. Mary was disappointed in her son, and is more disappointed in his playboy ways and his spending time at Comic Cons not seeming to want to settle down and bring honor and dignity back to the Evans' name as well as being a poor role model for his younger siblings Stacie and Stevie.
Chapter One
Mercedes couldn't believe that the maniac driving the Maybach was speeding passed her house yet again through a family neighborhood filled with young children and their pets.
She didn't know what possessed her to move her career from LA to Lima permanently following her return home to be with her best friend Tina who had survived stage 4 breast cancer, but she knew at the time of her friend's diagnosis that her husband Mike also a good friend was near death himself with worry, and they needed her and she needed to be near them as well. She was the one that had introduced her best friend to her classmate Mike when she met him in her Criminal Law 100 class taught by the sadistic Professor Annalise Keating. The two had bonded and were a part of her select group chosen to work as interns on cases with her, and that experience more than anything else convinced Mercedes that law was not the career for her.
Now she was in Lima a place she swore never to return to because of her controlling mother. The woman made her watch The Cosby Show reruns so that she would desire to be like Clair Huxtable. Mercedes enjoyed the show, but the episodes that she liked best were the ones in which the kids lip-synch to songs. She loved music and performing. Her mother told her this was a nice hobby but wasn't her destiny. According to her mother, Mercedes' destiny was to become the first African-American female Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Mercedes followed her mother's plans for her life until she became Professor Keating's intern. Her whole view of the law left her with a rotten taste in her mouth, and she wanted to do what she was passionate about and that was her singing.
Her singing career which she started later in life first consisted of doing background vocals and writing songs for famous artists at Sony. However, her big break came when Kanye came into the studio and was listening to a song she had written for Beyonce, and the rest was history. He convinced the label to sign her as an artist, and although she wasn't a superstar, she had toured with other artists and was slowly making a name for herself in the industry. She had singles break into the top ten with her debut album and was nominated for a Grammy Award as Best New Artist. Even though she hadn't won, her song collaboration with Pharrell "Happy Part Two" had become a top grossing hit earning Mercedes a lot of money and opportunity to have a successful sophomore album. Mercedes songs were all feel good, triumph songs that were written to bring smiles and joy to people who were experiencing or had experienced pain in their lives.
So, being the super positive person that she was she had to live in an environment that was filled with positive inspiration. Her house in the suburban community of Lima was surrounded by family homes with the cutest children and unfortunately for her and the neighborhood a lunatic driver who would speed through their street with rap music blasting out of his emerald green Mercedes Maybach S600 every day for the past month ignoring the speed limit and aggravating her to no end.
She had figured out the times he would come by, and it was not like the sound of his music wasn't a warning either, and she had begun hitting softballs off the balcony of her house to slow him down diverting his attention from his music so he could see the ball flying by and slow down. However, he had obviously gotten used to her hitting balls across the balcony and continued to speed by without slowing down. This made her so angry that she waited until she could see his car before hitting the ball to divert his attention. When she watched the ball that normally would fly over his car before hitting the ground across the road smash into the passenger side backseat window, Mercedes knew then that the excrement had hit the fan.
Sam couldn't believe that the psycho who had been hitting balls across his car whenever he drove to and from work was at it again and this time had actually hit his car causing glass to shatter inside his backseat. He didn't stop to think but grabbed the ball and got out of his car to confront the lunatic. As he walked closer to her balcony, he could see a pocket size Venus with chocolate skin, a baseball cap over her head, big brown doe eyes, and curves that were threatening to burst out of her tights and tank that she wore. If he wasn't so angry, he would have taken time to appreciate the view, but he was livid. "How dare you do something so dangerous and destructive!" He yelled at her as soon as he got below her balcony.
"Me…you are the one who keeps speeding through this neighborhood when they are slow kids are playing signs posted along this road. You are a danger to this neighborhood, and I felt it was my civic duty to stop you before somebody gets hurt." Mercedes was not expecting the nincompoop to be so tall, so young, and so obviously manly that her previous thoughts that his car and taste in music were overcompensating for his small penis size or mid-life crisis were thrown outside the window.
"Listen here lady if anyone is a danger to this community, it is you hitting balls at cars. A child could have been in my backseat. You could have done permanent damage. As it is you are most definitely paying for the damages that you have done to my car."
"I didn't mean to hit your window. I have you know that my daddy coached my Little League team, and I was his best batter. I also played on my junior high softball team. My aim is 100% true. It was your fault that your window got smashed. If you wouldn't disregard the law and all the signs posted, I wouldn't have been hitting balls from my balcony to slow your roll down."
"I don't know what loony bin you have escaped from, but anyone crazy enough to be hitting balls from the balcony of their home over or at cars is certifiable. You need to be locked up and have a psych evaluation done to keep you and your menacing ways away from the general public."
"Well, I am not the crazy one who leaves an almost $200,000 car running in the middle of the streets with the doors open and rap music blaring out of it. It would serve you right if someone came along and stole your car that you are obviously not mentally equipped to drive."
"Why you listen here you little…" Sam began only to be interrupted with the sounds of a siren being emitted from a police car. He was so happy to see the arrival of the police hoping that this crazy lady would be arrested with reckless behavior and forced to pay for the damages done to his vehicle. Sam was so busy looking at the crazy lady that he didn't see the law enforcement officer running his license plate number.
"Which one of you is the driver of this car?" The young male officer asked looking at Mercedes' curves and recognizing her as one of his favorite singers.
"You are referring to him. The irresponsible speedy swine who endangers the lives of the pedestrians in my neighborhood on a daily basis." Mercedes said pointing at the man who now had a smirk on his face.
"Well, you sir have several unpaid speeding tickets, and I am going to have to take you in." The young officer took his eyes off of Mercedes long enough to look at the man grimacing at her.
"What the hell…I don't have any unpaid speeding tickets. Look, this is the woman that you need to be arresting; she hit this ball with her bat and damaged my car." Sam said not believing this was happening.
"You are the public nuisance, and I am not surprised at all by the unpaid speeding tickets. He comes through our neighborhood every day blaring that 80s rap music and speeding through, and I was just hitting these balls across the road not at his car mind you but to get his attention to slow down. I figured it was my civic duty to keep the little kids and small animals in my neighborhood safe." Mercedes explained while batting her eyelids at the officer.
"I am sorry ma'am, but I am going to have to take both of you in. Destruction of property by launching items at a moving vehicle is against the law. I hate to do this, but you both have the right to remain silent…" The young officer continue to Mirandize the two as his partner led the tow truck in removing Sam's vehicle from the street and then helping him to put the two of them in the back seat of the squad car.
Later on that morning Mercedes felt as if she was about to die. She was stuck in a cell with skanks who smelled of cheap alcohol, cigarettes, and funk. Her mother was going to kill her. She was in a holding cell. What if her fans found out? What would she tell her label, manager, and publicist if word got out? She hated that man who was the reason she was suffering in her cell now trying to keep her head low beneath her cap to keep from being recognized. She had used her one call to call her friend Mike who was a lawyer and married to her best friend Tina. Mike said that he would be on his way to post her bail and everything, but she couldn't tolerate the holding cell for much longer.
Sam couldn't believe he was sitting in a holding cell in a jail stuck with a freak who appeared to be stoned and a drunk because of that lunatic who thought it was a good idea to hit balls from her balcony. She was obviously a couple of fries short of a Happy Meal, and he regretted the law having to be called because who knew that leaving it up to his airhead secretary Brittany Pierce to pay his tickets would result in him being arrested and being taken to jail like a common criminal.
Sam was about to get a chance to make his one phone call when the officer who arrested them informed them that their arraignment had been pushed up. Judge Jones was ready to hear their case with his mother serving as the Assistant District Attorney. Sam knew he was screwed his mom was not his biggest fan, and she would be extra hard on him for embarrassing their family name.
When Mercedes heard the news with Sam she almost fainted. Her mother was hearing their case. This had to be a nightmare she thought as she tried to prevent herself from hyperventilating. When she and Sam neared the courthouse and entered into the place the hearing was to be heard, Sam heard a name that sounded familiar to him being called and saw her face and realized as the lawyer greeted her with a kiss on the cheek that the woman who had damaged his car was a Grammy nominated singer and the daughter of the judge who she appeared to be terrified of seeing.
"Mike, my mom is going to be so hard on me. You know how she feels about me. We have to get another judge." Mercedes was telling him, and Sam overheard. He also informed them that the ADA was his mom, and that they were doubly screwed.
After their case was called the People vs. Mercedes Jones and Samuel Evans, Mercedes looked at her mom with horror as the judge fussed through the file; "Mercedes Jones, you have the same name as my daughter." Judge Jones looked at ADA Evans and asked her was Sam related to her, and Sam's mother looked at him in horror and recognition.
As Mary Evans read the reason why her son and her good friend Judge Jones' daughter were in court, she was so mad that she couldn't keep the anger from her voice. "Yes, unfortunately your honor he is my son."
After hearing the charges, Judge Jones sensing Mary's anger asked for Mike, Mercedes' defense lawyer, and Mary to come to her bench. While the three of them were talking and looking at their children and shaking their heads, Sam and Mercedes knew that the toughest sentence ever was headed their way.
When Mike came back with a slight smile on his face, Mercedes couldn't believe it. She also couldn't believe that her mom had decided to recuse herself from the case along with the assistant district attorney who happened to be Sam's mom out of all people. There was to be a short recess while the ADA and judge both had replacements brought to fill in for them to hear the case due to the conflicts of interest.
Sam couldn't believe he was stuck in court longer than necessary and feeling his mother's wrath from across the room as she discussed things with Mercedes' mother. Mercedes and Mike were discussing her case when he heard Mercedes using legal terminology when she was discussing her defense with Mike like an expert. "Did you major in law or something?" Sam asked pretending still not to recognize Mercedes as a famous singer.
"She was a law major and could be practicing now if she had decided to take the Bar Exam. She thought the world needed more happiness instead." God bless Mike for answering for her. Tina chose a winner when she decided to marry him.
Sam looked at Mercedes in amazement and uttered out his thoughts before filtering them, "You were smart enough to get in law school but stupid enough to think that hitting softballs at moving cars was a smart thing to do."
Before Mercedes could comment back, she heard the bailiff say "All arise for the Honorable Roz Washington."
"Oh, hell to the no!" Mercedes groaned as if in agony.
"What is your problem now?" Sam asked her sure that the singer was either on drugs or just plain crazy.
"She is one of my mother's best friends and was just as disappointed as my mother when I chose to be a singer rather than a lawyer."
"And?" Sam asked not understanding the problem. Judge Washington continued, "We are waiting on someone to arrive from the district attorney's office, then we'll proceed." As soon as the judge finished her sentence the door burst open and a tall woman hurried down the aisle of the courtroom.
Mercedes turned around to see both of their mothers walking in with the tall woman. The three of the ladies appeared to be bosom friends and laughing before Judge Washington greeted her to join the court. Mercedes had heard the trio whispering about the legality of something and her mom whispered that 'everything was perfectly legal'. Looking at the horror on Sam's face, Mercedes questioned him.
"The new ADA is my mother's mentor." Sam muttered knowing that Sue Sylvester hated his guts and would do anything his mother suggested to pay Sam back from any an all misdeeds real or imagined.
Mercedes looked at the expression on Sam Evans' face. He was handsome maybe too boyishly handsome for her taste, but his body was HOT! "Oh, this is going to be very bad! I think they are all friends look at their expressions towards one another. This does not bode well for us at all."
"Something is going on Mercedes, my mom just winked at Judge Washington." Sam said ignoring Mike trying to reassure the both of them.
"Order in the court!" Judge Washington yelled while banging her gavel after listening to the charges of the defendants. The rest of the courtroom fell silent. "Does the prosecution have anything else to add?" She asked looking at ADA Sylvester.
Sue Sylvester got up and looked at Sam with a smirk then said, "Ms. Jones and Mr. Evans could be given a fine and forced to pay it which would not be a hardship considering their wealth. The question remains would they learn from their behavior or will they continue to act irresponsibly and reappear in court on similar foolish charges."
"She says that as if we have done a horrible thing like we have committed murder or theft. I don't think we have done anything to justify that comment." Sam muttered out loud once again forgetting to filter his tongue.
"Are you out of your mind that means you would continue to speed through my neighborhood like a bat out of hell?" Mercedes told him not believing the words that came out of Sam Evans' mouth.
"Are you two finished with your discussion?" Judge Washington asked not a least bit amused. "Mr. Chang, are you capable of keeping your clients' mouth closed this is a court of law not their personal living room?"
"Yes, your honor." Mike said looking at Mercedes and Sam with a rebuking glare.
"You, see your honor that there is the problem. Because of their parents and Mercedes Jones' celebrity status, these two believe they are above the law. They are both out of control and need to be stopped before something more destructive and or deadly occurs."
Mercedes couldn't believe she was hearing some of the same words especially the phrase concerning fame going to her head just the other day over breakfast. She looked at her mom in disbelief.
"Does the defense have anything else to add?" Judge Washington looked at Mike.
Mike who had been looking at the mothers and now the new judge and ADA with a perplexed expression on his face just decided to state what he and Mercedes thought was the rational and best defense to admit their guilt and agree to pay whatever fines given to them by the court without argument. "Ms. Jones is more than willing to pay whatever the amount is needed to repair Mr. Evans'car, and Mr. Evans agrees to pay all of his speeding tickets and attend driver's education classes to avoid having his license to drive revoked."
Sam couldn't believe that Mike Chang had decided that he should attend driver's ed. "Hell to the No, I am not attending a driver's class like I am a 16 year old; I am 32 years old, and I refused to do so!" Sam continued to yell with Mercedes pulling his coat trying to calm him down, but she couldn't stop herself from adding her two cents. "I am sure everyone in court is aware of your age, but Mike is trying to save your ass and your license." When Sam looked at her as if he wanted to curse her out, Mercedes couldn't help but say, "Sam you really need to learn how to use your speedometer, and this class maybe could teach you what those numbers on the speedometer mean."
All that could be heard next was the sound of the gavel banging down masking the giggles of everyone in the courtroom. "Mr. Evans and Ms. Jones, that's enough! You have both lost your collective minds acting the fool up in my courtroom. You both believe you are above the law, and I feel as if I should sentence you both to thirty days in jail."
Mike stood up and begged the judge for leniency. "Your honor my client Mercedes Jones is a celebrity, and any sentencing to jail for such a long time would cause a media frenzy in our small town. Paparazzi would inundate our lovely town and speculation on the case and Mr. Evans and on both families would cause a major media sensation here in Lima. I ask that you reconsider imprisonment considering the damaging nature it would have on both defendants' reputations.
"Noted." Judge Washington agreed while looking towards Judge Jones and ADA Evans with a grin on her face.
Sam looked at the interaction and was wondering what the hell was going on. Mercedes had a similar look on her face but she tried to keep the look of horror from appearing on her face when she looked at the legal eagles who couldn't keep the grins from the four of their faces.
Judge Washington asked for Mr. Chang to tell his clients to rise, and he followed her demands with a worried expression on his face. Then Judge Washington told the two, "Ms. Jones you will pay for all the damages that your softball caused to Mr. Evans' vehicle along with a $3,500 fine. Mr. Evans if you don't complete a driver's education course in 60 days, I will have your driver's license suspended. In addition I am sentencing you both to 45 hours of community service.
Mercedes was so relieved. She could easily afford to pay the damages and fine without blinking her eye, and she loved giving back to the community so the hours of community service would be no problem. She took a deep breath and was about to smile until she heard Judge Washington continue. "Because the two of you have shown me and the court and most importantly the judicial system and the law of the land such blatant disregard today with your disruptive, rude, argumentative, and disrespectful behavior, I think that the best punishment for the both of you is to spend time in each other's presence. So, I am sentencing you to a year and a half of quality time with each other."
"What the hell does that mean?" Sam asked once again not understanding court etiquette or how to keep his big mouth closed.
Judge Washington banged her gavel again. "Mr. Evans those big lips of yours are going to continue to get you in a world of trouble with all that yapping you continue to do. It means that you and Ms. Jones are ordered to spend a year and six months married to each other while living in the same residence, and by doing so you will leave my courtroom without being held in contempt of court, and the court will expunge any and all records of this arrest which will help Ms. Jones out the most considering her celebrity lifestyle. But listen to me closely, if the two of you fail to get married and live with each other for the appointed time, then you will both have criminal records and be forced to serve the 30 day sentence that you two rightfully deserve in jail. You two have three days to get your affairs in order and report back to the courtroom with a wedding date, Ms. Jones payment of the fine, and proof of Mr. Evans' enrollment in a driver's education program. Court is adjourned." Judge Washington banged her gavel and walk towards the laughing mothers who were now laughing at their children so hard once the bailiff told all to rise.
Mercedes, who had been speechless until now, not willing to risk angering Judge Washington any further, looked at Sam who looked as if he was in shock and then at Mike and asked if they had just been sentenced to marriage.
Mike not believing anything that had happened today in the courtroom looked at them with horror and nodded his head in agreement.
Sam still in shock asked, "Could she sentence us to marriage?"
Mike replied, "She is the judge, and she can do pretty much anything. You can try to appeal this, but most of the appellate judges and the legal community are pretty close knit with both of your parents, and I believe they will do whatever your parents want. And judging by the looks on their faces, the two of them are enjoying your sentence too much to change anything about it."
Mercedes and Sam looked at each other then at their mothers who both waved at them and blew kisses while wearing shit eating grins. Mercedes looked at Sam and asked him, "Do you think we were set up?"
Sam looked down to Mercedes and stared her straight in the eyes and replied, "Hell yes, they probably planned this the minute we were locked up."