Coming back to Lima had been another in a long line of bad moves by Sam Evans. Due to the walking megaphone known as Finn Hudson everybody calls him White Chocolate now, or they will be calling him that come Monday morning he was sure. Thanks to that same asshole he's forced into close proximity to the nicest girl in the world. A girl who took him in, no questions asked. A girl who provided a roof over his head and food in his refrigerator.

He looked at the groceries she'd just dropped off. Milk (whole and lowfat), cereal (healthy and sugar-packed), juice (grape, apple and orange), yogurt (the fancy Greek kind), instant oatmeal, fruit (apples, bananas, oranges and strawberries), a loaf of bread and a couple of cans of tuna. Who does that, all of that for somebody who, quite frankly, didn't treat her all that well the last time he was in town?

"I meant to get this before you got here" she said handing him the bag "but practice ran late."

"Would you like to come in?"

"Umm, no thanks. I don't think that's such a good idea." She took a step backwards from the doorway. "Goodnight, Sam."

They both remembered the last time they'd been together in her father's old office, back when she was his secret girlfriend. Things had gotten out of control until they were stopped by a broken condom. No, they couldn't take that risk again, especially since she had a respectable boyfriend now.

Sam grabbed an apple and sat down at the desk in the corner. He spread out his schoolwork and tried to figure out how the work here mapped into the work back in Louisville. To hell with that, the work would be here tomorrow he decided. That's when he noticed a repetitive squeaking noise, coming from outside. Looking out the window he saw Mercedes, sitting on the swing hanging from the roof of the glassed in front porch. She was sitting there, like she was waiting for somebody.

"Is Shane coming back?" Sam asked, leaving his door open behind him.

"No, he's probably halfway to Columbus by now. Football workshop, or I should say clinic, down at Ohio State." Sam sat down beside her. "He's going there next year, full ride. It's a great opportunity."

"Are you going there too?" He asked.

"That was my original plan. Now, I don't know. Plans change."

"I saw that video. Football, grammies, cocoa babies. So last June."

She looked at him. "You dumped me, Sam, what was I supposed to do? Cry about it for the rest of my life?" She turned to look down the street. "And what kind of babies would I have besides cocoa babies? Maybe not with Shane but they'll be cocoa."

"I didn't dump you."

"Right, you just left town without saying a word. I guess that's not the same as being dumped. I don't even know if a secret girlfriend can be dumped, technically speaking." She sighed. "Let's not argue. It's over. The fact that you're here proves you could have come back anytime you wanted. You didn't want to. You wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for whatever you're pissed off at Finn about. It's okay. You and Finn will make up and you'll go back. I'll come home one day and you'll be gone. Been there, done that."

"I'm sorry for leaving that way."

"Why didn't you say goodbye?" she was looking at him again. "I thought you knew that much about me, how much leaving without saying goodbye would hurt. Kurt, Quinn, you. I bet Shane will at least say goodbye."

"I was a coward. I knew it would hurt so I didn't do it."

"An honest coward, I'll give you that." A car turned the corner. "Good, they're home. My folks, that's what I'm waiting for." She stood up. "I don't like sleeping in an empty house."

She ran down to the car, opened the passenger door and helped her father out of the car. He was thinner than Sam remembered, and walked slowly. She had one arm around him and was talking about her day. "Good evening Dr. Jones." Sam said. The older man looked at him with tired eyes and smiled.

"Welcome Sam, we're really glad to have you here."

"Sam, can you check and see if my mother needs any help?"

"Yes, I'll do that. Good evening Mrs. Jones." he said opening the driver's side door.

"Hello Sam" she smiled. "I'm so glad you're staying with us. Can you pick up that box please? Thank you. How's the room, not too cold is it?"

"No, it's fine, thank you."

"Did Mercy give you extra blankets?"

"Yes, she did. She's the perfect hostess."

"I'll make sure she knows that. I'd love to talk to you but it's really late and we need to get ready for bed." She took the box from his hands. "Thank you, Sam. Goodnight."

Sam read the text on his phone. "Breakfast"

"So Sam, do you have plans for today?" Mrs. Jones asked as she scrambled eggs.

"Mom!" Mercedes whined.

"Mercedes! We need to get this done and since Shane's not monopolizing your time this weekend..."

"Sam doesn't want to spend the weekend at Home Depot!"

"Did you ask him?"

"No, I didn't ask him." She snapped. "Who would want to?"

"Well you're going to." She answered firmly. "I just thought you might want company."

Sam coughed loudly because the two women seemed to have forgotten he was there.

"Well, Sam?" they both asked.

"Yes ma'am. I don't mind going to Home Deport. Our house in Louisville was a wreck when we moved in, that's why the rent was so cheap. My dad taught me a lot. What are we building?"

Mrs. Jones beamed at Sam and scowled at Mercedes.

"See, this is what comes of watching DIY-TV." She slammed the car door as she parked in the store parking lot. "This is going to be like that show, Over Your Head, where they tear the house up and can't put it back together again. We won't have a bathroom for months. Thanks, handy Andy, you didn't have to encourage her."

"Mercy, this is no big deal. You're just replacing a sink. Take out the old cabinet, put in new one, done. Why are they doing this? The old one looked fine."

"She thinks they're getting old. Gotta make this into an old folk's home." she grumbled.

Sam was staring across the street. Broncz. It reminded him that he never got around to telling Mercedes about his stripper job.

"Sam! Let's get this over with. What are you staring at?"

"Well." He noticed a blue and white sign down the street. Habitat for Humanity Restore. He pointed. "Have you ever been there, the Restore?"

"No. What is it?"

"It's a hardware store – dirt cheap. Let's go there first."

"You sure?" She looked sceptical. "Don't you have to be poor or something?"

"No. It's how they raise money. It'll be fun." He took her hand. She looked at him and moved her hand. "Sorry, I keep forgetting that's not allowed."

"I'll keep reminding you." she said getting back into the car.

The Habitat Restore was just what she imagined, the first thing she saw was a hot pink toilet.

"This is crazy, Sam. They threw that away for a reason."

"Somebody's looking for a hot pink toilet to go in their retro bathroom. It's like a treasure hunt." He looked up at the store map. "They've got killer deals in here. What are we looking for?"

Despite spending the whole day with her shopping and installing bathroom fixtures Sam still hadn't mentioned his stripper job. Instead, here he was sitting in church Sunday morning, listening to Mercedes sing in the choir, and wondering what was going on in the Jones household. They all seem preoccupied, worried about something they weren't discussing out loud. He could ask the people on either side of him, but Dr. and Mrs. Jones would have discussed it with him if they were so inclined. They evidently weren't. The person on the other side, Shane, was the last person he was going to ask for help or advice about anything. He didn't exactly dislike Shane, Sam would be acting the same way if the situation were reversed. But it was impossible for him to like the guy, Shane's standing between him and happiness and Shane's a lot to get past.

"She was singing this song the first time I laid eyes on her." Shane said suddenly.

Welcome into this place,
welcome into this broken vessel.
You desire to abide
in the praises of Your people;
so we lift our hands,
and we lift our hearts,
as we offer up this praise unto Your name.

"I knew right away how special she was. I couldn't believe she didn't have a boyfriend, guys here must be blind, deaf and stupid." He looked at Sam. "She told me about you right away. We never expected you to come back."

"I want her back."

"Of course you do, who wouldn't? Gotta get past me first. No so easy."

"She's worth it."

"Yeah, she is." Shane smiled at Sam, like he had a plan for that. He turned away and studied Mercedes, singing in the choir.

Sam walked slowly past the address written on the paper in his hand. It looked more like a bar than a coffeehouse, but here's where the job is and Mrs. Jones wouldn't lie to him. He pushed the door open.

The inside looked like a bar too, a long wooden counter along one wall, tables along the other. Instead of a mirror a huge painting hung behind the bar. Instead of alcohol coffee cups filled the shelves. Why such a small place, there were only a half dozen tables, needed help surprised him. He walked over to the counter and was greeted by a black girl and a white boy.

"Hey, you're from McKinley, right? What are you drinking?" the boy asked.

"Actually, I'm here to see the manager. Mrs. Jones sent me."

"That would be me." the girl said stepping forward.

"Dream on!" He turned towards the kitchen and yelled "Mom!"

A black woman stepped out from the kitchen. "Ben! You're at work, not home. Act like it."

"Since we live upstairs, technically..." he stopped when he saw the look she gave him. The girl smirked with satisfaction.

"Mother, this is Sam from McKinley." she said formally. "I believe Dr. and Mrs. Jones spoke to you about him? He is here to inquire about employment." Ben made a point of accidentally bumped into Alice on his way to the kitchen.

"Thank you Alice. Nice to meet you Sam." she extended her hand. "I think you already know the twins so I'll introduce you to my husband and he'll let you know what the job entails."

As described by Mr. McKenna, a tall brown-haired white man who resembled Ben, he job entailed running food from the kitchen to the much larger and more crowded back room. He would make nowhere near stripper money but it's a respectable job. Just one more thing he owed the Jones family.

"Thank you." Sam said as he sat next to Mercedes peeling potatoes for dinner.

"Thank you for what?"

"For everything. For helping me, for feeding me, for being a friend."

"You'd do the same for me."

"You don't need as much as I do."

"Everybody needs something or somebody. It's just not as obvious with some people."

"What do you need?"

She laughed. "I need help setting the table." She threw the potatoes in the pot of boiling water. "Five, we're having company, that is company besides you."

"Shane coming over for dinner?" He'd seen enough of Shane to last him the rest of his life.

"Nope. It's Kurt."

"Just Kurt, not Blaine?"

"Who's Blaine?" Mrs. Jones asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Kurt's boyfriend." Mercedes answered.

"Kurt has a boyfriend? How sweet! He's welcome to bring him over."

"No!" Sam said.

Both women looked at him. Mercedes spoke first. "You don't like Blaine? He seems nice enough."

"No, it's just..." he tried to think of a logical excuse. "it's just probably too late to invite him."

"Okay." Mrs. Jones said "some other time. We haven't seen Kurt in so long anyway." She took the plates Mercedes handed her and left the room.

"Before she gets back," she whispered "why don't you like Blaine? Kurt's going to go on and on about him, that's just what he does. You better prepare yourself."

"We kind of got off on the wrong foot." Now was the perfect time to tell her so he just blurted it out. "Back in Louisville I used to dance in bars, for money. It was fast, easy money. Blaine made a smart-ass comment about it. It's kinda why I left New Directions."

"Doesn't seem like him, he's so quiet most of the time." she picked up the silverware. "So how did Blaine find out?"

"Finn I guess. Rachel saw it too but I'd bet Finn."

"It was Finn. That's how Shane knows."

"So the whole football team knows?"

"Yeah, pretty much everybody knows by now. Most girls think it's pretty hot. You went from homeless Sam to stripper Sam." she shrugged. "I don't know which is worse."

"So you knew the whole time?"

"I knew about the strip joint. I knew you took a swing at Blaine. I didn't know the two were related."

"So why'd you act like you didn't know, about the stripping that is?"

"Bad habit I picked up from Shane. Being an asshole" she checked to see if her mother was around. She wasn't. "Being an asshole even when it's not strictly necessary. It's a hard habit to break." The doorbell rang. "6pm on the dot. Punctual as ever."

Sam watched as the Jones alternated between treating Kurt like the prodigal son, returning home after all these years, and grilling Mercedes on her college plans. They wanted her to go away, she wanted to stay in Lima. Her mother was pushing the University of Pennsylvania, and pushing it hard. Her father was talking up NYU and when Kurt mentioned NYADA he almost started his victory lap.

"You can practically walk from NYU to NYADA. Right around the corner!"

"That's nice." Mercedes said, staring at her plate.

"It would be so much fun!" Kurt chimed in. "The two of us together in New York."

"Philadelphia is a beautiful city, you know. And the train station is only two blocks from campus." Mrs. Jones made her last argument. "You'd be in Manhattan in two hours. Nice relaxing trip. Remember how many times one of us made that trip, Anthony?"

"I'm staying in Lima." she insisted.

"Well, there's always Ohio State down in Columbus. Shane will be there and..."

"Shane's irrelevant to this discussion." She picked up a forkful of salad as four pairs of eyes bored into her.

"And why is that?" her mother asked finally.

"We broke up."

When Kurt and Mercedes had been close, they were very close. Close enough they communicated without words. Kurt sent her a look that said "It's about damn time." She sent back a look that said "Don't even start with me." With Sam it was much more apparent.

"What?" he said, his jaw dropping. "When did that happen?"

"Friday night. He's going off to Ohio State and I didn't want a long distance romance."

"It's only a couple of months you'd be apart." her mother said.

"I thought he was leaving next year." Sam added.

"January. He's going early."

"So why was he acting like you two were still together this morning in church?"

"That's just how he is, I told you that. He's going to study law and he likes to keep people guessing, least that what he calls it. It's kinda irritating, actually." She looked up in triumph. "And so, mother, there's no reason for me to leave Lima."

Welcome into this place – Gary Oliver

Okay, there's one last part to this coming up!