This will be a very short chapter. I hyper edited the original work to make it something that I can tolerate typing. One more chapter to go, so you know this yuckiness will not last too long. Thanks as always for being so supportive and enjoying the rollercoaster ride of this story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Most of this is borrowed from Glee, the author, Twyla Turner, role plays, and other sources. I am just the juggler keeping all these perspectives in the air as this story is told for our fandom.

Trigger Warning: Child Abduction/Human Trafficking no details are given….

Chapter Fifteen

October 8, 2023

Mercedes stumbled into their Sunday brunch spot. She was running late, since she hadn't even been sure she even wanted to show up. Her friends waved to her excitedly. She did not return their energy.

"Okay, Mercedes. What could possibly be wrong?" Tina asked once she'd reached the table.

"Yes, we left you in a good mood last night. Now, you look like death warmed over. Did anything happen last night or this morning?" Kurt added.

"I'm not staying. So, this won't be long." Mercedes said as she sat.

"What's going on?" Kurt looked at them nervously.

"You all had no right to tell Sam I have feelings for him."

Their eyes widened.

"Mercedes-"

"No." She cut Tina off. "I don't wanna hear it. You had no right. All it did was give him false hope and make me look like I was stringing him along."

"But weren't you, even you can admit you knew he wanted a relationship when you were strictly after his dick?" Kurt asked. He often asked the hard questions that Tina was too afraid to voice.

"Kurt!" Tina and Santana said in unison. Santana was watching this via FaceTime and for once was quiet.

"But she was." Kurt insisted.

"Sam and I are both adults. I told him I didn't want more in the beginning. He pursued me with this knowledge, remember?"

"But you also knew he wanted more. You used his vulnerability to manipulate him into the sex you wanted." Kurt pressed on.

Santana on the phone and Tina could do nothing but look back and forth between the two with their mouths open. A tennis match of words.

"He's a forty-five year old man. He could've stopped it anytime he wanted."

"You sound like those players you guys always talk about. You're no better than some asshole who toys with a woman's heart simply because you can. And then you gaslight them as if you have no blame in this." Kurt said passionately.

Mercedes blinked. She was completely taken aback by her friend's harsh takedown of her character.

"I'm sorry, Mercedes that was harsh. I just saw the way he looked at you. He loves you. Deeply. And from what you've already said, it is obvious to anyone paying attention that you broke his heart last night. You hurt him and you refuse to take accountability, so you take your anger for being wrong out on us. It's not right." Kurt finished, crossed his arms and looked away.

Mercedes looked at Tina and then to Santana on Tina's phone. Neither could look at her.

"Oh, so you both agree with Kurt?" Mercedes asked.

They looked at her sadly.

"Mercedes…he's not wrong." Tina finally said sadly.

"You know what? Fine." Mercedes stood. "I'm leaving before I say anything I might regret."

And with that, she turned and walked out of the restaurant. Even though it was a gloomy day, like her mood, Mercedes quickly shoved her sunglasses on so no one could see her eyes welling with tears.

Mercedes spent the next three weeks buried in work. She added an extra client just so she didn't have to think about anything other than design. The only person she spoke to in her personal life was her assistant, Bree.

She hadn't spoken to her friends. And she definitely hadn't spoken to Sam. But the one that kicked her in the gut was the text she'd gotten from Chelsea.

Chelsea:

I think it is best that we shouldn't hangout for a while. Maybe longer. You really hurt my dad, and I don't wanna get in the middle.

Mercedes told the teen that she understood, but it still hurt her. She'd really bonded with Chelsea. And it didn't escape her notice that Sam had obviously told Chelsea what had happened. That he was so hurt, his daughter couldn't spend time with her anymore.

The lonely nights were the hardest. The quiet was so loud. No friends. No man. No family. Just her. And her thoughts.

So many freaking thoughts. She couldn't quiet them.

She played music and sang sad songs. Loudly. Loud enough that her neighbor upstairs stomped on the floor. She watched countless movies and shows on all the different streaming services. But in the end, they just watched her as she stared off into space. She even went for evening walks after work and morning walks on the weekends. Hell, she even considered getting a dog. Anything to stop the noise in her head.

It was Saturday night, on the third week of her solitude. Mercedes stood in her closet seriously considering getting dressed and going to a classy bar to find someone new to screw for the night. Even a cozy coffee shop would work. She'd done similar things a dozen times before.

She sighed heavily. She knew there was no point. If she were being honest with herself, and over the last couple of weeks she'd started being just that, she knew that she'd look for Sam in every masculine face she saw. And she'd only be disappointed when she couldn't find him there.

A knock at her door made her jump. Mercedes pressed a hand to her chest as she walked out to her living room. She reached the door and looked through the peephole. Just like several weeks ago, all she could see was Tina's brown eyeball. Tears immediately stung Mercedes's eyes.

She unlocked and swung the door open. In walked her best friends/family. They were armed with wine, yummy greasy food, and an old DVD they'd watched a hundred times. What's Love Got To Do With It.

Mercedes closed the door and turned to face them. She dissolved into tears. Instantly, her friends dropped their gifts and wrapped her in a group hug.

"I'm so sorry you guys!" She sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Mercedes." Kurt said. "I didn't mean to be so harsh. You know I have no finesse with these things."

"I know. But you were right boo!" Mercedes cried.

"Aww! Sweetie, it's going to be okay." Tina rubbed her back.

"Come on. Let's sit and talk. I flew into town just for this, and now I need a drink. I think we all need a drink." Santana suggested, and they all laughed.

Kurt and Mercedes sat on her couch. Santana plopped down in the matching chair next to the couch. Tina found a box of tissues and brought them over. She sat them on the coffee table in front of them and sat on Mercedes's other side. Mercedes took a few gratefully and blew her nose.

"Have you even talked to him?" Tina asked.

"No."

"What about Chelsea? Have you seen her?" Santana asked.

Mercedes could only shake her head as fresh tears rolled down her face.

"S-She thinks we shouldn't hang out anymore. She said I h-hurt her dad, and she didn't want to p-pick sides." Mercedes hiccupped.

"I guess that's understandable." Kurt nodded.

"I know. But I didn't expect it to hurt this bad." Mercedes sniffled.

"That's because you fell in love with both of them." Tina placed a hand on her knee and rubbed soothingly.

"Mercedes. My love. My friend." Santana leaned over and clutched her arm. "Why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you denying yourself this love? A whole ready-made family that seems made just for you, chica?"

"I don't know." Mercedes shook her head and took a deep breath before admitting things she'd never even admitted to herself. "I think it is because I'm just scared. Scared it'll fall apart, and I'll be hurt worse than the last time."

"Um…friend? I think you're already heartbroken and hurting worse than last time." Santana said logically. "Hmm…let's think about it, shall we? You pushed them away, and you're still heartbroken and may never get over it. Always thinking, 'what if.' Or you could swallow your pride and put your big girl panties on and face your fears by giving it a try and actually have the life you dreamed of? There's always risk in love. Because it's so important. There's always risk involved in important things. You took a huge risk in going into business for yourself. And it paid off. Now, take a risk in love."

"I know I should. But what if I don't deserve it? What if I got my one chance at true love and I chose wrong again?" Mercedes said sadly.

"Oh, Mercedes!" Tina grasped her hands tightly, forcing Mercedes to look into her eyes. "Why are you punishing yourself for the past? Choosing wrong once doesn't mean you'll choose wrong again. Or that you have to be alone for the rest of your life because your ex did bad things. You didn't do those things. He did. So, don't continue to cut off your nose to spite your face because of his trash ass. You being alone is giving him a victory. He wins if you shut yourself away from having a good man love you. You being in a healthy loving relationship is the best revenge."

"I just feel so guilty for all the babies I could've helped but didn't because I ignored his behavior. I don't feel like I deserve love or happiness."

And there it was. The truth of it. And it landed like a sonic boom in the middle of the room.

"Mercedes!" They all shouted and wrapped her in another hug as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Tina wiped at her own eyes before speaking. "Mercedes, you have the biggest heart. And so fiercely protective of the ones you love. That alone makes you worthy of all the love the world can give you."

"Yes!" Santana agreed. "And yes, maybe you did miss the opportunity to save the other kids. Mind you, how in the world would you have guessed that because you are definitely not half psychic like me?! Seriously, woman not only did you save the group that was found, you also saved countless others they would've taken in the future. You are an effing superhero. You did save the day."

"And you stood up to, and gave up your blood family to do what was right." Kurt added. "You are the strongest person I know."

"But now," Santana injected, "it is time for your gentle season. It's time to let go of all that 'Strong Black Woman' persona and rest; it's not up to black women to save everyone. It is something that society puts on us. All of us play a part in our destiny. If you are struggling and need help, let us... and let Sam take on some of that weight you're carrying."

Mercedes nodded as more tears rushed down her face. She grabbed a throw pillow, placed it on her lap, and bent over to bury her face in it. Her shoulders shook as she let out seven years' worth of guilt, self-loathing, and the façade of impenetrable strength.

Her friends rubbed her back or held her hand as she let it out. She felt fortified by them. She'd always worried they couldn't or shouldn't have to handle what was going on inside of her. Now, she let them lift the weights off of her shoulders.

Once she settled down, they cracked open the wine.

"Fill that shit to the top, please." Mercedes said as Santana poured.

They snorted with laughter.

They sat back, ate their burgers and fries, and watched their favorite sleepover movie.

The movie was halfway through when Mercedes's phone started ringing. She glanced at the screen.

"Shit!" She hissed. "It's Sam."

They all stared at each other for a few beats.

"Well? Don't just sit there. Answer it!" Tina urged her.

Mercedes jumped. Tina's shout bringing her out of her stupor. She quickly swiped her thumb across the screen to answer.

"Sam?"

"Mercedes!" His voice immediately made her sit up at attention.

"What's wrong?" She asked and looked up at her friends. Their eyes were wide.

"It's CeCe. She's gone missing and she's not answering her phone."

Mercedes's eyes widened and her heart felt as if it was going to beat out of her chest.

"Chelsea has gone missing." She whispered to her friends.

She quickly put the phone on speaker.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Mercedes asked.

"Yesterday afternoon."

Mercedes clapped a hand over her mouth. Oh Lord no!

"Where was she going?"

"She said she was going to hangout with friends. I figured it was harmless. She's always going to hang with friends." He said quickly. His Southern accent got thicker in his agitation. "But then she never came home and hasn't answered her phone. I've tried to call and text. But I haven't gotten a response.

"I know things ended badly between us, but I figured you might know where to look. That maybe she told you something in confidence that I didn't know about." He finished hopefully.

"I don't recall her telling me anything." Mercedes hesitated nervously before continuing. "But a few months ago, at the block party, I saw her get into a car with a friend and two older boys."

"Mercedes!"

"Sam, now's not the time to yell at me. We have to work together."

"Okay, go on."

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd snap and then she'd never trust me again. I needed her to feel open enough to tell me things. But I told her I knew who she was with and to never do it again. She said that she wasn't seeing the older guy anymore. And after meeting Matt, I figured she was definitely done with the older boy." Mercedes finished.

"Oh hell!" Sam shouted.

"Sam, just calm down. I know we'll find her. Sit tight. We'll be over."

"We?"

"My friends are with me. We'll all help look for her."

"Absolutely!"

"We sure will."

"Whatever you need."

"Thank you, words can't express my gratitude."

Mercedes hung up and ran into her room to put shoes on. She was already in leggings and a hoodie.

Moments later they were out the door and on their way to Sam's.

Sam saw the headlights through his front windows and a couple of cars pulled up. He quickly walked to the door and opened it. Mercedes, her friends, and their significant others all got out of their cars.

"We called for more help." Mercedes said as she walked forward.

Her eyes were soft and concerned. She looked beautiful and like a life raft for a drowning man. He immediately walked up to her and without hesitation they wrapped each other up in a warm and reassuring hug. Their differences put aside for the moment.

"Did you call the cops?" Blaine asked.

His question pulled them apart.

"Yeah, last night." Sam ran his fingers through his hair angrily. "And those assholes told me that she probably just ran away. And that if she hadn't returned in forty-eight hours to give them a call back."

"Why in the hell do they always do that? They say the first forty-eight hours are the most important, yet they tell you to call them after forty-eight hours." Santana growled.

"We'll find her on our own then. Screw them." Dani said.

"Oh! Do you have anything on her phone to track her?" Mercedes asked.

"No." Sam paused and then his eyes lit up. "But back when I first got her and she started as the new kid at her school she was getting bullied because they'd found out about my past. So, when she was busy doing homework one evening, I put an app on her phone that could monitor if she was being bullied. But then she got some friends and I haven't thought any more about it."

"Check your phone! It might have other features you didn't even realize." Mercedes urged.

Sam pulled out his cell from his jeans' pocket. His hands shook as he opened his phone. He pulled up the app and sure enough. There was the ability to locate her phone as well as check her text and social media interactions.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this right away." Sam ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Don't beat yourself up. You were panicking. It's rare anyone thinks straight when they panic." Mercedes soothed.

Sam tapped through the app and found her location.

"It says she's at Judah and La Playa. It's by the water." Sam looked up at his unexpected support group.

"Let's roll." Blaine commanded.

Everyone immediately jumped into whatever car was available. Sam couldn't drive. He was far too shaken up to drive safely. Plus, he wanted to check for more information on Chelsea's phone. He and Mercedes jumped in the back of Blaine's SUV. Blaine was levelheaded enough to drive and Kurt took his place next to him in the passenger seat. Dani drove Santana and Tina.

"I want to check to see who she's been texting." Sam told Mercedes.

She leaned over and they both scanned the app as he tapped and scrolled through everything. They found a now deleted text conversation with a guy named Noah, that the app had miraculously saved. One of its many features.

The beginning of the text conversation had been flirtatious. Innocent. Her and the mystery guy going back and forth. As time went on, he got more and more pushy. Aggressive. He wanted her to send nudes. He wanted to meet up at ungodly hours. He called her a prude for refusing to have sex with him.

They finally reached the last of the texts between them. Texts that were from the day before, when she went missing.

Noah:

Come on. Let's hangout 1 more time.

Chelsea:

I don't really feel comfortable. And I like someone else now.

Noah:

Don't b like that. I just want 2 chill. And I have a belated birthday gift 2 give u.

Chelsea:

Really?

Noah:

Of course. U know I feel bad 4 forgetting ur birthday. We could have a little b-day party. Just us as friends.

Chelsea:

K. Where?

Noah:

I'll pick u up at that gas station where I met u and ur friend. At 5.

Chelsea:

K. C u then.

"Oh hell no! What a messed up creep!" Sam growled.

"Oh, Chelsea." Mercedes groaned.