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 and Chelsea's experience is detailed. Read at your own risk. Nothing Graphic just detailing her experience. Noah was the original name of the character. He could be Puckerman if you prefer a face claim or someone else…I know I have used NP as a rapist and part of human trafficking before, so I can understand if that is your face claim. As for me…I have released the character and the actor from my mind and won't intentionally use him in my stories…just my preference for peace of mind.
Chapter Sixteen
November 5, 2023
Chelsea's face was streaked with dried tears. Her dry mouth was duct taped, her hands were taped behind her back, and her feet taped together at the ankles. Without much success, she'd tried to pick at the tape around her wrists in the hopes of eventually getting free.
She wasn't the only girl there. There were five other girls there as well. All similarly taped. Unfortunately, they were no help to her. They'd all been injected with some kind of sedative or worse. They'd all fought. It's why Noah drugged them. Chelsea had pretended to go along with everything to keep from getting the same treatment.
He'd lured each one of them to the same motel near the water. And as each girl arrived, he tied them up. When Chelsea had first walked in and saw two of her friends on the beds, she'd immediately tried to turn and bolt. Noah had grabbed her and shoved her back in.
That's when a girl, she didn't know, who was on the floor lifted her feet and kicked him in his knees. He'd fallen to the floor. The girl was gagged, so she looked at Chelsea with wide eyes urging her to fight. To do something while he was down. Chelsea only froze. Instead of her flight and fight kicking in, she was in shock and unable to remember a single thing she'd learned in her self-defense class with Blaine.
Noah had gotten up and slapped the girl so hard she slumped back down on the floor unconscious. Then Chelsea watched with wide eyes as he injected the girl.
Chelsea knew then, that to stay alive was to keep from getting injected. She did everything he asked, while her mind tried to come up with ways to get free.
He left multiple times throughout the night. But he never brought back another girl.
At one point when he came back, Chelsea listened to a phone conversation he'd had.
"Yeah, man. I got some… Six… Yeah. All of them are pretty… Five are virgins… Okay, I'll meet you there tomorrow night… 11 pm. Got it… Don't screw me over on my money, bruh. There better be $30K."
After listening to his one-sided conversation, Chelsea gathered that he was getting paid $5,000 for each girl. And he said four were virgins out of the five. Something in her gut said that she was the one who supposedly wasn't. Meaning he planned to take hers before selling her, but didn't want to get caught damaging the 'product.' So, he was pretending she was already damaged goods.
Chelsea knew what she had to do. It would be her only shot. She had to let him think she wanted it.
After spending the rest of that night tied up in the room with girls, she knew that evening he'd come for her soon. Chelsea heard the door unlock. She took a deep breath.
As soon as the door opened, Noah's eyes were on her. He walked over and knelt down next to the bed to get more eye level with her.
"I only have a few hours with you." He caressed a curl from her cheek. It took all Chelsea had inside of her not to cringe away. "Are you ready? I can see in your eyes that you want me."
Chelsea nodded. She must have hidden her revulsion well. A moment later, he pulled the duct tape from her mouth.
"Thank you, Noah." She said sweetly.
"You're welcome, cutie." He grinned at her. "You're not gonna fight me, are you?"
"No. I-I've wanted to do this since we met. I was just really nervous because you're older, and I felt so inexperienced." Chelsea almost gagged.
"Oh, don't you worry. I'm going to take real good care of you. You are going to love it."
"Okay."
He reached in his pocket and pulled one of those pocket knives that pop out with a simple press of a button. Chelsea's eyes widened as he came towards her with it. But he only cut through the tape around her ankles. Then he leaned behind her and cut the tape from around her wrists.
Chelsea laid back and held out her hand. Noah grinned and moved to get on top of her. One of his legs straddled one of hers and she jerked her knee up with all her strength. Unfortunately, in her rush, she didn't make direct contact. Instead, her knee hit more of his thigh. But it was enough. The jig was up.
Chelsea watched as a sinister look came over his face.
"You stupid bitch!" Noah growled. "You'll pay for that."
He backhanded her across the cheek. Chelsea began to fight back in earnest. She used her nails to claw at him. But he was too strong. His rage took over and he wrapped his hands around her throat. She clawed at his forearms.
An image of her practicing with Matt flashed before her eyes. Chelsea quickly wrapped her feet around his torso, bringing him closer. She wrapped her hands across his arms and gripped his elbows. Then she lifted her feet to his shoulders, and placed them right behind his head. She jerked her hips up as hard as she could. A double crack ripped through the small hotel room as she broke both his arms.
A split second later, Noah let out an inhuman shriek. His arms flopped uselessly at his sides as he rolled back and forth.
Chelsea didn't wait. She pushed off the bed and ran for the door. She ripped it open and ran out into the dark parking lot hidden in the back of the motel.
She ran blindly right into someone's arms.
"Chelsea!" Sam shouted as she ran straight into his arms.
Mercedes practically collapsed with relief next to them.
Chelsea still struggled in her father's arms for a moment.
"CeeCee, it's me. It's Sam. I am your daddy. It's me, baby girl." Sam's words rushed out.
As soon as she realized it was her dad and she was safe, she stop fighting and broke down into uncontrollable sobs.
"I'm so sorry, Daddy." She cried into his chest.
Mercedes heard the screams from someone inside where Chelsea had run from. Blaine and Santana both ran over to the door.
"OMG!" Blaine shouted.
"Call the cops!" Santana called back.
They both went inside.
"Girls!" Santana shouted a moment later from inside.
Mercedes, Dani, and Tina ran for the door while Kurt called the cops. What greeted them made them gasp in horror. Blaine was trying to cut the tape from the bound girls, but the girls cowered away afraid of him.
Mercedes rushed over to one.
"It's okay. We're here to help you. The cops are coming. You're safe." Mercedes soothed.
The girl started shaking and sobbing the moment she realized she was safe. They all did.
Mercedes's heart broke for all of them. And she couldn't believe that her life had come full circle in such an insane way.
Noah laid on the ground groaning in agony. She hoped he'd choke to death on his own tongue.
"I need help here, you assholes. That bitch broke my damn arms!" He had the audacity to shout at them.
"Shut the hell up!" Blaine bellowed. "Or I swear to God, I'll rip your arms clean off your body along with your dick, you piece of human excrement."
That did the trick. Noah shut up and scowled in the corner until the police arrived and placed him in an ambulance.
As the police and medics rushed in, Mercedes walked back out into the chaos. Blue and red lights rotated around the parking lot. She looked around and found the two who she was looking for.
Slowly, she walked over to Sam and Chelsea. The teen was finishing up telling what had happened to a female detective who had to take her statement. Mercedes hung back until the detective walked away.
Sam looked up and Chelsea followed his gaze. They stared at Mercedes for a moment. Then Chelsea lifted her arm out from under the blanket they'd given her. She held her hand out to Mercedes, and she quickly walked forward and took it. Chelsea pulled her close and hugged her tight.
"Are you okay?" Mercedes whispered against her hair.
"I think I will be." Chelsea said shakily.
Mercedes pulled back, clutched the sides of Chelsea's face, and studied her to be sure. "It's okay to not be okay."
"I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need therapy after this. But other than that. I'm okay. Thanks to you."
"To me?" Mercedes frowned.
"It was as if you knew I'd need those self-defense classes. It's what saved my life." Chelsea blinked rapidly.
Mercedes pulled her into the circle of her arms once more.
"Unfortunately, I know the evils in this world. I know firsthand. I just wanted to protect you. Even if your dad or I aren't there, I want you to always be safe. I love you Chelsea." Mercedes said and hugged her tighter.
She looked up at Sam. He mouthed the words 'thank you.' Mercedes nodded.
He stepped forward and placed a hand on Chelsea's back.
"Are you ready to go home, sugar plum?"
"Yeah. I want to shower and sleep for a week." Chelsea confessed. Her exhaustion from her ordeal was evident on her face.
"I think I can arrange that. And lots of good food." Sam smiled at her.
"Yes, please!"
"I can take the week off work, if you'd like me to."
"Let's not get too hasty, Dad. Let's just take it a day at a time"
"Fine. It was only a suggestion. And I have to admit, I am a little nervous to let you out of my sight again."
"I promise to check in on her when you're at work. How's that?" Mercedes suggested.
"I'd like that." Sam said softly.
"Me too." Chelsea added and laid her head on Mercedes's arm.
Mercedes took in a shaky breath. She let the love she felt spread through her, instead of holding it back.
So, that's what it feels like.
It had been a week since the ordeal. Overnight the story had spread. Even though Chelsea was a minor, it still got out within her friend group what had happened when her and her friends' absences were noticed at school. Suddenly, she was the most popular girl in school, and the parents who'd judged her dad and his daughter too harshly, were now sending care packages to their home.
Mercedes had gone over to Sam's house every day to have lunch with Chelsea. She'd seen Sam in passing a couple of times but never long enough to talk. She wanted to sit down and have an honest conversation with him, but she also wanted to focus on making sure Chelsea was truly okay. It wasn't about her at the moment. So, she kept her feelings under wraps until a more appropriate time.
Because it was an unseasonably warm and dry night, Mercedes put on a flirty dress and high heeled shoes to attend the dinner that Sam had invited her and her inner circle to at his house. He wanted to thank them for helping him find Chelsea with one of his incredible meals.
Mercedes drove over to his house alone. She realized she was the first to arrive when she pulled into the driveway.
Sam answered the door. He looked handsome as always hair darker no longer bleached by the sun in relaxed fit jeans and an untucked plaid button up shirt. The sleeves were sexily rolled up his forearms. He looked exactly like he looked when they first met in his cooking class. His green eyes lit up then and those green eyes were alit now as he appreciated her curvy figure. The smells of garlic, rosemary, and other delicious scents she couldn't place, wafted outside.
"Mercedes." Sam said softly.
He was still acting very reserved. Not that she could blame him. But he did lean forward and kissed her on the cheek in greeting. Mercedes could've sworn he almost kissed her lips after the initial buzz on the cheek. The near kiss was more out of habit than anything. And she could feel the heat and tension that radiated between them.
"Whatever you are cooking smells incredible, Sam." Mercedes said as she stepped inside.
"I'm making lamb chops and roasted potatoes with fried mushrooms. Along with a salad in a homemade bread bowl. I also have a charcuterie board to nibble on while the lamb chops cook." Sam listed his menu as if he were at his restaurant as they walked into the kitchen. "I'm just waiting for everyone to arrive before pan searing the chops."
"Wow! You really went all out." Mercedes looked around at the spread.
Sam poured her a glass of red wine and handed it to her. Her fingers grazed over his. His eyes found hers, and she pulled the glass from his fingers. He quickly cleared his throat.
"Well, it's the least I could do. You and your friends helped save my daughter's and her friends' lives." Sam blinked rapidly and then turned away.
"Is that Mercedes?!" Chelsea said as she raced down the staircase like a normal teenager.
"Yeah, it's me."
Chelsea ran up and wrapped her arms around Mercedes's waist. Mercedes hugged her back. She kissed the top of the teen's head. She felt eyes on her. She looked up and saw the look of longing on Sam's face. It was more than just for himself. It was a longing for their cozy family dynamic. Mercedes knew she had to tell him tonight that she longed for the same thing.
Mercedes and Sam waved as all her friends piled into their cars and drove off. Chelsea ran upstairs to avoid cleaning up leaving just the two of them alone.
"I'll help you clean up." Mercedes offered.
"You really don't have to do that. This was a thank you meal to show my undying appreciation for what you and your friends did to help me find my daughter."
"I understand that, but yes, I do need to help you clean after that incredible dinner, I absolutely have to show my appreciation for a gourmet meal."
"Well, I won't refuse the help in fact I appreciate it."
They worked side by side. Mercedes gathered and washed. Sam dried and put away. The only sounds were the water running and clanking of dishes and silverware. The weight of the impending conversation hung heavily between them.
"Would you like another glass of wine?" Sam asked when they were finally done.
"Yeah, that would be nice."
Mercedes's heart pounded in her chest. She'd never felt so nervous in all her life.
She walked around the island and sat on one of the stools. Sam remained on the other side. Probably a defense mechanism. The island between them acted as protection from bring close to her, probably to keep himself from being hurt even further.
"Mercedes."
"Sam."
They both started speaking at the same time.
"Please Sam, let me say what I need to say first." Mercedes said.
"Okay." He said tensely.
He pulled the dry towel he'd thrown over his shoulder down. His hands unconsciously twisted it around and around.
"I'm so…so sorry for the night of Chelsea's party. Everything you said about me was true."
Sam's eyes widened, and he dropped the towel.
"I was…I am scared. You have the ability to hurt me more than my ex husband ever did."
He started around the counter until he stood next to her. Mercedes turned around on the stool to face him.
"Because I love you more than anyone I-"
Sam gripped her face and crushed his mouth to hers urgently, cutting off the rest of her sentence. Mercedes gasped and he took advantage. His tongue stroked inside and she trembled.
"YES! It's about damn time."
Those words pulled them apart. They turned to where it had come. Chelsea sat on the stairs. Her hands gripped the spindles of the railing as she peered through them.
They both smiled brightly at her. She took that as her cue to run down the steps and right into their arms.
"So, this means you two are finally getting back together, right?" Chelsea asked hopefully as she looked up at them.
"Yeah, I think so. If your dad will still have me, of course."
"I thought the kiss said it all. I must be slipping." Sam grinned. "But just in case you misunderstood… Mercedes, I've loved you for months. I have been imagining a life with us together as a family since that block party. You're everything I've ever wanted, and everything I thought I would never have because of my past life. I can't believe my dreams are finally coming true because all I ever wanted to be was close to you, so you could feel my love and love me in return. So that we could be a family."
Sam ended his confession with another deep kiss. When he pulled back, Mercedes gave him a teary chuckle while Chelsea pulled a grossed out/stank/judging face.
"Now, that disgusting kissing is over with. I have a question for you, Mercedes." Chelsea said.
"Go ahead and ask it."
"Will you marry us?"
Mercedes's eyes widened. She looked at Sam. He shrugged.
"Well, I mean, will you marry my dad; so, we can be a family. I've never had a normal family." Chelsea looked up at her hopefully.
"I- Uh…Sam?" Mercedes looked to him for help.
She didn't know what to say. It wasn't like he was the one asking. She didn't want to trap him into anything he didn't want.
And why is my first response to worry about him not being the one asking, and not me immediately freaking out and saying no?
Mercedes thought and then her eyes widened further and her mouth dropped to the floor as she watched Sam drop to one knee in front of her.
"I…uh…I don't have a ring, but we can shop for whatever you want later. So…Mercedes Jones, will you make me the happiest man in the universe by marrying me?"
"Oh hell! Oh, my goodness. Of course, yes! Yes, I'll marry you."
It was worth it to see the smile that spread across his handsome face.
Sam jumped up and lifted her into his arms. Once he let her feet back down, they pulled Chelsea into a warm group hug.
Chelsea was the one who brought up wanting a normal family. But Mercedes was certain that Sam craved one as well. And once she'd admitted it to herself, she wanted it, too.
Three lost souls had finally come together to form a family of their own.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Mercedes smiled dreamily. A soft cool breeze blew by as she took a sip of her margarita. The sounds of the ocean lulled her as she lazed on a lounge chair outside their casita in the Maldives.
It was their honeymoon. A perfect place to celebrate their love.
She thought about their little wedding in the gardens of the porn mansion of Sam's acquaintances, Carl and Holly. She initially only wanted to go to the courthouse because she and Shane had had a huge church wedding with all the bells and whistles, and she didn't need a white gown and a ceremony, but her friends convinced her that this was Sam's first and only wedding, so she decided to let Kurt and Tina along with Chelsea plan their wedding.
Chelsea had been her maid of honor for her and Sam, and Kurt had been her best man while Santana and Dani sang at her wedding while Tina played her keyboard and provided backing vocals.
Mercedes had worn a simple, but still beautiful, white mermaid dress. Sam had looked good enough to eat in a steel gray, 3-piece suit. She'd chosen purple, her favorite color, for her girls and Chelsea to wear. The guys in lighter gray suits with lavender ties to match Sam's.
It had been a small and perfect ceremony. When Sam read his vows to her he also serenaded her with the Carpenter's song, "Close To You." Admitting that even though he fought it; his heart couldn't be denied. All he ever wanted to be was close to her for the rest of his life. There was not a dry eye in the place, when she surprised Chelsea with a ring of her own, and informed her that she had officially adopted her, and that day, she not only became a wife, but a mother. At her quaint wedding, her biological family was missing as well as Sam's, but they were surrounded by their chosen family. Even if it involved two of Sam's freaky friends.
But now, it was just for her and Sam. Chelsea was staying with Blaine and Kurt, while they had their honeymoon. And they had definitely been enjoying their time alone.
Mercedes was certain they'd made love on every available surface of their casita on the water. They had no qualms about how loud they were or if they could be seen making love on their little deck.
They only had eyes for each other. If someone complained, they would have stopped, but since nobody paid them attention, as they worshiped each other body and soul their entire honeymoon, and Mercedes had to be carried by Sam to their taxi that took them to the airport for their flight back to California because Mercedes was unable to use her legs again after their marathon of lovemaking.
She would probably have to get used to walking with a new gait because just because the honeymoon was over didn't mean that her husband and her were going to stop their marathons of intensely hot lovemaking sessions. Having a former porn star as a lover did come with its perks, and if people judged them for his past or her past marriage, then they decided they didn't want to be around those people and would only be around people who accepted them for who they were. Two people who loved their daughter and were determined to make the world a better place for homeless people and try to help prevent human trafficking and providing resources for those rescued from trafficking.
Besides, it was a person's heart that truly mattered. And the couple only hung around like-minded people, so Sam no longer felt compelled to be accepted by the elite, and Mercedes showed him that they were the elite. People who needed people, who helped people, and loved people were the only people who mattered.
The End
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love that you gave this story. Every time I read a story or watch movie, I think how can I rewrite this for Samcedes, but with two jobs and age creeping up on me, it's not as easy as it used to be. I started writing on this site when I was in graduate school. I procrastinated doing my assignments and would write fanfiction to aid and abet me in slacking in that area. After graduate school, it felt like I had gained a virtual family. And just like in families when the children get older and move out and have their own families, I have felt the growing pains of this fandom's family. Some of you are still here after all this time, and I appreciate it, and some of you are new, and I appreciate you as well. Friends come and go, but family is forever though near or far.
I may be inconsistent and disappear from time to time but know this is my coping mechanism for an escape from the real world of finding out about babies being repeatedly raped at six month and other evils of the world. So, I will always be running back to this fandom for a respite from the evil that is in this world to lose myself in old and new stories. So, you all are not getting rid of me yet. I need the joy I find in the stories you post and the reviews you give to my stories to boost me up from time to time to take myself from the tragedies of life.
Thanks again for all you do to support the others who keep this little engine that could going. This is not an original story but it took hours every day to post it. And time is a valuable commodity. I appreciate you spending yours reading and reviewing and lifting up all Samcedes fanfiction authors who do a much better job than me at providing original content and updating them when their lives are probably just as busy as mine.