The Ramparts

"I know that you think that I was playing Cupid again this year, but I assure you that this time – I was a complete victim of circumstance. He came to me and asked me for help. He had some lovely ideas for gifts, but after we scratched off ones that would not suit you in any way and ones that you wouldn't accept because of the high prices – he came to a decision and told me that it had been his first choice all along. Did you not like it?"

"He tried to kiss me!" She snapped. Even Blaine heard it through the phone as the couple sat on the couch. At that admittance, Kurt jumped to his feet. He listened for about forty second of Mercedes going crazy in his ear, then dashed around and began to pack a bag, as she continued on, without taking a breath. Blaine, who was slowly chewing popcorn just stared at him, going from one room to the next, running about. Blaine thought he heard, "Even gave him paint!" through the phone.

"Girlfriends crisis," Blaine said to himself.

"Sweetie, you just sit tight. We are on our way!" He hung up, put his hand over his quickly beating heart and said, "Mercedes has a man problem."

"Puck is going for it?" Blaine said, somewhat excited.

"It's Sam," Kurt said.

Blaine paled. "That's not good."

"It's TERRIBLE!" Kurt said, "But the boy does care about her, I've seen it in his eyes. Oh my… I have to call my swans. We have to rush in there and see to the Queen!" Kurt ran into the bedroom, making a call, "Tina? Tina, Sweetie – you have to leave Mike tonight. We have a queen in distress!"

Blaine put another piece of popcorn in his mouth and changed the channel on the television.

Mercedes heard the Star Wars music and ignored the call. The phone buzzed. Obviously, he left a voicemail. Moments later, Not the Boy Next Door came from her phone and she answered, "Where are you?" She sounded much calmer than she had before.

"Out front. Don't worry. The ramparts are with me and that man is not getting his hands or lips anywhere near you!" She came off of the elevator and ran to the door. Sam came from the computer to see Kurt, Tina, Lauren and Santana enter. "I hope you don't mind. I decided to leave Quinn out of this one." He spotted Sam, watching them from the stairs and said, "I'll be up in a moment." As the ladies boarded the elevator, Kurt went to Sam, "What happened?" he asked.

"I couldn't resist," Sam said with a shrug, watching the elevator doors shut. God, Mercedes looked miserable. "What are y'all doing?"

"Well, now that you terrified her with your succulent flappers, we have to help her out of emotional distress and keep you away from her, until we do."

Sam said, "It just felt like the right time."

"No!" Kurt snapped, then reached over and slapped his hand, "You do not get to select when the time is right. The time has to be right to both parties." He illustrated by bringing his two index fingers together and connecting them. "She isn't ready for that, Sam." He stormed down the stairs, flinging his scarf over himself, dramatically.

"Nice touch," Sam said.

"Of course it was," Kurt agreed and strutted to the elevator.

Mercedes laughed at herself and said, "I think that I started having an anxiety attack. I don't know why I called you, flipping out like that. It's just really been that long since someone actually tried to kiss me. I feel sorry for him. I think that he actually thinks that this is something real, because he's been through so much in his quest to get better."

"What makes you think that it isn't real?" Lauren asked, the pacing Mercedes. Lauren held St. Valentine in the palm of her hand and said, "This statue looks like it might have taken some time to paint and some effort. There are little grooves in it in the clothing and he put little gold accents and a white tunic underneath the red robe…"

"Havababamakekeman," Mercedes said, earning a snicker from everyone, but Lauren, who looked confused. "That's what visually descriptive words mean to me, Lauren." She said, then furrowed her eyebrows and sighed, "I'm sorry. I just mean, by you trying to describe that statue to me tells me nothing."

"It tells you that he's willing to take time to do things for you, whether or not you can appreciate them. Like when Kurt and Tina come and revamp your wardrobe, so that you won't look like Bozo the Clown when you're in public. Or when Puck buys you beautiful flowers, making sure that they're highly scented, but beautiful, so that all the other girls around can be totally jealous." Mercedes rubbed her face. "And Sam Evans' lips are spectacular."

"Did you mean to say they're a spectacle?" Santana asked. "That boy looks like he could suck a baby's head."

Kurt watched Mercedes facing some type of inner battle and asked, "Want me to call Rachel?"

"NO!" Santana and Tina both said. Kurt gave a well damn, don't kill me shrug. Then, Tina said, "I mean, it's Valentines' Day and she's with child. We don't want to disturb them." Santana chuckled. Tina then looked at Mercedes and said, "Mercedes, you already know how I feel about him, but you also know why. Remember some of the things that I told you."

Santana looked confused and said, "I don't know why."

Mercedes said, "It's pretty personal stuff, San."

Tina said, "Well, I think that Santana and I are on that level. I mean, I tell girls in crisis relationships about it, all the time." She sat next to Santana, but pulled Mercedes over to her by the hand and held Mercedes' hand as she began to tell her story, "I'm biracial. My mother was Korean and my father was Russian-American." Santana stirred in her seat, having a feeling of where this was going.

"When I was little, we didn't have a lot of money. Mom would work really hard to try to do things for us. It was just my sister and I, with her. He wasn't around much, even though we lived in one of his houses. If she asked him for anything. He made her "earn" it. He would come over and just ravage her like an animal, throw money down next to her like it was nothing, barely acknowledge us. That was when he was sober. When he was drunk, or just stopped in because he was horny… he didn't care if she wanted to or not. I remember hearing her crying and begging him not to do it, not with us in the house. Moments later, he came storming in the room, snatched us both by the hair and threw us outside. We could still hear them inside. She was still crying… but the next day, we got new shoes and groceries." Tina smiled, sadly – like her face was reflexively smiling, but she really didn't want to. Santana's lip quivered. For all of her tough talk and cool attitude, she was a softy.

"It was a pattern. We realized that this was what she did, sometimes to feed us and give us things. He called her names, and even sometimes hit her. He told her that she was nothing and that if she ever tried to tell someone that no one would believe a "gook" like her. He called my sister and I that all of the time. Mom wanted him to change and asked him if they could get counseling, or something – ridiculous. He didn't even entertain the thought. I see him all the time, in the media. Do you know what he does? He is a politician. The public loves him. Society loves him. White America loves him. Meanwhile, my mother hung herself the moment my sister and I were old enough to leave. I was going to take care of her. I worked long and hard to be smart enough and good enough at everything I did to take care of her. But, she was already ruined."

Lauren wanted to say something, but she was not the right person to do it and she knew that coming from her, it would sound self serving, so she was glad when Kurt said, "Tina, honey – every man isn't your father. Not all white men are abusive racists."

"I didn't say that they were, Kurt. But deep rooted racism and strong belief in white supremacy turns men into monsters and there is no turning back. Sam is that kind of man. You can't undo murdering a family in cold blood and being completely unconcerned about it. That type of sociopathic, psychopathic They simply can't see you for what you are, but only for what they think that you are. He could put on a public face better than any that I've seen Sam Evans pull off, but by the time he came home, he had on his real face.. and that was what was scary." Tina's eyes were full of tears. "Mercedes, I don't say any of the things that I say to you about this to be a bitch."

"I know, Tina. But, know this – I believe that people can change. Your father didn't want to, but if he had wanted to; I think he could have." Mercedes squeezed her hand.

Lauren commented, "You think that Sam could change, but just not enough to actually really be in love with you?" She finally set the statue back down. "From what he's told me, he changed while he was in prison. It's not like he was released from prison then started trying to change and now, in two months time he's in love with a black woman after that. He's been out of that life now, for a few years. Or do you think that it's impossible for someone to be able to actually love you for who you are and want you, just the same?"

"That's not what I was saying," Mercedes started, "None of that."

Santana interrupted, "Let's not get off of the real issue here. Cedes, the fact of the matter is that whether he loves you or not, whether you want him, or not, that man has a past that is going to affect the rest of his existence, and most likely in a negative way. For example, Shane. Nuff said. But, take this on for size – those Rutherfords weren't the only ones in existence. I know that family. I used to play hopscotch with their cousins in Lima Heights. I kissed the one who got killed for a pickle and a pack of Now and Laters when we were little. There was another brother, who happened to be on a senior class trip when the murders happened. That's what he had to come back from Paris to. If Matt Rutherford knew where Sam Evans was hiding that fool would be dead by dawn. You don't need to get involved with someone who you might accidentally have to take a beating or a bullet for." Mercedes took a deep breath.

"What is Shane going to say if you tell him that you want to be with the man that ruined his life?" Tina asked.

Mercedes said, "That's just it. I don't want to be with Sam. None of you are listening to me."

"Mercedes, we would never judge you, Sweetheart," Kurt said. "It's kind of obvious between the two of you. His impressions are not that damned funny."

"You all have a different level of hearing than me," she defended.

"He stalks you. You know that, and yet – it doesn't seem to totally freak you out," Santana said.

Lauren interrupted, "I always feel out of place when the Sam conversations start, because he's always been nice to me and I to him and if you guys would get to know him. I mean – I understand people can put on a front, but he has literally been living here for two months! Wouldn't he have done something suspect by now, if he was going to hurt her?"

"Once again," Santana said, "I mentioned the crossfire aspect. You two go to a movie theatre.."

"Why would they…" Lauren began.

Santana continued, "A fricken bonfire, then, Lauren! Whatever. Matt Rutherford or some other person we don't yet know about sees him and runs up on him. A fight breaks out, someone has a knife, pushing and shoving – she can't see what's happening, then suddenly, she's falling to the ground, stabbed in the stomach, the chest, the back, something, not because someone wanted to harm her, but because someone wanted to harm him." She looked at Mercedes seriously and said, "And I am not here for that. He isn't worth it, Mercedes. That's why I don't want him around you, in any capacity. I don't like him following you to lunch. It could happen at Breadsticks. I'm just saying – that's what my problem is and always has been." She looked at Lauren, "And that has nothing to do with who he is, but what he has done and the fact that it may come back to bite him."

Mercedes took a deep breath and laid back on her couch. "This is why I never get attached to anybody. I can't believe I am on the other side of a session."

"You don't get attached to anybody because Puck doesn't let anyone stick around that long," Santana corrected, "Yet, I seem to find myself actually rooting for him, this time."

Mercedes sat up and asked, "What do you mean, Puck doesn't let anyone stick around?"

Kurt slapped his hands together, "This is her one real blind spot, ladies. Kid gloves, please. Kid gloves."

Tina said, "Mercedes, any time someone is interested in you, Puck befriends them and after a short period of time, they suddenly become less interested. Meanwhile, your buddy Puck is there to cheer you up and cheer you on and help pick up the pieces, even though you aren't together."

"You might as well had never broken up with him," Santana said. "And even though you try to remain in denial about how toxic he is to your love life, you have had his ring tone on Set Me Free by the Supremes for damn near six years, now."

"And you've switched phones since then," Kurt pointed out. Then, he went to sit on her lap and said, "Do you know what you really need? You need some solo time. Just some time where you aren't trying to be in any relationship, but at the same time, not putting up with Puck's self-serving bull, either." Lauren sighed. Kurt snapped his fingers at her twice. "And you don't need anyone prodding you in either direction. Whatever it is that you want to do, that's best for you – that's what you need to do."

"I don't know what the hell that is," she said and poked her lip out in a pout. No one else really knew, either.

When Mercedes went to let her friends out for the night and hugged and kissed them, she wondered where Sam was. "Does anyone see him?" She asked, in a whisper.

"I think he's gone to bed," Kurt said. She saw them out and locked the door. When she turned around, she felt someone there.

"Sam?" She called.

"I'm sorry that I made you uncomfortable. I can get a little impulsive at times. My mistake. Could we just pretend it never happened. I don't want anything to obstruct our friendship," he said. Just as I suspected. He made a mistake…

Her heart hurt a little at his words, but she nodded her head. "I'm not used to that kind of thing happening. I overreacted. I'm sure that you were just being friendly, in the V-Day spirit, or whatever." He wanted so badly to tell her that wasn't it at all, but Kurt was right. She wasn't ready to handle something like that, especially given his background. It would take time… like a lot of time. Hell, if in six years she had not gone back to Puck... But, that was different.

Puck had hurt her. Sam determined that he never would. "So, I'll see you in the morning." She said and touched both of her hands to his chest. He touched her hands on his chest and fought the urge to pull her in and kiss her, for real, this time. Instead, he hugged her again and told her good night.

Mercedes entered the community with Kissy and Lauren. Puck hugged both of them and Lauren looked him up and down, in spite of herself. That boy knew he was pretty. The two of them often flirted and she knew that he had a thing for her, but everyone knew about the situation with Mercedes, and why would she sign on for that kind of drama? Because, look at his sexy little waist, that's why. Lauren poured it on thick, that day, and after a while, Puck offered to bring Mercedes back to the shop so that she could enjoy the rest of her afternoon. "Was Lauren hitting on you?" Mercedes asked as soon as she left.

"Oh, you have to ask?" Puck retorted, with some bitterness in his voice, as he went into his office, with Mercedes following his voice.

"I mean, she seemed overtly flirtatious. I know that she thinks you're something, but she was on a roll." He looked at Mercedes, looking so amused by Lauren possibly wanting him. It was insulting and frustrating for her to do this. "Maybe you should take her on a date. I don't think she has one for my karaoke birthday party." He fumed. Usually, he was her date, now she was trying to just push him off on someone else, like it was a casual situation?

"Mercedes, you can cut it out," he said.

"Cut what out?" She asked.
"Are you suggesting that you had nothing to do with Lauren's advances, just now? So that was all Lauren, just flirting, herself with me, and it had nothing to do with you trying to distract me so that you and that Nazi could go run off kissing on each other?" Mercedes' smile vanished. "I saw the two of you the other night. I was right there when he leaned down. You forget that some of us can see." She cussed at him, ferociously, then covered her mouth with her hands.

"I didn't mean to do that, Noah." She touched his cheek and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, but you shouldn't have said something like that to me. That was extremely rude and a little hateful. I didn't put Lauren up to anything, and if I wanted to kiss Sam, I would walk myself right into Pieces of Mercy and lay one on him!" She folded her arms. "I don't even know why Lauren would want to have anything to do with you, anyway. Maybe I should tell her that you're an overprotective, clingy, no business-minding…" Puck grabbed her and kissed her, deeply, passionately... and it made her stomach turn. Mercedes fought her friend off of her and held her hands out in front of herself. "If you do that again, I will scream!"

"Mercedes,"

"No, Boy. No. I don't want to hear it." Sam was one thing. Even the brief brush of his lips made her insides feel hot and mushy, but Puck's lips touching hers that way… she just couldn't.

"Because of Sam?" Puck snapped at her, "Mercedes do you know how stupid you would look with him?"

"Say something to me about how something looks again! I dare you, I double dare you, Puck!" Her hands were on her hips and her eyes were focused on a nothing past Puck.

Puck's fists were balled as he reminded her through his teeth, "We have NEVER had an argument about a man before. This is the one that you allow to threaten our friendship – the one who could have just as easily and thoughtlessly barged into YOUR house and killed you and your mom?"

"You told me that you loved me, then you had sex with my best friend! And you weren't even going to tell me that it happened. I had to find out when I went with her to the doctor and she found out that she was pregnant, while her boyfriend was stationed in Hawaii, and broke into an outburst of hormonal tears in her confession! You've already pointed out how hard on me you made it, when you were getting over your alcoholism and I didn't give up on you. Even though you hurt me, when you were tempted to drink, after the fact – upset with yourself because you didn't know if you were functional enough to be a dad, I chose to smooth my heart out and be. There. For. You. For you to come at me like a jealous boyfriend, six years after the fact, like you've earned the right!" She was crying now. Puck hated to see her cry.

"Mercedes, please – don't." He reached for her and tried to pull her into a hug, but she pulled away and tried to leave the office. She bumped her shin on the chair and cussed. "Cedes…"

She held her hand up to silence him and felt around in front of herself to reach the door. "Kissy!" She called, through hard tears. "Kissy!" The dog came to check on her and she hugged her tightly and cried into her fur for a spell, then grabbed the handle and left. Puck punched the wall, and the sound made her jump, but she quickly left.

Sam looked at his phone and saw a text from Puck, Gotta talk to ya! Meet me outside. He went to Quinn, as she was putting away some of the Valentines' Day gifts in the clearance section. "Miss Fabray, I need to take a short break." She nodded, gently, but did not look at him. He rushed outside and saw Puck, leaning against the community center bus. "What's up? Where's Mercedes? I thought she was coming to the community center."

"She did, but she ended up going for a walk afterwards. She was upset when she left."

"What was wrong?" Sam wondered, concerned.

"You're what's wrong, Sam. I don't dislike you. You're alright and I want you to have a chance at another life. But, I also know how it can be, having someone be there for you like Mercy does. She goes above and beyond and she puts her all into helping people. But, with her situation, it's easy to forget that you can't handle her like a regular woman. There are things that she just can't understand… things that she just isn't exposed to."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked, genuinely confused.

"She's never seen a naked man or a porno, or even those sexy ads with guys' abs all over it. She has emotions and all, but she's not prompted on a daily basis like the rest of us are and she doesn't have the same level of temptation."

"I'm not trying to have sex with her," Sam said.

"You kissed her," Puck said.

"Barely, and we already discussed that. We're just going to be friends," Sam said. It was the saddest voice that Puck had ever heard, but he couldn't afford to feel bad for Sam. "Look, your lips are saying one thing, but the rest of you says another thing, every time she's around. And she doesn't have that problem. So, don't bring any of it to her… and don't mess her over."

"You're one to talk," Sam replied.

"Yeah – I am. I know firsthand how much it hurts to have someone build you up and the moment you're larger than life you crush them underfoot. They recover, but you still have to know that you did that to her. You hurt the one person who did everything for you… You don't want to be that guy."

"I've gotta get back to work," Sam said. He backed away from Puck, shaking his head in disbelief that he even had the audacity to have this talk with him.

"You act like because she means so much to you right now that this is the way it's gonna be, but you and I both know that the moment you get back whatever you had before you were put away, she's just gonna be another nigger to you." Sam rushed at Puck and slammed his against the bus. Then , he backed away. Parole. You are on parole. You will go back and you'll never see her again and everything she's done for you will be wasted.

"F*** you, Puck!" Sam said as he backed away and moved towards the shop again, bright red in the face and clenching his fists to keep from swinging them at Noah Puckerman.

Puck laughed at Sam's anger. "Yeah, look at how much you've changed. You're so right for her," Puck said and got back into the bus. The door opened and Quinn stepped outside. Sam looked at her and shook his head. He walked passed her and went back inside contracting and releasing his fingers. Damn it. The last thing he wanted to do was to get into trouble for assault, and what would Mercedes think of him for responding to words with his fist? She'd be disappointed. As much as he wanted to hit Puck for what he said, he was glad that he had not… sort of. He sort of wished that he had the freedom to beat the hell out of him.

Mercedes entered the shop several hours after it was closed and Sam sat at the bar, afraid to make a sound, wondering if she was alright, but not wanting to disturb her, if she wasn't. She walked passed him and he saw that she had been crying. He made a small whimper as he fought not to bother her, and she froze and turned her head, "Sam?" She said.
"I won't bother you. No one was able to get in touch with you and you've been gone for hours. I stayed up because I just wanted to make sure that you're okay," he said.

"Sure," she told him. He thought that it might be too forward to ask her where she had been. Mercedes went to the elevator, dropped her handle and said, "Could you keep Kissy down here tonight and feed her for me, please?"

"Of course, Miss Jones," Sam said.

She smiled, sadly and told him, "You know that you don't ever have to call me that, right?"

He smiled back at her and narrated in the voice of James Earl Jones, "Young Sam Evans smiled at the lovely Miss Jones and made a mental note that here-on-after, she shall be called Mercedes."

She laughed. He wished he could tell her how much it meant to him to make her laugh when she had walked in looking so sad. Mercedes' smile brightened even still as she borrowed the tune from Rent's Light My Candle and sang, "They call me, they call me, Mer-cyyyy!" and she stepped onto the opening elevator. Sam's heart thudded inside of him. She wanted him to call her Mercy… like her loved ones did.