Hi Guys, sorry I didn't update yesterday, it was my moms birthday and I was busy all day, but thank you for all the reviews :) Enjoy the chapter.
Happy Reading
Episode 19
The Diner – Park Avenue – Wednesday Afternoon
"And here's your burger Santana" The older waitress said, putting down Santana's plate in front of her. The girls were having their weekly lunch date at the Diner.
"Thank you" Santana smiled at the waitress then quickly took a bite of her burger, letting out a loud moan "Good I needed this"
"You sound like you're having sex" Mercedes quipped, giving Santana a strange look as she took another large bite of her burger. Mercedes looked away and started eating her salad.
"Sometimes this is better than sex" Santana replied.
"Then you're doing it wrong" Rachel joked. Santana shared a smirk with Rachel before she noticed Quinn looking through a long list of names and making notes on the piece of paper.
"What are doing there Fabray" Santana asked.
"Looking through the guest list for Finn and Rachel's party in two weeks. I need to make sure I buy enough food for everyone" Quinn answered.
Rachel and Finn's party to introduce Rose and Henry to their family members was two weeks away but neither Finn and Rachel had done any work for it as they had left it in Quinn's capable hands because they both knew Quinn would do it better and throw a party everyone would remember.
"I see it's another Fabray extravaganza" Santana commented. There hadn't been a party thrown by any of them in the last ten years that hadn't been organised by Quinn.
"Well, she's so much better at it and I know she'll make this a day Henry and Rose will never forget" Rachel said smiling widely at Quinn.
"Stop digging Rachel, I already agreed to do it" Quinn said rolling her eyes. Quinn was happy to do everything really, she wanted to do it for her niece and nephew and she felt Finn and Rachel deserved a party as well to celebrate where they were after everything they had been through.
"You really missed your calling Quinn" Mercedes commented.
"Well let's hope that I don't change careers because then I'd start charging you all for my services" Quinn joked pointing her fork jokingly at them all before going back to her pasta dish.
"I can't believe you even agreed to have this party. Both families in the same room. it's going to be a blood bath" Santana said. Finn and Rachel's families were both very different families and because of that they had never gotten along, Shelby partially didn't like how Carole spoke to her daughter.
"I know but this way we get the visit out of the way quickly without having either side of the family with us for too long. And I'm hoping that enough people will be there that they don't even have to be in the same room" Rachel replied.
Finn and Rachel thought that having one weekend where both families were together for just a few hours was better than having to endure two separate weekend. While the families were different they were the same when it came to stressing Rachel out.
"We'll all pray for that" Santana smirked.
"Oh, before I forget Sam is in town for the weekend and he wants to meet up for a drink" Rachel said. Sam was still living in LA for his modelling but whenever he came to New York for work he always made a point of meeting up with the group.
"Sounds fun, I'm sure Brittany will be up for it" Santana replied. Because Finn and Puck were best friends, Sam and Brittany had gotten close as the two new comers of the group. They had similar personality, that Finn and Puck found easy to tease.
"Yeah Noah mentioned he was coming to town, I'm sure we'll be able to find a babysitter" Quinn added.
"One of the women at the nursery said she'll babysit for us, she needs some extra cash, I'm sure that she'll watch NJ as well" Rachel said. The nursery at Rachel's office had been open for two weeks and so far, it had been a success, all the kids loved the nursery and the workers were fantastic at their job.
"That's great"
"What about you Mercedes?" Rachel asked, she glanced over at Mercedes who was staring now at her salad, suddenly becoming nervous.
"Oh, I don't think that would be appropriate?" Mercedes waved off, she couldn't meet her friend's eyes.
"What?" Santana asked, confused.
"Me going for a drink with my ex-boyfriend" Mercedes added. She finally looked up at her friends and they could see she was unsure, which they quickly knew meant Mercedes wasn't the one who thought she shouldn't see her ex-boyfriend.
"It not like you'll be alone, we'll all be there" Santana pressed.
"Truthfully, I don't think that you guys should still be friends with Sam either. He's my ex-boyfriend and it's not fair that Matt can't come out with us because Sam is going to be there" Mercedes argued, she crossed her arms, her food forgotten as she looked at her friends firmly.
"Yeah, because that's the reason that Matt doesn't come out with us" Santana said, sarcastically. Rachel and Quinn shared a cautious look. They knew if Santana got sarcastic Mercedes would think she wasn't taking it serious and an argument would start.
"Mercedes, we understand that it might be awkward for Matt to be there but you've been in Sam's company before" Quinn reasoned. Ever since they had stopped sleeping together for a second-time Sam and Mercedes had found a way to be in each other's company for the sake of their friends, luckily for Mercedes though because Sam was busy in LA it hadn't been that often.
"Not really, not since I've been with Matt" Mercedes argued.
"Did something happen with between you and Sam on our day out with the kids" Rachel wondered, thinking back to the last time Sam and Mercedes had seen each other, Rachel had noticed after the Zoo they had barely even looked at each other.
"No, why would you think that? I just don't think Matt and I should have to be around Sam that's all" Mercedes concluded, she couldn't meet Rachel's eye so Rachel knew she was lying, something had obviously been said between the two.
"Well then you don't have to come on Saturday" Santana said, seriously. Rachel and Quinn glanced over at Santana, they could tell that she wasn't going to placate Mercedes this time. She'd had enough with Mercedes, and to extension Matt's, behaviour.
"You know when I was seeing Sam before you guys didn't like it, why is it different now" Mercedes hissed.
"The difference is you were sleeping with Sam and we were worried he was going to break your heart again" Rachel replied, exasperated.
"Is this really how you feel or is this how Matt told you to feel" Santana snipped. Quinn watched them all cautiously, she wasn't the argumentative type and the last few weeks had been tense for her because she could see a big argument was coming.
"I can clearly see you guys aren't going to listen to me so I'm just going to go" Mercedes sighed. She threw her napkin on the table and got up from her seat.
"Mercedes don't leave, at least finish the rest of your lunch" Quinn pleaded.
"I can't, I'm meeting Matt's mother. We're redecorating the spare bedroom" Mercedes added as she put on her coat "I'll talk to you guys later"
Without another word, Mercedes left the Diner, they watched her leave not sure how much more they could take.
"You know these lunches are becoming a lot of work with her" Santana said, rolling her eyes. She went back to eating her fries but with more aggression than she normally would.
"Maybe she has a point, I mean if I broke up with Noah… okay maybe that doesn't count because he's Finn's best friend but I'm sure it's still awkward for her" Quinn sighed. she knew how she felt when Puck was dating Kitty and she had to be around them both, she imagined Mercedes probably felt the same.
"None of this even matters, we all know she only said it because Matt got to her again. Which is fine if they don't want to come on Saturday then they don't have to" Santana said, angrily. In just a few weeks Matt had been changing Mercedes so much, but what annoyed Santana more was the fact Mercedes couldn't see it or didn't care.
"She's becoming more and more distant from us" Quinn said, sadly.
"What can we do? Sam is Noah, Finn's and Brittany's friend and I'm not about to tell my husband he has to ditch his friend because Mercedes' boyfriend has a problem with it" Rachel reasoned.
"I suppose you're right, but I don't want Mercedes to be upset with us every time Sam comes into town" Quinn said, she laid back in her seat, she had suddenly lost her appetite.
"Don't worry in a few weeks Matt will move on to something else he doesn't like about us and forget all about Sam" Santana waved off. First Matt didn't think they should spend a much time with her friends, then it was Mercedes should quit her job and then it was Mercedes shouldn't see Sam all the while he was changing her wardrobe, diet, and personality.
"These lunches aren't fun anyway" Quinn grumbled, crossing her arms. Rachel gave her a sympathetic look.
"We should be thankful that it took 15 years for one of you guys to date someone we didn't like" Rachel joked half-heartedly.
"Let's hope it doesn't last much longer" Santana commented.
"I don't think this one is going a way for a while" Rachel admitted. While they didn't like Matt, Rachel could see Mercedes was fallen in deeper and deeper with him and wasn't going to give it up easily.
"God, these lunches suck" Santana groaned before putting her head on the table, Rachel patted her head, affectionately.
American Girl Store – Fifth Avenue – Wednesday Afternoon
That same day a few hours later, Rachel and her family were at the American Girl Restaurant. Rose and Henry had both been sent gift cards for toy stores by Finn's aunt, his mother's sister who lived in Connecticut with her family. Rose's gift card had been for the American Girl Store which is how Finn and Rachel had found themselves in the large store on a Wednesday afternoon.
"I can't believe we just spent two hours in the American Girl store and now we're actually eating in their restaurant" Finn groaned as they were led to their table. Rose was skipping along in front clutching her new toy tightly.
"It's cute, they give the doll its own chair and plastic food. Rose will love it" Rachel grinned. The hostess helped Rose put her new American Girl Doll in a high chair at their table while Rachel and Finn took their seats.
"She better, because there are no other guys in here" Finn grumbled. The Hostess passed them all a menu before going back to her podium.
"That just makes you a really great Daddy" Rachel quipped. She took Henry out of his pram and fastened him into his high chair next to her, Rachel smiled when she noticed Rose pretending to do the same thing with her doll.
"Yeah, Yeah"
"So, I told the girls about Saturday, they are up for meeting Sam. Well except for Mercedes" Rachel said. She glanced at her menu while handing Henry his bottle of juice.
"I take it Matt had a problem with it" Finn replied, not at all surprised. He shared the same opinion as the girls when it came to Matt.
"Matt has a problem with everything" Rachel waved off before facing her daughter "What do you want Sweetie"
"I want spaghetti and so does Lea" Rose replied, happily as she stroked the hair of her doll "Can I wear my new pyjamas tonight and read my book at bed time"
Along with her new Doll, Rose had managed to the book and DVD that featured her doll along with two matching outfits for both Rose and her doll, Lea to wear. Even though Rose's gift card was for $500 that still didn't get much, the doll alone had been $200.
"Of course, Sweetie, but you have to eat all your dinner" Rachel replied. Rose nodded then got a thoughtful look on her face.
"Can we watch the movie as well" Rose smiled widely at her mother.
"We'll see" Rachel laughed, although she knew that there were only so many times that Rachel could say no when Rose gave her a sweet smile.
"You've gonna have to send a picture to your mom's sister to show we actually got all this stuff" Rachel said. Rachel had only met Finn's aunt at her engagement party and wedding but Rachel knew she was exactly like Carole and the two of them would talk about the gift and if Rachel and Finn didn't give a proper thank you.
"It doesn't look like much for five hundred dollars" Finn noted, as he glanced at the bag attached to Henry's pram.
"Well the clothes are just as expensive as if we were buying them for Rose" Rachel said.
"Please don't tell me we have to go to that dinosaur store so that Henry can spend his money" Finn sighed. Henry's gift card had been for Dinosaur Hill Toys, which specialised in old vintage toys and while Finn was grateful for the gift, he wished his family could be the kind of people to go in a store and choose a present themselves, so that Finn wouldn't have to.
"I think we can wait, he doesn't seem as bothered about it as Rose was" Rachel quipped, she looked over at Henry who after finishing his bottle, threw it on the table and promptly fell asleep in his high chair.
"So, what's Mercedes and Matt's problem now" Finn asked.
"Matt doesn't like that we still all hang out with Sam and doesn't think we should still be friends with him" Rachel replied.
"Good job we don't listen to him then"
"It's not even him, it's the fact that she just goes along with it. It's like she doesn't even have an original thought anymore"
"Can I take your order please?" The Waitress asked, interrupting their conversation. Finn quickly relayed their order for her, as well as a plastic meal that would be given to Lea, the doll.
"You okay, with all this about Mercedes?" Finn asked. Once the waitress had left the table and Rose was occupied looking through the American Girl Store catalogue.
"I really don't want to talk about her anymore. I feel like that's all we do now. Worry about Mercedes but she's a big girl and if this is the kind of relationship she wants to be in then I guess we just have to accept that" Rachel explained.
"That's a very mature way to behave. I bet it lasts less than 12 hours" Finn joked. He knew that Rachel wasn't just going to give up obsessing as long as her friend was dating someone she didn't like.
"Funny"
"Look Daddy, you can buy Lea her own house" Rose said holding up the American Girl catalogue for her father to see. Finn took the catalogue from Rose but she got off her seat and sat on her father's knee so she could continue to look through it as well.
"$395!" Finn proclaimed, he flipped through the rest of the catalogue "You might have to wait for another voucher from a relative sweetie"
"Well you do have a lot of Aunts and Uncles who can't be bothered shopping for someone else" Rachel replied, sarcastically. Burt had 2 brothers and 1 sister and Carole had another sister, so Rachel was expecting a lot of gift cards in the next few weeks.
"She'll have the everything in the store by Christmas" Finn quipped, as he put the catalogue back in the bag before Rose saw something else she wanted.
Rose looked up at her father, wide eyed "Really!"
Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Friday Evening
"I've shown Katie where everything is and the kids are settled watching Toy Story so we can leave as soon as Quinn and Noah get here" Rachel said as she walked into the Kitchen, where Finn and Sam were having a drink before they met the others for a drink at a sports bar near Finn and Rachel's house.
"Good" Finn kissed her cheek before handing a beer to Sam "Here you go mate"
"Cheers" Sam clicked his bottle with Finn's then took a drink "So, are the others meeting us at the bar?"
"Noah and Quinn are dropping NJ off here but Santana and Brittany are meeting us at the bar" Finn replied. Katie had been more than happy to babysit for NJ as well because she needed all the money she could get because she was saving for her wedding.
"No Mercedes then tonight"
"Not tonight, she's busy" Rachel answered lamely. She wasn't sure why she was making excuses for Mercedes when she was still mad at them. Mercedes hadn't spoken to them since she had walked out on their lunch but she had agreed to have breakfast with them the next day so they could clear the air.
"Is this because of what I said to her the last time I was here. I knew I probably stepped over the line" Sam admitted.
"What did you say to her?" Rachel wondered. She knew that something had happened between the pair despite what Mercedes had told her.
"We got into this thing, about Matt and how she cared so much that you guys liked me in the beginning but doesn't seem to care with Matt. I thought she would have mentioned it" Sam explained. He had expected an angry call from one of the girls, telling him he'd over stepped the mark, since that day at the zoo and he was confused when it didn't happen.
"She's not been sharing a lot lately, she probably didn't want to say anything because she knew we'd agree with you" Rachel admitted before taking a drink of her beer. Finn stroked Rachel's arm when he noticed the thoughtful look on her face.
"I'm sorry" Sam said.
Rachel waved him off "Don't be, it's just the way things have been lately"
"Hey guys" Quinn greeted as herself and Puck walked into the kitchen, with NJ. Finn handed them both a beer as Rachel said hello to NJ, who told her about the new Marvel DVD he had brought with him.
"Rose and Henry are in the living room watching a movie" Rachel said after giving her godson a hug and kiss. Without another word, NJ raced into the living room to be with his friends.
"Bye then son" Puck joked waving at his son's retreating body.
"They don't need us anymore" Finn quipped.
Puck shrugged "Let's go have a good night without them then"
Riviera Café & Sports Bar – West Village – Friday Evening
An hour later the group were at the sports bar with Santana and Brittany, while the girls were sat at a table having a drink, the guys and Brittany were playing pool.
"So, how come you're in town Sam" Brittany asked before taking her shot. Brittany and Sam were playing against Finn and Puck. Finn and Puck always seemed to win but they never changed the teams, it was just one of their traditions.
"I'm walking in the Burberry Show tomorrow, I know fashion isn't your guy's thing but I could get you into the after party, should be good, hot models and celebrities" Sam replied smirking at Puck who was nodding, eagerly.
"Sounds good to me" Puck said. He took his shot then smirked at Brittany and Sam when it went straight in.
"Me too, I'm sure the girls will be up for it. Let's hope Katie wants to make some more money" Finn quipped. He'd have felt guilty about leaving his children at home while he went out a second night in a row if he hadn't spent three hours that day having a tea party with Rose and her new doll.
"So, have you had your ear ripped off by all this Matt and Mercedes talk this week" Puck groaned. Ever since Wednesday all Puck had heard from Quinn was how worried she was about Mercedes.
"It really getting that bad" Sam asked. While he'd heard how much they all disliked Matt, he had realised it was affecting the girl's friendship so much.
"They pretty much hate him, but Santana is more concerned about how different Mercedes is around him" Brittany explained as she took another shot "I had to listen for twenty minutes yesterday about how Mercedes is becoming a Stepford bride"
"God, if he proposes it will be the end of our lives" Puck sighed, ignoring Brittany's cheer in his face as she ducked another ball.
"It's only been a few months, we have a while yet" Finn reasoned. He took a shot, but missed which earned him a slap on the head from Puck as they were now losing the game.
"10 bucks, says he's proposed by the end of the month" Puck said, not at all joking.
"The girls are right though, he is a pretentious douche" Brittany said.
"God I'd hate to think what you guys said about me when I was with Mercedes" Sam laughed, as Brittany made another shot. Finn and Puck shared a look when they realised they might actually lose.
"He's too young" Finn said, good naturedly.
"Modelling is a stupid job" Puck added.
"He's mouth is far too big" Brittany concluded before taking another shot, and winning the game.
Quinn's Apartment – Upper East Side – Saturday Morning
"Hey guys, I brought the food" Rachel called as she walked into Quinn's apartment the next day. She had brought the breakfast food from the diner around the corner from Quinn's apartment. Rachel put the bag down on the kitchen counter then helped Rose take off her coat.
"Thank god, I'm starving" Santana cheered before turning to Rose "Hey Rosie" Santana looked back up at Rachel "Is she wearing matching pyjamas with her doll"
"I don't want to talk about it, she refuses to take them off" Rachel sighed dramatically. Ever since Wednesday when Rose had gotten her new doll she only wanted to wear clothes that matched the clothes her doll had and because they had only bought three outfits for the doll it wasn't leaving Rose with much choices.
"Ah the wonders of parenting" Santana laughed. She took the bag of food while Rachel grabbed plates and cutlery from Quinn's kitchen and brought it in to the living room. They were setting everything on Quinn's coffee table when Quinn walked in from her bedroom.
"Hey Rach, no Henry" Quinn asked. She took a seat on the floor next to Rachel and leaned over to give Rose a hug and kiss. Rose immediately started showing Quinn her new doll and their matching pyjamas.
"No Finn's taken him to get some new clothes, he already getting too big for half of the clothes we bought a month ago" Rachel replied before passing Rose a plate of scrambled eggs and a waffle.
"Aww" Quinn cooed.
"Do you just do that at everything?" Santana asked, rolling her eyes.
"Hey"
They all looked up to see Mercedes walk into the living room. She took a seat on the floor next to them and helped herself to a glass of orange juice.
"Hey Mercedes, just in time we just dished up" Quinn said. Mercedes was in a pleasant mood, which they knew meant she didn't want to talk about what had happened at the diner.
"So, Matt and I have finally finished redecorating so we thought we'd have a dinner party tonight to celebrate. He's gonna invite some of his friends and of course you guys are invited" Mercedes grinned. They all stopped eating to look at Mercedes. They had planned to tell Mercedes at the Burberry afterparty, hoping they could convince her to go with them.
"Oh, that sounds nice" Quinn smiled, although not convincingly.
"I heard what you guys said on Wednesday and I thought this would be a good way for you guys to get to know Matt better, the guys as well, I think you'll like him once you really get to know him. So, are you guys free?" Mercedes explained.
"We'd love to go" Quinn cheered, when Rachel and Santana remained silent.
"Great!" Mercedes beamed "I'm just going to ring the catering company to confirm everything"
Once Mercedes had left the room, Santana immediately turned to Quinn, with an unamused look.
"Quinn why did you say yes, we have Sam's afterparty tonight. I wanted to see hot models and celebrities" Santana complained, she grumbled into her plate as she ate her bacon.
"We can't bail on her for a second night. We have to do this, we need to give Matt a shot. Maybe he'll be different around his friends" Quinn reasoned.
"Quinn's right, and I'm sure the dinner party will be over early enough that we can go to the party afterwards" Rachel replied. She knew Quinn was right and that maybe they had to change their own attitudes when dealing with Matt but she was also worried about how she was going to get Finn to agree.
"You better be right" Santana groaned.
"I'm sure it won't be as bad as we think" Quinn reasoned.
"I'm more concerned with what the guys and Brittany are going to stay when we tell them that instead of going to a Burberry afterparty with an open bar, we're going to a stuffy dinner party at the home of a man we can't stand" Rachel said, Quinn and Santana groaned as they realised the same thing.
"We'll just have to promise then sex" Santana quipped as she nicked some strawberries from Rachel's plate.
"What's sex?" Rose asked, looking up at her mother. Quinn and Rachel shared a startled look while Santana laughed.
"Well, Rosie..." Santana started but Rachel quickly put her hand over Santana's mouth to stop her from talking.
"Don't explain it to her" Rachel reprimanded before smiling down at her daughter "Eat your waffles Rose"
Matt and Mercedes Apartment – Upper West Side – Saturday Evening
In the evening, that same day, Finn and Rachel were in the back of a taxi on the way to Mercedes' and Matt's apartment. Rachel had managed to talk Finn into skipping the party, the exact way Santana had told them they should, and while he' had a happy afternoon, Finn was grumpy as the pulled up outside the apartment building.
"I can't believe you managed to talk me in to this" Finn complained as he paid the taxi driver.
"Really excited to see those hot models were ya" Rachel joked.
"And the open bar" Finn added "Hey I spent two hours in the American girls store this week, you owe me"
"I promise to make it up to you" Rachel smiled seductively at him as they got out of the taxi. That's when they noticed all their friends waiting outside.
"What are you guys doing outside" Rachel asked as they walked over to the group. She looked down at her watch to see they were five minutes late, it wasn't a lot of time but she knew Matt would find some problem with it.
"We weren't going into the Lion's den until we were all here" Santana replied dramatically, as the Doorman opened the door to let them all inside.
"How did Quinn talk you in to this?" Finn asked, looking over at Puck as they waited for the elevator. The girls were distracted, talking about what they were expecting in Matt's apartment.
"By doing things that didn't make her the lady she normally is" Puck joked crudely "Was Sam okay with us not being there"
"He was fine, I told him we'd try and make it if this was over earlier enough"
After reaching the top floor of the apartment, they were greeted by Matt's front door. Quinn knocked on the door firmly when Santana joked it was their last chance to leave.
"Hey guys, come in, come in" Mercedes greeted as she opened the door, she led them all through the reception area where a middle-aged man was waiting for them. He looked to be in his forties and was wearing a sharp suit and shiny shoes. The group immediately realised he was Matt's butler.
"Can I take your coats" The Butler asked, holding out his arms as they all passed him their coats.
"Let me guess, your name is Alfred" Santana quipped as she handed him her jacket and bag. The butler ignored her question and led them through to the dining room, where some people were already there, having a drink.
"Wow, this place is amazing Mercedes" Quinn said, impressed.
"It really is, I'll give you guys a tour in a little bit. Do you want a drink?" Mercedes asked, with a wide smile that looked rehearsed. They all nodded and watched as Mercedes signalled to a bartender who quickly brought them over a glass of champagne.
"This party probably cost more than the one we were going to" Brittany whispered to Santana, who nodded in agreement.
"Guys this is Edward and his wife Hope" Mercedes introduced pointing to a couple stood next to the large table "And this is John and his wife Jill. Edward and John both work with Matt at the Record Label"
"Nice to meet you all, Mercedes has told us so much about you all" Jill said smiling widely at them all.
"All good things we hope" Rachel said before taking a drink of her champagne.
"Of course, Take a seat everyone, Matt just in his office he'll be out in a second. I'm just going to check on the food" Mercedes said before leaving the room.
"Place cards, fancy!" Finn said, amused as they all took their seats at the other side of the table to Matt's friends.
"So, can we leave yet?" Santana whispered to Rachel who was on her right.
"Santana, behave" Rachel pressed before turning to the two couples at the other side of the table "So Hope what do you do for a living?"
"I used to work at the record label that how Edward and I met, but I gave it up when we got married. I'm on the Historical board with Matt and Edwards mother, it takes up so much of my time. Mercedes will know soon enough – she starts next week" Hope explained. Rachel ignored Santana rolling her eyes and luckily Hope hadn't seen her do it.
"Mercedes has joined the board with you" Rachel asked as that was the first they had heard about it. Rachel hadn't even mentioned to Santana and Quinn about Mercedes leaving her job at the bar and joining the board was obviously her reason.
"Yeah, I'm excited to have another friendly face there" Hope said, happily.
"Hello everyone, sorry about that you know how my father can talk about work" Matt said as he walked into the room. He shook Edward and John's hand and kissed Jill and Hope on the cheek before turning to the other side of the table.
"Hello, I'm glad you guys could join us, it's about time you saw the place" Matt grinned. Rachel and Santana both had to stop themselves rolling their eyes at how fake it looked.
"It's lovely" Quinn smiled.
"Oh, Matt good, dinner is ready" Mercedes said, walking back into the room. her and Matt took a seat at the table just as the waiters started bringing in the food.
"This looks incredible Mercedes, you choose the menu well" Jill praised, as they all tucked into their starters.
"Thank you, I have to admit I copied your dessert from your party last week" Mercedes laughed, she shared a smile with Hope and Jill, while Santana, Quinn and Rachel shared a confused look. Mercedes was never one to talk so happily about menu planning.
"I knew you loved it" Jill laughed back. Santana looked at both of them a little bewildered.
"So, Jill are you on the Historical Board with Hope and Mercedes" Rachel asked, she looked over at Mercedes who looked nervous and Rachel knew it was because she hadn't mentioned anything to them about it.
"Oh no, I'm help with the NYC board of education" Jill answered.
"That's interesting, Puck and I work at Dalton Private School" Finn said, finally happy to talk about something he was passionate about.
"Matt mentioned that, he told us about that mess with that student who was caught cheating, I don't know what that vice principal was thinking letting that boy back to school. Dalton was a lot stricter when we went to school there" Jill said, shaking her head slightly. Finn took a drink of his champagne as he tried to keep his anger in check. He put his hand on Rachel's leg when he could see she was about to say something.
"I think he was thinking about what was best for his student" Finn said, firmly.
"Well someone needs to remind your principal that we had those rules in place for a reason" John added, missing, or ignoring the looks on Puck and Finn's faces. Rachel turned to Mercedes, expecting her to say something but was disappointed when Mercedes pointedly looked in the other direction.
"I'll be sure to do that" Finn snipped, before taking another drink.
"I'll try to spit in her drink when no one's looking" Rachel whispered in Finn's ear.
"Thank you, wife" Finn replied.
Quinn looked around at all her friends and could see now of them were going to say anything. She held up her fork "These are really good crab cakes"
XoXo
"So, can we leave yet?" Finn asked, an hour later. The group had finished their 5-course meal and after they mingled around the dining room, having their own conversations. Rachel and Finn were stood at the bar away from everyone else.
"You not having a good time baby" Rachel laughed before taking another glass of champagne. Finn had had enough of champagne but when he asked the bartender if they had beer, he looked at Finn like he was insane so Finn had decided to stop drinking.
"I don't think I can hear another story about how bad Dalton is, I'm starting to feel like a sucky vice-principal" Finn moaned.
Matt's friends hadn't noticed Finn's tone or the looks on everyone's faces and had spent most of the dinner talking about how bad Dalton had become since they had all gone to school there. Finn was annoyed by what they were saying but he was more annoyed that Mercedes and Matt hadn't stood up for Finn or even changed the subject.
"You're the best vice-principal in the world" Rachel proclaimed, she wrapped her arms around Finn's waist and leaned up and kissed his cheek.
"Would it be terrible if we said one of the kids were sick and we had to leave" Finn wondered, as he absentmindedly played with Rachel's hair.
"Yes, it would, especially if we left the other four here with no excuse" Rachel quipped. She had been thinking of the same thing but she knew her friends would kill her if they couldn't use the same excuse.
"I suppose you're right" Finn sighed.
"Okay, I've just listened to Jill tell me about the benefits of hypoallergenic pillows for the last twenty minutes. We need to leave" Santana pressed, before grabbing a champagne glass from the bar and taking a large gulp. .
"Okay Hope and Edward have moved on from how bad the vice-principal is at Dalton and now on to how bad the football team has gotten. We need to leave" Puck argued, as he and Quinn walked to the other four. Before any of them could reply Mercedes walked over to them with a large grin on her face.
"Hey guys everything okay?" Mercedes asked.
"We're going to have to get going soon, we need to get back for the babysitter" Rachel said. Everyone nodded their head, even Santana and Brittany who had no children to get back for. Mercedes crossed her arms and looked straight at Quinn, Rachel, and Santana.
"Can I talk to you three for a minute" Mercedes asked, firmly. Santana finished off the rest of the drink then the three of them followed her into the spare room. Mercedes closed the door behind them and then turned back to her friends.
"You guys couldn't even last the whole evening?" Mercedes sighed.
"Come on, Matt's friends have been insulting Finn since we got here" Rachel argued. She had been annoyed with Mercedes as well, Mercedes could have easily said something to Hope but she had chosen not to.
"They don't know that he's the vice principal" Mercedes reasoned, unable to look at Rachel.
"No but you do, you could have said something" Rachel pressed.
"It wouldn't have started a whole big thing and I didn't want to ruin the evening" Mercedes waved off. Santana and Rachel both rolled their eyes, Rachel didn't argue back. She knew there was nothing she could say that would make Mercedes see reason.
"We've had a nice meal Mercedes it's just that…" Quinn trailed off when she realised she couldn't tell Mercedes were they really wanted to go.
"You want to go to Sam's after party" Mercedes finished giving them a look that said, 'there's no point lying'. The girls weren't sure how Mercedes had known but they should have known she'd find out some way. Rachel suspected Matt had found out everything he could about Mercedes's ex-boyfriend and what he was doing while he was in town.
"You know what, I'm as tired at fighting as you guys probably are. You should just go, have a nice night and I'll see you guys later" Mercedes sighed. Quinn grabbed Mercedes arm to stop her from leaving.
"Mercedes"
"No really guys, thank you for coming. I'll tell Alfred to get your coats" Mercedes said, before walking out of the room.
Empire Hotel Rooftop – Broadway – Saturday Night
"This party isn't as fun as I thought it would be" Quinn said, sadly.
After leaving Matt and Mercedes's apartment the group had gone straight to Sam's after party and while Finn, Puck and Brittany were having a good time the girls felt guilty about how they had once again left things with Mercedes. The guys and Brittany were walking around the party trying to see if they could spot any celebrities while the girls were mopping by the bar.
"We shouldn't be made to feel guilty because we wanted to come to this party instead of a dinner party where the other guests were insulting us to our face" Santana argued.
"Except to Mercedes it looked like we were choosing Sam over her" Rachel argued.
"We were choosing Sam over Matt" Santana corrected.
"The person that Mercedes is living with and committed to" Rachel added. While she didn't like Matt, she could see how them leaving the dinner party early to meet Sam would look like to Mercedes.
"I hate it when your logic gets in the way of my anger" Santana quipped, the girls drank silently for a few minutes before their partners walked over to the bar.
"Come on, we have an hour before we have to get back for the babysitter, you owe me a make out session in the coat room" Finn grinned. He wrapped his arms around Rachel and began to nibble at her ear, ignoring the groans from their friends.
"Lead the way" Rachel laughed. Santana rolled her eyes at the pair as Finn grabbed Rachel hand and pulled her towards the cloak room.
"Let's dance" Brittany said, smiling at Santana as she finished off her drink.
"Can't we just make out" Santana moaned as Brittany pulled her onto the dancefloor just as a slow song started. Brittany ignored her as pulled Santana close.
"Make out or Dance" Puck asked Quinn when they were the last ones at the bar.
"Let's make out while we dance" Quinn smiled at Puck, he leaned down and kissed her on each cheek then on the nose.
"I knew you were the clever one in this relationship" Puck laughed as Quinn pulled him onto the dance floor.
Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Sunday Evening
The next night, the group were meeting up at Finn and Rachel's house to have one last night with Sam before he went back to LA. They were going to have a simple night of takeaway food and movies, with the kids. Mercedes and Sam were both there but they still hoped they could have one relaxing night.
"Rose, are you sure you don't want to put some clean pyjamas on" Rachel pleaded as she held up some clean pyjamas for Rose. The mother and daughter were in Rose's bedroom and Rachel was trying to get Rose to take off the pyjamas she'd worn for four days and put some new ones on.
"No mommy, then I won't match Lea" Rose answered, before going back to brushing the hair of her doll. Finn walked into the bedroom to see Rachel was no closer to getting Rose out of her dirty pyjamas.
"Finn!" Rachel gave Finn a look that said, 'help me'.
"Sweetie, do you want to have a cookie tonight while you watch the movie?" Finn asked. Rose dropped her doll and looked up at her father.
"Yes!"
"Clean pyjamas then please" Finn said. He handed Rose the clean pyjamas and the four-year old quickly began to get changed.
"So, we're the parents that bribe our children now" Rachel sighed as Finn helped her off the floor.
"It worked didn't it" Finn shrugged. He helped Rose into her pyjamas while Rachel cleaned up Rose's bedroom.
"Guys!"
"We're upstairs, we'll be down in a minute" Rachel called back to their friends who had just walked in, before glancing back at Rose, who was now in clean pyjamas "Those are lovely pyjamas Rosie"
"Can I have my cookie now?" Rose asked as she took her mother's hand as they walked down the stairs.
"Let's go say hello to everyone first" Rachel replied as they walked down the stairs with Finn following behind them.
"Hey guys" Rachel greeted once she reached the bottom of the stairs to see all their friends taking off them coats, leaving their bags by the front door.
"Come on Rose, let's put the movie on" Finn said, he took Rose's hand and lead her into the living room with Puck, carrying NJ and Brittany following behind them.
"Are we okay?" Quinn asked glancing over at Mercedes.
"Everything's fine, you guys don't like Matt, that's your opinion but I love him and if that means I have to spilt my time between you guys then so be it, I love you guys too and I'm tired of fighting about it all the time" Mercedes explained with a slight shrug.
"You might not love us when we tell you Sam will be here soon" Rachel joked lamely.
"It's okay, I thought he might be. He's your friend and I should respect that" Mercedes replied.
"Why the 1-80" Santana wondered, she'd been expecting Mercedes to still be angry with them about leaving the dinner party and was shocked by the turn-around.
"We can have some things that are separate, it's not the end of the world. I have friends you don't hang out with and you have ones that I don't. Our world can't start and end with each other" Mercedes concluded, she grinned at her friends then walked into the living room.
"It's like she has four personalities" Santana said, bewildered.
"Let's just enjoy the rare moment of peace between us all" Rachel said. The other two nodded in agreement and then joined the others in the living room.
XoXo
"Oh, hey sorry. I can't eat these in the living room without Rose giving me a death stare" Sam joked lamely when he noticed Mercedes walk into the kitchen. After Rose had clapped Sam's hand from the plate of cookies on the table, for the fourth time, he decided to hide in the kitchen so he could enjoy some before going back to the movie.
"That's fine, I was just getting my coat, I have to get to dinner with Matt" Mercedes said, she started putting on her coat, looking away from Sam.
"Oh, well it was good to see you Mercedes" Sam said, lamely. The two had barely spoken all night and just standing in the kitchen together was awkward and Sam hated it, as well as Mercedes new personality.
"You too Sam, now if you'll excuse me" Mercedes said, curtly. She grabbed her bag and started to leave the kitchen.
"You're going to lose them" Sam said before Mercedes had left the kitchen, she turned back to face him "You're going to lose your friends Mercedes. And do you wanna know the worst part. I don't even think you care"
Sam went back into the living room before Mercedes could say anything in return.