I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to upload. My grandmother passed last month & things are going so downhill. I work a lot so I'm updating once a day for the next three days to make up for it. I have a small stall in a part of the story but once it's taken care of, you'll see a lot more of me.

Also, thank you to my reviewers; Wan Wan & sweetgirl23. I really like reviews so I can know how you like it.

NJPNJPNJP

Mercedes huffed a sigh as she finished telling Quinn about what happened at Mike's two nights ago. "I haven't heard from him since."

"Merce."

"I'm sorry for telling him like that but what was I supposed to do?" Mercedes choked back tears. "I can't kick Puck out. I don't even know how to tell him what happened."

"He doesn't need to know!" Quinn's voice crackled over the line. "Puck is a FWB. He's on a need to know basis & this he doesn't need to know. Now if you & Mike&Ike got together then you'd have to tell him but since you're not right now…"

"Why would we get together? It's a bad idea!"

Quinn breathed deeply. "I know you want to spare Sam's feelings but you shouldn't. He didn't spare yours so he doesn't deserve the same. It's not being spiteful to move on. As for Tina, she's made her bed. She's a friend that's going through something. You can date her ex. You dated mine & I'm a lot clingier than her."

"What about Puck? You're saying I should just give him the boot?"

"I can't believe you've been sleeping with him for so long." Quinn muttered. "Just talk to Mikey. If you decide to get together, give Puck the heads up. You're not dating so he can't be mad. I'm sure he has enough money for his own place by now."

"Maybe you're right."

"I know I'm right!"

"So how are you & Santana?"

"Ugh! She gets on my last nerve!"

M&MC

"I'm thinking of moving back home." Puck said quietly.

Mercedes turned to face him. "What?"

"Yeah. My little brother needs me. I saw that clearly when I brought him down here at Christmas." He faced her. "Do you think that's stupid?"

"No way!" She took his hand. "I'm going to miss you though."

"I miss you already." He admitted. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you near by."

"You can contact your therapist. Talk to your mom." She said pointedly.

He rolled his eyes. "I'll think about it. But I'll miss you for other stuff. We room together kinda good. & what we just did was bomb as always."

"You can get a girlfriend you know."

"I know. Some chick to say is mine but what we have is different. You get me, Mama. You do better for me than my own mother. But you get down better than Santana ever could."

"Are you talking about my sexual prowess?!"

"I don't know what that means."

She giggled. It was the first time she'd shown mirth since hearing about the Bram wedding a couple days ago. No one had told her until after the idiots realized the world still spun. But then she'd been so busy, she couldn't pick up the phone until Santana knocked on her door. Talk about a shock to the system!

"Anyway, thanks for everything you've done for me."

"You act like you're moving out to take on the world! You're going home to be a man."

He rolled on top of her. "I'm always a man, Mama. Don't you forget it!"

"I'm so scared!"

"Man enough to make you forget all that Bram nonsense!"

"Yes, you did." She wrapped her arms around his neck & kissed his nose. "When are you thinking of leaving?"

"Before the new year. So in a few days." He nuzzled her neck.

"I'll help you pack."

"That'll take all of two minutes." He snorted. "What else you'll help me with?"

"Goodbye kisses?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I slept with your roommate for you & you want to give me goodbye kisses?!"

"Hey! You had fun!"

"Yeah, cuz of you! Karen's okay & she'll make some guy a good girlfriend but make no mistake; I was in it for you."

"Well I thank you."

"I don't want your gratitude."

"Yes, you do. & you wanna know why?" He nodded. "Cuz it's nonverbal."

M&MC

"So Puck's gone & Mike will be here any day?" Karen asked as she put away the clothes she'd recently laundered. She had just come back from winter break when she begged Mercedes to tell her all about hers.

"Yup." Mercedes clutched her pillow. "I'm happy for him."

"But?"

"But what if Mike brings up having a relationship again?"

"I think it's safe to say I hate you."

"What?!" Mercedes broke out of her funk to laugh. "Why?"

"Because you have sex with all these awesome great looking dudes, have amazing friends, gorgeous clothes, immense talent, extensive intellect, generous personality & all these guys chasing you. Why the hell are you pouting?!"

Mercedes laughed until she almost hit the floor. "Are you crazy?! The sex I can maybe agree with. My true friends are amazing. Crazy but amazing. I guess my wardrobe is kinda bangin. Thank you for complimenting my voice. I'm not that smart. If I were, I'd be able to stay out of these situations. Thank you for the compliment about my personality. I really need that. & what guys are chasing me?"

"I wasn't just talking about your voice. You have many talents." Karen put away her bags. "& you're so smart! You're only in these situations because you keep closing yourself off to your true feelings. & Mike is chasing you. Stop running!"

"Thank you. For all of it." She sighed. "I don't know if I could agree to a relationship with Mike though. It seems too easy. Like we're doing it just to be doing something."

"Do you still talk?" Mercedes nodded. "Does he ever bring it up?"

Mercedes shook her head. "It's taken a month to go back to normal but it's a little strained. We can't flirt like we used to. He won't."

"I don't know what to tell you." Karen admitted.

"I should call my sister. She always has something to say!"

"I didn't know you had a sister."

"A little sister & a big brother. I love them both so much. I really miss them."

"What are they like?"

Mercedes felt loads better as she described her whole family to Karen. She had the girl in stitches until they left for dinner. She had almost forgotten Mike was moving in that week.

M&MC

"Does Mike Chang live here?" Mercedes had knocked on room 435's door & prayed it belonged to Mike but a redheaded guy answered.

"Yeah. Hold on." The guy turned & gestured behind him. "Hey, dude! There's a cute girl at the door for you!"

Mike appeared. "Hey, Mercy."

"Mike&Ike." She breathed. She had missed him sorely.

"I thought you didn't know anybody here." The redhead scratched his head.

"I thought you had somewhere to be, Kevin." Mike responded dryly, his eyes never leaving Mercedes.

"I can take a hint." Kevin threw up his hands in surrender. "Just don't have sex in my bed!"

"Get out!" Mike barked & the young man scrambled from the room.

"Bye, gorgeous!" He waved & split.

"What a dip!" Mike rolled his eyes. "Want to come in?"

She nodded & stepped inside. The place was already tidy. Mike was like that. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to grab dinner."

"I have a lot to do." He looked away. "I need to familiarize myself with the campus. Get a bus pass. Settle in."

He can't even look at me. "Puck moved back to Lima."

He snapped his gaze back to her. "When?"

"Not even a week ago." Why exactly did I tell him that?

"Why?"

"To be closer to Jake." He didn't say anything so she went on. "Can we just go back to how it was? I miss you, Mikey."

He took a deep breath. "I miss you, too. Yeah, we can go back." He grinned. "You said something about dinner?"

She laughed. So glad to have you back!