Puck opened the front door. "What's up?"

"You're mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you." He moved out of the way so she could come in.

Mercedes walked passed him & went up to his room. He followed behind silently. She sat on his bed primly. "I know you're mad."

"I'm not mad." He repeated.

"Yes, you are. You won't look at me." She pouted.

He sat on the bed next to her, leaving plenty of space. She crawled closer & laid her head on his shoulder. "You messed up, Mama. You was wrong."

"It wasn't even like that." She sniffled, her tears coming back quickly.

"Then how was it because it looked like you had a relationship going on behind Mike's back."

She whimpered at his rough voice & wiped away a stray tear. "It was not a relationship."

"I told you to tell Mike about that guy but you were gonna lie, weren't you?"

"No!" Her head popped up.

"Yes, you were!" He sat away from her. "You were going to lie to his face about your boyfriend & he would have been a bigger fool than he already is! How could you do that to him, Mercedes?!"

He never called her Mercedes. She blinked at him in shock. "Puck, I-"

"There's no excuse! & I know Quinn's trying to find all of them in the world! But it won't work! I thought you were better than that! Since when are you like every other girl?!"

She swallowed hard to try to speak but couldn't handle this. "I have to go." She got up & tried to walk out but he grabbed her arm.

"Tell your soul sister that she's got a lot to answer for."

She ripped her arm from his & ran out. She jumped in her car & went straight home, straight to Marcy's room without knocking & plopped onto her sister's pallet.

Marcy came in seconds later. "What happened? Did you see Mikey?"

Mercedes sat up. "I went to see Puck. I thought he would understand out of everybody but he yelled at me!"

Marcy's mouth formed an "o". "Rude!"

"He said to tell Quinn she had a lot to answer for. I don't know if they're even going to make it."

Marcy got down on her knees on the pallet. "I'm sorry. Do you want to go back to church & pray?"

"Who's going to watch the kids?"

Marcy thought about it. "I guess Momma can."

Mercedes loved her sister. She was willing to go against her instincts & leave the most precious things in the world to her with someone that deeply scarred her, for her. "Thank you."

"Come on." Marcy stood up & pulled Mercedes to her feet.

The two went downstairs to find their mother reading a book in the living room.

"Hey? Can you watch the twins while Mercy & I go back to church?" The words felt like wet cement on Marcy's tongue.

Rose was surprised as she sat up straight. "You want me to watch the twins?"

"Yes."

Rose grew excited. "I can do that. Where are they?"

"Playing in the den."

Rose set aside her book. "Have a good time at church."

"Thank you." Mercedes, who'd been hiding from her mother since the woman came home from work the day before, stayed in the doorway.

Rose frowned. "Are you okay? You sound stuffy."

"I'm fine." Mercedes cleared her throat but she'd cried herself hoarse the day before & barely had a voice.

"Okay." Rose didn't believe that. "Take a coat just in case."

"Alright." Marcy ushered her sister out before Mercedes blew it. They grabbed jackets & purses from the coatrack & jumped in Travis.

Marcy drove to their church & they got out & went inside. They went to the candles & lit one each, bowing their heads before sitting in the front pews.

Mercedes took her sister's hand & held it tightly as she prayed for forgiveness, guidance & solace.

M&MC

"Will you be staying for dinner?" Rose asked Marcy when her daughters returned home.

Marcy hung her stuff up. "No. Pierre & I are going to dinner. I'm just dropping Mercy off & picking up the twins."

"They're going, too?"

"To the Changs'. Mrs. C wants to see them as much as possible before we leave."

Rose frowned at the reminder of her leaving. "Okay. Well, have a good time."

"Uh huh." Marcy walked out of the hallway to find the twins.

Mercedes, who'd been standing there the entire time, shrugged. "She's staying til Wednesday."

"Three days. Yay." Rose sighed heavily. "Come on, come help me with dinner."

Mercedes went into the kitchen with her mother & helped her prepare their meal. Church helped & so did this. She'd always enjoyed cooking so it wasn't much of a surprise.

When it was done, Rose called an absent Marc to eat. "Marc?! Dinner's ready!"

Marc walked in. He sat at the table heavily. "Where's Marcy?"

"Having dinner with her boyfriend. The twins are at the Changs'." Rose sat down.

"I wonder how she can live with herself." He muttered.

"Marc!" Mercedes snapped as tears filled her eyes. So much for feeling better.

He glared before his gaze softened. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault. Laura knew better."

"What's going on?" Rose demanded. Neither child answered her. "What is going on here?!"

"I did a bad thing." Mercedes bowed her head. "I cheated on Sonny."

The fork in Rose's hand dropped. "What?!"

"Quinn & Marcy cheated, too."

"Oh my goodness!"

"It was a mistake. A big mistake."

Rose swallowed any words of rebuke that she might have spewed when she realized she hardly had room to judge. Wasn't she making up for a big mistake?

"He'll forgive you." Marc said.

"He shouldn't." Mercedes bowed her head.

"He will."

M&MC

Though it was nice to have her brother not angry with her anymore, Mercedes needed a friend & while Marcy was busy with Pierre on his last day in America, Laura was busy taking care of the twins & Quinn working on her car; Mercedes intended to find one. That's how she found herself on the front steps of the Hudson-Hummels.

She rang the doorbell & prayed Finn was home (& Sam was at school). She didn't have long to wait. The door was opened by someone who was decidedly not Finn though. It was his mother…

"Mercedes? Hi! We haven't seen you in so long!" Carole pulled her into a big hug.

Mercedes kept it together. "Hi, Ms. Carole. How are you & Papa Burt?"

"We're fine. He's at the shop right now. We had your delightful sister over for dinner last week. Why didn't you tell us about her?!"

"She is amazing, isn't she?" Marcy was a safe subject & was helping to beat back the bad feelings.

"She is! I'm waiting on her mashed potato recipe. It was really good. Finn hasn't stopped talking about them since."

Mercedes smiled. "Which ones? She has a couple different recipes for mashed potatoes."

"These weren't mashed at all."

"Oh. Yeah. Those are good. I'll ask her to make them soon."

"So what are you doing here?" Carole finally shut the front door.

"I came to see Finn."

"Oh, he's in his room. Go on up."

"Thank you." Mercedes smiled again before climbing the stairs but each step brought her anxiety back. Would he be just as cross as Puck? She couldn't take the judgement & total resentment if he was.

She stood outside the closed door for a few minutes before she tentatively knocked.

Seconds later, the door opened. "Mercedes? What are you doing here?"

Her heart sank. He was angry, too. Of course. She started to turn. "I'm sorry for bothering you."

"Wait." He grabbed her hand. "I wasn't saying for you to go. I was just surprised is all."

She turned back with tears in her eyes & licked her lips before launching herself in his arms. "Everyone hates me!"

"What?!" He was bewildered. Mercedes had never touched him much so this was different to say the least. Her statement was even more confusing.

"I cheated on Mike." She said shamefully.

He dragged her into his room, closed the door, sat her in his desk chair & gave her a tissue he kept on his nightstand. "Here. I know."

"You know?" She dried her eyes.

He explained about Mike calling a meeting & everything that was discussed.

Mercedes burst into tears again at hearing that.

Finn had never been good with women crying but he was used to Rachel's outpouring of emotion so he moved to pat her back gently. "I don't know what's going to happen but I think you'll be fine."

"How can you say that? I've ruined the best relationship I've ever had!"

"I think Mike will forgive you. Even if you break up."

She dabbed at her eyes. How did he know that's what she feared the most? Not that her romantic relationship was over but that she'd lost her very best friend? "I hope so."

"It'll be okay, Mercedes." He frowned. "Can I call you somethin else?"

"Huh?" She was confused.

"It's just that everyone has a name for you. Quinn, Mike & Sam call you Mercy. Kurt & Rachel call you Diva. Santana calls you Aretha or Wheezy. Tina calls you Cedes. Artie calls you MJ. Puck calls you Mama. I want to call you something."

She looked at him like he was crazy before her face went blank. "What do you want to call me?"

He shrugged. "You said everyone hates you?"

She sucked her teeth before telling him what happened Saturday morning, which he knew because Puck told him & Sunday afternoon, which Puck did not tell him.

"I'm sorry. Puck can be seriously hotheaded sometimes."

"I just need a friend right now."

"What can I do?"

She looked at his bed then him. "Can we lie in your bed?"

He blushed. "Mike will kill me!"

"Not like that. Just hold each other. I used to do it with Puck but he hates me now."

"I've never done that before." He admitted.

"It's okay." Her voice was small.

He hated seeing her like this. "I'll do it."

She sniffled. "Thank you."

He stood & sat on his bed awkwardly. She sat up against his pillows. He scooted up to his pillows & lay down. She moved into his space, laying her head on his chest & curling his arm around her before putting her arms around him.

Finn felt very uncomfortable for a moment but they just stayed there so he began relaxing. Suddenly she moved & he panicked… until he realized she was just reaching into her purse for her phone. He watched curiously as she put on music.

"Who is that?" He asked.

"The Spinners. Old group." She moved back into his embrace & sighed deeply.

They lay through two songs before he frowned. "What's this song about?"

"The singer's mother."

"What's the name?"

"Sadie."

It took two minutes but the sparks went off in his brain. "I know what I want to call you."

M&MC

Mercedes reached over Ozzie's sleeping form to grab her phone. "Hello?"

"Hey? It's me. Why weren't you at glee?" It was Sam.

"Sam? What are you talking about?"

"Glee. You didn't come. Neither did Quinn, Mike, Puck or Marcy. Finn said he didn't know where you guys were."

"I was sleeping, Sam."

"I woke you up?"

"Yes."

"Your voice sounds shot. I'm sorry. We can talk later. You go back to sleep." He hung up.

Well she was up now. She sat up & decided to use the restroom before calling her sisters. She called Quinn first & found out she was still working on her car. It helped with her guilt.

Then she called Marcy, who was at the Changs', hanging out with Maddie. Mercedes asked if Mal was there but Marcy said he was out & she'd leave when he came back. Laura wasn't doing anything.

Mercedes went downstairs. She might as well watch television. She sat in the den & turned it on. She didn't even change the channel, electing instead to watch the Looney Tunes Show. It was the one where Daffy Duck thought Porky Pig was a murderer.

She was so far gone, she didn't notice Marc sitting down beside her. But she caught on when he pulled her onto his shoulder. "Are you feeling any better?"

"No." She sniffled. When had she even started crying?!

"You'll look back on this time & laugh with him."

"Will you laugh with Laura?"

He squeezed her arm. "Why you gotta bring her up?"

"Why'd you call her a whore?" She shot back.

He colored. "I didn't call her a whore!"

"Yes, you did."

He scowled. "She just makes me mad."

"You're as wrong as I am."

He huffed. "Maybe."

"Marc." She peeked at him.

"Alright! I was wrong!" He threw his head back. "What do you want me to do?!"

"Apologize. If I get the chance, I'm completely doing it until he gets sick of hearing it."

He sighed. "I guess. I'll do it later."

"You don't want to do it now?"

"Why now?"

"No time like the present?"

He groaned before fishing his phone out of his pocket. "Girls!"

M&MC

"So what are we doing for your birthday?" Laura asked. She'd stayed over for dinner after Marc had apologized.

"I have the whole day planned." Marcy folded her legs under her.

"What is it?" Mercedes asked in anticipation.

"I'm going to the movies."

"That's it? I thought you had a plan?"

"I do. I'm going to the movies first. Then I'm going to f.y.e then Build-a-Bear. Then I'm going to Apple Town."

"Sounds like a plan." Laura nodded.

"After lunch, I'm going to As the Page Turns then I'm going to spend some time alone then I might go to glee. Artie said he had something for me. Then I want to go ice skating before going out to dinner. Then maybe a walk in the park?"

"Full day!" Mercedes approved. "You're going to be alone?"

"I was thinking no. I would like you guys to be there. Quinn, too."

"We'll start right after breakfast." Laura promised. "It'll be a day to remember."