Chapter 35 #2 - Frat Boy Philosophy 101

"Where's the grub?" asked Finn. "You went in search of nachos, and you came back with?"

"Shaving cream," replied Kurt holding up the can. "I went up to see Sam, got sidetracked."

"Dude we can't eat that." Finn crossed his long legs, his faded blue jeans clinging to his thighs.

Finn usually liked to wear his jeans loose, very casual with a polo or rugby on top. Tonight he was trying something different. Tight jeans, matched with a tan close fitting button down, far off from his usual look. Mercedes suspected Kurt had something to do with this change. Skinny jeans and lack of muscle tone were a bad mix. He looked like a walking stick.

"How's Sam doing?" asked Mercedes quietly. When Kurt had taken so long to return, she figured that was where he wandered off. She knew that Kurt liked to talk to Sam every chance he got.

"I figured you would've came up and checked in on Sam by now. You have to pass by his room to get to Beth."

"I haven't been up to see Beth yet," Mercedes admitted. She had wanted to go up and check on her, but she just couldn't muster up the nerve.

"What? We've been here for almost two hours. How could you just leave the little girl to fend for herself?" asked Kurt sitting up in shock.

"I have the video monitor here. She's fine. Still sleeping." She frowned at Kurt knowing he was putting on this display just to prove a point.

"Just thought you would at least go see her in the flesh, tuck her in or something. She's your responsibility."

"I know that Kurt."

Finn chimed in his support. "Kurt why are you being so harsh with the girl? She was just kicking back with me for a bit. She deserves a little down time."

"She's taking care of an infant, there is no down time."

"Shit it's not even her kid."

Mercedes cringed at Finn's words. It was the truth, but she still hated to be reminded of it. She loved Beth as if she were her own.

"Mercedes doesn't feel that way. Do you Cede? Under normal circumstances she would have rushed up to check on Beth, but tonight she's kicking back."

Mercedes glared at Kurt. "I haven't been feeling well. You know that Kurt."

"I'm pretty sure you could outrun his wheelchair. Those hallways upstairs are narrow, you could just cut him off."

"What are you talking about?" Mercedes asked wanting Kurt to just come out with it already. She was tired of his thinly veiled attacks.

"You're afraid to see Sam. So much so that you are suppressing your first instinct to go and check on your stepdaughter."

She wasn't afraid. Sam never scared her. Not in the mood for a confrontation was more like it. Peace was the plan ever since she left the hospital and she had achieved it, until tonight when Kurt came over and dragged her out into the cold, now she had somehow landed at the mansion in shouting distance of Sam.

"I'm not afraid it's just that Beth is asleep. I didn't want to risk waking her." It was rare she slept for this long of a stretch. Apparently she had been asleep for about 3 hours already. Maybe she would make it through the night, Mercedes didn't want to take the risk of disturbing her.

"What are you going to do if the little one does wake up? Let her cry it out?"

"It's not like I'm here alone. You could always get her Kurt." He was playing rough, using her attachment to Beth against her.

"No can do. I'm heading out," announced Kurt grabbing his black boots from the side of the couch.

"What? You're leaving me here?" Mercedes was alarmed. The thought of being alone in the house with Sam was more than she could handle. What if he started verbally attacking her again? She didn't want to deal with that while Beth was here.

He slid one neon foot into a boot. "Carol called, needs me to help her at Scandals. So you're on your own."

"Well give me a minute and I will get Beth and you can drop me off at home," said Mercedes standing up.

"Who's going to stay with Sam? Everyone has the night off remember?" asked Kurt.

"I'll call Puck. He can come over," Mercedes offered.

"Sam needs a nurse. You're the one always insisting he has proper care," Kurt countered.

"Whoa. She really is scared isn't she?" asked Finn from the corner of the couch. He had been quietly watching their exchange.

"A complete wussy pants," replied Kurt as he stood up and reached for his coat.

"I'm not scared. I just would like to go home, sleep in my own bed." Kurt shot her a look. Sleep was a bad excuse she should have thought of something better. "Well Beth sleeps better in her own bed."

"Beth is sleeping just fine in her nursery here. Nice try though."

"Kurt please don't leave me," said Mercedes grabbing onto his arm, preventing him from putting on his coat. "I'm begging you. Call Carol back and tell her you have an emergency."

Kurt shook Mercedes off of him. "And risk my stepmom's wrath? No way in hell. Time to act like a grown up and face the man you married."

Finn got up to follow Kurt out of the room. "I would've stayed with you awhile if you had nachos."

"What if I promised to make you some?" Mercedes had no idea what was in the kitchen, but she'd make tortilla chips by hand if she had to at this point.

"Finn don't you want to get home and see what's going on with your frat brothers?" asked Kurt.

"I'm in no rush, and I hate going to the house, reminds me of Sugar."

"Finn that's so sweet, but you know Sugar will be back in a few months. It's only a semester in Spain," said Mercedes.

Finn whimpered as he sunk down on the couch, his long legs stretched out on its length.

Kurt exhaled sharply. "Now you've done it."

"What'd I say?" asked Mercedes looking at Kurt and then at Finn.

"Sugar's not coming back to me," Finn said sadly from the couch.

"Finn I know it must feel like that," said Mercedes squeezing next to his feet at the far end of the couch. "Long distance relationships can be hard, but she'll be back this summer."

Finn groaned.

"Sugar dumped him," said Kurt leaning against the back of the armchair by the door.

"What? When did this happen?" Mercedes asked. Kurt always kept her up to date on all the latest gossip. How could she have missed this news?

"Few weeks ago," said Kurt jingling his keys in his hand. "I didn't tell you because you were dealing with so much with Sam."

Mercedes looked sadly over at Finn. "I'm so sorry. Did you two have a fight?"

"Everything was perfect, and just bam, one day she was gone," replied Finn.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Actually Finn was contemplating breaking up with her."

"I was not," objected Finn sitting up and turning toward Kurt. "I was just wondering if our relationship would last with the distance."

"Exact quote: Is it really cheating if my girlfriend is in a different time zone? Doesn't that void the commitment somehow?" Kurt recited blandly.

"Finn you really said that?" asked Mercedes. Sugar was right to dump him if he looked at relationships like that.

"I cannot confirm or deny that statement. I was probably very drunk at the time."

"Drunk with Marley Rose in his lap." Kurt added.

"Nothing happened. I swear. She's my ex and she was making me feel better."

All this talk of cheating, exes and break ups was bringing her even more down. Did no one have a happy relationship in this town?

"Ugh I'm in no mood for talk of ex girlfriends," said Mercedes as she leaned back into the couch.

Finn looked up questioningly.

"Sam has been thinking a lot about his ex lately," Kurt explained.

"Would it be the ex that is Beth's mother?" asked Finn.

"Yep that would be her," sighed Mercedes slumping down even more. "At least she's three hours away, no hope of finding her in his lap. Did Sugar find out about you and Marley and that's why she broke up with you?"

"It's all Paolo's fault," said Finn.

"Who's Paolo?" asked Mercedes.

"Some freaking grad student TA that's working with her group in Spain. Creepy old dude, he's practically 30." Finn sounded completely horrified.

"I don't think that's old," Mercedes said almost under her breath.

Kurt grinned. "Mercedes likes her men mature just like the one she's hiding from upstairs."

"I'm not hiding! There's no reason for me to go up there. Beth's asleep, and if Sam needed me he would send me a text or an email or something."

Finn whimpered again.

"What's with the pitiful sound effects?" asked Mercedes looking over at the slouched over body of Finn.

"Sugar broke up with him in an email." Kurt whispered. "She sent him a picture of herself with Paolo and basically said she was trading up."

"All it said was 'siempre juntos' and the photo. Two fricking words and just like that we were done." Finn covered his face with his hands, moaning pitifully.

"That's awful. What a cowardly thing to do." Mercedes was going to have to talk to Sugar about this and get the real scoop. They weren't incredibly close but they were friendly. It didn't seem like something Sugar would do, she was more direct with people.

"Actually she said more than that. 'Siempre juntos' was just the caption of the photo. She did include some text. Song lyrics to some cheesy Spanish pop song."

"Mexican," said Finn.

"My bad. Mexican pop song," said Kurt correcting himself. "Ever since he's been on a nacho diet."

"Wouldn't you want to avoid nachos since they remind you of Sugar?" asked Mercedes.

"No," Finn said sadly.

"Don't try to comprehend the Finn brain, just feed him and let him be. I'm off."

"Are you coming back?" asked Mercedes rushing over to Kurt's side. "Please say you are."

"We'll see," said Kurt placing a kiss on Mercedes' cheek. "I'll text you."

"Okay," Mercedes sighed.

"Oh I almost forgot. Sam wanted me to give you this," said Kurt handing her the shaving cream. "He wants you to take it to him upstairs."

"What? No," said Mercedes trying to hand the can back to Kurt, but Kurt side stepped her and jogged out of the room.

"Goodnight," he called from the front door.

"Looks like you got to bite the bullet and go see him," said Finn from the couch.

"If I go upstairs, no nachos for you." Just because she was by herself still didn't mean she had to go see him. She glanced at the video monitor on the end table, Beth was still asleep, no reason whatsoever to climb the steps.

Finn rose to his feet. "I say let him wait. Lead on to the kitchen."

"Are you sure you didn't want to go back to campus. I know you'd rather be there than with boring me."

Mercedes began opening cabinets looking for the ingredients to make nachos. The massive kitchen was walled with dark wood cabinetry. Her search was starting to feel like a daunting task. She had no idea where anything was in the kitchen.

"You could never be boring. Your life is like one long Felicity episode." Finn leaned over the marble topped center island, his long legs spread wide.

"Don't tell me Kurt has you watching that show too." Oh plates, that was a start. She pulled one out of the cabinet and placed it on the counter in front of her.

"Yep I've seen it all. We binge watched it when Sugar dumped me."

Mercedes looked at Finn sympathetically. It was refreshing to focus on someone else's dramas for a change. "No chance of you and Sugar making up?"

Finn raised his shoulders halfheartedly. "Honestly I'm not sure how much longer we would have lasted anyway. Sometimes things aren't meant to be. You know?"

"Yeah." Mercedes knew that feeling all too well. Did she even have a marriage anymore when Sam didn't remember her?

"Yeah well at least there is an upside," Finn said getting up and starting to search the cabinets above Mercedes's head.

"What's that?"

"I get to have nachos with one of the cutest girls on campus."

Was he for real? Mercedes looked down at her frumpy attire. "I think that broken heart of yours has made you lose your mind. Do you see me here in these leggings and ratty t-shirt?"

"And? How does what you're wearing make you not cute? It's those cheeks, I just want to pinch them," he said hands outstretched ready to strike.

"Stop right there frat boy." She stopped him with her hand in the center of his chest. "No touching. You don't know me like that."

"Give me time," he said resuming his search of the cabinets. "That's about to change. Tonight you're making me nachos, next week you'll be sending me texts. I predict by the end of the month I'll have my hands all over them cheeks."

Mercedes couldn't help but laugh. The boy was silly. "Don't make me sic my daddy on you. He's 6'3" and he likes to box."

"Dr. Jones doesn't scare me. One of the few men in this town that I can look in the eye. Give me ten minutes with the man and he'll be inviting me over to watch the Bears."

"Don't be so sure. He never liked Sam."

"I'm not Sam." Mercedes sighed. No Finn definitely wasn't Sam. She hadn't felt the urge to cry or break something like she usually did when Sam was around lately. Finn was definitely something new. "So you and Dr. Jones haven't known each other long right?"

"Nope only a few years. I first came to Lima to find him."

"Was it easy letting your father into your life, once you found him that is?"

"Actually, it sort of was. Julian is great." She smiled as she thought about her dad. "I feel really blessed to have him in my life."

Finn held up a bag of Tostitos he had found in triumph. Mercedes smiled and walked to the fridge. The refrigerator was the size of a closet at an average home.

"You lucked out in the dad department for sure."

Mercedes loved her father and more than that, she respected him. If only he had been the one to raise her, how different her life could've been. Would she have even met Sam if Julian had been in her life since birth?

"After all I endured with my mom, I sort of feel like I deserved a little luck. Not that I ever had much, still don't."

"That's not true, from where I sit you seem to have hit the jackpot. You're living a life many only dream about. You have good friends, a loving family, a career, a rich husband that loves you."

"That used to love me," Mercedes said sadly as she put the cheddar cheese and sour cream she found in the refrigerator on the counter.

"Kurt told me about the memory loss, but that's just temporary right? He'll be back to his old self soon."

She looked up into Finn's soft brown eyes that were filled with pity. Rock bottom must be close at hand when someone like Finn Hudson was feeling sorry for her. He only got emotional when the Bears won or if the keg ran out mid party.

"The doctors don't know and I can't live my life hanging onto a slim chance that the man I married will suddenly remember me and love me again. I've got to be realistic." Mercedes stared down at the tortilla chips in her hand suddenly forgetting why she had them in the first place.

"Realism is overrated," scoffed Finn taking the bag from her. He dumped some chips on the plate.

Mercedes tried to focus on Finn again. "Says the philosophy major. When you graduate you will be like a professional dreamer."

"Professional thinker. There's a difference."

"Either way your head will be in the clouds." She found a grater in the one of the drawers and set to work on the cheese.

Finn shrugged, looking down at his shoes. "The clouds have a much better view than the real world these days."

"I'm sorry about Sugar," she said putting down the cheddar and patting his hand softly.

Finn looked up at her seeming surprised by the physical contact. "I'm sorry about Sam. Not that I am even comparing the two. I just lost my girlfriend, and our future as a couple was pretty ambiguous anyway. You lost…"

"The love of my life," said Mercedes finishing his sentence.

It was starting to sound more pathetic each time she said it. If Sam were her great love then why did he forget her so easily? Maybe she was making them into more than they actually were, like a tall tale, their romance grew exponentially with each mention of it, but in reality they were probably nothing more than rebounds for each other.

"Yeah. That's deep."

"That's me deep and depressing." Mercedes tried to smile, blinking back the tears that formed in her eyes.

"Here's a thought," Finn said abruptly, his face actually lighting up like a light bulb.

"Uh oh, should I brace myself or something?" Mercedes teased.

"Funny," he replied flatly. "I was just thinking that if you are so sure Sam is the love of your life, wouldn't that mean you can't give up on him yet?" He pushed his sleeves up his long arms.

"I don't follow."

Finn sat down at one of the stools at the island, becoming serious, as if he were about to explain the way to achieve world peace.

"You're still alive, so it stands to reason that if he's still alive and you are too, that your great love will persevere in the end."

"I'm not sure that makes sense. He doesn't remember any of his feelings for me. I'm in love alone at this point." That hurt to admit, back to square one with Sam, once again pining for the unattainable.

"You are only in love alone - right now. Time heals all wounds. Sam could wake up a week from now and remember everything." Finn looked so pleased with himself.

"I just told you I can't live like that, banking on what ifs and down the line maybes. I have to find a way to deal with him the way he is now." Angry, bitter, hating her not to mention in love with his ex, she needed some ice cream badly.

"He just lost his memory. He didn't get a personality transplant. He's still the same guy you married right?" Finn scooped up the cheddar Mercedes had grated and dumped it on top of the chips.

"I guess so. Pretty much," said Mercedes as she put the plate into the microwave and punched one minute on the keypad.

"So what's so hard about dealing with him? You already know him."

"There is that little matter that he hates me now," she said from the inside of the huge walk in pantry. She scanned the shelves until she found a jar of salsa.

"I'm not buying that. No man can hate you," said Finn when Mercedes reemerged.

"Oh I have it on pretty good authority that men can hate me. In fact, Sam used to hate me before we got together."

The good old days when Sam loved to be deliberately cruel to her just because he knew he could. He had toyed with her affections and she had let him, she'd endure anything then just to get his attention.

"Really? You guys were enemies?"

"In a way. He hated me and I tried to hate him, but secretly I was so into him, basically in love with him, while he was in love with someone else." How did they get on this subject? She was already depressed enough without adding past wounds into the pile.

"So you were in love alone, and he hated you, but somehow things flipped and you ended up married?" asked Finn as he reached around her and opened the microwave, removing the hot plate of nachos.

"It took awhile and it wasn't easy, but yeah I guess that is pretty much how things went."

"Hmm," he mumbled as he bit into a cheese covered chip.

"What?"

"Sounds like what you are going through now with him."

Mercedes shrugged. "I guess."

It was same in that he hated her, but him falling in love with her again seemed like a long shot. Rachel was a weak opponent, Mercedes knew that her relationship with Sam was doomed, but Quinn, she was whole different matter. History, connection, a baby, she had the triple threat and that was even before factoring in her incredible beauty. Mercedes felt out matched in every way against her.

"Seems to me, and I'm just a second year philosophy student so take all I say with a grain of salt."

Mercedes smiled as she broke a corner of a chip off the plate and put it into her mouth. "Was there ever any doubt I wouldn't?"

Finn chuckled. "I guess not. Well for what it's worth I think you got a real chance here. You just have to do whatever you did back in the day to make him fall in love with you all over again."

"Actually all my plots to get him failed." He had always managed to see through her and resist all of her charms.

"How did you end up together then?" asked Finn his mouth full of chips.

"Honestly I have no clue. Dumb luck and tons of wishing and hoping." And Rachel being stupid enough to let him go. Though with all the drama Sam ended up putting Mercedes through, Rachel might have had the right idea when she walked away.

"Back to that luck again. I tell you, it's a beautiful thing. Keep on hoping and don't give up and you will get your man back." He waved a tortilla chip at her emphatically. "Oh and parading around in short skirts couldn't hurt."

"I'm not going to play games with Sam. He has been through enough, mostly because of me." Mercedes took a seat on the stool next to Finn, bumping his leg with her knee. He took up so much space even though he was pretty skinny. What he lacked in girth he made up for vertically. Finn was tall, like NBA tall, standing over a foot above Mercedes.

"Not talking about a game, I am saying make the man remember. Have you even tried?"

"Why are you telling me all of this? Giving me advice? All I've ever done is be snippy with you." Usually she ignored him. He was Kurt's silly and immature little friend that she had to deal with from time to time, although tonight he didn't seem like either of those things.

"That's not true. You were very kind to me when I was first dating Sugar. You put in a good word for me and you barely knew me. I never thanked you for that."

"You didn't have to thank me. I just wanted Sugar to deal with what she was obviously feeling for you. She was trying to just sweep things away and ignore her heart, it would have been the wrong choice."

"It didn't work for Sugar and me, but we tried, and things were good for a time."

"Can't ask for more than that I suppose."

"Your turn now. Take your own advice and start dealing instead of avoiding that man upstairs."

Mercedes's face dropped. "I'm not avoiding."

"Kurt has been calling you for days trying to get you out of the house. He's really worried about you."

"I was sick." Finn looked at her, his face filled with disbelief. "Fine. I was avoiding."

"I know. I've been there. I stayed in my room for a week after I got that email from Sugar. I didn't want to face anyone. I didn't want to see the looks of pity on their faces, or have to endure their pep talks."

"You mean like the one you're giving me now?"

"You think this is peppy? You haven't seen me peppy. Get me outside on my board, back to the wind…"

"You surf?" she asked slightly amused by the idea.

"Skateboard."

"Ah. Any good?"

"Maybe. Why?" Finn raised one eyebrow.

"Just trying to picture it." Mercedes cocked her head to the side and observed him.

"One day we'll go out. Hit the park. I'll show you my moves," he said as he popped the last chip in his mouth.

"You're gonna show me how you work it?"

"Oh yeah, I can work it, put that thing down flip it and reverse it."

Mercedes shook with laughter. "You didn't seriously quote a rap song just now?"

"Yep I did. That's a club classic. My moves go beyond the board, you should see me on the floor." Finn jumped to his feet in excitement, pushing up his sleeves. Mercedes feared he might do a spin, but thankfully he didn't, he just stood there in front of her with a crooked grin. "Did Kurt tell you I break dance?"

Mercedes covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter. "Finn you really have to stop. My image of you is totally blown now."

"You imagined me?"

"You've crossed my mind a few times."

"What did you think about?" he asked almost shyly.

"I wondered how Kurt could be friends with someone as spacey as you."

"Spacey? That's not me at all. I'm always thinking." He tried to sound offended, but Mercedes could tell he was faking it.

"Head in the clouds boy. I know. I just figured you were thinking about getting drunk and women in lingerie."

"I've got more going on up here than that," he said tapping a finger against his temple. "Just last night I spent two hours trying to figure out the meaning of life."

"Come up with anything?"

"Not really." He got back on the stool, this time facing her, letting his legs stretch on each side of her body trapping her between them. "My frat brothers pulled me downstairs for a party."

"Let me guess, women and booze?"

"Guilty as charged, but I'll get back to that thinking soon."

Mercedes grinned widely. "Don't hurt yourself boy. You've got to keep your strength for the next party."

"How come you never come out to the house with Kurt? The Gammas throw the best parties on campus."

"A little busy with a baby and a sick husband," she said sighing heavily, suddenly feeling guilty. She should be with that baby and sick husband right now instead of slacking off in the kitchen.

"He's better now, and you definitely deserve a little fun."

"I think I'll pass. A trip to the spa is more my speed these days." Or better yet some uninterrupted sleep, being sedated at the hospital still didn't quite shake her persistent fatigue. She guessed months of insomnia couldn't be cured in a couple of nights.

Finn eyed her up and down. "I'm not buying it. I think you're hiding a party girl somewhere in there."

"That party girl is gone. She grew up and fell in love." Got a job, got married, got her heart broken in multiple ways.

"And got all deep and depressing. I'm going to bring that party girl out of you again. We're having another party next weekend. Come." Finn squeezed Mercedes' knee encouragingly.

Mercedes stood up, rubbing the spot on her knee Finn just touched. "I just told you I can't." She stepped over his leg and went to the other side of the counter to start clearing away the food.

"Bring Sam along, might do him some good to get out and be around people again."

"He's not strong enough yet, and besides Sam at a kegger? I don't think so."

Not anymore. She'd heard stories about when he was life of the party, most popular guy around, but Mercedes never knew that fun loving version of him. He kept it all tied up behind his perfectly formed Windsor knots and Italian suits.

"Good point. He does seem a bit stale. Just you and Kurt then. I'll get you out on the floor, show you how to dance."

"What makes you think I can't dance?" she asked turning to face him.

"I never imagined you doing it."

"So you've imagined me?" she asked folding her arms over her chest.

"You've crossed my mind once or twice." His dark eyes seemed to spark as he watched her from across the counter. He stretched his torso across the marble, leaning closer to her.

"I like to dance and I know I can out dance you."

"Sounds like a challenge."

"You up for it?" she asked pulling herself up on the countertop to sit beside where he was leaning, her Uggs hitting against the base as her legs swayed.

"Anytime, anywhere," he said not backing down.

"You're on." She poked her finger against his chest. "I'm going to wipe the floor with your ass."

"Confident and cute. I like it." Finn stood up and walked around the counter, stopping directly in front of her. "I'm seeing a whole other side to you tonight Mercedes. So dance-off, date to be determined, deal?" He extended his hand toward her, letting it fall on her thigh as he watched her intently.

"Deal," she agreed, slowly smiling as she put her hand in his.

"Who are you and why are you touching my wife?"

Both Finn and Mercedes turned to watch Sam rolling in from the elevator in the back of the kitchen, a frown etched on his face.

"Sam what are you doing down here?" asked Mercedes as she pushed Finn away from her and hopped off the counter.

"This is my house. Am I not allowed to come in my own kitchen? Or is that on your list of rules too?" Sam asked Mercedes.

"Ease up bro. I'm Finn. I've grown a little bit since you last saw me I think." He said offering his hand to Sam.

Sam ignored Finn's hand and rolled over to Mercedes. "Why is he here?"

"He's Kurt's stepbrother."

"I know who he is now. Where is Kurt? Did he give you my message?" asked Sam, his dimple barely visible under his scowl.

"Yeah I got it, something about shaving cream." She tried to walk around his wheelchair to get to the other side of the kitchen away from him, but Sam blocked her path.

"How come you didn't come up?" he asked bumping her foot lightly with one of his wheels.

"As you can see I have a guest." She crossed her arms, frowning at his accusatory tone. He was embarrassing her with his attitude.

"Isn't it a little late to be entertaining?"

"What the hell? Late? What are you, her dad?" asked Finn coming to Mercedes' defense.

"Was I speaking to you?" asked Sam not bothering to turn to acknowledge Finn. He kept his eyes fixed on Mercedes. "I think you better butt out."

"Sam! Why are you being so rude?" He had to be doing this on purpose, to torture her. Sam didn't care who she spent her time with. He made it perfectly clear he didn't want anything to do with her.

"It's okay Mercedes. I think it must be instinctive. I've been around the Evans family enough now to know that the jackass gene is strong in their DNA."

"Are you really insulting me in my own house?" Sam turned around this time, sizing the taller man up.

"Last I heard this wasn't even your house. You live across town in the suburbs with your wife. Oh wait, she kicked you out."

Sam shook his head in disbelief. Mercedes could see the tension rising from Sam's body. Things were going to get ugly.

"Get the hell out!" Sam yelled.

"Finn's not going anywhere." Mercedes rushed to stand in front of Sam, blocking his view of Finn. "He's keeping me company."

"You've got me for company. He can go," said Sam looking around her to get Finn back in his sights.

"Bro, you really need to relax. You'd think being out for the count for nine months would make you less tense, but it doesn't seem to have helped you a bit."

Mercedes saw the vein above Sam's left eye bulge. This had to end. "Finn maybe you should go. It's getting late," Mercedes suggested turning to face him, pleading with her eyes for him to take the hint.

"Don't let him bully you," said Finn not moving an inch.

Sam wheeled himself around Mercedes, back towards Finn. "You heard her. Time for you to go."

"Let me walk you out," said Mercedes grabbing Finn's arm.

Finn pulled away from her. "I know the way. Bro, you really need to check the attitude. I was hoping we could get to know each other and you're acting all sour."

"I'm not your bro. Stop calling me that."

"Do you like douche better because -"

"Night Finn," interrupted Mercedes, shoving him through the kitchen door. "I'll talk to you later." Last thing she needed was Sam and Finn to get into a shouting match. Things were tense enough already.

"Now I see why you were avoiding the guy. He's a real ass," Finn called out as he went down the hall.

Mercedes watched Finn's retreating form, not ready to turn back to Sam. Taking a few deep breaths to regain her composure, she slowly turned around. Time to face her husband.