Here it is, years in the making! I have finally brought it to life on fanfic, for all you read it back in the day on tumblr. This is a newer version so I hope you enjoy it.
"I can't believe he is doing this! He knows this is a big year for me! He knows how much my daughter means to me!" Mercedes Jones screamed, tossing the magazine across the room. "He hasn't been in her life in the last five years, and now he wants to be dad of the year?!"
Quinn Frabray and Santana Lopez dodged the magazine as Roz Washington shook her head.
"Throwing a fit won't get you anywhere; you knew Preston was a bastard, told you not to marry his ass."
"Aunt Roz…" She said in a warning tone.
"Don't you get snippy with me? I don't care how old your ass is; I will still tap it." Roz said, giving off her own warning tone.
"Yes, ma'am, I know. I just…I can't have Faith getting hurt in all this."
"I think she needs to get angry," Santana said. "She needs to get pissed because that bastard is gonna try everything he can to hurt her. She needs to be pissed to fight him."
Quinn leaned forward. "We knew he was going to bring this up; he is pissed he isn't getting spousal support, so now he knows if he gets Faith, he gets child support."
"But is his case good enough to take her from me?"
Quinn looked at Santana, who cleared her throat. "So here's the deal on paper no. You have been in her life, you take care of her, and you make more money than Preston could ever."
"But?" Mercedes asked.
"I did some digging and discovered that Judge Prescott plays golf with Preston's father-in-law. And his secretary tells me they will hit you where it hurts. You own your own studio, and you tour with your music, that an not having a husband…they can say you aren't able to give her a steady home."
"That's bull shit. I gave up touring for my daughter. I built this studio so I could be home for Faith. How is it that he cheated on me, stole my money while I was pregnant, and yet I am being questioned?"
Santana took a breath before speaking. "Okay, Cedes, I am gonna be real with you 'cause you know I keep it 100. You have gone through twelve nannies in the last four years. Yes, Roz has been with you for the last five months, but she's heading home."
Mercedes nodded. "I know that's why we have the interviews tomorrow for those live-in nannies. Sylvester Agency promised I would find someone who would be perfect this time."
Santana nodded. "That's my point. You work a lot trying to start this company, and yes, you work while Faith is in school and make it home no later than 6:30, but if Preston's judge sees you are doing it alone, that you have Nannies taking care of your child and you don't…."
"So what are her choices, double mint twins?" Roz asked.
Quinn rolled her eyes. "The first choice is to take your changes in court. We provide a solid case and hope the judge agrees with us that Preston is a cockroach who needs to be squashed."
"And the second?" Mercedes asked.
The girls look at each other, nudging the other to speak.
"Will someone tell me?!"
Roz stands up and moves to sit on the edge of Mercedes's desk. "Okay, look, what your friends are afraid to tell you is that the only way you can beat Preston is at his own game. If he says you being single is your problem, don't be single."
Mercedes nodded. "Okay, I'll just get on that!"
"Look, I know you like your freedom; after what Preston did and that bastard Anthony only dating you to try and get a record deal, you refused to be with someone. We both know those toys are about done in from all those uses."
"Aunt Roz!" Mercedes said, blushing.
"What? We are all grown here. Your ass is 36 years old, and you got a daughter. You and I both know you got needs that your vibrator done filled over and over."
"We get it!" Mercedes said as Quinn and Santana snickered.
"You need a husband, Mercedes. Now the good news is you are so private; no one knows if you are dating or not; we can get someone in here and provide NDA. You get your freak on for a year; he gets paid. It's a win-win."
"Get my freak on? The hell? No, I am not gonna sex up some random man. Let alone have him around my daughter."
Santana threw her hands up. "Then I don't know what to tell you." Santana sighed. "You can take your chances with the judge he had, and there is a real chance he will get and keep full custody.
Mercedes screamed out in frustration; she couldn't believe this was her life. Five years ago, she was happy, or at least as happy as she could be. She had a wonderful husband and career and was financially set. Her music career was on the fast track, and the moment she learned she was pregnant, she worked on finding the balance between family and work.
She and Preston had been married for two years when she got the positive test, and as she excitedly went to his office to tell him, she caught him having sex with his lawyer. Needless to say, the marriage was over.
The mistake she made was telling him that she was divorcing him. He cleaned out their joint bank account that had over two hundred and fifty thousand in it. Thank God Roz taught her not to keep all her money in one account. What he took was nothing compared to what she was worth, but it still hurt.
"Merce?" Roz asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"No, Hell to the N! O! I am not biting that bullet again with some stranger on the street."
"Will you just listen to what we have planned?" Quinn asked.
Mercedes sat back and sighed. "Fine."
"The Agency already vetted these guys for us; all you have to do is pick one."
"What? Wait…you want me to hire a husband? What kinda…."
"Mercedes, it is the best choice we have. Hire him, marry him, and divorce him in a year."
She laughed but stopped when three eyes bore into her. "You three are serious? You want me to hire a man and pay him to be my husband?"
The three nodded, and she blinked a few times, running her hand through her hair. "Well shit, I don't even… I don't even know what to think here."
"You marry this guy, Quinn will create an ironclad NDA. You live together for a year as man and wife, and then…bam! You get Faith, and he gets the money." Santana said.
"And you want to find him from that Sylvester Agency?"
Quinn nodded. "Well, they prescreen, provide background checks, drug tests, shoot. Sue is crazy as hell. I wouldn't be surprised if she gave them lie detector tests. You got the recommendation from Queen B herself, Merce. It's the best chance we have."
Mercedes chewed her bottom lip, trying her best to come up with any other option but knowing that she really didn't have one. This couldn't be the only option she had.
There was a knock on her door, and she looked up to see her assistant Marley walk in. "Ms. Jones, this was delivered for you."
Mercedes took the envelope as Marley walked out of the room. She opened it and frowned as her heart dropped. "No….no no no no no no."
Roz moved over to her and took the letter. "The Judge has agreed to a hearing giving Preston temporary custody of Faith."
"The hell?" Santana said as Quinn took the letter.
"Three weeks. We have three weeks to prepare, and if we can't prove why you are the best caretaker for Faith, he will give Prestion temporary custody."
Mercedes stared at the photo of her and Faith on her desk. "Set it up."
"What?" All three said as they looked at her.
"Set it up. I want to make sure my daughter stays away from that bastard, and if marrying some manny is what I have to do, then let's do it." Everyone was silent for a moment, so Mercedes continued. "Well, how do we start this?"
Quinn went to her bag and handed everyone a folder. "So on the chance that Mercedes would say yes, I made these. Everyone turns to the first page. The Agency has ten mannies in total in the L.A. area. But there are only four available for what we need. The first one is Shane Tinsley. He is 35, has no kids, no wife, and is decent-looking."
They stared at the photo, and Santana shook her head no. "Naw, I don't see him as someone who would compliment Mercedes. I mean, look at the answer to the question of where he sees himself in 10 years."
Mercedes looked down. "A kept man? Yeah, no, he will try his best to either stay married or he will try to bleed me for more."
Quinn nodded. "Next is Brian Tanner. He's 21."
"No! I am not a cradle robber!" Mercedes laughed.
"He's 21." Quinn defended.
"He's a baby."
"A fine baby." Roz smiled. "I might need his number."
"If he's too young for me, Aunt Roz, he's way too young for you."
"Hush, child, I am not old."
Mercedes looked at the next page. "Ian Hall looks good; He is 32, single, with no kids. The man looks like Michael Ealy, and I love that man."
Roz nodded. "Well, he does look promising; looking at this makes me wonder why a grown man wants to be a manny, but hey, do you boo."
Santana took a closer look. "Ummm, Cedes, doesn't he look familiar?"
Mercedes tilted her head, noticing something familiar about him. "Noooo."
Quinn looked at her. "What?"
"My hair dryer Nick Duval… that's his boyfriend!" Santana laughed.
Mercedes sighed. "I'm screwed. I am going to lose my baby."
Santana sobered up, looking at the next page. "Well, I mean, trouty mouth doesn't look that bad.
Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "Trouty mouth?"
Santana nodded. "Page four. Sam Evans. He's single, very fine, and he has kids. It looks like he is taking care of his brother and sister. They are around Faith's age, too; the only issue is that he doesn't want a live-in position, but I am sure the right amount of money will change that."
"Marrying a man with kids will look more real," Quinn added.
Mercedes stared at the photo. The man himself was very good-looking, well, not even that he was sexy, and if she had to do this, she could see him being her other half. "Fine, I will meet with him. Can you call the Agency and draw up the contract?"
Quinn nodded, taking down Sam's information.
Roz nodded. "You two get on it. I need a minute with my niece."
Quinn and Santana nodded as Roz pulled Mercedes over to her sofa. "Are you sure you want to do this? I want to make sure you realize what this means."
"I know. I find a man, marry him for a year, pay him a handsome sum, and get to keep my daughter. If Preston wants to play dirty, then so will I."
Roz nodded hugging her. "I love you, girl. You know that, right?"
Mercedes nodded. "I know."
Mercedes sighed into the hug. Roz had taken care of her since she was five years old. Her mother, Roz's sister, had died during childbirth, and Richard Jones did his best to raise his daughter. His heartbreak and loss were too much for him to bear, and he became a drunk.
Roz had stopped by for a visit and was mortified to find Mercedes was basically taking care of herself. Instead of getting CPS involved, she offered to take Mercedes off his hands.
Roz encouraged her to sing in church and watched over her as she was discovered at 16. It was Roz who was her manager until she retired, and Mercedes hired Santana.
Roz had been with her every step of the way, and now Mercedes needed her more than ever because she was sure this was going to suck.
