DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE BUT THIS STORY I DO!

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Mercedes didn't stay in Vegas, in fact, after Sam had left out, she didn't wait and acted right on her emotions. She packed up all of her stuff then booked the next flight available. She didn't let her parents know until she was boarded safely on the plane and told them that she would call them when she landed.

She was hurt by his actions but she couldn't let it get to her. She had to focus on getting the help that she needed, so she could be better and she did just that when she got back to Oakland.

It's been a month since she found a good therapist and was now in her fourth session with her. She had taken the vow to see her once a week and it's been liberating, refreshing and emotionally draining all wrapped in one. It started off easy, them both getting to know each other in the first session, the second one, she had her talk about how she got into boxing and what made her want to make a career out of it. By the third session, she had her take a break on talking and had her do an activity of her expectations of herself doing therapy and now….now they were about to dive right in the center of her hurt.

"Our first few sessions went really good and now I feel that you're comfortable enough to start discussing some of your hardships." The woman crossed her legs as she removed the top from her pen, "Let's talk about your teen pregnancy and what that was like."

Mercedes sighed as she began to talk, "Me getting pregnant was something that was so out of the blue and unexpected. I never wanted to have kids, especially that young."

"How did your parents react?"

"My birth mom left a couple months earlier, so she obviously didn't care before this." Mercedes shrugged as she played with her hands, "My father was everything she wasn't. That wasn't anything new because he's always been a great dad, but he was really my rock during the pregnancy."

"Why did your mother leave?"

"Never really got a solid answer, other than she claimed she wasn't going to watch me ruin my life by boxing."

The therapist nodded her head as she wrote on her notepad, "How about the birth father?"

"What about him?"

"Where was he in all of this? You two have history? Were you dating?"

"Yes and no. I actually didn't like him and the feeling was mutual." She answered, watching as she stopped writing and looked at her, her expression not changing, "He was so arrogant, picked fights with others for no reason, especially Sam."

The therapist listened at how she whispered that last part, her attention now focused so she won't close up, "So, you had sex with someone you didn't like?"

"Yes."

"You hated him but somehow he made you feel safe enough for you to have sex with him?"

Mercedes nodded her head, "He did. As crazy as it sounds, he wasn't the same asshole he was when we were at the gym. He was sweet and caring, and I don't know if it was from the liquor or not."

"Most likely it was." She said outright, "Did you catch feelings for him?"

"Hell no, I can't stressed enough how much I didn't like him." She answered truthfully, "You don't have to like anyone to have sex with them."

"Did he pressure you?"

"No and I wish everyone would understand that." Mercedes stressed as she looked at her, "We both were under the influence but we were still aware of what we were doing."

"You know how that sounds, right?"

Mercedes face scrunched up and rolled her eyes, "It's the truth."

"I didn't say it wasn't, just want you to take a moment and let all this marinate." She remarked as she leaned back in her seat, "This Sam person seems to play another big part in this, but I want to discuss him another time, continue."

"Like I was saying, I was angry about Sam leaving us…"

"You were trying to hurt less, make the pain disappear by having unprotected sex with someone you didn't like, all because the one you did like left. Am I right?" She interrupted her on purpose, watching as she solemnly nodded her head, "That was you acting out in pure defiance, hurt and anger, and because of it, you got a repercussion."

Mercedes glared at her when she labeled Poppy that, "My daughter is not a repercussion. Just because she wasn't planned, doesn't mean I regret her."

"I never said that."

"You implied it when you called her a repercussion."

"My apologies if you felt offended, but that's not what I meant. I'm simply saying that because of your actions, you ended up with a permanent reminder of that night."

"I want to make it clear and you better listen up carefully." She started with nothing but anger laced in her tone, "Poppy isn't a mistake, repercussion nor a reminder. She's my daughter."

"Then why didn't you raise her?"

"Because I decided to do what was best for her."

"What's best for her or you?" She asked, watched as the woman in front of her cut her eyes before standing up, giving indication that she was about to leave, so she dialed back her intentional tactics, "Mercedes, this is what I want. I wanted to see how you would react. I ask these questions because I want you to see that what you were doing wasn't best for Poppy, but in actuality, you was doing what was best for you. You didn't trust yourself to mother that baby because your thought process wasn't that you weren't able, nor was it selfish, but for the simple fact that you didn't want to chance being like the woman who birthed you."

Mercedes eyes shifted to the floor as she took in what she said. It made sense. As much as she trained her mind to think that she was doing this for the good of Poppy, she was really doing it for herself too.

"Therapy is a commitment and it's not something that's going to get solved in a few sessions. For this to work, I want you to be open and honest about everything. It's not going to be easy at all, but I'm going to be here to help you."

Mercedes finally returned her gaze back to her and nodded, moving to sit back down. She knew that this wasn't going to be easy, but she'd be damned if she give up on herself because it is.

A couple of hours later, Mercedes took a deep breath as she sat the mail and her keys on the table before closing the door behind her. After her session, she had took the long way home so she could have some time to think about everything that they had talked about. She came out of her thoughts when she heard her friend speaking, urging her to lift up her head and look at her.

"Little munchkin wanted some Pizza." She responded as she gestured to the boxes on the table then towards the bedroom, "She's taking a bath."

"Thanks for watching her."

Santana waved her off as she watched her friend slide out of her shoes, "How was therapy?"

"I almost decked her in the face today, so I'll let you decide." She rubbed the back of her neck before sitting down on the couch, laying her head back against the couch.

"It's not easy getting the truth spit in your face, huh?"

"Sure isn't."

"Well, it's a good thing, no matter how you see it. Just think about how much this is going to help you in the long run." Santana grabbed the bottle of wine and poured some in the empty glass, "Did Sam find him one yet?"

Mercedes leaned up and grabbed ahold of the glass and downed it, "I haven't heard or seen him since that night."

Santana mouth dropped in surprise, "You're serious?"

"Very. He hasn't called nor has he been to the gym."

"I'm with him on the Quinn situation, trust me, I will be talking to her but him just ignoring you? That's an asshole move."

Mercedes shrugged as she stared at the wall, running her fingers along the glass, "I can't want it alone and as much as I do want us to work, I have to focus on getting the help I need."

"That's right." She said as she gently tapped her glass against hers, "Besides, along with working on yourself, this will give you the time you need to spend with Poppy as mother and daughter."

Speaking of the little girl, Poppy's footsteps could be heard along the floor as she made her way over, a book tucked under her arm before sitting it on the couch, giving Mercedes a hug before plopping down next to her.

"What you got there?"

"Santana gave me this photo album." She responded as she opened it back up to where she left off, "It's when you were pregnant with me."

"Oh, the memories."

"Some of my favorite ones too. You were such a cry baby, I loved it. You broke that tough girl down, Pop." Santana chuckled when Mercedes rolled her eyes, "She ate brownies and caramel popcorn together almost every day."

Poppy eyes brighten as she turned to Mercedes, "No reason I like brownies so much."

Mercedes giggled at her before her eyes drifted to the picture of her and her father at the park, "To this day, it's still my favorite combination."

Poppy smiled as she flipped through the pages, seeing the one with Mercedes in the hospital by herself made her ask the question that she has been wondering, "Is Sam my real father?"

Mercedes glanced over at her in shock, while Santana choked on her wine, "No, he's not, but would you like to know who it is?"

"No." She said as she took her eyes away from the picture and looked at them both, "I know I'm not mixed looking but genetics work crazy, so it wouldn't be impossible. I just had to ask."

"You're too smart for your own good, you know that little flower?"

Poppy glanced over at Santana and smiled a bit at her comment before looking back at Mercedes, "Plus Sam is nice and he loves you a lot, so it would've been great if he was."

Mercedes gave her a weak smile before she stood up, sitting the glass on the table, "I'm going to go get a shower, change into some pajamas and we're going to have a movie night."

"Ooo, can we do comedy tonight?"

"Whatever you pick. I'll be back shortly." She turned on her heels and headed to her room. Closing the door behind her, she closed her eyes for a moment before pulling her phone out of her pocket. No missed calls. No missed text. Nothing. She had the urge to call him, but decided against it. Maybe this was happening for a reason….but she just couldn't see what that reason could be.