Mercedes sighed. She was bored. She was used to doing things right after breakfast. The shoot wasn't for another two hours. "Is there anything on TV?"
Marcy stopped flipping through channels. "Just kiddie and talk shows."
"Boring."
"Here. You find something. I'm going to go back to sleep."
"Why?" Marc questioned. "You're just going to have to get up in an hour."
"That's an hour of sleep I could have under my belt. The twins and I are already dressed so I really just have to worry about finding my keys in time."
"What about them?" He pointed to the twins, who were playing with toys by a wall.
"Don't let them get in detergent." Marcy shrugged as she walked out.
"Nice to know we're watching your kids!" Marc yelled.
"Just you." Mercedes gave him the remote. "I'm going to go call Tina."
He sat back with a scowl. "Who said I wanted to watch two one year olds?"
She shrugged as she walked out.
Marc sighed and got up to actually see the twins. They realized he was giving them attention and got up to pull him over. Here we go.
M&MC
"Yeah, it's been fun." Mercedes was lying on her pallet, on her back with her feet on the wall. She held her phone to her ear as she spoke to Tina. "We've been reconnecting."
"I'm happy for you." Tina said. "I wish I had siblings."
"No, you don't!" Mercedes assured her.
Tina giggled. "Yes, I do! I hated being by myself. I was so lonely."
"I guess I get that. We didn't spend every waking moment together and I got lonely without them, too."
"What was it like growing up with all of them?"
"I don't know how to describe it. I was just so used to seeing them there all the time."
"Did you hate it? You don't sound like you liked having them around."
"I loved having them around. I'm sorry I'm making you think I didn't. I truly did. It's just I don't know any other way to be so I don't know how to describe it. But we had a lot of fun. Every day was a new adventure. Especially with Tommy."
"Tommy? Who's Tommy? A cousin?" Tina was confused.
"Tommy from the Rugrats. That's what we called Marcy. She was just like him."
"So bald and never wore pants?" Tina teased.
Mercedes giggled. "She had a head full of hair but she did like to take her clothes off."
Tina laughed. "Seems like she's still like that. The clothes she wears leave nothing to the imagination!"
"Marcy is a jeans and tee type of person but if she can get away with less clothes, she will."
"So she's a nudist?"
"You would think."
Tina laughed.
"But that's our Tommy."
"Do you think she remembers that?"
"Hopefully. I'm going to remind her later. I was Susie."
"Susie?"
"Susie Carmichael."
"The little black girl?"
"Yup. I was Susie. Mikey and Quinn were Phil and Lil, Maddie was Dil, Mal was Kimi, Joanna was Angelica and Marc was Spike."
"Your cousin, Joanna? She was mean and hateful towards you?"
"All our lives!"
"Wow. How was your brother like Spike? That's the dog, right?"
"Yeah. He would always come save us because he was also like Lou, the grandpa. He was supposed to watch us but he never did so he'd always have to come find us."
Tina laughed. "Aww! He was your white knight!"
"He was a mess! He know he shoulda watched us!"
Tina kept laughing. "Did Quinn and Mike eat bugs and worms?"
"No. And they didn't like to get dirty either. They just went along with whatever Marcy said."
"How was Maddie like Dil? Just because she was the baby?"
"Yeah and she was a loud one. A real crier. Temperamental baby."
Tina laughed. "Can you remember her as a baby well?"
"Yes, I can. I remember from the time Mrs. C was pregnant until yesterday."
"What's your best Maddie memory?"
Mercedes had to think about it. It finally came to her but she realized something... "I can't tell you."
"Why not?" Tina had a pout to her tone.
"It was during the unmentionable times."
"Unmentionable times?"
"Remember last week when Quinn told about Italy thirteen years ago? We can't talk about that."
"Come on. You can tell me."
"No, I can't. It's a secret."
"I'm going to get your secrets out of you yet!"
Mercedes laughed. "So how has glee been?"
"Not as fun without you guys. We just sing different songs and talk about you. We've been trying to see all the signs we missed."
"You didn't miss much. We left no clues."
"No, you left some. Like whenever I would complain about the salads Mrs. Chang makes, you would always calm me down. I hate chicken feet!"
"Marcy does, too." Mercedes chuckled. "She says there's no meat on them and she doesn't want to pick her teeth with nobody's toes."
"That's even grosser than I was thinking!" Tina made retching sounds.
Mercedes laughed. "She has a way with words."
"Yuck! Anyway, inviting Quinn to stay with you makes more sense."
"How?"
"You were helping out your sister. Not some random stranger."
"I would have helped her if she were a random stranger."
"You're too nice. I'd be scared a random stranger would kill me in my sleep."
Mercedes fell into peals of giggles and put her feet higher onto the wall in order to get more comfortable. "Quinn wouldn't hurt anybody."
"There were times I thought she was going to hurt Rachel."
"Me too. Rachel tested her patience and control."
"Isn't that true for all of us?"
Mercedes giggled again. "She can work a nerve."
"Have you talked to her or Kurt?"
"Nope."
"Have you unblocked them?"
"Nope."
"You know it's easy to do."
"I know."
Tina had a large grin to her voice. "Good for you!"
"Thank you." Mercedes noticed the paint was coming off her toes and resolved to paint them later that night.
"Marcy wasn't as mean as Kurt's making it out."
"He's talking about my baby?!"
"He's just complaining about not getting in touch with you. He's saying that she really hurt his feelings and stuff."
"She barely said anything!"
"I know! And Rachel is making it about her. Marcy didn't say a thing about her!"
"Ugh!" Mercedes shook her head. "I can't deal with the drama. I'm glad we're not there. I may not come back tomorrow."
"No! You have to come back!"
"Why?"
"I'll miss you! I don't know when I'm going to be able to visit. This will be the last time I see you for a while."
"Okay. We'll come tomorrow and Friday."
"Will I see you this weekend?"
"No. We're spending more time together."
"So Friday is the last time I'll see you for who knows how long!" Tina started sobbing.
"I'm going to miss you, too T."
Tina hiccuped.
M&MC
Mercedes had just got off the phone with Tina (after promising to text her all day) and now pushed open Marcy's door. "Marce. Time to wake up."
Marcy was nowhere to be seen.
Mercedes looked in the bathroom and closet but she wasn't in her room. Mercedes left to go downstairs. "Marc?! Is Marcy down here?!"
"What?! No!" Marc's voice drifted in from the den.
She walked that way. She found him playing dolls and cars with the twins. "Where could she be?"
"I don't know. Call Mal."
Mercedes dialed Mal's number. "Hey, Mal. Have you heard from Marcy? She's missing. Yeah. I looked all over for her but I can't find her. I don't know. Hey, Marc? Do you think she left without us?"
"Is Travis outside?" He put down a car.
Mercedes went to go check. "He's still out there but that doesn't mean she wouldn't walk."
"Calm down, we'll find her."
"Find who?"
Mercedes turned around. "Marcy!"
Marcy blinked. "Mercy!"
"Where were you?! I looked everywhere for you!"
"Obviously not everywhere. You didn't find me."
Mercedes swatted her. "Hush!"
"Where were you?" Marc asked.
"Upstairs." Marcy went to the twins. "Come on. Time to go."
"Play, Mommy?" Mally held up a car.
"We're going to pack them up and take them with us." She started putting his cars into the diaper bag.
"Upstairs where?" Mercedes demanded. "You weren't in your room."
"My room's not the only room up there."
Marc laughed. "Did you even look or did you just say she wasn't up there?"
Mercedes pouted. "We're on our way, Mal. Be ready. Okay. Bye."
Marcy slung the diaper bag over her shoulder and took the twins' hands. "Come on, babies."
"We're not ready!" Mercedes protested.
"I'm starting the car. You have three minutes." Marcy left.
Mercedes was sick of her already. "Ugh! I'm telling Laura!"
Marc shoved his feet into his boots and laced them up. "What do you expect from Satan?"
"We have to open the blinds and shut the windows and I have to put my shoes on and grab my purse-"
"All the time you're taking to tell me about this stuff, you could be getting ready." He interrupted.
"You're as annoying as she is!" Mercedes yelled as she went to put on shoes.
Marc laughed, grabbed a jacket and went outside.
Mercedes hurried to put on shoes and grab a jacket and her purse before running downstairs and locking the door behind her. She jumped in the car and put her seatbelt on.
"You're cutting it close." Marcy backed out of the driveway and drove towards the end of the block.
"You were really going to leave me!"
"Yes, I was." Marcy took a right to pick up the Fabrays first.
"You're so rotten."
Marcy simply shrugged. "Marc, call Laura and let her know I'm pulling up."
Marc did so. "Laura. We're outside."
Mercedes took her seatbelt off so she could turn around and mess with the twins. "Hi, babies! It's your first photo-shoot! Are you excited?!"
"What a shoot?" Mally asked.
"It's a session where you take pictures." She explained. "Like Daddy takes."
The twins nodded.
"Are you excited?"
They nodded again.
Laura and Quinn got in. "Hello!"
"Hi!" The twins yelled.
Laura kissed both of them. "Hi, my little cherubs!"
"That's the right word for them." Marcy drove around to the Changs.
"Leave my babies alone." Laura played kissy face with them the whole ride there.
"You can have them."
Quinn chuckled. "Giving away your children?"
"Too easy." Marcy shook her head.
"Marcy!"
"You don't know what I was gonna say!"
"I can guess!"
"Who said you'd be right?"
"Isn't she annoying today?" Mercedes huffed.
"Very!" Quinn sulked.
The Changs came outside and got in the car. "Hey!"
"Marcy's torturing us already."
"What's wrong? She talk about your cowlick?" Mal snickered.
Mike and Marc fell out laughing.
Quinn reached into the front seat and slapped at Mal. "Shut up! Shut up!"
"Quinn, sit down. I can't drive with you acting crazy." Marcy wanted to laugh something fierce.
Quinn sat back. "I want to trade brothers. I'll take Joey. You and Joanna deserve each other."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mal waved his hands. "How do I deserve Joanna?!"
"Yeah, it's not like he shot your dog." Mike agreed.
"Stop it, guys." Marc scolded. "There's nothing wrong with Joanna."
"So you say." Mercedes grumped.
"So you lie." Marcy muttered.
"Quit it." Marc reprimanded. "I don't know why you guys don't get along. Joanna's nice."
"Because she's the devil and she's bewitched you." Mike said under his breath.
"No one's bewitched me." Marc heard him. "You guys are always so hard on her."
"What?!" Marcy turned all the way around before facing front again.
"You're insane, Marc." Mal shook his head. "She's evil. Pure evil."
"There's a reason we call her Angelica." Quinn added.
"See? Stuff like that. It's mean and all she ever wanted was to belong." Marc told them.
"Puh-lease." Maddie rolled her eyes. "She's mean to everybody but you, Joey and Aunt Marigold."
"And that's only because Aunt Marigold is the same freaking way with everyone else." Marcy added.
"You never give her a break. Give her a chance and you'll see she's no different than any of us." Marc wasn't buying it.
"Even Johnnie knows she's the devil incarnate."
"Totally!" Mike threw in.
"Guys!" Laura spoke for the first time. "We could be nicer and a little more understanding to Joanna."
"Thank you." Marc said.
"But above all, remember that she is our cousin and we all love each other."
"Yes, Laura." Mike, Mercedes, Quinn, Marcy, Mal and Maddie chimed.
Marc smiled before leaning over to whisper, "Thanks for having my back."
Laura stayed quiet but she squealed on the inside.
M&MC
"Hello, my darlings!"
"Paul!" The Fabangeses yelled.
Paul Jennings, a short, robust, neat man floated over to the makeup tables where they were sitting. "Laura! You look more and more beautiful every time I see you!"
"Thank you, Paul." Laura tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Marc! How's it feel to be a college graduate?"
"Like I'm ready for new things!" Marc grinned.
"Mike, Mercy and Q! How was your first year of college?!"
They looked at each other before smiling. "Best year ever!"
Paul took his shades off. "Marcy! As I live and breathe, where have you been?! You look to die for!"
Marcy chuckled. "I've been places, I've done things. I'm a mom now."
"Mom?! By who? Mal?!"
"Yes." Her soft answer cut off his laughter.
"Huh?!"
"Meet Mally and Mickey." She gestured to Mally on her lap and Mickey on Mal's.
Paul gaped before shaking Mally's hand. "Hello, young man. Aren't you a cutie."
"They only speak Italian."
He switched languages. "Hi."
"Hi." Mally smiled.
"And what's your name?"
"Mally!" He stated proudly. "I was named after Daddy!"
"He's precious!" Paul moved to Mal. "Look at you! Got what you wanted. You're a father!"
Mal grinned. "I am. Meet Mickey. Mick, this is Paul."
Mickey blew him a kiss.
"Ooh! Just like her mother!" Paul approved. "Does she like taking pictures?"
"Loves to." Mal tickled her chin.
"I'm in love with these kids already and what's up with you, Ms. Thing?" Paul looked to Maddie.
"I'm thirteen now!" Maddie was a bundle of excitement.
"Finally! It took you so long!"
Maddie giggled. "It feels like it!"
"Well now that we've talked about you, it's time to talk about me." It was what Paul really wanted to talk about anyway. "I have a new boyfriend. Things are looking good. We're thinking of moving in together."
"That's great!" Laura congratulated.
The others chimed in. Paul smiled at the praise. "Yes and I recently shot Jennifer Garner!"
They applauded him. "Go, Paul!"
"Thank you! Thank you!" He bowed. "I'm even on speaking terms with my mother."
"Your life's just gravy." Marcy noted.
"We're happy for you, Paul." Laura told him.
"Well thank you." Paul smiled. "Okay, let's get to work! Change clothes and get in hair and makeup! Chop, chop!"
M&MC
"Uh oh!"
Marcy flinched. "Mally."
The little boy looked remorseful as he stepped away from the light he'd knocked over. "I sorry, Mommy."
Marcy righted the light and hoped Paul was too distracted to notice. She picked up Mally and strode over to craft services to see if maybe he'd be good if he had food in him.
Mally reached for a granola bar. "What that, Mommy?"
"It's a granola bar. It's good. It's even got chocolate chips in it." She picked it up for him and grabbed a couple other things to take to their seat.
He waited for her to unwrap it then stuffed as much as he could into his mouth.
"Mally, no. You eat like your father." She took it out.
"Wait a minute! How'd I get in this?" Mal looked over.
"He's just stuffing his face. You guys do that every time you eat."
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Guys!" Laura hissed. "Stop it! What are you arguing about?"
"Mal and the guys eat like pigs!" Marcy pointed at him.
"Do not!" Mal shook a fist.
Laura sighed. "Yes, you do. You eat like the food is trying to escape you."
Maddie fell out laughing.
Marc frowned. "Just him, right?"
"No, it's all three of you. It's scary to be around." Laura watched Paul take pictures of Mercedes, Quinn and Mike.
Marc humphed. "Well I'll never."
"But you do." Marcy mocked.
"I don't eat like that." Mal refused the claim. "And my son doesn't either."
"He's trying to stuff his mouth with as much food that will fit, liar!"
Mal's mouth fell open. "Liar?!"
"You eat like a garbage disposal."
Mal turned red. "You eat like a lady!"
"Oh wow, that hurt my feelings!" Marcy rolled her eyes.
"Not just any lady but that lady!" He pointed to Laura.
Laura gave him the evil eye. "Shut up, Mal."
Mal stuck his tongue out. Mally copied him, even though his had granola on it.
"Put your tongue back in your mouth." Marcy cupped his chin. "You! Stop being four years old!"
"You bring out the four year old in me." Mal accused.
"I haven't done a thing. You're just childish."
Mal wanted to shake her. "I'm not childish!"
"You're acting like a big old baby."
He got up, sat Mickey in his spot then strode over to yank her to him and kiss her. "Am I still a baby?"
"The biggest." Marcy broke his hold. "And don't kiss me anymore."
Mal was taken aback. "Why?"
"Cuz that's cheating and it's wrong."
"No, it's not." He scoffed. "We always kiss."
"Yeah but Mercy said that it would hurt Pierre so we can't do it anymore."
Mal looked at Mercedes with contempt.
Marc laughed loudly. "B-b-b-blocked!"
"That's not fair!" Mal whined.
"Mal, she's right." Laura told him. "How would you like it if you and Marcy were together and she kept kissing other people?"
Mal huffed. "Fine."
Marcy kissed his cheek. "I can still do that."
He smiled lightly.
M&MC
Paul snapped his fingers. "Fix that light! It's too bright! It's causing a glare!"
One of his assistants ran to do his bidding.
"Okay! We're happy! We're dancing! We're having fun!" Paul turned the motion camera. This was going to be their best commercial ever, even if he had to kill everybody to make it so.
The Fabangeses moved to the beat on the stereo and smiled big.
Paul arched his body behind the camera to get just the right angle. "Yes! Yes! Give it to me! You got it!"
"That was oddly sexual." Marcy muttered.
Mercedes blushed unexpectedly. "You're so naughty."
"It's why I get coal on Christmas."
"You're never going to let that go, are you?"
"Nope."
Quinn smirked. "I still can't believe you wrote Santa that letter, cussing him out."
"How dare you, you fat bastard?" Mike sighed happily.
Marc laughed. "Momma and Dad didn't know what to do."
"You often have that effect on people." Laura told Marcy.
She simply shrugged.
"And she doesn't care." Mike grinned widely.
"Not my problem."
"We're going to be bailing you out of jail in Italy, aren't we?" Mercedes was barely asking.
"I'm offended by that question."
"You're not answering it."
"You ain't got to come."
"Oh no, you don't, demon." Laura tossed her head. "You need somebody to look after you."
"I've been doing fine on my own for a year." Marcy protested.
"You shouldn't have."
"I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for years."
"I meant you shouldn't have had to."
"Well I did. The past is in the past. Moving on."
"So you're in the forgiving mood?" Marc questioned.
"Moving on!"
"That's a no." Mike muttered.
Maddie hugged her. "That's okay, Marcy. Forgiving is hard."
"I'm not talking about this." Marcy was losing her smile.
"What's going on?" Paul yelled. "Pep it up! You're looking like you're at a funeral!"
The Fabangeses got back in position, smiles plastered across their faces.
M&MC
"How many changes of clothes have we gone through?" Quinn asked.
"About three." Mercedes looked over the rack with her clothing on it so she could put on the next outfit.
"I forgot how tiring this was."
Marcy fit a shirt over Mickey's head and pulled it down. "It's more work than people think."
"Just think; a music video would be harder." Mercedes sighed.
"You really think you don't want to be a singer anymore because modeling is hard?" Laura arched a brow.
"You make it sound silly."
Maddie giggled. "I don't care how much work it is, this is my most favorite thing to do in the world!"
"Camerawhore!" Marcy coughed into her fist.
"I heard that! Laura, Marcy called me a whore!"
"I called you a camerawhore, you tattletale!"
"Stop fighting." Laura commanded briskly. "Just get dressed. The sooner we get ready, the closer we are to going home."
"Yes!" Mercedes and Quinn sighed.
"Girls are weird." Mal whispered.
Mike and Marc nodded.
M&MC
"Yes! We're free!" Marcy raced to her makeup table and began taking her makeup off.
Mercedes followed behind and picked up her phone. She posted a picture she'd taken on social media. "I'm starving. Where are we going to eat?"
"I say Breadstix." Quinn said.
"That fake place?!" Marcy made a face. "Why?!"
"So we can tell Santana we went without her."
"Your friendship is weird..."
Quinn shrugged.
"I haven't been to Breadstix before. Is it good?" Maddie asked.
"Pretty good." Mercedes lifted a shoulder as she got undressed.
"Breadstix is a date spot." Marc said. "You better had never been there."
Maddie sighed. "I'm thirteen. I can have a boyfriend."
"No, you can't!" Marc, Mike and Mal shouted.
"No!" Mally yelled.
"That's the English word he picks up." Marcy rolled her eyes.
Maddie sighed. "Leave me alone!"
"You can't have a boyfriend until you're fifty!" Marc snapped. "That's a good age."
"Good. Good age." Mike agreed.
Mal nodded.
Maddie shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Laura, make them stop being so weird."
"No! No!" Marc threw up a hand. "You can only date when you're fifty and only once he passes our test!"
"What test?!"
"You'll see in thirty seven years."
"Ugh!"
Laura rubbed her temples. "Let's eat. Obviously your blood sugar is low."
"That might well be true but-" Mal started.
Marcy grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him close. "Shut up! Shut up!"
"I see your blood sugar is low!"
"We're not doing this! I'm hungry and if I don't get some food, I'm going to eat you!"
"Okay!" He leaned back.
"Calm down, Marce." Marc pulled on his jacket. "We're not starving you."
They packed up to go and on the way out, Marcy wrapped an arm around Maddie. "We're totally getting you a date by tomorrow."
Maddie grinned.
M&MC
Mercedes picked out her clothes for the next day. She liked the jeans that Marcy wore Tuesday so she picked out the only pair of red jeans she still had in America.
She remembered an outfit she'd wore the year before and picked out a black shirt to wear. She grabbed black Jordan's and jewelry and set them aside.
She went back to her room and sat on her pallet. "Hey, Ozzie! Mommy was in a commercial today! I can't wait to see how it turns out."
Ozzie yipped and licked her leg.
"Yeah! It was so much fun! Just like old times."
Ozzie barked.
"Yeah. Like old times. Back when things weren't so topsy turvy."
Ozzie whined and laid on his belly.
She placed him on her lap. "I know. Things are still really crazy but I promise you they'll settle down soon. We'll be gone and starting a life in Milan. Things'll be good. I swear."
"Talking to your dog?"
Mercedes whipped around. "Marcy!"
"You should get a boyfriend." Marcy teased.
Mercedes narrowed her eyes. "You're not funny. I was having a private conversation."
"Yeah. About me." Marcy came in fully and sat across from her sister. She pulled Ozzie onto her lap and stroked his head gently. "I didn't know this was so hard on you."
"It's nothing compared to how it is on you!" Mercedes rushed to say.
"That doesn't mean it isn't hard on you." Marcy cocked her head. "I'm sorry I haven't asked."
"You've had it rough."
"Everybody's had it rough. Life's a bitch and then you die. The only thing that makes life bearable is experiences and the people who go through those experiences with you."
Mercedes took her hand. "Why are you so worried about me?"
"Contrary to popular belief; I do care about things. I happen to care about you."
Mercedes smiled. "I love you, too."
"So how are you?"
"I'm okay."
"Mercy."
"I'm okay."
"Mercy."
"I'm okay!"
"Mercedes Catherine!" Marcy snapped.
"Okay! Okay. I feel like I'm spinning in a tornado. Up is down and down is-"
"Left?"
"What?" Mercedes was lost and it was clear by her mouth hanging open. She chuckled. "Yes!"
"Right is left and left is sideways?"
Mercedes laughed. "You always have to bring Dean into it!"
"I'm in love with that man!" Marcy giggled.
"He's so old!"
"Cas is old!"
Mercedes laughed again. "You're gon stop talkin about my man!"
"He is sweet though."
"Yeah." Mercedes sighed like a love-struck teenager.
"And cute."
"Yeah."
"And hellspawn."
"Yeah- hey!"
Marcy laughed. "Fell for it hook, line and sinker."
Mercedes gave her a sour look. "Not nice."
Marcy couldn't stop giggling. "Okay, I'll stop. Finish telling me how you feel."
"I don't want to talk about that. I want to talk about Supernatural."
"No, we're talking about feelings. Yours."
Mercedes reached over and hugged her sister. Ozzie barked between them. "I love you!"
"You're being evasive." Marcy held still.
"I feel really off kilter." Mercedes let her go. "Nothing makes sense anymore. I don't think I trust her anymore. And honestly? I wonder about Daddy. Did he really not have any idea about you? How could he not know? What kind of father just washes his hands of the decision making process of where his daughter is and what she's going through?"
Marcy's eyes widened.
"Did he even miss you at all? Did he ever even think of you? Would he ever wonder where you were or if things would be better if you were home?"
"Mercy..."
"Seriously! I thought about you every day and I told everybody I've ever met all about you! Momma and Daddy never talked about you. It was like you were this deep dark secret and I was the only one keeping you in the light. How could they do that?"