"My Dad lost his job and now we are staying in a motel, are you happy now?"

Mercedes watched in horror as Sam stormed off. "How could I have been so blind," she thought. She was so angry with herself. Glee club is about being comfortable with whom you are and having the people in the club who love you and be there for no matter what. She had failed being his friend. Sure, they didn't talk but she still cared for him and for her to believe a silly rumor was a new low. How could she believe that Sam, sweet, innocent, Sam was a cheater, especially with Kurt and Quinn? How could she have such little faith in them? Kurt was her best friend and for heaven's sake she had let Quinn live with her. She spent the rest of the day wondering through the halls in a zombie like trace. She just felt so awful and guilty. Finally the last bell rang and she went to grab a few things from her locker. Tina was already waiting at her locker.

"Hey Mercedes, are you alright?"

"I guess. This whole Sam thing has gotten me really upset. The fact that I was so quick to judge him and believe the vicious lies being spread about him makes me feel awful. I mean Glee club is supposed to be a family. We're supposed to be there for each other, no matter what. "

"Mercy, you shouldn't feel bad. You're human and we were all there judging him with you."

"Sure. I just feel like I should've been strong enough to stand up for him. But it's too late to change the past. I just wish there was something we could do."

"Well Quinn told us that he sold his guitar, so Finn and Rachel have decided to take up a collection to get it back for him." Mercedes reached into her bag to grab her wallet. She opened it up and pulled out all the cash she had.

"All I have is sixty bucks."

"That's more than enough."

"Okay. Let me know if you need more. I'll find more cash somewhere."

"Don't worry about it Mercy. Sam will get through this and we'll be there to support him." Tina reached to give her a hug. They said their goodbyes and Mercedes began the walk out to her car. She looked in her rearview mirror and saw Sam pulling out of the school parking lot, most likely on his way to work. All she thought about was the Evans family on her way home.

She pulled into her driveway and walked into the house. Her mother, as always, was waiting for her with an afternoon snack. As soon as Mercedes entered the kitchen her mom knew something was wrong.

"Honey what's wrong?"

"Nothing mom, just a long day at school."

"Now, sweetie, I have been you're mom for 16 years, and I know what a long day at school looks like and this, right here, is not it." Not wanting to deal with the repercussions if she resisted, she decided to tell her mom what was wrong.

"Fine. So you know Sam, right?"

"I believe so. Blond hair, blue eyes, big mouth?" Mercedes giggled at her mother's response.

"Yeah mom, him. Well his family has been going through some tough times and now him, his brother, his sister, and his parents are living in the dingy motel of 34th."

"Oh my." Ms. Jones sat shocked, looking at the table. She had been there before. Far from family with nowhere to turn. She looked up and saw that there was something else bothering her daughter.

"What else?"

"Well there were some rumors going around as to why he was in the motel and instead of asking him what was wrong I just believed what everyone told me."

"Which was?"

"He was fooling around with Kurt and Quinn."

"Now Mercedes Rae Jones, I know I taught you better than to believe silly little rumors. How could you believe that Kurt, your best friend would do something like that? You should've been at least able to talk to him about it. And the fact that you didn't support Quinn surprises me. I know you guys aren't as close anymore, but you invited that poor girl to live with us. She was like a sister to you. I know her track record with relationships isn't the best, but you should've had faith that she would do the right thing."

"I know mom. I just… I don't know. It seemed easy to believe the lies than to actually confront them about them. I realize now what I did was wrong and I want to make it up to Sam. I've already talked to Kurt and he forgives me and Quinn is too wrapped up in her own drama to care. The glee club is pulling together some money to buy him back his guitar, I just wish there was something more I could do. He's just a teenager. He shouldn't have to worry about this stuff. On top of Glee club, school work, and taking care of his family, he also has to work a night job. I look at my life and see that I've been so blessed and I just wish that there was some way that I could help him."

"Well Mercedes, I'm sure you'll think of something. Just pray about."

"Thanks mom." Mercedes finished her snack and began to walk to her room. She sat down to try to work on her homework but she couldn't concentrate. She just felt like there was something more she could do that to just give sixty bucks to buy him a guitar. All she could think about is how scared his brother and sister must be and that his parents must feel so awful. Parents want to provide the world for the kids and now they couldn't even provide a house. It was bugging her so much that she decided to take her mother's advice and pray. Dear heavenly father, first of all I want to ask for your forgiveness for judging Sam. He needed help and I was too blinded to see it. Also I ask you to give me the strength to apologize to him for being so rude and for the ability to comfort him in this time of need. Also I ask to you watch over and protect his family. I also need your guidance in figuring out what I could do for his family and him. I know there is a greater plan you have here and I wish that you could just provide some insight for me. In your name I pray Amen. Mercedes finished her prayer and then heard her mom call downstairs for dinner. She got up and began walking down her hallway. She realized how quiet the house was without her 3 older brothers. The two oldest had recently been married and were beginning to start families of their own. While the youngest of the three was in his junior year at college at the University of Florida (so he rarely came home). Taking in the silence she walked downstairs and saw her father in the kitchen. She went up to him, gave him a hug, and washed her hands for dinner. They sat down at the table and her father said grace and the three remaining members of the Jones Family began to eat.

"Mom, this chicken is amazing, but why did you make so much?"

"I couldn't figure out how to cut the recipe in half so now we have all this extra food." Mercedes grew quite thinking about how Sam's family will probably have a cold dinner tonight and Sam might not even eat at all, because that's just the type of guy he is. He knows his family needs to save and he cares for his siblings so much that he would rather starve than see him hungry. Looking at all this extra food, she then realized what God was trying to show her. She looked up suddenly, with a smile on her face.

"Baby, what's up?"

"Did mom tell you about my friend Sam?"

"Yes she did, and I'm terribly sorry to hear that. Why?"

"Well seeing as we have 3 extra bedrooms in this house, I was wondering. Do you think his family could stay here?" Her mom stopped mid-chew.

"Sweetheart, this is not a days- inn. Every time one of your friends is in trouble we can't move them in."

"But mom, as a Christian home we're supposed to help the needy and Sam and his family are very needy. Think about it. We have the extra space; you're home pretty much all day so you could help with the kids. Sam wouldn't have to worry about work and could focus on school while his parents could focus on job hunting instead of worrying if their kids are going to have a roof over their heads and a hot meal for dinner."

"Baby girl, I just don't…"

"Dad, you have provided my brothers and I a life that most people would've have never thought possible. We have so much, which also means we have so much to give. Imagine if we were them. How awful would you feel knowing that you could not provide for us?" Mercedes' dad lowered his head. "And Mom, you were always able to be there. You only had to work when you wanted to. How many kids have the privilege saying that their mom had an afternoon snack ready for them, every day,when they walked through the door?" Her mom sat silence. "All I'm asking is that you put yourself in their shoes and think about how it feels." Mercedes' dad looked up.

"Now Mercy, I've heard you, loud and clear. I would like to talk to your mother about this before we make any decisions."

"Okay Dad." Mercedes looked at her mom and saw that she was crying.

"Mom, is everything okay?"

"No. But it will be. Thomas, there is nothing to discuss the Evens' family is going to stay with us."

"Honey, we need to talk about this."

"No, we don't. Do you remember, right after we had Tyler, you were still in school trying to get your degree and with all the loans and the recent medical bills, we just couldn't take it. And that family from the church, the Bynum's, saw us on being thrown out of our apartment, they picked all of our stuff up and said you're living with us, we won't take no for an answer . They let us stay with them till we got back on our feet. Which was another year. They helped me learn how to be a mom and they helped you learn how to be a provider. Now we have to return the favor, through the Even's family. If it makes you that upset I'll work part time to cover the extra bills but I'm not going to let that poor family stay in that dingy motel." Mercedes waited in anticipation for her father's reaction. He folded his hands and sat silent for a moment.

"You right Christine. They're staying with us. Go get your guys' coats. There's no use in letting them stay in that hotel room any longer." Mercedes' jumped up and grabbed her coat.

"Should we take two cars so we can get all of their stuff tonight?"

"That's a great idea, Mercy you drive the expedition, your mom and I will take the sierra." Mercedes grabbed the keys and began on her way to 34th street. In the car she had this peace about life in general. She knew this is what God wanted her to do. She said a pray of thanks and a prayer that Sam's family would be willing to come. She looked in her rear view mirror and saw her parent's car behind her. After about a 15 minute drive she saw the neon sign and excitement overran her body. She pulled into an empty parking spot and hopped out her car, her parents only a few steps behind.

"Now Mercedes, we want to talk to Sam's parents alone, so you're going to take Sam and his siblings out to dinner or out for ice cream or something."

"Okay daddy." As they approached the door they could hear sounds of Sam's guitar and Mercedes couldn't wait to hear those sounds coming from down the hall. Mercedes knocked on the door and a man slightly taller than Sam with dark hair, but with those same piercing blue eyes, opened the door.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Evens?"

"Yes."

"My name is Mercedes Jones; these are my parents Christine and Thomas Jones. I'm a friend of Sam's from the Glee club, we'd like to come in and talk."