EPILOGUE

As they headed out to the cars in the parking lot nobody said much. Brittany and Santana had offered to give Jane a ride home (since her parents' place was nearby the Lopez house), and Sugar and Mercedes would wait on Sam who Mercedes had called already and was on his way. They'd agree'd to wait until Sam got there to leave, and Santana was leaning against her car when suddenly she pushed off of it, and turned towards Mercedes.

"So, when are you planning on telling us what all this is about?" She gestured towards Jane.

Jane looked surprised. "You didn't tell them, Mercedes? I thought-"

"You're right, Santana." She said, cutting Jane off. "I should have explained myself to you all. But I was nervous, and I wasn't sure how to say it."

"You're pregnant!" Sugar broke in.

"What?!"
"Oh my God, 'Cedes! Congrats!"
"Are you kidding?"

A chorus of voices went up and Mercedes waved her hand for silence.

"No! Well, not yet anyway. I wanted, well, I wanted to know…"

"Just spit it out, Aretha. You've never had a problem asking us for stuff before."

"Santana, hush." Brittany put her hand on Mercedes' arm, silently urging her to continue.

"She wants to get the Troubletones back together."

Everyone looked at Jane unexpectedly.

"And she wants me to join."

The other three women turned to look at Mercedes, their jaws almost on the floor.

"What do you mean, get the Troubletones back together?" Asked Sugar quietly. "And why is this the first I'm hearing of this?"

Mercedes grimaced, trying put on a casual expression. "Well, I've been thinking alot about my next album, and there's a lot of pressure with it, you know? And I just thought, if I have to go back into the studio now, there's no one I'd rather go back with."

She turned to Santana.

"Remember the fun we had working on that duet back in the day? It was great, everybody loved it, but we just didn't follow it up. This album would be a one and done deal. We'd get the group back together, drop the album, do a small little tour, and you'd all be back snug in your beds by this time next year give or take."

Sugar bounced into Mercedes arms. "You're letting me sing again? You are NOT going to regret this, Mercedes! We are going to tear this album up!"

"But where does Jane come in?" Asked Santana.

"Well, she and I got to talking late last year. Sam had helped mentor her group of New Directions after Rachel left when they were in high school. She's finishing up at the Business School at UCLA in the fall, and helped Sam get a bunch of financial stuff out of the way, so he could operate as a non-profit. I convinced her to come into the studio with me, because I remember loving her sound, and it just took off from there."

"I probably spend more time in the Jones-Evans household than at my apartment." Jane said laughingly. "And I've written a few songs with Mercedes as well. I dunno if they're good enough, but-"

"Hey, don't doubt yourself, girl, they're fantastic." Mercedes turned back to the rest of the group. "She's got a great voice, and she really sounds like a Troubletones kind of girl. I know she'd make a great addition. And I won't do it without you all. It's either all or nothing in my book."

Santana and Brittany didn't look convinced. She didn't want to push them, but she really wanted them involved.

"Think about it, Santana. You getting back into the studio. Getting some music out there? People would love it. And of course," she said, turning to Brittany. "I couldn't go back out on the road without my number one dancer. We may even do a couple of covers, let you do the Britney stuff that rocks everyone's socks off. And you'll be our lead choreographer, with all the perks of course."

Brittany and Santana looked at each other, giving nothing away to the women they were standing near, but having an entire conversation with their eyes.

"My label is going to pay for everything. We can even take over the rent in your apartment in New York. Imagine the buzz that will be happening over at Columbia Records with you fresh off of a headlining tour with Mercedes Jones. And Britt's career! Everyone is going to want a piece of her after this."

Mercedes wanted to keep trying to convince them, but she wasn't sure how far she was going to get. At that moment, Sam pulled up in his father's old pick up truck, stopping near the Santana's car.

"Afternoon ladies." He drawled, pulling off his best cowboy impression. Sensing the mood he straightened up, his eyes widening. "I'm not interrupting something, am I?""Of course not, honey." Mercedes said, patting his arm, and leaning up the give him a peck on the cheek.

She hugged Jane, Brittany and Santana tightly before handing Sam her purse to put in the truck. While Sugar struggled in her heels to climb up into the cab, Mercedes reached out for her two oldest friends.

"Anyway, it's up to you. No pressure. If you decide you're happy with the status quo, that's fine. There's something to be said for domesticity. " She said, sending a gentle smile to her husband.

"But if you do change your mind. You have my number. I'll be in town until Wednesday, and I don't have to know for sure until the end of the month, so you have a good couple weeks."

Brittany and Santana shared another look and nodded, squeezing Mercedes' hands.

Mercedes climbed into the truck beside Sugar, and waved as they pulled out of the parking lot. As they went past Sugar yelled at them out of the open window.

"Don't let me down, ladies. I'm going to be a star!"

Mercedes smiled. She wasn't sure what they'd decide, but she hoped whatever it was, they were happy.

Alma Lopez was busy puttering around as Brittany and Santana sat on the couch in her house. Alma didn't notice how quiet the women were being, but happily chattered away as she stirred a pot of rice and beans. The Spanish gameshow that was blaring on the television gave them something to stare at, but Brittany could tell that Santana was preoccupied.

"What are you thinking, San?" she asked, turning towards her wife, and gently placing a hand on the back of her neck.

Abuela had gone back into the kitchen, and it was just the two of them, watching a woman try and stuff whole oranges down her pants for thirty seconds.

"Besides how to get my grandmother to stop asking us when we're having children?"

Brittany laughed softly. "I don't think that's possible, sweetheart."

Santana returned her smile. "Maybe the same day we get my mother to stop asking about it. Like, the day we actually bring a baby home."

They laughed.

"You're thinking about Mercedes' offer." Brittany said. It wasn't a question.

"Well, yeah, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

It was one of those rare moments where they weren't sure of what to say to one another.

"Do you want to do it?"
"So, are you interested?"

The questions came out at the same time, and they laughed again.

"What do you think, Britt? I mean, we'd have to leave New York, and granted, my job isn't so permanent, I doubt they'd mind me taking a few semesters off…"

"And my season is practically over. I'm sure Jake wouldn't mind finding someone to cover me for the last few weeks…"

Brittany let her voice trail off as well. The two of them jumped a little as Alma rushed back in and plopped two steaming bowls in their laps.

"Eat up, girls. Whichever one of you that will be carrying my grandchild will need lots of strength."

She rushed back into the kitchen to check on her roast. Brittany laughed. It seemed like every time they came over, she made enough food to feed an army.

"So…" started Santana.

Brittany got the distinct impression that she knew what Santana wanted to do. She thought she knew what she wanted to do herself, but she didn't want to force Santana one way or another and she knew that whatever she wanted, Santana would do. Just like she'd do the same for her. It made their relationship incredibly easy and sometimes extraordinarily difficult.

"How about we both say what we want to do on three?"

"Okay."

"One...two… three."

Mercedes watched Sam strut around the living room, doing what seemed to be his impression of a ostrich giving birth.

"Finding Nemo!" shouted Stevie.

Sam just shook his head furiously and continued walking around, flapping his arms.

"Singing in the Rain?" Yelled Dwight.

Sam kept shaking his head when a buzzer sounded.

"It was Happy Feet." Said Mary, holding up the card triumphantly.

Mercedes couldn't help but smile at her mother in law. Missing that one brought them down by two points, but at least they were having fun.

Sam sighed, and plopped down on the couch between Mercedes and Stevie, putting his arm around his wife, and ruffling the hair of his little brother.

"We'll get 'em next time, Stevie."

His brother laughed. "I'm not a little kid any more Sam, you're messing up my hair."

Sam only laughed, and ruffled his hair some more, pinning him to the couch.

"You'll always be a kid to me, bro."

Sam finally settled, reaching for Mercedes' hand.

"What's wrong, babe? You still thinking about your meeting today?"

Mercedes felt her smile slip a bit. "Yeah. I really wanted to do this with all of them. Not only will this be the exact creative energy I need to finish this project, it'll be amazing to be in the studio with all of them. Working with some of my best friends. It'll be way better than when Rachel flew out to do that single for the Live Aid benefit concert."

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, I had to drive down there twice to keep you two from tearing each other's heads off."

"Don't I know it. I love that woman, but remind me to never work with her again."

Sam only laughed, playing with Mercedes fingers.

"Don't worry, Mercedes. They'll come around."

As if on cue, Mercedes' phone began to ring.

Sam smiled. "See?"

Mercedes didn't need to look at the caller ID. The ringtone alone (Barbie Girl) told her who the call was coming from. She excused herself and went into the kitchen.

"What's up, Sugar?"

"Have you heard back from them yet? What's the word?"

Mercedes sighed, leaning up against the refrigerator. "No word yet. I dunno, Sugar, this may not work out after all."

"Are you kidding? Daddy just bought me a new mixing board as a surprise for working on the new album!"

Mercedes shook her head, knowing that those things can cost upwards of fifty thousand dollars. But that was the Motta way.

"I know, Sugar, but if they aren't on board, we're not doing it."

Her tone left no room for debate. She wasn't going to have the Troubletones without Santana and Brittany.

Sugar seemed to mirror her thoughts, despite her enthusiasm.

"You're right. It wouldn't be the Troubletones without them."

They sat quietly for a moment. Suddenly Mercedes phone vibrated against her ear. She pulled the phone away, and looked at the text message that was waiting for her there. A smile tugged at her lips as she put the phone back to her ear.

"On second thought, Sugar, you might want to start warming up that mixing board."

Sugar sounded excited. "What? You heard from them?"

"I did. The Troubletones are back."

"Please, Mercedes." Sugar said chuckling. "We never left."