Häagen-Dazs and Heartbreak?

Mercy thought about what Taylor said but didn't speak up. She'd been around not so nice Morrigan. She was a part of Lukretia's entourage at one point. At least, by extension having worked for a member of the entourage. Lukretia certainly could cast a spell and she was as ruthless a comrade as she was a friend. In that house you either bucked up and gave as good as you got, quickly found your place at the bottom of the food chain and hoped for the best or, like Morrigan, tried to do what you could and, when ultimately failing, take out your frustrations on the rest of the grunts.

Mercy never could have considered that getting fired by Margaret would be something that would be GOOD. Especially since she wasn't really PRACTICING law anymore. However, she had a good position and one that maybe gave her more power than being an attorney. The girl sitting next to her could mangle her pretty badly in a fight probably with both arms and a leg tied behind her back if she were so inclined. Not to mention she was fighting for the company's biggest title and deserved every bit of it. Mercy was practically nothing physically but if she wanted to with a few sweet words, she could have Taylor gone from the company. It was just that simple. Not that mercy would DO that. She liked Taylor and the girl was a good friend. She didn't want to even hint at betraying that, especially when the girl was just telling her she could crash at there place like it was no big deal.

"Yeah, it's good with OJ, thanks! And thanks, I really appreciate it." She added with a smile. "Thankfully I don't think Clyde's ever going to knock at my door, so I don't have to worry about that. but maybe a workout might be a fun escape!"

Still, she liked having the power. Maybe that was why she needed to get rid of Clyde. In the end, she didn't want to give him any control of HER life even though she demanded to control his often. But it was for HIS own good. He NEEEDED her. She didn't NEED him. He was there because it was fun to have him around... sometimes...

"I'm glad everything's working out with Morrigan." She added, almost offhandedly. "Do you think that I might have actually helped Clyde at all... being around him? Being his girlfriend? Or was it all just a waste of time?" She asked suddenly.

"I mean, it's not like I needed him around. It was just for some fun, that's all. But, I'd like to think that I was a better girlfriend for him than... some sknak he just banged in the ring or whatever..."

Taylor smiled back at Mercy. She knew exactly what that meant. She'd heard it before. I'm glad everything's working out with Morrigan. Even if she didn't mean anything by it, there was always a dangling loose end to comments like that. As if no one could ever just say what they really thought.

Which was probably good. Taylor wasn't going to sit back and let people talk shit about Morrigan. The girl was family.

"Oh, yeah, totally," Taylor nodded emphatically. "Definitely. Like, the guy's kind of a mess, right? And you're the least messy person I know. Like... I guess maybe you're not totally sure what you're looking for in a guy, or girl, or whatever. But I think Clyde maybe needs someone to keep him in line." She took a sip of orange juice, and then remembered the vodka. She wasn't going to let Mercy drink alone. She'd just have a little. "I wonder what Bonnie's like."

"Yeah, if you're not super organized, you don't stand a chance in hell of being a lawyer." Mercy said with a nod. "And, really, he's pretty much a slob." Mercy sighed and let her face droop into her palms.

"Buuut... he stopped smoking. He wasn't drinking that I know of and he really was studying for his GED. I feel as if I made some progress but..." Mercy looked at Taylor. "Do I really need to be his GIRLFRIEND to help him with THAT stuff? I mean, he's so goofy and smothering and it's not like the sex was THAT good. He's... ok... in bed." Mercy coyly turned her head and smiled sheepishly. "I did... most of the work." She then grinned wider while she blushed deeply.

"Well, by design, I guess. I know what I want, all he needs to do is just let me take care of it! There's plenty for him to enjoy on the ride!" Mercy began to giggle and pushed her palm against her lips.

She stared at Taylor rand somehow grinned wider. "Bonnie's nice. It's a shame that SHE'S taken. She's like, a hot version of Clyde but not an ass. And not irresponsible. It's kind of strange, actually." Mercy then frowned suddenly. "Actually, Clyde's been pretty worried about her too. This stupid bitch keeps fucking with them. Like, she won't just take the hint. I know her type too, she is just some sick bitch who needs to mess with people's heads cause there's nothing inside of her to actually genuinely like"

Mercy took a deep breath. "See, it's better we broke up. Now He won't have to worry about me and that woman getting into it and maybe I can still help them... somehow. I really don't like that woman one bit though. At least you've never had someone, like... fuck with you like that, right? Sort of in your business but not really letting you get a chance to just beat their ass and kick them out of your life?"

Taylor's eyes drifted and she stared into space for a moment. Then she cringed, and almost spilled the OJ. "No," she shook her head. "Don't make me picture sex with Clyde. Uh-uh."

She wore a sympathetic look through Mercy's tale of the Gastin's problem. It was a story that repeated itself over and over in pro wrestling. "So like, their own Dark Angel?" She asked. Nothing could be worse than Dark Angel.

"Well... it's like this. Hold on." She took the bottle of vodka and took a slug. She shook her head and passed it back to Mercy before she continued. "Beating someone up doesn't change anything. People think that if they could just hit someone and knock them down and hurt them bad enough, all the bad stuff would go away. It's bullshit, though. The truth is that a fight only helps if both people like... give it all they've got. You learn to respect people, because like, it's a really vulnerable time. Fighting, that is. It's a really deep, personal thing. Sometimes, after a fight, you come out with respect, and even liking the person. It happened for me with Natalia, and then Adrian. Kinda even with Akashi."

She took another sip of orange juice. "Here, fill this up." She held out the bottle to Mercy for her to replace the empty space at the top with vodka. "Fighting solves problems, man. Do you guys want me to go take care of this crazy bitch? Or... well, I guess it's not really you guys anymore. Or is it?" She shrugged.

Mercy squeezed her eyes shut and flailed her hands at Taylor. Not that she wanted Taylor thinking about THAT but the way she said it... "Hey, what does that make me if I'm the one that DID him! Euuuuuughhhhhhhhhhh!" She unleashed an over dramatic groan of disgust directly at Taylor and then huffed, puffing her cheeks out cutely and crossing her arms under her chest.

"Uhhh..." Mercy remembered Dark Angel. Maybe Allison was like that? Angel didn't even fit that woman in an ironic sense of the word though. She decied to not answer and instead, take the biggest gulp of the vodka she could, nearly spitting it out as it burned her throat. "Haaaaaaaaaa, blech!"

Mercy wrinkled her nose but then sucked it up even as her cheeks reddened. She gave Taylor the coyest smile she could manage. "I guess... I don't really understand that at all." She said as she daintily poured the vodka into the glass. "I don't think that I felt anything different after fighting Lilly."

Mercy then turned her head from Taylor. "If I'M in danger, then, maybe I'll let you know. I mean, Clyde can take care of himself when he's not worried about everyone else, right?" She asked, suddenly turning back and raising her eyebrows. "Plus, Bonnie and Duffy are there too, so, it's not like it's just him against the world, like he thinks it is." She said the last bit with some distaste in her mouth.

Taylor laughed, but didn't say anything. She couldn't help but poke fun at Clyde a little, but the truth was that Mercy liked him, or parts of him, and she shouldn't just trash the guy.

"Yeah..." She said thoughtfully, scratching the back of her neck. "Well... It's a little embarrassing, I guess, but I kinda used to be like that. I thought the whole world was just waiting for a chance to fuck me over. Like... I guess you kind of met me when I was starting to get my shit together, but I used to just fight everyone all the time and make trouble for myself, trash talk everyone to try to show that I wasn't afraid of them. That's how me and Kashi met."

On the screen, the DVD menu for True Romance patiently waited for someone to pick "play" or "scene selection" or whatever else. The music looped again. Taylor blinked at it for a moment, and then added "I think... People like that just need someone who cares, who's patient enough to wait until they pull their head out of their ass and realize that the world isn't like that."

"You against the world? I understand that, I think." She said. "I've pretty much been on my own for my adult life. I never knew my mom and my daddy wanted to make sure I could take care of myself. The world of law is as about as Darwinian as it gets. It's not like we punched each other but it's pretty rough for geeky law dweebs."

Mercy smiled and took a sip of the screwdriver. Muuuuch better. "People like who? Old Taylor? Or Clyde? Or, that bitch trying to wreck him?"

"Yes." Taylor said simply, and took the bottle from Mercy. She took a drink and shuddered. It wasn't as bad with the orange juice, but she wasn't used to drinking at all.

"Old Taylor needed love, and she got it. Who knows what Clyde needs, but really everybody's the same. Everybody just needs people to take 'em in and give them a chance to be better people. Kashi and Cassie did it for me. They loved me even when I sucked, and they didn't act like that was all I'd ever be." That part was important. "It's what I'm trying to do with Morg. It's what I want to do with other people, too, ya know. Kids and stuff.

"But man, like, this crazy bitch that's fucking shit up for Clyde and shit, she can't be any different. Who knows why crazy bitches go crazy, but I bet you that if you're willing to put up with them and wait, things will change. I dunno, man, I might just be going off the deep end, but that's what I believe. That's what I see." She took another tiny sip, just to fill in the pause. "So do you kick her ass for fucking with them? Hell yeah, you do, and you do it right. Make it tough love, not attempted murder. Love changes everything, man, but so does murder. Know what I mean?"

She looked Mercy in the eye and passed the bottle back to her. "Wanna top that off?"

Mercy's cheeks were flushed, already pretty buzzed from the little bit of alcohol she had. She took a bigger drink from her screwdriver and then took the bottle, filling it back up.

""It's hard to love him and be patient with him and... maybe I'm still a bit selfish too. I don't really want the attachment even if there were some nice things about it..." She said and took another drink.

"I don't know though. She's not some unhinged psycho or some brash punk, no offense. Well, she IS psychotic but... she's calculating. She's calm. It takes a long time for someone to get methodical. Still waters run deep, they say. I don't think it's something that a black eye and a hug is going to fix." Mercy sipped some more of her drink, she was starting to feel really warm inside now.

"But, maybe... maybe she'll listen to some reason. Maybe ... I don't know. Maybe I can go talk to her or something. I mean, just because we're not dating doesn't mean I have to completely forget he exists. it's not like I want him hospitalized or hurt or anything."

"Damn," Taylor nodded. "Sounds like a Bond villain or something. Does she bleed from her tear ducts at all?"

She looked down and kept on nodding. "Yeah, you could do that. I know you'd be smart about it and not meet her in a dark alley or something. But... I mean, before, a lot of people probably thought the same thing about me, ya know? Like, a black eye and a hug wouldn't fix what was wrong with me, so people just wrote me off. I try not to think that about other people? But definitely if she's hurting you and yours, then take care of her. Just don't try to fight her!" She laughed. They both knew exactly what the girlie paralegal's skill level was there, and it wasn't much.

"I'll totally go with you if you want a bodyguard or whatever. And you're right, just because you don't want to date Clyde doesn't mean that you have to act like he doesn't exist. Just..." She hesitated, and made a face. "Maybe try not to get into another Lilly situation. I'll train you whenever you want, but there's only so much I can do." She stuck out her tongue through her teeth and took another sip of screwdriver.