So I know you're wondering what the hell is going on...lol. I am not going to stop writing the reality show fic, but this was bugging me lol. This story was bugging me so I had to write it...so I thought to myself...why not write both?

Hope you all like it...tell me what you think lol

Sam couldn't believe his eyes when it fell upon Mercedes. It had been nine years since the last time he saw her and he hated having to leave her the way he did. He'd only been back in Lima a week, returning for a job offer that most of his family didn't understand why he was adamant on taking. The moment they mentioned that the job offer was in Lima, Ohio, he immediately thought of his last summer there with Mercedes. She still looked the same, well different, but he could recognize her a mile away. She was busy checking out a melon for its freshness, while Sam stood a few feet away admiring her. She was sniffing the melon the way Sam used to take whiffs of her hair when they'd hug. He still remembered how sweet she smelled and from the expression on her face the melon was probably just as sweet. He knew he had to figure out a way to walk up to her and start up the conversation. She was the reason he was back here. She was the reason he took the art teacher job at McKinley Elementary. All he needed to tell her was "Hey Mercedes, I'm back." But instead he walked up to where she was still inspecting other melons and picked one up.

"I never know how to pick the right melon." Sam said instead hoping she'd immediately recognize him but she didn't even open her eyes as she continued to smell the melon.

"The trick is really the shape and coloring of the melon. Make sure there's no scarring on the melon, give it a tap check for hollowness then give it a good whiff. Don't whiff too much or you'll take all the juiciness out of the melon." She giggled then looked his way. "At least that's what my mama used to tell me."

"Oh yeah?" Sam asked then smiled when she squinted and tilted her head at him then her eyes widened as a smile broke out on her face.

"Oh my God, Sam? Sam Evans? Sam!" she said before jumping in his arms and wrapping her arms around him. Sam was a bit startled at first but he quickly readjusted and wrapped his arm around her too. She still smelled sweet with a hint of sweat around the sweet smell.

"Yeah…I'm back!" Sam exclaimed as he held her close. "It's really good to see you." Sam said softly as he held her tighter.

"Look at you." She said as she pulled away from him and looked him up and down. "You grew out your hair." She added as she reached up and touched the tips of his blond locks. "You got like a Nickleback thing going." She added before placing the melon in her cart and moving down aisle as Sam followed behind her.

"Nickleback?" Sam questioned. "I can accept that." Sam smiled as he watched her look back at him and smirk his way. "So what's up? How's life been going?" he asked as he looked into her cart and noticed all the healthy items within it. He finally took in what she was wearing. "You still look really good." Sam quickly complimented.

"Boy bye!" she said dismissing his compliment with a swift wave of her hand. "I'm wearing yoga pants and a tank top with sweat marks from my workout. I should've showered before I came to the market but…" she paused and shook her head as if she didn't want to get into it. "Life happens. It doesn't stop because you need to shower or take a breath or make better decisions. Life just keeps happening, you know?" she looked back at him and he wanted to ask her more. Why did she suddenly seem sad? This wasn't the place for it but he wanted to know more. He wanted to do whatever he could to make her happy, even if it were wrong for even considering it.

"Uh…yeah, I guess, but maybe we can enjoy it while it's happening."

"Yeah maybe." She whispered as she grabbed a bag of baby carrots and threw them in the cart. Sam knew this was his opportunity to ask so he quickly jumped at it.

"Or maybe we can grab so coffee at the Lima Bean…"

"Mom, can I have this?" a little girl asked as she interrupted Sam and held up a box of cookies. He immediately stepped back and placed his hands in his pocket as he took in the little girl. "Daddy said I could have it because I deserve to be happy." The little girl whined. Sam looked at the little girl that looked like the spitting image of Mercedes besides the fact that she was a lighter caramel shade. Her brown curls were disheveled but placed in a ponytail with a pink scrunchii holding it up. Her hazel eyes looked at Mercedes, pleading while her bottom pursed out. Mercedes looked at the little girl then ran her fingers over the little girl's hair before looking to Sam then back at the girl.

"Myra, I already told you…" she paused and looked at Sam again before lookin at the little girl. "We are turning a new leaf now and eating healthier."

"But Mom, dad said that just because you're on diet doesn't mean we have to suffer too!" the little girl whined just as a tall man came from behind her and placed his hand over her mouth.

"I did not say that…exactly." He said as he looked at a glaring Mercedes. Sam couldn't believe his eyes as it fell upon Noah Puckerman. Never in a million years did he ever think that Mercedes and Puck would have gotten together and had a baby.

"Noah Puckerman?" Sam asked under his breath as Puck looked up at Sam in shock. He quickly removed his hands from his daughter's face and stepped over to Sam with a smile on his face.

"Wait one God damn minute…"

"Noah!"

"Ooh Dad is cussing!"

"I can recognize those big lips anywhere!" he exclaimed before pulling Sam in for a hug. "Sam Fricking Evans get over here, man!" he held Sam close then pulled away as he looked at him. "Look at you all Nicklebacked…you done grew up."

"At least some people do." Sam heard Mercedes mumble as she looked at them. It was obvious Puck heard her too but he pretended he didn't as the smile on his face didn't disappear.

"Yeah…that's what happens in…what…nine years right?" Sam asked as he looked over at Mercedes then back at Puck.

"Hell yeah, nine years…you just disappeared after that summer. You know we needed you in glee club, right? After you left, Mercedes left the glee club and formed her own and New Directions lost."

"I didn't just disappear…"

"Well…you kind of did." Mercedes responded as she looked away from Sam. He wished he'd had time to tell her what happened. He wished he'd kept in touch with her after he left, but he wasn't sure how to explain leaving. In all honesty, he thought she'd never want to see him again.

"Look, man, you should come by some time so we can catch up with everybody." Puck said as he placed his arm around Sam's shoulder and walked off with him. "Some people stuck around in Lima, while others left and came back, like you." Puck was talking a mile a minute as Sam looked back at Mercedes talking to her daughter. She looked at Sam for a second before sighing and returning to her shopping. "Man, wait till everybody sees your back! You should come by for dinner when Babe isn't still on this health kick. She can throw down in the kitchen."

"Yeah I remember." Sam said as Puck paused and looked over at him and nodding as if he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh yeah, you and Mercedes did have a fling that summer you disappeared." Puck said as Sam glared his way. What they had was more than a fling, unfortunately no one knew about that other than Mercedes. "Man, after you left she was a wreck and old man Puck took care of things and we've been together ever since." Puck said with a smile as if he'd done something good. "Sure she had to spend Senior year pregnant but life was good for us. My pool gig turned into a big business and she stays home like the good girlfriend she is."

"You're not married?"

"Nah…marriage ain't for us. We work the way we are." Puck said as they looked back at Mercedes. "She may not look it but she's happy." Sam looked back at Mercedes and couldn't help but see the sadness that was hidden there. Mercedes wasn't meant to be a housewife. She was meant to be a star. It all made sense to him now, life happened.

Seeing Sam again was not the way she'd hope it would happen. Ever since he disappeared that summer, she'd replay bumping into him so many times. Most of the time they were dreams. Sometimes she'd watch a movie or a show then pretend that the couples on the shows were them. Sam looked better than any dream she'd had of him. He was taller, tanner, longer hair that she'd already imagined running her fingers through as they spoke. She immediately felt guilty the minute her daughter interrupted them. He came back looking fine as wine while she looked as if she'd just been ran over by a train. But he still complimented her. He still looked at her as if nine years hadn't past between them. He still looked at her as if he didn't disappear after they spent one of the most romantic nights she'd ever experience in her twenty-five years of life. Nothing Puck had ever did had ever came close to topping the night that she lost her virginity to the love of her life then watch him disappear forever.

Nine years ago

It all started with prom. A story she felt that she'd told so many damn times because it was the night that made her look at Sam differently. In all honesty, it was the night that they both looked at each other differently. Sam only decided to go with them on the prom on a budget deal because his family was newly poor and Mercedes only agreed because no one asked her. Rachel was supposed to be the third wheel in their third wheel date but when Jessie came around, she ditched them quickly. Before she knew what had happened Sam and Mercedes were left on prom alone. As Rachel performed on the stage, Sam came over and asked her hand to dance. Now, Mercedes, till this day wasn't sure if Rachel told Sam to ask her to dance but it didn't matter. She was slow dancing with him, then they were tearing up the dance floor and continued to dance the rest of the night. After prom, they walked home and stood on her porch talking for hours.

"Can you believe Kurt was voted prom queen? I'm not sure if we should be proud or feel upset at all this." Sam said as he sat next to her on the swing bench that was on her porch.

"I was proud of how he handled it! He looked great with the crown." Mercedes said as she looked over at him and smiled.

"You would have looked better with the crown." He said before leaning over as if he was about to kiss her. Mercedes leaned back and looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Sam? What are you doing?"

"Uh…I…I don't know…I uh…thought we were…"

"We had a good time, Sam…" she said as they both stammered with their feelings. "You made me feel like a princess tonight." She added as he smiled over at her.

"You really look pretty tonight, seriously. I didn't notice till you were sitting at your table playing with your corsage like a wall flower." He chuckled then stopped as he reached over and touched her hand. "You were too pretty for the wall."

"Sam…" she managed to say before Sam reached over and kissed her before she could lean away again. Mercedes was in shock but she didn't move as he kissed her. He deepened the kiss after pulling her close. She slowly placed her hand on his chest and clinched to his bolo tie till it loosened and fell from around his neck. Sam moved closer to her and placed his hand behind her neck. She couldn't believe she was kissing Sam Evans. She couldn't believe his tongue was in her mouth and she was softly moaning a sound she'd never made before. The sound shocked her as she slowly pulled away from Sam and stared into his eyes.

"I've wanted to do that all night." He said with lopsided smile as he stared back into her eyes. Mercedes wasn't sure what to believe but she wanted to feel his lips on hers again so she leaned closer but stopped when the porch light turned on.

"Mercedes? Is that you outside?" Mercedes heard her father ask as she quickly jumped away from him and stood far away as if she wasn't just tongue dancing with him. Sam slowly stood and walked over to the steps.

"Uh yeah Dad, I just got here." Mercedes said as her front door opened and her dad stepped outside and eyed Sam suspiciously. "Just saying thanks to Sam for walking me home." She said as she smiled at Sam. She watched as he said goodbye to her father then off the steps before she followed her dad in and closed the door.

The following weeks before school ended they secretly dated without nobody knowing about them. Sam wanted to tell everyone but Mercedes didn't. She didn't want everyone thinking that Sam was just jumping on a new bandwagon of a girlfriend. And that summer they spent every second they could with each other. The day she lost her virginity to Sam, she was home alone while her parents were away at work when Sam came over to chill. He came with a huge duffel bag in hand and told her to close her eyes as he had something planned for her. She tried to peek a few times but he senses it and blindfolded her. She listened as he caused ruckus in her bedroom.

"If you make a mess in my room, Sam, I swear…" she warned him then smiled when she smelled his minty breath in her face. "Sam…why are you right in my face and not kissing me?" she sang till he finally kissed her and removed the blindfolds. He said he decided to kiss her while taking off the blindfolds because he knew she kept her eyes closed whenever they kissed. He said he always opened his eyes first just so he can admire her as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hope you like it." Sam said softly against her lips as she slowly opened her eyes to candles lit all around the room and black sheets hung over the windows. She slowly inhaled the vanilla aroma as she looked around the room as Sam had scattered purple lilies all over the bed. "I couldn't afford roses." He began to explain as a tear fell from her eyes. That was when she first started to like lilies.

"Sam Evans…this is…" she said as her voice cracked as she turned to look back at him and smiled. Sam smiled and stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I know you said you wanted this moment to be special…and I can't afford a nice hotel or something…" he rambled but she stopped him as she placed her finger on his lips then inched up to kiss him.

That night she remembered they made love for the first time for what felt like hours. Mercedes remembered they fell asleep in each other's arms and when she woke up Sam was gone. He sent her a text saying that he'd never forget that day and then she never heard from him again. She felt like crap until she heard the rumor that his family had packed up and left Lima. Even with all of that she couldn't understand how he'd leave after they'd shared a moment like that. She remembered crying like an idiot in her car and Puck found her. He listened as she told him about Sam and how they had a fling. She never told them that they had sex. That was something she was too embarrassed to ever tell anyone. She lied to Puck about being a virgin and he did everything he could to take her virginity. He changed his douchy ways and was actually turning sweet. Well that was at least what she told herself when she finally decided to lay down and allow Puck to get what he wanted. She remembered thinking of Sam the entire time as Puck humped away. After he was done, he held her and said that he loved her. She mumbled it back and before she knew what had happened they were a full fledged couple and months later she was full on pregnant. At first she was embarrassed because only last year he impregnated Quinn and now here she was, a senior and pregnant.

Sam was different but she wished he'd never left her. Just one glance at him, and all of the feelings that she thought were mere dreams and fantasies came rushing back and hitting her hard. She never should have let him go. She never should have let Puck in her car that day when she was crying. She wished she would have fought harder for Sam when he left. Especially when she'd heard he left because he had no choice but to leave with his parents. She wished she'd done more than just give up and be the pregnant girlfriend of Noah Puckerman. She wished she'd follow her dreams and become a singer like she always dreamed of being. She looked at Sam as he spoke to Puck and could tell she would have been happier with him if things were different. Truth is, she wondered if maybe they still had a chance.