Surprise

I own nothing!

Sam Evens walked into his house through the kitchen door to find his wife Mercedes wearing her "hell to the no" face and his three year old daughter sniffling at the table.

"What's going on, Ladies?" Sam asked leaning back against the door.

Mercedes smiled at him as she got up to greet him with a kiss.

"Hi, Daddy." Sophia said sadly.

"Hi, pretty girl." Sam answered back.

Mercedes knew he was anxious to know what was going on. She looked to her daughter silently telling her to tell her father what happened. Sophia looked up at her mother and shook her head franticly as tears weld up in her eyes. She was such a daddy's girl that she hated to know that she made him angry or disappointed at her. She may have looked like a perfect mixture of both of them but she was a daddy's girl through and through.

Mercedes signed and began to speak.

"We've had a difference of opinions about scissors. I thought she shouldn't be messing around with them and she thought that she would give herself a new haircut.

Sam groaned as he noticed that Sophia's hair was no longer down her back, almost to her butt, now reached her shoulder blades. He eyed her darkly as he squatted to her level.

"Sophia Alia Evans." He said firmly.

"I'm sorry!" Sophia blubbered.

Sam felt he was about to cave when he saw her little mouth quiver. He knew better than to give into his daughter especially when she looked at him with her beautiful doe hazel eyes. Mercedes cleared her throat to keep him on track.

As much as Mercedes hated to punish her sweet baby, she knew she had to be the one to do it. "Go to your room, Sophie. You have to remember that all actions have consequences to them."

Sophia jumped down from her chair and stomped towards her room.

"No stomping, Sophia!" Sam called after her.

Mercedes faced broke out into a smile as she looked at her husband.

"Thank the lord that, Unique, our neighbor is a hairstylist. I mean I could have did it but I was so angry that she would have ended up with a Ellen DeGeneres haircut. Plus with the Marines regulations, my baby needs to be looking fierce when she steps out."

Sam laughed as he walked over to her. "Maybe I could help ease some of your tension a little."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck.

"Oh, you sure can." She signed. "I want chocolate and a candle-lit bubble bath."

"I think I can do that."

Wanting more of her, he kissed her with such passion. He had just returned from deployment a few weeks ago, so he and Mercedes had some catching up to do.

Mercedes broke their kiss to check on dinner.

As he watched her Sam was glad that he had come home for Quinn's wedding. All he could think was how damn thankful that he was to have her and their daughter in his life.

Snatching a cherry tomato from the cutting board to munched on.

"Can you come over to the Command tomorrow at nine?" He asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"I want you to pin on my oak leaves."

She dropped the spoon she was stirring with as she whipped her head around.

"Shut up! You got the promotion?!" She yelled

All he did was smile at her.

"Oh, Sammy!" Mercedes said lunching herself into his arms. "I'm so proud of you."

Sam didn't think that his day could get any better by making lieutenant but just knowing that he made her proud was even better.

"Is this the proper behavior for a wife of a lieutenant commander?" He said teasing her

"When have I ever been politically correct?" she scuffed and kissed him. "This is so great, baby. Plus we will need the extra money"

"No more shopping Sprees, Mercy."

"You should want to spoil your girls, Sam, but not for shopping sprees. It's for two college educations."

He just stared at her looking confused.

Tipping her head to the side she said, "For a lieutenant you slow on the uptake, baby."

Finally understanding what she meant his eyes grew wide.

"We're pregnant." He whispered.

"If you want to have this baby, I'll see if I can arrange it."

"Oh my god." He said softly as he sunk into a chair pulling her with him.

"Sam, are you happy?" She asked shyly

"Yes! I'm sorry if it seems like I wasn't. I'm just trying to wrapped my head around the fact that we having another baby."

He was finally going to get to see her pregnant. Sure he saw pictures and the birth of Sophia by video. Now he would get to experience it firsthand this time. He was suddenly rethinking his job. Maybe he should apply for the position of Seal instructor. He wanted to be there for his kids and actually see everything with his own eyes. Not by video halfway across the world doing god knows what.

"We might get a boy this time." Mercedes voiced breaking his thoughts.

Sam smiled as he looked up at her. "I don't care. I'm just happy that I get another baby with you. Although a boy would be nice then you and Sophia can't outnumber me anymore."

Mercedes chuckled, "I love you Sam."

"I love you too, Mercy."

He got up to pulled them into the living room to settle on the sofa.

"How are you feeling?" he asked putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Ask me again in a couple of weeks." She answered. "So this promotion means orders, right?"

"Yes. It could."

"Where?"

Shrugging his shoulders before answering, "California."

She really didn't care where they went as long as they were together she was fine with it.

"When?"

"Could be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months."

Mercedes took a deep breath and looked around their cozy Atlanta home. She fell in love with this little cottage style house the moment she saw it. She loved everything from the white picket fence to where all the roses grew around the bay window.

Sam's hand slipped down to her stomach pulled her out of her thoughts.

"I want to be here for everything. I will be here for everything, Mercedes."

"Really? The swollen ankles, the mood swings, and the vomiting at the crack of dawn? Oh, yes it's very sexy, Sam"

"It is to me, Mercedes. Everything you do is sexy to me. Just you breathing is sexy to me." He said seriously.

Before Mercedes could spoke, a small voice called out.

"Daddy?" called Sophia

"Yes, Sophia?" he called back in a firm tone to remind her of his disapproval in her behavior.

"May I come out now?" she asked sweetly

Sam looked at Mercedes who shrugged her shoulders and nodded.

"Yes, you may come out now." He called back to her.

Sophia stepped around the corner with red tear filled eyes, wringing her fingers.

"Come here, bunny." Mercedes said as she opened her arms to her daughter.

Sophia ran over to snuggle with her parents. Mercedes know now wasn't the time to tell Sophia that she would be a big sister soon. She honestly didn't know how Sophia would take the news.

Mercedes shifted to watch as Sam gave their daughter a lesson on obedience. Sophia looked at her father with such love and trust.

It was because of these two that Mercedes knew that no matter what life brought her way she would get through it with them by her side. Everything she needed was right there on the sofa with her.

I will be updating my story Secret Lover soon. My life has been kind of busy lately. Thanks for reading.