A/N: Surprise! I had so many people wanting to know how Sam and Mercedes got together in the first place, and how they were doing in New York, so I decided to give you a flashback, and a flash forward. This will show how Sam and Mercedes went from friends to lovers back in college. And it will show their lives in New York, and what thy are up too. I am still overwhelmed by the response I got to this fic, but I thank you all for the kind words, and for taking the time to read and review this story. The song in this story is You Were Meant For Me by Lalah Hathaway. (Yes I am obsessed with her at the moment...lol) I am not going to babble on, so you all go and enjoy...Happy Reading!

MUCH LOVE

***DISCLAIMER*** I own nothing! This story is unbetaed, so the mistakes are my own, but remember I am only human, so please excuse any mistakes.

The day started like any other day, but for Sam, this week was nothing normal. He and Mercedes had been roommates for a year, and thing were great between the two of them. They had become very comfortable with one another, and respected one another's quirks, even if they annoyed the hell out of the other person. Sam hated that Mercedes was a neat freak, and had a place for everything, and if something was out of place, she would lose her mind. They had many of arguments about the "mess" Sam would make when he left his backpack by the door instead of hanging it up on the hooks she supplied for that very thing. Mercedes hated when Sam would walk in his sleep and end up in her bedroom, not in the bed with her but standing in the corner. That freaked her out, and although Sam never remembers doing it, he didn't doubt he was. His parents always told him he did it a lot when he was younger but he had no control over it, so it was something she dealt with. Even with their habits, the two made it work, and things were going smoothly. Lately though, Sam noticed him looking at Mercedes differently, and he didn't know why. Nothing major happened between them, but he just couldn't stop thinking about her. When he was at work, he would wonder what she was doing, so much so, he would actually call her just to check up on her. If he had to pinpoint when this happened, he would have to guess it was a few weeks ago, when they were both studying for their midterms.

FLASHBACK

"UGHH!" Sam threw his pencil across the room, "This is so frustrating! I don't know why I have to know this? I'm an Art major, not a mathematician, nor do I want to be."

Mercedes knew how much Sam struggled when it came to math, and she felt for him. She hated seeing him so aggravated, so she got up and went to his side, "It's okay Sam, you will get this, I promise." She grabbed his book, and looked at what he was studying. "Lucky for you, you have a roommate that is a genius and can help you with this." She giggled, and grabbed another pencil, "Now let's start here, it's not that hard you just have to figure out the patterns to all of this." For the next hour, she broke everything down to Sam, in a way he could understand it, and she could tell the minute it clicked to him. His eyes lit up, and he was able to answer the problems without any help. "I think you got it Sam."

Sam never thought he would ever understand this, but the way Mercedes was teaching it made him understand it. "MJ, I don't know how you did it, but you did! This is starting to make sense to me. You are definitely a genius, and I am so glad you are in my life." He was so excited he reached over and just pulled her in for a kiss. They kissed only for a few seconds, before he pulled away. "MJ...I-I'm so sorry, I just…" He was mortified, but not because he kissed her, but because he liked it.

Mercedes was shocked that Sam reacted that way, she never thought he would do that, especially with her. She had feelings for Sam, and she never hid them, but she figured she wasn't his type. She saw the girls he dealt with, and none of them were like her. She respected his choices, and was happy being his friend, but now here he was kissing her. Although she liked it, she knew it was him being excited he figured out his math situation, and she was the one that helped him. She shook her head, "It's okay Sam, I get that you're happy, it's no big deal. We're friends, I get it." With that she walked back to the other side of the table to resume her studying.

He was relieved that she didn't freak out or anything, and although they were just friends he didn't know if that kiss was just out of being happy. He couldn't lie and say he has never thought about her in a romantic way before, especially since he gets to see her when she walks around the house in her short shorts, and that ass is on full display. Also every time she showers, the entire house smells like cherry blossoms, and it drove him insane. All the little things about her, he was starting to notice, and liked about her. He needed to shake those thoughts away, and thankfully he had a midterm to study for and take his mind off of this.

END OF FLASHBACK

He decided that he needed to get this off his chest, and finally man up and tell Mercedes how he was feeling about her. He knew how she felt about him, and she never hid it from him, but the timing was always off between them. Either he was dating someone, or she was dating someone, and the one thing they always did was respect each other's relationships. Now everything was right neither of them were dating anyone, and he was finally over Sasha, so there was no reason not to tell her how he felt about her. He decided to do something he never did, and that was take the day off from his two jobs, and spend the day preparing for telling Mercedes how he was feeling. He cooked her favorite thing he cooks, Chicken Alfredo and garlic cheesy bread. He decorated the apartment with candles and flowers, and made sure her favorite slow jams were playing in the background. He was dressed in a green button down shirt, a pair of dark jeans, and a pair of black converse sneakers. He was checking to make sure everything was perfect, when he heard the door open. He turned to see the shocked look on her face, and he smiled, "Welcome home MJ."

Mercedes was so tired from a long day of classes and tutoring, and all she wanted to do was go home, take a nice hot bath, and head to bed. When she walked in, she knew that was not going to happen. She looked around the room and saw all the candles and flowers, and was a lot confused. "Sam, what is all this?"

"This is me showing you how much I appreciate you." He walked over to her, and took her hand, leading her to the dining area, "I made dinner."

She smiled, "I see that, but why? I mean, not that I don't appreciate it, but I'm just a little stunned, and wonder what brought this on?" She took her seat at the table, smiling at the sight of all the food he made.

Sam sat down across from her, and started making their plates "Because I wanted to talk to you about something, and I wanted this to be a special night for the both of us."

Hearing him say that made her even more confused, but also a little giddy. She liked Sam, and more than friends, and he knew it, but they were only friends...right? She took a deep breath, "Okay, so what do you want to talk about?"

"I was hoping we could wait till after we eat."

"Sam, you know I am impatient, so just tell me."

He laughed, and shook his head, "Fine MJ, I'll tell you." He put the spoon back in the dish, and grabbed her hands, "MJ, you know that I am forever grateful to you for everything you have done for me. Being here with you have been amazing, and our friendship has grown so much."

Mercedes was trying to follow what he was trying to say but he was beating around the bush, and it was driving her crazy. "Sam….spit it out!"

He laughed again, "Alright, alright! I like you MJ, and not just as a friend but in a romantic way. Since we are both single right now, I feel like it's the best time for us to try and see if we are compatible in a romantic way."

She felt like her heart was going to fly out of her chest, this was something that she wanted for a long time, but something was always in the way, or better yet, someone. She knew she wanted this, but she didn't know he felt the same way. She had a million questions running through her head, but the one she had to know was, "Why now Sam? What changed?"

That wasn't the reaction Sam was looking for, but he knew to always expect the unexpected when it came to Mercedes Jones. He looked her square in the eye, "Because I finally opened my eyes, and saw what wa in front of me. You were the only one that was here for me at the lowest moments of my life and not only talked to me, but helped me through it. I see what a beautiful heart you have, as well as just being so damn beautiful." He smirked, and licked his lips. "I wanted to make sure that I was ready to fully give myself to you MJ, and now I feel like I can do that. I really like you MJ, I can't stop thinking about you."

This was everything Mercedes wanted to hear for a long time, and she surely didn't expect it tonight. Her head was spinning, so many emotions were going through her head at one time. She had to take a breath, and gather her thoughts. "Sam...this is...uh...wow. I didn't expect this at all. You know how I feel about you, and there is no way I would pass up a chance of being with you in a romantic capacity, but I just need to be sure that you're fully ready for that. I want to be with you, but I don't want to get my heartbroken, because you are not completely over Sasha." She'd seen the way he was after their breakup, and she did not ever want to be the rebound chick.

These were valid concerns, and Sam understood where she was coming from, but he was going to assure her that she had nothing to worry about. "MJ, I understand your concerns, and I promise you that I am completely over Sasha, and you are not a rebound." He got up, walked over to her, and kneeled before her, "I want to make this work between us, and I am giving you my word that I only want to be with you." He leaned up and planted a soft, sweet kiss on her lips, "This feels right MJ."

Mercedes smiled in the kiss, he really wanted to be with her, and that was all she wanted for a long time. "Okay Sam, we can try this, but on one condition."

"What's that?" He quirked his brow.

"No matter what happens between us, we remain friends." She looked him in the eyes, "We are friends first, so that's how we end...deal?"

Sam smiled brightly, this was why he liked her so much, her huge heart. He nodded his head, "Deal, now let's seal it with a kiss." He wiggled his eyebrow.

She laughed, and shook her head, "Smooth Sam, real smooth."

"What?" He tried to ask innocently, but then leaned in and kissed her.

She kissed him back, with all the passion and desire she felt for him. She only pulled away when she needed air, and sent him a warm smile. "That was nice…"

"Yes it was…" He smiled back at her.

"So how about we eat this delicious meal you made, and we can talk more about us." She gave him one last kiss before he took his seat, and they enjoyed the rest of their night. The rest is what they say is history.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

February 17, 2017

New York City

Mercedes and Sam were living in their penthouse apartment right in the middle of Manhattan. It didn't take long for them to move in together after Sam finally got transferred to the New York office of Majestic. It took six months for the transfer to actually go through, and Sam rented an apartment right up the street from Mercedes, but they were always in each other's apartment, it only made sense for them to get one together. So the first day Sam got the transfer, they started looking for an apartment. He was still on a mission to prove to Mercedes, that he was here for her and only her. Things were going good for the couple, and even when they had disagreements, they never went to bed angry. That was a motto they were not going to stray from, and so far so good. They had gotten into a routine, and became very domesticated, which Mercedes loved. It reminded her of their times back in Georgetown, when they would just sit and watch movies, talk about anything and everything, and just enjoy being together. She felt a huge wave of inspiration since she and Sam got together, and her sessions in the studio were magical, she couldn't wait to share her new music with Sam. She rushed home to find Sam wasn't there.

"Babe…" She sighed, "Oh well, I guess I'll go shower before he gets here." She made her way to the bedroom, and started to strip out of her clothes. She took a long shower, and relished in the hot water cascading over her body. She washed the day away, and when the water started cooling off, she got out and dried off. She walked into the bedroom and lotioned her body completely, and put on her favorite silk robe. She heard her stomach growl, "Guess I should go get something to eat." She made her way to the kitchen, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Sam standing in front of her decked out in a suit, that was made for his sexy body. "Baby, when did you get in?"

Sam came home not too long after Mercedes made it home, but he heard her just starting the shower, so he used that time to get thing ready for everything he had planned. When she came out, looking rejuvenated, and sexy as hell, he had to take a breath to calm himself down. "Hey baby, I got home not too long ago, but can you come here please.' He extended her hand to her, and smiled when she took it. "I need to talk to you babe."

She got nervous for a minute but she looked into his eyes, and saw there was nothing for her to be nervous about. All she saw was love and adoration in his eyes, so she was excited to hear what he had to say, "Okay, you got my attention."

"MJ, you know I love you so much and everything that I have done since I've been here in New York has been for you."

"I know baby…" She nodded, and wondered where he was going with this.

"I don't regret one day that I came here, and I wanted to show you that I am here for the long haul. Something big has happened today, and the first thing I wanted to do was come share it with you."

"Okay, what happened?" She was beyond curious now.

"I found out today that the movie deal I have for the video game, they want to turn it into a franchise, like a trilogy. We already have a script for the first one, and we signed a director to direct all three movies." He said so excited about this.

Mercedes squealed, and jumped into his arms, "Oh Sam, that's amazing! I'm so proud you baby!" She peppered him with kisses all over his face.

Sam held her in his arms tightly, "Thank you baby, I couldn't have done any of it without you." As much as he was enjoying affection she was giving him, he had to tell her something else. "Baby, I'm not done, I have more to tell you."

She pulled away, "Okay, what else?"

He sat her back down, "Like I was saying, I did all I did for you baby, and I am not done showing you that I am here for you." He grabbed her hand, and got down on one knee in front of her.

She gasped seeing him get on his knee, "Sam...baby…"

"MJ, I love you with all my heart and I made a huge mistake letting you get away from me all those years ago, but I am here to right those wrongs. Starting now…" He went in his pocket, and pulled out a black velvet box, "MJ, I became a happy man the moment you walked back in my life, and when I made the decision to come to New York, I made the best decision of my life. And now, since I am on a roll, I want to keep that momentum going." He opened the box to reveal a huge oval shape diamond ring, "MJ, would you make me the happiest man on the planet and agree to be my wife. I love you more than life itself, and my life would be complete if you were forever in it."

Tears were streaming down Mercedes face, she had dreamt of this moment for years, and finally here it is. The man she loved for so long has finally asked her to marry him. She opened her mouth, but nothing would come out, so all she could do was nod.

"Baby, is that a yes?" Sam asked nervously.

Finally she was able to squeak out one word, "Yes!" She wrapped her arm around his neck and hugged him as tight as she could.

"Yes! Yes!" Sam held her in his arms so tight, "I love you so much MJ, and I am going to make sure to make you proud to call me your husband." He slipped the ring on her finger.

"I'm already proud of you baby." She said through her tears, "I just want to be the best wife I can be." She took a moment to admire the ring on her finger. "It's beautiful baby."

"Thank you baby, but I have no doubt that you are going to be an amazing wife and mother to our children." Sam said with a huge smile on his face.

"Woah Sam, let's do this one thing at a time." She chuckled, "First we'll get married, and then we'll discuss children."

"Fair enough, but baby, I don't know about you, but I am not feeling a long engagement."

"Neither am I Sam, I want to be your wife as soon as possible."

The smile that came across his face was priceless, "I'm glad we agree then."

"Me too," She smiled, "but I have something I wanted to share with you too, but I was a bit sidetracked." She giggled.

"Oh okay, what did you have to tell me?"

"It's really something I wanted to show you."

"Does it involve you getting naked?" He wiggled his eyebrow.

"You perv…" She walked over to the stereo, "I actually wanted to let you hear my new song."

His eyes lit up, "Really? Wow, that's awesome, you know I love hearing you sing."

"Well I wanted you to hear it, because you inspired it." She winked at him, "Now have a seat, and listen." She started the music, and went to snuggle next to Sam.

You were meant for me

No one else could come

Between this love, I know

'Cause I'll never let you go

You and me it seems

Never have a problem

We can't overcome

'Cause you'll always be the one

Already Sam was in love with this song, because she was pouring out her soul, and it was about him. He loved this woman so much, and knowing she was going to be his wife, made the song even better.

Never thought I'd be so happy

Loving you has made feel so fine

I can see my friends turn green with envy

Every time I tell them, I'm so glad you're mine

You were meant for me

No one else could come

Between this love, I know

'Cause I'll never let you go

You and me it seems

Never have a problem

We can't overcome

'Cause you'll always be the one, yeah

Never did one thing to hurt me

She looked at him and smiled, "Ever since you came to New York." She giggled.

You always understood my ways

If I could, I'll stay right here beside you

With your hand in mine, making love for days

You were meant for me

No one else could come

Between this love, I know

'Cause I'll never let you go, you were meant for me

Once the song ended, all Sam could do was pull her in for a deep and passionate kiss. "You were meant for me too MJ, and I can't wait to marry you."

She moaned against the kiss, "I meant every word I said baby, you are meant for me, and I love you so much." She kissed him again, "The sooner we get married, the sooner we can start making those babies." She giggled and shot him a wink.

"You took the words right out my mouth, as a matter of fact, we could start tonight, just practicing of course." He smirked.

"Of course." She laughed and got up, and was about to head to the bedroom, but Sam stopped her.

"No, not yet baby." He walked back over to the stereo, and turned her song back on, "First, I want to dance with my fiancee." He extended his hand to her, and spun her into his arms when she accepted. "We got all night."

She shook her head, "No babe, we have a lifetime." She wrapped her arms around his neck, and they danced like that for a while, until they retired into the bedroom to celebrate their engagement.

You were meant for me

No one else could come

Between this love, I know

'Cause I'll never let you go

You and me it seems

Never have a problem

We can't overcome

'Cause you'll always be the one

They stuck to their word, they were married two months later, and their daughter Lisa Marie Evans was born one year later. Mercedes album went platinum and You Were Meant For Me won song of the year. Sam's first movie Legends of Zion was a box office smash, and was nominated for an Oscar. Everything was coming up roses for the Evans family, and a couple years later, they welcomed their son, Jaylen Samuel Evans.

A/N: So there you have it, now you know how they got started and how they ended up! I hope you guys liked it, and if so, let me know. If you didn't like it, then you can tell me that too, I'm a big girl, I can handle it. :)