The Ones You Love Chapter 3 by Yinx

"Hey Small Fry" his hazel eyes smiled down as dark browns grinned back.

"Hi Uncle Puck" Brianna grinned as she opened the door three months later. She back up letting her father's best friend enter. Puck followed as she took his hand leading him to her father's man cave in the basement.

Puck shook his head at the sight. Sam sat watching his daughters favorite movie stuffing his face with cool ranch Doritos and Little Debbie's oatmeal sandwiches. "How long has he been like this, Bree"?

Brianna chewed at the end of her single braid. "All day" she shrugged her shoulders. Puck bent down and Brianna hopped onto his back. He went back upstairs making horse noises as he entered the kitchen where his two godsons sat at the bar eating cereal and texting.

"Hey guys" he smiled turning around so Brianna could sit on the counter.

"Hey" they said in almost unison.

"So I'm going to cut to the chase" Puck began as he took the phones out of their hands 'Hey, bro' Nathan eyes narrowed 'not cool' he stood up. "Sit your ass down" Puck eyed him back to his seat. "Okay then, how long has your dad been like that" he asked again walking to frig for a beer.

The two older siblings glanced at each other before Simon answered. "Since mom turned him down for send her all those flowers".

"That was like four months ago…he's been like that for this long"?

"Naw, Dad goes to work and stuff, but when he comes home…" Nathan started looking at Simon.

"I see" Puck sighed sipping on his beer. "How mom, doing"?

"Mom fine, she has a new boyfriend" Simon said stabbing at his cereal with the spoon.

Puck nodded. "Well I'm going to talk to your dad, see if I can get him out of this funk". He returned the phones and playfully yanked Brianna's braid before making the way back to the cave.

"THE FUCK"! Sam yelled hopping up swinging. Puck laughed sitting the nearby arm chair watched his best friend react from him slamming his palm to Sam's forehead.

"Well, it's good to know you're still in the land of the living" Puck smirked sitting back in the chair.

"Bastard" Sam hissed as he plopped back down grabbing the bag of chips.

Puck watched him start stuffing his face again. "So you do realize you have kids that need your attention."

"Shut up" Sam mumbled his mouth full of chips.

Puck got up snatching away the bag and cookies. "Seriously, dude why are you mopping around. You got your divorce you're single go out and mingle".

"No", Sam grumped starring at the chip bag.

Puck sat back in the chair. "Come on, I heard Mercedes is dating".

"I don't want to talk about this" Sam laid his head down on the back of the couch closing his eyes. The friends where quiet for a while "The good thing is that she didn't go for full custody of the kids" he whispered.

"Do you get to see her"?

"The last time I saw her was before I made an ass of myself with the flowers".

"She's coming to Brianna birthday party tomorrow"?

"Yeah, she wouldn't miss it."

"You're divorce, Sam it's time…past time to let her go." Puck sat back watching the two Arabs sing on a magic carpet. "There's a whole new world out there waiting for you."

Sam sulked further into the cushions "I don't want to meet it."


"MOMMY"! Brianna screamed as her mother entered the house.

"BREE"! Mercedes smiled as she knelt down to hug her youngest child. "Are you having a good time"?

"Yes, come look at my cake Ms. Brittany sent me" Mercedes Mini Me took her mother hand leading her to the backyard.

Mercedes daughter party was small made up of only a few friends and their parents. Mercedes chuckled at the Hello Kitty cake; she set her presents next to the ones on the gift table, turning around to meet piercing green eyes.

"Glad you could make it Mercedes" he whispered.

"I wouldn't miss her birthday, Sam. Thank you for having it here my place was too small for it."

He nodded, "Can I get you a drink…none alcoholic, Cede. Don't worry" he said witnessing concern spread across her face.

"Okay" she nodded.

The two made their way into the kitchen. "So how's is it going, being a single dada" Mercedes teased sitting at the bar. She watched him pour both of them coffee.

"Rough" he said sliding the mug over to her.

"It's hard enough raising three children as a couple even harder single" she said pouring cream then sugar in the mug.

"It worse now because they have two separate homes, separate rules and whatever…"

Mercedes grimaced as she stirred her drink "How's Nathan" she whispered looking up at him. "He won't answer his phone or talk to me…or visit when it's my turn…"

"He's fine. He didn't take the whole filing for full custody thing to well" Sam crossed his arms across his chest.

"I didn't file for custody it was just…" she began.

"One of your empty threats that I took seriously" he finished.

Mercedes took a sip, "I'm sorry, Sam. I didn't mean it" she looked down at the peppy liquid. "You just really pissed me off" she sighed shaking her head.

Sam sat himself on opposite counter "I knew you were piss Cede, but I never thought you would stoop so low as to threaten to take my kids away from me" he whispered.

"I'm sorry" Mercedes whispered. "I would never do that" she sniffed wiping her eyes.

Sam dropped down taking her a paper towel. "That's good to know. So where's your beau"?

Mercedes snorted taking the tissue "You think I would bring him around you after what you did" she felt him sit beside her; pulling her seat closer.

"I think I did pretty well with him last time" he picked some lint off her sweater. He laughed at the look she gave him. "Okay, sorry about how I acted and bring the kids over like I did."

Mercedes smiled at him "Thank you."

"Maybe you could bring him over and we could have like a family dinner or something" Sam leaned closer.

"No Sam" she snorted rolling her eyes; she started to get off the bar stool.

Sam grabbed her hand stopping "Please, Mercedes let me make this up to you and…and to him. I've been an ass lately and I want to do this… to prove to you that I'm still the man you married…I mean fell in love with."

"Sam…"

Sam leaned forward cupping her cheek "I'm sorry" he whispered lightly brushing his lips against hers. "I just hope even if we don't ever get back together, that one day you'll forgive me."

"You saw it right"! Simon gasped as he and his brother peek through the sliding glass door.

Nathan snorted before walking away "It doesn't mean anything".

"What? They are kissing, it plain to see that the love's still there."

"Stop it Simon" Nathan glared. "Dad cheated on mom, he doesn't deserve to try to win her back" he crossed his arms.

His brother's eyes widened with shock, "What"!

Nathan crossed the yard avoiding the small ones running back and forth. Simon followed. "I heard it when I was sick that day three months ago" he said as the two siblings sat on the retaining wall.

"Dad cheated on mom" Simon whispered with disgust as he watched his parents rejoin the party. "Why"?

"Mom said he found some else to love and that he doesn't love her anymore" Nathan shrugged.

"I just don't get it why would dad cheat on mom" Simon whispered again in disbelief.

Nathan watched his mom and dad gush over his sister as if nothing in their world was wrong. Their father called them over as he took out candles and started placing them in the cake.

"Why did you say dad doesn't deserve mom" Simon asked as the slowly made their way to the gathering.

"Cause he doesn't. If you say you love someone you wouldn't hurt them."

"Then why are you staying here with dad instead of mom" Simon pushed past the crowd to get next to the rest of the family.

"I stayed to make sure he will never get back with her" Nathan said before his mother loving swooped over to wipe dirt off his nose.


"So Mercedes the movies over…" Anthony smiled down as she cuddled next to him on the sofa.

"Are you trying to imply something" she chuckled looking up at him.

He bent down kissing her softly. "You're really pretty."

"Thanks I think you're really pretty too" she scooted closer so she could kiss him better. "I like your lips" she smiled against them.

Anthony backed out of the kiss cupping her face with both hands. "Likes? Only likes, but I love your lips."

Mercedes laughed. "Thanks" she moved to his him again but he backed away again. "What's wrong"?

"I love you, Mercedes" he hazel eyes smiled at her.

Mercedes blinked, "Oh."

"Oh? Don't you love me back"?

Mercedes moved off him, standing she made her way into the kitchen.

"Mercedes" Anthony whispered following. He watched her busy herself with cleaning the sparkling stove top. "Mercedes it's a simple yes or no; preferably yes."

"I don't" she turned to him. "I really want to but it's really me and maybe this relationship is…"

"Look I know it's hard dating after a divorce I'll wait if you want me too. I just wanted my feelings to be known towards you" Anthony embraced her in a tight hug.

"Thank you for understand, S…Anthony" she whispered.

"No problem" he kissed her again "I got to get up early for work anyway…you want to do lunch tomorrow"?

"Yeah" she smiled letting him go and walking him to the door, where the couple kissed goodbye once more.

Mercedes took a shower washing her curls and braiding it into pigtails. She starred at herself in the mirror. "You look like Pippi Longstockings when you wear your hair like that, Cede…it's cute". She remembered her ex saying. She smiled as she dressed walking to her bed twirling one of the tails between her fingers. She stopped thinking then turned around grabbing a jacket headed out her door.

Sam cursed as he wrapped his robe around him. He checked on his kids, thankfully they were all deep sleepers that they didn't hear the racket on the front door at one in the morning. He turning on the porch light he looked through the small porthole.

"Cede"? He looked at her in shock as he opened the door.

Mercedes wrapped her arms around his neck bring him down so she could kiss him. "I love your lips" she whispered before deepening the kiss.