SUMMARY: The New Directions and the times they realized Sam and Quinn were perfect for each other.


10. Puck

When Finn first tells him about the new kid with the big mouth who's putting the moves on Quinn, Puck doesn't think much of it. He's gotten over Quinn and aside from the fact that they have a baby together – they don't have much else in common. It sort of amuses him though, because Finn thinks he should be downright pissed, but Puck's just sort of over it. He's going to try and get past whatever lingering feelings that might or might not be there and just move on. Quinn's got her own life and he doesn't really know the new kid anyway.

But for some reason, nobody else lets it go. And he gets it, the whole Glee club had been there for him and Quinn during the baby debacle, so it's a given that they're all super protective. The Glee club's always been this dysfunctional family, sort of clique-y and exclusive, despite the fact that they welcome any and all misfits. But the very fact that they're collectively trying to stop Quinn and Sam from getting together…it's sort of ridiculous.

So when Artie wheels up to him and asks for his opinion on the Quinn-Sam development, Puck just shrugs and grunts something incoherent. Two hours later, Rachel Berry asks him if he's alright and Puck rolls his eyes – he just got sprung from juvie, for God's sakes. If he can handle someone stealing his waffles, he can handle some new kid moving in on his baby mama. So what if they did a duet and it sounded charming and magical? So what if they hang out every damn second of the day? Puck's got his own life to worry about – and it has nothing to do with Sam or Quinn.

That is, until Sam decides to talk to him personally.

Puck is busy stuffing his gym bag into his locker, when he feels a pair of eyes on him. When he turns, Sam Evans is just standing there, his arms crossed – it's supposed to come off threatening, Puck thinks, but it's a little too hesitant to be intimidating. There's something in the way Sam carries himself that shows off a little humility and it's kind of admirable that he doesn't try to be bigger than everybody. Puck immediately decides he likes that about the kid.

"Hey, man. I just…I just wanted to see if it's alright with you. That I'm dating Quinn," Sam's fidgety as hell and his weight shuffles from foot to foot. Puck smirks, because it's so obvious the kid is about to combust, so he does him a favor. He shrugs, slams his locker shut, and hoists his backpack up on his shoulders.

"It's fine. Just take care of her," he adds the last part for good measure – it never hurts to be a little threatening, anyway. Sam slaps him on the shoulder in a playful, somewhat cautious, bro-moment, and Puck has to give him points for that. The kid's got guts.

"I will. Thanks, Puck," Sam grins and it literally takes up half his face and he's just so damn happy that it actually makes Puck laugh. "I just wanted to talk to you first, before…well, before I ask her…"

"Dude, are you going to ask her to marry you? Because that's not cool," Puck interrupts, holding up his hand to stop Sam, as they walk out of the locker room together. Sam stops in his tracks, his eyes wide and Puck sort of chuckles to himself, because he looks like a guppy fish and he's beginning to think that Rachel and Artie and Finn and everybody else in Glee club is absolutely crazy for thinking that Sam is intimidating. Or as Rachel says it: "horning in on our territory." (For someone who preaches about acceptance, Rachel's sort of not accepting).

"I'm just going to ask her to be my girlfriend," Sam shrugs.

Puck snorts, because he's pretty sure this kid is out of his mind. McKinley doesn't really operate on the whole "ask-someone-to-go-steady" concept. It's pretty much hook up, spend a few awkward dates together, and the next thing you know, Santana's got you buying Valentine's Day gifts from Tiffany's. But when Sam doesn't respond, Puck looks at him and he realizes that this blonde kid is actually serious.

He groans and runs a hand over his Mohawk, trying to figure out a way to let him down easy. "That's going to scare her off. Quinn's just going to freak and run away. Besides, you two are already dating – why do you need a label?"

Sam's eyes widen and a small smile curls the corner of his lips upward, before he says,

"Because I really like her and I want to be with her."

It's in that moment that Puck immediately realizes why everybody in Glee club is so hesitant to accept Sam Evans. It isn't because he's taking Quinn away from them or because he's dangerous, because…really? No, the reason why everybody in Glee club is so hesitant to accept Sam is because Sam Evans is actually special and different and unique. God forbid the guy actually wants to take the traditional route and "propose" to Quinn. It's sort of refreshing to Puck, this wide-eyed innocence thing that Sam's got going for him. He's naïve, but not dumb. He's pure, but not prudish.

And Puck's pretty sure that's exactly what Quinn Fabray needs.


11. Marley

He's like the big brother she never had. He's sweet and overprotective, but more importantly, Sam understands. He's older, obviously, but he's also gone through the Glee club gauntlet – from being the new kid to finally being accepted. It's a hard journey and Marley's messed it up more than once, but she sort of feels steady with Sam around. He's reliable and ever since she's gotten stuck in the middle of the whole Jake-Ryder mess, she's really glad she can depend on him.

Sometimes, Marley feels like Sam's her only friend.

"So, what are you doing for Christmas?" she asks him, leaning against the lockers. It's only a few days until winter break and Marley's been struggling, trying to think of the perfect gift to give him. A scarf that she knitted herself doesn't really seem enough and it definitely doesn't help that Brittany's already given everybody awesome presents – since the world is ending and everything.

"I don't know. Wish I could spend it with my family, though," Sam shrugs and Marley doesn't miss the bitter tone in his voice. As hard as her and her mom have it sometimes – like when the heat goes out or they can't use the phone – she knows Sam has it a million times harder. His family is in a whole other state and she knows he misses them like mad.

"You can't make it back to Kentucky?" she asks sadly, her gaze lingering on the distressed picture of his family that he has tacked up in his locker. It's being held up by a sad, failing magnet, which makes Marley's heart break.

"They're headed to Nashville to spend time with my grandparents and mom doesn't want me to make the long drive," Sam shrugs again, closing his locker with a soft thud. "Looks like I'll be holding down the Hudson-Hummel fort, though. They're all going to see Kurt in New York, so I'll be house-sitting," he chuckles.

Marley lets a small laugh escape her mouth, if only to accommodate him. There's sadness in his eyes and she wishes she could fix it, like he's done for her so many times. But before she can even try to say anything, Sam just gives her a one-armed hug, drops a kiss on her head, and then walks out of school. She watches him stop to talk to Blaine and Tina and she's hit with that sudden, familiar ache in her heart – the one that tells her she should do something, anything, to help him. But Marley's pretty helpless when it comes to this sort of thing. It's not like she can afford to buy a plane ticket to Nashville for him.

So instead, she spends the next week baking him banana bread and sugar cookies and knitting him scarves and sweaters, all in an effort to make him feel better. Jake tells her she's being overbearing, but Marley doesn't care – Sam deserves someone to love him, because she's pretty sure nobody really, truly appreciates him.

"Don't you think we should like…do something? Throw him a party or pool all our money together and buy him a ticket to Nashville? Something," Marley asks Tina desperately, while they're busy putting the finishing touches on the Glee club's Christmas tree.

Tina quirks an eyebrow at her. "He'll be fine. He knows we all care about him. And it's not like we didn't invite him to our houses for Christmas," she shrugs and places a bright red ornament onto the tree, before stepping back and smiling at her work. "He'll be fine. You worry too much,"

"I'm only worrying because none of you seem to even care," Marley groans in frustration, shoving the box of tinsel she's holding into Jake's arms. Her gaze falls on Sam, who's nursing a cup of eggnog in the corner and her heart breaks a little. It isn't right that he's spending Christmas all alone and for a split second, she entertains the idea of inviting him back to Arizona with her and her mom – but she knows it's useless, Sam would probably decline out of politeness.

Just as she starts to think that maybe an impromptu performance of Jingle Bell Rock might cheer him up, she's cut off by a sudden burst of commotion.

Santana Lopez leans against the doorway in an impossibly short skirt, her fingers lazily flicking the air, guiding people in one by one. Mike Chang, Mercedes Jones, Kurt Hummel, Rachel Berry…they all stream into the choir room and the energy automatically changes. The buzz is infectious and when Rachel stops to give Marley a hug, she finds herself so swept up in all of it that she forgets about worrying for a minute. It's always nice to have the old members back and Marley loves how…complete the choir room feels.

"You don't have crazy-eyes anymore," Jake whispers in her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. His head comes to rest on her shoulder and she leans into him instinctively.

"Everything feels right," Marley says, letting a sigh escape from her lips. But then, her gaze falls on Sam and she bristles at the sight.

"Except for that – that isn't right," she points out, gesturing towards the blonde boy. He's sitting in the corner of the room and the look on his face is miserable. She hears Jake sigh loudly behind her and the fact that her own boyfriend is getting tired of her worrying isn't lost on her. But Marley really just wants Sam to be happy and since nobody else seems to be willing to help, it falls down on her.

Until Quinn Fabray walks in.

Marley's never seen someone's face change so fast. All of a sudden, Sam's up to his feet with a smile that could light up all of Lima, Ohio and he's shooting across the choir room faster than lightning. She hears a squeal come out of Quinn's mouth, and he wraps his arms around her waist and lifts her off the ground, his nose buried in her hair…there's something magical and private about the whole moment, but Marley – and the rest of the people in the choir room – can't look away. It's like they're looking at something that only happens once in a lifetime, like they're intruding on some moment that's only supposed to be shared between two people.

"I told you he'd be fine," Tina whispers softly, sidling up next to Marley. She rolls her eyes, but drapes an arm over the petite Asian's shoulders. There's a lot she can say, but she doesn't want to, mostly because the scene in front of her is so enchantingly beautiful and sacred that she really doesn't want to ruin it. Tears spring to her eyes and it's clear that Quinn and Sam, despite whatever their history was, are made for each other.

And although Marley didn't think of it, she's pretty sure Quinn Fabray is the best Christmas present for Sam.


12. Jake

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the school shooting is affecting Sam the most. Sure, Marley gets jumpy and Tina cries every two seconds and Blaine spends more time in the boxing ring than usual, but Sam is…different. Jake doesn't know the guy that well, but he knows enough and that's that the regular, bubbly, happy-go-lucky Sam Evans is now gone. It's sort of like he folds into himself and shuts everybody else out. And usually Blaine would be the one to pull him out of his shell, but since Blaine's busy with trying to keep himself safe – well, Jake's not sure who's responsibility it is anymore. The Glee club has always looked out for each other, but after the school shooting…it's like there are pieces gone that they can't get back.

They're in the choir room when it happens. Mr. Schue is talking about singing at a benefit or something, when all of a sudden, Ryder's phone starts to ring. Marley jumps a mile out of her seat, Tina starts to sniffle, and even Sugar darts straight behind the drum set in hiding. Jake's heart speeds up twice as fast and Blaine grips the edge of his chair until his knuckles turn white. But Sam's reaction surprises – and scares – everybody.

He kicks back his chair and races out of the choir room, with no explanation or sound.

Ryder silences his phone, a string of incoherent words that sound like a fumbling apology falling out of his mouth. But everybody's already over it and there's a buzz among them – Jake hears Tina ask Blaine what's happening with Sam and when Blaine doesn't (or physically can't) answer…the entire choir room falls silent. It's like it finally dawns on all of them that maybe Sam – who's usually so calm – is doing worse than they think. Jake doesn't speak up, though. It's not his place and he doesn't know any of them that well, anyway, but it still tugs at his heartsrings.

"You know, maybe if you weren't so obsessed with boxing, you would've realized that Sam isn't okay," Artie says suddenly, directing his gaze to Blaine.

"Like you knew he was struggling?" Blaine shoots back.

Jake knows it's coming – it's so obvious in the way they regard each other, how Blaine's eyes narrow and Artie's fingers clutch at his chair tighter. Jake thinks he should intervene or something, but before he can say anything, the entire room just erupts. They're all yelling and blaming each other, but nobody is really doing anything. Jake can't really handle it and all the screaming is getting to him, so he presses a soft kiss to Marley's forehead, mumbles a lame excuse, grabs his backpack, and walks out.

Part of him wants to find Sam, but he knows that if he does, there's nothing he can say to fix whatever it is he's going through. There aren't enough words or gestures or people to help erase what they went through that day. So instead, Jake leaves it be, because he's still new and there's no reason for him to go poking his nose into everybody's business. Let the older Glee kids deal with it – Jake's got his own problems to work out.

But when Sam doesn't come to Glee club the next day, or the day after that, or the day after that, Jake starts to worry. It doesn't help that Marley is practically Level 10 on the freak-out scale, but honestly, none of them can concentrate on singing or dancing right now. Jake even tries to call Puck to see if maybe Sam went to California, but Puck just snorts and says not to worry about it. In fact, he cryptically says,

"Relax. Sam will get exactly what he needs in due time."

It makes no sense, but whatever.

A week later, Sam walks into Glee club. His eyes are bright and he seems okay, but there's still a weight on his shoulders that shouldn't be there. Still, he sits in his seat and sings when he's supposed to and steps on their feet when they try to dance. It's all courteous and polite, but the tension from the week before is still bubbling underneath everybody's skin. Mr. Schue senses it, too, which is probably why Glee club ends twenty minutes early.

Jake grabs his backpack and is about to make a break for it, but before he steps down from the bleachers, there's a collective gasp that ripples throughout the room. The soft, purposeful click of heeled boots against the school floor makes everybody stop what they're doing and lift their heads and none of them can even really process what or who is happening right now, but Sam…

Sam is across the room in two seconds.

There's a sudden calm that falls over them and nobody dares to make a move, because this is the first time they've seen Sam react so positively to something, ever since that day. It's hard to tell where one starts and the other ends, because it looks like just a mess of limbs and blonde hair, but when an unmistakable giggle fills the choir room and that's when it hits Jake.

Quinn Fabray.

It's like her presence fills Sam up, makes him whole again. His face is buried in her neck and she smiles against his shoulder, a grin on her lips. In a way, it's like they're intruding on some private moment, but it's too…too good of a sight to look away.

When Sam finally pulls away – just enough so that everybody else can see who it is – there's a smile on his face that's genuine and reminiscent of the old Sam Evans. And just like that they, all let out a breath of relief. Maybe he's going to be okay, after all.

And maybe, just maybe, it's all because of Quinn Fabray.