Sam hugged his daughter tightly and peppered the side of her head with kisses as she held her Winnie the Pooh teddy bear in her arms. She frowned at him as he pulled back and glanced over at Mercedes. It wasn't fair to her that the adults were able to go out and have fun, when she would have to have a sleep over with Ms. Jenkins who sometimes spoke in her sleep. She never said anything obscene, but it was enough to scare the little four years old. Mercedes bent down and hugged Miracle close. "My tummy hurts." She pouted and reached a small hand out for her father's larger one.
Sam frowned and looked her over. "Where?" Miracle pointed to the area around her belly button. Sam bent down and lifted his daughter up in the air to give her stomach a quick kiss over her pyjama top. "All better."
"Nah uh, it still feels prickly inside." She sighed as he put her back down on her feet.
Sam looked over at Mercedes and then over at his daughter, "Maybe we should cancel tonight." Mercedes put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. "Is that okay?"
"Yea, of course. Let me just call my friends and I'll let them know."
Ms. Jenkins rolled her eyes and took Miracle's hand, "The child has gas and you two want to cancel plans to watch her toot herself into feeling better? Don't be silly. Go out and do what young people do." She rubbed the back of Miracle's hand. "She'll be quite alright. I'll give her some milk before bed and she'll be all good as new." Sam felt uneasy about it, but the older woman was probably right. He knew that Miracle would be okay in the older woman's care.
"Okay, but please call me if her stomach feels worse. We'll just be about fifteen minutes down the road from here." He looked at his daughter who was oddly quiet. She was burying her face into the teddy bear and staring at him from the corner of her eyes. "I love you."
"Love you too daddy." Her voice was low and soft. She had a busy day earlier at school so he figured that she was exhausted.
He was hesitant to leave her, "I'll be right there when you wake up in the morning okay? I'll come get you bright and early so that we can make pancakes."
Miracle's eyes shone, "Promise."
Sam grinned. "Promise." Mercedes placed her hand on his bicep.
She could tell that he would probably stay there if she didn't give him a small push, "We better go soon, or they're all going to be there before us." She spoke softly as she rubbed his arm. Sam looked at her and nodded.
"Well alright. I'll see you in the morning Ms. Jenkins." He glanced at his daughter again and smiled before letting himself out of the apartment. Mercedes gave Miracle one last embrace and followed after the man who was already inside the waiting elevator.
She looked him over and took his hand in her own. The tension in his brow quickly melted away as he turned to face her and pulled her body against his firm chest. She bit her lip, wrapped her arms around his neck, and tilted her face up to be kissed. Sam grinned and kissed her deeply as the elevator descended. They had been official now for a few months and with everything going as amazing as it was they had decided to orchestrate a meeting between their friends at a local bar. Sam's hands slid down to grab the thick globes of her behind, which caused her to giggle into the kiss. "I see someone's getting frisky tonight." She smiled against his lips and kissed him again.
Sam slightly pulled back as they reached the ground floor and smiled, "What? Just tonight eh?" He took the lead and pulled her out of the elevator towards the exit, "What about yesterday in your car? Or a week ago at your apartment?" He chuckled as they made their way to her car.
"I wasn't implying that it didn't happen before, I was just stating that you were particularly frisky tonight." She smiled up at him before letting go of his hand and unlocked her car doors with the car keys which she tossed over to Sam. "Now get in the car loser." She laughed as she slid into the passenger's side.
Sam's eyes widened, "Now you're just being rude. I hope your friends have more manners." He muttered as he started the car.
Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Trust me. They don't. I'm actually the nice one."
Sam closed his eyes, "Oh god." Mercedes playfully smacked his leg and he let out a snort of laughter. "Hey, I'm just saying."
"Uh huh, well I think you should say a bit less." He stuck his tongue out at her and she kissed the top of his nose. "Alright let's go." He nodded before speeding off to the bar. By the time they arrived, Mercedes' friends were already inside waiting for her to show up. Sam parked the car behind the bar and shut the engine off. He turned his head and looked at her. "I'm nervous."
Sam laughed. "Why?"
"What if they hate you?" She breathed out slowly as the thought dawned on her.
Sam reached out and rubbed the pad of his thumb against her cheek, "That doesn't make me feel good in the least bit. But we're already here and my buds are in there too, so I guess we have to head on in." He gave her a gentle smile and leaned in to kiss her. "And if they hate me, then oh well. As long as you like me, I'm good." She sighed and nodded before hopping out of her side of the car. They entered the establishment hand in hand as they looked around for their friends.
Mercedes pointed over to three people sitting at a table close to the stage and Sam found two out of three of his guy friends at the bar. "I'll go sit with them for a bit, bring your friends over when you're ready okay?" Mercedes spoke over the noisy atmosphere. Sam nodded and headed off to the men watching a game at the bar who were nursing a few beers. Mercedes walked over to the chattering group who were laughing up a storm about something. "Ya'll better not be laughing about me." She smiled as she approached them.
"Cedes!" A tall Latina woman stood up and pulled her friend into a tight hug. Mercedes could already smell the liquor pouring out of her pores. "Girl you look so damn good up in here wearing that lil' ol black dress. Damn, turn around." She twirled Mercedes around to get the full view. "Shit man, you still a virgin looking like that?" Mercedes felt her cheeks burning at the comment.
"Santana how much have you had to drink?!" Mercedes laughed at her old friend. They had known each other since high school, hell they had even ended up dating the same guy at one point.
Santana rolled her eyes and kissed her friend on the cheek, "Well I haven't given a lap dance yet to anyone in the room, so I'm pretty much sober. Oh wait, let me see." She turned to the other two at the table, "Did ya'll bitches see me give anyone a lap dance yet? I don't remember."
A tall dark haired man laughed and sipped on his beer, "Uh, nope not yet. But hey the night's young." Santana gave the man a dirty look and turned her attention back to Mercedes.
"See, I'm sober as a whistle." Mercedes shook her head and walked over to hug the tall man who was sitting down. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. "Even Frankenweirdo thinks so."
"Finn, I'm so happy you could make it. I wasn't sure if you'd get off rotations tonight." Mercedes smiled happily as he held her. They had been working together for a few years by that point at the hospital.
Finn laughed, "Yea, I bribed Christine to switch with me, which means I'm on tomorrow." He rolled his eyes. "Yay, but at least I get to hang with the kids." Mercedes playfully punched his shoulder.
"Lucky bum. How's baby Wilkins doing?" She asked as she leaned against his body.
Finn brought his beer to his lips and sighed, "Not the best, but she's fighting." Mercedes gave him a sad smile. Working as nurses could either be the best experience where you felt extremely rewarded or it could be a living nightmare.
"You two are depressing as hell and this is exactly why I try not to hang with you." Mercedes' friend Lauren chimed in as she sipped her rum and coke and shook her head. Mercedes laughed and swung around to hug her friend around the shoulders. She leaned her head against the crook of her neck.
"Come on Zizes, you know you love us." It was nice that she was able to bring her friends from different walks of life into a circle where they all knew each other and liked one another. Zizes had been a patient that Mercedes had tended to at the very beginning of her career and the two had immediately clicked, even though the other woman had broken her hand knocking some dude out. The woman adjusted her glasses and shrugged. Mercedes knew that meant yes. Santana sat on Finn's knee and demanded he bounce her.
Finn rolled his eyes and shook his head, "I have a girlfriend."
Santana kissed her teeth, "Where the hell do you think I want you to bounce me? I don't want your frankenweenie anywhere near my tulip alright? I just wanted to be bounced on your massive knee." Finn sighed and looked to Mercedes for help.
"Santana..." She grabbed her friend and helped her sit down on her own chair. "...how about you relax here." Santana sighed and sipped on more of her drink. She needed to be with her livelier friends. Mercedes glanced towards Sam who was coincidentally looking at her. She motioned for him to join them before Santana got anymore drunk. "Alright, so my boyfriend's coming over with his friends, so ya'll please try to act cool." Santana let out a belch and nodded.
"Act cool fools!" She stated and looked over at Finn and Lauren who were both raising an eyebrow at her. "Now what's cooler than bein cool? Ice cold! I say what's cooler than bein cool? Ice cold! Alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright!" Santana laughed so hard at herself that she almost choked. Mercedes sighed and almost jumped when she felt a warm hand on the small of her back.
"Hey," she breathed a sigh of relief as Sam rubbed the tension out of her back. She looked over at his friends and smiled. "Hi guys I'm Mercedes." She gave them a quick wave.
Santana looked at Sam and squinted, "Yo, Cedes I didn't know you were dating a fish." She grinned and sipped some more of her long island ice tea. It took her some time to find her straw, but she eventually did it. Mercedes groaned and looked at Sam who was raising an eyebrow. She mouthed an 'I'm sorry' to him. Sam bit his tongue and turned to introduce his friends.
"Uh, this is Puck, Artie, and Kurt." He smiled at the three men who were holding their drinks. "Oh, and I'm Sam!" He laughed and shook Finn's and Lauren's hand. They were both looking him over with approval.
"I'm pleased to meet you guys and Mercedes..." Kurt turned to her to shake her hand, "...I've heard a lot about you and how great you are with Mimi. I'm the reason that child dresses as amazingly as she does, don't let Sam fool you into thinking it's him because honey it is not." He smiled widely before letting her hand go.
"You're doing an amazing job, she looks adorable all the time." Mercedes placed her hand on his arm and laughed, "I was wondering who had bought her all those gorgeous dresses." Kurt's eyes shone.
"Oh yes, I get them from Milan and Paris when my husband and I travel together." He grinned, "We don't have kids of our own yet, so I spoil Mimi whenever I get the chance to. She's too amazing not to, you know what I mean?"
Sam scoffed, "Hey I buy her cute things all the time! Don't take all the credit now." He laughed at his long time friend.
Santana stared at the man who was talking and then after feeling bored, turned her attention to the man in the wheelchair. "Psst." She sounded at him. His focus was on a conversation between Puck and the woman named Lauren. They seemed to be hitting it off in an odd way. They were comparing muscles between each other and Puck seemed to be impressed by the woman's. "Psssssssst!" She said again to the man with glasses.
Artie turned his attention to her and raised a brow, "Damn girl you sprain a leak or something?" He laughed before putting the beer to his lips. "Or you tryin' to get my attention you pretty young thing?" Santana gave him a look and rolled her eyes.
"Nope, I was going to ask you if you'll get charged for driving while drunk in that thing?" She smiled and finished off the last of her drink.
Artie grinned, "Baby you smell like the inside of a whiskey bottle, so between the two of us, you're more drunk. But if you ask nicely, I'll be your designated driver." He winked, "Hop on and I'll drive your sexiness home."
Santana rolled her eyes, "Dude, I'm drunk, not stupid." She laughed until she looked at her empty glass. "Shit."
Artie rolled up beside her. "Come on girl, hop on and I'll take you over to the bar for another one. How about that?" Santana eyed him for a moment before she uprooted herself from her chair and sat down on his lap. She moved her butt around more than she needed to as he rolled her over to the bar. "Good god woman, control your hips, my legs might be temporarily out of order, but my other body parts are working pretty damn well." He laughed as he rolled her over.
Santana grinned, "Oh is that so? What's your name again? Wheels McRolley?"
Artie licked his lips, "Baby you can call me anything you want and I'll answer." When they reached the bar he ordered her another drink. She took it and held it tightly as he rolled through the crowd back to their friends.
Santana stared at his face for a moment and made a decision. "Hey, why don't you wheel towards the back of the bar? I want to ask you something."
"Alright princess. Let's go." He smiled at her and rolled with her to the back.
"...yea, this stupid dude thought it would be a good idea to mug me." Lauren laughed, "Man, I don't think he's able to eat solid foods up until now." Puck, Sam's friend with the mohawk, straddled his chair and hung on to her every word.
He licked his lips, "That's pretty damn hot babygirl."
Lauren looked at him from the corner of her eyes, "Do I look like I have a pacifier in my mouth?"
Puck grinned and it was evident he was thinking something dirty about her mouth. "Nope." Lauren raised a brow at the odd man. She had her share of weirdoes, but this one was a whole different breed of something. "We should hang out."
"Why?" She laughed.
Puck shrugged, "You're interesting, tough, I like that in a woman." Lauren thought this over and smiled.
"Maybe, we'll see."
Sam and Mercedes watched as their friends interacted. It was nice for them to see the two groups come together. He placed his arm around her shoulders and tilted his head against hers, content with the position. She laced her fingers together with the other hand. "This is nice." She whispered to him as they looked on.
He nodded, "Yea, I think so." It wasn't long after that when Santana and Artie rolled back to the table. Santana looked flushed and sweaty and Artie was beet red. Sam and Mercedes stared at the two in shock.
Santana rolled her eyes at them and stared back before slipping off of the man's lap. Artie wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "I've seen god ya'll, I've seen god."
Mercedes burst out laughing and Sam shook his head in disbelief. He giggled a bit until he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the time. They had been out for three hours already by then. He frowned when he saw Ms. Jenkins number.
"Hello? Hold on, I can't hear you." He quickly excused himself from his seat and hurried outside in the cold night. Mercedes watched after him as an odd feeling of dread filled her. She got up and followed him out. "What?! Wait slow down! What happened to Miracle?" Sam's voice was etched with panic as he covered his free ear with his hand. "I'm coming. Just wait there with her." He hung up and turned around to face Mercedes.
"What happened? What's wrong?"
Sam shook his head as his face drained of blood, "I don't know. Cedes we have to get to your hospital." His eyes grew hot. "We have to go now!"
"She'll be okay." Mercedes took his hand and squeezed it. "Okay? She's going to be okay, but let's go." She'd text her friends later about what happened. They both ran to the car and rode in silence as she sped down the road. She prayed that no cops would pull them over. Sam looked like he was between crying and throwing up and she didn't think he could handle anything more.
He leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes, "We shouldn't have left her." Guilt riddled him as he bit his bottom lip and sniffed.
"Sam, we didn't know something would happen to her. You can't blame yourself." She said softly, but he remained silent. She dropped him off at the front and he went running into the building. She parked in the visitors area and hurried inside to speak to the front desk. The woman typing away was someone she knew very well. "Hey Tina, did a four year old come in here just now attended by an older woman?" The woman looked up and nodded.
"Yea, she was screaming like crazy. The woman tried consoling her, but the poor baby was in pain."
Mercedes felt her heart grip, "Where are they?"
Tina looked into a file and then at Mercedes, her expression was unreadable. "They're prepping her for surgery." Mercedes felt her legs go weak, she clutched the desk for strength. "Cedes are you okay?"
"Yea, what floor?" Once Tina had told her, she ran past the woman to the elevator and made it to the fourth floor. When the doors opened she saw Sam standing there with a doctor who was already in scrubs. He was nodding weakly as the surgeon spoke to him.
"...appendicitis. We're going to do surgery on her, but she should be able to recover. Thankfully it hadn't ruptured as yet." He pat Sam on the shoulder, "She will be okay. Just sit tight and we'll keep you posted." With that, he turned on his heel and headed off to do the surgery. Sam stood there for a moment, but immediately dropped to his knees. Mercedes and Ms. Jenkins ran to him at the same time and helped him into a chair nearby.
Mercedes swallowed the ball in her throat, "Ms. Jenkins, what happened?" The older woman looked exhausted and drained.
"Poor thing, she kept saying her stomach hurt so I gave her the milk, but she still said it was upset. I let her curl up with me on the bed and rubbed her belly until we both fell asleep. I woke up to see if she was okay and I noticed that her skin became feverish and she started shaking." She shook her head, "Before I could even call Sam she started screaming like the devil was there himself, so I whisked her here and they said something about her appendix." She wrung her hands, "I should have taken her earlier." Tears sprung to her eyes. "I carried her in and didn't know what to do. I'm sorry."
Sam reached out and took the woman's hand. "Thank you for bringing her here." His voice cracked and his eyes were rimmed red. The older woman nodded and held his hand tightly. He reached out his other hand and held Mercedes'. "This is going to sound stupid or weird...whatever, but can you guys pray with me for her...I don't know what else to do." Mercedes started the prayer and the older woman followed. They stayed like that for twenty minutes before there was a beeping noise coming from the direction the surgeon had headed to. A nurse ran out of the room and approached them.
"Mr. Evans?" She clarified. He immediately stood up and stared at her. There was blood on the front of her scrubs. "There was a minor mishap during the surgery." Mercedes felt her breath cease. "We're going to need you guys to donate blood downstairs for Miracle. She should be fine, she just needs blood. O negative to be exact."
Mercedes' eyes widened. She hadn't even blinked an eye before she was sitting on a chair with a needle in her arm. Her face was very serious as she sat there lost in thought. She didn't even notice that Sam and Ms. Jenkins had entered the room. "Apparently O negative is really rare...really rare." Sam sighed as another nurse prepped him for the needle. "They don't have a lot."
Mercedes slowly nodded her head and looked forward. "I know, it's recessive. A low percentage of people have it." She turned her head to look at him, "Are you okay?" He looked back at her and shook his head no.
"I'm scared shitless." His eyes shone with unshed tears. "I feel like I can do nothing to help her." Mercedes touched his hand.
"It's okay." She said softly as they finished collecting blood. She felt drowsy and immediately ate the cookie they offered her. Sighing, she waited for Sam to finish as well as Ms. Jenkins. The old woman looked horrible so they gave her cash and sent her home. It was already two in the morning. They waited another hour before the doctor came out and told them that Miracle would be fine now after the surgery. She just needed to rest in a room in the children's wing.
In the room, Mercedes sat beside the little girl and held her hand. Sam paced back and forth, "I'm going to get a donut. Do you want one?" He looked ill and tired. Mercedes shook her head no. "Okay, be right back." He walked over to the bed, kissed the little girl on the crown of her head, pecked his girlfriend on the lips, and left. Mercedes stared at Miracle. Her mind was going crazy as she looked hard at her face. The dimples, the curly hair...she looked so much like J—
A knock sounded on the door and the doctor walked in. "Hello there, how is she?"
Mercedes sighed, "She's okay. A lot better."
The doctor smiled, "Good. This one is truly a fighter, she lost a bit of blood but thanks to you she bounced back." He stared at Mercedes. She stared back at him. "Thank God that you were also o negative. I don't even know how it's possible." He chuckled and moved to look at her monitors. "She's doing very well."
Mercedes nodded, "Thank you." The doctor winked and left the room. Mercedes took a deep breath. The minute the nurse had mentioned Miracle's blood type, her mind would not stop piecing things together. The blood type. The resemblance. The quick bond between her and the small child. Even the personality. Miracle was four years old and Jane had died four years before. If this was possible in some sick twist of fate...then how did Sam?...how did Sam fit in? As if on cue, the blonde man walked in with a donut and a hot chocolate for her. She looked at him as if he were a stranger.
"What's wrong?" He stared at her as he held out the hot chocolate. "The doctor come in?"
Mercedes stood up, "She's recovering very well." She grabbed her coat and put it on.
"Mercedes what's wrong?"
She shook her head and glanced away. "I have to go."
Sam looked at her and then at Miracle, "Okay..." She kissed Miracle on the cheek and then headed towards the door. "Mercedes..." He tried again.
She looked back at him, her gaze distant. A chill ran up her spine, "I'll see you later." With that she exited the room. Her mind raced as it tried to connect her present and her past.
A/N: Woo two updates! Again I want to thank H.B, you are amazing. And I want to thank Gertie72 for helping me feel better about some things. As always if you have time to review, like, comment, pm, or any of that good stuff I'd love to hear from you.