***OMG...I was so overwhelmed by all the reviews... you guys are the best I swear. Like y'all went ham... Everyone gets a shout out. Anyway this chap is a bit calmer... It's samcedes, Penny, mama Jones... this is not the end of the story of course but I hope you all enjoy it. Team Jesus in the house? Team Mama Jones? Team Mercedes for finally getting a back bone lol... Team Sam? Anyway talk came for the Aftermath chap... Here it is enjoy! edited

Sam hated leaving Mercedes at a moment like that and for a moment there he was considering turning back. She was dealing with a lot at that moment with all the Tina drama and he could tell there was something that was eating her up. More than just being betrayed by someone that she thought was her best friend but something deeper. He should have stayed! She needed to be held at that moment. She needed his shoulder to cry on. Sam remembered needing someone when Penny first filed for divorce. He didn't exactly know that she was sleeping around but he knew deep down that she had stopped loving him. He tried everything to make her love him again. Nothing he did was ever good enough for her and soon he would come home and find her not there. He would get calls from her mother saying that she hadn't picked up Sarah yet and he'd have to go get her instead. When he finally found out about her and Puck he couldn't accept it. The news reporters drilled him and each time he denied knowing of such relationship. When she was sentenced he packed everything and moved to Lima to start a new life where Sarah wouldn't have to deal with hearing about her mother the pedophile. The woman he once loved was gone. He needed to remember that. He found someone new, someone that was supportive and there for both him and Sarah's growth.

"I should have stayed!" he said as he picked up his cellphone and pressed the speed dial as he continued to drive towards the hospital. "Hey Mercedes…it's Sam." He said once she answered.

"I know Sam…I have caller ID." She replied sounding as if she was really tired. "I was actually just about to call you and see if you made it yet."

"No…I am almost there but I wanted to call and apologize for leaving you at a moment like this when you really needed me."

"No need to Sam…I actually just spoke to my mom and she helped me out and we prayed…for everyone." She paused then chuckled. "She says we all need Jesus!"

"I have to agree with her on that one." he laughed as well. He loved the relationship he was starting to have with Mama Jones. Although he was slightly nervous about meeting her she made him feel as if she had known him all her life. She reminded him so much of his own mother in her own way, always speaking the truth with no filter. His mother never really liked Penny for reasons she justified with Penny being on the news and all.

"We prayed for Penny too you know…that she recovers soon for the sake of Sarah." Mercedes added. He never really discussed Penny's case with Mercedes but he assumed she knew because of the little things that she would say. "Do you know if you'll be…"

"I'm coming home to you once I make sure she's alright and gets the help she needs. I'll be there tonight I promise." He said as he finally arrived to the hospital. He heard her sigh. "I'll be there before midnight."

"Okay Sam…be safe." she replied before hanging up. She didn't sound like she believed him at all. As far as Sam could see he didn't expect to be there that long at all.

Sam sat on the chair beside her bed watching her sleep. He hated the sound of the heart monitor beeping, but he knew it was indicating that she was still alive so it was a good thing. He was informed that she took a bunch of pills and was found in her motel room that morning. He was shocked that he was just now finding out about this especially since he was written as her emergency contact. They had no idea what caused her to do this and she had been asleep since he got there, so he wasn't able to ask her for details. He filled out a bunch of paperwork for her as if he was still her husband. He looked at his watch and shook his head. He had called her mother an hour ago and she still hadn't come so that he could leave. She also didn't sound too shocked that Penny tried to take her life.

"Where the hell is this woman?" Sam asked looking at his watch. It was almost eleven o'clock and he really just wanted to leave. He got up to look out the door as if he'd see her coming when he heard Penny's voice.

"Sam? You came?" she cried out. He sighed and walked back over to her and held her hand. "Thank you for coming."

"It was nothing." He replied, but it was actually much more than nothing. He had to leave Mercedes just to be by the bedside of a woman that left him for a child. "Had to make sure the mother of my child is okay and sign some paper work so that you can get the help you need." He said sitting down. She closed her eyes as a tear fell from her eye. "Why'd you do this, Penny? You know you have a child that adores you, right?"

"I know…I was stupid…I…I messed up my life! I am so embarrassed." she cried. Sam tried to empathize with her but kept remembering how she left him. How embarrassed he was. How he had to leave town to avoid being the laughing stock of his peers. She didn't care then why should he care now? But he did care and he hated to see a woman cry.

"Don't be…we're going to get you the help that you need." He said giving her hand a squeeze. She looked up at him and smiled. "You can't help who you fell in love with…even though I will never understand…but if he's who you want to be with maybe in a few years…"

"Puck never wrote me." She added. Sam paused because he wasn't sure he heard her right. "He never even said he loved me. I thought that when I got out that I could go see him and we could run away together. I went to see him and he was holding hands with this cute little blonde chick." She laughed but there really wasn't anything funny about that at all. "It's funny because the girl looked pregnant. Ain't that something?" She looked at him. "I made it all up in my mind, the love. He only wanted the sex. I…just…I guess he made me feel young again, you know?"

"No, Penny…I don't know! You're not even old yet! You're 27!" Sam pointed out and pulled away from her.

"I don't know…but I let it all get to my head and made me forget the love we had." She said reaching out for his hand. Sam looked at her hand as if it belonged to an alien. "I want my family back…I want what we had back." When all this started he would have given so much just to hear her say those words to him but now hearing it, it just didn't appeal to him at all. "I know Sarah would love that, to have her mother again." She said. Sam looked at his watch and then back at her and laughed. "What's so funny?"

"What's funny is that not once have you asked where Sarah was. It's funny that you think that because your plan A failed that you can fall on plan B. This whole thing is funny actually." Sam stood and laughed. Penny frowned and looked at him shaking her head.

"Sam, I trust you and assumed she was with that baby sitter of yours because you didn't want her seeing me like this…I just assumed…"

"You know…that's where you fucked up! You assumed. You assumed I was sitting in a corner waiting on you to come back to me. You assumed Sarah was okay with losing her mother as she chased after another kid. You assumed that she was with a baby sitter but she's not!"

"So where is she?" Penny asked confused as she looked around as if the answers were in the room. "With my mother?"

"No…she's with my girlfriend." Sam stated. Sam didn't stop as Penny teared up again. "You know I thought what you did was the worst thing that ever happened to me and Sarah but it was actually a good thing. Because of you... we have her now." He said just as the door opened. Penny's mom ran to Penny's side.

"Just leave then!" Penny said angrily throwing a pillow at him.

"Everything okay?" She asked looking between the two. Sam shook his head and chuckled before heading to the door.

"Everything will be now." He walked out and looked at the time. He prayed he could make it there before midnight. He looked at his phone and saw that it had died while he was in there and he forgot his charger at Mercedes house. He got in his car and prayed he didn't have to deal with any traffic.

Mercedes kept trying not to watch the clock but it was following her. As she cleaned up and put away the food she kept looking at the clock. He said he'd be back by midnight but it was eleven and he was still not there and hadn't called either. All she kept getting were calls from Tina apologizing and begging for a chance to fix things. What exactly was she going to fix? Once the trust broke it is pretty much irreparable. She would always side eye everything Tina would say or do from that point on.

"Mom, why are you still up?" Mercedes asked as she walked out into the living room. Her mother looked at her and smiled.

"Couldn't sleep…so many demons was just in this house. We need to douse it with holy water and pray that the Holy Spirit cleanses it. Yes Lord!" Mama Jones said raising her hand.

"Mom, you're so extra." Mercedes laughed as she sat next to her mother. She was happy her mother had come for the holiday because having her there after Sam left was definitely helping. When she went to her room when he left her mom came and spoke with her. She didn't feel like talking she wanted to fight. Fight Tina, fight Blaine and even Brody for ruining her dinner. And deep down she wanted to fight Penny. From the outside she seemed tough and put together but in reality she was just barely hanging on to things.

"Baby girl, I know you want to lock yourself in here and cry." Her mother had said before closing the door behind her. "There's nothing wrong with that but eventually you got to shake it off!" Mercedes looked at her mother and sighed. "You knew that girl was trifling the moment you met her."

"No I didn't mom."

"Yes you did." Her mother sat down in front of her. "You saw Tina, saw trouble and automatically you thought... I can fix her. How can I help her?" Mercedes thought back to when she met Tina and laughed, she was definitely trouble. She barely talked to anyone. She dressed in goth clothing and was always in detention. Once they became friends Mercedes did help her get out of her shell but she didn't stop getting in trouble. She just dragged Mercedes in it.

"I guess... but what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing... if the person wants to be helped. You always feel you gotta save somebody. You ain't Jesus!"

"Aren't we all just trying to be like him?" Mercedes reminded her mother. "I really never expected Tina to hurt me like this. She was like my sister."

"No child of mine would act like that." She said laughing. "But you do need to know when it's no longer your job to help someone." She added. "Now, I can tell you really like Sam. I like him too, he's not like that Blaine."

"Ugh mom don't even say his name." Mercedes frowned.

"I knew something was up with that child. I never guessed he was gay though... poor Brody." Mercedes shook her head as she thought about it all. All that time she was with Blaine and all she was, was his beard. "Anyway, I can tell Sam cares about you deeply."

"Not deep enough." Mercedes mumbled as she thought about him going to see his ex wife. What if they got back together. She'd really look stupid falling for him knowing he wasn't over his ex. Even worst thought what if he wanted a family with her and she couldn't even give it to him. Would he leave her just like Blaine did?

"Mercedes, that's the mother of his child as you reminded me, remember?" She asked looking at Mercedes. "He needs to be able to answer Sarah's questions if she ever has any. He's not going anywhere."

"I know mom... I guess I'm just scared because he was still very much in love with her." Mercedes thought back to when he reached out to her and called her Penny.

"She broke his heart publicly... you can't forget things like that!"

"What if..."

"Let's stop the what ifs... God got you... he didn't bring you this far to forsake you!" Her mother reminded her. "Sarah... come in here and let's pray with MaMer, she really needs it." Sarah ran in smiling.

Mercedes laughed as she remembered the prayer Sarah did for her. She was really growing to love that child. She looked at the clock again and then at her phone, still no Sam. Her mother noticed and placed her hand calmly on Mercedes hand.

"Stop worrying, he'll be here." Her mom smiled and kissed her forehead before getting up and heading to the room. She decided to call him and see if he was alright but the call went straight to voicemail. Before she could stop it tears began to fall from her eyes. She got up and walked to the door to make sure it was locked when she heard a car pull up. She held her breath as she unlocked the door and opened it just as Sam arrived. He ran to her with no coat on, each breath they took puffed out in front of them. He smiled at her and cupped her face.

"I promised..." He said before kissing her. She clutched his shirt in her hands as they shivered from the cold.