A/N: Once again, the muse for this story is just piling up!

And I totally didn't respond to your guys' reviews this time, I feel so bad!

Hillary: Glad!

Brianna: Thanks!

Don't judge it by the color

Confuse it for another

You might regret what you let slip away

Jason Mraz — Geek In the Pink

Finn hated the idea of Sam being on the football team. She was so much smaller than everyone else, a slight wind could knock her down. Her pretty ice-blue eyes looked up at him and a smile spread across her delicate features. An aching resonated in his heart at the thought of her getting sacked by some woman-hating linebacker.

"Come on, it'll be fine. If I wound up getting the ball, I'm littler than everyone else and I can run a lot faster," she pointed out quietly. Her slender arms wrapped around his waist, her chin propping up onto his broad chest to meet his gaze with her own.

"That's the problem, Sam. You're a lot smaller than everyone else. Not everyone is fine with having girls on a football team, they might make an example out of you," he argued.

"I'm also very open to the idea of just laying on the ground," she said. Her hand slipped into his and she squeezed his fingers reassuringly. "I'll be fine. My cousin David is two hundred and eighty-five pounds of solid muscle and he tackled me to the ground when I was twelve. He was nineteen. I didn't hit five feet till I was thirteen years old and I was four foot ten."

"Why are you even doing this? You always get so nervous when I'm on the field and I get hit," Finn asked.

"Because you need help and no one else is gonna do it," Sam responded. She tucked a lock of her long hair behind her ear and tugged him after her.

"I don't want you getting hurt," Finn finally admitted. There. The truth. He didn't want his girlfriend getting hurt, even if she knew how to take care of herself. Sam thought herself invincible, but she wasn't.

"I can't promise that I won't, but I can promise that I can try not to," she told him. Finn hadn't expected to like her as much as he did so quickly. He had been in a gloomy depression after his breakup with Rachel and Sam was like a warm, sunny day. Rachel was timid when it came to confrontation, Sam had spunk.

"Is this the girl?" Finn heard Burt ask. He turned to see his balding stepfather standing in the open doorway of the den. "I'm Burt Hummel, Finn's stepdad."

"I'm Sam Devine, Finn's girlfriend," she introduced herself and shook his hand. "I've heard a lot about you from both Kurt and Finn. I can't thank you enough for fixing the brakes on my Charger."

"Wait, I thought Sam Devine was a boy. You're telling me that this girl was Kurt's bodyguard?" Burt said. His surprise betrayed his tone and it was clear he was shocked. He took off his baseball cap and scratched the top of his head. "I gotta say, kid...you got spunk."

"That's what my daddy tells me, sir. Kurt's a really good friend of mine and I don't like it if friends get threatened," Sam responded.

"Then he's damn lucky to have one like you," Burt told her. Finn knew immediately that the older man liked her. Burt's gaze lifted to him and Finn could see the unsaid statement in his eyes. It was a sad day if a girl did more to protect someone than a guy's brother. "So, you a cheerleader?"

"I was...it's complicated," Sam replied. Burt chuckled at the curt sentence as she walked ahead of them.

"Hey, Sam, did your dad let you take the Charger to the game?" Finn asked. His girlfriend shook her head as she led the way to the parking lot.

"He's finally home for good after not being able to drive his beloved classic for a year. No one's allowed to breathe on it until he's used to driving it again," she responded.

Sam felt weight pressing down on her shoulders as she fought to keep up with the other girls. It was difficult to see out of the caged helmet as she bit down on the yellow mouth-guard. She felt horribly exposed in the skin-tight white stirrup pants she wore.

"You ready for this, Sam?" Finn asked. Sam grinned up at her boyfriend before taking the mouth-guard out.

"I hope they're ready for a little Devine Intervention!" she exclaimed as she popped her knuckles. "Let's go kick some ass." All she knew was to follow where he pointed and get ready to drop. When it came to the middle of the half, she supposed it was called, Tina had already gotten sacked. Sam hated watching the game from the grass, but she was keeping her promise. When the ball was inches from her fingers, she heard them scream to get the ball. She looked up to see players running towards her and she grabbed the ball, scrambling to her feet. Puck was wide open.

Sam tucked her fingers onto the laces and hurled the ball straight for him before she felt a heavy weight smash into her. The breath was knocked out of her in a whoosh and she found herself gasping for air as she landed flat on her back. The ground was hard underneath her and stars danced in front of her eyes.

"Time out!" Coach Beiste hollered. Shadows loomed over Sam and she found herself focusing on the figures above her. "You alright, baby girl?"

Sam weakly nodded and struggled to sit up. "Yeah, I got the wind knocked out of me," she replied. Thing 2 grabbed her hand and helped her to her feet. Sam brushed the grass off of her and chuckled. That was awesome. "My parents are gonna kick up a fuss, but I'm okay."

She was thankful that the helmet and dark night shrouded the fact that her face was cherry-red with embarrassment and she cursed her tininess to hell. Luckily, the halftime show wasn't that far away and she was granted rest until then.

"I am going to need such a hot shower after this," Tina commented next to her. Sam nodded her agreement as she watched the players on the field. She hated to sit out, but her chest ached with each breath as it was slowly returning. They weren't to take off their helmets unless Puck brought back the other players. Finn went to collect Quinn, Brittany, and Santana. "How long have you known your Mike?"

"My Mike?" Sam echoed in confusion. Then it hit her. Mike McAllery. "Our dads grew up together, we've known each other since we were babies."

"He seems like a genuinely nice guy. I hope they decide to stay. We could use more people like them at McKinley," Tina submitted with a chuckle.

"Yeah, we could. It'd be good for their dad, too," Sam agreed. When the other players came onto the field, she let out a breath of relief. "Beannaithe a bheith." [Blessed be]

"Go ahead and get your costumes on, guys!" Mr. Schue told them. The girls got off of the bench and ran for the girls' locker rooms.

Sam sunk lower in the bathtub in the master bathroom at home, the scent of lavender and vanilla candles burning next to her. Her muscles ached from her antics earlier tonight and she smelled like sweat and grass. The candles soothed her frayed nerves and calmed her down as she breathed in the aromas. Jets made the water bubble as she stretched out more. Her dark hair was pinned up in a bun, music playing from the dock next to her. Now Sam knew what her mother was going on about. Adrienne loved to escape the world and soak in the bathtub. Her phone rang next to her and she fought a groan when Jesse's name flashed across the screen.

"Make it quick, St. Earp, you're interrupting my post-game soak," she informed him icily. Luckily, she hadn't hurt anything when she had been tackled down. "And totally harshing my mellow."

"Sorry to make the big athlete suffer. I was wondering if you were still feeling sore after being flung around like a rag doll."

"Yes, I am. I'm going to hang up the phone because this is awkward."

"It'd only be awkward talking to me right now if you were manhandling Hudson right now."

"I'm by myself and I'm not divulging anymore details." She lifted one leg from the water, the soap sliding from her smooth skin in the dim candlelight. "And face it, we totally rocked the halftime show."

"I was impressed by your show with the Neanderthals, Delilah. Well done."

"I'll talk to you in about twenty minutes, Jesse. If you can last that long without zonking out."

"Good-bye." The line disconnected and Jake Owen's 'Alone With You' played through the speakers. Sam leaned back farther into the porcelain tub, breathing deeply. The next thirty minutes passed by blissfully and slowly until the bubbles thinned. She stood up and wrapped her robe around herself, carefully stepping onto the bathmat.

Sleeping was even better, the perfect way to end the stressful night.