DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOT ANYTHING ELSE.

Ian Evans-Chris Potter


Mercedes sipped her coffee from her cup as she crossed her ankles, smiling down at the puppy that was asleep in her lap. She ran her free hand along the small body, watching the morning sunrise. Its been two weeks since she has taken a break from her career and she has been enjoying it so much. This break was long overdue and she was so glad that she decided for herself to take off.

Sam yawned as he slid the door to the backyard open, seeing his girlfriend sitting down, he smiled as he went to her, placing a kiss on her lips, "You're up early."

"Just came out to think." She watched him take Ava out of her lap and sit beside her on the patio couch, sending him a smile, "How about you?"

"You know I can't sleep without you so.." Sam answered honestly, looking at her with a smile as he rubbed Ava's forehead.

"Awe babe." Mercedes leaned over and kissed his lips softly before leaning back on the couch. Picking her cup back up, she took a sip before speaking again, "I was thinking we could go to the ranch today. Its been awhile since we have just helped around the stables, wash and ride the horses. It would be fun and just like old times."

"That's sounds good. I haven't gotten my hands dirty in awhile and it will be fun too just do so." He said as he picked the dog up and placed her on his shoulder, chuckling when she curled up into a ball and went back to sleep, "I'll call Leslie and see if her and Bailee could watch Ava for a few hours."

"Already handled. They should be here in a few minutes so we can go ahead and get dressed." Mercedes said as she stood up from the couch, stretching a bit before she grabbed her cup off the table and made her way inside.

Sam picked up a sleepy Ava from his shoulder and held her in his hands as he got up from the couch and followed his girlfriend in the house and up the stairs, "You know, I think we may have this parent thing down for when we have a kid in the future."

Mercedes giggled as she entered their bedroom, going straight to her closet, "A puppy is way different than having an actual baby to take care of."

"Not that different I don't think." Sam said as he sat Ava on the bed, moving to go the closet, leaning against the doorframe, "I mean, we have her on a sleeping schedule and that's like the main thing you need to have when you have a child. We take her to the doctor and make sure she has someone to babysit her when we have to go somewhere. And plus, we get up through the night when she whines and take her outside so she won't use it in the house."

Mercedes buttoned her light washed skinny jeans and her red plaid long sleeve shirt, listening to her boyfriend, she couldn't help but smile at him as he listed everything. Picking up her brown riding boots from the floor, she turned around and gave him a kiss, patting his cheek, "Instead of it being a canine it is going to be a tiny human. But you are right, it's similar in ways and we will be ready for when it happens."

"And I can't wait for when it does." He gave her a quick peck before going around her to get ready.

Mercedes shook her head with a small smile, sitting on the bed, she took her brush and brush her hair up into a bun. When she was done, she put on her boots and stood up from the bed, hearing the doorbell ring, she picked up the puppy once again and headed for the door, "I'll get it."

"Okay." Sam said from the closet as he stepped out, making his way to his drawer to get his shirt. Quickly putting on the green plaid shirt, he moved over to his closet to get the rest of his things on before heading downstairs.

"Thank you guys so much for coming last minute." Mercedes smiled as she kissed Ava's forehead before handing her to Bailee, who was sitting down patiently waiting for the pup.

"It's not problem." Leslie smiled at her as she sat her purse down on the couch, taking a seat beside her daughter.

"There's food in the fridge so help yourselves and you know if you need anything just call one of us."

"Hey you two." Sam said as he came in the living room, greeting his two cousins with hugs. He smiled at Bailee and tapped her nose, "You're going to take good care of our baby right?"

Bailee nodded excitedly as she looked at him, "Yes I am cousin Sammy. I'm going to take really good care of Ava for you and cousin Cedes."

"Good..because I'm trusting you and who knows, seeing how you do today, your mom may buy you one."

"Sam." Leslie scolded the younger man, rolling her eyes when he smirked.

"Ooo, really mommy?" She asked excitedly as she turned to her, her bright blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"See what you done did." Leslie glared at her cousin in law before looking at her daughter, "We'll think about it sweetheart but this is a very big responsibility."

"I know mommy and I will be responsible."

Mercedes smiled at her, hitting the back Sam's head, whispering, "You're no good."

Sam looked at her with a pout, rubbing his head, looking back at his cousins with a big smile, "We will be going now and don't forget to call if you need anything." He nodded when they both said okay. Grabbing ahold of Mercedes' hand, he grabbed the keys to his truck and made their way out the door.


Lilly huffed out as she sat the bag down, pulling the gloves from her hand. She sighed as she moved back, pulling her hair back. Picking her water bottle up to take a sip, she turned her head to the side when she heard her dad calling her.

"Lilly bean, your cousins are here."

"Lets see if they still remember how things go round here." She chuckled as she went up to her dad with a smile.

Ian laughed as he wrapped an arm around her, kissing her forehead, "Lets hope the city life didn't fry their brains all the way."

Lilly laughed as she looked over to see Mercedes and Sam coming down the hill, "Hey you two, hurry up."

"We're coming geez." Sam said as held on to Mercedes' hand until they got to the bottom.

Mercedes smiled as she gave Lilly a hug and went to Ian to hug as well, "It's been a long time Uncle Ian."

"It has Mercedes." He said with a smile as he hugged the young girl tight, "We miss you round here darling."

"You guys will never know how much I've missed you too." She smiled as she stepped back, placing her hands in the back of her jean pockets.

"Me and Cedes got the horses, while you get the barn Sam." Lilly said quickly before grabbing Mercedes' hand, practically dragging the younger women with her.

"Hey, that's not fair." Sam called out in a huff as he turned to his uncle, who was smirking at him as he handed him his work boots.

"Life's not fair Sam." Ian said as he patted his nephew's shoulder before walking pass him, "You have been in the city entirely too long, I'm afraid you might have forgotten how to do this."

"I haven't forgotten Uncle Ian." Sam laughed as he sat on the stack of hay, replacing his boots with the work ones, "You can take to boy out the country but you can't take the country out the boy."

"That's what I like to hear." Ian said as he walked in the barn, grabbing one of the rakes off the wall and handing him one, "How are things between you and Mercedes?"

"Things are really good." He said as he lifted the dirty hay and placed it in the can, "I'm glad that we got back together."

"I think we all are in agreement with that. That woman has been their for you since the beginning. You two are perfect for each other." Ian said as he looked over at him, giving him the famous Evans' lopsided grin, "Plan on marrying her anytime soon?"

"To be honest, I've been wanting to marry her since high school." Sam let out a chuckle as he went back to his task, "But I don't want to rush into anything. When I get the feeling that we're ready...when she's ready, I'm going to pop that question in a heartbeat."

"I'm glad you're waiting until you know the time is right. Some people rushed into marriage and it turns out horrible." Ian leaned the rake on the door before turning to him, "But I'm going to tell you something that your grandmother told me and your dad when we were growing up. Always follow your heart. The mind might get lost but the heart always know the right direction. So when you feel and know when your heart is ready, trust it."

"I will. Thanks for that. I swear you and dad are way sappier than mom and Aunt Leslie." Sam laughed a bit when he rolled his eyes at him, walking over to get some fresh hay.

"Alright enough chatting, let's get back to work." Ian said with a shake of his head as he picked his tool back up. It was true thought. Him and his brother was hopeless romantics and he was proud of that.


Mercedes held the apple out, looking at the beautiful chestnut quarter horse with brown eyes as he came forward to her slowly, "Good boy." She smiled when he starting eating the apple from her hand, a giggle escaping her mouth when she felt the horse lick her hand.

Sam took off his gloves after putting fresh hay in each of the stalls, coming out the stables, he looked over and saw Mercedes out in the open fields with one unfamiliar horse. This must been the new horse his uncle was talking about.

"Well I'll be damned." Ian said as he looked in the direction Sam was looking in amusement, shaking his head, "I brought this horse from the shelter. They said that he was abused by his previous owners. I took him in because I wanted to help him but he has been giving me and the staff hell. That horse is stubborn and he doesn't like anyone."

"Doesn't look that way now does it?" Sam laughed as he folded his arms, giving his uncle a glance, "I think animals have this sense of knowing people with good hearts. And Mercedes, well..everyone she comes in contact with, she impacts them positively in some way."

"I've been telling y'all this for years, that girl is a precious gem. Never loose her Samuel."

"I promise I won't."

"Dad, Mercedes have calmed the storm whose name is Bandit." Lilly came up to them with a smile, shaking her head in disbelief, "I swear she's magic."

"That she is indeed sweetheart." Ian smiled as he wrapped his arm around her, "Lets go up to the house and get lunch started for everyone."

"Yes sir."

Sam began walking towards Mercedes and Bandit, looking on curiously as he got closer, only to step back some when the horse flared his nostrils at him.

Mercedes rubbed the horse's head to calm him down, looking over at Sam with a chuckle, "An animal that doesn't like Sam Evans, I'm shocked."

Sam laughed a bit as he crossed his arms, his head titling to the side as he looked on, "Uncle Ian said he got him from the shelter. He was abused at his last home."

"I know." Mercedes said sadly as she ran her hand along a scar by the horse's neck, "He has two more on his back. I noticed them when I was giving him a bath."

Sam sighed as he shook his head. He didn't understand how anyone would want to hurt an animal. He watched his girlfriend as she picked the heavy saddle off the ground and laid it on his back, "Please tell me you're not about to ride him."

"Then I won't tell you." Mercedes gave him a smirk as she reached under Bandit's stomach and snapped everything together, "Lilly said that he doesn't let anyone near him but I think I'm way passed that. He trusts me and I want him to know that I trust him too."

"Mercedes, this is dangerous.."

"I know but trust me." Mercedes untied the rope from the fence, giving Sam a small smile as she walked up to the horse.

Sam winced as he watched her short frame put her left foot into the stirrup and pull herself up on him, swinging her leg on the other side.

Mercedes gripped the reins a bit as she felt him get a little antsy, "It's okay Bandit, it's okay."

"I can't believe what I am seeing right now." One of the staff members said as he came beside Sam, looking on in shock as the horse began to calm down.

"You and me both." Sam said distractedly, watching the two carefully to make sure nothing would go wrong.

Mercedes smiled as he began to walk at a slow pace, looking over her shoulder, she gave Sam a knowing look, "Told you to trust me."

"Yeah, you just be careful." He said, ignoring that look she was giving him. He turned to the side when he notice the rest of the staff come out, "Just so we are on the same page, this horse does not let a single one of you near him." He watched as the shook their heads no and he shook his as well, turning back to his girlfriend, who was riding the horse down the path, "I'll be damned."


Mercedes sighed as she wrapped herself up in the towel, stepping out the shower. She moved to brush her teeth quickly before heading inside her room. Seeing Sam sprawled across the bed, she shook her head with a giggle as she headed to her dresser.

"Its been a long time since I've cleaned out stalls." Sam mumbled into the pillow as he turned his head, looking at Mercedes tiredly.

"I can tell." Mercedes gave him a teasing smile as she pulled a t-shirt and a pair of panties from her drawer.

Sam rolled her eyes, looking at her with a smirk as he watched her get dress, his eyes drifting to a certain part of her body, "I always wondered what would you do with that if we never got back together.

Mercedes placed her shirt on, looking at him with a smile, "I would've kept it for multiple reasons." She said as she got in the bed next to him, crawling until she got laid flat on top of his back, kissing the side of his head. On her eighteenth birthday, her and Sam had went and got matching tattoos. She had gotten a small guitar tattoo on the back of her neck with Sam's initials written in cursive and Sam had got the same one but his was on his back forearm with her initials.

Sam smiled as he turned to the side, causing her to roll off and lay in front of him. He leaned forward and pressed a sweet, soft kiss to her lips, draping his arm around her to pull her close.

Mercedes smiled against his lips as she kissed him, pulling back, she rubbed his cheek as she scanned his face, "I had fun today."

"Besides you scaring the shit out of me with that horse, I did too."

"His name is Bandit." Mercedes scolded before plucking his ear, "And he is a very sweet horse to me and that's why I'm happy that I have taken this break from my career so I can go over and help with him."

"Well that's nice of you baby but who's going to help with him when go on our trip next month?" He asked curiously as he ran his hand up and down her bare back.

"I'm hoping that I can at least help him feel comfortable and let him know that no one is going to hurt him by then. Bandit has been through a lot and I think that the way he his acting is because of that." She said quietly as she played with Sam's necklace, looking at him with a small smile.

"You're truly the most caring, sensitive person I know and I love that about you." Sam smiled as he stared at her, pressing his lips to hers, "I love you so much."

"And I love you too." She said as she leaned over and hugged him, kissing his cheek lovingly as she held on to him tight.

Sam kissed her neck softly before pulling her on top of him, causing her to straddle his lap. He waggled his eyebrows as his eyes traveled down her body, "I'm up for a little TLC tonight."

"Oh really?" She teased as she leaned down, pecking his lips with a smile.

"Really." Sam said with a smirk as his hands traveled over her hips to get underneath her shirt. He was just about to pull it off until he heard small whimpers filling the room.

Mercedes giggled uncontrollably as she looked at him, letting out a snort, "Our kid needs us."

"Can't the kid wait for a just two second?" Sam whined with a pout as he looked at her, "Daddy needs a little lovin' from mommy."

"You can't put a child on hold because of your needs." Mercedes laughed as she got off of him and the bed, walking across the large room the pick Ava up from her bed, kissing her nose.

"You're right." Sam said as she lifted up off the bed and went to them, smiling down at the puppy who was looking at him, "Daddy's sorry Ava. I was not thinking with my head."

Mercedes threw her head back in laughter, snorting, "I can't with you."

"You most absolutely can." He chuckled as he kissed her cheek and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her and their little puppy close. He couldn't not wait until the day that they got married and actually had a child. But for right now, this was just perfect for him.


A/N. Oh my god. It's been two months since I've updated this! Hope you're still here lol. This was a very short & sweet chapter. I know you want to know about Danielle and Isaac, we will know next update! Would love to hear your prediction on what's going or has happen!