A/N: Hi... we're still friends right?

Chapter Twenty

Time

"So when you entered your home you saw that things had been thrown around?"

"Yes. There was broken glass on the floor and my bookshelf was on the ground and there were books and other things every where." Sam answered letting out a deep sigh.

"Then what did you do?"

"I went to my room after calling… after calling her name again but I still got no response. The sheets were torn, there was more glass it was completely just looked like a struggle happened."

"What made you look in the bathroom?"

"Her- her bloodied hand print was on the wall, I slowly opened the door and that's… that's when I saw her." Sam said clearing his throat from the large lump that was growing.

"Was she breathing?"

"I don't know… if she was I couldn't tell. I just held her before finally getting a grip and rushing her to the hospital, where they told me she-" Sam stopped wiped a tear before continuing. "Before they told me she was dead."

"When did you submit the video to the police?"

"The next day, after I remembered the camera we'd set up for security purposes. She didn't want them but I just wanted her safe..."

"Your honor, I'd like to submit this video as exhibit B and I must warn everyone it is very hard to watch but will prove that defendant was in fact the one who responsible for Ms. Jones' death." The prosecutor said inserting the disc and hitting play. Sam looked away while the video played, he had already seen it and once was more than enough to witness what she had gone through. Luckily for him and the jury there was no sound because he was more than sure that would have broken him even further. He kept his eyes pinned on Shane who seemed to no hold no emotions and watched what was going on like it was a movie. After the video concluded, the prosecutor rested and now it was Shane's lawyer turn to question Sam, he seemed all too eager to begin his line of questioning, walking over to the stand unbuttoning his expensive suit and letting out labor breath.

"So Mr. Evans, you say you gave the video to the police a day after she passed correct?"

"Yes."

"A whole twenty four hours, do you recall what time you turned it in?"

"It was that evening I don't really know the time but it was late." Sam answered honestly.

"So you had time to view the video before hand correct?"

"When I remembered yes I watched it then turned it in."

"Why didn't you that same day you took her to the hospital?"

"I wasn't thinking about anything but Mercedes."

"So you hindered an investigation. Could you clearly see my client in the video?"

"It was his body and tattoo in the video." Sam answered honestly again.

"So, what you're saying is that this video only proves that he could've been the person to do this horrible crime?"

"Unless someone else has the exact same tattoo in the same spot as he does, I would say it's impossible to be anyone else."

"So this has nothing to do with the fact that you were sleeping with his now ex-wife while she was married?"

"Why would it have anything to do with that? She left him willingly… no she escaped him." Sam said through gritted teeth.

"Ms. Jones, God rest her soul, can't really confirm that now can she?"

"Her body was riddled with bruises!"

"But at the time she was found in your home so who's to say that you didn't do it and got fake tattoo to match his?"

"Why would I hurt her? Why would I dress like him, go through all that trouble just kill her? I loved her dearly and tried to protect her at all cost! HE KILLED HER BECAUSE SHE WOULDN'T COME BACK!"

The judge banged his gavel and warned Sam from having another out burst like that again. Sam took in a shaky breath and looked at Shane who was smirking and Sam had fight the urge to beat that smirk off his face.

"Well again as stated Ms. Jones isn't here to corroborate your story, it could've been a random intruder."

"Then why didn't they take anything?"

"The only person that can answer that is the attacker and Ms. Jones. Nothing furth-"

"Why not ask her?" Sam said looking at the man who gave him a shocked look before looking at the judge with concern.

"Mr. Evans, I have no way of asking her that." The defense attorney said in a caring tone that didn't go unnoticed by Sam.

"Why not have your client ask her? He's been sitting over there all smug like, ask him to ask why he did it." Sam said looking at Shane then at the door. Her hair was shorter, her face a little rounder but her skin was glowing and her protruding belly gave away to the fact that she was expecting. The room quickly filled with gasps and Sam couldn't help but to smile as he saw his wife walking towards the front with her head held high and a protective hand caressing her baby bump.

Shane's eye grew wide the closer Mercedes got and he began trying to get to her but the officers held him down.

"You stupid, ungrateful bitch! You had me sitting in that damn jail for months on murder charges and you're not even dead!" Mercedes didn't say a word she kept her focus on Sam who was smiling brightly at her.

"You have to set me free now! There's proof she isn't dead and since there's no other evidence tying me to her assault you have to let me go!" Shane shouted to the judge who banged his gavel so hard and so many times that if there was a hole Sam wouldn't even be surprised.

"Get your client under control and then you two approach the bench. You may step down Mr. Evans." Sam nodded and walked straight to where Mercedes was standing kissing her gently.

"She can't testify she's not on the witness list and being that he was being charged for murder those charges have to be dropped and he released immediately." Shane's lawyer said as soon as he approached.

"He's right your honor and we are ready to drop those charges and charge him with attempted murder, failure to comply with the rules of his restraining order, breaking and entering as well as trespassing."

"You're reaching. My client didn't violate the restraining order as it had already expired, there's not proof that he was there and being that she can't testify because again she's not on the witness list and I'll have that thrown out before you even write her name on there."

"She is on the witness list."

"Your honor I declare we be granted a mistrial!"

Sam's lawyer handed over the sheet and points to a name handing one to the defense attorney as well with the same name highlighted. He scuffed and shook his head giving the prosecutor a confused look."

"That's not her name, your honor these tactics shouldn't be tolerated."

"Diane Evans?" The judge said looking around and noticing Mercedes hold he hand up.

"She seems to be responding to that name, can you state your name please." The judge said looking at Mercedes.

"My name is Diane Evans, it was-"

"Your fucking name is Mercedes you stupid bitch!"

"One more outburst and you will held in contempt, please continue."

"Right… my name birth name was Mercedes Diane Jones but it was legally changed when I got married along with my last name." She said smiling at Sam who winked at her.

"Do you have proof of name change?" The judge asked looking at Sam's lawyer, who nodded and handed over all the documentation. He read over it before handing it back and letting out a breath.

"She can testify."

"Your honor! This is not acceptable! I wasn't aware about her name change or the fact the subject of the murder is actually alive."

"Sounds like you didn't do you due diligence this information is public and can be found on internet, step back."

"Your honor before I call Mrs. Evans to the stand and we proceed with this trial I ask that she be exempt from any charges that could be filed after she gives her testimony."

"Will she be incriminating herself?"

"In a sense more like guilty by association."

"That's fine. Proceed."

Mercedes walked up to the stand and readied herself for what was about to happen.

"Mrs. Evans, how are you?"

"I'm well thank you."

"Okay I only have a few questions to ask you. Do you remember who attacked you?"

"Yes."

"Is said person in this room?"

"Yes."

"Mind pointing that person out?" His lawyer asked and she let out a deep breath and pointed directly at Shane who was shooting her a death glare but she just smiled and look back at Sam.

"I know this will be hard but can you tell everyone what he did that day?"

"He showed up to our home… I wasn't even at the door when I heard it crack and I saw him. He charged at me throwing me against the wall but I fought back which seemed to shock him. We fought throughout the house I tried to get out but he would always yank me back by my hair. At some point he hand me pinned on the bed and I knew if I didn't get him off of me he would have raped me again. So I started clawing at him and punching him with my might before kneeing him three times, but it didn't do much considering there wasn't much to hit."

"BITCH!" The judge shot him a stern look and Shane let out a heavy breath then sat back down.

"Please continue Ms. Evans."

"He got beyond angry it was beyond anything I remembered when he would beat me… something snapped and he started hitting me harder and harder and I tried to fight off the blows but… it became too much and when he threw me off the bed I couldn't focus any longer I just remember hitting my head and feeling the blood. I remembered what a good friend of mine told me 'If you think you can't keep going then pretend, be lifeless and catch them off guard.' I smeared my hand in the blood coming from my head and placed my hand on the wall because I knew where he was going to leave me. The same place he always did the bathroom, he drug me into there and hovered over me and bit him hard. As hard as I could and didn't let go until he lifted slightly and slammed me and then it went black." She said wiping a tear that had fallen.

"Your honor I'd like ti enter these three items as evidence, it was collected when the did a full exam. They collected blood, tissue as well they found his skin under her nails. This attack was brutal and should be treated as such."

"Mrs. Evans why did the defendant believe you were dead?"

Seven Months ago

"Mr. Evans if you would just let me explain." The doctor said as he walked in as Sam stood there looking at Mercedes.

"I know… she's gone." He said barely above a whisper.

"Mr. Evans, she isn't dead." The doctor said sighing and rubbing his temples and Sam jerked around so quickly that it made him dizzy.

"Wh-what? She isn't-"

"She's in a medically induced coma, she started screaming when she came to and went into shock refusing to let us touch her… we needed her to calm down so we sedated her and examined her while she was out but the damage to her head was bad so to ensure she wouldn't cause any additional harm we put her under. Her body handled the blows but it was the head trauma, she's going to need to be her for a while and in two days after we check for swelling if all goes well we'll administer a drug to take her out of the coma… that's where things get tricky because after we do it's up to her to come back." The doctor said looking at Sam trying to read his expression.

"So she's?"

"Very much alive, she just needs to heal. I'm sorry for scaring you but you panicked before I could say anything. She just needs time and we need to alert the police, I'm going to be honest we lost her for a brief moment but she's fine." The doctor added and that's when Sam realized that it wasn't over.

"Please hold off on contacting the police until I return, I have a feeling I know who did this and if they find out she's alive they'll come back for her..." He said remembering the cameras.

"I can only hold off for two hours."

"That's enough time please don't let anyone else in here." Sam said leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her forehead before walking out and being greeted by his friends.

"Sam..."

"Not here.. call Artie and go home, please." He said to them all before walking out and heading to his truck, when he got in he let out a scream gripping the steering wheel tightly as he cried. He was jerked out of his pity party by the knock on the window and he looked up and let out a breath before opening the door.

"Not now please… I need to get-"

"You need to get it together and do it fast. We will NOT let you fall down that damn rabbit hole again, you go fight for our girl." Santana said pulling him into a hug before pulling away.

"We got her from here… no one will know."

"How… how did you know she wasn't?"

"She's a fighter Sam and she wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. You know that deep down, she wouldn't leave you." She said with a small smile.

"I know… I told the doctor not to let anyone in to see her, he needs to think he's won." Sam replied heavily. "I have to go but if they don't know don't say anything until you're back in Nashville."

"Okay, but you better do everything you can to make sure he gets everything he deserves." She said before walking away.

…

When Sam got home he sighed and tried to push away the tears and kept telling his self that she was indeed okay. He went to his office which was luckily untouched and the logged in quickly accessing the camera feed. He let out a deep breath and found the one from today, he had it set up to delete after twenty-four hours so no one would see them being intimate. He braced his self as he watched her walk back inside then smile and shake her head as she walked back to the door and opened he could see the smile drop from her face and her push with all her might to close the door but it was to late he pushed his way in and knocked her to the ground.

Sam mad his self watch it all, even when the urge to look away was strong he refused to leave her. Tears fell as he watch her fight and damn it if his baby didn't fight, he caught his self smile slightly at how hard she was fighting but it dropped when he saw him slam her on the bed and rip her dress. He couldn't watch her be raped but he needed to know, he could feel the bile growing but then he saw him jerk back and throw her off the bed grabbing his groin. That's my girl. When he was leaving he looked directly at the camera unknowingly and Sam took a screenshot of it before making a copy and pulling out his phone to call Artie his self.

"Yo, Sam man are you okay? Santana called me crying and said I needed to get to Lima asap. Is she?"

"No, she's not but for now they need to think she is and I need you. I need you to find someone immediately and tell me everything you can about an address okay?"

"Dude what are you talking about if she's alive then why do you want the gang to think she's dead?"

"Because Mercedes told me something a while ago to make sure he never does anything to me but that doesn't mean he won't come after you guys. Holly Holiday is the person, that's all I have a name and this address 3714 St. Andrews Street, South Waco, Texas. I need you to do it quickly and don't call me just bring me whatever you have okay?"

"I got you but Sam you don't need to be alone right now."

"I don't plan on being alone at all. I have to act like a grieving boyfriend so that's what I intend on doing. Erase this call after we finish I'm going to call the police then give them footage." Sam answered before hanging up and letting out shaky breath the words Santana said were loud in his mind.

"She's a fighter Sam and she wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. You know that deep down, she wouldn't leave you."

He knew it was true but his heart still ached but he needed to be convincing because he refused to believe this was the end of their story so he dialed 9-1-1 and explained everything and waited for them to arrive. Their whole house was turned into a scene out of one those cops shows, he had to grab some clothes and was asked to stay in town until after he was questioned. He grabbed his clothes and few of hers before leaving to go back to the hospital, he knew what this part meant and he was already prepared. He would stay there as long as he needed until she woke up, until she smiled at him again and until they told them she could leave.

When he walked back inside the hospital he was shocked to see that all his friends did what he asked, well all but one Quinn. She was still there, hair disheveled, dark circles under eyes and tear stains on her cheeks when she saw him come back she knew then what everyone didn't and got and charged Sam hitting him repeatedly until wrapped her up in a tight hug and let her cry.

"Don't ever fucking do that again!" Quinn said into his shirt.

"Quinn I'm sorry but I had to do it this way… her ex isn't Biff he won't just go away if he knows she's alive. I can't explain it all now but I promise I will okay?" He said pulling away to look at her and she nodded.

"I want to see her." She said softly.

"No, not like that when she's better yes but not now. Go home and be with Beth and Noah okay? You know that's what she'll want for you to do." Sam said pulling her into another hug before moving aside so she could leave.

Sam let out a deep breath before heading to her room and he slowly entered closing his eyes for a moment before walking fully inside. He was mad a vow to be there everyday until they could go home and resume their lives.

SURPRISE!YALL KNOW DAMN WELL SAMCEDES IS MY BABY! Oh and how'd you like the twist? IT'S ABOUT TO GET MAD JUICY BECAUSE ARTIEEEEEE GOTTTT THE TEAAAA! I had to have that chapter happen yall but be assured Mercedes knows who the hell she is now ;) Until next time XOXO!