And now for something completely, totally random. I'm not entirely sure where this came from, but I hope you like it! Let me know your thoughts - I love to hear them!
Late Summer 2026
"What in the holy hell is going on here?"
Sam looks up, wincing guiltily at the look on his wife's face as she stands in the doorway of their living room, glaring at all of them.
In her defense, it was a complete disaster area. Crayons strewn everywhere, couch cushions in all corners of the room and it looked like Barbie's closet had exploded.
"We're playing, Mama!" Three and a half-year-old Gabby Evans exclaims happily.
"Yeah, Aunt 'Cedes," Six-year-old Tracy Anderson-Hummel echoes. "We're playing – you should come play too."
Mercedes manages a wan smile as she looks at the two little girls. Normally she would be charmed by them – she loves how sweet they are together and especially appreciates Tracy's tolerance with the younger girl, even as their age difference is starting to be more of a real difference but she is not in the mood today. "Maybe in a little bit, okay girls?"
They both nod as she turns her attention back to their fathers.
"I promise we'll have it cleaned up before they go home," Sam says hastily and Mercedes shakes her head.
"You should have been cleaning up each thing as you went along. There's no reason for it to get this bad in here."
One of them starts to say something else – she's not even sure which one of them – when her attention is drawn to a small table in the back of the room.
"Oh, hell no – is that fingerpaint? In the house, Sam? And it's in the carpet?"
"Sorry, Mercedes," Blaine pipes up. "That one's my fault. I didn't realize it was in her bag – we came straight here from picking her up at Kurt's this morning."
Mercedes closes her eyes, as if praying for strength. She is too tired for this today. Opening her eyes again, she glares at Blaine. "You know what I tell Sam? If you're not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. And right now you both are the problem."
She would probably have kept going, but the baby monitor goes off then, Zoe's cries echoing through the room, and she sighs tiredly.
"I'll get her," Sam starts to say and she shakes her head.
"No, I'll get her. YOU stay here and make my living room look halfway decent again." With that, she turns and heads upstairs to tend to the crying baby.
Sam grabs a couch cushion, puts it back on the couch and then sits down, rubbing his hand over his face, looking exhausted.
"Is everything okay?" Blaine asks cautiously, bringing the other two cushions back and sitting down beside Sam on the couch. "'Cause I mean, yeah, it's a mess in here, but that – was not very Mercedes-like. Usually she's just, like, benevolently exasperated with us, not outright pissed off."
Sam sighs. "It's not about the mess. I mean, it is a little, but not really." He glances over at the two girls, making sure they are truly absorbed with the Barbies they're now playing with, and then lowers his voice anyway. "She'll probably kill me for telling you, but she's already ready to kill me anyway, so whatever. She's pregnant again. We just figured it out yesterday. We ate leftover Chinese two nights ago and by the time we went to bed she was throwing it all back up. And we chalked it up to maybe just part of it had gone bad or something – but then she was sick again first thing in the morning. And since neither me or Gabby got sick at all, she was like, shit. I know what this is. And then she sent me to the drugstore on the corner for a test and yeah. Positive."
"Oh, man," Blaine says sympathetically. "Not planned then, I guess."
Sam gives him a look. "Zoe is barely five months old, so no. Not at all." He sighs again.
"How does that even happen?" Blaine wonders, almost to himself and Sam laughs in spite of himself.
"I know you're gay, dude, but I'm also pretty sure you know how babies get made the hetero way."
Blaine rolls his eyes and punches Sam's shoulder. "Yes, I know that part. I meant, like, you'd think the body would like, naturally, try to prevent another pregnancy happening again so soon."
"Oh, I gotcha. Yeah, I guess not." He shrugs. "You might also think that a couple with a new baby and an older kid might be more careful about birth control, but here we are," he says, looking rueful. "Choices were made."
"Ahh," Blaine says, a grin playing at the edges of his mouth. "You just can't say no to her, can you?"
"Duh," Sam shoots back with a grin of his own and Blaine shakes his head.
"You know," Blaine says cautiously after a few minutes of silence, "a lot of people would kill to have a pregnancy just happen."
Sam glances over at Tracy and then looks back at Blaine, looking chagrinned.
"I'm sorry, man."
"Oh, I didn't mean me," Blaine says hurriedly. "Tracy is plenty for now, even only having her part-time. Especially since Sebastian wasn't sure at first about even being a stepdad, let alone an actual dad. But, you know, as insane as Cooper is, I did always like having a sibling and Sebastian loves his sister, so maybe one day. When the time is right."
"See, that's the thing - she's not mad about the baby itself, more just the timing. It's not great. For her work schedule, for having two kids so close together, all of it." Sam looks pensive. "And I'm actually pretty thrilled, but I'm trying to let her process before I let her see how excited I actually am."
Blaine nods. "Well, I'm happy for you guys, even if she's not quite there yet." He glances around. "C'mon, let's get this room back in shape, we can at least do that."
An hour or so later, Mercedes is still upstairs in the baby's room, dozing in the rocking glider, Zoe nestled on her chest. She's been so tired lately, figured it was a by-product of having a preschooler and an infant, but the realization of her pregnancy has solved another mystery.
"Mercedes?"
A soft voice in the doorway startles her awake and she looks up, expecting to see Sam and is surprised that it's Blaine instead.
"Oh – hey Blaine."
He smiles. "Hi. I just wanted to come up and apologize for the mess downstairs. It's all cleaned up and I've called Stanley Steemer and pre-paid for them to come out Monday and clean the carpet. That should take care of the remains of the paint stain."
"Thank you – Blaine – you didn't have to do that." She is touched by the gesture but knows it really wasn't necessary.
He shrugs. "I know. But I wanted to. You guys have been good to me."
"That's what friends do, Blaine," she says with a smile, studying him a moment. "Sam told you, didn't he?"
Blaine hesitates, then nods. "He said you'd kill him for it, but yeah."
She laughs, shakes her head. "He knows better. I won't kill him – I can't handle three children without him. I will continue to blame him though." She sighs. "Which I know isn't fair, but it's also not fair that he can flash those stupid green eyes at me and there goes all my sense of reason."
Blaine laughs. "Being quite susceptible to a pair of green eyes myself, I completely understand."
"I bet you do," Mercedes agrees. "At least he can't get you pregnant."
"One of the hidden benefits of homosexuality," Blaine says dryly.
"Anyway," Mercedes says, "It probably goes without saying, but please don't tell anyone yet. It's so early and – "
"Of course."
"You can tell Sebastian, though," she adds, before admitting, "Since I called and left him a voicemail telling him he might be a widower soon. He's probably owed an explanation."
"Ah," Blaine says, holding up his phone. "That explains the texts wanting to know if everything was okay. I thought that was a little out of nowhere."
Mercedes sniffs. "Well, you know. Pregnant women can be irrational."
Blaine snorts. "Um, hello. Rachel Berry is the mother of my child. I am WELL acquainted with this notion."
Mercedes laughs, a real belly laugh, at that comment, and Zoe stirs awake, blinking wide, sleepy eyes at her mother, her expression seeming to say 'what are you doing, lady?' and Mercedes kisses her forehead.
"Hi, baby girl," she says. "Did you have another good nap? Your Uncle Blaine is here, do you want to say hi?"
Blaine steps further into the room, holding his hands out, and Mercedes carefully transfers the baby to him, Blaine cradling the little girl in his arms.
"She is gorgeous, Mercedes," he says to her. "You and Sam make the most beautiful babies I've ever seen, except for Tracy, of course. I know that's not necessarily a reason to have more, but it's a nice bonus."
"I guess so," Mercedes says, amusement in her voice. Then she laughs again. "You do remember that our will says our kids go to you if anything happens to us, right? You should maybe be a little invested in how many children we have."
"It's still me?" Blaine says, sounding a little confused. "I thought – after Kurt and I split - "
Mercedes shakes her head. "It was always just you. Not you and Kurt."
"I – don't know that I realized that."
"You're Sam's best friend. Kurt's our friend too, but he hasn't been my best friend in years. And Quinn's so busy with work that we don't see her as often as we see you, so you make more sense. You know she'd help you – everyone would. But the girls – well, just Gabby for now, but eventually both of them and whoever this one is, know you best," she said, laying one hand on her stomach as she spoke.
Blaine nods. "I hope I never have to, but you know I'd love them like my own."
"I know," Mercedes says, standing up and squeezing his arm.
They stand in silence for a few minutes, except for Blaine cooing at the baby in his arms, and then he turned his attention back to Mercedes. "Are you really mad at Sam?"
She shook her head. "No, not really. I mean, I'm a little mad at both of us, for being a little careless, but we've always talked about having three or four kids. It's just not happening on my timetable now and you know how I hate to let go of control. I wanted them to all be spaced out like Gabby and Zoe are. I had a year home with Gabby, a year in the studio and then touring by the third summer. And I got pregnant with Zoe on tour last year, so it was perfect. But this? Fourteen months apart? It's just – a mind shift." She shrugs, looking contrite. "He feels awful, doesn't he?"
"He just hates when you're mad at him," Blaine says simply. "And I'll admit – it happens so rarely, at least that I'm aware of – it is kind of unnerving." He looks thoughtful. "You know, it was that first year that you and Sam were married that made me realize how unhappy my marriage was. You guys were – are – so good together. Watching how you communicated – it opened my eyes." He shook his head. "I thought we'd worked things out, gotten to a good place – especially with having Tracy, but –"
His voice trails off and Mercedes squeezes his arm again. "Honestly? The only surprise to me in the end was how amicable the split has been," she says quietly.
"It has to be, for Tracy's sake," Blaine replies. Then he smiles. "But yeah. Turns out we're actually better friends and co-parents than we were husbands. He's even almost finally cool with Sebastian."
"Major progress," Mercedes says lightly, laughing as Blaine slips his arm around her waist for a one-armed hug.
"Hey now." Sam's voice came from behind them. "Don't be taking advantage of our momentary issues and try to steal my woman."
Blaine just shakes his head as Mercedes scoffs. "As if I could be stolen. I am not anyone's property."
Sam grins. "True. But you are my gorgeous, incredible wife who I adore, the mother of my children –" her face softens as he speaks, as she see the love on his face as he looks at her "- and the lady for whom there is macaroni and cheese in the oven downstairs as we speak."
She gasps with joy. "HOW did you know that I am dying for some mac and cheese?"
Sam shrugs. "Because you ate it constantly when you were pregnant with the other two, so I took a chance."
Mercedes goes to hug him. "You are the best, most wonderful husband ever and I'm so sorry I've been such a bitch since yesterday. I just needed to – "
"- wrap your head around it, I know," he says, hugging her back and kissing the top of her head.
"Now that's more like it," Blaine says, mostly to the baby in his arms. "Your parents are ridiculous, Miss Zoe, but they really do love each other."
Mercedes laughs. "Hey, Blaine, guess what?"
"What?"
"You're gonna be an uncle again!" she exclaims as Sam chimes in, "We're having a BABY!"
Blaine plays his part, gasping at the news. "What? Oh my goodness, congratulations, you guys!"
"Do you and Tracy want to stay for dinner?" Mercedes offers. "Sebastian can come too. Sam made macaroni and cheese for me!"
"Oh, I don't want to leave you without enough pregnant lady mac and cheese," Blaine protests and Mercedes waves a dismissive hand.
"Don't worry about that, Sam will make more if I need it."
"Oh, will I?" Sam says. Mercedes shoots him a look and he nods. "Yeah, I will," he concedes.
Blaine laughs. "Well, in that case, let me call Seb. One of you want to take your kid back?"
Mercedes was closer to him, so she took Zoe as he headed for the hallway, phone in hand.
"Hey Blaine?" she says and he turns back in the doorway.
"Sorry about calling you a problem earlier. You've definitely made yourself part of the solution."
"See?" Sam says triumphantly. "I told you we can be both part of the problem AND part of the solution."
Blaine just laughs and shakes his head as he heads out the door while Mercedes rolls her eyes.
"I'd prefer you just be part of the solution to start with," she says, "but okay. Point proved."
Sam pulls her against his side and kisses her. "That's all I wanted to hear."