A/N: Hey guys I'm back again! Two updates in one month, it's been a long time since I've done that, but I hope to start updating more frequently! I won't promise anything, but I am very determined to finish this story. I want to say to all of you who continues to read and review this story, thank you very much! I truly appreciate you. To my Beta Zeejack, I thank you for making this story readable! I'm not going to bore with a long author's note, I'll just say HAPPY READING!

Much Love

***DISCLAIMER*** I do not own anything! Please excuse any mistakes, my beta and I are only human!

Sam made his way home from practice, and he walked right up to his bedroom, and sat on the bed, "Mercy!" He called out to her, but got no response, he thought maybe she wasn't home. He started taking off his shoes, and pants, he was going to go jump in the shower. He walked into the bathroom, and what he saw had him panicking, Mercedes was on the floor, bent over the toilet. He quickly ran to her side, "Mercy, baby, are you alright?" He knelt down next to her, "What happened baby?"

Mercedes had not been feeling all morning, but it got worse that evening right when Sam was heading home. She had been in the bathroom for about 20 minutes before Sam got home, and she was throwing up a good portion of that time. She looked up and saw Sam there, "Sam...baby, I don't feel too well." Just then she started puking again.

Sam held her hair back, "Mercy, do you think you should to go to the hospital?" He rubbed her back after she started to calm down a little.

She nodded her head, "No, I think it's just a bug going around, I'll be fine, I just need to rest, and get some medicine in me." She knew that this was not going to convince Sam, but she was going to try.

"I really think that you need to go to the hospital baby." Sam pleaded with Mercedes, and hoped she would not fight him on this, but he knew Mercy, and when she had her mind set on something, she was not going to budge. "Please baby, this is not normal."

She slowly stood up from the floor, and made her way to the sink to brush her teeth, "It's fine really Sam, I promise." She finished brushing her teeth, and swished the mouthwash in her mouth. Once she spit, she wiped her mouth, and headed out the bathroom, "I just need to lie down for a while, I'll be fine." She got in the bed pulling the covers over her, "Will you come lay with me?" She looked up at Sam with her puppy dog eyes.

He stood at the door looking at his wife being as stubborn as ever, she was not going to go to the doctor, and it was driving him insane, "Mercy…." Hearing her ask if he could come lay with her, had him sighing, "You know I love you right?" He took off his pants and got into the bed with her, "Babe, would you please promise me that if this gets any worse, you will please go to the doctor." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

Mercedes smiled feeling safe again as always in Sam's arms, "Okay baby, I promise, but you need to trust me. I know my body, and this is going to pass." She rested against his chest, and listened to his heartbeat. "So how was practice?"

Practice was the last thing on Sam's mind, after coming home and seeing his wife on the floor, but he knew worrying about her would just annoy her. "Practice was good, nothing out of the ordinary. I'm more interested in how you're doing?"

Trying to convince Sam that she was okay at this point would be futile, and Mercedes knew it, so she was going to be honest, "My day could have been better, I mean ever since I got back from LA, I have not been feeling so good, but I'm sure it will pass, and everything will be good." She looked into his eyes, and gave him a warm smile to help try and convince him of her story.

"Well maybe you shouldn't go to LA anytime soon." Sam joked, knowing that was not going to happen. "No but seriously, I'm concerned about you baby, your health comes first."

"That's going to be kinda hard since I do a lot of work there, but we'll see how that goes. She laughed, but then sighed hearing the serious tone back in Sam's voice, "I know you're concerned babe, but I'm fine, I promise."

"How long have you been feeling like this? Did this just happen today?" He rubbed her back to soothe her.

She had to think about when this started, it had been recently, but she couldn't remember the exact day. "I think it started about a week ago, but I can't be so sure. I just know that some point during the week, I just started getting nauseous during the day." She shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe it's a bug going around or something."

Sam looked down at Mercedes, with a look of disbelief, and happiness rolled into one. He couldn't believe that she never even thought of the fact that maybe she could be pregnant. "Um...babe, have you even thought about the idea of you being pregnant?"

Mercedes looked up at him, with a petrified look on her face, "What? No way Sam, I can't be pregnant, not now!" She shot up and started to freak out, "I have way too much to do right now to get pregnant. I am about to start my tour, and my album is doing great on the charts, so that means more press and travel, how am I supposed to do that being pregnant?" She had a million things running through her mind at this point, but all arrows pointed to her being pregnant.

That was not the reaction Sam was looking for, he had always wanted a family as soon as possible, and he thought Mercedes would feel the same way, but it was obvious that she didn't, and that didn't sit too well with Sam, "Babe, you make it sound bad if you are pregnant. I mean, we always said we wanted a family, what changed?"

"I do want a family Sam, but now?" She could see the hurt look on his face, and that the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, but to her, the time to start a family was not now. "I'm just thinking about everything going on with the two of us. I mean during football season; you are gone a lot. And with me about to start my tour, I am going to be gone a lot. If I'm pregnant, midway through this tour, I am going to have to stop and put everything on hold, I can't do that."

"You can't or you don't want too?" Sam asked getting more and more upset.

"A little of both, if I'm being honest." Mercedes folded her arms, trying not to get too upset with his tone. "If I'm pregnant, I am the one that is going to have to make all the sacrifices Sam, not you, and I am not ready to do that right now. Why can't you understand that?"

Sam liked honesty in their relationship, but hearing that hurt like a bitch, "Wow….not what I expected, but thank you for being honest with me, I appreciate that." His tone was flat, and he was clearly upset. "I guess you make all the decisions about this family, and I'll just wait until you're ready." He got up and went to his drawer grabbing his workout clothes

"Sam….don't be like this, you know I am not trying to be controlling, I'm just not ready." She watched as he got up, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to work out." He spat heading to the bathroom to change.

"You just got home from practice Sam, you never workout right after practice." She stated, knowing he was just trying to get away from her.

"Well I guess we all change!" He slammed the door and changed his clothes. He needed to clear his head, and this was the best way he could think of. He hated fighting with Mercy, but this was something that was important to him, and to hear that she didn't feel the same way was hard for him. He walked out of the bathroom to notice she wasn't there, and he got worried for a minute, but decided that maybe she didn't want to see him, like he was not in the mood to see her right now. So he just made his way down to the gym to clear his head. He heard her playing the piano once he got downstairs, and knew she was doing the same thing he was about to do….clear his head.

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Tension filled the house for a few days, and as hard as it was, neither one of them wanted to talk about it. Nothing changed as far as their routine went, but there was definitely tension. Mercedes would get Sam's things ready for practice each morning, making sure he ate, and had his smoothie before he left. Sam would come down, kiss her on the cheek before he left, always telling her that he loved her, and she would always say it back. They never slept alone, but things were still tense between them.

Mercedes was sitting in her office looking at her upcoming itinerary for the week, when her phone started ringing. He smiled seeing it was her mom calling, "Hey mom."

Maxine Jones had been thinking about her daughter for a few days, and decided to call her, "Hey baby, how are you? I haven't heard from you in a few days, so I figured you weren't going to call me, and that I should call you."

"The guilt trip mom...really?" She rolled her eyes, "I've been a little busy, but I'm sorry for not calling you, I'll do better I promise." She chuckled knowing that as long as her mother had breath in her body, she was going to give her a hard time.

"No you won't, but that's okay, I know you love me." She joked, "So how are you baby girl, you've been on my heart lately, so I wanted to check in on you."

"I do love you mom, and I'm doing okay…" Her voice trailed off thinking about the last few days with Sam. She didn't want to lie to her mother, so she just let it all out, "Actually mom, these last few days have been difficult. Sam and I…" She could feel the tears starting to well up, and she tried to keep them at bay, but they were determined to fall. "We had a fight, and I don't know what to do to make him see where I'm coming from. He's just so stubborn."

Maxine knew there was a reason Mercedes was on her heart, and hearing that she and Sam was having issues just confirmed the feelings she was having. "I knew it was something, so tell me, what are you guys fighting about?"

"Starting a family…" Mercedes said calmly, "I've been feeling sick lately, and Sam brought up pregnancy, and I kinda freaked out.

"Do you not want to start a family?" Maxine asked.

"I do, but just not right now. I have a lot going on with my career, and starting a family would be inconvenient right now."

"And Sam wants one right away huh?"

"Apparently so…" Mercedes sighed, "He acts as if he doesn't understand why I want to wait a little while."

"So why do you want to wait?" Maxine asked.

"Because mama...I am getting ready to finally go on my first tour, and it's a huge deal. If I get pregnant right now, I am going to have to stop in the middle of the tour, and that's not what I really want to do. I mean, he is still going to do what he wants to do as far as his career, and I am the one that is going to have to sacrifice everything….not him."

Maxine nodded and continued to listen to Mercedes talking about everything that she was feeling, and this was something that she knew about all too well. "Mercedes, you are going through something that many women have to deal with, career or family. You are not the only one that has dealt with this, and you won't be the last, but you need to talk to Sam, and let him know how you feel, but also be open to his reasons for wanting to start a family."

Mercedes sighed, "I am trying mommy, but he is being so unreasonable."

"You don't think he would be? Mercedes, that man has wanted a family with you since you guys fell in love, and he finally got to marry you, so the next step in his mind is starting a family with you. You have to understand his point of view as well." She needed Mercedes to realize that a compromise had to be made by the both of them, no one wants to feel like they have no say so in their relationship. "You have make him feel like he has no say so in this process baby girl, this is a joint venture, and not just about you."

It was in that moment that Mercedes realized how she must have sounded to Sam, like he had no say so in their family. "I guess I made it all about me, and not about how he feels." She dropped her head, "Mom, I messed up."

"It's okay baby, we've all messed up in our relationship before, and you will probably mess up again, but I know that the two of you love each other very much, and this is going to pass." Maxine reassured her, "Just remember the reason you fell in love with Sam, and you'll do the right thing."

Mercedes sighed and smiled thinking about Sam, and her love for him. They have always tried to do things fairly when it comes to their relationship, so this time should not be any different, "I need to talk to my husband."

"Yes you do, and you also need to listen to him too."

"Yes ma'am…"

"Now go get your thoughts together and if you have to put on something sexy to persuade him to hold off on the baby making, then you know what to do."

"Mama! You know if I did that, I will be pregnant tonight" Mercedes giggled, "Are you trying to get me pregnant?"

"Hey you know I want grandbabies, but I won't push it, I know you want to get out there and do your thing."

"Thank you mom, but I promise you that Sam and I will give you grandbabies."

"That's all I ask." Maxine smiled, and looked at the clock, "I got to go baby girl, I have a client coming in a few, so I have to get ready. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay mom, I'll talk to you later. And thank you….for everything."

"No problem baby girl, that's what I'm here for. I love you."

"I love you too." Mercedes hung up the phone and sat back in her seat. She had a lot to think about, but one thing she knew for sure, that she was going to have to talk to Sam, because the tension was killing her.

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Sam got home from practice, and he was not surprised that Mercedes was nowhere to be found. He sat his bag down, and made his way to the bedroom to take a quick shower, and rest for the night, but when he walked inside, he saw Mercedes going through a box of old pictures and memorabilia, and leaned against the door, "Hey."

Mercedes was so engulfed in what she was doing; she didn't hear Sam come in. She felt the need to pull out her box of memories, so she could remind herself that the love for Sam was so much bigger than any disagreement. She looked up and saw him, and a smile came on her face, "Hey baby, will you come sit with me please."

He nodded and made his way next to her on the bed, "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm good, I haven't thrown up all day." She looked at a picture of them in New York and smiled. "Look at those two, they look so happy and in love don't they." She showed him the picture.

He smiled, "They do look happy, like they are ready to take the world by storm." He looked up at her, "Are we still happy Mercy?"

She sighed, and took his hands in hers, "We can be, but we need to talk. I think I owe you an apology."

Sam was shocked, he didn't expect to hear that, "You owe me an apology?"

"Yes Sam I do...I shouldn't have said what I did about starting our family. I made it all about me, when it should have been about us." She rubbed her thumb up and down his hand, "You want a family and I know this, and I tried to make it like it was all about me, and that's not fair."

"I wasn't trying to be insensitive to your career, but I just got excited with the thought that you might have been pregnant."

"I know Sam, but I shouldn't have freaked out like that. I want a family with you Sam, and I want a house full of children, but I want to get my career off the ground first."

Sam cupped her face, "I know baby, and I respect that. That's what I want for you, but I can't help that I want a family, and if it happens right now, I am not going to be able to hide my excitement."

"And I don't expect you to, I mean I might have to process it, but I will be happy when it happens, you have to know that."

Sam nodded, "I know you will, and I will be right there for you every step of the way baby."

"I never doubted you babe…" She wrapped her hands around his neck, and moved inches away from his lips, "You're always here for me, and I love you so much for that."

Sam took that opportunity to kiss her sweetly, "And I always will."

Mercedes smiled, and held him close, "I'm sorry baby, I want us to make important decisions about our life together, and it wasn't fair that I made it all about me. I want us both to have everything we want, so how about this, a small compromise, we get the dog we wanted first, and then in a year or two, we focus on the babies."

Sam laughed, and pulled Mercedes in for a kiss, "That is why I love you...you always make me smile." He hugged her close to him, "I think I can live with getting the dog first, and revisit the baby issue in a year." He was not going to say two, because he really wanted to have a child before then. "So, when do you want to pick out that dog?" He wagged his brow.

"As soon as you want babe, but do you think we can get a small dog, just in case one of us has to take it on the road with us. Neither one of us needs to try to manage a huge dog."

Sam was actually excited about getting a dog more than he thought. Hearing that Mercedes wanted a small dog was not a surprise, but he was pleasantly surprised for her reasons, "You would actually take the dog on the road with you?"

"Of course I would, I think it would be nice to have a companion from time to time, when we are both on the road. And sometimes we might not want to put the dog in a kennel." She shrugged her shoulders, "Why are you so surprised?"

"I guess I just thought you….you know what, never mind." He knew the best thing for him to do was shut his mouth. They were getting along again, and the tension was broken, so he wanted to keep it that way. "I love you baby, and that's all I'm going to say."

She smiled, "I love you too Sam, and I am not going to let things like this throw us off our game again. We are a unit, and no matter what happens, we are solid."

"Yeah we are baby, but one thing is nagging me. We never checked to see if you were actually pregnant." Sam still had a glimmer of hope that it could happen.

Mercedes dropped her head, and let out a deep sigh. She knew for a fact that she wasn't pregnant, but she didn't want to see the hurt look in Sam's eyes, but she knew he had to tell him. "We don't have to check Sam, I'm not pregnant."

"How can you be so sure?" He wondered.

"I started my period yesterday." She looked up at him, and could see that he was sad.

"Oh…." He dropped his head, and let out a sigh. "Well, I guess we are going to have to just keep practicing until that day comes."

She smiled, "Could we start right now, because I miss my husband…."

Sam pulled her onto his lap, and kissed her deeply, "And I miss my wife, so I am all about practicing right now."

He deepened their kiss, and soon clothes were being thrown all around the room, and they were making up for the last few days of tension, the best way they knew how.

A/N: So there you have it, I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think, good, bad, or indifferent!