Mercedes noticed a photo album and bit her bottom lip looking at it. She opened it to see photos of a pregnant woman, she assumed was Kat. The woman had a bright smile just like Sam said. The next few were of them watching the fireworks, sitting with his family at Christmas. Sam was so happy they both were. He had found his perfect girl and it wasn't Mercedes. It was Kat, a beautiful strong woman who even from the pictures Mercedes could see loved Sam completely. She wiped her eyes sadly. Sam and June lost someone precious to them and Mercedes heartbroken all over for Sam and his daughter.

Sam got June changed and said her prayers with her before tucking her into bed. "Sleep tight, Junebug. I love you."

"Love You, Daddy," June replied sleepily as he kissed her goodnight.

Sam walked back out into the living room to find Mercedes. "You okay? How much wine have you had?" he teased.

Mercedes quickly wiped her eyes as she heard Sam. "Eh still not enough if you ask me. But don't wanna get in trouble or get you drunk either." She said with a soft smile. "She was beautiful Sam. And from the pictures it's pretty fun too."

Sam smiled softly as he sat beside her on the couch. "She was. She never said no to an adventure," he recalled quietly. He glanced at her wine glass. "You can stay the night if you want. We have a guest room."

Mercedes laughed. "Sounds familiar. Weren't you the one who convinced me to go Cow tipping? And we got chased by a bull?" She sighed leaning back on the couch with her newly filled glass. "You sure? I don't want to upset June having some strange woman staying over."

"I just wanted to see if I could do it," Sam insisted with a laugh. "Turns out... can't do it." He shrugged slightly. "I explained who you were. She asked if you were gonna stay. Not in the house, but in general."

Mercedes laughed, shaking her head. "Duh those things are huge!" she sighed taking a sip of her drink. "I am sure. I suppose there is nothing wrong with me staying."

"You know I thought I was invincible back then." He turned on the couch so he could look at her. He just wanted to keep her safe. "No parents telling us we're too old to have sleepovers anymore."

Mercedes downed her drink, and sighed looking at Sam. "I think we all felt a little bit of that. Remember how we used to play hide and seek in the dark. My mom swore we were gonna get kidnapped and your dad said "So they'll bring em back once Mercy opens her mouth and sass em out." Mercedes shook her head. "Does that mean you are gonna sleep with me tonight?"

Sam chuckled, remembering what a mouth she always had on her. It was one of his favorite things about her. His smile faded and he looked at her sadly. "Cedes..." Even in just the few hours they'd been together, he could tell he wasn't the only one who'd suffered in the last few years. Standing up, he grabbed the wine bottle and carried it back out to the cabinet in the kitchen.

Her eyes widened. "Sam I didn't mean." She sighed watching him walk away, her big mouth always got worse when she was tipsy. She stood following him to the kitchen. "I didn't mean it like that Sam I wasn't coming on to you."

"It's fine if you were," Sam replied simply as he put the child lock on the cabinet. "I do work out now." He turned back around with a small smile. "I just think it's time to be done."

Mercedes leaned against the counter folding her arms against her chest. "It's fine if I were?" asking confused.

Sam sighed. "I'm just saying, I'm not gonna be upset about playful comments made after a bottle and a half of wine. I just think those comments are a good sign that we move on from the wine."

She nodded, why would he want to sleep with her? He didn't before. "Yeah..." She ran her hands through her hair. "Some things never change." she said under her breath, it didn't matter anyways. "I'll grab the glasses to load the dishwasher." She said moving back to the living room.

Sam's eyes narrowed as he watched her. "Wait, a minute, what is that supposed to mean? I have a three year old, you know? I'm trained to hear everything."

Dang it she forgot about daddy ears. "It means nothing." She said grabbing the glasses. "Now shouldn't you be getting ready for bed or whatnot?"

"It's nine-thirty," Sam laughed. "I may have a three year old, it doesn't mean I am one. What is going on with you?"

Mercedes glanced at him. "Nothing at all I guess I am just not clear headed or whatever." She lied. Being here, seeing Sam it was a lot more than she thought it would be. She didn't just miss her best friend,she missed the guy she had secretly loved half her life. She needed to learn not to get tipsy around him ever again.

Sam finished filling the dishwasher and started it up as he sighed. "I guess you picked up more than one new habit since I saw you last."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh and what's that?"

"I don't remember you lying to me when we were kids," Sam told her simply. "Either that or you're much worse at it after alcohol."

Mercedes sighed turning back at him. "I am still a... I mean I haven't." She sighed. "I am still a virgin so it's just like high school okay guys didn't want me then and some don't want me now."

Sam leaned against the counter, still quietly considering her. The events in his life has taught him to take time to think before he spoke, at least more than he used to. "And I'm... 'guys'?"

She ran her hands through her hair. "Come on Sam, you were just like every other guy in school. Girls were all over you and then no one saw your geeky glee club best friend."

"I did," Sam snapped back, not in the mood for this pity party she was throwing herself. He'd wasted enough time throwing his own.

Mercedes sighed. "You did what? You know what I really don't care.. I got over that crap in high school. I am freaking Lawyer and I am hot and I have people who want me, and if they can't see it then screw them!"

"I saw you," he answered anyway. "You were my whole world back then." He sighed then, sitting back in one of the kitchen chairs. "That would mean a lot more if I thought you actually believed it."

Mercedes moved and sat across from him. "Sam, you were my whole world too, the one person who got me and when I left. Leaving you was the hardest thing I could ever do. That's why I stopped talking to you, I was sad and it hurt." She closed her eyes. "You were my person Sam. And I loved you and I lost you."

Sam leaned over with his elbow on the table. Apparently they weren't going to waste any time airing out their feelings. "Yeah, well, it wasn't a lotta fun for me either," he pointed out. "The only person I ever loved outside of my family left me here that day. And then she stopped talking to me, stopped answering my calls. And I just assumed she'd found something better and I sure as hell couldn't fault her for that. But that didn't mean that it didn't hurt like hell."

Her heart broke hearing him speak. "I thought I was doing the right thing." She said sadly. "You had a life here and other friends. I thought if, if we." She wiped her eyes. Her hand went to his, holding it as her thumb ran over his hand. "I never did and never could find anyone better. Sam we were best friends from practically the womb, how could you think I could ever find anyone better than you? You are the one who found better, and I am thankful that you found your person and she gave you everything that I couldn't"

Sam turned his hand over and tangled his fingers with hers. "That's not fair," he said with a shake of his head. "It's not the same thing. Kat wasn't better. You're two different people who both meant the world to me at different times and in different ways. It doesn't make either of you better or more important."

Mercedes looked at him with tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry." Was all she said before going to him and hugging him close. "I'm sorry I left, I'm sorry I wasn't here." she said honestly through tears.

Sam hugged her back, burying his face against her shoulder for a moment before he took a breath. "I don't want you to be sorry for leaving. It was what you wanted and you had the talent and the drive to make it happen and you have no idea how proud I was. How proud I am. I just never thought that... that we'd go this long without seeing each other again."

She nodded with a sniff, still against him. "Never again. I never truly realized how big a hole losing you left til right now..." she mumbled.

Sam smiled slightly, all of his emotions swirling through him at once. "So maybe we can start again?"

She nodded still holding him. "I'd like that." She inhaled taking him in, as grown and different as he was, it still felt the same being in his arms.

Sam rubbed her back for a little bit before taking her hand and leading her back out to the living room. "C'mon. I got another photo album I think you'll like."

She hesitated leaving his arms but nodded. "Okay." She stood linking her hands with his.

Sam let her sit back on the couch and went to his bookshelf. "Okay, I have two because I'm a dad, please forgive me," he told her with a smile. He walked back over with two photo albums, one much more beat up than the other one. "This is pretty much all June through her first couple years," he said, handing Mercedes the newer looking one.

"I would never get mad seeing that beautiful girl." She glanced at the photo album and giggled. "Oh my Gosh Sam! She is so... awww look at her and Stevie! Oh and angry Stevie covered in mashed peas."

Sam laughed. "No one wants that for themselves." He turned the page. "This is her first birthday. Ma did a Tinkerbell theme so she had tiny wings."

"Oh my word." Mercedes smiled seeing how proud Sam was with his daughter. "Sam, this is incredible." Picture after Picture she realized how much she missed. "These are amazing Sam, I need more photos." she said on the last page.

"Oh, I have plenty. But first, I thought we could look at these." He picked the beat up old album up again and set it in his own lap. "Ma made this and gave it to me after you left," he explained, opening to reveal scrapbook pages of their lives, starting from when they were just babies themselves.

"Sam..." Mercedes said heart full from just the first picture of her and Sam side by side in the crib. "Mom said I cried anytime they separated us." She turned to see them in the bathtub wearing their bathing suits then one of her and Sam after she gave him a haircut at 5. "Yeah you started Kindergarten with short hair because of me." Next was a picture of Sam in his dad's suit and Mercedes in her mom's wedding dress. They were 6. "Sam its our Wedding day."

"Eh, you did me a favor. I probably woulda got called a girl on the daily," Sam chuckled, smiling over her shoulder. "I can't believe they even let us wear those. Dad's pants got dragged all over the ground."

Mercedes laughed. "Mom said thank God for dry cleaning. Her dress was a mess after but they said they expected us to be married one day anyways." She looked at Sam lovingly then snapped out of it turning the page to her in a dress and tights ripped and covered in dirt and Sam in jeans and a tee just as ripped and dirty. "Oh wow the day we fought the Connor Twins. They thought they could jump you but they didn't expect me to jump in."

"Yeah, Ma commemorates weird things." He laid his arm one the back of the couch behind Mercedes. "Here's when I taught you how to fish and you screamed at the fish."

Mercedes laughed. "They weren't biting what else was I supposed to do?"

"That is literally the opposite of what you're supposed to do," Sam reminded her, laughing right along with her.

Mercedes smiled seeing more pictures. She wiped her eyes leaning into Sam. "We had so much fun. Look at us at Camp? The first time I rode a horse...and fell off." She looked up to him. "You remember what you told me?"

Sam raised an eyebrow at her. "That you had to get back on again? I mean, it's a saying for a reason."

"That and that you would always be there to help me up when I fall. And you were." She looked up to him. "We always made a pretty good team didn't we?"

Sam smiled softly and ran a hand over her hair. "Yeah, we did. If I'd only been smart enough to get into one of them fancy schools."

Mercedes shook her head. "You are way smarter than half the people there."

Sam shrugged and let out a sigh. "Doesn't really matter, does it? That's just the way the world works."

Mercedes frowned sitting up, she ran her hands through her hair, letting it fall back down and over her face. "Can't go back even if we wanted to."

Sam let his hand fall back to the cushion, picking at it mindlessly. "No, I suppose not. But we can go forward."

Mercedes turned another page of the photo album and a soft smile spread her lips. It was her and Sam standing side by side in their football uniforms. The only girl on the team, much too many angry preteens. Sam fought for her to be on the team. "We won state that year." She turned to see a group of them sitting around the bonfire. Her eyes widened. Little did Sam's mom know that about 20 minutes earlier she and Sam shared a kiss. Both were scared to play spin the bottle and thought kissing each other would take the fear away. It only made her more confused. "You remember this day?"

Sam leaned over and looked at the photo, a smile spreading slowly across his face. "Yeah... it was a good day."

Mercedes smiled as he leaned over her. "Our first kiss. I remember I was so nervous but you always made it better. Though if I recall you were a little sloppy." She teased. He wasn't but she wanted to mess with him.

"Yeah, well, you looked like a fish," Sam shot back, laughing as he sat back again. "I'm sure we've both improved since then."

Mercedes laughed. "Did not!" She chewed her bottom lip and smirked. "This may be the wine talking but prove it."

"It might be, but I've only had a couple glasses, so..." He leaned over slowly, closing the small space between them until their lips met.

Mercedes smiled as he leaned into her and she did the same, practically holding her breath till she felt his lips on hers. She pushed to move slightly closer to him, kissing him softly.

Sam's hand came up to cup her cheek and he let himself kiss her, really kiss her. And he felt something he hadn't felt in quite a long time. Finally pulling back, he smiled and let out a puff of air.

Maybe it was the wine that gave her courage to do what 16 year old Mercedes couldn't do, but she felt every bit of that kiss. It lit a fire in her that she thought had long burnt out. When Sam pulled away she watched him smile and smiled herself still close to him. "Maybe you are better, but I think just to be fair we should kiss one more time. Just so we both clearly can see the difference." Liar, you just wanna kiss him again. she said to herself. Clearly he kissed better now at 28 then he did at 11.

Sam didn't believe the ruse for a second, but he found himself kissing her again anyway. His thumb brushed over his cheek and his tongue pushed gently through her lips.

Mercedes parted her lips, letting her arms wrap around him this time, pulling him closer. His kiss filled her with want and need and she didn't want it to end. Tongue pressing against his, a soft moan left her lips.

Sam hummed slightly before he pulled back and met her eyes. "Just... just tell me how long you've wanted this," he whispered.

Mercedes stared up at him, her eyes closed for a moment. They opened back up at his question. Forever, screamed from her mind but before she could answer her phone rang. She snapped out of her daze and swallowed hard fully aware of her actions and where they could lead. Now she had to decide to answer Sam and ignore her phone, or use her phone as an excuse to run like she was programmed to do.

Sam glanced over to where the sound was coming from. It was probably her boyfriend, he realized. God, what was he even doing? With June in the other room, no less. "Sorry," he whispered. "That was... I'm gonna get a glass of water."

In her mind she called after him, but she wasn't in her mind, it was cloudy and she was still trying to wrap her head around Sam and her feelings and that kiss. As he walked out the room she sighed grabbing her phone. It was her assistant Marley. "Hey Marls what's going on it's after 7 there right?"

"Yeah, um Mrs. Kellan wanted to reach you before she left, Brittany is coming now for them before her husband makes bail and I know you said emergencies only but..."

"But this is the exception. Go ahead and put her on."

"Mercedes?" a soft voice said from the line. She hit the speaker to hear her better.

"Mrs. Kellan how are you?"

"Better, we got all my stuff out... the first girl is picking me up from the office and I just wanted to say thank you."

"Please don't thank me. If I were there I would drive you myself. But Brittany, she and San are amazing and will help you get your new identity before sending you off to the next person. Is your daughter okay?"

"She is just happy we are getting out. I owe you our life."

"No you don't. I wish we could talk longer but I am so glad we could help you."

Marley came back on the line. "Another one closed."

Sam got some ice from the fridge and filled it with cold water, taking a moment to take a long drink. He held the glass against his forehead as he took a breath. The past three hours alone had been a rollercoaster of emotions, much less the almost 30 years of his life. He walked back out and leaned against the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.

"Yeah another one closed. I am glad the judge held off on granting him bail until now. She'll have a pretty big lead. Please remember only burner phones with San and Britt. If Marsha brings in anyone who needs help they are who you go too."

"I got it just to take care of your mom. How is she?"

"She is better."

"And...have you seen...him."

Mercedes blushed. "I have to go now."

"Come on all you could talk about was seeing Sam again. Was it everything you thought? Did you tell him the truth?"

"Marls I gotta go. But yes I saw him and he was married and has a daughter and that's all you get goodnight."

Mercedes hung up before she could speak again and sighed into her hands.

"You've been talking about me?" Sam asked from where he stood in the doorway, glass in his hand.

Mercedes froze. She slowly looked up to Sam. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Just that last part about me being married and having a kid. Both things I already knew, so no secrets revealed," he assured her, walking into the room and sitting in his chair.

Mercedes glanced over to him. "Just because we didn't talk didn't mean I didn't talk about you." She said softly. "Sorry for the interruption a client wanted to say goodbye."

"S'okay." Sam sat back in the chair and sipped his water. "I know you do important stuff. Me, I just tell 'em to wait til morning. Or I make Jake do it."

Mercedes chewed her bottom lip. "Yeah...I guess I should let you get some sleep...'' She wanted to ask him about the kiss, about them but it seemed water under the bridge by now.

Sam pursed his lips slightly and nodded. "Sure, if that's what you wanna do. You probably wanna call your boyfriend, let him know you're alright."

Mercedes shook her head turning away but stopped. "You need to show me where the guest room is."

Sam didn't know why he was surprised. She'd been running away from him for years, no reason she would stop now. He set his glass down on the table and got up. "This way. The bathroom's right here. There's fresh toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet, regular or Toothless the dragon, which I buy for the irony and June buys for her dragon obsession," he joked. "And towels in the cabinet above the toilet. Guest room's over here. You want something to sleep in? I got t-shirts."

Mercedes followed him, only half paying attention. "Oh okay yeah. Um a t shirt would be good. Thanks." Why could she be honest with everyone but him?

Sam nodded. "Alright, I'll be right back." He continued down the hall to his own room at the end and found a shirt from his drawer. He walked back and stood in the doorway again, holding the shirt out. "Is there... anything else you need from me?"

Mercedes sighed heavily as he left and when he returned it was clear to her he was annoyed with her. "I think..." she cleared her throat. "Not that it matters now, but I think I always did. Want it to be that way." She stood from the bed. "But I knew for sure Jr. Prom, when you asked me to dance." She said sadly all that time wasted. She walked over to him. "Thank you for the shirt." Taking it she turned away from him hating how weak she was feeling at that moment.

Sam reached out and took her arm, guiding her back to face him. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "We'll talk tomorrow when the wine wears off for both of us, okay?"

She stared at him with a soft nod. "Goodnight." She said softly giving him a weak smile.

"Night," Sam whispered before heading back to his room again. He sat on his side of the bed and looked at the wedding picture that was sitting on his nightstand. "I know, I know. You're wondering what took me so long," he said, staring at Kat smiling back at him. "I'll do my best."

Mercedes sat on the bed looking at Sam's shirt. Everything about this felt wrong, she was in the house he shared with his wife. His daughter was sleeping down the hall and she was making out with him. Then he wanted to talk to her in the morning and maybe it was her tipsy state but she couldn't face him. She faced down abusers and gang members to get her clients out of their clutches but she couldn't face Sam Evans, her best friend? Waiting until she was certain he was asleep, she went to find her purse. Leaving him a note, she grabbed her things and left his place, locking the bottom half behind her. She wasn't ready for this, she wasn't ready to risk rejection from him so she did the only thing she could do. Run.