Hey my loves, sorry I've been MIA for a while, I'm in uni and I'm actually starting with exams next week. I really hope you all enjoy, I kinda just threw this together so forgive any mistakes, please.

"-and we went to the beach to swim, Daddy!"

Sam smiled hearing the excitement in her voice. Aria and Mercedes were in California for Sugar's wedding. Sam missed them a lot. It felt strange not having his two girls around him after spending two weeks with them at his parents…no, it did not feel strange…it felt empty and lonely. Even surrounded by a house full of people celebrating, he felt lonely. He would give anything to cuddle on a couch with Aria watching SpongeBob or some sugary sweet kid show too boring for adult consumption; however, Sam would bear it just for his baby girl.

"That sounds so fun, Princess!" He said trying to match her excitement as he watches a scantily-clad waitress carrying drinks; her hips swaying as she moves forcing her mini-skirt to follow. Her tanned skin looked unnaturally orange against the green bikini top she was wearing.

"And then Uncle Jesse and Uncle Artie took me to the aqua-aqua-aqua-li-gram."

"Aquarium," he heard Mercedes correct in the background.

"-and we saw seals and whales and sharks, daddy! I saw a big shark with big ugly teeth like the beast in your story, Daddy."

Sam grinned, thinking back to that night and the look in Mercedes' eyes. He really made her think. All he wanted to do was make her think; about him, about herself and about them together.

There was a short pause before Aria suddenly said:

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Princess?"

"I miss you."

Sam smiled.

"I miss you too, Princess. And I miss your mommy too," he said.

"Bye, Daddy. I love you."

"Bye, Princess Aria. I love you too. Put your mommy on the phone."

He heard Aria's muffled words through the line.

"What's with the loud music in the background," she asked before even uttering a 'hello'.

"A guy I know is having a party," Sam explained as his eye catches the host who was busy making out with some random girl.

"Oh."

He could hear not only the judgment but also the disappointment in her voice.

"I only had one drink, I swear," he quickly explained.

He had to do damage control. Sam could no longer continue with the wild parties and endless strings of girlfriends not only because it was making him an 'unbankable' player but also because he was a father now. He wanted to be a better person for his daughter. He wanted to have her look up to him one day. He wishes he could erase his past but it was too late for that. The only thing he could do now was tp try to better himself for her.

"Whatever you say."

"Mercedes-"

"Bye, Sam-"

"Merc-"

She ended the call leaving Sam to sigh to himself. He still had a long way to go if he wanted to change Mercedes' opinion of him. She still saw him as an immature man who could not handle the fame and money that came with being a football player and in essence, she used to be correct. He used to be that person.

Sam slid his phone into his pocket before making his way to his teammate and…friend? Did they really even have anything in common to actually make them friends? In the past their love for booze and girls made them party together but Sam now realized he'd grown out of that phase in these past few weeks. He now understood why Mike would rather spend nights at home rather than go on party binges with him and Dante.

"You good? What something to drink?" The man asked beckoning a waitress closer as he spoke to Sam.

"Nah, I'm good," Sam said. "But I am gonna go now."

The sun was still busy setting but Sam was already bored. He thought of going to Mike's maybe for a few hours.

"Hot date?" The man asked as he ran a hand through the busty blonde's hair. The girl on his lap gave a little grin and intertwined their fingers.

"I'm just not in a party mood, I-"

"Urgh!" The man groans childishly. "You're turning into one of those people! You're turning into a Mike."

Mike Chang was known as the dad of the team. He was the man with wisdom. Unlike his peers, the married father of twins would rather stay nights in with his family than get drunk and party until the unholy hours of early morning. Many of Sam's teammates ridiculed Mike –including Sam at times- and called him 'no fun'. But Sam now understood his friend. Mike has something great and unlike these other guys he did not have to search for something to make him feel good and young; he was content with what he had. Fatherhood made Sam realize that loose girls, liters of alcohol and parties 'till four Am would never fill the hollowness. That life did not seem appealing anymore.

"Dude, don't let fatherhood make you boring," Dante continues.

Sam bit his lip, resisting the urge to point out that he was not the best person to give advice when it came to fatherhood. Dante was a father of two- with two different women- at the tender age of 24 and he had a third child one the. Whilst his pregnant on-again-off-again girlfriend was at home with their three-year-old child, Dante was busy almost sexually harassing the giggling blonde on his lap.

Sam gave an awkward laugh.

"It's not making me boring," he explains. "I'm just not feeling well today."

"Ah, man, come on!" Dante says. "The party just started."

"Next time," Sam says causing the man to sigh before politely asking the blonde the girl to get off his lap. He gave Sam a man hug before dismissing him.

Sam made his way through the throngs of dancing bodies. A random girl wrapped her warm hand around his wrist pulling him towards her body. Sam- not expecting that- stumbled against her small frame almost knocking her over. The girl giggled as she tucks a stray hair behind her red hair.

"I knew you'd fall for, I just didn't expect you'd do it so quickly," the tipsy girl flirts. Sam gave her a polite grin. Before he could come up with an excuse to leave the girl said.

"Dance with me."

Before Sam could say anything the girl took his hands and placed them on her hips and started dancing. Honestly, the red head was hot and she knew it; that's why she was slyly biting her lips as she gently sways her hips. But there was only one girl Sam wanted in his arms and that was Mercedes Jones. His mind drifted back to the kiss they shared a week ago at his parents and he swears kissing her again ruined him. She tasted like water on the lips of a thirsty man- so sweet and irresistible. Oh, how he missed her shy kisses that grew confident with each second his lips lingered on hers. Oh, how he wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to pull her close, press his lips against hers and lead her mouth in a slow dance as he presses her against a wall kissing her with everything he has.

The smirk on his dance partner's face brought him back to the present. He immediately realized that his lower regions were growing uncomfortably hot at the thought of his girl. The red head- thinking that she was the reason for the stirring downstairs- pulled him closer to whisper into his ear.

"Want to join me upstairs?"

Sam pulls away quickly and excused himself before making his way to his car trying to hide his betraying body from the eyes of others. In the privacy of the car, Sam groaned as he leans back against his seat thinking about Mercedes Jones and passionate nights filled with giggles, moans, and traveling fingers. Oh, how he missed those nights they spent tangled together exploring each other's body.

"How do I tell him I don't want kids now…or maybe ever?" The brunette asks one of her best friends as they both sat on the deck staring at the sparkling blue water of the swimming pool near them. Rachel looks at Mercedes. Jesse took Aria out for the day leaving the two women by themselves. "He loves kids, Mercedes. Jesse is so good with Aria but I don't think I can ever give him that-"

"Your magazines Mrs. Berry-St. James," the 45-year old maid said in the same monotonous tone Mercedes had grown accustomed too. It was plain to see the woman was bored out of her mind and probably hated her job. Mercedes loved Rachel but she would never wish it upon anybody to have the woman as an employer. Rachel could be a little too demanding.

"Thank you, Maria. Right on time like always," Rachel focuses his attention on Mercedes for a few seconds. "Maria goes buy me magazines to see who potential threats to my throne are so that I can crush them and of course what public opinion is about me."

"That sounds tiring," Mercedes says honestly as she starts skimming through the stack of magazines.

"I know but it's needed." Rachel focuses her attention back to Anuschka. "Oh be a dear and by my chai tea from the Tea Garden please, I ran out."

"The Tea Garden is on the other side of town."

"I know, now go before it closes. Thanks!" Rachel dismisses the woman. Once the woman was gone Rachel went back to speaking about her and Jesse oblivious to the fact that Mercedes was lost in a world of her own as she read the short article about Sam and some girl grinding on him with a picture to match.

"…and what about my body? How will my body ever recover from that? I mean…"

Mercedes swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to ignore her crushing heart. She felt like an idiot. Mercedes took a deep breath and stopped Rachel mid-rant.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Mercedes said quickly and got before bursting out in tears. Mercedes locked herself in the nearest bathroom. She leaned against the door and slid down to the floor wrapping her arm around herself. She felt like such an idiot for allowing herself to fall for all his pretty words. She knew he would not change…she knew it but still her heart allowed his pretty words to pierce its thick skin. She didn't mean to, she didn't mean to have him kiss her, she didn't mean to miss him, she didn't mean to make herself slowly fall again. She didn't mean to. She really did not mean to. But Samuel Evans turned her into an idiot. He keeps on messing with her mind and heart!

Mercedes took deep breaths trying to swallow down all the emotions threatening to drown her. Her phone rang in her back pocket causing her to groan before answering it.

"Yes?"

"Hey Merce, it's me, Matt."

Mercedes stared at the ceiling trying to stop herself from crying. She refused to cry for Sam Evans again.

"Hey, Matt can you call back later?"

"Are you okay, it sounds like you've been crying," he said worriedly. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Mercedes said trying to control her voice.

"Mercedes don't lie to me. I can hear something is wrong," he says gently. "Talk to me."

Mercedes crossed her legs as she rested her head against the door.

"I don't want to talk about it, Matt," Mercedes whispers. There was a short pause between them.

"Was it Sam?" He asks slowly. "What can I do? Talk to me, Merce. Should I kick him in the balls?"

Mercedes couldn't help but smile at the protective tone in his voice.

"No…violence is never the answer," Mercedes said with a groan. "Motherhood has turned me into a good person…it's annoying." Mercedes joked.

Matt gave a soft laugh. A comfortable silence followed in which they listened to each other's breathing.

"I wish I could see you now…and just hug you. It seems like you need a hug."

Mercedes smiled in response.

"You're sweet Mattie."

"And I can make some girl very happy."

Mercedes felt her heart stop. Matt was everything she needed; he was smart, he was sweet and he loved her. Mercedes knew just how much Matt loved her. She could see it in the way he looked at her and how he spoke to her.

"Yes, yes you can."

"So will you be that girl?"

Mercedes sighed.

"Matt, I'm broken," she says honestly. Samuel Evans broke her and honestly she is not sure if she'd ever be able to love somebody as much as she loves him…no loved him…she loved him.

"Aren't we all 'Cedes? Let's be broken together. Maybe in the process we'll fix each other," she hears him say lowly. Mercedes closed her eyes.

"I'm not sure I can give you what you want," she whispers.

"All I want is your heart."

I don't know if I can give you that.

Those words burned on her tongue however she did not tell him that. She took a few minutes to think about it. Matthew could fix her. He could teach her how to trust and love a man again. After trusting her heart in the hands of Sam Evans she needed somebody to keep it safe.

"Will you trust me with your heart?"

"Yes," she whispered before taking a deep breath and saying it with more confidence. "Yes Matt, I trust you…just…be careful, okay. It's fragile."

She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke.

"I'll be as gentle as I can," he pauses for a while. "I love you, Merce, just remember that."

Mercedes smiled. She would be okay. She would find love again.

Mercedes smiled as she watched the happy couple dance together under the glow of pink lights. She could not help but feel a tinge of jealousy as she zoomed into Sugar and Rory dancing amidst the throng of other dancing couples. Mercedes wondered when her time would come. She wanted to get married too. She also wanted to dance with her husband nose against nose smiling like lovesick fools.

Mercedes started swaying where she stood with a sleeping Aria in her arms. She placed a kiss on the sleeping girl's forehead humming the song currently playing in the wedding venue. She felt a hand on her shoulder prompting her to turn around only to come face to face with Matt.

He looked magnificent in his black tuxedo which hugged every inch of his body perfectly. He wore a gentle smile on his face as he looked down at her confused face.

"Matt, what are you doing here?" Mercedes asked in confusion.

Mercedes remained unaware of Rachel's presence until she spoke.

"I invited him. I know how weddings make you sentimental so I did some snooping on your phone…" noticing that her friend did not appreciate the breach of privacy, Rachel quickly changed the subject. "Why don't I take Aria while you two talk," Rachel suggested gently prying the sleeping girl from Mercedes' arms.

Mercedes could not help but glare at the disappearing woman carrying little Aria away. Mercedes felt Matt gently wrap his arm around her wrist before pulling her close.

"Oh come on, her heart is in the right place."

Mercedes gave him a bored look.

"That still wasn't right," Mercedes said before asking the same question she asked earlier. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled at her as he led her to the dance floor.

"I came to be your wedding date," Matt said. "Sorry I'm late, my flight was a delayed. But yeah, I know you've been feeling down and out and I wanted to see you and make sure you're okay" He explained.

Mercedes could feel her heart swell in her chest. He flew all the way from Cleveland to California just to be there for her. She smiled.

"I told you I'd be home next week."

"I couldn't wait any longer to see you, honestly."

Mercedes couldn't help but hug him tightly. This is what she needed. She needed somebody with big romantic gestures that belong in movies. She needed somebody to love her and make her feel good about herself.

"You're perfect."

Matt gently cups her cheeks forcing her to look at him. He stares at her with such intensity that did things to her heart. Mercedes does not know if it was a good or bad thing.

"I love you, Mercedes. And I want to be with you."

Mercedes took a deep breath and stood on the top of her toes closing her eyes as she gently kissed him on the lips under the soft glow of pink lights and soft music. Matt wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

She will move on from Sam Evans. She will be okay.

Sam *wraps her arms around Mercedes's waist*: I love you

Mercedes *rolls eyes*: What did you and Aria break this time?

Sam *pretends to be offended*: It only happened twice.

Mercedes: It happened five times in the last two months...you two broke my hand made vase..which I made with my own hands.

Sam: Can't I just say that I love you, woman?

Mercedes: Fine

Sam *let's go of her waist and turns away from her*:...

Mercedes: Now say it.

Sam: I don't want to say it anymore, you ruined the moment.

Mercedes *wraps her arm around Sam's naked waist: I love you.

Sam *pouts*: Too late,

Mercedes *kisses him on the back of his neck before moving to his jaw*: I love you.

Sam: I love you too...but I'll love you more if you go make me a steak.

Mercedes: So sexist...

Sam: I'm hungry!

Mercedes: You ate two hours ago.

Sam: Two hours are long

Mercedes: *sighs*

Sam: So are you going to go make that steak for the man you claim to love.

Mercedes *groans as she gets up*: You're lucky I love you.

Sam *straightens his spine as he makes himself comfortable*: Go check on your kids too.

Mercedes: Our kids.

Sam: They're your kids for tonight. Daddy is off tonight.

Mercedes *leaves the room*: No he's not.

Sam *calls after her: Yes, he is. Thanks for the steak, baby.