So we are so glad you are loving this story we are cranking out so fast if I didn't have to edit, I would be posting three chapters a day, lol. Before we continued, I wanted to show some of the FC's of the upcoming characters.
Stacey Evans - Olivia Holt
Master River - Jeffery Dean Morgan
Mistress Rose - Arden Cho
Joey: Tom Holland
Brax: Kellan Lutz
Mr. Jones: Idris Elba
Mercedes was extremely nervous; when she called to request Sam for the weekend, she was met with a barrage of questions and rules. Sam was to be dropped off and picked up by one of their guys and either Master River or Mistress Rose. He couldn't have any permanent bruising or markings on his body, and he should be able to walk out on his own. Those rules almost broke her. How could people be so cruel? He couldn't leave her home and wasn't allowed outside her yard or balcony if she lived in an apartment.
She could have no contact with the outside world. No family, no friends, no one. Thank goodness she didn't let it slip that she knew him. They just figured she was smitten with who she called "Cap." Either Mistress Rose or Master River would be doing periodic checks to assure that Sam was indeed in good hands. She had to provide him with a "weekend collar" that she presented him with before they left him in her care.
After coming in on Thursday and signing an NDA and their standard contract for "Renting," which disgusted her, she was taken to the store to purchase Sam's collar. Once done, she bought that and put the $2500 down payment down for Sam. They would collect the other $2500 when they dropped him off. Mistress River made it very clear that she expected Vixen to enjoy Sam, stating he was deliciously sweet. She almost got punched for that.
So now Mercedes was sitting in the living room of her three-bedroom townhome, Sam's mom's meatloaf in the over as well as Mashed potatoes, corn, and biscuits. She finished the meal with Sam's favorite dessert, or the one she could remember from when they were kids, which was Funfetti cake.
Sam hoped it was Mercedes that rented him for the weekend. Unfortunately, all he knew was that he was going out of the facility to a client's home. That never bodes well for him, especially for a weekend visit. The rules were simple, but that didn't mean that everyone obeyed them. He remembered that they had to physically carry him out of a home because he was too weak to stand properly. That was a horrible weekend that only put him a few hundred dollars towards his loan.
He sat in the back of the car, blindfolded and bound by the wrists. Sam knew better than to try to escape, but they didn't take any chances. It felt like a long ride, but being trapped in the dark silence didn't help. He was trapped in his mind when the car finally came to a stop, and he was taken into the home.
Because of how they were bringing Sam in, Mercedes had gotten a text to open the garage. Opening the garage, she smoothed down her pencil skirt and black blazer as she pulled off her apron. Going to the garage, she forced a smile when she was met with Master River. IF Mistress Rose was a bitch, then Master River was a bastard. And the way he looked at her turned her stomach.
She handed him the check, and he smiled, running his hand down her arm as she watches another guy pull Sam out of the car. "The things I could do to you, Vixen." River said, leaning closer. "Or do you like to be called Mercy?" He whispered in her ear. She stepped back. "So I will have him ready at midnight Monday Morning."
Master River smiled as he pulled Sam closer. "You are one lucky bastard."
Sam was trembling as they pulled him from the car. He felt a bit sick to his stomach as he felt Master River pull him close. The man had used him more times than he could care to admit. He wasn't sure who scared him more, Master River or Mistress Rose. They were both horrible in their own ways, and both loved to torment and punish him.
He didn't verbally respond to Master River.
Mercedes hated the way River was glaring. "Well, Let me get Cap inside so we can start our weekend."
River smiled. "You sure I can't interest you in letting me join? First, I can show you all the best ways to use this one, and then I could show you all the best ways to be used by me."
Mercedes had to stop gagging. "Thank you for the offer, but right now, this is all I can handle. Still getting my feet wet." She said in her professional voice.
"Your loss...Untie him." River said, removing the blindfold. "Have fun; if you can't leaving him standing, make sure he is at least in one piece."
Sam hated the feeling of Master River's hands on him. The man made him feel disgusting and dirty; he made him feel like a useless whore with a pretty face and big lips. Finally, the man untied him and removed his blindfold. His eyes remained closed for a few moments to allow his eyes to adjust slightly before opening them. He looked scared and broken.
It had only been two and a half days, and yet, but he looked so bad. She balled a fist and wanted to throttle them, but she knew that wouldn't end well. "Thank you, guys." She turned to Sam. "Walk right in there and head to the living room. Once there, get on your knees." River smirked, and Mercedes gave Sam a squeeze; when the guys turned and prayed, he realized she was not serious.
Sam did precisely as he was told. He walked in and headed to what he assumed was the living room. He lowered himself to his knees. They had him in a pair of shorts and a baggy white tee-shirt. At least he was covered.
"It was a pleausre Ms. Vixen. See you soon." River said, and with that, they got into the car and pulled out the driveway. She shut it and turned to shake off the icky feeling. "I swear that guy is a creep."
She walked into the living room and frowned. "Sam, you didn't have to do that. I was just saying it for their benefit."
Somewhere in his mind, Sam knew that he didn't have to do as she told him, but he was still recovering from the past two days of pure hell and went into auto-pilot. Someone gives you an order; you obey it. He looked up at Mercedes and nodded. "Yeah... oh... sorry."
She moved towards him. "And you don't have to say sorry." She moved and grabbed the bag of clothes she bought him. "I bought you some clothes. They should fit. Some pajamas and sweats. A couple of tee shirts. Make you more comfortable. Do you want a shower?"
Sam nodded. "Please?" he begged, looking at a bag of clothes she got for him. Why would she do that for him? It didn't make sense in his head at that moment.
She held out her hand. "Come on; I will show you where the bathroom is. You can have your own."
Sam took her hand and stood. He walked with a bit of a limp to the bathroom, always staying a step behind her. "What do you mean?"
"Well, there are two bathrooms here and three bedrooms; you can sleep on your own or share mines if you want." She opened the door and led him to the bathroom. "Here, there are towels and body wash. Then when you are done, I made you dinner."
Sam was shaking slightly, it was not something he was used to, and the kindness confused him greatly. "You did?"
It was clear he wasn't expecting this. "I told you that this weekend I would make sure you were okay, Sam. So yes, I did, and I have another surprise for you, but first, you take your shower."
He slowly nodded. "Yes, Mistress," he whispered, slowly stripping before checking the water temperature. He adjusted it accordingly and stepped into the water.
"Sam..." She sighed and shut the door behind her; there was so much wrong with him; she knew it would take longer to fix. Going to the couch, she grabbed her phone. She had found Stacey pretty easily on Facebook, and today, she, along with Sam's brother and parents, would video chat with him. They said he couldn't' go see anyone, didn't say he couldn't video chat.
Sam was in the shower for a long time. He ended up sitting on the ground and letting the water cascaded down around him as he attempted (and failed) to decompress. He was safe here. He knew and fully understood that he was safe here. But if that was the case, then why did he feel such fear inside of him?
After thirty minutes had passed and Sam was not there, Mercedes made her way to the bathroom. "Sam? Sam, are you okay?"
Sam looked up and over at her, not even realizing how much time passed. "Yes, Mistress," he replied out of habit. "I'm sorry, I got a bit lost."
"Please, Sam, you don't have to call me that; I'm just Mercedes or Mercy. There are no cameras, no Mistresses or Masters. Just us."
Sam was struggling to snap out of his programming at that moment. The programmed version of himself was safe. "Right," he whispered. "I understand."
She moved closer to him but stopped. "Sam do you, do you feel safe here?"
Sam stared at her for a few moments. "I do," he admitted. "I'm trying, Mercy... I'm trying so hard."
She shook her head and handed him a towel. "Can I hug you?"
Sammy stood up and took the towel, drying himself off. His shoulder blades were covered in hickies. He didn't bother to try to hide them.
He didn't reply, and she stepped back. "Take your time in here, Sam. I will make you a plate." She turned and walked away, tears in her eyes.
He snapped out of his daze just in time to see her walk away. He got dressed (in clothes that almost fit him) and made his way out into the hallway. "Merc?"
Hearing Sam, She wiped her eyes and turned towards him. "You ready to eat?"
He saw that she had been crying and wondered what happened. "Yeah. Are you... okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm good." She lied. "I have surprise dinner guests, so let's grab my computer before we head to the kitchen.
Sam stared at her. "Oh?" His heart sank for a moment, but his mind reminded him that he was with Mercedes and that there was no reason to feel any fear.
She grabbed her computer and set it up at the table. She sent a text to Stacey and grabbed Sam's plate. "Here you go. Have a seat and get ready."
Sam smiled at her and reached over to squeeze her hand. "It smells so good, Merce..."
She smiled back at him, though it didn't reach her eyes. She felt her phone vibrate and hit the button on the screen.
Sam was about to ask her what was wrong when he looked at the screen and saw his family staring back at him. He hadn't seen them in years. Tears immediately welled up in his eyes.
Mercedes took a breath. "I can leave you guys alone."
Sam reached over and squeezed her hand as tears started falling uncontrollably. "Hey guys," he whispered. They looked so much older than he remembered them being.
Mary was the first one to speak up. She let her own tears fall. "My baby boy. Sam, oh Sammy, look at you. We've been worried, how are you talking to us now? Is it over? Can you come home?"
Sam wanted to reach out and wipe away his mother's tears. "I can't come home yet, mom," he managed, rubbing at his eyes. "I wish I could. I miss you so much."
"I miss you too. We all do." She wiped her eyes. "You won't get in trouble for this, will you? You've never reached out before."
Sam really hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for this. But even if he did, seeing them again was worth it.
"I won't," he replied, trying to sound confident.
Stacey had stayed quiet long enough. "I'm so sorry, Sammy. I'm sorry you had to do this for me."
"Oh sweetie, please don't apologize," he begged. "What matters is that you're healthy."
She nodded, leaning against Stevie, who stared at Sam, not sure what to say.
Mercedes turned, wiping her eyes; she felt like she was intruding.
Sam wanted to hug them tight, but he knew that wasn't possible. "You... are healthy, right?"
Stacey nodded. "Yes. A clean bill of health."
Mary bawled. "Thanks to you. We have been doing well since you paid the loan."
Sam smiled sadly at them. "Good. I'm so glad things are working out for you guys."
They didn't need to know what he was doing in an attempt to pay back the loan. They didn't need to know that they threatened to take Stevie if anything happened to him that would prevent him from paying back the loan.
Mary held Stacey as Stevie sat up. "Sam, how are you, really?"
Sam looked over at his brother. "I'm fine," he replied quietly. "Promise."
Mary sniffed. "Can you thank Mercedes for setting this up for us? We didn't know when we would see you again. Didn't know if. "
Dwight cleared his throat. "Can we have a minute?"
His wife and kids stood leaving as Dwight cleared his throat.
Fuck. Sam knew that he was in trouble when his father cleared his throat like that. "Hi, Dad," he whispered.
Dwight stared at his son. "How are you, really. I know you. I see it in your eyes. On your face..."
Sam shrank in the chair. "I'm fine, dad. I promise. Everything's good now." It was good right now. It was suitable for the weekend.
"Now?" Dwight folded his arms. "What. You made the sacrifice you made. It's more than I could do for our family. You are the reason we are okay."
Sam felt the tears welling up in his eyes yet again. "Good," he whispered. "That's was the goal."
"Look, I never told your mother exactly what's going on. I know more than you think I do." He scratched his chin. "Take care of yourself, Sam. Please."
Sam's entire body tensed. "Dad..." he started, not even sure where to go with that. His father knew?
His father shook his head. "I love you, Sam. You are my oldest, and you are worth everything. "
Mercedes had been leaning against the wall, tears streaming down her face. This was so painful."
Sammy shook his head in disagreement. "I love you too. You raised me to believe in family first. I'm doing what's best for my family, for you and mom and Stace and Stevie..."
"And you need to do what's best for you. Remember that."
It was too late for that. "Yes, Sir."
The rest of the family came back on the screen, and more tears were shed before they had to say goodbye.
Mary wiped her eyes. "Can we please see you again?"
"I don't know," he admitted quietly. He reached out and touched the screen, closing his eyes for a moment and pretending he was hugging his family close.
Mercedes looked at him. "I can get you on the weekends to make it happen."
Sam turned to look at her. "Thank you."
Mary raised an eyebrow. "Who ate you talking to? Is that Mercedes?"
Sam looked over at her, not sure if she wanted to be outed.
Mercedes glanced at Sam and gave a soft smile and a nod.
Sam nodded slowly and looked back at his family. "Yeah."
Mary gave a teary smile. "Well, bring her on the screen."
Dwight nodded. "We would love to thank her for this."
Sam reached over to Mercedes to bring her close.
Allowing Sam to pull her to him, she wiped her eyes with her free hand. Seeing The Evans on the screen filled her heart with both sadness and joy. "Hi, guys." She said, giving a small wave.
"Well, look at you, Mercy," Mary said, genuinely smiling. "You have turned into such a beautiful woman; thank you for this."
Mercedes nodded. "I would do anything for Sam and you all. I will do my best, so he can see you guys once a week. But please, I'm not sure if telling people what I did here is a good thing. Since he's not supposed to see anyone."
Dwight nodded. "We understand, and we can't repay you for this."
Sam wrapped his arm around Mercedes and rested his head against her, still looking at the screen. "She's turned into such a wonderful person.
Seeing them on screen together, Mary couldn't hide the joy. "I knew you would find each other again."
Mercedes leaned into Sam. "I hate to cut this short, but I need to feed him. But he's here all weekend. Stacey has my number you can call anytime. "
Sam smiled and looked at the screen again. "I love you guys. so much."
As everyone said their goodbyes, Mercedes hugged Sam close. His heart must be torn. "Are you okay?"
Sam nodded slowly. "Thank you."
"I wish I could have brought them here, but it was too risky."
He nodded again and leaned against her. "I appreciate what you did."
She bit her bottom lip, holding him close. "I am just happy that you got to see them."
Sam sniffled and rubbed his eyes. "Me too."
She took a deep breath and kissed his cheek. "Are you ready to eat?"
Sam looked at her for a moment. "Yes."
She ran her hand over his chin, leaning in and kissing him softly. she placed her head on his forehead. "I promise. That sooner than later, we are going make it so that you will see them. See your family in person."
Sam kissed her in return. He was still a bit of a mess inside, but he hid it well. "Thank you."
She nodded. "If you want to talk about this, let me know. But until then, we have dinner and a cake just for you."
"Cake?" his voice cracked. "I miss cake."
"Do you want to cake first?" She asked, moving away from him.
Sam nodded. "Please?"
She turned towards him and smiled. "Milk?" She asked, moving to cut two slices of cake for them.
He shook his head. "This is a lot, Mercy."
She glanced at him. "What do you mean?"
"I don't deserve all this." It was eating away at him.
Mercedes grabbed the plates and sat them on the table. She frowned, looking him over. "Okay, talk to me, Sam. What's going on?"
Sam shifted and looked at the cake. "I'm so used to being told I'm worthless and good for nothing..."
Mercedes lifted his face so she could see his eyes. "Years of abuse, taunting, and ridicule, that's what did this to you. It's not going to go away overnight, but I promise that you are worth everything and more."
Sam still had tears in his eyes. "I wish that I believed you."
She squeezed his hand. "You will." Her heart was breaking for him. "Sam, what if we ran away? If we pack up and you don't go back."
Sam immediately shook his head. "Don't even think about that," he begged.
"Why not! Why do you have to go back there?! Why can't I save you this way?" She moved closer to him, tears filling her eyes." I don't have anything here. I work at my dad's firm, and the only reason I was at the club was that my coworkers forced me. We can move away and start over."
"They'll go back... they'll take Stevie as collateral."
She frowned. "Sam, I am so sorry." She moved to him, "I got to do something. I have to. I can't fail you here, Sam."
Sam looked down at the cake. "It's okay, Mercy. I'll be okay."
She stood up and walked away, hitting the counter in frustration. "It's not fair! You don't deserve this. You are...Sam, you can't go back there. You have bruises all over your body; you look so broken all the time. I can't send you back there! I can't."
Sam flinched when she hit the counter. He went into survival mode and immediately got to the floor and curled up.
Mercedes turned to see Sam and frowned. "I'm sorry, Sam, please get off the floor. I wasn't..." This was so much to take in; she wasn't allowed to be angry out of fear of hurting him, he had been abused for so long that everything scared him, and he feared it all. She stepped closer. "Sam, I didn't mean it."
Mercedes turned to see Sam and frowned. "I'm sorry, Sam, please get off the floor. I wasn't..." This was so much to take in; she wasn't allowed to be angry out of fear of hurting him, he had been abused for so long that everything scared him, and he feared it all. She stepped closer. "Sam, I didn't mean it."
Sam relaxed when he heard her voice. "Sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry. It was just..."
She nodded, moving to him. "I know, I know." She frowned. "Can I...can I hold you, Sam?"
Sam nodded and tried to stand. his hands were shaking. "Please?"
She moved over to him and sat on the floor, pulling him close. "I am so angry, Sam, not at you but them; you shouldn't have to endure all this." She closed her eyes. "I want to take your place."
Sam cuddled in next to her, breathing heavily. "No. never."
She lifted his face to hers. "Sam, I-" She closed her eyes for a moment. "I would do that for you. I would give up my life for yours. You know that, right? If I have to take your place, then I will. Your family misses you; I could pay down your loan as much as I can, then I wouldn't have to be there long."
Sam shook his head as he stared at her. "This was my decision. I... I knew what I was getting myself into." Only he didn't know the full extent.
"And so do I." She ran her hands over his hair. "I am going to talk to Rose or River. I am going to fix this."
Sam clung to her shirt, closing his eyes again and taking a few deep breaths. "Only if you really wanna. I don't want anything bad happening to you."
"I don't care about myself; I care about you." She did more than herself.
Sam shook his head. "What about what I want?"
"You want your family. And I want that for you." She said softly.
"I want you to be safe too. You're family."
She held him close. "Have you ever seen anyone who was claimed?"
Sam shook his head.
She stood. "I saw something out of it in the paperwork..." she reached her hand down. "Come on, you need to eat, and we will figure out a plan,"
Sam slowly stood as well. He felt a bit lightheaded, but he sat back down in the chair. He wasn't super hungry anymore, but he would force himself to eat.
She placed the cake in front of him and grabbed the fork. Sam ate the cake off the fork and smiled. It tasted so good.
She gave him another forkful and smiled. "I have a bunch of movies for us to watch." She said softly. "And tomorrow, I thought we could camp out back under that stars."
Sam continued eating slowly. He was feeling better and better. "I'd like that."
She nodded. "Okay, I can do that. Come on." She lifted him out of bed. "Come to my room. I will make sure that you are taken care of tonight." She made a detour to the kitchen to grab a water bottle and then lead him to her room.
Sam followed her out of the room, clinging to her like a lost puppy. "Thank you."
She led him to her king-size bed. Lavender comfortable and a bunch of pillows. She sat on the bed and gave a sad smile. "Come sit with me, Sam. I am gonna take care of you, okay?"
Sam sat next to her on the large bed. His hands still shook slightly.
She took his hand in hers. "Do you remember the nightmare?"
Sam shook his head. "N-no."
"Do you get them a lot?"
Sam nodded. "Years of that place will... will do that to a person."
Mercedes nodded, fighting back her own tears. "Sam I." She shook her head, handing him some water. "Tell me what you need, a massage? Cuddle, a hug, a kiss, just anything tells me what I can do because I am feeling pretty helpless right now."
Sam moved and rested his head in her lap. "Just be there."
She exhaled as he laid in her lap. running her hands through his hair. "That I can do." She grabbed the afghan on her bed and covered Sam with it. "I regret so many things, Sam, but the biggest thing I regret is ever believing you just stopped caring." She confessed. "My dad always told me I wouldn't amount to anything because I was a dreamer. And you, you kept my dreams alive with your letters. But when they stopped, so did my dreams."
Sam didn't know how to respond to that. He listened to her words quietly, taking them all in. Finally, he sighed and replied: "Your dad is a dick."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, that sums him up. I mean, he basically got rid of me." She shook it off. "But I am here now; I am so thankful we found each other again because life without you in it is just a sad and lonely place."
Sam kept his eyes closed as he listened to her. "I have to agree."
"You have to promise to let me handle this, Sam, no matter the price I have to pay." She begged. She knew he was stubborn, but so was she.
Sam didn't respond for a few long moments. "As long as you don't sacrifice yourself," he conceded.
She gently scratched at his hair. "Tell me a dream, something you really want but haven't been about to do in a long time."
"I don't dream anymore," he admitted. "Dreams aren't meant for people like me."
"That's not true." She bent down to kiss his forehead. "You are exactly who dreams are for."
Sam sniffled. "Not when you know they'll never come true."
"How do you know? How do you know it will never come true if you don't try?"
"I'm trapped. Trapped until they kill me."
Mercedes froze. "Until they what?"
"What do you think happens when you're not pretty enough anymore... you disappear. Again."
"No, no, that is not gonna happen. I am not going to let you die." She lifted him up so he can face her. "Sam, look at me; I am not going to let them kill you."
Sam let her manipulate his body. "I don't deserve you."
"Well, you got me anyways, Sam, and I am not going away," she said softly.
Sam sighed as he looked at her. "Okay." He didn't know what else to say.
"Is that what you think? That I am gonna use you and leave you?" She couldn't blame him if he did; they hadn't seen each other in so long and were both so different now.
He tensed. "Everyone does. I know it sounds bad, but it's happened before."
"What happened, Sam?" She asked.
"His name was Kent, or that's what he said it was. He was there every night, every night for weeks... months even. He said he was gonna pay off my loan. He said that he loved me."
She understood. "And then he just stopped coming." She closed her eyes. "I would never do that, but I can understand why you feel that way." She wiped her eyes. "I just wish that there was something I could do to show you."
Sam moved so he could lay back down on her lap. "I thought he loved me. I loved him. I loved him so much, Mercy."
Mercedes let her hands run back through his hair. "I thought I was in love. He found me when I was so alone, so lonely, and all I wanted was love that everyone else had. But he used me; he was only with me because my dad promised him a partnership at the firm." She closed her eyes. "I found him in my bed with my so-called best friend."
Sammy didn't reply for a few moments. "That's awful. I'm sorry."
"Didn't trust anyone after that." She said. "What was the point."
Sam frowned. "I understand."
She scratched at his head. "But maybe that was all for that best."
Sam shrugged. "They say everything happens for a reason, but sometimes I just can't figure it out."
"If I was in a relationship, they I couldn't be here for you." She said softly.
Sam nodded. "And if Kent paid my debt..." Well, he would have found Mercedes at some point, right?
"So maybe we were hurt to be open to finding each other." She sniffed.
"Yeah." He didn't know what else to say.
She scooted back on the bed and pulled him to her so she could cuddle with him.
Sam scooped up with her and cuddled close.
"Sam, do you believe in fate?" She asked.
Sam didn't reply for a while. "I used to."
She wrapped her arms tighter around him. "Are you happy we found each other again?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah," he whispered. "I never thought I'd see you again."
She smiled softly. "I wanted to ask, but like I guess I am scared that I don't live up to what you thought I would be like." She said softly.
Sam bit his lip. "You're always amazing... always were, always will be."
"Amazing? No, I'm not." She laughed. "I believe the last time I talked to my dad; he told me that if I wanted to find a man who wouldn't cheat, I should lose about 50 pounds and change my style. I was judged by him my whole life, and he made sure I knew I wasn't enough. But I promise Sam I will be enough to at least get you free so that you can go home."
"Your father's a dick," he whispered. "You're perfect just the way you are."
"I am not perfect." She said softly. She sighed, snuggling close to Sam. "Can you hold me, Sam?"
Sam slowly moved, so he was the one holding her. "You're right. You're not perfect. You're beyond perfect."
When he wrapped his arms around her and held her, she felt tears in her eyes. It had been so long since anyone held her, and after everything that Sam went through, he could still hold her and make her feel safe; it was everything.
Sam held her close and rubbed his hand up and down her back. He hoped he could bring her some sort of comfort.
"Do you, do you think I am lovable?" She asked quietly.
Sam nodded. "Yeah. You're very, very lovable."
She nodded. "Then why didn't my parents love me?" she whispered. Her dad took her from the only family who loved her—the Evans. Mrs. Evans swore that she and Sam were going to be married and she would be her daughter-in-law. But her parents got rid of her. Like she was nothing.
Sam didn't know how to respond to that adequately. He thought for a few long moments. "Because they don't deserve you."
"Then who does?" She found herself asking.
Sam bit his lip. "Someone who realizes how perfect you are and how much you deserve to be loved."
She sighed into his chest. "I don't think that person exists."
"I think they do." He continued rubbing her back.
"What do you think would have happened if I didn't move? Sometimes I think back and wonder if we would have gotten together like your mom said." she sniffed.
Sam shrugged. "Maybe," he replied. "Mom was pretty convinced."
"I would have liked that."
"Really?" he asked, a bit shocked at that. "Even though we had nothing."
Mercedes lifted her head and stared at him. "You have everything, Sam. You had love and happiness. You were a real family. And I wanted that. I want that."
Sam looked at her, offering her a sad smile. "You were a part of our family.
"When I left, I felt like I lost a part of me. I never got that back, not until I found you again," she confessed honestly.
Sam hugged her tight. "I lost a part of me when you left."
"I wanna get that back for you." She said, returning his hug.
"You help... you help so much."
"Now that I have you, I will never let you go. Not again." She buried her face into his neck.
Sam kissed the top of her head. "Good. And I won't let go."
"Is this how you feel when I hold you? So complete?"
He managed a nod. "Whole."
"Then let's promise that from now on, we will try to complete each other." She kissed him. "No matter what the future holds, we will hold onto each other with everything we have."
Sammy took a deep breath before kissing her back. "I promise."
She smiled, nipping at his lips. "I promise too."
Sam laughed and made sure to lock eyes with her. "Good."
She shouldn't even be thinking about kissing him, now wasn't the time, and yet seeing him laugh, staring in his eyes, she leaned in and kissed him once more.
Sam wasn't expecting the kiss, but he welcomed it.
She pulled back and bit her bottom lip. "I am sorry, I just...I am sorry."
Sam ran his hand over her hair. "Why?"
"Because I am supposed to be here protecting you, helping you, not kissing you."
Sam shook his head and held her a bit tighter. "You're doing all three, and that's okay."
"Are you sure? Because right now, I would love to make out with you, no expectations, just you and me and those amazing lips of yours."
Sam hesitated for a few moments. "If that's what you want."
She shook her head. "No, that's not how this works; it's not about what I want. It's about what you want. I don't want you to agree to do things with me just because you don't want to let me down."
Sam closed his eyes and held her tight. "I'll work on that."
She nodded and laid her head back down on his chest, and snuggled close. "The next time we kiss, it will be because it's what you want, and you kiss me." And she meant that. She wouldn't be someone who took things from Sam.
Sam held her tight and fell into a peaceful silence. All he wanted to do was hold her.
She felt content at that moment. "Goodnight, Sam. Sleep tight. I'll protect you from bad dreams." she said softly.
"Night," he whispered. And he soon fell into a peaceful sleep.