Mercedes Jones laid out on the blanket, Sam had brought a picnic for their last date before Summer was over. Soon she would have to make a choice, travel thousands of miles away to go to school or stay in their small hometown and go to school close to home so she could be with Sam. Before the summer she thought she knew exactly where her life would go, but then she walked into the Ice Cream Shop with her best friends Tina, Quinn, Santana where her eyes locked with a familiar pair of green.

Sam had been a few grades ahead of her and she still couldn't get over her school girl crush on him. And now as a grown man he looked even better. When the girl dared her to talk to him, she didn't realize just where that simple dare would lead her. Quinn was headed to Yale, Santana and Tina to New York and Mercedes, should she choose to, was headed to Spellman. She was in such deep thought, she didn't hear Sam until he nudged her.

"Wait? What?" She asked, looking at him.

Sam smiled, leaning in and kissing her softly. "Where were you, you were millions miles away?"

"I was thinking about the first time I met you, really met you and figuring out what my next step is." She said reaching for a chocolate covered strawberry.

Sam sighed. "Yeah I was thinking about that, I know you and your brother have a plan. And I wasn't a part of it. Spellman is a great school and really good for you."

"I don't want to leave you Sam, I know it's only been five months but I love you, I am in love with you. How can I not be?"

"Mercedes…" Sam took her hand in his, he wanted to tell her everything, about his life, his career, his assignment. Had he met her before he changed his life, this wouldn't be a problem. "I don't want to leave you either. I don't want to hurt you by making you give up your dreams for me."

She sat up and stared at him. "Sam, do you love me?"

"Yes, more than anyone I have ever loved in my life." He closed his eyes. "I have to leave and I don't want you to spend your time waiting for me when you could be going off to school and living your life. When we first started this, it was only supposed to be a fun summer fling and now its all complicated."

She nodded, feeling her eyes water. "So you don't want to be with me?"

"Baby I want to be with you more than I have ever wanted to be with anyone in my life. I just don't want you to regret me."

"Regret you? Never." She said honestly.

Sam nodded and reached behind his neck grabbing the dogtags he wore. "My parents met when they were teens, couldn't stand each other and yet, they fell in love fighting. After they had me, they knew they were meant to be and married right away. They lived happily and in love for 14 years until the accident happened and I lost them. This was my mom's ring, its been in her family for decades."

He pulls the ring off of his father's dog tags and placed it onto Mercedes' finger. The 1 carat diamond band fit her finger perfectly. "Mercedes will you take this ring, and wait for me? In October, which is three months time I will return home and we can start our lives together?"

Mercedes stared at Sam and down to the ring. "Yes! Forever yes!" She said, pulling him closer and kissing him deeply. She would wait forever for Sam.

Mercedes stared down to her stomach, leg shaking as her brother went in on her angrily. He found her pregnancy test, and no matter how upset she was, how distraught she was, her brother was making it ten times worse!

"Mack if you just give me a minute to explain…"

"EXPLAIN! You're pregnant Cedes! You were supposed to go to Spellman and now you're having a damn kid!"

"I know! I know and I am sorry I just...I didn't expect this to happen!" She said, wiping her eyes.

"Having unprotected sex leads to pregnancy I know mom had the talk with you! Jesus Cedes, we had plans and you go and do something stupid like this! Who's the father?" Mack asked, looking at his sister before shaking his head.

She looked down to her hands. "Sam…"

"SAM EVANS!" Mack shouted. "You got pregnant by Sam fucking Evans. He went off and followed his damn dreams and left you with a damn kid to take care of…"

"He didn't leave me! He said he would be back!" She said, twisting the ring around her finger. "He's coming back."

"The hell he is! You can't be this naive Cedes… you threw away your future for a fucking loser that left you."

"He didn't leave me Mack!" She held up her hand. "If he didn't love me, want me, why would he give me his mother's ring? Why would he ask me to wait for him? Sam just got held up. It hasn't even been 3 months yet, and I can go to school after I have the baby."

"Oh please he probaby just wanted to fuck you before leaving, and you were so deserate you let him!" Mack spat back before immediately regretting it. "Wait… I didn't-"

She stepped back away from him. "I can't believe you just said that…" She said, shaking her head.

"Cedie, I didn't mean to say that. You know I would never think of you like that. I'm so sorry." Mack apologized but he could tell the damage was done now.

"Sam loves me and I love him. That's all that matters. He will come back and we will be a family. And you will eat your words!" She said walking out of the room. She walked to her room slamming the door angrily. "Where are you Sam?!" She screamed out looking down at her stomach. "We need you."

Mercedes wiped her tears holding the Ultrasound. "Mack, I know what Dr. Carter said but this can't be real. I am not ready for this! I am not ready."

"Well you better get ready because you have three kids to look after now." Mack replied, reeling from the news that his little sister was about to have triplets.

"I was just getting used to the idea of one but three…" She had wondered why she had been so sick and getting bigger while she was still just 17 weeks pregnant. She had been avoiding the doctor, she didn't like them but now she wished she had gone sooner. "I don't know what I am gonna do."

"Get a job, start your classes and push through it. Sorry to be harsh but whether you like it or not, I'm making you stick to our plan." Mack answered sternly.

"I can't do all of that and handle triplets all by myself!" She said softly.

"You can and you will."

"How! I mean God this isn't how things were supposed to go! I was supposed to be married and happy, not depressed and angry!" She said, running her hands through her hair.

"You will be married." Mack informed shooting a text before sighing.

"Infuriating and delusional brother say what?"

"You and Finn are getting married in a week."

"Me and Finn...wait what?!" She turned to him. "Are you crazy?"

"No, you're pregnant Mercedes with TRIPLETS. He's been in love with you since you guys were seven and he comes from money so he can help and he already said he would love to marry you."

"I am not marrying Finn!" She said angrily.

"You damn sure are not marrying Sam. You know deep down you had feelings for Finn too, stop waiting around for someone who couldn't even return your calls. Yes I know you tried."

She looked at her brother and felt defeated. All calls and emails were not returned to her from Sam. She felt like she was about to lose her mind. "Something had to happen to Sam...he wouldn't just leave me. And I am not going to marry Finn. Whatever "feelings" you think I have for Finn, they aren't big enough to marry him!"

"Then you need to be out of my house by next week." Mack replied knowing he was being harsh but he needed her to let Sam go.

"What?"

"You heard me. You can't raise three kids there, there's not enough space." He lied.

"This is mom and dad's home! They may have left it to you but it's only because you were 18. This is our home, you can't just kick me out!"

"It's my house until I sign it over to you and besides I'm not raising any kids, I still have living to do." He replied with a shrug.

"You can't do this!" She said tearfully. "You can't kick me out of this house because I won't marry Finn. I don't have anywhere else to go!"

"It has nothing to do with Finn and everything to do with those three responsibilities growing in your stomach. You know mom would've done the same thing and I'm just following her lead."

"Mom would never have kicked me out! Or make me marry a man I didn't love!" She said, shaking her head angrily.

"You didn't know her like I did." Mack said softly.

"So first you kick me out of my family home while I am pregnant and now you tell me just how much I didn't know my mother? God Mack, who the hell are you?"

"The person that has been taking care of you since you were eleven years old and I refuse to let you further ruin your life waiting on Sam fucking Evans. You wanna live in a pipe dream, do it on your own because I won't watch you throw your life away again." Mack said, trying to reign in his emotions.

"Fine! You want me gone, I am gone!" She said walking to her room, it was irrational but she was angry, pregnant and pissed.

Finn walked up the stairs hearing fighting and sighed knowing that this wasn't gonna be good. Mack wanted him to marry Mercedes and frankly Finn was happy about that. When he found out she was in love with that asshat Sam Evans his heart was broken, this was his chance to prove to Mercedes that he would be a great husband.

Knocking on the door he shoved his hands into his pants, waiting for one of the Jones to answer.

'Hey man… you picked a really bad time to come." Mack said, moving aside to let him in.

"I heard, so why are we fighting today?" Finn asked.

"Long story short, I told her about you two getting married... She wasn't happy so I kicked her out of the house." Mack answered.

"Dude what the hell? You can't just kick her out of the house!" He said looking past Mack.

"I did, now go tell her you got a house for y'all so she knows she has somewhere to live." Mack replied, pushing Finn towards the stairs.

"You are seriously gonna manipulate her into marrying me?"

"I'm not doing a damn thing but making her see that she can't wait for a man who doesn't want her. You don't have to marry her shit be a friend I don't really care just… she can't keep waiting on Evans."

Finn sighed and walked up into her room knocking on the door. "Merce?"

"Go away!" Mercedes shouted while throwing her clothes into her suitcase.

Finn opened the door and leaned against the door jam. "Merce, can you talk to me please, what is going on?"

"Like you don't freaking know! You're in on it, you want me to marry you just like my stupid brother! I can't just marry someone I don't love… no offense but It's not fair to me. I didn't expect to get pregnant let alone with triplets but here I am. My damn brother doesn't even want me and he keeps throwing Sam in my face like I don't know! I KNOW! I Know and it hurts." Mercedes said sobbing.

"Merce, come here." He said softly, pulling her to him and hugging her close. "Come stay with me, I won't judge you, I won't force you to marry me, I will just help you. You can't do this alone, and none of this is your fault." He said kissing the top of her head.

"Finn… I can't marry you. I would be wrong because I can't give back the love you have for me to you."

"Mercedes, I know I am no Sam Evans. I know I am just Finn Hudson, your best guy friend and not someone you could ever love, but Mercedes, your children need a father, and you deserve help. I know you may not love me, but I love you. And you can grow to love me. We can be a family, a real one."

"I just… I don't want to get married in a week. I want a family for my babies but not a forced one."

"Okay then we wait, I just want to take care of you, so please marry me, today, tomorrow, next year, I don't care as long as I can be there for you." He said honestly.

"Okay I'll move in with you as friends." Mercedes said softly.

Finn nodded. "Friends."

…

Mercedes was tired, she spent her Christmas delivering the triplets and it wasn't easy. They came at 31 weeks, she tried her best to stay calm and happy and surprisingly living with Finn she was, however her body just couldn't handle the pregnancy and she went into preterm labor.

She was hospitalize for almost two weeks in hopes of maturing their lungs, and when her blood pressure sky rocketed they induced her. After 12 hours of nothing, her doctors decided that she needed a C-section.

Performing a C-section, everything was fine, until they couldn't get her to stop bleeding, they had to perform a hysterectomy in order to save her life. When the doctor told her what happened, she was just thankful her babies were okay.

Opening her eyes she heard a voice, at first she figured her brother was there but then she realized it was Finn. Not wanting to move she closed her eyes back listening to Finn as he spoke to the babies.

"Hey there little bit, I'm your dad and that beautiful woman right there is your moma." Finn said, holding one of the triplets and smiling at them brightly.

Mercedes wanted to cry, granted her emotions were all over the place, but still, Sam should have been there, he should have been back but seeing Finn holding her child, their child, it made her realize that Mack was right, Sam didn't love her, all she was to him was a warm body to keep him sedated until he left town for good. And she fell for it. Sniffling softly she watched Finn kiss the little bundle in his arms.

"I'll marry you."

Finn froze looking over to Mercedes. "You'll what?"

"I'll marry you, we can be a family." She replied, fighting back tears.

Finn gently placed the baby down and moved to the bed, he took Mercedes hand in his. "You are emotional and hormonal right now. You don't mean that and I won't take advantage of you like that."

"I know what I'm saying Finn and I want to do this." She said pulling him down and kissing him gently.

Finn stared at her for a long moment. "I love you Mercedes, I always have."

Finn moved to hug her and she held him, closing her eyes. "I love you too." Maybe it wasn't the love she felt for Sam, that deep intense love that consumed her, but she did love Finn. Even if it was just as her best friend.

"I promise to be the best husband and father." Finn said, smiling from ear to ear.

…

"Mrs. Hudson, you're not contesting the divorce you're only requesting full custody is that correct?"

Mercedes nodded. "Yes, and its Ms. Jones."

"Sorry, Ms. Jones. Will you be arranging visitation for your children?" The judge asked and Mercedes let out a sigh before looking over at Finn.

"No."

"Mr. Hudson, are you okay with this arrangement?"

"No, Mercedes, those are my children! I should get to see them."

Mercedes laughed. "Finn, come off it, you haven't seen them in months. Been too busy with Rachel to care, and they aren't even your kids!"

"Mercedes!" Finn shouted. "Jesus, I get that you're mad but don't do that to them."

"Finn…" She said calmly. "Right now, is not the time to get into this. You go be with Rachel and I will take care of my children." She said, running her hand through her hair.

"Ms. Jones, unless you have a real reason why he shouldn't be in the children's life, I am going to grant Mr. Hudson partial custody of the kids."

"He literally isn't their father, his name is not on their birth certificates. They are mine and their father, their REAL father's name is on their certificates. We were married and he assumed the position of father, that's all." Mercedes said shooting Finn an angry look. "You seriously stopped fathering them after they turned three! You're just doing this to impress that woman you cheated on me with!"

"And you never even tried to be with me! I wanted more and you wanted Sam. The man who left you, the man who wasn't man enough to be a father to those kids. I love them, and I may not be perfect but I am the only father they know."

"Me not touching you doesn't give you the right to sleep with her and get mad that I choose to focus on my children and bettering myself. You knew what this was Finn, you knew deep down that my heart never belonged to you and you knew that I tried. You chose to do what you did the moment you met her, I couldn't have anymore kids because of the hysterectomy, it wasn't my fault and you knew, you knew this and still got angry with me."

"Mr. Hudson, Ms. Jones please! This is not helping."

"No, what's not helping is him thinking he can have my children, Finn we agreed WEEKS ago that you wouldn't do this and now you're all of a sudden wanting to see them. You moved out two years ago and slowly stopped seeing them regularly." Mercedes said, rubbing her temples.

"I miss them Merce, and I know they miss me. I was hurt and stupid, I am losing you, please don't make me lose them too."

"Don't…" She said, her voice breaking slightly. "You cheated on me and you left them, you can have her and she can give you children but I will not keep lying to them because you decided to leave."

"You don't have a choice. I want partial custody of the trips. I am not asking to see them every day or every week. I just want to see them." Finn said softly.

"Excuse me? I don't have a choice? I am their mother. In case you didn't understand, let me repeat it, I am their MOTHER. They are mine and MINE ALONE! You may be a father figure to them but you are NOT their father."

"Ms. Jones he was your husband for the last 10 years, unless there is another reason you don't want him to be in their lives, a reason that doesn't include you not wanting him too because you don't want him too, then I will grant him custody."

"He broke our vows. We were still married when he started cheating on me and he stopped being their father when she convinced him to leave. He was not present for their first day of school, their first soccer games and he wasn't there for the long nights when they all got sick. Being my husband doesn't mean he was always being their father, Finn you know that I am right. You resent me and a part of you resents them. I'm sorry I can't be what you wanted or needed but that doesn't mean you get to do this to further hurt me."

"Ms. Jones, unless he physically harmed you or the children, has done anything to emotionally harm them, then a father wanting to be with his kids, even if it took a while to step up, he wants to do it now. And I am going to grant him that."

"No." Mercedes said defiantly. "I have a right to stop him from being around my children. He's just gonna get their hopes up like he always does."

"You are just bitte, if you were a better wife, I wouldn't have searched elsewhere." Finn interrupted.

"God I wish Sam was here! His name is on their certificate and he has the right to contest this ruling… right?"

"No, he doesn't. This is a case of a step father being in his children's life. As I stated he has rights just like any man in his shoes. I am granting him partial custody and that is final. Now is there anything else?"

"Bastard."

"Ms. Jones! There is no need for that kind of talk here. I understand you are upset, but my ruling is final. It is only partial but should you deny him his right to see his children, I will hold you in contempt."

"They aren't his! Jesus, how hard is it to realize I'm not keeping him from anything or anyone. He had his chance to be there and took it for granted! He can see them every other weekend and I will not budge on that judge or not, they came out of me and I have every right to make that decision. Finn if you want to see them then I suggest you take that and be happy."

"I'll accept that." Finn said avoiding eye contact with Mercedes.

"Mhm, we'll see how long this lasts, especially since we all know she's pregnant." Mercedes muttered, earning a surprised look from Finn.

"How do you know that!?" Finn asked, looking at Mercedes.

"We share the same OB."

"I wanted to tell you, I wanted to let you know what was going on but I didn't know how too."

"Mhm, I'm sure you did, just know my kids will not be put on the back burner again when your child enters this world. You miss one weekend and we will be back here." Mercedes warned.

"Unfortunately she is correct, if you miss a weekend she will have the right to have the arrangement adjusted or changed completely." The judge said.

"I understand. I won't let my kids down." He said looking at Mercedes and then back to the judge.

"Again."

"If that is all then just sign here and within 30 days your marriage will be over."

Mercedes nodded, pulling the paper close to her and signing it, then pushing it towards Finn as she grabbed her purse and stood up leaving the room without saying another word.