Mmkay, everyone. Here we are. Our final first night chapter. What a wild ride it's been! In this chapter, Sam has one or two surprises left up his sleeve. Will they give Mercedes that last little push she needs to fess up? Or will she be too overwhelmed by the bad omens and allow herself to push her love for Sam back down to whatever hole it likes to crawl up out of every now and then? Read on to find out! Enjoy!


Mercedes and Sam finished their food and left the restaurant, but not before Mercedes left a huge tip. She absolutely loved her food and even though Sam was the person who picked it out for her, she couldn't exactly thank him the way she wanted to. So she figured a little overcompensation on the bill wasn't such a horrible idea.

As they crossed over into their home county, Sam had a bright idea for one last escapade before their night ended, "Hey, how long's it been since you've been to the lake?"

Mercedes looked up from her phone, "Oh, wow." She huffed as she thought, "Honestly, I don't think I've been to the lake since we went to the lake."

Sam looked over at her, shocked, "Wait, really?"

"Yeah," She nodded. "I was rarely here for long enough to sneak in a trip to the lake and also whenever I was home, it was the holidays. The lake wasn't exactly open."

"Great. Let's go."

"Let's go where?" Mercedes asked, confused.

"To the lake, duh."

Mercedes wanted to scream. She could NOT be with Sam for any longer than she had to. The longer they were together, the more she'd have to keep stumbling over herself while hiding her feelings, "Uh uh, Sam. It's late, I need to get home."

"Why? So your mom can badger you for spending the night with me and not coming straight home?"

"Ugh," She forgot about that. "Yeah, I'm not exactly excited about that part."

"Yeah, I bet you're not." Sam smiled, knowing he was that much closer to a yes.

"But there's so much I've got to do to get ready for tomorrow. This face and hair won't do themselves. Plus, it's a Friday night close to the end of summer. Isn't the lake going to be packed with teenagers up to no good?"

"It will. That's why we won't be going to the regular lakefront. I've got a secret spot for us to go to."

She looked over at him, trying not to give in. She knew she couldn't, "Sam, I can't. I'm sorry." No matter how much she wanted to, if they had another romantic moment on the lake of all places, she'd explode. "Just take me home. Maybe we can go another time."

Hearing the discouraged tone in her voice, Sam knew he had to do what he had to do, "Wow. Being famous hasn't given you a big head, but it sure has sucked the fun out of you." Hearing the girl gasp beside him, he kept going, "I guess rich people really are boring, huh?"

Mercedes didn't even wait for a second to reply, "You know what, Sam? Let's go to the lake."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Yup. Right now," She leaned over the middle console a little, "And I hope you've got some swim trunks in that massive truck bed of yours," She challenged as she pointed toward the back of the truck. "Because I've got a swimsuit in my suitcase and I'm going for a late night dip. Unless, of course," She withdrew from him abruptly. "That's not enough fun for you. PLEASE, don't let little ole me bore you."

Sam let the left corner of his lip turn up a little so that Mercedes couldn't see it. "I don't, but don't you worry about that. And it's just enough fun for me, actually."

A few minutes later, they pulled into a driveway. When Sam turned off the truck, Mercedes had to ask.

"Sam, whose house is this?"

He lifted up the keys in his hand and jingled them, "Whose do you think it is?"

"You-" Mercedes looked at him, then at the house, then back at him, "You are not sitting here and telling me that you have a lakehouse. You have a lakehouse?"

He smiled and opened his door to get out, "Come on."

Mercedes followed him, but not before taking in the sight of the house for 10 seconds. When he was at the door, she got out and yelled after him, "You have a lakehouse?" As they walked in, Mercedes couldn't do anything to control her wanderlust. She examined just about every room, repeating utterances of her amazement. Eventually, she just came out with it, "Sam, how in the hell can you afford a place like this? Don't you have your own house that you're paying for?"

"It's my dad again," Sam explained. "He wanted a vacay spot for the twins where they could eventually come by themselves and we could all still be close. So they've come to spend the last couple of summers up here getting reacquainted with Lima."

Mercedes felt a twinge of sadness knowing she likely just missed them this summer, "They're not here now?"

Sam confirmed her suspicions, "No, they just went back last week, actually."

Sam gave Mercedes a full tour of the house and went to get one of her suitcases afterward so that she could change into her bathing suit like she said she wanted to. The singer put on a bathing suit and coverup and within a few minutes, they were on the patio, playing Uno and drinking (more) wine. Of course, Sam had beat Mercedes at every game until she finally decided to put an end to her losing streak and, in the way that only she could, packed up all the cards and hid them while Sam went to the bathroom. When he got back, he threw himself into a fit with laughter, not even bothering to ask where she hid them. Now, they were playing music from Sam's "Ultimate Throwback" playlist over the patio speakers, dancing and singing. Then it happened.

"Hey, do you remember this song?" Sam asked.

"Oh, how could I forget it? Junior prom," Mercedes smiled as she made a gesture resembling presenting a billboard. "The most disastrous prom to end all proms."

"Kurt was elected prom queen," Sam added.

Mercedes huffed and stuck out her bottom lip, "Sweet little baby Kurt." She put her hand over her heart. "And then Sue caught Artie trying to spike the punch for Puck!" Her reminiscent face turned into an amused one.

"Yeah, and Artie nearly lost all his teeth for pouring lemonade in the punch bowl," Sam cackled. "But you know this song specifically," He said as his laughter came down. "This was the song we had our first dance to after I asked you."

He was right. "Jar of Hearts" was playing over the speakers.

Mercedes smiled sweetly and spoke softly, "Yeah, I remember."

"I had been working up the nerve to ask you that entire night." He rubbed the back of his neck as his face turned slightly red, "I had even written what Rachel said you wanted to hear on a piece of paper and kept it in my suit pocket all night.

"Oh, the suit. And that damn bolo tie," Mercedes said, only halfway feigning disgust.

"Okay, in my defense," Sam pointed at her, "I was a sophomore going to junior prom with not one but two juniors. I had to step it up some."

"Well, in your defense, I really hope that you burned that thing." She retorted.

As the song reached the bridge, Sam pointed something out, "This was the point," he started moving closer to her, "where I had finally found the courage to come up to you." He looked down at her wrists, "You were playing with your corsage, and I uttered those magical rehearsed words."

"Yeah, Rachel was quite the wing woman for that one." Mercedes nodded, not oblivious to what was happening.

"And I stuck my hand out," His actions went along with his words.

She looked up at him, sure he could see her heart beating out of her chest. Without any words, she put her hand in his and they began dancing.

This dance was different from their first. Back then, that was the closest they had ever gotten. It felt unfamiliar, even a bit strange. But now, they fit together as a whole like the halves that they were. His right hand rested on her waist, gripping it gently yet firmly while his left hand held her right out to their sides. Her left arm would start wrapped around his shoulder before moving up so that she could caress the back of his neck with her hand as their faces moved beside one another and their cheeks just missed touching. Sam was slightly nuzzled into her neck, noticing that her old scent of vanilla and cinnamon had changed now. Instead, she smelled like an unfamiliar yet intoxicating mix of lavender and lemon. He took the deepest breaths he knew how, never wanting it to end. Mercedes lay her head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat and feeling her own slow down to sync with it. It was all she could do not to cry.

In fact, she did cry. Once the song ended, they still held each other briefly, neither of them wanting to go back to a reality in which they were apart. While still in his embrace, she let out a shaky breath.

At this, Sam pulled back. He frowned, alarmed, "Mercedes, are you—"

"I still love you," She said, still looking down and away from him. "No, screw that. I've always loved you. That's no secret. Sam," She looked up, ignoring the tears in her eyes that threatened to fall. "Sam, I'm still in love with you," She inhaled sharply. At the first aloud utterance in years, Mercedes felt a weight being lifted off of her, "I've never not been in love with you. And I've almost always tried to convince myself that I was better off without you or that we just couldn't make it work. But I can't," She shook her head as the tears fell freely. "And God has blessed me with this life that not even I could've ever dreamed of and every day, I get to go out and do the thing I love most in this world but after the day is over and I go home, Sam I'm unhappy."

"Mercedes—"

"I'm unhappy and I'm unfulfilled because I'm lonely. I have no one to talk about my day with or let out my frustrations to and I have no one who is sharing their day and their frustrations with me," She gestured to herself. "And it's not that there's no one that I can talk to, but the only person I want to talk to is you! And I can't talk to you. Not the way that I want to. I can't tell you how much I love you and how much I thought of you that day or play you a part of the song that I'm writing about you. Most of all, I can't tell you how much I just want you to hold me and never let go," She cried. "Because ever since we ended things and I left New York a piece of me has been removed and you are the only thing that has ever made me feel truly complete."

Now Sam just stood there, looking down at her. She was unsure if he was processing what she was saying or if she was listening at all. With no response from him, she just kept going, not even caring that she was rambling and crying.

"And I came here tonight, to Lima, for the re-dedication, yes. But also because I had to finally tell you what I've been feeling all these years. And I got here and kept psyching myself out. But oh, my gosh, ever since I saw you in the parking lot, you've been rolling out the red carpet for me and popping up with all these surprises. Taking me to your favorite restaurant, bringing me to this lakehouse, and the subtle flirting, and don't try to act like you don't know what I'm talking about because I know you do," She wiped some of her tears away. "I convinced myself that I couldn't do this over and over again but you've made this an unbelievably amazing night and here I am with all this word vomit and sobbing like a crazy person. Sam," She rested her hands on his chest. "I know we have a lot of kinks to work out. And I know it's going to take a lot to make this work, especially with us living on opposite sides of the country, but I need you. I'm ready to make this work. Because I honestly don't think I can handle another second without you and—"

Mercedes was interrupted by Sam slamming her lips against his as they felt the skies opening up. The kiss sent straight electricity through their veins. Years of longing and wanting finally met their conclusion and they both felt themselves becoming whole again. His hands held her face, never letting go until her knees weakened and he moved them to catch her without letting her lips leave his. When they separated, he put his forehead against hers, "I've been waiting to hear you say that for five and a half years."

Hearing this, Mercedes' gasped and her heart poured out with love for him as she brought his lips to hers that time. This kiss, like the other, was unrelenting and passionate. Almost too passionate. She could feel it in the depths of her soul. It amazed her how two people could have so much deep feeling for one another. She resisted sobbing into the kiss, but broke down when it ended, wrapping her arms around him as they both indulged in the joy and unrelinquishing relief of the moment.

They were whole again. And they never wanted it to end.


WHEW! Let's all just sit with that for a minute, huh? These two were seriously giving me headaches as I wrote this, but I feel like it all worked out in the end. Right? I hope I didn't push y'all too far! I hope Mercedes didn't hold out too long for y'all. Yikes. Anyways, they're trying again, so we're going to keep this going! The next chapters will focus on the rededication and how Samcedes deals with the decision that they've made here to be together. I also wanted to give y'all this chapter today because my birthday is Friday and I'll be too busy fantasizing about the amazing party I'd usually be having to remember to upload! With that and some other things going on, it'll be a bit before I'm back, so hopefully, this will tide y'all over. Be sure to leave a review if you'd like! I really do love hearing from y'all.