Warning: It's about to get real sappy up in here. So corny, schmaltzy, and sugary sweet that it's probably not safe for human consumption, but I'm not exactly in the business of saving lives here, so enjoy!


Later that Friday, t-minus 3 weeks until Mercedes' departure

Mercedes and Sam were on their bed, sitting across from one another and preparing to have their conversation. They went as far as they knew how to eliminate all distractions, even going as far as to close Claire out so that she wouldn't distract them, putting their phones completely out of sight, and turning all the lights off, letting just the natural sunlight of an August evening light the room. Neither of them knew exactly where to start, but Mercedes figured that since she called for the discussion, she would go first.

"So, I, I wanted to, um…" She stammered, too nervous to find the words.

"Hey," Sam grabbed one of her hands, squeezing it. "I told you, I've got you. You don't have to be afraid or nervous or anything. I'm here and we're going to get through this together, whatever it is."

Mercedes couldn't stop the tears from forming if she tried. Seeing Sam's alarmed expression as he went to comfort her, she stopped him. "It's okay. I'm okay. This is just a lot harder than I thought it would be." She took a second to compose herself, swallowed her tears, and told him everything she told her dad.

"I thought that telling people will just make it harder if we end things this time. But then after talking with my dad, I realized that it's not even about telling anyone. Truth is, we could break up either way and…" She trailed off.

Out of nowhere, Sam moved closer to her and placed his hand on her knee. He didn't say anything, he just looked at her with slightly knitted brows.

This broke her. "You're the love of my life, too. If I lost you again, my heart would shatter into a million pieces and I wouldn't be able to fix it." She finally let the tears flow as she sniffed, not knowing whether she was crying from immense sadness or immense relief.

He watched her as she cried, tears forming in his own eyes and his voice raspy. "Mercedes," He didn't even need to search for what to say. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that without anyone, without me. And I'm sorry that I haven't been paying attention to you or asking you more about what you really think. I was so excited about getting the chance to be together that I don't even consider that you may feel differently."

"It's okay. It's not your fault."

"No, it is." He grabbed her hands. "Because I'm always letting you go and trying to pick back up like nothing happened. And that's not bad all by itself, but I should've asked you from the start how you felt and I didn't. I never have and I'm taking responsibility for that. I'm going to do that from now on."

She nodded, her breath hitching. "Thank you." She rubbed his hands. "I'm sorry, too," She said. "I don't think that you or what you wanted to do was childish or stupid or any of that. I never have. I was just scared about being alone again. Honestly, I think the fact that you are so passionate about us is really the only reason we've made it this far. Sam, no one's ever loved me like you do, and I would never try to make that seem like a flaw or a weakness of yours." She shrugged, shaking her head, beginning to cry harder again.

He brought her in for a hug, consoling her. "I understand."

"Okay." After she calmed down, she removed herself from the hug and wiped her remaining tears away. "Now, about going public."

"We don't have to." Sam shook his head. "If you don't want to, I don't need to." Now that he knew she was doing more than just being stubborn, he was much less harsh about it.

"No, we should. Like both you and my dad said, we have to tackle whatever comes our way. We don't get stronger as a couple without it."

He nodded in agreement.

"We can tell our mutual friends. So, the New Directions. But not your students, though. I wouldn't trust teenagers with such classified information." She chuckled before getting serious. "And we have to tell my mom. I'd like for us to do that together if that's okay."

"Of course. I want to be there."

"Well, we are having family dinner again tonight. I wasn't going to go but we could do it then if you want. Just to get it over with." When he nodded, she continued. "So that's my family and of course, your family already knows."

"No, they don't," He said nonchalantly.

"What? But my family knows."

"Well, your brother knows because he figured it out and your dad only knows because—"

"Because you and he orchestrated the entire thing?" She smirked. "He told me at Tuesday Night Family Dinner."

He rubbed the back of his neck, blushing and laughing it off. "Yeah, yeah he did. But they knew out of circumstance. Other than that, we were keeping it a secret. So my family doesn't know."

"Oh." She stretched her lips out. She had no clue that when he said he wasn't talking to anyone, he really meant anyone. "Well, we can tell them. Tonight, if you want. And lastly, we each can tell two people outside of our shared circles."

"Cool. I'm down with all of this."

She twisted her mouth some before saying the next part. "And I don't know if… Daniella counts as one of those two people or not, I don't really care, but you need to tell her too, Sam. I get that you guys are close but something about her doesn't sit right with me and I need you to let her know that you're in a relationship."

"Doesn't sit right with you? Dani's great. You just have to get to know her."

"Well, you may think she's great, but our first encounter was far from pleasant and frankly, I think she has a massive crush on you. You said yourself she makes jokes about you two being together and I'm not comfortable with that. So I'm going to need her to back off."

Sam felt his throat get strangely dry as he complied. "I'll let her know the next time I see her."

"Thank you." She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Okay, that's it. That's everything. And if anything else comes up, I'll let you know, I promise. Open and honest."

He took her hands and kissed them. "Open and honest."

"You can go and make your calls now. I'm sure you're just itching to tell Blaine and Kurt's going to call me shortly after so I guess I should prepare myself for that." She snickered.

But he didn't move. Instead, he looked at her with an expression that she couldn't quite understand.

"What is it?"

He shook his head. "I can't believe I'm about to do this," He said.

"Do what?" Sobering up, she jumped a little when he whipped around to his nightstand, going into it. "Sam, what are you doing?" She tried to peer around him and catch a glimpse of his actions.

He turned back to her just as quickly as he turned away from her, holding something in his hand. He opened it.

It was a ring box. With a ring in it.

Mercedes gasped and if she hadn't dropped dead, she would've been certain she felt her heart stop. "Sam," She said, her hands covering her mouth.

"I know you said I don't plan or strategize. And that might be true in some cases. But I'm not a child anymore, Mercedes. I know how to plan when I need to. But with you, I've never needed to. What I feel for you never obeys any laws or plans. Ever. I mean, I just bought this ring a week ago today." He grimaced in embarrassment and paused, wanting to stop himself from rambling. "'Man plans, God laughs'. That's what my granddad always said to me. It's so common but I never really understood that until I met you. Mercedes, I think that God made us for each other. And I think that everything that's happened with us, from prom, to me moving back to Kentucky, to your senior year, to New York, and even past that, with every woman I've met or dated, I think it's all been preparing to be back with you, leading me back to you. Back to this, right here, right now."

Mercedes was crying again, partially freaked out, partially touched, partially freaked out, partially in awe, and… partially freaked out.

"I told you last week that I don't plan on being with anyone else and I meant that. And this isn't necessarily a real engagement ring," He saw her frown. "It's a real ring! It's just that I have the actual engagement ring in mind and this isn't that. And when I propose with that ring, I want to do it in front of all the people we love and I want it to be a day you'll never forget. But what we have is way too strong to just be 'boyfriend and girlfriend' and I want something more. And you're crying and I can't tell exactly what's going on in your head right now, so I'm just going to let you respond."

She looked at him. "We had a fight and you went out the day after to buy an engagement ring?"

He blushed embarrassingly. "Yeah, I uh, I went out to buy it Thursday right after, which is why I was out so late but all the jewelers were closed. So that's what I was doing 'running errands' on Friday," He explained naturally. "You said we had no safeguards. This can be our safeguard. I know you may not exactly be in a place where you're ready to get married, so if you want, this can be a step toward that. Like an engagement to be engaged, if that makes any sense at all." He wasn't sure it did.

"Sam," She smiled and searched his eyes for the words to say, "I love you. And this is so sweet. It's probably the sweetest thing you've ever done for me." She put her hand on his cheek. "But you know I can't say yes."

Sam frowned. "What- what do you mean?"

"I know marriage is something you want one day. I want that too and I want it with you. But you said so yourself, I'm not in the position to get married, and frankly, neither are you. You are very different from the 19-year old I once knew, I'll give you that. You're so much more mature and compassionate and you've become such a protector and a guardian not just to those close to you, but to people in general. And I'm falling more and more in love with you every day because of it—"

"Then say yes." He said as if it was obvious.

"I can't." She shook her head as she stood up from the bed. "Sam, you can't look me in the eyes and tell me that this doesn't feel hasty. And I don't mean that in a condescending or patronizing way. I'm not trying to insult you, but think about this from an objective standpoint. Look at the numbers, you know? How long have we been together in total? We're barely pushing on 8 months including the past five weeks. And we've spent far more time apart than we have together."

He stood up in front of her. "Do you agree that our relationship is less than conventional?"

She crossed her arms slowly. "I do," She murmured.

"And that it has a history of not obeying laws and plans like I said?"

She nodded softly.

"So why does it have to be any different now? It's not hasty, it's just unconventional. But so are we." He pleaded to her with his eyes and words. "Mercedes."

But she couldn't go for it. "I'm sorry, Sam. Look, it's not a no. Just a not now, okay? Not now." She turned to walk out of the room to the kitchen.

Refusing to accept it, Sam shook his head and followed her. "Do you want to talk about numbers?"

"Sam."

"Do you? I'll throw some at you, three, to be exact. 12, 5, 10. 12," He walked closer to her as he counted up, "the number of major events in the past five years that I felt wrong or worse without you there. Like when I graduated from community college, the first time I led the New Directions to victory at Nationals, and when my granddad died." He took a moment after the last one. "5, the number of years straight I have thought of you every single day without fail. And I wish I could tell you the number of times I had been thinking of you or talking about you only for you to call or text me a moment later. 10," He stopped right in front of her, "The number of years that no matter who I was with or where we were in the world, I have always been yours." He sat the ring down on the counter beside them and snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. "From the moment I met you, Mercedes, I belonged to you. Apart or not."

She closed her eyes, putting her forehead against his. "You—"

"I want us to get married whenever we're ready and I don't care how long it takes. I'm not doing this because I want to start planning a wedding tomorrow. I'm doing this because I belong to you, point-blank. That's as objective as it gets. And I can't say for sure because I'm not you, but I feel like you belong to me, too."

"But what if we don't make it again?" She asked quietly her head still pressed to his.

"I'm not going anywhere. And your vacation may be over soon, but neither are you. You don't have to be scared alone anymore, I promise." He squeezed her closer to him, hoping to show his sincerity. "And if you are going to be scared, be scared because you are doing something that feels bold or 'hasty'. Let it mean something." He picked the ring back up, holding it between them. "I don't even need you to wear it, just to have it. Even if we do break up again after you go back," He shook his head, "it won't be the end. As long as you have this, we're always going to make it. Mercedes, please."

Looking at him for a moment, Mercedes headed to the bathroom.

Defeated, Sam leaned back against the counter, cursing himself for being so forward. He thought that this was the right move, but obviously, he was wrong.

A few seconds later, she emerged. She resumed her spot across from him. "When did you become so wise?"

"What?" He looked at her.

"You've always been one for gestures and you've always been extremely poetic and romantic, but now you're so much more…" She tilted her head, looking at him confusedly for a moment, "insightful. It's like everything you were before to the 10th degree, in a good way. And now, here we are for the fourth time and you're doing it again. Being the one who's dedicated to fighting for us and propelling us forward."

He shrugged. "A few years back I realized I had a lot of growing up to do. Wisdom and insight came with that, I guess."

She nodded understandingly. "Well, don't sell yourself short on that. Ever. It's one of your greatest strengths." The corners of her mouth tipped up as she revealed what she held in her hand, a small silver necklace.

"What is that?"

"When Rachel and Finn first got engaged—"

"She wore her ring on her necklace." He finished her sentence.

"I don't know what's going to happen with us, but you're right. About every single thing you said. And you said a lot." She laughed. "You've never lied to me and I don't think you would start now. So if you're telling me that you're ready and willing to do what it takes to keep us together, then so am I. I belong to you, too. Always have." She put the necklace in his hand, turned around, and pulled her hair to the side.

Sam slipped the ring onto the chain and carefully placed it around her neck, fastening it. He met her halfway around and planted his lips on hers. He thumbed the last of her tears away and mesmerized with how beautiful she was, kissed her again. Reaching to bring him closer to her, she kissed him back, gently pressing her soft lips against his before initiating kisses that were deeper. She parted her lips slightly, giving his tongue access to hers. They led one another back to the bedroom, where laid her onto her back, getting on top of her while his hand went to caress her thigh. Her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck before she ran her hand completely through it. Hands roaming, breathing uneven, and hearts racing, they were slowly becoming more and more dissolved into one another as their temperatures started to rise.

"Sam," After an unknown amount of time, she pushed him upward slightly, "I'm ready."

Sam froze, not expecting this. "You're ready?"

"I'm ready," She repeated, nodding.

"Are you sure?"

Gazing into his eyes, she nodded again.

He slowly descended, kissing her again. He moved his mouth to her neck then to her shoulder, exposed by her tank top. He traced every inch of her exposed skin as he retraced his steps and then went up to nibble at her ear, drawing out soft moans from her. He continued this for a while before asking her one last time if she was sure.

"Boy, don't make me say yes again." She smiled.

"If you ever want to stop or slow down or anything—"

"I'll let you know."

As he went to remove her shirt, her phone went off.

Hearing this, Sam let out a defeated huff.

"I put my phone on Do Not Disturb, but it's off for my dad," Mercedes said. "It must be him calling. Just ignore it." She pulled him back to her.

He complied, but they didn't get much further than before until her phone rang again.

"Seriously?" She asked rhetorically. "Just switch it to silent. Go, hurry." She didn't want to curse at her dad, but did he really have to call right now?

She and Sam had had "the talk" only once more the day after she got back. They decided that they weren't waiting for anything per se, they just wanted it to be right since it was still her first time. He decided that she should have complete control over when that was, and said that when she was truly ready, she should tell him. Now, they had had the most amazing vulnerable conversation and he proposed a proposal to her. She was feeling almost fearless. Truly fearless. And he calls?

Sam silenced her phone and came back to her, but could barely even touch her before a phone rang again. It was his this time. Groaning, he rolled off of her, but stopped and frowned as he picked up the device. "It's your brother."

"What is my brother doing calling you? I thought you guys pushed off your pool until tomorrow?"

"We did." He picked up her phone. "It probably has something to do with the fact that he's already called you."

She sat up at this. "How many times has he called?"

"Four," He was interrupted by his phone ringing again. "Five." He switched out her phone for his, lifting it from the nightstand. "It's probably important," He said reluctantly.

She held her hand out, wiggling her fingers. "Give it to me," She said, determined. "He's calling you because he knows you'll answer and get me to pick up. That ends today." She answered the call, scratching her forehead. "Mase, why in the hell are you blowing up our phones? If I don't answer you it's probably for a re—"

Sam stared intently at her, trying to discern Mason's frantic speech.

Mercedes paused her scratching. Her eyes widened as her stomach dropped. "What?"

"What's going on?" Sam moved closer to her, only for her to jump off of the bed.

"Oh, my god. Okay." She ran over to the dresser and began putting on the more appropriate clothes. "I'm coming now. I'm on my way." She put the phone down and put all of her attention into getting dressed.

"Mercedes, what's happening? Why was he calling?"

"It's my dad. He's on the way to the hospital," She panicked.

"Whoa." Sam jumped up and began putting clothes on as well. "What happened? Was there an accident?"

"No, he said he has chest pains. They think it may be a heart attack!" By now, Mercedes had left the bedroom and was in a frenzied search for something. "I can't find my keys. Have you seen my keys?"

"No, but I've got mine. Come on, let's go." He stood and waited for her by the door.

She ran out the door and to the truck, getting in. On their way to the hospital, she was hoping and praying that her dad would be okay.


Hope y'all are still hanging in there! This one was a lot, I know. Seems like Sam and Mercedes are seeing lots of new growth in their relationship. Whether or not that's going to pan out well for them is something only time will tell, though. Thanks to all of the reviewers! It makes my heart swell seeing that you all are enjoying this story and its characters! Please leave a review if you wish! Next chapter, we'll figure out what's going on with Marvin and it's back to McKinley for a certain conversation with a certain someone that definitely needs to be had.

Sending you all love!