Second Chances
Sam walked towards the door, took a breath and turned the handle "Another day in the life of Sam Evans" he smiled nervously as he pushed the handle to open the door …...
Sam Evans was a busy man, he'd made his life choices, becoming a business man was a natural progression for him, his life was fast. He started work at dawn and finished well past midnight regularly but that was always a cost for success, as well as being a lucrative business man he'd recently inherited the family business on the death of his Dad, and that had tripled his worth his smile was wider, his arrogance getting larger by the minute and his personal life getting more personal.
He'd originally started from nowhere leaving that little town in Ohio on the instruction of his Dad, following his disapproval of his relationship with a girl he'd fell in love with at school. It had gone much further than a school boy crush, he was actually in love with her and he knew she felt the same about him, they were planning a life together
When Mercy had gotten pregnant he was only 16, and she was 17 but they'd planned on running away together to ensure they weren't forced to do anything they really didn't want to do they both wanted the child. Disaster had struck when somehow his Dad found out about the relationship and frightened Mercy off with his threats, she hadn't even found the time to talk to him about anything she'd just took the money and run she was so scared, he'd waited to hear from her for three months, and after hearing nothing he assumed she'd actually gotten rid of the child and made herself a new life.
It destroyed him, everything went wrong for him after that, he was so mad with her for listening to his Dad's threats at first, but then he knew what his Father was and he couldn't be mad at her for running scared her whole family would have been at risk from that man. Then when his mind convinced him she'd gotten rid of their baby that totally finished him, he sold the ring he'd saved for nearly a year to buy her. She'd only worn it for a week before they were pulled apart, he'd cried like a baby that first day when his Dad handed it back to him telling him the story of Mercy having second thoughts and deciding to leave. He'd stood listening, not believing a word his Dad was telling him going into detail about how she'd taken money and left just like that after everything they'd been through. He knew his Dad was talking rubbish, he knew Mercy wouldn't do something like that, but even with all that knowledge he didn't have the guts to challenge this man, what chance did she really have.
"Good morning everyone" he walked through the main office smiling, making his way to his office and shutting the door behind him
"Sam" Santana walked into his office saying "You have someone waiting for an interview"
"Tell them I don't have the time not today" he told her without looking up
"It's the Digest, you need to keep these people on side"
"Why?"
"Because this is not the time for any bad press, you're waiting for that International Business Award" she smiled at him
"I'll give them ten minutes" he finally looked up at her smiling "Ten minutes, and then come in about an important call"
"Okay I'll show her in" she left the office telling him seconds later she brought the reporter in "Mr Evans this is Tina Chang" she announced watching them shaking hands before she offered drinks
"Mr Evans" Tina smiled shaking his hand
"Have a seat please" he pointed to the seat directly in front of his desk, as Santana brought her a drink and left
"So Mr Evans I was reading the other day about you being in the football team at school, a key player Jacket and everything" she paused to look at him "As far as I know I've never heard of or even seen you vaguely associated with the game, what happened?"
"It was never the life I wanted" he smiled back at her "And the jacket sort of went out of fashion" he laughed as he remembered Mercy rolling around his bed wrapped in just his sports jacket that morning they found out she was pregnant "Is that really what you needed to know about?" he asked, as his memory also showed him that last time he watched walk walk away from him smiling, in his jacket, 'Mercy's got my jacket' he looked up at the reporter thinking "What made you ask about the jacket?"
"I know a lot about you" she smiled
"Like?"
"Your name's Sam Evans, soft more lover man to a few cheerleaders including Mercedes Jones, left McKinley high after junior year but went back for Mercedes Jones, that went belly up you took on more cheerleaders then back to Mercedes Jones and even dabbled in a certain opera singer before settling with Mercedes Jones again before she binned you, which was a good move because you became on of the youngest entrepreneurs in America, by the time you were 25 you were a billionaire" she laughed "That being your debut song in school"
"So you did your research" he nodded
"I did, so the jacket?"
"What about it?"
"What happened to it?"
"I don't know" he lied "Maybe I left it at home and it was packed with everything once my parents passed"
"Wasn't there a fire at your parents home some 6 years ago?"
"Yes maybe it was destroyed in the fire" he smiled "Shame it was signed by all my team players, cheerleaders and pretty much all the school"
"But there was only one signature that meant anything to you, wasn't there Sam?"
"There were lots as I said" he looked at her suspect at her questions around this jacket
"I'm talking about the signature right across your left chest, the part that covered your heart" she smiled
Sam's head jumped to attention, he knew what she was talking about that was where Mercy had written her name 'Mrs Mercy Evans' she'd written it just across his heart "How do you know all this where's my jacket?"
"I don't know where your jacket is, as I said I do my research" she smiled
"Mr Evans" Santana walked in saying "That important caller you've been waiting for is on the line"
"Thank you" he looked at her saying before turning his attention to Tina "Sorry I need to take this in private, we need to close this interview down" he smiled "Thank you for your time" he stood up to shake her hand
"No, thank you" she got up and shook his hand before leaving the room, he picked up the phone but there was no call, he knew that
He went home that night thinking hard about the jacket and Mercy walking away from him that last time in it, he realised he had never actually done anything about even finding her. He'd just listened to his Dad's version of events, she hadn't turned up the following day for their usual date and he'd just surmised that what he'd been told was true, but they didn't know she was pregnant, did they?. He sat thinking how he'd smiled for the first time in six months when his Dad offered him $20k if he could find $!00 in a week, he was happy he'd finally got him to sit and listen to his business idea, he was excited for the first time since Mercy, he just got lost in doing something with his life. He argued with himself for a while, but he finally took her engagement ring and sold it to win his Dad's challenge and he'd never looked back, he fell asleep thinking about his struggle to get to the top of his game, 'This life I've built for myself has to mean something, I lost everything'.
The next morning he woke up early as usual, not liking where his head went last night he picked up his phone "Quinn" he called when she picked up "I need you to come over tonight, I need to forget"
"I'll be there usual time" she said before the phone went dead
Quinn was an old friend, she was one of his old cheerleader girlfriends back in the day just as Tina had said, she'd got the bug for him but unfortunately he'd got the bug for Mercy. But Mercy hadn't been around for over 9 years now, so when Quinn had resurfaced he went there, it was an alternative to getting his heart involved with someone again, he'd always dreamed that one day Mercy would come back or of late she'd hear his Dad had passed and come running back but that hadn't happen to date. So here he was with his old flame Quinn on tap with no strings, she knew he had none to offer, he'd given everything to Mercy, but she loved him more than he'd ever care to know so she gave what she could when she could, if that was a warm body in bed sometimes she'd taken that.
He sat on his bed thinking he'd got so many walls around his heart since that day Mercy had left, his relationship with his Dad had rotted because he'd blamed him for Mercy leaving, his Dad's vision of this prestigious, bigoted family, was so far away from what Sam had wanted then and now here he was building another empire, what the hell for, he rubbed his neck thinking, he had no one to pass it on to, he'd only ever wanted children with Mercy.
He finally got up to get himself ready for another day at the office, leafing through his clothes he came across something that made him gasp, he stepped back just looking at it for a while, his mind searching for an answer "Where the fuck did this come from?" he asked himself finally touching his old sports Jacket, pulling it out to see writing all over it. He got his phone out and called Santana "Santana" he called when she answered "Did anyone visit my house yesterday?"
"No, why?"
"It's just …. it doesn't matter, thanks" he said closing the call
He sat looking at the jacket scared to flick it over, he knew the names but they could have been written by anyone, the only one he knew was tattooed in his mind was Mercy's, he knew every curve, blotch, smudge, what would he do if he turned it over and it was her writing? He flicked it over half closing his eyes for what he didn't want to see but needed to see "Mercy" he gasped as he looked at her writing on his Jacket "Where the hell did this come from?" he looked around his bedroom for any other clues but found nothing, the only thing he could think was to call her parents. He hadn't spoken to them for years, he wasn't even sure if they'd known anything about the pregnancy, if there was still a child even, he took his phone out to make the call "Mrs Jones" he said surprised the number was still valid, smiling as he thought that was typical Lima, nothing changed. "It's Sam Evans I don't know if you remember me, I used to be with... yes" he smiled down the phone as she laughed for hearing his voice
"Sam, I'm sorry to hear about your Dad, he wasn't the nicest person, but we don't speak ill of the dead"
"Thank you Mrs Jones"
"What can I do for you after all this time?"
"I was just thinking this morning and well I wondered if Mercy was around at all, if you'd seen her even?"
"You know she ran away back then, I don't know what actually went on, but she came back about 4 years ago, she didn't look too happy, but before we could get to the bottom of it all she was gone again" she frowned "Haven't seen her since, she calls sometimes"
"Sorry" he said his heart hurting that she'd had to go through that alone "My mind was on her this morning and I just wondered"
"But we're fine" Mrs Jones pepped up telling him "Marsha and I, but you know Mr Jones passed 4 years ago, that's why Mercy turned up"
"I didn't know, sorry to hear that"
"I reckon he died of a broken heart, Mercy was his heart and when she upped and left like that..."
"Sorry Mrs Jones" he was genuinely sad
"And Mercy seems to be suffering from the same thing" she told him
"Sorry Mrs Jones" was all he could find to say, he finally got the call closed down, stood in the shower as the water beat his skin, thinking about all the heartache his Dad's move had caused, eventually getting dressed and heading to work
He smiled as he walked through his offices, being recognised by his staff, this is what he'd worked for to be rich, powerful, respected and known and he had it all, he'd left everything in Lima just as it was and latched onto this image he had of what his Dad needed him to be. Somewhere along the line he'd discarded what his Dad wanted and it had become his dream, there was nothing else to live for but this feeling 'So why are you so damn lonely?' he asked himself as he got to his office and closed the door "I can buy anything I want" he slammed his briefcase on his desk telling himself
"You can't buy me" he heard in his office, he looked at the door to see who had come in but saw no one he looked around the room for more of the same, shaking his head to get the voice out
"Who the fuck are you?" he shouted as Santana came into the office
"Who's who?" she asked
"Someone came into my house and left my old school sports jacket in my wardrobe yesterday"
"You had a gift?"
"Who comes into your house and leaves an anonymous gift of your old jacket?"
"A friend I guess" she smiled sitting down
"I left that jacket with Mercy more than 9 years ago, I saw her walk off with it and the next day she went missing, she had the jacket, I've not seen or heard from her or her parents again until today when I called them, where did the jacket come from?"
"I really don't know Sam" her eyes full of concern for what this could mean "Do you need a break?"
"I don't think so" he sat back in his chair telling her "Maybe I'm stressed" he opened his desk draw saying, pushing himself still seated, away from the desk as he looked down to see the St Valentine statue he'd given to Mercy back in the day "What the fuck?" he asked as Santana ran round to see what he was looking at
"What is that some sort of voodoo doll?"
"No" he laughed before he picked it up "Its a statue of St Valentine well actually one of the three wise men I painted to look like St Valentine"
"So... what's the swearing about?"
"I gave this to Mercy, It lives in her bedroom next to a coin we wished on once and some photos, she uses it when she's nervous"
"So what's it doing in your desk draw?"
"I told you someone's messing with my head" he sat looking at the figure telling her "Anyway there's work to do" he put it back in his draw saying, his day was filled with work and finally at around 10pm he made his way home "Early one tonight" he told the guard as he left the building and jumped in his waiting car
"Sam" he heard as he made to open the door to his building
"Quinn, sorry I forgot about you coming" he smiled, watching her walk towards him
"You asked me to come" she smiled kissing his cheek as usual
"Yeah" he took the kiss, making their way up to his apartment almost in silence "Do you want a drink?" he asked once they were in
"Please" she told him as he threw his briefcase on the couch and went towards the cabinet
"Ice?" he shouted across
"Please" she told him taking her shoes off "I'll just grab a shower" she told him as he walked towards her
"I'll grab one too" he set the drinks down on the table and went off to his room "I'll bring the drink in to you" he informed her as she stepped into the guest room, that was where they always went, she'd actually never been in his bedroom
"Hi" he said twenty minutes later as he walked into the guest room with just the drinks in his hand "No funny business Quinn I just need to get to sleep, fast" he walked towards her saying as he gave her the drink before sitting on the bed and getting comfortable
"Fine" she said sitting up on the bed, already naked, putting the drink on the side cabinet and grabbing him around his chest as she kissed his neck and back massaging his shoulders as he fell into the feel of it, he was so on edge especially with all this Mercy stuff going on,
"That feels good" he moaned into the massage
"Relax" she smiled as her hands started wondering over his body, it took a while, as usual, for Mercy to move over and let reality take over but once he was there he just needed release, he covered himself before flipping her under him to take what he needed wild and animal like as she reeled underneath him begging him for more "Sam" she called his name in the hope that he would open his eyes and look at her laying underneath him, but he didn't he kept them closed and she knew he was with Mercy in his mind "Sam" she whispered as he pumped inside her "Open your eyes look at me, I'm here"
"I can't" he told her his eyes still closed "Shut up" he told her as his body shook on top of her "You're not her" he told her as he came down
"But I'm here"
"But you're not her" he opened his eyes angry as he rolled off, telling her "Quinn we've been here before if you want more I haven't got it to give, I'll never have it to give, I'm still in love with Mercy, you know this"
"But I need you Sam and you can't tell me you don't need me, not after that"
"I don't need you Quinn, I really don't and I think you should leave" he turned his back to her saying
"If you can't commit to me Sam please, don't call me again" she got up saying throwing her drink down her throat before grabbing her clothes from around the room "Please, don't call me again, I can't do this any more"
He got up and went in the shower coming out to revisit his jacket still sitting in the wardrobe "Where did you come from?" he asked it searching the pockets to find a note "What's this?" he looked at the folded paper saying to it as his hands unfolded the letter
Sam
It's scary worrying about what the person you love is doing while you're a million miles away
But we're worth the risk aren't we? We're committed right?
Mercy
"What the hell, where was I going?" he screwed up the letter asking himself, I'd never do anything to hurt her, why would she be thinking about me with someone else? I'd never given her reason to think that "Who's doing this?" he shouted, angry, knowing it must have been something his father had said to her to get her to go in the first place "That bastard" he threw the note down saying
Sleep wasn't his friend that night, he'd stayed up thinking about the jacket and the St Valentine figure all night, he couldn't make sense of why they were there, why after all this time they'd decided to re-enter his life. His mind more on Mercy now than it was the previous night, Quinn had done nothing for him, he stood in his kitchen thinking about her singing her version of 'He Like That' by Fifth Harmony just before she told him about the baby, jumping about on his bed singing her heart out asking him to beat her insides out "Sam I'm pregnant" she announced just as he'd finished beating that up, just like that. He was stunned at first, of course he was, but quickly a smile appeared, what else would he ever want, it was like he'd taken the whole night to relive every second of that last night they shared together because a rather empty, tired and angry Sam was in the car park that morning, talking to himself as he walked towards his car
"You alright Sam?" he heard looking round to see Rachel standing at the lifts
"Rachel hi" he smiled "I thought you were in England, I read somewhere you were living there now, when did you..." he stopped walking and talking when he saw her backing away from him "What's up?"
"I'm not here as a friend Sam, I just wanted to ask you a question" she looked at him no expression on her face
"What's up?" his face already twisted, he'd got no beef with anyone, he'd moved away from everything he knew, everything that associated him with Lima, friends, family, life everything he could do without the memories and now here they were coming back at him in droves
"Why are you afraid to look at your past?"
"My past? What do you mean scared to look at my past?"
"You live alone Sam, you have no real friends left, no one to care about you, is that what you saw as your life back then this loneliness?"
"Who the fuck sees loneliness as their fate Rachel, that's a fucking stupid question, my life was mapped out, we had plans, serious plans and my fucking Dad fucked them up, leaving me wondering through the world with no future, yes I'm lonely but that's the price you pay for losing love" they were disturbed by a loud rev and wheels screeching, he looked in the direction it was coming from to see dust where the car had been, when he turned back, there was no Rachel standing there "Where did you go?" he asked as he stood looking for a while before going back to his car, looking back at the spot she stood in "This is some weird shit" he drove off saying
"Santana get the Digest on the phone I need to speak to that Tina Chang that interviewed me the other day" he shouted as he walked through to his office "Everything started when she made that damn visit" he told himself as he sat in his chair behind his desk
"Your call" Santana buzzed him seconds later
"Hello this is Sam Evans of Evans Industries" he said politely down the phone "I need to get in contact with a Tina Chang that did an interview with me two days ago could you get her to contact me?
"Mr Evans" the female voice came back at him saying "I'm checking the system just now Sir and we have no Tina Chang on our books Sir"
"Asian looking woman, short with a very broad accent?" he asked to clarify just in case he'd got the name wrong
"We have a few Asian women working here Sir none of them called Chang or even Tina"
"I need to find this woman, could you check who's doing my story and get back to me?"
"Yes Sir" the voice said following which he almost threw to phone down he was so frustrated
"Santana" he shouted to see her come bursting through his office door "Make sure I get that call when the Digest call me back, it's urgent"
"Yes Sir" she smiled "A parcel" she handed him a smallish, neatly wrapped square parcel, he took it and put in on his desk looking at it for awhile after she'd left the office
"Who is fucking with me?" he picked it up looking at the wrapping trying to get an idea of what was going on "Well you're not going to find out until you open it, this could be the answer" he ripped at the wrapping saying, concerned to find another wrapped box inside it "Oh" he looked all around it for any clues on finding none he ripped further to find another box, this happened three more times before he finally sat looking at a ring box, his hands shaking, scared for what he was going to find in this box
It was some hours later when his phone rang it was Santana informing him that the call from the Digest was being returned "Hello" he said when he was put through "Sam Evans speaking"
"Sir this is Blaine Anderson Editing Chief here at The Digest"
"Thank you for getting back to me Mr Anderson" he smiled down the phone feeling a bit closer to some well needed answers
"I'm afraid it's not good news Sir, we don't have anyone doing a story on you at the moment, we have you scheduled for next month, 20th to be exact and a Kurt Hummel's the person due to interview you, this was set up last month with your secretary a Miss Pierce"
"I don't have a secretary called Miss Pierce" Sam told him "Okay I guess I'll investigate on my side" he told him closing the call down shortly after
He sat looking at the box for a while longer before he took it up and opened it, the box wasn't familiar to him but the item inside was the ring he'd sold nearly 10 years ago to start his new life in New York City, he'd sold it in Ohio to a merchant he knew had long passed. He sat staring at the ring, feeling nothing but everything, the last person to wear this was Mercy she'd worn it after making a promise to him, that they would live the rest of their lives together "That was a lifetime ago" he held it up saying "A fucking lifetime" he threw the ring back in the box and opened his draw to throw it in, looking at the St Valentine still in his draw he took it out, and placed the two items on the desk "Something must be wrong with Mercy, that's what all this is trying to tell me" he jumped up saying, grabbing the items he made his way to his car, he needed to get home.
He got in and grabbed the jacket out his wardrobe, throwing it on the bed he put the ring and the statue there too and sat looking at the items trying to sort out the puzzle
"The jacket" he whispered staring at it trying to evoke all the memories that it had, trying to find a clue of what might be happening to Mercy. "It couldn't have been anything at school" he looked at it saying "It could only be when she told me she was pregnant" he picked the coat up saying "But then she wrote that damn note, what did I do to make hr doubt me?" his attention went to the ring and all he could connect to it was a happy time, the statue he thought about them splitting up but what he'd meant when he brought it, painted it and even given it to her was not about breaking up.
"Santana?" he asked when she answered the call
"Sam" she replied "What's up? You left work early without saying anything"
"I'm going to need a few days, I'll be back after the weekend, you have my number for emergencies only" he told her as he threw some items of clothing in an overnight bag along with the jacket, statue and ring
"Fine, do you need me to book your jet or anything?"
"No I'm good thanks, I'll see everyone when I get back" he said closing the call down, seconds later he was calling his pilot to get everything in motion, closing his house down an hour later her was making his way up to the landing pad "Ohio please Tom, Lima specifically" he smiled as he got comfortable in his seat. He arrived in Lima at 11pm booked into his hotel and finally found some sleep
He was up early the next morning it had been 5 years since he'd stepped foot in the place, his father's funeral had been the last time, it was a very pompous event with gentry from all over the world coming to pay their respects to a man he was sure most of them feared, he smiled as he imagined them attending just to make sure the bugger was dead. His Mom had passed three years before, she'd had a mild heart attack one month, and maybe it was like Aunt Joan had said, stress from Dad had caused the massive one three months later, which took her. He'd hoped to have seen Mercy at least gloating at his Dad's funeral, but she wasn't, not that there was any love lost between his family and her, they really hadn't known anything about her until the very end. "Morning" he smiled as he walked past the delivery man
"Morning Sam, nice to see you again" he said back as he carried on walking
"Sorry do I know you?" he asked making the man stop to answer him
"Noah" he smiled "Noah Puckerman we went to school together"
"We did?" Sam asked him unable to remember his name or his face "I'm sorry I really don't remember you"
"That's fine I guess if I was a rich business man of your standing, I'd forget where I came from too" he smiled back at him
"I didn't forget where I came from I just..." he lingered off unable to think what he could finish that sentence with
"As I said" Noah laughed as he walked away from him "Forgotten" as Sam stood watching him, still unsure where he actually knew him from, he decided to shrug it off and carry on with his journey. It was way too early to visit Mrs Jones so he took the scenic route to the cafe, his Dad had owned it back in the day and sold it to Abrhams family a long while before he'd passed, he was anxious to see what they'd done with the place.
"Sam" Artie shouted as soon as he saw him walk through the door "Good to see you my friend" he walked up to him smiling "Long time, what brings you to these parts?"
"I just wanted to gather some memories, nothing really" he told him "And of course to see how the old place is going" he smiled looking around "Lots of changes"
"Yeah we finally got that loan your Dad wouldn't give us and well..." he looked around the place saying "We have karaoke in the back room every evening, coffee shop up front as you can see and a games area to keep the young people entertained in the evenings while their parents have a good time across the road" he pointed across as the currently closed Oasis Club
"You guys made it work, where are you're parents?"
"My Dad died the year after we took this place on and well Mom left it to me to deal with, young head and everything" Artie laughed
"There's something different about you Artie Abrhams" he smiled "Sorry to hear about your Dad by the way, and say hello to your Mom" as he walked towards the door
"What you not even having a drink?" Artie asked hurt
"Maybe on the way back" he waved at him saying
"Yeah sure" Artie waved watching him leave "Maybe the difference is, I don't have a wheelchair punk" he muttered as Sam walked out of sight
Sam wondered about the town looking in shops, smiling at people saying hello to him, who he really didn't know, before he finally decided 10.30am was a decent time to visit and went towards the other end of town to Mercy's parents home, the yard was much more unkempt that he remembered it, with pieces of old furniture in the front yard, browning window dressings and an unpainted front door. A different picture to when he'd last visited, with flowers covering nearly every inch of the front yard, white walls, glimmering windows, chickens running around and a dog barking "What happened?" he walked towards the door saying before taking a breath and knocking the door "Mrs Jones" he smiled when she came to the door donning her usual apron and authentic head wrap
"Yes" she smiled
"It's Sam, Sam Evans" his smile got wider as he reminded her
"What are you doing here?" her face changed to stone as she asked the question
"I needed some answers to some things that have been happening lately and I thought two heads might be better than one"
"You're not welcome here" she pulled the door to, so he couldn't walk in
"Why what's happened, we spoke on the phone the other day and everything was fine" he stood getting red faced for her reception
"If we'd have spoken on the phone the other day I would have told you, you weren't welcome"
"Mrs Jones I don't understand, where's Mercy?"
"So now you want to know where Mercy is after all this time, you left her to go be some rich business man in New York, and now you have everything you want, now you remember that you left some little black girl back in Lima, heartbroken?"
"I didn't leav..."
"You know Mr Evans, you're the only one that's actually interested in you damn reasons" she told him slamming the door before he could say anything else
Sam stood looking at the slammed door wondering what the hell was going on, he'd spoken to this woman less than three days ago and she was fine, laughing giving condolences and everything something wasn't right, but he didn't know what. He had dinner that night and left for New York three hours after that no way closer to what was going on with these items of Mercy's showing up
"Morning Sir" Santana smiled when he walked into work that Monday morning looking somewhat worse for ware "You do remember the conference this afternoon?" she asked
"Conference?"
"You have the people from Esso coming in to hear your plug on the merger"
"Shit is that today, get me the report and some coffee"
"Mr Evans you don't have a second chance on this, this is the big one, he's pissed already because you blew him off on the meeting last month"
"I did?" he looked back at her asking "Why did I do that?"
"Beats me, you just called in that morning saying you had important stuff to do and I should cancel all your meetings"
"Did you remind me that the Esso one was involved in that?"
"You didn't ask for any more information Sir, it was just an order" she smiled at him
"Thanks" he smiled "Just get me the report and the coffee lots of coffee"
The smile left his face as soon as Santana left the office 'When the hell did I do that?' he asked himself he couldn't ever remember taking a single day off work since he'd started, even his parents funerals took place during holiday time so it didn't interfere with work. That was all he had left now a days and nothing came before it, except he'd just taken two days off and flew down to Ohio on a whim, 'Maybe it was something like that' he sat back in his chair thinking 'this shit is too much in my head, I'm losing focus' he thought, thinking on his meeting with Mrs Jones, he took his phone out "Quinn, come round later, I need a distraction say 9pm" he told her putting the phone down before she had a chance to respond "At least that never changes" he smiled looking at his phone
"The report Sir" Santana put the file in front of him and set the coffee on his desk mat "And strong coffee" she smiled before leaving his office.
He sat with his laptop and the file trying to make sense of something he'd written over a month ago, trying to sound fresh and enthusiastic about this new merger, adjusting the slides to take account of the current market, pitching it at the right angle for this investor to buy into his idea "You can't buy me" he looked up at the door, the direction the voice came from and saw no one
"Who's there?" he shouted out, getting up to look around "I said who's there?" he asked anger setting in at this silly game play someone was putting on him, if he knew the reason, he'd be half way to solving this mystery already
"Sir your meetings ready" Santana walked into his office informing him
"Give me a minute" he waved his hand telling her to leave, he got himself a shot and threw it down his throat, splashing his face with cold water before drying it off, grabbing the file with his notes on, handing his laptop to Santana for setting up on his way through the office to greet his guests "Twenty minutes" he told her watching as she nodded confirmation
Santana went directly to the board room to set up his presentation, run it to check for errors and reset it ready for him to present in fifteen minutes, she smiled as she walked past him, when she saw him look at his watch, his way of saying well done.
Sam stood talking to his prospective investors when he felt a wave of nausea come over him, he held onto the man in front of him and felt himself eave before excusing himself and returning to his office Santana in hot pursuit "Sir is everything alright?" she asked running to the fridge to get his bottled water
"I don't know" he grabbed the bottle telling her drinking some before washing his face with the rest "Get me a fresh shirt" he ordered as he peeled the wet one off him "It's been a funny week" he told her "I'll be fine, just give me a minute" he instructed as he took the newly wrapped shirt off her, discarded of the wet one and changed. Twenty minutes later he was standing apologising to his investors, telling them he wasn't feeling well but he was going to forge through as much as he could because this was important to him, feeling chuffed with himself for the smiles he generated in saying that "Shall we go in Gentlemen?" he pointed to the board room saying as everyone slowly entered the room and took their seats. Santana's team of lackeys serving water, alcohol or juice and napkins for finger food sitting in the middle of the table going round on the pedestal.
Eventually Sam started is hard sell as everyone sat looking at his report, nodding heads and giving looks of impressed "So the current climate indicates as you can see from this projection" he pressed the remote for the slides to start rolling. His breath itches as he stood there hearing Mercy singing Colorblind he looked back at the screen to see her not sitting on a stool in a studio as he'd expected but walking beside the river in New York, in her leather jacket with leapard skin top and pink trousers hugging her purple folder, and then suddenly she was smiling, she looked at him, he was so happy just that second, he stood struggling to put the memories together looking back at the table to see everyone just watching as she sung "Sorry" he told then waving at the young boy standing to his side to turn it off
"You have the control Sir" he told him attempting to take it out of Sam's hand
"I'll do it" he pulled it back telling him, everyone watched as he stood watching her performance, tears falling down his face as he remembered her so vividly she could have been in the room "Sorry" he said when he heard that last heartbreaking note, throwing the control down and leaving the room. The shock of seeing her face just appear like that had shaken him, he grabbed his briefcase and took his jacket out of it, scrambling for the statue he'd put in the pocket along with the ring box putting all items on his desk, looking at them "What the hell are you trying to tell me Mercy?"
It must have been a while he was sitting there not a clue in sight when Santana came in to remind him he had a meeting in progress, he went back in did his best to forget the earlier events and somehow pulled it back to get a positive outcome, by 5pm everyone was smiling and shaking hands, the deal was done.
"Well done Sir" she smiled as he turned from the lift with a smile on his face "You had me scared for a while there"
"Why?"
"Why?" he heard spinning round to see Lauren standing there
"Lauren" he smiled as she walked towards him "Come in" he beaconed still smiling "What brings you to my part of the world, I heard you were making it big in the world of wrestling"
"Sir?" Santana asked as she watched him leave in the middle of their conversation
"I'll get back to you Santana" he waved her off saying as Lauren and he walked into his office and he shut the door "Can I get you a drink or something?"
"Quite a place you have here" she smiled "I'm fine thanks it's a fleeting visit"
"Do you need something anything, it's so good to see you" he sat on the coach telling her
"I just had a memory to pass back to you" she smiled
"A memory?" he looked at her puzzled
"Yeah it starts like, One of my favourite singers of all time is?"
"I guess" he sat thinking for a while "Maybe MJ"
"Sam Evans you are crazy" she looked at him saying "The memory" she encouraged him
"Crazy about Mercedes" he smiled
"Correct" she smiled "Thought we could do Human Nature"
"Will you sing with me?"
"Three out of three Sam I'm proud of you" she smiled "And then that kiss at the end of the song did that mean anything?"
"Everything" he smiled back still not sure where the conversation was going "How did you know about that?"
"About?" she enquired
"About that song, we were alone"
"It's you that needs to know about that song Sam" she smiled "It was really nice seeing you again"
"You're not going just yet are you..." he trailed off as his office door opened Santana standing at it
"Are you alright Sir?"
"Yes I'm fine I was just tal..." he looked back at the couch to find Lauren gone "Did I come in here with someone?"
"No Sir we were in the middle of a conversation and you just walked off"
"Sorry Santana, it's been a funny week" he smiled long enough for her to leave the office before his worried face appeared
He scraped the items off the desk back into his briefcase and left the office for home, some time later
"Sam" he heard as he made to open the door to his building
"Quinn, sorry I forgot about you coming again"
"You asked me to come right?" she smiled kissing his cheek as usual
"Yeah" he took the kiss smiling, making their way up to his apartment almost in silence "Do you want a drink?" he asked once they were in
"Please" she told him as he threw his briefcase on the couch and went towards the cabinet
"Ice?" he shouted across
"Please" she told him taking her shoes off "I'll just grab a shower" she told him as he walked towards her
"Don't bother on my account, I've changed my mind" he frowned "I just forgot to call you to cancel, sorry"
"That's fine" she sat back down saying taking the drink from him as she spoke "Maybe we can talk about what this is, or maybe what we'd like it to be?"
"Quinn" he rolled his eyes saying "We've been here before, nearly 5 years this has been going on and if you haven't worn me down yet I'd take it as read it's not about to happen, I told you I'm still in love with Mercy, that's never going to change, if you want affection you need to look elsewhere and I'll back off"
"Sam you can't be sleeping with the same person for over 5 years and feel nothing"
"I told you what this was at the beginning Quinn, I've never falsely led you to believe anything else, you knew my feelings, we went there once on the feelings stuff and I'm sorry that didn't work out for us, but seriously I have nothing else to give"
"But what if Mercy's away living her own life, married, family, picket fence and shit, what will you do then?"
"Same as I'm doing now only I'll know she's happy, or I might even fight to get her back" he laughed, the laugh finishing abruptly as he came to some sort of realisation "Sorry Quinn you need to go" he got up telling her, taking the drink out of her hand and offering her bag to her "Sorry you just need to go" he repeated taking her to the door
Shutting the door behind her he grabbed his briefcase and took the items out the case and lay them on the table in his lounge "Leather Jacket; first smile, synchronised swimming, I'm going to fight to get you back, that's what she was wearing when I said that the leopard skin top, I had this jacket on" he smiled "Get her back" he agreed with himself that was what that meant
"Okay" he said turning his attention to the statue, working his way through the scenario "At least it means we can be together for real now" he remembered standing there telling her as she told him about finishing with that player, then she finished with me "We would never do that to each other, what cheat?" 'that was what you said Dude' his mind flashed on Quinn and what he was actually doing "Is that why there's no feeling?" he smiled
"Walking by the river in that video, what did we do?" he sat remembering them talking about not being a secret any more, about them being adults, that damn coat she threw in the river "We are perfect for each other" he smiled as he saw her smiling face looking back at him on that day
"That song Colorblind" he looked at the ring asking going through the memory of her singing that song, what had lead up to it, how she looked when he'd walked into that studio, his heart daring not to beat too fast scared for what she was going to say "But she sang it" he looked at the ring puzzled "She wanted to sing about the way she felt"
"I haven't done that in a while" he smiled looking at his old guitar in its cover just laying against the cabinet "How do I feel?" he got up asking himself, finally taking his guitar out and tuning it up, surprised that he hadn't lost the old skill "God this so reminds me of Mercy" he smiled as he strummed chords eventually finding a tune he felt as he sat looking at all his clues singing 'Rain' by The Script he could even see her face, she was smiling dancing around with him as he sung
I gave that woman my ring, it meant something, it meant everything" he said as he sat reflecting on the song he'd just sung "So what are you going to do about it?" he sat looking at the guitar on his lap "I get it" he jumped up saying "I fucking get it"
"So?" he looked up to see Rachel standing in his living room asking
"I know you're not real Rachel" he smiled "But I also know what I need to do"
"So?" she stood smiling at him
"I'm going to fight to get her back because yes we're still perfect for each other and I'm sure as hell still crazy about my MJ Miss Mercedes Jones, I get it"
"What do you get?"
"That she's worth it of course" he smiled "I'm going to fight for my second chance"
"So what's next?"
"I guess I have to find her" he walked around his apartment gathering clothes and items again, "I might look mad, might even be signing my last chance away, but I have to head to Lima, the only people in the world that know anything about where she might be lived there" if he couldn't get it from her Mom he'd try Marsha, her sister he thought. He'd been rushing around and making calls for the past ten minutes, but when he looked up Rachel was still standing in the same spot still smiling "What do you want now?" he asked
"Nothing I just, well we'll see" she told him disappearing in front of his eyes, he just shrugged his shoulders and carried on. An hour later he was on his flight and a few hours later he was standing in Lima again surprisingly with a smile on his face this time. It was 11am by the time he finally woke up and got dressed, not having slept for nearly 48 hours, he just had something to eat before making his way back to Mercy's parents home to try again, maybe when she saw he was unstoppable she'd give in and tell him something
"Sam" he heard as he sat in the cab making his way, looking up at the driver he saw nothing new, smiled and went back to his phone checking emails, there was nothing to be scared of it was Mercy's voice, and somehow he knew he was doing the right thing. Eventually he got to his destination paid the cab before he started his walk down the drive towards the front door "Sam" he heard again spinning round and gasping so hard he had to hold his chest as he saw Mercy standing there in his jacket
"Mercy" he smiled turning fully to look at her "Where have you been, everyone's been worried?"
"Everyone?" she smiled
"Well me for one and I spoke to your Mom she was too and..."
"Sam slow down you're hyperventilating" she laughed
"I just wished I could have changed what happened for us, for you in the past, I know it's too late to start wishing shit never happened for us but I'd..."
"Is it?" she asked looking at him questioningly
"Is it what, too late?"
"Is it?"
"I don't want it to be, I mean I still feel the same today as I did then, I was singing and well I just thought maybe for us there'd be..."
"There'd be what Sam?"
"A second chance I guess" he smiled, her eyes drawing him in without even trying
"I can't give you that"
"Won't you at least let me try to make things work between..."
"You'll have to take that chance Evans, I can't give it to you" she smiled
"I know you're parents are a big part of that, I have to sort this out with them, you're Mom blames me I guess"
"They're not there" she frowned "But you know where they are"
"I know?" he looked at the house saying "I don't know Mercy I ….." he looked back at her to see her gone "Mercy" he shouted looking around, how could life be so cruel to him. He didn't bother to knock the door, he walked off down that familiar road between Mercy's house and he's he'd done that 2 mile run so many times in his youth but the walk was taxing him right now he was wondering what she meant when she said he knew where her parents were, not Mom but they're not there "she could have meant Marsha and Mom I suppose" he carried on walking finally getting to his old house, it was in need of some serious repair and although it had never sold, he hadn't paid it much attention, he really didn't want to, everything had gone bad because of things said in that damn house for him. "You can't buy me" he looked at it smiling "Who the hell would want to?" he looked at the grand eight bed dishevelled house with too much land attached, no live stock on it any more, just wilderness as far as the eye could see "Who indeed"
... Sam walked towards the door, took a breath and turned the handle "Another day in the life of Sam Evans" he smiled nervously as he pushed the handle to open the door he walked into the grand house to see the inside was still as he'd remembered it all those years ago, he smiled opening the dining room door, his favourite room, to see his Jacket hanging on the back of his chair "What the?" he questioned as he went towards it picking it up and smelling it, it was his jacket it had Mercy Evans written on it just where he knew it would be "Are they making these by the fucking boatload or what?" he held it to his nose for a while taking in the fresh smell of Mercy on it, "God she could be here" looking around the room at familiar things everything in its place "This is amazing" he gasped as he looked at his Mother's favourite dinner set pride of place in the cabinet.
"Sam?" he heard someone enquire, he didn't move he knew he was hearing all kinds of things lately and it wasn't Mercy's voice so basically he really wasn't interested "Sam?" he heard again deciding this person must know him he turned to see the maid standing in the door "They're waiting for you" she beaconed him with her hand telling him
"Who's waiting for me?"
"You're parents and your guests"
"My parents? But they're de..." he trailed off thinking this shits gone to another fucking level, I'm getting a titanic ending on this damn nightmare "So am I dead?" he asked
"No Sam" she laughed pushing him into the drawing room, and shutting the door behind him
"Mercy" he gasped as he walked in to see her sitting on the couch "That damn statue" he smiled watching her stroke the thing, "Nerves?" he asked as she jumped up and ran to him for her hug "God your real" he whispered into her neck as they hugged
"Of course I'm real, what's wrong with you, you chickening out?" she whispered
"Chickening out? he asked
"Our announcement" she flashed the ring at him, that lived around her neck for the time being
"No never, no second takes on this we agreed, we say what we mean yeah?" he jerked back into the here and now telling her, wondering where his mind had taken him before, realising he was more nervous about this than he cared to admit
"Yeah" she gave him a peck on the lips saying, making everything alright
"Come on you guys, this is all very nice but you don't call an emergency conference, with both sets of parents here within an hour and then stand there making out for the entire announcement" Sam's Dad laughed
"Yeah get on with it, put my daughter down" Mercy's Dad laughed
"Gosh" Sam laughed as they turned to face their parents sitting on the couch in front of them now "It's been the funniest few minutes of my life I must say, I've imagined all sorts, I'm so scared for this" his laugh full of nervous "I need our statue" he looked at Mercy asking as she passed it over to him "But I've seen the alternative to not doing this and I guess for what we want there is no other choice" he rubbed the statue telling them as Mercy clung onto him
"Sam" Mercy gripped his hand getting him to focus on her "You're rambling just say it"
"Two bits really" he looked back at the parents saying "Well I asked Mercy to Marry me and she said yes" he informed them, everyone started to cheer "Hold up there's more" he used his hands to calm the noise
"Please don't tell me you got married already" Mercy's Mom begged
"No we didn't we wouldn't do you guys out of that" Mercy laughed
"Thank god" Sam's Mom said holding her chest
"But it does need to happen soon" Sam smiled at Mercy saying "Because your grandchild's due in 7 months" his face red as sweat took over his body everyone quite, taking in the two edged sword their children just handed them
"You know once you decide this is what you guys want there really are no second chances a baby is for life" Sam's Dad told them
"Our marriage is for life" Mercy replied smiling
"No second chances" Sam confirmed, taking a breath for them both still being alive right now
"I reckon we could get a wedding together in maybe three months" Sam's Mom announced
"Three months" Mercy's Mom agreed all heads nodding agreement before hugs and kisses were passed around
"Can we?" Sam asked some time later needing to talk to Mercy about his experience "I don't actually know what happened on the way here but I feel I need to share it with you, and at no time did I think about running" he clarified before he went into the story of what he'd been through standing at the door "It spanned over about 10 years, another life flashed through my head babe, and it wasn't pretty" he told her "Just turning the handle to come into the damn house" he smiled excitedly "It all seemed so damn real" he laughed "I'm seriously concerned that Quinn was the only person in all that I found to sleep with in your absence"
"The only thing I can say to that is, when I'm gone" she looked at him to make sure he understood that it was something in the future "If you decide to love someone else please not Quinn" she laughed "In fact none of those girls are we clear?"
"Promise" he laughed "It went better than we thought it would didn't it?" as she rested her head on his chest laying on the bench rubbing their bump
"There was a second when I wanted to run to the door and tell you to forget it" she laughed
"Was there, what stopped you?" he asked concerned that she'd had the thought
"You telling me you were going to fight to get me back because we were still perfect together and you were still crazy about your MJ soon to be Mrs Evans" she looked up at him saying "Now do you actually want to put this on?" she held up the ring on her chain asking
"With pleasure" he took the chain off her neck, released the ring and put it on her finger "There's no get out clause now" he smiled as he slid it on
"Mr Evans I really don't need a get out clause" she told him taking his kiss as they lay "Did I ever tell you..."
I feel a song coming on" he giggled "It's just how I felt for that time, it seriously felt like the longest 10 years of my life, I was so lonely"
"You always feel a song coming on" she slapped his chest telling him "Let's hear it" he took his phone out and played his current favourite song "Tell You" by Bryan Lanning ft. Dia Frampton "Okay we'll sing it" she gave in telling him, as they sung their version of the song
"I love you Sam"
"I love you right back and we'll be fine"
"We said we'd meet the guys at the café and now the family know we can tell them can't we?" she sat up asking
"I guess" he replied, watching her send a message on her phone
"I've asked them to meet us for lunch" she looked round kissing him "Our baby needs to eat" she made him smile saying
Thirty minutes later they were sitting in the café waiting for everyone to turn up "Hi" they smiled as Puck, Lauren, Tina and Mike walked in giving hugs before finding seats. Ten minutes later Kurt, Blaine, Rachel, Jessie, Santana and Brittany came walking in to more of the same
"Is this a full show?" Puck asked as they watched, Quinn and Artie walking towards them
"So spill" Santana instructed as everyone sat looking at each other
"Well" Sam looked at Mercy smiling as he spoke "We're getting married in three months time" he smiled at everyone's shocked reaction
"But you guys aren't even finished school yet" Quinn gasped
"When's the baby due?" Puck asked, earning himself a bad look off Quinn, feeling Lauren's daggers crossing the café at Quinn
"Oh seven months time" Mercy told him as if it was already common knowledge
"Seriously?" Rachel asked
"Evans you are so fucking dead" Artie laughed as everyone stopped to take in that fact
"We've just come from telling the parents they're fine with it" he fanned them off saying "Seriously" he laughed at their unbelieving faces "They're fine"
"Actually they are" Mercy giggled
"You're like a cat with those nine lives" Mike laughed giving him a high five
"Seriously guys I think you're too young for all this, remember what happened to me" Quinn told them putting a serious spin on it
"Sorry Quinn but I think this one's a bit different, in that we have the two real parents standing here telling us this news and looking at a future together" Lauren told her with a smirk on her face
"I'm just glad you two are grabbing it, not everyone gets a second chance you should always take the first viable option" Tina smiled looking up at Mike
"We don't need a second chance, we're doing the right thing" Mercy looked up at Sam telling their friends
"We are" he looked into her eyes smiling as he assured her that was true
The End