"Mom, I'm home," Sam called as they walked through the front door. Finding home was an adventure to be honest. He honestly couldn't remember where his house used to be, especially since he hadn't lived there in 12 years. But then he remembered that they were right near the water tower and from there, Mercedes led the rest of the way. Driving through his old neighborhood was like reliving a foggy dream. He had so many nights when he was younger where he wished he could go back to that home where he had his own room and walls covered in comic books heroes instead of sharing a bed with his younger brother and sister. There were nights where he missed his backyard and the space of having his own home. It was like being here was reminding him just how awful it felt to be homeless and just how grateful he should be now

"In the kitchen!" his mother called, meeting them half way with a rag in her hand. "Sorry I was cleaning the kitchen... Who's your friend?"

Your future daughter in law. "Mom, this is Mercedes. We're in glee together. She's gonna be..." Marrying me one day. "...tutoring me."

Mary clapped her hands happily and grinned. "Oh! That's great. Sammy needs all the help he can get."

"Mom," he groaned. A part of him missed seeing his mother every day since back in his time, she and his father were still in Kentucky, enjoying the house they'd managed to buy and keep for themselves.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Evans," Mercedes smiled.

"Please, call me Mary.. You guys can go in the study room so the twins don't see you."

"Twins?" Mercedes rose an eyebrow.

"My little brother and sister," Sam nodded.

"I didn't know you had siblings."

"Yup. They're 8... Kinda little terrors," he shrugged, earning a glare from his mother. If he were being honest, he missed the twins being this young. They hadn't been in so long and he wouldn't see them this young ever again. Back home, they were both freshman at NYU, not being able to tear themselves apart from each other.

"I kinda wish I had a younger sibling," Mercedes said wistfully. "I just have my oldest sister Brooklyn and my older brother Michael."

"Want mine?" Sam asked, wincing when his mother playfully hit him with a rag. "Ow... Mom."

"Be nice Sammy," she warned. "I'm gonna leave you two... Have fun. And it was nice meeting you Mercedes."

"Nice meeting you too," the younger girl waved, following behind Sam as he led them to the study room. Sam tossed his book bag onto the couch and sat down with a sigh. When was the last time he'd seen this old couch? It had been years and he had to resist the urge to inhale it's disgusting scent of Cheez-Its and Hawaiian punch.

"Your mom seems nice," Mercedes smiled, taking a seat on the couch. "And you guys have an awful lot of family portraits."

"Yeah, my dad never took many pictures when he was a kid in Tennessee so... Now we just take a lot of pictures."

"That's great... I wish my family did that a lot. We only take pictures when it's a special occasion," she shrugged. "Like my sister graduating from college, my brother going to medical school... That's it."

"Why dont you convince your family to take more pictures?"

"I cant... Ever since my mom got sick, no one really wants to take pictures."

He'd forgotten the time line they were in that quickly. A time line where Mercedes' mother was battling cancer. And losing. He didnt even have the heart to think about the fact that in just a few short years, Yvette Jones would die, losing her battle to the vicious disease.

"I'm sorry," Sam said sadly, swallowing a lump that formed in his throat. She was like a second mother to him.

"Dont be...besides, I figured one day when I'm on my own and married with a house full of kids, I'll just have family portraits all over."

Sam felt his smile waver as he thought about their home back in L.A. and how it was in fact, covered with pictures of them from all over the world. From their trips to New York and Paris to their silly times at home, it was every candid moment shot within a small frame. And for the hundredth time that day, he felt a pang to go back to him home and make things right with his wife. But this was why he was here, in his old living room, studying material that didn't matter to him. So he could go back, change things and be a better man, a better husband.

"Hey," Mercedes whispered, waving her hand in front of his face. "You did that thing again where you zoned out."

"Sorry," Sam muttered, sitting up straight. "I was just uh... Thinking that I might want the same thing one day."

She stared at him, her large brown eyes looking at him in confusion as she slowly shook her head. "You know, you almost don't look 16 when you zone out like that. It's like your eyes are telling another story or something."

Sam leaned forward until their knees were touching and stared back at her. "And what are they saying now?" he questioned.

"Um..." she whispered, her eyes searching his for a moment before shaking her head with a huff. She reached down and grabbed her book bag, tugging her text book out of it as she did. "They are saying that we should study... Ready? We have a lot to go over."

Sam felt the moment slip right from his fingers and nodded as she sat back, no longer touching him and no longer staring. "Right... Studying. Cant forget that.

By the time the sun was down, it's glow hidden behind a sheet of darkness, they were both closing their notebooks and packing their things away. After nearly two hours of studying, Sam knew more about the revolutionary war than he could ever remember learning. Somehow, she'd figured out a way to teach him so that he could remember the content and not forget it as soon as it entered his mind. He shouldn't be shocked really, he wouldn't have passed his SAT's if it weren't for Mercedes with her persistent studying.

"Thanks so much for helping me," he said as they stood. "And for not making me feel like an idiot."

"No problem," she shrugged. "But Sam, you gotta know, you're not an idiot. You're actually really smart. It just takes having to repeat things and to use visuals for you to get it. It doesn't make you any less smart than any of us." He couldn't help but stare at her curiously because here she was proving that yet again, he was the worst guy ever. She was always doing this, supporting him and he couldn't even sacrifice to support her dreams.

"Can I tell you something?" he whispered, his face downcast.

"Sure," Mercedes answered, adjusting the strap on her shoulder. But just as Sam opened his mouth to speak, her phone rang loudly in her pocket and a look of alarm washed across her face. "Um... Hold that thought, that's my dad's ring tone... Hello?" She offered him a small smile before spinning around and finishing her phone call. He could hear her serious tone with her nearly always stoic father on the other line, explaining where she was and who she was with. It was always like that, ever since Sam had first become friends with Mercedes. Her father kinda had a stick up his ass, if you asked Sam but he treated his daughter like a princess despite never smiling.

"Yes, Dad," Mercedes muttered, making a face as she glanced over her shoulder at Sam.

He chuckled, leaning against the arm of the couch as she continued her conversation with as much animation as she had before.

"I miss you Cedes," he whispered to himself, just as she got off the phone and faced him.

"Hey! Sorry about that.. My dad wanted to know where I was and when I was coming home for dinner."

"I guess I don't wanna keep you," Sam said sadly.

"You weren't... Um... What did you wanna tell me?"

"Nothing," he shook his head. "Just that I appreciate your friendship."

"Wow, it feels nice to be appreciated for once... You're spoiling me," she teased as she retrieved her keys. "I should go. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Yeah... I'll walk you out," he said, following her to the front door and pulled it open for her.

"Thanks... Um... Look I know you normally sit with Quinn and her fun bunch for lunch but feel free to sit with Tina, Artie, Mike and I tomorrow. We aren't cheerleaders but... We are nice."

Sam nodded his head in appreciation. "Okay... Yeah. Sounds like a plan."

"Great... Tell your mom I said thanks for having me over."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye."

Sam leaned against the door frame and waited until she drove off to finally shut the door and lean against it with a sigh. When he opened his eyes, his sister was standing there, staring at him quizzically.

"Hey Stace... What's wrong?" Sam shrugged, taking a step forward.

Almost as soon as his foot came down on the ground, she bolted to the other side of the house and into her room before slamming and locking the door. Stacey had never looked at him like that before...like she was scared and Sam couldn't figure out why she'd done it then. But he didn't have time to think about what was bugging his little sister, especially since his little sister was really at NYU, and loved her big brother more than anything. He had to focus because as of tomorrow morning at 9 am, he was down a day and only had two more to go.

A/N: Surprise! lol Yeah I know, I bet you all thought I was dead. I'm not... just been having a really tough last few months. School's been crazy. Like crazy. But thankfully it's my last semester so I graduate soon thank good. So fuck you college! Well... until I go back to graduate school. Anyways, I havent forgotten my stories but it's SO hard to write for a ship I just dont ship anymore. Dont get me wrong, Samcedes S2-3, GOOOLLDDEEENNNNN. Right. Season 3 was our prime, amirite? But after I stopped watching and despite the show bringing them back, I just honestly didnt care anymore. I just dont watch the show, I havent in years just because I realize how awful it really is. No longer am I a freshman who has no taste. I've seen good and I wants the good lol. So, I think once I finish this fic and AIL, it'll be my last venture into Samcedes/glee FF... But back to happy things. Yaaayy part two of the previous chapter. I'm not positive when I'll update next but I am free until January 6th, so we shall see. I hope you guys enjoyed it!