Chapter 2

Sam woke up to the sound of the door. It wasn't loud but even the lightest and quietest sound was enough for him to internally panic. Ever since he woke up from the coma, he's become ten times more alert and paranoid with everything. The doctor said it was normal but for Sam, nothing is normal anymore. He stared at the same girl he's been seeing for days now. She clearly wasn't a nurse because she's not in uniform but she's there for him 24/7, even when he asks her to leave.

"Hey, babe. Good morning. I made your favorite breakfast." Rachel said, preparing his meal on a plate before rolling his over bed table closer to him.

Sam remained quiet, not knowing how to react. She probably doesn't even know his favorite breakfast. It was nothing common but he was surprised to see his Ham and Cheese Omelette with Vanilla Ice Cream filled with Chocolate Syrup, sprinkles and marshmallow. "How did you know?" Sam asked.

"You told me about it on our first breakfast date. I've been making that for you every morning since we got married." Rachel explained, hoping he'll remember a little. Sam looked the other way when he heard the word married, still not believing anything the woman has been telling him since he woke up. He was still confused about everything and he just needed some answers from the people he trusts. Rachel noticed the uneasiness in his face so she tried to change the subject to something he might be interested in. "Your parents arrived last night. You were heavily sleeping from the pills the doctor gave you so I just told them to stay at home and come back today."

"I need to see them. Tell them to come over as soon as they can. Where's Puck? I told him to look for Quinn." Sam uttered, showing no emotions to her. He knew he was being kind of rude to the girl but how should he react? He doesn't remember the girl.

Rachel exhaled silently, not minding the fact that her husband was looking for his ex-girlfriend. She tried to tell herself a couple of times to understand him. He's not who he is right now and he's unaware of everything. "I have some good news for you. Puck called last night and your ex-girlfriend is on her way back to Lima."

"Back to Lima? Where is she?" Sam didn't know she even left town. From what Rachel told him, she was going to search the entire town to find Quinn just so Sam would calm down.

"New York. She's arriving today." For the first time in a long time, Sam smiled. Rachel missed those goofy lips curving upwards so she smiled at him as well, even if she wasn't the reason for it. "There's my favorite smile." Her hand held his, rubbing the back of it with her thumb. Sam just looked at it and back at her face and Rachel instantly knew what he meant. She removed her hand from his and placed it back to her lap.

A minute of awkward silence came. Sam knew he had to ask her about their relationship because once Quinn comes back; his attention is hers alone. "So… How long have we been…?" He didn't even know how to finish his sentence but Rachel's smile showed that she got what he wanted to ask. "One year. We were celebrating our marriage anniversary when the accident happened."

"Kids?"

Rachel shook her head, a little disappointed at her answer. "You said, we should enjoy our first year together as husband and wife before taking care of little rascals."

"I said that?" Sam asked, not sure if she was actually talking about him. "Wow. I was a different person from what I remember. Quinn and I talked about having kids a lot so I thought I'd…" He paused, realizing he was hurting Rachel with just his words. He thought saying sorry wasn't gonna make things better so he just asked more questions. "How did we meet? Are you originally from Lima?"

"No. I'm from Atlanta. We met there. You were vacationing alone. You dropped by a beer house and I was serving you. You told me not to stop serving drinks until you passed out. I didn't know where you were staying so I brought you home with me and the rest was history." She smiled again, reminiscing the time they met and how it all started. Both sat there silently and it looks like Sam ran out of questions to ask. Rachel's phone in her pocket buzzed and she pulled it out. "It's a text from Puck. Quinn missed her flight but she's taking the next one out which is 3 in the afternoon."

Sam looked at the clock and it was only 9:30 in the morning. He lied down and faced the side away from Rachel. "Wake me up when she's here. I don't want to eat. I just want to sleep." The blonde had no intention of being awake if Quinn wasn't there. He was tired of waiting. His parents weren't there yet and they're the only people he trusts besides Quinn. Rachel, now hurt even more, just stood up and brought to food back to the container. The distance Sam was giving her made her lose hope in getting her husband back. She just dimmed the lights and went out for some coffee alone.

Xxx

"Quinn!"

She jumped a little as she heard her name being repeated a couple of times. "Yeah?"

"The cab's here. Get in!"

A deep exhale before moving was necessary for her. Everything was coming back to her. The last time she was there at that airport, she was running away from heartbreak, misery and depression. She nodded and hopped inside the cab before Santana. "What did your mom say? Are we staying at your place?"

Santana shook her head, browsing through the messages on her phone. "She's visiting abuela for two weeks. She just left last night and couldn't respond till this morning. I read the text just when we got off the plane."

"So, where are we going to stay? At a hotel?"

"We're going to your house." Santana immediately replied and kept a distance. She knew how Quinn would react and she was right.

"Are you kidding me?! I haven't seen my family for four years! I can't just come back unannounced!" Quinn started hitting Santana on the arm, letting her feel her anger. She keeps making these surprises and she's doing a good job with it because Quinn hasn't had a good wink since she told her about Sam. "We can't, Santana. Trust me. My mom's gonna be so surprised she might kill me."

"They won't, okay? I'll make sure of it." Santana reached for her hand and rubbed her thumb against it. "Look, I'm sure your mom won't let us stay in a hotel. We're here to change the past. You can start fresh with your mom. Explain why you left and all."

Quinn didn't say a word anymore. She just kept quiet the entire ride and stared out the window. Santana knew she was gathering all her thoughts. Coming back was already hard and now, she has to face everything she ran away from, four years ago.

Everything was going so fast that Quinn felt like she had only blinked five times and the cab already stopped. They were finally there. Their house looked exactly the way it did four years ago and now that she's here, it felt like nothing changed. Everything felt the same even if it wasn't.

"Home sweet home!" Santana excitedly said, going out to grab her luggage. Both of them weren't sure what was waiting for them behind the door. Quinn knew her mom loved travelling especially now that she's alone so she has a feeling no one's there. Santana stepped up for her and rang the doorbell twice.

The door opened. "Quinn? Santana?"

"Aunt Jenna. What are you doing here?" Quinn hugged her mother's youngest sister. They were only 15 years apart so the two had a connection. She wasn't the usual aunt you see during the holidays. She prefers to be known as the cool aunt. "Where's my mom?"

"Belated happy birthday. Come inside." She said and asked the two ladies and led them to the living room. Quinn smiled as she heard the greeting. "Your mom's in London with her friends. They're spending Christmas there. Does she know you're coming back?"

"No, actually. Santana and I are just here for…business. We're not staying long if that's okay?"

"Of course! No worries, it's your house Quinnie! Come here." She said, pulling her niece closer for a hug. "I missed you. We all missed you. It's so nice to see you again."

Quinn smiled, hugging her back. "Yeah. I missed you too." She looked around the place and nothing seemed to have changed. "It's like I never left. Everything's still where they were when I left." Jenna giggled and looked around the place as well. "Not really. You can't see but your mom had the roof repaired and the kitchen was changed a bit."

"But guess what hasn't changed?" Santana spoke up who was looking out of the window, to the backyard. Jenna and Quinn walked to where Santana was to look at what she was staring at.

Jenna smiled and wrapped an arm around Quinn. "Your mom decided not to touch it. A couple of months after you left, there was a big storm. We forgot about the tree house so when the storm was already here, we didn't have time to get everything out. We thought the storm would destroy it anyway so we just didn't check on it anymore. 3 days after the storm, we checked the tree house and nothing happened."

"Wow, Quinn. What kind of voodoo magic did you and Sam do there? Even the stormiest weather couldn't destroy it." Santana joked and both she and Jenna laughed out loud. "The Legendary Sam and Quinn museum."

"Your mom thought it wasn't meant to be destroyed so every night, we still turn on the Christmas lights you two wrapped around it." Jenna smiled and remembered the moments they started building the tree.

Quinn felt numb. She couldn't move. She heard them talking but she just stared at the tree house. "Let me do it. I'll destroy it now."

Santana hit her in the head and Quinn's jaw just dropped and her face should actual pain. "Thank you, Santana!" Jenna said, nodding her head at the girl. "What was that for?" Quinn shouted. "Are you stupid, Quinn? You're here to help Sam and you're going to destroy that tree house? That's like the bitterest move in the entire history of bitter moves."

"Wait. You're here to what?" Jenna asked, feeling curious with what the two are talking about. "Are you going to get back together with him?" The aunt squealed in excitement and Santana just started laughing. Quinn was definitely being bullied by the two.

"He's married. I'm just here to help him remember that…we're not together anymore." Quinn said, not really in the mood to tell everyone about it.

"He was in an accident and when he woke up, his memory was erased. Last thing he remembers was college graduation." Santana whispered to Jenna.

"Oooh, scandalous. I like it." Jenna teased but Santana shook her head, revealing the bad news. "That's what I said! But guess what? This girl just got engaged!"

"WHAT! Come on. The guy couldn't wait until after her and Sam talk? One week isn't that long but a lot of things can happen."

The two were chatting a lot and they didn't even notice Quinn leave. Something was pulling her back to the tree house. She wasn't sure but apparently, her feet started walking and she just couldn't go back. Standing in front of the ladder that leads up to the tree house, she finally hesitated. If she goes up there, two things can happen. Either she'll cry or she'll just laugh at all whatever's there. She's afraid she'll end up doing the first one.

Xxx

SUMMER of 2006

"Alright, poopy. Open your eyes."

Quinn opened her eyes and saw that the old tree house in their backyard was fixed. Her father built it when she was four years old and it became her safe house. Whenever Quinn was lonely, she'd go up there with her toys and feel as if she's in the safest place in the world. When her parents separated, it destroyed Quinn. Being in the tree house was like locking herself in a house full of pain and lies. She hated that tree house and never went back. She even brought bricks and threw at it every night to bring it down.

"Booger! What did you do?" She couldn't help but smile. The tree house had a different vibe. It looked better than how her father built it. Sam wrapped his arms around Quinn from behind and kissed the back of her head. "Since your mom brought you to Baltimore the entire summer, I asked if I could stay here and fix the tree house." He turned her around to see her face as he spoke. "I know how this tree house has been a safe place for you before. I want you to have that back. Not with the bad memories but new and good ones – with me. We'll make it our own safe house." He leaned forward and whispered to her ear. "Like our own little house. Take it as graduation gift. We survived high school and now, we're off to college."

Quinn smiled, hugging him one more time. "Thank you, booger. I love it. I love you." They shared a kiss as they appreciated the new tree house. Quinn couldn't be happier with it and now, she's trying to think of ways to design it. "Alright. I have boxes full of stuff here which I think we should put in there. All our Polaroid shots since middle school up until our graduation picture together."

Judy came out from the kitchen with a tray of lemonade and cake. "Sam, thanks for doing the grocery. Keep the change. Take it as a tip for your first allowance in college. Here, have some refreshments, you two." The couple sat and ate cake first before putting some finishing touches on the tree house. "Wow. It looks really nice. Good job, Samuel."

"I know. It looks shinny and new. I just hope it's safe." Quinn teased, giving Sam a look before kissing his cheek.

Sam shook his head, squinting at his girl. "Poopy, there's a reason why it's called a safe house. Not only it's supposed to make you feel safe, but you'll actually be safe when you go inside it."

"Mhmm. I heard that from you, Sam. It's a safe house not a sex house." The two teenagers choked after hearing what Judy had to say. An awkward silence came for about a couple of seconds until Judy spoke again. "You're teenagers. You've been together for four years. You think I don't how teenage minds work?" She asked in a more joking mood. "Mom, stop it. Please."

"Why? Have you two done it already?" Judy asked, taking a sip from her lemonade as Sam and Quinn just looked at each other, trying to wait for the other to answer. "You know what, nevermind. Don't answer. I don't want to know." She placed her drink down and grabbed the Polaroid camera. "Okay, you two. Picture time!"

"Good idea. Thank God." Sam said, pulling Quinn to stand by the tree house as Judy took a picture of them. The camera printed the photo and Sam grabbed the box of their Polaroid photos to put the new one inside.

2014

"What happened to destroying the tree house? Looks like it's destroying you." Santana said, popping up at the tree house where Quinn was looking at their old photos hanging by the tree house. Quinn didn't realize it until Santana pointed out that she was tearing up a little. She wiped the tears away and smiled. "You know when people say how their lives flash before their eyes. Well, that literally happened to me when I got here - all our pictures and memories. It's reminding me how we could've lasted a lifetime." She knelt down and grabbed the small pillow. "Sam got me this pillow from our first carnival date. He couldn't win me a big teddy bear but instead, he won this and it felt more comforting than any teddy bear I've had my entire life." She couldn't hold it anymore and just let the tears fall. Santana pulled her closer to hug her crying best friend.

"I screwed up! It's all my fault!" Quinn cried on Santana's shoulder. She was having a break down, just remembering everything that happened four years ago. For the long time that she was away, she's never cried about this because she refused to believe it was her fault. She had a bigger pride but now that everything's being brought back in front of her, she couldn't blame anyone but herself. "Shhh, Quinn. It's not your fault." Santana tried to calm her down but she was just a mess. She needed to cry the four years of pain and regret. Instead of asking her to stop, Santana just let her cry as she rubbed her back for comfort.

Xxx

Sam took his medicines for the night. Finally, after a lot of convincing from Rachel and his parents, he ate his first meal of the day which was dinner. Rachel told him Quinn's flight was at 3 and it's already 8 in the evening and she's still not there. It was starting to piss off Sam. The Quinn he knew would've gone straight from the airport to the hospital but it's been more than 3 hours since her plane landed yet she was still nowhere to be found. "Can you tell my mom to look for Quinn? It's been hours. She should've been here."

Rachel looked at him who was cleaning the utensils he used for eating. "Your mom doesn't have Quinn's number. Our only contact with her is through Puck and he's not answering probably because he's at work." Sam groaned and covered his face with the blanket. "This is getting ridiculous!" Sam nearly shouted and it surprised Rachel. He was seriously getting furious about it. "Relax, Sam. I'm not used to hearing you shout. It freaks me out!" She clearly explained before walking further away. "I'm getting tired of this, Sam. I'm your wife and you're looking for someone else." She hurtfully whispered and Sam felt a little guilty about it. Clearly, Rachel was struggling here more than he was. She has to deal with everything – the truth and the lies.

"I'm… I'm sorry." Sam said and Rachel just shook her head. "It's fine. I know you're not yourself and you're still confused about everything but please… Bear with me." She sat on the bed and held his hand. "I'm tired and depressed and… I just miss my husband, okay? I just want you to get better already."

"I know, I'm sorry." Sam removed his hand under hers and rubbed her shoulders a little. "Go get yourself a cup of coffee. I'll just watch some TV here." Sam's smile made Rachel a little calm and smile back. She stood up and grabbed her bag. "I think your mom's outside strolling. I'll just tell her to stay here with you."

She went out of the room and was surprised to see Sam's mother by the hallway, hugging a blonde girl she's never seen before. Is she a relative? As she closed the door, the hug between the two ladies broke and they looked at Rachel.

"Rachel, hey. Where are you going?" Julie Evans asked.

"I'm… I'm just gonna go grab a coffee. Do you…mind watching over Sam for a while? I'll be quick." Rachel said, smiling at the girl. She was probably a cousin or something. No introduction means she's not important.

"Oh, it's fine. She's here now. Rachel, this is Quinn Fabray. She was a little late because she had to go home for a while." She said, introducing the girls. "Quinnie, this is Rachel. Sam's…wife."

The two girls exchanged awkward looks, not knowing how to interact. "Uhm… Hi. I'm Quinn. It's nice to meet you." Quinn said, extending her hand to the wife. Rachel just looked at it and fear instantly crept up her blood. She was finally here. Sam is going to see her and she's not gonna be there. Maybe it's best that she's not there because seeing Sam interact with his ex-girlfriend for 8 years would be the most painful thing in the world especially now that she knows how close she and her mother-in-law looked like. Rachel just smiled at her and said, "Sam's watching TV. I think you still have about 30 minutes more before he needs to rest." Quinn awkwardly placed her hand back in her coat pocket and smiled. "Yeah, sure. Thanks." She looked back at Julie and smiled. "I'm gonna go inside for a while. I'll talk to you later."

Julie nodded, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Alright, sweetheart. I'll just be here outside if you need anything." Rachel, being on the awkward shoes, just left without saying goodbye to her mother-in-law. She wasn't that important at the moment anyway but Julie noticed her. "Rachel…" She called and smiled. "Thank you." She mouthed at the bravest girl she's seen that today. She was willing to risk her feelings just to help Sam by bringing Quinn back. Rachel must really love her son.

Quinn exhale deeply before opening the door. It was time to see him again after four years. She pushed the door open and smiled when she made eye contact with Sam. The look on the boy's face was unexplainable. He was about to cry tears of joy and it was obvious that he wanted to get up but he couldn't.

"Poopy. You're here." Sam smiled and Quinn just nodded, walking closer to him. She thought about sitting on the bed but that was too close so she just pulled a chair and sat on it beside him.

"Poopy. Tell me what's up. Why's everyone acting so different? Where have you been? Are we being punk'd?" He asked, letting out a laugh and Quinn just kept the smile on her face.

"Sam…" She started and he was immediately surprised with what she called him. "Wait. Sam? You don't call me by my name unless we're fighting."

Quinn bit her lip and exhaled, not really knowing what to say. "Do you… Do you remember why we called each other those names? Booger? Poopy?" Sam chuckled and nodded his head. "Of course. Middle school embarrassing days. You're the girl who pooped in her pants and I was the boy who showed the most booger in class." Both of them laughed, reminiscing their childhood days. "When we got together in Freshman year, we told each other that it was in the past and we shouldn't be embarrassed about it. We made a bad memory into something good so you're my Poopy Pants and I'm your Booger Boy." Sam smiled, tearing up a bit. He tried to reach for her hand but she kept it deeper inside her pocket.

"You see, Sam… That was years ago. When we were still young…and together, but now…"

Sam raised his eyebrow at her, hearing the same words everyone's been telling him for the past days. "Wait. Hold up, now. Don't tell me you're playing their game too? Why does everyone keep saying we're not together anymore? Baby, I'd never break up with you. You'd never break up with me. We love each other!"

She bit her lip again, not sure what else to say. How will she say this in a gentle way? The doctor did say to take it easy on him. He's not responding normally because of his lost memories but there was no other way but to just tell him the truth. "But…we broke up. Four years ago."

"What?" Sam shook his head. He couldn't believe he'd hear the same things everyone's been saying from her. This wasn't the Quinn he used to know. How could she give up so easily? "What happened, Quinn? Why?" He was starting to tear up like a baby and Quinn couldn't let herself see that. She switched to sit on the bed beside him and held his hand. "Sam, listen to me. There's no easy way to say this because you're stuck in the past. We're over, we're done. It's been four years. You're married now…"

Sam just kept shaking his head as the tears continued to fall. His grip on her hand kept getting tighter and tighter. "No, no, no." He repeated, over and over again and closed his eyes. He couldn't take all of these. It was too painful for him. Quinn stopped talking and just seeing him in pain breaks her heart. She pulled him closer, letting him cry on her shoulder. She doesn't have any more tears to cry and she felt like she was more than numb with the pain.

"Sam, listen to me." Quinn kept her mouth close to his ear so he could hear her clearly. "I'm going to help you get through this. I don't know how but I will, okay? I'm in town for the week and I'll be here for you…as your friend." She pulled away from him, gently laying him back to his pillow. It wasn't very pleasing to the eyes if someone caught them in that close of a position. Sam continued to cry, a little calmer after feeling Quinn's touch again for what felt like a million years since the last time.

Quinn tore up a little and tried to give her warmest smile at him. "Booger, stop crying. You wouldn't want the bullies to lock you up in your locker again." She joked and finally, Sam laughed a little. He gave her a quick nod and held her hand again. "I refuse to believe we're over. If I lost my memory and this is all I remember, then it must mean it's the only thing worth remembering." He whispered and smiled. Quinn shook her head in response to him. "Well, that's what I'm here for – to help you face and understand reality. You know I don't back down from a challenge."

Sam laughed and shook his head as well. "Poopy, I'm telling you, by the end of the week. You'll realize you're the one who has amnesia. You forgot about December 28th."

"Says who? Of course, I remember about December 28th." Quinn smirked at him, feeling a little relaxed now that the mood is lighter.

"Then why do you still think it's over? You can't compete with the universe, you know? We made a promise under the rain." Quinn knew he was trying to mess with her head. She can't just go back to memory lane especially if it's not going to help Sam at all. "Just let me help you, okay?" Quinn asked, using her pleading eyes at him before adding, "…and let your wife in. Don't push her away."

Sam just looked down. He couldn't promise he'd do the second thing she asked. His heart was still getting used to everything and right now, Quinn's the only one his heart knows. After a while, the nurse peeked from the door. "Ma'am, I'm sorry to interrupt but the patient needs to rest."

"But I'm not tired." Sam butted in, not wanting to let go of Quinn now that she's here.

Quinn made a face at him. He knew it was her way of asking him to shut up. "I'll be out in 2 minutes." The nurse nodded and closed the door. "Okay, you heard the nurse. Get some rest." Sam moved to the side and tapped the space he made for her. "Okay. Then, let's rest." He said, jokingly and Quinn shook her head, giggling. "I'll see you soon." She stood up and walked to the door.

"Poopy, wait." Sam stopped her and she turned around to look at him. He gave her a flying kiss but Quinn didn't respond which made Sam a little disappointed. "You don't have to receive the kiss now. Keep it in your pocket so you can use it when you need it." Quinn smiled and grasped the air as if she accepted the kiss and put it in her pocket. Sam smiled and allowed her to leave the room.

Closing the door, Quinn exhaled, finally able to breathe deeply. Although the room was filled with tears and memories, she felt like she did a good job. She did it maturely and sincerely as possible as she can. Quinn looked around to see if no one's looking before reaching for her pocket and receiving the kiss Sam gave her through her lips. She smiled and started walking.

On the way out, she bumped into a face she couldn't forget even if she just saw her moments ago. She tried her best not to be awkward and just smile. "Hi. Rachel, right?"

"Yeah." Rachel just smiled, nodding at her.

"Well, the nurse said Sam had to rest so I already left." She informed the wife, acting as cool as she can. Rachel just nodded, acting cold towards her. She had to make her feel that even though she allowed Sam to see Quinn doesn't mean it didn't hurt her. "Okay…so, I'm gonna go now. Have a good night." Quinn said and walked away. Rachel stood there, looking at her as she walked out of the hospital.

Before Quinn could go out, Rachel called her out. "Quinn…" She moved a little to get closer to her. "It's Quinn, right?" She asked, making sure she's right and the blonde nodded. "Since we're probably gonna see each other for the next seven days, I was hoping we could…you know, get to know each other."

Uh-oh. This is a bad idea. Quinn knew what she was trying to do but if she said no, that'll make things more suspicious. She'll probably think she still has feelings for her husband. "Yeah, sure. I can drop by tomorrow at lunch?"

"Sounds good. I'll meet you here in the lobby. If Sam sees you…he's not gonna want to let go of you again." She said and Quinn was sure she heard a different meaning from what the brunette was saying. Nodding at her, she waved good bye and left the hospital. Quinn didn't want to judge but by the look on her face, Rachel was probably up to something.

END OF CHAPTER 2! HOPE YA'LL ENJOYED THAT! THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING THE FIRST CHAPTER! HOPE YOU POST A REVIEW FOR THIS AS WELL. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, JUST LEAVE THEM AS A REVIEW AND I'LL TRY TO ANSWER THEM NEXT TIME THROUGH THE STORY. IF YOU'RE QUESTION HASN'T BEEN ANSWERED, IT MEANS IT'S AN IMPORTANT DETAIL IN THE STORY THAT YOU CAN'T KNOW ABOUT JUST YET! ALSO, I'LL TRY TO DO MORE FLASHBACK SCENES IN THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR YOU TO HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW SAM AND QUINN WERE BEFORE!

THAT'S IT! THANKS AGAIN! READ, REVIEW AND SHARE!