Author's Note: Hello everyone! Okay, so I have never gotten more than five alerts on my other stories but this one seems really popular so far. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed, read, favorite or alerted this story. I feel so bad because I never update very quickly. I'll try to be better about that this year! I love you all so much. Did you guys see tonight's episode? All the songs were simply amazing. I freaking love Glee so much. Gah. Well on with the story then, shall we? Before I start fan girl screaming again. Pfft, who does that?

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own anything except for my ideas. Characters and the whole Glee world is Ryan Murphy's. Sucks for me to suck, I guess.

Mercedes walked slowly into the choir room. She saw Tina look at her with a concerned expression. How could she explain what had just happened? Mr. Schuester was watching her as well. The air in the room was tense. Sam had his hands in fists by his side.

"So is he trying out?" Sam said with anger in his voice. Mercedes gently shook her head, her waves bouncing around her shoulders. She sat in a chair at the front of the room at looked at Mr. Schuester. He gave her a small smile and proceeded with class. Mercedes couldn't suggest songs for nationals seeing how low her self-confidence was in herself. She really did love Shane, just not in the same way that she felt for Sam.

The last summer with Sam was filled with passion, chemistry and love all rolled into a box filled with a gift of longing. Without Sam it was like a part of her really did die and all she could do was take what was left of her and put it with something that didn't naturally fit into her heart. This new piece of her was fragile and already broken. With Shane it had mended with fragments of tape. Not duct tape or anything strong, just simple Dollar General tape. She had no way of controlling her heart and what her heart was telling her was that she needed Sam.

After choir was dismissed, Sam took off towards Mercedes. He had to know what happened out in the hall. She hadn't spoken a word to him since the hallway incident and he couldn't stand her being upset with him. He finally caught up to her.

"Mercedes, are you okay?" He said as he stood beside her. She moved so she could stand in front of him. She looked him in the eyes with a sad look in her eyes. "I'm fine. I broke up with Shane. It never felt right with him. I just want to be alone right now. Sorry." Mercedes began to turn around and walk away. "At least let me walk you to your car. It's cold outside and late." Mercedes nodded her head and allowed him to walk beside her.

"Do you want to talk about anything?" Sam asked as he walked her down the hallway.

"No Sam. I don't really want to talk right now." She said stress leaking into her voice. Sam looked down at the floor. He felt really terrible about what happened between them. It was never like this. He saw how happy she was before he intervened with Shane. If he hadn't had said anything this would be so different between them. He probably wouldn't have a chance with her still, but at least she would be happy.

"I feel like I ruined everything. I can go back to Tennessee if you really want me to." Sam said with his lips pouting a little. The sad thing was, he was completely serious. He felt terrible for making Mercedes this upset.

Sam felt a strong pull on his shoulders and he saw Mercedes looking him straight in the eye.

"Samuel Michael Evans if you ever leave me again I will fall apart. Do not even joke about you leaving again. Do you know how much that hurt me? I was broken for the longest time. When you were gone I turned cold. I turned my back against Rachel and Kurt. I thought I was somebody I wasn't. With you gone I was no longer myself. With you back I can finally feel happiness again. Do you understand what I went through this whole school year? Pretending I was someone amazing and talented? Do you think a heart break repairs over night? How could you even say something like that to me after all this? I mean, how dare you." Mercedes said with tears stuck in her eyes. She couldn't cry in front of Sam. He didn't deserve the satisfaction.

Sam felt a stabbing in his chest. How could he say that to her? He knew how she felt. Hell, he lived it. When he was in Tennessee it took everything he had not to call her every second of the day. He had tried so hard to live without her. He knew he was nothing without Mercedes. This wasn't some angsty teenage love movie he's ever watched, this was the painstakingly hard drama he always wanted to feel. This was what love felt like. Seeing Mercedes that upset broke his heart even more than it had been broken when he left.

Sam gently wiped the tears off her face.

"Don't." Mercedes warned as she tried to turn. Sam held a grip on her arm, causing her not to leave.

"Mercedes, I have never meant to intentionally hurt you that much. I have missed you ever since I moved to Tennessee. Without you I felt like I could never reach my dreams or my full potential. I felt stupid for losing you and letting you go. I'm so sorry. I will never leave you ever again. I promise with my whole heart."

"I can't just take you back Sam. Not after everything that has happened. I need something more than an empty promise. I need you to prove to me that this is real not just for me, but for yourself. I have been hurt so much in my life by people. I just want one thing in my life to be special and real. Just once." She said as she began to walk down the hallway again.

"I will make it up to you. I don't care how much I'll have to work for your trust again. Mercedes I never stopped loving you. Don't you ever doubt that." Sam said as he opened the door for her. They were in the parking lot now, nearing her silver SUV.

"I never did, Sam. I never doubted you." Mercedes said as he opened her car door for her. She stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. She slid into her car and turned on the engine. He gave her a small wave as she began to pull out of her parking spot and drive away. She gave him a smile in return and left the school.

Mercedes would be his. Even if his life depended on it.