A/N: remember back about ten chapters ago when I was gonna end this? *troll face* now ten chapters later and I'm about to say the same thing. Ladies and maybe gentlemen, idk if guy's read fanfiction, let alone mine. But soon this fic will be coming to an end, I don't exactly know when, but I have a feeling it's gonna be soon.

Anyway, I guess I should tell you there is a return of Shakespearean!Sam but its tiny. But if you do understand what he meant let me know! I'll bake you cookies. I don't know how you would get these cookies though… Unless you live in Narnia, where I currently reside.

I'm rambling… onto the chapter batman!

"Okay Sam! You can do this!" Sam said to himself as he entered the halls of McKinley. It was the first day of school and he was anxious, nervous and excited all at the same time. It wasn't his last year but it was Mercedes' and he didn't want to screw it up. He wanted so badly to enter her senior year as her boyfriend/sexy man candy but fate got in the way and now he can't bring himself to go near her without his heart pounding in his chest from want. He agreed to let her figure her stuff out while he tried his best to be her friend. He even went so far as to invite her over to spend time with him at Finn's house... Just to watch movies and be friendly. Kurt was even going to be there, that was Sam's choice. He needed a cock blocker in the room just in case he got into one of his "I'm just gonna go for it" kinda moves. Blaine was invited too just in case Kurt wasn't enough. She came; they all laughed and talked like friends. No talk of their relationship or their problems. It actually kinda felt good, it reminded him of where they started. As friends, nothing more. Nevertheless she left that night with a smile on her face, and Sam knew it was mission accomplished.

Now, back in the halls of McKinley, Sam sought out the familiar faces he'd come to love the past year. First it was Finn and Rachel who were sucking face as usual. Then Mike and Tina gave him a wave and a "See you in glee club!"next was his bro and the best snuggle partner ever (besides Mercedes) Puck who hooked an arm around him and they began to walk the halls together.

"Looking fly man!" Puck said to him.

"Thanks, you too dude." Sam replied.

"So first day of school... Did you see Quinn? I mean I thought I was crazy with the Mohawk but... How do I put this? She's got pink hair, a nose ring and a tattoo of Ryan Seacrest."

"Well, Quinn's been through a lot, she's probably going through a phase. It's best if people just leave her alone for now. I know I'm steering clear of mount Quinn Fabray until she erupts from her own realizations and ultimately dyes her hair back blonde, rejoins the glee club and becomes happy again." Sam says.

"Wait... How did you know she quit glee?" Puck asks.

"Well, you said she had pink hair. I was just making an educated guess... Now of you'll excuse me..." Sam began to walk away when Puck said,

"If you're looking for sexy mama... And you can't fool me cause I know you are... She's at her locker. I caught her there earlier. "
Sam smiled his thanks to his friend. He and Puck were always on the same wavelength. Today was no different. It lead Sam to exactly where he wanted to be. He turned the corner and saw her at her locker trying to put a book up on the top shelf. Sometimes he loved that she was so short. It was so adorable he just wanted to put her in his pocket and keep her there for safe keeping. He strutted over to her, took the book and set it down in the desired place. She smiled up at him, lighting up his heart with her grin.

"Thank you." She said to him sweetly.

"No problem, a friend in need is a friend indeed."

"Oh my gosh Sam you are such a dork." Mercedes said laughing.

"Yes, these are facts. I Sam Evans am a super, humongous, nerd/dork. Slash sexiest man at McKinley."

All Mercedes did was laugh some more as he put his hand over his heart while uttering the words. He always knew how to make her smile. That's one thing she loved about him. The way he does things just to get a rise out of her.
Mercedes closed her locker and her Sam began to walk down the hall together.

"So what's your first class of the day?" asked Mercedes.

"I got US history... Then math. You?"

"I have US history too! Are we in the same class?" Sam just shrugged and took his paper out of his back pocket.

"We are in the same class if you have a Mr. Greene as your US history teacher?" Sam hoped she said yes. He'd love to have that class with her, hell he'd probably end up failing it for having daydreams about her while staring her down and he wouldn't regret it AT ALL.

"Nope I got Sanders... Too bad, if we were in the same class then maybe we could be partners again and you can burst out another one of your famous soliloquies for me."

Sam smiled, he was surprised she remembered. Stopping her, Sam decided a little sonnet wouldn't hurt, just as long as she didn't understand the deeper meaning, it was probably gonna be fine.

"All days are nights to see till I see thee, and night's bright days when dreams do show thee to me."

The look on her face was priceless. She was so enamored by it her eyes looked glossed over. Sam had to admit it was incredibly cute.

Shyly she asked, "Now what does that mean?"

Sam just smiled in her face and said, "You're the genius... You figure it out." he looked at his watch and realized he was gonna be late for class. Pulling her to him in a tight hug he said "I'm gonna be late... So are you! See you in glee club ok?" Sam pulled away from her and jolted down the hallway.

Screaming to him Mercedes asks "Are you really not gonna tell me what that means?"

She never got an answer.

At lunch time Mercedes was making her way to the cafeteria when she saw Shane. Admittedly it was the first time she saw him since he broke up with her about two or three weeks ago. She thought when she saw him again he would at least greet her warmly, but instead he scowled in her direction. That surely pissed the diva off because once he made his little face she was stomping towards him, anger forming wildly in her eyes.

"Excuse you?" Mercedes said crossing her arms at him.

"What?" Shane was confused, why did she come up to him saying excuse you like they were already in a comfortable conversation?

"Why am I making my way to the cafeteria only to see you scowling at me? Shane I know we broke up but I thought you were at least the type of guy who couldn't hold a grudge."

"Umm broke up?" now Shane was even more confused.

"Why are you acting like we didn't break up a couple of weeks ago? Are you that childish?" He was testing her patience now... She was about to blow a gasket.

"I don't ever recall us breaking up baby. I told you I was gonna give you some space and now I did... When I saw you walking this way I got excited not angry... That was my sexy face you saw. I was happy you came to your senses and chose me."

The only way to describe Mercedes' face was: o_O. What the fuck did he just say? How could he believe that they were still a couple after weeks of absolutely no contact? Was he high? Did he do drugs on a regular basis?

"Shane you can't possibly think that we are still together after not speaking for weeks. That's insanity." Mercedes told him.

"No... That's love. I waited for you baby. And now you're here. So come here and let's pick up where we left off." Shane grabbed at her waist and Mercedes swatted the fool's hands away.

"Shane I don't know what drugs you're on but we aren't together anymore. And I don't want to hurt you but I don't really want a relationship right now anyway, my head is still confused about a lot of things, and I couldn't bare hurting you by leading you on." Mercedes tried her hand at honesty.

"This isn't about me! It's about that big lipped cock blocker who apparently is back at McKinley! Isn't it?" Shane spat violently.

"Shane don't bring Sam into this!" Mercedes warned.

"Oh he was in it as soon as he came back here... But he's gonna learn quickly not to mess Shane Tinsley!"
Shane started to move but Mercedes blocked his path.

"I don't care how you feel about Sam or me and Sam's relationship... But Shane Tinsley I swear if you hurt Sam or do ANYTHING to him, I'll never forgive you. Ever."

Mercedes gave him a stern look then spun on her heel walking towards the cafeteria. She tried to keep her composure as she headed to the table; she sat down, completely ignoring everyone and biting her nails.

Sam noticed something was wrong, she always bit her nails when something was wrong. He got up from sitting next to finchel to sit next to her.

He gently put his hands on hers trying to get her attention. When she looked up at him he saw fear in her eyes. The fear looked like it was directed towards him.

"Everything ok?" Sam asked softly and quietly so not many people could hear.

She interlocked their fingers and tried to assure him and herself when she said, "Yeah... Yeah, it-it is."

When Sam was ready for bed he laid down and started to think about Mercedes. Something in her eyes worried him; he started to wonder if she was ok. She came inside the cafeteria so stricken, and lost in herself. He contemplated on calling her, but then he decided that he would just call her in the morning. He closed his eyes, still full of worry for his lady love, and hope that she would be alright.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam couldn't believe it. He went through his list throughout the week and tried to find every single thing about her that he loved and hated, but the results came out the same... The pros outweighed the cons. He went so far as to put her excessive nail biting on his cons list, yet the pros still outweighed everything. Entering Dr. Ian's office knowing that scared him. Yes, his list meant he still loved her very much... But what if Mercedes' list didn't resemble his? What if she had more cons than pros? What if his worse fear was coming true...? What if she didn't love him anymore?

"SAM! What's wrong him? Is he ok?" Mercedes asked Dr. Ian.

"I don't know... Sam, are you ok?" Dr. Ian asked him.

"Sorry I was just thinking to myself... What were we talking about?" Sam says.

"We were talking about your lists. Mercedes is up first, so Mercedes... It's been a week. Tell me which one outweighs the other. Pro or con?"

Mercedes bit her lip, taking the paper out of her purse. "I finished my list by Wednesday... That's how well I know Sam. I spent Thursday through Sunday re-reading it over and over, I even tried to redo it on Saturday, but I got the same results. All of the pros outweighed the cons."

Sam blew out a breath he didn't know he was holding; Dr. Ian caught on and asked him the same question.

"Me too. All of my Mercedes pro's outweighed any cons I could come up with. The cons were the hardest for me... I couldn't find anything big that I hated about her. Is that a bad thing? Do you think I put her on a pedestal?" Sam asked the therapist.

"I think you used too, just like Mercedes did you once. Mercedes, Sam I want you to switch lists. Show each other the truth."

Mercedes and Sam did as Dr. Ian asked reluctantly. Mercedes read Sam's lists and started to tear. Sam saw hers and felt his own tears forming.

"Pro..." Mercedes read off of Sam's list "I love her." The tears cascaded down her face now as she said it.

"Con..." Sam said, mocking her actions. "I love him."

"Cedes..."

"Sam I-"

"Hold on you two... Before you start confessions you should know that I gave you this assignment because some way, somehow I knew that you would both admit on your lists that you loved each other. For Sam, it's a pro because everyone in this room knows Sam loves you Mercedes, he confesses it almost every session… but for you it's a con because you feel as though you can't help what you feel for him. That's why you gave yourself to him while you were divorced, or why you chose to have your Ex-husband's baby. And why you refuse to believe that Sam still loves you after he cheated, you don't want to escape your love for Sam, even though it hurts. Both of you need to realize these things and instead of being confined to it, you can learn from it. Free yourself of your anger, your doubt and your fear. If you both trust each other you could have that relationship again. The one that Sam described as magical. The one that Mercedes described as amazing. But it's up to you both to do this together. What do you say? Are you two willing to try it from the beginning? Are we willing to start over? Are you two willing to honestly love each other again?

Mercedes and Sam looked at each other and at the same time they both said,

"Yes."

a/n: what is wrong with Shane? Do you think he would hurt Sam? And it looks like future samcedes is beating present samcedes to the finish line of love! But there's always a twist isn't there? But for now, it's all love and Darren Criss. Until next time- Melle