This is a big chapter in a lot of ways... It made me quite sad, but we had to get to this place unfortunately, and it wasn't even my fault! Blaine Glee! :P Thank you for all the lovely comments and reviews! Over 100! Wow! I'm amazed at how many people take the time to review, it honestly makes me smile from ear to ear :D

For my Tumblr followers... I did imply there would be smut this chapter... I lied :( Everyone just demanded to be written in a bit of a different way than I was planning and it didnt suit the mood :( MAYBE next time :P

Oooh, I also have a question for you all... I've clearly already fucked up Klaine's 'no hands below the waist' rule from canon... But we get very little info about Samcedes... What's the verdict? Did they have sex or not?

Sam got back late with a grin on his face. Mercedes had fallen asleep snuggled into his chest as they lay together, still naked and reeling from what they had shared. Eventually he had stirred enough to check the time and note that it was about quarter-past nine. He decided not to wake Mercedes and instead left her a note.

Mercy,

You looked so pretty, I couldn't wake you up. It was hard enough getting out of bed and getting dressed. It seems stupid to say thank you, but I'm going to say it anyway. Thank you for trusting me with that. Thank you for being so beautiful and not even realising that you are way out of my league.

I'm so crazy about you…

Sam

Sam had agonised over the last line. Should he write it? It felt wrong somehow to write it for the first time instead of speak it, and he chickened out when he realised that if she wasn't in the same place then she would have a permanent reminder of his stupidity. So instead of his declaration of love, he settled on the cliché, carefully folding the note and propping it up against the bedhead on his pillow. It fluttered over a few times, but he finally got it to sit right, so Mercedes's name was noticeable.

Sam walked to the hotel, enjoying the breeze of the night and the stars overhead and revelling in his love for Mercedes and how poignant it seemed on this particular evening, after what they had shared, that the sky should burn brighter than he had ever seen.

The smile was still plastered on his face when he unlocked the door to the motel room. The room was dark, but he could make out his parents sitting at the small dining table in the corner, an overhead fluorescent flickering ominously above them.

"Sam?" his mom whispered, and motioned for him to join them. Sam kissed her on the forehead and sank into the nearest rickety chair. His mom ran her hand through his fringe in the way she had done all his life when he was sick or had had a nightmare. Something was wrong. Sam could practically feel his spidey sense tingling.

"What's wrong?" he demanded. His father couldn't meet his eyes.

"Honey, I talked to Aunt Susan tonight," his mom began with a shaky smile, "And she offered to let us all stay with her while Dad and I find work."

Sam felt his stomach drop.

Aunt Susan lived in Tennessee.

"So, I propose that we sit in a circle and everyone says one exciting thing about their holidays thus far," Rachel insisted. No one paid her any attention.

"Race you to the water, Hummel!" Puck yelled and pushed Kurt down as he raced for the water where there was a noticeable gaggle of girls who seemed to be appreciative of 'Puckzilla'.

Kurt simply lay back on the towel that Puck had forced him onto. Blaine crawled over and pressed kisses along his collarbone.

"You okay?" he mumbled into Kurt's throat as his lips and tongue worked their way towards his adam's apple.

"Fuck, Blaine," Kurt moaned, his eyes closed, "What is it about the beach that makes you horny? You could have made a move on me twenty different times since then, and you choose now?"

"You wear less clothes at the beach," Blaine explained simply with a wolfish grin.

"I thought you liked all my layers!" Kurt laughed and ran a finger over Blaine's shoulder.

"I love your layers," Blaine corrected, shivering despite the sun at Kurt's light touch, "But it kind of makes undressing you a tall order. Simple is good. Naked is good," Blaine laughed at Kurt's affronted face. "Okay, okay, I'll be good, I promise… When's that lock going on your door, by the way?"

Kurt slapped him with a laugh, "Behave!"

"I can't help it that you're gorgeous, Kurt," Blaine said sensibly, "Can I put your sunscreen on?"

"You put sunscreen on me in the car, Blaine," Kurt reminded him and lowered his voice, "Don't you remember trying to put your hand down my pants?"

It was Blaine's turn to moan. Tina was starting to stare at them.

"Kurt, please?" Blaine almost-sobbed.

Kurt laughed again, "Do you even know what you want? Or are you just saying 'please' right now?"

"Please?" Blaine gave a self-mocking smile.

"Thought so," Kurt sat up then and moved a little away from Blaine, "You promised my dad we wouldn't be public anymore remember? Hands to yourself, Anderson."

Blaine felt like kicking himself. It had sounded simple and sensible when Burt had asked it of them, but now, with Kurt half naked and gorgeous, Blaine was regretting his big mouth.

"Quit pouting!" Kurt demanded with a small smile, "When did Sam say he and Mercedes would be here? I'm excited for everyone to see how cute they are," Kurt smiled.

"He… didn't…" Blaine said uncertainly, "Was I supposed to call him?"

Kurt sighed and pulled out his iPhone. "I'll ring 'Cedes," he said.

"No need," Blaine pointed, "Here she com – Wow… is she okay?"

Mercedes was morosely walking towards the group. She hadn't done her hair and she was wearing a tracksuit. It was far too warm for her outfit, and in Kurt's opinion, the tracksuit should have been burned.

"'Cedes!" Kurt hissed and leapt up to trot over to her, "What's wrong?"

"It's Sam," Mercedes told him, "Have you or Blaine heard from him?"

Kurt shook his head and motioned to Blaine to join them. He ran over quickly looking concerned. "Have you heard from Sam?" Blaine shook his head vehemently, "Not since last week when he came over to play Halo, why?"

Kurt and Blaine exchanged worried looks at the sad, hollow expression on Mercedes's face.

"I haven't heard from him since Wednesday night. He just left… you know… after."

"You had sex?" Kurt hissed at her.

"Not all the way, but we…" Mercedes looked embarrassedly at Blaine, "Did stuff," she finished lamely.

"Maybe he had to get home?" Blaine suggested in a hopeful tone. He liked Sam, he didn't want them to hate him.

"Well that's what I thought," Mercedes had tears in her eyes now, "But he didn't leave a note or anything. And he's not responding to my texts or my calls. Did I do something wrong?" she sobbed, "I'm not pretty enough for him and he doesn't want to be with me anymore!"

Kurt enveloped her in his arms without a word, just giving Blaine a serious gaze above her forehead.

"Mercedes, you are beautiful and gorgeous. I'm sure it has nothing to do with you, hon."

Mercedes pulled away from him.

"This was a bad idea. I just wanted to see if he would be here. I need to be alone," she said in a flat voice.

"Stay," Kurt told her, "You could go and sit over under the dock, if you want. I just don't want you to be all alone right now."

Mercedes pulled away from Kurt as he made to walk her there.

"I just want to be alone, Kurt," she said firmly, "Go enjoy your day."

Kurt and Blaine watched her go. Blaine rubbed Kurt's shoulders comfortingly.

"She'll be okay," he said softly in Kurt's ear. Kurt began to march away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Blaine called as he trotted after him.

"I'm going to find Sam and make sure he gets his ass here and explains," Kurt said fiercely, "You coming?"

Blaine mouthed wordlessly after Kurt, before realising that Kurt wasn't slowing down and racing after him.

Sam hadn't spoken to anyone in a day and a half. He'd smiled and reassured his parents that the move to Tennessee was the sensible option. He hadn't been lying. There were people who knew his parents in Tennessee, who might be able to help them find work. His dad had already had a call from a company there to set up an interview when he was settled. There was free baby-sitting with his aunt. They wouldn't be forking out two-hundred dollars a week to sleep in two flea-filled double beds and a mite-infested couch.

It didn't make Sam any happier though.

Yesterday he would have been thrilled at the prospect of sleeping in a real bed, and the possibility of his parents finding work. Knowing that he was going to get his wish but lose Mercedes made his heart break a little. And he had realised what he had to do.

He was suddenly glad he hadn't told her how he felt. He had to act now like it had just been casual. A fling. There was no use in them both being in agony when there was no realistic way they could keep up a relationship. He practised the speech to himself all day on Thursday. Mercedes, guess what? My parents have a lead on a job in Tennessee! We're moving in a week! That sounded wrong. It really sucks that I have to leave, but it's the best thing for my family, and we weren't really serious or anything yet. Maybe. My dad has an interview in Tennessee. I'll miss you, and I'll never forget our fling. That might be okay. Sam really wanted to give their relationship an air of casualness. Hopefully that would make it easier on her.

Sam's parents took his brother and sister out on Friday. They knew Sam had organised to go to the beach and they wanted him to enjoy the time with his friends.

Sam closed the blinds. He ignored Mercedes's calls and eventually set his phone to silent to help stem the guilt. He wallowed. He didn't like that imagery, but there was really no other word for it. He sat in the dark in the room, playing every morose country love song he knew on his guitar.

He should be playing it casual. He knew that. Just drop it into the conversation and act like it was a bummer but no biggie. But Sam knew he couldn't face her. He couldn't look at her and tell her she didn't mean anything more to him than a fling.

"Kurt, be calm," Blaine warned him as Kurt pounded on the door of Sam's motel room.

"I know you're in there, Sam! Get your ass out here now so Blaine can kick it!" Kurt shouted.

"Hey!" Blaine cried indignantly, "Sam, I'm not going to kick your ass, just come out please?" Blaine called and rapped on the window pane.

Sam opened the door, looking both surprised and anxious.

"Hey," he said quietly.

Kurt was surprised by the lack of energy in his response it seemed, because he stood and stared at Sam for a few moments, giving Blaine the opportunity to start the conversation calmly.

"Sam, is something the matter? You haven't been returning Mercedes's calls and she's pretty worried."

"I'm fine," Sam replied in a quiet voice. It was hitting him now that he would also be leaving his friends. He and Blaine had gotten kind of close in the last month or so, and he would actually miss him.

"Then why the hell did you leave without a word the other night and let her think she'd done something wrong?" Kurt demanded. Sam felt himself form a very ill-timed smile as he fondly acknowledged that Mercedes would have Kurt to look out for her when he was gone.

"I left her a…" Sam began, then stopped. If Mercedes hadn't seen the note, it might make things even easier on her. He could pretend he really had just left, and then tell her he was leaving and he was sorry their brief romance had to come to its end so soon.

It would protect her. And it would give him a clean break so that he wouldn't pine. He wouldn't stop loving her anytime soon, he knew that. But maybe if she thought he didn't care and he had nothing to come back to, then he wouldn't be tempted to ring her or text her, or stare at her photograph.

"I had to get home," Sam shrugged, "It was late. Then yesterday I picked up an extra shift at work I worked late and slept in. I was going to head down the beach this afternoon. I didn't think she'd care because we aren't married," Sam felt the words come out too harsh in his attempt to control his emotions.

Blaine was looking at him knowingly. He knew there was something more that Sam wasn't telling them. Kurt was glaring at him, but seemed placated.

"Ring her," Kurt ordered. "I'm going back, Blaine, you coming?"

"Actually, I might catch a lift with Sam if that's okay, babe?" Sam sighed and trudged into the motel room, "There's something going on with him, I just wanna check that he's okay," Blaine whispered to Kurt and ran his hands up Kurt's arm.

Kurt kissed Blaine and nodded, spinning on his heels and marching out to his car. Blaine watched him with a smile and then followed Sam indoors.

"Sorry it's a mess," Sam apologised listlessly, attempting to make a bed and kick some clothes into a pile at the same time, "Kids, you know?"

Blaine didn't know at all, but he smiled politely.

"Sam, what really happened?" he asked softly as Sam began moving newspapers with big red circles all over the advertisements.

"I'm leaving," he said bluntly.

"Where?" Blaine replied, catching the way Sam was trying to shrug it off.

"Tennessee," Sam told him, "End of next week."

"Are you going to tell her?" Blaine demanded.

"Of course! What, do you think I'm some kind of low-life scum who would just run out on her without a word? Of course I'll tell her. Just having trouble finding what to say," Sam explained.

"Do you love her?" Blaine asked gently, a pained expression on his face, and Sam knew he was imagining what he would do if he had to leave Kurt.

"No," Sam lied, "Makes it easier that it was just a fling."

"It might be the easy answer, but it's not the truth," Blaine said sadly, "You love her."

"No, I don't," Sam argued, but turned his face away from Blaine, hoping the pain wouldn't show. "Promise me something?"

"Anything," Blaine nodded.

"Find her another guy who'll make her feel beautiful?" Sam's voice broke and Blaine moved towards him to give him a quick tentative hug.

"You need to tell her how you feel, Sam," Blaine said gently.

"It'll only hurt more," Sam denied, "It's better that she thinks I'm just unaffected."

"And what if she loves you too?" Blaine demanded.

"Then I don't want to know. I can't stand thinking about that and knowing we can't be…" Blaine's eyebrows rose, and his mouth opened to argue, but Sam stopped him, "We can't be together. I can't handle distance with her. It would be too hard and I'd get jealous and lonely. At least this way one of us can be happy."

Blaine looked worried, his bushy brows furrowed.

"And Blaine?" Sam said casually and turned away to find a pair of board shorts in an opened suitcase, "If you tell her, or Kurt, I'll find some way to make you pay, okay? I like you, but if you tell, I'll kick your ass in more than just Halo, okay?"

Blaine narrowed his eyes behind Sam.

"Okay," Blaine agreed slowly, "But I want something in return. I want you to put off telling her today. Say you were working or whatever bull you fed Kurt. Apologise. Kiss her. Savour her. Then you can tell her on the weekend or next week. Let her have a few hours of being happy with you?"

Sam looked at him. He was right. There was nothing saying he had to tell her immediately and end things today. He could have a few more perfect days of loving her. Days he could store away and look back on. No need to taint it with sadness yet.

So…

"She's upset?" Sam demanded of Blaine. Blaine smiled sadly at Sam's sudden change in demeanour.

"She's worried she's done something wrong," Blaine told him.

Sam whipped out his phone and practically winced at the number of missed calls and unread text messages that had accumulated.

"My phone died," he told Blaine firmly, "Agreed?"

Blaine nodded.

Sam dialled her number as quickly as he knew how. She answered on the fifth ring. Sam didn't know if the number of rings was a good sign or a bad one.

"Hello?" she sounded upset.

"Baby, I'm so sorry!" Sam began, "I picked up an extra shift from work and I slept in, and my phone must have died. Kurt and Blaine came and woke me up," he explained pleadingly.

"As long as you're okay… As long as we're okay," she muttered, and Sam heard Kurt coaching her to be firmer and more sassy, "You could have at least left a note when you went home the other night, you know?" Mercedes chided.

Sam smacked himself in the forehead. The note! He had to get it back. She couldn't know how he had felt after that. She couldn't read that stupid little cliché that betrayed so much and would spoil any chance at happiness she had.

"I'm going to come and get you from the beach, and drop Blaine off," Sam told her, "And then we might go to the lake? Just you and me? We can have dinner?" Everything was ending with a question, but Sam needed her to agree.

"What about my car?" she reminded him.

"Give the keys to Blaine and he'll drive it home for you?" Sam suggested hopefully, an idea forming.

"Okay," she agreed, and Sam could practically see her giving Kurt a confused shrug through the telephone.

"See you soon, babe," Sam told her, and had to stop himself from adding the commonplace "I love you," to the end of his goodbye.

Blaine was watching him carefully.

"Everything okay?"

"Seems to be," Sam said nervously, "Blaine can I ask you a huge favour?"

Blaine sighed enormously at that and waved his hand in acceptance.

"When you drive Mercedes's car back to her house," Sam began tentatively, "I need you to use her house key and go to her room and get something back for me."

Blaine stared at him.

"What is it?" he asked in almost-awe.

"The note I left on her pillow on Wednesday night," Sam said sheepishly, "I'd say it must have fallen down the back of the bed."

"You are something else," Blaine shook his head in amazement; "Just let her read it and tell her how you feel!"

"I explained to you why I can't do that," Sam said impatiently, "Will you help me, or not?"

"Agent Anderson reporting for duty," Blaine sighed with a sad smile.

What do you think! Big angsty for this story, wasnt it! :(