Never in a million years did Sam think he would be back as this place so soon.

A soft, cold, misty rain drizzled around him as he stared down at the two heavy granite headstones. He hated this place. He hated the finality of it all. He hated knowing that these lifeless pieces of stone were all that was left to represent two people that he loved.

The longer he stood in front of the two headstones the more it felt as if the bone chilling cold was slipping into his soul. He knew he needed to get in his car and get somewhere warm but first he needed to tell them.

Sam leaned forward and gently removed a smudge of dirt that was partially covering an L and an I on the smaller tombstone. He smiled sadly when the full name was clean and uncovered. It was such a beautiful name, a name that had meant so much to him and it was a name that should never be hidden.

Sam wiped impatiently at the tears that has sprung unbidden in his eyes. He didn't have time for this. He had already cried enough tears to last a lifetime and he didn't have the strength to cry anymore. He had a story to tell and he needed to tell it. It had been a month since that fateful day and so much had happened he could still hardly make sense of it all. His entire world had completely changed in the matter of minutes and it will never be the same….

"They're going to die aren't they?" Sam repeated again quietly to himself as the door to the operating room swung shut behind the nurse. He rubbed the heel of his hands over his eyes as listened to the faint whine of the defibrillator as it charged. He choked back a sob when he heard Holly yell out, "CLEAR!" seconds before he heard the dull thump of the paddles shooting electricity to Mercedes' heart.

"CLEAR!"

Thump.

The whine from the defibrillator charging again was like nails on a chalkboard in Sam's head. It wasn't working! They were pounding her poor body with volts of electricity but it wasn't working…it was never going to work. She was already gone.

"CLEAR!"

Thump.

Sam put his head down on his knees and waited. Waited for the sound of Holly's footsteps as she came outside to tell him Mercedes was dead. Waited for the sound of the squeaky wheels of the incubator as they wheeled his tiny daughter's frail and almost lifeless body to the NICU where she would probably spend the last few hours of her short life suffering. He waited for the two things that he loved more than anything to be cruelly taken away from him.

"CLEAR!"

Thump.

Time seemed to stand still after that last hard thump. Inexplicably the bustling hospital seemed to cease all movement and Sam was acutely aware of the sound of his hot, haggard breathing. His heart thumped loudly in his chest and his hands felt as cold and clammy as Mercedes did earlier. The feeling of emptiness threatened to suffocate him as he waited. It was like a living, breathing thing clawing at his heart and there was nothing that could stop it.

He heard muffled footsteps coming towards him and he clenched his eyes shut. He couldn't look into Holly's sad sympathetic eyes as she crushed his soul. He wouldn't look at her as she told him the love of his life was dead. He steeled himself as the muffled footsteps got clearer and sharper as they got closer to the door and he clumsily rose to a standing position.

The door swung open and with it brought a blast of cool air along with the sterile smell of the operating room as well as the slight, almost unnoticeable metallic tang of blood. His stomach rolled at the smell and the cake from the baby shower earlier that day threatened to come back up.

He stared at his feet until another pair where standing in his line of vision. He briefly glanced up and noticed it was the nurse from earlier and not Holly. Anger flared within him as he cursed Holly inwardly for being too much of a coward to tell him that Mercedes was gone herself.

"Mr. Evans?" The small nurse asked timidly, "I told you I would let you kno—"

"She's dead isn't she?" Sam spat out harshly, "You came out here to tell me she's dead."

"No, she's not dead."

Sam stared at the nurse unblinkingly with gritty red-rimmed eyes. The words made sense but they wouldn't compute, his heart wouldn't let them.

"….it was touch and go for a second and Dr. Holliday had to resuscitate Mercedes but she's back now."

Sam shook his head from left to right because no matter how true he wanted those words to be true he couldn't believe them. He was afraid to believe them, afraid to get his hopes up because if she was wrong it would kill him.

Beep….

As the operating doors swung open to allow another nurse to walk through he finally heard it.

Beep…

He let out a strangled gasp as he instinctively walked closer to the door so that he could hear it better.

Beep…

"What is that?"

Beep…

"It's Mercedes heartbeat."

Beep…

Sam closed his eyes tightly as he leaned his forehead against the wall next to the door.

"Beep…"

With every blip from that machine Sam could feel the swell of emptiness and despair abating a bit. It wasn't gone but it wasn't overwhelming him anymore either.

"I thought…"

"It was a close call Mr. Evans, I'm not going to lie, but Mercedes is strong and Dr. Holliday wasn't about to give her up without a fight."

"So she's…"

"Still being worked on but I do believe that she will pull through."

Sam let out a huge sigh of relief and he laid his head back against the wall.

"Now, about the baby."

The sense of dread that had just escaped him came flooding back in an instant. How could he forget about his baby? This nightmare was far from over.

"What about her?" He croaked.

"The nurses are preparing to transfer her to the NICU. She weighs 3 pounds and 7 ounces which is good considering everything."

"Three pounds?" Sam gasped out, "That's too small."

"She's almost 4 weeks premature and yes, that's a bit smaller than she should be but considering Mercedes' condition—"

"Her condition? Is she sick?"

"No, she's not sick…look, Mr. Evans it's complicated and I know Dr. Holliday wanted to be the one to explain what happened with Mercedes."

"And how long will that be?"

"Dr. Holliday is not going to leave Mercedes' side until she is stabilized. The second that happens she will be with you to fill you in on everything."

"Okay…so the baby?"

"She's being moved—"

She was interrupted by the banging open of the operating room doors as group of nurses navigated a large incubator through them. Sam's breath caught in his throat as he looked down at his daughter's tiny body engulfed by wires and tubes.

"Wait just one second," he heard the small nurse ask quietly and he took that as permission to move a little closer.

His vision blurred as he stared down at the rapid up and down movement of his daughter's chest. He wanted so badly to touch her, to soothe her but he couldn't and it hurt so bad. She needed him, they both needed him but there was nothing he could do but wait and hope. Hope that they got better. Hope that they were both strong enough to fight their respective battles alone.

He ran his finger down the cool glass of the incubator and in a choked, tear-filled voice he whispered, "I love you, Lilliana. Please be okay."

"I'm sorry Mr. Evans but we have to go." An older blonde-haired nurse told him kindly but firmly, "once we get Lilliana all settled in we will come and get you, okay?"

"Okay," Sam answered numbly as he watched them wheel his daughter away from him.

"Mr. Evans? Does Mercedes have any other family that needs to be called?"

"Oh shit! Her mother!" Sam frantically patted himself until he realized that the nurse that had helped him earlier had taken his phone and wallet when he was getting ready to go to the operating room.

"Your things, along with Mercedes' are in Dr. Holliday's office. She told me to tell you that you were free to go in there and make any calls you needed to make while you waited for her. Barring any more complications she should be with you shortly."

Sam gave the operating doors one last long look before finally nodding jerkily and allowing the nurse to lead him away.

A few short minutes later Sam was seating in Dr. Holliday's cramped office. It was unlike any other doctor's office he had ever been in. Instead of various diplomas and plaques littering the walls, Holly's was almost completely covered in baby pictures. It was a literal rainbow of beautiful, smiling, happy, healthy babies. He couldn't help the dark thought flitting through his head that maybe his little girl would never make it up on that wall.

He shook away the depressing imagery of his baby struggling in the NICU and instead focused his attention on calling Marilyn. Noting the extreme number of missed calls from her, Kurt, Blaine, Emma and even Santana he felt like such an asshole for not thinking to contact anyone sooner.

His first call was to Marilyn but after a few attempts that went straight to voicemail he came to the conclusion that she was more than likely on a plane to New York. A quick replay of one of her messages confirmed that to be true. Next, he called Kurt but he barely got in a word as Kurt blubbered hysterically in a high panicky voice until finally Blaine took the phone away. Sam mechanically relayed what he knew so far and accepted Blaine and Kurt's condolences as graciously as he could. He asked Blaine if he could fill Emma and Santana in because he didn't know if he would have the strength to tell the story again without breaking down.

By the time the phone call was finished he was completely exhausted. His body felt heavy and lethargic and he wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep but his brain wouldn't stop working. All he could hear in his head was the sound of Mercedes sobs once she got the news from Holly that there was something wrong with the baby. All he could see was the sight of Mercedes lifeless body lying on that cold operating table. He didn't know if he would ever be able to close his eyes again without seeing that.

"Sam!"

Sam turned sharply in his seat to find Holly regarding him with worried eyes as she stood in the doorway of her office. She had changed into fresh scrubs and with the exception of the tight, pinched lines around her mouth there was almost no evidence of the harrowing procedure she had just been through.

"How is she?" Sam asked without any preamble, "When can I see her?"

"Calm down, Sam." Holly pleaded softly as she made her way to her chair across from him, "first we need to talk."

"What happened?" He demanded, "She was fine one minute and then she was dying the next! What the hell happened?"

"A placental abruption."

"A what?"

"Mercedes suffered from a placental abruption and I fear it was something that had been happening for a while."

"I don't understand. If it had been happening for a while why didn't you catch it?"

"It's not that simple, Sam. At Mercedes' last check-up everything was fine and there was no reason to suspect that something could be wrong. I believe that the placenta didn't start to detach until a few days ago."

"Detach?"

"Yes, that's what a placental abruption is. The placenta is what provides all the oxygen and nutrients to the baby. Most of the time everything is fine but then there are times when the placental detaches itself from the uterus and it cause complications for the baby and the mother. Sometimes if the mother is lucky the abruption is only partial and she can have a normal delivery at a time when the baby is more developed, but in some cases, like Mercedes', the abruption is total and the baby has to be taken immediately."

"So, the placenta detaching is what caused Mercedes to…to…"

"Flat-line?" Holly provided the word when it became clear that Sam couldn't get it out. "Pretty much. In some cases with a placental abruption one of the early warning signs is vaginal bleeding. Mercedes had none and it was because there was blood trapped between the uterus and the placenta. Once the baby was out she started hemorrhaging and it caused her to go into shock. It was touch and go for a second because she was losing an enormous amount of blood but we were able to get it under control. Thankfully we were able to do this without having to give her a hysterectomy."

"A hysterectomy?" Sam asked breathlessly as his heart clenched.

"Yes, if we wouldn't have been able to get the bleeding under control then we would have had to perform a hysterectomy but like I said, we were lucky and it didn't come to that."

"So now what?"

"Now, we wait. Mercedes' body has been through a lot these last few days, especially today, and she needs rest."

"How long do you think it'll take?"

"I don't know Sam, that's up to her."

"Can I see her?"

"Yes, I think the nurses should have her settled into recovery by now."

Holly led him out of her office and down the hall and into a spacious low-lit recovery room. Sam's eyes immediately found Mercedes and he tried to rush forward to her side but he was stopped by Holly's firm grip on his arm.

"I know you're anxious Sam but she needs her rest. If you manage to rouse her now all she is going to do is worry and fret about your daughter. Let her be."

Sam nodded his head and Holly loosened her grip on his arm. He went forward again at a slower more measured pace until he was at her side. Holly grabbed a chart at the end of the bed and she glanced over it while Sam stared down at Mercedes. Sam breathed a sigh a relief at the sight of the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest but it was barely enough to tamp down the panic at how still she was. Mercedes was not the type or person that stayed still in one spot when she was sleeping. He had lost count at the number of times he had woken up in the middle of the night to find Mercedes nearly off the side of the bed even though she had started the night right smack in the middle. Seeing her like this now was killing him. Her normally creamy brown skin had a sickly gray pallor to it and she barely looked like the vibrant woman that he fell in love with. She didn't look like that woman that laughed uproariously at one of his bad jokes or the woman who would force him to slow dance with her around the living room as they listened to old 90s R&B. He reached out his hand and skimmed it along the back of her arm and he let out a shaky disjointed breath at the cold feel of her skin.

His Mercedes wasn't there anymore and all that was left of her was this empty shell. A bubble of panic rose in his chest and the room swung dizzily around him. He may not recognize his Mercedes anymore but he recognized that look. He knew all too well what death looked like because he saw it all over his mother right before she died.

"Sam!"

He heard Holly saying his name but it sounded as if they were in a tunnel and she was far away. He wanted to turn to her and find out what she wanted but first he had to get out of that room. That feeling that he felt when Mercedes flat-lined in the operating room slid back over him like black ooze. He couldn't breathe. His breath started coming out in choppy pants and he felt Holly pull him out of the room.

"SAM!" Holly shouted at him once the door had shut behind him, "what the hell is wrong with you?"

"I can't…" he panted, "I can't be…I can't be in that room…I can't watch her die."

"Sam…I know it's scary but she's needs you."

Sam blinked the hot tears out his eyes at Holly's words but he just shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, I can't do this."

He stumbled down the hall until he reached the waiting area. He sat down heavily on the first chair he came in contact with. He buried his face in his hands and he roughly scrubbed at his eyes in a vain attempt to erase the visions of his broken, bloodied, suffering family from his mind.

Sam slid out of the chair until he was sitting on the floor and he finally succumbed to the fear, pain, and sorrow that had been riding him like a monkey on his back all night. He didn't even try to muffle the loud, rough sobs that emanated from his chest.

He was going to lose them, just like he lost his mother and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Sam?"

Sam groggily lifted his head from the seat of the chair it had been resting on and he winced at the pain in the back of his neck. He looked around in surprise at his surroundings until reality set in and he remembered where he was and why he was there.

"Sam?" Came the quiet but insistent voice behind him. He stood up and turned to find Mercedes mother looking at him with a gentle but still slightly censorious look on her face.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked quietly, "Mercedes needs you, the baby needs you. Why are you out here hiding?"

"Don't." Sam answered dully, "please, just don't."

"I never took you as a coward Sam, but yet, here you are running."

"I'm not running!"

"Then why aren't you where you're supposed to be? My daughter and granddaughter are fighting for their lives and you're sitting out here hiding?"

"I'm not hiding I just…I can't do this. Not again."

"Do what again?"

"I watched my mother die. I saw her laying in bed, much like the one Mercedes is in right now suffering endlessly until the doctor's took mercy on her and had her so doped up that at the end she didn't know anything or anyone. I watched her eyes glaze over until there was nothing there anymore. I watched her pant for breath until she stopped breathing altogether. Watching my mother die almost killed me but watching Mercedes do the same thing will kill me."

"The doctors say that there is no reason to think that Mercedes won't make a full recovery in time all we have to do is have faith—"

"Faith?" Sam scoffed, "Faith has gotten me nowhere but alone. I had faith that my mother would live but she died anyway. I had faith my father could survive without mother but he dropped dead on me too. I had faith that I had found love but I got left at the altar. I had faith that my brother and I could mend our differences but he betrayed me in the worst way possible. I had faith that me and Mercedes could have a happy life together but look at where we are right now. Having faith hasn't done a damn thing for me."

"You need to see your daughter."

"I've already seen her," he retorted stubbornly. "I saw her covered in tape and tubes and wires and I—I can't do it."

"Wow…" Marilyn murmured as she shook her head, "so this is the father you're going to be? Yes, I said going to be because even if you don't have faith I have more than enough to go around for all of us. My daughter is going to get better and my granddaughter is too and when they get better they are going to need a man in their life that they can count on. Is that you, Sam? I know you love them but you have to love them when things are hard and painful not just when it's all easy and fun."

"I don't know what to do." Sam finally choked out, "I don't know how to fix this."

"It's not up to you to fix it, Sam, that's where faith comes in. I know you've lost so much in the past and there are no guarantees for the future but you need to believe that your family is going to be okay right now. You need to believe that there is someone out there that is looking out for the ones you love. You have to believe that they can beat this. Mercedes is strong and I have no doubt that little girl is strong too, but they need a little help. They need you."

Marilyn's hand touched his cheek to wipe away tears that he hadn't even realized had fallen and he leaned his face into her warm palm.

"I'm scared," he whispered, "I'm scared of losing them."

"I know sweetheart, I know." Marilyn pulled him in for a hug and he allowed himself to be engulfed by her soothing warmth.

Marilyn pulled away before taking a step back and holding out a hand for Sam to take. He stared at it for a long time before taking a deep breath and grasping it. She led him down the hallway and back into Mercedes room. Holly was once again checking on her patient and when she saw Sam her eyes narrowed warily.

"Are you okay?" She asked while sending a quick glance in Marilyn's direction.

"He's fine," Marilyn answered on his behalf, "he just needed a moment to process everything but all is well now, right Sam?"

"Right." He murmured as he kept his eyes on Mercedes' still form.

"Good. Now, Dr. Holliday didn't you say something about taking me to see my granddaughter?"

"Right this way, Marilyn." Holly said sweetly but her features darkened minutely when she passed Sam and she whispered harshly to him, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes,"

"Good, I like you Sam, but Mercedes is my patient and her well-being comes first. If you can't handle being in here then don't be."

Sam could feel Marilyn's eye boring into him so he straightened his shoulders and look Holly in the eyes and firmly said, "I will be fine, I promise."

The steely look melted from Holly's eyes and she gave him a quick pat on the shoulder before saying, "That's good to hear. Now, if you'll excuse us I have to go take Grandma to go meet her new grandbaby!"

Sam smiled faintly as the two women exited the room but the smile quickly evaporated as he made his way to Mercedes' bedside. All of the fear from earlier came hurtling back as he slowly inched his way to her side. Once he was next to her he looked down on her sleeping face and he expelled a shaky breath at the sight. The grayish pallor from before was gone and her breathing seemed to be more even and relaxed. He ran the tip of his finger down her arm and tried to swallow around the lump in his throat at how warm and soft her skin felt again.

"Hey, sweetie," he choked out in a thick voice, "It's been a long day…a really, really long day, hasn't it?"

Sam pulled up a chair and sat down before grabbing Mercedes' left hand and bringing it up to his mouth. He ran his lips almost absent-mindedly over the back of her hand as he watched the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest.

"I'm so sorry," he finally whispered against her hand, "I should have been here every second but I couldn't handle it and I left. Seeing you like this…it's just not right. This isn't how it was supposed to happen. Do you remember all the nights we would lay in bed and talk about how the delivery was going to happen? Me running around like a chicken with its head cut off while you were cool and calm. Your mom was going to be there in the delivery room with us but not Kurt because the sight of blood makes him woozy. You were going to be a trooper and turn down the epidural at first but in the end you would give in just like we all knew you would. I was going to be by your side holding your hand and telling you how much I loved you while you screamed that you hated me for doing this to you. Then when the baby came I was going to cut the umbilical cord and they were going to put her on your chest and—"

Sam stopped talking because the tightness in his throat would allow another word to escape. He swallowed roughly a few times before clearing his throat saying quietly, "and we were going to look at each other and say, 'she's perfect,'. Then in a couple of days we were going to take her home and put her in that damn crib and spend hours watching her sleep. That is what was supposed to happen. Why do things never work out for us?"

Sam wiped roughly at the tears slipping down his cheeks before gruffly saying, "Call me crazy but I'm starting to think I'm cursed. Maybe you are better off without me." He laughed humorlessly, "I'm sure your delivery would have been a walk in the park if I wasn't involved. Maybe you had the right idea all those months ago when you left, maybe you have someone watching over you that was trying to steer you in the right direction but me being who I am just fucked it all up for you by dragging you back into my life."

Sam laid Mercedes' hand back on the bed before rising from the chair and kicking it back with his foot. He started pacing back and forth at the side of the bed as he became more and more agitated.

"Your mother told me I should have faith, but faith in what? In who? I had faith in my love for you and our baby but it wasn't enough to save either one of you from this pain. I had faith in my mother's strength but she wasn't strong enough to fight that cancer that ravaged her body. What is faith? What is the purpose of believing in something that breaks your heart time and time again?"

Sam stopped pacing and looked down at Mercedes peaceful face and tear welled in his eyes, "I should let you go," he choked out, "I love you so much it hurts but being with me isn't good for you. Maybe you should just leave the second you have a chance. Yes, that's it…you should just leave. It'll kill me but at least I know that the dark cloud that is my existence won't follow you for the rest of your life."

Sam's hands were clenched into fists so tight he felt as if they may start cramping but he nodded his head jerkily as if Mercedes could see it.

"That's it…you are going to leave, okay? The second you're back on your feet you're going to move on with your life and you're going to be okay, without me."

"No…"

Sam's pacing had taken him back towards the end of the bed but the sound of the whispered croak had him spinning around. He rushed forward but he let out a disappointed sigh when he found Mercedes' eyes still closed. Clearly, he imagined what he selfishly wanted her to say.

Sam pulled the chair back closer to the bed and he sat down heavily in it. He picked Mercedes hand back up and held it up against his cheek, needing the slight warmth that was emanating from her.

"I don't think I know how to live without you," Sam started after a long silence filled only by the soothing sounds of the machines in the room. "I've been floating through life for so long that I didn't even realize what it was like to live until I met you. I don't want to go back to that emptiness, to those meaningless relationships that will never amount to anything. I need for you to be okay, I need for our baby to be okay but I'm too scared to hope that you will be. I would give anything to hear your voice again. I would give everything I own to hold our daughter but there is nothing I have that can save either of you. What kind of a man am I if I can't protect my family? You need better than me…you deserve better than me and I hope you find it."

Sam's voice broke and he laid his head on the bed next to Mercedes' thigh. The overwhelming exhaustion of the day caught up to him again and before he could stop it his body was wracked with dry, heaving sobs that he couldn't control. He cried for Mercedes, he cried for their baby and he cried for himself. He cried because his heart was literally breaking a he had no hope that it would ever be mended.

As his sobs finally lessened he suddenly became aware of the soft caress gently tugging at the mussed strands of his blonde hair. He raised his tear swollen eyes to see Mercedes watching him.

"Mercedes?" He choked out.

"Yes…" she whispered faintly as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

A strangled laugh erupted from Sam's chest as he raised his hand to rub his thumb carefully over Mercedes' cheek.

"Don't…"she breathed out before pausing to lick her dry lips, "don't ever say anything like that again."

"What?"

"I'm not…leaving…I…pro—promised."

"But Mercedes…"

"No." She answered a little louder, "No one's leaving…we're a family now."

"I just don't want you to be hurt anymore."

"You are so…arrogant." She said as she blinked rapidly in what Sam assumed was an effort to try and stay awake. "Life is hard, Sam. You don't hold the monopoly on misery."

"I know that."

"Do you, really?"

"I—" Sam started to answer but no words would come out. She was right, he didn't know that, or at the very least he didn't accept it to be true. So many bad things had happened in his life that he had come to the point where he expected them to happen and when they did in his mind it was something he deserved.

"I love you," he answered helplessly as if that explained everything, "but I don't think I deserve you…or our baby."

"What about what I think? If I didn't think you deserved me or our baby then I would have never accepted your proposal. Our lives may have been one bump in the road after the other but we've made it through and we will continue to make it through. I have in faith in us Sam. I know we can make it."

Mercedes lay back heavily on the pillows and she expelled a long breath before opening her eyes again and watching Sam warily. He grabbed her hand again and kissed the back of it before looking into her eyes and saying, "I have faith in us too."

"Really?" Mercedes asked doubtfully, "you're not just saying that to placate me?"

"Losing you terrifies me. You being in pain, or hurt, or sad devastates me. I want to protect you the best way I know how and since I think I'm the problem, keeping you away from me seems to be the obvious solution."

"I—"

"But," Sam said pointedly, interrupting Mercedes' impending tirade before she got worked up, "while I believe that I have this dark cloud hanging over my life I also believe that I must have done something right to have you in it. I just want what's best for you Mercedes—"

"You're what's best for me. If you say you believe in us then you have to believe that no matter what life throws at us, good or bad, we're going to make it through. Do you believe that?"

"It's easy to believe anything when you're asking me to."

"Sam…answer the question."

Sam stared down at her as he thought long and hard about what she was saying. He was scared, so scared to have faith but he wasn't lying when he told her that it was so much easier to believe in something when she was asking him to. When she was lying lifeless on that bed and he felt like she was slipping through his fingers his faith slipped right along with it. Without her he wasn't half the man he was with her and he wasn't ashamed to admit that he would fight a million battles with her by his side but he couldn't survive one without her. She was his sun shining through the proverbial 'dark cloud' over his life. She was the thing that had pulled him out of the depths of despair that he didn't realize he had been steeped in for years. She was his faith. She was his hope. She was his everything. As long as he had her then he could make it through anything.

"Yes." He finally said and the jagged pieces of his broken heart started to mend themselves back together at her answering smile.

He leaned down and kissed her lightly on her lips and she hummed lightly in response which spurned the first real smile to cross Sam's face all night. He leaned his forehead against hers and blew out a relieved breath.

"Sam…"

"Hmmm?"

"What the hell happened tonight? And where is our baby?"

"It's been a month." Sam said quietly as he stared down at the two tombstones in front of him. "It's been a month exactly since the day my daughter was born."

"I wish you could've met her, Mom." Sam said directing his comments to the smaller tombstone that he had cleaned off earlier. "She's one hell of a firecracker. My baby girl is a fighter and the world is not ready for her." He chuckled softly, "I thought I was going to lose her at the beginning but I should have known better. She has too much of her stubborn Mama in her to go down without a fight."

"Hey…" came a soft voice behind him, "I heard that."

Sam turned to find Mercedes walking towards him with an amused smile on her face. In one hand she held a large black umbrella over her head and then in the other was two bouquets of flowers. He came forward and took the flowers from her hands before dropping a quick kiss on her mouth and murmuring 'thank you' against her lips.

He went over to the two tombstones and laid down the first bouquet on his Father's grave and then the second on his Mother's.

Mercedes came up beside him and slid her free hand in his before laying her head gently on his shoulder.

"I really miss them."

"I know baby."

"I wish they were here and I wish they could've met you. They would have loved you…my mom especially."

"I would've loved to have met them too."

The two stood in a companionable silence a few minutes later more before Sam squeezed her hand and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yes," She murmured softly, "are you?"

"Yeah…let's go get our girl home."

The two gave the graves one last look before turning and heading back towards Sam's Range Rover.

"So," Sam asked as they navigated their way through the graveyard, "how much you wanna bet your mom woke her up?"

"Oh, please that's a guarantee." Mercedes answered with a laugh.

An hour later Sam, Mercedes, Marilyn and Lilliana arrived at the townhouse and in no time they were all settled in. Marilyn complained of a headache and after showering Lilliana with kisses she went to the guest room to take a nap.

In the baby's room, Mercedes crooned softly to her daughter as she rocked her gently back and forth in the old rocking chair. Sam watched from the doorway with a growing lump in his throat and thanked a God he didn't even believe in until recently for the blessing right in front of his eyes.

It has been a long month with a lot of ups and downs. Lillana's progress had been a constant rollercoaster ride that had both Sam and Mercedes' nerves on edge. The first few days after she was born she had so many complications that wracked her small body it seemed like an impossible task for her to survive. Her lungs were under-developed. She couldn't eat, she was jaundiced, and she lost weight. After the first harrowing week things started to change for the better little by little she hit all the milestones she needed to hit. At right at five pounds she still seemed too tiny in Sam's opinion to be released but Holly assured them that she was okay to go home. She warned them that they still might have a bumpy road ahead of them but she told them that she had every faith that their little girl would be just fine in the long run.

Sam watched as the gently rocking of the rocking chair stopped and Mercedes looked up at him and whispered, "Can you help me?

Sam rushed over and slid the sleeping baby out of her arms. He snuggled his daughter close and buried his nose in her fine dark brown hair as he waited for Mercedes to get her bed ready. He watched in amusement as Mercedes shuffled around the crib making sure everything was in place and that there was nothing in there that should be. Finally, she gave him a nod of approval and he came forward and gently laid the baby down. He ran his thumb down her cheek before backing away so that Mercedes could fuss some more. Once the bedding had finally met her approval she took a step back and breathed a sigh of relief. Sam came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek before whispering in her ear, "This is the way it's supposed to be."

"You are such a sap," Mercedes joked but she still gave a sigh of contentment as she watched their daughter peacefully sleeping.

Half an hour later the two managed to tear themselves away from their daughter's bedside but it was mostly because of the deep rumble of Sam's stomach reminding him of the fact that he hadn't eaten all day. Mercedes dragged him downstairs while teasing him mercilessly about how his stomach was going to wake up their daughter. Once in the kitchen they both agreed that they were too lazy to cook anything so they opted to order pizza and wings from a very excited employee of a popular pizza chain that promised them their order in 30 minutes or less or it was completely free. Sam scoffed at that but was mildly surprised to find that he was proven wrong when less than 15 minutes later the doorbell rang. Both he and Mercedes exchanged a surprised look but he just shrugged and grabbed his wallet out of his pocket as he headed towards the front door.

When he pulled the door open he expected to be hit in the face with the smell of their pizzas wafting from the box but he was disappointed when all he found on the other side of the door was a large, gray-haired black man staring at him sternly.

"I take it you're not the pizza delivery guy?" Sam jokingly questioned as he gave the man a once over.

"No, I'm not." The mystery man answered gruffly as he looked down at Sam. "Does Mercedes Jones live here?"

Sam bristled at the mention of Mercedes name from a man he didn't know and his eyes narrowed as he surveyed him closer, "who wants to know?"

"I do. My name is—"

The man was cut off by the sound of glass shattering behind them. Sam turned to see Mercedes standing there surrounded in a puddle of broken glass with a face that was a mask of shocked horror and disbelief.

"Daddy?"

Sam's own eyes widened in disbelief and he whirled back around to find the man now standing there with a smug smile on his face and an outstretched hand.

"Hello, I'm Mercedes' father."