A/N: Lawd these two!

The Bar: Part 6- Part 2

Mercedes took her time getting ready, she wanted to make sure she was ready to hear what Sam had to say even if he would continue to tell her just how much he didn't want her.

Smoothing down the grayish green sundress that fell just above her knee she walked into the old barn chewing her bottom lip as she looked around for Sam.

"Sam?" She said, walking further into the barn before seeing a backdoor that was slightly opened. She walked through it and saw Sam sitting there on a wooden bench. "S-Sam?"

"I guess Stevie told you then?" He asked not looking back at her.

"I probably would've found you on my own, but yeah he did." She said moving towards him.

Sam scuffed. "Then you don't know everything if you're still thinking you can figure me out."

"If you are so certain I can't figure you out, then tell me Sam." She moved and sat next to him slowly. "I'm listening."

He looked at her hard before looking forward. "What all did he tell you?"

"I wanted you to tell me, but the way he spoke I know something changed you." She said softly.

He let out a heartless laugh. "I thought you had it all figured out? That arrogance you hide won't prepare you for this…"

"I never assumed I knew everything about you Sam, we never…I want to know. I want to know you, I want you to know me."

He looked at her. "Back peddling already? It's fine, I don't mind telling you." He said standing and grabbing her hand, leading her further out until they reached a clearing, where an old house stood. "That's where it happened…" He pointed at the rundown house, sighing.

She held her tongue, just allowed him to take her to the clearing and followed his gaze to the old house.

"Harmony was… complex but I loved her. I loved her more than I think I loved myself." He said walking towards the house, taking in the heavy atmosphere surrounding it. "She was so carefree and just wanted to live her life loudly. I should've known someone like that never wanted to be tied down to just one person but I held out hope." He explained looking at her.

She nodded understanding what he was saying, hating the look on his face, but knowing that pain.

"You have to understand, I tried hard… I fought really hard but it wasn't enough to stop it from happening." He expressed feeling his chest tightening. "She'd met this charming guy and he was basically everything I wasn't… he was a new shiny toy and I was just Sam."

She squeezed his hand. "You can never be "Just Sam." She said softly.

He looked at her before removing his hand and walking up the steps of the house and pushing the door but he didn't go inside. "They guy was a real asshole, he was manipulative and there was an edge about him that made my skin crawl…

She let him take his time telling her what happened, none of this could be easy for him and she wasn't going to push him to go faster than he could.

"I'd found out that she was cheating when I walked in on them… I would be lying if I didn't breathe a little easier knowing that I would have no choice but to end things with her because if it but just because we were over didn't mean I stopped caring… She called me terrified so I came running…" He said taking a step into the house.

She slowly followed him into the house. "Sam…" There was nothing she could really say.

"Don't worry, she was just fine when I came. The crazy thing is that it never clicked to me that they were in here, this… I was building this place for us before everything hit the fan. Love makes you do crazy things, like turn a blind eye to a lie or two but this lie was the biggest. She lied to me about needing my help, she just wanted to make him happy. It was a set up from the beginning…" He said looking at Mercedes then walking into the living room and stopping.

He looked at everything before landing on the spot where it all went down. "She knew I loved her and would do anything for her… she played on my emotions and unfortunately for her...it didn't end well."

"What happened?" She asked barely above a whisper.

"He snapped… I'm assuming drugs were involved but he didn't like that I wanted to protect her. A few fists were thrown, nothing too crazy but when I bested him he took it too far. I didn't know about the knife or the gun, I just got in his way when he had the knife… I should've waited for the gun but by the time the blade went through and I'd fallen, he'd fired the gun." He answered.

"Oh Sam…I am so sorry." She wanted to go to him but wasn't sure he wanted that.

He shook his head. "He was able to get three shots off before actually hitting her. I had time to stop it but I couldn't… I had to watch him kill her before he turned the gun on himself."

She couldn't stop herself this time from going to him and wrapping her arms around him, holding him close. For him to experience that, she understood a lot better now why he felt the way he felt.

Sam let out a hard breath. "I couldn't protect her and I will never unsee her last moments, it was quiet all of it was so quiet… until it wasn't."

"No one should have to experience what you did Sam…I am so sorry." She said softly, holding him tighter.

"I'm sorry too, sorry that happened. Everyday I would go back in my mind, wondering what I could do differently. Then I met you." He pulled away from her. "And I wondered if things would be different. But you lied to me, and that is something I just… I can't let go of it. Not anymore."

"Sam, I wasn't lying. And I wasn't holding stuff back on purpose, and I'm not going anywhere. I care about you." She said turning him to her. "And you care about me too."

Sam shook his head. "There's too much drama surrounding this…"

"Tell me I am wrong, and this was just some fun fling for you, tell me that if I left you wouldn't care, and I will walk away from you, never bothering you again."

Sam looked at her, seeing that she really meant what she said. "I wanted a taste and I got it." He replied coldly.

"You don't mean that, I know you don't mean that." She shook her head. "For someone who hates liars, why are you lying to me right now!"

"You said if I told you the truth you would leave, that is the truth."

She shook her head. "I know it's not, either you are lying to me, or you are lying to yourself, but we both know you care about me just as much as I care about you. Why are you pushing me away, you wanna be alone that bad that you are willing to let me leave? For good? You want that loneliness for yourself, for me?"

Sam looked at her and sighed. "Stevie will comp your stay, have a good life Mercedes." He said before walking out of the room and out of the house, leaving her there.

Mercedes followed after him after a few moments rushing to catch up with him. "COWARD!" She yelled behind him. "The fact that you really think, I could have a good life without you, that you can have one without me, lets me know how deep that lie goes! You want me to leave, then I will, but when you look back on this day, you remember that you were the coward who chased off someone who could love you past it all. The hurt, the pain, all of it and maybe give you the happiness you deserve!"

Sam kept walking, hearing her words but choosing not to engage. He did what was right, he left it as it was… he hated messy things and as much as he loved that woman shouting at him, there was too much mess surrounding this. He would accept a lonely life over one where things could end the way they did with Harmony. He knew Mercedes wouldn't cheat but that didn't mean her family wouldn't go to drastic measures to keep her where they wanted. He'd done the hard and crazy love thing, he didn't want to do it again, even if that meant hurting the one person he wanted.

Mercedes watched him walk away and shook her head going back to her room, but stopping short when she saw Theo leaning against the door.

"Weren't you escorted off the premises?" She said pushing him aside so she could go in.

"Found my way back in here when that crazy asshole left. Thought I would give you one last chance to come back to your senses, I can forgive you for coming here, making a fool of yourself these last few weeks, call it getting material for your latest creation if you must."

"Theo I don't have the energy to argue with you, so kindly fuck off."

He walked into her room, closing the door. "God Mercedes what has this place done to you? It doesn't matter, I'll help you pack, we will go home, announce we plan on getting married still and all will be right in the world. It's not like you have anything here holding you back, or anyone for that matter." He moved closer, taking her hand. "Cedie before you found out about the money you and I were happy, maybe your mom forced her hand accepting my ring, but we can be happy again, if you just open yourself to it."

She turned away from him, her eyes burning from her conversation with Sam, Theo's words sinking in deeper because she knew he was right, there was nothing here for her.

Theo turned her to him. "Remember that day on the boat, it was just you and me and the waves…you looked so beautiful in the moonlight." His hand caressed her face. "And even though we had decided to take things slow, at that moment we just had to have each other."

Mercedes looked up at him, as he brushed away her unshed tears.

"We made love that night Mercedes, under the stars, on that boat, giving new meaning to the motion of the ocean. That was real, true love, that's when I knew I could love you forever. And if I could go back and tell you the truth, about how it all started because your mom approached me I would. But I was so scared you would hate me…a fear I now know is reality.

Theo lifted her chin so he could stare into her eyes. "Tell me I haven't fully lost you Cedie. Tell me I can have one last chance to give you the life you deserve. Full of love, and babies…and far away from your mom."

She blinked back tears, heart heavy, confusion playing in her mind, conflicting feelings surrounding her.

"I love you." He whispered, leaning in and kissing her softly. "I love you so much." He spoke against her lips, moving a trail down to her neck. "Tell me I haven't lost you." He more so commanded than requested as he nipped at her neck, feeling her resolve waiver.

"Theo…"

He smiled moving back to her lips, pulling her closer as he hungrily kissed her, backing her against the wall. "Yes baby?" he said letting his hands roam along her curves.

"I wanna go home." She said barely above a whisper.

"Good girl, but first, I want you to show me that I am the only man you need. Right here, right now."

"Theo can't we just go?" She asked as his hands moved under her dress, she didn't know if she could ruin the room, by being with him, not after all the time she spent there with Sam.

"You're mine." He growled picking her up and carrying her to the bed as he hovered over her, kissing her, claiming her, as he pulled her dress up with a smirk. "Braless huh?" He said running his tongue over one of her hardened buds.

"Theo…" She said, groaning. "I just.."

"You need more? Okay baby girl I got you…always." He said using his free hand to massage the other as his lips latched to her breast, knee moving between her legs to get her begging for it. "Tell me what you want Cedie." he said looking up at her as he teased her more.

"You." She whimpered, closing her eyes as someone knocked on the door. Saying a silent prayer because she was growing weak.

"I should get that."

"No baby, let them leave." He said pulling her dress further up.

The knock continued. "Whoever they are won't go away."

Theo exhaled moving off of her. "Get rid of them."

Mercedes stood smoothing down her dress and hair as she exhaled before going to the door. She opened it and frowned. "Why are you here?"

Sam looked at her and sighed. "I lied… I shouldn't have let-" He stopped and looked at her before looking over her shoulder and seeing Theo on the bed. He nodded, taking a step back. "You had me going for a second… I hope you two have a great life… the BnB offers wedding packages." He said shooting her a look before walking away.

Mercedes stared after him angrily. This man right here was killing her. "STOP WALKING AWAY FROM ME YOU STUBBORN ASSHOLE!"

Sam's steps faltered but he kept walking. He walked downstairs and into the office, where he slammed the door so hard it cracked.

Theo hopped off the bed, pulling Mercedes back but she yanked her arm away from him and stormed down the stairs right into Sam's office. "You are the most infuriating man I have ever met in my life! First you come onto me at the bar, even after I blow you off you still seek my attention. Then you make me fall for you, because how the hell could I not? Then okay yes my family is crazy as hell and I hate them, still don't know how they found me, but I get you feeling uneasy about them. But still I seek you out, tell you how much I want to be with you and you break my heart by telling me to leave. What do you want from me! God its like you were sent here to torture me after I've already dealt with hell from my family!" She said staring at him unsure if she was pissed he came back or happy.

"You have a fiance Mercedes, just go be with him. You went back to him after I shot you down so why are you still here?"

"He was here waiting for me when I got back to my room! I never sought after him! I didn't even invite him in, he invited himself! But why the hell do you care? You basically said I meant nothing to you right? So why do you care?!"

Sam looked at her and shook his head. "How long did it take for you to give in to him?"

"I didn't, not from his lack of trying and not that it's any of your business you asshole!" She defended.

"Then again, I ask why are you in here with me if you are no longer my business?"

"You know what, I am done. I don't know what you want from me Sam, either you want me or you don't, but you acting like this, being this grand asshole who makes Theo look like a decent dude, it not the Sam I know! I know the man I feel for is still here, but I am not going to be your punching bag, while you decide if he wants to come back out here, be a man and admit that he cares about me. So you are right I no longer need to be here. I'll be checking out within the hour. You win." She spat, turning away from him and walking out of his office.

Sam didn't say anything, he just watched her leave choosing to let the past few weeks be just that, his past.

"You really are an idiot." Stevie scolded from outside the room.

"Go away Stevie."

"Send me away, send Mercedes away, spend your whole life alone because you are punishing yourself for what Harmony did. Asshole, you really don't deserve her." Stevie shook his head walking away. "I am going on break for the rest of the day."

Sam sat back in his chair not moving as Stevie left. He remained there as he watched Mercedes drag her bag down the stairs and out the door without giving him a second look. It was for the best. He said to himself, though his chest ached knowing he lost the one woman who could possibly be perfect for him.

"So, you're officially a New York resident…" Her friend and agent Santana asked.

"Mhm, officially free of my family and Theo and ready to start this book tour." She replied placing the last box down, looking around at her new apartment. She had a long year after everything that happened at the BnB and with Sam… she went home and had to face her mother's and Theo's wrath before finally realizing that without her they had nothing so made sure it stayed that way. She broke things off with Theo officially and slapped him with a restraining order for good measure and sadly had to do the same to her mother when she followed her out to New York when she was looking for places.

Her mother and brother kept popping up and ruining her small events to promote the new series she was teasing and it took her going off on them publicly for either of them to stop showing up. But when they still expected her to keep paying for things, she cut them off completely with no warning. The last thing she said to her mother was that she needed to get a job and stop living off of her. That was seven months ago and they hadn't spoken a word to her since, not that she expected them to nor did she want it.

It was time for her to find her happy again, moving far away from her family was the first step.

"So are you ready to take the world by storm? You have a few stops in the city before we head out on the road and there's a shoot set up to update your author portraits so take the rest of the day and tomorrow to get settled." Santana informed and Mercedes nodded.

She smiled, looking out the large window. "I wanna get shitface drunk… unpacking can happen another day. I'm finally free of the burdens of my family and am in New York without anything holding me back."

Santana laughed. "Now that's what I'm talking about, let me call up Brit and we can get the party started!"

"Hell yeah!" She said, smiling at her friend. "Meet back here in twenty?" Santana nodded before letting herself out. Mercedes looked back out the window seeing her new view and sighed she loved seeing the city buzzing but a piece of her that she couldn't keep tucked away kept comparing it to another view.

"Sam…" She said before shaking her head and pushing the thought of him away. She wanted to have fun and thinking about him wasn't, so instead she decided to find the perfect outfit for her first night out in New York City!

Yassss Mercedes for standing up for herself! Sam just... whew... they're gonna get it together! lol