A/N: And here we are again... 10 years later. CRAZY.

I completely forgot about this story for years. Hell, I didn't even know if it still existed! But late last week after reading a few YA fiction novels (a genre I haven't touched in a while), my mind suddenly remembered this story. One night I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep so I just randomly started googling my story to see if it still was around and I found it right where I left off! I read the whole thing again and enjoyed it but even more importantly I read all of the reviews. There were a lot of the reviews I had never seen before and they were years old. I think that's what truly motivated me to keep it going. That is the power of reviews, friends! And seriously I thank every single one of you who have reviewed and gave me so much encouragement even when the story had died for many years. I'm a little rusty and my Glee knowledge is fuzzy but I'll try my best.

This is for all of you!

Everyone in the room froze, all eyes were on Sam.

There was a long silence before Rashad blurted out. "Wait, you can SING– OW!" He recoiled at Noelle's sharp elbow to his ribcage.

Sam chuckled good-naturedly. "Yeah, I can. Cede can vouch for me." He nodded in Mercedes' direction. She replied with a small awkward grin and a nod.

"In that case…" Tiffany stood up and gestured at the front of the room. "The floor is yours."

"Thanks!" Sam started to unpack his guitar.

While he had his back turned almost everyone turned to Mercedes with a quizzical look. Mercedes shot back with a glare that screamed 'WHAT?'

Once Sam had his guitar tuned and ready to go, he sat at a bar stool as he strummed the first chord and sang the first run. Mercedes quickly knew what the song was. It took her back to a vivid memory of Sam in a purple hoodie and floppy side swept hair.

The Justin Bieber Experience.

As Sam started his classic opening of "Baby", jaws dropped and Andrew almost fell out of his piano seat as they took in the smooth tone of his voice.

Mercedes felt a swell of pride as he played. It took her back to a time and place when things were a little easier and his biggest priority was impressing a girl. So much has changed since then. She could even tell in his singing. There was a maturity that wasn't there back then. A boy now a man from years of life throwing him so many curveballs and still coming out of it with a heart of gold.

By the time she had come out of her own thoughts, the last chords had rung out and everyone broke out into applause. Without missing a beat, Rashad stood up fast and raised his hand. "I VOTE YES!" Others enthusiastically raised their hands in agreement.

Tiffany laughed. "Okay, I didn't even ask… but damn Evans, I didn't know you had that in you."

"He's the missing piece to round out our group for Upstaged!" Heather exclaimed. Upstaged is a national collegiate acapella competition that the Goldtones participate in at the end of the year.

Joey gasped loudly, "Would that mean I wouldn't have to sing?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Well, Heather has a point…" Tiffany mused. "Sam, you even available for that with all your football stuff?"

Sam shrugged. "I could check but for the most part I'm pretty free. I just have off-season conditioning some days and I can probably get a pass for a big day."

Rashad clapped loudly, "That settles it! He's in!"

Tiffany scoffed, "Last I heard you weren't the leader of the Goldtones, Shad, but actually.. you're right. We'd love to have you as a part of the team, Sam." The rest of the group cheered in agreement. Noelle danced with excitement.

"Thanks so much, everybody!" Sam grinned widely. His eyes landed on Mercedes who had been pretty quiet through the whole exchange. The look in her eyes was unreadable.

After the meeting ended, Sam fell into step with Mercedes as they left the music building. She didn't say a word until they reached her bench. She spun around to face him.

"What are you doing?" Mercedes gave him a blank stare.

Her question threw him off. "I-uh…" Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "Can't I just want to join?"

"Why?"

"I miss Glee?" Sam mirrored her frown. "What? I really do! Seeing Mike, Finn, and Kurt again made me miss those days…"

"And?"

"And what?"

Mercedes just replied with a wary look.

Sam sighed. "If you think I'm trying something, don't worry. I'm not pressuring you into anything. That's the last thing I want to do because that's the last thing you need, Cede…" He murmured reassuringly.

Mercedes crossed her arms nervously, her fingers tracing over her scar. Sam reflexively took her hands and gently guided her to the bench.

"Mercedes…" Sam continued sternly but with caution. "Remember when I felt like my whole world was falling apart around me? My normal high school life was taken away from me in an instant… Who was there with me to get me through it all? You." He squeezed her hands.

Mercedes let out a shaky breath.

"Let me be there for you this time… I owe you one."

"You don't owe me a single thing, Sam…" Mercedes' voice cracked.

"I owe you everything." Sam looked around. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"That's not true."

"It is." Sam pressed on. "Back then I didn't think I was capable of anything. Did you know I was really close to taking a job as a stripper?" Mercedes gave him an odd look. "Yeah, I know… But anyway, you made me look beyond my bleak life and realize I could do so much more than just survive. And I will never forget that."

His look of earnestness took her breath away.

"So let me be here for you. I am here with you. Whenever you need me. Any time day or night. If you feel like you're not safe, I can run over in like 10 seconds. You can ask my coach, I have a really fast sprint for a quarterback." He grinned which Mercedes couldn't help but mirror back. "And I did a little research and there are a lot of resources on campus, I'll send them to you."

Mercedes was just so blown away that he was going to these lengths to help her– but then on second thought actually this shouldn't be a surprise at all. Like she remembered earlier, he had a heart of gold. He always did.

A cold breeze blew through the trees, but she barely felt it at all with Sam's thumbs tracing circles over the insides of her wrists causing warmth to trail up her arms. All she could do right now was nod.

Sam continued, "And I promise, I won't take this anywhere you don't want to go."

Mercedes nodded again but inwardly she paused. What did she want? Did she want him? Did she want to be left alone? Did she just want to focus on school? This past year here at Richter felt like ages and a short moment all at the same time. In an instant she was in this new school and Sam was back in her life like nothing happened and yet in those years they were apart so much had happened. All the good, the bad, and the terrible had changed her into a different person than who she was in high school. And she wasn't sure what that meant for the two of them.

—

All the Goldtones girls were all having a late dinner together later that day at a sushi joint close to campus.

"Ya'll I'm still not over it…" Madison shook her head. "Who knew the quarterback could sing like that?"

Tiffany threw up a praise hand. "Mercy, I'm sorry but if he wasn't your man I would—"

"He's not mine!" Mercedes interrupted before she could finish.

Everyone at the table gave her varying degrees of the "yeah right" face. Noelle snorted so loud she almost choked on her drink.

"Yeah sure he's not yours and I'm Beyoncé!" Tiffany cackled and the rest joined in.

"Stop…" Mercedes covered her face.

"Anyone with two eyes could see what was going down at Club Red…" Stephanie exaggeratedly fanned herself with her hand. A couple of the other girls whooped.

Mercedes sank into her seat, her face burning.

Heather wiped a tear from her eye, "That boy has 'Property of Mercedes Patrice Jones' tattooed on his ass, I just know it."

Mercedes sank even deeper. Noelle leaned over to hug her but still couldn't hold back her laughter.

Tiffany waved at everyone, "Okay for real girls stop stop stop. It's only because we love you and we appreciate the new addition. Anyway! Back to Upstaged…" She quickly put on a serious face. "This is my senior year, my LAST year so yall better not let me down!" She wagged a finger at all of them.

"No pressure…" Madison grumbled behind her drink.

"We need some numbers that are going to take us to the next level!" Tiffany banged her fist on the table making half of them jump. "And no, we're not doing another Nicki Minaj song." She shot a look at Stephanie who pouted. "Something they don't expect."

"Like a quarterback who can play the guitar singing a ballad or something?" Caroline offered with a half shrug.

It was as if a lightbulb slowly turned on as this realization dawned at everyone at the table.

"Alright, I see the vision." Tiffany nodded slowly. "A secret weapon… wait, I mean, so is Mercy but—"

"Duet." Caroline countered in lightning speed.

Everyone's eyes widened. Stephanie got up and tackled Caroline in a bear hug kissing the top of her head hard. "YOU." Kiss. "LITTLE." Kiss. "TINY" Kiss. "GENIUS."

"Unique. Contrast. Drama. Chemistry. I love it!" Tiffany clapped between words.

Mercedes looked around at everyone. Clearly this was going to happen whether she wanted it or not.