Glee 1. One Week

"Hey, buddy." Sam said, opening the door to the motel room. Stevie was lying on the couch, his attention on the TV screen, taking no kind of notice that Sam had just walked in. Sam shook his letterman jacket off and tossed it onto the couch next to his little brother. It was practically mid-June at the moment, but that jacket was currently one of his most prize possessions. He hardly went anywhere without it.

The sudden thud of the jacket startled the tiny blond, and he looked up just in time as Sam reached out a hand to ruffle his hair.

"Hey!" Stevie protested, pushing Sam's hand away gently. Sam chuckled and pointed at the screen.

"Spongebob, huh? Which episode is that?"

"The one where Patrick had that secret box and Spongebob wanted to figure out what was inside." Stevie said, eyes pressed towards the screen again.

"Oh, that's a good one." He reached out his hand again to rest it on Stevie's head, but the boy darted away from his touch and ran to the bed.

Sam grinned and shook a finger in his direction. "You're fast."

"Too fast for _you_!" Stevie smiled. He stuck his tongue out playfully and threw a pillow in Sam's direction.

Sam quickly dodged the pillow and crossed over to the kitchen area, hoping to find something to eat, when he noticed his father sitting at their small table. He had his hands folded on the table and was talking quietly to Mrs. Evans before Sam appeared.

"Dad," he said, surprised. "I didn't know you'd be home. I thought you were out looking for more work today." Sam turned to the fridge to search for anything edible and was about to turn towards the cupboards, until his dad spoke again.

"I was looking." He said. "And I did find _some_thing."

Upon hearing this, Sam gave up his search and closed the fridge. He turned to his parents slowly.

"Really? You did?" his face brightened. Did his father finally have some luck? Were they going to be able to afford a bigger place? Suddenly a light bulb in his head switched on. He would be able to buy Mercedes something special to show how much he cared for her.

"Yes, I did. And I want to talk to you about it." His dad said.

A bracelet maybe? A necklace? Maybe he should take her with him to pick something out? His thoughts shifted through numerous options. Maybe he was getting a little ahead of himself, but hey. His father finally found a job. It was a cause for celebration, right?

"Well, your mother and I think its best that we go over this with you before we make a decision."

And it's not that he thought their relationship could be represented by a piece of jewelry or anything, but still. It just made things all the more romantic. And Sam was all for romance.

"We know you've made so many friends at your school." His mother faintly added. He was barely listening. He was going over images of what would look best on Mercedes, his thoughts crashing into each other with effortless speed.

He didn't notice the silence in the room until his father cleared his throat.

"Sam?" he said. "Sam, are you listening to us?"

Sam blinked, coming out of his daydream. He smiled over at them.

"No. Uh- yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking about something. What were you saying?" His father looked over at his mother, took a deep breath, and spoke.

Sam made to move towards the table, was about to pull out the chair across from his father and sit down. But he suddenly couldn't do it. He couldn't bring himself to move. He stood, feet rooted to the spot, hand outstretched towards the chair.

"W…what?" he asked. His voice came out just barely above a whisper.

His father's eyes were sad. And when he spoke again, you could hear the apology in his voice. "I got a job, yes. But it's out of state. We would have to leave Ohio."

_We would have to leave Ohio._

**_We would have to leave Ohio._**

Those words repeated in Sam's mind, over and over again before he could finally admit that they were real.

He shook his head.

"Sam, we understand that-"

"No." he dropped his hand to his side and backed away from them.

"Sam." His mother walked towards him. "Honey, we won't be leaving right away. You still have a few days-"

"A few _days? _How many days, _exactly?"_

"A week." His father's tone had gotten a little bit colder as the conversation went on, but Sam paid no attention to it.

"No. We're not moving." He said simply. "Not _again._"

His father hung his head and rubbed the back of his neck. He looked so tired. So worn out. That was the norm for Mr. Evans these days.

But at the moment, Sam didn't care. He knew it was selfish of him. He knew he had to think of his brother. Of his sister. About how hard his parents had been searching for something over the past few months. And how much it must have meant to them to finally get a yes after being constantly turned down. He knew all of this, but still…how could they do this to him? After everything. After he made his friends. After he found his place in the school. After he finally had Mercedes.

_Mercedes. _

He couldn't do this to her. He _wouldn't _do this to her. It wasn't fair of them to expect him to just get up and leave her.

"Honey, listen to us," his mother pleaded. She sounded tired too. Her voice was scratchy and quiet, but just as kind as always. It made him angry how kind she was sometimes. It made it harder for him to be anything but loving around her. Though this time proved to be different. "We know how you feel, really, we do. But think about our _lives._ Look at how we're living." She gestured around her.

Sam turned away from her and waved his hand angrily. "We're fine!" he shouted. "We have food! Don't we?"

"Just barely, Sam."

"We have shelter. We're getting by without all the fancy crap we used to have!"

"Sweetie we can't even pay the small fees the motel is giving us half of the time."

"So I'll pick up another job!" Sam yelled. He walked back over to the table. "I don't care, I'll deliver pizzas again, I'll work longer hours, whatever it takes."

"Sam-" his mother started. "If you just-"

"Dammit mom, we're not moving!"

"Sam, watch your language." His father said calmly.

"I don't care!" he shouted, slamming a fist down on the table. "You can find a job closer in the area! Why does it have to be out of state?" His voice felt like it was near breaking point. He hadn't yelled at anyone, much less his own parents, in a long time.

"It was the only available-"

"Bullshit!"

"Sam!" His father's eyes widened and his mother bit her lip. Sam avoided her eyes, knowing very well she might have fresh tears in them. She hated when they argued, regardless of who was right and who was wrong.

He ran his hands through his hair.

"Sam, your brother and sister are both in the other room. Watch your language, please." His father said.

Sam didn't respond to that.

"No, you know what," He waved them away and crossed over towards the living room. He grabbed his jacket and pulled open the door. Little Stevie was sitting up in bed, his blue eyes wide and focused on Sam. "I'm going out. Don't wait up."

And without so much as a glance back, he slammed the door behind him.

* * *

><p>In a rage, Sam wandered into town, determined to find something to distract himself. He couldn't focus on what his parents had just told him. He wouldn't. If he did, he would- well, he didn't know what he would do. But he could bet that it was not something that would help their situation.<p>

He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and walked briskly passed store after store. He paid no attention to large groups of chattering teenagers or women pushing small children in strollers. Apparently, upon seeing him speeding down the sidewalk, they moved out of his way quickly without any effort on his part.

He would have kept on walking, just as fast and for who knows how long, if it hadn't been for the voices calling out his name.

"Sam?"

He stopped walking instantly to turn and see Kurt and Blaine hurrying towards him, both of them smiling.

"Hey, guys." Sam said quietly with a small wave.

"Everything ok?" Kurt asked, narrowing his eyebrows.

"Yeah, you seemed like you were deep in thought about something." Blaine added.

"We had to call your name about three times before you finally turned around." Kurt finished.

"Sorry, I…uh-yeah. I mean, it's nothing."

Blaine stared at him for a few seconds, but seemed to shrug it off. Instead of pressing the issue, Blaine gave him a caring smile. Sam hoped that they understood that whatever it was that was bothering him, he didn't want to talk about it.

But, of course, it was Kurt he was talking to. And Kurt wasn't about to just let it go.

He still had his eyes narrowed, but before he spoke, he walked up closer to Sam and folded his arms, staring him directly in the eyes. "Is everything ok with you and Mercedes?" He raised an eyebrow, probably for dramatic effect.

"What?" Sam sputtered, caught off guard with the question. "Yes. Of course. Why- why wouldn't everything be ok? We're fine."

Kurt didn't seem to believe him.

"I was just wondering." He shrugged. "Still…your answer didn't entirely convince me. I might have to call Mercedes later on and see what she's up to."

"Kurt, no." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Kurt couldn't tell Mercedes that something was bothering Sam. She would get worried and ask him about it and he just wasn't really to tell her yet. "This…this isn't about us."

"You and Mercedes?"

"No…well, it _effects _us, but-"

"So it _is _about you and Mercedes."

"No, Kurt-"

"Sam, you _just _said-"

"Kurt." Blaine reached out a hand and placed it gently on Kurt's shoulder. At his touch, Kurt let out a soft sigh and looked quickly from his boyfriend and then back to Sam.

"Ok, fine." He said. He dropped his hands to his side in frustration. "I just like knowing that she's ok. I'm not trying to get on your case, Sam, but Mercedes is important to me and if she's hurting, I'm taking her side no matter what."

Sam smiled. It made him slightly happy knowing that when he had to leave, Mercedes would be around people that loved and cared for her.

'_No.' _His smile quickly turned into a frown as he the thought of leaving sprung up in his mind. He had promised himself he wasn't going to think of that. He shook his head, as if shaking it would literally help relieve his mind of the thought.

Kurt raised an eyebrow again, but said nothing.

"I know that. But really, Mercedes and I are ok. Nothing's wrong, it's just…"

"What?" Kurt pried. Blaine closed his eyes.

"Just family stuff."

Kurt was silent after that. He said nothing for a few seconds, then he gave Sam another one of his genuine smiles.

If it was anyone other than his one of his fellow Glee club members, he wouldn't have stood there any longer. He didn't want anyone's pity. His situation with his family was just something they had to deal with, nothing more, nothing less. They were a strong bunch, the Evans family. They would get through it.

_We could get through it without having to leave Ohio. _Sam thought, but he pushed it away along with all the other things he didn't want to think about.

But yes, he was used to Kurt, and everyone else in the New Directions. They were his friends and knowing that he could count on them to be there for him meant more to him than being disgustingly, filthy rich. They never looked at him with pity. They loved and cared for him and treated him just the same.

"If you need anything, you know where I live." Kurt said.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Hey, if I can help in any way too, just let me know." Blaine added.

Instinctively, Sam looked down at Blaine's pants, the hem of the legs resting just a few inches above his ankles. He wasn't wearing any socks at the moment, and Sam tried his hardest to hold back a smirk. He pictured himself in Blaine's clothes, bow-ties and all.

"Thanks, dude." He said, shooting Blaine a smile as well. It's definitely the thought that counts.

"We'll see you soon, though. We should probably get home. Dad and Carole have a date night tonight and I'm not sure if either of them knows that you can wear something other than jeans or flannel to a fancy dinner. Clearly I need to get there early to supervise their choices." Kurt rolled his eyes and Blaine laughed as they walked away together.

"See ya." Sam said, before continuing his walk in the direction he was originally headed.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long before he was lost in thought about Mercedes, his family, glee club, and everything else under the sun. Trying to keep his problems out of his mind was easier said than done.<p>

_Maybe I _should _tell her. _

His conversation with Kurt brought up a whole string of bad scenarios. He understood that the longer it took him to tell her, the harder she would most likely take it. They would argue and he would have to leave on a bitter note. He didn't want that.

Sam stopped walking and he leaned up against a big window of a store he didn't really care for. People continued to walk by, oblivious to what was going on in his life.

He played through scene after scene in his head, running through each of them. It made his heart ache as he thought about breaking the news to Mercedes. She was the best thing to come out of this entire move to Ohio, and the thought of leaving her…it crushed him.

She had single-handedly turned what could have been a slow, boring night at prom into a memorable one. They had helped each other get over their loss at Nationals, tried to focus on the experience and memories of being in New York, more than anything else. They spent a lot of their time together at the beginning of summer vacation. It was a few weeks of romance that Sam would have to try hard to forget. Not that he would want to, ever.

But to let that all go, when he finally found what he honestly thought was the girl of his dreams, to be told that he had to leave her. _Now?_

Sam let out a heavy sigh and dropped his head forward, forcing himself not to cry. He hadn't cried since the glee club bought back his guitar that he had pawned off for money for his family, and so he was determined not to do it here in public, of all places.

He even thought back to his parents, who were probably sitting at home, wondering where he was. They had no way to reach him. None of them had cell phones anymore.

He suddenly felt bad for the way he reacted. They didn't deserve that sort of reaction, not at all. It wasn't their fault, and he knew that. It all just came on so fast, the reality that they would, indeed, have to move.

He pushed away from the window and started walking in the opposite direction, towards the way he had come. It was time he went home. Maybe even apologize.

Sam still had no idea how he was going to tell Mercedes. There was just no easy way to go about it. It was obvious that whenever and however he decides to tell to her, it would end in heartbreak for the both of them.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think of it, since it's my first post. It sort of came to me as a spur of the moment kind of thing. I have some ideas about how I <em>might<em> be able to continue this, but I'm not 100% sure if I will.**


	2. Don't Let Me Go

**I wasn't sure if I was going to continue with this, but I got so into the last part when I was writing it, that I wanted try my hand at another one. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

><p>It had started to get dark out, a few hours later, yet there was still no sign of Sam. His mother, Nora, went about the usual routine, tucking Stevie and Stacy into bed.<p>

"Get some sleep, sweetie." She said, kissing Stevie lightly on his forehead.

"Where's Sam?" he asked, worry etched in his voice. He wasn't about to forget the image of his older brother storming out of the room, angry and upset. That wasn't normal. _That _wasn't part of their usual routine. Seeing Sam like that scared him and he wanted to know what happened.

Nora sat down beside Stevie and pulled his blanket a little higher up his body. "He had to go for a walk. He'll be back soon. Don't worry."

"You sure?" Stevie pouted, something he had never really seemed to let go, even as he got older. Nora was a sucker for that pouty lip.

She gave him a smile, tried to reassure him that all was well. "Of course." She stood up and gave him another kiss. "Now get some sleep."

Stacy was already fast asleep on his other side, her golden hair fanned out across the old pillow. She hadn't taken much notice to the scene that occurred a few hours earlier, so it hadn't bothered her as much.

Nora walked away from the bed and moved toward the light switch on the other side of the room. With one last look at her young sleeping children, she switched it off and went to join her husband back at the table.

* * *

><p>Sam looked up at the summer sky as he walked, the vibrant reds, oranges, and purples splashed across it like paints on a canvas. It was late evening, the sun was just setting, and darkness was creeping up on the small town of Lima.<p>

His heart was heavy as he walked. Confusion filled his mind as he battled with how he was going to do what he desperately needed to do.

But still, he walked up to that familiar street, walked up that familiar path, and stopped in front of that familiar door.

With a moment's pause, hoping that what he was planning to do would not be considered a wasted effort, he reached out and rang the doorbell.

It was a few seconds before someone came and answered, but the door finally opened and there stood Kurt.

"Sam." He said, obviously surprised. "You're here. What's going on?"

"Uh, yeah." Sam answered, a little awkwardly. He rocked back and forth on his feet and licked his lips before he spoke. "I was wondering…well, I have a favor to ask and I was wondering if you can help me."

Kurt narrowed his eyebrows, interested in what Sam had to say.

"Sure, come on in." He gestured into the Hummel-Hudson household with a smile. Quickly, Sam stepped inside.

* * *

><p>Sam's father sat back in the creaky, old chair, and closed his eyes. He reached up to massage his temples with a groan.<p>

"Now don't be too upset with him, Brian."

"Don't be…" He opened his eyes at that moment and eyed his wife, who stood at the kitchen sink washing a few dishes. "He was-"

"_Reacting _to the most heartbreaking news he had to hear since we lost the house."

"Honey, that gave him no right to say what he did."

"I understand that. I understand what you mean, but Sam has been through _so much."_

"Nora we have all been through a lot."

"That's exactly what I mean. And to expect him, a _teenage boy, _to not react negatively to this is probably expecting too much of him."

Brian didn't respond to that point. He was frustrated and relieved at the same time. Frustrated that he gotten his family in this mess in the first place and relieved that he had finally found some way to get them out of it. And then he was frustrated again because his son was upset and taking the news so hard.

It was a complicated situation for him.

Nora shut off the faucet and grabbed a dish towel to dry her hands on. She turned to face her husband with an expression that often mirrored his own, tired and worn out.

"He has been so strong for us. For so long. He's done everything we asked without an argument. I know it hurts to not have him be on board with this, but give him some time, baby."

Brian sighed and rested his elbows on the table. He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes again before he heard Nora move away from the sink. She had come to sit next to him. She was quiet for a moment and then she reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder.

"He's in _love_, Brian. It's going to take him some time."

* * *

><p>"Thanks again, Kurt." Kurt opened the front door for Sam and lead him out.<p>

"It's nothing. We can talk to Artie and see what he says. We can meet at the Lima Bean and go over everything." Kurt paused against the frame of the door. "Sam, I think it's sweet what you want to do."

Sam turned to face Kurt. "Really? You don't think it's cheesy or anything? You're her best friend, so I appreciate any criticism if you think she won't like it."

Kurt bit his lip.

"_Well, _it probably is. But that's not saying that she won't love it all the same."

Sam smiled at that. Mercedes loved his dorkiness. She had told him that countless of times, even encouraged it. It was what made him feel so comfortable around her, what made him feel like they were made for each other. Where every other girl had tried to force his impressions and comic book obsessions out of him, Mercedes embraced everything about him and loved him for it. It was a reaction that he wasn't used to, and it made him all the more determined to hold on to her.

"Mercedes deserves all of this." Kurt continued. "You know, the romance, _everything. _She's such a strong, independent person, but it's nice to see someone care for her like you do. I'm sure she'll love it."

"I hope so." Sam said quietly. "But hey, I'll see you again soon." He slipped a goodbye wave as Kurt closed the door behind him.

He felt sort of proud of himself as he walked down the path, away from the house. He had never done something like that before, and though it probably _was_ totally cheesy and cliché of him, what other choice did he have?

At this point, all he had to do was hope that she would see how much he loved her and that nothing they went through would ever change how he felt right at this moment.

* * *

><p>When Sam got home not too long after his meeting with Kurt, he found his brother and sister already asleep in bed, the only light in the tiny motel room coming from the other side of their place.<p>

He walked over again, like he did earlier on, to find both of his parents sitting there at the table. They looked up at him as soon as he appeared. His mom was clutching a mug of what Sam realized was coffee, tight in her hands. It was summer and it was hot, but he knew how comforting her coffee was for her in troubling times.

How much had he upset them? Had they just been sitting there the entire time, waiting for him to come back? His embarrassment at how he had treated them heightened, and he suddenly felt like a child again, almost as small as Stevie.

He stood there in silence, trying to figure out what to say. Eventually, he figured that just a simple, "I'm sorry" would probably suffice, but his father stood up before Sam could even open his mouth.

Sam watched him carefully, expecting and feeling like he deserved a stern talking to, but his father just walked right up to him and hugged him.

"We love you, Sam." He said. "We just want what's best for you kids."

"I know that, dad. I do. And…and I'm sorry for what I said." He looked over his dad's shoulder at his mother, who was watching them both with a happy expression. "It just...it all got to be so much. I guess I just exploded. I really am really sorry.

Brian let go of his son and sat back down in his seat.

"_So _sorry." Sam added, just in case.

"As long as I don't hear those words under my roof again," he paused for a quick second before smiling at him. "Then you're forgiven."

"Oh, you won't." Sam was relieved, expecting a punishment worse than a warning from his respectful, well-mannered southern parents.

"You might want to make sure that Stevie knows you're ok, though. He was more than a little worried about you when you left." Nora pointed out. "He asked for you more times than I can count while I was getting the both of them ready for bed."

Sam laughed at that. Definitely sounded like Stevie.

"I'll let him know."

* * *

><p>Sam switched on a lamp they had sitting on the night stand next to Stevie's side of the bed and knelt down on the floor. He poked Stevie a few times, trying to wake him up, but the little boy groaned and sleepily tried to swat his hand away.<p>

"Hey," Sam whispered, careful not to speak too loud. Waking Stevie was one thing, he was nice enough and hardly argued when you tried to, but waking Stacy was a whole other story. The girl would get violent in her sleep, which scared the crap out of Sam when he had to get her up on school days. No, he would rather stay on the safe side and just whisper.

"Hey, little dude." He said, poking at Stevie's shoulder.

It took a few more tries, but eventually Stevie cracked an eye open. As soon as he saw Sam's face, a tiny smile broke out.

"You're home, Sammy." He said.

"Of course I am. You think I would leave you guys?"

Stevie laughed. "Where did you go?"

"Just for a walk. Had a lot on my mind, buddy."

"Like about us moving?"

"So you know, huh?" Sam got off his knees and sat with his back against the nightstand. Stevie propped himself up on an elbow to get a better look at Sam.

"Mommy and daddy told us."

"Ah."

"Did you tell Mercy?"

Sam's eyes shifted a little, but he made no move to answer. Truth was, Stevie's question caught him off guard. He didn't expect the boy to bring up Mercedes. Instead, he reached out and played with a lose thread in the edge of the blanket that was hanging off the bed.

"Not…_yet._" Sam finally answered after a few long seconds. Stevie was quiet, watching Sam's fingers as it twirled the piece of thread around and around in circles.

Watching that must have brought his sleepiness back around, because he flopped back down onto his pillow and closed his eyes.

With one soft yawn, Stevie said, "That's ok. Maybe you don't have to tell her and we can take her with us." And then he turned on his side, away from the light of the lamp. "That…would…be cool…" he said, as he drifted off to sleep once more.

"Yeah…" Sam was lost in thought once more. Of course, bringing Mercedes with them was impossible. She had her entire family here, her friends, everything about her life was in Ohio. There was no way she would come and there was no way her parents would ever allow it.

Still, that didn't stop Sam from picturing it. It would be a way for them to still be together, right? He wasn't delusional, he wasn't planning on it happening, but it did make him smile, even if it was just a moment. Stevie's heart was in the right place when he suggested bringing along Mercedes. And, for Sam, it's always the thought that counts.

He sat there for a while, getting lost in his thoughts again. But when the pictures in his mind's eye grew fuzzy and dream-like, he decided it was time for bed as well. He stood up and shut the light off, not forgetting to add a soft, "Goodnight, buddy." to an already fast asleep Stevie.

* * *

><p><em>Day 1<br>(Six more days until the move)_

The next morning, Sam woke up to Stevie and Stacy's voices, loud and shrill for it being early morning. He opened his eyes and sat up to see them running around the room. Stevie was without a shirt and Stacy jumped up onto one of the beds, she was missing a sock and her hair was flying wild.

"What the…" Sam blinked a few times to get his eyes used to the lighting, just as his mother hurried into the room. She had the motel's phone between her shoulder and her ear, the cord almost strangling her as she tried to unravel it.

"Oh, good you're up." She said, almost breathlessly. She tossed a small piece of fabric onto Sam's lap, which turned out to be Stacey's missing sock, and pointed at the two children. "Can you help get them dressed and quiet? I just got on the phone and apparently they thought it was an excuse to go wild."

Sam picked up the sock and gave his mother a thumbs up. She mouthed a quick thank you and returned to the other room.

Sam moved the covers off of him and stood up out of his bed, but before he could do much else, he was smacked with a pillow that rocked him backwards, right back onto the mattress.

Stacy stood on the other bed, giggling like mad.

"I got you!" she said, still laughing. Stevie stood by and watched, a grin wide on his face.

"_Oh_, so you think you got me?" Sam asked, staring her down. Stacy's eyes widened. "Think again! I'm coming for you!"

Stacy screamed and quickly jumped off the bed. She darted behind Stevie, but pretty soon, Stevie was being chased by Sam-the-monster as well. And, in the end, neither Stacy nor Stevie was safe from the severe tickle torture that had to happen.

* * *

><p>"Ok, so I was thinking, maybe we turn the lighting down a little and have him sit a little more to the right…like about <em>there<em>."

"No, I'm sorry, but that's not where he's sitting. The wall of that room is boring and has no color and does nothing to set the appropriate mood."

"Ok, Kurt I know that he asked you to help, but I'm the-"

"Artie, I am Mercedes' best friend. I think that _I-_"

"Guys! Please!" Sam leaned over the table that he was sharing with Kurt, Blaine, and Artie. They were in the Lima Bean going over the idea that Sam had, but it all went wrong when Kurt and Artie suddenly had completely different ideas…about where Sam should _sit_.

"I have to meet up with Mercedes in a few, so _please._ If we could just work something out…anything. I would be a happy man."

Kurt sighed and folded his arms while Artie looked in a whole other direction.

"Come _on_." Sam ordered.

"Fine." They managed to get out at the same time.

"Fine, ok, I agree with Kurt. Sam can sit _here_." Artie said, giving up his side of the argument.

Kurt had brought a few pictures of a couple rooms in his house where Sam's plan could most likely go down, and they were using them as references to where it would all actually happen.

"So are you good with the lighting and whatever else it is you have to be good with?" Sam asked, raising his eyes at Artie. They spent the last half hour talking about things Sam honestly knew nothing about, but he knew that Artie was big in this department, so asking him to help was bound to happen sometime. That, and Kurt already admitted the he didn't have the right equipment for the job.

Answering the question Sam had just asked, Artie nodded.

"Great." Sam smiled. "So, I'm sorry to leave you guys," he stood up out of his chair and grabbed his jacket. Swinging it over his shoulder, he said, "But I have to meet with my girlfriend now."

* * *

><p>Sam walked up the front steps of the Jones' house, eager to ring the doorbell and for Mercedes to answer so he can swoop her up into his arms and hold her tight and just never let her go no matter what anyone wanted him to do or where he had to go or-<p>

Um. _Ahem. _

He was getting slightly carried away with his thoughts there. He brushed aside a few strands of hair that dangled in front of his eyes and rang the doorbell.

Within seconds, the door swung open to reveal Mercedes in a light purple sundress. Her hair flowed down gently onto her shoulders and her smile, bright and from ear to ear, was just what he needed to see.

_I'm going to miss that smile of yours._ He thought.

His breath caught in his throat then and suddenly, he couldn't speak. Mercedes raised an eyebrow.

"You don't like it?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"What?" Sam managed to choke out. He shook his head and laughed. He always loved seeing her in dresses. Hell, the girl was practically flawless in everything she wore, but his reaction was always the same whenever she wore a dress. You would have thought she would know that by now.

"You're beautiful."

Mercedes beamed. "I figured since it's such a nice day, why not?" She stepped out of the house and closed the door behind her. She took one of his hands and stepped up close to him.

Because of their height difference, he practically toward over her. His hair drooped down as he stared directly into her big, dark eyes.

_I'm going to miss those beautiful, hypnotizing eyes._

Mercedes pushed a lock of hair behind his ear and laughed. "When are you going to cut this?" He felt her skin graze his own, and a tiny, tingling sensation ran through his body, starting at the very spot she touched.

_I'm going to miss your touch, Mercy._

_Baby, I'm going to miss your voice._

"So, ready to go?" she asked, swinging their entwined hands. When Sam didn't budge, she narrowed her eyes. "Everything ok?"

He didn't answer that.

He didn't want to.

Because in all honesty, no, everything was not ok. He was going to have to leave the person he cared for the most. And everything, what he felt yesterday when his parents told him, the anger, the pain, the heartache; it all came crashing back to him in that very moment, when her worried eyes met his.

But he didn't tell her. Not yet, anyway.

Instead, he placed his both hands on either side of her face. He ran his thumb against her cheek, her skin warm to his touch, her eyes now wide.

Not taking his eyes away, without breaking contact, he whispered, "I love you, Mercedes."

He didn't wait for long, only long enough to hear a breathless, "I love you too" escape from her lips, before he pressed his lips roughly against hers.

They stood there in their own little world for who knows how long. Mercedes eventually seized her moment and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding onto him as well.

Sam's insides were screaming, he battled between holding himself together and breaking down completely. It was hard, but he found that with each passing second, as long as he had Mercedes in his arms, he could find a way to keep it together. He could stay strong, for her.

_Please. _He thought, desperately. _Hold on to me baby.  
><em>

_And __**please**__, whatever you do, don't let me go._

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><p><strong>So, thoughts? Let me know what you think, and I'll try to update soon! Well, if you liked it, that is :)<strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream

Sam and Mercedes spent the entire rest of the day together, not really doing anything, but together still. Neither of them cared much for fancy restaurants or expensive gifts. It just didn't appeal to them.

Instead, when it came to dates, they would rather go for a relaxing day in the park or just walking around town. Watching TV and obsessing over superhero movies at Mercedes' house was also another big one, though Mercedes would immediately deny how much she actually enjoyed them, to Sam's amusement.

To another couple, their relationship might seem boring and repetitive, but it was enough for the both of them. They didn't care what people thought, they had each other and that's what mattered.

Over the course of their day, Sam made sure to pay extra special attention to everything about Mercedes. From the sound of her laugh whenever he made a ridiculous joke to the feel of her hand in his as they walked through the park together. He kept taking glances at her as they did, unable to keep his eyes off of her. He wanted to soak it all in, to commit every feature to memory, every expression she had.

Some may say that he was taking this too seriously or that he was making too much of a big deal out of it. Maybe he should just get over it and tell her, so they could both move on with their lives.

It wasn't that simple. Not for Sam, anyway.

Mercedes smiled at him in between her conversation about glee club and how she wanted her senior year to be and he smiled back.

His heart skipped a beat, as it always did when she smiled at him.

"You deserve all of it." he said, almost quietly.

"Do you think so?" she asked.

"Whoever doesn't see how amazing you are is an idiot."

Mercedes laughed, and bumped into his shoulder.

"You're not so bad yourself." Mercedes stopped walking for a second, as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "We should do a duet!"

"What?"

"When we go back to school, we are going to get Mr. Schue to give us a duet. I don't care if I have to diva it out with Rachel again, we're singing together. Maybe even for sectionals. Talk about an easy win, am I right?"

Sam didn't say anything. He knew that plan couldn't exactly happen under the current circumstances, but he didn't have the heart to tell her. Not like that. Really, how would that conversation even go? _'Oh, sorry, but I'm moving so we can't sing together. Bye.'_

Ok, so maybe he could find a better way to drop that bomb, but he still wasn't thinking positively about moving.

"_Wait_," Sam began, pulling her to a stop. "Mercedes, I would do anything to be able to sing with you." He looked down at her with a serious expression. "_But_, if you ever get a chance to sing at any competition with New Directions, you should sing solo."

Mercedes shook her head, "But Sam-"

"Come here," he took her by the hand and led her aside, to an empty area where they could sit and talk. He pulled off his letterman jacket and placed it on the patch of grass next to him, he didn't want her to get her dress dirty. He began to speak after she sat next to him.

"Remember I told you about the moment when I first started to feel something for you?" he asked, absentmindedly pulling up a few blades of grass.

Mercedes' voice grew soft and she smiled. "You said that it was when I sang 'Ain't No Way.'"

"Yeah, for the Night of Neglect concert." He gave her a wink. "I probably didn't even know it then, but it was the first moment I really remembered thinking, _'Wow. She's amazing.' _And beautiful too, thinking about it now. I mean, I _knew _that you were awesome before that, because I had heard you sing in other songs we performed as a group and even in your duet with Santana at the beginning of the year, but it was the first time I got to really listen to _you _and you alone, and it…it did something to me."

"How come you never told me? When you first felt something, I mean."

Sam shrugged and leaned back on his hands.

"I don't know…I guess it was like I said. I felt something, but I didn't actually know what it was. I guess I just thought that I was insanely proud of one of my friends, like how an older brother should feel or something."

"Well I'm happy you didn't stick to _that _idea." She joked.

Sam laughed at that and it felt as if he was letting go of his worries, even if it was for a second.

"Me too." He said with a grin. "But really, if you get to sing at sectionals or regionals, you'll blow the other competition out of the water, I'm sure of it. You captured my heart with a song Mercedes, with just _one _song, and I didn't even know it at the time. Singing a duet with you would be amazing…and not to mention nerve-wrecking, with me and my voice that's no match for yours."

"Boy, stop!" Mercedes playfully slapped his arm. "Your voice is perfect."

"Right." Sam laughed. "But you deserve your time to shine and I want everyone to feel the way I felt when you performed that night. Besides, once people get a dose of your chocolate thunder, they wouldn't want to hear anything from me."

She gave him a small smile, showing him that she appreciated his support. "Thank you for that. I'm going to make sure that this year, I get my time. It's my senior year and I just want to be heard, you know? It's not much I'm asking for, if you think about it." Mercedes was quiet for a second. "But really, you need to stop with that crazy talk."

"What do you mean?"

"Talking about how no one would want to hear you sing. Sam, _please."_ He grinned and looked away from her. "If people love my chocolate thunder, then us singing together would be a mix of creamy goodness that they would probably demand _more _of."

"Creamy?" He looked back at her deviously and licked his lips.

"Sam." she said, narrowing her eyes. "You _know _what I mean."

"Actually, I don't." suddenly, in that split second, he leaned over to her and whispered in her ear. "Are you saying we'll be _creamy _as in, we'll make people _cream _just by hearing us sing_? _Are we _that_ good together, Miss. Jones?" Mercedes eyes darted from side to side, up and down the park's pathway. Her cheeks grew hot as she sat there, determined not to move and give Sam the pleasure that he was getting to her. "Or is there a whole other meaning that I'm just not getting?"

Mercedes opened her mouth to speak and was annoyed that her breath came out more ragged than she expected it to. "Ice cream."

Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Ice cream?"

"We're like chocolate and vanilla ice cream, together. The best of combinations. Chocolate and vanilla."

"Hm." He seemed a little disappointed with her explanation. But he took it in stride. "So we're like…a chocolate swirl ice cream?"

"Yep." Mercedes cleared her throat quickly.

"I could deal with that. We're _delicious._" Again with the sneaky grin.

This time however, Mercedes couldn't help herself and she laughed. She double over her lap as she did so and her hair fell down around the sides of her face, blocking her from his view.

"You're insane." She said, in between short gasps of air.

"But you love me."

"I do, strangely enough."

"I love you too, my chocolate diva."

"If you call me that in front of our friends-"

"But it's true, you're my choco-"

"I'm serious!"

"Ok, ok. I'll give it a rest."

"Thank you." She leaned over with a smile and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Hey, you know what this whole conversation made me think of?"

"What?"

"Food. Are you hungry? I'm starving."

Mercedes laughed. "I actually am. Wanna go get something back at the house? My mom probably finished dinner by now, if you don't mind eating with us?"

"Sounds good to me."

Sam hopped up to his feet, quickly dusted off his jeans and then extended a hand out to Mercedes to help her up. He grabbed his jacket and threw it over his shoulder, the air was too warm for him to put it back on. He wondered why he even thought to bring it in the first place, but he knew it was only a matter of time before the breeze would grow cool and Mercedes would need something to cover up with.

As they took each other's hands and headed back out towards the park exit, however, a small, high pitched voice called out Mercedes' name.

At first, they looked around and saw no one, so they dismissed it as nothing. But then the voice grew louder and closer, and so they stopped in their tracks to look around for the source of the noise.

Down the path, a little ways away from where they stood, was Stacy, running quickly towards them.

"Mercedes!" she called out as loud as she could. Mercedes beamed in her direction and waved at the little girl, who was getting closer still.

Sam spotted his mother and Stevie walking far behind her, his mother with a small bag of groceries in her hand. She looked frustrated, which, Sam could bet, was most likely because Stacy had chosen to run up ahead instead of staying next to her side. That was a big 'no-no' for Nora. When she finally got a glimpse of her older son, however, she looked relieved.

Stacy, on the other hand, had finally caught up to the both of them and flung her little arms around Mercedes' waist.

"Hey, sweetie." Mercedes said, trying to stand her ground after the little girl crashed into her. She ran a hand through her hair as Stacy looked up at her.

"Where are you guys going?"

Sam interrupted whatever Mercedes was going to say.

"We're going out."

"Where?"

"Just to get something to eat." Mercedes laughed. She made a face at Sam. "Don't mind him."

"Can I come?" Stacy apparently refused to let go of Mercedes' waist. Sam groaned.

"No, Stacy, you can't come. Go back to mom." he pointed to Nora, but Stacy ignored him.

"But I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to be home later, now just-"

"Not you!" Stacy complained, sticking her tongue out at her older brother. "Mercy."

"Aw, we can hang out some other time." Mercedes tried to comfort her as she buried her face in her dress.

"No we can't. _We can't!_"

Mercedes looked confused and she glanced at Sam for some sort of help. Sam, however, stood frozen to the spot. Stacy was obviously talking about the fact that she may literally never see Mercedes again. But Mercedes still had no clue about that.

It was in that moment that he instantly regretted his decision to keep the news away from her. He had thought he could just spend a day with her without ruining it with this stupid move, but it had come right back around to bite him in the ass. If Mercedes found out from his sister, his little six year old sister, that he was leaving, she would be furious. She would want to know why he kept something so important from her.

No, this was something she had to hear from _him_, _not_ Stacy.

"I'm so sorry you two." Nora said as she finally caught up to them. "They wanted to walk through the park on our way home. She said she saw you both walking ahead of us, and then she just ran off." Nora took Stacy's hand. "When I call you, young lady, you listen to me. Do you understand?"

Stacy pouted and folded her arms, but nodded in answer to her mother's question. Nora shook her head in frustration and looked back up at Sam and Mercedes.

"Anyway, we'll see you at home Sammy. Nice to see you again, Mercedes."

With a sad smile, she tugged an upset Stacy away. But not before she gave Sam a look, a look that Mercedes caught even though she wasn't supposed to.

"That was…weird." Mercedes said as she watched their figures grow smaller down the path.

"Yeah."

They began to walk as well, both of them quiet and suddenly lost in thought.

"Is everything ok with Stacy?"

"Stacy? Yeah, of course. She's fine. She just really likes you." Which was the truth. Well, the last part was, anyway. "Not that I blame her."

Mercedes raised a curious eyebrow, she didn't entirely buy that.

"And what was with that look from your mom?"

"Look? What look?"

"Before she walked away. _That _look."

Sam laughed nervously, and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I don't remember a look." He stared at her confusedly before reaching out his hand to her. Mercedes, who still didn't believe that absolutely nothing was going on, breathed a small sigh and took his hand.

She didn't know what it was, but as they walked out of the park and back to her house, she could feel that something was off. Sam wasn't telling her something, and suddenly, it worried her.

She would find out though, soon. And whatever it was, she would find a way to help, if she needed to. They would work through it together and come out stronger, because, like they always said, they had each other and that was what mattered most.

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><p><em>Day 2<br>(Five more days before the move)_

"I just…I don't know what to do right now."

"I'm sure everything's fine Mercedes. You and Sam tell each other everything, maybe it really isn't that big of a deal, like he said."

"I don't know…he was so distracted after Stacy ran into us yesterday."

Tina sat down in an empty booth and clutched her iced coffee in her hands. It was late afternoon and they were at the Lima Bean. It was pretty packed seeing as it was air conditioned and outside was getting hotter by the second; it was a big struggle just to find a seat.

"What do you do when you think Mike isn't telling you something?"

"I can't say that I don't get curious, because then I'd be lying." Tina said after a long sip of her drink. "But I trust Mike. And I trust that he won't keep something from me if it's serious."

"I trust Sam. I do, but-"

"And if it _is _serious, I just have to give him time." Tina laughed a little. "You know, guys deal with problems differently than we do. I don't doubt that Sam wants to tell you what's bothering him."

"So why doesn't he?"

Tina shrugged. "Maybe it's something embarrassing? Or it hurts for him to talk about? Or maybe he just doesn't know _how _to tell you."

Mercedes sighed heavily and sat back in her seat. She gazed around at everyone in the café, not really looking at them. Her thoughts were focused on Sam who was currently at home looking after Stacy and Stevie.

She suddenly felt Tina's cold hand touch her own, and shivered a bit. Her friend had a kind smile on her face as she spoke to her.

"Don't worry. We all know Sam, he'll come around."

Mercedes thought about Tina's words, really thought about them. Mike and Tina had been together for the entire year, longer than any of their friends in New Directions. They obviously had a strong bond and connection as a couple, and Mercedes admired that. Mike and Tina had a relationship that could last the inner workings of McKinley high, and that had to mean something.

So, with that in mind, she would take Tina's advice.

She wouldn't force anything out of him. She wouldn't get angry. Or impatient. She would just make sure that she was there for him when he was ready to talk and she would be willing to listen. That was the most she could do.

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><p><strong>Sorry this took so long to update! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.<strong>

**Thinking about it, I know it's probably frustrating and you're probably wondering why Sam won't just tell Mercedes, but he will, in time.**

**Thank you for the reviews though, it means a lot! And thank you to the Anon who gave me that extra push to update as well ;)**


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Glee, Drama, Romance