A/N: final chapter time! it's been a long road and this crazy didn't seem to want to end. but i finally managed to write an ending i sort of like. this is about the fourth revision to this, so if you don't like it, you can tell me one final time! (lol) to keep the confusion low i will say it goes back and forth through time in the future, then the past then finally the present. i hope you enjoy and thanks to everyone who ever took the time to read and review this very odd/un-beta'd story. hope you understand what i did with it and on to the chapter...

THE FUTURE:

Sam and Mercedes were moving forward. They proved to each other and Dr. Ian that they could get past their petty problems and love again. Mercedes was at her full term in her pregnancy, ready to pop at any moment when her and Sam came to their last session with Dr. Ian. When the couples therapist first met them they came in with scowls and sadness. Now walking into his office they were nothing but smiles and romantic gleams in their eyes. Dr. Ian couldn't even credit himself for fixing them... They did it all alone.

"Sam, Mercedes... This is our last session." The doctor told them proudly.

Sam looked at him shocked and asked, "Wait I thought we had at least three more?" Mercedes nodded in agreement with her ex-husband.

"Well, you did. But I cancelled them. When we met all those months ago- you two hated each other for different reasons. The hate consumed you both, and I honestly thought you were going to be a tough case. But as we progressed, and you two remembered you weren't kids anymore- you also remembered under all that hate was love. The love that never left on Sam's end and the love that wanted to leave on Mercedes' side. You talked through the biggest problem- the cheating- and you worked through all the reasons why you ended and you finally got back to where you both wanted to be- back in love with each other despite it all. Sam, Mercedes this is our last session because i honestly believe you guys don't need me anymore. In fact I don't think you ever really needed me- The only thing you two truly needed was a nudge in the right direction... Back to each other."

Mercedes started to tear as she held onto Sam's hand for dear life. Hearing from another person that her and Sam changed was amazing. She couldn't believe Dr. Ian felt that they no longer needed therapy.

"So... Does this mean... That we are cured?" Sam asked.

Dr. Ian started to laugh and said, "No Sam. This doesn't mean that you're cured. It does mean however, that I believe that you two have grown enough to not need someone else to interfere anymore. Both your problems start, and can end with you. No more lies. No more secrets, or infidelities... you have a baby on the way. Trust each other, love eachother and I won't have to haul your asses back in here for round two!" They all laughed at Dr. Ian's comments and Dr. Ian smiled at them, he knew they were definitely going to be okay.

"Dr. I... We just want to thank you for helping us. I know you said we didn't need you but I think we honestly did. I told myself dozens of times that I forgave Sam for what he did, but I never truly forgave him until I came here. You gave me the courage to say what needed to be said, and to listen even though I didn't want to hear it. Thank you so... So much." Mercedes said with tears in her eyes. Dr. Ian got up and hugged her tight, not really caring if it wasn't the professional thing to do.

He pulled away and Sam helped Mercedes up and they were about to leave when the doctor stopped them.

"Oh guys wait... I almost forgot!" Dr. Ian said as he went behind his desk. Sam and Mercedes stood there wondering what he could be looking for. Ian came back out with a pink gift bag and handed it to Mercedes. She opened it and pulled out it's contents: a pink and white cotton baby blanket with "For your baby girl" written around the stitching.

Sam and Mercedes both looked at him in shock and Sam said, "Wait... How did you know? We didn't tell anyone that it was a girl."

"I have my ways..." Dr. Ian said with a smile. Sam and Mercedes both hugged their thanks and then made their way towards the door... But not before Dr. Ian said one last thing...

"Be good to each other." he stated simply.

Sam turned back and said, "We will. I promise."

THE PAST:

After Sam got officially released from the hospital weeks later he decided he had unfinished business to attend to. His parents left back for Kentucky after he was released and they begged Sam to come back with them, but he told them he couldn't leave. He wanted to graduate from Mckinley and he wanted to stay for Mercedes. They had a chance at something real this time and he wasn't going to give that up for anything. His parents agreed to let him stay, under the condition that after Mercedes graduated he'd come back. He took the agreement reluctantly only to make them happy. What he didn't tell them however was that he was not only staying in Lima for his beautiful girlfriend, but also because he needed to have a little talk with Shane. He knew he was still locked up in the county jail, but he was going to be moved soon and this was Sam's only chance to get to chat with the man who almost ended his life.

Sam was just about to get off the bus to enter the penitentiary when his phone rang. It was Mercedes. He picked it up as he got off the bus and stood in front of the jail waiting to be let in by the guards.

"Hey baby." Mercedes voice sounded like she was smiling and of course, that made Sam's insides light up a million times over.

"Hey beautiful, why are you calling so early? I thought our date didn't start until about five?" Sam asked looking at his watch.

"Well I wanted to see if we could make this an all day thing. My parents aren't home and I was wondering.. If you could come over?" Mercedes voice deepened and Sam caught on quickly to her innuendo.

"I'd love to babe.. Give me about an hour? I'm kinda doing something right now... Something I should've done a while ago."

Mercedes quickly caught on to what Sam was currently "doing", they actually had an argument about it the other day. She didn't want him anywhere near Shane or the prison but Sam was admant on going. He said he needed closure- Mercedes had no idea why it was so important to her boyfriend, and it scared the crap out of her that they would come face to face again. With fear in her voice she pleaded, "Sam... I know where you are... baby please just turn around and come back home. Please."

Before Sam could answer her they were opening the gate and letting people in. He started to walk towards the prison and said to his girlfriend, "I gotta go, I love you." Before hanging up. Yeah, Mercedes was going to be pissed at him. But right now... He couldn't think about anything else other then Shane.

He sat down at one of the tables in the waiting room. Waiting for shane Sam looked around and saw all kinds of people. Women who brought their babies to see their jail berg boyfriend/husbands... People with badges that said "Group Counselor" on them surround by prisoners in orange... Then he saw the man in question. They had his hands tied by shackles, usually signifying that the prisoner was a dangerous one. Sam had guessed Shane would be anyway- he was big, burly and apparently not the nice guy everyone thought he was. Shane saw who his vistor was and he immediately smiled deviously. The guard sat him down in the chair roughly and told him "Behave Tinsely or else." then he went to stand in the corner. Shane eyed him up and down and licked his seemingly dry lips before beginning to speak.

"Evans... You're not dead." Shane said smiling.

"Nope I'm alive and well thanks to great doctors and a support system you'll never have." Sam said back with snark in his own voice.

"Hmm... Too bad. Remind me when I get out to finish what I started."

"Uh huh... Shane, you shouldn't say those things with so many witnesses around. You don't want to get even more years added to the 10-15 you already got, now do you?" after Sam said that Shane's smile quickly left his face and it was Sam's turn to smile wickedly. Shane's jaw clenched and Sam could tell the pleasantries were soon out of the window.

"What the fuck do you want Evans?" Shane spit out violently. Sam reached forward with his own anger rising and looked Shane dead in the eyes and said, "The only thing I want is for you to look at me right now and listen to what I have to say; you didn't kill me Shane. You tried but you didn't succeed. You're weak, simple asshole who had to research a girl to get her to ever be interested in you. You will never have Mercedes... She's STILL mine. And always will be. You were nothing to her and you will never be nothing to her. I wanted to see you today to let you know... If you ever get out of here, and try to come after her again..." Sam leaned even more forward so he was next to the shell of his ear. He could see shane trying to get out of the shackles and he smiled and finished... "I wont hesitate... I'll kill you."

Sam got up and began to walk away when Shane yelled, "I'll see you in ten years Evans. And you better hope you keep your promise. Cause next time I see you.. It's gonna be a blood bath."

Sam turned around to look at him one last time and said, "Dont worry Shane... I ALWAYS keep my promises." then he winked at him and left.

Sam knew that, that wasn't the right thing to do... Bating Shane like that. But he wanted him to know he did not fear him. And that if he ever decided he wanted a round two- he would be waiting. Sam wasn't only fighting for himself- but for love. His love, who no matter what- he wasn't letting go anytime soon.

THE PRESENT:

"Do you think we will be together forever Sammy?" Mercedes asked as they laid out on the grass in her backyard. She was playing with his hair, curling the bangs with her finger tips when out of nowhere she asked the question. Sam held her closer to him and smiled in her face, admiring her features and contemplating the question at the same time. Would they be together forever? Sam almost laughed out loud. Because in his mind, he knew he would never let her go. All their trials and tribulations seemed to finally be over. It took a while but Sam and Mercedes were finally at peace. They been through so much- from a odd friendship where he had dreams that she was the love of his life, yet he hurt her in the worse way possible, to a relationship that ended before it could begin and now they were back- not to where they started, but to where they wanted to be now. The day after Sam visited Shane in prison he stopped having dreams about them in the future. He didn't know why they stopped, but he was happy they did. He'd come to terms that the dreams were trying to warn him of the dangers of his own insecurities and fears. They were telling him that one, Mercedes was his true love and that he was just blind and oblivious to not see that and two: he would lose her if he didn't listen to what the dreams were trying to say. It seemed to make sense to him now... That even after infidelity or lies and secrets, that love could prevail through all things if they just give it a try. With the knowledge he had now he knew he would nor could ever let her go. She was indefinitely his, her mind, her body and her soul. He owned a piece of heart and she owned a piece his, apart they parish, but together they would be whole.

Shane, summer nights, the woman from the strip club, bad arguments, misplaced anger and Sam's recovery was all in their past now.. And if Sam said so himself- he just wanted to forget it all and start anew. Because he had inside information that his and Mercedes' future... Wasn't going to be that bad at all.

Sam pulled her on top of him and she giggled as he gripped her sides. Her curly brown hair fell forward in his face and he took his hands and pushed back the waves behind her ear. She smiled down on him and he leaned forward to peck her lips once... Twice then another before finally answering her question.

"Yes, I believe we will be together forever Mercy." He said with a smile.

"Oh yeah? How do you know?" Mercedes asked with her own smile seeming to grow wider and wider on her face. Sam flipped them over so he was on top of her and in between her legs. He ran his hands under her dress slowly, and Mercedes couldn't stop her smile now. Sam kissed her neck and her cheek, before answering...

"It's simple... I dreamed it."

The End.

A/N: so that's the end. If you didn't like it, tell me. I had fun writing this! Thanks for reading:)
Oh and one little last thing: Did anyone notice that the dreams Sam were having NEVER changed? *troll face... Flies away*