AN: Welcome, gentle reader. This continuation/sequel begins before the epilogue to iMiss Freddie (they got together on the Saturday morning; this story begins on the Monday). It will go M for Creddie "Special Lemonade" in time (that's kinda the whole point of writing this :) ) so kiddies and Seddies, there's time to head for the hills while you still can:)
Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own iCarly or any of the characters that have been on screen. I'm keeping Rachel though, she's a nice lass.
Carly shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other as they stood outside Ridgeway Junior High School. Her brown-eyed boyfriend Freddie wrapped an arm protectively around her waist and softly kissed her cheek.
"Just relax Carly," he said quietly, "Rachel broke up with me remember, she's not going to cause you any trouble… unless you were planning on dumping me right in front of her?" he finished jokingly.
"Not funny" the brunette pouted. "And it's not just her; it's going to be everyone. They're all going to want to know how you left here on Friday dating her and show up today dating me instead."
"Let them wonder about the whys and wherefores" Freddie shrugged. "You and I are together. That's all they need to know." He seized her hand and the couple entered the school.
Inevitably Carly's biggest concern was realised almost immediately. As they approached the locker area they came across Rachel, Freddie's very recent ex-girlfriend who was organising her bag and locker for the day and week ahead of her. She saw them from the corner of her eye and turned to the pair.
"Hey." Then she smiled as she eyed their joined hands. "It all worked out then?" she asked Freddie. He nodded.
"It did." He released Carly's hand and leaned close to her before saying quietly "I regret that you had to get hurt though, because I really do care about you."
"I know you do" she replied with a sad smile. "But you're still going down at the studio tonight!"
"Bring it on" he replied with a smirk and steered Carly towards where their lockers were situated.
"You guys are fencing tonight?" Carly asked her boyfriend, who nodded.
"Yeah, we agreed we'd keep it going, we worked well together as sparring partners and both enjoyed it. Hopefully that will continue even after everything that happened at the weekend."
"Want a cheerleader?"
"Will you wear the outfit?" A comment that earned him a playful slap on the arm from his girlfriend.
As the couple headed towards first period (Rachel keeping a respectful few paces behind them as she headed to the same classroom) Carly reflected on the way their new relationship had been received by those who had found out. Freddie's mother's reaction had initially been one of shock and confusion – she had left for her evening shift at the hospital with her son dating Rachel, a girl who had made him extremely happy. Despite her reluctance to acknowledge that he was growing up she had approved of the ginger girl after seeing his son's mood better than it had been in a long time. She had returned home, gone straight to bed and had emerged from her room the following morning to the sight of him lying on their couch underneath and sucking face with Carly Shay, the girl he had fallen in love with as an 11-year-old boy, the girl who had rejected him, manipulated him and hurt him countless times over the past seven years so Carly had to admit that her confusion was understandable. Over the weekend she showed a couple of signs that she was, or may be, slowly thawing in her attitude towards the new relationship. She wasn't openly hostile towards Carly, nor, the brunette mused with an amused smirk, had she attempted to attack her with Freddie's underwear again. She still made no secret of the fact that she preferred Rachel as a person (having been able to compare and contrast the girls' treatment of her son) but his happiness WAS important to her, so she accepted the brunette as a romantic fixture in his life – albeit she would be keeping a very close eye on Carly. Carly wryly thought that that was all she needed; someone else keeping a very close eye on her after Rachel had warned her of the consequences of breaking Freddie's heart of mistreating him again.
Spencer had been far more supportive, something that did not surprise Carly at all. Her elder brother had been a little surprised to learn that the two had become a couple. He did know that Carly had grown fond of Freddie, she had regretted her previous behaviour towards him and that she was trying to a better (and a real) friend to him but the news that she was in love with Freddie and that they were together came as something as a bolt from the blue; Spencer knew, of course, that Freddie was happily involved with Rachel and had not been present when Rachel informed Carly of the couple's split, along with the reasons for it. He had taken Freddie to one side after they broke the news to him, just to confirm that the teenager would do right by Spencer's "baby sister", but Spencer knew that Freddie was a good kid and was delighted that the two had found love and happiness together.
Then there was Sam. The chequered history between the two, ranging from years of Sam bullying him physically and emotionally to their brief physical infatuation, had left Carly concerned firstly about telling her that she had fallen in love with Freddie, something the blonde took surprisingly well – once she had gotten used to the idea – and also about announcing to her the fact that they were a couple. Sam had sounded fairly supportive of the relationship; at Carly's behest she was trying to behave better towards Freddie but had also developed new respect for her long-time victim when she had seen his reaction to Carly's recent illness. Carly was happy to see her best friend and her boyfriend on reasonable, if not fully friendly, terms (Freddie had pretty much cut all ties with her during the period that he was dating Rachel and had made it clear – to Carly at least – that he would not stand for Sam behaving the way she had done in the past either) and she hoped that a genuine friendship built on mutual respect could evolve in time, though she was under no illusions of the enormity of the task of bringing such a relationship about after all this time.
The English lesson that morning was a slightly awkward affair for the duo. Places within the class were established so Freddie took his customary seat next to his ex-girlfriend, while Carly sat next to Sam. She couldn't help but cast the occasional glance over to them, partly out of fear and partly out of curiosity as to how they would interact now that they were no longer together. She smiled warmly at the pair still seeming to being able to work together.
For Freddie, however, things were far more awkward. He had put on a brave face when walking through the school with Carly, he was genuinely pleased to see – and still be on excellent terms with – Rachel after she had broken up with him and he was looking forward to continuing their sparring sessions at the fencing studio but to be sat next to her in all of their classes was making him feel a little uncomfortable. It had almost become habit to flirt with her or to take her hand during class (under the table or when the teacher wasn't looking); now of course it would be wholly inappropriate for him to do so. Involuntary movements were met with uncomfortable glances that turned into simultaneous giggles as the former couple attempted to find a new equilibrium in their relationship. It became easier for them during the course of the lesson, and the others during the day where they found themselves in similar positions, and by the time school broke for lunch he felt that they had reached a position of comfort around one another.
Carly's worries about the reaction of her peers at school proved not to be without foundation. Freddie/Rachel had been one of the big topics of conversation among the gossiping groups within Ridgeway, not least because Rachel was one of the few people – of either gender – who was willing and able to stand up to Samantha Puckett and not only live to tell the tale but to actually beat her in a fight. The pair's relationship had been a source of argument, briefly uniting the "seddie" and "creddie" shippers within the school as the red-head's presence in Freddie's life threatened the future of either "ship" while some iCarly viewers who described themselves simply as fans of Freddie himself were delighted to see him with a girl who was treating him with love and respect. The main topics of conversation in the corridors that day were, inevitably, the ending of one relationship, the beginning of another and the questions "why?" and "how?" - the latter two being the most hotly debated. In spite of her nerves at the whispering behind her back, and behind students' hands, Carly found herself amused at the more outlandish theories that attempted to explain the events of the past weekend. Rachel had asked the couple not to comment on the events of the weekend and they had happily acquiesced to her wishes. So instead of satisfying the curiosity of the hordes at school they were content to snigger at the speculation, trading their favourite stories and theories when they met up at lunch.
Their first school lunch as a couple (this time around anyway) was spent jovially discussing their mornings and enjoying one another's company. Rachel was talking with a few of the other girls, she had her own small circle of friends beyond Freddie, and Freddie saw sympathetic looks on the girls' faces as they spoke to his ex-girlfriend; occasionally they would throw looks at Carly and Freddie – not exactly looks of accusation (Freddie speculated that Rachel had at least told them the story of Friday night) but looks that nonetheless implied that they were disappointed that Rachel and he were no longer together. Sam, meanwhile, was giving a rare display of tact as she sat with Brad and Gibby, permitting the couple a modicum of privacy; something she later told them, to their amusement, was a one-time deal.
The afternoon continued in similar vein, though Carly got her wish as new partnerships were formed in science for the new project they would be undertaking. Carly was stood alongside Freddie before Mr Henning had finished speaking, which amused Rachel and infuriated Sam, and the new couple formed a new partnership in the science lab. Neither Sam nor Rachel were inclined to work together so they chose Gibby and Brad respectively (Rachel chose Brad, adding to Sam's ire and her own amusement, leaving the blonde with Gibby as Hobson's choice). Carly found herself feeling sympathy for Gibby, knowing he was likely to shoulder the vast majority of the burden of producing their project. She, meanwhile, grinned happily at her new partner, who returned the smile with interest as they began discussing which project to select.
Carly sat on a bench in the studio, watching with a slightly apprehensive expression as her boyfriend duelled with his ex-girlfriend. The two seemed fairly evenly matched, though Rachel's slightly superior agility and dexterity told as she scored a quick touch. However a momentary lapse in her concentration allowed Freddie through her guard to tie the contest at one apiece. Carly knew enough about fencing to realise that Freddie's greater strength would not be a particular advantage in this sport but one thing that she thought might be was his greater endurance. Rachel was continuing to use her speed to force him on the defensive and the pressure inevitably told as she landed a second touch. However it became obvious, even to Carly's untrained eye, that Rachel was beginning to tire, Freddie was soaking up her attacks as they became more and more desperate; she was seeking to end the match quickly. A devastating riposte from the brown-haired boy saw him breach the red-head's defences again to make it a sudden-death finish; the next touch would be the winner. It soon became clear who this would be; Rachel was running on empty, Freddie almost toying with her as he easily blocked her increasingly laboured attacks. Finally he put her out of her misery by quickly moving onto the front foot and plunging through to land the killer blow.
"Touché" he declared with a grin as he removed his head-guard. Rachel removed her own, smiling broadly despite her fatigue and defeat. She dropped her weapon and embraced her foe, who did likewise before placing a gentle peck on her cheek. Carly felt a jolt in her stomach at this but swallowed it down, reminding herself that the two were still close, were still on excellent terms, but that she and not Rachel was the owner of Freddie's heart. As the two separated she hopped down to congratulate her man with a hug and a kiss.
"You were awesome Freddie!" she declared proudly before turning to his vanquished foe. "You too Rachel – I thought you had him until you got a little tired there at the end."
"Yeah" Rachel confirmed, panting slightly, "I just ran out of gas before I could finish him off." She turned to her opponent. "Next time Freddie." He just smiled in response, gave Carly a quick squeeze and followed Rachel to the locker rooms.
Carly pulled out her chemistry book and a notepad and began a short period of studying to pass the time while she waited for Freddie to return. She made a few notes on what they had covered in today's lesson and a couple of scribbles that she felt could come in useful when they began their new project. A few minutes later the sound of her boyfriend's voice pulled her from her studies; after showering and changing back into their usual attire he and Rachel had emerged from the locker room and were walking towards the seating area where she was working. Carly looked up, smiled and stowed her books back in her bag before hopping down to the floor of the studio and looping an arm round Freddie's. They said goodbye to Rachel as the three exited the building and took the short walk back to Bushwell Plaza talking about the sport, the duel and what was going on at school.
The couple entered apartment 8-C, Carly and Spencer's home, to the sight of the elder Shay sibling cooking dinner. To celebrate the first day of his sister and Freddie publically being together he was making his famous spaghetti tacos. Neither teen was surprised to see that Sam was also there, laid on the couch watching TV.
"Hey Spence, Hey Sam" Carly greeted them, while Freddie ducked across the corridor to his own home, apartment 8-D, to quickly say hello to his mother and deposit his school and fencing bags before returning to his girlfriend's side, giving her a soft peck on the cheek as he did so. Carly turned to face him and seize his lips with her own, Freddie's innocuous gesture threatening to start a full-on, heated kissing session before the pair were distracted by mock-retching noises being made behind them. They turned to Sam with identical, exasperated expressions.
"Sam" Carly chided gently. Freddie looked like he wanted to be more vociferous in his condemnation of the blonde's response but was holding his tongue for the time being.
"Hey, I'm happy for you" she began before looking hesitantly at Freddie, "for both of you, but do you have to make out in front of me?"
"You had no problem kissing in front of me" Carly responded reasonably.
Sam shrugged; there really wasn't much she could say in response to that so she returned her gaze to the TV screen. Carly and Freddie shared a glance before Freddie shrugged his shoulders and leaned in to kiss her again. Carly smiled into the kiss and eagerly returned it, wrapping her arms around her boy again, locking out the world beyond them both. They eventually broke apart and Freddie glanced towards Sam, catching her watching them.
"That's a yes; we do have to make out in front of you Sam" he said lightly, but with a detectable steely edge that told her the subject was not up for discussion. Carly nodded eagerly by his side but any further discussion was postponed by Spencer's declaration that dinner was ready. The iCarly trio made their way to the kitchen table and the four sat down to a pleasant meal, discussing the day's events. Sam tuned out during the blow-by-blow description of the Freddie/Rachel bout that Spencer had asked for. As a fencer himself he had pleaded with his sister and Freddie to recount the afternoon in detail and made a mental note to take the sport back up himself in the near future (though Freddie's natural talent and the fact that he was battle-hardened from his frequent sparring with Rachel meant that he would not be challenging the younger man any time soon).
After dinner Carly took her boyfriend's hand and began leading him upstairs, informing him, and the others, that she wanted a little "alone time" with her boyfriend.
"Leave the door open" Spencer called warningly after them.
"Yeah and don't get naked" Sam put in. The couple pointedly ignored her barb and continued to make their way to Carly's room.
The two sat on Carly's bed and she glanced at Freddie, making a helpless gesture towards the open door.
"He means well" Freddie said reasonably, "and since we've only been dating for three days I don't think we need to worry about Sam's 'advice' either" he added with a smirk.
Carly was privately relieved to hear him say this. She wasn't afraid of Freddie (Freddie of all people) trying to pressure her into something she wasn't ready for but for him to openly say it was reassuring nonetheless. She simply smiled, tucked her long hair behind her ear, pulled him close and kissed him again, gently pushing him onto the bed and positioning herself on top of him. They didn't notice Spencer come up the stairs and look in on them (on either occasion) nor did they notice Sam's arrival or departure (she took seeing the two "otherwise engaged" as her cue to head home for the night). Finally they were interrupted by Freddie's mother calling up the stairs to him.
"Freddie!" she called. "I'm leaving for work; it's time to come home."
Freddie groaned, hearing her footsteps drawing ever closer to their location. He eased himself out from under Carly, gently turning her onto her back and getting up from her bed. Carly scrambled off the bed herself and the two were stood side by side as Marissa entered the room; the flushed look on the teens' cheeks and the messy state of Carly's hair was not lost on her but she bit down a response, remembering all too well the time that she had alienated her son to such an extent that he had temporarily moved out. She feared that a repeat could make him a permanent fixture in his girlfriend's bedroom.
"I should be home before you have to leave for school" she told him. She leaned in for a kiss, which Freddie consented to give her before walking to the doorway. Freddie turned to Carly
"I'll see you in the morning" he said softly, kissing her once more.
"This was a great way to end our first day as a public couple" she told him quietly. "I love you Freddie, I'll see you tomorrow."
"I love you too Carly" he responded. The couple shared a final kiss and Freddie followed his mother back to his own apartment.