Disclaimer: I have and make no claim on any iCarly copyright. Non-iCarly characters and settings are my own.

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Note: this story consists of four chapters.

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Sam lay sprawled on the couch in the Shay's living room, idly watching the TV as Carly busied herself in the kitchen. Girl just doesn't know how to relax, the blonde thought. As if removing all trace of dust really mattered to the success of Christmas, that the day would be a failure if anything was less than perfect. It would be just the three of them, the two girls and Carly's brother Spencer. Why go to so much trouble for so small and familiar a group? There would be no out-of-town relatives to impress, the closest to that would be the likely intrusion of the nub. Freddie, the third partner in iCarly, was sure to stop by, Sam knew. Well, she thought, he would at least be bringing gifts to disguise his true purpose for visiting, which was to beg a holiday kiss from the girl his world revolved around.

Bored with the Girly Cow rerun she was watching, Sam shifted position to watch that girl. Carly was moving quickly and efficiently, straightening and cleaning, neatening everything she could reach. It was a nervous habit her friend had, fussing over unimportant things to feel in control of events. Things, and people. Carly fusses over me as well. All her friends, really. Well, the few she has. Sam thought about how the brunette had many acquaintances, but few friends. Three, truly. Me first, I'm the first stray she took in, then Freddie. And now Gibby.

There were other attempts, of course. Missy for one. That witch was the real first, but her parents had pulled her away by moving. And Melanie, but she didn't take to the mother-henning, and then went off to boarding school before Carly could figure a way around that. Freddie had been happy to receive such attention. Too happy; Carly refused his attempts at asking her out because it was so clear he was looking for a mother figure he could date, to continue his strange relationship with the Madwoman of Bushwell. Now Gibby was spending more time with the group, being drawn in deeper and deeper. Sam wondered if he would be the stray Carly promoted to boyfriend.

Time will tell,she thought. What matters now is Christmas dinner, two nights hence. Spent not with Mom's new guy's relatives but here. A sense of relief filled her. I saw enough of them at Thanksgiving, smirking and snapping at each other. Some families really should be just greeting card relatives. Oh well, Mom will tire of this one too. At least I'm safe this holiday.

Spencer's bedroom door opened and the tall man rushed into the living room.

"Carly!" He said in an overly loud voice. "Carly! We're going to Alaska! We need to start packing!"

Both girls stared at him, taking in the sight of the odd, childlike adult. Barefoot, in paint-spattered, scorched jeans and grey tee shirt with "Bubble Friendly" printed on it, he seemed an unlikely guardian for a teenage girl. Sam still wondered at that. She only vaguely remembered this had been the off-base home for the military family of her then new friend. How different it had been then. She thought of Carly's dream last year of a Christmas wish gone wrong, and her friend insisting it had all been real. The described wish-decorated apartment so closely matched Sam's memory of the pre-Spencer redecoration home that she knew it at once.

"What do you mean Alaska?" Carly asked.

"We have to high-tail it to Grandpa's."

"But we're spending Christmas here, we have plans."

"Not anymore. Now we're going to Gramp's and to the airbase there to catch a flight to the Alutians military reserve. Dad's going to be there for thirty six hours. We can greet him, spend Christmas with him, and see him off."

"Spencer, are you kidding? Christmas with Dad?"

"Yes! I mean no! I mean yes Dad, no kidding!"

"Ahhh! Spencer!" Carly ran to her brother, hugging him tight. "Christmas with Dad."

Oh, Sam inwardly groaned. So much for a merry Christmas. This dumps me back with Mom. Chizz. Chizz plus one.

A knock at the door was followed by that opening and the nub walking in. Great, the blonde thought, this just completes my day.

"Hey hey, what up, mi gentes?"

"Freddie! Me and Spencer are going to Alaska to spend Christmas with Dad!" Carly ran to the boy and threw her arms around him in an excited hug.

"That's wonderful, but I think it's Spencer and I," Freddie said, smiling.

"Don't correct a girl's grammar when she's hugging you," Carly said and smacked his arm.

"So your whole plan for Christmas just changed? When do you leave?" He said, rubbing his arm.

"We need to be on the road in an hour" Spencer said. "We can take just one case each Carly, so start packing." He turned and rushed back into his bedroom.

Carly watched him go and then turned back, noticing her blonde friend.

"Oh Sam! I forgot, I'm so sorry. Maybe I should tell Spencer we can't go..."

"What? No. It's your dad, you have to go. You haven't seen him in person in ages. Go."

"But we had plans. What will you do now?"

"I'll go with my mom. She wants me there, well kind of. It's ok. Go pack."

"You know, if you want, you could come to Christmas with my mom and me," Freddie said.

Carly's sad eyes brightened, but Sam dimmed them quickly.

"Thanks, but strained peas and crazy don't exactly scream Christmas, do they?"

"For your information, we go almost normal that day. In fact, we're having maple glazed ham, and all the fixin's. You may want to think about that before you decide."

"Who are you and what have you done with our tech nub?"

"Very funny. Are you in or out?"

"Maple glazed ham? By fixin's, you don't mean vegetables, do you?"

"Well yes, but also mashed potatos, and sweet potato cassarole. With marshmallow topping."

"Marshmallow? Ok, I'm in."

Carly sighed in relief. In the excitement, she had lost sight of the friend who was counting on her for that day.

"Ok Carly, you need to pack" Sam said.

The brunette girl nodded and dashed upstairs.

"So... ahhh... Sam..."

"Shut it Fredward. I'm doing this for Carly."

"Yeah, I figured. So, how about three?"

"Ok, I'll be over then. Well, you know... I mean, thanks. You're a better choice than my mom and boyfriend."

"Gee, thanks. You make it all so worthwhile."

"What do you want, this isn't what I expected."

"Me either. Some honest thanks would be welcome though, even from you."

"That was honest. Can I help it if I'm not big on sudden changes?"

"Let's not argue about it. I'll see you at three. Say goodbye to them for me, would you?"

"Yeah, sure. Listen... thanks for the invite."

"Wow, thanks from Sam Puckett. It's almost like it's Christmas."

"I will hurt you."

"Ok, I'm going. See you Christmas." Freddie left the apartment.

Sam looked around the empty room, seeing the landscape of most of her happy memories. These rooms were where she did most of her smiling; most of her laughing. Where she felt most connected to other people. She frowned, knowing that however real the welcome, she was just visiting happiness, not living with it. And happiness was going to Alaska for the holiday. Leaving her to show up at another someone-else's-home to find it there. And look who's home it was. The boy who could barely see past Carly to her, who barely knew she existed. His invitation was surely just to impress Carly, not due to any interest in her company. Oh well, it wasn't Mom's guy's family, and it was ham. So it goes.