A/N: Okay here's a one shot that came to mind one day, and I recently finished it. It's an AU, being that Sam, Carly and Freddie don't know each other. Sorta pleased with the way it came out, and hope you guys enjoy. Still working on the other Seddie story so stay tuned for it!

iTell My Story

I opened the door of my apartment and walked into the cold, letting the air fill my lungs as I headed out toward the Kitty-Kat Lounge here in Seattle. The gentlemen's club where sad men would come or overexcited eighteen year olds took their friends for their birthdays. We would see them all here. This was how I would make my money, walking up and dancing in someone's face. Everyday I felt the dignity (whatever was left of it) stripping away. But it was a living, even if everyday I was hoping something better would come along. I wasn't sure what kind of something would be, but I knew it would be better than this.

At first, it was scary, men trying to grope me as they threw money on the floor, making me fall over to grab it and place it in my underwear. Men trying to get my attention as I flipped over on the stripper pole that was positioned in the middle of the lounge. It wasn't until after the second week that I didn't recoil when men would grab a pass at my ass. It was after the third week that I didn't get disgusted to take off my bra; they would give you more money if you did that.

Rich men, poor men, drunks, men with sad faces, overexcited ones, indifferent ones, they would all come for something. It was a sanctum for the men that were fighting with their wives, for the men that wanted real action rather than porn on their computer screen. And we had to deliver or forget payment. So I did, I would paint on my face, walk out, dance, and find anyone that wanted to have a good time.

Many asked for blondes, hardly for brunettes, and we were lucky to have a real red head working here. So the brunettes would wear wigs, while I curled my hair, happy that it was a dirty sheen of blonde. I would always scope out the rich looking clients while I danced on the pole, going as low as I could to do the splits, getting back up again to grab the pole again and hang upside down on it. When I would find one, I would finish my dance and make a beeline toward them, making sure they wouldn't go away without seeing if they would like more company. And by more I don't mean sleeping with them, I could never go that far. Stripping was one thing, but to actually think about sleeping with someone for money was not what I could bring myself to do, even though many girls here were tempting me with the huge wads of cash they would get as a reward.

They said that they don't have sex, just a few 'favors' they liked to call it. But I still felt that sense of wanting to gag. I was only eighteen; I had a whole life ahead of me. But then I look at all the girls, and I'm sure they said the same thing when they were my age.

I reached the doors of the Lounge and pulled them open, avoiding detection from all the guys that were curious as to whom the new girl that just came in was. I walked swiftly and went to the back room, avoiding the rowdy laughter from the center of the lounge. By the sound of it, they were celebrating a bachelor party. Weak sauce, taking them to a strip club instead of just paying the hookers to go to their houses.

"Sam!" the club owner Nelson yelled at me when he saw that I was taking off my coat. "You making it a habit of coming in late you know."

"Gonna fire me boss?" I yelled back. I was one of the big commodities in this club. No way was I going anywhere.

"No," he said as he approached my mirror/dresser. "But I could always cut your pay." He grabbed a strand of my blonde curls and pressed it against his nose, taking a big sniff of my shampoo. He turned around and went the other way, to introduce the next showgirl. After her, it would be me.

"Oh honey, getting here late spells trouble for you always with that man." Starr, my coworker and only maternal figure told me. She had eyes that had seen so much and yet she only seen her run down apartment, her way here, and this lounge itself. But she taught me everything that I knew now, and for that I called her mom.

"Yeah yeah," I said. "That idiot is a stubrag, just like this dump. No offense" I added, knowing that Starr has been working here for a while, and it didn't look like she was going away any time soon. But she still remained hopeful her regulars would come and take her away. I applied my mascara and grabbed my red lipstick tube, making my makeup look simple but sexy. No man could resist bright red lips, blonde curls, blue eyes, and soft white peachy skin. I hated to say it but I always felt hot when I was ready to go onstage. I stood right in front of the curtains and waited for Nelson to announce me. As the girl before me finished her dance number, I heard another howl from some of the guys that I remember were in the middle of the lounge. I groaned, I forgot all about them, and now I had to dance in front of them. God they better pay good.

"And now, my friends, comes the cutest baby doll of a girl. Blonde curls that reach her curvy little ass, blue eyes that are innocent enough to make you want her, I give you the Devil's Angel herself, Susie,"

I was a new name every night. But Nelson would always introduce me as the Devil's Angel, so that's how regulars knew me. I opened the curtains and walked out, slowly slipping my hand out of the sleeve of my shirt as sultry music started playing in the background. At once my eyes began wandering at the crowd that was in the center. I knew right away that the guy that was not looking in my direction was the reason they came. His brown crop of hair was very neat. Neater than any other guy that was hanging out with him, and he had a polite way of dressing. He looked super embarrassed, but at the same time, it was as if he wanted to look my way. By the time I reached their little group I was practically naked, nothing but my heels, nylons, panties, and bra. Money was flying left and right and I heard the guys yelling at the one that was turning a deep shade of red as he saw how close I was to them, and how revealing I was being.

"Come on Benson!"

"Just throw one dollar even!"

"Trust me dude this chick is so worth it."

All the guys were ogling me, and when I unclasped my bra, I saw more money fly out of their hands.

"Freddie I swear you need to check her out man" I smiled at the guy that said that. I felt bold at all the compliments they were giving me, so I decided to give a compliment to the red faced guy that just kept staring at the door.

"Nice hair Freddie." I said. With that little compliment he turned toward me, slowly, but he turned. Even in the dark I saw that his eyes were dark brown, matching his hair. They were so…pretty, nothing like my ice cold ones. They reminded me of Starr's, affectionate and holding compassion. He took one look at me, turned around to get his jacket and was heading out the door. But by then my time was up. I gathered my money and walked to the back of the stage, counting my money in the process.

The following night it was pretty slow, not like the night where I met a guy by the name of, well I couldn't remember his name. But if it means anything, he seemed like a nice guy. Shame I didn't give him a lap dance. He was cute enough for a free one.

As it was my time to dance I looked through the curtain to see if there were any people worth dancing to. And I saw a guy that had that same neat hairstyle that the one dude had. Wait, it was him. What was he doing here at the club? Last time he was so embarrassed he walked out. And here he was alone. I pulled my head out of the curtain and stood waiting for my introduction. When I didn't hear it, Starr was trying to grab my attention.

"Sammy?" she hissed.

"What?" I hissed back.

"Nelson wants to see you." She said, and disappeared behind the doors that led to the dressers. I got off the platform and walked toward Nelson.

"What is it? I was supposed to go next." I complained.

"Well a guy paid for the whole night for you." He showed me the stack of cash, bigger than my fat finger, all in twenties, thrumming it between his hands. I couldn't hide my excitement until I remembered he said he paid for me.

"Nelson you sold me!" I angrily speculated. He knew that I don't sell myself. And just because there was money that would hold me off from dancing for a week, didn't mean I was going to start now.

"He said he just wants to talk to you, if you would like." Nelson smiled his cheeky little grin of his. "If not then this money will go back to him, you can go back to dancing. Simple as that. You can decide if you want anything else from the guy." He winked, to which I shuddered.

"Fine who is it?" I thought, lets just get this over with. His chubby finger went in the direction where someone was standing up. It was that clean cut, nicely dressed guy from yesterday, the shy one. As if controlled, I started walking in his direction, not trying to be sexy, like I do with the rest of my clients. I just walked normal. When I stood in front of him, my hand on my hip, he gulped.

"Shall we get a room? Or do you want me to give you a lap dance here in the open or-"

"A r-room is f-fine." He stumbled out. I grabbed him by the hand, and walked toward my favorite room. When I walked him inside, I slowly closed the door and pushed him on the couch. I was ready to straddle him, when he got back up.

"That's not how lap dances work dipthong" I said.

"I didn't come for t-that." He said. I looked at him. "I just came to talk to y-you if that's okay." I questioned his methods but in the end I just shrugged my shoulders and sat down, tapping the couch to have him sit down. He sat a little far away from me and just began talking.

That's how I began to know Fredward Benson.

Every week at least Freddie would come in, pull me away from dancing and took me to a room, in which he just talked to me. He never asked me for a lap dance, gave me extra money and then left. He told me how he was a son of a wealthy web maker, just turned twenty-one a few weeks ago (when I first met him) and wanted to know about me. He said that I looked like a girl that needed someone to talk to. He liked video editing, carried a camera with him at all times to take pictures or video, and was in a relationship that he hated. He ate nothing but healthy veggies (all organic because his mom was a germaphobic). His favorite colors were red and blue, and he wanted to move to California as soon as he was done with college.

And so I told him about me. I told him when I started working here, how I found it. I explained to him about my mom and how she passed away when I was fifteen. I told him about my father who was in prison for life, about Melanie whom I never heard of since we were both placed in foster care. She never looked for me and I never looked for her. But something told me she wasn't working at a strip club like I was, trying to make enough to stay afloat. I never cried as I would tell him my life story, just like with Starr I never did. I would just do this motion with my shoulders, and bring up my hands, as if it was just what has happened in my life and nothing could have been done about it.

He had so much to tell me, and I found myself aching to hear more. It was an outlet that took me away from all that was going on in my life. The dancing, the rent of my small apartment, Nelson wanting to put the moves on me, everything was put on hold when Freddie would come and visit me. He was a healthy alternative to all I was doing in this drug-induced lounge.

"Why do you work here Sam?" He knew my name by the third time he came to visit. I shrugged my shoulders like I always did.

"Pays the rent Freddork." I simply replied, giving him a nickname. He was not amused, but I was, and that's all that mattered.

"I'm sure you can find another job, a better job than this. I'm sure I could help you find a stable job, one that you can be happy to have." He said. I thought about it, he could be the ticket out of this dump. He could get me out of here, give me a better job, and I could still turn my life into something, rather than waste it away here in the Kitty-Kat Lounge like so many do. But he was not mine to keep, so I was not entitled to ask him for such a strong favor.

"I would rather not cause trouble with you and your mistress Fredbag. I don't even see why you always come here just to talk to me." I answered.

He looked at me, getting a little closer than he normally does. "Because you're different Sam. I feel as though I can help you, since I first met you. I want to help you." He smiled. I knew what he meant about the different part. He was different. He wasn't like any other guy that I met, and that scared me most of all.

Another night, another dollar, but this night it was lady's choice, a special night where men would come and us girls would choose our Johns' and get paid to do it. It was fun and we had this one night in the year to choose who we wanted, no questions asked.

Starr picked her regular, he was always here for ladies' choice, and stuck to him like glue. She always told him that she wanted to get out of this place, and he always gave her the empty promise that he would one day. The other girls also went straight to their regulars, cuddling next to them, some taking them to the back rooms where I would take Freddie to go talk. I never had a regular, I just started working, but if I did I already knew who I would choose.

That's even if he came.

I got up and prepared behind the curtain and waited again for Nelson to introduce me. When he did I popped open the curtain and began dancing, and jumped onto the pole. I scanned around everywhere, but he was nowhere in sight. It didn't make any sense, I told him about ladies choice, and he said he would make it. He said that he wouldn't miss it for the world.

As soon as I was finished, Nelson grabbed the microphone and approached me, touching the small of my back. "So Angie, it's your first ever ladies choice, which one of the lucky fellas out there is it gonna be?" he asked me. I looked around, knowing that I had to choose, but I wanted to just take the money and leave because there was no one there that knew me like Freddie did. And I just wanted to talk to someone.

The door opened, and a few group of guys swarmed in as I was getting ready to go on the floor and scope around for the either the best looking guy, or the guy that looked like he had the most money. And then, the neat brown hair stood out in the crowd. I felt a magnet pull me towards him, and I grabbed him like I did when he first wanted to talk to me and I took him toward the same room we talked about our lives. I didn't want to talk about anything today though, and since it was ladies' choice, I could get away with it. I knew that he didn't want to talk either, as he sat down while I closed the door behind me. I brought myself closer to him than I ever did, and brought my lips to his.

After that night, I didn't want to work here anymore. I wanted to get out, and I'm sure Freddie was my way out. He would tell me just a little more time, and we were going to California soon. I would kiss him in joy when I would see him now, much to Nelson's displeasure. Starr was happy for me, saying that I was getting out just before I was hooked for good. I would always wait for him, as he waited for me to finish to take me to the same room where we changed from being friends to being something more.

Nelson was not at all happy, since Freddie was coming practically every other day; I was dancing less and less. And Freddie was not paying as much as he did at the beginning. Sometimes I would just go to him without dancing, and he didn't even pay me at all. I just wanted to spend all my nights with him, and when I would Nelson would be all over me.

"You know Samantha, I cut you a break, but if that boy comes one more time and doesn't pay for your time, I'm gonna start taking it off your pay for the day." He said.

"You already cut off half my pay. How much can you possibly take?" I argued.

"Enough for you to realize that this boy is just having his fun, and once he's had enough of you, he'll be gone out of your life, just like everyone else cutie." He whispered in my ear, a sarcastic tone behind his dark booming voice. I shut him off. I didn't care what he did to me. I would be gone soon enough. He didn't scare me.

But the slamming of doors and a girl yelling in the background did.

"Where is that bitch!" she angrily cried. "They call her the Devil's Angel and I want to talk to her! So where is she!"

I slipped my head through the curtains, looking for the one that was looking for me. She had dark brunette hair, was wearing a clingy dress and was in heels. She looked rich. And automatically I thought this was Freddie's girlfriend. She looked at my direction and caught my eye, knowing that I was the one she was looking for. I decided to open the curtain, she saw me anyways, might as well see all of me, not just my face. She walked in my direction and got on the stage, standing right in front of me. She had dark brown eyes, just like Freddie's. But what he had in compassion, she had in ambition.

"Listen you," her finger shook in my face, "you will stay away from Freddie. You are not to talk to him when he comes around. If you want money for that I can arrange it, but I swear if I know that he is still coming and you are still going to him, I will come back and not hold back."

"You're the girlfriend aren't you?"

"Girlfriend?" she laughed in my face. "Sweetie, I'm his fiancée. We are getting married as soon as he gets done with college." She placed her hand close to her face to show off the rock that was on her finger. I tried my hardest to not rip off her head as I was shaking in frustration. And if I saw Fredward Benson in this club again, I know I would not have a problem ripping of his.

I told Nelson about Freddie, to which he was happy that I wanted nothing else to do with him, and was more than happy to see me walk around, picking clients again. Rough hands, soft ones, chubby ones, everyone was all over me again as they watched me dance. I felt like I belonged here now. Starr could see it in my eyes, how I was feeling, and when she would try to comfort me; I would just push her off, and ignored everyone.

Then one day he decided to show his face to the club again, while I was dancing. And I looked like I didn't see him. Nelson noticed that Freddie walked in, and proceeded to walk toward him. I was glad, I didn't want to see another liar like Starr's man. I would rather just stay here and work without anyone promising me candied flowers. I noticed that Freddie was staring at me, trying to convince Nelson to let him talk to me. But Nelson wasn't budging, and neither was Freddie. I saw him leave with two of the bouncers, which was always essential when someone didn't leave. I finished my dance and went back to the dresser, trying not to think of what the bouncers did to Freddie.

When my night was done I packed up and walked out the front doors of the Lounge, only to see someone out there in between the trashcans.

"Oh my God Freddie!" I ran toward him, picking him up and flinging him on my shoulders. He yelled in pain, and then reassured me.

"I'm okay, I promise." He said. His eyes were severely bruised, almost as if he couldn't see, his mouth left traces of blood that was already dried, and when I picked him up, he told me his stomach hurt, meaning the bouncers beat him up. Nelson always said it was to teach the guys a lesson. That we didn't want them back. But Freddie didn't do anything! And it was entirely my fault. I waved down a taxi and told him to take me home. I would treat him there.

"No it's okay I'll just go home, my mom can take care of me." He suggested. I shook my head.

"Its my fault you got beat up." I said bringing my shirt to his face to wipe off the traces of blood. "I'll take care of you." I said, as he laid his head of my legs. I sighed, bringing my hand to my face. I tried my hardest not to cry as I saw him drift off to sleep. It was my fault he got beat up.

When we reached my apartment I grabbed him as gentle as I could and brought him in, placing him on my bed. I grabbed towels, a bowl of water, and an emergency first aid kit I kept under the sink. I began taking off his shirt, to inspect the damage. Two big red marks were on his stomach, and a few covered his arms. They really gave him a good beating. I soaked a towel in the warm water, and proceeded to bring it to his face, cleaning it off. His eyes were not that bad, just a few cuts around his cheeks and up by the arch of his neatly groomed eyebrow. I covered his cuts with antiseptic and covered them with band-aids, not knowing what else I could do for him. I just let him sleep as I stayed up to make sure he was comfortable.

When he touched my arm, I was startled. He was awake, rubbing my arm, trying to comfort me. When all I wanted to do was comfort him. But then I remembered that awful show-offy brunette, and my emotions before rose again. If he weren't in such bad shape I would have already punched his face.

"Your fiancée came to talk to me." I let him know. His hand stopped going up and down, I knew I caught him off guard, but it needed to be said. "Why didn't you tell me you were gonna get married Freddie? Instead you give me this fantasy of leaving this dump once you graduate."

"Carly isn't my fiancée." He said flatly. I looked at him confused as he tried getting up. He yelled in pain, so I made him lie back down. He looked at me. "My mom wants me to marry her, so she proposed to her for me, saying that the reason I didn't was because I'm shy. But I just never wanted to marry her. She is too controlling like my mom, and I don't want to be married to someone like that." He said, smiling at me. I couldn't believe that he was smiling even though every part of his body was in pain. I slipped myself on the bed with him, and held him close, but not strong enough to hurt him.

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about last night?" I asked.

"That, and to tell you that you should start packing." He rubbed my shoulders again. "We gotta get going tonight before my mom or Carly start a missing person's report." He chuckled softly as I got up, looking at him.

"Freddie, are you serious?" I couldn't help but hear him say it again.

"Yeah, we can head out tonight. Reach California in the morning." He told me. I didn't remember that he was bruised and hurting all over because next thing I knew I flung my arms over his torso and pulled him as close to me as I could.

California was within my reach. And Freddie was in my grasp. Living the life I did had its ups and downs, but having it go the way it did brought me what I needed. It brought me Freddie, it brought me happiness, and most of all it brought me love.

I knew there was something more to life than what I had.

A/N: Review it if you liked it or not, just to let me know what you guys thought. Thanks alot!