Hey guys! I told you about this oneshot in my last update for 'Being Bound Together,' so as you know, I worked really hard on this. It is Sam-centered, but it very much includes Seddie and the impact Freddie made on her life. It also shows Sam's relationships with Carly, Melanie, her mother, Cat, and even Mrs. Benson. I tried to make this as real as possible. I was thinking about doing one on Freddie; let me know if you think I should! Please review; I need feedback to see if my hard work paid off or not!
(Sorry it's incredibly long!) I'll be updating 'Being Bound Together' sometime this week! I really hope you enjoy this oneshot!
Samantha Puckett was born on April 17th, 1994 on a dirty, old bus in Seattle, for her mother wasn't too great at planning out situations involving…well, everything. She entered the world four minutes after her identical twin sister, Melanie.
Pamela Puckett looked down at her newest creations. She admired their beautiful blonde hair and their bright blue eyes, exactly like her own.
"Man, I did good," she grinned to herself. "If only that jerk was here to see it."
As she was wheeled away into the ambulance, she took a quick glance at her daughters. Melanie was staring calmly at the nurse tending to her, while Sam was screaming at the top of her lungs.
"And so it begins," Pam sighed.
"Pamela," the nurse said as she closed the truck door, "I must say, Sam has a little feistiness in her already."
Pam looked at the nurse with a sly smile. "She's my kid, of course she does."
"I don't know whether you just complimented or insulted yourself."
"Why would I ever insult myself?"
"I'm sure you wouldn't."
"Are they going to be okay while I'm in here?" Pam asked softly.
"They will be perfectly fine in the other nurses' care," the nurse assured her.
"They better be," Pam said. She looked down at her lap.
"Pamela? Are you feeling okay?" the nurse asked.
Pam snapped out of her daze. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." When the nurse looked away, a frown emerged on Pam's face. "I can't believe he didn't show up."
. . .
At three years old, Sam and Melanie were happily living with Pam in a decent house. Despite Pam's limited effort to even slightly educate her girls, they both knew how to speak clearly.
"My toy!" Sam yelled at Melanie, who was playing quietly with her doll.
"No! Mine!" Melanie said back, turning away from her sister.
Sam crossed her arms in anger. "You make me mad!" she exclaimed.
Pam stuck her head through the doorway. "Why do I hear yelling? I'm trying to get some sleep!"
"She has my toy!" Sam quickly accused.
Melanie spun around. "This is mine!"
Pam knelt down to Sam's level. "Look, kid. Stealing isn't nice. You have to wait to torment your sister until you're a little older."
"Why?" Sam asked.
"Well, for starters, you don't even know what the word 'torment' means."
"Teach me!"
"You're some kid," Pam laughed. "I think you're a little too young to torment people."
"I am?" Sam asked.
"Indeed you are," Pam nodded.
"I think 'torment' means something very, very bad!" Melanie shouted from the other side of the room.
Pam smiled. "You are gonna grow up to be a very smart kid," she said to Melanie. "And you," she looked at Sam, "are going to be very talented."
"Cool!" Sam exclaimed.
"Just when I thought I couldn't be a better mom, here I am, predicting my kids' futures!"
. . .
At five years old, Sam experienced her first day of school. She looked up at the huge brick building. "Mommy, what is this place?"
"Well, I was told to send you guys here to learn. It's called school," Pam answered.
After meeting the teachers and getting her twins settled, Pam left. Sam and Melanie were left alone with twenty strangers. Once Sam heard the words "playtime" she got right to it.
A girl made her way to Sam. "Hi! I'm Haley!"
Sam didn't enjoy Haley's peppiness and sudden intrusion, so she threw a block in her direction, hitting her square in the face. She proceeded to laugh when Haley screamed, "Ow!" and started to cry.
Sam also experienced the first of many "time-outs" that day.
When she arrived home that afternoon, she gave her opinion about school to her mother. "It's stupid, mommy," she complained.
"Aw, I know," Pam admitted. "But it's good for your future, from what I've heard."
"I hate it," Sam said directly.
This would not be the last time Sam says that sentence about school.
Pam laughed. "That was my opinion of it, too, kid. How did you like it, Mel?"
"I loved it!" Melanie beamed. "Learning is fun!"
"How is it fun?" Sam asked. "It's boring!"
"Okay, girls," Pam interrupted. "We've established Melanie loves school and Sam hates school. No need to fight. My head can't take it."
. . .
At seven years old, Sam had her first real scare. She and Melanie were in their room, having an innocent conversation, when they suddenly heard loud yelling coming from the kitchen. Sam pressed her ear against the door.
"Sounds like that weird guy is here again," she whispered to Melanie.
A few seconds after Sam plopped down on her bed, the bedroom door flew open, revealing that "weird guy" holding an almost-empty bottle in his hand. Pam appeared behind him, screaming, "Dan, leave them alone and get out of this house!"
"Don't tell me what to do, Pammy!" the guy said, with a little drowsiness to his voice. "Who are these girls, anyway?"
"Your daughters! Now, get out of my life and stay out!"
"I can do whatever I want!"
"Not if I call the cops!"
At Pam's comment, Sam watched as Dan's eyes grew wide, slowly turning from surprise to anger. He suddenly lifted the bottle in his hands and hurled it at Sam, who only had time to turn her head. It hit her in the back of her head and the top of her neck. She felt the glass break and sharp pains against her skin.
She heard her mother scream. Melanie started to cry. She brought her hand to the back of her neck, revealing blood as she gave one look at it. Her eyes met Dan's, whose were filled with never-leaving confusion.
As she started to feel light-headed and her vision became dizzy, she thought back to what her mother said. She told that weird guy that she and Melanie were his daughters.
"Why would my dad hurt me?" Sam thought to herself.
This was her last thought before she blacked out. When she awoke a few hours later, her mother was holding her hand with tears falling from her eyes.
"Sam, I'm so, so, so sorry. That man will never, ever hurt you again. He is out of our lives forever. Now, your nurse is a little cooky, so just hang in there, okay? I love you, kid."
Sam looked up at the nurse who appeared in front of her. "Hello, Samantha," she said. "My name is Marissa, and I'll be taking care of you."
. . .
At nine years old, Sam received the worst possible news. She watched as her mother ripped open the long-awaited letter from some "smart-person" school in New York that is begging for Melanie to start fourth grade there. Melanie smiled ear-to-ear.
"That's great for you and all, but who am I gonna hang out with?" Sam asked with a slight tone of sarcasm.
"Don't worry, Sam, just be happy for your sister," her mother said. Sam just rolled her eyes. Ever since her "father" left, her mom was getting more and more cranky every day.
Melanie gave her a small smile, even though on the inside, her heart was breaking at the sight of her sister.
Eight weeks later, the Puckett family was at the airport, saying goodbye to Melanie. Sam tried to act tough, but she was sad on the inside.
"Mel, what am I gonna do without you?" she asked, a slight crack in her voice.
"You'll be fine without me, Sam. You're tough enough." Melanie was holding back tears as she spoke.
"I'm not as tough as you think I am," Sam whispered.
"What do you mean?" Melanie asked, eyes wide.
"I've been scared for my life ever since our 'dad' tried to kill me with that bottle."
"Do you want me to stay?"
"Never. This is great for you."
"Sam…"
Sam waved her off. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm gonna miss you."
"I'm gonna miss you, too."
As Melanie walked through the gates to the plane, Sam felt a stray tear gently fall down her face. Her best friend was gone, and the worst part was...she was now alone.
. . .
At twelve years old, Sam started the dreadful seventh grade at Ridgeway High School. As soon as she walked in, she saw all the nerds, the jocks, the "popular" girls, and the normals.
She looked down at the number on the little card she received. "Locker 559," she mumbled to herself.
Sam made her way around the hallways until she found her locker. Just as she did the combination, a brunette girl arrived at the locker next to her.
"Hi," she said. "My name's Carly Shay."
"Yo," Sam said back. "I'm Sam Puckett."
"Nice to meet you," Carly smiled.
"You too."
Sam liked this girl. They found out they had all their classes together, and they even sat at the same lunch table with another girl, Wendy. Things weren't looking so bad…
That Friday, Carly invited Sam to come home with her after school. They were already best friends. The entire way home, Sam noticed that a short boy wearing a sweater vest was following them. It got creepy when he comes into Carly's building.
"Uh, Carly, this kid has been following us for a while now," Sam whispered.
Carly laughed. "Oh, Sam. That's just Freddie. He goes to school with us and lives across the hall from me. Hey, Freddie!"
Freddie sprinted to them. "Hey, Carly! How are you?"
"I'm fine, Freddie," Carly smiled warmly. "This is Sam, by the way."
"Hi, Sam. Nice to meet you," Freddie said, putting out his hand.
"Hey. What's with the sweater vest? You look like a nub." Sam couldn't help it. He looked ridiculous.
"Well, that was rude," Freddie muttered as he dropped his hand and ran towards the stairs.
Carly turned to Sam. "Try to be nice to him. He's had a crush on me for a long time, but he's a nice kid once you get to know him."
The girls continued to walk to the elevator. Sam saw Freddie out of the corner of her eye, dancing on the first platform of stairs. She heard him say, "Carly thinks I'm a nice kid!"
"What a loser," she mumbled. "Carly, I need to call my mom to let her know I'm here. I'll be up in a second."
"Okay, Sam."
Sam walked slowly to where Freddie was still dancing. "Dude, what are you doing?" she asked, causing him to jump.
"There-there was a bug," he managed to say.
"Nice try. 'Carly thinks I'm a nice kid!'"
Freddie's face reddened. "I just really like her, okay?"
"Keep dreaming, nub."
. . .
At thirteen years old, Carly, Sam, and Freddie created a webshow called iCarly. It soon became the hottest thing for eighth graders to talk about. As a co-host, Sam enjoyed being with Carly. She always made fun of, Freddie, though.
"Geez, Frednerd, when are you gonna date Carly?" Sam taunted Freddie one day. "Hmm, that's right. Never!"
"Shut up, Sam!" Freddie whined.
"Shut up, Sam!" she mocked with a laugh.
"You'll see, Puckett. One day, I will date Carly Shay, and I won't be surprised if you end up being jealous."
"Ha! That's a good one, Benson."
"I'm not kidding! It'll happen!"
"Can you just drop it?" Sam asked with a roll of her eyes. "She's way out of your league."
"At least I have a league," Freddie smirked.
Sam's face faltered a little at that comment, but she brushed it off. "If only I cared what you think."
At that moment, Carly entered the room. "Alright guys, it's officially time for the fourth webisode of iCarly!"
Sam held back a laugh as Freddie instantly responded with a geeky, "You look really good tonight, Carly!"
"Thanks, Freddie. Sam, no rude comments, please."
"No promises, Carls," Sam said with a wink.
"You're so mean to me," Freddie complained as he picked up his camera.
"You're just creepy," Sam shot back.
. . .
At fifteen years old, Sam had her first kiss…with Freddie. It happened on his secluded fire escape. Sam didn't think her first kiss would be with him at all.
That next Monday in school, Sam ran into Freddie in the hallway. "Hey," she said awkwardly.
"Hi…" Freddie said slowly. "Are you gonna hurt me or something? Because people have been asking me what happened with us when you came to apologize."
"No," Sam laughed. "Lighten up, dude. And don't you dare tell them. I don't need my reputation being screwed up."
"Gee, thanks."
"Eh, I'm just kidding, Benson."
"I figured you were," Freddie laughed. "Hey, maybe since I kissed a girl now, Carly might want to date me!"
"I wouldn't go that far," Sam grinned. "Besides, no one is supposed to know we kissed.
"Oh, yeah. Please don't tell. I don't need my mom to find out."
"I won't, Fredweird."
"Good," Freddie sighed. After a few seconds, he spoke again. "Sam?"
Looking at him, Sam answered, "Yeah?"
"Um, thanks," he said softly.
"For what?" she asked.
He suddenly looked up at her, grinning. "You know what," he replied surprisingly smoothly, before walking away.
For the first time ever, Sam blushed at something Freddie Benson said to her.
As she made her way to her locker, she couldn't help but feel the weirdest feeling she's ever felt. This kept her wondering…
. . .
At sixteen years old, Sam's heart broke, but it wasn't caused by anyone. No one did anything specific for her to feel that way, but she witnessed a new couple she hated more than anything.
Carly and Freddie started dating.
This all happened because Freddie saved Carly's life from a speeding taco truck. That part didn't suck, because if that didn't happen, Carly might have…died. The part that did suck was the fact that Sam had been in love with Freddie for a few months.
Seeing Carly kissing Freddie in the hallways, holding his hand at the Groovy Smoothie, and even patting his shoulder after iCarly was over killed Sam.
It lasted about a week and a half, but it was the worst week and a half of Sam's life.
Carly called Sam close to midnight. "Hey," she said.
"What up, Shay?" Sam asked her, not expecting to hear the next statement she said.
"Freddie and I broke up."
"Really?" Sam exclaimed, a little too eagerly.
"Yeah," Carly sighed. "I'm happy about it, though. I don't even think he was upset, either."
Sam smiled, but comforted her friend. "Aw, I'm sorry, Carls."
"Eh, it's okay. I know it's after midnight, but do you wanna come over and watch a movie or something?"
"Be there in ten."
As Sam walked through the streets that night, she thought about the possibility of herself dating Freddie. Could it happen?
"Probably not," she said to herself as she pushed open the door of Bushwell Plaza. "He would never date a girl like me. Besides, I always torture him."
When she reached the eighth floor, a soft ding emerged from the elevator, and at that moment, a lightbulb went off in her head. "That's it!" she thought. "If I want Freddie to like me, I should start being nicer to him!"
. . .
At seventeen years old, Sam's life turned upside down. She experienced something she never thought she would: romance.
She had been liking Freddie for a while now, and he and Carly were back to being just friends. But that one night at the school's annual lock-in, she couldn't take it anymore.
Everyone, for some strange reason, thought she was in love with Brad.
Why the hell would she be in love with Brad? She just met the guy!
So, she gathered up every single ounce of her courage and kissed Freddie for twelve seconds outside in the courtyard.
Then, she ran away.
She ran for her life. She ignored Freddie's loud calls after her. She hopped the fence dividing the school's property and a neighborhood, and ran through the streets. She ran until she arrived at her favorite spot, the playground at the beach she always went to as a kid. She sat inside the loopy slide until the sun came up.
Throughout the night, Freddie's frozen and shocked face haunted Sam's dreams. She imagined him rejecting her, and even shunning her.
"I can't believe I did that!" she yelled that next morning, her feet pounding deep into the smooth sand. "What was I thinking? Freddie will never date me! Ugh, why am I so stupid?"
With that, Sam stormed out of the playground. "I know exactly where I need to go to get my head straight. Me liking Freddie is a very bad idea."
Sam thought she was home free and would never have to see Freddie's adorable face ever again. She was wrong. She saw Carly burst through her door and immediately she knew he was there as well. When he came in, her heart almost exploded. They had a little talk and she was ready to leave, but she couldn't.
They had to do iCarly in Troubled Waters. Carly took her by surprise and changed the subject of the show from Gibby sitting on fish to the possibility of "Seddie."
Then Freddie took out his PearPad.
He kept blabbing on about the events that had happened over the previous days, so Sam interrupted him. He stared at her for second, took a deep breath, and set his PearPad on the table.
Then, he walked towards her and did the unthinkable.
Freddie kissed Sam.
He actually kissed her. Right on the lips for about seven seconds. Sam's mind was focused on nothing other than the fact Freddie Benson was kissing her. Of course, she kissed back, and she felt his grip on her waist tighten. He even smiled when they pulled away. She felt a deep blush creep onto her cheeks when he said, "So I guess we're both insane."
Sam never thought this would happen to her. Ever.
Sam met a new side of Freddie shortly after that. He led her back to her room, and after he closed the door, he pinned her up against the wall and kissed her until she couldn't breathe. Very few words were said during the car ride home.
Naturally, Sam dated Freddie for almost a month. She would repeatedly tell him he was crazy for liking her, but he always said the same thing. "Falling for you was the greatest thing that happened to me."
But, all good things must come to an end, so it did.
Carly was right, even though she wasn't talking to them. Sam and Freddie were just trying to force their friendship into a relationship.
When Sam stepped out of the elevator, she did not expect Freddie's next words to come out of his mouth. Yeah, he was a total sap, and was very true to his word, but for him to say those words surprised her completely.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
The break-up was postponed an hour and thirty minutes. The second the elevator door closed, their bodies were pressed against each other's as they reattached their lips together. Before they knew it, they were in Freddie's bedroom, on his bed, seconds away from taking things further.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Freddie asked, his heart beating rapidy.
Sam studied his face. "Positive," she said firmly.
Freddie stepped towards her, closing the gap between them. Clothing was removed, laughs were shared, and things got very serious very quickly. When Freddie made sure he was in the right position, his brown eyes met Sam's blue ones.
"Last chance, Sam," he whispered.
"I'm ready," she said softly, clutching his bare arms in her hands.
Freddie leaned forward a few inches and pressed his lips to hers gently. "I love you," he said.
He spoke with such sincerity; Sam couldn't believe it. "I love you, too, nub."
Freddie smiled, spreading one hand across her back, the other holding the back of her neck. Sam shuddered when his fingers grazed her scar from ten years earlier. He was the only one who knew where it came from.
As he started his movements and his lips moved to her neck, Sam closed her eyes and forgot about every bad thing that happened in her life. She focused on the happy things: Carly being her best friend, finishing up her junior year of high school, and…Freddie Benson.
. . .
At eighteen years old, Sam decided it was time for change. She had just lost her best friend in the entire world. Carly moved to Italy to spend more time with her dad. Sam knew Carly really wanted this, so she didn't even bother to ask her to stay; it wouldn't mean anything.
Two days after she left, she sat on her front stoop, admiring the motorcycle Spencer had given her. Hundreds of thoughts were running through her head, and she finally settled on one.
"California doesn't seem too bad," she grinned.
The next morning after she had said goodbye to her mother, Sam stopped her motorcycle in front of Bushwell Plaza. She already knew she wasn't going to say goodbye to Spencer, Gibby, or…Freddie, but she had to soak in this large building that was practically her home one last time. As she started to drive away, she wished she had the courage to face the three very special men in her life that would soon look frantically for her. But, she just couldn't. It would be too hard.
After days of riding and sleeping in random motels, Sam finally arrived in LA, and there, she met Cat Valentine. Sam spent the day with Cat, and when she tried to leave, Cat begged her to stay, and for once, Sam gave in to someone who was weaker than her.
Before Sam knew it, months had passed since she left Seattle. She hadn't communicated with anyone besides Carly, who was the only person who knew where she was.
"Sam," Cat said randomly one day, "when can I meet your friends from Seattle?"
"I haven't talked to them since I came here," Sam admitted.
Cat gasped. "Why not?"
"They can't know I'm here," Sam said softly. "If they knew I was here, they'd try everything in their power to get me to go back home."
"Don't you want to see them?"
"More than anything, yes, but…"
"It's hard, I know," Cat finished.
Sam looked at her. "How did you know that?"
"I can tell you're upset. Wanna know what else I know?" she asked with a grin.
"What?"
"That you love Freddie!"
Sam's jaw dropped at that statement. "You were spying on me while I was talking to Carly last night?"
"No!" Cat laughed. "I was trying to fall asleep, but you were screaming 'I love him, Carls!' at the top of your lungs!"
"I swear, if you tell anyone…"
"I won't, Sam. I promise."
Two months later, Freddie came to LA because he thought Sam got hit by a truck… It's a long story. Shortly after that, Cat started to date Robbie Shapiro. One day while Robbie was over, he told Sam some very interesting news.
"Freddie basically told me he loves you," Robbie blurted.
Sam froze in place. "He what?"
"You heard me, Sam," Robbie sighed. "He didn't actually say it, though. I asked him why he didn't want to see you jump the tuna, and he said, 'Because I lo- really like Sam, and I don't want to see her get hurt.'"
"H-he really said that?" Sam asked softly.
Robbie smiled. "He did."
Cat slung an arm around Sam. "He loves you, too," she whispered. "He loves you, too."
. . .
At nineteen years old, Sam came to realize she missed Seattle more than she ever thought she would. After spending a year and a half living with Cat in LA, she decided it was time to go home. What motivated her even more was the fact Carly was going home, too.
After an emotional goodbye with Cat, Dice, Goomer, and Nonna, Sam sped away on her motorcycle. "I'll call you every day!" Cat promised, tears falling down her cheeks.
Ten minutes later while Sam was at a red light, she received a text message from Cat, which was composed of all the days she would visit Sam in Seattle.
When Sam finally arrived at Bushwell Plaza, her heart started beating a mile a minute. She was going to see Carly, Spencer, Gibby, and Freddie for the first time in almost two years. The moment she picked the Shay's lock, two arms wrapped around her.
"Sam!" Carly exclaimed. "Oh my God, I haven't seen you in real life in forever! How did I live without you! You're my best friend!"
Sam happily returned the hug from her best friend. "Carls, I missed you so much; you have no idea!"
Squirming out of Carly's embrace, Sam ran to Spencer, whose arms were open. "I missed you, kid," he whispered.
"You too, Spence," Sam said softly before heading to Gibby.
"Gib, how've you been?" she asked, giving him and short hug.
"I got more liquid soap!" he announced. "But anyway, I'm glad you're back.
"Um, Sam?" Carly said. "Why don't you go up to the studio? There's a surprise waiting for you in there!"
Sam's eyes lit up. "You know I love surprises!" She took the stairs two at a time, threw open the studio door, and…
There he was.
"Freddie," Sam breathed.
"Sam," he whispered, taking a step closer. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," Sam admitted, looking down. Her eyes widened when she noticed that Freddie's sneakers appeared in front of her feet. She lifted her head, and Freddie wasted no time in closing the small gap between them.
Sam's arms circled Freddie's neck, pulling his head down even further, while his arms wound around her small waist. Sam tangled her fingers in Freddie's hair, and she knew he didn't mind. Time had no meaning when they finally broke apart.
"Sam, I love you so much," Freddie whispered, the lowness of his voice surprising them both.
"I love you, too, so much," Sam whispered back, reattaching their lips gently. "So, did we just get back together?"
"Feels like it," Freddie grinned.
Suddenly, Carly burst through the door. "So, do we have a couple here?"
"We do," Freddie said proudly as Sam blushed furiously.
"Aw, guys!" Carly pulled her best friends into a tight hug. "This has to be the best day ever!"
Sam looked at Carly, and then at Freddie, whose gaze was fixed on her. "Yeah, Carls, it has to be."
. . .
At twenty-three years old, Sam became an engaged woman. Yes, Freddie proposed! It was like any other night; Sam, Freddie, Carly, Gibby, and Spencer were watching a movie at Sam and Freddie's place (on the fifth floor in Bushwell Plaza) (Gibby also moved to Bushwell with Tasha, living on the sixth floor). Out of nowhere, Mrs. Benson rushed through the door.
"Ugh, what?" Sam groaned.
Mrs. Benson nodded towards Freddie, a small smile on her face. Sam turned to him. "What's going on?"
Freddie took Sam's hands and sat her down on the coffee table in front of the TV as Spencer paused the movie. He, Carly, and Gibby happily watched on.
"Sam Puckett," Freddie started. "When I first met you eleven years ago, I never thought, in a million years we would end up dating for a grand total of four years and three months, counting that one month back in high school. To be honest, I never thought we would even be friends!"
Sam laughed, but she was wondering what was happening.
Freddie continued, "Falling in love with you was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I can't say it enough: I love with all my heart. I don't know how I didn't see it earlier in life." He paused a moment to look in Sam's bright blue eyes.
"Now Sam, as you know, I love you so much, and all I want to do is spend the rest of my life with you."
At those words, Sam gasped, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. Her hand covered her mouth, and she turned to look at Carly, whose face was already tear-stained.
"Oh my God," Sam breathed.
Freddie swallowed and took a deep breath. "Sam, I swear I'll care for you and love you and make sure nothing ever happens to you. You're my everything." Freddie slowly bent down on one knee and opened a small velvet box, causing Sam to bury her face in her hands, covering her tears. "So, Samantha Joy Puckett, will you marry me?"
Sam let out a cry, which surprised everyone in the room. Lifting her head, she wiped the tears off her face. "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you, you nub!"
Freddie smiled widely instantly, sliding the ring onto Sam's finger and pulling her into a passionate kiss. He lifted her feet off the ground and spun her around.
Ten minutes later, when all of the crying and hugging was done, Sam flopped down on the couch next to Carly.
"Carls, I'm getting married!"
Six months later, the big day finally arrived. Sam woke up that morning with the biggest smile on her face. "I'm getting married today."
A half-hour before the ceremony, Sam gathered all of her bridesmaids into the dressing room. Carly shushed everyone as Sam took a deep breath and began to speak.
"I would like to say a few words to all of you, since you all have been a special part of my life in some way or another," Sam said. "First of all, Carly, words can't begin to describe how much you've changed my life. If I never met you back in the seventh grade, I don't know where I would be today. You're my best friend. If it wasn't for you, I would be in jail right now. Thank you for being my second sister; I love you. I couldn't think of anyone else who could be my Maid of Honor."
Carly ran into Sam's arms, tears rolling down her face. "Sam, I love you so much. You're the sister I never had. By the way, you'd be out of jail by now," she whispered.
Sam smiled. "Cat," she said to the redhead, who automatically turned to face her. "You're my second best friend. Meeting you in LA was a great turn around. I probably would have never made it back to Seattle if I didn't meet you. Even though we are polar opposites, and you bug me constantly, I love you a lot. Thank you for everything."
Cat stood up, wiping a few stray tears. "Sam," she whispered, pulling her into a hug. "You're my best friend. I love you."
"Mel," Sam continued. "We already had the longest talk last night with mom, and even I cried, so I rather not go down that path again. But I just want to say thank you for being my best friend growing up. When you left, I didn't know what to do with myself. The night before I started Ridgeway, you called me, telling me I would have a friend in no time. You were right; I met Carly. Anyway, you're part of the reason I'm sane. I love you, Mel."
Sam hugged her sister, than let out a laugh. "Last two," she promised. She turned to two girls sitting on the couch. "Jade and Wendy. You guys are literally me in other bodies. Wendy, all throughout high school, you and I would go around egging Mr. Howard's car and putting glue on Miss Brigg's seat. Thank you for being the only one I can fool around with, illegally. Jade, you and I clicked right away; I can't even explain it. All during college, we did the craziest things that I can't even say them out loud. Thank you for continuing my rowdiness after high school. I love you both. We don't do hugs."
Mrs. Benson suddenly came through the door. "Gibby told me you wanted to speak with me, Sam."
"I did," Sam said. "Let's go in the hall."
"Is there anything wrong?" Mrs. Benson asked.
"No," Sam laughed. "I just have a question for you. "Um, when you used to criticize me back when I dated Freddie in high school, he always said you never meant it, because apparently you told him I reminded you of a patient you had a long time ago."
"Oh yes," Mrs. Benson laughed. "She looked exactly like you with curly blonde hair and blue eyes."
"If you don't mind me asking, what was wrong with her?" Sam said, smiling a little.
"She had to get stitches on the back of her neck. She was hit with a glass bottle."
"Do you remember her name?"
"Yes, her name was Samantha."
"Mrs. Benson…" Sam slowly turned around, her back facing Mrs. Benson. Her scar was clearly visible.
Mrs. Benson gasped. "Oh my God," she whispered.
Sam turned back around. "Yep. I was the girl."
"Oh, Sam!" Mrs. Benson threw her arms around Sam, hugging her tightly. "I never thought anything of it, because I was so used to everyone calling you 'Sam,' not 'Samantha.'"
"It's okay, Marissa."
"I guess it's fate that you're marrying Freddie. He really loves you."
"I love him, too."
Ten minutes later, Sam's arm was linked through Spencer's. "Ready, kid?" he asked, holding back tears.
"You bet, Spence."
Spencer led Sam down the aisle, and at the sight of her in her dress, Freddie broke down. Carly beamed at her from the altar, and Gibby put a thumb up. Melanie and Cat were already crying, and her mother pounded a fist in the air.
They finally reached the altar, and Spencer kissed Sam's cheek. As he let Sam join Freddie, she heard him whisper, "Take care of her."
"You look beautiful," Freddie whispered as he took her up the steps to where the priest was.
"So do you," Sam winked. "Now, come on, Benson, let's get married already. My feet are killing me."
. . .
At twenty-five years old, Sam was giving birth to her and Freddie's first child. "AHHHHHHH!"
"Sam, baby, breathe," Freddie said softly as his wife squeezed the life out of his hands.
"Only a few more pushes!" the doctor yelled.
"You can do it," Freddie whispered.
"I hope you're rig-AHHHHHHH!"
Seconds later, Sam's muscles went limp, and the tiny hospital room was filled with the precious cry of a newborn baby. Sam's eyes met Freddie's. The new parents watched on as the doctors and nurses rushed to care for the screaming baby. "It's a girl!"
Freddie's eyes filled with tears. "We have a daughter," he said to Sam.
"We have a daughter," Sam repeated slowly.
Freddie bent down and kissed Sam gently. Then, the doctor placed the baby in Freddie's arms.
"Hi," he said softly. "I'm your daddy. I love you more than anything already." He slowly handed her to Sam.
Sam smiled at her newest creation. "Hey, kid. I'm your mommy. You're gonna love me. Your dad is a nerd, though, so I'll help you through that."
Freddie chuckled, bending down to kiss his daughter's head.
"Do you have a name?" the doctor asked.
Sam and Freddie simultaneously looked at each other. "Yes," Freddie answered. "We do."
Sam smiled wide. "Katelyn. Katelyn Carlotta Benson." Sam looked down at her Katelyn, who was now staring back at her.
"Give Katelyn to the nurse," the doctor ordered. "We'll check up on her."
Sam carefully handed Katelyn to the nurse as Freddie looked on, beaming.
"My name is Marissa, and I'll be taking care of you," the nurse said.
The nurse, Mrs. Benson, smiled and gave a small nod in Sam's direction. Freddie took Sam's hand in his, bringing it to touch his lips.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you, too," Sam replied, pulling him closer for a kiss. And I love life, too.