Coming Home

Rating: K+
Fandom: iCarly
Pairing: Carly/Freddie

Carly sat with her back pressed against her own front door, defeated, devastated, looking at the door where lives what once was her friend. Her true, funny, honest and loyal friend. He warned her, but of course she didn't listen. Tears stained her cheeks as the wooden door she looked at seemed to be thicker than ever. She thought she was going to be successful. She befriended the cheerleaders and dated the captain of the football team, yet it was all empty. They promised her everything, but Sam and Freddie weren't included in the promise.

Sam was furious. Carly was dead to her. She became closer to Gibby and Freddie and joined the AV-club, just to get her mind of her.

Freddie was devastated. He loved Carly. It wasn't just a crush anymore, or even "being in love". If possible, it was deeper. It was that sacrificing love Carly always failed to understand. It was like Carly was "at home" with Freddie. Now she understands what she feels. She felt like a homeless.

She started to hum a melody, but kept her lips pressed against each other, but the words slowly invaded her brain.

"I'm coming home, I'm coming home," she whispered in a barely recognizable melody. Maybe she should go "home". Carly bit her tongue. There was no way that Freddie could forgive her. She was feeling so low, that she doesn't even feel worthy to ask for forgiveness. Carly grabbed her knees and hugged them tightly. What was she supposed to do now? She felt like going somewhere. Back home, or just knock on the door and pray for the best, but at the same time she was nailed on the eight stories high floor. "I'm coming home, I'm coming home," She stood up. She gathered her courage, but not her words. She said those lines a thousand times in her dreams, but they change every time she repeats them. "Please God," she said in an ejaculatory prayer. "Give me the words," She took a deep breath, her tears still drawing lines over her light red cheeks. She knocked, but it was obvious too soft for Freddie to hear, so she knocked twice more, much louder this time. Carly started counting in a soft, shaky voice. "One, two, three…" Carly's heart was pounding against her chest and vocal cords. "Four, five," Her voice was mixed with bitter tears. "Six, seven-" There was a rumbling sound at the door knob before the door opened. A shocked Freddie stood in his pajamas on the doormat saying WELCOME.

"Carly?" he said in a soft, comforting voice. His voice, it's so long ago, since she heard it.

"Freddie, we need to talk," Carly said desperately.

Freddie sighed. "I don't really have to say anything against you right now," His expression was dead serious and the pain he tried to hide in his voice, was just the more visible in his eyes.

Carly's tongue was numb, but before Freddie was about to close the door Carly managed to say: "But I do!" before stomping her shoed foot between the door and its post. Freddie accidentally slammed the door against her foot. "Ahh!" Carly cried out.

"I'm sorry, Carly," Freddie said. It seems to be an instinctive response since there was no reason at all for Freddie to care about Carly's well care. He knelt down at Carly's foot and try to wiggle it off. "Are you hurt?"

"It's okay," Carly said, roughly kicking her foot out of Freddie's grasp. Freddie gasped in shocked, which shocked Carly on her turn. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" but she trailed off. She remembered why she was here. "…hurt you," she finished.

"You didn't," Freddie said, with a failed attempt to smile. "Happens all the time,"

"No, I mean" Carly sighed. "I'm actually here to apologize. I treated you and Sam like dirt. I didn't listen to you, my best friends and look where it brought me. I never felt home between the cheerleaders and football players, not like I felt home with you. When I realized how much I hurt you, it hurt me myself, badly."

I'm coming, I'm coming home
Tell the world that I'm coming home.

"I'll understand if you won't forgive me. I mean I wouldn't forgive me, but I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry, that I didn't mean it that way, that I never, ever intended to hurt you, I just thought about myself and about how successful I could be. But I never failed so miserably in my whole life," Carly realized that she wasn't looking at Freddie anymore, but at the mat under his feet. She couldn't bear to look up. It took her by surprise when she felt two strong arms around her waist, while a big hand pressed her head against a shoulder Carly knew pretty well. She felt tears which were not her own.

Let the rain washed away
All the pain of yesterday

"I missed you," was all Freddie could mutter.

"You… forgive me?" Carly asked in the hug.

"I have no choice," Freddie said. "I can't live without you. I died every day you weren't talking to me at school. I'm just so glad that you're back," Freddie squished Carly even tighter, as if afraid to let her go.

I know my kingdom awaits
And they've forgiven my mistakes.

"Freddie," Carly whispered. "I love you. I don't know how, why or what, but I do know that live without you was hell for me. I missed you, a lot.

"I love you too, Carly,"

I'm coming home, I'm coming
Tell the world that I'm coming home.

"Welcome home,"