Been working on this one for just a couple of days. I just couldn't resist a fluffy little holiday inspired piece.

iChristmas Surprise

Sam sat alone in her apartment in Venice on Christmas Eve ready to video chat with Carly. Since Cat had moved out to pursue her singing career, Sam had the apartment all to herself. It was lonely by times, but for the major part Sam lived comfortably and was happy. She still kept kids in the apartment but she also had a part-time job at a local diner. The tips were good and she often scarfed up people's leftovers, meaning she hardly ever was hungry.

Carly logged on and Sam's laptop signaled an incoming chat request. Sam smiled wide and accepted the chat session from her friend in Europe.

"Hey, Sam!" Carly greeted with a wave.

"Hey, Carls." Sam replied.

"It's so sad you're home all alone on Christmas Eve?" The brunette commented "I wish I could be there with you."

"I do too, Cupcake but I'm not sad, I have this huge ham in the oven for tomorrow. This is gonna be my best Christmas ever."

"Yeah, well I wish someone could be there so you're not all alone." Carly said as she typed a text into her phone. "And I'm sure Freddie does too."

Carly: It's too bad your flight was late, Sam looks so sad sitting all alone on xmas eve

Freddie: Don't tell her I'm on my way I want it to be a surprise

Carly: I remember. Now hurry up and get over there

"Thanks." Sam replied with a half of a burp.

"So what have you been up to?"

"I just had my Christmas Eve snack."

"What did you have?"

Sam looked at the t-shirt she was wearing to identify the various food stains . "Well, I had a big bowl of chili, a couple of leftover hot wings from breakfast and hmm, what's that mark? Oh yeah, guacamole. Love me some good guacamole."

"You think you need to go put on a clean shirt?"

"Meh, who do I have to impress?" Sam shrugged and Carly didn't press it any further for fear of ruining Freddie's surprise visit.

"Hear from Freddie lately?"

"Yeah, he called me last night. It's the first we talked in a couple of weeks. I hate to admit it but I kinda missed talking to him. Sounds like his holiday's gonna suck, you know with his crazy mom and all. I guess she invited every one of his weird relatives and they're piling up like homeless people in their apartment."

"I heard, Spencer said they started arriving yesterday already. One of them keeps coming over to use his bathroom because Mrs. Benson's toilet faces the wrong way, something about not being able to poop facing north or something. I can't believe you guys don't talk every day?"

"What do you expect, we're not joined at the hip. Though on occasion we are joined at the, um, you know what, never mind. But he's so busy with classes and I've got work and we're in two different states. It's not like we had a fight or anything. We'll reconnect some day, but for now it's just really hard."

"Yeah, but since you two are kinda, well, you know . . . I just thought you'd talk more often."

"Don't say he's my boyfriend, because he isn't, he's just a friend that's a boy. And we have fun and hang out sometimes. An-and do other things, sometimes."

"Yeah, and he's a boy you're crazy about, a boy you called me at, like three in the morning to tell me about the date you went on after he got chewed up by those dumb fish that time a year and a half ago. A boy you did certain things with before he went home last time he came to visit you. Need I continue?"

Carly: She's said she misses you and she's bringing up 'other' stuff so you'd better get there asap

Freddie: I just got my luggage, I'm on the way as soon as I can get a ride

"Hey, the nub and I have fun together, but there's no strings attached."

"So you date other guys then?" Carly knew better, but she had to push her friend's buttons any way.

"Psh! No! Haven't met anybody worthy of Momma's time in L.A." Sam sneered. I just mean I don't think Freddie is sitting around waiting for me that's all. It's not like he thinks of me as his girlfriend or anything. He hasn't said anything has he?"

"No in so many words, but are you trying to tell me that he dropped everything and bought some nine hundred dollar, last minute flight to California that time he thought you got hurt. And he's been back twice to visit you since. Plus he talks about you all the time and I know for a fact he's not dating anyone else"

Sam simply glared at Carly. "I think I'm changing the subject now."

Carly would have none of it. "What did he get you for Christmas?"

"You think I opened my gift early?" Sam faked shock.

"Sam!" Carly knew better. "How long have I known you?"

"It was a subscription to the bacon of the month club and this really cool shirt." Sam held up a shirt with a silhouette of a pig on it and the words 'yummy for my tummy'. "Just don't tell him I opened it until Christmas morning, alright? He's kind of obsessed with that tradition."

"OK" The girls talked for a bit more until Sam stepped away to grab a soda from the refrigerator. When she came back to the computer, Carly was again texting on her phone, but she was trying to be sly about it and hold the device away from the camera.

Carly: you get a cab yet?

Freddie: I'm about 5 mins from her place

The two talked for a few more minutes and Carly again sent another text to make sure Freddie remembered Sam's address.

"Who are you texting. Is there some new guy in your life?"

"Um, no I wasn't texting."

"Carls, you're a terrible liar. Plus I could hear it ticking, you have the sound turned on your keypad."

"Oh."

"So what's his name?"

"It's not a guy."

"A girl then? I didn't know you swung that way, but whatever floats your boat."

"Well, it's a guy, but just not someone I have a romantic interest in." This was true, since right after she moved to Europe, Carly and Freddie both realized they loved each other like siblings, but they would never be in love with one another.

"There's a guy on the planet you don't have a romantic interest in?" Sam teased. "Who are you trying to fool?"

"There are plenty of guys I don't have a romantic interest in. I can be just friends with a guy. I'm friends with plenty of guys. I'm not that boy crazy. Am I?"

"Oh please the only guy you've ever friend-zoned was Fredwad. Oh, and I guess Gibby, but even that I'm not convinced of after that whole puppy incident. Basically any guy other than Freddork is fair game as far as I see. You're as bad as your brother when it comes to being fickle. Well, except for you're not a big ol' man slut."

Carly laughed at Sam's assessment of her brother "I guess that's true enough, but I swear I'm not texting a guy I have a chance with, he's already got a girlfriend."

"You've sent, like, ten messages to this dude since we logged on. Are you sure he's not secretly crushing on you, even if he has a girlfriend."

"No Sam. Not! Not a chance in h, e, double el, he's so caught up in his girl, he can't think of anything else." Carly cut her off. "Changing the subject now. Hey, speaking of changing do you want to take a minute and change that food stained shirt?"

"Nah, this is my favorite TV watching, lounging around the apartment t-shirt. Besides, I'll get a shower after while. I guess I'm getting a little grungy." Sam sniffed at her pit. "Whoa."

"Yeah, I see your hair's kind of a mess. Maybe you should at least brush it. And grab some body spray. And how long's it been since you brushed your teeth?"

Freddie: I'm almost at her building now, you keeping her busy?

Carly: About time. She's getting suspicious about my texting

"Thanks for the complement, Carls. And why the sudden interest in my grooming habits? I'm a slob, you've known that since middle school."

"I just mean if you go to bed with your hair all ratty like that you'll have a terrible time when you get up. It'll be all full of knots and you'll never get them out. And you don't want any more cavities, I know how you hate the dentist."

"I'll brush it and my teeth before I shower. Now relax and talk to me. Unless you're too busy sexting with some random dude." Sam smirked.

"Sam!" Carly scolded. "I've never sexted in my life, well except for that one time and I had a bra on . . . "

The door bell rang and Sam immediately thought of Cat's 'ding-dong' mock of the sound. She'd never admit it, but she kinda missed the little red headed girl even though she was an air headed dingbat.

"Hey, Carls, stand by, I've gotta get the door. Then you can tell me who you've been sexting."

"I told you that you should have cleaned yourself up." Carly knew who it was. "You're not fit to answer the door.

"It's probably just some goofy carolers again. I'll get rid of 'em. give me a minute."

"Aww, let me see. Turn your camera toward the door." Carly said as Sam pulled a baseball bat from under the couch.

"You want to see me scare off Christmas carolers? Well, alright." Sam shrugged.

"N - no, I mean, let them sing, I want to hear. They don't carol in Italy. Now turn your camera toward the door and go answer it. And put the bat down for Pete's sake, that's assault!"

"You're a straaange chick, Shay." Sam shook her head as the doorbell sounded again and she yelled toward it. "Keep your shirt on, I'm comin'!"

Sam tilted her camera toward the door. "Can you see the door?"

"Yep. Now go and answer it." Carly was giddy with anticipation but covered it well.

"Weirdo." Sam mumbled toward her friend and made her way to the door.

As she swung the door back, she was greeted by Freddie who wasted no time in throwing his arms around her midsection. "My God, Fredbag, what are you doing he . . . "

Sam couldn't finish her sentence before Freddie's lips were against hers. In another second, they both began to deepen the kiss, which turned into an all out make out session.

It took a few minutes for the kiss to break, and in the meantime Sam had wrapped her arms around his neck. She suddenly remembered how she looked and smelled. It was then she realized her brunette friend knew about this all along and was prodding her to clean up her appearance a little bit.

"Get your nubby butt in here. I should have figured you'd pull something like this when you had all your weird cousins and all coming to your mom's place. So how long have you been planning this? And how long has Carly been in on it?"

The two walked inside, all over each other, obviously thrilled to see each other.

"Actually I've been planning this since long before my mom invited everybody. I wanted to come to L.A. to see my girlfr, er um and is Mom ever wazzed, too. I had to get Spencer to take me to the airport, she wouldn't even give me a ride."

"So you really think of me as your girlfriend?" Sam gave him a pleading look.

"Well, I guess I just sort of figured after my last visit when we gave each other our virg . . . , oh, God are you still on chat with Carly?" Freddie looked at Sam's open laptop, saw Carly's face and turned red, he would have been a little less vocal about his feelings if he had realized this a minute earlier.

"Hey, you guys!" Carly shouted at them from the screen with a giggle. "It looks like you need some privacy, I'll call you tomorrow, Sam."

"Don't call too early. I have a feeling I'll have a late night tonight." Sam said to Carly with a wink as she logged off the chat session.

"Bye, Carls." They both called out to their friend in Europe.

"I see you opened your present a little early. Good thing I brought you another one for Christmas morning." Freddie pulled another small package out of his bag. "But I'm not giving it to you until tomorrow."

"Don't worry, that's not the package I want to unwrap tonight." She pulled him close and rubbed their bodies together.