Concrete Angels

What happens if Freddie hadn't given Missy the trip? Set after Freddie returns for the School at sea. This is from Freddie's POV unless stated. The title is taken from Martina McBrides' song 'Concrete Angels.' I bring in Olivia Benson from 'SVU' as an Aunt, but there is no crossovers.


My car is right where Aunt Olivia said she parked it. I was glad dad's sister had transferred from New York to Seattle. I threw my bags in the trunk and climbed into the driver's seat. A manila envelope is sitting on the passenger side; there's police markings on it. I pick it up to see if it's something Aunt Olivia left. The post-it note simply says 'Read at home - O'. I wonder why she left me a file. I pull into traffic and make my way home as quickly as I can. Turning the radio up for a distraction, I see two letters tucked into my sun visor. What did I forget to mail? I pull into the post office and get the letters. Quickly, I glance at the addresses to see what got canceled. Surpassingly, they are addressed to me and Carly, care of me. I recognize the small, neat hand writing as Sam's; for all her aggression and attitude, she took great pride in her handwriting. What did I miss? The six-month long school at sea program had been great, but I was now playing catch up with the real world. I pulled back into traffic and made a beeline for my house. Pulling into my parking space, I see Carly and Missy coming out of the Bushwell Plaza. I wave hi and call out to them.

"Ahoy, there Captain." Missy jokes. "Got your land legs back?"

"Yes, and it's Admiral." I hug Carly. "Miss the techno-geek?"

"iCarly managed without you, but it's not the same." She looks like something is missing from her.

"What?"

"Sam's gone, I'm the co-host." Missy chirps.

"Me and Sam had an argument and then she beat the hell outta Missy. I told Sam to go away and that I never wanted to see her again." Carly piped in. "Missy is everything Sam wasn't."

I grab the letter from my visor and hand it over. "This was in my car."

Carly opened it and read the short letter. Looking at me, "It's an apology from Sam."

I open my letter and look at the two words, "Concrete angels." I read.

"What does that mean?" Missy was confused.

"It's this song Sam would listen to when she was sad." I remember something, "I had Spencer make one for Sam's birthday. I need to get it and give it to her." I tell the pair bye and grab my stuff from the car. I tuck the folder under my arm and head for my apartment. I drop my bags on my bed and grab my pearphone. I hit the speed-dial for Sam and get some kid.

"Is Sam around?" I figure it's one of her skater friends.

"Never heard of him. I got this number a few months ago."

"Thanks, sorry to bug you." Sam's cell is disconnected. No biggie. I power up my laptop and see a new file on the desktop. I click on it and get a password request. I didn't protect any files before I left. On a hunch, I type in 'samlovesham'; no dice. I try 'dorkface', 'tech-nerd', and a few other names Sam called me. I'm about to give up when I see her letter sitting on my bed. I try it; a video file opens and starts.

"If you're watching this Freddie, then you're home. Probably already gave Carly her letter, too. I just wanted to tell you some things that I didn't have the guts to tell you in person. I'm sorry for all the pain, both physical and mental, I caused you. I'm so used to people leaving me that I kept waiting for you and Carly to leave too. I ended up driving both of you away." I watch as she wipes a tear away. Sam is crying! Something is wrong here. "You're the first person, besides Melanie, to see me cry. Carly made her choice. I've made mine. For what it's worth, you were a good kisser. Maybe we could of made something of it. Never know now. Good-bye Freddie." The clip ended.

I sat at my desk for a few minutes. I start to unpack and notice the file Aunt Olivia had left me. I open it and read the first page. I start to cry, sobbing as the rest of the pages fall to the floor.

Some time later, I don't know how long; I cried on the floor until I hadn't any more tears. I heard Spencer in the hallway. I got up and headed for the Shay's apartment.


"Hey there Freddie. How's it going?"

"Was going good until I got back."

"Cruises can have that effect." He knew what I was after. "I finished the angel for you."

"Thanks, what do I owe you?"

"Freebie. Go give it to Sam." I try to hold it together, I don't think he knows.

"Carly here?" I want her to come with me.

"Yeah, her and Missy are upstairs doing 'iCarly.'" He can see the pain on my face. "Wanna talk?"

"Not now. I promise, I will tell you later. Right now, I need Carly."


I walk into the studio, Gibby is behind the camera and the girls are acting like fools in front of it.

"And just back from his six month cruise, our awesome technical producer, Freddie." Carly announces, "Come on over here and say hi to the people."

"Hi." I say to the camera, barely above a whisper. "Carly can you meet me downstairs after the show?"

"Sure. What's the problem?"

"Not here, not now." I shake my head. She obviously doesn't know.

"Give us a few more minutes." She turns back to Gibby and continues as if nothing happened.


I'm waiting in the hallway between our apartments. The folder and my laptop under my arm; the angel in my hand.

"What's up?"

"You and I are going to talk to Sam." I grab her arm and keep her there.

"I've said everything I wanted to say to her. Besides, she'll just interrupt me and yell and get all violent on me."

"She won't, I promise."

Missy was listening behind Carly, "How do you know?"

"I bet you all my tech gear up in the studio, that Sam will let you say anything you want, and not get mad." They know how much that stuff means to me, and that I wouldn't risk it on a whim.

"And what do you get if you win?" Missy was getting interested.

"You quit iCarly and I get one kiss from Carly."

"Deal." Missy said without even asking Carly.

"Okay, I'll drive." The three of us head to my car and I pull out.

"Where we going?" Carly asks as we pass Sam's old apartment building. "We just passed her."

"Sam doesn't live there anymore. She's over off 15th avenue." I pull into the drive and park the car in front of Sam's place.

"Freddie, what are we doing in Lake View Cemetery?" Missy is clue less.

I point out the window, "I'm going to give Sam her birthday present. You two are going to talk to her."

"What?" Carly turns around and sees the headstone: Samantha Puckett. "That's got to be some other Samantha Puckett." Carly is nearly hyperventilating.

I hand her the folder, and open my laptop. I click on the audio player.
"Seattle 9-1-1, what is your emergency?" The dispatcher asks.
"I need to report a dead body in Washington Park, on the swings, near the Bushwell plaza." We hear Sam's voice, but it's not really hers; it's already dead. "Mine." Then we hear the single gunshot. Carly grabs for the door handle, trying to get out of the car. She makes it out just before her lunch. She maneuvers around the pool of vomit towards the grave.

I hand her a towel from the backseat, no idea why it was there; just something I had in my car. I get out and walk to Sam's grave. I put the angel on top of her headstone; it looks like it belongs there. Someone finally watching over her, like I hadn't.

"Sam." Carly barely squeaks out. "Why?"

"She was such a looser. Worlds better off without her." Missy held out her hand to Carly, who swatted it away.

"Get away from me." Carly tumbled backwards. "She was right about you."

"So what if she was, I'm your best friend. Always was, always will be." Missy has this smirk on her face. I'm about to draw back to sock her in the face. Carly launched herself at Missy; doing a perfect tackle. Carly is beating the hell outta Missy; I can only hope Sam is watching.

"By the way, you're off iCarly." She stands up and walks towards me.

"But, I'm the CO-host."

"Not anymore." Carly never turned around.

I watch as Missy slunk away, then turn back to Carly. She's sitting next to Sam's headstone. I look at the simple marker. Samantha 'Sam' Puckett, June 26, 1992 – May 16, 2009. Under that it reads, 'Just leave the ham'.

"Why Sam? Was it because I picked Missy over you?" Carly is sobbing. "I'm sorry."

I pull my phone out and call Spencer.

"What's up?"

"Do you have something that can glue this angel to stone?"

"Yeah, is that Carly crying?"

"It is, come to Lake View Cemetery, and I'll tell you everything."


Spencer pulls up on his Harley-Davidson a few minutes later. I meet him at the road; Carly is still begging for Sam's forgiveness. Spencer kind of figured it out on the ride over, but I fill in the holes for him. Spencer and I affix the angel to Sam's headstone; somehow, it matches perfectly and looks like it was made that way.

"Carly?" Spencer kneels down next to her. "You okay?"

"My best friend is dead, and I KILLED HER!" This brought fresh tears, "And you have the balls to ask if I'm okay?"

I know that she'll hate me for the short term, but thank me later. "You didn't kill Sam. Sam killed Sam."

Carly swung at me, "You're a prick. You ran away and left her too. This is as much your fault as it is mine!" She managed to jump up and lunge at me, but the quick movements and crying made her dizzy. I hold her, and get her back onto the ground. Carly's looking pale, I know she's exhausted and an emotional wreck.

"You can hate me at home." I carry her to the car and deposit her into the passenger seat.