Revised chapter! I started this fanfic before the last iCarly and since I've only posted one chapter, I decided to revise it so that it would fit in better with the ending of the series! If you haven't read it, then no worries, but if you have, read it again! I'll start up with Life's a Beach after this one…it won't be too long.

~Magarooski

Chapter 1

Carly watched in horror as her date closed his eyes, puckered his lips and leaned forward…waiting. She simply opened the door to her apartment, walked in and slammed the door in her date's face. "Worst. Date. EVER!" she exclaimed as she slammed her purse on the chair and then gave a little pout like a girl who didn't get her way. "It's not fair."

Sam, who had been currently stretched out on the couch watching TV, snapped herself up. "What? How could that be? He was a gorgeous!!"

Carly sighed as she shuffled her way to the couch. "Oh, he's gorgeous all right," she admitted as she sat down and leaned back with a puttering sigh. "But on the inside, he's a total…total…what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Jerk?"

"No, too tame."

"Nerd?"

She snorted. "No."

"Rude?"

"No…well, yes…but still not the word that…butt-munch!" She suddenly exclaimed as she shot up a finger. "That's it…he's a total butt-munch!"

Sam pursed her lips. "Nice word…even if I don't know exactly what it means, but it sounds pretty bad."

"Oh, it is…very, very bad…the butt-munch was a total prick…he only talked about himself and his stupid fraternity and how popular he was blah, blah, blah…and then he…" She trailed off when she heard the rapid Spanish words coming from the TV. "What are you watching?"

"What?" She turned her attention to the TV she had forgotten about and then smiled. "Oh…it's a Spanish soap opera."

"Really?" she asked as she studied it with a frown. "How do you know what's going on?"

"I don't…well, not really…I know some Spanish…"

"You do?"

"Mom brought back a man from Mexico when she went to Cancun for her birthday."

"Of course she did." She frowned slightly. "Wait…when did that happen?"

"It was during the time you were in Italy."

"Ah…I think I remember you mentioning it one time on Skype now that I think about it."

"Probably. Miguel lasted a few months…I learned a few things…most of them I couldn't say without offending you…which is kind of the reason why I think I'm following this, but…if I'm right…I think that guy, cheated on that girl with that guy's mom…or wait…maybe aunt…and then she slapped him and then he pushed her down the stairs, which caused an uproar, and then he…"

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't care."

She nodded slowly. "Right. Sorry." She picked up the remote and turned it off. "Back to your awful date…what happened?"

She crossed her arms and pouted again. "I don't want to go into it…just know that I was ready for it to be over after five minutes. He even had the nerve to try to kiss me out there…he was absolutely clueless!"

"Sorry, kid," Sam said as she nudged her shoulder with hers. "I knew you were excited about it."

"That's the thing, I'm excited about all my dates…I get my hopes up and then I'm constantly disappointed."

Sam sighed as she propped her feet up on the coffee table. "Dating life is a cruel, cruel world."

"I'll say," Carly agreed as she copied her move. "I can't even remember the last time I had a decent date. I've had a lot of first dates recently, but not a lot of seconds."

"The last date I went on was kind enough to show me that he knew how to burp the alphabet…as impressed as I was…it wasn't very attractive."

Carly grimaced. "That's disgusting."

"See? You're not alone, Carls…it's hard finding a decent boyfriend." She picked up her bottle of root beer she had been neglecting and took a healthy swig. "Don't worry, you'll find someone…you're too cute and girly not, too."

She let out a laugh. "Gee, thanks, Sam."

Sam lifted her bottle in a toast. "No problem…always here for you."

"I miss Italian guys…especially, Carlo." She sighed dreamily. "Carly and Carlo…it has such a nice ring."

"Isn't that the guy that didn't speak a lick of English?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, how did you guys date if you couldn't talk to each other?"

"We managed just fine," she said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

Sam snorted. "So basically all you two did was make-out?"

"Pretty much…I was no match for his accent…he would speak two sentences to me and I'd jump him…well, maybe not every time…but most of the time."

"That's your problem, Carls," Sam said as she wagged a finger at her.

"What's my problem?"

"This," she said while circling her hand an inch from her face.

"What do you mean, this?" she asked, mimicking the same move but more dramatically.

"You don't see past a pretty face. You see a good-looking guy…like Carlo…and think, that's it…he's perfect…he's the one."

"That's not true," she said with a little pout.

"C'mon, Carls…you know it is." Sam shifted and put a hand on Carly's knee. "Look, there's nothing wrong with scoping out some serious eye-candy…I for one, enjoy admiring the male species…but I also take a minute to see past a pretty face before I spring and turn the flirt on."

"How can you by just looking at them?" she asked. "Isn't that what you usually find out on a first date?"

"If you take a moment to really look at a guy…look past his pretty face, piercing eyes and charming smile…you'd be surprised what you can see. Take your date for example…I was watching him when you went up to talk to him at the Groovy Smoothie…it didn't take me long to realize he was a tool."

"But…why didn't you tell me? And you seemed so shocked a second ago when I came in here."

"I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't listen…you'd get all defensive…don't deny it, you totally would."

Carly shrugged a little. "Yeah, okay."

"As for earlier, I was faking the shock to make you feel better…wasn't the least bit surprised." She gave her knee a little slap. "So…next time you see a cute guy…really look before you jump, okay Carls?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Assuming that the girl talk was over, Sam grabbed the remote and turned it back on just in time to see Jose and Maria…her favorite couple…in a heated embraced. "Oh, my gosh…they're kissing…it's about time!"

Carly just rolled her eyes but then couldn't help but watch. "Wow…they are really going after it."

"Yeah, they are!" She said with excitement. "They've been at each other's throats forever! It was only a matter of time before they jumped each other."

Carly gave Sam an amusing look. "How long have you been watching this?"

"Since Miguel introduced it to me."

She snorted a laugh. "You crack me up, Sam."

Just then, the door opened and Spencer walked in. "Hello, sister…and sister's friend who never leaves my apartment…well, when she's in Seattle anyway."

"Hey," Carly said.

"What up?" Sam said as she raised her bottle but never took her eyes from the TV.

"How was your date?"

"Sucked."

"Really? Well, what….holy banana split, those two people are kissing…aahh, more than kissing, more than kissing." He ran over and practically tackled Carly to cover her eyes. "Nothing to see here."

Carly shrieked as she batted his hands away. "Get away from me you psycho! I think I'm old enough to see a cheesy love scene."

"Nope, no you're not," he said as he was now sitting on top of her and pressing his back against her. "You're my innocent little sister and you always will be…no peaking!"

"Dude!" Sam said as she punched him in the arm.

"Ow! What? I'm just a big brother protecting her from…"

"A baby wipe commercial?" she finished for him gesturing towards the TV.

"A what?" He peaked an eye open to see a little baby giggling into the camera and his eyes softened. "Awwww."

"Get off of me!" Carly exasperated as she shoved him until he slid off her lap and sat between her and Sam. "You…are cray-cray!"

He gave her a little smirk. "You're just realizing this now?"

She huffed. "Will you please leave?"

"Why?"

"Because your face is annoying me at the moment."

He gasped…dramatically.

"Just leave," Carly said with a laugh. "I'm talking girl talk with Sam here and I can't do it with you here."

Sam leaned forward to look at her. "Really? I thought we were done with girl talk."

"Not quite."

She groaned as she collapsed back on the couch…dramatically.

"Oh, get over it," she said and then pointed to Spencer. "You. Leave."

"Fine!" he said as he shot to his feet. "I'll just go up to the studio and watch my own TV while you girls gossip about boys and fashion and…other female…issues."

"Not the time of the month for that topic," Carly pointed out.

He made a loud strangled scream as he slapped his hands over his ears and stalked away, only to pause at the base of the steps and turn. "By the way…you wouldn't happen to know what…"

"Channel 13," Sam commented fully knowing what he was asking.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed and charged up the stairs.

"Oh, you can watch a Spanish soap opera but I can't?" Carly called after him.

"I'm a grown-up!" he yelled back.

"Grown-ups don't catch things on fire on a regular basis!"

"Shut-up!"

"He's going to be highly disappointed when he realizes the shows over," Sam said as she turned off the TV once more. "So…what else do you want to talk about?"

"I…I…well, I've been thinking that I, uh…"

"Jeez, spit it out, Carls."

"I think I want to try again with Freddie," she said quickly before she lost her nerve.

"Try what with Freddie?" She picked up her root beer to finish it off.

"You know…try again…I want to ask Freddie on a date."

Sam, who had just taken her last sip of root beer, spewed it all over the floor and coffee table.

Carly glared at her. "I am not cleaning that up."

"What?" Sam exclaimed between coughing fits. "You're going to what with Freddie?"

"You heard me," she said and then because she all of the sudden became nervous, she shot to her feet and began to pace. "I was thinking about him during my disastrous date…I feel like I never really gave it a shot."

A slight sense of panic began to emerge deep in her gut. "Yeah, because Freddie ended things before it went further."

"Exactly," she said pointing at her. "I didn't fight hard enough for it…I let him have his way and…well, honestly, at the time…I was a little relieved he ended things. I felt like we were both too young to risk our friendship over a relationship."

"And now you feel like it's worth it?" she asked with a slight edge to her voice. "Carly, you never felt that way about him before."

"I know, but…I feel like I should at least try. He's so sweet, Sam…he'd be a great boyfriend."

"I can speak from experience and tell you that he is," Sam said as he got up as well and felt almost dizzy. All her feelings she had for Freddie seemed to be rushing back into her, reminding her of what she didn't have anymore…of what she might never have. "He was a very good boyfriend, Carly."

"I know it." She stopped pacing to look at her. "I saw you he was with you, Sam. Why did you guys break up? You never really told me what happened."

"Sure I did."

"No, not really…you just told me you both decided that you two didn't mesh well that way and decided to call it off."

"Well, that's what happened, Carls…what else do you want me to say? Did you want a play by play on the whole thing?"

"No, but…Sam, do you still have feelings for him?"

"What?" she snorted. "No…don't be stupid."

Carly eyed her carefully. "Are you sure? Because I would never ask him out if…"

"It's no big deal, Carly," she said as she shrugged it off. "So we dated for a while…it's ancient history…go ahead and ask him out."

"Are you sure?" she asked still not convinced.

Sam rolled her eyes and hoped it came off as casual. She would not let this be a big deal…she would not care one way or the other who Freddie dated. "Of course I'm sure, I would tell you if I wasn't…ask the nub on a date…he'll get a kick out of it. We both know he's always had a thing for you."

Carly gave her a small smile. "Not always, Sam…not when he was with you."

She shrugged again. "Yeah. Well. Maybe."

"There's something else…something I never told you about."

She gave her friend an uneasy look. "What is it?"

Carly began her pacing again. "The night I left with my dad…I went to say goodbye to Freddie when he was putting away his equipment and…"

"And what?"

"And…well, I kissed him."

Her heart shuttered painfully in her chest. "What? You kissed him?"

"Sort of…maybe…yes."

"Which one is it?"

"Yes." She stopped her pacing and let out a breath. "Yes, I kissed him…it was an impulse thing…I had no intention of doing it because I still didn't feel that way about him, but…"

"But what? You kiss him to mess with his feelings?"

"No! Of course not, Sam! It was just…he was so cute the way he was babbling on and on about something, trying not to sound sad that I was leaving, but doing such a poor job, that…I don't know, it just felt like the thing to do."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It didn't matter...I was going to Italy and he was staying here…it was just a kiss goodbye and it lasted all but a second, but…It's been in the back of my mind these past two years and…well, I think I want to try it with him. Is that completely nuts?"

"Yes," she answered honestly and then sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "But…you should do it."

"Really?"

"If that's what you want…if that's what Freddie wants…why not? I couldn't care in the least." Liar, liar, pants totally on fire!

"But…are you sure you don't have feelings for him? I know you haven't seen him much since you live in California now…and will go back to California after Christmas, but…seeing him now, after all this time…"

"Nothing has changed," she assured her. "He's just a friend, Carly…Freddie and I don't make sense as a couple…we never did."

"That's stupid…and wrong…you two were great when you were together."

"Maybe…but that was a long time ago…so, yeah…ask Freddie out…make the nub happy." She needed to go. She really needed to get out of here before she went ballistic. "Anyway, I better run…I need to get home and make sure mom takes her meds."

"What is she on this time?"

"I forget…hopefully something to make her less batty." She had to fight the urge to flee out the door, but managed to slowly make her way to the door. "See you tomorrow…sorry again about your date."

"Thanks…see you tomorrow."

Sam gave her a salute as she opened the door and as soon as she closed it behind her, she took a moment to let out a shaky breath. Carly kissed Freddie…her Freddie…okay, maybe not her Freddie…he hadn't been her Freddie in a long, long time. However, there were times that she still felt drawn to him…felt like they were still together in some way…minus all the make-out sessions of course.

Man, did she miss those, she thought with a sigh as she finally headed down the hall towards the elevator. Freddie was a geek to the core, but he sure knew how to kiss. So good in fact, that they actually had broken up at 2:00 in the morning instead of midnight like they originally planned. It had been hard for both of them to pull away from each other.

Best to forget about it, she thought as she squared her shoulders and shook the memories away. Her relationship with Freddie was best kept where it belonged…in the past.

The elevator dinged and she headed toward the sliding door when the object of her thoughts stepped out of the elevator and into the hall. "Hey," Freddie said with a smile. "Just the girl I've been looking for."