Dangerous Journey

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly

A/N: So I want to make this perfectly clear for those who might wonder why this is iCarly and not Sam and Cat. Well, because this will not follow with the S&C series. Freddie will be in Los Angeles (as early as this chapter), Carly will eventually be in California, Sasha's here and Spencer's a big role in all of this. This is iCarly, this is not Sam and Cat and it is in no way Victorious (Tori's friends will not even play that big of a part in this, they will appear maybe a few small times). That said enjoy the chapter and story.

Chapter 2 (A View of Hell)

Sam pressed herself up against a white tile wall and held her breath as a large person walked past her, followed by a group of loud teenagers and two rowdy kids. "This right here is why I hate malls," she muttered.

The biggest reason she was at the Los Angeles mall was because she overheard Cat talking on the phone with Tori about her going to the mall with her sister to look for some shoes.

The mall itself was bigger than the one in Seattle, and certainly would give even Carly a heart attack. There wasn't an inch of elbow room, yet the halls had to be at least twenty feet apart. Not to mention, every single person she passed sneered at her like she was the one invading their personal space.

"Okay." Sam pulled her purse strap onto her shoulder just as it was starting to fall off, then took a deep breath. "There are probably twenty shoe stores in this mall, which one are those girls at?"

Sam didn't have a plan for what to do once she found the girls. It was possible to befriend them, or at least let Tori recognize her from iCarly. The biggest issue was how to get Trina to believe she was here because her true family wanted her. Even if Trina knew she was abducted as a child, after all these years, it wouldn't be easy to believe anyone was going to save her.

"How am I going to do that?" Sam took a deep breath and rushed towards a small stairwell, then gripped the handlebar with a firm hand. Her eyes flew to those moving past her, and she blew out. "Worse than the Seattle malls…even Carly would go insane if she had to come in here."

Every time she'd been in a mall, it was with either her sister or Carly, and they were able to unintentionally distract her from the crowds by talking her ear off.

With this in mind, Sam dialed her sister's number on her cell and started walking once the phone began to ring. It was an odd way for her to focus, but it was a method that worked.

"Sam?" Melanie answered on the other end. Water was running in the background, and she could hear the sound of dishware clacking on the counter. "What's up?"

"Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, I'm just putting away some dishes." A buzzing sound stung her ear and she pulled the phone away with a growl. She glared at the device, then relaxed when she saw a text message.

"Just a moment, Mel." She clicked the text message, thrilled to see Cat got back to her; the girls were in a store called Boot City. "Finally," she said with an exhale, "I know where to look." She turned her head up and peered down the aisle, looking for one of the large map screens that many malls had.

"Oh Sam, Mom's not happy that you moved to Los Angeles." She rolled her eyes and pushed through the crowd, making sure to get into every open spot that she could.

"I told both of you it's only temporary." If she told them why she was there, they would freak out. Melanie more than Pam, but even Pam had enough concern for her daughters that she didn't want to see their lives at risk. "I'm kind of on a top secret mission of sorts for Spencer."

"You're still being vague." Melanie's tone was dry and flat, and though Sam could not see her, she could feel her sister's annoyed glare burning into her. "There's nothing in Los Angeles for you. I don't understand why you'd go. You've always talked about how much you hate larger cities, and that's larger than Seattle."

"What about all the famous people, Mel?"

"Please. I'm more interested in celebrities than you are." It was true. Melanie was the one keeping up with the latest celebrity fashions, gossip, and the like. While at the same time, Sam would tune out of anything she would do or say that had to do with celebrities.

"Look, I have my reasons for being here. I just can't say what." She peered around a corner, looking down the left side of an aisle, then looked away disdainfully when all she saw were clothing stores. "At most, I can say Spencer has me looking for someone."

"Who?"

"I can't tell you that part…"

"Sam." To her right, there were several clothing and jewelry shops. As she continued, she passed up the food court. Normally she might stop to see what was there, but two things kept her from being interested in the mall's food court: Her initial mission to find the sisters, and the fact that she wouldn't be able to enjoy eating when surrounded by all these people.

"Sam talk to me. I know something's bugging you, and it has to do with what you're in LA for, doesn't it?"

"Only a little."

In her mind she pictured this not only being easier, but by befriending Tori and Trina, she could get close to them without further using Cat and the rest of her friends.

Just as she was about to turn a corner, a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. "Sam Puckett, is that you?" Her lips separated for a moment and her eyes darted to the sides.

It was a woman that was all too familiar, but not someone she'd consider an enemy but someone she didn't know how to react to. She lowered her phone, forgetting to tell Melanie to wait for a minute, then slowly turned around.

"Sasha, what are you doing here?" Sasha still looked as she did several years ago, when they first saw her. The woman had a purple shirt and long blue jeans, and a nametag on her left breast. "You're working at the mall?" Her eyes widened and she pointed at the nametag.

"It's my second job, but yes, I work at the arcade when I'm not teaching my karate class." Her heart skipped a note and a spark of excitement rushed through her veins.

If Sasha taught martial arts of some kind, then it could be beneficial in the long run. After all, going up against a dangerous felon meant she needed to be more proficient in defending herself.

She could fight at the street level, but that was it, she couldn't defend herself against a possibly violent criminal that stalked and kidnapped someone, only to get away with it for over a decade. Hell, the man was a cop, so it was almost a guarantee that he had a gun.

"Spencer sent me an email, saying you were here, but he wouldn't say why." Sasha moved her hands to her hips and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you here?" She took a deep breath and mustered a smile.

"So the two of you still contact each other?"

"Occasionally." Sasha crossed her arms over her stomach and looked towards the side. Her voice quieted and the corners of her mouth dropped. "I miss him." Sasha's head shook from side to side, and her right hand moved up to her forehead, where she pulled her bangs away with her fingers.

"But that's beside the point. He said he sent you here, but wouldn't tell me the reason. If he won't tell me, then I know it's serious."

"I'm looking for somebody." She was going to attempt to beat around the bush, but not only would Sasha likely detect the attempted cover up, but she would recognize names. Sasha was there when this man kidnapped Trina, the memory was fresh on her mind as it was for Spencer, so Sam needed to be careful with her approach.

"Tori!" The lightbulb in her head went off and her lips slid into a broad smirk. "I'm looking for Tori Vega." Sasha's eyebrows rose and her right arm dropped down to her side.

"Oh? I know her sister." Sam's jaw dropped and her hand tightened around her phone. When she heard a beep, she glanced down to the phone and narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry for interrupting your phone call, by the way…"

"It's fine." She pocketed her phone with a sigh and looked up to Sasha. "I was just talking to my sister to pass the time. Do you know where 'Boot City' is, by the way?"

"I do."

"Tori and her sister would be there. Could you take me?"

"Gladly." They started walking, and soon the crowd began to fade away while Sam focused on Sasha. There was so much she wanted to ask the woman, but at the same time, she didn't want to pry too much.

"So…You said you know her sister. How do you know her?"

"She's one of my students. She's quiet in the class, which is different from how she is at her school. It's better though, since you need to be able to have focus when learning a defensive art."

"Agreed."

"She reminds me a little of someone." Sam watched Sasha's face drop. Her eyes held a somber glint, and her hands closed up. "Just her name, really. 'Katrina'. I knew a girl named Trina once-sort of." Sasha cleared her throat and pointed down a side alley. "The boot store is down here."

"Thanks." Sam followed after, then looked away to the right as a large family passed them. "So she reminds you of an old friend? Name only?"

"I don't know if I'd say it like that." Sasha glanced at her and shrugged. "I really shouldn't have said that, and I'd like not to talk about it." Sensing the pain and reading the guilt in Sasha's eyes, she was quick to move on.

"So we can talk about something else."

Most people wouldn't understand why Sasha would feel any guilt, but after hearing Spencer's story, it was clear as day to her. Spencer had gone off with Sasha, and the girl likely felt like she distracted him from his mother and sister when a stalker was following them.

"Thank you. Who are you staying with?"

"A girl named Cat." Sam scratched the back of her neck and frowned at the thought of the chipper redhead. She hated the feeling that she was using the girl, which it wasn't intentionally that way, but she still was. "I met her when I got here. She's nice, seems like she'd be a great friend, but-"

"Your mind's not in the right place?"

"I didn't come here to make friends with people." She lowered her hand and closed her eyes. Her heart sank into her stomach, and every muscle in her body was numb. "I would like to be her friend, but the truth is…I'm only here for the reason Spencer wants me to be. It's not long term."

"Can you tell the girl?"

She scoffed and crossed her arms, speaking under her breath. "She'd freak out if she knew why I was here." Sasha raised an eyebrow and moved her hands up to her hips. Sam glanced to the side while still muttering. "Not to mention it puts her in danger…"

"If you need someone to stay with, without feeling guilty about it, I have room." Her eyes widened and she bounced up on her heels.

"Really?"

"Of course. Anything for one of Spencer's friends." This was a great offer, and Sam could still be friends with Cat while not putting the girl in any sort of danger or feeling like she was using her to get close to the Vega family.

"I might take you up on that, but I'll have to think about it."

"I'm happy to have you if you need me for anything."

It was apparent that Sasha still felt something for Spencer, and the fact that she still communicated with him meant she still cared. What wasn't apparent was the reason the two were separated.

Several seconds of silence passed as she contemplated this. She watched several people pass by, and listened to the sound of chatter and footsteps all around her. Her anxiety was rising and she felt herself moving closer to Sasha.

"God I hate crowds." She crossed her arms and looked up as the woman informed her they were nearly to the store. "Can I ask you something, Sasha?"

"Sure."

"Why aren't you and Spencer together? Both of you still care about each other." Sasha stopped walking and looked over her shoulder at Sam. Her eyebrows were high and her body was stiff. "Is it that bad?"

"Bad? No, nothing bad. It's…a bit of a long story." Sasha's eyes started to quiver, then she looked away. "The decision to separate was mutual." Sam tilted her head and waited for the tears to come, but she couldn't see them due to the angle of Sasha's head.

"You didn't want to separate though?"

"No." Sam bowed her head and pushed her trembling fingers into her jean pockets. Soon the quaking sensation overtook her and drew tears to her own eyes once Freddie came to mind. "Neither of us were ready to be in a committed relationship then, I'll say that much."

"It didn't have anything to do with his art, did it?"

"Maybe a little, but no, I thought it was a great hobby for him to have. It became a little more than a hobby, though, almost like an addiction." Sasha started walking again. Her lips pursed and her eyes focused on a shop at the end of the alley. "Again, long story, but we're here."

"You know what? I know that feeling, being with someone you care about that isn't ready to commit to a relationship." She breathed in slowly and dropped her eyes to the floor. "I feel in love with a guy-a bit of a mama's boy." She chuckled at the vivid memory of Marissa and closed her eyes. "She was crazy protective of him."

"You don't say."

"Yeah. Still, he was sweet. One of the only guys that treated me nicely when we dated. The only problem was he just wasn't ready for a relationship-neither of us were-but he still had eyes for this other girl."

The numbness in her body seemed only to increase as her heart swelled with pain and regret. "He still wanted a relationship with someone that didn't feel the same way…but that was his obsession." Sasha frowned and Sam ran her fingers over the fresh moisture beneath her eyes. Her throat was dry and scratchy, and her eyes began to sting. "Like a man watching pornography to get off rather than being with his girl, he wanted a fantasy more than reality."

"I'm sorry."

"He says he grew out of it, he says he wants to be with me again, but I don't know if I can believe or trust him at his word." When Freddie told her back then that he loved her, she thought it was real. In her mind, love wasn't a word to be thrown about casually. It was sacred, meaningful, like sex-it should only happen when it's real.

"Did he cheat on you?" Not to her knowledge, but she knew Carly would never do that to her. However, she did question whether or not Freddie might have taken advantage of an opportunity if Carly had approached him during their relationship to say she wanted to be with him. So while he never cheated on her, she didn't know if he could have.

"No, but it wasn't a month after we broke up that he was back to chasing after that fantasy he had with the one girl." A month after breaking up, she saw the familiar look in Freddie's eyes. The look of desire whenever he saw Carly, a look that she thought vanished when the two of them dated, but now she wondered if she had blinders on during that entire time. "I don't know if anything he said was true."

"If he does honestly care about you, then it'll show."

"Yeah, well, I don't want to waste my tears." She saw two girls leaving the store, each with two bags in each hand. Sam cleared her throat and wiped away her tears. "I have stuff to do."

She recognized Tori almost instantly from having met the girl a year ago. Trina was a vague memory, but she recognized the girl as well. Yet, Trina's eyes flew to Sasha first. "Sensei Rodriquez?" Trina approached Sasha and turned up a vague smile. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I do work at the arcade," Sasha replied with a laugh. "Though I am considering quitting that job. It is exhausting." Sasha ran her fingers through her hair and exhaled sharply. "I can't hear 'Sasha Striker' enough from people who frequent that damn place."

"You never seem happy to be here. In this city in general."

"Yeah well, some memories make it a little more grueling than necessary." Sasha looked at Tori, then to Sam. "By the way, Sam here was looking for you and your sister." Sam perked up at the mention of her name and smiled politely as the girls looked her way.

"I know you," Tori chimed, "We met last year. How's Carly, and what brings you back to Los Angeles?"

"Oh it's a long story," Sam replied. She heard Sasha chuckle, then grinned. "I'm in town a while, and I thought I could meet some new people." Her gaze slid towards Trina and she held it on the girl for a moment.

Trina was looking into one of her shopping bags and had an idle expression on her face-as though she wasn't fully present. She needed to get this girl talking so she could get closer, but that was going to take time.

First, she needed to get into that house and size up the kidnapper. "So..." Sam looked back at Tori and started to smile. "I hear you're a good card shark."

"Who told you that? Cat? Are you her new roommate?"

"Yeah, that's me, but I don't know if I'm going to stay with her or not." She wanted to take up Sasha's offer. Not only did she not have time for babysitting, but she couldn't get the nagging feeling of guilt out of her mind. "Again, long story."

Tori's mouth opened into a circle, and her brow furrowed for a split second. "Oh. Well, my friends and I do like to pay poker once in a while. You could join us." Trina lifted her head and frowned at Tori.

"She knows my karate teacher," Trina whispered, "Do you think I could get a chance to talk to her before you and your group of friends steal her away?" Sam raised an eyebrow and Tori sighed.

"It's not like you can't be friends with people that I'm friends with, Tri."

"Are you kidding? Once anyone starts talking to you, nobody wants to talk to me." Trina's eyes narrowed and her lips pulled into a flat line. "I wonder why. You gossip endlessly."

"It isn't intentional. It's not my fault, either."

"Sure it's not."

Tori put her hands to her hips and spoke out defensively, her voice nearly echoed above the chatter around them. "Dad's the one that's anal about it, not me. I don't care who you talk to!"

"Right…" Trina stepped forward and extended a hand to Sam. "I'm Trina, by the way." Sam looked into Trina's sad brown eyes and tried to smile, hoping a friendly smile would offer some relief to the ancient pain she was looking into.

"Samantha." She shook Trina's hand and nodded. Trina's handshake was loose and weak, but her hand still held onto Sam's as if clinging to a potential lifeline. "It's good to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

Trina's eyes widened and her hand fell to the side. "You have?" Sasha turned her head and Sam rebounded quickly.

"From Sasha here, yeah." Sasha started to speak, but then shut her mouth. There was a skeptical look in her eyes, and fearing what the woman would say, Sam did her best to avoid her gaze. "I'd like to learn some of the defense techniques, and Sasha says you're a good student."

"Oh." A red tint flooded Trina's cheeks and her mouth turned up into a tiny, but faint smile. "I am decent. Maybe I could show you a few moves sometime."

"I'd like that."

Thinking back to what Tori just said, she had to wonder more about this officer. If Trina was friendless, it would make sense that the reason was because the kidnapper controlled who she tried to talk to.

Tori may be taking the blame for that, but Sam wasn't sure if that was intentional or not. The fact remains that Tori had friends when Trina clearly did not, and there was no way idle gossip alone would keep everyone away from Trina.

"So how much control does the guy have over who his daughters talk to?" Her eyelids fell halfway and she glanced over her shoulder, almost expectant that the officer could potentially have eyes here. "Just the fact that he's a cop can be intimidating. He has the power to scare people-just threaten to throw them in jail and they'll stay away, but more than that…"

Sam furrowed her brow and glanced back to the sisters. Trina was removing something from her bag to show Sasha, and Tori was focused on her. Sam crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

"That man is a criminal that doesn't want to be found out. A simple cop isn't going to needlessly threaten someone's life, a criminal will, and if talking to the girl that he abducted will cause someone their life…they'll stay away."

This wasn't just going to be dangerous; this was going to be pure hell.

So there's a lot that happened here, and a lot discussed. As it is, we'll see Freddie again. What are your thoughts on everything? How do you feel about the kidnapper at this point? Also you can see this will not follow S&C, as I've stated before. I may have Sam move in with Sasha at this point, would you agree that such a decision might be safer? We still do not know how dangerous the kidnapper is, but as Sam notes in the end, there might be a good reason to expect him to take lethal measures. Would he stop at lethality if he knew one of Tori's friends was aiding the person that could possibly get Trina out from under his thumb?