Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Sam was, as Carly had predicted, sitting on the fire escape. Freddie found her sitting sideways on the steps, her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin wresting on her knees.

Freddie knocked lightly on the glass and Sam gave him a very small smile. He climbed over the window sill and sat on the step below Sam, facing her.

"Hey," He started quietly.

"Hey." She refused to look him in the eyes, staring instead at his knees.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"What are you sorry for?"

"For leading you on again. I can't start a relationship with you."

"Why not?" He asked the question like a petulant child and Sam couldn't stop herself laughing. She shifted forward, closer to Freddie and wrapped an arm around his leg.

"I do love you, you know that, but I can't cope with a long distance relationship, I'll go all to pieces and cheat on you or I'll get so paranoid that I'll have someone follow you or-"

"Sam." Freddie smiled. She looked at him, meeting his gaze this time. He held his arm out and they both twisted around, moving so they were beside each other and Freddie had his arm over Sam's shoulders. She leaned into him.

"I have some good news, if you're really interested in a serious relationship with me."

"I... am."

"Okay, you know how you want to move to LA so you can be close to Carly when she finishes her Broadway run?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I talked to my boss and he's willing to transfer me from Nebraska so I bought an apartment. It's pretty small, and the kitchen's tiny, but it's got two bedrooms and you're more than welcome to move in with me; if you want to." Freddie looked down nervously as Sam leaned back to look at him. She stared at him for a tense second or two and then exclaimed "I completely love you Freddie, you're the most awesome person ever!" and threw her arms around his neck. Freddie's arms curled tightly around her waist in response, crushing her against him. She stayed in his arms for near a minute before she sprang down the stairs and scrambled into the hallway. Freddie rushed after her and she spun around so suddenly that he crashed in to her, sending himself tumbling to the floor. Sam giggled and leaned over him with her hands against her knees.

"I guess I just fell for you." Freddie joked with a lopsided grin, propping himself up on his elbows. Sam shook her head as if he was a lost cause and grinned back. "I don't think we'll need that second bedroom." She told him lowly, enjoying the blush that spread over his face.

"Need a hand?" She held her hand out to pull him up. He eyed her suspiciously then shrugged and accepted her help. As soon as he was on his feet again Sam wound her arms around his neck and stretched onto her tiptoes to press her lips against his. Freddie wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back happily.

"I love - you." Freddie crooned between kisses "and you're the – most beautiful – girl on the planet."

"Shut up dork." Sam replied, but he could feel her grinning against his lips as she deepened their kiss and he lifted her off the ground completely. Five minutes later he returned her to the floor ending the kiss. Sam made a discontented noise and leant up and pulled him back down into her, connecting their lips once more. Freddie didn't object and Sam hopped onto his feet. He took one step forward to regain his balance and buried one hand in her hair, the other sliding over her lower back. Minutes later a bright flash interrupted them and they looked down the hall to see Carly with a camera in her hand and a pleased smile stretched over her face.

"That one's definitely going in the album." She crowed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Sam shimmied out of Freddie's grip and skittered over to Carly who held the camera against her chest protectively.

"I'm not gonna delete your photo, I want to hug you."

"Oh," Carly smiled and opened her arms. Sam folded Carly into a hug. "Freddie and I are moving to LA, we'll be able to see you all the time when you get home from New York." She trilled.

"Oh my God!" Carly squealed, lifting Sam clear off the floor as she hugged her enthusiastically, swinging from side to side. Sam laughed loudly and broke out of Carly's grasp, taking the brunette's hand she grabbed Freddie's too and dragged them back to Spencer's apartment. Carly curled up in an armchair while Freddie slouched on the sofa and Sam raided the fridge. She emerged with a pot of chocolate mousse and dropped onto the sofa with her back against Freddie's side. He turned slightly towards her and slung his arm over her shoulders, smiling brightly. Sam stretched her legs out, crossed at the ankle, taking up the rest of the couch. She snuggled back against Freddie and got stuck into her snack. Carly laughed and snapped another photo of them.

"Hey, add to the two I've just taken the ones from Christmas four years ago when you got caught under the mistletoe and the photos from Prom and I'm building up quite a collection for your wedding album" Carly beamed.

"Whoa there Carlotta, wedding?" Sam repeated, sitting up. Freddie pulled her back down, tucking her into his side. She curled her legs up under herself and placed a hand on his chest, pecking his lips.

"Yes, wedding." Carly reiterated, snapping another photo of the couple's new pose.

"Don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself Carly, don't buy the invitations yet okay." Freddie chuckled.

"It's only a matter of time." She assured them smugly. Sam opened her mouth to retort but Freddie cupped the back of her head and turned her face towards his, stopping her words with his lips. Carly took yet another photo, placed the camera on the table, and danced into the kitchen.

"Anyone want a drink?" she called over her shoulder.

"Yes." Sam answered, "Please." She added when Freddie poked her side. "I'm good thanks." He said.

Carly handed Sam a glass of cola and perched on the arm of the couch just as Spencer came through the door carting a tower of precariously balanced hamster wheels.

"Should we ask?" Carly questioned.

"No." Spencer huffed, disappearing into his room.

"Your brother is a very interesting man." Freddie stated blandly. Sam and Carly burst into laughter, soon followed by Freddie. The trio were still grinning when Spencer returned to the living room ten minutes later and plonked himself down in the empty chair.

The front door opened and Mrs Benson stepped into the apartment.

"Freddie I want you to- what in the name of all things sanitary are you doing with that delinquent?" she screeched upon spotting him and Sam. Sam raised her head from where she'd had it nestled against Freddie's neck and smiled sweetly at his mother. "Hello Marissa," she chirped.

Carly snorted daintily and hastily faked a coughing fit to cover it. Freddie didn't try to conceal his smile as he wound his arm around Sam's waist and waved calmly with his free hand. "Hi Mum." He greeted cheerfully.

"I think it would be a good idea if you didn't sit so close to each other." She smiled through gritted teeth.

"And why is that?" Sam's tone was saccharine but her eyes were gleaming deviously and Freddie mentally prepared himself for the worst.

"It's not really... appropriate for two people to sit together like you are unless they're... intimate with each other." Marissa explained.

"Ooo-oh" Sam said with exaggerated comprehension. "I get it." She winked conspiratorially at Marissa and snuggled deeper into Freddie's frame. The older woman gaped at them.

"Freddie, are you in a relationship with Samantha?" she asked falteringly.

"I guess so." Her son beamed, running a hand through Sam's curls.

"Well, I- you should- please don't- I just..." Marissa trailed off and shook her head despairingly.

Sam gave an evil laugh and sat up, moving away from Freddie. Carly dropped into the seat beside Sam and the shorter girl laid her head on Carly's shoulder closing her eyes.

"You can't go to sleep now." Carly said, rolling her shoulder. Sam grunted and poked Carly, prodding her back into place. Freddie chuckled and reached over scooping Sam back towards him and placing a cushion under her head.

"Thanks Freddifer." She mumbled, kissing his shoulder and curling up. Carly threw a helpless look at Mrs Benson, who was observing her son with an odd, almost sad expression. Carly suddenly felt very sorry for the neurotic woman.

"They're in love Mrs Benson, what can you do?" she asked softly. Marissa sighed and nodded.

"Home by nine Freddie." She said quietly but firmly and then she headed out of the door.

"Sam." Carly said, tapping the blonde's foot when she got no response.

"What?"

"Go easy on Mrs B okay, she loves Freddie a lot and it's hard for her to accept that there's another woman in his life now."

"You and I have always been in his life Carls, it's not that different. Crazy never liked us."

"Just be nice."

"Okay." Sam rolled her eyes.

"I'm going in the shower." Carly informed then, ending the conversation and heading up the staircase.

Spencer got to his feet and announced that he was going out to meet Socko, yelling up the stairs so Carly could hear. He waved to Sam and Freddie and ambled out thought the front door.

"My mother doesn't really hate you, you know." Freddie murmured against Sam's temple.

"Sure she doesn't." Sam snorted.

"Okay, so she kinda does, but I love you, so she'll grin and bear it."

"Say that again."

"She'll grin and bear it."

"Haha, don't make me hit you, say it again."

"I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you." he trailed kisses from her cheek to her lips and back before she shoved him away playfully.

"I get it Fredsap." She laughed with her hand over his face. "I love you." he replied, his voice muffled by her hand.

"Yeah yeah," she tousled his hair roughly and slid her arms around his neck, shifting into his lap.

"I lo-" Sam cut him off with a hasty kiss, which he returned tenfold. He wrapped his arms around her and meshed their lips together so determinedly that Sam completely forgot she was supposed to be distracting him and kissed him back with renewed fervour, one hand tangling into her hair as the other ran down his neck into his shirt. His hands slipped under her top, fingers grazing over her sides and she pressed herself against him as if trying to sink into him. "You're beautiful." He whispered, nibbling along her jaw. "You really believe that don't you." she replied breathlessly, tilting her head back and pulling at the collar of his shirt. He tore his lips away from her skin and held her away, levelling her with a hard stare.

"You know you're beautiful." He admonished.

"No one's ever told me except you."

"That doesn't mean they weren't thinking it."

Sam shrugged and tucked her hair behind her ear self consciously, her hand falling into her lap. Freddie laced his hands behind her back, beneath her top and pulled her closer once more.

"You're the prettiest girl ever, even prettier than Carly, and you have the most gorgeous hair, you're outrageously funny, and you have criminally soft skin." He told her warmly. "Really?" she giggled. "Uh huh." He kissed her neck, nuzzling his nose into the hollow beneath her ear.

"You've got earrings in." He whined.

"Oh, do you like them? You bought them for me."

"No I didn't."

"It was your money," Sam shrugged nonchalantly.

"You're impossible." Freddie griped, tipping his head down biting gently down on the skin where her neck met her shoulder. She gasped and hers fingers fisted into the front of his polo, tugging him nearer. Freddie bit down again and Sam hissed, her nails digging into his chest.

"I love you." he crooned against her throat and Sam suddenly remembered her original reason for kissing him. She promptly curled her hand around the back of his neck and guided his mouth back against hers. Their tongues tangled almost violently, teeth clinking together in their eagerness to explore each other completely as Sam worked to undo the buttons of his polo shirt one handed and his hands curled around her thighs on either side of his. He hauled her closer to himself, his hands sliding slowly from her knees to her hips and up over her sides, running luxuriously up and down her ribcage. She finally got all three buttons undone and grasped the edges of the top, lifting it up.

Freddie kept his arms down, stopping her. She looked at him questioningly, hurt seeping into her eyes. He drew in a ragged breath and rested his forehead against her shoulder blowing softly over her collar bone. Her skin erupted in goose bumps and he smiled.

"Freddie?" her voice was unusually weak and he glanced up at her.

"Carly's upstairs." He reminded her.

"Good point. She'd probably have heart failure if she walked in on us defiling her living room."

"We could always go and defile my bed," Freddie suggested, nipping encouragingly at her neck.

"Your mother would die; and then come back to kill us, and then die again."

Freddie laughed and brushed a few stray hairs from Sam's face. "I love you." he smiled, and he looked so happy and sincere than Sam couldn't help but say it back. She leant forward and kissed his cheek. "I know," she whispered, "I love you too."

There was a quiet cooing from the stairs and they looked over to see Carly standing there in a bath robe with her hair wrapped in a towel and her phone trained on them.

"Shit." Sam spat, scrambling off Freddie's lap and racing after Carly, who bolted around the kitchen island.

"Come here Shay!"

Carly screamed and dashed around the sofa. Freddie grabbed Sam as she sped past and she tumbled down beside him, struggling all the while.

"Sam, stop squirming. Carly, get over here."

Carly walked over with her head bowed, holding the phone behind her back.

"I'm just trying to build up a collection for your wedding video." She explained sheepishly from behind a curtain of her hair. Sam growled and Freddie restrained her as she made to lunge at her best friend.

"Fine!" Sam exclaimed, wrenching out of Freddie's hold and throwing herself against the back of the sofa. She folded her arms over her chest, glowering icily at the floor.

"It's not so bad Sam, we were only kissing." Freddie soothed. Sam whirled on him with a fiery glare.

"Only kissing?" she screeched. "Is that all we were doing Mr. Let's-go-have-sex?"

"Sam." Freddie quavered, at a loss for words, staring at her in shock. She huffed and knocked his hand away when he tried to place it on her shoulder. He threw Carly a despairing look and the brunette edged forward, seating herself gingerly next to her seething almost-sister.

"I'll delete the video if you want Sam," she cajoled. "Really?" "Of course, I hate seeing you like this." "You can keep it, I'm fine, just a little over-whelmed." Quite suddenly she started to laugh, falling back against Freddie and pulling his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I've no idea what that was about."

"Hey, I'm used to you abusing me for no reason." He joked. Sam smiled and dived forward to hug Carly, who squeezed her back with a startled squeak. Separating from Carly Sam settled back against Freddie's chest, nestling her head under his chin.

"Do you need to move for the next hour?" "No, why?" "I want to nap." "Go ahead." Sam did just that, falling asleep almost instantly.

"Do you really think I'm planning too far ahead with all this wedding-talk?" Carly asked quietly after a while. Freddie was silent for a moment, frowning thoughtfully. "Not really, I'll propose to her eventually. The real unknown is whether she'll say yes."

"I think she will, but on the off chance that she doesn't, what'll you do?"

"Put the ring somewhere safe and wait until I think she's ready."

"You really love her that much?"

"Yes."

"I'm so glad. Sam's had a lot of crappy boyfriends and it's great to see her in the arms of someone I know will treat her well, especially seeing as it's you."

"Thank you."

"Being one of your best friends doesn't mean I won't slap you silly if you do mess with her though and Spencer loves her almost like a little sister and he's bigger than you, remember that."

"Yes Ma'am." Freddie laughed quietly, careful not to wake his sleeping girlfriend.

"Do you mind if I take another photo? I'll turn the flash off." "I don't mind."

Carly hopped up and snatched her camera from the table, snapping several photos of Sam and Freddie form various angles.

"You two are so photogenic." She beamed, flicking through pictures on the camera screen.

"Thanks, you too." Carly waltzed over to the computer and plugged the camera in.

"I'm gonna e-mail these pictures to Melanie, she'll be so thrilled, she's wanted Sam to get with you for the last five years."

Freddie chuckled and rested his cheek against Sam's head, his arm curling more tightly around her. Carly suspected then that Freddie's crush on Sam may have been longer running than she had first thought. She smiled secretly to herself and selected the photos she wanted to download, humming cheerfully under her breath.

Sam's eyes fluttered open and she tugged gently at Freddie's shirt. He looked down at her. "For the record," she whispered with her lips as close to his ear as she could get them without muffling her words. "I'd very probably say yes." She closed her eyes again, her face breaking into a bright smile. Freddie's face took on a look of complete ecstaticness and he kissed her fondly. She responded for a moment or two then batted him away gently.

"Sleepy." She reminded him, slotting her head back into the hollow between his neck and shoulder and pushed him back into the sofa, wriggling until she was comfortable and falling back into sleep. Freddie closed his eyes, smiling softly to himself and unconsciously rocking Sam.

Carly closed down the computer and crept up to her room, leaving the lovebirds alone.

Freddie wasn't sure how much time had passed when he woke up, glancing around the room. Carly was still upstairs and Sam's weight was warm and pleasant against his side. Her hair smelt of Jasmine and the skin of her arm was soft against his hand. He couldn't remember a time when he'd ever felt so truly content. He revelled in the feeling for nearly fifteen minutes before Carly descended the stairs and sat next to him.

"It's almost nine." She informed him. He shook Sam gently and she sat up, blinking rapidly. She stretched happily, "That was a good nap, you're a great pillow Fredster."

Freddie laughed and kissed her. "I've got to go now, but I'll see you tomorrow."

"Of course you will."

Freddie stood and made his way over to the door, stopping in front of it. He turned back to Sam and grinned at her. "I love you." he announced.

"I know." Sam smirked. Freddie chuckled. "Worth a shot." He shrugged. "See you both tomorrow." He was almost through the door when Sam sprang up from the sofa and ran forward, calling him back.

He turned and she swung an arm around his neck, clinging to his shoulder with her other hand and pressing her lips fiercely against his. His hands found her hips and he kissed her back gleefully.

They broke apart a minute later, both breathless and with wide smiles. "I love you." Sam chirped, and then she slammed the door in his face. Freddie stood there, stunned. He could hear Carly chiding Sam and Sam laughing, their voices, muffled by the door, seeming distant and dreamlike. Soon, Carly's laughter joined Sam's and Freddie was tempted to peek back inside and see their faces. He shook his head and opened his own front door instead, dodging his mother and making a beeline for his room. He laid in his clothes, staring at the ceiling, picturing Sam in a wedding dress, her hair adorned with a circlet of blue rosebuds to match her eyes and black and white converses on her feet. He fell asleep with that image etched firmly in his mind. He awoke the following morning knowing he'd found his forever, and that for all she irritated him to hell and back, he wouldn't change her for the world.

***
A.N. : So, iDon't Want to Lose You is finished, although I may write a one-shot at some point in the future about 'that Christmas Sam and Freddie got caught under the mistletoe' which Carly mentions ;)

I'm not exactly happy with it, I think it's kinda long and rambly, but I just couldn't find a good point to end it, so... I hope it wasn't too meh-ish. I wanted to end it, like the first chapter, with Freddie hearing the girls laughing through the Shay's door and then going to sleep dreaming of Sam. I know Sam is a bit OOC, but I just adore the thought of Sam and Freddie being all snugly.

Hugs and Thanks for reading ^.^