There was complete silence as the two of them scrolled down their website page, reading the reviews of their latest iCarly show in the kitchen. Most of the reviews were positive, as always, but this time there were new comments. They weren't ratting on the show, but they certainly brought up a subject that had never once existed before.

"Look, there's another one." Carly's eyes darted down the computer screen. Her voice wobbled slightly as she read out the review, "'Great show, as always iCarly crew, but it wasn't one of your best. Carly and Sam, you guys just didn't mix as well as you usually do. Often you're completing each other's sentences, but this episode it seemed like you two hardly knew each other. Hope next time is better'."

"There's another right below it," Freddie sighed and read, "'Sam, what was up with you during this show? The best part of iCarly is when you make fun of the tech geek Frankie. You didn't even make fun of him once this episode!'" He paused for a moment and added bitterly, "Whoever this reviewer was could have at least tried to get my name right."

Carly quickly scrolled further down from that last review, saying reassuringly, "Just ignore it Freddie. I mean, most of these reviews are still really positive, right? Just be glad Sam isn't here to read these or else she would probably throw this computer out the window…" Carly's voice faded slowly as she scanned the last review on the website page. She swallowed, unable to read it and wondering if the blood in Freddie's veins had run cold like hers.

"Hey iCarly!!!!" the obnoxious reviewer had written, "This week's episode was awkward, and not a good awkward. Carly and Sam, if you two are in a fight or something, HURRY UP AND GET OVER IT BECAUSE IT'S TOTALLY OBVIOUS. The episode was too awkward to even LOL more than twice."

Clenching her teeth, Carly turned her back to the computer. "The episode was too awkward to even LOL more than twice?" she repeated frantically. "Who talks like that? It doesn't… it hardly makes sense!"

Freddie bit down hard on his lower lip. He raised an arm, about to rub Carly's shoulder to try and be comforting, but stopped midway. Feeling himself seize up, Freddie drew his fingers back into a fist and silently dropped his arm back down to his side. Knowing that she was waiting for him to do something, he said lamely, "It's just one review Carly."

Really? That was all he could say to try and console his own girlfriend?

Carly hardly heard him though. She had crossed her arms, drumming her fingers in thought. Everything was supposed to be fine between her and Sam and Freddie. Things were finally going her way. So then what was the reason behind their show suffering? Exhaling suddenly, Carly turned back to Freddie with a determined look on her face. Without warning, she grabbed Freddie's shoulders and kissed him.

It was no good, that guilt. She tried; she really did try to enjoy it, pressing her lips harder against his to make it like something that was seen in those sappy movies that were really only good for visual kissing advice. She wanted to bring it to life, yet there was part of her that kept mentioning the fact that if they were at the stage she had thought they were at, she wouldn't have to worry about bringing anything to life; it should have just happened naturally. She kept pushing against his lips until she realized that just because she was kissing him hard didn't mean there was anything passionate about it. With a small sigh, she pulled back from him at last. It was then that a million guilt-ridden ideas whirled around in Carly's head, because suddenly it was time to admit what had been completely obvious.

"You're not thinking about me right now, are you?" Carly pointed out, a small laugh failing to cover the disappointment in her voice. "Even during that kiss, it was Sam who was on your mind."

Freddie felt his face pale. He couldn't even bother to open his mouth, because how could anyone admit a truth like that to their girlfriend? Watching Carly's dark eyes closely though, he came to the conclusion that she wasn't angry with him. She just looked sad.

"It's fine," Carly admitted, "I don't care, at least not really. It's been a faulty relationship from the beginning, hasn't it?"

Once again, Freddie didn't want to answer. He couldn't be sure if this was Carly's way of breaking up with him, or if he was someone silently breaking up with her. Instead, he asked, "Did you even ever like me?"

"I loved," Carly began hesitantly, "the idea of being with you, because I had gotten it in my head that I would feel better." She paused again, knowing that the confusion in Freddie's eyes meant she had to explain further. "It's like this: the more obvious it became that there was something between you and Sam, the lonelier I felt. And you can't blame me for feeling this because you and Sam were always off in your own little world all the time."

"So you tried to ruin what you thought was between Sam and I?" Freddie asked, shocked. The fact that Carly had seen something at all made Freddie feel funny, like his feet weren't touching the floor anymore. Of course, there was no promise that this was still the case after his faulty relationship with Carly; and just like that, Freddie touched back down. "You were jealous?" he added, irritation rising in his voice.

"Hey," Carly snapped, "for the record, I was convinced that I wasn't ruining anything because when I asked Sam she said she didn't like you!" The ramble of words only hit Carly after she had said them, and her eyes suddenly widened. "Freddie," she said quickly and quietly, "Freddie I'm sorry. I didn't… I mean, that was before all this… You really like her, don't you?"

Before the answer could even be revealed in Freddie's eyes, Spencer, oblivious to anything and everything that was going on, sprinted out of his bedroom. "Sheldon's alive!" he yelled, his goofy grin even larger than normal.

Carly held Freddie's stare a little longer before turning to her brother. With a sigh, she asked, "Was he ever dead?"

"No," Spencer replied, "but I thought he was really sick, remember? Well I finally decided to just tell Socko the truth, but after we talked over the phone he told me that Sheldon was fine and that, get this, hamsters are just nocturnal!"

Freddie had turned away slightly was Spencer, fiddling with his fingers. Spencer hadn't noticed though, and to avoid him from asking what was going on, Carly engaged herself into the conversation. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Spencer asked in disbelief. "Sheldon wasn't sleeping throughout the whole day because he was sick, but because that was when he was supposed to be sleeping. He was probably up all night running on his little wheel, only I didn't hear because I was asleep myself."

"Wow, crazy…"

"Isn't it? I'm going to have to stop my painting though," Spencer added. "There's no way I can make Sheldon stay up all day just to suit me. It's completely unnatural to him, not to mention unfair."

Carly frowned at this. "But don't you want to finish your painting? What are you supposed to do with it now?"

"Paint over it with something else I guess," Spencer answered with a shrug. "I guess I was a little upset at first, but I mean it's only fair. I've already made Sheldon suffer enough as it is. He probably hasn't a full day's sleep in more than a week."

Carly felt her body stiffen. Spencer said something about returning back to Sheldon, but she hardly heard him. After he left, she eyed Freddie who was still silent. He didn't give any signs, but she was sure he had realized the connection between Spencer's story with Sheldon to their own. Just as Spencer had felt guilty about his actions towards Sheldon, Carly was suddenly regretting everything that she caused between her, Sam and Freddie. She really had been scheming for her own good.

"Freddie?" she asked him softly.

When he looked at her, he frowned slightly and asked, "Do you think we're going to find this whole thing embarrassing, everything between us?"

Carly smiled at this. "You mean the fact that we made out in a park? Probably, and it would be best to just forget it all." After a moment of thought, she added, "Actually, you can forget about it, but I'll keep in the back of mind just in case I ever feel the need to plot against anyone ever again."

Freddie grinned at Carly, and she suddenly better. At least he wasn't completely furious at her, but then there was Sam. "Do you want me to talk to her?" Carly asked him. "I'm not just saying this Freddie, but I really think she did like –"

"It's fine," Freddie said quickly, shaking his head. "I think you've done enough for now."

Okay, so maybe Carly only felt a little bit better; most of the guilt was still there, as it should be. Not only had her choices and actions been incredibly self-centre, but they had also put tension on the friendship between her, Sam and Freddie, as well as put the iCarly show in jeopardy. Silently, Carly made a promise that if Freddie and Sam couldn't get over this event themselves, she would do everything possible to get them together – even if meant they would have to leave her out sometimes, even if it meant they would share something she couldn't have, everything. It was time for her to accept this, and realize that she couldn't always put her own needs before others.

It was amazing what you could learn from a man and his hamster.


A/N – Haha, so there was a connection between Sheldon and Carly's stories. Maybe you figured it out… ;)