Disclaimer: I am not a man and do not go by the name of Dan. Thank you.
Chapter 10: iWhy Do We Fall*
*The Dark Knight Rises came out! Best trilogy EVER! :). For copy right issues, I don't own the material mentioned.
"Why do we fall, Bruce? To learn how to pick ourselves up." RISE.
["Her expression changed, he was puppy dogging her. And she wasn't exactly in the position to say no. she shoved him away "fine." They started out of the room, she reached for the door handle as the door swung open and a very angry Pam Puckett was staring back at them."]
A/N: Pam Puckett is very drunk and the text below is her SLURRING her words. Just FYI. Okay you may continue reading now.
"YOU! YOU AND CH-YOUR ATTITUDE-A RUINED MY LIFFFE. YOU RA, RAN CH-YOUR SISSSSTERR OFF-A, AND I HA, HATE CH-YOU." She had anger in her eyes and in the process of drunkenly slurring her insult to Sam had grabbed her wrist, "YOU WILL PAY-A FORR HITTING ME SAMANTHA." Sam was speechless and accepted a long time ago that this was her life. She should've known better than to defend herself in the kitchen earlier. She just couldn't breathe and she didn't want to leave the world like that, she was Samantha Joy Puckett for Christ sake, she'd be damned before she left the world in a fight, AND lost. She was lost in these thoughts when Freddie's voice broke her train of thought.
"Uhm… yeah excuse me Mrs. Puckett, that doesn't really work for me" he said these words in such a nonchalant voice that I swear he was asking about the weather. It made Sam laugh; in return her mother slapped her across the face. This action angered Freddie; he didn't understand the feeling welling up inside him, was it adrenaline? He wasn't for sure, but all he know is that he didn't want Pam Puckett touching Sam, if it was the last thing he did, he would make sure Sam was safe and away from this women. He pried Pam's hands off Sam's wrists and was holding this woman off with nothing but pure strength and adrenaline. "I wasn't kidding Mrs. Puckett hurting Sam, yeah that doesn't work for me."
Sam was in awe at two things, one. The fact that Freddie, her sworn 'frenemie', was standing up for her and to her mother at that, and two. the fact that Freddie was restraining her at all. Pam Puckett was where Sam got her non-human strength, that's why Sam normally didn't fight back; her mother had the strength to kill her. Freddie looked as if he wasn't even trying, his biceps bulging, this boy. When did he gain this strength? When did he start sticking up for her? When did he become her hero? Wait. Sam Puckett needs a hero? No she certainly does not and she would make sure he knew he was over stepping boundaries by being all Hero-y. Pam broke her thoughts…
"OHHH! SO YOU SNATCHED YOURSELF UP A KINGHT IN SHINNNNNING ARRRMOR, DID CH-YOU? WELL SAMANTHA, LET MEEE BE THEEE-A FIRST TO TELLLL-A CH-YOU, BE CAREFUL BECAUSE THEY ALLL-A LEAVE AT SOME POINTTT." She slurred. Sam considered her mother's words, as they were the only words of advice she received in years from her. Maybe she was right.
"Actually Mrs. Puckett, I'm no Knight, in fact, Mrs. Puckett, if I'm a 'Knight', I'd like to think of myself as a Dark Knight, because… 'You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.'" Sam considered HIS words for a moment, WOW that was the sexiest nerd speech she's ever heard in her life; nonetheless it came out of Freddie's mouth. Anyway, she pondered as this analogy for a few seconds, she knew he was referring to her mother turning into the villain, Pam Puckett used to be at the top, hell Sam looked up to her fearless mother like she was her 'hero', she had everything and then when Dad died, she lost her mind, took up alcohol and drugs and became the "villain". She decided Freddie was too smart for his own good, of course he didn't know the back story on her family, but like she said, he was smart, and she figured he knew a little about having a crazy mom and a dad who's MIA or dead, she didn't know his back story either. They were in the same boat, but different circumstances.
"Let me go." Pam said struggling, the boy did as he was told and took a few steps back.
Pam pointed one finger at Sam and sternly stated, "Get your stuff and get out, I do NOT want to see you back here until I say its okay. Do you understand me?"
"Way ahead of you," Sam said narrowing her eyes, "but I guess I'll tell Mel to cancel her trip home for Christmas if you don't want to see MY face."
"Samantha, DON…" Pam started.
"Oh, slow your role, I wouldn't take the ANGEL away from her mommy, I'm not a crazy, psycho, bi…person, like you." She stated slyly with an eye roll.
"Ten minutes and your gone." And with that Pam Puckett walked out.
"Can you hand me that duffle bag?" she said to Freddie like nothing had just happened, at all
Freddie's POV:
HOW could she act like NOTHING happened? Why was I being so over protective of her? God she probably hates it! My adrenaline was pumping through my veins and my body was on… fire. I flung the bag at her standing there in bewilderment as she packed her things. I didn't want to say anything right now, the issue was still too sensitive, and I didn't want to piss her off royally. She had a dark gleaming glint in her too blue eyes. I stood their studying her features, her body, her posture, her facial expressions. She was flawlessly gorgeous. I'm pretty sure I was gawking at her; the body language she was giving off was not pleasing though. She was SO angry but that gleam in her eyes (even though she wasn't even looking at me, I could tell) says that she was hurting. Some might look at her and pass the gleam off as normal but I KNOW better. I watched as she threw things in her bag, toiletries, clothes, shoes, pictures, movies and one stuffed giraffe. I was tempted to ask about it but the way she laid it in the bag like it was the most fragile thing on the planet, I didn't think she'd be ready to talk about it. She left the room and came back and gestured for us to go. We walked out in silence and hopped in the truck. We drove half way back the Bushwell before I broke the suffocating silence.
"Sam, you can't ignore what just happened." I said with a little too much sympathy, she hates that too.
"Watch me, Benson." She said putting her all too familiar guard right back up.
"Sam! She kicked you out!" I said with awe.
"Yah… Your point." she said like it happens every day!
"Where are you… going to go?" I said with such desperation that I thought for sure she would hit me. It took her a moment to consider her next words.
She shrugged and turned to look out the window before responding, "I… don't know, Freddie." She whispered it, like the words were chocking her and she couldn't get them out. As if on cue it started pouring rain, oh Seattle. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it,
"Hey, look at me," she did as she was told, but I saw the missing familiar playful glimmer in her eyes that I loved so much…. Wait what? Since when did I start admitting that to myself? "There is a time to take counsel of your fears and there is a time to never listen to any of them…."
I saw a flash of uncertainty go through her eyes, "Freddie…" she began,
"No Sam, listen, you saved your own life in that house," I took a much needed breath, "I know this evening panned out for the worst, to say the least, if you're not up to this party, I completely understand and I'm not making you go any longer, would you like to skip the party?"
"Well there's the nice, innocent, polite Fredward that has been MIA for the past couple hours."
"Oh I can go back to being mean Puckett, very easily," I narrowed my eyes at her; she laughed which only angered me, really Sam? I reached across the consol of the truck and started tickling her while keeping my eyes on the road, of course, "See Puckett, I CAN BE THE MEANEST OF MEANS, tickling is the absolute father of mean-ness! Haha!" I said, enjoying this feeling of superiority way too much, "do you give up?" I asked smiling
"hahahahaha… ahhhh okay, okay, I can't.. hahaha… breathe." There was something about her laugh that drove me nuts! I loved that sound, it was so… beautiful, and the feeling I get when I cause the good kind of laughter makes my heart skip a beat, Jesus, was I actually falling for this blond headed demon… and admitting it to myself? Oh lord! What has the world come to? I pulled into Bushwell's parking garage and parked the truck.
-Sam's to general POV-
"Okay, I've got a plan, let's go to the party, it could be a good stress reliever, yeah? And look I know you said NO Carly, but the girl is my best friend, I want her to come, and yeah so invite Bradley, yeah do that! PLEASEEE." I gave him my best puppy dog look, I knew how to work the boy, and sometimes I just let him think he has me totally figured out, but oh honey was I about to show him otherwise. This puppy dog look was something HE couldn't say no to.
His face softened… YES SHE WON HIM OVER! MUHAHAHA. Wait… was she asking FREDNERD for approval? Since when did she care what he thought, nevertheless, his approval on things?
"Okay! Yeah sounds good, I'll go get Brad and you go get Carly, do you think you could both be back here at the truck in about 30 minutes?"
"Yeah! Okay, I better hurry if I want Carls to be ready!" they both laughed and hopped out of the truck and started walking towards the elevator Sam just a little ahead of Freddie, "Hey Sam?" He said she turned around exactly as he wanted her too; he slipped his arms around her waist pulling her into his arms and capturing her soft pink lips in a surprise-soft-sweet-I'll-always-be-here kiss. They pulled away from each other; she smiled and said, "I Know." He was so happy she understands what his kiss had meant. They released each other and she took the elevator while Freddie took the stairs. 30 minutes beginning now. Challenge accepted. She leaned her head against the elevators wall and smiled despite the situation she had been in only an hour ago. God She loved that boy. Wait… what?