Chapter 10: All Hail Nug Nug!

Freddie always teased her about her snoring. She wished she could record him now, lying with his head against the passenger's window, his mouth hanging open, sawing logs like a professional lumberjack. He was adorable when he was sleeping.

They'd been driving for almost three hours now. She'd spent the first thirty minutes trying to evade his questions about their destination and the next thirty trying to distract him from reading road signs. Finally she'd pulled out her last resort and handed him an ice cold water bottle she'd prepared for just such an occasion. It had enough 'additives' to keep him relaxed, and hopefully sleep until they reached Portland. Within twenty minutes he'd drifted off. But her relief was short lived. He woke up two hours later and the conversation that followed was…enlightening.

She looked over at Freddie who was stirring beside her and laughed out loud at the look on his face. She'd seen plenty of people-most of them her mother's friends – under the influence of one thing or another, and Freddie at the moment could easily blend into that crowd. He was leaning against the passenger's side window, staring at her with the world's dopiest grin on his face.

Still smiling, he raised his hand to his face and began to poke steadily at his forehead, eyes crossed as he tried to look at his own finger.

"I can't feel my face."

'Oh brother' she thought. This was not a part of her plan... She'd meant for the little 'treat' she'd put in his water to make him sleep – not make him stupid. Maybe she'd put in too much. She was never very good at chemistry.

"Trust me…it's there." She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Now quit poking at yourself, you big doof."

"Doof." He said, "Doof, dooooof." He laughed, "That's a funny word."

Sam shook her head. Yep, definitely too much.

Looking at Freddie from the corner of her eye she saw him studying her, licking his lips.

"You're pretty," he said.

"Um…thanks?"

"No, I mean like really, really pretty." He reached out and touched her hair, twirling a strand around his finger. "I like your hair. It's like…like curly sunshine!" he said slowly.

"You're crazy," she laughed.

"I'm not crazy." He said, leaning over to poke her in the shoulder. "Maybe you're crazy." He sat back in his seat with a heavy sigh, his face scrunched into a frown.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

He looked at her, his eyelids low as if half sleep. "I want to kiss you." He reached out his hand and ran it through her hair, trailing it over her shoulder and down her arm, sending shivers up her back. "I want you to pull this car over so I can kiss you, and touch you," he ran a hand over her thigh, "all over."

Before she could answer he retreated to his side of the car, leaning against the door again, looking miserable.

"But I can't…I have a girlfriend. And I love her."

"Is that right?" she said.

"Yep." He said, popping the p with finality. "And she's tough…she'd kick your ass." He snuggled back into the seat, resting his head against the window as he yawned, "and mine too."

"Well then you'd probably better not touch me again. We wouldn't want to piss her off."

He placed a finger to her lips. "Shhhh…don't tell Sam."

"My lips are sealed."

"Hey," he said, in a voice only the inebriated could consider a whisper, "Wanna know a secret?"

"Lay it on me,." sShe said, raising a bottle of Peppy Cola to her smiling lips.

Freddie leaned close enough to Sam that she could feel his breath on the side of her face.

"I think I'm gonna get lucky tonight."

Wholly unprepared for his statement, she choked, spraying Peppy Cola over the dashboard. She knew first hand from her experience with a dentist's 'wacky gas' that the truth was easier to tell when you were in an 'altered state.'. So she wasn't the only one thinking about what this night might mean. He was thinking it too.

"Getting lucky?"

"Yeah...I think we're gonna..."

"I know what it means."

He closed his eyes, a sly smile on his face. "Yep. Lucky, lucky me."

It was all she could do to keep her laughter in as he drifted off inside of a minute, returning to his jack hammer snoring beside her. He was going to be furious when he woke up, but hopefully by then they'd have arrived at GalaxyCon and all would be forgiven.

According to the directions she'd memorized the day before, they were about twenty minutes out from Portland. She smiled to herself, still hardly able to believe that she'd pulled it off. In her life, she could count on one hand the number of times she'd made this much effort for anyone – and she'd still have fingers left over. Some people might call it selfishness, and maybe in a small way it was, but mostly it was because she'd spent her life surrounded by people who either didn't care what she did –like her mom, or by people who never expected much from her – like Carly.

She loved her best friend, and she loved the fact that Carly accepted her as she was, but sometimes she wondered if what Carly gave her was acceptance or lowered expectations. When it came to anything requiring responsibility Carly just assumed Sam couldn't handle it. Once, when Sam and Freddie had gotten in an argument, Carly "mediated" by telling Freddie that Sam was like "a wild chimp." She hadn't said anything, but that comparison had hurt. She knew she was unpredictable and not the most disciplined person around, but until that moment she hadn't realized just how much Carly expected her to be that way.

It was different with Freddie, and that difference was what made Carly's opinion so obvious. Freddie knew the not so good parts of her better than anyone. And like Carly, he pretty much accepted her as she was. But, unlike Carly, Freddie allowed room for her to change – he expected more from her and that made her think, for the first time in her life, that maybe she was capable of more. This trip was the first time she'd been able to prove it.

She'd planned it all herself-no help from Carly. She hadn't even shared all the details with Carly until the night of the disastrous 'meet the parents' dinner. She was proud of the fact that she'd done something for Freddie that no one else could do. When he'd told her that he couldn't go to GalaxyCon he'd looked so disappointed. She'd decided then and there to make it happen – whatever it took.

Her cousin Ricky, Uncle Carmine's son, was well known in certain circles for being able to get anything for the right price. He'd laughed for a good twenty minutes when she'd told him what she needed. He wasn't exactly used to hunting down tickets to things like GalaxyCon. But she was his favorite cousin so he'd pulled some strings, given her a family discount, and now she was speeding towards Portland with the GalaxyCon passes burning a hole in her bag. She couldn't wait until she could pull them out and present them to Freddie. It was going to be epic.

And afterwards they'd be staying the night in the hotel next to the Convention Center. This was the part of the plan that made her more than a little nervous. She looked over at her blissfully unconscious boyfriend and wondered how he'd take the news. It wasn't like they hadn't spent the night together before. Since returning from Vancouver she'd spent at least a couple nights a week squeezed into his double bed, complaining about the lack of space, but secretly glad that it forced her to spend the night pressed close to him, folded into his arms.

She loved being with him like that, feeling his heart race as she moved against him, the feeling of his breath, soft against her neck as he slept. And as frustrating as it was that he insisted on not moving past the kissing and touches that set her body on fire, it felt good to be there – knowing she was wanted, needed. She'd made her case for not waiting, but in the end he'd won. He wanted it to be special – her heart appreciated that, even if her body threatened mutiny.

So she'd waited, taking cold showers when necessary. But this last week it had just been too much. She'd turned down his requests for her to stay the night. She was only so strong, and self-control wasn't something she was known for. Once the plans had been made and approved by Marissa, the tension she felt whenever she was around him had lifted a little. The end of the maddening waiting was in sight – at least if she had anything to do with it.

Tonight was the night. All he had to do was say yes.

'I think I'm gonna get lucky tonight.'

She had to be honest, until he'd made that comment she'd been uneasy about the idea. What if he said no? What if 'making it special' was just an excuse – was guy-speak for 'I really don't want to be with you that way,' like when they said ugly girls had great personalities or they couldn't date you because they didn't want to mess up your friendship. Now she knew for sure that she wasn't the only one who wanted this.

Just the thought of it made her a little dizzy. They had a whole night away from over protective mothers and nosy best friends. A whole night in a room with a big bed, where she could do whatever she wanted to hot, way-too-muscular-for-a-nerd, naked Freddie.

'Stop it Sam!' she thought and silently cursed her mother for passing on these hornball genes. Loving Freddie had been a shock, but equally shocking was the sheer physical reaction she had to him.

Yep, tonight was it –it had to be, or she was likely going to explode.

Freddie started to stir beside her, and she gave a silent thanks that according to her directions they'd be pulling up to the convention center in the next ten minutes.

She was ready.

He felt like his whole body was on a thirty second delay. His arms and legs had the slightly unpleasant sensation of moving through water and it felt like he'd been sucking on cotton balls in his sleep. His face was smashed against the passenger's side window and all at once he was embarrassingly aware that there was drool on the side of his mouth – thankfully on the side facing away from Sam.

He tried to wipe his mouth inconspicuously before turning toward Sam, who was focused on the road in front of them.

"The dead have arisen!" Sam laughed, "It's a Christmas miracle!"

He stretched and tried to focus his thoughts. Glancing at the clock, he was shocked to see how long he'd been out.

"I've been asleep for almost three hours?"

"More or less," she said. 'If we don't count your little trip to crazy town.' "You were asleep. And drooling. And snoring."

He wiped his mouth again, "I don't snore."

"Tell that to my damaged eardrums, nub." She laughed. "And you talk in your sleep."

"Are you serious?" he said, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "What did I say?"

"Nothing too important. Just that you wanted to molest me. And apparently you have a girlfriend whose gonna kick my ass. And yours." She laughed.

Freddie shook his head. This day just got stranger and stranger. He'd been virtually kidnapped, was on the road to a destination as yet unknown, and his brain was irritatingly foggy.

"Where are we?" he looked out the window but the road stretched in front of them, no signs to give away their location or destination.

"Almost there."

"Almost where?" he said, reaching across the seat to grab the water bottle Sam had given him as they left Seattle.

"Didn't I tell you to just ride?" she laughed, her face falling as she noticed what he was holding. "Don't drink that!" she screamed, knocking the bottle from his hand.

"What the heck, Sam! Why don't you want me to…" Staring at the bottle, he narrowed his eyes and turned to her slowly as realization set in. He'd been asleep, dead asleep, for almost three hours, which made no sense. He was wide awake when he got in the car, despite how early it was. He hadn't been sleepy at all, he'd been thirsty – then he'd drunk from the water bottle she gave him, and suddenly all he wanted to do was shut his eyes.

"Sam…what's in the water bottle?"

"Huh? What do you mean? It's water." Her voice was even and calm. He almost believed her, then she bit her bottom lip – that was her tell.

"Sam?" he picked up the bottle from the floor of the car. "What did you put in the water?"

"Nothing! You sound as paranoid as your mother!"

"Give it up, Puckett – I know you did something."

Sam sighed and tightened her hands on the steering wheel, glancing over at him.

"It was nothing…really. Just…a little Dramamine."

"What? Dramamine? Like the motion sickness drug? You drugged me!"

"Oh, calm down. I didn't drug you."

"What do you call it?"

"I call it getting you to shut up long enough to get us where we're going!"

He turned to face her. He couldn't believe she'd done it.

"If I'd done that to you they'd put me in jail!"

"You were asking a million questions and driving me nuts so I figured we'd both be more comfortable if I just…helped you relax a little."

"I wasn't relaxed, Sam! I was passed out.!"

"Same difference!" She took a sharp right and pulled off the highway into a busy industrial area. "Now will you just calm down for two seconds?"

"And if I don't are you gonna drug me again?"

Sam rolled her eyes and took another right. His eyes were too trained on her even to notice where they were going.

"Just trust me Benson, this is gonna be worth it."

"What in the world could be worth being dragged from my house at the crack of dawn, drugged and taken God knows where?" he asked, holding onto the door as she took a sudden left turn.

He stared at her as she suddenly brought the car to a stop and a smile spread over her face as she stared out the window. He followed her eyes and in the time it took him to see what she was seeing all the anger he'd felt the moment before evaporated.

They'd come to a stop in the parking lot. Ahead of them streams of people walked past the car and into a large building. Across the front of the building, hanging over the entry way was a bright red sign.

'Welcome to GalaxyCon'

"You've got to be kidding me." He whispered, afraid he might still be asleep and dreaming this.

Sam leaned over to him and whispered in his ear.

"Happy Birthday."

Sam always said he was the girl in their relationship but he was suddenly sure that couldn't be true because if it was he'd surely be crying right now. Instead he felt like a four year old turned loose in a toy store. He resisted the urge to run screaming like a loon from the car, but just barely.

GalaxyCon. It was the nerd Mecca and he'd dreamed of making the pilgrimage since his first big screen exposure to the planet Juveron and the valiant soldiers who defended it. His whole body was tingling and if he wasn't sure it'd give Sam reason to make fun of him for life, he might have leapt from the car and done the Ceremonial Juveronian Dance of Victory.

"Well, are you gonna say something or just keep drooling on yourself?" Sam laughed and moved the car toward an empty parking space on their left.

"How?" It was really all he could manage to say at the moment but at least it was words and not the screams of happiness ringing in his mind.

"I know people. No big." Sam offered, shrugging her shoulders. "Still mad?"

He looked at Sam as she put the car in park. If this surprise had come from anyone else he'd have been happy, but it hadn't come from just anyone. It came from Sam – and that made it mean twice as much. No matter who she said he knew, she must have called in every favor known to man to get these tickets. And she'd gotten his mother to agree to it! He was suddenly ashamed of the week he'd spent worrying about why she was acting the way she was, wondering if she was pulling away from him, being suspicious of her every move. She'd been planning this the whole time.

He reached across the space between them and pulled her close, lowering his face to her and kissing her until she finally drew back, flushed and breathless.

"I'll take that as a no." She laughed.

"I can't believe you did this." He said sincerely. "So that's what this whole week has been about? Your little conversation with my mom, the dinner, you disappearing all the time."

"Yeah," she said, "and you didn't make it easy. You made it nearly impossible with all your questions."

He reached into her lap and grabbed her hand. "Do you have any idea how amazing you are?" he said. "This, is the best birthday present ever!"

"Yeah, yeah," she shrugged, "I'm made of awesomeness and rainbows."

Sam tossed the keys in her bag and got onto her knees, leaning into the backseat for her duffle bag. Riffling through it, she sat back down with a smaller bag in her lap.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Part of the 'Happy Birthday Fredward' package." She said, pulling out an envelope and handing it to him. "These, are your official GalaxyCon tickets including…drum roll please, tickets to the All Hail Nug Nug Tribute Band Concert!"

"Shut up!" he screamed.

"I will not." She reached into the bag again. "And no nerd convention would be complete without – your official GalaxyCon "All Hail Nug Nug" T-shirt" she tossed him the black t-shirt, "I got one too!" she said, pulling a smaller T-shirt from the back, turning it around he laughed at the letters she'd ironed on herself.

'I'm with the Nub'

"Clever." He said.

"And now for the piece 'de resistance". She handed him a small yellow card with her familiar scrawl across the front.

"This ticket is redeemable for one complaint and insult-free day courtesy of the World's Greatest Girlfriend – who is expecting one hell of a Christmas gift," he read, smiling up at her. "You're going to spend a day surrounded by nubs and nerds with no complaints?"

"That's what it says."

"Well, then this is the most valuable part of the package!" he laughed. He looked down at his lap, still hardly believing she'd done all of this for him. "Sam, this is…I don't even know what to say."

"Thank you. You're the most amazing girlfriend in the world. I am eternally in your debt. I bow to your awesomeness."

"Yeah," he said, leaning toward her. "All of that." His lips brushed hers and he was lost in the moment.

Sam pulled away, entirely too soon for him.

"As much as I'd love to sit here making out with you all day, we could have done that in Seattle." She placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "Now let's get inside. Your nerd public awaits!"

Freddie was smiling so hard he thought his face might actually crack. He'd spent the day at GalaxyCon, something he'd dreamed of since he was twelve years old. Not only that, but he'd gotten to spend the best day ever with his girlfriend; his ridiculously amazing girlfriend who'd somehow managed to get tickets to an event that had been sold out for six months. She'd walked with him hand in hand and, true to her word, she hadn't complained once all day. Even when she'd had to sit through a workshop on GalaxyWars fan fiction – her first exposure to one of his guilty pleasures. For an hour she'd fidgeted beside him as a panel of hardcore GalaxyWars fans discussed the ins and outs of writing stories that expanded the GalaxyWars universe. Afterwards she looked as if she might burst so he'd given her a temporary reprieve from the "no insults" clause of her promise. For an hour the GalaxyNerd jokes had flown fast and furious but he didn't mind that so much. The important thing was that she was there with him. That she'd planned this all on her own – just for him.

Now they stood at the front of a stage where a GalaxyWars tribute band was playing to a shouting, frenzied crowd. He was so close to the stage he could reach out and touch the Nug Nug lookalike playing electric guitar. He was sure Sam was never going to let him hear the end of it when they got home, but for now he couldn't imagine it getting much better than this.

"You guys have been great!" the lead singer shouted into the mic. "And for those of you with VIP passes you can go to the door on our right and prepare to meet…Nug Nug!" The crowd went wild and Sam shook her head and laughed. Freddie laughed along with her. He was a part of the GalaxyWars fandom, had been for most of his life so he understood just how big a deal it was to meet Nug Nug. The diminutive character was his favorite in the fandom and he hadn't made a GalaxyCon appearance since 2007. Meeting him was a once in a lifetime sort of thing and he found himself just the tiniest bit disappointed that he wouldn't get to do so.

Sam tugged on his elbow, pulling him toward the side of the stage.

"Let's go, Freddie."

"Sam, where are you going?"

"To make all your nerd dreams come true." She smiled and Freddie suddenly understood.

"You didn't!" he screamed.

"I did!" she laughed as he scooped her up and planted a kiss on her lips.

"How did you…"

"I…"

"Know somebody," they said in unison.

They walked toward the side of the stage and took their place among the line of backstage pass holders. He held her hand tight dizzy with anticipation. He was going to meet Nug Nug. He knew how dorky that sounded, but at the moment he couldn't have cared less.

It was finally their turn at the front of the line and a tall wall of a man in a black shirt that declared him 'Security' reached his hand toward them.

"Passes," he said, with an air of authority to his deep voice.

Sam handed him the passes in her hand and reached for the door handle.

"Hold on just a minute." The guard threw an arm across the door to prevent their entry. "These passes are no good."

"What the hell do you mean they're no good?" Sam said.

"I mean they're no good. They're fake," he said, and Freddie heard shocked gasps and whispered insults from behind them.

"Listen buddy," Sam said, turning angry eyes on the guard, "there is nothing wrong with those tickets, now I suggest you move your arm before I'm forced to break it, and let us through that door."

The guard looked down at Sam in amusement. He looked at the couple standing behind them and asked to see their tickets. Sam glared at them and for a second the couple looked between the guard and Sam, obviously weighing out who was more dangerous. Finally they handed their tickets to the guard.

'Bad move' Freddie thought. When weighing out danger it was always safe to bet on Sam.

"You see this?" the guard said, shoving the couple's tickets into Sam's face. "Bar code. All valid tickets have them. Now, you see this?" he showed her the tickets she'd given him. "No bar code. No bar code, no entry. Now I suggest you move out of the way and let the paying customers pass."

Freddie looked down into the red face of his girlfriend. She was getting mad. And mad Sam was someone Freddie did not want to have to handle. If the guard knew what was good for him he wouldn't want to either.

"Come on baby, let's just go," he put a hand on her elbow and she jerked away, walking up to the guard who easily stood a foot above her.

"Listen buddy, I've got a fifty dollar bill with your name on it – that's gotta be at least forty more than they're payin' you to play rent-a-cop."

The guard looked down at her and laughed. Freddie closed his eyes.

This was not going to work out well.

"Listen lady, I can't let you in. You should have gotten your tickets honest like everyone else. Bootleg VIP passes don't get you back stage." With that he crossed his arms over his massive chest and moved Sam to the side so he could let in the people who'd been standing behind them.

Freddie looked down at Sam and cringed. He recognized the look on her flushed face. It was her 'thinkin face' – that face always spelled trouble.

"Stay here Freddie. I'll be right back."

"Sam…what are you going to do?"

"What? Don't you trust me?" she asked innocently.

"Depends. Is what you're planning illegal?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not gonna do anything illegal." She said, starting to walk away. "I'm just changing tactics."

He grabbed her wrist so she couldn't leave.

"Sam, I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"You don't even know what I'm gonna do!"

"True. But whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it's not a good idea!"

"Do you want to get backstage or not?"

He fought with himself. He did want to go backstage, it would be the icing on the cake of the best birthday ever, but he didn't want to get in trouble – or have to bail Sam out of jail. He walked close to her and whispered in her ear.

"You already offered him money and he turned it down. He's not gonna budge."

"Trust me Fredly. He's a nerd, just like the rest of your buddies here – taller and less acne prone, but a nerd just the same."

"What's that got to do with getting backstage?"

She patted the side of his face. "Oh, poor clueless Freddie. Nerds aren't moved by money. So I'm gonna use the International Nerd Currency."

"What?"

She pulled away from him and took off into the crowd. "Trust me!" she called over her shoulder.

He spent the next thirty minutes trying to do just that, and failing. After twenty minutes he began to imagine every negative scenario. She'd gotten in a fight with security. She'd been carried out in handcuffs. She was on her way to the police station while he stood there, clueless, holding a GalaxyCon commemorative drink cup.

After thirty minutes he started to mentally prepare the speech he'd give when he called his mother to ask for bail money when he heard a commotion across the room.

"Make way for Lady Landria."

The sea of costumed attendees was parting and he heard the ceremonial trumpets of war being sounded. He moved away from the wall he'd been leaning on to see what the fuss was about. He looked down at his Convention Agenda. Lady Landria - the widely acknowledged sexpot of the Galaxy Wars universe- with her red and gold corset, tiny gold shorts that looked more like panties and knee high boots, was the stuff of dreams – very special dreams. She'd been the first object of his boyhood fantasies. If she'd been making an appearance, he'd have known.

The opening in the crowd came closer until finally his mouth fell open as he saw first-hand what was causing the ruckus.

Standing in front of him in the red and gold outfit that his boyhood lust had centered around was Sam – looking every bit the space age sex goddess. Suddenly he forgot about getting back stage. He forgot about Nug Nug and even forgot that they were in a room full of people. He wanted to sling her over his shoulder and walk triumphantly from the Convention Center, sword raised above his head as he was praised and envied by lesser men, men who didn't have girlfriends who looked like sex on legs.

Sam sauntered towards him, and his eyes fought to see it all, the swaying hips, the tan, toned legs that led to the world's tiniest shorts, the corset that was barely covering…

"See something you like?"

Freddie shook his head and tried to focus on the words coming from her mouth. He swallowed hard and felt his knees go weak as the blood in his brain made a mass exodus southward.

Sam twirled around in front of him, striking a pose with her arms behind her head – chest pushed forward.

"Aren't you supposed to bow or something? I'm royalty from what I hear." She laughed and Freddie humored her, bowing low before standing and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"So…International Nerd Currency?" he said

"Yeah…" she said, pulling away from him and sweeping a hand across her chest. "Boobs." She leaned up to kiss him. "Now wait here while Mama works her magic."

All Freddie could do was shake his head. If the security guard could resist Sam looking like that then he was either the strongest man in the world – or the dumbest. Freddie leaned against the wall and watched in amusement as Sam sauntered up to the guard.

Seeing her approach, the guard seemed to forget that he was opening the door for several people entering the back stage area and unceremoniously slammed the door before they could enter. The leader of the entering group, a short paunchy male ran headfirst into the closed door, breaking his plastic sword. His companions, also focused on Sam, ran into the back of their chubby friend and all three ended up on the floor where they sat, staring at Sam and seeming to prefer the view their new seats provided them.

Sam was right, for most of the guys there, her walking near them was the closest they'd get to touching someone as hot as her. He felt pride swell in his chest. If they knew she was with him they might just crown him King. Take that, Nug Nug!

"Freddie!" Sam called to him and he laughed at the dopey grin on the security guards faces as he opened the door, bowed, and waved her in. Freddie hurried over to her and muttered thanks to the guard who seemed not to even notice Freddie's presence, focused as he was on the view of Sam's costume from behind.

"She's with me, " he said to the guard – who was still too concentrated on Sam's retreating form to hear him. The trio of nerds entering behind them, however, heard him clearly. Staring at Freddie in awe, the chubby leader whispered to Freddie.

"Dude! Teach me. Teach us!"

Freddie shook his head and followed Sam through the door and into the backstage area.

Once inside they were led to a large reception area and it was safe to say that with Sam in the room, all thoughts of Nug Nug were temporarily banished from the minds of the males present – and possibly some of the females too. Freddie's jaw clenched as he became aware of just what kind of disturbance she was making. He knew what he'd thought when he saw her so he knew exactly what all these sex-starved super nerds were thinking, and it made him want to punch something. Preferably a face.

"Lady Landria!" a tall, lanky boy with greasy hair, a face full of acne scars and glaringly pale skin of the 'my only exercise is fighting Trolls in World of Warcraft' sort, ran up to them. He was dressed in full Juveronian solider costume, complete with fake sword and shield. He bowed low and grabbed Sam's hand. "I am your humble servant. I bow to your power and beauty. Command me and I shall obey." He drew her hand toward his lips and Freddie prepared to shove the guys shield where the two Suns of Juveron didn't shine.

Sam jerked her hand away and swept her leg out and behind the poor guy's knees, dropping him before he had a chance to realize what was happening. Leaning into his face, a knee-high boot on his chest, she hissed.

"How's this for a command you freak…Touch me again and die!"

She grabbed Freddie's hand and stepped over the startled boy who was still trying to catch his breath.

She looked over her shoulder at Freddie, who was smiling proudly.

"What?"

"You're amazing." He said, squeezing her hand, "And I think you might have broken his leg."

"Maybe next time he'll think twice before he puts his greasy hands on the Grand High Princess of Juveron."

"How did you know…"

"You've made me watch that movie like a million times and I paid attention at least once," she said. "Now let's hurry up and meet the Nerd King. I've just about reached my freak threshold for the day."

He laughed and followed her to the line in front of a table where Nug Nug sat – or at least he thought it was Nug Nug. Standing at less than five feet, it was impossible to see him over the heads of the crowd.

They reached the front of the line twenty minutes later. He'd heard about people fangirling before-he always thought it was ridiculous for them to get so excited over celebrities –they were just people like everyone else. But when he stood in front of the table and looked down into the face of the real live Nug Nug he was suddenly incapable of speaking like a normal person, instead stuttering and stammering as he tried to hand his GalaxyCon program to Nug Nug to sign.

Sam rolled her eyes and pulled the program from Freddie hands, slamming it down in front of Nug Nug who had joined the rest of the male population of the room in staring at Sam's outfit or lack thereof.

"This is Freddie – he's currently nerding out so let me translate. He's your biggest fan. He's seen all you movies, you're his idol, blah, blah, blah. Now if you don't mind can you stop staring at my boobs long enough to sign this for him?"

For his part, Nug Nug had the decency to blush at Sam's words and hurriedly dropped his eyes to the program.

"I'm your biggest fan!" Freddie finally managed to say, goofy grin intact. Both Sam and Nug Nug looked up at him and he cringed at how dorky he must sound. "I mean, I, um, I really enjoy your work." Too late, damage was done, and he thought he saw Nug Nug laugh as he returned to signing the program.

Finally done, he lifted his eyes and handed the program to Freddie.

"Nice to meet you Freddie, thanks for the support." He raised his hand in Soldier's Salute, two raised fingers crossed over the chest then touched to the forehead.

"All Hail Juveron."

"May she ever prevail!" Freddie joined the crowd in completing the salute.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sam muttered, shaking her head.

Freddie shook Nug Nug's hand, and followed Sam as a security guard herded them back toward the door they'd entered through. He shuffled along behind her, still in shock at having fulfilled his childhood dream.

"You alright?" she asked.

"I met Nug Nug," he breathed. "I can't believe I met Nug Nug."

She reached for the door handle and pushed, leading them back into the large convention area. "And I can't believe I'm dating a guy who's this excited over a midget in a fancy costume."

"Sam…you promised."

"I'm sorry," she said, raising her hands. They walked toward the exit, following the crowds of people headed the same direction. All around them booths were being shut down as the convention drew to a close. Arriving at the car, she reached over and grabbed Freddie's hand, pulling him from his thoughts.

"So, did you have a good time?"

"Sam, there isn't a word good enough to tell you how amazing this was." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning them both against the side of the car. "This is the best thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "But the night isn't over." She pushed away from the car and headed for the driver's side.

"Do you want me to drive?"

"Nope," she said, unlocking the car and sliding into the driver's seat. "We don't have far to go."

"Where are we going exactly?" he said, reaching for his seatbelt. Sam pointed out the front window and his eyes grew wide. Sitting to the side of the Convention Center was one of the nicest hotels he thought he'd ever seen. In the darkness it was illuminated by a large fountain that sat in the middle of a circular driveway. It stood at least fourteen stories, surrounded in glass and steel, a glass elevator visible from the street.

"We're staying there?"

It was exactly the type of place he'd imagined on all the nights when Sam pressed her body to his and whispered her desire in his ear. Exactly the type of place he'd seen in his dreams – the sort of place where he could finally give in to the desperate need for her that clouded his thoughts and put his will power in a stranglehold.
As she pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the hotel, he was suddenly aware of exactly what this meant. He was approaching more than a building of glass and steel. He was moving toward the biggest moment of his life.

"Yep." She said. "But you might not want to mention the sleeping arrangements to your mother. She's under the impression that we'll be in separate rooms."

No problem there. He doubted there was much about the rest of this night he'd be sharing with his mother.

Sam pulled into a parking spot and turned the car off. The silence between them was heavy and Freddie searched his mind for something to say.

'Say something, Freddie!' he thought, but he was at a loss.

"Do you know why I'm into Galaxy Wars?" he asked.

"Because you're a big dork and until you met me and Carly, Nug Nug was your only friend? She laughed.

He smiled, staring out the front window.

"Freddie?" she asked, when he remained silent. "What's wrong? Why are you…"

"It was my dad." He said softly. It wasn't a story he intended to tell her. Considering what might be happening in a matter of minutes it seemed an odd choice to bring up a parent, but it seemed important somehow. "When he died my mom was a mess and I didn't have anyone to talk to. One day, when I was about eight I guess, I found the first movie in a video store. I remember watching it and there was this scene at the end when…when Prince Vastian's father dies and he's ready to give up and throw himself into the Eternal Darkness but then his dad's spirit comes to him and he says…"

"I'm never really gone…I live on in you," Sam said softly. "I remember that part."

"Yeah." He said, "It was like it all made sense to me then – my dad dying, why I had to pick myself up and keep living," he sighed. "Ever since then, Galaxy Wars has sort of been our thing – me and my dad, even though he's not here."

Sam turned in her seat and grabbed Freddie's hand. He looked into her eyes, the beautiful blue eyes that made everything in him scream 'This is it! She's the one!'

"Your bringing me here, Sam, being here with me." He shook his head, unsure of how to make her see how much it meant. There didn't seem to be words, so he said the only thing his heart seemed able to understand at the moment. "I love you."

Sam leaned over and kissed him softly. "I love you too." She sat back and pulled the keys from the ignition. "Why don't you grab the bags and I'll go check us in." She scooted from her seat and walked toward the hotel entrance, seemingly unbothered by what she was wearing. That was Sam; he wasn't sure anything embarrassed her.

He was grateful that her absence gave him a few minutes to collect himself. Every time he considered what might be happening in a matter of minutes, his jeans got embarrassingly uncomfortable. He silently chastised himself for being a typical guy. They were getting a hotel room-that wasn't proof positive that anything was going to happen. They might just go up to their room, get in the bed, and go to sleep. But even as he considered that option, he knew it was unlikely. Sam had made no secret of the fact that she was ready for their relationship to go further. She was ready to give herself to him.

But was he ready? It had been easier to deny her when he had the excuse of wanting their first time to be special. Now, after spending the day with her, he couldn't imagine being able to create a moment more special than this.

He loved Sam, more than he thought it possible to love someone. There wasn't anyone else he could imagine being with, but this was a big step – the biggest and he'd finally arrived at a moment where a decision was required. Thinking of the day they'd had, every moment leading up to it, every time he'd held her in his arms and wished he could live forever in the moment, his decision was made.

His phone chirped and he pulled it from his pocket.

Sam: We're all checked in. You ready?

He took a deep breath and smiled.

Yes. He was ready.