I want you forever, forever and always
Through the good and the bad and the ugly
We'll grow old together, and always remember
Whether happy or sad or whatever
We'll still love each other, forever and always
(Parachute – Forever And Always)
Freddie opened his eyes. He felt incredible, weightless and relaxed, like he rested his body for weeks. He rubbed his eyes and looked around; making a quick recognition of the place he was in. Freddie was expecting to be in a Hawaiian paradise, with a great view of the beach and masseurs. Maybe a spa in Thailand, or just his bed in his room, at the good old Seattle. But unfortunately he was back in his hospital room… hospital room…? Sam. The thought of Sam brought him back to reality; he sat up in one quick motion and jumped off the bed.
Only when his feet touched the floor he realized something was off. This was his room, but wasn't at the same time. For one, he was lying on the bed where the his body was supposed to be, only, it wasn't there. The room was also awfully white, and the windows were gone, along with the door. He furrowed his brows, and touched the walls, searching for a doorknob or whatnot. Nothing, he found nothing. The only thing in the room with him was him own shadow.
"Where am I? Is this purgatory?"
Purgatory, that was funny. Time to pay for your sins Fredward Karl Benson, he imagined God telling him. Only, he didn't have any major sins, maybe a lie to his mother occasionally, bad words sometimes, when he was really angry, some actions he wasn't quite proud of, some impure thoughts due to his boyish hormones and some hurtful things he said to some people along his short life. Seventeen years on earth, that was all he was granted, but why? Wasn't he good enough? He always thought if you did good things, and lived by the rules, God would reward you somehow. Maybe it was just because he was Jewish by birth, but had no problem with Jesus being God's son what so ever. Choose your side Fredward! The masculine voice hissed in his mind.
No, it wasn't like that, God wasn't a vengeful creature that punishes his creations for being… teenager and confused? He thought. Freddie exhaled sharply and sat back on the edge of his bed. This had nothing to do with his family's religious background, or with whatever he's done in his life, which wasn't much to be totally honest. Maybe, it was just what God had planned for him since day one, and if that was his fate, he should be okay with that. He should accept whatever God had in mind for him, and move along gladly. It's not like he wasn't rewarded in any way for being a good boy, God gave him seventeen great years on earth, awesome friends, a loving mother, a comfortable home, a wisdom and love. God gave him Sam and that was more than he could ever ask for. She truly was one of a kind, a gift from heavens made only to make his life a little brighter, made especially for him.
He smiled, thinking of her. There was so much he still wanted to live with her, things he still wanted to see and do, but he had to accept whatever his fate was. This will be good, maybe I'll meet Einstein and Isaac Newton on the other side… that's if they're at heaven… because I think I'm going to heaven… I mean, I've been relatively good all my life, I think I deserve a spot in heaven. Maybe I'll even get to see Steven Jobs, Michael Jackson… okay I'm not sure Michael it's up there, but I like to think he is, so let's leave it to that. I'm not really sure I'll see Amy Winehouse though, meh… I'll definitely see Audrey Hepburn. Maybe even Cher… oh wait, she's not dead yet. How come she's not dead yet?
"You think too much" a man said, somewhere in the room.
"I…"
Freddie turned around, and saw an older version on himself, maybe late twenties to early thirties. The guy was leaning against the wall, exactly where the window was supposed to be. The guy had an all familiar smirk on his face, and he was wearing a white shirt, grey jeans and a pair old dancing shoes. Black shoes, guys used to use for dancing waltz or ballroom dance.
"Hey Freddie, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine… and you are…?"
"Don't you recognize me?" the guy frowned.
"Are you… me?" he tried.
"No, but that's pretty close"
"You look like me"
"No, you look like me. I was here first pal" he chuckled.
"Dad?"
"Hey kiddo. I would ask how are you doing, but I guess I know exactly"
Some old emotions started to surface when he saw his father's face. When he died Freddie was nothing but a little boy, but he knew his face from pictures his mother dearly kept around the house. He never really knew his dad, as a person or as a father, so seeing him right now was… well, it was a feeling so weird he couldn't describe, like a giant ball of emotions, mixed and wrapped up in years and years of lonely father's day. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, and he chose the one that intrigued him the most.
"Am I dead?"
"All in its right time, okay son?" Freddie was confused to the bone, but he nodded "that's a good champ"
"Where are we?" he stood up and walked to the other side of the bed, closer to his father "is this purgatory?" he whispered.
His father laughed "no son, this is not purgatory"
"Then where are we?"
"In the hospital" he said like it was the world's most obvious thing.
"I know that… but truthfully, where are we?"
"We're at your hospital room Freddie"
"My actual room?"
"Exactly!" he smiled.
"I don't understand"
"Don't you know?" Freddie shook his head "everything is about to begin"
Sam has always been called a bunch of things, delinquent (mostly by Mrs. Benson), troubled, messy, lazy, dumb… but she had never been so scolded before, as she tries to cut between two cars and ignore the red light. Truthfully, she didn't even hear the screams of rage of the drives she left behind, if this was any other day she would get out of the car and… well, it wouldn't be pretty. But right now, she was most concerned with getting to the hospital in time. Time for what, she wasn't sure, because she didn't even know what was going on. Once she refused to accept the fact Freddie might really been dying at the present moment, she was left with no ideas of what was going on, or where he went. She didn't even know if he was indeed at the hospital, but she went there anyway, because that was where his body was. To be honest, she didn't do much thinking; she just got into the car and drove.
Ten minutes later she was abandoning her mother's car in front of the hospital, shoving the keys in her dress' pocket and running her ass off. The shoes weren't a big help, Sam never really knew exactly how to wear heels, and running in them wasn't a very bright idea. She yanked them off and ran barefoot through the hospital.
"Sam?" Laney yelled, when she passed like a hurricane through her.
She didn't have the luxury to spot for a nice conversation at the moment, so she kept running. She had to get there in time… for something. His room was on the fourth floor and she wasn't about to wait for the elevator. The stairs where the quickest way there, so she made a run for it, pushing one of the nurses out of her way and climbed the stairs like a madwoman. Three security guards saw the blur and followed her, but she wasn't about to stop to kick their asses either, so Sam let them follow her, she would get where she had to either way. The only thing on her mind was Freddie; she had to get to him, now.
Freddie stared at his father from the corner of his eye. There were so many things he wanted to ask, so he better start now. He wasn't sure, what "everything" his father was referring to, but he feared after this he wouldn't be able to ask him anything anymore, so he might as well start now.
"Dad…?"
"Yes Freddie?" his father smiled.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You can ask me anything"
"Alright…" what should I ask?
There were too many things he wanted to ask, but at the same time, he didn't know what to ask. That doesn't make any sense, he scolded himself mentally. My father is right in front of me, I've been wishing for years to see him again, and talk to him… now that he's here I am a mute? Great Freddie, you're awesome!
"Do you miss us?" he finally let out.
"Every second, of every hour, of everyday"
"Why do you think you died?"
"Well… God works on mysterious ways Freddie. Everyone has a right amount of time on earth, we have to come here, live it and make the best of it. We also have to redeem ourselves, of our mistakes, our sins, and in the end of our journey, if we deserve, we're granted with an eternity of peace"
"How is it like? Heaven?" he asked gingerly, looking down at his hands.
"Heaven… uh…" his father put a finger over his lips and made a thinking face.
Freddie looked at him in awe; he was mesmerized at how much they looked like each other. He had the exact same thinking face.
"Heaven is different for everyone. Heaven is in your mind, son. What is heaven for you?"
He didn't even have to think, he already knew what heaven felt like, he knew it for quite some time now "be with Sam. That's heaven to me"
"Then you're going to get the heaven you deserve"
"Why can't I be here with her? I don't want to leave"
"Oh son… all in its right time, remember?" his father walked towards him and put his hand on his shoulder "there's no need to rush anything"
"I didn't remember you being so carefree"
"It's because I wasn't. But I guess that when you're dead, you can finally rest" he offered his a warm smile and a nonchalant shrug.
"Why are you wearing dancing shoes?"
"Oh…" his father laughed "your mother gave them to me. We loved to take classes together. Many of our happiest moments involved these shoes. I decided to keep them. I've always hated them, but your mother thought they were sexy. I was wearing them the night you were conceived" he said with a smirk.
Freddie decided to ignore the last comment, it made him want to gag a little bit, but it was time to focus on what was really important.
"Do you still love mom?"
"Yes. Very much" he squeezed his shoulder "and it's hard for me to be away from her, but then I realized I'll always be there with her, I'll be there in you, no matter what"
"I miss you… so much dad" tears were threatening to escape his eyes; he couldn't hold back the emotion anymore.
"I miss you too kid… but for what it's worth, I've been watching you every day. Making sure you were happy and cared for"
"Thanks…" he wiped his tears with the back of his hand "sorry… that's a bit embarrassing"
"Crying it's not something you should feel embarrassed of. It shows the emotions you hold in your heart, it shows they are real, son. You're human"
"I guess"
"Oh… it's time. We're going to watch the conclusion now…" his father clutched his arm and spun him around, to stand by his side.
The door was back in the place, so was the window. The room looked more real now, and Freddie quickly noticed his body was back in the bed. He was in his hospital room. He heard a beeping sound, that didn't seem good, he had to fight the urge to approach his monitors and see what was wrong, but before he could move, his father squeezed his shoulder and shook his head. A nurse entered the room, practically running, she checked his monitors and exited the room, now running for real.
"What's going on?" he desperately asked his dad.
"You're dying" he said seriously.
"Can't we stop this?" he yelled.
"Son… remember what I said…? Wait"
"You keep telling me to wait; I don't want to wait… I'm dying, can't you see? I don't want to die!" he screamed, pushing his father's hand away.
"Freddie" his father spoke in the softest voice he could muster "watch" he pointed at the door.
The nurse returned, this time with two doctors, who spoke rapidly and checked his pulse, his heart and his monitors.
"I don't want to go dad… please" he begged.
"Son…" he put his hand back on his shoulder "I've known you for being a patient boy"
"I can't be patient now! I'm dying for Christ's sakes!"
"Uh-uh" his father shook his head "I don't think Sam would like to see you like that"
"Sam's not even here!" he growled.
"You're sure about that?"
A moment later he saw a familiar blond girl entering his room. She was wearing the same dress he saw her in a few minutes ago… or was it hours? He didn't know. She seemed out of breath, her face was flushed and her braid was almost undone. She looked beautiful and he wondered if could ever touch her again. All he wanted was to be with her, was that asking too much? Funny how life plays out, when he finally finds something worth living for… he starts to die. Nice played God… nice played.
"Why are you blaming God?" his father asked.
"What…? How do you know…?"
"It's a trick"
"I don't know… isn't he the one who decides who goes and who stays?"
"Freddie… you can't blame God for what happened to you. God puts many different paths in front of us, and we choose the ones we'll follow. You made your choice, and you went for it. Now you must see where the path you took will lead you to"
He nodded and looked back to Sam. Why couldn't he stay with her? He just wanted one thing, and it was her, he didn't think it was too much to ask.
Sam managed to beat the two security guards and the nurses following her. She threw her shoes at the security guards, and they fell with their asses on the floor. The nurses just stayed behind, they couldn't catch up with her. When he reached Freddie's floor, the first thing she saw was the two doctors and Macy, one of the younger nurses, running into his room, and she knew, something was going on.
She barged into his room and watched as the doctors worked on him. She heard the frantic beep, she knew it was his heart, stopping.
"Can she see us?" Freddie asked.
"No, not anymore"
"What are doing here young lady?" the doctor asked from over his shoulder.
"Sam, you can't be here" Macy tried to push her off the room.
"Don't even try to touch me Macy" she yelled "let me get close to him"
"You can't. Sam please, we're just trying to do our jobs" Macy tried again, but Sam pushed her away abruptly.
"No! You don't understand I need to be here!" she screamed.
"Sam… please!"
"No!"
The security guard, with a cut on his forehead, emerged and grabbed Sam by the waist. She screamed and kicked her feet to the air, trying to break free from his grip.
"No! Freddie screamed "he's hurting her! Do something!"
"Son, don't worry about Sam, she'll be fine" his father reassured him.
Sam tried to break free from the man's grip. He was stronger than she thought, but that meant nothing, she needed to break free no matter how enormous his arms were. Freddie was dying, she knew it, she just knew it. Suddenly the beep went steady and the doctors brought a big machine, one of those things you put on someone's chest when their heart stops
"No! Please" she begged "Freddie, please, don't leave me… don't leave me please!"
"Clear!" the doctor yelled.
She cried and screamed, her desperation was too deep and too saddening. Freddie could not see her like that, for the life of his, he never wanted to see her in pain again.
"Son" his father called.
"What?" he turned to him, as desperate as Sam.
His father was motioning with his head to the place behind him. There was a door in the wall, where the window was supposed to be. Freddie could see a bright light emerging from gap on the bottom, lighting up the room. That must be heaven, he thought. He could feel this amazing smell filling the air, sweet and calming, like chamomile and honey… like Sam's hair. He looked at his father, who smiled, the saddest smile he ever saw, then his eyes shifted back to Sam, and saw her desperation. That would all be over as soon as he was gone. All the pain and the desperation would disappear and he would be able to rest.
"Clear!" the doctor shouted, trying to make Freddie's heart beat again.
"Please! Let me go! Please, Freddie please!" Sam screamed.
"Sam calm down!" Laney entered the room.
"No!" she yelled "he said he wasn't going to leave me Laney! He said he would stay… forever"
"Sam darling" Laney touched her face "please Sam… calm down"
Sam didn't comply, she kept moving, kicking, trying to break free. Her tears destroyed her makeup, her mascara was dripping all over her cheeks, and her hair was a terribly mess. She started to scratch the security guard's forearm and he screamed, but didn't release her.
"Dad, please…" he looked between his father and Sam.
"Son…" his father offered him his hand.
Freddie looked back to Sam. This was not what he wanted at all, he wanted her to be happy. Then her words echoed on his head, I can only be happy with you. Maybe that was truth, maybe that was why he was put on earth, because he was the only one able to make her happy. He wanted to make her happy, but at the same time he didn't know how. You have to accept it Freddie, he said to himself, just go, once you're dead she'll stop. She'll be better, someday… you have to trust that.
Glancing at her one more time, he said his goodbye. One solitary tear escaped his eye, and rolled down his cheek, he did not desired to leave her, but it wasn't something he could change. He turned around and grabbed the hand his father offered, at the same time, the doctor's glanced at each other and gave up on him. Everyone in the room stopped.
The guard holding Sam, dropped his arms, she was free from his grip and went straight to the floor.
"Why did you stop?" she asked the doctors "why you stupid morons?"
She stood up and pushed the doctors out of her way. She knew it was pointless to scream at them, and she didn't care at the moment if they were useless, she only needed Freddie. Sam gripped his hand tightly, silently praying for him to come back, for him to stay with her and never leave.
Freddie was about to go, he breathed and exhaled hard, and prepared himself for the inevitably, when he felt someone clutching at his hand. A grip so tight, it made him look back. Sam was holding his hand, holding it tightly, begging him to stay. He looked over to his father, and down at their joined hands. His father gave him a handshake. Just a handshake.
"Go ahead kid… let go" he said with a smile, and Freddie knew what he mean.
He released his father's hand and walked towards Sam. Suddenly all was blurry and all he could see was her face, right in front of him. Suddenly he felt dizzy, he looked at his dad, who smiled and nodded. That was the last thing he saw before he passed out.
Sam kissed his palm, pressing her cheek against the back of his hand, she cried, letting the tears soak his skin. He was gone, and he was never coming back. There was nothing else to hold on to, there was nothing anymore. He was gone… it was over. The feeling didn't even sink in when she heard a beep, then a beep, beep. The hand beneath her face twitched, and she heard a woman gasping. When she raised her head to look at him, she met his eyes, his chocolate brown eyes, staring at her half open. She could swear she saw the ghost of a smile inside his eyes.
"Freddie?" she whispered weakly.
He continued to stare, but did not respond. She could see tears forming on his eyes. The doctors rushed to him, but didn't dare to pull her away. They checked and checked, making sure everything was okay. Sam remained by his side, not even trying to hold her tears, she kept kissing his hand and looking down at him, he kept looking back, their eyes were locked, and they wanted to remain this way for as long as they both shall live.
Everything around him was confusing, it was a big blur, but he saw Sam, and he knew, he was awake. He was alive. He could feel his body, but he could not move, nor speak, his eyes were heavy and he could only open them halfway, but it was enough to see her. He was seeing her, and she looked like a beautiful mess. Freddie never been so happy before, he was back, and he was seeing her, it felt too good to be truth.
Laney called Marissa, who cried over the phone and ran to Spencer's apartment to tell the good news. The doctors explained to Sam that because of the time he was in coma, recovering would be difficult, but never impossible. She nodded and told him she would do whatever was necessary. Not even a single moment she left his side, not even to clean herself, not even when her back hurt, not even when she needed to pee.
Marissa arrived ten minutes later, and brought the gang with her. Carly was already crying, wearing her prom dress, and holding on to Brad's hand. Brad was very anxious, but he tried to keep a façade for Carly's sakes. It didn't work, as soon as he saw his friend's open eyes; he broke down crying like a baby. Gibby, Tasha and Wendy were also dressed in their fancy clothes, and Spencer was all covered in purple paint. There was a lot of crying that night.
Neither Sam, nor Marissa left his bed side that night. Freddie's mother slept on the armchair, and Sam lay on the bed by his side. She kept whispering how much she loved him, even knowing he couldn't reply. Not yet. But he could hear, and in his heart he would tell her every time that he loved her also. The next morning, Marissa woke up before Sam and went to grab something for the girl to eat. Before she left the room, Marissa looked over to her son and the girl lying beside him once more. She couldn't believe her baby was here, he was here, and Sam was right, all he needed was time.
Sam… that girl was quite something. As she slept next to Freddie, Marissa admired her. Her feet were dark from running barefoot to Freddie's room, she looked extremely tired, but her face held a smile that lit up the room. Now Marissa was sure that he was in good hands. She couldn't have asked for anyone better, now she knew he would always be happy, loved and cared for. Marissa smiled once again and exited the room, that girl was strong, but she needed to eat, she needed to be fed because even though he woke up, the road would be long hard, and both she and Sam would need to be at their best shape now.
Freddie opened his eyes to see Sam sleeping by his side. He smiled and made a little effort to raise his hand, having no success he just stared at her. Her cheeks were still dark from the mix of mascara and tears she cried last night. She breathed slowly her chest raising and falling with every breath. He wanted nothing more than to touch her. Sam squirmed and opened her eyes, her long eyelashes tickling his cheek.
"Hey" she whispered "how are you doing?"
He couldn't respond.
"Fine. Blink twice for yes and once for no" he complied, blinking twice slowly "good… am I heavy on you?" he blinked once.
She stretched a little to kiss his cheek.
"You scared me to death last night Benson" he looked sadly at her "but we're all good now"
He blinked twice.
"I love you" she whispered.
He blinked twice, then he blinked three times.
"I guess three times says that you love me too?" she smiled.
He blinked twice.
"Samantha?" Marissa called, opening the door "oh… my baby is up… I'm going to get the nurse"
Freddie looked at Sam and blinked once.
"He says no, I don't think he needs a nurse"
"How do you know?"
"We have a system" she smiled down at him.
"Of course you do" Marissa chuckled "I brought you food"
"Oh… food!" she hummed "thank you Marissa"
"You're welcome. I was thinking, you need to go home and take a shower"
"No. There's no way I will leave him" she shook her head, stuffing herself with the ham sandwich Marissa brought her "no can do"
"Samantha, this is stupid. I know you're ecstatic, I am too, but you need to clean yourself. Look at this" she pointed down at her feet "your feet are disgusting! This is not something I want close to my Freddie. He needs to recover in a clean environment, you could give him a bacteria or something"
"Oh, so you're calling me dirty?"
"That's not what I am saying, but yes, at the present moment you are dirty" she argued.
"So you don't want Dirty Sam close to your baby?" she mocked.
"Samantha… don't push me"
"I'm not pushing you, you're pushing me"
"I am not! I'm just saying that you need-"
"See, you're doing it right now, you're pushing me. You're pushing the hell out of me!"
Freddie kept watching Sam and his mother bantering back and forth. If he could laugh, he would have, but all he could do was curl the corners of his mouth upwards a little, and that took a lot of effort.
"Woman… you are totally…" she stopped as soon as she saw his face "look…"
"I was just saying that you could eat with little more manners-"
"No, Marissa… look" she pointed at Freddie "he's smiling!"
"He's not supposed to… it's too soon for that"
"You're forgetting who you're talking about" Sam bent down to kiss his forehead "he's an overachiever"
"Yes, he is" his mother said, sniffing "oh… Sam!"
"I know" she didn't even bother to swallow her tears.
Freddie watched the two women he loved the most stop fighting and hug each other tightly. For the first time in ages he was sure everything was going to be okay.
Eventually, Sam had to go home, but she made sure Carly and Brad were watching Freddie. She entered her room running, took a quick shower, changed, grabbed some clothes and ran back to the door, but Pam grabbed her arm tightly.
"Where the hell have you been? You took my car in the middle of the night and disappeared!" she hissed.
"Mom…" Sam smiled "I was at the hospital…"
"You and this obsession! Sam, how many times I'll have to tell you-"
"He's awake!" she squeaked "he woke up last night"
"W-What?" Pam stuttered, releasing Sam's arm.
"He is awake, mom! He's awake!" she hugged Pam tightly "but I gotta go back now… he needs me"
"Wait…!" Pam yelled, still dumbfounded "let me go with you!"
That was the first visit Pam paid Freddie in months. That day, she could really see how much that boy mattered too her daughter, and how wrong she was for telling Sam to move on. The way her daughter cared for him was something she never saw before, and the way he looked at her also didn't go by unnoticed. Pam never saw Sam so dedicated to something, or someone before and that was a good sign.
Her dedication sure paid off, because three days later Freddie woke up feeling way better. He watched Sam sleeping for a few more minutes, until she woke up smiling at him. She would always sleep in the same bed as him, and he didn't even mind, but he had the feeling she wasn't all that comfortable. It didn't matter, he learned that questioning her actions was not a good idea. When she sat up, and kissed his cheek, he knew something had changed, and he wanted her to be the first to know.
"Morning dorkwad" she bent over and kissed his cheek "I love you"
"Sam… I-I love… you…t-too" he stammered slowly, putting all of his heart and his effort in those words.
"W-wha…?" her eyes went wide in shock "you're… talking… you're talking Freddie!"
"Y-yes" he said.
"Oh my god! I have to call your mother" she jumped off the bed, wearing one of his old pajamas, grabbed her phone and dialed Marissa's number "the doctor's said it was going to take time for your body to recover, for you to be fully able to control your muscles and for your brain to function properly or whatever" she quoted function with her free hand "I told them it was bullshit, that you had the best brain ever!"
He chuckled, and she didn't realize, until now, how much she missed his laugh. He was pretty sure the doctors didn't say that to her, but the part where it was going to hard for him to regain control over his muscles was true. He's been asleep and still like a rock for almost a year now.
"Oh… hey Marissa!" she said when Marissa finally answered the phone "guess what? Freddie just talked to me. Yes! That's right, Crazy!"
Freddie silently observed the way Sam's eyes lit up while she talked to his mother on the phone. It was funny how the first word he ever said when he learned how to talk was mom, and now the first word he managed to speak out was Sam.
He sure loved those two very much. He just wished his father was here too, but he knew wherever he was, he was looking out for him. The emotion of seeing his father, and talking to him never ceased to make his eyes a little watery. It's still thrilled him how mysterious life could be. Freddie would forever hold that moment in his heart, that moment he shared with his father. He would never forget.
Slowly, day by day he regained his strength, and the doctors were surprised how fast he was recovering. Every time they mentioned it, Sam would snort and say told ya! I told ya all! The second week he was already talking complete sentences without a minimum effort. That same week, he also began to move his arms and feet. Freddie hated the wheel chair, but it was better than spend the whole day on a bed, that was for sure. Besides, Sam loved to push him around on his wheel chair and pretend he was on a Fast and Furious scene, he surely didn't mind.
She brought him back to the roof, where he liked to spend most of the afternoon. The view from Seattle was amazing, and he could contemplate the city he loved so much.
"Come here" he said, pulling her to sit on his lap.
"No! What if I hurt you?" she pulled away like his hand was on fire.
"Don't be silly Sam. I appreciate you taking care of me and all, but let's pretend for one second I'm not a china doll" he chuckled "come here beautiful"
She sighed and nodded, sitting carefully on his lap.
"Carly and Brad want to announce on iCarly you're awake and getting better" she said, as they watched the sunset together "they want you to make a video, showing the fans you are okay. They've been worried too, you know"
"I think it's a great idea" he kissed her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her middle "you what I realized?"
"What?" she said, leaning her head back, to rest on the crook of his shoulder.
"That I'm awake for quite some time now, but you didn't even kissed me yet" he pouted.
"Oh… that's truth…" she smirked and turned around to face him "we can solve that right here, right now"
"Can we now?" he smirked.
"Yep" she leaned and pressed her lips against his.
They missed each other's kisses like crazy; there was nothing that could ever compare, at the feeling of each other's body, and lips pressed together. She parted her lips when he ran his tongue over her mouth and allowed it to travel inside to find hers. They didn't fight for dominance, they just danced in sync, moved and explored. He kept one hand over her thigh and the other squeezed her waist. Freddie missed this so much, every little bit of her, and every single part of the girl he loved so much. She kept her hands on his face and traveling to his hair occasionally, tasting and marveling herself with how intensely their feelings seemed to mingle.
When she pulled away for air, he groaned, he could keep doing that for five more hours. She kissed his nose and touched his forehead with hers.
"I could keep going for like five to ten hours more" he whispered.
"Me too, but it's getting cold, time for you to go back to your room" she jumped off his lap, planting one more sweet kiss on his lips.
"Ugh! Don't wanna!" he whined.
"Whiners are loser Freddie, do you wanna be a loser?" she pushed his wheel chair inside the hospital.
"I thought you thought I was one already" he teased.
"That's very true" she chuckled and he turned around to glare at her "you said it right Fredward, I thought, past tense. Now you're one lucky fellow, you have me!"
"Very true Samantha, very true"
They recorded the video for the iCarly fans and spend the rest of the night cuddling, exchanging kisses and watching Bewitched. Freddie told Sam she was just like Samantha and he was happy to be her Darrin any day, even though Sam and Sam had nothing in common, besides the name and the blonde hair. First, she slapped him playfully, then she chuckled loudly, telling him how dorky he was. They went to bed around ten, after his mother left, he wanted to stay awake and make out, but Sam insisted he must've been rested for his first physiotherapy appointment in the morning.
Physiotherapy was worst than Freddie thought. It was useless and tiring, he couldn't get his legs to respond his brain's commands, and he felt like he had no strength to move not even an inch. By the end of the day he was tired and disappointed. The only thing that made him feel better was Sam. Two more days of that and he was on the edge.
"Come on Freddie… you can do this. You're not motivated enough" said Olivia, his physiotherapist.
"I can't do it Olivia!" he growled "I just can't!"
He was gripping the bars tightly, not moving. Olivia wanted him to walk all the way to the end of the metal bars, but he couldn't, he knew he couldn't, or maybe he was just being lazy. It didn't help the fact Sam wasn't there. She went home to take a shower and change and didn't come back yet. Now he was grumpy and lazy.
"What is with all this growling?" Sam asked, walking into the room.
"Freddie is being stubborn. No, better, he's being a pain in my ass" Olivia crossed her arms over her chest.
"Oh, is that true?" she glared at Freddie.
"She just wants me to do something that's not even possible!" he argued.
"I just want you to take a step after the other Freddie. We've been through this before, you're recovery process is happening amazingly fast. You surely can do that. Remember yesterday? You walked three steps, now I'm only asking you to walk five"
"Five? This is more like seven" he argued.
"Hey…" Sam called, walking towards him "hi"
"Hi" he smiled, exhaling tiredly "I missed you"
"I missed you too" she leaned to kiss him, and he puckered his lips, but she pulled away.
"Hey!" he protested.
"Want some of this?" she pointed at her lips "you have to come and get it" she walked backwards until she was on the other side of the bars, smirking.
"Sam…" he glared at her.
"Sorry Benson, that's just how it will work from now on. You want me, you'll have to come and get me" she shrugged.
"I don't have to, I can always kiss you later" he shrugged.
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" she smiled at him mischievously "you don't get kisses if you don't do the hard work"
"That's not fair!" he whined.
"One kiss for step" she smirked "per day!"
"NO!"
"Sorry pal, that's the way it's got to be"
He furrowed his brows, confident, he put all his effort and energy into moving one of his legs, then the other, then again and again. Freddie kept gripping the bars for support, so most of his weight was deposited on his arms. He kept moving, seeing how Sam's face seemed to light up with every step he took. When he reached her, the first thing he did was wrapping one arm around her shoulders for support.
"Hey gorgeous" he smiled, sweat collecting on his forehead "can I get my reward now?"
"You sure can Mr. Benson" Sam wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her lips to his.
From that day on, he found the right motivation to get to the other side of the bars.
One night, she was laying her head on his chest, and he was toying with her hair, when she brought up a topic he wasn't very comfortable talking about.
"We never really talked about the months you… you know… was a ghost" she looked up to him and saw him cringing "I didn't dream of that, right?"
"No… you didn't. What's there to talk about?"
"Why do you think you came back?" she asked shyly.
He didn't realize he never told Sam about that night, or about his father. He would gladly tell her about everything, but not this. He decided it would probably freak her out, and that moment was between him and his father. His little secret.
"Because you asked me to" she gave him a confused look "I was right here Sam, but before I could go you grabbed my hand and begged me to stay. I couldn't leave you, so I stayed"
"Oh…" she looked down at her hands, noticing by his tone, this wasn't something he wanted to be talking about "I didn't beg… it was more like asking"
"I don't see any difference" he chuckled.
"There's a big difference"
"No, I think you begged. You poured your heart out for me" he said overly dramatic.
"I did not!" she shoved him.
"Eh… you kinda did" he teased.
"No I didn't!" she insisted on the lie "your brain it's not working right"
"My brain is just fine. Yours, though… it might be in denial"
They kept bickering playfully, until they heard the door opening. Carly and Brad walked in. She was carrying flowers and he was carrying a black back pack. They would stop by everyday to talk, and check on him. Most days when they arrived, Sam and Freddie were arguing about something or making out, and that made Carly smile. Her friends were back; both of them, and nothing could make her happier. She cried every single day since Freddie woke up, just because she was so happy. Brad might deny, but she swore she say him wiping his tears inconspicuously, sometimes.
"Hey guys" he smiled.
"Hey there, man"
"Hey Freddie" Carly put the flowers over his nightstand, and Sam made a disgusted face to Freddie. His friend bent to kiss him in the forehead "Say what you will Sam, I'm not going to stop bringing the flowers. How are you doing?"
"Much better" offered her a genuine smile.
"I brought you something" Brad said, taking Freddie's laptop from inside the bag.
"Dude!" he grabbed his laptop, looking at it in awe "thank you!"
"Great, now I have to compete with the damn laptop!" Sam whined.
Everyone in room laughed, including Sam.
Brad never told Freddie about the times he was sure he felt Freddie close to him. But by the way his friend looked at him sometimes, he was sure he knew somehow. None of that really mattered, because now that was all in the past and it was time to move forward.
By the end of the month, Freddie was leaving the hospital in his crutches. Marissa drove him and Sam home, stopping by her house so she could collect a couple of clothes to take with her. Marissa wasn't very happy with Sam moving in, but she had to deal it that. It wasn't all bad though, she would take care of Freddie, make sure he wouldn't roll down the stairs and keep him company. But no funny business, maybe after he was fully recovered, if they were protection, because she knew that was inevitable. Either way, she knew this was only temporary, as soon as Freddie was truly recovered, Sam would definitely move back to her house. They weren't allowed to miss school either, and neither was allowed to fail a grade again. She said that specifically to Sam. Pam wasn't exactly ecstatic about that too, she kept telling Sam not to get pregnant. Sam just blushed, while Freddie snickered and his mother agreed with Pam.
Sam helped carry his bags and her bags inside his room and deposited them on the floor. Spencer was already there, with most of his friends and some neighbors, waiting to welcome him with a surprise party. Sam even baked him a cake, and everyone brought him welcome-home gifts. He never got so many gifts before, not even on his birthday. Around seven, everyone left, Marissa insisted Freddie needed to rest, he insisted he was fine, but even Sam was on her side on that matter.
The doctors were very impressed with his fast recovery; they only allowed him to go home as long as he promised to keep coming back for the physiotherapy. Yeah, like Sam and my mother will allow me to skip it. Sam helped him sit down on the edge of the bed and kneeled to take off his shoes. He put his crutches beside him and touched her hair.
"I love you so much" he let out.
She lifted her head up to look at him, smiling brightly.
"I know that" she said cockily.
"Good" he smiled "because it would kill me if you ever doubted it"
"As long as you're always sure of my love for you, we're cool Benson" she shrugged and sat on his lap, straddling his thighs.
"I could get used to you being here every day" he slid his hands from her backs to her ass.
"Uh-huh, I bet you can" she leaned forward and kissed him.
He immediately licked over her bottom lip and nipped at it, demanding her to open her mouth for him. She complied, letting his tongue venture inside her mouth and meet with hers. Sam ran her hands through his hair, running her nails softly on his scalp. Freddie moaned into her mouth, and squeezed her thighs, bringing her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer, crushing her chest against his. He moved a hand from her thigh to her waist, giving it a hard squeeze, then moved up towards the sides of her breasts.
Just when the kiss was intensifying, in a very sexual way, Marissa stormed into his room, and cleared her throat.
"I thought I said no funny business" she hissed.
"You did, Crazy, you did. But you see… this" she pointed between her and Freddie "it's not funny business, it's called making out"
"Same thing to me" she scowled "he's not all ready for that, so you might as well just wait"
"He looks pretty ready to me" she muttered under her breath, wiggling her hips against the bulge in his pants. He blushed deeply.
"What did you say?" Marissa asked.
"I said fine" she sighed "cool beans!"
Freddie chuckled and Marissa glared at Sam.
"I'm going to make us some dinner now… I'll leave the door open!" she peeked before finally leaving, then a second later she came back and peek again, before leaving for real.
"This will be fun" Freddie commented.
"Totally" Sam smiled and kissed him, making him lie back on the bed.
She kissed him sweetly, deepening the kiss just a bit, not enough to be considered sexual, but a little more than just a simple kiss. She tasted like sweet ham and he loved that. Freddie caressed her face softly and almost panted when she pulled away. He looked up to her, watching her face while she smiled.
"I love you" he whispered.
"I love you too"
"Forever and always?" he asked.
"Forever and always"
He put his hand on the back of her head, pushing her lips against his again. This time, he deepened the kiss that soon turned into something heated. She grabbed his face and dipped her tongue inside his mouth, fighting for dominance. He grabbed her backside and squeezed her hard, making her gasp into his mouth, and grind into him.
"I said no funny business!" his mother yelled at the door, before leaving again.
"Oh boy…" Sam said, burying her head on his shoulder.
"This will be fun" he whispered, before kissing the side of her head.
Sam helped Freddie get dressed for his first day of school, combed his hair, and almost shoved his breakfast down his throat when he refused to finish it. She drove them to school, with Carly and Brad. A day before, she took him to buy books and pens for school, she was actually excited for this year, which was crazy to say the least. Freddie hated the fact he was going to wear crutches on his first day, but that was better than wheel chair, so he couldn't complain. Sam parked Marissa's car and helped Freddie out. Brad carried his bag and Carly carried his books, while Sam wrapped her arm around his waist and they walked inside the school.
"Oh, I miss this place" he said.
"Yeah, only a nerd could ever miss school" Sam chuckled "but I guess, school misses you too"
"What?"
She chuckled at his face when everyone yelled surprise! Every single teacher, staff member and students were waiting for him inside. There was a big sign on the wall saying "Welcome back Freddie, Ridgeway High missed you." Ted Franklin was the first to step up and hug him. Freddie never pegged Principal Franklin for a hugger, but it felt nice. People patted him on the back and kept repeating how happy they were he was back. Even Mrs. Briggs and Mr. Howard said it.
"See, school is less smart without dork" Sam whispered in his ear.
"Thank you, honey" he kissed the side of her head.
"Ew, that's very sappy" she faked disgust.
"Sorry, I'm sappy, I' guess you'll have to deal with that" he said, on their way to class.
"Forever and always, dork" she smiled.
"Forever and always, demon" he kissed her one more time before entering the classroom.
He knew this was where his life began again, and he looked over to Sam, knowing he would share that life with her. And he couldn't wait for it.
Hey guys, this is the end. Well, not really the end, there's the epilogue coming up! I hope you enjoyed it. Oh, and I'm helping a friend of mine with her first fic. As soon as she posts it, I'll announce here on the epilogue so you guys can go and check it out! I just wanted to thank you all for this ride, for being supportive and understanding, for waiting for me and my lazy ass to update, you guys are awesome. I'm going to take quick break before starting up with iSeddie – Part Two, but I have a few things in mind for the story. I'll try to make the best I can to update more often. I just wanted to say thank you so much, to everyone. The better thank you will come next chapter, I promise.
Oh, and remember when I asked, last chapter, about the The Hunger Games reference, well Geekquality got that right on the act! It was in the end of the chapter
"Yes… sure" she gave him her shaken hand "stay with me?"
"Always" he smiled.
Katniss and Peeta (love him with all my heart) have this thing, where she asks "stay with me" and he says "always", for those who haven't read the book yet. You seriously should read that because Peeta is awesome. No just kidding, read because the book is awesome, I read it because Peeta is awesome, but whatever.