Ruined Puzzle Pieces
Part 10:
That place where people go to when they dream:
"Class, today we have a new student. I'd like you all to meet Fredward Benson. This is his first day, so why don't you all give him a big third-grade welcome." Sam shifted on her seat in order to get on her knees as she peered over at what had to be the smallest-looking third-grader she had ever seen. The little brunette-haired boy looked more like a stuff-animal than a third grader from the ridiculously large turtleneck he was wearing (half of his face was hidden under it). The poor kid looked terrified as he had to be torn from his mother's leg by the teacher in front of the whole class. His eyes frantically dashed from one side of the room to the other like a cornered animal.
"Sam, he's terrified. Why isn't anyone smiling?" Carly, Sam's best friend, glanced around the classroom with a stern look, as if disappointed that people weren't giving the newcomer a chance. Carly then turned and motioned to Sam. "Come on, let's say something."
"Hello Freddie!" the two spoke simultaneously. Freddie looked over at the source of the greeting slowly and reluctantly. He seemed confused from the impromptu nickname the girls had given them on the spot and then slowly smiled back. His eyes seemed to have locked with Sam's.
"Okay, class. Let's break up into pairs and have each pair grab one set of crayons. I want you all to draw someone who is very special to you." The teacher turned towards Freddie before asking, "Why don't you pair up with…"
"I'll take him!" Sam interrupted. She quickly grabbed a box of crayons and rushed over to Freddie. After forcefully taking his arm, Sam dragged Freddie over to Carly's desk. Carly meanwhile was in the crowd of pairing third-graders trying to grab the attention of Jake Krandal along with every other girl in the class.
"So… who're you drawing?" Sam looked over at Freddie, but he was gazing off somewhere else in the crowd. Sam waved a hand in front of his face, but he wasn't even blinking.
Freddie pointed his finger at the crowd. "Who's that?" Sam squinted as she tried to follow the boy's wobbly pointer finger.
"Oh, her. She's Carly, my best friend." Sam looked back over to Freddie, but he was still staring dreamily with a little bit of drool starting to build at the edge of his mouth.
"She's really pretty…"
Sam paused in silence for about two seconds…
*WHAM*
Freddie reeled on the ground in pain, cradling his swelling cheek. "Owww! What's your problem?"
Sam stared him down until he started squirming before answering. "Breathing the same air as you, dorkface!"
Sam woke up slowly, shaking off the last remnants of her dream as she stretched her arms. She looked around to find that she was alone by the remaining charcoals of last night's campfire.
"Freddie?"
She stood up quickly, looking for him. She spotted his silhouette by the river. He was hunched over the edge and looked like he was… brushing his teeth?!. Sam marched over for a closer look, and sure enough, after scrubbing his teeth with a toothbrush, Freddie swallowed some water from a bottle, rinsed, and spat into the river. Sam was shocked and a little speechless.
"Wait… What… How… Huh?!"
"Don't worry, the water's clean. I put an iodine tablet into the water I filtered from the river. It's drinkable." Freddie saw Sam pointing at the toothbrush, and Freddie's mouth formed a small 'o' as he suddenly understood. Meanwhile, Sam threw up her arms and made a facial expression that seemed to simply say 'duh.'
"Oh, where did all the stuff come from? Remember what I was holding on the dock right before the avalanche hit?" Sam took a moment to collect her memories before answering.
"Your luggage! You had your huge suitcases with you."
"Yeah, last night I figured that my luggage also made it downstream with the rest of us. As soon as the sun rose, I went upstream to see if the bags were caught anywhere. You see, my mom bought those bags, which means they're both watertight and buoyant." Freddie ran away from the shore for a few moments and returned with two ridiculously sized suitcases, pulling each one on top of its wheels with a handle in each hand.
Sam was ecstatic. "THAT'S INSANE!"
"I KNOW! Here, my mom packed spare toothbrushes. You can brush and freshen yourself up with towels and soap." Freddie opened one of the many compartments in the bag and revealed a set of toiletries to Sam.
Sam grabbed some soap, glad for a chance to finally get some grime off of her, when Freddie opened up the other case.
"We've also got… fresh clothes. Well, my fresh clothes." Freddie corrected.
Sam shrugged. "I like your clothes. They're warm."
Freddie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, my mom always says she prefers function over fashion."
Sam chuckled, "No kidding."
Freddie looked over at Sam suspiciously, "Is there something wrong with the way I dress?"
Sam looked away from Freddie trying to hide a smile, "Nope… It's very… you."
Freddie decided not to comment as he threw Sam a few shirts and a pair of his jeans. The clothes were too big for her, but at least they were clean. He went to look at the boat that had saved their lives while Sam changed behind some bushes. A careful inspection confirmed this morning what he noticed the day before, multiple broken boards and leaks. He could try to repair the boat with the tools now available to him, but it didn't seem worth it, as Sam and him were probably better off on foot following the river at that rate.
Looking over the damages one last time, Freddie walked back to site where Sam and him had slept last night. (Well Sam mostly) He could hardly believed what happened the day before himself. Sam actually opened herself up to him, and the two had a true, honest conversation. Even this morning he could tell the difference, Sam's quips had far less of edge and more a playful teasing tone to them. It was like their bickering had went from spiteful cousins to… well old married couple didn't sound the most flattering, but still he knew now that Sam really did care, had real feelings, and well he cared for her a lot more than he ever realized before. All in all, Freddie realized that he was a pretty lucky guy, since Sam was right here all along and well, she's a pretty awesome girl.
He wanted to be more than friends; he wanted to share more with her. No more pining for idealisms that weren't there. No more wasting time on such silly fabrications because he was scared to see outside of his little imagination. Sam was real, and she was right here.
Now the real question is… do I tell her? Or do I continue to pine from a safe distance?
Sam walked back over to him carrying her soap, towel, toothbrush and a water bottle, apparently finding time to change, freshen, and brush her teeth while he was occupied with his thoughts. It was now or never. He had the advantage of the moment. The two were on unusually good terms after last night. Sam had just got a fresh set of clothes and a chance to get the grime of the wilderness off of her. She was in a pretty pleasant mood.
Now's my chance… Just say it… "I like you."
"Sam… I… I…"
Damn it… Saying it to Carly was never this hard… Why is this so hard?
"I…"
Sam apparently didn't notice that Freddie was having problems with first-grade vocabulary when she interrupted, "You wouldn't happen to have any food packed, would you?"
Crap… Missed my chance… Sam's hungry and I don't want to compete with her stomach for her attention. It would be so embarrassing to lose… Wait!
"Actually I can do one better than just food." Freddie opened another compartment in the back of his luggage to reveal a whole layer of neatly packed Fat Cakes. "Ta da!"
"No way! You packed Fat Cakes! Were these for me?" Sam grabbed one and tore the wrapping off with the finesse of a practiced eater.
"Yeah, to be honest I was going to bribe you…"
"Oh… for alone time with Carly…" Sam's disappointment was such that she didn't even take a single bite out of her Fat Cake, and Freddie's heart sank below his stomach. Freddie suddenly panicked.
"No! It's not what you think! Well, it is what you think! But it's not like that anymore! I've… I've… You were right! Carly was never the girl for me! The Carly I was obsessively in love with never existed. She was a fabricated idealism that I worshiped because I was too scared to try opening up to a real person. You were right… and I was wrong." Sam actually dropped her Fat Cake. Whatever she expected, that last burst of sentences was not it. Suddenly she seemed to regain her composure.
"Say that last part again," said Sam with a confident smirk.
"I worshiped a fabricated idealism because I was too scared of opening up?"
"No, the other last part."
Freddie suddenly realized where this was going. "You were right, and I was wrong."
Now it apparent that Sam was enjoying this. "Again."
Freddie rolled his eyes and sighed but went along, "You were right and I was wrong."
"One more time, just to make the message clear."
"Sam…"
Sam eyes lightened up and her cheeks flushed with color. She looked… happy, just simply happy. It filled Freddie up with... well life, and if he didn't tell Sam about his feelings soon he'd explode. Sam smiled before saying, "All right, all right. Also, I just remembered something. Open the first case, second pouch from the top." Freddie looked confused, but opened it anyway.
Why does Sam want to show me my socks?
A book fell out, a book with the title 'The Nickel Fortune.'
"Remember when I said that I'd give you the book back as soon as I was done with it. Well, I finished it at the hotel. I slipped it back in your bags, but I forgot to tell you. I was… distracted at the time." Sam looked away in embarrassment as she recalled the moment that she realized that she may have enjoyed Freddie's company more than she was willing to admit.
"Thanks. Did you like it?"
Sam smiled at Freddie, and it was real smile. He could tell; the smile reached her eyes.
"It was pretty good. The ending was really cheesy though." Freddie all of sudden had an idea, a crazy idea, but he so wanted to try it.
"There's no way. 'The Penny Treasure' was an action adventure thriller from start to finish. There's no way that 'The Nickel Fortune' could have a cheesy ending," said Freddie in a patronizing tone.
Sam suddenly entered 'competitive mode.' "You want to bet!" She grabbed the book out of Freddie's hands and started flipping pages. Freddie meanwhile silently and subtlety moved closer and leaned.
Sam flipped towards the end, completely engrossed in one upping Freddie in another argument she knew that she was in the right. Finally finding the page she was looking for, she pointed emphatically and looked up. "Ha! See! Right…" Sam never finished that statement.
Freddie's face was only an inch away from hers when she looked up. She could make out a little sliver of green in his eyes' irises they were so close. Freddie grinned and said with a completely straight face.
"That's alright… I like cheesy endings." Sam was flat out speechless, a state she personally always disliked because honestly, wasn't there always SOMETHING to say? She tried working her lips… err her voice one more time.
"I l-l-like cheesy endings t-too…" And with that Freddie Benson kissed Sam Puckett for the first time, and in the cheesiest sense possible… it was grand. It was sugar and spice and everything nice, and well… as far as first kisses go, the two could do a lot worse. They were so completely entranced that they didn't even notice a chopping sound in the distance.
"FREDDIE!!! SAM!!! I'VE COME TO SAVE YOU!!!" Carly Shay's indistinguishable voice was bellowed from a megaphone from high above Freddie and Sam. Her voice was barely louder than the roaring rotating blades of the helicopter she was on. Freddie and Sam tore apart from each other so quickly that they landed ungracefully on their bottoms. They looked up to see Carly and Spencer onboard a rusty old helicopter that looked like it had flown in the Vietnam War. Carly turned to the pilot with her megaphone and didn't spare him when she yelled.
"LOWER SOCKO!!! NEED I REMIND YOU THAT THIS ENTIRE FIASCO IS YOUR FAULT!!! NOW BRING THE CHOPPER LOWER!!!" Spencer looked at Socko in an apologetic matter while Carly turned back to Freddie and Sam.
"GRAB THE LADDER!!! …AND WERE YOU TWO JUST SMACKING LIPS?!!!" Sam and Freddie shook their heads frantically as Carly looked on suspiciously. She unfurled a rope ladder from the chopper as it hugged the tree line as close as it could. Sam looked over at Freddie for a moment.
"Is there anything you want to bring home?" Freddie shook his head.
"My laptop, but that was in the third suitcase. I couldn't find it. It must have gotten past me." Freddie motioned for Sam to go first. He was worried about her leg. Even though she had been walking around okay all morning, he didn't trust it completely with a ladder. Sam looked at the ladder for a moment, and then grabbed a handful of Fat Cakes. She stuffed them in her pockets before ascending the ladder slowly. Freddie did his best to assist her from below (also trying to stop staring at her rear… such is the challenge for any guy ascending a ladder below a girl)
The two boarded Socko's chopper and seated themselves comfortably. Sam and Carly shared a fierce hug between two reunited best friends. Spencer was slapping Freddie on the back and congratulating him on his first camping trip with a teasing smile on his face. Sam and Freddie shared a quick look at each other and smiled. Freddie felt older and a little more mature at that.
All in all, the trip wasn't so bad. Not just the trip to Sea & Trees National Park, but my trip to maturity. I feel like… I know what kind of guy I want to be when I see Sam (and if I don't know then she's usually telling me…) and I know where I want to be… well wherever she is. She and I never looked like we'd fit together, but such things don't really matter. I like her and well it looks like she likes me. We both definitely have our differences, but we're both so stubborn I don't think that they'll ever slow us down. All in all, I'm a pretty lucky guy.
El Fin
A/N: Booyah! The final chapter of my first fic. Epilogue coming soon! For those of you who thought the second chapter of the story where Freddie and Sam are in line to buy 'The Nickel Fortune' was completely random and non-relevant, hah! The entire point of that chapter was set up the kiss in the end. SO YEAH! The MAN has a PLAN! And that ties up all the loose ends… oh wait… heh… sorry Shane…
An unknown amount of miles further downstream from where Freddie and Sam were stranded:
Shane was shivering alone on the shore, his kayak ruined nearby. He was cold, wet, hungry, miserable, and lonely. He had no idea when the rescue teams were coming to get him. He was so bored that he started rhyming a little tune to himself.
"My name is Shane…"
"And I'm in pain…"
"This song is lame…"
Shane sighed. No, things could be worse. He's been in worse pain before. At least this time his unfortunate circumstances weren't caused by Sam nor Carly. (A/N: ROLF!!! See Chp 6) Yeah, one needed to think optimistically. Good things will happen. You just have to keep a positive outlook. He heard some clatter near the shore and walked over to see a ridiculously large suitcase wash itself next to him.
Wait a minute… That's Freddie's suitcase. I remember seeing that.
He opened it to find Freddie's laptop inside. Shane smiled to himself. He looked further to find a compartment filled entirely with Fat Cakes and started jumping up and down in joy!
"Dude! Food AND Freddie's computer! This totally rocks! I'll have Fat Cakes and Hungry Hungry Hippos!" Shane booted up Freddie's laptop and brought up the video game that Freddie had been working on, starting up a game while chewing on a Fat Cake.
Poor Freddie… I was always luckier than that guy.
A/N: Okay… Seriously. Thank you to all who reviewed!
This chapter: I so wished I could have done this one better. I wrote it in Freddie's POV, but I really wanted Sam's too so I tried writing it in and well... that didn't work. Ah well.
This fanfic started off as me blowing off some steam after seeing "iStage an Intervention" and all its Creddie scenes. I really wanted to write a fic that had Sam and Freddie work towards a relationship slowly and believably (The question of whether I succeeded is… meh but points for effort, right?). I honestly only expected like 6 reviews by the end of this. (All by my sister… who's a little biased)
Thank you everybody who reviewed! Thanks to you. I am now writing three other iCarly fics and updating them regularly. You've made me a regular fanfic writer and I think I'll keep doing this for a while.
If you liked this, I'm also writing "Seddie: Year One" and "iFilm Freddie." My third fic "iSpy 00Seddie" is slightly on hiatus until I have time for it. I'm thinking of doing another fic that will be either (Holiday themed Seddie, iCarly-toned pre-Seddie shorts that lead to Seddie finish, or a "Bedazzled" styled Seddie where Freddie/Sam accidentally sells their soul)
P.S. I'm curious now that the story is finished, how many people who alerted this story will fave it. *shrugs* First fic so I have no idea what to expect. I learned which chapters suck, by watching the hits statistics for individual chapters though lol.
P.P.S. So since this is the last chapter with only an epilogue to go! PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE STORY!!! I love review feedback! Happy Holidays everyone!!!