Author's Note: Hello everyone. Wow, this chapter took me far longer than expected to write. I hope you enjoy it and that I didn't short change anything in it. Don't be shy about how you feel. Thank you all for your continued support. Also, I am aware of the upcoming Victorious episode about Beck and Jade. I'm looking forward to seeing it and if Dan actually addresses what I brought up about the couple in iActually Like Mean Guys and not something off the wall… my money is on something off the wall with that guy's track record. To the Bade fans, Dan is just trolling you like he's been doing to the Creddie and Seddie fans for years.

Chapter 11

Benson Apartment
Thursday, September 29, 2011

The time on the small digital clock on the neighboring nightstand displayed about twenty minutes to midnight as Freddie lay back on his bed with his PearPhone against his right ear and his other hand supporting under his head on the pillow. "…so that's what happened today."

Jade whispered on the other end of the line, "So everything is probably going to work out with your mom, you had a civil conversation with Carly and you didn't come to blows with Sam? I guess that's the best you could hope for. Beck guessed that Carly might have learned something since you've been gone. I had my doubts… I don't want to be a vegan."

"Beck? A vegan?" he asked with the evident curiosity in his voice.

He heard a snort of a laugh on the other end then Jade answered, "Yeah, Beck came over this afternoon. He heard from André about your car and wanted to come over to have a look at it. I'm not sure what he really did other than look over it and tighten a few things, but she sounds better than we started it the first time that night. Anyway, he brought up wondering if I was concerned about you going back without me. I told him you could handle yourself and just left it that you were dealing with all the baggage from Seattle. He turned around and tried to reassure me by telling me that maybe Carly could surprise me even if you and she were not like me and Beck. I told him I had better chance of becoming a vegan than that happening. I guess I was wrong."

"Oh? That's an interesting surprise on both accounts. Did he really come over to check out the car or to try to reassure you?"

"I joked that he was trying to get in your good graces with a few brownie points before you two talked and he agreed just a little, but he also wanted to make sure it was running since he knew I'd be riding in it. I think he really wanted the chance to tell me he was sorry for upsetting me during our text fighting and I got a chance to apologize for trying to upset him too."

He grinned as he answered, "I'm glad to hear it, but I still need to talk to him about it."

"Is that really necessary now that we've kind of settled going a little overboard with the text fighting?"

He looked up at the ceiling as he tried to think exactly how he wanted to phrase what he was thinking. He finally spoke in a cautious tone, "I have to talk to him either way just to make sure everything is fine between us and thank him for looking over my car, but I'm still kind of upset that he upset you."

"He didn't upset me that mu—"

"Jade, he upset you enough that you to eat a banana and you hate bananas. That concerned me and it might be a little self serving and selfish, but maybe I just have to square that right for myself to let you know that I'll stand up for you."

He waited patiently as he heard only silence on the other end of the line.

"You put Steven down; I know you'll stand up for me. I know," she finished with saying the last two words as if she was caressing his cheek with her fingertips.

"Thanks. It'll be fine…" he chuckled before he finished, "…if she runs as well as you say then I guess I'll go easy on him."

He heard her laugh on the other end and the sound was sweet to his ears. He glanced towards the new clock on his night stand and saw that the time was ticking closer to midnight. "It's getting late and you have class tomorrow."

"Yes it is…" he heard her mumble regretfully.

"I'll stay with you until you fall asleep," he offered with a warm tone.

He was probably just imagining it, but thought he could feel her smile on the other end as she responded in a tone meant to give him a slight poke, "You are so sentimental, you know that?"

Freddie grinned as he answered, "I think that's one of the things you like about me… and I want to hang on as long as possible as I've been trying to bury the feeling of missing you with keeping busy all day because it can be quite debilitating dwelling on it."

The Seattle native heard her soft laughter, "I have a confession to make."

"Oh?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

The wisp of playfulness in her voice dissipated and was replaced with a seriousness she usually reserved in public, "I've missed you too."

He softly laughed as he asked, "Then I guess we better make this last?"

"I guess so," she answered with the return of a little playfulness to his voice.

The pair spoke about nothing of importance for another good fifteen minutes as he heard her becoming increasingly drowsy on her end of the conversation.

When he finally heard silence, he whispered gently to not pull her out of her slipping to dreamland, "I'll see you Sunday afternoon."

"Right," she mumbled.

"Jade… I, you."

She mumbled, "I you too," then he heard her nod off.

"Night my Jadelyn," he whispered then pressed the end call button. Now he just had to sleep through another night knowing instead of being less than a dozen feet from her, he was more than a thousand miles away.

Shay Apartment
Friday, September 30, 2011

The time was around ten thirty when Freddie hesitantly raised his hand as he stood outside of the Shay's apartment. After a few more seconds of debate, he finally knocked on the door. Carly had left for school hours ago of course, but he wasn't there to see the brunette.

The door opened a few seconds later to reveal a surprised looking Spencer. "Freddie?"

Freddie answered with a casual smile and tone, "Hey Spencer."

Spencer gave him a crooked smile as he spoke, "Carly said you were back."

"For the weekend," he clarified.

"Right… you want to come in?" Spencer asked with a motion of his hand towards the inside of the apartment.

Freddie thought about it for a moment then decided to accept the man's offer by stepping inside.

Spencer shut the door and walked past Freddie to head for the kitchen.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Nay, I'm fine," he waved off as Spencer was just reaching the kitchen counter. The teenager raised an eyebrow as he saw a large safe sitting beside and just in front of the counter. "I just came over to say thank you… for backing me that day at the ice cream shop."

Spencer had stopped at the counter and turned to rest his back against the edge of the countertop. "You're welcome… look Freddie, I'm sorry—"

Freddie raised a hand as he interrupted with a firm voice, "Spencer, just save it. I don't want to hear some apology that you've been shamed into given by your father. You're an adult and you saw what happened to me on a regular basis including what Sam did to me and did nothing. You are about the only person in this whole damn city that I really don't resent for it, but I don't want to hear an apology when you should have been sorry four years ago, so let's leave it at that for the time being."

The tall artist nodded his head. "Fair enough."

Freddie nodded with an apprehensive expression then motioned around the apartment, "How's the art?"

The lanky artist shrugged a shoulder. "It's going…"

"I'm glad to hear," Freddie answered with a smile. He glanced around the taller man and took another look at the safe near the kitchen counter on the living room side. He pointed around Spencer and asked, "What's the deal with the safe?"

Spencer grinned and motioned towards it. "I found it at the junkyard and bought it."

Freddie gave him a crooked smile as he asked dryly, "And you bought it for what reason?"

"Because anything in it will be mine."

"Will be? You haven't got it open?"

"Nope." The lanky artist looked over to the safe and narrowed his eyes on it. Spencer spoke in a manner that was a close to threatening as possible for the adult-child, "But I will defeat it. It will not deny me the treasure inside."

Freddie wanted to point out the fact that it was highly unlikely someone would throw a safe away, especially one that large, without checking to make sure they had removed everything of value, but he didn't want to burst the artist's bubble. "Good luck with that Spencer."

Spencer gave him a goofy smirk and answered, "Thanks."

He gave the artist a half smile as he commented, "I'm curious about one thing."

"What's that?"

"What happened to Sam?" He motioned towards his own face as he finished, "With the black eye and everything?"

Spencer frowned for a moment then answered with a momentary pause, "The way I understand it, is that she and Wendy decided to hit golf balls at the girls' soccer team during practice last week and they didn't appreciate it. They were able to chase Sam down and well…"

"The entire girls' soccer team beat the chizz out of her?"

The corners of Spencer's mouth turned downward and gave a quick roll of his eyes. "Yeah, pretty much."

Freddie snorted out and covered his mouth with the back of his hand from the soft laugh as he spoke, "You expect a soccer team to be able to run. I wonder if they used their cleats on her."

Spencer frowned at the teenager.

Freddie grinned as he continued, "Oh come on Spencer, it's a little funny that she finally pays for some of the chizz she dishes out on people. Isn't that called justice?"

"I think I'll refrain from commenting."

Freddie narrowed his eyes and shook his head with mild disgust. "That's the problem Spencer, you've always refrained from commenting on Sam's behavior.

"I can see you're still bitter," the tall artist cautiously commented.

The sarcasm dripped off Freddie's voice as he responded, "Be the world's punching bag for four years then get back to me on how fast I should get over being bitter."

Spencer gave him an embarrassed smile then raised his hands in defeat.

Freddie gave a quick roll of his eyes then asked, "So Carly's not covering for her anymore?"

Spencer cleared his throat then leaned over and rested his right forearm against the safe. "Dad forbids Carly from bailing Sam out anymore trouble that she gets herself into if she starts it."

Freddie raised a curious eyebrow. "I don't think the Colonel meant Carly to allow Sam to get beaten down."

"Sam started it, they finished it and Carly wasn't there when it happened. Sound familiar?"

Freddie cracked a somewhat embarrassing smile. "Vaguely," he answered with a hint of humor in his voice. "So Carly's listening?"

"It's either that or she's living with our Uncle Barry until she's eighteen then after that it doesn't matter since Carly would be on to college and—"

Freddie gave a quick roll of his eyes as he finished for the artist in a dry tone, "And Sam's going to be lucky if she graduates."

"Actually, some of dad's talk to her actually got through to her. She's studying and doing her school work."

Freddie's brow rose at hearing that statement.

"I know right, but she finally realized that college would separate her and Carly if she didn't have the grades to get in with her."

"How do you feel about that? I mean the threat that Carly could just be sent to live with your uncle?"

Spencer rolled his eyes to the ceiling as he gathered his thoughts then looked back to Freddie. "I can see dad's point of view."

"And what exactly is that?"

Spencer nodded his head from side to side for a few moments then answered, "Dad had his conversation with Sam while Carly was with the Dorfmans and he was quite blunt about everything to Sam: 'You want to go to Hell Sam, that's your choice and your business, but you're not dragging my daughter down with you'. Dad saw how much Carly's enabling Sam had cost her… namely you and he's determined to put stop to it before it costs Carly anymore. I heard it was Sam that ruined your chance for your tech camp and to any college you want and dad doesn't want Sam to cost Carly anything by how she acts. Sam either starts treated those around her like she treats Carly and start to grow up or he's going to cut Sam out of Carly's life as if she was cancer. Sam is still struggling to learn that as you can see from her face."

Freddie whistled then hesitantly spoke, "An interesting choice of words for him throwing in the cancer analogy."

The look on Spencer's face seemed to agree with the sentiment. "I think he picked those words specifically to help make his point."

"Yeah, but why the Dorfmans? Why not just ban Sam from the apartment? Or does he think you would just let her in anyway behind his back?"

Spencer gave him an embarrassed expression. "If I went behind his back, he'd throw me out and send Carly to the Dorfmans anyway, but he knows how Sam's mom is and he knew if he did that Sam would be worst off than she is now if she didn't have here as a sanctuary."

"So even if he sent Carly away, he'd let Sam still come over and mooch off you?"

Spencer took a deep breath then put on rarely seen serious expression as he answered, "Since the first time Sam came over when she was eight, it was never my decision whether she could stay whenever she wanted or eat any of our food." Spencer gave a sad smile as he continued, "He told me one time that if mom was still living, she may not have ever let Sam go home that first time."

Freddie looked down at the floor and pursed his lips for a moment. He looked back up at Spencer and spoke with a guarded tone, "Your dad's a complex man, isn't he?"

Spencer grinned then chuckled for a moment as he answered, "Actually… not at all once you figure him out."

Freddie nodded and gave a small smile. "I'll remember that… well Spencer it was nice speaking with you, but I need to be going. I just wanted to drop by."

The artist smiled. "Yeah, so where are you heading? Are you heading back to L.A. today?"

Freddie turned and smirked at the lanky artist. He answered in a conspiratorial manner, "No, I'm not leaving until Sunday, but I thought I'd drop by the school… I'm… morbidly curious about what's going on. Later Spencer." The next moment he was out the door.

Ridgeway High School
Seattle, WA
Friday, September 30, 2011

The main office was surprisingly more than happy to give Freddie a visitor's pass when he arrived at the school. He had arrived about twenty minutes before Carly and Sam's lunch period, so he was waiting around during the current lunch period catching up with Shane and Wendy after a quick exchange of greeting with Ava's twin sister. Twins! his mind shouted before having a interesting little exchange with the girl with Ava's appearance (and fortunately she didn't hit on him as she was one of many that did initially after his accident) and wondered if Sinjin had met his girlfriend's twin.

Shane whistled then commented with a hint of disbelief as Freddie held up his PearPhone for the other teenager to see across the table, "Oh my God Freddie, so this is her? She is hot."

Freddie cracked a smile then pulled away his PearPhone and taking a quick glance of the picture of Jade. It was a slightly older profile picture from her Slap page when she still had raven hair. "Yes she is. I'm with a beautiful actress and singer."

Wendy was sitting beside Shane as she asked curiously before taking a sip of her milk, "And you're living with her?"

The former Tech-Producer clarified with a smirk as he slipped his phone into the right pocket of his blue sports jacket with the Hollywood Arts HA logo on the left side of the chest, "I'm renting a room from her mother."

Shane laughed, "So you get up in the morning with her, go to school then come home with her? When do you have your guy time?"

Freddie gave him an uncomfortable smile as he answered, "That's an oversimplification of my life with Jade and throwing in some underlining assumptions about 'getting up with her in the morning' and I do have my guy time. I have an outside life from Jade and a great group of friends."

Wendy spoke up, "Better than Carly and Sam?"

The question was a logical one to ask, but also a prying one, intentionally or not, so Freddie answered as vague as possible for them to draw their own conclusions, "I'm there and I have no intention of coming back to live here or back to Ridgeway. Does that answer your question?"

Wendy looked down at the table and looked somewhat embarrassed from her question. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Sorry? Yeah, you'll forgive me if I take anyone being sorry to me with a grain of salt."

The pair looked to one another as they had only speculation as to the real reasons why Freddie left Seattle as Carly and Sam had remained mum on the issue while Freddie's profile video only said he wasn't happy in Seattle anymore.

Mister Howard spoke up from behind Freddie, "Freddie Benson? You're back?"

The Seattle native turned in his seat to look up at the balding teacher. He smiled as he answered, "Surprise visit during a surprise visit home."

Mister Howard spoke in a dismissive tone, "Good, you'll be gone by the end of the day?"

"Yep and I'm happy too; I don't have to put up with a piece of chizz like you either."

Shane and Wendy blinked at the statement and the surrounding students that had kept a respectable distance away from the group started murmuring among themselves.

"Watch your mouth," he growled out.

Freddie cracked a grin as he countered, "Or what? You can't do anything to me, except annoy me a little bit."

Mister Howard gritted his teeth as he stared at the apparently smug teenager.

"How's the divorce coming along? I tried to pick the best picture that captured you and Miss Brigg's essence," Freddie asked with a grin plastered on his face. "After all these years, I just decided to say 'Fuck you' back. I know it was pretty petty, but you're just a bully and I wanted you to pay for it. So who's keeping the house?"

"We're going to see Principal Franklin right now!"

Freddie chuckled softly, "I'd love to speak with Teddy."

He looked to Wendy and Shane. "What? He's not my principal. Heck, at Hollywood Arts, I had to get use to calling teachers by their first names."

Mister Howard retorted, "This isn't Hollywood Arts or whatever school you go to."

Freddie leaned back against the table and smirked. "I know. It's a far superior school than this one."

Principal Franklin's Office
Ridgeway High School
Seattle, WA
Friday, September 30, 2011

Principal Franklin leaned back in his chair and smiled to Freddie as he relaxed in turn in his chair. "I'm more than happy to allow you to visit Freddie, but I can't let you be disruptive and disrespectful towards the teachers—"

Freddie shrugged a shoulder, "I wasn't. He's the one that came up to bother me and started something as he always does because he doesn't like students. I just gave it right back to him this time… something you should have done something about years ago. You're supposed to be the principal and his boss, but you'll rollover to him and Briggs every time when they mistreat us." Freddie shook his head. "I've had a lot of time to reflect on a lot of issues, but I haven't figured out one thing: are you just that spineless or do you allow them to treat us that way so we can look to you and love you as the alternative?"

Franklin took a slow breath and subconsciously adjusted his suit jacket.

The brown eyed teenager waved him off. "I really don't expect an answer."

The Tim Russ look alike cleared his throat and spoke in an apologetic manner, "I'm sorry that you felt that way going here and that it may have been a reason you decided to leave."

Freddie blew out a quick breath before answering, "Well since you let everyone including some teachers treat me like shit, I came to the realization that my best option was to leave."

Principal Franklin looked down at his desk and cleared his throat before replying, "I'm truly sorry about that Freddie."

Freddie snorted out as he leaned back in the chair and spoke in a dry tone, "You're sorry." Freddie shrugged a shoulder as he continued in the same tone, "Spencer's sorry, Carly might be sorry, everyone is sorry now, but you were all the same people that made my life miserable or stood by and let it happen. Where were you all the times Sam physically assaulted me at school for the last four years? Where were you when Briggs or Howard would harass me without consequences? Where were you when every school club was allowed to kick me out just for thinking Fred wasn't funny?"

Freddie shook his head. "Sorry Teddy, every body's apologizes ring too hollow to me right now. I think people are just too scared that I'll go into details about why I wasn't happy in Seattle and it would embarrass them."

"I can't judge everyone else's intentions, only my own."

Freddie gave him a nod then stood up to finish his peace, "Well if you're sorry… then hold Sam accountable for what she does in the future… I mean really accountable and crack down on the bullies here and the teachers before the next victim of their bullying who just can't pick up and leave decides his or her only way out is becoming a suicide statistic or bring a weapon to school and really fight back." Freddie turned then headed out the door in silence without waiting for a response.

Hollywood Arts High School
Friday, September 30, 2011

Jade decided to eat lunch alone as she picked angrily with her fork at her salad. She wasn't in the mood for any company and made it a point to sit at another table from the rest of them. She ignored the concern glances from Cat and Tori in her direction as her thoughts drifted back to last night when she and Freddie were catching each other up on their days. She may have told Freddie about Beck dropping by and what he had told her, but she did leave out one important detail: her former boyfriend pointing out that Freddie was never physically affectionate to her in public. At some point they had non-verbally agreed to keep their relationship private with only the occasional need for her to remind some of the female population and one or two of the male population of the school that Freddie wasn't on the market, but she now had to face the fact that Freddie held back in public with her.

The thought started to anger her as she started poking her food harder with her fork as she didn't understand the motivation for his behavior and if it was some kind of sign that there was a deeper problem to their relationship. She would have continued to stab at the defenseless salad, but she caught movement from the corner of her eye. She looked up to see Dusty having a seat across from her wearing a grin on his face and sunglasses over his eyes.

"No," she spoke in such a firm voice that it was nearly a command.

Dusty smirked as he crossed his arms in front of him and rested them on the table. He came back at her sarcastically, "This isn't the Deep South in the sixties; you don't tell me where I can or can't sit."

The dark brunette gave a deep frown as she narrowed her gaze upon him.

Dusty snorted out dismissively her eying him then ignored her continued stare as he casually made his point, "I saw you and just wanted to tell you that your short film is on fire on SplashFace along with your profile on TheSlap is being swamped. I was hoping you'd pass on the fact to Freddie before he got back that it's the same for his play and profile. It looks like he's going to be taking iCarly head on at this rate and come out on top. You sure got people's attention with your film. I personally thought you were great."

Jade looked down at her food and cleared her throat. Freddie taking off suddenly and him being gone yesterday, she hadn't given it much thought that Dusty was suppose to put up her short film and Freddie and Tori's play Wednesday on the school's new SplashFace account. She spoke lazily and with a little bit of shame,

"Well… thanks."

He gave her a small smile. "You're quite welcome… and that you were really hot as Snow White."

Her head snapped up and gave him a look of mild annoyance.

A corner of Dusty's mouth rose as he countered, "Don't give me that look, that was exactly what you were going for and don't try to insult my intelligence in trying to deny it. I didn't think it distracted what you were trying to accomplish with the performance, but enhanced your spin on the character and tale. It was edgy without parodying itself."

Her mouth finally broke into a partial smile from the compliment that didn't appear to be some lame attempt to flirt with her as Sinjin had attempted the last time she decided to sit by herself during her first breakup with Beck and if this was an attempt, Dusty was sure had a strange way going about it. "Thanks."

He nodded his acknowledge this time then stood up. He looked down with a smile as he spoke, "Well, I just wanted to let you know all that and that I can't wait for your next performance. See ya West." He turned and headed off to get himself some lunch.

She let herself smile at that her and Freddie's works could take on iCarly head-on and that when he got back he would know he was just as capable without Carly and Sam. It was turning into a mixed bag of a day, but that was far better than how she felt about the rest of the morning. All she had to do now was get some real food for lunch as she got up from her seat and let the thought cross her mind, 'How does Liz Gillies do this vegan thing?'

iCarly Studios
Shay Apartment
Seattle , WA
Friday, September 30, 2011

Freddie quietly entered the studio and gave a nod to Brad as he was double checking something on his laptop then looked over his camera. It was a surreal feeling being back here and watching someone else do his job (or attempt to do his job depending on where your opinion fell on the quality of the show since he left). As he stepped further inside the studio a number of memories were quickly brought back that frankly he didn't want to deal with at the moment and a part of him never wanted to deal with them.

"Hey," Carly called out as she was sitting in a beanbag chair with a book in her hand and various papers around where she was sitting.

He raised an eyebrow at the sit of what looked like her furiously studying despite it being just minutes before the show on Friday night and she would have the entire weekend to study if she had a test on Monday.

She closed her book and sat it beside before standing up and brushing some hair out of her apprehensive looking face.

The former Tech-Producer gave her a quick nod then explained his presence, "I just wanted to wish you luck with tonight's broadcast since I didn't get a chance to see you at lunch today."

"Okay..." Carly awkwardly motioned towards the center of performing area of the studio where the beanbag chair was still sitting with the array of papers as she offered, "You're welcome to appear on the show. You could say hello to the audience or tell people about your play and Jade's short-film and where they can see it."

Brad spoke up, "I think that would be great. Your play was funny and that editing of your girlfriend's film was fantastic."

Freddie noticed the momentary tense reaction from Carly and slight grimace from Sam at the mention of the word 'girlfriend'.

Brad apparently realized that he may have stepped in something from the nervous expression that formed on his face. He lowered his head to look at his camera.

Freddie crossed his arms and gave Brad a sympathetic smile. He briefly wondered what it must be like for Brad having to fill his shoes and probably without the knowledge of everything that happened in regards to him leaving.

Carly asked hopefully, pulling Freddie out of his thoughts, "Well?"

The brown eyed teenager looked down and shuffled his feet for a few moments. He took another moment to clear his throat, "I don't want to give the impression that we're actually friends or that everything is alright between us."

Carly took a sharp breath and looked at him wide eye.

He looked back with an even expression. He didn't mean for his statement to be an insult to her, but there wasn't anyway he thought he could sugarcoat the reason why he didn't want to appear on the show.

Sam gritted her teeth for a split second then snapped, "Then why the Hell are you even here?"

Freddie turned his attention to the irate blonde and gave her an even expression, "I told you, wish you luck because I didn't get to see you at school."

Sam spoke with a chilly voice, "If you don't want to be friends or make people think everything's alright, why would you even want to see us at school then?"

"It would have been rude to show up and not at least speak to Carly."

"And me?"

Freddie narrowed his gaze on the blonde. "You? Sam, I hate you, okay? I hate you and why would you care?"

Sam deeply frowned and snapped back, "Well I hate you too."

"Too?" Freddie chuckled out then continued to laugh for a few seconds causing Carly and Brad to put on concerned expressions. Freddie blew out a breath then refocused his attention to the dirty blonde. "You hated me first. You've always hated me even when you wanted me to be your boyfriend for whatever janked up reasons you have."

"If you weren't so normal—"

Freddie snorted out, "'So normal'? Really? That's your excuse for being a bitch to me for the last four years?"

"Freddie?" Brad spoke up. "Would you please not refer to her that way?"

The dark haired teenager looked to the other dirty blonde with a mixture of surprise and confusion. He glanced to Sam then back to Brad who wore a strange look of pleading yet assertiveness that he wouldn't allow Freddie to say anything else along those lines without having to deal with the taller teenager in some manner. Since Freddie had no contact with Seattle other than his mother, he really had no idea about what the extent of Brad's relationship was with the girls other than their tech-producer, but he shouldn't have be surprised if a genuine friendship had developed between the web-hostesses and the former intern turned tech-producer. A piece of him found it ironic if it turned out after all the mess of the last few months and the lock-in that something could have developed between Brad and Sam.

The Seattle native took a slow breath then gave a quick nod to Brad and pointedly ignoring Sam as he stated to Brad, "No point in re-fighting old battles. We're never going to solve anything between us until she can genuinely admit she was wrong with what she did to me... and we need to remain civil enough to help out T-Bo."

Brad acknowledged with a nod then caught the time on his laptop. "We got about a minute before show time," he mumbled out.

Carly and Sam quickly gathered up the material off the floor and dumped it off set along with Carly tossing the beanbag chair.

The brunette looked to Freddie with an expression asking him one last time if he wanted to appear on the show. Her eyes pleaded then sad that he may refuse the offer, but he stood his ground with a slight shake of his head.

He turned as if to go, but stopped to rest his back against the wall between the red trimmed glass door and freight elevator. He wouldn't participate, but he would watch for reasons that he didn't fully understand.

For that half hour of the show as he watched from behind the camera, he could see the shine finally return to Carly's eyes when she would occasionally glance in his direction.

About fifteen minutes after the show, Freddie and Carly were sitting across from on another at the Shay kitchen table while Spencer continued working on opening his safe, Sam and Brad sitting on the couch watching some television program and Gibby eating some chocolate pudding in the black chair near the bookcase beside the door.

Freddie wasn't exactly sure why he didn't leave after the show. He had satisfied any courtesy he may have owed Carly, but he remained seated, rimming the top of glass sitting in front of him on the table with his thumb. He idly commented, "So what's with the studying before the show? Big test Monday?"

Carly lifted her eyes up away from her glass to cautiously meet his eyes. "I was studying for my date."

Freddie raised an eyebrow and asked slowly, "Studying for a date?"

She tilted her head to the side as she answered, "With Kyle… he turns out to be really smart and sophisticated."

"So you're going to try to pretend to be the same way?"

"Yes."

Freddie tilted his head down slightly as he looked at the brunette. "So you're going to try to start off your relationship with him by lying to him? You really think that is the best way to start off?"

"I need a pretty boyfriend," she answered as that was explanation enough for her actions.

Freddie lowered his head and palmed his forehead as his elbows rested on the table. The sheer shallowness of the statement hurt his head. He had a brief moment of being grateful that Jade didn't come with him on the trip because Jade would have verbally and mentally ripped Carly apart with the childlessness of the statement. He took a slow breath then dropped his head to look the brunette straight in the eyes. "Don't do this, just don't. Be honest with him. If he really wants to give you a chance, it's not going to matter if you're not as sophisticated or highbrow, but if he doesn't then he's not worth it."

Her eyes narrowed on his as she doubted that she had initially heard him correctly then asked with just as much disbelief on her face, "You're giving me dating advice?"

"No, I'm giving you…" Freddie paused and looked to her sadly as he didn't know really what he was giving her. His face hardened and took a slow breath. He spoke in a slow and deliberate tone, "Do not start another relationship based on a falsehood; it's only going to end badly."

Carly quickly got up from her seat and he looked up at her with an even expression with the unexpected gesture. She attempted to speak with as little emotion in her voice as possible, "I need to study." She turned and headed out of the kitchen without saying another word with him closing his eyes and shaking his head.

iCarly Studios
Shay Residence
Saturday, October 1, 2011

Sam looked at her PearPhone with one hand and held a comically large fork in the other as she sat on one of the red stools from the Shay's kitchen counter at the small circular table on the elevator side of the studio as she shouted back towards their preparing area out of sight, "Hey, you're suppose to have T-Bo at your mom's in five minutes."

"Okay, here comes the new T-Bo," Freddie shouted out from the back.

Sam grinned as she looked over the well dressed man and commented, "Wow, looking good T-Bo."

T-Bo smiled and raised a hand as he corrected with a lower than usual tone of voice, "Please, call me Terrance."

"Yeah, use that voice in the interview. My mom would love that," Freddie commented and absently brushing some lent off of T-Bo's shoulder.

"Of course Fredward, I would be delighted to speak in this voice during the interview."

Sam commented idly as she examined the suit T-Bo was sporting, "Nice job on the suit Gibs."

Gibby cheerfully replied, "Nah, thanks, I would still like to lengthen the sleeves a little and give him more room in the rump."

T-Bo turned his head to eye the tall teenager and comment, "My rump is more than enough room, thank you."

Freddie motioned towards the door. "Alright, let's go and please don't talk about your rump in front of my mother."

T-Bo asked in his normal voice, "Why she doesn't like rumps?"

"Stop saying it," Freddie insisted as the pair went through the red trim door.

After making their way downs stairs to the main floor of the Shay apartment, they cut through the living room and reached the Benson door. Freddie turned to the taller man. "Okay, take your shoes off."

"Why?"

"If you want the room, trust me…" Freddie chuckled as a thought came to mind. "You're not Colonel Shay, so you're not getting away with it."

T-Bo frowned and slid his shoes off in the hallway.

"Better," Freddie replied and turned back to the door. He pushed open the apartment door and called out, "Mom, we're here."

"We certainly are," he commented dryly.

"Hi mom," Freddie greeted with a friendly smile.

"Shoes off, the both of you," she instructed with a slight nod of her head.

Freddie shook his head. "We've been through this: I am not taking my shoes off."

"Freddie—"

A slight chill slipped into the teenager's voice as he interrupted, "I can always take an earlier flight back."

Mrs. Benson shut her mouth quickly.

T-Bo kept his mouth shut as he didn't want to get involved in the Benson family business.

Freddie motioned to the taller man. "Mom, this is Terrance Bo. Terrance, this is my mother."

T-Bo offered his hand and Mrs. Benson accepted it as he started, "Pleasure to know you. I'm sorry to hear that your chickens are having problems doing the dilly-do."

"Well thank you." She motioned towards the couch for him to have a seat as she took her seat in the chair sitting cattycorner to the couch. "But I warn you, I will not just let anyone rent a room in this house."

"Please, ask me as many questions as you like."

"It might take a while," she answered with a tone that sounded as even she wasn't looking forward to what could be a long drawn out process.

Freddie clasped his hands in front of him and smiled approvingly. "It is alright, Terrance has plenty of time as long as he makes it to church by nine-thirty."

"Church on Saturday night?"

T-Bo smiled and continued in a complimentary (and still deep) voice, "It's just not for Sundays anymore."

The Benson matriarch smiled.

Shay Apartment
Saturday, October 1, 2011

T-Bo grinned as he entered the Shay Apartment and asked in a quite joyful tone, "Hey, can I borrow a cup of sugar… neighbor?"

Carly and Sam were setting at opposite ends of the couch with their respective feet resting on the other's stomach.

Sam asked as she and Carly got up from the couch, "Your mom rented him a room?"

Freddie grinned and answered with a bit of cheer in his voice holding up the lease, "For a whole year."

"Just signed the lease," T-Bo shouted out with joy.

The group looked for a moment then started dancing in celebration.

"Hey… HEY!" Spencer called out grabbing everyone's attention from their dancing. "Who's ready to see the treasures that await me inside my super cool safe?"

Sam walked closer to the eccentric artist and snorted out dismissively with a wave of her hand, "Dude, you are never going to get that thing open."

"Am too, Socko got me a special C4 explosive charge from his cousin Boomer… Fire in the hole!" he shouted out as he pressed the button on his detonator and the others covered their ears.

The charge went off sending sparks and the expected noise of an explosion.

T-Bo went screaming out the Shay's door.

"It opened!" Spencer shouted at finally beating his nemesis.

"What's in it?" Freddie called out.

Spencer screamed in frustration as he pulled out a smaller safe.

Freddie cracked a smile along with the rest of them at the poor turn of events for the artist.

Benson Apartment
Seattle, WA
Sunday, October 2, 2011

It was just after noon as Freddie was once again standing at a side of a bed that he slept with a suitcase lying open and him backing his belongings. The trip had been far more productive and stress free than he expected coming back sooner than expected to his home city. The chickens had finally started doing the dilly-do and his sooner than expected encounter with the Carly and Sam didn't end in blood.

The rest of that Saturday night and today had gone without incident simply due to the fact that he soon left after Spencer discovered the second safe and had not left his apartment even to attend morning services with his mother. After Spencer got over his initial shock of the second safe, he finally decided to take a much needed break from his safecracking activities and get something to eat himself, leaving the teenagers to mostly fend for themselves. Carly had already eaten on her date, Sam just raided the refrigerator as expected with a gigantic fork in her hand and Freddie decided to go before the (temporary?) truce had been worn out. Also fortunately, his mother didn't make a big argument over the matter as apparently she continued to entrust her son to handle his own religious matters now after convincing her to let him live in Los Angeles for various reasons (including religious ones) in the first place.

He hadn't asked and Carly hadn't volunteered to inform him about how her date with Kyle had gone that evening, but from her expression before he left, he assumed that it did not go well. A part of him regretted that outcome for her, but at the end of it, she made the choice to go through a farce of a date. He had made his objections known about her behavior and she had disregarded his advice once again, so he just threw it on the pile of regret where she never took serious his opinion.

He was a little grateful that he wouldn't have to see Sam before he left as they had avoided any more confrontation that could lead to coming to blows. He would hate to have to remain in Seattle and longer than he had to just to clear up any trouble he might get into for putting her in the hospital, super strength or not.

Freddie was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard a knock on his opened bedroom door. He turned to see an apprehensive looking Carly standing at the threshold of his bedroom door. "Hey," she greeted him with a soft voice.

He packed that last piece of clothing then slowly turned to the brunette and answered just as cautiously, "Hey."

She motioned to the suitcase behind him. "Were you going to say goodbye?"

He cracked a bashful smile, which he thought was not the best gesture to make with his words, but… "Probably not… this… whatever we have right now will only hold so long before we can't avoid the elephant in the room. I'd prefer to be out of town before it has a chance to sit on me."

Carly looked to the floor and whispered, "Some would say that's running away?" She cautiously looked up to meet his eyes.

Freddie motioned a hand towards her and was only partially successful in keep some of his disgust off of his face. "This is exactly what I mean. I'm not rehashing this with you. I didn't come back to do this, maybe during Thanksgiving or even during Christmas break, but not this soon in trying to come to terms with you."

"And Sam?"

The brown eyed teenager narrowed his look at the brunette and whispered in a cold tone, "At this moment? Sam can go straight to Hell for all I care."

Carly took a sharp intake of breath as she hadn't heard that tone since his threat she was to relay to Sam if she ever attempt to carry out any threat to go after Jade.

"Maybe that will change in the future… hopefully that will change, because I don't want to hate her for the rest of my life... I really don't want to hate anyone, but for right now, that is how I feel."

The web-hostess nodded and broke eye contact as she was grateful that as harsh as Freddie was in feelings towards Sam, he made it clear those feelings was not something he wanted to keep. She took a quick breath and met his eyes so she could make her statement clear, "I'm not here to rehash anything either… I just… I just wanted to say that I am sorry… for everything."

Freddie took a soft breath as he studied Carly's warm brown eyes. He gave her a sad smile. "Do you realize how much things would have been different if you had said that to me just three months ago before I went to L.A.?"

"Yes, every night since you've been gone with the hope that my words and my regret would still make a difference when I had my chance to let you know how I feel."

Freddie blew out a tired breath then countered, "As much as I still care about you and want to come to some form of peace with what has happened between us, I don't know if I have it in me to forgive you yet."

The brunette slightly shook her head. "I don't want that from you right now."

Her answer threw him for a moment and was evident in his voice when he asked, "Then what do you want from me?"

Carly met his eyes with her brown eyes and blew out a slow breath. In a barely audible and desperate whisper, she answered, "I want you to stay."