Author's Note: Hell-oo, every-body! I hope you all had a great week so far. I wish I could say the same for me, it's been a pretty emotional week for tons of reasons I won't bore you with. But I'm glad that I finished this chapter in time before starting on my Christmas shopping. This chapter encompasses my favourite scene in the whole film, so I hope I did it some justice. A special shout-out to baronvonmilo and The Earl Of Sandwich for being such great Gibby supporters, there's a little something in this chapter just for you guys. Hope you all enjoy : )
Disclaimer: I still don't own iCarly or 17 Again. I'm gonna have to ask Santa real nicely to change that this year.
Save for the overall serenity of the neighbourhood that particular morning, the only sound that could be heard was the slow rumbling and whirring of a small device in Gibby's house. It turned out to be a small hand-held vacuum cleaner that Gibby himself was using to clean off his luxurious hallway carpet. When the last scrap of food and Cheetos had been cleaned up, Gibby stepped back to examine his handiwork, Freddie standing alongside him with a pensive expression.
"There, all cleaned up," Gibby murmured in relief.
Then his and Freddie's eyes drifted over the rest of the hallway and the living room, which was still littered with party favours and half-eaten food from the night before. They both wore looks of resignation on their faces when they gazed at each other once again.
"Now we have to clean up the rest of the house," Gibby noted glumly.
"Uh huh," Freddie agreed, matching his friend's tone.
"I really am sorry for messing up the house and screwing up your chances with Tasha," he added sincerely while patting Gibby's back affectionately.
"It's ok, bro, these things happen. It's not like I ever had a shot with her to begin with," Gibby replied in a self-deprecating manner.
"Well, for what's it worth, if she can't see how awesome you are, then she was never worth it to begin with, Gib." Freddie offered sympathetically.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Gibby conceded wearily with a loud sigh.
"Now that I have dealt with the 'rug area', I think we should take a break. But we have made some good progress with cleaning up the house so far," he added in more of an optimistic tone.
"I've lost my family, Gib." Freddie declared morosely, taking Gibby by surprise momentarily.
As long as he had known Freddie, Gibby had never seen his best friend so down before. No matter how bad things got, Freddie had always been there, an indomitable rock in the face of the crushing force of life. But now that he had lost the one thing that mattered most to him, Gibby watched his best friend fall apart slowly. His heart broke a little while he watched Freddie collapse onto the stairwell, a crumbling heap of misery.
"For what it's worth, Freddie, I really think you did help Matt and Corrie these past few weeks. I think that counts for something," Gibby replied earnestly, placing a comforting hand on his friend's arm and patting it lightly.
"You did your job admirably as the hero of this story. And now you can move on," Gibby concluded solemnly.
"But I don't wanna move on. Maybe my kids and Carly don't need me anymore. But I need them; they're my whole world, Gibby." Freddie responded emphatically, turning to face Gibby.
"Ok, I don't mean to be a buzz-kill or anything, but you're sort of due in court in the next…22 minutes." Gibby pointed out facetiously.
Freddie was suddenly on his feet again at this pronouncement.
"I need more time, Gibby. I have to stop this," Freddie declared in a steady and determined voice.
Gibby examined his best friend's face without flinching before yelling out in turn:
"To the Gibby-Mobile!"
"Gibby, do me one more favour before we go."
"Sure, anything."
"Put on some pants!"
Gibby glanced down at his T-shirt and boxers covered by a bathrobe and sporting casual flip-flops on his feet.
"I really should have some pants on," he muttered nonsensically before dashing up the stairs.
It took the two of them another 3 minutes before they begun running to Gibby's yellow Lamborghini Gallardo, hop into it and begin speeding down the small suburban road. But before they could get much further, they reached a stop street where an obnoxious-looking traffic cop was busy allowing a group of small boys and girls to cross the intersection.
"Oh come on, Glenn!" Gibby yelled impatiently.
"The man is the epitome of a glorified midget wrangler," he muttered derisively in an aside to Freddie.
"You wouldn't be such a tough guy without that orange vest on!" Gibby called out snidely.
Glenn paid Gibby no mind, but continued staring unblinkingly back at him and Freddie while he let the small children cross the street.
"Freddie, I've got an idea. Grab that thing that's down there by your feet. Grab it and hold it up," Gibby commanded rapidly.
Freddie frowned before acquiescing and grabbing the object located near his feet on the car mat. He picked up a red police siren more aptly known as a 'cherry' with an array of questions formulating in his mind.
"Where did you get this?" he demanded suspiciously.
"Not important. What I will tell you though is that it was the best 20 bucks I've ever spent. It saves me like a half hour on my commute." Gibby explained proudly.
"Just hold it up real high," he added quickly.
Freddie did as he was told just as Glenn lowered the 'stop' sign in his hand and allowed them to pass. And then they were speeding along the busy freeway, burning up rubber and killing time as they hurried onwards to their destination.
"Do you swear to tell the truth? The whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" the bailiff asked in a droning voice.
"I do," Carly replied swiftly without hesitation.
The courtroom was filled with a few spectators who had come to watch the day's proceedings. While Carly's lawyer stood beside her and pledged an oath, Sam and Spencer sat in the row directly behind them, dressed appropriately for the occasion and wearing grim expressions. Then the judge began with the proceedings by reading over Carly's plea.
"According to this document, you are requesting a divorce by the State of Washington citing irreconcilable differences. Is that correct?" the judge questioned slowly behind thick-rimmed spectacles.
"That's correct, your Honour." Carly answered succinctly.
"And is Freddie Benson present for the proceedings?" the judge asked hurriedly.
"No, your Honour." Freddie's lawyer replied swiftly, rising out of his chair slightly while he spoke.
"Then I take his absence as acquiescence to the orders of the divorce. Let's proceed." the judge remarked unswervingly, laying the paper in her hand aside.
At just that moment, Gibby brought his car to an abrupt stop just outside the court house. Then he and Freddie leapt out of the car and began sprinting up the marble steps.
"You are not requesting sole custody of your two children, Mrs. Benson?" the judge asked slowly of Carly.
"No, your Honour." Carly answered slowly, back in her seat beside her lawyer once more.
Just then, the wooden doors of the courtroom opened wide as if someone had just kicked them down.
"You can't handle the truth!" Gibby shouted manically, striding through the courtroom in a dapper pin-striped suit.
He was followed by Freddie, who was wearing a long-sleeved blue sweater with a white vest underneath, black jeans and white sneakers, wearing an expression filled with nervous tension.
"What?" the judge asked in a ringing tone tinged with confusion.
"Oh sweet ham, what is this nub doing now?" Sam asked in a low whisper.
"I'm sorry, I panicked. It was the first thing that popped into my head…your Majesty." Gibby concluded with a courteous bow.
"Who are you?" the judge demanded loudly.
"That's Gibby," Spencer offered in a tone of surprise while pointing at the man in question.
"And who exactly is 'Gibby'?" the judge asked wearily.
"That's my husband's best friend, your Honour." Carly answered coherently.
"Are you a lawyer, 'best friend'?" the judge questioned sardonically.
"Yes I am, your Honour." Gibby replied quickly.
Spencer let out a snort of laughter at this.
"Yeah, right. I've been at law school longer than Gibby has ever practised law in his life. And I lasted three days," he scoffed lightly.
"No he's not a lawyer, your Honour! Gibby, what are you doing?" Carly hissed furiously through gritted teeth.
"I am a lawyer, and I believe that the law degree in my pocket says so," Gibby interjected calmly, retrieving a folded piece of paper from his breast pocket.
He handed this to the bailiff standing in front of him, who stared at the contents with a dubious expression on his face.
"Um, you might notice that it's a little bit smudged. That because I sat on it in my car on the way here and not because I just…printed it out recently," Gibby explained abashedly.
The bailiff handed the slip of paper to the judge, who skimmed through the contents with a critical eye. Then she dropped it on her table and examined Gibby with a furrowed brow.
"Alright, let's pretend that's real. You wanna explain to me what you're doing in my courtroom, Mr. Gibson?" the judge asked severely of Gibby.
"We are here to prevent a gross…GROSS…miscarriage of justice!" Gibby exclaimed dramatically while gesturing to Freddie before thumping his fist on a wooden table in front of him.
But then two bailiffs cut off the rest of Gibby's impassioned speech and took hold of both him and Freddie, lifting them up and preparing to toss them out of the courtroom.
"Oh, this just got way more interesting than I originally thought," Sam noted with a satisfied smirk on her face.
"Wait! I can explain all of this! If you just give me a minute, I can explain this better, your Honour," Freddie pleaded while trying to shrug off the bailiff who was grappling with him.
"Son, you need to leave my courtroom right now," the judge declared in a no-nonsense manner.
"Please just hold on a moment, your Honour! I've got…I've got a letter! From Freddie Benson! He's the husband in this case!" Freddie tried once more, flashing a slip of paper that he had taken out of his jeans pocket.
That got Carly's attention as she turned around in her chair to stare at her son's best friend.
"Son, I'm not gonna ask you twice," the judge stated in warning tone.
"Your Honour! Would it be possible for me to hear what the letter says?" Carly asked meekly of the judge while rising to her feet slowly.
The judge stared at Carly like she was nuts for a moment before rolling her eyes and relenting.
"Alright. Son, go ahead." The judge conceded with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Thank you, Your Honour. This is a letter addressed to Carly Benson from Freddie Benson and he wanted me to read it out loud," Freddie murmured meekly.
He glanced momentarily at Carly as she took her seat again before staring hard at the paper in front of him. Then he cleared his throat and began speaking.
"Carly…" Freddie began slowly, drawing out the syllables of her name with a loving caress.
"Before you go through with this, I want to remind you about a day that's forever seared into my mind, a day that I'll never forget. I was 12 years old and I had just returned to Bushwell Plaza after running an errand for my mom when I accidentally stepped onto Lewbert's newly mopped floor. Naturally, he chased me all the way into the elevator and I just managed to get away from him. And then I got up to the 8th floor, completely out of breath when I tripped over a cardboard box that was laid out in the floor just outside my apartment door. The box was filled with gummy worms, which I thought was pretty weird at the time. But then I forgot just how weird it was when the most beautiful girl in the world stepped out of the elevator, carrying another cardboard box in her hand, followed by her zany older brother."
Carly remembered the day down to a tee. Her father had just been recalled back to the navy a few months prior and she and Spencer were gradually picking up the pieces of their fragmented family after their mother's untimely death. It was strange to be moving to a new place and starting over, feeling like the world would never turn itself right side up again, that the past would somehow never be resolved. That's what she had been thinking when she had collided with that tiny shrimp of a boy who goggled unabashedly back at her, like he was perched atop the proverbial stairway to heaven staring at the Holy Trinity.
"You and Spencer had just moved into Bushwell Plaza that day and you were carrying the boxes in. I remember it so clearly, like it happened yesterday. You were wearing this short-sleeved pink "Cuttlefish" t-shirt with a long-sleeved purple undershirt, blue skinny jeans and your favourite pear of Ice Cream sneakers. I'd never seen anything so perfect in my entire life. You looked so beautiful right then and there that I felt like I couldn't breathe for several minutes. The only thing I could think of, the only thing that made sense in my head in that moment, was that I had to have you…or I'd die. I wanted to be the guy that put that amazing smile of yours on your face…the man that made you happy and took care of you…always." Freddie went on in a determined voice, gaining momentum as he spoke.
Carly hadn't taken Freddie seriously on that day, or any other day long after that. He'd always been so sure of his feelings for her, how could he have possibly known or expected that kind of longevity on such flighty passions? Most days, Carly hadn't been sure that she even liked the colour of the nail polish on her fingers, much less saving room for all that emotion reserved for just one person. But Freddie had proved her wrong; he'd somehow found a way to keep Carly's attention just enough long for her to fall in love with him somewhere along the lines.
Remember when we scratched our names into the sand
And you told me you loved me?
Carly was staring at Felix the whole time without blinking like she was seeing him for the first time. In fact, the entire courtroom was oddly hushed while Freddie spoke, entranced by the intensity and sincerity of the words that he read aloud. One man in particular who was situated near the back of the courtroom, sat up straight in his chair and craned his neck, ignoring all thoughts of napping during the proceedings now.
"And then there was that time when Ridgeway hosted the Sadie Hawkins dance and you took that idiot, Austin, to the dance and I took Magical Malika and we ended up at the Groovy Smoothie afterwards. I shared the most incredible dance I've ever had with the girl of my dreams and I never wanted it to end. And when you held me close and rested your head on my shoulder, I felt so…peaceful…and safe. Because I knew that no matter what happened after that day, nothing could ever be that bad…because I had you in my life. And I realised then and there that even if you never returned my feelings, you would always be the most incredible person that I've ever known and loved, Carly Shay."
But now that I find
That you've changed your mind
I'm lost for words
Carly remembered that night all too well. It had been infuriating from beginning to end, save for one unforeseen juncture in the entire chapter: Freddie Benson asking her to dance in the Groovy Smoothie as it approached closing time. She still remembered the song playing in the background as they swayed together. But more than that, she remembered Freddie and the feel of him all around her: cradling her back while she rested her head on his broad shoulder. He had taken her by surprise in more ways than one that night; she'd felt just as safe with him too.
"But then I grew up and I lost my way," Freddie continued, bitter tears slipping down from his eyes and onto his cheeks.
I never meant the things I said
To make you cry
Can I say I'm sorry?
"And I blamed you for all my failures. I know that you think you have to do this today. But I don't want you to, Carly." Freddie stated morosely.
It's hard to forget
And yes I regret
All these mistakes
Then Freddie took a deep breath before mentally preparing himself for the hardest part of the day.
"But I guess…if I love you…I should let you move on." Freddie breathed, his eyes locked on Carly at this last juncture in his speech.
I don't know why you're leaving me
But I know you must have your reasons
There's tears in your eyes
I watch as you cry
But it's getting late
Carly stared back at Felix, unaware that unshed tears were forming in her brown eyes while she remained completely at a loss for words. What had happened to her and Freddie over time? Maybe he had been selfish, possibly even cruel in his flagrant neglect of her every need and want. But she was just as much to blame for their failed marriage. While Freddie's indifference was most likely accidental, Carly's had been more calculating and exacting when she had struck the final blow in telling him that she wanted a divorce.
Their eye contact was broken at the sound of the judge's voice interjecting through the hazy silence.
"Alright, Son. You need to go now," she murmured in as patient as a voice as she could muster.
Freddie looked up at the judge momentarily before murmuring his thanks and tossing the page in his hand aside onto a stack of cardboard boxes to his right. And then he slowly began walking away. He only looked back once to stare at Carly, who was watching his departure with that same expression of shock and surprise etched on her face throughout his speech. And then Gibby was walking calmly alongside him with his head bowed as they exited through the wide wooden doors. Spencer's eyes were locked on the two departing figures, as if part of a puzzle had been solved in his mind; Sam on the other hand, only had eyes for Carly, her blue eyes reflecting her bewilderment and worry.
Was I invading in on your secrets?
Was I too close for comfort?
You're pushing me out
When I wanted in
"Let's proceed," the judge began in a professional manner while adjusting the glasses over her eyes.
Carly turned to face the judge, an unfathomable expression on her face.
"I'm sorry, your Honour. Would it be ok if we postpone this for now? For just a little while? Would that be ok?" Carly asked seriously.
Both Spencer and Sam turned to stare at Carly in amazement. After their mutual attempts to get Carly to pause and reconsider filing for divorce and her blatant refusal to be dissuaded each time, neither of them had expected this simple digression.
Won't you think about what you're about to do to me
And back down...
Feeling distinctly exhausted at this point, the judge rolled her eyes at Carly's request.
"Postponed for 30 days. Next case," she barked rapidly while bringing her wooden mallet down sharply onto the podium where she sat.
As soon as the case was concluded, Carly jumped out of her seat and ran towards the stack of cardboard boxes, anxious to see what Freddie had written for her in his letter. She picked up the piece of yellow paper and frowned at the contents. All that could be seen written in ink along the page were a host of directions on how to get to the courthouse. Where was the letter that Felix had just read out aloud?
And everything I feel for you
I wrote down on one piece of paper
The one in your hand
You won't understand
How much it hurts to let you go
Carly glanced sharply at the wooden door which Gibby and Felix had just stepped through seconds ago. She couldn't make any sense out of any of this. If Felix hadn't read anything out, why had he looked like he was on the verge of breaking down throughout his speech? It was almost as if he knew exactly what Freddie was trying to convey to her.
As if his and Freddie's words were exactly the same.
What was I just about to discover?
When I got too close for comfort
Driving you home
I guess I'll never know...
Musical References:
1) "Too Close For Comfort" by McFly
Author's Note: Et voila, I hope this chapter was ok. I hope some of you "17 Again" fans reading this story weren't too disappointed by me changing some details in the overall courtroom scene with 'Freddie's letter', I wanted to give it an overt Creddie quality. And for anyone expecting me to quote Cat Powers lyrcis in this chapter, don't despair. I'm still going to put that song into the story, most likely for the next chapter because I love that song in the original courtroom scene. But I decided to go with a little 'McFly' instead because the lyrics just fit the scene so well - thank you, 'Just My Luck' ; ) Alright, enough rambling. I'm off to watch "The Real Hustle" on BBC in a little while before my laptop battery dies. Cheerio, everyone!
