Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

Chapter 12 (Arriving in Vegas)

Gibby and Sam headed to the airport together, they were going to go for Las Vegas, to meet her favorite aunt and the cousin that was her favorite. However, there were some issues she needed to deal with regarding Jessica. Issues that Sam never really discussed with anybody, not even Gibby. Hell, even Melanie didn't have a clue, but Sam never wanted to tell her, for her own good.

Once on the plane, Sam rested her head on Gibby's shoulder and sighed happily. She actually was excited to meet her cousin. It wasn't so far off when Sam said she had relatives that had been in prison. Her cousin, Jessica, had gone to juvenile for a couple years because at the age of ten, she stabbed an elderly woman in the heat of passion, over a cat that Sam wanted. "Sam, how come you never told me about this cousin of yours before?"

"Just because, I never felt anyone needed to know…" Jessica probably wouldn't want random strangers knowing about something she did as a ten year old child. It wasn't far off to see young children committing murder these days, not far off at all. "She had a run in with the law while I was staying with her."

"What do you mean?" Gibby raised his eyebrows as Sam looked out the window. She had the window seat, because the one thing about planes that she loved was the view. Gibby wanted her to have it. "You think they'll be expecting us?" Sam nodded her head and smiled. She had asked her mother if it was all right, and she agreed on the circumstances that Sam be very careful. Vegas was a dirty town.

"I called Jessica and let her know we were on our way. As for the run in with the law, she doesn't like to talk about it. Naturally I was scared because of my father, and this old woman that lived next door to us…she had all these cats, so naturally, I want one." She thought cats were very comforting and soothing creatures, so what on earth was so wrong about them? "Well the woman wouldn't give up a cat, and I don't know what happened, but Jessica lost it. I think she felt the woman was threatening me, I mean she did look like she was going to attack us…"

"She attacked the woman?"

"Yes, and killed her. A blow to an elderly woman can really be bad." Gibby nodded understandably, elderly people were indeed fragile. "These investigators questioned us and eventually we told them what had happened. She got put away for a while, and I think she was released a couple years ago. Last I heard, she had a hell of a time in prison. I'm just glad she's out."

"You ever forgive her?" Sam looked at Gibby with confusion, then looked away. She never really thought of forgiveness, but that time had been really scary for her. Maybe that's what this trip was for, to get past the past and let it go. They needed to move on from what had taken place that day. "You never talk about her, now when was the last time you ever talked to her?"

"It's uh…it's been awhile, I guess." Perhaps too long, it had been when she was released that she last spoke to her, and really spoke with her. They really did need to talk.

"Who was the old lady? Just some cat lady?"

"Yeah, I think her name was…" Sam squinted, trying to pull a name from the memories, but she got nothing. They never even knew the woman's first name. "Mrs. Elliot, that is all I can remember. I think she had a son somewhere, estranged, I believe. The details of the case are hazy. I was only around eight at the time."

"Yeah, and a memory like that…I can see why it'd be hazy." Gibby placed his arm around Sam's shoulder and pulled her close to him. She smiled and gently kissed his lips, then rested her head on his chest.

The plane landed within a few hours and Gibby had to wake Sam up carefully. He knew better than to shake her awake, as most would do to someone. Sam would attack the nearest person if shaken awake. He nudged her gently and she slowly opened her eyes. "Are we here yet?"

"Yes my love, we're here." He smirked playfully as she teasingly tapped his nose. She thought he was adorable. He stood up and helped her to her feet. They exited the plane and made their way through the terminal. All their luggage had been carry on, so they didn't have to worry about any baggage. They eventually made their way to the passenger pick up area where they waited for a few minutes before seeing Janet's car drive up for them. Sam smiled as Janet stepped out of the car and waved. "That her?"

"Aunt Janet!" Sam ran up to her and hugged her close as Gibby walked up, happy to see Sam reunited with her aunt.

"Sam! Look at you, you're so grown up!" Janet said with a grin on her face. She looked over at Gibby and smiled. "And this must be your handsome boyfriend."

"Yep, this is my man." Sam wrapped her arm around Gibby's arm and grinned. "And no one can have him, they'd have to fight me first." She looked over to the car as Jessica and Shane left the vehicle.

"Oh no it's Sam," Shane said with a laugh. Sam chuckled and nodded her head, recalling the vivid memory of when she and Carly competed for him. That crashed and burned, literally.

"Yeah, how are you holding up, Shane?"

"Well, I'm all in one piece now. The lady I'm with isn't exactly violent and scary. At least not to me." Jessica blushed as Shane kissed her forehead. He loved her more than anything in the world. She wasn't dangerous either. "It was only one time, I keep telling her that, but she still feels guilty about it."

"Okay enough," Jessica said as she gave him a playful shove. She grinned and walked over to Sam. "So, is it Sam or Jackie now?" She smirked and lightly punched Sam's arm, grinning widely and remembering the name Sam had to use.

"Sam, just Sam…"

"It really is good to see you again." Sam nodded as she and Jessica shared a hug. It felt like it had been too long. Sure, Sam faked being her sister, but she still felt like Jessica was close enough to be her sister. She, Jessica, and Megan were literally that close with each other. Although, there were things that some would share with the other but omit during their conversations with another person, but that was natural with any group. "How are your mom and Melanie?"

"Both are doing very well. Melanie's still going to boarding schools."

"Yeah, that's boring, but as long as she's making good grades." Janet smiled at the girls while the guys just watched without interruption.

"I hate to cut your conversation short," Janet said while opening the car door. "But we should probably get going."

"Right!" Everyone made their way into the car, so excited to see one another. Gibby and Shane actually were able to talk to each other, having known the other for a period of time, they could comment on old memories. This was a great time to really reconnect.

"So, I didn't think you'd ever be the one to catch the elusive fish," Shane said with a smirk while talking to Gibby. It was true, Sam always pretty much kept her distance from people. "Wasn't it you that said you asked her to some dance when you guys were younger…and she broke your thumb afterwards?"

"Yeah, that was me." Gibby replied, laughing at the memory. Jessica gave Sam a questioning look, and the girl of the subject blushed crimson.

"So, how did it happen? I mean hell, I wasn't even trying to get involved with her or Carly, and I ended up falling down an elevator shaft!" Jessica laughed and Sam blushed harder, she was a bit embarrassed and really was wanting to change the subject.

"It just did. I mean one day I saw her and asked her out, and she said yes." Sam looked back from the middle seat of the van and shook her head. There was a much larger story behind how she and Gibby came to be. Gibby was just always direct, so he never really gave the story.

"It was at some party that we were having for iCarly, an anniversary," Sam said with a smile. That was the part about iCarly that she loved, that would make it remain a special place in her heart forever. "Carly was dating this one guy at the time, it was a guy we both liked and he asked her out. Freddie was off dancing with some girl who pulled him to the side."

"He so didn't want to dance with her!" Gibby laughed, remembering Freddie's face when that girl pulled him away. He thought it might have been Shannon, but she was dating Rueben at the time. Hell, he was pretty sure they were still together, Shannon and Rueben.

"So I was just bored and hanging off to the side, you know. Being bored."

"She was lonely." Sam blushed and looked to her feet. "She was sitting at some table, just watching everybody in the room…"

Gibby could recall the memory very vividly as he and Sam both told the story of how they came to start dating. It was some time in the evening, and everybody was up dancing. Everybody, except Sam, that is. When he saw her, she was looking so beautiful dressed up in that deep bluish red dress, the ballroom lights made it sparkle. She looked so somber, sitting with her elbow on that clean white tablecloth and her hand pushing up her cheek. He could see how lonely she was, her eyes longing to be on that dance floor, or at least with somebody paying some sort of attention to her.

"Why are you so alone?" Gibby asked as he made his way over to her, taking a seat next to her. She shrugged and continued to gaze into the sea of people. "A woman like you shouldn't be out here, she should be up there."

"Nah, I don't care about it so much. Besides, Carly's the flower, the one with all the attention." Gibby looked towards Carly and shrugged, he didn't see what most saw in her.

"I don't see any of that. For one, your eyes tell me something entirely different." Sam raised her eyebrow and looked over at Gibby, was he about to attempt to see into her? Nah, nobody really ever did that. Gibby set a glass of soda on his table and looked at Sam, meeting her gaze with his. "No, your eyes are beautiful, but with a hint of sadness…loneliness…"

"You think so, huh?"

"Yeah, you're wishing you were Carly, I bet." Sam frowned and closed her eyes. She didn't want to admit that she did feel that way sometimes, she honestly did. She felt bad for thinking like that, however. It wasn't fair, being jealous of your best friend. "I don't believe it would be good if you were Carly. You wouldn't be you."

"There is nothing about me that is good." Sam looked away and set her hand underneath her chin. Wasn't that the truth? She was a bad person inside and out. Gibby knew she'd been hurt, but by whom? She never talked about her life, never talked about her past. There was something hidden inside her soul that made her feel insecure, but in reality, she really was beautiful. "Carly's the good one…she's the one that deserves to be happy. Not me."

"I don't know if I agree." Sam raised her eyebrow once more and looked at Gibby as he took a drink. "I think the real flower is you."

"Why?"

"Because of what a flower is…" Gibby reached for the small flower on his suit and set it on the table. Sam looked at it and smiled, the flower was a hibiscus, her favorite flower. "A flower is beautiful, but also very delicate and fragile."

"You think I'm-"

"Delicate? Yes. Fragile? Maybe…" He breathed in and looked at her with a soft smile. "If handled the wrong way, it can lose its petals. However, it never stops being beautiful and never stops being something that many people want."

"That's very…thoughtful…"

"Thanks. You can have this flower, I get the feeling you would like it." Sam smiled appreciatively and took the flower, sniffing it. She really was pretty, he had thought so for the longest time but never actually said it. "Would you like to dance, Sam?"

"You're not afraid I'll break your arm for that?"

"No, I have a feeling I'm in the clear." They smirked at each other and she slipped the flower into her pocket. She really didn't want to dance, she was more interested in hearing his thoughts on other things now. If he could compare her to a flower, what other analogies did he have? What other insights did he have on this world?

"No…let's go for a walk, they won't miss us for a while." She smiled as Gibby nodded and rose with her. They left the ballroom and started heading down the hall. "Do you enjoy the outdoors?" He actually had seen through her, and she could tell he was an insightful person. She'd not seen these things about him before.

"I love the outdoors, actually. I think it's very peaceful after I get done with wrestling after school." Sam smiled and nodded her head. He was a very interesting man, she just wanted to know more.

"And that's how it all happened," Sam said as Janet pulled to a stop at the house. Gibby smiled and held her hand as Jessica cooed over the story. She thought it was very cute, very romantic. "It started over a flower."

"Yeah, if you're into details, that's what happened," Gibby said with a smile while closing his eyes. He didn't like telling romantic stories, but he didn't mind living them.

"Okay kids, time to go inside!" Janet said as she exited the car. The others nodded and followed her into the house. This reunion was really off to a great start.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, a little insight on how Gibby and Sam got together.