Before She Came

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N: Thoughts in Italics, speech in regular font

Chapter 13 (Failed Plan)

Six years passed, almost quickly it seemed, and things were not much different. Carly and Sam were friendly with one another, and Freddie had developed a crush on Carly, much to Sam's chagrin. Jonah and Valerie were still the greatest of friends, and Freddie was close to them. Gibby was no longer the school bully, being picked on Sam all the time, as were most of the other students. She had also turned her sights on Freddie, mostly for his having become close to Carly.

He followed Carly around like a lovesick puppy, it was shameful. Jonah was embarrassed for his friend and Valerie felt pity on him. They knew the reason he "loved" Carly, and it just wasn't right. It really couldn't be helped, though. Freddie had become more technical in knowledge, Jonah was decent as far as cameras went, as he basically grew up with Freddie. Valerie didn't do too much with cameras and other technology, she just wasn't fond of it and found more liking in baking. She loved to cook, and would often cook cupcakes all the time for the boys.

Another thing that Carly, Sam, and Freddie did was start up a webshow. It all began with Ms. Briggs's head on the body of a hippo. She was pissed with what they had done, but Carly believed in a world of free speech. So, they wanted to do something where kids could express themselves, thus came the birth of iCarly.

"Am I the only one that sees that this isn't right?" Valerie asked as she and Jonah watched the newest iCarly. Freddie was flirting about with Carly, she was letting him, and Sam was picking on him. "She is right about one thing, Carly won't ever like him, but I don't think he even does like her."

"He doesn't," Jonah replied grimly. At first, they tried to make Freddie realize Carly wasn't really as close to him or that she wasn't Sam, and a part of him did understand that, but he was intent on living on a memory. "It's like he wants her to be Sam, he still wants to have back what they used to have."

"What do you mean?"

"His dad and Sam, Michelle, Ciara, Josh…he wants it all back, but it'll never come back."

"Could we do anything? I mean…I already tried…" She frowned and slowly shook her head, yeah her plan did not work out as she hoped. Sam was still aggressive, but that was a given, she had 'taken' Freddie from them. When she realized it wasn't going the way she wanted it to, she called it off and tried to explain to Freddie what had gone on. He said he didn't care so much about it, so he wasn't holding any grudges.

"Maybe going after Freddie isn't the right idea." Jonah stared at the iCarly screen and sighed, he really wanted Freddie back to normal. Freddie was living in the past, he didn't see past Sam's aggressive exterior. She was still the same shy little girl she'd always been. He closed his eyes and sighed, the best idea he could think of, and he didn't like it. "I can't think of anything good at all."

"You didn't come up with anything?"

"Well I came up with something…"

"What!" Jonah frowned and slowly sighed, he wasn't proud of this.

"What if…well, this is just stupid." Valerie waved her hand in the air, signaling for him to hurry to his point. He walked over to his bed and sat down onto it. "Say someone 'dated' Sam…and maybe the person cheated on her or something…" Valerie frowned and looked at Jonah carefully, she wasn't sure what to make of this idea of his. Although, she tried it with Freddie, but the girls weren't concerned enough about him to talk about it after the relationship ended. Although, anyone could see it in Sam's eyes, she wanted to console Freddie, but it was like he expected it to come from Carly. When it didn't, he had to move on himself.

"It could help Freddie to console her, I guess, and maybe see that the old Sam is still in there…"

"Yeah, but I'd feel like a chump." At least Sam didn't really know him all that well, she hadn't seen him around Freddie, nor did she really ever talk to him.

"Well should the opportunity arise, I think you should take it. Don't like do anything too serious though…"

"There isn't much that would be done that wouldn't hurt her, and I don't exactly want to do that." Valerie walked over to him and gave him a hug, she wanted to let him know that it would be okay.

"We'll have to explain it to them later. We will. Okay?"

"Okay Val, if you say so."

It came to Jonah as a shock, when two days later, Sam spotted him and Carly made Freddie get him to ask Sam out. "So, you know Sam, right?" Freddie asked while leaning against his desk. He felt sick, insanely sick.

"Yeah, what about her, man?"

"Well…would you, uh…." Freddie choked and Jonah looked over at a trash bin, seriously considering bringing it over to his friend.

"Are you okay? Do you need some help?"

"I'm fine!" Jonah frowned as Freddie slowly breathed in and exhaled softly. He was just going to say it, as painful and disturbing a thought as it was. He never wanted Jonah and Sam to date, and now Carly wanted him to hook them up. He knew Sam better than Carly did, or he thought he had, and he was sure Sam wouldn't be into Jonah. Hell, wasn't Jonah into Valerie, or her into him? Sure the two weren't dating, but it was almost clear that they liked each other. Hell, they did everything together. "Just ask Sam on a date and be done with it."

"W-What…you're asking me to do that?" His jaw fell and Freddie nodded his head. He blinked and rubbed the back of his neck while remembering what Valerie told him. He didn't know she didn't really want him to do it. "I guess I can do that. Are you sure?"

"Yes! Now get me over to that trash can, I think I'm going to puke." Jonah nodded and helped carry Freddie over to the trashcan. Valerie was watching from the far corner of the room, she had the same class. Jonah looked at her nervously and she peered down at her homework, she was going to tell him today not to go through with the plan, but now it was just too late.

A week in, Jonah hadn't seen Valerie at all during that week. He had gone to her house to see if she was okay, since she hadn't been at school, but her sisters always told him she wasn't available, or that she had something that was incredibly contagious and she didn't want him getting sick. Now the time had come to end the relationship with Sam.

"He did what?" Freddie shouted, appalled and aghast that his friend would honestly try to cheat on Sam. He thought he knew Jonah better than that, so why the hell would he do such a thing? Carly nodded as Freddie ran his hand through his hair, his anger rising. How could Jonah do that to Sam? He knew he shouldn't do anything until he understood what was really going on, but he needed some time alone to think.

"Come on, we need to shoot iCarly," Carly said with a frown. Jonah was just upstairs, probably hanging out with Sam. Freddie sighed and the two made their way upstairs to see Jonah on the phone, his eyes almost looked watery. Freddie frowned as he heard Jonah say his farewell to someone and hanging up. It was clear that it was a voicemail. He appeared very frustrated. Jonah stepped behind Freddie and frowned, he knew his friend was angry with him.

"Freddie, you need to listen to me," Jonah said quietly.

"Don't talk to me right now Jonah." Jonah swallowed as iCarly began. What would happen next, nobody really could tell.

"Jonah, would you come over here?" Sam asked quickly. Jonah raised his eyebrow and nodded, walking over to the girls. They turned him around and Freddie's eyebrows went up as Sam started to lower a hook. Freddie set the camera down and started walking out of the studio, he couldn't bear to watch what he knew would happen. "Freddie, where are you going? Would you press the button?"

"Yeah whatever…" Freddie didn't even look at Jonah as he pressed the button which sent him flying into the air. Jonah screamed in pain as Freddie walked out of the room. The girls soon left, trying to catch Freddie, but he was already gone.

An hour later, Freddie hadn't answered any of their calls and Jonah was still on the wedgie bounce. The girls had forgotten about him. "Where is he?" Sam screamed out with concern. She sat on the couch, pounding her hand into the cushion. She'd always been dependent on him, he was her first friend and had told her everything. Why did he not pay any more attention to her? Carly always seemed so much more important to him.

Suddenly a rapid knocking came from the front door. Carly opened it and Valerie entered. "Valerie, what are you doing here?" Carly asked with a disapproving tone. She still wasn't fond of the girl. Sam looked up at her and frowned.

"You left Jonah on the wedgie bounce!" Valerie said as she hurried up the stairs. Sam quickly rose in surprise and followed her up the steps, but Carly remained downstairs. Valerie wasn't aware of Sam's presence. She ran into the door and gasped. "Jonah!"

"Valerie, you're…here…" He hoped she hadn't seen this shameful event, but that hope was just too good to be true. "I'm feeling a little numb here, can I get down? It's the fifth button over there…"

"Yeah, let me help you down." Valerie's heart was racing as she hurried to stop the wedgie bounce, she didn't want him to be hurt in any way. She was feeling really bad that she never stopped Jonah before this happened. "God Jonah, I'm so sorry!"

"It's not your fault." He moaned as the hook lowered and Valerie helped him off. He was just thankful that they hooked it on his pants or anywhere where his underwear actually wouldn't ride up his ass.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"No, I'll be just fine." He groaned and tugged on his pants and looked up at the hook. "I'd say Freddie's more angry at me than he is concerned with Sam, though. Judging by the looks…"

"God I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, so, so sorry…" She gave Jonah a tearful hug and he sighed, he didn't think she'd take it that badly. "I wish we never thought of that idea, it was wrong."

"Well if it's any consolation, Carly's the one that convinced Freddie to make me ask her out." Valerie wiped her eyes and gasped when she heard Sam clear her throat. They turned around to see Sam staring them down, with her arms crossed over.

"What's going on here?" Sam asked while tapping her foot. Something wasn't right, she smelled a set-up. Jonah frowned as Valerie looked up at him nervously.

"We were hoping to make you two…ah hell, where is Freddie?"

"I don't know, he won't answer his phone or anything. I don't like it…" She rubbed her arm and looked down, she really did want to know that he was okay. She felt like this was all brought on by her, but she wasn't sure. "Freddie's been so distant from me for years now…"

"Yeah, what changed I wonder?" Jonah didn't mean to sound so harsh, but he was really irritated with what had just happened to him. Sam frowned and closed her hands up.

"Before Carly came, Freddie and I were the greatest of friends. What changed?"

"Maybe if you think about it, or think about the reason Freddie thinks he likes Carly. Anyway, if he can't be found…I have a feeling I know where he is." Valerie watched as Jonah left, she knew she'd have an interesting time trying to explain what just happened to Sam.

Jonah made his way to their old elementary school. If he was right, Freddie would be around here. It may have been years since they'd been there, but there was a little piece of land that none of them had ever forgotten about. Freddie always went there whenever he had something on his mind.

Freddie sat next to the small pond at the place they had called Den-Den many years ago. He was tossing rocks along the water when Jonah walked next to him. He frowned when he spotted Jonah's reflection in the water. "How did you find me?" Jonah sighed and looked up as the wind breezed against his face.

"You think I wouldn't remember this place, or that you always come here? This is just like that day all those years ago." Jonah knelt next to Freddie and tossed a pebble across the water. "You can hate me if you want."

"Why would you do that? You're not that kind of person…I know you're not." Jonah frowned as Freddie glanced over at him with his eyes. "How do you feel by the way?"

"In a lot of pain, Valerie probably thinks I should go to the emergency room."

"If she thinks so, then you should. She probably knows more than you." Jonah laughed as Freddie smirked, Valerie did have a tendency to make decisions a little better than Jonah did. Although, she did mess up sometimes. "She wasn't really sick this week, was she?"

"I don't know, I don't attempt to understand her mind." Freddie laughed and Jonah removed his shoes. He pulled his pants up a bit and bathed his feet in the pond. It was something they used to always do when they were younger, and it was still nice, it was nice to just feel the cool waters against their feet. "Just like I bet you don't attempt to understand Sam's."

"Sam…" Freddie looked into the air and sighed, he missed how she used to be, before she became this juvenile delinquent type person. "She used to be so sweet."

"Almost as sweet as Valerie."

"That's too sweet." Jonah chuckled and closed his eyes. He did think Valerie was an amazing girl, an angel to him. "I thought you didn't even like Carly that much, Jonah."

"No, I believe when she arrived, something happened between you and Sam. You started thinking Carly was Sam before that accident." Freddie frowned and looked to the ground, Jonah was right. Carly was almost symbolic of something that seemed so far gone. "If not for that memory, would you even like Carly?"

"No…" His voice was a whisper. He couldn't explain himself, he still liked Sam, but he liked the her that was gone. "Sam's gone though, the Sam I knew and remembered."

"No she's really not, Freddie. She's still the same innocent, shy girl that she's always been. I was stupid and thought maybe by doing what I did, I could get you to see that and get you two together, but I didn't realize some of the other ramifications."

"You mean to tell me it was all a plan?"

"Yeah…a plan that went to hell. Sam doesn't even seem that concerned either. She seemed more concerned about where you were than what I just did. I don't know if you can forgive me, I was just trying to get you to see…she still needs you. I know she hasn't really coped with her sister's death, but Valerie is trying to talk to her. I don't know how that's going to go. I do know, it seems she's really started to become more aggressive towards you, than anyone else."

"Why would she do that?"

"Why do you think…same reason she wasn't fond of Carly when she first saw her…" Freddie frowned and slowly stood up, he knew what Jonah was talking about. He would need to talk to her, he needed to, it wasn't just Sam that changed all those years ago. Even he had been affected by the deaths.

"Do you think we stood any chance of what happened not changing us?"

"Think about the reason she started getting the way she is now, it was Gibby. Seems, she's retained the thought that aggression is what resolves conflict…" Jonah felt his rear and sighed, he was afraid he'd be feeling this for quite some time.

"So maybe if I showed her she didn't have to be aggressive…I wasn't exactly around when we were kids to keep Gibby from being a bully. Now she just bullies anyone that hurts her."

"Yeah, there's some good food for thought, buddy." Jonah stood up and patted Freddie's shoulder. Freddie was confused, what did Jonah mean by that? Unless, he considered Freddie was the one hurting Sam, because she picked on him all the time.

"Why…I don't understand…"

"You will, but anyway, are we cool?" Jonah looked at him apologetically, Freddie smiled and nodded his head, giving Jonah a fist bump.

"Yeah we're good." Jonah's phone began ringing and he quickly answered it, since the ringtone belonged to Valerie. Freddie smirked and stared at Freddie, the ringtone was an almost romantic seeming tone. Jonah's face grew red and he slowly walked a few feet away. She was frantic, she had horrible news. After a minute, Jonah hung up and looked over at Freddie sadly. "What's wrong?"

"Evidently Sam's mom has gone crazy. Ciara's having Sam move in with her."

"What! When?"

"Tomorrow…" Freddie gasped and he took a shaky step back, this couldn't be right. It wasn't fair. What could her mother have done so wrong that it made Ciara have to take Sam in? "Valerie said Sam won't be able to do anything with you or Carly, she needs to pack…"

"I can't believe this. I want to talk to her, I have to talk to her."

"Well isn't Ciara still dating Josh?" And cue the heavenly chorus of angels, Josh and Ciara had recently become engaged. If anything, Freddie could still see Sam. Both of them were in grad school, and wanted to get married after all of their college was finished.

"Yeah…I think right now it'd be best that I talk to Carly, though."

"Are you still crushing on her?"

"No, I know what you were trying to say. You went about it the wrong way, I will say that." Jonah nodded and bowed his head, there wasn't a minute he wouldn't feel guilty about that. "But yeah, I need to at least let her know that I'm sorry."

"It'd be best for you two to just be friends. You know, Valerie said by the phone call Sam received, it wasn't just her mother, but a number of factors pertaining to her aggressive behavior. She had never gotten rebuked for all of her nature."

"We don't even get to say goodbye?"

"Carly and Valerie did, you and I were here. We need to get going…" Freddie slowly nodded as he and Jonah looked over the area and smiled sadly. It was still the most beautiful place they'd ever been to.

"You know, that rabbit is still around here somewhere, he and his family still hop around." Jonah smiled as he and Freddie started walking away.

"You give him carrots, don't you?"

"Yes." Jonah often went to the pond too, but not as frequently as Freddie did. This was depressing, after all this, and now Sam had to move all the way to where Harvard was, states away. He felt so stupid, just crappy, that he wasted all this time fawning over a dream when the real thing was right there, changing because he never was there for her. "Crap…"

Hope you liked this. There are 18 total chapters of this story.