Summary: Upon meeting by chance at Camp Sparkle Lake, Mary Benson and Clara Puckett discover something shocking about their family history: they're twins, mysteriously separated at birth. They go on a mission to set right what clearly has gone wrong. A story of sisterhood, family, and lost (maybe even found) love. Based on The Parent Trap.
Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly. I wish I owned Spencer so I could display awesome sculptures in my room.
iTrap
Trapter 14
Clara, Mary and Gina watched the scene unfold from under a nearby table, their mouths agape, completely transfixed.
"Freddie!" Carly cried, immediately kneeling to her friend's aid as Gretchen looked on in shock. Sam could really throw a kick. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, just dandy," he grunted, his teeth clenched and his eyes shut tight from the searing pain.
"Here, let me help you up…"
"No, just let me die here," he begged, clutching his stomach, "I've already lost my dignity and probably my ability to digest food, what's my life, too?"
"What are you, a disgruntled toddler?" Gretchen remarked, rolling her eyes.
Freddie stopped writhing in pain for a moment. "Uh, do I know you?"
"Nope, hun," she shook her head, "But I sure know you." Carly carefully helped Freddie to his feet. He brushed invisible dirt off his suit, displeased.
Carly glanced at Gretchen and spoke both their thoughts aloud. "One of us should probably go – "
"I'll do it," Gretchen insisted, smiling lopsidedly, "You handle the Master of Killer Timing over here."
"I don't even know you!" Freddie snapped. Gretchen shrugged and ran off after Sam. Carly sighed and turned to Freddie.
"Why did you give Sam a personal invitation to your wedding?" she exclaimed, whacking him in the shoulder. He cringed. "Are you off your rocker?"
"She asked me to!"
"What? There's no way Sam would – " From behind him, two small hands tapped Freddie on the shoulder. He whirled around to face Mary, along with another girl who looked a lot like Mary.
Exactly like Mary. Different hair, plus glasses, but there was no denying it.
"Hi Dad," said Clara, with a little wave, "So… I'm actually Clara, this is actually Mary. I think we can explain."
"What can I get for you?"
"Ugh, anything," Sam replied, her head down.
She sat alone on a stool of a small outside bar the Ridgeway staff had set up out front. Her head was pounding, her hands still furiously shaking. She didn't know whether to shout at random people or to break down crying… and for what? Because of who?
Fredward Benson. A soon-to-be married Fredward Benson.
Sam couldn't help but think oh, so bitterly to herself how this was exactly why she'd ended it in the first place. Nobody else in the history of forever had made her… feel so much. And not just the good, fluffy, ignorant-of-reality stuff, oh no. Most of the time it was the nitty-gritty, awful, fuming, frustrating, terrifying stuff he pulled through the cracks of her otherwise thick, withstanding walls. And it really, really ticked her off.
After all, who did he think he was, blatantly rubbing his better-off-without-her life in her face like that! It was almost too rude to be the Freddie she had grown up with, the Freddie she had planned on growing old and wrinkly with.
But it's all in the past, she reasoned with herself, That Freddie left when you kicked him out, and he's not coming back. Accept it. Accept it, self! You don't need him. You don't need anyone. Sam let out another irritated groan. The bartender – a female - gave her a weird look before placing a drink in front of her head. Sam didn't even bother. She knew deep down she didn't actually want just anything.
What she did want, well, that was a mystery in itself. One, she felt, she was all too brave to waste her time with.
"Rough night?" asked the bartender.
Sam slowly lifted her head. "Can I give you some advice?"
"Uh, sure?"
"If you ever come across a dork," Sam continued, an annoying twinge of pain arising from the word, "And you feel an overwhelming compulsion to tease the living daylights out of him, run. Just run. Get out while you still can."
"Excuse me," an airy, intruding voice spoke from behind her, "Are… are you, perchance, Samantha Puckett?" Sam whirled around to face an extravagant blonde caked in makeup.
"Yeah, what's it to ya?" Sam confirmed, not in the mood to deal with people. At that moment, the woman let out an earsplitting squeal of delight. Sam covered her poor ears.
"Oh, this is wonderful, just wonderful!" she cried, grabbing Sam's arm and shaking it, "Really, I'm just over-the-moon that I've actually found you! I am Rose. I recognized you from the TV commercials! I am such a huge fan of your cute, little pastry shop in LA, I can't even! I have your products shipped to me all the time." Sam briefly wondered if this woman came with an off button.
"Thanks," she tried to muster up a smile.
"I desperately wanted to visit or call you in hopes that you would cater my upcoming wedding, but my fiancé insisted your shop was just too busy!" she sped on, "I was merely on my way back from the powder room, looking for the cafeteria, when I saw you from a window, and here we are! It's like fate!"
"That's a great offer," Sam attempted to decline, "But I – "
"Good, so you'll do it!" Rose cheered with glee, "Wonderful! I'll have my people call your people, okay? Great!"
"But – " Rose hopped away before Sam could get another word in. She sighed. Just what I need. More wedding fun.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, drinking in the silence.
Whatever this was that she was feeling, Sam knew she had to build a bridge and get over it. She had no choice but to speak to him, at least from a professional stance, if she had any prayer of getting her family situation back in order. She made a mental note to kick herself for bringing not one, but two ridiculously mischievous girls into the world. Maybe all those people had been right, back when she was much like those girls. Maybe one Sam Puckett was more than enough.
"There you are!" Sam heard Gretchen from afar, as she exited Ridgeway High and walked towards her, "Man, hiding in plain sight, I should've guessed that! I've been checking random closets and under desks."
"Not in the mood, Gretch," Sam called back distractedly.
"And that would be exactly why I'm comin' out here," Gretchen explained, sauntering over to sit down right next to her distraught boss. She stole Sam's drink and took a sip, waiting.
"Freddie's getting married," Sam stated, overlooking the streets of Seattle in her field of vision.
Gretchen frowned. "Hey…look on the bright side. After that kick he probably won't even make it to the alter."
"I didn't kick him that hard," Sam defended herself, before slumping, "Though I definitely should have."
Gretchen sighed deeply. "Sam, as I was leaving to go find you I overheard Freddie tell Carly that you told him you wanted a personal invitation."
"What? I never said that!" Sam argued in disbelief, "I didn't even know the nub was hitched!"
"What I'm trying to say," Gretchen went on, "Is that I don't think the guy's intentions were malicious. I know a stinkin' liar when I see one, and it really, truly looked like he had no idea what he had done wrong."
"Well if he thinks I'm in any mood to watch some other unlucky sap marry him, he's got another thing coming!" insisted Sam, pounding the table for emphasis. "I wouldn't go to that moron's wedding if he and his daffodil wife paid me!"
"Just pull Freddie aside and talk to him," suggested Gretchen simply. "It wouldn't kill you to be civil. Now that the girls have reunited, you know this isn't just going to go away, right?"
"Fine," Sam said sharply, hopping off the seat to follow Gretchen inside, "But I'm getting some food first. Mama needs her fuel."
"S-so, let me get this straight," Freddie said slowly, shock seeping into his veins. He was seated at an empty table, overwhelmed beyond belief at seeing his two girls standing side by side. Carly had excused herself, claiming she knew the whole story already, which really annoyed him. She had known the whole time and hadn't even bothered telling him? He shakily pointed to Mary, who still looked like Clara. "Mary, you've been in LA acting as Clara this whole time?"
"Yup!" she replied happily.
He moved his finger towards Clara, who still looked like Mary. "And… you're Clara? You've been with me all along?"
"Yes," she answered shyly.
"I…" he gulped, his emotions cancelling out any logic, "I don't know what to say. I can't believe it's really you!" Clara beamed, and both girls jumped in to hug him. After a few moments, he pulled away, realizing something. "Does your mom know?"
"Yeah, I dropped the bomb a few days ago," Mary admitted, "Oh, and by the way…" She looked guilty. "Jen Polish doesn't exist. I was the one who picked up the phone. I was the one who told you Mom wanted the wedding invitation."
Freddie's mouth dropped open. "Mary! Are you kidding me? Why would you do that? Your mom just rearranged my stomach!"
"Sorry, sorry!" she said grudgingly, "I thought that if you thought she was alright with the wedding and stuff you'd feel better about seeing her."
Truthfully, Freddie was, in some twisted way, glad that the wedding made Sam angry. Why, he couldn't bring himself to contemplate, but somehow the idea of Sam not wanting him to get married was comforting. Familiar.
"We just wanted you and mom to meet again," Clara added.
"And why's that?" Freddie wanted to know. Mary and Clara looked at each other, speaking without words. Realization hit him. "Oh, no, no, don't even try it, ladies! I'm marrying Rose, and that's that. I… really love her, yeah, and there's nothing - "
At that moment, Gretchen and Sam piled through the door. The moment Freddie spotted the blonde being dragged toward him, corn dog in hand, he completely lost his train of thought. He stood up, pushed in his chair, and headed straight towards her.
"We'll see," said Mary, with a smirk. She and Clara fist-pounded.
"Sam," prodded Gretchen, pushing her forward, "Isn't there something you'd like to say to Freddie?" Sam glared, and then slowly flicked her eyes towards his.
"Sorry I kicked you to the ground," she deadpanned.
Freddie smiled. "No harm done." Sam raised an eyebrow. Freddie laughed. "Ah, you know what I mean."
"'Course I do."
Gretchen, sensing the tension being lifted, backed away and fled the scene, immediately crashing into Spencer, who was lying on the floor with his arms flat at his sides, while people around him stared.
"Spencer, what's going on?" she asked, looking at him.
"Jessica wasn't too pleased that I wouldn't give her a second chance," he explained warily, "So she tied me to an imaginary railroad track."
"Oh, come on, hon, I'll help you up," she chuckled, reaching down for his hand. She pulled Spencer to his feet.
Spencer beamed. "Thanks. Hey, what's your name again?"
"That'd be Gretchen," she responded, her sarcastic smirk melting into a genuine smile.
"Gretchen," Spencer said, nodding happily, "Want to peruse the food table with me?"
"It would be my pleasure."
Meanwhile, Sam gazed at Freddie, wondering what to do or say next. Both of their stares turned slowly to the twins sitting a few feet away at a table. Mary waved enthusiastically. Clara tried to stop her from doing so.
"We need to talk about some things," Freddie finally spoke, tentative in a way that made everything inside Sam soften.
"We do," Sam agreed curtly. But she didn't want to talk here, in front of all their old peers.
"We could go to the courtyard?" Freddie suggested, nervous she would say no, that she would take off running again. He held his stomach, just to be safe.
Sam surprised him by saying, "Okay, whatever." She threw her finished corn dog into a nearby trash can, and off they went.
Carly, Gibby and Gibby's supermodel of a wife Trisha were by the food table, catching up.
"So is it true?" Gibby inquired to Carly.
"Is what true?" Carly wondered.
"That Freddie won the lottery!" Gibby answered excitedly. "I saw it on the news, but when I asked him about it he just changed the subject."
To say Carly was surprised would be an understatement. After all, Freddie hadn't mentioned anything about a lottery. But a moment later, it made perfect sense. So that's why Rose was so interested in marrying him all of a sudden. Her signature and fierce protectiveness of those she held close to her heart kicked in.
And that was when the wheels began to turn in Carly's mind.
The fact of the matter was, though Carly had always tried to get Freddie to see other people, in truth she strongly felt that her best friends were meant for each other. She thought by dating other people, Freddie wouldn't feel as lonely. She never expected him to go and marry someone he barely knew!
Then again, it was so like him. Freddie usually fell first, then analyzed later. That was what had happened with her, with Valerie, with every other girl. But Sam, he had gotten to know before he fell for her, and that was the major difference. That was why it had worked.
Carly saw the way Freddie looked at Sam. She had known all along. Freddie was in no way over Sam, Rose or not. And Sam was in no way over Freddie, pride or not.
If Freddie could just see that Rose was using him, all would be well. But how?
Carly had heard through Mary about Clara's failed attempts to get Mrs. Benson involved in the matter. That woman was so batty and useless. No, she needed some other outlet. She needed to show Rose that she was not going to get what she wanted…
"That's strange," Carly answered Gibby, an idea finally clicking into place, "Hey Gibby, listen, I've got a favor to ask of you…"
As soon as Freddie and Sam left the premises, Mary and Clara screeched happily in unison.
"They're gonna talk!" Mary cheered, hugging her twin.
"Voluntarily!" Clara chirped in, returning the hug.
"This is abso-bacon-lutely awesome!"
"I concur!" They both laughed and pulled apart. "They're probably going to converse about us though."
Mary shrugged. "Eh, it's progress, you know? And hey, one topic could lead to another…" Out of the corner of her eye, Mary spotted Rose glancing around, confused, probably in search of her fiancé. Noticing he was not there, she did a one-eighty and headed in the same direction Sam and Freddie had. "Chiz!"
"What?" Clara asked, panicked.
"It's Rose!" Mary explained, grabbing Clara's arm and pointing, "She's going to interrupt mom and dad! We need to stop her!"
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Clara cried out, being to hyperventilate, "She's going to go find them and then mom is going to freak out and run again and then everything we've worked for will be for – "
"Will you shut up?" Mary snapped, "I have a plan. Grab some food, now!"
"Why me?"
"Because Rose has no idea that 'Clara' exists!" Mary shoved a plateful of food off the table into Clara's shaking hands. "Do what our family does best and start a scene!" Knowing she had little time to spare, Clara stood up and ran straight for Rose.
"Mary," Rose stated, pausing in her tracks, "Why, what are you - ?"
"Food fight!" Clara screamed at the top of her lungs, hurling the plate's entire contents straight at Rose. A tuna sandwich, mashed potatoes, gravy and peeled carrots smashed at her heavily made-up face before she could scream. Of course, she screamed afterwards.
"You…you disgusting little brat!" she hollered, trying to get the food out of her hair, "How dare you!"
"Here, let me help you to the bathroom!" the real Mary came up from behind her. Rose was so smothered in food that she could barely see anything, much less that there were now two girls by her side.
"I think it is the least you could do!" she snipped snobbishly. Clara followed Mary, a nervous expression on her face, as Mary led Rose out of the cafeteria by her arm and went in the opposite direction of the bathroom. "While you're at it, please have the help fetch different soap, all they've got right now is that cheap, foam kind!"
"But of course," Mary assured, a devious smirk on her face. "Oh, here we are, the bathroom!"
"Finally!" Clara couldn't help but snicker. The three of them faced a supply closet. Mary motioned for Clara to open the door. Mary reached in and took out a mop before shoving Rose in a slamming the door shut and sliding the mop through the door handle in to secure it. "Oh my, why is it so dark in here? Mary Sunshine, are you sure this is the bathroom? Could you turn on the lights?" Silence. "Mary? Are you there?"
"And that's how the Benson twins get 'er done!" Mary whispered triumphantly. The two of them fist-pounded and tiptoed away.
Lots of things had changed about Ridgeway High since the bickering duo had graduated all those years ago, but the courtyard was exactly as they had left it.
It dawned on Freddie the sad, almost humorous fact that the last time he was here with Sam could now be classified as simple, compared to everything else they had been through – cereal box proposals, messy divorces, place-trading twins, the list went on and on.
This was where they'd shared their second kiss. This was where Freddie had realized Sam loved him. This was where Freddie had realized he felt the same way.
"I think Mary and Clara inherited your delinquency," Freddie joked, breaking the anticipating but surprisingly comfortable silence and they stood under the mid-afternoon sun.
"And your larger-than-life brain," Sam shot back. Freddie grinned sheepishly and shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. For some reason, just being here with her, sans violence, made him ecstatic.
"So… how've you been, Puckett?" he asked, the grin not leaving his face, "Still beating up wrestlers and eating twice your weight in meat?"
Sam had to admit, she felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. Maybe because it was so familiar that it was, well, too familiar. It brought her back to junior year of high school and she also had to admit she felt a bit like she had back then… like she had to hide. For her own good. "On occasion," she responded, trying to stay cold despite the fact that she was warming up to him again with every second, because that was what he did. He had always melted her shell away, often, against her will. "Mostly I've been running Mama's Bakery of Awesome."
"Oh yeah, you finally got it up and running," he remembered how Rose had been dying to go there, but of course, he had declined, for obvious reasons. "Congrats."
"What about you, Benson?" Sam pressed, realizing how little she knew about his life now, "Teaching, right? And getting married? Man."
"About that, Sam…" Freddie said hurriedly, not wanting to upset her again, "Mary – "
"Told you I wanted an invite?" The answer came to Sam in an instant. It made sense. Freddie nodded and gulped. "Look, it's fine. I only kicked you because I thought you were trying to brag. I think it's really awesome you're getting married."
"I'm really sorry, you don't have to – " Freddie paused. "Wait, what did you say?"
"I kicked you because I thought you were bragging?"
"No, no, the other thing."
"Oh, yeah. It's… just awesome. That you're getting married, I mean. So awesome." Liar, she thought to herself. She tried to reason that the truth would hurt her more.
"You think so?" His heart sank. He hoped not.
"Mary deserves a mom." The words made Sam's cold, little heart ache in her chest. She meant them, anyway.
Freddie raised an eyebrow, the disappointment from her statement too powerful to hide. "You're her mom, Sam."
"I know, but…but I'm not…" Sam's eyes drifted to the ground. Her cheeks were burning. This was ridiculous. How old was she? Certainly not the age she was acting.
"Around?" Freddie finished. Sam looked up again. How they were still able to finish each other's sentences like that was beyond either of them, yet nonetheless they both found it a nice comfort. "Well, I… um…" Freddie's mind raced around spastically. What did he want to say? That he wanted her around?
Did he need her around?
What if he asked her why she wasn't around? He took a deep breath.
"Fredward, there you are!"
Rose ran into the courtyard, grabbing his arm, shaking Freddie out of his thoughts. He sniffed the air. Why did Rose smell like tuna fish? "Oh, you wouldn't believe it, I somehow got stuck in a closet! Luckily, a nice janitor heard me screaming and released me – oh! Hello again!" She noticed Sam standing there, puzzled and awkward. "I see you've met my future husband! Fredward, dear, Samantha has agreed to cater the wedding! Isn't that wonderful?"
"She… you are?" Freddie stammered, his eyes moving back and forth between the two extremely contrasting blondes.
"Oh, yes!" Rose nodded, then frowned, "Hold the phone… how did you two meet when Samantha didn't even know who I was marrying… What's going on?"
"Uh, Rose," Freddie explained, the awkwardness in the air so heavy that he felt he couldn't breathe, "Sam Puckett and I, um, well, Sam is Mary's mom." Rose's eyes widened dramatically.
"You were married to him?" Rose asked, astonished, pointing back and forth between them, "He was married to you?"
"It was a moment of insanity," Sam shrugged. Freddie glared.
"You're the Sam Marissa was talking about!" Rose realized.
"Your mom still complains about me? Sam asked cheerfully. Freddie turned red. This did not go unnoticed by Rose.
"Well, well, isn't this wonderful," she exclaimed through clenched teeth, "Such a small world, isn't it? Wow. Wow, wow, wow."
Clara and Mary had just come up to the window to check on their parents and were surprised and annoyed to see Rose out there with them.
"Aw, man!" Mary moaned.
"How did she escape?" Clara wondered. They both burst through the courtyard door, desperate for answers.
"Hey there!" called Mary.
"How's everything going?" Clara asked.
Sam glared at her two daughters. "I hope both of you realized you're dead meat." They gulped. "How could you manipulate us like that?"
"Sorry," the girls chorused, staring at the ground.
Rose yelped in fear.
"There… there are two of them?" Rose asked, terrified.
"Um… I never mentioned that Mary has a twin?" Freddie asked, playing innocent. Sam scoffed. What a beautiful relationship.
"No, you most certainly didn't!" Rose gasped, before shaking her head, "You know, forget it. Just forget it. Fredward, there's something I've been dying to talk to you about."
Freddie, eager to change the subject, quickly said, "Okay, let's hear it."
"I was speaking with Lewbert earlier today," Rose began, smiling, "Such a wonderful man. Anyway, he told me that the Bushwell has a lovely, little chapel on the second floor, and I, why, I just had the craziest idea! Fredward," She stopped, taking his hand. "Why wait? Let's get married the day after tomorrow, right here in Seattle!"
A/N: Oh, hurray, Rose wants to get married super early! That shouldn't cause any problems, now, should it?
I hope I did a good job at maintaining Sam and Freddie's, well, Sam-and-Freddieness, while also portraying them as older. It's harder than it sounds.
Anyway, just a little notice. I will be going on vacation August 13th – August 20th. I will not be updating between those two dates. However, I hope to finish iDo It Over before iLMM premieres on the 12th. And hopefully I'll get another update in for this story before I leave.
Talk to you all soon!
-Colors