Double Life

Disclaimer: Don't own Wendell and Vinnie, don't own iCarly

A/N:

Chapter 21 (Strange AA Meeting)

The next alcoholics anonymous meeting to come around was more comfortable to attend, as it was his third visit, he truly felt as though he knew some of the people a little better. Spencer had begun to open up a little bit, and Grant had made some very successful attempts to keep some space between Chuck and Taryn. While Spencer now sat on one side, Grant's wife usually sat on the other side of Taryn.

Chuck still had a tendency to glare at him, which made him feel highly uncomfortable in regards to being there. This time, they were in the same arrangement with Chuck sitting across the room. Spencer could feel his eyes on him like a chainsaw tearing through the arm he had somewhat protectively around Taryn's shoulders.

Taryn, predicting the white hot glare between Spencer and Chuck, looked up to him and cleared her throat. "Spencer, just ignore him," she whispered softly. "He's not doing anything."

"I know, I just can't stand him staring at you. Or, well, at me either." He looked to Grant, who was standing at the brownie table with one of the clients. "I'd prefer Grant get the session underway." He and Taryn both had been sober since his first visit. Taryn, sober for a longer, obviously. The biggest reason she was still attending these meetings now was to support him, but she also attended to keep her own troubles with alcohol in check. "I never understood why you come here. You say you had troubles with alcohol, but I don't think I've ever seen you drunk."

"I was always good at not visiting you when I was drunk, and you did see me under the influence once, remember?" He searched his memory for the occasion and slowly nodded, it was a strange moment for him. One that Taryn said showed some remarkable growth for him. Months ago, around Valentine's, she got drunk because she was alone. She told Spencer she wanted to have sex with someone and he said no. He had many reasons for saying no, but above all, he respected her. "I don't have as big of an issue with alcohol as you say you do, but I still like to make sure I'm keeping it in check. You know, a drink once in a while isn't bad, you just have to learn control and moderation."

"Yeah, that's where it gets hectic." Spencer glanced to Chuck, seeing the man glowering at them still. The man's fists were clenched in his lap and his eyes were narrow. "You know, Chuck kind of reminds me of someone back at Seattle."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Carly's friend, Freddie. Freddie Benson." He looked to Taryn just as Chuck's expression changed and his eyebrow shot up. "Freddie had this problem back in the day, and according to Carly and Sam, still did a little bit. He was obsessed with Carly, always asking her out and stalking her. One time she was in the hallway and he was watching her from the peephole in his door."

"Creepy." Taryn shuddered at the thought. "Obsessive and a stalker. Yeah, I'd say those qualities fit Chuck. I don't know about the stalker part, though. I've never seen him around when I'm on my own."

"Did I hear you say the name, Benson?" Spencer's head flew over to Chuck. The man was leaving his seat and walking towards them. The man's eyes were narrow and Spencer was beginning to grow anxious. He felt Taryn wrap her arms around his. Instinctively he tensed his muscles. "Relax, I'm just wondering. That name…Marissa Benson."

"That was Freddie's mother."

"You don't say." Chuck scrunched his nose and turned away in a huff. "I dated her a while back. She's the reason I started drinking in the first place. Turned me down like the coldhearted bitch that she was."

"Well she was nuts, I'll say that much."

"She was damn near sane when I dated her, so I don't know about any mental problems." Spencer was curious if they were talking about the same woman. He laughed nonchalantly and shook his head.

"Mental? She was paranoid, hated men with every fiber of her being, was overprotective and obsessive about her son, and always thought someone was watching her. She was the battiest woman I ever met. I mean, I'm not condemning her, I feel bad for her. I sometimes wonder how she got that way." He folded his arms as Chuck slowly glanced over his shoulder. "So Chuck, you dated her? Any reason she dumped you? Maybe you were a little too feely with your hands?"

"I don't care for the accusations, Bassett." The man sneered and started moving away towards his chair, stopping half way. "Curiously, how old is that boy of hers?"

"Nineteen."

"Ah, Interesting. If she's as batty as you say, maybe that kid will get out of that house."

"My daughter says he's moved into a dormitory. He might live with his mother in the summer, but I don't know. Apparently he's not on good terms with my daughter or her friend. They won't tell me much, but I assume it has to do with how he was in the past."

"How was that?"

"I'm not sure I feel like talking about it to you."

"Just a simple question. Was he a stalker or something? You must have had some reason for moving down here."

"Yeah, family." He was trying to remain cordial and not tell the man to screw off, but it was getting harder the longer he stayed where he was. Fortunately, that was the end of it, Chuck moved back to his chair and folded his arms over.

"Freddie wasn't that bad was he?" Taryn whispered, looking concerned. Spencer shrugged his shoulders in reply, he never heard many complaints about Freddie.

"I thought he grew out of it, but Sam seemed to imply that he hasn't. Carly doesn't feel like talking about him and said the one time she met up with him in Seattle trying to find me, she met up with him at T-Bo's shop."

"So it sounds like they left on some bad terms. I guess there's not really a whole lot to do about that."

"Sadly no. Whatever the reason, I'm sure I don't want to hear it." He tensed and Taryn chuckled. Surprised, he glanced sharply at her. "What's so funny?"

"You're fitting the role of concerned dad very well. I like that."

"Oh. Well. Thank you." His cheeks grew red. Grant walked over to a chair and took a seat beside Chuck and one of the other clients.

"All right, so it's good to see everybody this week," Grant began, "I'm glad to see everybody is dealing with their alcohol dependency. Or at least some are." The man glanced at Chuck from the corner of his eyes, so as not to draw attention to the man. "Now, I'd like to hear from some of you, to know how you are holding up-"

"Excuse me." A voice from behind caught Spencer's attention. He flinched and looked over his shoulder. A man wearing a black hooded sweater and black jeans came walking in. This man had black shades and his hood covered his head pretty well. His hands were in his pocket, where a chain link stretched from his belt and pocket. Grant looked up to the man and smiled politely. "Is this the alcoholic's place? I'm not too late?"

"Yes, alcoholics anonymous. It's good to meet you, son. Come in, come in. You're not late at all."

"Thank you." Spencer felt a vague sense of familiarity from this man, and his voice held a particular richness that he couldn't place a finger on. Studying the outfit didn't bring anything to mind other than this was a kid that enjoyed the color black, since everything all the way down to his shoes were black. The boy walked over to an empty chair and took a seat. He appeared to be studying the people from behind his shades. "I feel like I'm the youngest here. I'm in college right now. Vacationing here in LA for the summer."

"It's good to meet you, again. Do you have a name?"

"Um, my friends call me Nate." The boy had a nervous tremor to him and a lightly tanned body.

"Well Nate, don't feel intimidated by the age of the others here. I've counseled many people, including college students. You're welcome to join us."

"C-Can I tell you what I did?"

"Of course you may."

"All right…" Spencer felt eyes upon him for a split second and looked to Chuck, but the man was now listening to the guy who walked in. "I um, I need to confess something. My dad is, or was, a drunkard, and I'm afraid of turning into him. You see, my dad…I don't think I could call him that, to be honest with you."

"Why is that?"

"Because he was never my dad. He hurt my mom, and I almost hurt someone I cared about because of alcohol and stupidity. In fact, one of my friends had to beat the hell out of me for me to realize where I screwed up…" Grant straightened himself up and frowned while Spencer narrowed his eyes.

"That's never good," Chuck remarked. The boy's head snapped to him and his eyes fixated on the man. "Take it from me. I spent some years in prison because of my alcohol problems." Spencer raised an eyebrow and Taryn tightened her grip on his arm, cutting off his blood supply. "If you think you're about to hurt someone because of alcohol problems, then you need to quit."

"You're one to talk," Taryn whispered under her breath. Spencer looked at her with raised eyebrows. She may not have planned for him to hear. "Well he is almost like a stalker…"

Spencer nodded and looked over to Chuck, who continued on with his tale. "It was twenty years ago or so, my girlfriend broke up with me and I took heavily to the booze. I'm not saying I'm proud of it, I'm ashamed. When I get drunk, I hardly know what the fuck I'm doing. Well one night I got drunk, I didn't realize it, but I had these drugs…I got her at a bar, and…even now it haunts me…" Spencer's stomach flipped and rage shot up in him like bile. He wanted to tear Chuck apart for some reason. From what he said previously, it sounded like this girlfriend of his was Marissa. If that were the case, Chuck just made another enemy.

He saw the college student's hands clench on his legs. The boy's jaw locked. Silence filled the room and everyone, including Grant, grew extremely nervous as Chuck and this boy spoke. "So you…hurt someone…"

"I was a stalker. I would only stalk when drunk, though. I'm not proud of it, Nate. The only reason I tell you this now is to advise you to stay as far away from that path as possible."

"I see…I will do my best. Thank you. That was very informative, sir. What, what did you say your name was?"

"Chuck."

"Chuck. I'll remember that. Could I visit you outside of the meetings, maybe?"

Grant cleared his throat and lifted his hand, once again taking control of the conversation in the room. "For privacy purposes, I don't let people exchange personal information such as addresses."

"Sorry." The boy's hands unclenched and rested gently on his legs. His lips curled into a subtle smirk and his eyebrows raised high above his shades. "Anyway, I still have trouble with alcohol. Living at college, I do a lot more drinking than I should. I know where all the underage hotspots are. I'm not proud of it and I…yes, I would like to quit."

"Then you've come to the right place."

Walking into the apartment with Taryn, Spencer shook himself and ran his hand through his hair. "Well that wasn't creepy at all!" Taryn chuckled nervously and held her hands together at her waist. Carly was on the couch watching television. She smiled at the two and waved at Spencer.

"How was the meeting? Creepy, I take it?"

"This random kid came in," Taryn said quietly, "That guy Chuck had a conversation with him. It was…freaky, to say the least. Did you know Chuck dated the mother of one of your friends, Carly?" Carly flinched. Spencer removed his jacket and threw it over the edge of his couch.

"Freddie's mom, it sounds like." Carly looked up at him, a glimpse of uncertainty passed through her eyes. "Chuck said he started drinking after breaking up with her. Then he told this kid today, because the kid had a similar experience or something, that he drugged one of his ex girlfriends…"

Carly looked away, her eyes wide and her muscles tensed. Spencer looked at her with concern while Taryn made her way to the kitchen. "Spencer. You know Freddie never spoke of his father, you know why?"

"Why?"

"He hates the man. He told me once a long time ago that he found out his mom had been stalked and assaulted by her ex boyfriend. Freddie was always afraid of turning out to be like his dad, that's why he was trying so hard to stop acting like a stalker towards me. Mrs. Benson was cornered by him at a bar, he said he just wanted to talk and spiked her drink. She remembers nothing after that, or if she did, Freddie never told me. He always said he never wanted to meet the man responsible."

Spencer and Taryn shared a concerned look. Was Chuck that man? Upon thinking of that realization, he could see Taryn's face turn to sheer terror. "Taryn?" Carly looked back and Taryn slowly moved towards the couch, gripping it at the edges.

"Chuck…Is still a stalker." Spencer froze, his heart surged with anger and adrenaline. "I know because I've seen him following me on occasion. He's usually drunk, so I can shake him, but…I never thought he was dangerous, just stupid."

"You never said anything?"

"I thought he was too stupid to do anything, that he wasn't a threat. You don't really think he's this Freddie kid's father, do you? Not to mention, Freddie stalks your daughter? It's like he's repeating his father's sins…"

"No, that can't be. Freddie never did anything." Carly huffed and quickly rose up. Spencer stared at her, frightened by the darkening expression on her face. "Carly? Sam told me he was a jackass to the end. I thought it was just a mix up or something."

"Sam had to beat the shit out of him, Spencer." Carly folded her arms over and closed her eyes. Spencer didn't want to hear this. His body trembled with anger as questions swirled around in his mind. "I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd be upset, but…Freddie drugged me."

"What?!"

Carly held her hands up defensively, raising her voice over his to keep him from letting his anger get the better of him. "Nothing happened!" She lowered her arms and sighed heavily, clenching her eyes shut. "This happened just a few days before Grandpa visited and I decided to take him up on the offer of going to Italy. What happened with Freddie was a major reason for my leaving, and the reason Sam left." Spencer sat down on the couch and Taryn beside him, she took his hand and he started to calm down. Carly turned to them and breathed out slowly, "It's just, he got into his mom's liquor cabinet and started drinking. I went over and he offered me some wine, I texted Sam that I was at his place and that he'd been drinking."

"And you took a drink?"

"It was just one, I didn't want him to think I was turning him down like always. I thought I'd take one drink and be done with it. The next thing I know, I'm drunk and passing out." Spencer's heart began racing as he visualized the horrifying scene. "I remember him saying he got some sort of pill or something from a friend saying it might help me be attracted to him, that he thought it was an attraction thing. I don't know, he was drunk and I was asking him what the hell was going on." She put her hand to her forehead and shook her head. "I vaguely remember Sam breaking into the apartment and finding me in that state with Freddie just watching me. She kicked him around a couple times and dragged me back to my place-"

"Why-Why don't I remember this?"

"You were working on something with T-Bo at the time." He was relieved that Sam managed to pull Carly out of there before Freddie attempted anything. Of course he was pissed, and having difficulty trying to contain his anger, but he was grateful that mentally Carly seemed to be doing well. Carly took a deep breath and met his concerned gaze. "As I was coming to I heard Freddie banging on the door, pleading for forgiveness and saying it was a mistake and he wasn't really planning on anything. Sam told him to screw off and after a while he left us alone."

"Well he's not here in LA, I'm glad for that."

"Why?"

"Because he can't hurt my little girl." Spencer smiled protectively and Carly wiped away a tear. Taryn nodded and gave him a squeeze. "Plus. I'd protect you. You, Wendell, and even Taryn, you're all my family. I wouldn't let anything happen to any of you."

"I know you wouldn't. I just…You said that guy at the meetings did that, when you did, it just brought up that memory."

"I don't know if Chuck has anything to do with Freddie or not, I'd doubt that very highly." He looked to Taryn and cleared his throat. "Taryn please, if he's stalking you, do something. We can talk to Wilma, she can draft a restraining order!" Taryn whined and shook her head.

"I don't know, I'm worried he'd act up."

"If you're scared…I don't know, move in with us?" Taryn's eyes widened and Carly started to smile. Spencer took her hand and gazed strongly into her eyes. "Look, if Chuck really is stalking you, I don't like that you're living alone in that apartment. The kids love you, I-" He hesitated a moment and Taryn's lips started to curl upwards. He chuckled softly and closed his eyes. "You know we're lost without a motherly touch here, right? I wouldn't mind having you to straighten me out from time to time."

"Well you could use the help, but Vinnie. I'll be fine, okay? I carry a gun in my purse, I'm a daughter of a very protective and gun friendly family. I'll think about it though. You're sweet to offer…" She reached up, cupping her hand over his cheek. To his surprise, she leaned forward and gave him a gentle and tender peck on the lips. She moved back, still smiling at him. He could hardly speak. "I'll be okay, don't worry about me too much."

"I'll try not to, but you know I'm going to worry anyway? And Carly?" He looked up and motioned for her to come over. She sat beside him and he moved one arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. "Thank you for telling me that. I'm sorry Freddie did that, and I'm glad Sam was there for you. I promise you, that will not happen again. If you ever need anyone to talk to, you have me." Carly hugged his waist and leaned her head onto him, breathing out softly. "You're my daughter and I love you, I always will. You and Wendell both. There's nothing I wouldn't do for my family, I want you to know that."

"I know, Dad. I love you too…"

Thoughts?