A/N: Okay, this is longish, but I really like it. It is set in the future (actually a year after the end of stressed).

Seattle

Sam sighed as the pilot announced the landing. She loved her job, something she never thought she would say, but being a food critic allowed her to do the two things she was best at, eating, and if it was bad, insulting. She enjoyed the power it gave her, and the fact that she was able to travel. Sam did enjoy traveling, but Seattle was, and would always be her home.

It was even more exciting now to be returning since there would be two people instead of just one waiting for her at home. Her wonderful husband (even though they've been married for almost two years, Sam still gets a thrill every time she thinks the word husband) and her beautiful baby girl, who would be one year old today. Sam could not miss that.

She was supposed to have arrived back in Seattle last night, but an infamous Seattle storm had delayed this flight and pissed her off. She had even threatened several airline workers, but there wasn't much they could do. As one flight attendant had said, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, we can't control the weather," Sam had to hold herself back from punching the girl in the face, first for stating the obvious and secondly for calling her ma'am.

So as the plane landed not-so-smoothly, Sam was ecstatic, simply because she would be able to see the man she loved and her daughter. She waited, impatiently tapping her foot, as the plane rolled to a complete stop, and she was the first one out of the plane. Since she only had carry-on luggage, she was the first off and the first to the gate where her already big smile grew.

She hadn't been expecting him, but Freddie was waiting for her, with their daughter in his arms. A grin broke out across his face as he caught his first glance of Sam in three days. She looked gorgeous. The child in his arms clapped and started shouting, "Mama! Mama!" Freddie started to walk forward so he could reunite with his wife, more quickly.

When they reached each other, they didn't say anything, just stared at each other for a couple of seconds, before Sam stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. As he pulled away, Freddie whispered, "I missed you,"

"You wish I missed you," Sam joked, "I did however miss you, baby," she said reaching for her daughter.

She took her daughter from Freddie, and her daughter cried again, happily, "Mama! Mama!"

"Happy birthday baby girl," Sam smiled and kissed her daughters head, "I love you."

"Love you more!" her daughter exclaimed, clapping her hands again.

Freddie looked on at the scene that warmed his heart, Sam being so motherly always made him smile. "Now, we have a party to get to don't we?" he grinned, wrapping an arm around Sam's waist and pulling his girls closer to him.

Freddie drove back to their modest two bedroom house, where Sam was in awe that there were already so many people there. "All this for you!" Sam exclaimed, as she got out of the car, opened the back door, and tickled her girl's stomach, "You are so spoilt!" She lifted her daughter out of the carseat.

"Haha, yeah, and you're the one who does all the spoiling," Freddie said, with a grin, as he waited for Sam to walk up the driveway.

"Don't lie, Benson," Sam said, "We both have you wrapped around our fingers, especially, Shay,"

Freddie sighed, "It's true," he opened the front door and was happy to see the place packed with people they knew.

Carly ran over, hugging Sam and scooping up Shay, "Happy birthday, honey," she said, before blowing a raspberry on Shay's stomach, which made Shay giggle.

"How was the flight?" Carly asked turning to Sam, and easily bouncing Shay up and down on her hip.

"Terrible, but I'm glad to be back," Sam grinned, "You did all this didn't you?"

"Of course I did!" Carly almost yelled, "How could I let my beautiful goddaughter not have the proper birthday party?"

Freddie laughed, "Thanks for everything Carls, it's amazing."

Carly looked at Shay, and asked the infant, "So, what first Shay? Food or presents?"

"Food! Food!" Shay shouted enthusiastically.

Sam laughed, "That's my girl!"

Freddie shook his head, "Is she even anything like me at all?"

"She looks like you," Carly noted, smoothing Shay's soft brown hair that was quickly becoming curly, and pointing to her large brown eyes.

"No, she's too pretty to look like me," Freddie said, "I think her features are all Sam's."

Food, cake, presents and hours later, it was just Sam, Carly, Freddie, Spencer, Gibby, and Shay who was starting to fall asleep in Spencer's arms. "It's just like old times," Carly sighed happily, sitting on Sam and Freddie's couch.

"Yeah, 'cause we always had a baby," Sam snorted, collapsing beside her best friend.

Freddie added, "It's the wrong place, old times we would be at Bushwell, on your couch Carls,"

"On my couch, actually," Spencer piped up.

"And I would've taken my shirt off," Gibby announced, from his seat beside the couch.

Carly groaned throwing her hands up in the air dramatically, "Fine then, it's sort of like old times, just us all being together."

"This is nice," Sam admitted, pulling Freddie's arm rather roughly, so he fell onto the couch beside her.

"It's nice to have you home," Freddie said, "Although you may have just dislocated my shoulder."

"Man up, Benson," Sam sighed, and yawned.

"Is it bedtime already?" Freddie teased.

"Hey. Some of us have jobs that actually require not only leaving the house, but the country, Mr. Stay-at-Home-Dad." Sam argued.

Carly laughed, "See? Bickering, like old times,"

"I am not a stay-at-home Dad, I am the CEO of a very successful business, which allows me to work from home," Freddie defended. Sam, of course, had a comeback for that until a noise startled them both out of it.

Shay was crying, Sam and Freddie both leapt up, and over to Spencer, Sam quickly snatching her daughter from his arms, "What's wrong baby?" she held her daughter close.

And although Shay didn't talk much (she took after Freddie in that respect, or so Sam was told) she was very clever, "Want food."

"You just ate, sweetheart," Freddie said incredulously.

"Yes, but she's Sam's daughter," Spencer explained.

Freddie looked hurt for a fraction of a second, "She's our daughter, she's just got Sam's love for food and sleep,"

"Yeah, but she's smart like you," Sam said, rolling her eyes, "Look, we're not fighting anymore."

"So… sneaky like Sam, but clever like Freddie," Gibby mused, "She's going to be an absolute terror as a teenager,"

Spencer and Carly nodded, "Is it time for us to go?" Carly asked, politely.

"I think it's snack and then bedtime for my girls," Freddie agreed, then the entire group walked to the front door, "Thanks again Carls, for everything,"

Gibby, and Spencer shook Freddie's hand, and Spencer kissed Sam on the cheek and Shay on the forehead all saying their goodbyes and heading to their cars. Then Carly hugged Sam and Freddie, and kissed them both on the cheek, and kissed Shay on both cheeks, "I'll see you guys for lunch tomorrow right?"

"For sure, Carls," Sam answered.

Shay shouted, "Byeeeeeee Auntie Carly!"

"See you tomorrow, Carly," Freddie shut the door as Carly walked to her vehicle; he turned towards his wife and daughter, "Snack time?"

"Sounds good, bacon?" Sam half-asked, half-ordered.

"Of course," Freddie said, heading to the fridge.

Late that night, Shay fed and tucked into bed, and Sam and Freddie climbing into their bed. Freddie wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, drawing her to him, "Welcome home, Princess."

Sam laughed, "I'm glad to be back, it's true you know?" she said, moving to rest her head against Freddie's chest.

"What's true?" He asked, dropping a kiss on top of her head, and pulling the covers over both of them.

"There's no place like home," Sam mumbled through a yawn, "And, Seattle is home."

A/N: Hmmm, there's going to be a full-length version of iParty With Victorious (2 hours... long I believe). Hope you enjoyed this chapter, R&R.