Author's Note: Hello my readers. I have another chapter for you. I hope you enjoyed the last one. To all those that noticed Nathan Kress in the audience in the last Victorious episode, I'd like to let you know I saw him too. I really wished that they had aired that episode earlier so I could have made that another weekend trip for Freddie to go down to L.A., but obviously they've reached the summer in the story at this point and I can't use it. However, I may use it somewhere else. Happy reading.

Chapter 25

Valentine Residence
Los Angeles, CA

Freddie sat his suitcase, duffle bag and book bag down just inside the guest room and let out a breath. He took a few steps further in the room he had never stepped foot inside before, but being back in this house was a welcome relief and refuge from all the heartache and mess of Seattle. He had only stayed in the house for two nights, but those two nights had left an impression on him: that life could be wonderful and joyful and not filled completely with misery. The room was minimally furnished with a bed and a dresser, but he really didn't pay it much mind in knowing he really only needed the bed as he was not going to spend the majority of his time in this room.

A soft voice called out behind him, "I'm glad you're back."

He turned around to face the smiling redhead standing at the entryway of the bedroom. He shook his head slightly knowing that video chats couldn't compare to seeing her in person. The video didn't catch the life of her eyes or capture the sweetness in her voice or the cuteness of her dimples. You still don't understood what you could do with those legs and short shorts? a passing thought crossed his mind. He didn't think words could really described how much he was glad to be back, but he tried for simplicity and hoped his sincerity would carry in his voice, "I'm glad to be back too."

Cat snorted out a laugh as she playfully wrung her hands. She gave him a bashful smile and opened her arms and Freddie was glad to oblige in walking towards her and pulling her into a hug. He closed his eyes and just took the moment to feel her presence in his arms, smell her scent, and the softness of her hair against his cheek.

Cat held on to him tight as she could feel the built up tension in his shoulders and around his neck. "How are you my Fredward? I've… I've been worried."

He whispered out, "I feel like I could collapse. Can I finally stop and enjoy the moment?"

Cat closed her eyes and stroked the back of his head with her right hand in the hopes that he really would relaxed. A week and a half he had stayed strong like she told him he had to be after what happened at Ridgeway with the only people to support him were more than a thousand miles away. She whispered calmly, "Yes. You can stop now Freddie." She pulled back and waited for him to open his eyes to look at her. The two pair of brown eyes met and she smiled warmly. He returned with a relieved smile. She took one of his hands resting on the small of her back and started leading him out of the guest room.

A few moments later they were up the stares and outside of Cat's room. The redhead quickly opened the door and led him inside. Freddie let out a soft laugh at looking at the interior of her room with her by his side. This was the room he missed with its childlike wonder and innocence. There were no mixed feelings or memories in this room… only peace.

She didn't give him long to contemplate the meaning of being back as she led him to the bed to have a seat. He held back a laugh as the memories of being in that bed came to the forefront of his mind. They had never gone too far, but the companionship was enough for the both of them.

He lay down and stared at the ceiling then let out a breath hoping to expel all the anxiety he had carried. She cuddled up to him and rested her head on his right shoulder. Her fingers danced across his chest playfully which brought a soft laugh from his lips. "So everything really is fine between you and Carly? I know you said it was over the phone, but…"

He closed his eyes enjoying the sensation of her fingers even through the material of his shirt, "Yes, we're good. We really are friends again and all is forgiven between us. We're whole again."

The peace he had found brought a smile to her face. "That's wonderful. I couldn't be happier for you… ah, was their anything else?"

He turned his head slightly to look at her and arced an eyebrow. "Anything else?"

She asked playfully, "Yeah, I mean… is everything out in the open? You don't have to be guarded with anything? You can be honest about what you think?"

"Yep, no more tip toeing worried that we are going to say something wrong or derail us. She understands how I feel about you, her… Sam and she lets me know what she thinks. She's not thrilled about what Sam did and what happened in the past, but at least everyone is honest with one another. I know they will work out their issues, but… it may be a lost cause between me and Sam."

She tried her best to ask the question delicately, but she felt it came out more playfully than intended, "So you know how Carly feels?"

He smiled and wrapped his right arm around her tighter as he whispered, "She's my friend and she loves me as such. She told me back in the hospital she wish she had told me that more often. Love got us through all the mess and back on our feet, but it was exhausting. Would you mind if I just slept the entire first week away?"

"A little, but I get to use you as a teddy bear some of those days," she giggled, but she felt it wasn't completely genuine.

"Deal," he laughed back, but Freddie apparently didn't notice any difference in her laugh as he smiled back then closed his eyes and rested his cheek on her forehead. She lifted her head only for a moment to give him a quick peck on his lips to seal the deal then relax back into their shared comfortable position.

Cat hid her frown as she realized that Carly didn't tell him she loved him. She felt the tiniest hint of annoyance with the brunette at keeping that from Freddie that would only hurt him later. What made it worst was that she couldn't tell him without breaking her promise to Carly. Would she have to break a promise to protect Freddie or… protect herself? She didn't like maybe having to make that choice. Maybe she could persuade Carly to do the right thing tonight over cupcakes?

Karaoke Dokie
Los Angeles, CA

Freddie didn't sleep for a week, but only a few hours (with the very attractive redhead as a sleeping companion) as André and Beck with Robbie and Rex tagging along had decided that they would take Freddie out on a guy's night out to celebrate his return. He didn't argue because he really didn't have any male friends in Seattle he could really count on to just hang and Cat did want to celebrate with Carly for a girls' night in minus Sam of course. He was glad that Cat assured him that it would only be Carly with her because he wouldn't have let Sam be in the same room with her without him. He didn't trust the blonde not to pull something on Cat and if she did… maybe he'd have to break a tennis racket over the blonde's head to keep her in line.

That is how he found himself with them getting a table in the odd karaoke place, Karaoke Dokie. They had told him on the way over that they had great food and sometimes good singers. A waitress quickly came and returned with their drinks and went off to place their orders.

As the group sat around the table sipping on their drinks and listening to a particularly well performing girl, Robbie asked nervously, "So where is Jade? I don't see her spending the night making cupcakes with Cat and Carly."

Beck pointed out by raising his glass, "You'd be surprised, but she said she's going to baby-sit Sam."

André cocked an eyebrow as he asked, "Baby-sit Sam?"

Freddie glanced at his glass as he was curious as to the answer, but didn't want to outwardly show his curiosity.

Beck looked to Freddie. "She doesn't trust Sam. She thinks Sam'll pull something else and doesn't really want to keep the girl out of her sight. So they're out to the movies." He gave Freddie a guarded look for a moment before continuing, "I'm not entirely sure why she cares so much."

Freddie smirked as he replied playfully, "You've been dating the girl for three years and you don't know why your girlfriend would care about something? That's something you need to talk to her about then."

"You're giving me dating advice?"

Freddie let out a breath and kept the smirk on his face as he replied, "No, just pointing out the obvious: you want to know something about your girlfriend then just ask her."

Beck chuckled at the slight verbal match. "Now why didn't I think of that?"

Freddie laughed in response. "Sometimes we are blind to the obvious." He took a quick sip of his drink then continued, "Anyway, I trust Sam to be Sam… even though I'm not exactly sure what that means anymore, so Jade is right about keeping her guard up. I'm not even going to let Sam stay in the same room with Cat by herself."

The three L.A. inhabitants traded looks of concern about Freddie's feelings towards Sam. Beck took a sip from his drink then asked hesitantly, "Freddie… I know it's none of our business, but… about Sam—"

André spoke up quickly, "What's the deal with Sam?"

Beck rolled his eyes as all subtlety was lost from André's outburst of a question.

Freddie let out a sigh, "I really don't know. It use to be just hatred of me, but now she's justifying her actions as if she's morally right in doing it. It makes me more concern with her being here. Giving up is not in Sam's nature. 'Mama plays to win' as she likes to brag."

The African-American teenager raised an eyebrow in concern and asked, "Then why did you let her come?"

"She was already accepted to the workshop and were did sell ourselves as a package deal. Frankly, my opinion that she can go straight to Hell still holds after what happened that night at Ridgeway."

Beck raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think that's a little harsh?"

Freddie snorted out and raised his glass for a moment. "After four years of all the chizz I've put up with her, trying to sabotage my relationship with Cat and what happened with Carly? She's lucky I just didn't beat her into the ground then told her to go to Hell. How patient would you be if someone was purposely trying to sabotage your relationship with Jade?" He then took a quick sip of his drink.

Beck raised an eyebrow and brought his glass up to his lips at what he thought was the irony of the statement coming from him. Some things were not adding up to the long haired teenager and he would have to discuss it with Jade. They couldn't possibly be flirting with one another during all the other stuff that was happening with Freddie, but… he rarely had seen her that concern with other people other than Cat… which would actually explain Jade's behavior in hindsight. But a dance?

He didn't contemplate too much further as André spoke up, "I don't understand something: How's she justifying anything and why'd she kiss you?"

Freddie let out a tired breath then replied, "I can only tell you what she claims. Your guess is as good as mine about if she's being truthful. She wanted to get Cat to… 'break up' with me. She's was hoping that would leave the way for Carly and me to get back together,"

"That's…" Beck replied hesitantly.

André raised his eyebrows and replied quickly, "Janked up."

Rex spoke up and Robbie moved Rex's left hand to gesture towards Freddie, "That is just a girl watching her friend's back as janked up as it is. What's the difference between that and you being a wingman for one of your buddies?"

Freddie raised a questioning eyebrow in having a serious conversation with the puppet, but he thought he'd humor Robbie for a little bit, "Because you don't try to break up another couple so you can get with the one you want."

"All's fair in love and war," he countered confidently.

"And that's why you are never going to find another nice puppet to ever be with," Freddie countered with a smirk.

Rex's jaw dropped and was about to reply when the waitress finally brought their food to them. Freddie quickly tried their buffalo nuggets as André had suggested.

Freddie noticed that Robbie remained particularly quiet as he ate and Rex kept glancing around eyeing any pretty girl that passed the table. Surprisingly, they did pay attention to the ventriloquist dummy before glancing at the other guys except for Robbie.

The Tech-Producer asked with a concerned laced voice, "What's wrong Robbie?"

Robbie looked up from his food to Freddie, but before he could reply, Rex spoke up, "Oh just ignore him. He's all moody and jealous that you're dating Cat."

The curly haired teenager looked to the ventriloquist dummy and shouted in outrage, "Rex!" He then looked to Freddie with a nervous expression and a shrug of his shoulders.

"What?" Freddie asked slowly and tilted his head slightly down to look at the performer. He doubted that he had just heard the puppet correctly.

André and Beck exchanged curious looks at Rex's confession. The songsmith blew out a breath and took a sip of his own drink because he wanted to stay out of what apparently was about to go down. Beck looked back and forth between the pair not really sure what or if he should do anything.

Rex moved his head in an exaggerated manner. "I said Robbie is jealous that you are dating Cat because he has a thing for her. He's still all crabby that she went to the prom with you instead of him."

Robbie laughed out nervously, "I do not."

Freddie set his jaw tight for a moment then whispered, "Seriously Robbie? You're using the puppet to tell me I have to worry about you? Let's get something straight right now between us: don't you dare try anything. I've had enough chizz from Sam and I'm past my limit."

"Rex is lying," the curly haired teenager panicky spoke out.

Rex's head moved up and down. "I am offended that you would call me a liar. You wouldn't have asked her to the prom in the first place if it wasn't true and you wouldn't have been bugged all night that you were seeing her by herself and kept to the story that Freddie would show up. Hello, we thought she was lying that he was coming."

"Rex stop!"

Freddie's frown deepened and he pointed a finger at Robbie. "He's a puppet that you are controlling. They humor you because you're their friends, but I'm not going to with my relationship with Cat on the line. So you swallow your jealousy and leave us alone with it."

"I am not a puppet and I'm controlling me," the dummy replied. Rex looked to Robbie and continued with a hint of jest in his voice, "You better listen to him and get that silly redhead out of your head. Have you seen his arms? He looks like he could break you in half. Besides, you should be manning up and going for Tori… or help me go out with Tori."

Freddie palmed his forehead for a moment then looked to the other two of the group. He motioned a hand to the performer and his dummy as he commented, "He's having an argument with himself."

They hid their respective laughs as they knew it was the truth, but didn't want to hurt Robbie's feelings. Cat was right: it wasn't just a puppet to Robbie.

Rex countered harshly, "No he is not."

He looked Robbie straight in the eyes and replied with a hint of irritation in his voice, "I can see your neck muscles move when you are having Rex talk. Follow your right hand's advice and look somewhere else and off my girl."

André laughed in what he hoped was a supportive manner, "So she's finally your girl? You're not playing all cool anymore? Good for you man."

Freddie shook his head and let out a breath, "Thanks man… now I just need to tell her."