AN-400 chapters, whoo! I can't believe it. Thanks for everyone who has kept up with this story after so many chapters, you all are the best!

Also, this chapter takes place after iSaved Your Life, only in this version, Sam never told Freddie he was Carly's bacon, so they never broke up in the episode.

Refrain

"Ow, ow, ow!" Gibby exclaimed indignantly as Sam and Carly pulled wax strips off his back. "That hurts!"

"Um, well, okay!" Carly said, looking at the camera Freddie had pointed at her and Sam. "Clearly waxing Gibby's back with industrial strength wax was not a good idea!"

"Too bad, his back really needed waxed," Sam cringed.

"Anyway, that's all we have for you tonight," Carly smiled. "So until next week-"

"Try not frame any chipmunks," Sam finished.

"And we're clear," Freddie said, turning off his camera. "Great job, you guys."

"Hey, great job on the camera too," Carly grinned, hurrying over to her boyfriend and kissing the tip of his nose.

Sam rolled her eyes but bit her tongue.

"Thanks," Freddie smiled.

"Oh, and guess what?" Carly said excitedly. "I got us reservations at Petrozini's for tomorrow night for our two week anniversary!"

"Oh," Freddie said. "W-Wow, that sounds…great. But I thought we were going out for dinner tonight."

"So? We can go two nights in a row, can't we?" Carly shrugged. "Hey, and tonight after dinner, I was thinking we could go to the pier and sit and watch the stars for a little bit. Doesn't that sound romantic?"

"Yeah," Freddie nodded. "Real romantic."

"Hey!" Gibby frowned, pulling the last of the wax strips off his back. "I thought you and I were supposed to go bowling tonight, Freddie."

"Oh, right, I-I completely forgot," Freddie said.

"Well, can't you guys go this weekend?" Carly asked.

"Yeah, this weekend we can go, Gib," Freddie said.

"No, because this weekend won't be the big bowling tournament with a cash prize and a pass for unlimited nachos from the snack bar!" Gibby said.

"Whoa, free nachos?" Sam said. "I'm in."

"Great, you can go with Sam, and me and Freddie can go on our date," Carly said happily. "Everyone wins!" She turned back to Freddie. "And I even bought you the cutest tie to wear to dinner tonight. Come on, it's in my room. I'll show you."

She took Freddie's hand and led him out of the studio.

"Wow," Gibby said the second the couple left. "They are obnoxious."

"Gibby," Sam said, putting her hand on the boy's shoulder. "I think that's the smartest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth."

…..

"See, isn't this better than some lame bowling tournament?" Carly asked Freddie that evening as the couple sat at their booth at a small bistro.

"Oh…yeah," Freddie said, plastering a smile on his face as he tried not to think about defending his record at the bowling alley for most strikes in a single game. "So much better."

"I can't believe we've actually been a couple for two whole weeks," Carly sighed, staring across the table at Freddie. "Hasn't it been amazing?"

"Real amazing," Freddie grinned. "I just wish I had a time machine so I could see the look on younger me's face when I told him I was actually dating Carly Shay."

Carly laughed as she took a bite of her salad. "Hey, anyway," she said. "I was thinking tomorrow before Petrozini's we spend the whole day together. You know, for our anniversary. We could go get coffee and cinnamon buns, take a walk through the park, go shopping at the mall, grab some sandwiches for lunch, maybe stop off at a movie and not watch the movie."

Freddie chuckled. "Wow, that does sound…fun."

"Great, so it's a date!" Carly said happily. She got to her feet. "I'm just going to run to the bathroom. I'll be right back!" She leaned down and kissed him before hurrying off towards the restroom.

Freddie leaned back in his seat, deep in thought. He was a little confused. Him and Carly had been a couple for two weeks; ever since he had pushed her out of the path of an out-of-control taco truck. Initially, he had been thrilled. Heck, he had been dreaming of being Carly's boyfriend since he met her back in the fifth grade! But somehow, the experience wasn't quite what he imagined it.

He wasn't exactly miserable, yet he didn't feel those proverbial sparks and fireworks that everyone said you felt when you were with the person you cared most about. In fact, there were sometimes when being with Carly as a couple felt downright…awkward.

And then there was the fact that she seemed to suddenly want to spend every waking second with him. He liked Carly, but sometimes he did need his own space.

And of course, Freddie couldn't help but wonder from time to time why Carly was suddenly head over heels for him. Hadn't she spent years constantly telling him that they were only ever going to be friends? Had she really had such a sudden change of heart?

I wonder if it had anything to do with me saving her from that taco truck, Freddie thought slowly to himself. Is that what got her to finally be in to me? Nah, that's ridiculous. And you know what, Fredward Benson? You need to snap out of this! You are actually dating Carly Shay, and all you're worrying about is missing a bowling tournament with Gibby? Pull it together!

"I'm back!" Carly announced, returning to the booth. "Did you miss me?"

"Er…duh," Freddie said, smiling weakly.

"Hey while I was in the bathroom, I heard this girl talking on the phone to her boyfriend about couple's paddleboat lessons. We should totally check that out this weekend! After we go strawberry picking, of course, and we-"

She's the girl of your dreams, Freddie told himself firmly. You should be enjoying all of these activities. Every single one of the hundreds of things that she insists on doing together…

Still, though, Freddie couldn't help but wonder if this reality was actually what he had always been dreaming of.

"Victory nachos always taste the best," Gibby said as he dug into his winnings that evening at the bowling alley.

"All nachos are the best nachos," Sam said firmly. "And you have no right to call them victory nachos, Mr. Three-Straight-Gutter-Balls! You're lucky I managed to get those strikes and get us the win."

"Yeah, since when do you bowl?" Gibby asked.

"Mama can do anything if free food is the prize," Sam told him. She looked down at Gibby's feet. "And will you take those gross bowling shoes off already? We're nowhere near the lanes anymore."

"No way!" Gibby objected. "I paid six bucks to rent these things and I'm going to wear them until the last second."

"Couldn't you have at least worn socks with them?" Sam cringed. "I can smell your feet stinking in them from here!"

"And ruin the experience of bowling shoes?" Gibby scoffed.

"How is that ruining-Never mind," Sam sighed. "Man…this is probably one of my lowest Friday nights ever. I'm at a bowling alley with you because my best friend is off being all gushy with her new boyfriend."

"Hey, you think I like those two dating?" Gibby said. "Carly's stolen Freddie away from me! You know what's chilling in my fridge right now? Two root beers. After we finished bowling tonight Freddie and I were going to go back to my place and watch Galaxy Wars with my cat!"

"Yeah well, you know what Carly and I usually do on Friday nights?" Sam said. "Stuff our faces with junk food and watch stupid movies!"

"But you're stuffing your face with junk food right now," Gibby pointed out.

"Gibby!" Sam snapped. She grabbed his soda and took a swig of it. "I mean those two are the worst couple I've ever seen! Carly's totally clingy and Freddie's just being a pushover and doing whatever she wants to do! Besides, don't you think it's sort of…weird, that Freddie's been chasing Carly for years now and Carly's always turned him down until now? Right after he saved her life."

"Yeah? And?" Gibby frowned, confused.

"Come on," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "You know how they say girls always go for the 'hero'."

"I'm still not following," Gibby said.

"Ugh, never mind!" Sam groaned. "Just go get me another soda."

"Kay-kay," Gibby nodded, getting to his feet.

Sam crossed her arms across her body, stuffing another chip into her mouth. She still couldn't believe that Carly and Freddie were actually a couple now. When Carly had told her two weeks ago, Sam literally had to use all her strength to try and act happy for her. In reality, though, she felt as though Carly had kicked her in the stomach.

Hard.

She hated the two of them together, but she knew if she didn't act supportive of the relationship, it would just create more problems. So whenever they two would kiss in front of her, Sam would just look away, trying to refrain from gagging. When Carly would practically sit on Freddie's lap while they were planning iCarly stuff, Sam would stuff her clenched fists in her pockets. And when they would walk through the halls of the school, hand-in-hand, Sam would let her frustration vent by slamming the nearest kid into a locker before storming off in another direction.

She didn't know what she hated about their relationship the most. The fact that she always felt like a third-wheel now, having Carly give her death glares when she would poke fun at Freddie, the pang of jealousy she got whenever she was near them…

Jealousy? Sam thought to herself, nearly choking on her nachos. I am not jealous of them! Who cares if they insist on being a couple. I'm just wazzed off because they're probably the most nauseating, obnoxious, overly-romantic couple I've ever seen in my life! And it's obvious that Carly's just still stuck in her love-struck hero faze. The second she's over it, she'll toss Freddie to the curve, and he'll be single again…Not that that matters.

"Here's your soda," Gibby said, handing her a cup. "Hey, since Freddie ditched me, you want to watch Galaxy Wars with me and my cat?"

"Dude," Sam said, shaking her head. "I will never be that desperate."

"So what? I'm just supposed to watch the movie alone with my cat?" Gibby frowned. "Come on! I need a third person there because things between him and I have been tense lately…Ever since I used his scratching post to-"

"Goodbye, Gibby," Sam said, getting to her feet and walking away.

…..

A few days later, Sam was heading over to the Shay's apartment. She opened the front door without knocking and saw Freddie sitting on the couch.

"'Sup, Benson?" Sam asked, tossing her jacket onto the floor by the coat rack.

"Oh, hey Puckett," Freddie said.

"Where's your little girlfriend?" Sam asked. "Did she finally get tired of looking at your face?"

"No," Freddie snapped. "Carly happens to love looking at my face. And for your information she's upstairs getting ready to go ice skating."

"You guys are going ice skating?" Sam frowned. Thanks for the invite.

"Yeah," Freddie sighed.

"Wait…I thought you didn't even know how to ice skate," Sam pointed out. "Doesn't your mom have some weird thing against you standing on frozen bodies of liquids?"

"She does, and I don't know how," Freddie mumbled. "But Carly really wants to go…"

"Dude," Sam said, sitting down on the couch next to him. "You do realize that you're in this relationship too. You don't have to do every little thing Carly wants to do. Stand up for yourself!"

"No, I don't want to argue with her," Freddie said. "You know Carly hates it when she gets into arguments."

"Yeah, she can't exactly stand her ground," Sam agreed. "She just breaks into tears instead of arguing back."

"Exactly," Freddie said. "Which I'd sort of like to avoid…Even if it does result in me breaking my leg. Again."

"Oh, your mom will have a melt down if that happens again," Sam chuckled.

"Probably," Freddie agreed.

Sam looked down at her lap. "Well…I'm gonna go up and see Carly real quick before you two leave."

"Okay," Freddie nodded.

Sam headed up the stairs to Carly's bedroom.

"Hey, Shay," she said, letting herself in.
"Oh, hey Sam," Carly smiled. "Perfect timing. Which coat do you think I should wear ice-skating? The light pink or the dark pink?"

"Um…the dark," Sam said without even really looking. "I never knew you liked ice skating."

"It's a good date activity," Carly shrugged.

"Yeah, but didn't you guys just go roller skating yesterday?" Sam pointed out.

"Well…yeah," Carly said lamely. She sighed and threw the coats onto her bed. "Listen, Sam? Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure kid, what's up?" Sam asked.

"You have to promise me that you won't let this leave this room, okay?"

"Promise," Sam said quickly. "Now what's bugging you?"

"It's just, dating Freddie…" Carly began. "It's not really like any other relationship I've been in."

Sam frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean when I usually go out with a guy," Carly said. "There's at least a tiny spark there, even if it's only for the first date. I'll usually get that sense of excitement and, I dunno, I've always liked that. But with Freddie, there's just no excitement or spark there. That's why I keep trying to pull off all these crazy dates with him. But nothing's working!"

"So…are you saying you don't like Freddie?" Sam asked slowly, trying not to get her hopes up.

"I-I don't know," Carly said heavily. "I don't think I do, but Freddie's one of my best friends; I can't break up with him, I'll break his heart! But I also don't want to lead him on if there's nothing there, either. Do you think I should talk to him?"

"Yes," Sam said quickly. So quickly that Carly gave her an odd look.

"I just mean…it will be better for everyone if you just get it over with, won't it?" Sam said.

Carly nodded. "You're right. If I don't feel anything during our date today, I'm going to have to break up with him. I just hope he doesn't take it too hard…"

….

Later that evening, Sam sat alone at the Groovy Smoothie, sipping her smoothie as she absentmindedly played on her phone.

She almost didn't notice when the door of the store opened and Freddie walked in.

"Oh…didn't think you'd be here," Freddie said when he spotted her.

"Am I not allowed to get a smoothie at nine o'clock at night?" Sam asked, rolling her eyes.

"Care if I join you?" Freddie asked.

Sam shrugged and Freddie sat down.

"So where's Carly?" Sam asked.

"I think she went back to her place," Freddie replied.

"You think?"

"Come on, I'm sure she told you," Freddie said.

"Told me what?" Sam asked curiously.

Freddie took a deep breath. "Her and I sort of…broke up."

Sam blinked. Whoa, she did it, she thought to herself, trying to contain her excitement about the news.

"Oh," Sam said. "Well um…that's…something."

"Yeah, something," Freddie echoed.

Sam sighed. She may have bullied Freddie frequently from the day that they met, but she wasn't heartless. She wasn't going to kick him while he was down.

"Hey," Sam said. "I'm sure it wasn't totally you. And, um, I bet Carly didn't exactly feel good breaking up with you. So, you know, don't-don't feel too down. What's that thing they say about fish in the sea? You'll find another chick who isn't repulsed by you eventually."

Or if you look right in front of you, Sam thought to herself. She frowned. Where did that come from. She shook her head. T-Bo must've put some bad fruit into her smoothie.

Freddie gave her a strange look. "Carly didn't break up with me."

"But you just said-"

"We sort of broke up with each other," Freddie explained. "It was mutual."

"Mutual?"

"Yeah," Freddie said. "After we skated around the ice skating rink a few times, we sat down and well, I think we both had the same idea."

"Wait," Sam said slowly. "Are you telling me that you wanted to break up with Carly? The girl you've been chasing like a puppy since…forever?"

"Let's just say dating her wasn't all that I thought it would be," Freddie said, giving her a small smile. "Don't get me wrong. Carly's a great girl, but going out with her was sort of like…going out with my sister. We just didn't hit it off that way. It felt so forced."

"So are you two cool?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, we're still cool," Freddie nodded. "We're better off as friends anyway."

"And, um, you aren't…upset?" Sam asked. "You're not gonna be all bummed out an annoying for the next week are you, nub?"

Freddie laughed. "No. I'm actually surprised. I thought breaking up with Carly would make me feel at least a little sad. But I feel fine. Great, even."

"Good," Sam said.

"Good?" Freddie repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Did I just hear that right? Was Sam Puckett actually concerned about my feelings?"

"No!" Sam snapped. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't super depressed so I can tease you about that huge wet stain you have on your jeans from falling down on the ice a million times guilt free."