Nowhere

"Wow, this place looks amazing," Carly said as her Sam stepped up the steps of the church. "It's real fancy."

"It's alright," Sam said simply.

"It's a perfect day, too," Carly continued, looking up at the cloudless sky.

"Why does that matter? We're gonna be indoors all day," Sam mumbled.

Carly sighed. "Sam…are you sure you're okay with coming here today?"

"What? Why wouldn't I be?" Sam frowned.

"Well…you and Freddie did date back in high school," Carly said slowly. "It could be a little weird to sit at his wedding now and-"

"Carly, Freddie and I barely dated," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, like you said, that was in high school. As in ten years ago. I just hate weddings, you know that."

Carly still looked unconvinced. "Look, if you want, we can skip the wedding. We-We'll meet up with Freddie after he gets back from his honeymoon to give him our gifts and we'll give him some lame excuse about our flight being delayed or something."
"Dude, we came all the way here, we might as well sit through this thing," Sam said.

Carly didn't reply.

"Carls, listen," Sam said, lowering her voice. "Yeah, being at Freddie's wedding would be weird if I still had feelings for him. But I don't. I'm not still hung up over some little fling we had back in the eleventh grade."
"Carly! Sam!"
"Besides," Sam said as the girls turned towards the direction their name had just been called from. "I have someone now too."

Sam's boyfriend, Jack, hurried up the stairs along with Carly's boyfriend, Bently.

"Did you guys park the car?" Carly asked as the guys joined them.

"Didn't have to," Jack replied, putting an arm around Sam. "This place has valet parking. Is your friend rich or something?"

"He's not," Sam pointed out. "His little bride is. Her rich daddy is paying for all of this over-the-top chiz."

"Yeah…you're fine," Carly mumbled under her breath.

"What did you say, Carly?" Jack asked.

"Nothing," Carly replied quickly.

"Let's go inside then," Bently said, taking Carly's hand.

The four headed up to the front door of the church, where an usher was waiting for them.

"Bride or groom?" he asked promptly.

"Er, groom," Sam answered. It really did feel weird to refer to Freddie that way…She shook her head. No. She wasn't going to do this. She promised herself.

"On your right then," the usher said curtly.

"Dang, this place is even more fancy on the inside," Jack smirked, looking around at the beautifully decorated wedding hall.

"Come on, we need to find our seats," Carly said. "The wedding's supposed to start in a few minutes. Look, there's some open spots right there."

She led them towards the front of the hall to for empty seats. Sam looked around and spotted a few of Freddie's family members that she recognized. His mother was in the very front row, talking anxiously to one of the other ushers and his cousin Amanda was busy trying to smooth out her overly-ruffled dress. She looked across the hall where the bride's family sat, all looked particularly dignified and sophisticated.

"Do you know anything about this girl?" Sam whispered to Carly.

"Just what Freddie's told us over the phone," Carly replied. "Her name is Darleen and she's some big shot lawyer who graduated top of her class at Harvard Law School."

"Pff, she sounds lame," Jack scoffed.

Sam rolled her eyes. While she was by no means the most mature person around, even she had to admit that Jack could be a bit childish at times.

"Sure she's not related to the queen or something?" Sam asked, looking back at her family. "I mean these people look like they're royalty or something."
"Nah, her family is just one of those real traditional types," Carly said. "You know, the kind that go to debutant balls and have vacation homes and Prague."

"I'm sure his mom loves that," Sam muttered.

And then Sam's gaze fell towards the front of the room, and she let out a small gasp as she saw none other than Freddie Benson himself.

Sam hadn't seen him in person in close to three years. After high school they had gone off in different directions. Freddie, to no one's surprise, had gotten a full ride scholarship to MIT, which he excitedly accepted at once. It was his dream school, after all.

Carly and Sam decided to stay in Washington; Carly wanted to study fashion and Sam had managed to get a spot in a prestigious cooking school. Still, the three friends stayed as close as one could hope under the circumstances. While he was still in school, Freddie came home every summer, and him, Sam and Carly would enjoy three months where they could blissfully imagine things were just like they had always been. They even put together a reunion episode of iCarly one year.

As the years went on, though, it got harder to pretend. Once Freddie graduated, he moved to Boston, where was offered a top-paying job at one of the country's best software design firms. He no longer came back to Washington to visit every summer, and his interactions with Carly and Sam were soon limited to quick phone calls. He hadn't even mentioned that he was seeing anyone to them until they had gotten a phone call a few months ago asking them for their addresses so he could mail them their wedding invitations.

Seeing him now in person…it was almost surreal.

Carly followed Sam's gaze, spotting Freddie for herself.

"He looks nervous," she commented.

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "He's doing that thing with his eyebrows. You know, where he scrunches up one of them and sort of raises the other one?"

"Wait, that's your friend?" Jack scoffed.

"Yeah, that's Freddie," Sam replied. "Why?"

"I don't know, it's just the way you two kept talking him up, I thought he'd be, you know, cooler looking," Jack shrugged. "He looks like a dweeb to me."
Sam frowned, but didn't say anything.

Her and Jack began dating three months ago. He worked in the hardware store across from the small restaurant she owned and he had been coming in for the past year trying to flirt with her. Normally she would simply ignore his advances and tell him to either order something or get out.

But on the day that Freddie had called her and told her he was getting married, she decided to finally give in and go on a date with him.

It wasn't because she had suddenly developed feelings for him. But once she hung up the phone with Freddie, completely stunned by the news of his engagement, she realized that the best way to save her dignity was to at least bring a date to the wedding.

Because from the second she received the news, Sam became fully aware of something.

Something that Carly had been annoyingly pointing out ever since she herself found out the news; she realized that she did still have feelings for Freddie.

Sure, she might have been able to stifle them over the years while they were apart, but upon hearing that Freddie was actually going to be married, that any slim possibility that they would one day be together was shattered…it dug into her.

She remembered sitting in the back of the restaurant, crying her eyes out, for hours.

So for the past three months, she had been using all of her energy to try and convince herself that this is how it was all supposed to be. Freddie would spend the rest of his life with this woman and she…she could force herself to fall out of love with Freddie and in love with Jack.

"I think it's starting!" Carly whispered, drawing Sam out of her thoughts.

Sam suddenly realized that while she had been dazing off, all of the guests had found their seats, the organ player started playing and Freddie had taken his spot up at the alter.

Sam studied his expression as the flower girl made her way down the aisle.

She could tell his palms were sweating and he was nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

Sam turned her attention to the bridesmaids now making their way down the aisle, shortly followed by the maid of honor and Freddie's best man. She didn't even recognize him; she supposed he was one of Freddie's friend's from MIT or work or something.

And then, the music sounded louder and everybody rose to their feet.

Sam craned her neck to try and get a better look as a woman dawned in the most stunning white gown she had ever seen slowly started down the aisle. As she got closer, she was able to better make out Freddie's soon-to-be bride. Her light brown hair was up in an elegant knot, and her features were so perfect that Sam felt as though she were staring at a real-life doll.

She was gorgeous.

"Is your friend loaded or something?" Jack whispered to her as Darleen stepped up onto the altar with Freddie. "He has to be, right? To land a smoking chick like that…"
Sam barely heard her boyfriend, though, as she stared up at the couple.

Everybody returned to their seats, and the minister began the ceremony. Sam didn't pay attention to a word he was saying, though. She was too busy trying not to be sick.

You have Jack, she reminded herself. You're with Jack; you were never meant to be with Freddie. It was a teenage fling, that's it. Just a-

"-And if anybody had any reason why these two should not be wed here today," the minister said, finally catching Sam's ear. "Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

It wouldn't be the first time a Puckett spoke up and ruined a wedding. In fact, it was almost tradition in her family to take advantage of this part. Normally it was for one of her relatives to accuse someone at the altar of one thing or another, and it would typically end with a fistfight and someone being tazed.

She could think of a thousand reasons to object. She could think of one big reason…

She saw Carly glance over at her from the corner of her eye, but she held her tongue. She looked back up at Freddie and Darleen. Then, for the first time during the whole ceremony, Freddie caught her eye. For a moment, the two simply stared at each other, and Sam was instantly transfixed by those big, brown eyes and it was like she was sixteen all over again and she was standing in that elevator shaft…

"Hearing no objections…" the judge said, clearing his throat.

And then, just like that, Freddie tore is gaze away from Sam and looked back at Darleen.

That was it. And small, miniscule chance that was left of things ending differently was gone.

The couple recited their vows to each other and then the rings were placed on each of their fingers and then came the kiss to seal the deal.

In a matter of one thirty-seven minute ceremony, Freddie Benson had become a married man.

"Finally!" Jack said loudly as everybody began to rise from their seats, applauding the new couple. "Hopefully there's an open bar at this reception. Should be, seeing how loaded that broad's family is. Come on, Sam, let's head out."

He took Sam's hand and began to lead her towards the door. As Sam followed, she looked back over her shoulder at the altar, where Freddie and Darleen were still wrapped around each other.

It was all over now.

It looked like Freddie Benson would officially always be the one who got away.

…..

Two years later

Freddie Benson stepped out of his cab, squinting in the sunlight as he looked ahead at the quaint wedding pavilion in the distance. He hoped this was the right place…

"Freddie!"

He spun around and saw Carly hurrying over towards him.

"Hi, Carly," he beamed as Carly pulled him into a hug.

"I'm glad you could make it," Carly smiled when she pulled away from him. "And Sam will be glad too, of course."
"Where is Sam?" Freddie asked, trying to keep his voice casual.

"In that giant tent over there," Carly said, nodding to a large purple set up in the middle of the park. "I just finished helping her get ready, which gives me just enough time to make sure her mom changed out of her bikini and that the minister is here. Oh, and I guess I should make sure Jack is all set too."
She rolled her eyes as she mentioned his name.

"Um, is there a problem with Jack?" Freddie frowned.

"Oh, there's plenty of them," Carly said darkly.

Freddie was surprised that Carly would be objecting so heavily to Sam's future husband, but he didn't say anything.

"But, well, Sam seems to really like him, so I'm not going to get in the way," Carly sighed. "Anyway, where's Darleen? Is she coming?"
"Um, no, she got caught up in a case she's working back home," Freddie mumbled quickly. "She can't make it."

She never can, he added silently.

"Aw, that's too bad," Carly said. "I haven't seen her since your own wedding. That was the last time I saw you too, now that I think of it…We really should try and all get together some time."
"Yeah, definitely," Freddie agreed.

"Well, anyway, I've got to go," Carly said, giving him another quick hug. "Why don't you go find a seat over on Sam's side. Try and find Melanie or one of her other normal relatives to talk to while you wait for the ceremony to start."

Freddie chuckled. "Alright. I'll see you later, Carly."
He watched as Carly ran off towards a small crowd of people.

He still couldn't believe he was here at Sam's wedding. It was unreal to think that the wild, untamable Samantha Puckett had actually found someone to settle down with.

Someone who wasn't him…

Freddie shook his head. No, he didn't need that.

He headed towards the seats, finding a spot in the third row. He hoped that his heart would stop racing by the time the wedding started.

He didn't know why he was so nervous. Why should he be?

He let out a soft sigh. He did know why he was nervous. He was nervous because this was Sam's wedding, and he didn't know how else to act.

You're being stupid, Freddie told himself firmly. Why are you so worked up about being at her wedding? You're a married man! You've been married for two years. Two wonderful, unforgettable magical years…

But he couldn't lie to himself.

His married life had been far from ideal from the moment it started. His wife, Darleen, was always so concerned about images and appearances that he often found it hard to just be himself and relax. Whether she was dragging him to some mixer hosted by one of her co-workers at her law firm or throwing away any of his clothes in his closet that weren't top brand, Darleen had a habit of making Freddie feel as though he wasn't good enough.

And then there was the fact that with her crazy work schedule, the two hardly spent any time together. They had even moved into separate bedrooms in their six-bedroom home last month.

Freddie leaned back in his seat and stared at the gold band on his finger. He wondered if Sam and Jackwould wind up in the same spot him and Darleen had found themselves in.

Was it wrong that he hoped they would?

He let out a long breath. He had really been taken by surprise when he found the invitation for Sam's wedding in his mail a few weeks ago. He remembered sitting down at the empty kitchen table for hours simply staring at it in a state of complete shock.

Maybe it was because despite his own marriage to Darleen, he had always held out a tiny ray of hope that one day-

How many times do we have to go through this? Freddie scolded himself. How much more proof do you need that you guys just weren't meant to be? You're married, and she's about to be too…

He hadn't had too much contact with Sam since his own wedding. He called her on her birthday and sent her a gift around Christmas time, but that was the extent of it. He had heard that her restaurant was really taking off; maybe he'd stop by for a bite to eat before he went back home to Boston.

But he didn't want to go back home. Problem was, he didn't have a choice. Boston was where his life was now. The life that no longer included Sam.

He looked up at the altar and saw a large man step up. Freddie supposed that must be Jack. He recognized him briefly as the man Sam had brought to his wedding two years ago, but he hadn't said a word to him there.

I just hope the guy knows how lucky he is, Freddie thought sadly. I hope he treats her right…

And then wedding began. As the flower girl, the ring bearer and bridesmaids and groomsmen started down the aisle, Freddie felt as though he was watching from afar, and when Carly passed him, he knew what was coming next…

Sure enough, the music began to play and everybody jumped to their feet.

He knew he shouldn't look, for it would just make him feel worse, but he couldn't help himself…

He turned his head and stared at Sam as she began her way down the aisle.

She looked beautiful; absolutely stunning.

Her simple white dress (which contrasted greatly the dress that Darleen had worn at his wedding, which had cost a five-figure sum) perfectly hugged every curve of her body and seemed to make her golden curls glow even brighter than usual.

Freddie thought there wasn't any better sight. But of course, it didn't matter what he thought, because Sam was not all dressed up for him.

And then, as Sam neared the altar, she suddenly met Freddie's eyes. The blue orbs locked with the brown and for a moment, it was as if everything around them vanished and it was just the two of them.

There were so many things Freddie wanted to say to her…He wanted to tell her how his marriage was crumbling and how even though they lived miles apart, she sometimes still found her way into his dreams and how he wished they had never grown apart and how he still…how he still…

But then, as quickly as it had happened, the moment passed, and Sam tore her gaze away as she continued her way up to the altar.

When he returned to his seat, he was still staring up at Sam. He wasn't listening to a word the minister was saying or paying attention to anything else going on.

But then he finally heard something that dragged him back to reality.

"And if anybody has any objection to these two being wed here today," the minister said. "Speak now or forever hold your peace."
Here was his chance. He had never objected to anything more in his life. All he had to do was get up and tell the whole world how he felt…how he wanted nothing more than for Sam to walk away from Jack, unmarried, and into his arms…

Stop it! Freddie said, biting his tongue so hard that he tasted blood. Stop thinking like that! Just stop! Just-

"-And hearing no objections," the minister spoke. "The couple will now recite their vows for each other."

There. It was done. He had his chance, and he blew it.

And so Freddie sat there and listened to Sam and Jack proclaim their love for one another, exchange 'I dos' and then, to add injury to insult, watched as they shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

Around him, cheers and applause erupted, but he felt numb to it all.

That's it then, Freddie thought to himself as he raised himself up on shaky legs. She's married. She's married to someone else…She got away.

Five years later

Anybody who had ever met Carly could have told you that her wedding would be nothing short of extravagant. And as she looked around at the lavish reception hall, Sam knew her best friend's special day had been just that.

As her maid of honor, Sam had spent the past several months working with Carly making sure every detail of her dream wedding was taken care of and that everything went perfectly.

And it did. The ceremony had taken place an hour earlier with no upsets, and Carly and her new husband, Vincent, were officially a married couple.

Sam couldn't have been happier for her best friend. Vincent, Vinnie, for short, was actually her cousin. He had turned his life around over the years and now worked with Sam in her Italian restaurant. She had been the one to introduce him to Carly in the first place. Still though, it was a little tough going through all the wedding preparations when she herself had just finished the final touches on her own divorce a few weeks prior.

Her and Jack had separated about one year after they married but the divorce process had been quite slow, especially considering Jack hardly showed up for any of their meetings at the court house. She really thought she could force herself to love Jack, but, well, it turned out she couldn't. She figured Jack must've felt the same way too; after all, what other reason would he have had to just get up and leave for the gym one day and never come back?

She supposed she should've been upset by her husband's fleeing, but strangely, she didn't even shed a tear. If anything, she felt as though a huge weight had been lifted up from her chest.

She let out a soft sigh, watching the happy couples make their way out onto the dance floor as she sat alone at her empty table. She spotted Carly and Vinnie in the middle of the floor, both looking like they had never been happier.

Guess that's what it looks like when this whole marriage thing actually works out, Sam thought to herself. For she had never looked like that when she was with Jack…

"Mommy!"

Sam turned around and saw a small girl with bouncing gold curls rushing towards her.

Sam smiled as the child hopped into her lap.

Eliza, her daughter, was the one good thing that had come out of her marriage.

Sam had found out she was pregnant three weeks after Jack had left her. He had only met his child twice, and Sam was more than okay with Eliza having as little to do with him as possible.

"What's up, Liz?" Sam asked, rustling the three-year old's blonde hair.

"I met a friend," Eliza said proudly.

"You did?" Sam grinned.

"Yeah, her name is Megan," Eliza nodded. "And she's three like me! Me and her are going to be best friends."

"Sounds fun," Sam said. "Where is this Megan?"

"That's her right there!" Eliza said, pointing over at the food table, where a small girl with dark, long hair was helping herself to a cookie. "Want to meet her, mommy?"

"I'd love to," Sam said, kissing the top of her head. "Go get her."

"Hey Megan!" Eliza called out loudly, catching the girl's attention. "Come here! My mommy wants to meet you."

"I meant go and get her," Sam said, rolling her eyes as Megan hurried over.

"But I didn't want to get up," Eliza said simply, and Sam couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hi Eliza!" Megan said happily. "Do you want some of my cookie?"
"Yeah!" Eliza nodded eagerly as Megan split the cookie in half. "Mommy, this is Megan. We're best friends, right Megan?"
"Right!" Megan beamed.

"Nice to meet you, Megan," Sam smiled. She had never seen the child before, which was odd, considering she knew almost every guest in attendance, yet there was something almost familiar about her…

"Where's your mommy, Megan?" Eliza asked, stuffing her cookie in her mouth.

"She didn't come," Megan replied.

"Then who brought you?" Eliza frowned.

"My daddy," Megan replied. "Do you want to meet him? If we're gonna be best friends, you have to meet him, don't you?"

"Okay!" Eliza agreed. "Where is your daddy?"

"He was helping the music guy fix his computer," Megan explained. "Now I don't know where-"

"Megan, you okay?" a voice sounded from behind Sam.

Sam turned around and instantly felt like she had been slapped in the face. The man approaching them was none other than Freddie Benson.

She knew he was going to be here; she had put his invitation in the mail herself. But she had been determined not to run into him. She didn't need him rubbing his perfect marriage in her face.

"Hi daddy," Megan said. "I have a best friend now. This is Eliza, and this is Eliza's mommy."

"Really? A best friend, huh?" Freddie said. "Well that's-Sam?"

His eyes widened as he realized who his daughter was standing next to. "Sam, I-I hi."

"Hi," Sam said softly. "Long time no see."

"I-Yeah," Freddie said lamely. "Yeah, its-its been awhile."

"Do you know each other?" Eliza asked.

"Um, yeah honey," Sam nodded. "Um, we-we were friends when we were kids."

"Best friends like us?" Megan asked.

Freddie laughed. "You could say that."

"Hey, can we go dance?" Eliza blurted out. She turned to Megan. "I'm in dance class, you know. I can teach you how to dance!"

"I want to dance!" Megan said excitedly. "Can we go?"
"Please?" Eliza begged.

Sam and Freddie looked at each other and shrugged.
"Sure, go ahead," Sam said.

"Have fun," Freddie nodded.

"Yay!" the girls both exclaimed as they raced off to the dance floor, leaving their parents alone at the table.

For a moment, the two were silent, until Freddie awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Anybody sitting here?" he asked, nodding at the empty chair next to Sam.

She shook her head. "No."
"I-I didn't know you had a daughter," Freddie said.

"Yeah, well, I haven't really talked to you to tell you," Sam shrugged. She looked down at her lap. "I didn't know you had a daughter either."
"Yeah, well, um, like you said," Freddie said lamely. "We haven't talked in awhile. Not since…Not since your wedding."

"Right," Sam said heavily, looking down at her lap. "So, um, where's Darleen? The invitation was for both of you, you know."

"I know," Freddie said. "But, well, seeing as Darleen and I aren't-aren't exactly together anymore, I thought it was best if I come without her."
Sam's head bolted up. "You-You and Darleen-"

Freddie held up his hand, which was now devoid of his wedding ring. "We're divorced," he nodded. "It happened about two years ago."

"I-I'm sorry," Sam said, simply because she didn't know what else to say.

Freddie shrugged. "Don't be. Honestly, I-I should've known it would end this way. We never exactly had the ideal marriage. It just took me about four years to see that."

Sam gave him a small smile. "Hey, you lasted longer than me."
She held up her own bare hand. "We barely made it a year."

"You-You and Jack?" Freddie frowned.

"Yup," Sam sighed.

"Sam, I'm so-"

"Don't," Sam told him. "Trust me, it was for the best. I-I just thought I could force myself to love him, but, well, turns out I couldn't."
Freddie nodded. "I know what you mean."

The two were silent for a moment.

"Hey, that Vinnie guy, he's your cousin, right?" Freddie said as he glanced over at the newly married couple.

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "You remember that?"

"Of course, I met the guy, didn't I?" Freddie smirked. "When you took me to prison to visit him and your Uncle Carmine."
"Oh yeah," Sam laughed. "I do remember that. And you couldn't-"

"-Get those hams out of my pants, yeah," Freddie finished for her. "Trust me, it's hard to forget something like that. Weird, I would've never thought him and Carly would wind up together."

"Vinnie's actually a really sweet guy," Sam told him. She looked back over at the couple as well. "Hopefully they'll have better luck than we both did."

"Hopefully," Freddie said heavily.

Sam reached for her drink glass in front of her and took a sip.

"So are you just in town for the wedding then?"

"Actually…I'm moving back home," Freddie said. "For good."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "I thought you had a really good job in Boston."
"They have computers everywhere, you know," Freddie chuckled. "Besides, I hated it over there. I only stayed there so long because Darleen liked it. But now that she's no longer in the picture…Well, anyway, I've just really missed it here. So Darleen and I agreed that I'll fly out with Megan twice a year. I have primary custody of her; Darleen's job kind of keeps her busy."

"Wow, that's-that's great," Sam said. "You two will have to come by my restaurant sometime."
"Oh yeah, I heard you're doing really great with that," Freddie said. "I was watching the Food Channel the other day and your place was featured on it."
"Yup," Sam said proudly. "Business is booming."

"Well, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other anyway," Freddie said. "You know, since our daughters are now 'best friends'."
"Crazy," Sam grinned. "They met each other, what, an hour ago?"

"Kids…" Freddie laughed.

Another silence fell over the two.

"Um, Sam?" Freddie said, breaking the spell that had fallen over them. "I-I'm really glad I ran into you here."

"Me too," Sam nodded. "It really has been a long time."

"Too long," Freddie agreed. He looked down at his lap. "Hey, um, listen. Since-Since I'm moving back to town now, I-Do you maybe want to, um, show me around sometime? I know I grew up here, but I'm sure the place has changed a lot since I left."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Show you around, huh?"
"Er, yeah," Freddie said. "Maybe-Maybe we can find a sitter for the girls or something."

"Yeah, we could do that," Sam said, giving him a small smile. "How about tomorrow night?"
"Tomorrow works for me," Freddie grinned.

"Great," Sam said, her face lighting up.

The two were silent once again.

"Um, you-you do realize that when I said 'show me around'," Freddie said slowly. "That I was asking you out on a-"

Sam nodded. "Hey, it's been awhile, but can still read you like a book, Benson."

Freddie rolled his eyes. "Well good then. I was just making sure."
Sam scooted her chair closer to his. "Don't worry," she told him. "It's a date."

And for the first time in over a decade, Sam and Freddie left a wedding not feeling heartbroken, but hopeful, excited, and, as crazy as it sounded, genuinely happy.