So, I Just realized a mistake I made in the last chapter. Guys don't wear TUXES to homecoming! just ignore that, and pretend it says 'button down shirts and khaki pants' or something. Anyways, thanks so much for reading! I love hearing reviews, so tell me what you like or dislike! 3

Though it was still a little awkward for Sam and Freddie, having been in a silent disagreement the past week, once the group got to dinner, they realized they'd ruin the night if they spend it fighting.

They all ate at the restaurant Sam and Freddie had gone to the night they made Carly tag along to settle their disputes. But this time, Freddie didn't care if his girlfriend used up all the parmesan and talked with her mouth full. He'd prefer anything to the tenseness that hung in the air like humidity. This was not who they were. At all.

Eventually, the two were able to loosen up, and laugh at little things like they used to. It wasn't until Carly brought up her English report that things started to go bad.

"Gibby, did you have to read the short story about the girl whose mom abandons her for English?" Carly asked him, taking a sip of her water.

The moment she said it, Sam and Freddie both froze, forks inches away from their mouths. They looked at each other, then quickly back at Carly.

"No, we're reading Bearwolf." He said.

Carly gave him a funny look. "You mean Beowulf?" Brad said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"No. Bearwolf! You know, head of a bear, body of a wolf," Gibby was so sure of himself.

"Okay, anyway…" Carly began, "My English teacher is insane! She expects us to write a report on the symbolic meaning of this girl who's living on her own, and then she ends up killing her boyfriend in the end." Freddie sputtered his water and began choking when she said this. Sam had to slap him on the back to get him to stop. She glared at him, her eyes threatening him if he dared say anything. Finally, he just got up from the table, muttering, "I need some air." Sam knew this meant he wanted to talk. He always wanted to talk. So she too got up and followed him out the door.

He leaned up against the brick wall of the restaurant, arms crossed.
"What's your problem?" Sam asked, throwing her arms up.

"I don't want to end up dead!" He blurted out.

"It's a stupid story!"

"It's exactly like our situation!"

"I knew you'd bring this up." Sam shook her head and looked out towards the city.

"Just…it's gone too far. And don't pretend I haven't noticed that you're getting sick again. I saw you sneeze yesterday." He eyed her.

"So what, you're going to tell everybody? And at homecoming of all places?"

"I don't know what to do! I've been driving myself crazy for months, trying to figure out what the right thing to do is."

"Just drop it, Freddie."

"No!" He caught Sam off guard. "You can get mad at me and yell at me, but you can't keep telling me I'm wrong because I know I'm right!" His voice felt louder than it had ever been. "I know I'm right!" He finally understood why Sam sometimes just needs to punch something. He chose the brick wall of the building. He hit it over and over. Sam just stood there, staring ahead as if nothing was wrong. After ten punches, his hand was throbbing, cut up, and possibly broken, but he couldn't care less about his hand right now. "Ow…" He muttered.

Without a word, Sam turned and started walking off down the sidewalk. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Home." She replied, shortly.

"Oh, no…we're going to the dance and we're going to have a wonderful time. Come on." He took her by the elbow and dragged her back inside.

Everyone was staring at them as they seated themselves.

"What were you guys doing out there?" Carly asked wearily.

They both ignored the question. Freddie just said, "Everybody ready?" He pulled out his wallet. "It's on me."

"No, I got this." Brad said, he too pulling out his wallet.

Gibby just sat there. "Sorry, I spent all my money taking my grandmother paint balling."

They finally decided to just split the check, so they could get to the school. On their way out, Freddie walked a good four steps behind Sam, his arms stiffly at his side. They had all drove separately to the restaurant, Sam in Freddie in his mom's car, and Brad drove Carly and Gibby in his. The last thing Sam wanted to do was get in that car, but she did, although reluctantly. The first five minutes of the drive were in complete silence. Finally, Freddie said softly, "Baby, you're not the only one who this has happened to." He looked at her for a second, then turned back to the road.

Sam kept staring straight ahead. "I know." She said after a moment.

"It's not your fault she left."

"I know."

"And there's nothing wrong with—"She cut him off.

"Freddie please, just stop talking."

He sighed. "Okay."

They arrived at the school, and waited in the car for their other friends to show up. Once they did, they all walked in together. A slow song was playing in the gym, so Carly dragged Gibby and Brad off into the crowd, but Sam and Freddie stayed off to the side, looking as awkward as can be. "Do you want to dance." It sounded like a statement, rather than a question.

"No." Was all she said. Short and sweet and to the point. Something he loved and hated about her.

"Well I wasn't really asking," He said, pulling her along with him onto the dance floor. Freddie knew how difficult Sam could be. Luckily, over the years, he'd learned how to break through the wall she put up, trying to keep people out. He'd already gotten her to go to the dance with him after they'd had a huge fight, so that was quite an achievement. And walking out onto the dance floor was definitely not something she would have chosen to do. Freddie was a Sam Puckett expert. However, apparently just because she had gone into the crowd, did not mean she would actually dance. So she just stood there looking around, probably thinking the girl in the story who killed her boyfriend had the right idea.

"Look at me," He said.

"I'd rather not," She said through gritted teeth.

"Then close your eyes and dance with me." He gently took her waist in his hands and pulled her in close to him. She let herself lean into him for a few moments, maybe seconds, she wasn't really sure, before pulling away. "Wait, what are we doing?"

"Dancing."

"One minute, we're not speaking, then we're all mushy, then we're screaming at each other, then we're quiet, then we're dancing, what is wrong with us?"

"Nothing's wrong, that's just what we do."

"It's what we've done since I've told you my secret. Everything was fine until then. I should have never told you."

"I really hate it when you talk to me like I'm some kind of nagging, evil presence. I'm trying to help you, in case you haven't noticed."

They realized they were making a scene. Some of the people around them were beginning to stare. Sam saw this, and walked off, shaking her head. Naturally, Freddie followed, close behind. She didn't know where she was going. She just kept walking, until she was running, cutting through hallways and classrooms, until she ended up in the last place she expected. It was where Sam had kissed Freddie that night at school. They were both aware of this, but neither said anything about it. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, until Freddie said, "I couldn't live with myself knowing I didn't help my best friend when she needed me. You don't think this is hard for me too? I have to watch you everyday, knowing you're struggling. "

"Well then maybe we shouldn't be together anymore!" Sam's words seemed to pierce Freddie's ears. "Because I can't stand being with someone who is constantly nagging me. I love you, Freddie. But this just isn't working out. If you can't accept the fact they I'm not going to tell anyone, then…then go. And if you don't, I'll go."

Terror consumed him. "Sam, no. We're not breaking up. This is insane."

She looked at him, afraid she would break if she spoke. "Just…just say everything is okay. Say you won't bring it up anymore. Just…please. Everything's going fine. Everything was great. I don't understand why we can't just keep doing what we were doing." She wondered how Freddie did it. He could completely turn her inside out without even trying.

"Because, look at you Sam. You're sick and I can't take you to the doctor without them asking about your mom. You're wearing Carly's clothes because you have no money, and as much fun it is to have to in my bed with me every night…it can't can go on. At least not like this. You have to have a home."

A tear escaped her eye, which despite her best efforts, did not go unnoticed by Freddie.

"You don't have to cry, baby—"

"I'm not crying," She said interrupting him, "Just stop talking!" She turned away from him, and he tried to grasp her arm but she shook him off coldly, and walked back into the classroom, pulling out her phone. "What's the number for a cab?" She asked Freddie, who was following her back through the halls. Her voice was as empty has her wallet, and she did not look at him.

"I'm not letting you take a cab to an empty house," He said dully.

"I'm going to Carly's. Just give me the number. I want to leave." He was going to offer to drive her, but something in her voice told him he'd already upset her enough that night so he got his own phone and called the cab service for her. By now, they were in the front foyer of the school. After he called, they walked outside to wait.

The silence was deafening, and the ten minutes they waited for a cab felt like ten hours. It finally arrived and Sam realized that Freddie would have to pay for it. She didn't have to ask, only look at him, for him to know exactly what she needed. It had always been that way between them.

"Sam if I pay for that cab, I'm getting in with you."

"I swear," She muttered, "Don't make a scene. Just give me five bucks so I can go."

"I refuse to pay you leave me!"

She marched up to him, trying to pull his wallet out of his pocket, but he grabbed her wrists and kissed her. Shocked, she pulled away. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

"Let me go with you. I'll go anywhere you take me."

"Oh, shut up and let me go!" She was able to yank one hand away and started hitting his shoulder with it, hoping he would give in like the old days. He just took his free hand and started hitting himself in the same spot, as if to show her how crazy it was, what she was doing it.

"You see, you're the one making the scene, now," He said.

The cab driver rolled down the passenger window and leaned over the seat. "Hey, if someone's not in here in ten seconds I'm leaving."

Sam ripped her hands away from Freddie's grip and pulled the door open.

"So are we broken up?" His voice cracked at the last word. She turned around and just looked at him. A look that only she could ever give him. He knew he'd lost the battle, lost Sam, and there was nothing he could say to change that. He could try, but it killed him to see Sam cry, even just one tear. So he took out his wallet and gave her every last dollar he had. She stood frozen, one hand on the door as he did this. He opened up her fingers and placed the money in her hand, then closed them around it. Not taking her eyes off him, she ducked down into the car.

He leaned in close to her. "Go straight to Carly's. Spencer will be there." His voice was heavy with sadness. "And for what it's worth, I love you."

She looked down, up towards the roof, then back at him. "I love you too." Then she pulled the door closed, barely giving him time to pull his head out of the way.

After the cab had drove away, he still stood in that spot. He stood there for three hours until the dance was over and everyone started coming out of the doors, headed for their cars. He caught Carly's eye in the crowd and waived her over. She was between Brad and Gibby, and arm hooked in each of their's. But she could tell something was wrong, so she unhooked herself and ran over to Freddie, leaving her dates to chat among themselves.

"Freddie, what's going on? The last we saw of you guys was when we first got here…you stayed right?"

Freddie sighed, "Carly I need to talk—"

"Where's Sam?" She asked, worry creeping up in her voice.

"I need to talk to you." He repeated.

"Okay..." She responded with caution.

He looked around, and pulled her further away from everyone else.

"Freddie, what's going on?" Panic was now beginning to rise. "Where's Sam?"

"She took a cab back to your place. At least she's supposed to be there. If she'd not there when you get home, we'll have to look for her."

"But why'd she leave?"

He hesitated, "She…we had a fight. We've actually been fighting about something for months now."

"What is it?" Carly crossed her arms.

"Look, you have to swear not to tell anyone besides Spencer. And I mean no one. Not Brad, not Gibby, not Wendy, no one.

"Okay, just tell me!"

The Words jumbled out, until everything was said, hanging in the air.

Carly covered her mouth with both hands, in utter shock. She then reached for her purse, making noises of fret. "I have to call her." But Freddie, stopped her, talking her out of it. He felt numb, barely aware of what he was saying. When he paused, Carly spoke.

"Freddie…did Sam…break up with you?" Freddie hesitated for a split second. He knew they broke up. But he would not dare believe it was true. And saying it out loud made it real. So he lied, telling Carly they were just having one of their fights.

"Listen Carly, just go home and make sure she's there. Once Spencer knows, he can get in touch with whoever it is that tracks down people. You're going to have to talk to her because she'll hate me once she knows I told you.

Carly nodded, taking all of this in. "Has she been living alone all these months?"

"Well….technically, but she's been spending every night she wasn't with you, with me." Carly's eyes widened.

"She's been staying with you for months? How could I not have suspected anything until tonight?" And then her expression changed to hurt. "I can't believe Sam didn't tell me. I'm supposed to be her best friend."

"She knew you couldn't keep something like that hidden. It's not a bad thing…your just too good of a friend." He shrugged. "You should go. It's been over three hours since she left.

"Right," Carly said. "I'll just go get the guys. Brad can drop me off."

"Text me after you've talked to her. I'll call her later tonight. She won't answer but she has to know I want to talk to her."

"Okay. Yeah, sure. I'll talk to you later," She said, turning to leave.

"Bye." He waived her off, and started off in the direction of his own vehicle. On the way home he stopped by Sam's house just to make sure he hadn't gone there instead. She hadn't.

Just as he was getting onto the elevator in their building, he got text from Carly.

Sam's here. Pretending to Sleep. Going to use bacon to lure her out of my bed.

Before he reached his apartment, he got another text.

Oh, and I told Spencer. He's on the phone with someone about finding her mom.

He quickly replied, and unlocked his door. It may have cost him the world, but knew he did what was right. He knew it was going to be a sleepless night.

:(Sorry, I had to do that. I know its sad, but i was inspired and this will only make them stronger in the end...new chapter up in about a week. :))))