A/N: Well I hope you guys are ready for this one. I think I did a pretty good job on this chapter even though I decided to cut it short. I hope you all are pleased with the outcome of this chapter. If you're not then let me know in the reviews and I'll see what I can do in the chapters to come. If you like this chapter, then please, please, please review. The reviews are what keep me writing so please continue to give me feedback (both good and bad).

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly.

Chapter 5

The Aftermath

Carly POV

~knock knock~

I knocked on Sam's bedroom door for what seemed like the millionth time. For the past week, I have been over to Sam's house every day. And every time I visit, I never see Sam. Sam wasn't going to school. She wasn't coming over to my house. It seemed that Sam wasn't doing anything lately. I knew the reason why. There was no question about it that this was about Sam and Freddie's breakup. In truth, I never thought that this would happen. In some ways, I felt guilty. I was the one that told Sam that all Freddie needed was some space. I was the one that told her that they would get back together. I had built up Sam's hope for her relationship to be what it once was, and now her world has come crashing down. I remember how horrible Sam looked when we found her.

-flashback—

It had been a couple of hours after the show had ended. I had gone straight into my room after Freddie had shown up in the studio. I couldn't stay upstairs with them for obvious reasons like privacy, and I didn't want to go downstairs just in case they too decided to go down stairs during their conversation.

So I sat in my room, and tried to finish my homework. By the time I was through I looked at my alarm clock to see that quite a bit of time had passed. I went downstairs and looked around the living room. No one was there. I walked into the kitchen to make some of my special lemonade. I noticed that there was a note left from Spencer. He said that he went out to hang with Socko and to grab a few supplies from the junkyard. I wondered where Sam and Freddie were. I forgot about my lemonade and ran upstairs to the studio to take a peek and see if they were still there. Unfortunately, they weren't. I decided to call Sam and see if she wanted to go to the Groovy Smoothie.

I listened as the phone rung and rung, but no one ever picked up. Eventually, it went to voicemail. Instead of leaving a message, I hung up and tried Freddie's cell. I figured my best friends must be together. And I knew that Freddie always answered his phone. Sam was always annoyed by this fact because sometimes his phone would ring while they were making out, and Freddie would stop, and answer it. I remember hearing the two argue over it several times.

Freddie finally picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Freddie."

"Oh, hey, Carly. What's up?"

"I was just wondering if you and Sam wanted to go to the Groovy Smoothie with me."

Freddie didn't respond as quickly as he normally would. He seemed almost hesitant. "Carly, I would love to but I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?" I asked. This wasn't making any sense. Then after a moment it finally clicked. "Oh, I get it. You and Sam want to spend some alone time together. Getting back together with a bang, right?"

"Uh, Carly, Sam and I broke up."

Now it was my turn to pause. Finally I yelled, "What?"

"Carly, calm down. We broke up."

"Why?" I continued to yell.

"If you don't mind, I would rather not get into right now, okay?"

I sighed. "Fine." I didn't know what else I could say. "Do you know where Sam is? I know she could use the emotional support."

"I haven't seen her since our talk. Maybe she went home."

Something didn't feel right. "Freddie, I don't think so. Something's wrong."

"Hold on."

"What for?"

"I going to see if she's still around the building."

I heard a lot of shuffling around on Freddie's end. I decided that I should look around more thoroughly just in case Sam was here. I looked around the studio once more, making sure to check the back of the studio. I took the stairs to the floor my bedroom was on. I looked around my room, and then proceeded to my bathroom. Before I could reach the bathroom, I heard Freddie begin to talk in his phone.

"What did you say, Freddie?"

"I found her. I need your help. Come out to the fire escape on our floor."

"Okay," I responded before I hung up and raced down the stairs.

Soon I reached the fire escape. I looked onto the fire escape. Sam was lying down on the fire escape. I stepped out onto the fire escape and kneeled beside her. She was sleeping in a slight curled up position. I could see that she had been crying from the tear streaks on her face. She looked really pale in the face.

"Sam," I said hoping to wake her. I gently shook her. Nothing. I suddenly realized that Freddie was missing. Where did he go? As if he heard my question, Freddie appeared and answered me.

"I'm right here. I ran back to my apartment when I was talking to you. I wanted to grab some blankets. It looks like she must have fainted."

I looked at the blankets in his arms. "Why do you say that?"

"She didn't wake up when I got here. And her breathing and heartbeats are normal."

I watched Freddie as he carefully wrapped the blankets around Sam. He was still as caring as ever. I wondered if he was sure they were broken up.

"We need to get her home," Freddie suddenly said.

"She could stay at my place," I offered. Of course my place was closer than hers, and if she was there I could make sure to take care of her. I had no idea what would happen if we took her to her house.

Freddie nodded in agreement. Freddie gently picked Sam up. I was the first one through the window. I turned around to help Freddie into the hallway without hurting either Sam or himself.

We made our way back in silence. Once we were inside my house, Freddie asked where I wanted him to put Sam. I told him to take her up to my room. Freddie nodded. Freddie walked up the stairs to my room. Before I followed, I grabbed a glass of water and some medicine in case Sam needed it when she woke up.

I went upstairs to find that Freddie had placed Sam on my bed, and was now sitting beside her. I cleared my throat. Freddie looked up to see what I had brought. He stood up and began to walk towards me. Freddie lightly placed a hand on my shoulder as if to say "Take care of her." I didn't have time to say anything because before I could open my mouth to say anything Freddie continued on his way out of the room.

I sighed. I went over to Sam and felt her forehead. She didn't have a fever or anything. I wondered why she passed out.

A half hour passed before Sam woke up.

"Where am I?" Sam asked. Her voice sounded hoarse.

"You're in my room," I said as I gave her the water.

She quickly gulped down the water. Once she was through, she laid back down. "Carly, can you take me home?"

"Oh, um, can you wait a while?" I didn't know when Spencer would get home.

"No," she stated bluntly. "I want to go home now…" Sam trailed off as she once again became unconscious. I tried to wake her but to no avail.

Sam didn't want to be here. I didn't know what to do. I walked out into the hall and made a call. After a few minutes, Freddie had arrived. On the phone, I told him what happened and asked if he could take Sam home. At first, Freddie refused. I finally wore him down.

Once again, Freddie picked Sam up. He carried her all the way to his car. Freddie carefully placed her on the backseat. Freddie and I sat up front. He started the car and we made our way to Sam's house. When we got there, Freddie carried Sam to the front door. I was the one to knock on the front door. Sam's mom opened the door.

She took one look at Sam and asked, "She drunk?"

"No, ma'am," I answered.

Mrs. Puckett opened the door wider so that Freddie could get by her. Freddie went inside and I followed behind him. Freddie continued further into the house taking Sam to her room. I stopped in the living room to wait for Freddie. Mrs. Puckett sat down on the couch, and watched TV. After a couple of minutes Freddie came back down the hall. We said our good-byes to Sam's mom, and made our way to Freddie's car.

We rode in silence until Freddie spoke suddenly. "Buy me a smoothie?"

"What?" I wasn't sure I had heard him right.

"Buy me a smoothie?"

"Why me?"

"You want to know what happened, right? The least you could do is buy me a smoothie."

"So you'll tell me when I buy you a smoothie?"

"Yep."

"Okay, sure why not?"

From the corner of my eye I saw a small smile appear on Freddie's face. After about a minute, we pulled into the Groovy Smoothie parking lot. I bought us a couple of smoothies while Freddie found us a table.

When I got the smoothies, I walked over to the table and handed Freddie his Blueberry Blitz. He took a sip. Freddie took a deep breath and then began to replay what had happened on the fire escape.

-end flashback—

"Sam, open up," I called. I had continued to knock on the door, but I hadn't heard anything from her side of the bedroom door. "Sam, it's been over a week. Please talk to me. Come on. I'm your best friend. You can talk to me." I paused. I pressed my ear to the door. However I still heard nothing. "Alright, Sam, if this is the way you want to be then I'll just have to step up my game."

I walked away from the door. I went into the living room and looked at the person on the couch. "I need your help getting into Sam's room. The door's locked."

Mrs. Puckett looked up from the TV. "You're in luck. I'm on commercial." Pam Puckett rose from her seat and walked down the hall. I followed after her. When we reached Sam's room, Mrs. Puckett squatted 'til she was eye level with the door knob. She pulled a couple of things out of her pocket and began to pick the lock. In a matter of seconds, Mrs. Puckett had the door unlocked. She stood up straight, nodded at me, and then headed back to the living room.

I opened up the door to find the room a mess. The floor was completely covered with junk. There were wrappers, pizza boxes, take-out containers, and so much more. I couldn't even see the floor. Clothes had been thrown about her room. I looked to see that a lamp had been broken. It had been completely destroyed. My eyes finally made their way to the bed. I saw a lump that was hidden by the covers. I figured that that must be Sam.

I carefully made my way over to the bed. I pulled back the covers to find Sam curled up into a ball. She barely spared me a glance. I sat down on the edge of the bed. I looked into her eyes to find them a dull blue. They didn't have the normal Sam fire in them. Her eyes made me realize that I needed to take this slow.

"Sam?" I said as I pulled some of her hair away from her face. "Sam, will you please talk to me?" I waited, but no words came from her mouth. "Freddie told me what happened between you two." I decided to talk until she was ready. "I'm so sorry that you two broke up. In a way I feel that I'm somewhat responsible. I didn't know what Freddie was thinking. I shouldn't have told you everything would be okay. I gave you high hopes, and I shouldn't have. I apologize."

I looked over at Sam. All she did was blink. I decided to continue. "You know there are other guys out there; guys better than Freddie. You can definitely find someone else, Sam."

I heard Sam mumble something. "What did you say Sam?"

"There is no one else."

"Yes there is."

"Carly there isn't for me. Freddie is my soul mate. I already know this. I don't want anyone else."

"Sam-" I began only to be cut off by my best friend.

"Carly, no disrespect, but you don't know how I feel. You have never felt this way. I love him. I really, truly love him. Sometimes it feels like that fairytale love between the prince and the princess. It's real Carly. I've lived it. I don't think I can go back to the way it was before. It'll be too hard and I don't think I can make it."

As I listened to Sam I realized that I don't believe I have ever felt that way, the way she described. But I didn't want my best friend to live life mourning a relationship that had been long over with. "Sam, do you think you could try to move on? I don't mean right away. But you should atleast get out of bed and start living your life again. Then when you're ready, think about your love life."

Sam finally sat up. "Okay. I was getting sick of lying here anyways." Sam gave me a small smile. I could tell it was a fake one, but I appreciated the effort.

"And if you want we can put iCarly on hiatus for a couple of months. Then you won't have to see Freddie as much."

"No, I want to do iCarly. If I don't then I'll probably mope around all the time. Plus I want-no, need to see Freddie. If he is not in my life whether as a friend or a boyfriend, I just might go insane."

I studied Sam for a moment. All in all, she looked terrible. There were bags under her eyes. Her hair was a mess. She probably hadn't showered in days. I wasn't sure if Sam should or shouldn't see Freddie as much as she wanted, but if that's what she wanted I didn't want to stand in her way.

Slowly I nodded giving her the okay.

Sam POV

Carly left after I promised that I would go to school on Monday which was tomorrow. I really didn't want to go but I knew that I needed to go for Carly. I knew that she had come to my house every day, but I was too stubborn to let her see me like that. I was pathetic. I remember when I used to tease girls that pined after boys who had already dumped them. I had always told them to suck it up, it was over, and there was nothing they could do about it. Now I was just like them. I was trying to cling to my past.

I thought for a moment. I thought back to the fire escape. I had my very first kiss there. My very first date with Freddie was there, too. He thought I might like to have our first date in that cramped space all because our first kiss was in that very same spot. Freddie had set up a small picnic and he had a single candle in the very center of the blanket. The picnic consisted of all my favorite foods: fried chicken, ribs, and, of course, ham. Our date was at night so that we could look at the stars. It was just our luck that we got to see a shooting star. We closed our eyes and made our wishes. I asked Freddie what he wished for and he refused to tell me because then it wouldn't come true. We made a deal. If he told me his, I would tell him mine. So he told me that he wished we would always be together. I told him I wished the school would blow up.

I guess his wish didn't come true. I should have never told him to tell me. Maybe whoever grants those stupid wishes decided that since Freddie told me, the wish was now void.

Our breakup scene continued to play in my mind. It was like it was on repeat or something. Freddie said he loved me, and I knew that was true. When he found me I wasn't asleep. I just had my eyes closed. I heard the worry and concern in his voice. Freddie checked my pulse and breathing. I prayed that my heart wasn't beating to fast from the touch of his skin. I was surprised when he left me just lying there on the fire escape. A couple minutes later I heard Carly call my name and try to shake me awake. I couldn't believe that Freddie had left me to go get Carly. I wanted to cry, but then I heard his voice again. He had come back. He had thought that I had fainted and he went to get me some blankets.

I felt his strong arms wrap the blankets around me. He smelled faintly like cologne. I heard that he wanted to get me home, but Carly said that I could just stay at her house like I always did. Freddie picked me up carefully and carried me bridal style back to Carly's apartment. He took me up to her room and gently laid me on her bed.

As I laid there Freddie whispered my name. He kissed me lightly on the lips. It took everything I had not to ravage him, but to stay still as if I was truly asleep. The next thing that happened shocked me. I felt the bed shift as Freddie sat on the edge of the bed.

Freddie leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Don't do this, Sam. This isn't you. You are not weak, so stop acting like it. The girl I love would be on the move without a second thought. Whether she would hunt me down and beat me up for breaking up with her or find a new guy to take my place, she would never let someone see her defenseless. Get it together, Puckett."

Freddie probably knew me better than anyone. And knowing that fact, I knew he was right but something in me didn't want him to be. After Freddie left, I began to wonder if he knew that I was faking it, but it didn't matter because I really did go to sleep. When I woke up to Carly, I realized that Bushwell Plaza was the last place I wanted to be. I remember telling this to Carly then falling asleep again. The next time I woke up, I was in my room.

Everything that had happened hit me like that taco truck had hit Freddie a couple of years ago. I felt so many different emotions that I went wild. I went to my closet and pulled out clothes that Freddie had seen me in. I wanted to throw it all away which was pretty stupid since Freddie has seen me in everything I own. I saw the lamp on my desk and I thought of Freddie. He was always such a good student. He tried to make me a good student too. He was the one who bought me the stupid desk lamp in the first place. I grabbed the lamp and threw it across my room, but that didn't do enough damage. Luckily I had a hammer in my room. I found the hammer and beat the crap out of the lamp.

When I was through, I sat down on the floor next to my bed and pulled out a suitcase filled with an assortment of snacks. I ate and ate. I couldn't stop myself. Finally I did stop when I had to puke. I ran to my bathroom and vomited into the toilet. The flow of all the food I had just eaten seemed endless, but it eventually did end. I rinsed my mouth out and walked back into my room. I picked up some clothes from the floor and changed into them. I looked at the suitcase. It was only half full now. My room was a mess, but I just didn't care.

Tears started to fall as I looked at what I just did. I didn't know where I was supposed to go from here. I sat down on my bed and continued to cry like a baby. I probably cried the most I ever had and hopefully ever will. The tears stopped and I stood up and went back into my bathroom to wash my face. When I was finished, I walked back into my room and decided to go to sleep. I got underneath the covers and tried to make myself as comfortable as possible at the moment.

I thought about what Freddie said. Yeah, I agreed this wasn't me but maybe I wanted it to be. I stayed in my room doing nothing but lying down on my bed. The only reason I got up was for the food my mom left at the door. She would knock twice and then say, "Foods here, kid." I would here her footsteps as she made her way into some other part of the house. I always waited until I didn't hear them anymore. I would open the door and bring the food into my sanctuary.

Carly would come over to see me, but I didn't want to see anyone. I made sure never to make a sound and eventually she would go away. I guess she got tired of waiting for me to open the door so she got the person who taught me how to pick locks, my mom.

I'm glad she did. I was actually glad to see Carly. She apologized to me but she had nothing to be sorry about. In fact she had my gratitude. Without her, I wouldn't have made it through those few days without Freddie. I needed her even more so now that I really didn't have Freddie. Seeing her face made me it clear to me that I was ready to face the outside world.

Freddie's words came back to me. The way I was acting wasn't me. And the real me would not be moping around and feeling sorry for herself. It was time to set things into motion. I wanted to get back with Freddie and the possibility of that was zero if I never left my house. If we weren't meant to be fine, but Momma needed some proof before she gives up her man.