What's Up With Sam?

by Dean7

After a sudden, life-altering event, Carly can't help but notice that Sam comes back different. She's distant and her behavior is odd. As Carly tries to help Sam navigate these unexpected changes, she also struggles to tell Sam how she feels about her. But things take a darker turn after Sam confides in her and it's something Carly never expected.

24. Chapter 24

AN: Sorry it's taken so long for me to get back to this one but that seems to be the trend now since I'm working on too many fics at the same time. But I gotta keep my readers happy. Or try to, anyway.

Warnings: There are a few depictions of assault in this chapter. Mostly physical but some of it is slightly sexual in nature. But there's no follow-through, if you catch my drift. Hopefully, it's not too scary if this sort of thing bothers you. Please don't kill me for it! I was stressed out writing it but felt that it flows with what's happening in the story. And I think you all can handle it.

Chapter 24

Sam's POV

I walked through the park. It was nighttime and the stars were bright. The wind blew and the cool night air felt soothing on my face. I felt someone take my hand and looked over to see Carly smiling at me. I smiled back but then my face turned angry when I saw Freddie walking up behind her. She turned to look at Freddie just as he approached. He grinned as he slung his arm over my girlfriend's shoulders.

"What the hell are you doing, nerd?" I asked him incredulously. He had some nerve.

He just smirked as he touched Carly's face and kissed her. I looked on astonished at what I was seeing. Carly let go of my hand so she could caress his face and I immediately felt rage boiling. They continued to kiss each other right there in front of me.

"Carly!" I yelled out, feeling complete and utter betrayal.

They broke the kiss and she finally looked over to me. "Sorry, Sam," she replied, "he's just easier than you."

"What?" I asked, still astounded. "You don't love him. You love me!"

"Yeah, but he's easier," she repeated.

"What does that even mean?" I shouted at the both of them as they grinned back at me.

"My life is so much less complicated with him," she explained. "You're just…too much trouble. Too much of a burden. And so not worth the hassle."

My mouth hung open in shock and I just stared dumbfounded at her with tears brimming my eyes.

"Let's face it, Puckett," Freddie said arrogantly, "she never really loved you. Just pitied you." And then the two of them proceeded to make out right in front of me.

I felt a blind rage build up inside me.

Kill him! a voice said inside my head. Kill him! You know you want to. You've ALWAYS wanted to!

My face turned to an angry scowl as hot tears slipped down my cheeks and I shrieked in rage as I charged him. I tackled Freddie to the ground, breaking their kiss, and started beating him senseless, punching him over and over in the face.

"What are you doing?!" Carly shrieked in terror as she stood next to me. "Stop it!"

I just kept pummeling Freddie's face, blood spewing from his mouth and nose. The satisfaction I felt at finally beating the hell out of the boy who had become the bane of my existence was indescribable. I'd wanted to do this for years. I no longer had to hold myself back. I unleashed a blind fury on Freddie that I'd been denying only for Carly's sake and I felt totally justified in doing it.

Yes! Kill him! the voice in my head chanted. Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

It felt so good to finally let loose my inner rage and I had a maniacal smile on my face as I continued to beat Freddie within an inch of his life. After several more punches, I finally stopped and stood up, admiring my handiwork. Freddie's face was a bruised and bloody mess, totally unrecognizable, and I actually laughed at the sight. That will teach him to steal my girl! Then I turned back to Carly to see complete fear and disgust on her face, and my smile fell.

"You're a monster!" she shrieked at me.

"Carls…" I reached out to her but she jumped away from my touch and continued to glare at me in shock as if I were a stranger to her. She knelt down to Freddie to see if he was okay.

"You killed him!" she cried out and looked back at me in fear. "He's dead! You killed him!" she repeated. "Who are you?! I don't even know who you are anymore! Get away from me! I hate you! I hate you! I never want to see you again!"

"No, Carly, I-"

"Get the hell away from me!" she screamed when I tried to reach out to her again.

The happiness and satisfaction I felt at beating Freddie to a pulp was replaced with complete and utter fear and devastation at losing Carly. I was heartbroken. She looked at me like I was an insect, afraid and disgusted. She suddenly ran off, leaving me with Freddie's dead body. And I TOTALLY! LOST! IT!

Give in to me!

I turned and fell to my knees, screaming in anger and desperation. I finally let the evil spirit overtake me. What else was there? I'd lost Carly. I had nothing. I let the rage consume me. Let the darkness take over and I was suddenly filled with evil and hate. But I welcomed it. Let it fill me up. It felt good. Carly had taken the love, light, and happiness with her. Without her, I had nothing. I was nothing. I gave in, not caring if I actually turned into a monster. I would kill, maim, and destroy. I would take, ravish, and mutilate. And I would enjoy it all. This was what I was meant to be. Carly had only been holding me back from my true self all these years.

Suddenly, I was looking at myself as if I were a third party; as if I were outside my body. My eyes were glowing red and my face was turned into a maniacal smirk as I laughed evilly. I watched myself tear through the world, bringing death and destruction wherever I went. Instead of healing people, I stole their life forces and grew stronger from them. I sucked their souls from their bodies and instead of crossing them over to be reunited with their loved ones in some wonderful paradise, I sent them to the fiery pits of hell. The night was filled with screams and I laughed again as I watched the world burn. I would take everyone down with me and I knew I had the power to do it. I reveled in others' misery. Chaos and destruction ensued all around me.

I laughed as I sent Freddie's soul to hell and watched him howl in agony. I felt giddy watching him burn and scream as he suffered eternally. My satisfaction was immense. They would all pay for turning on me. I approached Carly and her face was so fearful as I held her down. She tried to fight me off but she was no match for my strength. I grinned devilishly as I forced myself on her and she cried out for help but no one would come to her rescue.

---

Carly's POV

I jumped awake to the sound of Sam screaming at the top of her lungs. It sounded like someone was trying to murder her. She'd bolted up right into a sitting position and her body was writhing around next to mine in bed as she continued to howl in desperation. Her eyes were open but it was like she was shrieking from a nightmare that she couldn't wake from.

"Sam!" I yelled out, trying to calm her but she continued to scream bloody murder. The sound was breaking my heart and scaring the hell out of me at the same time.

I sat up and wrapped my arms around her, trying to still her. When she felt my arms around her, she jumped but then began to calm a bit as she grabbed onto me. Her screaming died down and turned into loud sobs but she was breathing so fast, I was worried she would hyperventilate, and I pressed my cheek against the top of her head trying to calm her. Tears were streaming down my face. What was happening to her? I felt like I could do nothing to help her. She was shaking uncontrollably and still crying when Spencer burst through the bedroom door.

"What the hell is going on?!" he yelled in fear. When he saw me stroking Sam's hair and embracing her fiercely, he calmed. He'd probably thought the same thing I had. That someone was murdering Sam. But he settled down when he saw that nothing horrible was happening.

"Sam?" he asked calmly. But she just continued to cling to me and sob out loud, not looking either of us in the eye.

"Spencer…can you just…leave us alone, please?" I asked gently, trying not to sound rude. But I didn't think his presence was helping matters. I knew Sam didn't like to break down in front of anyone except me.

He nodded understandingly and said, "Just let me know if there's anything I can do." Then he left, quietly closing the bedroom door behind him.

I continued to hold Sam tightly and she finally began to quiet down, her sobs subsiding after a few minutes. She sniffled as I handed her a tissue from the box on my nightstand. She took it and began wiping her face. She was still shaking, probably from the adrenaline. But at least she wasn't screaming or sobbing anymore. And her breathing had calmed.

"Sam?" I asked calmly, unsure of what to say. "What was that? It seemed like…a night terror."

"I-I…I can't…" Sam trailed off in a shaky voice, sniffling and wiping her face.

"Did you have a nightmare?" I asked.

"Y-Yes," she admitted, still trembling against me. "But I…d-don't…I c-can't…I'm sorry, Carly. I'm so s-sorry."

"For what?" I asked surprised.

"I c-can't…the dream…it was h-horrible…I can't talk about it."

"Ssh, you don't have to," I replied gently as I rubbed her back with one hand, and her chest with my other. "It was just a dream. Just try to forget it if it's not going to help to talk about it. Just let it go."

She nodded and then we laid back down together. Several minutes passed and her shaking finally subsided. I just cuddled into her side as she laid on her back and I caressed her cheek tenderly, hoping I was calming her down enough to go back to sleep but I could still feel her heart pounding in her chest. I stared up at her beautiful face as she gazed up at the ceiling, a tear slipping down her cheek. She'd never had an episode like that before. It scared me.

I glanced over to the clock and saw that it was 2:35am and remembered about her fever. I reached up to feel Sam's forehead. She still felt feverish. I sat up and grabbed the thermometer. Sam let me slip the tip under her tongue without any discussion. After it had beeped, I pulled it out and murmured, "102.3. You still have a fever but at least it's dropping." I then gave Sam some more medicine since it was time again and she sat up to drink it down with some water.

After swallowing the medicine, she laid back down and I asked her how she felt. "Fatigued but too wired to sleep. Still weak and achy."

"That nightmare was probably a fever dream," I offered, hoping to make her feel better about it.

She just continued to stare up at the ceiling and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Sam…why are you apologizing to me?" I asked in confusion. I was sitting up in bed facing her. She still refused to meet my eyes. She hadn't looked at me since she had woken up and I'd noticed.

"I just…felt like I needed to apologize to you," she said.

"Why?" I asked. "And why won't you look at me?"

"I'm just sorry," she replied.

"Sam, look at me," I commanded gently, reaching out to touch her cheek but she turned her face away from me and my heart dropped.

"You're worrying me, Sam. Why won't you look at me?" I asked, now feeling tears slip down my own face.

"I-I…I can't," she replied, "I'm too ashamed."

"What? Why?" I asked her, wiping away my tears.

"I-I did something…h-horrible to you."

"Sam, what are you talking about? You didn't do anything to me."

"In my dream," she clarified. "I did something so horrible…to you. And Freddie. And the rest of the world. I wasn't even myself."

"Sam, it was just a dream," I gently reminded her. "What happened? What did you do?"

"I can't even…I-I was a monster. I wasn't even myself. I-It was like I was…possessed."

I tensed at that word. Pictured it in the research we had read. Remembered the way Sam's eyes had looked black when she had flipped Freddie over her shoulder. The anger behind her eyes when she looked at me right after. I reached over and firmly but gently turned her face to mine and she immediately closed her eyes, squeezing them shut so she couldn't look at me.

"Sam, look at me!" I commanded. I was fearful of what I might see but I needed to see her eyes. I need to see her.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked into mine and I felt relief at seeing the beautiful blue, instead of the eerie black. I sighed and stroked her cheek gently. She looked afraid. Like she didn't trust herself with me.

"Sweetie, it was just a nightmare," I gently said. "Whatever you did…it wasn't you. And it wasn't real. I know you would never hurt me." When she didn't say anything, I asked, "Was it something you would ever do in real life?"

"No!" she immediately replied and I smiled at her understandingly.

"See. I know you would never do anything to hurt me," I said, gently stroking her cheek with my thumb.

"But…" she trailed off for a second, "the horrible things I did…that wasn't even the worst part. I enjoyed it."

"In the dream," I pointed out. "You enjoyed it in the dream. Now that you're awake, does it seem enjoyable?"

"No!" she replied again in a definitive tone.

"It wasn't you, Sam. Just some part of your subconscious. Everyone has impulses that don't line up with who they really are, from time to time. The important thing is our choices. In real life. You can't help what you do in a dream."

She sighed and seemed to calm a bit more. I laid back down beside her and cuddled into her, pulling the covers up to her chest. I wrapped my arm around her waist and rested my head on her shoulder. After a few minutes, I noticed that she was trembling again. I wondered if she was thinking about her dream. When her breathing increased, I leaned up and over her and stared into her eyes. She looked afraid again as her eyes gazed into mine.

I pressed my lips down onto hers and closed my eyes. After a few seconds, I finally felt her lips moving against mine and relief washed through me as I kissed her tenderly. She stopped shaking after several moments of making out. I just continued to kiss her and caress her cheek. I felt her arms wrap around my back and I made sure to pour all my love into the kiss to put her at ease. After kissing for several more minutes, I finally pulled back and gazed lovingly into her eyes.

"I love you, Sam," I whispered sweetly to her and she reached up to caress my cheek.

"I love you too, Cupcake," she whispered back and I smiled at her. "I love you so much." Satisfied that I'd finally put her at ease, I rested my head back down on her chest and hugged her tightly. I heard her whisper a, "Thank you," and I kissed her chest and then settled my head back down on her.

"You're welcome," I whispered back. A few minutes later, I heard her breathing even out and I knew she'd fallen back asleep. I breathed a sigh of relief and about ten minutes later, I was able to drift off.

---

The next morning, I woke up around 9am. I'd told Spencer the previous evening to let us sleep in since Sam wouldn't be going to school and that I would be staying home to take care of her. I expected him to put up some argument about me skipping school but he didn't. I guess he was just as worried about Sam as I was. I sat up and looked at her face to see that her coloring looked a lot better. I placed my palm to her forehead and was relieved that it felt normal. Sam stirred in her sleep and smiled at me when she opened her eyes. I removed my palm from her forehead and leaned down to kiss her lips lovingly.

She kissed back and I could feel her smiling into the kiss. I pulled back after a few moments and grabbed the thermometer. She actually chuckled as I stuck it into her mouth. "Ever vigilant," she mumbled around the device.

"Ssh," I shushed her. "Put it under your tongue." And she did. She continued to smile up at me as we waited for it to beep. Once it did, I pulled it out to check her temperature.

I smiled in relief and read out, "98.6! Thank God! How are you feeling?"

"Loads better, Cupcake," she replied. "Thanks to you. I mean, I still don't feel like I'm back up to 100 percent but, now that my fever has broken, I don't have any aches or chills anymore. My headache is gone too. And I'm not quite as tired."

"I'm so glad," I said and then I crashed my lips down onto hers. We kissed blissfully for a few minutes and I let the relief wash over me that Sam was going to be okay. I made sure to emit plenty of love energy into her to keep healing her and making her feel loved.

I heard her stomach growl and I pulled back from the kiss to look her in the eye. "I'll go see what we have for breakfast. Will you be alright going to the bathroom on your own?" I had been so worried the previous day when she couldn't even make it across the bedroom on her own without feeling like she was going to faint.

"Yeah, I think I can manage," she replied with a grin.

We both climbed out of bed and I noticed that Sam seemed a little wobbly once on her legs but she strolled across the bedroom like she didn't have a care in the world. I sighed in relief again and headed downstairs.

"Morning, kiddo," Spencer greeted me as he sat sipping a cup of coffee at the kitchen table.

"Morning," I greeted back.

"How's Sam?" he asked with concern.

"She's so much better," I replied with a bright smile and I could see the relief spread across his face. "Her fever finally broke and she's feeling a lot better."

"Good," he said hesitantly and then added, "…and the nightmares?" I remembered that look of fear he'd had when Sam had woken up screaming.

"I didn't ask but I don't think she had any more after we finally fell back asleep."

He nodded in understanding, "Well, there's fresh pancakes and bacon on the stove. And I can whip up some eggs for the two of you real quick. I already ate."

"Thanks, Spencer," I replied with a smile.

I returned to my bedroom with a tray full of scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, coffee, and orange juice. I also had butter, creamer, and syrup on the tray. The food was fresh and hot and I set it down on the bedside table. Sam had been sitting on the cushioned bench right next to my window and looking out at the dark gray sky. She turned to me and sniffed the air.

"Mmm, that smells so good, Cupcake," she said with a smile. We climbed back into bed and enjoyed our meal together.

I noticed that Sam ate with her usual gusto and had a regular 'Sam amount' of food, which made me feel even more relieved. I was so glad she seemed to be getting better and had her appetite back in full.

After we finished breakfast, Sam mentioned that she really wanted a shower. "Would you like some company?" I asked her with a grin.

She smirked back and said, "Absolutely."

We stepped into the bathroom together and I slowly started to undress Sam, making sure to glide my fingertips along her skin sensually in the process. After removing her top, she slowly pulled mine off. I stared at her glorious breasts for a few seconds, marveling at their beauty. I noticed her eyes shift to the protective medal around my neck and I reached up to remove it, setting it down on the countertop. At her questioning look, I said, "I don't want it to get in the way. I'll put it back on after we get out of the shower." Then I cupped her cheek and drew her in for a kiss.

Sam's POV

Carly's lips pulled mine in sensually and I smiled into the kiss as our naked chests pressed against each other, making the both of us moan. I will never get over that wonderful feeling no matter how many times it happens. She also had this way of sucking on my lips when she kissed me and it made me go weak in the knees. I could feel her projecting her love into me so powerfully I thought I might pass out from the intensity of it. It felt incredible. She'd held me all night as we slept. I had woken up a few times after that horrible night terror and I could feel her love energy healing me. Luckily, I hadn't had anymore nightmares for the rest of the night. And I had woken up feeling rejuvenated. I knew I had Carly to thank for that. Not just her supernatural healing abilities, but also her natural nurturing instincts. She just always knew how to take care of me. Even when we were little kids.

After kissing me passionately for several blissful moments, Carly moved her lips down to my neck and sucked and nibbled on my sensitive flesh, making me gasp in pleasure. I tangled my fingers in her hair and massaged her scalp. It was Carly's turn to moan and she began caressing both of my breasts in her hands as she continued to kiss and suck my neck. I moaned at the wonderful feeling of Carly's kisses and caresses. After a few moments, I felt her hands trail down my stomach and move to the hem of my boxers and her lips left my neck as she slowly pulled down my underwear. I kicked them away once they hit the floor and Carly straightened back up and gazed at me with a smile. She took a step back and stared at my naked body like she was drinking in the sight of me. I smiled when I saw her biting her lower lip as her eyes swept over me, down and then back up again.

"You like what you see, Shay?" I asked with a grin.

She blushed and said, "You have no idea!"

I gently grabbed her hips and pulled her back in for a smoldering kiss. Her hands cupped my cheeks as she kissed me so passionately, I thought my head would explode from the love pouring in from her. It was so intense. And then I also felt her arousal form in her pelvic area and thump into mine as it was projected outward. I moaned into the kiss as I lightly bumped my pelvis into hers and then she moaned as well.

My fingers went down to her pajama shorts and I tugged them down along with her panties, my lips briefly leaving hers in the process. After she kicked them away, she tugged my face back up to hers in a fiery kiss. We were panting in between kisses now, each desperate for the other. It had felt like an eternity since I'd made love to Carly. In reality, it had been a little over two and a half days. But that was far too long. I reached around her and grabbed her backside in both hands, squeezing her cheeks in the process and she moaned again as I pulled her closer and pressed our naked pelvises together. I could feel the heat radiating off her. God, it felt so good! I moaned into her mouth as her tongue slipped past my lips.

She started backing me up towards the shower and when the back of my legs hit the side of the tub, I pulled back from the kiss and stared lovingly into her eyes. I saw nothing but desire and love in them and I could also feel those same emotions pouring out of her. We both stepped into the shower and I closed the curtain as Carly turned the water on to a nice hot temperature. We both stood under the spray, letting the steamy water wash over our bodies and I brought my lips back to hers. She kissed me so hungrily as if she'd been longing for this for so long, just as I had. She caressed my cheek and I gripped her hips tightly as the kiss went on.

We kissed and kissed for a long while, relishing in the feel of our naked bodies pressed against each other and running our hands all over; each caress causing a gasp or a moan of pure pleasure. As the minutes ticked on, I felt my arousal growing to its pinnacle and I could also feel Carly's growing as well. I could feel both of our nether regions pulsing and throbbing with desire and I didn't know how much longer I could go without touching her down there. Or being touched by her. But it felt wonderful to take our time with our lovemaking. There was no reason to rush. We had all the time in the world and I wasn't ready for it to end just yet anyway.

Suddenly, Carly pushed me up against the shower wall and started grinding her pelvis into mine and we both cried out in pleasure. Why didn't we spend all our time naked? It was a question that I couldn't find a decent enough answer for. We should always be naked! All the time! And touching our naked bodies together every second of the day! The feeling of our bodies rubbing and caressing with nothing in between us felt like the most natural and wonderful thing in the world. Like we were always meant to be naked together. Carly sucked on my neck as she continued to grind into me. Her womanhood always felt incredible on my skin. Carly was the epitome of perfection in my eyes. Beautiful. Strong. Independent. Loyal. Fierce. Angelic. Innocent. Carly was too pure for this world.

That will be my downfall.

What the fuck was that? Why the hell did that thought pop into my head? It's like it wasn't even me who thought it. I focused back on the angel in my arms. Carly brought her lips back up to mine and I finally felt her fingers caressing me between my legs.

"Oh, god, Carly!" I cried out against her lips. She moaned at how wet I was for her and I could feel her pleasure intensify at touching me. She enjoyed touching me just as much as I enjoyed her touch. I could totally relate. Being able to touch and please Carly was just as pleasurable to me. I'd had my head tilted back and my eyes were squeezed shut but I looked back into her eyes and saw that perfection again that I always saw.

Carly had no idea how beautiful she was. How perfect. I didn't deserve her. She continued to stroke me between my lower lips as she stared into my eyes. All I could do was gasp and moan as she pleasured me. Then I felt her enter me with one finger and slowly started to thrust in and out.

"Carly!" I breathed out in ecstasy. She felt sooo good inside me. Her love energy was hitting me in waves, healing me and making me feel like the most loved person on the planet. Then I felt her slip in a second finger and I moaned and bit my lower lip. She sped up her thrusts and her other hand went to my breast and began massaging my nipple until it hardened. Her lips then went back to my neck. I didn't know how much more I could take. I could feel my orgasm building and I whimpered in ecstasy.

Realizing I was close, she pulled her lips away from my neck and stared into my eyes, while speeding up her thrusts. I began bucking my hips into her hand and I cried out as my orgasm hit hard. I was gasping for air and moaning as I stared into her beautiful brown eyes that were filled with unbridled love and passion. And she just stared right back, like she was looking into my soul. I savored the wonderful squeezing sensation of my orgasm, feeling it so deep inside as my body clutched Carly's fingers over and over. About a minute later, it subsided and I began to come back down.

"Oh, god, Carls," I breathed out. My voice couldn't work at the moment. All I could do was whisper. She began kissing me sensually while I was still gasping for breath. I kissed back just as passionately, her fingers still inside me as she cupped my cheek in her other palm. As we kissed, her love energy just kept radiating out of her and pulsing into me. Her love seemed never-ending.

I could clearly feel her arousal mercilessly taunting her. She needed release, and soon. She was painfully aroused. And mixed in with her love and desire, I could also feel a pure need. She needed me. Me and only me. I needed to release her from her torment. She finally slowly pulled out of me and then lovingly caressed my mound as we kissed. It felt like she was worshiping my body. As we kissed, I slowly turned us so that she now had her back pressed against the shower wall. I lifted one of her legs and wrapped it around my hip, our lips locked the whole time.

Then she moaned into my mouth as I started stroking her between her labia, spreading her abundant moistness around her, and I could also feel what I was doing to her in my own body. My arousal started to build once more as I rubbed her. I pulled my lips back so I could stare into her eyes and she whimpered over and over while I worked her. I rubbed her swollen outer lips, while simultaneously stimulating her inner lips with my middle finger. I could tell just where she needed attention and how much. I kissed her neck as I continued to stroke her and then began massaging her clit and she cried out in pleasure.

I rubbed harder over her little bundle of nerves and she gasped as she tilted her head back and her eyes rolled up into her head. I suddenly wanted her perky breast in my mouth, so I maneuvered her leg that was around my hip so that her foot was propped up against the side of the tub. I then took her nipple into my mouth and she moaned even louder, my fingers never leaving her labia and clit. I carefully bit down on her hardened nipple and she hissed in pleasure as I continued to suck it.

That's it. Be rough!

That nagging little voice was becoming annoying. I ignored it and focused back on Carly. I moved my fingers lower on her vulva and traced her opening sensually, almost teasingly. I made sure to coat my fingers in her moistness as much as possible and then I slowly slid one finger into her opening and she groaned. I began a steady thrusting and Carly's breathing picked up. I kissed my way up to her neck and began sucking hard.

"Ohhh, Sam!" she moaned and I slipped in a second finger and picked up the pace.

My own arousal had reached its pinnacle as well since I could feel everything she was feeling. My thrusts became harder and faster.

Be rough!

I wanted to tell that voice in my head to put a sock in it but then I'd be going crazy. But it also had a point. I could feel Carly's need and she wanted more. I started driving into her so hard and so fast that her butt and lower back were slapping against the shower wall with each thrust. And the both of us began grunting and groaning. Pain started to mix with the pleasure. She was so close to her climax. I pulled my head back from her neck and gazed into her eyes and saw sheer desire staring back at me. The banging of her butt against the wall and our moans were so loud, I don't know how the whole building didn't hear us but I didn't care. I continued to drive in and out of her and then I felt both of us orgasm at the same time. It was like an explosion.

"Ahhh, ohhh, god! Saaaamm!" she cried out in ecstasy, panting hard from our exertion. I was groaning from my own orgasm and I could feel hers as well. It was so incredible. Her body clenched around my fingers for what seemed like forever as her orgasm went on and on. And so did mine. I dropped my face into the crook of her neck and breathed heavily. She was also trying to catch her breath.

After some time, we finally came down from our high and her muscles stopped clenching around my fingers. We just stood there still for a few seconds as we caught our breath and relaxed. When I pulled out of her, she hissed and I felt her pain. She was sore down there. And my heart dropped. I felt so guilty. I'd hurt her.

"Oh, god, I'm so sorry, Cupcake," I said, feeling terrible that I'd hurt her precious body. I'd never been that rough with her before. I was always careful and gentle.

I could feel her emotions shift over to concerned and she cupped my cheek and said, "It's okay. I like it." I raised my eyebrows at her in question. "It's a good kind of soreness," she added, still panting. "Trust me." And then she smiled and kissed me again. At feeling her happiness and post-orgasmic bliss, I relaxed into the kiss and caressed her cheek as I kissed back lovingly.

I started to notice the water becoming colder and I pulled back to adjust the temperature. It soon got warm again but it would be a good idea to finish our shower before it turned to freezing. I took the washcloth and bar of soap and began to lather it. Then I started to gently wash Carly, starting with her beautiful face. She smiled at me as I continued on to her neck, shoulders, arms, stomach and chest, making sure I washed her breasts extra thoroughly. She purred out a moan as I slowly rubbed and caressed each breast and I tried to make it as enjoyable as possible for her. I could feel her content and she closed her eyes to savor it. I raised both of her arms to clean underneath and then I moved around behind her and washed her back, making it just as pleasurable, like a massage. Then I slowly washed her cute little tooshie, also making sure I got it thoroughly.

I leaned over so I could then wash both of her legs and feet and when I was done, I straightened up and she opened her eyes. She looked dazed, like she had thoroughly enjoyed it and smiled at me. She then stood under the spray so she could rinse all the soap off. Once she was done, I started to hand the washcloth and soap over to her so she could wash her privates but she shook her head at me and smiled like she wanted me to do it. "Are you sure?" I asked her and she nodded. I lathered the soap into the wash cloth again and began a slow methodical caress between her legs, staring into her eyes the whole time. Her breathing picked up again and she closed her eyes to savor the feeling. I looked down at my work to make sure I was getting her clean all over where she needed it, in the front and back. She moaned as I continued to wash her gently. I could feel her pleasure, but then I hit her sore spot and she hiss again and I immediately pulled away from her.

She opened her eyes and stared into my sad ones. I felt horrible that I'd been rough. She cupped my cheek again and looked at me with sympathy. "I love you, Sam," she whispered to me just before gently kissing my lips. I kissed back but I was so perplexed about this strange voice that kept popping into my head trying to make me do things that I wouldn't normally do. It seemed to be getting worse. I was hoping it was just a side effect of my fever but my temperature had returned to normal and it was still happening. I needed to figure this out but I didn't want to worry Carly about it. Maybe it was just something to do with my abilities still developing.

We finally pulled back from the blissful kiss and Carly rinsed herself and then washed me just as lovingly and methodically as I had done for her. We each then took time washing and rinsing each other's hair, making sure to give the other a loving scalp massage in the process. After we finished with our shower, we got out and dried off. Carly put the protective medal back on around her neck and we then proceeded to get dressed, dry our hair, and brush our teeth. I kept stealing kisses from her as we went and she would grin at me and steal one right back.

After we finished getting ready, Carly's phone started ringing. She was sitting in front of her mirror brushing her hair and she paused to answer it, "Hello? Oh, yes, Mrs. Puckett. She's right here." Carly handed her phone to me.

"Hey, mom," I greeted her.

"Sam, hey! Ya feeling any better?" she asked over the other end.

"Actually, yeah, much better. Carly's been taking really good care of me," I replied and then my eyes shifted over to hers and I winked at her. She blushed.

"That's great to hear," mom replied. "I'm glad you're feeling better. Listen, I was just calling to check up on you and make sure you didn't need to go see a doctor or anything. You looked pretty sick the last time I saw you. Like you were knocking on death's door."

"Uh, no, I think I'll live," I replied, feeling surprised that my mom was this concerned about me and actually suggested taking me to see a doctor, something she'd never done before whenever I was sick. I was usually on my own or had Carly to nurse me back to health.

"Okay, good. I also wanted to let you know that I'll be working the late shift this evening and then we have to take inventory. So, I won't be getting home until probably after midnight. If you want to stay at Carly's again tonight, it might be a good idea."

"Oh, okay, thanks for letting me know."

"Okay, have a good day, Sammy."

"You too. Bye, mom."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and handed it back to Carly. "What did she say?" Carly asked me.

"She seemed concerned about me and actually mentioned taking me to the doctor if I needed it," I replied and Carly's eyebrows shot up in surprise. I crossed the room to pull out a pair of socks from the chest of drawers. "Then she mentioned she's working late tonight and said it would be a good idea for me to stay here again for the night."

Carly grinned at this. She seemed to be just as excited for me to spend the night again as I was. She glided across the room and pulled me in for a kiss. I gripped her hip in one hand while my other went up to caress her cheek as our lips met. Her arms were wrapped around my neck and I could feel her happiness radiating out of her at the prospect of spending even more time with me. After a searing kiss, Carly pulled back, a thoughtful look on her face as her arms rested on my shoulders, still wrapped around me.

"What?" I asked, caressing her cheek with my thumb.

"I was just thinking, since we know when your mom is going to be gone, maybe it would be a good idea to send Spencer and Freddie over to your apartment to spirit proof it."

"Or, I could just go over and-"

"I want to make sure you're back up to 100 percent before you leave this apartment," she cut me off.

"Oh, okay," I replied. "But they would also need to go buy some supplies first. We're running low on salt and holy water. Meaning, they would also have to stop by the church too."

"Okay, I'll run it by them when Freddie gets home from school," she said and then pecked me on the lips. She gently pulled out of my arms to go sit back at her desk so she could continue brushing her hair in front of the mirror.

Freddie, stupid little nub. Just thinking about what he pulled in my dream last night, set me on edge again and made me want to hit him. But then I remembered the rest of my dream and suddenly a wave of nausea came over me.

You SHOULD hit him. And do much more to him. He's a little shit that never deserved your friendship or Carly's.

I shook my head, trying to will the negative thoughts away. I went over and sat on the edge of the bed and pulled my socks on. This was concerning me greatly. My fever was gone and I was still having these negative thoughts about the nub. Yeah, I disliked him but I didn't want to kill him. It was like these thoughts weren't even my own.

Carly saw the serious look on my face in her mirror and asked, "Sam? Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah, Cupcake," I quickly replied, "just thinking about how we should practice shielding today before I go back to school tomorrow. I don't want another horrible day like before."

Or to have that little piece of shit nerd torture you again, the voice in my head said.

"That's a good idea," Carly replied with a smile on her face as she continued to brush her hair.

After we had both finished getting ready, we sat down on Carly's bed with our legs crisscrossing in a meditative pose, facing each other.

"Okay, I'm gonna start off with positive emotions for you to block first," Carly said. "Close your eyes and when you feel my emotion, I want you to tell me what it is first and then picture yourself being surrounded by a protective bubble. Or…maybe something that might relate to you better, since that didn't seem to work last time. What are some superheroes that have protective armor?"

"Well, Iron Man is completely encased in his protective suit," I replied.

"That's perfect!" Carly exclaimed. "Picture yourself in Iron Man's armor and nothing can harm you while you're in the suit."

I smiled and nodded at her and then I closed my eyes. After a few seconds, I could feel Carly's love penetrating me gently. It felt wonderful.

"Well, this sucks because I can feel your love and I definitely don't want to block it," I said out loud, keeping my eyes closed.

"It's only for our practice," Carly reminded me. "Later, we'll figure out how you can block everyone else's emotions except mine if that's what you want to do. Or how to only let in the positive ones."

I pictured Iron Man's metal suit slowing forming around my body and that I was completely safe and protected from all harm. I made myself believe this would work. What else could I do? I kept focusing on it until I slowly stopped sensing Carly's love.

"How do you feel?" Carly asked after several silent moments.

"It's working!" I said in excitement. "I don't feel anything except my own emotions."

I heard Carly exhale in relief and then felt her lips on mine. I kissed her back and then opened my eyes when I felt her pull away. The second I stopped concentrating, I could feel her emotions again. I felt her relief and happiness and she smiled at me.

"Okay, let's try a different emotion," she said. "Close your eyes." And I did. I focused on what Carly was projecting. "What emotion do you feel?" she asked.

"It feels like you're confused," I replied, glad that she hadn't gone straight for a negative one.

"Good," Carly said, "I was trying to do calculus in my head and also pondering the mysteries of the universe at the same time. So, that's right. Now see if you can block it out."

I pictured being inside my Iron Man suit again and the emotion immediately went away. I smiled and said, "Carly, you are a freaking genius! It's working like a charm. I told Ms. Briggs that comics and superheroes have valuable use in the world!"

"I'm so glad it's working," Carly said, "now, I want you to let your guard down again." I pictured myself without the suit. "Are you ready?" she asked and I nodded. "Okay, I'm gonna try something a little harder. I'm going to focus on a negative emotion and I'm going to project it really intensely at you. For the previous emotions, I hadn't been feeling them as strongly. This is going to be strong. Okay? Are you ready?"

"Yes," I replied. A few silent moments passed and nothing happened. "Um, are you doing it? Because I don't feel anything except…maybe some conflict?"

I heard Carly sigh, "I'm just having a hard time feeling and sending this negative emotion to you because, first of all, I don't want to hurt you, and secondly, it isn't real."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. And just fake it," I replied. "If it's something like hate or anger, try thinking about Freddie or someone else instead of me. Think about how angry he made you when he wouldn't let you rescue me up in the studio."

Sure enough, it worked. I felt her anger projected at me full force and it was strong. "Are you feeling it?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, Carls," I replied. "I can feel your anger clear as day. Too bad the nub can't feel this. He'd pee his pants."

"Okay, now try to block it out," she instructed.

I pictured myself in my Iron Man suit once again and I could feel the negative emotion slightly lessening. But it was still there.

"Are you blocking it?" she asked.

"Yeah, but it's harder to block out the really intense emotions," I answered. "I can still sense it but it's not as intense when I'm trying to block it out. But it's a lot more manageable."

"It probably just takes more practice," Carly said. "The more you practice blocking energies, the easier it will become. I hope."

I opened my eyes and looked into hers as I let my mental shield down. And I could feel her love and happiness. She smiled at me and then leaned over, pulling me in for a hug. I wrapped my arms around her in return. "Thanks for helping me, Cupcake."

"You're welcome," she replied. "I'm so happy it's working!"

I could feel her immense relief and she sighed. Once she pulled away, she looked at me with a serious expression and said, "So…I was thinking that now that you have a handle on blocking emotions, I thought it would be a good idea for you to practice blocking others' physical sensations too."

"Oh, okay," I replied. She wiped her hands on her jeans and looked nervous. "What is it, Cupcake? You know I've felt your arousal before, right?" Her face turned red and she looked embarrassed. I could feel her bashfulness. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm glad I can bring that feeling out of you."

She smiled then and said, "Okay, well, why don't we start with that one first, since it's not painful."

I frowned. "Carls, you're not planning to hurt yourself in order for me to practice, are you?"

"Nothing serious," she replied, "just maybe a pinch on the leg or something."

"Okay, just…don't hurt yourself."

She nodded and then said, "Okay, close your eyes."

It took a few moments but I slowly began to feel her arousal and I grinned. I wondered what she was doing to bring it on. Was she thinking about me? Touching herself? Maybe both? I cleared my throat and said, "So, hopefully you're not thinking about anyone else while you're feeling that way."

She just shushed me and I chuckled. Then the room returned to silence. I could feel her physical arousal very strongly and it began to make me aroused in return. But I focused on blocking it out, even though I didn't want to. I pictured myself in my Iron Man suit again and the physical sensation coming from Carly began to dissolve. I could still feel my own arousal but hers was blocked.

"It's working," I said with a smile. And then I felt her lips on mine. I dropped my mental guard and immediately kissed her back. As soon as I'd dropped my shield, I could feel her arousal come back in full force. I kissed her back passionately and then gently pushed her back onto the bed.

She cupped my face in her hands and pulled me onto her with our lips still locked. I gently laid down on top of her and proceeded to kiss her senseless. She swiped her tongue against my lips and I opened my mouth to greet her tongue with my own. She moaned into the kiss. I could tell she'd been wanting to French kiss me ever since yesterday because I could feel her longing. She'd missed kissing me this way since I'd been holding back, not wanting her to get sick. I felt her physical arousal shoot out of her pelvis and thump into mine and I groaned in response.

Fuck her!

I immediately pulled back from the kiss, panting for air; our lips making a small smooch sound as they parted. The intrusive thought scared me. It was so sudden and definitely wasn't my own. I never thought of our lovemaking like that. It was always love. Not "fucking". Carly stared up at me with a confused expression. "Everything alright?" she asked.

Fuck her hard!

I closed my eyes briefly and shook my head. Then I looked back in her eyes, gulped and nervously replied, "Uh, maybe we should get back to practicing?"

She caressed my cheek and gazed at me with concern on her face. "Okay, if that's what you want," she replied.

"Honestly, I'd like to keep kissing you for all of eternity but I just want to make sure I'm well prepared for tomorrow."

I felt her unease be replaced with understanding and she nodded. "You're right. It's probably a good idea to keep practicing while we have the chance."

I reluctantly sat up and we got comfortable on the bed again, facing each other. Carly instructed me to close my eyes and I did. A few seconds passed as I waited to sense whatever physical feeling Carly would produce. Then I felt a strong pinching sensation on my right thigh. It was only slightly painful.

"Can you feel it?" she asked.

"Yes," I answered. "You're pinching your right thigh.

"Wow, I didn't realize you could zero in on it so much," Carly said in surprise. "Okay, try to block it the same way you do for the emotions."

I mentally pulled on my Iron Man suit again and after a few seconds, the pain went away completely. "It works!" I exclaimed happily. I was so glad I'd figured out a way to block others' pain.

"I'm so glad!" Carly cheered happily, mimicking my elation.

"You have no idea how relieved I am, Cupcake!" I replied.

"Me too!" she agreed. I opened my eyes and saw her smiling at me with tears of joy streaming down her face.

"I couldn't have done this without you," I said and she leaned over to peck me on the lips. We continued to practice for a couple more hours until I was confident in my abilities. I noted that it takes a lot of concentration to keep my mental shield up but Carly mentioned that, hopefully with plenty of practice, it wouldn't be that difficult and it would be like second nature. I hoped that she was right.

"Iron Man is the one that has that little love light over his heart isn't he?" Carly asked when we'd paused for a short break, and I grinned at her adorableness.

"It's called the arc reactor," I replied, "it keeps Tony Stark alive. It generates energy for an electromagnet to keep shrapnel away from his heart from a previous injury. And the arc reactor lets the armor maintain full power at all times."

"Well, I'm gonna call it his little heart light," Carly replied with a grin and I wanted to kiss her senseless again. "Can't he shoot lasers out of it?"

"It's called a Unibeam," I corrected her with a smirk.

"Whatever, he can shoot energy blasts out of his heart. That's pretty cool. And it's the source of his power," she replied. "I was thinking maybe that can be how you let it in my love energy so I can still heal you, while blocking everything else out with the armor. You could learn how to let in my healing energy through it and only my emotions and no one else's."

"That's a good idea," I replied, leaning closer to her, "we'll have to practice that later."

I pressed my lips against her succulent ones again and reveled in the feeling it produced in me. And in her. We kissed for a few blissful moments and then Carly surprised me by tackling me back onto the bed. I was on my back and she was on top of me, kissing me ferociously. I could feel her love and happiness radiating out of her. And I could also feel her relief that I would be able to block unwanted energies. This meant I could attempt a normal life again. Or as close to normal as a spiritual conduit could attempt. I moaned as I felt her tongue push through my lips and caress the roof of my mouth. I gently caressed the underside of her tongue with mine and she moaned. I felt her arousal stir again and I smiled into the kiss.

We continued to kiss for a while, completely absorbed in each other, and then Carly pulled away to gaze into my eyes. She smiled down at me and I could feel her love energy shooting out of her and going straight into me. I knew I wanted to be with Carly for the rest of my life. I'd known that for a long time but she just kept reminding me why, over and over. She caressed my cheek as she stared into my eyes and I felt like I was looking into her soul. Then she suddenly rolled off me and surprised me by lifting my shirt and blowing on my stomach, making me laugh uncontrollably. She giggled as she kept blowing on my stomach over and over, barely giving me a break in between fits of laughter. I had to counterattack just to get some air. I suddenly pinned her to the bed and started nibbling on her neck, making her giggle in return. I loved the sound of her laughter. It was something I wanted to hear everyday for the rest of my life.

I started tickling her sides and Carly laughed even harder as I continued to kiss and nibble on her neck lovingly.

"Sssa-ham!" she shrieked out in between giggling.

I paused my nibbling to say, "My name isn't 'Ham'! That's just what I love to eat!" And then I went back to tickling and nibbling and she laughed some more. I could feel her pure joy radiating out of her and it was incredible. I wanted Carly to be this happy all the time. I would make it my mission to make her this happy for the rest of our lives. If she would have me.

I finally relented and gave her a break from the tickling, and my nibbles turned into kisses and sucks and I felt her relax in my arms. She sighed in pleasure and I could feel her love intensify. I smiled again. I loved making her feel this way. And knowing it was me who made her feel this good, made me feel incredible. I felt Carly glide her fingers through my hair and I moaned at her touch. I moved my lips to Carly's and she readily greeted me, caressing my face.

Carly's POV

Sam made me so indescribably happy. I never thought I could love someone this much. Or to be loved this much by someone. I felt so lucky to have her. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Sam. Kissing her and making love with her. I was so relieved that she could now block unwanted emotions and physical pain from others. I didn't have to worry about her quite as much. My relief was immense. Her kisses always undid me. They opened up my heart even more and made me want to be as close and as intimate with her as possible. We continued to kiss for several amazing moments, totally consumed in our passion for each other. But we had to pull back for air eventually. And when we did, we just gazed into each other's eyes like there was no one else on the planet. Sam's intense blue eyes were always so beautiful. I felt like I could look into them forever and never completely experience all there was to Sam. They were like a beautiful blue ocean. Vast and deep.

And as if she could read my mind, she quietly murmured, "I see 'forever' when I look in your eyes." I thought my heart would melt completely at that.

"Sam," I whispered to her, my voice full of emotion, "I love you…so much." She smiled warmly at me.

"I love you too, Cupcake," she whispered back. "So much."

I smiled affectionately back at her and she grinned. Then our lips met again in a tender kiss. We continued to share our love with one another for quite a while and then I heard and felt Sam's stomach rumble loudly. She pulled back from the kiss and I chuckled lightly.

"Sorry," she mumbled with a grin. "My stomach is always interrupting us."

"It's okay," I replied, "I'm hungry too. Let's go see what we have in the kitchen."

She rolled off me and the two of us descended the stairs hand-in-hand. As we headed down to the first floor, I felt the slight soreness in my nether regions from our passionate lovemaking earlier and it made me grin, my cheeks flushing. I loved it. It reminded me that Sam was recently inside me and it began to stir my arousal again, my lower lips throbbing between my legs. But I fought it off. I didn't need to feel that way around my brother. It was just awkward. As we entered the living room, I was hit with the wonderful aroma of sauteed beef.

"Hey, kiddos!" Spencer greeted from the stove, where he was making lunch. "I was in the mood for Philly cheese steak sandwiches."

Sam sniffed the air and closed her eyes, a blissful look on her face. "Mmm, Spencer, you are a genius in the kitchen!" she said and I couldn't agree more. It smelled incredible.

Sam and I set the table and the three of us sat down to lunch a few minutes later. Sam groaned at the wonderful flavors as she sloppily ate her sandwich. I grinned at her. She was always so cute when she ate.

"So, Sam," Spencer mumbled around a bite of his sandwich, "how ya feeling?"

"Oh, sho much bedder! Shanks to Carly!" she replied with her mouth full and I grinned. I was glad she was feeling better too. Spencer smiled at me, knowing it was my healing abilities that had helped her get better so quickly.

"Oh, I wanted to talk to you about something, Spencer," I spoke up. "Sam's mom is working late tonight and Sam will need to stay with us again. I was thinking, since Mrs. Puckett will be gone all evening, maybe you and Freddie could go over and spirit proof her apartment. I don't want Sam leaving the apartment until she's completely better."

"Sure, I guess. But I feel weird breaking into Sam's apartment when no one is there," Spencer pointed out.

"I can give you my keys," Sam mumbled as she slurped up a strip of steak into her mouth. "It's not breaking in if I give you the keys and my permission. But you also need to stop by the church to get some more holy water first and you'll need to get more salt as well."

"No problem," Spencer replied. "Freddie and I should be able to knock it all out in about an hour, including the errand run. Your apartment isn't as big. We can go as soon as he gets home from school."

We finished the delicious meal and then helped Spencer with the dishes. After we were done we decided to watch some Girly Cow, while Spencer worked on a sculpture in his room. I cuddled into Sam on the couch as we watched, but a few minutes later, I noticed Sam shifting uncomfortably. She seemed off. I couldn't tell what it was, but something seemed to be bothering her.

"Do you want a pillow?" I asked her.

"Um, no. I'm fine," she replied nonchalantly.

"You seem…restless. Are you sure you're okay?"

She sighed and then said, "I'm just…kinda bothered by…my dream last night. The night terror. That's never happened to me before and it all seemed so real."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

She looked uneasy and replied, "No…it's too disturbing and I don't want to think about it. I'm just wondering what caused it."

"Well, let's see," I said as I pulled my cell out of my pocket and pulled up the search engine. I typed in 'night terrors' and quite a bit of information came up. "Okay, this says, 'Night terrors are often triggered by fever, lack of sleep, and periods of emotional tension, stress, or conflict.'"

"I think I've had all of the above," Sam said, and I nodded in agreement.

"Definitely, your battery was drained down to a critical level and you were sick with a fever. You've been dealing with all this supernatural stuff and it's all been stressful. It makes sense." I paused and looked up at her beautiful face. "Do you feel better about it now? The night terror?"

"I guess," she replied, but I'm not sure she was completely convinced. I got the feeling she felt guilty about it somehow. I slipped my phone back in my pocket and cuddled back into her side. She smiled at me and tightened her hold. Her arm was wrapped around me and she started to caress my arm lovingly. I leaned into her and we watched some more TV for a couple hours.

Eventually, Freddie came through the front door and I immediately felt Sam tense up beside me.

"Hey, what's going on?" he greeted nonchalantly. He paused when he looked at Sam. He seemed cautious. The last time the two of them had interacted, Freddie had ended up on his back on the floor and Sam had looked as if she wanted to murder him. "Hey, Sam," he went on, "uh, you feeling any better? Carly texted me saying how worried she was because you were sick."

I turned to look back at Sam. She was just staring at him with a serious expression, her eyes looking as if they were piercing Freddie. She almost reminded me of a tiger or a lion, stalking her prey. Her eyes were fixed on him and his movements, like she was waiting for an opportune time to strike out. Her muscles still seemed tense and I reached a hand out and gently touched her face, bringing her out of her trance. She finally looked over to me and I looked at her questioningly with concern. Her features softened when she looked into my eyes.

"Um, yeah, I'm feeling better," Sam finally said, her eyes shifting back to Freddie. "Carly's been taking care of me."

"Oh, good," Freddie said, still on edge, "well, I brought your school assignments for the past two days." He set down a stack of sheets on the coffee table.

Sam's POV

What the fuck is the nub thinking?! I already want to beat his ass into the ground and he's also bringing me work to do?! Does he have a death wish?! I could sense his apprehension as he took a seat on the other side of Carly. Good. I had him nervous. He should be nervous around me.

He should be shivering in his shoes.

Yes, he should. Just thinking about what he did to me the last time we were here, made me want to knock his lights out. How dare that dorky little nub try to torment me! He's nothing but a…a…

Piece of shit that doesn't deserve to live!

Yeah! What? No! That's a little extreme. But he does deserve to be afraid of me.

He deserves to be kicked in the teeth!

Yes! No, wait. What the hell? Freddie is really riling me up. I was fine until he showed up.

He ruins everything. He never liked you. He wants Carly all to himself.

I felt a rage begin to bubble up in me that came out of nowhere. I had been angry but this rage felt like it wasn't even my own. But it fueled my own anger. I watched the two of them closely as they interacted. Everything seemed fine so far. Freddie had sat down next to Carly on the couch and she'd asked him how school was. They were busy talking about boring things that I didn't care about. Then he reached over and pulled at a loose thread on Carly's jeans near her knee.

What the hell? Why is he…?

Carly lightly swatted him away with her hand and he grinned at her. Then he annoyingly grabbed the remote out of her hand, his fingers grazing hers in the process. My muscles tensed again. It's like he's trying to find any excuse to touch her. Flashes of my dream went through my head and my anger flared at picturing the two of them kissing each other heatedly. My hand formed into a fist as it rested on my thigh.

He wants to steal your girlfriend. You should strangle him!

Freddie began flipping through the channels like he owned the place and my anger increased that he felt like he could just do whatever he wanted without consequence.

"We were watching that!" I growled at him.

"Easy, Puckett. Don't blow a blood vessel," he chided. "I'm just seeing what else is on while it's on a commercial."

"Well, we don't need you to because no matter what else is on, we're going to watch Girly Cow! So, turn it back!"

"Jeez, temperamental! What's the matter? Did you not eat your daily quota of pork products today?"

That's it! The nub is asking for it!

Hit him! Kick him! Choke him!

"You know what, Benson?!" I shouted. I wanted to give into that annoying voice and hurt the nub so bad.

"What, Puckett?!"

"I've just about had it with you! Why don't you take your-"

"Stop!" Carly reprimanded the both of us, making us go quiet. "What is wrong with you two?"

"She's the wild animal that can't be tamed!" Freddie yelled.

"And you're the nub that thinks he owns the place!" I shouted back.

Stab him!

"You should be nicer to me, Sam. Now that I know how to discipline the beast, you should show me some respect."

Oh, he is just asking for it! Beat him!

"Freddie!" Carly scolded him. "You wouldn't!"

"I would!" he yelled back. He stood up and stared at me angrily and I stood up to face him. Carly also stood between us, trying to keep the peace.

Kill him!

"Sam's been tormenting me my whole life," Freddie shot back. "It's about time I have a way to torture her back." And as if to prove his point, he glared at me and shot anger and hate at me so intensely it began to give me a headache.

I grimaced in pain and gripped my head. Carly looked at me with shock and sympathy, gasping in surprise, and then she rounded on Freddie.

"Freddie, stop!" she yelled. And he immediately pulled back his negative emotions, his satisfied little smirk turned into a frown at being reprimanded. I hadn't had time to put up my mental shield. "What are you doing? How dare you do that to Sam!"

"She started it!" Freddie yelled back childishly.

"She didn't hurt you!" Carly reproached. "And you're the one invading our alone time. You didn't even knock before you came in."

"Oh, so I'm not allowed to come over anymore because you two are dating?"

"That's not what I said," Carly countered. "Why are you being like this?"

Because he's jealous!

"Because he's jealous!" I yelled and they both looked at me confused.

He hates that Carly loves you and not him!

"He hates that you love me and not him!" I continued, repeating the voice in my head. It had a point.

"I'm sure that's not true," Carly said calmly. "Is it, Freddie?" She turned back to look at him and he looked as if he'd been caught. "Tell me it's not true!" she commanded him.

His eyes shifted back and forth between the two of us nervously and he finally muttered out, "Uh…no…of course not."

We just stared at him. Me in anger. Carly in surprise. He'd been caught.

"Really?!" Carly shrieked, sounding irritated. "You're angry at Sam because I chose her over you? That's why you're tormenting her?" Freddie just stayed silent and then Carly went on. "You are so mean-spirited. And petty. And childish. And selfish! Well, you know what? It was never a competition. It was never a choice between you two. I've always loved Sam. Always! Even before we ever met you! And I've never had feelings for you! So, stop acting like Sam stole me away from you because I was never yours! And you thinking you can hurt Sam now because she's vulnerable is so cruel! That's not what a friend does!"

Freddie looked wounded. "Carly, I didn't mean-"

"I think you should get out!" Carly yelled at him. I felt pride and affection for her. And the only thing keeping me from launching myself at the nub was knowing that Carly's words were hurting him way more than my fists ever could.

Freddie's POV

Oh, shit! I've really done it this time. I just wanted to finally have the upper hand on Sam for once. I mean, she did flip me over her shoulder the last time I saw her and it hurt! Sure, I was kind of having fun torturing her a little but she's done the same to me our whole lives.

"N-No, Carly, w-wait!" I stammered out. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude on your alone time. Or to imply that I had any claim over you at all. I just…" I didn't know what to say but I was terrified of losing her as a friend. She seemed really pissed.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to!" Carly shouted at me and I could feel her wrath hit me square in the chest. I was suddenly terrified. Carly was a force to be reckoned with when she was angry.

"You're right," I said, shifting my eyes over to Sam. God, she looked like she was ready to rip me to shreds. I sighed heavily, "Sam, I'm sorry I tortured you. You've actually been a decent friend over the past couple months and I shouldn't have done that to you. You didn't deserve it. I don't know, I guess I finally got a little taste of power and I went a little overboard."

"A lot overboard!" Carly snapped.

"Yes, a lot overboard," I agreed. "But you've hurt me a lot over the years, Sam."

"I thought we were past that!" Sam growled out.

"We were," I said. "But you also hurt me the last time we were here."

"Yeah, because you were tormenting her with your negative emotions!" Carly interceded. "She shouldn't have flipped you, but you were kind of asking for it. And you've done plenty to Sam over the years as well. Why do you keep insisting on poking the bear?"

I felt wounded at that. Carly always came to Sam's defense but never to mine. Even if she was right. Okay, Carly came to my defense too, whenever Sam was in the wrong. She was always fair. It just hurt so much for the one I love to love someone else. And yes, I was jealous of Sam. She got to kiss the girl of my dreams. But I had slowly gotten used to them as a couple and was even happy for them. But my jealousy remained, unfortunately. I was angry at myself a small amount too because deep down, I knew that I didn't deserve Carly. But who did? It just hurt that Sam was the one who got to be with her.

"I'm sorry," I muttered out again, not knowing what else to say. A long awkward silence filled the room and then I gulped nervously. "Well, do you forgive me?" I asked fearfully.

Sam sighed heavily and then said, "NO! Apology NOT accepted!" My eyes shifted over to Carly's, hoping she would help me out. But she just stared at me and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You heard her!" Carly said angrily.

Oh, crap! These two girls were my best friends. I couldn't lose them. I even thought of Sam as a friend even though we'd butted heads for years. "What can I do?" I asked in a panic. "To make it up to you?"

"You want to make it up to Sam? And to me?" Carly asked. And I nodded. "You can start by going over to Sam's apartment with Spencer to spirit proof her apartment. But you'll need to get the supplies for it first."

"Done!" I said eagerly, hoping this would make us square again.

"This isn't everything," Sam said, "it doesn't mean I forgive you. I still can't trust you. And I don't feel like I ever will."

My eyes shifted to the floor. I felt bad. Sam and I had gotten closer over the past couple weeks as good friends and I totally ruined it in the blink of an eye. I'm so stupid! I didn't realize how much I had hurt Sam when I was shooting those negative emotions at her. I just thought I was annoying her, not physically hurting her. But when I saw her wince in pain, I felt bad. Now they think I'm some malicious toad.

"We were already going to ask you to do this before you made an ass of yourself," Carly added on and I didn't think I could feel any worse. "It's what a friend would do. Help out another friend."

Jeez, I got it. I'm an ass. And not a good friend. I didn't think they could drive that home anymore than they already had.

"Spencer!" Carly hollered out to her brother.

Spencer nervously poked his head from around the corner of his hallway and looked scared. He must have heard our fight. I wanted to chuckle at his expression but I felt too horrible. Spencer always seemed just as scared of Carly's wrath as the rest of us. And she was always justified in it too, so nobody could argue with her.

"Y-Yeah?" he asked timidly.

"I need you and Freddie to go spirit-proof Sam's apartment. Her mom should be gone by now," Carly replied. And then Sam dug into her pocket and pulled out her keys. She tossed them to Spencer and he caught them.

"Okay, sure," Spencer calmly said as he grabbed his coat by the door. I gave one last guilty glance to Carly and Sam and saw the hurt and awkwardness I'd caused. Then I followed Spencer out.

Carly's POV

I turned back to Sam after they had left and took her hand. "Are you okay?" I asked with concern in my voice. Sam's eyes finally shifted over to mine when she heard me speak. She had been glaring at the front door. But her eyes softened when she looked at me.

She sighed and said, "I'll live. I'm just so pissed at Freddie. I thought we were friends and then he pulls that?!"

"I know," I agreed. I had been surprised when Freddie did that as well. And to find out that he still had feelings for me and was torturing Sam because he was jealous of her, was an almost unforgivable offense. I had been ready to say goodbye to Freddie forever at that but he'd basically pleaded for forgiveness. So, I thought I should give him another chance. But it was ultimately up to Sam.

We sat back down on the couch and tried to watch the rest of Girly Cow but I could tell that Sam was still riled up and angry. After about a half hour, I gave up with TV and stood up. Taking her hand, I pulled her up and then we walked up the stairs to my room. Once we got inside, I turned to her and pulled her in for a hug. She seemed to relax in my arms.

Sam's POV

I wrapped my arms around Carly and sighed. Ever since the nub had left with Spencer, I had been so angry. I'd wanted to hit Freddie. And that damn voice in my head kept insisting on hurting him and fueling my anger. That damn thing. The voice had been quiet for a while. Carly could make it shut up somehow. For the most part. Probably because of her positivity and love. But as soon as Freddie had walked through the door, I felt like an attack dog that had just been given his orders and his prime target. Was the voice really my inner thoughts? I'd never felt this way before. Or been confused about my own feelings. Was it my abilities developing? I couldn't figure it out. Or maybe I just didn't want to. Because my suspicions about it were too terrifying if they were correct.

You just need to hit someone. Or KILL someone! You need to kill Freddie!

No, I need you to shut up! It felt like someone had gotten inside my head. Or something.

Carly pulled back from the hug to look in my eyes. "I'm sorry he hurt you," she muttered. "Can I do anything to help put you at ease?"

I could think of a few things!

Shut up!

I shook my head. "Are you sure?" Carly asked and then grinned. "Because we could make out on my bed. That might help."

Normally, I'd be all for that. But this voice thing was really getting to me. Carly took my hand and led me over to the bed. We got situated comfortably. We were laying facing each other and then Carly caressed my cheek and brought her lips to mine. I was hesitant and I'm sure Carly could sense it. She pressed her lips harder onto mine and I finally kissed her back.

I suddenly felt Carly's love and arousal and it brought on my own. I gently rolled Carly onto her back so that I was laying on top of her, our lips still locked. I pulled back briefly to look in her eyes and she smiled up at me. I smiled in return and then brought my lips back down onto hers. I kissed her gently and sensually. I could feel her arousal intensify and, in return, my own.

Hurt her!

I froze and my eyes snapped open. Oh, no! This fucking voice is not going to tell me to hurt Carly now! Telling me to hurt Freddie was one thing. But Carly? Something was definitely wrong with me. Carly kept kissing me even though my lips had gone still. I finally pulled back and looked at her. Her expression was one of surprise since I'm sure I looked afraid.

Strangle her! Force yourself on-

"Sam?" Carly asked in concern. I could feel her worry. "Are you alright?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to will the negative thoughts away. No, I definitely wasn't alright. The last little bit of my night terror dream flashed through my head and my fear went through the roof at what I might do to Carly.

Carly's POV

Sam looked at me with fear in her eyes. I'd never seen her this afraid before. Something was definitely wrong. What had happened in the last few seconds? Sam closed her eyes and shook her head like she was trying to clear her head and when she opened her eyes again, I didn't see Sam. My pulse shot up when I noticed that her eyes were black.

"Sam?" I asked in fear, my voice barely a squeak. I didn't want to believe it before when I thought her eyes had changed colors. But there was no denying it now. It felt as if Sam were gone and this was a stranger on top of me. I suddenly didn't feel emotionally connected to her anymore.

She gripped my hip firmly and then crashed her lips back onto mine. I'd never been afraid of Sam before but she wasn't herself. She kissed me roughly. I tried to push her away to say something but it just came out as a muffled moan. Her hand on my hip was starting to hurt me. She'd never been rough with me like this. After a few seconds, I felt like my lungs were going to burst from lack of oxygen and I was finally able to push her away, my hands gripping her shoulders.

We were both panting for air and I yelled, "Sam, stop!"

And then I could see her eyes flash back to blue and her facial expression was of shock and horror at what she'd just done. She squeezed her eyes shut again and shook her head like she was in pain. When she opened her eyes, they were black again and my fear increased. She smirked at me but it wasn't the cute, mischievous way Sam smirked. It was different. It was cold. I didn't recognize this person on top of me. I shuddered. Sam gripped my neck firmly and then brought her lips back down onto mine in a rough kiss.

I began to struggle underneath her, trying to push her off but Sam had always been the strongest person I knew. It was like trying to push a boulder off me. Sam's hand slipped from my neck and found its way up my shirt, gripping me roughly through my bra. It started to hurt. I couldn't cry out for help because her lips were still on mine and I was beginning to worry I would suffocate. This wasn't Sam. She would never do this to me.

She finally pulled back from my lips and I took the opportunity to suck in some much-needed air. She ripped my button-down shirt open easily and I gasped in shock.

"Sam, stop it!" I yelled trying to bring my Sam back, hot tears streaming down my face. "This isn't you!" I sobbed out. She just smirked evilly again before she ran her fingers up my stomach and chest. When her hand reached my collar bone, she accidentally grazed over the medal of St. Benedict and she flinched back in pain, giving a hiss, like it had suddenly burned her. Then I saw her eyes turn back to blue and her expression shifted in an instant.

"Oh, God! What did I do?" Sam asked in fear, her eyes wide. She looked afraid and devastated at what she'd just done.

"Sam?" I asked still panting, wanting to know what the heck just happened, but relieved that she was back.

She just shook her head and then quickly climbed off of me. She sat up and then pulled on her shoes.

"Sam, what just happened?" I asked, still trying to catch my breath and buttoning my shirt back up. "What was that? You didn't even seem like yourself." She didn't answer me. She just stood after she'd gotten her shoes tied and headed for the doorway. "Sam, wait! Where are you going?" I desperately needed to find out what was going on. The fear I'd previously felt began to dissolve and was suddenly replaced with worry about what was happening to her. And I also knew that Sam must feel horrified and guilty about what she just did.

I followed her down the stairs, trying to get her to stop and talk to me the whole time but she didn't say anything. And I was extremely afraid. She stopped at the front door to pull on her jacket and grab her backpack.

"Sam, look at me!" I commanded and grabbed her face in both hands, forcing her to look me in the eyes. Her eyes were still blue but they looked slightly clouded.

"I can't, Carls," she mumbled like she was in a daze. "I have to go! Now!" And she slung her backpack over her shoulders.

"Why? We need to talk about this! Sam, what just happened?"

"Carly…don't follow me," she insisted calmly. "I-I just need to be alone for a while."

"No, things always go bad when we're separate. You need to stay. We need to figure this out."

"No!" she yelled at me and it made me halt in my tracks. Her eyes flashed black for the briefest of seconds and then turned blue again. "Just stay away from me! I'm not safe!" She looked like she was fighting for control. But control of what? She opened the front door to leave but I grabbed her arm, spun her around, and pulled her in for a sudden kiss, trying to make her stay. Trying to bring the old Sam back in full. And make her realize that we needed to face this together. After a few seconds she pushed me away abruptly.

"Don't!" she yelled. "Stay away from me! I can't be with you!"

And my face contorted into fear and sadness. I was devastated. Why was she pushing me away? What was happening? Why wouldn't she talk to me? Or kiss me? I felt like I already knew the answer but didn't want to admit it. She pulled the door open and started down the hall. I breathed out a desperate, "Sam," and followed her out. Her words had me terrified. Where was she going? What was she planning to do? I started to go after her but she stopped when she saw Freddie coming down the hall.

"Hey. Spencer dropped me off after we spirit-proofed your apartment, Sam. He went to go get some groceries," Freddie mumbled before going silent. He looked afraid of Sam again. He must have seen the upset look in her eyes. And I'm sure she was still angry at him from before. I was suddenly worried what she might do to him.

Nothing was said as she shoulder-checked him, slamming her shoulder into his hard as she passed by him.

"Ow!" Freddie yelped in pain. He just looked at her with a stunned expression as she walked past him and down to the elevator. I was glad that's all she did to him. I knew she had been holding back. I stepped up beside him as he rubbed his shoulder. He was about to approach her but I put a hand on his arm, stopping him. I watched as Sam entered the elevator and then hit the button for the doors to close. She didn't look back at us the whole time. "What the hell was that about?" he asked.

"Freddie, we have a serious problem!"

AN: And here's my 100th plea to review. Come on. I know you can do it! Just hit that little button that says, "Review" or "Comment", depending on which site you're reading this on. It's actually more than 100 pleas, most likely. But who's counting? Come on! Make my day and review! Hopefully, a good one! If it's bad, please don't hurt my feelings. I'll be too sad.