Disclaimer: Please see prologue.
Summary: Sequel to iLove the Dark. How have Sam and Freddie's lives progressed since they got together?
iHave Everything: Chapter 08 - Shattering:
-o-
Shatter (Verb)
To smash into pieces
To destroy hope or belief
To shock or distress someone badly
-o-
A few days later:
"I'll get it!" Cat yelled as the Benson's doorbell chimed. She jumped up from the sofa and darted from the room, returning moments later with Carly Shay in tow.
"Hey," The brunette greeted everyone, tossing her small suitcase onto a nearby arm chair and pulling Cat and Beck into a hug before releasing them to hug Robbie. She spotted Freddie over his shoulder. The tech-wiz was lying face down on the couch, one leg dangling off and his face buried in his crossed arms.
"How long has he been like that?" she asked Beck quietly.
"A while,"
"I wish I could've gotten here sooner."
"I'll buy you a private jet for your next birthday." Beck chuckled, "You're here now."
"Yeah," Carly nodded and walked over to the couch, kneeling down by Freddie's head.
"Freddie," she placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently.
He gave a few unintelligent grunts before looking up at her. He blinked unsurely and then his eyes widened in recognition.
"Carly," he exclaimed, shooting off the sofa to kneel in front of her and throwing his arms around her. She laughed and hugged him back fondly.
"It's good to see you," she smiled.
"I've missed you,"
"I've missed you too." She held him at arm's length, looking him over with a scrutinising expression.
"When was the last time you ate?"
"About... yesterday?"
"Morning?"
"Yeah." Freddie braced himself as if expecting her to start screaming. He relaxed a little when all she did was put her hands on her hips.
"Have you slept at all?"
"Maybe... I dunno, I think so."
"Okay," Carly sighed. "Beck, could you run down the road and pick up some pizzas?"
"Sure," Beck saluted her and left the room.
"Freddie, go take a shower, change your clothes, shave. You'll feel better."
"Yes ma'am." Freddie stumbled to his feet and wandered through the door.
Cat dropped onto Robbie's lap, flinging one arm around his neck and he looped his arms loosely around her waist. Carly kicked her shoes off and sat down beside them.
"Do we have any idea where Sam and Jade have disappeared too; any idea at all?"
"No," Cat shook her head glumly, "Jade and Beck got home and Jade left again immediately."
"Neither of them are answering their phones," Robbie added, "and we've tried tracking them but they've changed their passwords."
"Okay, so what do we know?"
"Sam went straight to Andre's and Jade met her there. Sam's car is still at his so they must be travelling in Jade's. Andre's bringing Sam's car back this evening and Beck's gonna take him home and stay with him in case the girls go back there."
"Okay," Carly tilted her head, chewing on her lip thoughtfully. Cat and Robbie sat watching her silently, Cat fiddling absently with the hem of her dress. Robbie shifted her slightly, shuffling her closer to his chest. She rested her head against his.
Carly dug through her handbag, extracting her mobile and dialling a contact.
"Hey Annie," She chirped, "Good thanks, you?" "Great. Is Sam with you?" "We've got a bit of a situation." "She's fine... sorta." "She and Jade have run away; she broke off her engagement with Freddie and took off. We're all worried sick." "Okay, thank you." Carly hung up and turned to the other two.
"That was Sam's cousin Annie. She's going to put out feelers, see if she can locate them. She'll let us know if she finds anything."
"Rad," Robbie sighed and flopped back against the couch, Cat falling with him. She squeaked loudly and smacked his chest. He chuckled and kissed her forehead.
Carly laughed softly, standing from the couch, "I'm gonna try Sam again," She walked out of the room, heading for the garden and settled herself on the swinging seat on the patio.
"Hi Carls," Sam's voice greeted her cautiously through the phone.
"Sam where are you?" Carly exclaimed, sitting bolt upright in surprise. There was a long pause and then Sam exhaled heavily.
"He called you?"
"No, Beck did."
"Oh,"
"Sam, I've never seen you so happy as the moment Freddie proposed to you, why would you walk away from that?"
"I... he sai... I just, I can't be related to that woman.
"Don't blame this on his family, why did you run away?"
"Because he's just such a m-"
"Why Sam?"
"Because he chose her!" Sam blurted suddenly, and then drew in a shaky breath.
"...what?" Carly asked, obviously confused.
Sam sighed once more and Carly's heart hurt at how tired she sounded.
"I know he loves me Carls, but part of him is always gonna see me the way his mother does. Every time I go near him he wonders whether I'm going to kiss him or hit him."
"That's total crap Sam and you know it. Freddie stopped being scared of you a long time ago; maybe you're scared of him."
"I'm not scared of anything."
Carly didn't grace that with a response.
"I have to go."
"Don't you dare hang up on me!" Carly ordered and Sam huffed resignedly.
"I'm not coming back." She reiterated.
"At least tell me where you are."
"No, 'cause you'll come and try to talk me home."
"Of course I will. As your BFF it's my job to make sure you're happy, even if I have to make you unhappy to do it."
"Huh?"
"When you realise how stupid you're being, call me with your location and I'll come and pick you up."
"Jade's with me, she has her car."
"I know. Tell her I want a word with her when you return."
Sam got no chance to say anything else as Carly hung up on her.
"That didn't sound like a friendly chat." Robbie spoke from behind her and Carly started.
"Sorry," he grinned.
She smiled at him, waving a hand dismissively and stood up to follow him back into the house.
...
Freddie walked into the living room clad in jeans and a loose t-shirt just as Beck came through the front door with three pizza boxes balanced in his arms. Everyone relocated to the kitchen and Cat set about pulling plates and glasses out of the cupboards and placing them on the table. Carly transferred the pizzas to the plates while Beck poured drinks and then they all sat down to eat.
The doorbell chimed just as they were all finishing and Cat bounced off to
answer it.
"Oh, you're not supposed to be here." The others heard her say and then Mrs Benson walked though the doorway. Freddie glowered icily at her.
"What are you doing here?" He asked rudely.
"I'm your mother Freddie, I should be near you when you're upset."
"No, it's mostly your fault Sam left, you're not allowed in our home."
"Freddie I-"
"I'd like you to leave please." Freddie said stiffly, refusing to look at her, staring instead at the floor. Marissa looked around helplessly and Carly placed a hand on Freddie's shoulder.
"She is your mother. I'm sure she didn't mean to drive Sam away."
"Sure she didn't," Freddie spat, shaking her hand off.
"Hey, where did Cat go?" Robbie asked.
"Her phone rang and she ran upstairs to answer it." Marissa replied distractedly, inching her way forward.
"Why are you still here?" Freddie snapped.
"Freddie!" Carly scolded, and he turned to her, shrugging dismissively.
"Hear her out," Carly ordered and Freddie groaned and crossed his arms, nodding his head towards his mother in an indication she should start talking. She took a deep breath, glancing around awkwardly and Beck coughed pointedly, standing up and pulling Robbie to his feet.
"We'll be upstairs," the Canadian informed Freddie, Carly trailing them out of the room.
Cat was sitting on the bed in a guest room when the others arrived upstairs. She was staring at the wall with a blank expression, her phone clenched in her hands.
"What's wrong?" Robbie asked, rushing forward to sit beside her and throwing his arms around her.
"Jade says we have to get Sam to come home somehow. She says we have to try anything because she's out of ideas and Sam's serious about never coming back."
"CARLYYYY!" They all jumped at the sound of Mrs Benson screaming up the staircase. Carly looked around at the others for a moment before hurtling out of the room and flying down the stairs. She skidded into the kitchen and stopped dead at the sight of Freddie curled on the floor, tears streaming down his face.
She collapsed beside him and lifted his torso onto her lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
"What...?" She asked Marissa dazedly as Freddie clung to her, sobbing against her shoulder.
"Sam... Sam lost the baby." Marissa replied, sinking onto a stool.
"Oh," tears sprang into Carly's eyes and she tightened her grip on Freddie, hiding her face against the top of his head.
There were several pained gasps from the doorway and Beck, Cat and Robbie poured in, hurried across the floor and tumbled down beside the best friends, encasing them in a group hug.
At length, everyone's crying ceased and Beck and Robbie pulled Freddie up, half-dragging him into the living room and hauling him onto the couch.
He lay despondently, staring unseeingly at the ceiling. The guys shook their heads sadly and returned to the kitchen.
"What the hell are we going to do?" Carly murmured.
Everyone was silent.
Half an hour later Cat disappeared upstairs once more to take a call from Jade. Carly burst into the room in the middle of their conversation and snatched the phone from the redhead, demanding to speak to Sam who Jade reluctantly handed her phone to.
"Sam," Carly breathed, "you have to get here now. Freddie..."
"What Carly, Freddie what?" Sam asked frantically, sensing the terror in her best friend's voice.
"Freddie tried to kill himself."
There was a clunk that reverberated into Carly's ear as Sam dropped the phone.
"We'll be there A-SAP," Jade promised and then the line went dead.
Carly wordlessly passed Cat's phone back to her and slid to the floor.
To be continued...