Carly's eyes snapped open as her alarm went off and she quickly hit the snooze button. Since she had the morning shift off today she could take Freddie, and Kurt, to school and then get ready for the 12 o'clock news. She allowed herself to glance at the picture on her nightstand before getting up and preparing for the day.
She put on a pair of black dress pants and a black dress shirt and a pair of black high heels "I look like I'm going to a funeral" she muttered as she headed to Freddie's door and pounded on the door "Time to wake up" she called, "It's time for school"
Freddie's eyes opened slowly as he heard pounding on his door, then his mom's voice telling him to wake up "I'm awake I'm awake" he grumbled as he slowly pulled his blankets off of him and shook himself to try and wake up. Walking over to his dresser he pulled out a pair of jeans and a black and red striped shirt "Perfect" he muttered as he got dressed.
Five minutes later he headed downstairs to the smell of breakfast cooking "I texted Kurt, he'll be over in a few" he told Carly as he walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Turning on the T.V he browsed through the channels "Nothing good is ever on in the morning" he grumbled.
Kurt walked in just as Carly announced breakfast was done, grinning he walked over to the table and sat down "Morning Aunt Carly" he said cheerfully.
"Dude, how are you so cheerful in the morning?" Freddie asked as he sat beside his best friend and shook his head.
"Coffee, a lot of it" Kurt replied dryly.
"That stuff is gross!" Freddie exclaimed as his plate was filled with bacon, eggs, and toast. "Whoa Mom, What did we do to deserve an awesome breakfast like this?" he asked grinning.
"I know you probably eat cereal or something when I can't take you to school, so I decided to make a nice breakfast for you and Kurt today" she replied as she handed Kurt his own plate.
"Wow, you need to get the mornings off more!" Both boys exclaimed happily as they dug in.
While they ate Carly picked at her plate, yesterday's events finally catching up with her, a weary sigh escaped her lips and she finally started eating.
After breakfast she dropped the boys off at school and looked at her watch, she has a lot of free time before work, With a sigh she pulled off the main highway, deciding to talk to the one person who she could always count on.. Spencer.
She pulled up to Spencer's at 8:30 just in time to catch him leaving and walked up to him "Spencer!" she shouted.
"Yeah?" he asked curiously.
"Sam's back" she said in a hushed tone and grabbed his arm "We got into a fight and.. I think Freddie suspects something and I just don't know what to do"
Spencer nodded and smiled sympathetically "I think you should consider telling him the truth Sis.. He's old enough he needs to know"
Carly looked surprised for a moment before nodding "I guess so" she said softly, "But I don't even know where to begin"
"That's something you'll have to figure out!" he said quickly "I'm gonna be late" glancing at his watch he tugged out of her grasp and headed to his car.
"Some things never change" she muttered with an amused smile before heading back to her care, thinking about what he had said.
Freddie and Kurt walked into school and headed to their lockers, which happened to be right next to each other, and Freddie glanced at Kurt "My mom was acting weird last night man, I don't know what happened but she seemed.. Depressed"
"What do you mean? Your Mom is always the most upbeat person I know dude" Kurt said, "Did you ask her about it?"
"Yeah, she said she was just tired but.. I don't know, I thought I heard crying last night Kurt, I'm worried" Freddie replied as he shut his locker and leaned against them.
"You don't think it has to do with your father do you?" Kurt asked curiously, shutting his locker and turning to face Freddie "I mean, the only time I've ever seen your mom sad is when someone brings him up"
Freddie nodded sadly, talking about his father had always been a touchy subject since he'd never met the man, "But I mean, it's not like it's her fault he walked out on he-"
"Whoa man, How do you know he walked out? From what I heard your dad would do anything for your mom, I don't think he walked out" Kurt said hurriedly
"Well then where is he?" Freddie asked, his voice low but full of emotion "I mean, Where has he been for the last thirteen years? Why doesn't my mom talk about him?"
Kurt listened and sighed, he felt sorry for his friend, "Listen man. I'm sorry about your dad, if I can help you find out anything I will.. But right now we need to focus on school, we're gonna be late for first period."
"You're right" Freddie said with a sigh, "I'll talk to my mom after school.. Sort out this mess"
Kurt grinned "That's my boy!" he said and patted him on the back "Meet you in second period" he said before running off to go to class.
After Kurt left Freddie reopened his locker and put his books back, realizing he'd grabbed the wrong books, as he rummaged through the books and papers he felt someone bump into him.
"Hey watch it!" A feminine voice came from behind him.
"You bumped into me" he retorted and turned around to find a blonde girl standing there, arms crossed over her chest.
A playful smirk appeared on her face as she studied him "Okay, so maybe I did.. What're you gonna do about it?" she asked
He shrugged "It was no big deal" he said and closed his locker, "I'm Freddie.. Freddie Benson Jr."
"Jr.? Why Jr.?" she asked curiously.
"I share my Dad's name" he said, sadness creeping back into his voice
"Oh, that's cool.. Benson.. That sounds kinda familiar" she said with a shrug "Anyway, I'm Carly.. Carly Puckett"
"Wait, Carly? That's my mom's name!" he said laughing, "That's.. Weird"
"So what? Anyway.. It's nice to meet you" Carly said, suddenly turning shy.
Freddie looked confused for a moment but nodded "Nice to meet you too..?" he said. "Listen, I need to get to class.. You're new here aren't you?" he asked.
She nodded "Yup, so how about you show me round?" she asked, moving a bit closer to him.
"Alright alright" he said "Just uh, take a step or two back?" he asked as she stood right in front of him.
"Make me" she challenged and grinned.
"Alright then" he said, though made no move to do anything, "What's your first period?" he asked.
"Uhm.. History" she said looking at her schedule.
"Oh cool, that's my first period.. This way" he said nodding his head to the right and turning to head to class.
"Cool" Carly grinned as she followed him to class.
Freddie sighed again, thinking this day couldn't get any stranger.
Carly Shay pulled into the news station at eleven thirty. Leaning back in her seat she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to relax, she'd spent her entire free time driving until she'd ended up at Bushwell Plaza. Fighting back the urge to yawn she sat up when Sam tapped on her window. She rolled down her window and looked at Sam with a curious expression.
"Hey Carly" she said, her voice empty of any emotion, "Can we talk about.. Yesterday?" she asked.
"I'd rather pretend it didn't happen" Carly said softly, " Just please Sam.. Ignore it"
"No, I won't" Sam said stubbornly, "We were best-"
"Were Sam" Carly said, "Key word is were... You made your choices Sam, we all did"
"I refuse to believe that Carly, What's really bothering you?" she asked.
"You! I told you yesterday, you don't get to come back after all these years and pretend nothing's changed" She said.
"Listen to me Carly!" Sam practically shouted "I made mistakes, but I'm asking for forgiveness.. Please, I've missed you Carls"
"I.. I need to think about it" she snapped, "I need to get ready for work" she said, trying to calm herself down as she got out of her car and headed inside.
The news broadcast was a disaster with the obvious tension between the two co-anchors and Carly sighed in relief when the show was over.
Carly and Sam, to no one's surprise, weren't going to be on the evening news so they could go home right after the staff meeting. Carly glanced at her watch and smiled as she noticed she might just make it home before Freddie did. The meeting was about the usual, discussing budget cuts and what this might mean for the various reporters.
"Carly, we have an opportunity for you" her boss announced "We need someone to go out into the field and report on the new factory opening on the outskirts of town tomorrow, Think you can do it?"
"Of course!" She said excitedly, she'd been dreaming of going out into the field and doing some on scene reporting "Count me in!"
"Good, be there at 10:30 A.M sharp Miss Shay" he said, "Meetings over, anyone who doesn't need to be here, please leave."
Carly headed home quickly, eager to get home before her son, and fixed herself a quick lunch since she'd skipped it at work, a quick and easy to make lunch of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and decided to relax and watch some T.V.
Freddie walked in at 3:10 and smirked to himself when he saw his mother napping on the couch. Quietly sitting on the ground he grinned and poked her arm.
Carly jumped and looked around "Wha-?" she asked, wiping her eyes with her hands "What time is it?"
"Three ten" he said, "You fell asleep"
"Oh, I'm sorry.. I guess I was tired" she said with a yawn.
"It's fine, look Mom.. Can we talk?" he asked curiously
Carly nodded "You know you can talk to me about anything Freddie"
Freddie sighed and leaned forward, not sure where to begin, "I want to know what happened to Dad Mom, you told me you would explain when I'm older.. Well I'm older"
Carly nodded and sighed "Alright.. You want to know.. You have the right to know" she said. "Do you remember the hero story you loved so much as a kid?"
Freddie nodded "Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" he asked curiously.
"The three characters in that story were Your Dad, our friend Sam, and me" Carly said smiling, "We hosted a web show named iCarly, named by your father who would have done anything to gain my attention, and.. things went well for awhile"
Freddie looked at her, speechless, and nodded. The story he'd grown up with had actually been the story of his parents "He.. You guys eventually got together though, didn't you?" he asked
Carly nodded "You remember the story, good" she continued, "That'll save me some time.. As you know Sam kind of drifted apart from us after your father and I started dating"
Freddie nodded "Yeah, she was your best friend.. Why'd she leave?" he asked.
Carly shrugged "maybe she didn't want to be a third wheel.. Maybe she felt jealous, I always suspected that she had feelings for your father, either way after she left your father and I decided to end iCarly because it just wasn't the same without Sam."
"Why wasn't it?" Freddie asked, ever full of questions.
Carly sighed and smiled "You're just like your father" she said, "We just.. We weren't the iCarly trio anymore and the show wasn't the same" Carly sat back on the couch and closed her eyes, letting the memories she'd tried so hard to forget. "Your father and I's relationship flourished after that.. I think it was because we didn't have to worry about Sam being left out, and soon he asked me to marry him"
Freddie felt guilty when he heard the sadness in her tone 'This must be so painful for her' he thought guiltily as she continued.
"The night he asked me to marry him he took me to an amazing restaurant, it was one of the classiest in town, and we had an amazing dinner.. I almost tackled him to the ground when he proposed" she said.
"Then, if you were so happy.. What happened?" he asked suddenly "Where is my father?"
"Your father was a brave man, a hero.. I know I told you the hero's lived happily ever after but they didn't" she said sadly "On the way out someone mugged us, your father tried to stand up to them and he was shot"
Freddie froze, his mind putting two and two together "he died didn't he?" he asked.
Carly nodded, letting the tears fall "Y-yes.. T-The ambulance it.. It didn't get there on time" she said sadly.
Freddie scooted over to his mom and hugged her tightly "I'm so sorry Mom" he whispered softly, letting his own tears fall as his mom hugged him back "You must miss him so much"
"I do.. I miss him every day, but it's okay because even when he's not here he's watching out for me" she whispered "He gave me you"
Freddie nodded and pulled away "I.. I'm gonna go do my homework" he said quickly and headed upstairs, needing to be alone for awhile.
Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter! I had a bit of a rough time with this one, but I think it turned out okay. Im really working on the next chapter of Trust and the sequel to iRealize I promise, just having a bit of writers block. Thanks to PD31 for beta reading this and as usual I don't own iCarly.