iGroovy Smoothie

The two couples occupied the far corner booth at the Groovy Smoothie, enjoying the relative peace and quiet that came from choosing a relatively obscure time to wander in for an early lunch.

Carly, Sam, Shelby, and Wendy sat and talked, doing all they could to attract as little attention as was possible. Carly rested her head on Sam's chest, stretching out in the booth with Wendy doing the same against Shelby on the opposite side. They each completed the other and fit together comfortably. Carly yawned sleepily, despite the fact that it was barely lunchtime. She turned a sleepy eye to her friend, who had to be the only person in the history of the Groovy Smoothie besides T-Bo foolish enough to pair a Strawberry Splat smoothie wit a large kosher dill pickle. Normally, Carly would have found the image quite revolting; knowing that Wendy was with child, it seemed to make sense. Sam Puckett, who had spent her formative years eating just about anything, spoke up, knowing that Carly wouldn't.

"Honestly? That's more than a little gross, Wendy…"

Shelby's partner had now moved on to alternating between her own onion rings and Shelby's fries. Shelby shot her new friend a look and raised her eyebrow.

"Just wait… You'll see…"

Carly muttered sleepily in Shelby's direction.

"Can't… Mama Puckett's food…"

She never finished the thought. Sleep overtook her as she snuggled deeper into Sam's chest. Sam thought that this was instantly adorable, precious, unnerving, and slightly inappropriate. She worried unnecessarily over Carly since officially becoming Mama Puckett. If nothing else, she wanted the next nine months to be the easiest and most pampered of her prissy little Cupcake's life.

Shelby smirked at the blonde.

"Wendy does that a lot. Are you nervous?"

Sam denied it.

"Come on, Puckett, you can level with me. It's okay if it scares the hell out of you. I'm not a hundred percent cool with all of this myself, but it's what I signed on for."

Sam nodded, both in approval and understanding, but also to let Shelby know that Wendy was zoning out.

Shelby hadn't initially noticed her partner's breathing growing shallow, but Sam was right – Wendy's eyes were fluttering as she fought a losing battle with her eyelids. Shelby gently ran her finger along Wendy's cheek, wiping away a dab of barbecue sauce. Sam Puckett stifled a laugh.

"Shut up, Puckett…"

The playful banter continued between the former frenemies for a long moment, content in the knowledge that that part of their life was behind them. They would now strive to be fast and lifelong friends. They both knew that their partners – and their unborn children – would demand it of them.

AN HOUR AND SEVERAL CHEESEBURGERS LATER…

Carly stirred sleepily, finally waking completely. She had forgotten where she was. Waking to Shelby Marx, Wendy, Freddie, and Melanie gave her quite a start. The first voice she heard as her eyes came in to focus belonged to her sister-in-law.

"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty…"

Carly was confused as heck.

"Mel? Freddie?"

Melanie offered an explanation as her husband was gawking over Shelby Marx, who, for whatever reason, had greeted him with 'How's it hangin', Raisin Toast?'. Melanie knew that Shelby Marx and Wendy were a couple, but anyone that close to her man made her momentarily forget her manners. She glared at the prizefighter. It took her husband's eyes to remind her why they had shown up in the first place. Melanie had wanted to bring Sam and Carly several advance copies of her CD and Sam had texted her, saying that they were at the Groovy Smoothie. Melanie figured that lunch with her husband and sisters was reason enough to break away from a meeting with her accountant, lawyer, and agent. Mythical Melanie had officially become a State of Washington corporation.

Carly didn't want to move from the comfortable space she'd burrowed in to Sam's chest, but she knew that she needed to be sociable. She looked to Melanie with sleepy eyes and spoke is the soft, lilting voice that only Sam typically heard.

"Hey…"

Melanie smiled and forced her way in next to her sister.

"Scoot, Samantha…"

Shelby Marx stifled a laugh.

"Twins… never would've thought the world was a big enough place for more than one of you, Puckett…"

Freddie pulled a chair alongside the table, close enough to Melanie to reach out and take her by the hand. Wendy spoke next, by far more awake than Carly. She was doing her very best to make friends with Sam's twin sister, whom she'd only met at the wedding.

"You know, you're so lucky… so far as boys go, you've got one of the best."

Melanie flashed a million-dollar, perfect smile.

"Thanks, Wendy… So how are you?"

"Sleepy and hungry all the time, but I'm doing okay… Do you two want kids?"

The color drained out of Freddie Benson's face at the mere mention of children. He would love them, of course, but it was still not a comfortable subject, considering present company. Melanie interjected, knowing that her man was less than keen on the subject. She deflected it as diplomatically as she could.

"You know, right now, it's just not even a consideration… between school and music, I don't really feel like I have time for me and Freddie – although I promise I'll be the best Auntie I can be…"

Sam shot her sister a wry smile. She put her down the only way she dared now – totally tongue-in-cheek.

"But of course! You always have to be the best at everything!"

Shelby still didn't know the dynamics of the Puckett twinship well enough to know that this was now the way that Sam and Melanie played with one another, so she simply held her tongue. Melanie Benson had become one of Shelby and Wendy's new favorite people simply by virtue of the fact that she spoke her mind and had a wonderfully upbeat personality. She simply seemed to complement the rest of the group quite nicely.

Wendy was admiring the CD that Melanie had just set in the center of the table. The blonde had passed additional copies to her sister, Carly, Shelby, and her husband. Each of these was personally inscribed, to their respective owners.

It took a second for it to register in Carly Shay's brain that Mama was crying. She craned her neck at an awkward angle to look up into Sam's face. There were fat tears rolling down Sam's cheeks. She had just read the liner notes.

For my sister –

I love you Samantha, I am all that I am because of you.

Mel

Sam Puckett loved her sister and was surrounded by everyone who meant anything to her. After years on the wrong side of the tracks, Seattle's only ninja was beginning to feel what it meant to belong.