Christmas

It was that joyous time of the year, once again, Christmas. The panicking and desperate people swarmed the streets of Seattle, getting their last-minute shopping out of the way.

Sam sat on the fire escape watching one crash after another. These people were nuts! But she liked their little shows.

"Ah silly nubs buying late ..... Christmas......oh snap!" Sam's eyes opened wide in realization; she hadn't bought Carly's Christmas gift, or Freddie's, or Spencer's!

"What the heck am I gonna do?" Sam asked herself, worried. After thinking for a very long time, four hours to be exact, she came up with the best Christmas present ever. Her grey eyes lit up with wonder and she raced back down the stairs. Before she could exactly escape out of the building, she bumped into someone.

"Watch where you're going!" Sam growled.

"Hey, you bumped into me!" barked back a familiar deep voice.

"Freddie?"

"Sam. What's your rush? It's Christmas Eve! Wait, did you forget to buy presents this year too?" he asked, his chocolatey eyes as teasing his smirk.

"No," Sam said, indignantly. "I'm just going home to get it!"

"Alright, and I'll be waiting or else I'm going to your home and dragging you here. You're not abandoning Carly this Christmas!" Freddie said.

"Okay, sheesh. I'll be back. I promise."

"And I'll be right here to see you."

With a roll of her eyes, she walked around him and out the door.

"I am not letting them down this year." she thought.

An hour later, Freddie still sat in the same place, waiting for Sam. After the fourth time of being screeched at by Lewbert, he was getting tired.

"She's going to do the same thing this year too!"

"Who?" came a voice from behind him.

He quickly turned around and Sam approaching him. She carried a case in her hand that was long and rectangular.

"What'cha looking at Fredweird?"

"You came back!"

"No chiz!" She said and rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry I doubted you."

"I'm glad you've learned your lesson." Sam said, with a little sniff. "How about we head upstairs so I can give you guys the present!"

Freddie nodded and quietly followed her up the stairs. When they got to the hallway between Freddie and Carly's apartment, he hesitated while Sam opened the door.

"Let me go get my presents."

Sam shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat, Fredwad."

She stepped into the Shay household and the smell of Christmas cookies filled her nose, and the sound of Carly scolding Spencer was also in the air.

"No, those cookies are not only for you! Wait until Freddie and Sam get here!" Carly explained.

Spencer grumbled something, then looked up and smiled. "Sam and Freddie are here, let's eat!"

Carly turned around and smiled at where Sam stood.

"Hey guys, I'm glad you came! We're just gonna sit her and watch Christmas specials until 12 o'clock." Carly said.

Sam turned around to see Freddie, then turned back to Carly and Spencer.

"Um Carly, can give you guys my Christmas present first?" Sam asked, her voice had a strange and bashful tone to it.

Carly frowned, "Sure Sam."

Sam motioned for them to sit and then opened the rectangular box. Freddie watched as she pulled out a beautiful, and well-kept, guitar.

"You play guitar?" he asked, clearly expressing the thought of the Shay's as well as his own.

"No, I'm just carrying it around for fun. Now pipe down and listen" Sam said, regaining a bit more Sammy-ness.

All three spectators looked attentively at Sam. She began plucking a couple of notes and then she sang.

The theme of the song sounded familiar in Freddie's ears. A fake love, a blind boy oblivious to someones feelings, and so much pain. By the time Sam had finished the song, both Shay's were hugging and weeping, but Freddie was dry-eyed and teeth clenched.

Sam looked at them, then lowered her eyes.

"Merry Christmas," she said in a cracked voice. She quickly, but carefully packed the guitar.

"I've got to go." she said and rushed out the apartment.

Carly and Spencer both got up and turned to look at Freddie's dry face.

"What?" he asked.

"Please go see what's wrong."Carly said to him.

"Wh-Fine."

He stormed out the door and went directly down the stairs. And sure enough, right at the corner of the stairs stood the blond demon.

Freddie's stern face, turned soft as he looked down at the pitiful sight.

"Sam?" he asked as he sat next to her.

She didn't look up but responded, "What do you want dork?"

He took his chances and wrapped his arms around her shoulders; he expected a punch or a slap, but got something much more surprizing.

She turned towards him and hugged him, "I'm sorry. I know it wasn't the best gift ever, but.... I didn't know what else to get. I let you guys down again."

"Let us down? Sam, you're crazy, you didn't let us down," he said and burried his face into her bushy blond hair breathing in that special Sam smell.

"Really?" she asked. Hey eyelashes brushed against Freddie's neck giving him shivers down his spine.

"Of course not. Hey, I've got something for you." he cried.

She pulled away from him as he reached his hand into his pocket and extracted a small silver box.

"Merry Christmas Sam, but you've got to promise me you won't open it until I tell you." Freddie told her, even though his smile stretched from ear to ear, his eyes were masked with seriousness.

"S..sure." Sam said in a small voice as she took the present from his hand.

She got up and grabbed her guitar case.

"I've gotta go home," she said. "Mom might try to cook Frothy, or Blondie, for a Christmas feast. 'Later gator!" And with that she ran down the stairs and out of Freddie's sight.

"Merry Christmas Sam, Merry Christmas."

Hmmmm, what do you think he gave her? Why the big mystery? Why is there so much fluff?