I released Carly, who fell to the floor with a bang. She knocked her head against the edge of a coffee table, and her eyes fluttered shut. I leapt over her and ran to Carly's open front door. Sam had already fled the scene. Desperately using all of my strength, I raced down the stairs to the lobby and saw Sam pause to look at me. The tears running down her face made my heart shatter. How could I be such a heartless bastard? How could Sam love me?

I watched Sam exit the lobby, but I ran after her. Sam turned and saw me following her, which made her run even faster. I started to lose my breath, and I cursed myself for not playing sports when I was younger. This is what happens when you don't exercise enough. I couldn't bear to lose Sam now.

Using my last bit of energy, I grabbed Sam's sleeve and pulled her to a nearby alley. Before Sam could protest or scream words of hate at me, I kissed her. Sam resisted all forms of affection and stomped on my foot. I yelped in pain and stood back from her. Kissing someone to make them silent usually worked in all the movies. Dammit, Hollywood.

Sam rubbed her blue eyes and peered at me. I looked at what used to be a strong, threatening figure and found myself, not disappointed, but sad for her. Her eyes now had dark circles underneath them, her face was thin and gaunt, and her full blonde hair was now flat and filled with knots.

But what really hit me the most was her personality. Samantha would hold her head up high and not usually care about what others thought of her. She played by her own rules, and she never backed down from a challenge. Griffin, the monster, had stolen this from her. Griffin stole the life out of my love, my only one true love.

The pain in my voice was evident when I spoke. "Sam," I mumbled softly. "Why did this have to happen, Sam?"

Sam looked at me with tears in her eyes. "You...don't love me…anymore, huh Fredweirdo?" Even Sam name-calling me would never be the same. Her heart wasn't in it.

"No, Sam, that's not true," I muttered, though I knew this wasn't my Sam anymore.

Samantha Puckett glared at me and bared her teeth. "D-d-don't feel sorry for me!" she stuttered. "You think I don't know what it's like, to have gone through a change? Every day for three months I've had to be in some kind of hospital, looking in the mirror, seeing someone different? I spend every night in my bed dreaming about Griffin attacking me, or you kissing me and either one of those dreams make me break down in freaking tears!"

I tried to swallow the depression consuming me.

"You wouldn't care, though Freddie! I waited, every single day I waited for you in the hospital, hoping, praying, and waiting that you would come to visit me, at least once! I thought that maybe you were busy, and I could stand the thought but not once, not once at all for months! And then they let me out, and I thought we could work things out, and I find you running your filthy paws all over Carly, and-and-you're an asshole!"

Sam didn't break down in tears this time. Instead, she drew herself up to her full height and looked me square in the eye.

"I think this should be the last time we speak to each other."

My heart sank. "W-what about high school; we'll speak to each other then, right?" I asked desperately.

Sam shook her head, and her curls flew everywhere. "I need to shed my old life and start a new one. I only remember you, Freddie, back when my life was simple. I'm moving away. I'm sixteen and I can start a life for myself now."

Then I did something, so pathetic, so passionately, I never regret it. I couldn't live without Samantha Puckett. My life was Sam's. My heart was Sam's. I couldn't be whole without Sam. If I let her leave without putting up a fight, I'd say goodbye to ever living a full life again. Then what would I go back to? Sleeping with Carly and then changing my mind about her? I had to live with Sam. I loved her too much.

So, with every ounce of love in my heart, I knelt down on one knee and grabbed Sam's hand. Sam's eyes widened as she realized what I was planning on doing.

"Samantha Puckett," I began. "I may have been an asshole in the past, but I truly, deep down in my heart, love you more than life itself. If you were to leave, I'd always miss you. And I hope you feel the same way. Would you…marry me, Sam? Forever and always?"

I closed my eyes and waited for the no, the final blow to my cracked and broken heart. Instead, it was silent. It wasn't a yes or a no, but something unexpected, and completely different.

Sam took both of her hands and held my face, studying me. My eyes opened and rested on her face. "Freddie," she whispered. "You know I love you with every fiber in my being, right?"

I slowly nodded, though I wasn't entirely sure anymore.

Sam began to stroke my face. "Good. Now, I'm not saying no. As much as I'd love to jump in your car and get to Vegas to get hitched, you and I both have lives ahead of us. We both need careers and lives and yes, a college education."

I was starting to get Sam's point. "So…you want to wait?" It made sense, really.

"That's exactly what I want. Let's graduate and do all that crap before we start even thinking about babies or marriage or anything like that."

I was starting to see a faint Sam smile and I returned it.

"I like that," I told her. "But being sensible was never really your thing."

"Shut up!" Sam laughed and she tenderly pressed her lips against mine. I kissed her back, savoring every minute of it. Then Sam's eyebrows creased and she gave me a slight frown. "You do know that I'm…going to have some issues, right? And…I'm not…" Sam blushed and looked to the ground. "Pure anymore, okay?"

I stood up and took Sam in my arms and she started to sob again. I pressed my hands against her hair and quietly soothed her. "We can work through the issues, okay Sam? I think we can work them out in six years before we get married? And Sam…" My voice dropped and I blushed deeply. "Griffin doesn't count. Not if…it was…forced…okay? You're still special for me."

"The first girl you ever screwed," Sam said with satisfaction.

I scowled. "Let's not be vulgar, alright?"

Sam nodded. "Why do you want me?" she asked. Her voice was quiet and thoughtful again.

I answered instantly. 'You're the first and only girl I've ever really truly loved. I loved your spunk, your interests, and even though we didn't get along–"

"That's an understatement," Sam murmured.

I bobbed my head up and down. "Even though we had fights, I loved you even more for punching me and kissing me and being yourself for me. You didn't have to change to please me, and face it, you played hard to get. And I loved you for all of that. That's why I want you Sam; do you need a whole book of reasons?"

"So you didn't love Carly?"

Thanks for all the tough questions, Sam, I thought.

I shook my head. "I was infatuated with her-but I never truly loved her."

Sam gave me an approving grin. "Good-Carly's a slut."

"Are we forgetting about the vulgarity?" I asked while doing a face palm.

Sam rolled her eyes. "No, Freddie-freak."

"Hey, now that I professed my love to you and begged you to marry me, you're still going to name-call me?" I was pretty damn shocked.

"You were fine when I called you an asshole. And no, things are still going to stay the same. Ask me again when I'm mature."

I groaned. "I'm glad you didn't say yes right now. I could use a few years without marriage."

Sam touched the tip of my nose. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

We both left the alley, hand in hand.

10 years later

Well here we are, 26 years old and married. Damn, Freddie can be very picky when it comes to house shopping, but we found a nice five bedroom, perfect for our family, which consists of three kids and the both of us. We've got two prissy (gasp) girls named Maggie and Annabelle, and a boy named Charles. I'm expecting another kid, but I hope it'll be a boy or a tomboyish girl, maybe.

I wanted name the kids Bacon, Eggs, Ham and the new one Wieners, but Freddie wasn't not up for that at all. Now that I see how the children turned out, I don't blame him. I don't think Annabelle would want to be called Ham, but it's still a juicy name.

As for iCarly and her host, once we got out of high school, we never spoke to each other again. Freddie and I still wonder about what happened to that crazy little drama queen, but we just don't know anymore.

We both graduated with great grades, but I don't work as a chef anymore. I watch the kids and give them delicious meals to munch on. When they're old enough, I'll try to get my own T.V. cooking show. Freddie of course, does all of the magical technical things for T.V. shows, and he makes and damn good salary.

I never spoke to my lousy mother again, but if my suspicions are correct, she's passed out in a bar with some other man. I hope that wench hasn't brought any more children into the world.

As for that scum, Griffin, I'm pleased to say that he was eventually caught, and sentenced to life in prison. While he had escaped, he attacked many more innocent girls like me, even killing one girl. That monster will never be a free man again, thank goodness, but I can't help but think of all the other lives he's destroyed, especially the life of that one dead girl. While I feel sorry for the girl, I'm grateful that I wasn't the one who had gotten killed.

The struggles I've had to face after the after the attack have been many, and sometimes it feels like the pains are still deep and fresh. I've been able to sleep at night, but even when I get nightmares, Freddie always holds me and calms me to sleep. I've had depression, but like I said before, Freddie is my anchor.

I believe that the first months while married were the worst, though. I couldn't bear to even touch Freddie during our honeymoon, and I know it pained him, but he managed to stay strong for me. We did a honeymoon remake after a few months though, and it was one of the best nights of my life. That's all I'll say, though. My lips are sealed.

My life is finally perfect. Freddie is coming home soon, and the children are nagging me for lunch. I really love the Nub, Freddie.