Against All Odds

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

Chapter 24 (What Really Matters)

Spencer sat on his bed, burying his face in his hands and groaning in frustration. He knew his mother was right, he should accept their help, but he just couldn't do it. There was too much at stake, his pride was one of those things. They also had friends here, if he accepted his family's help, it would mean moving. Sure, they deserved to see Blake, to meet Sasha. Of course they did, Sasha was a wonderful woman and they would all love her just as much as he did.

Then again, accepting help wouldn't mean moving, it would mean having them send him money. Just like his dad sent him money. He couldn't stand to make them do that. It would be a repeat of where he was before, and he hated the thought of that! He was conflicted however, was he doing more harm than good? He had to think of Sasha, Blake, and Carly, not about himself. This couldn't be about himself.

"Spencer?" He looked up as Sasha walked through the door. She looked concerned for him, but he couldn't help to wonder, just why was she so concerned? Why did she not just leave him again? She loved him, maybe that was it. He was indeed a lucky man, considering she came back to him and was standing by his side through all this. "Are you okay?" She moved beside him and sat down, putting her arm around his shoulders.

"Do you think I'm being…I don't know…stupid?" He probably ought to start by making sure there wasn't a way his dad could manage to access his computer, among other things. "I mean sure I could ask Mom for money, but I don't want to end up relying on her or Uncle Ken for money. I want to rely on myself." He felt this talk was redundant, that they'd had this conversation a million times before. Sasha exhaled and lifted her shoulders.

"I think you know where I stand on that issue. I think you're spending too much time worrying about how you look to us when you should be more concerned about taking care of Blake and Carly." He turned his eyes down to his feet and tensed, realizing that he really was being an idiot. His pride was getting in the way, and he loathed it. "It isn't your fault. I understand it's because your father's affected you the way he has, that you want to make money on your own…"

"I really do. I'm more afraid that if I ask Mom or Uncle Ken for money, it'll just be asking them for money."

"So don't." He raised an eyebrow and stared at her, stunned by her words. Don't ask for help? She took a deep breath and leaned back, moving her hands to her lap and folding them over each other. "Don't beg for money. If that's your concern, if you're afraid of falling into the loop where you're just using another relative for money, then don't do it. However, I wouldn't be against asking for any kind of help whatsoever. Maybe ask them to help look for a job, if they can find one for you. You can't just put them off. Maybe things will get easier now that we're not living in fear of Mr. Clayton, but then again, I'm not sure it's truly safe to say such a thing."

"Considering where we are."

"Where we are is fine for the time being. Until you can get a job, until we have enough money to live anywhere else, this will do. No matter what, I'll always stand beside you." He smiled half-heartedly, almost wondering if she was being honest with her words. She seemed to be, but what if love was truly just a fickle thing? She seemed to note the concern in his eyes, as her face fell and her hand lifted up to his cheek. He sank into her chocolate brown gaze and slowly breathed in through his nostrils. "You'd be right to question, I guess, but…I left you once before and it was a terrible mistake. Believe me when I tell you that I will not make that same mistake twice. I love you, and I'm not going anywhere this time."

His heart jumped to his throat and his body slowly began to heat up. His cheeks burned with the intensity of the sun and he slowly moved his hands to her waist, not really thinking about what he was doing. He was locked in place, stuck with her, it would seem. Those words of hers, they meant more to him than anything else in the world. Confirming her trust, confirming her love for him, sure she'd said them before since she'd been back, but he felt like their impact was stronger now than ever.

Assuming she truly meant what she'd said, maybe she would follow him to the ends of the earth. He sure didn't want to test that limit, though. He didn't want to test her. He wanted to do right by her, whatever that was. He leaned forward, carefully guiding his lips to hers. She shut her eyes and moved her arms around his neck, returning the passion, accepting him. In an act, defying the rationality of the situation they were in, throwing everything into the wind, they fell back onto the bed. It would seem, they had forgotten where they were, what they were doing. His thoughts abandoned him, all logic gone, all they could do was conform with the flames surrounding them, giving in to their passion.

Several minutes later, the couple left the room hand in hand. Both, their cheeks red with embarrassment. He would be glad to admit that he didn't feel so bad now, but he wasn't happy with what they had just done while his grandfather and little sister were still in the house. It was rude, it was ignorant, but at the same time, it felt so right.

When they entered the living room, they saw Travis bouncing Blake on his knee and Carly typing on the computer. Travis looked up at them and smiled, a knowing look gleamed in his eyes. Spencer had to turn away, feeling a great since of guilt. He wasn't sure just how to admit to their act, or if he should just ignore it altogether. "Are you feeling better, Spencer?" Travis asked with a curious, playful smirk. Carly looked up from the computer and hopped out of the chair. She put her hands to her hips and tapped her foot at her brother, which didn't make him feel much better.

"Sasha comforted me a bit, yeah." She was a true woman, she knew how to make him feel much better. He couldn't lie and say he didn't feel ecstatic, but at the same time, he just couldn't simply say how he felt. "I'm sorry for getting so upset earlier. I just-" Travis put his hand up and Spencer paused, waiting as his grandfather stopped bouncing his knee. Blake curled up in the old man's arms and closed his eyes, tired.

"You have a lot to think about, it's understandable." Travis hugged his great grandson and gazed softly at the boy. "You have a precious gift, Spencer. Something not many can have. You have the love and loyalty of a woman, who loved you so much to come back to you, bringing you your son, and to stay with you despite the rough seas. You have a caring sister who wouldn't trade you for the world, then there's that friend of yours who let you have this house. You have a family that loves you and trusts you to lead them, and in the end, doesn't that mean so much more than wondering about the opinions and thoughts of someone who does not appear to care at all?"

He was referring to his dad, no doubt, and perhaps he had a point. Perhaps Robert's opinions just didn't matter. Travis looked up and met his eyes. Immediately, he felt this man's wisdom reaching into him, touching him. His eyes drifted to Blake. His son, the one person in the world that probably counted on him more than anyone else. So innocent, unable to do anything for himself, of course he would turn to his mother and father for guidance.

How much time did they have, again? A couple months, he thought. Their funds were drying up, the economy was hell, and no place around seemed to be hiring. His hands started to shake and sweat ran down the side of his face. He felt Sasha's hand upon his shoulder and slowly met her doting, loving eyes. With a deep, brave voice, he closed his hands and turned to his grandfather. "Grandpa, you know I don't want to ask you, Mom, or Uncle Ken for money…"

"Yes, I do understand that." Travis looked up and pat Blake's back very gently. Spencer turned his eyes to his son and gently bit his lip. Carly lowered her arms and Sasha watched him in silence. His thoughts were on all of them in this moment, and the fear was truly overwhelming. This situation was so dire, like nothing he'd ever felt before. He had to do something to protect them.

"I don't want to end up mooching off of you. It's not something that I can do. Not after I did that with my dad, not after the things that happened with him. I understand that you all offered, and maybe…maybe just this once…I'll ask if I could borrow some money from you." Sasha's eyebrows lifted as Spencer slowly moved forward. He felt like he was about to fall to his knees, his legs were trembling worse than a leaf in a tornado.

He watched Travis's lips curl up into a smile and put his hands together at his waist. "Grandpa. For my son, for Sasha and Carly. I don't want to ask for much, but just enough…enough to last us a couple months at least. I can, and will pay you back when I get a job."

"I am your grandfather, you don't have to pay me-"

"I will do it, just…just because I know it's the right thing to do. I know I don't want to mooch because I want…I want to show them that I can take care of them, but, I can't do it with nothing to start off with." He moved forward once more, lifting his hands up and revealing his palms. "I don't even want to ask, honestly, I feel like it's just…it's not how my mother would have raised me, you know?"

"No, you're right." Travis breathed out and slowly stood up. Blake moved his arms around his great grandfather's neck and remained snoozing on his chest. The elder moved one free hand in his pocket and slowly pulled a check for Spencer, much to his shock. "Your mother wouldn't want you to ask for money if you didn't need it. You do need it, Spencer. No…you don't need this money. Your son, your sister, your fiancé, they need it."

Then it hit him, just how devastating this pride of his had been. So worried about what his father would have thought, he'd truly forgotten that he wouldn't be accepting money for himself. "Y-Yeah, they do."

"To add to that, both Jessica and Ken had offered money for you, but you turned them down. I had this check written out on my way to Seattle, but only should you get past your stubbornness and see the real picture here. You're not the only one that matters, and to yourself, you should not be the first person on your mind."

"I know…" How could one feel guiltier than they already were? He eyed the check in his grandfather's hand and tears started to well up in his eyes. He looked to Sasha, then to Carly, both of whom were stunned into silence. "I'm sorry guys, I shouldn't have been so…wrapped up in my own pride…" He moved his eyes to his grandfather's and hesitated to reach up as Travis held the check out to him. For a moment, the elder moved his hand back in and shook his head.

"To stress a point, I've made the check out to your lovely fiancé." Spencer blinked and Sasha's cheeks turned a bright cherry color. He smiled and closed his eyes as Travis handed the check to Sasha. "Now because I only have a certain amount of money in my account at a time, the rest either in the Market or in Savings, I'm afraid I'm only able to give you a limited amount of funds. However, if you spend it wisely, I believe it can last you until you can get a job."

Sasha took a look at the check and gasped, she was moved to tears. Spencer leaned over and stared at the check with wide eyes, Travis had given them four thousand dollars! It was a lot for Travis to give, Spencer knew this, the old man rarely had more than six thousand dollars in his bank account at one time. Everything else was either in his retirement funds, his life savings, and more.

Now, to someone who usually had a good supply of money, this didn't seem like a lot. However, having calculated that monthly total in his monthly expenses, this money could last at least four months. That equaled out to be a lot for them. He was adamant against spending this gift on anything but important dues.

"G-Grandpa, four thousand?" Carly's eyes widened and for the moment, she looked ready to faint. Travis slowly nodded his head and pointed to the check.

"Buy a car and spend it carefully. Don't waste it on menial expenses. It needs to last you a good amount of time before it dries up."

"I-I don't know what to say…" He was so moved by his grandfather's gesture that he hugged the old man, though being careful not to squish Blake. Blake opened his eyes and smiled, despite becoming a human sandwich.

"Dada's happy?" Blake moved his arms to Spencer's neck and smiled as Spencer pulled him into his arms and smiled into the boy's eyes. They were so full of wonder, love, and innocence. They were an inspiration to him, and a reminder, of the last person he ever wanted to let down.

"Yes Blake, Dad's very happy right now."

"Yay!" The toddler cooed and Spencer laughed richly. He loved to see his son, his pride and joy, smiling so bright. There was probably nothing in the world that made a man happier than seeing the light in their children's eyes.

Well, Travis helped them out anyway, so maybe they have some time.