The Greatest Secret

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own iCarly

A/N: WELCOME BACK! Now as you can see, yes I've duplicated 130 to put it on fanfiction's 150 marker. This is just to avoid confusion of people who haven't seen anything since then, letting people know that all the 131-147 chapters are currently blanks, so I'm continuing the story after 130 written-wise. So I'm starting off here! If you're an old reader and you don't remember much, here you go. If you're new, you may have just read 130, so good. It won't seem so confusing after a while, I promise, but just for those of you who haven't, go back one chapter to 149 and it will explain EVERYTHING. If you're too lazy to do that, I suppose I can explain here. I had a different, rushed, insatisfactory ending that I had done a year ago. It was rushed because of my ex and her mother. I hated that ending, it felt incomplete, and much different than I originally intended. So, I'm starting fresh, going the path I wanted. This chapter, Chapter 130 was the last chapter I was able to do before my ex and her mother started really influencing my time, causing me to go away from the story and being unable to work it. So here you go. Oh, and yes I've blanked out all the prior chapters, decided not to delete them because I do want people to be able to review the new and revised chapters.

Chapter 130 (The Offer)

Valerie kept her focus while cooking at Sherry's Kitchen, today was oddly the busiest day they'd ever had. Normally it wasn't so busy, they did get a full restaurant plenty of times before, but nothing like this. Every single table had to have extra chairs and sometimes even patrons from another table had to share a table with someone. All of the waiters and waitresses would be complaining of sore feet by the end of the day. Valerie, being the head chef, it was her turn to make the special of the day. Sam was next to her, making some soups for the customers.

"This place is packed," Sam said in a hushed voice. Valerie nodded her head and looked over at all the other chefs, each tried to cook well, but they were all way too hurried. They needed to slow down, food needed to be cooked with patience and care, that was what Valerie believed in. One of the waitresses, Regina, came up to the counter and spoke an order.

"I need one Chicken Fettuccini with a side order of potatoes and green beans, and a Cesar Salad to go with it, " Regina stated. Valerie nodded and gestured for Sam to get the dish. One had recently been cooked, all meals had to be cooked because of how packed the restaurant was. It was constant chaos in the kitchen for this reason alone, even cooks and waiters that had the day off had been ordered to return to work and help. Valerie had absolutely no clue why this was. All Valerie knew was what the owner said, some chef was supposed to be there. She didn't know who, and the manager had wanted to keep it a secret, but somehow it slipped out. Sam handed the waitress the order and returned to cooking.

"Any idea who the chef is and when they're supposed to get here?" Sam asked as she started to roll some dough. Valerie nodded and shrugged her shoulders, she was making sure that everyone kept calm and the fact that some important person was coming wouldn't influence anything. Everything needed to be perfect, no getting hyped up over this one person, else chaos might break out among everyone.

"I don't know, but as long as everything is in order, that's fine," she replied. Sam had to agree, she would hate for anything to go wrong. "How are your soups coming along?"

"Just great." Valerie checked out the soups and nodded, Sam was doing a great job. The temperature was right and nothing would be overflowing.

"Great." She turned and continued to work on the daily special. Everyone worked for at least five more hours before the crowd started to die down and people left. So far there was no word from the important chef. Valerie looked out among the restaurant and hummed quietly, some people could take a short break now if they needed one. "I hope that large crowd earlier didn't scare off our chef…"

"I'm sure it didn't, but even still, it's a good day for us." Valerie nodded and decided to check on how the other chefs were coming along with their food. Everyone was doing great, she was pleased, she'd be giving a good report for the boss at the end of the day. Usually at the end of every week she had to give her boss a report about how the kitchen staff did, but today was so busy that she needed to run one up anyway.

"So far so great." She smiled and walked over to Sam, it was Sam that usually tried the hardest out of the kitchen staff to make the food just right, it pleased both Valerie and the boss. "Got plenty of today's specials on the grill and the restaurant's not so crowded, so I'm going to go to take a restroom break very fast." Sam gave a nod and decided to watch over Valerie's food for her, if any waiters asked for it, she'd be sure to give it to someone.

Valerie moved into the restroom and walked into a stall, she was the only one in, she thought. After a minute, she flushed the commode and walked toward the bathroom sinks. She soaped her hands and began to cleanse them. She heard another toilet flush and glanced up in the mirror. Stepping out of one of the other nearby stalls was none other than Rachael Ray. She gasped softly and her eyes widened, she couldn't believe her idol was actually here, Rachael was the chef that was coming for a visit. She swallowed lightly and continued washing her hands as Rachael made her way to the sink.

"This is a very nice restaurant," Rachael said while soaping her hands. Valerie tried not to freeze or choke up, especially since it seemed that Rachael was talking to her. Valerie slowly stood up straight and smiled, nodding her head gently, she was actually talking to her, she couldn't believe it, but she needed to remain calm. Not only was she nearly freaking out inside because her favorite Chef in the world was in the same room, but she even complimented the restaurant Valerie worked at and loved!

"It is, I love this place." She didn't stutter or anything, so far so great. Rachael smiled, glad that Valerie wasn't getting hysterical yet like all her other fans, but then, it's possible for her to not know who she is. "I'm Valerie Williams by the way, it's great to meet you..." Valerie took a paper towel and began to dry her hands off. "You know, I watch your program on the Food Network a lot, I love cooking."

"Oh, so you've seen my shows? That's great!"

"Yeah, I even cooked that barbeque grilled salmon yesterday, it was great! My husband enjoyed it too."

"Awesome! I'm glad that you tried it out." Rachael looked toward the bathroom door and chuckled lightly, Valerie's calmness was definitely a break. "I started to come here earlier, but there was too big of a crowd…"

"Yeah, it doesn't usually get so big and crowded here, but somehow it got out that a famous chef was going to be here…I'm just surprised that it was you." Rachael smiled at Valerie and nodded, she was here because of her show that she had where she traveled around the country. "I'm sorry for all the people bothering you today, you know."

"Oh it's no trouble, really." The two talked for another couple of minutes, Rachael really seemed to like Valerie. They talked about food, lifestyles, education, and a lot more.

"My husband is a great man and a great father, I'm telling you, if my baby's first word isn't 'dada' then I will be surprised." Rachael laughed and patted Valerie on the shoulder.

"You know, that's what everyone thinks, then it turns out the baby says something else." Valerie chuckled and nodded, she figured Aaron's first word would definitely be a time to remember. "Anyway, I have to go back, my food's probably at the table." Rachael started toward the door and turned to smile at Valerie. "It was really nice meeting you!"

"You too!" Valerie was amazed that the conversation went so well, although she'd neglected to say she worked at the restaurant. It was too late to worry about now, she needed to get back to work. Rachael made her way to the table and smiled as she sat down, her food was already there. She'd ordered the daily special, which consisted of gourmet pasta tenderly cooked breadsticks. She breathed in and gently took her fork, the food smelled great.

"Time to dig in." Rachael took a bite of her food and started chewing, it was perfect. Her mouth fell and she looked at the food, it'd been a long time since she tasted food so well cooked. She continued to eat and see how it tasted, it was splendid. She felt it was necessary to tell the chef that they did a good job, she always tried to compliment the cooks and the waiters, it was a nice thing to do. The waitress walked up to the table and smiled kindly at her.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" The waitress asked. Rachel swallowed and set her fork on the table, she nodded and glanced over.

"Yes, can I speak with the manager or owner?"

"Um yes ma'am, that'll be Sherry…I'll go get her."

"Please and thank you." Rachael smiled as she watched the waitress walk away, unsure of why the lady wanted to speak with the owner. She took another sip of her drink and looked over at the kitchen area. Soon, the waitress returned with Sherry by her side. Rachael turned her head and smiled, they smiled back.

"Is everything to your satisfaction?" Sherry asked. She hoped that Rachael enjoyed her food, and not because she was an important person, but because she was a customer. She wanted all her customers to enjoy the food, if something was wrong, she would have to fix it as soon as possible.

"Oh it was perfect! Do you know which of your cooks made this?" Sherry smiled politely and looked at the plate. She couldn't tell what meal that the lady had. The waitress tapped on her shoulder and leaned in.

"I believe she ordered the daily special." Sherry's eyes brightened with realization, it was Valerie's turn to cook the daily special.

"Aha, I know who cooked your meals. She's my best cook, I'll get her right now!" Rachael nodded as Sherry and the waitress left the table. She took a sip of her drink and leaned back in her chair. She couldn't wait to meet the chef who made this meal. She looked toward the kitchen and her jaw fell, Valerie was walking with Sherry. Both Valerie and Rachael seemed greatly surprised by the events that were now taking place. "This is Valerie Williams, my head chef. It was her turn to make all the daily specials today." Rachael stood up and extended her hand, smiling at Valerie.

"It's good to see you again," Rachael stated in a joyful tone. Valerie smiled and shook her head in return.

"You too Mrs. Ray…I didn't realize you were having the special." Valerie felt proud to actually have cooked for someone she actually looked up to, she just couldn't believe she actually had that opportunity! "Can I say, it feels great that you tried my food, you liked it?"

"I loved it, Valerie." Valerie's nervous eyes seemed to brighten up with joy, that was truly one of the greatest compliments she'd ever gotten. Rachael rubbed her chin and looked at her new friend, it seemed that Valerie had a real talent for cooking, and a real love of it. Of course, that's what they said in their prior conversation, that Valerie really enjoyed cooking. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"A cook…I guess I see myself working like my boss." Rachael nodded and Valerie looked over at Sherry. It seemed Sherry was pleasantly surprised as well, but happy for Valerie's recognition. Rachael didn't know Valerie worked here, but she was glad that the cook was her.

"Valerie is the most dedicated employee I have on staff," Sherry said as she patted Valerie's shoulder. "Ask any of my other employees and they'd tell you the same thing." Valerie blushed and glanced down, it was a bit embarrassing to be boasted about to her idol. Rachael could tell Valerie was a bit on the humble side because of this, at least she knew Valerie wasn't trying to impress her rather than just wanting to cook for the pleasure of other people. "Her joys of cooking seem to know no bounds."

"That's a very good quality for an apprentice," Rachael said with a slight smirk. Valerie gasped and quickly looked up at Rachael, unsure if she'd heard correctly or misinterpreted here. Rachael smiled politely and looked into Valerie's eyes, she could see the surprise and the wonder. "Valerie, your cooking is great, there's nothing I can say that is bad about it." Valerie's eyes started to grow wide, she swallowed in order to keep her nervous feelings down. This had to be one of the greatest moments of her life. "In cooking, there's always room to grow. I want your skills to grow, as I don't doubt they will."

"Are you asking what I think you're asking?" Rachael nodded and continued to hold eye contact. She felt Valerie had so much to offer this world, and she wanted to help Valerie's skills to grow to even greater heights.

"I want you to be my apprentice. I have so much that I could teach you, and it could be so much fun!" Valerie's lips parted slightly and she felt like she was about ready to faint. She wanted to take up the offer, but she wasn't sure, she would have to talk to Jonah and her parents about it. "Now, I know you're young…" Seventeen, by what Valerie said earlier. "You've told me that you have a husband and a baby. So it's a hard decision to make, but talk with him, talk with your family. Let me just say that while I travel around all year round we can always visit your family at the end of every month, and maybe on special occasions you can visit other times as well. I can also pay you a pretty good amount if you choose to be my apprentice." Valerie so wanted to take this position, it was just too great of an opportunity to turn down, but she did know that she couldn't possibly make the decision on the spot.

"Um…h-how much did you say the pay was? I mean you don't even have to pay me if you don't want to. Just training under you would be an honor in itself…" Rachael smiled once more and leaned forward, whispering the salary into Valerie's ear. Valerie's eyes grew larger and the more that she spoke with Rachael, the more she felt like fainting. She'd overcome that over time, she was sure. Rachael leaned back and held her smile.

"Okay, so I'll give you the number for my cell phone, I'll be in Seattle all week. I'd love having you, but it's your decision. Call my phone and we'll talk, okay?"

"Yes…and thank you!" Sherry took a pen and a blank sheet of paper from her pocket and handed it to Rachael for her to write on. Rachael thanked her and began writing her number and the hotel she was staying at. She handed it to Valerie and gave her a friendly hug.

"I look forward to hearing from you." Valerie was speechless, so she merely nodded as Rachael said her goodbyes. She watched as her most beloved idol walked away, leaving with Valerie the chance of a lifetime. She couldn't wait to tell Jonah and Sam. Sherry glanced over at Valerie and rubbed her chin, there was no way Valerie could continue working under these condition.

"Valerie dear, why don't you go home and take some time off to think about this," Sherry said in a quiet voice. Valerie turned to her boss and frowned, she didn't want to have to do that, but maybe it was for the best since she was a bit shaky. "Also let me know what happens with this offer, I couldn't be happier for you." Sherry smiled and patted Valerie on the shoulder, she knew she'd have to find another head chef if and when Valerie left, but that wouldn't be too difficult. It just wouldn't be easy to find another person to meet Valerie's level. "Go home, get some rest, I'll find someone to take over the specials today."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Valerie sighed and closed her eyes, she knew she wanted to tell Jonah about this immediately, so maybe it was for the best.

"Okay, but if you're going to let someone take over today, make it Sam." Sherry raised her eyebrow, she'd consider this. She always valued Valerie's opinion, in fact it was Valerie's opinion that let her hire Sam. "If I take this offer, please consider Sam to take my place, because I notice that she's really dedicated."

"Okay, I'll give that a thought." Valerie nodded and thanked her boss before leaving the restaurant. She had so many memories of working there, she was going to miss the place, but she knew if Rachael could help her become an even better chef, then this offer would be a great experience for her. She managed to make it all the way home where she saw Jonah trying to hook up the living room ceiling fan. He looked at her and raised his eyebrows, surprised to see her home so early.

"Is everything okay, Valerie?" Jonah asked as he hopped off the step ladder he had been on. He walked over to Valerie and it finally hit her, she was going to be working beside Rachael Ray.

"I just need to rest." Jonah's eyebrows rose once more with concern, he nodded and quickly walked her to the bedroom. She laid down in the bed and sighed softly, Jonah watched her and wondered if there was anything he could do for her.

"Hey, if there's anything you need, let me know."

"Okay, but right now, just let me rest…I'll tell you the news in a bit." Jonah smiled and nodded as he bent over to kiss her forehead.

"Okay, I love you Valerie." Valerie smiled and lifted her head up from the pillow, kissing Jonah.

"Love you too." She rested her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. Jonah smiled softly and left the room, closing the door behind him. He wondered what news Valerie had and hoped it was good news.

I'm working on 131 as we speak, and it is different. Next chapter, Jonah, Valerie, Freddie and Sam talk about Valerie going off as Rachael Ray's apprentice!