Paternal Bonds

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly. I keep it simple.

A/N: Thoughts in "Italics" and regular speech in "Regular font." Only applied if in quotes.

A/N: By the way, everybody is 26 in this story, except Spencer who would be older. I doubt he'll be mentioned much. Please read this regardless of their age. It will all make sense, I promise. They have to be this old in the story.

Chapter 19 (Men Like No Other)

Amy and Mrs. Briggs decided to go to the weight room and work out, they both got onto a couple of treadmills next to each other. Amy looked over at Mrs. Briggs and smirked. "How old are you, Francine?" Mrs. Briggs narrowed her eyes and glanced at Amy.

"How old are you?" Mrs. Briggs asked.

"I'm only in my early fifties."

"Oh, well I'm in my late sixties, should that concern you?"

"Hah, so you think you can handle the treadmill?" Amy turned hers on and set the speed at three, Mrs. Briggs turned her treadmill on and set it at four.

"Just because I'm old doesn't mean I am weak."

"Yeah, but you can't beat me out, I'm strong enough to survive my own 'death' and all!" Amy turned her speed up to five and quickened her pace. Mrs. Briggs blinked and set her speed at six and quickened her pace.

"I think you've insulted me, that's age discrimination young lady!"

"So what, a Puckett will always win out against you." Amy turned her speed at seven. "Just look at my daughter and how she handled you in school." Amy smirked and Mrs. Briggs narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, is that so?" Mrs. Briggs turned the speed up.

"My daughter is just like me." Amy grinned and turned her speed up. "To think I had you when I was in high school and then my daughter has you and still you can have a prank put on you by a Puckett. I'm so proud of my little Sam."

"Oh, well Ms. Puckett, prepare to be schooled by your teacher!"

"'Schooled' you say? That's funny." Amy and Mrs. Briggs both turned their speed to the max and broke out in a full run. "Let's see who lasts the longest, Bagpipe lover!"

"Hey, don't diss the bagpipes, food hoarder!"

"Randy Jackson obsessor!"

"Blondie!"

"Old woman!"The hotel workers were watching this with a deadpan look on their faces.

"They're either going to kill each other first, or the treadmills first," One worker stated with a sigh.

-NEW SCENE-

Henry and Della decided to check out the hotel restaurant. "I'll eat with you just this once, Henry," Della stated. "Better that we pay on one ticket rather than both of us paying for individual meals."

"That's fine with me Della," Henry said with a shrug.

"Just as long as you pay for the meal."

"Again, fine by me, I'll be happy to do that." They were led by a hostess to a table, the host set the menus on the table and left. A waiter came by and offered them their drinks. Henry looked up and ordered water. Della ordered some tea and the waiter left. Henry and Della looked at their menus in search of what they'd want to eat. Della kept shifting a glance over at Henry, she kept resisting the urge to ask him what he thought he'd want and she would look back to her menu. "You know, if you keep looking at me I'm liable to think I have something on my face, do I?"

"What would you do if I said yes? Would you splash water on your face? I suppose it'd be funny to see."

"Still don't think much of me, do ya?"

"Well I don't suppose I could say you're very masculine." Henry sighed and closed his menu, Della watched him put the menu on the table.

"Now listen here-"

"I'm only saying that because…think about it, you have no hair whatsoever."

"I have hair."

"On your head, yes. But where's your chest hair? Your arm hair? Your leg hair is even gone. Freddie has like a carpet on him."

"His hair's not that extravagant."

"Yeah that's an over-exaggeration but hey, he has hair."

"Your point would be?" Della shrugged and set her menu on the table. "Hey, hair doesn't make a man."

"Yeah, it also doesn't make a father."

"Is that still going through your mind? I was young! I was scared! I didn't know what I was going to do, you were in a car wreck and in a coma for two weeks, the doctors said you had no chance in hell of surviving. I had a five year old son that I wanted to raise but I was too damn afraid of what might happen had you died! I couldn't raise a son, I was scared to do it alone! I was so damn close to killing myself, I would have done it too, I had a goddamn gun pointed to my face and my hands were trembling. I was so close to doing it that I knew Freddie couldn't be alone, thankfully his grandmother stopped me. I've changed since then, I've become a better person, you're just the one that never saw it! You're the one that divorced me in a heartbeat, I'll agree I deserved it but I went through hell after it. Now don't you dare tell me that I don't make a good father even to this day!"

"You don't! You never will make a good father!" Della's voice rose to a yell, some nearby patrons had started to look over. "You can't make a good father, even if Freddie respects you now." Henry clenched his fists and his face tightened.

"I tried to change for you and Freddie."

"Yeah, I know that! I saw it…" The waiter came to their table and looked at them with a stern face.

"If you two don't stop this fighting, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," The waiter said. Henry and Della crossed their arms and glanced to the side as the waiter left the table.

"Look, I think you've done well in the past few years," Della said quietly. "You've taken more of an interest in Freddie when he was young, we were both young and foolish. Neither of us were fit to raise him, your grandmother showed us that. I was driving recklessly that night of the wreck, Freddie was in the car and fortunately he escaped without any injuries."

"Yeah, and I was willing to give him up back then for my own selfish reasons."

"I know you changed after that, you wouldn't give up on him now. I know how you were with Angie too…you can't make a good father…"

"Della…"

"No, listen to me. You can't make a good father because you're not a father. You're a dad and you make an excellent dad, but you also make a great grandfather. You've changed from a father to a grandfather, and I think Angie is happy with you as such." Della glanced down at her menu and sighed. "For years actually, I've been fighting this…but…I would almost be willing to give you a second chance." Henry smiled softly and looked at Della.

"How long has it been since I've wanted to hear that? You know, Della, your eyes really do sparkle beautifully. Plus, you have great determination, even today. You're a great woman and I suppose you always have been." Della smiled and looked at Henry as he continued. "I think you would make a great grandmother for Angie, I really do." Della blushed lightly and looked into Henry's eyes.

"Henry, I…I…"

"I still love you, Della. Even today, I still love everything about you." Della opened her mouth slightly and then smiled.

"I love you too, you stubborn old goat."

-NEW SCENE-

Carly, Spencer, and Jake went to the pool where the guys sat in the hot tub and Carly sat in a pool chair on the dry ground. She didn't have swim suits and the guys could get in the hot tub with their clothes on. Jonah and Valerie had found a hotel room to rest up in.

"We did it," Valerie said with a smile. "We got Sam out of there."

"I couldn't wait to get you out of there though," Jonah said quietly. "I wanted to get both of you out of there, but I don't think I could have continued onward if I didn't get you out of that place."

"You did well, but I had to admit that I was scared when I started hearing those explosions from Jeremy's bazooka. Then when Jake and the Bensons ran in, I wanted to know where you were and why you weren't there."

"Yeah, I had to deal with Jeremy. Besides…" Jonah placed his finger under Valerie's chin and spoke softly. "I couldn't let him go after you said he touched you. I love you more than life itself, Valerie."

"I know, and that's why you told me not to do anything other than wait for you to get there…I'm sorry I didn't listen." Valerie let the tears start flowing and Jonah wiped them away.

"It's okay now, I should have known better than to say you couldn't do anything. You have a soft heart, I know how difficult it was for you to have to wait for so long. You should never have even been there, and Jeremy was a bastard for making you join their little group. You never have to worry about it again."

"I know…but I actually was happy to know that Sam was living, but every night…I was scared that something bad would happen to her. All I wanted to do was make her that meal and when I did, she ate it and enjoyed it. Then the guys showed up."

"Shh, don't think about them."

"They hurt me, they all hurt me. Jeremy even kissed me, I was terrified, I thought I was going to die." Jonah pulled Valerie in a close embrace and rocked her back and forth, he softly kissed her forehead.

"You never have to worry again, I'm here."

"I love you, Jonah, thank you for getting us out of there…you know…" Jonah brushed some of Valerie's hair from her face and smiled softly. She then closed her eyes and the two brought their lips together. Valerie wrapped her arms around Jonah's neck and deepened the kiss, she then pulled back on Jonah and the two fell onto the bed.

-NEW SCENE-

"So, you only rate Carly's movies at a C or B level?" Sam asked with a smirk as she lay on the bed. Freddie was standing up and looking into a mirror.

"Not all of them," Freddie responded as he looked at a bandage on his arm. "Some of her movies are rated on the D level and others have an F." Freddie smirked and Sam shook her head.

"You are so sad, Freddie. To rate your best friend's movies so low."

"I'm a famous critic and known for being very strict. There are some, but not many, movies that I rate as an A. There's even a movie of Carly's that I rated as an A one time. When I rate a movie, if it gets an A or a B, you will always find that movie or even book anywhere you're at. Speaking of which…" Freddie walked over to the hotel's television cabinet and opened the door to reveal several movies that come with the room.

"Wow, there are a lot of movies there…"

"Yes, and I believe this is the movie of Carly's that I've rated as an A." Freddie took out a movie case. "She takes on Indiana Jones…Well, the two actually work together in this film and they travel the country in pursuit of a great treasure that had eluded them for so many years. The treasure was being held by a vicious bounty hunter and his posse of thugs."

"That sounds like an interesting movie."

"Yeah…it was a good movie, I rated it as an A."

"Did that posse have two people in it that were against the bad guy?" Sam smirked and Freddie shrugged.

"I wouldn't know, it's been a while since I watched this movie." Sam slowly got up from the bed and walked over to Freddie, she took the movie in her hand and looked at it with a smile.

"Be sure to buy this when we get home then, I want to watch it." Sam put the case back in the cabinet and closed her eyes. "I think we've had enough action for one day though." Sam looked at Freddie and hugged him. "I wonder though, did Indiana Jones and Carly find the treasure in the end of that movie?"

"I don't think so…it sort of had a tragic end to it. They lost the treasure and the villain didn't die."

"That's not Indiana Jones!"

"Then again, that's not an Indiana Jones movie. It is a Carly Shay movie where Indiana Jones teams up with her."

"Does Carly always take on such roles?"

"Yes. Every movie she's in is pretty much where she's the independent heroine and usually can hold her own." Sam nodded with understanding and looked at the bandage on Freddie's arm.

"Can I see your other bandages?"

"Why?"

"I want to…" Freddie raised his eyebrow and shrugged. He then let Sam take off his shirt and watched as she walked around him. He had a bandage on his arm, one on his chest, one on his back, another on his abdomen and a small cut on his forehead. "My god…I didn't know it was that bad…"

"It's not bad."

"You got really wounded." Sam let a tear fall from her eye as she gingerly trailed her finger around the bandage on his chest. Freddie sighed and gave her a soft smile.

"I'm still here, Sam. There is nothing to worry about."

"I know…but…" Sam shook her head and wrapped her arms around Freddie's waist, she pulled herself close to him and let him slowly drape his arms around her waist in a hug. "Please don't ever die."

"I won't, Sam. I'll never leave you behind, I won't leave Angie behind either."

"I love that you chose that name for her…"

"Did you ever name her anything?"

"She did have another name before that, but she wouldn't remember it. It was Carol, but I like Angie better."

"Okay…well, we can have Spencer draw up a birth certificate for her, if she doesn't have one already."

"No, you need a lawyer for that, Freddie. She and I were held captive by a man who tried to avoid lawyers from day to day."

"Okay, then we can do that."

"Can we have him put you down as the…birth father?"

"If that is what you want to do, it's all up to you, you control that bit." Sam nearly flushed, Control, that was something she had been deprived of for ten years, she couldn't control anything. Now Freddie was offering her the chance to decide what to do.

"T-Thank you, Freddie." Freddie smiled softly and kissed her forehead. "Can I say something?"

"Sure…"

"You're the first guy in so long to make me feel good when you hold me. I think it could be because you work out." Freddie smirked and Sam smiled softly, while that was what she said, she knew it wasn't why she felt so good in his arms. But she did think he had a great muscular physique, his arms were powerful and he did have a light six pack and very firm Pecs.

"You think it's because I work out, eh? Well maybe that is the case."

"Nah, it's probably cause I love you…you are the only man to let me feel like I could do what I want, though."

"You can, you're in complete control of your life." Sam's eyes grew slightly and she looked up into Freddie's eyes. "No other person has any control over you, except for one person." Freddie lifted his hand and pointed his finger at Sam. "You. You're the one who can choose what will happen in your life, you're the one that chooses your fate, your destiny. There is no other soul in this world that can control that free spirit that you have."

"But my fat-"

"Don't refer to him as that, he's not your dad, he's not your father. He's just the man that gave birth to you and he's also the man that abused you and tried to hold you down. He used fear and violence to overpower you and he took away your freedom. He is in no way a father to you. He can no longer hold you down anymore though, and if you want to do something, you can do it. You're the amazing Sam Puckett, you are that beautiful girl who controls her own life. You're the girl I fell in love with and you're the girl that I will spend the rest of my life protecting." Sam smiled and brought her lips up to Freddie's, she closed her eyes and deepened the kiss, Freddie added to the kiss as well. She broke the kiss and sighed contently.

"Then…can I…" Sam looked downwards and blushed, she didn't really know what to say. "I want to…feel good with a man. You're the only one who can make me feel good while I'm in your arms, and since we're going to be married, I want to…make sure…I can still feel good with another." Freddie smiled softly as he brushed Sam's hair back.

"I think I know what you're asking, if that is what you want to do...I'm still going to have to say no to that." Sam raised her eyebrow and Freddie sighed. "You are in complete control, but you shouldn't do it unless you really want to and you're absolutely sure it's the right thing to do. I'm not going to force myself upon you and I'm going to make sure you take it at your own pace. There is one factor to think about, that is your daughter. I think it's best to wait until after we get you back, until after we're married and after you spend some time with Angie. What if you wound up pregnant? Angie would probably be fearful of the thought that Hector had done it. Plus she's a six year old girl, she may get confused and think you're trying to replace her or something. She knows full well that she was born in a bad way, and if I got you back and she learned you were pregnant with my child, what would she think? I think it's best to make sure she feels comfortable with having a little sibling."

"Freddie…" Sam smiled softly and rested her head on his chest. "You're a smart person…again, thank you."

"Thank you?"

"Most men would take the opportunity, and with me…they wouldn't be so caring about me or Angie. They would seize the day…" Freddie raised his eyebrow, well she did have a point, she lived with four men, but three of which didn't do anything. "You know, Hector really kept Nevel, Gibby and Jeremy from touching me, but had he not, they would have done so. I could always see it in their eyes, every one of them just wanted to hurt me like that." Freddie frowned at this, so the only men she ever had contact with in the last ten years were men that just wanted sex.

"Well, I'm not like that at all and never will you have to deal with that again."

"I know, I believe you. You, Jonah and even Jake all look at me as a woman, it makes me feel good. I can see it in your eyes, none of you want to do anything more than being kind to me."

"Well Sam, I think that's because I love you and I think you are a woman, the others and I know that you are no object. If that's how they were treating you back there, then they were wrong and you are a woman of your own, you are far from an object. Also, Jonah loves Valerie, and only has eyes for her, Jake…well he knows where he stands and everyone else as well. He's going to treat you with the utmost respect because that's how you deserve to be treated. Now, just so you know, I refuse to pamper you like a princess." Freddie smirked and Sam raised her eyebrow.

"But…I am a princess, am I not?"

"Oh you are a princess, you're my princess and you deserved to be treated as such. But if you're pampered, it would look too much like pity, and I want you to know that none of us 'pity' you, we all respect you too much and want to take care of you."

"Good." Sam smiled softly and kissed Freddie's lips. "You've just proven yourself to be so much different than the men I've been dealing with and for that…thank you."

"You're welcome then," Freddie said with a smile. "So, what would you like to do now? Would you like to watch some television?"

"Yes, please." Freddie walked over to the television and picked up the remote, he handed it to Sam and grinned.

"I don't know if you know this, but in the last ten years, we got a huge amount of channels added to the television waves."

"Cool…you know, I think I want to order some room service, I feel like asking them to bring up some donuts." Sam walked over to the phone and picked it up. "Would you like anything?" Freddie jumped onto the bed and placed his arms behind his head.

"Nah, I don't think I need anything. I'm just going to get some sleep, I need it, desperately." Sam chuckled and Freddie sighed. "Seriously, you wouldn't believe how sleep deprived we all are! Jake came over late last night and showed me something that made us leave right away. Then we get taken by that old woman and it's in the A.M. hours! We wait for mom and dad, they get captured and we wait for Carly and then we leave right after that to go find you."

"Yeah, get some sleep, Dork," Sam said with a small chuckle.

"Thank you! Anyway, if I'm not awake, could you wake me in a couple of hours because we have to leave and get you home. Angie will be so happy." Sam smiled as Freddie turned onto his side and drifted off to sleep.

"Thank you so much, Freddie."

There's the chapter, I posted two because I felt the hotel chapters went together in a way. I hope you enjoyed it! Next will be up soon.