Breakfast was just as awkward then the car ride if not more so. Aside from everyone being tired and moving a little slower then usual, it was nice to be done with the lock-in. Sam and Freddie seemed to be acting like there normal selves to every one else's but anyone who knew them for long could see something was up because they were not interacting with each other normally; at a glance it looked normal but it was not completely organic. Carly kept steeling glances at Sam and Freddie.
They seemed to be going out of there way to keep there hands to them selves but it wasn't working that way. They kept reaching for the same syrup or ketchup and they would end up touching each other. Every time it happened they would reacted like they were burned by the contact. Spencer tried to find out what was going on with those two or what happened last night but no one would give him a strait answer. He was ok till apparently he started remembering what happened last night and early that morning. He just all of a sudden started starring into empty space and was silent the rest of the meal.
T-Bo kept pestering them with different things he put on a stick. The only thing they did end up getting were some muffins. The quartet ate breakfast with little conversation. They could feel the awkward in the air as they were eating. When they parted ways it did not get any better. Carly offered Sam and Freddie a ride home but they both declined. Freddie wanted to go shopping at the grocery store and Sam wanted to walk home. When Carly and Spencer got back home Spencer collapsed on the couch face down and just started bawling into a pillow.
"The chowder lies! Or the pink bunnies of the Apocalypse are going to eat me!" That is all Carly could really understand from him. Carly tried to help him but he just would sob harder and harder the longer she was there. She made a quick note of it in her note book then went to e-mailed Gibby to get the last bit of data that he collected from Spencer for extra credit. Then decided to get a little sleep considering she did not get much from the lock-in and Spencer seemed content to cry about the experiments last night.
Sam walked home. She was not in a good mood. As she walked she reflected on what has been happening with Freddie. Things like how she tried to show him her nicer side, about the kiss she gave him, him asking to talk to her tonight, how they reacted to each other at breakfast. Then when he stopped her to talk to her for a moment; all he wanted to do was talk but then she had to get snippy with him and he gave her all the rope she needed.
She had taken Freddie's rope and now she was hanging herself with it but what she possibly really wanted to do was strangle him with it. Well if it was real rope. Well not really but maybe scare the chiz out of him. "When had he gotten smarter about there trading of insults?" Sam wondered. He would never say something cutting like she would say to him sometimes. Just stuff that would make her stop and think or like earlier just keep feeding her rope till he had her right were he wanted her.
If It ended like it used to it would be with her doing something physically violent to him just to make sure he knew she was still in charge. Now they just did a back and forth. She though about how she put her feelings on the line by kissing him and made it loud and clear she liked him. She could understand he wanted some answers but now he probably would go out now and really make it a picnic out there on the fire escape. A part of her felt special that Freddie would do that for her but the other part still had a bunch of the walls she built up about him and did not like it.
She wanted more then anything to just call him and tell him to forget it all but the Puckett Pride and her own stubbornness would not let her do it. Her thoughts were going so quickly she was home before she knew it. She just went strait to the bathroom, past her mom without saying a word, took a shower, changed into some PJs, set her alarm to sometime afternoon, and then plopped in bed. "Damn that nub this is some serious chiz." She mumbled.
Freddie was not the kind of person to just rush head long into things. Not like how he handled things with Sam moments ago. He did how ever get a sort of enjoyment at actually winning against Sam. Over the years he has learned a few things about how to beat Sam in an argument. One was to use Sam logic in most cases. The other was to just wait for it to circle back and let it bit her. The last thing was even if she did get bit by her own logic he still lost because he would end up with a bruise.
He also learned that he could be just as stubborn as Sam sometimes. That's part of the reason he was now shopping for the ham, fried chicken, Fat Cakes, and Woo-Hoo punch to make a picnic. The other part was he really wanted to talk to her about what happens now that she put her feelings for him out there. "Sam has been nicer to me lately even before Brad became our intern. She was less physically violent to me. Even when she was hitting me it never really bothered me in the end. Geez I must be some kind of masochist." Freddie was thinking. In the end he knew he like the kisses they had shared.
"I need to think about how I want to go about things with Sam and even with Carly. They are my best friends and I don't want to ruin things with ether of them. We are friends first and I need to think this through." Freddie made his way to the shopping center supermarket. He grabbed a basket and then began his shopping. As he entered the market a small convoy of Army vehicles rumbled down the road behind him.
Carly woke to the sound of something smashing into her window and the sound of her alarm going off seconds later. She sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes and hitting the off switch on her alarm. It was about 3 pm in the afternoon. She was still tired but if she slept anymore she would be up all night. Standing Carly stretched and stood to walk to her window. She looked around for the source of what originally woke her up. She found a pigeon flopping around on the sill of her window.
She ran from her room to look for her brother. "Spencer get up and come help me!" He was asleep on the couch face down. She tried to shake him awake but he was not budging. "Guess me and Gibby should have taken it easier on him after all. Now what?" She thought. She ran to her linen closet and grabbed an old towel then ran back to her room. Looking under her bed she reached under and grabbed a scarf which promptly went flying behind her.
Several more things flew through the air, an air horn, a left shoe, a rubber chicken, a bad Build-A-Bra she had no idea why she made, and a hideous sweater her grandfather gave her one birthday till she found an empty shoe box. She hopped on her bed, then onto the trampoline, to her window. She opened her window only to see that the bird still there but not moving. Carly felt her heart fall at the sight of the bird. Still though she spread the towel out between her hands and grabbed the bird. Picking it up Carly took a look at the bird.
It was a sad sight. It was covered in blood and it looked like it had a broken wing. She was placing the bird into the box she had but as she reached down to place it in the box the pigeon twisted around and pecked at her finger a few times. "Ouch!" She quickly put it in the box and put the lid on. She saw her finger was bleeding a little. She put it in her mouth for a moment till the blood stopped. The Pigeon seemed to be scared and she hoped it did not hurt it's self again. She placed it on the bed and then placed a shoe on it. She needed to call animal control or maybe a Vet to see if they could take it in and get it some help or something. She looked up some numbers on her computer and then started to call.
Freddie did not sleep at all since he got home from shopping. He was in the kitchen cooking or out on the fire escape setting up for when Sam got over. It was lucky his mom was working really late today. Sam just texted him saying she was going to stop over at Carly's then would come over. He had one of those what the heck am I doing moments as soon as he put his phone down. He was shaken out of it by the TV going as background noise by a horrible screeching of the emergency broadcast system that came on. He worked for a little longer then as the sound was still going there was a knock on his door.
Sam was nervous and was again tempted to run. Carly was standing next to her with the shoe box with the pigeon in it. She was taking it to the vet down the block but Sam asked her to wait with her. "Relax Sam. You and Freddie talk and work it out. Just keep me in the loop ok." Freddie answered the door as the horrible noise of the TV stopped and the announcer came on. "An outbreak of rabies has been detected in the city. Keep inside as much as possible and keep pets indoors as well. Pets are recommended to get there rabies shots updated as needed as quickly as possible. The National Guard and the CDC has mobilized to contain the outbreak and are moving as quickly as possible."
The announcement repeated once more and then it cut back to what ever was playing. The gang where not really paying attention. "Hey ladies how are you all?" Freddie asked. They both answered with a greeting of there own. "Well I'm going to take this little guy to the Vet. We're all friends first no matter what happens guys. Sam please don't kill Freddie. And Freddie don't poke the Puckett. Also guys remember no secrets between us. That goes for between you guys as well." Carly waved goodbye and left.
"Oh one more thing I'll text you as I come back but can you check on Spencer for me in a while. He is passed out on the couch and won't wake up." Both gave her a sure and they both called out be safe after her and then Sam and Freddie stood there quietly till Sam had enough standing around.
"So are you going to invite me in anytime soon Fredward?" Sam half demanded.
"Oh right. Sorry. Come on in. Everything is set up out side."
"Did you really set up a picnic on the fire escape?"
"Yeah I did actually with all your favorites."
Freddie escorted Sam to the window were he set everything up. He put a lot of effort into making this look nice. He put up a few strands of holiday lights around the window for light and had a thick rubber mat for padding, with a blanket set up on top of it, a cooler, his pair pad with speakers and a nice play list of songs Sam liked, and a big basket with all the food.
"Don't you think you're going a little overboard dork?"
"Probably but as you can see I called your bluff. And now we can talk about what happened at the lock-in with some good food. So dig in."
Sam did not need to be told twice. She had barely sat down when she had opened up the basket, grabbed a drink from the cooler, and started to chow down on a leg of fried chicken. No plate or napkins used. Freddie sat down across from her and fixed himself a plate of food and ate at a slower and less frantic pass then the way Sam was eating. Sam slowly realized that she was being watched by Freddie. As she became aware she slowed down and started to watch Freddie back. They ate in silence for a while before Freddie decided to voice a concern he could not get out of his head.
"Sam can I ask you something? This is going to sound bad but I just kind of need to hear the truth from you please."
Sam stopped eating a moment. "Well?" She demanded.
"I… well… I just need to know if that kiss was some kind of joke. I have all these bad thought buzzing in my head and I just need to know the truth so I can get them out and we can talk rationally please."
Sam's head whipped up to looked at Freddie. A little hurt cropped into her expression. "What kind of dumb nub thoughts are you thinking. That I would kiss you like that because I am pulling some kind of elaborate prank that got out of hand or something? Give me some credit. No it's not a prank or joke Fredjerk!"
Freddie could tell that Sam was being sincerer. He felt really bad that he asked her that but his mind was running wild and what she just said just stopped it all.
"Sam I'm sorry really it's just this was just so sudden. I honestly had no idea you felt anything for me other then contempt. I believe you and I'm sorry."
Freddie looked down at the blanket. He picked at some stray strands in the fabric. Sam resumed eating and was tearing apart her food more then usual. Freddie picked at his no longer really hungry. He wondered if he should just let things be as they are for a little longer. Maybe just let her eat and try again some other time.
But knowing Sam she would not give him another chance. Freddie was thinking about how he just blew his chance with Sam. Out of the blue Sam put her food down and looked over at him. She was pissed that he would think it was all a prank but then again when she stopped and thought about it. It really did feel like a got-yeah if she thought about it from Freddie's point of view and her thoughts turned to what Carly said to not keep secrets with each other.
"I tried so hard to convince myself that you were always just going to be the enemy I loved to hate, the nerd-tech-mama's boy that I would always just use and abuse, argue with, beat up, take money from, make you buy things for me, blame things on, and a whole lot of other things. I still don't understand why you took all that abuse or put up with me. Then some where in all that we actually became friends. I still did those things but it became a kind of our thing. A game of some weird sort we played. Our first kiss was really special to me. That's where it went down hill for me."
"I started to notice things about you and well it just kept going from there. When Brad became our intern and you guys were all buddy buddy I though it was be a good opportunity to just hang out with you to show you I did not hate you and maybe kind of start fresh. And I can't blame you really for thinking it was a kind of joke for me to kiss you but I did it because I really do have some sort of feelings for you."
Freddie listened with wrapped attention to Sam he could not speak even if he wanted to. Sam just put all her cards on the table about how she felt. He was both honored that Sam would tell him how she felt instead of beating around the bush. He was racing to come up with some sort of response like what kinds of things she noticed about him but that could wait for another time. He quickly realized he had the perfect idea.
"Hold on one second Sam I will be right back I need to get something I was saving for you." Freddie raced through the window into his apartment, through his room and into the kitchen. He through open the fridge and grabbed a specially prepared milk shake and raced back.
"Here this was something I was saving for if things went south or dessert which ever came first. I'm sorry."
"What is it some kind of shake dork?"
"Yep it's something I know you will love. It took me a while to get it as right as I could."
Sam took a sip and her eyes widened in pure surprise at the flavor and that Freddie made, the Holy Grail of shakes, The Fat Shake. She quickly gulped half of it down with no head rush as only Sam could do.
"Freddie you made this? It tastes better then the limited edition Fat Shake they did for a few months after WebiCon how did you get it."
"I made it. I managed to find a recipe online and I made a few changes to it and added a few real Fat Cakes to it to make it more authentic."
"This is like sucking heaven through a straw Freddie. It tastes better then the original. Thanks. Apology accepted and you're going to give me the recipe." Sam severed the taste of the last of her shake.
"I'm glad you like it. So now it's probably my turn to tell you how I feel huh."
"Look Benson you don't have to. We can just go back to the way things were and just go on like nothing happened."
"No that won't work Sam. I will be honest and say I never though you would have feelings for me. I though I was the "Nub" to you but still some what of a friend because I think of you as a really good friend. Someone I can trust despite everything that has happened between us. I put up with you at first because you were Carly's friend but then I also started to like the "game" we played and you became one of the best friends I have. Kissing you that first time is something I will also always cherish and when you kissed me yesterday it was almost as good as our first. I just wish I was not so shocked that I could have responded. I want to see were this goes between us. I just have one question for you. Were do you want this to go between us Sam?"
Sam and Freddie fell into a silence that lasted for a little bit as Sam thought about what Freddie said. It was comfortable and they both watch the sky or as Sam did finish her shake and ate a little more. As time passed Sam's and Freddie's phone both vibrated with a text from Carly. She asked if everything is ok and was on her way back and if they wanted to come over.
"Why don't we take things slowly Benson. Maybe go on a date or two and see if we both want to take anything farther?"
Freddie stood up and motioned for Sam to do that same. They faced each other for a moment.
"Going on a few dates sounds great but no matter what happens we should promises to always be best friends first. We can figure out the details later."
"Ok that sounds like a good idea on both accounts. I promise. Now let's go check on Spencer."
"I promise too. But there is one thing I want to do before we go check on Spencer and meet up with Carly."
"Oh what is it Freddie?"
"This." Freddie took Sam's face in his hands and placed his lips on hers.
Sam was a little shocked but quickly responded back, holding onto his shoulders again, they shared a really awesome kiss. She was so happy Freddie actually kissed her this time. It felt like it should have felt at the lock-in. When they were done Sam looked at Freddie. He had this twinkle in his eye and a lopsided grin on his face. Not wanting him to be to smug about it and to let him know who was in charge and not letting him see it coming she kneed him in the stomach. Not to hard though.
Freddie sunk to his knees as the air rushed from his body. He took a huge gulp of air and looked up. Sam reached down and grabbed large fried chicken leg and took a bite of it. She had a playful hint of superiority on her face as she looked down at Freddie while munching on the leg. "What part of taking things slowly did you not understand nub?" Sam said with a mouth full of meat.
As soon as Freddie could breathe and stand he looked at her as she climbed through the window back into his apartment. He watched as her hair and hips swished through the hall. "Guess I really am a masochist and she will never change." Passed through his mind. Again he had one of those "What the heck am I doing?" moments as she disappeared around the corner. "You coming nub?!" Sam shouted from some were inside and Freddie could not be happier.