AN: Hello everyone and welcome to the next part of this story; something of a continuation/conclusion of the previous chapter. As ever my gratitude to all of you who took the time to read and review the last chapter.
Challenge King – thank you. Yes, Sam had no reason to hold back so Steven suffered. Cat has a very forgiving nature and it's possible that the two girls bonded a little over cupcakes.
Fanfic-Reader-88 – yes Freddie got his proof and was able to convince Tori and then Carly. The brunette has upset a few people so this is maybe a chance for her to mend a couple of fences. Steven suffered badly for what he did. As for the dresses, Sam only had what she brought with her and 'borrowed' the only thing she could from Pam that she felt wouldn't make her look like a tramp. For Carly, meanwhile, I just wanted to use Miranda's dress from the Despicable Me 2 premiere because she looked lovely wearing it.
Pbow – no, there was no revelation as to who was in the panda suit; I like to think it was Kel. As for the butter/margarine – Sam never worries about her trail of destruction and isn't planning on staying in California. They never tied Lindsey's butter-socking to her so she isn't too worried about being caught (though she did make herself scarce when the cops came to pick up the panda). Carly HAS been doing the show; her now former boyfriend operates the camera and one of her Briarwood friends is her co-star; some of the gang watch the show but don't feel that it's all that good (so it isn't as good or popular as in canon with the absence of Freddie and Sam).
As for Sam being rough to Carly; I think she feels she has a right to be after the way she was abandoned. Carly did have a bad time of it; maybe she'll have a bit better time of it here.
Darck Ben – thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Guest – you raise some excellent points and made the connection that I expected some people to make with the song. The difference is that iSpeed Date never happened in this story because none of the trio were at Ridgeway by then (Freddie left at the end of iCarly series 1) and two of them weren't even in Seattle so none of them would have attended the Girls' Choice Dance and Freddie and Carly never danced to that song in the Groovy Smoothie. Had they done so then I doubt very much that Freddie would have danced to it with another girl (as it kinda became their song). As for the rest, maybe Carly is regretting what she lost (read into that what you will, either his love or a potential boyfriend) and does feel jealous of Freddie and Cat, especially as she no longer has Steven.
That's everyone so I'll get on with the story.
Chapter 22: iReconcile with Sam
Kenan Thompson's Mansion, Los Angeles, California
Saturday, 11th September 2010.
"My heart has come alive now and opened up a whole new world,"
Sam chased after Carly, following the girl into the room where they had exposed and humbled Steven a few hours earlier. The brunette was sitting on one of the plush chairs in the room, her back was to the door and the newcomer, her shoulders were hunched and she was clearly crying.
"I only want to show you what it's like to love this girl."
"Carly? Carls?" Sam began cautiously as she approached the pale teen.
"Go away," mumbled the web star, burying her head in a cushion as her tremors intensified.
"Ok," the blonde shrugged and left the room, returning to the periphery of the dance floor, smiling at the sight of Freddie and Cat dancing slow and close. Carly hadn't really expected her to leave just like that; the brunette turned and started to say something, to ask the blonde girl to stay but she had already returned to the main hall.
"… 'cause you are meant for me," the song finished and the young couple pulled apart a fraction; Freddie saw the bright, shimmering happiness in his girlfriend's eyes and leaned in for a tender kiss, one the girl was happy to participate in. Sam, feeling that she was intruding from afar, scanned the dance floor, only to see Beck and Jade among other couples similarly engaged. She shrugged and allowed her eyes to wander to the other singles and onlookers encircling the floor, settling on André, Tori, Eli and Robbie, all of whom were stood in a small group half-watching their friends dancing; like Sam they were trying to do so without feeling that they were intruding.
"Thank you everyone," Mustang cried, breaking the mood and turning all eyes to himself, "it's been a great party. Now I got to split so enjoy the rest of the night."
The couples separated and the youths broke into spontaneous applause for the DJ's efforts; he smiled and waved as he gathered his things together and his assistants helped him disconnect and move everything. Freddie glanced around the room, seeking his friends. His eyes settled on Sam, stood at the end of the little group, and he was surprised to notice that Carly was no longer with her.
"Hey," he, along with Cat, who had looped her arm through his, headed over to them before enquiring as to the brunette's whereabouts.
"Oh she's over there," the blonde jerked her head towards the room where Carly was holed up. In answer to his quizzical expression she elaborated, "she ran off during the slow dance and told me to leave her alone, so I did," she finished with a shrug.
"Well we should probably find her since we're her ride home – and she's staying with mom and me," he reasoned.
He led the way into the room; Carly was still sobbing quietly but obviously, despite being sat with her back to the door as they entered.
"Carls? Are you alright?" he asked tenderly.
"Yeah," she choked out, hastily making a motion as if to wipe her eyes with her arms, "I guess it's a delayed reaction to what Steven did," she claimed.
"Well it's time for us to go," he informed her in a soft voice; his heart ached a little as he heard her sniffle. Carly stood up, turned and faced them.
"Ok I'm ready," she declared, walking over to them and putting on a brave smile.
Freddie cut a cautious figure as he drove the girls home; he continually glanced into his rear-view mirror to check on his brown-haired friend. Carly seemed to have withdrawn completely into herself since the latter stages of the party and it was a concern to him. He pulled the car up outside the Valentine residence when they arrived at his girlfriend's home and got out of the vehicle along with Sam and Cat.
"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked them; both nodded. Cat smiled as he leaned in for a goodnight kiss before he pulled Sam into a hug and kissed her cheek.
"Well I am wiped," the blonde told the redhead as they closed the front door behind them. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Aww, but I was hoping we'd watch a movie," Cat complained. Sam, knowing full well the sort of movie her host had in mind, instantly exaggerated her fatigue.
"Maybe tomorrow," she told the girl, "I really do need some rest."
"Oh, 'kay 'kay," Cat tried and failed to hide her disappointment but headed to her room while Sam made for the guest room. Not feeling at all tired, the girl raided her stash of cupcakes and lay back on her bed, pear top computer open and slipped a movie DVD into its drive, smiling as the titles rolled. But for her ability to sleep through a war zone it would have been a long night for Sam as the redhead giggled loudly throughout the movie. The blonde, however, had an untroubled night's sleep.
The brown-haired pair, meanwhile, had completed their journey back to the Benson home. Freddie opened the front door to allow his friend to enter, locking it again behind them.
"Mom's gone to bed," he commented in a low voice, "so best not to disturb her, especially if she's working tomorrow… well, today I guess," he amended as the time was a little after 1 a.m.
"Working on a Sunday?" Carly whispered in an amused tone, knowing the matriarch's strict religious beliefs.
"Yeah, she justifies it as a 'shift pattern' though," he grinned, "but she really wasn't happy when I swapped my shift for Sunday a while ago so that Cat and I could celebrate her birthday."
Carly remained silent, not wanting to think about how the two of them could celebrate her sixteenth birthday; she shrugged the idea off as quickly as she had thought of it, dismissing any thoughts that the child-like girl she had encountered could even think about doing that.
"Are you sure you're ok Carly?" he asked in a concerned voice as he sat next to the girl on the couch, "I know you're still upset about Steven and everything but I hoped you'd been able to enjoy most of the party."
"I did," she tried to assure him, "but I guess seeing everyone slow dance at the end just reminded me of what I've lost."
He gently slipped an arm around her, surprised that she leaned into him rather than pulling away or fighting him off as she had done when they were kids in Seattle, and told her in a gentle voice, "He's out there Carls, that special guy. You'll find him someday."
She nodded weakly as one particular thought continued to sit resolutely in the front of her mind.
"Anyway," he released her, much to her disappointment, and stood up, "we need to get some sleep." He offered her his hand and she eagerly took it to allow him to help her to her feet. Freddie let go of her hand as soon as she was in a standing position and led the way upstairs, not seeing the expression on the brunette's face as she followed him.
Sunday, 12th September 2010.
The house was quiet when Carly awoke; it took the Seattleite a few moments to process things: the unfamiliar surroundings and the ache in her heart but slowly she recalled the events of the last few hours and what exactly was going on. What a way to start the day, she thought as the misery bubbled up within her again. She picked up her pear phone from the night stand and checked the time; it was a little after 8 a.m. Figuring that nobody would miss her if she had a bit of a lie-in, she shut her eyes again and rolled over.
Down the hallway, however, Freddie had no such opportunity; he had been awakened by the ringtone of his own pear phone a few minutes earlier and then drawn to full consciousness by the shrill tones of his excited girlfriend as he answered.
"Cat," he protested at her exuberant greeting, "it's eight in the morning – on a Sunday."
"I know," she declared happily, "but I wanted to say hi and see what you wanted to do today since it's the last day before school starts."
He groaned, both at the wake-up call and the thought that the holidays were over.
"Alright, what did you have in mind?" he asked in a resigned tone.
Sherman Oaks Castle Park
4989 Sepulveda Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA
"I can't believe you dragged me here first thing in the morning," Sam grumbled at her hostess-for-the-weekend as the quartet picked up their golf balls and, other than Cat, their putters for their game of miniature (or baby) golf.
The two cupcake lovers shared a grin at her reaction while Freddie opted to keep quiet and instead lined up his first shot. Ever the perfectionist he was studying the angles and lines closely, until an exasperated "get on with it" from an impatient blonde encouraged him to take his first shot; a hole in one that earned him an ecstatic hug from his girlfriend as she leapt into his arms. Sam's smile at the gesture morphed into a frown as she noted Carly's far less enthusiastic response to the act.
Fortunately any confrontation was delayed by Freddie, still stumbling a little as he held his girl, informing the brunette that it was her turn. Carly set her ball down and swung the putter, attempting to recreate Freddie's shot. She didn't succeed, instead the ball veered off to the left of the hole and came to rest by the border; her shoulders slumped a little in disappointment.
"Never mind Carls," Sam's voice was bright; she set her own ball down and took a shot, sending it to the other side of the hole where it ground to a halt a couple of feet from the hole.
"Good one," Freddie congratulated her with a smile.
"Can you help me?" Cat asked with a mischievous grin towards her boy; he rolled his eyes theatrically to suppress his own grin as he stood behind her and helped her to line up the shot. Carly's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of the brown-eyed teen with his arms around the girl in her cute little pale blue dress showing off plenty of leg.
"What do you think?" Sam asked, a little maliciously, in a low voice to the brunette as she caught her staring at their affectionate actions.
"What do you mean?" Carly feigned confusion.
"I mean how do you think they look as a couple; I think they're sweet – almost revoltingly so," the blonde smiled.
Carly just shrugged as she watched Cat's ball serenely join Freddie's in the first hole; she turned away and walked towards her own ball to avoid having to look at their affection increasing. Sam watched her go with a small glower before glancing over and smiling at the couple, her eyes lingering on them for a little while before she mimicked the pale brunette by getting ready for her second shot, a tap in before she handed the other two balls to their respective owners.
Sam made sure to stick close to the Seattle native during their round; Carly, under her watchful gaze, kept her focus more or less on the game and tried to ignore Cat's happy chatter as she and Freddie walked hand-in-hand, hugged and kissed freely during the game. The blonde became distracted, however, when she received a message on her phone around half-way around the course; she stepped off to one side, subtly enough to not catch the attention of the others and read the message; her face fell as she read it before she shook her head to rid herself of the disappointing news. One unconnected call later the girl stowed the device back in the pocket of her grey shorts. She got on with the round but her game had disintegrated somewhat, with a number of stray shots that grabbed Freddie's concern; she blew off his concern for her with her usual bravado and, in the latter stages of their trip around the course, spotted another group were closing in on them quickly and turned attention back onto the couple.
"Hey lovebirds," she taunted lightly, "we need to pick up the pace here a bit of we'll be obstructing these guys."
"Right," he replied with an apologetic grin. "Let's step it up a bit," he smiled at his girl. They did and completed the course without slowing the group behind them down too much.
As usual Freddie won; Sam, who was comfortably second before receiving her message and subsequent collapse, edged out Carly by a couple of shots; thanks to Freddie's 'assistance' with a few of her own shots, and a growing familiarity with the course, Cat finished second behind her boyfriend.
"Did you enjoy that?" Freddie asked his two guests. Carly nodded enthusiastically; beyond iCarly she didn't often get to do too much fun stuff; she was surrounded by quite a lot of straight-laced private schoolchildren who preferred their studies to fun (or, at least, their parents who paid a large amount of money to Briarwood for their education did!) and she had lost contact with a lot of the more 'spontaneous' crowd she knew from Ridgeway (though she and Wendy still hung together occasionally at the Groovy Smoothie).
"Yeah it was great," she enthused.
"Hey, did Spencer ever finish his miniature golf course?" Freddie asked thoughtfully as he remembered the project that Carly's brother had been working on when he and Marissa left Seattle.
"Uh yeah," the brunette mumbled, suddenly taking a great interest in her shoes; Sam burst out laughing as she recalled it.
"Oh he got it finished," the blonde chortled, "but they decided it was too juvenile and vulgar for what they wanted. He wasn't amused," she smiled off into space.
"That's Spencer's thing," the brown-eyed boy argued, "surely they knew what they were getting when they commissioned him."
"Yeah, I just don't think they expected that juvenile," Carly giggled, seeing the funny side a little as the others laughed along with her.
"Ooh ice cream!" Cat spotted the booth next to where the others returned their putters. Freddie rolled his eyes a little before pulling out his wallet and handing his girl a few bills.
"Why don't you go with her and pick out something you and Sam would like," he suggested to Carly.
"Ok," she agreed a little uncertainly but the two girls left him and the blonde alone.
"Smooth, Freddie, real subtle," she grinned.
"What's up?" he asked without preamble. Sam tried to play dumb but he wouldn't let her. "You looked at your phone, subtly but I saw you, and after that your concentration was completely off. Are you going to tell me what happened?" his voice became a lot more gentle as he asked again.
"A text from my mom; a text." She pulled her phone out again and re-read it, aloud this time. "'Hey Sam, hope you're having a good weekend. We left Vegas this morning so you can't come back there. Be good, mom.' That's it. No address for where they've gone to, no hint of the city or even the damn state where they are. I'm homeless, Freddie, and I haven't a clue what I'm going to do."
The tough girl exterior finally cracked and the blonde's eyes became moist; Freddie pulled her into a tight hug and she began to cry openly against his shoulder. It was the sight that greeted the other two girls as they returned, both holding a pair of large ice creams.
"Sam?" Carly asked in a worried voice.
"We brought ice cream," Cat volunteered, earning her a reproachful look from the brunette. "What? It always makes me feel better," she defended herself, causing Freddie to snigger; Sam joined him in a moment of laughter and pulled herself away from him, accepting the treat from Carly.
"Thanks," she told the girls and dug into her ice cream, clearly not wanting to discuss the situation further; Carly and Cat both gave Freddie quizzical looks.
"Later," he whispered to his girlfriend before taking his own ice cream from her and leading her to one of the benches in the area; they sat down and were quickly joined by the others. To Carly's disappointment Sam took a seat next to Freddie, leaving her to sit at the end of the bench next to Cat.
The concerned brunette cast several glances past the couple at her blonde former best friend; while Sam was happily engaged in conversation with them, and seemed to be tolerating the hyperactive redhead's ebullience, with no hint of the recent flood of tears that she had shed.
She would get her chance to question Sam on the drive back to Hollywood; sat in the back seat next to the blonde, Carly asked, in a low and concerned voice, whether she was ok.
"Yeah I'm fine," the former trouble-maker shrugged her off.
"You just seemed… upset when we went for ice cream," Carly persisted.
"Because I wanted pizza," she shrugged before lapsing into silence and staring out of the window. Carly knew she was being less than fully honest but knew that there was no point in trying to force the issue with the blonde; she dropped it for the time being.
Green Meadow Mall
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
"Hi-iii," Cat called out as she spotted her best friend cradling a cup of Jet Brew coffee; Jade looked up at the smiling red velvet-haired girl and gave her and the other new arrivals a quick wave before returning her attention to her drink as she walked over to table where Beck, André, Tori (Trina, much to the group's annoyance, had tagged along with her sister), Robbie and Eli were all sitting with their smoothies. Carly and Sam pulled up four extra chairs while Cat dragged Freddie to the smoothie stand to buy them some drinks. He paid for them and they headed to the table, setting the treats down in front of their guests who thanked them graciously.
"So what have you guys been up to?" Jade asked, stifling a yawn; clearly she had only recently got up.
"Cat dragged us all off to play miniature golf," Sam grumbled, resting her arm on the table and her head on her arm.
"It was fun," the girl giggled, smiling at her schoolmates.
"I could have done with a little more sleep," Freddie protested, "it was quite a late finish last night."
"She watched a movie when we got back," Sam mumbled; Jade's jaw dropped a little.
"Did you sleep at all last night, Cat?"
The girl gasped. "I knew there was something I meant to do when I got back last night!" The others gave her astounded looks but she just giggled a little and began sucking on her smoothie.
Freddie just shook his head; he had more important things to worry about right now. "Have you tried calling your mom to find out where she is?" he asked Sam in a low voice, not wanting the others to know unless Sam was ready to talk about it to them.
"Yeah, as soon as I got the message," she whispered back; Carly frowned at the two of them with their heads together as she felt sure it was connected to the blonde's earlier tears at the golf course. "No answer; it looks like she sent the message and then switched her phone off. Freddie, what am I going to do? I can't imagine I'll be able to stay in LA, I can't go back to Vegas, I don't know where my mom is…" She stopped and took in a deep breath as she attempted to keep the tears at bay this time. Freddie took a thoughtful draught on his smoothie as she settled herself.
"We'll figure something out; it'll all work out, I promise," he squeezed her thigh gently for a moment and she gave him a grateful, if doubtful smile; Carly's frown intensified at the innocent gesture between the two.
"So what now?" Jade asked as the group deposited their empty cups in one of the trash cans dotted around the area.
"Movie?" Robbie suggested; the others traded brief looks before nodding their agreement. Sam, however, spoke up.
"If we're going to be sat there for the next two hours then I'm going to need some food." She grabbed Freddie's sleeve and led him over to one of the stands in the food court to buy her lunch.
"Do you want anything?" he asked Cat, who had followed them over there.
"Uh, I'm good – unless we've time to hit the cupcake shop?" she asked hopefully and fluttered her eyelashes at him.
"Sure," he surrendered with a smile before addressing Sam, "you go and meet the others, we'll hit the cupcakes and find you in the cinema."
Freddie struggled to pay attention to the movie; he spent the duration of it with his arm around Cat and his girlfriend snuggling against his left-hand side as they cuddled but his mind was on the troubles afflicting the blonde girl to his right as he tried to think of a possible solution to her woes. Although various scenarios were racing through his brain, none of them seemed particularly workable or likely to happen. Eventually he just palmed his forehead with his right hand, leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, much to Cat's surprise as she assumed that he was actually watching the movie.
She tugged gently on his sleeve and he dropped his hand, turning to face her. "What's the matter?" she mouthed.
"Something Sam told me," he whispered, "the reason why she was upset earlier. She's got some… chizz going on and I don't know how to fix it. If you want to know more you'd really have to ask her though; it's not my secret."
His girlfriend nodded, understanding that he couldn't betray a confidence even to her; she turned her attention back to the screen as Freddie struggled to do the same.
The screening finished with the brown-haired boy still no closer to figuring out a solution to his friend's troubles; the group left the cinema and reclaimed their table in the food court.
"What are you guys doing now?" Tori asked as she looked around at the other teenagers.
"Well the four of us have plans for this evening," Freddie informed her, surprising the three girls, none of whom knew anything about any plans, "but this afternoon I thought we'd just hang a little; I've not really had a chance to talk to Sam much since she's been staying with Cat's family."
"Oh, 'kay 'kay," Cat replied brightly, "Carly and I can hit a few stores and get some more cupcakes and then meet you guys later," she suggested.
"Sounds like a plan," her boy agreed before Carly could object. "Are you guys staying here for a while?" he asked his schoolmates.
"Beck and I are going to spend some alone-time together," Jade took her man's hand as she announced this,
"I guess we'll see you tomorrow then," Tori commented weakly; the group splintered and went their separate ways with Sam and Freddie heading for the car park to drive home.
"I know how badly I hurt you," Carly called after the blonde; she turned to face her. "One day I will make it up to you, I promise." Sam gave a curt not before leading Freddie, who gave the brunette an apologetic smile before he turned away, out of the mall.
"So," the Seattleite turned to Freddie's perennially-happy girlfriend, "cupcakes?"
"Let's go," she cried and they set off in search of their goodies.
Benson residence
"Any thoughts? About what I can do," Sam elaborated as she asked her friend.
"I'll ask mom but I think she might draw the line at you moving in here permanently," he admitted.
"I think I would too," the blonde smiled, "either me or your mom would kill the other in a few weeks!"
He nodded grimly. "I just don't know then Sam, but you won't be on the street; we'll find somewhere for you until we figure out a solution," he assured her. She gave him a grateful if uncertain smile.
"There's school as well; I can't just be somewhere, I've got to find somewhere to go to school."
"Are you sure you're not Melanie?" he grinned; she returned it.
"Very funny," she growled playfully, "juvie – and being home-schooled by my mo… by Pam," she corrected with a disgust-laden voice, "really has changed me."
"You could try and enrol at one of the local schools here, maybe even Hollywood Arts with us," he suggested.
"Would they let me?"
"You used to be funny on iCarly; you could try."
"No," she shook her head, "I don't think it would work. Besides, I'd still need somewhere to stay; I can't mooch off your friends forever, it wouldn't be fair – and like we said we know neither your mom nor me want me to be living with you guys long-term. Anyway," she forced a smile and her features brightened, "what do you have planned for this evening before we do go our separate ways tomorrow?"
Maestro's restaurant, Los Angeles
Having picked up his girlfriend from her home and driven them to the fancy restaurant, Freddie, dressed in black slacks and a smart blue dress shirt, led the three girls inside and requested a table for four. Carly wore a deep purple dress just stopped just above her knees. Cat, meanwhile, wore a blue dress that was a little shorter than Carly's, barely covering half of her thighs.
Sam wore the same black dress as she had the previous night for the party. "It was the only thing I could 'borrow' from my mom before I left that didn't look trampy," she explained when Carly noticed this.
"You should have said," Freddie complained, "we could have got you something in the mall earlier."
Sam shrugged; the blonde gawped as she looked around the restaurant's impressive interior during the remainder of their short walk to their table.
"Whoa Freddie, this is a nice place," she complimented, "how did you find it?"
"Actually Cat did," he squeezed his girl's hand, "her parents took her there what, a couple of years ago now?" The redhead nodded her confirmation.
"We've been a couple of times before too," she picked up the story, "to celebrate our ping pong trophies." This drew curious looks from the two girls.
"You play ping pong?" Sam asked in surprise.
"We do sometimes on a lunchtime at school and we formed a team. We've brought home trophies in both years that we've been at the school; hopefully we'll make it a third early in the new school year," he shot a conspiratorial smirk at the redhead; he had told the girls the truth, just not the whole truth.
"So you guys are pretty good then?" Carly prompted.
"Freddie's the best player," Cat informed her proudly; a waitress arrived to take their drinks order.
"So who else is on the team?" Carly pressed once the four were alone again; Freddie gave a quick list of their teammates.
"And which schools do you play against?" Sam asked.
"Well the trophies have been for regional championships…" Freddie began.
"Oh, so the Los Angeles area then?" Carly prompted; Sam looked suspiciously at the couple as they allowed the girl to believe that but refused to actually confirm it; it was a point she brought up when the brunette went to the restroom between their appetisers and entrees.
"You two seem very… evasive when talking about this whole ping pong thing," she commented, "almost as if there's a lot more to this story than you're letting on."
She smirked as the couple exchanged sheepish looks. "It doesn't matter to me; I've been interviewed by the cops enough to know when someone's not saying everything. I'm not sure what you're hiding but it's none of my business," she concluded with a grin.
"We… kinda have a promise not to talk about it," Cat admitted in a low voice. Sam nodded and further discussion was ended by Carly's return; the brunette noticed the sudden hush as she returned and wore a hurt expression, assuming that they were talking about Sam's mood earlier in the day.
"What did upset you earlier in the day?" she demanded, putting the girl on the spot; Sam and Freddie shared a look while Cat looked eagerly in the blonde's direction; she, of course, didn't know either.
"If you must know," Sam huffed out, "my mom texted this morning saying that she and her latest loser have left town." Cat gasped in shock and Carly's expression morphed into one of surprised concern, "she's left Vegas, left the state and won't tell me where she's gone – so basically I have nowhere to live."
The waitress returned with their meals and the blonde, forgetting all else, made an eager start on her meal. Carly's eyes widened at the sight; she had forgotten the girl's legendary appetite which, if anything, had grown since their friendship had disintegrated. She soon turned her mind back to the other matter at hand as she began processing her words and considering the situation.
"So, what are you going to do?" she asked timidly; Sam glared at her and she quailed a little under the look.
"Well, to start with she'll still be staying with Cat tonight," Freddie took charge of the conversation. Cat nodded her agreement; her parents had said that they would let Sam stay until Monday, when she had been due to return to Las Vegas. "After that," he sighed, "we'll really have to see. Mom might let her stay for a few days but we need to figure out something permanent – and fairly quickly. I know she won't throw you out onto the street, Sam," he assured the blonde, "but…"
"I know," she nodded.
Three of the teens sat back in near exhaustion after finishing their entrees; the dessert menu had been brought but none of them were too keen to order. Sam, meanwhile, was reading it intently, determining which of the treats she'd most like to have.
"How can you even be thinking about dessert after that?" Carly asked in surprise.
The blonde set the menu down but Freddie spoke up.
"If you want something, order it; I can afford it," he assured her.
"You're not paying for all of this," Carly protested. "Seriously Freddie, it would cost you a fortune. Let me pay half."
The other two girls looked at her in surprise. "My dad earns good money; I get a nice allowance," she told them before turning back to the boy. "Please, it's not fair for you to pay for everyone."
Freddie could see the steely glare in the brunette's eyes; it was clear that she wouldn't take no for an answer. "Ok, then," he conceded, "Thank you."
Carly nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment," she stood up and reached into her purse for her pear phone, "I need to make a quick call; I'll be back before Sam finishes her dessert."
"At the speed she eats," Freddie teased with a grin, "I wouldn't count on it." Sam gave him a playful shove but joined the boy and his girlfriend in laughing as Carly quickly stepped outside of the restaurant.
Carly narrowly won the 'race'; she returned to her seat just as Sam was about to take the last mouthful of her chocolate gateau.
"Do you want to come back to Seattle?" she asked the blonde; the other three looked at her in surprise. "I spoke to Spencer," she explained, "he's agreed that you can stay with us; heck he's agreed to apply to the state to become your guardian. He'll write a letter of recommendation to the school board so that you can enrol somewhere – probably not Ridgeway – and he's going to call the board at juvie and see if they'll write you a recommendation as well."
"They should do since you didn't cause too much trouble there, especially later on," Freddie said hopefully; Sam nodded, almost in a daze at the possible turn of events. "I could write something too, if it's worth anything."
"A reference couldn't hurt," Carly agreed.
"Wow, I don't know what to say," Sam was overwhelmed by the potential turn of events. She looked at her smiling former friend. "Thank you; that would be great."
"Maybe mom and dad could write something as well," Cat suggested, "I mean they know you after this weekend so maybe…"
"The more the better," Carly agreed, "we'll head up tomorrow, Spencer can make his calls, we can start to put the file together and take it from there; hopefully you'll soon be in school somewhere and won't miss more than a week or so," she addressed the blonde.
"Sounds good," Sam agreed with a nod. "Thank you Carly, so much," she continued humbly before turning to the teenage couple. "Thank you, both, as well."
"You've been there for me too when I've needed someone Sam," Freddie reminded her, earning a surprised look from the other two girls, "that's what friends do."
"To friendship!" Cat cried happily as she raised her glass; the four touched glasses and toasted.
Benson residence
"Freddie," Carly began as the two sat alone in the living room (Marissa had gone to bed), "what did you mean that Sam was there when you needed someone?"
"There was some… chizz over things between me and Lindsey – Sam was there when I needed someone to talk to, and there when she felt my ex- needed a beat-down."
"Wait, she came from Vegas to LA to beat someone up?"
"Yeah," he smirked, "someone who deserved it though; you don't have to worry about random outpourings of violence from her – not anymore," he reassured his friend.
Carly nodded; she pressed a little further about Freddie's issues with his ex-girlfriend but reluctantly dropped it when the boy kept things deliberately vague. She did feel a little hurt that he would confide in Sam but not in her, though she did have to concede that the two had bonded somewhat since both had left Ridgeway; not for the first time she regretted losing contact with them, and the reasons for doing so.
Valentine residence
Monday, 13th September 2010.
Cat awoke early, eagerly anticipating the first day of her junior year at Hollywood Arts. She quickly packed her school bag and dressed in a cute pink top and short jean shorts, grinning as she thought back on her blonde housemate's comment about how she loved to show off her leg.
Speaking of the blonde, Sam also had a renewed spring in her step; the prospect of a permanent home, away from her mother, reconciliation with one of her oldest and best friends; it was like a dream come true for her and she still struggled to believe it, right until the moment Carly arrived at Cat's house along with Freddie, who had come to give his girlfriend a ride to school.
"Hey," she greeted the pair.
"Hi Sam, ready to move to your new home?" Carly asked with a smile.
The blonde nodded happily. "I got all my stuff right here," she indicated the small case she had brought from Las Vegas. "Not much but it's pretty much everything I have."
"Well then we need to go shopping when we get home," the brunette smiled in anticipation. "Is your mom ok to give us a ride to the airport?" she asked Cat.
"Uh yeah, sure, she said she would last night."
"I'm sorry that we can't take you," Freddie told the girls, "but some of us have school to go to. In fact, we need to be going now." He hugged Sam and then Carly, saying goodbye to both girls and wishing them a safe flight.
"See you on web chat later this week?" Carly asked hopefully.
"We'll be there," he assured her; Cat nodded eagerly beside him and the brunette's enthusiasm was tempered slightly.
The two Hollywood Arts students departed for school and the remaining girls waited patiently for Mrs Valentine to be ready. She drove them to Los Angeles Airport and they checked in (Carly had managed to buy Sam a ticket on the same flight after returning to the Benson house the previous evening).
"You ready?" Carly asked as their flight was called; Sam nodded and the two girls stood up and gathered their bags. "Let's go home."
AN: Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought and come back for the next chapter. PD.