Author's Note: Hello everyone. I have a little one-shot story that takes place after iGet My (Second) Chance and the sequel that I will be posting on Monday. I hope you enjoy this little slice of Creddie to hold you over.

iThought it was Over at Seven

By OneHorseShay

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. For God sakes, don't sue.

Shay Apartment
November 2011

Freddie Benson was resting beside Carly on her bed with an arm over her stomach with the fingers of his right hand laced with her fingers of her right hand and a worried expression on his face. This wasn't one of their usual cuddle sessions. It was approaching one in the morning and he was in some of his typical sleeping clothes: he wore a dark blue T-Shirt with two white stripes on both short sleeves and blue pajama pants. Carly was under the covers sleeping peacefully after finally being able to take off the facemask of her nebulizer over her mouth and nose. It haunted Freddie every time his sight would catch the facemask and nebulizer sitting on the left side nightstand, but he pushed that aside and focused on Carly. Her breathing was finally normalized with only the occasional hitching of her breath.

Freddie had set up through her PearPod all her favorite songs and allowing her to listen to them through the bed's earbuds in her sleep. One earbud was snug in her left ear and softly playing through the extensive play list as sort of a lullaby while he listened through the right bud to make sure the music wouldn't be too loud to wake her up. It also allowed for him to occasionally whisper to her that he was there and tell her he loved her in her right ear every time her breathing would hitch. It seemed to calm her back to a peaceful sleep when he spoke to her and gave her a gentle kiss on the temple or cheek.

Carly had suffered her first asthma attack since she was seven and it was a pretty bad one all because of that stupid little experiment in Mister Henning's class earlier in the day. He always thought the man was a quack, even if was well meaning, but today just proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

He wanted to demonstrate to the class how much pollution a little bit of coal could release into the air. Unfortunately, he was too stupid to do it outside or get enough ventilation for the classroom. When the room started filling with just a little black soot, the students started coughing occasionally and headed for the door. It wasn't overwhelming, but the class had no intention of smelling like coal for the rest of the day.

Carly had a far more adverse reaction to the wisps of smoke. Freddie was sitting beside Carly at a table and was getting up to follow the rest of the class when he could the look on her face. She gave him a look of sheer terror as she clawed at her throat and the only sound she could make was a wheezing sound. His instincts kicked in and he picked the thin girl up and carried her out of the classroom.

The next few hours were gruelingly slow and fast at the same time for Freddie between the EMTs, a quick trip to the doctors and pharmacy for a new nebulizer, to finally Carly being able to rest peacefully in her own bed. He was glad for Spencer's calmness throughout the entire matter and Sam's surprisingly cool head, because if it wasn't for her, he would have happily strangled the hippy science teacher for his incompetence. He knew that he and Sam would come up with someway to get back at Henning, because Freddie wouldn't accept anything less. Would it be vindictive? Freddie knew that it would, but he really didn't care: if Carly had to suffer his stupidity, why should he suffer with it too?

He didn't know where the artist was at the moment, probably checking in with General Shay again and figuring out whether he should fly back to Seattle. Sam had crashed on the couch in the room and sleeping at an odd, but to her, comfortable position.

After another twenty minutes of just watching her and remembering back on the day's events, the brunette began to stir from her sleep. She turned her head slightly and smiled at her brown eye boy. "Hey," she whispered hoarsely.

He smiled back and whispered, "Hello my sleeping beauty."

"Little cheesy," she quietly replied with the first smile she had seen her wear since the attack.

He grinned in response and kissed her forehead. "Doesn't make it any less true."

"Rough day?" she let the question hang. She saw the weariness in his eyes and wondered if she looked at tired as they both felt even after a few pleasant hours of sleep.

"Terrifying for me," he replied in a hesitant tone.

"I'm sorry," she whispered guiltily.

"Not your fault, just that idiot science teacher. We can talk about that later. Please?"

She nodded and they let the room be slight between the two of them. Carly reached up with her free hand to feel the earbud in her ear as she finally noticed the soft music whispering in her ear. It was one of her favorite songs playing. "Music your idea?"

He nodded. "Spencer said that your mom would sing to you after an attack, but this was the closest thing that came to mind."

"Thank you,"

"Don't mention it."

She suddenly took a deep yawn and covered her mouth with her left hand. It brought a smile to his face for her to be able to do that. "Sorry, just still a little tired."

"No problem. Did you have a pleasant nap?"

She nodded slightly as her eyelids began to get heavy again. "Yes, but I'm still tired. Even without the attack it was still exhausting going everywhere. What time is it?"

He looked over his shoulder to see her alarm clock display: 1:24 AM. He turned back and met her eyes to whisper, "About one thirty."

She snuggled closer to him if that was possible wither her on her back and him on lying on his side holding her as his forehead now touched her temple. "Are you going to spend the night?" she asked as her eyes closed.

"I was planning to, unless you want me to go?"

Her laced fingers tightened through his fingers and held his arm over her abdomen. She opened up her eyes once more to look to him in almost doe eyes and asked, "Stay?"

He kissed her temple then whispered into her ear, "I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."