STRANGE.

"Strange, isn't it?"

Carly turned her head to the left and looked at her blond best friend with a furrowed brow. They were both laying back on the sofa, watching Girly Cow reruns on the television. Carly was sitting up while Sam was laid out on the sofa with her legs stretched over Carly at the calves. They were both tired. It had been a long night of television watching and popcorn.

Sam turned from the glow of the television and looked at Carly with the same detached, neutral look she always had. An almost bored look in her eyes as if she found life in general to be just another dull routine.

Carly blinked: "What is?"

"This. Us," Sam said, as if that explained her entire line of thought.

"We're strange?" Carly asked, obviously not following the thought process of Sam Puckett.

"No," Sam said, not sure why Carly Shay couldn't follow her simple thought. She should, though. It just came to her. Like an epiphany. It was just so blatantly obvious that the smarter brunette should have figured this one out ages ago. She was always the smarted of the two, the thinker, and the one that analyzed every single thing they experienced. Sam was the happy-go-lucky one that took life as it happened. Carly should be getting this. "This," Sam said more slowly, as if that would make it easier for the brunette to understand.

"Us hanging out?" Carly said, confused. "Sam, we've always hung out like this. Watching TV, inhaling popcorn and Peppy Cola. Vegging. How is this suddenly strange?"

Sam sighed heavily and stared at her best friend for a few seconds. Then, she turned her attention back to the show on the television. "Never mind, then."

Carly continued staring at her best friend lying beside her, not sure what to make of that statement. Sure, they were not the normal for best friends. Carly had to admit that she was a bit motherly toward Sam. And Sam was a bit overprotective of Carly. And Sam tended to ignore personal boundaries between them. And maybe they were far more physical than other best friends. But, that was because their friendship was different than everyone else. Sam was a very complex person. It seemed that only Carly understood the blond and had the ability to keep her out of trouble. Ok, maybe the ability to reduce the amount of trouble the blond got into. Carly was the only one that got to see behind Sam's walls, the only one with whom Sam felt comfortable enough to drop her guard. Carly was the only one who had Sam's complete and total trust and respect. They were closer than best friends. Closer than sisters.

Carly's eyes slowly opened wide and she quickly looked back to the television screen, but totally failed to follow what was going on as a sudden realization burst into her mind. They were as close as lovers.

Carly laid her hands on the exposed shins of Sam's legs where they stretched over her lap. Her skin was warm and smooth. And it felt good to touch her. The word 'close' echoed in her mind. Yes, they were very close. As close as lovers? Was their relationship that intimate? Define intimacy. Could friends be intimate? Sure, they could. Sex didn't have to be involved to be intimate. Did it?

She looked back at her friend's face. Sam was busy watching the television with disinterest and half lidded eyes. Carly studied Sam's face, as if there was some secret answer hidden there. She had to admit that the blond was definitely attractive. No, not attractive…beautiful. Yes, that was more accurate. Sam was beautiful. Her blond curls framed her face perfectly, her bangs barely covering those grey-green eyes. Carly loved those eyes. So deep and bright and fierce and determined. There was a quiet strength about Sam. Something in the way she lay there, relaxed but much like a tigress that could lash out with lightening reflexes.

Sam rolled her head back to meet Carly's gaze, locking her eyes with the dark brown eyes of the brunette. She raised an eyebrow in query and gave a wry half grin.

"Yeah?" was all Sam said.

Carly gave a smile in return. "Yeah. "