A couple weeks ago MackenzieGirl set out a challenge. Write a series of Seddie stories, using all of a list of 100 words. Well my intention was to take this challenge and use it as a daily writing exercise. Me, being me, already missed the first few days. New Strategy. I would write my first one using as many words as I could. This is the result...a one-shot future fic starring...eh, you already know. Hopefully everything else will be explained as you go. Only one thing left:

Disclaimer: If I owned this, I'd be paid a whooole lot more than I am. And probably drinking out of a fruit on a beach somewhere.

"Nope. No Way! You cannot throw a guitar string into the kitty, Sam." Freddie and Sam had these bi-weekly poker games ever since they turned 16. Most of the time they had other people joining them, like Carly, or her fiancé Luke, or some guys from Freddie's old dorm. Tonight, though, it was just the two of them.

"Every time we play poker, you always end up changing the rules," Freddie protested.

"And what rules am I supposedly changing?" Sam wore the same expression of bored annoyance that she wore every other time he brought this up.

"Up to now, every bet has been food. You started with bubblegum," he listed. "I added lollipops, you threw in a sandwich, I matched you with sweet and sour shrimp. You put in Fladoodles and I raised with my mom's celery cake."

"Which I still say is a ripoff!" Sam had risen off her chair and had come nose to nose with her familiar opponent. "First of all, those were the famous Norwegian Fire Fladoodles. B): It wasn't even a cake it was muffins, and 3): You dare to call something with vegetables a dessert?!"

"Hey," he pointed at her. "It's my uncle's award winning recipe. And he happens to be a world renown chef."

She swiftly smacked his finger out of her face. "Yeah? Well then your whole family is sick, Benson!" She sat back down and folded her arms. "What's your point anyway?"

"The point is that since we were kids, you've been throwing weird things into the kitties and it's been worse since we started dating." Freddie threw his hands up, partially in exasperation, and partially in an unconscious attempt to block any blows that may come his way.

"Like what?"

"Well, like the socks with pink stripes or the fuzzy blindfold," He lowered his hands, feeling relatively safe for the moment. "Not really my style there, Puckett."

"No?" She raised her eyebrows and leaned in to whisper in her low tone. "I seem to recall putting that fuzzy blindfold to very good use on our date last Thursday."

The memory made Freddie blush about four shades of red. "Yeah," he cleared the lump from his throat. "That was kinda hot."

"Uh huh, and you're welcome." She smirked and sat back in her seat. Point Puckett.

"Well what about the, not one, but four movies you put in where the convenience store guys are dressed like pirates?"

"Classics."

Freddie rolled his eyes. "What about the goldfish?" he quickly remembered.

"What about it?"

"It was Spencer's goldfish…and you were fish sitting while he was on vacation!" He was very aware that this conversation had suddenly gotten about fifteen decibels higher. He was also aware that it rarely ended well for him when it did.

"Well, he got it back didn't he?"

"Only after he started blubbering like a baby and accused me of being a fishnapper!"

"Whatever. That's the past, this is the present and the string stays!" She sat back finalizing the matter. "Besides, you asked for it."

"Wha…?" Freddie was struck speechless for a moment as he tried to process what she just said. "Why would I ask for a guitar string when I don't play guitar?"

"I don't know? It's the G string." She waved him off. "You asked last night if you could play with my G string!"

A blush crept up in Freddie's cheeks again as he suddenly remembered the conversation. "Ahem, I mean the frilly lace one I saw you buy in the mall a couple weeks ago."

Sam quickly whipped her head around as her eyes bore a hole into his gut. Just as Freddie was about to give up and relinquish everything, she suddenly started laughing. Not just laughing…laughing hysterically! "You thought I…You think I'd wear…You want to see…Yeah right Benson like that would ever happen!"

Freddie quickly became annoyed at her revelry. "I got that for a game for Carly's bachelorette party. Hahaha. Thinking you'd get to see me in that. How adorable!"

"Alright, already!" Freddie reached his breaking point. "The guitar string can stay if you just shut up!"

Sam's laughter began to wane a bit, and an idea struck him. He set his cards face down on the table and began reaching into his pocket. "And…I raise with this." He plopped a small purple box on the top of the pot.

She eyed it suspiciously for a few seconds. "What's that?"

"Magic!" he smirked.

"Pshht." She breathed and reached forward to grab it.

In a flash, Freddie snatched the small box just out of her reach. "Nuh uh. You can't look at it unless you win it."

Sam bore her eyes into him again, making him squirm a bit. "Okay," he finally relented. "It's not really magic, but it is valuable."

She sat back and crossed her arms studying his expression. She somehow always knew when he was bluffing.

"You're lying," she finally concluded. "It's probably something stupid like bugs or mud."

Freddie waved it enticingly in front of her. "You never know. It could be something like perfume…or bacon!"

She launched herself forward to grab it again, but again he pulled it just out of her reach. "You can't play an unknown like that. I won't accept it."

"Yeah, you will."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "And what makes you think that Whiz Pants?"

"Oh goody, Names!" he laughed. "Because…" He took a moment to make sure she didn't miss the smirk he had freshly plastered on his face. "…your left eye is twitching. It's your tell, Puckett. You're dying to know what's in this box so bad, you'll probably have a nightmare if you don't find out."

They were locked in a stare-down for a few moments before she finally jumped up. "Fine!" She ran out of the room, and he could hear things flying in the bedroom before she ran back out carrying a sparkly disco ball.

"Where did you get that thing?" he giggled.

"I found it when we went shopping for party decorations for your birthday." She climbed over the back of the chair.

"But my birthday's not until next month." He was really surprised that she was thinking this far ahead.

"Yeah well…since it's your 23rd , as one of your presents, Carly and I decided to get all of our old High School friends together for a mini 5 yr reunion prom as a surprise for you…Whoops!" She smiled as she threw the ball on top of the pile.

"Wow Sam. That was an incredibly nice and thoughtful gift." He answered truly shocked. "I was sort of expecting something childish like those floatie things that kids wear while swimming at the beach. And knowing you, as an extra stab at my manhood, they'd probably have photos of Barbies or Tinkerbell from Disney."

"Now why didn't I think of that?" She laughed. "I guess I can give you those next year. Okay, Benson. Mirror ball and I call."

"Yes! In 5…"

"Five my butt! Just flip em over Benson!"

Freddie flipped his cards over revealing an embarrassingly low hand.

"Awww, a pair of twos. That's so cute!" Sam taunted as she leaned over to look at them. "Care for some tea and crumpets with the queen?" She asked in a fake British accent. "ZAP! Straight flush, Queen high. Hahaaa, Read em and weep, Fredzilla!"

She waved the cards in front of him then started to sing as she collected her winnings. "Oh yeah, Mama's a winner! Got herself a new purple box full of…"

Freddie grabbed the box off the pile and started to make his way to the kitchen.

"Hey! That's mine, and you better give it back, or I'll put you in a chokehold so bad, you'll be seeing stars for a month, Benson!" She got up off her chair and started to chase after him.

Freddie realized he'd cornered himself in the kitchen. He looked around for anything, and then threw a wet sponge at her, smacking her directly in the face. Luckily it distracted her enough that he could dodge around her and out the kitchen, back toward the table again.

Sam recovered quickly and jumped up onto the counters. Just as he was coming around the corner, she launched herself at him like a superhero in flight and tackled him from behind. Grabbing his waist, she pulled him onto the floor between the table and the turtle aquarium. Freddie clutched the box tightly between him and the floor, while the popcorn and glasses of Pepsi that Sam knocked off the table, started to rain down over both of them.

"Give it back, Pickleweasel!" She was straddled across his behind, trying to dig underneath him to get it, but he had no intention of letting it go easily.

"Ugh!" Freddie grunted as the box was digging into his sternum. "Okay, get off of me and I'll give it to you."

Sam dismounted from Freddie's backside and stood up. She thrust her hand out and tapped her foot waiting for the box. Freddie slowly started to get up, cradling the box in one hand. He got as far as his knees then he stopped, looking down at the little purple box.

"I've been carrying this around for weeks trying to find the right time to give this to you. I thought about wrapping it up and having it be one of your Christmas presents from Santa. Or doing it just as we kissed on New Years, when we rode our bikes to watch the fireworks off the Space Needle. I even thought about attaching it to a letter and having Cupid deliver it on a skateboard for Valentines." He opened the box to reveal a perfect simple white gold engagement ring. A deep purple oval amethyst sparkled in the middle and a diamond on each side.

Sam crossed her arms in front of her and shifted to one foot. "So you decided to propose at a poker game?"

This wasn't going at all how he expected. With her things seldom do. He brought his hand up to massage the back of his neck, finding the words to continue. "Look, I know I probably could have had candles, roses, maybe those chocolate covered cherries you like…some soft music playing from a radio in the background."

He got up off of his knees and moved closer to her. "All that stuff though, it isn't us. This is us! The poker games, the wrestling on the floor covered in sticky liquid, driving each other crazy because it's such an absolute turn on. That's us! With you, life is a gamble. What more appropriate way to ask you to spend the rest of your life with me then while gambling."

Sam didn't speak for several moments, and the silence was agonizing to him. He looked down at the ring and began to close the box.

"You know it's not really gambling, when you're betting on a sure thing." Her voice rang like a tiny perfect bell in his ears. He looked up to see a slight smile on her face before she continued. "…but you have to shut up with your incessant yammering, and ask me already."

There was no way he could've smiled bigger if he'd tried. He got back down on one knee and with trembling hands removed the ring from it's safe little home. "Samantha Puckett, would you give me the honor of driving me crazy…forever."

She giggled at his choice of words. So perfect, and fitting. "Yes Freddie, and it's about freakin time!" She smiled as he delicately placed the ring on her finger. "So, uh…what do we do now, seal it with a handshake or something?"

"I got a better idea." He stood up and took her face in both hands and hungrily brought his lips to hers. There was such a frantic passion building in the kisses that she didn't notice she'd been moved across the room until she fell across the edge of the couch; him landing on top of her.

They broke the kiss when they both started laughing. "So, Benson. That was quite an interesting game, I must say."

He began drawing doodles across her chest with his finger as he looked into her eyes. 'Interesting indeed. And most interesting of all is that somehow we both ended up winners."

"Ugh." Sam groaned and dropped her head to the side. "You did not just ruin a perfectly good moment with a cheesy line like that!"

"Ruin!" Freddie said mildly shocked. "I thought you said everything was better con queso."

"Cheddar, not chucklehead!" She pulled his head back to her and gave him a small kiss when she saw a small pout across his lower lip. "You are aware that we're very sticky right now?"

He wiggled a bit feeling the friction that the syrupy cola made against their bodies. "Well, maybe we should fix that." He climbed off of her and held his hand out to her. "Mrs. Benson."

"Uh, No way!" She wiggled her nose at this new name as she took his hand to get up. "There's no way I'm changing my name to the same as your mother's. Maybe you should change yours to Puckett."

"Freddie Puckett?" He rolled the name around like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "Hate it, besides I'm the guy and it's tradition that the girl…" He stopped as he saw a glare beginning to form across her eyes. "You know what? He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his forehead against hers. "Nothing in the world can ruin this day. Unless…" He pulled his head back and a mischievous smile crossed his lips. "…I don't get the shower first."

He picked her up and tossed her back to the couch as he ran for the bathroom door. She quickly recovered and was on his heels, but he managed to get the door closed just as she reached it. She banged loudly on the door, "Benson, you better let me in, or you'll find your severed head lying next to you in the morning…and I'm not talking about the one on your shoulders!"

She jumped back as the door suddenly swung open, and he greeted her with a wide smile. "Guess what! There's plenty of room for two!" He pulled her into the bathroom and shut the door.

Oh yeah, no doubt about it. Married life would be a huge poker game between these two. But they wouldn't have it any other way.

Word cound from the list...86. Not bad. 14 more to go. If you give me a review, i'll name one of my virtual fish after you? Don't you want a little digital fish floating around with your name? Thought so.