Hey everyone, long time no see! I know it's been forever since I last wrote anything or updated anything of mine...but here I am with my newest and latest story. For those of you who read my announcement, you know what this is all about. For those of you who didn't and are new to this story, long story short; it's set after iKiss, Sam & Freddie went through some rough times, it came to a head at their junior prom, but now they're dating and school is about to be let out for the summer. Well, that's about it...here's the opening chapter of this sequel to Truth & Consequences. Hope you all enjoy!

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…"

The sound of song filled my ears, though it sounded like it was far off, in another galaxy. I felt myself shift around uncomfortably on whatever it was I was sleeping on, wanting to block out the song and continue my fitful slumber. I didn't know how long I had been there, but I didn't care; sleep was all that mattered right now. I felt like I had been dragged through some real tough spot, like a hurricane or whatever, and it also felt like I hadn't slept in days. Mama needs her sleep, and whoever was playing that song needed to stop.

I shifted again, this time onto my side, and it was there that I felt someone or something tugging on my shoulder. I shirked whatever it was away and pulled the blanket that had been covering my body up closer to my face, under my chin, while the song continued to play in the distance. This time, what felt like a hand was on my shoulder again, shaking harder this time. I groaned as I feebly tried to push whoever's hand it was away. Doesn't anyone understand that sleep is a good thing? I turned over onto my back, my eyes still closed, hearing giggling. Whoever this was had better have a good reason for waking me from my dream land.

My eyes snapped open and I saw Carly hovering over my body, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to suppress her giggle fits. What was going on? Why is she staring at me like I'm some national treasure or something?

"Carly…what…are you…doing?", I managed to stutter out, trying to go back to sleep before it was too late.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it, but I just had to wake you up", she said, sitting down on the end of the couch, where my feet had been splayed a few seconds ago. I slowly pulled myself into an upright position, using my elbows to prop my body up as I gave her a quizzical look. What could she possibly be talking about?

"You had to wake me up for what reason? No offense Carls, but if this has something to do with Spencer setting something else on fire, wait till the morning to tell me, alright? Mama needs her sleep", I murmured, slowly placing my head back on the pillow, my second attempt at trying to go back to sleep.

"No, it's nothing like that. And it's eleven in the morning, Sam. You've been asleep since the moment you stepped foot in here last night", my best friend spoke softly, that smile of hers not once leaving her lips as I tried to decipher the look on her face. Was she happy? Did I do something stupid? I couldn't tell. And how the heck did I end up here? And I missed breakfast!?!

"Okay then…besides missing breakfast, what's so important?", I said, getting slightly agitated that I missed out on some bacon and scrambled eggs. She tried to suppress her giggle fits again, but failed miserably, breaking out hysterically.

"Seriously Carls, if you don't stop laughing, I'm gonna go back to sleep", I said threateningly, though I knew I wouldn't be able to. Carly finally managed to calm herself down to the point where she could speak coherently, though knowing her, she was liable to start giggling like mad again. What's got her all happy all of a sudden?

"It's what you said in your sleep. You were sleep talking again", she said, doing her best to keep a straight face, while I gaped at her, horror written all over my features. What did I say? Oh my god, I hope I didn't say anything incriminating or terrible…and why does she find this to be so damn hilarious!? She must have picked up on my mood, because she playfully pushed my shoulder and shook her head.

"Don't worry, you didn't say anything embarrassing, Sam."

"Then what the heck did I say!!?"

"You were talking about Freddie."

I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out. I feel my cheeks redden; I know I'm blushing madly. Carly just gives me that Cheshire cat grin of hers, while I still can't think of anything to say. The events of last night are still fresh in my mind, they give me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. You know, the same kind of feeling I used to hate with a fiery passion. Everything about last night was just so…wonderful. Well, the beginning wasn't like that, and I did cry a lot…but everything Freddie said and did made up for it. And, of course, Carly's plan worked to perfection. I sighed and grinned, thinking about it all. I'll never forget last night for as long as I live.

"What did I say about him?", I whispered as I curled back up underneath the blankets.

"You were saying how much you love him", she said with a smile. I blushed again and looked away, hair covering my face, but I could tell Carly was enjoying every second of this. It was true, though. That boy gets me going. Who'd of thought, huh? Freddie Benson. Three years ago, he was my personal rug for me to walk all over. Now? All he has to do is just look at me and I feel my insides melt away. It truly is amazing how things change over time.

"I speak the truth, Shay. The boy makes me feel really special."

"And I'm glad he does. You should have seen the looks on both your faces last night when you were dancing on the football field. It was so adorable and romantic."

I playfully push my best friend before kicking the blanket off my feet and standing up, stretching my arms and legs out, yawning as Carly stands up and walks into the kitchen, opening the fridge before calling out to me.

"You want some cereal, Sam?", she asked, back still turned as she rummaged through everything looking for some milk.

"I'd eat anything right now…you should have woken me up earlier!", I said jokingly as I finished stretching my arms and sat down on the barstool, waiting for the cereal to appear in front of me. But she turned around and faced me, her lips pouting out a bit as she placed her hands on her hips. "What's the matter, Carls?"

"We don't have any milk", she said as she looked back in the fridge once more to confirm her statement. "Yep, don't have any. You want anything else for breakfast?"

"Just gimme some root beer and I'll make due with that", I said while Carly rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling as she grabbed a bottle of root beer and tossed it my way. A door closed behind me, so I swiveled around to see who it was, and there stood Spencer, decked out in his football gear. We both studied him for a few seconds while stood there, striking his best manly-looking pose. I could hear Carly behind me try her best not to burst out into laughter, but I've got no self control, so I just did it, even though I felt a little bad doing so. But come on, he looks so ridiculous in those pads!

"Oh, thanks girls, that does my self esteem a world of confidence", he mumbled as he grabbed a banana from the basket on the bar and began to peel it open for him to eat.

"Dude, what's with the gear? You getting ready for a war or something? Or are you wearing it as protection from Chuck?", I asked with a laugh while he made one of his many funny faces while taking a bite out of his breakfast.

"For your information, I've got practice, and it's crucial today, because today will see if I get a spot in the starting line-up", he said as he tossed his banana peel nonchalantly over his shoulder, missing the garbage by a few feet. Good thing he never decided to pick up basketball…

"And what are you competing for, starting water boy?", Carly asked, laughing hysterically while Spencer shoved her head lightly, giving her a noogie and sticking his tongue out playfully as she tries to give me my cereal.

"Nope, even better than that, little sis! Coach Harmon said that if I do well at practice today, I might be the second starting wide receiver! Imagine that…Spencer Shay, all pro wide out AND awesome sculptor! I'll be just as famous as you two and Freddie!", he exclaimed excitedly.

Carly and I looked to each other and shrugged our shoulders. Who knew, maybe Spence would do really well on the field and achieve his dream of being a star for the Cobras. Despite the joking we all do, I know that we all believe in him and want him to succeed. He deserves his own little slice of happiness, that's for sure.

After he was done giving his sister her noogie, he turned around to face me and gave me an expectant smile. I knew right there what he wanted to talk about, it was as clear as day and written all over his face. He wanted the deets about me and Freddie and the night we both had last night. His elbows were now propped up on the bar and he was staring right at me, his face mere inches from mine as I slurped down my breakfast. How could I go about explaining the best night of my life in mere words, though? Words that Spencer would understand? I knew it'd be tough to describe my utter elation in such a way, but I had to, somehow. He wouldn't stop staring at me if I didn't say something quickly.

"So you want to know about last night, do you?", I asked as I slurped down some more cereal, while he almost broke his neck nodding violently, muttering 'Uh huh' while I laughed at his childish antics. Biggest little kid I know, and I wouldn't want him to be any other way. "It was nothing special, Spence, really."

"Sam", Carly stated firmly without even looking at me, her back turned as she resumed her rummaging through the refrigerator once more. I rolled my eyes and sighed, but right as I was going to talk about last night, the door to the apartment swung open and in walked none other than my favorite person ever, looking every bit as handsome now as he did last night. Wow. I just called Freddie handsome. And I don't feel like dry heaving. I could get used to this!

"Hey hey hey, people, how goes it?", he asked cheerily as he walked in and took his seat right next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist and smiling while Spencer's eyes kind of bugged out of their sockets, like he couldn't believe what he was actually seeing in front of him. Not that I could blame him, though. A year ago, if Freddie tried this stunt, I'd of broken every bone in his arm. And then called him a nub for good measure.

"So it is true, huh?", Spencer asked as he stepped back and grabbed himself a glass, pouring some orange juice into it as he eyed the two of us carefully. Carly looked at her brother with a weird look, but she shrugged her shoulders and resumed whatever it was she doing in the refrigerator.

"Yep, sure is, man", Freddie replied as I finished off the last of my cereal and happily nodded my head, a smile on my lips as I leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "The night started out kinda ok and all, but after your sister here had the Plain White T's perform for us…well, it was for the entire school, but anyone with half a brain knew that the song was aimed at me and Sam here", he continued as he returned the favor by kissing me on my cheek, causing me to blush a little bit.

"It got rocky from there…I won't say what happened…"

"I kinda ran out on him after the song was over and he ran after me to the bleachers", I responded, thinking of the humiliation I was feeling when I did that, not to mention the emotional distraught as well. But it was all fine in the end…

"So yeah, that happened, and…Spencer, are you even paying attention?", Freddie asked as we all faced Spencer and saw him staring at his reflection in his helmet, grinning and mouthing words to himself as if he were Fabio or something like that. He caught on and snapped out of his trance, giving the three of us a guilty look.

"Sorry 'bout that…continue", he said sheepishly, placing his helmet down on the table, his attention back on Freddie and me.

"Well, to make the long story short, we talked, we fought a little, we made up, Carly gave us a dance on the football field, I gave Sam a piggy back ride home, we kissed goodnight, I went home and she ended up here. That's pretty much what happened."

Spencer smiled and then gave the two of us noogies of our own from across the bar, laughing all the way. "Aw, how cute. My little sister's two best friends are finally together! This is cause for a celebration amongst us all…as soon as I return from football practice. Tally ho!", Spence exclaimed as he grabbed his helmet and ran out of the kitchen, into the living room and…face first into the front door. He remained on the floor for a few moments while the three of us all laughed hysterically while he tried to peel himself off the floor, to no avail.

"Oh, your closed", he muttered as he grabbed hold of the doorknob and finally dragged himself to his feet, twisting the door open and stumbling out into the hallway. "Be home…soon, kiddo…don't burn the…house down…while I'm…gone!", he managed to breath out as he disappeared down the hall, our laughter having now subsided as we moved from the kitchen to the living room, Carly closing the door while me and Freddie sat down on the couch, while she sat down next to Freddie and grabbed the remote, flipping on the television to see if there was anything good on to watch. As she looked, she turned to face the two of us.

"Is it weird?", she asked. I shook my head for a second, realizing that she had asked me a question and I had been totally zoning out. Freddie arched an eyebrow at the question posed, then turned to face me, the two of us shrugging our shoulders at the same time.

"Is what weird?", he asked as his eyes grew wide and he pointed at the television. "Ooh, can we watch the computer channel? Please?", he pleaded, before I snickered and flicked him on the ear. Some things will never change.

"No, you silly little tech nerd, we will not be watching the computer channel, because me and Carly don't understand anything they say on it when we do watch it with you", I said in a faux motherly tone, wagging my finger at him and grinning all the way. Carly chuckled and continued to go through the channels, before arriving on the Mexican Dessert channel…so you know my eyes bugged out and I grabbed the remote from her so that nobody could change it.

"You still haven't answered my question", as Carly willingly relinquished control of the remote and became glued to the screen as they made a taco into some sort of sweet looking after dinner treat. "Is it weird?"

I took the question in and thought about it for a second, and then I realized that, duh, she was talking about me and Fredlumps. "By weird, do you mean me and Freddie not insulting each other every waking moment and being nice to each other?"

"You two were being more than nice to each other last night, Sam", Carly teased as she reached across and poked me in the arm. "You two were holding onto each other and not wanting to let go."

"Well, your plan made it happen, so you should be happy for us", Freddie murmured, brows arched and a small grin on his lips as he put his arm around my shoulder, an act he wouldn't of dared tried a year or so ago, for fear that I'd bite his fingers off or use his arm as a baseball bat against his head.

"Oh, don't think for one second that I'm not happy for you two, because believe me, I'm ecstatic! It's just…you two aren't finding it hard to not be rude and mean spirited towards each other? Because you're both acting like this is nothing new to you", she spoke as the guys on screen began to turn an enchilada into a donut, or something like that. Hmm. I should make Spencer make that for us all one night…

"Surprisingly, no, I'm not finding it difficult at all, Carly Fries I told the boy here last night that it was fun to make his life miserable at first…now it just sucks. But the nicknames are staying. And who knows…", I said, trailing off, giving Freddie a mischievous look, one he returned with a nervous glance. "Ahh, I'm just kidding, Benson, I'm not gonna make you miserable anymore…unless I'm feeling nostalgic", I said with a faint hint of seriousness, but he took it for what it was and gave me a sly grin, before leaning over and giving me a peck on the cheek.

"Or I could always do that before you try to fill my shampoo bottle with blue cheese dressing again."

"That's not fair…that's cheating", I said jokingly, stealing a quick peck on his lips before turning back to the delicious Mexican dessert plates that were filling the television screen up. "Ooh, that looks so good…"

"So yeah, it isn't really weird at all, Carls. I'm actually getting used to it faster than I expected. Granted, my mom has no idea that Sam's the girl I had been talking to her about for since…well, you know…but she'll find out eventually."

That caught my attention, and not in a good way. I whirled my head to the side to face him, and he gave me a bit of a nervous look, shrugging his shoulders as he tried his best to force a smile out. I never thought about what Mrs. Benson might say if her precious little boy was going out with…me. I've never really cared what she's said or thought about me before, and I shouldn't start now, but everything's different. I'm not the old, bitchy little girl who'd make Freddie's life a living hell because it was easy for me to do. I don't have to hide behind my problems at home and with everything else anymore. I've found a reason to be happy…I can't risk it by letting Mrs. Benson know that Freddie's going out with me. It'd ruin everything I've worked so hard to get…

"You're not gonna tell your mom, are you, Freddie?", I asked a little too timidly for my liking. He looked at me in the eyes, much like he did last night when he wouldn't let me run away from my problems, and I felt my stomach do more flip flops. It was as if he was staring into my soul, and my eyes were the windows. He nodded his head, and I felt a little more uneasy about the situation. How would he possibly go about doing that without her wanting kill someone?

"Whether I do or not, it won't change the fact that you're the one for me. Let her say what she wants, Sam, it doesn't matter to me", he said, his words coming out firm and decisive. "I'm not gonna let my mom stand in the way of you and me."

"Woah, look who grew up overnight", Carly said teasingly at Freddie, standing up from the couch and turning the television off. "Come on, let's go you two."

"Where are we going?", I asked, stretching out my limbs and letting a small yawn escape.

"Upstairs to the studio…we've got a new iCarly to plan out!", she exclaimed, and it dawned on me that I completely forgot all about the reason why the whole drama unfolded in the first place, that being the web show. Freddie nodded his head, like he had been in the know all along, while Carly began the walk up the steps to the studio. I tugged on Freddie's sleeve and he turned around, only to be met with me hugging him.

"That was really nice of you to say that, Freddie. You really think your mom's gonna flip out?"

"Yeah, probably. She's got it in her head that Carly and I are destined to be together. So she may be disappointed that it's you that's won me over and not her…"

Ouch. That hurt a little bit.

"But like I said, I don't care. You're the one for me. That's all that matters."

He hugged me back and we made our way up the steps to the studio. As we bounded up the steps, one right behind the other, I couldn't help but feel that I was the happiest girl in all of Seattle.

After looking into Freddie's eyes and seeing him smile though...I knew I was.