Chapter 22

Shay Apartment
Saturday, September 2011

He blinked and asked, "You what?" He held her shoulders gently as she looked back with a content look on her face even as the tears started rolling down her cheeks again, "I love you and please never doubt that."

"You love me?" He hated to doubt her, but hearing her say what he understandably was a huge step for her was unbelievable to his ears.

She nodded desperately. "I get now. I do. I love you and I mean it the same way as you do. I want to fall and you always be there to catch me. I don't want you to ever leave my side and I don't want anyone else. I just don't need you Freddie, I want you."

Freddie let out a surprised breath and grinned from ear to ear. After years of waiting and hoping and praying that she would say that to him, it finally happened and the look in Carly's eye left no doubt that she meant it. He replied a few moments later, "I love you Carly Shay. You have my heart and will always have it."

She smiled warmly. "I love you too Freddie Benson and you have mine." She kissed him even as her happy tears continued to flow and he held her as if she was the most precious thing in the world and to him, she was."

Carly wasn't the only one to get a second chance at love and he couldn't have been more psyched about it.

Dorfman Residence
May 1980

Taylor began to stir from her sleep as Steven rolled to his side to look down at her. He had just watched her as the pair laid on the sleeping bag. "Hey sleepy head; decided to take a nap?"

Taylor rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and blinked them open. Once she saw Steven's smiling down at her, she smiled back up at him. "Yes I did. I had an interesting and wonderful dream. Remind me to tell you about it one day."

Steven just grinned and nodded his head. "Okay, I will."

"Steven?" she asked in a curious tone.

"Yes?"

In a soft whisper, Taylor said, "I know I haven't said it yet, but I love you."

Steven smiled down at her and whispered back, "I love you too Taylor." He then kissed her forehead. "I'm going to love best the way I know how."

She stroked his cheek and whispered, "So give me your best and leave the rest to me. Leave it all to me. Just leave it all to me Steven."

He grinned and dipped his head to exchange their love with their lips again. Taylor ran her fingers behind his neck and into his hair. She knew she was going to spend the rest of her life with this man starting today… however long her life may be… and she couldn't have been happier.

Shay Apartment
Friday, September 2011

"Now I'm missing my other eyebrow!" Gibby shouted as he headed out of the studio. He passed Colonel Shay with a glance after he exited the glass door to the studio as he was standing behind the door watching the show. Shay held back a smirk as he turned his attention back to the show.

Sam in an excited tone and doing a little giggle with her feet announced, "Well that does it for this iCarly, but before we go, Carly has something to say."

"Thank you Sam," Carly giggled in response. "I know some of you have been asking about mine and Freddie's date last Friday and I know someone," Carly paused to look at the blonde standing beside her, "posted about it on the Creddie Fan Forum."

Sam held up her hands in surrender and smirked. "It's that One Horse Shay guy who posted that on the Creddie Forum; don't look at me. Mama is innocent; I would have posted the deets."

Carly eyed her with a half smirk. "Right…" She looked back to Freddie holding the camera. "I know you're curious and I know you support us, but what happens between me and Freddie is between the two of us. Could you please respect our privacy?" She then gave her puppy dog look, "Please, for me?"

"But it's true, Carly and Freddie are deeply in love!" Sam shouted with laughter. Carly eyed her for just a moment before looking back to the camera. She nodded with a smile, "It's true, we are deeply in love and I wouldn't want it any other way."

Shay looked through the glass door watching the trio finish up the show. Someone had to be blind not to see the love that the two brunettes shared with one another as they exchanged eye contact and laughter. Shay smiled and whispered to himself, "So give me your best and leave the rest to me… leave it all to me… just leave it all to me."

End Credits

T-Bo was sitting on the Shay couch with Taylor Dorfman sitting beside him. The end credits began to roll to their left.

Special Guest Appearance by Joe Flanigan as Colonel Steven Shay

Taylor spoke at, well you. "The story of my daughter and Mister Freddie Benson isn't over yet. Stay turned for their next story."

Special Guest Star Ariana Grande as Taylor Faye Dorfman

T-Bo then spoke up: "But once you're done reading this, head on over to Snapplelinz's fine stories on . So go check them out."

Guest Starring Robbie Amell as Seventeen year old Steven Shay

Taylor continued, "I approve of Snapplelinz's stories about my daughter. They are quite respectful of her and good. Don't forget to visit my daughter and her friend's site at for their latest web clips and blog postings." She then turned her head to look at T-Bo. "I love your bandana," Taylor commented with a smile as she patted her own bandana covered head.

"Thank you," he replied with a silly grin. "Yours is gorgeous as well."

Special Guest Star Ashley Argota as Kathy

Taylor giggled. "Thank you Mr. Bo." Taylor turned back to look at well… the reader and grinned, "And remember, just leave it all to me."

Author's Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Yes, there will be another sequel that I hope to start posting on Monday, good old Labor Day in the United States. Thank you all for reading and especially those that reviewed (in no particular order): Boris Yeltsin, , ProjectNICK, Annilein, WyldCard4, GirlCat817, and justshine09.

Of course I have to thank the one and only Snapplelinz that has help me beyond words in my writing. I'm mean it, listen to Taylor, go check out some of her stories and leave some reviews.