Hi everyone!
Sorry for the late, Late, LATE update. :( But I got sick (still am sick) and had exams to study for, hence the month and 1/2 delay. Sorry. :(
Anyway thanks SO SOOOOOO much for so many wonderful reviews! :) Made me so happy really.
This is another longish chapter :( I'm trying to make up for not updating in so long. BUT if you do manage to truck through to the end of the chapter, it would mean SO MUCH to me if you could leave a review. :D
Thanks.
Disclaimer: ...Totally Spies IS NOT MINE. *mumbles curses under her breath*
7:35 am - WOOHP Headquarters, Jerry's Office
"Oh my God…" Sam breathed out while her skin grew paler and paler and her eyes remained glued to the bloody rags. "Clover…Alex," she whispered while feeling her head spin around and soon she had crashed back on the couch as she took deep, rampant breaths to try and calm down. Her friends were gone. Clover and Alex…were gone.
From next to her Scam sat blinking in surprise over the news. Sam's friends were gone? They had been taken away by a group of enemies? He stayed silent thinking over what this meant only to find his lips instantly quirking up into a smirk as the thought settled in. Sam's friends, the people that enjoyed taking her away from him, the people that liked to give her bad ideas about him….were gone.
His eyes lit up in joy. "The blonde is gone…"he thought, still in disbelief that his deepest wish had come true. While he mildly felt bad about Alex disappearing because he knew Darren was dating her, he couldn't help but jump for joy at the fact that the nuisance known as Clover, that went around pretending to be Sam's mother had vanished. He really couldn't help but enjoy that thought.
Crossing his arms over his chest his smirk widened. "Thank you karma," he thought, almost letting out a small chuckle until he froze at the sound of heartbroken sobs coming from next to him and Scam's smile fell at his realization.
His Samantha was crying.
Sam was sitting there next to him with her face covered by her hands while tears leaked down her cheeks and she sobbed uncontrollably. And she didn't stop. Hearing her choke on a sob Scam felt himself frowning and soon he was mentally kicking himself for ever getting happy over something that was making her so upset. "How could I even do that?"he asked himself in disgust while he watched the redhead cry her eyes out.
When she moved her hands he saw how heartbroken she looked with her nearly bloodshot eyes and his face grew even sadder. Scam had never seen her cry before and it bothered him. While he could still care less about the blonde, Sam was upset and he didn't want that. Right then he was ready to do anything in his power to stop her from crying because he had easily realized that he hated seeing her cry.
"Sam?" Jerry said softly as he stood at his desk while watching her with worried eyes but Sam never looked up as she kept crying. Her best friends were gone and it was her fault. "If I had been there…"Sam cursed at herself while her tears kept coming. "If I had just been there,"she said to herself knowing how she used to be the leader of the team and how it was often her who came up with a plan whenever her and her friends got stuck in a trap. And yesterday when her friends needed a plan she hadn't been there to help them. "It's my fault…" she whispered sadly leaving Jerry to sigh and Scam to frown.
Watching Sam keep crying, Tim sighed knowing she was going to kick him for what he was about to do but he couldn't just sit here and watch her like this. Carefully inching closer to her on the couch he snuck an arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her into his arms, surprised when she simply slumped against his chest and didn't push him away. When he felt her crying into his chest he slowly rubbed her back while making sure to keep his hands well away from her bare skin and restricted only to her towel. He wasn't going to take advantage of her in her broken state.
Scam said nothing as he sat there in silence while rubbing Sam's back and listening to her sobs while he tried to comfort her. Sam bit her lip and sniffed while her head remained in his chest. She was briefly aware of who was holding onto her and whose shirt she was crying into but at the moment she found that she didn't care. She needed the comfort and to be honest she could tell Scam was only trying to help and she silently appreciated how he wasn't taking advantage of her right now when he could easily try.
Watching his two best agents quietly Jerry quietly noted how Sam had slightly placed her hands on Scam's chest and how Tim's hands were curled around her waist and he had to stop and wonder if Sam was even noticing how close she was to him right now. Staying quiet for a few more moments until Sam finally got a hold on her tears Jerry began talking, letting them know the details of the disappearances. "I received distress signals from both Clover and Alex's X-powders close to two hours ago," he said finally making Sam pull her head out of Scam's chest and stand up quickly. "Two hours ago?" Sam asked, distress on her face as she felt her tears starting up all over again. Her friends could very well be dead by now.
"Don't worry, we'll get them back," Scam said from behind her making her turn and face him. Standing up from the couch Tim gave Sam a small, encouraging smile as if to tell her everything was going to be okay. Watching him quietly Sam couldn't help but be surprised. Why would he say something like that? Why would Tim Scam want to bring her friends back? Hadn't Clover just fought with him this morning? Hadn't he just been discreetly smiling at the thought that her friends had vanished?
Biting her lip in confusion Sam watched him unblinkingly. "Why…" she found herself asking before she could stop. "Why would you want to help bring Clover and Alex back?" she asked, noticing how he looked surprised at the question. Staying silent he walked right up to her before he reached out and carefully cupped her face, pulling her to look only into his eyes while ignoring Jerry who was watching fixedly because he didn't care. Right now he needed to set a thing or two straight with Sam. "Because Samantha…." he started slowly as his thumb stroked away a stray tear. "If something means anything to you at all..." he whispered while glancing straight into her eyes with nothing but sincerity on his face. "Then it means everything to me."
Sam's eyes widened as she heard his words and glanced deep into his eyes to find nothing but dead seriousness there as he looked back at her and she could tell that he meant every word. Sam slightly nodded before pulling away and looking down at the floor to distract herself yet she couldn't help the way her heart was beating right now.
No one had ever said something like that to her before. No man had ever said anything like that to her before and she wasn't sure what to make of it when it was coming from Scam. And he sounded so downright sincere that it left her startled. She had never known Scam could be so….compassionate and caring. But the shift in his behaviour was too obvious to miss. When he had first seen her today all he had been doing was bothering her to no end and touching her without any care for her comfort, but ever since they had gotten the news about her missing friends he had just stopped. She was still here dressed in her towel, more vulnerable than ever but he wasn't even noticing that. It was like all he cared about right now was oddly her own comfort and nothing more.
Looking up she glanced into his eyes which were usually filled with mischief while looking back at her, sometimes dark with an emotion that scared her but right now he was looking at her with the slightest of smiles on his face and something else in his eyes. A different emotion that she had never seen so clearly in his sea-foam gaze before and she found she was afraid to name it for the sake of her own sanity.
Gulping she turned her full attention to Jerry before speaking. "What else do we know?" she asked before slightly jumping when she heard Scam speak from behind her. "Yea Jerry, what do we have so far?" he asked, seriousness in his tone as he moved and stood next to Sam who was still watching him wonderingly when she thought he wasn't looking.
"Well I believe they are both at the LAMOS Headquarters," Jerry started before walking over to his computer and pulling the details up on the screen. "I issued Henna Tracer Tattoos for this mission, and it seems my brother didn't think to remove them, which is why I have their location," Jerry said leaving Sam to sigh sadly as she remembered how much Clover hated those tattoos and thought they were out-of-date. She smiled sadly knowing the blonde must have given Jerry an earful when he made her use it again.
"Clover…" Sam whispered, her face falling again as she thought about her and she couldn't help but blame herself for what had happened again. "It's all my fault, if only I was there then maybe things would have been different" she mumbled making Scam frown. This was the second time he had heard her say that. She was already dealing with the loss of her friends, the last thing she needed now was the burden of guilt.
"Don't say that," he said making her look up at his face where she found him frowning. "It's not your fault," he said, giving her a small smile and trying to make her feel better. He would do anything to see her smiling again. Sam only shook her head stubbornly before looking away and sighing. "It is," she said, feeling guilty as hell. Frowning at her words Scam took a step closer to her. "It's not," he said decisively. Throwing him a tired glance Sam opened her mouth the protest again. "Tim-"
"Sshhh," he whispered before wrapping her in another embrace and running his fingers through her hair which left her to fall silent in seconds. Resting his chin on the top of her head Scam sighed. "If you want to blame someone Sam…." he whispered while holding her closely. "Then blame me." Sam stiffened against his chest and looked up at him in shock. "Why's he saying that?" she thought in surprise only to find him giving her an apologetic look. "See if you weren't my partner you would be on their team and you would have been there today," he said only making her eyes widen more and more.
Tim watched her with a sad smile while tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "So it's my fault not yours," he whispered. "And I'll make it up to you I promise," he said sincerely leaving Sam to continue watching him in utter disbelief. Scam was taking the blame for something? He was holding HIMSELF responsible? She knew how much he loved having her as his partner yet he was still saying all this. Sam bit her lip softly while thinking. "But is he saying that because he really thinks it's his fault or is he saying it… just to make me feel better?" She couldn't deny that she had a strong feeling his was the latter reason.
Happy with the fact that Sam had stopped blaming herself at least for the moment, Scam focused his gaze on Jerry. "What do we do now?" Jerry remained silent despite being asked the question he had been dreading. To be honest he didn't know what to do. He didn't even know if Clover and Alex were alive, a thought that was bothering him in more ways than one.
What if this was a trap? If his brother and the LAMOS had managed to successfully kill two of his three best agents, why were they holding onto their bodies and keeping them at their headquarters? And if they hadn't killed them then what where they waiting for? WOOHP hadn't received a ransom note of any kind just a box with bloody rags. What was the meaning of this?
Narrowing his eyes in thought Jerry bit his cheek. "This feels like a trap," he thought. "It seems like they want to be found," he reasoned knowing how any previous attempts to track LAMOS headquarters had failed up until now. Had Terrance really not seen the Henna Tracer Tattoos or was he just pretending to have missed them? Growing paler and paler Jerry couldn't help the thought that maybe Terrance was trying to lure them in.
"Jerry?" Scam said again and Jerry bit his lip hearing the impatience in his tone. But whatever happened Jerry knew Tim couldn't get involved in this no matter what and apparently neither could Sam. Not yet anyway. Looking up at his agents' tense faces Jerry took a deep breath before speaking. "We have to wait," he said firmly making them both look at him in confusion. "Jerry?" Sam asked quietly, hoping for an explanation. What did he mean by "wait"?
Frowning sadly Jerry knew Sam wasn't going to like this but there was no other way. "This could be a trap." Sam's eyes widened as she finally realized what Jerry was trying to say but she refused to believe it. Was he seriously expecting her to just wait and watch? To do nothing just because this might be some trap set by the LAMOS for some unseen reason? Seeing the guilty look he was greeting her with Sam felt her heart sink because she knew this was just what he was expecting from her.
"No!" she screamed alerting Tim who immediately moved to calm her down but she pushed him away and glared at Jerry. "I'm not abandoning them Jerry!" she screamed. Jerry frowned harder knowing the last thing he needed right now was an argument with Sam. "Sam please. We need to be careful," he tried reasoning. "If we move too fast things could get wors-"
"I don't care!" Sam snarled shaking in rage. "We need to get them out of there and bring them back home!" she screamed, disappointed with the fact that Jerry knew exactly where her friends where and had their coordinates but was still refusing to act right away. Jerry sighed heavily knowing he didn't want to say this but he had no choice, Sam simply wasn't cooperating. "We don't even know if they're alive," he said solemnly and the room went silent at his words.
Sam's eyes widened in shock that he would just say something like that and soon there where hot, angry tears rolling down her cheeks. Sam watched Jerry for a long moment to see if he would change his mind but when she saw him shake his head she bit her lip, taking in a sharp breath before she turned and ran out of the office in tears. "Sam!" Tim screamed in panic as he heard the door slam shut and before he could stop himself he was running after her.
Jerry sighed heavily after Scam left after Sam. He knew Sam was upset, he was miserable too and desperately wanted Clover and Alex back but he was scared that his brother was up to more evil than this and he couldn't take chances with the agents he had left. Tim and Sam were his best agents and he was afraid that his brother was trying to get to them through this. Did his brother somehow know Tim was here with him? Jerry bit his cheek dreading that fact but not being sure. But if it wasn't Tim, Terrance was targeting then he must be after Sam. Why else was he holding onto Clover and Alex? He must know Sam would do anything to get them back, even put her own life in danger. Stressed out and needing direction Jerry stood and switched G.L.A.D.I.S. on now that the upgrades were complete.
"You shouldn't have said that," G.L.A.D.I.S. said immediately and Jerry sighed knowing what he had said had been heard. "I had no choice," he explained. "Terrance has Clover and Alex." G.L.A.D.I.S. only made a huffing sound. "So? They've been captured before by other villains we have always backed them up." Jerry sighed knowing G.L.A.D.I.S. wasn't seeing the complications of this situation. He had no idea what his brother had planned for anyone who went to rescue the girls and he had no idea if they were even alive.
"What do you suggest I do?" Jerry asked sadly. "Send the entire WOOHP force if you have to but bring them back no matter what condition they are in," G.L.A.D.I.S. said and Jerry nodded knowing it was most probably going to come to that and he wouldn't hesitate to do it. He frowned. The only thing he wasn't ready to do was send Tim Scam. It could never come to that. "He has to be kept safe," Jerry thought while phoning a team of agents who could get a better look into LAMOS headquarters and let him know if the girls were alive. He had to know that detail before they made their move.
8:09 am - WOOHP Headquarters, Corridor
"Come on, come on," Scam muttered under his breath as his eyes scanned the WOOHP hallway in frustration. Unfortunately when Sam had bolted out of Jerry's office she had gotten a significant lead and he still hadn't been able to catch up. He sighed, not being able to help but be concerned. He wasn't sure Sam was going to just take Jerry's advice to wait despite him having strong reasons for giving that suggestion. No, he was quite certain Sam, being the caring, loyal girl that she was, was going to go after her friends alone...if she got the chance.
"I'm not going to let it happen," he told himself as he kept walking, trying to spot the redhead. He'd stop her before she walked into a trap and got hurt. He remembered from memory how she had done it once before, on their first mission she had almost gotten herself killed. He still shuddered at the thought. There was no way he was going to let her put herself in that kind of situation ever again.
Too focused on finding Sam he never noticed the girl who smiled and gave him a wave, trying to get his attention till she came and stood directly in his path. "Hey wait up!" she said with a small laugh finally making him halt and notice Taylor standing there smiling at him. When was the last time he had seen her again? He really couldn't remember.
Ignoring his lack of words Taylor smiled harder, letting her brown eyes travel up and down Tim's form noticing how his white shirt was worn with 3 buttons open letting her get a glimpse at his broad, muscular chest and how the sleeves were rolled up roughly to reveal strong, tanned forearms while his hair was a tad bit scruffy and she realized Jerry must have taken him right out of bed. She had to stop and wonder if he even realized how good he looked right now.
Blushing softly at her thoughts she focused her gaze on his face, trying her best not to blush anymore and grinned. "How have you been Tim? I haven't seen you around for a while," she said while biting her lip to try and control her frown. The only reason she had come running from her branch of WOOHP to work here was so she would get the chance to be close to him but for some reason, ever since she had arrived Tim was always too busy for her.
"It's like he's completely preoccupied nowadays," she thought while noting how even now, even though she was standing right before him he looked completely distracted. She honestly didn't know what had caused this major change. The Tim Scam she knew from his good days was a focused and hard-working agent that devoted most of his time to WOOHP but still made time for his friends. What then was keeping him away from her now? WOOHP certainly couldn't be taking up all his time. Jerry would never overwork him like that, that much she knew from the sudden vacation Tim had been given a few days back. Something she had heard of from Darren when he got back and not from Tim. Sighing, she couldn't help but feel left out.
"Tim?" she said again when she realized he hadn't even answered her. Hearing Taylor's voice, Scam blinked and sighed guiltily knowing he hadn't been paying attention to her at all. To be honest he really didn't have time for this. Right now the only thing on his mind was Sam and her safety. He had to find her right now. Everything else could wait.
"I'm sorry Taylor, I have to go," he said leaving her to frown sadly and instantly he was hit with guilt. Sighing Taylor nodded before moving to leave, slightly upset that he didn't even have two minutes to talk to her. Biting his cheek in frustration Tim grabbed Taylor's wrist from behind before she could leave. "Wait Taylor, I didn't mean it like that,' he said sounding apologetic and making her turn around at the sound of his voice. She couldn't help but smile at how guilty he looked and at how he was holding her wrist not letting her leave. It meant a lot to her.
"It's okay," she whispered sweetly. "So would you like to do lunch in a bit? We could talk and catch up. We could go to one of our favourite restaurants," she said still smiling as she remembered the times she had spent with Tim. There were so many good memories, so many opportunities she had missed to turn this friendship into so much more.
Hearing his sigh she looked up realizing something had to be wrong. "What's the matter Tim?" she asked in concern at the sight of his agitated face. Tim released her hand and ran a hand through his hair in frustration before speaking. "Clover and Alex, Sam's friends were taken hostage by Terrance yesterday," he said leaving Taylor's eyes to widen before she shook her head in understanding. Suddenly she knew exactly why Tim was so disturbed. Sam was his spy partner, if her friends went missing she was probably too upset to function right and that had to hit him hard seeing that he worked with Sam everyday.
"I'm so sorry," she said apologetically. "Has Jerry sent a rescue team yet?" Tim shook his head quickly. "No, he believes this is a trap so he wants to wait and see," he paused before giving Taylor a quick glance. "Listen Tay, I'm sorry but I have to go. Sam was pretty upset when she left and I have to check on her," he said quickly before moving to go and hoping Taylor would understand.
Sighing Taylor turned around and opened her mouth to call after him only to drop her head when she realized he was already gone. "Great," she mumbled sadly before hoping this issue was sorted out quickly so she could ask him to spend some time with her again. She could only hope something else wouldn't stand in her way again.
"Hey Taylor," a familiar voice called and she looked up hoping it was Tim only to sigh when she saw that it was just Darren. "Hi," she said quietly leaving him to raise an eyebrow. Was it just him or did Taylor look almost upset? "Is everything okay?" he asked, smiling and being in a great mood and not really being able to see why she wasn't. Things had just been so great ever since Tim had lost his memory. He had gotten his best friend back and through him he had chanced upon spending some time with Alex.
"Alex," Darren thought with a smile on his face when he thought about the raven-haired girl. He could hardly wait for their date tonight. In fact it was the key reason why he was in such a good mood and he would have to remember to thank Tim later for making them talk. Although he had to wonder if Tim had ulterior reasons for pushing him to Alex. It certainly seemed like he was up to something and knowing his best friend as well as he did, Darren was almost a hundred percent sure Tim had a motive up his sleeve.
Taylor sighed and wondered what to say knowing she couldn't exactly tell Darren, Tim's best friend that she was upset because she was pining over Tim. Not yet anyway. "Tim told me some WOOHP spies were taken hostage by Jerry's brother so I'm just concerned about that," she said leaving Darren's eyes to widen. Watching her carefully Darren couldn't fight off the knot in his stomach that told him something really bad was going on. "Which agents?" he asked before he could stop himself. What were the odds really? But then again it had been a while since he had spoken to Alex. She hadn't even confirmed their date tonight.
"Samantha Simpson's friends I think," she said while crossing her arms over her chest and trying to remember the names. "Clover and Alex? Yea I think it's them." Darren was sure he had gone pale as soon as he heard that and he ignored Taylor's questioning stare while he looked down and took quick breaths to try and fight off his morbid thoughts. They had been taken hostage? "Please tell me they are okay," he prayed while thinking of the girl he had been looking so forward to meeting tonight. He bit his lip in worry as panic began to pang at his mind. "Please tell me Alex is okay..."
12:30 pm - Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Park
Sighing tiredly Scam walked into the park where Sam and her friends went jogging every day. He had hit all the other spots Sam went to on a normal day except this one and by now he was honestly tempted to use a tracker to find her. In fact he was more than ready to sneak into Jerry's office and hack into his Universal Tracker to find her but his intuition told him Sam was here. It was almost like he could sense her presence.
Walking along a path, Tim's eyes scanned the crowded park while silently annoyed at the weather for it being a nice day. He would have had an easier time finding Sam if there were less people around. About to give up and leave, Scam stopped when he spotted dark, red hair from the corner of his eye and he turned around to find the girl he had been looking for, for hours sitting with her back to him on a bench.
"Found her," he whispered under his breath, smiling while thanking God for the fact that his intuition was never wrong. How could it be? His intuition was what had been pulling him to her since day one and he just knew that could never be wrong. Quietly approaching her because he suspected she wanted to be alone right now Tim frowned when he thought he saw her shoulders shaking from time to time and his frown only grew deeper when his ears picked up on the sounds of quiet sobs. She was still crying. Sighing in concern he bit his cheek while trying to figure out what to do to make her stop only to have his eyes light up and a smirk touch his lips when he noticed a couple busy kissing a short distance away.
While the public display of affection seemed to be bothering several passer-bys, Tim only smirked in amusement before stealthily walking past them and silently taking the bouquet of flowers the girl had been loosely holding onto before walking away. When he was well away from the pair he chuckled under his breath before removing the decorative, plastic wrapping, crumpling it up in his fist and aiming at the trash can a few feet away where the wrapper, now crushed into a ball landed straight into the garbage. Looking at the flowers in his hand Tim sighed noting they were daffodils, not his style at all but they would have to do.
Taking a deep breath and placing a smile on his face he held the flowers behind his back before he approached Sam and quietly sat next to her without letting his presence be known. Listening to her cry for another moment he cleared his throat to let her know she wasn't alone. Hearing the sound Sam stiffened on her spot and turned her head quickly wanting to ask whoever it was to kindly find another place to sit because she wanted to be alone only to freeze when she saw Tim Scam sitting next to her and watching her with concerned eyes. Sam blinked in confusion wondering how on Earth he had found her when she had worked so hard to hide.
Gulping Sam scrambled to wipe her tears not wanting to let him see how upset she was over her friends. He would probably laugh and she honestly didn't need that right now. Rubbing away her tears and sniffing quickly Sam placed a smile on her face. "I didn't see you there," she said but he said nothing only looking at her with the same concern in his eyes as before, letting her know her fake smile wasn't fooling him.
Biting her lip and taking a deep breath Sam desperately thought of something to say, some excuse that would make him stop looking at her like that only to freeze when he spoke first. "You're worried about your friends?" he asked, although it sounded more like a fact than a question and she had to wonder if she was that obvious or if he was just good at reading her, a thought she wasn't sure how to feel about.
Nodding in response to his question Sam quietly listened to him sigh before he spoke again. "Don't cry Sam," he said softly, hoping she would hear him. Sniffing slightly Sam felt another tear roll down her cheek as she wondered if she should say this to him of all people or not but when she heard him ask her not to cry again she turned towards him stiffly and frowned. "I can't," she mumbled sadly. "What..." she blinked sadly. "What if they are dead like Jerry said?" she asked brokenheartedly.
Scam sighed at her question because he knew he couldn't get her hopes up by saying he was certain that they were alive because he didn't know. That being said, he still didn't want her to cry and he was sure her friends didn't either. Looking at her pointedly he spoke seriously. "You're crying yourself to death with that thought, don't do it Sam," he said firmly only making her look away from him and cry silently. Sighing in frustration he thought long and hard wondering what to do to lighten her mood before he realized that now might be a good time for a distraction.
"I have something for you," he said suddenly, making her look at his face in curiosity. Her eyes widened when he pulled out his hand from behind his back and held out a bunch of flowers to her while smiling. "Here, I hope you like them," he said before putting them in her arms and smiling harder at how she was looking at him in surprise, her tears having stopped falling for now which was just what he had been hoping for. She didn't need to know he had stolen the flowers because knowing her she would be angry, which would prompt him in having to defend himself and possibly revealing that he would steal, cheat or do whatever he would have to without thinking for a second just for the sake of her smile.
He shook his head and exhaled quietly. "And then she'll know exactly how I feel, it's too soon for that," he told himself with a sigh knowing how she was barely comfortable speaking to him despite having known him for over a month. If Samantha somehow figured out what exactly went through his mind each and every time he saw her she would definitely run away.
Steering away from his thoughts he glanced back at Sam only to find her blinking sadly and he wondered if he had done something wrong. Was she angry that he had given her something again? "But they're just flowers," he thought, worried that maybe even accepting flowers from him was too much for her when he let out a small gasp as he noticed her crying all over again. Sam gulped, placing the flowers in her lap and raising her hands to wipe away her tears but they kept falling. He had brought her daffodils. These were flowers anyone rarely bought because her best friend Clover was allergic to them and while she knew he had just been trying to cheer her up he had just reminded her of her friend who could very well be dead right now.
"Sam?" she heard him say in panic and she gulped before trying to stop her tears. Her hands moved up half-scratching her face in a mad attempt to stop the flow of tears before he saw any more of her acting like a weak, emotional girl. When she couldn't really stop her tears, Sam drew in a deep breath before turning her head towards him because she knew he was watching her. Giving him a sad smile at the sight of his fixed stare she let out a small, nervous laugh. "I'm pretty pathetic, huh?" she asked, looking down and expecting him to laugh at her.
Frowning at her question, Tim slowly moved closer to her on the bench before he reached out and held her chin, ignoring how her body seemed to stiffen and raising it to make her look him in the eye. Giving her a serious look to make sure she knew he meant this he shook his head. "You're not pathetic Sam, nothing about you is pathetic," he said leaving her to blink in surprise. His eyes softened as he slowly wiped away her tears, grateful for her not pushing him away. "You care for your friends a great deal," he whispered while his thumb smoothened itself across her cheek and brushed away another tear.
Sam bit her lip to keep herself from letting out a contented sigh. Something about his touch was oddly...comforting to her right now. She had never known he could be so gentle, as gentle as he was being right now while wiping away her tears.
Smiling at her calm state he continued. "You care for everyone that's a part of your life Sam…" he admitted making her eyes widen at his words while she looked at him with unblinking eyes. They sat there like that for a moment with Sam staring into his eyes too shocked to look away from the endless understanding that was there, floating in Scam's gaze, before she took a deep breath in, nodding and quickly looking away.
Sighing quietly when she turned away Scam kept watching her with longing eyes. "You care for everyone...except me," he muttered, mumbling the last two words so she couldn't hear them before he ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he watched her downcast eyes, her hands not even touching the flowers in her lap.
"I'm sorry about the flowers," he said quickly changing the subject. "I didn't know you hated daffodils," he said sadly remembering how she had just cried when he gave them to her. Turning her head rapidly Sam blinked before she bit her lip, realizing that her bursting into tears had made him think she hated the flowers he had given her.
Seeing his apologetic face and downcast eyes Sam's lips were soon bursting into a smile because she couldn't help it. It was...kinda sweet how he took note of every little thing about her and she wasn't sure why he...cared so much. She blinked while watching him in surprise because she had never known a man like Tim Scam could care about anyone, especially her. Yet here he was right now, just sitting with her and trying to help. She could tell he was trying to help because there simply no selfish motive to his attempts to make her smile. Not one she could think of anyway.
Seeing him still looking down Sam smiled harder and before she could berate herself she had reached out and touched his arm easily drawing his attention to her face again. When he looked at her Sam drew her hand back and focused her gaze on the flowers, not really sure if she was imagining it or if her face really was burning up at this moment while she struggled to think of words to say to him to let him know she appreciated his efforts. Tim watched Sam quietly while narrowing his eyes and wondering if it was the sun that was making her feel warm because he could swear her cheeks appeared flushed right now. Almost like she was blushing.
After a prolonged awkward silence Sam took a deep breath before speaking, knowing she had to say something. "Thanks for the flowers..." she started slowly. That was...nice of you," she mumbled while her fingers played with the perfect stems, her eyes glued to the ground missing how his face lit up at her words. Biting her lip Sam sighed before she glanced back up at him again. "Clover's allergic to daffodils," she said, knowing she wanted him to know she didn't hate his kind gesture because honestly that was just impolite and he deserved simple decency especially after the understanding he was showing her right now.
Noting how his eyebrow rose she knew he understood why she had reacted in the way she had. Watching her with awe-filled eyes because he couldn't really understand how anyone could be so loyal and caring, Tim wondered if she would ever care for him the way she cared about her friends. He knew he would do anything to make a place in her heart, in a heart that was so filled with love and care for those that meant something to her. Something he knew he wanted to be.
Keeping his eyes glued to her, he kept looking at her long enough for her eyes to narrow and cast him a curious look. "What?" she asked making him smile. "Your friends are lucky to have you as a friend," he said simply leaving her to blink before she looked down at her feet and tried to keep from smiling at his statement. Shaking her head a moment later she let out a small laugh. "I'm not that special Tim," she said, knowing she was only concerned for her friends in the same way they would be concerned for her if she was in danger.
"You have no idea how special you are," he said suddenly and soon she was looking at him in shock, her jaw slightly open and her heart beating harder in her chest beyond her control. Her eyes remained glued on his face easily seeing all the seriousness on his features and she took a slow, deep breath, trying to keep her brain from analyzing his words because she knew she didn't really want him to honestly mean those words, nor the meaning that could very well be hidden behind them. It could never happen.
Sam almost jumped when he said her name again before he moved closer to her on the bench, close enough to have his knees brush her own while his eyes kept looking at her in worry. She didn't say anything, simply taking in all the concern that she had never seen on his face before. Never had she thought, in a million years even that she would be here in this place and time, sitting and being comforted by Tim Scam.
"How would he react if he knew who I really was, who he really is?" she thought while unconsciously shifting a little closer to him as well. Seeing the smile on his face she smiled spitefully knowing if he knew who he was he would never be smiling. She looked down, away from his penetrating gaze and frowned slightly. Not at her anyway.
A small gasp escaped her when he suddenly placed his right hand over hers where it sat against the surface of the wooden bench. She bit her lip feeling him giving her hand a squeeze as if trying to ask her why she was frowning and she was sure he was wondering if she was going to cry again over the loss of her friends. But...She took a deep breath and blinked realizing that for some reason she didn't feel like she was going to burst into tears anymore. It was like he had somehow managed to lighten her sorrow with his arrival, something she couldn't and wasn't sure she even wanted to understand.
Drawing in a breath when she felt his hand massaging her own she looked up ready to tell him she was okay when she froze noticing how his head was literally inches from hers and he was so close that her nose was almost touching his. Scam had leaned down to be at her level and now as he sat there watching her with concerned eyes, while his hand held hers tightly, she could feel his warm breath fluttering over her face and neck leaving her eyes to close halfway in relaxation.
"Tim..." Sam whispered lightly when she felt his arms move to wrap around her waist and his head move even closer to hers until their noses touching. Her eyes closed on their own but her hands moved up placing themselves against his chest, holding him back in uncertainty when she felt him almost close the gap in between their lips. Sam bit her lip in pent up frustration not understanding why she was having such a hard time pushing him away. She couldn't want this, could she?
"No..." she thought, reminding herself who he was as she began to pull away only to pause when his grip only tightened around her waist leaving her to tremble slightly, something he noticed but ignored as his hands moved up and cupped her face slowly drawing her closer until his lips were nearly touching hers. Sam squeezed her eyes shut in frustration while her fingers clutched at the fabric of his shirt slightly pulling him even closer despite aiming to push him away. He smiled at this and finally closed his eyes, leaning in and closing the distance between their lips only to have her pull back at the last second. Scam opened his eyes to see her sitting there biting her lip and sighing, her eyes dark while her face appeared agitated.
"...I have to go," she said in a hushed, rough voice offhandedly before she stood up quickly, taking the flowers he had brought with her as she quickly turned away from him, effectively hiding the frustration and regret on her face. She was fully aware of what she had almost let happen and she wasn't proud of herself. Here her friends were gone and she was easily letting her sadness and confusion over them let her make stupid decisions. How else could she explain wanting to be kissed by Tim Scam a moment before? How else could she explain how her lips were still tingling as if telling her she still wanted that kiss? How would Clover and Alex feel if they had seen her just now?
Ashamed and slightly annoyed with herself she began to walk away only to stop when he spoke from behind her and she bit her lip when she felt his shadow looming over her frame. She could only hope he wasn't going to ask her anything about why she had pulled away. "Are you all right?" she heard Scam say and she nodded quickly, not turning around because she was scared to face him right now. "I'm fine, don't worry please," she said stiffly before she took a step to go only to sigh when she heard him follow her and she knew he wasn't convinced.
Bowing her head for a moment Sam took a deep breath before she reluctantly turned around and gave Scam a smile while trying hard not to look at his lips. "I'm fine really," she said with effort hoping he'd leave her alone for the rest of the day. She needed to figure out what to do about her friends and for that she had to be alone. If anyone found out she was thinking of rescuing her friends on her own, Jerry would stop her before she got anywhere and she couldn't have that.
Giving him one more smile Sam turned around swiftly and walked away leaving Scam behind. Watching her leave Scam slightly pressed his mouth in a line and tried to ignore to feeling of her soft breaths which still seemed to linger across his lips. Ignoring the pleasant sensation because now was not the time to think about it, Scam watched her retreating silently. He frowned in uncertainty while reflecting over her words. She had told him she was okay but he wasn't sure if that was true. Was Sam honestly done trying to have her friends rescued? His instincts told him she was up to something and he knew he would find out.
7:30 pm - Sam's House, Sam's Room
Sitting on the floor to her room Sam's eyes were narrowed in focus as she typed on her laptop. She knew it was wrong, hacking into WOOHP's database but she had to find her friends' location and help them. Jerry wasn't doing anything about it yet so she just had to do something because she refused to sit here and be in the dark about her friends. She had to know if they were safe and she had to make sure they got back home no matter what the risk. Biting her lip in concentration Sam's eyes remained on the screen while the words "Downloading Data" flashed on and off, letting her know that very soon she would know exactly where Clover and Alex where and then she could plan to get them out.
She jumped a second later when her phone rang and she worried if it was maybe Jerry who had somehow found out only to relax when she realized that it was her phone that was ringing not her X-powder. Jerry never called them on phone unless there was a real emergency. Standing up she picked her cell phone off her bedside table and glanced at the called ID. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was Tim Scam calling.
For the 30th time today.
Biting her lip she slowly sat back down on the floor and crossed her legs while listening to her phone ring. He head been calling her all day, ever since she had gotten home from the park and the topic of the phone call had always been one question. Him asking her if she was okay. She wondered if this call too was over the same question. Turning on her phone Sam took a small breath before speaking. "Hello?" she said and in the next second she heard Scam's familiar voice. "Hi Sam. How are you doing?" he asked for the 31st time, sounding as concerned as ever. She couldn't help the small smile that crossed her lips at his never-ending concern and she wondered how he had the will to call her so many times just to ask the same question. Didn't he have better things to do than hear her voice? "Sometimes he makes it seem like he really doesn't," she thought with a harder smile before she stopped herself and realized what she was doing again.
After the incident at the park only two things had been on her mind all day. One was the safety of her friends and the other was guiltily the same man that was trying to talk to her right now. She hadn't been able to put him out of her head all day, which was not a good sign. She knew she shouldn't be thinking of him all the time but she hadn't been able to stop herself from remembering the concern he had shown her this morning despite having berated herself a hundred times for it. She honestly needed Clover and Alex around to remind her how evil he was. Without them telling her, sometimes she got afraid that somehow she would just forget.
"Sam?" she heard on the other end and she blushed in embarrassment realizing he was still waiting for an answer. "I'm doing just fine. Studying for a test," she said while hoping her lie was convincing enough. "Are you okay though?" he asked and she realized he was still stuck on the way he had seen her crying this morning and wasn't being able to get over that. She had to convince him though before he got any ideas and caught on. "Yes," she said firmly. "I'm perfectly okay Tim," she said, smiling when she heard him mumble an 'okay" on the other end and hang up.
Relaxing because he had bought her lie Sam closed her phone and paused, wondering how long it would be before his next phone call. Something told her she wasn't done hearing from him just yet. Smiling to herself Sam stood up to put her phone back on her table. "...He's kinda cute," she said under her breath, thinking of Scam before she shook off her thoughts and went back to her laptop. she frowned when she noticed the information was still downloading and she decided to go get a quick drink of water. Hopefully when she got back the information would be there and she could get a move on with her plan.
Moving to her door she unlocked it and stepped outside into the hallway. "You sure you're okay?" she heard a male voice say leaving her to scream when she realized that she wasn't alone. "Ahhhhhhhhh!" Sam screamed in alarm, one of her hands flying up to her chest, over her heart when she saw Tim Scam standing there right before her, his phone in his hand and she realized his last phone call had happened with him being right in her house. Carefully she closed her bedroom door just in case he saw her laptop and open X-powder which would no doubt lead to him getting curious and she couldn't have that.
When she found her voice and calmed down enough she gave him a surprised glance. "How did you get in?" she asked, alarmed that she hadn't even heard a sound. She could only hope he hadn't heard her stupid words a few moments ago. She did NOT want him to think she found him a little cute.
Scam sighed, knowing she was surprised and knowing she probably wasn't thrilled he had broken into her house. But he hadn't had a choice. He had been calling all day and he hadn't been able to tell over the phone if she honestly was all right and wasn't crying anymore. While he knew sneaking into her home was a little extreme he just wanted to make sure she was well, and if she wasn't he just wanted her to cheer up.
"Tim?" he heard her ask and he glanced up to see her looking at him warningly letting him know she wanted an answer. Sighing again he shrugged. "Your security system isn't that hard to hack into," he said, before frowning when he saw worry form on her face and he knew she was afraid. He gave her a guilty smile. "Look I know it was wrong but..." he sighed. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay that's it," he admitted truthfully but her tense look didn't fade away.
Deciding to try again he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. 'I was worried about you Sam," he said, finally making her fearful glance melt away. Sam nodded slowly. Despite still being mildly freaked she knew he didn't mean any harm. "It's okay," she said before crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a pointed look. "Well you've seen me now, can you please leave?" she said firmly, trying not to be rude but she honestly wasn't comfortable with him almost standing in her bedroom. She knew she had been worried about her friends non-stop but she couldn't tell him that because he would never leave and she needed to get on with her rescue mission. If he stuck around he would catch her for sure.
Seeing him only looking at her with unconvinced eyes, a small frown on his face Sam sighed. "I'm okay, really," she said before faking a yawn. "I'm just tired and want to sleep," she said hoping he'd leave now. Scam, though not convinced that she honestly was going to sleep when her friends were in danger, nodded because he knew he couldn't stay in her house. At least he had gotten to see her face and she didn't look like she had been crying like she had been before.
"Alright. I'll leave," he said, making her relax before he held out a package to her. Sam froze on the spot and stared at the wrapped parcel suspiciously. While she had accepted the flowers he had given her this morning she really couldn't take anything else from him. She thought he knew she didn't like his presents by now. Sighing heavily and realizing she would have to drive that point in Sam held up her hands in a dismissive manner. "I'm really not in the mood for gifts Ti-"
"Please Sam?" he interrupted before taking a step closer to her. "It's nothing big or expensive, I promise," he said softly while trying not to get discouraged by her frown. "It's just a little something," Tim said before he saw her open her mouth to protest but he stopped her by placing a finger against her lips which instantly shut her up. Watching him with widened eyes Sam was about to pull his hand away when he spoke first. "If you take it..." he started slowly. "I promise I'll leave and I won't come back inside your house again," he said firmly and Sam bit her lip.
While she didn't want to accept any more gifts from him she knew she didn't have time to attempt changing the security system in her house and even if she did her parents would ask questions. He seemed to be being honest about not coming back if she listened to him though. Sighing in defeat a second later Sam nodded before taking the light package from him. "Okay, I took it now can you please go," she muttered.
Scam said nothing, only nodding before he stayed true to his word and swiftly left her hose from the front door. When the door closed Sam relaxed before hurrying back into her room and locking the door before she made her way back to her laptop.
"Finally," she muttered when she saw data being transferred onto her X-powder and she knew it would just be a few moments now. About to sit down she paused, staring at the light package in her hands and she raised an eyebrow wondering what to do with it. Should she just throw it out?
Biting her lip Sam shook the package out of curiosity and decided she could see what it was before she threw it out. Sitting down on the floor, her eyes remained on the laptop while her hands absentmindedly tore open the neat wrapping. Glancing away from her computer only when she was sure she was done unwrapping the package, Sam's eyes widened when she saw the object that was sitting in her hands.
She was now holding a brown teddy bear which was clutching a plush sunflower with the words "Cheer up" stitched on it with black thread. Blinking in surprise Sam stared at the cute, little thing for a moment before a small smile formed on her lips. "...Cheer up," she said out loud, realizing why Scam had brought her this. He just wanted her to be happy.
Feeling slightly guilty for making a big deal over accepting it before, Sam knew this was too small of a thing to toss away or return. It was harmless and part of her was extremely shocked that a man like Tim Scam would even think of something like this. Standing up she placed the bear on her bed, smiling at it for another moment as she realized its colour was almost the same as the hair of the man who had bought it. It was the same dark...no, chestnut brown she thought before she heard her X-powder beep and her attention flew to her laptop.
Rushing over to it she crouched down and quickly retrieved her X-powder. Her eyes noted the coordinates she had downloaded and she quickly worked with her device to locate them on a map. A quick moment later she bit her lip when she saw her friends were currently underwater. "LAMOS headquarters must be in a submarine," she said to herself before closing her X-powder. She had found her friends' location, now all she had to do was rescue them. 'Hang on you guys," she thought determinedly before standing up and moving to get ready. "I'm gonna get you out of there."
10:03 pm - Scam's Mansion, Scam's Room
Laying on his bed in the darkness Scam had given up on trying to sleep a while back. His eyes were wide open staring at the ceiling while tension ate away at his mind and he pictured the face of the only girl who was always on his mind there. "Sam..." he whispered to himself while tucking an arm under his head in an attempt to relax.
Why did it feel like she wasn't safe right now? Why did it feel like she was about to get hurt? Tim sighed, deep in thought. While he always thought about the redhead and hoped she was safe and sound, all day today his instincts had been blaring, telling him Sam was going to land herself in trouble somehow and he had been worried all day because of that.
It was also because of that very reason he had run after her after she left Jerry's office in tears, the reason why he had called her incessantly and went to see her at her house. Nothing had happened so far and he was thankful for that. But as he lay here unable to sleep he was more concerned than ever that maybe now was the time something bad would happen.
Laying in silence for another moment Scam sighed before he sat up and threw the covers off his body. "I can't just sit here," he said to himself knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep with all this worry on his mind anyway. Getting up, he quickly threw on a shirt and moved to leave. He had to make sure Sam was safe whether she wanted him to or not.
10:51 pm - Sam's House, Sam's Room
Biting her lip in concentration Sam focused on successfully sneaking out of her bedroom window. her parents were asleep downstairs and she had decided on using her bungee belt to climb out of her window to get out of the house. She knew this was risky and impulsive but at the same time she knew that maybe, just maybe she could rescue her friends and go undetected by the LAMOS. After all WOOHP hadn't made any official move to save Clover and Alex so it was possible Terrance wasn't expecting an invasion just yet.
Hoping that was the case Sam slid down the metallic rope, her feet landing quietly on the ground before she extracted her belt and picked up her Jetpack Backpack, filled with gadgets that she had tossed down before. Putting it on her back Sam turned around ready to leave when she was suddenly pulled back by her arm.
Alarmed, Sam struggled to get away only to freeze when she saw deep, sea-foam eyes watching her in concern while the grip on her arm tightened and she sighed when she realized just who had caught her. "Tim, what are you doing here?" she hissed, yanking her arm away while thinking how he had promised her he wouldn't come back inside her house and ignoring how he wasn't really inside her house.
Giving her a pointed look while crossing his arms over his chest Scam whispered. "I was worried and had a pretty good idea about what you might get up to so I came," he said firmly before giving her a slight glare. "Want to explain what you're doing, climbing out of your window at 11 PM?" he asked. Sam rolled her eyes. "Why had I EVER thought he was cute or considerate!" she mentally cursed while placing her hands on her hips. "What are you doing outside my house at 11 PM?" she asked sounding irritated. Tim only raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't answer my question," he said making her sigh in defeat.
Taking a step closer to her Scam frowned. "You were going to go after your friends by yourself weren't you?" he said, making her flinch because he knew. Scam shook his head in disappointment. "Do I have to explain to you how stupid that would be?" he asked, sounding beyond annoyed. "Remember the last time you tried to handle a mission on your own? Jacque Hayes?" he said, glaring harder at the memory. "You almost got yourself killed and I am not allowing that again," he said firmly making her give him a tired glance before she opened her mouth to argue but he ignored her as he went on. "You said you wouldn't do something like that ever again. Remember?" he said, showing her that he remembered her every word and wasn't about to let her deny any of them.
Sighing Sam remembered how she had jumped in to try to end the mission early back then to try and get away from Scam, and now she was regretting that seeing as he was using that to try to keep her from rescuing her friends. "This is different," she said stubbornly. "My friends are in danger and Jerry isn't doing anything-"
"Yet," Scam interrupted, giving her a pointed look. "You know he will save them." Sam bit her lip. "But it'll be too late by then," she protested only making him shake his head. "You don't know that and besides this could be a trap," he said, bringing up Jerry's logic again. She sighed in annoyance before shaking her head. "It may be a trap but if Clover and Alex were in my place, and I in theirs, they would take the same risk for me," she said softly trying to make him understand. Seeing his face not softening Sam felt her eyes fill up with tears because she was afraid he was going to tell Jerry and stop her and she didn't want that.
Reaching down she took his right hand in her hands and gave it a small, pleading squeeze. "Please Tim?" she begged while watching him with sad eyes. "I have to this, please?" she pleaded. Scam sighed, hating seeing her near tears and hating standing in the way of her happiness but he was scared for her life. It wasn't like her friends weren't important, he knew they were but SHE was more important to him. How would he ever be able to live with himself if he let her go and later learned she had gotten hurt or killed?
"I wouldn't be able to bear it," he thought, sighing before he blinked as an idea came to him and he relaxed before giving her a small nod. "Okay Sam, I won't stop you," he said, making her eyes light up in disbelief that he was just letting her go. When she opened her mouth to thank him he held up his hand making her stop. "But, I'm coming with you," he said, plunging her into panic.
"No!" she screamed, releasing his hand and pulling away. There was no way, NO WAY she could let him come with her and walk right into LAMOS territory. She couldn't let him confront the LAMOS because that was exactly what Jerry had been working so hard to prevent.
"If he goes there and remembers something..." Sam bit her lip going pale. "If one of the LAMOS see him...if Terrance sees him...," she thought in panic. "He'll make sure Scam remembers everything and Jerry will never forgive me," she thought worriedly. "And I'll never be able to forgive myself with the guilt," she reasoned before she shook her head again. "Absolutely not, You can't come with me," she said decisively and soon Tim was frowning deeply at her clear denial.
"If you don't let me come with you," he said, almost sounding threatening which left her to gulp and take a step back. "I'll call Jerry right NOW and I will tell him what you are going to do," he said, looking at her with dead seriousness in his eyes. Sam shook her head, about to say he wouldn't do that when he pulled out his WOOHP wallet communicator and flipped it open, letting her know he was serious.
"What's it going to be Sam?" he asked firmly leaving her to close her eyes in agony. She knew if she didn't let him come he would indeed tell Jerry but if she did let him come the LAMOS would see him. "What do I do?" she thought, knowing she needed to save her friends but risking his memory was too much. "Unless..." she thought. "I make sure he stays outside and then they'll never see him," she reasoned before she nodded. "Okay, you can come with me,' she said before turning around and letting him follow her without letting him know she had no intention of letting him help her.
12:41 am - Somewhere along the Ocean's shore, near LAMOS Headquarters
When her X-powder let her know they were right above LAMOS headquarters Sam stopped her feet prompting Scam to stop as well. "They are in here," she said before closing her device and moving to put on her underwater gear. Staring at the ocean in surprise Tim glanced at Sam. "The Headquarters is underwater?" he asked and Sam bit her lip, ignoring his question because she knew somewhere in his mind he already knew the answer.
"I'm going in," she said after she had finished putting on her gear. She had taken a step towards the water when Scam grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "You're not going in alone," he hissed. Sam sighed knowing it was going to be hard to get him to back off but she had to make him listen. He simply couldn't go inside LAMOS headquarters, it was much too risky.
'I am, and I will," she said sternly, trying to get away but his grip was too strong,. Trying a different approach Sam sighed again. "Tim, you don't have any gear," she said logically. "You can't go underwater like this, you have to stay out here," she said making him release her arm when he realized she was right. Watching her with suspicious eyes Scam wondered if she had done this one purpose. She had, had the coordinates from before. Didn't she know they were going to be headed underwater? He was next to certain she had done this intentionally.
"What am I supposed to do?" he asked in annoyance. "Wait out here and let you face a team of villains all by yourself?" he muttered. She shook her head. "They aren't even expecting me, I'll be in and out undetected. Don't worry," she whispered but he only glanced at her with a frown. Holding her head in frustration Sam nodded a quick moment later knowing she had to make him think she was using his help or he'd never let her go.
"Keep your wallet out, if I need help or get stuck I'll contact you and then you can come in and help me if you can, okay?" she said, giving him a serious glance before she quickly disappeared beneath the surface not really giving him the time to argue.
It took her a some time to swim all the way down to the bottom of the ocean but with the help of her WOOHP aids she was there, outside the pale, yellow submarine soon enough. Circling around the submarine she looked for an entrance and quickly found a hatch which she suspected was for emergencies.
Quickly opening it with the use of a gadget, Sam slipped inside the headquarters. When her feet hit the semi-soaked floor she took off her diving mask and other water gear, throwing it in her backpack before she carefully walked along a corridor with her X-powder in hand. Her eyes remained on the small screen while she tracked her friends with the tracer tattoos and kept walking without noticing the small cameras that were watching her as she moved.
Inside the main room Terrance smirked as he watched the redhead sneaking around inside the headquarters thinking she was actually not being watched. He had honestly thought she was smarter than to come alone but that was the trap that they had set, to lure her here and kill her along with her little friends. And once WOOHP's top three agents were gone, destroying the rest of the agency was going to be easy. His idiotic brother would be torn over the losses of Clover, Alex and Sam and wouldn't even see what would hit him when they invaded.
That, and after killing the spies their eyes would be an easy way to get into WOOHP headquarters. Terrance knew his dear brother had high-security, iris recognition scanners all around WOOHP and this would be a great way to override the seemingly foolproof system and get inside. "She's here," he said to the other LAMOS and his many guards who started muttering in excitement. In moments they were all up and heading out to the same corridor Sam was in, intent on trapping her just like they had her friends.
Making a brief stop to the room Clover and Alex were trapped unconscious in, Terrance chuckled before using a solution to quickly remove every trace of the henna tracer tattoos on their forearms. When the trackers dissolved into nothing he smirked before heading out with the rest of his team to go and capture Samantha.
In a hallway, Sam froze in panic when her X-powder suddenly lost the targets. "What the heck," she muttered, worried as she tried to retrace the tattoos only to no avail. She stiffened on the spot when she heard rampant footsteps approaching from her left and tried not to fall faint when she heard what she was sure was Terrance's chuckle.
Panicking Sam moved to the right end of the corridor, aiming to get out from there only to hear footsteps coming from that side as well and she knew she was trapped. Trying not to give up she tried several doors, trying to find one that was unlocked so she could hide only to find none she could enter. "I'm trapped," she thought, fear clouding her mind because she knew she couldn't take on four villains, and their guards alone.
She thought for a second about Tim Scam who was nearby and could possibly help but she knew she couldn't even attempt that. Hearing the footsteps coming closer and closer Sam felt as if she was suffocating and she started to back away towards the corridor wall when the hatch above her head suddenly opened and an arm reached out towards her.
She jumped slightly at the sight of the hand that was gesturing for her to take it. Glancing around she hesitated, not really knowing if she should do this but before she could stop herself she had taken the hand. In seconds the arm was pulling her up and right before the LAMOS made it into the hallway Sam's body had been pulled out of sight with the hatch closing undetected by those that stood right below it where she had been just seconds before.
In the darkness Sam tried to see who had helped her but the person only held a hand over her mouth keeping her from speaking. Struggling slightly, she tensed when she heard the LAMOS screaming below. "Where did she go?" she heard Terrance roar before the rest of the team moved around and she was sure they were searching every inch of the corridor.
After what seemed like hours they left, obviously heading into another hallway to continue their search. When they left, the hand on her mouth released her and Sam spun around in the tight space gasping slightly when she saw Tim Scam in the dim lighting, looking at her with a small frown on his lips. "Don't even try to tell me... I should have stayed outside," he growled silently while giving her a pointed look.
Sam only blinked while squinting in the darkness and noticing how he was completely drenched and she realized that he had actually swam all the way down here without any gear. She could smell the salt water on his clothes and skin as she sat there, nearly slumped against his body and she couldn't help but feel bad. 'Sorry," she whispered dryly. "Thanks for helping me," she said quietly making him nod.
"Now what?" he asked, trying to slick back his hair only to grunt when his arm hit steel lining in the cramped space. Sam bit her lip not knowing what to do. He had come inside LAMOS headquarters and he was mere hallways away from the rest of his once-team.
"Sam?" he asked when he found her silent. Sam shuddered while trying to figure out what to say. "I lost the targets on my X-powder, I have no idea where Clover and Alex are," she said, telling him of her problem. Resisting the urge to sneeze Scam sniffed quietly. "It doesn't matter," he mumbled. "We'll find them," he said before opening the hatch and climbing down before giving her the chance to even stop him.
When his feet hit the floor he glanced up at Sam who for some reason was frozen in her place and looking at him with scared eyes. Scam raised an eyebrow. "I sure hope I don't look that terrible soaked," he thought before giving her a small frown. "Are you coming or not?" he muttered and in seconds she had climbed down the hatch and was standing next to him.
Running a hand through his wet hair and stretching slightly he glanced at Sam. "When did you lose the signal?" he asked and Sam sighed before nodding her head towards the hallway. "When I got to this hallway," she said and he nodded slowly. "Then they must be nearby," he reasoned before turning and stealthily walking down the dark corridor with Sam following him nervously. When they reached the end of the hall Sam glanced at the two ways, one that led left and the other that led to the right.
Upon instinct she began moving to the right only to stop short when Scam placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around. "The other way," he said seriously leaving her to narrow her eyes in confusion. "Why?" she asked making him sigh. "I dunno, it's an instinct," he admitted knowing that for some reason he felt the LAMOS would keep prisoners in the left wing. When he turned and walked into the left side Sam bit her lip, almost chewing through it in fear and panic. He wasn't remembering something was he?
Following him in complete silence, Sam's eyes widened when she saw a long line of guards standing in the left hallway, directly outside a door and she didn't need to think twice to know her friends were in there and Scam's instinct had been right. Quickly ducking back into the hallway Sam turned her head to Scam. "They are heavily guarded. How are we going to get inside?" she whispered before glancing back into the hallway and frowning at the sight of nearly twenty guards.
When a few moments passed and she realized Scam hadn't answered her, she turned around to ask him again only to freeze at the sigh of his face.
Scam was standing there, with his jaw tense, his eyes distracted as he glanced around at the hallway over and over again. His face was full of confusion and his lips were set in a firm line as he let out a few quick, deep breaths while he remained absolutely silent.
Biting her lip in concern Sam slowly reached out touched his arm to pull his attention to her but his eyes never moved from looking at the hallway. Now worried more than ever Sam came a little closer to him. "Tim?" she whispered questioningly, wondering why he was suddenly pale and stiff.
When he said nothing again she opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, afraid that he was injured or coming down with some sickness when his lips suddenly moved and he spoke in a distant, firm tone.
"..I've been here before..."
...
...
..
.
BAM! XD
MUAHAHAhahahahahahaha-ahem. Sorry for the cliffhanger. :P Hope you'll forgive me.
Please Review! I haven't heard form you guys in a while. I WILL try to update soon, if people want me to. :D
Luv,
Cresenta's Lark :)