Remember Me?

by Cresenta's Lark

It's a typical mission when things take an awkward twist. Sam rescues Tim Scam from a fatal accident but he loses 3 years of his memory. Now, he remembers nothing of his criminal past but the one girl that saved his life...Samantha. SamXScam (Other pairings included: AlexXOC, CloverXBlaine, JerryXOC).

26. Happy Birthday Samantha

*timidly waves hello*

HEY GUYS. I'M ALIVE. I'm so sorry for the long wait. Long story short, after I went on my update parade a few months ago … I hit a massive writer's block out of nowhere. It got SO bad that I couldn't write more than a sentence some days and it was so frustrating omg I hated it so much. *sobs* x_x

Anyway I thinkkk it's dealt with now. I hope y'all still REMEMBER ME (see what I did there? DO YOU SEE? Lol xD) and are still reading my stuff! This story especially as personally, it's my fav. ^_^

Anyway, wait's been long enough as is. Let's go!

Disclaimer: Totally Spies does not belong to me. *glares angrily at Marathon*

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7:17 am - Beverly Hills, Studeo Gym

"So…Got any plans this weekend?"

Hearing all the teasing in his voice, Darren couldn't help but blush at his best friend's words nor at the all-knowing smirk on Tim's face as he looked at him with one of his brown eyebrows raised suggestively.

And he knew why he was asking. Alex and her friends, Clover, and Sam had graduated high school just a few days ago and this weekend was their first weekend of complete freedom before whenever college rolled around in September.

So of course Tim, knowing him as well as he did, knew that he had just been dying to do something special for his girlfriend like whisk her away to a weekend long getaway to celebrate their fast becoming serious relationship.

And he knew that he would be jumping to do that now as at least one major interruption and time constraint was out of the way, which just left WOOHP to deal with. Which majorly upped their chances of being able to pull it off. Especially with Tim being fully willing to ask Jerry especially to grant him and Alex a weekend off, knowing the fact but not the reason why Jerry never seemed to turn him down for anything nowadays.

Not dwelling on Tim's amnesia, Darren answered him. "Not this weekend, no. Alex already has plans."

"Uh oh. Trouble in paradise?" Tim asked pausing in his workout, instantly worried over Darren's announcement of Alex making plans that didn't include him in them. Something that he saw as a giant, red flag because normally they spent every waking moment together like the lovebirds that they were. He had never truly seen his best friend this gaga over a girl before and so he could not help but hope that everything was okay between them.

Smiling at Tim's concern, Darren didn't take long to reply. "No, just plans with her friends." Hearing Tim let out a relieved sigh he explained further to ease his tension. "It's Samantha's birthday this weekend so-"

Before he could even finish that sentence Tim interrupted him. "Isn't her birthday in January?!" he asked unable to keep the panic out his tone. He had been pretty sure up until now that he had missed it (having not have met Samantha in time for her birthday) which was something he had sulked over in silence because he'd missed out on the chance to pamper her and shower her with presents.

"Why am I not surprised that you already know when her birthday is?" Darren quipped leaving Tim to actually blush a small sheepish blush, something he played off a quick second with a little cough before continuing his bicep workout and muttering a quick reminder to him that he was talking about Sam's birthday.

Shaking his head in amusement Darren continued, "Her birthday is in January yes, but she prefers to celebrate it in June when school is out because during school she likes to focus on her studies. Alex mentioned that they once tried to celebrate it on the actual day but she found it difficult to have fun without feeling guilty and thinking that that time could have been used to study instead."

Listening to Darren, Tim nodded knowing that that reasoning made sense. Sam was very much dedicated to her studies. And while most would think that delaying your own birthday celebrations in favour of your studies was extreme; he could relate. Because like her, he too had always put his education above all else. It was just one of the reasons on an endless list of reasons for why they were so perfect for each other.

"So, wanna hang out this weekend?" Tim heard Darren ask, pulling him from his thoughts of his beloved redhead.

Shaking his head no, Tim answered him quickly with a small shrug. "Can't, I got plans already."

"…I thought that you didn't have any plans," Darren said slowly looking at Tim with confused eyes. This conversation had begun with him mentioning that he was free as a bird this weekend and that was why he had been being nosy about his plans to see if he could fit into them.

So what plans was he going on about now? Unless of course these sudden plans had something to do with a certain redhead they had just been discussing who had his best friend wrapped around her finger as he highly suspected it did.

And Tim's next words practically confirmed it. "Ah something just came up," he answered with a little wink leaving Darren to chuckle because if had had any doubts whatsoever as to what this was about now, Tim's little wink and grin solved the mystery completely.

Watching Tim, unable to keep his eyes off all the joy on his face, Darren couldn't help but smile to himself. Never in all his years of knowing him had he ever seen his best friend like this over any girl.

To say that Tim had it bad would be a colossal understatement as he could tell he had fallen hook, line, and sinker for Samantha. He could only hope that she would continue to make him this happy. Because then maybe, just maybe things would never change and Tim would never remember that which he'd forgotten. And he would not lose his best friend, his brother ever again.

"You're going to get in on her birthday celebrations aren't you?" he said leaving Tim to smirk widely at how well he knew him. Times like this truly proved how close Darren was to him. Like family, like his own blood, like the brother he'd never had.

"Of course," he answered, smirking away as he wiped the sweat off his body with a towel. "Can't let a golden chance like this pass me by, can I?"

"A chance to shower Samantha with more gifts and compliments than you already toss at her?" Darren said smirking back at Tim as he took a sip from his water bottle and caught his breath a little before getting back on the elliptical. "Of courseeee not."

"Oh I plan to do a little more than just that for her birthday," he heard Tim say and he stared at him for a long moment trying to figure out where he was going with this. Just what was he planning? He knew Tim didn't do small scale for anything and certainly wasn't going to start now, especially not when it came to the girl he was so obviously weak for.

So whatever it was that he was thinking of … it was going to be some grand gesture beyond anyone's wildest fantasies. Something on Tim's exclusive level. Unable to figure it out on his own because of the endless possibilities, Darren just asked him. "What do you have in mind Tim?"

"Simple," he heard him say bluntly. "Tell Sam that I love her."

Tim's words caused Darren to choke on the water in his mouth leaving him to cough, wheeze, and garble like a fish out of water for a few long seconds before he finally caught his composure again.

And immediately he started screaming excitedly attracting the attention of several other guys working out close to them. "YOU'RE WHAT?! YOU MEAN YOU-YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO SAY IT?!"

Glancing at the men that were now not so subtly eavesdropping on their conversation thanks to Darren's outburst in a menacing manner that warned them to stay out of his business if they knew what was good for them, he turned back to Darren and nodded to let him know that was exactly what he meant. "It's time Darren. It's been months … I've waited long enough to do this," he whispered explaining his decision further.

What could be better? Better than to give Sam the biggest gift he could give on her birthday. His heart. Something he had already given her from the moment they had met and now had just been waiting for the perfect moment to tell her, to make it official so that they could finally, and at long last become more than partners, more than just friends.

And … he thought, smiling to himself just a little bit as he thought about the girl that made his heart race within the confines of his chest harder than any workout ever could. He just knew that she felt the same way too, that she had feelings for him as well.

He could tell with how she looked at him with her beautiful emerald eyes. The way he caught her timidly blushing around him when she thought he wasn't watching her. How much she cared for him. But most of all because of that instant that had occurred between them just two weeks ago at the WOOHP masquerade.

When their lips had almost met in a kiss. A moment in time where they had come so close to one another that standing here right now he could still feel it, could still close his eyes and see it. So close. So incredibly close.

The way she had looked at him then with so much longing and need, in the exact way that he felt about her. She had conveyed so much more to him wordlessly in that fleeting moment that any words ever could. Right then and there he had gotten his answer about where things stood between them, if these feelings went both ways or not. And they did. They definitely did.

He knew if Jerry's brother and his useless cronies hadn't gotten in the way that he would have told her right then as he had been planning to that night instead of wait until now. But things always happened when they were meant to, that was just how fate worked and now it was truly time.

This was it, he could feel it. This was the right time. Their time. And he couldn't wait anymore. No he couldn't keep this inside him anymore. He just had to let it out, just had to actually say the words to her that he was, that he really was, madly in love her.

And he had an idea on just how to do that using her birthday as the perfect platform. He just had to put it into action. This was the perfect opportunity and he wasn't going to waste it. In the end he knew, he just knew Sam would admit that she loved him too.

Placing his hand on Darren's shoulder Tim looked determined and sounded confident as he spoke. "All I know is that after this weekend … my relationship with Sam is going to be changed forever."

Friday Morning

10:35 am - Sam's House, Sam's Bedroom

Waking up with a smile on her face Sam sat up in her bed for a moment just taking a little bit to let the fact that high school was over catch up to her. That part of her life was over now, forever. College was due to start in the fall, and already she was itching to commence her college life. To open up her course booklets and look at potential classes she wanted to register in, drive to the university campus a few times to get a feel for the area and check out the surroundings to scope out any libraries, shops, parks, and restaurants nearby. She yearned to prepare for it as much as she could but not this weekend.

This weekend was supposed to be fun, and college was not fun as she had been scolded by Clover and Alex and then been compelled to promise that they would be spending the entire weekend celebrating her birthday and that was all that was allowed to happen.

They had granted her just today to spend any way that she wanted and then tomorrow she was to spend all day with them shopping, and going to the movies, and then having a sleepover at Clover's house complete with bonding mani-pedis. The grand finale was going to be on Sunday when they would be throwing her a small birthday party at her house complete with cake and presents.

Pulling her blanket back she moved to get started with her day. As much as part of her wanted to just lay in bed and spend her day alone resting up for running around all day with her girlfriends tomorrow she knew she couldn't live her life that way.

She had so much she wanted to do today and she had slept in already long enough to make her legitimately doubt that she may have to leave some things off her planned schedule. Deciding to skip breakfast to prevent that from happening she rolled out of bed to take a quick shower before leaving her home to make the first of many stops she planned to make today.

Closing the door to her home and stepping outside she couldn't help but smile again at how beautiful of a day it was. The sun was shining, birds were singing and the air was clean and fresh. It was all in all, a perfect summer day.

As she walked over to her car parked in the driveway she shuffled through her purse to make sure she had her phone and her wallet so caught up that she nearly missed the object sitting there until she caught it from the corner of her eye just as she was opening the door to get in.

"What the…" she trailed off in confusion before turning her head over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. She soon realized that she wasn't but that it was actually there. There on the hood of her car sat something waiting for her. It appeared to be a cup of coffee, a latte to be specific from her favourite café: Demitasse.

Her attention now fully absorbed she walked over to it all the while wondering how it had gotten here. Had Clover or Alex decided to surprise her with some coffee this morning? Or her mother maybe?

Picking up the cup she noticed how it was warm to the touch proving that it hadn't been here long and ruling out her mother or her friends as the ones responsible for buying it for her as they had both been out and about super early today. Then who else might have gotten it for her?

She was standing there wondering if she should just throw it out because she was unsure if it was safe to drink not being able to figure out where it had come from when she noticed something else. There was something taped to her windshield. An envelope.

Curious even more now she quickly pulled it off the glass and looked at it. It was black in color with an elegant marble pattern and when she turned it over she noticed it was held shut with a red wax seal sporting a rose emblem.

"Fancy,"she thought as she moved to open it figuring it had to offer some clue to the mystery coffee surprise she was holding in her other hand. Lifting the seal she noted how the inside of the envelope was red, blood red, and instantly a wave of familiarity washed over her as she couldn't help but notice the colors red and black which just so happened to be the favourite colors of a certain guy that she knew all too well.

And suddenly she had a pretty good idea as to who exactly was responsible for her morning treat, a suspicion that was confirmed when she pulled out the note inside and noticed the neat, cursive handwriting she had seen many, many times by now. She knew that writing and she knew that it was Tim Scam's.

Looking up she glanced left then right searching for him but found that there was no one there. Wondering what he was up to now she took in a deep breath before reading the words out loud:

"Something small and sweet; just as you were the day you were born."

Feeling her cheeks heat up at his message to her in a way that rivalled the heat of the coffee held in her hand, Sam bit her lip and let out a small, contented sound unable to help but react to how sweet this was (no pun intended). And she wondered if this by chance had anything to do with her birthday, which the note seemed to suggest. But how did he know that she celebrated her birthday now instead of when it actually was?

A quick second later she solved her own mystery as she shook her head to herself in a berating way. Was she seriously forgetting who this was? Of course Tim would know. It was just like him to know. After all he did have a habit of going out his way to do things for her, didn't he?

Smiling to herself she remembered a few select examples of this fact; the necklace he had gifted her to commemorate their first mission together and how despite her umpteen denials to accept it he had found a way to make sure she kept it, how when they had "first met" he had shown up to her door in the middle of the night after hacking into Jerry's PDA because he needed so badly to thank her for saving his life, that time when he had swam all the way down to the bottom of the ocean to help her save her friends when he had realized she was in trouble. Yup this was typical of him.

Touched by the sentiment behind the offering she decided to accept it. She could use a nice shot of caffeine for the busy day she had ahead anyway. Taking a long sip of the hot liquid as she sat down in her car seat her eyes widened when upon taking the first sip she realized that not only was this espresso from her favourite place, it was also her absolute favourite kind of latte.

Simple with steamed milk and classic vanilla flavouring and just the subtlest hint of cinnamon. Impressed, she couldn't help but wonder when he had even picked up such an obscure fact of what kind of coffee she enjoyed right down to its finest detail and tucked it into his memory.

Looking around again she still didn't see him but she didn't want to leave without saying something in case he was. "Thank you…" she whispered softly as she drove away all the while not being able to wipe away the smile on her face right now that seemed to be glued there forever as if she had been forced to put on villainess Miss Vanity's "happy makeup" once more.

As her car left the driveway and she was off she couldn't help the tingling in her gut that told her that if she knew Tim Scam as well as she knew him by now that there was no way that her birthday gift would just be a cup of coffee. No, she was almost one thousand percent certain that there was definitely more to come.

11:40 am - The Last Bookstore, First Floor

She felt like she was in paradise as she stood there inside one of her favourite places in this city. The grin on her face could not help but widen as she took in a scent she loved so much, of paper and ink that was surrounding her on all sides. This place was the largest seller and collector of books in all of Los Angeles and she'd been coming here religiously ever since it had opened its doors back in 2005. She had been 15 years old then and had instantly fallen in love with it. She could spend hours upon hours here just browsing the vast array of literature and art installations the store had to offer, entirely lose herself in her own little world.

But today she had come here for something extra special. To get her hands on something she had been wanting to add to her own private book collection for a long, long time now. A leather-bound, gold foiled, signed, complete collector edition of Ernest Hemingway's works; something which never seemed to be in stock (not that she could blame the store for selling out all the time. Hemmingway's stories were a must for any true bookworm such as herself).

But today was her day, she could feel it. Today was the day she was finally going to walk out of here with that collection held in her hands. Feeling confident she walked over to the section of the store where she knew she would find what she was looking for.

But the moment she reached the shelf where it should be located she was dismayed to find no book and a cardboard card with the words "SOLD OUT" placed there instead. Instantly her face fell and a wistful sigh left her lips.

"Not again," she mumbled to herself feeling frustrated. She had called just yesterday to make sure they had copies left. How had they sold out again in under a day's time? How?! Dropping her head an dropping her shoulders she sighed again. It seemed that she was just not meant to have that set no matter how badly she wanted it.

Deciding there was no point to sticking around here because it would only make her feel more bummed out and possibly burst out screaming from her frustration at yet again having to go home empty handed and make a scene, she began to leave the store to get on her next errand and distract herself with that. She had almost stepped out the door and exited when the sudden call of her name stopped her in her tracks.

"Miss Simpson? …Is that you?" She heard someone saying urgently from behind. She recognized the voice. It belonged to one of the curators she had spoken to many times in the past during her many visits here. She spent so much time in this shop that almost everyone knew her by name. But what did they want to talk to her about?

Figuring they were probably curious after seeing her walking away without buying anything she turned around to explain her (what she knew would be perceived as) odd behaviour only to stop short when she saw what they held in their hands.

Her eyes lit up as hope began to flare in her chest. It was the Ernest Hemmingway collection she wanted! Had they held a copy for her? She was pretty sure that was against store policy or she knew she would have asked for that ages ago. But they had made an exception for her regardless? Talk about the VIP treatment!

But before she could open her mouth to thank them for this most incredible gesture towards a loyal customer, she was told that someone had bought this for as a birthday present and had requested for them to give it to her whenever she came around.

Sam blinked in surprise at that information. The store hadn't saved a copy for her? Someone else had bought it for her? Who? It had to be someone who knew she was dying for this set. Someone close to her who had heard her endlessly obsessing over needing it. Her friends? Parents? Suddenly she paused as a thought came to her. Or maybe it was just someone who just paid close attention to her wants and needs instead. Someone who knew what those were because they were so like her themselves.

As much as she would love for her friends to give her such a meaningful present, she knew that it would be totally out of character for either Clover or Alex to gift her something like this.

Alex had only ever given her a diary in all the years of knowing her and they had been kids back then, and Clover wouldn't touch a book with a ten meter pole. And her parents always celebrated her birthday on the actual day she was born so then it could only be one person then who did this for her.

"…Tim," her mind kept telling her over and over. It had to be him. And when the set was handed to her and she found an identical envelope to the one she had found just an hour ago, her suspicion was confirmed. He had done this. He had granted her wish to own this set of books.

But as well as he knew her, how did he know she wanted this specific set? He had to have been keeping tabs on her to know the exact edition that she was after. A smile touched her lips. She knew that earlier on back when Tim had just been reinstated at WOOHP and he used to follow her around like somewhat of a lost puppy, it used to seem as if she was being stalked by him. But now? Now it didn't feel that way.

Her smile grew wider on her glossed lips. So much had changed since that time months ago when she could barely stand to his spy partner. Back then he used to terrify her due to their past but he no longer scared her. Not in the slightest.

It was pretty much the opposite now if she were honest with herself. Her mind flashed back to that night not so long ago at the WOOHP masquerade and to that kiss that she and he had almost shared…

Their lips almost touched, brushing just barely and Sam felt a rush of exhilaration shoot through her as if she had been struck by lightning. But he didn't move any closer, stopping there and instead descending his head down to her neck while his arms slid down to her waist.

Sam sucked in a breath as she felt his mouth breathing over her bare skin, heating it up and making it tingle as if would burst open. She felt her knees buckling under her despite his arms holding her up and her hands lashed out, gripping onto his elbows tightly, her nails digging into the cloth of his jacket while her eyes sewed themselves completely sealed.

She couldn't think at the moment, she couldn't think at all. Her thoughts were all over the place, all she could do was feel. All she could feel was pure ecstasy as if was running through her veins instead of blood. She couldn't hear anything but the sounds of theirs breaths and the wind rushing around them as rampantly as her racing heartbeat, so loud that she could hear it thumping away in her ears.

She felt him run his lips over her collarbone, touching but not touching and they kept moving still up the side of her neck, then across her cheek before finally hovering over her lips again. He paused there for a moment too long leaving her to impatiently release his elbows and reach up, gripping his shoulder.

She stared at him with misty eyes filled with desire, in a daze as she forcefully pulled him even closer to her while pushing herself towards him. A soft pant escaped her lips as her chest collided into his and their toes brushed together. Finally his lips resumed from their pause and moved closer, closer and the last millisecond was eliminating itself when-

Blushing hotly Sam shook her head to clear it and scolded herself with the reminder that even if Tim wasn't scary to her no more, he was still her enemy and she should not be having such thoughts about him. Deciding she needed a distraction she opened up the envelope to read the note inside. But the words she found there did little to help sidetrack her:

"If you look up the word classic in the dictionary it's defined in these three following ways. One: something judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding for its kind. Two: One that is remarkably memorable. Three: An authentic work of art of recognized and established value."

"All three of these definitions can be used to describe this collection of books but more accurately… you."

Feeling the temperature of her face shoot right back up to feverish levels, Sam bit her lip and curled her toes a little in her heels as she tried to fight off his charms. But it was hardly easy. Words like this coming from a man like Tim only made her want to-

She gave herself a swift, small kick in the back of her calf to keep herself on track. He was just being nice that was all. There was no reason to take his words to heart like that. He didn't mean it that way.

But when several moments passed by and she still could not stop blushing as red as an overripe tomato just about to burst into a pulpy mess she had to ask herself if she should even keep his letter. Should she when she couldn't even stop being so flustered over it? And what about this book set?

She mulled over her decision for a few seconds before giving in. She did want the books badly and she didn't want to waste all the effort he'd clearly made to make sure that she'd get them. Leaving the store with a smile on her face she removed the thin plastic wrapping and took one book out of the case, her favourite one: A Farewell to Arms.

Running her fingers over the engraved leather and taking in the new book smell as she walked to her car she was just about start reading it then and there. But sadly she knew she had to drive to her next stop so unfortunately reading would have to wait. Placing the set and the book on the car seat next to her she started driving to her next stop. As she pulled away, the open book flipped open to the page it was bookmarked on …

"Maybe … you'll fall in love with me all over again."

"Hell," I said, "I love you enough now. What do you want to do? Ruin me?"

"Yes. I want to ruin you."

"Good," I said, "That's what I want too..."

12:37 pm - The Blvd, Patio

She really was treating herself today she thought as she finished up the last few bits of her lunch; a hearty mint pea soup and some delicious falafel croquettes on the side. This place was somewhat lavish to dine at to make a regular habit out of it but in her humble opinion it was so worth the dollars spent whenever she did get to come.

Taking a long sip of her cool sparkling water Sam smiled widely as she looked across the street at the gorgeously scenic view of the one and only Rodeo Drive that greeted her vision. Leaning back in the comfy patio chair she just sat there for a moment enjoying the lovely, live classical music playing in the background and enjoying the quaint and cozy atmosphere this place was famous for for a few moments before she got going again.

She had only two more places to go and then she planned to spend whatever was left of her day at home like the nerd she was, reading and taking a long, hot bat to rest up and prepare for tomorrow's girls day, girls night out. Thankfully her next stop was not so far from here which afforded her some time to just sit here and do nothing and enjoy her rest stop.

After five or so more minutes had passed and she had finished checking her phone for any texts and missed calls and checked herself in her compact to make sure she didn't have any food stuck to her teeth or such from her meal, she decided it was time to go. Getting up she was just about to tuck in her chair and leave when suddenly a member of the wait staff approached her.

"Did you enjoy your lunch today, miss?" he asked and Sam turned to face him with a smile. The staff here was always so nice and courteous and that was just another reason why she kept coming back time and time again.

"Yes, very much so. Thank you!" she replied nodding at him and responding to the small talk the waiter made while never noticing the blur of quick movement behind her and failing to detect the sound of stealthy footsteps which faded away just a moment later while she was still busy chit chatting.

"Well have a wonderful evening. And thank you for choosing The Blvd. for your midday meal today," the waiter said politely a moment after, ending their conversation as he walked away to go look after other patrons.

Smiling to herself still Sam turned back to her table to pick up her purse and walk away only to stop with a gasp when she noticed something now sitting on her chair. A medium-sized, white, cardboard box. When she picked it up in her hands she realized upon closer inspection that it was actually pastry box.

And after having so many random objects appear before her like magic today, she already knew who was responsible for this. But how did he smuggle it in here so smoothly without her noticing? She was trying to solve that conundrum when she recalled the random conversation the waiter had started with her. Her suspicions flaring, she turned to look around and caught the waiter still standing there. He smiled at her for a second before giving her a little wink and walking away.

Yup, so that was indeed how he had done this. He had diverted her attention while he left this latest offering for her here. Knowing that he still had to be around she couldn't help but shift her gaze around to try and find him. But once again she failed to spot him anywhere so she gave up a few moments later. Clearly Tim was determined to hide from her today. And when Tim Scam was determined to do something, she knew he simply could not be stopped.

Shaking her head to herself a little in defeat Sam mentally noted once again just how resourceful and crafty he was. No matter where she had gone today he had found some way to leave her something to find, like her own little treasure hunt. And she couldn't help but wonder to herself if the day Clover and Alex had planned for her tomorrow would beat this because Tim really was pulling out all the stops to make this birthday celebration the best one she'd ever had.

Knowing that her friends would yell at her if they'd heard her say that (especially Clover who had just backed off from her regarding Tim) Sam dropped that thought and instead busied herself with the box in her hands. And when she removed the small piece of tape and lifted the top open she was stunned at what she found inside. It was a cake. And not just any cake but a traditional Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce.

Her jaw parted and she felt her eyes tear up a little as she couldn't help but be overcome by emotion. "Oh my goodness…" she whispered to herself as stood there in disbelief. Her grandmother used to make this cake for her birthday every year when she was a little girl. It used to be their little tradition and her favourite part of her birthday celebrations.

Just thinking of eating the yummy spiced cake with its crunchy sugar crust, tart Granny Smith apples, and blend of ginger, nutmeg, and allspice would make her mouth water and leave her counting down to her next birthday the moment one was over. But after her dear grandmother Alannah passed away when she was just eight years old no one else had ever made this cake.

Her aunts could not cook well and her mother, while having the skills found it too much of a hassle to deal with. And all her years of begging and pleading for her to try and make it had led to was her mom caving in just enough to let her have the recipe.

Which didn't help as she had no cooking skills whatsoever and any attempt that she had made to try and replicate her grandmother's delicious cake had been in vain right up until the final attempt she had made around a week ago where after two burned cakes, another which had exploded much like a volcano in her oven, and the last turning out more like a pasty pudding- she had officially given up.

She could of course just go to a bakery and just buy herself an apple cake but no matter how much of a craving she got for it she never did because she knew it wouldn't be the same as the one her granny used to make. And that was the one she wanted. But still…

Her gaze remained on the cake in her hands. Even if this came from a store, the thought alone was enough to melt her heart. She didn't know how Tim knew of this birthday tradition from years past but she didn't have words to say how much this meant to her. It almost felt as if for a moment, her grandmother had come back to visit her. And that feeling only intensified when she opened the attached envelope and read his latest message to her:

"Wherever she is, she's thinking of you. Because you're not someone anyone could ever stop thinking of. Ever stop loving. No matter how many years go by. Go on, take a bite, I hope it turned out the way you remember it."

"Breithlá shona duit, Sammie."

Her breath now caught in her throat Sam's mind couldn't help but linger on his last few words. First, he had wished her happy birthday in Irish just like her grandmother used to and second, his saying that he hoped the cake was just like she remembered it. That would only make sense if he hadn't bought her just any cake from the store but had actually- wait.

Her eyes widening as realization dawned upon her she quickly took a whiff of the desert before her and when she did a gasp couldn't help but escape her mouth as a strong wave of familiarly coupled with nostalgia nearly knocked her off her feet. Could it really be?

Wanting to confirm for sure she picked up a piece of the cake and took a small bite of it. And as soon as he did she learned that she had been right. This… this was the same cake that her grandmother used to make. It was the same recipe. The exact recipe.

Tim had gotten his hands on her recipe and went so far as having it made for her. And as she was trying to wrap her head around that she came to one more conclusion. The box the cake was in was plain and bore no mark of any store of bakery whatsoever and the cake tasted as if it had just come out of the oven. He …had baked this himself.

"Why did he make so much of an effort for me?" she couldn't help but think as she remained speechless at this latest surprise of his. Even if he was an expert cook (which he could very well be seeing that there seemed to be absolutely no limit to his talents) and had managed to nail this in one attempt, this had to have taken him some time to make. Time he would have had to set aside from missions and helping Jerry behind the scenes when he wasn't going on missions like he always did. Time that he could have used to relax or do something for himself for once but instead he had opted to do this for her. Why?

The only thing she could think of was how Tim may have somehow picked up on her strong desire for this cake and decided to grant her wish for it figuring there was no other way this was going to happen for her. Just because he was that thoughtful of a partner, that caring of a friend. Just … because.

Smiling to herself as she bundled the cake close to her heart while leaving the restaurant, Sam could only think that if he kept doing things like this for her then she would never be able to find a way to thank him let alone ever be able to repay him.

3:56 pm - Somewhere on Rodeo Drive

Walking back to where she'd left her car parked near The Blvd., Sam shook her head to herself a little annoyed. She had expected to be able to easily find herself the next item on her list, a watch to replace her favourite one that she had ending up breaking beyond repair after being abruptly sent off on a mission by Jerry a few weeks back, but had instead spent the last three or so hours going from jewellery shop to jewellery shop with no luck.

Sometimes she honestly hated herself for being so darn picky about everything but she was the kind of girl that wanted what she wanted and didn't like to settle for anything else. But as much as she wanted to find herself the perfect watch today she wasn't sure if she had the time (no pun intended) left for it anymore.

Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her phone and hit the sleep/wake up button to pull up the lock screen, the two and a half seconds that process took reminding her again of why she wanted a watch to wear which she could simply glance at in half that time.

Almost 4:00 pm, her phone told her leaving her to seriously consider giving up on her watch hunt for today because if she didn't step on it then her last stop would soon be closed. And unlike shopping which could be done on any free day, that place would be closing its doors forever and she didn't want to miss out on her last chance to visit.

Deciding to prioritize the latter for that reason, Sam moved to get into her car and leave but as she was putting on her seat belt her eyes caught sight of a glossy paper stuck under one of her windshield wipers. It looked like a pamphlet of some sort. Reaching her arm out she grabbed it and then glanced at it, reading aloud to herself, "Piaget Boutique, High End Luxury Jewellery and Watches."

She knew this place, it was one of the most expensive places to shop which was why she hadn't had it on her store hit list to look for watches in because she hadn't wanted to pay an arm and a leg for one even if she could afford it. Which was exactly what anything from it would cost.

She still remembered hearing its name from Mandy as she gloated to the entire high school about her 65 thousand dollar "Piaget Limelight Gala" watch when she had worn it on Photo Day at the start of the school year. But despite the cringey memory of Mandy's nasally annoyingness, she did remember that the watch she had been showing off had been super pretty.

Scanning the brochure and noting that there was actually a location of the boutique north on Rodeo Drive itself, she wondered if she should make a quick stop there. Just to go and see if she liked something that fell within what she considered a reasonable price limit for a watch. Giving in a quick moment later Sam turned her car around and drove in the direction of the printed address.

Fifteen minutes later she stepped inside the spacious boutique and headed straight to the floor the watches were located on to take a quick look around. Watches surrounded her on all sides. Watched in all different colors, trends, and styles and shapes.

And immediately she began to regret her decision to come here today. There was no way she could go through all of these to make an informed decision about which one if any she wanted to buy in the ten minutes she had allotted herself to spend here before she left to do that other thing she wanted to. So it looked like coming back another day was her only viable option. Turning to leave as quickly as she entered the store she suddenly stopped in her tracks when something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Something ... shimmery.

Turning her head back around Sam's eyes widened in wonder the moment she saw it. It was a watch, a stunning watch that although surrounded by ridiculously expensive trinkets stood out more than any other. As she slowly walked over to it she couldn't help but become more and more spellbound by its beauty.

To call it pretty was a massive understatement. The sterling silver watch was designed in a cuff style made up of interlocking metallic ovals and glittered with countless clear crystals which kissed the metal where it looped together. Sparkling jewels also adorned the rest of its surface. They were studded across the bezel, face, and flange and each gem had a striking opalescent quality which made it twinkle in a rainbow of colors when it caught the light from any which angle. The watch was so gorgeous in fact that it didn't even look like a watch. It looked like a bracelet almost it was so feminine and dainty and gave off such an aura of elegance and sophistication.

And Sam was certain that if she would ever have a watch designed just for her based on her exact taste and style then this would be exactly what it would look like. It was as if someone had reached into her mind and custom made this watch for her based on her entirely.

And right then and there she knew that this was the one, the watch she wanted even though she was sure the price tag for it would leave a massive dent in her bank account. But still, she simply had to know if there was any chance of her ever owning it.

With that thought in mind she searched for an item name or number so she could inquire about it. But after five minutes of her doing that she was surprised to find that it didn't have one. Unlike the other watches on display this watch had no brand, no marker or any kind ... nothing.

"Odd," she thought confused. She was just about to call over a sales representative for assistance when she stopped and looked back at the watch again, a strong suspicion now brewing in her mind. And when on a hunch she felt around the display and located a familiar black and red envelope taped nearby she knew her gut instinct had been right.

"Tim..." whispered, an automatic smile tugging at the corners of her lips at the thought of the man who had turned her boring day of personal errands into an adventure scene straight out of a movie. Suddenly that random pamphlet for this store that she had found made perfect sense. He had led her here to ensure she got his next present. His present ...

Her eyes went back to the stunning watch before her and she once again couldn't help but be thrown by the fact that he knew her tastes so well, down to a "T", as if he had her memorized like a favourite book he'd read a thousand times of which he knew each line and paragraph by heart. This had to be his most extravagant gift yet and part of her felt really self conscious about accepting it but then again she knew Tim didn't do cheap.

No, right from the first present he'd given her months ago when they had been partnered up, that much had become apparent. He liked to gift lavishly, likely she guessed because that reflected his own personality of being totally impressive and memorable.

Fighting with herself not to think of him that way yet again, she opened the envelope and read to herself quietly as she left the store with a watch even more perfect than her wildest dreams now decorating her wrist:

"Too often beauty is sacrificed for strength. If something is built to be strong it is often made simple, plain, unadorned. But not you. Much like this watch you lack neither quality but are instead an immaculate blend of both."

A small whisper of the words "oh my god" nearly left her lips this time at his endless flattery. And even though she knew she shouldn't have these thoughts she couldn't help but wonder if he really tthought of her this way for real or if he was just being sweet.

He had to just be being sweet, she decided a moment later as her eyes lingered over the watch once more. Because as much as he seemed to like her there was no way, no way she was really this ... perfect.

But beauty was in the eye of the beholder and maybe as crazy and unrealistic as it was, to him maybe she really was that perfect. That incredibly perfect. As perfect as he was … to her.

Blushing timidly as her thoughts helplessly hovered around him again like a moth was doomed to flutter towards a flame she had to admit to herself that she really didn't know a more perfect man than Tim. Endlessly talented, smarter than smart, and to top it all off … attractive as hell.

Although he had gotten this watch for her because according to him it reminded him of her, if she was honest with herself she had to confess that personally it made her think of him a lot more than herself.

Her eyes squinted as the sunlight of the late afternoon bounced off the watch's many crystals and her smile widened while her heart did a little flip flop inside her chest. Especially those jewelled eyes of his.

With that thought his enigmatic sea green stare summoned itself clearly into her memory and she shook her head a little realizing that she had been wrong about that because as dazzling and magnificent as these crystals were his eyes … were actually far more beautiful.

And it was only when she absentmindedly noted the time on her new watch did she finally snap out of that thought and head off to her last destination for the day.

5:45 pm - Magnolia Park, Burbank, Studio

Her eyes passed along the paintings slowly as she walked along the corridor of the loft-style studio the exhibit was being held in. Entranced she took in every line, every brushstroke, every hue of color on the works of art before her. She wasn't seeing them for the first time but still they took her breath away just as much as they had the first time she'd laid eyes on them. And at that thought as much as she tried not to, a small frown settled on her lips because this would be the last time she would be seeing them. After today all of these works would be sent off to their respective buyers to add to their private collections.

She knew she should be happy for Hana Saito, her favourite local artist whose work she had been obsessively following for the last three years who had finally gotten the recognition she so rightfully deserved and was now able to make a living just off her artwork. But part of her was selfish, she thought sighing, because she would super miss her art being on display for her to keep coming back to. Pouting a little, she kept her eyes on one of Saito's outstanding works. No one else's creations spoke to her more than hers did. She just had such a way of capturing emotions on canvas that all her paintings seemed alive, seemed as if they told stories.

It was no wonder she would miss this so much, she sighed again. Glancing around the exhibit she noted the many people who just like her had come to see these pieces one last time. And just like her they looked at them with longing looks on their faces, as if they were about to say goodbye to a dear friend. And she knew she wasn't alone in feeling this way.

Watching others taking pictures of the paintings with their cameras and phones as they moved about she mentally thanked Saito for being kind enough to let people photograph her works free of charge which many artists would not allow but still … it would not be the same.

Scrolling through her own snapshots that she had taken she frowned sadly. These paintings were living, breathing works of art, tales in motion, and a photograph simply did not have the same essence of life, of loss and love; the range of emotions that these actual paintworks did. So no matter how good of a shot she got of any of these it would never be like the real thing. Especially her favourite painting of the lot...the one she'd miss the most.

As she walked over to it in slow steps her eyes widened in total fascination. The piece was named "The Red Thread of Fate" and fittingly so as it was Saito's interpretation of the East Asian concept. The belief that God ties an invisible red thread around the little finger of two people that are meant to be. The two connected by this thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. This magic string may stretch or tangle, but it would never break.

Saito embodied this in her piece through two lovers. She had left them faceless to make them relatable to everyone, to make it so that anyone who looked at the painting could picture themselves with their other half in the pair's place.

The painting was large, almost as big as a mural and the man and woman appeared several times throughout the intricate piece. Each time they looked a little different, their attire and style changing to reflect different eras and periods of history. But a similar build, hair color, and skin texture made it obvious it was always the same duo Saito was painting. The were placed against settings of war, destruction, impossible obstacles, twists and turns but each time the pair came to unite due to their shared destiny of always belonging to one another. The red thread tied to their pinkies was always present and zigzagged the duration of the piece, unbreakable till the end.

She found it to be the most beautiful depiction of love, the truest illustration of its essence. And as much as Clover scoffed at the idea, she herself believed in the notion of a soul mate. That there was just one person out there somewhere who was created just for you. Waiting for you. Just for you. You other half, the one that would complete you.

She smiled and let out a dreamy sigh at that thought. She knew if she had learned earlier than she had about these pieces being sold, then she would have been more than willing to try and purchase it.

But alas she had been so caught up in school and WOOHP missions that she had found out about the sale only after every last piece had been claimed. Unable to take her gaze off the artwork she inwardly envied whomever had gotten their hands on this one. They had honestly gotten the very best of the lot in her humble opinion.

In the back of her mind, absentmindedly, she became aware of more and more visitors leaving the grounds an the place emptying as closing time was moments away. But try as she might to walk away her feet just would not follow her. She loved this painting so much she didn't have the words to describe it. She'd visited just to see it so many times over the years that she had completely lost track.

And as such she found herself standing there before it taking it in with yearning eyes until the exact final minute the exhibit was open until. And even when she at long last walked away, she dragged her feet, slow as a sloth and looked back at it every few seconds only to see it being taken off the wall and being wrapped up with care to be transported off to its buyer.

Looking away once it was completely concealed by its protective cushion wrapper, corner covers, travel frame, plastic bubble covering, and final rigid cardboard case, Sam was on her way out of the building when she spotted no other than Hana. Deciding to be polite and congratulate her for her accomplishment she walked over and shook her hand telling her she was so happy for her success.

Smiling back at her, Hana uttered a grateful thank you, positively glowing with joy as she returned her handshake. "Thank you so much. And it's only because of art lovers like yourself that I've found such success."

Sam smiled wider at her words and figured Hana was thanking her for coming by so often and encouraging her by harping on and on about her to her friends and spreading the word and marvelling about talent and skills as an artist whenever they spoke. But Hana's following words rendered her wordless.

"I can't tell you what it meant to me when I found out that one of my paintings had been purchased just five minutes after being listed. I was so nervous before that moment that no one would be interested but once you bought that one my confidence just shot up and I was able to go through with my decision to sell my work. And before I knew it, I had sold out of all my paintings."

She paused, her black eyes shining with happiness as she touched her free hand to her chest, her heart and went on. "And the fact that it was my personal favourite piece that I've ever done; Red Thread of Fate? And the knowledge that it's going to be going to my favourite fan, I just …" she took a deep breath looking almost delirious from joy as she shook her hand a little harder trying to convey her thankfulness. "It was just such an incredible, amazing feeling. I felt like I was on top of the world. Thank you SO much for that, it means so, so, so much."

"…"

"He … didn't…" was all Sam could think as she listened to Hana thank her over and over for buying her most expensive work. But when she saw the by now trademark black and red envelope taped to where the painting had been hanging just moments before she realized with her heart pounding inside her chest that yes, he had. Once again … Tim had. He had done this for her. Made yet another undisclosed dream of hers come true.

Taking the envelope off the wall as the painting was placed in a truck to follow her to her address and drop it off at her residence, she walked to her car still in disbelief that this was happening. Once she sat down she ripped open the seal and read Tim's greeting:

"Anything that you love this dearly, think of so often, and desire so deeply must truly have been created to serve only one sole purpose; being yours forever."

Overcome by the rush she felt upon taking in those words, she could just sit there and shake her head in an astonished way. Just the way he kept track of her wants and needs … even more than she did. Ever so precisely and with care just like … a soul mate.

Yes, a soul mate, a word that she knew she had dangerously associated with Tim too many times before already. But honestly, there really was no other word that fit seeing how well he seemed to know her. Know her innately, without her ever saying. He just knew. Somehow he just … did.

And once again she wondered to herself what she had done to deserve any of this? All of this? She truly had no clue. She was just so overwhelmed with everything he had done for her this day that she just couldn't fathom any words to express her appreciation towards him. And so she drove away in a state of awed silence with just another memento of how incredible this entire day had been.

11:59 pm - Sam's House, Living Room

Turning the page of the new book in her lap a small, joyful smile was lit on Sam's face as she sat there leaned against a fluffy pillow after her long bath with her legs slung up on the couch to recover from her long day just relaxing.

She was in her pyjamas, her damp hair was tossed up in a messy, loose bun, and she was sipping chamomile tea from time to time from her favourite mug. She was cozier than she could ever be. It was the perfect evening to an even more perfect, dreamlike day. Letting out a contented sigh of bliss Sam continued reading but she was endlessly distracted in the back of her mind by thoughts of her handsome gift giver.

Although the surprises had finally stopped as the day was over, even now, hours later she was still trying to process everything Tim had done for her today. Pulling her gaze away from her novel she lifted it up to the wall where her new painting now proudly hung and her smile widened on her lips.

He'd given her so many incredible presents in so little time. So many that she'd been unable to keep count as they poured in all day long. It almost seemed as if he wasn't trying to just celebrate one birthday as this was but was trying to gift her for all the years she'd existed on this planet instead.

She knew that she'd always considered herself to be a little spoiled, which to be honest she kinda was. Her life was good, she had loving parents and amazing friends who often indulged her. But even then she had never been spoiled ... like this.

To this degree. Of being showered with things she had dreamnt of for ages without even opening her mouth. Without even alluding to wanting them to the one who had given them to her. It was like Tim had gotten a hold of her ultimate wish-list and crossed off every item with a giant check mark.

Ever since she'd received his first present she'd been mentally brainstorming to herself just how to thank him for all this but had come up with nothing so far. Her mind kept running a blank. Everything she came up with seemed so lame in comparison to what he'd gone and done. How should you thank someone for making literally all your wishes come true and that too all at once? How do you even begin to?

Her thoughts remaining on him she wondered just how long he had been planning this birthday celebration for her. It had to a while. Months perhaps based on everything he had pulled off. Her mind couldn't help but remember something her mother had told her once about how time was the greatest gift you could give someone because every moment, every second of your life was something you could never recover once it passed by. And he'd chosen to spend so many of his on doing these unbelievably kind things for her.

So of course she was gob smacked on how to convey her gratitude to him properly. And as much as she wanted to badly thank him as soon as she could part of her was glad that he had not shown up in person today.

Because she was not ready yet, did not have the vocabulary picked out to express her degree of indebtedness. And something told her she would not have them for a long, long time.

Just as she had that thought the sound of her doorbell ringing made her jump a little because she had expected to be alone tonight. Her mom was on a road trip with Clover and Alex's mothers and wasn't going to return before tomorrow evening, her dad was abroad for business still, and Clover and Alex had sworn to leave her alone all day today. Which led her to only one logical conclusion as to just who could be on her doorstep right now.

Immediately her heart began to dance a little inside her chest at the thought of the same man she had been thinking of just now being just outside her door asking to come inside. Could it be Tim? It was past midnight now but he had once shown up to her home at 4:00 am so midnight would hardly stop him if he wanted to see her.

As she got up from the couch to answer the door in the back of her mind she remembered just how much that had freaked her out back then, him coming to her home even just to thank her for saving his life. How much things had changed from back then to now when she was comfortable just going out to see him without a second thought, just in the condition she was in as she would be with any other friend of hers.

Disregarding that last bit for a second she paused and quickly tucked some of the loose strands of her hair she could feel dangling on her bare shoulders messily behind her ears and smoothed out her tank top and shorts a little to tidy up her appearance and look presentable, before she walked over to the door all the while trying to chase away the blush now staining her cheeks guiltily and hastily gathering up her words of thanks to say to him knowing it was time to say them even if she wasn't fully prepared.

Finally reaching the door she took in a deep breath and held it for a second as she unlocked the door and turned the doorknob. She breathed out as the door slowly swung open and she looked up expecting to see Tim Scam standing there...

Only to find no one. Puzzled, a confused "huh" left her lips as she looked out into the darkness intently trying to zero in on the man that should be there only to not find him. Had she imagined the doorbell sounding? She was tired and things had been popping up on her all day long so that wouldn't be totally out of the question.

But she couldn't get over the feeling that he was there somewhere nearby ... she could almost feel his presence around her as clearly as the white rays of moonlight caressing her skin right now. She stood there for another moment rubbing her arms before giving up and turning around to go back inside only to pause when she caught sight of something sitting on the threshold.

It was a box and even in the pitch darkness she could detect the envelope sitting atop it, identical to the five others she had collected today. Slowly bending down and picking up the box she couldn't help but smile again. It seemed then that the surprises weren't over after all.

Realizing that her gut feeling about him being here was correct as this box had just been placed here, Sam craned her neck looking for him again and wondering if he'd show himself at long last. But once again he remained hidden and she shrugged before proceeding to open up the box instead because Tim was still winning his game of hide and seek with her.

Detaching the envelope she held it with one hand before tearing off the wrapping paper from the cardboard box. Using the edge of her nail she broke open the tape barrier holding it closed and lifted the sides of the box to find some bubble wrap indicating to her that whatever was in here was delicate. Proceeding to handle the contents with a little more care now she pulled apart the bubble wrap and Styrofoam casing and was surprised at what she pulled out some moments later.

It was a pair of binoculars. Intrigued she studied then closely wondering why he'd given them to her. She owned a pair of binoculars that worked perfectly well so there had to be some special reason for him to send her these.

And it didn't take her more than a few moments of investigation to realize that these binoculars were unusual. The binoculars had no company name on them or model number and they seemed to have an excessive number of dials and buttons than any pair she had ever seen before. They looked to be specialty made and knowing who she was dealing with here she got a strong hunch that the man who had sent her these was also the one who had created them.

Wanting more information on these and still having no idea why he'd gifted them to her (her best guess being that she had a casual interest in astronomy and liked staring at the stars sometimes being a nerd and all) Sam reached for the envelope.

Pulling it open, this time she found not one but two pieces of paper. The second was placed upside down which showed her that he wanted her to look at the other note first. And glancing at that one her eyes widened when she realized it was a set of instructions. And they seemed to be to get her to look at something up in the sky with the binoculars.

Desperately curious to know where Tim was going with this, Sam decided to humour him and follow the instructions.

"Look towards the south..." she mumbled aloud as she mentally calculated what direction that was with a trick she'd learned in elementary school and faced it.

"Next, locate the constellation of Orion, in particular the three stars of Orion's belt..." Getting that done Sam held the binoculars steady before glancing back at the note to move onto the next line.

"Now focus in on the leftmost star of the three..."

Zooming in and making sure to do so on the correct star she then read the second last instruction on the page. "Good. Now hold your right arm out straight with the right edge of your fist adjacent to where you see the leftmost star. Once you've done that then rotate your fist diagonally so it continues the left-and-downward slant of Orion's belt."

Feeling the suspense build up inside her to the point of exploding Sam did as she was told, eager to see what would happen when she did the last and final step which was next.

"Now look up through the binoculars towards the left edge of your fist."

This time when she looked through the binoculars she was forced to pull back a little at the sight that was on the other side. It was a pure, white, almost blinding light that made her sleepy eyes crinkle. What exactly was she looking at that was so luminous?

Locating the binoculars' magnification control for the objective lens she tuned it before holding them up to her eyes again and instantly the view shifted and light was directed to sharpen the clarity of the object in the sky. And now that she could see it better, not more than a few seconds later she recognized what it was.

It was a star. A very bright, very beautiful ... star.

Her jaw parted slightly as her eyes widened in amazement and she stood there for a few moments just taking in its vibrancy. It seemed to light up the sky, almost as bright as the sun shining during daytime. Even when she moved the binoculars away and looked at it with naked eyes it still twinkled luminously.

It was definitely a sight to be seen but she still couldn't ascertain why Tim wanted her to look at it. Look at this star in particular. Instinctively she reached for the second note in the envelope feeling that this was the time to read it. Turning it over, her eyes fell on the words on the page:

"Sirius, also known as the Dog Star or Sirius A. Due to its divine lustre, its name was given to it centuries ago and is derived from Ancient Greek for Σείριος or Seirios which translates to "glowing" or "scorching." With a visual magnitude of -1.46, Sirius, is the brightest star of all. It has no equal in the sky ..."

"But it's still not brighter than your smile."

As if he was controlling her with some invisible string, the second she read that her lips lifted right up and twitched into the biggest smile she was confident she'd ever smiled to the point where her cheeks almost hurt from it.

Folding up his note and pushing it back into its envelope she battled with herself to stop gushing over his words so badly and was only able to control herself a little when she remembered that Tim was likely nearby somewhere right now watching her at this exact moment.

But her alternate reaction at that new thought to her giant clown-like smile was a panicked squeak and a rapid, bad sunburn-like blush coating her face and making it glow just as much as the star he'd just shown her. Embarrassed now she scuttered inside with haste and went straight to bed soon falling asleep with a grin on her face that easily competed with the one on his.

7:30 am - Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Park

Staying hidden in his place behind the trunk of a thick tree, Tim smirked determinedly as he saw the trio of girls jogging a short distance away. It seemed that even on their girls' day out, they wanted to keep their daily fitness routine. Which worked for him as it gave him the perfect opportunity to send his Sammie her next present. For a moment he looked down at the flowers in his arms and bit his cheek in thought wondering if he'd made the right choice.

These were not her favourite flowers, he knew those were blood red roses and white lilies but he'd had thought that those would have been too cheesy and predictable. Plus he wanted to give her something unique and giving her the flowers that he'd chosen instead greatly tipped the odds for that in his favour. Giving his decision a small nod of approval he resumed the task at hand; figuring out how to get these to her without being seen as he didn't want to just yet.

After only a moment of thought he recalled something and turned his head just slightly over his shoulder to check and see if the same woman who had been staring at him before was still around and doing so.

Caching her still gawking at him not subtle at all he smirked which led her to blush and snap her gaze down to the phone in her hand as she tried to hide her guilt behind the screen only moving her head now to occasionally glance down from the bench she sat on to the ground where as he now noticed, a teeny girl was playing in the grass, pulling out dandelions from the earth, shaking off the dirt, and making herself a sloppy bouquet.

And one glance at their shared red hair color made it obvious that they were related. And when he heard the tiny one hold up her creation in her tiny first and excitedly say the words, "Look mommy! Look what I made!" to the woman he knew they were mom and daughter. And instantly he got an idea on how to get his flowers to Sam.

Slowly walking towards them he kept his gaze pinned on the mother who was a young woman and who he had a strong feeling was a single mom with how shamelessly she was eyeing him and giving him a once-over over and over again.

At least he hoped she was anyway, not that her relationship status really mattered for what he wanted to get out of her. Hiding his smirk he put a practiced charming smile on his face. Time to put his skills to work.

"Beautiful day today, isn't it?" he said and the woman looked up at him and smiled back, blushing a little and hoping she hadn't been too ridiculously obvious in drooling at this gorgeous guy. "Very," she said, drooping her eyelids a touch and batting her eyelashes just a little bit at him.

Reading that look as her wanting to keep his attention he gave her exactly what she wanted. "I'm Tim, by the way," he held out his hand for her to shake and the woman took it eagerly and introduced herself as Haley, smiling more than ever now.

"What a pretty name," he commented leaving her to blush some more before he turned to her child who by now had stopped playing and was staring at him bashfully. And when he saw her up close his eyes couldn't help but widen. It wasn't just her red hair, this little girl almost looked like a splitting image of Sam. Well a child Sam anyway.

She had big, round, curious green eyes, a pointy nose, ivory skin, and pink, pouty lips. And her looking so much like a mini Sam made his plan that much more special.

Bending down to be closer to her level but keeping his distance still in case his mother thought he was some kind of creep he spoke to her. "Are you enjoying the summer kiddo?" But luckily the mom seemed to trust him as she leaned down and placed her hand on her girl's shoulder and gave her a nod as if to encourage her to go ahead and answer him.

As if on the cue the little one nodded energetically. "I really am! I love it when mommy brings me to the park to play!"

Her words only further seconded his observation of her mom being a single mother. Wanting to be sure he spoke again.

"And what about daddy? On such a perfect summer day and a Saturday at that ... is he not with you?" Immediately he saw Haley's mood falter a bit as she looked down and he apologized for overstepping like that. But the woman shook her head no and touched his arm as if to tell him it was okay for him to ask.

"I have my baby girl and she's all I need," she said a moment later revealing that she was indeed single.

Smiling at her he nodded and replied with the words, "That's true. Sometimes all you need is that one person to fill your heart with all the joy in the world..." he trailed off looking at Sam in the distance who had now stopped to catch her breath as she was ahead of her friends in their jog.

Knowing this was the perfect time to send her her gift he turned back to Hayley and smiled again as he held up the envelope he had been until now hiding behind his back with his floral bouquet.

"Would you happen to have a pen on you that I could borrow just for a sec?" he asked, wanting to now change the message he had previously written to accompany Sam's flowers. Haley apologized that she didn't think she did and started to shuffle in her purse to make sure but her daughter stopped her by tugging on her leg to get her attention.

"Mommy has crayons! Mommy takes my crayons everywhere so I can draw! I love to draw!" she said proudly and Hayley's eyes lit up as she recalled that she did indeed have those in her daughter's backpack.

"Oooh that's right! I do! You're so clever Samantha!" she said leaving Tim's jaw to drop at learning the child's name. Her name was Samantha?! If he needed any more proof that fate was in his corner here, he had gotten it right then. What were the odds of finding a child identical to Sam and that too with the same name?!

He was only shaken out of his stunned daze when he heard Haley ask him if he was okay with using a crayon instead. When he told her that a crayon would be just fine and she handed him one he thanked her profusely before kneeling and placing the open envelope against his knee, crumpling up his previous message and putting it in his pocket and trying his best to write the new one as legibly as possible.

When he was done he turned to the toddler with a sheepish smile. "Could you do me a little favour?" he asked glancing at her mother first to make sure it was okay. When she nodded he went on. "Do you see that lady over that with the red hair in a ponytail?" he pointed towards Sam to direct her eyes to her.

And when he did, the munchkin's eyes lit up like the sun. "HEY!" she said all hyper, pronouncing it more like "hay" as she raised her chubby arm and pointed towards Sam herself a few times. "She looks like me!"

This kid was honestly the cutest thing, he couldn't help but smile. And in the back of his mind a thought about how he'd always wanted to have a daughter one day came to him. A daughter with his Samantha would likely be just as adorable as this one.

Mentally slapping himself a second after he had that thought he rolled his eyes and told himself to get a grip. He hadn't even kissed Sam yet and here he was planning their future children as if they were married already. Shaking his head to focus he returned his attention to little Samantha.

"She does, doesn't she?" he agreed before revealing his bouquet of flowers to her. "Think you could give these to her for me? Please?" he smiled only to tense up when he heard Haley's voice from behind him making him jump a little as he'd entirely forgotten about her.

"...Is she your girlfriend?"

She clearly sounded pissed off, the earlier syrupy tone of her voice now replaced with pure, biting jealousy as she said that to him. And he knew he had to hide his feelings for Sam from this woman who was clearly into him or else she would never help him out as he needed her to.

Turning back to her quickly he shook his head no. "Nah," he shrugged. "Just a friend who's ticked off at me over a stupid fight and I'm just sending her a little peace offering before attempting to talk to her again," he lied smoothly through his teeth and smirked just slightly to himself at how quick she bought it when Haley smiled and immediately cooled down telling her kid to go ahead and take the flowers over.

As soon as her daughter left Haley seized the chance to ask him out which he had honestly seen coming. Again hiding his romantic interest towards the girl he'd lied was "just a friend" he smiled back at Haley and took the phone number she hastily scribbled for him with her lipstick when he said he was sadly unavailable this weekend due to work, telling her that he'd love to meet up with her again at a later date.

With that out of the way he watched her daughter bounce over to Sam happily and quickly ducked behind the bench when Sam turned her head in his direction when little Samantha pointed towards him, trying to tell her who had sent her. Staying hidden, he watched Sam's reaction to his latest gift.

Sam shook her head a little amused as her eyes stayed on the spot the cute little girl who had directed her attention to knowing it was Tim again. It had to be him even if he was once again in hiding. And she realized that he intended to keep his gift shower going for what looked to be the whole weekend.

Smiling at the pretty flowers once they were thrust into her arms by her tiny messenger, Sam glanced at them. They were absolutely stunning. The flowers were wrapped in an elegant, contrasting florist wrap and were pastel pink in color with ivory centers and darker pink columns that almost looked like a decorative border or some kind.

She had never seen this kind of flower before and knowing how he operated by now, she knew there had to be a reason why he'd picked out these particular ones out for her. Opening the envelope attached and finding his message written on the inside flap instead of a note this time, she read to herself:

"Would you look at that? A Samantha bringing Samanthas to a Samantha. But even if God wanted to, he couldn't make another Samantha just like you."

Her eyes widening all at once at those words she glanced down at the girl who was standing there watching her with a childish grin. And she found herself asking her, her name. When she smiled and said it was Samantha, she was left stunned as Tim's note rapidly made sense to her.

Locating the plastic tag on the bottom of her bouquet she read the name of the mystery flowers to herself and was only further left in shock when she saw what it was:

Orchid Hybrid: Cymbidium Samantha

Her jaw dropped open as she kept her eyes on the tag. She had once looked up her name and learned that one meaning of it meant "flower" but she'd never thought an actual flower with her name existed. How had he found these? And how on earth had he found a little girl who shared her name and looked like an actual mini her to send them to her?!

And she caught herself wondering by now if he was secretly some kind of magician as she had no explanation whatsoever for everything he had been doing to her all weekend long.

Noting the girl from the corner of her eye looking at her expectantly as if waiting for feedback or some reward, Sam took a moment to just look at her. And the more she did the more she saw just how closely she resembled her childhood photos. It was as if she's come out from a time machine to pay her a visit.

Well...narrowing her eyes and focusing on the kid she noticed that there was some difference between her and herself after all.

Her hair was just a smidge darker than hers was. It looked as if it had a touch of dark brown in it and her eyes weren't all green like her own. No hers were mixed with just a hint of light blue, not as vivid as the set of eyes she was now thinking of but still close enough to clearly remind her of them.

And if she was completely honesty with herself, this toddler honestly looked less like herself as a kid and more like she was a combination of herself and Ti-

"Oh my God! Who sent you flowers Sammie?!"

"Clover..." Sam thought snapping out her zoned out state as she saw the blonde approaching her from her peripheral vision with Alex in toe. And she thanked the little one still watching her and pat her on the head affectionately leaving her to giggle happily and dash off back to where she'd come from just as her friends caught up with her.

It was only then when they stood there wanting answers about the flowers she was holding did she realize that she had not mentioned anything about Tim's birthday presents to her yet, not really knowing how they (especially Clover) would take it even though, as she remembered again she had backed off from the subject of her getting more comfortable with Tim Scam after they had that talk before the masquerade. So she mentally prepared herself for Clover to explode in rage just in case before she gave them the information they wanted.

"They're from Tim. Actually ... he's been sending me presents all weekend," she admitted before quickly raising a hand and waving it airily as if to say it was no big deal for him to do this, she quickly added, "He must have found out that I was celebrating my birthday this weekend and wanted to do something for it seeing he's my spy partner and all."

"Oh wow that's super sweet of him Sammie!" Alex said and Clover nodded in agreement being unable to help but think that it really was. And watching Clover do that Sam felt safe enough to be able to tell her friends about everything Tim had gifted her. She tried her best to remember everything and when she was done with her list of gifts, both girls stood there looking stunned.

Alex was only able to mumble out another wow while Clover examined the watch on her wrist, the same Tim had given her yesterday and just looked completely and utterly blown away. Because to be honest she had dated a lot of guys and there were legit boyfriends that didn't do as much for their girlfriends' birthdays than Scam had done for just his spy partner, his acquaintance.

And before she could stop herself she said something that left both of the other girls nearly flash frozen from shock.

"You know Sammie, I gotta say. If a guy did all that for me ... I'd totally kiss him."

"..."

Both Sam and Alex's reaction to her statement was swift and chaotic. Sam said nothing but the look on her face was more surprised than she'd ever seen her as she thought about how Clover really must have meant it when she said she wouldn't worry about her getting to close to Scam anymore for her to say this, and Alex's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets before she started screaming at her like a chattering monkey.

"EXCUSE ME?! WHAT?! ARE YOU TELLING SAMMIE TO KISS TIM SCAM?!"

But Clover only sighed at how her words were being twisted by the ever melodramatic Alex before she simplified what she'd said so she'd calm down. "No I'm not telling Sam to kiss Scam," she held up her hands in surrender as she went on. "I'm just saying you know, kissing a guy shows you know, appreciation to him. So it would just be a kiss to like … show gratitude. It's no biggie, okay? I kiss guys all the time! It doesn't mean anything!"

Remembering who she was dealing with here Alex settled down when she realized that Clover really hadn't meant it that way, she was just being well ... Clover. Just being too handsy with guys because she lived her life like that. Sam of course was a completely different type of girl who would never just kiss a guy just because and they all knew that including Clover.

"Uh huh. Well ... don't let BLAINE hear you say that or he'll be mad!" she warned leaving Clover to argue that he wouldn't really care while Alex insisted that he would seeing he was her boyfriend and putting the shoe on the other foot by asking if she'd like it Blaine randomly kissed other girls while Clover countered that Blaine would never dare do that to her or she'd kill him .

But as her friends squabbled with one another Sam was no longer listening to them as she remained deep in thought over Clover's previous statement.

"I gotta say. If a guy did all that for me ... I'd totally kiss him..."

Her eyes glanced down at the flowers in her arms again as her mind ran over just how much he'd done for her this weekend and even before this weekend had happened. Always being the perfect partner on missions. Always being there for her outside of missions. Always just … being there.

He had done so much for her, so incredibly much. And so Clover's words echoed in her mind over and over as she walked with her friends out of the park still barely aware of herself as she could only think of Tim, Tim Scam and no one else.

And the more she thought of him, the more the blonde's words took control of her.

"If a guy did all that for me ... I'd totally kiss him…"

As if they were on an endless, eternal loop.

"I'd totally kiss him..."

Unable fade away.

"I'd kiss him…"

Unable to stop.

"KISS HIM."

---

Okay so Sam's "Birthday" was supposed to be just one chapter as you know but it got wayyyy too long because I can't like not write details :(

Actually it was because I was trying to crop it that I was struggling with it for so long. I just kept forcing myself to try and cram in all the scenes I wanted and in the end that was compromising my writing. So after several revisions I gave up on that and just wrote it as it felt natural which is why I split it in two.

But the good news is that I have ¾ of the second half already written due to this so I will post that as soon as I feel enough people have read/caught up with this one. I really did want to just have ONE chapter for the birthday but I couldn't do it. Sorry!

But there are a LOT of hints dropped in this chapter as to what's about to happen so even as a half … it's still a KEY chapter to the plot. I promise :)

Anyway please do me a massive favour and review for me if you are still reading this story and let me know if you're looking forward to part 2 so I can stay motivated, finish the last little bit for that and get it up soon for you guys. ^-^

Thank you! *hugs*

- Cres