Fastest update in a long time yes? YES? I think so!

Your reviews were very heart-warming so I decided why not continue already? ^-^

Also thank you SO MUCH for the favs and follows! They honestly mean more than words to me! :)

Disclaimer: TS DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. YES I STILL HAVE NOT MANAGED IN ACQUIRING IT SINCE THE LAST CHAPTER OF THIS WAS POSTED. *sighs painfully*

Closing the door to his bachelor pad Scam turned off his phone, completely ignoring the many messages from his best friend Darren which ranged in topic from asking if it was indeed true that he'd been slapped silly by some pretty girl tonight in his restaurant in front of hundreds of people and if he'd truly missed that show to where he was right now and why he wasn't answering him.

Tossing his keys on the coffee table he slowly ventured inside not even bothering to turn on the lights. He'd decided not to go home but instead hide out here while he recovered from the bombshell that had been delivered to him tonight.

His hand slowly moved up to touch his face still feeling a lingering sensation of two things hovering there despite a half hour having passed. His fingertips ghosted over his lips as he remembered Sam's sizzling kiss before proceeding to his throbbing cheek as he recalled Sam's thunderous slap. His ears were still ringing from it and from the words she'd screamed afterwards when he'd cornered her in that alleyway.

And standing here right now he still was in disbelief that she was actually a mother. He had so many questions about her motherhood. All she'd told him was that she had a daughter. How? When? And most importantly ... who was the father? Was he still in the picture? But he couldn't be seeing Sam had been out searching for love when she'd run into him instead.

Moving towards the trio of sleek, black leather couches that sat in his living room he took off his coat before chucking it along with his shoes. His shirt went next as he pulled it up and over his head, stripping down to just his pants before walking over and grabbing a glass from the mini-bar near the spiral stairway that led up to his bedroom. A fuzzy reflection of his distracted face could be seen in the glossy metal of the fridge as he reached for the alcohol he desperately needed in his system right now.

Setting the glass on the counter he poured some rum, ginger beer and lime juice into it preparing himself a Dark & Stormy which reflected his mood as he couldn't help but remember their steamy little encounter. Sipping his drink as he stood there in the dark, he remained caught up in it entirely. It was as though every moment of it was engraved into his mind forever.

How sexy she'd looked in her flattering red dress, how she'd talked to him so freely, but most of all how her delicious and soft pink lips had moved so eagerly, so feverishly against his own when he'd kissed her.

A hiss left him as he tried to put it out of his mind but was unable to. Even when he glanced out at the gorgeous view of the glistening city lights from his floor to ceiling windows all he could think of was her.

He was still riled up from it all, Sam had left him wounded both physically and mentally. While his kissing her had been mostly impulse and inability to resist temptation (something he'd always struggled with all his life although he liked to think he was getting better at self-control as he'd matured) he couldn't deny that he'd felt something else as he'd planted his lips onto her own.

A spark.

It had been there right before the kiss had happened and had quickly fanned into an uncontrollable wildfire when he'd felt her kiss him back. Only to die down at once when she'd extinguished the roaring flames with her sobering reaction.

And it bothered him. Not just because he'd been humiliated so thoroughly in a public space but because of how much he'd enjoyed the experience of their blazing kiss while she had seemingly loathed it.

But why oh why then had she kissed him back? If she hated him so much she should not have. She should have immediately shoved him away from her not passionately make out with him in the manner that she had. Or perhaps she'd just kissed him back because she'd wanted to share a kiss with a guy so badly like she'd said seconds before he had granted her wish. Maybe she'd have done the same with any man in that instance and he wasn't anything special.

Yet that thought only set his entire being on fire because he knew he wanted it to be more that just that for her because it had been more than that for him. Not just a moment of thirst, of weakness brought on by a woman's loneliness but evidence of actual, mutual ... attraction.

Which of the two had it been for her? He greatly wanted to know yet he had no answers. A long sigh left his mouth and he found himself annoyed at how purely lovelorn it sounded to his own ears.

Part of him wanted to track her down and force her to tell him everything he had been left wondering about her with those same lips she'd used to dare provoke dormant parts of him with … while part of him wanted to never see her again.

Standing in the small, dark kitchen Clover lightly hummed to herself as she poured herself the coffee she'd made. A yawn left her but she smiled, not caring about her fatigue because she could only think of one thing.

Sam's date must be going really well for once, she'd expected her to be back hours ago but it was close to 2 am and she was still not home. Sam's dates never went on this long, most guys bolted the second they found out she had a kid (a fact Sam didn't like to hide thinking that concealing what was such a big part of her existence now would be being dishonest) so this was an encouraging sign.

And her smile widened as she realized that that funny feeling she'd had when she'd woken up this morning had been right. For some reason her gut had told her that this date was going to be the one, the one where Sam finally found Mr. Right. And it seemed she had been right.

Her happiness still showing clearly on her sleepy face she walked back into the living room where she'd been sitting reading through the large stack of Sam's fashion magazines, not wanting to watch TV in case the sound woke up Sam's sleeping angel.

As she made herself comfortable on the couch with her a mug in hand she couldn't help but think about her. Sam's baby girl. If everything went well tonight then perhaps at long last the little one would have what she'd wanted for so long, what every little girl deserved to have ... a dad.

She was stirred from her thoughts when the bedroom door creaked open slowly and small yawn caught her hearing. She looked up from her reading to find exactly who she'd just been thinking of in the doorway. Sam's four-year-old daughter, Josie was standing there in her light blue pyjamas featuring her favourite Disney princess Cinderella, sleepily rubbing her little eyes.

Josie was a splitting image of her mom. In fact it was next to impossible to see any trace of her father in her whatsoever. She seemed to just be exclusively Sam's mini me. She possessed the same wavy, red locks, although hers were styled in a cute bob, shining emerald eyes, and tiny button like nose. Her skin was also ivory pale like Sam's and Clover was confident she was the cutest little girl that could ever exist.

The little one's eyes lit up like the moon itself when she recognized her. A happy gasp of delight left her as she bounced over to her screaming joyfully. "Auntie Clover!"

Grinning wide Clover slid off the couch and knelt down on the floor, her arms open for her as Josie ran into them and snuggled her tiny face into her chest.

She hugged her tightly and affectionately stroked her hair. She didn't have the words to describe how much she loved this little girl. It was almost as if she herself had become a mother once Sam had brought her into the world. She still remembered being at the hospital and being the first person after Sam to hold her in her arms. Life had changed so much from that moment but Josie was still the ray of sunshine that she had been from the second that she'd been born.

Hearing Josie ask her if she was here for a sleepover, Clover laughed and said sort of, telling her that she was here to watch over her until her mom came back.

"Where mommy?" Josie asked, just now realizing Sam wasn't home. Clover wondered what to tell her for a moment before leaning close to her and asking if she could keep a secret. Josie's eyes sparkled again in excitement as she nodded her head up and down rigorously letting her know she could always trust her to do that.

Clover smiled before whispering in her ear. "She's gone to meet daddy."

But the minute she said those words Josie's happy mood faded. She let out a small sigh as she separated from her and pouted sadly.

"What's wrong kiddo?" Clover asked automatically concerned and her heart almost broke into pieces inside her chest when she heard Josie mumble what her mother had told her once when she'd asked about her dad, naturally curious about her missing father because everyone in her kindergarten class but her seemed to have one.

"Daddy left ... he never coming back."

Fighting back tears Clover shook her head no and cuddled Josie close again not wanting her to think such hurtful things.

"That wasn't your real daddy sweetie," She assured her. "A real daddy would never leave his little girl, especially not one as perfect as you are."

Her blue eyes narrowed in hate as she thought about the despicable man who had so ruthlessly cut all ties with Sam after finding out she was having his child. How badly he'd used her for his own pleasure and in the end, gotten away with it with no consequences while Sam's life had turned into actual hell due to his actions and lack of conscience. She only wished that karma would get him some day because Sam had dissuaded her from hunting him down and kicking his ass herself, opting to take the high road and just forget about him entirely.

"He was a fake daddy," Clover went on trying to console Josie.

"...Fake daddy?" Josie whispered as she stared back at her confusion not understanding what that meant.

Clover thought long and hard wondering how to explain this to her before she snapped her fingers having figured it out. "You know how mommy takes you to the mall during Christmas time and puts you on Santa's lap? How that's not really Santa right?"

"Yea," Josie nodded with not even a second's hesitation and Clover couldn't help but smile at how much of her mother's daughter she was, already too sharp to be duped with such a charade even at this small age.

"Well it's the same thing honey," she shrugged. "He wasn't your real dad! Your real daddy is out there pumpkin, he's just... lost. We just have to find him." Pausing in her pep talk she gently raised Josie's small chin and smiled at her lovingly. "And when he comes home, he's going to give you so much love that you won't even know what to do with it."

"And mommy?" Josie asked leaving Clover to gently poke her nose and grin. "Mommy too sweetie. And he'll never leave either of you, I promise," she said crossing her hand over her heart to show that she was being completely sincere.

Seeing the doubtful look on Josie's kid face, Clover sighed, faking offence at not being trusted. "Have I ever lied to you?" She asked giving her a pointed look.

"No," Josie admitted just seconds later. She couldn't remember her auntie Clover ever not keeping her word to her.

"Exactly. I would never lie to you, And to prove it..." Clover went back over to where she'd left her purse, coat, and other belongings and fished around in a shopping bag soon returning with something held behind her back. She waited till she was right in front of Josie before holding it out to her. "This is for you!"

A happy gasp and a childish squeal of pure joy left Josie's lips as she immediately reached out for the plushie she held, something she'd been hoping to give to her when Sam wasn't looking because she already complained that she spoiled Josie way too much.

"Pwince Charming!" She exclaimed hugging the stuffed version of Cinderella's prince she'd wanted forever and sighing dreamily.

"Just as I promised!" Clover quipped smiling as she watched Josie jump up and down before she hugged her again to thank her for her new toy.

Hugging her back for a minute Clover then kissed her forehead before ushering her off to bed again. "Now go on, back to sleep. You don't want mommy to come home and catch you up at this time. She may never let me baby-sit again if she does!"

That warning was all that it took for Josie to run off back to the bedroom and soon she could hear snores coming from her room again. She got up to make sure she was tucked in properly, pulling her blanket up all the way to her chin before she sat back down in her seat only for the door to open and for Sam to finally walk in.

"There you are!" She said chirpily, immediately getting up to ask her how her date was.

But one look at Sam's troubled face prevented her from doing so. "Wh-what's wrong Sammie?" Clover asked now worried as she stood there visibly fuming with her eyes dark from rage and her lips red and swollen.

Sam didn't answer her as she messily threw her purse on the floor and proceeded to head straight into the bathroom. Clover heard the tap turn on and walked over to see Sam washing her face, making a mess of her makeup and aggressively scrubbing her lips with the back of her hands. Her erratic behaviour only added to her concerns and Clover again asked her what was wrong. Had Nathan done something to upset her?

"No," Sam said curtly. "My date with Nathan ended in like fifteen minutes," she informed her as she grabbed a towel off the rack and patted her face with it.

Confused Clover could only stare back at her. If her date had ended that quickly then where had she been all night?

As if she could read her thoughts Sam glared before telling her where she'd been and with whom. "I ran into someone while I was at that restaurant," she confessed then for some reason looked down at her feet as she muttered. "...A face from my past."

Immediately Clover's heart sank as she could only think of one person who could get Sam this upset. "Oh god," she whispered before repeating those two words several times as she went over and hugged the redhead. Holding her close she braced herself for impact before asking her if she'd run into him.

"Not him," She corrected breaking the hug as she shook her head no to confirm to her that it hadn't been Josie's dad she'd run into but another bastard. Clover breathed a sigh of relief that it hadn't been that asshole that had ruined her night. But then ... who had?

Just a second later, Sam solved the mystery for her.

"Tim Scam."

"WHAT?!" Clover screamed unable to help herself due to what she was hearing. Sam had run into Tim Scam? How was that even possible? Wasn't he supposed to be in jail? She was about to ask but then stopped herself remembering what a menace that man used to be; he'd probably broken out of WOOHP prison again. But what on earth had he been doing at that restaurant? Just casually having a meal?

For the next ten minutes Sam summarized exactly what had gone down just hours ago. How that restaurant had turned out to be an establishment owned by one of Scam's friends and he was his business partner. How he had turned his criminal life around to become a successful businessman among other things he'd told her during their little chitchat.

"So he's ... reformed?" Clover said slowly, trying her hardest to process the impossible fact that Tim Scam had given up crime. "For real? For good?" She asked.

Sam nodded in confirmation. "Yea ... he's a changed man. At least that's what he said."

Clover's eyes narrowed picking up on the way she'd said that. It almost sounded like Scam had done something in front of her to contradict his newfound way of life. And Sam had come home majorly ticked off so just what had he done? Had he committed some evil crime that Sam had witnessed and was mad at him for pretending he was no longer up to such schemes?

Unable to bear this secret any longer Sam sighed long and hard before telling Clover just what he'd done tonight.

"... He kissed me."

Again Clover found herself screaming while her eyes bulged, threatening to just jump out of her sockets.

"HE WHAT?!" She half squeaked, half gasped before lowering her tone for Josie's sake when she thought she heard movement from inside her room.

"I know right?" Sam shuddered looking disgusted as she once more wiped off her lips as if still trying to chase away the unpleasant feeling of Scam's on them. "The nerve of that... that...creep!" She spat as she kicked off her high heels and huffed from deep in her chest. "I was just talking about my life because heeeeee wanted to know and I guess that my decision to entertain his curiosity and not just get up and walk away read as some kind of invitation to him and he kissed me!"

"... And uh …. how did you react?"

Sam froze up at Clover's unexpected question. For a moment she stood there thinking about how she'd reacted to it truthfully. Her face became coloured as red as the flashy dress she still had on as she remembered the epic make out that had resulted from it, the after affects of which she could still feel all over her body despite trying so hard to block it all out like a bad dream.

But she couldn't tell Clover about that. No, she'd get the wrong idea if she fessed up that she'd responded to his kiss at all let alone that keenly.

Waiting for Sam to say something, Clover could not help but pick up on how long it was taking her nor how uncomfortable she looked at being asked this. She watched her fidget as if being guilty of withholding information before she finally snapped out a reply. "How do you think? I slapped him! Duh!"

"… So you slapped him?" Clover said slowly, arms crossed over her chest because she'd noticed the strong note of defensiveness in her voice when she'd said that with so much ... hostility.

"Yea," Sam nodded now looking proud of herself. "Right across the face."

"..."

Clover didn't say anything in response as she thought over Sam's version of events and the more she did, honestly? Something didn't quite add up.

"Soooo you spent the night talking to him, at the end of which he made a pass at you, and you immediately rejected him and slapped him for it? Was that how it went?"

Sam blinked back at Clover not understanding why she sounded so … suspicious. Almost like she didn't believe her. Standing her ground she nodded again firmly. "Yea."

"Huh," she said shortly seeming to drop the subject at last and Sam took the moment to almost escape until she spoke again stopping her in her tracks.

"So … what does Scam look like now?"

Totally thrown off by the weird question, Sam's head snapped to where she stood as she gave the blonde a quizzical look. Why was she asking her something so stupid?

"I'm just wondering how you knew for sure that it was him, that's all," Clover said raising her hands as if to say she had harmless intentions for wanting an update on Scam's looks after five years.

Sam's mouth remained sealed for a few as a fresh image of Tim Scam summoned itself into her mind. He stood there behind her mind's eye dressed in the all black attire he'd been wearing hours ago. Black trench coat, black t-shirt, black jeans just like some shadow man, an incubus especially with those unearthly, hypnotic sea foam eyes and that maddening smirk. He'd looked as he'd always had from the moment she'd met him all those years ago. Devilish, handsome… Devilishly handsome.

She shook her head harshly, annoyed at her idiotic thoughts. "Oh it was him alright!" She growled, not giving Clover any of the details that she clearly wanted. "He admitted as much and he has not changed. Not one bit!"

She turned to go change into her sleeping clothes only to hear Clover let out a small giggle. And she wondered why she was laughing but only until she heard her next comment.

"So … he's still hot then?"

Turning her head over her shoulder she was shocked to see the smallest of sly grins tugging at the blonde's lips. And suddenly she knew exactly what tangent she was going on. She didn't like it.

Sam rolled her eyes before snorting. "I'm NOT having this conversation Clover. In fact I don't want to think about him or that stupid date. In fact I don't think I want to go on another date for a long, long, LONG time if ever again!"

With that rant Sam stomped off to bed leaving Clover behind with hundreds of unanswered questions. Sighing she knew that she'd left to prevent having to give her those but try as she might she just could not accept that that was all there was to what had happened tonight. It just felt like Sam was hiding something from her.

Clover remained deep in thought as she sorted through the information she'd stingily been given by Sam. She'd talked to Tim Scam, admitted that she'd opened up to him and he had to her also to tell her that he was a free man and no longer an escapee from the law. She'd spent more time with him this night than she had with any other man in eons. And … he'd kissed her.

And while she was well aware that Tim Scam was a man of many (many, many, manyyyyy) faults, he'd never once in the past come across as a guy who was a pervert, who would force himself on a woman. No, they'd never had that fear fighting against him. He was no Jazz Hands or Max Exterminus or Black Knight, she thought recalling just some of the male baddies they'd one faced who hadn't been so good with keeping their hands to themselves unlike him.

So how then did Scam end up kissing Sam tonight? And more importantly … why?

She knew she needed to get to the bottom of this and knowing that Sam wasn't going to help her, that left her with just one option.

And that was finding Tim Scam wherever he was and confronting him.

But how was she going to locate him in this vast city filled with millions of people?

Suddenly she felt hope as she recalled that Sam had mentioned that that restaurant she'd set up her date in had been owned by Scam's friend and business partner.

So all she had to do was follow that trail and with some luck and use of the spy skills she'd honed in the past, it should lead her right to Tim Scam who hopefully would give her the full story on exactly what had happened between Sam and himself tonight.

As you can probably tell, unlike most fics of mine ... Clover is going to be a major character in this story. Reasons why will be revealed real soon if I update again. Your reactions will decide if that happens sooner or later! ^-^

Excited to hear what you guys thought as always! Especially about little Josie Simpson! :D We finally meet her yay!

Anyway! Please review? :D

Thank you always,

Cres