Waaaaayy later than I wanted to be with this update (which is why this is a little longer as a smol consolation) but I promise the next one will be much faster! Not gonna let myself slack on this story like I have with others in the past! x_x

Thanks SO MUCH for reviews again everyone who took the time to leave one! They always mean a lot to me. :)

Disclaimer: TS STILL IS NOT PROPERTY OF CRESENTA'S LARK AND IT'S A DAMN SHAME!

"Well?" Scam pushed her for an answer just as she had him not so long ago. But unlike how he'd required some moments to digest her question and figure out just how to answer it, Clover replied to his almost straight away.

"I came here ... to give you this." Reaching over she picked up a silver pen laying on his desktop before plucking one of the business cards neatly stashed in a dark gray, leather holder.

She studied it for a moment, turning it around in her fingers searching for some blank space before setting it backwards on the table and scribbling something on it where there was enough room to write. When she was done she slid it towards him and waited patiently.

Although Scam didn't move another muscle he did slowly glance down at the glossy cardstock. His curiosity piqued higher and his eyebrows rose at what he found now written on it.

There were two phone numbers Clover had provided him along with an address. And there was one thing that all three had in common … he'd didn't recognize any of them. Scam was still trying to figure out why that was when Clover spoke again.

"The first phone number is Sam's home phone number, the second is Sam's cell number, and that address ... that's where she lives."

Scam's face contorted when he heard those words and he could only look at the blonde in wonder as just one question kept coming at him on repeat. What was she up to? Why on earth would Clover give him of all people all this confidential information on Sam? She was practically—

No, not practically. She was definitely leading him right to her. She had to know she was but he couldn't figure out why. He highly doubted Sam had asked her to do this. So what was her angle?

"... What for?" He questioned in concise and direct words moments later, picking up the card to ensure she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Isn't it obvious?" Clover responded, blue eyes twinkling with what could only be called mischief as she playfully twirled the sleek pen she was still holding between her fingertips, letting it glide among her painted fingernails while staring at his face and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively as she waited for him to get a clue.

When he just stared back at her blankly showing no understanding whatsoever, she filled in the blank for him. "So you can see her again! Duh!"

Her words left him stunned and the card clipped from his hand falling on the surface of his desk with a soft pat.

"... What?" Scam whispered out slowly, still trying to wrap his head around this. Why would she want him to see Sam again? Wait ... Clover couldn't possibly be suggesting that he pursue Sam ... right?

But the more she said, the more it became clear that that was exactly where she was going with this.

"What?" Clover asked back as she placed her elbows on the table and leaned closer, tilting her head and vigilantly studying every inch of his startled face as she rapid fired questions at him. "Don't you want to see her again? Wouldn't you like to experience more than a kiss with her?"

At this his eyes went so wide that they almost ejected from of his sockets and Clover had to bite her cheek not to burst out laughing because never in all her time of knowing Tim Scam had she seen the guy look this flustered.

It only fueled her to keep going because she was clearly touching some nerves to draw such a reaction, any reaction from the famously stoic-faced baddie who was supposed to be unphased by pretty much everything.

"Oh come on Timmm; you can say it!" She teased winking before declaring boldly. "I already know that you do."

"... Where would you get a ridiculous idea like that?" Scam tried arguing only to have Clover smirk at him so menacingly that it almost reminded him of his own classic smirk.

Subconsciously he pulled himself back in his chair almost a little daunted but Clover countered that by pushing herself closer till her nose was almost touching his, refusing to back down regardless of how uncomfortable she was making him.

Because she was on a mission and she wasn't going to leave him alone until she completed it. Sam and Josie's futures depended on it and she was not going to let them down.

"Uh ... the footage you showed me?" She jogged Scam's memory leaving his face to grow sheepish as he belatedly realized his mistake in showing it to her.

Because by doing so not only had he proven Sam's eager participation in their intense make out session ... but also his own. Especially the fact that he'd been the one to initiate it; something he couldn't just talk his way out of thanks to that incriminating video Clover was referring to.

Watching Scam close his mouth and lower his gaze, Clover shuffled around in her purse and quickly drew out the bachelor magazine his secretary had given her. Flipping to the page she had earmarked about him she read aloud with a grin tugging on her lips.

"When asked about his love life, Mr. Scam admits that he tends to keep women at arm's length because he's far too caught up in business and feels he just doesn't have the time for romance."

Putting the index on her lap Clover put her eyes on Scam's face again and grinned wider. "Sooo judging by your own admission ... you must really be into Sammie seeing you spontaneously kissed her and all."

When she found him looking even more flabbergasted, Clover pressed on wanting to get him to confess that she was right here and he was interested in Sam that way so she could continue with her plan in which he was a key player to say the least.

"... Or was it not so spontaneous?" She continued pushing his buttons while she watched him staring stubbornly at a random file sitting on his desk to pretend her words were not affecting him.

Sadly for him though the twitching of his jaw, how he was faintly squirming in his seat, and the redness starting to creep up on his cheeks and across his square jaw line was easily giving him away. The colour was next to impossible to go unnoticed on his coppery, tanned skin.

"Have you always had a thing for her? Because if I'm totally honest ... I believe you always have."

He still refused to meet eyes with her but the color staining his face swiftly brightened at her accusation and she realized that Scam, TIM FREAKING SCAM was actually blushing.

"Oh my God!" Clover exclaimed pointing right at him and giggling in disbelief at what was happening. "You're totallllllly blushing right now! Oh my God! YOU DO like her!"

Clapping her hands together in glee she started to plot right then and there how to set this whole thing in motion. She'd already given him her contact info. All Scam had to do was—

"... I never said I liked her."

Scam's gruff tone brought her out of her private thoughts and she groaned realizing that this wasn't going to be quite as easy as she'd begun to think it would be.

Putting aside her mental planning of Sam's extravagant wedding where Josie would be the cutest little flower girl walking down the isle looking every bit like the little angel she was, Clover looked at Scam and frowned when she saw his face.

He didn't look very happy and she wondered if he was going to waste precious time (seriously, she wanted Josie to have a dad while she still required one) denying his blatantly obvious feelings for her best friend.

Scam did have a reputation of being bullheaded after all, so she'd hardly be surprised if he really was going to do just that.

"But you don't need to say it though..." Clover retorted hoping to make this nothing more than a quick detour in their much more important discussion of how Sam and him were going to hook up. "Your actions speak for you."

"And so do hers," Scam insisted not missing a beat as he crossed his arms over his chest and shot Clover an annoyed look at what she was either forgetting or for some unseen reason, choosing to ignore. "Need I remind you that she loved—," He paused there to huff sarcastically while his eyes grew stormy with rage and his eyebrows furrowed in discontent.

"—My kissing her so much that she slapped me across the face for it?"

"So that's his problem," Clover thought rolling her eyes even though she should have expected as much. Scam had a massive ego and that thunderous slap had to have bruised it at least a little. No pun intended.

"Yea but ... she kissed you back didn't she?" She shrugged. "Doesn't that say everything? Doesn't that show that this is worth pursing?"

Sadly Scam didn't agree with her as he shook his head sternly in her direction and frowned. "It's not," he decided. "It was just a kiss. It means..." He trailed off with a long sigh before frowning harder and finishing. "It means nothing."

Yet the more desperately he tried to fend Clover off, the more determined she became to get through to him and make him see things the way she was seeing them.

"Uh huh ... and so does the majorrrrrr crush she once had on you? Does that mean nothing too?"

That statement caught Scam completely off guard and his body language showed that transparently as she witnessed him go absolutely slack. His shoulders locked up and his jaw dropped open. But his eyes, they did most of the talking with how they tripled in size with surprise.

And Clover couldn't help but smile as she realized something right then and there. After all these years, after all this time ... Scam hadn't forgotten that Sam had once had feelings for him.

Finally and at long last she'd located a man on this planet filled with millions who hadn't forgotten her even when he'd had every opportunity to do so.

And she wasn't going to allow him to slip away from Sam again. Not this time.

"It's not just about that one kiss that you two shared Tim..." Clover whispered quietly and earnestly while wishing he'd hear her out as she needed him to. "It's always been there between you two right from the first time you met."

After everything that Sam had been through she knew without question that she would never just kiss a guy. No, there were feelings at play here and she was willing to bet that that crush of years past had something to do with it.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion she continued analyzing this meticulously. Even if Sam didn't realize it, hadn't consciously kissed him because of it, it still had to be somewhere in the back of her mind in the same locked box with all her memories of her prior spy life which he was a part of. She couldn't have forgotten completely just how much she'd liked this guy once before she learned he was a criminal.

Sure she'd had to get over him once the truth came out but now there was no need for her to do that anymore. He was no longer a bad guy! This was a clean slate for them, a second chance that was so perfect that it almost seemed scripted. As though he was always meant to be the male protagonist in the romance novel of Sam's life.

What were even the odds of her running into him that night while she'd been on that date that she'd had to beg and plead her to go on because Sam had that entirely given up on ever finding any man she could ever fall for again?

No she wasn't going to be convinced that this, all of this hadn't happened for a reason. Because things like this didn't just happen. This was fate and sooner or later both Scam and Sam were going to have to accept it.

She noticed how he was quiet but his face was reflective and she could tell that he was thinking deeply, trying to make up his mind about whether she was right about this or wrong. Deciding to help him, she spoke again.

"And if that kiss is any indication... then it's still there." She mumbled, dragging them back to it again. She knew he couldn't see it because he didn't have all the information yet. But she could. She knew just how huge it was. So damn huge that it couldn't even be described!

"I mean, talk about chemistry..." She quipped, raising a hand and fanning herself at the hot memory of their sizzling kiss. "Ooh la la!"

Scam started blushing again despite fighting with everything he had in himself not to. Shaking his head to himself as he took deep breaths, he just couldn't fathom that these words were leaving Clover Ewing's mouth. She was literally playing matchmaker.

"Samantha Scam has an awfully nice ring to it, don't you think?" He heard her mention in a singsong tone next while she chuckled. "Just imagine that. Sammie being Mrs. Tim Scam."

"... So you're telling me to propose to Sam?" Scam asked, finally breaking his long silence while giving her a look that screamed that she was nuts for even going there. After one hijacked date and one kiss, she really thought Sam would say yes to becoming his bride?

"Hey, I'mmmm not telling you to do anythinnnnnnng." Clover held up her hands to defend herself to him. "Did I tell you to kiss Sam last night? Nooo! You did that on your own." She wagged a finger in a chastising way to say that this was all on him.

"All I'm doing is merely suggesting that you do what you did last night. Take some initiative you know? Just follow your heart, your instincts and see where they take you. To whom they lead you to," she stated more openly watching him all the while.

Scam averted her eyes and once again Clover could tell that although he had understood what she was asking him for, he still wasn't quite certain if he should go down that path yet. He was still annoyingly hesitating, something she really needed him stop doing already.

Realizing that he needed one more little, friendly push before she went on her way, Clover emerged from her chair and walked around to perch herself on the edge of his desk. When he still wouldn't give her his attention she drew a gasp from his lips when she, with zero hesitation, poked him in the shoulder.

"Are ya really gonna let a little slap scare you way?" She mocked while tsking under her breath in a dramatically disappointed manner as if having expected so much better. "You are Tim Scam right? Or am I looking at some impostor?"

"All right get up!" Scam hissed, snapping his fingers for her to evacuate his office because he'd had enough.

But Clover only giggled at the sour look on his face, failing to be intimidated by it as she took her sweet time picking up her purse and tucking in the chair she'd been sitting in before she sauntered over to the door.

But right before she stepped out she whispered two words but made sure they were loud enough for Scam to still hear them:

"... Samantha Scam."

With that she turned and left, leaving Scam alone with his thoughts. She just hoped that those would be fully occupied by a certain redhead and nothing else.

Sam smiled to herself as she sat on the bench watching her daughter giggling as she ran around in the grass while kicking her favourite blue, metallic, glitter ball around. And the look of pure joy radiating on her cute face made the aching in her arms after pushing her on the swing for a half hour more than worth it.

Pulling her light jacket closer around herself Sam slumped over a little as she finally relaxed. Coming here had been a good idea or a nice distraction at the very least. From the second she'd told Josie that Alex was her auntie just like Clover, she'd been bombarded with dozens of questions.

Mommy? Why I never met her before mommy?

Where she live? Can we go see her?!

What you mean she doesn't like you anymore? Why she no like you mommy? Mommy why are you cwying?

They'd all become just a little too much for her especially when she herself was still trying to process that she'd just seen Alex after five long years. So looking for a getaway, she'd put her sewing aside till tonight and decided to visit the local park instead and keep her word to her little girl.

And while she knew full well that she wouldn't be able to avoid Josie's curiosity forever, at least for now, just for a little bit, she could have some much needed peace while she tried to find the right words to explain her complicated relationship with Alex to Josie.

Making herself comfy, she planned to stay at the park for at least another hour before she got Josie her favourite ice cream (a strawberry shortcake cone) from the truck parked down the block and finally went home to finish Kelsey's dress in time for tomorrow morning.

Once she delivered it, if God was on her side then another order or two would come and maybe just maybe next month she'd have money for something more than just rent, food and bills.

Who knew? She thought smiling wider and feeling hopeful. Maybe she could even get Josie a worthy gift for her upcoming birthday for once instead of just crafting an outfit for her out of spare scraps from her dress projects.

Sure Josie always loved whatever she scraped together and proudly wore them everywhere letting everyone know that her mommy had made them for her with her own hands … but she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't doing enough for her.

When she was her age her parents made such a fuss about her birthday. They'd spent months buying her an ocean of presents before the big day, and when it finally came they'd invite the neighbourhood, give out party favours and always order two cakes. One for her party at their mansion and a second for her classmates to have at school. Meanwhile Josie? She had never even had a proper birthday party or even a puddle of gifts.

Forget partying or presents, she didn't even have what most kids her age did by default...

A dad.

Her eyes glazing over, Sam bit her cheek to keep her composure but she couldn't deny what she felt in that moment. Guilt. Sheer guilt chewing at her insides like hundreds of crocodile teeth for not being a good mother. For not even providing her baby with something so essential and obvious. A father.

It was all her fault and because of her mistakes, her child was suffering while pretending not to. And that? That broke her heart most of all.

More than her own broken dreams, more than her shattered heart, she just so badly wanted to make Josie truly happy. If she could somehow do that, then maybe one day she wouldn't feel like such a total failure.

"HEY! LET GO! THAT MINE!"

Hearing Josie's angry scream, Sam snapped out of her dejected thoughts and looked up to find her daughter glaring while trying with all her might to free her ball from the grasp of another little girl with raven black hair and bright purple eyes who had a death grip on it.

"Oh no..." Sam's heart sank like a stone as she recognized her immediately thanks to her being such a splitting image of her mother and a groan left her mouth. "Please God no, not her. Anyone but her!" Sam pleaded. This was the last thing she needed to deal with right now.

But of course just like always her luck was rotten and soon enough a taller, grown woman with matching black hair and violet eyes appeared behind the kid.

"Money darlingggg, just let her have it." A familiar nasally laugh that made both Sam and Josie's hair stand on end came next as the woman snorted loudly like a pig. "That's probablyyyy the only toy she even owns! Hahahahahahaha!"

"Mandy!" Sam hissed in her thoughts, growling as she rose from the bench and went over before this situation got out of control like it usually tended to whenever she showed up.

While she made her way to her she couldn't help but notice how decked up Mandy was. She was a picture of wealth and affluence, her polar opposite as she stood there wearing an expensive fur coat on her body, glittering gold accessories, with a designer label handbag on her shoulder and in her hand, the diamond-studded leash of a shaggy, rather pompous looking Löwchen puppy who barked unwelcomingly when she stopped in front of it.

Mandy herself sneered while giving her a once-over and for some reason Sam felt totally exposed. As though she could tell that the patchwork flower near the collar of her coat was something she'd added there to hide a tear, that blue and white scarf she wore around her neck came from a flea market sale, that her sandals had scuff marks on them, and most of all , that inside the pocket of her worn-out jeans, her ratty wallet had only had $3.50 to buy the ice cream she'd promised her daughter and not a penny more.

"Ah, Samanthaaaaaa. Good to see you looking ... as usual," Mandy finally remarked and Sam didn't have to make much effort to catch the insult tucked away inside that snide comment.

She bit her cheek hard not to react, not to give her the rise she was trying to get out of her. It seemed it wasn't enough for Mandy Luxe that she had married rich, had a successful fashion house that made couture wedding gowns, was living her dream life. No, she still had to mock and belittle her just for kicks.

"What are you doing here?!" Sam snapped, Mandy didn't even live in this neighbourhood! This region of Los Angeles was far too poor and tacky for her. So why had she left her $15 million dollar, Malibu mansion in The Colony to descend all the way down here? The gated community she resided in had more than enough lush, private parkettes where she could take her daughter for a play day. She had to have a reason for coming here specifically.

"Oh you know..." Mandy shrugged as she flipped her straight hair over her shoulder and adjusted her purse, not so subtly flashing the telltale, gold, interlocking Gucci "Gs" on its latch in her face as she did so.

"Money wanted to see how the peasants live. And as her doting mother," she said as she touched a hand to her heart with feigned sincerity. "How can I deny her? After all whatever Money wants, Money gets. "

"Mummy wouldn't have it any other way!" Money added in before letting go of Josie's ball and leaving her to stumble back as she fell from the sudden action. When Josie landed with a small squeal, Money stuck her tongue out at her before marching over to her mom and standing next to her while smirking evilly.

Sam shot a hot glare at the ill-mannered brat and Mandy before rushing over and helping Josie to her feet.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked Josie as she dusted her off and checked her for any scratches or scrapes while hoping Mandy would get bored while she did that and just walk off.

Unfortunately for her, she had no such plans.

"It's sooo nice to be able to give Money whatever she asks for. See that's what it's like when you're a capable mom. Not that you'd know anything about that ... now would you Sam?"

Sam kept her head down and stared hard at the grass and mud, not replying to her jabs. But even though Josie was still a kid, she knew well enough that her mommy was being attacked here and she didn't like it. Didn't like it one bit.

"Hey! Don't talk to my mommy that way!" She shouted, balling up her small fists and looking ready to go to war.

But Sam reached down and gently pat her head to get her to look at her. And when she did she shook her head no, and gave her that look she always did when she wanted her to please keep quiet.

And Josie just didn't get why. This wasn't the first time she'd see her react this way. She always did this when this lady came around. Why didn't she just tell her to leave her alone? Stand up for herself the way she'd taught her to be brave and always stand up to bullies? Why did she always take her meanness and rudeness in silence? Why?

Why? Why? Why?

Feeling the weight of Josie's gaze on her, Sam knew she wanted even more answers from her about her past that she was unwilling to give.

And if she stuck around, she knew that Mandy would only be all too happy to dig it all up and rip open her wounds that still pained her each and every day.

"Have a good evening Mandy. It was nice to run into you," Sam said with dignity before scooping Josie up in her arms and carrying her away.

But as fast as she moved, she couldn't outrun another round of Mandy's biting laughter and the echo of the word she called her following her like her own shadow as she left the park.

"LOSER!"

Things were never going to change for her wouldn't they? Sam thought to herself miserably as the fleeting optimism she'd felt earlier faded away into dark oblivion.

No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried...

She'd never escape her past.

"Sooo ... how was the park?" Clover asked as soon as she entered Sam's home that night. Neither Sam nor Josie answered her right away and for some reason both mom and daughter looked visibly irked at the mention of the park. It was almost as though she could actually feel their bad moods right now bogging down the atmosphere of the entire flat.

Sam stood there stiffly behind her dress mannequin needle in hand and Josie sat cross-legged and cross-armed on the couch, huffing and muttering to herself.

Although she trusted her mommy with all her heart and soul she wasn't sure she was right about how this princess-making process worked. Princesses were supposed to be kind and nice like her mommy not mean and nasty like that lady who honestly seemed more like a witch or evil step-mother.

How come she was allowed to be a princess, have herself a Prince Charming, and a happily ever after but her mommy wasn't? It wasn't fair!

"Josie? Everything okay sweetie?" Hearing her beloved auntie's voice, Josie looked up from her lap, pouted, and shook her head to silently tell her that no, nothing was okay.

"What's wrong?" Clover asked in concern as she went over to her and started stroking her hair to soothe her to make her feel better about whatever had upset her so much.

"We ran into Mandy at the park," Sam answered for Josie.

"Oh no…" Clover groaned now understanding why they looked so glum and proceeding to ask them both if they were okay. "Was she as horrible as always?"

"Yea! She was tewibble!" Josie finally said, growling like an angry kitten as she recalled the encounter that still had her all riled up. "And Money was too!"

"...Money?" Clover asked slowly not understanding who or what she was talking about until Sam shed some light on it. "Money is Monique's nickname."

Clover said nothing for a long moment just staring back at Sam with wide eyes. Then around ten second later both women burst out laughing at how supremely, unchangingly vain Mandy was to this day.

Of course she'd give her daughter a pretentious pet name like Money. Mandy didn't know the first thing about being modest. With all the money she had, you'd think she could purchase herself a little modesty but alas.

When Sam's laughter died down she resumed her work on the wedding gown while talking to Clover. "You know it doesn't bother me when she picks on me anymore, I've honestly learned to tune her out. But when she goes after Josie it just … it ticks me off."

Carefully snipping the stray threads on the underside of the dress' corset left from her addition of sequins on the bodice with a scissor, she sighed again. "Monique gives Josie enough of a hard time at school already."

"Well we can't be surprised that she inherited Mandy's inbred—" Clover had to resist with great effort from saying the word she really wanted to (bitchiness) due to Josie being right there and listening to her every word. Picking one she could get away with she kept talking.

"—Cruelty. Of course she's going to take after her mom."

Watching Josie drop her head and sigh clearly, mentally preparing for more of Monique's harassment when it was time to go back to kindergarten again on Monday, Clover couldn't help but remember the time when she, Alex, and Sam used to dread running into Mandy and having her dampen their spirits with her unwelcome presence.

"But like whatever!" Clover snorted, moving to cheer her up. "She can buy her little banshee the world and everything in it. Whatever she does, she still won't be able to make her the cutest little girl ever because that title is already taken and we knowwwww by whom!"

Picking up Josie with one hand she started tickling her all over with the other until every trace of sorrow left her petite face. "Yes we do! Yes we do!" She declared leaving the little redhead to giggle rampantly.

When Clover finally took pity on her and set her down she caught her breath before smiling and mumbling. "I wish you have come with us to the park today Auntie Clover! It would have been wots and wots of fun!"

"Oh I know pumpkin, I know," Clover apologized for not being there to deal with Mandy this time. But what she'd gone and done instead was hopefully going to be her ticket to a life that even Mandy would one day envy.

"But Auntie Clover had to take care of something that just couldn't wait."

"How was it by the way?" Sam asked now finally finished the wedding dress as she rolled up her measuring tape, wrapping an elastic band around it and started putting away her other supplies in their plastic containers. "Your shoot? Did it go well?"

"Huh?" Clover said before remembering that was the lie she'd used to go see Scam and quickly grinning before Sam caught on that she hadn't posed for any pictures today. "Oh it was good. It was good!" Clover bobbed her head up and down. "A productive experience I think."

"Well that's good, I'm happy for you." Sam smiled back at her before frowning a little again as she couldn't help but wish that her day had been as fruitful. As much as she'd gotten done, that whole experience with Mandy had really ruined her Saturday.

"Aww don't feel bad Sammie…" Clover suddenly said like she could read her thoughts. "You know she's only being like that with you because you're down on your luck right now. But that won't be forever and then Mandy will shut up too. You'll see!"

Normally she'd be a lot more pissed off at hearing about Mandy getting Sam down again but not today. Because while she'd always believed that one day everything would get better for Sam, today she knew it would.

Tim Scam was a million times richer and far more influential than Mandy and that lame-o husband of hers that she liked to flaunt so much. And he? He was Sam's future. Sam and Josie's future.

Things were finally looking up in a way they hadn't in a long, long time. And this time nothing, no one was going to ruin this. She was going to make sure of it.

She smiled brightly as she had that thought, something Sam caught onto instantly as she'd been staring at Clover after her little inspirational speech to her just now.

"You're almost acting as though you've actually seen my future or something," she couldn't help but say because while Clover had always been amazingly optimistic for her, she'd never sounded more confident, more sure than she did in this moment that things would actually, truly turn around for her.

"Oh I have!" Clover blurt out, unable to contain it as she immediately thought of Scam again and everything she'd learned of him so far.

But the funny look Sam gave her when in her state of distracted happiness, she took the bridal veil off the body form and placed it on Sam's head, forced her to calm herself down. She couldn't let her know just yet. It was too soon.

Waving a hand airily she rebounded with a giggle and a shrug. "What I mean is ... it's only common sense right? There is always light at the end of the tunnel! The only way to go when you hit rock bottom is up! The sun always comes out eventually!"

"THAAAAA SUN'LL COME OUT TOMMOWW!" Josie started to sing now fully back to being the happy ray of sunshine she usually was and soon Clover joined into the song herself, laughing and grinning all the while. "Bet your bottom dollaaaaar, that tomorrow there'll be sun!"

Sam smiled shaking her head at the madness of the two most important girls in her life before finding their enthusiasm too contagious and finally erupting into a fit of chuckles herself as she too started to sing with them.

And while Clover kept singing with Josie and Sam, her thoughts remained on a certain someone. On the one man who could end all of Sam's suffering once and for all and fill the gaping hole that had been in Josie's life since even before her birth.

Be the husband that Sam deserved and the father that Josie needed.

Yes the sun would come out tomorrow, she assured herself as she waited for Sam's phone to ring or to hear a knock sound on her front door.

... It had to.

Rolling over in his king-sized bed again for the first time Scam noticed how big, empty, and lonely it was with him being the only one occupying it. He'd always appreciated the extra leg room but tonight it almost seemed excessive.

Maybe it was because of his inability to sleep right now or more so what he kept seeing behind his closed eyes each time he managed to nod off for a few.

Dreams.

In every one, every time, a beautiful and blushing Samantha Simpson in a different wedding dress. An ivory one to suit her complexion, a champagne one that had her look as regal as a princess, a soft pink gown that made her seem a Cecile Brunner rose herself, a pure white one that made her beauty rival the moon itself...

In St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Villa Arconati in Milan, La Clef Louvre hotel in Paris, The Plaza in NYC, on his own private island near Africa (1) ...

Being his wife, becoming Samantha Scam.

Clover ... really had planted that idea in his brain good hadn't she? He'd never known nor would he in a million years have thought that the blonde could be so convincing. But perhaps it was because this wasn't Clover's thought that had been forcefully incepted into his mind but one of his own that had always been there idling in the back of it.

Once more that feeling that something was missing in the otherwise grand and perfect life he had made for himself today nagged away at him. After all, wasn't it the old cliché? That behind every great man was a woman?

The fact that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about Sam since he'd bumped into her for even a second left him restless. He was a busy man with a full schedule. His days were packed with deals to close, and places to be but even then in the midst of it all, somehow, no matter how much he tried to shoo her away, she held all his attention while he'd basically functioned on autopilot since that night.

He'd had a chance to put an end to it this afternoon. All he had to have done was crumple up that business card Clover had written on. Burn it with a lighter or toss it in the paper shredder in his office.

But he'd done none of those things. Instead he'd promptly entered all of Sam's information on his phone to keep it from getting lost just as soon as Clover left his premises. Yet again his actions said everything didn't they? Would he have done so if he didn't want to see her again? Didn't want something more to happen with her and himself?

Whether or not there was really a chance for him and Sam ... he certainly seemed to want there to be. So the answer to his question was staring him right in the face. He was guilty as charged by Clover.

Yes, he was interested in Sam Simpson that way. Very much, very greatly so.

"I guess there's just one thing to do then..." Scam whispered to himself as he flicked his gaze in the dark to his left at the glass bedside table where his phone lay illuminated, fully-charged and ready for use.

Should he call her? No. No, that wouldn't be right. What he had to say, the conversation that they needed to have was one that was best to do in person and face to face.

So he smiled, closing his eyes and relaxing into another dream about the redhead who'd shaken his entire world as he waited for morning to come when he'd finally see her again.

Tenderly running her fingers over her finished creation Sam took just one last moment to admire it before she placed it inside a white, cardboard box to keep it secure and wrinkle-free while she brought it to Kelsey.

She had a very busy day ahead of her. As helpful as always, Clover had thoughtfully taken Josie to her place for the day so that she didn't need to rely on her babysitter who would need to be paid with the money she was super tight on.

After she delivered the dress she still had to drop off her rent to her landlord before the final deadline this afternoon and run a few other important errands before it was time for her cashier job at a Mom-and-Pops convenience store from 3 pm to 6 pm.

Then she'd have just enough time to get home and change before she left for her waitressing gig at a busy restaurant establishment downtown that would keep her occupied from 7:30 pm till 2 am. Factoring in her portion of the cleanup duties when the doors closed there, she'd make it back home around 3 am if she was worked fast and was lucky to hitch a ride with Rebecca, a kind co-worker who had the same shift as her and didn't mind driving her home because she too was a young, single woman and understood the risks of wandering around so late on these streets alone.

And so would go her Sunday, just like every other one for as far back as she could recall.

Downing the last of her cold coffee that she didn't have the minute and a half that she needed to reheat it in the microwave because she had to be out the door in the next 60 seconds, Sam took a deep breath before getting up to go and face another day full of battles in her hectic race for survival while praying that one day things might not be quite so chaotic.

Just as she had that thought a knock resonated throughout her home. There was someone at her front door.

Could Kelsey have decided to come here to pick up her dress in person? That would save her a good 45 minutes of valuable time if she had.

Seeing that she wasn't expecting anyone else, she figured it had to be her and quickly placed the box with the dress in it into a shopping bag and walked over to the door ready to hand it to her with a big smile on her face.

But when she opened the door a mixture of shock, confusion, and fear hit her all at once so strongly that she was almost taken off her feet.

She almost dropped the package in her hands, her heart started to run a marathon inside her chest while its beat pounded so loudly that she could feel it dancing inside her eardrums and at all her pulse points.

"Wha-what's he doing here?!" She thought frantically with her eyes peeled wide as she stared with her jaw on the floor at her unexpected visitor, the one she hadn't anticipated seeing again so soon or ever again.

"How did he find me?!" She gulped dryly as she remained glued in place in her door-frame as though her feet had suddenly grown roots that held her captive there. And then she had the scariest thought of all.

"Wait ...WHY did he find me?"

But before she could ask him any of her questions that were hammering the insides of her skull, he asked her one of his own. A simple and short one.

"Can I come in?" He requested in his familiar baritone voice, so harmlessly and with a charming smile on his profoundly handsome face as he stood there at her doorstep with his hands in the pockets of his black, wool, trench coat, the very same he'd been wearing that night when she'd seen him after half a decade and they'd kissed.

Taking her silence as an invitation inside, he almost stepped into her abode but at the very last second Sam unfroze and succeeded in stopping him by slamming the door in his face leaving him grunting from surprise on the outside while on the inside, she had a bout of hysteria which progressed into a full-blown nervous breakdown when Tim Scam started calling out her name and rapping his knuckles on her door again to be let in.

She backed away from the door in rapid steps taking deep breaths as she thought about the man just outside and how dangerous she knew he could be if felt like it.

Chewing on her lower lip in nervousness she could only ask herself one thing over and over in blind panic ...

What the hell was she going to do?!

(1) *waits to see if someone catches that reference* :D

So Sam and Scam finally meet again.

And another familiar face showed up! What did you guys think about Mandy and her daughter Money? I hinted she's connected to Sam's past and more on that will come later.

There's quite a lotttt of drama there and Mandy is going to have a big part in this story. As you can probably already tell, it won't be a positive role. x_x

Anyway! Thoughts on Clover, Scam, Sam, Josie? If you're enjoying this so far? Review please if possible? ^-^

Thanks as always!

Cresenta