Hi!

Still hard at work on my oneshot but it had been a week and I didn't want you guys to think I was going back to my old ways of not updating for months (look how hard I am trying you guys! XD) so I decided to post this little something :P

Actually tbh I wrote this because I was looking at old reviews for "The True Mission" (yes I do look at old reviews sometimes. It makes me happy to see that people like my stories lol) and I noticed someone ask why at the end of the story did Jerry let Scam go so that he could be with Sam. Or how that whole thing worked seeing Scam's past and how he had just more importantly been charged with murder after killing Sheila. So I wrote this to fill that gap.

I hope you guys like it! :D

Disclaimer: "NO GOD! NO GOD, PLEASE NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOOO!"(Anyone who gets this reference gets a cookie :P)


.:.9.:.

The Past, The Present, and The Future


It was quiet in his office as he sat there at a loss for words after hearing what he had heard. The recording that Sam had handed him contained in her S.L.R.D. gadget which had captured Michael Denev confessing to all the crimes he had committed against WOOHP.

But more importantly his admission of how he had framed Tim Scam with this crimes and ruined his life all because of his obsession with Sheila Vale - the very woman that he now knew also had herself tormented Tim by harbouring an obsession towards him to the point of becoming possessive and not hesitating to go to any length to make him hers when he said no including using WOOHP in her twisted quest and blackmailing him into agreeing to be her husband.

Instantly his mind went back to Tim Scam and Sheila Vale's engagement party three years ago and he remembered the look on his face. The fake smile, his refusal to meet eyes with the woman he was pledging himself to for all eternity, and the way his face fell each time someone congratulated him on his engagement as if he would much rather be put to death than marry her.

And know knowing that he had only said yes to Sheila to protect WOOHP, agreed to ruin his life for his beloved agency … it only made him feel lower than dirt.

And it sickened and bothered him how all of this had happened under his nose and he had neglected to see any of it. Tim Scam, one of his own agents, one of his most favourite agents back then had been abused right in front of his eyes and he had failed to do anything about it.

He was the leader, the head at WOOHP, it was his job to protect his agents but he hadn't been able to protect Tim. He had been put through so much and to make it all worse when he had needed WOOHP and him to be on his side, trust him, believe in him … they had failed to. He had failed to.

Guilt poured through his every pore as he remembered how Scam had screamed out to him to hear him, begged him to not fire him, not throw him in prison like some criminal because he never had and never would do anything to harm WOOHP. That it was the most important thing to him and he would never do anything to jeopardize being part of it.

But all of Tim's words had fallen on deaf ears because he had already made up his mind having become blinded by his shock and the evidence presented to him. The evidence that had been planted to do exactly that, and he had fallen for it.

He couldn't help but feel disgusted in himself . How could he have ever thought that Tim, Tim Scam would do anything like what Michael wanted him to believe he had? How could he have ever doubted him? He had known Tim, he had been his friend, his employer … he should have listened to his gut instead of shut up the voice in his heart and just listen to his brain like he had. Maybe then this, none of this would have happened.

He had to fix this he knew. No he couldn't go on living his life and being WOOHP's chief with the knowledge weighing on him that he had so grievously wronged one of his own agents. What did that say about him as a leader? Nothing praiseworthy that was for sure.

So he had to be mature, take the first step towards repairing Scam's fractured life and salvaging what could be salvaged of their broken friendship. That was if Tim would even let him after everything that had happened. He wouldn't blame him if refused to. If he never wanted to have anything to do with him or WOOHP ever again once he set him free. But he had to try.

Picking up the phone and calling the prison sector where Tim Scam was right now he asked him to be sent up to his office because he had to speak to him.

He only had to wait a few moments before the door opened and two guards, each holding him with one elbow brought him in. And seeing him like that, in handcuffs being dragged around like some wild animal who couldn't be trusted to roam free amongst humans only pained him more. Tim wasn't an enemy, he had never been one and he did not deserve to be treated as such.

"Release him," he said firmly leaving the guards to open Scam's restraints, something that they did so without hesitation already having heard of everything that had gone down just yesterday within this very building, before he dismissed them leaving Scam and him alone in his office.

Tim stood there watching his former boss quietly as if trying to read him and figure out what this was about. He knew he had most recently been arrested for killing Sheila Vale. An act that Jerry had read as being not murder in self defence but him wanting revenge for everything she and Michael had put him through in the past. Which honestly it partly had been. But regardless of being charged with murder he didn't care. He had no regrets.

When he had stabbed Sheila to death he had done so because she was attacking Sam, trying to kill her and take away from him the one woman, the one person who had ever truly loved him. He had been protecting her and he knew if he had to kill again to keep her safe then he would. He'd do in a heartbeat even if he was put to death for it.

"Sit…" he heard Jerry say finally in a hushed, muted tone and he stood still for a moment before stiffly sitting down on the edge of uncomfortable red couch. A strong feeling of nostalgia swept through him when he did that, memories of being yanked out his daily life and crashing onto this very couch to serve his duty as a secret agent. And he almost smiled until he remembered how horrendously that had all ended for him.

A frown formed on his face as his eyes lifted to Jerry as he sat there and looked at him with hostile eyes. He honestly didn't want to be around him and he wasn't sure he was going to like whatever it was that he had to say to him.

In fact he was about to open his mouth and demand to be taken back to his cell where he could silently sulk about being separated from the love of life and go back to wondering how things were going to even work out between them with him being in jail likely for life this time for having committed murder and her being a spy for the very agency that held him captive when he stopped short remembering how Jerry had made his guards open his chains just a moment before and set him loose.

And he become curious as to why he had done that. He had to have a reason for it. When Jerry finally broke his prolonged silence he realized that he did.

"I brought you here so that I could say sorry…" he started slowly leaving Scam's eyebrows to raise. Jerry was apologizing to him? To him of all men? … Why?

"For ever thinking you had stolen WOOHP weaponry to use for illegal purposes. I'm sorry I didn't trust you … I should have known better."

"…"

The moment those words left Jerry's lips Scam realized that this meeting wasn't about him having killed Sheila Vale or anything he had done in the present. No it was all about his past, their past, about three years ago when he had been an agent of Jerry's.

His face couldn't help but harden a bit as unforgotten pain and humiliation swept through his entire form. To say that he had a lot of resentment towards Jerry from that time would be putting it lightly.

It had been his betrayal at Jerry and WOOHP's hands that had largely transformed him into what he was today: A Criminal. Once WOOHP had declared him as an enemy, fired him and then locked him up in jail for a crime he had never committed he had changed. He had lost what little faith he had left in humanity entirely and become bitter. Bitter and consumed with treachery.

Which was why he had begun to escape because being locked up in a cell in the same prison he had sent so many criminals to, being wrongfully branded as one of them hurt too much. He had honestly felt that if he had to spend another second between those cramped four prison walls then his head would explode. That he would lose his life and he didn't want to give them that as well.

No they had already taken from him his pride, honour, and freedom, he had not been about to give them the satisfaction of having pushed him to commit suicide as well. No he hadn't wanted to punish himself when he knew he had done no wrong. He had wanted to punish them for turning on him.

And thus began the cycle of him accepting instead of denying the role they had stuffed him into, being a villain, an enemy solely to spite them by showing them just what he looked like when he was actually against them while secretly wondering if Jerry ever noticed how much unlike he was now than he had been when they had first called him that.

It had become a game to him, a high. Every time he saw Jerry look at him with revulsion it made him feel vindicated because at least now he had earned that scorn unlike before. It made him feel in a twisted way, that justice had been served.

It was a vicious cycle that had no end in sight, it was how he had fully intended to live out every day of his life until he died until Sam came along, fell in love with him and made him want to be something better than he had become, a machine which only ran on the fuel of revenge. Retransformed him into a man from the monster that he had become. Sam. Only Sam had been the reason for that.

And now Jerry thought he could sit there and say sorry to him? That he'd blindly sweep everything that had happened in the past under a rug? Just because he was apologising to him now that he knew he had never done anything wrong? When there was no question of his being innocent?

He was so mad, so furious with Jerry at this latest offence towards him that his body almost began to shake. And Jerry who had been watching him this entire time and trying to gauge his reaction to his apology immediately noticed that and instantly knew that he had been right. That getting Tim Scam to accept his apology wasn't going to be so easy.

But perhaps if he explained himself he would? If he explained why he had fallen right into Michael's trap then maybe Tim would reconsider? But explaining the reason why he had would require him to accept an uncomfortable truth about himself, something that he never liked to do. But he had to do it. If he wanted to do this right … he had to be honest with himself and with Tim Scam.

"My snap judgement towards you when I thought you'd betrayed me … stemmed from my own trust issues Tim," he said solemnly, finding this difficult to say because it was something about him that he was not proud of, something that he absolutely loathed but continued on bravely because he knew he had to get this out of his system.

He had to accept this because it hadn't even only been Tim he had hurt due to this struggle he tried to cope with every day; his lack of trust. It had affected other agents in the past as well.

In fact he had also let it effect Sam, Clover, and Alex themselves as he'd once had them arrested too for thinking they had committed a crime. Not too long a go a villain had created clones of the girls by using their DNA and had those clones rob banks all across the country. And despite the fact that the girls had been innocent he had not hesitated to punish them, to try and lock them up for a crime they had never committed. He hadn't listened to them protesting that they'd never do such a thing.

He sealed his eyes in agony. Just like hadn't listened to Tim Scam. Only Tim hadn't been so lucky to have the plot against him discovered before he was arrested like they had been. It had taken years for the truth to come out in his case because the web of lies woven around him had been a lot stronger.

But none of that would have mattered if he had just trusted him. Trusted him like he honestly didn't know how to because…

And then he finally said it. Said exactly why he had these trust issues in the first place towards Tim, towards the girls, towards his other agents … towards any other human being he came into contact with.

"Ever since my own brother betrayed me … I struggle to believe that anyone else wouldn't do the same."

Tim's eyes went wide the moment he heard Jerry's admission. And as much as he didn't want to … he found himself feeling bad for him. He fought with himself not to but he couldn't deny that his reason made sense. Being betrayed by your own flesh and blood … it was the worst kind of betrayal.

And he could relate couldn't he? After all he had endured the same thing before.

Once...

Twice.

Once when his parents never came back home after promising him that they would on that Christmas when he was just five years old and instead had been killed at the hands of a drunk driver.

And for the second time when his own uncle begrudgingly took him in after their deaths and committed atrocities on him such as beating him half to death on too many occasions to keep track of and calling him every abusive name he could ever think of to try and destroy any self worth he had left after the near daily beatings

A shudder roamed through his spine, before tracing down his back where to this day he still retained a large scar from one of these beatings. A memento of his suffering at his own family member's hands … a memory that made him more like Jerry than he wanted to be, made Jerry relatable to him and forced him to calm down.

Because just like himself Jerry too had been damaged in some way by his own and as such was affected by it, shaped by it. And just like Jerry Lewis, he too had trust issues because of these experiences. He too feared betrayal.

More than anything.

"… There was a web of deception woven around you Jerry…" he found himself saying suddenly before he could stop himself. "Michael gave you evidence against me. Did I want you to see past that? Yes I did. But it wasn't like you fired me on some random whim, you thought you were doing the right thing."

"I thought I was but I should have thought harder," Jerry replied, looking at the young man before him with regret all over his face and shame in his black eyes. "Tim you were my best and I should have treated you better. A lot better."

After staring at Jerry wordlessly for a long moment, Scam gave him a little nod. Crossing his arms over his chest he tried to figure out what to say before speaking again. "So you called me here to say sorry. Is that it?"

"I called you here to do a little more than that," Jerry said taking in a deep breath before he continued nervously. "I want to …" he paused again wondering how Tim would take this before finally saying what he had to.

"Tim I want to repair our relationship. I want us to be friends again. I… want to reinstate you back at WOOHP."

When he heard Jerry say that, Tim felt his own jaw drop open in shock as his eyes threatened to pop out of his sockets. He couldn't believe his own ears that Jerry had actually said that to him but the look on his face made it clear that he had said it. Still stunned, it took him a few moments to locate his missing voice.

"You want me back at… after everything that I-"

"My decision to fire you and put you in jail was a direct catalyst to your life spinning out of control and the reason for your hatred towards WOOHP and myself. I have no doubt in my mind that had I not made that choice then you would never have done any of the terrible things that you ended up doing," Jerry explained as Scam listened to him quietly in shock.

"I can excuse what you did because you were hurting, you were in pain and I was the reason for that. And I know if I want to fix this then I have to take the first step. The only way to do that is by accepting my role in all that transpired and trying to make it up to you. And I remember how much WOOHP meant to you before."

Looking at Scam with earnest eyes Jerry let out a small, wistful sigh. "Come back Tim. You know you belong with us."

Still unable to say anything Scam just stood there trying to wrap his head around everything Jerry had just said. And he couldn't deny that he was happy that Jerry was willing to overlook the crimes that he had actually committed after the fact. He had never accepted something so generous from him seeing that he had truthfully gone off the deep end a little in all his rage, for him to actually accept any responsibility for the mess his life had become … but he was.

And it was obvious to him that all this meant that Jerry did honestly and truly want to fix things between them. Wanted a fresh start and to put all this all behind them but …

"I need some time to decide…" he said quietly knowing that as much as he wanted to, he couldn't just say yes. No there were too many bad memories for him to just jump back into this like nothing had ever happened.

He couldn't turn the page just yet. He needed some time to just let all that had happened in the last while catch up to him and to do some hard thinking and soul searching to see what he wanted for himself now and where…and if, WOOHP fit into that.

"I understand…" he heard Jerry say but he could detect how he was a little bummed as he said it. How his face fell and he looked down away from him clearly dejected. And after everything that Jerry had just offered him, a chance for a new life, a clean slate … he knew he didn't want him to feel this way.

Getting an idea on how to cheer him up Scam spoke again.

"But there is one thing that I want for myself that I don't need any time to make my mind up over … Something that you can help me with."

His interest now caught, Jerry looked back up at Tim. And when he did he noticed the beginnings of a tiny smile lifting at the corners of his mouth. And he had a feeling he knew just what, just who he was thinking of right now to be looking like that, looking so at peace. And a second later, Scam confirmed his suspicion.

"Jerry… I want to ask Sam to marry me."

His eyes flying wide open in reaction to Tim's words, Jerry could not help but be astonished. Sure he knew Tim Scam had feelings for Samantha, and how could he not after everything they had been through together and how much she had done for him. But his feelings ran this deep? To make him want to marry her? Already make her his wife?

And he said still shocked. "You … you want to marry her?!"

Hearing the "already" that Jerry had left unsaid Scam said nothing for a moment as he thought about the girl in question. The one that had stolen his heart, his former enemy, and how much he loved her. He couldn't imagine ever feeling this way about anyone else. He didn't even think he was capable of love anymore or wanting a wife or a family after all he'd been through…

Until he fell for her. Until she made him believe that he could still have all those things that a normal man could have. Things that he had come to believe were now out of his orbit forever.

Standing there he thought back to the conversation where he'd asked Sam, half jokingly, that who would want to marry him? Who would want to make a life with him?

He burst out laughing. "Oh really Sam , you're precious! I TIM SCAM can have a family?! Sure!" He said as he continued laughing uncontrollably.

Sam looked at him confused. "I don't see why you can't."

He stopped laughing and looked in her eyes for a long moment as if he was searching them. He continued then in a mocking tone. "Seriously Sam, which girl in their right mind would want to marry me?"

Sam frowned at him not taking her seriously. Seeing the sour look on her face he continued. "Well, which girl would?" He paused looking at her intently. "Would you marry me?"

Sam gasped staring at him with wide eyes and thinking how she had not seen that question coming. He moved closer to her holding her hand tightly in his own. "Well Sam?" He smirked. "Would you?"

Sam looked up at him. He was so close to her with his face only mere inches from hers. Knowing what her answer was she wasted no time in pulling him closer to herself. She buried her head in his chest, and in a barely audible whisper answered his question.

"Yes."

To the time when the surgeon who had operated on him after he had been caught in a deadly fire while trying to rescue her, mistook her as his wife.

Tim grunted slightly as the doctor checked his cuts and burns.

"Almost healed. Well you've made some good progress," he said putting his hand on his shoulder and smiling. "I'm sure your wife will be happy to hear about your improvement."

Hearing his words Tim raised an eyebrow in confusion before understanding dawned upon him and he understood who the surgeon was thinking was his wife. Of course it had to be the girl that had not left his side for one second since he'd been brought in injured for treatment. The surgeon must be talking about Sam. His Sam.

And he couldn't help but smile as he thought about what he'd mistaken her relationship with him to be. His wife. Wife.

Perhaps he thought still smiling, one day that could be.

To how she'd said just yesterday that she would run away with him if she had to in order for them to be with each other.

Sam gasped as she felt tears forming in her eyes at the knowledge that after everything, after how hard she had fought, she was going to lose Tim.

"I understand Jerry" she said, even though she didn't. Even though she didn't want to even try to. "Can I have a minute with Tim please…" she said solemnly, holding back tears as she did. "Before you take him away?"

Jerry nodded as a crying Alex and frowning Clover left the room with him, leaving Sam and Tim all alone.

Turning to Tim straight away she whispered, "I'll tell him I did it. I'll tell him that I was the one that killed her! You don't deserve to be in jail after all that's happened!" She said crying, clutching his shirt tightly within her pale, shaking fingers.

"No Sam, no. You won't do that," he said gently, wiping away her tears and holding her tightly as he tried to get her to understand why he couldn't allow her to do what she was suggesting.

"I killed Sheila, because she was hurting you. You know that, and that's all that matters to me. I don't care what anyone else thinks," he said firmly wanting her to hear him.

But Sam only sobbed louder and buried her head in his chest. "No Tim … don't go please!" Sam begged, her tears never stopping for even one second.

"I'll run away with you! I'll leave WOOHP, my friends, my family, everything! I just want to be with you! I just need to be with you! Please just don't go."

She wrapped her arms around him tighter never wanting to ever let him go.

"Don't leave me…."

And he smiled to himself knowing no one, not one person had ever cared for him more, loved him more and that he'd never wanted any woman the way he wanted her. She was the only girl for him, the only one he wanted for his wife. He knew he already felt he had that bond with her without even taking any vows and now he just wanted to make it official.

No he didn't want to wait. Why wait? He knew he loved her, God he loved her so much and he knew she loved him too. And he had to, he needed to know if she loved him enough to become his forever. To make him her husband. That wasn't a question that he was willing to wait any longer to have answered.

In a just a few words he explained his impatience to marry Sam to Jerry.

"I've lost three years of my life in this entire mess Jerry. Three years that I won't get back. I can't turn back the clock, I just want to start my new life now. And I want to start it on the right foot with Samantha … if she'll let me," he said softly before meeting eyes with Jerry with nothing but seriousness all over his features.

"Will you help me do that Jerry? Will you help me propose to her?"

"I'd be honoured to," Jerry said not waiting even a moment to agree to help.

And then Scam spoke again, this time sounding a little nervous, something that he had never once in his life heard him being and that alone proved to him how much this man loved the redheaded spy that he saw as his own daughter.

And he couldn't be happier for him choosing Sam as his life mate because he knew he would treat her like the most important thing to him. Heck, he already did.

"…Do you think that… Do you think she'll say yes?"

"I don't think there is any doubt whatsoever that she will. And Tim…" Jerry said smiling. "I believe…" he paused, his smile widening. "No I know, I know that you two will be very happy together and as such I want to extend my early best wishes to you. To both of you. Congratulations."

Then for the first time in a long time, Tim Scam openly smiled at his former boss. A man that he hadn't smiled at once in the last three, long years .

And right then at that precise moment Jerry knew that everything was going to be okay. He smiled back at Tim almost teary with relief.

They were going to be okay.


This particular moment makes reference to the Totally Spies episode "The Fugitives", that's the one where the spies get accused of robbery and are forced to go on the run from Jerry and WOOHP.

It also kinda refers to my other story "Love Anonymous." That's the only one I think so far where Sam notices a long scar being present on Scam's back. Though that fic doesn't mention how it got there as it was a humor story but my other fic "Last Chance" goes into more detail about Scam's abusive uncle. He's also mentioned briefly in "Have We Met?" by Scam. :(

And of course it refers to "The True Mission" (which is kinda the point of this series of drabbles xD) specifically the last few chapters which is where this moment would have happened. Well chapter 33 since that's the one where Jerry helps Scam propose to Sam by summoning her for a mission and teaming her up with Scam so that he can take her back to the island they were stranded on, the place where they fell in love and propose to her.

Anyway! PLEASE REVIEW if you read this! It'd make me happy. It always does!

Loveeeeeeeee,

Cresenta! :D