Hello again all! :D
Disclaimer: Totally Spies isn't mine sadly. Very, very sadly.
.:.20.:.
Through Thick and Thin
Standing in her bathroom, Sam's emerald eyes bulged in disbelief as she stared down at the digital number blinking back at her.
"No way ... this-it can't be right!" She whispered to herself gulping dryly as she tried to process what her scale was trying to tell her.
Refusing to believe it, Sam got off the scale. Staring at the checkered wall tiles to calm down, assuring herself it had to be a fluke, she counted to ten before stepping back on the scale and expecting to see her usual weight this time.
But the number didn't change as she'd expected leaving her absolutely flabbergasted.
"How? This-it makes no sense!" She stammered before slowly taking off the only thing she wore, her cotton blue towel and tossing it to the floor despite knowing full well in the back of her mind that that wasn't going to make much of, if any difference.
Glancing down two seconds later she was left dismayed regardless when the number did not budge giving her the same weight reading as it had every time she'd checked in the last five minutes.
Pale, she struggled to accept the sad truth. For the first time in her adult life ... She had gained weight. And not just a pound but three. 3 and 1/2 pounds in total.
Pulling her red hair from frustration she asked herself how this could have possibly happened. But the answer was obvious, wasn't it?
With no missions (As part of his and WOOHP's gift to her, Jerry had granted her a leave for the final month leading up to her wedding so she could get ready stress-free), all the food that naturally came with preparing a wedding (bridal shower treats, the tasting of the reception meal line-up, and of course samples of the yummy wedding cake), and her being far too busy with said planning to make extra time to exercise ... of course the weight had snuck up on her without her even noticing it coming.
Frowning sadly she found herself glancing at her stomach and when she ran her palm across the normally toned surface of it she could swear she could feel all the new fat all deposited right there exactly at her belly. There was ... there was a pouch!
The rational part of her went out the window as she imagined the look of horror and disgust on Tim's handsome face as she walked down the isle towards him barely contained like an overstuffed sausage in the lovely wedding dress she'd picked that had once fit her like a glove and came to stand before him.
Then she thought of how he'd behave like the gentleman he was, not comment on her fatness and force himself to smile to not want to hurt her feelings while silently, secretly dreading their first night as man and wife just a few hours later and the prospect of making love to her, of having to sleep together for the first time ever, something they'd waited for for so long while she was like this, nothing like the girl he desired and had proposed to inside his head.
She shooed away the part of her that said that Tim, her Tim would never not want her by insisting that after this recent development there was no way he'd be attracted to her the same.
Tim always kept himself in shape, heck WOOHP had given him time off too but each time she saw him he always took her breath away and looked incredible. He never let himself go like she had.
And if even if he somehow didn't care ... What about the wedding guests? There was going to be hundreds of people present to witness Tim and her exchange vows, close to a thousand with Jerry requesting for them to invite as much of WOOHP as possible on the, as he'd put it, momentous occasion of the brightest two agents in WOOHP history becoming one.
And they'd all see her looking like a pig on what was the most important day of her life. Looking like some cow next to her dashing and perfect prince of a fiancée.
Oh God what if her wedding dress fell apart in front of all of them because she was too fat for it now?
She imagined a chibi version of herself standing there at the altar smiling unsuspectingly while unnoticed to her, her dress became more and more tight on her before it exploded into smithereens.
And she decided it would happen exactly after the minister would tell Tim that he could kiss his bride. It would happen right then with all eyes on her.
He'd nod, smile that charming smile that made her knees weak, lean in to kiss her, she'd take a step closer to him to bridge the distance between their lips faster and then -
RRRRRRIPPPPPPPP!
The sound of the delicate satin fabric of the dress she'd chosen being ripped open filled her ears and she shook head madly in horror as she began to have a massive meltdown.
No, she couldn't let that happen! Not on her wedding! The day she'd been waiting for her entire life! Everything had to be perfect! She had to fix this!
But how? She only had two days and a week left before the fateful day, what could she possibly do to lose this much weight so fast?
She frowned grimly as the only thing she could think of came to her since she really didn't have the time to work out. She ... couldn't eat. From now till the wedding there could be no food for her. None.
Immediately her mind went to the lunch date Tim had asked her to this morning at her favorite fancy Italian restaurant that she'd happily said yes to and had been looking forward to all morning. And she knew that as much as it pained her ... she had to cancel it. Restaurant food was a no no for someone as desperate as she was to lose weight.
Determined to starve herself thin, Sam swiftly walked into her bedroom and picked up her phone texting Tim with a quick "SRY BABE, CAN'T DO LUNCH 2DAY" before getting dressed and deciding to have a big bottle of lemon water for lunch instead.
Tim Scam ... was worried.
In the last twoish days he'd asked his beloved fiancée to meet with him no less than five times mostly over a meal only to have her say no to him each time but never give him a reason why save for her being quote, "too busy with their wedding".
And while he understood that things tended to get super serious for weddings in the last stretch because that was when everything came together, he couldn't understand why she couldn't take out even five minutes to come see him, the very same man she was about to marry.
A frown touched his lips as his face fell. He just ... He missed her. Didn't she get that? He missed her.
Something told him she did realize that but something else was going in here. His gut told him something was wrong, Sam would never shoo him away like she had been doing and he was going to find out just what was making her act this way because he simply couldn't take it anymore.
Knocking on the door to her home he waited impatiently, hoping it would be Sam standing there when it opened and he'd finally get to see the pretty face he was longing to see.
But when it did open it was only Clover and Alex standing there. They took one long look at him before exchanging troubled looking glances with each other and he could tell that they were having some mental conversation between them inside their heads.
And before he could even open his mouth to ask for his Sam they told him, as if reading his mind, "Sorry Tim, but Sammie can't see you right now."
"Can't ... or won't?" He questioned, his sea foam gaze narrowing in accusation as he fast lost his remaining patience. He'd come this far, he was determined to see Samantha and he was not leaving until it happened.
They didn't say anything in response, just stood there staring at him uncomfortably. A moment passed, then another, and another one and soon he let out a tired, long sigh.
"Is she mad at me or something?" He asked even though he knew Sam never really got mad at him. But her texts to him had been so brief that he couldn't help but go there. Maybe he'd unintentionally done something to upset her somehow even if the last time he remembered being with her she'd been radiating joy just as she always did when she was in his arms. But now...
Another lovelorn sigh left him.
Clover and Alex looked at one another again realizing easily with his queries, his anguished sighs, and the pained look stamped all over his normally placid face that he was getting entirely the wrong idea about the situation.
And while their redheaded bestie had instructed them to not let Tim catch on in any way, they knew they had to do something to placate Sam's miserable romeo.
"No it's not that," Alex mumbled, managing a small smile at him as if to tell him not to worry so much.
Nodding her head reassuringly Clover added, "Yea, she just doesn't want YOU to see HER ... like this."
But their words did little to ease him and he looked at them now more lost than ever at their admission. If she wasn't pissed at him ... then why would Sam actively keep him from seeing her? It didn't make any sense.
"Okay ... what the hell is going on?" He asked after moments of self thought that led him no closer to solving this mystery.
"Sammie's ... having a crisis so to speak," they curtly informed him, finally dropping him a vague clue but it still wasn't enough for him.
"What crisis?" He pried further, needing to know. "Is she hurt? Is someone in her family injured?" Scam asked worried sick though knowing that if it were one of those things then there was no way he would not be notified. And they confirmed that for him with their next words.
"No ... nothing that serious.. It's more of a vanity thing."
That finally calmed him down a little but he still could not figure out what it could be that was making Sam not want him to see her. Vanity, he thought before starting to fire questions at them again.
"Did Sam break out in zits or something?" Which would be odd because she had flawless skin but stranger things had happened. "Or did she find a white hair on her head again?" He asked next remembering her telling him about a time that had happened while she was in high school and how much it had bothered her so something like that happening again could definitely get her mood down.
They said nothing to him but by the looks on their faces he could tell he was getting warmer.
Annoyed that they were intent on having him play this guessing game instead of just spill what had Sam so bothered he finally let out a huff just about ready to explode.
"Look, are you guys gonna tell me or not?!"
"We can't, sorry," they shrugged in unison leaving him to roll his eyes before proceeding to try and walk around them in the foyer and get in to see for himself. Only for them to step in front of him and stop him from doing that.
Now frustrated beyond words he started shouting no longer caring about keeping his cool. "Are you two going to let me in or am I going to have to break into my own fiancée's home?! Cause I'll do it," he warned them, eyebrow raised as if throwing down a gauntlet, threatening that he was not bluffing and that he had not forgotten his illustrious villainous skill set just yet. Breaking in or out of anywhere was child's play for him and always would be.
After another long moment of silence Alex drooped her stance and sighed wearily, turning to talk to the blonde. "Let's just let him in. Maybe he can help," she suggested because Sam was not listening to them.
When they'd told her she was freaking out over nothing after catching her skipping meals she had actually cried, told them they didn't understand that this was her wedding and she had to look her best, disregarded them when they told her she looked great and then stomped off to continue her ridiculous hunger strike no matter how much they'd told her that was not good for her.
Biting on her lower lip Clover hesitated but only for a moment before nodding and stepping to the side with Alex and letting Tim pass.
"Thank you," he said and they told him that Sam should be in her bedroom right now. Nodding he thanked them once more for their cooperation before going to talk to his Samantha and help her deal with whatever huge crisis she was having just like a life partner would. Whatever she was dealing with, she should not have to tackle it without him, No, he wouldn't let her.
Standing outside Sam's bedroom door moments later, Scam raised his fist and knocked on it to be polite and not invade her privacy.
"Sam? Darling, you in there?"
Only to be greeted back with a very panicked, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! from her. And then he heard her light footsteps race to the door and seconds after ... the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking into place.
"She didn't..." he thought in disbelief. But when he tried the doorknob it was indeed locked.
"Oh for fuck's sake!" Scam thought peeved beyond words. "Really Sam?!" He complained as he wiggled the handle over and over. "What the hell?! Let me in!"
"Please Tim just ... leave me alone," was all she said sounding broken and it irritated him that she was just behind this door, so freaking close to him but she was tormenting him by still keeping him out.
Unwilling to give up he rattled the handle again and again only to hear her ask him to go away, clearly understanding that he was still battling to get inside despite her attempts to stop him.
And he almost opened his mouth to tell her that she thought for one second that this was going to hinder him from getting to her, she was dead wrong. If she didn't let him in on her own soon enough, he would pick her lock. Hell, he would break down her door if it came to that but ...
He let go of the knob and decided to try a different approach. For whatever reason ... Sam was upset right now and the last thing she needed was to cope with a temper tantrum from him.
Taking a deep breath in regardless of how badly he wanted to scream he slowly placed his hand on the wooden surface of her door and spoke to her again, focusing on conveying to her all the sorrow he felt at not being able to see her, be near her for the last few days, of her shutting him out through his tone alone.
"You ... don't wanna see me? You honestly want me to leave Sammie?" His words came out heartbroken as if openly begging her to come to him even though he knew she knew that he never begged anyone for anything until she came along and became his entire world.
And it worked. The door unlocked and slowly creaked open for him. But when he crossed the threshold she wasn't there. With the light pouring out from the small crack under the en suite door it became evident that she'd moved herself there now. Hid from him behind yet another door.
Great, just great.
He didn't bother to try the handle this time to check if the door was locked or not. "Sam will you please just come out?" He simply requested fed up and wanting answers from her and wanting them now.
She quietly muttered for him to give her a minute before slowly, very slowly emerging from the bathroom and finally coming before his eyes looking downright distraught.
But besides her gloomy expression, she looked just the same to him. Nothing was off or weird unless she'd somehow covered it up with makeup or something.
But as much as he tried to, he couldn't see any makeup on her. What he could see however were clear tear marks staining her cheeks and her hair being in messy clumps from where it appeared to have been fisted by her in rage.
And it broke his heart to see the love of his life look like this, so disheveled and torn up over some invisible issue that he couldn't even figure out. The girl he'd promised to always keep smiling no matter what. What was wrong with her?!
Not waiting another second he moved and took her in his arms to comfort her but she broke away from him with a gentle shove to his chest. And it hurt him to have her do that, run from his embrace, try to escape the place where she belonged.
He stood there watching her with wounded eyes, dying to know why she was doing this to him only to finally have her say something that he barely picked up even with his sharp hearing because she'd said it so nervously and barely above a whisper.
"Do you ... do you still find me attractive?" She mumbled, head down and her gaze glued to the floor at his feet.
Scam's face couldn't help but screw up at the stupid question. Why ... why was she asking HIM or all people that? Didn't she know how beautiful he found her? More than words? Would he really be marrying her if he didn't?
But the look on her face, and her palpable stress that rolled off her in waves made it obvious that she wasn't fooling around and she really, truly wanted an answer from him so he gave her one.
"You become more attractive every time I see you."
But instead of her melting into goo at his sincere, romantic reply as he'd expected and she normally would she just let out a heavy sigh and frowned deeply.
Shaking her head as if to disagree with him Sam didn't know why she'd even asked him. Of course that was what he was going to say. Of course he was going lie. That's just what every guy did when his girl asked a question of this nature in order to avoid an epic fight.
"You're just saying that," she murmured irked, before turning away from him but he stopped her by grabbing her shoulders and pulling her back against his chest.
"Sammie, what's wrong?" He asked her but she said nothing still and refused to meet eyes with him.
Silently he began to nuzzle the crook of her neck with his face attempting to soothe her because she clearly needed it right now.
After a few moments of doing that he pleaded with her again to tell him her troubles. "Talk to me baby," he whispered lovingly into her cheek before kissing it softly and tasting the salt of her tears on his tongue which were now falling from her eyes once more and that realization cut him like a knife. More than anything, anything in this world, he hated having to watch her cry.
"I wanna help you but I can't read your mind..." he trailed off offering her another sweet kiss while she sniffled sadly and choked on a sob. "Please?" He urged, holding her tight and continuing to cuddle and kiss her until he broke down her resolve. "Please Sammie? … Please?"
Little by little Sam lost her resistance and crumbled under the force of his honey sweet voice and careful caresses. Opening her mouth she finally gave him the information he was working so hard to get out of her.
"I gained ..." She paused, sighing dramatically not wanting to tell him still but knowing she had to anyway. "Tim ... I gained 3 pounds."
"...You gained 3 pounds?" She heard him restate her words slowly and she bit her lip feeling sullied and wrenched before adding, "3 … and 1/2."
"..."
Scam said nothing for a long moment as he processed her confession. THAT was her big crisis? Seriously? That was all?!
Even though he tried to fight against it he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at how cute she was worrying over something so trivial.
"That's all? Come on, that's no big deal. It's just a few pounds! I'll bet you'll shed those within a few nights of us getting married."
Finally she turned to look at him confused. "Why would I shed them-" She paused immediately in her own question when she caught the look on his face, that smirk and suggestive eyebrow wiggle he gave her and she turned red but recovered just a moment after knowing he was just trying to fluster her into changing the subject, something he did often.
He had to have noticed by now how she reacted every time he mentioned keeping her in bed for his sole contribution towards their planned honeymoon activities whenever she brought up Hawaii.
But they were not going to be doing that until they were wed and her sudden weight gain was a huge problem for her now.
"I can't fit into my wedding dress anymore!" She cried trying to get him to take her seriously but he just let out another amused laugh refusing to do so.
"Did you try it on?" He asked when he was done, seriously doubting that she really couldn't fit into it after gaining just three pounds, something he still couldn't visibly notice despite her telling him she had.
Granted he wasn't allow to see her in it yet but even if it was super cut to her form, it may be a little snug but he was confident that she'd still fit into it easily. And and as such he encouraged her to stop worrying about having to find another dress on such short notice only for her to cut him off with an unexpected outburst.
"I DIDN'T WANT IT TO JUST FIT, I WANTED IT TO BE PERFECT!" She explained as her tears erupted once more forcing him to stop smiling and look concerned as she revealed to him just why this was such a huge deal to her, something he wasn't getting on his own for some reason.
"I WANTED TO LOOK BEAUTIFUL ON OUR WEDDING DAY, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THAT I EVER WAS! I WANTED TO FOR YOU!" She emphasized unable to help but feel that she had failed him and that was what she couldn't stand more than anything, the thought of having let him down.
"AND NOW IT'S RUINED! IT'S ALL RUINED!" Covering her face with her hands she began to sob into them endlessly leaving him frowning sadly, not knowing what to do to make her stop but desperately needing her to.
"Sammie..." he started to say but she ignored him.
"So that's why I've been on a liquid diet. I need to lose the weight! NO FOOD until the wedding!" She shouted making his eyes widen in alarm as he heard her stomach rumble with hunger just as she went over to the water bottle with a lemon slice in it sitting on her vanity in a sad effort to silence it.
And he knew he had to make her stop this before she made herself sick. This was madness.
Seizing her by her waist he halted her and held her tight in his arms no matter how much she twisted and turned to get away.
"Sshhh, calm down! It's okay. You don't have to do this! You're not going to do this," he repeated more firm this time. "This is not healthy nor a safe way to lose weight. You know it isn't Sam," he said, trying to appeal to the intelligence they both knew she had in spades.
"But I have to!" She insisted sadly. "There is no other way! I'm a ... I'm a blimp Tim," she mumbled pouting sadly.
Once again he found himself wanting to laugh at her ridiculous comment but he restrained himself because she wasn't in a joking mood at the moment. But it took a lot of effort out of him because really, had she seen one of those anytime as of late?
He doubted it because she was nothing like a blimp whatsoever. Her figure was stunning, she'd never been sexier and honestly even if she did gain 10, 20 pounds or more someday he'd still love her like a madman just the way he did now.
She would forever be beautiful to him no matter what that had nothing to do with her looks which were unquestionably dazzling, it had to do with who she was, the girl who'd stolen his heart. If only she could see herself through his eyes maybe she'd understand just how beautiful she truly was.
Yet he was aware that she was just upset right now and not thinking straight. And that was all to it.
"No you're not," he assured her. "You're drop dead gorgeous baby."
"No, no I am not!" She argued unmoved. "You'd never tell me otherwise anyway so I can't trust you on this!"
"Excuse me?" He scoffed now actually offended. "You can't trust me? Your fiancée?" He stated incredulously at the nonsensical words leaving her mouth. "Finding you gorgeous is kinda my job!"
When her lower lip quivered he lowered his voice and went back to comforting her not wanting to see her tears again.
"And I do find you insanely so," he told her brushing his lips against her forehead, pulling her close to him once more and still trying valiantly to get through to his girl.
Kissing her forehead again he whispered to her ever so softly, attentively. "You're beautiful..." his mouth moved to the bridge of her small nose and pecked it. "You're beautiful..." he mumbled now kissing her cheeks and swapping out the tear-stains there with the gentle impressions of his warm lips. "You're beautiful," he breathed into her chin planting another kiss there before finally kissing her lips. "You're sooo damn beautiful..."
His each whisper was more hushed, each kiss more tender than the last compelling her to hear him out.
"Tim..." she whimpered in a woeful manner against his mouth but she wasn't crying anymore, she was more at peace and he could tell that bit by bit he was succeeding in getting through to her.
"Sam... I need you to listen to me." Knowing he had her attention now he gathered her face up in his hands and made her look him right in his eyes. "There is nothing, NOT AT SINGLE THING that's unattractive about you."
He watched her stare at him for a quiet moment weighing his words and if they were genuine or not before closing her eyes stubbornly when she found they were, trying to not let what he was saying change her mind, unfortunately still not listening to him fully.
Sighing he gave up on giving her a pep talk and decided to come up with another plan of attack. Sam clearly wasn't going to let this go until the number she'd seen on her stupid scale moved downwards and so after much thought he offered to help her work out.
"But I don't have the time-"
"1 hour, early morning, 3 days," he cut her off. "We still have a full week before our wedding day."
Skepticism flashed on her features and he knew she didn't think it was possible to achieve what she wanted to in such less time.
"Trust me," he assured her as he wiped away her tears, smiling at her as he asked her if she'd ever once witnessed him being in poor health and telling her that for the last few years he'd retained the same weight unless trying to bulk up with more muscle.
And Sam could not deny that that was true. Tim was the most fit person she knew which made him the perfect person to help her with this matter. And as such she found herself agreeing to this fitness plan.
After all what did she have to lose besides the weight?
Crashing on the living room couch the next morning with a weak plop Sam panted rapidly, sore all over as she felt muscles of hers worked out that she hadn't even realized she'd had before.
"That's your ROUTINE work out?! You do that EVERY DAY?!" She asked the man who was sitting nearby drinking water, sweating also after following the same exercise circuit with her to coach her but no where near being the big, sweaty dough-ball that she was right now.
"Every single one," Scam nodded, laughing at the look on her face that was watching him in sheer wonder.
"Where do you find the energy?!" She demanded to know his secret. Tim was not a slouch, he never sat around and was always working or doing something and on top of all that he pushed himself to this extreme every day?!
Shrugging back at her, he smirked and said without missing a beat, "Simple. I think of you."
Sam's face heated up at the implication behind those words and she threw a cushion at him for that but hissed in pain right after.
"Owww!" She whined and he moved to where she lay and started massaging her to help ease her aches and pains.
"Just rest now, take it easy okay?"
A smile bloomed on Sam's lips at how good that felt and at how sweet he was, her very soon to be hubbie. She was so, so, so lucky to have him.
"... Because we gotta do it all again tomorrow morning."
Groaning loudly at that, Sam threw her face into the seat of the couch leaving Scam laughing at her enthusiasm.
2 days later...
"Come on, get on the scale Sammie."
Biting her lip and clutching her towel close to her nervously Sam shook her head. "I dunno ... It's only been three days. I feel like looking will just upset me again-"
"Just do it, will ya?" He said taking her hand in his and leading her to it then standing by almost as if a father would when their child took their first steps, standing guard to catch them in case something went wrong and they stumbled or fell down.
"Trust me," he whispered to her with a supportive smile.
Nodding, she slowly stepped on the scale with her eyes closed. She held her breath and waited to work up her nerve before she opened just one eye and peeked down at the reading.
Both her eyes flew wide open when she saw the number. She ... she couldn't believe it. She'd done it! She'd lost the weight! She's lost exactly the weight that she'd put on!
"Omg!" She cried out joyfully before rapidly hopping off the scale and hugging the stuffing out of Tim as she jumped up in down in glee while holding onto him tightly and grinning. "Omg! Omg! Omg!"
Clover and Alex soon ran in at all the commotion she was making and started asking her what was going on. "What? What is it?!" They asked at once.
Detaching from Scam for just a second she grinned at her best friends with pride all over her face. "I did it! I lost the weight!"
"See? Now weren't you being a big drama queen for no reason like I saidddddd you were?" Clover quipped shaking her head and chastising Sam for losing and making all of them lose sleep over this while Alex raised her hands and cheered Sam's success on with a little round of applause.
"Way to go Sammie!"
Beaming, Sam flicked her gaze over at her fiancée through half-lidded adoring eyes. "It's all just because Tim helped me," she said before mumbling to herself contentedly and proceeding to hug him again, pressing herself tight to his torso to show her gratefulness to him.
"Thank you Tim! Thank you so much! You're my hero, I love you!"
Smiling, Tim couldn't get over how happy she was as he hugged her back.
Of course she didn't know what he'd done last night while she'd been sleeping, that he'd snuck in and fiddled with her scale to make sure it would tell her that she'd lost exactly the amount of weight she'd told him she'd gained because he knew she was going to check this morning and he hadn't wanted to risk her having another nervous breakdown because god did he hate seeing her like that.
She actually had around a pound to go still, but one single pound would not mess with her wedding dress.
And, he thought smirking to himself as Sam kept bombarding him with fuzzy kisses all over his face while her friends watched in amusement as he started to blush a little in embarrassment, cough and whisper to her that it was really all good and he was just happy to help her but her kisses would not stop coming anyway.
So he surrendered, letting her get it out of her system and glomp him to her heart's content while thinking that as he'd proposed earlier to her ... he'd take care of that final remaining pound on their honeymoon.
See the title of this moment? I made a dumb pun? Did you seee? XD
Anyway please review! More updates to comeeee :D
Love,
Lark ^-^
