Hi! This is another chapter I've been looking forward to writing. And this one is crucial to the overall romance arc of the story. You can expect plenty of Sean/Sam shipping moments throughout this chapter.

Read and review!

Chapter Thirty-Two

Evil Boyfriend

Secret Military Base-11:25 PM

Somewhere in a dense tropical jungle, a large, noticeable building stood out amidst the trees, waterfalls, and animals. This military base was large enough to serve its purpose but small enough to avoid suspicion.

For inside, scientists worked nonstop on a project that could revolutionize espionage.

In the main lab, inside a small tank, a rabbit munched on a carrot.

Above it, a hand held out a small spray nozzle. The nozzle then sprayed a light blue liquid all over the rabbit's body and the animal disappeared.

Or so it seemed.

Even though the rabbit could no longer be seen, the carrot it was eating still had several bites taken out of it, and more bite marks continued to show up, almost as if the carrot was eating itself.

"I trust you found the formula to perform satisfactory," the head scientist said to gathered military officers present.

When they all gave their nod of approval, he placed the nozzle back in the bottle he pulled it out of, and put the bottle itself in another tank, this one cylindrical, that sealed itself at the top.

"Very good then."

As everyone left the room, the lights turned off.

However, no one was aware of the intruder waiting in the air vent for just the right moment... lurking right above the invisibility formula.

Taking the grate out of place, the masked infiltrator lowered a rope down into the room. Sliding down it carefully, he stopped beside the formula, or more accurately, the tank containing it.

He was so confident in his ability to steal it that he didn't notice the rope was frayed and on the verge of snapping.

And snap it did.

The thief landed face first on the floor. And the alarm going off combined with the tank lowering into the floor told him that he must have triggered some kind of sensor.

"Red alert!" an electronic voice rang out through the base. "Security breach in Sector 4!"

Realizing he was close to being caught, the thief gripped what was left of the rope and climbed back up into the air vent just as the head scientist and two guards stormed into the lab.

However, he didn't get out of sight quick enough, and this prompted the head scientist to turn to the guards on either side of him.

"Bring in the team from W.O.O.H.P," he instructed.


Sean's House-7:29 AM

Almost 3000 miles away from the base, in a Beverly Hills suburb, a certain teenage boy slept the morning away.

Sean turned over, and in his sleep, a huge smile crept across his face.

"Hmm," he groaned happily. "Sam."


Throughout a spacious, well lit room, people danced across a white marble floor just below a glistening crystal chandelier.

On the far end of the room stood a certain redheaded girl in a shimmering blue dress who looked out at all the dancers, sighing longingly.

Her pining came to an end when a tall, blond boy in a dark suit came up to her.

"May I have this dance?" Sean asked extending his hand.

Sam's lips curled up into a smile.

"I thought you'd never ask," she said.

Taking his hand, she allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.

As the two swayed to the music, Sean couldn't help but notice that Sam's eyes were now locked onto his.

Even though both fought to conceal the blush now sprouting up on both of their faces, soon it didn't matter to them.

And then, their faces moved toward each other, as if both were magnets being pulled in by the irresistible force.

Sean closed his eyes, preparing himself what he knew would be the best moment of his life.

That was when a voice rang out from behind him. And in front. And all around.

"Sean?" a woman's voice called out kindly. "Sean?!"

He looked around, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. Ignoring it, he figured he might as well get back to business.

"Sean?!" the voice said again, this time even louder


"Sean?!" Rachel said, tapping her sleeping son's shoulder as hard as she could without hurting him.

At that moment, Sean's eyes opened and he bolted upright in his bed.

"Aah!" he yelled out, but his panic soothed when he saw who it was.

"Sean," his mother said again, this time softer. "You might want to get going. It's already 7:30!"

Sean darted his eyes to his alarm clock. Indeed, the green digital numbers announced to him it was past time for him to have been gone.

"Oh, my God!" Sean exclaimed, jumping out of bed.

After the fastest shower he'd had in his life, and throwing on the first set of clothes he could find, Sean was rushing toward the door, his mother already there.

"Did you forget to set your alarm again?" Rachel asked, digging her car keys out of her purse.

"No," Sean responded. "I set it. I just slept through it, I guess."

Rachel smiled, having a good idea just what made her son oversleep.

"Don't tell me, let me guess. You had another dream about Sam?"

Sean's haste to get to school on time was forgotten with those words.

"What makes you say that?" he asked, trying to deny it.

"I've been your mother long enough to know when you're talking in your sleep."

Embarrassed, Sean sighed.

"Hey," Rachel said reassuringly. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I was a teenager too, you know."

"Yeah," Sean agreed. "A lifetime ago."

Rachel just ignored him.

"Anyway," she said, carrying on. "Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"

Sean opened his mouth, but then he thought carefully. It was a very simple question. And one that should have had a very simple answer.

"I never know what to say," he said, honestly.

"Last I checked," Rachel reminded. "You only needed three words."

He groaned.

"I've tried, Mom. But it never comes out."

That wasn't completely true, however. He did blurt out them out when Sam won the spelling bee about a week ago. But the applause and cheers were so loud, no one else could hear him.

"Well," Rachel suggested. "Sometimes actions speak louder than words."

His head perked up a little.

"Wait, are you saying I should-"

But Rachel just put her hand up in denial.

"Nothing too serious until you're at least 18!" she clarified, sternly. "But you don't have do anything too... obvious, either."

She put a hand on his shoulder.

"What I'm trying to say," she continued. "Is that romance doesn't have to be some grand gesture. The smallest action can say a lot more than just a sentence. At least, that's how your grandparents started dating."

"What about you?" he asked.

Rachel looked stunned, as if she already knew where this was going.

"Me?"

Sean nodded.

"Did Dad do that with you?"

Rachel exhaled sharply, then clutched the blue butterfly pendant Sean hardly ever saw her without.

"Your father was... charming. But I can't remember what he did exactly that won me over."

Sean furrowed his brow, sensing that his mother wouldn't tell him any more about his father that she didn't already tell him.

Rachel sharply gestured her head to the front door.

"Um, you were running late?" she reminded him.

"Hmm?" Sean hummed, then realized that what was true a few minutes ago was even truer now. "Oh, crap."

Moving fast, all thoughts of his father forgotten, he threw the door open. Then, he turned back to his mother.

"See you later, Mom!" he called out.

Rachel smiled.

"I love you!" she said, the door closing blocking out the last word.

No sooner than did Sean leave did she let out a huge exhale of relief.

"Sean," she said to herself. "I wish I could tell you everything."

She stared at the door for a long while, not caring how late to work she was.

As much as Rachel hated keeping the truth from him, she didn't think Sean could handle it.

And besides, that was a part of her life she would rather forget.


Beverly Hills High School-2:36 PM

Okay, Sean, he thought to himself, as he walked to his locker. You just need to ask her out. It's not that hard. Just a few words and you and Sam will...

But what? What would they do? That was the question that kept nagging at him ever since that fateful day when she saved his life. Well, that and why was it then whenever he thought of them as a couple he was excited and terrified at the same time?

Unfortunately, given how busy this particular school day was, the worst being a pop quiz in geometry that took him forever to complete, he didn't have to examine all these questions or talk to Alex or Clover, let alone Sam.

Luckily, his next class was with her, and hopefully, he would have a better opportunity to ask her out.

But that just left one more problem: what to say to her?

"So, Sam," he whispered to himself, as he pulled out his history textbook. "I know we've been friends for a while... well, actually three months. But while we're here, there's something I want to say. I like you, but every time I try to say it, something happens, and..."

He trailed off, then facepalmed himself at how weak it sounded.

"No," he said, a little louder. "Hey, Sam. Wanna go out for coffee sometime?"

He groaned. "Okay, now that's just too forward."

Then he remembered that Sam liked poetry.

"Roses are red..." but he stopped himself. "No! That's the oldest trick in the book!"

He slammed the door to his locker shut, gritting his teeth.

"Why I am so hopeless with girls?!" he lamented.

His thoughts were interrupted by the bell.

"Get through history class first, worry about Sam later."

He rushed forward to his last class, and by sheer coincidence, Sam happened to be running in too.

And from another direction, ran another boy about Sean's age, if not a little older.

Sam was in too much of a rush to notice the boy until the two ran into each other, causing both to tumble backwards and Sam to spill papers from her bag.

"Nice going, loser!" she shouted as Sean came to a stop behind her.

The boy regained his focus, and finally, both Sean and Sam were able to get a good look at him.

He was tanned-skinned, with luxurious brown and hair and chocolate-brown eyes. And worst of all, Sean noticed, Sam couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him.

"On second thought," she said, sounding lovestruck. "It's really no biggie!"

Sean dropped his textbook in shock.

Standing quickly, the other boy extended his hand to Sam.

"I'm James," he introduced himself. His voice was soft, even, gentle, and he spoke with a British accent that was even more pronounced than Jerry's. "I just transferred from London."

"Sam. Nice to meet you." She took his hand, allowing him to help her up.

"So," James said. "Can I take you out for coffee after school, Sam? It's the least I can do for knocking you over."

Off to the side, thankfully not noticed by either one, Sean gripped the wall beside him in anger.

How is that fair?! he thought to himself. That was my idea!

"Uh, sure," Sam said to Sean's dismay. "I mean, if it'll clear your guilty conscience."

Picking up his book, Sean walked up behind Sam and tapped her on the shoulder, taking the opportunity to break this up.

"Uh, Sam?" he asked, prompting her to turn around with a startled shriek.

"Oh, hi, Sean!" she said, snapping out of her trance.

Then she turned back to James.

"James," she said. "This is one of my friends, Sean. Sean, this is..."

"I know," Sean snapped without really meaning to. "I heard him say his name."

James offered his hand to Sean, who reluctantly took it.

"It's nice to meet you," James said, either not noticing or caring that Sean's grip on his hand was tighter than that of an anaconda. Nor did he seem to see that Sean was barely hiding a scowl.

Letting go of the other boy's hand, Sean turned away for a brief moment, letting his scowl come into full view.

"Okay, everyone," the teacher said from inside the room, snapping both Sean and Sam back to reality. "Please take your seats."


As Sam and Sean each sat in their desks, the former waved flirtatiously to James, who waved back.

Sean just sat at his desk, his arms folded in anger. Alex and Clover, on the other hand, seemed more excited.

"Who was that?!" Alex asked, jumping up from her desk to stand beside Sam's.

"His name is James!" Sam said gleefully. "He's from England! We're having coffee after school!"

Then he noticed her face fall.

"Oh, no!"

"What is it?" Sean asked, hoping that this would mean the end of a potential relationship between her and James.

"I totally forgot! Alex, Clover, and I were supposed to get a mani-pedi after school!" she explained.

"Don't worry about it!" Clover dismissed.

"Yeah!" Alex agreed. "It's not every day you meet a cute boy with an even cuter accent!"

"Cute?" Sean thought to himself. It sounds completely fake!

But even though he kept those thoughts to himself, he still didn't see Clover briefly glance at him with both curiosity and, supposedly, sympathy.

"I know!" Sam said. "Why don't we have a movie night instead?!"

Then she looked over at Sean.

"Why don't you come too?" she asked.

Forgetting the fit of jealousy he was about to succumb to, Sean perked up.

"I'd love to!" he agreed.

Sam smiled, nodding.

"I'll bring the flick," she suggested. "Alex and Sean can supply the popcorn, and Clover can bring the atmosphere!"

"Deal!" the other three said eagerly.

Even though Sam likely had a boyfriend by this point, the movie night she suggested still provided an opportunity for Sean to at least drop a hint that he wanted to be more than friends with her.

He smiled, both at his idea and at his sudden fantasy of slinging an arm around Sam's shoulder during the movie night in question. He would remove it from her vicinity before she caught on, though.

"Okay, class," the teacher spoke up from his desk. "It's time to announce the topic you've selected for your upcoming history project."

All of Sean's Sam-related fantasies vanished the minute he heard that.

"History project?!" he and the girls asked in unison.

He'd been so distracted by all his concerns about Sam that his history project had slipped his mind.

And then, as if he didn't have enough to worry about, he heard his name over the intercom.

"Clover, Alex, Sam, and Sean," the voice of the secretary called out through the speaker. "Please report to the principal's office immediately."

"Principal's office?" Alex asked, stunned. "I wonder what we did wrong?"

"Well," Sean said nonchalantly. "Whatever it is, it's most likely Clover's fault."

"Hey!" Clover said, complaining. "I'm innocent this time, I swear!"


But the minute they stepped outside the history classroom door, the tiles beneath them opened up to reveal a wide trap door, letting them all fall through the same familiar chute.

"Told you I didn't do anything!" Clover shouted over the others' screams.

Unusually, the ride ended with the fuchsia cushion catapulting the spies onto a couch in front of Jerry's desk.

Jerry himself stood behind the desk, sipping from a teacup.

"Afternoon, agents," he greeted, putting the cup back on its saucer.

The spies straightened their backs.

"If I wasn't so psyched about missing that history project," Clover said, glaring at him. "I'd be so ticked at you right now, Jer."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too forgiving just yet, Clover," Jerry said. "I've got a little project for you of my own."

He turned on the screen behind his desk. And the footage displayed on it showed a figure descending from an air vent by rope into a large room.

"I need you four to find out who broke into this top secret military base in Central America."

"A breaking and entering case?!" Sam complained. "Don't they have regular police for that kind of thing?!"

"It's not just any case, Sam. The perpetrator attempted to steal a formula for invisibility."

Sean's eyes widened.

"Invisibility?" he asked. "You're joking, right?"

Jerry smiled.

"Not at all."

"That is way cool!" Clover said, very impressed. "Not to mention it would totally come in handy next time I have a zit."

Jerry reached down for the button that would display the gear he would be giving the team.

"And now for the gadgets," he said. "Today, for your spying pleasure, we have the Smudge Scanner 20/10, the Feline Streamline Catsuit which allows you to move with the stealth and dexterity of a cat, the Phase Changer Phaser which momentarily changes materials from solids to liquids, the Eyelash Curler Catapults, self explanatory, and a pair of brand new, oh so stylish HIGGs "

"HIGGs?" Alex asked, confused.

"HIGGs," Jerry repeated. "Heat-sensing Infrared Glamor Goggles. HIGGs."

After throwing the spies their gear, Jerry hovered his finger over another button.

"Now, farewell, my friends. Or, as they say in Central America, adios, amigos!"

He pressed the button, prompting the couch to flip over and sending the spies down four slides. Inexplicably, the four teens were now in their spy uniforms as they propelled downward.

The ride ended with them landing in four Anti-Gravity Cycles.

The spies started their engines and took off through an opening in the roof above them.


Somewhere in Central America-3:15 PM

The cycles flew over the tropical jungle as Sean looked below him.

"According to my calculations," Sam said over the cycle's communicator. "The base should be right around here."

"Where?" Sean asked. "All I see is that waterfall."

As the spies landed, Clover hopped out.

"Perfect," she said sarcastically. "We're lost in the middle of the oh so humid, oh so hair-frizzing jungle, miles away from civilization and miles away from my hair diffuser."

"Well, we don't have to be," Alex said, trying to remain optimistic. "We can just ask one of these nice gentlemen for directions."

"Wait, say what?" Sean asked, bewildered.

But before Alex could respond, at least six men came out of the brush, all wearing camouflage.

Four of them fired the guns they carried, launching four nets which entrapped the spies.

"Take them inside," their leader said, pressing a button on a remote.

"Inside?" all four asked in unison.

Their confusion was relieved by a large rumbling and a massive building rising out of the river.


After restraining them, the soldiers brought them into the base for questioning.

They were brought before the head scientist working on the invisibility project.

"Who are you?" he asked as they were dragged in. "And what are you doing here?"

"We're the team from W.O.O.H.P," Sean explained. "We're here to help."

Sam nodded in agreement while Clover and Alex struggled against their captors.

"Of course," Clover said. "If you don't ease up on the painful arm grabbing, we're more than likely to change our minds."

The scientist look mortified.

"My deepest apologies," he said, waving a hand to dismiss the guards that brought them in. "You see, security has been beefed up since the break-in."

"Apparently so," Alex said as the guards released them.

"Why don't you show us the scene of the almost crime?" Sam suggested.


The spies were shown into the lab, which, according to the scientist, was virtually impossible to break into.

So, whoever did this, they reasoned, had to be a master criminal, especially since, as far as they could see, no evidence was left behind.

"Well," Clover said looking at the tank containing the still invisible rabbit. "Other than a slowly vanishing carrot, I don't see anything out of the ordinary."

Sean took out the Smudge Scanner.

"Maybe we aren't looking closely enough," he observed as he pulled out the screen from the handle of the device.

Waving it around the room, he watched the screen closely, looking for any sign of a smudge.

Finally, on the tank containing the vial of the formula...

"Bingo!" he called out in triumph. "We have a smudge."

He took out his wallet phone then plugged it into a USB port on the Smudge Scanner.

"I'm gonna scan this in and send it to Jerry for analysis."

"I'm sure he'll be waiting with baited breath," Clover said as Sean opened the wallet phone, calling Jerry.

"Indeed I will," Jerry said in response to Clover's statement. "So, other than the smudge, how's the investigation going?"

"Do the words 'boring' and 'uneventful' mean anything to you?" Alex asked.

"I get the picture," Jerry replied. "Why don't you come home and consider the case closed for now?"

"Cool!" the girls shouted as he hung up.

Sean closed the wallet, not as excited as his friends.

Truthfully, he had hoped this mission would be longer... so he could avoid thinking about Sam and James.


Back at Beverly Hills High, in the cafeteria, James sat alone at a table, wondering what the holdup with Sam was.

That was when she came in through the door, out of breath.

"Sam!" he exclaimed joyfully as she came over "You made it! I was beginning to think you'd been taken hostage."

"Hostage?" Sam asked, panicking.

"Yeah," James answered. "You were in that principal's office forever."

Sam just sighed, relieved that her cover wasn't blown.

James stood up.

"So, anyway. I was thinking we could work on our history project together. Like make a model of the White House or something."

"Sure," Sam agreed. "Sounds great."

"Great," James responded happily. Then he leaned forward and did something completely unexpected: he kissed Sam's cheek.

True, she admitted, it wasn't very long and it wasn't like it was on the lips either. But still, it meant something to her.

Unfortunately, to another certain boy watching from further away, it meant something else entirely.

Sean looked down at his feet, dejected.

At least it wasn't on the lips, he thought to himself. But the gesture was still obvious.

And so was the extremely loving gaze they each had in their eyes.

Struggling to hold back tears, Sean turned and walked out of the cafeteria as quickly as he could.


Clover's House-6:37 PM

While a bored Clover munched on popcorn and Sean thought back to the scene in the cafeteria, Alex pulled out her cell phone, calling Sam.

It was well past the time she agreed to be at Clover's house, and they were wondering what could possibly be keeping her.


Sam's Bedroom-6:38 PM

Elsewhere, Sam's snail-shaped phone kept rang and rang. But no answer would come.

"Hi, it's Sam," her phone's answering machine chimed. "You know what to do!"

At the tone, Alex's voice came over the speaker.

"Hey, Sammy! It's Alex! You coming over? Call us!"


Sam, unfortunately, wouldn't hear the message, nor the next few from Clover or Sean because she was too busy skating in a park not too far from where she lived.

And with James.

And after the skating, there was him pushing her on a swing set, only for her to fall backwards off of it and into his arms.

Their day together ended with them watching the sunset on the beach... where James reached his hand toward hers but pulled it away, seemingly out of shyness.

That was when she placed her own hand on his.

Finally, the two gazed at the setting sun with Sam leaning into James' shoulder.


Finally, after many tries and failures, Sean was able to get a hold of Sam.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Sam," Sean said. "Where are you? It doesn't take four hours to pick out a movie."

"Oh," she admitted. "Actually, I kind of forgot all about it."

Sensing where this was going, Sean put his phone on speaker.

"Okay," he said. "I guess we'll have to watch T.V instead."

"See you in a few minutes," Alex added.

"Can't," Sam said gently. "I'm going to a late movie with James."

"Huh?!" Sean, Clover, and Alex said in shock, with Sean losing his grip on his phone only for it to be caught by Clover.

"Guess you're not so concerned with us spending quality time together after all," Clover said bitterly, clenching her teeth.

"Of course I am," Sam denied. "You guys are my best friends!"

"So," Sean said hopefully. "That means you're still gonna go running with us in the park tomorrow?"

"I will be there. I promise."


Beverly Hills Park-7:07 PM

Sean stood in between Alex and Clover, checking his watch.

Sam had agreed to meet them at 6:30, so she was already running late.

"Where is she?" he wondered aloud. "Sam never misses our weekly jog."

Clover tapped Sean's shoulder, then gestured for him to look off to the field of grass to their right.

"I'll give you three guesses," she said.

Off in the distance was Sam. She was running, alright. But it wasn't with her friends.

She was trailing James and looking exhilarated the whole time.

While her friends, but Sean in particular, just wore expressions of disappointment.


To add insult to injury, Sam's time with James also included school projects.

As they presented their model of the White House, the couple beamed with glee as they received an "A+" for their efforts.

Clover and Alex, in the meantime, were forced to present their relatively simple history project: a small wooden house.

Alex tried to insist that it was a model of Abraham Lincoln's log cabin, but it wasn't convincing enough. As a result, their grade was a simple "D-".

But Sean, however, wound up having the worst luck of the four. Since everyone else was already with a partner, he was forced to team up with the worst possible person for the job: Mandy.

The pair were supposed to, at Sean's insistence, build a model of the USS Arizona. The results were predictable. Mandy would foist all her work on Sean and sneak out to go shopping with Caitlin and Dominique. Thus, Sean was forced to do it alone. And Sam, Clover, and Alex were too busy with their own projects to give him any sort of help. Unfortunately, the model ship was so complex that it required too people to put it together.

With him working it by himself, Sean wasn't too surprised when the finished product barely even resembled a tugboat. Nor was he surprised to receive an "F-".


The situation turned from bad to worse when Sam, who offered to give the three a ride home, didn't turn up. Somewhere with James, Sean assumed. And their spirits only sank lower when it started raining and when a car, occupied by James and Sam, sped by, splashing the trio with water.


Later that night at Sam's house, Sean, Alex, and Clover waited in her living room.

According to Sam's mother, she was out.

As Sean leaned against the wall of the living room, Clover was the first one to break the long silence.

"She should have been here by now, guys."

Even though he was disappointed, Sean couldn't help but find himself agreeing with Clover.

"She's right," he said. "I don't think she's coming."

"But Sammy would never miss out on our ritual Thursday night shopping spree!" Alex whined. "It's, like, a very important tradition!"

That was when the door to the living room opened, and Sean knew who walked in before Alex spoke up.

"Hey, girlfriend!" Alex exclaimed, excitedly. "Ready for some shoppage?!"

But Sam just stared off in the distance, looking too happy with herself to even answer.

"Let me guess," Clover said venomously. "You can't go because you're going out with James again!"

Sam's smile disappeared.

"So what if I am?" She asked defensively. "I mean, it's not like my fault I have a really cool boyfriend and you don't."

She pointed specifically at Alex and Clover. The word "boyfriend" felt like a knife in the heart to Sean. And that prompted him to insert himself into the conversation.

"Boyfriend?" he asked, coming over. "Sam, you've only known him for three days!"

But he knew that, despite the desperation and hurt in his voice, she wouldn't hear him.

Thankfully, Alex did, though she did not know the truth behind his words.

"Yeah!" Alex concurred. "You're totally rushing into things!"

"Fine then!" Sam said angrily, folding her arms. "If that's the way you feel, then maybe we shouldn't be friends anymore!"

If Sean wasn't upset before, that last sentence was definitely the death knell.

"You... don't really mean that?" he asked in disbelief. "Do you?"

Sam's scowl was all the answer he needed.

"Fine!" Clover and Alex said in unison, clearly not as broken up about this as Sean was.

While the two girls marched off out the living room door, Sean followed them sadly, his head hung low. And try as he might, he was unable to hold back tears this time.

The door opened again, this time letting James in. As he watched a brooding Clover and Alex and a silently sobbing Sean leave the house, he looked back at Sam.

"James!" she said excitedly. "You're early!"

"Yeah!" he confirmed, walking over and taking her hands. "Couldn't wait to see you, sweetie. So, what was all the yelling about?"

"You, actually. Apparently, Alex, Clover, and Sean don't approve of our relationship."

James smiled.

"Well, if they don't approve," he said. "Then who needs them?"

"My feelings exactly," Sam agreed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders with his hands clinging around his waist.

"So, where are we going on our date?"

"It's a surprise," was all James said.


Beverly Hills Mall-6:07 PM

Alex came out of a changing room, posing a new lemon-yellow tank top with navy blue jeans and white high heels.

"What do you think?" she asked.

Clover, who stood in front of the curtain to the changing room, just frowned instead of her usual compliments of an outfit.

Alex sighed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's just no fun without Sammy."

At the mention of her name, Clover frowned.

"Don't even mention that traitor," she said. "It's bad enough that she doesn't wanna come on our weekly shopping spree, but saying she doesn't wanna be friends anymore?!"

She growled.

Alex nodded. Then remembered something that happened back at Sam's house.

"It's probably nothing," she pointed out. "But did you notice Sean took it harder than we did when Sam said she didn't wanna be our friend?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah," Clover answered, then looked around. "Speaking of which, where is Sean?"

Alex shrugged. "He said something about the food court."


The ice cream shop wasn't as busy as it normally was. In fact, that very night it only had one customer. But that one customer alone had brought them more money than any group of people.

This was evident by the 12 empty sundae bowls littered across his table.

"Another," Sean said, catching a nearby waiter's attention. "And don't skimp on the hot fudge."

That was when someone else sat across from him. And judging by the look in her eyes, she was somewhere between nauseated and concerned.

"Yeesh," she said. "What did you do, Sean? Order the whole menu?!"

"So, what if I did?" he defended. "And who do you think you are? My mother?"

The waiter came by, dropping off the sundae, which was so covered with hot fudge that you couldn't even tell there was ice cream under there at all.

"Uh, Sean?" Clover asked. "I'm only saying this because I care. I think you've had enough for today."

He slammed his fist onto the table, then reached across with both hands and gripped Clover's shoulders.

"I'll tell you when I've had enough!" he said, before glaring straight into the girl's eyes.

"Okay, okay!" she said. "I get the point! Just let go, you're getting chocolate all over my new top!"

Sean slumped back into his chair while Clover leaned forward in hers.

"Look," she said. "I know you're upset about Sam. We all are. But, I couldn't help but notice that you're taking pretty hard for a guy who lost a friend."

Sean sighed, pushing the ice cream bowl away from him.

"Actually, Clover," he said. "I have a confession to make."

"Don't tell me," Clover said, putting her hand up. "Let me guess: you have a crush on Sam."

"I have a crush on-" Sean began to say, but stopped when he realized exactly what left Clover's mouth. "Wait, you knew? For how long?"

"Since the spelling bee," Clover explained. "You can't just shout 'I love you' and not expect someone to hear it."

Sean lowered his head, trying to hide the blush.

"Relax," she said. "I don't think she heard it. But I did."

"Actually, with the noise going on at the time," Sean said. "I was kind of hoping no one would hear it."

"Don't sweat it. I kind of already suspected."

Sean dropped his spoon. Apparently, Clover was just full of surprises.

"I don't see how you could; I've been very subtle about it."

Clover just scoffed. "Subtle, my butt! Are you going to pretend I didn't notice your face light up whenever Sam's around? And all those yearning looks you give her when you think no one's looking? I mean, you have a picture of her under your pillow for God's sake!"

"How did you even know about that?"

She rolled her eyes. "I kind of looked under your pillow the last time I was in your room."

Sean turned away for a moment.

"Note to self," he said. "Keep Clover out of your room from now on."

He turned back, noticing the curious look on Clover's face.

"What about you, Casanova? When did you start liking Sam?"

Sean sighed. Clover already admitted she knew. He might as well own up to it.

"Remember our first mission when Sam saved me from crashing into Fabu's ship?"

Clover nodded.

"That's when."

Her eyes widened.

"That was months ago!" she exclaimed. "You've kept that to yourself for that long?!"

"Not really," Sean explained. "You're only the second person I've told."

"Who's the first?!" Clover asked.

"My mom," he answered. "And it got kind of awkward after that whole shrink ray incident."

Clover raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"You don't wanna know," was all Sean said. And he was grateful Jerry erased a part of his mother's memory to help her forget that little scenario.

"Well," Clover said. "I'm happy you found someone. It's just too bad that Sam's already with-"

She stopped. And that, combined with the glimmer in her eyes told Sean she had an idea. It was no coincidence that that look occasionally led to trouble.

"Wait a minute! Oh, my God! This is perfect! I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!"

"Okay," Sean said. "You're scaring me. What is it?"

Clover's grin grew even wider.

"You and Sam, Sam and you! This fixes everything!"

Sean wrinkled his nose, confused.

"If you start dating Sam, she gets a boyfriend and Alex and I get our best friend back!"

"What?" Sean asked, weighing the idea carefully. On one hand, it was tempting. But on the other...

"Now, the only real question is how do I get you two together? I mean, I know Sam likes poetry and art and other boring nerd stuff like that, but I think I can spice it up. You know, a little candlelight, some rose petals..."

"Clover, do you even hear yourself?" Sean asked.

"What?" she asked defensively. "Don't you want to be with Sam?"

"Of course I do," Sean sighed. "More than anything. But only if she wants to. And I don't wanna date her just you and Alex can spend time with her."

Clover blinked in shock.

"Wow," she said, amazed. "I totally had you pegged wrong. I thought you'd be this desperate guy who'd do anything to date her."

Then she looked over her shoulder, as if expecting someone else to arrive.

"But don't you at least want her to know how you feel?"

Sean nodded.

"Yes, but not now."

"Why not?" Clover asked.

"Well, what if it doesn't work out? It could ruin our friendship."

She took his hands.

"Hey," she said reassuringly. "It doesn't have to be all at once."

Sean looked down.

That's what Mom said before, he thought.

Clover looked at her watch.

"It's getting late," she said. "I think we should just go home."

They rose from the table, paid the bill for Sean's 13 sundaes, and left the ice cream shop.

"Clover?" he asked. "Promise you won't tell anyone about this?"

"Cross my heart and hope to be seen in beige," Clover answered. "But what about Alex?"

"Especially not Alex," Sean emphasized. "You know she can't keep a secret to save her life!"

"Good point," Clover conceded.

Sean smiled, happy to have gotten his feelings off his chest. But still, that didn't solve the problem of what to do about Sam and James.

In any case, he was glad he had Clover there with him.

Even if she did drive him crazy at times, she was there when he needed her.

"You know, Clover," he said, already feeling a little better. "For a vain, petty, boy crazy valley girl, you can be pretty deep when you want to be."

"Thanks," she said. But then she realized what Sean told her exactly. "Hey!"


As the trio exited the mall into the parking lot, Sean struggled to fit himself into the backseat with all the room their purchases had left him, which was very little.

"I so can't believe the way she's acting," Clover said as she hopped into the driver's seat. "It's like she's possessed or something."

"Yeah," Alex agreed, taking the front passenger seat. "Possessed by a mean, snotty jerk."

Clover started the car as Sean buckled in.

"You don't think Mandy has anything to do with this, do you?" he offered.

"Probably not," Clover shot down.

"Yeah, I think you're right. Mandy's not smart enough to fasten her own high heels."

And with that, the car drove out of the parking lot and into the night air.

"Oh, well," Clover said as she drove onto the Hollywood Freeway. "At least we have our various mall purchases to cheer us up."

Sean nodded. But he thought that even that wasn't enough to cheer him up.

Then he looked ahead.

"Uh, Clover?" he said, pointing at a sign that said "Roadworks ahead." "You might want to slow down."

Clover looked back.

"Yeah, I think you're right," she agreed, easing up on the gas.

But still, the car was going at the same speed Clover kept it at before. And it kept picking up.

Streetlights, signs, and cars blurred past the windows as both the driver and passengers began to panic.

"Clover," Alex said. "What's the rush?!"

"It isn't me!" she insisted. "It's the car! I can't control it! It's like it has a mind of it's own!"

Sean's heartbreak over Sam was replaced by fear for his life and that of his friends.

"I'm thinking it's time to bail," he said, as he pulled the handle. But it wouldn't click.

Thinking fast, he pulled the lock to its open position and tried again. But still, the door remained shut.

"Damn it!" he swore. "Clover, remind me to make you buy a new car later!"

"If there is a later!" Clover exclaimed, pointing ahead. "Look!"

Up ahead was the overpass they had been driving on, and judging by the fact that it dropped at least 70 feet to the pavement below, it was still under construction.

All three occupants screamed.

"Maybe we can escape through the trunk," Clover suggested, looking back.

Unbuckling, Sean shoved the panel covering the trunk opening in the back down, only to find that it was covered by a thick sheet of leather.

"Quick!" he urged. "One of you give me a nail file!"

In response, Alex reached into her hair and pulled out a small, but sharp nail file.

Sean and Clover stared at her, amazed.

"What?" she asked.

"Never mind," Clover said, taking it from her, then giving it to Sean.

Cutting quickly, but carefully, Sean was able to get the leather covering out of the way, allowing him and the girls to climb into the trunk.

Once inside, Clover punched the lock of the trunk, forcing it open, and allowing them to jump out... just as the car plunged off the overpass and landed on the streets below as a flaming pile of metal and rubber.

As the teens regained their footing, they looked down at the wreck, grateful that that wasn't them.


Elsewhere, high above the stratosphere, a single high tech jet soared through the bluish gray clouds. A jet that was occupied by only two people including the pilot.

"James!" Sam exclaimed in awe from the seat beside him. "This jet is the bomb! Where did you get it?!"

"It's my father's," James explained with a smile. "He's in the military."

"And he doesn't mind that you borrowed it?"

"Well," James added slyly. "He doesn't exactly know that I borrowed it. Now, hold on tight. We're coming in for a landing."

He swerved the jet off to the east, and prepared to descend.


Somewhere in Central America-1:22 AM

James' jet touched down in a clearing between a dense jungle and a waterfall. And this waterfall was very familiar to Sam once she saw it.

"This is where our surprise date is?!" she asked in astonishment when she saw the building floating beside the waterfall. It was indeed the same military base that she and the others had investigated three days ago.

"James," she demanded. "What's going on here?"

"The truth is," James admitted. "I've brought you here because I need your help. You see, I know that you're a spy working on the invisibility case."

Sam's eyes widened in disbelief as James continued.

"The invisibility formula is my father's invention, only he intends to use it for evil. So, when I heard that you were on the case, I posed as an exchange student in your school to seek you out."

"So, you lied to me?" Sam asked, sounding hurt.

"Only because I tried to get the formula once myself... and failed."

He clenched his fist tight in frustration.

Unclenching it, he turned Sam by the shoulders to face him.

"Sam, this doesn't change the fact that I love you. And if you love me, you'll help me destroy the formula."

Sam thought about it, but she was very unsure.

"I..." she stuttered. "I don't know."

But James erased any lingering doubt with a kiss to her cheek.

"I need you, Sam," he whispered. "And so does the rest of the world. We need you to help stop my father."

He turned to the base with determination in his eyes.

"With this formula, well, who knows what he could be capable of."

"Okay," Sam said, nodding. "Let's do it."


Back in L.A, Sean, Alex, and Clover stood at the edge of the unfinished overpass, still counting their good fortune that they weren't burned to a crisp.

Alex, having the idea to call Jerry, took out her Compowder.

As soon as Jerry answered, he looked positively horrified at the spies' appearance, mainly their clothes being shredded and being covered in soot from the explosion.

"Oh my!" he exclaimed. "What's happened to you?!"

"Someone just tried to turn us into roadkill!" Alex exclaimed, wiping dust off her pants leg.

"Where's Sam?" Jerry continued. "She wasn't hurt, was she?"

"Hardly," Sean sulked. "She's out with her new boyfriend."

"Apparently," Clover added. "She doesn't have time to hang out with her friends or be a spy these days."

Before the topic could be explored further, a printer beside Jerry ejected a white sheet of paper which he caught in his hand.

"Spies," he said. "I've just received the analysis on the smudge you sent."

Sean and the girls waited with baited breath as Jerry examined the results.

"Hmm, very interesting. The smudge is actually a face print."

Then he turned the paper toward the camera.

"Does this mean anything to you?"

Sean didn't know who to expect at first. Some random criminal or terrorist, perhaps.

But he didn't dream of seeing the face that Sam was gazing into every day for the past three days.

"James!" Alex gasped.

"Guess now we have a pretty good idea who messed with my car," Clover added furiously.

"I knew there was something about him I didn't like!" Sean swore. Then his thoughts returned to a certain redhead. "We've gotta find Sam!"

Jerry began to type on his laptop rapidly at that statement.

"I've traced Sam's Compowder to the military base in Central America," he informed.

"The military base?" Sean asked. "What could she be doing there?"

But if she was with James, there was only one logical explanation: he had talked her into helping him steal the formula.

"We've gotta get there right away!" Clover said urgently. "But how?"


Minutes later, a capsule accelerated upward into the sky and far past the stratosphere.

Inside the capsule, the three teens, now in their spy uniforms felt very cramped and very uncomfortable.

"Ask a stupid question," Clover muttered.

But Sean ignored her statement as well as their cramped quarters.

Instead, all of his thoughts coalesced into single minded anger for this one criminal.

If he hurts Sam in anyway, he thought to himself. I'm gonna make him wish he was never born.


In the military base, Sam, after changing into her spy uniform followed James, who swapped out his pilot suit for a an all black outfit, into the room where the formula was being kept.

As they examined the lab, the two couldn't noticed that with no guards or visible security measures in place, it looked easy. Too easy.

They each slipped on a pair of sunglasses, and through their altered vision the could see a web of lasers crisscrossing all over the room.

"Careful, sweetie," James cautioned. "The floor is pressure-sensitive. One wrong step and security will be all over us."

"Don't worry," Sam whispered, slipping off her backpack, unzipping it. "This Feline Streamline Catsuit should do the trick."

Taking it out of her pack, she quickly put it on, with James turning around to give her some privacy.

True to its name, the suit resembled a cat costume mixed with a normal catsuit, false ears included. But it did allow the wearer to take on the reflexes and dexterity of a cat.

Which Sam used to carefully maneuver her way through the lasers undetected.

After a few close calls, she managed to make it to the tank holding the formula.

She turned back to James.

"Toss me the Phase Changer Phaser," she instructed.

James threw the pink device to her.

Aiming at the tank, she fired a single blue beam at it. In less than ten seconds, the glass melted away, leaving the vial containing the formula up for grabs.

"Got it!" she said triumphantly, taking it.


After leaving the lab, Sam and James ran down the hallway leading to the exit.

However, neither expected a blue uniformed shape to land down in front of them along and restrain James by the shoulder.

As Sean struggled with James, Alex and Clover landed on either side of him.

"Sean!" Sam reprimanded. "Clover, Alex, stop it! You're acting crazy!"

"Did you help James break in and steal the invisibility formula?!" Clover asked as she moved to help Sean.

"It's not like that! James' father plans to use the formula for evil! We stole it so we could destroy it!"

"Yeah, right!" Alex said, rolling her eyes. "And Clover's hair is really that blonde!"

Clover gasped in indignation at that.

"Sam," Sean explained. "James is a criminal. He tried to kill us today."

But the steely look in Sam's eyes told him she didn't believe them.

"I expected this from Alex and Clover!" Sam said angrily. "But you, Sean?!"

"Sam, you have to listen to me. James is using you!"

She just sighed and took out the formula as well as the Phase Changer Phaser.

"Look, we will prove to you we're on a mission. We'll destroy the formula."

She aimed her gadget at the vial... only for a black shape to rush by her and grab both.

James, having broken free of Sean and Clover's grip, rushed to the other side of the room, then turned around with a maniacal grin plastered to his face.

"Actually, Sam," he said aiming the Phase Changing Phaser at the group. "Your little friends are right: I did try to kill them today. Guess I should've tried harder."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked, heartbreak evident in her voice. "You're not a criminal; you're my boyfriend."

James just laughed.

"Weren't listening to your friend Sean there? I was just using you! Truth is, I'd never date someone so pathetic!"

Sean angrily stepped forward.

"You take that back!" he growled.

"Or what?" James asked rhetorically. "Maybe you're forgetting, but I have the advantage."

He indicated the Phase Changer Phaser still in his grip.

"Anyway, now that she's helped me steal this," he held up the vial. "I'll be the ultimate criminal. And my first crime will be to kidnap the president and hold him for ransom. Thanks to our little White House project I know the building like the back of my hand."

While Sam just stood there in shock, Sean, Alex, and Clover charged at him, only for him to fire the gadget at the floor, leaving a gaping hole in front of their path.

Then he held up the vial.

"Bottoms up," he toasted mockingly. "Oh, and Sam, thanks for the memories... sweetie."

And with that, he drank the formula.

Apparently, not all of it since from what Sean could see, the bottle was still halfway full.

The last thing the spies saw of him was his grin before his face and hands disappeared.

His clothes, however, were a different story. Apparently, the formula only turned living things invisible.

Still, that didn't stop him from making a run for it.

"Quick!" Alex shouted. "He's getting away!"

After getting over the shock of James' betrayal, Sam joined her friends in their pursuit of him.

It wasn't long before the chase led outside the base.

But James was faster than he looked, and judging by the discarded clothing found on the jungle floor, he would now be next to impossible to find.

"Where'd he go?!" Clover asked.

However, before they could even discuss that, a net ensnared the four and seconds later, they were suspended above the jungle canopy.

Apparently, they'd triggered one of the base's security measures.

"I can't believe how stupid I was to believe him!" Sam said in anguish. Then she turned to her friends. "I'm so sorry! You guys must totally hate me."

"We could never hate you, Sam," Sean reassured. Quite the opposite, in fact. But he kept that part to himself.

"It doesn't matter that you were a total, unbearable jerk, Sammy," Clover added.

"Yeah," Alex said. "We still love you, no matter how lame you acted."

Sam grit her teeth.

"I'd love to get back at that weasel," she said.

"Then let's get out of this net," Sean said. "And get to Washington D.C ASAP!"

"I'll have us out of here in a jif!" Alex said happily, pulling yet another nail file out of her hair.

"How many of those things do you have?" Clover asked.

Sean wondered the same thing. But it didn't matter as in mere seconds, Alex had cut them free, sending them tumbling to the ground.


White House-3:17 AM

All was quiet on the South Lawn, as the spies approached the fence surrounding the large building that had been famous for being the home of the President of the United States since 1800.

The silence, however was broken by the loud noise of helicopter rotors above them.

Sam looked up the see the source of the sound: a large, black helicopter.

"That's one of the military base choppers!" she alerted.

"James must inside already!" Sean realized.

The helicopter disappeared over the roof when Alex pointed out a problem.

"How are we gonna get over this fence without alerting the Secret Service?"

In response, Clover took out four pink eyelash curlers.

"All aboard the Eyelash Curler Catapult!" she exclaimed.


Moments later, the spies attached the heels of their boots to a curler, allowing the springs inside to propel them upward and leap over the fence without the security cameras noticing anything.


"Now," Sam whispered once they were inside, looking down the long dark hallway filled with portraits of previous presidents and doors that led to rooms that probably hadn't been used in years.

"How're we gonna find James? He could be anywhere."

"Our best bet is to find the president," Sean said.

Since James' goal was to kidnap him, it was logical that sooner or later, he would make himself known around the man, invisible or not.

"Shh!" Alex whispered harshly. "Someone's coming."

And true enough, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway.

They each ducked behind a curtain along the side of the wall.

A lone Secret Service agent, making his rounds, materialized around a corner, passed the curtain the spies were hiding behind, and disappeared behind the next turn at the end of the hall.

When the sounds of his footsteps faded, the spies peeked their heads out from behind the curtain.

"Close one," Clover whispered.

"Look!" Alex exclaimed pointing to something on the floor.

Sean followed her gaze, and he could see what got her so excited.

Footprints.

He looked at them closely. Whoever made them was barefoot, and had apparently stepped in something wet enough to leave prints.

Nodding in agreement, the spies followed them.

But the trail didn't last very long and came to a stop behind a another set of curtains.

"That's weird," Sam said. "The footprints just stop."

That was when the curtain came loose... without any wind blowing at all. It had been thrown.

The spies exclaimed as they heard the sound of footsteps run down the hallway.

"It's James!" Sean exclaimed, as they all took off after him.

Thinking fast, Sam threw the curtain over him, trying to find some way to make him visible.

James didn't try to throw the curtain off, at least, not at first. And this allowed the spies to chase after him more efficiently.

Unfortunately, it also caught the attention of a Secret Service agent who noticed four teenagers chasing after a floating curtain.

He wasn't sure what the other thing was, but he knew that the White House had been infiltrated.

"Security breach in the West Wing," he said into a walkie talkie.


The doors to the kitchen flew open, and the invisible criminal threw off the curtain that exposed his whereabouts.

Seconds later, the spies ran in. And since the curtain was on the floor, they knew that finding James was going to be harder.

"Where'd he go?!" Alex asked.

Then Sean heard the sound of footsteps off to his right.

Grabbing a bowl of flour from a nearby table, he threw it in the direction the sound was coming from.

True enough, the flour made contact with James' invisible form, showing the outline of his upper body and face.

Moving quickly, he jumped over two garbage cans, knocking them to the floor.

"Out of my way!" he grunted.

And he was out of the kitchen before the spies could even grab him.


The spies followed the flour-filled footprints back into the hall... only to come face to face with two Secret Service agents.

"Not so fast!" one of them said, as he and his partner moved to restrain them.

But Alex punched one against a nearby wall while Clover threw the other backwards, sending him colliding with the floor in a limp mass of muscle and bone.

"Sorry," Clover apologized. "But we're the good guys!"

Sam looked back and saw that there were more Secret Service agents converging in their direction.

"Split up!" she instructed her teammates. "We've gotta find him before he gets to the president!"


Sam snuck down another hallway. She didn't know how long was searching for James, but by her estimate, it couldn't have been any longer than fifteen minutes.

She was beginning to think the others might be having better luck when she heard the sound of rushing water coming from an open door.

Peeking inside, she saw that it was a bathroom. And the shower was running. But even though no one seemed to be under it, she could still see the water land on... something in the air.

No, she realized. Not something. Someone.

It all made sense to her: James was trying to wash the flour off of him.

However, she made the mistake of opening the door to forcefully, alerting him to her presence.

She grunted in frustration.

"Get back here!" she called after him as he fled.

James had just made it to the door when he bumped into Clover and Alex, each holding a fire extinguisher.

Pressing the triggers, they each fired a stream of foam at him.

"There you are you little-" Clover was about to say, but was cut off by the sound of glass breaking.

She wondered what that was about until she heard the fire alarms above them. And felt the cascade of water coming down from the ceiling, washing away the extinguisher foam from James' body.

Throwing their fire extinguishers aside, Alex and Clover were left with no other choice but to follow the sound of his wet footsteps.

As they continued down the hall, another door open, letting Sam out.

"Which way did he go?!" she asked her friends.

"I don't know!" Clover exclaimed in frustration.

Just then, the sound of guns cocking, along with Alex gasping, stopped their pursuit of James.

All around them were Secret Service agents.


Meanwhile, in another wing of the building, Sean looked into a dark, spacious bedroom.

Judging by the way everything was neatly kept, this had to be the president's room. And therefore, it was the ideal place James would strike next.

Unfortunately, he couldn't turn on a light to make sure without attracting attention. And even if he could find James, fighting him was a different story. How could he fight someone he couldn't see?

"Wait a minute," he said, remembering. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out the pair of HIGGS Jerry had given him back at W.O.O.H.P.

Putting them on, he scanned the room. True to what Jerry had said, the goggles allowed him to see heat signatures in the room, including his own.

And the remnants of a heat signature on the massive, king sized bed off to the right.

"Oh, no!" he exclaimed to himself. "Where's the president?!"

"Right here with me!" a familiar voice said. And Sean didn't need to see him to know who it was.

Through the goggles, James appeared as a mass of body heat. And front of him was a middle-aged man with white hair, glasses, and wore a purple house robe.

The president, obviously.

"Let him go, James!" Sean warned. "You'll never make it out of here!"

James scoffed.

"If you really believe that, you're just as pathetic as Sam!"

"You're the pathetic one!" Sean retorted. "I mean, look at yourself. You're hiding behind an invisibility formula so you don't have worry about dodging!"

James said nothing as Sean surveyed the situation.

Even with these goggles, he thought. I can't hit him without risking hurting the president!

Left with no other option, he stood still, waiting for an opening.

"Oh, by they way," James said tauntingly. "I see the way you look at me. Your little friends just want to take me to jail. But you? You look ready to kill me. Why is that, I wonder?"

Sean grit his teeth, eyes burning with hate.

"Oh," James caught on. "I see. You like Sam, don't you? Well, you can have her. Figures she'd attract someone so weak."

Disregarding all sense of caution, Sean leapt into the air, preparing to deliver a kick to James' face. But he simply moved out of the way, sending the other boy colliding with the opposite wall.

"Now, where were we?" James asked himself. "Oh, yes."

He held up the bottle of the invisibility formula to the president's mouth.

"Open wide, Mr. President."

No matter how much the older man protested, James was able to force the remaining liquid down his throat, turning him as invisible as he was.

"No!" Sean shouted, looking back at the scene.

Once the president could no longer be seen, James shoved the man's robe off, and broke the window of the bedroom.

Through the goggles, Sean could see them leap out onto the lawn.


"Who are you?" the Chief of White House Security asked for what had to be the hundredth time that night. "And why did you break into the White House?"

"We told you!" Alex exclaimed, struggling against her handcuffs. "We're from W.O.O.H.P! We're trying to stop a kidnapping attempt on the president!"

After being apprehended, the girls had been placed in cuffs and seated on the floor with their backs against each other. And they had been relentlessly grilled by the Secret Service for what felt like hours.

"More like trying to kidnap the president yourselves," one agent hypothesized. "Now tell us where your other accomplice is!"

He pounded his fists for emphasis.

"He's probably chasing James!" Clover broke in. "Sam's evil invisible boyfriend!"

"That's evil invisible ex-boyfriend!" Sam corrected.

The two men questioning them understandably had trouble believing the story. But before anyone could explore the issue further, the Chief of Security's earpiece buzzed with activity.

"The president is missing!" the voice of Secret Service agent said. "Repeat! The president is missing!"

He nodded in determination.

"Don't let these three out of your sight," he instructed his companion before running off.


"Get into the chopper!" James shouted as he shoved the invisible president inside one of the helicopters parked on the South Lawn.

Sean arrived down the steps of the building too late to stop him from taking off. But not too late, perhaps, to go after him.

Hopping into another helicopter, he found the switch to start the engines and flipped it.

As he gripped the yoke to go levitate upward, he found himself grateful that while James was invisible, his vehicle wasn't.

It didn't take James to long to see that he was being followed, and turned the chopper around to face Sean's. And then fired the helicopter's missiles at him.

Maneuvering fast, Sean evaded the missiles then just barely touched the trigger for his own.

Of course, he was so busy with his dogfight with James that he didn't notice the missiles hit the side of the White House, leaving a gaping hole in the wall, disorienting the Secret Service agent monitoring Sam, Alex, and Clover, and giving the girls a chance to escape.

"Shall we?" Sam asked.

"After you," Clover replied. And with that, all three leapt down to the South Lawn.


In his own helicopter, Sean carefully had James in his line of fire.

"I'll teach you to mess with Sam's feelings!" he shouted. And he fired the missiles... only for James to dodge them and they exploded somewhere over the National Mall.

"Right," he said, embarrassed. "I forgot. He can dodge too."

"Is that the best you can do?!" James taunted over the radio.

Sean narrowed his eyes.

"Not even close!"

Just then, James' helicopter began to pick up speed.

Since the missiles proved to be unreliable, Sean could only think of one other option.

"Well, Sean," he said to himself. "Any last words?"

After thinking carefully, it came to him.

"Yeah. I really wish I had a better idea than this!"

He flew forward, aiming the front at James' rear.

As he caught up, he collided the nose of his chopper with the back rotor of James'.

The rotor shattered into a million tiny pieces of metal.

Just as he expected, the helicopter spiraled out of control, crashing into the North Lawn fountain.

That was when another helicopter landed on the scene, this one with the W.O.O.H.P logo painted on the side.

As Sean landed his, he put the goggles back on and rushed to the scene of the crash.

Through the body heat signature, he could see James trying to sneak away.

"Oh, no you don't!" he shouted, jumping into the fountain himself.

Caught by surprise, James didn't have time to react when Sean's foot connected with with his groin.

Invisibility didn't stop pain, apparently, since James was doubled over in agony by the other boy's relatively simple attack.

"I've been waiting to do that all day," Sean said to himself, satisfied.

That low blow, however, only seemed to have made James angry, as he was about to charge at Sean.

So, Sean considered himself lucky that help arrived in the form of Sam, Alex, and Clover, who were all wearing the same type of goggles as he.

They tackled him into the fountain, but he broke free. His chances of escape were rendered zero, however, after Sam grabbed his ankle and flung him backward into the water.

After another short struggle, the four spies were finally able to restrain him. And not a minute too soon, for at that point, walking toward them, was Jerry, who held a small test tube of blue fluid.

Putting on the same pair of goggles as his agents, he waded into the fountain.

"Hold him," he instructed. "While I administer the serum."

The spies did as ordered. And Jerry allowed the liquid to trickle down James' throat. Within a minute or so, he was visible again.


About fifteen minutes later, Jerry had explained the situation to the president after administering the antidote to him as well, mostly so his best agents could avoid time in federal prison.

"Thanks for saving the president," the Chief of Security apologized while cuffing a soaking wet, now clothed James. "Oh, and sorry about the handcuffs."

But the spies took little notice of his words, instead focusing on a defeated and thoroughly humiliated James.

"Now who's pathetic, sweetie?" Sam asked mockingly. "Take him away, boys."

As James was led away, Jerry turned to the spies with pride on his face.

"Nice work, spies," he congratulated. "Now, I've got this other mission I need you to get on right away."

But the spies, however, had other ideas.

"Sorry, Jer," Sean apologized. "We plan on... disappearing for the weekend."

And with that, they hopped into the helicopter.

"Catch you later!" Clover called out.

Though disappointed, Jerry just smiled as the helicopter rose up and disappeared into the night.


Once again, it was a sunny day in Beverly Hills. To celebrate their latest mission, Sam proposed that they head to the pool that Saturday.

As the three girls sat on collapsible lawn chairs, catching the rays of the sun, Sam lifted her glass fruit punch.

"Here's to never letting anything get in the way of our friendship again," she said.

"Especially not a boy," Clover added.

"From now on," Alex announced. "It's all about togetherness."

Sam smiled before she and the girls clinked their glasses together.

"Deal!" they all said at once as a ball coming from the direction of the pool collided with their hands and caused them to spill their drinks.

Looking in front of them, they examined the pool for the origin of the ball.

"Oops!" a young male voice called out in a Scottish accent. "Sorry, my fault!"

The voice came from one of two young men with dark skin and long dark hair. Identical twins, if Sam had to guess.

But the only thing about them that Clover and Alex noticed was that they were very easy on the eyes.

"Hey!" she shouted as they got up and prepared themselves to jump in. "Where are you going?!"

Alex and Clover didn't seem to hear her, as they already splashed down and swam toward the two brothers to return their ball... and possibly join them for a game with it.

"Hello?!" Sam called out to them, but to no avail. "Oh, well. So much for togetherness."

That was when the water beneath her began ripple slightly.

Taking a deep exhale, Sean slicked his wet hair back as he surfaced.

"Okay," he said. "I've gotta admit, this is probably the most time you've spent with us all week."

Then he looked at the empty chairs beside Sam.

"Uh, where are Clover and Alex?"

In answer, Sam gestured to the two girls now caught up in a game of volleyball with the two Scottish boys.

Sean looked back and saw the very familiar scene.

"I know what you're gonna say," Sam sighed with chagrin. "I deserve this for not spending enough time with you guys."

"No," Sean denied. "That's not what I was gonna say. I really just wanted to say I'm sorry things didn't work out with James."

Sam smiled. "Thanks. You're sweet."

Sean tried hide himself underwater even further to conceal his blush.

But she didn't seem to notice either way.

"You know," she continued. "Even if he wasn't the one, I'm sure the right guy for me is out there somewhere."

"Uh," Sean stuttered, rising his cheeks up above the water line. "Yeah. I think you're right."

And maybe closer than you think, he thought.

Of course, after this incident, it would probably be a while before she opened herself up to the possibility of dating again.

And now matter how perfect the opportunity was, now matter how much he wanted it, he knew it just wouldn't be right to ask her out so soon after a breakup.

But then again, it didn't have to be a date, per se.

Sean thought back to the words he shared with his mother.

The smallest action can say a lot more than a sentence, she'd told him.

Then he remembered the conversation with Clover at the mall.

It doesn't have to be all at once.

Well, he reasoned. A small step was better than no step at all.

"Sam?" he plucked up the courage to ask.

She turned her head to face him as he climbed out of the pool.

"Would you like to go out for a chai latte sometime? Just the two of us?"

"Um," Sam stumbled, as Sean became very self conscious about the whole situation. Then again, what introverted teenage boy wouldn't be?

Still, he wasn't pleasantly surprised by her answer.

"Sure. How about tonight?"

"I'll meet you at the mall at 7:00," he said, suddenly aware of her staring at him. Hoping to avoid making the scenario any more awkward, he dived back into the pool.

If he had stayed on the surface any longer, he would have noticed that a blush appeared on her face that rivaled his, particularly when she thought of him soaking wet from the pool and the sunlight reflecting in the water droplets that had settled on his... admittedly well sculpted washboard stomach.

Taking a long sip of what was left of her drink, Sam put it out of her mind.

"What is wrong with me?" she asked herself. "He's just a friend."

Wasn't he?

I'm not gonna lie, I was smiling throughout most of this chapter. In fact, I could not stop grinning when I wrote the very last scene of it.

Yeah, this was pretty my favorite episode to adapt so far. And before any of you ask, no, Sam hasn't developed feelings for Sean yet. She does have a slight attraction to him, but it's not the same thing. These two still have a long way to go.

Anyway, I was hoping to get this chapter finished before the end of the year. And it looks like I've done it.

Well, look forward to more chapters in the future.

And Merry Christmas to all my readers! Consider this my gift to you.