Whaddup yo!

A new story for a new year?

This could be the start of something new. I was fishing around in my idea folder when I found it and decided to write it on a whim. AN at the bottom! See you there if you make it that far :D

Note: This is NOT my Christmas fic. That is way longer and a full story! This is just a possible beginning! :D

Disclaimer: TS DOES NOT BELONG TO ME YET BUT I'M WORKING ON IT. (NO I AM NOT BUT LET ME DREAM OKAY?)

"Sooo … have you thought about it yet?!"

A 25-year old Samantha Simpson quietly closed the bedroom door before shooting her best friend an annoyed glance from over her shoulder to keep it down before repeating what she'd said to her not even ten minutes ago.

"I already told you I'm tired tonight. I was running around all day and I just want to have some tea and read a nice book before I go to bed."

Clover Ewing rolled her blue eyes at Sam's evening plans which were so completely dull. Especially on a Friday night. For a moment she didn't say anything as she stood there remembering the past. Five years ago back when Sam and Alex and her used to be so carefree and spent nearly every night out on the town, dancing, partying, and meeting cute guys…

Until everything changed due to one of those parties.

A frown formed on her face as a familiar feeling of guilt started to gnaw away at her insides. Even if Sam never expressed it, never said it with her own lips that she held her in any way responsible for how things had ended up … she still felt she'd played a big part in it.

Her eyes wandered around Sam's small rented flat and she only felt worse. Once upon a time Sam had had so many dreams, so much insane potential and it had all amounted to nothing. And … it was her fault. And that was why she couldn't just leave Sam alone like so many others in her life had. She couldn't abandon her like her father had. Cut her off like most of her family had.

She knew she was suffering, she knew she deserved better than this, and she knew someone had to get her to see that.

"Please Sammie?" She urged again, watching the redhead as she moved around the cramped living room tidying up and putting laundry in a hamper to deal with later. All she wanted was for her to take a little bit of time to have some fun for once. "I promise this one is good! You'll really like him!"

Sam tensed up the moment she heard her say that. Here was Clover once again trying to coax her into going on a date. Into meeting another guy. She didn't face the blonde as she tucked a loose strand of her shoulder-length, red hair behind her ear, just a remainder of the waist length waves she'd once possessed that hadn't been unable to keep up with the hectic turn her life had taken and tried to keep control over herself. Just what would it take for Clover to understand that she had one, no interest in dating right now and two, no time whatsoever to go frolicking like she once did?

Her life was no longer what it once used to be, she thought as she picked up a stuffed rabbit toy from the carpet, tenderly tracing her fingers into its white fur before moving to put where it belonged. As hard as it had been she'd move on, grown up and accepted that, why couldn't Clover do the same?

"Clover…" She started to say tiredly, hoping she'd take a hint. She'd already forced her to go on so many dates and none of them ever led to anything but her feeling letdown over and over again. She was sick of it. But Clover didn't seem to consider that as she came over to where she stood with her phone out and a picture pulled up for her to see.

"His name is Nathan, he's 30 years old and a corporate lawyer," She summarized as she showed her the image of a black-haired, average built, blue-eyed man. "He's just your type."

Sam tried not to but found herself looking at the photograph. He was kind of cute and had to be smart to be in law. But did she really want to set herself up for this? Again? She hadn't forgotten yet and honestly never would forget the last time she'd thought a guy was perfect for her nor the huge price she'd ended up paying for it.

"I dunno Clover," She fidgeted balancing her basket before her eyes glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's already 9:30 and you set the date up for 10 pm. There is no way I'll even make it in time. Just cancel it okay?" She said dismissively and moved to walk past Clover but she grabbed her shoulder and stopped her.

"I'll help you get ready," she insisted. Watching Sam open her mouth to give her her favourite excuse she held up a hand to tell her that was taken care of too. She'd come prepared. "And I've got no plans tonight so I'll be staying put right here."

Sam slumped her shoulders and felt her resolve breaking down. As much as she didn't feel like doing this, the fact that Clover had cleared her busy schedule just to make this possible for her was super touching. And she knew she couldn't say no now because if she did she'd be hurting her feelings.

Slowly nodding to say okay she smiled at the hyper squeal of joy that left the blonde who immediately hugged her and thanked her a hundred times for saying yes.

Sam hugged her back tightly, her friend and sister while wondering to herself what was the harm in doing this really. At best, she'd make a genuine connection with a guy tonight for the first time since that night. At worst, the date would be a total bust like she was now used to.

With nothing else to really worry about she soon found herself putting on a pretty dress, some flattering jewellery, and light makeup before hopping into a cab and heading towards the upscale restaurant Clover had mentioned to meet her date.

A tall, luridly handsome man dressed in a dark black trench coat sat down at the restaurant bar and asked for a sour whiskey on the rocks. Receiving his drink moments later he took a long sip and swallowed it down while glancing at his expensive watch wondering how long he'd have to wait for his friend to show up. They had important business to discuss and he didn't like to be kept waiting.

He sent another text to him before turning over on the wooden stool he sat on to look around while he passed the time. The place was packed to absolute capacity and he smiled to see that business was booming primarily because he had a huge stake in it.

Bored he found himself surveying the restaurant's patrons this evening. There were mostly couples, both young and old out on romantic dates. In fact every table had two people seated, smiling, holding hands and gazing into the others' eyes lovingly … save for one.

His eyes zeroed in on the young, slender yet curvaceous woman who sat at a table in the center. She appeared nervous as she kept checking her reflection in her compact mirror and adjusting her necklace so that it sat perfectly across the sweetheart neckline of her strapless gown. The dress she wore was red and he couldn't help but mentally commend her choice because one, it was his favourite color next to only black and two, she looked amazing in it. The dark shade contrasted wonderfully against her pale, porcelain skin and made her emerald eyes sparkle like two diamonds.

Wait a minute….

Suddenly he found himself taking a closer look at her, his eyes peeled and the moment he did, he felt his jaw drop because he recognized her. In fact the only reason he hadn't done so straightway was because she'd cut her signature, flowing, long, crimson locks.

"Samantha Simpson?" Tim Scam whispered under his breath in total shock. The last time he'd seen her had been years ago when she was still working for WOOHP. It had come as quite the surprise to him when she'd stopped appearing on missions yet he'd never found out what had made her give up her spy career. Rumour among the jail cells had been that something had happened in her personal life that made being a super spy no longer viable. That curiosity had always stayed in the back of his mind as to just what had made her retire so young from something she was so passionate about namely saving the world from people like him.

He smirked slightly a feeling of nostalgia coming over him as he remembered those days when he'd been running around causing havoc and destruction just because he could and how often she'd be the one to thwart his plans. After she'd left half the fun of being a thorn in Jerry's side had gone with her and it only got progressively uninteresting as her other friends had eventually quit as well.

Shockingly he'd also then decided to give up his criminal lifestyle, cutting a deal with his former boss and earning his freedom within the next two years. He'd then turned his focus on building an empire for himself, using his energy and talents on amassing wealth instead of adding to his body count.

And the effort had paid off. He'd done well, now lived a luxurious life, and as he sat there basking in it he wondered how things had worked out for his former foe. And before he could stop himself he found himself walking over to where she sat unsuspecting at her table.

Sam, who had been busied with texting Clover asking why her date wasn't here yet and if she'd been stood up or something stopped dead when she thought she heard a familiar voice coming from nearby.

"…Imagine running into you here."

Her blood ran cold as her head shot up and she gasped when she saw the speaker. There he stood smirking at her with the devilish smirk she still remembered despite not seeing it or its owner in years. It hadn't changed and neither had he even though he had to be in his mid thirties by now. He was still annoying good-looking, still had his cropped brown hair, bronze-tanned skin, and too pretty for a guy and especially for a baddie sea foam eyes that twinkled with nothing but mischief and intent.

"T-Tim Scam?!" She half stuttered and half squeaked almost passing out as his smirk grew even larger at the sight of her petrified face.

"The one and only," he replied smoothly, giving her a wink coupled with a little bow and for some reason she felt herself blushing at the way he'd said that, like he was some celebrity she was freaking out at running into by some lucky chance before she cleared her throat and quickly gained control on herself.

"What are YOU doing here?!" She snapped, glowering at him.

Of all the people to show up on her first date in a week it just HAD to be him didn't it? This was just another reminder from the universe that her life was shit and he'd shown up to make it even shittier.

"This is my friend's restaurant," He shrugged at her harmlessly and she had to bite her tongue hard to keep from asking him if he was serious. He had friends?! The Tim Scam she remembered was a dangerous felon, a nomad whose only companion was the havoc he wreaked daily on the lives of innocent people just for his own twisted kicks.

For a moment she flashed back to her former life, unable to stop herself as she remembered the days when she was a valiant spy helping to take down criminals just like him. And she found herself frowning at that cruel reminder of something that no longer was and never would be again. Then why was he here to dig up her forgotten past with his unwelcome presence? Wait, he'd said that this was his friend's restaurant? She felt a groan escape her. What were the odds?

"If I'd known that you had anything to do with this place…" She said through gritted teeth, smiling fake and wide to mask her panic from him. "I'd never have set foot here." She then proceeded to eye her ice water, the only thing she'd touched while waiting for her date suspiciously and he chuckled watching her do that. It amused him that after so much time she was still programmed to be critical of him even if she really had no reason to anymore.

Seeing how she was actually peering into the glass so cautiously as if looking for a trace of something he might have snuck in to harm her now he rolled his eyes, crossed his arms over his chest and muttered. "Oh come on, don't you remember me at all? Any poison I'd use would be undetectable and instant."

"…" Sam's attention was pulled back to his face and for a second she saw him, saw exactly the Tim Scam she remembered before he disappeared the second he started laughing at her sour face. And she honestly didn't know what to make of him of all men being so … chill with her. Had he gotten amnesia and didn't remember who or what he used to be? No that didn't make any sense. Based on his last words he remembered his past full well but then why was he being like this? Being so frightfully jovial? So … normal?

She realized her curiosity over Scam would have to wait as she finally saw her date appear among the crowd.

"Well this has been just…. wonderful," she said and Scam couldn't help but find the biting sarcasm in her overly sweet tone to be sort of attractive. Where was the polite, cordial girl he'd once known? This Sam seemed to have a hard edge to her. He honestly kinda dug it.

"But my date is here so …" Realizing she was telling him to take a hike he stood there for a moment feeling almost bummed out that he had to leave her alone so soon but obliged and told her to have a good night, his polite goodbye leaving her stunned as he walked away and took his perch back at the bar.

But throughout her date he couldn't help but keep staring at her. He'd always found Sam to be pretty, he'd have been blind not to think so but while she'd been cute back then, now she was beautiful having matured in a fully grown woman. The years had only been kinder to her looks and in his humble opinion she was easily the most stunning woman here tonight and as such he couldn't tear his gaze away from her despite trying several times to look at another face.

So when he saw her date get up and leave so soon after arriving, wishing her goodnight as he did so, he found himself helplessly returning to her.

"So ..." Scam whispered returning to her table as he watched her date exit the restaurant barely fifteen minutes later. "Not the love at first sight you were hoping for huh?"

A brief laugh left her red glossed lips, pretending to be unbothered but unmistakably bitter as her emerald gaze bore daggers of accusation into Scam's turned back as she muttered more to herself than to him. "… Love at first sight has let me down before."

Realizing what she'd said she wanted to kick herself and just before he turned to look at her for an explanation she glanced down at the menu on the table to avoid his eyes. But she could feel them digging into her as she sat there and she started to wonder why she was still hanging around. Her date had ended, she should just get up and leave.

Reaching for her purse and standing up she was about to do just that when she heard his voice again saying something she'd never expected to hear.

"…You can talk to me you know?"

Her eyes wide at his suggestion she glanced at Scam to find him staring her at with an actual smile on his face. It was so friendly, warm and disarming like he truly was just an old acquaintance, a high school friend she'd bumped into who just wanted to catch up with her. His sociable demeanour had the effect of pouring ice water on her burns and she actually found herself slowly sitting back down and talking to him.

For the next long while she just sat there and gave him a rundown of her life since they'd last seen one another, leaving out some key components but giving him enough of a picture of it to understand why she'd been here tonight in this time and place.

"So you're still dreaming of a romance aren't you? That's why you started dating again," he said understanding that that had to be her reason to do so after taking as long of a break as she had from the dating scene. "It's why you came here tonight, to look for Mr. Right." Yet the way her date had gone it was clear that guy hadn't been what she'd been looking for at all.

"Honestly… no," Sam confessed sipping on her water again before sighing. "All I really wanted tonight was a break in the monotony, just a little time to not have to think about things so much." Her eyes were narrowed in thought as she reflected upon the rut her life truly was and how taxing it was on her. The three jobs she held down to pay her rent and the tiresome race she always seemed to be in to provide the other things she needed just to survive … it was a lot to deal with day in and day out even though she did her best to never complain about because she'd made her life what it was today.

"I just … I dunno," she whispered absentmindedly running her fingertip along the edge of her glass and doodling on the rim of it. "I wanted to have a good time with some guy and feel even a small connection with him. I… I didn't want a wedding proposal or something," she mumbled knowing she wasn't that unrealistic or ridiculous. "Just someone to have a nice evening with you know?" Sam shrugged and he couldn't help but notice how nice the candlelight looked highlighting her bare, sculpted shoulders.

Without realizing it Scam found himself moving a little closer towards her, something Sam didn't notice as she kept venting to him having lost any awareness of whom she was speaking to, just busied with just letting everything out, conveying all her frustrations to the ears that were listening to her so patiently.

"And maybe … share a kiss with him, " she mused sullenly not being able to even remember the last time she'd been kissed. "It's been so long since I was last kiss-"

She was still in the process of saying those words when she was cut off by Scam who suddenly leaned over and pressed his lips against hers … in a kiss.

Sam's breath caught in her throat as her eyes went wide. For a moment she sat there stiff from shock but slowly, very slowly her eyelids fluttered as she closed her eyes. Scam's hands passed through her hair, his muscular fingers playing with it teasingly before they moved to her face and gently caressed her cheeks in lingering circles while he tugged her towards him.

Heat pooled inside her stomach and before she knew it, she was melting into his kiss. It was so tender, so warm, so … incredible. A moan of satisfaction came from deep in her throat as she began to kiss him back.

Scam tensed a little at that forwardness from her. Fully in his embrace now she felt his muscles contract in reaction but then he recovered to kiss her harder. His mouth parted and he traced the tip of his tongue against the crevices of her lower lip asking for entry into her mouth and she surrendered it to him seconds later. His tongue lazily traced the outline of hers before her tongue twirled around his and led it into a rigorous dance inside the confines of their mouths. The once chaste kiss was now a spectacular and passionate make out session that turned heads into their direction.

But Sam saw no one else as she focused on this kiss and the way it made her feel. God it had been so long since she'd felt this way. Eager for more she found herself grabbing at Scam's broad shoulders and pulling him even closer to her, closer and closer while the moments ticked by.

Although they were both growing light-headed they didn't let each other go until they'd gotten their fill and when they did at last begin to pull apart, they did so in slow, reluctant pecks, each one softer and farther apart till they were finally too out of breath to go on any longer.

The kiss now over Sam slowly opened her eyes halfway, inhaling and exhaling hard while she stared back at the man who'd left her breathless. That kiss … had been amazing.

She stared at him speechlessly, her cheeks aflame and her lips still tingling from the unforgiving assault of his own as she saw how smoky, dark, and alluring his gaze was in this moment. His eyes were even more captivating in the dim lighting, so much so that she felt herself getting sucked into them like a moth helplessly drawn to a flame. And his expression proved that he could tell he was having that effect on her senses so of course he was left grunting in absolute shock when just seconds later she raised her hand and backhanded him right across his handsome face.

The sound of her slap echoed across the room and sliced through the soft music effectively putting a damper on the romantic atmosphere. She glared hard at him as he attempted to recover from the hit and found herself shaking, conveying that it was him she was angered at and not herself for enjoying what he'd done to her, for kissing him back, for feeling that spark she'd so long been longing to feel with someone.

Of all the men on this vast planet, out of every single one of the millions of them that existed … why did it have to be him? Why Tim Scam? Why? Why? Why? Why?!

She then shook her head and desperately convinced herself that no, she hadn't liked that kiss, she hadn't felt anything before, during, or after it but contempt, and her heart wasn't beating out of her chest right now. Now back to her senses she started angrily shouting at the man who sat there looking bewildered still processing what had just happened and rubbing his cheek from the impact of it.

"Who said you could kiss me?!" She spat in a disgusted manner. "Did you think I'd want a kiss from YOU of all men Scam? Really?! I'm not that desperate!" Standing up she tossed the napkin that had been spread across her lap down onto the tabletop with a huff as she grabbed her purse in one hand and shoved in her chair with the other. "I was just venting! I wasn't throwing myself a pity party and even if I was, I sure as hell didn't invite YOU to it!"

With that she ran out of the restaurant leaving Scam behind to deal with the gossipy whispers of the onlooking audience. Although still dazed from both the kiss (which he'd found incredible before she literally slapped the taste of it out of his mouth) and more so her igneous reaction to it, he got up on his feet and followed after her.

Sam was standing on the sidewalk trying to hail a cab while muttering to herself under her breath, still in total disbelief at what had taken place tonight. "The nerve of that guy!" She ranted fully ignoring her part in what had happened. "How dare he?!"

A taxi was just about nearing her when she gasped feeling her wrist being grabbed from behind. And before she could even react she was dragged off her heels and into a nearby alleyway. Feeling her back collide against a brick wall and a strong, studly, male body pinning her to it hard, Sam immediately lifted her leg to kick him in the crotch only to be stopped with ease.

And when she saw the telltale, deep, sea green eyes glaring at her warningly she realized why she wasn't being able to get herself out of his hold so quickly. It was Tim Scam and he didn't look thrilled.

"Okay, what's your problem?!" He hissed right into her face like a wounded snake.

Sam looked back at him silently and immediately noticed the mark on his cheek, the red hand-print that she'd left on it which was so dark that it could be seen even in the pitch blackness of the midnight hour that it now was. She hadn't realized she'd actually slapped him quite that hard but seeing what he'd done? She honestly didn't regret it.

"One second we're making out and in the next you slap me?" He barked at her. Uncomfortable with him bringing up something she was so desperate to forget Sam didn't engage the conversation and just demanded that he release her.

"Let me go," she ordered firmly.

"NO," he denied her request with an even firmer tone.

Annoyed she shot him a glare and spoke more menacingly, letting him know that if he didn't take his hands off her right this second then she would just make him. "I've got pepper spray in my purse Scam."

He didn't react to that bold threat in the way that she'd hoped and just gave her a half smirk only squishing her more with the weight of his strong body as he resisted the urge to burst out laughing.

Was she really that far gone that she was trying to scare him off with some pepper spray? Did she not remember who he was? Better yet had she forgotten who she was? The super spy? The trained fighter? It seemed that she had because the Samantha of the past would not be making such idle threats. No, she'd be kicking his ass right then and there.

Hearing her tell him to unhand her once more he shook his head, tightening the grip of his hands on her small wrists as he held them to the wall and growled at her darkly. "You slapped me!"

To which Sam said without missing a single beat. "You kissed me!" Accusingly and with a hot, acidic glare that practically screamed at him that he'd deserved it.

But instead of backing off he countered with four words that left her deeply ashamed. "…You kissed me BACK."

Sam averted his eyes, her face growing red from embarrassment. She stood there staring at the dirty cement ground for a few seconds and regaining her composure before she again demanded for him to let her go. She didn't want to have this conversation and no matter what it took she wasn't going to.

"Leave me alone!" She scowled at him while throwing her body around against the wall, frantically trying to remove his from on top of hers.

"Not until I get some answers!" He snapped leaving her limply twisting her wrists in a desperate attempt to break free from his grasp. Soon growing tired she screamed as loud as she could. She was done messing around. "LET ME GO NOW SCAM!"

But still he held onto her, refusing to let her escape from him.

"My daughter is waiting for me!" Sam finally burst out leaving his eyes to nearly pop from his sockets. His hold weakened then, a side effect of the monumental shock he experienced at her unexpected words and she took that second to push him off of her and run as fast as she could away from him.

She ran down the block before jumping into the taxi and taking off leaving Tim Scam standing there still in the alleyway with her words ringing violently in his ears.

"My daughter is waiting for me!"

"My daughter is waiting for me!"

"My daughter is waiting for me!"

And he realized right then that a lot more had happened to Sam Simpson in these missing years than she'd earlier revealed to him.

Sam was now … a mother.

Feels like a good stopping point so imma stop haha.

Sooooo… thoughts? On Sam? On Scam? On the kiss? On her kid? *wiggles eyebrows*

I know a lot happened in this chapter but that's probably because I was just writing off the top of my head. I kinda wanted to get up to this point so I kept writing till I got to it.

Will there be more? Should there be more? That's up to you guys!

If you read this, I'd love to hear from you guys! Review? ^-^

Thank you!

Cres