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Mary wasn't sure how she end up in that situation, it was probably a mix of teenager rebellion plus a dumb attraction to bad boys. But now she had to face the consequences of her own actions, and this is not something that she ever done before.
Nathan was not a bad husband, he buy her clothes and jewelry, and once he kill a man who made some disgusting comment about her legs. They would go to fancy dinners and travel to places her family never allowed before. So she can deal with her husband bad side, really, she already saw worse and he would never really lay a hand on her.
But this was before Nathaniel.
Mary never felt so much love towards anyone else, all the people in her life was there because she wanted something from them, but the little baby in her arms? She didn't wanted anything from him other than his happiness.
Mary swears she would tear the world apart if someone try to hurt her kid. She was a Hartford, and she knows exactly how to protect her family.
Nathaniel was the sweetest kid, he would say funny things and make everyone laugh, he would always realize when someone was feeling bad, and then would make anything to lift their humor. Everyone loved the kid.
Everyone but Nathan.
The man never went to Nathaniel nursery's, never played with him or held him. Mary didn't insisted either, because she was starting to get scared of her husband with too much blood on his hands, and she wanted to keep her child clean for as long as possible.
Kayleigh Day was an incognita to her, Mary though, for a long time, that she was a liar. Someone so close to the Moriyamas couldn't be that nice, and also, the woman have no clue what really happened in that family. For her, it's all about playing that stickball game. Mary kinda hate her for her nice life, but she had a small kid around the same age of Nathaniel, so she went to her house once or twice per week to let him play.
Kayleigh was the one who notice the bruise on Nathaniel's arms, Mary felt like shit, but in that morning, Lola was the one who changed him, per Nathan's request that Mary help him with some papers.
"Darling, who made this on the kid?" Kayleigh was not stupid, she already saw similar bruises on Mary's arm.
But oh, Mary was so damn furious. How dare Nathan touch her son with something other than love and adoration? How dare Nathan hurt someone so good and pure as her son?
Mary was not a good person, she didn't give a shit about the people that Nathan or her family killed, the people she killed. Mary was a monster just like the rest of them. But Nathaniel would grow up safe, and he would be a better person than the rest of them, and Mary would make sure of this even if it was the last thing she did.
...
Wasn't that difficult to convince Kayleigh to help her, the woman was too nice to her own good.
"I owe you one." she said the day before her flight to Germany.
"You owe me nothing." Day had a sleeping Kevin on her arms, she loved the kid just as much Mary loved hers, and with that she could relate to. "Your and Nathaniel's safety is all that matter to me."
But Mary didn't know how someone would help others without expecting something in return, no, she was too broken too understand something as silly as friendship, so she keep her promise, she has a debt with Kayleigh Day.
The house in Germany was a shit place, Nathaniel cried a lot because of the sudden temperature change, no one knew they are there and Mary felt miserable everyday. But everyday that Nathaniel didn't wake up with a new bruise on his arm was worth it.
It took almost five years to her get back on her feet and accept Stuart's help. By the time she make it back to the USA, Kayleigh Day was dead for almost a year.
"Mom, where you're going?" Nathaniel was sitting on the hotel's floor, playing with some toys they bought on airport.
How do you say to your kid you're going to kill his father and become the new
Butcher of Baltimore so they don't have to run or hide anymore?
"I have a meeting, darling." Her men are already in the parking lot, waiting for her. "You stay here, okay? Diana will take care of you."
Diana was her fifteen year old cousin, she was a little troublemaker with a smart mouth and a obsession with that game Kayleigh used to play. She was also the only person that Mary trust to take care of Nathaniel.
"We can watch the exy game tonight, what do you think, Nate?" Diana had a bag full of candies, the remote control of the huge television on their room, a knife and a gun hide under her clothes and some money. They would be fine.
"I'm going now, dear."
"Good luck, mom!" Nathaniel shouts, already too focuses on whatever Diana was showing him now.
Mary took some time to look at her son, with the auburn hair and the blue eyes, he was so alike Nathan, but everytime she looked at him, all she saw was the boy she would die and kill for.
...
Kill Nathan wasn't that easy or clean, after all the mess, she ended up laying on the floor of her old Baltimore house, cover up in blood. Her men moving the bodies to the basement where they would make sure no one finds it.
Once Mary had the permission of the Moryamas to kill Nathan, she started to organize everything, her husband had become too sloppy in his eager to find them. Kengo was worried he would end up doing some reckless thing that would spill in his family.
"If you kill him, you can take his place and work for me. You and your son will only be safe that way." He said.
So here she is, feeling in a bad movie, cover up on blood of Nathan, Lola, and some other guys she didn't care enough to know their names. Stuart was looking at her with a proud smile, but all she wanted to do was talk to her son.
"You think you can take care of everything here?" She asked, already on the door.
"Yeah, I can. Go hug your boy, sister."
Mary needed a shower first, and a change of clothes. Tomorrow she would be the new butcher, but today she was only a woman who would tear the world apart to protect her son.
.....
When she get back to the hotel, Diana was laying on the bed, with an towel on her face, Mary could see some blood on her shirt and was about to start screaming when Nathaniel get out of the bathroom, looking very fine.
"What the hell happened?"
Diana look at her, there's a ugly cut on her face that for sure would leave a scar.
"We were playing, the knife slip up from my trousers and Nathaniel though it was a fake knife. He throw it at me. It's okay, didn't hurt that much."
Mary looked at her son, he seems a little sorry but not that much.
"Are you mad at me?" The six year old boy asked, a little unsure.
"Well, you can't throw up knifes like that, okay?"
"I'm sorry, I will not do this anymore." The kid promises, and he seems very serious.
Mary finally fall on her knees to hug her kid, they are safe now, everything would be okay.
"Mom?" Nathaniel whisper, hugging her back. "I want to play exy. Can I?"
Mary kissed his temple, looking at his beautiful blue eyes, full of life, for a moment.
"Darling, you can do whatever you want to do now. And I'll be right here all the time."