Mercy

It took her a moment but she managed to sit up, then hop off the counter and find her clothes. When she made her way to the bedroom, Sam was holding Everett in the chair near the window, looking outside. Everett was awake and looking up at Sam with his wide, dark eyes and curious stare.

Mercy had no idea what to say as she stood in the door on still wobbly legs. Finally, she spoke, unable to hide her blush. "Do I get to return the favor after I get him to sleep?" she asked as boldly as she could manage.

"No," he answered quickly. "I... it's alright, Miss Mercy. I enjoyed that in there, but I don't like it for me."

"You don't like blow jobs?" Mercy asked in amused confusion.

Sam swallowed hard and shifted slightly, turning more so Mercy couldn't see his face.

"I didn't mean to offend you..." she began.

"No! No, you didn't, not at all. Miss Mercy... I..." he hesitated as if searching for the right words, then he let out a long sigh. "You don't have to worry about me. At all. I will take care of my own needs, but I am very excited to see you kept pleased?"

"That doesn't sound very fair... what is it, Sam? You can tell me. We've been honest with each other, right? You don't have to be embarrassed if it's something... you know. I'll understand. An STD or something. Lots of people have HPV or..."

"No! No, it's nothing like that, I'm clean."

"Is it me?" she asked, confused. "Or..."

"No! No, Miss mercy, it isn't you, not really."

"Not really?"

Sam sighed, then stood and eased Everett into his bassinet before standing up straight facing away from Mercy. Unfastening his pants, he let them drop, then turned to face Mercy.

Mercy stared, her eyebrows climbing. "Holy shit, Sam!" she breathed, actually taking a step back. "That's... that thing is... wow. It's bigger than my forearm! Hell, I think it's bigger than my bicep! Wow..."

He was blushing, his face going more and more red until he finally tried to tuck it away. Mercy wondered how he kept it wrangled to begin with. "So you understand why we can't..." he began.

Mercy cut him off, moving closer as she smiled up at him. "Don't you DARE put that beautiful thing away! Yes... it may take some getting used to... but I am so excited at the thought of getting used to it! Jesus, you should be in the porn business," she breathed, pulling it out of his pants as she pushed him back to the bed. Forcing him to sit and then lay back, she looked at his face, so scared and hopeful at the same time.

She understood something else then as she looked at him.

"You knew. You knew from day one that sex was off the table with me, yet you stayed," she breathed, her heart aching. "You truly thought you'd never have sex again and you were fine with it..."

"I am," he agreed, sitting up to pull Mercy into a kiss.

Mercy pulled back, shaking her head. "Well you're full of shit, because this is going to happen! Maybe not today, or tomorrow... but we're going to start working up to this right now," she demanded, stroking his now half soft cock.

Leaning close, she kissed along the ridge of his cock and stroked him with both hands as he let out a breath of pleasure, going back on his elbows to watch her. Mercy turned so she could see his face and look him in the eye as she licked and kissed and stroked. His cheeks were red, but it was with need and not embarrassment, she knew he was getting close. His hands were in fists as he tensed, watching her as she stroked his thick cock with both hands.

Turning slightly, Mercy tried to put her mouth over the top of his cock, but it was so thick! She managed to work the tip in, but she couldn't really move, not without her teeth getting in the way. All she could do was hold the tip in her mouth and press with her tongue as her hands stoked him faster and faster.

"Ohhh!" he moaned softly, dropping back to his back as his hands shot out and gripped Mercy's hair. She felt his cock throb and pulse, then he was shooting cum into her throat as she moaned.

"Miss Mercy!" he panted, pulling her close to hug to his chest when she finally let him go.

Mercy smiled, pleased with herself as she snuggled into him. She felt happy and satisfied and so incredibly content.

Everett woke her with a jerk and Mercy lifted her head. She was on Sam's shoulder and he gave her a smoky smile as she looked down at him in wonder.

"Sorry I fell asleep," she breathed, hurrying to get up.

Sam sat up as well, grinning as he watched Mercy gather up Everett and change him, then sit down to feed him.

"I enjoyed it," he finally offered. "Feeling you go all languid and still, and comfortable enough to sleep on me. You need the rest anyway, you never rest very well. You always go all tense in your sleep and have bad dreams, you're very fitful. It was nice to feel you go completely calm for once."

Mercy peeked over at him, blushing as she realized she hadn't had a bad dream. She'd slept for a couple of hours at least and she couldn't recall a single dream, let alone a bad one. Trying to stifle another smile, she looked back down at Everett and stroked his cheek as he ate, his little eyes looking up at her with laser focus.

Sighing happily, she stared back, pleased she was sitting there with the two most important people in her life.

As soon as she laid Everett back down, Sam got up and hugged her close, kissing her jaw and squeezing her. "If I remember right, it's going to be nice tomorrow," he told her, his voice low.

"Maybe some rain," she told him with a happy sigh.

"Not till later. Can I take you on a picnic, Miss Mercy? At the waterfall? Pauline agreed to watch Everett for a couple of hours around lunch time?"

Mercy felt butterflies swarming her stomach as she bit her lip, trying not to grin. She knew. He was planning on proposing! She also knew she wanted to say yes. She was going to say yes.

"Alright," she agreed, rolling her shoulders.

Sam's smile was beautiful and his eyes shone as he hugged her close again. "Mmm, my sweet Miss Mercy," he rumbled. "I am starving! And I am feeling too lazy to cook just now, let's go over to the little diner?"

"Sure," she agreed, going over to brush her hair, still trying to stifle her excitement.

She was going to be married! To SAM! Perfect, sweet, wonderful Sam!

She didn't want to wait, she wanted to turn to him right then and say yes, she wanted to marry him and just leave right that very second.

She made herself wait, imagining he would someday want to tell their children about the day he proposed by the waterfall in a sleepy little backwards village.

The evening went that way, her trying not to grin every time she looked at him, and him watching her joyfully, knowing exactly what had her so incredibly happy.

He walked her home after dinner, but didn't come in, kissing her at the door, then leaning down close and kissing Everett on the head as well.

As soon as the door closed, Mercy burst out crying, emotion overwhelming her as she snuggled her little man and kissed him on the same spot Sam had kissed him. She adored that man so much!

When morning came, Mercy was entirely too excited, pulling out her nice dress though it wasn't quite THAT warm. Sam would keep her warm if she needed it! Sitting, she fixed her hair and make-up while holding and feeding Everett. This would be the first time away from him, even if it was only a couple of hours! She trusted Pauline though, and there was no one more qualified to babysit than her.

Sam was early, grinning like a boy as he came in and looked her over. "My Miss Mercy! You look especially lovely today!" he told her, catching her hand and bowing to kiss her fingers as she giggled. "And you look splendid as well, old boy," Sam told Everett, who stared up at him with wide eyes. "Are you ready, My Miss Mercy?" he asked, offering an arm.

"Yeah, I thought we were having a picnic?"

"Everything is already there! I was up early," he told her, giving her a conspiratorial wink. Mercy giggled and walked with him to Pauline's house.

Dropping off Everett was harder than she imagined, she even teared up as she walked away, looking back over her shoulder.

"We can bring him if you like," Sam offered gently.

"No, I know I have to do this. And it's only for a couple of hours, right?"

"It is, and he'll be safe and happy. He'll likely sleep the entire time since he just ate. Come now, Miss Mercy," he grinned, pulling her down the path at a faster pace.

Mercy laughed and jogged with him, trying to keep up. "What's the hurry?"

"You are," he told her happily. "We won't sit down for half an hour before you'll be wanting to go back and make sure he isn't hungry again or something else!"

Mercy smiled fondly and tried to keep up.

When they were almost there, the sky went dark and Mercy no sooner looked up than the sky opened up on them.

Letting out a shocked cry, she threw her hands up to try and hide from the downpour as Sam pulled his button down off and covered her with it. "Should we wait it out?" he yelled, hurrying her to a nearby tree.

"We can't be here!" she yelled. "Lightning! We have to get back!"

"Right," he nodded, then bent and picked Mercy up, tossing her over his shoulder as he took off at a sprint back towards town. He ignored the path and cut through the trees as Mercy laughed and shivered and held on to him.

Ducking into the bed and breakfast near where they came out of the woods at, Sam finally set her down and led her to his room as they both laughed. Mercy hadn't been in his room before, he'd always come to her apartment. It was tidy and full, suitcases stacked along the wall. His desk was a bit cluttered, full of folders and papers and his laptop was sitting open on a stack of papers. It was the only messy part of the room, even his bed was made.

Still laughing, Sam hurried and grabbed a towel for Mercy, then one for himself before going to his suitcases. "You can change into this and let our clothes dry," he offered, tossing a t-shirt on the bed. "I will dry off and change in the bathroom," he grinned, taking his clothes into the little bathroom and shutting the door.

Mercy pulled her dress off and dried off before pulling the t-shirt on, then wrapped in a blanket as well before sitting down in the chair at his desk to wait for him. She didn't want to be on the bed, he might get the wrong idea.

Looking down, her eyes caught on one of the papers and a name. 'Yuon Kimuru'.

Frowning, she turned and pulled the paper out, easing it out from under the laptop. Immediately, the laptop woke and Mercy stared at it. At Keen.

Aikeen Murakami.

It was an FBI file on him.

Sam came out, drying his hair, then he went still as his eyes went to the laptop.

"Miss Mercy, I'm sorry!" he spoke quickly, going to his knees in front of her and taking her hands. "I had no right to go poking into your business and I shouldn't have! I'm sorry! I could never stand not knowing a thing, I couldn't even stop myself from peeking at presents at christmas! I had no call to look into it or..."

"These are FBI files? Are you FBI?"

He laughed then, an astonished sound. "No! No, of course not! I do have family who is though, a cousin in the states. I didn't tell him anything! Just that I needed some information! And you don't have to worry over him, he's not in with any of those people, none of them. He told me how that man has a good dozen agents in his pockets... Miss Mercy, please? You look so upset? I'm sorry! I shouldn't have..."

"All these papers, these folders... it's all about him and his staff?"

"And known affiliates and even enemies... I'm sorry Miss mercy. It does seem he has a hefty bounty out on you, your picture is everywhere. You did find the right place to hide, here. Please, don't be upset?"

"Why do you need all of this?" she demanded, still feeling numb.

"I wanted to find a way to fix things for you... to help my cousin take him down somehow so you never had to worry again. He sent me everything they had, then I had a private investigator dig up some more, and then another and another, as well as a university mate who went into politics and another who went into law. I have an uncle of sorts who has an in at the CIA and another friend on the US domestic terrorist task force. I've been compiling all of this from every source, trying to make it all make sense and turn it into something someone could use against him."

"I... want to go home."

"Miss Mercy!"

"It's alright, I'm not angry, Sam, I understand. I just... need a little space for now."

Sam reached over and slammed his laptop shut as her eyes went to it again. To Keen.

"Stay? Miss Mercy, stay for just a while? Let me..."

"Not today, Sam, ok? I'll be fine, I just need some space," she told him, then got up and walked out the door in the t-shirt.

Sam followed close behind, draping a robe over her shoulders and holding an umbrella up over her. Mercy hardly noticed as she went to pick up Everett, then hurried home. Sam hovered like he wanted to come in, but Mercy closed the door without a word and went to change into her own clothes. She also locked the front door, not wanting anyone to just come in. Sam knew he was welcome most of the time, but just now she needed her space.

That picture had been very recent.

He even had a new tattoo on his arm.

Mercy wondered what it meant as she looked down at the tattoo on her chest.

She hardly slept at all that night, tossing and turning and finally breaking into tears at some point and finally crying herself to sleep.

Everett woke her right on schedule and she got up and got ready for work, still feeling completely lost.

She wasn't upset with Sam, it was sweet that he had wanted to do something... but seeing Keen again after all this time. Knowing he was still out there and definitely still looking. She needed to run.

She shouldn't be going to work, she should be packing and going.

She would. She would pack and go this weekend. Say goodbye to Joe and give him a chance to hire someone else.

Going into work, she tried to give Joe a smile, but his face fell.

"No! No, no, sweet little one, no! You did not say no to this one too? A fool could see you love him! And he you!"

Mercy shook her head with a sad smile. "No, Joe, he never got the chance to ask. We were rained out and I went home. I just don't feel that great is all and... I think it's time I moved on. I'm sorry."

"You must stay! Stay and marry the nice English man? He loves you and he loves Everett! Anyone can see it!"

"I may," Mercy smiled. "I may let him take me back to his home, or travel with him, but... I do have to go. Soon. I will leave this weekend, regardless of if he goes with me or not."

"It is the man who you left behind? The one you are hiding from? He'll never find you here!"

"Joe," she smiled, patting his arm. "You have customers waiting at the door, go open up and let's start our day?"

"Very well, but you are leaving after lunch if he comes in for you!"

Mercy laughed and nodded, then started serving breakfast and drinks.

Mikkael was the first in the door, taking up residence in his corner booth. Sam came in an hour later looking wary as he sat down. Mercy smiled at him and gave his hand a squeeze as she brought him his drink and he relaxed visibly.

She felt a bit better as she went back behind the bar, the place filling up quickly.

Joe came around from the kitchen after noon, looking around with a scowl. She knew why he was grumpy and she laughed. "It's fine, Joe. Busy is good? I have the rest of my life with him, remember? Only a few more days here with you."

"Bah!" he grumbled, then gave Mercy a half hug before going back to the kitchen.

Mercy turned as the front door opened, then froze up.

At first she knew she was dreaming, having a nightmare as her hands clutched around a sleeping Everett.

Taking a trembling breath, she stepped back, shaking her head as Keen came in, his men pouring in around him.

Keen was glaring at her, looking her over with a fury that terrified Mercy. She was about to die. He was going to take Everett from her and kill her.

"No!" she wailed, shaking her head.

Sam stood quickly, a split second before everyone else did. Keen's men all drew guns as Keen stepped up, his eyes only on Mercy.

Joe came out of the kitchen, drying his hands. "What is this? Who are you? What do you want?" Joe demanded angrily, making shooing motions at Keen and his men. "You aren't wanted here, you need to leave!"

"He speaks again, shoot him in the head," Keen snarled.

"No!" Mercy cried, horrified as she moved in front of Joe and curled around Everett protectively.

"Come here, Mercy!" Keen demanded loudly.

"Please, Keen! I only wanted my freedom from you, just let me go, please!"

"NOW! Come here and bring me my child!"

"No!" Mercy sobbed, clutching Everett closer as she stumbled around the bar. She got within three steps, but couldn't force herself to go further.

Mikkael stepped out of the booth and put a hand on her shoulder, pushing her to Keen. "This is her? The one you wanted? I want my money and the book deal you promised me."

"Pay him," Keen snarled, not looking away from Mercy as she cringed and cowered away from him.

"Don't do this?" Mercy pleaded in a whisper. "I don't want to go back? I just want to live here and be happy!"

"Shut. Your. Mouth," Keen hissed, yanking Mercy close.

Mercy whimpered as he spun her and put an arm across the front of her shoulders. Gripping her blouse, he yanked it down hard.

"Do you all see this?" Keen demanded, displaying the tattoo on her chest to everyone in the pub. "She is mine! She belongs to me! Old man! Did any here touch my property? Did she let another man touch her and seed her?"

Joe looked confused as he shook his head. "Plenty of men asked after her, all asking to marry her and every single man who asked her got the same answer. No. Not one man here who asked her wasn't turned down flat."

"Did you fuck another man?" Keen demanded, gripping her throat and turning her face up to his.

"No," she whispered, horrified.

"You said you wouldn't hurt her!" Mikkael accused. "You said you was looking for your wife and kid who ran off from you!"

"She IS my wife and this is my child and I will do with her as I please! You will get your money," Keen sneered. "Lun, the car," Keen demanded, turning with Mercy.

Her eyes snagged on Sam's for a split second and he looked horrified.

Keen bent enough to put an arm around Mercy's waist just under where she was holding Everett, then lifted her off the ground and carried her out the door.

"If any give issue, kill them," Keen demanded as they left and everyone stirred.

He was actually gentle getting in the car with Mercy, easing her into the seat next to him as a few of his men got in with them. Mercy was stunned as she sat there staring across at his men, unable to turn and look up at Keen who was glaring down at her.

"Nothing to say to me, Mercy?" he finally spat as they pulled away.

"I wasn't hurting anyone! I just wanted to be happy!"

"YOU TOOK MY CHILD FROM ME!" Keen yelled, waking Everett and making him scream in fear.

"Don't!" Mercy begged, trying to calm Everett. "Please, he's just a baby!"

"He? It is a boy?" Keen asked, his eyes going wide as he looked down at the crying bundle.

"He is and he needs to be in a car seat if we are going to be in a car!"

"I don't have one, you will have to hold him as you are," Keen spoke distractedly, staring wide eyed at the bundle. "He... I will call him Boton after my grandfather."

"His name is Everett," Mercy told him defensively, clutching her baby closer. He didn't get to change his name!

"Everett? No, that is not a good family name, he..."