Awards season in this story isn't in line with real life. I'm having it in April. It will be in the next couple of chapters.
Before she knows it, by mid-March, filming for SoH starts and Mary's overwhelmed with her schedule. Next month will be awards season and in May, she'll be going around the world for Blood Crusade's promotional events. It's got to the point that she and Francis are literally scheduling time in their calendars to spend time with each other.
June and July are set for more filming as she's already lined up another film gig and August is dedicated to Kenna and Bash's wedding as well as a much-needed holiday. Mary's looking at Australia.
She watches Kenna perform some stunts and she almost gets up when Kenna tumbles and trips up but she's quickly up but wincing as the stunt coach hurries over to her with a medic.
"I'm fine," she says, waving them up.
Mary knows otherwise, getting up and heading to her. "What's up?" She asks once the medic and stunt coach head back to the sidelines, the coach now directing a supporting actor.
Kenna shakes her head, retying her hair up into a ponytail. "Just didn't get much sleep last night."
Mary smirks. "Let me guess? You and Bash were-"
"He's not at home," Kenna cuts her off. "Got a gig in Finland of all places."
"Oh, right," Mary says, chuckling. "So...?"
"Wedding planning's a bitch," Kenna mutters, stretching. "Thanks for handling the flowers for the millionth time. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Mary beams. "You're welcome." Then she starts stretching too as it's almost her own time to practice. "What's going on, Kenna? You still look like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders."
Kenna sighs. "I'm not sure I want to do this anymore," she mumbles, taking a seat on the mat, her knees bent in front of her.
Mary joins her. "How do you mean?"
"Be a celebrity," Kenna states. "Be an actress, live this crazy lifestyle of having people in my business. The... The scandal has me shaken and I've been thinking... I want out."
"Kenna your dream was to be an actress-"
"Dreams change," Kenna mumbles, wiping her hands down her face. "I really don't know though."
Mary takes her hand in hers. "Life is complicated and sometimes you're dealt with shitty hands but you'll get through this. This will pass."
"How do I know it will though?" Kenna asks. "I can't leave the house without being surrounded and questioned, I know Bash is sick of it too because we thought it would die down but at this point, what can we do? We love our home, he built it for us, we can't leave it."
Mary purses her lips. "Well, you can set up a charity. Specialising in victims of sexual offences. You can become a voice for many other people who went through the same experience and otherwise and you can take this into your own hands, show those people they didn't break you. Hold the upper hand. Become a movement-"
"Alright, alright!" Kenna laughs. "Sure."
Mary grins. "Good. Now, let's get back to work. I need your help with that dagger throwing game you've got."
Kenna stands, pulling her up with a chuckle. She winces again and looks down at her ankle. "I think I might have sprained it..."
"Oh, Kenna..." Mary mutters, rolling her eyes playfully as she helps her over to a seat.
...
"...so I'll run you through it once again," the stunt coach says, pulling a stuntman's hand to Mary's hip and forming Mary's hand into a fist. "Punch, duck, twist, kick and roll. You should finish on the ground, on your tummy to grab the weapon you dropped from earlier."
Mary nods, getting into position on the x-marked spots. She 'punches' the stuntman, ducks quickly before twisting to avoid the oncoming attack. She then lightly kicks his chest, making him fall before he pulls her leg and she drops to the ground on her back. She rolls over, lurching for her weapon.
"Great job," the coach says. "Now, for the real thing."
The stage crew work to remove her x-marked spots, her memory serving well for her starting position. Her weapon is now in position on the ground as well and the stuntman gets into his costume, removing his padded chest and giving Mary a nod of the head that he's ready.
Everyone shuffles off the set and it's just her and the stuntman, Max. He's taking the position of John Knox's character, Eli Bell, and the man's middle-aged, not quite wanting to do any stunts so Max is in his place.
She's already filmed the exact scenes with John but this time it's for the stunt part so, with TV magic, they'll get away with it. No one will tell that John is not doing his own stunts, much to her amusement.
"Action!"
"You little bitch," John's voice comes out as he reads his script from beside the director. The camera will be on her face anyway for this part as she smirks in amusement.
"Eli, let's end this now."
"Where's Poppy?"
"Poppy has better things to deal with," Mary says. "She doesn't waste her time with low-rank thugs." She wipes 'blood' from her nose and then the next thing she knows, they're 'back to' fighting again.
She lands a punch, her fist lands just a few inches from his nose but TV magic is a blessing as a sound effect will be put in. Then she ducks, twists, kicks, falls and then rolls over, grabbing her knife.
"Cut!"
She's helped up by Max, patting her on the back for a good job done before he hops off stage to take a bottle of water. She heads to the director and he's going through the camera team to see what places need more work with.
"Good?" She asks.
"Decent," the director mutters distractedly, pointing to the screen. "More blood here. We'll need more of an impact... Perhaps if she fell onto the table, rolled off in pain but determination as she grabs her weapon?"
"That sounds good," the cameraman says as the stunt nods.
Mary sighs, rolling her eyes. "Another new stunt?"
"You'll be great," the stunt coach assures her.
"We need a big impact, she's not invincible, she's a bit weak. We need to show that Sasha isn't at Poppy's level. Poppy wouldn't even be in this position, the man would be dead in a second," the director explains to the team. "She's trying to be at Poppy's level but she's got a way to go. She's good at undercover work, but not good at fieldwork. There is a great difference between the two. One's acting, the other's physical. She has no physical attributes that she's worked on constantly. She's been doing random practice."
Mary nods, understanding what he means now. "I see."
"Let's go through the new stunt," the director says, leading her and the coach away with Max joining them.
Mary just knows this will be a long day and it's just turned four o'clock in the afternoon.
...
"Fieldwork isn't fun and games," Kenna says, twirling a blade in her hand as she paces the space in front of the five agents. "Undercover work isn't either but fieldwork... The people know who you are. They've probably studied you, your every move, your every thought... You are their muse for destruction."
Mary tilts her head to the side a little, blinking in surprise when Kenna turns to her. "It won't happen again. I-I lost my cool-"
"And almost a finger-"
"I didn't calculate-"
"Don't cut me off," Kenna says calmly. "It's rude."
Mary scoffs softly. "Sorry, Ma'am."
"As I was saying..." Kenna goes on, giving Mary a pointed glance. "These people are programmed to bring you down just as we are programmed to bring them down. Never be afraid to ask for help. Aid is always around the corner because we don't get overthrown so easily in a petty fight."
Another person speaks up, holding a brief conversation before Mary gets bored and antsy, starting to play with her own blade. Then the blade is shot out of her hand and she winces, groaning as she checks her now 'bleeding' hand.
"One minute, you idolise me, the next you're downright disrespectful," Kenna tells her. "Sweetheart, do you wish to become the best or do you want to be thrown in the deep end and drown? I can easily do that, it's been a while since I saw someone struggle to breathe as they slowly lost the life in their eyes..."
Mary's eyes widen. "Agent White, you're going to have to stop with those near misses or-"
Mary is flipped onto the ground, the blade on her neck. "I thought we could be friends," Kenna says. "You may become a little bit of a problem for me and I don't tolerate problems."
Then she scoffs, rolling her eyes as she gets off Mary and helps her up.
"Can't believe undercover agents think fieldwork is easy," she spits out. "Get cleaned up. You know what? All of you get out of my sight."
"What's gotten up her ar-"
"Kyle."
'Kyle' blushes and swallows hard. "Sorry, Ma'am."
"Now, out!"
Mary leads the others out of the 'door' and the director cuts the scene. She pulls a face, not really feeling the scene but she hoped she did well.
Apparently, it's Kenna who is off her game.
"I'm sorry," Kenna mutters to the director, crossing her arms and not meeting his eyes.
"I could care less about the wedding of your dreams that you're planning or the sex scandal you were involved in. I need you on your game, Miss Beaton!" He cries out, stressed. "Can I trust you to be on your game?"
Kenna nods. "Yes, sir."
"And fix that ankle of yours. You were limping."
Kenna curses under her breath, leaving the set for her trailer when the director closes down everything for the night. It's late, she needs a long, hot bath and she gives Mary a wry smile when she joins her, Mary's arm around her waist.
"Still thinking about everything?"
"It's impossible not to," Kenna mumbles.
Mary sighs. "Kenna, you are good at what you do. Acting is your passion and you're great. As for the publicity and the lack of privacy you get, it won't be forever. Things will blow over, as I said."
"Yeah..."
"Stay with Francis and me," Mary suggests. "Just until Bash comes home. We can do whatever you want to forget about work and wedding planning."
Kenna smiles a little. "Ice cream?"
"Cookie Dough or Baked Alaska?"
"Both, of course," Kenna replies, making them giggle.