Pre Mother

Zack paced the floor in deep thought as he wondered where that woman of his mother was. She had called him out to the yard. For whatever reason, he was made to wear a suit. His mind was racing at what she wanted to discuss with him. In the week he had spent in her house, he had learned many things about her. She was fast in hiring a new team to care for her house. They had cleaned it up and made everything new again. He had watched them clean in curious wonder. Week old blood was coming out of the carpets with ease. Her bloody handprints were disappearing from the walls and stairs. The terror that had once filled the house was now gone. What other things was she capable of? One night he had watched her sing a song that he had never heard but the raw emotion in it made him uncomfortable but he couldn't look away from her. She had even started to cry in the midst of it. He left her alone feeling hollow as he parted from her. But Sam was many things. When Gray wasn't flirting with her, she was petting his hair before walking off. What the shit was her deal? His head shook at the thought of her just smiling at him once she was finished. He could only hope that he could get to the bottom of it one day.

"Son-kun," her sing-song voice called from the deck.

Zack looked up to see her in the purest black dress he had ever seen. She had her hair up in a high ponytail. Black lipstick covered her lips. The dress itself was a form-fitting dress with slits going up the thighs. She was in high heels as well. He was just glad her breasts were covered because that would be awkward. Though she was covered, she was still able to move freely. He had known her to alter her attire for maximum mobility. She had apparently taught Ray that a year ago or so.

"Why the absolute shit are we dressed like this?" he asked crossing his arms.

"We're going to talk and at the same time I'm going to teach you how to dance." She cheesed, clicking the remote in her hand. Violins filled the area sweetly.

Zack rolled his eyes. "What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"

"You need to be able to blend in with any environment. You and I have things to work on as you will be working for me. Since Roman is deceased, you and Ray-Ray will both be under my command. Ray-Ray will continue to assist me at the club while you will be sent out to take care of threats to me." Sam nodded grabbing his hand. "Camouflage is the essence of any good killer. These men that threaten me are powerful men and you need to be able to be in and out with ease."

Normally, Zack would have told her that he could handle anything. But she was right. These were not like men he was used to. He never had to use tact or finesse to get the kill. He just did it. This is what he wanted though. His desire for her to teach him was something he had been secretly excited for, for a while. A nod was his only answer in response to her words.

She placed his right hand on the dip of her hip. Holding his left hand up, she instructed him to follow her in the steps. It was hard to just let her body lead him and he just followed clumsily. But with her guidance, he got it down enough to lead her. Both were staring at each other deeply. Sam's unrelenting gaze had Zack majorly uncomfortable but he didn't look away. There was no way in hell she would know that he was uncomfortable. He had even counted the total amount of times that she had blinked on one hand. And it was four. Her head cocked to the side as her tongue slithered out of her mouth to lick her lips. She breathed in deeply before releasing it.

"You are afraid of me." He turned her away from the lights.

Zack's eyes widened. "Huh?" the statement had caught him off guard.

"There's something in your subconscious that tells you that you don't trust the word of a woman older than you." She noted. "You must have developed it when you were on your own to survive. Makes sense with the past track record you have with women. But I'll make you a believer. I didn't hurt you before and I wouldn't do it now."

The dance had become faster as the tempo picked up.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he asked confused but still leading their dance.

"Zack, I'm going to run a test on you." she nodded.

"A test? What the fuck for?"

"Is it blood? Is it blood that makes you excited?" She asked ignoring his words completely.

He stared at her in dumb confusion.

Sam shrugged before pulling her hand from his shoulder only to bite into her wrist. Blood slowly made its way down her chin from the force. It dripped down onto her chest just to disappear into the fabric of her dress.

Zack stared at her in horror. "The fuck are you doing?!" he shouted confused.

"No?" she asked tapping her chin, smearing blood as she went.

"Don't- "

A smile slid across her face. "It's the chase isn't it?" a laugh escaped her. "You and I are a lot alike. The thrill of hunting one's prey makes the blood race. It brings out different instincts that are rather enjoyable."

Before Zack could speak, she punched him in his mouth hard. He looked at her in surprise till she did it a few more times. She jumped off of him with ease and took off to the patio with a humorous laugh. His body just reacted in rising as he followed her movements in maniacal laughter. She stood there at the top of the patio stairs teasing him with her hands on her hips smirking.

"Come and get me son-kun if you think you can." She called in a sing-song voice only to turn and continue running.

Zack chuckled as he flew up the stairs to her. "I'm going to kill you."

Sam couldn't stop the chuckles from escaping her as she ran into the living room. The window had been opened to air out the house of the cleaning chemicals from her cleanup crew. The run had gone pass Gray and Ray who were in the kitchen preparing dinner for the foursome dressed for the event as well. They didn't have time to question her as she dove into the open window with a smile landing in a tuck and roll only to jump and make her way to the living room. Without missing a step Zack came running past as well only to go flying into it after her. Both Ray and Gray stared at each other for a moment before shrugging. They may as well go see where this was going.

The two stood off in the dining room where she had stopped running. Sam smirked as she placed her hands on her hips once more.

"So, this is my son's fear?" She smiled taking in how his eyes twinkled at his adrenaline being activated. "If I hurt you and run away, that'll give you an excuse to kill me right?"

"Why stop running, bitch? Aren't you afraid of me?" he asked his mouth cocked up in a darkly humorous grin.

"Nah, I've had cakes scarier than you." The smirk on her lips didn't leave her. "Tell me, what did it take for you to come to the conclusion that older women are the enemy?"

Zack charged at her.

Sam sighed as she sidestepped and kneed him in the gut. "Oh ho, you got to be quicker than that if you want to catch me." She smiled kicking him away from her.

He grunted from the impact of her knee and foot to push him away. He stood only to charge her again. Sam shook her head as she back stepped to miss his punches. Without much effort, she had him on his back without even having to hit him. He grunted at the impact of the ground again but he stood up once more. Amazingly, none of the furniture in the dining room had been damaged from the two of them playing.

A pained laugh escaped him once more as he sat up. "This bitch is good." He murmured to himself.

Sam placed her hands back on her hip. "You're pathetic, Zack. If this is all it takes for you to be down, then you have no business being my son. My son is strong. He is confident and easily influenced but he knows who and what to fight for." She turned her back on him. "Maybe I was wrong about you is what you want me to say huh? You want me to abandon you like her, want me to say hurtful things and just be the reason you refuse to grow. That would give you an excuse to kill me. Maybe that is your underlying plot. You don't trust me at all even though you know you can't kill me."

He stared at her.

"I would get myself hurt before I would ever let anyone touch you. You are precious to me, to Gray, and especially to Ray-Ray. We all would go to war for you. I'm not going to leave you son-kun. You got me for life. And Sam never breaks a promise." She turned to look at her. Her hand cupped his chin. "And I promise to be the best mom you've ever had."

Zack stared into her eyes for a moment before letting out a breath. There was nothing but love and acceptance in them. "I fucking get it."

Sam smiled kissing his cheek before his forehead. "Good. I love you, Zack. You are my son-kun."

"Why couldn't you just say that shit?" he grumbled.

Her smile widened as she shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a sadist."

He smiled a small one back to her.

"Plus your birth giver called me yesterday. And I will be flying her out here tomorrow." Sam turned to take off her shoes.

Zack's face fell.

"And we will all be there. Just say the word and it's all over."

Zack wrapped his arm around her neck. "I just want it to be over with already." His chin rested on her head.

"This will change everything." She nodded. "Go get washed up for dinner. Your father and girlfriend have prepared an excellent dinner for us all."

"How am I supposed to eat with a busted lip?" He asked letting her go.

"You'll figure it out." She cheesed with a thumb up.

…

Ray and Zack had gone back to their house to prepare for what the day would bring them. Sam had ordered them to spend the night together in preparation for what was to come since she would be picking up Misaki in the morning. Gray decided that he would stay and go with her. Zack threw himself on their bed heavily. A loud sigh escaped him as he laid there trying to wrap his mind around the fact in about 23 hours and some minutes he would see the woman that had left him for dead. She was responsible for creating the monster but she didn't get credit for him surviving and thriving in the way that he had. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction that with this new arrangement, he got a mom and a man that called him son.

"What's wrong Zack?" Ray asked lying on his shoulder.

He shook his head. "Nothing."

Ray nodded. She just allowed herself to be quiet and held by him. Tomorrow, what kind of man would he be? The woman who had started it all was going to come face to face with the boy who grew up to be a killer. Would she take responsibility or would she put it all on Zack? What name would she even call him? How would he react upon seeing her face? How could she stop him from killing her? Did she even want to? What was Misaki's side of the story? Did any of them actually care enough to know what had caused her to give up her eight-year-old boy to a couple of killers? Would any explanation soothe the savage beast that resided in Zack? There were so many questions that her mind wondered over. Zack was the love of her life. This piece of him needed to be addressed, she agreed with that. But she didn't want him to be hurt.

"After tomorrow, I think I'm going to go all the way with you." He spoke bringing her closer to his body.

Ray stared at him. "Are you sure?" Zack was planning to make it good tomorrow, to where he would want to have sex?

He nodded. "I am."

She blinked before kissing him deeply. "About time Zack," she whispered against his lips.

"You have been patient with me, and I'll reward that tomorrow." He answered against hers. "In fact, I'll give you a taste of what is to come tomorrow."

Ray raised a brow. "Are you sure you're ready for that?"

Zack rolled over on top of her. "I think it's you who should prepare."

Ray cocked her head to the face. "You've already seen what I'm capable of Zack," a cocky smile teased her lips.

"Perhaps you need to be reminded at whose running the fucking show." He growled while still smirking.

…

Gray watched Sam type on her laptop quickly. The information was about the location of where Isaac's mother was. He never found a hard-working woman more appealing than at this very moment. She was completely focused on how this was going to play out while covering all the tracks that would lead to her. The way her eyes glazed over from her glasses made her seem older than she was but her job did take a toll on her body. He leaned on his hand to watch her type. Sam was nothing like Cathy. He had made that conclusion once before but watching her now, he could really see it. Cathy was a narcissist that needed him to feel small to feel good. He never argued or caused a riff when it came to her. But Sam was not like that. Sam was open about her feelings and included him in her processes. There were no insults or things thrown at him. He didn't have to guard his heart around her. She didn't even know he was letting the walls down around her. The night they had embraced, he didn't even go all the way. She was still recovering from Danny's torture and he didn't feel that she was ready yet. There was no need to cause her more injury. She had paid him back for that kind of consideration too in the most pleasurable ways. His hips still shook at the thought of what just her mouth could do. "Going all the way" as Isaac referred to it would be something else entirely. He was sure her threats of falling in love with her would no doubt come true.

"Stop staring at me." She spoke flipping through some documents.

"I will not." He responded cocking his head to the side.

She sighed while placing the documents in a pile. Taking off her glasses, she rubbed her hands on her face. "I don't know why this is so much more fucking work." She groaned in between her fingers.

"What?"

"I don't want him to hurt. And she will hurt him. When she does I'll have to fight the urge to kill her." She spoke through her hands.

Gray stood. Walking behind her, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Relax, he can handle this. We have to have faith in him."

"I know, I know, I know but still…" she moved her hands off her face to show him her frowning face.

"He will be okay, Sam. Everything will work out like it has in the past." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "We as his parents will be there to support him along with Rachel. This woman will not break Isaac; in fact, this will make him stronger. We will all address something within ourselves during this event as well. Are we truly worthy to be his parents?"

Sam looked down at the picture of Misaki. "More than we'll ever know." She nodded.

Gray pressed another kiss to her forehead.

Sam smiled at the feelings of affection. "Gray, what do you want from me?" she asked standing up from the chair.

Gray raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what do you want this to be Gray-sama? You shadow me a lot, not that I mind. But do you shadow me because it assures Zack that I'll always be protected or do you do it because you need another older adult? Maybe there is another reason?" She asked her hand on her hip. "I just don't want to get the wrong idea here from all this affection you have been giving me and the little I have given you. What do you want from me Gray-sama?"

"I thought I made it obvious." He murmured tapping his chin.

"If I am your freedom from the one called Cathy, I have no interest in that. Ray-Ray told me about you guys "relationship". I'm not a replacement for her even if our kid killed her." Sam explained frowning at his lack of response to her.

He frowned. A replacement of Cathy?

Sam took him in for a moment more before turning away. Her steps were fast in getting away from him and out to the patio next to the pool. She allowed her eyes to get taken away with the reflection of the water. Her anger wasn't there about him seeing her as another woman, that wasn't anything fucking new for her. But the lack of response was what really pissed her off. He could answer the damn questions instead of being an ass head. He asked her a million different types of questions every day and she usually answered them.

"Fucking men," she hissed sitting down and letting her legs slip into the water.

"Yes, we do have a tendency to not live up to your expectations."

She turned behind her to see him standing there with his arms crossed. "It doesn't matter anymore. I don't care." She shrugged looking back at her feet moving from side to side. She had indeed let it go.

"It does matter; it matters to me at least." He sighed walking over to her seated form. "First, a replacement for Cathy is completely false. Cathy was many things but she was never safe." He squatted next to her. "To answer your question, I thought I had made it obvious about how I felt about you. I obviously like you… a lot."

Sam rolled her eyes. "I mean how could you not?" she laughed.

He smiled at her for a moment before he grabbed her hand. "Listen, I want you. Whatever you want from us, I'll take it because Sam… I really like you."

She stared at him for a long time.

Gray raised a brow.

"If you thought that blowjob was good, wait till I finish all this damn paperwork." She whispered before kissing his lips sweetly.

Gray was wide-eyed before kissing her back.