Girl Talk

Rated: T - For implied location and a few swear words.

Disclaimer: I do not own any TMNT. I do own all the girls though.

Sara pulled Karena and Jen aside, " For Cathy's own good we have to do this girls, she ought to know what it is she is getting into. I doubt it will scare her off any when Raph and Rama's shenanigans sure as hell didn't. But still think of all the grief it could have saved all of us, if someone had told us, " Sara hinted, " I know Karena you tried, you told us it was different and to expect problems but I don't think you knew what you meant. Besides Jen and I weren't married too far apart, the two of us came in sort of at the same time."

Jen nodded, " Girls night out. Forget the shower. Let's have a stagette party," she flashed a wide smile, that seemed even more brilliant white against her dark skin.

" I am so there." Sara leered.

" Are we going get any talking done?" Karena wondered.

" Oh yeah," Sara assured her, " with the best possible view and a few stiff drinks to go with it."

Karena laughed, " And then we come home and ravish the husbands."

" It will be the best part of the night, the perfect way to end the evening." Sara agreed.

XXX

A few evenings later the girls found the perfect spot and went early to get good seats, in spite of the long line of woman waiting to enter the club, there was lots of seating to be had, but the best seating went quickly and because it was ladies night out, only the best seating would do for the four, so arriving early to stand for over an hour before the club opened so, they were actually near the front of the line was part of their strategy plan. They entered and found a good spot where they wouldn't miss anything, and quickly ordered a round of drinks.

Cathy sighed, " We have four hot guys at home and we are here?"

" It is good to look at other guys. No harm in looking," Sara assured her, " Besides we have to talk about serious things and we might as well have some fun while we do it, and the boys will reap the benefit in the end. Raph likes it when he gets the bonus from ladies night out," Sara purred arching her eyebrows slightly as she mentioned the bonus.

Cathy glanced at the other three, " What serious talk, the implications of marrying one of them?"

" Uh, sort of," Jen permitted, " More along the line of, civilian thinking up against army training only a hundred times worse at the bare minimum." She stated then took a deep breath, " Cathy marring Mike means you will be part of the family, but you won't be clan. None of us are clan, and I think the boys do that for a reason."

Cathy blinked, " Isn't family and Clan the same thing though?" She wondered mystified.

Karena shook her head, her blond hair bouncing slightly with the movement, " It is and it isn't," She answered, " Family is that they accept you and want you as a part of their lives. Clan is more, in clan life you don't go against the leaders choice or decision. Which, means if we were clan none of us would be free to speak our opinion on anything the clan decided on. Leo might get our thoughts but once he was decided it would be a case of this is how it gets done." She gave a faint smile, " Leo probably would have had an easier time with it if he had made me clan. I wouldn't be opposing him so much."

Jen shook her head, " No, you would just have to lock it up inside and not disagree, Leo is smarter then that." She corrected, " When it comes to Clan life, clan rules, and tradition will prevail. There is absolutely no point whatsoever in arguing over the fact, this is not how you want your kids raised, do not expect compromise."

Karena gave a sheepish look, " I've tried to argue it with no success for years. It is so stupid and conflicting in so many areas, I have to wonder how any one is supposed to learn. Don't steal, but this is how to pick pockets and locks. Obey the rules, but also try to see if you can get away with breaking them while being true to your training."

Sara chuckled, " I'm surprised you haven't given yourself a concussion by banging your head into the wall so often over such things Karena." Sara sipped at her drink noticed how the room had filled up fast, but with the music that was playing, and the general buzz of mingled conversations that filled the room there was little chance any one would over hear their talk, and what little some astute person might pick up on, would quickly be dismissed as the usual women complaining about husbands, kids and the usual things. " I tend to take the more philosophical view when it comes to how the family raises kids."

Karena and Jen glanced at one another in bafflement before turning to Sara with almost identical expressions on their faces, " Somehow you and philosophical are two words I would normally not find compatible in the least."

Sara smirked a little, " The kids have to learn to be ninja. There is no choice in the matter, so in that respect I leave it to the clan, I refuse to put in so much as one cent worth never mind two cents worth." She explained, and paused as the lights dimmed.

An announcement came on over the speaker reminding the ladies to enjoy the evening but obey certain rules.

" Feel free to look, but no touching," Sara stated simplifying the rules, as the first dancer came up on stage to a series of whoops, hollers, wolf whistles and the like. The evening's entertainment had begun. For a moment all of them admired the dancer and joined in the fun of those around them, though Sara who had worked the streets seemed to toss the most interesting - and ribald - comments of them all.

Jen chuckled at one and glanced at Cathy, " No, surprise she ended up with Raph, they truly were made for each other." She nudged her sister in law under the table, " What was this philosophy of yours?"

Sara gave a blank look for a moment or two then grinned as she recalled he conversation before they were interrupted, " Oh, that!" She said as it dawned on her, "Well since compromise isn't an issue and we got to give in on that area, I make sure Raph knows he best be giving in on a lot of other areas."

Cathy gasped, " That is black mail!"

" A marriage is fifty- fifty. If I can let the clan have their way then he best give me some leeway too where the clan has no order. I will not let Raph win them all." Sara's eyes went round and she licked her lips, " You know girls, if all my clients looked like that," Sara gestured to the dancer, " I wouldn't be married now and still be doing the old work."

Jen shook her head and laughed, " You can not get them to compromise their honor, we don't have to worry about the other woman. For them, they aren't interested in that sort of thing, oh, they'll look. But honor, integrity will keep them more on the straight and narrow, then anything we say or do. The only time another woman would be involved is if it is one working for the other side whose caught them. What worries me the most is with them you can't say ' Honey don't go to work today, I have a bad feeling about this.' They won't stay." Jen declared, " Not when they are needed elsewhere."

Karena nodded, as the first dancer retired and the next one took his spot, " They go missing and you sit and wonder what sort of danger they ran into, the tortures they have to be suffering, if you will or won't see them again and even when you fear your worst dreams came true and they come home covered in blood and battered. You want to take their own weapons and beat them with it, just so they might get some sense knocked in their head, so they won't go out again."

" To them not fighting is worse then anything that can happen." Jen concluded, " You will see what happens when there is a lull in fighting, tensions go up. You'll be grateful when they do start fighting again even if it only last for the briefest of times, the novelty wears off far too quickly. As I said before, it is like being married to soldiers when you are nothing more then a civilian."

" The funny thing though, we are Clan by marriage, we are family yes, but in many ways we are still outsiders. Karena has been with the family the longest and she is still in many aspects treated like an outsider- An outsider is someone from outside the clan, which means us. We are privileged and honored to be accepted into the family. But we are still essentially outsiders, as we are not trained in, nor are we expected to follow all of the clan rules." Sara informed Cathy. " Lets, just say where clan rules are concerned we have more leniency then they, or even our children do."

Karena laughed, " It is a damn good thing for that, or Leo would be lecturing me a lot more. I think they know an outsider could never fully conform to the lifestyle they are forced to live so they permit us the freedoms that they themselves can't have." Karena paused, " Leo and I have had a lot of fight and arguments over things - but a lot of them centre around the fact we are really are from two different back ground and lifestyles."

Sara chuckled, " We fell in love and now we are merely square pegs trying to fit into the round holes."

Cathy sat back in her chair for a moment, trying to absorb what she had heard and for a moment distracted from the wonderful view only a few feet away from their table. " But don't we have to obey Clan law and rules too?"

Karena nodded, " Basic rules yes. We aren't expected to show the bow of respect, but we are to treat guest politely. It is a culture shock for the uninitiated. "We felt that you should know."

" Expect trouble and differences, expect to be told that is the rule of the clan and that is it. Do not pass go, do not collect money. Just do what is asked and no more." Jen ticked off, " I'd say we were all beaten into submission, but you know the boys do their best to make up for these things, well Don does. I'm sure Leo does and Raph well we all know who his boss is."

Sara raised her glass in mock salute, " I yank his chain and make him obey when I need, if only to prove I can," She admitted casually, " But I'm too smart to do it all the time, and the boys know when push comes to shove they are pretty lucky to have us." She gave a small grin, " And even with all the crap we have to wade through to be with them, I can't say I'd trade it. For you know they love us enough to let us speak in our minds and not restrain us further."

Jen nodded, " Sometimes being an outsider in the clan is for the best."

Karena smiled, " Beside you have the rest of your in-law outsiders to remind you, your not alone."

Cathy grinned a little, " An odd way of saying welcome to the family huh?"

"Well, if you can't be in you might as well be out with the rest of us." Sara teased, "and him I'd like in any day."

Cathy looked at them, still trying to comprehend what she had heard, she wasn't sure if she totally understood all the meanings and implications of being a non clan member in a clan. But she did know at least she had some one to share her fears, anger and frustrations with who might understand. If the four turtles were brothers in war, then they, the wives would be four sisters, aiding and helping one another become, if not totally clan, at least a close facsimile of it. If they failed that at the very least they would all still be family.

The end

Author's note: The inspiration for this story was actually born from an RPG from Stealthy Stories website. Ramica