Chapter Eight: The Seal and the Shark
"I'm here! The fun can begin!" Jules announced as she stepped through the door to JKP, and dropped her luggage.
"Sis!" Casey exclaimed as he hugged her.
"Hey there, baby brother," She smiled.
"Jules!" Lily exclaimed as she rushed forward and hugged her.
Casey gave his friend a strange look, "Jules? What happened to 'Master Rhodes'?"
"I told her not to call me that. That's what happened," She smirked.
"RJ said you're staying here with us?" Lily asked.
Jules shrugged, "RJ wouldn't have it any other way."
"You're leaving on Sunday, right?" Casey asked her. She was only going to be around for a four day weekend.
She nodded, "You've got me for the whole weekend, Munchkin."
"I'm taller than you," He reminded her with a playful glare.
"And yet you are still a munchkin to me," She chuckled. "I'm going to take my bag upstairs."
"Be warned, Master Swoop is up there," Lilly said with a smirk.
"Thank you for the warning," Jules said gratefully as she headed back to the stairs that led to the loft. As soon as she walked through the door RJ, Theo, and Swoop stopped talking.
"Master Rhodes! It's been a long time!" Swoop exclaimed.
Jules jumped slightly, "How do you do that?"
"You always smell like chamomile tea and…cigarette smoke," He said. RJ automatically turned a glare on her.
"Cigarette smoke?" He asked sternly.
"I-uh-look it's just once in a while when things get really stressful. That's all," She stuttered.
He arched an eyebrow at her and held out his flattened palm.
"What?" she asked fearfully. He silently tapped his palm and looked pointedly at her. Jules sighed and pulled the pack out of her back pocket. She reluctantly handed them over to her old friend. He immediately walked toward the bathroom, and Jules followed him.
"RJ? What are you doing?" He didn't respond and she approached the bathroom door as a flush sounded. "You didn't! Please tell me you didn't!"
Theo watched with an amused smile while Swoop listened intently with a cheeky grin.
RJ ignored Jules and headed briskly down the steps. She then turned to Theo and Swoop.
"Where is he going?"
Theo shrugged, "You never can tell with RJ."
"And you!" Jules said as she pointed at Master Swoop. "Was that really necessary? You ratted me out!"
He chuckled, "RJ would have figured it out eventually. He's got a very keen sense of smell."
They heard footsteps stomping back into the loft and all turned to see RJ hanging a large plastic sign on the wall by the door.
"This is a smoke free zone," Jules read aloud. RJ pulled out a large Sharpie and wrote something underneath those words.
"Especially for Julia Mildred Rhodes," Theo read with a snort. "Your middle name is Mildred?"
Jules gasped, "You said you would keep that a SECRET!"
"You told me you would never smoke. So I'd say we're even," RJ said calmly as he rejoined Theo and Swoop. Jules mumbled violently as she took her bag into Lily's room and got settled. When she re-entered the main room of the loft Swoop was gone and Lily and Casey were staring at RJ's sign.
Casey turned to her as she entered, "You SMOKE? What happened to all those 'smoking is bad for you' lectures that you've given me all of my life?"
"For crying out loud! It's not like I'm a chain smoker or anything! Geez, you're all acting like I'm smoking three packs a day!" She exclaimed.
"No time to dwell on your sister's bad habits," RJ told his cubs. "You've all got less than a half hour to get ready for training."
Once they were alone RJ turned to her with a worried expression.
"I swear I only smoke like one a week…okay one a day, but that's it! I promise…unless you know my employees decide to cause a large fire in the kitchen like they did yesterday and then-"
"Your brother wants another master," RJ told her suddenly. Jules promptly shut her mouth as she realized RJ's worried expression had nothing to do with her.
"Another master? Besides you or in addition to you?" Jules asked curiously.
"In addition to, I hope," RJ said. "Do you think I'm doing something wrong?"
Jules' brow furrowed and she shook her head, "No, I think he's Casey and he wants to be included like always. Growing up as the youngest will do that to a kid, Balto. Besides, maybe he's ready for another master. You trained under more than one master too, you know. We all did."
"Yes, but Casey has only been studying with me for a few months," RJ sighed.
"Yes, and he only studied under Mao for a week yet he WAS appointed to be a protector. You've got to face the fact that Casey is a fast study, and I'm not just saying this because I'm biased toward my baby brother. I mean, what harm would him training with another master do?"
"That depends on the master," RJ answered.
Jules blinked thoughtfully at that statement, and quickly realized what RJ meant.
"How many masters currently reside off of the Monastery grounds?"
"Five including you and me," He answered.
"And how many of those have already trained one of or all of the protectors?"
"Three."
"Leaving who out of the five left?" She asked as she pressured him for the answer she already knew.
"You and…dad," He answered slowly.
"Could it be that your reservations have nothing to do with Casey, but everything to do with Master Finn?"
"We don't know that you weren't meant to train him," RJ said hopefully.
"I'd know it by now, RJ. I'd feel it," She told him softly and reassuringly. RJ groaned pitifully.
Jules bumped his shoulder playfully, "Would it make you feel any better if I said I brought you a present?"
He lips twitched upward, "Possibly."
"Well, I did," She told him with a grin.
"And?" He asked expectantly.
"Patience, Balto, patience," She smirked as she headed back toward Lily's room and grabbed the thin wrapped item. She came back out handed RJ the package. He shook it and held it to his ear.
"It's thin and it doesn't rattle…I'm guessing…a book of some kind?"
"Will you just open it already?" She said as she shoved his shoulder lightly.
"Alright, alright, no need to become abusive," He chuckled as he began to rip at the paper. He smiled excitedly after he was finished, "You Can't Put that on a Pizza by Rachel Campbell."
She smiled at him, "I saw that and immediately thought of that time you made that 'Fruit Cup' pizza with the grapes, pears, and cherries on it, and then I thought about the time you made that chicken salad pizza, and I also thought about that brussel sprout monstrosity you made, and THEN I realized I HAD to buy that for you."
"I don't know if I should be insulted or flattered," He said with a grin.
"I was going for a little bit of both," She chuckled.
"Well, thank you. It certainly will bring me lots of entertainment…and it might even give me a few ideas," He smirked.
"As long as I don't have to eat that brussel sprout thing again. Seriously, WHY was that a good idea?" Jules asked as she scrunched up her nose.
"What? Geez, brussel sprouts are good for you, and pizza should be too," RJ said in his own defense.
Jules broke out into a grin and laughed at her old friend good naturedly, "Man, I have missed you, Balto."
They exchanged fond smiles just before Lily, Theo, and Casey rushed back into the room.
"Well, you guys don't need me for this. So I think I'm gonna go help…Fanny?"
Casey shook his head and sighed, "Fran, Jules, her name is Fran."
"Right, Fran, got it," She said with a nod.
"Do you, really?" He asked his sister skeptically.
"Case, I couldn't even remember your friends names when I saw you every day and that's really not gonna change now," Julie told him with a smirk. "But as always, I will do my best NOT to embarrass you. So if I'm ever in doubt I will just call her…partner or chica or something."
Casey groaned in exasperation, "Please don't."
She smiled and walked toward the steps that led to the kitchen, "Have fun training!"
For the next half hour Jules helped Fran straighten up the dining area. What amused her about RJ was that his business hours were influenced slightly by the Italians and Europeans in general. He closed for about an hour at around 2:00 PM and opened back up 3:00 PM. This gave him time to have a mid-afternoon training session and maybe take a lunch break of his own (or a nap if he needed it). She smirked as she heard her brother stomping down the stairs. Training was apparently over, and Casey was either angry or confused. She turned to face him as he reached the last step.
"Hey, kiddo, what's up?" She asked him.
"Nothing," he answered slowly.
"You sure about that?" She questioned.
"No," He answered with a sigh. "I just don't understand why RJ doesn't want me to have another master."
She smiled softly at her little brother, "You know, Masters have insecurities too."
He gave her a confused look, "What does that have to do with anything?"
Jules rolled her eyes, and opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by RJ's return.
"Okay, let's get this place ready for the after school rush," He said as he rubbed his hands together eagerly. She would have to wait to smack some sense into the youngest Rhodes sibling. RJ turned to her and tossed at shopping bag at her. She caught it and looked at him strangley.
"That is your uniform. I have a feeling we're going to need your help today," He told her with a grin. "And don't forget to grab an apron."
Jules groaned in a way that was reminiscent of Casey's groan from earlier, "This is supposed to be my weekend off."
"Sorry, I'm gonna need help in the kitchen," RJ smirked.
She glared at him suspiciously, "THIS is why you wanted me to stay here this weekend, isn't it? Oh, I should have known. All that stuff about a hotel being too expensive was crap. You just wanted free labor. Evil genius, that's exactly what you are."
RJ grinned as he heard her mumble violently all the way up the stairs.
When the earth quake like shaking began she and RJ automatically ran upstairs to watch the battle, but the TV shorted out.
Jules glared at the television and slapped the side of it.
"Hey!" RJ yelled as he approached her. "Good vibes…violence will not help us in this case."
"Who cares if it will help us! It makes me feel better and that's all that matters!" Jules yelled as she glared at the treacherous piece of technology.
"Maybe I just need to add a bit more foil to the antennae," RJ said as he rushed up to the small kitchen to grab some foil.
"Maybe you just need a new TV!" Jules yelled.
"Can't exactly afford one at the moment. Gotta get this place out of the red first," He yelled down to her as he searched for the foil.
"If Casey needs our help right now and this piece of junk keeps me from getting there then I will chuck it out of your window!" She yelled as she slapped the side of the television and hit the top of it with her fist at the same time.
"I told you! Good vibes! If you don't like it then it won't like you!" RJ yelled as he raced back down with foil in his hand. She sighed as she stepped back and watched him layer on more foil, and after several minutes of messing around the picture came back into view. Jules was about to shot in victory when she heard foot falls from the other end of the loft.
"Can we get you something to eat?" Lily asked.
"Or drink?" She heard Theo say just before they came into view.
"Surprise me," a voice said.
Her eyes widened as the seal inside of her panicked a little bit. "Shark!" it screamed. She ground her teeth and suppressed the urge to run. It figures that my brother would be trained by the shark, She thought. That's gotta be some kind of irony. She looked over at RJ nervously. He looked up from the television slowly with a look that was both shocked and unsurprised.
"RJ, you won't believe it!" Casey exclaimed. Jules closed her eyes and prayed her brother didn't say what she thought he was going to say. "I found my new master!"
She winced involuntarily and opened her eyes in time to see RJ put on a nearly blank look. She could still spot traces of apprehension as her friend took a breath, "Hello, dad."
"Dad?" Casey asked in surprise.
"Okay," Jules announced in a voice that was a little too high pitched. "Casey, Lily, Theo…you guys come with me down stairs. We need to help Fran repair the damage. Poor girl is probably about to have a panic attack."
"Ah, Master Rhodes, how wonderful to see you again," Master Finn said to her with a smile.
"And you as well, Master Finn," She said with a small smile of her own.
"So I hear that Casey is one of the reasons you left the monastery?" He asked. Guilt flashed in front of Casey's eyes and Jules sighed heavily.
"Casey and my three other siblings, yes, but believe me it has been well worth it. Come on, guys, we've got work to do downstairs," Jules said as she urgently led the three protectors toward the door. RJ waited until they had all headed downstairs before speaking.
"Was that really necessary?" He asked.
"What?" Master Finn asked cluelessly.
"Casey knows full and well how much Jules gave up for their family. You don't need to rub it in," RJ told him with a shake of his head.
"So you think he honestly realizes how much that woman gave up for him?" Finn asked his son thoughtfully.
"Casey is young and he's eager, but he's not stupid. I think he sees very clearly what Jules sacrificed," RJ answered honestly.
"I suppose we'll have to disagree on that point, then," Finn answered stiffly as he wandered up the stairs to the loft's small kitchen.
"Why are we down here again?" Casey asked as they began to straighten up the kitchen.
"Because RJ and his dad need to talk," Lily said speculatively. "Right, Jules?"
Jules said nothing and continued working. It was RJ's issue to talk about. Not hers.
"I should be training right now," Casey said impatiently. "We're wasting time."
"Casey, chill out," Jules snapped.
"Geez, excuse me for wanting to learn," He said sarcastically.
Jules glared at him, "Buddy, you are treading on thin ice right now. You have PLENTY of time to train. Sometimes life isn't all about you."
"Oh so it's selfish for me to want to have MY turn just like Lily and Theo did?" He asked his sister heatedly. Lily's eyes widened and she excused herself to help Theo and Fran in the dining area.
"No, that's not selfish," Jules said as she took a deep breath to calm herself. "What's selfish is that you're demanding to take that turn NOW. You have got to learn to be patient."
"Patience? I've been patient!"
"No, Case, you haven't. Not really. Why are you in such a rush to be like Theo and Lily? They've been studying YEARS to get where they are. Whether you like it or not…it may take you a while to reach their level which means that YOU have to be PATIENT," She told him with a sigh.
"I don't want to talk about this," Casey said angrily as he continued picking up bits of broken plates.
Jules rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Yeah, sure, I mean what do I know, anyway? I'm only a Pai Zhua Master. It's not like I've been where you are before or anything."
"I'm not you! What worked for you may not work for me!" He exclaimed. "You know what? Forget it."
Jules clicked her tongue in irritation as Casey made his way back up the stairs to the loft. She loved Casey, but sometimes…she really wanted to smack him.
Later that day Jules came across RJ spacing out while sitting in his chair. She sat down on the stool next to the chair.
"Picturing a positive future?" She asked him.
"Yep," He with constant unfocused eyes.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked with a sigh. He turned concerned eyes on her.
"Why do YOU need to picture a positive future?" He asked.
"Had a fight with Casey," She told him.
"It's because of what dad said, isn't it?"
"Nope, actually it was because Casey was acting like a two year old. Complete with a temper tantrum," She said. RJ noticed a look of sadness flicker across her face.
"Hey, what's going on?" He asked her softly. She swallowed thickly and glanced at him quickly before focusing on her feet.
"Sometimes I wish I could just be the older sister and not the parent. I wish I didn't have to worry about whether or not I taught them everything they needed to know or how I'm gonna be able to afford all their academic bills or where the money for the car insurance will come from. Just once I would like to be able to act like the 24 year old that I am."
RJ smiled softly at her and took her hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I don't think I ever really told you how much I admired your decision to leave Pai Zhua," RJ said honestly. "It wasn't an easy decision to make and you could have just let child services deal with them, but you didn't. I don't think I could have done that."
He nudged her shoulder as he paused, "Besides, you've got two more years until you're completely free."
She sniffled and chuckled, "I will never be completely free."
"Well, at least your family is around," RJ told her with a sad smile.
"I still think you just need to talk to him about all of it. Let him know why you did it, and what happened as a result. You'd be surprised at how much that might fix," Jules told her friend encouragingly. "I mean the past is the past, right? You can't change it and neither can he. You both just have to learn to live with it. Anyway…with that I must leave you. I'm taking Fran home."
RJ gave her a questioning look, "Why?"
"After everything that girl went through today I am NOT letting her ride the bus. I now believe that she totally deserved that 300 percent raise Casey gave her," Jules said seriously.
RJ grinned at his friend in amusement, "Hey, Andre?"
"Yeah?"
"You know how you said you missed me earlier?" He asked.
"Yeah…"
"Well, for what it's worth, I missed you too," RJ said with a smile.
She patted his shoulder as she left, "Believe me, Balto, it's worth a lot."
He watched her walk away with a smile and then slowly returned to picturing his perfect future. Maybe if he pictured it long enough his problems would just float away.
Casey had lost RJ after he'd gone too far with the praise of his new master. He'd been searching for him when another battle ensued, and now that the battle had ended he could keep looking. Casey finally found RJ attempting to throw playing cards into a hat, and sat down beside him on the steps.
"You're not doing too well," Casey said.
"Depends how you look at it. What if the purpose was to avoid the hat?"
"Oh, then I'd say you're doing great," Casey said with a grin. "Did you see the fight? We won."
"Yes you did, but at what cost? My dad's spirit zord was turned against you. He makes mistakes. He's not perfect, you know?" RJ said as he began to pick up the cards and the hat.
"Yeah, who is?" Casey asked rhetorically, but continued when RJ gave him a look. "Oh, I get it. You're not just talking about the last battle."
"He never got over my wanting to find my own animal spirit," RJ told Casey as he moved across the room. "All he knew was to work me over and over into the Shark Technique. He wanted me to do it his way."
"I love the Shark Technique," Casey said.
"Right," RJ told him. "Maybe it fits you, but it didn't me."
"That sounds vaguely familiar," Casey mumbled to himself with a sigh.
"And then when I went to find my new master to train that was it between me and my dad."
"Wow," Casey said. "I didn't know."
"He doesn't get it. He thinks it's his way or the highway."
"And you chose the high way," Casey said observantly.
RJ nodded.
Casey and RJ stood silently for a moment before Casey spoke up again, "I guess I better get back to the others."
RJ nodded and went back to sit in his chair. Casey turned before he reached the exit.
"RJ?" He asked.
"Yeah?"
"What do you know about my sister? When she was at Pai Zhua, I mean. What was she like?" Casey asked. It was a question that had been bugging him all day. He sister was only 24 and yet in his eyes she seemed much older. He knew she couldn't have always been that way.
RJ smiled, "She took more risks, and was a little blunter."
Casey nodded. It wasn't much, but it did tell him something, "Any reason why she's so hung up on patience?"
RJ quirked an eyebrow at him, "She's a seal…patience is what their attack strategy is built on. Seal's are defensive creatures who rarely strike first. I've known her for a while and from what I've seen patience keeps her from becoming too stressed. She believes that things will happen in their own time when the universe is ready."
Casey nodded, "Thank you."
He considered that as he left the loft. That last bit of information was really helpful. The more he thought about that then the more Jules' words from earlier made sense, and the less he was offended by them. She wasn't really attacking him. She was trying to help him, but he was too stubborn to really see that.
Jules walked into the loft after spending way more time at Fran's than she had planned. Apparently the girl was a huge fan of this show called "Firefly" and insisted that Jules sit down and watch a few episodes with her. She had to admit it was entertaining, and she did enjoy the characters. Eventually though she had to excuse herself. She'd been away from JKP for too long. When she arrived she found everyone standing in a group in the loft. She watched as Master Finn patted RJ proudly on the back.
"Okay, someone hit rewind," She announced. "What did I miss?"
"Everything," Theo said with a smirk. "Monster's gone and everyone is happy."
"Seriously? I was only gone for three hours at maximum! I can't believe I missed it!"
"It recorded," RJ told her. "You can watch it later."
She sighed, "That's not as much fun…I already know how it ends."
Jules joined the group and stood in between RJ and her brother. Casey put an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her slightly off to the side.
"Thanks for attempting to talk some sense into me earlier," he told her quietly. "I was being stubborn and not really listening to what you were actually saying to me."
She smirked, "It's okay, Case, you're a teenager. You were just doing your job."
"You know you've been doing a job that shouldn't be yours for quite some time now," Casey told her.
"Case-"
"I'm serious," He said. "And all of us should have thanked you for that sooner. Maybe I should get you a Mother's Day card."
"Ew," Jules said with a disgusted expression. "You do that and I will throttle you. Geez, are you TRYING to find a way to make me feel old?"
Casey held up his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay, no Mother's Day card. Will you accept Father's Day cards then?"
Jules laughed and hugged her baby brother, "As long as they're the tacky ones about beer and buttcracks. That way it feels more like a joke."
"Right, I'll spread the word," he grinned.
I hope you guys understood that I was trying to skip around the scenes from the actual episode. I included that Casey and RJ scene because I need to add a few things to it, but other than that I tried not to be redundant and put things in this chapter that we all KNOW happened in the episode.
Enjoy!
angellwings
