Disclaimer – again? Sheesh, at least give us credit for being intelligent. We get it already, okay? We DO NOT own the TMNT's. There, are you happy? If not, well…. go pound sand! :0) Kidding…really, we are…wait, don't go get yer lawyers…we're kidding; can't you take a joke? Good grief…just read the story, will ya?
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Chapter 11 – Where's a Hole When You Need One?
Rama had to agree that dinner was good. At least her father and this Mike Angelo had a common talent for cooking. She found it quite interesting and wondered how many other similarities they shared. Certainly, it wasn't their sense of humor. Mike was the most sobering individual she had ever met, but, then again, maybe his particular situation with Rahab didn't lend itself to much joviality. She kind of felt sorry for him just the same.
"The guy needs to lighten up and just 'go with the flow.' What a dill pickle he is!"she muttered to herself at one point during the meal.
She had learned during dinner that there was a secondary house on the property. It used to be a small cottage where Don or other guests would stay. However, since Gabby and Seth married three years prior, Don's gift to them was a total remodel and enlargement of the smaller home. It allowed them to stay on Mike's property and take advantage of the security his compound afforded. The humble residence now boasted three times the square footage of the original, complete with a second story level. With the new baby soon to arrive in only a couple of months, the added space was a welcomed relief.
It was during the meal that Rama had expressed an interest to go outside and get a bit of fresh air. The allure and easy access to the backyard was almost too much for her to resist. With the expansive windows in the room, she had a hard time, as it was, focusing on the conversations around the dinner table. Her eyes were impulsive drawn to the yard beyond. With its subtle illumination with the various lamps and ground lighting, she caught the faint shimmer of water, which piqued her curiosity. Considering she had lived her entire life down in the sewers, just to step outside without the need for covering up seemed like a luxury to her. Back in her world, she only ventured outside while on patrol, scavenging, or when she was ticked-off at her dad for 'riding' her shell. Then, she would seek only the rooftops at night just to get out of the lair to cool off. The fact that Mike's place afforded much more than that was making her antsy just to experience it.
Of course, Rama did spend some time in the great outdoors; it wasn't as if she had never enjoyed such a venture. April's farm in upper New York afforded the family a trip out to the country just to get away from the city. Once every summer the clan would take turns and go up there in Casey's old dilapidated van. The bucket of bolts was so rusty that Rama's Uncle Donatello had to fix it up for each trip before it was road worthy. They always made sure that there were plenty of blankets, though. They had to hide in the back until they were well out of the city and away from prying eyes. However, once they were on the farm, with its one hundred acres surrounding the old house, they were virtually safe from the general population. The trip was something that everyone looked forward to. Yet, with the size of their family, it was just impossible to take everyone at the same time. Therefore, it became necessary to take turns.
Don, just a little on edge with Ramiela's attitude and remembering what Gabby had done three year prior, reminded her, "Don't get any ideas of taking off, Ramiela! You'll be watched, just keep that in mind."
"Yeah like where would I go? It's not like I can sprout wings and fly back to New York!" she complained.
"Just the same, there's been a history of cougars in the forest. It would be wise if you behaved yourself and stayed on the property – preferably close to the house!" Don had advised.
"Sure thing, Master!" Rama grated out, "Want me to bow down and kiss your feet too?" She relished in the exasperated expression he gave her as a result to her words. "Maybe you want to put leg chains on me, just to make sure I can't get away?" Yes, she was certainly not going miss opportunities to irritate him if she had anything to say about it. So far, she was having a good run of luck. Besides, irritating him was almost as much fun as annoying Uncle Donatello during her school days.
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Now, Rama was currently sitting around the fire-pit outside, situated halfway between the patio and the secondary home where Seth and Gabby lived. It was already dark when she first came out, but there was enough artificial lighting to find her way around the patio. The fire-pit was closer to the house than other parts of the yard, so it felt reasonably safe to her. With Don's comment about cougars, Rama decided it was prudent to stay nearer to the main structure and away from any deep shadows.
Earlier, when she had first stepped outside, Ramiela had been immediately impressed by the pool. Though she had many excursions to Central Park and its Turtle Pond, the water there was anything but clean. However, Mike's pool was the clearest body of water she had ever seen! If it weren't for her stitches, Ramiela wouldn't have hesitated to taking a dip. She knew it would be the first thing she would do once her injuries healed up, though.
She smiled at the waterfall that splashed at the opposite side from where she stood at the pool's edge. Where it flowed from the northern end, it mesmerized her with its gurgling sounds of cascading water. It ran in rivulets down the face of the rock, pouring into the pool and creating an ambiance of serenity that, for the moment, calmed Rama's irritation. It was all so very beautiful to her.
"I can't remember when I've ever felt this much at peace!" She admitted after a while to herself. "Maybe being here won't be so bad."
Rama languished in her reverie for just a moment, but then stubbornly dismissed it quickly "Doesn't matter what this Mike has. They forced me here; didn't even consult me like I have any say in my life!"
Rama had that happen to her once before when others had made decisions for her. They told her what she could do and when - and she loathed it. "Don tricked me and drugged me; treating me in the way you might expect an enemy to be treated. No matter what they offer, I won't be bought!" She stiffened slightly and then almost audibly spat out the next words, "I'm kunoichi and by that definition they have earned my displeasure!"
Yet between the luxuries offered her and her stubborn resolve to be difficult, Rama seemed to be between a rock and a hard place. She knew she could be very stubborn with some points; she had a long history of doing that. Yet, at the same time, she was not normally one to bear a grudge or maintain her anger. Her own dad had given her too much of his easy-going nature for that to happen. Still, she couldn't help but to appreciate everything afforded her since arriving. It was almost as if her dreams had finally come true, but with a catch! It was that 'catch' which disturbed her most and what kept her from fully accepting this family's hospitality.
With that, she knew the turtles' duplicity had to come with a price. She determined years ago that no one would ever again make decisions regarding her life without her permission. She felt very much as if they had lied to her and Rama never did care for liars.
"Oh, how I wish I could talk with Master Splinter!" she mused sadly. Addled as his mind had become, he could still offer insight. He would have some words of wisdom for her. Since her father and Uncles had twins in this realm, maybe a duplicate Master Splinter lived here, too. Where would he be and how could she ask without tipping her hand? If she outright inquired, then that would certainly cause her 'captors' to interrogate her more forcibly.
"Rama you're going have to dig deep to find out; maybe ask about Seth's grandparents! Yeah that might be a way!" The girl thought excitedly. "Everyone has grandparents, so it would be a natural question to ask, wouldn't it?" Ramiela wondered if they would sense her duplicity. "Well there has to be some situation that will present itself where I can ask such a question in honesty!" She reasoned.
It was then that she wandered around the yard a little. She took note of the soft illumination from the ground lighting and occasional patio lamps that littered the area here and there. All of it gave the yard an ethereal quality. Rama felt the tranquility and wondered just how long she would be able to hold out from really enjoying it. If her family were here, it would have been a done deal. Then again, considering the others that live here, it would have been all too weird, as well.
It just seemed so unfair that she was experiencing this wonder while all whom she loved were stuck down in the sewers of New York. For a moment, she allowed some melancholy to seep into her mood as she wistfully thought about how much she missed her family. She hadn't even been able to reach them earlier while she meditated. Perhaps she was still too weak from the battle to bridge the distance. Master Splinter had trained Ramiela well in the art of meditation. Not too many years ago, he had told her that with her training, she would eventually be able to connect psychically with her family. Rama knew that she had already reached that level in her ninjitsu, so it was quite frustrating for her to be unsuccessful in mentally reaching out to her clan members now.
Without so much as a warning, an errant tear made its way down her cheek. However, she quickly flicked it away before others had a chance to follow. There wouldn't be a chance she would let her emotions betray her while she was staying here. For Rama, her one goal was to get well and at the same time make life so miserable for Don that he would beg to take her back to New York!
Raph had been watching her, keeping his senses alert for any sudden desperation that she might give off. He wasn't trying to read her mind as it wasn't something he preferred doing. Yet, as his senses were keen upon her, he felt her momentary arrogance give way to the melancholy she was currently feeling. It piqued his curiosity about her even more. There was something about Rama that was not consistent with her combative behavior. It was something that said she was angry more than anything else. Then her sudden change from that to sadness told him she was suffering terribly. Still, he chaffed at how she had shown not an ounce of appreciation for the care and the affluence now offered to her. Rama's caustic and stinging comments to Don irked Raph greatly.
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Now, as she sat around the fire-pit, Rama was currently rehashing the events prior to dinnertime when she had first met Seth. She felt her face flush hot with embarrassment as she reflected, feeling slightly bemused and frustrated as a result.
"I should have remembered he was married to Gabby. Gaele did tell me that. How could I have missed it?" Ramiela chastised herself. "I must have looked completely ridiculous, all doe-eyed and shy, flirting with him…and there he was, smiling at me - no he was probably laughing at me. I'm nothing but a kid to him any way." Yet she knew in her heart that Seth had impressed her and that, for a brief moment in the foyer, she had thought her deepest longings had come true.
That is until she saw Gabby in the dining room.
"Where's a hole when you need one!" Rama fumed aloud.
Yet, no matter how hard she tried to dispel her thoughts of romance, she just couldn't let it go. It seemed to taunt her and mock what she was; a mutant turtle girl covered with scars. It all seemed so unfair to Rama and she had to wonder why life continued to laugh at her.
"The guy of my dreams, the one I wouldn't have any trouble getting passed Sensei or dad and not only is he not part of my world but he's married with a kid and one on the way, as well!" Rama kicked at one of the partially burned logs in front of her. It dislodged and clunked to the concrete floor of the pit, spilling pieces of charcoaled wood around it. "I'm destined to die a virgin I just know it…" She suddenly stopped her personal rant. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the youngest Angelo making her way towards her from the house.
"Great, just great! What does she want?" Rama grouched under her breath. She just wanted to be alone to stew in her own self-pity. Having to play 'nice' with Mike's daughter just wouldn't fit with her mood right now. She looked around her to see if there was any escape, but then noticed that Raph was watching her from one of the windows inside the house. "Blast it, I'm trapped!" she seethed silently. Resigned to her fate, she waited, hoping against hope that she was not the target of the approaching girl.
Riahna was her name. Mike had introduced her to Rama partway through dinner. She sported the same tail and blue hair; neatly French-braided like her mom's but she seemed more, in appearance, like Rahab in stature than Gaele was. When Riahna kept asking questions about Rama's 'decorations', at first Ramiela didn't have a clue what Mike's daughter was talking about. It seemed those at the table were reluctant to tell her, too. Finally it was Raphael who leaned in and, with a low voice, told Rama that Riahna was fascinated with scars.
"She wouldn't leave me alone for the longest time. She was fascinated with my face." He chuckled. It was then after dinner when Raph further informed Rama that Riahna was also autistic. Considering she looked almost as old as Seth did, her autism explained her seemingly child-like and reticent nature.
Although Ramiela understood about Riahna's handicap, she still didn't find anything funny at all about her preoccupation with her scars. They might be a thing of honor where she was from, but she didn't want to call attention to them here where she was. Rama was becoming increasingly self-conscious about it. With Riahna's fascination, it didn't do a great deal of good to endear Rama to the girl. Maybe if there were something else for the autistic mutant to focus on, Rama might escape any further inquiries about her scars. However, Rama didn't know Riahna well enough to divert her attention away to something that the girl would see as more interesting.
"Sure hope she stays away from me. I absolutely will not be her personal art exhibit." She had declared silently to herself at the time. Being on display was a feeling that Rama didn't care for at all.
Now, however as Ramiela saw Riahna approach her, she stiffened up in apprehension. "What is she going to do?" she thought worriedly.
The girl made her way into the pit without hesitation and over to where Rama was sitting. She studied the newcomer intently for a moment and then sat down next to her, looking hard at Rama with wondrous eyes. She smiled.
Ramiela didn't know how to react and, noticing Raphael was watching from inside the house, sat stock-still. She tried not to flinch as Riahna lightly began touching her face, trailing her fingers over the various scars. She followed them down to her shoulders and then to her arms. The autistic girl instinctively avoided the more grievous and newer wounds, but traced the older scars more thoroughly.
The next thing that happened surprised Rama to no end.
"Pretty!" Riahna cooed. "Pretty lines, pretty colors…I like pretty!" then, without warning, she hugged Ramiela. "You're pretty, too!"
All Rama could do was sit there and be hugged. She had grown up in a family that had given lots of hugs and she didn't mind them from family members or those she viewed as close friends. However, she didn't know Riahna at all and she didn't care much for that kind of familiarity from her. Unsure if pushing Riahna away would trigger a fit or, not, she allowed the girl's embrace. Rama understood about some aspects of autism from studies on human nature that Uncle Donatello had taught her. He had said most autistic didn't care to be touched. It was highly unusual then for one who did. Distracting them was one way to get them to stop a bad behavior. However rejecting their affection out right was most certainly the wrong thing to do by comparison!
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"Well, we have lift-off ladies and gents…Riahna just hugged the newcomer!" Raph exclaimed as he watched the spectacle unfold before him from one of the larger windows in the family room.
"What's Rama doing?" Mike asked worriedly as he came over to see.
Raph sniggered, "Taking it!" He was definitely getting a good chuckle out of Rama's predicament.
Rahab came to the window, as well, forgetting for the moment her irritation with her husband. She watched in rapt fascination the spectacle going on out by the fire-pit. "Well, maybe Riahna's the key for getting Ramiela to calm down." She wondered aloud.
"Calming down isn't the problem, Rahab," Don interjected from his position on the couch, "it's getting her to accept things as they are for now. Until she tells us what's really going on with her, she's going to be difficult."
"She's obviously hiding something." Mike remarked, "Ever since yesterday when she nearly climbed the wall after seeing me for the first time…" his voice trailed off as he realized the nature of what he just said. Rama's reaction to him at that time had been the proverbial 'nail in the coffin' for him.
Rahab shot him a glare at that point, whereupon Mike shrugged his shoulders as if deflecting a strike. He made his way back over to the couch where he sat down in a huff. Don looked casually over at his younger brother and shook his head slowly in his direction. Either Mike didn't take notice of it or he chose to ignore it. Regardless, the poor turtle suddenly stood up, grumbled once, and stormed over to the basement door. He quickly opened it, slipping through the doorway and scooting down the stairs to the dojo.
"Maybe a good work out will clear my mind." He mumbled to himself. He could only hope.
Don knew what his brother was going to be doing. Feeling a need for a good sparring session himself, he decided to join Mike and maybe work the truth out of him at the same time. He could only hope, as well.
Meanwhile, Raph continued to watch Riahna hug Rama, smirking and relieved that now someone else had the distinction of being 'beautiful. He had always held a soft spot for Mike's afflicted daughter, though. She was usually a very sweet natured creature, but there were times her temper tantrums necessitated forcing her removal from the family to her bedroom. Mike or Rahab would often take her up to her room and try to distract her there; it usually worked, too. However, Raph was the only one in the family who had the 'gift' of placating Riahna without ever giving her a reason to act up. It was a known fact in the clan that Raphael was her favorite uncle.
As Raph watched the scene playing out in the backyard, he realized that Rama was starting to panic. He sensed a rising trepidation from her that was edging towards critical. However, Riahna refused to let go of her and he knew only too well what would happen if she was pushed away.
Ramiela had dipped into a light meditation to quell her rising panic. "It's just a hug, Rama, dear" she reassured herself "You can take a hug, that's all it is. Breath deep and slow, in and out…" Nevertheless, Rama could feel old memories coming to the surface that bound her to a time when other unwelcome touches from non-family members had lead her into a great pain and humiliation. The girl holding her didn't have a clue the effect her embrace was having on her 'victim.' She was only expressing her acceptance of this new member in her own way.
"Good golly she's strong!" Ramiela commented to herself as Riahna tightened her squeeze, "If she holds me any tighter I think I'm going to lose all circulation in my arms and plastron and bust every stitch I have in me." She gritted her teeth against the pain generated from the cuts and abrasions Riahna was rubbing against. "I swear, a boa constrictor couldn't have a tighter death grip. If she squeezes me much harder I'll be popping out of my shell for sure and go flying through the air."
The scenario was not that hilarious for the moment. Under normal circumstances, the picture it conjured up in her mind would have put her in a laughing fit. However, considering the kind of suffocating embrace that Riahna had her in, laughing was that farthest thing from Ramiela's thoughts.
Still, as Riahna maintained her hold, Rama's thought about her capture experience from years earlier. In a powerful and overwhelming rush, it all came back to her. She couldn't help but remember the hands that had pushed and forced her into a hibernation chamber. There, she had to endure such severe coldness like none she had ever faced before. Then, the tight constricting straps with which they used to tie her down onto an examination table. Her movements restricted, they ran numerous tests on her, including sending a probe inside of her to see if she was able to mate. There was so much more they had done to her that if she hadn't had her training, she would have surely lost all sense of self. All of this was done without her consent or giving her any explanation as to why they were doing it to her in the first place. Treated like a dumb animal, they took away from her any rights to an opinion or an explanation.
Ramiela looked up and saw Raph suddenly exit the house through the patio's sliding glass doors. She must have had a wild look in her eyes because he picked up his pace a bit, quickly shortening the gap between them.
"Hey, there Riahna – 'bout time you let Ramiela grab some air, girlie!" he soothed as he gently pulled the girl off Rama.
Riahna protested loudly as she shouted out " NO!" her sudden outburst startling her new friend. Rama backed away and watched as the girl kicked and flailed around, angry and defiant as Raphael picked her up. Then, Riahna saw who had grabbed her. She smiled big in recognition as Raph turned her around. Finally quieted, the girl allowed him to lead her back to the house.
He looked over at Rama and winked, nodding in the direction of the patio to indicate she should get back inside. "Once we get her upstairs, you'll be safe!" he said, grinning.
Yet Rama couldn't quite move towards the house, not yet, not until she quieted herself against the memories that now assaulted her. Standing there by the fire-pit, she did a short meditative exercise to quell the anxiety she was feeling. As she slowed her breath down, her heartbeat gradually returned to normal. It had been a long time since she had such feelings like that. Obviously all the stress she had been under must have compromised her resistance.
Unaware that Raph had looked back to see why she was taking so long, Rama was slowly bringing her mind to a peaceful place. After about five minutes she felt normal again, ready to proceed to the house and join the rest of Don's family. She hoped that by the time she reached it, Riahna would be upstairs and in her room. She just couldn't fathom another round of Riahna playing map-quest on her face.
Just as Rama started for the house, Raph came out. "You all right Ramiela?" he asked, somewhat concerned and just a little suspicious. He has sensed her panic levels had been running extremely high. He feared she would bolt over the rear fence and take off through the darkened forest. Although he and his brothers were well versed in night searches, it wouldn't have been his first choice.
"Yeah, ah…just taking one more look at the…ah…" Rama began thinking of using the trees as her excuse. However, she soon noted that with evening in full swing, it was too dark beyond the fence to see them. "Um, the stars, I wanted to look at the stars a little more." She said hurriedly and then made her way to the patio area.
As Rama walked into the house, Raph mentioned, "By the way, a couple other members of our family will be arriving shortly; Devon, my son, and then my other bro –Leo. They flew into San Jose a while ago. They'll be here in about two hours, maybe less." Then he waved her into the family room.
Rama steeled herself against the tendency to go wide-eyed upon hearing Leo's name. Now it was certain. Everyone that she knew and loved - with the possible exceptions of her step mom, aunts and maybe even Master Splinter – were duplicates here in this world. What was she going to do when Leo arrived? How should she respond to him? If she treated him better and with more respect than she had with the others, that would give Don an edge over her. He could use Leo to break down her resistances and find out more than she wanted him to know. She sighed deeply as her situation seemed to have become more complicated. Of course, a part of her knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up forever anyway, but for the present time, she preferred not to listen to that part. Yet Rama knew in her heart that no matter what kind of world she found herself in, there wasn't any way she could show disrespect towards Sensei's twin! She had it too deeply ingrained into her, ever since she was a toddler. It was just a part of who she was.
"Ninjitsu is more than fighting, Ramiela, it's an attitude!" she mentally echoed her sensei's words. "How right he is!" She thought to herself. "Would he sanction my disrespect for his twin though?" Rama asked silently. She doubted it. Besides, the Leo here had done nothing to incur her wrath. Moaning to herself, she could only muse, shaking her head, "Oh Ramiela dear what an awful mess you are in!"
As she walked solemnly into the family room, Rama noticed that Seth and Gabby were tending their daughter. The child was playing with some colorful building blocks and having the best time knocking them over the moment they were three-blocks high. Her giggles reminded Ramiela of her cousins when they were younger and, of course, Tyler now. Along with that memory, the realization hit her that she would probably never experience such joys as childrearing. Since she was the future Jonin of her clan, Ramiela didn't have the luxury of worrying about such matters anyway. How could she possible run a clan and be a mother at the same time? The fact that she would probably never attract too many eligible bachelors had forced Ramiela to more-or-less accept her fate. Though there was always the distant hope of someone seeing past the green, she was well aware that most boys would be more interested in human females than the likes of her.
Still, she couldn't help but flop dejectedly down on a chair. She watched the couple and their daughter as they interacted with each other across from her. As she did, Rama wished and longed silently to have just a small part of that for her self someday.
Raph watched her, sensing her disgruntled mood quite easily. He shook his head, wondering if any of them would be able to get through to her. It was still early in Ramiela's stay at Mike's home, though. He reflected on Gabby's early days and realized that she hadn't been all that different. Uprooted from her home and taken from the only father and family she knew, Gabby tried to run away the moment she arrived at Mike's house. She didn't know at the time that her true family – and her natural father - was right under her nose. She had been quite difficult back then but she eventually came around just the same, accepting Raph quite readily as her father. He decided then, as far as Ramiela was concerned, that there would be ample time to make some headway with her, too.
His attention, however, diverted over to his granddaughter playing on the floor as she squealed in delight.
"Mindy what color is this?" Gabby cooed.
"Blue!" the girl screeched triumphantly, raising her arms high as if she had won an important contest. "The block's blue, Mommy!"
"Yes, that's right, it's blue! Good girl, Mindy!" Gabby exclaimed.
"What a smart little girl you are!" Seth chimed in.
The child clapped eagerly at her accomplishment, beaming from ear to ear. She looked around the room, making sure that it didn't go unnoticed. Of course, the only ones in the room for the moment were Raph and Rama. Raph made up for the lack of bodies, though, grinning wildly and bearing witness to fact that this child held center stage in his heart.
"Ah, where is everyone?" Rama asked, somewhat bored. She knew that Rahab was upstairs after claiming Riahna from Raph when he first brought her in from the patio.
Raphael replied "Don and Mike went downstairs to the dojo; they're probably working out some details or two." He grinned mischievously, knowing that Don was probably pushing Mike for a confession.
"Dojo?" Rama asked her eye ridge raised just a little, a tiny stir of excitement coming from inside her. She had her suspicions about them, but Raph mentioning that word, dojo, certified that at the very least they did do martial arts of some sort.
"Yeah a place where we – ah – work out." He replied somewhat carefully. He still wasn't too sure about this mutant. Even though Don had found her beaten and cut up pretty badly as if from battle, there wasn't any real proof that she knew martial arts. In his opinion to consider she might even know ninjitsu was pushing the limits of assumption a little too much. Still, he had to wonder about her. She did know how to calm herself and had managed to get free of the restraints on the plane easily enough. Yet, then again, a good magician might be able to perform much the same stunt.
Rama's attention went back to the toddler on the floor. She observed that her coloring was indeed almost human. The skin hue seemed like a washed out green with a hint of pink. Her facial features were nearly human as well, with just a subtle hint of a snout. Since the only human/mutant turtles she knew of were in her own family, the difference was quite discernable to her.
"Good grief, how'd she get like that? I know it's possible for further mutations to happen, Uncle Donatello said as much once, but this is just - too weird!" She thought to herself, scowling just a little.
Still the human element in the girl's genetic heritage was unmistakable and it puzzled Ramiela a great deal, especially where Seth was the father. He himself had too many attributes that contradicted the child's own uniqueness. Even Gabby, with the exception to her hair, didn't seem like the natural mother. "Maybe there was a gene that went awry. Sort of like with Riahna?" Rama reasoned silently.
However, she did have to admit that the baby seemed normal by any other account for a three year old. She had seen enough of them over the years to know that much.
"So, Ramiela," Gabby asked, "Are there any children where you're from?" She smiled expectantly, handing another block to her daughter. Mindy gleefully piled it on top of the tower she had just made, giggling happily when said tower tumbled over, spilling the blocks every which way.
Rama was not expecting such a question, "Huh?" How was she to answer that one? By indicating there were others like her, more questions were inevitable. She wasn't quite ready for an interrogation or revealing so much about her family, yet she could tell that Raph's interest picked up quite readily with Gabby's inquiry.
"That is a very good question." Raph agreed, turning his gaze on Rama with a smile slowly creasing his face.
Rama shook her head "My memory is still a little fuzzy; I guess there could be but I'm not certain." She smiled inwardly at her nice save. She didn't view this as a lie, really, because for her it was protecting the young in her clan. It left things open-ended and not too definite; satisfying anyone's curiosity that at least there was the possibility she was one of many. However, Rama could tell that Raph wasn't convinced she was being completely forth coming. Well, that was just fine with her. He hadn't been all that truthful with her either. Her Uncle Raphael had always played straight with her and Rama thought it a great pity that this Raph did not share that trait with his younger twin. She watched him narrow his eyes, assessing the weight of her words. She turned away to place her focus back on the child across from her.
Just then, Mindy stood up and looked at Ramiela carefully. She giggled once and then walked over to her.
"Pway!" she screeched. "Pway wit me! Pweeeze!" Mindy exclaimed excitedly.
"Huh?" Rama was startled. Yes, she loved children, but not here and not now. She had a goal to be the most difficult guest Mike ever had at his estate. Playing with Mindy would upend that goal like no other. She had her task set before her and, in her usual mulish way, she would stick to it no matter what. "No, maybe later?" she begged as sweetly as she could.
Just as Rama finished her reply, she noticed Mindy's lower lip begin to quiver. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to tell her that the child was offended. Obviously, she wasn't used to not getting her way. Being the only youngster in the family, all those around her probably spoiled her to death, in the same way Rama herself had been until Aiden and Kali arrived when she was five.
Then to Rama's sudden horror, the toddler burst out crying, throwing herself to the floor in a fit.
All Ramiela could do was watch with eyes wide and her mouth slightly ajar from shock. Even as a child she wasn't permitted to throw fits when someone opted not to play with her. She was mortified. At home in the lair, unless she was busy with her studies, doing katas, patrolling or teaching the young ones their ninja lessons, her cousins could always count on her to play with them. She was more like a big sister who was willing and able to kick back and chase the lot of them around their underground playground, or wrestle in some good old- fashioned fun. She really did like children, but she had to stick with her plans, no matter what!
However, now - for all intents and purposes – she was looking more like an ogre. Rama looked around helplessly, hoping that someone would rescue her. Yet that was not what she found. Raph glared at her as if she had deliberately kicked his grandchild. Seth's pleasant outward expression closed down to almost unreadable. Gabby, though, smiled thinly and quickly scooped up the sobbing child, cooing to her softly.
"Oh, Mindy, Ramiela is probably tired. Maybe she just doesn't know how to play, Sweetie." She hugged her daughter and then stood up to leave, "Let's go upstairs and get Uncle Devon's room all ready for him, shall we?"
"Unca' Dev'n comin'?" the little girl hiccupped between sobs, her tear-stained face suddenly bright and expectant.
"Yes, he is!" Gabby cheerfully affirmed, "And Grandpa Leo, too!" she giggled as she tickled the child's tummy.
Mindy's tearful report erupted into squawks of laughter and exclamations of excitement, "Goody! I loves Unca' Dev'n and Gampa Leo! He throw me reeeeal hiiiiigh!"
Rama watched the two as they left for the stairs, mindful that she was now alone in the family room with the remaining two who were not exactly happy with her for the moment. What did they expect her to do, put aside a whole war and give into a spoiled child? The kid would have to learn sometime that just because she wanted something didn't mean she would get it. After all, the toddler had a sibling coming and that would definitely change things for her anyway.
"This just keeps getting better and better by the second, it really does!" She grumbled silently.
Smiling sheepishly, Rama shrugged a bit before trying to melt into the back of the couch and disappear. Problem was she couldn't. She could only sit there and bear the brunt of Raph's and Seth's displeasing stares.
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RAMICA -
Pretender: Yeah those 'hots' for Seth have cooled quite a bit with the knowledge he is married.
Lady Venom: Soon enough the introductions should be over and we can move into the real meat of the story and having fun...wait a minute, we've all ready been having fun we'll just have more of it.
Pretty Purple Pixie: Glad you are enjoying this. Yeah right now it is pick on Mike next time who knows...
Vestquex: You know what they say all the best ones are taken
Dancingfae: Don't you hate it when life trips you up only to laugh in your face? That is pretty much where Rama is at the moment. I think Reinbeauchaser loves torturing the poor girl almost as much as I do.
REINBEAUCHASE-:
PRETENDER FANATIC: Poor Rama; she's experiencing her first crush and in the next instant gets crushed herself. Poor girl – Bwahahaha! Oh, what fun we're having with her. Thank goodness she's not real! Ah, that's correct, right, Ramica? Good grief, please don't tell her where I live, whatever you do! As far as bookending her, Raph and Don both are well versed in such tactics…can't say why since it's sort of 'classified'! :0) Thanks for reading and reviewing! Be blessed.
LADY VENOM2: Poor Seth probably knows already about how he's affected her; he's ninja after all! The 'rest of the family' has yet to arrive and – we promise – that'll be interesting to say the least – for some, anyway! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed!
PRETTYPURPLEPIXIE: Yeah we do, too……NOT! Bwahahaha! Love to torture the poor guy. Glad you're enjoying it, too! LOL Well, more chapters even after this one – a lot more or a few; depends on where the muses take us! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed!
VESTQUEX: Well, I'm sure it's quite disappointing for Rama – but a whole lot of fun for us. Did I just say that with the other reviews? Yep, I did – so I guess we are, then! Hey, thanks for thinking so and you can bet there will be more! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed!
DANCINGFAE: Well, we had to get that cleared up right away, otherwise Gabby may have had to take things in her own hands. Still more fun to come, though, so just hang on! Yes, Ramiela will have a very long evening of very eventful situations yet to come. So, stay tuned and keep reading! Thanks for your reviews. Be blessed!