DISCLAIMER: Yeppers, we're only owned by Gabby, Mindy and Rama – but I have to say that I'm glad Rama owns Ramica – that girl has too much of an attitude! Rama, that is! :0) Gabby does, too, but she's not as trained in the arts, so – at least I have that much in common with her….ah…well, maybe not since I can't punch my way out of a paper bag! Oh and hats off to Pretender Fanatic who brought to our attention a bit of a plot hole. It's nicely patched up, now, so Ramica and I can breathe easier! Thanks, PF! :0)
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CHAPTER 36 – STUBBORN AS HER OLD MAN!
After he and his brothers exited the stairwell, Leo found Cassie in the family room, sipping on a glass of lemonade. Rahab and she were chatting about things, mostly about the damage in the shop and the aftermath. He casually walked over to where they sat, rubbing his face a little as if the past forty-five minutes had been a grueling spar. He then sat down in a nearby chair. "Honestly, this kunoichi's going to be the death of me, yet. Between her pranks and now this…I don't know, maybe her family won't want her back!" he chuckled.
Cassie looked over at him and shook her head, smiling, "It's alright, Leo, she just freaked out. Considering what that poor girl went through with her mother, I don't think I blame her any…yet, she is a future jonin, so you had to do something to get her to think about her actions."
Rahab then asked, "So, what's the verdict?" It was obvious that Mike's wife was rather concerned with the girl, her sympathies based on the problems she had years ago after her own transformation. Rahab understood quite well how difficult it could be when your life has been turned completely upside down and then have one little 'trigger' make things even worse.
"Well," Leo replied, "She'll be down there for a couple of days. Same as we did with Gabby, but not as long. We'll release her about noon, day after tomorrow."
He watched as Rahab groaned, shaking her head and then turning away as she muttered, "That poor girl and all that she went through only to get punished like this,"
"Rahab, Ramiela is a future jonin and she needs to be in control of these things. Otherwise, how can she lead?" Leo rebuked. "Yes, what her mother did was awful, I won't deny that. Yet, what time she will spend in the dojo meditating will be good for her. The meditation will reveal a lot about what Rama is and what she needs to understand. I wouldn't assign it to her unless I felt this was true."
Rahab looked back at him and scowled. She wasn't so sure about that, remembering Gabby's own stint with temporary banishment. Unknown to the family, though, the sole reason why the girl ended up there was her reaction to what Jason had tried to do to her. If a little understanding had been exercised beforehand and Gabby's side heard, more than likely she wouldn't have had to be punished. Then again, for her it did drive home the point how dangerous it was for any of them to strike humans. "Well, I sure hope your right, Leo. She seemed awfully upset when she came home."
"I am, trust me!" he insisted.
……….
While Leo talked with Rahab and Cassie, Mike and Raph both went into the kitchen to fetch their own beverages. Raph grabbed up an apple from the fruit bowl, bit into it, and then looked over at the trio in the family room. He then commented to Mike, "Ya know, Mikey, it was a whole lot easier down in those sewers! No kids to hassle with; no need to worry about how any of us were going to act or react, just the four of us and Splinter."
Mike looked at his brother as if he were nuts, "And the Foot, can't for get the Foot, Raph. You have to be kidding me, right? All that we have at our fingertips and you want to go back to the sewers?" He just stood there, completely shocked.
"Didn't say I wanted to go back, I'm just saying, it was easier – even though in some ways it was harder." He took a swig of his beer and then admitted, "You and Don get the big houses and all the trimmings here in Big Sur. In San Fran at that solo dive I call an apartment, I still get a ten by nine room!" and then he walked out of the kitchen and out the patio doors. Mike shook his head and sighed, taking up a pear from the bowl.
…………
Leo looked at Cassandra and then over at his sister-in-law, "Mike and I need to talk to Cassie privately, so if you don't mind…"
Rahab nodded, getting up and headed out towards the patio door. Mike joined up with Leo and sat down in the chair across from her, snacking on his fruit.
Leo then looked at Cassie and asked, "While you're here, I would like for you to drop in on Gabby and try to talk some sense into her about Min's training."
"Don't tell me she's balking." Cassie asked with a sigh.
"She's already talked to you about it?" Mike's eyes widened in surprise just a little.
"Yes, about a year ago I asked her if the clan was going to start Min's training. She was not expecting that. In fact, she became quite upset and made me promise not to say anything to you whatsoever." Cassie sighed, "I tried to tell her that she cannot hold Mindy's training back, but Gabby nearly went ballistic. I don't know, Leo, if I can help. I think her view of what we do is a bit tweaked from that experience she had during the fight three years ago. However I'll do my best."
"Thanks, that's all I ask." Leo then asked, "So, did the police show up after we left?"
"Yes, they did…in fact, about five minutes after you left. Speaking of which, I need to be back by six to meet with the insurance adjuster." Then, Cassandra shared with Leo and Mike the details about what she told the arriving officers.
After a few minutes and with all the information Cassie gave them, Leo remarked, "Well, the quicker we call the precinct the better this whole affair will turn out. Thanks, Cassie. I think now, if you're up to it, would be a good time for you to talk with Gabby. I'd also like to know how it turns out."
The three then stood up and went their separate ways.
Once in the den, Mike dialed the police station and mused, "I sure hope my friendship with the police will help us out here. Last thing we need is an investigation!"
"Oh, I think Cassie did a good enough job to convince them it was just an accident." Leo assured.
Once the dispatcher answered, Mike explained the nature of the call. Soon the dispatcher transferred him over to the detective in charge of the assault on Cassie's shop. Mike drummed his fingers on the desk as he waited, catching his brother smiling at him. "What?" he asked, rather annoyed by Leo's expression.
"You're nervous." Leo accused.
"Am not. I have a great reputation in this town. It's going to be fine." Mike insisted and then huffed. "Just don't like police activity is all. Ever since Gaele went joy riding in my Testarosa, I've tried to keep a low profile."
Still, by calling the police before they called him, his family would end up appearing less guilty. Mike might not have wanted to be the one calling, yet he was better suited to doing the job where the community was more familiar with him. Moreover, by calling first, he would be showing concern, thereby raising fewer suspicions than if they opted to wait for the police to call them. Considering the known private nature of the clan, the authorities would call first anyway before driving up to the house. What aided that depth of respect was Mike's friendship with the force and Don's numerous and sizable donations to the police fund. In the end, it helped to promote the view that the mutants were overall a decent family.
After a moment, Mike heard the slightly roughened voice of the officer in question, "Officer Braddock speaking."
Mike introduced himself, choosing his words carefully, but speaking calmly enough so as not to raise any suspicions, "Yes, this is Mike Angelo and I'm calling with regards to the incident at the Musical Note this afternoon."
"Ah, yes! I'm glad you called, because I was just about to call you." Braddock said, admitting, "I've heard from some of the witness there that you might have been involved in that problem."
Mike smiled a little, knowing by the officer's words that he was fishing for information, "Yes, we were. My family was visiting with Cassandra. I do want to apologize for not staying around, as I know how that must have looked. But my wife's granddaughter was quite upset and we all felt it might be better to get her back home and away from the mess as she might have injured herself if we stayed." Mike went on to explain, "What happened was, a bee flew into the store and we didn't want to take the risk of it stinging the child. In an effort to kill the bee, my nephew swung at it first and missed, breaking a few things as a result. It was all by accident, of course, as he was rather panicky about the bee."
"A bee, you say? Quite a large mess for the sake of just one bee." the officer noted.
"Well, things sort of got out of hand after my nephew's initial miss with the first swipe. After that, with everyone trying to kill the bee, it became like a madhouse for a moment. By that time, the bee was becoming aggravated and there was just no telling how the child might have responded if she were stung. With her mother having an allergy to bee-stings, it was likely that her daughter could be, too." Mike didn't have any idea if Gabby was allergic or not, but the excuse sounded plausible and that was far more important. He went on to say, "With her young age, we just didn't want to take that chance." He chuckled a little, "It was actually quite embarrassing. Every time we thought we had it cornered and took a swipe at it, the stupid thing would fly off again, only madder than it was before." Mike then offered, "Our family does intend on paying restitution to Cassandra for the damage involved."
Hearing Mike explain things to the officer, Leo knew that offering to pay for any and all damages would make the incident an opened and shut case, a done deal with the police dropping quietly out of the picture.
However, he noticed Mike furrow his brow. It appeared that Braddock was not quite ready to drop the matter just yet. Mike grimaced as Braddock asked him, "Were any of your family members hurt?"
"Oh, a few small cuts from the broken glass, nothing too serious." Mike decided to downplay the injuries, the way Cassie had told him. Where there were a few blood splatters in the store from Devon, he had to at least say that much.
"You know the few people that came forward to give a statement seemed to think that there was more than that, as if there were more serious wounds," the officer stated casually.
Mike smiled, as he suddenly understood that the officer was hoping to catch him a lie. "Well, what injuries there were didn't warrant any doctor or emergency room visits. A bit of time with some tweezers, some antiseptic, and a Band-Aid or two was all that was necessary to mend the wounds." He then became a bit more serious, "I'm rather surprised, though, that people in Carmel would report it that way. After all, we have been a part of this community for a few years and have tried to remained above reproach. Then, again, people do tend to exaggerate whenever there is something exciting going on. However, I've noticed that some people have a tendency to blow things out of proportion, especially when it concerns our family. The sort of situation we found ourselves in today only adds to the problems of prejudice that we've had to face."
The officer sighed, "Yeah I know what you mean. Well, since you've said just about what Cassandra told us, I think we can pretty much let things go. Everything seems to add up."
"If you need to come by and check things out as far as injuries go, just let us know and we'll have the gate opened for you." Mike offered.
"Thanks, if we do, we'll definitely call ahead. I appreciate you getting in touch with me about this." Braddock then hung up, as did Mike.
"Well, it sounds like he's going to let the matter go." Mike reported. He took a deep breath and said, "I really hate police involvement!"
"I hope that if they do come, it's after Rama's punishment. I don't want her interrupted." Leo knew the importance of Rama doing the whole meditative exercise without it being foreshortened. The last thing she would need was to have her time in the dojo curtailed.
He and Mike then moved out of the den and into the family room to await Cassie's report. Leo hoped that his daughter-in-law would listen to reason with it coming from her mother. Yet, with her stubborn resolve, he had a very bad feeling that Gabby's mind was already set.
Knowing who her father was pretty much established that trait.
……………
The afternoon was unusually warm for early April, so Gabby decided to take advantage of the day with its inviting temperatures. She was currently reclining in one of the lounge chairs on the patio, appearing to take a nap. Every now and then, though, she would look up to check on her daughter. The child was currently playing with Riahna, who was entertaining her niece on the nearby lawn. The two were getting along rather well, which was unusual where Mindy was just as headstrong as her aunt. Normally, because of her autism, Riahna had little patience with the child. However, they both seemed equally engrossed with putting some freshly cut flowers into a vase. This pleased Riahna immensely, if her smile was any indication.
From inside the house where he stood by the screened patio door, Raph watched his daughter as she relaxed by the pool. At the same time, he was able to sense Rama down in the dojo. So far, the kunoichi had been adhering to her meditation assignment. Already, the girl had served over half her sentencing time after destroying Cassie's shop the day before. It seemed Rama was quite willing to regain her honor, which, even though he wouldn't admit it to the girl, impressed Raph quite a bit. A small part of him had admired the kunoichi's skill with the way she so easily disabled him and his brothers, not to mention his son and nephew. He knew all too well the depth of ninjitsu she had used to do it with, too. Just the same, her actions were uncalled for. Retribution had to be made, regardless of how remorseful she felt for her offense. The best news out of all of this was that Officer Braddock had called back to inform the family that the case was dismissed. It helped, of course, that Cassie was Gabby's mother, but with the event happening in town and with public witnesses, proper measures had to be followed.
Raph then caught a movement and soon noticed Seth leaving his house, making for the pool area. The iguanid male headed towards his wife with a determined step and a strained expression on his face. It was perfectly obvious that he was intending to speak with her once again regarding Mindy. However, Raph had other ideas. He quickly focused on his nephew, fine-tuning his mind as he sent him a subtle message. In a moment, Seth stopped and looked up towards the house. It was there that he saw Raphael. There was a bit of nonverbal communication that went on between the two and, then, Seth changed directions and headed over to the opposite side of the pool. He looked back at his uncle, as if challenging him, but Raph gave him a slow shake of his head. Finally shrugging his shoulders, Seth huffed once and then slipped into the pool, diving deep to the bottom and out of sight. Raph chuckled a bit at his son-in-law's habit of spending time at the bottom of the pool whenever he was ticked off. It was either there or the sanctuary, but both were habits none the less. Due to his heritage, Seth could hold his breath for a decent thirty minutes while he grumbled. Since Gabby was his main irritant for the moment, it was a good bet that her husband would remain submerged for a while.
Raph then went back to observing his daughter and granddaughter, taking another sip from his glass of iced tea. Swallowing his drink slowly, he allowed the cool liquid to ease its way down his throat. Looking over at the child on the lawn, he was thankful that Mindy had proven her resilience. She was already back into full toddler mode again, laughing and giggling with her aunt. He grouched a bit at the sight of the bandage on her arm, yet he was thankful her cut was minimal. "Should heal without much of a scar," he mused quietly. He watched as Min helped Riahna fill the glass vase with their collection of flowers, babbling on about who knows what in her almost four-year-old voice.
Despite what he had said to Mike the day before, Raph was quite content with his little family. As he watched his granddaughter, it was hard to believe that Mindy would be four in a little more than three months. He imagined the pool parties she would have with subsequent birthday celebrations when she was older, once she started school and began to make friends. He sighed; so many changes in the twenty-nine years since Rahab became apart of their clan. He thought about when he, his brothers, and Splinter had left New York in that borrowed mini van. He was twenty-two then and just as frightened about their future as Leo had been. All the adventures they had along the way towards freedom until their discovery in New Mexico. If someone had told him at the time where he'd be right now, he'd accuse them of 'smokin' their socks'. Then, ten years after that, to find someone like Rahab and have a son by her, would have made him double up with laughter. Him…married, becoming a father, and then trying to live the straight life? Yeah, right! Yet, it did happen and much to the surprise of everyone. Even though the marriage had tanked – and he blamed himself for that one – he still had Devon and, as fate would have it, eventually Gabby. Now, having a granddaughter, too, Raph could only shake his head and laugh to himself at the irony of it all.
As he looked back over at Gabby, he sighed. She was still quite firm on the fact that Mindy was too young to be trained in ninjitsu. Even Cassandra had little luck in convincing her. Cassie had spent a good two hours the day before over at the smaller house, trying to convince her daughter about the wisdom of such training. Raph didn't know what words were exchanged between them, but one thing was quite clear. After it was all 'said and done', Cassie made a rather tart comment to him after she stormed out of the smaller home. As she came whipping by him, she seethed, "She's as stubborn as her 'old man'!" and then huffed off into the forest to cool down. Raph had smiled after her, quite amused by the woman's irritation. To see her undone by her own daughter gave him quite a chuckle.
Later, when she returned to the house, Cassandra told Leo that he was going to have the battle of his life convincing Gabby about their granddaughter's training. She grouched just before leaving to go back to Carmel, "I wish you all the luck in the world – and you're gonna need it, that's for sure!"
After Cassandra left, Leo had excused himself to the forest. There, he spent the remainder of the day and part of the evening in meditation while within the forest's sanctuary. When he returned, Raph had noted a determined expression on his brother's face. It was obvious that Leo had made a decision and it wasn't going to be pretty, certainly not well received by most in the clan. Yet, he refused to say what it would be, sequestering himself in his room upstairs. In fact, he was still there as Raph stood at the patio door, looking out at the family.
Soon, Raph noticed Seth coming back up for air, foreshortening his own form of meditation. His son-in-law did a few laps in the pool and that was when Mindy noticed her father.
With the toddler's patience running out and seeing her father in the pool, Mindy decided that she would rather soak herself than soak a bunch of 'boring' flowers. At least, more or less, that's what Raph heard her say as he walked outside.
"I tired of dumb fowers, Rana," Mindy explained as she picked herself up off the grass, "I go get in da pool wit Daddy, now!" Without any further word, she made a beeline for her father, squealing at the top of her lungs, "Daddy, I go swim'n, too!"
Instead of just dealing with it, though, Riahna took quite an offense to Mindy's words. Grabbing up her vase and flowers, she stormed towards the house. As she passed by Raph, he could hear her muttering angrily, "…not ever having children, ever!" Raph chuckled a little and silently agreed with her. With Riahna's temper, any child of hers would be a handful that much was certain. He highly doubted she would ever marry, though, considering the lack of available mutant males. She had skillfully overcome most of the behavior problems associated with autism and seemed normal on most days. Still, she would occasionally lapse into the old routines of walking around the edges of rugs or repeat certain words over and over again. Those occasions were far and few between, however, and for Mike and Rahab, it was a blessed relief.
Mindy was now in the pool, with Seth showing her how to do a backstroke. The child was quite water worthy, but her favorite swimming technique was primarily the dog paddle. However, it was quite apparent that the child was a natural swimmer, picking-up on her father's instructions rather well. She floated on her back for a bit, the way he told her to, and then kicked her feet while splashing the water everywhere. Swinging her arms up in rotation and then over her head and back down in to the water again, Mindy pulled herself along through the pool. She giggled as Seth followed beside her, using his tail for maneuvering. In protest, she complained, "I don'ts haves a tail, Daddy! Not fairs you has one!" Raph smiled, imagining the pout on her face as she complained.
While Mindy was in the water, Raph noticed that Gabby was keeping a careful watch on both her daughter and husband. Despite appearing to be relaxing in the chaise lounge, she seemed unusually hyper-vigilant. It wasn't that Seth was careless with Mindy, as he was probably a better parent to the girl than her natural father would have been. Yet, it was quite obvious from earlier that Gabby and Seth were still at odds over Min's training. In fact, in the next moment Raph heard confirmation to that fact. He could hear Seth instruct Mindy to 'ninja' kick the water harder, and then, in the next moment, Raph heard Gabby declare, clipping each enunciation, "Choose a different word, Seth. I will not put up with THAT word being used around my daughter!"
Seth bristled, "It's not a swear word, Gabs, so keep your shirt on!" Then, in the next instant, he declared, "And she's as much mine as anybody's!" He then turned his back to his wife and focused more on his daughter's water antics, clearly not happy with Gabby's insinuations.
Raph sighed as he was just as offended as Seth had been by Gabby's remark. Still, he did have a soft spot for his daughter. He supposed Gabby couldn't be blamed for her narrow view of what ninjitsu was. After all, she hadn't grown up in the clan. Most of her understanding about what ninja were about or what they did was based entirely from the movies she had seen. That and the bit of fighting she had been involved with before Mindy was born. Raph was actually quite proud of the way Gabby had negotiated with Rama the day before at the shop, using words rather than physical force. Just talking Rama down from the blood rage and then getting her to give her weapon up was an impressive feat in and of itself. Raph knew there had been times in his life when he would not have responded as Rama had. In fact, there was never a time when he had gone that far into his ninjitsu where even Splinter could reach him.
Deciding that she needed a bit of a reality check, though, Raph strolled further down the steps and sat down by Gabby in the chair next to hers.
She had sensed his approach, not even having to look his way. As he quietly sat down, she warned him, "Don't even start. Don't even try going there. Mindy doesn't need to be ninja and that's final!" Gabby informed him sharply. She then turned towards him, steeling herself against whatever reply he would give to her. However, what she sensed, instead, was a kind of serenity that seemed quite uncharacteristic for her father.
"I wasn't going say anything, Gabs, but since you brought it up…" Raph knew by his presense that she would, too; he could sense her retort building up before he had even reached her. He then challenged her, "I thought you were against training her so young, but to not train her at all? Gabby, really, you must understand…" However, he was cut off before he could protest any further.
"I've changed my mind…I don't want her trained at all – period!" Gabby declared defiantly. "After what Rama did yesterday, that's the last thing I'd want for my daughter."
Raph held back his growl and, instead, asked her with strained patience, "That last thing she might find out is the need to know ninjitsu, but by then it would be too late to teach her, Gabs." He shook his head at her and asked, "I have to wonder if you want Mindy weak and defenseless for the rest of her life?"
"We don't have to know ninjitsu to be strong! In Rama's world where fighting is an every day occurrence, then it might be necessary. We haven't needed to fight since the invasion." Gabby pointed out "Even before that, based on what Don told me, we've been accepted. You train because it kept you alive, it's something you've been doing long before…" she paused as she saw the look on her father's face turn from a passive to a warning expression, but she forged ahead, just the same, "..well, since before you left the sewers. I don't agree with that tradition, so - I'm breaking it," she explained hotly, turning her face away from him. She looked over at Mindy as the child splashed and played in the pool, so innocent and pure. "How can any of them want to train such a precious child to kill?" she moaned quietly.
Raph decided to ignore her statement about the sewers and adjusted his seat. Leaning around her so he would catch her attention, he stated, "Look, Gabby, it may be true that we don't have to fight as much as we did when we were kids." Gabby huffed and gave him a sideways glance. Raph continued, "Still, Mindy is going be dealing with people who may not accept her for who she is. One day, she might be on her own where she would have to defend herself and then, without the skills, she could be in a very threatening situation." Raph then said more firmly, "Prejudice for what we are is still out there, Gabs, it still happens to us," Raph thought of what Mike said the day before about the threats to Don's health, so he added, "We just do a good job of keeping that fact from you, is all, just so you can relax and enjoy life a little better here in Big Sur."
Gabby gave him a quizzical look and seemed to cool down a little. Raph nodded slightly, relieved that at least she seemed to be listening. Softly, he explained, "I know you resent the fighting and killing aspects of ninjitsu, but there is a great deal more to it than that."
"You could talk things out, like I did yesterday." Gabby shot out defensively, "I find it hard to believe that people would rather fight than listen to reason. Things can be solved without resorting to violence." she huffed resolutely. Gabby recalled what Rama had said yesterday, about needing to know ninjitsu in order to survive in her world. It might be true and necessary there but not here in hers!
Soft spot or not, Raph had just about enough from his daughter. Between her insulting insinuation with the word 'ninja', to her ignorant comments about why he did the arts in the first place, Gabby was basing all of her feelings on only one event. Without even viewing the whole picture, she had decided over the clan's opposition that Mindy would be exempt from training. "Heck, she's even overstepped Leo," Raph inwardly seethed. He decided right then and there that it was way past the time to enlighten Gabby to some serious facts regarding clan life.
"I've already said that not everyone is going accept us, Gabriella!" Raph pointed out as he picked his words carefully. He turned to face her head on, "In defense of your point of view, for the most part, yes, we are accepted by the human population, complete with citizenship and all the perks that go with it – including paying taxes. Yes, we can use our ninjitsu for talking ourselves out of dangerous situations. However, there are times when those things fail and we have to use other means." Raph explained, "Those guys who beat me up in San Fran a few years back? That's what I'm talking about. They didn't like me because I represented what Don is – a mutant turtle and a successful one at that! One of them probably had some experience with the Foot, but we weren't able to prove it. Still, it was a good wake-up call to watch our backs, no matter how much in taxes we pay! That episode was not the first time someone tried to deep six me, either! In fact, my dear…" Raph leaned towards Gabby for emphasis, mere inches from her face. He saw her eyes widened ever so slightly as he bore his gaze down on her. He went into full intimidation mode as he explained, "Don's one and only girlfriend, the one and only woman he had ever slept with and whom he was intimate with, tried to kill him – and would have succeeded if Thomas hadn't have sensed something was wrong!"
Gabby's eyes widened even more, "H- how?" she asked him.
"She was a Trojan Horse, a specially trained kunoichi whose sole existence was for one task and one task only. In this case, she was specifically trained to infiltrate Don's heart and assassinate him. She failed, though, thank God."
"What happened to her? D – did you ….?" Gabby asked but Raph cut her off.
"She committed seppuku, killed herself, which is also what she was trained to do – whether successful or not."
Raph had Gabby's attention rock solid and, knowing that he had, he continued, "Don has met quite a few adversaries in business transactions where the participants only wanted to bait him for the sole purpose of disposing of him. He can handle himself pretty well; better, in fact, than he did when we all lived in New York. Yet, there are times when all else fails and he's forced to use other means. It's then, Gabby," and here, Raph leaned in even more, locking his eyes on to hers and showing a side of him she had never seen before, "when I'm the one Don calls to go in and do 'clean up'. You might say that 'clean up' is a nice little euphemism for 'executioner'. When it's necessary, Gabs, I do what I have to do."
Gabriella gasped and pulled away from him. She had sensed this fact about her father before, when Leo was questioning her about Rama after the disaster in Carmel. Now, hearing her dad say it and doing so with sincerity, frightened her. Rama was correct, after all, that her Uncle Raphael and her father had more in common than Gabby wanted to believe. Refusing to accept it, though and with a voice that was small and contrite, she exclaimed, "You're nothing like Rama's uncle." The more she thought about it, though, the more she believed she was right. Gabby then said a little more insistently, "I know you. You wouldn't harm a fly!" Yes, maybe he would protect her and the rest of his family if push came to shove, but to go and do what he just said he did outside of protecting the clan seemed out of character for him.
Snorting at her naivety, Raph exclaimed, "That's where you're wrong, my daughter. I have killed, many times, most of it while we all lived underground and were fighting to stay alive, much the way Rama's family does. But I've killed since then, as well, but only as a last resort. We always find better ways, life saving ways, before going to that extreme." Raph studied the girl, seeing her revulsion as she took in his words. "Never did we ever arbitrarily take a life unless – that life proved more dangerous alive - than dead!"
Now, hearing nearly the same words coming from her father's mouth as Rama had used the day before, Gabby's eyes widened, "Y-you really did all of that?"
"To ensure our existence? You bet and I'd do it all over again to make sure you and your family were kept safe!" Raph sighed as he saw how his words might have very well ruined what leverage he had going. He added quickly, "Gabby, ninja training isn't just about fighting and killing. It's about protecting and caring for those within the clan and using skills to do it with. Yes, sometimes what we learn in ninjitsu helps to keep us alive. Yet, it's about learning to control that skill, too, and to seek better alternatives to fighting." He sighed, "Even Rama, as talented and as experienced as she is, is having to learn that lesson."
"That's just my point, Father!" Gabby declared defiantly, "With all that she knows, with all the times that she's supposedly been in battle, with her experience – as you just pointed out – Rama, out of all of us, should have at least taken a breath before doing what she did yesterday! It just proves my point that what you know is dangerous if the right situation presents itself!"
Raph glared at her and he knew that she was going to have to learn the hard way. He knew that Leo had come to a conclusion how best to handle this situation and if his suspicions were correct, Gabby was going to be deeply hurt. "Look, Gabs, I'm trying to get through to you before Leo does, 'kay? Please reconsider? Otherwise I can't be responsible for the outcome. You need to back off and let Leo decide what's best for Min."
However, in Gabby stubbornness, she gave him a stony-faced stare. She refused to accept his advice. Clipping her words, she replied hotly, "Well, I don't care what Leo has to say. I'm still adamant about this. At the very least, Mindy's too young, that's all there is to it!" She then stood up and angrily walked back to her house, glaring once at Seth who then challenged her in return with one of his own.
Raph could only look heavenward and throw his hands up into the air as he groaned in exasperation. He commented to no one in particular as he stood up in a huff to go back inside the house, "Cassie, you're right, you're absolutely right!"
Later on that afternoon and just before dinner, Leo called Raph and Mike out to the forest for a 'run'. Both brothers knew that he had been wrestling a great deal all day over Gabby's position regarding Mindy's training. They knew that he had come to a decision how best to handle it, but he had kept it to himself – until now. As they all took off into the forest, both Mike and Raph looked at each other as they sensed the weight of what Leo was about to tell them. It was obvious that Gabby had left him with no other choice, but what he had decided to do was still a mystery. Raph did have his suspicions, but he kept mum, deciding that to assume anything at this point would be a waste of time.
As they ran along through the trees, Raph asked, "So, have a place in mind for our meeting?"
"Yeah, the Sanctuary." Leo answered quickly.
Mike looked at Raph and whispered, "Must be pretty grave stuff if he wants to get that far away from the house!"
Raph could only agree with a nod of his head as the three of the jogged along the forest floor.
After a while, they came upon the mount where the grouping of trees grew. Once they ascended the hill and were finally inside the natural enclosure, Leo indicated for them to sit down in the lotus position. It was dark inside the Sanctuary, but neither of them needed light to conduct this bit of clan business. They were all well versed in night movements, their own naturally born night-sight keenly developed through their training. Leo then did as his brothers and sat down. He began, "I've been giving this problem with Gabby a lot of thought and consideration. Finding a solution has not been easy. As it is, what I've decided has been a difficult choice for me to make, but it is in the best interest of the child and her future within the clan."
"Hey, bro, we totally understand!" Mike offered, laying a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. Though he did sympathize with Leo, there was a large part of him that would have liked nothing more than to live normally like most people did. Mike's days of fighting were behind him and, as far as he was concerned, he never wanted to look back. Still, considering who and what they were, any member of the family not trained or lacking innate defensive skills, were a target waiting to be taken advantage of. Even Rahab, with her tail and hooks claws, was a formidable adversary.
"Yeah, try as I could to talk to her, Gab's just won't budge." Raph commented. He had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, yet his daughter left not an inch of room for debate.
"I know and it's only made things worse where she's so stubborn about this." Leo admitted. "It's imperative that Min begins training and as soon as possible. She will be four in a few months and starting school next year. She needs the basic foundation of ninjitsu before that happens. The discipline of silence about who and what we are needs to be taught to her. Therefore, we can't wait a moment more. You both know that it takes time – and testing!"
"So…what are you going to do, then?" Raph asked. He sensed that the way Leo was introducing his decision said it would be difficult for more than just himself to accept. The way his brother was building up to it, he wanted it to be known that it was his only option, that it was not done without a great deal of thought.
As Leo began to tell them about the decision he came to, both Mike and Raph sat there almost numb with shock. Raph sighed as he realized he was right and it pained him. He was hoping that his brother wouldn't take to extreme measures, but he knew it was the only way with Gabby so determined. Then, Leo spent a good thirty minutes explaining to them his reasons, the history around it, and how best to go about it.
"I will give her a few days to adjust, to plan, and to accept it, of course." Leo commented as he finished.
"ADJUST? Leo, Gabby's not going to adjust to this. She's gonna throw the biggest fit of her life!" Raph exclaimed.
"It can't be helped, Raph. She's painted herself into a corner and this is the only way." Leo insisted, "You don't think I've agonized over this!" he nearly yelled, "Hell, Raph, Mindy's my granddaughter, too! But, her mother – excuse me for saying this – Gabby's too much like you! Even when the facts are presented to her, once she's made up her mind, she won't relent or give up. It's to her credit since its that part of her personality that allowed her to recover from what Jason did to her. But now…now it'll hurt her more than that." Leo sighed, "I'm just worried that if Min doesn't get the foundation under her within the next twelve months, her formal education will get in the way. You know as well as I do that will happen."
Mike nodded, "Yeah, it does. The school down the way from us is a big believer in lots of homework, even for first graders!" He sighed, "Gaele managed about three days a week for dojo sessions once she was in third grade. If it hadn't been for starting her when we did… As it is, she sort of neglected her understanding of it with that girl who was harrassing her back in college."
Raph sighed, "You mean the one where Gaele broke into the records department at Cornell, just to get this girl's home address?"
"The one and only! Yeah! Boy, was Don ever pissed at her about that!" Mike groaned. "Kept riding me later about it how I 'obviously' didn't instill enough respect in her about our heritage and that maybe I need to spend some time over in Japan at the ryu. Gad, thought I was never goin' to hear the end of it." He noticed Leo smirk a bit, obviously quite amused with the recollection.
Raph finally agreed, "Yeah, guess Min's training can't be delayed." Then, turning to Mike and changing the subject a little, "Hey, did Don ever reinstate Gaele back into the clan?"
Mike shrugged, "Not to my knowledge, he hasn't. Guess I should confront him about it, but to be honest – she's too busy at his lab to keep her katas up as it is. Not like the old days, bros!"
Still, Raph hated the decision that Leo felt forced to make, yet he had to agree with him. Whenever Gabby was told, he knew that life around the compound was going to change and in a big way. Maybe going back home to San Francisco before things hit would be better, yet he knew that as a senior member of the clan, he had to be present. It wasn't going to be pretty, that much he was certain of.
Finally, he asked, "When do you plan on telling Gabs?"
With a heavy heart, Leo replied, "Right after we're done here. I'd like all of us to meditate for a while, though, to center ourselves so we react to Gabby in the way that's best for everyone."
Mike thought that the only way any of them could react would be to get out of her way. As he thought about that, he mused to himself, "Hell hath no furry than a mother who's pissed off!"
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RAMICA'S COMMENTS:
Sailor Vegeta: yes many things come later on so keep reading for answers to those questions of yours. You are absolutely right about that saying as well only I was tired when I wrote the last chapters comments and my brain wasn't quite awake and up to working at that point in time. I knew it wasn't quite right even when I wrote it but it was the only connection I could make. Brain dead zombie that I am.
Hopefully this update is quick enough for you. A gratitude for your insight.
Pretender Fanatic: We confuse you. You confuse us. Fair trade we are even then. Nothing weird in liking to see what characters are thinking, it only helps to understand their feelings and gives the reader a better understanding of who the character really is.
As for your question thank you so much for bringing it to our attention. Neither Reinbeauchaser or I thought of that little loophole that you spotted so easily. Having another set of eyes is a great help. Now thanks to you we were able to address that situation and hopefully tie things up nicely that way.
A very large gratitude for your insights.
REINBEAUCHASER'S COMMENTS:
SAILOR VEGETA: Ah, so many questions and just so many answers – most of which you'll have to remain faithful in reading in order to discover. LOL Yeah, I understand about the pillow calling my name…I should be there, now, as it is but I want this chapter up and running by morning. Ah, poor Shay! Yes, I do have a heart for her…and Ramica knows this. What prompted that poor girl to live the life she did, make the choices she made, only to make the worse one of all that sentenced her to death. I could wax philosophical right now with that topic, but I won't. Suffice it to say, stress and pressure often push us to do things that under normal circumstances we wouldn't think of doing. Still, Shay did fulfill the role as a good bad person! HA! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.
PRETENDER FANATIC: Well, crazy is as crazy does! Glad we're in good company! We're thankful that you like the chapters where there is more thought than action. Have to have those once in a while, otherwise the readers might collapse from exhaustion. Well, as you know, your question to me prompted a need to fix a plot hole. Suffice it to say, it's plastered good and tight and hopefully satisfied that need to have all ends tied up nice and pretty! I like bows, myself. Hmm… As far as Rama's time in the dojo, she's been down that extended meditation road once before. However, I do have to say that this one will be a bit different, in more ways than one! Bwahahaha! Oh, the meaness of it all…. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.