The Monday following Thanksgiving, Gaele and Gabby took up Cassandra's offer and browsed through her supply of dresses at the shop. They were giggling over some of the outfits that were obvious holdouts from musicals and plays that the woman had done. One was from Puccini's Madam Butterfly. It was a beautiful kimono, rose pink mixed with orange brocade on top with a deeper rose solid underneath. Gold trimmed out the ethnic outfit. It hung on the hanger like a work of art.
"Say, Gabby, how about this one?" Gaele gushed.
"Oh, that is beautiful, but not here in Big Sur." Gabby laughed. "I'm sure Leo would like it, all things considered."
"Hey, look at this one. What play was this from, Cassie?" Gaele asked. She had pulled out a light blue chiffon dress.
"It's not. I had that made to attend a luncheon with some mucky mucks from England years ago." Cassandra said. "But, Gabby should wear white."
"I've never been fond of pure white. I did see in the back that wedding dress from the Phantom, but it's a little over the top for what I prefer." Gabby explained. "I really like this blue one, though."
So, Gabriella tried the dress on and found, to her delight, that it fit almost perfectly. She and Cassandra were nearly the same height and build, so it was a done deal that the dress would fit her. The neckline was just a little short of being off the shoulders with sleeves that hugged the arm. They were about three-quarters long. The bodice was slightly higher than where a normal waste would be with an inverted peak in the front. The skirt part flowed nearly to the floor with layers of the same material underneath for body. All in all it complimented Gabby's build and coloring rather nicely.
"Ah, Gabby, Seth'll love this one on you!" Gaele cooed. She was getting very excited with the wedding coming up in only a few weeks. "If he's not deeply in love with you now, he will be when he sees you in this!" she gushed.
"Seth's already told me he doesn't care what I wear!" Gabby remarked. "So, I'm picking this out for the professor!" and she smiled mischievously.
Cassandra commented, "Well, I'm sure Seth will like it either way, Gabby."
Gaele then said, "Seth doesn't usually care much for clothing, but I think I'm going to have some fun with him, just the same!"
"Okay, what are you going to do, Gaele?" Gabby asked her, concerned.
"Oh, nothin'. Just going to mess with his mind is all! But, I think you better be prepared for him to start asking lots of questions about the dress!" and she giggled.
"Look, we've already had our first argument; I don't think I want to engage in another one." Gabby complained to her.
"It won't be an argument if you play along." And Gaele coyly sat down and smirked. "You'll know. He'll start wanting to see the dress. Just don't let him and make a big deal of his not being allowed to see it until his wedding day."
"Oh, that was our first argument. Oh no, Gaele, I don't think I can do this." Gabby moaned.
"Yes you can and you will. My brother can be pretty stuffy sometimes and I've always wanted to find a way to – unstuff him!" Gaele's smile was just as contagious as her father's.
Cassandra only shook her head and commented, "You're nothing but trouble, Gaele. Nothing but!" and then laughed.
*****
That night, after the last customer had left, Cassandra locked her door and closed the blinds. She went up stairs to her storage closet. After pushing a crowd of clothes to one side of the clothes rack to reveal a wall safe, she worked the combination. Soon Cassandra had the door opened. She stood there for a moment, staring at its contents. She was relieved and nervous all at the same time knowing what she knew she had to do. It had been years, but with the kind of training she had, it would all come back to her in an instant.
She pulled out the neatly folded items and held them for the longest time. She looked at the design work and felt a chill run up her spine. It had been too long since she had worn her old dogi. In that moment she second guessed herself and her resolve to do this. Cassandra knew, however, that it had to happen and it must happen before Christmas. Her only reservation was the outcome. If the worse should happen, it would be over in an instant. It wouldn't matter any more to her. But how would Gabby take it? That was her concern.
To keep in shape and her stamina strong Cassandra jogged every morning, with exception to when she was convalescing. It was something she had always done since leaving the Foot. She would do her Tai Chi each evening and occasionally go through her katas, but only when her senses told her no one was watching. It had been years since she needed to worry about that, but recently she seemed to feel that someone was. It unnerved her and she thought about the possibility of a still-active remnant. Though she had made every effort to eradicate everyone who was still active within that organization, there had been rumors to suggest a few had hidden away to safety. Craig's attack on Raphael had triggered her suspicions. Though the man was hardly a suspect, the crowd he hung out with had a couple of possibilities. Cassandra had tried to watch them as she walked Carmel after hours. She kept her focus on the bars for the most part. There was a little bar off the main drag that attracted a few unsavory types, but so far she was unable to pinpoint anyone in particular. Still, she knew that when her senses picked up on something, Cassandra always took it seriously.
She replaced the items back in the safe. Taking them out was only an exercise to make sure she could do it. After dispatching the Foot she had made a vow to never wear the dragon dogi again. But, now, here she was ready to don the outfit once again. This time, though, the purpose was for a noble cause.
*****
About two weeks before Christmas Cassandra was getting ready for bed. The day had been quite busy with holiday shoppers and her totals were the best so far since she had moved to Carmel. She was in a rather chipper mood as a result.
Suddenly she heard a crashing sound from downstairs. Taking up her robe and quickly putting it on, Cassandra carefully went down to investigate. She felt the coolness of the outside air the moment she hit the bottom step. As she peered into the softly illuminated front part of the store, she noticed one of her windows was broken. Flipping a light on she carefully walked over to it and quickly spied on the floor just a few feet a way from the window a rock with a note attached to it. The symbol on the note, clearly visible, nearly made her heart stop.
Untying the string that held the note fast to the rock, she opened up the neatly folded paper. The writing was in Japanese. It was a warning. It was also a threat. After reading the message, for the first time in her adult life Cassandra felt her hands tremble.
*****
Gabby made another run into Carmel about a week later to have tea with Cassandra again. They were making it a weekly tradition that both looked forward to. Occasionally, Gaele and Rahab would join them, but for the most part it was just the two of them. Usually, Seth would drop her off while he went on into Monterey to visit the music studio. This day, though, Devon did the honors.
The window had been repaired so there wasn't any tell tale sign that anything had been amiss. The last thing Cassandra wanted was questions asked of her by Don's family. Knowing how astute they were in sensing when untruths were being said, she didn't want to attract any attention to her situation.
"So, what is Seth up to today?" Cassandra asked casually as she poured Gabby her third cup of tea. She was trying very hard to remain calm since the week before. There hadn't been any further messages that followed the first and this bothered her a great deal. It usually meant that whatever was being planned was already in the works. She looked at her young friend and wished for all the world that Gabriella was still back in Connecticut. But, lamenting about such things was not how Cassandra operated. She worked in the here and now.
"Oh, he and Don have been down in the basement every afternoon for the past several weeks. Don thinks that Seth is out of shape! Mike has a gym down there, so they've been taking advantage of it." Gabby replied. She didn't think telling her friend about the gym was a violation of Clan rules. She was still in the dark about Cassandra's roll in her life, though.
"Ah, I see!" her friend said. "Is that all he does is work out in the gym? Doesn't he get to go outside?" she asked.
"Yes he does. In fact, he has this secret place in the woods behind the house that he goes to everyday to pray and meditate. It's a really neat place, too! There's about ten trees, all growing in an almost perfect circle, so close together that it almost forms a solid wall. You can get inside through a narrow opening. He took me there a while back. Its' very sheltered, too. "Gabby exclaimed.
"Really? That would be quite interesting to see." Cassandra mused as she sipped her tea. Looking at Gabby casually, she asked. "Where exactly is it? And then took a bite of her scone.
"I'm not really sure, but it's at the top of a rocky outcropping. There are redwoods around it so it's kind of hard to find, but it's about a thirty minute walk from the back fence. Why?" Gabby asked.
"Oh, just wondering. I assume he prays in the after noon? Must be nice that time of day, I would think." Cassandra commented. "I'm sure his praying helps him to focus on his workout." and she smiled.
"He prays in the morning right after breakfast. He's only there until about eleven. Then he comes back for lunch and then the gym." Gabby explained.
"Well, that certainly leaves little time for you, doesn't it? Cassandra commented. She was thinking about Mike's place and the redwood preserve behind his house. She had hiked the back part of it a few days ago where it was still wild and for public use. She noticed that there was a nearly inaccessible gorge between what public land was and what appeared to be the back portion of the woods behind Mike's property. Cassandra was pretty sure that there were trespassing sensors placed at the edge of that side of the small canyon. She was counting on it, in fact!
Now, though, with this recent turn of events, she was going to have to step up her time schedule before the other 'shoe' dropped. Before she lost her opportunity.
"Say, Gabby, how about this one?" Gaele gushed.
"Oh, that is beautiful, but not here in Big Sur." Gabby laughed. "I'm sure Leo would like it, all things considered."
"Hey, look at this one. What play was this from, Cassie?" Gaele asked. She had pulled out a light blue chiffon dress.
"It's not. I had that made to attend a luncheon with some mucky mucks from England years ago." Cassandra said. "But, Gabby should wear white."
"I've never been fond of pure white. I did see in the back that wedding dress from the Phantom, but it's a little over the top for what I prefer." Gabby explained. "I really like this blue one, though."
So, Gabriella tried the dress on and found, to her delight, that it fit almost perfectly. She and Cassandra were nearly the same height and build, so it was a done deal that the dress would fit her. The neckline was just a little short of being off the shoulders with sleeves that hugged the arm. They were about three-quarters long. The bodice was slightly higher than where a normal waste would be with an inverted peak in the front. The skirt part flowed nearly to the floor with layers of the same material underneath for body. All in all it complimented Gabby's build and coloring rather nicely.
"Ah, Gabby, Seth'll love this one on you!" Gaele cooed. She was getting very excited with the wedding coming up in only a few weeks. "If he's not deeply in love with you now, he will be when he sees you in this!" she gushed.
"Seth's already told me he doesn't care what I wear!" Gabby remarked. "So, I'm picking this out for the professor!" and she smiled mischievously.
Cassandra commented, "Well, I'm sure Seth will like it either way, Gabby."
Gaele then said, "Seth doesn't usually care much for clothing, but I think I'm going to have some fun with him, just the same!"
"Okay, what are you going to do, Gaele?" Gabby asked her, concerned.
"Oh, nothin'. Just going to mess with his mind is all! But, I think you better be prepared for him to start asking lots of questions about the dress!" and she giggled.
"Look, we've already had our first argument; I don't think I want to engage in another one." Gabby complained to her.
"It won't be an argument if you play along." And Gaele coyly sat down and smirked. "You'll know. He'll start wanting to see the dress. Just don't let him and make a big deal of his not being allowed to see it until his wedding day."
"Oh, that was our first argument. Oh no, Gaele, I don't think I can do this." Gabby moaned.
"Yes you can and you will. My brother can be pretty stuffy sometimes and I've always wanted to find a way to – unstuff him!" Gaele's smile was just as contagious as her father's.
Cassandra only shook her head and commented, "You're nothing but trouble, Gaele. Nothing but!" and then laughed.
*****
That night, after the last customer had left, Cassandra locked her door and closed the blinds. She went up stairs to her storage closet. After pushing a crowd of clothes to one side of the clothes rack to reveal a wall safe, she worked the combination. Soon Cassandra had the door opened. She stood there for a moment, staring at its contents. She was relieved and nervous all at the same time knowing what she knew she had to do. It had been years, but with the kind of training she had, it would all come back to her in an instant.
She pulled out the neatly folded items and held them for the longest time. She looked at the design work and felt a chill run up her spine. It had been too long since she had worn her old dogi. In that moment she second guessed herself and her resolve to do this. Cassandra knew, however, that it had to happen and it must happen before Christmas. Her only reservation was the outcome. If the worse should happen, it would be over in an instant. It wouldn't matter any more to her. But how would Gabby take it? That was her concern.
To keep in shape and her stamina strong Cassandra jogged every morning, with exception to when she was convalescing. It was something she had always done since leaving the Foot. She would do her Tai Chi each evening and occasionally go through her katas, but only when her senses told her no one was watching. It had been years since she needed to worry about that, but recently she seemed to feel that someone was. It unnerved her and she thought about the possibility of a still-active remnant. Though she had made every effort to eradicate everyone who was still active within that organization, there had been rumors to suggest a few had hidden away to safety. Craig's attack on Raphael had triggered her suspicions. Though the man was hardly a suspect, the crowd he hung out with had a couple of possibilities. Cassandra had tried to watch them as she walked Carmel after hours. She kept her focus on the bars for the most part. There was a little bar off the main drag that attracted a few unsavory types, but so far she was unable to pinpoint anyone in particular. Still, she knew that when her senses picked up on something, Cassandra always took it seriously.
She replaced the items back in the safe. Taking them out was only an exercise to make sure she could do it. After dispatching the Foot she had made a vow to never wear the dragon dogi again. But, now, here she was ready to don the outfit once again. This time, though, the purpose was for a noble cause.
*****
About two weeks before Christmas Cassandra was getting ready for bed. The day had been quite busy with holiday shoppers and her totals were the best so far since she had moved to Carmel. She was in a rather chipper mood as a result.
Suddenly she heard a crashing sound from downstairs. Taking up her robe and quickly putting it on, Cassandra carefully went down to investigate. She felt the coolness of the outside air the moment she hit the bottom step. As she peered into the softly illuminated front part of the store, she noticed one of her windows was broken. Flipping a light on she carefully walked over to it and quickly spied on the floor just a few feet a way from the window a rock with a note attached to it. The symbol on the note, clearly visible, nearly made her heart stop.
Untying the string that held the note fast to the rock, she opened up the neatly folded paper. The writing was in Japanese. It was a warning. It was also a threat. After reading the message, for the first time in her adult life Cassandra felt her hands tremble.
*****
Gabby made another run into Carmel about a week later to have tea with Cassandra again. They were making it a weekly tradition that both looked forward to. Occasionally, Gaele and Rahab would join them, but for the most part it was just the two of them. Usually, Seth would drop her off while he went on into Monterey to visit the music studio. This day, though, Devon did the honors.
The window had been repaired so there wasn't any tell tale sign that anything had been amiss. The last thing Cassandra wanted was questions asked of her by Don's family. Knowing how astute they were in sensing when untruths were being said, she didn't want to attract any attention to her situation.
"So, what is Seth up to today?" Cassandra asked casually as she poured Gabby her third cup of tea. She was trying very hard to remain calm since the week before. There hadn't been any further messages that followed the first and this bothered her a great deal. It usually meant that whatever was being planned was already in the works. She looked at her young friend and wished for all the world that Gabriella was still back in Connecticut. But, lamenting about such things was not how Cassandra operated. She worked in the here and now.
"Oh, he and Don have been down in the basement every afternoon for the past several weeks. Don thinks that Seth is out of shape! Mike has a gym down there, so they've been taking advantage of it." Gabby replied. She didn't think telling her friend about the gym was a violation of Clan rules. She was still in the dark about Cassandra's roll in her life, though.
"Ah, I see!" her friend said. "Is that all he does is work out in the gym? Doesn't he get to go outside?" she asked.
"Yes he does. In fact, he has this secret place in the woods behind the house that he goes to everyday to pray and meditate. It's a really neat place, too! There's about ten trees, all growing in an almost perfect circle, so close together that it almost forms a solid wall. You can get inside through a narrow opening. He took me there a while back. Its' very sheltered, too. "Gabby exclaimed.
"Really? That would be quite interesting to see." Cassandra mused as she sipped her tea. Looking at Gabby casually, she asked. "Where exactly is it? And then took a bite of her scone.
"I'm not really sure, but it's at the top of a rocky outcropping. There are redwoods around it so it's kind of hard to find, but it's about a thirty minute walk from the back fence. Why?" Gabby asked.
"Oh, just wondering. I assume he prays in the after noon? Must be nice that time of day, I would think." Cassandra commented. "I'm sure his praying helps him to focus on his workout." and she smiled.
"He prays in the morning right after breakfast. He's only there until about eleven. Then he comes back for lunch and then the gym." Gabby explained.
"Well, that certainly leaves little time for you, doesn't it? Cassandra commented. She was thinking about Mike's place and the redwood preserve behind his house. She had hiked the back part of it a few days ago where it was still wild and for public use. She noticed that there was a nearly inaccessible gorge between what public land was and what appeared to be the back portion of the woods behind Mike's property. Cassandra was pretty sure that there were trespassing sensors placed at the edge of that side of the small canyon. She was counting on it, in fact!
Now, though, with this recent turn of events, she was going to have to step up her time schedule before the other 'shoe' dropped. Before she lost her opportunity.
