DISCLAIMER: Same ol' stuff. I only own Shari Brentwood and the story. All other characters are generously shared by Eastman and Laird as well as Wendy A Peabody. Enjoy and be blessed.
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Chapter 6 – Conflicts on All Fronts.
Shari turned angrily on her heels, heading back towards the port cochere in a huff, "Son of a…." she seethed, cutting off the last bit of her tirade, lest there be children about. Okay, she wasn't so angry that she didn't appreciate tender ears. However, she was enraged that Don or even General Tallen thought this job as if it were one of great opportunity. She threw her hands up into the air out of frustration, mumbling a long line of words that would have made the most hard-core sailor blush. Never had she ever been so insulted in her life. "How could they even THINK I'd be…." her voice faded away as she disappeared around the bend in the house.
Don hesitated for just a moment, not quite wanting to go after her. Finally collecting his wits, he began to follow hurriedly along trying to catch up with Shari. Mike followed him as well, unprepared for her reaction as much as Don had been. The woman had a good head start on both of them, so it was no telling what she was going to do or where she would go.
"I'm sorry, Donnie boy, just sort of slipped out with everything going on here and all, don't know where my brain went, honest, bro, didn't mean to upset her that quickly, do ya think she'll take the job?" Mike's litany of apologies and inquiry all ran together, sounding desperate to the seething older brother.
"Just zip it, Mike, while I do damage control, okay!" Don grated as he glared back at his now repentant younger sibling. He continued around the house to catch up with Shari.
"Ms. Brentwood, please listen to me, it's more than that, believe me!" He entreated pleadingly, looking around inside the porte cochere. The valet had already dispatched the luggage to the apartment above the garage and over to the cottage, so he had already left the general vicinity.
As Don came out the other side of the carport, wondering where she could have slipped off to, he nearly jumped as Shari suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of him.
"WHAT IN HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" she yelled, leaning in towards Don, forcing him to back up just a bit. "I DIDN'T PUT IN TWENTY YEARS OF GOVERNMENT WORK JUST TO WIPE BUTTS!" Shari continued yelling and then pointed a finger at him accusingly, poking him into his plastron and continued with her tirade, "You LIED to me! You duped me into thinking this was some important job!" she emphasized each word with a poke in his chest.
Don backed away some more and rubbed his plastron, now sore from Shari's insistent prodding. His expression grew somewhat dark but then his eyes widened just a bit as Shari advanced threateningly upon her adversary. Don was obviously unprepared for her reaction and a bit intimidated for the moment by her aggressiveness. Yet, recalling the conversation he had with Tallen the night before instantly came to his mind.
Don replied quickly, standing his ground, "It is of great importance to my family that whomever we have caring for Rahab's children has to be trained. Not the usual training, Ms. Brentwood." He looked at her evenly as he collected himself, "But one trained in the craft, or the arts." He said softly yet earnestly. He looked quickly up towards the windows of the house that faced them, hoping that Rahab was in the master bedroom where their argument would not be heard. The last thing Don wanted was one more irate female with which to contend. "There are - situations that make it necessary, I'm afraid." He added for good measure as he brought his eyes back down to gaze evenly at hers.
Shari glared balefully at the turtle, still angry with him and most certainly not the least bit happy with the General either. Both men, as it were, had implied a job that would be an 'opportunity of a lifetime'. "As if tending to someone else's brat was an opportunity?!" she seethed silently. "Who do they take me for?" She could only stand there and seethe for the moment. Yet, Don's implication that the job was something more than just nanny work piqued her curiosity.
"Okay, so why don'cha s'plain this all important situation!" she demanded, setting herself hard against the sedan and crossing her arms. Her 'work related speak' was starting to rise to the occasion, a sure sign to any one who knew her that they would have only one chance to get it right. She eyed Don warily, taking in every aspect of his physical reactions. Considering he didn't know her well enough, she warned him, "An' ya betta get it right, MR. TELLO, 'cuz I'll know ina second if yer lyin' ta'me!"
Shari noticed that Mike had followed them but was keeping a safe distance away. She glared at him equally as hard, even though she knew he was mostly innocent of the alleged setup. He looked sincerely forlorn and quite uncomfortable, almost pale in color as he observed her irate behavior. He looked upwards towards the second story windows, as well, as if afraid of something.
"Rahab?" she wondered curiously. As she considered that thought and the fact that even Raph seemed genuinely uncomfortable being there, she came to one conclusion. "Gotta meet this lady, that's all there is to it, but first thing's first!" she mused silently, her angry gaze landing squarely back on Don once again. She suddenly felt the cool ocean air as it brought a slight chill to the evening, bringing with it the scent of salt. It had a calming affect on her, conjuring up a slew of memories of her experiences on the open sea. Still, she would not waver in her position against the one standing before her now.
Raph had heard the commotion and was now heading over to offer an assist. There was a slight tweak to his mouth as if he were trying to contain a grin. He knew just by the way Shari carried herself and with her attitude that this 'nanny' job, regardless of its true intent, would not go well with her. He had wanted to be there when Don finally told her, which would have happened sometime the next day. However, by the sound of things, it looked as if Mike beat him to the punch. Good thing it was Don he tripped up and not himself, otherwise there would have been punches for sure! He chuckled at Don's predicament, though, but his biggest amusement was for Shari.
As he came up to the port cochere, he saw Mike standing patio side of the opening. The younger turtle was nervously keeping watch over the distant sliding door as if anticipating something or someone coming out and then watching the ensuing confrontation by the sedan as well.
"Wuz'up, Mikey?" Raph asked light heartedly as he approached silently from behind.
His brother whirled around in surprise, not expecting Raph at all by the startled expression on his face. He clutched his plastron, emitting an expulsion of air in a loud sigh, "Good grief, Raph, you nearly gave me heart attack!"
"Hey, looks like you're getting' soft in yer old age, Bro. Need to keep up on that - ah - special hearing of yours!" Raphael chuckled. As he eyed the other two at the far end of the carport, he nodded in that direction, asking Mike, "So, our lovely Ms. Brentwood's discovered her true calling, eh?" He laughed just a little.
Mike only shook his head. "Ah, geeze, Raph, she's a real hot head. Dunno if this will go over well with Rahab and all." Mike said worriedly. He wiped the top of his brow nervously, glumly saying, "I haven't told Rahab about this gal coming, either, I was afraid she'd skin me – this woman being human and all." He sighed, "I know we need her, but do you think the problem is that bad?"
Raph shook his head, "Don and Leo think so, but we can't let Rahab know, okay? It's bad enough she'll have a human in the house." He laid a sympathizing hand on the back of Mike's carapace. He knew that Rahab had put up with human help for years until she and Mike moved into the new house. Yet, for reasons that none of them understood, she had decided to keep the place up by herself. She wanted nothing more to do with humans. It could have been a variety of reasons, too. Between the two attacks on the Croton and Mojave homes, the clan wars in Japan, and the cool reception she was receiving from the other parents at the kids' school, all afforded her the excuse to hide away. Rahab had become sullen and moody, which Don believed was a delayed reaction from her experiences. She had been that way years ago when they first encountered her, but Rahab found some measure of peace after Splinter's teachings. However, the past few years saw a decline in that progress. It was a real mystery to all of them without a doubt.
Raph continued to watch as the verbal exchange between Don and Shari wound down to a low roar. The woman shook her head 'no' at one point and then his brother stepped up his bartering prowess. Raph knew that, in the end, the woman would yield; Don always had his way. It would have been a rare treat indeed to see him lose one, though.
Just as expected, "Fine, Mr. Tello, you win. I'll give it a week – but ONLY a week! And, I expect full payment regardless!" Shari snapped out.
"That's all I ask, Ms. Brentwood. I think you'll understand once I talk with you further tomorrow." Don said as he bowed slightly.
Shari stood there leaning against the sedan, ever mindful of the others who remained distant and watching. She glanced over to where Raph was standing and clearly saw the smirk on his face. Scowling, she shot him a look that could have melted an ice glacier, receiving in kind only a bigger grin. "Well, I hope you enjoyed the show, gentlemen!" she glowered, straightening up off of the car. "So," she began, looking back at Don, "Where do I sleep t'night?"
"Upstairs," Don motioned with his hand towards the garage, "In the coach apartment. It's quite comfortable." He smiled wanly at Shari, hoping to put to rest any resentment she might still be harboring, but the woman was clearly not at all amused, even after her concession.
"Alone, right?" she inquired briskly, noticing his driver coming around the back of the garage and over towards the sedan.
"Thomas will be staying in the guest cottage with Raph tonight." Don explained.
"Hmm…how cozy!" she teased wickedly, winking over at Raphael suggestively.
Thomas looked at her, puzzled and then clearly not amused by her suggestion. He looked back at Raph who had taken the comment equally as well. She heard a low growl, but Shari couldn't tell if it was verbal or the sound of an empty stomach. Yet the look on Raph's face, however, told her it was probably verbal. She smiled in his direction, obviously pleased by her score.
"Well, I think considering the lateness of the evening and the kind of day we'll have tomorrow, retiring early would probably be wise." Don suggested.
Shari looked at her watch and noted that it was nearing nine o'clock. Yep, she would usually hit the sack by ten, but considering the three-hour time difference from New York, it was midnight by her schedule. She suppressed a yawn and concurred with the turtle, "Yes indeed. I do have to admit, though…" she commented.
"And that is?" Don asked as he led the way for her and passed the anxious Mike and the mildly irritated Raphael.
"Considering how everyone has been watching the windows and doors, I'm quite interested in meeting this Rahab." She laughed, "She must be something to have all of you quaking the way you've been doing since we've arrived!" Shari snickered and shot Raph a wide toothy grin, nodding in his direction, "Especially you, Mr. Tough-stuff!"
"Lucky for you, lady, there's witnesses!" Raph grounded out evilly.
"Or what?" Shari shot back. "You'd 'off' me?" She chuckled. "In your dreams, big boy!" The woman grinned wide and then turned back around to continue following along with her escort.
Don allowed Shari to catch up with him as they made for the outside stairs that led up to the apartment. As she sided up next to the turtle, he commented to her softly, "As I mentioned earlier, Ms. Brentwood, stay off of Raph's personal page and do not go making threats against him. Raph is perfectly capable of following through with anything thrown his way!"
Though he spoke non-threateningly, the strength behind each word implied otherwise. Consequently, the sharp warning in Don's advice heightened Shari's suspicions about them even more. She looked back to find that Raph had not taken his eyes off of her, but had narrowed them predatorily. Mike was talking softly to him as if trying to calm a seething inferno. He stayed just beyond the reach of Raph's arms, yet his voice was desperate as if any minute it would become a moot point.
She turned back around, suddenly alert. Shari's own warning system kicked into high gear, her wariness heightening considerably. "Hmm…maybe I need to back off the galoot a bit. Until I can get all of this figured out, that is." she mused silently to herself. She had seen her fair share of intimidating people in her thirty-eight years, yet the way Raph's gaze seared her own was something new all together. "Yep, gonna give him a bit more room for a while!" Shari knew when to push, but she also knew when to pull back.
This was one of those times.
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The apartment wasn't huge, but it was a tad larger than the one she had in Croton. Shari was quite impressed with it all the way around. "So, this is reserved for nannies?" she asked.
Don turned towards her as he motioned her further into the room, replying, "No, Thomas usually stays here, but until we get you situated in the main house, it's yours. I apologize for the masculine feel of the room, but it is only temporary."
Shari looked around and saw that the furniture was mostly leather with brass and glass coffee and end tables. A few framed prints, all landscapes, adorned the walls, but not much else to add to the décor. An efficiency kitchen with a small sink, refrigerator and stove ran along the side of the apartment that faced the back part of the property. A window by the dinette table afforded a view. The living area also had a window but faced the driveway that led in from the main road. A door at the opposite side from the entrance indicated another room, most likely the bedroom and bath area. She nodded, "This'll do quite nicely."
"Good! Well, I'll only be staying for a few days as I have business to tend to over in Japan. Raph and Thomas will be accompanying me as well." Don explained as he moved towards the front door to leave.
"So…that means I'll be on my own with Mike's wife?" Shari asked cautiously as she turned to follow him out. Okay, so it was a hoot to watch the others squirm over what she assumed to be because of Rahab's wrath. Yet, to leave her here by herself with the mutant female seemed a bit disconcerting to her.
Don smiled as he opened the door, amused by the sudden shift in Shari's composure, "Don't worry, by the time we leave, Rahab will have accepted you."
"P'shaw, like I would worry about that!" she chortled arrogantly, yet it did appease her slight apprehension. Shari had to be amused with her self, though. All the sorties and assignments she had under her 'belt' that would make a 'Marine pale and yet the mere thought of going toe to toe with what she assumed to be a cantankerous female lizard caused her to quake just a little. All of this was way beyond her broad comfort zone, but none more than the job assignment. Again, she would give it a week per her agreement with Don from earlier, but it was a week she did not look forward to.
"What in the world did I get myself into?" she mused to herself as she watched Don exit the apartment.
As Don closed the door and then descended the stairs, he looked back up at the domicile and shook his head, saying under his breath, "What in blazes have we gotten ourselves into?"
He greeted his brothers at the bottom of the steps.
"Ah, Don…" Mike asked, his eyes clearly showing concern.
"She'll be fine. It's just – ah – somewhat of a surprise to her is all. Once I explain to her the nature of her responsibilities, I think Shari will come around to our side." Don consoled. "However, I found out last night that there's more to our Ms. Brentwood than meets the eye!" he smiled smugly.
"Well," Raph growled, "She better quit with the comments! I've had enough of it in my lifetime!" he looked hard at Mike. "So…how's the wife doing?"
Mike smiled wanly, "Coping. It's been tough with Riahna and now Devon." He watched his brother wince just a little, "Would be good for you to see him, Raph."
"Yeah?" Raph shot an eye-ridge up, "...but would it be good for him? You know what happened the last time!"
"Ah, Raph, he's just a kid; he doesn't understand why you're gone so much, is all." Mike replied.
"HA, tell him his mom's the reason why I don't come around! I jus' won't let 'er go on against me the way she does. Won't stand for it anymore!" Raph spat out. "Just make sure she knows I don't hold anythin' against 'er, okay. I take full blame for what happened in Japan. Not her fault!" With that, Raph headed back over to the cottage in a huff while Don and Mike made for the main house.
All three were just a little on edge with Shari's reaction as well as the resident adult female. How the two would get along was probably their main concern at present.
"Don, if Shari adds fuel to the fire…" Mike worried.
"She won't. She has good instincts and I think when she meets your family it'll set things into place." Don assured him.
"Are you sure, Don?" Mike asked in dire concern.
"I'm positive, Mike. Have I ever been wrong?" Don cocked his head at his brother.
"Well, not recently, no, I guess not." Mike grumbled.
"Recently? What'dya mean by that?" the other asked defensively.
"I'm only kidding, bro." Mike laughed a little, "You're very rarely ever wrong, s'that all right?" Mike teased.
"Hmm…guess that'll do, but I don't even think 'rarely' fits in there, as far as I'm concerned." Don huffed indignantly.
The two then walked into the house. However, they were completely unaware of the figure from the second story bedroom window that saw the entire scene that played out below her.
She scowled dispassionately, sullen and moody and watched as the one heading for the cottage arrived at the smaller house and walked inside. She continued to stare as if she could see right through the walls. Her tail whipped angrily as she clenched and unclenched her claws, letting them click together out of nervous habit.
Rahab had seen enough to know that Raphael was back – and she was livid!
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Japan event staged in Rahab, chapter 32.
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PHOENIX-RISING: Yep, nothing is as angry as a woman scorned – or setup. Raph has an unhappy history with Rahab, best found in her own story. Very sad in my opinion, I want Raphers to be happy! :0) Ah, the kids…she does meet one of them, but in the next chapter! Wonder who it'll be? Hmm…. Okay, thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.
RAMICA: Poor Mike; he's such a sweet guy but still goofy and way too hyper! Don would like to put Mike in hot water, you can bet! LOL Ah, job descriptions can be quite vague, as you will soon find out with the next chapter. Yeah, I toyed with that a little bit, thinking of actually having it happen. But, something told me not to. So, I went with 'spoiled plans' instead. Ah, trust me, Shari will have ample opportunities to dig at Raph in up and coming chapters. This is, after all, been touted as a Raphael story! :0) Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.
BUSLADY OF SOCAL: Yeah, I'm sure Shari wasn't laughing, though! Hope you read Rahab already because a lot of their 'history' is setting the stage for ugly scenes to come. Glad you're enjoying the 'ride', too! :0) Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.
PRETENDER FANATIC: Hey, don't worry about it. I know yer reading, so that's what I care about! You reviewed this time and that's just super. Ah, it's their thing, what can I say. It gives them leverage and being trained ninjas, it comes with the territory. Poor Mikey, yep he does mess up a lot. Still, he's wicked with a chuk! LOL Couldn't resist Shari's sense of humor. It's a wicked one, though, so the guys better be on their guard. Oh, Donny does feel he's in deep for the moment– in more ways than one. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.
VESTQUEX: Ah, it seems to be a playing field. He plays her, she plays him – her sense of humor, for one. Naw, plenty of time down the road for 'high kicking'! :0) Never gave the color of her loafers a thought, so brown it is! LOL Shari is more than mad, me thinks, but things do improve with the next chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.