DISCLAIMER: I wish I did, but I don't – own any mutated turtles that eat pizza, whip around ninjitsu weapons, wear colorful masks, and have a rather large rat for a sensei.
Note to readers familiar with my writing. I love Wendy's TMNT universe, you did know that, right? Well, I apologize if I seem obsessive over it. I'm not, really, but I was cleaning house and decided on getting this story up and running. I want to assure you that I asked around if this would get me into trouble with the ff.net powers-that-be. However, where the story line is completely different and the wording so far removed from YD, I was told that there would be very little resistance or warnings. I'm holding Ziptango to that, too! :0) It's her fault that I put this up, it really is! Bwahaha! Anyway, this is a completed story; I only have to bring it up to speed with where my writing is currently. It should take about 2-3 weeks to put it all up. Then, I'm off to the Philippines for seventeen days – no updates during that time, either. :0( Sorry.
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CHAPTER 2 – TAKING THE HEAT
"Well, Rahab, you sure have your work cut out for you." Rachel commented as she surveyed the crowd of people at the pool. She was standing inside the kitchen in front of the big window that overlooked the back yard. The party was in full swing between the music and swimming with Mike happily doing the honors at the oversized barbeque. Rachel took a sip of her coffee, now half gone, and turned back around to face Rahab, who was putting together a fruit tray.
"It's not that bad, with Mike helping. If it gets to me, I just retreat to the atrium for a while to collect myself."
Just then, Riahna came running in with a flower bunch from the garden and went over to Rachel, presenting them to her.
"Oh, Riahna, they're beautiful." she said appreciatively
"I picked these for you. Do you like them?" Riahna asked excitedly.
"Yes, Riahna, that's very nice and I do like them very much." Rachel said, taking the colorful bouquet. The girl smiled broadly and then hugged the woman.
It saddened Rachel that, because of her autism, Riahna's life would probably always be in need of assistance. Despite her attractive looks and sweetness, marriage would be out of the question for her.
Riahna then smiled at her, asking, "You want me to pick more flowers for you?"
"No, not today, Riahna; these will do quite nicely. Thank you." Rachel cooed as she stroked the girl's blue and white hair. She was amazed with how soft it was, considering the girl's heritage.
"Okay, maybe tomorrow then!" Riahna then proceeded to snag one of the flowers from Rachel's bouquet and began to eat it, going back outside to join the party.
Rachel smiled and turned towards Rahab, "Riahna is so beautiful, Rahab. She's a very charming young woman. She does well in communicating, better than most, I think."
Rahab replied, smiling, "Yes, we did work very hard on that. However, I think you have a way with her. She seems to know when you are here. Though I must say, since that first meeting you had with her, I've been having a tough time keeping my flowers in the garden!" she laughed a little as she sliced up a cantaloupe.
Rachel laughed, "Well, I certainly didn't expect her to take it to heart" She took another sip of her coffee, and then shared as she looked back through the window at the crowd below by the pool, "Hal's brother, Charles, is autistic, too. He doesn't have the language skills that Riahna has, though. Sadly, I haven't seen Charlie or his parents since Hal died." She sighed deeply and then continued as she turned back around to her host, "I'd hang around to assist, but I really need to get a move-on." Rachel explained as she gulped the last bit of coffee and then turned around to rinse the cup out in the sink.
Suddenly, about that time, someone said, "Hello, Rachel. Nice to see you again."
His voice caught her off guard yet she recognized it almost immediately. She whipped her head around, quite startled. Rachel replied evenly, grabbing control of her composure once again, "Ah, Don, I - didn't know you were here. Good to see you, too!"
He closed the door to the basement and, after adjusting his jacket, made his way over to the kitchen where Rachel and Rahab were standing. He smiled as he approached the two women, "A fruit tray. Great, smells good, Rahab." Then he looked over at Rachel and asked, "I hope you're staying for dinner."
She prayed that Don didn't sense her uneasiness. It was hard to tell since he pretty much kept his own emotions in check. She answered him as she placed her now rinsed empty cup on the counter, "I'm not staying. I have students to tend to."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Don calmly answered, not looking at her as he went over to the opposite side of the counter. He grabbed a cup from the cabinet above and then poured himself a cup of coffee. "Isn't Saturday your day off?" He put the coffee pot back in its brewer and turned to gaze at her, taking a cautious sip of the hot liquid.
Rachel turned around to face him, studying Don for a second and wondering how he would even know or be interested in knowing when she worked or not. She never shared her schedule with him before, that's was certain. Maybe Mike had said something, since Jess had pretty much told him about what she did for a living. Still, Don didn't know her that well and it was on rare occasions when they crossed paths anyway. He seldom ever announced his arrival to Mike, usually just showing up whenever he was in town. At least that was what Devon had told Jess once when he was feeling especially open about his family one time. Until Don's house was finished, he stayed in the guest cottage. On the large piece of property, the cottage was set back from the pool area, affording Don the privacy he seemed to relish, especially when there was a party, like today.
Finally, Rachel replied, "Yes, as a matter of fact it is - usually. However... I have a monthly competition coming up next Saturday and there are some students who wanted to go over some of their moves with me."
"Man, he gives me the creeps! Always seems to be more than well informed. What did he do, research me or something? " she thought irritably to herself. She swallowed a bit from her nervousness, hoping he didn't notice. His eyes brightened just a little when she did, however. Her anxiety started to increase, "Okay, Rachel, ol' girl," she thought to herself, "you're overreacting. It was just a coincidence that he did that. Relax, he's just ...well... just Don!" She then started for the foyer, but his next comment stopped her as Mike walked in from outside to get more of his barbeque sauce.
"AH, a competition! Sounds very interesting. So, this is where they find out how to 'roll with the punches' eh?" Don chuckled taking another sip of his coffee and winked at her.
"Hmmm... Why did he do that?" she asked herself. Rachel cocked her head and replied rather defensively, "There really isn't any hard physical contact; I won't let them hurt one another. The training and comps are as close as they will get to get to real conflicts. In fact, I won't tolerate any of my students getting rough. In fact, I've had to let a few students go recently because of that."
Don smiled warmly at Rachel's reaction. He looked casually down at his cup of coffee as if reflecting, then returned his gaze to her, responding in his silky smooth voice, "Then how will they know to defend themselves against real punches?" He continued to study her and she knew he was measuring her up and maybe even baiting her.
Rachel studied him inquisitively. She sensed that he knew more about what she did for a living than he was letting on. She countered good-naturedly but also quite sternly, "My students are taught martial arts to hone physical conditioning, encourage self respect as well as respect of others, and to use all of what they learn towards personal confidence. I do not teach nor do I encourage them to take it to the streets. However, you can be sure that if they are ever in a position to defend his or her self, they will do so efficiently!" She smiled, but in the next moment realized she was using the same canned rhetoric she offered up to the parents of prospective students. It piqued her irritation with herself - as well as with him for pushing her as he did! It was plain as day she was nervous. She ground her teeth at her lack of self-control, wishing she had cancelled the meeting with her students and just let Jess have the car. That way, she would have been home relaxing instead of her defending herself.
Mike had been listening with rapt attention to them, a grin slowly forming on his face that indicated he was enjoying the repartee. When Rachel had finished her statement, he admonished good naturedly, "Oh, my, let's not fight kiddies, okay?" He grinned wider and began to pick up the bowl of barbeque sauce.
Rahab leaned over and pinched his arm, causing him to yelped, "Ow, Rahab, what was that for?" Mike complained as he rubbed the affected area.
Rahab seethed, "Exactly, what was that for? They weren't arguing. Stop trying to start something, okay?"
Mike was mildly annoyed, pointing to his chest, "Me, start something? Now why would I do that, Rahab?" He then barked out a laugh and took up the sauce, returning outside to the barbeque while chuckling under his breath. Rahab just sighed in exasperation, shaking her head apologetically at Rachel.
"That's okay, Rahab, I know he's harmless" the woman said as she smiled and proceeded towards the front door.
Don watched her. Though she wasn't looking right at him, Rachel noticed it. However, she let it slide, "Well, need to go! Y'all have a great time with the party! Good seeing you again, Don!" and she started for the exit.
"Likewise, Rachel." Don replied, observing her leaving the room.
Rachel had decided a while back not to tread too closely to him. Not that he was rude to her or they had words, but he made the hair on the back of her head stand straight up. He was a bit taller than Mike, even a bit taller than she was - which didn't say much considering her petite stature. He also had that confident quiet look of someone who could see right through you. There were few people in the world that could unnerve her, but Don was in that select group. Nothing evil, just someone you didn't want to cross or mess with. Rachel focused on being herself around him as best she could.
As Rachel was just reaching the front door with Rahab, who was seeing her out, Don casually came into the foyer from the other room, "Mind if I swing by next week to see this competition yours?" He took a sip from his cup, looking intently at her with genuine interest.
Rachel stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him. She was totally unprepared for such a request. She replied, "Ah, sure... I guess." She then cringed inside. "That sounded so good, so - indecisive!" she lamented to herself. Rachel added, trying to sound confident... "It's not a closed session or anything. Starts at 10 A.M. However, I can't promise any seating since these things get packed out by the parents and family of the participants!"
"Hmm…well, I don't see that as a problem, personally speaking. I'll try to make it then!" He said cheerfully.
Don's comment that he would try to make it gave Rachel a hope that maybe he wouldn't. It was possible, and she was counting on this, he was just trying to be nice and that was all.
As she turned back to speak with her host, she noticed that Rahab was looking in Don's direction, seemingly lost in her thoughts. "Rahab…" Rachel asked, "Are you okay?" She noticed that Don was still in the foyer and had continued watching her – maybe a little too intently. "What is his problem?" Rachel thought irritably, "And why is Rahab in la la land?"
Rahab, brought back to the present and with what seemed to be a trained smile on her face, replied, "Oh, yes, I'm fine." She looked over at Don and then, again, at Rachel, maintaining her thin smile, "Just lost in my thoughts for a moment is all!"
Don bowed slightly, saying, "Then I'll give you leave until next week!" He then returned to the other room.
Rahab then explained, "Just thinking about the party and all. Glad you could come in for a moment, Rachel. Always good to see you. "
"Likewise, Rahab." The woman replied. She then said her good-byes and left.
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All the way back to her studio, she muttered over the possibility of Don's visit the next weekend. Why would he be interested in what she did anyway? He was so unlike the rest of the Angelo's. Don was very refined and apparently highly intelligent. Rahab was also intelligent, too, but Mike, although smart, was so - well - ordinary as far as one can be considering he was a turtle! Rachel smiled at the fact she could actually notice a difference there. "I must be getting used to seeing green!" she chuckled to herself.
As she thought about the similarities and the differences, she came to a few conclusions. Mike tried to put you at ease, while Don seemed to delight in just the opposite. What was his problem, anyway? Maybe he knew too much about her, not that she had given him any reason to dig that deep. Then again, if he knew as much as she feared, he might not be as gracious - unless he was trying to bait her in some way. "I'm going to have to be a little less obvious around him with my personal life, that's for sure!" Rachel berated herself. "Be evasive, but polite. I can do that! I've done it before!" she thought.
Rachel had known there were men in the community - especially the self-defense community - who had expressed interest in her. The fact that she was a widow and a mildly attractive one at that made her accessible by the divorced dads and the like. It was possible that Don had the same inclinations, but she doubted that very much. With his worldly contacts, she seemed like a minnow in a sea of larger fish! Besides, she was the wrong species - for the most part, anyway!
Despite his interest in Rachel's occupation, Don always seemed to be busy with what appeared to be the weight of the world on his shoulders. She knew he was in some sort of intercontinental security business and because of that, he was quite wealthy. Still, the Angelo's rarely shared gossip regarding their family, which suited Rachel just fine. She had her own 'secrets' that she'd prefer people not finding out about, especially Devon's family. She remembered well how her mind screamed out for her to run away when she met Mike at his studio the first time. However, stubbornly convinced that part of her life that haunted her was in the past, Rachel had held to her resolve not to cave in. She saw her casual friendship with them as a hurdle to conquer. If she was ever to reclaim her humanity, she had to face her fears first!
"If only they knew who I was, they wouldn't be so nice cordial." She thought as she turned down the main street towards her dojo. "Hmmm... I wonder if Don has a clue. He's certainly no dummy!" That thought only made the knot in Rachel's stomach tighten. It had been over 30 years and yet, even with that, her identity had been hidden well. Except for a few strands of her curly bright auburn hair, now dyed black, it would be improbable that any of them would recognize her. How could any of them know? She fought off the panic attack that was starting to well up inside of her. She tried to relax by breathing evenly and slow. Then, just before she was approaching the bend in the street that would take her to her dojo, she noticed an otherworldly yellow glow over the tops of the buildings. For reasons that she couldn't understand, her heart began to race. As she came around the turn, she first saw the fire trucks and then, the second thing she saw was – her dojo completely engulfed in flames!
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BUSLADY OF SOCAL: Yeah, you read a little about Rahab and this story is about WA Peabody's TMNT universe. It will be about Raph with a surprise ending that no one will be expecting – especially how things go early on! It'll be shorter in length than YD, too! Oh, another story from the Buslady? Cool. I have you on Author Alert, so I'll be waiting! :0) Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.
PRETENDER FANATIC: Yeah, brave or stupid – you pick. LOL Well, it's not so bad since this is a done fic. Only my tweaking and bringing it up to speed on how I write now – compared to last July – will slow the updates down. I'm hoping to have this completed before I fly off to the Philippines! Or, not…hmm. Sorry about the summary – or prologue. I was trying to describe how we tend to be what we're not, putting on masks, making impressions, hiding our fears and insecurities while acting confident and the like – when just the opposite may be true. We all do this to one degree or another, and where this story is about 'hiding' and not wanting to be 'found out', I thought it fit. Oh and I didn't want to say dojo, opting for 'studio', since I'm trying to slowly introduce Rachel and who or what she does. However, I realized after your comment that it did kind of read like a music school – especially where I used 'studio' regarding Jessie's work buddies. So, I changed the 'other' studio to dojo. Thanks! BTW, Rachel has a lot of good reasons to be jittery and lots of good reasons to be nervous, especially around the TMNT's. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing! Be blessed.
