Coming of Age

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any character created by Mr. Eastman or Mr. Laird.

Chapter six: Confrontation.

Mike waited until that evening, just before Rama settled down for the night, the two would usually sit and talk for a bit. Mike had always enjoyed the evening ritual and he hoped it was something that would continue through Rama's teen years, though he secretly doubted it.

Rama looked like she wouldn't be in for a very long conversation tonight, in fact in spite of her sleeping most the day away she still looked ready to drop of exhaustion. A clear sign that Rama was ill.

Don had finally allowed Rama a couple of painkillers now that she had passed the critical stage with her concussion.

Rama sat up hunched under her blankets " Do you plan on waking me up every hour on the hour again tonight?" She mumbled wearily.

" No Rama, Don wants you to get a good sleep tonight that's why he gave the painkillers. Painkillers and concussions don't mix well, at least not the first day." Mike replied simply. He reached out with his senses noting that in spite of her weariness and pain she was relaxed. ' Good she might just slip up a bit easier then.'

Mike had been far too relieved to find Rama basically all right, to probe her story too much, that plus the fact he was now trying to help make Rama comfortable in her illness that he didn't see the need to question her story for more detail. Now after April's visit and his daughter's response he knew, as April did that Rama was hiding something.

Casually as if requesting the time of day Mike asked " You sure that no one saw you when you crossed the road last night?"

He noticed Rama's body stiffen slightly her eyes growing large, a sharp but low intake of breath. As if she instantly was on her guard, she hesitated for the briefest of moments before answering.

" Pretty sure. I'm kunoichi aren't I?"

" You are a kunoichi in training and a young kunoichi at that," Mike answered with a relaxed shrug. " You can make mistakes darling, and if you do make one you ought to be responsible and own up to it."

Rama tried not to squirm as she shrank against the wall of the sewer pipe next to her bed, doing her best to avoid her dad's gentle gaze. " How can I make a mistake simply by crossing the road?" She protested sharply.

" I don't know. I suppose it is possible." Mike smiled a bit, noting his daughter's discomfort. Even more he sensed she was trying to hide something. " What do you think Rama?"

Rama just crossed her arms over her plastron and sat sulking for a bit, not responding to her dad's gentle question.

Mike nodded his head as if he hadn't really expected an answer, but her behaviour only confirmed his suspicions. Mike knew it was time to crack down on her " Want to tell me what really happened last night Rama?" Mike demanded keeping his tone only slightly conversational.

He left the feeling that if she didn't answer he would give her no choice later.

" I did tell you!" Rama protested bitterly.

Mike narrowed his eyes as he glowered at her, he stalked towards her bed " Now I want the whole story not just part of it." He ordered quickly " Were you perhaps doing something you shouldn't have been doing Rama, is that how you got hurt?" he accused.

" I told you the truth dad." Rama almost sobbed as she fought to keep back tears that were starting to well in her eyes. ' Why can't she just leave this alone?' she wailed to herself inwardly.

" Ramiela!" Mike barked her full name his dark look growing more ominous as he allowed his displeasure to increase.

Rama did squirm as she sensed his emotions she knew no matter what she did now she was bound to get into trouble. She knew her father wouldn't leave it alone until he had wrung her secret from her.

Rama dreaded telling him because she knew that he was going be mad at her, yet if she didn't tell he would still be mad. He had her at a total disadvantage. She felt the burning sensation of the tears in her eyes and a couple of tears roll down her cheek as she wiped them away.

She was supposed to be a kunoichi, not a wimpy cry baby. She knew that ninja were strong and powerful, they would not cry. Course she wasn't a ninja yet and probably never would be one, not like sensei or the rest of her family were.

Still more then anything, Rama wanted to prove her worth to the family, to be accepted as a full ninja of the clan.

She wanted it far more then any thing else she could think of. Yet she also knew she would never realize her dreams while she continually put her family at risk. Ninja were supposed to protect and look after members of the clan, not lead the family into danger.

Rama looked up at her dad and saw him giving his stern hard look, and she winced slightly and whimpered a bit finally, ever so reluctantly Rama began to confess to every thing.

Mike hated using intimidation tactics on Rama but at times a little intimidation could get desired results, and he knew he had to get to the bottom of the situation and Rama had really left him little choice where she refused to respond. He listened carefully his eyes locked on hers.

He nodded slightly as she finished her talk, he sensed the truth in her words and he was proud of her but there was something else he needed to learn from her.

Mike knew it was important to try and figure out why Rama had made the choice she had, was it just something she did on impulse, or had she actually saved the boy for a reason? Had she risked her life merely to test her training and skills? Challenging herself as if it were a dare? Or did she do it for a reason that had nothing to do with her ego?

So Mike spoke very carefully " Why didn't you just leave him Rama? He wasn't your responsibility?" Mike snorted at the thought " You wouldn't have been hurt and you wouldn't have been risking your self or us either."

Rama ducked her head as she fidgeted nervously playing with the blankets on her bed " I know that daddy. I didn't mean to get hurt or seen by any body." Rama insisted. Frantically her mind screamed at her ' I knew it! I just knew he'd be mad at me, now I'm going be punished for sure!'

Rama allowed her tears to fall freely unable to hold them back any longer " I know I shouldn't have done it dad. I couldn't let the truck hit him though, even if he was just a stupid kid, who didn't have enough sense to get out of the rain. Never mind off the road."

" Why couldn't you let him get hit Rama? He was nothing to you. You don't even know him. A kid that stupid deserves to be hit." Mike declared.

Rama gave her dad a shocked look as if she couldn't believe what she had heard him say " Just coz I don't knows him. Doesn't mean that no body knows or loves him." Rama declared sharply, " You wouldn't be mad at me if I was to do this for Jeremy or Aiden." Then her anger and shock dissolved as she looked away " I know I'm not ninja daddy. A ninja should stay in the shadows and look after friends and family so as not to cause trouble for the clan."

Mike felt suddenly torn as he realized the depth of Rama's words and now fully understood her reasoning, in so many ways Rama was stating clearly that Nate's life had value. She might not know him, but she knew his life was as important as those that she did know and love

Rama crumpled up in her bed sobbing harder as she wailed, " I'm sorry I'm not ninja daddy."

Mike sat on the bed pulling her into his arms and holding her close as he comforted her with gentle pats and strokes of his hands along her back.

Rama's choice had been made by what she had been told in the course of her lessons, and Mike knew that she had applied it meant that she had passed an unspoken test and it put him in an awkward position for it meant that she was ready to take her training to the next level.

In all her training topside she had never run into a position to pass the test. Now she had proved herself with not even a witness to verify the test had been given.

All Mike really wanted to do was to protect her and keep her safe, now he realized how impossible that was going to be. Sure he had been very nonchalant about the idea when he felt it had been absolute ludicrous on April's part. Hearing Rama confirm what she had done had made it suddenly all to possible and real.

Mike was baffled and stunned but he concentrated on soothing his distraught daughter instead. He could try to work out his emotions over this surprise later. " You are a ninja Rama" he assured her, " And a very brave one at that."

" I'm not." Rama declined shaking her head slightly in refusal " I got hurt and I broke all kinds of clan rules to help him. How can I ever be ninja like that?" She moaned.

Mike chuckled a little " I hate to say it Rama llama ding dong, but ninja get hurt often. Sometimes we get hurt even when we don't want to. How do you think we got all these scars in the first place?" Mike asked as he showed her a few of his scars, " the scars you earn are marks of honour Rama wear them with pride. You'll probably have the first of many scars, on your leg, and you can be proud of it."

Rama sniffed and she looked uncertainly up at her dad's tender look.

Mike smiled gently " Scars of honour are not earned by being lazy at home. As for not being ninja why Rama do you even realize what you did? You were able to make a critical decision, act on it quickly and then you disappeared into the shadows with out a trace and no one the wiser." Mike kissed the top of her head " Trust me you are very much a kunoichi." Mike's voice hitched a bit at the last words. " Even the truck driver, according to April, thought you were human, and most importantly you saved a life!"

Rama wiped at her eyes and took a couple of deep shaky breaths " I made a mistake and jumped in front of the truck instead of to safety." She said as if trying to prove that she wasn't as good as all that.

" Yeah, well you are young and you can make mistakes, besides hon maybe it wasn't such a mistake. You might not have been able to avoid the activity around there if you had jumped to the near side of the street, instead of the far." Mike reasoned.

Rama gave him a tremulous smile in return as she sniffed a little.

Mike cupped his hands around her chin as he sat back from her a little, looking into her reddened eyes " About the only thing you really did that was wrong was that you didn't tell us what really happened" Mike stressed, " If the truck driver realized you weren't human, or it wasn't raining and you left a blood trail you could raise suspicion and trouble for the clan. Therefore you should have told us everything immediately so that Leo could make plans." Mike chided her softly.

" I thought you or Sensei would be mad at me for risking myself over some body I didn't even know" Rama explained.

" Rama I understand why you think that way, it is because we've tried to teach you that people could hurt us if they knew about our existence." Mike stated, " We know some people will be our friends but there are a lot who wouldn't understand or take the time to, for that matter." Mike sighed, " Still it is absolutely important to let Leo know so we can be on our guard and be prepared."

Rama nodded as if she understood " Then you aren't mad at me dad?"

" No Rama, I'm not mad. It is very easy to protect those we love and care about but it is much harder to protect somebody we know nothing about" Mike explained as he smiled at her " You did something very special Rama because you cared. You felt compassion and empathy." Mike hugged her close.

Rama's eyes drooped and Mike smiled tenderly down as he saw she was just about asleep. Inside though his own heart was aching knowing he could no longer keep her protected and safe at home.

" I'm proud of you Rama." Mike murmured as he let her slip down under the covers and tucked her in.

Rama yawned one last time as she snuggled deep under her blankets welcoming sleeps embrace. She knew her dad really wasn't mad at her but he wasn't too happy with what she had done she had sensed that much. Still she was too tired to question it.

Mike paused at the door looking back at his little girl before giving a long regretful sigh and leaving the bedroom shutting the door firmly but quietly shut behind him.

TBC