AH HA! Finally I finished me nex' chapter… After five rewrites fer this chapter…
This is more of a break before we get any good stuff happenin'… So don' be too upse'…
I promise ye, ye will see more of Oscar in the nex' chapter… Fer now enjoy…
When we las' lef' our sharks…
Lenny an' Oscar's plan went awry, leaving Eddie, bu' mostly Lenny nursing wounds…
In attempt ta escape the disaster tha' is 'Hurricane Maria' Leila an' Lenny hid in a close' only ta have i' lock when they wen' ta leave…
No' only tha'… I's Lino who open's th' door ta find them together…
Now fer me traditional shou'ou's…
Aqua Aussie: I'm glad ye think me las' chapter was funny… 'Urray fer sleep deprivation… Tha's were mos' of me ideas come from… And don' worry… Maria will try and find her Lenny-Bear in a future chapter…
Scott: Aye... Tha's why Oscar never go' rich with any of his schemes…
Crouching Tiger Shark: I'm glad ye like me song choice… Sadly I couldn' match nay songs in this chapter, bu' there will be a bi' of 'Linkin Park', 'Evanescence' an' a few others…
Lady Bee 16: I'm glad ye think Leila is cool… I see ye researched her name… And this won' be th' las' time ye be seein' Leila and Lenny in a spo' like this… Trouble follows 'er like a black cloud…
Ashley 0918: I'm glad ye peeked in on me story… Ye stories seem ta be comin' along nicely…
Now fer me disclaimer…
Disclaimer: Ye should know wha' belongs ta me or no'… If ye don' then read me pas' disclaimers…
Now on with the fic…
It was an understatement that Lino wasn't upset finding them both in the closet. He was downright furious. After leaving Lenny in his office with Eddie floating guard, he went to fix what they started.
Aira soon joined Eddie at the door. "I heard what happen. That bimbo (Eddie chuckled at her name for Maria) was swimming around telling everyone with a set of skills. Is he back yet?" She crouched down to peer through the keyhole.
"Yep, he's back, he is not a happy shark." He cocked his head to the side watching her. "What are doing?"
"Sssh, I'm trying to listen here." She whispered batting him away.
"You know, when Lino said hone your lip and body language reading skills, I don't think he meant finding out what's happening in his office." He glanced around and crouched down next to her…
Lino glared at his son from behind his desk. "You have better start explaining yourself."
Lenny gulped under his father's gaze.
"First, Maria comes shrieking to my office that you ran off with Leila… Then I go to find you and I find you myself. And in a closet, with Leila, no less."
"Nothing happened." Lenny defended. "We weren't doing anything uncalled for."
"Then what, may I ask, were you doing if nothing?" Lino asked crossing his fins.
"We were just… um… Playing a game." Lenny grinned sheepishly. "Maria's nothing but trouble."
"So you thought, 'hey, why not wander off'." Lino growled, causing Lenny to wince. "And fool around a bit in the damn closet."
"We didn't fool around." Lenny said, not meeting his father's eyes. 'We just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.' He thought to himself.
Lino sighed and rubbed his temples. "You can't go running off with sharkesses like that. Do you have any idea how that looks?" He looked at his now only pup. "Before long it will be you behind this desk, not me."
"Pop, don't remind me." He muttered, burying his face in his fins.
"I believe I do need to remind you, pup. You're forgetting about what lies ahead of you." Lino said gently.
"Pop…" Lenny muttered looking away from his father with hurt in his green eyes. "Am I such a shame to the family? Am I a disgrace to you?" He whispered.
Lino's expression softened and he approached his son. Gently grabbing him by the shoulders, he gave him a gentle shake. "Lenny, look at me. A shame and disgrace you aren't."
Lenny looked up.
"I love you, my boy. I just think you need to use that head of yours and be more responsible." He said, smiling slightly.
Lenny met his father's eyes. "I try not to disappoint you Pop, but it seems that I can never be like Frankie."
"You don't need to be like Frankie." Lino glanced at the picture of Frankie on the wall. "Just don't get stuck in anymore closets."
Lenny nodded and swam for the door.
"Oh and one more question."
"Sure Pop."
"What is she to you, Leila, that is?" Lino asked suspiciously. "You acted rather odd since I gave her 'pass(1)' and agreed to let stay as long as she pleased. She has been helpful in shining light on Carvati's plans."
Lenny doubled took his father as a faint blush rose in his cheeks. "S-she's just a f-friend, that's all."
"You sure about that?" Lino asked, arching an eyebrow.
Lenny nodded, and darted out the door.
Lino chuckled then furrowed his brow. He didn't mind having Leila around, but there was something about her that nagged at the back of his mind…
"Leila," Aria asked, sitting her cup down on the table in her room. "You've been torturing poor Lenny, it's been four days and he's been trying to apologize to you. How much longer do you tend to avoid him."
Leila smirked, leaning back in her chair and propping up her tail on the table. "As long as I have to…" She muttered, her tired violet burning angrily.
Aria shook her head. Since she had first meet Leila, she had tried to make peace between Leila and Lenny, with not very much help from a grumpy Eddie. So far she hadn't mended the rift. "You know, holding a grudge is pointless." She poured more tea into her cup. "You've completely ignore Lenny every time you see him." She looked up at the rogue sharkess. "He's trying."
Leila snorted and leaned farther back in her chair. "You know what's pointless Aria, him apologizing like I'm just going to accept it. Now, that's what I call pointless."
Aria shook her head. "You have lived with Tigers far too long, they turned you cold, and I thought Eddie was bad." She noticed how tired Leila looked. "It might help if you got more sleep."
Leila growled and leaned her chair back even further.
Aria rolled her eyes at the stubborn sharkess. "You know, I think it's more than that. I think you're starting to have feelings for him, Miss Big Bad Sharkess." She added, her eyes twinkling.
"What!" Leila shouted before her chair slipped out from under her, sending her to the floor with a thud.
Aria chuckled as Leila lay on the floor. "Of course, why else would you be avoiding him." She peered at Leila over her cup. "I think under that rough Tiger demeanor is a soft soul."
Leila snorted "You spear me. Soft and gentle." She noticed Aria watching her, a grin on her face. "Stop that!"
Aria's grin grew as Leila started growing anxious. "Stop what might I ask."
Leila growled, and raised eyebrow. "You know what I'm talking about." She rose and swam for the door. "If I want to be analyzed I'll find Eddie." Then disappeared down the hall.
Aria watched as Leila's tail disappeared around the corner. She turned to her closet door and opened it. "You can come out now."
Eddie slowly drifted out. "What did you find out?"
Aria glared at him and put her fins on her hips. "You know you really aren't helping. Just let them mend it themselves."
"That's not what I want to know."
"Eddie Hesco…" Aria pulled Eddie towards Leila's empty seat. "You need to let what happened go. It's not going to bring your parents and sister back." She stared into his purple eyes. "Nothing you do will bring them back. Trying to kill any Tigers you come across isn't going help." She leaned against him and sighed. "It's not your fault. You have to let your guilt go."
Eddie sighed. "Maybe you shouldn't have went to school to be a therapist."
"Well maybe if you mobsters wouldn't keep everything bottled up, but then I would be out of a job." She said not noticing that they were being watched…
"Gag me to death with an anchor." Leila rolled her eyes and prowled back to the library…
Lenny watched Leila steadily in the plush chair in the study, a book brought to her face, and her tail slowly drifting telling him that she hadn't fallen asleep.
Determined, he took a deep breath. 'Please let he forgive me.' He thought as he puffed out his chest and swam towards her.
"Hi Leila." He started.
Leila lowered her book slightly and replied with a snort then brought back up to her face.
"Leila…" He put his fin on the book lowering it so that he could see her violet eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Just, please don't shut me out… Please." He pleaded to her.
Leila face slightly softened and lifted her eyes to look into his. She closed her book and leaned back, crossing her fins.
"So… You forgive me?" He asked, hope filling his voice and a grin started to form.
Leila uncrossed her fins. "Forgive you? Hmmm… Let me think about this (Insert Jeopardy Theme here)…" She brought a fin to chin as she pondered. "Um… NO!"
Lenny's hope shattered in that instance. But he wasn't about to give up without. "So what are you reading?"
Leila shoved the book in his fins. "'Shellock Gills." He opened the battered book and glancing through it.
Leila suddenly arose on her tail and took the book from Lenny's fins. She started for the door.
"Where are you going?" He asked following her, only getting silence "You've forgiven me right?"
She ignored him and reached the door, clutching her book.
"Leila." He pleaded, grabbing her fin in his. "Leila please."
She stopped and stared at his fin encircling hers. She looked into his green eyes. "Lenny, I..." She started.
"So if it isn't the closet lovers." Piped in a mocking voice.
Leila pulled her fin away from Lenny and glared at the large Orca whale leaning in the doorway.
"Well, well, so Maria was telling the truth." He ran his eyes up her figure. "But her details of your beauty are quite the opposite." He took her fin and planted a kiss on it. "I'm Johnny, by the way."
Leila pulled her fin back and glared at the Orca. "Can you please swim aside. I'm in a hurry."
"Johnny I think you should listen to her." Lenny said, swimming out from behind Leila.
"Did I ask you what you think, pipsqueak." Johnny growled. "Last time I check I was trying to introduce myself to your fine lady friend."
"I'm not his lady friend." She growled and tried to pass the Orca's massive bulk. "Now please swim aside."
"Now where would something like you be heading off to now?" Johnny asked slyly.
"You know, where I come from. It's very rude to question." She growled crossing her fins. "Especially when it's none of your business."
"But I make it my business sweetheart." He reached out stroke her cheek.
Leila pulled her head away and slapped the fin. "Don't you call me that and don't touch me." She growled dropping her book to the ground.
"Leila d-d-do you thinks that's wise?" Lenny piped up.
Leila turned back to glare at Lenny. "I know what I'm doing."
"Oh, think you're Miss Big Bad Shark, don't you."
"Perhaps I am." Leila said, flexing her fin. "I have quite a reputation from where I come from."
The Orca laughed rudely at her. "No sharkess never has status in the mob. Their only use is in the kitchen and in the…"
Leila never let him finish. She punched him, sending him into the wall. "Never speak to me like that again." She hissed, her body tensed for the fight.
The Orca spat out a single tooth. "I normally don't fight women, but I make an exception for you."
Leila smirked and backed back into the study, Johnny followed shortly behind her.
"You're not getting away that easy, doll." He swung at Leila.
Leila ducked under the punch. Then with her tail, she knocked Johnny off his tail, sending him on his back.
Leila reached to her hip, grasping empty water, where a whale tooth knife normally hung in her belt. She growled when she realized that the belt and knife sat on her bed.
Johnny took the moment and caught Leila's tail and brought her to the ground with him. He raised his tail and tried to slam it down on the sharkess.
Leila rolled out of the way of the tail. Johnny looked up in time to get an upper cut under his chin…
"Eddie, I never seen you this quiet before." Aria leaned against him as they swam down the hall. "What's on your mind."
"Nothing it's just…" The couple were shoved aside as sharks raced past him. "Hey where's the chum slick?" He shouted at them, holding his sprained shoulder.
One of the sharks turned around. "Someone took Johnny on in the study and they're winning."
"What! Someone's finally gotten the better of 'Little Johnny'." He grabbed Aria's fin. "I don't want to miss this!" Both of them followed the shark…
The two happened on a crowd gathered in the doorway of the study. Eddie pushed his way through the crowd. He caught sight of Johnny and a shark, and then he noticed the shark had a tarnished gold finring in her dorsal fin. "Oh, no. It's Leila." He also saw a familiar Don's son floating in the back of the crowd.
Aria swam up to Eddie. "Who is it?" She tried to peek over the crowds. "I can't see."
Eddie turned to her. "It's Leila…"
Leila turned to see who called her name and received a punch in the cheek from Johnny. Leila shook her head as blood began to trickle from her lip.
Johnny smirked. He grabbed a wooden chair and brought it over his head, then brought it down on Leila. Leila dodged the chair but it splintered on her tail. She growled and turned to face Johnny.
Johnny cackled and grabbed Leila by her chin. He slowly brought her to eye level. "I'll show you your place."
Leila smirked. "Let me show you something." She finned him in his groin with her tail. Johnny dropped her and hunched over.
Leila dropped to the ground. "Excuse me." She tapped Johnny on his shoulder.
He looked up and met a punch that sent him sailing through the doorway.
The sharks parted as Johnny drifted to the hall floor, They cheered and money changed fins.
"What's going on here?" Lino asked, coming on the crowd.
The sharks turned to their boss and then scattered. Two sharks came back and helped Johnny up and took him down the hall, leaving Eddie, Aria, and Lenny.
"There was a small 'argument' and a few fins flew. It involved Johnny and a shark." Eddie spoke up shoving Lenny behind him. "I never got a good look at the shark 'he' must have scattered before you came."
Lino nodded and went down the hall to 'talk' to Johnny.
Eddie sighed and rubbed his sprained shoulder. "That was close." He glanced around. "She must have took off when Lino came."
"I'll check my room." Aria said swimming off.
"I'll take the kitchen." Eddie said, starting to head towards the kitchen.
"Hey Eddie." Lenny stopped Eddie. "Why didn't you rat on Leila? You could have gave her another strike."
"Fuggedaboutit Lenny. Just find her before Lino does." He headed for the kitchen.
Lenny picked up Leila's book and headed for her room…
Leila sat on the edge of her bed, a pile of splinters sat next to her. Her tail was studded with the splinters from when Johnny shattered the chair.
"Maybe I can help?"
Leila looked up and saw Lenny standing in her doorway. "Oh, it's you." She hunched back over her tail.
"Leila look, I'm sorry." Lenny pleaded.
Leila turned her back to Lenny.
"Here then." He said sadly, laying her book on her bed, then turned to leave.
Leila turned and picked up her book and looked up to see Lenny's tail disappearing through the doorway. "Lenny wait."
Lenny turned and poked his head in her doorway.
She looked at her tail. "Why don't you come in." She motioned to a plush chair next to her nightstand.
Lenny swam and sat down in the chair as Leila went back to pulling the splinters out of her tail fin.
Lenny rubbed the back of his neck. "That was something. The only shark I ever seen take Johnny on was…" He trailed off.
Leila paused and looked a Lenny. "It was your brother, wasn't it?"
Lenny nodded. "How did you…"
"Aria told me what happened with Oscar and the whole 'SharkSlayer' business." She pulled out another splinter with a grunt. "You honestly dressed up like a dolphin." She chuckled and slapped her tail. She hissed as the splinters dug deeper into her tail.
"Leila stop moving." Lenny lunged and grabbed her tail.
"Lenny let go!" She tried to pull her out of his fins, but he held fast. Her struggling only made the splinters dig even deeper into her tail. "I don't need help!" She looked at Lenny and barred her teeth, but he still hung on. She slowly stopped struggling and crossed her fins and growled. "Alright I'll let you help."
Lenny reached for a splinter Leila slightly flinched away from his touch. He shook his head and yanked out a splinter. His eyes then caught the white spot on the upper lobe of her tail. "What's that?" He asked, continuing to pull out splinters.
Leila looked down. "Oh that, I had it as long as I can remember." She unconsciously rubbed the criss-crossing scars on her back. "And let's just say, my childhood with the Tigers was very 'eventful'."
"Who taught you to fight like that?" He asked, pulling out the last splinter.
"My 'friend's' father, he taught me ever since I was found." She reached for the belt with her knife. "Of course if I carried this, I wouldn't have had that little scuffle and I wouldn't be a pincushion." She pulled her tail away. "Thanks." She muttered.
Lenny nodded. "You know, tomorrow Johnny will be out for your blood. Why don't you come to work with me."
"You work." She blinked at him. "You actually work?"
"Yeah, in case you haven't noticed I'm not just ready to be anyone's boss." He stood up and swam for the door.
"Alright," she shouted after him. "I'll go with you, but it better be a decent job."
"Oh, it will a 'whale' of a time. " He grinned and opened the door.
"Oh and Lenny,"
He paused and glanced back at Leila.
"I'm sorry if I wasn't very nice to you these past few days, and I guess I can forgive you." She said shrugging her shoulders. "And call me Lei."
Lenny grinned once again and slipped out her door and closed it behind him.
She smirked and lay back on her bed. 'I have him in my grasp, just a little bit longer…'
"YES!" Lenny shouted softly outside her door, interrupting her thoughts.
'I guess I can give him credit, he may not be much of a looker, but he's cute and kinda sweet.'
'Hey snap out of hit.' She mentally slapped herself and glanced at the hilt of her knife where the engraved 'SAL' glittered. 'You promised yourself you wouldn't do this. Keep your eyes on the prize.'
She looked at her clock, which read 9:00.
After all she'll have a chance to discuss her plans with the Tigers we will meet later that night…
(1) Pass- a mob term fer 'forgiveness'… I now 'ave several books on the Mafia…
An' a note… If ye watch 'Goodfellas' ye will wan' ta find ou' more on the Mafia… Then ye be a los' cause… Capiche…
Now I's time ta click th' blue button ta give me ye 'Rants/Raves…
Ta fer now…
-IPD