A/N: Leverage characters are not mine. Please leave a comment. I hope you are enjoying.

Chapter 4

Mamma Bears

Sophie Devereaux and Alice White sat at the table with Sandy and Michele. She went over the population and the possibility of what they could raise. The Gala was to be modernized, leaving the country bumpkins out. Presenting ideas for a band and the type of music that would be playing, had Michele rubbing the back of her neck.

"We've always used country or soft rock." Michele frowned.

"That was last year. Today this is in." Sophie was trying to remain upbeat.

Looking around the kitchen, Michele wondered what this woman thought of her home. She took a silent breath and wondered how many would show up. Eliot walked in and refilled his coffee cup and grabbed a pastry. He leaned on the counter listening to the discussion.

"These groups, according to the photos use pyrotechnics. We cannot have that."

"But that's part of the show. It will draw crowds." Sophie's voice was adamant.

"We have horses and ponies. Our clientele consist of autistic children and veterans. The first explosion could send a veteran back to the war in his head, a child with autism into fear and our horses will be unmanageable either in their stalls or out in the pasture." Michele was firm.

"She's right. The people won't bring their kids and the veterans will stay home, rather than take a chance." Eliot took a sip of coffee.

Sophie glanced at Eliot, then back at Michele who had her hands wrapped around her coffee cup, studying the black drink. "I do like the modernized version idea of the Gala, with that exception."

Tapping her notepad Sophie made a note. "I'll see which bands are willing to leave out the pyrotechnics."

Michele nodded. "I appreciate that. I do wish you would check out the local talent rather than bring a band in." She looked at Sophie. "There are some good rock bands in the area that could use the work."

Sophie made another note. "Could you tell me those names?"

Michele looked at Sandy. "I think you're more familiar with these bands."

Sandy nodded. "I'll send a list to you."

"Okay then, I think we have all the information." She was about to get up when there was a knock on the front door.

Eliot quickly moved to answer it. Hearing the voices, Michele could hear Albert Prosser. She frowned wondering what would bring him here as she knew all the insurance premiums were up to date.

Albert walked in the kitchen with Eliot behind him. He smiled. "Michele ."

With a quick introduction, Michele offered him coffee and a pastry. Albert chose just the pastry, holding it with the aid of a napkin he smiled apologetically at Michele. "In review of your policy, I found that it will not cover your event this year."

Michele furrowed her brow. "How so? We've been covered every year since we began this."

Clearing his throat, he tried to explain. "Well, yes and no. Yes it did cover your Gala every year, but the company has redefined events and your policy won't cover it beginning this year."

"Can we get a rider for our Gala?" It was Sandy who spoke up.

Albert nodded. "That will be an additional $3,000."

Michele looked at him. "Why so much?"

Albert had taken a bite of his pastry and quickly chewed it. "You have dangerous animals on your property. With an unknown number of people, music, kids...this event is high risk."

"Albert, we have horses and ponies. They can be unpredictable, but not dangerous, they don't purposely attack people. We will have staff in the barn and the arena." Michele's jaw tensed up.

"In the insurance business the rule of thumb is that unpredictable equals dangerous." He laid the paperwork on the table. Before he left the room he turned and thanked them for giving him time to speak.

Eliot looked out the kitchen window, noting Jeff had arrived. He spoke to Albert, who handed Jeff a piece of paper he pulled from his inside pocket. A few minutes later Jeff walked into the kitchen where everyone was sitting silently. He laid the piece of paper in front of Michele. Walking to the coffee pot, he filled a cup and grabbed the remaining pastry.

Looking at the paper, she felt her jaw clench tighter. "It appears the council is having a parade the same day and the time over laps the time of our Gala. She passed the paper to Sophie.

Michele sat back in her chair, tapping the spoon on her chin.

Sophie looked at her. "So it's over?"

Michele shook her head. "Not quite." She pulled the phone off the shelf behind her. "Sandy, please get my Rolodex and my notebook out of the desk and ask Emily to come in here.

Sandy left the table to do her bidding, while Eliot moved another chair near the table. Emily took a seat. Putting the requested items in front of her, Michele quickly wrote down names and numbers, putting stars in front of a few of them.

Looking at Emily, Michele spoke to her. "You have the numbers of the parents, wives of our clientele in your phone?"

The young woman nodded. "A lot of them I keep in contact through a social media platform"

"How about other students that are working towards a therapist degree?"

"I use Twitter." She smiled, but looked confused.

"Good. Can you do a video?" Michele looked hopeful.

Emily laughed. "That's the best way."

Everyone's eyes were on Michele. She tore the paper with names and numbers in half. "Okay, we need to contact the wives, spouses and care givers, doctors of all our clientele, council members, and anyone you can think of. We need them to raise such a stink with the insurance company, the council members that they back down."

Picking up the phone, Michele found Albert Prosser's home number. Putting the phone on speaker she dialed it she heard it ring. A woman's voice answered. " Mrs. Prosser? This is Michele from El Rancho."

"Well hi Michele ! How are you doing?" The woman's voice sounded like a typical grandma's voice.

"Not good Ms. Prosser."

"Oh dear, what's going on?"

Michele went into a brief explanation of the insurance coverage for the Gala. Michele also explained that the council was usurping the date and time of the Gala with the parade. Explaining that if the financial support is not gained, the clientele would have to go out of county for services, the college would lose the use of hands on therapy and the ranch would have to be sold for taxes due to the council trying to rescind the ranch's 501(c)3.

Ms. Prosser was silent for a minute. "Well, I never...ALBERT!" The line went dead.

Michele sat back in her chair. "If we can get half of the people on our side, the council may change their minds."

Sandy grabbed her half of the paper. "I'll use the other line in your office in the barn." Michele nodded.

In your videos, can you include the sign at the beginning of the road?"

Emily smiled. "I'm on it." She took off out of the house.

Within a half hour, everyone had completed the calls and returned to the kitchen. Sandy was smiling. "More than half are really upset."

Emily laughed. "My phone won't stop pinging. People are asking for the council members' phone numbers.

Michele looked at Sophie. "One thing I have learned, you don't mess with the Momma Bears. Now we wait." She took a sip of her coffee.

A/N: Leverage characters are not mine. Please leave a comment. Thanks for reading.