Gaele!

Part 19: Raphael

Gaele lounged in her chaise by the pool, letting the warm afternoon rays of the late August sun soak into her bones. She was spending these last summer days doing as little as possible, knowing that she'd need this rest... For her, the fourth year would begin soon, and she knew it would be the toughest year of all.
A vague feeling of unease broke into her thoughts, and she raised her head to see a figure in a long, dark overcoat, standing at the foot of the steps, looking down at her.
"Oho," she said in amusement. "We really have to stop meeting like this."
"Why? When's the last time we met?" The voice was not Don's.
Gaele sat upright, and stared hard at the figure, shading her eyes with one hand. Though his shoulders were a little farther apart, he had less bulk than Don. He looked as though he could use some weight... His feet were dusty, its soles gray and cracked from what looked like endless miles of walking. Sharper cheekbones, a broader face, and a more determined looking mouth, like Devon's... "Omigawd," she murmured.
"Uh, not exactly," he said, grinning as he looked her over in unabashed admiration. She could see where he was missing a couple of teeth. "Geez, you must be Gaele. You look all, uh... grown up." The tone in his voice had now lost its uncertainty.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that... You're Raphael, aren't you?"
 "You could say that, or maybe you could call me other things," he said, his grin turning into a charming smile."Depending a'course, on how things go."
On how WHAT goes, she wanted to ask him, but just then Mike appeared on the horizon.
"Raphael, why don't you come on up to the house," he called to him, in an unusually polite tone. Maybe Raphael was in big trouble, already.
"Hey, why don't YOU come down here, Mister Angelo? I'm enjoying the lovely view," Raphael said in return, watching Gaele put on her bath robe. "You didn't tell me just how in-credibly exQUISite-"
"Aw, Raph," Mike groaned, as he descended the steps.
Gaele returned Raphael's gaze with one eyebrow lowered, making a show of scrutinizing him.
"See anything you like?" Raphael gave her a mischievous wink.
"Hmm. Wasn't that Don's old trench?" Gaele asked smoothly, as she tied her robe.
Raphael looked blank for a second, then stared at his faded, well worn coat, as though noticing it for the first time. "Yeah, I guess it is, isn't it? How'd you know that?"
"I recognized the lapels... trademark of a certain favorite Savile Row tailor of his. You see, Don and I are  VERY well acquainted."
Raph's brows went way up, and then he smirked a little. "Who'd-a thought it," he said to Mike who had just stepped onto the pool deck. "I guess old Stick-Boy was waiting for the crop to come in, huh?"
"Ehh," Mike said, shrugging a little. "So, Raphael, what brings you here? Planning on staying long? Moving on, or what?"
"Funny way to put out a welcome mat, for your old comrade-in-arms," Raphael said in return, letting his hands rest deep in his coat pockets.
"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting you, that’s all. Actually, nobody has seen you for quite a long time." Mike leaned against the back of one of the deck chaises. "So, what brought you back?"
"Hey, just visiting around a bit, m'man. Wanted to see how things were going."
Mike studied him a long moment, chewing at the inside of his lower lip, then glanced at Gaele. "Well, so long's you're here, we might as well catch up on stuff. C'mon up to the house. Have you eaten anything lately?"
"When, today?" Raph asked, his eyes wide.
Mike winced a little. "Kaa-mon, Raph, you gotta stop slamming yourself around." He inclined his head in the direction of the house.
With a parting glance at Gaele, Raphael reluctantly followed. "Speaking of which, is your, uh, wife here?"
"You mean Rahab?" Mike paused in his stride. "Sure she's here. What are you, still nervous of her?"
"No," Raphael said defensively. "Why should I be? We were okay last time we met up..." Their voices faded as they ascended up to the garden level.
By the time Gaele got up to the rear patio of the house, Raphael was seated comfortably by an outdoor table, feet up on another chair, holding a dewy can of Foster's. He gave Gaele a charming grin as she passed by.
Mike sat opposite him, both elbows on the table, nibbling thoughtfully on a fingertip as he watched Raphael. "You haven't told me why you are really here," he said quietly, as he inspected a cuticle.
"It's pretty obvious, dontcha think?" Raph pulled the can's tab, causing it to open with a sharp hiss. "I came to see my boy."
"I guess he's around somewhere, hard telling, nowadays," Mike said absently, as Gaele went into the house.
There she saw her mother, who was standing by the kitchen sink, staring at it as though noticing it for the first time.
"Hey, mom? You okay?"
Rahab's claws clinked absently against the stainless steel sides. "So HE'S back," she muttered half to herself.
"What?"
"Nothing, dear." Rahab seemed to come out of her reverie, and smiled primly at her daughter. "Could you take this out to your father's, uhm, guest?" She gestured at a well loaded plate of food that was sitting on the counter. "Get a fork and a sharp knife, the steak sauce, and the salt shaker, he always uses a lot of salt." She sighed and sank into a kitchen chair. "Just take it out there for me, please?"
"Okay." Gaele picked up the tray with the plate and things and took it out to Raphael.
He gave her a slow grin when she set the plate in front of him. "My my my... looks pretty delectable."
"I'm sorry, did you want your steak rare or just plain raw?" Gaele pointed at the plate. "I didn't think to ask..."
Mike gave her a sharp look, but Raphael laughed heartily. "She's sure got your sense of wit, Mikey."
"Yeah, she's got a hold of it, all right..."
"Hey, lighten up. I'll be outa here by nightfall." Raphael wolfed the food, but handled his utensils with great dexterity.
Mike gestured for Gaele to stay put, until Raph's plate was empty. "Fill it up again," he said, handing her the plate.
Wordlessly she went back in, and Rahab laid another bleeding, lightly broiled steak on it, and Gaele took it back out to Raphael. She set it down in front of him, and again Raphael's disturbingly pale eyes wound their way up to hers. "Thank you, sweetheart," he said, his voice barely audible.
As their eyes locked, Gaele felt neither attraction nor repulsion, more like curiosity, as though he were some new zoological specimen. She gave him a little half shrug, turned on the ball of her foot and walked back toward the kitchen.
"Hey, maybe she'd like a nice tip, uh?"
"Shut up and eat, Raph." She heard Mike respond in amusement.

The next morning, Gaele was up early, getting ready for her usual swim. In the kitchen, Rahab and Mike were having a quiet, but heated discussion.
"I THOUGHT he was only staying until nightfall," Rahab said thinly.
"Yeah, I know, but he was really beat, did you know he walked all the way from Salinas, yesterday? His feet look like hell-"
"So does the rest of him," Rahab muttered. "And I didn't know he was walking. What did he do, lose his driver's license?"
"I dunno, babe, maybe he just let it expire."
"What, is he broke, too? He couldn't take a cab, even rent a bicycle?"
"I dunno, Rahab."
She sighed, and shook her head. "I can see through all that macho bravado, you know. He's probably lonely, restless... Probably hurting..."
"Yeah, I think so, too."
"So, you are dropping the hard line ultimatum with him, are you?"
"Hard line? Uh... hey, he IS my brother, in a sense. We're supposed to look out for each other, Rahab. Splinter said we were better off sticking together, even if we do occasionally drive each other nuts."
"Splinter was right," Rahab sighed. "But Raphael had BETTER watch his step this time..."
"Yeah," Mike said, softly. "And I believe he's perfectly capable of that."

Gaele approached the pool level, and saw Riahna, who had just finished swimming, and was sitting on a deck lounge. Raphael was straddling a chaise next to her, and she was... talking to him? As she got closer, she could see the Raphael's rapt expression as he listened.
Riahna suddenly got up and leaned over Raphael, and touched the side of his face. She seemed to be studying a scar on his mouth. "What happened, there?" she said.
"What, this?" Raphael sounded as surprised as Gaele felt. "Uh, well, that happened a long time ago."
Riahna traced the side of his upper lip with a forefinger, and then touched hers, to compare. Then she tilted her head at him, and gave him a wan smile. "You are so beautiful."
Raphael then noticed Gaele standing nearby. He looked a little disconcerted at Riahna's unexpectedly intense interest in him. "She was- uh- we were just talking."
"Talking..." Riahna said, gazing blissfully at Raphael's mouth.
He gave Gaele a questioning look.
"This is my younger sister, Riahna," Gaele said, trying to hide a smile.
"I... see." Raphael watched, wide-eyed, as Riahna happily climbed into his lap. "Geez... Riahna, you're  a friendly sort, huh?"
"Not really, but she seems kind of fixated on you." Gaele replied, suppressing the urge to smirk.
"Frankly, I'm flattered." Raphael let her settle against him, not seeming to be sure what to do next.
"Yeah. And you'll find she's a bit, ah, different."
"You are SO warm," Riahna murmured, snuggling her head against his neck.
"Thanks, I think," Raphael said, and gingerly laid a hand on Riahna's back. She jumped a little and then giggled at him, as though he'd given her a shock. He grinned at her in return, then looked again at Gaele as though asking for a clue.
"Hmm, I just remembered I have to make some phone calls... see you around," Gaele said, feeling incredibly smug. She turned and went back up the stairs, amused at Riahna's fascination for someone Gaele didn't find all that endearing.

"WHO'S here?" Devon peeked out from under his pillow to squint at Gaele.
"Raphael. Just thought I'd let you know, that's all."
He responded with a groan, and turned over onto his stomach to bury his face under the covers.
"So where have YOU been all week?"
"Whattaya want, Gaele?"
"You really should get up, it's past eleven."
"Don't lecture ME, little Miss Prissypants."
"Sorry I bothered you, Devon, Daddy just sent me up here to wake you up, and to let you know that Raphael wants to see-"
"Yeah? Well, you tell dear old Raphael to go crawl back to whatever putrid, stinking swamp he's been soaking his sorry butt in."
Gaele stared down at him. Devon was usually crabby in a jesting sort of way, but this morning, he was in a real cutthroat mood. "I'm not telling him that!" Gaele turned to leave. "Geez, it's always the messenger that gets dissed, isn't it?"
Devon lay still a moment, and sighed. He slowly sat up and blinked at the light, squinting at Gaele again. "Sorry. Haven't slept in 2 days. I guess if ol' man Mike wants me to do something, I gotta do it, right?"
Gaele then saw the swollen blue streaks and blotches on Devon's taut shoulders. "Ooh, are those bruises? What are those?" Gaele leaned forward to look.
Devon gazed down one of his arms, looked confused a moment, then broke out in a lopsided grin. "Heh. Got these the other night. They're Haida ravens. A matching pair, one for each side. Cool, huh? The wings go down along my pecs, and were supposed to go down my back, but the skin's too thick back there, so they couldn't do it right. So, I told them not to bother."
"Tattoos?" Gaele sat on the edge of his bed to stare. "Oh, WOW, Devon. Mom is gonna FLAY you when she sees those."
Devon sniggered. "No she won't! Besides, it's too late now. They don't come off."
"Gotta admit, Dev, they do look pretty wild... and the swelling's not so bad."
"Yeah, the tattoo guy had new, improved equipment." Devon chewed on the side of his lower lip, with a gleam in his eye. "Looks like I had 'em done just in time, too."
"For what?"
"For the old man. So he can see what a kinda son he has, who's grown up WITHOUT his help." Devon gave her a long look, and went off toward his bathroom.
He came out, freshly showered, wearing faded camo fatigues and a black tank top, and halted when he noticed Gaele was still perched on the edge of his bed. "What?"
Gaele grinned at him. "Forgive me, brother dear, but I have just GOT to be there when the 'rents see you like that."
He smirked, and then looked a little uncertain, when he glanced at his reflection in the closet mirror. Then he yanked off the tank, and put on a long sleeved t-shirt. He tucked it in, then pulled it out, and then gave her a furtive glance. "What?"
She shook her head and shrugged in response. "Well, your hair looks good, anyway," she offered.
"Yeah, right, enough of this crap. Go on, I'll be down in a minute," he muttered, looking under the bed for his shoes.

When Devon came into the kitchen, he promptly stuck his head into the refrigerator to rummage through it a while, as though to delay any confrontations.
"Hey, Dev," Mike finally said. "How're you feeling?"
Devon grunted a monosyllabic reply.
"That good, huh?"
"Devon," Rahab spoke up. "Why did you go off without telling anyone where you were going? I was beginning to wonder if something had happened to you."
"I dunno."
"What do you mean, you don't know?"
"Got sidetracked. Can't plan on that, can I?"
"Oho, 'sidetracked', huh? What's her name?" Mike gave Devon a friendly, backhanded slap on the shoulder.
"Ow. It wasn't exactly like that, okay?" Devon said, wincing.
Mike noticed. "What's wrong with your arm?"
"Nothing."
"Why is it sore?"
"Did you get in a fight?" Rahab asked.
"No, MA, I didn't get in a fight."
"Then what's wrong with your arm?"
"Nothing's WRONG with my arm, okay? I got a tattoo."
Rahab opened her mouth, and then shut it again. "Oh, Devon," she said, sighing.
"Let's see it," Mike said, grinning broadly at Devon.
Devon blankly returned his gaze. "Can I EAT first?"
"Yeah, sure, go ahead."
Mike paced aimlessly around, grinning at Rahab, and Gaele watched as Devon wolfed down a huge bowl of cereal. He stopped in mid-chew to glare at everyone, and then continued his eating. When he dropped his bowl and spoon into the dishwasher, he turned around to face them, and suddenly gave out a huge belch. He rubbed his stomach as he grinned apologetically at his mother. "So, where's the old man?"
"What old man?" Rahab asked absently.
"You mean Raph," Mike said. "He was here a little while ago, but he tends to wander around a lot-"
"What, I get pried outa bed, and now I'M the one who's gotta go looking for him? What kinda bullshit is this?"
"Devon," Rahab said warningly.
"This is totally unfair," Devon retorted.
"Kaa-mon, Dev, ease up, uh? Let's see your new tat," Mike said.
"FORGET it," Devon snarled as he stormed out.
Mike frowned after him, and then turned to gaze sadly at Rahab. "Maybe its hormones, huh?"
"I don't know," Rahab said, toying with a spoon on the table. "Darn kids."
Mike guffawed suddenly, making Rahab and Gaele jump. "Now I truly understand how Splinter musta felt at times, dealing with US."

Later, Mike was out on the rear patio, happily laying entire slabs of parboiled pork ribs on the hot grill, and slathering sauce over them with something resembling a small mop.
Gaele inhaled the aroma with great relish. "Smells like a regular luau! What's the occasion?"
"Mmmm," Mike said half to himself, a faraway look in his eyes. "Just my secret pineapple-mandarin-mango marinade."
Gaele giggled appreciatively. "I think you just gave away the secret! No, I mean, what prompted you to go, pardon the expression, whole hog on this dinner?"
"Har, har. My girl, the comedienne," Mike said, nudging her in the side. "Hmm. You've got some nice spareribs, y'self."
"Oh? What are you saying, that I'm putting on weight?" Gaele pretended to be indignant.
"Nahh, You look perfect, just the way you are." Mike heaved a sigh as he turned the pork ribs. "And now all we need is Leo and Seth, and we'd have us a real nice family reunion."
"Yeah, that would be real nice," Gaele said in mild sarcasm. "Having Raph and Leo in the same house? Mom would be simply ecstatic."
Mike hissed in cheerful derision. "That's ancient history, Gaele. Don't worry about it."
"Doesn't it bother you to have Raph around Mom?"
Mike paused, and then turned to face her, the basting brush idly dripping sauce onto his foot. "Not at all," he said gently.
They gazed at each other a moment, and then Mike shrugged and cheerfully went back to his barbecuing.

"Gaele, did you call Devon?" Rahab asked, as everyone sat down to eat.
"Yes, I did." Gaele caught Raphael's eye, as he pulled out a chair for Riahna to sit. "You know, " she went on. "I can't keep being the go-between, here. I've already had my head bitten off once today."
"Tell you what," Raphael said to Mike. "I'll go look for him, uh?"
"Sounds like a plan," Mike said, shrugging. "He might be up in his room or in the game room... Gaele, why don't you go with Raph, and show him where he-"
"Oh, all right," she said, sighing.
Raphael followed her upstairs.
"It's the last room on the right," Gaele said, vaguely gesturing down the hall.
At that moment, Devon came out of his room, dressed to go somewhere. He halted when he saw Raphael, and stared malevolently at him in silence.
"What's doing, Dev," Raphael said quietly.
Devon answered with a noncommittal grunt, and tried to slip past Raphael, but found there wasn't room, so they stood, nearly nose to nose, eyeing each other, for an uncomfortably long time.
"Ahm, if nobody minds, I'm going back down," Gaele said, hoping to break the tension. Nobody moved, so she shrugged and headed toward the main staircase.
A commotion caused her to turn, and she saw Raphael fall back against the wall, his carapace knocking down a painting, and then he and Devon rolled, locked in a struggle, onto the floor.
"Hey, guys, c'mon-" As she watched, she realized it wasn't a fight after all, Devon was throwing all the punches, and Raphael was ducking and blocking them. Then he grabbed Devon, and rolling him on his side, pinned him easily.
Devon cursed and snarled in helpless rage, but Raphael held him firmly down, until Devon stopped struggling.
"Heh, I always predicted you'd someday kick my butt, but I guess the time ain't right," Raphael said.
"GET OFFA me," Devon snarled between pants.
"Not till you stop trying to poke me one," Raphael said, and laughed a little. "Where'd you learn all those dinky little granny punches?"
Devon growled and lashed his tail like an infuriated iguana. "Those weren't no dinky granny punches and you KNOW it..."
"You're right, big guy. They did hurt. Maybe more than you'll ever know."
Devon grunted in reply.
"I've always thought about you, Devon," Raphael said. "Always cared, but there was too much in the way."
Devon didn't respond.
"I don't feel like getting dissed by angry people any more, I've had enough," Raphael said sadly. "Sorry to bother you." He gradually released Devon, and then stepped over him to head toward the stairs.
Devon got up slowly, rubbing his arms, and gave Gaele a searing look.
"What?" Gaele held her hands out in a puzzled gesture.
"You KNOW what, you little instigator! YOU brought him up here!"
"Dad told me to, Devon! Don't go taking your crap out on ME. If you have a problem, go down and talk to Dad about it."
"Maybe I will, maybe-"
"Hey, Devon?" Mike was calling from downstairs. "What's going on up there?"
"Geezum, why's everybody riding my BACK all of a sudden?" Devon roughly shouldered Gaele aside, and leaped down the stairs.
Apparently Devon tried to do the same to Mike, from the second wave of commotion at the bottom of the staircase.
"HEY! C'mon, Devon, just chill out, will ya?"
"Don't tell me what to DO, MIKE!"
"I am not trying to-"
"And YOU ain't my father, either! Far as I'm concerned, my father's DEAD!" Devon's voice moved toward the back patio where everyone was gathered. "Didja hear that? DEAD! He ain't NOBODY!!"
Raphael's voice calmly said something.
"Yeah? Well I don't want you around. I want NOTHING to do with you! Never did, and never WILL!"
Someone said something else.
"NO, I WON'T!"
By now, Gaele had reached the threshold of the patio, and stood behind Mike, who was standing off to the side, watching Devon.
"Screw the clan, man, I'll get my OWN thing going now." Devon  paused to look around, and snorted in derision. "Well, WELL. Since I've got everybody's attention, might as well get THIS over with." He then slung off his jacket, grabbed the back of his tee-shirt and yanked it over his head.
Gaele saw Raphael's eyes grow round, and Rahab's jaw drop.
"Whoa," Mike said, nearly tipping the laden tray of spareribs he was bringing from the grill.
Devon glared at everyone, chin lifting. "You all don't like 'em, TOO bad."
"I TOLD you I liked them," Gaele said, protesting.
"Who DID those? That's a primo job," Mike said. "Better than my snakes."
"Uh? They... are?" Devon's face softened with surprise.
Raphael recovered quickly. "What are those, pigeons or something?"
"They're RAVENS," Devon shot back, folding his arms.
"Oh," Raphael said, and glanced sidelong at Rahab. "What do you think of them?"
"Ah..." Rahab blinked. "They're... interesting."
Don looked thoughtful. "Is that Tlingit?"
"They're HAIDA," Devon said defensively, as he folded his arms. "What is WITH you guys?"
"Nothing," Don returned mildly. "Any idea who did those?"
"Nope," Devon muttered, looking confused for a moment.
"My compliments to the artíste," Raphael said lightly.
Devon gave Raphael a murderous look, and then picked up his shirt and jacket, feeling his jacket pocket for his car keys.
"DON'T wait up for me," he muttered as he left.
In the awkward silence that followed, Raphael picked up a huge rib and took a hearty bite out of it. "Good stuff, Mikey," he said with his mouth full. He then caught Rahab's look and paused in mid-chew. "What?"
"You aren't even concerned about his dreadful attitude? Him going off like that?"
"Mm... no," he said as he resumed his eating. He shrugged as he studied the rib between his hands. "I'm not worried about him, he'll turn out all right."
Rahab frowned. "How do you know?"
"Cause. I just know. That boy is completely predictable in what looks like complete chaos."
Mike snorted. "Oh, ree-eally, Raph? Gee, I wonder how you came to THAT conclusion?"
That brought laughter from the group, and they went back to their feasting.

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