Don Lino paused for a moments breath or so where he floated outside the door that lead to the roof of the hospital. It was most likely the only place secure and out of the way enough to be where Tino would have rushed off to in his angry and all around emotionally troubled state. Taking another breath, Don Lino gripped the handle of the door and pushed it open just a bit, glancing through the doorway yet still somewhat hidden by the door.
Yep, Tino was up here alright. The shark was currently sitting slumped against one of the concrete walls of what was probably a bubble vent or something on the roof. Tino wasn't the only one up here though, Lino noticed. The don gave a slight flinch as he noticed his wife crouched before Tino with a fin on her younger brother's shoulder.
Lino let out a heavy sigh, "This won't be pleasant" he muttered, knowing already what would ensue as soon as he stepped out; yet he knew he couldn't stay hidden forever. Gathering all of his mob boss courage, Don Lino opened the door fully and began to swim over to the group. As he approached both Tino and his sister, Rosalie, turned to looked at him.
Rosalie's face immediately fell into a stern expression as she noticed Lino. She stood up fully and placed her hands on her hips as she glared at her husband, "Well, we certainly fixed things didn't we!" she said.
Lino sighed, "Rose, please..." he began, almost sounding exasperated before the defense of his actions had begun. "No" Rosalie began, crossing her fins, "I don't want any of your excuses...no, scratch that, I do! I do want an explanation" she said, suddenly swimming up to Lino and pointing a fin at him, "I want you to explain to me why in the midst of a "business negotiation" you threw not only concern for every pup within our group to the currents, but also had the gang defending your position while my brother's sweet little girl was still in very convenient snapping distance of the Rogues! She's a pup Lino! She's not suppose to be having to fight for her life this young!"
All Don Lino could do was sigh yet again, "The boys were moving in to defend the pups, Rosalie" he said, bringing a fin to his forehead. His wife only huffed, "We all know what your really motives were, Lino" she said, "Why you couldn't just appease the Rogues for that one moment in the interest of getting the pups back home before you confronted them. But no, you couldn't do even that, could you! No, your position in control of this Reef must stay firm for every second, no matter what".
"Do you really think a group of rival sharks roaming free about the Reef is all that more safe for the pups!" Lino shot back. Rosalie shook her head, "You just don't get it, do you" she sighed.
"Alright, alright" Tino interrupted, although his voice sounded flat and there wasn't much inflection in it, "I don't want to start a fight between you two". Rosalie let out a sigh as she turned to face her brother, "Don't worry Tino, we're not fighting, it's merely a lecture to possibly show him the error of his ways...if he'll listen at all" she muttered.
Don Lino grinned, "Besides, it takes two people yelling to make a fight and so far all I'm doing is mostly listening" he said. Rosalie shot him a look, "You're on thin ice, don't push it" she said crossing her fins. Don Lino gave her one of his charming smiles he always had on hand when trying to appease his wife and curb the current of her wrath. Rosalie pretended not to notice.
Tino hadn't given much of a response to this conversation and merely nodded as he turned to slump back down against the bubble vent again. Don Lino turned his gaze from watching Tino back to his wife. "Rosalie, please" he whispered, motioning over to where Tino was yet keeping his voice down so that Tino couldn't hear. "Ya can lay into me about this all ya want later, but for now...please, let me just talk to him, alone. You have to at least agree that I gots a few things ta give him an apology of sorts on".
Rosalie sighed, "but you won't be apologizing, not for more than two seconds, Lino we all know this, it's how you do your "talks" and...".
"Please" Don Lino interrupted simply, "Ya can comfort him all ya want later, but for now...we need a guy talk". With another sigh, Rosalie reluctantly nodded and swam off towards the door, "I should probably check and see how Michela's doing anyway" she said as she left.
Once she had closed the door, Don Lino turned his attention back over to where Tino sat. Taking a deep breath, the don swam over to float next to him. "Tino, I..." he began, but the younger shark held up a fin to stop him, "You already stated your case, I heard it all when you were talkin' ta Rosalie" he said simply. Lino let out a sigh of his own and knelt to where he was eye level with Tino.
"You fell for it to didn't you?" he said. This did cause Tino to turn to regard him slightly, "Fell for what?" he asked. "The lie that has spread through this mob like a bad fungus called "Because Don Lino's the God Father he knows what to do in every single situation and never messes up" ".
Tino turned to look at Don Lino again, "You created that lie, you know" he said. "Yeah I know" Lino said; He then raised his gaze to meet Tino's dead on, "Well fine, ya want me to admit it now, I'll say it... I was thrown for a loop today. Caught. Unsure what to do".
"Ya could have just pretended to give them what they wanted, said yes to appease them and get the pups out of there", as Tino raised his gaze to meet Lino's after saying this he saw a look on Don Lino's face that was more serious than he had ever seen before. "I thought you said you listened to what I told your sister" the don said, "You don't ever play with a rival shark pack like that by telling 'em something like that. Yes means yes and No means no, there is no "oops, just kidding"! For crying out loud Tino, it's like you and Rosalie don't remember what happened back when Frankie was four! The blackjet boys, remember them!".
Tino sighed, "Yeah, I remember, we negotiated with them for two whole weeks and then they dropped a bomb by somehow managing to pupnap Frankie. If I remember correctly, you gave in and let them think they had control of the Reef so they'd let Frankie go" he pointed out.
"and if your recall we were fighting them for the next few years, even on into after Lenny was born...and then, when he turned two…". Tino sighed, "I remember what happened, ok! I remember, I'm surprised Lenny doesn't have any trauma over the incident. Great Barrier Reefs, Lino what are you trying to do, make it harder on me!".
"No" Don Lino said, "Just trying to remind you why we can't just give these guys run of the Reef, I don't want Michela and the others growing up around that!". Tino sighed, "Neither do I" he said, "It's just...Oh I don't know". With another sigh, Tino put his head in his fins, "Alright, so even I don't know what we should have done".
Don Lino placed a fin on Tino's shoulder, "We may not have pulled it off perfectly or in the right way, Tino" he said, "but they're gone, remember what Giuseppe did to 'em after we got the pups out of the liner", Lino managed a small chuckle, "They aint comin' back".
Tino nodded, "Yeah, at least there's that" he said, sounding relieved. Yet, as he got up and followed Don Lino down off the roof of the hospital and down to the room where Michela was to check up on her, Tino wondered if this really was the last threat to a family member the mob would have to deal with; or would there be more threats and adventures in the future.
Well, one thing was certain, at least they knew that any possibly future threats would come from sharks...I mean who else was going to threaten them? An insignificant fish? What was he going to do, start slaying sharks! "Yeah right" Tino chuckled, "That'll happen the day Lenny admits he's a vegetarian!".