Down Time

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Rating: T

Summary: When the boys end up facing lulls in battle tempers get short and their wives' patience gets even shorter. As the women get together for some girl talk to keep from blowing up at their mates.

Sara rested her hands on her hips, a small woman, she had to look up at her husband who, wasn't exactly a tall man, but she was not about to back down to him either. "Raphael" she hissed her eyes blazing sharply. " Don isn't going be amused at you wrecking the TV and the DVD all at once." She fumed, "If you were angry at Leo..."

"I'm ready to kill Leo his shell is on to tight and don't you start woman" Raph growled in return.

"Oh I will start and I'll finish it too boy you can count on it" She shot back."You can't keep acting like a little kid, you have two daughters of your own, don't you think it is time you grew up?"

"Hey I was fighting in wars and cleaning up trouble on the street before I was even in my teens. I didn't have a chance to be a kid, because I have always been grown up" Raph declared.

"Well you sure don't act it Raph." Sara pointed out " You need to start acting your age."

"What I need is a wife who doesn't end up taking the side of Mr. Perfect and start giving me lectures I'm bored of listenin' ta" Raph snorted in contempt. "And if that all your going do then I'm not about to stick around here."

"Great go, just leave and while you are at it don't bother coming back Raph!" Sara snapped as she watched Raph leave the lair slamming the doors behind him. Her hands clenched into tight fists at her side as she heard her youngest daughter Mineko start to cry, she rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth in frustration. "I'm going to kill him if it stays like this too much longer. Better yet, I'll divorce him. Then kill him. I want him to suffer."

XXXX

Don glowered at the broken machines before him "Why? Why!" he demanded of whatever Gods or beings might be listening to his pleas, "Why is it that when Raph breaks things it is up to me to repair them. I have half a mind to just forget repairing it, let him suffer for awhile." Don grumbled irritably.

"Yes, you could do that" Jen agreed, "But you will be the one who suffers because no one will leave you alone until you do fix it. Especially right now when it is such a source of entertainment for the family." Jennifer's African-American roots were clear in her dark brown skin, her deep brown eyes and dark hair. She knew Don preferred spending his time working on new computer programs with her, or fine tuning an invention over repairing the many things his family broke and relied on him to repair. The fact that during lulls in battle more stuff seemed to get 'mysteriously' broken was not lost on her. Don enjoyed down time, however he grew increasingly frustrated with how much repairs he had to do when during them. He found he could get more accomplished during the times when fighting was at it's peak. When in reality production of original items ought to be up during the lulls.

Don scowled menacingly as he huffed in exasperation. Jen walked up behind him, rubbing his shoulders, she sympathized with her mate and wished that the rest of the family, would appreciate him enough to let him enjoy the time he had.

XXXX

"Rama how about cleaning up your room today" Mike asked.

Rama, Mike's fourteen and a half year old daughter, gave him a blank look as if her dad had suddenly started speaking a foreign language "Why?" She finally asked shrugging slightly, "It's fine."

"Because this room looks worse then the sewers outside the lair" Mike pointed out, " Then you can maybe help out with some chores around the lair." Mike hinted.

"I all ready spend hours in school and lessons in the dojo. Can't I have any time to myself?" Rama snapped, "Besides this is my room dad and I like it this way. So just leave it alone. Nothing I do is good enough for you is it?" Rama sneered.

Mike clenched his teeth, "Maybe if you got off your lazy shell and actually did something it would be good enough Ramiela. Now another thing about that joke you pulled on Cathy earlier..."

Rama smirked and giggled "I got her good." the girl chortled mischievously.

"Yeah, and now you can apologize to her and do what she asked you to do in the first place. She is your mom..."

"She is not" Rama cut in quickly, "She isn't my mother. I get so sick and tired of you taking her part in everything" She rolled her eyes, "It was just a harmless prank. Cathy needs to lighten up" Rama declared as she crossed her arms over her plastron.

Mike glared at her, Rama had approved of the marriage, she had even known ahead of time that Cathy would have to be respected and listened to, but she seemed to have problem adhering to it. Part of it might be that Rama was entering her teen years when she wasn't so willing to comply with authority figures. Be that as it may, Mike still had visions of throttling his daughter or literally chucking her out of her shell, for her recent attitude and behaviour where the girl's one intention seemed to be to cause as much trouble as possible. ' I will be patient, I will not blow up." Mike reminded himself, but Rama who was testing him in just about everything was truly pushing her limits.

"Cathy is your step mother and you agreed to the rules before we got married. Now I expect you to obey me in this matter Ramiela" Mike informed her tightly.

He saw the obstinate look cross his daughter's face, and he held up one finger warningly "Careful girl because you say one wrong word and you are going to regret it I promise you." Mike cautioned.

Rama sat back on her bed "Why don't the two of you just go to hell and leave me outta this". She grumped as she glared daggers at her father.

Mike stalked towards her, intent on disciplining his daughter for her brashness in pushing things to the limit.

XXXXX

Karena rolled over in bed reaching out for her mate, she woke and saw that his half of the bed hadn't been slept in. She sighed, knowing that he would be wondering what the Foot were up to, trying to find some clue as to what the Foot would do next. He would scour the city and meditate and fret, knowing that down time was natural and yet chaffing to find out if there was something deeper then just regular down time. Karena was used to it after all this time, and yet she found she hated the lulls in battle.

The lair was never at peace during these times, it was different when the turtle clan created the down time by going for some R and R out to the farm, but when the Foot created it Leo became suspicious fearing a strike or plot that would essentially devastate them, and so he insisted everyone stay alert and ready. The warrior turtles poised forever ready for battle and yet not having that release, found energy that had to be diverted elsewhere. Tempers flared, things that normally wouldn't irritate or bother were suddenly grounds for attack , tension was thick and heavy, almost suffocating, and everyone was kept on edge just waiting, waiting for anything. Waiting for everything, waiting for...whatever, just waiting. The waiting was difficult for all involved, and the fact the turtles did have to stay ready never knowing when or where the next attack would come only made it harder to deal with.

Karena shivered as she sat up pushing the blankets back, as she picked up the robe that lay across the foot of the bed, she got up, pulling it on,and headed out toward the kitchen to make some tea.

She wasn't too surprised to see Sara already sitting at the kitchen drinking a rum and coke, Sara wasn't much of a drinker but there were times, and this was obviously one of them.

"Another fight with Raph, or still ticked from your last one?" Karena asked as she went to put water in the kettle.

"A bit of both. I think I could take his sai and do some wonderful damage to him at this moment" she replied sweetly. " Hopefully before he could stop me."

Karena laughed, "You do know being ninja he could stop you before you even touched metal to skin."

"I know but the vision, is so lovely, don't take that from me Karena" Sara begged, as she turned the glass in her hand.

Karena turned as she heard a slight noise and saw Jennifer enter the kitchen, Jennifer nodded as she went to the cupboard to get out tea cups "Ah Karena I was wanting one of those. I finally convinced Don to get to bed, and rest for a bit now if Raph doesn't break anything for twenty four hours it might help Don feel a little more charitable towards him."

Sara shook her head "I try. But Raph tries harder. Too hard." she grumbled.

Jen smiled "I know Raph isn't one that is easy to control, but Don insisted he was going fix everything that needed doing today so he could concentrate on his stuff tomorrow. If Raph does damage tomorrow I think Don will lose it."

Sara nodded "Scary thought. I don't know if I'd want to see that." she murmured.

"Yeah, I don't know if I want to see it either"Jennifer agreed, "Anyways I just figured I'd warn you."

"Thanks" Sara muttered wondering what to do to insure peace in the family.

Karena poured the boiling water into the tea pot to allow the packets to steep, before carrying the tea pot over to the table, she slipped into a chair wearily " I hate all the fighting. I worry about all of them when they are off in battle, but I think I hate all of this more."

Cathy soon came into the kitchen seeing the others at the table, Karena was just pouring the tea, she went over to get a tea cup for herself " I hope there is some for me."

"I made extra." Karena assured her as she poured the liquid into the cup.

" I don't know what is going on here. Mike and Rama are constantly at one another's throats, and the tension around here is so thick I have the feeling something will explode at any moment. Considering the view of most of the boys, and Rama they are the ones that could explode, and are, over the least little thing. I feel like I have walked into a nut house." She complained wearily, "At the moment Mike after griping and complaining for, I don't know how many hours now, finally went off with Leo on an exercise run."

"Oh so that's where Leo went" Karena sighed, glad to know this. " I was wondering about that."

Sara arched an eyebrow at Cathy, "That's right you aren't used to down time are you? It is your first experience with it."

Karena's bottom jaw dropped a bit and her eyes grew large "Oh my your right Sara, and poor Cathy has two warriors to deal with not just one, and one of those is a teenager." Karena gasped, " I'm really worried about when that time comes for Kali and Aiden."

Jennifer smiled as she sipped her tea "Especially Aiden."

"It was very difficult for me the first time I went through the lull, I thought my family had suddenly turned to complete strangers," Karena confessed, "It was Splinter who finally explained things to me and told me that it wouldn't last, though they might grow difficult to deal with between times."

Cathy looked at the others "I...uh, don't quite follow you?" she confessed hesitantly.

" Down time, lulls in battle. It tends to be a very disruptive time for those we care about, though Don and Leo aren't too bad" Jennifer explained quickly.

"Goes to show what you know Leo I think starts half the battles between him and Raph during these periods." Sara snorted.

"Well I wouldn't say half but probably close to it" Karena corrected, "Though usually Leo just gets anxious and concerned around now."

Sara laughed snorting a bit, all of a sudden and the other three looked at her with questioning gazes. Sara noted their looks and while trying to control her laughter she finally managed to explain the joke " I thought men figured woman were bad around that time of the..."

The others caught on and began to laugh at Sara's insinuation "Great so what do we call this?" Cathy asked.

"MBS" Jennifer suggested, "Mental battle syndrome"

"That time of the month girls!" Sara hooted causing all of them to break out into laughter.

Finally they all calmed down breathing sighs of relief and having a few stray giggles and giving one another the knowing looks.

"Still Cathy who has never dealt with it, and having two uh maybe we can suggest a few tips." Karena advised, "Such as be patient things will return to normal soon."

"Don't take what they say or do to heart, most of it isn't really meant they just have to let off steam, vent and release some of that build up. So be ready to grit your teeth and forgive" Jennifer stated.

"No bearing grudges, once the Foot start showing up again and stirring things up the boys will be back to normal and they don't seem too aware of their actions, or how disturbing to us it is" Sara warned. " They are warriors as such they have to be ready for battle, they know it only they don't realize how difficult they are right now."

Cathy nodded, " I think if the war ever ended it would take them time to adjust to peace, but they know these quiet times are often just the calm before the storm."

"Exactly" Karena admitted, she sighed wearily "Girls a toast, may the Foot get active and soon so life can go back to normal" she offered her tea cup.

"Here, Here" the others called as they raised their glasses and clinked them together.

"You will learn Cathy that what may pass as normal elsewhere just doesn't go here." Karena stated casually as she finished her tea.

XXXX

For the next few days, that turned to weeks Cathy learned more what down time really was, every once in a while one of the other woman in the lairwould comment in passing about ' Wanting MBS, or that, time of the month to pass.' Bringing smiles to the other's faces. Yet all they could do was grit their teeth and wait like everyone else.

Then one night after a large row, Splinter ordered all of them out of the lair to go on a long run. It was during the run the Foot attacked and a large battle broke between the two clans, when the boys and Rama returned home they were all bearing fresh injuries, but there was also a sense of release and freedom, as if the dark clouds that had loomed for so long had finally blown away. They were laughing and joking and seemed more relax and at ease then they had been for some time.

Karena winked at Cathy "Now things can get back to normal, or as normal as things get around here."

"Until next time huh?" Cathy asked relieved she could feel the present cheerful mood and wanted to wallow in it.

"Hopefully it will be a long time coming" Karena said as she placed an arm around her sister in law shoulders.

The End