Idioms...sayings understood by native speakers part fifty

a writer's warning: The following story deals with rape. Rape is an act of control. Of taking something that is not given. It is not to be presented as a desirable act. It is truly a violent and unforgiving crime.

Lynn followed Rick as they went as quickly as they could. She managed to get beside him and yelled, "If you are in this big of a hurry, we should have taken the car."

Rick slowed down and stopped.

"Sorry. I just needed to get some energy out."

"Okay."

They traveled at a slower pace and wound their way around the lake. Lynn saw the little gray siding house come into view.

As they stopped in front of the house, she grabbed Rick's arm.

"I am with you, right?"

Rick turned to look at this tiny girl with beautiful brown eyes.

"Rick. I want to know what is going on. I can help."

"Lynn, when we go in, I want you to stay in the kitchen and make coffee."

"No. I want to know what the heck is going on, Rick. I am not a child."

"Then stop acting like one." he muttered as he got off the bike and placed the kick stand down.

"Hey." She turned him around to face her. "I will not be shut out."

"It is not a matter of shutting you out." He looked at the ground. "I don't want you hurt. If what they think is happening, really is. Then, " he voice trailed off.

"No. Rick, no secrets. I won't have it."

She came up to him. "Don't you get it? You are important to me." Placing her arms around him, she whispered. "I can't lose you. Not now."

Rick gulped. "Okay. Just listen. I need Carl's executive assistant to be in business mode, okay?"

"Okay."

He grabbed her hand as they headed towards the house.

---

"Sara." The man walked towards his wife like a hunter with his prey in site. "I always liked that name."

"A.J. What is this all about?" She kept her eyes on his feet. As long as she knew where those were, she might be able to keep her distance.

"Sara. Where have you been?"

"I did what you told me to do."

"And what is that?"

"You told me to go away. I just went out to eat. That is all."

"And?"

"And nothing. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. It was quite a heavy meal."

He looked at her. Taking another step, he watched her move one step back.

"This is going to be quite a dance, isn't it, Sara."

"I don't know what you mean, A.J."

"I mean how long has it been?"

"How long has what been?"

"Since we ... were together as husband and wife?"

"What the hell? A.J. You haven't touched me since Allan was born." She grabbed her stomach. "I really have to go, now."

AJ took another step, she stepped back. "Well this won't take long."

As he moved, she found herself against the wall.

"AJ. Don't do this."

"What? I am your husband, Sara. No court in this state would question a man demanding his rights of his wife."

AJ placed his hands on either side of Sara's head and bent down to kiss her. She turned her head.

"A.J. You don't like me. You don't want me. Find one of your play things and let me be."

"Ah, But that is the thing... you are the only one here."

He grabbed her head and attempted to force the kiss. She bit him.

He smiled. "I always knew you were a vixen." As he pulled back and slapped her face. She slid off the wall and fell down.

Sara shook her head. This was different. This was not just going to be a beating.

"A.J. Stop this." she whispered.

"Stop? Why, Sara, I am only getting started. Who were you with at your lunch date?"

"No one."

He knelt down beside her. "Sara, Sara, Sara. Don't you know it is a sin to lie?"

As he pulled her up to a sitting position, then standing lifted her up by the shoulders.

"A.J. I did not meet anyone. I didn't. You can ask Simon."

"I did."

"And... "

"He saw you with no one, but, Sara, you have never left here before without telling me. So..."

He grabbed her hand and threw her towards his desk. Sara hit the edge hard against her lower back.

"it bothers me." Was all he said, as he pushed her back and placed one hand around her throat, while the other worked at her clothes.

---

The SUV pulled up in front of the Matthews house.

"I want you to stay here." Carl stated as he got out of the car.

"No way in hell." Jenny stated as she and Charlie got out. "Carl, she is your mom. Furthermore, I think she listened to me. If she gets hurt, it is my fault."

"What?"

"Come on." Jenny was already ahead of him runnig towards the house, with Charlie following close behind.

---

John rode quietly in the limo. He was reading his messages and then pulled up the attachments to the file affectionately called Nephew's kitchen.

Nothing knew to see, except something about a neighborhood association investigation. He laughed. Ah, the humdrum existence of the middle class, as he he watched the sun slide down for the night to come. He sighed. Dinner would be waiting for him when he got to the house, tomorrow would be that board meeting and then he could relax. He had already confirmed that Mr. Phan's order for bone marrow had been delivered and two kidneys had been obtained for Mr. Oldham's twin sons. The liver would go to Mr. Abida, the pancreas to Mr. Cannon, the lung and heart to ... Ah such a good harvest, Thinking how lucky they were that that hispanic quad had come in, he pulled up his bank account and smiled. He sent an anonymous gift to the family of one Miguel Gomez in the sum of, humnnn, Five thousand dollars and then attached a note of sympathy for their loss. As for the other, he would be allowed to live a little while longer. After all, he had just been ruled out for leukemia, hence the need for a bone marrow sample. He grinned... it was all about the spin. As the limo pulled up in front of the mansion, John arched an eyebrow, noting the SUV. Is Carl here?

---

Rick sat with Lynn by his side in the little living room facing the twins and one sleepy nerdy guy by the name of Scott.

"I need to know what you guys are planning?" Rick stated.

"Ah, er, Lynn, could you go in the kitchen and.."

"No."

"No?"

"It's okay, guys. She needs to know to."

"And why is that?"

Lynn pulled up a hand that she had been holding.

"Rick is my ...family. I won't be left out of this. I won't." Lynn set her most stubborn face. The twins looked at each other.

"Rick you sure know how to pick them."

"Yep." He smiled and kissed the hand holding his. "I have great taste."

---

The trio stood in the entryway.

Carl stopped.

"Carl, this is a huge house. Do you know where your parents might be?"

"At this time of day, they could be anywhere."

"It hurts." Charlie grabbed his ears. "It hurts, Carl." He scrunched his face up in pain.

"Charlie, where? Show me where the sound is. I know that it hurts you, but I am afraid someone else is getting hurt." Jenny touched his shoulder.

Charlie nodded and started to walk towards the sound. He found a stairwell and went up. The other two followed. Carl's heart was in his throat. It was almost too quiet, yet Charlie kept going forward.

Charlie pointed at a door and fell to the ground, holding his ears and starting to rock. Jenny came up beside Carl who was holding the doorknob.

"We have to go in, Carl."

He nodded and opened the door. As they walked in they saw feet from the other side of the desk.

Carl and Jenny walked quickly to that side. "Mom." was all Carl could say as Jenny grabbed his suit coat off of him. She laid it over the woman. As she saw her tapping her ring on the floor and then trying to pull it off. Tap, tap, tap, pull, pull pull.

"Sara?" Jenny sat down beside her, noting the broken nose, the bruises around her neck, on her arms. and legs. "God, Sara?" She reached out to stroke her hair, the woman flailed. Jenny got down to her face. "Sara. It's me. It's Jenny. It's okay. I won't let anything else happen to you."

A. J. came out of the bathroom drying his hands on a towel. His lip swollen and scratches on his arms and face.

Carl stood as the man finished wiping down his arms, saying, "Sara, if I had known you had that kind of fight in you, I would have done this years ago."

"Dad?"

A.J. turned and Carl smashed him in the face.

---

A.J. sat up on the floor. He viciously wiped his mouth.

"So, you think that you can take me, son."

Carl stood his ground. "Dad, I am not ten anymore. Stand up and let's see what happens."

A.J. glared at him.

"What are you going on about? This is a matter of me and your mother. Get out."

Jenny attempted to help Sara to her feet but she could not stand.

"Dad. Get up. Or shall I help you get up."

A.J. raised a placating hand to his son. "You know she was asking for it. You are just a kid. Some women like it rough."

"Dad. Get up."

"Okay, okay." Watching Carl get closer, he smirked "You know by now, that when a woman says no, she means yes." As he got up to a crouching position. "Have you ever heard that age and treachery outweighs youth and exuberance every time?"

"What?"

"Carl, watch out!!! You are too close!!!!"

The old man launched and brought Carl down by the knees.

He pinned him and then took his fist to the man's face.

Jenny laid Sara down as gently and quickly as she could. She jumped up and aimed as A.J. sat back on his haunches. With straight kick, she hit his chest and he flew backwards, then she stood in between Carl and this bastard.

John walked up the stairs to head to his room. It had been a long and productive day when he heard someone say, "I won't let you hurt my important people."

He turned and headed toward the voice. He noticed a young man in the hallway rocking and rocking against the wall.

He entered into A.J.'s office and saw his brother flat out. Carl flat out and a beautiful blond haired woman standing between them.

"A.J. It looks like we have guests."

---

Charlie was muttering to himself. Important people... Important people. Flashes of Lynn, Rick, Carl and Jenny came into his mind. He got up. He walked into the room.

Charlie saw Carl was on the floor. Jenny was standing, and feet.  Charlie went around the desk to see who belonged to the feet.   A woman lay on the other side of the desk with nothing but a suit coat covering her.

"Jen...ny?"

"Charlie. Can you help me?"

"Uh huh."

She turned and looked at an older man who resembled the Matthews family.

"So I take it you are one of the Uncles?"

"Yes. And you are?"

"No one that you need to be concerned about. I just want to take Carl and his mother to the hospital. That's all."

"Sure, fine. Miss?"

Jenny glared at him.

She bent over Carl and slapped his face gently. "Carl?"

He opened his eyes, "Jenny?"

"It's over for now. Come on." She helped him to a sitting position.  Then she looked him in the eye and said, gently,  "Try to get your head together. I am going to help your mother."

"Sara. Can you move your feet?"

The woman nodded, but said, in a raspy voice. "It hurts." Jenny gently followed the bone structure of her legs and found a bump on the woman's right leg. "You might have something broken." She turned to Charlie. "Charlie? Can you carry this lady to the car?"

He nodded. "But, Jenny, she doesn't have...." Charlie turned a little red.

"It is okay. Close your eyes for a minute." Jenny got Sara up in a sitting position. She pulled Carl's suit coat around the woman and buttoned it. "Okay. Charlie."

He nodded. Jenny helped him position his arms and he picked up the incredibly light wieght woman. Then Jenny got Carl up and supported him with her arms.

"Come on, slugger. We have to blow this berg."

She and Charlie left.

John arched an eyebrow towards the lump that was his older brother. As he knelt down beside the man, "So, anything happen while I was gone?"

"Shut up and help me up. I think that bitch broke a couple of my ribs."

"Sure brother, and then you are going to tell me what the hell is going on. I can probably guess though."

He offered his brother a hand up. Listening to the man's boring story, he couldn't concentrate very well. "Tell me more about that blond."

to be continued.