Idioms...sayings understood by native speakers part thirty one

The car ride back was very quiet, save for Charlie who sat beside his Aunt Jenny. He took his Teddy Bear and regarded it for a very long time, Carl watched out of his periphery as the man placed his bear onto Jenny's lap and whispered. "Aunt Jenny, my bear will help you feel better." He took her hand and placed it on the bear's head. "See, it is soft."

As they pulled up in front of Lynn's house, Mrs. Allen greeted them, with a packed bag. Charlie got out and then stared at his Teddy Bear.

"Aunt Jenny, can you keep my bear until you get to feeling better?"

Jenny turned her head and nodded. Carl took the bag and the two waved goodbye as Rick drove away. He stopped by a KFC and got food, then headed on towards home.

Lynn whispered, "Ice cream, and lots of it. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, if possible."

Rick nodded. He stopped again and got the item. The trek in the car seemed like a very long journey and Rick was grateful to get home.

He turned to Carl, "Take Jenny and go sit out back on the deck. We will eat out there."

Carl helped Jenny out of the car as she turned towards the lake,  staring.

Grabbing her elbow gently, he steered her to the house and headed out towards the backyard deck.

"Come on, Lynn. We have some things to do."

Rick brought in the food. "Go ahead and set up lunch." As he went to a storage bin and pulled out a big tote.

"What are you doing?"

"I am just removing temptation." As he traveled to the drawers in the kitchen and removed all sharp knives and forks. He went to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and removed all the medicines. He found his old straight razors and removed his electric razor. He thought and thought and then grabbed his mom's old hairdryer.... anything that could cause a problem. He traveled to the utility room and looked around. He removed all the cleaners, the bleach, and the laundry soap. Then Rick traveled back to the kitchen, he leaned on the counter in deep thought.

"Rick, you don't think that she would..." Lynn could not even speak the word.

"Suicide?" Rick sighed. "I would hope not, but when one is in great pain, either physically or mentally, any relief will be sought after."

---

Carl walked in quietly and grabbed the old coffee still in the pot, he put a large amount of cream and sugar in it and started to head back towards Jenny.

"Carl, she drinks it black."

"Not today."

Carl placed the cup in front of Jenny and looked around enjoying the scenery.

"Drink." He ordered.

Jenny took the cup without thinking and took a drink of cold, creamed and heavily sugared coffee. She spit it out.

"What the hell is this?"

"Oh, just something old that should have been thrown out, but I figured it should not go to waste."

"What?"

"Do you think I should throw it away?"

"Carl, I am not in the mood for puzzles."

"Ha, no puzzle. This coffee is what only about five hours old." He paused. "I wonder how old your pain is."

"Shut up."

"In for a penny, in for a pound. No can do."

"What?"

"You never answered me."

"You know good and well."

"Yes. I do. But you act like it just happened."

"Perhaps it is because I keep reliving it, over and over."

"Sounds like a rerun to me." He paused, knowing he was walking on dangerous ground. "I think you have other things to think about... don't you?" Taking the cup, he poured it over the deck railing.

"Maybe I just never really faced it."

"Well, then, I have a friend that could help you." As he turned to face her leaning on the deck.

"I don't need help from a Matthews." She hissed.

"Ah, now who is throwing their angry arrows around."

Jenny stood up and the table flew. She was breathing hard and shaking in her anger.

That's it, Jenny. Depression can be nothing more than repressed anger, thought Carl and then he jumped back as her straight kick just missed him. She moved towards him with a straight punch, missing him but taking out the railing on the deck. Rick and Lynn, carrying the food, stopped dead in their tracks.

"Seems like she has some energy back." Rick spoke thoughtfully.

Lynn gasped. "Rick, Jenny has a black belt in karate. If she hits him, it will be all over."

Rick put the food down as he noted his railing. He looked over at the one insanely angry blond going after his cousin who kept dodging, blocking and running away. Arching an eyebrow, he murmurred, "I never knew he could move like that."

"Rick!!!! Stop them!" Lynn cried in horror.

Jenny narrowed her eyes and judged her distance she sprung on the injured foot and did a round house kick with forward momentum to make up the distance the evil in front of her could dodge. Contact.

Carl fell down, but as she landed, her injured foot gave way. The two on the deck ran down the stairs towards the two who were flat out on the lawn.

Carl reached up and gingerly felt his jaw.

"Feel better?" He managed to get out.

"A little."

He smiled then grimaced. "You know, I am going to have to make you pay for this."

Jenny, breathing heavily, stated, "I may be injured but I am not out. Don't come near me."

He managed to get up on his knees and crawled towards her, then fell beside Jenny. Laughing, and holding his bruised jaw at the same time. "I think I will have to take a rain check."

Both Rick and Lynn now approached the strangest scene as Jenny and Carl lay laughing hysterically flat on the grass.

Rick arched his eyebrow. "Well, at least they seem okay."

Lynn just glared at him as she rushed to Jenny's side.

Rick offered his cousin a hand up, pulling him close, he whispered. "Man, you sure don't know when to quit."

He whispered, "I know. It is part of my charm."

Rick laughed out loud. "Come on, hero. Let's get you some ice."

"And some Tylenol?"

"Ah, now let me think, where did I put that?" as he draped Carl's arm over his shoulder and headed back towards the house.

---

Jenny got up with Lynn's assistance.

"Feel better?"

"Maybe, but why is he still around?" she asked, confused.

Probably because you knocked him silly, but Lynn kept that to herself.

"Come on. Supper is on."

---

The chairman got on the phone, humming to himself.

"AJ?"

"Yeah, we got her. You know that habits are always the thing that gets them in the end."

"Church... and we hacked into the print shop's computer to send the message."

Laughing, "Yeah, by now the whole church knows someone who is tainted is a member there."

"Yeah. But my resources told me that Carl and Rick were there. They seemed pretty chummy."

"I know. Only what, twenty three days left?"

"Fine. Glad to be of service. Oh by the way, my wife says that your wife fell down again."

"Ha, leave it to you to marry such a clutz."

"Bye."

to be continued.