The Tengu Legacy, Book Three – The Demon's Grasp
Don't worry if you haven't read the first parts I'm going to fill you in as we go. If you have read the first parts, you didn't think I'd leave it there did you? ...Actually I was going to but it's been bugging me that I needed to resolve a few things and I just had to carry on. This is very much a work in progress in terms of outline so please bear with me, unlike previous fics the updates may be slow as I'm writing an original fic over on fictionpress (same username, check out 'Cryptid').
Based around the 2k3 universe, 7 years after season 5 but with a few of my own twists and o/c's woven in for good measure.
TMNT belong to Viacom/Nickelodeon, o/c's are mine.
Leonardo gently lifted his wife's slim frame onto the kitchen counter; she stifled a laugh and wound her arms around him.
"They'll be in here soon," she whispered.
"I know," Leo sighed and brushed a blonde curl back from Quayla's face, "But its nice to just have a few more minutes alone," he leant in to kiss her only to be interrupted by the whistle of the teapot boiling on the stove. He frowned and extracted himself from Quayla's embrace to remove the offending item from the heat and carefully poured out two steaming cups of the tea into waiting mugs.
Quayla's dark eyes followed his movements and she grinned when he returned to her holding out one of the mugs to her, which she took and also reached out for his placing them beside her on the counter and pulling him close again. "Forget the tea," she instructed with a wink.
Leo smiled as his wife guided his face towards hers and kissed him.
"Eww, dudes not in the kitchen!" Mikey's voice called as he passed the doorway.
The pair separated instantly and Quayla protested, "Urgh! Fine, we're done!"
"Good," Raph huffed entering the room, roughly pulling a chair out from the table and plonking down in it before glaring at his brother who crossed his arms defensively. "It's like livin' with a pair of teenagers!"
Quayla hopped down from the worktop and wrapped her arms around Raph's neck while pinching his cheek in a show of sisterly affection, "Aw Raph, don't be like that. You know technically we're still on our honeymoon."
Raph shrugged her arms off and growled, "Honeymoon!?"
Quayla nodded with an innocent grin. "Yep, we only got married a week ago."
"There's a six year old asleep down the hall says you two already had one," Raph smirked looking pointedly at Leo who smacked a hand over his face muttering indistinguishable curses, he then grabbed his tea and stalked out of the kitchen.
Quayla tutted at her brother-in law, "You shouldn't wind him up like that," she cautioned taking a sip of her own tea, "He's been through hell."
"I know," Raph replied softly, "and Leo knows I'm just kiddin." He paused, "Is he...okay?"
Quayla slumped back against the counter, truthfully she wasn't sure. Leonardo had lived ten years into a timeline where she had been murdered the day after they were married in the Battle Nexus. He had raised their daughter alone and spent those years trying to find out who was responsible only to have The Lord of Time intervene when he discovered the ugly truth and reset the events sending him hurtling back to where it all began, but this time Quayla's murder never occurred. Quayla remembered nothing but her daughter Jade, Splinter and the rest of the turtles all had fleeting visions of their other life, Jade even seemed to have retained most of her training. Leonardo however remembered everything and although he was clearly overjoyed to be reunited with her, in the week since they had returned home he had been understandably restless and pensive. He had also avoided going into detail about his own experiences in the other timeline, he had told her everything that had happened but kept to the facts. Quayla had tried repeatedly to get him to talk but he continued to be evasive.
"Talk to him Raph," she finally replied.
"I ain't good at that kinda stuff Q, Master Splinter'll talk to him," Raph answered gruffly, shoving back his chair and standing to leave.
"Please?" Quayla asked stepping forward and touching his shoulder.
Raphael's exhale turned into a grunt and his shoulders sagged. "Okay, later," he grumbled.
"Thanks," Quayla smiled and glanced absentmindedly at the kitchen clock then exclaimed, "Shoot! Is that the time? I gotta get Jade ready for school!" She dashed from the kitchen in a blur and narrowly avoided a collision with Donatello who had obviously had a late night as he yawned before calling after Quayla,
"Uh, where's the fire?"
"Kid. School. Late," Raph explained bluntly.
Donatello's eyebrow rose as he poured out a cup of coffee, "My, you're chatty today."
"Q wants me to 'talk' to Leo," Raph replied shaking his head.
"Ah," Don answered nodding as if one of his experiments had just succeeded.
"'Ah,' what genius?" Raph snapped.
"Well, Mikey and I were going to suggest that. We kinda already tried and he's not saying much, maybe you can get through to him?" Don replied.
"I ain't making any promises Donny," Raph said with a sigh.
Don chuckled, "Y'know sometimes Leo is even more stubborn than you are."
Raph shot his brother a menacing look and Don backed away waving his hands protectively just as Jade tore into the kitchen chased by Quayla.
"Jade, please hold still I need to put your socks on!" Quayla demanded, pushing another wayward curl out of her eyes and securing it in a ponytail, the offending items protruding from her pants pocket.
"Woah there Jade," Don said scooping up his niece with his free arm.
Jade giggled as Quayla gave Donatello a grateful smile and proceeded to put the socks on her daughter's wriggling feet.
"That tickles Mommy!" Jade squealed.
"It's ok Don, you can put her down, I'm done," Quayla grinned and Don released his captive niece. "Go get your book bag Jade, and say goodbye to Daddy," Quayla instructed with a gentle pat to send her daughter on her way.
Jade nodded and headed off towards the dojo, she was already the image of her mother apart from the slight green hue her almost impenetrable skin took on but she could easily pass for fully human. Upon Leo's request they had let Jade start school again despite Quayla's fears of a repeat abduction. A few months ago Bishop had infiltrated the school posing as Jade's 'father' in a bid to gain access to her unusual blood. His plan succeeded and he then handed her over to Karai who had her own designs on the blood. Jade's blood, like Quayla's before her, carried within it the secrets of the Book of the Shedder, an ancient script detailing how to channel the original tengu Shredder's evil. If Jade's blood was spilt it transformed into the hidden glyphs but in order to gain the whole script the 'book bearer' had to be kept alive. Death extinguished the glyphs and the Ninja Tribunal would find a new keeper of the book. Quayla had thwarted death twice now, the first time she died to protect the book and with the help of the Tribunal, Leo had been allowed to retrieve her from the spirit world, although that turned out to serve their own purpose in providing a resilient heir to carry the book. She shuddered as she wondered if all she really was just a means to an end and anger bubbled under the surface that she'd cursed their daughter with the same fate.
"You okay Cute?" Mikey asked as waltzed into the kitchen. He rarely used Quayla's name, preferring to call her by the nickname he bestowed upon her when they first met. Quayla Thomas had been known only by her initials (Q.T) in a small effort to preserve her identity. Michelangelo had immediately seen the joke, realising it sounded like 'Cutie' and with that called her Cute ever since. Leo had surprisingly taken to calling her it too but he said it so seriously sometimes she couldn't help but laugh.
"Yeah I'm fine thanks Mike, just thinking that's all," she replied shaking herself out of her thoughts, "I'd better round Jade up and get to work." To contribute to their limited cash flow Quayla worked shifts at a nearby diner around Jade's school hours. Quayla had spent most of her youth and adult life under the protection of the Ancient One which meant that she had no qualifications and also her left side was peppered with intricate black tattoos (a side effect of bearing the book, which Jade had mercifully not inherited) so she was eternally grateful to the diner's owner Ann for employing her. She liked meeting people after spending so many years relatively isolated and besides, the tips were good; New York's 'best pie' didn't serve itself.
Jade expertly crept up on her father as he sat meditating with her grandfather. Splinter's left eye flicked open and he smiled but did not give her away, Leonardo's remained closed. Jade pounced and her father's eyes flew open at the last second giving him chance to grab her before she barrelled into him. He rolled back onto his shell and hoisted his daughter into the air.
"Almost Jade," he grinned.
"I nearly got you!" Jade sang.
Leo righted himself and set Jade down, "You sure did. Are you ready for school?"
Jade gave an enthusiastic nod, "Yes Daddy, I came to say bye to you and Grandpa," she said looking to each of them.
Splinter smiled warmly as he replied, "Goodbye mago." Jade threw her arms around her grandfather's neck and he returned the hug adding, "Enjoy your lessons, I wish to hear all about them later."
"Remember what I told you and have a nice day okay?" Leo said and stood to lead Jade out of the dojo.
"Always listen to the teacher and I will," Jade answered proudly.
Leo held back a laugh as he remembered a teenage Jade that wasn't quite so eager to listen.
Quayla then appeared looking slightly harassed as she juggled Jade's school things and her own shoes. Leo smoothly extracted the shoes and slipped them on his wife's feet as she offered them out to him. "Hey Cinderella," he chuckled.
"Cinder-what?" Quayla asked, looking confused.
"Never mind," he replied shaking his head. Quayla's childhood had been almost as unconventional as his and even now she missed some of the references. He'd have to get a hold of the film for her and Jade, they'd like that, he thought. He kissed her briefly, said goodbye to Jade and waved the two off.
Quayla stopped part way out of the lair exit and shouted, "Oh by the way, Raph said he wanted to talk to you!"
Leo frowned momentarily and answered with forced enthusiasm, "Great."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooo
Raphael was sat back at the kitchen table ruthlessly stabbing a pancake when his brother walked in and leant against the counter opposite.
"You wanted to talk to me?" Leo asked.
Raph rolled his eyes and chewed on a mouthful of his breakfast before he answered. "Your wife is a pain in the ass."
"Careful Raph," Leo answered with a narrowed glare.
"I didn't mean it like that," Raphael sighed and pushed his plate aside, "Leo, are ya really okay with all this?"
Leo raised an eyebrow, "All what?"
"Don't make this difficult, y'know what I mean, all the time travel crud," Raph replied.
"Ah, Quayla put you up to this, I get it," Leo answered and turned to start tidying up the kitchen.
"Quit changing the subject. Yeah Q's worried 'bout ya but so are Donny and Mike...we're all worried bro," Raph said, shifting awkwardly in his chair.
"I'm fine," Leo stated evenly.
Raph sat back in his seat and folded his arms, "Oh really?" He retorted sarcastically.
"What do you want me to say Raph?!" Leo turned around suddenly, "That I still keep seeing it all play out? That I feel crazy!?" He took a breath and calmed himself, "I've been given a second chance with her. I spent years wishing I had her back and now I do I'm just...overwhelmed. It's so much to take in and I can't stop remembering what happened," he admitted.
Raphael nodded, "Fair enough, but you ain't gotta go through this alone."
Leo crossed his arms. "Thanks," he cracked a small smile, "Quayla must've really done a number on you to do this."
Raph let out an amused grunt, "Heh, y'know I think she's been taking poutin' lessons from Mikey."
Leo grinned but his face fell serious as he debated whether to share something else.
"Spit it out Leo," Raph sighed.
"I guess I miss my other life a little," he said guiltily and noting Raph's puzzled expression he added, "Jade, I've already seen her grow up, she was everything I hoped she'd be. I miss being able to talk to her like an adult, I even miss the awful rock music she made me listen to. It's ridiculous really," Leo shook his head.
"And you're afraid to tell Q, cuz it sounds like you don't wanna be here," Raph guessed.
"Well yeah I guess, and I feel like if I tell her too much I'm going to affect this time line rather than let it just happen like it should. Everything is different now, I have to accept that and be grateful that it is."
"So stop moping around and just enjoy it, you're on your, urgh, 'honeymoon'," Raph pulled a disgusted face as he air quoted the word, "still don't see how that works," he grumbled, lifting his brow.
Leo made an exasperated noise, "Know what Raph? I screwed up, it shouldn't have happened. We let go that one night and we had Jade but it was six years ago! Are you ever going to let it drop?"
Raph grinned, "You tell me future boy."
"Very funny," Leo groaned, "I think I liked the other you better."
"Y'know if you miss having a teenager around so much you should hang around with Mikey more, he still acts like one," Raph said loudly jerking a thumb in the direction of the sofa from where the sounds of a video game drifted through the lair.
"I heard that!" Mikey shouted, "You're just jealous of my boyish charm Raphie!"
Raph rolled his eyes and drawled, "Sure I am," before turning his attention back to Leo, "So, you good?"
"Yeah, I'm good," Leo answered with a nod.