Hide and Seek
Chapter 1: Coffee Stains, Bruised Knees, and Mutant Turtles
A/N: Hey, remember when I said on Stealthy Stories that I'd never write a romance? Well, I've decided to try my hand at it. This is actually a response to a challenge on Stealthy Stories issued by Mutant Rebel who challenged writers to write a story about a TMNT/OC pairing of a different variety. So, this is my take on what might happen if a Turtle were to fall in love with an OC. Be warned: This is not a story where the Turtle in question falls in love at first sight. If you're looking for that type of story, this isn't it. Also, there will be quite a bit of bad language in here mainly on Aubree's part, so I'm just warning you guys now about it in advance. Other than that, there's nothing else for me to warn you about, so I hope you enjoy this little tale.
Disclaimer (This is the only time I'm putting this here): I don't own the TMNT or any related characters. They belong to Nickelodeon Studios. Aubree Hennigan is mine as well as any other characters you may not recognize.
Summary: While trying to catch a wanted fugitive, Officer Aubree Hennigan runs into more than she bargained for, including four mutant turtles and a mutant rat. Soon, the mutants are involved in her life, and one of the Turtles becomes involved in a way he never thought he would be. Leo/OC.
Have you ever had one of those days where everything gets crazy? Well, I pretty much had that happen today. Well, technically, it happened at night, too, but you know what I mean. First, I spilled coffee on my pants, then I practically bruised my knees taking down a crook, and finally I woke up in a sewer inhabited by four giant turtles and a giant rat. Sounds crazy, right? Well, I can tell you that it's true. I guess I'm getting ahead of myself, so I better start from the beginning….
On my way to work, I stopped at a coffee shop to get my fix. While they serve coffee at the precinct, it doesn't taste as good. I got outside after paying for my coffee and get into my car. As I tried to lift the small tab to open the cup, the whole lid somehow came off, and coffee spilled all over my pants.
"Dammit!" I cursed. I found some tissues in my car and tried wiping my pants. As I was doing so outside my car, a little kid walked by with his mother and yelled, "Mommy, look, that lady peed her pants!" I shot a glare his way and longed to snap the cuffs on him. I called the precinct and told them I'd be a little late due to the coffee incident.
"Well, that's new!" Tamika, the secretary, said. "Just take your time, Aubree. It happens to all of us."
I thanked her, hurried home, and changed my pants. Then I headed to work for real, hoping that I wasn't going to be teased. As I entered the precinct, my brother, Ben, spotted me and came over.
"Hey, I see you survived the coffee spill," he teased.
"Yeah, I did," I replied. "So, what's going on with you?"
"Not much," he answered. "It's kind of quiet without you there. You sure you're happy at your place?"
I smiled. "Dead sure," I replied. Before I got my apartment, I lived with Ben to save on rent. Even though I loved my apartment, it sometimes would get lonely without him there.
"Okay," Ben said. "You want to come over and watch wrestling tonight?"
"I'd love to, but I've got plans already made," I told him. In truth, I did have plans made, but not what one might think. I was secretly planning to try and hunt down a known Purple Dragon fugitive by the name of Mario Rosolli. While I knew it was a dumb thing to do without letting anyone know about it, it was the best thing I could think of. One of my informants had told me where the Dragons were going to be, and I was determined to get Rosolli once and for all.
"Oh, that's cool," Ben said. "Have fun."
I was about to respond when the chief came in, and we had to go into the briefing room. We all took our seats and waited until the roll was called. Once that was done, the chief stood behind the podium and looked at all of us, his eyes sweeping the room to make sure we were all looking at him.
"I just want to tell you all to be safe out there," he said. "Today will be mostly focused on drug dealers and other cases that might come in while you're on duty. Do your job and stay safe out there. You're dismissed."
After he dismissed us, we all headed to our patrol cars. I said goodbye to Ben and wished him luck just like always. He replied, "Same to you, sis." Both of us had become police officers after our dad was killed in the September eleventh attacks. I had a feeling he'd be proud of both of us.
I went to my car and got ready to go on patrol. I really hoped it would be a productive day and that I'd catch some crooks who needed to be locked up. There was always something satisfying about catching a criminal and taking them off the street. It always gave me a rush. Just as I was thinking about this, I spotted two people talking in an alley. I parked my car and decided to see what they were up to.
"Hey, what's up?" one of them asked me.
"Not much," I replied. "What are you doing in this alley? Shouldn't you be in school?"
"We dropped out," the first kid said. "We were just meeting to go to dinner."
"It's eight-thirty in the morning," I told him. "I saw you pass him something in a bag. What is that?"
"That was a video game," the second kid said. "I've wanted to borrow it for a long time now, and he finally gave it to me."
Something about the nervousness in his voice triggered my suspicions. I was about to tell them to lean up against my car when the first boy bolted. I took off after him, intent on getting him to confess. As I was chasing him, I tripped over a trash can, hitting both my knees on it and possibly bruising them. I let out a curse and continued my pursuit of the boy. I called for backup and let them know what was going on and that there was another boy who was with this one. They responded that they would be there soon. The boy was fast, but I managed to take him down before he climbed a fence. I reported that he was in custody and put the cuffs on him.
"Why you gotta be like that?" he whined.
"You shouldn't have run," I told him. "It all would have been easier if you'd surrendered." I searched him and found a small bag of marijuana in his pocket. I hoped the other officers had caught the second suspect and had confiscated the bigger bag. I put the kid in the car and read him his rights After I was done, he said, "I ain't sayin' nothin', bitch."
"Fine by me, pothead," I retorted. Technically, that wasn't the right way to react, but I'd had enough of this kid. He made me trip over a trash can for Pete's sake. I probably had busted kneecaps. Why should I treat him with any level of respect? I was glad no officers were around to hear my exchange because then I'd be in trouble.
Luis Garcia arrived and came over to my car. "So, you caught him?" he asked.
"What was your first clue?" I teased. "Did you get the other one?"
"Yep," he answered. "Found a big bag of dope on him."
"Yeah, I found a smaller bag on this one," I replied.
"Good job," Luis said. "Two more drug dealers off the streets."
"Yep," I said. "I'd better get this one down to the precinct. See you later, Luis."
"See you, Aub," he responded.
When I got into the car, the boy, who told me his name was Aaron, said, "Why you gotta disrespect me like that?"
"How did I disrespect you?" I asked him.
"By callin' me pothead," he told me.
"You are a pothead," I replied. "When you smoke pot, that's what you are."
"Like you didn't do that when you was a kid?" he retorted.
"No, I didn't," I said. "I was the daughter of a cop, and I knew what would happen if I did do those things. I've seen a lot of stuff over the years, even when I was your age. I knew better than to let my life get ruined by drugs. My father taught me that drugs and alcohol aren't the answer to the problem. You need to talk to someone if you're having trouble. Drugs and alcohol just make your problems worse. We're not trying to hurt you, Aaron. We're trying to get you on the right path."
He didn't answer, and I was glad of that. I really wasn't in the mood to argue with him. I dropped him off at the precinct and let the other officers deal with him. I gave them a full report before heading out on the next call. The rest of my day wasn't too bad; it was at night that things began to get crazy.
I parked my car a distance away from the alley and walked on foot because I knew my car would give me away. I was dressed in plain clothes with my badge in my purse as well as my gun and a can of pepper spray just in case. I wore s skimpy black top that showed quite a bit of my belly and jeans. I just hoped they wouldn't see through my disguise. My heart was pounding in anticipation of what I was about to do.
I soon found Rosolli and a group of Purple Dragons where my informant said they'd be. I came over to them and gave them the three-fingered salute that was their greeting.
"Hey, I haven't seen you before," Rosolli said.
"New recruit," I replied. "I heard about your gang, and I want to join."
"Where'd you hear about us?" Rosolli's eyebrows narrowed in suspicion.
Shit, I thought. How could I know about them? "Some of your boys were talking, and I overheard them," I answered.
"Really?" Is that true, boys?" Rosolli looked at the other members of the group.
"No, I didn't see no chick like her," one of the members responded.
Shit, shit, shit, I thought. This wasn't good. I should've made a better cover story. The members of the Purple Dragons started crowding around me, and I knew I was really in trouble.
"You know what I think, chica?" Rosolli asked. "I think you're lyin'. You don't want to be part of this group. I think you're a spy for another gang, and you're here to learn our secrets."
"Yep, you hit the nail on the head," I told him.
"Well, now you gotta be dealt with," he said. He motioned for the others to attack, but I was ready. I caught one with a roundhouse kick and another with a punch to the face. I whipped out my pepper spray and got another member full in the face with it. I figured that would stop the others in their tracks, but one Dragon kicked the spray out of my hand and sent it flying away from me. In response, I kneed him in the groin, sending him to the ground and crying like the baby he was. With him out of the way, I set my sights on Rosolli.
I spotted him standing against a wall watching the battle. I went for him, determined to grab him and toss him in jail for good. I was so focused on him I didn't sense one of the Dragons sneaking up behind me until I felt something hit me square in the back of the head. I fell to the ground and fought to stay conscious, but I couldn't do it. I distinctly heard Rosolli yell, "It's the freaks!" before the world went black.
22222
I woke up to a harsh light in my eyes. I squinted and tried to get up, but a wave of dizziness overcame me. Okay, that wasn't a good idea. My head was killing me, and I wondered what had happened to me.
"Good, you're awake," a voice said. I turned and gasped as I saw what looked like some sort of mutant frog approach me. Judging by the voice it was a male. He had some sort of purple mask around his eyes which made me tense up. Was he in league with the Purple Dragons? Was I in one of their headquarters about to be tortured?
"How are you feeling?" he asked me.
"Why the hell do you care?" I snarled. "You kidnapped me against my will and probably have plans to keep me here for ransom! Where's Rosolli? He has to be behind this! I swear, once I get out of here, all of your asses are going to jail!"
"Kidnapped you?" he repeated. "No, we rescued you."
"Rescued me?" I repeated. "You mean, you aren't in league with the Purple Dragons?"
"No, we're not," he replied.
"Well, that's good," I replied. "So, why the hell are you dressed like a frog?"
"This isn't a costume," he told me. "I'm a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle."
"Sounds like something out of a comic book," I remarked.
"My name's Donatello, but you can call me Don or Donnie if you want."
"Nice to meet you, Donnie," I replied. "My name's Aubree Hennigan."
"I know," Don told me. "I saw your ID. So, back to my original question: How are you feeling? Are you dizzy? Nauseous?"
"Yeah, I was dizzy when I sat up," I responded. "My head hurts like a bitch, too."
"Sounds like you might have a slight concussion," Don explained.
"Great," I muttered. "How long was I out?"
"Two hours," Don answered.
I gasped. "Oh, shit, I need to get home!" I cried. "My mother's probably having kittens right about now!" I started to get up, but Don hurried to my side to push me back down.
"Hold on, Aubree, you can't go yet," he said. "Let me give you some Tylenol for the pain and some ice for your head." As he went to the cabinet I finally noticed his shell and was puzzled to see a stick on the back of it.
"What's with the stick?" I asked him.
"It's a bo staff," he said defensively. "A weapon used in ninjitsu."
"Cool," I remarked. "I use a night stick, a gun, and pepper spray. But now I have to get a new can of it since my other one is in that alley."
"We got it for you," Don said. He pointed to a table where my purse sat along with the can of pepper spray. "Here." He handed me two Tylenol and a bottle of water. I downed the pills and drank some of the water. Then Don changed the bandage on my head and put some ice there for me to hold.
"Maybe we should keep you here overnight," he suggested.
"No, I don't need a baby-sitter," I said. "Wait, it's still night out there?"
"Yeah, according to my clock, it's ten-thirty."
Just as I was about to order that they let me go home, a second turtle burst into the room. He stopped short when he saw me, and his eyes lit up with excitement. He had an orange mask around his eyes and two sticks with chains attached to them in his belt.
"Hey, why didn't you tell me she was awake?" he whined. He had a surfer accent, which I found to be odd. "Hey, I'm Michelangelo, but the ladies call me Mikey."
"In your dreams maybe," a gruff voice with a Brooklyn accent said. This turtle was a darker green than the other two and had a red mask around his eyes. He also had what looked like two pitchforks stuck in his belt. He looked at me with distrust in his eyes. "I'm Raphael, but everyone calls me Raph," he said.
"Or Raphie," Mikey added.
"You call me that, and I'll knock your teeth down your throat," he threatened, but I wasn't sure if it was aimed at me or Mikey. I decided to humor him.
"You try that, and I'll kick you in the balls," I retorted.
Raph growled and looked like he was going to come at me until a hand on his shoulder stopped him, and another turtle entered the room. He had a blue mask around his eyes and two blue handles sticking out of his back.
"Stop it, Raph," he chastised. "That's no way to treat a guest." He looked at me and said, "My name is Leonardo, but you can call me Leo. I'm glad to see you're awake, Aubree."
I didn't have to ask how he knew my name since I was sure Don had told them. I was about to respond when I heard something hitting the ground repeatedly. The noise got louder and then stopped. The other three Turtles parted to reveal a giant rat in a kimono with a walking stick in his hand.
"Holy shit!" I yelled as I tried to get away from him. I'd always had a fear of rats ever since my brother, David, put a fake rat in my bed once.
"Please, do not be frightened," the rat said in a Japanese accent. "I will not harm you, Miss Hennigan. My name is Splinter."
"Oh, nice to meet you," I said nervously. "I'm sorry, but I've always been afraid of rats since my brother pulled a prank on me involving a fake one."
Mikey laughed. "I did that to Raph, only with bugs instead of a rat," he said.
"Shut it, Mikey," Raph growled.
"Enough, my sons!" Splinter admonished.
"Sons?" I repeated.
"Master Splinter is our father and teacher," Leo replied, and he told me the story of how they turned from ordinary pet shop turtles into what they were now, and how Splinter, then an ordinary rat, had found them and raised them as his own. It all seemed really weird, but I was amazed at how they'd made a home in the sewers.
"Look, it's been nice talking to you, but I really need to go home now," I said. Don helped me up and supported me so I wouldn't fall. I slapped his hand away. "I can do it myself, Don!" I snapped. I took a few steps and didn't fall.
"Are you sure you don't want to spend the night?" Don asked.
"Yes, I'm sure," I insisted. I retrieved my belongings and was ready to leave when Leo stopped me.
"Hold on, Aubree," he said. "I can't let you go out there by yourself. The sewers are a maze, and you would get lost. I'll take you home."
I sighed in exasperation and relented. I could tell Leo wasn't going to listen to me argue with him by the look on his face. It was one my brother often had on his face when we started to argue. "Okay, let's go," I said.
"Before we go, I need to blindfold you," Leo told me. "We're kind of protective and secretive about the location of our Lair." He left and came back with one of his blue masks. He tied it around me with the eyeholes turned away so all I could see was darkness. I guess I could understand their reason for this, but it still sucked.
"Now, take hold of my hand and don't let go," he instructed. He guided my hand into his and I was surprised at how his skin felt. It was soft but sort of rough at the same time. As he led me out of the Lair, I could hear water dripping from the pipes and the scurrying of rats, which made me cringe a bit. Perhaps sensing my tension, he squeezed my hand reassuringly, and it made me feel better.
"So, I noticed Don has a bo staff," I said. "What weapons do you and your other brothers carry and use for ninjitsu?"
"Mikey uses the nunchaku, or nunchucks as most people call them. Raph uses the twin sais, and I use twin katanas, or swords. I take it you've never really heard about ninjitsu, have you?"
"I've seen ninjas in movies, but that's it," I replied. "Is it like a job to you?"
"It's more than that, Aubree," he explained. "It's a way of life, a discipline. We do what we do for the good of the city, but it's not all fun and games like the movies. It's a lifestyle that can turn deadly at any moment."
"Kind of like being a cop," I remarked.
He nodded. "Yeah," he said. "So, I've told you about our history. How about you tell me about yours?"
So I told him about growing up with three brothers and how Greg was a film director, David was in the military serving in Iraq, and Ben and I were police officers. I talked about how my father raised us and about his death on September eleventh. Although I couldn't see his face, I imagined that Leo was shocked and intrigued by my story.
"That had to be hard for you," he said softly.
"It was," I replied. "I wanted to become a police officer in his memory. Before that day, I had no idea what to do with my life. But now, I love my job, and I know my dad would be proud of me."
"Would you still be a cop if he had lived?" Leo asked me.
"I don't know," I answered. "Maybe not, but I don't know what else I'd do. This just feels right."
"I can understand that," he said. "You're doing it for your father because you want to honor his memory. I do what I do because Splinter raised me to be a ninja. I do it to protect my family from harm."
"Same here," I replied.
"Are you in a relationship?" Leo asked me.
I smiled at him. "Are you volunteering?" I teased.
"No, I was just curious," he told me.
"Well, I'm not in any type of relationship," I replied. "I just haven't found anybody yet who's good enough for me to date. Most guys only want one thing, and I can't handle that."
"Do you ever think you'll get married?"
"I don't know," I answered. "I think marriage is a whole different level than dating. I don't want kids, and I know that some guys want a family. I'd have to make sure the guy I marry has the same intentions I do."
"That seems logical," Leo agreed. "Why don't you want kids?"
"Because I hate them," I told him. "I've had some bad experiences over the years that just makes me not want to be around them."
"Raph's like that, too," Leo said. "He gets awkward around Shadow, our friends' daughter, but you can tell he loves her deep down." Then he talked more about their two friends, April and Casey, and how they've all become a family. They seemed like nice people, and they were kind enough to take in Shadow when she was left on their doorstep. Not many people would do that.
"Well, here we are," Leo said. "I'll go up first and make sure it's safe for you to come up."
"Um, Leo, you need to remove my blindfold," I reminded him.
"Oh, right," he said. He untied his mask and removed it from my eyes. I blinked a little at the sudden light, but my vision soon adjusted to it.
"Thanks for everything, Leo," I said. "You didn't have to rescue me like that. You could've just called 911 and let an ambulance pick me up."
"Well, Don suggested we do just that, but I was afraid the Purple Dragons would go looking for you," he replied. "That's why I suggested we take you to the Lair where you would be safe."
"Oh, I see," I said. "Well, thanks for that. And thank your brothers and father, too."
"I will," Leo promised. Then he went up to the surface to make sure it was safe for me to come up. He turned to me and said, "All clear. You can come up, Aubree."
I ascended the ladder and climbed out of the sewers, thankful to get back to the surface. I figured Leo would go back down into the sewers, but he insisted on escorting me home. I told him I needed to get my car, and he climbed a fire escape and followed me via the rooftops as I walked to where my car was. I soon discovered that my car was gone. Great, the Dragons probably stole it and were salvaging it for scrap metal. Muttering a few choice swear words, I decided to go to my apartment and call the precinct to report my stolen car. I got to the apartment and saw my car parked in its usual spot. I breathed a sigh of relief and went up to my apartment after looking up at Leo, who was perched on a roof across the way, and waving to him. He waved back, and I went into the building to my apartment. I saw my answering machine light blinking and knew that there were messages for me. I looked out the window until I remembered that my apartment didn't face the building Leo was on.
I checked my messages, which were from my mom, Ben, and Chief Thompson.
"Aubree, for God's sake call me!" my mother's message said. "I've been worried sick. Do I have to come over there? Call me."
"Aubree, what the hell happened to you?" Ben's message said. "Call me right away."
"Hennigan, we need to talk," Chief Thompson's message said. "Be in my office at eight sharp. Don't be late."
I called my mom and assured her I was okay. I told her what happened without mentioning the Turtles and told her that some Good Samaritans had rescued me and patched me up. She wanted to come over, but I told her I'd be fine. She made me promise to call her after work tomorrow, and I said I would.
"Christ, Aubree, what the hell were you thinking?" Ben chastised when I called him. "You could have been killed, you know. Next time, let someone know what you're doing. Chief's pretty pissed."
"I know," I told him. "He wants to see me tomorrow."
"Uh-oh, that's not good," said Ben. "You better hope he doesn't fire you."
"I doubt he will," I said. "He likes me. Look, I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay, love you," said Ben.
"Love you, too," I replied and hung up. Then I took a shower and got into my pajamas. I looked in the mirror and cringed a bit. I still had some bruising on my face, and my curly red hair was a mess. Dad used to call me Annie because I looked like the orphan girl. I took off my make-up and saw that there were bags under my blue-green eyes. I crawled into bed and thought about Leo. I smiled at how he wanted to protect me even though he didn't really know me. It doesn't matter, I thought to myself. I probably won't ever see them again anyway.
But I was dead wrong.
A/N: Whew! I can't believe that was seventeen pages long! I hope that didn't tire you guys out. Hopefully, my chapters won't be as long as that, but you never know. I hope to get the second chapter done soon, maybe even tonight if possible, but I don't know when it'll be up. Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you thought of this. Have a shelltastic day!