Alexandra pulled her coat tighter around her neck and buttoned it all the way up. It was going to snow soon and her made Alex feel warm inside. The first snowfall of the year was the best. Even in New York City. It was pure, and white, and clean, and seemed to make the world glow. The first snowfall also meant that Thanksgiving was approaching. Alex was suddenly brought back to reality when a gust of bitter cold wind hit the back of her neck and made her shiver inside her shell. She decided that it was time to go home. Before heading back, she took one final inhalation of the air. Winter was here.
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"Where have you been?" Leonardo demanded to know as his sister bounced into the underground lair.
Alex blinked, slightly taken back. "I was topside. First snow of the season is going to be here soon."
Leo scowled, disapprovingly.
"What's up with you lately?" Alex questioned, hanging her jacket up. "You've been even more tense and protective than usual."
"Excuse me for worrying while you and the others go off gallivanting," Leo snapped.
"Don't you mean while I go off gallivanting?" Alex corrected. "You never seem to care when Raph does it."
Leo clenched his fists. He didn't know what to say so he turned and walked away, leaving his sister standing in the living room alone. Alex watched him go. She felt defeated and tired but at the same time wide awake. She wished that Michelangelo or Donatello or even Raphael was awake so she would have some one to talk to. But they weren't so she went to her own room. She put a CD in her portable CD player and plopped down on her futon. Soon the music had lulled her to sleep
********************************************************************************************
Time seemed to propel backwards and soon Alex found herself standing in the sewer. The old sewer that she and her brothers and Splinter had lived in before The Foot had found their home.
"How did I get here?" Alex mused out loud. She started walking forward and felt something ooze beneath her toes. When she looked down she was shocked to find 5 baby turtles and a rat crawling around. "What the….holy wow! I've gone back in time!"
Splinter and the 5 turtles didn't even notice her. Alex wondered which of the turtles was her. They were all tiny and looked the same. She watched as Splinter herded the baby turtles into an old coffee can. This was very familiar to Alex. She'd heard this story many times.
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Alex sat up abruptly. She was back in her room. Her headphones were still on her head but the music had stopped long ago. It was all a dream. But it meant something and she didn't know what. Some one was calling her name
"Alexandraaaaaaaaaaaa!" Michelangelo called from outside her room. "Waaaaaaaaake uppppp!"
Alex took her headphones off and set the player on the floor. She got up and walked outside. Mike was holding his skateboard.
"You promised you'd come and watch me do the new trick I learned," Mike pouted.
"Ok, ok," Alex grinned and rolled her eyes, rubbing them to remove the remainder of her short sleep. "I'm coming."
Mike smiled brightly and bounded of and Alex trotted close behind.
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"I bet you can't do this!" Mike called. He rode the skateboard down the ramp and flipped on the other side.
"Yeah Mike that was real difficult," Alex snickered sarcastically. She took the skateboard from Mike and matched his trick.
For the next half an hour Mike and Alex continued their skateboard war. Mike's tricks became more difficult, but Alex was holding her own.
"I guess I underestimated you're skateboarding skills," Mike panted.
Alex put her hands on her knees. "I learned from the best."
Mike's grin became almost evil. "Last trick. If you can do this…I won't hound you anymore."
"Bring it on," Alex grinned back. She leaned back and watched. Mike took the skateboard up the other side of the ramp, spun in the air twice, rode the board along the edge, jumped it, came up the other side and did one complete head over board rotation and landed perfectly. Alex sucked in a breath. She didn't feel nearly as cocky as she had a few moments ago. She was downright terrified. But knowing full well that Mike would never let up; she took the board from him.
"Good luck," he chuckled.
Alex started the trick of perfectly. She spun twice in the air, rode the edge, jumped it and rode up the other side of the ramp. But something went wrong when she tried to turn the full rotation. Alex came crashing down, bending her left ankle against the rim of the ramp with a sickening crunch.
"Aggggghhh!" she hollered as she rolled down the side and came to a stop at the bottom.
"Alex!" Mike cried hurrying to her. "Oh man, Al I'm so sorry. Are you ok?"
Alexandra's eyes rolled back and she sucked in a deep breath. "Go…get help" she gasped, reaching for her foot.
"I can't leave-" Mike started to stay.
"Go!" Alex shouted through gritted teeth.
Mike opened his mouth but promptly closed it and turned to run back to the lair.
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"Hey I need some help!" Mike hollered, tearing through the lair.
Leonardo caught hold of him as he raced by. "Slow down. What's wrong?"
"Alex fell of the skateboard and she's hurt," Mike gasped.
"Jesus-" Leo started to curse, but stopped himself and hurried after Mike. "I knew something like this was going to happen."
When they reached the ramp Alex had grown quite pale. She was still clutching her foot and gritting her teeth.
"Alex you have to let go," Leo prodded gently. "Let me have a look at your ankle."
"Don't touch me!" Alex screamed.
"We have to get you back to the lair," Mike said pointedly. "We're going to have to touch you to carry you."
Leo looked at Mike. "Let's just do it and do it quick. We can check her out when we get back."
Mike nodded. Through Alex's protests he and Leo managed to heft her off the ground and carry her home.
"It hurts!" Alex wailed.
"I know sis," Leo replied. "We're almost there. Take it easy."
********************************************************************************************
Donatello gently picked Alex's leg up and put her ankle in his lap.
"OW!" Alex hollered. She tried to jerk away from him but he held fast.
"Sit still and let me look," he ordered.
Alex scowled at her brother.
"I'm just going to press on a couple of spots and I want you to tell me where it hurts," Donatello explained. He ran his fingers over the front of his sister's ankle and when she didn't complain that it hurt he moved to her anklebones. " Does this hurt?" he questioned, pressing gently on the side of her foot.
"OW! YES!" Alex screeched, nearly shooting through the roof. "Don't do that again!"
Donatello sighed and gently put her foot back on the pillow. He got up and walked to where his brothers were hovered in the doorway.
"Well?" Leo pressed, his eyes full of concern and a hint of anger. "How is she?"
"She'll be fine," Donnie responded. "But her ankle is broken. In at least two places"
"Oh no," Mike gasped. "This is all my fault."
Leo put his arm around Mike's shoulder. "It was an accident Mike."
"We've still got that air cast from when Leo twisted his ankle," Raphael spoke up. "Will that help?"
Donnie nodded. "I'll wrap it and put the air cast on. We better stock up on ice too. And some one should call April and see if she can get a set of crutches and some painkillers."
"We have aspirin," Leo said.
"She's going to need something stronger than that," Donnie explained. "She's not even feeling half of what she's going to feel when the adrenaline wears off. Her body is in defense mode right now. When that stops she's going to be in a whole hell of a lot of pain."
"I'll go call April," Mike volunteered.
"Leo you might want to see if you can find Splinter," Donatello said.
Leonardo nodded and hurried off. Donatello returned to the bed.
"How ya feelin?" he asked, kneeling next to his sister.
"It hurts Donnie," Alex replied. "I've never felt anything like this before."
Donatello took Alex's hand in his. She was never one to complain when she was sick or hurt unless it was unbearable. And Alex wasn't sick or injured all that often. "It'll be ok. Mike's going to get April to bring you some painkillers."
Alex sighed and closed her eyes. "I should have never done that stupid trick."
"Were you two having a skateboard war again?" Donnie smiled slightly.
"Yeah," Alex responded.
"Got the air-cast and the ace wraps," Raph said from the doorway.
"Good," Donatello nodded.
Raph stepped into the room and put the supplies on table next to Alex's bed. He knelt down next to his sister and gave her arm a gently squeeze.
"You doin all right?" he asked. Raphael and Alexandra connected on a spiritual level more so than the others did. They were closest in age and spent quite a bit of time with each other as kids. Alex seemed to be the only one of the 5 Turtles who had any affect on channeling Raph's sullen and often aggressive moods. But there were still times when even she couldn't bring him back.
"I've been better," she sighed, opening her eyes.
"You're gonna be fine," Raph smiled. "Hey you've nursed all of us through alotta stuff. Now it's our turn to wait on you."
Alex squirmed to try and make herself more comfortable. She suddenly felt very tired.
"That's normal," Donatello said when Alex let off a big yawn. "Why don't you take a nap. It'll help get your mind off your ankle."
Alex nodded, her eyes closed. Raph took hold of her hand and pretty soon her breathing had slowed down and he knew she was sleeping. Even in her sleep he could tell that his sister was in pain.
"Come on Raph," Donnie whispered.
Raphael gently removed his hand from Alex's and followed Donnie out of the room.
********************************************************************************************
"How is she?" April asked when Michelangelo brought her down to the lair later that evening.
"Not good," Donatello responded. "Splinter is sitting with her now, but she's in more pain than she's letting on. And I'm worried that her ankle might be more seriously broken than I thought."
"Poor thing," April crooned. "Well I got the crutches and a couple different kinds of painkillers."
"Thanks April," Leo replied. "We really appreciate it."
April shook her head. "It's no problem."
Every one looked up as Splinter emerged from Alex's room. "She's almost asleep."
"Can I stop in quick and say hello?" April asked.
Splinter nodded.
********************************************************************************************
"Hey," April whispered, stepping into Alex's room.
Alex smiled. "Hi."
"How are you holding up?" April asked.
"I'm ok," Alex responded. This was at least the 5th or 6th time she'd been asked this question.
"I just wanted to drop in and check on you," April said. "I brought some painkillers for you."
"Thanks," Alex replied, yawning.
April nodded. "I'll let you get some sleep. You rest, and take it easy and listen to your brothers."
But Alex had already drifted off to sleep. April smiled slightly and walked out of the room.
********************************************************************************************
That night Alexandra another dream. She was back in the old lair this time. And she was uninjured.
"I can't do this!" a voice cried out.
Alex headed toward the voice and peeked around a corner.
"You must concentrate my child," a younger version of Splinter's voice responded.
She recognized the pink eye mask as her own. Alex was watching her younger self go through training. A younger version of Leonardo was standing a short distance away, his arms crossed over his chest. He was watching his sister's lesson for the day. A hint of evil flashed in his eyes whenever she fell.
"Wow…" she whispered.
Mini Alex attempted another back flip and landed on her head. She sat on the floor discouraged.
"I'll never get it right," Mini Alex sighed, slamming her hands against the mat. "I'll never be as good as Leo."
Splinter placed a hand on her shoulder. "It will come with practice Alexandra. You must not compare yourself with your brothers."
Mini Alex sighed again. "But I want to be as good a ninja as my brothers."
"You're not in the mindset to continue practicing today," Splinter spoke. "We'll resume tomorrow."
Full-grown Alex leaned against the wall and looked toward the ceiling. Her dreams were obviously supposed to tell her something. But she still did not understand.
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Donatello was on his way back to bed after getting a glass of water when he heard soft noises coming from Alex's room. It sounded like whimpers.
"Alex?" Donatello whispered, pushing the door all the way open.
Alexandra sniffed and tried to cover up the fact that she'd been crying.
"What's wrong?" Donnie asked, hurrying toward the bed.
"Nothing," Alex replied quickly. "I'm fine."
"Don't lie to me sis," Donatello said. "Is your ankle feeling worse?"
"It's fine," Alex lied. "I just had a weird dream is all."
Donatello wasn't satisfied with her answer. He turned on the light and pulled back the blankets. Alex's ankle was swollen to the size of a grapefruit.
"The ice cubes should be frozen by now. I'll go get you an ice pack," Donatello told her. He hurried to the kitchen and returned a few moments later, ice in toe. Very gently he placed the pack around Alex's ankle.
Alex winced and dug her fingers into the mattress.
"Alex I'm so sorry I can't do anything for you besides give you ice and painkillers," Donnie spoke.
"It's ok," Alex replied. "I'll be fine. I can cope. I just won't move very much for the next few weeks," she tried to joke.
"I feel bad though. I hate to see you or any of the others suffering," Donnie shook his head.
Alex reached out and grabbed his hand. "You've done a lot for me already today. Go back to bed."
Donatello gave his sister a quick kiss on the cheek, turned the light out and headed back to his own room. Alex settled back into her bed and tried to sleep.
********************************************************************************************
"Something troubles you my daughter," Splinter spoke when he came to sit with Alex the next day. "You are quiet and distant."
Alex fiddled with the tassel on her jutte. She wasn't sure if she was ready to tell her sensei about the dreams.
"I guess I'm just a little tired today Master Splinter," Alex replied. "I haven't been sleeping well."
"I know that your lack of sleep is not from your injury alone," Splinter told her.
Alex looked into Splinter's eyes. She should have known that she couldn't have hidden her secret. Splinter seemed to always know what was going on.
"I've been having weird dreams," Alex relented.
"Tell me of what my child," Splinter spoke softly.
Alex sighed and fidgeted. "Dreams of my past. Of the mutation and of my early training."
"You are searching for answers," Splinter explained.
"Answers to what?" Alex questioned, frustration ringing on her voice. "I don't understand what these dreams are telling me."
Splinter slowly placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Your answers will come when the time is right Alexandra. I can not tell you the meaning of these dreams. You alone must figure this out."
Alex felt defeated. So much for quick answers, she cursed to herself. But then again, maybe she didn't really expect Splinter to give in so easily and tell her what she needed, and what she wanted to know.
"Now my child it is time for you to rest," Splinter said.
Alex turned away and looked toward the wall. She heard her master's cane dragging on the floor as he left her room, leaving her to continue a personal search for the answers she desperately needed.
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Thanksgiving was rapidly approaching and preparations for a big dinner were in order. Alex felt bad that while her brother's and April prepared for the feast, she was flat on her shell, coddled and babied. She thought that if she didn't get up soon she'd go stir crazy.
"What are you doing up?" Leonardo asked as Alex awkwardly hobbled from her bedroom, giving her crutches a test run.
"I thought I'd take a spin around the sewers," Alex joked.
Leonardo didn't find this funny. "You know you're supposed to be resting in bed."
"I've been resting in bed for 4 days, "Alex shot back.
"Fine then. If you hurt yourself and are laid up for longer, don't come complaining to us," Leo said tersely.
Alex huffed. "Why have you been so bitter towards me lately?"
"I'm not bitter," Leo replied quickly.
Snickering, Alex hobbled to the couch where Mike was sitting and playing video games.
"Stupid!" Mike hollered. "Damn you Mario! Jump! RAR! Dumb controller!"
"Having problems?" Alex grinned, plopping down on the couch and propping her ankle up.
Mike's tongue popped out of the corner of his mouth and his brow furrowed in concentration. "Mario is a stupid-AH! Don't run into that!"
Alex tried to divert his mouth from cursing at the video game. "Who's coming to this big dinner thing on Thanksgiving?"
"April, Casey, Kino, Professor Perry, and of course we're all gonna be there too," Mike replied, never taking his eyes off the TV.
"What's the menu?" she pestered.
"Traditional Thanksgiving stuff," Mike responded.
Alex stood up from the couch and tucked her crutches under her arms. "Great talkin to you too Mike," she said sarcastically.
Mike waved a hand at her. "Any time sis."
Shaking her head, Alex headed back to her room.
"What are you doing out here?" Raphael's voice said sharply, catching Alex off guard and causing her to lose her balance. In a flash her brother was holding her up.
"Scare the crap out of me why don't you!" she hollered as he handed her the crutches.
"Hurt yourself more why don't you!" Raph shot back.
"Humph!" Alex snorted. She stood there eyeing him.
"Well?" he said.
"Well what?" Alex replied.
"Are you going back to bed or am I going to have to carry you?" Raph threatened.
Alex straightened her back. "Is that a threat? Maybe I don't want to go to bed."
"It's a promise," Raphael replied. "And you're going back to bed." He took the crutches from her and tossed them to the floor. Then he proceeded to pick his sister up in a Firemen's carry.
"Hey! Put me down!" Alex protested as Raph hauled her back to her room.
"Certainly," Raph told her and set her gently on the bed. "Where you belong. And you can have your crutches back when you're SUPPOSED to be up and around. Donnie'd ring your neck if he saw you."
Alex scowled and held up her hand to make the chatterbox sign. Raph cuffed at her.
"Night night," he chortled, shutting the door as he left.
Alex blew a raspberry when the door closed.
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Alex's next dream was of the first time she laid hands on her jutte. She was reminded of how odd they felt in her hands. How she didn't know what to do with them. Leo was still standing in that corner, watching her with taunt in his eyes. The more he glared, the harder she worked. And the harder she worked the more anger she saw in her brother.
Sitting bolt-upright Alex was hit with a wave of realization. Her dreams were telling her that she needed to make peace with Leonardo. That it was time to put the past behind, and move on. All of Alex's life she had felt as though she was in the shadow of her brothers and her motivation was competing with Leonardo. His anger and bitterness was his defense towards feeling threatened by his younger sister. It was time to make amends. And Alex knew exactly the right time to do it.
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Thanksgiving was finally here. It was a day of confusion, blind insanity…and football crazed brothers eating pork rinds and screaming at the TV. Alex was smack in the middle of it, sprawled on the couch with her ankle propped up, eating a Popsicle.
"The Giants are going to cream Tampa Bay," Michelangelo stated.
Raphael raised a sai. "You're crazy! Tampa Bay is gonna win hands down!"
Alex rolled her eyes as Mike and Raph stared each other down.
"They both suck!" she shouted. Her brother's gazes turned from each other to her. "You wouldn't hurt a cripple would ya?" she smiled nervously.
"No…" Mike replied slowly. "But I will do this!" He grabbed a pillow from a nearby chair and started hitting Alex in the face with it.
"Ack!" Alex's muffled cry came out.
Leonardo happened to be walking through on his to the kitchen with groceries."What the heck are you guys doing?" He shouted.
Mike stopped, pillow in mid-air. "Chill out dude. Alex and I were just goofin."
"Yeah it's all fun and games till some one gets hurt isn't it Michelangelo," Leo snapped, hinting at his involvement in the skateboard accident.
Mike cowered. Then slowly he got to his feet and walked into his room, slamming on the door.
"You've been pretty bitchy lately Leo," Raph spat. "Mike was just joking around."
"I don't need your attitude Raph," Leo almost growled. "I need to go help Donny and April with dinner."
"What's eatin him?" Raph asked, gesturing toward Leo.
Alex shrugged. But the more and more agitated Leonardo's behavior got, made her suspect that something was nagging at him too.
********************************************************************************************
Alex hobbled into the kitchen. Leo was chopping vegetables with Donatello.
"Leo?" she said tentatively.
"What?" he replied.
"We have to talk," Alex demanded.
Leo huffed. "I'm kind of busy."
"Now," Alex ordered. "In my room. I don't care if you're preparing to meet the president. We need to discuss what's been going on lately."
April turned around. "It's ok, we're almost done here."
Leo scowled and followed after Alex.
********************************************************************************************
Alex leaned on one of her crutches and eyed Leo.
"What's been going on with you lately?" she questioned gently. "You've been so cross with everyone. At first I thought it was just me you were upset with. But then when you snapped at Mike and Raph I realized it was something else."
Leo grumbled. "Nothing is wrong."
"You're a horrible liar Leonardo," Alex chuckled. She fished around for a second. "Have you been having dreams?"
Immediately Leo's head shot up. "I-don't know what you're talking about."
"Yeah you do," Alex replied.
"Fine Alex, I've been having dreams," Leo snarled, getting up and standing in front of the closed door.
Alexandra turned to face him. "I've been having them too."
This was news to Leo. He turned back around.
"Dreams about our past?" he said slowly.
Alex nodded. "Do you know what they mean?"
Leo sighed and flopped on the bed. Alex winced as it jiggled and made her ankle twinge.
"Oh Alex…I'm sorry," Leo confessed. "I never meant to be so short with you. I guess…I've always felt threatened by you."
"I've always felt like I was in your shadow," Alex said softly. "When we were kids, all I wanted to do was be like my big brothers. I thought as we got older that I'd grown out of it. But I guess I was wrong."
"I know how you feel," Leo nodded his head. "Look I'm so sorry for how I've been treating you. And every one else."
Alex thought she saw a little bit of mist form over his eyes. She reached out and embraced her brother in a big hug. When they broke apart both Turtles were crying.
Leo sniffled and wiped his face. "Let's go eat."
Alex shook her head and chuckled. "Lead the way big brother."
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That year Thanksgiving came at precisely the right time. Not only was the food delicious, and the fact that all of the Turtles friends had joined them, but Leonardo was back to his old self.
"I think we should all say grace before we eat," Michelangelo spoke
up.
There was a murmer around the table and every one thought that it was a good idea.
"I'd like to do the grace," Donatello said.
Everyone bowed their heads and remained silent as Donnie spoke.
"Dear Lord, heavenly father, we thank you for bringing us together today and blessing us with the fortune of good friends, family and of course, good food. We pray for all the people who are less fortunate than we are and that they may find peace in their lives. Amen."
"Amen," every one chorused.
"Let's eat!" Raph hollered. "I'm starved!"
"Wait!" Alex yelled. "I have something I want to say."
The room went silent again.
"I just want to say…how grateful I am for everyone. Kino, April, Proffessor, and of course…my family for putting up with me this past week. And to Leo with who's help...I've come to realize that I'm special in my own way." Alex leaned over and gave her brother a hug.
Leo's eyes started to mist over again. "And I want to say that I am thankful I am to have a wonderful little sister like Alex, and 4 wonderful little brothers."
"Can we eat now?" Raphael asked.
There were groans around the table.
"Leave it to Raph to break up a touching moment," Donatello chided.
Michelangelo laughed. "Yeah!"
Once again the table was filled with chatter and clanking dishes. Leo smiled as he passed Alex the peas. Outside the warmth of the lair, the first snowflakes had made their descent to the earth, making this Thanksgiving even more memorable.
The End