Alrighty all, the sequel to Rogue
I hope you all enjoy this story as much as the first one!
A/N: Still don't own the turtles...
Vicissitude: a favourable or unfavourable event or situation that occurs by chance; a fluctuation of state or condition.
Chapter 1
Raphael's mind screamed at him to run and hide, but there was nowhere to run and hide. The foyer was blocked by too many bodies in a confined space. And it was too late, the woman was already intently studying them.
"Mom?" Katherine asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?" She asked as she waded past him, his brothers, April and Casey.
Katherine's mother turned her attention from them to Katherine. "Sweetheart, am I currently seeing four giant, human-like turtles standing in the foyer?" Her mother asked in an even voice.
"Yes mom." She answered truthfully.
"Alright, just checking." She said with a nod. She smiled at her daughter. "I told you, I was filming a TV show. We're on break right now and it just so happens that it is filming in New York city. I decided to come out and surprise you and maybe meet your beaus, and spend Thanksgiving with you. Now, let me look at you." Her mother said giving her a cursory once-over. "I was so worried about you being here alone. I was so glad to hear about you living with your...men." She sighed. "Only you Katherine could manage to find, and fall in love with men who aren't even human. I knew I shouldn't have let your uncle drag you all over the world. No offence." Katherine's mom said as she assessed him and his brother's again.
Raphael swallowed and took a step back.
"So are you going to introduce me?" She questioned as she let Katherine go and removed her oversized black shades.
Katherine blushed. "Um, right, sorry, manners. Mom, this is April and Casey Jones and their daughter Shadow." Katherine said indicating April and Casey who were standing closest to Katherine and her mother. "This is Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael and Leonardo." She said indicating each of them in turn. "Everyone, this is my mother, Amelia Wraith." She said gesturing to her mother with her hand.
Her mother held out her hand which Leonardo tentatively took. She briefly curtsied. "It is a pleasure to meet you." Her mother said politely. "It is nice to finally match a face to the name and voice." She said as she let go of Leonardo's hand. "I suppose you are set up in the master bedroom, so I suppose I shall get all of my things and put them in the spare one."
"You're staying here?" She asked surprised.
Her mother laughed. "Of course dear. Though I suppose it will get a little crowded in here, but I am sure we will make things work. Now, if you could get your...men, to grab my bags, it would be greatly appreciated. I need to freshen up a bit before dinner." SHe said with a smile.
Raphael's mouth hung open in shock.
Katherine's mother rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I worked in Hollywood, you are not the strangest thing I have ever seen." She said patting Michelangelo on the cheek as she started up the stairs.
"A Humvee? Where did you get that?" Katherine asked as she looked out the door.
Katherine's mom paused on the stairs and smiled. She put her finger to her lips and winked. "I would have borrowed a tank if I could." She said as she continued up the stairs.
"My mother still has issues with vehicles." Katherine grumbled shaking her head. "I thought I was safe from her deciding to pop by." She said with a sigh. "Come on April, Shadow must be hungry and I definitely smell something coming from that carrier that is not baby fresh." She said as she and April walked down the hallway to the kitchen.
"Raph, you are one lucky son of a bitch." Casey said with a shake of his head.
Raphael looked at Casey in confusion.
"They always say that if you want to know what your wife will look like in 20 years, look at your mother-in-law. Your girlfriend's mother is freaking Amelia Wraith! I had a picture of her on my wall when I was a teenager. Hey, you think she'll give me an autograph? How do I look?" He asked as he straightened out his hair. "I always wondered why Katharine always looked so familiar." Casey said as he followed April and Katherine into the kitchen.
"Well, that went well." Michelangelo said looking up the stairs.
"Your girlfriend Raph?" Leonardo asked raising a brow ridge and folding his arms across his chest.
"I am not telling Case and April that we are sharing Katherine." Raphael hissed.
"I think that cat is out of the bag Raph." Michelangelo said with a shake of his head.
"This is Casey we're talking about." Raphael pointed out.
"Except Katherine just broke up with us, remember?" Leonardo said with a shake of his head. "Besides, I thought you were leaving?" Leonardo asked.
Raphael frowned, having forgotten everything that had just happened. "I can't leave her Leo. There is something still wrong with her." He said fiercely.
Leonardo shook his head and sighed as he headed outside.
"Wait, what do you mean Kitten just broke up with you?" Michelangelo asked following Leonardo and himself out of the house and into the cool, dark night.
"I don't want to talk about it Mikey." Raphael said angrily.
"Which means you screwed up Raph." Michelangelo pointed out. "So why'd she break up with you Leo?"
Leonardo shrugged as he opened the back of the Humvee.
Raphael looked at the mound of luggage. "Great. Do we have to drag all this in?" He grumbled.
Leonardo looked at the bags. "I guess we'll just haul them in and Katherine's mom will let us know." He said.
Raphael looked at the pile of bags. "This is too messed up." He said shaking his head. "We are not supposed to be meeting Katherine's mom and actin' like this is all normal." He said in frustration.
"Let's just concentrate on surviving dinner, and then getting Katherine to take us back. Again." Leonardo said as he grabbed a bag in each hand. He winced in pain and just took out one bag.
Raphael looked at his brother in worry. He hadn't wanted to push his brother and Leonardo hadn't said anything, but the damage to his left shoulder and arm had not yet fully healed. Leonardo still trained, but sometimes he would notice that his brother's movements were no longer as sure, as powerful, or as fast as they used to be. He had seen Leonardo pick Katherine up on a few occasions, but he supposed his brother was compensating with his other arm.
"You know that neither of you actually deserve her, right?" Michelangelo asked as he grabbed a few bags and grimaced at the weight.
"Shut up Mikey." Raphael growled as he grabbed two bags. "What the hell has she got in here, rocks?" He asked as he hefted the bags.
Raphael gripped the two bags in his hands more firmly as he stalked angrily into the house and up the stairs, Leonardo and Michelangelo following on his heels.
He walked into the room and saw Katherine's mother standing in front of a full length mirror. "Leonardo and Raphael, stay a moment. Michelangelo I just need the blue case that is left in the Humvee. If you could bring it up for me and leave it outside the door I would greatly appreciate it."
Michelangelo looked at her in surprise, but nodded as he turned to leave the room. "Oh, and close the door behind you." She said as Michelangelo closed the door gently behind him, his face filled with suppressed laughter.
Raphael glared at the door, finally turning his attention to Katherine's mother. She turned from the mirror and studied both himself and Leonardo.
He got tired of the inspection and crossed his arms over his chest. "You done or do you want to check my teeth too?" He asked in irritation.
Leonardo elbowed him in the side and gave him a look.
Katherine's mom smirked. She pulled off her hat and held it in her hands."I will assume there is a winning personality somewhere under all of that anger and sarcasim." She said as she rolled the brim of her hat in her fingers. "So what exactly are you?" She questioned. "Aliens, inter-dimensional beings?"
"Mutant turtles." Raphael said in irritation.
Katherine's mother mulled this over and shrugged. "Not the worst plotline I've ever heard." She said as she stopped rolling the brim of her hat. "What I would really like to know however, is what happened to my daughter?" She asked, voice filled with barely controlled anger.
He exchanged a shocked look with Leonardo.
She continued as she looked at him. "You seem overly angry, but I seem to recall it was Leonardo who told me that he hadn't been treating my daughter right. So was it you who did that to her? Are you the one who has put the haunted, hunted look in my daughter's eyes and the scar across her cheek?" She asked.
Leonardo looked at Katherine's mom, his face full of guilt. "I would never hurt your daughter, physically or mentally." He said to her.
"Kitten didn't get that from us." Raphael said softly, his anger replaced with remorse.
"I will assume then, that this is somehow connected to why my uncle's house has been re-painted and repaired?" She asked evenly.
He and Leonardo shared another look as guilt flowed hot and sticky through him.
"Katherine was...It was our fault that she was dragged into something that had nothing to do with her." Leonardo replied softly.
"And my daughter was hurt?" She asked.
Raphael closed his eyes in shame and gave a curt nod.
Katherine's mother narrowed her eyes as she studied them. "Is she still in danger from whatever it is that you dragged her into?"
"No." Leonardo replied.
"Are you two going to protect my daughter in case you are wrong?" She asked them.
Raphael snorted. Katherine's mom looked at him in surprise. "Kitten doesn't need anyone to protect her. She can protect herself. Hell, she's the one who managed to save our asses."
Katherine's mom smiled slightly then. "Yes. I can believe that of her." She lost her smile and looked at them seriously. "But I will ask it of you anyway."
"We will protect her." Leonardo said with a nod.
"Good." She said as she put her hat on the bed. "I have never known Katherine to be indecisive. I wonder why she can't seem to choose between you? After all, it does not look like you two are happy sharing her." Her mother observed.
Raphael ground his teeth but remained silent.
Katherine's mom laughed. "Oh my, I really do wish I was not leaving so soon. I think it would be interesting to watch and see how this all plays out." She waved them off then. "I need to freshen up. Out you two go."
They turned to leave, but Leonardo paused as he assessed Katherine's mother. "You really don't have a problem with us being with her?" He asked.
Katherine's mother gave a half smile. "I haven't decided yet." She said truthfully.
Leonardo gave her a grim look.
She smiled a full smile then as a devil of mischief entered her eyes. "Though, I can see the appeal. After all, what is a human man when you can have two in-human lovers? I wonder if Katherine can't choose because she enjoys you two in bed too much. You both must be wonderful lovers. I am now curious as to what is beneath your pants."
Raphael felt his cheeks bloom red. "We...I..." He stammered in embarrassment.
"Out you go." Katherine's mom said shooing them out and closing the door behind them.
"I'm startin' to think that Katherine's mom does that on purpose." He grumbled as he walked down the hallway.
Raphael watched as Katherine took Shadow from April.
"She always wants to eat when we do." April said with a shake of her head. Katherine smiled. "It's okay April. I've got her. You actually enjoy a meal for once." Katherine said as she took the bottle and receiving blanket from April's hand and shoulder. She began feeding the baby as everyone began their meal. He and Leonardo hadn't been able to have a quiet word with Katherine yet, and he couldn't tell if she was still angry. She didn't seem to be, but with Katherine it was so hard to tell.
Dinner wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. Katherine's mother was polite and humorous, and the food was excellent. Dessert was homemade pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Raphael was so full he couldn't eat another bite.
They all stood, the men all heading towards the living room. "Boys, I think you are forgetting something." Katherine's mother said with a smile. "Katherine cooked, you boys get to do the dishes, we women are going to the living room." Her mother said as Katherine and April laughed handing them dish rags and towels.
"Hey, me and Donny helped!" Michelangelo protested.
"I mashed potatoes." Raphael pointed out.
Katherine's mother raised an eyebrow.
"Yes ma'am." Michelangelo said as he grabbed a tea towel. "I'll dry." He said with a smile.
"I'll dry." Casey said reaching for the other towel.
"I'll wash." Donatello said with a shrug.
Leonardo smiled and shook his head. "I guess I'll clean up the table." He picked up Katherine's plate. It was still clean, she hadn't eaten anything.
He frowned as he exchanged a worried look with Leonardo.
Katherine looked at her mother. April had gone upstairs to change Shadow's diaper and change her into a sleeper. "You know Katherine, if you wanted to shock me, or rebel, I could think of many other more mundane things to do than go off and get into a relationship with not one, but two inhuman men." She said with disapproval.
Katherine sighed. She was exhausted. Who knew planning and cooking a Thanksgiving dinner could be so exhausting? She had been too tired to even eat. Though if she was honest with herself, the smell of the food had made her stomach roll. Which meant she was coming down with the flu. And her mom was here, which was by far worse.
"I know mom." She agreed.
"Have I been ignoring you? Are you trying to outdo my youthful follies, which I will admit were many and quite scandalous for the time? Or are you still upset that I abandoned you after your father died?" She asked.
Katherine sighed. "Of course mom." She said in a monotone voice.
"Now you are just mocking me." She said with an angry huff.
"Besides not being human, do you have any other objections to any of them?" She questioned.
Her mother frowned. "Yes." She said to her. "They dragged you into something that managed to get you hurt." She said seriously.
She shrugged.
Her mother narrowed her eyes. "Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall." Her mother grumbled. "Fine if you are not going to talk, you will have to listen." Her mother straightened. "I know the appeal of having a man, or possibly several men, who are dangerous or exude an air of mystery and danger. But they will only ever drag you into trouble. Which they have already admitted they have done."
"Yes mom, you are right." She said with a nod.
Katherine's mother glared at her. "I hate it when you agree with me." She grumbled.
"I know." Katherine said to her mother.
"You get your stubbornness from your father you know."
Katherine laughed. "I got your stubborn streak as well mom, don't put this all on dad." She said with a smile.
Her mother sighed dramatically again. "Point." She conceded. "But look at your lovely face." Her mother said as she reached over and traced the two inch scar across her cheek. It was still an angry red. But she figured that one day it would fade.
"You don't like? I think it gives me a very piratical appearance. Pirates are very big right now, not quite as big as vampires though." She pointed out.
"I know a perfectly lovely cosmetic surgeon, I'll give you his number. He should be able to do something with it." Her mother said ignoring her quip.
"That's okay mom, I'm good. It'll fade." She said with a shrug.
"Why both?" Her mother asked switching topics abruptly. Her mother tended to use these tactics when she was tired of not getting her way, or if she wished to throw whoever she was talking to off guard, which usually resulted in a confused but often truthful answer to whatever probing question she was asking.
Of course Katherine knew her mother too well, and she also tended to use the same tactics at times, though not as purposefully as her mother did.
"Why are you here mom?" She questioned, avoiding the question altogether.
"You are avoiding the question Katherine." Her mother said softly.
Katherine smiled. "So are you."
Katherine heard her mother sigh. "I was worried." She said to her seriously.
Katherine nodded. "You don't have to worry about me mom." She said as she gave her mother a hug. "But things are...complicated right now." She said truthfully.
"I knew you were determined to avoid a society wedding dear, but you did not have to go to such extremes you know." Her mother chastised her. Katherine grinned at her mother who smiled at her. "If they make you happy dear."
"Happy?" She questioned as she thought it over. "I think I have never felt so angry, frustrated, sad, miserable, irritated, and annoyed in my life." She said with a shake of her head.
Her mother threw back her head and laughed. "You've never felt this alive." She pointed out. "I felt the same way with your father." She said with a sad smile. "He made me see the world differently. He was truly my better half. When I was with him, I was better, because of him. He was the love of my life." Her mother gave a slight sniff and put on a brave face.
"You still love him?" Katherine questioned.
"Always." Her mother said with a nod. "But it doesn't mean I love your stepfather any less." She hastened to add.
Katherine smiled. "I know." She said, because she did.
Leonardo watched as Katherine held a very sleepy Shadow in her arms. All of the women were huddled around and talking comfortably.
"So how's fatherhood Case?" Raphael asked as he slapped their friend on his back.
"So far, tiring." He said with a smile. "But you what Raph, she's amazin'." He said with pride. "You never really know, you know? I was scared when April told me she was pregnant. I thought I would be a terrible father. But now that she's here, I can't imagine my life without her." He said with a beaming smile.
"I'm happy for you Case." Raphael said with a smile.
"You think Katherine wants kids?" Casey questioned. Leonardo looked at Katherine and felt something pull within himself.
"We can't have children Casey." Leonardo said softly.
Casey frowned and blinked in confusion.
"We ain't human, remember?" Raphael said with a shake of his head.
Casey frowned harder. "Raph, you better find out if Katherine wants kids. Cause if you can't give her any, then she may leave you. Woman are funny about that sorta thing. Doesn't matter how much they love you, they hear that clock tickin' and they find someone who can make that sort of thing happen."
Leonardo gave Raphael a glance and looked at Casey. "Katherine knows that if she is with...Raph, that she won't have any kids or be able to get married. She 's already thought about and accepted all of the ramifications of being with...Raph." Leonardo said, allowing his brother to keep up the impression that Katherine was still only dating Raphael, even though Katherine had broke up with both of them earlier this evening.
Raphael frowned. "See, Kitten's smart. Besides, she's only 21 Case."
"Which means plenty of time to change her mind." Casey pointed out.
Leonardo's gaze strayed back to Katherine. She was passing Shadow back to April who stood. April looked at him and Raphael. "I don't think either of you have held Shadow yet." April said as she smiled at Shadow. "I think you want to meet your Uncle Leo and Uncle Raph." She said as she handed Shadow to him. He looked at the tiny wrapped bundle. He held her and didn't move in case he broke her. Shadow's sleepy green eyes looked at him, her mop of dark hair standing up at odd angles.
He had never held a baby before and he didn't even know if he was doing it right. "Just be careful of the her neck." April said as he looked at her desperately. "But she's pretty secure in the blanket so you don't have to worry about her too much. You aren't going to break her you know." She said with a soft smile.
"But she's so tiny." He said to her.
April laughed. "She was big enough, believe me. She's a healthy eight pounds, aren't you?" She said as he gratefully handed her back.
"Oh no you don't." April admonished Raphael. "You are her uncle, and you are holding her Raph." Aprilsaid as she put a recieving blanket on Raphael's shoulder. "Here." She said as she gently put Shadow on the recieving blanket the was over Raphael's shoulder."Now pat her on the back. Burping is good." April said as Raphael looked horribly uncomfortable. He patted her lightly on the back. Shadow let out a huge burp and April smiled. "There you go. Now you can go to bed." April took Shadow back from Raphael and began patting her on the butt. She let out another burp. "Good girl." April said as she looked at her daughter. "Say goodnight to daddy." Casey gazed at his daughter, a tender look on his face as he gave his daughter a light kiss on the top of her head. "Let's get you to bed. Goodnight everyone."
Leonardo had a momenttary flash of jealousy as he watched Casey and April with their daughter, because he knew he would never have children of his own. His eyes moved ot Katherine. But he had Katherine, and that was enough. He just hoped that she took him back.
Katherine's mother stood and wished the happy couple goodnight.
Casey and April said goodnight to Katherine and thanked her for dinner before leaving the livingroom to head upstairs to the other spare bedroom.
"I'm off to bed too." Katherine said standing. "Are you going to be here for breakfast?" Katherine asked her mother as she gave her a hug.
"I'm staying for the weekend dear, so yes, I will be here for breakfast." She stood. "I am exhausted. I am off to bed as well. Goodnight Katherine, I will see you all in the morning."
Katherine paused for a moment and nodded. "Alright, goodnight." She said as she watched her mother walk out of the room.
"Katherine." Raphael began.
"I am too tired Raphael, okay? I don't want to talk right now, I just want to go to sleep."
"Okay Kitten." Raphael said as he walked towards her.
"No." Katherine said shaking her head as Raphael stopped in confusion. "What part of 'I don't need either of you', do you not understand?" She said, her voice as cold as the arctic.
"Katherine," Leonardo said at the same time he said "Kitten."
"I am not a broken bird Raphael. You want to leave, the door is right there." She said pointing to the door. "Michelangelo and Donatello, there is a serious shortage of sleeping space, you two can sleep with me, Raphael and Leonardo, you two can fight over who gets the couch, and who gets the floor." She said as she walked out of the room.
"Wow Raph. What did you do?" Michelangelo asked as he watched Katherine's retreating back. He glared at his baby brother who grinned at him. "G'night." He said as he turned to leave the living room.
"Don't you dare Mikey." Raphael threatened.
Michelangelo turned but kept walking backwards. He gave a shrug and a grin. "Kitten is pissed at you and Leo, and there is nowhere else to sleep."
"Sleep on the floor." He growled.
Donatello walked past Leonardo and headed for the door. "Donny," Leonardo warned.
Donatello turned and looked at him. "If she doesn't want to be around you two right now, she should at least still be with someone, in case she has a nightmare. Also she is looking a little pale and she did not eat dinner. I'd like to see if there is anything I can do to help." He said as he left the room.
Raphael clenched his teeth and fists together in anger.
"Calm down Raph." Leonardo said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Mikey and Donny aren't going to do anything, besides, I think Katherine needs to do this."
"Break up with us and make us jealous with our own brothers?" He asked incredulous. "I've already got all the jealousy issues I can handle with just you at the moment Leo." Raphael growled.
Leonardo frowned at Raphael. "She needs to see if she can sleep without us Raph. You were the one who pushed her, so now she is seeing if she can do it on her own."
"She's sleepin' with Mikey and Donny, that ain't alone."
"No, but it was her love for us that made her strong enough to live through what Hun put her through." Leonardo swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat. "Donny and Mikey will be there because Katherine has issues with being alone. If she can sleep the night without us, then she will probably try sleeping the night alone and see if she can." He finished softly.
Raphael growled low in his throat. "I call couch." He said as he walked over to the couch and pulled off a pillow and threw it at him.
Leonardo gave a half smile as he pulled a blanket from the chair. He turned out the lamp nearest him.
Raphael turned off the lamp at the table closest to his head. "What happens if she doesn't need us anymore Leo?" Raphael's disembodied voice asked from the couch.
"I don't know Raph." He replied softly as he closed his eyes.
So thoughts? opinions? What does everyone think so far?