Author's note: I'm BACK! After nearly a year after Repercussions was completed I have finally made some progress with the next chapter in my TMNT series. Updates might be a little sporadic but I'm so happy to be finally uploading this :) Everything centres on seasons 6 and 7, exploring Leo and Venus' relationship, Raph's adaptation to the future, Donny's responsibility to his family; basically a bit of everything. While there is a linear story line, the plot embellishes the events of season 6, while skimming over season 7 (which I know we all try to forget) to explore the events directly after April and Casey's wedding.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and please review. It's so good to be back! :)
Settling In
Venus thought she had finally found some normality. She thought that, for a little while at least, she could enjoy a little peace. They had defeated the Shredder, and had heard nothing from him for a few weeks. Thanks to a gentle exercise regime and a diet packed with protein, Venus had nearly physically fully recovered from his onslaught at the docks. Inside though, there were still cracks, and every day she meditated deeply to try and heal her core, at Master Splinter's insistence. She was also banned from using her gifts until she felt herself again.
They had managed to destroy the staff of Bu'Kai, and the sword of Tengu would be losing most of its power by now, hopefully damaged beyond repair thanks to its 'overcharging'. Reading through some of the oldest scrolls she had inherited, Venus was strangely glad it had been Shredder who had tried to combine both forces; in truth, he had no idea how to fully exploit the power he had wielded, it turns out, or realised that there was actually a way to keep the sword that powerful for a very long time after, without having to use Venus as a constant battery charger. She'd inwardly shivered when she'd read that particular section, and found herself feeling quite sorry for the Shinobi victims who had had their power drained in such a way over 600 years ago. No, thankfully due to the Shredder's arrogance, it was too late, and Venus and her family were safe, for now. Quite rightfully, in her eyes, the group deserved a little normality. She herself had moved back into the lair, April helping her bring her stuff over the day after she woke up. She and Splinter were on speaking terms again too, which was a huge relief. She could see the guilt that still hung over him every day, and so she tried to act as if the past 6 months had never happened. She treated him with the same respect and affection as she had done before his disregard for her, which she knew had caught the others by surprise. To her shock, the three brothers had all apologised one by one for not sticking up for her when Master Splinter was being particularly cruel, or for not seeing the signs between her and Leo sooner and supporting it. To all three, she had told them not to apologise, not to worry, that all was healed and well. She would never ask them to choose between their father and herself, and once each of them had walked away, she let herself be glad that they had at least recognised their father's cruelty. It provided a little hope for the future, should something like this happen again. And she was glad that whenever Leo stole a kiss from her, or held her hand, or showed some form of affection in front of his family, they all smiled, or smirked, or 'awww'd in the case of Mikey. Even Master Splinter smiled, prompting Leo to do the same.
Leonardo…Venus smiled at the thought of him. For the past few weeks he had barely left her side. At first it had irritated her a little, but she realised it wasn't just out of worry. Being in a relationship was new and exciting for him (and for her too), and it made him want to constantly be around her. But she had told him that during training and battle they were still a team. They left the relationship aside whenever they had to fight, whether in the dojo or on the streets. Venus made him promise not to mollycoddle her or to place her above anyone else in terms of worth or protection. He had agreed, and she knew that Master Splinter had appreciated the gesture. And so they had attempt to pursue as normal a relationship as they could. In fact, after a few weeks everything felt normal again: her strength returned, her nightmares ceased, and her core had mostly healed, prompting her to exercise a few of her gifts. For a little while, the group enjoyed a moment of peace…until they had been transported 100 years into the future.
One moment Venus was reading through her scrolls in the living room, ignoring the bickering over the television remote, the next she was stood by the side of a very busy road. Initially, New New York had been overwhelming for Venus, and the fact that they were all running around practically naked didn't help. She blushed as the guys all averted their eyes, even Leo; they had gotten that close yet. The atmosphere around them made her feel strange, even after they were given their regulators (and thankfully some gear) to wear. It took her a while to realise it was because she was surrounded by bricks, and concrete, and metal; not one tree or plant in sight.
By the time they had found Mikey, and been escorted back to Cody's luxurious apartment, the group were exhausted.
"I'd give you guys a tour, but you look like you're gonna fall flat on your feet," Cody had offered, nervously smiling.
"A tour of the kitchen would be great!" Mikey replied. "I'm starving!"
"Michelangelo!" Splinter barked, slamming his staff to the floor. The group flinched, although Leo could see the bags underneath his father's eyes. "Do not be so rude."
"It's fine, Master Splinter," Cody replied. "Sirling can make something real quick in the kitchen." He looked awkward.
"Thank you Cody, but I believe it would be best if we all got a good night's sleep."
The group inwardly groaned at the prospect of not having any dinner, but nodded along to keep their father satisfied.
"Alright then," Cody answered, unsure. "I'll show you your rooms."
The group alighted a small flight of stairs to find a long corridor of several rooms.
"There are four bathrooms on this floor, which should be enough, right?"
They nodded, in a daze at the size of the apartment.
"Great. My room's upstairs, so I'll leave you guys to get settled. See you at breakfast tomorrow."
"Thank you Cody," Leo replied, giving him a deep bow. "For everything."
The others followed suit, startling Cody, who merely smiled and left to go upstairs.
"Well he's kinda awkward, isn't he?" Mikey grinned.
"Definitely gets that from Casey," Raph replied, earning smirks from his brothers.
"Enough my sons," Splinter interjected. "I suggest you all get some sleep. We will need to start sorting this mess in the morning."
"Yes Sensei," Leo responded, bowing to his father before turning to the rest of his family. "Right, everyone pick a room. We can figure all this out tomorrow."
The group disbanded, Venus kissing Leo on the cheek in goodnight before taking the room opposite his. She closed the door behind, leaning against it as she stared at the room before her. It had a massive window, the city sitting beneath it, twinkling. She also had a desk, a small bookcase, a TV, bedside cabinet, and a massive bed that she could tell was unbelievably comfortable just by looking at it.
Despite the luxury, she still felt unsettled. She moved forward to stare down at the city, desperately searching for one speck of green, something colourful other than a fancy advertising display or a light show. But there was nothing.
She immediately felt a little obsolete. What use does the ability to control nature have in a world so bereft of nature?
Voices outside dragged her mind back into the apartment. She gently opened her door but found no one in the corridor, the noises coming from Leo's room. She silently shut her door and softly tapped on his.
"Leonardo?" She whispered, tensing as the voices went silent within.
The door open a crack and a pair of eyes stared out at her.
"What's the password?"
"Michelangelo, you realise this is only a wooden door, right?"
A pause. "Good answer."
Venus smiled as Mikey opened the door fully and quickly pulled her inside, shutting it behind her.
"What's with all the secrecy?" Venus asked, surprised to see all four brothers sat in Leo's room.
"Mikey's hungry," Raph stated. "But don't wanna get caught by Master Splinter. Too bad he got caught by us tryna rope in Mr Sneaky here."
Leo rolled his eyes. "He didn't 'rope me in'."
"Not yet anyway," Donny muttered, before his stomach rumbled loudly. "I'm with Mikey on this one. You reckon that Serling could get us something?"
"He's not the butler, Don," Leo chided.
"Fine, then we'll just something ourselves," Raph, getting up to leave.
"Come on Raph, you're really going to sneak out?"
"Leo, I ain't even leaving the apartment!"
Venus' stomach suddenly growled very loudly, causing Raph to smirk.
"You really gonna let your girlfriend starve?"
"Raph-"
Leo was too late: his brothers quickly dragged Venus out of his room, leaving him to silently follow. He found them in the kitchen, watching Mikey as he made a load of grilled cheeses. Leo looked at the already chaotic kitchen in despair.
"How is it you can make so much mess making sandwiches, in such a short amount of time?" Leo asked, shaking his head.
"Easy bro. You just gotta get creative."
"And he's had plenty of practice," Donny added.
Venus smirked as Mikey presented her with the first sandwich.
"Mi'lady."
Her stomach immediately thanked her as she consumed her sandwich, the others soon sharing her satisfaction.
"Alright, I take it back. This was a great idea Mikey," Leo admitted. He earned a grin from his brother.
"Anytime bro."
With full stomachs, the group cleaned up the kitchen and snuck back to their rooms, falling into dreamless sleeps as soon as they crashed onto their beds.
The next morning, Venus awoke to the sound of knocking at her door. Bleary eyed, she sat up, frowning at the sunlight streaming through her window.
"Come in."
She was surprised to see Mikey peaking round her door.
"Hey, so, it's like 10am, and I don't wanna face Master Splinter's wrath alone."
"It's 10am?!"
Mikey nodded.
Venus leapt up and began pulling her gear on, Mikey turning his face until she opened the door fully.
"We better get the others,"
"Err, they're already up."
Venus gulped.
The pair made their way into the dining room to find Cody and Master Splinter sat at each end of the table, the brothers sat on the sides between them. Venus took her place opposite Leo while Mikey sat opposite Raph, Donny sitting between them.
"So good of you two to join us." Master Splinter's voice was deviously pleasant. "Young Cody was kind enough to give us a tour of the apartment this morning before breakfast. It is a shame you missed it."
The pair ducked their heads as Serling brought some more pancakes out for them. They glanced at Master Splinter, who nodded, before tucking in.
"Thank you Serling," Venus offered, earning an awkward smile from Leo.
After breakfast as the others broke off, she grabbed his hand.
"Why didn't you wake me?" Venus asked, glaring at him.
"I thought you'd already be in the garden meditating. It was too late to come back for you once Sensei saw me, especially when Don and Raph walked in."
"Yes, well you could have…did you say garden?"
"Err, yeah. Why?"
"Venus?" Cody called, walking over to the pair. "Erm, there's something I'd like to show you, if you're not busy."
She looked to Leo, who shrugged.
"Sure."
She couldn't help smiling when the boy grinned at her, leading her to a set of stairs at the far end of the dining room.
"I heard that you always liked to meditate in Central Park back in your own time, since it was the most natural place in the city," Cody explained.
Venus nodded. Amongst the strangeness of the city, she found comfort in being in the presence of April and Casey's descendant, a presence which, thanks to his genes, she could recognise in such a strange world. She sense his kindness.
"I'm afraid to say the park has changed quite dramatically since your time."
"In what way?"
"Well… they kinda built a giant mall on top of it."
"Oh." The thought of her little safe haven no longer existing stung her a little, which Cody saw as she looked at her feet in disappointment. He felt terrible.
"But there is something a little natural here." He smiled slightly and Venus realised they had come to the top of the stairs. The boy typed a pin into a keypad beside the door, which opened with a beep. Venus was suddenly greeted by a soft glow and gentle breeze, the hum of traffic and people echoing slightly in the distance. She stepped out onto grass and realised she was in a little garden on the roof of the building. A tiny stream ran through the garden into a little pond containing tiny fish. She didn't bother to ask how on earth the stream was up this high, knowing she probably wouldn't understand the answer. There were a few miniature flower beds on one side, while bonsai trees were dotted about in small pots. She turned to lean against the fence that marked the edge of the garden, finding the whole city laid out before her. How different this is, she thought to herself, to be on a rooftop without the need to hide. I do not need to simply watch; I can go down and join those below. How different to be in a garden so high, above a land of concrete, metal, and electricity. This is certainly not the New York I know, and I hadn't even quite gotten used to the old one yet.
"So, do you like it?"
The voice brought Venus out of her thoughts; she'd forgotten she wasn't alone.
"It's perfect, Cody. I hadn't realised you were such an avid gardener."
The boy looked sheepish. "I'm not, really. Apparently my father was, so I never really wanted to get rid of it. We have someone come occasionally to tidy the place up though. I'm not much of a, what's the word? Horalogist? Herbolgist?"
"Horticulturalist?" Venus answered, smiling slightly.
"That's it. I'm more adept with machines than with nature."
"Well I'm sure Master Splinter and I could teach you something. We should never lose touch with nature since it is from nature we are created."
"I guess," Cody replied, looking a little sceptical. "But check this out."
He went back to the door and entered another code into a keypad outside. There was a soft whirring as what looked like glass rose up in four-pointed pieces from the sides of the garden and above the door, meeting like a pyramid above the garden and sealing them in.
"You can also use this place like a conservatory, so that when it gets too cold or starts raining, you can still use this space. It also means the weather can't damage the garden either."
Venus had been stunned into silence at that. As the pair made their way back downstairs suddenly realised that neither Cody, nor Donatello, knew when they would be able to return to their own time, and so guessed the former was preparing them for an extended stay. She banished thoughts of 'if they returned' as the boy took her for a tour of the rest of the apartment, picking up Mikey in the living room. For the rest of the day, the group lounged around in the apartment while Donnie and Cody fiddled around with the portal generator that had brought them here. They emerged from the lab just before dinner with downcast faces.
"Donnie, you get something?" Leo asked, aware of the tension surrounding his brother.
"Well...no." He slumped down into his chair. "The portal's totally shot. It's gonna take months to repair, if we can even work out how to do it."
"Do not fear my son. I am sure you and Cody will succeed in getting us back home."
Despite Master Splinter's words, a disappointed air settled on the table. Dinner was eaten in silence before the group disbanded, mumbling goodnight to each other before entering their rooms. Venus found herself staring at her room again, knowing she was going to be spending her nights here for the next few months. It was much bigger than her one at home. Her bed was softer too, her duvet slightly thicker. Everything was just a little better than it was back at home, but she would rather be back there in an instant.
The next day, she woke up irritated. She wasn't entirely sure why; she had slept well, perfectly in fact. But she felt a frustration with her surroundings: she really didn't want to be there. She did some stretches, trying to dispel her negativity before venturing into the living room for training. She found Leo already there performing some katas. He went to greet her but froze when he sensed the irritation streaming off of her. One by one his brothers came in, sensing the tension around Venus too. She heard Raphael and Leonardo whispering as she spared against Donatello and Michelangelo.
"Bro, what did you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"How did you manage to piss Venus off so badly?"
"I didn't! I mean, I don't think I did. I'm not sure."
Normally, Venus would have smiled at Leo's confusion, but her irritation was too great, so she instead focused on defeating Donny and Mikey, who seemed wary of her all of a sudden. She thrashed the pair of them in three minutes, 20 seconds.
Venus remained silent at breakfast, picking at the pancakes Serling had made for the group. Mikey wolfed his down in a matter of moments, before eyeing up Venus' plate. He didn't dare ask though, the bruises on his arms from earlier beginning to darken and throb painfully. There was a sudden crash as Raph dropped his fork onto his plate, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Alright, what's eatin' ya up Venus? If it's between you and Leo, then I'll leave ya both to deal with it, but I figure it ain't since you've been givin' all of us the cold shoulder."
Venus stared at Raphael, before glancing at his brothers, who all looked down when her eyes met theirs. But not Raphael. His gaze remained harsh and unrelenting, making her anger increase. But truth be told, she didn't really know exactly why she was angry.
"Raphael," Splinter spoke suddenly, making Venus glare at him too. The rat had not escaped her irritation. "What you lack in tact you make up for in brute honesty." Raphael frowned, causing Splinter to roll his eyes. "I believe I may understand Venus' frustration. Do you remember what she was doing the moment we were brought here into the future?"
Raphael shrugged his shoulders, frowning.
"I believe she was sat minding her own business, reading. Is that correct Venus?"
He looked directly at her, and she nodded.
"So tell me, Raphael, how would you feel if one day you had been minding your own business, after finally gaining some peace and quiet in a city that you were still getting used to, when suddenly you were yanked out of that time and put somewhere completely new and unknown, a place with so little interest for you, all because your family were squabbling over a television remote, something you had barely touched since arriving in the still new city?"
Venus' eyes widened. He'd nailed it on the spot.
"I know that you are not angry with us personally Venus, just with the situation and-"
"And the fact that Cody brought us here without a backup plan of how to get us home again?" Mikey interrupted, at first earning a frown from his father, before he nodded slightly.
"I'm sorry, I never meant for you guys to get stuck here, although I guess I could've found a way to contact you guys before bringing you here." He looked directly at Venus now. "I'm sorry Venus, I didn't realise how different this place would be to the past."
Venus could see the guilt in his eyes and cracked.
"Cody, you do not need to apologise. My behaviour this morning has been…immature. And it is not that there is little interest for me here, but whereas you all see this city as alive with its busy streets and busy people, to me, there is barely any life here since it is so…artificial. If in the future people forget about where they came from, what natural forces made them, whether they are human or alien, then I fear for the future."
"There are still national parks out there Venus," Cody assured her. "The government takes great care in preserving what we have left. I just guess nature is now a show thing rather than something for the everyday."
Venus sighed, not wanting to think about what had become of China in this new age; of her home. She wondered if all the shinobi had died out, or whether there were just a few out there, clinging onto what little nature remained, trying to protect it as best they could.
"I guess you're right."
She took a few more mouthfuls of pancakes before the group stood and disbanded, Donny and Cody to the lab, Michelangelo to the television, Master Splinter and Leo to Cody's personal library, and Serling to the kitchen. Raphael, on the other hand, gently pulled her aside.
"If it's any consolation, I really miss home too," he muttered. Venus cocked a brow at him. "I mean, at least you got Leo here, but Mona, she's all the way back in the past, and don't know where I am, or when we're gonna see each other again. I just wanna let her know I'm alright. Heck, I wanna know if she's okay. It's gonna drive me crazy."
"She'll be fine Raph. She's the toughest lizard I know."
"Ain't she the only lizard you know?" Raph replied, though with a sad smile, before joining his brother in front of the television.
At a loss at what to do, Venus gathered a pile of plates from the table and followed Serling, who jumped at the sight of her.
"Miss Venus, what are you doing?" he looked anxiously at the stack of plates in her arms, as if they might break with one look.
"Just trying to help clean up." She placed the dishes on the side, suddenly worried. "I haven't done anything wrong, have I? I haven't broken some form of future custom?"
"Well, no…it's just, I've never had help with the cleaning before." He was surprised to find the turtle looked shocked.
"Really? Oh, well, do you mind me helping?" She began putting the plates in the dishwasher, something they didn't have at home but April had just treated herself to one.
"Well, of course not, but please don't feel like you have to."
Venus turned, smiling. "Serling, of course I will help. You have welcomed us into your home. I just hope that the others do not break too many things before we leave." She sent him an apologetic look before leaving to get the rest of the dishes. The robot stood watching and smiled to himself.
Maybe this one isn't so bad.