Hello those of you who read my notice, as well as those who did not! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated I've been really busy with school stuff, but now since its holiday season everything has slowed down so I hope to get a lot of updates in over the next couple days!
Important Note* This is the sequel to my story Of Turtles and Lizards! So if you haven't read that you might want to read it first.
A Tale of Two Reptiles
Ch. 1-Forgiveness is Divine
Raph was getting better and better every day and was walking around now.
He and Leo hadn't spoken a word since the night he tried to kill him. Almost three weeks had passed. The eldest knew his brother was hurt more deeply than even he could understand, but having a silent Raphael was in many ways ten times scarier than a customarily noisy one. Finally after an entire week of silence, Raphael and Leonardo were alone in the main room. Leo's insightful blue gaze glanced his brother up and down when he returned, checking for any injuries and found none.
Donnie had forbidden Raph from leaving the lair, but of course as soon as he was able the hothead had stormed off to look for Mona Lisa. Guilt had been eating away at Leo since he found out the lizard had actually left. This was all his fault, and the way Raph had been treating him was no less than he deserved and he acknowledged that.
He sighed. "Raph I know you don't want to talk to me..." His voice faded away. What was he going to say? What could he say? He was responsible for his younger brother's distress, shell, he pretty much broke his brother's heart. What the hell could he say?
Leo closed his mouth. There was nothing he could do. Raphael left the room.
Two more days passed in painful silence. And on the third day, Leo found himself alone in kitchen. Where the others had gone he wasn't sure, probably out to try and find Mona Lisa. He had just taken a seat at the table when he felt a chill run up his spine, and he turned to look over his shoulder. He jumped at his immediate younger brother's proximity and spoke shakily, "Raph! Don't scare me like that!"
Raphael, as usual, said nothing, but he didn't move away either, which was making Leo increasingly uncomfortable. Finally the emerald green turtle sat next to his brother.
Leo stared at him. After weeks of absolute silence, and casual avoidance...Leonardo realized this was the closest he'd been to his brother in days.
Raph stared at the counter as Leo stared deliberately avoiding his brother's gaze. Truth be told he was waiting for the right moment. He'd already decided no was the time to speak. He could see that Leo regretted what had happened. But could he really forgive his brother for what happened? He sighed. That only made Leo stare at him again. Again, he avoided his brother's gaze.
"Leo..."
Leonardo stared his eyes wide. He's actually talking to me?!
"How could you? I never would have thought that any brother of mine could ever... You act like you're above it all, like you're way better than me! And maybe you are, I'll admit that." Leo stared at Raphael as though he'd grown another head, "But you have no right to act that way towards Mona! Anger or no anger!" Raph deflated slightly, anger fading, leaving only exhaustion and sadness in its place. "There's nothing I can do to fix this, Leo. It's up to you. Nothing I could possibly say will convince Mona she's welcome here. It's gotta be you, bro. Angry as I am with you about this, my feelings aren't going to change anything. If you really regret what you said, which I'm pretty sure you do, please. I'm begging you. Go find her. There's no tracker in this entire city better than you. Find her and bring her back to me. Please, Big brother. Let's put the past behind us, all that matters now is getting Mona back."
Leonardo nearly fell off the stool in shock. His eyes stung. "I don't deserve your forgiveness." He whispered.
"You're right you don't." Raph finally looked up, his bright green gaze burning straight into Leo's cerulean eyes. "But you're my brother. And that's not changing anytime soon."
Without even mentally registering what he was about to do, the eldest turtle threw his arms around his younger brother, whom he'd feared would never speak to him again.
Raphael tensed the second he felt his older brother wrap his arms around him. But after a long, tenuous moment he reached over, patting Leo's shell awkwardly with one hand.
Leo pulled away and stood abruptly with a determined gleam in his eye. "I'll leave right now. I will find her, Raph. I swear, or die trying."
Raph looked exhausted but relieved. "I know you will bro." He followed Leo into the main room and handed him his katanas, to which the eldest muttered a low thanks. Then the older turtle was gone.
"Be safe." Raph murmured, long after the eldest had left.
About half an hour earlier…
Raphael had gone out searching for Mona Lisa every day since Donnie declared him well enough to walk. None of them had tried to stop him. They didn't have the heart to. For the past two weeks he'd been searching the city. Part of him knew that Mona would never leave the city.
He'd given Casey Jones a letter for her despite the teenager's insistence that he didn't know where she was. Casey knew, but his loyalty to Mona was commendable. Raph had practically begged him to tell him where she was, but Casey was her best friend. He said he didn't know, but he did. Raph could see it in his eyes.
Then something caught Raph's eye. A warehouse was lit up. But that district had been condemned for years…
He crept silently through the shadows to a broken window and looked down. He couldn't believe his eyes! Mona!
The mutant lizard was curled up on a wooden crate. Her knees pulled to her chest, head down, quietly sobbing. Raph dropped in silently behind her and put his hands softly on her shoulders. Mona jumped up and whirled around her eyes growing wide. Raphael grabbed her wrists fearfully. "Please don't run. I need to talk to you."
"There's nothing you can say."
"Yes there is. Leo's a jerk sometimes. He's always been stuck up. Just ignore him. I told you that before. Personally I think both of you overreacted a little bit."
Mona wiped her tears away and her eyes narrowed. "You're a fine one to talk you weren't even there!"
The turtle's temper flared. "Like it freakin' matters! I was half dead on a slab, you were worried about me, I know you were. Both of you were! But you know something Mona, you shouldn't have run out on me! I needed you! Do you know how I felt when I woke up and you weren't there? I thought you didn't care, or worse, I thought you'd been hurt! And when I got your note…let's just say I'd rather die than have to go through that again." Mona stared at him with wide eyes.
There was a long silence before he spoke again.
"You know what I think Mona?...I think you're afraid of what I'm offering you in this relationship. You're afraid of me risking my life for you, you're afraid of what it will mean for you if I do. You're afraid of the way my family will react and you fear honest commitment."
"Please go." She said, almost on the verge of tears.
"Not until I'm finished. I love you. I can't say it enough. And if you're afraid of committing to a relationship like that, then I'll wait until you're ready. Alright I've had my say. But there's just one more thing. Leo really regrets everything that happened, I haven't spoken to him since I read your note, but the fact that he feels guilty is obvious. If it makes you feel any better my family really does care about you. They like you." He turned to leave, when long, nimble fingers gripped his shoulder gently.
Raph turned around slowly, to find Mona Lisa standing right in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and his hands automatically pulled her in around the waist. He tucked her head under his chin and breathed in familiar, sweet scent of her hair.
"I was so worried…It was my fault you were hurt."
"Never." He whispered down to her, wiping the tears from her face.
"I'm no good for you, Raph. Forget me."
"Impossible." She looked up into his gorgeous green eyes. He smiled, "You'll always be here," he pointed to part of his scarred plastron where his heart was located. "My heart won't settle for anyone else."
She pulled herself closer, putting her head against his plastron and listening to the good strong beat of his heart. Her eyes closed and she never wanted to let him go again. "Raph…I can't go back. Not until I know for certain that your family doesn't mind."
"Meaning Leo." He said, his neon green eyes glancing at her thoughtfully.
"Yes." She whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Look, soon as I get back to the lair I'll talk to him okay?"
Mona Lisa nodded nervously and then grabbed his hand before he could turn away. "Don't lose your temper."
"I'll try not to."
She nodded once more, realizing that was the best she was going to get from the stubborn turtle. "Look out for yourself. If you get hurt again…"
"I know. Love ya."
"Ditto." He raised an eye-ridge at that and flashed a small grin before he turned and left with a wave of his hand.
Reviews please! I can't wait to hear what you think!
