A Home of Her Own
A/N: Here is a Falling Leaves one shot that discusses what happened to Willow's student, Audrey Donnelly, after the Foot took over Willow's dojo. I hope that you enjoy this story, and I will try to have updates for Falling Leaves as soon as I can though I am juggling other stories and will be working on those, too. All I ask is that you be patient with me and try not to get upset with me. Thank you.
Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Audrey Donnelly, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.
Summary: After her sensei's dojo is taken over by the Foot, Audrey Donnelly flees to find a safer place to live. She's lost in the sewers but soon reunites with her sensei and finds a home she can call her own. A Falling Leaves one shot.
Audrey Donnelly sighed as the bell rang for classes to end. She was happy that the day was over and that she would be able to go to the dojo and train with Sensei Willow. That was always the best part of her day, and she always looked forward to it. Her parents had been reluctant to let her join the class, but after Sensei Willow told them that self-defense was important for Audrey to learn as there were bad people all over New York, her parents had agreed and let Audrey join the class.
"Don't forget that your essays are due on Monday!" Miss Lee called out.
Audrey really liked Miss Lee a lot and thought she was an awesome teacher. She knew that Miss Lee and Sensei Willow were good friends, and that made her admire both women even more than she had before. She waved to Miss Lee who waved back to her with a smile. Yep, Miss Lee was the best teacher Audrey had ever had.
She went to her locker and got her things before leaving school. She caught sight of a few of the other students who were also part of the dojo as well. Audrey caught sight of Brad Baker and wasn't happy. Brad was a jerk and often made fun of her when she got a move wrong. She just wished she could punch him in the face, but Sensei Willow had always made it a rule that no one could use the moves in a violent way. They were for self-defense only. Okay, Audrey could work with that even though she felt self-defense could also include being bullied. But Sensei Willow often lectured that it was more about physical harm than mental harm.
When Audrey arrived at the dojo, she felt that something was wrong. The kids hurried through the door, and Audrey followed. She gasped as she saw that Sensei Willow wasn't there. Where was she? She had never failed to show up on time, and even when she was sick, she would always make sure to leave a note stating that she was gone. Audrey perused the door, but there was no note from her sensei. Something was definitely wrong.
She turned to face a group of mutants and some guys in black uniforms. Who were these people? Were they special guests?
"Welcome to the Bradford Dojo, children," a wolf mutant greeted them. "I'm Chris Bradford, and I'll be your new sensei."
New sensei? How could that be?
"Where's Sensei Willow?" Audrey demanded.
"She doesn't work here anymore," Bradford replied. "I'm runnin' the show, and you'll do what I say. Now, line up in rows."
Audrey was worried. How could Sensei Willow not work in the dojo anymore? Hadn't this been her dojo? Had these guys taken it over? And if they did, where did Sensei Willow go? Audrey wanted to ask questions, but she knew it wouldn't be allowed, so she did as Bradford asked and followed his instructions. She didn't know any of the katas he was teaching them and her moves weren't as good as they usually were.
"I see someone hasn't been practicing," Bradford jeered as he observed Audrey. "Very shoddy work. Do it again."
"I'm sorry, Sensei Bradford, but we haven't learned these moves," said Audrey.
Bradford growled at her. "So, we've got a little know-it-all here, do we? You think you're better than me, Girl? You think you know more than me? I'm a martial arts champion. I've won tournaments all over the world and everyone knows my name."
"Do they know you're a mutant wolf?" Audrey asked him.
Bradford backhanded her, and she staggered back. "That's enough of that back talk!" he snarled. "You'll speak when I tell you to speak and you'll do what I say when I say it! Now, do it again and not another word out of you, got it?"
Audrey nodded. "Yes, Sensei Bradford," she said. She continued to perform the moves even though they weren't the best she'd ever done. She was sure she had never been more miserable in her life.
When practice was over, Audrey fled home, desperate to tell her parents what was going on. Her mother held her and soothed her while her father tried to get hold of Sensei Willow but had no answer at her apartment.
"The number's no longer in service," he announced.
"Where could she be?" Audrey sobbed.
"I'm sure she's okay, sweetie," her mother soothed. "Sensei Willow is tough."
"But what if Bradford and those others took her away? What if they took over her dojo and killed her?"
"I'm sure they wouldn't do that," her father reassured her. "Sensei Willow probably had to leave due to personal reasons."
"But she'd never leave us without telling us why!" protested Audrey. "Something's wrong. I know it."
"Let's not worry about it now, sweetie," her mother said. "Just go to your room and do some homework. I'll call you when dinner's ready."
Audrey obeyed and tried to focus on the English assignment Miss Lee had given her, but she couldn't concentrate due to her worry about Sensei Willow. She thought about calling Miss Lee and seeing if she knew where Sensei Willow was. After all, they were best friends, right? But she didn't have Miss Lee's number, so that option was out. She sighed and tried to get back into the work. This just wasn't fair.
The sound of the front door bursting open and her mother's scream drove her out of her room. When she arrived in the living room, she saw Bradford and some of the black clad guys in her living room. Why were they here?
"What are you doing here?" Audrey's father demanded.
"We want to know if you know the whereabouts of Willow Green," Bradford replied. "We want her, and you're gonna tell us where she is."
"We have no idea where Miss Green is," Audrey's mother said. "And you'd better get out of this house before we call the police on you for breaking and entering."
"Oh, you won't be telling anyone anything," Bradford threatened. "I think the two of you need to be taught a lesson in respect."
Before either of her parents could say anything, two of the black clad guys had grabbed them and held their swords to their throats.
"Let them go!" Audrey begged.
"Tell us where your sweet little teacher is, and they'll go free," Bradford replied.
"I don't know where Sensei Willow is!" Audrey sobbed. "Let them go! They have nothing to hide!"
"I don't think you're being truthful, Girl, so you have one more chance. Tell me where she is, or your parents will suffer."
"I already told you I don't know!" Audrey replied. "Go away!"
Bradford growled and motioned to the black clad men who slit her parents' throats right before her eyes.
Audrey screamed and tried to go to her parents, but one of the black clad men grabbed her. She got out of his hold by using a technique Sensei Willow had taught her and ran to her room as fast as she could. She locked the door and packed a bag as quickly as she could. She could hear the men and Bradford talking and then heard footsteps heading for her room. She opened the window and jumped out, landing on the fire escape before taking off through the streets. She had to get away from there before they got her.
Desperate, the girl looked around and couldn't find a place to conceal herself. She knew if she stayed on the streets, they'd find her. Then she spotted a manhole cover left open by some workers. She ran to it and climbed down as fast as she could.
The sewers smelled, but she felt certain they'd never find her in there. They'd probably look all through the streets first and see if they could find her hiding in an alley or a homeless shelter. Still, she had to find cover and fast.
She spotted a pipe that was just running a trickle of water. Yes, this would do. She hoisted herself into it and then sat there, sobbing for the loss of her parents and for Sensei Willow. Now she had no home to go back to and no one to look after her! She kept sobbing and then heard voices coming closer. She scooted further back into the pipe and tried to quiet her sobbing so she wouldn't be detected. Were the men and Bradford here after all?
The footsteps drew nearer, and a cat mutant looked into the pipe. Audrey scuttled backward, ready to fight if she had to.
"Audrey?" the cat mutant asked.
Audrey gasped. She knew that voice! "Sensei Willow?"
"Yes, it's me," Sensei Willow said and held out her arms. Audrey crawled toward her and hugged her teacher with all of her might. Sensei Willow asked her what happened, and Audrey told her everything. Sensei Willow snarled at the mention of Bradford's name and assured Audrey that she was safe now.
She was led to the home of the Hamato family which consisted of Splinter and four mutant Turtles named after Renaissance artists. She thought they were friendly enough, though she wasn't too sure about the one called Raphael. He seemed to not trust her and was less than fond of the idea of her staying with them.
"What, are we runnin' a daycare now?" he grumbled.
Audrey glared at him. "I'm fourteen," she informed him. "I don't need a babysitter."
"Audrey is one of my students and she has no home to go to now," Sensei Willow said firmly. "She is welcome here and is staying here as long as she needs to."
The one called Leonardo seconded this. "The Foot are after her, Raph, and they could hurt her. She's safe with us. We can protect her."
"Thank you, Mr. Leonardo," Audrey said.
He smiled at her. "You can call me Leo if you want," he said. "You don't have to be so formal."
Audrey nodded. "Okay, I'll call you Leo then," she said.
"You can call Raph Mr. Grumpy Pants because that's who he is," said Michelangelo, or Mikey for short as he told her.
"Stuff it, Mikey!" Raph snarled, giving him a stern glare.
"That is enough," Splinter said firmly. "It has been a trying day for Miss Audrey, and I think it is best if she gets some rest. We will speak more about this tomorrow."
Sensei Willow led her to a room that was usually the guest bedroom. Mikey came in and gave her a sleeping bag so she could sleep on the floor next to Sensei Willow. Audrey thanked him and he told her that she could use anything she wanted.
"Are you okay, kiddo?" Sensei Willow asked her.
"I guess so," she replied. "I'm still sad about Mom and Dad and scared about those ninjas. Are you sure they won't find me here?"
"Perfectly sure, sweetie," Sensei Willow reassured her. "You know Splinter and his sons will protect you from harm and so will I. Just try to go to sleep, okay?"
"Can you sing me a song?" Audrey asked her.
Sensei Willow nodded and started singing a song Audrey's mother used to sing to her when she was younger. It made Audrey cry but she eventually lapsed into sleep after her teacher was done. She was sad about her parents and worried about what would happen next, but she was too tired to worry about it now as sleep claimed her.
22222
The next morning, Audrey woke up feeling better than she had last night. She got dressed and took care of her business before entering the dojo where the Turtles, Splinter, and Sensei Willow were. This dojo was big, but it was also inviting, and Audrey was amazed at how the tree stood in the middle of the dojo floor.
"Good morning, Miss Audrey," Splinter greeted her. "Would you like to join us in training this morning?"
"Yes, Sensei Splinter," Audrey replied.
"Great," Sensei Willow said. "I'll teach you while Splinter teaches the Turtles. We'll take turns so we can see how we each do it." She led Audrey to the sidelines where they sat and watched as Splinter instructed the Turtles on what he wanted them to do. Audrey was amazed at how skilled they were and how much they knew. They knew moves she didn't even know yet!
"So, what do you think, Aud?" Mikey asked after the lesson was over. "Are we awesome or what?"
Audrey nodded. "Do you think I'll ever be as good as you guys?" she asked them.
"You will be if you practice hard enough," Leo told her. "Now, let's see what you can do." He and the others sat on the sidelines while Sensei Willow ran her through some katas she already knew. After they were done, the Turtles praised her for her work and said she was doing well. Only Raph seemed unimpressed.
"Not bad for a girl I guess," was his comment.
Audrey glared at him and gave him the middle finger. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't be a good ninja!" she snapped.
"I never said you couldn't," he replied. "I just said that you still have work to do."
"Raphael, that is enough!" Splinter chastised. "Audrey is a fine student and is doing just as she should. This lesson is over. It is time for breakfast."
Breakfast consisted of eggs, bacon, and biscuits. Audrey ate quite a bit and was impressed with how good of a cook Mikey was.
"Well, if you fail at being a ninja, maybe you could be a cook," Raph sniped.
Audrey slammed down her glass of orange juice, liquid sloshing at the sides of the glass. "That's it!" she snapped. "I'm not going to let you cut me down any longer! I challenge you to a sparring match! If I win, then you have to admit that I can do anything even if I am a girl!"
Raph smirked. "Sure," he said. "But if I win, it's going to get a whole lot worse than this."
"Fine," Audrey said. "Let's do this."
"Hey, no stealing my lines!" Raph sniped.
She smirked at him. "All's fair in love and war," she teased.
Raph grumbled and followed her to the dojo. Once there, they took up their weapons (Audrey used a bokken since she had no official weapons on her) and took a stance after bowing. Raph charged at Audrey, thinking he would knock her down, but the girl dodged him easily and set him on his shell as she swiped her bokken under his legs. Furious, Raph jumped up and charged her yet again, trying to get her in a hold. She stepped on his foot and elbowed him in the face. Using the distraction, she roundhouse kicked him onto the floor and pinned him, her bokken at his throat.
"Go Audrey!" Mikey cheered.
Audrey smiled down at her opponent. "I believe I win, Raphael," she said.
Raph sighed. "Yeah, you do," he said.
She got off of him and helped him to his feet.
"I believe you have something to say to Audrey, my son," reminded Splinter.
Raph looked down and then at Audrey. "I'm sorry I said all that stuff," he apologized. "You fight really good, and you can do anything even if you are a girl."
Audrey smiled and bowed to him. "Thanks, Raph," she said. "That's all I ever wanted to hear." With that, she left him to play some arcade games with Leo.
"That was really good, Audrey," Leo praised her. "You really put Raph in his place."
She giggled. "Well, someone needed to, and I figured I was the best one for the job. He can be a jerk sometimes."
Leo nodded. "Yeah, but he does have a good heart, and he did admit he was wrong about you. So, are you ready to face me in pinball."
She nodded. "You know it. Bring it on."
22222
That night, Audrey lay in bed and thought about the day. It had been a good one, and though she was still sad about the loss of her parents, she felt something else she hadn't felt in a long time. She was happy. The Turtles made her laugh with their jokes and banter. Splinter was like a father to her, guiding her and soothing her when she needed it. And Sensei Willow was always there to tell her everything was okay just as she always did.
Sure, Audrey didn't have her parents, but for the first time since all of this had happened, Audrey Donnelly had finally found a home of her own.
The End
A/N: And that's the end of another one shot. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.