A/N: This is a sequel to Bound. You may not fully understand this fic without reading that one first. This story is based about 8 months after Bound.
Donnie traced the scar along Sarah's arm absently where it rested across his chest. He recalled how worried they all had been that there would be nerve damage. As it turned out she had escaped any major damage and there was only one spot that didn't really have sensitivity. It was a place near the top of her forearm nearest the elbow. It had also been the deepest part of the cut.
Sarah stirred slightly in her sleep, snuggling a little closer to him. They were settled on the couch watching another of Mikie's monster movies. Donnie smiled at the top of her head, wondering what exactly he'd done to deserve such a wonderful creature. Sarah had been tolerant of the movies though she didn't find them very interesting. She tended to like action movies like A-Team and Expendables, thus her present condition.
Leo glanced at them and then at the back of Mikie's head where he was settled on the floor near the TV with a pillow tucked under his chin. He turned back to Donnie. "She might as well go to bed. Mikie started the movie way too late."
"No." Sarah uttered without opening her eyes. "I'm way too comfortable."
Donnie chuckled. "We thought you were asleep."
"You could go on to bed if you want." Leo suggested. "It's nearly one in the morning."
"No," she muttered again. "I can't sleep in there alone."
Donnie rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, the other occupied with keeping Sarah as close as possible. He knew the feeling. It had become increasingly hard to sleep at night. Her pull on him was so strong now that not sleeping next to her was very unnerving. Soon it wouldn't be an issue anymore though. They had spoken with Master Splinter and he had agreed to perform the wedding ceremony as it had once been done long ago in Japan. Sarah hadn't seemed to care how it was performed as long as it came to the same result.
Now, if they could get April to stop trying to – as she put it "spice things up", everyone would be a lot happier. They had decided to wait until Sarah was completely healed which also gave the others time to get used to the idea. They were happy for Donnie, but in some ways it made each of them feel a little isolated, wondering if such a thing would ever be possible for them.
Sarah had seemed to sense their conflicting emotions and had made a point to spend time with each of them in the past weeks. She encouraged them and made each of them feel genuinely special. Donnie didn't mind, he was even glad that she spent time with his brothers. He knew this was going to be a transition for them all, one he was more than happy to undertake.
April on the other hand was making it rather difficult for everyone. She kept trying to throw wedding showers, look for dresses, and jewelry. No matter how many times Sarah told her she wasn't interested in those things and that it might make Donnie feel left out, April would try again. Finally, Sarah had told her to just show up on Friday night and don't bring anything with her. That was only two days away now. One if you figured that it was already Thursday morning.
Suddenly, the lair was filed with the squealing of an alarm. Sarah sat back covering her ears. "What's that?"
"Turn it off!" Raph shouted over the noise.
Donnie was already up and headed for the lab with his brothers hot on his heels. He found the monitor that was making all the noise and turned off the alarm. "It's the satellite I tapped into to keep an eye on the ozone. It's detected a craft entering Earth's orbit."
"You mean a spaceship?" Leo said as he leaned over to look at the screen.
"Wow, where's it going?" Mikie wondered out loud.
"It's not going anywhere. According to these readings it's crashing. Looks like it'll hit central park in about ten minutes."
"Well, we better get going in case there's trouble." Leo turned to head for the van.
"Yeah, it'll be hard to miss a giant fireball falling from the sky." Raph followed Leo with Mikie in tow.
Sarah had stepped into the room and stood quietly beside the door. Donnie stopped to place a soft kiss on her cheek. "We'll be back soon."
"Please, be careful. I have a bad feeling."
"We will." He squeezed her hand and then headed for the van.
They were nearly to the park when they saw the ship fall from the sky. It wasn't very large, only big enough for four or five passengers. Pulling the van up beside the craft, the four slowly approached the shallow crater. A light broke the darkness and they each ducked, not sure if the person was a friend or foe.
"Oh, great! Dad's going to kill me!" A soft feminine voice said as a pounding noise came from the ship. The turtles decided to risk it and they approached again. The light swung around to hit them. "What the heck are you? I thought Earthlings looked like me, not like giant green things."
"Dudette, could you cool it with the light already? We're here to help." Mikie protested, covering his eyes.
"Oh, sorry." The light was turned off and everyone gasped at the sight before them. It was a teenage girl who looked remarkably familiar.
"Sarah?" Raph squinted. Except for the really short haircut, it really did look like her.
"That's impossible. Sarah's back at the lair." Leo pointed out as he stepped closer. He glanced over his shoulder at Donnie. "Right?"
Donnie actually stepped back a few steps. "Absolutely." This girl gave him a very uneasy feeling.
The girl eyed him for a moment and then turned her attention back to Leo. "I'm Marina. Do you think you could help me fix my ship? I think the phase inducer is out of alinement. But I'm no mechanic."
"I'm Mikie, this is Raph and Leo. And that's Donnie." Mikie waved a hand back in his brother's direction. "You look like just a kid. What are you doing cruising around in a spaceship?"
The girl scoffed. "I'm no kid. I'm sixteen and I just took the stupid cruiser out for a spin. I didn't plan on crashing on this rock." She kicked the side of the ship. "Stupid phase inducer. If I have to call my Dad to come get me, he'll be really ticked."
"Why? Wouldn't he be happy you're alive?" Raph asked venturing closer to the ship.
"Nope, he'll just be mad I busted his new ride. And besides that he doesn't exactly know I took it."
"Oh, I see. Well, maybe Donnie could fix it." Leo suggested.
Donnie wanted to refuse but how could he. She was just a young girl and she was far away from home in the middle of the most dangerous park in New York City. He groaned. "Alright, I'll take a look, but not here. You guys are going to have to help me get it out of that hole."
They used the van to pull the small ship from the hole and Donnie placed some go-jacks under the back so it would roll. The jacks had large wheels and locked onto the side of the ship. "Where are we taking this thing anyway?" Mikie asked putting the keys in the ignition.
"To the lair, where else?" Leo started.
"Guys, I really don't think that's such a good idea." Donnie had a bad feeling about the two females meeting.
"Donnie, don't worry. I'm sure Sarah won't care. It's just for tonight. You'll have Marina's ship fixed and on her way in no time." Leo said encouragingly with a warm pat on the shoulder.
Donnie frowned skeptically. "I hope so. I really, really do." Donnie continued to keep as much distance between him and Marina as he could.
As they pulled into the garage, he noticed Sarah was already waiting for them. Her worried expression changed to confusion as she saw the ship they were towing. Donnie escaped the van as soon as Mikie stopped. "Donnie, what on earth is going on?"
But he didn't get a chance to explain before the others including Marina were out of the van. So, instead he slipped an arm around her waist pulling her close. Sarah stared at the newcomer, and Marina stared right back. "Who are you?" Sarah finally inquired of the younger version of herself.
"I'm Marina, daughter of Lord Zenfered of the Quazar quadrant. Who are you and why do you look like me?" Again they stared at one another for a long moment.
"Well, Sarah, they say everyone's got a double somewhere. Guess we found yours." Raph chimed in.
Sarah frowned and Donnie could feel her emotions swirling like a tornado inside her. He decided it would be better if they stayed separated. The two seemed like polar opposites of each other and he feared the result. "I need to repair Marina's ship. Why don't you help? It'll go faster with the two of us." Sarah nodded, still eyeing the teenager. They left for Donnie's lab to gather all the tools they might need.
Marina turned to the others. "Boy, that was such a warm welcome I thought I might freeze."
"Don't mind them, Marina. They're a bit caught up with themselves right now. After all, they're getting married tomorrow night."
Marina blinked. "Really? You mean they chose to be with one another."
Raph frowned, taking offense. "What's wrong with that?"
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with it. I just thought it was odd. On my world a woman her age would already be married. As a matter a fact, I am betrothed myself."
Leo flinched. "What?"
"But you're just a kid." Mikie protested.
"My parents selected my mate when I was a child. We spent a lot of time together to ensure the bonding process. He'll be a suitable mate when the time comes." Marina explained very matter-of-factly.
"Bonding process?" Leo found her description a little unsettling.
"Yes, don't humans bond at pre-adultescence to their future mate?" The three shook their heads in confusion. "On our world when a female child reaches a certain age she creates a bond that is both spiritual and physical with her future mate, if the match is a good match that is. And if that window is missed then the woman becomes a servant in another's service never mating."
"What do you mean a good match?" Raph turned to lead the way into the lair.
"Only certain people can bond. Only those that are compatible can become mates." She followed the others into the living room.
Leo was becoming more concerned by the minute. "What exactly does a person feel during this bonding process?"
"Well, it was a long time ago for me. But I remember feeling his emotions and knowing where he was. We even played games of hide and seek using only our bond to guide us." Marina settled into a chair.
Mikie had caught on and was beginning to think that Marina knew a lot more about Sarah than even she knew. "Um, can you feel each other's pain?"
Marina nodded. "Yes, at least that is what I've been told. I didn't experience that as a child. My parents were far too protective."
"What if one of you is severely injured as an adult?" Raph glanced toward the garage where he could hear Sarah and Donnie now working.
"Again, I have never experience it myself but I have seen it. I've seen the uninjured mate suffer as badly as the injured one." She looked down at her hands for a moment, a memory passing through her eyes. "I have even seen them die when the other dies. That is why our people are so cautious to who we bond with."
The three brothers sat silently for a moment digesting this new and terrifying information. Mikie was the first to admit it out loud. "Guys, we may have a serious problem."