You Can Count On Us
by Zaru-san
Rating: T (talk of suicide)
Summary: ONESHOT A young girl -fan of TMNT- feels like there is no reason for her to live.
Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT. They belong to Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. I own Kye.
Note: Inspiration came from Coming Out Of Their Shells Tour
She was only 14 years old and felt she had lived her life to the fullest already because there was nothing else for her to live for. Her hope became lost after the loss of her father and brother in a car accident just earlier in the year. Her mother fell deep into depression and lost herself in the bottle. Kye wondered everyday since the accident why her brother and father died. It was so sudden. One minute they were at the house eating breakfast that morning and then while her father took her brother to school, a truck sped through a red light and hit them harshly, the car almost snapping in half. It hit on the driver's side and went right through to the passenger where her little brother was sitting.
After her mother went into her depression, Kye was beginning to fall into one of her own. Her grandmother became wondered for the mother and daughter and brought them to a doctor who put them on anti-depressants and sent them to therapy a couple times a week. It was working for her mother, helping her to grieve for the loss of her husband and only little boy and became more focused and lost herself less in the bottle. Although she had a habit of going out every night and not showing up until early morning where she would plop herself into bed and wake up a couple hours later with a hangover and have to go to work. But at least it was lessening.
Kye was not so lucky. Her mother was getting better, but she was getting worse. Her depression deepened even more and soon the anti-depressants were no longer working. So she was prescribed stronger drugs to help her sleep and to keep herself from thinking saddened thoughts. But she felt they were not working either. The only time she was ever happy was when she watched her TMNT. Yes. She was a 14-year-old girl in love with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If it was possible, she would make sure the doctor prescribed watching TMNT everyday for the rest of her life.
Before her brother died, everyday before and after school and on Saturday mornings, they would watch TMNT. It was their time together where they laughed, cried and shouted for joy at the ongoing TMNT kicking butt. It was going on ever since her little brother was born and they stayed in their routine, at least up until he died.
And now, she was staring at a bottle of sleep-aid pills her mother used when she couldn't sleep. The bottle was recently new so it was pretty much full except for a couple pills here and there. Her mother was gone for the evening as usual, but this time it was to a banquet prepared in a co-worker's honor and she had dressed up telling Kye not to wait up too late for her because she was going to go out for a little bit after the banquet with her friends. She nodded. As she went out the door, her mother said goodnight, but Kye whispered her goodbye instead.
The harshness of the world has forced itself upon my shoulders too much. My own world, once bright and peaceful was now dark and condemned. Elijah was part of my happy world. So was my dad. But they're gone now. They're both gone and there's nobody else to make my world happy. I hate living in this darkness where nobody can hear my faint cries of help. For the feeling of sadness has shoved itself through the crack made into the barrier that was placed around my world after Elijah and daddy died. No more. I can't go on like this. This sadness is too hard to bare. Please forgive me, mom. Please forgive me.
Kye put down the pen she held in her hand and stared at the paper where she had written her final words.
"Goodbye, mommy. Hello, daddy and Elijah." She whispered as she slowly reached over for the pill bottle. But before she could grab it, somebody grabbed her wrist. Her eyes blinked in confusion. Huh? She turned her gaze down to her wrist where she saw a hand. A green hand with 3 fingers? What?! In fear she pulled out of whoever's grip was holding her and stood up.
"What? Huh?" She was in complete shock at what she saw before her.
There standing in front of Kye in her bedroom was four turtles. Four walking, talking turtles. Four walking, talking mutant ninja turtles. All of them were there: bandanas, weapons everything. She could not believe her eyes. Nothing like what they were posed as in the movie. They actually look like their Fast Forward characters instead of the new series.
"Um..."
She saw the one in purple - Donatello - walk over to her desk and pick up the bottle. He read the label, looking over at Kye with a sad expression on his face.
"Why?" Was all he could ask.
"Wha- How- huh? How the hell are - oh no! I'm hallucinating now!" She held her face in her hands, rubbing her eyes and looking back up. They were still there.
"We're not hallucinations. We're actually here. Four big turtles who are concerned about you." The one in blue - Leonardo - stated.
Kye shook her head. "How?"
"We've been watching you for some time now. After that accident we saw early in the morning when we were heading back to our home, we found out where the guy lived and we thought we would check up on you."
"You've been watching me?"
"Yeah. We were worried after we heard you went into depression, so we thought we would keep an eye on you."
"How, how did you find me? Us?" She wondered, still amazed that the turtles were real.
Michelangelo stepped forward. "Our friend April told us. She was the reporter who covered the story about the accident."
"April O'Neil? She's only a cartoon character."
Leonardo shook his head. "No. She's as real as we are. Maybe you just never heard of her."
"Probably not. We moved here just a year ago." She lowered her eyes, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. "
"Um, Kye, right?" She nodded. "Why, Kye? Why do you have these?" Donatello still wondered as he held the bottle still.
She shrugged. "I-I don't know. To end the pain. The sadness. To see my dad and brother again. To just, end it all."
"You mean end a life you have no reason to end?" Leonardo asked.
"What could I possibly live for? My dad and brother's dead. My mom has practically abandoned me. I barely see her anymore. And I'm alone. I got nobody."
Raphael smirked. "Well you got us now." He placed his hands over the sais he held in his belt.
She looked at Raphael. "You're kidding, right?"
"Nope. Why would I kid about such a thing?"
"I don't know. Because you feel pity or sympathy. By befriending me you make yourselves feel better about doing something for somebody. That's all I think it is. You feel pity. That's all anybody's been feeling for me. My friends, my former friends. My family. Everybody. Who gives two shits about me?" She turned to Donatello, holding out her hand. "Give me the pills."
"I can't do that, Kye."
"Why not?"
"Because it isn't what you really want. You know that and I know that."
"You don't know fucking anything about me!" She was really insistant now. "Give me the damn pills, now, Donatello!"
Donatello turned to Leo who nodded. Donatello handed her the pills. "Thank you!" She snatched them back. "Now get out of my house!"
"Not until you answer a question." Leonardo said.
"What?"
"What makes you think the world has either turned its back on your or is offering pity or sympathy?"
Kye took a pause thinking about his question. "Because the world took away my dad and brother. It's shedding out pitiful feelings and people. I got sick and tired of hearing people telling me that it's going to be okay or they're very sorry for my loss. It just gets tiring."
"But doesn't it make you happy that there are people who care about you and want you to be okay?"
"Happy? I don't know the meaning of the word anymore. That's why I'm on drugs."
Raphael stepped forward and stood near Kye leaning against her desk, folding his arms across his chest.
"You know, Kye, we don't know you. You're right about that. And yeah we feel sorry that your father and brother died. But because we didn't know them or you, we still cared about how you felt. It's a deep feeling of sympathy we have for you. But we do care. We really do. We've seen you so much, found out so much, and you know what?"
"What?" She asked, whispering.
"We want to know more about you. We want to get to know you better. We would really love to be friends with you. Real friends. Not us looking or watching you without you knowing about us. But knowing about us and watching you and visitng and hanging out. Maybe you can even visit the lair. Hell, it would be nice to know more people besides April, Casey and a few others."
Tears were welling in her eyes as she stared down at the bottle in her hand. "I don't know."
Leonard then stepped up. "Kye, listen to reason, okay? There is no need to end a life that is just getting started."
She looked up at him. "Leonardo, I..."
"Give us a chance, please? We want to be there for you whenever you need us."
Kye seemed to take in what the turtles were saying to her. She had just found out they were real living in New York City. And knew about her and her family. They followed her, watching and waiting for the right moment to make themselves known to her. Could she really do it? Stay alive? Was it worth living her life now?
She kept looking down at the sleep-aid bottle in her hand, alternating between squeezing it and losing her grip. Finally, she turned it up and opened it. She left a few of the pills fall in her hand under the watchful eyes of the turtles who wondered if their words were not at all helping her. Kye stared at each of them and smiled. She closed the cap to the sleep-aid bottle and turned away from the guys. She bit her lower lip.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered and ran into her bathroom, closing the door behind her.
The turtles looked at each other then moved as quickly as they could to the bathroom door. Before they could open it, they heard a flush, a medicine cabinet open and close, then the rattle of the handle. They moved away and saw her come out. She was pale, but she was alive. And finally able to be happy.
"So?" Michelangelo asked, waiting for an answer from her.
"I'm sorry...that I was about to use a permanent solution to a temporary problem."
"So what do you think, Kye? Wanna hang?" Raphael asked, leaning back against the desk again.
And for the first time in a long time, she smiled.
She was only 14 years old and finally realized her life was just beginning. To want to end her life was in the past. She was recovering much better, but still on anti-depressants to help. She was cooperating in therapy and went back to school, hanging out with her friends and getting good grades in school. Kye was also dating as well. Her mother recently went back to her regular self as well, both living together in the house they bought in New York City wth their family.
"Kye, don't be late home tonight! And tell the guys to come over again soon!"
"All right, mom! I love you!"
Her mother smiled. "I love you, too."
Kye ran out the door smiling.
On the roof of a New York City building, four turtles stood waiting for anything to happen. They were out on patrol and seeking out muggers, robbers, criminals, anything to do.
Kye climbed the rest of the way up the fire escape and said her hello.
"Hey, guys!"
The turtles smiled as they turned to see her coming toward them.
"Hey, dudette!" Michelangelo said and offered her a high-three/five. She smiled and did the same with Donatello and Leonardo.
"Hey, what about me?" Raphael asked, smirking at her.
"Hey, it's about saving the best for last, Raph!" She stated and ran up to him. Jumping up, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a big kiss on the lips. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her happy to have her there.
"You okay tonight?"
She nodded. "Yeah." She smiled. "I feel...happy."
"I'm glad."
"Yeah. Me, too."
"Remember, babe, you can always count on us."
She nodded and looked over the surroundings. It was windy and beautiful, the cool air caressing her skin. She closed her eyes breathing in the tall city air. Yeah. It was her world. Her beautiful bright and peaceful world. And nothing could make her happier.
And as it was stated earlier, for her to be very happy, she would need a heavy dose of her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and that's exactly what the doctor - or probably her father and brother, in this case - prescribed.
THE END.
A/N: Well what'd ya'll think? If you like these oneshots, I can write more about the turtles.
Ja ne
Zaru-san