I don't own TMNT. Rated M for mature subjects. Please R & R.
Prologue: A Hard Beginning
She slipped her foot back into her shoe and stood up. The girl sent a glare towards the sleeping male form still wrapped up in the sheets on the bed. Shoving the two hundred dollar bills into her pocket she left the hotel room. She only made it down the hall before she had to sprint to a bathroom and vomit. As she heaved into the toilet she cursed her existence. She hated it; she hated what she had to do to live. Not that this was much of a life but it was what she had to do just to survive. When she regained control of her stomach and had rinsed her mouth, the girl left the bathroom and left the hotel as fast as her spiked heels would carry her. It was about a two mile walk home and with how cold it was, calling a taxi sounded appealing. However if she walked she wouldn't have to spend any money and she wouldn't have to work for a few nights. That alone motivated her, so she pulled her leather coat around her tighter and quickened her pace.
When she was almost home her gaze was drawn to the lit sign of the neighborhood deli and grocery store. Debating with herself for a moment, she finally crossed the street and went inside.
"Evening, Sy," a man behind the counter said as she walked in.
"Hey, Manny," she replied walking to the back and grabbed a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter. "How's it goin'?"
"Can't complain," Manny replied ringing up the bread and peanut butter. "How's that sister of yours?"
"Still on bed rest, doc's orders," she sighed and blew a stray piece of hair out of the way. "I worry about her, Manny. Her medications alone are costing almost as much as our rent and we were barely scrapping by as it was."
"Well, if you ever need anything, all ya gotta do is ask," he said.
"Thanks, Manny," she smiled. "How much do I owe you?"
"Nuthin," he said, holding out the plastic bag to her. "You can pay me by takin' care of that baby sister of yours. I miss her sweet little smile comin' in here every Thursday to buy gum. Speaking of which," he snatched a pack of bubble gum off one of the counter candy racks and tossed it into the sack as well. "Let 'er know the Mrs. and I miss her."
"Manny, I can't just not pay you," Sy insisted.
"You can't and you won't," he replied, shoving to bag in her hands. "This is my shop and I'll decide who has to pay and who doesn't," he winked at her and smiled kindly. "Just take good care of 'er and yerself."
"Thank you, Manny, really," she smiled. "You have no idea how much this means to us."
"Probably not but I'll take your word for it," he smiled again. "We worry about you two."
"We'll be ok," Sy said. "I made just enough tonight to…" she stopped and felt the embarrassing heat flow into her cheeks.
"There are other ways to make money," Manny said firmly. "You're grandmother would be rolling in her grave if she knew."
"I've tried, believe me, I have tried so hard to find a job," she said. "No one will hire me."
"It kills us to know you're out there," he shook his head. "When your grandma died we never thought this would have happened to you."
"I don't have a choice," Sy glared. "I'm doing what I can to be able to take care of Mia and I don't need you turning your nose up at me."
"I'm not. We just worry about you," Manny reached across and patted her hands. "Promise me that the second you find a way out of this place you take it. Alright?"
"Don't have to ask me twice," she chuckled.
"Tell Mia we say hi, and please, Syrina. Be safe," Manny smiled sadly and patted her hands again before she exited the store and made the rest of the way back to her apartment building.
Manny sighed as he watched her leave; such a beautiful and smart girl. He knew that she was meant to do great things. Things that would change the world and it broke the old man's heart to watch her die inside. He made a mental note to round up some more groceries and take them by her apartment tomorrow. He and his wife didn't have much to offer but they still offered what they could.
"Manny?" a woman's voice from the back drew his attention. An elderly, kind looking woman emerged from the door at behind him. "Honey, you gonna close yet?"
"Yeah, give me a minute," Manny walked to the front of the store and pulled the fence down and turned off the sign lights.
"Was that Syrina's voice I just heard a minute ago?" she asked, helping her husband pull the gates closed.
"Yeah," he frowned. "She just got back from work."
"I don't like it, Manny," his wife frowned too. "The child is barely eighteen. She should be worrying about going to college, not turning tricks."
"Helen, please don't be crude, she does everything she can to take care of Mia," he said. "I not proud of what she does but I'm proud of her for fighting so hard for that little girl."
"But can't we do something?" Helen asked, following her husband into the back and up the stairs to their apartment over the store. "Surely there must be something, anything we can do to help them?"
"Perhaps," he replied, opening the door for her. Manny sighed and ran his hand through his white hair. He wanted to help them but he wasn't really sure how, nor did he know if Sy would accept it or not. She was stubborn like that. However if there was one thing he knew, Sy and her sister didn't need help. They needed a miracle.
Sy didn't even have to unlock the door to the shabby apartment she and her little sister shared. The lock didn't work all that well. She kicked off her evil shoes and went straight to her bed room to change, soon reemerging in a pair of worn jeans and a black turtle neck. A soft murmur from the old couch in the middle of the living room caught her attention and Sy smiled at the mound under a blanket. She crossed the room. Smiling again she bent down to tuck a stray black curl behind the little girl's ear. "Hey sleepy head," she said softly.
"Rina?" the child mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"Hi, sweetheart," she said, helping the child sit up. "You hungry, Mia?" the little girl nodded. "Well guess what? I have a surprise." Sy lifted up the sack and Mia's eyes got big with excitement. "I picked up some bread and peanut butter Mr. Jameson's store."
"I love peanut butter," Mia smiled.
"I know," Sy smiled. "Want a sandwich?"
Mia nodded eagerly and Sy kissed her on the forehead then got up, "Well than you just lay back down there and I'll go make you one," She walked over to the pathetic kitchen and pulled out a plate and buttering knife. She quickly finished making two sandwiches, cutting it from side to side just like Mia liked them, and walked back to the couch with two cups of water. Setting the cups and plate down for a moment she carefully helped the little girl sit up and handed her a cup, "There ya are," Sy said watching Mia take a long drink from the cup. "Don't drink it too fast." Mia nodded.
The two sisters enjoyed the sandwiches immensely. Sy actually only ate a half of one and gave Mia the other half to finish. Not because she wasn't starving; Mia just needed the food more than she did. A loud knock on the door interrupted the two and Sy gave Mia a reassuring smile as she got up and answered the door. She almost let a groan escape when she opened it.
"Mr. Thornton," she forced a smile. "How are you?"
The landlord frowned, "You're late on your rent again, Sy."
"I know, I'm sorry," Sy said. "I'll get you the money soon ok?"
"I need it now, Sy, or I'm gonna have to kick you out."
"But…" Sy sighed. She turned around and smiled again at Mia who was watching her older sister curiously. "I'll be right back, Mr. Thornton and I have to talk." She stepped out of the apartment and closed the door. "You can't kick us out," she said. "It's the middle of February, it's freezing out there and we have no place else to go."
"Is that my problem?"
"For the love of god, Thornton, she's sick!" Sy exclaimed. "I almost lost her last month! If you kick us out she'll die. Please, I have to buy her more medicine soon and I can give you what ever I have left over."
"How much will be left over?" he asked crossing his arms.
"I'm not sure, maybe about a hundred and fifty."
"You're bill is three hundred," he said.
"Please, Mr. Thornton, I'm begging you," Sy said. "Don't kick us out; just give me a little more time. I'll do anything!"
"Anything?" he caught a lock of her black hair and rubbed it between his fingers.
Sy stomach turned and she paled at his hinted suggestion. She swallowed the hard lump in her throat and staring at the ground she answered in a defeated voice, "Anything…"
"Than I'm sure we'll work something out," he said running a finger down her cheek. "Buy the kid her medicine and bring me the rest."
"Thank you," Sy said.
"No, my dear, thank you," he smiled wickedly and walked away.
Sy went back into the apartment and leaned up against the door for a moment with her eyes closed. She hated her existence. This wasn't the first time she had had to use her body as a down payment for something. It was like she was a credit card for the whole world. Buy now, pay later. There were times when she wasn't sure why she did it anymore.
"Rina?" a small voice from the couch said. "Are you ok?"
Sy opened her eyes and looked over at Mia. Then Mia smiles at her and she remembers why. "Yeah, I'm fine," she forced a smile. "How about another sandwich?"
A few hours later Sy tucked her sister back into bed and sat there for a moment watching her slow steady breaths; just to make sure she was ok. Sy smiled and kissed the little girl on the forehead before walking out of the room and closing the door slightly. She made herself as comfortable on the couch as she possibly could under the ratty blanket. Mia and she had slept in the same bed until Mia caught pneumonia last month and almost died. Until the child was completely well again it was best that they didn't share a bed. Sy's biggest fear was that she would unintentionally pass something to Mia that would cause her to have a relapse. She was so small and frail that Sy would sometimes be afraid to hug her for fear that she might break.
A tear slipped down Sy's cheek and she brushed it away when she thought back on the day Mia collapsed in her arms barely breathing. Syrina Morris prided herself on her ability to hide her emotions from everyone and her ability to not allow herself to cry in front of people. She had learned early on that crying did no good because even after you have cried yourself sick, the situation is still the same.
Sy didn't cry when the police came to the door when she was herself nine and said that her father was dead. She didn't cry when she watched her mother drink her youth away and numb away the pain with drugs. Nor did she cry when, at age eleven, mom started bringing men into the apartment. Not even when she came home from school one day and found the police removing her mom's body from the living room because she had overdosed. One of the neighbors had heard Mia, who was at the time only a young toddler, crying and called the police. They came in and found their mother face first on the ground, a needle to one side of her and a bottle of beer clutched in her hand. Even when her beloved grandmother passed away, Sy didn't cry. But when she watched a team of doctors and nurses start hooking her ten year old sister up to tubes and IV's to save her life, she started sobbing. It was the hardest thing she had ever had to watch. Thankfully the Jameson's' had been with her at the time.
It was only the peacefully slumbering little girl in the other room that kept Sy alive. She was the only reason Sy forced herself to walk the streets every night to sell herself just so they could have enough money to eat a peanut butter sandwich. There were days when Sy wanted to curl up in a ball and wait for death but she couldn't. There was a raven haired angel in the other room who deserved to spread her wings and fly. And if it killed her, Sy was going to help her fly. Fly far, far away from the hell the world had put them in. Far away into a life she deserved.
Sy closed her eyes and slipped into the dream world, not knowing what opening them the next morning would bring but at the same time not caring. So long as she got to come home to her smiling little angel, nothing else mattered.
Several building tops away, a familiar green figure perched over a ledge. Leonardo's sharp eyes gazed out over the top of the long reach of buildings. He sat perched on top of an apartment watching the New York night life go by. He, his brothers and Casey had been out on patrol all night and he was very much ready for a good rest. Just had to wait for everyone to regroup and then they could go home. Not really knowing why, he let out a loud sigh.
"What's eatin' you, Leo?"
The blue clad turtle turned around and half smiled at his youngest brother.
"Oh hey, Mikey," he turned around on the ledge to face Michelangelo. "Dunno, just not really feeling on my game tonight."
"You get your butt whooped by a girl or something?" the cheerful turtle teased.
Leo chuckled, "Nah, just thinkin'."
"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Mikey plopped down next to his older brother on the ledge and let his feet dangle over the side.
"Look at them," Leo gestured to the people down on the street. "It's almost five in the morning and the streets are still teeming with drug dealers, gang bangers and hookers. I sometimes wonder why we even bother trying to help because the more we take out the more pop up."
"We bother because we care, Leo," Mikey said thoughtfully. "With out us it would be even worse out there. We help because we know it's the right thing to do."
"That was rather insightful," Leo smiled at him. "Where did that come from?"
"My big brother told me that once," Mikey winked at Leo. "He's a doofus sometimes but he sometimes has something good to say."
Leo laughed and turned his eyes back to the street. They slightly narrowed as he spotted a hooker leaning over into the window of a car, making known just how much cleavage she had to offer. He hated that about some human women. What on earth possessed them to do that? Sell their bodies just for money and fun. Leo thought it was disgusting and vile. If there were any kind of people he had the least respect for it was prostitutes. He frowned as he watched the woman climb into the car and drive away. Snorting he got up and walked away from the ledge.
"Ya know, Leo, you shouldn't judge them so much," Mikey said.
"Hm?" he turned back around, stretching at the same time.
"The way you were looking at that woman, like you wouldn't care what happened to her," Mikey said.
"What if I don't?" he replied. "I'm sorry, Mike, but I can not and will not respect what they do."
"I didn't say respect it, I just said don't judge," the orange banded turtle said. "They don't do it just for kicks, I'm sure of that."
"Whatever," Leo snorted again. "Since when did you become so serious?"
Mikey shrugged and smiled, "Thought I might break up the routine a bit, you know, however I will have to make up for lost goof off time so expect a prank bright and early tomorrow."
"Do and die a horrible death in the dojo," Leo laughed.
"Yo, Leo! Mikey!" Raph's voice drew their attention. He waved at them from the roof next door with Donny and Casey. "We goin' home or what?"
"Comin'!" Mikey yelled and effortlessly leaped the gap with Leo.
