A one-shot about the darkest day in Tally's history. The day her parents died. Warning; is sad.
Tally©Dare2dream00/RandomAwesomeWeirdo
TMNT universe© Nickelodeon
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Tally was lacing up her tennis shoes as she got ready to go to her karate lesson her mom had signed her up for ever since she was five. Her mother, with her cascading brown hair and bright green eyes which reflected Tally's own, handed her the girl's lunch.
"Remember Tal," her mom said, bending down to Tally's level. "Don't talk to strangers, after your lesson come straight home, and behave." The ten year old nodded distractedly and took the lunch box from the woman's hands. Every Saturday, the two went through the same conversation. Be careful, don't talk to strangers, and behave. Now, they were just going through the motions.
"I got it Mommy," the ten year old offered up a smile to her mother, who smiled back.
"I know you do Tally," she smiled, as a man walked in.
"Ya ready sport?" Tally's father asked, running a hand through his red hair.
"Do we get to ride in the car?" Tally asked, eyes sparkling. She loved riding in her dad's police car, it made her feel cool.
Her dad grinned. "Well, I suppose." He said, scratching his equally red mustache, his blue eyes looking in amusement at his daughter.
"Please?" Tally asked, biting her lip and attempting to give him the 'puppy dog' look. Her dad grinned and picked her up, throwing the giggling girl over his shoulder.
"Let's go!" he shouted, stomping out to his cruiser. He set Tally down in the seat beside him and she buckled herself in. He walked to his side and got in, and started the car up. Tally grinned down in the seat beside him and she buckled herself in. He walked to his side and got in, and started the car up. Tally grinned as the engine rumbled to life, she felt the rumble under her seat as they rolled down the street. Tally smiled as she looked at all the gadgets and doodads.
"Dad?" she asked, looking over at him.
"Yeah kiddo?"
"Can we turn the lights on?" she asked.
Her dad chuckled, then shook his head. "Sorry Tal, the lights are only for emergencies." Tally sighed and looked back out the window.
"Alright,"
"But maybe on the way home, okay?" He smiled. Tally shot him a smile.
"Okay." Tally then thought of something. "Wait Dad, I walk home." She said pointedly.
At this her dad laughed out loud. "You're right, okay, then next Saturday we'll turn on the lights. Deal?"
Tally nodded. "Deal."
The two rode in silence for the rest of the short trip. And because of the distance, Tally walked home after words. The reason her dad dropped her off there was because it was on his way to his daily patrol, and plus, he enjoyed spending time with his daughter. The car pulled up to the building and Tally planted a kiss on her dad's cheek as he planted a kiss on her head.
"See ya in a bit champ. Love ya sport," He said as Tally climbed out with her bag and lunch.
"Bye dad! Love ya too!" Tally grinned, waving a final time, before she ran into the studio. Too bad the girl didn't realize it would be the last time she'd see her dad.
Tally skipped into the studio and greeted her teacher, then went to the locker room to change.
"Have a good rest of the day Tal!" Her teacher called as the young girl exited the karate school.
"Thank you!" Tally called back before swinging her duffel bag over her shoulder and started the walk home. She kicked a rock or two, broke into a skip, hummed a little, and then eventually settled back on walking.
When she was about one block away from her house, she looked up to the sky and saw a spiral of black smoke enveloping the sky, signifying a fire.
"I hope those people's house is alright," Tally said to herself, but didn't really pay any mind to it. Stuff like that didn't happen to you, only to other people. It couldn't happen to you, it was just…impossible. As Tally turned the corner and onto her street, she stopped dead in her tracks. Fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, and people were watching her house, her house burn down. Her house! Tally shook herself and broke into a sprint. She pushed people out of the way, in search of her mom. "Mom!" She yelled. "Mom! Mommy!" She wasn't worried about her dad, he was at work. He wasn't here. But her mom, where was she?
"Tally!" A voice called to her left. Tally whipped around, expecting to see her mother, only to discover it was the Police Chief, and a friend of her dad's. If he was here, then that meant her dad had to be too. Tally ran over to him, out of breath.
"Mr. Colby, where's my mom?" Tally asked at once. "And where's dad?" she asked, looking up at him. She thought she saw a tear track on his cheek, but dismissed it. "Where are they?" she prompted again.
Mr. Colby shook his head and knelt down her level. He hesitated, unsure of how to tell the ten year old.
"Tally…" He said slowly, not meeting her eyes. Tally started breathing harder, her heart hammered in her chest as she bit her lip. Whenever a grown-up started a sentence like that…it was never good. Her lip quivered and her voice cracked.
"Where are my parents?" she asked, her voice managing barely above a whisper.
"They…they're…" Tally knew what he was going to say before he said it. She stubbornly shook her head.
"No! They're not! They're not!" She shouted in anger, hot tears pouring down her cheeks. She refused to say the word. It would only make it true. "My dad's at work! H-H-He's here somewhere!"
Mr. Colby shook his head slowly, "No honey, we had enough policemen today, so he got called off and came home." This time Tally shook her head, harder than ever.
"No, no, no!" She shouted. "They can't be! Why did my house catch on fire!"
"We think some bad guys with guns…" Mr. Colby's voice cracked, he had to continue. She deserved to know. "..came in and shot them…then…set your house on fire…"
Tally let out a loud sob and collapsed into him, who in turn, hugged her small, shaking frame. They couldn't be dead. They got out. They were fine. This was a big joke. They were going come behind her, and yell 'surprise!' any minute now. Then they'd have a big laugh and…and…
Tally sobbed harder into Mr. Colby's shoulder, hugging him as hard she could, afraid to let go. Her whole world had come crashing down in a matter of minutes. Her parents were gone. They weren't coming back. And she was alone. Her sobs came harder as she stared at nothing. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. Her stomach was so tight with tension that it hurt. She felt like was going to throw up. Her head was pounding; it felt like a sledge hammer was slamming away at her skull.
Tally took a shuddered breath. "W-Where am I-I gonna l-l-ive?" she managed.
Mr. Colby shushed her softly, rubbing her hair in comfort. "We'll figure it out together." He said with a strained voice. He picked her up, for she was still clutching him for dear life, unwilling to let go. She was afraid if she did, he was going to disappear too. "It's going to be okay Tally," he murmured.
Tally shook her head. "No i-it's not." She whispered, hugging him tightly."It's n-n-not fair!" she said, suddenly angry. How could just leave her alone? With no one to go to? It wasn't fair! She was aware of the bystanders watching her. But she didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. Everything she knew was gone. And it wasn't coming back. No more homemade cookies on Sunday with her mom. No more dad to read to her before bed. No more goodnight kisses. No more campouts in the backyard in the summer. No more…anything.
This brought another fit of sobs. Tally didn't know how she had enough water in her to cry this much, and she didn't care.
"And we're on the scene, where a local police officer and his wife were murdered earlier today, leaving their ten year old daughter alone. The fire department is still trying to put the fire out as we speak." Tally heard the reporter on the scene speaking into the camera. She turned her head to hear her report. "The police believe that might have been the notorious gang known as the Purple Dragons, and they reportedly wanted to get back at the police officer for busting a drug deal about a month back." So that's the reason her parents were dead? Because of some stupid drug bust? That's the reason her world would never be the same? Ever? Tally shook her head in anger, that couldn't be it. It couldn't! That couldn't be the reason! There had to be something more! There had to be a better reason to kill the two most important people in her life!
"C'mon Tal," Mr. Colby said gently as he set her in the backseat of his police car. He pulled a blanket around her and shut the door, so she didn't have to talk to the reporter, or hear that God awful report she was giving. Tally felt nothing. She was way passed pain and well into numb. She wanted nothing more than to curl up and go to sleep, to have this all go away in the morning. For everything to be okay.
Tally leaned her head against the window, watching as the flames of her house were burned into her memory. Her tears were falling without her noticing now. And she wouldn't be surprised if they left permanent marks on her face. She saw a drop fall on the window. Then another, then another until finally it was a steady rainfall. So much for a sunny day. The thought drifted across the young girl's mind. She didn't want to think, she didn't even want to move. She let her eyes slide closed of their own accord.
The last thing she remembered was Mr. Colby getting into the driver's seat, starting the car, and driving to the police station.
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:C