Don't Go Into the Woods
Chapter 1: Witness
A/N: Here's a story I've had in my head in the spirit of Halloween. It takes place just after Leo wakes up and goes from there. I tentatively want to have this done by Halloween, but that's not to say I'll stick with it by then. We'll see how things go. I hope that you all enjoy what I have in store for the Turtles.
Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.
Summary: After Leo witnesses a murder in the woods of April's farmhouse, he is racked with guilt that he wasn't able to help the victim. But Leo also needs to be afraid because the murderer knows he witnessed it and his next victim is Leo himself.
Her footsteps rang out as she ran. She looked back but didn't see her pursuer coming after her. Good. Maybe she'd lost him. Still, she had to get away from that wretched man and quickly. She ran faster, desperation spurning her on despite how much her body ached from the beating he'd given her. She looked back and then gasped. Her tormentor was coming fast! No, he couldn't catch her! She couldn't go back to him! Spying the woods up ahead, she ran for them, hoping to lose him and hide herself.
"I'll be safe in there," she told herself. "He can't catch me now."
How very wrong she was.
22222
It had been a long three months for Raphael as he sat at his brother's side. Leo still hadn't recovered from the beating he'd received at the hands of the Foot, and Raph was worried Leo would never wake up. With a sigh, he made to get up to stretch his muscles when he heard a moan. At first, he thought he'd imagined it, but he heard it again, and his gaze turned toward the bathtub where his brother was. Sure enough, Leo's eyes were open, and he was looking around him confusedly.
"Leo!" Raph cried. "You're awake!" He hurried to his brother's side and took his hand. "How do you feel?"
"Hurt," he whispered. "Where am I?"
"We're at April's summer home," Raph replied. "We had to escape after the Kraang invaded New York."
"Are the others okay?" Leo asked him.
Raph nodded. "Yeah, they're all here. I'm sure they want to see that you've woken up. I'll go and get them." He made to turn, but Leo called him back.
"Raph, wait! What about Master Splinter? Is he here, too?"
A sad look crossed Raph's face, and his heart ached as he relived Splinter being thrown down the drain by Shredder. "I'm sorry, Leo, but he's not here," he said sadly. "He was thrown down a drain by Shredder. But if I know Sensei, he won't give up, and he'll survive."
Leo was shocked by Raph's answer. "So Splinter's gone?" he asked weakly.
"Leo, don't worry about it," Raph soothed. "It'll be okay. I'll go get the others and see if we can get you out of that tub and on your feet."
Before Leo could say anything more, Raph left and called for the others. They came running and were relieved to see that Leo was awake. Don examined him thoroughly and tried to be as gentle as he could while doing so.
"So, what's the verdict, Doc?" Raph asked him.
"Leo has crushed lungs and his vocal cords were crushed, too," Don explained. "That's why he sounds different. He also has multiple bruises, a slight concussion, and a cracked shell. It's going to take him some time to heal from all of this, but I'll do my best to make sure he gets the best treatment."
"Will his voice stay that way forever?" Mikey asked.
"Maybe, but only time will tell," Don answered.
"Can he get up now?" Raph asked.
Don nodded. "Yes, I think it's best if he gets on his feet since he's been lying still for three months. It's too late for him to go for a walk, but we should at least get him something to eat first. Mikey, maybe you could make him some chicken noodle soup."
"You got it," Mikey said and hurried to do as Don asked.
Raph and Donnie helped Leo out of the bathroom and to the living room area. It was dark out, which was why they decided not to take Leo to the woods yet and wait until morning. They set Leo in one of the chairs and made sure he was comfortable. April even brought some tea for him, and he was a bit confused as to what type it really was.
"It's the tea Master Splinter used to make you guys whenever you were sick or injured," she explained. "He taught me how to make it, and I thought it would help."
A sad look crossed Leo's face at the mention of their missing father. He wanted to believe that Splinter would be okay, but deep down, he had the fear that Splinter was lost to them for good at the hands of Shredder. Trying to shake that thought away, Leo took the tea and sipped it, relishing in the familiar flavors and trying to imagine that he was back home and none of this had happened.
Mikey came back with the chicken noodle soup and set it down in front of Leo. "There you go, bro," he said. "That'll make you feel better."
Leo thanked Mikey and ate some of the soup then waited to make sure it would stay down before eating more. The others just watched him, happy that he was going to be okay. Leo noticed this and joked, "Hey, is the TV broken or something?"
Mikey laughed. "Nah, it works, bro. We're just happy that you're okay now."
Leo smiled and patted Mikey on the shoulder. "I know, Mikey. I'm happy I'm back, too. So how long was I out exactly?"
"Three months," Don replied. "We really weren't sure if you were gonna make it or not."
"Raph never left your side the whole time," April added.
Leo looked at his red-clad brother, who ducked his head in embarrassment.
"Well, there was nothin' else to do, and I figured it would be a good idea to have someone at your side all of the time," Raph explained. "Don was too busy with his lab, and Mikey was busy doin' chores, so I figured it fell to me to help out."
Leo laughed at his brother's explanation because he knew the truth. "Come on, Raph, I know you better than that," he teased. "You were worried for me. You can admit it."
"You bet he was worried," Mikey piped up. "He had tears coming out of his eyes, didn't you, Raph?"
"I did not!" Raph protested.
"Oh, you so did, Raph," Mikey contradicted, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye and sniffing. "It was so hilarious to see big bad tough Raphie crying over his brother."
Raph growled and glared at Mikey. "Oh, you're gonna pay for that one!" he snarled, but before he could make a move to tackle Mikey, April stepped in.
"Children, that's enough!" she said. "I don't think you guys need to be fighting now that Leo's back on his feet. Raph, you and Casey go and get more firewood. Mikey, make sure Leo's bed is aired out and made properly."
"I'm going to sleep in a bed?" Leo asked.
"Well we can't have you sleeping in a bathtub anymore," Don joked. "That would be very uncomfortable. We already claimed rooms after we got here, and you'll be bunking with Raph. I wanted to stay with you, but Raph insisted he be the one to room with you instead. And now that I think back on it, I'm glad he did because Mikey talks in his sleep, and it's annoying."
"Yeah, I think Raph rooming with me might be the wiser course," agreed Leo.
Raph and Casey came back with more firewood, and Mikey declared that Leo's room was ready for him to sleep in. They all settled down to watch some TV before bed and settled on a rerun of "Cops." They started playing a game to see who could guess why the person was being arrested and issued a points system. They discovered the show was in a marathon and watched a few episodes and continued playing their game. By the end, Raph had won the most points, and Mikey had the fewest, so he had to do Raph's chores for a week.
Raph noticed that Leo's head was drooping onto Raph's shoulder. "Looks like you need to get to bed, Chief," he said.
"Yeah, I think we've all had more than enough excitement for one day," April declared.
They bade each other good night and headed to bed. Leo sighed as he settled into the bed that was intended for him, happy that he didn't have to sleep in a bathtub. Raph tucked in the covers around him and made sure he was warm.
"Good night, Raph, and thanks for staying by my side," Leo said.
"Don't mention it, Leo," Raph replied. "You know I'll always be there for you when you need me. Now, get to sleep. We've got a day of trainin' tomorrow to get you back to where you need to be."
Leo nodded and closed his eyes, ready for a good night's sleep and waiting for what the morning would bring him.
22222
The next morning dawned bright as Leo and Raph woke up to start a new day. Mikey had eggs and bacon cooking and served his brothers when they came in.
"Glad to see you guys are up, bros," Mikey said happily. "So what's on the agenda for today?"
"No morning practice for one thing, but we'll have one this afternoon. You can even join us if you want, Leo."
"But I don't have any weapons," Leo said sadly. "I lost them in the fight."
Mikey gasped. "Raph, are you telling me you didn't show him?"
"Show me what?" Leo asked them.
"Well, we went back to the Lair to look for Splinter but he wasn't there," Raph explained. "We had to grab one thing that was meaningful to us, and since you weren't there, I went to your room and grabbed something you might like." He went back upstairs and returned with a pair of katanas. "I figured you wanted your spare pair of katanas since you love your swords so much."
Leo gasped. "Raph, I can't believe you grabbed these! Thank you!" He went over and gave his brother a hug.
"Okay, okay, enough with the lovey dovey shit, Leo," Raph said, gently pushing his brother off of him. "Get some breakfast in you before we go out there."
Leo saluted and continued to eat. April and Casey filled Leo in on what happened while he was gone and while he was out of commission. Leo was sad that Kirby had been mutated again and that possibly the whole city was invaded and mutated as well. It just made him more determined than ever to get back on his feet so they could go back and save the city.
After breakfast was over, Raph took Leo to the woods to build his muscles up. Leo was using the cane Don had made for him, and he was definitely feeling the ache of being laid up for so long.
"Raph, can we stop for a minute?" Leo asked as he sank down to the grass. "I need a break."
"We haven't even been out here that long," Raph insisted. "You can't be that tired already."
"Hey, you try being attacked by Shredder and his Foot Bots and see how it affects you!" Leo shot back.
Raph held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "Whoa, take it easy, Leo, I was just jokin'. We can take as many breaks as you need." He came and sat down beside his brother.
"Raph, do you really think I'll get better?" Leo asked him.
"As long as you try to stay on your feet and don't sit around too much, I think you'll be fine," Raph reassured him.
"But you heard what Don said," Leo protested. "I have too many injuries. It'll take months for them to heal! And by then, the city of New York could be taken over by the Kraang."
Raph put an arm around his brother. "Hey, it's gonna be okay," he said gently. "That's why you and me are doin' this today. We're gonna build up your strength and get you back to where you were before all of this went down. It may take a while, but I'd rather you be back to full strength than to go back to New York when you can barely walk."
"I know. I want to go back and save the city, but I'm also afraid of facing Shredder again. I just don't want him to overpower me like he did before." Leo closed his eyes as images of the attack filled his mind.
Raph rubbed his brother's shell gently. "Don't worry, Leo, we'll be there this time. You don't have to face him alone. You wanna keep going or go back?"
"We can keep going for a bit more," Leo replied.
Raph patted him on the back. "That's the Leo I know," he said fondly and helped his brother to his feet. They continued to go through the woods until they came to a creek.
"Wow, this is really neat," Leo commented.
"Yeah, the closest we ever get to something like this is when the sewers get flooded after a rainstorm. Looks like we'll have to cross it though."
Leo paled a little and stepped back. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Raph," he said.
"It'll be okay, bro, I'll be here beside you," Raph reassured him. "I won't let you cross it on your own."
Leo looked at the rushing water again, images filling his head of falling down a hill before crashing into ice cold water and nearly drowning. No, there was no way he was going to be crossing that creek. "I can't do it, Raph," he said. "I just can't."
"Why not?" Raph asked him. "You've never been afraid of water before."
Leo explained to him what had happened when he'd been attacked and how frightened he'd been when he'd fallen in the water. "I don't want that to happen again," he said softly.
"Leo, do you really think I'd let you fall in there?" Raph asked his brother. "I'm gonna be right beside you while we jump the rocks and I'll be holding on to you the whole time. I know you're scared, but remember what Sensei said about facing your fears. You can't let the fear control you or it'll be a powerful enemy."
Leo realized Raph was right. He couldn't let the fear control him anymore. He was a leader, and a leader had to be brave for his team. "Okay, Raph, let's do this," he said.
Raph smiled and led Leo to the edge of the creek. "Okay, now when I count to three, we'll jump to that rock, okay? One, two, three." He held onto his brother and jumped while Leo jumped with him. The rock was big enough that they could both fit.
Leo smiled. "I did it!" he yelled. "I didn't fall in!"
"I told you I wouldn't let that happen," Raph reminded him. "Now it looks like there are some smaller rocks, so we won't fit on those." He pretended to think of how they could do this when an idea struck him. He pulled out the grappling hook from his belt and hooked it onto his belt and gave the other end to Leo. "Here, you hold onto this. I'll jump first and then guide you over to it once I'm clear. Sound good?"
"Sounds great," Leo replied.
Raph smiled and patted Leo on the shoulder. Then he made the jump and then jumped to the next rock then guided Leo over to the smaller one he'd just vacated. It was slow going, and a few times Leo faltered a bit, but Raph was right there to make sure he didn't fall in the water. Once they were both across they gave each other a high three.
"That was awesome!" Raph said. "Good job, Leo. You're gonna be back on your feet in no time."
"I hope so, Raph," Leo replied.
"Let's keep going," Raph said and led Leo further into the woods. They both marveled at the scenery and how there were flowers everywhere they looked. They talked more about how they used to fantasize going into the woods and being in the country after things they saw on TV. Just as they were nearing a set of logs, they both froze.
"Leo, do you hear that?" Raph whispered.
"Yeah," Leo answered. "Sounds like someone's coming."
The two Turtles got ready to hide, but before they could conceal themselves, a woman came running into their path. She was battered and bruised and looked as though she was running from someone. She looked up and spotted the two Turtles, who did their best to appear as though they wouldn't harm her.
"Please help me!" she cried. "He's gonna kill me!"
"Who's gonna kill you?" Raph demanded.
"He's got a knife," the woman replied. "He said he wants to kill me." She moved further toward them and sank to the ground, her body weakened.
"This ain't good," Raph murmured.
"What do we do?" Leo asked.
"You stay with her," Raph ordered. "I'll go get Donnie and see if he can help her."
"Call him on the T-Phone," Leo suggested.
Raph shook his head. "They don't work out here. Don's doing his best to try and fix it. I'll be back as fast as I can. Just stay with her."
Leo nodded and watched his brother leave. Then he turned his attention to the woman who was struggling to get up. Leo wanted to help her, but his own legs were still shaking from jumping the stones, and he didn't trust that he'd be able to stand. He leaned against the tree and watched as she made her way onto her back. Then there were footsteps that were coming closer.
"Oh, God, he found me!" she cried. "Please, don't let him hurt me!"
Leo's body tensed at her words. He watched as a figure made their way toward them. It looked to be a man, but he had a mask over his face, obscuring his features. He walked toward the woman with a knife in his hand.
"So you thought you could get away from me, huh?" he snarled. "Thought you could run into the woods and be safe, huh? Well, you should know better than that. There's nowhere you can hide from me, bitch!"
"James, please stop!" she begged. "I'm sorry that I made you angry. I won't do it again. I promise."
"What good are your promises?" he spat. "You've done nothing but cause me hell since the day I married you. No, I think the best thing that needs to happen is for you to die. You don't deserve to live anymore."
A fearful look crept in her eyes. "James, please!" she pleaded. "I promise I'll be a better wife to you. You know I've always loved you. Don't kill me!"
He slapped her face. "Shut up, bitch!" he yelled. "You've done nothing but cause me trouble. It's time for you to go!" He raised the knife and got ready to stab her.
"Leave her alone!" Leo yelled.
The man named James turned to him. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.
"Someone who doesn't want to see innocent lives get hurt," Leo replied. "Now leave her alone."
"Stay out of this, freak!" James spat. "This has nothing to do with you."
"It does if you're planning on killing someone," Leo told him. "I won't allow you to do that."
James laughed. "And what do you plan on doing to try and stop me?" he scoffed.
Leo pulled out a katana and held it in a defensive stance. "I'll fight you if I have to," he answered.
"Well, isn't that cute?" James mocked. "The little freak has a sword. You wnana fight me, freak? Give me your best shot. If I win, I kill the bitch. If you win, I'll leave her alone."
Leo really wasn't sure what to make of this man's challenge, but he knew he couldn't back down from it now. He knew the guys would call him nuts for trying to fight while still wounded, but he couldn't just let the woman die. He took up a defensive stance and motioned for James to make the first move. He did so slashing out with his knife, but Leo dodged the attack and tried to come up with his own. James dodged it and kicked Leo in the stomach, making him doubled over. James then kicked Leo's cane from under his arm, causing him to lose his balance and to fall. He struggled to get up, but James pinned him with his foot.
"Looks like I win, freak," he said. "Time for the bitch to die."
"No!" Leo cried. He looked at the woman. "Run! Save yourself!"
The woman tried to get to her feet, but James tackled her to the ground and began beating her repeatedly. Then he took his knife and began stabbing her multiple times in her torso, chest, and back. Leo could do nothing but watch helplessly as the man stabbed her repeatedly. Then he finished her off by slashing her throat. When he was done, he turned to Leo.
"Looks like you're next, freak," he said. "I can't let you live after you witnessed her death. Otherwise you'll go blabbing to the authorities." He advanced toward Leo, who stood frozen on the spot. He tried to get up, but he was too weak from the fight. He braced himself for James to kill him, but then he heard footsteps on the path.
"Leo!" Raph called out.
"Raph, I'm over here!" Leo called back.
James immediately stiffened. "I'll be back, freak, and when I do, you'll be dead," were his parting words before vanishing.
Leo watched him go, his whole body shaking. Not long after, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey found him leaning against the tree in shock at what he'd seen.
"Leo, what happened?" Raph asked.
Leo opened his mouth to reply, but all that came out was a sob. Raph pulled Leo into his arms and began comforting him, whispering soothing words.
Don knelt down and checked the woman. "She's dead," he reported. "Looks like she was stabbed."
"Is there anything we can do?" Mikey asked.
"No, I don't think so," Don replied. "I'm sure the cops will be coming around and searching for her if she's from this area. We'd better get Leo home so we're not spotted here."
Raph nodded and scooped Leo into his arms. Mikey grabbed Leo's cane and his katana as they fled to the farmhouse. Once they arrived, they settled Leo into the living room. April made him some tea but he declined it. Casey asked him what happened, but Leo just shook his head, not wanting to talk about it.
"It's gotta be somethin' big," Raph said. "We can't push him on it. He'll talk when he's ready." It angered him that someone had put his brother in this state, and he wanted to get his hands on them and make them pay. Don suggested Raph take Leo to bed so he did just that and got into bed beside him. He stroked Leo's head and said, "It's gonna be okay, bro. We'll figure this out." He watched as his stricken brother finally lapsed into sleep, determined to stay by his side and be there for him.
22222
Meanwhile, James smiled an evil smile. It was so fun making that freak squirm like that. He really couldn't wait to give that freak a taste of his own medicine, but he had to bide his time. He retraced his steps to where the body of his wife lay and noticed tracks leading away. He followed them and saw that they led to a clearing where a farmhouse stood. That had to be where the freak was hiding himself. A laugh escaped James as he discovered this. Yes, soon the freak would pay and he'd be absolved of his crime. He hurried away from the clearing and found a storage shed where he figured he could set up camp. More than likely, the cops wouldn't know his wife was missing for a few days. That would give him plenty of time to finish off the freak and escape the country before they found him. With that thought in his head, he entered the shed and set up his own camp there, thoughts of his wife's dying screams and the shocked look on the freak's face dancing through his head.
A/N: So that's the end of that chapter. What do you think so far? You'll learn more about James and his wife as the story progresses and how they came to this point in their lives. I kind of drew inspiration for this from the case of Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander where she killed him in his bathroom. I hope you guys enjoyed this little tale. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.