I rolled over, I hadn't slept well, I wanted this all to be a dream, but it wasn't. It was still early the sounds of the lair called out to me. Mikey's snore, Don's computer whirring, Leo was the only one who could sleep quiet. I stood and turned into the kitchen and grabbed some bottled water, and started up the main stairwell to the upper chambers of our lair. I turned into my room and opened the door slowly. I did not want to alarm her. She was laying still, calm and collected but not asleep.
"Hey." I tried to sound uplifting. So much for me… Uplifting, hell I'm about as uplifting as a brick to the face. I knelt down beside my bed and sat there. I lifted the water to her and she took it. She was still weak; I leaned forward and lifted her head by her neck so she could drink from the small bottle better. She let the bottle down and I took it from her. She didn't say anything for a long time.
"I could not stop them." She looked up a tear flowing down her face. "They are gone."
"Tell me." Part of me didn't want to know Mokoshan had taken her from me, but they were of the same race. Ninjara and I could never have had a full life together, we are just to incompatible. It would never have worked out.
"They came in droves. They overcame us." She was shaking now. "Raphael, please get splinter." She lay still not looking at me. I stood and turned.
"Ok I'll be right back." I closed the door as I exited.
"Are you ok?" The voice scared me
"Leo, do not do that!" I put my hand on his shoulder. "She wants Splinter."
"I'll go grab him," He put his hand on mine to reassure me but I was not sure I was in the mood to be reassured. He turned around and went to our Father's chamber.
I turned and entered again and knelt by the bed again. She was breathing steady. She was silent and meditating. I did the same. I snapped from my meditation with a tender hand on my shoulder. I started to stand. "Father."
"Stay Raphael please." He turned to the door. "Leonardo, leave us." I saw Leo nod and turn and he pulled the door behind himself. I was not sure what was going on. Spinter went to the opposite side of the bed and smiled down at her. "How are you my child?"
"I'm scared." She was clutching his hand. I was silent.
"I know, but it is best you tell him. Raphael, promise me you will give her your ear, and be intent while you listen to what she has to tell you." I was confused at this point.
"Yeah, sure anything…" I sat still. At this point I didn't know if I wanted to know.
Splinter help set her up and smiled at her and helped her as she turned her legs over the side of my bed. "There was a time," She started "Where I believed I was the last of my kind," her tears were so full it broke my heart, she was the only one who could do that. "I am now, they were destroyed, but Raphael, it's not just me."
"I don't get it." Boy was I a moron.
She looked at Splinter in desperation and he put a hand on her shoulder.
"I am with child." I don't remember anything after that, I think I fainted. –Raphael
He sat back from the computer and sighed. Two days he'd spent writing it, but two years ago he had lived it. He turned to see Ninjara sitting on the couch. She was quiet, and had been for over a year. She had gone into labor in the late winter, Splinter did all he could, but the kitten was breach. He died. It affected them all, especially Ninjara. She had in less than five years discovered all she had thought she lost, and lost all she had discovered. It was enough to make words between her and Raphael more then painful. She spent her time with Splinter and April.
"Raph, are you done yet?" He blinked and clicked save and placed it in his folder.
"Yeah Don, I'm finished!" He rolled the chair back and stood. Raphael looked different, he'd stopped wearing the hat, and don had given him a shiny black eye piece.
"What are you working on that takes so many hours at the computer?" Don gave him a stiff eyebrow, he had stop wearing the mask their father had given him. His eyes were so gray, and stern.
"Nothing really, just forget about it." You could hear the Brooklyn accent in Raphael's voice.
"How's that eye?" Don looked at it closely
"Well it doesn't itch, so that's a start." He turned "Just us tonight?"
"Yes." Don nodded "What are we doing for dinner?"
"I'll take care of it boys. I don't mind." Ninjara stood and made her way into the kitchen, it shocked them both, it was the most she had said in months. At least… all at the same time.