Same disclaimer is in rule as in the first chapter. Thanks for the suggestions, i have gone over teh first chapter after asking my beta Mabby to read it over for me. Hopefully i will have fared this chapter much better. I apologize if i missed any small spelling errors, let me know and i'll fix them. Microsoft word is not uploaded in my system right now.
Enjoy --
A week after Raphael's incident, the turtles were back home in the lair. The snow had increased over the weeks so now they were trying to wait out for the snow to melt. Things seemed to have returned to normal, Raphael was now as touchy as ever, Leonardo was trying to help, but in Raphael's view, Leo was correcting him on everything. Michelangelo was trying to make light of the situation and Donatello tried to stay out of the line of fire.
In the dojo, Master Splinter was as vigilant as ever to keep the turtles up in practice. It was not the time to relax, now was the most important time to hone in their skills. Michelangelo and Donatello were set up to spar against each other, right after Leonardo and Raphael were finished this morning. Tension from Raphael was rising, they could feel it. But Leonardo remained calm and surprised everyone when Raphael knocked him down into submission.
"Damn it Leo!" Raphael cursed throwing down the bo he was using.
"I'm sorry Raph, my attention in not here today," Leonardo apologized as he got up.
"What troubles you my son?" Master Splinter asked stepping forward.
"The trouble is that ever since I fell in the snow, he's been taking it easy on me!" Raphael accused. This got Leonardo's full attention.
"No I have not!" Leonardo protested. "Honestly I was thinking of the girls that helped us and was wondering if there was a way we could repay them!"
"Don't lie to me Leo," Raphael pointed an accusing finger at him. "I hate it when you lie to me!"
"It's not a lie," Leonardo replied dropping his bo and getting up from the floor.
"Whatever, I'm not staying here to listen to this," Raphael turned to leave then stopped. "Permission to leave Sensei?"
At least he learned enough to give Master Splinter the proper amount of respect, Leonardo thought as Splinter dismissed Raphael.
"Michelangelo, Donatello, you are dismissed as well today," Master Splinter said to the other two turtles. They both calmly got up and left the dojo after bowing respectively to Master Splinter. Michelangelo's whoop could be heard even through the closed doors of the dojo.
"Do you want to tell me what is troubling you my son?" Master Splinter walked up to Leonardo. The turtle sighed, not sure if he was ready to talk to anyone.
"I am thinking about the girls," Leonardo said then sighed again. "Just one of them really."
"And why does she consume your thoughts?" Master Splinter waited patiently for Leonardo to reply.
"I don't know," Leonardo shrugged. "She seemed different from other humans, there was something about her, it's very difficult to explain Master."
"And these thoughts are distracting you from practice," Master Splinter finished. Leonardo nodded confirmation. "Then what I think you should do is take a few days to meditate, on the girl and how to not let your thoughts be a distraction. Not being in control of one's thoughts can be very dangerous, especially if it happens in the midst of battle.
"You need to be aware of everything around you at all times," Master Splinter said softly. "For us not to be constantly aware, can put us in grave danger."
"Yes Sensei," Leonardo said and bowed to the rat. "I will do as you say and meditate on this, see if I can find my answers this way."
"You will find answers," Master Splinter said. "And I am here if you need anything."
Up on the surface, snow was everywhere, but people kept bustling through, to get to work, go about their daily business. The snow was nothing new, yes it was bad weather, but no work meant no money, which most citizens didn't agree with. Except for two, who were currently in a small theater.
It was old fashion theater, where small plays were put and concerts played by high school bands or choirs. The chairs for the audience have lost their velvety cushioning pads, leaving only the velvet remaining as a reminder of what once was. The curtains on stage were caked with dust. Anyone who had been there before knew better then to try and touch them, or they'll get a dusty shower, literally.
The newest contraption, not counting lighting and the heat and cooling system for the building was a piano set up stage right. One girl sat playing the tune softly of jungle bells while the other friend, sat in silence listening.
"Beth!" Sara stopped playing and looked at her friend. No response. "BETH!" Sara hit the piano keys making a loud noise startling Beth.
"What?" Her friend looked confused.
"How are we suppose to rehearse if you don't sing with me when i play the piano?" Sara asked matter of factly.
"What are we rehearsing for?" Beth asked, then shook her head when Sara gave her a look. "Sorry it just irritates me that we couldn't find anything out about those guys we helped."
"Ah yes," Sarah started a dark sounding tune as she continued. "The mysterious three fingered guys, who vanished into thin air.
"They be ninjas they are?" Sara joked in her best pirate voice.
"Where'd you get that idea?" Beth asked smiling at her friend.
"You ever seen Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon?" Sara asked standing up.
"No," Beth shook her head.
"Well, I haven't either," Sarah shrugged. "But I have seen the previews and those ninjas on there just seem to vanish into thin air. They flew too, I wonder if those guys flew off."
"Then why did they not fly off when their one friend fainted?" Beth gave her friend a get real look.
"Eh, who knows?" Sara sat down and flipped some pages in the music book in front of her, then started playing a piece from Mozart.
"It's just so strange that the place we dropped them off at, no one knew about any visitors," Beth thought out loud. "Just makes me wonder that's all."
"I know," Sara stopped playing the piano and waved her friend to sit next to her. "Come and sing with me, it'll take your mind off your problems... thoughts... those things... that make your head ache."
Beth laughed as she took a seat. "Okay, okay i give in, just no more Christmas music right now."
"Right, so jingle bells?" Sara gave her friend a wicked grin.
"Sara!"
It wasn't too much later that the two girls were outside trying to get Sara's little car to start up. An 89 Honda two door hatch back. First in order to get in the car, Sara unlocks it, jiggles the handle then is able to pull it open. Both girls shivered as the engine made useless whirring sounds, not turning over at all.
"Stupid car!" Sara yelled and smacked her fist on the steering wheel.
"So we walk?" Beth sighed.
"Yeah, cause I have no money for a taxi," Sara started.
"And both of our parents are out of town," Beth finished. The doors creaked as both opened, Sara whirled kicking hers shut, then went to join Beth on the sidewalk.
"It'll probably be sitting on its hubcaps when I get back," Sara grumbled burying her hands in her coat pocket for warmth.
"If you're lucky," Beth said. "I expect it to be gone completely."
"Thanks for the encouragement," Sara shot her friend a look as both started to walk. The air was frigid, and the more they walked the colder it seemed to get. Most stores they passed seemed to have closed early, nothing was open.
"B-b-beth, I th-think we n-n-need to fffind covvver," Sara said through chattering teeth. In reply Beth nodded then stopped when a door in front of the two girls opened suddenly.
"Oh sorry," A guy standing there, in ripped jeans and fashionably torn sweater. "I didn't see you, are you cold?" He didn't look sorry at all, but both girls nodded anyways.
"W-were fffreezing our b-butts offff out here!" Sara exclaimed with some effort.
"Well come on in," The guy offered. Sara stepped forward but Beth grabbed her friends arm shaking her head no. He saw the hesitation and put on a friendlier face.
"Hey the name is Joe," He introduced. "You can trust me." The tone of his voice and gleam in his eyes said otherwise to Beth. Sara, simply stood there, shivering. There were only two choices at hand. Go in with the guy and hope he had no friends in there and wasn't going to do anything, or, continue on but Sara would get really sick if they didn't get inside soon. Beth would be able to hold out but not for much longer. Both girls were only wearing a sweater, with light jackets. Neither one thought that they would have been caught out side like this.
A loud ruckus inside help decide the girls fate. A crash along with a lot of guys jeering at something confirmed to Beth, they needed to move on, maybe stop at a hotel and warm up in the lobby.
"No!" Beth said in a surprising steady voice. "We're leaving." Sara looked at her friend with pleading eyes, that she was picking the best solution.
"Hey listen girlie," Joe reached out to grab Beth's arm. Before he realized what happened, Beth dropped, swept his feet out from under him and had him pinned her heel at his throat.
"Leave us alone," Beth said solemnly. The guy could only nod, pure surprise in his eyes, until Beth moved her foot. In two seconds Joe was inside with the door shut. Both huddled close to Sara for warmth, as they continued on. The problem was not that it was unusually cold, it just got colder faster this year.
"C-c-come on S-s-sara," Beth whispered as encouragement for both of them. She couldn't tell if Sara nodded because of how bad they were both starting to shake. Beth was not prepared when Sara slid down falling into a heap on the curb.
"No," Beth cried kneeling to try and pull her friend up, while looking for help. No one was in sight. The best Beth was able to do was drag her friend into an alley that was close by, and next to a dumpster away from the chilled wind. Yes it may smell but it was their best chance for warmth at the moment.
"Okay, Sara," Beth said unzipping her friends jacket after unzipping hers. "H-hopefully this helps." Getting as close to Sara as she could, Beth pulled her friend in a hug, covering where the front of Sara's jacket was opened and trying to keeps hers as close as she could.
Wake up, Beth silently pleaded, and prayed in her head, while she shivered and held Sara close. Time lost meaning in this state, things got hazy, her grip on Sara loosened and she was half laying on her with a head on Sara's shoulder. Then things shifted, and Beth felt someone carrying her, and warmth.
"It b-better not be J-joe," Beth surmised.
"I'm not Joe," A voice trialed back to Beth. "Close your eyes, your safe." That sounded like a great idea, so Beth did, just that and welcomed the warming darkness.