XD I now have an official Beta so hoooooraaay!
To Cocoagirl and Isli thank you oh so much for your reviews I plan to update this as fast as I can it's just hard with the lack of internet. I actually have to wait until I get to my beta's house to use her's! So thank you again waffles.
Raphael shook his head as he paced the room for the hundredth time, okay so he knew his brother was stupid but that was just a new level. Sure seeing him in the mask was actually pretty funny, but he should have known better then to leave it on. Grumbling he lowered himself to sit by the girls feet stealing a glance towards her before scanning the room again. So now because she was still asleep from Leo's hit they had to have someone watch over her. So when it came time to go out on patrol they drew straws to find out who had to stay in the liar and watch her, Raph drew short and so here he was. Watching over the female for the 5th night in a row. Punching the arm of the couch he slouched even lower narrowing his eyes at the girl. "I bet that stupid game is rigged. I'm sure Donnie found a way to make sure I get the short one..." Frowning he turned his attention away from her and towards his faithful friend who sat on the other end of the couch contently eating a large piece of lettuce. "Don't you agree Spike? Chew your leaf if you agree." As always his small companion stretched forward and took a little bit in his mouth working away at his meal. His finger jabbed the female in the leg as he grumbled again. "Why can't you just wake up?" Stretching to his feet he shifted a bit before deciding he could leave her alone long enough for him to grab some comics out of his room. Sliding out of the living room and down the hallway he disappeared from sight.
She awoke heaving air in to fill her lungs, fear still flooding through her veins. She couldn't remember why she had fallen asleep or when she had fallen asleep. Her hands were shaky and she felt like she hadn't eaten for days. Her stomach hurt and her legs felt so numb. A shuffle from the hall and she launched herself up causing her head to spin harshly. Lifting her hands she gripped her head tightly trying to calm it down. Her legs screamed with painful cramps as she stumbled backwards and away from the approaching noise. She didn't want to know who was coming, she didn't want to find out what was going to happen. Turning she fled into the first room she could collapsing to the floor she stretched behind her sliding the door shut just in time for a certain turtle to wander into the room.
Lying in a twisted heap she tried to calm herself down, her hands trembled as she brought them close to her heart clasping them together she squeezed her body as close to itself as she possibly could. A few shouts from outside and she heard the sound of overturning objects. Her stomach sank as she listened to the sound as it moved around before traveling away from her current location. Her fear lessened only slightly as she felt her body relax. What on earth was she going to do? Hiding had only led to worse punishment in the past, yet here she was cowering like a fool.
"Something troubles you?" She nearly threw up at the voice ringing out from behind her. How had she not noticed someone in the room before? How had she walked so blindly into this? Her hands tightened their hold on each other as her eyes clenched shut tears threatening to spill from them. She felt the hand rest lightly on her shoulder before the same voice filled her ears once more. "Come child, I won't hurt you." Slowly stretching her body out she twisted to a sitting position in front of the...rat? She pulled his appearance into view and she couldn't help the small smile that fell onto her face. His fur looked so soft...Stretching out her arms she moved forward allowing her arms to wrap around his neck. She felt his body tense up underneath her as she buried her face into the soft fur on his neck. It was a rougher then she had thought but still soft all the same.
What was she doing? Why was she hugging him? The fear still raged inside of her but for some reason she felt safe around him. She knew deep in her heart that he wouldn't hurt her. Maybe it was because she had held her back exposed to the male and he simply offered her kind words. Shaking into his neck she bit back the tears still trying to push themselves out. She was still tired both physically and mentally and all she wanted to do was fall asleep just as she was.
He stood frozen underneath her as she clung to his neck and she felt his body grow more rigid every moment. Did he think this was some sort of trap? Lull his senses and then strike while he was least- She pushed the thoughts from her mind as she slowly released his neck setting herself back on the floor she felt blood pool into her cheeks. "Sorry..." Dipping her head she lowered her top half to the floor her forehead resting against the back of her hands. "Come," his hand extended and she twisted him back into her vision, resting her hand in his as he pulled her to her feet. "Before Raphael tears everything apart looking for you." Nodding her head she followed behind the older male as he stepped into the lair pausing in the doorway to her confusion keeping her hidden from sight.
"Raphael. What are you doing?" She could only see him slightly but enough to know he was holding Spike and his plate in the air, almost like he had been looking underneath the turtle and his meal for the female. "Uhhh well you see sensei..." Shaking his head Splinter stepped to the side allowing the female to be brought into view for the red turtle. "WHAT!?" Setting his friend and his meal down in their original spot he stomped over towards the female flames burning in his eyes. "I tore the place apart looking for you." His hand shot out gripping her wrist as he pulled her forward and she flinched waiting for his strike. "Wh..what?" She had closed her eyes and pulled her head instinctively down towards her shoulders hiding her neck and collapsing into her chest. His hand released her wrist and she cracked an eye open at the male. Both stood silent for a moment before her stomach loudly disagreed with it's still empty state. "...Hold on." Pulling a small shell from his waist band the female curiously watched as he touched the underside before holding it up to the side of his head walking away from the female.
Twisting her head to ask the rat about the object she frowned noticing that the space next to her was empty and the door was closed behind her. She really needed food if she hadn't noticed the male leave. Hobbling back to the couch she lowered herself closer to the small turtle as she extended her index finger stroking the animal on it's head. It contently held it's head still it's small eyes closing as it accepted her love. The couch shifted as he lowered himself down and the female turned her attention away from his companion her hand leaving his head to fall lame in her lap.
"Raphael right?" He crossed his arms over his chest before he nodded, "yeah, you can call me Raph though. Tai right?" Confusion swept over his face before he shrugged. "Donnie told us." A small 'oh' passed her lips before she fell silent her eyes taking in the view in front of her, little did she know he was doing the same thing. Both wound up staring at each other, taking in their features. Raph noticed the small clip hanging on by a prayer that kept her hair tucked up and out of her face. The onyx locks fell close to her hips and her eyes reminded him of Donnie's bright red ones. He frowned, why did he have to keep bringing Donnie into this.
She noticed the small chip on his plastron that she hadn't noticed before and she wondered how much like turtles they were. Could they remove their shell? Could they pull themselves inside? She let a smile tear onto her lips as she imagined the large turtle in front of her pulling himself inside his shell. The smile didn't go unnoticed by Raph who simply scowled at the female in response and in turn earned a small almost inaudible laugh from her lips. Tai couldn't help it, but when he acted so serious around her she was going to laugh. "Raph...how old are you and your brothers?" She tilted her head to the side and he shrugged, "well, it's been 15 years since our mutation." Blinking her eyes a few times Raph knew the look all too well. It was the same look Mikey had whenever he was utterly confused, sighing he shifted to a more comfortable position on the couch before he retold the story of their mutation the way he had heard his father retell it so many times before.
He added more to his story though as he watched her eyes glisten, she had scooted closer to him on the couch. Her legs crossed underneath her their knees almost touched, only a sliver of space left between them. She rested her chin in her palms and her elbows along her legs as she stared up at the male. He told her of the first night they had gone above surface, when they had met April and learned about the Krang. He stepped delicately around when they had met Karai and he watched the female's face cloud over at the mention of her name. As he finished she let a large smile spread onto her lips yet the pair was interrupted by a band of rather loud brothers.
"Pizza time!" Mikey stepped off the curb burying himself between his brother and the female as he popped open the top to his pizza allowing Raph to grab a slice and begin eating. She frowned as she watched the two begin to eat twisting her head to pull their brothers into sight. They too were eating happily away at their meal. Her confusion didn't pass Leo as he patted the couch next to him and she shyly lifted herself relocating to sit next to him. He had already pulled a slice out for her extending her hands she cautiously took it holding it in the manner the turtles were. "Haha Tai it's like you've never had pizza before!" She let a scowl warp her features as she fumbled with the cheesy slice in her hands. "I haven't."
A loud gasp tore through Mikey's throat before he began choking on his last mouthful. Ignoring their brother the three focused their attention on the female and she instantly regretted telling them that. Frowning she held the slice a bit higher, "I was quite...sheltered..." Dipping her head forward she bit the end of the triangular substance allowing her self to chew the piece a few times before swallowing. She could have heard a pin drop in the liar as they watched her. Mikey had recovered from his episode and was just as intent on her as the others.
Starting small her lips continued to curl into a large smile as she let a chirrup pass her lips. "This is good!" Contently biting into another mouthful, a cheer from the brothers and they all continued eating. Between mouthfuls Mikey filled her in about their patrol that night, something he said he had done every night when she was asleep and planned to do from here on out. Obviously with out much choice she agreed to his strange statement before finishing her slice with a happy smile on her face. She picked up on the name Leo, during Raph's retelling of their stories as well as Mikey's recap of their night, a name Donnie had forgot to mention and simply stored it away in her mind as the blue turtles name.
Resting between Leonardo and Raphael she felt her head loll to the side catching Raph's shoulder. Cracking her head back up she rose her hands to scrub at her eyes sleepily. Mikey had pulled a case of old VHS movies out and they had watched one after another until slowly one by one they began to doze off. Now only static buzzed across the screen, white noise to the female as she slept trying to battle her nightmares. Lowering her hands gingerly she made sure not to awake the two turtles in her lap as she maneuvered her hands. Once again her eyes closed and her head dipped to the side her body comfortably warm between the rather cold turtles she let her head rest against his shoulder this time refusing to remove it. With one last sign she let her mind drift away.
Splinter let his eyebrow arch as he took in the sight before him. He had simply come out to see what his sons were doing up this late, he didn't expect to see this. Tai sat in the middle of the couch her head resting against Raphael's shoulder, Leonardo's head rested upon her shoulder almost as if he was tilting into her body warmth. Mikey sat in between her legs his hands gripping the thigh his head rested upon, obviously she had allowed him to sit there for their movie viewing and they had simply fallen asleep in that state. Donatello's position was the final piece to let their father and sensei smile. Stomach pressed against Leonardo's legs and head resting in the female's lap he sprawled out across the couch. Leonardo's hands rested upon his brother's shell while the female's left hand rested against Donnie's head, her right against Mikey's.
He simply shook his head as he stepped down hitting the power switch on the television with his staff and plunging the liar into darkness. Carefully avoiding his sons he set his staff against the couch before reaching forward and adjusting the female's clip that had fallen and snagged on her shirt. Sliding the small black clip into place it held her hair up and out of her face. Taking a step back to reclaim his staff he felt his heart pain at the sight. Would Tang Shen have loved his sons as much as this new female obviously did? Would she have allowed turtles to use her as a pillow? He knew the answer was an easy yes, Tang Shen had loved all creatures and his sons would be no different. Lifting his hand to slide through his beard he stared at them through the dark. Why did she look so much like his past wife? Had The Shredder done something to cause her appearance to change so? Was she some long lost relative of his beloved? He frowned still running his finger and thumb down his beard. She was close to the same age as his sons if not a few years older, she would have been alive back when Miwa was born. Maybe...maybe there was family he had yet to meet. He recalled her name and his eyes drifted to Donatello, his son had told her she introduced herself as Tai Shen...but was that a name Shredder had given her? Or truly her name? Frowning he turned his back allowing himself to enter his room for some much needed meditation.
Head held high her and her fellow villagers watched in awe as an expensive car pulled through their small almost unknown village. On the outskirts of the outskirts it was well hidden but well maintained, so to have a visitor an expensive one at that was rare. She felt two hands wrap around her waist as she was hoisted above the crowd a laugh passing her lips as she was set upon her fathers shoulders allowed to see the man as he exited his car. Men in suits were the first to exit scanning the area before opening another set of doors and allowing a small girl to hop out. Tai watched curiously as she took off towards their stables, small girls and horses just went together. Struggling against her father's grip he sighed before setting her down and allowing her to tear off after the girl to introduce her to every horse.
"Hello there!" The small girl spun fear glistening in her eyes before it subsided upon seeing another child. "My name is Tai!" A large semi-toothy grin spread over the girls face as she giggled. "Hello." Frowning the 8 year old twisted her head, "how old are you?" She pulled a carrot from one of the buckets helping the female place her hand correctly so the large beast wouldn't nip her fingers when offered the food. Simply holding up five fingers with no response Tai let a sigh pass her lips before diving into another topic which the girl was more then happy to talk about. Horses.
They talked well into the evening setting on bales of hay and laughing with each other. Tai told her of her daily chores and what she was to do every day while the girl told her of her training she did with her father's men a sad topic when she spoke of her father. He didn't seem to have much time for her. "Tai..." Twisting her head around the small girl pulled her into view and Tai laughed readjusting the girls head so she could continue the braid. Tugging her hair from the girls grip she spun around her braid falling to pieces as she did so. Small hands wrapped themselves in calloused ones as she patted them together. "Promise me we'll always be friends." A laugh passed the older girls lips as she removed her hands only to pull the girl into a hug. "Of course!"
"Well I see you two have met..." Tai pulled away from the female her eyes beaming up at her mother. "We're friends now!" A sad smile fell onto her mothers lips and Tai instantly knew something was wrong. Standing up she moved over to her mother who simply crossed her arms shaking her head as she backed away from her daughter. "Tai you're to go with Oroku-sama. He's going to take care of you now." A scowl passed the small girls lips as she shook her head. "No, I'm staying with you and father." A whimper passed her mother's lips before she retreated again. "Mom!" Ducking under the arm of the new male she darted towards her home where her father would be. He would set things straight. "Tai no!" Wrenching the door open a scream tore past her lips at what lie inside. Two men were cleaning up blood that splattered up the walls, and while she couldn't see her father she could see his hand reaching out towards the door from around their table. Her father...why did he have to kill him? Small gears churned in her head only to halt as a strong hand found her shoulder. "Come." Wrenching it free from his grip she spun staring up at the man that had started this. Snorting she pooled spit in her mouth before launching it at the male's chest. His hand came down hard and strong as it wrapped around both her wrists lifting her in one easy movement from the floor. Screaming and kicking she tried to break free from his grip only to find a cloth tied in her mouth from one of the men.
"Get in the car." She watched as the small girl scrambled to her feet before diving in the vehicle and sliding over to allow Tai to be thrown in. Scrambling to her feet she tried to lunge back out through the door only to have the male's body slide in blocking the exit and she merely landed in his lap. The window cracked to allow a few men to see into the vehicle and the next words chilled her to the bone.
"Burn everything. No survivors." The men nodded as tears broke from her eyes pooling down her cheeks. "Yes Master Shredder." The window rolled back up and she squirmed in the male's lap her small hands beating against his chest her cries muffled by the tie. His right hand gripped both her wrists again as he lifted the female up his hand connecting harshly with her small face. "If you try to run, I will hunt you down. There is no where to run too. If you try to hide, I will hunt you down. There is no where safe to hide. You belong to me. You belong to The Shredder. Now repeat after me;"
Even in her sleep she could feel his hits, she could feel his hand as it connected with her face forcing her small body into submission. Each time she was hit she felt her body jump slightly and she wondered if she was crying just like in her mind. Her voice cracked as it tore through a dry throat a whisper in the morning light. "I belong..." The turtles were slowly waking, finding themselves still strewn over the flinching female. Slowly giving the female a bit more space small frowns formed on their faces noticing the tears spilling from her closed eyes. "I belong..." A violent jerk and it tipped Mikey back and the male scooted away from the girl. A whine passed her lips as she jerked again Leo twisting his head only for a moment to recognize Splinter standing in the doorway to their dojo.
"I belong to..." Raph's voice was thick as he asked the question each of them was thinking. "Who do you belong to?" A mumbled before another jerk and Raph narrowed his eyes shooting his brothers a confused look. They all simply shrugged their shoulders allowing Raph to ask again. "Master who?" A screech tore through her lips as her head shot forward pulling herself from her mind her lips formed the words she had been beaten to repeat day after day.
"I belong to Master Shredder!"