Ch 2-Guardian Angel

"So I said no way girl, I'm not going to the movies on Wednesday night. Wednesday night is choir practice. If we're going to have a girls' night out we gotta have it on a day when everyone can be there. That's just the way it works, right?"

Theia was lost in thought, drowning out her friend's tirade. It was Thursday evening and the sun was setting, creating an array of beautiful colors. Melanie was walking her back to her mom's apartment after the roller derby practice. She had her skate sling draped over her shoulder, letting her skates hang at her hips. Her fingers toyed absent-mindedly with the wheels as Melanie's voice droned on and on. Theia's eyes scanned the pavement ahead, while her mind wandered. It had been about a week since she'd realized that killing one of the turtles would only make life more unbearable. Looking back, she could barely believe she'd even considered it. How could she? She felt like she'd betrayed herself, her values, her honor code, and especially her sister.

Her eyes caught the swift flicker of a shadow on the sidewalk and when she looked up, she saw a wisp of blue fabric flail in the wind, then disappear. She stopped.

Melanie paused and looked back at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Mel. You should head on home. It's getting kinda late. You know how your parents don't like it when you're late for dinner."

Melanie seemed to mull it over a little, but over the last few months she had learned that Theia needed space. She nodded. "Okay. Text me when you get home. And don't you forget or I'll freak out."

"Promise. See ya tomorrow!" Theia said, rushing away before Melanie had a chance to change her mind.


As soon as she was sure that Melanie was out of visual range, Theia doubled-back.

She climbed up the fire escape and onto the roof. Leo was there. She drifted towards him and he turned, his hands knowingly reaching towards the swords on his back. When he recognized her, they fell.

"I see that you aren't easily caught unawares."

"I can't afford to be."

She nodded. When the air went sour, she asked, "How's your brother?"

Leo's answer was not immediate. His eyes stared into hers so deeply that Theia began to think he could see every thought in her head.

"He's fine."

Theia tore her gaze away and turned her back on him. Her voice quivered with emotion. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what I was doing, I wasn't myself. I never meant to—"

Strong hands grabbed her arms and turned her around with surprising tenderness. Leo's bright blue gaze burned into hers once again.

"It's okay. You didn't hurt him. He's alright. You let him live."

"How is that enough?"

"It is…it is. Because that part of you saved his life."

As the sense of urgency died, Leo's mind caught up with the rest of him. He looked from his hands back up to her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…well." His grip loosened significantly. "Is this okay?"

The bitterness in her smile made Leo's heart ache. He couldn't imagine what she was going through…and in all truth, he didn't want to. He began to pull his hands away, but she stopped him.

"Please." Her voice cracked, "This is the most contact I've had in weeks."

Leo frowned. That didn't seem right. After everything, she needed more contact than ever. Space, yes, space was good, but you could still have space while having contact. It was such a complicated feeling. Wasn't there anyone in her life to be there for her? She needed someone right now. She needed to know that she wasn't alone. He could understand that much.

The last time one of his brothers had gotten nearly fatally injured—he remembered the silence. The way it surrounded and deafened him to everything…but he also remembered the arms of his brothers and father reaching down and clamping his shoulder or wrapping him in hugs. He remembered how in those worst moments, they were there. They gave him all the space he needed, but they were always there.

Wrapping his fingers gently around her arm once more, he looked slightly up into her eyes. She had started to cry. Tears trickled slowly down her tan cheeks. Leo very carefully and deliberately started to try and hug her and as soon as she recognized the gesture, she barreled into him, her sobs coming full force. Leo became a rock for her to cling to.

Inwardly, he was still deeply troubled by the state she was in. It had been months, almost an entire year. Yet here she was only now letting her emotions out. This wasn't right. Someone should have been there, someone should have already held her like he held her now and reminded her how beautiful life is and that no matter what it must move forward. Why? Why didn't she know that? Why was she only now feeling the true inner pain of the ordeal? Why was she accepting comfort from someone who was practically a stranger?

Against his better judgment, the question in his mind slipped out between his lips: "Why isn't your family supporting you?"

"My parents divorced two months after Gaia died. My dad went to Connecticut. My mom and I had to relocate to a tiny apartment just so we can scrape together the rent. We're really doing just fine. She just says she has to work more because it helps her get away from it all. The only thing she's really getting away from is me. She holds me responsible. She blames me. Just like dad."

Leo had heard enough. He stepped authoritatively into her space and grabbed her shoulders. "No. I'm sure that's not true. They love you. I'm sure they do."

He wrapped his arms around her and waited to see if she would push him away. She hugged him, fervently, and he hugged back. He whispered into her ear and rubbed her back, soothingly. He comforted her the way he comforted Mikey after a bad nightmare. He let his mouth say all the things that she needed to hear so that she could start believing them for herself.

"It's not your fault. It's never your fault. Your parents love you. You're beautiful and special." She tried to curl away at that, but he hugged tighter. "Whatever powers there are in the universe decided that you needed to live. Please…you've been given a bright and beautiful gift. You have to live. For Gaia's sake."

Theia burst into sobs, tears pouring down her face and her whole body shaking. Leo's arms tightened protectively around her.

About ten minutes later she finally let go. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Leo smiled softly. Theia could feel her cheeks heating with embarrassment, but being with the turtle…talking the way they had…the things he'd said... She finally felt the tiniest bit at peace inside.

Her first attempt at coherent speech following her emotional outburst and subsequent embarrassment came out, "You good hugs." She face-palmed. "I'm sorry. I'm so stupid sometimes."

"Happens to all of us. And you aren't stupid."

"How would you know?"

Leo's face was grave. "I can see you." He tilted her chin up with his finger.

"What are you, my guardian angel?"

"If you need me to be."

Theia's eyes fell. "Even I'm not entirely sure what I need right now."

The pause that followed was long and tense as Theia dropped into a contemplative silence. A butterfly-light touch against her arm made her turn to the turtle once more.

"May I walk you home? It's getting dark. This isn't exactly the safest part of town—"

"I can take care of myself."

"I never said—I just—I would like to make sure you get home okay. That's all."

"Alright, alright, don't bust your shell. I never said I wouldn't let you...if you can keep up." Theia dashed over to the fire escape and swung down from platform to platform till she landed safely on the concrete below.

Leo called down after her, "I can't take the streets."

"Then I'll race you! 227 89th Avenue, Apt 26!" She took off, her bright smile gleaming in the dusk.

After a split-second Leo took off after her, trying to keep an aerial view. He could still see the smile on her face and it made him grin. She's got a lot of spunk, he thought. Her pace slowed and her eyes met his, she was challenging him. Leo's grin became a smirk and they burst into high speed at the same moment.

Theia ran like the wind, breezing through evening pedestrians and crosswalks grinning happily. She loved the thrill of good competition. It was a close race. Leo was fast.

Suddenly something unexpectedly stuck out from an alley and tripped her. Theia lost her balance and began to fall, but thick arms caught her, dipping her downward like a dancer. Alarms went off in her brain as she pushed herself to her feet and shoved her 'rescuer' away.

"Hey look boys, it's the roller babe. Girl, tell me what I gotta do to get your number."

"Never gonna happen, Eric."

"Ooh she thinks she talks tough." He said, his buddies just stared blankly, one of them looked uneasy. The hair on the back of her neck rose.

"Look baby, this is my part of town. If I don't get what I want, I take it."

"Is that a threat?"

"It doesn't have to be, sweet cheeks."

"Hey man, leave her alone," said one of the other boys.

Eric frowned, "Fuck off Jake, this doesn't concern you."

"Dude, I think—"

"Shut up, Mike!"

Leo paused about two blocks from 227 89th and looked down. He'd lost all visual contact with Theia. That was odd. She was a fast runner. Almost as fast as he was, which was really impressive. He began to backtrack, slowly, trying to find any sign of her.

"Let go of me!"

His head snapped towards the alley the voice had risen from and he rushed over just in time to see a lanky 18-year-old trying to run his hands over Theia's body while his friends watched, jeered and laughed. Leo's eyes went white, but before he could jump in on them, an angry battle cry and a fierce strike sent the offender flying into his friends, his nose broken and bleeding.

Blood streaming down his face, into his mouth, Eric's hands trembled with rage.

"You little bitch!" He surged forward and clawed her across the face, breaking the skin.

Leo's heart was racing in his ears. He had his katanas drawn, but he hesitated. Did he jump down and let himself be seen? He had to or she would get hurt. But before he could, one of the guys down below grabbed Eric's arms and pushed him up against the alley wall.

"Eric, fuck off! I'm fed up! The hell is wrong with you, man? You think you can just treat a woman like that?" Jake swung Eric around and tossed him down at the alley entrance. "Get out. Don't come back until you know how to treat people with respect."

"Devon? Mike?" Eric said, looking at the other two guys.

They looked down. "We're with Jake, dude. You've lost it."

While all the attention was on Eric, Leo swept down behind them, scooped Theia up into his arms and jumped back up to the roof.

"Hey, where'd she go?" Jake's voice asked. Leo frowned down at the three boys in the alley below.

"Let it go, dude. She snuck away while she could, she's smart."

"Guys, you know how weird Eric's been since Kaylie. He's not gonna leave her alone."

Mike, the tallest most muscular of the three, sighed. "So? We'll keep an eye out at school, make sure he doesn't bother her anymore."

Jake nodded.


Leo's attention turned back to Theia. "You okay?"

"Other than my stinging cheek, yeah. I-I'm alright." That little tremor in her voice gave her away.

"No, you're not. I'm taking you home."

"I can walk." She said, pushing against him.

"I—I should have intervened sooner." Leo released her.

"They would have seen you." Theia stood confidently, her shoulders straight and her head held high.

"I shouldn't have hesitated. If I hadn't, he wouldn't have hurt you. I'm sorry." Leo sighed. "Some guardian angel I turned out to be."

"Nobody's perfect."

Her arms trapped him in a hug and his face flushed. "You were there when it counted. You whisked me away at the perfect time."

There was a short silence. Leo's arms rose to return the hug and she leaned into him. Thinking of the thug that hurt her made Leo's heart burn with rage.

"You know that guy? The one who—"

"His name's Eric. He goes to my school. He used to date the captain of the swim team, Kaylie, but he was always putting her down. Treating her like an object. She would come to school with bruises."

Rage coursed through Leo's body. His face darkened. "You aren't safe at school. You should tell the administration and get excused—"

"No. I'm not just going to run from this."

"It isn't safe—"

"Yes, it is. I have lots of friends at school who have my back and Eric has a lot of enemies that would be more than willing to do the same. There's nowhere safer."

"Okay."

Theia suddenly felt really tired. She yawned and stretched her arms.

"May I," Leo hesitated, afraid that what he was about to say might rub her independent streak the wrong way, "May I carry you home? It's just that you seem so tired and I—I…"

"Yes. Yes, you may."

He scooped her up into his arms and raced across the rooftops. She pointed to a window on the 2nd floor and he landed on the ledge outside it. He set her down and she let herself inside. Leo hesitated, but she gestured that he follow. The room was very narrow, not much bigger than a closet. Theia let her skates drop to the floor with a thud, dumped her sport bag by her bed, and set her phone on the nightstand.

"You should probably do something about your face." Leo whispered.

"It's okay, my mom's not home." Theia said, opening the nightstand drawer and pulling out some Neosporin. She rubbed a little bit over the shallow cut on her face and yawned again. "That ought to do it." An even bigger yawn escaped her. "Wow, today was a really long day, I guess. I never go to bed this early, but today might be the exception."

Leo frowned and peered into the open drawer of the nightstand. He extracted a few band-aids, peeled one open and carefully stuck it over her cut. "There. You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." Theia said, staring blankly at the wall.

Leo put a gentle hand on her shoulder. She flinched slightly and he immediately pulled away. "Not all guys are like that piece of scum."

"I know. I just…I need a little space."

"Okay."

She heard some shuffling, extremely soft taps, and the sound of something being gently set down.

"If you need me, I'll be there."

The cool, evening breeze swept through her room and then ceased. When she rolled over, he was gone. Her phone was still unlocked, the way she had left it, but open to a different page.

1 new contact:

Leonardo

Theia smiled.

New message to Leonardo:

Thanks.


Well, how was it?