A/N: FAVORITE chapter of all the stories. :D
Chapter 2
"We have to head back to work," April said standing up. She helped me move the plates and boxes off the table.
"Well I'll be here," I said to her and Vern.
"Turtle-rific Mikey," Leonardo said outside the door. We all turned and looked to the door.
"Max-a-mundo," Raphael's voice bellowed.
"Accapella?" Donatello said. Then they all went silent for a moment.
"Huh?" Raph said to him as they came through the door.
"Great," I said and wiped the table.
"Don…. Give it up!" Mikey said to him. Donnie hit him over the head.
"Wow, I don't want to even know what that's about," Vern said. He came around to me and gave me a quick kiss then went to the door.
"Oooo," the guys said. Vern looked at them and waved his hands.
"Hey come on move," he said to them. They all moved out of the way and laughed.
"Hey I want one of those too," Mikey said coming towards me.
I shook my head and give him a peck on the cheek.
"Eh! Lay off the turtle wax," I said to him cringing.
April grabbed her keys and put on her jacket.
"See you guys later, heading back to work," she said. Mikey tapped his cheek. She shook her head and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"Yeah lay off the wax," she said too heading out the door.
"Heehehe," Mikey shrugged and laughed.
"Haha, Mikey your a character," Aki said tossing the napkins into the trash.
"Should see me on Mardi Gras day," he said with a chuckle.
"So Alex," Donnie said pushing his glasses up. I smiled and looked at him.
"So Donnie," I said. I knew exactly what he wanted, I always brought home science books from the college library and this time I brought him five.
I reached in to my bag and pulled out the books one at a time, handing them to him.
"Sweet, thanks girl," he said and chuckled. He took them to his desk. Nina was curious and followed him.
"Michelangelo," Splinter's voice said sternly.
"Awe man what I do now," Mikey said, he rubbed his head and came towards Splinter.
I turned and looked at them.
"Now he's done it," Leo said sarcastically.
"How did you manage to do this?" Splinter said holding up a broken metal nunchuck.
"Uhhh you see I can explain that," Mikey said nervously.
I laughed and shook my head.
I noticed Raphael at the table again with his…. Box, I came over to the table and sat down clasping my hands together.
"What?" he said agitated.
"Come on dad that's not fair…." I heard from Mickey in the corner of the room.
"Raphael," I said to him pressing my lips into a hard line.
"Alex," He said shifting the box to his lap.
"What's in the box?" I asked him after a few moments.
"Nothing that concerns you," he said sarcastically.
"You do realize I know everything that happens or goes on around here….. I have eyes everywhere," I said leaning in towards him.
"Oh really," Yuri and Mari said giggling.
"You might want to know that ….." Mari started to say something when Raph jumped up from his spot and put his hand over her mouth.
"Shut up!" he said to her. Yuri laughed and backed away.
"What are you hiding?" I said to him leaning over the table. I noticed the box on the ground, but nothing had fallen out of it.
"Fine," I said and jumped off the table.
"I'll find out eventually," I said to him.
"Why don't you just tell her…." Mari said pulling his hand off her mouth.
"Because she won't let me hear the end of it, she'll brag about it for months…." Raph said crossing his arms.
"Besides…. I don't want a girl telling me how to do things," he said picking up his box and folding the flaps together.
"I tell you what to do sometimes…." Mari said crossing her arms.
"Yeah but you're an idiot," he said and passed her.
"Jerk!" she said to him and walked towards the stereo system. Yuri giggled and followed behind her.
I whistled to myself and went in to my room looking for my wallet. I had forgotten it here, but managed to keep my credit card with me, which was strange…. I never have any sense of responsibility until I meet the guys. Now I keep my cards on me so they don't end up using them. Last time I left my credit card in my wallet, somehow a new skateboard was ordered on it…. I never ever saw the skateboard or the money for it. So now, I keep them on me.
"There you are," I said looking under my bed. I extended my arm and reached for my wallet.
I dusted it off and opened it.
"Hey, there's forty in here," I said to myself not remembering if I had put this in here.
"Huh," I pushed my credit cards into the slots and pulled the chain of my wallet/clutch.
I stood up and turned around.
"Hey," I said to Leo who was leaning against my door.
"That forty in there is from me," He said noticing my puzzled expression.
"Oh good I thought for a moment I was forgetting things," I said pulling the chain to my shoulder.
"Well you spend a lot of money helping us out and you and April are always buying us food and such so, thought we'd pay you girls back," he said as I passed him.
"How thoughtful of you," I said and tapped him on the head.
I quickly turned around.
"I was thinking of getting a tattoo," I said to him. He stood in his spot and rubbed his head.
"A tattoo, why?" he asked.
"Well because I wanted to," I said and smiled.
"Oh of what?" he asked again.
"The Japanese symbol of family," I said holding up a small drawing of the characters I did.
"Cool girl, where yeah going to get it?" Mikey asked from behind me. He startled me. I turned quickly and tried not to laugh at his appearance.
"Why are you dressed in an apron and a bandana?" I said pointing at his pink and white apron.
"Dad's punishment," he said and sighed.
"Don 't want to know," I said and walked past him to where Raph was at his bench.
"Raph want to come with me?" I said watching him as he lifted the bar and pushed it back in to its spot.
"Where? To get a tattoo?" he asked.
"Yup, I hate going to parlors alone," I said to him holding up my paper with the drawing on it.
"Fine," he said and stood up.
"DAD," I said to him from across the room.
"Sorry," I said and came over to his bedroom.
"Need anything I'm heading out for a bit, need me to pick up anything for you?" I said and smiled.
"Hahaha, no my dear thank you, and wise choice for a tattoo," he said with a nod.
I smiled and waved turning towards the garage.
I came towards my car and noticed Raph at his motorbike.
"Oh come on," I said as I was about to open the car door.
"What, you wanted me to come… we ride with style…. bike?" he said jumping on it.
"Fine," I sighed and got on it as well.
"So why a tattoo?" he half shouted to me as we dodged the traffic. I hated riding on his motorbike, because he was always careless and drove fast. I clenched my hands against the front of the seat.
"Relax will yeah…." He said noticing my tension.
"I wanted another tattoo, that's why…" I said to him taking in a deep breath.
"You already have one?" he said curious.
"Yes a back tattoo," I said quickly as he swerved to the left between traffic.
"Smooth…. Didn't think you were a tattoo girl," he said surprised.
"I got it in Japan a long time ago, it's a Japanese dragon…." I said to him pulling my hair out of my face.
"Wow a rebel," he said and bopped my head with his fist.
"I wanted you to come because you have tattoos as well and I wanted you to make sure the artist doesn't rip me off…. You got taste," I said with a chuckle.
"Is that so?" he said as he pulled up near a tattoo shop.
I jumped off the bike and looked at the shop. It was a small shop wedged between two tall buildings.
"I assume you've been here before?" I said to Raph noticing the shops sign. It was in Japanese and it had bright flashing neon lights.
"Yup, the guys a Japanese tattoo artist, he's the only one we know and trust… and he isn't scared of us, he did our tattoo's," Raph said pushing past me to the shop.
"Huh," I said surprised.
I walked in to the shop behind Raphael and looked around. It was a really small shop; it had a counter with a cash register on it and a glass showcase. One long bed to one side with all the tattoo equipment on a counter, it looked sterile and clean. The walls were covered with tattoo images and the work of the atist.
"Huh," I said again looking at the pictures on the wall.
That's when a small round, stalky man came out of the back room. He had grey hair and a goatee.
"Oh my god," I said bewildered.
"Raphael," the man said coming towards him.
"Monk Miyatsu?" I said coming towards Raph. Raphael looked at me confused.
"Alexandria," he said surprised to see me.
"Oh my god, you own a tattoo shop….. I didn't even know you where in New York," I said to him leaning near Raph.
"I've had a shop here for almost ten years now…." He said with a smile.
"When I saw you in Japan you had a shop there…" I said to him a little perplexed as to how he was in two places.
"I had closed this shop down for a few months, I went to Japan for vacation…. My son was taking care of my shop there when I'm not around," he said to me and gestured with his hand to have a seat.
"Wow, I'm just surprised to see you," I said sitting down in his small waiting area.
"You know him?" Raph asked sitting down next to me.
"Oh sorry, yes Raphael he's monk Miyatsu he trained me in Japan at the Shinto temple," I said to him.
"I knew of your friends a very long time ago…. When they first came to see me, I was surprised but not so much…" he said.
"Huh, well…" I said with a smile.
"So what brings you in my dear?" he said pulling some white gloves over his hands.
"This," I said and pulled out the paper.
"The Japanese symbol for family," he said and nodded.
He gestured his hand towards his bench. I stood up and followed him.
"Where would you like this?" he asked. I was a little nervous; I thought maybe a female tattoo artist would tattoo me not my old sensei.
"Well on my back, with the tattoo I already have," I said to him.
"Ah the dragon…. The symbol of a warrior and fighter," he said sitting on his stool.
Raphael stood up and walked around the shop looking at the artwork.
'Yeah," I stuttered out. I got the tattoo when I was fifteen, I just started at the Shinto temple and I was a defiant girl. Tattoo's were forbidden at the temple because the body needed to be purified for training. I disobeyed the monks when I got my tattoo, but later was forgiven.
I pulled off my jacket and laid down on my stomach along the bench.
"Woah," Raph said noticing my large dragon tattoo.
"I seen these before, some ninja's would get them on their backs or arms…." Raph said looking at the coloured detail of work.
"Ah, yes but you see this type of dragon tattoo symbolise a broken spirit, a soul that had turned dark and then become light…." Miyatsu said explaining the meaning to Raph. I shook my head and said nothing.
"Oh your friends didn't know of this," he said as he rubbed some alcohol over my skin.
"No," I said quietly.
"No one knew," I said again.
Raph pulled up a stool and sat down near me.
"Dark and turned to light, I don't get it…" he said crossing his arms. Then I heard the tattoo gun vibrate.
"Well you see sometimes a darkened soul or hindered spirit would wonder lost and confused, they would hold vengeance and anger within them, they would be rebels with a dark side," Miyatsu said as he started drawing the symbol near the dragon.
"You mean to tell me…. People who had chosen the wrong paths in life, or done wrong things would get these tattoos?" Raph asked trying to make sense of it. I turned my face away from him so he wouldn't notice my mood.
"They would get these tattoos as a symbol of a gang or group," he said rubbing a cloth over the spot he tattooed, then he changed to some colour.
"Woah wait a minute," he said confused.
"I was a bad kid Raph, I was in a gang in Japan before I found the temple, I did some really bad things…. This tattoo was branded on me by a shop in the Bronx…. a gang shop," I said to him.
"We forgave Alex when she came to the temple branded like this, usually those who seek our temple seek discipline and training in the art of ninjitsu, tattoos would be forbidden," he said as he added more colour to the tattoo.
Raph looked at me and said nothing. I could tell he was disappointed or angry with me… I wasn't exactly sure.
"There my dear you are done," he said placing a large white band aid over it.
"Thank you," I said and pulled my shirt down. I sat up and reached for my jacket.
"I am very glad Alex…. You found your calling in life, and a family," he said as he put his gun away and took off is gloves.
I jumped down from the bench and put my jacket on.
"Thanks again, how much do I owe you for this?" I said opening my clutch.
"I tell you what, it's on me this time…. Just come visit me from time to time and we will call it even," he said placing his hands over mine.
"Okay," I said and smiled.
Raph looked at me for a moment then went out the door. I hovered near the counter for a moment.
"You are worried he will not accept you anymore," Miyatsu said next to me.
"No, I'm worried he's going to ask me…. And I'd have to tell him about my past," I said clenching the chain of my clutch.
"Then tell him, if he truly cares for you, he will accept it…" Miyatsu said looking at me.
I nodded and went out the door.
"Well coming?" Raph said extending a hand to me.
I jumped on to the front of the bike as Raph revved the engine.
We pulled out away from the shop, but we didn't turn around in the direction of home, we were going somewhere else.
"Where are we going?" I said to him as he pulled in traffic.
Raph looked down at me and said nothing.
I sighed deeply and didn't question any further.
We drove in to Brooklyn and off the main roads.
"Raph where are we," I asked noticing a lot of gangs out as the sky slowly changed to black.
"Why are we in this area," I said to him a little nervous.
"How come you never told any of us about your past," he said as we pulled in to an empty lot overseeing the bridge and water.
"Because it's a part of my life I kept hidden and was ashamed of," I said to him. He got off the bike and leaned over against the railings. I jumped off the bike and did the same.
"You always tell us to be honest and talk about anything, especially to you…." he said not even looking at me.
"You're angry aren't you," I said and sighed.
"No, because I was exactly like that…" he said and turned around leaning against the bars.
"What do you mean exactly like that?" I said noticing some gangs across from us in an alley.
"I wanted to escape the sewers, I hated living underground, I wanted to get out of there the first second I had the chance too, I was defiant and hard to deal with, I guess that's why I'm the way I am now. But then, we found a way…. To help people and be accepted by people," he said watching the gang carefully.
"Raph, I was in a really bad gang, we stole…. Lied, cheated, and….. even killed people when our leaders asked us too. I hated my life, my parents were dead, the man who killed them got away with it, I hated who I was, so I became dark with anger and resentment," I said and rested my chin against my arms. He looked at me and turned around.
"Did you kill anyone?" he asked.
"Don't ask me that," I half whispered.
He put his hand against my shoulder.
"The past is the past…. We have to look forward now and move on, what you did back then…. Isn't you now," he said to me. I was surprised he actually said something like that, usually that would be something Splinter would say.
"Raph," I said and looked at him.
"Please don't mention this to anyone," I said to him.
"Ouch girl that hurt," he said as he turned to his bike again.
"I know you wouldn't tell anyone, but….. " I started to say.
"Yeah I know, don't worry its safe," he said as I jumped on to the bike.
"The view here is great," I said looking to the water again.
"Yeah I like it here, I come here alone sometimes," he said as he revved the engine again.
I smiled.
"Let's go kid," he said and drove off.
We turned around and headed back in to New York …. Silent.
"So, what's in the box?" I asked as we stopped at a red light.
"Like I'd tell you," he said and chuckled.
