My eyes popped open and I looked around. The lair was silent and still, but I was suddenly wide awake. My intuition was telling me that I wasn't alone, but I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be awake yet. I didn't have a watch and there were no clocks in view to tell me what time it was, though I wasn't sure knowing the time would have helped me much. Deciding that staying put wasn't going to get me anywhere I yawned and stretched, giving whoever was around a little bit of warning that I was finally awake. There was the hurried squeak and hum of a rolling chair followed by the rapid-fire clacking of fingers on a keyboard, making me grin widely because I knew who was there now. So without moving from my place I called out to him, trying my best to keep the mirth out of my tone.
"Good morning Don."
He made a small noise of surprise and shifted a little bit before answering. "Oh, uh, good morning. How…?"
I snickered and finally sat up, adjusting my make-shift dress so that I was at least decent before turning to him. "I was a mom AND a teacher, remember? Moms and teachers are superheroes. I have eyes in the back of my head."
He giggled nervously and bounced his leg a little. "I see. I'll have to be sure to remember that."
I winked at him and went back to fussing with the sheet I was tangled in. "And I'll have to remember to avoid Mikey's nest or else find myself out of Raphael's good graces."
A quick glance and a smirk in Donnie's direction made me almost burst out laughing. "Oh…" He was a dark green and deeply embarrassed, looking around at anything but me. "You… I see you heard that."
When he finally looked at me I winked again and shrugged. "Like I said, I'm a superhero. Can't sneak up on me worth crap. I've got that sixth sense thing going on. Comes in super handy when you've got an armful of laundry and a two-foot-tall pipsqueak running around underfoot…"
I had come to terms with the fact that I would never see my daughter again while I was freely floating in the endless void after my death, but that didn't mean that the loss didn't still hurt. The pain I'd been unable to feel as a consciousness knotted up in my chest and formed a huge lump in my throat, tears stinging my eyes.
The floodgates opened their yawning maw and out poured pain like I didn't know I'd have to ever feel. So this was why we forgot everything with each new existence, I thought to myself. So we wouldn't have the pain of losing everyone we knew over and over again. Losing everything that ever mattered lifetime after lifetime. I understood why that would be a good thing, but I didn't realize just how much it would hurt now that I had a body to feel that pain in.
Suddenly there was a pair of strong arms around me, scooping me up and cradling me tightly. "Baby cakes… hey… aw, angelfish, what's wrong? Don scare ya? Forget where ya were? It's ok, you're safe here, nothin'll hurt ya."
I shook my head and sputtered, trying to wipe furiously at my eyes and gulp down more oxygen, but the tears wouldn't stop. Choking and whimpering, I tried my best to explain. "No! Mikey, no. I just… I died. An' I won' ever see my baby again. Won' get t' see her grow up n' I'll miss everything. I miss 'er. I miss 'er so much."
Mikey hummed softly and sat down in the chair, squeezing me tightly and tucking me safely in his arms. "Angel face, I'm so sorry. I'd be broken six ways to Sunday if I lost Don or Leo or Raph. Can't even imagine what that's like. Losin' everything that way."
He rocked me patiently while I sobbed on his neck, and I felt him wave away his brothers once or twice. It was some time later when I finally ran out of tears to cry and I sat up to wipe the tears from my face. Sniffling a bit I huffed a soft chuckle and smiled at him apologetically. "Oh… Mike… I'm sorry, you're soaking wet. Here…"
I used the sleeve of my make-shift cover to wipe at his plastron but his hand closed over mine and ceased my fussing. "Hey, I'm a turtle. Water is kinda somethin' I do. Don't worry about it babe. You ok?"
Laughing and sniffing as I composed myself I nodded at him and continued wiping at my face and eyes. "Yea… I mean, I will be. I'm pretty good at bouncing back from stuff. Just… gotta keep busy til I can work through it. I'll be ok soon, but I'm still hurting about it."
He smiled reassuringly at me and tried his best to perk me up. "Well if ya stay here a while it'll be like you have a buncha kids! Especially after scary movies. Don't tell Raph I told ya but he hates scary movies even more than I do. One time we were watching a really good one and somethin' scared him so bad he chucked a Sai clean through the T.V. Of course I've broken a few too. Like this one time when we were little and we were watchin' this Bruce Lee movie and doin' all the moves with it and I put my foot through the screen. And then there was this other time... Didja know you can break a T.V. with a rubber duckie?"
I giggled and laughed through his stories until my sides hurt, finally prompting him to grin at me warmly and squeeze my hand. "You ok now, baby girl?"
I gasped for air and nodded, replying, "Yeah, I'm ok now. Thanks Mikey. I mean... I feel better. I dunno if I am better but I feel better."
He picked me up and carried me through the lair to the bathroom. "How about ya take a hot shower. Always makes me feel better, and your stuff should all be dry now so you can getcha clothes back on n stuff. Then we'll do somethin' together. That sound good?"
I nodded and hugged his neck tightly. "Thanks Mike. You're the best."
He chuckled and leaned into my face, slowing his walking to nuzzle me and squeeze me again. "Heh, well I am the Mikeynator. Don't worry baby girl. You'll be ok. We'll help ya out." He gently set me down on the cold floor and turned the water on for me. Then with one last bear hug he left and sat down outside the entrance to the bathroom to guard the space for me. Having an open lair with no doors was cool… but as the only female presence I felt a bit exposed and out in the open. I untied the knot keeping me at least somewhat put together and wiggled out of the toga, stepping into the hot water quickly.
I showered quickly, using a little bit of soap in my hair to keep it from getting greasy and making sure to wash the suds out especially well or else risk snarls like I'd never known while I'd been conditioner. I was dressed again in no time and pecking Mikey's cheek with a kiss as I stepped around him. "Thanks for standing watch hun. I'd hate to give one of you a heart attack because I was indecent."
He darkened a little in color but his infectious smile only grew wider. "Aw I think they woulda survived. We'd just hate ta make ya embarrassed. So whatcha wanna do? Videogames? Skateboarding? I could show ya some awesome nunchuck moves. I could make ya somethin' ta eat. OH!" He suddenly started, jumping and looking at me like he'd just hit me with a shuriken. "You haven't had anythin' ta eat yet! Like….. ever! If ya just got here, ya know, ya haven't had anything for your whole life! Geez, girl, I gotta getcha somethin' to eat!"
He scooped me up and hauled me off to their little kitchen, making me squeal and giggle. "Mikey! Mikey, I can walk you know!"
"I know baby girl, but you're so little and light and easy to carry around! Besides, I like carryin' ya. It's like a hug wherever I go!"
"Michelangelo." Splinter's curt tone carried through the space like the crack of a whip and Mikey instantly froze in place with a look of terror on his face. "Our guest is not a toy to be carried to and fro. If she wishes to be carried then you may. But it is disrespectful to pick someone up without permission, my son, unless it is necessary for their safety."
With a wince and a mournful expression he set me down on the ground and took a step back, mumbling his apology. "Sorry Aaliyah."
"Oh! No, Mikey, really it's o-" Splinter cleared his throat, and I didn't even have to turn around to feel the mild disapproval in telling his son that his behavior was acceptable when he had just told him that it was disrespectful. I cleared my throat a little bit uncomfortably before attempting to recover my sentence. "I'm not upset… and… uh… if you would like to carry me around all you have to do is ask."
The old rat nodded and both Mikey and sigh let out a sigh we didn't even realize we were holding in. "Alright baby cakes." He bowed chivalrously and grinned up at me mischievously before asking with an air of dignity, "May I have the honor of carrying a beautiful lady such as yourself to the kitchen?"
I blushed a deep red and covered my mouth with my hands, completely helpless against those baby blues. I giggled nervously and bounced on the spot a little before squeaking out a small, "Of course!" Totally flustered, it was all I could manage but it was enough. I was swept up once again and hauled to the kitchen where Leonardo sat with a cup of tea. He straightened up when he saw me, nodding politely and bidding me good morning. "Michelangelo, why are you carrying her? You're probably making her uncomfortable."
"No way brah! She totally said I could! Isn't that right, angelcakes?"
I laughed and nodded, patting Mikey's shoulder. "He did ask, and I did tell him it was alright. And good morning Leo, by the way. How did you sleep?"
He blinked at me once, turning his head just slightly in confusion and surprise. "Well, thank you. And you?"
"Likewise. I can sleep pretty much anywhere. Floors, couches, chairs, desks… though strangely enough I can't sleep on things that are moving. Cars, trains, planes, etc… just not a thing I can do." As I was talking Mikey set me down carefully on a bar stool and immediately busied himself with making breakfast.
Leo chuckled a little at me and shook his head slightly. "I'll remember that." He then watched Mikey for a moment through slightly narrowed eyes and asked, "You're sure Mikey isn't bothering you? He can be a bit... excitable."
"Oh goodness no. If Mikey was acting any other way I would be terribly concerned. Every Mikey I've ever seen is a bit excitable and it's one of the things that makes him so endearing."
Leo had to blink a little and shake his head with a slight groan. "I'll never get used to the idea of there being more than one Mikey. One is work enough."
"Hey!"
"Leo," I chided, looking at him reprovingly, "that was rather unkind to say about your brother."
"He's heard worse." A sleepy yawn replied from behind me and I turned to see Raphael lumber into the kitchen. I beamed at him and he simply furrowed his eyebrows at me in confusion.
"Good morning! So nice of you to join us, sleepy head!" I chirped cheerfully, pulling out the stool next to mine and scooting mine over just a little to give him room. He eyed me a bit suspiciously but dropped heavily into the seat regardless.
"You always this damn cheerful in th' mornin? Or'd you just drink a whole pot of coffee already with Don?"
I laughed and leaned on the bar, giddy with excitement at the fact that I was really here between the two alpha males, chatting with them. "No, I'm definitely a morning person. I don't drink caffeine as much as possible. It's not that great for your body and honestly it really doesn't do anything for me."
Leo looked at me with interest, snickering a little. "Don't let Donatello catch you saying that or he might prejudge you a little bit. He lives on caffeine."
I nodded sagely and added, "Yeah, that one is pretty well established in the fanon, though really there's not that much evidence in canon to suggest it. Of course, that could be said about a great number of things."
Raphael looked over at me in even deeper confusion. "Fanon? Canon? The hell's that?"
"Oh... right... sorry, I really need to mind the jargon. Remember last night when I was telling you guys that in my original world, you're not real? You're characters? Well, anything that happens in the comic books or the movie or the T.V. series is considered "canon." Uh... the Catholics have a system similar, where things that are officially accepted and such are "Canonized." Everything that isn't "official" is 'non-canon.' Same thing here. But the non-canon things are usually made by people who like whatever it is they're reading or watching. If someone gets an idea that isn't canon, for example... uh... someone thinks that Mikey can really sing well even though it's never shown in anything canon, that is called a 'head-canon.' It's just an idea. Now if almost Everybody that is a fan of the thing has the Same head-canon, it gets called a fanon, because while it isn't actually canon it's practically canon to the fans. Hence, fanon."
Raphael's face scrunched up in mild discomfort and he kneaded his temples. "Too damn early for this."
Mikey, on the other hand, seemed thrilled with the idea. "Oooooh! What's a fanon for me? What do people think about me?"
I scratched my head in thought and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. "Uh… well… there's… Oh, I know. It's a fanon that you are especially vindictive against criminals that target children. And that if you were ever to get a job where you were able to earn quite a bit of money you would use a large portion of it to rebuild orphanages and parks and things for kids."
Leo and Raphael looked at each other in surprise and shrugged. "Huh, I guess I could see that happening. If Mikey didn't blow it all on skateboards and pizza." Leo commented with a wry smile.
"HEY, I'm right here! That totally sounds like a thing I'd do! I wouldn't just blow it all on pizza, Lameonardo." Mikey huffed in return. "Better than incense and some ancient sword you'll never use."
Leo narrowed his eyes at Michelangelo and bristled a little. "I'll have you know that paying respect to the ancient masters is nothing to sniff at. Owning a blade wielded by one of them would be an honor."
Mikey walked two plates over to the counter with a smirk and a roll of his eyes. "Blah blah blah, old stuff and honor. You're so lame, brah. Here you go, angelcakes! Your first meal here in your new home!"
Raphael and Leo both choked a little and sputtered. "Mikey! She ain't stayin' here forever!"
"Mike, seriously, we're helping her out, not adopting her. I'm terribly sorry, miss."
"Mikey don't know when ta shut his trap."
"BOYS, boys, take it easy!" I chided with a merry laugh and pulled my plate a little closer. "Mikey just meant here on your planet. Relax. Sheesh."
Michelangelo gave his brothers a cheekily incredulous expression, trying his best to seem shocked and appalled. "Bros, seriously, listen to the lady. She knows what's up. YOU two just need ta stop makin' assumptions or she'll think you've been thinkin' about it."
I had to cover my grin with the back of my hand at the expression of controlled fury both Raphael and Leonardo gave Mikey as he took an innocent bite of his eggs and looked at them each with a wink. "Mikey, ya shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you." Raphael growled at him as the muscles in his arms flexed powerfully. I wasn't the least bit concerned for my own safety, but swallowed my mouthful of eggs noisily nonetheless. My eyes grew wide at just how massive Raphael was when he was flexing and posturing threateningly at his brother. I felt my stomach do an energetic backflip and to keep from staring I immediately shoveled food into my mouth and stared firmly at my plate.
"Woah, hey, brah, chill. You're freaking out the angelcakes." Mikey replied firmly to Raphael, reaching across the island to squeeze my hand. I looked up in mild surprise at being addressed in such a tension-filled moment, first at Mikey and then up at Raphael who was wearing an expression of mild concern and slight frustration.
"Oh, no no no, I'm alright. Really. I know you wouldn't ever hurt me. You're fine." I assured him patting his forearm and leaning towards him a touch. His face remained guarded, but he grunted in acknowledgement and went back to leaning on the island for just a moment. Deciding he was awake enough to be hungry, however, he soon shifted and pushed himself up to open the refrigerator and pour himself a bowl of cereal the size of my head. I didn't give it a second look, not wanting to make him feel self-conscious, and simply continued munching away on my own breakfast.
"So Miss… Um… what did you used to do for work?" Leo asked politely. I swallowed my bite and smiled at him.
"Teaching. I was a Junior High School teacher."
"Really? You seem so young."
"Yeah, I did a fast-track thing in high school so I had a whole crap-ton of hours already racked up by the time I graduated. I basically had my first year out of the way before I even set foot on a campus, so I'm basically a baby all things considered. I'm just 23, so really I'm not That much older than the kids I'm teaching but I always knew I wanted to teach so it was easy to just go for it. Although…." Sudden realization smacking me in the face, I groaned and leaned over to let my forehead hit the surface before me solidly. "I just realized… I didn't go to school here. I have no degree. I have no licensure. I have to do college all over again. Noooooooooo."
Raphael peered down at me and swallowed his mouthful. "Hey, you ok?"
Groaning a little more for a second I grudgingly lifted my head and placed my chin on the surface in front of me, pushing my plate away with my nose. "Yeah… Just frustrated. I didn't even think to ask for that. I mean… there's a chance I could test out of most of my classes and things, but there's just some things that I won't be able to test out of. Nothing in any education program is going to be skippable, and I know for dang sure that there's no way I can test out of my upper level Chemistry classes. I barely squeaked by when I took it the second time. Gaaaaaaah. So frustrating. I don't even have a high school diploma here. I'll have to take the GED test to even be able to get a reasonable job so I can pay to go to college again so I can be a teacher again. Bleh."
"I'm sorry. That sounds frustrating." Leo commented, tilting his head a little to look at me.
"It'll be fine. Just a lot of hoops to jump through. And I don't want to. The Thing said I had things to do and I asked to come here as an adult so I could hit the ground running but now I can't because technically I don't exist here. There are literally no records of me anywhere. No birth certificate, no driver's license, no social security number, nothing. So I'm just frustrated because I want to get started doing whatever the heck I'm supposed to do here and I'm having the sudden realization that it's not going to be exactly a smooth transition."
"Perhaps there is no need for such things." A wise voice responded from behind me, making us all turn.
"Oh! Master Splinter! Good morning again." I greeted him with a respectful bend at the waist and a smile. He nodded at me and entered the kitchen area smoothly.
"It may be in wisdom that we have been granted this opportunity. For you see, we have no ally on the surface. And one who is unidentifiable even by the authorities may prove to be a most valuable asset to our efforts."
Leo scratched his chin in thought. "I hadn't thought about it that way. No records means no fingerprints. No birth certificate means untraceable. Literally a Jane Doe. Even if you are caught there would be nothing to link them to."
I blinked at them both and giggled a little bit nervously, "Heh, well the idea would be to NOT get caught, right? I mean, ninjutsu is operation from the shadows with the purpose of getting in and out as quickly as possible. Right?"
He blinked at me once before shooting me a reassuring smile. "Of course. We would never purposely endanger you. But just thinking about the possibilities… what special skills do you have?"
Blushing a little, I looked down. "Nothing helpful, I'm afraid. I am pretty good at most housewifery things. Crochet and sewing and cooking and things. I'm a chemist, so I could help Don in his lab. I am decent with a practice sword, in that I can avoid getting hit if I'm up against a beginner/intermediate level student. I know just enough self-defense to get by in a pickle, but not enough to stand any kind of chance in a real fight. I'm pretty flexible and sneaky, and I can BS my way through most anything. I can kinda draw, kinda play the guitar, kinda play the piano, and I'm not terrible with a paint brush. Ummmmm….. and I'm a really good driver. That's about all I've got. I'm basically your average citizen. Not exactly that helpful to a set of ninja masters."
"Not so, Miss Aaliyah. For you are blessed with something that none of us are. You are human, and therefore you may walk freely on the surface without arousing suspicion. And that, my dear, may be far more help to us than any of us can imagine at this time." Splinter responded sagely, placing a hand on my knee. I put my hand over his and he looked up at me with a twitch of his ears. It took me a second, but I remembered all of the stories I'd read where that twitch was usually an indication that his serene demeanor was masking an emotion. Looking in his eyes there was nothing but kindness, so I wasn't sure what was laying hidden there. But figuring I'd learn to read his emotions better with time I shrugged it off and squeezed his hand gently.
"Thanks Splinter. That… That really means a lot. I want to help so badly but I don't know what it is that I'm supposed to do yet. And that's a little frustrating… knowing that you have some kind of destiny or purpose but not being able to see what it is."
His mouth twitched into a soft smile and he nodded. "It is a struggle that we all must face in our lives. But your path will be revealed. You would not be here if it was not to be. So have patience, child, and we shall see."
"Hai, Sensei." I responded with a reverent bow of my head, making his ears twitch again. But he said nothing about it, only continuing to nod as he took his leave of the kitchen. I went to turn back to my food, not wanting to waste anything, only to find Mikey standing immediately beside me with a guitar and an enthusiastic smile. I jumped and squeaked in surprise, clapping my hand to my chest. "Michelangelo! Heaven sakes you scared me to death!"
"Aw, sorry about that baby girl. You just said you play…"
I looked down at the instrument and up at his pouting expression, hands clasped together in front of him. I laughed and accepted it, nodding towards my plate. "I'll play you a little something once I finish that, ok?"
He nodded and whooped excitedly, hugging me and energetically jumping onto one of the bar stools to sit beside me while I ate. Luckily for me he didn't sit there and watch me but instead drummed up a conversation with Leo. It was incredibly pleasant to sit and listen to, especially when it felt as though I was simply blending in with the room while the boys chatted around me. I was about to slip off of the stool to wash my plate when Mikey snatched it out from before me and dropped it in quickly.
Minutes later I was seated in the corner of the pizza couch, singing every song I knew and watching in amazement as they all sat and listened happily without recognizing a single song. I sang ones that I'd written and ones that I'd learned, picking nonsensically as we laughed over the sound of the humming strings. Then they asked me to play them again and this time they joined in, beat boxing and backing me up as I sang them all once and twice more. It wasn't until my fingers were sore that I passed over the guitar, surprised when Leo took it and started to play. And it was then, sitting comfortably with this beautiful family, that I started to see that maybe this all was going to work after all.
