Chapter 4: Grace's Journal and Whispers

I'm fourteen and I've finally been allowed to see the others like me, my training so far has been nothing but intense strict exercise, now, I get a team to work with…

Raph flicked the lights on in the living room causing Leo to jerk awake on the couch, nearly sending his daughter flying in the process.

"Shell Raph what the-?" Leo growled, rubbing his eyes.

"Daddy?" Amber whimpered as she rubbed her eyes.

"Aww shell sorry bro," Raph whispered as he knelt and picked up the journal that Leo had knocked to the floor.

"Go back to sleep sweetheart," Leo coaxed as his daughter snuggled back against him.

As she drifted back off with "mae", her doll, hugged tightly, Leo looked at Raph.

"I'm sorry I didn-" Raph started as he handed the journal to his brother.

"It's ok, I fell asleep should have gone to bed anyway. What time is it?" Lo asked as he found his spot in the journal and marked it before setting it aside.

Raph glanced toward the clock.

"Um…around like six in the morning," Raph sighed, "You've been reading that for days bro. Have you found anything out?"

"A lot…" Leo mumbled, eyes misting over as he gently stroked his daughter's hair, "this Jacob Lionel…he…he's been collecting mutants…training them to find more and…Grace was trained for that…she was just a kid when she was tricked into making a mutant child follow her…he was killed and she…she was rewarded."

Raph shuttered.

"But…you? Why didn't she just kill you?" Raph murmured.

"I haven't gotten that far yet…her hand writing is kinda confusing sometimes…" Leo mumbled.

Raph grabbed a chair and sat next to Leo, head resting on the back, amber eyes watching his niece sleep.

"She's beautiful you know that bro?" Raph murmured suddenly, "and she's got your…how do you say it? Your drive I guess."

Leo smiled and glanced at his daughter.

"She's got her mother's personality though…real quiet…at least…that's the Grace I knew anyway…" Leo mumbled.

"Go get some rest bro," Raph coaxed, "let the journal be for a while."

Leo shook his head.

"I can't…she was trying to warn me about something…I have to figure out what…" Leo sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"Being exhausted won't help though," Raph pointed out.

Leo shot him a slightly annoyed look but smiled a little.

"Yeah…since when did you become all mellow?" Leo teased softly.

"I became an Uncle and inherited a mess…you've been running yourself ragged so much that Splinter put me in charge of training until you figure out what you're looking for in there," Raph chuckled, gesturing to the journal.

Leo nodded and sighed.

"Thanks…" he managed.

"Eh…no prob bro," Raph said simply, watching as Leo picked up Amber and headed for the stairs.

"He better get some sleep," Raph mumbled before walking into the kitchen and freezing as he thought he saw something in the window.

"What the hell?" he whispered before fumbling with his Sais and moving toward the back door.

~*~

Leo laid Amber down and covered her up, gently pressing a kiss to her forehead. He walked out into the hall and closed the door, taking a double take for a second at the window. He blinked and shook his head.

"I really need some sleep…" he mumbled, "seeing things…"

~*~

Raph stepped out onto the back porch and looked around, he froze when creaking above him alerted him to the fact that he wasn't alone.

"Ssssssssssssssssssssssss," rippled through the air.

Raph whipped around, Sais poised for an attack. There was nothing behind him.

"WHOSE THERE?" he shouted as another hiss made him turn.

"," a soft hiss murmured as Nefertiti coiled behind Raph.

Raph turned slowly, just catching a glimpse of the gold and black stripped scales of the cobra behind him.

"What the?" he started as he turned.

"HEY!" a shout called.

Nefertiti hissed in rage and vanished onto the other side of the porch, the shadows swallowing her up.

Her garnet eyes glittered angrily before winking out.

Raph turned to find Don standing in the doorway looking scared.

"Raph? What was that noise?" Don managed.

"I-I'm not sure bro…" Raph managed before grabbing Don and dragging him back inside and locking the door.

"Raphie?" Mikey asked as he came in to find Raph leaning against the counter, limps shaking.

Don pressed a hand to Raph's carapace.

"Raph?" Don coaxed gently.

"It was…hunting me…" he managed finally.

"What?" Don asked, a look of confusion rippling over his features.

"The other mutant," Leo whispered as he joined them in time to hear the conversation.

Raph looked up and nodded.

"I think it was…a…a snake…" he managed, "it was huge…"

Leo tensed and turned toward the closed journal, he walked over and picked it up before flipping it open.

"Get the others…Mikey bring Amber down here…" Leo ordered.

Don shot off to wake everyone and Mikey dashed upstairs toward his niece.

There are ten of us here. All but one are female. Nefertiti named after the Egyptian Queen who she was thought to be by the natives, Abu a King Cobra, the only male among us, Minx, a silver fox vixen, Sedona, one of the three turtles, Emer, another turtle, Desiree, a lizard as ruthless as they come, named for her flirtation and in French since they found her in France, Sarah, a raccoon, Luna, a skunk with marvelous markings, Amadahy, a river otter, and me…Graceful Hunter the third turtle…

"Shell," Raph managed nervously.

"We must leave this place…find shelter elsewhere…they seem to have been trying to approach at night…we need to leave now," Master Splinter said firmly.

A soft creaking in the kitchen made them stand. April tensed, gripping Amber who was sitting in her lap.

Casey slowly picked up a baseball bat that had been beside him.

"Hello," a whisper called, "we're here…"


Reviews PLEASE!

"sniggers" ok sorry for the cliffy! Artwork for the OCs will be up on Deviantart soon, I have a few up already! Take a look and tell me what you all think!!