Chapter 10: Scrambling for Solid Ground

Jaden and Amber had been ushered into the back room where the brothers would often meet.

Raph was sitting with Jaden standing a few feet away.

"What happened to her?" Jaden demanded, "what did you do to her?"

"I would never hurt your mother Jaden and you know that," Raph replied.

"Did you tell her what you were? Is that why she's dead? She couldn't stand knowing she was with a freak?" Jaden spat.

Amber flinched and looked down. Is that what he thinks of me?

Raph looked at Jaden in shock.

"What did you say?" Raph whispered.

"You heard me…you're a freak…and now I am too," Jaden spat, "nothing but a-"

"Jaden that's enough," Leo cut off.

Jaden stopped and then really looked at his father. Watched in shock as a tear rolled down his father's face.

Raph looked down and took a deep breath.

"Your mother knew…about me," Raph whispered, "she died in a plane crash…"

Jaden seemed to recoil.

"She stayed with you after knowing what you were?" Jaden spat, disgust on his face.

"Jaden stop!" Amber whispered.

Jaden froze, suddenly remembering Amber.

He saw her tears and then closed his eyes as she got up and started to leave.

"I thought you were my friend," she whispered.

"Amber I-," he started, trying to follow her.

His uncles grabbed him and failed to notice Raph move.

Raph got up and walked out of the room, heartbroken that the son he had been grieving would hate him.

He found himself in the Dojo and simply stood there…staring at the weapons rack and wondering if things could ever be the same. Raph touched his wedding ring and dropped to his knees, one Sai gripped in his hand.

"I'm sorry…" Raph whispered a tear rolling down his cheek.

He thought of Jade, his beautiful daughter, scared, tainted, and broken.

He thought of Joanna, his beautiful wife, gone…snatched away in an instant.

He thought of Jaden, his strong son, the hate that was in his son's heart now.

Raph sobbed as he positioned the Sai over his heart.

"I'm so sorry," Raph got out tears streaming down his cheeks, "I never meant for any of you to get hurt…I'm sorry."

~*~

Leo froze and looked around, realizing that Raph was gone.

"Raph?" Leo called, fear and intuition told him something was wrong.

Don turned at Leo's fearful call, Mike froze and looked toward the empty seat.

"Mike go to his wing now," Leo ordered, "Don check the main hallway…and you"

Leo looked at Jaden.

"Learn to keep your anger in check…your father has gone through hell the past few weeks…" Leo spat, rushing off to check the rest of the building.

Jaden froze and then sprinted toward the Dojo, somehow he just knew. Amber paused long enough to see the genuine fear in Jaden's eyes and then followed.

He got there in time to see his father raise the Sai.

"NO!!!!" Jaden screamed.

~*~

Jade jerked awake and gave a small cry of fear as the door opened and someone scrambled in.

"Jade…is your dad in here?" Mike asked.

"I don't think so," she whispered, "what's wrong?"

"We can't find him," Mike managed.

"What do you mean you can't find him?" Jade cried, "What about Jaden? What happened?"

Mike gave her a sad look and looked at the photo album on the ground.

"Jaden found out," Mike whispered, "he didn't take things well."

"Daddy!" Jade screamed, scrambling to her feet, despite her pain.

~*~

Leo did a 180 when he heard Jaden's scream and scrambled toward the Dojo.

Leo burst in to find Jaden throwing a Sai away from his father and gripping Raph tight.

"DAD! DADDY!" Jaden was screaming.

Leo pushed the boy away and checked Raph over, relieved to find that the wound wasn't deep. Raph was shaking, tears streaming down his cheeks. Leo dragged Raph into a hug.

"You idiot," Leo got out.

"I…just…I'm sorry," Raph got out, knuckles tightening around Leo's shirt.

Leo held him and sighed with relief.

"Its ok," Leo whispered, "don't you ever scare me like that again. Ok?"

"Ok," Raph whispered, slumping limp moments later.

~*~

-At the Hospital-

Raph was asleep in the bed Jade was sitting next to him, hand grasping one of his. Jaden was clothed in multiple layers and sitting in a chair across from the rest of the worried family.

He'd been told the whole story for the past few weeks and realized how unstable his father really had been…how overwhelmed. He looked at his sister and felt his heart break, he nearly caused her to lose the only person she truly trusted now.

He looked up as someone walked in. All the adults started to salute.

"Relax," coaxed Bishop, "how is he?"

"Weak…he still lost a lot of blood despite…missing his mark," Leo mumbled.

Jane leaned into her husband's arm, offering as well as gaining comfort.

Leo's breath hitched a little.

Don was sitting on the other side of Raph, head in hands, shoulders tense with worry.

Mike was the only person sitting even remotely close to Jaden, but the tension in his frame and the worry there showed. Amy sat beside him, away from Jaden.

Bishop turned toward Jaden.

"It seems I need to reverse what someone has done to you," Bishop whispered.

"I don't deserve it," Jaden mumbled.

No one but Jade noticed Raph's eyes flutter open.

"Why is that?" Bishop inquired.

Jaden sniffed and hunched tighter.

"I…I nearly killed him…I was…so scared…and angry…that I stopped thinking about what he might think if I said that. I just wanted to tell him how I felt. I lost a good friend because of what I said…and I almost lost my only living parent…I don't deserve to be human," Jaden whispered.

Raph smiled a little and with Jade's help he sat up enough to see his son.

"That's…why we know you should be," Raph whispered.

Everyone looked toward him and Bishop nodded in agreement.

"Jaden…you proved by your actions to save your father's life and the words you just said that you truly understand that things aren't always how we want them to be. I have a serum that will reverse the effects, if you want it," Bishop said softly.

"Only if Amber can too…only if she wants to…if not…I'll stay like this…" Jaden mumbled.

"He already talked to me…and I want to be human," Amber whispered, her disguised frame stepping in behind Bishop.

Jaden looked up and smiled a little.

"I'm so sorry Amber…I…" Jaden started.

"You were scared…and angry. It's ok," Amber whispered, "friends fight ya' know?"

Jaden managed a weak smile.

"Yeah," Jaden managed.

Bishop pulled out two syringes and nodded toward the beds that had been set up on the other side of the curtain.

Jaden stepped within his own section and Amber into her own. Clothes were removed and the needles pricked one scaled arm and one furred arm.

Things wouldn't be the same after this.

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