Yay, update! Whoo! This was a fun one. A little bit for all the characters. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. :)
Brick shatters and dust flies. A scream echoes in the stillness of night. But it barely hurts, especially in comparison to his emotional struggle. He curls his fist tighter, not bothering to withdraw his hand from the wall.
His partner walks up from behind. He snorts. "You know Slash, hitting the wall is not gonna make her magically come back." He leans heavily against the wall. He grins. "Although I suppose attacking that turtle creature wasn't going to do that either but that sure didn't stop you."
Slash growls. He jerks his hand back and whirls on the Newtralizer. "You wanna go?" He snarls. His eyes blaze and his lips curl back. "Cause we can go right now." He slams his fist into his open palm. "And let me assure you, you won't be anywhere near as well off as that green freak."
Newtralizer holds his hands up. "Easy brother. I'm simply saying that perhaps your efforts would be better put to destroying the Kraang instead of public property or innocent mutants."
Slash scoffs. "Innocent? That scum is anything but innocent. He's the one who took Raph away from me. He-" He sighs. "Never mind." He turns hard on his heel and stomps away.
Newtralizer shakes his head. He strides after Slash and falls in line with him. "You think he took your little friend then?"
Slash makes a face. His stomach drops and he feels sick. "No. Never. Don't be ridiculous."
Newtralizer chuckles. "Then why go after him?" His eyes glint with darkness. "Attack those responsible. The ones you know locked you up too." He looks hard at Slash.
Slash lets out a breath. "I know." He nods. He draws his mace from his belt. His lips twist into a devilish smile and his eyes spark with vengeance. "Let's do this."
Newtralizer grins. He swings his gun around. "After you brother."
…
"It's too bad you're petrified of mutagen." Donnie half laughs. "Otherwise you'd be a major asset to figuring out the cure."
Liz cringes at the mention of the cursed substance. Still, she manages a tiny smile nonetheless. "Sorry." She murmurs. She leans forward and grabs a flask from a table Donnie dragged out in front of the couch. She twirls it between her fingers.
"It's fine." Donnie shrugs. He ignores her playing with his equipment. While every piece is important these are less so than the others he kept stashed in his lab. "I understand how you must feel." He mixes chemicals in his flask. While he can't bring the mutagen out he can try and create a mixture to add to it later.
"You're making that for the mutagen." Her heart clenches, but she does not hesitate to call it by its name. She sets her flask down. "Aren't you?" She adds a chemical to her empty flask.
Donnie bites his lip. "I…"
Liz shakes her head. Her smile widens. "It's ok." She averts her eyes. "Really."
Donnie snorts. He lets her lie go though. "Sorry about the other day. I should have known." He shakes his head and scowls to the side. "I should have had the stuff put away after Leo…" He drops his gaze.
Liz tenses. Her eyes glaze over with memories of the days before. "Will he wake up?" She clenches her hands in her lap. She barely keeps her breathing under control. "Will things go back to normal?" After that first day Raph drew farther inward each and every day. He never comes out of the lab. At least she never sees him.
Donnie lets out a heavy breath. He reaches over and lays his hand over hers.
Liz starts, but she doesn't pull away. She looks up and meets his eyes.
"It'll be fine." Donnie nods, trying to convince her as much as himself. "Trust me." He offers a tiny smile. "He's survived worse." Alopex flashes through his mind – her cocky smile and then her sorrowful eyes, brimming with tears that she refused to shed. What a life. What an end.
Liz nods. She looks past him, at the blank wall. It's empty, just like all of them. Even so it's easier to look at than Donnie's broken expression. He's doing it again – reminiscing. About her. Whoever her is. Not April. It's someone who's gone.
"Donnie!" April's voice echoes throughout the lair. "I'm here."
Liz starts and sucks in a sharp breath. She doesn't wait to see who it is, she doesn't need to. It's unfamiliar and that's enough to send her scurrying. She doesn't look back as she leaps up and rockets to anywhere but here.
Donnie jumps at the suddenness of her reaction. "Hey! Liz!" He calls after her. But it's too late, he knows. He lets out a breath. How could he forget like that? He should have kept better track of the time, he should have-
"Hey," April smiles down at him as she sinks down next to him. Her cheer is disrupted, however, and a frown curves her lips. She peers over her shoulder. "Was that her?" Already the mutant is gone. "She sure shoot out of her like a bullet." She half laughs. "Is it really that bad?"
Donnie grimaces. "Yeah…" He slumps. "It's been hard on her. I mean, she was-" He shakes his head. He forces a laugh. "But she's getting better. Really. It just…takes time."
"Like everything." April offers a smile that cracks at the edges. She can't help but be reminded of what happened when her father was first mutated. But she did get over it. Or at least learned to blame someone other than Donnie and them, some higher power.
Donnie flinches as he is bombarded with the same memory. "Yeah."
April leans toward him and wraps her arm around his shoulder. She gives him a light hug. "It'll all work out." Once she says it she isn't sure if she is still talking about the mutant girl or the situation with her father. Well, both. They'll both work out. Yeah…
Liz presses herself against the wall of the kitchen. Her chest heaves up and down and her breathing comes heavy. Her eyes are wide, almost wild. It takes her a minute but finally it all comes down, she comes down. She manages a tiny smile. With the control her mind settles and her thoughts catch onto the girl sitting out there with Donnie. It was April. It must be.
The thought of the girl makes her stomach churn and her mouth water uncomfortably. It also brings her attention to what had slowly been fading. She runs her hands over her body and peers down at herself. Skin on skin. No barrier. She cringes. It is just another reminder of how far she has fallen.
She perks then as she remembers. Those clothes. A smile stretches across her face as her eyes light on the set resting atop the kitchen table. She carried it around a lot, subconsciously more than intentionally. This just happened to be where she left it this time. "Yes." She skips forward and snatches the clothes up. She holds them out and takes them in. Still not ideal, but for now they'll do.
She perks as quiet yet harsh footsteps reach her. She snaps her arms closer to her and clutches her clothes close. In the next instant Raph enters the room. Knew it. She watches him carefully as he moves across the room to the table and sinks down in a chair. He lets his head fall into his hands and releases a tight, heavy sigh.
Liz's brows knit together. She chews on the inside of her cheek as options fly through her mind. Her eyes flit to the clothes in her hands and she decides they don't matter. Not right now. She lays them on the seat closest to her. She works her way around until she could easily reach out and touch Raph. She doesn't want to though. She doesn't need to. She merely stands and stares, taking in every inch of him.
Raph clenches his eyes closed, colors dancing at the edges of his vision he tries so hard. He knows he should eat. His body carried him here for a reason. But he can't find it in him to do more. He just…sits. Tiny tremors race over his skin. His lips quiver faintly hidden within his hands.
Liz frowns deeply. She tugs at her arm, still so empty. Her gaze wanders back to the counter and the fridge. There must be something around. She is as quiet as possible, but she knows he must hear her, at least on some level of another. She digs around until she finds enough to make a sad excuse of a sandwich, but a sandwich nonetheless. She sets it on a plate and gently places it on the table. She nudges it toward him until it brushes his arm, then she freezes, waiting for the explosion.
Raph flinches and draws his head up to see which of his brothers could possibly be disturbing him now. He hopes to God it's Mikey. He doesn't think he can handle Donnie at the moment. Slowly he opens his eyes to reveal the light green and soft curved features of neither of them, but a girl – Liz. He sucks in a tiny breath and every muscle in his body tenses.
Liz flinches under his fiery eyes, but she stands strong. She swallows hard and meets his gaze. She bites her lip and speaks softly, "You need to eat." She can barely hear her own words.
Raph scoffs. He looks away from her. His eyes flash dangerously, but he makes sure she can not see. It's not really her that makes him feel this way, at least he doesn't suppose it is. His stomach twists and he feels sick, the worst he has felt since Leo lost consciousness. "It's my fault." He chokes out.
Liz blinks. "Huh?" She leans forward, trying to see around him and glimpse his expression. It's the only way to gauge what he's really feeling.
Raph turns his head farther. He presses his lips tight together.
Liz leans farther over the table. "Raph?" His name feels strange on her lips.
Raph growls, a soft subdued sound. "It's my fault." He says again. He slips his hands up his face until they cover his eyes and his shame.
Liz blinks. She makes a face. "No…" She shakes her head. She lifts a hand then stops. She bites her lip and trembles faintly as what-ifs assault her. She's seen him react even to the tiniest most insignificant things. And this…this is no small matter. Of course after that day in the lab she'd like to believe he would never, could never lash out at her, but honestly what does she know. He's not Slash. The thought pulses through her head. She must remember this.
"It is." His voice wavers. "We fought that morning. That's why he was out. That's why…" A shiver races up his spine and he can't finish it.
Liz bites her lip. She remembers that. Or at least the sounds of it. By that point it was a reoccurring event. And honestly, after everything, she almost misses it. She'd prefer their fights to this unbearable silence any day. "He wouldn't blame you."
Raph jerks upright. "W-What?" He looks incredulously at her.
Liz takes a quick step back, but she does not give up her point. "Leo, he," She shakes her head. "He's not like that. He wouldn't blame you. So…" She swallows hard. "You shouldn't blame yourself either."
Raph stares long and hard at her. "What do you know about my brother?" He glares through his tears.
Liz bows her head. She picks at her nails. "I know…" She reaches toward the plate. "That he'd tell you to eat." She scoots it so it touches him again.
Raph moans. His face twists into something savage and he slings his arm back. He slams his hand against the plate and sends it flying across the room. It shatters instantly.
Liz sucks in a sharp breath and jumps in her skin. Her eyes widen as she draws her hands close.
Raph sighs, a broken, shuddery sound. He rests his forehead against his fingers. "What if he doesn't wake up?" He chokes on a breath. "Huh? What then?"
Liz breathes deeply until she relaxes. She lowers her arms. "He won't die." She pulls a chair closer and sits. "Raph," She waits for him to look at her. "He won't." She shakes her head. "You have to believe that." She reaches out and lays her hand across his.
Raph tries to tug his hand out from under hers, but as her fingers curl around his palm he stills. His shoulders slump and any spark in his eyes fades.
"How?" He croaks.
Liz perks. "Hm?"
"How do you do that?" He shakes his head. "After everything that's happened to you…how is there any hope."
Liz cringes as one of the darkest corners of her life is brought to the surface. "I…" Her muscles tense and she feels herself stiffen. "I guess," She pulls at her skin with her free hand. "I have to be. It's…all I have left."
Raph flinches. "I…"
Liz shakes her head. "It's nothing." She stands slowly. She holds her head low and casts her eyes to the floor. "I know it's stupid." It's what got me here to begin with. She wraps her arms around herself. "I should know better."
Raph sighs. He turns his head from her. He can't bear to look at her face the way it is now – knowing it's just another thing he screwed up. He catches his breath presses his head hard into his fist.
Liz takes a step back. She breathes deeply, daring herself to break in front of him. "Bye…" Her voice is thick. Then she turns and flees the room. Her clothes are once more forgotten, lost to the flurry of emotion.
Raph growls deep in his throat. He slams his fist on the table and leaps to his feet. He kicks at the floor, hitting the pieces of the plate in the process. He gasps and it only sends the anger surging faster through his veins. He kicks again. The physical pain dulls the emotional. And right now he'd sell his soul for that.
Liz creeps across the lair. April is still over with Donnie. She wasn't gone all that long she supposes. But she can't deal with that, especially not now. So she makes sure neither see her and she makes her way to the outskirts of the lair. Of course she doesn't leave though. She could never do that. There's nothing waiting for her out there – nothing but emptiness and bitter memories.
She settles against the wall just past the turnstiles and lets out a long breath. She leans her head back on the wall and closes her eyes. She lets her erratic heart slow and with it her frenzied emotions calm to a manageable level. She should have known better. Like everything. He was right – is right. She's such a fool. But mostly she is a fool for believing she could help him. She can't help anyone, not even herself.
Minutes slip through her fingers and the silence wraps itself around her like a blanket. She sighs, but she can't get herself to smile even with the newfound calm. Then the sound of footsteps approach, soft at first and then quite startling as it echoes off the walls of the sewer tunnels. Mikey appears in the next instant, bounding forward with as much life as ever.
Liz barely reacts. She draws her knees to her chest and rests her head upon them. She wraps her arms around her knees and sighs for what feels like the umpteenth time.
Mikey stops abruptly. "Hm?" He twists his body in her direction. A grin spreads across his face. "Hey there girl." He waves. "What's up?"
Liz tilts her head up. She stares vacantly at his disgustingly happy face. "Liz." She grumbles.
Mikey quirks a brow. "Oh. Sorry." He laughs. "You don't talk much so I didn't know." His smile fades and his brows furrow. "Huh?" He moves closer. "Something wrong?"
Liz snorts. How could he just now notice? Self-centered little- no, she shouldn't think it. Still, "How do you do that?" She finds herself mirroring Raph and it puts a terrible taste in her mouth. "Why are you always so happy? Even now, even when…"
Mikey cringes, but he smiles anyway. "Why not?" He shrugs. "Especially in times like this. When everyone else is suffering there has to be someone to keep things cheerful." His smile widens.
"Maybe…" She says under her breath. She tightens her arms around her legs and lowers her head back to her knees.
Mikey dims again. "What happened?"
Liz shakes her head. Still, if anyone surely he could answer the question burning in her head. "I only wanted to help…" She says so softly she isn't sure he can hear. "But how am I supposed to help him, when he's…so…" She shakes her head again.
"So Raph." Mikey chuckles. For once, however, the cheer vanishes. He sits next to her and leans forward just enough to see her face. "He can be difficult, I know." A pained laugh ekes out. "But it's only because he feels too much. Especially when he's guilty – when he thinks it's all his fault."
Liz lifts her head and looks intently at him. "He does this a lot?" He had said that this was his fault, just like Mikey said.
Mikey grimaces. "Unfortunately." He clasps his hands in his lap. "Almost anytime something happens to us. Even when he's not around." He chuckles. "He finds a way to make it his fault."
Liz bites her lip and drops her gaze to the ground. "So…" She thinks carefully on her words. "What do you do?"
Mikey shrugs. "Depends. If I'm the one hurt they tell me Donnie convinces him with medical mumbo jumbo or Leo fights him out of it, if Donnie is hurt then Leo or I am there to calm him down. Leo's softer for some reason when it's Donnie, but when it's Leo…" He ducks his head.
Liz perks. She holds her breath but she doesn't know why.
"It's harder. He," Mikey shakes his head. "He cracks. It's not that Leo's special really, I mean, he pretty much cracks with me and Donnie too, it's just…different. I don't know. It's harder to get through to him, to talk him out of it." Mikey's fingers dig into his hands as his grip tightens. "Used to, mostly only I could if anyone, but…"
Liz nods, slowly. A deep from mars her features.
"It only got worse after Alopex." Mikey knows they aren't supposed to talk about her, but it's clear they'll never forget. Might as well ease the terrible ache every now and then.
"Alopex?" Liz's eyes widen.
Mikey shakes his head. "No one. We just…almost lost Leo then. I think that's when Raph became worse about it. Now…every word is like walking on eggshells. When Leo is hurt I mean. If not for that you'd never know he was any different. But…he is."
Pain flickers in Liz's eyes. "I see." She can't bear to look at him.
Mikey's eyes widen for a split second and then his expression snaps back into its usual happiness. "But don't worry about it." He bends his head down in order to meet her eyes. "Leo will get better and then Raph will too."
Liz forces a smile. It is nowhere near sincere. It's not worth the effort.
Mikey blows out a breath. "Ah, come on." Mikey pokes her in the arm. "At least mean it when you smile. We don't need another Raph." He gags. "Then I'd always be getting hit with something."
Liz snickers. She averts her eyes but this time a tiny albeit very real smile graces her lips.
Mikey's face lights up and his eyes spark with life. "There you go." He hops to his feet. "Just remember – smiling may be hard, but it's always worth it. If not for others at least do it for yourself. You'll be happier for it." He waves over his shoulder as he jumps the turnstile and heads further into the lair, leaving her alone once more.
For a while she doesn't move. She sits and goes over every word Mikey said to her. She thinks about how Raph acted earlier and how she had reacted. She lays her hands on the floor and lingers that way for a minute. Then she pushes herself to her feet. She looks almost absently about, as if she doesn't know where she's going.
She walks slowly, each step carefully chosen, as if the floor might shatter beneath her. She looks over to where Donnie and April were, but they are no longer there. Good. She doesn't want to have to avoid that girl anymore. Perhaps she even went home. Perhaps Donnie is walking her there at this very moment. Liz can only hope.
She crosses the living room and stops dead. Her eyes widen and her heart skips a beat at the sight of it. She swallows hard. She hasn't been in there since that day. A chill races across her skin. Still, she can't be afraid forever. It isn't all about her. She walks through the doorway and into the lab.
It shouldn't be different, but the floor feels colder here. She shudders. She shakes it off and looks up, around the room. She spots Raph instantly. He's there, at his self-proclaimed spot by Leo's side. As always. She ventures closer.
"It better be Mikey." Raph grumbles through his clasped hands. He presses them hard against his lips. He does it to keep everything in as much as to hold himself up. He needs that more than anything. The last time Mikey tried he knows he shut him down, but Mikey has always known him best. And he really needs that right now.
Liz grimaces. "Sorry." She says it just loud enough to be heard. She picks at her arm.
Raph stiffens. His hands clench and his face draws tight.
Liz is not blind to what her presence seems to have done to him. "It's me." She bites her lip and looks over her shoulder. Her breathing quickens slightly. Should she? The much brighter living area beckons her. But…no. She faces forward and walks toward him.
"Don't." He says in an almost pleading way.
Liz doesn't heed. She walks until she stands next to him, over him. She looks at Leo, his face just as empty as the day they brought him in after the attack. "Sleep." She says after a moment of hefty silence.
Raph's face scrunches and he makes a face. "What?" His brows knit together as his deep green eyes pierce her.
Liz draws her gaze around to meet his. "It'll make it easier. I know." Her skin crawls as she recollects how much she used to sleep and how the visions in sleep had made her sick for the longest time. But eventually it did help. "Sleeping…it won't feel so long before Leo wakes."
Raph jerks his head up and his face seizes with fear. His eyes nearly turn wild. "What…no." He shakes his head violently. "I can't leave him alone. I can't, I-"
Liz knows that look. She sits and leans forward, her hands braced on her legs. "Raph," She says slowly, but with a surprising amount of firmness. "Nothing is going to happen. You know that right?" This must be what Mikey meant when he talked about whatever happened with Alopex. This honestly looked like the beginnings of a panic attack like she suffered after they rescued her.
Raph's hands tremble slightly. "No." His voice tight. "She-She could come back. I can't…can't leave him alone." His hands curl into tight fists.
"She?" Liz's brows knit together. Did he mean Alopex?
Anger flashes in Raph's eyes. "No one." The fear overtakes the anger in the next instant. "But-but, it…it has to have been her." He rubs at his arm. The spot Fishface bit him. It was the time she saved him. One of his deepest memories of her.
Liz sucks in a soft breath. Oh. Whoever Alopex is, she got closer to them than they would have liked. Probably she knows where this place is then too. "She won't hurt him. Not again."
"You don't know." His voice is scarcely a breath. "You. Don't. KNOW."
Liz flinches and shrinks back.
"You weren't there." He whispers. "She nearly killed him." His voice cracks and tears well in his eyes. Even if he barely knows her he can't hold it in any longer. "She betrayed us all." Betrayed me. "And I can't-" The tears spill over and a small sob escapes him despite his efforts.
Liz finds herself trembling for him. "Raph…" She knows what it's like to be broken, especially when someone close is the one who does the breaking. She lifts her hands to his face. She tries to cup his cheeks.
Raph shies away from her touch.
Liz draws her hands back slightly. "Raph," She bites her lip. "Please, let me help you." She watches him carefully for a long moment. Then she leans forward and wraps her arms around his neck.
Raph lets out a shuddery sigh. For a split second he leans his head as far back from her as possible, then he gives in. Her gentle touch makes him weak and he presses his face into her shoulder.
Liz tenses at the initial contact, but she reminds herself she started this. And he is far too broken to snap. His presence is heavy against her as his tears soak her shoulder. "It'll be alright." She knows full well she says it for herself as much as him.
"You don't know…" He says weak, without conviction.
"I'll watch him." She makes a spur of the moment decision.
Raph sucks in a soft breath. "But…"
"It'll be alright Raph." She asserts. "Really."
Raph can't find the strength to argue. He sniffles and sobs softly as scenarios play out in his mind, terrible scenarios. But gradually it slips away. His sobs tamper off and his tears run dry. Only silence is left surrounding them.
Liz chooses then to speak. "Come on," She pats him. "You need to rest."
Raph cringes. "I can't."
"Raph," A hint of annoyance seeps through. Mostly she's just tired, emotionally worn.
"No," He hurries to cut her off. "I mean, I can't walk."
Liz leans away from him in order to see his face. "What?" Her brows knit together. She tilts her head slightly. She keeps her fingertips in his shoulders.
"My feet." He averts his eyes. "With the plate."
Liz blinks. She stares with mounting confusion. Then it hits her. "Oh." She remembers him flinging it into the wall. So did he really go and step on it? She grimaces as she wonders – was it intentional? "I'll fix it." Fix you. She stands slowly and lets her fingers slip from him.
Raph snatches at her wrist as she turns to look for medical supplies.
Liz gasps and jerks her head to look with wide eyes at him.
Raph swallows. He looks hard at her. "Don't tell."
Liz forces her panic down. "W-What?"
Raph shakes his head. "Don't tell the others."
Liz's fear subsides. Pity rises in its place. "It's ok to break, you know." She sees another wave of panic coming on and adds, "But I understand. And I won't say anything."
Raph unfurls his hand from her wrist. His shoulders relax.
Liz smiles weakly. "Just…don't be ashamed of what hurts." She subconsciously curls a hand into a fist against her chest. "Because everyone hurts." She turns and restarts her search for medical supplies.
Raph watches her with a vacant expression. His lost expression belies the storm in his head. He just can't fathom her. The things she does contradict the profile he has formed. More than anything he can't grasp why she is so concerned with his mental health. She's not family. She's not much of anything, really. And yet…she still does all this.
Liz returns in the next instant with what she needs. She bends down and steels herself for the sight. She can do this, she can do this, she can. She reaches for his feet.
Raph shoves his feet flat on the ground. He stifles a yelp and tries to remain as nonchalant as possible. "Don't." He says simply.
Liz frowns deeply. She looks hard up at him. "Let me see."
He shakes his head. "No. You…you'll just get hurt."
Liz shudders and her stomach twists as he brings up what she was fighting so desperately to force down. "No," She keeps her breathing even. "I…I can do it." She nods to herself.
"Just leave it." He keeps his feet firmly planted. "Just…go get Donnie. If you really want to fix it anyway." Beneath his breath he adds, "I don't know why you do." I deserve it.
"You don't deserve it." She responds automatically.
Raph is jolted by her words. "What? I-I didn't,"
"I'm not stupid." She reluctantly stands. She scowls at him. "That's really why you don't want me to see. Your brother knows already. He knows how you inflict pain on yourself as punishment. And if I don't see the way it looks, well then maybe I won't figure it out."
Raph's lips curl into a snarl. "That is not why." His voice rises beyond murmurs for the first time since he calmed down.
"Maybe not completely." She smoothes her hands over her stomach out of habit. She still keeps forgetting to put those clothes on. "But I'm not wrong, am I?" The anger fades into a sad resignation. "You wanted to hurt yourself."
Raph blows out a breath. He looks away from. "Just get Donnie."
Liz sighs. She turns to go, then she stops. She faces him once more. "I…I'm sorry."
Raph looks straight at her. He narrows his eyes.
"I wish you didn't hurt so much."
Raph starts. His brows knit and he makes a face. What? Hadn't she been about to snap just a moment ago? He knows he saw something building in her eyes. Where did it go?
"It must be so much worse than me." She subtly jabs. "And I…I hope I helped." She forces a weak smile. Then she leaves. She goes to find Donnie. But she is nowhere near done. She meant it when she said he had to sleep.
Raph stares blankly after her. Slowly his open mouth falls into a frown and his eyes shine with another layer of guilt. "Yeah," He sighs. "Unfortunately you did." She got to him. Somehow.
Liz tells Donnie and then takes her spot on the couch. She watches over the back and waits for them to emerge. They better. She scowls. It takes too long, much too long, but eventually they come. Donnie forces Raph to his room and he actually complies.
Liz smiles triumphantly. She bounces her head back and forth. She expected no less from Donnie. She wasn't going to go back and coerce Raph, not after the way he looked at her and after she found out he was really that torn up over everything, that he got that torn up more than a little.
She flops her head on the top of the back of the couch. She hangs her arms over and sighs. How? He had everything. He had a family. People who cared. Was he so proud he really couldn't ask for help? Or was it all because of Alopex? Did he only go so far on account of her? Whoever her is. From the looks of things, she'll probably never know.
For a while she lays there. She listens to the silence and basks in it, at least for a minute. It becomes too heavy though. She staggers to her feet and looks carefully around. She wanders back to the lab, back to Leo. She sits and reaches out for him. She clasps his hand in hers. "Leo," She presses her forehead to his hand. "Wake up. You have to wake up." Her voice wavers. "Please." She doesn't know how much longer she can go. Raph was right. After everything how can she have such hope? And soon she knows it will burn out completely, leaving her in the dark once more. "No more…no more people leaving me."
So, what did you think? In case it wasn't clear, With Love is now firmly within the same continuity as PaSDaS. You don't need to read that one to understand this one, but it would make things involving Alopex feel less mysterious. That last scene though...gah. It took me forever and then went and ended up different than I intended anyway. I still really like it, it was just frustrating. I hope it was much less frustrating to read. lol Please review!