Author Note: I hope I'm not about to confuse anyone at the end of this. I'm making my own story up about the villians. but again... isn't that what this place is for:-) Again, don't own any of them; just conducting my own story, so...Please don't shoot!
The next few weeks were back to normal. Shadow woke every morning at 5:30am, showered, dressed in a suit for work and never returned home until after six in the evening.
Looking out the window, she blinking a few times, and huffed a sigh. Looking down at her drawing table, she looked at the rendering she was working on for a client. This was going to be a good one, a $64,000 deal, with ten percent of that going right into her pocket. Sure they had computer programs that they all used, but Shay usually found that in a day and age of technology and impersonals, taking the time to do something by hand always appealed to the purchaser; showing them that you took time just for them.
Glancing at the clock on the wall she pushed back in her wheeled office chair and stood. Straightening her black pencil skirt she reached for her purse and noticed a missed call. Dialing in her password she listed to April saying something about her dad going to a Knick's preseason game and wanted to know if she could meet her for dinner and a drink. Picking up her briefcase, Shadow closed her office door behind her, waving to a few co-workers that were left and waited for the elevator. As she walked out the main doors into the street to hail a cab, Shay reached down and pulled her large sun glasses out of her purse to shield herself from the early September sun. She climbed into the first available cab and took out her phone, not paying attention.
"You mind if we share?" she heard a male voice behind her.
Turning her head she addressed the individual. A taller Asian man, business suit, smaller rimmed glasses.
"I don't see why not..." she said , sliding into the cab.
"Where to folks?" the cabbie turned.
"OH, ah… the corner of 89th and North 242nd please." She spoke calling April back to make sure that in fact was the place that she had left on Shadows voice mail.
"Just past there for me."
"Alright Mac, ya let me know when we drop the lady off!" the cabbie punched the clock with his finger and pulled out into the busy New York traffic.
Hanging up her phone, Shadow looked out the window of the cab. She knew it was only a ten minute ride, April had suggested a place only a few minutes from home.
"You work in the Pennerson Building?" the man asked making conversation.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. You?" Shadow asked being polite.
"Yes, the very top floor."
"Really? Your on the 46th floor? I'm glad I'm on the lower level." She smiled at him.
"OH what level is that might I ask?" his manners and perfect english were refreshing, but somewhat bewildering to her.
"The 18th." She lied threw her teeth.
"OH, an attorney hu? I'm a broker, Bishamon Saki." He held out his hand.
Shadow felt her heart stop and her mouth flutter; rebounding quickly she replied "OH, nice to meet you, I'm Samantha, Samantha Peters." Astonishing herself at how good an actor she could be as she shook his hand, letting him believe that his 'attorney' assumption was correct.
"A very beautiful and authoritative name, very appropriate."
"Thank you." She smiled at him.
She turned her attention back out of the car. There was no way that she could be in a car with Oroku Saki's relative, but, how many Saki's could their be in New York, hundreds? She slowed her breathing and looked at her nails, trying to busy herself with other things.
A few red lights later the cab slowed, "That'll be $17.40 lady." the driver turned in his seat. Shadow dug threw her purse to fish out a $20 dollar bill, wanting out of that cab as soon as possible.
"Please, allow me." Bishamon placed a hand over hers as he gave the man a $20. "That should cover Ms. Peters part of the fare. Please take me up to 251st street."
Shadow gave her best, forced gracious smile to the man as she opened her door to slide out. Looking to the restaurant she spotted April outside, her briefcase in hand as well, waving to her. Shadow walked around the side back of the cab. As she stepped onto the curb she heard the door open.
"Ms. Peters, My card. Feel free to call on me at anytime. It was a pleasure." He said putting his hand out.
"Why thank you." Shadow said, taking the card.
"Perhaps you will do me the pleasure of a cab ride again soon I would hope." Smiling at her as she shook his hand.
"Until then Mr.Saki." she practically had to force the name out of her throat.
Watching him get back into the cab, Shadow walked toward April.
"Well look at you just pick'en up gentlemen on your way home from work!" she said laughing. "What's wrong?" her smile dropped immediately as she studied Shadows face. She looked as though she had merely escaped death as she handing April the business card. Shadow stepped back, moving out of the way of a few pedestrians and grabbed her Step Mothers arm and pulled her into the restaurant.
"This has to be a coincidence! I mean.." she said leaning into Shadow as Shay put her fingers up, signaling 'two' to the hostess.
April whispered as she finished her thought "…the Shredder doesn't have kin! I mean, at least I'm pretty positive!"
"April, who said it's a son?" Shadow asked sitting, thanking the woman who sat them. "What if it's a nephew or someone not related at all?"
April nodded "True. I mean there are thousands of Asian cultured people living in the city." She sat for a moment. "I suppose I can call a friend of mine at the city court house. She works in the records department. Erma, she used to work with me when I was at Channel six." She said nesting her purse and briefcase on the other side of her in the booth.
"I just find it unnerving. I mean, it's just too much of a coincidence that I got into a cab with a man with the same origin as him." Shadow replied fishing a hair tie out of her purse and pulling her hair into a low pony tail. April nodded her head looking at the young woman.
"I'm going to call the guys. See if they can meet us around 8:30pm at the apartment." She said as she pulled out her phone.
The waitress came over as April was talking with what sounded like, Leonardo.
"Two waters with lemon and two Amaretto Sours please." Shadow smiled to the woman as April looked at her giving her thumbs up.
"No, it maybe nothing, but we should all talk. Bring Splinter with you?" she heard April ask him. She then said her good byes and hung up.
They sat in silence as they looked over the menu, flipping threw to see what they had a taste for. Shadow set hers' down and slid it to the end of the table.
"On a different note. How was your day?" April looked up from her menu.
"Same shit, different day, ya know?" Shay gave her a small smile. The waitress returned with the drinks and set them down. She scribbled down the ladies orders and hurried back to the kitchen.
"Same here. I started working on a piece for work about the mistreatment of Police dogs. How when their done with their service, their sent to dog mills to bread and live the rest of their life in a cage if their not adopted by they officer who they served for."
"Really? Wow! I guess I never knew that…" Shadow said taking a sip of her drink.
April nodded her head, "Yea, it's all research right now, so don't tell Mikey, he's such an animal lover, he'd probably freak out, even if it ends up not being true." She chuckled.
Shadow smiled at the thought of the guys' sewer home being over ran with German Shepard's. "I don't think I'll be mentioning that anytime soon." She chuckled.
April, keeping up with light hearted banter got Shadows head to pop up "I know you and Raphael were just there, and this is why I am asking…there is this little place in town before the farm that as the most amazing deserts!" Shadow finished her sentence with her at the same time. They both laughed.
"Yea, Raph asked if I would drive down there the one day and get a few Lady Locks. He said they were to die for."
"Well I can't see him saying that…" April smiled
"No, his exact words were 'The Shit'." They both laughed.
April regarded Shadow seeing the smile that was still on her face "You really had a good time up there didn't you?"
Shadow looked up at her, unable to wipe the smile off, she nodded. April was a smart woman, always catching on to things. She had to be, she was a journalist after all, but in this situation, it was just speculation. She took her shot in the dark.
"You know, Raphael really respects you. All the guys do. Mike was practically going nuts wanting to call you two up there every night! Donatello was always telling him to 'can it'. And Leonardo, Splinter and your dad…well, they were at ease just knowing that you were safe." She said looking at Shadow from across the booth.
Shadow looked up at April "It was a perfect time. We got bored a lot, fought a few times, " Her face redden thinking of how the one fight ended in the bedroom. "…But it was a good time." April smiled at her. "Good."
They ate their food in peace, April's mind moving a mile a minute from her own work, to the man that was in the cab with Shay, to the way her Step-Daughter had been acting ever since they had gotten home a few weeks ago. Raphael would still come over the same as he had, but Shadow and him weren't bickering, or torturing each other as much as they would. They would stay rather quiet, just watching T.V or they would go up on the roof for a few hours before she had to go to bed and he would leave to go out to make his rounds with his brothers. Something happened at the farm, but April dare not intrude or ask, for it was not her business. However, she was the only one who noticed the change in the young woman.
The lights to the apartment were on when both women stepped out of the cab and walked to the front entrance. Walking up the stairs to the landing that the main apartment door was one, April went to stick her key in when the door flew open. Michaelangelo grinned from ear to ear. "Ladies…." He bowed.
"Come back'en finish the game ya moron!" Raphael yelled from down in the living room with Donatello seated to his left.
"I'm comin dudes! Sheesh!" he bounded back down the steps to the carpeting.
"Good evening." Splinter greeted the two as they placed their things on the counter top.
"Hi Splinter." April put a hand on the rats shoulder.
"Hi." Shadow said bending to get a water bottle out of the fridge.
"So what's this issue you wanted to talk with us about?" Leonardo asked sitting back, crossing his arms at the table.
"Michaelangelo, Raphael, Donatello!" Splinter barked at the three as they finished up their video game. Don and Raph immediately walked to the kitchen. they all waited quietly hearing a poutie, "Ah, but… agh, come on!" from in front of the television.
April looked at Shadow, "Well it's yours to tell…" she gave her a motivational smile.
They all turned to look at her; Donny taking a seat across from Leonardo, Splinter in between them at the end of the table. Mike stood at the top of the steps, probably hoping to conspicuously inch back to his game and Raph stood, arms crossed in front of the fridge.
Shadow told them in detail about the man who basically blocked her into the cab, asking to share; the conversation, even down to his politeness, his dress, mannerisms and subtle flirting.
"And then he said he hoped that we would share a cab again someday soon and gave me this." She finished tossing the card on the table in front of Splinter. She had left out the man's name sake up until this point.
Splinters eye brows raised and he let out a long slow sigh. The sons all looked at their father anxiously. He studied the card that he held in his old furry fingers.
"This perhaps could be a serious coincidence Ms. Jones. But I fear that it may not be." Splinter said looking at Shadow and placing the card on the table. All four brothers got to a point where they could see the card more clearly to see what they father spoke of.
"Bishamon Saki?! You gotta be fuck'en kidden me!?" Raphael said stepping back from the table, eyes wide, uncrossing his arms. Mikey looked at Raphael and took a better look at the card and gasped.
"The Shred-dude got a piece? I thought he was hella asexual! I mean... he's gotta kid?" surprisingly enough Mikey was serious when he said it all, looking at Leonardo.
Leo's brows were creased looking at his father. "What does this mean?"
"This is something that we must all take with extreme caution. Shadow, it is good that you gave him a fake name and place of employment, however I have a feeling that if this man is in fact the son of Oroku Saki, then I believe he knew who you were weeks ago." Splinter said, never taking his eyes from the young women.
Shadow shook her head looking down; she pulled at the sleeves of her blue button down shirt, not really knowing what to think.
"Bishamon… Bishamon…the Japanese God of War." Donatello said looking From Splinter to Leonardo, who both nodded. It was a known fact that out of the five of them, Mikey and Raphael knew the least amount of Japanese.
"Yep… if this is his kid, he named him after the freak'en God of War! How 'like' him." Leo chucked ironically in disgust as he leaned back in his chair again.
"He looked a little older, like well… your guy's ages, late twenties maybe?" Shadow said, giving some sort of help to puzzle it all together.
"So if he did have a son.." Splinter cut off Donatello's spoken train of thought.
"No. No 'if ', Oroku did have a son." He paused looking at everyone. "Many a year ago, before he left for America. There was a woman that he had loved. He must have had the kin with her, and then later sent for the baby."
Leo looked at his father "Sensei, why didn't you tell us about this? Why now?" the Golden child had actually got a little angry and snippy. Raphael felt him self smirk, he was impressed for half a second.
"I didn't know if it was something that Oroku had washed his hands of. This is the first I have known of the man's presence to be affiliated with his father. If he was no threat, for how can you be a threat when you do not know your lineage and history; then why would I trouble you my sons."
Donatello nodded his head. "Master, I understand why you did it. But, now we have Shredder and Shredder Jr. to deal with…."
The old rat nodded his head "I must meditate on this tonight. "
"So what should she do? I mean, he works in the same building as her, he can watch her every move!?" April asked, worried for Shadows safety.
"I just always work when other people are there! When people leave, I leave, when people wait for cabs, I wait! Nothing will happen to me around a lot of people right? Shadow asked pushing off the counter, moving to stand next to Raphael.
Splinter looked up at her "They will wait when you are in those situations; for they would have done something about this by now with people around if they did not care about risking their identity. Yes, if you are with others, I do not believe they will attack."
"Oh, one more thing too…" Shadow said, glancing at Raphael then back to the others "He had this tattoo on his wrist, I think it was a… purple lizard or dragon head or something..." she said quirking an eye brow.
Splinter let out a growl, his ears flattened against the top of his head as his eyes narrowed and his whiskers twitched.
"A Purple Dragon?!" he asked, looking at Shadow "Are you certain?" he tone was loader and darker then she ever remembered hearing it. The brothers were all quiet looking back and forth to one another.
"I … I think so.." she stammered, looking at Don then to Leonardo.
"Wait but.." Splinter cut off Mikee.
"This is a dire situation if the Foot Clan has contacted the Purple Dragon."
"Whoa, wait, I thought we got rid'ah the Purple pricks awhile ago??" Raphael asked looking at his sensei, Mikey nodded "Yeah!"
"You destroyed the chapter that was here my son. But that left them time to contact others and rebuild."
"Haven't the Dragons always been associated with the Foot?" Leo asked looking as his father.
"They were affiliated many years ago. Their leaders came to ahead and they split. However if Saki's son has something to do with them, the two sides must have aligned once again." He sighed looking at Donatello, who nodded; deep in thought.
"I'm gonna to have to do some digging then…" Don said, looking at April "There are a few things I may need you to look into for me." She nodded at him.
Shadow sighed, Raphael looked at her, throwing an arm over her shoulder.
"Don't worry dudette! We'll get to the bottom of this!" Mikey said smiling a small smile at her. She reached up and grabbed onto Raph's hand that was draped over in front of her shoulder. "Thanks guys." She muttered.
She did have all the faith in the world, but if this situation was as serious as Splinter made it sound, parts of her were wishing she was still in Michigan. Letting her hand drop from Raphaels', he squeezed her shoulder as she looked up at him.
"I'm going to head to bed…" she said turning toward the stairs past the fridge.
"Ms. Jones." Splinter called to her. She turned to look at him, her tired eyes gave away her fears.
"You must sleep well, to keep your senses sharp." He said in a calm, fatherly, advising way. She smiled at him, putting her hands together; she gave him a small bow. As she put her head back up she nodded her head at Raphael to follow her up the stairs. He lifted an eyebrow at her.
"Welp there he goes, her personal body guard! What's that? Do I hear… Whitney Huston sing'en in the background?" Mikey ran to the bottom of the steps, putting his hand up to his ear.
"Shut'da fuck up Mikey!" they all heard Raph yell faintly from the top of the steps. Splinter put his hand to his head; Mike just giggled as Donny rolled his eyes at April.
Opening her door, Shadow flipped on her light and tossed her heels off her feet. She heard a small, deep giggle from behind her.
"What?" she asked turning.
"Nothin ya midget! Ya just shrank like three inches is all." She raised an eye brow at him and smirked.
"I like the way I am!" she said un buckling her belt and pulling it threw the loops of her skirt.
"I like da'way ya are too." He looked at her with a wolfish grin on his face. He took a few steps and pulled her to him by her hips.
She smiled up at him "I just wanted to say good night. You can't stay up here long…"
"I know…" he trailed off, starting to kiss her on the neck. She let out a soft giggle and pushed a shoulder into him playing around. He stood back up and looked down at her. She winked at him and began unbuttoning her shirt.
"OH…. tease. Your gonna get it the next time we're alone… " he whispered as she laughed. He bent to kiss her; they closed the distance from the middle of her room to the door.
Giving him one more kiss, she pushed him out the door. He gave her a look to kill. Shrugging her shoulders she mouthed 'Sorry!' to him. She knew he hated when she caught him off balance, it made him feel less male that a woman could make him stumble. Looking down the hall way to make sure no one could see, he leaned over and pecked her, "Later…" he whispered again as she nodded, watching him skip every other step on the way down to the kitchen.