Chapter 10
Yay! Tenth chappy! Double digits baby! Hehe… ENJOY
It was three hours later when Kara had to leave. She informed Leonardo that she was leaving to satisfy him and waved to Mikey who was lounging on the couch.
"Bring back pizza!" He yelled.
"Yeah, yeah…" she grumbled, rolling her eyes and continuing down the winding sewer tunnels.
She was strolling down the corridor of their building when a horribly familiar scent entered her nose.
Smoke!
She ran to April's apartment door and frantically knocked on it, fearing the worst. When she heard no reply apart from spluttering coughs and hacking, she turned the door knob to find it unlocked. She burst through the door and looked around for any sign of them.
"Help!" She heard Casey shout. She darted to the kitchen only to have her eyes nearly fall out of her head.
Through the thickness of the smoke, she saw Casey blasting a fire extinguisher at what looked like an incredibly black and burnt turkey. He was wearing April's blue apron with daisies dotted on it, along with her matching oven gloves.
"Oh…" He laughed nervously. "Hey Kara…"
She studied him with an eyebrow raised and leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed.
"Uh… April needed ta get some groceries so she told me ta tell ya that she'd meet ya at the restaurant and she said that she put some clothes on the bed for ya… Yer probably wonderin' what I'm doin,' huh?
She shook her head. "Nah. I think I'm better off not knowing."
She turned to leave but Casey stopped her.
"Hey Kara?" She looked at him expectantly. "Could we keep this between us?"
She nodded. "I think it's for the best."
He sighed in relief, making Kara chuckle.
She proceeded towards the bedroom but paused when she was half way.
"By the way, Casey," she called. "I'd remove the apron before I reconsider your sexuality."
She heard him drop the fire extinguisher and rush take it off, making her snicker.
She went into the bedroom to see some formal looking clothes laid out on the bed.
"You have got to be kidding me…"
She saw a note on top that said:
Hey Kara!
We need to make a good first impression, don't we? I know you probably hate them but just trust me! I was nice enough to replace the skirt I picked out with pants. Don't immediately ditch the heels. They'll look great. The directions are on the back of this note. See you there!
April.
Kara looked down to see a shiny pair of incredibly high black heels.
"April's gotta be delirious if she thinks I'm going anywhere near those demon shoes."
After she changed, she looked at herself in the mirror in the bedroom. She was wearing a black fitted suit jacket with matching pants and a white button up shirt underneath. She had to admit she looked good, but this was the complete opposite to what she usually wore and it certainly wasn't in her comfort zone. She put her ordinary clothes in a bag and put her combat boots back on, which sort of ruined the whole 'formal' look, and glared at the abandoned heels before leaving the room.
She returned to the kitchen to find Casey poking the turkey with a fork. The leg crumbled and collapsed into a pile of ash. She shook her head in amazement.
How has he survived this long? She thought amusedly.
"I'm leaving," she announced.
"Good luck with the- woah…" he said, trailing off.
She pointed at him. "Not one word."
The directions on April's note led her to a building with flashing neon lights saying "Jen's Joint." She peered through the large windows to see a very fancy looking restaurant. The wooden floor was dark and polished. There was a bar which was separated from the rest of the tables. The leather chairs were black as well as the tall stools at the bar. The waitresses and waiters that she saw were wearing pretty much what she was wearing. She saw April sitting on one of the stools at the bar, legs crossed, sipping a glass of cider.
Kara entered and April immediately leapt up from her seat.
"You look gorgeous!" April exclaimed, but frowned when she saw her still wearing her combat boots. She rolled her eyes and reached under her stool to reveal a bag. She pulled out another pair of black heels.
"How did you…" Kara gawked.
"How did I know that you would ignore my letter and immediately ditch the heels? Because when we went shopping when we first met, whenever you saw heels you'd make gagging noises and avoid them," April explained smugly. Kara rolled her eyes.
"I'm not wearing them," she stated simply.
"Just for the interview. I promise," April prompted.
Kara grumbled and replaced her boots with the heels. She slowly stood up straight and clung onto April.
"What are you doing?" April asked.
"Trying not to fall," Kara replied, wobbling when she let go. She gradually took a step, then another and another until she stumbled and immediately crashed down onto the floor. She groaned and sat up as April went to assist her.
Kara sighed. "This is gonna be a long day."
The interview was a success and Kara was to start working on Monday next week. She didn't need any training since she already had the experience. The owner, Jen, had assured Kara that she didn't have to wear heels to work. April, however, was making Kara wear them all the way back to the lair. She wanted to share the rare sight of Kara looking smart. Kara had attempted to flee from April's grasp many times, but she only ended up with her face down on the floor.
"Hey guys! Check it out!" April called when they had arrived. The turtles all gathered in the living room and their jaws dropped to the floor. Mikey wolf whistled, making Kara cross her arms in annoyance.
"Damn…" Raph whispered. Leo and Don nodded their heads in agreement.
"I feel like a doll," she grumbled. "Can I take these off now?" She complained, gesturing to her feet.
April sighed. "Fine."
Kara dropped to the floor and threw them off, sighing in content as she massaged her feet. Leo crossed his arms suspiciously.
"I thought you were going to a restaurant," he said.
"It was a formal restaurant and April wanted me to look nice," Kara said. It wasn't a complete lie.
April sensed the tension and decided that that was her cue to leave.
"Welp, I'm gonna go now. You can keep the clothes and the heel-"
"Bye, April," Kara interrupted before she could finish. April snickered and took the demon shoes with her.
Kara began making her way to the lab to change into her normal clothes. She reached the door when she heard a quiet click. Her eyes widened and she whipped round to see Michelangelo holding a camera.
"MICHELANGELO!" She bellowed as he half ran, half skipped to avoid her wrath. She sighed and shook her head, returning to the safety of the lab.
Kara fiddled with the golden band on her wrist. She hadn't taken it off. It was all she had left of her parents and she intended to hold onto it like her life depended on it. She felt like it did. Whenever she looked over at her brother's limp form, when she would get that overwhelming feeling of defeat and failure, she would look down at her mother's bracelet. It was as if it was constant supply of hope; keeping her going, restoring her faith. That simple gold band felt like the only connection she had left with her parents, and feeling it on her wrist felt as if her mother was there with her, holding her hand through the tough times.
She took it off and began twisting it around with her fingers. As the dim light from the monitors reflected off of it, she noticed a letter on the inside of the bracelet.
That's new… she thought, furrowing her brow.
She turned on the lamp next to her and looked closer. She gasped at what was engraved .
Let fire's light guide you.
That phrase was also in the letter. She knew that parts of the letter seemed odd and she intended to look into it until Alex got hurt. One place was in mind when she read that phrase: the apartment. But she was confused.
Momma had this bracelet for years. How did she know there was going to be a fire?
She made it a priority that she would inspect the apartment the next day after work… or what was left of the apartment.
She lay down on the cot and pulled the blankets around herself, sighing in content as the comforting warmth made itself known. She let her eyes close and her vision was clouded with darkness, encouraging her to fall into a bliss, deep sleep. She sighed deeply and let sleep take over her body, relaxing every muscle, calming every nerve.
But of course, this rare moment of relaxation was brutally interrupted by a loud groaning noise. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, whipping round to face the one who disturbed her sleep and give them one hell of a lecture.
She was met with a sight which made her eyes water. A sight she'd been longing to see for a very long time. One that made her heart rejoice with glee.
She rushed over to him and enveloped him in a bone crushing hug, not caring for the many wires attached to him. He let out a squeak but soon relaxed into it, even though he couldn't breathe. She let a tear slip and she was grateful no one was around to see it.
"Kara," Alex said painfully. When she didn't let go he tapped her on the shoulder. "Kara! Let… me… go!" He said between gasps.
After one last squeeze she released him and ran out of the room.
"Huh?" Alex said, confused at what the hell she was doing.
"Don!" She shouted banging on his door. "Mikey!" Before she could call the other two and before she could even blink, they were all surrounding her with their backs facing her, weapons drawn in a defensive stance.
"What's wrong?" Leo demanded.
She rolled her eyes and pushed aside Leo and Raph.
"Nothing! Come on!" She said enthusiastically, sprinting back to the lab. The brothers all shrugged and followed her.
"Alex!" Mikey exclaimed, rushing over to join Kara and Alex in a group hug. Leo walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Welcome back, little man," he said. Alex grinned in response.
"How ya doin' kiddo?" Raph said, a smirk on his face.
"Good," Alex replied, smiling brightly. Raph chuckled.
"Are you okay? How are you feeling? Do you feel any pain? What's the last thing you remember?" Kara asked hurriedly.
"Uh… Yes, fine, kinda on my stomach and… you running towards me," he answered, trying to keep up with her questions.
"Do you want some antibiotics?" Don asked.
"Nah, I'm good. It's just a little achy when I sit up," Alex said.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Kara repeated, wanting more detail.
Alex took a deep breath. "You were being held by the ninjas and one was talking to you but I couldn't hear what he was saying. Next thing I knew he was looking at me and he threw a ninja star. I saw you running towards me before there was this huge pain on my stomach," he subconsciously put a hand to said area. "I felt you crash into me and I was suddenly really cold and then… nothing." He shrugged. "Can you get these things off of me?" He gestured to the wires attaching him to the machines.
Donnie nodded and did as he was asked. Alex cringed when Don slowly pulled out the needle which was connected to the IV machine.
"Um…" Alex said shyly. "Could I have something to eat? I'm starved."
Kara chuckled as Mikey flew out of the room and returned five seconds later with a cheese sandwich. Alex took it eagerly and was about to take a bite but Don stopped him, making him pout.
"Just a little bit at a time," Don said. "Your body needs to get used to eating solid food."
"How long was I out?" Alex asked, taking a bite.
"Two weeks," Donnie said. Alex choked on his sandwich and gasped for breath.
"Two weeks?!" He exclaimed. Everyone nodded. "Geez, how did you survive without me for so long?" He said with a grin.
"Barely," Kara mumbled, though it was still audible.
"Yeah, she didn't leave your side once! We had to call Apr[}+il to get her to drag her out of the room…literally," Mikey said.
"Really?" Alex asked, looking at his sister.
She smirked. "What else did you expect me to do?"
Alex rolled his eyes. "Knowing you? Nothing."
Master Splinter sat in a lotus position in his room, the gentle glow of the scented candles creating an aura of calm. As he was meditating, he suddenly felt a wave of tranquillity and it washed away the heavy load of tension that he'd been carrying for the past two weeks. He smiled, knowing that, for now at least, everything felt right in the Hamato household. Everything felt normal now that everyone was reassured of the littlest occupant's well being. Everything felt… good.
It was two hours later and the Evans' were still wide awake. They had moved out of the lab, much to Don's pleasure, and they were both snuggled up in the warm double bed in their room. Mikey had to carry him there because he was still unable to walk. Any pressure put on his stomach was extremely painful and he was too weak to walk anyway.
Alex had asked Kara to tell him exactly what had happened at the docks and Kara willingly did so. She didn't want him to feel left out. Besides, he was at the centre of it all anyway.
She had then begun explaining the other events that Alex had missed. There weren't many, of course. No one really did anything in fear of leaving him unattended. She had informed him of her nightmare and she was currently telling him about her new job.
"But we can't tell anyone about it, okay? April's the only one who knows so we need to keep it a secret. If they find out they'll probably freak out 'cuz it's too 'dangerous.'" Alex nodded.
"So when do you start?" he asked.
"Next Monday. Don't worry you should be almost fully recovered by then. If not I'll call in sick."
"I think you need to be there on your first day of work. You need to make a good impression so if you don't even show up on the first day how can you expect them to not fire you," he said, smirking.
Kara chuckled. "Why do you always ruin everything with common sense?"
"Hey, one of us needs to! If you don't have any common sense then I have to," Alex said.
Kara gasped dramatically. "I do have common sense," she stated matter-of-factly.
"Said the girl who dived into the sea at night during a raging storm."
Kara rolled her eyes and smirked. "What else did you expect me to do?"
"Knowing you? Nothing," he said answered like he had earlier on.
Kara sighed and played with his hair. "I thought I lost you, y'know. When I saw that shuriken hit you and when Raph was holding you…" She shuddered. "Makes me shiver just thinking about it."
He chuckled. "Pfft. A little ninja star can't stop me. You of all people should know that." He turned serious. "Seriously though, I was pretty scared when they were grabbing you. I wanted to do something! I just… couldn't."
"They were ninjas, Alex. They were simple-minded dunces but there still would've been three grown men against you."
"Three?" Alex asked. "I thought there were four?" He tensed as realization dawned on him. "The first one, when you went all maniac on him, you didn't… did you?"
Kara also stiffened. "I think I did."
They were both silent for what seemed like an eternity, but Kara broke the silence when she asked him a question that had been bothering her for a while.
"When I did go all… 'maniac' on him, were you… scared of me?"
"No," Alex said after a long pause. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little freaked out but I wasn't afraid of you. I know you'll never hurt me. I don't think I'll ever be afraid of you."
"But you do know that you're sleeping in the same bed as a murderer right? How could you not be a little nervous?"
Alex sat up to look at her. "You're not a murderer. How could you even think that?"
"Well… I murdered someone… I thought that made it pretty obvious."
"No, you killed him. There's a difference." When he received a puzzled look, he decided to explain. "Murdering is intentional. Killing is causing a death. You didn't mean to kill him did you?"
"…No…"
"Exactly. I know you. You'd never dream of killing someone. Brutally harming when necessary yes, but never killing. It was an accident so let's just leave it at that. Oh and the day that I'm afraid of you is the day Donnie can't spell deoxyribonucleic acid."
Kara looked at him incredulously. "Where did you learn that word?"
Alex sighed. "Don was giving me and Mikey this big speech about DNA when I'd asked a simple question about how they were created. Mikey abandoned me after half an hour… I got bored so I asked him to spell it so I could sneak out."
She chuckled. "Who knew an eleven year old kid could pronounce a word like that?"
"Correction! An almost twelve year old kid."
Kara gasped. "That's right! It's next week! Ugh, how could I forget?"
"I think that almost dying is a good enough excuse to forget my birthday," Alex laughed.
"Well, don't worry. You're gonna have the best birthday ever. I'll make sure of it. You could consider it a welcome back party too."
"Welcome back? I never went anywhere, Kara."
She sighed a shuddering sigh. "I know. But you almost went. I almost lost you. Next time we're ever in a situation like that, I want you to promise me something, okay? Promise me that you'll run. Run as fast and as far away as you can before they get you." She paused as she realised what she had said. The last time she saw her parents, they had told her to do exactly the same thing. "Call the guys and they'll come and get you, then they'll come and get me. Promise?"
Alex shook his head. "No. You know that I could never do that. You wouldn't do it if you were me."
He had a point. She no longer regretted her actions, but she knew that if she hadn't have in a state of utter shock she would've refused to leave her parents' side. She knew Alex would do the same for her.
Despite this, she frowned and said, "you need to stay safe, Alex. If that means leaving me then you need to run."
"As long as I'm with you, I am safe. As long as you're with me, you're safe. As soon as we're on our own, they can easily get us. But how about this: I promise that I'll never leave you and you promise that you'll never leave me. Deal?"
She smirked. "Deal."
He grinned with satisfaction before laying back down next to her.
"Can you believe this is our lives now? Running from a bunch of psychos in ninja suits," he said as he looked up at the dark ceiling.
"Well Alex, we always wished for adventure. Rescuing the innocent from villains, bringing justice to people who deserve it. It's strange. Momma and Papa were doing what we wished for all this time."
"I wish they were here," he said.
"Me too," Kara sighed. "We'll get them back. They must've known this was going to happen. They've left us clues. We just need to join up the dots to figure this mess out."
"Well, you always were good at puzzles," Alex chuckled.
She frowned. "I usually did puzzles with Momma… we're on our own this time."
Hope you enjoyed it! Review please!
