: Chapter 11:
Raphael and Panama returned to the lair a few hours after Denmark and I discussed it. She was broken and battered, there were a few scars running along her face and even a few wrinkles were visible underneath her baggy eyes. Den hesitated at first when her sister walked in and kept her distance. They hadn't seen each other in almost 5 years and it seemed to have done a number on their relationship.
"Den…" Suddenly, Panama broke down in tears and ran to her little sister. She wrapped her arms all the way around her shell and cried on her shoulder. "I've missed you so much baby girl." When I looked at Den's face, I knew that she sensed something was up but I wasn't going to feel bad, I tried to warn her but she didn't listen. They held onto each other and cried but I had a feeling that Panama was crying for a different reason rather than because she missed her sister. Raph told me over the phone that something was up but he didn't really go into details.
"It's so good to see you Panama."
"You've grown up so much." Pan pulled away from the embrace and cradled her sister's shoulders. "You're a beautiful teenage turtle. Just like I knew you'd be."
"I'm only 8 Panama." She giggled.
"Really?" Pan looked surprised.
"Uncle Don said my mutant blood aged me quicker than I should have. So now I'm an 8 year old teenager."
"Seems complicated." Pan laughed but you would be a fool to not hear the fakeness in her voice.
While Denmark and I got panama comfortable, got her a hot beverage and covered up her minor wounds, Donatello tended to Raphael over on the kitchen table. Apparently Helmuth was armed with a ballistic knife when he visited and somehow got in a few lucky shots at our brother. He seemed to be alright though; I just hoped he left large enough pieces of Helmuth to put in a coffin. Once he was all patched up, he said he was ready to explain everything that went on. We gathered in the living room together while Panama sat down on the floor and let Denny braid her long brown hair. Sadly, Denmark hadn't been around very many females recently so I couldn't guarantee Pan that the braid would be stylist quality.
"So what went down brother?" Michelangelo jumped into the recliner and sprawled out his legs. Note to self: less training in combat, more training in manners.
"Yah want me to start Pan?" Raph asked her and received a small nod.
"Well, I already told yah's that I got that weird vision during our time at Master Splinter's grave. So I did what he said and went to the apartment once DENMARK was found." Raph shot his niece a look, making her smile innocently. "I didn't get there in time though. The door was busted wide open."
Panama sighed and shivered at the memory. "I tried to block the doors but he somehow got in. I got Wilbur and Susan to safety in the basement but me and my…" She stopped. "Me and Cody were caught."
"Who's Cody? Is he your boooyfriend?" Denmark teased.
"No…she's your niece." She smiled.
I've never seen Den shut up that quickly in the history of me being her father.
"I…I have a niece?!" Denmark smiled and laid her hands on her sister's shoulders.
"Yes."
"Well where is she?!"
Raph and Panama frowned while letting their heads lower to the floor.
"By the time I got there, he had already taken her." Raph clenched his fists and growled softly.
"It's not your fault Raphael!" Pan looked at him with concerning eyes. Raph tended to do some really stupid stuff whenever he went on unnecessary guilt trips, hence why he used to come home drunk so many times. Once and awhile he would bare a few scars or have dried blood running down his face, a symbol of having taken part in a brawl.
"We're ganna get the kid back, and deal with that bastard at the same time." He pounded his fists together.
"What ever happened to Jillian?" I asked.
"I think she's still living with him, but I don't know much more than that." Pan frowned at her incomplete response.
"So let's go get this guy." Mikey stated the obvious.
"Wait, there's more." Pan held up a hand.
I don't think I can take much more." Donnie covered his eyes.
"Helmuth said he wouldn't give me Cody back unless I handed over Denmark."
This is when your instincts as a father kick in and I didn't care if Panama was my daughters sister, I would beat her to the ground if she tried to take her from me. Unfortunately, my instincts as a leader told me to hear her out before jumping to conclusions. I could even see the surprise in Raphael's eyes when he heard her statement and I knew instantly he would back me up if Panama tried anything. Don and Mikey also shot each other looks and shockingly enough, Don actually looked angry for once in his life. I knew he cared deeply about his niece and I was worried if he would spring into action before I had the chance to.
"So what do you propose?" I folded my arms, telling my anxious brothers to stay back.
"I…"
"Panama!" Denmark stood up. "Are you seriously thinking about giving me to that monster?! I know it's your daughter's life at stake but we're sisters for crying out loud!"
"Denmark…I don't know what to do! I love both of you equally but you can handle yourself. Cody can't! She's only 4 years old!"
"Den could handle herself at 4 years old." Raph grinned, obviously very proud of his niece.
"Cody isn't a mutant turtle with hyper sensitive DNA! Den's brain grew faster than her body and by the time she was 3 she could put together a 5000 piece puzzle in 15 minutes!"
"Wow really?" I looked at her and she smiled.
"It was nothing really, and actually it was 12 minutes." She bent her wrist in the air.
"Not the point baby girl! What I'm trying to say is…I really need your guys help. Maybe you could put those swords of yours to good use?" Pan looked at me and smiled.
"What, by killing your dad?" I said.
"No, rescuing my daughter!"
"So what's to say he doesn't come back and kidnap her again?" Raph said with a bit of attitude.
"And you were just considering handed Leo's daughter over to Helmuth and you still want us to help you? The nerve!" Don said with emphasis.
"Why not call the cops?" Mikey said. His statement stirred something inside of the troubled mother. She knelt on the ground and covered her face with her hands. After briefly sobbing, she looked up into my eyes.
"He said if I called the police…he would kill Cody."
"How long is he giving you to turn in Denmark?" I knelt down next to her and laid a hand on her back.
"24 hours or else'…and that's all he said." I watched as she began to cry again, feeling helpless, I simply rubbed her back. The only reason I was even considering a rescue mission was because I knew what it felt like to have your own child taken from you.
"Alright…" I stood up and nodded at my brothers. "We'll be right back." They followed me out of the living room where I would lead them upstairs to discuss what to do. "Don't leave that room. Got it?" Both the girls nodded at me.
::
I grabbed a cup of from the kitchen and filled it to the rim with hot water from the sink. I pulled out a box of teabags that Master Splinter had used and removed one of the precious bags. Leo said we were only to use them in case of emergencies and my sister's sanity seemed like a good reason. I slowly carried the hot beverage over to the living room and laid it on the side table.
"I'm really sorry about your daughter. You must be heart broken." I helped my sister up off the floor while rubbing her back gently.
"Now I know how your dad feels Denny." She tried to laugh through her tears and managed a small smile. "It's so hard to know that someone else, some crazy person has your child in their hands."
"Here, drink this." I handed her the mug while she sat down on the sofa.
"You were always so good to me Den." She patted my cheek as I sat down next to her.
"So…why did you stop calling?"
She took a sip of the tea and closed her eyes. Don told me that Splinter's tea did magic, hypothetically, but it seemed to be working on her quite well. "I had Cody."
"But that was four years ago. You stopped calling me up to two years ago." I hated to make my sister feel bad but I was troubled about the topic.
"Den, some things are just best left unsaid." She smiled and nodded. I couldn't believe this; she wasn't acting like her old, jolly self. I didn't know if it was because she was 18 now and lost all her childish feelings, or that her daughter was kidnapped and on the verge of death. Either way, this wasn't the girl I remembered, who came into my room every night and comforted me when I had a nightmare.
"I want you to tell me." I hardened my voice, making her sigh and sink her mug into her lap.
"I stopped calling because…I was too busy with other things. I started college, I had a very clingy boyfriend and on top of it all I had a job."
"So they were more important than your own sister?"
"Den…nothing is more important than you. You could have called me you know."
"I did! You never picked up!" I threw my arms across my chest.
"Your right…I didn't. The truth is… I wanted to have a normal life and being related to a mutant just wasn't normal to me."
"So having a kid at 15 is normal?" I cocked my head. Her statement didn't bother me; her insult didn't bother me only because we had grown so far apart over those two years. Plus my dad taught me to take insults with humility and treat them as compliments, which I did so very well.
"Denmark, ignoring you was the greatest mistake of my life. If I could take it back I would!"
"Yeah now you say that when you need me in order to save your daughter." I could feel Raphael's anger factor burning inside of me, so much, that I wouldn't be able to control what came out of my mouth if Panama argued with me for much longer.
"Denmark…believes me when I tell you that is not the case! I love you and I just want my baby back and I promise once she's safe I will call you every day." She took my hands in hers that were hot from holding the mug.
"I'm sure my dad will come up with a rescue mission. He's really good at that stuff you know." I smiled gently.
"If he decides not to though…" She abruptly stood up. I ignored the warning bells in the back of my head that were saying to get the hell out of there.
"He will." I said softly.
"I'm sorry Den; I can't afford to think like that. Not while my baby's life is at stake, forgive me." Her eyes suddenly went bloodshot and her lips tightened. At first I thought I had an idea what she meant but then the sudden pain in my side told me a different story. A small sound escaped my lips and I found my hands clutching my sisters at the side of my shell, where my skin was vulnerable.
"Pan…"
"I'm so sorry."
I felt my eyes role into the back of my head and the world around me began to spin in violent circles until everything was dark and my body went cold.
I wanted to just thank you guys for all the reviews! (No the story isn't over)They really help me when I write and keep me going.