ANKOT CH 12

)O(* Oh, my god, guys, galls, all ya'll others... Did you know... that you can use a keyboard with your phone? I've been without a true way to type for so long that finishing this just seemed impossible. You don't realize how much just a thousand words are for a chapter until you have to use texting as your way of inputting the letters. So I'm proud to announce that at least for a few chapters, I'm back. Let's see what all this finger freedom does for my creative side.

To those of you that have been waiting so patiently, I thank you. Please forgive some of my clear typing errors while I accustom myself to this tiny wireless beauty. I think I'll call her... Iris.

)O(*

The urge to reach out and touch her had been startling. He had wanted to comfort her, tell her that everything would be okay. He would be there for them.

But those were things he never got the chance to say as he'd been pushed out of the window.

He had barely known her, but her grief felt so much like his own. When she held back brimming tears, and her voice got tight, part of him ached. He knew not many people in her family had cared for her sister and fewer still had given her any real emotional support. Becca had made that clear. Her only close family was already gone.

Something kicked him from inside his shell. It made his stomach flop. How lonely did she feel? How isolating must it be? He had always had his brothers and father. Now he had even more people, not only to look after, but to also watch his shell in return.

He made a plan as he jumped the ledges and roofs on his way home.

)O(*

Every three days. That was the new routide.

Besides getting back into school and work for the pair of them, they started getting regular visits from the turtles. It might be Leo and Donnie, or Leo and Mikey, or Leo and Raph, but Leo always made an appearance. Becca would pop up sporadically with them.

With the increase in visits came more comradere. Tabitha began to look forward to them. They were fun. Mikey's unstoppable humor. Raph's hidden joy of small crafts that Sophia would give him. Leo's ability to talk softly and listen intently.

Sophia ate up the attention like the tiny diva that she was. Out of the bunch, Leo seemed to be her favorite, maybe second only to Mikey when he came through with a new comic for her.

Raph remained the least favorite out of the bunch, though that didn't mean that his company wasn't welcomed. He seemed to soften the more he was around, which was nearly as much as Leo. His rough attitude made him seem more closed off than he actually wanted to be.

Though one day Donnie had taken home the prize of being the best person in the entire world when he'd shown Sophia a bit of science.

One small piece of copper wire, check. One battery, check. One very impressed little girl, oh, most definetly check and double checked.

It was amazing how quickly they seemed to mould into their lives. She found herself waiting for them at the window, smiling as Leo cumbersomely squeezed his way in. Grinning when Mikey made a fool of himself for their enterainment.

Then she didn't see or hear from them for almost a whole week and she grew worried. Becca was absent and even Bea wasn't sure on their where abouts. She tried ringing all of them and got only voice mails and unanswered text messages in return. Day four with out turtle contact and she began to grow curious. Day five and she was worried. Day six and she paced in her apartment after putting Sophia to bed early clutching her cell phone with both hands as she sent out a mass text to all of the people she had numbers for.

Nothing. Dead silence returned her concern. She'd listened to countless stories of enemies of old, and new villians trying to gain a foot hold in the empty space left in the turtle's wake. Could something have happened to them? Where were they? Why should she care? They had grown close, but did she really consider them friends? They were giant turtles. She was human.

But then again, weren't they as well?

She hadn't seen the green skin or shells in weeks. All she'd seen were bright eyes and smiles. All she'd heard was laughter and concern on their parts. She knew, deep down that the fact that they weren't 'human' had ceased to matter long ago, but she couldn't tell exactly when. Exasperated, she threw her phone onto the couch, glaring at it as it soared the short distance. As it bounced the first time, it started to ring.

Near panic surged through her. She lunged for it and nearly fell onto the couch herself. She answered the call, relief coursing through her veins as she saw Leo's contact on the screen. "Hello?"

"Tabitha-Lynn?"

"Leo?"

"Hey..." He seemed to smirk through the phone to her.

"Hey? Are you serious? It's been almost a whole week and none of you have thought to answer your phones at all? Do you have any idea how many messages I've sent you?"

"57, well actually, you sent ME 31, but everyone else got theirs as well." He WAS smirking, she would put money on it.

"Oh, so sorry," she said as sarcastically as possible. "I thought YOU were the one in charge. Next time I'll just get ahold or Raph or Donnie."

"Now, now, no need for drastic actions and all." Something deep down in Tabitha's stomach turned. They joked so easily. They teased back and forth so well with each other. She never heard him talk to other people like he did with her. There was always a warmth there. Well not always, but it had crept in at some point.

"Sorry, we were spurred into an impromptu outing for the week. No technology. I tried to text you about it, but when I got back I saw that it didn't send." There was a pause. He was trying to figure out how to say something. She stayed quiet to help him. If you spoke over him he'd get all authoritarian and say the correct words but not with the right tone. "I didn't mean to make you worry, Tabitha. I'm sorry." The sincerity hit her gut like a brick.

"Pssht, worried? Who was worried? I text everyone like twenty times in a row." She tried to brush off the worry. "Where did you guys go?"

"The farmhouse. It's nice this time of year. Splinter wanted us to get our faces out of the TV. Plus it was great to see the kids exploring."

"Jordan still only crawling?"

"He started walking actually, he's caught back up to the others. Just took him a little longer to get his balance."

"He had all the strength to start crawling, though. Maybe he'll be a mini version of Raph?"

"Oh, god, I hope not." Leo laughed. He'd place his hand over his stomach and tilt his head back. His eyes would nearly close as he pictured the image in his head. He was nowhere near, but she could still see him in her mind's eye.

"God, I missed you." She giggled. Then she realized what she'd said and how it sounded.

Instantly she added, "You guys! Yeah, uh, when are you ALL going to come over again?" She let out a nervous chuckle. Why was she so nervous? She'd just slipped up, right? That was all. "Sophia-"

"I missed you too." Leo's voice was low, almost like he was whispering. Yet, despite the volume, she didn't miss it and the tone that went with it. What was that? Her mind tried to place it, but all she came up with was... Longing.

The distinct sound of a throat clearing on the other end of the phone was followed up by, "How is the little princess, by the way?"

"Bored and getting on my nerves. Well not now, she just went to bed."

"Okay, is it okay if we stop by tomorrow?"

"Yes!" She answered too quickly. She facepalmed and shook her head, confused at her own behavior. What was wrong with her?

"I'll see you at sunset then." There was that smirk again. She could hear it.

She hung up and looked at her screen until it went blank. She was excited. She was relieved. Some part of her was also nervous.

Doing a mental once over of herself she shook her head. Her heart was fluttering. She felt a little dizzy with relief. If she didn't know better she'd say that she was getting sick. She decided she needed to go to bed. This would make a good surprise for Sophia in the morning.

)O(*