Chapter 24: Kyomi o Sosoru (Intrigue)
~3 Months later~
Leo stood outside the room where his daughter was wrapped in blankets. Karai was resting in another room.
He could see his daughter through the glass window.
She looked mostly human, her skin and feet the only sign of her sire's real appearance. Her skin was a pale green fading into the skin tone of an oriental and she had only two toes. She had a patch of pitch-black hair a top her head.
This was Hamato Kireiakiko, or simply "Aki".
Leo stepped forward and pressed a hand to the glass, a faint smile forming on his lips.
Things with his brothers were still tense at best, but his new found friendship with Negai was a breath of fresh air.
She met him every night, stood by his side, and listened as he vented or wept. She had become his closest friend.
Leo jumped as footsteps behind him caught his attention. He turned and blinked in surprise at the sight of the heavily muscled Japanese male standing behind him, sunglasses covered the male's eyes and he was wearing a black choker with a red bead that read "Chuugi" in black. The kanji for "loyalty".
"Can I help you?" Leo offered softly.
"Figured you'd recognize your own brother," the man muttered.
"Raph?" Leo questioned, utterly startled.
The man smiled.
"Hai," he whispered, "hey bro."
Leo choked a half sob out and moved forward nervously touching Raph's shoulder. Raph dragged him into a hug.
"I'm sorry bro," Raph whispered as Leo wept softly, "I'm sorry we walked out on ya' when ya' needed us most."
Leo managed a weak nod into his brother's shoulder.
"I should have called…I just…felt so trapped…so alone. I was so…confused," Leo managed.
Raph hugged Leo tight.
"I want ta' know…is it a girl or boy?" Raph asked.
"Girl," Leo whispered, "is…Don-?"
"I told him when I left but…he's still pretty testy since Mike left with Fareedah…he took the note Mike left to heart and all," Raph whispered.
"I never found out how she…died…," Leo said softly as he pulled back and wiped tears away, taking a calming breath.
"From what April told me…she didn't tell anyone she was bleedin' and…yeah," Raph whispered.
"I heard about Bane from Casey," Leo whispered, almost nervously.
"He was a good friend," Raph replied simply.
Leo looked back at his daughter.
"Tell me about her…and what is this kid's name?" Raph chuckled.
"How can you not hate me?" Leo whispered suddenly, "Don won't talk to me…and for the longest time you wouldn't either and then this…this…am I allowed to talk to you now?"
"Findin' out from April the other night what you were doin' to ya'self, which was stupid by the way, sort of changed my whole outlook," Raph replied.
Leo nodded and then with a wince and a glance toward his brother he sighed.
"Thanks," Leo whispered, "you're getting around really well."
"Bane and Don helped me out a lot before all of this, but…I guess…you did too in a way. I got so mad that you wouldn't come back that I decided I was going to prove that I could handle training myself. Wanted to prove to my big bro that I could get back on my feet again," Raph replied.
Leo smiled weakly.
"I'll take that as a compliment," he whispered to which Raph laughed.
Leo smiled again and chuckled.
"Her name's Aki," Leo whispered.
"Autumn?" Raph questioned.
"It's September…and…yeah. I thought it fit," Leo shrugged as he replied.
Raph chuckled.
~O~
A surfing shop was bathed in pacific sunlight as a young Japanese male rolled the garage-door up that closed off the front.
He turned, a black choker with a bright orange bead was around his neck. A faint cry made him turn and walk over to the counter, he hoped up and pulled a little girl out of a carrier.
"Shush Nikko," he coaxed.
"Hey Hahen* Makoto* right?" a man greeted.
The man turned and nodded.
"Hai," he greeted.
"Whose this?" the man greeted.
"My daughter," he chuckled, "you must be Jake Gold?"
"That's me," he man replied, "I'm your neighbor down the way. You can get lunch cheaper buying from me than from any of the other places because I give discounts to those that work this beach. It's about time someone fixed up this place."
He looked at the old building fondly.
"Always wanted to live in Hawaii," Makoto chuckled.
Jake glanced at the infant in Makoto's arms, a choker was on her neck a yellow bead with the Kanji for "nikko" in black adorned it.
Her hair was dark but her facial features reflected her father's.
"Cute kid," Jake greeted, "is your wife around I'd love to get to meet all of you."
Makoto flinched.
"She…she died giving birth," Makoto whispered.
"Oh um…I'm sorry man…I didn't," Jake started.
"It's ok," Makoto whispered.
~O~
Don leaned against the doorframe of his lab.
He sighed and sat it down before walking out and calling out for Raph, when there was no answer he walked into the kitchen and sighed when he saw a scribbled note.
"Oh…I missed…it…Leo wouldn't have cared anyway," Don sighed after deciphering the message.
A/N:
*Hahen- "splinter"
*Makoto- "truth/honesty"
Makoto-Michaelangelo
Ok everyone the plot thickens some more.
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Thanks guys.