A groan of pain filled the lair, and everyone looked at Leo expectantly.
"…I'm going…"
As the blue-banded turtle headed to the bathroom to soothe his sick lover, Chi sighed.
"Aside from the constant puking, what else happens around here?"
"…Video games?"
"Fightin'?"
"Practicin'?"
"Inventing?"
"…So…it's pretty boring around here, huh?"
Shai looked at her friend worriedly, and shrunk back at the looks the black-haired girl received.
"…Touchy…"
Raph grumbled something under his breath as Shai relaxed, stretching.
The baggy clothes she insisted on pulled up from her flat stomach, and he would've mentioned something if he hadn't seen the light-colored scars on her skin.
"Where'd ya get those?"
She paused, looking confused, then looked down.
"O-Oh…"
She wrapped her arms around her stomach, looking uncomfortable.
Chi's eyes softened, and she put a comforting arm around her friends shoulders.
"She's been through a lot…"
The brunette snuggled behind her friend, as if trying to hide.
"What would that be?" Raph almost growled, suppressing the snarl building up in his chest.
Chi turned to see her friend, trying to coax her out.
"Come on, Shai. No one's gonna bite."
When her friend wasn't completely behind her back, Chi turned to the others.
"Look, I've known Shai for a long time. Since we were little. But some of the things that have happened to her were beyond my control at the time."
Everyone settled around the two, eager to listen.
"…In our little world, werewolves are considered more like hunting dogs to my kind. Shai's parents were supposed to be the best, so my parents bought her out of their litter."
She sighed, closing her eyes.
"Shai, do you want to go sleep?"
The werewolf nodded quickly, running from the room so fast she made wind.
It was as if she was trying to run from the memories…
Chi opened her eyes a bit, looking at the floor.
"She's a gentle soul…She's not one for hurting people unless they threaten people she has a connection with…You know, spiritually…She refused to help my parents track down humans to feast on…"
Angie flinched a bit, thinking of her little sister and the vampire who had her in his clutches.
"Look, silver doesn't hurt werewolves unless they have an open wound. So a way to punish them was to cut them and press silver into the wound. That's like force-feeding them poison."
She sighed, putting her face in her hands.
"…They never gave too much…but you could always hear the screams of pain when she refused…I'm not saying she has a bad nose. She can smell a mouse from ten miles away, but she knew what would happen to the humans if she led the vampires…"
Mikey nodded slightly, pulling his knees to his chest and looking like a curious child.
"Eventually, they just kinda…gave up…They would've left her on the street if I hadn't insisted on keeping her. And then he decided he wanted some 'fun'…"
Raph almost bristled, and Don scooted away from him…
For his own safety, of course…
Angie's eyes had even start glowing, a protective spell almost on her lips…
JUST in case…
"What do ya mean by that?" The red-banded turtle ground out, and Chi sensed the rage.
"Look, my brothers demented. His idea of fun is making somebody cry…In pain…for a LONG time…I don't like him as much as anybody else that's ever met him, but he's still my brother…But if you wanna go kill him, I sure as HELL am not going to stop you."
"Any suggestions on where ta stab 'im?"
"OH, do I…"
"No need fer details!" Angie insisted, glaring at them both.
"An' YA are not the only one kicking 'is sorry ass, Raph."
"Angie." Don stated calmly, bringing her into his arms as her eyes started glowing angrily.
"…Why does 'he have scars? Or was that from 'fere?"
The normally unexpressive eyes clouded over with pain and anger.
"…Not all of them…It's just…some of the things he did are too horrible to remember…"
"Just tell me." Raph insisted, a fire in his eyes.
Chi closed her eyes, as if blocking out the pain the memory would bring.
She was surprised when arms wrapped around her in a hug, and opened her eyes to see Mikey.
"It's alright…Whatever it was, it can't hurt you guys anymore…"
Leaning unconsciously on the orange-banded turtle, she tried to force the words out.
"…He…"
She could almost feel Shai's pain from where she was, hear the tears falling…
"…He raped her…"
The words were soft, barely reaching their ears, and Angie's gasp almost drowned it out.
Covering her mouth in order to hold back more noise, the girl shut her eyes.
Don, still a bit stunned, tried to soothe her as Raph got to his feet and started to walk away.
Thinking he was going to do something stupid and rash, Mikey almost called for their eldest brother, but stopped short when the red-banded turtle knocked on the closed bathroom door.
Something fumbled inside, and the door opened a crack.
"Y-Yes?"
"Ya feelin' a'right?"
There was a sniffling behind the wood, but the door opened wider.
"I-I'm fine…I-If you n-need the b-bathroom, I c-can leave…"
"That's not why I'm 'ere."
The shimmering green eyes took on a tint of curiosity, like a puppy wondering what their owner was asking, and he backed up to let her step out.
She did, still wiping tears from her eyes.
"Wh-What do y-you need?"
"…Chi told us…"
"I-I know…"
She lowered her eyes.
"Ch-Chi always s-sends me o-out of th-the room b-before she t-talks about i-it…"
The tears didn't seem ready to recede, and, before he could stop himself, Raph wiped the salty liquid from her cheek.
Looking a bit startled at the contact, she eventually relaxed.
Her vision blurred a bit as the tears tried to come out at a faster pace, and she would've backed up from the embarrassment.
"I-I'm sorry…"
"What fer?" He asked worriedly.
"I-I'm just…n-not strong e-enough…" She forced out, trying to hold back her sobs.
He didn't know what to do with ANYONE when they were crying, but he wished, at that very moment, that he knew how to comfort her.
She'd always seemed skittish and jumpy, like the very shadows were going to jump her…
At least now he understood why…
Shai's eyes widened when something warm touched her face, tasting her tears.
Teary green eyes locked with crimson brown, and she was pulled into a protective hug.
"Yer strong enough, Shai…Most people couldn't keep goin' after that…"
Feeling SAFE for the first time in so long, she hid her face in his chest.
A warm, pleasant growl, like Amy's purrs when she was content, vibrated through Shai's chest.
Putting his chin on her head, Raph closed his eyes.
"…A-Are you m-mad at m-me?"
"Why would I be mad at ya?"
"…B-Because I c-can't stop cr-crying…"
"Ya have a right ta cry."
She didn't respond or move, and he sighed.
"…Why'd ya save my shell 'fere?"
"Wh-When?"
"When we first met. An' that Foot ninja was 'bout ta skewer me."
"…I-I don't kn-know…I-I just…"
She blushed, tightening her hold.
"I-I just kn-knew I c-couldn't let a-anybody hurt y-you…"
"…I like ya…" He forced out, a bundle of emotion catching in his throat.
She looked up in surprise, but nodded.
"I-I like y-you, too…"
Catching sight of his bedroom door, he lifted Shai up off her feet.
She yelped in surprise, and wrapped her arms around his neck so she wouldn't fall.
"I won't let anyone hurt ya, either…"
He closed the door behind him…
"An' show ya that not everythin' hurts…"