Chapter Twenty-Six
Extra Guests
Meanwhile, Jake and Michelangelo sat in the TV area playing a game on the X-Box, they had been playing for a while and were soon chatting and playing like they had known each other for a while.
"This is fun!" Jake said as he held his controller tightly.
"Sure is!" Michelangelo said as he tapped a few buttons with his thumbs "You're a good player Jake!"
"Thanks, Video games are a good wind down." Jake commented, "Well, sometimes."
What did you play at home?" asked Michelangelo.
"Almost everything." Jake answered "We used to play the Wii together, the three of us, at weekends, during school holidays, and after we finished our homework." he added thinking of when Mona was with them years ago "We used to go mad and crazy when playing and Mario Party."
Michelangelo laughed.
"We often have tournaments when Sensei's not making us work our shells off in training." he said "We play those Wii games a lot, and Raph's normally the one whose a bad loser."
"Is he?" Jake asked.
"Yep! Major bad loser!"
Jake chuckled.
"Callum could be a bad loser sometimes when we played games, he was always excited when he won, but never liked it when he lost."
As he spoke, Jake felt bitter.
It was true, Callum was never a good loser, but in the years that had gone by since Mona vanished, the boys never played video games the same way again.
Jake would try to keep himself and Callum occupied, but without their sister around, it was just so hard and they avoided playing the games they normally did with her, especially the Wii games.
Her old scores from the games she played still hung there and they never deleted them, her profile pictures were still there, even screen shots they took of races and battles they had on them, it was almost like everything on the games, not just anything physical in the house was frozen in time.
Jake glanced for a second towards the entrance of the lair, wondering if Callum would come back then he would try again to introduce him to the turtles and Mona.
"He's taking this harder than I thought." he said to himself "I just hope he'll understand and get used to the idea."
Meanwhile, Raphael had been in the kitchen talking with Donatello and they left the area to see Jake and Michelangelo talking.
"Wow, they're getting close aren't they?" asked Raphael as he watched.
"Yeah." Donatello agreed "Mikey's seemed to have gotten Jake to open up a little," He stopped then looked towards the exit of the lair.
"I wonder if he can do the same to Callum? Once he's calmed down a bit?"
Let's hope so." Raphael sighed, he was still feeling guilty about blurting everything out to Callum earlier and he wondered how Mona was feeling.
"I'm sure she'll be okay Raph." Donatello said, seeing the look on his older brother's face "She just needs some time."
Raphael nodded.
"This is a big thing for her." he said "And for her brothers, well Jake seems to have gotten his head around the situation, but Callum..." he sighed again "I shouldn't have said anything, me and my big trap."
"Well you were sort of right in a way, Callum's reaction wouldn't have been any different whether he heard it gently or straight out."
Raphael looked at Donatello feeling slightly comforted that his brainy brother agreed with him in a way.
"Do you think I should go and talk to Mona?" asked Raphael.
"Maybe not yet." Donatello advised "Give her time then when she comes out the bedroom, you can chat then?"
"That is if she comes out." Raphael sighed.
"She will." Donatello said, "I just hope the same can be said for Callum." he looked towards the exit of the lair and he could see the youngest brother sitting on the ground staring out into the sewer tunnels.
Raphael raised an eyebrow ridge as he looked at Callum, he was wary of Mona's youngest brother, and not just because of the meltdown he had earlier or what Mona had told him earlier about him going off the rails, but after studying his demeanour, there was something not right about him, and he wasn't sure if he would be like Jake and accept Mona and them.
Shaking his head, he decided to go to the gym area and let off some steam, and Donatello decided to head to his lab.
Meanwhile, Michelangelo continued to play the video game with Jake.
"You know, you're welcome to stay with us if you wish?" Michelangelo suggested out of the blue.
"You sure about that?" asked Jake in a surprised voice, arching an eyebrow.
"Why not?" asked Michelangelo "I don't know how long you're staying in New York, but it would be great to know you both more! And get to bond with your long lost sister again!"
"Well..." Jake began, hesitating slightly.
"We got the room to spare!" Michelangelo said "Look around, the lair's huge! We can get a room set up for you both."
"Well we got another four days here." Jake said "Then Callum and I return to Wisconsin."
"Four days is more than enough to show you everything." Michelangelo said, starting to feel excited that he as starting to make a friend in his new brother-in-law.
"Thanks!" Jake said "Though Cal and I will need to get our stuff from the motel and I hope we're not intruding?"
"Of course not!" Michelangelo said "I think we'll have a lot of fun together!"
"Then sure!" Jake smiled.
"Will you allow us to accompany you topside to get your stuff?" Michelangelo asked "Well at least make sure you get there safe and back? There are dangerous people out there as your sister said."
"That would be great thanks Mike." Jake said "I still need to talk to Callum though."
Michelangelo looked awkward.
"Oh yeah." he said looking towards the exit of the lair "He didn't take it too well did he?"
"No shit." Jake said with a sigh "Worse than me, but I hope he can get his head around it."
As they spoke, Callum began to enter the lair again.
Jake paused the game and stood up as he saw him walk in.
"I'll let you speak to your brother Jake." Michelangelo said "I'll go and chat to my brothers and Sensei!"
Jake nodded at the orange masked turtle then slowly went over to Callum.
"Cal?" he asked causing his younger brother to look at him.
"Callum?" Jake asked again "Are you okay?"
"What do you think Jake?" Callum asked with a snarl in his voice "I'm underground in a sewer, still feeling ill after being drugged up by Meth! And I find out our sister is a mutant and living with mutant turtles!"
Jake sighed.
"Still reeling from that huh?" he asked.
Callum glared but said nothing.
"Listen." said Jake "I know you're gonna hate this, but Mikey has said we can stay here for the rest of our trip."
"WHAT!?" Callum said shocked.
"Listen brother." Jake said quickly "Maybe a few days here might help, also...there are dangers in New York, worse than the Purple Dragons."
"Have you gone mad?!" Callum asked "You trust these guys?"
"I do yes." Jake said "When you were resting I got a chance to know them, they're not a bad bunch, I admit it, I didn't trust them at first, but they've really looked after Mona since she became a mutant."
"Especially the red masked one?" Callum glowered.
Jake swallowed hard.
"I found that hard to stomach too." he said "I'll admit that, but I had a chance to think, and they're not that different you know, Mona was human but mutated into a lizard, yet still with human features and qualities, and Raphael's pretty much the same, just mutated from turtle to a humanoid one!"
Callum looked to the floor.
"I know it's hard Cal." he said "And this is hard for you especially, but look, if we spend some time with them, we'll both learn something, after all, we came to this city to get closure, maybe even some answers, and in a way, I think we've found them."
Callum looked up again and looked at Michelangelo who was talking to Raphael
"I suppose." he said in a small voice.
"Great!" said Jake "If we go topside and check out of the motel and get our stuff, we'll stay down here, the lair's big enough for all of us, so we should be just fine."
Callum nodded slowly, he wasn't happy staying underground as he was still trying to understand the whole situation of his sister having never been dead, and was living with mutants.
When he was outside the exit of the lair, he had been asking himself if he was still under the influence of the meth and even bit his tongue and pinched and scratched his skin to wake himself up but nothing changed.
"It'll be alright Callum." Jake said "Give it a few days."
Callum still said nothing.
"You hungry?" Jake asked, trying to get his brother to speak "You have rested a long time, almost two days to be exact, bet you're starving!"
Callum looked up.
"I am a little hungry yes." he said as he felt his stomach growl.
"Well, Mona says we can help ourselves to food whilst we're here." said Jake "Come on, I'll make us something."
Callum agreed then followed Jake to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Michelangelo told Raphael of his suggestion to Raphael to which the red masked turtle was a little shocked.
"You've gave them an invitation to stay?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Michelangelo said "Why not? Jake and I seemed to be getting along like a house on fire, and I'm sure after a few days before they go back to Wisconsin, Callum might open up a bit!"
"You sure this is a good idea?" asked Raphael "Have you spoken to Leo or Don? Or better yet Master Splinter or Mona?"
"No, he hasn't."
Both turtles jumped and looked over to see Mona walking over, having finished her Skype call with Sephie.
"Oh hey sis!" Michelangelo said going slightly pink.
"Hey babe." Raphael said quietly, wondering if Mona was still mad at him over what happened earlier.
"I heard you both talking." Mona said.
"Sweetheart..." Raphael started.
"I think it's a good idea." she said with a small smile "It'll be nice for them both to see how we live, and I suppose, repair our bond as brothers and sister and the kids will get a chance to know their uncles too!"
Michelangelo grinned triumphantly.
"Great thinking little brother!" Mona said "Let's talk to the others!"
"Sweet!" Michelangelo said going to find Donatello.
Mona meanwhile looked at Raphael who opened his mouth to speak but Mona placed her fingers on his mouth.
"I'm sorry I went off on one hun." she said "Callum would find out eventually, like you said and I suppose his reaction wouldn't be any different had I spoken to him."
Raphael's eyes widened in surprise, yet he felt relieved that Mona wasn't angry at him anymore.
"I'm sorry too babe." he said wrapping an arm around her "When you talk to Callum, I'll leave it up to you."
Mona smiled softly.
"Thanks hun." she said as they walked off to find the others together.
So Michelangelo and Jake have bonded a little and the youngest turtle has invited the brothers to stay with them for the rest of their trip!
Jake's happy about it, though Callum, not so much.
Stay tuned to see what happens when the Mutants have extra guests in their lair!