Chapter Thirty-Five: Dreams, Demons and death Part I

Darkness swamped the apartment but daylight was only a few hours away. In those precious moments before dawn Rebecca slept soundly oblivious to what had happened and oblivious to what stood at the foot of her bed. Silently he watched her sleeping, perhaps even dreaming. To be able to see inside that precious mind would be worth any soul. But he also observed the reptile. He too asleep. The large katana blades just a few metres away propped up against the wall by the window. What it would be to slice that large throat open and with his very own weapon too. From a body that size there would so much blood. It was exciting to think about it... just for a while at least. Taking one last look at the girl and smiling to himself he left.

Oh what mischief they would wake up to today...

"He's not come home" said Donatello simply. Leonardo felt worried. Yes it was very typical of Raphael to stay out when he was on a bender but he was supposed to have given all that up.

"Okay Donnie, I'll look on my way back, see you all soon okay?" Hanging up the phone he busied himself back in the kitchen where a cup of tea was waiting to be taken to the bedroom. Human size tea cups with their tiny handles were not the easiest thing for a mutant turtle to hold. At the lair Splinter had invested in some larger ones that were much better suited. Carefully, Leonardo set the cup by the bed and sat down, his movement on the mattress waking Rebecca up further causing her to yawn and stretch as she opened her eyes and focused. Admittedly she looked a little shocked by his presence.

"You stayed.." she murmured, sitting herself up and clocking the cup of tea

"Had to make sure you were okay didn't I? Besides, I got kinda comfy"

"I don't remember going to bed.." she added, scooting herself round and reaching for the hot beverage.

"You didn't, you fell asleep out there so I put you in here. You were out for the count" He smiled at her "Look, I gotta shoot, Raphael didn't come home last night and they're all a little concerned so I said I'd go look for him".

"That's fine" she took a sip of tea "I hope he's okay.."

"He'll probably be passed out somewhere knowing Raph so it's just a matter of knowing which rooftop to check" He got up and grabbed his weapons - strapping them back across his shell "You will come and see Josh today won't you? He'd like that"

Rebecca nodded "Sure..and Leo...thanks, you know, for being so honest"

"No worries, I'm glad you're okay. Take it easy" And he left, closing the door behind him. That was when she saw it. Blood. A large bloody hand-print on the back of the door. She crept out of bed and closer to the print. It hadn't been there before had it? She couldn't remember. Coming back to the apartment had been such a rush and then she had felt so stressed and upset. What if she'd missed it and it had been there all along? On an even closer inspection she realised that parts of the print looked wet. This was fresh blood. This was new. Opening the door she ran to the bathroom and grabbed a few squares of toilet paper dampening them down to take back to her bedroom. The blood came off easily - she dried the area and flushed the entire lot down the loo. Nervously she sat down on the lid as if trying to keep the badness of what she had just seen encased in a watery tomb. Tears pricked her eyes. She felt afraid. What if she'd hurt someone? Killed someone? After all, her Uncle said she had murdered people. What if that thing was inside her still and only came out at night? But, she reasonned to herself, Leonardo had been here all night and he would heard her getting up and leaving surely? Suddenly she didn't want to be alone so she rushed to get changed and get out.

Nick Houston could not quite believe what he was seeing. He'd seen some scenes in his time but this was by far the weirdest thing he had ever laid his eyes on. Being a cop in New York he had seen a lot of death. Usually a week didn't go by when there wouldn't be a death. But never had he seen an event where a whole bar full of people had been slaughtered like animals and then arranged into some sort of sick art work. The Buffalo Bar over on sixth was a popular joint, even he had a couple of jars there on several occasions. He recognised what was left of the owner Billy "Buffalo" Davies propped up in his usual corner.

Not one person had phoned the police, not one person had heard a distubance. The neighbours said it sounded like a regular night and that they swore they even heard the doors being locked up at the usual time. Nick couldn't understand how a bar full of regulars could maintain the show of a regular night and then all end up dead. Not just dead but hacked up like pieces of meat. How was this even possible that not one person heard anything at all?

Apparently the first they knew about it was when the cleaner came to open up this morning and found this horrific scene. She called the police and then broke down screaming and hollering which brought all the residents within hearing distance down to the bar where they too observed this massacre. The very stench of death making them all sick. Nick then arrived on the scene and somehow had to convince them to keep quiet as the press descended on the place in drones. He spotted April O'Neil in the crowd and went over to her.

"Another one?" she asked, her microphone well out of the way as the camera man played with the focus on his lens. This made him feel a little more relaxed about talking - no filming - no proof.

"Not quite.." began Nick "This is something else entirely" He still felt nauseated. There was no way he would be able to forget that image in a hurry. One of the patrons had even been arranged in a overtly sexual position with three others. Whoever had done this was one twisted individual.

"You mean it's a different killer?" continued April, a light frown on her forehead

"I don't know...it looks like that but until we examine the evidence could you please keep detail to a minimum, I don't want another mass panic. As soon as I know more, you know our deal, I'll be in touch okay?"

April nodded "I have to put something out though, I'm on again in five, is there anything you can tell me that will give me an edge?" Competition in the world of journalism was hard - she liked to think she was at the top of her game and besides it would be good to impress the boss mean as so far he never believed anything she pulled out so far about these killings.

"There's no fire" he said simply "None what-so-ever"

"Nothing? You think it's a new direction to confuse us?"

Nick could think only of Rebecca.

"I don't know April, look I'll speak to you later okay?"

She nodded but called after him "How many victims Nick?"

He didn't answer but instead mumbled to himself: "Too many, far too many"

Rebecca made her way to the lair. Several times on the way she stopped and argued with herself. She felt so bad how she'd left it last time - promising to get in touch and then completely abandoning them all including her son. Truth be told she still couldn't get her head around the fact that she had a son. She had carried a baby and given birth - yet she remembered nothing. All she had was the feeling that her and Joshua were somehow connected. Her uncle had told her that the Demon had wiped her memories for a reason - to exert some sort of control over her being. Every time she thought about this it chilled her to her very core.

She hesitated outside the door briefly before lightly knocking and entering. Michelangelo was sitting cross legged playing video games.

"Hey-Oop sister, how's things?" he beamed at her but carried on playing

"Okay" She perched herself on the arm of the chair "Are you playing against yourself?"

Michelangelo shook his head "Nope. I'm playing some guy across town - that's how clever this system is - all thanks to Donnie!"

"Has Raph come home?" she ventured, looking around for any sign of him

"Na-ah" answered the youngest "And he's gonna be in big trouble when he does rock up"

"I bet" She got up "I'm gonna peep in on Josh"

Michelangelo put up a hand and remained engrossed in his game. Typical Mikey. Never seemed to let anything get to him. She was quite envious really.

Joshua's room was just down the hall. His was the last one in the row - next to Leonardo's. The Leaders bedroom door was open but he was not inside. She imagined he would either be in the dojo with Splinter or still out looking for Raphael. Taking a deep breath she tapped on the door - heard a television turn off and a voice inviting her in.

"Hi" She looked round the door and smiled "How are you?"

Joshua immediately sat up on his bed and frantically began to clear magazines away to make space for her "I'm better" he announced "Sit down, please" He patted the mattress. She obliged and sat next to him.

"So...you staying clear of college now?"

He shook his head "No way. Just having a couple of days then I'm back to it. Dad protested only for about a minute"

"He's protective" replied Rebecca simply.

"He's over protective" added Joshua smirking "Look, I just want to say...I'm glad you came over..I had thought you didn't want to see me since you found out.." His eyes dropped; as did his face. It was like he was waiting for her to say something negative.

"I'm glad I came too" she smiled at him "And of course I want to see you, don't ever think I don't. I was just in shock that's all"

He let out a huge breath "Phew.." He paused briefly before continuing: "I know it's a little bizarre and I don't expect to call you 'mom' or anything - I just want to be in your life that's all. I've always dreamed of this moment; imagined what you'd be like.. "

She smiled again and found herself giving his hand a squeeze "Well, this is me.."

With that, he slid forward and the bed and hugged her. It was a nice feeling and made her warm inside. This boy was her son, her flesh and blood, her child. She couldn't help but care for him.

Ending the hug Joshua sighed leaned back against the wall and began to finger his way through one of the magazines at the side of him "What about Raph eh? He is so bad"

"Does he do it a lot? Disappear I mean.."

"Oh yeh, he's often out on benders, picking up girls.." mused Joshua, grinning to himself "And then he tells me all about it...though dad doesn't know that part!"

"He picks up girls?"

"Yep. He even has regulars" Josh chuckled to himself, Rebecca felt horrified.

"That's gross..."

"I know right, Sensei is not best pleased with his behaviour. Apparently it all started when you left"

Rebecca stared at him, wide eyed "What? Why would that be?"

"Well, you two...you were like a 'thing'...that's why you and dad split up because you were playing away"

The words came out of his mouth so easily and he didn't look at all bothered by what he'd just told her - instead he carried on flicking through his mag.

Rebecca turned to face the door. She felt strange. How could she have been with two of them? Did she have a thing for green? Joshua noticed her change in demeanor and left his mag to slide up next to her.

"Hey...don't let it worry you...it ain't your fault that Uncle Raph chose to do this and dad's fine about it all now..." He put an arm about her shoulders "In fact he thinks the world of you - you should know that"

Rebecca didn't know what to think anymore. Yet again another thing she couldn't remember - yet again another thing to deal with. So she did all she could and just let Joshua hold her - enjoying the quiet moment of comfort between them. A mother and her son.