Sometimes Jess hated her own mind. How it wondered and tortured her. All she wanted to do was get some sleep, but she found Leo invading her dreams.
She snuggled into her blankets staring blindly into the darkness of the room she and Lila shared. Jess slid off the bunk taking the blanket with her to fight off the cold wondering if a walk around the lair would help clear her mind.
Outside her bedroom the lair twinkled with Christmas lights courtesy of Mikey and the kids. Still no tree but Mikey insisted it wasn't possible to wait. She had to admit it did brighten things up. Jess smiled a little when she saw the dojo dark and went to check on her two teens. They were curled up in their bed sound asleep with Mira and Levi on the floor for a sleepover. She switched off the tv playing credits to a movie figuring they had just fallen asleep.
She smiled at her whole world and closed the door.
He's in there, her mind taunted as she passed Leo's room knowing it was stupid to think such things.
In a way, the problems they had faced over the last few months had benefited their relationship. There wasn't a day she hadn't spent multiple hours with him over the last month. Whether they were working for Chief Vincent, discussing the future with Lila, or training. Sometimes she would slip up in training on purpose just to feel him get close to her. On days she fumbled over herself completely she blamed it on one of the many things they had going on.
Jess sat on the sofa in the living room curling up against the arm with her blanket wrapped tightly around her. They had become friends in away. At one point she had considered if that was possible, but maybe they weren't as different as she had first thought. Two sides of the same coin felt too generous but something similar. She trusted him and he so clearly cared. She couldn't think of anyone who was set on helping her with her problems. Maybe Lila but that was different. He said it was the honorable thing to do, but she wondered if honor had its limits. Maybe there would come a point when he became tired of her and the trouble that followed.
The little voice in her head paraded those insecurities around every chance it got.
At least the bitter winter had slowed the gang war. She tried to relax with Christmas coming in two days—well, one day now. Easier said than done but at least they were starting to get somewhere with Andrea. Donnie on the other hand they still worried about. Her heart sank at the thought of the struggling brother. They still had no luck locating the fourth, but Jess was sure they were out there somewhere.
She sat up and looked over the couch at the lab happy to see it was dark. Hopefully he was sleeping. They would find them eventually, but she feared Donnie wouldn't really rest till they did. She'd hardly seen him over that last few weeks.
Her mind drifted to Laker and their past. Jess had partied her way through college ignoring any Dragons at those said parties even if they didn't ignore her. She'd lost count how many time Hun had tried to send her a message that it was time she took her place. But those threats stopped being so frequent. Originally, she'd thought it had to do with him finally giving up on her, but after meeting the turtles it sounded like he had bigger fish to fry than his disobedient daughter.
It was hard to believe how intertwined their pasts were.
Jess rolled over to stare at the ceiling illuminated by red, green, and gold lights hanging around the living room. Despite the chill in the air, they gave of a comforting warmth.
"Trouble sleeping?"
Jess shot up, startled by the sudden voice. "Leo," she said relaxing. "You startled me."
"Sorry," he said taking a seat next to her. "I always liked Christmas. Hope you don't mind big parties," he smiled.
"We've never had much at Christmas. It was just the four of us. Before that we visited Lila's grandparents, which we still do."
"Really?"
Jess smiled sadly remembering the old woman who was like a second mother to her, but that was a story for another time. "Yeah, Lila's grandma is pretty much blind. She can't really see how different Andrea and Nikki are." She stared at the empty tree stand and boxes of ornaments surrounding it. Casey was supposed to pick her up in a few hours to go pick one out. Something about it being a tradition to decorate the tree on Christmas Eve.
Feeling a little brave Jess scooted over and rested against Leo's arm throwing the blanket over the two of them. "You need to talk Donnie about raising the heat or getting more blankets," she shivered snuggling closer than she originally meant to.
Leo let out a breathy laugh, "I'll talk to him today."
"What are you doing up, anyway?"
"I came out to make sure Andrea was in bed and saw you on the couch." He shifted to lay on the couch and pulled Jess onto his chest. "You're freezing," he reasoned, seeing her scowl in the low light.
Jess felt her heart skipping in her chest knowing she should get up and go back to bed and end this, but. . .she couldn't. Her hands pressed against his bare chest ached to explore. His arm wrapped teasingly around her waist gently pulling her closer to him. She gave in and rested against him laying her head on her crossed arms. For now, she'd let herself enjoy it. Not like Leo showed his tender side very often anyway. Eventually the harsh winter would let up and they'd be back to trying to defuse the gang war. But for now, she let that worry go and focused on the steady rise and fall of his breathing.
"Comfy?"
"Almost as comfy as Raph," she teased.
"Well, I'm not as practiced as he is."
Jess lifted her head to look at him surprised by his boldness. "Any affection I can get out of him I take. Naps just tend to be one of those. Honestly, him and Casey feel like brothers."
"Then what does that make me?"
Jess answered after staring for a few seconds too long, "You know you're more than that," her voice just above a whisper.
Leo didn't expect his heart to catch the way it did or for the tension between them to become so suffocating. He gulped smelling the sweet scent lacing the air. Despite knowing that it was a terrible idea he found himself leaning forward one hand cupping her jaw.
Jess's heart raced and nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone started buzzing on the coffee table with Casey's caller ID.
Leo dropped his head against the arm of the sofa torn between wanting to murder Casey and thank him.
Still trying to catch her breath from being startled Jess answered the phone, "H-Hello?"
"Hey, did I wake ya up?"
"Uh, yeah," she laughed nervously trying to get off of Leo one handed. "What's up?"
"My guy Richie called me. Said he got a new shipment but we gotta get there ASAP. Already got a line formin'. I'll be there in five."
"Yeah, sounds great. I'll get dressed and meet you in the warehouse." She hung up and glanced at Leo feeling the tension turn to dreadful awkwardness. "I'll, um, see you later," Jess said fighting the urge to run to her room. She threw on a pair of jeans and grabbed a coat a little relieved to see Leo wasn't in the living room anymore.
Casey was just pulling in when the elevator hit the surface and he leaned over to open the passenger door for Jess.
She hopped in shivering. "I thought you were coming at six?"
"I said six at the latest," he corrected backing the truck up.
"Right," Jess said with a slight grumble.
Jess was lost in thought staring right through the tree Casey was inspecting.
"I think it's perfect!"
Finally jostled out of her thoughts Jess looked at the tree. "I don't know. It's kinda patchy."
Casey waved it off, "Nothin' a lil spray paint can't fix. 'Sides, ain't supposed ta be perfect."
Jess shrugged deciding that it wasn't the worst tree on the lot. "Why do ya'll get a tree at the last possible second, anyway?"
"Well, da guys would decorate a tree that'd been thrown out, usually on Christmas Eve from places like dis," he said putting gloves on to grab the tree. "After we met 'em we just kept the tradition goin'."
Jess smiled seeing the wiry tree in a new light. "I like it." She followed Casey to the front to pay and wrap it.
"So," Casey said rolling back on his heels, "how are things with, Leo?"
"Why?" She asked looking over at him suspiciously.
"Cuz I ain't blind, Jessy." He only smiled when she didn't answer. "So, you like 'em?"
Jess crossed her arms with a huff, "Didn't pin you for gossip, Case."
Casey opened the doors to the van and shoved the tree in. "If you like 'em, why not just tell 'em?"
"It ain't that easy. Now's not a good time anyway."
"Trust me, Jessy." He closed the doors and looked at his friend. "There will neva be a good time with 'em."
"You're not at the center of a gang war," she muttered.
Casey nodded knowing he couldn't argue against that. "How's dat goin' anyhow?"
Jess shrugged pulling the door closed as she got in. "Going," she answered leaning against the window. "I just want to be normal."
"Sorry ta break it ta ya, Jessy, but you was neva normal." He glanced at the brunette, but her attention was still focused on the passing scenery. "People like us were neva meant ta be normal."
"I could die, Casey. That is a strong possibility," Jess said her eyes shifting to her lap. "All you need is one stray bullet. . .and I've got the whole city on me."
Casey gripped the wheel a little tighter with a slight frown. Jess at one point was his best friend spawning from unusual circumstances. The corners of his mouth turned up at the thought of nine-year-old Jess wandering into his parents shop bruised and asking to use the phone. The trouble they started, the memories they made. He still remembered the first time they knifed the tires of a getaway car.
His face fell.
He also remembered the time he saw Jess shoot someone. How even at twelve she barely flinched. She looked dead herself.
Getting revenge on Hun was never just about his fathers' shop. That was just easier to explain than the slow erosion of his friend. Every time he looked at Hun, he remembered the blood on Jess's face as she told him that Hun made her shoot someone with the threat of killing her. His blood boiled at the thought. Or when Jess sobbed in his arms after her mother was killed when she was fourteen. She'd become so much like a younger sister to him since he was seventeen. He lost count of how many Purple Dragons he'd beat the shit out of in the following weeks.
He didn't see her much after that. Up until she started college, he'd hardly talked to her over the years. Even being a few years older than her he still enjoyed a good party and Jess knew how to find them. They usually broke out into fights with the Purple Dragons which was a plus.
Then Jess got distant for now obvious reasons, and he got busy with the guys.
Funny how that works.
He pulled the van into the warehouse and went to get the tree out while Jess texted Donnie.
"Hope ya like parties!" he grinned, putting the wrapped tree on his shoulder.
Jess looked over at him with an incredulous look, "You do remember me in college, right?"
Casey chuckled, "Yeah, I was just thinkin' bout dat actually."
"Thought I smelled smoke." Jess smiled innocently at his glare. "We had some great times before everything."
"This ain't dat kinda party. Da guys just have lots of. . .weird friends."
"Weird?" Jess asked stepping into the elevator.
Casey shrugged. It was too much to explain. "Ya meet lots of people through inter-dimensional travel."
Hello friends! This is one and the next chapter are my favorite chapters. I hope you are all safe especially everyone on the west coast. We're almost at 30 chapters which is just insane and there's only 8 chapters left in book 1! A lot is about to happy so stay tuned! The amount of support from you guys reviewing and following the story just makes my day. I have a exam today so pray for me. Thank you so much for reading!