CHAPTER ONE
LATE AT NIGHT
PRESENT
DONATELLO:
"What did you just say?" I asked.
The five-year-old looked at me, then back down at her Barbies. "Nothing," she mumbled under her breath.
Amy stepped up behind me, resting her hands on my shoulders. "What did you say, Salome?" she demanded.
Salome shifted nervously. "A bad word."
"Why are you using bad words?" Amy demanded. "Do I need to wash your mouth out with soap?"
The little girl shook her head furiously, keeping her eyes down. "No! I'm sorry!"
Amy looked to me and raised an eyebrow. I shook my head and sighed, turning away. She followed me into the kitchen. "It's Raph, you know," I mumbled as I grabbed a glass and filled it with water. "There's no other place she could've heard that."
Amy shrugged. "She went to school down in Oklahoma," she reminded me. "She could've heard it there. And she'll be going back in the fall. She'll be picking up all kinds of colorful phrases."
"Great," I mumbled under my breath as I sat down at the table.
She walked behind me and rubbed gently at my shoulders. "You okay?" she questioned. "You seem... stressed."
"'M alright," I assured her. "Just thinking. Working on a few different things and the tests have been pretty unsuccessful so far."
"What're you working on?" she asked, leaning down next to me. I glanced at her questioningly and smiled. "Okay, nevermind," she laughed. "I know that look. It would go right over my head, wouldn't it?"
I kissed her briefly, then again not-so-briefly. We broke when Salome walked into the room. "Donny, can we go see a movie?" she asked.
I glanced at the clock. "Kinda late, isn't it? You got bedtime in an hour."
Her pleading eyes turned to Amy. "Mama, can I please go see a movie?"
"I dunno," Amy debated. "You tend to be kind of a brat when you don't get your beauty sleep."
"I'll get right to sleep when we come home."
"Who's we?" I challenged, smiling.
Salome was torn between begging me to do her a favor and her mother to bend the rules. Michaelangelo walked in the room and silently walked up behind Salome. She jumped in surpise and shrieked as he jabbed his fingers into her sides. She spun and pulled away, smacking him in the face with her dark blonde hair. She lunged at him, hitting his arm. "Mikey!" she yelled.
He smiled and hid behind his arm. "Ow! Ow! She's hurting me!" he feigned. "Mom!"
Amy crossed her arms over her chest and grinned. "You're the one who gets her all riled up," she reminded him. "What do you want me to do about it?"
In one clean movement, he swept Salome's hands behind her and grabbed her waist, throwing her over his shoulder. She flailed wildly and beat on his shell, laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. "Put me down! Mikey! Put me down!"
"What should I do with her?" Mike asked. He turned to the sink. "Maybe she'd fit in the garbage disposal..."
She squealed. "No! Mikey!"
He turned and threatened to drop her on her head in the sink. She put her arms down and braced herself, still laughing hysterically. "Mike!"
Michaelangelo turned to Amy, grinning. "Hey, is it bedtime yet? That's a good place to toss her."
Having Mike put Salome to bed was a bad idea. We knew that from experience. She'd never sleep. "No!" she protested. "I wanna go to the movies!"
Michaelangelo glanced at Amy questioningly. Salome managed to straighten herself out, her knees at about where his shoulders were. She looked down at Mike. "Will you take me to the movies, Mikey?"
"So you can have nightmares again?" Amy asked, a sly grin on her face.
Mike blushed slightly as he set her down. "Hey, I didn't know that movie was gonna be that scary."
The last time Mike had taken her to the movies, she'd gone to see The Mummy. I guess Mike figured that since it wasn't rated R, it would be just fine for a five-year-old. She had nightmares for a week. "We won't see anything scary, Mama, I promise!" Salome pleaded. The fact that Amy had let this coversation get this far meant that she was actually considering it and would probably let her go.
"Please, please, pleeeeeeease?"
Amy studied her, smiling slyly. "I guess so..."
"Yes!"
"If you can find someone to take you, that is. And if you're crabby tomorrow, you're gonna take a nap. Got it?"
She looked to me pleadingly and I pointed at Mike as inconspicuously as possible. She spun around. "Mikey? Will you take me?"
He wasn't looking at her. He was busy filling a glass with water. "Maybe."
That was a yes. "Yay!"
He laughed as he turned toward her. "I said maybe," he clarified, though we all knew it was pointless.
She ignored him. "Can Leo come too?"
He shook his head slightly in disbelief. Selective hearing. "Do you believe this?" he chuckled, looking at me. "She actually thinks I said yes or something."
I smiled. "I don't wanna hear it, Mike; you do the same thing."
She tugged on his arm. "Mikey, let's go."
"Alright, alright, hang on," he mumbled.
Salome spun to her mother and Mike turned to refill the glass. "Can I have some money, Mama?" she pleaded.
"Don't ask me," Amy laughed.
Salome jumped up onto my knees and the chair nearly fell over backwards. I grabbed the table with one hand and the little girl with the other. "Donny, can you give Mama some money?"
I laughed quietly. "Oh, is that how it works?" I questioned.
She began bouncing up and down. "Please, please, please!"
"You sure do ask a lot..."
She threw her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. "Pleeeease?" she begged.
"Okay, okay," I agreed, smiling.
She kissed me again before she jumped down and tackled Mike, throwing him forward into the counter. "Ack!" he cried, trying to keep from spilling water all over.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
He looked over his shoulder at her. "You better go pick up those dolls in the living room if you wanna go anywhere," he advised.
She pulled away and placed her hands on her hips. "They're not dolls, they're Barbies."
"Yeah, Mikey, get a clue," Amy joked, her hands coming to rest on my shoulders again. "Barbies are not dolls."
He shot a pathetic look in our direction, then glanced down at the half-full glass of water in his hand, contemplating it. I tensed as I read his thoughts, but smiled at him. "I dare you," I smirked.
His eyes sparked as he looked up and met my stare. He positioned the glass to toss the water at us, but thought better of it. He turned and dumped it into the sink. "Nah," he mumbled. I relaxed, surprised that he'd backed down but not about to question it.
I was looking away, but I felt him move suddenly and knew I was under attack. The hose on the sink hisssed, and I was wet. Amy shrieked I surprise and jumped back, and I was on my feet in an instant, but Mike was already away from the sink. I darted toward him and he threw the refridgerator open, blocking my path. He reached inside and fumbled blindly for a second, then jumped back with a metal can and a bottle of mustard in his hands. "Stay back!" he cried in his best "threatening superhero" impression. "I have..." He glanced down to see what it was he did have, then quickly braced, holding the items out like weapons. "... condiments! And I'm not afraid to use them!"
Salome rolled with laughter. Amy's head lowered and she grinned evilly as she approached from the side. I threw the refridgerator door closed and lunged at him. He danced back into the living room. "Ha ha!" he mocked. "You're too... Oof!" He came to an abrupt stop as he backed into Raphael. By reflex action, he turned and attacked.
"Ack!" Raph cried, shielding himself from a stream of yellow mustard. Mike stumbled back in time to keep himself on his feet, but the damage had been done. Raphael growled, his head lowering, and Mike knew he was in for it.
"Stay back!" he cried, holding the bottles like weapons. "I'm warning you!"
Raph and I both sprang at him simultaneously. He sprinted to the door, but Amy stepped in his path, still dripping from the kitchen hose. We had him trapped.
It took about five seconds, between the three of us, to get him on the floor and on his back. Amy grabbed the can opposite the mustard and sprayed a thick stream of whipped cream down his throat until he gagged and turned his head, getting it all over the side of his face. Salome was hysterical.
"What on earth is...?"
The four of us looked up as Leonardo stepped out of the dojo and his eyes widened slightly. "Leo!" Mike gurgled through the whipped cream. "Help...!"
Leo turned and walked back out of the room, not asking. "No!" Mike shrieked. "Ah! Help! It's up my nose!"
"Shut up, Mike, you don't have a nose," Amy reminded him.
"Yes, I...!" Another spray of whipped cream shut him up.
KATARINA:
I see Tatsu return, and smile knowingly as I recognize the look on his face. He does not see me. If he did, he probably wouldn't acknowledge me anyway. He walks directly to my father's chamber and I spend a short moment wondering just how injured his students really are. I briefly consider following him and finding out, but decide against it. Though it would certainly be amusing to watch him humbly admit his failure, bowing and kissing ass as he begged for forgiveness, I'm much more interested in getting the real story on what had happened, not the biased view from the leader of the attempt.
I walk down the hallway and through the training area. A number of students are there, but none I know. For the most part, the room is bare. I am not surprised, at this time of day. Those who had not gone with Tatsu are partying. On a Friday night, I would expect no less.
Tatsu had taken a hundred soldiers with him, a small fraction of the number we have available, and I had laughed at his confidence. I know from Kioshi what these mutant freaks are capable of. Only one of them had defeated five of my father's students, in less time than it took them to realize what had hit them, and did not break a sweat. It doesn't greatly surprise me that Tatsu and his hundred have returned in defeat. I had predicted as much, though I'd kept my thoughts on the matter to myself. To point such a thing out is asking for an argument, and I don't want to be responsible for that. Not this time.
I walk to the opposite wall and nearly run into a teenage boy on his way out of the room I am entering. His sandy blond hair is wet, and a large bruise is forming on his left cheek, beneath his eye. A cut on his scalp is still slowly oozing blood over his washed hair. He looks like hell. His eyes widen for a moment before he drops his head, lowering them respectfully. "I'm sorry," he apologizes. I nod to him and he turns tail and runs.
Inside the room, the scent of blood and sweat overwhelms me. It hangs in the air like a warning, but I ignore it as I turn the corner and lean against the entrance, taking in the scene. There are probably twenty teenage boys, most of them older, bleeding and burned, tending their wounds. Some of them are dressed. Most only wear towels around their waists. Thick humidity hangs in the air and the hissing sound of water beating down on the tile floor of the showers explains it. I can feel the moisture cling to my skin, coating me in the repulsive scent of the room.
My eyes run over the benches, scanning the crowd. They are injured, cradeling broken bones and applying ointment to burns. Hardened looks and expressions of shock and horror mix between them, and I can only guess what all had happened in this battle that Tatsu had been so sure of. A few of them glance up at me, and quickly look away. I see some of them blush as they turn, but most seem unaffected by the fact that they aren't dressed. They would have afforded me the same respect if they had been masked and ready for battle.
It takes me a moment to locate Kioshi. He is on one of the benches, his shirt off, inspecting a burn that covers most of his forearm. But as I walk toward him another sound catches my ear. Among the gasps of pain as the students prod gently at their injuries comes a much louder cry signaling anything but discomfort. It is a sound that had come from a woman, and a few of the boys look up briefly before turning back to their own problems. Most do not even acknowledge her.
My eyes narrow as I turn toward the sound and step closer to the lockers, peeking around the wall of them to another area of the room that is no more secluded than the one I've just stepped out of. In fact, from where I stand, I can see the entire locker room, and all those in it. Including Melanie.
She is against the lockers, her skirt raised past her hips and her shirt unbuttoned. Her head is tilted back as a dark-haired boy kisses and licks at her throat, his hands on her hips as he thrusts into her, caring nothing for the small crowd around him. These, I can guess, are all of those who were not hurt in the fight. There sure aren't many of them. Another of the boys steps forward and grabs her head, turning her face to him and kissing her hard.
They are all shifting uncomfortably, their erections plainly visible beneath the towels wrapped around their waists. Either that or they are leaned against the lockers with dopey, satisfied grins on their faces, not bothering with the towel now. They watch as the woman raises her leg slowly up and clasps it around her partner's waist, two sets of hands now running over her upper body.
I growl low, my eyes narrowing into slits as I consider all the ways I want to kill her. God, what a slut. I hate her more every time I see her. I hate the message she delivers to my fathers' students. Even if they dare not touch me, I hate the thought that they had every right to see me in this light when they looked at me. I am a woman, and isn't every woman supposed to be like this? I glare at her, but her eyes are closed and she doesn't see it. The half-dozen figures around her are all too engrossed in the show to even notice me.
I spin away from her and see Kioshi watching me. He straightens as I approach him deliberately. "Kiara," he greets, bowing slightly. "What are you doing here?"
I sit down beside him and take his hurt arm in my lap. A large burn reddens most of his forearm. Nervous apprehension streaks his face, but he doesn't resist me. "Relax," I smile faintly, careful not to touch the injury.
I set his hand back in his lap and stand, walking to the first aid kit on the wall. It is open, and disorganized now that it had been thoroughly rummaged through. I find what I'm looking for and return to Kioshi's side, taking his arm again. "What is that?" he asks.
"Aloe and novocane," I answer, ripping open the package and forcing the gel out of the little pouch, onto his arm. "It should feel good."
He flinches as the green goo touches the burn and I laugh quietly at him. "Don't be such a baby," I grin. "It's not that bad."
He shoots me a pathetic look and I smile back. The smile fades as a loud cry meets my ears, and I glance back at Mel. She's moved to the next set of boys. Anger rises inside of me but I block it out as I turn back and gently spread the gel over Kioshi's arm. He cringes, but doesn't pull away. "The novocane should numb it," I inform, trying not to sound as cold as I feel right now. "You might want to find yourself an aloe plant for when this wears off and just use that. It'll heal faster if..."
The lockers rattle and Melanie cries out again. Unable to hide my fury for even long enough to finish that sentence, I spring to my feet, careful not to throw Kioshi's arm to the side in a manner that might be painful. I feel fire in my veins as I take a few steps toward the crowd around the girl. "Get out!" I yell.
They all spin, surprised. Mel's eyes fly open and immediately settle on me. The boy in front of her immediately pulls out and the two on her sides backed away as well, their heads bowing as they realize who I am. Melanie only glares at me as she's dropped to the floor, and pulls her skirt down over her thighs again. Her hands come to rest on her hips and the look in her eyes dares me to speak first.
"Don't suppose your husband knows you're fuckin' his students," I shoot at her. The suggestion makes the foot soldiers around her tense. They don't know who she is. That doesn't surprise me. It wasn't like she would tell them, and there are so many rumors in this place, it's hard to tell which are true and which aren't.
She laughs cynically, tossing her bleached hair back over her shoulder. "He doesn't care."
"Maybe not," I agree. "But do they?" I motion at the crowd around her, all trying desperately to hide their erections and figure out who she's married to. They probably hadn't even known she's married. She certainly doesn't act like it.
But she's right, of course. He doesn't care. He sees the way she plays up to them, and he looks the other way. But if they were to find out her status, the students would be as afraid to touch her as they are to look at me. And she knows it. "This is none of your business, Kiara," she hisses.
"You're making it my business," I answer. "You're a goddamn bitch in heat, you know that?"
She smiles wickedly. "Just because you're afraid of men doesn't mean..."
In a flash, I have my knife against her throat. She stops, eyes widening as I hold her to the lockers. "If I slit your throat, Mel, you think my father would forgive me?" I snarl.
Her eyes narrow as she considers that. "You'd better hope so if you try it," she growls back.
Too far. She's pushed me right over the edge. I know my father will forgive me. I know he doesn't give a damn about Mel, or he never would've given her to Tatsu. I know that there will be no repercussions whatsoever if I kill her right now, and I put pressure on the knife, drawing blood as I jerk my hand to the side. She screams, and I'm suddenly immobilized. A dozen hands lock over my arms and pull me off of her before I can complete the cut.
"Kiara, don't!"
"Please!"
"Stop!"
Anger surges through me and I turn the knife on the students who are holding me. Blood runs as I jerk out of their grasp, sending them back against the lockers. It takes four of them, in addition to the three that had originally pulled me back and were now nursing injuries, to wrestle the knife away from me. I watch out of the corner of my eye as Mel grabs her throat, thick red liquid seeping through her fingers. She's bleeding pretty good, but not enough to kill her. I hadn't hit the damn artery. God, I wish I had...
I throw the boys off of me and spin, braced to defend myself. They outnumber me, that much I knew, and I was unarmed now. I'll cause them pain if we fight, but they'll take me down. The thing is, I know none of them will attack. To do so was suicide. My father would kill them, and they know it. So they all step back, heads bowed submissively as I watch, tensed and ready.
After a moment, I turn back and look to Mel. I smile wickedly at her. "You'd better go take care of that," I hiss at her. "Don't want your blood all over the place."
Anger clouds her eyes and she tenses, as if she wants to attack me. I smile, challenging her. Go right ahead, bitch...
After a moment of tense silence, she spins and runs from the room, leaving a thin trail of blood behind her. I glare at the student holding my knife and he hands it back to me carefully, his head lowered. I replace it in my belt and step forward. The crowd parts, clearing a path, and I walk back to Kioshi. "Aloe," I repeat. "And be more careful next time..."
***
"Katarina!"
My eyes snapped open and I blinked a few times, trying to figure out where I was and how I'd gotten here. I was in a live truck, staring at a wall of monitors from my place in front of the switcher. "Hey, Katarina, you hear me?"
I turned toward the vaguely familiar voice and stared at Jeff for a moment, still startled by the fact that I'd almost fallen asleep. No, I had fallen asleep. I was dreaming, too. The dream rang clear in my mind and I shook my head to try and clear my thoughts. That dream... That memory... I put it all on pause as I concentrated on the present.
"Uh, no... what'd you say?"
He slipped a tape into the deck and shuttled back through an hour's worth of sots. (AN: Sound on Tape, usually interviews) "I said you're exhausted. Go get some sleep, huh?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm alright."
"You're not okay; you're gonna fall asleep on the switcher. What're we supposed to do if you hit your head on it and bleed all over and ruin the damn thing?"
I grinned at him. "Your sympathy makes me swoon."
He glanced over his shoulder at me. "Go sleep, KitKat. I'll finish up in here. We're done for the night."
I sighed deeply and reluctantly pulled myself to my feet. I walked to the door and opened it, then stepped out into the cool night air, heading across the well-lit parking lot to the hotel doors. The dream swam back into focus as I stared down at the asphalt pavement, then the low carpet inside the hotel lobby. I glanced up as I waited for the elevator and looked around. I hadn't had a dream that vivid in a long time. And of all the memories that should happen to surface, that wasn't one I was particularly fond of.
Four people got off the elevator; I was alone getting on. I pressed the button and rode up to the fourth floor before it signaled that I had arrived and I stepped out into the hallway. Melanie. I remembered her well, but I rarely ever thought of her. Why was she in my dreams now?
I sighed as I slid my key in the door and the light flickered to green. The answer to that question was one I still wasn't too sure I liked, or even understood. The past few nights had brought more memories of my time as Kiara than I cared to admit having. I wasn't sure what had triggered it, but it was almost eerie. And being away from Raphael during these nightmares wasn't helping.
Maybe that's it, I suggested. Maybe it's just that simple. You don't like being away from him.
But that didn't really make too much sense. I'd been away from him before. No, it was more than that.
You just need to relax, Kat. You're workin' too hard.
That was much more likely. And I relished the idea much more. That, at least, was curable by some a hot bath and a good night's sleep. I smiled as I closed the door behind me and stretched. A hot bath would make me feel much better. I ran the steaming water into the tub and rummaged through my bag for a clean T-shirt to put on afterward. I'd gone through all the clothes in this suitcase. Time to break into the other one.
I sighed and picked it up off the floor, heaving it onto the bed. The zipper seemed loud in the quiet room. I threw the lid back and a piece of paper fluttered for a moment before coming to rest on the bed. I stared at it for a moment, then reached down to pick it up. Love you baby. Wish I was there. -R
I smiled and set the paper down on the bed. As I picked up the shirt, a familiar, dark scent swirled around me. I was caught off guard for a moment, and stared blankly at the suitcase. It took me a moment to realize it was the shirt itself. I brought it up and buried my face in it, smiling. It smelled like him. Like that cologne he wore when he wanted to turn me on. I held it to my chest and hugged my arms around myself, eyes closed. I hated to admit it, but I was starting to really miss him. And I'd only been gone a little over a week.
I set the shirt on the bed and picked up my cell phone, then walked into the bathroom. The steam was rising from the tub, and I turned the water off. I shed my clothes and sank down into it, careful not to get my hands wet. Having succeeded at that, I dialed the familiar number on the cell phone and waited patiently.
"Hello?"
I smiled faintly. "Hi, Leo, it's Kat," I greeted. "Can I talk to Raph?"
"Yeah, sure, hang on."
The phone clattered as he set it down and I heard his voice echo as he called for Raphael. I closed my eyes and sank down deeper into the water, keeping only my head and hand out. For a few moments, it was quiet. Then the phone rattled again and I heard Raphael's voice. "Ack! Leo! What'd you do to the damn phone?"
I stared for a moment at the opposite wall, wondering what that was all about. Leo's voice answered faintly, just loud enough for me to understand him. "Well next time get up and answer it yourself."
Raph growled, then spoke into the phone. "H'lo?"
I smiled. "Hi Raph. What's wrong with the phone?"
"Oh, nothing except that it's," he raised his voice so that he could be heard in the other room, "dripping sweat!"
I chuckled. "Since when does sweat bother you?" I asked.
He chose not to answer that. "So I see you finally decided to call me," he observed. "S'about damn time."
I smiled. "I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I've been busy. And tired. We're having serious problems gaining cooperation down here."
"Mmm," he acknowledged.
"It's kinda frustrating, you know? We come all the way down here and they won't even talk to us."
He was quiet for a moment. I lifted my foot out of the water and watched the tiny droplets stream toward my knee. My skin steamed from the heat of the water. "So what're you doing now?" he asked.
I sat up again and lowered my knees back under the water's surface. "Soaking in a bath," I answered quietly. "Trying to relax."
He laughed under his breath. "Sounds like fun."
I smiled and rested my head against the tile wall of the shower. The water sloshed up near the top of the tub as I moved, but I didn't really care. "Yeah, it feels good," I agreed. "You should try it."
"I think our bathtub's a little small for that."
I considered the thought for a moment. "Mmm. We should make Donny put in a jacuzzi."
He laughed. "I could go for that. I'll hold him down and you torture him. We'll get him to cooperate."
I couldn't hold back a quiet laugh as I pictured that. "Or maybe we could just ask him nicely," I suggested.
"But torturing him would be more fun."
I smiled, but didn't answer. I briefly considered telling him about the dreams I'd been having, but decided against it. He was a million miles away, and couldn't do anything about it. Besides, I didn't want to explain my life's history to him over the phone. Really, I didn't care for the idea of explaining it at all. I had tried so hard to just put it behind me. Which was a large part of the reason why these dreams bothered me so much.
"Is something wrong?"
I must have stayed quiet for too long. I blinked a few times as his words cut through my thoughts, then shook my head to clear it. "No, nothing," I answered him.
"Don't lie to me, baby," he whispered. "You know I hate that."
I sighed. "Yeah, okay, there is. But I don't want to talk about it over the phone."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. So when are you going to be back?"
That was it. One of the things I loved about Raphael: he didn't pressure me for answers I didn't want to give him. "My flight gets in at 10:15 tomorrow night."
"I'll be there," he assured me.
I laughed. "Waiting at the gate, right?"
"Maybe. Though more likely outside. Just start walking, I'll find you."
"Okay."
"Anything else?"
I smiled. Not much for phone conversation. But then, he'd never been. "I love you."
"I love you too," he answered. "Can't wait to see you."
"Mmm," I grinned. "You too."
He laughed quietly. "Sleep well, baby."
I sighed deeply, breathing in the steam around me. "I will."
DONATELLO:
We moved back into the kitchen, leaving Mikey to take care of the mess in the living room. And all over his face. Amy cleaned up the water on the kitchen floor, then moved behind me and began massaging my shoulders again. Mike stumbled into the room and tossed the empty can in the garbage, then shoved the mustard back into the fridge, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand.
I smirked at him as he wiped the whipped cream off of his face and neck and shoulders, then washed his face in the kitchen sink. Salome stepped up beside him. "So can we go to the movies now?" she asked.
"Go take care of your dolls," he mumbled, drying his face on the towel.
"Barbies, Mike," Salome corrected. "There's a difference."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Leonardo walked into the room as Amy rubbed slightly harder at my shoulders. He'd been working out and he was dripping sweat. Salome thought about running to him, but reconsidered when she got a good look at him. "Hey Leo!" she greeted from a safe distance.
"Hey, kid," he answered her. He cast a lingering glance at Michaelangelo, but didn't say anything to him. "Why're you so excited?"
"Because you're coming with us!"
I smiled, relaxing as Amy rubbed hard at the tension in my shoulders. "Great," he replied enthusiastically, playing along.
She jumped up and down and grabbed his arm, forgetting for a moment that she didn't want to touch him right now. She remembered quickly and jerked her hands back. "Ew, yuck!" she cried, wiping her hands on her jeans. "You gotta take a bath first. Hurry up!"
He grinned. "Aw, come on, Salome, don't you want a hug?"
He took a step forward and she shrieked and bolted from the room, nearly running Raphael over at the doorway. Leo chuckled as he watched her go. "Hey, pick up the Barbies, will you?" he called after her.
"See?" Amy smiled at Mike. "Leo knows they're Barbies."
Mike shot her a sarcastic smile. "Funny."
Raphael pulled the fridge open and grabbed a beer, not speaking. "So is there any particular reason why you all saw fit to whipped cream Mike?" Leo asked, quite seriously.
We all looked at each other, then shook our heads simultaneously. Even Mike agreed. Leo nodded slightly. "Okay. Just wondering." He turned to the counter and quickly downed a glass of water. "So where am I going?" he asked as he set the glass down.
Raphael eyed him carefully. "To shower, I hope," he mumbled. Leo turned and grinned slyly at him and was answered with a glare. "And if you even think about trying to hug me, I'm going to shove more than whipped cream down your throat," he warned.
Mike snickered as Leonardo poured another glass of water and turned to us. "You're letting Salome go out this late?"
"I'll get her back on her regular schedule next week," Amy mumbled. Raph took a long drink from the bottle. "She's gotta go back to school sooner or later."
Raphael lowered the bottle. "Kat should have the deposit for the apartment next paycheck. So you'll have a permanent address."
"Next Friday?"
"This Friday," he corrected.
"How's her report coming?" I questioned.
Raph sighed. "I guess the senator she's gotta talk to is being an asshole. She can't get a quote out of him and if she doesn't have that, she doesn't have a story."
"That sucks," Michaelangelo mumbled.
"Mmm," Raph agreed, raising the bottle to his lips again.
"Well..." Leo placed his glass in the sink and headed for the door. "I'm going to shower and then go wherever it is I'm going with Salome."
"She's just got you wrapped right around her finger, doesn't she?" Amy chuckled. Leo flashed her a grin before he disappeared.
Raph watched him go, then glanced at the clock. "Where are you going?" he asked.
"Movies."
"Isn't she supposed to be in bed at eight-thirty?"
"I'm gonna let it slide tonight," Amy mumbled.
"You wanna come?" Mike offered.
Raph was quiet for a moment as he took another drink. "Let me think about it," he mumbled as he turned away. "You know what's playing?"
Mike followed him into the living room, leaving Amy and I alone in the kitchen again. She ran her hands down my plastron and joined them over my stomach, her head resting on my shoulder. "Love you," she whispered.
"I love you too," I mumbled back.
"Show me."
I chuckled slightly to myself. "Yeah, I figured there was a reason you were letting her go out this late..."
MICHAELANGELO:
Of all the movies Salome had to see, she had to pick one that didn't end until almost eleven o'clock. And even after we left the theater, she wasn't ready to go home and get to bed. "Can we go up and look at the stars?"
My brothers and I glanced at each other, then up at the sky. "It's kinda late, Salome," Leo reminded her.
"Yeah, it's way past your bedtime," I added.
"Just for a little while?"
"Aw, come on," Raph grinned. "Ten minutes." Leo glared at him and he smiled back, ignoring the silent warning. "Come on, Sal, I'll race you."
They took off into the alley and Leo sighed. "If he keeps this up, she's gonna be a spoiled brat."
I laughed. "Earth to Leo! She already is spoiled." He shot a pathetic glance at me and I stuck out my lower lip in my best "spoiled brat" imitation. "And there's nothing wrong with that."
He couldn't suppress a quiet laugh as he shook his head and turned away.
By the time we reached the fire escape, Raph and Salome were already halfway to the top. Raphael hadn't bothered to pull the ladder back up and we climbed it easily. We reached the rooftop a few minutes later, taking our time up the stairs. I immediately looked around for my brother and the little girl, and saw them at the opposite end of the roof. He was holding her hand as she walked along the ledge, twenty stories up. "Raph!" Leo cried as he saw them. "What're you teaching her!"
Salome turned and grinned at us. "I'm not scared!" she chimed.
"I don't care if you're scared or not, get down from there."
"Awww..." she moaned. But she jumped down onto the roof.
Leo shot a nasty look at Raphael. "I can't believe you'd let her..."
A scream cut him off. We all looked at each other, then darted back to the fire escape we'd just ascended. Down in the alley, a woman pressed her back to the dirty brick wall. Around her was a half-circle of black clad figures. My eyes widened as I recognized the outfit. "Is that... the Foot?" I asked in surprise.
Leo looked as shocked as I was. Raph was on the other side of him and I couldn't see his expression. No, I couldn't really be seeing what I thought I was seeing. We hadn't heard from the foot clan in years. They had pretty much ceased to exist when Shredder was killed. Why would they be back now? And why on earth would they be picking a fight with a civilian? It couldn't be them. Had to be a gang imitation.
"It can't be," Leonardo whispered in disbelief. "They wouldn't..."
His voice trailed off as they pressed in on the woman. Raphael stepped back from the ledge, his hand dropping and brushing his weapons for an instant. "Imposters or not," he mumbled, "they picked the wrong guy to endorse. Let's go kick some ass."
LEONARDO:
Raphael and I dropped down off the fire escape and landed directly in front of her. Instinctively, we stepped apart, to either side of her, and braced, reaching for our weapons. We were met with expressionless stares from masked faces, but I could sense their surprise and their fear. The woman screamed and tried to run, but she had nowhere to go.
I retrieved only one of the katanas strapped to my back. The figures looked to an unmasked Japanese man nearby. I did not recognize him, but I knew he was their leader even without the ability to place him. He nodded slightly and I braced, fully prepared for the attack by the time it came. I shifted to a defensive stance and braced as a sword sliced downward. I caught his blade on mine and parried him away. Then I moved fluidly to a side strike and made a neat connection with his upper arm. He was slow. He hadn't even taken the few seconds he had to set up a block, much less to reinforce it.
Blood dripped down my sword as I turned to another of the attacking figures. The fight was close in, and we had to hold our ground rather than shift to easier positions and leave an open space through which they could reach their victim. But between the two of us, the foot soldiers were no match. Even armed against us, they fell more quickly than they could organize replacements. At length, their leader turned and fled. Those who were still standing ran after him, and we watched, still braced, until they had disappeared. For just a moment, I considered following the trail of blood back to their base, but I decided that the victim was more important at this point.
I sheathed my katana and turned to the whimpering figure, coiled in a ball against the alley wall. I heard noise above us and looked up, reaching my hand back to my weapons again as I instinctively braced for another attack. But it was only Mike and Salome. I turned back to the woman as Raphael twirled his sais and shoved them back into his belt, glancing to me. "Are you okay?" I asked her quietly.
She looked up, and my heart skipped a beat. Madonna...
"I should thank you."
I don't need an apology. "You should."
A slight bow, her hair falling in front of her eyes. "My name is Madonna."
"Leonardo."
Those eyes... She's so beautiful...
"I know who you are."
Shock. "S'cuse me?"
Feigned impatience and a slight grin. "So are you gonna arrest me or ask me out or what?"
My mouth is working before my brain can put together words. "Maybe both...".
I blinked hard and realized that the figure before me wasn't Madonna. It couldn't be, after all. I'd buried her. But she looked a lot like her. Her blonde, crimped hair was about the same length, her blue-green eyes showed the same sparkling mystery, in spite of the fact that they were filled with fear. She pressed back further into the corner and I swallowed hard, regaining my confidence.
"You're not hurt, are you?" I questioned.
She glanced down, her hands moving to her hair, then down to her chest. Satisfied that she was in one piece, she shook her head slightly. I offered her a hand and she hesitated. Mike jumped down beside me and caught Salome, setting her down on the ground. "It's okay," I assured the woman. "You're alright now."
Hesitantly, she raised her hand and placed her slender fingers in mine. I pulled her easily to her feet and she ran her fingers of her other hand over her hair. She was wearing only a dark blue robe, and holding it closed tightly even though it was tied. She swallowed hard and glanced back and forth between us.
"You're bleeding," Raph observed.
She glanced down, turning her leg outward, and looked down past her robe at her scraped knee. "It's..." she started. She even sounded like Madonna. A stab of grief shot through me and I forced it aside. "I'm okay..."
"Want us to walk you home?" Mike offered.
Her eyes dropped. "I... don't have a home right now."
Raph's eyes narrowed slightly. His eyes dropped to her arms and I saw him search for signs that she was a user. He didn't have to say anything. I knew that was what he was doing. Satisfied, he looked back up. I doubted, from the way she was dressed, that she was a prostitute. "This a recent eviction?" Raphael guessed.
Her eyes closed slowly. "He'll kill me if I go back..."
"Who's he?" Raph pressed.
For a moment, she didn't answer. "My... boyfriend."
"Your boyfriend got ties to the foot clan?"
Her eyes opened and she stared down at the ground between us. "He's a major part of it. And I know they'll find me and kill me now."
Raph glanced away and I watched him for a moment. Over the years, we'd housed probably a dozen people, whether for just a night or for an extended period of time. But ever since Sasha, I'd made a point of checking to make sure that Raphael hadn't slept with them before I offered our help. I cast him a questioning glance and he shrugged, seemingly disinterested. That was a no.
I turned back to the woman as she pressed against the brick wall, clenching her arms over her chest. "Maybe we can help you..."
AMY:
I opened my eyes as I heard talking in the living room. They were home. I sat up slowly but Donny grabbed my arm. "Just relax," he whispered. "I'll put her to bed."
I eased back down and he pulled the blanket up around my chin. I smiled as he kissed my forehead. "Go to sleep," he breathed in my ear. I closed my eyes again and felt the bed shift as he stood, drawing away the warmth his body created.
Light shined into the room as he slipped quietly out and I heard my daughter tackle him. "Donny! You'll never guess what happened!"
I cringed. I had a sneaking suspicion that I was going to have to kill Mike. I tried to tune them out, but the voices echoed, too muffled to hear as they moved away from the door. After a few minutes, Salome's voice disappeared. I watched the numbers change on the clock, trying to fall back asleep. There was still talking. A female voice. Who was that? April? This late? Kat wasn't supposed to be back until tomorrow night.
I sat up, holding the blanket in front of my chest, and stared for a moment at the door, trying to make out the words to the conversation. They were too muffled. Finally, I slipped my legs out from underneath the warm comforter and shivered as they touched the icy floor. It took me a moment to find my robe and I draped it over my shoulders, slipping my arms into the sleeves with some difficulty in the pitch blackness.
I tied it tightly and opened the door. For a moment, I was blinded by the light. As my eyes adjusted, I saw Mike and Leo, and an unfamiliar woman between them. She was about 5'3, barefoot, and wearing only a short, blue robe. She looked up as I entered, and bit her lip, tucking her long, permed hair behind her ear.
I stepped forward and Leonardo and Michaelangelo both turned. Leo bowed slightly. "Amy. Good evening. Donatello told us you were asleep; did we wake you?"
I shook my head. "No, I... wasn't quite sleeping yet."
He turned to the newcomer. My eyes followed and I saw her studying me. "Melanie, this is Amy," Leo explained. His voice held a formal tone to it. I wondered why. "Salome's mother."
Melanie smiled warmly. "You have a beautiful daughter."
I was immediately at ease. If they had brought her down here, they trusted her. And that meant I could, too. Her attempt at kindness was welcomed. "Thank you," I smiled back, nodding to her.
She stepped forward and offered her hand. "I had a daughter," she explained. "They kinda grow on ya, I think."
I nodded as I shook her hand. I wasn't about to question her use of the word "had" at this point. "I love her very much," I confirmed.
"Don is putting her to bed if you wanna go tuck her in," Mike offered.
I smiled faintly. "Yeah, I should," I whispered, turning back to Melanie. "It was nice meeting you, though."
She nodded. "You too." She laughed quietly. "What was your name again?"
"Amy."
"Sorry," she giggled. "I'm terrible with names. My name's Melanie, but you can call me Mel."
