Chapter I - Be My Wife
"I am like everyone else! Inside I am just like everyone else! Why can't people just see that?"--Erik Susan Kay's (Phantom)
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Past
The dark cloudy night above was illuminated by the glow of lights from the windows of the many skyscrapers.
He was patrolling the streets his shift was just about over and he was anxious to return to his lab and get to the many projects he had underway at the moment.
His ninja senses alert he dropped silently down into a back alley and nearly jumped out of his shell when he heard something crashing around in the clutter and debris in the darkness of the alley.
" Probably just a stray cat" he muttered to himself. Still out of curiosity he went to inspect the noise.
He was totally shocked and unprepared to find what he did a mutant rat with blond rumpled, slightly grease marked fur, a small white patch under each eye. She was smaller then Splinter and there was something about her that made him believe she was feminine.
Don wasn't afraid of her even though she crouched slightly and curled her lips baring her teeth.
" Calm down now. I'm not going hurt you. You are a mutant like myself, only I am a mutant turtle but the person who raised me is a rat much like yourself."
He noticed her body seemed to relax and he saw an ear twitch in his direction as he spoke to her in his soft tones.
" Can you understand me? Can you talk?"
" I can" she replied hesitantly.
" Where did you come from?" Don wondered not used to seeing other mutants beyond his family members that is.
She trembled slightly and let out a low almost hissing noise before answering him. She spoke slowly as if choosing her words or uncertain of what to say.
She explained that she had been in a scientific research lab for her entire life and could not recall how she had come to be like this or how she had come to be different from an ordinary lab rat.
The scientist performed many test on her and over time while in their captivity she had managed to pick up words and the basics of sentence structure from them. The scientist caught her speaking once and concluded that she was only mimicking them and arranged a large barrage of test and research on her to see how intelligent she was.
After that she tried not to act like she had knowledge of what they were saying or doing.
Somehow she learned they were going to kill and dissect her and she found a way to escape.
" I'm not going back there" she concluded her story.
Don had been impressed by the intelligence that she had shown and sympathetic towards her plight he gave her a tender smile in return " No one said you had to. If you have no place else to stay you can live with us for awhile. My name is Donatello but my brothers call me Don. Do you have a name that you call yourself, or would like to be called?"
She wrinkled her nose slightly her whiskers twitching " Tamara" she replied cautiously her head cocked to one side.
Tamara at first seemed a little uneasy and nervous around them, which was understandable.
Don felt a great deal of compassion and empathy for her and all she had been put through so he did his best to make her feel at home and safe. Often putting aside his own tasks to help her.
Once in a while Tamara would be a little churlish or abrupt in her manner and attitude but Don was willing to make excuses for her behavior.
" She has had such a hard time of things it might take a while for her to realize we aren't going to hurt her."
Tamara had often derided him for his interest in all things scientific and made many disparaging remarks and comments his way about it.
Naturally he had overlooked that even in the early days.
If he had the sort of start in life she had come from he probably wouldn't think very fondly of scientist himself.
" I can't really blame her for that not after all she has been through" he explained to his brothers one day during practice shortly after she had made some snide remark about the subject.
Leo shrugged " Long as you don't see any harm in it then there is nothing wrong."
Raph arched an eye ridge from where he was " I don't know Donny she seems like bad news to me. I think the scientist may have scrambled a few of her circuits if you know what I mean."
Don gave a negative shake of his head " Always the pessimist Raph. I think you are scared of her because you know we could have been in some Science lab or might end up that way", he challenged.
Raph growled some response low in his throat before stalking off.
...Reflecting now on those early days Don had to wonder when had it really begun? There was no one point he could look at and say that is where it started to go wrong.
It had been so gradual but once it started there had been no stopping it or turning back. He readily admitted that he got used to making excuses for how she had behaved towards him. When she became truly violent later then apologized it seemed only natural to forgive her and accept her promise that it wouldn't happen again. That she was really sorry.
How could he turn her away? She seemed so contrite at those times?
No there was no one point that he could say it started then. In a way that troubled him...
It hadn't been all that bad at first sure they had their disagreements but what couple didn't? It was natural for people to disagree with one another every now and again.
That plus the fact that Don really didn't know a great deal about being in a relationship, he didn't know how they were supposed to work or what to expect of them and he didn't know many people who had been in relationships to ask them what they thought or knew. Even researching the subject couldn't help him a great deal. He knew enough to know that people being individuals would not agree with one another on every aspect in their life and he expected the arguments and disagreements as such.
On the whole they got along all right though Tammie wasn't very forthcoming with what had happened to her in the lab but even that was understandable to a point. She wanted to forget it and Don didn't feel like forcing her to relieve what could only be very painful memories for her.
There may have been some warning signs in those early days but they were all to easy to overlook and excuse in one way or another.
For him the earliest sign of true trouble was shortly after their marriage had begun.
It had started innocently enough over how much time he spent by himself working on projects and checking out things on the computer and that sort of thing.
Suddenly in the middle of the argument Tammie's face twisted with rage and she whirled around pinning him to the wall, her long claws digging sharply into the skin on his arm.
Don had been shocked by her sudden attack he became even more so when he realized that she was incredibly strong and powerful for someone of her size.
Having been trained in ninjitsu for the better part of his life he should have been able to break her hold with ease but he found he couldn't and the more he tried the harder she held him her claws becoming uncomfortably painful with his struggles. He didn't have the room to maneuver to break the hold and his struggles to break loose only seemed to increase her fury at him.
When she had finally released him he had small wounds in his arms where her nails had been digging in.
" Don't mess with me Donatello remember you brought this on yourself. Don't even bother telling the others about it either."
Don gazed in numb horror an uncomprehending look on his stunned face. Tell the others that little Tammie had been fully capable of holding him against his will? That he hadn't been able to break her hold on him?
He could just see the teasing he would be letting himself in for if he let it become common knowledge.
" Besides it is none of their business Don" she warned him before leaving him alone.
Yes, it wasn't their business and he really didn't need to add insult to injury not to mention that he was rather embarrassed by the whole incident at hand.
In afterthought Don often contemplated if the scientist had done something to Tammie to make her stronger and more powerful then she looked on the outside, he supposed such a thing was possible.
That should have been all he needed to know to back out and get away then but he hadn't not then not later.
Of course later she begged his forgiveness promising to never become so violent again. She was truly sorry for the pain she had caused him and felt bad about it.
Don felt that Tammie was remorseful and regretted her actions besides they were married now and he felt that they could work things out and reach a reasonable compromise, so he accepted her apology.
The second attack came a few weeks later once again it happened almost out of no where. This time Tammie used her long tail like a whip snapping it hard against his skin causing bruising and some welts and again she cautioned him to tell no one.
That should have told him then, that things weren't going to get any better but Don was determined not to give up or cave in. He felt that Tammie was still having some problems with her past and might only be lashing out at him because she considered him a safe target. If he could ride it out he was sure she would settle down and they would be happy with one another.
Humiliated and embarrassed Don was all too willing to stay silent and made up an excuse for the marks she had caused.
As time passed and the attacks continued to occur Don could only do his best to hide his wounds he received from her. He grew uneasy with Tammie's quick Jekyl and Hyde switches that came over her so suddenly. He did his best to placate her in hopes of avoiding trouble.
The thing was her attacks were so quick and brutal and so unexpected at the best of times that he never knew when or where she would attack then the rest of the time she would be the Tammie he had come to know quiet and gentle.
He couldn't begin to fathom it. He didn't want to hurt Tammie and he couldn't comprehend why she would be after him.
The strange attacks happened only at night in their own room away from the others, behind closed doors they were always followed by an apology either later that night or sometime in the morning at the very latest. Don listened to her apologies and her promises was willing to stay because he wanted things to work out between them and he wanted to believe what Tammie said about it not happening again.
As more time passed she wasn't acting as contrite after the attacks which were growing to be more frequent with the passing of time. She berated him constantly about his intelligence and the way he acted often passing snide comments his way as if intent on hurting him any way she could.
Don was starting to lose confidence in himself as well as starting to lose his focus on the many projects he used to do that had brought him such enjoyment. He was starting to wonder if he truly was to blame for what was happening as Tammie often insinuated.
If he worked harder at it he was sure they could find a perfect balance. He knew they had gotten along well before and with some hard work and dedication he felt sure they could get things back on track.
During her attacks Don did his best to defend himself but he refused to accelerate the violence by attacking her. In this way he lead himself to believe that he might be able to stop it if he wanted to but refused to sink to violence to do so.
They could work it out in a perfectly adult manner and violence wasn't the answer to it.
Of course in those early days there were still some good times when they got along quite well together and Don clutched to those times knowing it was quite possible for the two of them to get along and be happy with out hurting one another.
In fact he didn't really think he had made much of a mistake until one attack that really left him questioning weather he was doing the right thing or not by staying with the marriage. It had all started when she had him pinned under her and he had managed to throw her off. Tammie had hardly landed when she was up and springing at him full force knocking him back to the ground and pulling a knife from his belt to hold near his throat.
" You think you are so smart getting me off. Just try and get me off now! I dare you! Don't EVER do that to me again" she threatened him menacingly.
Don gulped suddenly terrified she would actually kill him and unsure what he could say or do to prevent it from happening.
She had finally dropped the knife and let him go leaving him badly shaken and confused.
It was a few days after that attack that Leonardo called him aside after practice for a private talk.
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Sometimes you get nowhere
I've lived all over the world
I've lived all over the place
"Be My Wife" David Bowie