Story Time

Disclaimer: I own Rowan and Charlie, touch, or use and pay the price. Until I hear back from my lawyers I don't own the turtles. So play with them as you like.

~*~*~*

Rowan smiled in her sleep, the dream she was having a pleasant one. Despite of things to come, Jake was a wonderful man. And she dreamt of the first time they had met. He was a senior in High School, she was a freshman. They had both gone to the same dance, and after one dance with him, she was hooked. He would always surprise her with gifts, drive her places when her family fought.

He was always gentle. But then again, all good things must come to an end, and her dream didn't just end, it shattered. The control started quickly after Charlies birth. It became really apparent when he tore into clothes she wore, literally. He told her that she looked like a hoar, ripping the beige blouse off her. Quickly remedying her bad taste in clothes by buying them for her. The arrangement of the house came next.

Everything had to be kept in perfect order, and she paid the price dearly after drying her hands on a towel in the bathroom and not straightening in after she was done. Her back still bore the scars of his metal clasped belt. She lost contact with her friends, the latter thinking she wanted nothing to do with them. And she had finally been forced to quit her job after her male boss had called about her switching a shift with another housekeeper. Jake had thought she had slept with him, and gave her an ultimatum - Him or Jake. But Rowan knew that she wouldn't even live to see their walkway if she chose someone other that Jake (Even though nothing was happening).

But than, his didn't even compare to the horrors of the bedroom.

~*~*~*~

Training was over, and Mike had come to check in on Rowan and Charlie. Charlie was snuggled in a tight cocoon of blankets, breathing evenly. He smiled and looked at Rowan, her fingers twitched from a dream, and her eyelids began to flutter. Mikey watched, not really sure if she was all right. When she began to whimper and shaking her head, he gently shook her shoulder. She jerked her arm out and up, smacking him in the head. As she became fully aware, he backed up, rubbing his head.

"Damn, if I'da known you were that kinda morning person, I would've sent Raph." Seeing her glare at the curse, he pointed to Charlie. "Don't worry. The little dude's sound asleep."

Pulling aside the blanket, she stood in a stretch. " 'M sorry. Didn't mean ta hit ya like that."

Rubbing his head one more time, Mikey led the way to the kitchen where Rowan made a beeline for the coffee. Picking up a chocolate chunk cookie to eat, she sat at the table.

"You call that a breakfast?" Donatello said, pulling a face that made Rowan giggle.

"The athletes breakfast of choice." She laughed around a mouthful of cookie.

Finishing off her cup of coffee and going for more, a thought struck her and she turned to the joking teens.

"How old are you guys? If you don't mind my asking. It's just, it's hard to tell."

"We're eighteen. You?" Leo asked.

She took a drink from her replenished cup of coffee. "Twenty, and the little rugrat is five."

Donatello looked at her in surprise. "But that would mean you were only fifteen when you uh " He trailed off, embarrassed by his discovery.

She waved the question away, "'S alright. I don't mind. If it weren't for Charlie, I probably wouldn't even be here." She said with a wistful smile.

"Well, where'd ya be?" Michaelangelo asked.

She looked at the floor, "Dead." She gratefully took the chair Leo offered her, and grabbed another cookie. Chocolate is a perfect anti - depressant.

"Maybe you'd better tell us what happened."

She laughed, a short humorless bark of a sound. " When, last night? Or everything?"

"Everything." Raphael said.

Taking a deep breath, she explained how she had moved in with an eighteen year old when she was fifteen, and pregnant in the same year with Charlie. And how everything changed with the coming of their first born. She told them, mildly and without much description, of how he controlled her. Skimming over the physical abuse, and pausing at the loss of her second child.

Her precious little Jocelyn. The others waited, allowing her time to get over the emotional memory enough to proceed. Telling them of how she left, almost two years ago, and have been living in New York without him ever since. And, of his sudden appearance last night.

"Jesus Christ!" Raphael muttered, forgetting the mothers' wraith for the moment.

Seeing the others look of horror and shock she sighed, standing, and prepared to leave.

"I'm sorry, it's my life and I shouldn't have burdened you with it."

Reaching out as she passed, Donatello grabbed her wrist, stopping her. She kept her head bowed, hiding her tears behind a curtain of brown hair.

"The worst part is, I don't think I can go home. He probably knows where I live."

"Then you shall remain here."

They all looked up at Splinter, who was focusing his gaze on Rowan.

"Thanks, but you've already done so much."

"Then consider it an order, least till we can find that scumbag." Raph said, the rough edge in his voice coming back three- fold.

Knowing she wasn't going to win, she sighed in defeat. Moving in front of her, Donatello pointed to her bandage.

"I was kinda nervous to ask you earlier, but can I have a look at that? I don't want it to get infected."

Nodding, she followed him silently. Before going into what Donnie had dubbed the sick bay (Although Raphael was the only real customer), she checked in on Charlie. Ten in the morning and still sleeping. Once alone with the turtle, she seated herself and waited while he cleaned the large gash on her forehead. Wincing at the peroxide soaked cotton ball. When the fresh bandage was in place, he stood silently for a moment.

"Uh, can I please check the other cuts?"

Nervous, but past the point of caring, she pulled her sweater off, revealing a white sports bra. After seeing no new scars on her back, he had her lie down. Pausing a moment at two crescent slashes opposite each other on her stomach, when he noticed a darker coloring, just below her navel. The slightest touch made her gasp in pain. Moving the waist of her jeans down a little he saw the yellow blend into a deep shade of purple and blue.

"How far down does this go?"

She grimaced, and reached for her shirt, "Right now it feels like it goes all the way down and up the other side."

"I think you may have fractured your shin bone."

"I'll be fine, I've been through worse." She shrugged her shirt on, hopping off the table.

"But you're with us now. You don't have to anymore."

"Yea, well, there's no room for innocence in the world anymore. Everyone has to pull their own weight, but lately, I've been pulling both of ours." She said distantly, her eyes tinged with the remorse of a childhood lost.

As she left, she was greeted by a bear hug from Charlie. Wincing at the pain, she quickly smiled at him.

"Hey baby, sleep well?"

"Mommy! Guess what, guess what, guess what?"

Completely mystified at his exuberance, she laughed. "What?"

"It's the fifteenth! Only ten more days till Santa! Mikey said their friend April could get us a tree! An' we can make cookies for Santa, an' decorate an' all sorts a neat stuff!"

Not waiting for a reply, Charlie ran back over to tell the good news to Raphael, who was trying to watch a hockey game and feign interest to the babbling child as well.

"Raph? Raph are you listenin'? Come on, you can help with the decorations too! We need mistletoe an' garland, an' holly!"

"Mikey!"

Rowan burst into laughter at the desperate whine.

"Christmas with four teenaged mutant ninja turtles? Guess I have to stay for that, if nothing else."

"You are so right Rowan." Donatello laughed.

"'An Santa will be coming too! You've been good, haven't you Raph? Otherwise Santa'll give you coal."

"Good, I can make a coal fire." Raphael grumbled.

As Charlie started in on how fires were a big no - no, she heard another plea of help that went oblivious to the others.

"Alright, whoever feed this kid sugar is gonna pay!" Raph shouted.

Mikey, who was walking out of the kitchen, heard the shout, and promptly did a U- turn back inside.

TBC

XxTMNTpunkerxX - I do plan on finishing it, I just hope that by the time ch.9 is up, I'll have had some inspiration. Thanks for the review!

Rene - Reinbeauchaser - Thank you for the advice, if you take notice, the sotry is now rated pg-13. And yeah, I am trying not to be to frank with later chapters about the problems, ch.3 is probably the last time the description I believe is being said. Thank you for taking the time to review with helpful hints. And don't worry, like I said, I really want to update a.s.a.p! ^_~.