Surprise!

Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles, according to my lawyers, the deal didn't go throughRowan and Charlie are mine. In simple terms, touch without permission and pay dearly. Also, I need to apologize for some strong language in this, and the chapters that follow said by Jake. That said and done, on with the chapter!

~*~

Rubbing his eyes, Donatello left his lab for the kitchen, hoping for some coffee, and groaning when he saw the empty pot. Instead he settled for some juice, knowing that he didn't have enough time to brew a fresh pot before training. The others began to filter in, Leonardo looking alert and happy as usual for their morning riggers, while Michaelangelo still had his eyes closed, which explained why he banged into the table, Raphael was probably still asleep.

"Ut, it's too earlier for this." He leaned over to Donatello, jerking a thumb at his blue banded brother; "Does he take drugs or somethin'?"

Shrugging Donatello stood, wanting to check in on Rowan. Much to her liking he had rewired the lighting so that the living room lights stayed off, unless you turned them on from a separate switch. This way, the other lights would not wake her or Charlie. Poking his head in through the curtained doorway, He saw Charlie sleeping peacefully as usual on the couch. Rowan, in a bout of fitful sleep, had kicked her blankets off of her. Going in he retrieved the blanket quietly, and placed it back over her still form. Brushing some hair aside, he caught a glimpse of the bandage on her forehead. Moaning softly in her sleep, her eyes fluttered open, staring at Donatello uncomprehending.

"Is it morning?" She whispered.

Still kneeling, he smiled and shook his head.

"No, go back to sleep." He replied softly.

She smiled sleepily, tugging the blankets tighter around her. " 'Kay, see you in the morning."

Watching Donatello leave, Rowan climbed off her makeshift bed in the chair. Pausing long enough to make sure that the others weren't near her, she pulled on her heavy sweater, jacket and boots. Taking a piece of paper and a pen, she wrote a note to leave on the kitchen table. Knowing the others would all be in the dojo training with Splinter, which would leave her free to venture to the surface.

~*~

Training was almost over when Charlie came in, half asleep and rubbing his eyes. Raphael was the first to notice the scared looking little boy.

"Charlie? What're you doin' here?" He ran over, kneeling down to get a closer look at him. "Where's your mom?"

"I kcan't f find h her." He sobbed.

"What do you mean you can't find her?" Leo questioned, joining the conversation.

Charlie held up a piece of paper, "I found this, but I k can't r read it." He sniffled as Donatello took the paper, reading it aloud.

"Gone X-Mas shopping, be back for lunch. Rowan."

"Is she nuts?! There's only five shopping days left. She'll never find anything."

"Uh, Mikey, I think yer missin' the whole point. That baka yaro is still out there!" Raphael said, replacing the English curse for a Japanese one Charlie wouldn't understand.

"Someone should go after her! What if he finds her?"

"At nine in the morning? Oh yeah Leo, great idea! I guess I could just go and waltz right into Macys and ask the front counter if they seen her."

"Well if you've got a better idea Raph, I'm dyin' to hear it."

Noticing Charlie off a little by himself crying, Michaelangelo dared to step into the fight.

"Alright, go to your corners! The last thing Charlie needs right now is to see you fight."

Turning to look at the small crying boy, Raphael felt his heart break. Going over he picked him up. "Hey, don't worry Charlie, your mom just left to go shopping, but she'll be home later."

"Ppromise?"

Hugging him he nodded, "I promise."

Leo turned to Mike, "Go call April, she might know where Rowan could be." Nodding, Mikey left to go make the call.

As his sniffling subsided, Charlie pulled back a little to look at Raphael, who was still holding him, and wrinkled his nose.

"Raph you smell funny."

Laughing he set Charlie back down.

"It's called sweat kid, something you'll get in about seven years."

~*~

Walking in the large department store Rowan took a quick look around, locating the toy store. Hmm, I can probably find something for both Charlie and Mikey there. She grazed by the rows of Barbie's and stuffed animals, pausing to look at a cute little pink chenille bunny. Jocelyn would've loved pink. Breathing deep, she kept walking toward the boys' section. Hmm, Charlie would love this! He and Mikey are always watching him. What was its name? Spongy Squaredpants? Rowan shook her head, knowing that wasn't it but putting it in the cart anyway. Another toy made her grin. I know Mikey would love this!

~*~

Rowan picked up a Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots game, and, as Jake watched, placed it in the cart with some ghastly yellow toy. He still couldn't get over the fact that for two years, two whole fucking years, she had eluded him. And the entire time she had only been 53 miles away! But that wasn't what bothered him. No, what really pissed him off was that she had the audacity to walk out on him. After all he had done to provide for her, that little hoar had left. Taking their only child with her. I could end this right now babe, just put a gun to your back and take you outside for a little fun. But he didn't want to do that, at least not yet. It was obvious that Charlie wasn't with her. Which meant that he was with someone else. And he knew, just knew that it would be some guy. Probably just some dick off the streets. The slut wouldn't take long to find someone. It didn't matter when Jake would call home about working late that he was working a different girl each night. But, it's all right, because they were just females. The weaker sex that needed to be shown their place in the chain of hierarchy. And Jake was just the man for the job.

Staying just within eyesight, Jake watched as Rowan meandered through the electronics store before stopping in the weightlifting aisle.

~*~

Hmph, would Raph rather have a handheld dumbbell set or a weightlifting set? Shrugging she threw the dumbbells in with the other things, heading for the checkout counter. Even with her meager items, it was still enough to max out both of her credit cards after gift-wrapping was complete. Hefting the bags in her arms she pictured how surprised everyone would be come Christmas morning.

~*~

Following her outside, Jake watched her weave her way through the crowds. Going farther and farther down into the city, finally turning into an alleyway. Quietly he followed her as she went deeper into the catacombs of New York's' alleys. He knew he was close now, he could feel it. Now he could find out where her pot-bellied boyfriend lived. A feral grin on his face as he turned a corner, waiting for the victory of catching her with the key in the lock. He was shocked to stare into an empty ally, the only other exit blocked by a large wire fence.

Where the fuck did she go?

TBC

Note: The Japanese swears that I used I picked up from a website that deals only with curses since neither Rowan or Charlie would know what they would be saying. Here's the website, and if I've spelled or said something in the wrong text, please bare with me since my Japanese did not include curses until now.

Baka yaro : Stupid Bastard