His True Love
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.
Chapter Thirty Six – Preparations
DONATELLO:
I had phoned April to find out the name and church of the fellow who had done Leo's wedding only a few years before, priest William Jacobs offered us a special opportunity that we would never have been able to have without him. With him we could actually be legally wed as husband and wife.
This gentle but aging priest could wed us, for one reason and one only he was blind. Not even a hint of partial vision and so he had no knowledge of what we truly were and we were very careful to ensure that he did not learn of our secret even with his other senses being heightened as was often the case when one loses the sense of sight.
Without him we could live together as husband and wife, or we could have a clan sanctioned marriage with the Jonin of our clan performing the ceremony for us, but these things were not exactly considered legal marriage in the western world. Living together might gain you some of the same rights as marriage when it came time to separate, and do taxes but it just wasn't the same as saying you would take that final step and commit yourself to one another.
As it was Splinter had all ready approved both Raph's upcoming wedding and my own. I knew a real wedding wasn't really necessary.
Jen all ready had her fairy tale big wedding when she married for the first time, this time she was quite willing and happy to have a small and simple ceremony. She told me that she had told her parents about the nice guy she was interested in, who was very camera shy but she didn't plan on telling them of us getting married until the deed was done.
Much as she was willing to settle for a small ceremony and she had told me that she didn't care if Splinter did marry us she did insist on having a ring, which she would provide.
I figured if she could provide her own wedding ring I could at the very least make our marriage, and union legal if at all possible. I knew how much the proper wedding had appealed to Karena when Leo had surprised her with it.
Now I crossed my fingers on one hand while I dialed the phone with the other.
I waited for the phone to be picked up on the other end and surprisingly got Priest Jacobs himself though I had been expecting an answering machine.
" Priest Jacobs, my name is Don Turtle you happened to marry my brother and his wife just a little over three years back and um," I paused then hurried on " I was wondering if you would be free to wed my fiancé and I on August eighteenth?"
Priest Jacobs warm voice replied " Your brother three years back, what were their names?" he asked gently.
He was probably trying to place them; with all the weddings he probably performed it might be easy to forget one or two, especially as time went on.
" Leonardo Turtle and Karena Davis. Our friends April and Casey Jones held the ceremony at their place it was just a simple affair for my family and our two friends." I replied and then gave him the date of Leo's wedding.
" Oh yes, I think I can recall them now. A nice young couple but your brother suffered from some sort of odd skin condition as I recall."
" Yeah, that skin condition sort of runs in our family" I agreed readily. We had told him before that our skin was a little cool to the touch and slightly scaly feeling due to a skin problem.
Jacobs sighed content " Yes I do placed them now. Since I cannot see a face it is far too easy to forget them so I have managed to work on other things to connect to names. Your brother was a very nice gentleman." Jacobs informed me in his companionable way " that skin condition though must make it difficult for all of you to get by with."
" Well it doesn't make it easy when we go out around people and it is why we have so few friends. It really gives us all a rather strange look." I confessed honestly but keeping the truth to a bare minimum without really lying.
" Yes I understand so few people are willing to look past the outside and see what is held within. I truly believe my blindness is a blessing for I can never be taken in by outward appearance" Jacobs laughed a little " So how are the young couple doing?"
" Oh they are still very much in love and their relationship gets stronger with each year. They have twin two year olds and have been talking about having another child soon."
" That is wonderful. I'm so glad to hear that their union is doing well after this time. Children are truly a blessing."
I smiled a bit as we chatted a bit more and I had to wonder if perhaps he might guess or know a little of our secret, that there was something not quite right about us in spite of all our precautions and care in tricking him.
I wasn't much one for religion myself trusting far more to science. Religion was fine for those times when people didn't understand such things and needed to but a reason to things like earthquakes and how life came to exist in the first place. Once science explained these things in a far more rational and believable manner then religion wasn't as necessary, except possible for those who were in it for spiritual reasons.
I could understand that aspect of it, I was ninja I could understand the spiritual aspect but did not go into the religious explanations when science was far more accurate.
Still knowing people with religious views on things like same sex weddings I could just think of their views concerning a marriage like ours.
I had a feeling that a man of God as it were, would be very much opposed to wedding some one like us to a human as they would probably only see how wrong it was in god's eyes and blasphemy. Never mind the term bestiality. No such union would ever be sanctioned by the church under normal principles. It would be a true slap in the face to all that was considered holy in the face of God.
Therefore William Jacobs truly didn't know what sort of couple he had really married on that day, if he had I don't think he'd be talking to me in that congenial way he was doing at the moment.
" And now you have found that special someone for yourself have you?"
" Yes, in fact I've known Jen for a few years now and we are ready to take the next step we will be having just a small private ceremony." I stated.
" August eighteenth was it? Let me check here" I heard something being shuffled and then he gave a heavy sigh " It seems I am fairly booked up that day."
The crushed feeling that followed his words only made me realize how much I longed to make our wedding legal for Jen and I both and I had to keep the disappointment from my voice.
" Well thanks any ways…"
" Now hold on there son…"
" Don" I interjected gently.
" Don I could do an evening ceremony for you right here in the church for a small fee" he hinted.
Money wasn't easy to come by in our household and what little we did get usually went on necessary supplies of groceries, first aid supplies we happened to use a lot of that, and other things that just could not be found by dumpster rummaging. I drummed my fingers absently on the concrete wall of the sewer pipe.
What might be a small fee for him could be extravagant for us.
" What kind of a fee are we talking about?" I wondered apprehensively.
" For you eighty dollars, for the use of the church for about an hour to an hour and half and my services." Jacobs said, " Most couples prefer to wed during the day and have the reception at night so it might be inconvenient for you however it is the only way for me to do the service" he explained " other then that you might have to look elsewhere."
" No that sounds fine. Shouldn't be a problem" I accepted hastily wondering where we could come up with that sort of money on short notice, still I highly doubted I could get my wedding much cheaper unless I did stick to the clan wedding.
We arranged a time in the evening that was acceptable and I hung up.
I knew Jen would easily pay for it and probably think nothing of it but this was supposed to be my gift to her.
Still our family didn't have a lot of money to spare. A great deal of our earnings came through picking up dropped change, or turning in recyclables by using April, Casey, or Karena to turn them in for us. The same thing for hocking lost jewelry. It wasn't a great deal and on rare occasions Raph would supplement these meager bits by breaking up a drug bust but Splinter didn't care for what he termed dishonorable money.
The biggest amount of money though was earned by me I would repair various electrical items and such for a small but reasonable fee for April's friends and neighbours. She would have them drop off the items at her place. I'd pick them up fix them and return them with bills of the work done. April collected the money and gave it to me.
Anyone who tried to get away without paying no longer got their items repaired by me. I built up a bit of a clientele this way.
No one ever saw me but it was a way I could use my skills to help the clan out. Of course every thing I earned was given for the whole family to use. Splinter allowed me to keep a portion for my work and services but the rest was divided amongst the other members of the clan or put to use in purchasing our needs.
Karena did tutoring it was her way of not having to deal so much with probing questions by coworkers, she was able to avoid such hassles and maintain our secret while still doing what she loved.
A percentage of the money she earned went to the Clan for our use and the rest she kept for her family's use. Raph jokingly called this her rent payment. Her rent had greatly improved our life style.
Of course once Jen and I were married she would also be expected to pay rent to the clan and I had let her know this so it wouldn't come as a surprise to her. Knowing what she must earn for her work I knew that our life was only going to get better with her money to help supplement our meager means.
Still I knew the Clan would have to be made aware of my needs to have so much given to me. Perhaps I should have consulted with them first on the matter before accepting Priest Jacobs offer.
Still perhaps I could borrow the money from Karena and slowly pay her back from my own earnings later on. I sighed and headed off to talk with Splinter, Leo and Karena about the possibilities available to pay for the wedding now that I had committed us to doing so.
I explained every thing to the three of them while we sat in the meditation room sipping tea.
Karena smiled " That is a wonderful idea Don. Let Leo and I at least contribute fifty dollars as your wedding gift."
Leo's head snapped around to look at his mate with eye ridges raised.
She laughed at him " Come on Leo, the twins won't do without and we can manage it. Don't you recall April and Casey paid for the whole thing for us? Not only that we still have a little over a month to come up with it" Karena pointed out, " And it leaves less for the clan to care for."
" Of course" Leo murmured agreement a small smile on his face, " however if we are going do it for Don and Jen then we ought to do something similar for Raph and Sara later."
Splinter smiled " Raphael told me they do not plan on being wed until she is an intern as he wants her to concentrate on her exams, so there will be time" his whiskers twitched slightly " I have no idea whether Raphael plans on having a wedding or not."
" HA! Knowing him he probably had enough trouble just asking Sara and probably feels that is enough" Karena mocked.
" He is probably quite happy enough that the clan has sanctioned his union. I know it would have been enough for me it was just I thought you'd like it to be official in more then clans eyes." Leo replied drolly, " Either way Don the clan can't offer much else to the wedding so I think we can manage this. You have at least given us enough time to prepare for it."
" Thanks" I said feeling relieved about it all.
Karena looked at Leo calmly " Every girl wants a wedding day and one that is special. It is making it official that makes it special for this clan so perhaps we ought to drop a few hints to the good blind priest that Raph and Sara might be living in sin in the near future."
I chuckled slightly " I don't think living in sin would disturb Raph in the least. Considering he has probably broken most of the ten commandments."
" Haven't we all Don? We have murdered, stolen. Now I know Raph covets the good life…" Leo joined in.
Splinter's bushy brows were raised " The ninja does not do these things in a bad way though. It is to serve our purpose." He chided gently then a smile crossed his face " Ninjas I suppose play gods and to that end it is breaking one of the commandments." With that the Master sat back his eyes sparkling and his tail tapping the floor in the way it did when he was in a very good mood, as we all started to laugh.
Karena shook her head " I might be married to one, I might live with them but I still don't understand ninja." She muttered.
Leo went folding her into his arms and kissing her gently rubbing his muzzle against her nose.
I smiled as I saw them and hoped that Jen and I would be as close as they were in the years down the road.
I was glad that at the very least our wedding would be legal before all and my gift to her of it was not in jeopardy in any way.
I found myself suddenly looking very much forward to the day when she would finally be my wife.
TBC