The Legacy
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.
Chapter Eleven - Enter Shay
Michaelangelo:
I had decided to go topside and mingle for a bit before Rama's afternoon session with Leo, Karena had been amusing her when I left and I knew Leo and Splinter would also keep an eye on her, while I took some much needed time to myself.
Once in a while I needed to get away from Rama, much as I loved that kid of mine it was just a lot of work looking after her, going on patrols, attending to the family business of protecting the city, that it didn't really leave me a great deal of time for myself.
I had been out for a few hours and knew that it was about time to head home and soon start on preparing dinner for everyone, but I stopped to buy Rama a treat, it was spring and I was able to get a cheap bouquet of flowers that would please Rama to no end.
Rama loved flowers, the smells and colours pleased her immensely and it was a favourite treat for her to have real flowers for a bit, I figured if she enjoyed them so much I didn't mind on rare occasions in spring or summer buying her a bunch of various types, after all flowers couldn't rot her teeth the way candy and other treats might. Since she hadn't had any flowers since late fall I knew these would be well received.
I started down a junction of pipe towards home, walking along silently when I thought I heard Raph's voice somewhere up a head.
" Ya got no right comin' back here after all this time. Whachya plannin' on breaking his heart again and Ramiela's too?"
Then I heard another voice replying " She's my daughter too Raph and I have a right to see her."
I inhaled sharply, it couldn't be.
" You gave up all right to see her when you left here. We haven't even heard that much from ya in the last year." Raph scoffed.
" I've been busy Raph with school and studies…" came the frustrated weary response.
I did know that voice it was her; after all. I began to hurry anxious to get to Raph before he did drive her away.
" Congratulations then you have a life, and so does your so called daughter who doesn't even know you exist, and for her sake it better stay that way" Raph growled.
I came up behind my brother " Don't you dare go chasing Shay off Raph. She does have every right to see Rama" I announced firmly as I pushed my way past him and between the two.
Raph muttered a curse under his breath, his eyes smouldered as he tried to stare Shay down.
" Michael is that really you?" Shay asked.
I smiled she was the only one who had ever bothered to call me Michael. " Yeah Shay, who else? So How ya been?" I wondered.
She smiled back at me rolled her eyes towards Raph before answering " Happy."
" That is good to hear. I guess life is treating you okay and things are back on track?" I said.
She nodded.
" So what are you doing back in New York?" I couldn't help asking her.
" I have a bit of a break between semesters and thought I just…" She paused bit her bottom lip slightly, " I don't know. I've been thinking a great deal about you and Ramiela so I hoped I could come and visit for a bit. If its all right?" She explained slightly nervous, her hands shifting and moving as if of their own accord while she talked. " I know it has been awhile, and I really haven't kept in touch the way that I should have Michael."
" Hey, don't worry about it. I bet school and working odd jobs, here and there, does tend to keep you busy. You're welcome back here any time Shay. After all Ramiela really ought to know you." I admitted easily.
It was good to see here again after all this time, though our conversation seemed a bit stiff and stilted at the moment, a lot of that could be due to our past, once lovers and friends who had a child, and yet time had changed both of us. She had moved on with her life returning home, and going back to school.
While I once loved her, I found that there just wasn't that sense of feeling or attachment I had felt back when I had been sixteen and met her for the first time. She was about five-five in height, not as slender as she had been but she wasn't bearing much extra weight either.
Come to think of it when I had first met her she had been a run away street kid often using drugs or drinking so if anything Shay actually looked healthier then when I first met her, and she definitely had lost any weight she had gained while carrying Rama.
" Some people might not think it so great to see me back again" Shay retorted as she glared at Raph.
" Yeah well Raph hasn't changed much since you were last here" I joshed, " You know what he is like."
" Oh, I remember that all right" Shay agreed. Her gaze dropped to the flowers I was holding " Someone tell you I was coming Michael?"
" Nope, these just happen to be for the only girl in my life. She loves me and I am crazy about her. She is young and cute…" I teased.
" And just happens to be your daughter" Shay concluded.
" That is the one" I laughed, " How'd you guess?"
" Just a hunch" Shay chuckled a little, " Same old Michael."
" A very different Shay though." I remarked kindly, " You have changed for the better girl. It really shows. Mind a hug for old time sake?"
Shay beamed " I thought you would never ask, especially after the way I left you. I thought you might want to kill me." Shay murmured as she came up to give me a hug.
" Mike!" Raph snarled unable to stay silent any longer, " She took off leaving in the middle of the night leaving only a note you were…"
" Raph lay off!" I snapped giving him a dark look of my own, " Shay all ready knows all about us and our rules. Besides how she left our home doesn't matter any more except to you." I pointed out.
" You just want to let her waltz in and end up hurting both of you, when she gets bored and takes off again? You have got to be joking."
I spoke silently to Raph, I knew he was feeling protective of Rama and also, being my best friend he was more aware of how Shay's leaving last time had upset me so, but back then I had loved her. I thought rather foolishly that she would stay, never realizing she was too young and only felt trapped living there with a child and longed to set her own life right.
Finally Raph ducked his head, shrugging his shoulders, Fine do as you want, he relented.
I turned back to Shay as we started to walk towards home " Listen Shay, since you admit that you are only here to visit us. I don't want Rama asking too many questions about your relationship to her. One day when she is older, and can understand better I will tell her the truth of who you are" I vowed, " But for now it is far better that Rama just thinks of you as a family friend."
" I understand Mike. I haven't really been much of a mother to her any ways." Shay admitted, " It is weird coming back here. I never told anyone about you guys, at times it just doesn't seem all that real." Shay sighed, " I can't wait to see Ramiela though she must be big by now."
" She's growing like a bad weed and still into everything," I groaned.
" I almost got lost in the sewers got really switched around. Its just as well I did run into Raph" Shay stated then looked over her shoulder at my brother " Stop giving me those looks they never worked on me before why would they work now Raph?" She demanded sharply.
Raph guffawed " I don't know some of my looks had to work on you at one point" he remarked.
Shay laughed, " Sure they did but that was when I was young and stupid what was your excuse?" She shot back quickly.
" Get off my Case." Raph retorted simply.
" Don't call me Case, I hate that" Shay flared.
Shay's real name was Cassandra Stephens, but when she had stayed with us she had gone by her street name of Shay. Due to that all of us called her by the more familiar street name, except for Raph when he wanted to bug her. It seemed their old love to hate one another relationship was still on.
….
We returned home in a few minutes and Rama came running to meet me " Daddy, daddy youse come home again. I miss you," she cheered.
I gave her a hug " I missed you too babe, I thought about you so much I bought you a present. See what I have for you?" I offered the flowers.
Rama grinned wide, her eyes lit up " Pretty flowers" she cooed, " thank you daddy." She took the flowers from me and began to sniff them, then she pointed to Shay " Daddy who she?"
" Ah, you have noticed my friend have you?" I asked, " Rama I want you to meet Shay she is a friend of the family. Last time Shay saw you, you were a little baby," I explained.
" You saw me then?" Rama wondered aloud, " Then you must be likes Uncle Casey and Aunty April."
Shay was smiling and I could see the hint of tears in her eyes as she gazed on Rama holding her bouquet of flowers. " Something like that Ramiela" Shay finally managed to say, " Why don't we go find something to put those flowers into?" Shay suggested.
" I shows you where. In kichen Shay" Rama declared quickly as she headed that way.
I followed quickly after Rama and Shay, while Raph stormed off through the living room towards the dojo. I figured I best stick close because while, Rama seemed all right with Shay at the moment I knew, Rama could suddenly realize, that she was with a complete stranger and get a bit scared if there wasn't a family member near by.
Leo was in the kitchen getting a drink and he raised an eye ridge as he saw Rama's friend.
" Shay, it has been a long time since we last saw you. Come for a visit I take it?"
" For a couple weeks yes" Shay agreed, " I'm planning to stay at a hotel I didn't even know if I could find you again." She shrugged a little, " That plus I didn't want to be a bother. I wasn't even sure if you would want me back," she confessed.
" Why wouldn't we welcome you?" Leo wondered curiously as he reached into a cupboard for a vase to hand to Shay.
" Well the way I left here for one thing."
" You only did what you had to do Shay. It is good to see you again and I'm sure you could stay here if you like. It would save you some of the expense." Leo offered.
" I'll think about it Leo. At the moment I just don't want to impose I just wanted a chance to see Ramiela again." Shay stated simply, as she put some water in the vase before taking it to the kitchen table.
Rama laughed, " Most people have problem with my name Shay but you don't."
I handed Shay a pair of scissors to trim the stems off the flowers to fit the vase, and Rama began to hand her the flowers one by one.
" Well like your dad said I knew you when you were a baby. You've grown a lot since then. Your turning into a very pretty girl."
Rama smiled and ducked her head at the compliment " Shay's you knows flowers?"
" Uh…What do you mean Ramiela?"
" She wants to know the flower names. Most of those are carnations I think" I muttered I wasn't very interested in flowers but I had learned a few names for Rama's sake. I turned to Leo " How did the afternoon session go bro?"
" It was a bad one Mike. I got maybe ten twelve minutes of actual work out of her. I was hoping to teach her a third kata but she wasn't in the mood to focus" Leo grimaced, " She was more excited and into other things."
I scowled at the report " Rama do we have to have another talk about respecting Sensei Leonardo?" I asked interrupting Rama and Shay's conversation on flowers.
" I wanted to rea daddy." Rama claimed.
I furrowed my brow even further not understanding what she had said " Rea. Did I miss something here?" I asked.
Leo chuckled " She means read Mike." Leo informed me kindly.
" She can't read yet we haven't taught her that." I insisted.
" Blame Karena. She did up a little book for Ramiela, I think the school teacher in her is starting to come out. She wrote these simple sentences and drew pictures and she taught Ramiela how to read her book before her lesson." Leo explained, " Ramiela is very excited that she can read all by herself and just couldn't concentrate on simple exercises in the dojo."
Leo's tone said he was quite willing to be understanding and forgive the disruption this time.
" I suppose she is just being nice to Rama, after all she has to learn to read soon any ways." I agreed.
" Yes just as long as Karena doesn't end up getting Ramiela too stirred up before lessons too often" Leo sounded slightly testy.
I knew he was still worried about Karena possibly interfering with the ninja lessons, and knew that Leo wouldn't stand for it. Leo wouldn't be worried about Karena being interested in him or not, his main interest was training Ramiela to become a ninja and member of our clan.
Rama hearing our talk, got down from her chair and went over to Leo patting him on the leg when he looked down at her she said " I sorrys Sensay. I do better morrow, no mad at Karena?"
" No I am not mad at Karena." He smiled at her tenderly " I know you will work better for me tomorrow. Why don't you go get the book Karena made for you to show daddy it?"
Rama beamed " Okay be right back" She turned taking off at a run.
" Ramiela no running!" Leo ordered after her.
" Whose Karena someone's girlfriend?" Shay asked curiously.
" Not yet" I replied.
Leo scoffed " Oh come on Mike you don't think that she would be considering one of us do you?"
" Oh I don't know Shay considered one of us once upon a time, and you have to wonder why Karena stays around in this dive" I gestured to the concrete pipes that made up our home.
" Karena will leave when she is ready Mike. Shay did, and all of our other guests have, that is just the way it is. You know it as well as I do." Leo paused, " Our home is more of a transition place. People come here to heal and then go on. It isn't a place for people to stay, not when the world above offers so much more." He paused and sighed " I know that you hope for Ramiela's sake Mike, but it isn't a life I would force anyone into."
Rama came back with her book in hand " See daddy my rea book. Ramiela's at book." She handed me the folder that was coloured very nicely.
Inside was some white pages with little pictures of certain things and all of the items had an at in them, like bat, cat, mat, rat and so on. Then every once in a while there was a whole sentence and picture showing that sentence, for instance a rat sat on a mat.
A fat cat sat on my hat, now my hat is flat.
With how well Ramiela remembered things I had a feeling that she would soon have the whole book down pat, heh, this whole at thing seemed to be contagious. I loved the idea and could see why Rama was so excited by it.
Shay smiled as she watched Leo leave " I get it now, this Karena woman must like you Mike."
I shook my head " I don't think so Shay."
" Hey everyone knows the best way to get to a single parent is by going through their kid" Shay assured me.
" Really?" I wondered, I never heard of such a thing.
" Sure Michael. Ramiela falls in love with her, she won't want Karena to leave and the kid plays match maker to some extent."
I raised my hands " Oh, no Shay you got it all wrong" I insisted shaking my head.
" It's true Mike" Shay declared.
" Well, maybe it is but trust me Karena isn't after me." I informed her, I don't think Shay really believed that but I knew now, or thought I did what was going on.
Leo had told Karena Rama was our future the most important person in our clan and I had told her that family was important to Leo, if Shay was right then maybe Karena was hoping to get to Leo by going through Rama first.
If that was Karena's plans then she was being as sneaky as a ninja herself.
Oh god's Leo, look out you have got trouble and you don't even know it.
Course maybe Karena was doing this just to be nice but I had a feeling that there just had to be more to it then that.
TBC
Mikaela's Spade: Gee I am humbled and thank you for the generous review. More of an artist hmm? What sort of art do you enjoy doing? I like to draw using pencil, charcoal or pastels myself. A gratitude for your insight.
Curious Fan: What can I say but I do my best. As for the information I do have a lot of martial arts books at home, as well as books on ninja and I use them to help me when writing my turtle stories. A gratitude for your insight.
Chibiroseangel: I explained the rama series order could be found in my bio in a separate e-mail so hope that is of use to you. The Leo and Karena relationship continues along. A gratitude for your insight.
Reinbeauchaser: Breaking down Leo's lecture took a bit of work. In the original story it had very few breaks and was sort of all lumped together one of the things I wanted to change, as it probably made it all the harder for readers to get through. I figured you'd enjoy the ninja information bits, though some you might all ready be aware of. A gratitude for your insight.