The Legacy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonian.

Chapter Twenty Eight - Its all fingers!

Raphael:

I woke up detecting the change and cause for it almost immediately. It was about time Leo got his shell into gear, I was actually, kind of surprised that Karena had enough patience to wait this long on Leo, the turtle without a clue.

I mean just about everyone but Leo knew what Karena had wanted and even when Leo figured it out he still hung back refusing to give in. I was sort of hoping my question might give him an idea, but Leo being who he was, all he could do was lecture me about my manners.

I picked my belt off the nightstand and noticed that it seemed to be much lighter than normal, probably because it was; both of my sais were missing.

I knew that Leo had been occupied the night before, besides that he wasn't the sort to go stealing weapons as a form of a joke, so that left only one responsible person. Rama must have slipped in while I was sleeping and made off with them.

Just to make sure I was right I got down on the floor and checked under the bed and beside the nightstand, and I found nothing. No big surprise really, considering I wasn't really expecting to find them, my first hunch had to be right, Rama wherever she was had my weapons.

I'd been kinda hoping after all Shay had put her through, that she had given up on her sai stealing ways, but we were talking Mike's kid here and I kinda liked her spunk. I knew I best find her and get my weapons back, before Leo or Mike found out about it and made a big deal over it.

I went outside and found Rama swinging from a tire swing we had set up for her on the large oak tree in the front yard, she was lying on her plastron in the centre of the tire, her legs down and working in circles, slowly winding the rope up until her toes were barely touching the dirt, then she'd pick up her feet and spin in dizzying circles as the rope unwound.

" Ramiela do you know where my sais are?" I asked.

She paused and looked up at me, " Gone" she announced firmly, " Don't work."

I strode over and grabbed hold of the rope holding it firmly in place and stared down at her " Ramiela I need you to get my sais before your daddy or Uncle Leo find out. You don't want to be punished do you?" I suggested, " Not out here where you can have so much fun."

Rama pulled out of the swing and glowered at me " Sais gone Uncle Raphiel" she insisted firmly, " Don't work!"

I growled at her reply and jabbed a finger at her " That's enough of that, What have you done with my sais?" I demanded sharply.

Rama let out a large breath of air before responding with, " Hide 'n' seek."

" I see you hid them and I have to find them" I wasn't too amused by that prospect.

" Can't find. Gone" Rama declared quickly.

I had a sinking feeling about all of this and much as I hated to do it I realized I would have to bring Mike into this, because I was getting nowhere on my own. In fact I was starting to wonder what she had done with my sais!

I went back into the house and headed for the kitchen, Mike had coffee ready and was whipping up a batch of waffles, while munching on a piece of toast. Leo was at the kitchen table talking quietly with Mike.

I groaned inwardly, rolling my eyes wondering why Leo wasn't off somewhere else.

Karena came into the kitchen wearing a blue bathrobe that April had left behind at one time, and her hair still wet from the shower. Karena paused to hug Leo and kiss the top of his head.

Leo smiled up at her and whispered, " I love you."

" I sure hope so" Karena retorted.

I would have made one of my famous comments but I let it go as we had more pressing matters to tend to.

I tried to communicate to just Mike, but Leo must have caught on to our silent conversation for he looked up cat a glance my way then at Mike before scowling.

" Okay you two what is up?" he asked then his eyes fell on my empty belt. " Ramiela!" he snapped.

Mike glowered " Look Leo she is just starting to get better, now is not the time to do anything counterproductive" he pleaded, " Just let it go, I'll talk to her Leo."

Leo only glared through narrowed eyes at Mike who quickly fell silent under the intimidating stare " We are going to get to the bottom of this sai stealing business today. I can not allow her to continue this game any longer, as it has gone on long enough. Now are you going get her Mike or do I have to fetch her?"

Damn it!

Wouldn't you know that Leo would start playing chunin; I growled curling my lip at Leo.

" I'll get her Leo" Mike grudgingly decided.

" Leo" Karena spoke softly.

He looked at her briefly as Mike left to get Rama.

" Karena this has to be dealt with. I can't continue her training if she can't show me that she respects the weapon rule" he insisted firmly.

Karena nodded, probably figured out she couldn't get anywhere with thick shell any ways.

Mike returned to the kitchen with Rama, who was doing her best to keep Mike between her and Leo, she peeked around Mike's legs as if hoping by hiding she could avoid any trouble, unfortunately she was a little late for that.

" Ramiela did you take Raphael's sais?" Leo demanded glowering at her.

" Yes Sensay" she spoke very quietly.

' Stand in front of me" Leo barked quickly.

Rama cringed and very slowly slipped around Mike staying very close to her dad, as she meekly obeyed Leo's orders.

" Where are they?" Leo asked keeping his tone hard and firm.

" In room. Hiding" Rama, confessed.

" Why are you hiding them? You know the rule don't you?" He asked quickly.

" No touch weapon. ' Espect weapons" Rama replied in a whisper. She shifted nervously from foot to foot and kept glancing towards Mike as if wanting his protection.

" Get them now!" Leo roared at her.

Rama scrambled off towards the stairs being followed by the rest of us, once she was in her room she wriggled under the bed, having just enough clearance for her shell to do so, and came out holding my sais, she got back on to her feet and handed the weapons to me.

" Here Uncle Raphiel, sorry" She muttered as she took a deep breath, her bottom lip quivered and she sniffed a bit as she then sat down on the edge of the bed with her head hung.

" Ramiela why did you take Raphael's weapons?" Leo inquired.

" Chill Leo. I got them back all right. Leave the kid alone" I growled irritated at how he was treating her.

Leo gave me one of his pointed looks, the one meant to make you feel like you're only an inch high in height.

I fell silent fuming quietly under my breath.

" Coz" Rama said opting for one of her usual answers.

" That isn't a reason, nor is I don't know" Leo informed her sternly, " You do know and you aren't going anywhere, and neither am I until I get the truth out of you. The longer it takes to get the answer the more punishment you will receive."

Rama trembled at those words and backed up until her carapace hit the wall, she then tried to curl into a ball, tucking as much as possible of her body into the shell, as she started to cry at Leo's threat.

Leo stood undaunted and unmoved by her actions, he stood firm holding his ground glaring at her, as he demanded, "Now I want a proper answer, why do you continue to break the weapon rule?"

Ramiela:

I know Sensay wants anser. Don't know how to say so he undersands me. Don't know nuff words. Hate being little. Hate not havin' nuff words.

Sensay very mad at me, he never punishes me for bein' bad wit weapons before but I know if he do punishes me now it gonna be worse than anything. I know it coz he's sensay and it different.

" I'm waiting" he say all mad at me.

I gotta tell him somethin'. Gots to start, gots to try but I not sure how to say all I need to say. So I say what I can.

" Fingers" I tell him.

" Fingers, isn't the answer Ramiela, I am not asking about your fingers" Sensay say.

" Well maybe that's why she takes them. She has sticky fingers Leo" Uncle Raphiel say. He not 'espect Sensay.

I press my fingers together they don't stick, wonder why Uncle Raphiel say they do.

" Ramiela are you going to answer me?"

" Fingers" I say again. I know that is why I take Uncle Raphiel's sais. It's all fingers.

" Ramiela you are only causing more trouble for yourself. Now I want a better answer," Sensay tells me.

I raise my head and tell him " Fingers is anser Sensay. Fingers, no lie. Fingers!" I crying cause I know Sensay mad coz he don't like my anser, and he just gets madder and madder at me.

" Keep it up and you won't be handling a weapon until you are fourteen. Now are you going to tell me the answer?"

Fourteen, how old is that? It must be real old, old as them maybe.

I feel Baka climb up on my bed, he pats me with his paw and bunts me with his head but Baka can't help me, not with Sensay.

I hates being little, big people don't undersands ya. They get mad and punish coz they don't undersands.

" No lie Sensay. Fingers, fingers gots too many" I tires to tell him again, as I wipe at me tears.

Leonardo:

I could all ready feel my headache starting and I knew at this moment, I was probably the least popular person in the family, though Don wasn't here to cast his vote.

Even Karena was unamused and disproving of my tactics, and as for Mike and Raph I could easily sense their anger and displeasure growing.

Raph was ticked simply because he was Raph. Mike was unhappy because he didn't care in the least for what I was doing.

Ramiela had to learn somehow, it was bad enough she was stealing the weapons to begin with, but now to hide them, well, I found that to be very disturbing to me.

Both of my brothers knew that I as her sensei, and also as chunin of the clan, had a right to discipline her in this matter and hopefully, with any luck, break her of this bad habit of hers. I didn't care to act the big mean instructor over our vacation time but my niece had left me with no other option, and my brothers were kept in check only by their knowledge of things, as they stood.

Ramiela's answer of fingers – gots too many, made no sense to me, there was no connection between her fingers and her sai stealing, other then it was her fingers, that continually lifted the weapons out of Raph's belt.

I had to wonder briefly if Splinter had ever felt this sort of frustration towards us, in those early days of training. I rubbed my temples.

" That doesn't make sense Ramiela, Do you even understand what I am asking you?" I demanded.

" I undersands. You not undersands" Rama whimpered through her tears.

Typical kid, she now seemed bent on laying the blame on me, instead of accepting her own misbehaviour and continued reluctance to come clean.

' Give me patience!' I muttered to myself I could tell I was ready to snap.

"Ramiela!" I roared.

" Stop it Leo! Enough! You leave her alone!" Mike growled, " I don't care if you are her Sensei, you won't learn anything by getting her upset and worked up over everything."

He pushed past me, giving me a truly dirty menacing look in passing, as he went to sit on the bed, pulling Rama into his arms.

She clung to her father, burying her face in his plastron, as he started to rock her, whispering softly to her.

" I brought her out here to help her Leo, and right now you are undoing all the good the farm has done for her. You've got her, and her cat upset and I hope you are satisfied!"

I was surprised to say the least, Mike wasn't usually one to go against my authority that was naturally more of a Raph thing to do.

Course I knew that Mike had become more protective of Rama since Shay's failed kidnapping attempt, though his natural empathic nature and the bond he shared with his daughter only increased his desire to love and protect her to begin with.

Mike glared at me " There are other ways of getting answers out of her, without having to interrogate her like a drill sergeant in the army" He informed me, his tone full of accusation. " Personally I don't care if she is stealing Raph's sais again, it means rama is better and back to herself" he declared, " Besides Rama is trying to tell you what you want to know but all your yelling and getting angry, never mind your threats are scaring and upsetting her so it doesn't help. Give her a chance to explain Leo" Mike snapped at me, as he cuddled Rama closer to him, " Look at her Leo she is in tears, upset and shaking like a leaf because you have to act like the big bad bullying Sensei instead of being an understanding Uncle." He shook his head, " You're a Baka Leo, actually that is almost an insult to Baka here considering he is nicer then you."

I crossed my arms over my plastron and glared at Mike for overstepping his place, " Then how do you suggest I do this? I need to know her reason, so we can stop her from breaking the rule" I informed him tightly.

" I realize that Leo but you won't learn it your way. You're a great ninja but you understand next to nothing when it comes to kids, you really need to get a few of your own there Leo." Mike said.

That was an understatement, though at the present moment I wasn't so sure about having kids of my own.

" Let me try to get the answer from her Leo, she says it is fingers, maybe it is, after all I've never heard her give that reply before, we just might not see the connection." Mike gave me a pleading look.

I sighed and nodded my head giving him permission to try after all I'd be no further behind then what I was right now.

Michaelangelo:

" Its okay babe calm down" I murmured holding her close and kissing her tenderly, she clung to me sobbing, " Tell me honey what does your fingers have to do with it huh?"

" Gots too many daddy. Gots more fingers then you or Uncles," She complained through her tears.

I gently brushed her face with my hand wiping away her tears as I did so, " I don't understand baby, what does too many fingers have to do with you taking Raph's sais, why not our weapons huh?"

Rama looked up at me sniffing, while Baka rubbed against her.

" Your weapons different daddy. Too many fingers not matter with chuk, staff or ka-ka-ta-na" she gasped out, " I gots too many fingers for sai. Can'ts do sai daddy. I gots too many fingers."

Suddenly it came together, Rama figured she couldn't handle the sai because she had more fingers then we did.

I felt like a complete idiot, when that light dawned let me tell you.

" You have been taking Raph's sais to figure out where your extra fingers go!" I exclaimed.

Rama nodded miserably " You undersands daddy. Sensay not undersands, sai not work gots too many fingers. No good!" She sobbed in despair.

I held her close kissing her, poor thing as observant as she was, she couldn't learn from us what to do with those extra two digits on her hand.

I saw Raph give a sympathetic shake of his head before coming to kneel by the bed.

" Give me your hand a sec Ramiela."

Rama held out one hand. Raph pulled out a sai from his belt, rested it in her open hand and closed Rama's fingers around the blade and handle.

" You don't have too many fingers, it is us that has too little" he smiled, " Ninja are mostly human and humans have five fingers just like you. Look at it Ramiela" he coaxed.

Rama gazed at the hand holding Raph's weapon, she sniffed and turned her wrist every direction, as if memorizing the exact finger placement.

" That is how people hold the sai when not handling it by the grip" Raph explained.

" Can't spins it, not work I try" Rama confessed.

Raph grinned " it takes time, and practice to spin a sai, it isn't just something you do right away" he assured her, " I promise when you are older you'll be able to spin the sai as good as me."

Rama handed Raph the weapon back, her breath hitched, as she looked her uncle in the eye " Really? No lie Uncle Raphiel?"

" Really. You know I don't lie to you kid" Raph answered her as he reached up to tousle her hair.

Rama gave a faint smile, and hiccupped a time or two as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. " I still gonna be punishes?"

I sighed, " I don't know Rama that is up to your Sensei to decide." I replied hoping Leo would go easy on her, but I had already stepped on his toes enough for one day, and didn't care to push my luck, instead I looked towards him waiting for the verdict.

Leonardo:

I had to wonder if any child had ever been as frustrating and difficult as Rama could be, and yet as Splinter was fond of saying Rama did indeed, know far more then she let on.

Somehow she knew her extra fingers wouldn't hinder her in using most weapons but the sai was different, she probably felt that we wouldn't be of much help to her, as we only had three fingers to begin with.

I felt sorry for her, here she was amongst mutants and yet those extra fingers set her apart even from us, I strode over to the bed; Rama sniffed and looked up at me.

" Ramiela do you know what a promise is?" I asked gently.

Rama nodded " It somethin' you say, you gonna do then, you gots to do it."

" Right" I agreed, as I sat down on the foot of the bed, " Now I want you to promise me something and in return I will promise you something" I informed her, " I want you to promise to obey the weapon rule and no more stealing of Raphael's sais from now on. In return I promise you," I pointed to her, where she huddled up against Mike, " That I will let Raph teach you all about handling and using the sai, including how to spin them, when the time comes. Raph is much better at the sais then any of us are. But first you must prove to me that you can respect weapons" I kept my voice low and friendly, " If you promise me to do this, then I won't punish you today. However if you make the promise and then break it by touching a weapon, then I am going have to punish you very badly. Understand?"

" I undersands Sensay. I promise I no touch weapon and I no touch Uncle Raphiel sais" she assured me.

I reached out to caress her face; " I'm sorry I upset you, and that I got so angry when I didn't understand what you were trying to tell me. I'll try and remember to listen to you next time" I vowed, " Are we friends again?"

Rama grinned a bit " S'okay Sensay sometimes I no undersands you. Friends" she pulled away from Mike and came over to hug me " Loves you Sensay."

" I love you too, Ramiela. You are going to be a fine strong kunoichi one day, a better ninja then your father even" I told her. I looked up and saw Karena smile my way.

She mouthed the words ' Love you.'

Mike grinned " Well, now that, that is all settled I am going get back to making breakfast before it becomes lunch. At least we have solved that, now it is just a matter of what she gets into next." he groaned, " Why did Splinter curse me anyways, what did I ever do to him?"

Raph grinned " That is easy Mike you gave Splinter half of his headaches and half of his grey hair as we were growing up."

I laughed, " Raph is right on that count" I agreed as I gave my niece a final hug before letting her go, then again maybe kids weren't so bad after all.

TBC

Lenni: your premonition on sai stealing was correct. Yes technology is wonderful if and when it chooses to work. So glad to see you back. A gratitude for your insight.

Chibi Rose Angel: Nothing wrong with wrestling, I like to watch it every once in a while. Ah, I would like a special someone for myself too, but until I find him I will be quite happy being single. A gratitude for your insight.

Mikaela's Spade: Yes, Leo has finally got the girl, in more ways than one. Here is your update; hopefully didn't keep you waiting too long. I didn't get as much writing done this weekend as I was hoping for so might be another day or two before you get next chapter for beta reading, have to finish the rewrite first. A gratitude for your insight.

Reinbeauchaser: Splinter stayed at home to enjoy a little peace and quiet. Can you blame him? As for Leo well he probably knows the odds of being legally married are slim to none. Splinter of course would approve and they are all ready very committed to each other. Yes time to tie up loose ends. A gratitude for your insight.

Lunar Ninja: Mike doesn't have to play matchmaker with Sara though I do recall he helped out somewhat in that affair as well. I think Raph is far too busy being chased to elaborate at the moment, though I am sure he can turn on you when he wants. LOL! Don of course can look at the thermometer but it is also like him to know such trivia details as that, in other words what can you expect? A gratitude for your insight.