((I understand what you're saying Rein and I'll take your advice to heart as always. I honestly never thought of it in the way you said. In any case, there are three more old chapters, counting this one, before the new ones start. So not much longer. Thanks to all for reading this lil pain in the butt fic of mine. Hope everyone is enjoying it...and yes Raph is not being very nice. He has his reasons of course, as always.))
I rolled over in bed, expecting to find my father there, but the side where he fell asleep was empty. We didn't speak to each other as we left the sewers last night. I don't think there was anything either of us could have said to help the other anyway. We returned to the quiet apartment and went to bed immediately, which was why I was surprised he wasn't there in the morning. I never heard him leave.
I got up and found a change of clothes sitting on the dresser. Dressing quickly, I headed into the hallway vaguely wondering what time it was. However, since the blinds and the curtains were closed tight on all the windows, I didn't even know if the sun had risen yet. Raphael had made it sound like a death wish to be late for practice and I knew that was at six. But Michaelangelo was supposed to have taken me, so I figured he would wake me up. I walked into the living room, and found Donatello at the computer desk. He looked up as I entered and smiled.
"Morning, Ren." He stood, stretching. "Would you like breakfast?"
I shook my head taking a quick glance at the clock on the VCR in the corner. Only 5:30. What in the world was I doing up at such an ungodly hour? I thought of the practice that was supposed to start in half an hour and my stomach started doing somersaults. I didn't even want to think about eating. "Umm..where is everyone?"
Don sat back down in the chair and spun it to face me. "Mike and Raph already went to the dojo and your dad is with Splinter. April called and she's running a bit late, but as soon as she gets here to be with Sensei, we'll go on down to the lair." He looked down and then back up at me. "We have to go underground, just to let you know."
I nodded, trying not to gag at the memory of the sewers. "My father took me last night."
Donatello looked surprised. "He took you to the lair? Why?"
Good question, I thought. To make my nightmare of a life not seem so bad? I shrugged in answer to the question and sat down on the couch. "Why don't you guys live down there anymore?" I knew that Raphael and Splinter lived up here with Mike and that Donatello lived on a farm somewhere.
Don laughed a little at that. "Mike's apartment sure beats the sewers. It's cleaner and warmer and that's what Sensei needs." Don leaned back in his chair. "Mike and I started working together to design websites a couple of years ago. He does the creative part and I do the technical. We make pretty good money that way. Enough to support ourselves for the most part. And Mike does a little free lance writing on the side too."
Well, that answered that question. "But, Mike said that you have a farm upstate."
"The farm isn't mine really. It belongs to a friend of ours. But I stay up there to get away from the city. It's quiet and secluded. I don't have to hide out in an apartment all the time. But when Splinter got pneumonia a couple of weeks ago, I came back to help out."
I thought about that for a minute. I remembered Raphael saying that Splinter was dying. Thinking about what I saw of Splinter yesterday, he sure didn't look to me like someone on his deathbed. "Is Splinter really sick?" I couldn't bring myself to ask if he was dying, but I think Don knew what I meant anyway. "He seemed fine yesterday."
A shadow passed over Don's eyes quickly and he looked away. "Sensei has a very strong will." He cleared his throat and looked back up at me about to say something else, but a knock on the door interrupted him. He turned towards the door and called out, "It's open, April."
I wondered how he knew who it was. The door opened and the woman from yesterday stepped in carrying a paper bag. "I'm sorry I'm late." She hung up her coat and flashed a smile at me. "Good morning, Ren. I brought you some clothes. I hope they fit you ok."
"Good morning, April," Donatello said loudly with a smile. "I can see who the important person around here is now."
April half turned and grinned before turning and setting the bag beside me. "Did you eat breakfast yet, Ren?"
The motherly question surprised me considering she was almost a complete stranger and I felt a bit of resentment for some reason. I fought it back determined to be polite. Yawning, I shook my head and was startled when April turned on Donatello. "Donatello! You didn't get the boy any breakfast?"
I could hear the smile in her voice, but it was partially hidden by her outrage and I couldn't help but laugh at Don's protestation of innocence. "I offered and he refused, April! Tell her Ren."
I looked from one to the other not answering for a moment before finally deciding to help my uncle off the hook. "He did. I'm just not hungry."
She glanced back at him with a "you're lucky" look and headed for the kitchen. "Is Splinter awake yet?"
"Yeah," Donatello answered. "For about an hour now. He didn't want anything to eat either." Don laughed lightly. "Guess no one trusts my cooking."
April came back into the room with a steaming cup. "I'll see if I can get him to eat some toast or something later." She sipped the cup and made a face. "Gah! Donnie this stuff is poison. How can you drink it like this?"
He grinned and stood up. "I'm going to get Leo. Get ready to go Ren."
I stood woodenly as Donatello left the room. I went to the rack to get my coat and wondered how far I would get if I just ran for the door now.
"Ren, are you sure you don't want something to eat?" April asked sipping the "poison" again. "You may be down there awhile. Sometimes they don't know when to quit."
I shook my head, biting my lip and turned away before she could see the look of fear that was starting to creep up on me. But I turned too late. "Ren? Are you ok?" I felt a hand on my shoulder and it took every bit of will I had to not shrug it off and remind this woman that I barely knew her.
"Fine," I said as firmly as I could without looking at her. "Just fine."
"What's wrong with Ren?" I heard Donatello ask.
I turned and saw him and my father standing in the hallway. My eyes locked with my fathers and I had to look away from the emotions I saw there. He felt sorry for me. He knew what was wrong and he pitied me. Damn him! I didn't need his pity. And Donatello, who clearly wanted an answer to his question asked, "What's wrong, Ren?"
"Nothin," I mumbled. "I'm fine."
He looked at my dad and when he didn't offer any kind of explanation, Donatello shrugged. "Ok. I'll take your word for it." He and my father grabbed their coats. "We'll be a couple of hours April. Call if you need anything."
The trip down to the lair was fairly quiet. I wasn't in much a mood for talking and neither my father nor uncle tried to carry on a conversation. We walked through the door and I heard the sounds of a fight. I tensed about to run before I noticed that I was the only one nervous about it. When we got to the dojo, I realized why. It was Mike and Raphael fighting. I cringed at the force of the hits as they connected. This was what they were expecting me to do?
Donatello bowed and walked into the room, but my father and I hung back at the entrance. Raphael held up a hand and he and Mike stepped away from each other. They exchanged short bows and Mike stepped off the mat. He wandered over the far end of the room where he grabbed a water bottle and drank half the content before leaning against the wall. My father stepped hesitantly into the dojo and watched Raphael. I followed him careful to stay right behind him. The room was absolutely quiet and I wondered if talking was allowed in here.
Raphael looked over to Don and nodded once and then said something to my father in Japanese. Donatello stepped out onto the mat and with a deep breath my father went to join him.
"No weapons," Raphael directed. "Wouldn't want you to cut yourself Leo." He walked off the mat and almost without warning, Donatello attacked my father. I tried to watch them but Raphael started coming towards me blocking my view.
I swallowed hard as he stood in front of me and glared down at me. He inclined his head slightly in an almost abbreviated bow and I nervously copied the gesture. Raphael sighed angrily staring up at the ceiling and I think I heard Mike snicker quietly over in the corner. Raphael looked down at me with a fire in his eyes and ducked his head again in that slight bow. This time I didn't copy him, but I bowed deeply keeping my eyes right on him. I had no idea if that was the right thing to do but I sure the hell wasn't going to take my gaze from him.
"Listen real close Miren." Raphael said in a low voice. "I'm gonna tell you the rules here and you'd damn well better remember them. One, you're gonna train with me twice a day. Once at 6 am and then again at 6 PM. Let me warn you now. Don't. Ever. Be. Late. Two, you hate me and I could care less. But I gotta job to do and that means you listen to whatever I say. No questions. You got a question, save it. Understand?"
I nodded slowly.
His voice dropped even lower and his eyes narrowed. "The last thing Ren. I am your sensei. That means you give me respect. I know you got this smart ass kid thing down to a science, but you even THINK of disrespecting me in here and I will knock your smart ass through a wall. Got it?"
Why beat around the bush Raphael? Why don't you just make me sing songs to you? Or feed you grapes while waving a fan in front of you to keep you cool? I wished I had the nerve to say those things, but the walls in here looked hard. I had no desire to try going through one, so I swallowed my pride and nodded again.
Raphael smiled. "Good. This might be easier than I thought."
There was a loud thud and I looked around Raphael to see my father lying on the concrete floor just off the mat. He sat up slowly shaking his head, as if trying to clear it.
"Damn. Sorry Leo," Donatello said offering him a hand up.
My dad took the hand and got to his feet with a sigh. "It's ok, Donny." They went back out on the mat and started again.
I looked up at Raphael who was chuckling. "No concussions the first day, Donatello. Gotta remember, he's practically a rookie."
Ignorant as I was about this whole thing, even I could tell that was meant as an insult to my father. But dad ignored Raphael and so did Donatello. I wished I could, but he turned to me with a smirk. "Come on, Miren. Let's get started."
