Chapter 14: Whisper in the Darkness

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKINIG?" Madison shrieked. "You could have gotten her killed!"

"It was just a couple purple dragons!" Raphael defended. "And the kid held her own pretty well for awhile there." He watched as Madison swelled up like a bull frog.

"You do realize you just signed your own death certificate right?" Mikey said, from his corner of the infirmary.

"SHUT UP, Mikey!" the two shouted at him.

"Sorry, Yeesh…just tryin' to lighten the mood," he muttered.

"Lighten the mood?" Madison looked at him like he was growing a third eye. "Genius here takes Kaylin topside, without my permission, when she was supposed to be doing her homework and knows we're in hiding and NOW… "

"Madison, it's just a broken arm," Raph said, probably not using the best word choice. "Kay will be fine."

"Just a broken arm… JUST a broken arm?"

"You're not very good at the whole calming Madison down thing, ya know that?"

"Shut up, Leo!"

"It's not ever really broken," Donny said, finishing examining Kaylin's arm. "Just dislocated. I can put it back in a jiff, put it in a sling and she should be fine in a few weeks."

"There, see? Not even actually broken, all that ranting for nothing."

"For nothing?" Madison seethed. "Do you even listen to yourself?"

"Do you?"

"She got hurt because of you!"

"I'm not the one who slammed her into the ground!"

"But it's your fault she was up there!"

"At least she's not afraid to live her life!"

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Think about for a second and it does!"

"You are beyond all doubt the most pompous, arrogant, irresponsible, immature…!"

"Shut up, Madison!" Kaylin exclaimed from where she was reclined, holding her arm. "Just shut up!"

It took Madison a second to come out of her shock, "What did you say to me, young lady?"

"I said shut up!" Kaylin snapped. "It's not his fault its mine! Raph didn't take me top side I went on my own. He came after me and we got into the fight, ok?"

"What?" Madison asked, kneeing next to the bed. "What do you mean you went on your own? Why would you do that?"

"Because I…" Kaylin glared at the wall for a second. "I had to get out for a bit."

"Kay, honey…" Madison put a hand on her little sister's knee. "You know we can't go topside during day light hours. Dad might…"

"He already has!" Kaylin exclaimed before thinking better of it. The clear expression of a demanded answer on Madison's face caused Kaylin to continue despite Peter's pale features and dis-encouraging gestures. "Dad's here in New York. Peter and I saw him when we went to the movies with April and Casey."

Madison went completely numb, not knowing what to say or think. She finally found her tongue. "You…you mean to tell me that he's been in New York for almost two weeks? And you two knew about it?" Kaylin nodded. "And you didn't tell me! Kaylin, what on earth were you thinking not telling me this!"

"It wasn't her fault," Peter said meekly behind her. "She and Mikey…"

"Mikey knows too!" Madison's voice rose. Mike inched away. "Was that all or should I expect a letter from the Pope!"

"They tried to convince me to tell you," he said. "But I… I didn't want you to worry."

"Well I'm worrying now!"

"Told you," Kaylin muttered under her breath.

"I can't believe you would be this irresponsible, Peter," Madison said. "Do you know how much danger we could be in?"

"Actually…"

"Do I even wanna know?"

"Dad saw us go down the manhole," Peter said, looking down. "I saw him sitting in his car across the street watching us."

Madison had a frightening calmness about her, "Go to your room."

"Madison, I'm sorry…"

"Go. To. Your. Room…"

"I…"

"Now…"

Peter stopped arguing and just simply left.

"Kaylin, when Donny finishes with your arm you may join your brother," she said coldly. Kaylin nodded. "I will come and speak to you both when I am not about ready to have an aneurism." Madison turned and walked out of the room, brushing past Molly and Master Splinter. Raphael followed but was stopped when Molly grabbed his three fingered hand.

"Raphy, will you play with me?" she asked.

"Sorry, Kido, I gotta go talk to your sister," he said. "We'll play later ok?"

"Ok," she chirped as she skipped away.

"What is the matter, my son?" Splinter asked the frustrated turtle.

"I ain't got time, Sensei, sorry," Raph said walking away. "Go ask, Kay."

The old rat furrowed his brow but entered the infirmary to speak with the tear steak teen. Raphael quickly made his way down the hall. He didn't have to go looking for Madison; he knew exactly where she would be. And he was right. He found her swinging madly at the punching bag. He slipped in. Madison shot a glance over her shoulder but ignored him.

"Don't be angry at them, Maddy," he said, walking up behind the bag. "They were just trying to help."

"Don't waste your breath, Raph," Madison said, throwing a few more punches at the bag. "I don't wanna hear it."

"Madison…"

"Their 'helping' kept me completely in the dark and now the man we have been hiding from for almost two months knows where we are. And you think I shouldn't be angry?"

"I'm just saying…" he muttered, holding the bag.

"I don't care what you're saying, Raphael," she snorted not taking her eyes off the bag. "If we live through this they are grounded till their 20."

"IF you live through this?"

"He'll catch us," Madison said, looking like she wanted to cry. "I know he will, and when he does he'll…"

"Madison, you need to get snap outta this and get it together!" he said. "If not for yourself, for the kids!"

"He's going to kill me… or worse."

"No he won't," Raph said. "Madison, you have to do something and do it soon."

"No," she said. "I don't want to fight anymore. I can't. Let him find me."

"Madison Leyla Miller, what the hell kind of talk is that!"

Madison refused to look at him

"Oh…Oh I get it. You just don't care anymore," he snapped. "You're only worried about what's going to happen to your. You're so wrapped up in your own little world that what happens to them kids just don't matter no more."

"That's not true," she said coldly.

Ignoring her Raph continued, "Maybe you should just serve them to him on a silver plate with a bow on 'em and everything. Kay looks pretty good in red and Molly…" He never saw her fist coming. All he saw was the ground and felt a throbbing pain on the side of his face. Madison stood over him looking livid. Her face red and hands white from balling them up so tightly.

"If you don't have anything smart to say than keep you damn mouth shut or I'm gonna keep it shut for you," she seethed. "I love them. I love them more than my own life!"

"Then act like it!"

"I can't leave them," Madison snarled. "I won't leave them like m…"

"Like who, Madison," Raph said, getting off the floor and grabbing her shoulders. "Come on, tell me! Or are you just gonna run again?"

"I don't run anymore," she snarled.

"Then like who, Maddy, huh?" he shot back. "Like who!"

"Like…"

"Who, Madison!"

"My mom alright!" she shrieked. "I don't wanna leave them like mom left me!" her green eyes glittered as tears formed. "She died saving me! And you know what! I hate her for it! I hate her for leaving me behind! Hate her for leaving me with him! I hate her for all the weeks afterwards where I was forced to 'comfort' my father with my body! Why couldn't she of just let me die instead!"

"Then you would of left your brothers and sisters and where would they be?"

"But I was only 16! No one should have been allowed to touch me like that! Or them! We were just kids! They still are!" Tears went pouring down Madison's face and Raphael caught her in his arms. She sobbed on his shoulder, all her barriers coming crashing down; she was revealing her true self to him. Not the fiery sarcastic don't take no crap woman he had gotten to know and care about over the past months but a shivering terrified child who needed someone to hold her and tell her it was going to be ok. Raph wrapped his arms around her protectively, stroking her angel soft hair.

"Shhhh, Shhhh, its ok, everything is ok…"

"No, Raph, it's not!" Madison sobbed. "My mom was sick all the time. She had some disease, I can't even remember what it was called, but it made her body so vulnerable to injury that even if she bumped her hand on the counter she would bruise for weeks. My dad took full advantage of this. He'd beat her just enough to make it look like she had been doing hard work in the garden or something. Her bones were brittle and her strength was usually zapped from her, but she still stood up him to protect us. She did the best she could; I know she did, but why! Why did she have to push him over the edge like that?"

"What happened?"

"He came after me one night, she got in his way," Madison said. "He had beaten her to unconsciousness once before but…" more tears ran down her face. "This time he threw her down the stairs. She hit her head hard on something and didn't wake up."

Raph just held her.

"She was in a coma for three days before Dad told them to pull the plug," she said, venom dripping from her every word. "Three days! Three freaking days! How do you judge whether someone will pull through or not in only three days!"

"He's a heartless basterd, nothing more…"

"I miss her so much," she cried into his shoulder. "I can't do this anymore without her."

"Yes you can you're stronger than that," he said. "I know you."

"I'm scared, Raph, alright! I'd admit it; I'm terrified of going back."

"You shouldn't be. We wouldn't let him take you back."

"I just want to be..."

"Be what?"

"Whole again."

"You are."

"No I'm not," she snorted. "After what he's done to me…"

"It doesn't matter what he did to you guys," Raph said into her hair. "It doesn't matter…"

"Yes it does, Raph!" she said pulling away. "He reached in and slaughtered whatever I had left in me when mom died. I hated him more and more every time he touched me. How am I supposed to be clean enough for anyone after what he did?"

"You're clean enough to me," he murmured. "What he did to you doesn't matter to us. It doesn't change any…"

"Can you honestly stare me in the eye and tell me that you and the others don't look at us differently because of what we have been through? Can you tell me truthfully that you guys don't watch what you do or say around us so that it won't remind us of him? We can never be normal, Raphael! I'm an 18 year old girl running from a psycho and raising four kids. Does that seem typical to you? I mean look at me, this is not normal!"

Raph took her face in his hands, tilted her head down and kissed her on the forehead gently then looked her square in the eye he said, "I am looking at you, Madison," he ran a finger down her cheek. "And you look fine to me."

Madison was slightly taken back by the Raph's act of affection. Her eyes filled with tears again and she slipped back into Raphael's arms, just letting him rock her for a bit. "Besides, compared to my family, you guys are pretty stinkin' normal." She chuckled slightly through her tears and just sat there in Raphael's comforting arms for a moment. When she had stopped crying she pushed away with a very firm and determined look on her face.

"Let's go," she said heading for the dojo door.

"That's my girl!" Raph smiled following her.

"Kaylin! Peter! Molly!" Madison called, storming into the living room. "Donny! Leo! Mikey! Let's go come on! All of you out here now!"

They all started filtering into the living room, giving her odd looks. Peter and Kaylin emerged both seeming slightly sheepish.

"Maddy," he said, not really looking at his sister. "Are you…are you mad at us?"

"A little," she said simply. Her face softened and she put a hand on his shoulder. "I understand you meant to try and protect us, Peter, but ignorance is not bliss and knowledge is power."

"That was very Chinese proverbish," Kaylin smirked.

"Probably," she smiled. "Maybe I've been around they guys to much." They smiled shyly back.

"Actually they have more of a Yoda thing going."

Madison rolled her eyes "Ok, everyone, here is the deal. Now that our dad knows that we're down here he will probably start trying to find us. Luckily he only saw us go down the man hole and not where we went. Unless there is more you didn't tell me," she looked at Peter but he shook his head. "Ok then, that doesn't mean that he won't start searching the sewers. I suggest that we go and stay at April and Casey's for awhile until it's safe to come home. Donny that is your job, go and call April, tell her that the kids and I are coming. Mikey, just in case he actually finds this place, you Leo and Raph start erasing our existence from here. Take down pictures, put away the extra chairs, everything, put them in our rooms. Peter, you start gathering up some stuff for Brian and yourself. Kaylin, take Molly to help you get ready to go. I don't want you over working that shoulder. Raph, after they get our stuff ready lock the doors to our rooms. Got it?" Everyone nodded. "Alright, move it people…"

"Ahem…"

"And turtles," Madison rolled her eyes at Mikey. As everyone took off in their own directions to carry out her orders, Madison went to her room and began throwing things into a bag. She was trying to shove the kids' work books in the bag when Kaylin burst into the room, her face white as a sheet.

"What is it?" Madison asked, with a small frown.

"I…" Kaylin looked like she was going to cry. "I can't find Molly."

The book she was holding never touched the ground before Madison was gone from the room, sprinting as fast as she could towards the doors that lead to the winding sewer tunnels.

Molly softly hummed her favorite lullaby, the stuffed rabbit swinging at her side as she skipped down the path next to the river of sewage. She didn't mind the smell anymore. Everyone was too busy to play with her today, Raphy was probably fussing again, and Maddy looked really mad at Petie and Kay-Kay so she decided to go visit the funny alligator man everyone called Leatherhead. He would play with her. She didn't really understand why they called him that. His head didn't look like a couch to her…

"Hey…"

Molly stopped at the strange sound she just heard. She looked around but didn't see anyone; of course it was kinda dark. She heard the voice again.

"Hello?" she said meekly, hugging her bunny close. Molly turned around and saw the silhouette of a man standing in the shadows. She could see him smile behind his shadow. It wasn't a very nice smile.

"Hello, Molly…"

A hand reached out and grabbed her hair. She let out a scream before the man covered her mouth with a cloth soaked in alcohol. She struggled for a moment before slipping into her own darkness. The man smiled cruelly at the child lying limp in his arms.

"Tisk, tisk, tisk, you poor thing," he mocked. "You must be exhausted. Don't worry, Baby, Daddy will take you home and put you right to bed."