Disclaimer: I own only Anna and her family. No way, no how do I own anything that pertains to the TMNT universe.
A/N: I really must apologize for the severe lack of updates on this story. I did have a very bad case of writer's block. Sorry for making you wait approximately two months for this! Oi! The woes of an authoress. Anywaay…This chapter will not have Anna's POV in it, but a more general POV. You'll see why. I must drool over these comments first. (drools) Okay, done. Thanks a bunch Jessiy Landroz, Ramica, Chibi Rose Angel, pacphys, Kiko Kamia, Chu, Mewfem,and finally, amyea. I love you all for your kind words of encouragement! (hands out freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies to all)
3.
"How is she?" Mike asked nervously as Don exited his room. The turtle gently closed the door and looked at his brother.
"Sleeping," the genius replied with a sigh. "Mercifully, the flashbacks only lasted for a few minutes after she fell. But…" Don furrowed his brow and leaned heavily against the stone wall. Anna had been sleeping, yes, to a certain degree. It was a fitful rest at best. He connected eyes with Mikey, the line of the stare communicating countless questions. "What happened to her, Mike?" he inquired softly, resting a hand on his brother's shoulder.
The turtle in orange clenched his fists in barely-contained anger, taking deep breaths. "It was her dad, Donnie," he finally said. "He…I can't bear to say the words that would describe him but he abused her. Badly." Don's eyes reflected concern as he took a tentative glance toward the door. "I've known her for a while too," Mike added as an afterthought.
"How long?"
"Five years this Christmas. She was ten." Don muttered something darkly under his breath. "Did you…happen to see scars on her neck when you put her in bed, Don?"
He rubbed his forehead as though he had a migraine. "Yes, Mike, I did. Knife wounds by the look of them." His brother nodded and stared off into space. It occurred to Don that Mike might feel a bit more for Anna than just friends by the look of passionate disgust on his face, but he shoved the thought away. He, despite the turtle's likeliness to find a mate, could not possibly see the gregarious Michelangelo in love. It would be too weird, too odd for him to consider. What were the chances somebody would love them back?
Suitably depressed by these thoughts, Don's eyes drifted to Raph, who was stubbornly fixed in front of the TV. Mike had gotten certifiably angered with him when Raph showed no more than a passing look of surprise in his countenance when Anna collapsed, writhing, on the floor of the dojo. The turtle in red seemed a tad disturbed but huffed without another word and sat down by the tube. He was currently watching a documentary on a disease called osteogenesis imperfecta, more commonly known as Brittle Bone Disease.
Mike apparently caught wind of the name on his extremely acute hearing, because he made for the couch and sat down on it, eyes glued to the screen in concentration. Don knew of the affliction quite well. Caused by an abnormality in collagen protein, the condition increases the likelihood of bone fractures. It also caused far more severe bruising than normal, and the possibility of deafness. What Don wanted to know was why Mike seemed so interested in the disease.
He joined his two brothers on the couch as the narrator began to spell out the symptoms in his extremely monotone voice. "Why the interest, Mike?" Don asked, looking at the aforementioned turtle's face. It was aglow with TV light. He could barely hear Mike grinding his teeth in frustration, something he rarely did. Raph's occupation was usually the angry activities.
"What I wanna know is why the shell he brought her home," Raph muttered.
Mike shot him a fiery glare. "Raph, you're really getting on my last nerve," he growled. "Drop it." Don scooted farther down the couch until he was at the armrest. If Mike was ticked, there was no telling what he might do. He knew they never gave him enough credit for a temper they thought didn't exist. He masked it masterfully behind a façade of grins, jokes, and laughs. But this event with Anna brought out the beast in him for some reason.
"…Why, Mike? Do I annoy ya with my voice?" Raph sneered, getting in his brother's face.
"I said knock it off!"
"Oh, and why should I listen? You could've very well brought home our doom!" Raph snarled. That was most definitely the last straw. Before Don could blink, Mike had wound up and clocked Raph in the beak, the force of the punch sending him flying off the couch and sliding on the floor. The turtle in purple gaped as his angry brother on the floor picked himself up, wiping the blood from his mouth away with a fist. "So what, Mikey? You wanna fight? I got no problem with that. Just don't come cryin' to me when that broad betrays us to Purple Dragons!" he bellowed, launching himself at Mike. Don cleared the couch with a yell as the two crashed down on the cushions he had recently vacated.
The turtle watched from a safe distance, panicky thoughts running wildly around his mind. Dang it, what now? Raph and Mike never get in fights…Shoot, I wish Leo was here! Why'd he and Master Splinter have to go out for groceries right now? He moaned inwardly and clutched his head as the two grappling brothers knocked over a lamp in their titanic struggle. Okay, think Donnie. What usually calms Leo and Raph? Turning out the lights. But shell knows where the switch was. There were boxes piling up where it had been. Casey and April, married now, had generously given them things the Turtles could use in the Lair far better than the Jones could use it in Casey's run-down apartment. Most of it had been put to good use.
Cold water? No way. Raph and Mikey were now on their feet, throwing punches and various kicks in front of the kitchen. Mike landed a Dragon Kick in Raph's midsection, sending him sliding back a few feet.
"I don't know what your problem is, Raph!" Mike shouted, eyes burning with rage as he took out his nunchakus.
"The problem is you brought home a complete stranger!" he hissed in reply.
"She's not a stranger, she's a friend!" he roared with a few choice expletives to boot. "That's the truth, dang it!" Mike dashed at Raph, his weapons whirling like a flurry of angry wasps. He slammed forcefully into his brother with a shoulder, punching him hard in the gut. Recovering faster than lightning, Raph blocked the next blow, letting a nunchaku twirl around his recently removed Sais.
"Y'know what your problem is?" Raph growled venomously. "You think you can trust every stinkin' bum you find on the street!" The Lair was alive with the sounds of a battle now, the clangs and thuds of steel hitting wood reverberating off the walls. They're going to wake up Anna with this ruckus! Don thought hurriedly. Determined, he crept around his fighting siblings.
"Guys, knock it off!" he cried authoritatively.
"Shut up, Donnie, and beat it before I punch you too!" Raph snarled. Do I go for a nerve pinch now? Don huffed exasperatedly. There wasn't any possible way for him to get behind either Raph or Mikey without getting something painful in return. Finally, he took out his Bo and jumped straight into the fray, smacking both on the plastron to knock them apart.
"Get a hold of yourselves!" Don growled, eyeing the two dangerously. "You're twenty years old! And you're fighting like little kids!"
"Nobody asked you," panted Raph in exertion, brandishing his Sai.
"Well, I'm answering!" he spat back, taking a defensive stance. "I want both of you to cool off. Now!"
"Yes Daddy Don!" Raph said sweetly. In a movement completely unforeseen, the turtle in red smacked his brother to the ground with a roundhouse kick to the chest. "Shove it, Splinter Jr. the second!" he snarled, going after Mike again. Don coughed and struggled upright, muttering a curse. The fall had twisted his ankle weirdly.
"Raph, that was uncalled for!"
"You just keep out of this! What's uncalled for is Mike bringing that kid here!"
Mike let out noise of animalistic fury at his last stab at Anna. "I told you…" He sprinted toward Raph. "…To shut up!" He tackled his brother to the floor, flipping up again to land on his feet. Don gritted his teeth and closed his eyes against the headache that was now pounding his skull like a bass drum. He had to do something before one of them killed the other! He swore when Mike took a fall credited to Raph's feint punch and leg sweep.
"Oh no…" Don whispered, eyes widening. Raph was angling his Sai for Mike's throat as he rushed on the fallen turtle. "Raph! Stop!" The turtle didn't falter in his deadly charge. He was on top of Mike, ready to plunge his weapon down, when a small voice cried out, "Leave him alone, Dad!" Don, leaning heavily on his Bo, caught a glimpse of a small object flying toward Raph's head right before it hit him, shattering upon impact. It was the teacup that Don had seen on Mike's nightstand.
Kneeling on the floor by the door was Anna, pale, sweaty, and deathly frightened. "I said leave him alone!" she said again, tone shaky and thin with fatigue. Raph's eyes drooped and he fell backwards.
"Mike, I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me…"
The turtle in orange quietly got up, putting his nunchakus in his belt. "Raph, you're only frustrated. So am I. That's the only way to look at it." He walked away toward Anna, leading her back inside his room. Raph looked to Don for support but all he replied with was: "Nice going Raph." Don started limping in the direction of his lab when the Lair door opened and in walked Leonardo and Master Splinter, weighted by bags of groceries.
Leo immediately caught the air of unrest, halting. "Alright, guys, what happened while I was…" He glanced at Don, who was leaning on his Bo like it was his lifeline, and at Raph, a bruised and scraped testament to the fight earlier. "Don?"
The turtle in purple sighed and shook his head. "I'll leave that to Mikey and Raph, if you please." He hobbled away, his ankle clearly hurting, entering his lab with difficulty.
Now, everybody mustn't hate Raph for this. Change is pain for some. And he's got issues with bringing people home. :P I will say that the thing that greatly affected the outcome of this chapter came from Tigerfog's glorious fancomic MNT Gaiden. Read it. It's good. As for Anna, we'll get more angst yet. (evil cackle) Please review, this authoress loves comments. See that little blue button down there? Yes, the one that says 'go'. No, you don't collect 200$ if you go past it. Neither do you go to jail. My A/N may seem slightly less loopy but it's only because I've got a sore neck and I'm tired. BTW, got a parade next Sunday. Teh Mother Goose Parade. Five stinkin' miles long.
Ashite Imasu,
LN