Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT or any characters associated with them. But I
do own Maggie, so if you want to use her, please ask first. Thank you.
Promises
A/N: A friend of mine read one of my other fics and saw a passage of a flashback concerning Raph, Maggie and Casey. She wanted to know more about this event, so I thought that I might give it a try and grant her request. Hopefully, this turns out to be a decent fic. This one is for you, Terran. :P
Chapter 1: Ever hear of knocking?
For as long as she had known him, there was just something about Casey Jones that made Magnolia nervous. What exactly, she didn't know for sure. She knew that he was Raphael's best friend outside the family and that he was a close ally to them all, so that made him okay. So long as she didn't have to be alone with him that is.
If that ever happened, then it would be a different story. Instead of being just slightly on edge around the man, she would have all senses on full alert. She would watch the human's every move and take each one as a possible threat.
Perhaps this behavior was a bit paranoid on Magnolia's part. It wasn't as if Casey had ever tried to hurt her in anyway. He wasn't anywhere that cruel like other humans that Maggie had heard about. Usually, he just acted like himself around the young feline. Which more or less meant that he was being loud, arrogant, and a general chauvinist. All things that most females would consider either a major pain or very attractive.
Though she was used to the overbearing side of the male ego thanks to her four older brothers, Maggie was still one of those females who found that personality to be in the former category. She felt that anyone who thought he could get away with calling a girl 'babe' and thinking that she was just there to look pretty needed a serious attitude adjustment. And if that didn't work, then it was time to bring out the claws and get the message across as to how far Maggie would take such things.
Yet despite his never being cruel to her, Maggie was still nervous around the human male and kept her distance from him most of the time. Such feelings probably stemmed from the fact that Maggie had had contact with very few humans in her life. The few exceptions were Casey Jones, April O'Neil, and a woman named Jody that she had met as a child. These humans were the only ones of their kind who had had any direct influence on Magnolia's life.
They had opened her eyes to the world beyond her family. Through them, she learned to experience things and feelings that she had never been aware of before. Through April, she managed to find a friend who taught her what it meant to be a woman and gave her the assurances that can only be given through a female figure. And through Casey, she learned that even humans had their flaws and that even then they were enjoyable company, to an extent.
The last human to ever have an effect on Maggie's life had been an old woman named Jody. Through her, Maggie had learned how to live and how to treasure what she had been given in her life. That meant never taking for granted the people in her life and showing appreciation for what she had instead of always wishing for something else.
All of these were indeed good lessons and ones that someone should always take to heart. Which Magnolia did with a passion. At least, when she was fully awake and aware of her world. There weren't any guarantees that she would be in a receptive mood when she was tired.
Which was more or less the case now as she sat there and glared sleepily at the human who stood beside her bed. A few moments before, she had been sleeping soundly with no expectation of being wakened until it was time for morning practice. The next thing she knew, she was being brought out a peaceful dream and staring into the face of an annoying human.
And now that she was mostly awake, the young feline was asking herself three things. One, why in the world was Casey here in here bedroom, waking her up in what she presumed was the middle of the night? Two, how had he managed to get into the Lair without Master Splinter noticing? And three, should she just claw him in the face now or wait until later after she had thought of some very slow and painful torture for him?
Still debating the last part, Maggie demanded grumpily, What are you doing here? And it better be good or you're toast.
Sighing with obvious relief that she was awake and receptive to talking, Casey answered," I need to ask ya for a favor."
Those words set off immediate alarms in Maggie's tired mind. She knew that any time that Casey wanted a favor, there was only one thing that could come out of it and that was trouble. She'd learned just that after he came and asked Raph to come help him with something. Raphael had readily agreed and was off in no time with Casey. Which was fine enough, except that neither one was heard from again for nearly three days.
During that time, everyone was beside themselves with worry. Some hidden it better than others, but it was still there. No one was certain if Raphael and Casey were hurt, in trouble, or even if they were still in the city or alive at all. None of the searches made by the remaining Turtles ever revealed a clue that might give rise to anything certain.
Everyone was to learn the truth when Raphael and Casey returned the evening of the third day. The two were covered in bruises and Raph was limping so badly that he had to lean against his human friend for support. They had strolled into the lair laughing and with wide grins plastered on their faces over the triumph they had just earned.
It turned out that the problem that Casey was having involved some friends of his over in New Jersey. A gang had been terrorizing their neighborhood for months and there seemed to be no solution to the problem. The police were unable to track the gang and arrest them, so that option was out. And there was no one left in the neighborhood to stand up for everyone because those who had had either been seriously hurt or killed.
All of this only left two options open to the increasingly desperate community. Either give into the gang's demand completely and not fight back or find some way to get outside help. Thankfully, though many would have doubted anyone else coming to their aid, the second option was the one that came true in the end.
One of the few who still had a spark of resistance in his heart, a Joey Gunner, had an old friend that he knew handled problems like this all the time. Joey knew that this friend, who was none other than Casey Jones, could be counted on to try and help drive the gang out for good. After all, he hated such punks with a passion and usually jumped at the opportunity to take down a few when he could.
Even though it meant taking a chance on his part, Joey had phoned Casey and told him of the problems his neighborhood was having in Jersey. Things couldn't have gone any quicker. As soon as Joey told him what was going on, Casey had promised that he would be there within two days with help. He immediately left home and sought out Raphael as his 'help', as he knew the Turtle liked busting heads in as much as he did. And from there, things simply took their course.
It had been a hard fight for them in the long run, but human and mutant had managed to take down the bulk of the gang's power. They had proven without a shadow of a doubt that no one was going to take the intimidation any longer and that there was someone willing to fight to make a point. It was a message that, in the end, was well heard and caused the remainder of the gang to back off at least for a time .
Of course, the fight had been tough on the two vigilantes as well. For their troubles, they had received a multitude of dark bruises, a black eye for both of them, a badly sprained ankle and two cracked ribs for Raph, and a sore arm for Casey. All injuries that would take a great deal to heal and fade into memory. But neither Raph nor Casey saw the injuries, despite the pain, as anything to worry about. To them, they were hard won badges of honor that were to be worn with pride. Too bad they were the only ones who felt that way.
Everyone else saw them as damage that had earned in a fight that could have well been avoided. Even if they had been trying to help others, they thought that Raphael and Casey Jones had acted like complete idiots in this case and should have used their heads instead. And no one had been afraid to tell them just that while the two were recuperating.
Casey had been allowed to stay with April while he was healing. She of course, made his time with her as tough as possible. April, who cared for Casey but never openly admitted it to others, couldn't believe that he would put himself in that much danger. She knew that he could be reckless, that was a side of him that she found childish and charming at the same time, but she had never thought he would go to this extreme.
Raphael's situation was to be no better than his friend's during his recovery period. Splinter had been furious and grounded Raphael for three months after that little stunt. Most of which was spent recuperating in bed so that his sore leg and bruised side could heal properly. And during that time, he was lectured daily by not only Splinter, but by Leo and Don as well.
Leo, true to form when it came to acting as the oldest son and star student, had lectured his younger brother on how stupid it was to just leave without telling anyone or doing something so dangerous. He kept that up for hours when Splinter wasn't around, more than once coming close to driving his bed-ridden brother to getting up and trying to strangle him. Only the fact that Splinter would have skinned him and Don would have knocked him upside the head kept Raph from doing that.
In Donatello's case, he lectured his brother on his injuries. Being the 'doctor' in the family, it was usually his job to patch everyone else up if there was an accident or a fight. How he felt in either case usually varied with the circumstances. If the accident or fight had been unavoidable, then he didn't mind patching someone up. If the accident came through stupidity or the fight through provoking another, that was a different story. Then he would just go ballistic and give someone a piece of his mind, as he had done when he was working on Raph.
Not a very pretty picture as far as Raph had been concerned. He had lived through enough lectures after that to last him for quite awhile, even for him, so he didn't press his luck on anything. Instead, he just took things as they came to him and waited for a better opportunity to complain.
And from what Maggie remembered, that hadn't been for some time to come. Even after his punishment was up and his wounds were healed, Raph still got dark looks from everyone else from time to time and more than a few stern warnings from Splinter. The glares Raph would either ignore or return in full force to whomever had started it. But those warnings he took to heart, since the one person he knew better than to ignore or growl at was his Master. If he did, it either meant a more in-depth lecture or doing a number of flips that he end up passing out from before Splinter thought he'd had enough.
Knowing all this herself, Maggie knew that she had to be wary if Casey was asking her for a favor. The last thing she wanted was to get into trouble because of something he either couldn't do himself or was too lazy to do. She had enough problems to worry about already without having to deal with one of Casey's as well.
Still, it wouldn't be polite to at least hear his request. That would be another breach of the etiquette that Splinter had taught her and that just didn't sit too well with the young feline. She wasn't as much a stickler for the rules as Leo might be, but she still hated to break one even when Splinter wasn't there. It just didn't seem right to her somehow.
Sighing to herself, Maggie thought, I guess that means I better hear him out or I'll never get back to sleep tonight.
She turned her full attention back to the human after that, as it had been slightly divided as she recalled what had happened. Her gaze, now only a bit hazed by fatigue, was wary and she made no attempt to hide it. Maggie wanted Casey to know that even if she would listen to him, it didn't mean she was going to be entirely nice while doing it.
What kind of favor? Maggie asked suspiciously.
"I need you to help me find Raph. I sort of lost track of him while we were out," Casey replied without hesitation.
At first, Maggie could only stare dumbfounded at the human. She honestly wasn't sure if she had heard him right. Did he just say that he had lost her brother? He had lost a guy who was supposed to be his best friend and the one person who could stand him for more than 10 minutes without wanting to strangle him?
It took a few seconds for this information and the shock to settle in. Once it had, the girl could only feel one thing and think of one thing to say. And that didn't come out with her in the best of moods.
How do you lose a giant turtle dressed in a trench coat that smells like last week's garbage?! Maggie demanded angrily.
Casey winced from the glare he was receiving from the cat-girl. He could easily tell that she was upset with what she had just told him. And to be honest, he couldn't blame her. He was upset with losing Raph himself, since he was a guy that someone could easily keep track of. Well, most of the time, and when there wasn't a huge crowd getting in the way.
"I can't help it if there was a crowd at that bar," Casey answered.
A BAR!? Maggie shrieked, What were you doing in a bar?!
Again, Casey couldn't help but wince at the look on Magnolia's face. Even in silence, she was perfectly capable of expressing her emotions to him as they 'spoke'. The way her fur puffed out in outrage and the way her eyes shown with shock was more than enough to tell him that.
Damn, he thought, I better be glad she's not a chatterbox like Mike or else I'd really be hearin' some screechin' then.
He waited a moment for Maggie to calm down at least a little before continuing. As impatient as he could get sometimes, Casey knew that he wouldn't get anywhere if the girl was too upset to even listen to him. Better to have her at least half-rational than on a rampage.
"Look kid," Casey said after a moment," I don't have time to explain everything to ya. I just need ya to come on and help me find Raph before he gets himself into trouble."
Maggie, still agitated that her brother had been in a bar, just hissed at him. She knew that he was right though. As much as she wanted answers, now wasn't the time for them. Right now was the time to keep her head.
But that couldn't stop one major thought from coming to mind. If Casey needed someone to help him find Raphael, then why didn't he ask Master Splinter or one of the other Turtles? Even if they might get upset with the human for waking them up so late, they wouldn't have refused to help him. They were certainly more qualified to help find him than she was, so why come to her? It was something that just didn't sit right with Magnolia and something she had to know about before this went any further.
Why don't you just ask Master Splinter to help you track him down? He knows Raphael's scent as well as I do, if not better, Magnolia asked, her hands moving in a quick flurry.
Her signs were watched carefully by the human, who tried to take into account how nervous she was. It was hard for him to see it in her hands. To do that, he had to look into her eyes and face, which more easily reflected to the human than anything else.
In reality, this was what Casey usually relied on when he was talking to Maggie on his own like this. He barely understood what Maggie was saying to him otherwise. If he wanted a full translation, then he would have to ask Raph, one of his brothers, or Splinter. They were the only ones who fully understood the entirety of Magnolia's self-invented sign language and could offer the best translations for their human friends.
"I'll be honest with you, furball," Casey replied," If I ask anyone else to help me find that bum brother of yours, they'll just make a big fuss about while we're out there and on the way back. But I also know that you won't do that sort of thing. You'll help me find Raphael and keep quiet about it until this is over. That's why I want your help."
When he put it that way, Maggie had to admit that it made sense. If Casey did ask anyone else, like Mike and especially Leo, then they would make a huge fuss about it. They would yell and rant the entire way instead of just initially like she had. They would be demanding what in the world they were doing in a bar and why Casey had even let Raph out of his sight. And this was just with her brothers.
There was no doubt in her mind what would have happened if Casey had sought out Splinter to help him find the missing Turtle. The rat would act calm at first, agreeing with Casey that it was better to search for his son than to act rashly. He would search to the best of his abilities, never ceasing until he found what was sought.
When Raphael was found, Splinter would take his condition into account first. If he were injured, then he would help bring his son home and then tend to his wounds for however long it took for them to heal. And once they had healed properly or there were no injuries to begin with, then Splinter would literally knock some sense into his hotheaded son.
Because if there was one thing that Splinter wouldn't tolerate from his students it was one of them acting stupid on the surface. He had always taught them the dangers of being among the humans, even when with allies, and that one must never let their guard down under any circumstances.
He also taught them that if they had gone in a group or in pairs, they were to stay that way and not separate unless there was no other choice. After all, there were strengths in numbers. A fact that worked whether one was a ninja or just the average person trying to keep out of trouble.
Man, how come I always have to be the one that has to clean up after these guys when no one else will? Maggie groaned to herself, I don't want Raph to be in trouble, but if I go and don't tell anyone, I'll get into trouble too.
Which was true enough, if she was reading Casey's request and his words right. If she went to help him, then that meant she had to leave the lair without telling anyone. It was the only way that they could be sure that a big fuss wouldn't be raised until after Raphael was found and brought home.
At the same time though, it meant that she would have to break one of Splinter's major rules. For as long as she could remember, he had always made a point of knowing where his students were or could be found. So whenever one or more of them wanted to leave the safety of the lair, they had to tell Splinter before going anywhere. If they didn't and tried to sneak out instead, it was only trouble in the end and Maggie knew all this full well.
"Look, I know you're scared, kid, but you gotta tell me what you're gonna do NOW. If we don't start lookin' and find him soon, there's no telling what kind of trouble Raph's gonna get himself into. I know you don't want that to happen," Casey insisted, interrupting the girl's train of thought.
That was the clincher right there and Casey knew it. He knew that he had Maggie with those words. Even if she didn't trust him, there was no way she would risk letting her brother get hurt. He may have been a major pain in the neck at times but he still meant too much to her for that to happen.
Okay, okay, Maggie sighed, I'll go with you. Just go on up and wait for me in the tunnel. I'll meet you after I change and get my coat.
She started throw the covers off and to get out of bed. But then she noticed that Casey was still sitting on the end of her bed, showing no signs that he was going to leave. Growling to herself about morons in hockey masks, she decided that she was no longer in a mood to be even remotely civil with Casey Jones.
Pointing to the door, Maggie snapped, OUT!
This time, when he saw the way her lip was curling up into a snarling hiss, Casey got the idea loud and clear. He could tell that Maggie meant business when she told him to get out and she wouldn't take anything less than his leaving as an answer. So with a quick nod, he got off the edge of her bed and left.
Maggie rolled her eyes as she watched him go. She waited until he was completely out of sight before getting out of bed herself and making her way over to her dresser. While she was rummaging through the drawers for a change of clothes, Maggie began wondering how her brother could be so stupid and how he had ever become friends with such an idiot of a human.
A/N: Okay, end chapter 1. Just a few more to go. When that's gonna be, I don't really know. But it should be within a few weeks since I've already gotten started on chapter 2.
Casey Jones: At least you're doing something instead of sitting on your rear like you usually do, babe.
*eye twitches* Okay, two things. One, don't tell a writer what she should be doing or else she may write into a fic with giant monsters trying to have you for lunch. And two, don't call me babe again or you'll face my wrath.
Casey Jones: *laughs* Oh yeah, I'm really scared, babe. Like you're really gonna pull something like that. You write too much mush and angst for that to happen.
*changes into alter ego, Enigma-1* Okay, you ask for it. Start running, Space Case.
Casey Jones: *gulps* Uh, can't ya take a joke? Yowch!
*gets tazer ready for a second strike* I told ya so. For you readers out there, again, I promise to get the next chapter out very soon. And next time, the annoying peanut-brained gallery will NOT be present. Later.
Promises
A/N: A friend of mine read one of my other fics and saw a passage of a flashback concerning Raph, Maggie and Casey. She wanted to know more about this event, so I thought that I might give it a try and grant her request. Hopefully, this turns out to be a decent fic. This one is for you, Terran. :P
Chapter 1: Ever hear of knocking?
For as long as she had known him, there was just something about Casey Jones that made Magnolia nervous. What exactly, she didn't know for sure. She knew that he was Raphael's best friend outside the family and that he was a close ally to them all, so that made him okay. So long as she didn't have to be alone with him that is.
If that ever happened, then it would be a different story. Instead of being just slightly on edge around the man, she would have all senses on full alert. She would watch the human's every move and take each one as a possible threat.
Perhaps this behavior was a bit paranoid on Magnolia's part. It wasn't as if Casey had ever tried to hurt her in anyway. He wasn't anywhere that cruel like other humans that Maggie had heard about. Usually, he just acted like himself around the young feline. Which more or less meant that he was being loud, arrogant, and a general chauvinist. All things that most females would consider either a major pain or very attractive.
Though she was used to the overbearing side of the male ego thanks to her four older brothers, Maggie was still one of those females who found that personality to be in the former category. She felt that anyone who thought he could get away with calling a girl 'babe' and thinking that she was just there to look pretty needed a serious attitude adjustment. And if that didn't work, then it was time to bring out the claws and get the message across as to how far Maggie would take such things.
Yet despite his never being cruel to her, Maggie was still nervous around the human male and kept her distance from him most of the time. Such feelings probably stemmed from the fact that Maggie had had contact with very few humans in her life. The few exceptions were Casey Jones, April O'Neil, and a woman named Jody that she had met as a child. These humans were the only ones of their kind who had had any direct influence on Magnolia's life.
They had opened her eyes to the world beyond her family. Through them, she learned to experience things and feelings that she had never been aware of before. Through April, she managed to find a friend who taught her what it meant to be a woman and gave her the assurances that can only be given through a female figure. And through Casey, she learned that even humans had their flaws and that even then they were enjoyable company, to an extent.
The last human to ever have an effect on Maggie's life had been an old woman named Jody. Through her, Maggie had learned how to live and how to treasure what she had been given in her life. That meant never taking for granted the people in her life and showing appreciation for what she had instead of always wishing for something else.
All of these were indeed good lessons and ones that someone should always take to heart. Which Magnolia did with a passion. At least, when she was fully awake and aware of her world. There weren't any guarantees that she would be in a receptive mood when she was tired.
Which was more or less the case now as she sat there and glared sleepily at the human who stood beside her bed. A few moments before, she had been sleeping soundly with no expectation of being wakened until it was time for morning practice. The next thing she knew, she was being brought out a peaceful dream and staring into the face of an annoying human.
And now that she was mostly awake, the young feline was asking herself three things. One, why in the world was Casey here in here bedroom, waking her up in what she presumed was the middle of the night? Two, how had he managed to get into the Lair without Master Splinter noticing? And three, should she just claw him in the face now or wait until later after she had thought of some very slow and painful torture for him?
Still debating the last part, Maggie demanded grumpily, What are you doing here? And it better be good or you're toast.
Sighing with obvious relief that she was awake and receptive to talking, Casey answered," I need to ask ya for a favor."
Those words set off immediate alarms in Maggie's tired mind. She knew that any time that Casey wanted a favor, there was only one thing that could come out of it and that was trouble. She'd learned just that after he came and asked Raph to come help him with something. Raphael had readily agreed and was off in no time with Casey. Which was fine enough, except that neither one was heard from again for nearly three days.
During that time, everyone was beside themselves with worry. Some hidden it better than others, but it was still there. No one was certain if Raphael and Casey were hurt, in trouble, or even if they were still in the city or alive at all. None of the searches made by the remaining Turtles ever revealed a clue that might give rise to anything certain.
Everyone was to learn the truth when Raphael and Casey returned the evening of the third day. The two were covered in bruises and Raph was limping so badly that he had to lean against his human friend for support. They had strolled into the lair laughing and with wide grins plastered on their faces over the triumph they had just earned.
It turned out that the problem that Casey was having involved some friends of his over in New Jersey. A gang had been terrorizing their neighborhood for months and there seemed to be no solution to the problem. The police were unable to track the gang and arrest them, so that option was out. And there was no one left in the neighborhood to stand up for everyone because those who had had either been seriously hurt or killed.
All of this only left two options open to the increasingly desperate community. Either give into the gang's demand completely and not fight back or find some way to get outside help. Thankfully, though many would have doubted anyone else coming to their aid, the second option was the one that came true in the end.
One of the few who still had a spark of resistance in his heart, a Joey Gunner, had an old friend that he knew handled problems like this all the time. Joey knew that this friend, who was none other than Casey Jones, could be counted on to try and help drive the gang out for good. After all, he hated such punks with a passion and usually jumped at the opportunity to take down a few when he could.
Even though it meant taking a chance on his part, Joey had phoned Casey and told him of the problems his neighborhood was having in Jersey. Things couldn't have gone any quicker. As soon as Joey told him what was going on, Casey had promised that he would be there within two days with help. He immediately left home and sought out Raphael as his 'help', as he knew the Turtle liked busting heads in as much as he did. And from there, things simply took their course.
It had been a hard fight for them in the long run, but human and mutant had managed to take down the bulk of the gang's power. They had proven without a shadow of a doubt that no one was going to take the intimidation any longer and that there was someone willing to fight to make a point. It was a message that, in the end, was well heard and caused the remainder of the gang to back off at least for a time .
Of course, the fight had been tough on the two vigilantes as well. For their troubles, they had received a multitude of dark bruises, a black eye for both of them, a badly sprained ankle and two cracked ribs for Raph, and a sore arm for Casey. All injuries that would take a great deal to heal and fade into memory. But neither Raph nor Casey saw the injuries, despite the pain, as anything to worry about. To them, they were hard won badges of honor that were to be worn with pride. Too bad they were the only ones who felt that way.
Everyone else saw them as damage that had earned in a fight that could have well been avoided. Even if they had been trying to help others, they thought that Raphael and Casey Jones had acted like complete idiots in this case and should have used their heads instead. And no one had been afraid to tell them just that while the two were recuperating.
Casey had been allowed to stay with April while he was healing. She of course, made his time with her as tough as possible. April, who cared for Casey but never openly admitted it to others, couldn't believe that he would put himself in that much danger. She knew that he could be reckless, that was a side of him that she found childish and charming at the same time, but she had never thought he would go to this extreme.
Raphael's situation was to be no better than his friend's during his recovery period. Splinter had been furious and grounded Raphael for three months after that little stunt. Most of which was spent recuperating in bed so that his sore leg and bruised side could heal properly. And during that time, he was lectured daily by not only Splinter, but by Leo and Don as well.
Leo, true to form when it came to acting as the oldest son and star student, had lectured his younger brother on how stupid it was to just leave without telling anyone or doing something so dangerous. He kept that up for hours when Splinter wasn't around, more than once coming close to driving his bed-ridden brother to getting up and trying to strangle him. Only the fact that Splinter would have skinned him and Don would have knocked him upside the head kept Raph from doing that.
In Donatello's case, he lectured his brother on his injuries. Being the 'doctor' in the family, it was usually his job to patch everyone else up if there was an accident or a fight. How he felt in either case usually varied with the circumstances. If the accident or fight had been unavoidable, then he didn't mind patching someone up. If the accident came through stupidity or the fight through provoking another, that was a different story. Then he would just go ballistic and give someone a piece of his mind, as he had done when he was working on Raph.
Not a very pretty picture as far as Raph had been concerned. He had lived through enough lectures after that to last him for quite awhile, even for him, so he didn't press his luck on anything. Instead, he just took things as they came to him and waited for a better opportunity to complain.
And from what Maggie remembered, that hadn't been for some time to come. Even after his punishment was up and his wounds were healed, Raph still got dark looks from everyone else from time to time and more than a few stern warnings from Splinter. The glares Raph would either ignore or return in full force to whomever had started it. But those warnings he took to heart, since the one person he knew better than to ignore or growl at was his Master. If he did, it either meant a more in-depth lecture or doing a number of flips that he end up passing out from before Splinter thought he'd had enough.
Knowing all this herself, Maggie knew that she had to be wary if Casey was asking her for a favor. The last thing she wanted was to get into trouble because of something he either couldn't do himself or was too lazy to do. She had enough problems to worry about already without having to deal with one of Casey's as well.
Still, it wouldn't be polite to at least hear his request. That would be another breach of the etiquette that Splinter had taught her and that just didn't sit too well with the young feline. She wasn't as much a stickler for the rules as Leo might be, but she still hated to break one even when Splinter wasn't there. It just didn't seem right to her somehow.
Sighing to herself, Maggie thought, I guess that means I better hear him out or I'll never get back to sleep tonight.
She turned her full attention back to the human after that, as it had been slightly divided as she recalled what had happened. Her gaze, now only a bit hazed by fatigue, was wary and she made no attempt to hide it. Maggie wanted Casey to know that even if she would listen to him, it didn't mean she was going to be entirely nice while doing it.
What kind of favor? Maggie asked suspiciously.
"I need you to help me find Raph. I sort of lost track of him while we were out," Casey replied without hesitation.
At first, Maggie could only stare dumbfounded at the human. She honestly wasn't sure if she had heard him right. Did he just say that he had lost her brother? He had lost a guy who was supposed to be his best friend and the one person who could stand him for more than 10 minutes without wanting to strangle him?
It took a few seconds for this information and the shock to settle in. Once it had, the girl could only feel one thing and think of one thing to say. And that didn't come out with her in the best of moods.
How do you lose a giant turtle dressed in a trench coat that smells like last week's garbage?! Maggie demanded angrily.
Casey winced from the glare he was receiving from the cat-girl. He could easily tell that she was upset with what she had just told him. And to be honest, he couldn't blame her. He was upset with losing Raph himself, since he was a guy that someone could easily keep track of. Well, most of the time, and when there wasn't a huge crowd getting in the way.
"I can't help it if there was a crowd at that bar," Casey answered.
A BAR!? Maggie shrieked, What were you doing in a bar?!
Again, Casey couldn't help but wince at the look on Magnolia's face. Even in silence, she was perfectly capable of expressing her emotions to him as they 'spoke'. The way her fur puffed out in outrage and the way her eyes shown with shock was more than enough to tell him that.
Damn, he thought, I better be glad she's not a chatterbox like Mike or else I'd really be hearin' some screechin' then.
He waited a moment for Maggie to calm down at least a little before continuing. As impatient as he could get sometimes, Casey knew that he wouldn't get anywhere if the girl was too upset to even listen to him. Better to have her at least half-rational than on a rampage.
"Look kid," Casey said after a moment," I don't have time to explain everything to ya. I just need ya to come on and help me find Raph before he gets himself into trouble."
Maggie, still agitated that her brother had been in a bar, just hissed at him. She knew that he was right though. As much as she wanted answers, now wasn't the time for them. Right now was the time to keep her head.
But that couldn't stop one major thought from coming to mind. If Casey needed someone to help him find Raphael, then why didn't he ask Master Splinter or one of the other Turtles? Even if they might get upset with the human for waking them up so late, they wouldn't have refused to help him. They were certainly more qualified to help find him than she was, so why come to her? It was something that just didn't sit right with Magnolia and something she had to know about before this went any further.
Why don't you just ask Master Splinter to help you track him down? He knows Raphael's scent as well as I do, if not better, Magnolia asked, her hands moving in a quick flurry.
Her signs were watched carefully by the human, who tried to take into account how nervous she was. It was hard for him to see it in her hands. To do that, he had to look into her eyes and face, which more easily reflected to the human than anything else.
In reality, this was what Casey usually relied on when he was talking to Maggie on his own like this. He barely understood what Maggie was saying to him otherwise. If he wanted a full translation, then he would have to ask Raph, one of his brothers, or Splinter. They were the only ones who fully understood the entirety of Magnolia's self-invented sign language and could offer the best translations for their human friends.
"I'll be honest with you, furball," Casey replied," If I ask anyone else to help me find that bum brother of yours, they'll just make a big fuss about while we're out there and on the way back. But I also know that you won't do that sort of thing. You'll help me find Raphael and keep quiet about it until this is over. That's why I want your help."
When he put it that way, Maggie had to admit that it made sense. If Casey did ask anyone else, like Mike and especially Leo, then they would make a huge fuss about it. They would yell and rant the entire way instead of just initially like she had. They would be demanding what in the world they were doing in a bar and why Casey had even let Raph out of his sight. And this was just with her brothers.
There was no doubt in her mind what would have happened if Casey had sought out Splinter to help him find the missing Turtle. The rat would act calm at first, agreeing with Casey that it was better to search for his son than to act rashly. He would search to the best of his abilities, never ceasing until he found what was sought.
When Raphael was found, Splinter would take his condition into account first. If he were injured, then he would help bring his son home and then tend to his wounds for however long it took for them to heal. And once they had healed properly or there were no injuries to begin with, then Splinter would literally knock some sense into his hotheaded son.
Because if there was one thing that Splinter wouldn't tolerate from his students it was one of them acting stupid on the surface. He had always taught them the dangers of being among the humans, even when with allies, and that one must never let their guard down under any circumstances.
He also taught them that if they had gone in a group or in pairs, they were to stay that way and not separate unless there was no other choice. After all, there were strengths in numbers. A fact that worked whether one was a ninja or just the average person trying to keep out of trouble.
Man, how come I always have to be the one that has to clean up after these guys when no one else will? Maggie groaned to herself, I don't want Raph to be in trouble, but if I go and don't tell anyone, I'll get into trouble too.
Which was true enough, if she was reading Casey's request and his words right. If she went to help him, then that meant she had to leave the lair without telling anyone. It was the only way that they could be sure that a big fuss wouldn't be raised until after Raphael was found and brought home.
At the same time though, it meant that she would have to break one of Splinter's major rules. For as long as she could remember, he had always made a point of knowing where his students were or could be found. So whenever one or more of them wanted to leave the safety of the lair, they had to tell Splinter before going anywhere. If they didn't and tried to sneak out instead, it was only trouble in the end and Maggie knew all this full well.
"Look, I know you're scared, kid, but you gotta tell me what you're gonna do NOW. If we don't start lookin' and find him soon, there's no telling what kind of trouble Raph's gonna get himself into. I know you don't want that to happen," Casey insisted, interrupting the girl's train of thought.
That was the clincher right there and Casey knew it. He knew that he had Maggie with those words. Even if she didn't trust him, there was no way she would risk letting her brother get hurt. He may have been a major pain in the neck at times but he still meant too much to her for that to happen.
Okay, okay, Maggie sighed, I'll go with you. Just go on up and wait for me in the tunnel. I'll meet you after I change and get my coat.
She started throw the covers off and to get out of bed. But then she noticed that Casey was still sitting on the end of her bed, showing no signs that he was going to leave. Growling to herself about morons in hockey masks, she decided that she was no longer in a mood to be even remotely civil with Casey Jones.
Pointing to the door, Maggie snapped, OUT!
This time, when he saw the way her lip was curling up into a snarling hiss, Casey got the idea loud and clear. He could tell that Maggie meant business when she told him to get out and she wouldn't take anything less than his leaving as an answer. So with a quick nod, he got off the edge of her bed and left.
Maggie rolled her eyes as she watched him go. She waited until he was completely out of sight before getting out of bed herself and making her way over to her dresser. While she was rummaging through the drawers for a change of clothes, Maggie began wondering how her brother could be so stupid and how he had ever become friends with such an idiot of a human.
A/N: Okay, end chapter 1. Just a few more to go. When that's gonna be, I don't really know. But it should be within a few weeks since I've already gotten started on chapter 2.
Casey Jones: At least you're doing something instead of sitting on your rear like you usually do, babe.
*eye twitches* Okay, two things. One, don't tell a writer what she should be doing or else she may write into a fic with giant monsters trying to have you for lunch. And two, don't call me babe again or you'll face my wrath.
Casey Jones: *laughs* Oh yeah, I'm really scared, babe. Like you're really gonna pull something like that. You write too much mush and angst for that to happen.
*changes into alter ego, Enigma-1* Okay, you ask for it. Start running, Space Case.
Casey Jones: *gulps* Uh, can't ya take a joke? Yowch!
*gets tazer ready for a second strike* I told ya so. For you readers out there, again, I promise to get the next chapter out very soon. And next time, the annoying peanut-brained gallery will NOT be present. Later.