A.N.: Hey again y'all! I just realized that I had TygeroftheWynd take off
on Michaelangelo too, but forgot to get him and Leo to find her. SO sorry
Tyger! To make up for my mistake, this next chapter will mainly be about
you. Well, kinda. I'll do my best. Enjoy!
Daydream: Thanx 4 offering (again-lol) to let me ride the elephants. I rode one once when I was small at a circus. The only thing I remember was that I was on its butt, in back of five other kids, my sister included. It was fun! LOTS of fun! Lol.
Disclaimer: In case y'all have forgotten, I only own Ziptango, Daydream, & myself. Plus, the story idea is also mine. Lol.
At the Big Top.
TygeroftheWynd had finally found the tigers, and was happily petting one, when she heard the Ring Master talking to some of the people who worked there.
"I thought the show would never end," the Ring Master said. "It felt like it would go on forever."
"You didn't have to listen to some kid throw a tantrum," the Popcorn guy stated. "Twice. And yes, it was the same damn kid. Screaming 'bout elephants and trapeze people."
"That sounds like Lenore," TygeroftheWynd thought. "Wait. Did he say OVER? The circus is OVER?"
She felt scared then, as her brothers STILL hadn't found her. She had been assured by her sisters that they'd meet up at the tigers once done, so they could all go back to Michaelangelo together. Come to think of it, her sisters had never shown up.
"Did Mikey catch them?" She wondered. "And if he did, why didn't they mention me being with the tigers? Or, are they looking for me right now?"
She listened as more people came and told the Ring Master that they'd finished packing up. She knew then that they people were about to leave, and she'd be all alone. She also knew that she couldn't ask them for help, as they'd recognize her as a freak.
Someone tripped over her then. "Hey, Kid," the guy began. "What the hell are you doing back here? And WHY are you touching the tigers?"
"Um." TygeroftheWynd tried. "I-I. Heh."
"GET OUTTA HERE!" He yelled. "GO FIND YOUR FOLKS!"
TygeroftheWynd jumped up, causing her hood to fall off. She saw the guy's eyes go wide as his jaw hit the floor.
"Mr. Screw-Eyes! We've a freak in here!" He shouted. "A turtle freak!"
TygeroftheWynd grew scared and darted for the exit. She could hear the guy running after her, and more joining in on the chase.
"HEY! FREAK! GET BACK HERE!"
Meanwhile, Lenore was lying awake in her bed thinking about what had happened. She hadn't thought they'd get caught, and if they did, that they wouldn't have gotten in that much trouble. But, as usual, she'd been wrong. It dawned on her then, that five of them, not four, had taken off on Michaelangelo. "Tyger!" She whispered, as she sat straight up in her bed.
"What?" Mily asked from her bed. "What about Tyger?"
"Um. Nothing," Lenore lied, lying back down. "Guess I was dreaming. Sorry Mily. Go back to sleep." She closed her eyes, and hoped that they had indeed brought TygeroftheWynd back with them. If they hadn't, she knew that Master Splinter would find out about what had happened for sure. "Why didn't I tell Mikey earlier?" She thought. "I knew then. I should've told him." She stopped blaming herself a moment. "Wait. HE should've known. HE took us; HE knew there were five of us. Damn. It's HIS fault, but they'll blame ME." She rolled over. "I'm NOT telling him then, this way, he'll get blamed, and not me."
TygeroftheWynd had finally managed to out-run and hide from the circus men. She vowed right then and there to NEVER ask to go to another circus, EVER. She also promised NEVER to take off on ANY of her brothers EVER again. She was gasping for air, trying to catch her breath, and doing her best to remain silent. She watched as the last couple of men ran by, and knew that she was safe where she was - for now. "Thank God I'm green," she thought.
She decided to stay where she was, as she knew that if she wandered too far away from the spot where the circus had been, her brothers would never find her. She wished they'd hurry up and come back to get her. She was starting to become terrified of her surroundings, not knowing which shadows were good, and which bad.
Back at the lair, the boys had waited until Master Splinter had gone to bed, before silently checking on their sisters. It was this check that made them realize they were missing a sibling. Actually, two siblings, to be exact.
Donatello gently shook Danceingfae awake. "Psst! Dance!"
Danceingfae woke up and turned to look at him. "What?" She asked rubbing her eyes sleepily. "It's not time to get up yet, is it?"
"No," Donatello answered. "Dance, do you know where Tyger is?"
"Huh?" Danceingfae grumbled. "I thought Mikey took her to the bathroom?"
Donatello's eyes went slightly wide then. "Oh. Okay. Never mind Dance," he whispered, kissing her head. "Go back to sleep, Honey. I think I know where she is."
Danceingfae let her head drop back down onto her pillow, and was out before Donatello had even left her side.
"Guys, I think we left Tyger at the circus," Donatello signed to his brothers. "Dance said Mikey took her to the bathroom."
Michaelangelo paled some. "I did?" He gulped worriedly.
"Well, that explains why I kept getting eleven when I did a head count," Raphael signed furiously. "Who else we missing? Anybody?"
Leonardo came out of Mily's room. "Lenore," he said VERY softly.
The brothers all looked at one another confused, but knew they'd had to go get TygeroftheWynd before they could worry about Lenore. Besides, Lenore hated the dark with a passion, so there was NO way she had wandered far. Was there?
Lenore stumbled about, her eyes wide in fear every time she heard a noise. "Next time, I'm waking Mikey," she said aloud nervously. "It's his fault anyway." She continued her journey, hoping she was going the right way.
Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michaelangelo were all heading straight for the area the circus had been in, talking fervently.
"HOW could you forget Tyger, Mikey?" Raphael demanded. "She's one of your posse."
"I said I didn't mean to, Raph!" Michaelangelo snapped slightly. "YOU try dealing with one of Lenore's tantrums, THEN come to me about forgetting someone accidentally."
"Can it, you guys," Leonardo ordered. "You're bickering is NOT helping our situation any."
Donatello spotted a familiar form then. "Hey, isn't that Lenore there?" He asked, a bit confused. "If so, what's she doing all the way out here? Alone, at that."
They neared the form, and knew that it indeed was Lenore, when they heard her call for her sister.
"Tyger!?!?" Lenore called. "Tyger! Where are you? Tyger?"
Michaelangelo stepped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. He heard her let out a shriek, then spoke before she freaked even more. "Lenore, it's me, Mikey."
Lenore turned around and was relieved momentarily to find her brothers there, and not some crazed whacko. "Mikey!" She cried, automatically hugging him.
He hugged her in return, though he was somewhat mad. He shoved her back some, and crouched down before her, her hands in his. "Lenore, what are you doing out here so late by yourself?"
She looked at him slightly sheepish. "We forgot Tyger," she answered him softly. "I'm looking for Tyger."
"Why didn't you tell us we'd forgotten her?"
She shrugged. "Dunno. Wanted to find her myself, I guess."
"You know better than to take off, more or less go up top without one of us with you," Leonardo stated then. "Especially after dark."
"Sorry," Lenore mumbled, kicking the ground with her foot lightly. "Didn't wanna wake anybody up."
"Kid, next time, wake us up," Raphael put in. "You could very easily get hurt if yah keep taking off on your own." He paused, but continued when he saw the weird looks his brothers were giving him. "Then Master Splinter will have OUR hides for it."
She looked down at her feet. She heard Michaelangelo groan, then felt him pick her up.
"C'mon," he said. "No sense in taking you back, when we're already this far, right?" He looked to his brothers for their opinions.
"Right," Donatello quickly agreed. "It'll save time if we bring her with us, and just maybe, Tyger too."
"Fine," Leonardo replied, then cast a glance at Lenore. "But don't think you're getting away with sneaking off, 'cause you're not. And DON'T you go asking Mikey to get you outta this either."
Lenore muttered something rude as she buried her head into Michaelangelo.
"Lenore, I heard that," Michaelangelo told her. "Be nice. He's right - for once."
Leonardo gave Michaelangelo a Look. "Uh hmm. Mikey, I've ears too. Also, YOU forgot Tyger, NOT us."
"Excuse me, she WASN'T even in MY group, Leo!" Michaelangelo shot-back.
Donatello looked sheepish then as they walked on. "He's a point Leo," he said softly. "She was my responsibility."
"It doesn't matter whose group she was in," Leonardo rejoined, then turned to his youngest brother. "YOU asked to be trusted with FIVE of them Mikey! NOT Donnie!"
Lenore squirmed to be let down, and once Michaelangelo had set her down, she ran over to Raphael. For once, he wasn't one of the ones arguing. She hated hearing her brothers argue, and wished she had have told Michaelangelo before they'd left that she'd known that TygeroftheWynd had been missing.
"Raph?" She whispered, looking up at him, after taking a hold of his hand. "You think Tyger's okay?"
Raphael glanced down at his baby sister and sighed. "I dunno, Kid. I'm hoping she's alright, but honestly dunno." He squeezed her hand gently. "Don't worry 'bout it, kay?"
Lenore nodded, but remained quiet, which was unusual for her, for the rest of the trip. She knew that her brothers knew that she was only silent when something was bothering her.
They finally reached the area where the circus had been, only to find that the Big Top and everything else had been taken down and was long gone. The building that had held their seats and the main attractions was locked up too. The five of them searched, Raphael never letting go of Lenore's hand.
TygeroftheWynd thought she heard people calling her name, and dared to peek out of her hiding spot. She'd never felt so relieved in her life to see her brothers. "MIKEY!" She shrieked, jumping up and running to him.
Michaelangelo turned around when he heard TygeroftheWynd scream his name. He scooped her up into a tight hug once she'd reached him. "I'm so, so, SO sorry Tyger!" He apologized over and over. "I NEVER meant to forget you! I swear!"
TygeroftheWynd sobbed into his shoulder. "I-I was so sc-scared M-Mikey," she told him. "S-Some man w-wanted to c-catch me and l-lock me u-up." She hiccupped a couple times then. "Th-they c-called m-me a-a f-freak."
"Shh! It's all right Tyger. It's alright," Michaelangelo soothed, then kissed her head. "It's alright. I promise."
Lenore ran over to them. "Tyger!" She exclaimed. "You're okay!"
"You forgot me!" TygeroftheWynd accused. "You said we'd meet at the tigers! You never showed up!"
"Sorry," Lenore shrugged. "Leo and Mikey found us, and Leo wouldn't let us go. Punker and I were heading for you, but Leo grabbed us and said we weren't allowed to do nothing no more."
"Lenore, you NEVER once mentioned that you were going to meet Tyger," Michaelangelo reminded her. "If you had, Leo and I would've let you go get her."
"You said you were heading for the bathroom, if I remember correctly," Leonardo added.
"Well, you should've remembered she'd been with us!" Lenore rejoined. "Then she wouldn't have been forgotten! I was just waiting to see how long it took yah to remember her!"
Michaelangelo set TygeroftheWynd down then, and advanced on Lenore, NOT looking happy. "You KNEW we'd left her there the WHOLE time?" He demanded.
"N-No," Lenore stuttered, backing up some. "N-Not th-the wh-whole t-time."
"Lenore," Michaelangelo said in a warning tone. "The truth. NOW."
She looked sheepish then, and shifted slightly. "I knew," she replied. "I always knew."
"WHY the heck didn't you tell us then?!?" Michaelangelo yelled. "You KNOW how much trouble we'd be in if Master Splinter found out? Heck. We'll be in deep trouble as it is, if he wakes up to find us gone!"
Lenore went into Raphael mode then, and grew mad. "She wouldn't have gotten in trouble! She said she wanted to look at the tigers, and that we should do the plan, but when we went to do it, 'I' had to DRAG her away from you! SHE was making ME look bad!"
"You make yourself look bad," Raphael muttered.
"SHUT-UP RAPHAEL!" Lenore screamed, turning to face him. "YOU KNOW NOTHING!"
"Quit screaming," Leonardo told her. "You'll wake people up, and then we'll have to run and hide, and it'll take us even longer to get home."
"Yeah," Donatello agreed. "If we're too late, Sensei WILL be up, and cranky."
"GOOD!" Lenore shrieked. "LET THEM WAKE UP! LET HIM BE MAD! I DON'T CARE!"
"Obviously, you only care about yourself," Michaelangelo stated. He watched her turn on her heel to face him once more. "Do you NOT realize Tyger could've been captured and SERIOUSLY hurt? Do you NOT realize how STUPID you were in NOT telling us we'd left her here?"
"DID YOU 'NOT' REALIZE HOW STUPID 'YOU' WERE, IN 'NOT' REMEMBERING YOU'D HAD 'FIVE' OF US?" Lenore countered loudly. "HMM, MIKEY?"
Michaelangelo took hold of her arms once more, and shook her like he'd done at the circus. He then crouched before her, and gave her an angry look. "I thought I told you earlier to behave? Or, do you not care what I say anymore?"
"I DON'T CARE!" She screeched, as TygeroftheWynd ran to hide behind Donatello.
He shook her again, harder than he had before, then stood up to get his other sister. He looked at TygeroftheWynd, his face softening. "Come here, Kiddo," he said. "I'm not mad at you. It wasn't entirely your fault you got left here."
TygeroftheWynd slowly made her way towards him, her eyes on Lenore the whole time. She could see the fury in her sister's eyes, and knew she was going to flip at any moment. She still couldn't believe that Michaelangelo had yelled at Lenore, instead of trying to calm her down. Obviously, she was mad about something AGAIN.
Lenore snapped as she watched her sister get closer and closer to Michaelangelo. Whether he'd shaken her or not, she did NOT want to give him up for ANYBODY. She'd had him first that night, and was not about to lose him to her sister, like she'd lost him when they'd been forced to make groups. All he'd done that day was cause her pain. He KNEW she'd wanted SO bad to be in his group. He KNEW she wanted VERY badly to ride the elephants, yet hadn't let her. He KNEW she'd wanted to AT LEAST touch one, yet had still dragged her out of the line. He KNEW she HATED clowns, yet had ONLY cared about Daydream when they'd come out. He KNEW she'd wanted to see the rest of the circus. He KNEW she loved the trapeze artists best after the elephants. He KNEW she hated the dark, but cared MORE about TygeroftheWynd because SHE'D been left behind. He KNEW she DIDN'T want to see him hugging TygeroftheWynd right then, but was going to do so anyway.
She attacked TygeroftheWynd then. Her poor sister had almost reached Michaelangelo, but was still a few steps short, when attacked. "STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Lenore hollered, pounding her fists angrily on her sister's shell. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM! HE'S MINE! DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!"
Raphael yanked Lenore up off TygeroftheWynd and placed his hand over her mouth to shut her up. "Quiet!" He hissed in her ear. "You're being a brat!"
Lenore kept struggling with Raphael, mainly kicking as he had her arms pinned at her sides, while holding her a few feet off the ground. She got mad and finally bit his hand.
"YEOW!" Raphael yelled, dropping her and shaking his hand. He watched as Lenore scampered to her feet, and went after TygeroftheWynd again. He ran after her. "GET BACK HERE!"
"NO!" Lenore screeched, unable to get TygeroftheWynd, as Michaelangelo had picked her up. "I WANT MIKEY! I WANT! I WANT! I WANT!"
"I think you wanna be spanked," Leonardo said, coming over and prying her off Michaelangelo. She'd attempted to climb him to get at her sister. "Now, either shush, or I'LL do Master Splinter's duty FOR him."
She ignored the glares she was getting, and fell to the ground and began to kick and scream, throwing a monster of a tantrum. "I WANT MIKEY! I WANT HIM! I WANT HIM! I WANT HIM!"
"Lenore, we're NOT gonna tell you again," Raphael growled. "Smarten up! Now!"
"MIKEY'S MINE! MINE! MINE!" She screamed even louder than before. "MINE! I WANT 'MY' MIKEY!"
Leonardo had had enough then, and knelt down on top of her, one leg on either side of her. While he used his legs and butt to hold her feet down, he used his hands to hold her arms down. He watched as she continued to struggle with him, all the while screaming and shaking her head from side to side. "Lenore, SHUT-UP!" He barked, practically right in her face. "NOW!"
Lenore spit in his face as her response.
He'd had enough then and flipped her over angrily. Once he'd flipped her over, he spanked her as hard as he could, and then rolled her back to her original position. "You do NOT spit at people NOR do you throw fits when you CAN'T have your way!"
TygeroftheWynd watched wide-eyed as Leonardo held Lenore down after spanking her. Her sister wasn't screaming anymore, but was struggling and crying hard. Their brothers NEVER hit them. Not EVER. If they did, Master Splinter would get mad, and they'd (brothers) would get into LOTS and LOTS of trouble. This was all too much for her to take in right then. First, she'd been left at the circus. Secondly, she'd had crazed men chase her and call her a freak. Thirdly, Michaelangelo had shaken Lenore after they'd argued, and they NEVER argued. Then, Lenore had attacked her for going to Michaelangelo when called. After that, Lenore had bitten Raphael and come after her and Michaelangelo again. And finally, Leonardo had spanked Lenore after she'd spit in his face. He had actually hit her. TygeroftheWynd whimpered slightly, and buried her head into Michaelangelo.
Lenore eventually stopped struggling with Leonardo, and just lay there crying softly. She couldn't believe that her brother had spanked her. But, at the same time, she was mad. Mad at Leonardo for spanking her, and mad at Michaelangelo for letting Leonardo spank her. Michaelangelo was supposed to protect her, not let people hurt her. She hiccupped, and watched as Leonardo stood up and left her lying there on her shell.
During this whole tantrum thing, Donatello had remained silent and had not gotten involved. Somehow, HE sensed what NO one, NOT even Michaelangelo, did. He KNEW she was jealous - again. Ignoring the glares of his brothers, her went over and knelt down on one knee before her. "You okay?" He asked, letting her know he was concerned.
Lenore shook her head no, then took his hand and let him help her up. She then collapsed into his arms and buried her head in his shoulder.
Donatello sighed, and picked his littlest sister up. "Shh," he whispered softly, kissing her head and somehow managing to pull her closer. "There's no monsters, Sweetie. I swear." He rocked her from side to side slightly, then followed his brothers home.
Master Splinter was waiting for them when they returned, and switched on the lights, startling his students. He saw Michaelangelo holding a sleeping TygeroftheWynd, and Donatello holding, a wide-awake Lenore, who looked as though she'd seen a ghost, and was sucking her thumb (even if she was too old to be doing so). Leonardo and Raphael just stood there like deer caught in headlights.
He eyed them all warily. "Where have you been?" He demanded. "It is three o'clock in the morning and no need to be wandering outside of our home."
Leonardo took it upon himself, as the leader, to protect his younger siblings, and stepped forward. "We went for a walk, Master Splinter," he explained, lying through his teeth to his beloved sensei. "Tyger and Lenni awoke with nightmares and came to us. We took them out to get some air, and to hopefully wear them out again."
"Were you seen?"
"No, Master Splinter," Leonardo replied, kneeling before his father. "We were not seen."
"Very well," Master Splinter answered. "Put the little ones to bed, then go to bed as well."
"Yes, Master Splinter," Leonardo responded quickly. He bowed, then stood up. "Good night Master Splinter."
"Goodnight my sons," he nodded. He paused a moment. "And Leonardo - "
Leonardo turned back around. "Yes, Sensei?"
"Do not feel the need to lie to me to protect your siblings. If they have done wrong, then let them suffer the consequences, and not get away with what they have done," Master Splinter told him. He watched as his eldest child began to look slightly embarrassed. "I will let you all get away with whatever you have done this time, but shan't be so generous next time. Also, if you are to lie, do not be so suspicious, by glancing worried looks at your brothers."
"Hai, Sensei," Leonardo said softly.
"Goodnight Leonardo."
"Goodnight Sensei."
Master Splinter watched as the four took their sisters to their rooms to go back to bed. He knew something was up, when Donatello didn't come back out of Lenore and Mily's room. Plus, Michaelangelo had taken TygeroftheWynd into his room, instead of hers and Danceingfae's.
Lenore looked up at Donatello after he'd lain her down in her bed and covered her up. "Thanks," she whispered after finally taking her thumb out of her mouth. She paused and looked down, before glancing up at him again. "I'm sorry Donnie."
Donatello smiled softly at her and smoothed her hair back. "I know you are, Lenni," he said. "I know Mikey hasn't paid much attention to you today, unless he was yelling at you 'cause you were acting up." He chuckled slightly as she looked down again. "Sweetie, I know you were doing it to get his attention, but ended up getting the wrong type of attention. I'm sorry your plan backfired."
"Me too," she said softly. "Master Splinter KNEW I wanted to be with Mikey. I'm ALWAYS with Mikey." Her eyes welled up with tears again. "I-I love Mikey, b-but now - now he h-hates me."
"No. No. No," Donatello replied urgently, sitting on her bed and hugging her close. "He doesn't hate you, Lenni. He could NEVER hate you. Mikey's just mad 'cause you did a lot of stupid things today, and kept scaring him. He doesn't like to be scared like he was today, when he couldn't find you guys. He was also mad at himself, for not seeing through you, and knowing your plans." He rocked her slightly. "Shh."
"Donnie?"
"Yeah, Sweetie?"
"Will you stay with me? Please?" Lenore begged. "I-I need you."
Donatello looked at his sister's tear-stained face and felt himself soften. "Sure Sweetie, I'll stay. I'll stay as long as you need me to." He got her to slide over, than lay down next to her. he felt her snuggled into him, and held her close, as to ease all her fears and worries. "Things will be better in the morning. I promise." He kissed her head. "Night Lenni. Love you."
"Night Donnie. Love you too," Lenore answered, before closing her eyes and going to sleep.
While Donatello slept with Lenore, Michaelangelo had TygeroftheWynd wrapped up in his arms, to keep her close and safe from harm. He'd been terribly frightened at the thought of almost losing one of his little sisters, and vowed not to let ANY of them out of his sight EVER again. "Next time, I'll use a rope to tie them to me," he thought. "This way I won't lose anybody again." He kissed TygeroftheWynd on the head, then hummed to her softly, even thought she was already asleep, before falling asleep himself.
A.N.: Well, there y'all go. Hope y'all liked it. Sorry no one but Tyger & I were really in it, but I felt bad for leaving Tyger at the circus. Lol. Oh, & in case y'all are wondering who shares a room with who, here's a list:
Arista & TMNTPunker. Ziptango & Daydream. Lenore & Mily. Machias & Splinter. HexAdecimal & Raphiella. Danceingfae & TygeroftheWynd.
Hope y'all like the arrangements. Lol. If not, ah, well. *Shrugs* Tough noogies! Hehehe! J/k. Plz R & R like always! Adios! KTBSPA & KTNTPA & KTACPA & KTJTPA & KTKCPA & KTCPA & KTJTTPA!!!!!
Daydream: Thanx 4 offering (again-lol) to let me ride the elephants. I rode one once when I was small at a circus. The only thing I remember was that I was on its butt, in back of five other kids, my sister included. It was fun! LOTS of fun! Lol.
Disclaimer: In case y'all have forgotten, I only own Ziptango, Daydream, & myself. Plus, the story idea is also mine. Lol.
At the Big Top.
TygeroftheWynd had finally found the tigers, and was happily petting one, when she heard the Ring Master talking to some of the people who worked there.
"I thought the show would never end," the Ring Master said. "It felt like it would go on forever."
"You didn't have to listen to some kid throw a tantrum," the Popcorn guy stated. "Twice. And yes, it was the same damn kid. Screaming 'bout elephants and trapeze people."
"That sounds like Lenore," TygeroftheWynd thought. "Wait. Did he say OVER? The circus is OVER?"
She felt scared then, as her brothers STILL hadn't found her. She had been assured by her sisters that they'd meet up at the tigers once done, so they could all go back to Michaelangelo together. Come to think of it, her sisters had never shown up.
"Did Mikey catch them?" She wondered. "And if he did, why didn't they mention me being with the tigers? Or, are they looking for me right now?"
She listened as more people came and told the Ring Master that they'd finished packing up. She knew then that they people were about to leave, and she'd be all alone. She also knew that she couldn't ask them for help, as they'd recognize her as a freak.
Someone tripped over her then. "Hey, Kid," the guy began. "What the hell are you doing back here? And WHY are you touching the tigers?"
"Um." TygeroftheWynd tried. "I-I. Heh."
"GET OUTTA HERE!" He yelled. "GO FIND YOUR FOLKS!"
TygeroftheWynd jumped up, causing her hood to fall off. She saw the guy's eyes go wide as his jaw hit the floor.
"Mr. Screw-Eyes! We've a freak in here!" He shouted. "A turtle freak!"
TygeroftheWynd grew scared and darted for the exit. She could hear the guy running after her, and more joining in on the chase.
"HEY! FREAK! GET BACK HERE!"
Meanwhile, Lenore was lying awake in her bed thinking about what had happened. She hadn't thought they'd get caught, and if they did, that they wouldn't have gotten in that much trouble. But, as usual, she'd been wrong. It dawned on her then, that five of them, not four, had taken off on Michaelangelo. "Tyger!" She whispered, as she sat straight up in her bed.
"What?" Mily asked from her bed. "What about Tyger?"
"Um. Nothing," Lenore lied, lying back down. "Guess I was dreaming. Sorry Mily. Go back to sleep." She closed her eyes, and hoped that they had indeed brought TygeroftheWynd back with them. If they hadn't, she knew that Master Splinter would find out about what had happened for sure. "Why didn't I tell Mikey earlier?" She thought. "I knew then. I should've told him." She stopped blaming herself a moment. "Wait. HE should've known. HE took us; HE knew there were five of us. Damn. It's HIS fault, but they'll blame ME." She rolled over. "I'm NOT telling him then, this way, he'll get blamed, and not me."
TygeroftheWynd had finally managed to out-run and hide from the circus men. She vowed right then and there to NEVER ask to go to another circus, EVER. She also promised NEVER to take off on ANY of her brothers EVER again. She was gasping for air, trying to catch her breath, and doing her best to remain silent. She watched as the last couple of men ran by, and knew that she was safe where she was - for now. "Thank God I'm green," she thought.
She decided to stay where she was, as she knew that if she wandered too far away from the spot where the circus had been, her brothers would never find her. She wished they'd hurry up and come back to get her. She was starting to become terrified of her surroundings, not knowing which shadows were good, and which bad.
Back at the lair, the boys had waited until Master Splinter had gone to bed, before silently checking on their sisters. It was this check that made them realize they were missing a sibling. Actually, two siblings, to be exact.
Donatello gently shook Danceingfae awake. "Psst! Dance!"
Danceingfae woke up and turned to look at him. "What?" She asked rubbing her eyes sleepily. "It's not time to get up yet, is it?"
"No," Donatello answered. "Dance, do you know where Tyger is?"
"Huh?" Danceingfae grumbled. "I thought Mikey took her to the bathroom?"
Donatello's eyes went slightly wide then. "Oh. Okay. Never mind Dance," he whispered, kissing her head. "Go back to sleep, Honey. I think I know where she is."
Danceingfae let her head drop back down onto her pillow, and was out before Donatello had even left her side.
"Guys, I think we left Tyger at the circus," Donatello signed to his brothers. "Dance said Mikey took her to the bathroom."
Michaelangelo paled some. "I did?" He gulped worriedly.
"Well, that explains why I kept getting eleven when I did a head count," Raphael signed furiously. "Who else we missing? Anybody?"
Leonardo came out of Mily's room. "Lenore," he said VERY softly.
The brothers all looked at one another confused, but knew they'd had to go get TygeroftheWynd before they could worry about Lenore. Besides, Lenore hated the dark with a passion, so there was NO way she had wandered far. Was there?
Lenore stumbled about, her eyes wide in fear every time she heard a noise. "Next time, I'm waking Mikey," she said aloud nervously. "It's his fault anyway." She continued her journey, hoping she was going the right way.
Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michaelangelo were all heading straight for the area the circus had been in, talking fervently.
"HOW could you forget Tyger, Mikey?" Raphael demanded. "She's one of your posse."
"I said I didn't mean to, Raph!" Michaelangelo snapped slightly. "YOU try dealing with one of Lenore's tantrums, THEN come to me about forgetting someone accidentally."
"Can it, you guys," Leonardo ordered. "You're bickering is NOT helping our situation any."
Donatello spotted a familiar form then. "Hey, isn't that Lenore there?" He asked, a bit confused. "If so, what's she doing all the way out here? Alone, at that."
They neared the form, and knew that it indeed was Lenore, when they heard her call for her sister.
"Tyger!?!?" Lenore called. "Tyger! Where are you? Tyger?"
Michaelangelo stepped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. He heard her let out a shriek, then spoke before she freaked even more. "Lenore, it's me, Mikey."
Lenore turned around and was relieved momentarily to find her brothers there, and not some crazed whacko. "Mikey!" She cried, automatically hugging him.
He hugged her in return, though he was somewhat mad. He shoved her back some, and crouched down before her, her hands in his. "Lenore, what are you doing out here so late by yourself?"
She looked at him slightly sheepish. "We forgot Tyger," she answered him softly. "I'm looking for Tyger."
"Why didn't you tell us we'd forgotten her?"
She shrugged. "Dunno. Wanted to find her myself, I guess."
"You know better than to take off, more or less go up top without one of us with you," Leonardo stated then. "Especially after dark."
"Sorry," Lenore mumbled, kicking the ground with her foot lightly. "Didn't wanna wake anybody up."
"Kid, next time, wake us up," Raphael put in. "You could very easily get hurt if yah keep taking off on your own." He paused, but continued when he saw the weird looks his brothers were giving him. "Then Master Splinter will have OUR hides for it."
She looked down at her feet. She heard Michaelangelo groan, then felt him pick her up.
"C'mon," he said. "No sense in taking you back, when we're already this far, right?" He looked to his brothers for their opinions.
"Right," Donatello quickly agreed. "It'll save time if we bring her with us, and just maybe, Tyger too."
"Fine," Leonardo replied, then cast a glance at Lenore. "But don't think you're getting away with sneaking off, 'cause you're not. And DON'T you go asking Mikey to get you outta this either."
Lenore muttered something rude as she buried her head into Michaelangelo.
"Lenore, I heard that," Michaelangelo told her. "Be nice. He's right - for once."
Leonardo gave Michaelangelo a Look. "Uh hmm. Mikey, I've ears too. Also, YOU forgot Tyger, NOT us."
"Excuse me, she WASN'T even in MY group, Leo!" Michaelangelo shot-back.
Donatello looked sheepish then as they walked on. "He's a point Leo," he said softly. "She was my responsibility."
"It doesn't matter whose group she was in," Leonardo rejoined, then turned to his youngest brother. "YOU asked to be trusted with FIVE of them Mikey! NOT Donnie!"
Lenore squirmed to be let down, and once Michaelangelo had set her down, she ran over to Raphael. For once, he wasn't one of the ones arguing. She hated hearing her brothers argue, and wished she had have told Michaelangelo before they'd left that she'd known that TygeroftheWynd had been missing.
"Raph?" She whispered, looking up at him, after taking a hold of his hand. "You think Tyger's okay?"
Raphael glanced down at his baby sister and sighed. "I dunno, Kid. I'm hoping she's alright, but honestly dunno." He squeezed her hand gently. "Don't worry 'bout it, kay?"
Lenore nodded, but remained quiet, which was unusual for her, for the rest of the trip. She knew that her brothers knew that she was only silent when something was bothering her.
They finally reached the area where the circus had been, only to find that the Big Top and everything else had been taken down and was long gone. The building that had held their seats and the main attractions was locked up too. The five of them searched, Raphael never letting go of Lenore's hand.
TygeroftheWynd thought she heard people calling her name, and dared to peek out of her hiding spot. She'd never felt so relieved in her life to see her brothers. "MIKEY!" She shrieked, jumping up and running to him.
Michaelangelo turned around when he heard TygeroftheWynd scream his name. He scooped her up into a tight hug once she'd reached him. "I'm so, so, SO sorry Tyger!" He apologized over and over. "I NEVER meant to forget you! I swear!"
TygeroftheWynd sobbed into his shoulder. "I-I was so sc-scared M-Mikey," she told him. "S-Some man w-wanted to c-catch me and l-lock me u-up." She hiccupped a couple times then. "Th-they c-called m-me a-a f-freak."
"Shh! It's all right Tyger. It's alright," Michaelangelo soothed, then kissed her head. "It's alright. I promise."
Lenore ran over to them. "Tyger!" She exclaimed. "You're okay!"
"You forgot me!" TygeroftheWynd accused. "You said we'd meet at the tigers! You never showed up!"
"Sorry," Lenore shrugged. "Leo and Mikey found us, and Leo wouldn't let us go. Punker and I were heading for you, but Leo grabbed us and said we weren't allowed to do nothing no more."
"Lenore, you NEVER once mentioned that you were going to meet Tyger," Michaelangelo reminded her. "If you had, Leo and I would've let you go get her."
"You said you were heading for the bathroom, if I remember correctly," Leonardo added.
"Well, you should've remembered she'd been with us!" Lenore rejoined. "Then she wouldn't have been forgotten! I was just waiting to see how long it took yah to remember her!"
Michaelangelo set TygeroftheWynd down then, and advanced on Lenore, NOT looking happy. "You KNEW we'd left her there the WHOLE time?" He demanded.
"N-No," Lenore stuttered, backing up some. "N-Not th-the wh-whole t-time."
"Lenore," Michaelangelo said in a warning tone. "The truth. NOW."
She looked sheepish then, and shifted slightly. "I knew," she replied. "I always knew."
"WHY the heck didn't you tell us then?!?" Michaelangelo yelled. "You KNOW how much trouble we'd be in if Master Splinter found out? Heck. We'll be in deep trouble as it is, if he wakes up to find us gone!"
Lenore went into Raphael mode then, and grew mad. "She wouldn't have gotten in trouble! She said she wanted to look at the tigers, and that we should do the plan, but when we went to do it, 'I' had to DRAG her away from you! SHE was making ME look bad!"
"You make yourself look bad," Raphael muttered.
"SHUT-UP RAPHAEL!" Lenore screamed, turning to face him. "YOU KNOW NOTHING!"
"Quit screaming," Leonardo told her. "You'll wake people up, and then we'll have to run and hide, and it'll take us even longer to get home."
"Yeah," Donatello agreed. "If we're too late, Sensei WILL be up, and cranky."
"GOOD!" Lenore shrieked. "LET THEM WAKE UP! LET HIM BE MAD! I DON'T CARE!"
"Obviously, you only care about yourself," Michaelangelo stated. He watched her turn on her heel to face him once more. "Do you NOT realize Tyger could've been captured and SERIOUSLY hurt? Do you NOT realize how STUPID you were in NOT telling us we'd left her here?"
"DID YOU 'NOT' REALIZE HOW STUPID 'YOU' WERE, IN 'NOT' REMEMBERING YOU'D HAD 'FIVE' OF US?" Lenore countered loudly. "HMM, MIKEY?"
Michaelangelo took hold of her arms once more, and shook her like he'd done at the circus. He then crouched before her, and gave her an angry look. "I thought I told you earlier to behave? Or, do you not care what I say anymore?"
"I DON'T CARE!" She screeched, as TygeroftheWynd ran to hide behind Donatello.
He shook her again, harder than he had before, then stood up to get his other sister. He looked at TygeroftheWynd, his face softening. "Come here, Kiddo," he said. "I'm not mad at you. It wasn't entirely your fault you got left here."
TygeroftheWynd slowly made her way towards him, her eyes on Lenore the whole time. She could see the fury in her sister's eyes, and knew she was going to flip at any moment. She still couldn't believe that Michaelangelo had yelled at Lenore, instead of trying to calm her down. Obviously, she was mad about something AGAIN.
Lenore snapped as she watched her sister get closer and closer to Michaelangelo. Whether he'd shaken her or not, she did NOT want to give him up for ANYBODY. She'd had him first that night, and was not about to lose him to her sister, like she'd lost him when they'd been forced to make groups. All he'd done that day was cause her pain. He KNEW she'd wanted SO bad to be in his group. He KNEW she wanted VERY badly to ride the elephants, yet hadn't let her. He KNEW she'd wanted to AT LEAST touch one, yet had still dragged her out of the line. He KNEW she HATED clowns, yet had ONLY cared about Daydream when they'd come out. He KNEW she'd wanted to see the rest of the circus. He KNEW she loved the trapeze artists best after the elephants. He KNEW she hated the dark, but cared MORE about TygeroftheWynd because SHE'D been left behind. He KNEW she DIDN'T want to see him hugging TygeroftheWynd right then, but was going to do so anyway.
She attacked TygeroftheWynd then. Her poor sister had almost reached Michaelangelo, but was still a few steps short, when attacked. "STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Lenore hollered, pounding her fists angrily on her sister's shell. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM! HE'S MINE! DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!"
Raphael yanked Lenore up off TygeroftheWynd and placed his hand over her mouth to shut her up. "Quiet!" He hissed in her ear. "You're being a brat!"
Lenore kept struggling with Raphael, mainly kicking as he had her arms pinned at her sides, while holding her a few feet off the ground. She got mad and finally bit his hand.
"YEOW!" Raphael yelled, dropping her and shaking his hand. He watched as Lenore scampered to her feet, and went after TygeroftheWynd again. He ran after her. "GET BACK HERE!"
"NO!" Lenore screeched, unable to get TygeroftheWynd, as Michaelangelo had picked her up. "I WANT MIKEY! I WANT! I WANT! I WANT!"
"I think you wanna be spanked," Leonardo said, coming over and prying her off Michaelangelo. She'd attempted to climb him to get at her sister. "Now, either shush, or I'LL do Master Splinter's duty FOR him."
She ignored the glares she was getting, and fell to the ground and began to kick and scream, throwing a monster of a tantrum. "I WANT MIKEY! I WANT HIM! I WANT HIM! I WANT HIM!"
"Lenore, we're NOT gonna tell you again," Raphael growled. "Smarten up! Now!"
"MIKEY'S MINE! MINE! MINE!" She screamed even louder than before. "MINE! I WANT 'MY' MIKEY!"
Leonardo had had enough then, and knelt down on top of her, one leg on either side of her. While he used his legs and butt to hold her feet down, he used his hands to hold her arms down. He watched as she continued to struggle with him, all the while screaming and shaking her head from side to side. "Lenore, SHUT-UP!" He barked, practically right in her face. "NOW!"
Lenore spit in his face as her response.
He'd had enough then and flipped her over angrily. Once he'd flipped her over, he spanked her as hard as he could, and then rolled her back to her original position. "You do NOT spit at people NOR do you throw fits when you CAN'T have your way!"
TygeroftheWynd watched wide-eyed as Leonardo held Lenore down after spanking her. Her sister wasn't screaming anymore, but was struggling and crying hard. Their brothers NEVER hit them. Not EVER. If they did, Master Splinter would get mad, and they'd (brothers) would get into LOTS and LOTS of trouble. This was all too much for her to take in right then. First, she'd been left at the circus. Secondly, she'd had crazed men chase her and call her a freak. Thirdly, Michaelangelo had shaken Lenore after they'd argued, and they NEVER argued. Then, Lenore had attacked her for going to Michaelangelo when called. After that, Lenore had bitten Raphael and come after her and Michaelangelo again. And finally, Leonardo had spanked Lenore after she'd spit in his face. He had actually hit her. TygeroftheWynd whimpered slightly, and buried her head into Michaelangelo.
Lenore eventually stopped struggling with Leonardo, and just lay there crying softly. She couldn't believe that her brother had spanked her. But, at the same time, she was mad. Mad at Leonardo for spanking her, and mad at Michaelangelo for letting Leonardo spank her. Michaelangelo was supposed to protect her, not let people hurt her. She hiccupped, and watched as Leonardo stood up and left her lying there on her shell.
During this whole tantrum thing, Donatello had remained silent and had not gotten involved. Somehow, HE sensed what NO one, NOT even Michaelangelo, did. He KNEW she was jealous - again. Ignoring the glares of his brothers, her went over and knelt down on one knee before her. "You okay?" He asked, letting her know he was concerned.
Lenore shook her head no, then took his hand and let him help her up. She then collapsed into his arms and buried her head in his shoulder.
Donatello sighed, and picked his littlest sister up. "Shh," he whispered softly, kissing her head and somehow managing to pull her closer. "There's no monsters, Sweetie. I swear." He rocked her from side to side slightly, then followed his brothers home.
Master Splinter was waiting for them when they returned, and switched on the lights, startling his students. He saw Michaelangelo holding a sleeping TygeroftheWynd, and Donatello holding, a wide-awake Lenore, who looked as though she'd seen a ghost, and was sucking her thumb (even if she was too old to be doing so). Leonardo and Raphael just stood there like deer caught in headlights.
He eyed them all warily. "Where have you been?" He demanded. "It is three o'clock in the morning and no need to be wandering outside of our home."
Leonardo took it upon himself, as the leader, to protect his younger siblings, and stepped forward. "We went for a walk, Master Splinter," he explained, lying through his teeth to his beloved sensei. "Tyger and Lenni awoke with nightmares and came to us. We took them out to get some air, and to hopefully wear them out again."
"Were you seen?"
"No, Master Splinter," Leonardo replied, kneeling before his father. "We were not seen."
"Very well," Master Splinter answered. "Put the little ones to bed, then go to bed as well."
"Yes, Master Splinter," Leonardo responded quickly. He bowed, then stood up. "Good night Master Splinter."
"Goodnight my sons," he nodded. He paused a moment. "And Leonardo - "
Leonardo turned back around. "Yes, Sensei?"
"Do not feel the need to lie to me to protect your siblings. If they have done wrong, then let them suffer the consequences, and not get away with what they have done," Master Splinter told him. He watched as his eldest child began to look slightly embarrassed. "I will let you all get away with whatever you have done this time, but shan't be so generous next time. Also, if you are to lie, do not be so suspicious, by glancing worried looks at your brothers."
"Hai, Sensei," Leonardo said softly.
"Goodnight Leonardo."
"Goodnight Sensei."
Master Splinter watched as the four took their sisters to their rooms to go back to bed. He knew something was up, when Donatello didn't come back out of Lenore and Mily's room. Plus, Michaelangelo had taken TygeroftheWynd into his room, instead of hers and Danceingfae's.
Lenore looked up at Donatello after he'd lain her down in her bed and covered her up. "Thanks," she whispered after finally taking her thumb out of her mouth. She paused and looked down, before glancing up at him again. "I'm sorry Donnie."
Donatello smiled softly at her and smoothed her hair back. "I know you are, Lenni," he said. "I know Mikey hasn't paid much attention to you today, unless he was yelling at you 'cause you were acting up." He chuckled slightly as she looked down again. "Sweetie, I know you were doing it to get his attention, but ended up getting the wrong type of attention. I'm sorry your plan backfired."
"Me too," she said softly. "Master Splinter KNEW I wanted to be with Mikey. I'm ALWAYS with Mikey." Her eyes welled up with tears again. "I-I love Mikey, b-but now - now he h-hates me."
"No. No. No," Donatello replied urgently, sitting on her bed and hugging her close. "He doesn't hate you, Lenni. He could NEVER hate you. Mikey's just mad 'cause you did a lot of stupid things today, and kept scaring him. He doesn't like to be scared like he was today, when he couldn't find you guys. He was also mad at himself, for not seeing through you, and knowing your plans." He rocked her slightly. "Shh."
"Donnie?"
"Yeah, Sweetie?"
"Will you stay with me? Please?" Lenore begged. "I-I need you."
Donatello looked at his sister's tear-stained face and felt himself soften. "Sure Sweetie, I'll stay. I'll stay as long as you need me to." He got her to slide over, than lay down next to her. he felt her snuggled into him, and held her close, as to ease all her fears and worries. "Things will be better in the morning. I promise." He kissed her head. "Night Lenni. Love you."
"Night Donnie. Love you too," Lenore answered, before closing her eyes and going to sleep.
While Donatello slept with Lenore, Michaelangelo had TygeroftheWynd wrapped up in his arms, to keep her close and safe from harm. He'd been terribly frightened at the thought of almost losing one of his little sisters, and vowed not to let ANY of them out of his sight EVER again. "Next time, I'll use a rope to tie them to me," he thought. "This way I won't lose anybody again." He kissed TygeroftheWynd on the head, then hummed to her softly, even thought she was already asleep, before falling asleep himself.
A.N.: Well, there y'all go. Hope y'all liked it. Sorry no one but Tyger & I were really in it, but I felt bad for leaving Tyger at the circus. Lol. Oh, & in case y'all are wondering who shares a room with who, here's a list:
Arista & TMNTPunker. Ziptango & Daydream. Lenore & Mily. Machias & Splinter. HexAdecimal & Raphiella. Danceingfae & TygeroftheWynd.
Hope y'all like the arrangements. Lol. If not, ah, well. *Shrugs* Tough noogies! Hehehe! J/k. Plz R & R like always! Adios! KTBSPA & KTNTPA & KTACPA & KTJTPA & KTKCPA & KTCPA & KTJTTPA!!!!!
