Chapter 5

"Awkward Silence"

It had been almost a week since Donatello had brought the small framed female turtle into the lair. Donatello stayed by the female's side, allowing fluids to enter her body through an IV that they kept in case of emergencies. He continually did test after test to see if there was absolutely anything he could do to ensure her survival, and to make sure that she wasn't related to any of the four guys or even Callista.

Shredder's constant attacks on the city or quests for various items in the city wasn't exactly making it easy for Donatello to stay at Elara's side, often asking Callista or Splinter to stay near her to keep watch. Callista usually watched over the stranger with questions going through her mind, never letting on to the idea that this female turtle seemed familiar to her.

Callista cleaned Elara's tiny body with a sponge, comparing it to her own every so often. Elara was slightly smaller than Callista was with darker coloring than her own. She was closer to Raph's coloring but still not quite as dark while Callista was closer to Michelangelo's shading. She shook her head of her nonsense thoughts. Who was she to compare herself to this turtle? Leonardo will love me no matter what I look like, thought to herself, rationalizing the idea not to compare herself to the beauty of another turtle.

A moan came from the unconscious female, bringing Callista's attention to her face. Callista smiled, knowing that as soon as the mysterious female awoke, the danger would be mostly past. She placed the sponge back into the water and put it onto the ottoman that was near by as she pulled up the chair Donatello had spent so many hours in.

Soon, the female opened her eyes for the first time in a week. Her grey eyes looked around the room, rather lost with few memories to go by. Elara slowly tried to sit up only to be pushed back down by a hand just below her neck but above her bust.

"No, you're not ready to be up and walking around," said Callista simply.

The unmasked female turtle complied, knowing that the other turtle was right. Her world was currently spinning anyway. She cursed the vertigo silently.

"Elara is it?" asked Callista, knowing that her word order was still a little off but after only learning how to speak decently six months ago, it was to be expected.

"Yes, at least that's the name I chose for myself," said the unmasked female, as she put a hand to her head, still understanding the bad English.

"Not a bad choice in names. My name is Callista however, you may hear my mate, Leonardo, and his brothers call me Calli, as may you," said Callista as she kept her watch over the turtle.

"Thank you, Calli," said Elara.

A period of silence swept over the two females for a moment.

"So, umm…are you from-"

"Yes, I am. How would you know unless you were the mute female that I once saw being beaten?" asked Elara, almost knowing exactly what Callista was saying.

"I was that female," she said simply.

Now an awkward silence passed between the two. The memories were painful, being used, beaten, starved, and often condemned to pain. It was just something neither wished to speak of.

"Is the other still there?" asked Callista softly, knowing what the answer probably was.

"Yes. I do feel sorry for her and it will be a matter of time before she shares the same fate that we did. Cast out and nearly killed unless someone finds us," said Elara with sorrow.

Again the uncomfortable silence crept into their conversation. In a way, it was comforting to find that the two females had someone who could understand them but it was still something that they knew that would probably never come out. It was their secret and they knew it.

"Does your mate know about where you came from?" asked Elara, looking up at the teal masked female.

"No, I haven't been able to bring myself to tell him my past yet. I don't know if I ever will," replied Callista with a bitterness which could be heard.

Before another uncomfortable silence came up, the guys trudged into the room, tired and worn from their battle with the Shredder. Callista looked at Elara and excused herself before getting up to meet the guys, going straight to Leo and tenderly hugging him.

"I told you we'd be okay," said Leonardo as he held his love tightly to him.

"I know but you were just injured not that long ago. It still worries me," said Callista as she held Leonardo tightly in return before kissing him lightly.

Donatello noticed the kiss the two of them shared and inwardly cringed. He knew they weren't trying to rub it in that he was alone but he couldn't help but feel his loneliness creep back upon his mind. He placed his staff down on the weapon rack that he had put together, alone, a month ago.

"Oh, Donatello, Elara has woken up but appears to be…umm…dizzy," said Callista as she looked over at Donatello from Leonardo's arms.

Don's head snapped up as he abandoned his staff on the rack and made his way over to the sofa where Elara had her eyes tightly closed. He knelt down next to her and placed a hand on her hand. She looks so much better, thought Donatello as he glanced her over.

"How are you feeling, Elara?" asked Donatello tenderly, wanting to make sure he gave her his undivided attention.

"Dizzy. The vertigo just won't go away," she complained, tightening her eyes.

"Okay. I think I've got just the thing to help you out. I'll be right back," Donatello said as he stood up and walked over to his lab.

Donatello made his way over to his lab and began to look through the medications that Casey and April had brought for them, especially ones that they managed to get courtesy of a friend of theirs who worked in Long Island College Hospital. He slowly looked through the many various bottles, dismissing many before coming upon the one he deemed good enough to use. He filled a syringe with it with a clear liquid that he knew would help with the vertigo.

While Donatello was in his lab, Michelangelo and Raphael walked over to Elara, looking at her with curiosity in their eyes. They made no attempt to move or to speak, especially when they had no idea how she'd react to them. Callista and Leonardo stayed in the practice area watching the scene unfold. Callista's eyes stayed on the female turtle, in sympathy, remembering just over six months ago, she was lying on the same couch, with the same problem.

"What is it?" asked Leonardo to Callista.

"It's nothing," insisted Callista as she hugged Leonardo again.

Leonardo hugged her back. He knew well enough when Callista was hiding something, just as she did when he was hiding something. He could never bring himself to pry things out since she was often sensitive about certain subjects such as her origin. He knew to tread lightly and not to push or else she would recede deeper into her own thoughts.

"Calli, you know you can tell me anything. When you're ready to tell me, I'm here to listen," said Leonardo as he kissed her forehead.

Callista nodded as she closed her eyes in silent prayer, hoping, praying, that everything would turn out alright.

TBC

A/N: Yes, I am evil, I never did talk about Callista's origin in Truth of a Leader and nor have I done it yet. You'll just have to keep reading and find out what's going on! HAHA!