Chapter 2:
A little girl sat in a man's lap, looking at him with her head tilted.
"Daddy, why is mommy never home?" she asked.
"I don't know," the man said, looking at his green eyed daughter, "she has been disappearing since after you were born."
"Why?" she asked.
"Lauren, I don't know why," he ran his fingers through her long chocolate brown hair, "but I look forward to seeing your bright and shining face each day."
"I look forward to seeing you each day too, Daddy," she giggled, touching the sides of her father's face, smiling, "could you sing me to sleep tonight?"
"Anything for my four year old," he smiled picking her up.
"Daddy, I'm only three, tomorrow I'll be four," she laughed.
"Really," he said, "for the way you were acting, you seem like you're already four."
"You smell, like cinimin," she said.
"Cinnamon," he corrected.
"Oh, cinn-a-mon," she made a face trying to pronounce it.
"THAT'S MY GIRL!" he tossed her up into the air, bringing her into a mess of giggles, and she landed in his arms, smiling brightly.
"I love you Daddy," she said.
"I love you too, my little ladybug," he kissed her forehead, and started to sing a lullaby.
He had been awaking from that dream for awhile, but it was in so much detail this time. Raphael stood up, and looked in the room next to his, where a young woman slept, she had been there since he brought her here, which was almost a week ago, she was near death…Donatello said, that she was lucky when he found her, then she would have defiantly wouldn't had made it till morning.
But, why did she remind him so much about that little girl in that dream.
"Raph, don't get your hopes up," he looked at Leonardo.
"What do you mean?" he glared.
"She just won't wake up, I mean when you brought her here, she immediately went into a coma," Leo said.
"I know that, I was there," he said, "There's just something about her…that's affecting me."
"I can see that," Leo chuckled, causing Raph to send a glare in his direction, "I mean you haven't been yourself."
"I can see that," Raph said, leaning against the door frame, "but…why would her family do this to her?"
"How do you know it's her family?" Leo asked.
"Look, something is just tellin' me this, I don't have an answer for everything," he said, "I mean she seemed so broken when I saw her, she was like some toy that was tossed aside."
"So, you're saying you have the first watch today," Leo said.
"That's what I'm saying," Raph smirked.
He entered the room, and sat in the chair that was put next to that hand carved bed. He watched as she took silent breaths, of course that was when Don chose to give her a check up. It took a few minutes, but he heard a sigh of relief escape his Braniac brother…
"So, is she going to make it?" Raph asked.
"Well, she is out of a coma, and is sleeping," Don said, "she should wake up pretty soon."
"I hope," Raph said, shifting in his seat.
"Well, maybe you should let her sleep," Don looked at Raph.
"Yeah, sure," he said standing up, looking back at the woman on the bed, he watched as she turned over on her side, curling up in a ball. April had removed her other clothes, and put some of her pajamas on her, which happened to be a little too big on her, on the account that she looked about five feet tall, slightly shorter than they were, her long dark hair was pulled up in a messy bun to fit it all in the ski cap she was wearing, which, if he was her, left it down. Of coarse, they did find her ID in her coat pocket, of coarse he was also surprised that her name was Lauren, just like that little girl in the dream.
By the time he and Don got downstairs, Mikey was done making breakfast, and April was probably in the bathroom, puking. Yeah, she was pregnant, but after an argument with Casey, they weren't talking to each other, much.
Of course, they hadn't heard from Casey in a while either.
A blonde man sat at the table; he was a new friend of theirs, and April's current boyfriend, Joel Cameron, he was a really nice guy, they met him when they were fighting a gang that teamed up with the Purple Dragons that was from anther state in the US. He had just recently gotten a divorce with his wife, and was taking care of his little girl Amanda, who took a big liking into them when she met them, especially Master Splinter.
"So, how's she doing?" Joel asked.
"Well, she's asleep now," Don said, "all she needs is rest, and maybe a little food."
"That can be easily arranged," Joel chuckled, his blue eyes twinkling.
"DADDY!" a blur of colors ran past Mikey, and caused him to loose his balance a bit, this caused Raph to laugh.
"Amanda, what have I told you about running in the kitchen?" Joel scolded.
"Not to," the four year old giggled.
"Well, don't," he said giving her a peck on the forehead.
"Hey, I almost dropped the eggs," Mikey whined.
"Sorry," she looked at her socked feet.
"Its okay kiddo," Mikey ruffled her short hair, smiling setting the eggs on the table.
"Uncle Don," Amanda looked at Don with sparkling eyes, "you said you would take me sledding today." Don laughed, and nodded. Amanda changed him a lot, of course if she wasn't with Master Splinter, or her father, she would be found glued by Don's side, asking questions, and getting answers.
"I did promise," he said, walking over to the counter, and leaning on it, "so you want to go out after breakfast?" He watched her nod rapidly, her eyes never loosing that adorable sparkle.
-Upstairs-
Lauren rolled over with a gasp, as her nightmare continued, it was so intense…
-Dream-
She was running away from her Step-father, he had a butcher knife in his grip, and he was laughing insanely.
"NO!" she cried as she tripped over a tree root that was above the ground.
"It's too late for you," he cackled as he took a few steps closer, "you should have died in that wreck with your father."
"My father saved me," she cried, "he wanted me to live a long happy life, but all it has been was miserable…EVER SINCE I MET YOU, YOU MONSTER, YOU KILLED MY MOTHER!"
"She had it coming," he glared at her.
"YOU KILLED YOUR OWN SON, WHAT ARE YOU?" she sobbed.
He didn't answer, he just held up the knife, and began to stab her in the stomach.
"YOU ARE NOTHING!" he growled. Her sobs became harder and harder each time the knife plunged itself in her stomach, but the blood refused to run…it wouldn't run.
"NO!" she sobbed.
-End Dream-
She opened her eyes, tears flowing. She curled into a tighter ball, and silently sobbed, she wanted out, and she wanted it now. She didn't care that she was in a bed, or that somebody changed her clothes…heck she didn't even care it the person raped her…as long as she was far away from him, then she would be happy.
"Daddy, why aren't you here?" she whispered, "I need you."
She sat there in silence, letting the tears flow. The sounds of footsteps didn't get her attention as she stared blankly at the wall, thinking that she was a curse to everyone she came in contact with.
Feeling the bed shift, and someone touch her forehead, she looked at a young woman who had red hair.
"Why?" she whispered.
"It's good to see you awake," the woman smiled, not answering.
"Why are you helping me?" she said, a bit louder, "I don't deserve it…you should have left me out there."
"Because," the woman said, "everyone deserves a chance."
"No one has…ever said that to me before," she said, "but why?"
"I can't answer that, but I'll bring you up something to eat," the woman said, "oh, by the way, my name is April."
"Lauren," she said.
Disclaimer: WE DON'T OWN TMNT! BUT WE DO OWN OUR OCS!