Chapter 6 : Welcome to the Family ( A7X )
Listening to his eldest son's assessment of their new Clan member he stroked his beard deep in thought " Did she explain more of this fear to you my son and are you sure this isn't a ploy to go against my request for sleeping arraignments?" he inquired skeptically as he wondered just how far the brothers would go to backup the new couple. He had only set the strict conduct rules as a test to see how serious all his sons were about the ones they whished to be with, not because he was against the relationship, after all he was their father and by right he felt entitled to give his children a hard time with the prospect of a budding relationship.
" In fact she did tell me of how this fear began, though she bid me to keep it in strict confidence I was permitted to tell you Dad!" Leonardo replied lowering his voice " She confessed to a history of Drugs use and explained that three months before the accident Raphael had caught her in purchasing of drugs and had intervened. After he had taken care of the dealer, he took her to a graveyard for a swift intervention! Though his method proved to be effective in her keeping from using at this time, it also had a traumatic side effect that she doesn't think he knows its true extent" he explained.
" I see… So what do you recommend should be done to resolve the situation?" Splinter inquired curiously.
" I think we should allow Raphael to stay at her side as he feels is needed, maybe even moving his hammock into the room until she becomes comfortable enough down here to sleep on her own. I will also personally monitor them" He answered confidentiality.
Splinter thought it over " And if they decide they whish to make such a sleeping arraignment permanent, what do you intend on doing then?" he inquired wanting to make sure his Son had considered all possibilities surrounding their relationship.
Thinking quickly for a few moments he then answered " If they which to remain together I will still expect them to act courteously to the rest of us in their shows of affection both in and outside of the bedroom and it will not continue if it becomes a problem in our training or teamwork!"
" Very well my son, I will allow you to go forward with your request as you are the head of our Clan. But I will hold you completely accountable for their behavior as well, with that in mind I suggest you remind her of what language is and is not acceptable in our home!" Splinter pointed out hinting at his displeasure in Kira's chosen vocabulary and humor.
" Yes Father!"
"Then if there is nothing else to discuss, I believe that is Popcorn I smell meaning Michelangelo has succeeded in having another movie night. " he spoke up signaling that he whished to join in.
Smiling he nodded " You are correct! Would you mind helping me with something Usagi?" Leonardo asked looking over to the Ronin at his side.
" Yes of course Leonardo-san,"
With that end of his to do list completed, Leonardo led Usagi up to the second level while Splinter walked out to join the others in their movie. Once they were alone Usagi pulled him aside with a knowing smirk " It seams as if you are playing the part of a Matchmaker, Leonardo-kun! I can see the hopeless romantic in your eyes when you look upon them together!" he pointed out playfully while placing his hand over his companions heart.
Leonardo blushed slightly knowing better than to think he could fool him " I honestly believe they are meant to be together! Raphael loves her and I can see she feels the same, only, their both to stubborn to find out on their own" he replied chuckling softly as he leaned in and stole a kiss. " I whish you didn't have to leave in the morning Usagi-kun, I feel spoiled by your company!"
" I to feel spoiled, but it has been many months since I have been home and I can not hold off my return any longer" he replied showing his lover the regret he felt in another kiss. " We at least have one last night together before we must part ways once again" he whispered reassuringly.
Leonardo smiled against his lips " And we have the Battle Nexus Tournament coming up so we will see each other there! Besides I think a fifth might be joining us, from what I seen in her memories she has great potential…"
Usagi chuckled softly " Yes, though I doubt a skateboard would prove to be the most effective choice in weaponry!" he teased knowingly " But I anticipate the results"
Smiling happily Leonardo nudged his head " Come on, I want to move Raphs hammock before he catches on to the talk I had with her. Then 'We' can call it a night as well!" he replied with a wink before walking hand in hand with Usagi into Raphael's bedroom to put the rest of his plan into action.
Sitting threw the movie Ratatouille wasn't something Raphael would consider doing on any other night but it as one of their Fathers favorites and seeing as both Kira and Michelangelo were also enjoying the film he figured he could sit threw it this once. He was surprised to see that his father paid no notice to how he was sitting with his arm over her shoulders while she leaned comfortably into his side as he was secretly afraid would happen. In fact no one seamed to even notice which was both relieving and concerning to him at the same time as this was all new to him still. He had been so deep in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice the moment and faint pounding noise that came from his region of the second level.
" Can you believe this Moron…" Raphael murmured in reference to the short bad guy in the movie.
Kira giggled hushing him " Shush! I want to see what they do to him…"
Smirking at a wicked idea, Raphael looked down at where his little brother lay watching the movie " Where do ya keep yer ' Little chef 'at Bro?" he asked in reference to his more than questionable cooking.
" That's between me and the future Mrs. Michael J. Angelo, Dude!" Michelangelo replied without missing a beat, resulting in muffled snickering from both their father and Kira as they watched Raphael turn his bright red face away from them as his joke backfired.
Standing up abruptly Raphael hopped over the couch and headed off for his bedroom, " WHAT THE SHELL IS GOING ON HERE? MIKEY…." His voice bellowed from the direction of his bedroom " THIS AIN'T FUCKIN FUNNY, WHERE IS MY MOTHERFUCKINGHAMMOCK?" He roared furiously.
" Dude, I've been down here…" Michelangelo called out confused as to what he was getting blamed for now.
" Mikey, carry me up there… quickly " Kira requested " I need to talk him!"
Taking one look up towards the second level, Michelangelo stood up and quickly scooped her up into his arms before taking the shortcut up just in time to keep his irate brother from going ballistic.
" Raphie stop! " Kira spoke up after being set down and moved to stand between Raphael and his brothers before he could go any further past the stairs. Seeing he was to way to pissed off to think straight, she swallowed hard and prepared herself to take ' drastic' measures " Raphael Stop" she ordered him forcefully to no avail. Watching his body language closely as he continued his march towards Leonardo's room, she twisted her body ever so slightly jumping up and placed a solid roundhouse kick to his lower plastron effectively dropping him to his knees. Exhaling apologetically she also dropped to the floor she moved quickly to his side speaking in a much softer tone " I told you to Stop you bonehead!"
By the time she was in middle of her kick, the others were already close enough to watch her drop the largest of the four turtles with a most certainly ' Low blow' that made them all grunt sympathetically " Dude…."
Kneeling on the floor of the second level with his eyes closed tightly in an attempt to hold back the tears of pain, Raphael could only concentrate on breathing than saving face " I taught you that move a little too well Babe…" he groaned out after some time much to everyone's relief.
" You alright Bro?" Leonardo asked as he came over to take a knee next to him " No one was playing a prank on you Raphael! I took the liberty of moving your hammock into Kira's room so you'll sleep better while she's adjusting to things…" he explained while helping them both to their feet.
" Thought Masta Splinter said that wasn't aloud" Raphael asked looking between him and Kira while keeping a hand firmly on his groin region.
Smirking, he glanced between them " Some aspects of her health are still concerning and I wanted to make sure she'd have someone close by just in case! " he explained having moved closer in order to whisper into his ear.
Nodding in reply Raphael looked at Kira and smiled " I'm almost afraid to find out how strong that kick is with you at 100%!" Patting his brother on the shoulder he turned and started his painful trip back to her room in order to relax in his beloved hammock.
" He taught you how to do that?" Leonardo asked her with a look that was both impressed and amused.
Kira blushed a bit " Kinda, yeah… I was trying to show off with some moves I picked up from TV one night and after he stopped laughing his ass off 'at me' he showed me how they worked in reality!" Laughing silently so hard that he had tears in his eyes Leonardo could only pat her shoulder before heading back to his bedroom and Usagi.
Huffing slightly in annoyance, Kira shook her head and followed after Raphael to see if he needed any help. Walking into her room she watched him lean back in his hammock, that was placed so that he could see her bed clearly from across the room. " Are you sure your alright Raph?" she asked in a hushed guilt ridden voice from where she stood in the door way.
Looking over he smirked nodding his head yes " Yeah, come on over here Babe and close the door most of the way it's a … its kinda personal…" he requested sounding just as awkward as he felt.
" Sure" Closing the door so that it was still open a crack, she walked over and was going to take a seat on her bed when he reached out and scooped her up with one arm and set her onto the other end of his hammock facing him " What are you doing Raphie…" she laughed with how unexpected this move was.
Smirking he shrugged " I want ta be able to look at cha while I'm embarrassing my ass off here!" he reasoned honestly. Adjusting her legs so that his tender region was 'safe' he looked down at her new sneakers " I was thinking about the plans I had that I wanted to surprise you with ' that night' and with everything that's happened since I wanted to see if we're… ya know … on the same page here!" he spoke up almost to afraid of seeing any trace of rejection in her eyes.
Leaning back into his hammock Kira remained quite for several long unnerving moments before she could bring herself to reply " Raphie… If you want to ask me out then fuckng do it! I mean its not like I'm gonna turn ya down or something… I mean… so what if your some Turtle/human hybrid thingymajobber… I ain't perfect either… Shit man… I was a drugged up homeless runaway till you set my ass straight… Ain't no one alive that's perfect!" she pointed out crossing her arms until reality of her missing hand struck again and she huffed muttering several profanities under her breath about only being ¾ of a person now.
" Ya know my hearings better than yours right?" he growled a warning not liking what she just muttered about herself one bit " I don't want to hear ya talking shit about yourself…EVER! Got it Kira?"
" Yeah? What do you fucking care, you can't even drop a pair and ask me on a damn Date, let alone want me as your fucking Girlfriend… Ya know what I'm outta here…" She bit back at him furiously before trying to figure out how the hell to get out of his damn hammock.
Raphael wanted nothing more that to scream back at her about how wrong she was but he couldn't as he was fighting to keep from laughing hysterically at how hilarious she looked as she only managed to get herself hopelessly tangled up in his blanket.
" What's so fucking Funny, TURTLE?" she demanded to know leaning forward with her hands placed firmly onto his plastron to stair him in the face.
" You, Human!" he laughed " Your too damn cute when your all pissed off like that!" he replied honestly before sitting up to untangle her legs. " I just didn't think you'd ever think of me as anything other than as your pal! I ain't exactly Boyfriend material ya know! Shit, I tossed your ass into a fucking empty grave cause I lost my temper when I found out you'd been shooting that shit into ya! " her face went completely pale in shock " I know damn well that wasn't just weed you were trying to buy that night, its just the only shit ya had enough cash for!" He growled dangerously while locking his golden eyes with her grey ones eyes.
" Raph I…" Placing a finger on her mouth he silenced her as he didn't want to hear any explanations or apologies from her.
" All I want to know is if you honestly want to see where things can go between us? I know ya been clean since I scared the shit out of ya when I over reacted, which I feel like shit for, But ya scared the shit outta me! The last thing I needed was to find out you had died from an overdose…"
Reaching out when she seen just how much this was hurting him, Kira pulled him into a tight embrace " I'm clean right now because of that Raphie and I feel great! I can't make any promises that I'll stay this way, cause I'll always be an addict but I'm honestly gonna try to stay clean… but right now its really fucking hard to do…" she confessed burying her face into his neck.
Exhaling heavily he leaned back in his hammock pulling her up along his plastron and covered them both up with his blanket before reaching down her legs to pull off her sneakers, throwing one of them across the room and turning the light switch off. He didn't give a shit what the others would have to say if they walked in, she needed him! " Is it cause ya got the shakes or has it got to do with losing your hand?" he asked in a hushed voice.
" Hand…" was all she would whimper in reply as she laid there on his chest.
" How 'bout we go see if Donnie can come up with prosthetic thing for it, it don't need to be a fake hand or a hook… maybe it can be a weapon" he suggested throwing the first idea he had out there " Your living in a family of Ninjas now so why not take advantage of it and use it to keep clean and outta trouble… we got all kinds of perks ya can't get up top" he smirked nuzzling her head lovingly.
Tilting her head up she looked into his face to see if he was truly serious or not " I kinda think Leo's already starting with that... We talked after my shower and he knows I did drugs, how you stopped me, what I did to pissed that guy named Hun off…"
" Yeah, about that, what exactly did you do to get him after you?"
" Don't laugh, I told Leo and now he thinks I'm a fucking clown or something cause he keeps laughing at me!"
" I won't laugh ' at you' alright! So what did you do?"
" I broke into his car, stole his wallet, Rolex and a few other expensive things and pawned them!"
" Damn Baby, You'll fit right in with us!" he laughed " I think Leo was just surprised you had the balls to go pull that off since we've had our asses handed to us more than a few times by him!" he explained.
Snuggling into to him again, Kira yawned and closed her eyes " So you think I'll make a good Ninja?" she asked as the sound of his heart beating beneath her head and the safety of his arms lulled her to sleep.
Chuckling deeply he nodded " Yeah, I do!" he whispered tilting his head as to watch her face as she fell fast asleep in his arms.
He was on his way to his room when Michelangelo thought he would just poke his head in and check on his big brother and Sister. Underneath the happy front he was so good at putting up for the benefit of his family, he had been literally worried sick about them both the last few months. He hated seeing his brother suffering with not being able to see or be at her side when he learned of what the accident had done to her. Thou, once she came back to their world with no memoirs of him or of their friendship, that was a worse hit than learning she was gone, but Raphael never gave up hope in her waking up from her coma. Everyone could clearly see he was deeply in love with her with the slight changes in his personality and that's what scared them the most. So when he poked his head in and seen her bed was empty panic quickly set in until he flicked on the light and a Sai flew past his head.
" Dude, what the fuck?"
" Just shut up an bring that back here Mikey" Raphael's voice growled in a hushed level.
Pulling the Sai free from the wall, he breathed normally when he realized his brother was holding a large bundle on him in his hammock " Dude, ya nearly took my head off!" he whispered handing his brother back his weapon.
" reflex, Sorry Bro!" Raphael whispered softly as he rubbed the lumps back tenderly " She fell asleep while we were talkin' and I didn't want ta disturb her!"
Taking a seat on the side of the bed he looked up at the pair tenderly " What about Bro?"
" Harsh shit that you'd even blow your lid from it!" He tried to explain without giving anything away but one look at the stern ' try me!' look in his baby brothers eyes while he crossed his arms over his chest and he knew. " Alright just don't say anything till she's ready …deal?"
" Deal! So… What's the problem?" he asked leaning forward on his knees listening intently.
" I busted her in a drug deal about a month before I had to tell Dad about her… She didn't know I had been watching her the whole night! Anyway, when I found out she'd gotten hooked on some serious shit and she was tweaking out when she didn't have enough cash. I was so furious that after I busted that scumbags head in that I hauled her ass to a graveyard and threw it in the first open grave I could find an left her there to think!"
Michelangelo's eyes went wide in shock and horror " A grave? That's excessive even for you Bro!" he scolded him in a hushed voice.
Exhaling heavily he nodded " Yeah I know, an I still feel like a fucking scumbag for it. I was just so hurt and angry and so fucking scared that she'd OD that I couldn't think… And earlier when Donnie went to turn the lights out to check her eyes, she started to freak I knew it fucked her up BIG!"
When he seen the tears rolling from his brothers eyes as he talked, Michelangelo got up and stood next to his hammock before he reached out and hugged Raphael " That's why she's up here with you, ain't it? " he pointed out more than asked "Dude you are soo in-love with her Brah! Ya gotta get past this before if fucks things up between you two…"
Snorting he looked up at his Baby Brother proudly " When the Hell did you get so damn smart?"
Grinning, feeling more like his old self he simply shrugged " I have my moments!" taking a look at how uncomfortable he must be he came up with an idea " How bout you two have your snuggly-cuddle time in the bed! That way you can't drop her and you'll sleep better…"
Not giving him much of a choice as Michelangelo carefully lifted Kira off from his brother and placed her gently onto her own bed before he gave him 'the look' " Come on Dude, Its my idea…" he reminded him pointedly not about to let him back out of it.
" What the Hell is up with you guys today?" Raphael muttered feeling more than a bit confused at all of the mixed messages he had been getting that day from his Father, Leonardo and Michelangelo. " not aloud to be alone together with the door closed, need a fucking babysitter… Now she's not to be alone at night and I'm forced out ta my fucking room…" he grumbled getting out of his hammock and climbed onto her bed, with her under her blankets and him over top of them with his own covering him.
Chuckling in a satisfied manner, Michelangelo turned and headed to the door " Night Raphie! " he whispered switching off the lights and leaving the door open so the faint light of the track lighting provided a temporary nightlight for her.
Not paying any attention to where he was going as he entered his own bedroom the youngest of the brothers jumped when he flicked the light on and he spotted their father standing in the center of the room. Eyes wide as baseballs he swallowed hard thinking he was in deep trouble for what he just talked Raphael into doing " Sensei, I..I can explain… you see he…"
Holding up his hand abruptly to silence his son Splinter gave him a gentle smile " There is no need or you to explain Michelangelo. I have been testing all four of you in order to see how well you could handle such a serious situation without my guidance! I am pleased that both you and Leonardo have come to support and aide Raphael in a time where he needs his family the most!" he spoke up taking him by complete surprise.
" Maybe you should let him know that Sensei, he's scared to death he's gonna mess something up! He can't handle this stress on his own Dad… I think he's close to breaking!" he pleaded voicing his concern for his brother well fair.
" Your insight is always most welcome my son! You are right, it would be unwise for me to let my true intentions go unknown to him after now hearing him speak of this most troubling news." he replied with a heavy heart before making his way to the door " Goodnight, My Son". Standing in a state of shock for a moment Michelangelo smiled sadly as watched his father leave his room.
Giving the door to Kira's room a light knock, Splinter waited until he heard an annoyed grumbling of ' It's open!' before walking inside and turning the light on shocking his second eldest. " Masta Splinter… I.." Raphael's eyes shot open and sat up in complete fear of his father retribution.
" Easy my son, you are not in trouble!" he spoke reassuringly to him " I have overheard your conversation with Michelangelo and I have decided to lighten the rules I had set in place. I only ask that you both come and speak with me of this graveyard incident. I find that is quite troubling and you both are in need of closure with it!" He requested placing his hand gently onto his sons shoulder.
Swallowing hard he nodded " Yes, Father! We'll do so right after morning practice" he replied obediently.
" Raphael, you are old enough to come to me and tell me if I am treating you or others unfairly! It is difficult for a father to admit to himself that his sons have grown into young men and are no longer in need him to hold their hands threw life's problems! Please forgive me…" Splinter spoke up bowing his old head apologetically.
Doing the only thing he could think of in that moment in time, Raphael lunged toward him and hugged his Father tightly " You was just was trying to do what ya felt was right Pop, I can't blame ya for that!" letting go he sat back onto the bed
Smiling softly he nodded " I will leave you both to sleep now my son. If there are any further problems, do not hesitate to wake me. Kira is a member of our Clan now and you do not need to shoulder her troubles alone, no matter what they may be your brothers and I are here for you both!"
" Thanks Dad, I will" Watching as his father turned the lights off as he walked out of the room Raphael shook his head and laid back along her bed as he couldn't help but think of how weird this day had been.
" Is your family done fussing over you now so you can get under this damn blanket and get some sleep?" a muffled irritated voice muttered next to him.
Chuckling softly at Kira's grumpy question he nodded " Yeah, sorry 'bout that Baby." Getting up he pulled her blankets back and slid in behind her as she was now facing the wall away from him.
Rolling over so that she could snuggle up against his chest and plastron, she snaked her left forearm up over his neck " Clan huh? Better than the shitstain of a family I was born inta!" She murmured against the base of his neck " Hell of a lot more fun too!"
" Their alright! Now hush up and get some sleep!" he chuckled resting his cheek against the top of her head as he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
