Chapter 10

Shredder entered the warehouse with difficulty as the numerous food bags he had were blocking his sight.

"Oy Boss! You're back already!" Shouted Rocksteady.

"Yeah, you took so long!" Whined Beebop.

Shredder didn't have the time to get to the tables before the two mutants came and took handfuls of bags. They then went straight back to the sofa they had installed that very morning and started to eat as they watched TV.

"Please, don't make it look like you missed me."

"It's a pity that your henchmen are obviously better at moving sofas and TVs around than actually do their job Shredder!" said April O'Neil, tightly secured on a chair next to the tables. The woman had a nasty tone but who could really blame her, she had been stuck on that chair for nearly half a day.

Shredder looked around, no sign of the Turtles, traps ready to trap anyone who tried to get in except for the one door he had just used. He put the bags on the table and hurried to the door to secure the last trap. At last, they were safe.

"It's not like those traps will really stop the Turtles, and you know it!" Miss O'Neil shouted across the room.

"You're quite talkative today Miss April, should I gag you? Or can you keep you talkative spirit for when you are on TV?"

The reporter pouted but seemed to choose the second option. He had been kidnapping her for two years now, and obviously, she seemed to get used to the whole idea as she was fighting him less and less. Or bothered, the idea had already popped by in his mind. He had observed her for a long time now, and even though they never had a real conversation, he was pretty sure she was slowly but surely getting bored.

He came back to the tables and sat facing April O'Neil. After two years he knew that that woman was pretty much capable of anything. So, he would watch her as he ate, just to be sure she wasn't about to run for sweet freedom.

Beebop and Rocksteady angry shouts interrupted his thoughts. Obviously, the team they were supporting had done a bad move.

"Beebop, Rocksteady! What did we say?!"

The two of them turned on their sofa, only a horn, a mohawk and two pair of eyes could be seen. Shredder beamed at the fact he could still instil fear in those twos.

"We said no shouting while dinner time?" Whined Rocksteady.

"Yes, and it's dinner time. So no shouting."

Rocksteady grumbled as he sat back and Beebop swore silently.

"The three of you look like a family. A thug family, but still a family." Said April.

"Yeah, after living together for two years that's how things tend to be." He answered as he sat.

He looked at her as he sat, she seemed to straighten herself on the chair. She might have taken a nap as he went out. Did he really have to watch over her? Probably, any show of weakness would awaken her fiery spirits.

"Are you so bored that you've taken a nap while I went out?"

"No, I'm not really bored just a bit sleepy." She said with a yawn.

"Sleepy?"

"Yeah, you know…" She said in a suggesting way.

"No, I obviously don't know Miss O'Neil." He deadpanned as he picked some chicken

"Yesterday was Friday night out." She winked at him.

"Oh…" He had forgotten the deal they had made 6 months ago. The deal was that the reporter wanted her Friday's night free of any kidnapping.

"So… I guess you had fun?"

"Yes! From now on I'll call it fun night. It's more appropriate."

He really had no idea of how she spent her Friday nights out. And hopefully would never know. Knowing her day to day side he could only imagine that her night self was even more boisterous.

"Oh, come on! Don't look so shy!" She said laughing slightly.

That annoyed him, why would she laugh at him? "Just in case you were wondering I am not shy Miss O'Neil. Am I not the villain who kidnaps you regularly?"

"that's not related at all you dum…" She seemed to stop just before she insulted him, probably thanks to the angry frown which immediately appeared on his face then went on "you dummy… What I mean is that you can kidnap girls regularly and still be um… delicate?"

"Well, anyway I am not shy. I am the great Shredder and soon New-York will be mine!"

"For sure babe." She said annoyed.

He was surely taken aback by her used of the word babe. He had to admit that, after one year, they had started to chit chat when they were stuck together but still…

He turned his attention back to his bags and opened them. The smell of Chinese food came out. He surely preferred Japanese food but Japanese restaurants were a lot rarer and more expensive than the Chinese's one. Taking the chopsticks, realized he had to take off his mask plate to eat. That was a first in front of the reporter. He wondered if it was such a good -he was far from shy, he could prove it- still taking off his mask would be like taking off his Shredder Personae. He didn't like it that much. Yet… He would also look stupid if he didn't eat anything now. He took off his mask and his helmet in one smooth motion and put them down on the table. He took all the dishes and opened them one by one. There was Mapo Tofu, Gongbao chicken and rice. He chose to start with some tofu, the spiciness of it would surely invigorate him.

He took a side-glance to see what April O'Neil was doing. She was watching him intently. Probably because she had never seen his face. Still, he felt unease creep up his spine.

"You know you're quite good looking?" She said suggestively.

In a matter of seconds, he looked at her straight in the eyes: "What?" He couldn't quite believe what she had just said. He could already feel his cheeks and ears turn red.

She then laughed slightly: "You see, you're shy! I knew it!"

Was that the only reason she had said that? He felt anger rise suddenly in him: "Miss Reporter or you stop now, or I gag you. Your choice." His voice was deep and dark. No need to give her what she wanted.

"Okay, okay. I was just joking." She said sheepishly.

He sighed; their relationship had changed from a straight "I hate you" to a mere "we are kind of stuck together so at least let's speak" but he had to admit she sometimes was close to a child. He already had two children to take care of, he didn't need a third one.

He went on with his tofu. She looked at the tv from afar. Their small talk of the day was finished.

Well, it would normally be finished if at some point some loud growl didn't break the silence. It took him less than a second to know where it came from: April's stomach. Since when did a girl make this kind of noise? He had always been taught that women were to be nice, delicate and fragile creatures and, even though April was a long shot from what he had been taught, that growl was beyond human.

He looked at her, not knowing what to do. Eyes as big as saucers.

"Come on! It wasn't that bad." She said, as red as a tomato.

"It could have wakened a dead man."

She glared at him and he smiled. He liked to have power over people, and especially her. She was like a stallion to tame, hard sometimes but success was the sweetest that could be.

"Well, that wouldn't happen if you gave me food." She said angrily.

He looked at his clock, it was 1 pm. She was kidnapped at 8am. She had a point there. He looked at what he had taken for him. It was one he liked much but surely a bit exotic for American people. Mapo tofu was spicy and gong bao chicken had peanuts in it. None of them would really be adequate. He would sacrifice the peanut chicken; it was more likely she would like it. He pushed the dish to her.

She looked at the food then him, then the food again. "hum, how can I eat?" she said in a small voice and big eyes.

"Find a way." He tried to look uninterested, yet he knew he would have to do something.

"Come on, have pity!"

"Good move, but I am not about to unshackle you, Miss O'Neil." He thought he saw something in her eyes, so that was her plan? A slow burn plan to make him unshackle her? That woman was a lot more cunning than he thought.

"No, you don't have to do that…But perhaps you could feed me?" He was shocked at those words and she smiled in success.

"Feed you?"

"Yes, feed me!"

He felt his ears and cheek burn with redness. He didn't know how Americans interacted together but in Japan, there were only couples feeding each other. Or a mother and a child. April O'Neil's smile grew wider, that's when he understood that they were fighting, as they always had. It just had moved from angry fists trying to stop him to some verbal joust.

"Okay." This fight would be an easy win. He took back the chicken and prepared the tofu. He had asked the old Chinese grandma a real mapo tofu like the one served in China. Most American were not ready for that kind of spiciness and the reporter April O'Neil was about to discover it. He took some tofu with his chopsticks and neared the food to her.

"No, give me the other one!"

"I'm the one feeding you, so I'm the one choosing."

She gave him a puppy look and he moved his chopsticks up and down. He wasn't about to lose this fight. She opened her mouth, accepting the odd white and red food. He narrowed his eyes on her lips, as to not put some tofu all over her. He had never really looked at that part of her anatomy, meaning he felt like he was discovering it for the first time. He had always thought she wore make-up, including lipstick. How wrong could he be? Her lips had a natural soft pink colour, and they seemed plumped and soft as an apricot. They closed softly on his chopsticks.

He looked back at her eyes. Keeping on looking would be ogling more than anything else. He just hoped he wasn't as red as a tomato. Afterall the whole mask helmet wasn't only to hide his identity.

She gave a soft cry, and he saw in her eyes that obviously, the food wasn't to her liking. Which was what he was expecting. He smiled, every small win was good to keep.

"God! What's that? It's spicy as hell!"

"It's mapo tofu." He said calmly. "I guess you don't enjoy it." He took the food back.

"It's not that I don't enjoy it, it's more that it's so spicy! I'd need some water to eat it. Perhaps some rice can help too. Give me some more."

"You mean you don't hate it?" He felt a pang in his heart at the idea he also lost this fight. A stupid one yet he wanted to win for once.

"Come on! I want some more!" She whined.

He took some more with his chopsticks and presented it to her. He saw hesitation in her eyes for a second or two. So, he wasn't wrong, it really was too spicy.

His eyes went back to her lips. And he regretted it. They seemed better than a few second ago. He delicately put the food inside her mouth, and he swore he felt her tongue delicately touching the chopsticks. He gulped, looked back at her eyes and saw that little fire. She was doing it on purpose. She smiled with victory for a few seconds until the spices hit her hard and she grimaced. Soon she started whining, looking desperately at the rice.

"Mmhh? What are you saying? Miss O'Neil?"

She pointed the rice again with her head, face turning red.

"Oh, rice?"

She quickly moved her head up and down.

He enjoyed the situation they were in for a few more seconds. And finally gave her rice.

She ate it happily, more than happy to calm down the spices that were fighting inside her mouth.

"Some water perhaps?" He said with a joyful tone. Again she moved her head up and down.

He poured water in a glass and gave it to her. This time there was no seduction on her part. He could feel it, no tricks. Yet as she was gulping water down he watched carefully her face. Not only her lips but also her green eyes, her nose, her chin… How all those parts came together nicely to create her face. That face he had never really looked at. So easy on the eyes…

After that, he always looked carefully at her, taking in how little make-up she put on. How she most probably had several of the same yellow jumpsuit. How her curves were more than enjoyable… After that, Oroku Saki aka The Shredder had started fantasizing on his worst enemy.

O O O

Something was tickling his nose. He moved a bit to the right but strangely he couldn't move as freely as he normally could. As he started to fall back asleep, he felt that tickling sensation again.

This time he fully woke up. He grabbed what was tickling him. Hair… Hair attached to April. She wasn't really touching him. But she was really close as she was hugging the pillow she had put last night between them. He gladly thanked the pillow. That night he had dreamed of the time he had fed her some food. And after the dream had turned hotter. If he had woken up with her hugging him, he would have been unable to calm down for the whole day.

He got up and took a shower. Today, he needed to find something that could help him locate where the earth was.

O O O

"You are awfully silent today Shredder". April said factually.

"I never speak while I train."

"Well, sorry to tell you but you usually grunt."

He turned to glare at her, and she smiled playfully.

"Come on, you know it's true!"

"It's not." He tried to cut her off. He turned his back to her and started his crunches.

"You look depressed." She added. This time with a more serious tone.

He didn't stop crunching yet thought back at his day. How he had found nothing to link them back to earth. How he had failed to save them.

"Well, the food wasn't really good you know."

"What?!" She cried. He didn't even bother to turn, knowing very well what kind of grumpy face she had. After seeing her every day for so long, he quite knew her reactions.

"Don't ignore me like this." She added with a grumpy tone.

He ignored her more. With time, he had discovered she wasn't a reporter by luck. She liked the fact the job had a lot of unexpected in it. But she also liked to be looked at, she liked attention. Which meant that not giving her any was the easiest way to toy with her.

She threw her towel at him.

"Don't throw your filthy towel at me." He threw it back to her.

"It's not filthy."

"Well, sorry to tell you but you sweat when you train. You're probably lacking some cardio training."

"Blab la bla, I don't need cardio."

"Cardio is essential."

"You know, I learnt judo when I was young. That's all I need."

His eyebrows shot up at the new information. He had difficulties imagining little April doing anything manly.

"Judo isn't for little girls."

"How macho can you be? Of course, little girls can learn judo."

He didn't say anything more. Perhaps he did was a bit macho for Americans? Or perhaps April was particularly out of the box.

"You want to see?" She said, bringing her fists up in the air, a big smile on her face.

"To start off, that's not even near to a judo stance."

"You're saying that because the big macho you are is afraid of losing to a girl."

"Judo isn't about winning, it's about using the strength of the opponent to put him to the ground." He said, matter of the factly.

She threw her bottle at him.

"What's with you today?" He cried, a little bit upset.

"Come on, stop being like this. Come."

He didn't know why, but he came to her. Before the whole lost in dimension x accident he wouldn't have obeyed her. But now a lot had changed. At some point lines that were traced before had blurred down.

She threw her towel and the few things she used for her training in the corner of the room. "We need space."

"Right… Space for what?"

"To train! We should train together from now on."

"We're already…"

She shushed him: "Shhh, training as in training in martial arts."

"Oh."

"Aren't you an expert?"

"Of course, I am! I was one of the best of my clan back in Japan."

She seemed surprised at his words: "You have a clan?"

"Yes, a family clan. We all train and fight for the honour of our clan."

"Okaayyy. Isn't that strange?"

"No, it's tradition."

"But if you have to train and fight to honour your clan, what are you doing in America?"

"That's the point…" He was about to speak of the reasons why he came to America in the first place but he stopped. Even though their relationship had approved he shouldn't be telling his enemy personal information. It could be a weakness. "I'm honouring my family here."

"Well…" She seemed to think about it for a moment. "I can't say we, Americans, work the same way. Yet my dad told me not so long ago I was a disgrace so, it kind of work the same way I guess."

The conversation had turned awfully personal.

"Let's go on with the training." April said, ending there whatever had begun.

"If you knew Judo, why didn't you use it when I kidnap you?"

"Most of the time, you're too quick for me."

Well, this time he gave her a snarly smile. She most probably didn't plan to praise his technic, but to him, it was a compliment.

"Give me your hand, I'll start with the throw."

"In a real fight, nobody would just give you their wrist." He said, toying again with her. He had to admit he liked to bother her, and for once she was letting him do it.

"How stubborn can you be!"

She tried to grab his wrists and he moved them, not allowing her. She started to get closer to him, trying to block his freedom of movement, and finally got his left wrist. Which she lost quickly as her grip wasn't good enough. She struggled like this for at least 2 good minutes.

"You're such a chicken. Running off as soon as anything is out of your comfort zone." She said, finally giving up. She turned around, pouting.

He turned around her to face her: "I just wanted to toy a bit with you. Here." He presented her his right wrist.

She looked at him, at his hand and back at him. "For once, I'll forgive you. But I don't easily forgive, remember that."

"Of course."

She grabbed him by his wrist with a secure grip. And suddenly turned and tried to throw him to the ground by using her whole body to project him. And she failed miserably. Not only he didn't end down on the ground, but he didn't even move. Now his torso was just awkwardly stuck to her back, making the whole ordeal even stranger than it was to begin with. His dream had already turned him in the morning, and the fact he was now leaning against the only woman he had seen in months… He had to concentrate on something else quick.

"In my memory, it worked…" She said, her voice a little awkward.

"You don't even have the right stance to begin with. Just, stop pulling on my wrist already." He had to get quickly away from her, he tried to break free, but April wouldn't let him go.

"You're going to hurt yourself. Stop."

"No, don't worry it's really easy."

He tried to get out but she adjusted the position of her feet and found a stance that gave her a better movement. As her body remembered the move, she suddenly pulled with all her might and made an effective throw. As he flew over her shoulder a loud crack was heard.

O O O

He was sitting on the bed, his right wrist closely secured in bandages. April was sitting in front of him, a bowl of salad on her lap.

"Come on, open your mouth," April said with a smile and a fork full of salad.

He wasn't quite sure that eating alone in his room was the solution to hide the injury she had caused earlier. He wasn't ready to believe she and Krang were now friends, regularly hanging around and talking. He was pretty sure that if Krang was to learn that she had sprained his wrist, he could send her overboard with the sewage water.

April lowered the fork: "Hey, stop worrying. It's going to be ok. Eat something would you?"

She raised again the fork.

"I can do it on my own."

"No, you can't. I saw you try; it was shit. So now just open your mouth."

He wasn't about to argue, he was really bad with his left hand. Good dexterity for martial arts but bad as hell for anything dexterous.

He opened his mouth and she delicately put the fork in it. Like he had to in his dreamlike memory, she had to look at his mouth to be sure she wasn't about to miss it. He chewed slowly. In the end, his dream had been some kind of prediction.

A new fork appeared, he looked at her eyes, she looked at his mouth, he ate but his eyes never left her face. She was beautiful. Living with her and getting to know her had allowed him to see sides of her he didn't expect. The image you have of someone is only a small part of reality.