THC-Homecoming Ch. 9

Rated M

If you recognize it, it ain't mine.

Don POV

The waiting was starting to wear on all of us when Dad suggested that we start sitting with Lowe in shifts rather than whenever we could, like we had been. What clenched that decision was finding Leo curled up in her chair and crying.

I saw Raph reach out and lightly smack him on the arm and say, "Quit it, Leo. Lowe ain't dead yet."

Leo whispered and wiped his eyes, "How can you be so sure."

Raph cupped the back of Leo's head and stood him up. Then, he hugged Leo and whispered, "Cause I know our sista, Leo. She ain't gonna leave us."

I wondered back to the infirmary and held my sisters hand. I placed it on my face and imagined her caressing my face like she did when I was little. If we didn't have Lowe we would have starved a few times. I definitely wouldn't have the confidence I do now. It brought to mind a phone conversation we had while she was deployed.

"I am thinking I should be more like Dad."

She laughed, "What; brown, and fuzzy?"

"Leo?"

"Arrogant and annoying?"

"Raph?"

"Tempermental and stubborn?"

"Well Mikey, then?"

"Seriously?"

"Then who should I be like?"

"I think you should just be you," she sighed, "Yep, I think you should be just like you; my crazy amazing, genius little brother. I would never ever trade."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So, what is this I hear about a garbage truck?"

I didn't get to tell her much about it before she had to go. As I hung up the phone I whispered, "God, if you are there, Please bring my sister back safe."

Looking back, I probably should have asked for safe and sane. There was a vase of flowers from Uncle Pete and a 'Get Well Soon' card from two girls named Cait and Rory. They had signed it, 'Get Better, Sarge.'

I looked up at the last school photo we had of Fawn. Dad had pinned it up next to her bed. That picture of my niece was the last one we got before Jack's mom, Dorathea, passed away. Thea was always good about making sure we at least got pictures of Fawn. She would be turning 15 soon.

Fawns POV

I remembered the building from my meditation. This is where Gramma Shen and Gram Thea said my uncles would find me, so I sat down to wait. I had been on the run for three days. Gram Thea told me why I got in trouble every time I called Jack 'dad'. It was because he is, as she put it, 'He's a vindictive psycho bastard."

Gram told me about the days she would show up when I was little and Jack would be passed out drunk and I would be sitting in a nasty diaper. She tried to get custody of me a few times, but he fought her, threatened her; one time he punched her.

Not long after that, she told me what really happened the night we left mama. Jack had beaten up mama and mama finally swung back. Gram said mama called frantic because Jack had taken everything but mama's fatigues and her jeans. He had taken me and all our stuff and left while mama was at work. We had just gotten to mama's new duty station and mama was just settling in when Jack went off on mama. Gram said the car we had was a rust bucket only held together with duct tape and dreams. Mama's SSgt had dropped her off at home that evening and it set Jack off.

As I sat there, I decided to meditate a bit. I wasn't worried about food, I had a bag of chips, a few bottles of water, and a package of Twinkies; along with a blanket, a pillow, and some clothes in a space bag in my satchel. I had used all of my money from my savings account back in Cheyenne to buy my bus tickets. Gram Thea hadn't left me much, but she made sure that Jack couldn't touch it. I also had my letters from my adopted Uncles and Granddad.

My letters made it easier to deal with Jack. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to defend my family when Jack would call them scum, but I never understood why the letters stopped until a letter from Gram said she was in hospice and couldn't deliver them anymore.

I settled in and time flew. The next time I opened my eyes, it was dark. So here I was, on a rooftop 2000 miles from a deadbeat, jerk-off, father and waiting on uncles I had never seen in person before.

As the steam started to rise from the vents on the roof, I noticed 4 large creatures coming my way. They were male from they walked. As they stepped through the steam, I got plenty scared, but not enough to run. I guess my 'fight or flight' kicked in and I grabbed my pocketknife out. Gram got me that a long time ago when I was still in Brownie Scouts.

Suddenly, a large, green hand closed around my wrist and I dropped my knife.

"What are ya doin' wit dat, girlie," the attached voice asked gruffly.

Now I was scared. What where these things and where were my uncles. "Please," I whispered, "Don't hurt me. I'm just waiting for my uncles. My Gramma Shen said they would be here," I said as tears rolled down my face.

Then another voice spoke, just as gravelly as the first, "Tang Shen?"

I nodded.

"How do you know our mother," asked a third softer voice.

"That's my Gramma Shen. She comes to me when I meditate," I rushed, terrified and trying to get my wrist free. The red one had a grip like a vise.

"Fawn Li," asked the second voice.

Again, I nodded.

"Fawn Li, what are you doing here," asked the one in blue, obviously agitated.

I felt small in front of them. "I ran away," I mumbled.

The same voice answered, "You ran away! Do you understand how reckless that was! You could have been hurt or killed! You could have disappeared!"

The first voice said, much softer than before, "Leo, Chill out. The kid is already scared."

But it was the third voice that brought calm to the chaos. "Enough! Raph and Leo are both right, Sweet Pea. There is so much that could have went wrong. However," he said as a pair of strong glass green arms swiftly pulled me into a warm hug. "I am so glad you are safe now."

I leaned back and saw soft, crystal blue eyes, a soft orange bandanna, and a thick gold chain. "Which one are you," I whispered.

"If your mother is Marlowe Jean, I am Uncle Mikey."

I jumped up and threw my arms around his neck and cried. I was almost home.

Leo's POV

As we walked home, I asked my niece, "Fawn, what possessed you to run away?"

She shrugged and whispered, "I'd had enough."

Raph, who was ahead of us, turned around and said, "Enough of what, Munchkin?"

We walked by a streetlight, and she stopped. Mikey turned to her and gasped.

"Sweet Pea! What the hell happened?"

Fawns shoulders dropped and her head hung low.

"Fawn, Baby girl, you better start talkin'," Raph growled.

She sighed and seemed to deflate even more.

I had a million scenarios all vying for my attention in my head. "Fawn, did Jack cut you," I whispered.

Tears welled up in her black eyes and spilled down her caramel cheeks. Then, she shivered.

It was the shiver that drove me to wrap an arm around my niece's shoulders and curl her into me.

After a few minutes, she calmed down and looked at the three of us.

"Where is Uncle D?"

Mikey cleared his throat and answered, "At the Lair with Dad and your mom."

Fawn's POV

We walked a little farther and Uncle Raph put a blindfold on me. Then, Uncle Leo put me over his shoulder and carried me down. I could smell the faint stench of sewage, but it wasnt enough to be overpowering. Uncle Leo didn't set me down for a long while, no matter how much I begged or tried to bargain. Although in truth it may have been only 15-20 minutes, it sure felt like forever. I had to put my hand between his shell and my scrawny hip bone after a minute or so.

When he finally set me down, I found myself suddenly pulled into another set of green arms.

Turns out, Uncle Mikey had sent Uncle D a text and he was waiting to see me.

However, It was the fairly tall rat at the back of the room that caught my attention.

He smiled very gently, his eyes soft and full, "Fawn Li. You look just like your mother at your age."

"Grandpa," I whispered, as I watched his left ear flick slightly.

He merely nodded and I was off. I found myself in the safest spot in the world, wrapped up in my grandfathers arms. It was then that the gravity of what I had done truly hit. I sobbed on his shoulder.

He just swayed with me, whispering, "Shh, shh. You are safe here, my love. No one will ever hurt you again. Hush now." All the while he smoothed my hair and swept it off of my forehead.

I stepped back after regaining control of myself and noticed my mama wasn't there. "Where is Mama?"

Granddad sighed and looked up. "Donatello will explain to you what has happened."

I looked up into my uncles golden eyes and the sorrow in them was almost too much. "Uncle D, what is wrong with my mom," I whined as my heart sunk to the floor.

Dons POV

I heard what my Dad had told my niece.

She looked at me like she might cry again and whispered, "Uncle D, what's wrong with my mom?"

It was all I could do to explain what had happened as I led her to the infirmary where her mother lay on the bed. Usagi was there watching Lowe.

"Fawn, this is Usagi, a friend of ours. Usagi, this is Marlowe's daughter, Fawn; my niece."

Usagi politely held out his hand for a shake, but Fawn's eyes were glued to her mom. I noticed her chin quivering and as I reached to hold her, she sat down in the chair next to her mother and grasped her hand.

Tears poured down her face and she whispered, "I'm here, Mama."

A/N-Sorry this chapter has taken a bit. Life.