Note: Some parts in this chapter refer to my fic 'Mona's Wonderful Life'
Also I don't own the song lyrics in this chapter.
Chapter Forty-Three
If You're Lost...
Mona closed her eyes, and kept her thoughts on her mother.
As she tried to focus, she tried to remember the times she spent with her mother as a human, every birthday, every Christmas, every quality time they spent together, whether it was shopping, visiting exhibitions, having lunch together, or even just when she was helping her with her homework, she kept those images playing in her head.
At the same time, she began to hum the song she and her mother used to sing together, their lullaby, and the same song she sang or played to Pandora to get her to sleep or comfort her when she was upset or frightened.
"If you're lost, you can look, and you will find me, time after time, if you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting, time after time."
Mona kept her eyes closed, almost too scared to open them, and she felt herself floating a little, and she could barely feel Raphael's hands on her shoulders nor Leonardo's hands as he squeezed around hers.
She was tempted to open them, especially when she felt a breeze over her face and a smell filled her nostrils.
Gathering her courage, Mona opened her eyes and she almost cried out as she found herself sitting in the middle of a field of long grasses, with the most beautiful countryside around her.
She couldn't see Raphael, Leonardo nor Tyroth, and she stood up trying to figure out where she was.
She knew she should feel scared, but this place, it made her feel so calm, almost comforted.
There was a warm wind that blew gently through her hair, the sun that shone above her in a clear blue sky felt like a comforting hand, and the grasses stroked her hands and bare legs.
Feeling a sense of freedom, Mona felt like running, she stepped forward and broke into a run, the long grasses still stroked her legs as she moved, it was a relaxed feeling.
A smile broke across her face as she continued to run, the sun still warm on her face and the wind blowing through her hair.
As she ran, several dragonfly's rose up from the grasses and flew around her along with small birds can chirped sweetly.
Mona felt a laugh escape her throat as she watched the birds and insects fly up above her and she soon found herself leaving the long grassy meadow behind and she felt short yet silky grass under her scaly toes.
Looking around she soon saw she was standing in another field, this time with apple trees with a field of golden sunflowers and to the right of her, there was a red farmhouse and barn with a windmill.
A smile graced her face as she started to recognise the place. It was a countryside Farmhouse owned by some good friends of her parents, and they often rented out the place for holidaymakers, but they offered a discount to her family so they could stay there for two weeks during the summer months.
Mona always loved that farmhouse, since they went there every summer for as long as she could remember, and as far as she could remember, her mother loved it too, and as always saddened when it was time to leave and return to normality in their home town.
"It is my heaven." Gina used to say "My paradise, and the highlight of the year when we go there each summer."
Hope swelled in Mona as she wondered if Gina was nearby, even though she had reached what was her paradise, she wondered if she was actually here?
Walking over to one of the apple trees, Mona stroked one of the shiny red and green fruits and plucked it from the branch.
Stroking it's silky skin, Mona felt tempted to taste it and she brought it to her lips before taking a bite and the sweetness attacked her taste buds almost like it was the best taste she ever had.
Feeling relaxed she sat down against the tree's trunk and looked at the sun as it shone through the leaves like stained glass.
Even though she hadn't found anyone in this place, she felt relaxed rather than afraid, as if the whole place had taken all negative feelings within and she could feel nothing but happiness.
She closed her eyes again and relaxed as the wind continued to blow over her scaly skin and hair as if it was soothing her to sleep and as she lay there, she soon heard some singing in her ears at first it sounded like a whisper, until it got louder and she soon recognised the words.
"Someday I'll wish upon a star, and wake up with the clouds far behind me, where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me..."
Mona slowly opened her eyes again and as she did, she found herself looking into the face of a woman, a kind faced woman with soft watery brown eyes and dark brown shoulder length hair.
"Hello Angel." the woman spoke in a soft but happy voice.
Mona sat bolt upright as happiness filled her entire being and she felt her heart was going to burst right out of her chest.
"M...M...Mummy?" she stammered.
Gina nodded and her smile got wider.
"Hello sweetheart." she said "My beautiful Mona Lisa."
Mona felt so overwhelmed she was seeing the face of her dead mother she could barely contain her emotions and the tears flowed hard and fast.
"Oh mum!" she wept "I can't believe I found you! Oh Tyroth! Thank you! Leonardo! Thank you! I found my mother!"
Gina chuckled and placed her hand on Mona's cheek.
Mona looked upon her features.
The last time she had seen Gina in person which was at the airport in Wisconsin, she was a slightly older version than what stood before her, in this world, this heaven, she looked like a fresh young woman before she had married Caledon.
Her eyes were open and fresh, rather than covered with a slight wrinkles and heavy bags which often came when a woman was blessed with motherhood, and her soft brown hair lacked any grey strands.
"It's so good to see you my baby girl." Gina said, tears welling in her own eyes "I can't tell you now much I've missed you."
"Oh mum!" Mona sobbed "I don't know how you must feel, seeing me...like this!"
She held up her scaly hand and touched her other cheek "I'm no longer the daughter you knew...look at me..."
Gina's smile never left her face.
"Oh Mona." she said "I can see how you have changed, but to me, you're still my baby girl, you might have changed in appearance, but inside, you're still my daughter."
Mona's lip trembled as she listened.
"You have your grandmother's eyes," Gina continued "Those are one of the things that hasn't changed! One only has to look into your eyes, or feel that soft brown hair, or hear your voice, and you are there!"
Listening to her mother's words, Mona lowered her head, just hearing those words made her think that maybe if she had shown her family what she had become after she mutated, then maybe she wouldn't have been shunned.
But there was no point on going back, yet it tore into her soul as it was a thought she had often played with and more than often had pushed it to the back of her mind especially since she had grown accustomed to her new life as a mutant lizard since the turtles welcomed her into their family and found love with Raphael, along with the birth of Pandora and finding their other mutant friends.
"So much time has passed baby girl." Gina whispered "Since you've been gone..."
Tears streamed from Mona's eyes and she looked at her mother begging for forgiveness before the opportunity was to be given.
"Mum...I...I...I'm so sorry! I never met for such terrible things to happen back home! I...I should never taken that short cut in New York! If I hadn't gone down that path, I would be home in Wisconsin, with you! With dad! With Jake and Callum!"
"Mona..." Gina began.
"But it's all gone badly wrong!" Mona lamented "The Family's fallen apart! You died! Callum...he...he went off the rails!" she couldn't speak any more and she sobbed louder before lowering her head into her hands as she knelt on the grass.
"Monalisa." she heard Gina's voice and felt her gentle hands on the sides of her head "My daughter, please, don't blame yourself, please, none of this was your fault."
Mona looked up at her mother, her tears still falling, her throat hurt and her stomach and chest were pounding but looking into those moist brown eyes she felt so relaxed.
"But mum..."
"No buts young lady!" Gina said in her still kind voice yet it sounded more sharp when she said those words and she held her hands to her daughter to which she took them.
"None of this, you saw coming...you had no idea, I do not blame you, I could never blame you my Angel."
Mona looked up, her cheeks soaked and opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"Come with me." Gina said with a comforting smile, helping Mona to her feet then gently leading her from the apple tree towards the red barn and farmhouse.
"Where are we going?" Mona asked.
"You'll see soon enough." Gina smiled as she continued to lead her daughter by the hand.
As they walked together, Mona looked around at the beautiful American Countryside.
"Is this is your heaven mum?" she asked.
Gina nodded.
"It is sweetie." she said "My heaven, and where the rest of our family have come when our time is up, nothing hurts, no-one is sad, it's always peaceful here, remember those holidays we took in the countryside? I always said that my Heaven would be like that, and it seems, when we die, we do find our paradise."
Mona looked around as she walked with her mother, it was indeed a beautiful place, and she couldn't get over the many different colours of the Countryside and how everything seemed to blend together like colours in a painting.
Before long, they made it to the Red Farmhouse, Windmill and Barn.
At first she just saw the large side part of the barn until Gina lead her around the corner and she saw a large porch at the front of the farmhouse with a couple of large swing seats and rocking-chairs.
But what made Mona's heart soar was there was another woman sitting in one of the swing seats sewing, a woman she recognised if only just a few years ago.
"Nana?"
As soon as the Lizard Lady spoke, the woman looked up showing her bright blue eyes and she smiled.
"Hello Sweetheart." she smiled before standing up, carefully placing her sewing down "It's wonderful to see you again Princess."
Tears came to Mona's eyes as she remembered that night she had passed out in the snow in Chicago, and before Tyroth had saved her life, she had seen her Grandmother's spirit who had come to guide her on the right path when she had gotten lost.
She was young again, just like she had appeared to the Lizard Lady that Christmas ago, and Mona hadn't recognised her at first.
Gina let go of her daughter's hand and as her Grandmother walked over, Mona put her arms around her.
"You look so beautiful Nana!" she said, then looked at Gina who joined in the hug "You both look so amazing!"
Gina and Grandmother kissed Mona's cheeks and stroked her scaly skin.
"When we reach paradise, we are young again." Grandmother said with a smile "It's like we were revived again."
Mona smiled back, then felt something tickling her leg and again her heart soared as she looked down and saw a young black Labrador wagging his tail and panting.
"Rexie?" she beamed.
"Indeed!" Gina smiled "Even though he died of old age when you were just 5 years old, you remember him."
"I do!" Mona giggled as she knelt down and Rexie jumped up and began to lick her face.
It was true, she was only five years old when her grandmother's dog died, but she still remembered him, especially as he was such a friendly dog.
"We knew you'd be happy to see him!" Gina smiled as she and Grandmother watched Mona and Rexie bond.
Mona laughed then stood up facing her mother and grandmother as Rexie licked her hand, the smile fading slightly.
Seeing her expression, both women looked kindly at her.
"Such darkness has come to you my child." Grandmother said stroking Mona's hair.
Mona nodded as new tears formed.
"So much..." she said "I...I don't even know where to begin."
"We know." Gina said "But we need you to understand, none of what happened was your fault, and you must never even think for one minute that you are responsible."
"But I feel it is." Mona said "I...I never should have gone down that path, then those Purple Dragons wouldn't have attacked me, I would have still been with you...and Callum...he...he..."
"Mona." Gina said in the same stern yet soft voice "You never intended for this to happen! You mustn't blame yourself!"
Mona swallowed hard then she felt both women take her hands.
"Come with us baby." Gina said.
Mona nodded then let her mother and grandmother lead her to the Farmhouse, Rexie trotting next to them.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"You'll see." Grandmother smiled with a wink then led Mona to the doors of the Farmhouse...
It worked! Just like it did for Leonardo! Yay! Mona has reached the afterlife and met not just her dead mother, but also her grandmother! Such happiness! And I'm sure Mona deserves it after all she's been through!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Stay tuned for more coming soon!