I do not own the TMNT. Seriously, how often do I have to type that?

Chapter Eight; Three Steps Back

"Hey guys I hope I'm not early but…guys?" Casey Jones marched out of the elevator. He was surprised to find all of his mutant friends sitting on a mat with their legs crossed and their eyes closed. They acted as though they hadn't heard them. "Guys?"

After watching them for almost a full minute Casey started to wonder if the meditating ninjas were even breathing. He came closer. Yeah they were breathing, but it was kind of slow. Taking the initiative to snap them out of it before they suffocated or something he started by waving his hand in front of Raph's face. Raph didn't twitch.

"Hey, Raphie boy." Casey whispered. Raphael had to be out of it to not get angry at the nickname. Sitting beside him was Mikey, who had to be twice as out of it not to snicker. Casey shifted position to try something else when his shoe hit one of the candles. It started to fall but a furry black hand caught the candle and extinguished the small flame.

"Hey! Kit, you're not in zombie-land!"

Kit sighed; she had been hoping he would go away if she ignored him. "No, I'm not … Although Master Splinter calls it something else." Kit frowned at the candle in her hand before standing up and leaving the meditation mat. She drug Casey behind her by the ear to ensure no further fire hazards.

"So, this is normal for you guys?" Casey tried to look back over his shoulder but Kit had yet to release his ear.

"It's normal for them. I just kind of clear my mind or think about stuff." In the kitchen, Kit finally released him and moved to the sink. Casey stood up and rubbed his throbbing ear. Nothing he couldn't manage, his ma twisted when she grabbed ears. That hurt.

"So, you're not into all that meditatin' stuff?" He watched Kit grab the candle she still held in both hands, then give it a jerk, pulling the cooled wax free of her fur. She then dropped the candle into the sink and started the water.

"The quiet time is a good thing. I'm just not about to go all mystic with it. That stuff just creeps me out." She stuck her hand under the running water and let the cold water run over where the hot candle wax had burned her skin. When the burn set in a little of the fur would probably fall out but it looked all right otherwise.

"What stuff, going all zone-y?" Casey started to raid the cabinets for munchies.

"That, and the stuff they talk about when they wake up. I really just don't like all that magic and mysticism stuff."

Casey had found a bag of pork rinds and was weighing his chances of survival if he ate the rest of the bag before Mikey came to. "Yeah, I guess I see where you're at." With a shrug he reached into the bag and pulled out a handful of pork rinds. Kit watched him cram the entire fistful into his mouth with an expression of mild disgust mixed with some amusement. "So, uh, how ya doin' lately?"

Kit took her hand out of the flow of water, "Fine, just fine." She turned off the water and reached for a dish towel.

"So, you dealing with losin' your mom okay?" April had told Casey time and time and time again he was not the most sensitive guy in the world, but he could see right away that he had said the wrong thing. Kit stiffened, her hands tightening on the towel until Casey was sure he could hear the cloth creaking under the pressure. Her face slid to a very neutral expression, but it was somehow hard like stone.

"Casey…" There was an edge to Kit's voice that he had never heard before. She was angry, Casey tried to think of a way to take back what he had said. "Casey, I'll tell Raph you stopped by." Every syllable was short and hard. It was a dismissal as well as a warning. Threads started popping in the towel.

"Right, I'll uh," Casey may not be sensitive, but when somebody was that mad he wasn't stupid enough to hang around, "see you later."

He quickly left the kitchen and met Raph in the main room, "Hey, Case man! What's up?"

Casey steered around his friend, "Hey Raph, I, uh, forgot somethin' on the stove. Uh, see ya'." He quickly moved back into the elevator.

Raph watched him go in confusion, "What's up with that bone brain?" He asked. "Leave somethin' on the stove? But he don't cook."

"Donnie I'm fine! Would you stop worrying about me!" Kit stormed out of the kitchen and returned to her room, she shut the door behind her.

Donnie came out of the kitchen looking like the victim of a hit-and-run. "I just asked if the bandage on her tail needed to be changed…" He said, "Did I say something wrong?"

Raph frowned, "No Don, I don't think it was anything you said."

From where he stood with Leonardo, Master Splinter frowned as well. He had been planning to speak with Kit shortly after the meditation hour was over, now she would chafe at his concern. He sighed and tried to think of a way to help his youngest student.

…

Casey hurried out of the stone elevator and slung a leg over his motorcycle. He picked up his helmet and stared at his fuzzy reflection. For a minute he just sat there, not starting the engine.

Finally he pulled out his shell cell and dialed several numbers. Casey stuck the phone to his ear and listened as it rang. Somebody picked up the other end of the line.

"Hi! Ma, it's Casey!...No Ma, I don't need money… No Ma, I haven't been evicted… I just called to see how you was doing…Yeah, everything's all right. I just wanted to hear from you… How's that mutt of yours?...Good… Wha-duh-ya mean you let Barlow paint your fence? Ma, ya know I don't like that dude… Yeah, I mean yes!"

A small smile crept over Casey's face. The longer he talked the bigger the smile got. The woman was crazy, but he loved her. "Yeah Ma, great hearing from you too… I love ya Ma…Who's at the door?" the smile disappeared "Ma! I told ya I don't like that guy!...Wait-wait-wait, what exactly do ya mean by 'seein' him'…Ma!"

When he hung up almost an hour later he felt a little better, and a little worse. He dialed another number. "Hey, April!... I need your advice, can ya' talk?"

Please review.