Disclaimer: I don't own any TMNT characters or places. I do however own Maya, Suki and Niko.
Hello everyone, I'm back! Couldn't sleep so I decided to work on the latest chapter of "Back to War". It's a simple filler chapter, going from Maya to Raph then back to Maya again, showing how each other is doing after Raph had to go back to Earth. The first part with Maya is three months after Raph left, the part with Raph is the same day and the second part of Maya is about a week or two later. But anywhoo, I'll leave ya be and let ya enjoy the story!
XxX
Maya was exhausted.
It had been three months since Raphael had left them to go back and help his brothers defeat the Shredder, and although the nearby village had offered her as much support as she needed, things were hard.
Suki understood that one day her daddy would have to leave them, to go back to war against the 'bad man' and tried to be strong for her little brother. She had to help her mommy with the orchard. She had to be a big girl now and not complain when things got tough. As hard as she tried though, she just couldn't stop the tears at night while her mommy hugged her tightly before bedtime.
And poor little Niko wasn't fairing any better. He cried everyday for the first month from the time he woke up until he passed out later on that night. Now, all he did was stare quietly down the road his father had taken everyday, almost as if he could will Raph to come back home.
Right now the three of them were in the orchard picking the last of the apples and pears before the frost hit. If they didn't get another fifteen baskets by tonight there was no way they would reach the quota for the end of the month sales, which meant they would have to go without some things. As Maya strained to reach some of the fruit on the higher branches she suddenly felt the baby give a sharp kick, making her gasp slightly and grab her stomach tightly.
"Mommy! Mommy what is it? Did you hurt yourself? Do you need to rest?" Suki asked as she dropped the empty basket she was carrying and ran towards her mom. As expected Niko was right behind her and clinged to Maya's leg when he reached her.
Gently running her hand over his head, Maya took a deep breath and nodded her head slightly, giving both her worried children a smile. "Mommy's fine honey, but thank you for asking. The baby just kicked really hard, that's all."
"Mama need ta rest." Niko stated as he craned his neck to look up at her.
"It's 'to' sweetheart. Mama needs to rest...and I'm fine, I just need to take it easy for a little while."
"No! Dada saids I gots ta ta'e 'are of Mama and Su'i! Mama need ta rest! Dada saids so! He saids so...!"
Gazing at her son softly as he started to tear up at the end and cry, she carefully picked Niko up and set him on her hip while taking Suki's hand and leading them both over to the wagon. "Alright baby boy, Mama's going to rest for a while. Maybe we can all take a nap together." After setting both the kids in the back of the wagon she went to make sure that their horse was still tied to the tree before going to join them.
"Alright you two, lets get some rest. We still have a lot of work to do before the day is over."
"Okay Mommy..."
"Yes Mama..."
Maya watched them for a few minutes as they curled up around each other, Niko sniffling every so often and Suki's ears flicking back and forth as she hugged her little brother tightly. Closing her own eyes tightly as she laid down beside them, Maya tried to get comfortable while the baby in her tummy squirmed around as if it was trying to get more comfortable as well. "Easy there baby...Mommy needs to rest...settle down for me?" Sighing in relief as the baby seemed to do as she ask, Maya finally allowed herself to sleep.
Right before she completely drifted off, she reached out, hugged her children close and sent out a silent pray to whoever was listening to keep her husband safe.
XxX
Jerking awake from his restless sleep, it took Raph a moment to get his barings before he remembered where he was tonight. Just another run down, broken apartment building. He had been helping April plan a raid on a shipment of guns at the docks for the last three days and hadn't slept at all during that time, while at the same time trying to avoid running into his brother Leo. Raph was still angry at him for not going back to save Master Splinter while Leo was furious that he had been gone for the past ten years.
Snorting in annoyance, Raph climbed out of the bathtub he had been sleeping in and stretched out some kinks in his shoulders and back. The most difficult thing had had to do though, was lie to everyone about where Maya was. The look on Mikey's face alone was enough to make him wish he could take back what he had just said.
**flashback**
"So Raphael, just where the shell have you been for the last ten years? And where's Maya? Everyone knows that she would never split up from you, not with the Shredder still out there."
Raph stared at his brother with what he hoped looked like sadden before turning away to look back down at some maps.
"Raphael? Where's Maya? She's okay right?" Michelangelo asked quietly. Ever since Master Splinter had passed Maya had taken it upon herself to look after Mikey as best and as often as she could. When both she and Raph had gone missing, he had put all of his attention into finding out what had happened to them. "Raphael?"
"She's in a better place..."
"...what...? What do you mean by that?"
"I meant what I said! She's in a better place now so just drop it okay? Don't ever bring her up again!"
He didn't need to look back to know what his words had done. Mikey once again had his heart broken and Leo hadn't bothered Raph for the rest of the day.
*end flashback*
Without even realizing it, Raph had left his temporary 'home' and was running along the shadows, his feet taking him towards Central Park. He knew where his body was taking him and shut his eye tightly to keep any tears from building up and spilling over when he finally reached the small clearing. This was where his Sensei was buried and right next to it was what made him and Leo call a truce for a while...
Mikey had made a grave mark...with Maya's name on it.
Kneeling before both of them, Raph bowed his head and just stayed there. After several long minutes, he spoke quietly. "It's like you're really gone Maya...Mikey thinks you're dead...Leo thinks you're dead...and April...everyone that knew us thinks so...and it's for the best." Swallowing hard, he cleared his throat before continuing. "No one can ever know the truth. If you're gone, then you and the kids will be safe."
Turning his attention towards Master Splinter's marker, Raph' voice wavered slightly. "Masta Splinter...I need your help. I can't look after Maya where she is...and she's going to have our last child soon...just a couple of months...and she needs to care for Suki and Niko too...please...I need you to watch over them...please Father...I need help..."
As the tears finally started to fall, a warm breeze gently passed over him then the forest went silent, allowing him to morn in private.
XxX
"NO! YOU 'AN'T HAVE SU'I! IT DADA! IT MINE!"
Gasping for breath, Maya sat up as quickly as she could from her bed, pushed herself up and quickly waddled over to her bedroom door to see what had her son shrieking at his sister like that. "What in the name of the Ultimate Daimyo are you doing Niko? You know the rules, when you're in the house you use your inside voice."
Niko looked up at his mother with wide, teary eyes as he held something black to his chest, his ears flat against his head and his tail puffed up. "It Dada Mama...it Dada so it mine!"
"That's not fair! I'm the oldest, I should get first say in anything Dad left behind! Give it Niko!"
"NOOOO! I BITE YOU SU'I! IT MINE! IT DADA AND IT ALL MINE!"
" I said GIVE IT NIKO!"
"Enough!" Maya said as she stomped her foot on the floor and held a hand to her tummy. The baby was awake and moving around again inside her, which meant it would be next to impossible to get anymore rest until it settled down. "Niko, don't you dare threaten to bite your sister! I will spank you! And Suki, you should know better then to get into a shouting match with your brother while I'm trying to get some rest! Now, what are you fighting over? Show me."
With his mother holding out her hand, Niko slowly unwrapped his arms from around his treasure he found and showed her. Blinking in surprise, Maya realized just what her kids were fighting over. They were Raph's old gloves, from when the two of them were still on Earth. Quickly taking them before Niko could pull them back, she looked at both of them. "These are now going to be in my room from now on. I will not have you two fighting over something that belonged to your father. He would be upset with both of you."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Niko launched himself at her, clinging to her shirt and started to wail his heart out. "NO NO MAMA NO! NO TA'E DADA! I SOWWY, I SOWWY! NO TA'E DADA! DADAAAA!"
Freezing in her tracks, Maya stared at her heavily crying son then over at Suki, who was looking down at the floor with a guilty look on her face. Carefully lowering herself down, Maya pulled Niko close and gently rubbed his back as he sobbed. "Easy baby boy, easy...slow down and take a deep breath..."
"Mommy...I'm...I'm going to go to my room...I need to be alone..."
"Suki honey, wait a minute. Please..." Maya started but stopped when the door to Suki and Niko's room slid shut. She would talk to her daughter after she managed to get her still wailing son calmed down. It took more then an hour but she was somehow able to get him breathing normally. "Niko...if I let you have your father's gloves, do you promise not to fight with your sister? Or bite her?"
Sniffling against her chest, he nodded his head slowly and reached out to the gloves that were still in her hands, mumbling quietly. "Pwomise Mama...no hu't Su'i...Dada now...?"
"Yes Niko, you can have the gloves now..." Taking a deep shuttering breath as the baby gave a couple of sharp kicks, Maya watches as Niko once again held the gloves close to his chest. After carefully putting him down to rest on the pillows in the living room, she once again managed to get herself up and walked over to check on Suki. She wasn't at all surprise to find her laying on her stomach crying, though more softly then her brother. "Suki...come here honey..."
Settling herself down next to her daughter, Maya gathered her up and lightly stroked her hair.
"I'm so sorry Mommy...I didn't mean to get Niko so upset...but he found Daddy's gloves...and I want something of his...so much...what if I forget him? What if he...he never comes back from the war..?"
Gently placing a finger on Suki's lips, Maya shushed her. "Now don't you go thinking like that. You could never forget your father...and he will come back from the war. It might not be for some time, but he will come back. Your brother got the gloves but I'm sure I can find something else that belonged to your father for you to have."
"You promise Mommy?"
"I promise sweetheart...now you go to sleep, okay? Niko is sleeping in the living room right now and I'm pretty sure you could use some rest as well."
And yet as she tucked Suki into bed and kissed her goodnight, Maya had a horrible nagging feeling that something was going to happen to Raph. Shaking her head as she made her way back to Niko, she murmered to herself. "Everything's going to be okay...Raph'll come back...I know he will..." Looking out the windows, she gently brushed a small tear away.
"He has to..."
XxX
And that's the end of that! Sorry about Raph's part being so darn short, I WAS going to make him fight with Leo but I really wasn't feeling up to working on something to...intense. My brain can only take so much this early in the morning. Maybe another chapter though! Let me know what you think too, reviews not only make my day, they give me ideas as to what to put into the next chapter.
Speaking of which...Maya's going to have a surprise when it comes time for her to give birth. *grins* One of you already know what it is, so don't tell! I want it to be a surprise for the other readers!
Remember! Reading + Reviewing equals one happy Deadly Fangs!
And I was also thinking...I know I said I wouldn't bring any children Maya and Raph have into the main story I'm working on, but now I'm re-thinking it. WOULD you guys like it if I brough Suki, Niko and the new baby into the the main story?