A/N: So, I hope you guys are liking this peek inside Yoshi.
K-three, Kaz and Yoshi rode the elevator up to the garage in tense silence. When the doors opened, Kaz finally spoke up. "What's your deal this morning, Yoshi?"
The younger turtle turned to glare at him. "What's my deal? You're the one that came stormin' into my room this mornin' to wake me up and tell me not to be late to practice and then you turn up late." He huffed. "And Leo didn't even get mad at you."
Kaz frowned at hm. "That's Uncle Leo, he's both our sensei and our elder and you should show the proper respect."
Yoshi rolled his eyes. "You've been sucking up to him a lot lately. Maybe I should ask you what your deal is?"
"I have not been sucking up! I was walking Jamie and Ona to the music shop!" Kaz growled.
The next sentence slipped out of Yoshi's mouth completely unchecked. "The only reason she even likes you is because you were the first thing she saw when she woke up with no memories!" Hurt shot across Kaz's face, but it went unnoticed by Yoshi, who was on a roll now. He was finally getting all his pent up frustration out and it felt good. "Just look at us Kaz! Do you really think a girl like her would have any interest in being with one of us! We're freaks!"
Kaz punched him hard, growling. "No! You're wrong! She was never like that!"
Yoshi stepped back, wiped his mouth and stared for a split-second at the blood that came away on the back of his hand. His eyes narrowed and a deep growl came from inside him. "You need me to beat some sense into you? Fine. All you needed to do was ask!" He shot forward and the two tumbled to ground, exchanging blows. They rolled across the floor, knocking over several bikes that were waiting for pick up.
"Stop it!" K-three ordered in his most commanding tone, but neither turtle paid him any mind. He growled in frustration and stepped forward as Kaz took the upper hand. He was the lighter of the two and K-three though maybe he could pry them apart. But as he went to grab for him, Kaz raised a fist and ended up elbowing him in the chin before hitting his true target. K-three bent down to pull Kaz off and met the solid end of Yoshi's fist. He stumbled back now, rubbing his injured face. Damn, the kid can hit hard!
The two were still fighting but had gotten back to the feet, when the elevator door opened. Raph and Cat came out followed by Mira. Taking in the sight before him, Raph immediately exploded. His nerves were already on edge. "What the hell is goin' on here!"
His shout was enough to draw the two squabbling cousins' attention and K-three stepped between them, shoving them apart. Raph's voice lowered but it was no less threatening. "I said what in the seven hells is goin' on here!"
The three stood silently while Raphael glared each one down. K-three finally decided he'd better at least make an attempt at an explanation, because the other two weren't doing anything but continuing their own stare down behind his back. "They were having an argument."
"About what?" Raphael half snarled.
K-three glanced from one young man to the other, but neither of them seemed willing to answer. That is until he opened his mouth.
"He was putting Ona down! I won't stand for that Yoshi! She hasn't done anything to you!" Kaz accused, never taking his eyes off his younger but larger cousin.
"I didn't say she had! I said if she knew any better she wouldn't be with you!" Yoshi barked back.
"Yoshi!" Cat admonished, her green eyes wide.
"It's true! Once she really gets to see some normal human guys, she ain't gonna want to have anything to do with us or you." He pointed at Kaz. "No girl in her right mind would!"
Cat looked slightly hurt by the comment and Raph growled. K-three glared at the younger turtle in complete astonishment. "You just insulted your own mother. You know that numbskull!"
Yoshi blanched, glancing at his mother who was rubbing circles on her forehead. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could his father did. It was a tone Yoshi was sure he'd never heard his father use before. "Mira, take your aunt back downstairs. Kaz and K-three go with them. I need to talk to my son." There was a restrained fury in his voice that made Yoshi swallow hard.
Cat grabbed Raph's arm as fear raced through her veins. "What are you going to do?"
He turned to her slowly, willing away the anger before he met her eyes. "We're just gonna talk, darlin."
"Then I'll stay."
"No." He touched her cheek. "I don't want you stressed out. Go downstairs and wait for us."
She shook her head. "That will only make me more stressed out. I want to-"
"No. Go downstairs." The look in his eyes was primal and territorial. In this he would not be questioned and she found herself being pulled away by Mira and K-three.
She managed to break away to grab his arm again. "Don't... Don't hurt him." He wouldn't meet her eyes and that scared her more than anything. But she allowed Mira and K-three to pull her into the elevator this time. She met her son's gaze momentarily, hoping that what transpired next wouldn't make it her last time.
Once they were alone, Yoshi stood watching his father's stiff movements as he went about straightening the toppled bikes. As the silence dragged on Yoshi began to sweat. He felt like he was standing in front of a firing squad with their rifles raised, but no one was pulling the trigger. For someone like him it was worse than being shot. The anticipation with no action was killing him.
Raph was doing anything he could to keep his hands busy and keep them away from his son. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest. He knew Yoshi had been acting odd for the past two months but this... This was completely wrong. Yoshi knew what he'd said was untrue. His mother was evident of that. So was Jamie and Amaya, heck even Sarah and Kala. Even though they were different, there were those with an open enough heart and mind to accept them just as they were. He wanted to scream this at Yoshi, he wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him, but instead he bit his lip and picked up a rag to buff out a scratch on the side of one of the toppled bikes.
Cat's words drifted through his mind. "Don't hurt him." But he could never do that. No matter how furious he felt or how out of control his temper got. He'd never lay a hand on his son in that manner. He was the center of his universe. He'd rather give up his own life than let anyone hurt him. Cat had known that too, he'd heard it in her voice. She'd only meant to remind him, not to accuse. He could feel his son's gaze on him as heavy as a ton of bricks and he waited for the dam to break.
"Kaz started that fight. He keeps pushin' my buttons. And no it ain't Ona's fault and I'm not mad at her. It ain't her fault she likes that moron and it ain't his fault he likes her. But he needs to mind his own damn business and leave me alone! He's done plenty of that in the past two and half years, why the hell's he got to start pushin' now!"
Raph stood and crossed the room for the mop that was still sitting in a bucket of dirty water. It wasn't too bad though, so he figured it would work to clean up the grease that had spilt on the floor.
Yoshi began pacing. He felt like he was trapped in a cage with a lion that was playing with him. Finally, he threw his hands in the air. "I know you're mad so say somethin'! Do somethin'! Yell! Anythin'!"
Raph finally looked up at him. "You want me to talk? Fine. Have you looked at your mother lately?"
Yoshi's shoulder sagged. "Yeah, I know-"
"She ain't been feelin' good, Yoshi, and this little tantrum of yours is not helpin' matters."
"I'm sorry, okay. I didn't mean for it to come out like it did."
"Well, you should be. And you'd better apologize to her too. And Ona and Kaz for that matter. I don't know what has gotten into you lately but it needs to stop. We need you right now. I need you right now. Look around you, son! This place used to do five bikes a week, now we are up to nearly ten a day. And that's because of all the blood, sweat, and tears your mother put into this place to help provide for all of us. Whatever this selfish shit is you're doin' now, it can't keep happenin'! You need to grow up and get over it. There are other people on this planet besides you!" He shoved the mop handle into Yoshi's hand. "Now clean this place up and come down stairs. I need to go make sure your mother is alright." Raph turned and walked away with Yoshi staring after him.
Yoshi cleaned the mess he and Kaz had made and even some things they hadn't. It took well over an hour before he finally rode the elevator back down into the lair. He mumbled an apology to Kaz, who just glared back and then went to find his mother. Before he could even apologize she was showering him with kisses and hugs, which only served to make him feel worse about what he'd said. After that, he locked himself in his room, unable to look anyone in the eye.
It was late afternoon when there was a soft knock at Yoshi's door and he stared at it for a long moment before deciding he'd better answer it. He gazed in mute shock at Ona. She smiled shyly at him. Even though they were probably closer in age than she and Kaz, they'd never really grown close. He knew that was partly because of him. A part of him resented her for taking away his cousin, even though he knew in another part his mind that that was not true.
"Um, I brought you a peace offering." She lifted the bowl of ice cream. "It's rocky road. That's your favorite, right?"
Yoshi stared at her silently. Why was she being nice to him after what he'd said? He was certain Kaz had already told her what happened. And how did she know his favorite ice cream? He was pretty sure she never paid attention to what he liked.
She dangled the bowl in mid-air for a long moment before starting to lower it. Her dark eyes fell to the ground, obviously taking his silence as rejection. "I, uh, heard you and Kaz had a fight and, uh, it was about me. I just wanted to…"
"It wasn't about you." Yoshi finally said, making her look up. "Well, it was but it wasn't." He blew out a puff of air. He wished he could put what he was feeling into words, but unfortunately he hadn't inherited his mother's ability to be so open. What he told his father was true, he wasn't really mad at her. Ona just represented the changes that were happening around him, changes he wasn't really comfortable with. He looked at the bowl of ice cream. "Hey, thanks." He took it and a small smile graced her round lips. "And I'm sorry for what I said. I know you ain't like those shallow human girls up top."
She tentatively reached out and took his hand. "Yoshi, I know you love Kaz. But I love him too. How about we make a deal? I'll make myself scarce at least once a week. So you two can hang and do," she shrugged, "guy stuff."
For the first time in a long time Yoshi felt like someone was really trying to connect with him, and of all people it had been Ona. "I think I'd like that." He graced her with a small half smile that made hers spread across her face.
"So, are we okay?"
He nodded, his own smile growing just a hair. "Yeah. By the way, how'd you know rocky road was my favorite?"
She grinned. "You always get rocky road, silly."
Cat sat at the table, playing idly with a spoon that happened to be laying there. Sarah frowned at her from where she was just beginning supper. "So why did Raph kick you out of the garage all day today?" There was no response. "Cat?" Sarah's frown intensified and she put a hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder.
Cat jumped at the touch and blinked up at her. "Sarah? Were you saying something?"
They had lived under the same roof for more than thirty years. They were best friends, closer even than sisters. So, there was no hiding the pain in Cat's eyes from Sarah's perceptive gaze. "Are you alright?"
"It's just a headache."
"Well, after what happened this morning, I'm not surprised. Do you want me to get you something?"
Cat waved a hand. "I already took some Tylenol."
Sarah sat beside her, examining her with a practiced gaze. "You did? How long ago?"
Cat shrugged. "Maybe an hour ago."
Sarah's brow bunched. "And you're still in pain?" Cat gave a slight nod. "Do you want me to get something stronger?"
Cat frowned. "I don't know, maybe." Sarah started to get up to go retrieve it from the medicine cabinet in the lab, but Cat caught her hand. "Uh, don't tell Raph."
Sarah sat back. "Why not?"
"He stressed out enough about Yoshi right now. I don't want to pile this on him. Besides, he's probably half the reason I have one." She gave Sarah a lopsided smile.
Sarah returned the smile with a small one of her own. "Okay." When she returned later, she handed her a single pill. "This should help. They're pretty strong so you could even take a half if you want."
Cat snapped the pill in half. "That's not a bad idea. I'll keep the other half just in case though."
K-three entered the kitchen and pulled out a soda. He turned towards them and pressed its cool surface briefly against his cheek, which was still swollen from its unfortunate encounter with Yoshi's fist. Cat frowned at him. "You okay?"
He snorted. "Yoshi's got one hell of a right cross, but I'll be fine. I've had worse." He managed a small grin. "It'll teach me to stick my head where it doesn't belong." Cat and Sarah couldn't help but snicker at the comment.
In the dojo, Jamie watched Shinta move across the room in such a fluid motions that it almost looked like he was dancing, except for the dual katana he brandished. It didn't matter how she looked at it, it made her nervous. He might not be her own flesh and blood, but he was her child. She loved him just as much as she loved his father. And she'd learned long ago that blood didn't mean that much in the grand scheme of things. Love was what bound a family together.
She bit her lip as she watched him twirl, the twin blade singing through the air. She glanced to her left where Leo was sitting beside her. He was watching Shinta with intensity, watching for errors in form and movement.
He was extremely proud of the progress his son had made in the last few years. It was like he'd blossomed nearly overnight. His speed and strength had nearly tripled in the past year. "Excellent Shinta. That's enough for now."
The teen stopped, sheathed the blades and bowed before returning them to weapons rack. Leo and Jamie stood as he approached them. He smiled at his stepmother. "What did you think, Yobo?"
Jamie smiled at the affectionate name. Leo had explained it meant adoptive mother when Shinta had started calling her that almost two years ago. It still warmed her heart. "It was very good."
Leo patted his son's shoulder. "Yes, it was. But it's nearly time for dinner. Go clean up."
"Yes, Father." Shinta smiled, gave another small bow and left to shower. Leo watched him go with a tiny tug at his heart. His son had grown so much in the past two years and he saw himself reflect daily in him. So much so that it felt like there was little of Amaya left in him. Shinta was driven and his skill was something Leo was honestly surprised at. When he was matched for sparring these days, Leo had to be careful just who. The first time he'd sparred in true with Kaz, he'd disarmed him and taken him down in less than five minutes. Mira, Yoshi and even K-three had a difficult time in matches with him. The only ones he hadn't really succeeded in defeating were the brothers. But they had over forty-five years of experience under their belts now and Shinta didn't quite have ten.
Still it somewhat saddened him to see the playfulness gone out of Shinta. When he laughed was when Leo was reminded of Amaya most. He hoped in time that their might be a balance of the two in him. Jamie's hand landed on his arm and he blinked realizing she'd been speaking to him. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
She smiled up at him, understanding in her honey colored eyes. "It wasn't important. What were you thinking?"
He pulled her close, running a hand through her light brown hair. "Just being nostalgic I suppose. Shinta seems to have grown up overnight."
"Don't let him fool you. I still see those mischievous looks in his eyes from time to time." She grinned. "I suppose we have Mikey to thank for that."
Leo snorted. "Mikey and his blasted box of tricks. I really should have let Raph go after him for that."
She laughed, cupping his facing and kissing him softly. He closed his eyes and pulled her tight against him. When he at last released her lips, he dipped his head to nibble her neck. The mood was suddenly broken by a low rumble. He lifted his head to look at her. She blushed. "Sorry, I haven't eaten since this morning. We were really busy today."
He chuckled, tilting her head to kiss her brow. "Then let's get you some dinner."
Her voice was hushed with soft desire as she gripped his plastron. "But maybe later…"
He chuckled again. "Yeah, later."
Yoshi was quiet throughout dinner. He'd shown, knowing if he didn't it'd be far worse. As it was there was still a very heavy tension in the room surrounding father and son. So, he didn't stay long. Kaz had shot him another cold glare across the table when he'd gotten up to leave. He sighed inwardly. His cousin would get over what had happened soon enough, it was his father he was concerned about. He was sure that he was still mad, but was keeping quiet for his mother's sake. His mother, who for once seemed better. She'd been eating and talking when he'd left.
Now, it was nearing midnight and he was itching to get out of his room again. As he edged his way into the living room, he wanted to shake his head at the scene. The television was on, but no one was watching it. Mikey was seated on one couch, his head lulled back with Kala tucked into his side. On another couch was Kaz, his head resting on the top of Ona's where she too was tucked up against him. All their eyes were closed and both Kaz and Mikey were snoring, but even so it made Yoshi's escape a little more difficult than normal.
He edged his way around the room, making no noise at all. He paused near Leo's room. He could hear soft voices on the other side of the door. Yoshi blushed. Well, his uncle was awake, but he was very properly distracted at the moment. Continuing his circumvention of the room, he finally made it to the sewer entrance and keyed it open. The moment it closed behind him, he shot off like a bullet down the tunnel. He needed this now more than anything. After the fight with Kaz and his dad, he needed something to beat on.
He didn't have to look far once he'd made it to the rooves. No more than fifteen minutes into his solo patrol, he heard an alarm. As he neared the source, he could also hear the sounds of combat. Well, tonight might be interesting after all….
A/N: Things are about to heat up some. If you're liking it so far don't forget to review.
