Note: These next couple chapters will now be happening between x19 and 1x20 from season one of the 2003TMNT series…. For those that reviewed, yep, as stated in the first post, this story is occurring during the 2K3 series and there WILL be correlation between my story and some of the canon stories :)
Dis: I don't own TMNT
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Akumi stands on the frozen earth, bent at the waist, studying the snow once again: the tips of her hair resting against the ground. She can't get over it! Frozen water, soft and powdery, that makes a crunching sound beneath her feet! It was unheard of! With a sigh she straightens up and starts giggling while kicking up her feet, making it puff up and flutter around her person.
"She's playin' in the snow again?" asks Raphael as he goes out to the porch where Donatello stands with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. Both are wrapped in blankets to ward off the cold. Casey said he'd go looking for some old winter gear in the attic but hasn't gotten around to it yet.
"She's like a kid on Christmas," answers Donatello with a smile before sipping his coffee.
"Ya seen Mikey around? He said to meet him out here 'n dat he had ta show me somethin'."
"Nope, can't say I have," says Don, peering into his now empty coffee mug with a frown.
Then, out of nowhere, comes a snowball and it explodes on Akumi's face. Raphael and Don both gasp and their eyes turned upward due to hearing a creak above their head.
"WAH!" she shouts in alarm, twisting around in the direction it came from, head peering up to the roof.
"Ah, crud, I found Mikey," growls Raphael as a laughing Michelangelo leaps from the top of the roof to stand beside Akumi, who is now spitting snow out of her mouth.
"Ahahaha, I got ya, Akumi!" teases Mikey, hand on his stomach from laughing so hard while he points at her.
"W-W-Why would you do that?" she asks, opening her wide blue eyes to stare up at Michelangelo.
"Oh! I, oh man, I'm sorry!" says Mikey, waving his arms in slight panic. "Please don't cry, I-GAH!"
Akumi kicks up a flurry of snow into Mikey's face and he backtracks enough to have her launch forward, despite her injuries, and tackle the turtle into the snow. Raphael and Donatello watch, astonished and yet amused at the same time, as handfuls of snow starts being tossed down upon their younger brother.
"Should we help him?" asks Donatello.
"Shell no. The runt deserves it. He was gunnin' for me and grew bored and got her instead."
"What's going on?" inquires a soft, tired voice from the doorway and both Donatello and Raphael grin widely before turning to their leader.
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"Leo! Yer up!"
"Leo! You feeling ok?"
Leonardo gives a weak smile before limping forward. His leg still hurts and he feels pretty useless having his left shoulder in a sling. It hurt to breathe too. He had his shell handed to him and he was trying to deal with it but it was hard to when you have someone hovering over you every second. He distinctly remembers seeing a barn while looking out the window earlier and was going to go explore it. Instead he found two brothers standing on the porch while the third was getting pummeled by his alien friend by handfuls of snow.
"Hey. What's going on?"
"Mikey was being his usual self and Akumi decided to fight back," says Donatello just as Akumi decides enough is enough and lets Mikey up, who looks more like a snowturtle than a green turtle.
"Leo! Your girlfriend is mean!" cries Mikey while shaking the snow off. "Brr this is COLD!"
Three turtles move out of their little brother's way as he rushes past them. They all turn when Akumi's giggle, which sounds like the tiny bells that used to be above April's shop door, caught their attention. Leonardo studies her, wearing April's coat and a hat that hides her ears. She looks… Happy. Care-free. That smile she directs at him has him blushing as she practically skips in their direction.
"Good morning, Leonardo."
"Akumi! Good morning."
"The connection feels strong this morning. You are healing very fast." Her blue eyes connect with his brown and once again he blushes from her gaze. "You are very strong."
"I-uh-um… Thank you."
"So…" Leonardo winces internally. Great, not only was he awkward in front of a stranger, but his brothers are there to witness it as well. His week just keeps getting better and better. Slowly his eyes travel to Raphael who has a smug grin on his face before he continues speaking. "What's dis connection yer talkin' about it? You kinda skimmed over it while explainin' it on the way up here."
"Oh! Well not every one of my people is capable of accomplishing a connection with a different race. Um, it takes some practice but I got the hang of it by thirteen life cycles."
'Oh man, this is so bad… So, so, so bad,' thinks Leonardo as she continues on.
"Basically when you are met with someone who does not speak your language, or that you do not understand, the connection helps you understand them. There are varieties of it, some that life mates use but with what I did with Leonardo was to just understand his language. In short term I will be able to track his emotions and sense his location but it will fade over time but I will forever have the imprint of your language and culture in my head. English AND Japanese since Leonardo knew both."
"How is this accomplished?" asks Donatello.
"Oh, well, I can show you," she says cheerfully. "The more connections I make the more I am able to understand things of this world."
"NO!" shouts Leonardo, which has Akumi and Donatello jump and Raphael narrow his eyes at him in suspicion. "I mean, uh, well… Ah, shell…"
"My, Leo, dats an interestin' shade of red yer turnin'."
"He did that during the connection as well," said Akumi. "I believe it shows embarrassment, but, I do not get how a kiss is an embarrassment in your culture."
"A what?" exclaims Donatello.
"Ya kissed her?!" Raphael starts full out laughing. "Ah, man, dis is too good. Mikey's gunna be pissed he missed this."
"Launguage, Raphael," admonishes Leo.
"I… I do not get this joke," says Akumi with a deep frown. "The connection is the meeting of the mouths to understand the language. It is necessary to link in that manner."
"Akumi, ah, a kiss, is a term of endearment," says Donatello, trying to explain. "It's reserved for two people who have a strong connection with each other. Kinda the same as yours, but they are in love."
"Love?" she asks.
"They care for each other. Deeply. They, uh, get married they, erm…"
"Mate?" she asks.
"I-um-I don't think we're the right ones to talk to her about this," says Donatello, now turning red as well.
"Look, Akumi, you know where babies come from, right?" asks Raphael.
"I, yes!" she says and now everyone but the red bandana-clad turtle was blushing.
"Well, before it gets to dat step here, there's a lot of touchin' 'n kissin'."
"I… Oh. OH! OH Leonardo I am so sorry!" Akumi covers her face with her bare hands. "I courted you! Yes? I made you think I had intentions! Oh, I'm sorry, I had no idea!"
"I-It's ok, Akumi. Really." Leonardo raises his good arm and places his hand on her shoulder. "It's ok."
"You were so eager I thought that perhaps you knew what I was doing, but, oh…" her hands clasp tightly in front of her and start to wring in distress. Leonardo was studying his feet as Raphael's laughter increased.
"Eager? What? Did he use tongue or something?" Silence. "Oh this is good. MIKEY!"
"I'll be in the barn," whispers Leonardo softly before squeezing her shoulder. "Do not feel bad, Akumi. You… You didn't know what you were doing."
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Akumi watches as Leonardo walks away from her and she feels awful. She didn't know that kissing was a bond between mates. Had she, then perhaps she'd have found another route to communicate. Oh! She wasn't saying that Leonardo was bad looking and thinking of their kiss has her cheeks coloring once more. In fact, amongst her people, he'd be a suitable mate for any female: even though he was green and had a shell and was still in his early years. She, herself, was quickly approaching what is considered to be the peak time to find a mate, however… She was in no hurry.
"Are you ok?" asks the one named Donatello and she nods. "I'm sorry for the immaturity of my brothers Raphael and Michelangelo. Now that Mikey knows he may tease you mercilessly as payback for the white-wash you gave him."
"White-wash?"
"Snow in the face," he explains.
"Oh." Akumi starts playing with the ends of her hair, turning her head back to look at the barn that now has a small bit of smoke coming from the top. He built a fire. Already she could smell the smoldering timber. "Should I speak with him?"
"Maybe," says Don. "But I have some questions for you. If you don't mind."
"It isn't about the connection, is it?" she asks suspiciously.
"No. NO. Trust me."
"Ok," says Akumi, following him inside. "What would you like to know?"
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Akumi was exposed to numerous new things throughout the day but now, towel-drying her hair after her long bath: she felt great. Setting the towel in a hamper she exits the bathroom wearing the same clothes she slept in the night before. She enters the kitchen where Master Splinter is sipping tea at the table. He gestures for her to sit with him and she does, nervously playing with her hair. At dinner, of which Leonardo had been absent for, Michelangelo told him about how they obtained the connection and she had been forced to look down at her pizza in mortification as the humans, Raphael, and Michelangelo laughed at her expense.
"Ms. Akumi, I would like to apologize for how my sons acted during dinner." She looked up, blue eyes wide with confusion. "They have been sent to their room for the night. The room I made sure had a couple bats and spiders in it. They are truly sorry."
"I… It's ok. I just need to learn some of the customs here before…" He interrupts her.
"A great custom here on Earth is kindness. One should not go out of their way to make another feel uncomfortable or upset. My sons are learning that lesson tonight. You have been nothing but kind to my family and from here on out they will show you the same courtesy."
"Retchu wendium… that is what my people say to show thanks," she says with a slight bow of her head. Splinter reciprocates the bow before rising from his seat. Showing respect for an elder she rises as well.
"It is late," says Splinter, reaching for his cup. "I shall retire for the night."
"Let me." She gathers his tea cup and the pot and places it in the sink. She plays with her fingers for a moment before licking her lips. "Thank you for your… kindness."
"You are most welcome. Good night." He pauses in the doorway. "There is a plate in the fridge for my son… I believe he may be hungry." Then he is gone.
Akumi listens until the tapping of his cane fades in the other room. She looks up as she hears a shriek, a yell full of surprise, and then silence. She almost feels sorry that Raphael and Michelangelo are being punished due to her inability to take a jest.
Almost.
She turns to the window and looks out to see a faint glow in the barn and she sighs. Closing her eyes she touches their connection and she can feel a heavy cloud of sadness from the barn as well as… Guilt? Surprised at the last she opens the fridge and take out the plate. It is cold. When they had it earlier it had been warm. Biting her lower lip she questions if she should seek someone out to assist her or if he would be ok with it being cold.
"Wow, that plate must be pretty interesting," says a voice from behind her that has her jumping and twisting around, almost dropping the plate. "Sorry."
"It is ok, April. I… I wish to warm this up for Leonardo."
"Here, I'll help you."
Akumi watches as April puts the plate into a metallic box and pushes some symbols, numbers, to get it started. Her people are primitive compared to this culture that uses so much… Electronics. She was used to cooking on an open fire not in… A box. The box beeps and April hands her the plate of steaming pizza.
"I'm sorry I laughed," says April. "So is Casey. We didn't think about how you would feel. We're a very, very friendly bunch that just likes to joke around with one another. Trust me; I'm usually the one getting teased. They don't mean anything by it."
"I was speaking to Splinter about this earlier. Trust that I feel no ill will to you or anyone else."
"Well, know that Raph and Mikey will be sorry in the morning, I'm sure." April rinses out the teapot Akumi just put in the sink before putting some water in it to warm up. "Leonardo likes tea. Let me get this ready for you as well."
After getting the tea ready and placing it in what April calls a thermos and reheating the pizza, Akumi makes her way to the barn. The wind was picking up and she shivered due to having only the sweatshirt on but once making it inside the warm barn the chill was immediately gone. She smells dirt and hay and sitting in front of a small fire made in a strange structure that directs the smoke upward from the roof: was Leonardo.
He is looking right at her and she lifts up the pizza and thermos.
"I brought you some sustenance."
"You didn't have to."
"I…" She looks down at her feet, wrapped in the warm shoes from her home world made of the finest leather. "I wanted to. Is… Is that ok?"
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Leonardo honestly wasn't hungry but he didn't want to be rude. Rising from his spot he smiles at her before gesturing her forward. She smiles brightly and he is reminded of Mikey. It isn't hard to get a smile out of her. They sit together on separate stumps. She carefully pours what looks to be tea in the cap of the thermos and as he takes his first bite of plain cheese pizza his stomach growls loudly.
Ok, maybe he HAD been hungry.
"You have been out here all day."
"Just thinking," he answers, before taking another bite of pizza, chewing carefully as he puts down the slice and takes the cup of tea from her. It tastes good and he takes a larger sip. "Have my brothers been behaving?"
"Oh." Is it his imagination or is there a flash of hurt in her eyes? What did his brothers do THIS time? "Akumi?"
"Michelangelo made it a point to tell your Sensei as well as the humans of how we, um…"
"Ugh… Mikey." Leonardo brought his hand up to pinch the sudden throbbing at the bridge of where his nose would be. "I'm going to kill him." She gasps and his head snaps up to see her horrified expression. "Oh! NO! I'm not being serious. It's… a figure of speech. It just means I'm very, very upset."
"O-Oh," she says in relief, hand to her chest. "Your kind is very… expressive."
Leonardo smiles, then frowns softly before reaching forward and placing his hand on her knee. He fights the blush as her warm gaze meets his. "You sure you're ok?"
"I know they were joking and that they did not mean to be so… Cruel." She feels his fingers clench at her knee and she places her hand over his. "I promise you Leonardo that there are no feelings of hardness."
He smiles, but doesn't correct her. "Ok." She smiles again and he realizes this is the most comfortable he's been all day. Here, with her, he is able to focus his thoughts and just… Be.
"Why are you guilty?"
Well, there was no sidestepping with her. He looks away. "I'm… I'm not."
"I can feel it."
Just how powerful was this connection! Now HE was starting to freak out. Did she know EVERYTHING?
"No I sense panic. Leonardo, you can trust me. You know this, yes?"
"Yes. I'm… Just not ready to talk about it yet."
"Oh…" She tilts her head to the side. "Are you finished eating?"
"Oh!" He blushes once realizing his hand is still on her knee, and pulls it away. "Almost."
"Is it… Satisfactory?"
"Yes."
"And the tea?"
"Yes," he says, smiling once more, earning a smile back.
"Good." There is a loud, piercing shriek that sounds oddly like Raphael coming from the house. Alarm fills Leonardo's body and he reaches for his swords… Only to remember that they are gone but before he can fall back into that dark void her hand comes to his shoulder and he sees mirth in her eyes. "Your Master Splinter told me that Michelangelo and Raphael are sleeping in a room with spiders and bats for the evening. From the reactions I have heard this night, I take it they have a fear of them."
"Are you serious?" he asks before a small laugh escapes his body. "Yes. Raph hates bugs and Mikey has, on more than one occasion, screech about his dislike of bats and refereeing to them as rats with wings."
"But your Master is a…" Akumi trails off and Leonardo's mirthful eyes have her grinning. "Oh. I see."
Leonardo yawns and Akumi stands, offering her hand. "Shall we go to sleep?"
"I… Yeah… H-Hold on."
Leonardo extinguishes the fire and Akumi balances the thermos on the plate in one hand and holds Leonardo's hand in another. Leonardo observes that her skin is softer than April's and his fingers almost burn from the heat of her hand. She walks close to him and he hopes that it is because she wants to, and not because she fears he will fall over. By the time they make it inside he hears some snores and only some shuffling from upstairs. Akumi places the thermos and plate in the sink before walking Leonardo to the sofa. He protests lightly but listens when she pointedly looks at him to lie down. He does so, wincing only slightly before she settles the blanket on over him. His eyes close as her familiar caress passes over the top of his head.
"Goodnight Leonardo-Kun."
The endearment surprises him and he stutters a reply, once again blushing, and he wonders if he'll ever get it under control. "G-Goodnight Akumi-Chan."
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"Raph?" A flutter of wings has Mikey pulling the blanket over his head on the floor where he and his brother made a fort to help keep out the pests on the outside. "Raph?!"
"Whut?" growls Raph, who tenses and slaps the back of his neck. One could obviously see the tension in his eyes and the tightness of his body as he starts to slap at his arms as well. "Bugs… I friggen HATE bugs!"
"I am never, ever, ever teasing that girl ever again!"
"Yeah." They both tense because they SWEAR they hear the pitter patter of bat wings and spider feet. "I agree!"
"I'm so scared right now," whimpers Mikey. "Hold me!"
Mikey lunges to the right, making the already shaky fort they constructed fall on top of them.
"DAMMIT MIKEY!" shouts Raph in panic cause he KNEW there was probably a spider on the other side of that blanket ready to suck his blood.
"EYAHHH SAVE ME RAPH!"
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TBC…
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