Chapter 6
"Good morning, December!"
December felt something prod the top of her head gently. Her eyes fluttered open and she glanced up to see Mikey grinning widely down at her. He backed away and allowed her to push herself up from where she had been laying. She then began stretching her forelegs, wriggling her paws and arching her back, tail stuck out in a curve and tongue curling in a yawn. After stretching that part of her body, she began stretching her hind legs. First her left, then her…
A sharp pain struck her thigh and she let out a loud yelp of pain. It hurt so agonizingly that she even yipped at where it had come from and fell back down onto her stomach. That was when Donnie and Leo showed up to see what was going on.
"What's happening?" Donnie asked.
"December, are you hurt?" Leo questioned, coming to her side to aid her.
"My hip is killing me… make it stop…" she groaned, wriggling around in pain.
"I can get her some pain killers. She'll have to transform to take them, though, and I don't know if her metamorphosis will affect her scab or not."
"I don't care. Just get me the damn pills!" she shouted, teeth clenched tight.
Donnie rushed off towards his lab while Raph walked casually over towards her and the others. He watched as she transformed into her human self. December was on her stomach and had to maneuver herself around to sit up. She painstakingly pushed herself up with her hands and carefully sat down on her bottom, purple bangs shrouding her face. She pushed them away in frustration.
"I hate having this fur," she growled, spitting out a few of her hairs.
"You mean hair?" Raph asked.
"Whatever. Donatello better hurry back with those pain killers. My leg's starting to go numb from the pain."
"How do you even know what a pain killer is? I thought you were a wolf," Raph questioned as he narrowed his eyes at her.
"Because I'm in pain and he wants to give them to me to stop the pain. What do you think I'm some kind of idiot?!" she yelled at him.
Raph only stared, eyes wide open with disbelief that she had snapped at him like that. December threw her head back and gritted her teeth tightly, hands squeezing the sofa's cushion. Leo shouted back towards the lab, "Donnie, we need those pain killers now!"
"I'm hurrying as fast as I can!" Donnie yelled back. He removed some bandages and the pain medication from his medical kit, closed it, and shoved it back up into the cabinet above his sink. He dashed into the living room again and extended his hand that held the pills towards December. "Take these. This should numb the pain after a while."
"After a while?!" she exclaimed as she snatched the pills from his hand. "I'm in pain now!"
"They take time to work, December," Donnie explained. He kneeled down in front of her, unraveling some of the bandages he had brought with him. "Your body has to break the pills down and then the medicine has to circulate through your bloodstream. That's how medicine works."
December groaned while she shoved the two small pills into her mouth. She swallowed them and tried to relax. She felt Donnie tug on her injured leg, making her jump in shock and glare down at him. "Donatello, what are you doing?"
"Your bandages need changing and I have to clean your wound if it hasn't scabbed over yet."
"No," she growled, trying to push away from him but failing. "Don't you come near me. It hurts too badly. Stay back."
"December, I have to change it. If I don't, it can get seriously infected," Donnie tried to reason, but she attempted biting him when he made a move for her bandages.
"Raph, Leo, Mikey, can you secure her for me?"
Raph grinned widely. "Gladly." He grabbed her left shoulder with his uninjured hand, Leo taking the right shoulder. Mikey held her leg down. December began letting out cries of frustration through her gritted teeth. She squirmed to break free.
"Donnie, hurry up and do what you're going to do," Raph said as he struggled to keep her held still.
"She's… she's really strong."
Donnie already had her old, bloodied bandages off. He swabbed the wound with a cotton wad that had been dipped in alcohol, making her scream. Mikey nearly lost control her left leg. After Donnie cleaned it, he began wrapping the bandages around the leg as fast as his hands would go.
"Hey guys," called a feminine voice. April entered the lair carrying three boxes of pizza with her. "I got that pizza you ordered. I was just-" She let the pizza fall from her hands as her mouth gaped open widely. April stared at the sight of the four turtles pinning down a pale girl, who was clearly in agonizing pain, Donnie's hands on her right thigh.
From the corner of his eye, Donnie saw April staring in shock and horror at the sight and he felt his face grow warm from embarrassment. He scrambled over towards her, tripping over December's left leg and falling on his face. "April!" he screamed, frantically flailing his arms in a failed effort to lift himself up. Once finally on his feet, he rushed to her side. "It-It's not what it looked like! I-"
A loud crash could be heard. Donnie and April glanced in the direction of the couch to see Mikey, Raph, and Leo all thrown up against the wall in a heap. December was wrapping up the bandages Donnie had started for her, right leg on the couch so she could reach her hip properly.
"Who is she?" April asked, pointing to her.
"I am December," December answered before Donnie could. She tucked the loose end of the wrappings underneath the rest and pulled her black stocking up over it. Then, she smoothed out her skirt and walked over to join Donnie and April. "And you are?"
"April O'Neil," April said. "I'm a friend of the turtles."
"April O'Neil," December repeated staring at her with her neon lime green eyes. She then smiled brightly. "It is good to meet a friendly girl."
"Yeah, umm, shouldn't you check up on the others? I mean, you did kinda throw them across the room."
"Oh, right!" December turned around and ran over to where the other turtles had landed. "Leonardo, Michelangelo, are you guys alright?"
Mikey rubbed his head while Leo worked his arm around to make sure it was feeling good. Raph struggled to push himself up with his one arm, only falling back down. From the corner of his eye he could see December aiding his brothers, pulling them up from the floor. However, she ignored him and padded back over to Donnie and April.
"Hey!" he shouted angrily from his spot on the floor. "What about me!?"
December sighed and went to help him off the floor. She extended her hand for him to grab; he grasped it with his good hand and she helped him to his feet. Raphael brushed himself off. "Thanks," he grunted while adjusting his arm sling.
"Whatever."
He watched as the girl walked away from him with shock. It faded to anger. He followed behind her as they all headed towards the training room. Upon entering, December gasped, glancing around at all the odd paintings that were plastered onto the walls. They were so colorful, so vibrant. She could see people holding weapons of every sort, some she had never seen before. These people hid their faces, though, whether it was behind a large, pointed helmet or a mask.
"It is Japanese art," she heard a voice say from behind her. She turned to see Splinter standing over her.
"It's… beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous." She reached out to touch the wall. It wasn't rough to the touch like all the others her hand had brushed against. It was softer, paper-like. Her hand brushed against a large human wearing some heavy-set clothing.
"That is a samurai. They were great and noble warriors from Japan," Splinter explained. "Their weapon of choice was the katana."
"Why do they hide themselves behind all that clothing?" she asked, glancing up at him with curious eyes.
"They wore it for protection. In order to stay alive and stop their opponents from slicing them to bits, they would wear this armor. The armor became symbolic over the years and it became a custom for samurais to wear such armor."
"But the others… the smaller ones… why do they cloak their faces behind masks?" Her hand ran over a smaller human in a tighter outfit.
"They are ninjas, masters at both stealth and combat. They hid their faces so that their true identity would remain a mystery to their opponent. It would be very dangerous if a ninja were to reveal his identity to his opponents, for they could use it against him." Splinter placed his hand on December's shoulder softly, making her look up at him.
"Humans are fascinating," she stated as she glanced over at the paintings one last time. She then moved over to the other side of the room where a smaller picture sat atop a shelf. Around it were white lotuses and lilac. Two candles also burned beside it. December picked it up and stared it.
It was a photo of a man standing beside what she assumed was his mate. His mate was holding in her hands a small human cub, probably a newborn. She rubbed her finger over the glass gently, her eyes locked on the child.
She then glanced to her left to find Splinter was standing at beside her. She held up the photo and pointed to the male figure in it. "This is you, isn't it?"
"Yes. Very clever of you, December."
"I could tell by your scent that you weren't a rat. Your scent is… musky in a way. Human-like." She then returned her gaze to the photo as her hands ran over the child. "And this is your cub, isn't it?"
"Yes. She was my daughter Miwa"
"Might I ask what happened?" December questioned.
"My family was destroyed by an enemy of mine. My life before my sons taken all because a feud." Splinter glanced down at the photo December held tightly between her hands. "I would like to think that Miwa would have grown up to be a fine young woman."
December smiled gently. "In a way, I can understand how you feel."
"Oh?" he asked, raising his brow over his left eye.
"My family was taken from me as well," she explained, glancing over to her side as a look of chagrin fell onto her face. "Twice, at that."
"My deepest sympathies," he said.
"Condolences will not bring them back, so please, spare me them," she stated with a smile. "And besides, if apologies could bring back the dead and correct the past, life would be simpler."
"Mm, yes, but it doesn't hurt to accept someone's sympathy. Just because you accept someone's pity does not make you weak. If anything, it strengthens you."
December bit her lip, her eyes not meeting his. She nodded, slowly slipping back into the living room. From behind her, she heard Splinter yell a word of some sort, possibly a different language. She could hear the shuffling of feet and knew that the turtles were going to train. As curious as she was about this ninjitsu art, she didn't feel like watching them at the moment.
Instead she trudged slowly over to the couch where she fell and curled up into a ball. Pushing her eyes together tightly, she held back the water that leaked from her eyes when she was sad. Why humans did this, she didn't know, but it was rather embarrassing. She lay until finally slipping into unconsciousness.
She didn't know how long she had been asleep when she awoke to the sound of the Space Heroes theme. Her vision was blurred from her slumber. She had to rub her eyes a couple of times before finally having her vision focus in on the television screen.
"I hate falling asleep as a human," she grunted in disgust. Her leg was still hurting, but not as bad as it had been when she first woke up in the morning. The pain medication really did work.
Leo was sitting on the opposite end of the couch from her. She observed as he bit off a piece of a triangle-shaped food item. Pushing herself up from where she was laying, she pointed to what he was consuming and asked, "What is that?"
Leo looked down at the item he held and stated, "Pizza."
"Peet-za?"
"Yeah, pizza. Would you like some?" He grabbed a square box with a man tossing some round white thing in the air on top. Opening it, he revealed a single triangle inside.
She wasn't very fond of human food in the slightest; in fact, she hated human food with a passion. Her stomach, however, was grumbling. Her last decent meal was the one Leonardo had brought her, so sucking up her fear of it tasting terrible, she reached in and picked it up.
She sniffed it; it reeked of grease. Making a disgusted face, she opened her mouth and bit off a tiny morsel of the food item, chewing on it slowly. Her chewing rate quickened when she got her first taste of this pizza. It was actually good and not too stale. Yes, she could enjoy eating this.
December wolfed down her portion and immediately began sniffing around for another. She caught whiff of a slice, her gaze veering over to Mikey who was reading a comic book. December crawled over to him and immediately began staring up at him with pouting eyes. He removed his eyes from the comic book and opened his mouth to ingest his slice when he saw her on her knees below him, glaring up at his slice of pizza with sad eyes.
"No, December, my pizza."
She let out a light whimper from her throat, moving closer to him. Mikey's bottom lip began to quiver as his eyes watered. It was one of the saddest sights he had ever seen. He looked at his slice of pizza, then at December, and finally sighed. "Okay, here. But you aren't getting the next one, okay?"
December snatched it from his hand and gobbled it down. She then returned to Leo's side to watch the show with him. After it was over, Leo stretched his arms above his head and yawned loudly. He then scratched his chest while turning his attention to December.
"So, what were you and Master Splinter talking about today?" he asked casually.
"His family." She glanced over at the training room. "His daughter was absolutely beautiful."
"The Shredder killed them."
"You mean the man over those guys who attacked me? The one you wanted to know about?"
Leo nodded and her fists tightened. "Humans are such cruel creatures."
"Tell me about it," Mikey voiced. "The other day, I saw this one guy throw out a perfectly good pizza. Never saw humans the same way again."
Leo and December only blinked in response to Mikey's story. He shook his head slightly. "They can be, but there are good humans, too, like April."
"And then there are humans who are like the Shredder," Raph said as he entered the room, Spike riding on his shoulder. "And his daughter, Karai. Both are evil and need to be stopped."
"Why would someone kill a child?" December questioned aloud. "They're so… innocent… so helpless."
"It's because the Shredder feels nothing but hatred, December," Leo stated as he climbed to his feet. "He's cruel, heartless. Right now, he's trying to find our location and kill us."
"But… why?" Her eyes drifted up to him. "Why is he looking for you?"
"Because we're Splinter's family," Raph answered. "He wants to destroy us and Splinter and will do anything in his power to do so, crushing anyone in his path that stands in the way."
"And we can't face him on our own," Mikey added, glancing up from his comic book.
"December, this is what I was trying to tell you that day I came to see you. We need your help. Please… help us stop this guy."
Leo watched with hope swelling in his heart. He observed December's eyes dart from side to side, almost as if searching for the correct answer to his question. He was confident that she would help them now.
"I-I can't, Leonardo."
Leo's hope crushed into tiny pieces. It seemed they all fell around him and the sound taunted him in his mind. Raph, who had begun to hope that December wasn't as bad as he thought, was now infuriated. He let out a roar.
"Why not!?" he demanded viciously.
"Because I'm here in this city to take care of my own business," she stated. "Someone who has wronged me, and I'm going to make sure that he never wrongs another person again."
"Are you talking about the person who killed your pack?" Leo asked.
Raph loosened his tensed muscles, face falling back into shock. "Killed your pack? What?"
"You could say that, yes." December fumbled with her fingers nervously, not wanting to meet either turtle's gaze. "It's a long story. Really… long story."
"Well, we have the time if you'd like to talk about it," Leo suggested with a smile.
"Look, I'm not sure what the term 'long story' means in your culture, but in mine, it means both the length of the story and that the person doesn't want to discuss it further."
Leo's face fell slightly and he sighed. "I understand. If you ever want to talk about it, we're here for you."
She forced a smile to her face. "Thank you."
"December!" The three looked up to see Donnie was standing at the door to his laboratory. He motioned for her to follow him, and so she nodded, getting up off the couch and padding over towards him. They entered inside and he held up an empty syringe. "I need to take a blood sample from you so I can create that serum to help your body produce the right amount of blood."
"Can't you use the blood I spilled yesterday?" she asked as she lifted herself onto the metal table.
Donnie shook his head. "It's not that simple. I need blood from your body now. I have to measure the blood cell count correctly because if I get it too high, it could have serious consequences and overload your body with blood, and if I get it too low, it could slow down the process. So I have to be exact."
"Oh, alright." She pulled down one of her fishnets and observed Donnie wrapping a thin piece of rubber around her upper arm. He thumped around her arm until finding a vein he was satisfied would give him enough blood to sample. Then, he pierced through her flesh and began drawing a small amount.
"This should do. If you'd just wait here a moment, I'll measure your count and have that medicine mixed up in a jiffy."
She nodded. Donnie walked over to his microscope. From there he took one of the small, frail, empty glass slides from the container he kept beside it. He placed some of the blood onto the slide and then covered it up with another slide similar to it. Once done with this process, he placed it under the microscope and began observing it.
After a few minutes, Donnie began murmuring to himself. "Mm… hmm… that's odd."
"Odd? What's odd?" December asked.
Donnie looked up from the microscope and over his shoulder. "Well, from what I can tell, your blood count is… normal."
"Normal? As in I don't need any blood?"
"Yes. Your body replenished the blood it lost overnight, which is… very odd." He then grabbed one of his notebooks off the lab table and a pencil and ran back over to the microscope.
"Can… I go… then?" she asked, trying to peer around him to see exactly what he was doing.
"Hmm? Oh! Oh yeah. You can go."
She hopped down from the table and walked back into the den. She moved over back close to Leo, sitting down next to him and relaxing a bit. Leo fidgeted awkwardly when her skin brushed against his, making her glance over at him to see he was staring forward with an awkward stare. "What?" she asked, making him look over at her.
"Nothing," he stated. "I'm fine. Are you fine? I'm fine. Perfectly fine."
"Smooth," they heard Raph call from across the room.
"So, um, what did Donnie want?" he asked, trying to make conversation.
"It had to do with my body making blood. Said that he was gonna give me a serum or something, but instead it ended up my body was fine," she explained.
"Even after all the blood you lost yesterday?" he asked surprised.
"Yeah, I guess so." She laughed lightly. "I already figured that, though."
"What do you mean?"
"I heal quicker than most. It's… kinda hard to explain."
"Alright." Leo then paused, glancing around the room while he searched his head for something to say. "Hey, December."
"Mm?"
"Why don't you tell me about your pack a little? That is, if you want."
"There's not much to tell," she admitted. "They were wolves."
"Yeah, but… what did you guys do? Like, your lifestyles and stuff?"
"Our lifestyles were just like any other wolf pack out there. We hunted, howled, slept… Shared stories and legends on full moons… We supported one another, like a pack should," she stated.
"Do you ever miss it?" She looked up to see Mikey on the opposite end of the couch lying on his stomach, face cupping his hands and legs pulled into the air.
"More than anything, Michelangelo. I would give anything in this whole world to go back to that simplistic lifestyle. For the longest time, I've been alone, and being a wolf, loneliness is harsh and cruel. We are social creatures and crave for socialization among peers. And for so long, I have been wandering around in search of the creature that destroyed that life for me." Her hands tightened into fists.
"Man, it sure sounds exciting to be a wolf. Live in friends, howl at the moon… Only downside is that I wouldn't have pizza."
He grabbed an empty pizza box that had been sitting on the floor and crushed it gently into his chest. He stroked it gently and whispered, "I'll never leave you." Mikey rubbed his cheek against the cardboard softly.
"It must be pretty difficult to live in New York then. You must've had to make a huge adjustment to everything," Leo stated.
"Yes, it is difficult to live on the streets, but I have lived in cities before. Never this big, mind you. However, no matter where it is you go, one thing is always the same. Human food. Blech."
"What's wrong with human food?" Mikey asked curiously.
"Human food is filled with all of these chemicals used to preserve it. I can tell that just by tasting it, and while dogs seem to think it's delicious, I certainly do not. When you live two years in the wilds and eating nothing but the freshest of meats, you can't really make the change."
"Two years? How old are you, exactly?" Leo questioned.
"Two and a half years old," she stated proudly. "I'll be three years exactly in December."
"That would make you around fourteen in human years, right?"
"Wait, human years are different from dogs?"
"Actually," Donnie began, emerging from his lab, "she'd probably be older, to be exact. Wild wolves don't tend to live as long as dogs. On average, it's about fifteen years for wolves and around twenty for dogs. Their lifespan's probably decreased due to the fact that they're hunted by humans often, so given that, I'd add about two years to her age and say she'd be around sixteen in human years. Of course, that is a rough estimation, seeing as how their population has steadily increased over the years and that they are no longer located on the endangered species list anymore."
They all stared at him with unblinking expressions. "It's important to be accurate," he stated.
"So you're April's age then," Leo summed up.
"Sweet. We're fifteen."
"All of you are litter mates?" she asked, gazing around at the four turtles.
"Well, technically, we don't know for sure if we are litter mates," Donnie voiced. "We were purchased at a pet store as babies by Splinter."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, and then, while he was walking home, we were exposed to… MUTIGEN!" Mikey held up his hands and wriggled his fingers, giving December a frightening look. She only giggled. "And that's when we were born."
"So there's no way to know for sure if we're all really related," Leo added. "But that doesn't really bother us. We grew up as brothers and will always be brothers."
"Whether blood brothers or not," Raph finished as he sidled over to the back of the couch and leaned over against it.
"You all are very lucky to have one another," December said with a smile, her gaze drifting to each of them.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters, December?" Mikey asked with a smile.
"I'm afraid not, Michelangelo," she sighed. "My siblings perished when our litter was struck with a sickness. I was the sole survivor."
"That's… that's really sad," Donnie commented, his expression changing into a depressed and concerned look.
"At least you survived," Leo stated optimistically.
"It came at a cost, though. While I did catch the disease, my body was able to fight it off. However, it couldn't save the damage that had already been done to my body." Her face held a grim, almost lifeless expression. "It made me barren."
Mikey let out a sigh of relief. "Phew, at least it's nothing serious."
Raph slapped the back of his head. "That means she can't have children, shell-for-brains!"
"Oh!" His face fell into nervousness. "There's always adoption."
"Adopt? A wolf cub?" December asked, eyes filled with rage.
"It's not like she can go to an adoption center and say she wants a wolf cub," Donnie explained, a scorn on his face. "That's not how it works in the wild."
"No, it's not," December agreed. "Wolf cubs who've been orphaned by both parents are usually raised by other pack members, and if there are no other pack members in the pack, they quickly fall victim to animals, like the lynx, cougar, or other carnivores. I've even heard stories of humans taking them."
"Oh." Mikey wracked his brain for something to say to make the situation better. "Well, at least you won't have to spend money on toys."
Everyone groaned while Mikey grinned nervously. Raph glanced over at his brother in utter disbelief that he had even went that far. "Mikey, just stop talking."
"Will do."
"December," began Leo, "we're all very sorry that you can't have children. I know you probably don't want our sympathy, but… just know we're here."
Her head was facing the ground off to the side; her expression brimmed with anger, though Leo wasn't sure who it was directed to – him, Mikey, or herself. She then muttered under her breath, "Just save your sympathy." Her gaze returned to Leo and fire seemed to dance behind the tears that were beginning to brim around her eyes. "I don't need it."
"You know, you have a really odd way of saying thanks," Raph commented. "Or maybe you're just ungrateful."
She growled, "No, I'm not ungrateful. I just don't need false sympathies. They won't undo what's been done, so why offer them?"
"Because we feel sorry for you," Raph stated, whirling to face her.
"Well don't!" she shouted back. "I don't need your pity!" December ran off into the training room.
Leo glared over at Raph who was brewing with anger now. His face screwed up to form a scowl, right arm clenched tight in a fist. He looked over at Leo and blurted out, "Can we just take her back up to the surface and leave her!?"
"No, we can't," Leo replied, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Why? Because you like her or something?!" Raph yelled. "She's the most ungrateful person I've ever laid eyes on! It's like she doesn't want anyone to feel sorry for her because her ego's off the charts and… ugh!" It took everything in his power to stop himself from marching in there and telling her off.
"She reminds me of you, Raph," Mikey laughed.
He grabbed his brother by the front of his shell, spinning him around to face him. "You ever say that again, and I'll break your shell in two!"
"Well, technically…" Raph flashed Donnie a glance, and Donnie shut his mouth before he could finish it.
He dropped Mikey and stormed off towards his room. Donnie sighed and returned to his lab. Mikey and Leo only stared at one another. Leo sighed deeply and sat down beside his orange-banded brother; he slumped over, elbows resting on both of his knees and head hung low. "Do you really think it was a bad idea to help her out, Mikey?" he asked.
"No way, dude," Mikey voiced. "You're only doing what you think is right. Remember when we met Leatherhead, and you and the others thought I was crazy for wanting to save him?"
"Yeah."
"But you guys were wrong and he ended up risking his life for us. I think December is just like Leatherhead, only a girl… and not a mutant… and less anger-prone."
Leo lifted himself up and smiled over at his youngest sibling to see him smiling back at him, blue eyes gleaming with his usual pep. "Thanks, Mikey."
"You're welcome."
Leo rose to his feet and stretched. "I'm going to go check on December now."
"Alright. I'll be here, reading my comics."
Leo entered the training room and glanced around the area slowly. He caught a glimpse of something over in the far corner huddled up. The turtled walked forward slowly, focusing his vision to see it was a dog, curled up in a ball. "December?" he called gently, taking a step forward.
"Go away," she stated, voice cracked. He then heard her whine and knew she was crying.
"Are you alright?" he asked, taking another step forward.
"Go away, Leo," she growled, lifting her head up. "I'm not in the mood to talk."
"No, December, I'm not." Leo began towards her. The closer he came; the louder she growled. However, he knew she wouldn't attack him. When he was just a foot or so away, he sat down and crossed his legs, making himself comfortable.
"I hate your brother," she hissed, the thunderous sound still rumbling deep inside her chest.
"Which one?"
"Which one do you think!?" she snapped back angrily.
"Raphael?"
"Yes." She shifted her body slightly, growl dying away slowly. "He's been nothing but rude to me since I've been here, making accusations about who I am."
"He has trust issues," Leo stated. "Let's just say… I haven't had the best judgment in trusting people in the past. I… ended up trusting the wrong person and… they betrayed me. Raph tried warning me about it, but I didn't listen." Leo looked over to his side. "And I… might have felt something for her."
"Felt something for her? As in her being your potential mate?" December questioned.
"Yeah, something like that," he admitted. He then chuckled. "Sounds stupid, huh?"
"No," December argued. "I've been through the same situation, only he did successfully destroy my family."
"The one you're after, right?" Leo asked.
"Yes. The one who is hiding in this city somewhere." Her face wrinkled into a snarl. "I will find him, and I will kill him, not because of what he did to me, but because he cannot do it to others."
Her gaze drifted to Leo's eyes. "Leonardo, I can give you my promise that so long as I am fully aware of my actions, I will not harm bring harm to your family. I would never harm innocent lives on purpose."
Leo grinned, placing his hand atop her head where he rubbed her behind her ears. "I believe you, December."
"However, in one month, I will be leaving."
"To go back on the street, right, and find that person?"
"Yes."
Leo hung his head, disappointment in his expression. He forced a smile to his face. "I understand. You have your business, and we have ours."
"One month is still a long time," she stated, "but I wanted you to know."
"I understand, but I'm not so sure how Mikey will take it," Leo said with a grin. "He seems to really enjoy reading you his comic books."
"And I take pleasure in hearing them. They may not be true, but they are entertaining." Her tail thumped the padded floor slightly. "And I'll most definitely miss watching Space Heroes with you, Leonardo."
Leo's expression filled with joy and happiness as a half-smile spread across his face. "Y-you really like watching Space Heroes with me?"
"Of course," she chimed. "It's an entertaining show."
"Well, um, like you s-said. One month is a long time." He could feel his face becoming hot while he fumbled over his words. "S-so, we'll be able to watch it more before you leave."
"Leonardo, your face is growing red. Are you alright?" December asked as her eyes fixated on the reddening of his cheeks, head slightly titled to the side. She slowly reached out to touch his face gently.
"What? Oh, I'm fine!" he assured with a false smile, rubbing his face slightly. "I'm just… a little warm is all! Is-is it hot in in here to you?" He tugged on his shell slightly.
December shook her head, sitting up on her haunches. Leo nervously chuckled as he rose up. "I'm gonna go see if Space Heroes is on. You coming?"
"Of course!" she stated, jumping up. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Alright, c'mon then."
They exited the room and entered the living room, where they watched Space Heroes for the rest of the night before tiring out.