Long time no update, huh? Yeah, sorry about that. College and all that. Plus I'm trying to work on my original novel. So we'll see how future updates go. Well, I hope you enjoy nonetheless!
Casey met up with April that night and noticed her distress immediately. He pressed her for answers, desperately wanted to understand what was wrong with her. Who did this? No matter what she wouldn't say though, not really. She murmured about hurting Donnie and it being all her fault, but Casey had a hard time believing that was all it was. So he decides that he will finally return to see the turtles. He needs to understand all this.
After school and for once without April he heads to the lair. There's a fire in his step and a cold edge about his gaze all the while. He picks the only place they've ever shown him to get to the lair and drops down into the sewers. It's only been a few months but already he is used to the smell down here. It's nothing worse or better than the surface, it's just there. His footsteps create little splashes as he continues on down the tunnel. It will take him less than ten minutes to get there – to see the truth.
The moment he steps into the lair he senses that something is terribly wrong. The air is thick with tension and he instantly stiffens. He clenches his hands into fists and heightens his awareness. He looks slowly through narrowing eyes at the scene in the lair. He moves carefully forward all the while. There's Leo, sitting watching Space Heroes. Mikey is with him and Raph is back beating the crap out of their Shredder dummy. Casey smirks with familiarity. But as unsurprising as it is, there's something wrong with the way his friend attacks the dummy. There's a certain savageness about his movements that Casey has never seen. It makes his brows furrow and it worries him more.
Casey moves further into the lair, toward Raph to ask him about it. Then he sees it. Donnie walks right out in front of him, grinning and nearly dispelling the tension if not for the person, the thing, at his side. Casey catches his breath and freezes. His throat tightens and eyes widen. It's the wolf, the one from the night he was attacked, the one Donnie denied existed. His blood boils and the fear snaps into rage. That liar! "Donnie," He stomps toward the pair.
Donnie hears his name and tilts his head. He stops dead when he realizes who it is. A slow bubbling panic rises within him. He throws his hand out in front of Alopex and pushes her farther behind him. "C-Casey…" He swallows hard. "W-What are you doing here?" He smiles weakly.
Casey narrows his eyes and his lips curl into a deep frown. "Better question." He looks Donnie straight in the eye. "What the hell is that thing behind you? Because it looks a lot like a wolf." His fingers dig deep into his skin. "The wolf I swore attacked me that night and the one you said didn't exist."
Donnie ducks his head. Sweat forms on his brow. "Casey," He says softly. He struggles to find an anchor for his argument. He and Casey aren't particularly close. He won't let it go just because Donnie asks him to. "Look," He pulls at his arm. "I…"
Mikey hears Casey's voice and breaks his trance on the television long enough to say hi. But the cheer disappears from his face as fast as lightning strikes. Oh no. He turns to tap on Leo's shoulder but at the last minute changes his mind. He leaps to his feet and hurries over to what will surely become a bloody affair. "Casey," He tugs at Casey's arm. "Hey, dude. Have I got a story for you. I-"
Casey swats at Mikey's hand. "Not now Mikey." He hisses. "I've got to hear this." He glowers past Donnie, trying to get a good look at the monster Donnie is hiding. "I want to hear Donnie explain this insanity." His hands tremble as if inches away from jumping Donnie.
Alopex's eyes shoot down to Casey's hands. She sees what Donnie is too terrified to notice and it makes her snarl. She steps out from behind Donnie and stares Casey down. "Don't even think about touching him." She flashes him her razor sharp teeth.
Casey doesn't mean to and he hates himself for it, but he starts as she moves in. He cowers and takes a large step in the opposite direction. "You don't scare me." He looks defiantly up at her, forcing the swimming fear down as far as he can.
Alopex snickers. "Is that so?" She raises and hand and flicks her fingers. Her claws extend and her gold eyes bore sharply into him. "Let's have at it then. I won't even use my teeth."
Casey shudders slightly. The past flashes through his mind – furious eyes, deep crimson running down his skin, sharp pain, and unmistakable white, white of agony and white of fur, of a wolf. "Don't test me." His voice wavers. He reaches slowly back for the hockey stick on his back.
Raph perks. He looks around at the sudden buzzing of voices and he immediately forgets his training. His eyes shoot open and he takes in a soft breath. Fury and fear coil his stomach and he doesn't hesitate. He launches into a run, throwing himself squarely between Alopex and Casey. "Don't even think it you cur!" He draws his sais and tenses.
Alopex's lips curl back in a snarl for a brief instant, but the sentiment soon falls away. Instead a smirk turns her lip upward and her eyes dance with amusement. "Ah," She chuckles. "So you and he are on the same level. He's your human." Just like April is Donnie's.
Raph ducks his head and his lips stretch out in a flat line. "No," He grinds out. "He's all our friend. We won't let you do a thing to him." His eyes spark with passion. He grips his sais a little tighter. "It won't be like that night." His eyes flit to Donnie. The night Donnie lied.
Donnie averts his eyes. It's no surprise though. He knew all along he'd get caught – not just with her, but in every instance that ever occurred. He just wishes it would all go away. They're so close. Why can't Raph just accept things the way they are – accept her.
Alopex snickers. "Yes," She says slowly. "But he's yours more than anyone." She tenses. "You're the only one who would fight me for him."
Raph growls deep in his throat. "Don't you dare."
Leo's head snaps up as the distinct sound of Raph's battle growl pierces his bubble. He whirls around and his heart skips at beat at the sight before him. Alopex and Raph are inches from battle, each protecting another. Mikey stands helplessly to the side. "Raph!" He jumps up and races toward the pack. "Stop it."
Raph jerks his head around. He looks incredulously at their leader. "What are you talking about? Don't tell me your still on her side!" He coughs out a clipped, single syllable laugh. "You know what she did to him – before she was insane. What she did to you afterward…" His voice is tight, a whisper.
Leo grimaces. "Let it go Raph." He says softly back. He slows to a walk and carefully spreads his hands out into each of their chests. "It's in the past. And besides," He shakes his head. "This has nothing to do with any of that, especially not me. So stop…just stop." He pushes them apart.
Raph grunts softly. He scowls over at Leo. "Traitor." He hisses.
Leo averts his eyes. He shakes his head. "Please," He murmurs. "There's no point." He draws his hands back and steps away. For a moment afterward he just stands there, watching. Then, slowly, he moves. "I have to wash my hands." He says absently, heading for the kitchen. He clasps his hands. "I…have to…"
Casey scoffs after him. "Way to stand up for family."
Alopex growls deep in her throat. She darts forward, shoving Raph out of the way in one swift move. In the next instant she is on Casey. She grips him by the collar of his shirt and lifts him off the ground. Her face is inches from his. "Leave him out of this." Her teeth gleam dangerously. "You wanna fight me, then fight me. Don't go through everyone else."
Casey's throat tightens suddenly. His breaths come short and his pupils dilate. His hands tremble with the desire to take hold of his hockey stick, but he can not get his limbs to reach for it no matter how loud he screams to his mind.
"Alopex!" Donnie cries. He leaps forward. "Don't!" He pulls at her arm. "Let him go! Please, just let him go." His eyes are wide with desperation.
Raph does not wait for her response. He charges in.
Alopex doesn't have time to react and his full body attack knocks her off her feet. She loses her grip on Casey as she falls and hits the ground hard. She grunts on impact, his heavy body pinning her with immense strength.
Raph's eyes are pools of fire. He narrows them as he holds tight onto the fur around her neck. "You touch him – you die." He tightens his grip, his hands moving into a stranglehold on her neck.
Alopex bites back on her desire to attack – to bite hard and fast. She doesn't need to succumb to her animal instincts again. She barely made it through the last time. And besides, there are other things to worry about now. Instead she strikes out with jagged claws, ripping up the skin on his arm.
Raph howls. He jerks his hand back and curls it into a fist. He launches it at her, fully prepared to make blood fly.
"Stop!" Donnie's voice interjects. He grabs onto Raph's fist midflight and restrains it. He looks in disbelief and anger at his older brother. "Idiot! This is nothing to fight about. She didn't even do anything yet."
A growl bubbles in Raph's throat. "Let me go." He struggles against Donnie, but his brother's hold is unshakable. At least without extreme force. "She needs to learn." He seethes. "No one messes with family!"
"Raph!" Leo's voice is sharp. He stomps over to the scene, a washcloth in hand. He glowers at the lot of them. "She is family now." He cringes despite his resolve. His brother's shock and betrayal is too overwhelming.
Alopex starts. What? She blinks up at Leo. Really? A small smile creeps up onto her features and despite the hand still struggling around her neck she is content. She shoves the limb off of her in one swift, easy move and rolls him off of her.
Raph grunts and hisses as he catches himself with his injured arm. He can barely be bothered with it or her though. He has eyes only for Leo.
Casey moves carefully around the scene, over to Raph's side. "You ok man?" He says softly. He glances fleetingly at Alopex every other second. Each slight movement she makes has him on guard.
Raph grunts. He curls his fingers around the torn flesh. "Fine." The blood is slick but only a trifle thing. The flow is slow and if not for the pulsing ache he might not even notice it.
Don frowns deeply. He kneels down before Raph. "Let me fix it." He holds out his hands and nods to coax his brother.
Raph scoffs and rolls his eyes. "It's fine." He scowls the opposite direction of Donnie. "Just go over to her." His expression darkens further. "I know you want to."
Donnie makes a face. "Fine. Whatever." He throws his hands in the air. He stands quickly and marches to Alopex, murmuring curses beneath his breath every step of the way. "You ok?" He grumbles as he lowers himself to her level.
Alopex grins. "Don't sound too concerned."
Donnie shoots her a sharp look. "Don't start." He snaps without thinking. Immediately he shrinks and a tight grimace spreads across his face. "I…" He drops his gaze.
Alopex shakes her head. "It's fine." She waves her hand dismissively. "I'm not hurt." She touches her neck lightly. She chuckles. "Fury over there can't beat me." She glances at Raph for an instant, then looks back at Donnie. She smiles.
Donnie manages a weak smile in return. "Yeah…" he can't keep his eyes off of Raph's injury. As minor as it is, he is compelled to fix it. His limbs tremble with longing.
Alopex watches Donnie carefully. They need to get out of here. He's making himself miserable. "Come on." She stands slowly. She stretches her hand out to him. Her eyes are bright and hopeful, but tempered with uncertainty. She holds her breath.
Donnie eyes her just as carefully as she does him. He curls his fingers inward and bites his lip. He may act normal and pretend nothing happened, but he has not forgotten that night from before. He isn't sure if he wants to go anywhere with her, not when it means being completely alone. Still, he can't stop himself. He tentatively reaches out and lays his hand in hers. A shudder races up his spine as electricity jumps between them.
Alopex nearly pulls back at the spark, but she keeps her cool. She helps him to his feet and for a moment in time everything stills. She feels lightheaded and nearly loses herself. Then she forces herself back to reality. "Why don't you show me your newest project?" She raises a brow. "Yeah?"
Donnie looks back at Raph. She might not see it, but hurt swims in his eyes that is so profound it makes Donnie's heart quake. His brother doesn't want to be ignored, as much as he pretends he does. "Sure…" He murmurs.
Alopex pulls him along, away from the tense situation. All the while she worries what might happen out of sight of the others. She hasn't forgotten the other night – her foolish act. But this is important. Donnie needs to get away from this. So she takes him away.
Raph stares emptily ahead. Why? His brother knows him. He knows the way he thinks. So why? He drops his eyes to the ground. A soft, defeated sigh passes his lips.
Mikey, so useless before in the heat of the moment, finds his place. He sinks down next to Raph. "Raph," He says tentatively. He reaches out and lays his hand on his brother's shoulder.
Raph shakes his head. "Don't," He says weakly. He lightly pushes Mikey's hand off of him. "Just…go with them." He doesn't mean to be cold to his little brother, but he just can't be around someone who is on Alopex's side in any amount.
Mikey's large eyes shrink slowly as his brows furrow. "Raph…I'll always care most about you." His voice is small, sad. Still, he abides his brother's wish and draws his hand back. He stands with painful slowness. "You know that, right?" He clutches his hands, one in the other. "We all will…"
Raph makes a soft sound of acknowledgement. And in part he believes his brother, but only concerning him. He isn't sure about Leo and he certainly doesn't believe Donnie feels that way anymore. Utter betrayal stings him.
Mikey stands and stares for a long moment. He aches to make his brother smile again. He never smiled a lot before, but now it's as rare as peace. It's wrong. But there's no point defying Raph. It will only make things worse. So he soundlessly slips away, after Leo. He doesn't feel like being around Alopex right now, not after this.
Raph watches from the corner of his eye as Mikey too leaves him. He can't be mad at Mikey though. It's not the same as Donnie. Still, he sighs. "You ok?" He asks suddenly.
Casey starts. He blinks twice. "Huh? Oh, yeah." He waves his hand. "She could never hurt me." He half laughs. Yet there is an undeniable edge to it.
Raph lift his head and looks straight at Casey. A frown creases his face and his green eyes are sharp. "I'm not stupid." He doesn't try to be sensitive. There's no point beating around the bush. He sees the way Casey pulls at his sleeve absently and how his eyes are larger than usual, a layer of stark terror written over the usually confident and intense spark in them. "You're terrified."
Casey cringes. He quickly shifts into a scowl. "No I'm not." He sits straighter. He clenches his fists. "What's there to be afraid of?" He scoffs and attempts another laugh. It's more choked than the first.
Raph rolls his eyes. He shifts his position only slightly, but it's enough to get a reaction. His hand slips from the mark on his arm, revealing the deep streaks that run red, the blood dripping slowly.
Casey stiffens. A shudder races up his spine and memories attack him. Those golden orbs flash dangerously and her teeth shine in stark contrast to the darkness of the alley. He unconsciously draws back a space, away from the wound that seems horrific, twisted by memories.
Raph smirks, but it is weak and without genuine pleasure. The victory is hollow. It hurts. "And I'm…sorry…" He looks away. "…that no one believed you before."
Casey manages a tiny smile. He keeps his gaze firmly locked on Raph's face, unwilling to see the claw marks again and for the memories to bite into him. "It's nothing." Not anymore. He knows both Raph and April are on his side at least, and for now that's enough.
Raph hides the mark beneath his hand. "So hey," He stands. "Wanna go out and beat some heads?" The first spark of life enters his eyes at the notion.
Casey grins. Everything else falls away with the mention of it. He reaches back for his hockey stick and swings it out in an arc. "You know it." Anything to get away from all this insanity.
"Wait just a minute." He holds up a finger. He scowls over toward Donnie's lab. He doesn't want to ask, doesn't want to be anywhere near them, but he can't go out with his arm torn up. Maybe he can manage something on his own though. So he wanders toward the kitchen.
Casey stays for a moment. He quickly grows antsy and his heart beats a little faster. His eyes dart toward Donnie's lab. He grimaces and speeds after Raph. "Wait up!"
Leo watches the pair from afar. He watches as Raph patches his injury up and speaks intermittently to Casey. Leo monitors every movement in their mouths, reading their lips with ease. It's a skill he initially learned to hear in on conversations he shouldn't, a childlike whim he is ashamed of now, but now it's what he uses it to monitor his brothers and their emotions. They hide lots of things from each other, especially turmoils, and Raph most of all. Leo needs for them to be alright, so he watches.
As they come back he drifts farther away. He lets them go without so much as a single word and they don't call him out on his spying. Leo wishes he didn't have to let them go, but it's the best way for both Raph and Casey to get over this, at least for a little while. He forces his fear down. Dogpound and Fishface won't attack again. They can't.
"They'll be ok." Mikey murmurs. His brows knit together and his eyes grow larger as he stares up at his older brother. "They're unstoppable together." He smiles and shrugs. The unspoken truth rings clear. It won't be like the last time – the time with Dogpound and Fishface.
"You can't know that." Leo says absently, somewhere between thoughts and reality. "I'm the leader. I have to protect everyone. I shouldn't let you all leave like this." A deep frown curves his lips. "No matter what…"
Mikey frowns, a mirror image of Leo. "It's ok Leo." Mikey insists nonetheless. He lays his hand on Leo's arm. "You can't do everything."
"Yeah," Leo manages a worn smile. "I wish that meant I didn't have to try." He sighs and shakes his head weakly. His gaze wanders toward Donnie's lab. He could never wish her gone forever, but he does wish that she didn't make everything so difficult.
Mikey follows his gaze even though he already knows where it falls. "Hey," He tugs on Leo's arm. A smile lights his face, one that is a little too bright. "Don't you want to finish your Space Heroes marathon?" He holds his breath.
Leo opens his mouth to say no, but an instant before the words leave his mouth he changes his mind. "Sure Mikey." He shrugs. He lets Mikey do as he wills.
Mikey nods firmly. He pulls Leo toward the television. He tries to focus on it and zone everything out, but even his mind can not stay away from Donnie's lab. As he sets Leo down and then situates himself in the floor he can't help but wonder. What do they do in there? Alone.
Donnie stands over the table cluttered with all his things. He digs around for a part to put onto his newest project. He can't find it and he can't take the horrid silence closing around them, so he preoccupies himself by speaking. "Doesn't it bother you that he keeps calling you a wolf?"
"Hm?" Alopex looks up from her lap. "Oh, no…" She smiles slightly. "I mean, yeah, it's dumb and someone should tell the kid he's an idiot. But other than that…who cares." She shrugs. Her expression falls and her lips pull tight. "I don't need any more trouble."
Donnie shrugs. "I suppose." He grabs the piece and begins attaching it. "I just…" He half laughs. "I guess I pegged you as the kind of person who would be offended by misrepresentation."
Alopex snorts. "Only misrepresentation of character." She corrects him. "He could call me a bat for all I care. As long as he understood me-" She cuts herself off with a short growl. "But he doesn't. So whatever." She rakes her claws along the wood of the chair to soothe herself.
Donnie glances back at her action. Small indents are slowly being carved in the wood. He cringes slightly every time the sharp scratching sound reaches him, but he doesn't say a word about it. "He'll get over it." Even though probably not.
Alopex laughs out loud. "Oh, please," She rolls her eyes. "He has about as much a chance of getting over it as Raph." She digs harder.
Donnie cringes even more so. He stifles his protests. He focuses on the conversation at hand. "No, nothing's that hard." He smiles faintly. "Actually," He turns to face her. "All you probably have to do is mention saving Raph's life." A mischievous glint shines in his eyes.
Alopex smirks. She momentarily ceases carving. "You think?" She tilts her head.
"Yeah, sure." He clenches his fists and bounces slightly. "You saw it. They're super close. At the very least it'll make Casey think about things."
Alopex frowns suddenly. "You know though…" She says slowly, picking each word carefully. "I get the feeling he's not much different than Leo. He's just afraid of me really. So…" She drums her fingers. "It's probably best to leave it for a while."
The excitement drains from Donnie's face. He looks hopelessly at her. "Well…" He lets out a heavy breath. "If you say so." He shrugs.
"Yeah, I do." She nods. Getting him on her side is pointless anyway. She doesn't need him to be a part of her family. "So," She stands abruptly. "What did you call this thing?" She moves in close, peering over his shoulder at the assortment of tools and pieces.
Donnie jumps slightly at her close proximity. He quickly shakes the feeling and smiles. "Well, you see…" He turns away from her, back to the tools as he gabbers on.
Alopex only half listens, just enough to make him happy. The other part of her mind wanders. Only six days. Then everything will be better. She bites her lip and her face creases. But then what? What does that mean for them – her and Donnie? Will anything change? Or will they always walk this narrow tightrope of awkward normativeness? She can only hope not. Which way she wants it to go though…? She still can't say.
So, what do you think? It's not exactly the most exciting chapter, but hey, they can't all be. We're slowly getting to the big moment though. ;) Please review!