Chapter 17

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-

I opened my eyes again, finding it was hard to keep them shut right now. Trying to sleep right now was pretty much impossible.

Well, for me it was.

Behind me, I heard Donnie let out a small sigh, wrapping his arms a little more tightly around me. His head was nuzzled into my neck again, his body now warm against my back. We'd been laying here for a few hours now, trying to get some sleep, as Ithiell had told us all to get some rest before tonight, as we would all be busy.

I just found it hard to sleep of a late afternoon.

I did feel alot fresher and cleaner after finally having clean clothes and a good shower. I think it also helped my mood slightly.

I knew Rachel was right, I needed to let go of the guilt. But honestly, I found it so hard to do. My mind kept going to that moment he'd found me in that room, hands raised above my head to bring that dagger down... I wondered how it must have looked to him. How he must have felt...

Then his eyes after we'd gotten back. I'd never seen that look, not even when I was recovering from the torture...

He seemed all right now, as he moved again, trying to bring my body close to him, almost like he was trying to meld us together in his sleep.

I guess he really didn't want to let me go.

My mind went back to the encounter with Jake. How quickly he'd come to my defense. No thinking, just action. And the anger...

Another emotion I wasn't used to seeing from him. Didn't matter what was happening. He had annoyance, but not the pure blind anger I'd seen when he snapped at Jake...

I sighed, looking around the room. Donnie had seemed almost happy when I'd come back, saying I could stay in his room for as long as I wanted with him. Which I didn't mind. It was becoming a big comfort to have him here with me, and I felt safe in his arms.

Donnie moved again, and I suddenly felt him nibbling at my neck, making a strangled sound as it sent shivers through my body. I tried to move away, finding he was following me.

"Donnie" I hissed, realising then he must have been still asleep, managing to untangle myself from him a little. He grunted, his eyes closed and reaching blindly for me, looking worried.

I gave him my pillow to hold and he snuggled into it, continuing to bite a little at the pillow.

He must have been dreaming about food.

I couldn't help but smile, stroking his head and giving him a small kiss on the temple. He really was adorable when he slept...

He seemed to fall back into a deep sleep, the nibbling on the pillow stopping as his head dropped.

I went and grabbed a jumper from the bag, going out into the main room and shutting the door quietly as possible.

The main room itself was still dim, and I half tip toed around until I reached the room with Kristiana in it, slowly and as quietly as possibly slipping through the door, shutting it behind me.

I saw Ithiell look up from what he was doing on a little computer device, his eyes tired.

"Hey" I said quietly, going to sit beside him on the floor.

"Hey" He responded "I thought I told you to rest?"

I shook my head "Can't sleep"

"Oh" He went back to what he was doing.

"Plus, Donnie thought I was a pizza and tried to eat me in his sleep"

I got a strange snort from him, seeing him shake his head.

"I heard from Jake"

Uh oh, this couldn't be good.

"He told me that the boys threatened him"

I leaned back on the wall "Well yeah, but-"

"I asked him what his problem was, and he told me that the turtles were brutes, and I needed to keep you and Rachel in check"

"Really?" I shook my head, closing my eyes and fighting back a yawn.

"But the thing is, Rachel had already come to me and told me what was said"

"So who do you believe?"

He huffed, looking down at me "Who do you think?"

I shrugged "Jake?"

He let out a curt laugh "Hardly. You know, I asked him about what he though of me asking Amanda to marry me"

I looked up at him. Was he-

"You know, the look on his face was almost mortified"

I sighed "He hates all of it Ithiell"

He leaned down, putting a hand on my arm as I looked up at him.

"Jake is a good leader when he wants to be. But, when it comes to being a male and a teenager... not so good"

I nodded in agreement "You don't think Donnie is a brute, do you?"

Now he laughed "I've probably spent more time with him than you have, sister. And although I believe Donnie got mad at Jake and shoved him down... I know it was for good reason"

"He called me a mutants whore"

"I know. Rachel has this habit of not missing details" He moved back up, continuing his work.

"All the turtles can be rough when they need to be. Raphael especially. But I know... they have big hearts, and would do anything to protect those they care about"

"So...what happened with Jake then?" I asked him, moving up to kneel and rest my upper half on the armrest of the chair, curious to see what he was doing.

I watched as he tapped away, before saying "Sounds like he's decided he doesn't want to come around here anymore. At least...not for a while. Only if there is a big emergency. Even then, he's said he won't enter the lair again"

"Is he really scared of the boys?" I asked, looking up at him. He shook his head, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"I think he just hates knowing you and Rachel have found something incredible. Heck, even I'm a little jealous" He smiled at me, and I slapped his shoulder.

"Don't go telling me you and Amanda aren't- hey" I finally stood up, looking over him as he met my eyes with his.

"Are you really going to ask her to marry you?"

There was almost a smile in those big eyes of his "I was thinking about it"

"Oh my god!" I let out a little squeal, almost leaping on him and hugging him.

This was the best news I'd heard in what seemed like forever.

"Settle down. It won't be for a little while" He patted my back and I moved away from him a little.

"We need to sort out this current situation first, and blow the Yeerks off this planet"

"Still..." I nudged him. He did a strange little eye roll.

"I know, just don't tell Amanda"

I held my hands up, unable to hold back a grin "Wouldn't think of it"

We fell silent, and I went over to Kristiana, sitting on the bed beside her, taking a hand in mine. As I suspected, it was cold.

"How is she?" I finally managed to say, watching as her chest moved up and down, cringing at the tube that was down her throat.

Did I look like this a year and a half ago?

"Stable. Rtaia thinks she should make a full recovery. Right now, it's just-"

"The waiting" I finished for him, going to squeezer hand a little. I felt a little silly for wanting to do what I did next, especially with Ithiell there, but I heard it helped people in comas sometimes...

"Kristiana, if you're in there" I leaned a little closer to her, taking her hand in both of mine "I'm sorry for stabbing you"

I heard Ithiell mutter something, but I ignored him, determined to at least try something.

"I just want you to know you're not alone. You're with friends, and we'll take care of you. The Yeerks will never hurt you again"

I put her hand back down, squeezing it gently one last time. Going to get up.

Then, something happened that I don't even think Ithiell suspected.

Kristiana's eyes opened wide, staring right at me.

"Whoa!" I went to move back a little, instead tripping over my own feet and crashing to the ground.

Instantly Ithiell was up, stepping over me and going over to her.

I heard "Hey, it's okay, I'll just take this out so you can breathe... just a second"

I heard sounds as I managed to get up, my head aching, seeing Ithiell removing the breathing tube.

He instantly regretted it as Kristiana let out a blood curling scream.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Well, after Kristiana was calmed down, April and Ithiell and I went about giving her a basic rundown of everything. She took alot of it well.

Then again, she'd just had a Yeerk in her head for who knows how long. I think it made everything we said a little more believable.

April was soon taking instructions from Rtaia, helping her to move tubes and check her blood pressure and things like that. Just outside open door, the turtles and Rachel lingered. There was just not enough room in here for four big turtles as well as the four of us and her.

I stayed a little further away, just in case she was still afraid of me, but she soon ushered me forward after everything had been explained to her. I could only wonder what was going through her head. More aliens? Mutant turtles?

"Jade" She managed to say in a croaky voice as I sat down. I bit my lip a little, and she reached for my hand. Rtaia was fussing a little beside me as I took her hand as gently as I could. I was glad to feel it was warming up a little.

"I'm so sorry"

"It's... okay" She shook her head, smiling "Wasn't me... you had to..."

"No" Was all I could get out, tears sliding down my cheeks.

Soon I was ushered away a little, and Rtaia was making her drink something as April and her fussed around her. Ithiell pulled me back, and after about ten minutes he was about to pull us both out the door, when I heard "No, wait"

"Do you need something?" April asked, on her left side now. Rtaia was now fidgeting with a gadget in her hands, putting it against Kristiana's neck for a moment before it beeped. She pulled it away and Kristiana managed to lift her arm, pointing at Ithiell and I.

We came back, hearing the turtles muttering between themselves, sitting down on her right side, with Ithiell standing above us.

"Kristiana?"

"You need to...listen" Her voice was becoming smoother, and I guessed it was from the drink Rtaia gave her.

"We're here, what is it?"

It took her a few moments to regain her composure. It was probably hard to breathe properly after having that tube down her throat.

"They want Serah...for a different reason"

I stared at her now. Different reason?

"Visser One...she's here. And it was who the Yeerk in my head was working for. They were...looking for..." She stopped for a moment, taking deep breaths.

"Take your time, we don't want you to over exert yourself" Ithiell said, his eyes narrowed.

"Kristiana" I made her turn to me "How long were you... I mean..."

"Three or four weeks... I can't..." She suddenly looked at her hand, relief flooding her face as she moved her fingers, balling her hands into a fist then releasing them. The information was a relief at least. It hadn't been that long...

"Splinter told me to tell you, that you can stay here as long as you need to. You don't need to worry about the Yeerks again" April spoke up, and Kristiana turned to her, smiling and managing to get out "Thank you"

"So, why were they looking for Serah?" Ithiell spoke up, folding his arms. Kristiana took a deep breath, looking up at him.

"The Yeerks took her dad about a week ago, and found out..." She frowned "Fount out that his wife was a...well..."

"Yes?" Ithiell seemed worried now.

"They called her a changeling... but I'm guessing now they meant one of you. The Yeerk didn't let too much slip..."

I think everyone in the room stopped to take that information in.

"Wait...that means... Serah..."

I couldn't move for a minute. Serah...my friend... was half Chanaiben.

Did she know what she was?

Probably not.. but, who knew?

"So... they found out her mother was a changeling... have they captured her?" Rtaia spoke up, her ears now folded back.

Kristiana shook her head "No, she got away. Now, they're looking for her and Serah"

"So that's why Visser One is back then" Ithiell put a finger to his lips, his eyes narrowing again. The thought of coming back in any sort of contact with that evil woman made me shudder a little.

"Yes. And..." She took another deep breath, coughing a little. April moved to pat her back a little, Rtaia bringing a little monitoring device.

"From what they could find from her father, Serah was the only one of her siblings that was born from her mothers natural form"

"Which makes..."

"Which makes her blood unique" I finished, the horrible realisation hitting me.

It's why they were after Serah. It's why they drugged everyone at the party...

"But...how did she get away?" I asked "I saw her fall, and Tony had her"

"The Yeerks didn't count on her mom being there. She saved her"

"Oh man..."

I could see the scenario almost clearly in my head now. It's why there was a hair pin in the hallway...

"Her mum must have saved her, then threw her into the supply closet until it was safe, or until she woke up on her own and... she came looking for me..."

"Tony said... well, the Yeerk said... he was knocked out. No one ever saw a changeling"

"Either way, we now have two people to look for" Ithiell turned to me "I just hope we can find them before the Yeerks do"

-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-

TADAAA!

Please read and review! Yummy reviews! :D