Chapter 12-
\tApril pushed through the turnstiles that served as the door to the turtle’s lair. Evie clenching her hand tightly as she skipped beside her. Ever since they arranged for her to train with her uncles, she had been non-stop überexcited ever since. She had no idea how she managed to get her daughter to sleep last night. She had allowed Evie to sit and watch her uncles train a few times and every single time she wanted to get up and join them. Completely fascinated with their sport. Casey’s genes she was sure.
\tAs soon as they sunk deeper into the living room, Evie tugged her hand out of her grip. Taking off down the hallway where the bedrooms were.
\t“Leo? Raph?” She called out first. The place was eerily silent. It strangely sent chills to skidder along her spine, goosebumps erupting on her arms. The lair just didn’t feel right and she didn’t know why. In fact, that had been the case for the past few days. Neither did any of the brothers feel right . . . nor her husband for that matter. She had dismissed the feeling just because they all appeared to be okay. They were smiling and laughing and any questions she had on the subject were immediately ignored or was given a lame excuse. Now that she was here alone however. The wrongness of her second home was now bothering her beyond dismissing.
\tAnnoying her. She loved the lair. She had always felt safe here. April wondered for a second if this had anything to do with the lack of Leo’s presence.
\tClosing her eyes, she pushed out her senses and what she felt next caused her to shudder in fear. She felt . . . evil. She felt hatred. Pain. Longing. Terror. It quaked her entire world. She gasped, shaking her head clear of the horrors.
\t“Mikey? Donnie?” She shouted again when she realized the eldest hadn’t answered her. Only this time, louder. Where are they?
\tHer gaze landed on the closed dojo door. Had they gone in there? They could be getting everything ready for Evie’s lesson. The room was a little sound proofed. Perhaps they simply couldn’t hear her.
\tShe started forward. Frowning as that wrongness started increasing in strength. She opened the door once she got there. Eyes widening in shock as she spotted a tied up very injured Leonardo. The first glimpse of him she’d seen for the past few days.
\t“Leo?”
\tThe head jerked up at the sound of his name. Those sapphire eyes wide as they fixated on her. He suddenly started tugging on his binds. Tears streaming down his eyes as he whimpered and sobbed.
\t“A-April, please help me. Get me out of here.”
\tShe rushed to his side. Her heart hammering, her body trembling as that evil from before stabbed her. Consumed her. “What happened Leo?”
\t“M-My brothers . . . they were kidnapped. Help me April! I need to get out here! I need to help them!” The more the words flew out of his mouth. The more irritated he sounded. No longer was he sobbing.
\tShe frowned. “Splinter?” She prodded. Wondering what had come of her second father.
\tLeo’s face fell. Showing off deep sorrow. She had to help him. She scrambled through her bag, tossing away the diapers, wipes, and toy’s she brought with her.
\t“All I got is these nail clippers. Maybe I should go and search for a knife or scissors.”
Before she could leave, Leo snapped, “No! There’s no time! That will do!”
Hesitantly, she turned back to him. Her eyes switched between the flimsy nail clippers and the very thick pieces of rope. Why did she feel so afraid of Leo? This was ridiculous! Why did the rough almost vicious sound of his voice make her want to curl against the corner and cry for help? She had heard that a million times before, mostly directed at an enemy.
“Please April. Hurry. I need to get to Raph . . . I need to . . . to . . .” The rest of his voice was drowned out by another wave of sobs. Breaking her heart.
She shoved away the feelings and reached over. Clipping the strands of the rope. With her shaky hands, it made the job nearly impossible!
She had gotten half of the rope clipped when a sudden shout, startled her backwards.
“April! Don’t!” It was Raph. Raph was there! Alive! Unharmed. With Evie tucked in his arms.
It was enough though, cause with a sudden roar of fury. Leo yanked his arms out of the binds. The ropes snapping their hold the rest of the way. He barreled out of the room, his legs wobbly and his knees looked about ready to collapse. Nonetheless, he pressed on. Shoving April out of the way and pushing past Raph and Evie.
April fell onto her rear with an umph. Quickly pushing herself up. Crystalline eyes wide as she watched Raph set Evie on her feet and chased after Leo. Scrambling to her feet, she gripped tight of her daughter’s hand. Her surprise overwhelming her as she saw Don and Mikey rush out of the lab. Master Splinter rounding the corner of the hallway to the bedrooms. None looked to be hurt.
Raphael appeared again back in the lair. A Leo slung over his shoulder, kicking and screaming. A trail of the vilest curses and swears she ever heard, flying out of his mouth.
She quickly covered Evie’s ears as she started crying. Never in all her years with the turtles had she ever seen Leo act like this.
Raph carried Leo into the dojo. Sending her a very guilty apologetic look over his shoulder before shutting the door behind him. Muffling most of the noise. Mikey and Don pushed past her into the dojo to help.
“Mommy!” Evie cried. She bent down, embracing her quaking daughter. “Why uncle Leo look so scary? Why would he say that?” Instead of answering, April cooed her daughter calm. Her hand running soothingly up and down her back. She wanted to know the answers to these questions herself. And universe knew she was going to get them.
It took a couple of minutes for Evie’s sobs to slow to sniffles and hiccups. April pulled away from her enough that she could look at her. Wiping away the tears from her cheeks, she placed a small loving kiss on her forehead. Crooning, “It’s going to be okay Evie. I will talk to you uncles and find out what’s going on. Alright? Don’t be scared. There’s a reason for everything.” Evie nodded, sniffling.
The dojo door opened as the three brothers filed out. Leaving Leo behind. No doubt, he was tied up like before. She wondered if she should be relieved or not. She stood up. Looking to Splinter who had joined the group. All of them staring at the ground in shame. So, there was something going on and they all refused to tell her about it. Why was she not surprised? She narrowed her eyes on them.
“Master Splinter? Can you take care of Evie for me while I talk to your sons?” She asked. Not tearing her gaze from the turtles. She knew Splinter was a part of this, but she had no desire to chew them up and spit them out with Evie as witness and she didn’t trust her daughter to leave the room and not eavesdrop on them.
She felt Evie’s hand slip away. Watching as Splinter carted her away out of the corner of her eye. As soon as they were gone, April took a threatening pose. Legs a part with arms akimbo. Her silver-blue eyes shooting lasers at them.
“Alright, start talking. What the hell was that? And do not even think about denying or making up excuses.” The three appeared awkward. Switching from one foot to the other under her cold stare. Exchanging silent pleas amongst the others. Finally, Raphael piped up.
“We can’t.” He muttered, apologetically.
Heat rose to her cheeks. “Why can’t you?”
“It’s uh . . . sensitive subject.” Mikey rubbed the back of his neck.
“Wha--”
“Hey! I’m here!” Before she could fully grate on them. Casey strolled into the lair much to April’s surprise. The goofy grin on his face fleeing when he spotted her.
“April? What are you still doing here?”
“What am I still doing here? What about you? You’re supposed to be at work.”
Casey nibbled on his lower lip. Eyes travelling to the brothers before back on her. “I . . . just came over to pick something up I had left behind.”
Anger boiled her blood and she was surprised she wasn’t billowing smoke from her nose. Of course! Her husband was lying to her as well. “It’s bad enough that they are lying to me but you to Casey? They got you in on this . . . this . . . whatever this is?”
Casey had the audacity to look confused.
She growled. Literally, the sound so rough she would have expected her mutant animal brothers to make more than a puny little human like herself. She stomped over to her husband, grabbing his ear and hauling his protesting butt next to the other three.
“I’ve had enough! I will not be lied to anymore! The psychic for goodness sake! I am as much a part of this family and I will have the truth!” The four stayed silent for more time than she was patient for.
“Alright . . . she’s right.” Raph was (again), the first to speak. Shocking her. All that time with Leo must be rubbing off on him. Casey shot him a warning look. “I’m sorry Case. The jigs up.”
“Raph, you can’t.” He gritted out between clenched teeth. Betrayal replacing the anger.
“She is as much a part of this family. She has a right to know. And after what happened, there’s no way of getting out of this.” Smart turtle.
“But--” Now he looked desperate.
“I know . . .”
Okay, now she was getting ticked. “Know what? What is so damn serious that you can’t tell me about?”
“She can handle it.” They went on as if they hadn’t heard her.
“No, she can’t.”
“She is strong. Do you not trust her?”
“Yes. But not with this!”
Oh, this was getting ridiculous. “Enough!” She yelled. Nabbing both attentions. Finally. She aimed her sights on Raph, stepping up to him. “You will tell me, Raphael. Leo is my brother to and if something is wrong, I want to know about it.” She concentrated on those emerald eyes. Searching for any hints of a potential lie. She saw a muddle of many emotions in those eyes. Fear. Confusion. Grief. Anger. Frustration. Sorrow. Reluctance. Every one of them weighing a thousand pounds on him. But no lies Nothing that told her he was avoiding her questions. Only truth. She waited for him to find the right words. Patiently this time. Feeling his pain as her own. Pain that seemed to have lasted a while.
“April . . . Nak’ir is back . . . and he has Leo.” Raph spoke slowly and gently. Her anger fizzling out and replaced with shock and horror as soon as the “N” word came out. “That isn’t Leo. It’s a spy he had sent to impersonate him.” He kept it short and simple but she didn’t seem to hear him. Too lost in her disbelief.
April stumbled backwards, away from her family members. Her eyes round and wild.
“April!” She could hear Casey’s voice. Could see him rushing up to grab her, but she didn’t want to be touched.
\t“No! Stay back!” She shouted. Pushing him away. She swayed as a wave of dizziness rocked the floor she stood on. She leaned against the wall for support. Bile quickly burning the back of her throat as her nightmarish memories slammed into her. Her world crashing and burning again.
\tCold callused hands all over her. Touching her. Caressing her.
\tA tongue dragging along her. The sting of saliva on her open wounds.
\tSharp painful knife cutting her up. Bleeding her out.
\tHer screams going unheard. Her tears shedding in an endless river.
\t“April!” He had shouted in pleasure on that vulgar tongue on his. A tongue she wanted so badly to cut out. She had never had such gruesome desires about anybody. Even the Shredder. She wanted death for him but never a life time of suffering for her own selfish vengeance and she didn’t feel sorry for wishing it on him. That creature deserved to die a horrible, slow, miserable, death.
\t“April! April!” Over and over he screamed for her and she began to get nauseous.
\t“April! Baby, it’s okay. Everything’s okay. I got you. April!” No . . . Not him. Nak’ir wouldn’t have been that nice.
\t“Casey.” She whimpered out. Startled by the anguish she heard in it. That was her voice? She was hoarse from crying and she still could feel a few more buckets of tears threatening to be unleashed. She sounded so weak and little.
\tShe peeked her eyes open. Finding her surrounded by four pairs of worried eyes. She seeked out Casey’s. Flinging her arms around her anchor. Quaking with such violence. Nak’ir was back. Her nightmare was back and threatening her and her family. Threatening Evie.
\tA rage she never felt before surged up in her. Powering back her weakened body. White, hot, and molten fury. She jerked herself out of Casey’s hold, firing all that aggression on him.
\t“Nak’ir is back and you didn’t think to tell me?” She screamed. Casey didn’t answer her right away. Too startled to form a sentence.
\t“I-I . . . I was protecting you.”
\t“Protecting me? Not making me aware of the danger around us is protecting me?”
\t“I didn’t want you to do this! You were freaking out! You looked about ready to be sick on the floor!” Casey straightened up. Looking both offended and concerned.
\tShe understood that. Truly, she did. But at that moment, she was too angered to care. “Well of course I would freak out! Anybody would! But that gives me all the reason to want to know so I can avoid it again!”
\t“You just got over this! You finally stopped jumping at your own shadow and you can sleep without having nightmares! I didn’t want to bring all that misery to you again!” Casey balled his fists till his knuckles turned white. His nostrils flaring. Thick, black, lashes hooding the cinnamon from his irises.
\t“You need to stop thinking that I’m nothing but helpless Jones! I beat your ass in sparing! Twice! I can protect myself, but I can’t when you keep important things from me! Now I got more to protect!”
\tThis was honestly an unfair fight. “I don’t want to drag Angie into this!”
\t“It’s Evie! And it’s too late! We’re raising her in a family of ninjas! There will always be threats over our heads, and I can’t protect her if I don’t know those threats! I know about my time with Nak’ir! I will never truly get over it! But I can’t cower away in a corner when I got a daughter to think about! A daughter I don’t want in the same position as me! I don’t want Nak’ir’s grimy hands on her! So, stop thinking about your stupid ego, Jones! Stop fighting battles on your own! If you can’t let me help to as her mother and your wife. Our daughter is definitely in danger!” April huffed and puffed. Her shoulders shaking with every breath she took. Her adrenaline pumping energy into her blood so hard she could hear it in her ears.
\tSlowly she began calming down when silence overthrew the room. A flabbergasted Casey staring at her.
\tShe wanted to apologize. This was unfair, her lashing out at Casey in such a way when she knew his actions were just protective male instincts. She was scarred for the rest of her life and he didn’t want to make it worse. Now was not the time to argue. She opened her mouth to do just that but Casey must have seen the regret in her eyes because he shook his head. Shutting her up.
\t“I’m sorry Red.” He said instead.
\tApril frowned. “I am to.”
\t“Don’t be. You only said what needed to be said. I should have been the one to tell you. Not Raph.”
\t“I understand where you were coming from.” He snorted, obviously not believing her. Casey looked over to Raph. “Sorry for yelling at ya man.”
\t“Forget it. I would have probably done the same.” Raph nodded. When did Casey yell at Raph?
\tSeeming to notice the question on her face, Raph looked at her. “While you were having your panic attack earlier.” Ah. Right. He must have blamed Raph for that. Stupid man.
\tApril sighed. Rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand. Her hair falling over her shoulders, shielding her face. After a moment of silence, no one daring to say anything, her eyes rose to Casey.
\t“We’re going.”
\t“Home?” He looked genuinely confused.
\t“No. Out of the city. If Nak’ir is here. I want Evie miles away from his reach. No doubt if he knows about you guys, he’ll know about us and want us to. I’m not putting Evie in that risk.” She saw the disappointment in his eyes and she didn’t blame him. She wanted to help bring Leo back just as much as he did, but Evangeline was her top priority. She glanced to Raph who looked equally disappointed but as quick as a flash, he smothered the look with a blank expression. Expertly steeling his features from her observant eyes. He was hanging way too much around Leo.
\t“I’m sorry Raph.” Just like Casey, he shook his head to prevent her apology.
\t“No. It’s okay. Leo would have sent you away to. He’d want you safe.” She nodded.
\tThinking about Leo and what Nak’ir could be doing to him as they speak, made her want to burst into tears, vomit, and smack her fists into something. Preferably Nak’ir.
\t“I’ll go get Evie.” She left the room.
Raph glanced over at Casey who was walking up beside him. “I’m sorry I can’t help Raph.”
Raph waved his apology away just as he did April’s. “Don’t be Casey. You got your own family to protect, and I do want Angie out of the way to.”
“I know, but--”
“No but’s Jones. I love Angie. I don’t want her in the line of fire. I want she and April far away and safe and I know her own husband is the only one who can do that. Besides, Leo would want that to. I would if I was in his place.”
“You were.” Casey answered dryly. His eyes rigid and weary.
Raph smirked and patted his shoulder as he walked past him. Dismissing the conversation on his own and turning to look at the two youngest observing in the far corner. Cocking an eye ridge at them, he spoke. “You two can resume your work now. It’s settled.”
The two exchanged looks to each other before nodding, satisfied to know that no fights would ensue while they were gone; and left.
Casey went to retrieve April’s bag as said woman walked into the room. Angie in her arms and Splinter on her trail. She went around saying goodbye and apologizes to everyone. Allowing Angie to hug her fill of uncles and grandfather.
“I don’t want to go away.” Angie spoke to Raph on a pout. Her hands tangled up in the tails of his mask. A habit she had since infancy.
“Now Evie--”
“It’s okay Angie. You’re just going away to visit your grandmother. In no time at all you’ll be back here again. You’ll love the fresh air there.” Raph interrupted April. Chucking a finger under the girl’s chin. She giggled.
“I hope uncle Leo gets better soon.”
“Me to Angie.”
Somehow Splinter explained to Angie the behavior of Leo was nothing more but an illness he was fighting that caused him to lash out in such a way. She understood easily but she continued to eye the dojo with a hint of discomfort. Something he was hoping she’d be able to get over by the time he got his real Leo back.
April scooped Angie in her arms, smiling fondly at Raph.
“If Leo could have kids, you’d be a great father.”
“Oh please don’t put that image in my mind. I couldn’t handle a Leo with twice as much hormones.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. Trying to stifle a laugh at the thought of Leo with a big round belly. April, however, didn’t even attempt. She slapped the top of her thigh with her free hand, releasing a guffaw.
“That’s a nightmarish thought April. Those kids would be little devils with both genes. No offense Raph.” Casey snorted. Snatching Angie.
“None taken.” He agreed, actually. He feared there would be kids all over the place and combining their genes would be like opening Pandora's box. It would be dooms day for everyone. No, he was perfectly content with Leo being a guy . . . a non-pregnant guy.
April didn’t follow Casey when he started towards the exit. He was about to ask what was the matter when she turned to him, a small smile still curling her pink, bee stung lips. “Raph, as soon as you get Leo back and he’s safe again. Tell him you love him. Okay?”
He looked stunned. “I. Don’t . . .”
“Yes, you do.” She grinned. Not waiting for a reply as she placed a quick kiss on his cheek and skipped away. As happy as a clam for someone who had just received the worst news today.
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