The Painter's Princess: Safe
You know how I said I had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles plotbunny the other day? Well ... it wouldn't die. So I wrote it. And it's still not dead.
This is quite honestly the most plotless fic I have ever written to date. There will be plot later on, as apparently this wants to be a mini-series now -Glares at muses- but for the moment ... yeah, no. But it has a little girl that out-cutes Mini-B Squad to the point of cavities, who will eventually have a reason for existing. And it's almost semi-important, I swear.
And for the record, I have no idea why I've become obsessed with writing from the point of view of someone who can't see.
Also, Brooklyn accents *SUCK*.
Title: The Painter's Princess: Safe
Author: Tsukino Akume
Relationship: non-romantic Raphael/OC
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are sadly not mine, in any incarnation. Thank goodness for fans, or stuff like this might actually have happened.
Warning: Some OOC, author's attempts at writing accents and lisps
Summary: Raphael brings home a stray that makes him - and everyone else - see himself through different eyes.
Author's Notes: I wandered into the TMNT fandom a few days ago, and this plotbunny DEMANDED I write it. I have no idea why, but apparently it's not finished either. So I wrote it for myself, and phantom_blue prodded me into posting it for some reason.
Based on the movieverse, as I haven't seen the 80's series since I was like, ten, and I haven't watched any of the newer series in recent memory.
She cowered in the smallest ball she could manage, silently chanting over and over not to be found. They had seen her run away, but they would never find her here. She was invisible. You couldn't find people when they were invisible.
Daddy had told her to stay invisible until it was safe.
She tried not to sniffle, quickly wiping at her eyes and covering her mouth before she made a sound. Invisible people didn't make noise. And she shouldn't cry. Daddy would want her to brave.
She could be brave. She could.
And ... Daddy wouldn't be mad if she was just a *little* scared ... right?
There were footsteps coming down the street. They were trying to be quiet, but she could hear them. They were close - *too* close.
She bit her lip and tried not to whimper. I'm invisible. I'm invisible. I'm invisible. You can't see me. I'm invisible.
The box she was hiding behind began to move, and she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Hey!" a voice bellowed.
Someone said something she couldn't understand, and then there was scuffling sounds. Grunting. Someone was fighting? If they were fighting, then this was the perfect time to get away. But ... she was scared. And what if they saw her again?
Suddenly the scuffling sounds stopped, and there were more footsteps coming toward her. She curled into a ball again, hugging her knees and burying her face against them. Please don't see me. I'm invisible. I'm invisible.
"Hey." It was the voice from before, but it was soft now, gentle. Like when Daddy knew she was scared and wanted her to know everything was okay. "Don't worry, princess. I'm not gonna hurt ya or nothin'. You okay? Those guys didn't hurt ya, did they?"
She hesitated. Daddy said not to talk to strangers. But Daddy wasn't here now. And the voice sounded a lot like Daddy ...
She looked up slowly and sniffled, rubbing an arm across her eyes as she shook her head.
"Aw ... Don't ... don't cry, kiddo. It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna you home safe, okay?"
Her eyes widened in terror. "No!" she cried desperately, launching herself in the direction of the voice.
She hit something solid, and it *hurt*. She whimpered, but there were arms moving to catch her shoulders.
"Easy there, princess. Just calm down, okay?"
There was fabric on the arms, and she grabbed it in her fists. "No! Stay!" she begged. She felt her way up the arms until she found the front of the man's coat. His chest was hard. Was that what she hit? He felt funny.
But he was strong, and he'd saved her. He could keep her safe from the Bad Men. And ... he had Daddy's voice.
She pressed closer to his chest, holding tight to his jacket. "Stay," she pleaded again, trying not to cry. She sniffled again, and couldn't hold in a sob. "Please," she choked out. "Don't leave me 'lone 'gain."
"Hey ... hey. Just calm down." There was a hand on her head, gently stroking her hair. "Just breathe, sweetheart. You're gonna hurt yourself doin' that. Deep breaths now. It's gonna be okay."
She sobbed, leaning into him. "M' scared," she whimpered.
"It's okay to be scared. You were very brave, hidin' the way you did. You're a real smart girl, you know that?" His voice was soothing, and his hand felt cool.
She sniffled, burying her head against him. He still felt hard, but she could hear him breathing. Maybe he was wearing armor? "Are you a 'lice officer?" she asked quietly.
There was a long pause. "Not ... exactly."
She frowned, absently releasing his coat with one hand to press lightly against the armor she was leaning on. "But you saved me."
"I saw those guys chasin' ya. Didn't look like they was up to no good, so I was followin' 'em. That's when I heard you scream."
"Oh." She considered this and smiled. "Then you're better than a 'lice officer. You saved me when you didn' haf to."
The man chuckled softly, and his whole chest vibrated with the sound. "Thanks, princess."
She smiled at the sound, yawning. "Keep me safe?" she asked sleepily.
Another long pause. "You betcha, princess." he said softly. The hand stroked her hair again, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.
****
It was cold when she woke again, and shivered. "Mister?" she whispered.
"Yeah, princess?" came the immediate response.
"M' cold," she whimpered, trying to wrap her arms around herself. Daddy had always told her not to leave home without her jacket, but she didn't 'member to grab it when she was running.
The man seemed to hesitate. "You ... you gotta promise me somethin' princess. You gotta promise you won't freak out or nothin', okay? I promise I won't hurt ya."
She frowned, puzzled. "Why?"
Another pause. "'Cause I'm ... I'm kinda scary lookin'. And I don't wanna scare ya, but if I give you my coat, you're gonna have to try not to panic, okay?"
She blinked in confusion, then smiled sadly as she finally understood. "I don't care what you look like, Mister."
"I hope not," he muttered under his breath, in the way that mean she wasn't supposed to hear. There was a rustling sound, and suddenly the pile of crisp fabric she'd felt earlier was draped around her. "Well?" he demanded. "You gonna scream at me or what?"
She frowned up at him. He sounded angry. "Do you want me to?"
There was another pause. "You mean you don't ... you aren't .... scared o' me?" He seemed stunned.
She sighed, because she didn't understand why she was supposed to *be* scared in the first place. "You saved me. Why would I be scared?"
"Cause I'm a freak o' nature?" he muttered, and his voice was bitter.
"I'm a freak, too," she informed him solemnly.
"What?"
She lifted her arms expectantly. "Come here? Please?" she requested. "I won' hurt you."
His footsteps were slow, but at last she heard him sit in front of her. "What?" he asked warily.
She reached out to place both hands against his chest again. This time, she took the time to feel carefully along the armor, noting that it was divided into large sections, and moved with each breath he took. Her hands worked their way up, and she discovered the lip of his armor.
"What are you doin'?" he demanded.
She reached higher, following the sound of his voice, and found his face. He recoiled at her touch, but she leaned forward to keep her hand against his cheek. "Stop squirming," she ordered. "It makes it harderer."
"Make ... it .... what?"
She lifted her other hand to join the first, carefully feeling along the raised bump that went across his face. His head was rounder than most people's, and he didn't have any hair. There was some sort of fabric wrapped around where his eyes were ... like a mask? And his mouth and chin ... it was like nothing she'd ever felt before.
"You have anger problems," she informed him. "You have angry lines. And your skin s'all rubbery."
"Yeah, that kinda comes with bein' a giant amphibian," he told her darkly.
She blinked. Oh. So that was it. "What's a am ... amph ... what you just said?"
"Uh ... A turtle." He sounded confused now, almost skeptical.
"Really?" she gasped, delighted. "Like, with a shell and everything? Oh, can I feel it Mister? Can I, *please*?"
There was a long silence.
"You ... can't see me ... can you?"
Her face fell, and she dropped her arms. "No," she said softly. "I can't see nothin'."
"Hey ... " His hand reached out to brush her cheek hesitantly. "I ... I didn't mean ... I'm sorry."
"It's okay," she whispered.
"Were you ... have you ... always ... ?"
She shook her head. "When I was real little, I could see. But then everythin' went dark, and I couldn' see no more."
"I'm sorry." He sounded guilty.
She shrugged. "You didn' know, Mister." She hesitated, biting her lip, and looked up at him hopefully. "Can I feel your shell now?"
There was a pause, and he laughed suddenly. "Yeah. Sure, princess."
A shuffling sound, and there was something solid under her fingers, filled with ridges and notches. "It's feels so hard," she marveled. She frowned as she found a long, deep groove that went through the other patterns. "You're hurt!" she gasped in horror. "You need a doctor!"
"Huh?" He twisted under her hands. "Oh, that. Nah, I'm fine. That was a long time ago."
She bit her lip. "Did it hurt?"
He moved up and down, like he was shrugging. "A little. Shells don't really hurt when they get hit, though."
She ran her finger along the cut. "It feels like it hurt lots." She leaned forward, pressing her lips lightly against it. "Heal fast," she whispered. "I want Mister to be all better."
The man seemed to shift around a little for some reason, then cleared his throat loudly. "So, princess. You got a name?"
She blinked up at him. "Abby. What's yours?"
"Raphael."
She smiled. "That's a pretty name."
" ... Abby's a pretty name, too." he said after another long pause.
She made a face. "S' short for Abigail, but I like Abby lots better. And Raphael is differn't. There's lotsa Abbys, but you're the first Raphael I ever met."
"My father named me after another guy with that name. He found it in a book."
"Tha's so cool ..." she sighed happily. "Mommy gave me my name, but there's nothin' special 'bout it. I wish *my* name was special like yours."
Raphael's hands moved to adjust his coat around her, stopping when she reached up to feel them because they felt different. "Yeah ... about that. Where do you live, princess? We'd better get you home before your parents start ta worry."
She froze.
"No! I-I can't! I-I "
"Whoa! Easy, princess! Calm down!"
She launched herself against him, abandoning the coat to wrap her arms around his thick neck. "P-please! S-s-stay with me! You said - you said you'd keep me s-s-safe!" she pleaded. "*P-p-please* Raphael! D-d-don't g-go! T-the Bad M-men will c-c-come back!"
His arms came up around her, holding her carefully. "Bad Men?" he repeated, alarmed.
She nodded against his neck, burying her face again. "The B-bad M-m-men that chased m-me. They s-s-saw me, I know they d-d-d-did! P-please don't m-make me g-go b-b-back Raphael! *P-p-p-please*!"
"Easy, easy," he soothed, his hand rubbing the back of her head. "I'm not gonna send you off when I don't know you're safe, princess. Just calm down."
She hiccupped, shivering again, and felt his coat wrap back around her. "D-d-don't g-go," she whimpered.
"Easy," he whispered in her ear. "I'm not goin' anywhere. I'm stayin' right next ta ya, okay? I promise. Shhh ... I promise, princess. You're safe with me. Shhh .... "
****
"What is it with Raph and damsels in distress?"
"And why are they always redheads?"
"Will you two knuckleheads shut yer yaps? The kid's tryin' ta sleep!"
"And you brought her here *why*?"
"Because I didn't exactly have a lot of choices, okay Leo?!"
" ... R-Raphael?" she called hesitantly.
"Right here, princess." His voice was instantly beside her, and she felt a hand smooth her hair back from her face. "Sorry, did we wake ya?"
"Yeah, but tha's okay." She sat up, stretching and yawning. "Where are we? And why were you argu'ing?"
"Uh ... I brought you ta my place. Were we bein' loud?" He sounded guilty.
"Uh uh." She rubbed a hand across her eyes, yawning again. "I heard someone say your name, an' I was worried."
The hand ran over her hair again. "I'm fine, princess. Don't worry so much."
" ... Okay, is it just me, or has Raph been taken over by aliens?"
"Shut it, Mikey," Raphael growled at someone behind him.
She giggled. "Who is that?"
Raphael sighed. "My pain-in-the-shell baby brother, Mikey."
"You have a brother?" she asked in delight. "Wow, you're so lucky! I wish *I* had a brother!"
"You say that now," he muttered, making her giggle. "I got three, actually. Leo, Donnie, and Mikey. They're the jerks who woke ya up. Sorry about that," he added softer.
"S'okay," she insisted. "Are they like you? Do you look 'like? Do they save people too? Can I meet 'em? *Please*?"
"One question at a time!" Raphael chuckled, tussling her hair. "No, we're not really alike, yeah, we're all turtles, uh ... I guess we save people? And sure, you c'n meet em'."
"Yay!" she squealed in delight. She looked up at him hopefully. "Will they let me see 'em too, or are they shy like you?"
Someone coughed, and she heard muffled giggling. She turned expectantly. "Hello?" she called.
"Hi!" a voice returned cheerfully. "I'm Michaelangelo! What's your name?"
"Michaelangelo?" she repeated slowly, and beamed. "What a pretty name! I'm Abby."
"Thanks! It's nice to meet you, Abby. So how'd you get stuck hangin' out with Raphael, anyway?" He sounded like he was making a face, but he seemed like he was teasing.
"He saved me from the Bad Men," she told him solemnly. "I didn' want 'em to come after me 'gain, and Raphael promised t' protect me."
"That sounds like him."
"You're real lucky to have big brother tha's so cool," she informed him. "I wish *I* had a Raphael."
"Everyone should have a Raphael," he agreed seriously. "But I'm even *more* lucky, 'cause I got *three* really cool big brothers to look out for me."
"Wow. You *are* real lucky," she said, awed. She paused. "May I see you?" she asked politely, because Daddy had always told her to ask first.
"Huh?" Michaelangelo sounded confused. "See - "
"Just lean forward, numbskull. It doesn't hurt," Raphael called.
She felt warm breath on her face. "Is this okay?" Michaelangelo asked.
She giggled. "You don't haf t' be *that* close, but thank you," she told him. She reached up, feeling his face gently. She smiled when she touched the fabric around his eyes, letting her fingers trail down to his mouth. "You have real big eyes, and you smile lots. Betcha laugh lots, too."
"That's right. You see pretty good," Michaelangelo replied. "Hey, can I see you, too?"
She blinked, flattered. No one *ever* thought to see *her*. "Sure."
Those strange three-fingered hands were surprisingly light against her face. "Hmm ... well, you're very pretty. But I don't think you smile enough ... you need to smile more."
And then his hands fell to her waist, and she shrieked in surprise and delight.
"Beware the Tickle Turtle!" he roared, his fingers brushing carefully against her ribs.
She squealed, kicking. "Michael-ang'-*lo*!" she howled. "Quit it!"
"Plead for mercy from the Tickle Turtle!"
"Mercy!" she giggled. "Mercy!"
"There is no mercy!" And then something light and airy hit her stomach, making her squeal all over again.
"Mikey, cut it out before the kid dies from lack of oxygen."
The fingers and funny airy thing pulled away, and she pouted. "Aw, but Raphael ... We were havin' fun ... "
"Yeah!" Michaelangelo whined. "We were havin' fun ... "
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she pushed him away, giggling. "You're so silly, Michaelang'lo."
"That's our Mikey," another voice agreed wryly. "Hello, Abby. My name is Donatello."
She smiled at the way he talked, 'cause he sounded like a grown up. She held her hand out to shake the way grown ups did. "Tha's a pretty name, too. I's a pleasure t' meet you," she said carefully.
A large hand closed around hers, giving a light shake. "The honor is mine, dear lady," he said solemnly, and she felt something press against the back of her hand.
She giggled, covering her mouth with a hand 'cause it wasn't supposed to be polite.
"Hey, hey, break it up," Raphael warned, and her hand was released. "She's *my* princess, I found her first."
"But she hasn't had a chance to see me yet," Donatello protested, sounding innocent.
She pouted in the direction Raphael's voice had come from. "Yeah! I haven' had a chance t' see him yet!"
"Oh, for - "
Someone snickered, and she beamed, taking it for permission. Holding her hands out in front of her, she waited for Donatello move closer. When he did, she took her time studying him, considering him thoughtfully. "You think too much," she said at last. "You've got wrinkles between your eyes."
"Man, she's *good*," Michaelangelo spoke up. "*Ow!* Donnie! What was that for?!"
There was soft laughter in front of her as Donatello moved away, and muffled arguing broke out behind it. "Hello, Abby. I'm Leonardo. It's nice to meet you."
"You all have such pretty names," she told him, delighted. "I'm real jealous."
"I think Abby is a very pretty name," Leonardo returned gently, and somehow she knew he was smiling at her.
"May I see you Leonar -" She hesitated, because his name was hard to say. "Le'nardo?"
"You can call me Leo, Abby. Everyone else does. And I'd be delighted."
She smiled happily when he leaned close, and felt her way along his face with the same gentleness he spoke to her. She paused as her fingers found the lines around his eyes, frowning as she followed them to his mouth. "You worry too much. Tha's no' good for you," she told him, concerned.
His hand came up to squeeze hers lightly where it rested against his cheek. The gesture reminded her of Raphael, and she smiled. "With these three to keep in line, I have to worry. It's a big brother's job," he explained.
"They must be *real* lucky then, havin' a big brother like you," she said seriously as she dropped her hands.
Leonardo laughed softly, barely a breath of air against her face, and a hand squeezed her shoulder gently. "Thank you, Abby. That's very sweet of you to say."
"I's true," she insisted. "If you weren' such a good big brother, Raphael wouldn' be such a good person. And he's *'mazin'*!"
"I think that's more Master Splinter's doing than mine."
She tilted her head. "Who's Master Sp'inter?"
"That would be me, child."
There were multiple gasps, and the scuffling noises. "Master Splinter!"
"Uh, Master Splinter, I ... I uh - "
She looked in the direction the new voice was coming from. "Why d' they call you 'master'?" she asked curiously.
"Because I am their teacher, little one." Master Splinter had calm, soothing voice that sounded very wise. She decided she liked it. It was almost as nice as Raphael's daddy-voice. "I teach them in the ways of many things, as I have raised them all."
Her eyes widened. "You're their daddy? The one who gave 'em all the pretty names?"
Master Splinter chuckled softly, and the sound reminded her of Raphael, too. "Yes, I did. I thought they were quite pretty myself."
There was a cough and a small scuffling noise in the background.
"They are," she agreed, nodding seriously. She paused, thinking. "And Leonar - um, Leo said that you were the reason Raphael's such a good person, so thank you. 'Cause he really is."
"Yes, he is. And how is it that you came to meet him, child?"
"The Bad Men were chasin' me, an' he saved me," she answered promptly. "He promised t' stay with me and keep me safe."
"Do you know why they were chasing you?"
She paused, biting her lip and looking down at her lap. "I ... I-I um .... "
"It's okay, princess." Raphael's hand was on her head again, and his voice was low and soothing. "No one's gonna hurt ya, remember? I promise. We just need ta know why they wanted ya, so we can make sure ya stay safe."
"But I don't know ... " she sniffled, trying not to wail. Her cheeks felt wet. "I-I wanna ... I w-wan - "
"Shh, shh." She was lifted without warning, held close to another hard chest. "Calm down, princess," Raphael murmured in her ear, stroking her hair. "Take a deep breath for me, okay? It's all right. Just breathe."
She hiccupped and sniffed again, clinging to his neck.
"You don't have to talk about it if ya don't wanna," he said softly. "No one's gonna make you. Just calm down."
"I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry," she stuttered, hiccupping twice. "M' s-s-sorry."
"Shh, I know. You don't gotta be sorry, sweetheart. It's all right. No one's mad. It's all right."
His hand continued to rub her back as she cried quietly. Her grip around his neck remained firm, and she refused to look at anyone else. They were all so nice, and she couldn't even ...
"Why don't we go lie down for a little while, princess?" Raphael asked softly. "Just you an' me. The guys'll let us know when breakfast's ready. You've had a real long night. You wanna do that?"
She hesitated, not wanting to be selfish. Raphael's family probably missed him lots while he was out. But ...
Finally she nodded once, slowly.
"Okay, princess. Let's go find some place quiet."
She felt him carrying her up some stairs, and the temperature changed as they entered another room. It was still cold - was it always cold in the places Raphael went? - but not as bad as the hallway after the stairs. Then he was laying her down, and she clung tighter, whimpering.
"Easy, princess," he soothed. "I'm just gonna getcha some blankets. I'm not leavin' you, I promise."
She sniffled, and forced herself to let go. Her fingers felt stiff from holding on to him so tight.
Something warm settled around her, and the ground underneath her shifted. Bed? He had put her in a bed, and now he was lying down next to her, tucking the blanket around her and stroking her hair again. "Better?" he asked softly.
She nodded and hiccupped.
His hand moved to rest against her cheek. "What's got you so panicked, princess?" he asked, sounding concerned. "I told ya, no one's gonna hurt you here. We just wanna help keep you safe."
"I know," she whispered, and the pillow under her head felt wet.
A thumb brushed under her eye, and she felt the top of her head be kissed. "Just rest for now, okay? No one's gonna hurt ya while I'm around. Don't cry no more. I gotcha."
She bit her lip, trying not to sniffle again. "Even from the Bad Men?"
"*Especially* from the Bad Men."
She leaned into him, feeling how strong his arms were and how soft his breathing was. And she wished, for just a moment, that she'd known him sooner. That she hadn't had to meet him because of ... of ....
"I gotcha, princess," Raphael murmured. "You don't have ta cry no more."
She cried harder.
****
"Abby? Time to wake up, princess."
Someone was shaking her.
"Come on, sweetheart." The hands moved to smooth her hair, drifting down to touch her cheek. "We got lunch ready for ya. You slept all mornin'. It's time ta get up."
The hand on her face felt funny, like it was missing fingers. And the skin was ...
That's when she remembered.
"Sorry," she yawned, sitting up to stretch. She rubbed the crusty stuff out of her eyes. "Didn' mean t' sleep so long," she mumbled.
The hand patted her head. "S'all right, princess. Ya need the sleep. You ready for somethin' to eat now?"
She nodded, smiling tentatively.
"All right, that's my girl. Upsie daisy."
She was picked up, pulled against that strangely firm chest again, and her hands went up to wrap back around Raphael's neck as she leaned into him. My girl ... Wish I could be Raphael's girl. He'd be a great daddy ....
The thought of *her* daddy hurt, and she hoped she wasn't crying again. Raphael didn't like it when she cried.
"Hey! Look who's awake!"
She smiled at the sound of the voice. "Hi, Michaelang'lo," she said shyly. She hoped they weren't upset she didn't tell them what they wanted to know.
"Goooood afternoon, Abby. So what do you like on your pizza? Whatever you want, we've got it! Or we can make it for ya, either way."
"Pizza?" She brightened. "I c'n have pizza for lunch?"
"You betcha. So what's your favorite?" There was a pause. "Uh ... you aren't allergic to anything, are you?"
"Shellfish an' beestings," she recited immediately. She hesitated, offering him a smile. "But I like cheese pizza. Or the kind with veggies on it."
"It *is* the best way to eat your vegetables," Michaelangelo agreed immediately. "One veggie pizza, comin' down!"
She giggled softly, because Michaelangelo was fun.
"Let's get you a chair, princess," Raphael told her, and she was set down on something hard.
She smiled up at him. "Thank you, Raphael."
He tussled her hair again. "You're welcome, princess."
"Good afternoon, Abby. How are you feeling today?"
She turned to the voice with another bright smile. "Much better, Don'tello. And how 're you?"
"I'm quite well, thank you."
"Yeah, now that he's had his coffee," Michaelangelo snickered, then made an oomph noise.
"And I'd be delighted if you would call me Donnie, Abby," Donatello went on as if Michaelangelo hadn't said anything.
"Okay, Donnie," she agreed, smiling shyly.
"Ooh! Ooh! And call me Mikey, 'kay?"
She giggled. "Okay, Mikey."
There was a soft chuckle to her left, and she turned with another bright smile. "Good aft'rnoon, Leo!"
"Good afternoon, Abby. Did you sleep well?"
"Uh huh. Raphael's bed is *real* comfy," she told him eagerly. "And he gave me extra blankets an' everything!"
"I'm glad he's taking such good care of you."
She nodded, beaming. "Raphael's the *bestest*!"
Someone coughed, and she looked around curiously. "Is somethin' wrong?"
"Not at all, child. Raphael is simply not used to receiving compliments."
She looked to where Master Splinter was. "Good aft'rnoon, Master Sp'inter," she offered shyly. She hoped he wasn't mad she didn't answer his question last night. Then she frowned as she thought about what he said. "Why not? Raphael's awesome!"
"Thanks, princess." Raphael's voice was gruff, but his hand on her head was still light. "Now eat yer pizza."
She reached out cautiously to find her plate, smiling when she found the slice waiting for her. "Thank you for the pizza."
"Anytime, kiddo!" Michaelangelo called out cheerfully.
Lunch turned out to be fun. Raphael and his brothers argued a lot, especially over the silliest things. Every once in awhile Master Splinter would say something when an argument got too loud, and they would quiet down. But there was always lots of pizza, and talking and laughing and everyone being together.
She never even realized she was crying until Leo's voice was suddenly right beside her, his hand gentle on her shoulder. "Abby? What's wrong, little one? Why are you crying?"
Startled, she tried to wipe at her eyes. "S-s-sorry," she stammered. "I-I-I d-didn' mean to - "
"Hey, hey." There was another hand on her other shoulder, and Raphael's voice soft and soothing in her ear. "What'd I say 'bout not apologizing?"
She started to say sorry again, but his hand went to cover her mouth.
"Ah ah! What'd I just say?"
She smiled a little. "Okay, Raphael," she sniffled.
There was a hand rubbing her back now, but Leo's stayed on her shoulder. "So what's got ya so upset? I know Mikey's jokes are awful, and his pizza toppings are gross, but it can't be *that* bad."
"Hey!" Michaelangelo protested loudly. "Never insult the pizza!"
She giggled a little, but her smile faded as she remembered what had made her sad.
"Abby?" The hand moved to her cheek. "Talk ta me, princess."
"I was thinkin' ... about my daddy," she said softly. She felt a tear drip onto her hand, and Raphael's thumb brushed under her eye. "I was listenin' to everyone, and it m-made me 'member ... " She bit her lip, trying to make the tears stop. Raphael didn't like to see her cry.
"Aw, sweetheart ... Come 'ere." She was pulled close again, and her back rubbed gently. "Talk ta me, kiddo," he whispered in her ear. "We can't help if ya don't tell me what 'appened."
She swallowed hard, burying her face against his neck again.
His chin rested on her head, and the hand stayed on her back. "It's all right, kiddo. I'm right here," he murmured.
"D .... Daddy thought ... someone was breakin' in," she whispered, shutting her eyes tight. "He told me ... t' go in the closet ... be ... be invis'table. He said ... he said no one could see me if I was invis'table." She sniffled, trying her hardest not to sob before she was done. "And then ... t-there was ... all this yellin' ... and Daddy yelled ... " A sob escaped before she could stop it. "An' then he wasn' yellin' no more," she choked out. "I w-w-waited 'til it was all quiet ... but I got s-s-scared, so I ran. An' then they were yellin' an' I forgot my jacket an' there were people were behind me an' so I hid, and then there was *more* yellin' and then you saved me and - "
"Shh, princess, I got it. Shh." Arms rocked her back and forth. "I got it. You were very brave, runnin' an' hidin' the way you did. And it was very brave o' ya ta tell me all that."
She clung to him, sobbing. "D-d-don't .... d-don' - "
"I'm not goin' anywhere, princess. I promise. Shh ... Just relax. I gotcha."
He continued whispering into her ear, rocking back and forth. Just like Daddy always did when she was scared. Just ... just like Daddy ....
****
"Is it really okay for her ta be sleepin' this much, Don?"
"Well she did go through a very traumatic experience, Raph. I mean, hearing her father murdered ... "
"Kinda makes you glad Master Splinter's still around, huh?"
"Never knew you to be the reflective type, Mikey."
"Hey! I can be serious if I want to!" A pause. "If I try really hard."
"Will ya keep it down? I don't wanna wake her up!"
"Any idea why they did it, Donnie?"
"Sorry Leo, but without more to go on than a location and the name Abby ... There's not a whole lot I can do."
"Abby Reynolds," she mumbled against Raphael's chest.
She felt him shift. "Abby? You awake there princess?"
She yawned, curling closer to him. All this crying made her tireder. "My name ... " she sighed. "Abigail Denise Reynolds ... Daddy's name's Kevin Reynolds .... "
"Kevin Reynolds?" Raphael repeated.
She nodded, curling one hand along the front of his chest, where the armor ended. Or was that his shell?
For a few minutes the only sounds were a keyboard, and someone pacing while Raphael rubbed her back and rocked them both a little. From the angle, she thought they were laying down - or maybe in a chair. Wherever it was, it was comfortable and Raphael hadn't asked her to move, so she wasn't going to.
"This can't be right ... " Donatello murmured.
"What is it Donnie?"
"You find somethin'?"
Leonardo and Michaelangelo were speaking softly, but she could still hear them. She didn't answer though, feeling too content where she was. If there was something they needed to know, they'd ask.
Raphael's hand was on her head again, gently stroking her hair, and she drifted off to sleep once more.
****
She woke up just before dinner, which sadly wasn't pizza. But it was yummy and full of noodles and veggies, and they said Leonardo made it special 'cause she was there. She told him it was good and got a pat on the head, along with the feeling he was smiling at her. Something about his voice always seemed to be smiling gently.
Dinner didn't make her cry, the way lunch had. Dinner was filled with laughing and teasing, and jokes from Michaelangelo that made her laugh 'til she couldn't breathe. And then Donatello would join in, and Raphael would finally tell her to calm down before she choked. And she'd protest that it was funny, and then Michaelangelo would say something, and she'd start giggling all over again.
But after dinner was when the questions started.
"So ... how old are you, Abby?" Donatello asked.
"Six," she said quickly. "How old 're all o' you?"
"Nineteen." The chair Raphael was sitting in beside her shifted, and she felt him staring at her. "You're six?" he repeated.
She squirmed, because that was *Daddy's* stare, and how did he know when she fibbed? Only Daddy knew stuff like that. " ... M' *almost* six," she offered tentatively.
"Almost?"
She sighed, swinging her leg back and forth under the chair and staring at her lap guiltily. How did he do that? "M' five," she mumbled.
"When's your birthday?" Michaelangelo wanted to know.
She peeked up at him. "Jan'uary twenty-third. When's yours?"
"July 4th. We get fireworks for our birthday," he declared proudly.
She tilted her head. "Our?"
"Well, yeah, for the four of us. We all have the same birthday."
"You're all born on the same day?" she asked excitedly. "Wow, that's so cool!"
"Not when you gotta share your birthday presents," Michaelangelo grumbled. "Ow! Donnie!"
"What're you complainin' about? You broke most of 'em," Raphael muttered, and she giggled.
"What about you, Abby? Do you have any other family?" Leonardo spoke up.
She paused, not quite sure what he was asking. "What do you mean?"
"Like ... brothers and sisters? Do your parents have brothers or sisters? Do you have any relatives ... ?" Donatello trailed off.
"Is there anybody out there wonderin' where ya are, and if you're safe?" Raphael explained.
Oh.
She understood now.
"Yes. Nana Linda's probably real worried. She lives in our 'partment building," she told them with a smile. "I should probably go soon."
"I'll take ya there, princess," Raphael promised. "Jus' let me get my coat."
She bit her lip. "Can ... may I see Master Spin'ter 'fore we go?" she asked softly. "I didn' get to yet."
"Of course, child," Master Splinter's voice was just as gentle as Leonardo's, and there was a faint tapping sound as he came closer. "I would be honored."
She smiled tentatively when he stopped, reaching out slowly to touch him. She gasped at the soft fur under her fingers, and lit up as she felt along his nose. "You have *whiskers*!" she cried in delight. Then she felt along the back of his head, and gasped in horror. "What happened t' your ear?!"
A hand settled on her shoulder, longer and shaped differently than any of the others'. "It happened long, long ago, child. It is an old scar that reminds me of the loss of someone most dear to me."
"M' sorry," she whispered. She leaned forward slowly and felt her way along until she found it again, kissing the shredded ear gently. She couldn't help herself then; her arms went around his neck and she buried her face against his shoulder. "You're so soft an' warm ... " she sighed. She wanted to stay here forever.
But it wasn't right, and she couldn't do that to them.
She pulled away with another smile. "Thank you, Master Spin'ter, for everythin'."
The long hand touched her cheek lightly. "Thank *you* child, for allowing me to see something that I have not seen in far too long."
"Wha's that?" she asked curiously.
"A pure heart."
Her face felt hot, even if she wasn't quite sure what he meant. She didn't think Master Splinter said stuff like that lots.
She shook her head and smiled again. "Thank you, everyone. I had *lots* of fun."
"It was our pleasure, Abby," Leonardo promised, and she felt him touch her shoulder.
She reached up to squeeze his hand and hoped she wasn't crying.
"We'll miss you, Abby," Donatello promised, and she found both her hands in his.
She squeezed them as tight as she could. "I'll miss you, too."
"Hey, hey! What's with all the sad faces?" Michaelangelo demanded. "Just 'cause she's gotta go doesn't mean we'll never see her again! Or - er ... Aw, you know what I mean."
She laughed softly, and reached out both her arms to find him. "It's okay, Mikey. I un'erstand."
He surprised her by pulling her into a hug. "We'll see ya again *real* soon, kiddo," he promised. And then his voice was softer, just in her ear. "None of us make Raph smile the way you do, after all."
She blinked hard, because she was sure she'd start crying any moment. Why did they have to be so nice about it? It wasn't like she didn't understand. Even if she didn't want to go ...
"All right princess, let's head out." Raphael's voice was softer than usual, but he picked her up with the same care he always did. "Time to get you home."
She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and trying not to cling. Home. Couldn't ... *this* be home? Why couldn't it?
But she wasn't going to ask. She wouldn't be a burden to anyone else.
The walk to the apartment building was silent, but Raphael's hand rubbed her back every so often. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. Raphael was so warm, and comfortable. She felt safe with him.
"So, I uh ... I'll come visit ya sometime maybe, yeah?" Raphael said eventually. His voice was low and kind of rough, like he was upset. "I mean ... it's not like we gotta say goodbye *forever* or nothin' ... "
She smiled then, because he was sweet. "No," she agreed softly. "I wanna see you 'gain, Raphael." I wanna see you always ... I wanna *stay* with you ....
He stopped walking suddenly. "Ya know Abby ... I ... I just wanna ... I just wanna say thanks, kid." She heard him swallow. "Thanks fer ... y'know, not ... freakin' out on me. When ya found out I wasn't human. That ... Well, even some human friends I got saw that first, and you ... you didn't. So I wanted ta say thanks. It means a lot to me." He cleared his throat.
She blinked in confusion, pulling away a little to look up at him. "But you *are* human, Raphael. You're the most human person I ever met."
He laughed a little. Harshly, like he didn't believe her. "Thanks, kid."
"I mean it," she insisted. She put her hand against his chest, the way she had before. "I know lotsa people, but you're the only one I know who saved me when you didn' haf to. An' you let me meet your family. An' you made me feel better when I was sad. Why does it matter what you look like?"
He pulled her close again, and his chin was on her head, one hand rubbing her back. "Thanks, princess." he murmured, sounding upset.
She closed her eyes again, holding tight to him. "M' gonna miss you, Raphael," she whispered. Darn. Her cheeks were wet.
"I'm gonna miss you too, Abby." There was a sniff, and his hand was rubbing at her cheek as he pulled away. "You be careful now, ya hear? Stay outta trouble."
"You too."
He laughed again, but it sounded funny. "Yeah. Yeah, sure." There was a pause. "All right, hang on, princess. Goin' up."
There was a funny metal scraping sound that hurt her ears, and they began moving up. A breeze hit, making her shiver, and Raphael rubbed her back again. "All right, princess. Ya said 1532 North Ave, right?"
She nodded. "Paradise Apartments," she repeated dutifully.
"Okay then, kid. This looks like your door." He hesitated. "You want me ta walk ya up?"
She shook her head. "No, thank you. I c'n find it myself."
He was still hesitating, and she wondered why. Then he knelt down suddenly in front of her, pulling her into another tight hug. She threw her arms back around his neck and squeezed for all she was worth.
Don't leave me, she cried silently. Stay with me! Please!
But she made herself pull away, turning to kiss his cheek. His skin felt wet and rubbery under her lips, and she wondered if he was crying. "G-g-good b-bye, Raphael," she stammered.
"Later, princess," he choked out. A hand lingered on her head for a moment, and then he was gone.
She tugged on the heavy door, slipping inside the apartment building. Heading for the elevators, she felt along the little bumps that spelled out each button and called for it. The ding was loud, and she didn't like putting her hand on the door while it was opening, because it was scary. But she dropped her cane when she ran away from the Bad Men, and she didn't know how she'd be able to find a new one.
The doors shut, and she pressed the button for Miss Linda's floor. Then she curled into a ball, and sobbed for all she was worth.
This is quite honestly the most plotless fic I have ever written to date. There will be plot later on, as apparently this wants to be a mini-series now -Glares at muses- but for the moment ... yeah, no. But it has a little girl that out-cutes Mini-B Squad to the point of cavities, who will eventually have a reason for existing. And it's almost semi-important, I swear.
And for the record, I have no idea why I've become obsessed with writing from the point of view of someone who can't see.
Also, Brooklyn accents *SUCK*.
Title: The Painter's Princess: Safe
Author: Tsukino Akume
Relationship: non-romantic Raphael/OC
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are sadly not mine, in any incarnation. Thank goodness for fans, or stuff like this might actually have happened.
Warning: Some OOC, author's attempts at writing accents and lisps
Summary: Raphael brings home a stray that makes him - and everyone else - see himself through different eyes.
Author's Notes: I wandered into the TMNT fandom a few days ago, and this plotbunny DEMANDED I write it. I have no idea why, but apparently it's not finished either. So I wrote it for myself, and phantom_blue prodded me into posting it for some reason.
Based on the movieverse, as I haven't seen the 80's series since I was like, ten, and I haven't watched any of the newer series in recent memory.
She cowered in the smallest ball she could manage, silently chanting over and over not to be found. They had seen her run away, but they would never find her here. She was invisible. You couldn't find people when they were invisible.
Daddy had told her to stay invisible until it was safe.
She tried not to sniffle, quickly wiping at her eyes and covering her mouth before she made a sound. Invisible people didn't make noise. And she shouldn't cry. Daddy would want her to brave.
She could be brave. She could.
And ... Daddy wouldn't be mad if she was just a *little* scared ... right?
There were footsteps coming down the street. They were trying to be quiet, but she could hear them. They were close - *too* close.
She bit her lip and tried not to whimper. I'm invisible. I'm invisible. I'm invisible. You can't see me. I'm invisible.
The box she was hiding behind began to move, and she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Hey!" a voice bellowed.
Someone said something she couldn't understand, and then there was scuffling sounds. Grunting. Someone was fighting? If they were fighting, then this was the perfect time to get away. But ... she was scared. And what if they saw her again?
Suddenly the scuffling sounds stopped, and there were more footsteps coming toward her. She curled into a ball again, hugging her knees and burying her face against them. Please don't see me. I'm invisible. I'm invisible.
"Hey." It was the voice from before, but it was soft now, gentle. Like when Daddy knew she was scared and wanted her to know everything was okay. "Don't worry, princess. I'm not gonna hurt ya or nothin'. You okay? Those guys didn't hurt ya, did they?"
She hesitated. Daddy said not to talk to strangers. But Daddy wasn't here now. And the voice sounded a lot like Daddy ...
She looked up slowly and sniffled, rubbing an arm across her eyes as she shook her head.
"Aw ... Don't ... don't cry, kiddo. It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna you home safe, okay?"
Her eyes widened in terror. "No!" she cried desperately, launching herself in the direction of the voice.
She hit something solid, and it *hurt*. She whimpered, but there were arms moving to catch her shoulders.
"Easy there, princess. Just calm down, okay?"
There was fabric on the arms, and she grabbed it in her fists. "No! Stay!" she begged. She felt her way up the arms until she found the front of the man's coat. His chest was hard. Was that what she hit? He felt funny.
But he was strong, and he'd saved her. He could keep her safe from the Bad Men. And ... he had Daddy's voice.
She pressed closer to his chest, holding tight to his jacket. "Stay," she pleaded again, trying not to cry. She sniffled again, and couldn't hold in a sob. "Please," she choked out. "Don't leave me 'lone 'gain."
"Hey ... hey. Just calm down." There was a hand on her head, gently stroking her hair. "Just breathe, sweetheart. You're gonna hurt yourself doin' that. Deep breaths now. It's gonna be okay."
She sobbed, leaning into him. "M' scared," she whimpered.
"It's okay to be scared. You were very brave, hidin' the way you did. You're a real smart girl, you know that?" His voice was soothing, and his hand felt cool.
She sniffled, burying her head against him. He still felt hard, but she could hear him breathing. Maybe he was wearing armor? "Are you a 'lice officer?" she asked quietly.
There was a long pause. "Not ... exactly."
She frowned, absently releasing his coat with one hand to press lightly against the armor she was leaning on. "But you saved me."
"I saw those guys chasin' ya. Didn't look like they was up to no good, so I was followin' 'em. That's when I heard you scream."
"Oh." She considered this and smiled. "Then you're better than a 'lice officer. You saved me when you didn' haf to."
The man chuckled softly, and his whole chest vibrated with the sound. "Thanks, princess."
She smiled at the sound, yawning. "Keep me safe?" she asked sleepily.
Another long pause. "You betcha, princess." he said softly. The hand stroked her hair again, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.
****
It was cold when she woke again, and shivered. "Mister?" she whispered.
"Yeah, princess?" came the immediate response.
"M' cold," she whimpered, trying to wrap her arms around herself. Daddy had always told her not to leave home without her jacket, but she didn't 'member to grab it when she was running.
The man seemed to hesitate. "You ... you gotta promise me somethin' princess. You gotta promise you won't freak out or nothin', okay? I promise I won't hurt ya."
She frowned, puzzled. "Why?"
Another pause. "'Cause I'm ... I'm kinda scary lookin'. And I don't wanna scare ya, but if I give you my coat, you're gonna have to try not to panic, okay?"
She blinked in confusion, then smiled sadly as she finally understood. "I don't care what you look like, Mister."
"I hope not," he muttered under his breath, in the way that mean she wasn't supposed to hear. There was a rustling sound, and suddenly the pile of crisp fabric she'd felt earlier was draped around her. "Well?" he demanded. "You gonna scream at me or what?"
She frowned up at him. He sounded angry. "Do you want me to?"
There was another pause. "You mean you don't ... you aren't .... scared o' me?" He seemed stunned.
She sighed, because she didn't understand why she was supposed to *be* scared in the first place. "You saved me. Why would I be scared?"
"Cause I'm a freak o' nature?" he muttered, and his voice was bitter.
"I'm a freak, too," she informed him solemnly.
"What?"
She lifted her arms expectantly. "Come here? Please?" she requested. "I won' hurt you."
His footsteps were slow, but at last she heard him sit in front of her. "What?" he asked warily.
She reached out to place both hands against his chest again. This time, she took the time to feel carefully along the armor, noting that it was divided into large sections, and moved with each breath he took. Her hands worked their way up, and she discovered the lip of his armor.
"What are you doin'?" he demanded.
She reached higher, following the sound of his voice, and found his face. He recoiled at her touch, but she leaned forward to keep her hand against his cheek. "Stop squirming," she ordered. "It makes it harderer."
"Make ... it .... what?"
She lifted her other hand to join the first, carefully feeling along the raised bump that went across his face. His head was rounder than most people's, and he didn't have any hair. There was some sort of fabric wrapped around where his eyes were ... like a mask? And his mouth and chin ... it was like nothing she'd ever felt before.
"You have anger problems," she informed him. "You have angry lines. And your skin s'all rubbery."
"Yeah, that kinda comes with bein' a giant amphibian," he told her darkly.
She blinked. Oh. So that was it. "What's a am ... amph ... what you just said?"
"Uh ... A turtle." He sounded confused now, almost skeptical.
"Really?" she gasped, delighted. "Like, with a shell and everything? Oh, can I feel it Mister? Can I, *please*?"
There was a long silence.
"You ... can't see me ... can you?"
Her face fell, and she dropped her arms. "No," she said softly. "I can't see nothin'."
"Hey ... " His hand reached out to brush her cheek hesitantly. "I ... I didn't mean ... I'm sorry."
"It's okay," she whispered.
"Were you ... have you ... always ... ?"
She shook her head. "When I was real little, I could see. But then everythin' went dark, and I couldn' see no more."
"I'm sorry." He sounded guilty.
She shrugged. "You didn' know, Mister." She hesitated, biting her lip, and looked up at him hopefully. "Can I feel your shell now?"
There was a pause, and he laughed suddenly. "Yeah. Sure, princess."
A shuffling sound, and there was something solid under her fingers, filled with ridges and notches. "It's feels so hard," she marveled. She frowned as she found a long, deep groove that went through the other patterns. "You're hurt!" she gasped in horror. "You need a doctor!"
"Huh?" He twisted under her hands. "Oh, that. Nah, I'm fine. That was a long time ago."
She bit her lip. "Did it hurt?"
He moved up and down, like he was shrugging. "A little. Shells don't really hurt when they get hit, though."
She ran her finger along the cut. "It feels like it hurt lots." She leaned forward, pressing her lips lightly against it. "Heal fast," she whispered. "I want Mister to be all better."
The man seemed to shift around a little for some reason, then cleared his throat loudly. "So, princess. You got a name?"
She blinked up at him. "Abby. What's yours?"
"Raphael."
She smiled. "That's a pretty name."
" ... Abby's a pretty name, too." he said after another long pause.
She made a face. "S' short for Abigail, but I like Abby lots better. And Raphael is differn't. There's lotsa Abbys, but you're the first Raphael I ever met."
"My father named me after another guy with that name. He found it in a book."
"Tha's so cool ..." she sighed happily. "Mommy gave me my name, but there's nothin' special 'bout it. I wish *my* name was special like yours."
Raphael's hands moved to adjust his coat around her, stopping when she reached up to feel them because they felt different. "Yeah ... about that. Where do you live, princess? We'd better get you home before your parents start ta worry."
She froze.
"No! I-I can't! I-I "
"Whoa! Easy, princess! Calm down!"
She launched herself against him, abandoning the coat to wrap her arms around his thick neck. "P-please! S-s-stay with me! You said - you said you'd keep me s-s-safe!" she pleaded. "*P-p-please* Raphael! D-d-don't g-go! T-the Bad M-men will c-c-come back!"
His arms came up around her, holding her carefully. "Bad Men?" he repeated, alarmed.
She nodded against his neck, burying her face again. "The B-bad M-m-men that chased m-me. They s-s-saw me, I know they d-d-d-did! P-please don't m-make me g-go b-b-back Raphael! *P-p-p-please*!"
"Easy, easy," he soothed, his hand rubbing the back of her head. "I'm not gonna send you off when I don't know you're safe, princess. Just calm down."
She hiccupped, shivering again, and felt his coat wrap back around her. "D-d-don't g-go," she whimpered.
"Easy," he whispered in her ear. "I'm not goin' anywhere. I'm stayin' right next ta ya, okay? I promise. Shhh ... I promise, princess. You're safe with me. Shhh .... "
****
"What is it with Raph and damsels in distress?"
"And why are they always redheads?"
"Will you two knuckleheads shut yer yaps? The kid's tryin' ta sleep!"
"And you brought her here *why*?"
"Because I didn't exactly have a lot of choices, okay Leo?!"
" ... R-Raphael?" she called hesitantly.
"Right here, princess." His voice was instantly beside her, and she felt a hand smooth her hair back from her face. "Sorry, did we wake ya?"
"Yeah, but tha's okay." She sat up, stretching and yawning. "Where are we? And why were you argu'ing?"
"Uh ... I brought you ta my place. Were we bein' loud?" He sounded guilty.
"Uh uh." She rubbed a hand across her eyes, yawning again. "I heard someone say your name, an' I was worried."
The hand ran over her hair again. "I'm fine, princess. Don't worry so much."
" ... Okay, is it just me, or has Raph been taken over by aliens?"
"Shut it, Mikey," Raphael growled at someone behind him.
She giggled. "Who is that?"
Raphael sighed. "My pain-in-the-shell baby brother, Mikey."
"You have a brother?" she asked in delight. "Wow, you're so lucky! I wish *I* had a brother!"
"You say that now," he muttered, making her giggle. "I got three, actually. Leo, Donnie, and Mikey. They're the jerks who woke ya up. Sorry about that," he added softer.
"S'okay," she insisted. "Are they like you? Do you look 'like? Do they save people too? Can I meet 'em? *Please*?"
"One question at a time!" Raphael chuckled, tussling her hair. "No, we're not really alike, yeah, we're all turtles, uh ... I guess we save people? And sure, you c'n meet em'."
"Yay!" she squealed in delight. She looked up at him hopefully. "Will they let me see 'em too, or are they shy like you?"
Someone coughed, and she heard muffled giggling. She turned expectantly. "Hello?" she called.
"Hi!" a voice returned cheerfully. "I'm Michaelangelo! What's your name?"
"Michaelangelo?" she repeated slowly, and beamed. "What a pretty name! I'm Abby."
"Thanks! It's nice to meet you, Abby. So how'd you get stuck hangin' out with Raphael, anyway?" He sounded like he was making a face, but he seemed like he was teasing.
"He saved me from the Bad Men," she told him solemnly. "I didn' want 'em to come after me 'gain, and Raphael promised t' protect me."
"That sounds like him."
"You're real lucky to have big brother tha's so cool," she informed him. "I wish *I* had a Raphael."
"Everyone should have a Raphael," he agreed seriously. "But I'm even *more* lucky, 'cause I got *three* really cool big brothers to look out for me."
"Wow. You *are* real lucky," she said, awed. She paused. "May I see you?" she asked politely, because Daddy had always told her to ask first.
"Huh?" Michaelangelo sounded confused. "See - "
"Just lean forward, numbskull. It doesn't hurt," Raphael called.
She felt warm breath on her face. "Is this okay?" Michaelangelo asked.
She giggled. "You don't haf t' be *that* close, but thank you," she told him. She reached up, feeling his face gently. She smiled when she touched the fabric around his eyes, letting her fingers trail down to his mouth. "You have real big eyes, and you smile lots. Betcha laugh lots, too."
"That's right. You see pretty good," Michaelangelo replied. "Hey, can I see you, too?"
She blinked, flattered. No one *ever* thought to see *her*. "Sure."
Those strange three-fingered hands were surprisingly light against her face. "Hmm ... well, you're very pretty. But I don't think you smile enough ... you need to smile more."
And then his hands fell to her waist, and she shrieked in surprise and delight.
"Beware the Tickle Turtle!" he roared, his fingers brushing carefully against her ribs.
She squealed, kicking. "Michael-ang'-*lo*!" she howled. "Quit it!"
"Plead for mercy from the Tickle Turtle!"
"Mercy!" she giggled. "Mercy!"
"There is no mercy!" And then something light and airy hit her stomach, making her squeal all over again.
"Mikey, cut it out before the kid dies from lack of oxygen."
The fingers and funny airy thing pulled away, and she pouted. "Aw, but Raphael ... We were havin' fun ... "
"Yeah!" Michaelangelo whined. "We were havin' fun ... "
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she pushed him away, giggling. "You're so silly, Michaelang'lo."
"That's our Mikey," another voice agreed wryly. "Hello, Abby. My name is Donatello."
She smiled at the way he talked, 'cause he sounded like a grown up. She held her hand out to shake the way grown ups did. "Tha's a pretty name, too. I's a pleasure t' meet you," she said carefully.
A large hand closed around hers, giving a light shake. "The honor is mine, dear lady," he said solemnly, and she felt something press against the back of her hand.
She giggled, covering her mouth with a hand 'cause it wasn't supposed to be polite.
"Hey, hey, break it up," Raphael warned, and her hand was released. "She's *my* princess, I found her first."
"But she hasn't had a chance to see me yet," Donatello protested, sounding innocent.
She pouted in the direction Raphael's voice had come from. "Yeah! I haven' had a chance t' see him yet!"
"Oh, for - "
Someone snickered, and she beamed, taking it for permission. Holding her hands out in front of her, she waited for Donatello move closer. When he did, she took her time studying him, considering him thoughtfully. "You think too much," she said at last. "You've got wrinkles between your eyes."
"Man, she's *good*," Michaelangelo spoke up. "*Ow!* Donnie! What was that for?!"
There was soft laughter in front of her as Donatello moved away, and muffled arguing broke out behind it. "Hello, Abby. I'm Leonardo. It's nice to meet you."
"You all have such pretty names," she told him, delighted. "I'm real jealous."
"I think Abby is a very pretty name," Leonardo returned gently, and somehow she knew he was smiling at her.
"May I see you Leonar -" She hesitated, because his name was hard to say. "Le'nardo?"
"You can call me Leo, Abby. Everyone else does. And I'd be delighted."
She smiled happily when he leaned close, and felt her way along his face with the same gentleness he spoke to her. She paused as her fingers found the lines around his eyes, frowning as she followed them to his mouth. "You worry too much. Tha's no' good for you," she told him, concerned.
His hand came up to squeeze hers lightly where it rested against his cheek. The gesture reminded her of Raphael, and she smiled. "With these three to keep in line, I have to worry. It's a big brother's job," he explained.
"They must be *real* lucky then, havin' a big brother like you," she said seriously as she dropped her hands.
Leonardo laughed softly, barely a breath of air against her face, and a hand squeezed her shoulder gently. "Thank you, Abby. That's very sweet of you to say."
"I's true," she insisted. "If you weren' such a good big brother, Raphael wouldn' be such a good person. And he's *'mazin'*!"
"I think that's more Master Splinter's doing than mine."
She tilted her head. "Who's Master Sp'inter?"
"That would be me, child."
There were multiple gasps, and the scuffling noises. "Master Splinter!"
"Uh, Master Splinter, I ... I uh - "
She looked in the direction the new voice was coming from. "Why d' they call you 'master'?" she asked curiously.
"Because I am their teacher, little one." Master Splinter had calm, soothing voice that sounded very wise. She decided she liked it. It was almost as nice as Raphael's daddy-voice. "I teach them in the ways of many things, as I have raised them all."
Her eyes widened. "You're their daddy? The one who gave 'em all the pretty names?"
Master Splinter chuckled softly, and the sound reminded her of Raphael, too. "Yes, I did. I thought they were quite pretty myself."
There was a cough and a small scuffling noise in the background.
"They are," she agreed, nodding seriously. She paused, thinking. "And Leonar - um, Leo said that you were the reason Raphael's such a good person, so thank you. 'Cause he really is."
"Yes, he is. And how is it that you came to meet him, child?"
"The Bad Men were chasin' me, an' he saved me," she answered promptly. "He promised t' stay with me and keep me safe."
"Do you know why they were chasing you?"
She paused, biting her lip and looking down at her lap. "I ... I-I um .... "
"It's okay, princess." Raphael's hand was on her head again, and his voice was low and soothing. "No one's gonna hurt ya, remember? I promise. We just need ta know why they wanted ya, so we can make sure ya stay safe."
"But I don't know ... " she sniffled, trying not to wail. Her cheeks felt wet. "I-I wanna ... I w-wan - "
"Shh, shh." She was lifted without warning, held close to another hard chest. "Calm down, princess," Raphael murmured in her ear, stroking her hair. "Take a deep breath for me, okay? It's all right. Just breathe."
She hiccupped and sniffed again, clinging to his neck.
"You don't have to talk about it if ya don't wanna," he said softly. "No one's gonna make you. Just calm down."
"I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry," she stuttered, hiccupping twice. "M' s-s-sorry."
"Shh, I know. You don't gotta be sorry, sweetheart. It's all right. No one's mad. It's all right."
His hand continued to rub her back as she cried quietly. Her grip around his neck remained firm, and she refused to look at anyone else. They were all so nice, and she couldn't even ...
"Why don't we go lie down for a little while, princess?" Raphael asked softly. "Just you an' me. The guys'll let us know when breakfast's ready. You've had a real long night. You wanna do that?"
She hesitated, not wanting to be selfish. Raphael's family probably missed him lots while he was out. But ...
Finally she nodded once, slowly.
"Okay, princess. Let's go find some place quiet."
She felt him carrying her up some stairs, and the temperature changed as they entered another room. It was still cold - was it always cold in the places Raphael went? - but not as bad as the hallway after the stairs. Then he was laying her down, and she clung tighter, whimpering.
"Easy, princess," he soothed. "I'm just gonna getcha some blankets. I'm not leavin' you, I promise."
She sniffled, and forced herself to let go. Her fingers felt stiff from holding on to him so tight.
Something warm settled around her, and the ground underneath her shifted. Bed? He had put her in a bed, and now he was lying down next to her, tucking the blanket around her and stroking her hair again. "Better?" he asked softly.
She nodded and hiccupped.
His hand moved to rest against her cheek. "What's got you so panicked, princess?" he asked, sounding concerned. "I told ya, no one's gonna hurt you here. We just wanna help keep you safe."
"I know," she whispered, and the pillow under her head felt wet.
A thumb brushed under her eye, and she felt the top of her head be kissed. "Just rest for now, okay? No one's gonna hurt ya while I'm around. Don't cry no more. I gotcha."
She bit her lip, trying not to sniffle again. "Even from the Bad Men?"
"*Especially* from the Bad Men."
She leaned into him, feeling how strong his arms were and how soft his breathing was. And she wished, for just a moment, that she'd known him sooner. That she hadn't had to meet him because of ... of ....
"I gotcha, princess," Raphael murmured. "You don't have ta cry no more."
She cried harder.
****
"Abby? Time to wake up, princess."
Someone was shaking her.
"Come on, sweetheart." The hands moved to smooth her hair, drifting down to touch her cheek. "We got lunch ready for ya. You slept all mornin'. It's time ta get up."
The hand on her face felt funny, like it was missing fingers. And the skin was ...
That's when she remembered.
"Sorry," she yawned, sitting up to stretch. She rubbed the crusty stuff out of her eyes. "Didn' mean t' sleep so long," she mumbled.
The hand patted her head. "S'all right, princess. Ya need the sleep. You ready for somethin' to eat now?"
She nodded, smiling tentatively.
"All right, that's my girl. Upsie daisy."
She was picked up, pulled against that strangely firm chest again, and her hands went up to wrap back around Raphael's neck as she leaned into him. My girl ... Wish I could be Raphael's girl. He'd be a great daddy ....
The thought of *her* daddy hurt, and she hoped she wasn't crying again. Raphael didn't like it when she cried.
"Hey! Look who's awake!"
She smiled at the sound of the voice. "Hi, Michaelang'lo," she said shyly. She hoped they weren't upset she didn't tell them what they wanted to know.
"Goooood afternoon, Abby. So what do you like on your pizza? Whatever you want, we've got it! Or we can make it for ya, either way."
"Pizza?" She brightened. "I c'n have pizza for lunch?"
"You betcha. So what's your favorite?" There was a pause. "Uh ... you aren't allergic to anything, are you?"
"Shellfish an' beestings," she recited immediately. She hesitated, offering him a smile. "But I like cheese pizza. Or the kind with veggies on it."
"It *is* the best way to eat your vegetables," Michaelangelo agreed immediately. "One veggie pizza, comin' down!"
She giggled softly, because Michaelangelo was fun.
"Let's get you a chair, princess," Raphael told her, and she was set down on something hard.
She smiled up at him. "Thank you, Raphael."
He tussled her hair again. "You're welcome, princess."
"Good afternoon, Abby. How are you feeling today?"
She turned to the voice with another bright smile. "Much better, Don'tello. And how 're you?"
"I'm quite well, thank you."
"Yeah, now that he's had his coffee," Michaelangelo snickered, then made an oomph noise.
"And I'd be delighted if you would call me Donnie, Abby," Donatello went on as if Michaelangelo hadn't said anything.
"Okay, Donnie," she agreed, smiling shyly.
"Ooh! Ooh! And call me Mikey, 'kay?"
She giggled. "Okay, Mikey."
There was a soft chuckle to her left, and she turned with another bright smile. "Good aft'rnoon, Leo!"
"Good afternoon, Abby. Did you sleep well?"
"Uh huh. Raphael's bed is *real* comfy," she told him eagerly. "And he gave me extra blankets an' everything!"
"I'm glad he's taking such good care of you."
She nodded, beaming. "Raphael's the *bestest*!"
Someone coughed, and she looked around curiously. "Is somethin' wrong?"
"Not at all, child. Raphael is simply not used to receiving compliments."
She looked to where Master Splinter was. "Good aft'rnoon, Master Sp'inter," she offered shyly. She hoped he wasn't mad she didn't answer his question last night. Then she frowned as she thought about what he said. "Why not? Raphael's awesome!"
"Thanks, princess." Raphael's voice was gruff, but his hand on her head was still light. "Now eat yer pizza."
She reached out cautiously to find her plate, smiling when she found the slice waiting for her. "Thank you for the pizza."
"Anytime, kiddo!" Michaelangelo called out cheerfully.
Lunch turned out to be fun. Raphael and his brothers argued a lot, especially over the silliest things. Every once in awhile Master Splinter would say something when an argument got too loud, and they would quiet down. But there was always lots of pizza, and talking and laughing and everyone being together.
She never even realized she was crying until Leo's voice was suddenly right beside her, his hand gentle on her shoulder. "Abby? What's wrong, little one? Why are you crying?"
Startled, she tried to wipe at her eyes. "S-s-sorry," she stammered. "I-I-I d-didn' mean to - "
"Hey, hey." There was another hand on her other shoulder, and Raphael's voice soft and soothing in her ear. "What'd I say 'bout not apologizing?"
She started to say sorry again, but his hand went to cover her mouth.
"Ah ah! What'd I just say?"
She smiled a little. "Okay, Raphael," she sniffled.
There was a hand rubbing her back now, but Leo's stayed on her shoulder. "So what's got ya so upset? I know Mikey's jokes are awful, and his pizza toppings are gross, but it can't be *that* bad."
"Hey!" Michaelangelo protested loudly. "Never insult the pizza!"
She giggled a little, but her smile faded as she remembered what had made her sad.
"Abby?" The hand moved to her cheek. "Talk ta me, princess."
"I was thinkin' ... about my daddy," she said softly. She felt a tear drip onto her hand, and Raphael's thumb brushed under her eye. "I was listenin' to everyone, and it m-made me 'member ... " She bit her lip, trying to make the tears stop. Raphael didn't like to see her cry.
"Aw, sweetheart ... Come 'ere." She was pulled close again, and her back rubbed gently. "Talk ta me, kiddo," he whispered in her ear. "We can't help if ya don't tell me what 'appened."
She swallowed hard, burying her face against his neck again.
His chin rested on her head, and the hand stayed on her back. "It's all right, kiddo. I'm right here," he murmured.
"D .... Daddy thought ... someone was breakin' in," she whispered, shutting her eyes tight. "He told me ... t' go in the closet ... be ... be invis'table. He said ... he said no one could see me if I was invis'table." She sniffled, trying her hardest not to sob before she was done. "And then ... t-there was ... all this yellin' ... and Daddy yelled ... " A sob escaped before she could stop it. "An' then he wasn' yellin' no more," she choked out. "I w-w-waited 'til it was all quiet ... but I got s-s-scared, so I ran. An' then they were yellin' an' I forgot my jacket an' there were people were behind me an' so I hid, and then there was *more* yellin' and then you saved me and - "
"Shh, princess, I got it. Shh." Arms rocked her back and forth. "I got it. You were very brave, runnin' an' hidin' the way you did. And it was very brave o' ya ta tell me all that."
She clung to him, sobbing. "D-d-don't .... d-don' - "
"I'm not goin' anywhere, princess. I promise. Shh ... Just relax. I gotcha."
He continued whispering into her ear, rocking back and forth. Just like Daddy always did when she was scared. Just ... just like Daddy ....
****
"Is it really okay for her ta be sleepin' this much, Don?"
"Well she did go through a very traumatic experience, Raph. I mean, hearing her father murdered ... "
"Kinda makes you glad Master Splinter's still around, huh?"
"Never knew you to be the reflective type, Mikey."
"Hey! I can be serious if I want to!" A pause. "If I try really hard."
"Will ya keep it down? I don't wanna wake her up!"
"Any idea why they did it, Donnie?"
"Sorry Leo, but without more to go on than a location and the name Abby ... There's not a whole lot I can do."
"Abby Reynolds," she mumbled against Raphael's chest.
She felt him shift. "Abby? You awake there princess?"
She yawned, curling closer to him. All this crying made her tireder. "My name ... " she sighed. "Abigail Denise Reynolds ... Daddy's name's Kevin Reynolds .... "
"Kevin Reynolds?" Raphael repeated.
She nodded, curling one hand along the front of his chest, where the armor ended. Or was that his shell?
For a few minutes the only sounds were a keyboard, and someone pacing while Raphael rubbed her back and rocked them both a little. From the angle, she thought they were laying down - or maybe in a chair. Wherever it was, it was comfortable and Raphael hadn't asked her to move, so she wasn't going to.
"This can't be right ... " Donatello murmured.
"What is it Donnie?"
"You find somethin'?"
Leonardo and Michaelangelo were speaking softly, but she could still hear them. She didn't answer though, feeling too content where she was. If there was something they needed to know, they'd ask.
Raphael's hand was on her head again, gently stroking her hair, and she drifted off to sleep once more.
****
She woke up just before dinner, which sadly wasn't pizza. But it was yummy and full of noodles and veggies, and they said Leonardo made it special 'cause she was there. She told him it was good and got a pat on the head, along with the feeling he was smiling at her. Something about his voice always seemed to be smiling gently.
Dinner didn't make her cry, the way lunch had. Dinner was filled with laughing and teasing, and jokes from Michaelangelo that made her laugh 'til she couldn't breathe. And then Donatello would join in, and Raphael would finally tell her to calm down before she choked. And she'd protest that it was funny, and then Michaelangelo would say something, and she'd start giggling all over again.
But after dinner was when the questions started.
"So ... how old are you, Abby?" Donatello asked.
"Six," she said quickly. "How old 're all o' you?"
"Nineteen." The chair Raphael was sitting in beside her shifted, and she felt him staring at her. "You're six?" he repeated.
She squirmed, because that was *Daddy's* stare, and how did he know when she fibbed? Only Daddy knew stuff like that. " ... M' *almost* six," she offered tentatively.
"Almost?"
She sighed, swinging her leg back and forth under the chair and staring at her lap guiltily. How did he do that? "M' five," she mumbled.
"When's your birthday?" Michaelangelo wanted to know.
She peeked up at him. "Jan'uary twenty-third. When's yours?"
"July 4th. We get fireworks for our birthday," he declared proudly.
She tilted her head. "Our?"
"Well, yeah, for the four of us. We all have the same birthday."
"You're all born on the same day?" she asked excitedly. "Wow, that's so cool!"
"Not when you gotta share your birthday presents," Michaelangelo grumbled. "Ow! Donnie!"
"What're you complainin' about? You broke most of 'em," Raphael muttered, and she giggled.
"What about you, Abby? Do you have any other family?" Leonardo spoke up.
She paused, not quite sure what he was asking. "What do you mean?"
"Like ... brothers and sisters? Do your parents have brothers or sisters? Do you have any relatives ... ?" Donatello trailed off.
"Is there anybody out there wonderin' where ya are, and if you're safe?" Raphael explained.
Oh.
She understood now.
"Yes. Nana Linda's probably real worried. She lives in our 'partment building," she told them with a smile. "I should probably go soon."
"I'll take ya there, princess," Raphael promised. "Jus' let me get my coat."
She bit her lip. "Can ... may I see Master Spin'ter 'fore we go?" she asked softly. "I didn' get to yet."
"Of course, child," Master Splinter's voice was just as gentle as Leonardo's, and there was a faint tapping sound as he came closer. "I would be honored."
She smiled tentatively when he stopped, reaching out slowly to touch him. She gasped at the soft fur under her fingers, and lit up as she felt along his nose. "You have *whiskers*!" she cried in delight. Then she felt along the back of his head, and gasped in horror. "What happened t' your ear?!"
A hand settled on her shoulder, longer and shaped differently than any of the others'. "It happened long, long ago, child. It is an old scar that reminds me of the loss of someone most dear to me."
"M' sorry," she whispered. She leaned forward slowly and felt her way along until she found it again, kissing the shredded ear gently. She couldn't help herself then; her arms went around his neck and she buried her face against his shoulder. "You're so soft an' warm ... " she sighed. She wanted to stay here forever.
But it wasn't right, and she couldn't do that to them.
She pulled away with another smile. "Thank you, Master Spin'ter, for everythin'."
The long hand touched her cheek lightly. "Thank *you* child, for allowing me to see something that I have not seen in far too long."
"Wha's that?" she asked curiously.
"A pure heart."
Her face felt hot, even if she wasn't quite sure what he meant. She didn't think Master Splinter said stuff like that lots.
She shook her head and smiled again. "Thank you, everyone. I had *lots* of fun."
"It was our pleasure, Abby," Leonardo promised, and she felt him touch her shoulder.
She reached up to squeeze his hand and hoped she wasn't crying.
"We'll miss you, Abby," Donatello promised, and she found both her hands in his.
She squeezed them as tight as she could. "I'll miss you, too."
"Hey, hey! What's with all the sad faces?" Michaelangelo demanded. "Just 'cause she's gotta go doesn't mean we'll never see her again! Or - er ... Aw, you know what I mean."
She laughed softly, and reached out both her arms to find him. "It's okay, Mikey. I un'erstand."
He surprised her by pulling her into a hug. "We'll see ya again *real* soon, kiddo," he promised. And then his voice was softer, just in her ear. "None of us make Raph smile the way you do, after all."
She blinked hard, because she was sure she'd start crying any moment. Why did they have to be so nice about it? It wasn't like she didn't understand. Even if she didn't want to go ...
"All right princess, let's head out." Raphael's voice was softer than usual, but he picked her up with the same care he always did. "Time to get you home."
She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and trying not to cling. Home. Couldn't ... *this* be home? Why couldn't it?
But she wasn't going to ask. She wouldn't be a burden to anyone else.
The walk to the apartment building was silent, but Raphael's hand rubbed her back every so often. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. Raphael was so warm, and comfortable. She felt safe with him.
"So, I uh ... I'll come visit ya sometime maybe, yeah?" Raphael said eventually. His voice was low and kind of rough, like he was upset. "I mean ... it's not like we gotta say goodbye *forever* or nothin' ... "
She smiled then, because he was sweet. "No," she agreed softly. "I wanna see you 'gain, Raphael." I wanna see you always ... I wanna *stay* with you ....
He stopped walking suddenly. "Ya know Abby ... I ... I just wanna ... I just wanna say thanks, kid." She heard him swallow. "Thanks fer ... y'know, not ... freakin' out on me. When ya found out I wasn't human. That ... Well, even some human friends I got saw that first, and you ... you didn't. So I wanted ta say thanks. It means a lot to me." He cleared his throat.
She blinked in confusion, pulling away a little to look up at him. "But you *are* human, Raphael. You're the most human person I ever met."
He laughed a little. Harshly, like he didn't believe her. "Thanks, kid."
"I mean it," she insisted. She put her hand against his chest, the way she had before. "I know lotsa people, but you're the only one I know who saved me when you didn' haf to. An' you let me meet your family. An' you made me feel better when I was sad. Why does it matter what you look like?"
He pulled her close again, and his chin was on her head, one hand rubbing her back. "Thanks, princess." he murmured, sounding upset.
She closed her eyes again, holding tight to him. "M' gonna miss you, Raphael," she whispered. Darn. Her cheeks were wet.
"I'm gonna miss you too, Abby." There was a sniff, and his hand was rubbing at her cheek as he pulled away. "You be careful now, ya hear? Stay outta trouble."
"You too."
He laughed again, but it sounded funny. "Yeah. Yeah, sure." There was a pause. "All right, hang on, princess. Goin' up."
There was a funny metal scraping sound that hurt her ears, and they began moving up. A breeze hit, making her shiver, and Raphael rubbed her back again. "All right, princess. Ya said 1532 North Ave, right?"
She nodded. "Paradise Apartments," she repeated dutifully.
"Okay then, kid. This looks like your door." He hesitated. "You want me ta walk ya up?"
She shook her head. "No, thank you. I c'n find it myself."
He was still hesitating, and she wondered why. Then he knelt down suddenly in front of her, pulling her into another tight hug. She threw her arms back around his neck and squeezed for all she was worth.
Don't leave me, she cried silently. Stay with me! Please!
But she made herself pull away, turning to kiss his cheek. His skin felt wet and rubbery under her lips, and she wondered if he was crying. "G-g-good b-bye, Raphael," she stammered.
"Later, princess," he choked out. A hand lingered on her head for a moment, and then he was gone.
She tugged on the heavy door, slipping inside the apartment building. Heading for the elevators, she felt along the little bumps that spelled out each button and called for it. The ding was loud, and she didn't like putting her hand on the door while it was opening, because it was scary. But she dropped her cane when she ran away from the Bad Men, and she didn't know how she'd be able to find a new one.
The doors shut, and she pressed the button for Miss Linda's floor. Then she curled into a ball, and sobbed for all she was worth.