" Hello?" She said sweetly.
" Hey Janet." Leo said.
" Hey, you sound a little upset, is everything ok?" She asked in concern.
" No not really. Me and Raphael got into another fight." He said and she heard the angry voice of Raphael in the back ground.
" That's right! Call your bitch, you whining baby!" She heard Raphael say.
" Oh! How rude! Your brother is a dick!" Janet exclaimed angrily.
" Yeah, I know he's a dick!" Leo repeated loud enough for Raphael to hear.
" Yeah and I'm sure she's suckin yours!" Raph yelled. Leo's mouth dropped and Janet remained speechless.
" RAPHAEL!" Janet heard the elderly voice of their father come out and then Raphael yell "ouch", which could only mean that he got a smack from his father. Leonardo was laughing under his breath and Janet smiled in satisfaction.
" Raphael just got what he deserved." Leo said.
" Thank god. I was getting tired of him." Janet stated sourly. There was a moment of silence and then Janet spoke up.
" Hey Leo, are you busy tonight?" She asked. Leonardo felt his heart jump into his throat. Every time they went out to meet each other somewhere, Leo always got butterflies in his stomach. He took a few breaths before answering.
" No, actually I was kind of hoping to get the hell out of here." He said. Janet smiled mischievously.
" Let's meet up somewhere." She said.
" Ok, where?" He asked anxiously. He wanted to see her again badly and get away from his brother Raphael for a while. The frustration of his brothers actions and Splinter denying he was sick was piling up on him and he just wanted to run and get some fresh air.
" Meet me at the park outside town. You know, where you met my sister that one day." Janet said. Leo knew what park she was talking about and said ok.
" I'll be there in about thirty minutes." He said and they said their goodbyes. Janet quickly ran to her closet and looked through her clothes. She smiled when she came across her short black dress with transparent sleeves. She wanted to look nicer than he had ever seen her. In her heart she felt a closeness to him and she had gotten to know his charm and found that he was a very sweet person. There was once he brought her roses just because he wanted to and she found that very romantic. She smiled at the thought and began to get into her dress. She took out her black sandals and put them on. Her toe and finger nails were already painted a soft lavender and she only powdered her face and put on lip gloss. She looked at her hair and decided that she wanted to leave it down for the evening. Leo had never seen her hair completely down, because she had always found some stylish way to put it up. She looked herself over and then went down stairs. Catherine looked at her and smiled.
" Going out on a date?" She asked.
" Something like that. It's only 8 p.m. so I'll be back by 11 p.m." She said and her mom gave her the keys. Janet walked out into the garage and got into the van. Alana was stretching in the living room for her warm ups and listened as the sound of the van's engine fading as it went further away from the house. Alana spread her legs into the splits and reached her hands over to her toes and waited for her mom. Catherine got up and looked at her daughter and when Alana felt warmed up, she got to her feet.
" Now, this may be a little difficult since your classes have been off and on, so it may hurt a little." Catherine warned. Alana nodded knowing that it would, but ballet was the dance that she loved. It was elegant and graceful and she felt beautiful when she was doing it. Her mother went and turned on the stereo they had in the living room. Alana listened to the soft orchestra music in the back ground of the sweet flute that was playing the main lead. Catherine held her daughters back for support as Alana did some basic moves to warm up a little more.
" Alright, on your toes." Catherine said gently. Antonio was in the kitchen looking at a sports magazine and then looked at his daughter and smiled. Alana had always tried to dance gracefully and she had been coming along great until that incident where she wouldn't go anywhere or do anything for almost two months. Alana lifted herself onto her toes and struggled to keep it there, but it hurt and she stumbled and nearly fell to the floor. Catherine helped her up and looked at Alana's angry face.
" Alana, you knew this was expected." Catherine said sternly, knowing her daughter might blow up any second and start talking about how she couldn't do it and she was no good. Alana nodded and took a few breaths before trying again.
Janet stepped out of the van and looked at the glistening pond in the moonlight. She didn't see Leonardo anywhere or anyone else for that matter. The police had started doing routine checks of the park after a drug bust not too far from there and the gangs had to find another place to hang out, so it was peaceful now and could be enjoyed for it's beauty. She walked down to the lake and looked around.
" Leonardo?" She called softly.
" Hey." Janet whirled around when she heard the voice from the bushes, but relaxed when she saw him. She smiled and walked over. The ground was still damp from the rain, but Janet wanted to be there by the lake because of the romantic setting it was. Leonardo watched in awe when she walked toward him. The wind blew slightly and blew her thin dress against her body and her long hair back. She looked beautiful and Leo ached to touch her with his bare hands, but he didn't dare show her any part of his body for the fear that he might scare her away.
" Janet, I hope you don't mind, but I set up a little place for us to sit." Leo whispered and walked with her to the little opening in the bushes. They were concealed from whoever might show up and Janet smiled when she saw the blanket on the ground and the umbrella over it just in case it started to rain. With a smile still on her face she sat herself down with her legs crossed in front of her. Leo sat down next to her and tried to relax, but his nerves were jumping. There was a moment of silence before Janet finally spoke.
" Leonardo?.........Do you trust me?" She asked. Leo looked at her and wondered why she would be asking that question.
" Of course. You haven't given me a reason not to." He said.
" Then why don't you let me see you?" Janet asked sitting so she could face him. Leo felt his heart beating hard in his chest and he was afraid that he would drive her away if her exposed the truth.
" Janet, it has nothing to do with trust, it's.....I don't want to scare you. I'm not what you think I am." He said nervously.
" Wait....I don't understand. You said you were deformed, but what else is there to know?" Leo thought about it for a second and then realized how much he really cared about her and knew that he couldn't keep himself a secret forever. He heaved a sigh and knew that he had to tell her.
" Janet......I'm not deformed like I said." He said finally. She gave him a confused look and Leo felt bad for lying to her.
" I'm not even what you would call human. I know that is hard for you to believe, but it's true. I am a genetic mutation along with my brothers and father." He said. Janet was speechless and she just starred at him.
" Can I see you?" She asked finally. Leo looked down at his hands and shook his head.
" I don't want to scare you." He whispered.
" You won't. I won't run, I promise." Janet said softly, but fear had crept into her and she didn't know what to make of what she had just heard. Leo finally relented and stood up. He took off his gloves and showed her his hands. Janet gave a surprised look when she saw the color of them, but her eyes widened even more when he removed his beany and scarf. She looked at his face and then he removed his coat and she was left breathless.
" Wha......what are you?" She stammered. Leonardo turned away from her and looked at the lake through the bushes. Janet looked at him and the shell he had on his back.
" If I didn't know any better, I'd say you looked like a giant turtle....." She said looking at his two toes and three fingers.
" I am." He said finally. Janet couldn't believe what she was seeing. His arms and legs looked human, but his color, shell, and other features certainly didn't.
" Are you half human?" She asked curiously.
" Not to my knowledge." Leo said softly. Janet noticed the discomfort in his voice and the fact that he couldn't bring himself to look at her.
" Leo? Please sit down." Janet said gently. The turtle glanced at her and then sat down, but kept his eyes staring straight ahead.
" I'm sorry I lied to you." He said almost at a whisper.
" It's ok. I understand why. Leonardo, I don't think any differently of you. You're still a friend." Janet said softly, but Leo looked a little hurt. He looked down at the ground and remained silent. Janet realized that the feeling she had for him before still hadn't changed. She still felt the same way about him as she did before. She slowly reached out a hand and touched his shoulder. She could feel his muscles quiver under his skin and smiled slightly at the reaction, but he stayed still. She reached her hand back and touched the shell on his back.
" Can you feel this?" She asked noticing how hard it was.
" A little." Leo said hoarsely. Janet ran her hand over to his shoulder and then touched the hard plates on his chest.
" What about that?" She asked curiously.
" That, I feel a little more than my shell." He said and still didn't look at her.
" Is there females like you?" She asked suddenly, and she felt a flutter of butterflies in her stomach.
" No. Just me and my brothers." He answered without flinching.
" Leonardo? If there were females, would you still be here with me?" She asked uncertainly. For the first time since he had exposed himself to her, he turned to look right into her soft brown eyes. His eyes were gentle like always, but for the first time, Janet felt nervous under his stare.
" Yes Janet, I'd still be here with you." He said softly. Janet stared into his eyes and saw the truth they held, but Leo turned away and stared straight ahead again. Janet felt the anxiety running through her and reached out to touch his face. The skin was leather like, but soft at the same time. She licked her lips and nervously turned his head to face her. Before he realized what was happening, he felt her lips on his. He shuddered in a delightful surprise and welcomed it. His hands were trembling as he reached out and touched her face. Her kisses were soft and feather like, but turned passionate and Leonardo found himself wrapping his arms around his waist. Their kiss deepened as he felt Janet move closer and then he lifted her leg over his to sit straddled on him. Leonardo's hands caressed her back and then move to her thighs. He felt the aching desire fill him and he so badly wanted to touch her, but he didn't know how far too far was. Janet reached down and gently touched one of his hands and moved it slowly up her thigh. Leo felt his hand being moved inside her dress and the ache became stronger. He touched her gently between her legs and then the anticipation intensified. She broke away and moaned softly, resting her head on his shoulder. Leonardo reached the zipper on the back of her dress and pulled it down. The dress came loose and he gently pulled it over her head. His breathing ragged as he unsnapped her bra and let it fall tp the ground. He looked at her breasts and was breath taken by her beauty. He leaned forward and kissed them gently, sending shock waves through the both of them. Leonardo raised his head to look at Janet's face. She stared at him with a lustful look.
" I want you...." She whispered and felt his mouth on hers again. Leonardo laid her down on the blanket and rested on top of her, wanting her more than anything he ever wanted before. He had dreamed of her this way, but never thought that it would be a dream come true.
Alana was in her room massaging her feet after her long practice. She looked at her toes to see the purplish tint of blood underneath her nails and grimaced at the sight. She needed to practice more often so she could dance elegantly instead of falling over like she had done several times that night.
" What am I going to do?" She asked and then looked at Azul sitting on her bed. The dog looked at her with her bright blue eyes as if to say "I don't know." Alana smiled and rubbed Azul's furry coat. Azul rolled onto her back and exposed her stomach. Alana laughed when the dog opened her mouth and hung her tongue out to the side.
" I know, I know. You want a belly scratch." She said and scratched Azul's stomach. After she was finished spoiling her dog, she got up and put on a night gown. It was short, just past ger buttocks, but it was her favorite. It was a transparent nylon and she loved to dance in it, because she felt like an elegant princess when she did. She had two others, a black and a white, the white being her favorite of all, but she didn't want Azul to get paw prints on it, so she wore the grey one instead. She turned off the lights and laid down in her bed. Azul came and snuggled next to her. Alana put an arm around her loving friend and drifted slowly off to sleep.
Donatello was sitting on the couch with Michealangelo who had just lost to him in a game of chess for the fourth time that night. Mike was starting to get frustrated with not being able to beat his brother at what looked like a simple game and decided that he'd better take a break.
" Hey Don, it's way past midnight, where the hell is Leo?" Mike asked curiously.
" He went out with that girl, Janet." Don said with a smile. Mike grinned and shook his head.
" Leo is madly in love!" Mike said laughing. Don nodded his agreement, but heard Raphael grunt angrily. He was punching his bag again and it started to look worn out.
" What's wrong with that?" Mike asked, obviously annoyed by his brothers behavior.
" What's wrong, is that how do we know she can be trusted?" Raphael asked keeping his glare on the bag.
" She's really nice and she and her sister can be trusted!" Mike growled. Donatello waited to see if he would have to take another hit at his brother like he had a few months back.
" Oh yeah ok! The bitch is nice! How the fuck do you know if she isn't going to freak out at Leo when she sees him, huh? She could get us into some serious trouble!" Raph yelled, already agitated.
" Man Raph, why can't you look at the positive side for once?! Leo likes her! If she doesn't like him for what he is, then let him deal with it! It's none of your business what they do anyway!" Mike yelled in return. Raphael turned to face his brother that was angrily staring at him and Donatello sat ready to leap up and grab his bo if necessary, but Raph didn't move and neither did Mike.
" Think what you want little bro! Don't think that everyone is going to be as accepting as April and Casey!" He growled and stomped into his room. Mike muttered something under his breath and looked at Don.
" Hey guys!" The two brothers looked up to see Leo coming down the ladder.
" Leo, where have you been?" Don asked.
" With Janet. I told her." He said and looked at his brothers, hoping they wouldn't disapprove, but they didn't seem so enthusiastic.
" What did she do?" Mike asked uneasily.
" She's ok with it. It worked out better than expected." He said with a smile.
" I want you guys to meet her." He added. His brothers stared at him in disbelief.
" Where is she?" Donatello asked curiously and Leo pointed to the opening he had just come out of and smiled.
" It's ok, she can be trusted." He said. Mike and Don looked at each other and shrugged.
" I don't see why not, but Raph is in a mood so leave him out of it." Don growled, looking in the direction of Raph's room. Leo merely nodded and motioned for Janet to come down. She climbed down the ladder carefully and looked at the two brothers.
" That is Donatello and that is Michealangelo. You don't want to meet Raphael." Leo stated and walked with her to the couch.
" No I don't." She stated, weary of his behavior toward her already. She smiled at Mike who she had met twice, but she had never met Donatello.
" Hey Donatello. I haven't met you yet." She said kindly. He smiled and watched Leo sit next to her and noticed they were hand in hand. Mike looked at Don and smiled that "I know what they did" look and Don tried his best not to smile back. Everyone turned when they heart a loud crash in Raphael's room.
" Is he angry that I am here?" Janet asked uneasily. Leo clenched his teeth and looked at his brothers and then at Janet.
" Raphael is angry about everything." Mike said for him. Then they heard yelling from inside his room and Splinter was telling him he needed to sit down and calm himself. They listened to Splinter yell at him again when he didn't listen and then they heard a loud smack. Don and Mike stifled a laugh and Leonardo just shook his head, knowing that Raphael was being disciplined the hard way.
" He just doesn't learn." He said.
Alana woke up to the sound of growling and turned on her lamp to see Azul by her bedroom door, snaring angrily at it.
" What is it, girl?" She asked and heard a commotion down stairs. She jumped to her feet and ran to the door, making Azul wait for her as she stepped outside the room and shut the door behind her. For some reason, she could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest and could almost hear the sound it made.
" Oh my God! No!" She jolted back when she heard her mother scream. Alana ran halfway down the stairs and was horrified at the sight. Her father was lying in a bloody mess on the floor.
" DADDY!" She screamed and could hear the frantic barks of Azul in her room. She stared at her fathers limp body to see a whole in his chest that went all the way up into his throat. She felt as though she was going to throw up at the sight. Then she saw her mother get thrown across the kitchen and land hard against the wall. Catherine was covered in blood and looked up to see her daughter staring down at her in horror.
" Run baby run! Get the hell out of here!" She cried and then a man dressed in all black came at her mother and shoved a knife into her chest. She felt sick to her stomach when he cut the knife through her chest to her throat and slit it open. Alana was almost blank on what to do when she saw all the blood spurt from her mother who was gasping for air. Quickly, Alana turned and ran up the stairs and went to her sisters room. She banged on the door, but there was no answer. She was supposed to be home at eleven and she wasn't there. Alana turned and ran to her room and locked herself inside. She trembled and looked at Azul, growling at the door. She listened and heard each step the man made as we climbed the steps.
" Oh god......" She whispered through her tears and looked at her room for something to defend herself, but all she saw was her window. She ran to it and opened it.
" Azul!" She hissed and the dog obediently came to the window, but looked at the door and snarled with drool dripping from her mouth. The bitter night cold air blew against her half naked body, but she didn't care. She wasn't going to stay and get dressed. She ran to the other side of the roof with Azul by her side. She could hear the man banging on her bedroom door, but she didn't care. She ran to the front of the house and held her breath and jumped off the roof and landed in the soft garden soil her mom had freshly dug the day before. Azul followed right behind her, but Alana started to go into hysterics when she saw the tires to her motorcycle had been slashed. She looked in the garage to see the Javelin and the Mustang were in the same condition, but the van wasn't there.
" What are we going to do?" She cried softly and then looked at her dads motorcycle, covered with a sheet. She ran to it and uncovered it to see that it hadn't been touched, but she didn't have the keys. She could hear the door being broken up the stairs and she had to work fast if she was going to live through it. She went into the house and quickly went to her fathers side, feeling the tears rush into her eyes and stream down her cheeks. She trembled as she reached into her dads pant pocket and pulled out the keys.
" Oh god.....daddy..." She cried and looked at her pale mother, lying in a bloody mess by the wall.
" I'm so sorry...." She whispered and backed away. Then she heard the foot steps coming back toward the stairs. She ran outside and jumped onto the bike and quickly started it. She could hear the man coming down the stairs for her.
" Azul!" She cried and the dog, like so many times before, got onto the tank of the bike and rested there. She quickly put the bike in gear and sped out of the garage and down the driveway, but not before noticing a black truck in the corner of her eye. There was someone else in it! The gates were already open to her relief and she drove out onto the rode and sped off down the street. Tears streamed down her cheeks and it blurred her vision as she turned onto a main street, but she heard a roar behind her. She looked to see the truck in the distance and she nearly screamed. She switched gears and began to speed down the street, faster than she had ever gone before. She looked ahead of her to see the road go down into a dip, but she didn't slow down. Instead, she sped up and found herself soaring over the road as the motorcycle came down to land hand on the street again. Something snapped and sparks began to come out of the rear tire area. She had broken the shocks and the rear fender was riding the tire. Azul whined in fear, but Alana knew that she couldn't stop now. She could feel the handle bars shaking with her hands. She kept going as fast as she could, but then yellow and red lights caught her attention and she looked to see a police car following her close behind. She didn't see the truck anymore. She pressed the brake and the bike slid to a stop against the road. Smoke engulfed her and the bike suddenly turned off on it's own. Her and Azul jumped off and she ran to the officer getting out of the car. Her partner came around to look at her strangely.
" Help me please!" She cried frantically. The police officers saw the blood on her feet and her night gown and looked at each other. One of the officers was a woman with blond hair and brown eyes and her partner was an older man with black hair and grey streaks running through them. She could see him scanning her with his blue eyes and then looked at the dog standing by her.
" Ok, what happened? Why were you speeding like that?" The woman asked.
" He.....he....." She stammered, but couldn't find the words.
" Officer Taylor, I think we need to get some back up, this isn't her blood." Her partner said.
" Help them! He killed them!" She cried. That's when Officer Taylor motioned for him to call for back up.
" Who killed who?" She asked desperately. Azul was sitting next to Alana, looking up at her, almost sadly.
" I don't know who he is! A man! Two of them! He killed my mommy and daddy! He killed them with a knife! He cut their throats! I saw it! I saw it!" Alana screamed hysterically and then broke down into the officers arms.
" Where do you live? Where did this happen?" She asked desperately.
" My house is on Oakland Avenue. It's the first one down that rode with.....with a big black electrical gate." She cried. Her partner nodded that he had heard the address and was calling it in. The officers quickly had Alana and her dog jump into the back seat of the police car and they sped off for the house. Alana looked back at her dads motorcycle and felt the tears again. She watched it fade away as they drove further from it. It had saved her life and it was left standing there, unable to be driven. When she had taken the jump over the hill, she broke the shocks and had burned out the engine trying to escape and died out. Alana sat in the back seat crying into Azul's fur.
Police cars were parked all around the house and Alana watched the officers go through the house. Alana was standing outside the house looking at it, but she closed the door to the car so that Azul would stay and then she walked into the house. Officer Taylor looked at her sadly.
" Where are they?" Alana asked in horror, noticing the bodies weren't there. The police officer walked over to her and knelt down. Alana looked at all the blood covering the walls and the carpet, but there were no bodies.
" They're missing, but we'll find them." She said gently. Alana's lip began to quiver and her eyes filled with fresh tears again.
" He killed my mom and dad.....they didn't do anything.....then he tried to kill me.....why did he kill them......" Alana broke off into tears and the officer wrapped her arms around her and felt tears fill her own eyes. The officers at the scene looked at the two and felt a huge weight put on their hearts.
" How can anyone do this?" One of them asked and looked at the house. It seemed like the perfect house with a wonderful family and someone just tore that away from her.
" Is there anyone else that lives here with you?" Officer Taylor asked. Alana nodded and looked at her.
" My sister Janet, but she went on a date with a friend at around 8:00p.m. She doesn't know." Alana said and started to cry again. She didn't feel like the tears were ever going to stop.
Raphael had been forced to come out and sit on the chair across from his brothers and spend some time with them. Don and Mike hadn't paid much attention to him, but Leonardo had been glaring at him angrily, because he had called Janet a bitch in front of her. She had just ignored him and went on talking to his brothers.
Splinter was meditating in his room and gasped when he opened his eyes. He felt a pain, but not a physical pain, and emotional pain not meant for him, but for Janet. It was something that he knew would become dreadful news. He closed his eyes and let a single tear run down his cheek and realized that he had to tell Janet, now matter how painful it would be for her. He grabbed his walking stick and for the first time that night, he came out of his room.
" Janet." He said softly. She turned and jolted in surprise at the large rat. They noticed a sadness in his eyes that they'd never seen before and they wondered what could be wrong.
" Your family." He said. Janet gave him a curious look and wondered what he was talking about.
" What about them?" She asked uncertainly.
" Something terrible has happened. I can sense it. Call them." He said. Janet bolted upright and Leo pointed to the phone against the wall. She ran to it and quickly dialed her home number. The turtles watched her, wondering what could possibly have happened. Even Raphael was curious by what his sensei meant and had forgotten his anger for a moment. Janet waited anxiously for someone to pick up and when it did, she didn't recognize the voice.
" Who is this? This is Janet Vega. I live there!" They heard Janet say and then she remained quiet and listened to what the officer had to say and she just couldn't believe it.
" Where....where's my sister? I need to talk to my sister." She said shakily with tears rushing into her eyes and then they knew something was really wrong. The turtles looked at Splinter for an answer, but his head was lowered and he wouldn't look at any of them. They turned back to look at Janet and Leo stood up wanting to go over to her, but Mike held him back.
" Alana.....tell me it's not true......" Janet said in ragged breaths as the phone trembled in her sweaty hand.
" Janet......they're gone........a man.....came in and killed them......mommy and daddy are dead.....he killed them.....he killed them........" Alana's voice broke off and Janet heard her crying on the other end. Janet crumbled to the floor and started to cry. Leonardo rushed over to her and knelt by her side.
" Janet...." He said gently, but her head was buried in her hands.
" Oh god, Oh god! My mom and dad are dead! Someone killed my mom and dad!" She cried and she felt Leo's strong arms embrace her while his brothers stood dumbfounded. None of them knew what to say. They just starred at Leo trying to comfort her.
" It's just me and Alana now......who would want to kill my parents....." She cried and felt the tears spill uncontrollably over her cheeks. Leonardo didn't know what to say. He held her and felt his heart ache for her. A perfect night was ruined and now Janet was left without her parents. Splinter walked over to them and rested and gentle hand on Janet's back and saw Leonardo's eyes begin to water. He realized how much his son cared for her and it hurt him just as much as it hurt his son. Mike looked at Don and then went to the phone. He dialed April's number and told her what had happened. April told him that she was already being assigned to do a report on it and Mike could hear her crying softly on the other end. Even Raphael felt sorry for her as he watched her hold on to his brother. He turned away and went to his room and shut himself in. Donatello sat back down and lowered his head. He felt his own eyes water as he listened to Janet's frantic crying and his brother trying to comfort her. He didn't understand how anyone could cause so much pain to such a nice family. He covered his face with his hands and tried to ignore the ache that he felt in his heart for them.