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katleeptWorking Title: Family
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Character/Pairing: April, Raphael
Rating: PG-13/T
Challenge:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
comicdrabbles: #87: Scum
Warning(s): SPOILERS!!!
Word Count: 591
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
She feels eyes on her, watching her every move, as the hands of time slowly tick away. He stands across the room, and yet she feels his hot breath breathing down her back. April blinks and tries again to focus. She knows she's overreacting. Raphael is a friend, once her pet; he would never hurt her.
But still, he watches her. As Donatello and Leonardo walk out of the room, as Michelangelo whoops and hollers because of the game in which she's lost all interest, as Master Splinter crosses through the room, he continues to watch her. As the sun goes down outside, his eyes still bore a hole into the back of her neck until finally, exasperated, she turns and demands, "What is your problem, Raph?"
His massive shoulders lift in a shrug. He could crush her so easily, but she knows he won't. "Nothin'. Just trying to figure you out, Ap."
"Figure me out?" she asks. Tossing the controller to the floor and ignoring her character's flailing arms and Mikey's disappointed cry of, "Hey!", she stands.
"Yeah." He gazes at her evenly.
She raises her head and meets his stare. "Whatever you want to know, just ask me. I'll tell you."
He shakes his head. "You already have."
"Then why are you still staring me?" she demands, trying not to let him try her last nerve.
"You proved yourself. You dealt Shredder the final blow." She's not sure about that, but she doesn't argue his point. "You've protected our secrets. You're trustworthy."
"If you already know all of that, why are you still staring at me like I'm . . . like I'm some kind of lab rat?!" She winces, no longer liking the connotations of that word, and is glad Splinter's not present to overhear their conversation.
"Because," Raph angrily spits out, "humans are scum." She blinks at him, clearly surprised. She knows the others don't feel that way, but Raphael speaks of her kind with such hatred that it's clear he's voicing his true feelings. "Master Splinter always wanted us to grow up to protect them, and I'll save their asses -- but it's always from others of their own kind. They'd scream and freak out, too, if they saw us, turn us over to laboratories, make wads of money off of the freaks that saved their puny butts. But you didn't," he says, his voice softening. "You won't. Why is that?"
By now, she's walked around Michelangelo and the Turtles' torn couch to stand before him. "Because," she answers, still looking up into his eyes, "we're family."
"You're a reporter, April. You know that doesn't mean much to people these days. Parents abuse their kids; kids hurt their parents. Siblings fight over drugs and money."
"Sometimes," she speaks quietly, sadly, "they even kill each other. I know." She reaches out and touches his massive, green shoulder gently. "But not all families are like that, Raph. My father wasn't, and I'm not."
"I know," he responds. "I just don't know why."
"I guess . . . " She smiles, but her grin is wavering. "I guess I'm made of stronger stuff. My Dad taught me better, just like Master Splinter has taught you guys better."
"Maybe, but I'll be watching." He storms out. She lets him go, but as she turns back to Mikey who's hollering because his character has now been killed, she can't help her smile brightening. Let him watch, she thinks, sitting back down to join Mikey for another game. She's found her missing family, and she's not going anywhere.
The End
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Character/Pairing: April, Raphael
Rating: PG-13/T
Challenge:
comicdrabbles: #87: ScumWarning(s): SPOILERS!!!
Word Count: 591
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
She feels eyes on her, watching her every move, as the hands of time slowly tick away. He stands across the room, and yet she feels his hot breath breathing down her back. April blinks and tries again to focus. She knows she's overreacting. Raphael is a friend, once her pet; he would never hurt her.
But still, he watches her. As Donatello and Leonardo walk out of the room, as Michelangelo whoops and hollers because of the game in which she's lost all interest, as Master Splinter crosses through the room, he continues to watch her. As the sun goes down outside, his eyes still bore a hole into the back of her neck until finally, exasperated, she turns and demands, "What is your problem, Raph?"
His massive shoulders lift in a shrug. He could crush her so easily, but she knows he won't. "Nothin'. Just trying to figure you out, Ap."
"Figure me out?" she asks. Tossing the controller to the floor and ignoring her character's flailing arms and Mikey's disappointed cry of, "Hey!", she stands.
"Yeah." He gazes at her evenly.
She raises her head and meets his stare. "Whatever you want to know, just ask me. I'll tell you."
He shakes his head. "You already have."
"Then why are you still staring me?" she demands, trying not to let him try her last nerve.
"You proved yourself. You dealt Shredder the final blow." She's not sure about that, but she doesn't argue his point. "You've protected our secrets. You're trustworthy."
"If you already know all of that, why are you still staring at me like I'm . . . like I'm some kind of lab rat?!" She winces, no longer liking the connotations of that word, and is glad Splinter's not present to overhear their conversation.
"Because," Raph angrily spits out, "humans are scum." She blinks at him, clearly surprised. She knows the others don't feel that way, but Raphael speaks of her kind with such hatred that it's clear he's voicing his true feelings. "Master Splinter always wanted us to grow up to protect them, and I'll save their asses -- but it's always from others of their own kind. They'd scream and freak out, too, if they saw us, turn us over to laboratories, make wads of money off of the freaks that saved their puny butts. But you didn't," he says, his voice softening. "You won't. Why is that?"
By now, she's walked around Michelangelo and the Turtles' torn couch to stand before him. "Because," she answers, still looking up into his eyes, "we're family."
"You're a reporter, April. You know that doesn't mean much to people these days. Parents abuse their kids; kids hurt their parents. Siblings fight over drugs and money."
"Sometimes," she speaks quietly, sadly, "they even kill each other. I know." She reaches out and touches his massive, green shoulder gently. "But not all families are like that, Raph. My father wasn't, and I'm not."
"I know," he responds. "I just don't know why."
"I guess . . . " She smiles, but her grin is wavering. "I guess I'm made of stronger stuff. My Dad taught me better, just like Master Splinter has taught you guys better."
"Maybe, but I'll be watching." He storms out. She lets him go, but as she turns back to Mikey who's hollering because his character has now been killed, she can't help her smile brightening. Let him watch, she thinks, sitting back down to join Mikey for another game. She's found her missing family, and she's not going anywhere.
The End
