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Seeing Red	By : Shawnie Category: +S through Z > Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Views: 3623 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, nor do I make any money from the writing of this story. The original characters and plot, however, are mine.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Leo drew back the curtain to his room and yawning, quietly made his way downstairs to the kitchen. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he opened the fridge door and reached for the blue pitcher labeled “LEO”. He poured himself a glass of his protein shake and sat down at the kitchen table, checking the clock on top of the microwave. Thirty minutes until training. I still have plenty of time to stretch, he thought to himself as he settled into the chair. He sensed someone walking through the lair behind him and he felt a stab of guilt. “Claire, I wanted to apologize for the way I acted last –“ he turned and froze when he saw Raphael headed towards the bathroom, towel in hand.
“Nope, just me, bro. I –uh- didn’t realize you were up yet,” Raph replied, rubbing the back of his head and looking uncomfortably at the floor.
“Oh, I just – could’ve sworn – I mean her scent was-“ Leo stood up from the table and took a step closer towards his brother, drawing a deep breath in through his nose. “Her scent is all over you, do you realize that?” His stomach tightened at the implications.
“Yea –we - hung out last night,” he anxiously shifted the bath towel back and forth between his hands as his eyes scanned Leo’s face.
Leo’s hand holding the glass curled, threatening to crush it; he knew what happened last night. It wasn’t just the scent of her skin or her hair on Raphael – Leo could smell her arousal. It gave him these horrible mixed feelings – a small part of him was turned on by it; like some switch inside of him was flipped. A much stronger reaction to this was anger; Claire’s sweet scent was all over his brother.
“You slept with Claire?!” he blurted out as the glass in his hand shattered into pieces. He felt the rage bubble up inside and his animal instinct kicked in. He lunged, taking an unsuspecting Raphael down to the floor. Leo lashed out at him, throwing punches furiously. Raphael growled and flipped them over, putting Leo in a headlock. Leo landed a few hard body shots, causing his brother to release him. Leo, kipping up from the floor, let out a fierce cry and spun a leg around at Raph sending him flying back into the living room table with a loud crash. The force splintered the table, sending shards of wood everywhere.
Claire’s eyes snapped open at the sounds coming from downstairs. She quickly threw on a hoodie, hopped into a pair of cotton shorts that were lying on the dresser and ran out of Mikey’s room. Her stomach dropped when she saw what the commotion was. Her hand flew to her mouth. “He knows,” she said under her breath. She ran down the stairs and flew over to the fighting brothers, grabbing the first shoulder she could get her hand on. “Guys, stop it!” Blind in his anger, Leo spun his fist out at her, not even looking in her direction before continuing to beat on his brother.
Claire fell backwards from the swift blow, clipping her head on the nearby kitchen table as she tumbled to the hard floor. Groaning, she brought her hand to her forehead; it felt warm and sticky. She looked at her hand and frowned when she saw blood.
Claire looked up towards the bedrooms as Mikey and Donnie leapt over the second story railing, somersaulting through the air and landing gracefully on the main floor. They each ran towards a brother. Mikey was first to get to the dueling pair; he grabbed at Raphael. “Dude, stop it!”
Donnie tried in vain to hold Leo’s arms back, but it was no use; Leo was acting like a caged animal. He slid himself in front of Leo, pushing on his plastron and looked into his eyes, “Leo! Stop it!” Panting, Leo stared back at his brother, his inner animal subsiding. He shifted his eyes from Donnie and glared at Raphael who was kneeling on the floor, holding his stomach.
“Claire, are you okay?” Mikey yelled over to her, his baby blue eyes concerned.
She tried to stand, but felt too lightheaded. “Yea, I’ll be fine,” she huffed, putting pressure on her forehead.
Leo whipped around; eyes widening when he realized Claire was bleeding.
“Claire – your head,” began Raph who started towards her.
Leo let out a low growl, “Don’t go near her!” He instinctively brought his fists up, blocking Raphael’s path to Claire.
“What the shell is going on, guys?” Donnie swung his head back and forth between Raph and Leo, a hand still on Leo’s chest plates.
“Raph slept with Claire!” Leo spat out angrily, eyes remaining on Raphael. Donnie and Mikey’s mouths dropped and they shifted their gaze to Claire.
Claire, whose anger outweighed her embarrassment, weakly stood up and grabbed a dishtowel from the counter, “Yes, Leo, I slept with Raphael. I was sad, I was lonely and he was… just there; I was in a dark place last night.”
He stared back at her, seething, “How could you do something like that to me?”
She shook a finger at him, “No, no Leo. Don’t do that – that’s not fair! Where were you when Grams died - when I needed you the most? How many times was I going to put myself out there for you? I wanted you more than anything and you told me to move on. I was HURTING!”
“So you moved on to my brother?!” His stomach flipped. “You have feelings for HIM.” Leo couldn’t even look at Raphael.
“No, I don’t. It was a one-time thing; we were fighting and then one thing led to another… But I DON’T have feelings for Raphael. I never did.” She turned, pressing the towel into the wound and started for the stairs. “I’m going to get my things. I think it’s best if I leave right now.”
“Good idea,” Leo hissed, watching her make her way to Mikey’s room.
Raph gave his brother a dirty look as he wiped his chin and walked off towards the bathroom, slamming the door. Leo spun around angrily and headed towards the lair exit.
Mikey looked up at Donnie’s worried expression. “Dude, that was some Jerry Springer shit. I didn’t think Leo still liked Claire. I mean, I thought he made it pretty damn obvious that he didn’t want to be in a relationship. With anyone.”
“I know. But Leo plays things pretty close to the chest,” Donnie said quietly.
“Do you think Leo’s going to be alright?” Mikey asked the turtle in purple.
“I have no idea.” Donnie’s eyes followed Leo as he slammed the lair door shut, listening to his enraged screams echo through the sewer tunnels.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Claire spent the following week at her apartment; she felt like everyone just needed some space. Jill visited her nearly every night after work to talk and keep her company. Claire filled Jill in on the situation, seeking her advice.
“Claire, I have never seen you like this over a guy. You have to tell me: who is this mystery man?” Her blue eyes sparkled as she grabbed Claire’s hands.
Claire chuckled, “Uh, his name is Lenny. I met him walking home one night from karate class. We uh, just kind of bumped into each other.” Claire sighed, thinking back to that night that started this whole series of events. She had felt so safe in Leo’s arms; felt such a connection with him before she even knew who he was.
“Girl, you know how the guys are here in New York; they are stubborn as hell. But seriously, he kind of acted like a dick. I don’t blame you either, for sleeping with this guy, Roger. You were lonely, and Roger really seems more like your type, don’t you think? I mean Lenny sounds like he’s got a stick up his ass. ”
Claire thought about this. “You know what? You are right. Roger is usually the type I go for. But for some reason, I still feel something for Lenny. Even after everything that has happened.” She looked up at her friend. “I am pathetic aren’t I?”
Jill laughed and drew her in for a hug. “Claire, you are NOT pathetic. It just sounds like you seriously like this guy. Maybe even lov-” Claire clamped a hand on Jill’s mouth and shot her a look.
“Don’t you dare say the ‘L’ word,” Claire warned as she removed her hand from her friend’s mouth.
Jill smirked, “Alright, alright.” She peeked at the time on her watch. “Aw, damn. I gotta head out. Some of us actually still have to work,” she winked at Claire.
Smiling, Claire walked Jill to the door, handing her friend her winter coat. “Thanks for coming over, Jill. It really means a lot to me. You are such a good friend.”
Jill threw her arms around Claire and kissed her cheek. “Love ya girlie!”
______________________________________________________________________________

Leo stood outside the door and knocked impatiently. He peered down the hallway from underneath his fedora and rubbed his hands together in an attempt to warm them. Leo hated New York in the winter time; his body didn’t agree with it. Finally, the door opened and Leo welcomed the warmth coming from within the apartment.
“Hey, April,” he said, shrugging out of his trench coat. “Thanks for inviting me over so late. It’s been a week since –“ he didn’t want to finish the thought. “I just really wanted to talk to you about it.”
“Anytime, Leo,” she put a gentle hand on his shoulder, smiling. “How is Splinter doing? He seemed a little sick the last time I was there.”
Leo nodded, “Yea, I was nervous about that, but he seems to be just fine. He chalked it up to some bad sushi. But I’ve noticed that it’s been taking him longer to recover from sickness.”
Leo took a seat on the couch and April handed him a mug of tea. “Okay, so, start at the beginning.” She tucked a piece of her bright red hair behind her ear.
Leo told April all about his feelings for Claire – how he was so struck by her when they first met, his joy of finding out that she had feelings for him too and then how it all fall apart. He acknowledged pushing her away; how he wasn’t able to be there for her when her grandmother died. But when he talked about what happened between her and Raph, his hands were shaking. “I –I am just so angry right now. Claire spent the night with Raphael. And I just don’t know how to handle that. I don’t think I can. It-it’s over for us.”
“Okay, let’s back up. Does Claire know how you truly feel about her? Have you told her? I mean, after Mikey got hurt?”
Leo shifted his eyes to the floor. “Well, not exactly. I mean, I told her to move on – but I -” he exhaled. “I just thought that it would be better this way; I needed to focus on being the leader. But I can’t handle the thought of her being with someone else. Especially Raphael!” He could feel his body temperature rise at the idea of Claire in Raph’s bed doing all the things Leo only dreamed about doing with her.
“Leonardo, do you love her?”
Leo was startled by her words. “I-I don’t know. Maybe I did, but now-,” he said quietly as he placed his mug down on the coffee table.
“Love can be the most powerful thing in the world. It can make you do crazy things; make you feel things you never thought possible. I think that if you love someone and are lucky enough to have them love you back, you should never let that go. Not everyone finds it, you know?”
“But, April, how can I trust either of them? They have both betrayed me!” He pounded a fist on the arm of the couch, teeth gritted.
“Were you and Claire together when she was with Raphael?” She took a sip of her tea.
“No.” Leo didn’t like where this was going.
“And does Raphael know about your feelings towards her?” She looked into his tired, red eyes.
He laughed bitterly, “I’m sure he does now.”
“So they spent the night together as single, consenting adults.” April tilted her head at him, her eyes soft.
Leonardo was silent, eyes drawn to the floor. He knew she was right, but he did not want to admit it. He and Claire had only gone on one date after all. Leo had pushed her away in the two months that followed.
“Leo, you need to talk to both Claire and Raph. Obviously, she didn’t know you still had feelings for her or she probably would not have slept with him. You need to ask yourself: are you willing to move past this? And if you are, can you live your life as leader of the Hamato clan without her in it?”
Leo looked up at April, his eyes unreadable.
_________________________________________________________________________
Leo contemplated his conversation with April as he walked the tunnels back home. He hoped Raph had gone out; he wasn’t sure he was ready to talk to him yet. The past week had been extremely uncomfortable for the both of them; Leo ignored Raph during training and Raph went topside every night on his own. Sighing, Leo walked in through the lair door and was surprised to see Donnie waiting there for him.
“How are you?” Donnie asked him, chocolate brown eyes scanning his brother’s face.
Leo shrugged his shoulders. “I just went to go see April.”
Donnie’s face lit up, “How is she?”
“She’s good. I just wanted to get a woman’s perspective on this whole thing.” He closed the door behind him.
“So what was the verdict?” Donnie looked at this brother thoughtfully.
“She thinks I have to ask myself if I can I get past this. But even if I can forget about what happened, would I even be able to have a relationship with her? I mean, I couldn’t make it work before; nothing has changed since then.”
“So, you still have feelings for her, then.” Donnie searched his brother’s face with analytical eyes.
Leo sighed. “Yes. A part of me feels like I always will. But I really don’t think I can get past it.”
Donnie brought his hand up to his mouth, rubbing a thumb across his lips in thought. “And yet, you gave Karai a second chance.”
Leo was taken aback. “Wh-what do you mean? What does Karai have to do with this?” He narrowed his dark blue eyes at Donnie.
“Come on, Leo. It’s me you are talking to here. All those nights you came home late from ‘patrolling’ by yourself? Mikey and Raph might have been asleep, but I’m always up late in my lab. You think I couldn’t smell her on you? Or see the way you two interacted back when we fought the Foot?” He raised a brow at him.
Leo was speechless. He should have known that his observant brother would be able to see right through him. Back when Karai first appeared in New York City, he felt this strange attraction towards her. She showed promise of being an ally, but even more than that, a potential companion. They had engaged in a ninja’s version of flirting: nightly rooftop sparring. When that was no longer enough, they had spent the night with one another in an old abandoned warehouse. They would meet each other on occasion to act on their suppressed want. If he and his brothers had a particularly nasty battle with the Foot, Leo and Karai would avoid each other; sometimes he wouldn’t see her for weeks.    But eventually, they would find their way back to one another; meeting again at “their spot”.
He had high hopes for their potential relationship when she was captured by Bishop, but that all fell apart when they tried to stop the Shredder from leaving Earth. He and his brothers had nearly killed themselves to rid the universe of the Shredder and Karai had badly injured him. He felt betrayed and even worse: he felt like he was failure.
Donnie continued, “And Karai didn’t sleep with your brother because she was lonely. She tried to kill us, Leo. Your family. And you kept giving her chances. Why are you so unwilling to do the same for Claire?”
Leo clenched his jaw and put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. He nodded at him and began walking the stairs to his room.
_________________________________________________________________________
Leonardo sat in his bedroom meditating for a good part of the next day. He thought about what Claire had said to him before she left: “I was in a dark place”. He reflected back on when he himself felt that way after they nearly committed suicide to defeat the Shredder. It had affected his judgment; he made poor decisions. He felt a stab of guilt; Claire had been in a dark place for some time after her grandmother had died and he wasn’t there for her. He had been lucky enough to have his brothers and Master Splinter to help pull him out of it.
Donnie was right; he gave Karai chance after chance and ultimately, what she had done was far worse. Besides that, his feelings for Claire ran deeper than anything he ever felt for Karai.
Leo had planned to talk to Raphael that night about what happened. April was right; Raphael didn’t know that Leo felt so strongly about Claire. If he did, then he wouldn’t have slept with her. Yes, he could be an asshole sometimes, but he would never do anything to hurt his brother like that.
Leonardo walked into the kitchen, finding Raphael hunched over in a chair, a beer in his hand. He hesitantly approached him.
Raphael took a swig from the bottle and looked up at Leo warily, “Are ya gonna hit me again?”
“Listen, Raph. I am sorry about what happened last week. I know you didn’t sleep with Claire to hurt me.”
“Leo, I really didn’t know. I mean, I asked her about ya – because I know the two of you were kinda a thing for a few days. She told me that you said you didn’t want her. We were just out fightin’ and then the next thing ya know –“ he paused. “I mean, she’s a real good friend and I don’t wanna lose her friendship.” His eyes grew dark and he looked off into the distance. “But that’s where it stops.”
Leonardo nodded his head, “I believe you.”
Raphael slammed the bottle down on the table and stood up, outstretching his hand. “No hard feelings?”
Leo grabbed his brother’s hand and shook it. He turned to walk out of the kitchen, but some primal feeling stirring inside his chest made him stop dead in his tracks. He turned back to Raphael, a hardened look in his eyes, “I still have feelings for her. So I am asking you to stay away while I sort things out.”
Raphael nodded, a solemn look on his face.
“She’s mine,” Leo softly growled as he exited the room.
________________________________________________________________________________
It had been nearly two weeks since Claire left the lair. Mikey came over some nights to watch movies and Donnie stopped by every other day to work on her training, but she really missed spending time with everyone together. She hadn’t spoken to Raphael since that night and she was upset by the thought that she might have lost his friendship. She was still so angry with Leo; angry with herself. The guilt of sleeping with Raphael was almost unbearable. Even if there was nothing between her and Leo, the thought of hurting him stung deep.
Why didn’t Leo just tell me how he truly felt? She sighed as she stepped out of her apartment building and headed to the sewers. Mikey texted her that they would be out on patrol and Claire thought it would be the best time to go pick up some of her stuff. As she trudged through the tunnels, she felt a pang in her chest. She really missed this walk.
She opened the lair door, “Master Splinter?” She called out to him as she set her bag down. She heard the familiar scraping of his door opening and smiled when she saw him.
“Master Splinter,” she said bowing her head slightly. “It is really good to see you again. I just came to pick up a few things while the guys are out.”
“Claire, it is wonderful to see you,” he said, bowing his head in return. “Have you spoken with Leonardo yet?” He absentmindedly stroked his long, scraggly beard.
She shifted uncomfortably. How much does he know?
“I know more than you think,” he said smiling, as if reading her thoughts.
“I really doubt that Leonardo wants to talk to me,” she said softly. A sudden chirp interrupted their conversation. Claire reached into her jean pocket and pulled out her cell phone; she furrowed her brow when she saw the screen.
911!! Help! At gym!
The text came from Jill. Claire felt the goose bumps travel over her body and she began to panic. Jill had NEVER sent her anything like this before.
“Master Splinter, I am so sorry; I really wanted to stay and chat, but I have to leave. My friend just sent me a very alarming text. She might be in some sort of trouble. I need to meet her at the gym.”
“Maybe you should wait until my sons return, Claire. It might be safer to-“
“I’m sorry, but I need to leave now!” Claire spun on her heel and ran out of the lair, not even bothering to grab her bag.
Claire jogged through the city streets, her boots crunching on the newly fallen snow; it was the first snow of the winter. She squeezed her way through the crowds, heart racing. This better not be some kind of joke, Claire thought to herself. She imagined Jill standing outside the gym door, all bundled up in her winter gear, wallet at the ready for “911 shopping”. She finally reached the gym door and pulled at the handle – it was locked. Huh, that’s weird. She checked her phone; it was 7:00 PM. The gym should be open, she thought frowning as she pulled out her keys.
Claire threw open the front door of the gym and peered inside. She shook the snow out of her hair and closed the door behind her. It was completely dark except for a faint light that was coming from the back offices. “Jill?” Claire called out to her friend. What the hell is going on?
She began to walk towards the light and stopped when she thought she heard a noise. She whipped around, but no one was there. She turned back to the direction of the office on high alert, eyes darting into the corners of the building. She suddenly felt a strong arm around her waist and before she could react, a white cloth was clamped to her mouth. Claire felt herself fade.
______________________________________________________________________
Claire slowly opened her eyes, blinking to rid the fuzziness from her vision. She was alone in a dimly lit room. She sat up from the floor, surveying her surroundings. She recognized this room – it was Hun’s office at Club Blu! Panicked, she stood up and ran for the door, twisting the knob. It was locked. She stepped back and felt at her pockets for her phone, but it was gone. Oh my god, Jill. Was she here too?
Shit.
The door was suddenly flung open and four tattooed men walked in. Claire stood up, readying herself for a fight, but they put their hands up in the air. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, chica. You’re gonna wanna save your energy for the circle.”
Claire remained in her defensive fighting stance. “The circle? What the hell is that?”
The man who spoke snickered and pointed outside the door. Claire cautiously walked out of the room, the men trailing closely behind her. She froze in horror when she saw a crowd of Purple Dragons where the dance floor would be. There were a few men on the side who punched at the air and jumped around in place as if they were warming up for something. The four men led her through the swarm of Dragons; a few men in the crowd tried reaching out to grab her, but she fought them off. There had to be nearly a hundred of them. One of the Dragons pushed Claire forward and she stumbled into the middle of the crowd; she had reached the center of the circle. It was a clear opening and had a circumference of nearly 50 feet. A line had been drawn around the circle to separate the crowd from Claire and the Dragons hovered on it, jeering at her.
“What the hell is going on?!” She yelled out to no one in particular, hoping someone would shed light on the situation.
“You are here to fight. Call it: initiation,” came a booming voice. She recognized it instantly. Hun, she thought with disgust as she turned her head in the direction of the voice.
“I told you I’m not joining your pathetic gang!” She spotted Hun on a raised platform above the crowd and nearly choked when she saw Brad sitting next to him. His eyes were wide and he had a thumb to his mouth, chewing on the nail. “Brad, is Jill here?!” Claire yelled up to him.
He shook his head, “No –Claire, I had to…steal her phone during work so I could-“ He stopped and looked down at the floor, ashamed.
Claire felt numb. Brad set me up. Someone threw a katana into the circle; it fell to the ground with a clang. She bent over to pick it up, examining the blade. It was sharpened and battle-ready. Her stomach suddenly filled with dread as the realization hit her. She was probably going to have to kill someone with this.
“Let the games begin!” Hun proclaimed, prompting the Dragon bystanders to pump their fists into the air.
A thin, scrawny looking man was pushed into the circle. Claire narrowed her eyes and looked him over; he held a baseball bat in his shaky hands. He approached Claire hesitantly and Claire flipped her sword across her body in the defensive position that Leo had taught her.
Leo, she thought desperately. She could only hope that the guys would somehow be able to track her here. There was no way she was getting out of this by herself.
The man swung out weakly at her, Claire easily dodged the bat and threw a leg out into his stomach, throwing him off balance. She was going to avoid using the katana – it would have to be a last resort.
A few members of the crowd began goading him on, encouraging him to rush her. He nervously looked around and with a weak yell, lunged at Claire. She easily sidestepped his attack and threw a fist at his temple as he flew right past her. He immediately crumbled to the ground. Claire looked up at the platform, waiting for Hun’s next move.
“Send the next one in!” he yelled.
Claire scanned the edge of the circle waiting for her next opponent. How many were they going to send in? Another man confidently stepped through the crowd, a ball and chain in his hand. Taking a deep breath, Claire drew up her sword and waited for him to make his move.
___________________________________________________________________
“Bros, I am so looking forward to scarfing down that leftover pizza and playing some Halo,” Mikey said as they rounded the final tunnel to the lair. Leo walked in through the door and froze when he saw the familiar duffel bag sitting on the ground.
Was she here? His heart started racing; he didn’t know if he was ready to talk to her yet. Will I be able to tell her how I feel?
Master Splinter stood in the middle of the lair, waiting anxiously for them, tapping his walking staff. Leo, still on high alert from his father’s sickness ran over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Sensei, are you alright?”
“Yes, my son; but I fear Claire is not”, he looked up at Leo, eyes concerned.
__________________________________________________________________________
Claire was starting to feel her energy drain. NO, she thought to herself. I need to keep going as long as possible. Who knows what they would do to me if I lost; that is, if I’m not killed in the circle first. She had defeated the first five men they threw at her; each one was increasingly more skilled than the last.
Claire dropped to the ground on one knee; she just needed a quick rest before the next opponent. She lowered her head, trying to concentrate and focus her energy. A small commotion above the crowd’s noise caught her attention. She looked up at the platform and saw Brad’s chair was empty. Scanning the room, she realized he was making his way through the crowd in an attempt to get to her. The look in Hun’s eyes terrified Claire. Hun rose up from his seat and jumped down from the platform, chasing after Brad.
“Brad, no!” Claire screamed for him to stop, but it was too late. She watched in horror as Hun grabbed Brad from behind in his thick arms. Brad fought back, landing a fierce right on Hun’s face. The two scuffled for a few moments before Hun kneed Brad in the spine, knocking him to the floor. Hun grabbed Brad’s limp head in his enormous hands and with one swift motion, twisted.
There was a sickening snap and Brad’s eyes were dead. He was gone.
“Nooooo!” Claire screamed. She fell to the ground on all fours, the pain of losing Brad jolting through her body like an electric current.
“Next!” Hun shouted as he wiped his hands and climbed back up to the platform.
Claire looked up towards the man making his way into the circle and held back a sob. She was so physically and mentally exhausted, she could barely stand. She was able to take the last guy down without seriously hurting him, but her new opponent was three times her size. Her grief was halted by the sudden fear for her survival.
She slowly stood up, covered in dirt and sweat as she looked up at the man. He wore a sick, twisted smile as he cracked his knuckles. She dug her foot into the ground and held the katana blade up by her face. He quickly lunged out at her and Claire tried sidestepping him, but was too slow. He hit a nerve in her arm and Claire cried out, her hand releasing the katana. She watched in horror as it skittered away to the other side of the circle.
The man grabbed her wrist forcefully and put her left arm in an arm bar, pulling up hard. Claire’s stomach turned when she felt something pop. He took advantage of her vulnerable state and pulled out a large knife from his cargo pants. He slashed at her exposed side and blood instantly began gushing from the wound. She cried out and reached in to scoop kick his groin. He slumped forward, loosening his hold on Claire. She rolled away, grabbing her katana that was sitting at the edge of the crowd. She held it with her good arm, fingers tightening around the tsuka; her other hand pressed up against her gash. With her back to him, she kneeled in wait, feigning injury. Her heart pounded in her chest as she listened to him lumbering towards her. She drew in a breath and ignoring the pulsing pain in her shoulder, whipped around executing the advanced Mizu Gaeshi attack Leo taught her.
She felt the blade sink into his body as she moved the katana from his waist up to his collarbone. He cried out and dropped to his knees. She withdrew the blade from his body and swiftly sliced it back through him from his neck to his hip on the other side of his body. Claire put a foot up against his chest and pushed, pulling the katana out of his torso. She quickly turned her back towards him before his body slumped to the ground. She did not want to see the man she had just killed. She glanced down at her side; it was in pretty bad shape. She pressed her bloody, shaking hand against it in an attempt to slow the blood loss.
I won.
This was her last thought before she hit the ground, unconscious.
The emergency exit door came flying off its hinges as a muscular, green leg powered through it. The turtles raced into the club, fighting through the crowd, tossing Dragons like ragdolls. Half of them ran when they saw their friends getting their limbs broken. Bo staff, nunchaku, sai and katanas sliced and struck methodically. Hun jumped down off the platform with a yell and Mikey and Donnie raced towards him.
The crowd began to disperse and then Leo saw her. She was lying on the ground in a pool of blood; her eyes were closed and her face was pale. In that moment, Leo knew he couldn’t live without her. He didn’t care that she slept with Raph; he didn’t care about anything that had happened before this moment. Leo jumped up against a nearby wall and launched himself over the crowd of Dragons, driven by the fear that Claire was dead. He flipped, landing in the circle and rushed over to Claire, picking her up. Leo cradled Claire in his arms, “No, no, no, no, Claire!” He crushed her body in close to his, a large green hand pressing against the wound on her side. “Please, I will do anything. You can’t leave me – I won’t let it happen again.” A solitary tear ran down his green cheek as the turtles continued fighting ferociously.
“Donnie!” He screamed for his brother.
Raphael ran over to where his brothers were fighting Hun, “Donnie! Go help, please!”
The desperation in Raph’s voice had Donnie racing towards the circle. Leo gently laid Claire down on the ground while Donnie checked her vitals and felt around for any other injuries.
“Her pulse is weak; she’s losing a lot of blood from the gash. Also looks like her left arm might be dislocated or broken. We need to get her back to the lair NOW.” He stood up and put a hand on his brother’s shoulder.
“Mikey, we need to get out of here!” Leo called out, picking Claire back up in his arms.
Michelangelo nodded and leapt onto Hun’s back, wrapping a nunchaku around his neck, the metal chain digging into flesh. Using all of his strength, he pulled back in an attempt to strangulate him. Raphael took the opportunity to slash at Hun’s exposed torso. Raphael realized Hun was fading and with a piercing battle cry, landed a two-toed kick to Hun’s face, rendering him unconscious.
Mikey immediately tossed out a handful of smoke bombs, allowing them to escape the remaining Dragons and bring Claire to safety.
_________________________________________________________________________
Donnie let the blue curtain fall behind him and wiped his bloody hands on a small purple towel. He looked up at Leo who was nervously pacing the bedroom hall.
“How-how is she?” Leo asked hoarsely.
“She’s pretty banged up, but she’s going to be alright, Leo.”
Leo put a hand on Donnie’s shoulder as a sob escaped his throat; his tears falling freely. He nodded his head at Donnie and drew back the curtain to his room. Even through all the dirt and bandages, she still looked like the most beautiful creature in the world. He walked over to the bed and kneeled beside her. He gently kissed Claire’s hand, her cheek, her forehead; anywhere her skin was exposed.
Claire groaned and tried to open her eyes. She attempted to bring a hand to her head, but a sharp pain in her arm stopped her. Her sleepy gaze fell upon Leo’s face; his cheeks were glistening. She twisted her good arm over and felt at his face, fingertips trailing down the path of his tears.
“L-Leo? Where am I?” Claire tried looking around, but everything seemed so bright.
“You are safe. You are home,” he kissed her forehead. “Do you need anything?” He felt an unavoidable instinct to take care of her; make her feel better.
Claire ignored his question. It was the first time Leo was talking to her since that morning of the fight. “Leo, I am so sorry about…” she winced as she tried to speak. “I didn’t want to hurt you. That wasn’t what I wanted,” she looked up at him, her lip trembling.
“Claire, that is all in the past. When I saw you lying on the – “ his voice choked up. “Nothing mattered. My life wouldn’t be complete without you. I see that now. It is up to me to find a balance between my duties and sharing my life with you.” He took her hand and looked into her eyes.   “You give me a renewed sense of purpose. A passion; a vigor I didn’t have before. I love my brothers and would do anything to keep them safe. But what I feel for you is different than that. I want to protect you because I feel that you belong to me. I love you.” His fingers lightly traced along her cheeks, coming to rest at her chin. Leo leaned in and kissed her.
Claire’s heart swelled at his words. She kissed him back with all the strength she had. “Oh, Leo. I love you too.”
Leo moved his lips up to her forehead and gently kissed it. He tucked the blanket around Claire and ran a hand through her hair. “Now, get some rest. I need you to heal up as quickly as possible.”
Claire smiled at him. Even when she was lying in bed injured Leo still managed to dish out commands. “Okay,” she softly said, eyes closing on their own.
________________________________________________________________________________
Leo slid open the door to Master Splinter’s room. “Father?”
“My son, how is Claire?” He looked up at Leo, both hands gripping his walking stick.
“She’s going to be fine, thanks to Donnie. I wish to seek your advice. I am finding it hard to keep a balance between my duties as leader of our family and my duties to Claire as her companion. Is there maybe some higher state of meditation I can achieve to focus on this problem? Or maybe something you haven’t shown me yet?” He looked into his father’s face with hopeful eyes.
“My son, I have taught you everything that I know. You have achieved so much already, and if there is something else you are searching for, YOU will need to discover it.” He looked at Leonardo thoughtfully. “You will go to Central America; you need to get away from the world you currently live in. There, you will be isolated so you can focus and hone your skills. You will discover how to be the leader you wish to become.”
“Cen-Central America? But, I can’t leave New York; I can’t leave you! I am needed here.” Leo’s eyes were wide with worry.
Splinter chuckled, “We will be able to manage without you, my son. If this is something you truly wish for, it must be done.”
Leonardo nodded his head, grimly. “How long will I be there for?”
“How ever long it takes.”
_________________________________________________________________________
Leonardo called a family meeting that night to tell everyone he would be going away. He had spoken to Claire about it first so she wasn’t taken by surprise. Leo thought she handled it relatively well. He could tell she was very sad about it, but ultimately she knew it was the only solution for them to be together.
Raphael stood up after Leo broke the news, “This is bullshit! You are just goin’ to abandon your family because you aren’t strong enough to figure something out here? I mean really, Leo. Central America? Jesus Christ.” He clenched his fists and glared at his brother.
“Raphael!” Splinter snapped. “The decision has already been made. And due to Leonardo’s absence, there will be no patrol until he returns. It is too dangerous for only three Hamato’s to take on the Purple Dragons.”
Raphael kicked over his chair and stormed away towards the kitchen. Claire sighed and looked at Leo. He nodded his head imperceptibly and Claire rose to follow him. While the remaining members of the family spoke, Claire quietly stepped into the kitchen. “Raph?” He was leaning against the kitchen counter, shoulders slumped, eyes closed. His facial features were turned downward in a sad expression. Claire walked up to him and gently touched his arm. “I know you will miss him. It’s okay, you can tell me.”
Raph’s eyes wandered down to her hand on his and snorted, “Whateva. I am more angry that we can’t go patrollin’. The people depend on us to help keep the streets safe. How can we do that when are stuck down here.”
Claire looked up at him thoughtfully. “Well, Master Splinter said that a Hamato could not go topside. Maybe you can be someone else for the night,” she said carefully.
His chest puffed back up and he smirked at her. “I like the way you think.”
_______________________________________________________________________
Leo watched as Claire fiddled with some of the items on his dresser. She cleared her throat, “So, how long do you think you will be gone for?” She was afraid to turn around and face him. She didn’t want him to see the pain in her face.
“I am not sure. However long it takes.” He intently watched her every move. “I need to do this. I need to learn how to be a better leader.” He stood from the bed and walked up behind her, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist as he kissed the back of her neck, nuzzling into her hair. “I’m doing it for us.”
She spun around in his arms and looked up into his blue eyes. “I know. It’s just; I’m going to miss you so much.” She perked up a little and her eyes danced darkly, “I can’t promise you I won’t be out there at night, doing my thing. Splinter did only say that the Hamato’s couldn’t go topside. I am no Hamato.” She smiled devilishly at him.
Leo ran his warm hands up Claire’s arms, “Not yet,” he murmured against her neck.
Claire’s eyes grew wide and she pulled back to look at him.
“I know that is a bold statement, but I cannot imagine myself with anyone other than you. Ever. You are mine,” he purred into her ear. “So I will go and get this all sorted out.”
Claire threw her arms around his neck, sliding them up across his jaw and held his face in her hands. She kissed him deeply, longingly; as if it might be the last time.   He turned and she watched as Leo left, a small piece of her heart leaving with him.
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Seeing Red