Sequel: Angel's Child ›
Golden Angel
Chapter 19
“Artemis, you feeling better?”
Looking up with fever-glazed eyes, she coughed.
“No…”
Leo smiled fondly, putting a hand on her warm forehead.
“Well, you will be…”
“I hope so…”
She sniffled, eyes half-lidded.
“I feel horrible…”
Don, Mikey, Raph, and their human friends were out searching for Splinter, and Leo had stayed behind to help Artemis over the fever and cold she’d gotten after the fight with the Shredder.
“You need anything?”
She covered her nose, coughing.
“Soup…LOTS of soup…”
“Alright, then.”
He smiled, kissing her forehead.
“I’ll be right back, love.”
“Hurry…I feel like I’m dying…”
He chuckled as he headed for the kitchen, Mitsukai curling up on her owner’s lap to warm her.
Artemis sat back, snuggling into the deep comforter as Mitsukai wriggled and whimpered and nuzzled.
Coughing, she sniffled and shivered.
“Since when did you start feeling sick?”
She looked up as Leo put the tray across her lap, moving Mitsukai out of the way.
“Since the fight…I-I didn’t think I was sick before…” She admitted.
“Just relax and drink up…” He assured.
She smiled slightly as she picked up the spoon.
“You’re spoiling me, Leo…”
“Is that a bad thing?”
The gold-banded turtle giggled, muscles relaxing as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind the couch.
“Nope…I’m just not used to it…”
“I did this when we were kids.”
“That was a long time ago, Leo…”
He kissed the top of her head, earning a curious look.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t worry.”
“Oh, I know THAT…”
She giggled, looking up and kissing him.
“But it’s been too long since you SHOWED it…”
The smile that spread across his face was a bit foreign to her, but she saw the familiar spark of love.
“Do you want me to?”
Faintly seeing where this was going, she smiled back.
“Do you WANT to show me how worried you are?”
She churred as he suckled at her neck, and she grinned.
Moving the tray, she reached up to pull him down beside her on the couch.
Caught off balance, Leo was trying to right himself when she kissed him, wrapping her legs around his waist.
Sitting up now, he blushed as she scattered kisses along his neck, shoulders, and face.
“Feeling better?”
She smiled a bit, nuzzling his neck.
“Actually…Yeah…”
Wrapping his arms around her shell, he cradled her close as her kisses and touches slowed.
Eventually, she hugged him back, head resting on his shoulder.
“…You miss him, don’t you?”
She barely stiffened, the slightest reaction to the question, and she nuzzled his shoulder.
“…Yes…”
He rubbed her shell comfortingly, and she tightened her hold.
“We’ll find him…”
“I know…But I think it’s more than that…”
“Artemis?”
“Leo…I think, in some weird, spiritual way…you guys help my bending…”
“…Okay, you lost me…”
Pulling back, she sighed.
“Before we…um…Got together…I couldn’t Earthbend. And I’ve never been able to control my Firebending. But I have no trouble with Airbending.”
“…What do you mean by that? That your connections with us affect your control?”
“Yeah. Like each of you is an element. Your earth, Mikey’s air, Donnie’s water, and Raph’s fire. I suppose, in some strange way, I’m closest to Mikey…”
“Airbending is easiest for you?”
Seeing the slightest hurt look on the blue-banded turtle’s face, she nuzzled him reassuringly.
“Well, I’ve been playing with him for years. We only just started. Give it time.”
“Oh, alright…But what about Waterbending?”
“I guess I’m close to Donnie, but not close enough to be really good at it…”
“Firebending?”
“I’m not sure about that one…”
She furrowed her brow.
“I’m close to Raph…But there are moments I just want to hit him…It’s volatile and moody, I suppose…”
“Which is why you have no control.”
She pouted.
“Well, you don’t have to say it like that…”
Leo smiled apologetically, smoothing the wrinkles on her face and making her smile again.
“You’ll figure this out, love…I know you will…”
Resting on him again, Artemis closed her eyes, feeling tired.
“…What element would sensei be, then?”
She smiled sleepily, a soft yawn in her throat.
“Well, that’s obvious…”
She felt herself drifting before she whispered the rest into his ear…
“Energybending…”
Leo watched as she slept, comforted at the solid weight leaning on him.
‘I’m lucky to have her at all…She’s so strong, but she knows she can’t stand alone…’
He nuzzled her cheek, and smiled a bit at the sleepy churr he received.
‘Maybe she’s right…And we’re all helping her…’
She shifted against him, a warm weight on his plastron.
‘…I don’t know what I would do without her…’
Looking up with fever-glazed eyes, she coughed.
“No…”
Leo smiled fondly, putting a hand on her warm forehead.
“Well, you will be…”
“I hope so…”
She sniffled, eyes half-lidded.
“I feel horrible…”
Don, Mikey, Raph, and their human friends were out searching for Splinter, and Leo had stayed behind to help Artemis over the fever and cold she’d gotten after the fight with the Shredder.
“You need anything?”
She covered her nose, coughing.
“Soup…LOTS of soup…”
“Alright, then.”
He smiled, kissing her forehead.
“I’ll be right back, love.”
“Hurry…I feel like I’m dying…”
He chuckled as he headed for the kitchen, Mitsukai curling up on her owner’s lap to warm her.
Artemis sat back, snuggling into the deep comforter as Mitsukai wriggled and whimpered and nuzzled.
Coughing, she sniffled and shivered.
“Since when did you start feeling sick?”
She looked up as Leo put the tray across her lap, moving Mitsukai out of the way.
“Since the fight…I-I didn’t think I was sick before…” She admitted.
“Just relax and drink up…” He assured.
She smiled slightly as she picked up the spoon.
“You’re spoiling me, Leo…”
“Is that a bad thing?”
The gold-banded turtle giggled, muscles relaxing as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind the couch.
“Nope…I’m just not used to it…”
“I did this when we were kids.”
“That was a long time ago, Leo…”
He kissed the top of her head, earning a curious look.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t worry.”
“Oh, I know THAT…”
She giggled, looking up and kissing him.
“But it’s been too long since you SHOWED it…”
The smile that spread across his face was a bit foreign to her, but she saw the familiar spark of love.
“Do you want me to?”
Faintly seeing where this was going, she smiled back.
“Do you WANT to show me how worried you are?”
She churred as he suckled at her neck, and she grinned.
Moving the tray, she reached up to pull him down beside her on the couch.
Caught off balance, Leo was trying to right himself when she kissed him, wrapping her legs around his waist.
Sitting up now, he blushed as she scattered kisses along his neck, shoulders, and face.
“Feeling better?”
She smiled a bit, nuzzling his neck.
“Actually…Yeah…”
Wrapping his arms around her shell, he cradled her close as her kisses and touches slowed.
Eventually, she hugged him back, head resting on his shoulder.
“…You miss him, don’t you?”
She barely stiffened, the slightest reaction to the question, and she nuzzled his shoulder.
“…Yes…”
He rubbed her shell comfortingly, and she tightened her hold.
“We’ll find him…”
“I know…But I think it’s more than that…”
“Artemis?”
“Leo…I think, in some weird, spiritual way…you guys help my bending…”
“…Okay, you lost me…”
Pulling back, she sighed.
“Before we…um…Got together…I couldn’t Earthbend. And I’ve never been able to control my Firebending. But I have no trouble with Airbending.”
“…What do you mean by that? That your connections with us affect your control?”
“Yeah. Like each of you is an element. Your earth, Mikey’s air, Donnie’s water, and Raph’s fire. I suppose, in some strange way, I’m closest to Mikey…”
“Airbending is easiest for you?”
Seeing the slightest hurt look on the blue-banded turtle’s face, she nuzzled him reassuringly.
“Well, I’ve been playing with him for years. We only just started. Give it time.”
“Oh, alright…But what about Waterbending?”
“I guess I’m close to Donnie, but not close enough to be really good at it…”
“Firebending?”
“I’m not sure about that one…”
She furrowed her brow.
“I’m close to Raph…But there are moments I just want to hit him…It’s volatile and moody, I suppose…”
“Which is why you have no control.”
She pouted.
“Well, you don’t have to say it like that…”
Leo smiled apologetically, smoothing the wrinkles on her face and making her smile again.
“You’ll figure this out, love…I know you will…”
Resting on him again, Artemis closed her eyes, feeling tired.
“…What element would sensei be, then?”
She smiled sleepily, a soft yawn in her throat.
“Well, that’s obvious…”
She felt herself drifting before she whispered the rest into his ear…
“Energybending…”
Leo watched as she slept, comforted at the solid weight leaning on him.
‘I’m lucky to have her at all…She’s so strong, but she knows she can’t stand alone…’
He nuzzled her cheek, and smiled a bit at the sleepy churr he received.
‘Maybe she’s right…And we’re all helping her…’
She shifted against him, a warm weight on his plastron.
‘…I don’t know what I would do without her…’