Angel's Child

No one had tried to talk to Angela in two days.

Know why?

Because she almost skewered Izzy with a KATANA the last time someone tried to talk to her, THAT’S why!

The sky-masked turtle was in her room, rock music blasting through her headphones so she wouldn’t hear anyone yelling for her through the door.

Leo had been trying that for at least three hours before he deemed the cause hopeless…

“What could have happened to her?”

“Keishi.”

The whole family turned to little Ari, who was petting Light.

“He did something bad, and Angie got real mad and sad…”

“…Honey, who’s Keishi?” Artemis started, not wanting the little girl to clam up.

“I think he was Angie’s boyfriend. But he was friends with evil ninja.”

While the other adults were clicking him and the Foot into place, Leo was clicking together the fact that his daughter had been LYING to him to meet a BOY.

Let’s just say he wasn’t very happy…

“Love, what are you-? Leo, don’t break down that door-! Do you know how long it’ll take to look for another one?!”

As the commotion in the living room increased, the door creaked open…

Silence fell, and everyone stared at the young turtle as she walked out nonchalant as ever.

She didn’t notice the eyes on her until she had gotten a soda from the fridge.

“What? Never seen a girl get a soda before?”

Pulling her headphones around her neck, she took a sip.

Mizu and Mikey tried getting the other kids OUT of there before Leo exploded…

“But I wanna SEE…” Z whined.

“Not this time.” Mikey assured, pulling his daughter along.

“Will she be okay?” Lily wondered.

“She’ll be fine, honey. Go on. Take your brother.”

Once it was deemed ‘safe’, Leo went on his rampage.

“What were you THINKING?! Going topside to meet some boy you knew nothing about!!”

Her eyes hardened, defensive and hurt and angry all at once…

“You don’t know anything about it!”

“Really? Well, apparently I learned about him being part of the Foot faster than you did!!”

A snarl in her throat, and the can started cracking a bit with the force of her hold…

“You just don’t get it!”

Those damn tears…

They’d been coming on and off since it happened.

“I really like him!! And the only thing he wanted was to lure me into some trap and kill me!!”

‘I’m sure someone would have done much worse to you…’ Leo thought grimly.

‘And I think that possibility is what scares me…’

Artemis stepped forward, ready to intervene, but Chi took hold of her arm.

“They need ta work this out, Artie.” The Earthbender explained, still wise beyond her years.

“There’s a tension between ‘em they’ve gotta get rid ‘a on their own…”

“Well, none of that would have happened if you’d used your head!!”

“Well, SORRY I CAN’T BE PERFECT!!!”

The tears were flowing now, and her sadness and rage were making the pipes quake violently.

“I’m sorry that I’m not good enough!!! Sorry that I can’t ever seem to be the daughter you wanted!!!”

The words were spilling out of her aching soul and she couldn’t seem to stop them…

“AND I’M SORRY THAT YOU’RE MY FATHER!!!”

With that, she bolted out of the lair, soda can left forgotten on the floor, as a stunned silence fell over them…

“…SO…Who’s up for some ice cream?” Mikey offered, hoping to relieve the tension.

BONK!!!

SMACK!!!

“OW!!!”

Artemis stepped tentatively up to her mate…

“Love?”

It was pretty obvious that last statement had struck home harder than anything else could have.

“…Am I that bad of a father?”

“Oh, love…You just expect too much of her…She needs room to grow and become her own person…”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I was just like her, remember? A spirit like that can only take conformity for so long before they try to break out. You can’t make her something she’s not.”

“I wasn’t trying to…”

“Daddy?”

Everyone jumped, seeing little Ari.

“What are you doing out, baby?” Kasai wondered, picking up the little eight year old.

“…I think Angie wants you to trust her…”

The adults stared at the little innocent face…

Maybe this was her power again?

They couldn’t be sure…

“You expect a lot of her, but I think all she really wants is for you to show how much you love her…”

Raph smirked a bit, putting a hand on the littlest turtle’s head.

“I think she’s got a point, Fearless...”

“When was the last time you just held her for the sake of holding her?” Don wondered.

“Or said ‘I love you’ just because?” His mate added.

“When was the last time ya just talked wit’ ‘er ‘cause ya WANTED ta?”

“…I don’t remember…”

Artemis gently took his hand…

“It’s not your fault, love…You were thinking of her, it’s just…You never told her WHY you were being so hard on her…”

Crimson eyes softened, and she put her other hand on his plastron.

“…Do you think she’s strong?”

“Of course.”

“Then why don’t you think she can handle herself out there?”

“…I…I don’t know…”

“I don’t blame you, Leo…It’s a parent’s job to worry and fret and all that…But the hardest part is trusting that your kid is strong enough to take on the outside world.”

“Yeah…’cause not doin’ that makes a kid shut their trap…”

Raph’s head snapped up at the voice of his own teenager’s voice.

“How do ya think it feels ta get yelled at? An’ then, when ya do somethin’ good, not ta get even a passin’ glance?”

Gold eyes narrowed…

“Fer kami’s sake, all I’ve e’er seen ‘er try ta do was be as good as ya wanted ‘er ta be. An’ look where that got ‘er!”

“Isabella-!”

“Maybe if ya stopped worryin’ so much, maybe ya’d understand what it’s like fer a teenager ta ‘ave ‘er heart broken!”

“An’ how would ya know what that feels like?”

She knew what her father was really asking, but only a light blush fell across her face…

“I don’t, but she actually TALKS ta me ‘bout this sorta thin’!”

“…ISABELLA…”

OH, she knew she was screwed…

Rosie peeked in, hoping her sister would be okay…

“Maybe I’ve met a guy…” The dark-banded turtle admitted.

“But that has nothin’ ta do wit’ this.”

Kasai held back her lover, and Chi sighed, leaning on a wall.

“…What ‘bout Angela?”

Gold locked with glazed black…

“Is she a’right?”

“…I ain’t too sure…She’s really broken up ‘bout it…”

“But she’s out there-!”

“She’ll be fine. She’ll call if there’s any trouble.”

Izzy turned to leave…

“How are you so sure?”

She stopped a moment, thinking…

“…’Cause I trust ‘er.”

She disappeared into the hallway, leaving her words hanging in the air…