Angel's Child

“…Pop?”

Raph looked up at his eldest daughter, who seemed noticeably uncomfortable…

“Yeah?”

“Well…I’m comin’ clean…”

“Don’t tell me yer doin’ drugs…” He joked.

“Pop! Now ain’t the time!”

She looked pointedly irritated, and he shook away the good humor.

Everything had settled as Don and Leo worked on a good plan to finally defeat the Shredder.

Keishi had finally seemed to settle in with care, though he was never left alone, and everyone’s moods were lifting.

What was Izzy planning on doing now?

“Um…I actually brought a, uh…friend.”

His eyes narrowed…

“What KIND of friend?”

“Um…’a the male variety?”

“…Wron’ answer.”

“POP!”

Stopping him from rushing into the living room and meeting the boy, she tried pleading with him to listen.

“Look, I know ya don’t like boys. At ALL. But I’m a big girl, an’ I need some…companionship.”

“Not THIS companionship, ya don’t!”

“Don’t o’erreact!”

“…O’ERREACT!?!”

Izzy sighed, shaking her head…

“Ya sound just like Uncle Leo…”

“…EXCUSE ME?”

“…I probably shouldn’t ‘a said that…”

“Ya think?”

Rosie stepped into the kitchen, stopping when she saw both of them glaring at each other…

“Daddy? Izzy?”

Both seemed to snap out of their anger, turning to the youngest part of their family.

“…Are you two fighting about the nice boy in the living room?”

“...”

Raph’s eyes narrowed, and he became intent on getting non-biased information about this guy…

“What do ya mean?”

“He was being really nice to Light, and he shared his gum with me when I said hello. I think Uncle Mikey was talking with him about something when I came in here…”

“…Izzy?”

“Well…’Is name’s Jake, an’ I met ‘im when I saved ‘im a month ago…’E’s a good guy, ‘e just fell inta the wrong crowd ‘fere I met ‘im…”

“What kinda crowd?”

“Um…’E was part ‘a a gang…”

“…A GANG?”

“He’s not in one anymore!” She assured.

“Come on, then…Let’s go meet ‘im…”

“Don’t be mean, pop…”

“When am I e’er mean?”

Izzy just quirked an eye-ridge at him in silence…

“…Then ‘gain…”

“Let’s just go…”

The three headed out into the living room, and the green-haired boy looked up.

“Oh, hi.” He greeted, seeming a bit unsure of himself.

“This is my pop.” Izzy introduced.

“Pop, this is my FRIEND, Jake.”

The boy had already been informed that word BOYfriend might…set the red-banded turtle off…

“Yo, Jake.”

They shook hands, and you could see the turtle sizing up the younger male.

If there was one thing a girl never liked about their father, it was how they never seemed to think their boyfriends were good enough for them…

“Guys?”

They turned to see Angie and Keishi, the former with a bottled water in her hands.

She’d probably been practicing with him, and they were taking a break.

“Oh…Hey, Jake. Izzy’s told me a lot about you.” The sky-masked turtle greeted.

“Hey…Angie, right? Izzy talks about you, too.”

“Well, I’d love to stay and watch…this…but me and Keishi were just getting a drink.”

She took hold of Keishi’s wrist, pulling him along…

“Don’t mind us.”

Izzy sighed…

“Thanks, Angie…”

“No problem!” Came from the kitchen…

“…She can be a jerk sometimes…”

“HEY…”

The gold-eyed turtle turned back to her father, smiling a bit.

“What? It’s fun ta mess wit’ ‘er.”

“Ya know what? Let’s get acquainted…”

“…Rosie, run while ya still ‘ave the chance…”

Rose fled, and Izzy sighed as she sat down…

‘This is gonna be a long night…’

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“What was going on in there?”

“It’s called interrogation.”

Angie smiled a bit, ducking below his wide blow.

“It’s a ninja’s best friend, you know.”

“I suppose…”

She bent back, avoiding his kick, as the music in the corner picked up its rhythm.

Their sparring was picking up its pace, and they were actually getting a workout when the song changed…

Keishi caught her wrist, pulling her closer to stop her other arm, and both froze, still panting for breath…

They were so CLOSE…

The songs lyrics came into focus…

‘Her eyes, that's where hope lies./That's where blue skies/Meet the sunrise./Her eyes, that's where I go/When I go home.’

Angie faintly realized it was one of her own favorites, ‘Her Eyes’, as her mind sparked…

‘She got the kinda strength that every man wishes he had./She loved Michael Jackson up until he made Bad.’

“Angie…?”

Both were drowning, not understanding this strange emotion filling them…

‘Tells me that she lives about a hundred lives,/Scares me to death when she thinks and drives,/Says cowboy hats make her look fat,/and I'm so glad she's mine.’

They could almost taste each other’s breath, they were so close…

‘Her eyes, that's where hope lies./That's where blue skies/Meet the sunrise./Her eyes, that's where I go/When I go home.’

The brush of their lips sent a tingle through her nerves as her plastron pressed gently against his chest…

‘She doesn't know the word 'impossible’/Don't care where I've been and doesn't care where we're goin' to./She takes me as I am, and that ain't easy./She's beautiful. So beautiful.’

The kiss was chaste at first, but his arm went around her waist and she couldn’t hold back anymore…

‘And sometimes I think she's truly crazy./And I love it.’

She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him closer…

‘Her eyes, that's where hope lies./That's where blue skies/Always meet the sunrise./Her eyes, that's where I go/When I go home./Her eyes, that's where hope lies./That's where blue skies/Always meet the sunrise./Her eyes, that's where I go/When I go home.’

The song began to slow, winding down from its climax, and the two started separating for air…

‘She's not afraid/she just likes to use her night light.’

A cough, loud thanks to the lack music, and both jumped apart…

Angela was panting, trying to control her breathing, as a blush covered her face…

It was her father…

“Oh, um…Hi, dad…” She greeted shyly…

“…If you two are BUSY…”

“Actually, we were about to go.” Keishi replied, helping the she-turtle out of this situation.

They scampered out of there as fast as they could, and Leo’s eyes followed them until Artemis stepped in…

“…You’re mean…”

“What?”

“It’s not like sensei ever walked in on us in the middle of a make-out session when we were fifteen…”

“He probably didn’t want to…”

“Doesn’t change anything.” She argued, smiling a bit.

“Don’t embarrass her too much. Raph’s already doing it to Izzy in the other room.”

“Well, good for him…”

She smirked, trailing a lazy finger down his plastron…

“Oh, really?”

A smile as he wrapped his arms around her waist…

“Really…”