Together As Mutants (Book Six)

CXLIV. It's A Small World

Raphael

Taylor takes five-year-old Copeland up to the surface, disguised with a human patch. The dark-haired girl holds onto her mom's hand tightly, looking around with wide eyes.

"Mommy, is this where Dean went?" she asks.

"When he was learning to fly? Yes," the older woman replies.

"What we doing up here?"

"I have to buy some groceries, and I thought you'd like to see the surface."

The disguised mutant nods slowly. "It's beautiful."

The two Hamatos move towards the nearest grocery store, passing Taylor's old high school and everything she had lived around when she was younger.

The grocery shopping goes swiftly, where they pick up frozen pizzas and everything the other moms put down on their list. As Copeland looks at the toys with interest, a voice from the past makes Taylor tense up.

"Taylor?"

She turns around slowly, seeing none other than her dad walking towards her. Copeland pokes her head out from behind her mom, eyes wide.

"Mommy? Who's that?" she asks.

Taylor doesn't answer right away. Mr Fuentes stops a foot or two away from his daughter, eyes creased with relief.

"I thought you were dead," he says.

She purses her lips. "Well, I'm not."

"Yeah...good."

"What do you want?"

He looks taken aback. "I just wanted to talk to you. I thought that turtle had..." He trails off, noticing the pretty girl with ebony hair behind her. "Who's this?"

Taylor steps aside, taking Copeland's hand. "Copey, this is your grandfather. Dad, this is my daughter, Copeland."

The disguised turtle frowns in confusion. "Isn't grandpa Splinter my grandpa?"

Mr Fuentes smiles warmly. "Hi, Copeland. It's nice to meet you."

She becomes unnaturally shy, waving a little bit. "Hi."

He looks back up at his daughter. "Taylor, listen, I'm really glad you made the right decision."

Taylor doesn't even try to hide her confusion. "Huh?"

He chuckles. "I mean, you didn't marry that mutant. You have a human daughter, and-"

Taylor scowls and cuts him off. "I did marry Raphael. Copeland is our daughter."

The horror on her father's face is stunning. "But...you...what? She's human!"

He points to the girl, and she frowns.

"I'm not human! I'm a turtle!" she exclaims.

"Copeland, let me handle this," Taylor whispers, trying to keep attention off of them.

The young mutant nods and glares at her grandfather.

Mr Fuentes shakes his head in confusion. "I don't...I don't..."

"Dad, you treated me terribly. I invited you to my wedding and you didn't come," she snaps. "Now, I have my daughter with me, and you still can't accept that I didn't marry a man of your ideals."

"You didn't even marry a man!"

"I married someone who is much more of a man than you ever were," she hisses.