Mr and Mrs Hamato

Chapter 18 - Love Like You

The two sat quietly on the rooftops. Being tossed into a sudden rollercoaster of emotions had sent Casey back into a silent lapse, fueled with sadness. Dianne stared at the cloudy night sky, wondering what to do, what to think. It's not every day some kid from the future tells you that you're supposed to be his future parents. For her entire life, never once did she think about falling in love, starting a family, or even thinking about how close the future nearly came to pass when the alien invasion happened a few years back. 

Dianne had been safe with Baron Draxum hiding out in the Hidden City. Of course, that doesn't mean that the aliens had not reached the secret underground. Thanks to powerful yokai and mystics, they managed to repel the invasion before it took over and thankfully in time, otherwise the Krang would have been twice as powerful with magic on their side.

A soft sniffle escaped her as she thought over the other things her powers revealed. Dianne loves children and hoped to have a few of her tiny band of misfits one day. The future unveiled, though she hoped never to happen any time soon left her unintentionally scarred. That did bring the larger elephant in the room to light.  Dianne Rosetta was to be an Hamato.  Is a Hamato? Past and present tense will never make sense now. Casey gently tapped her shoulder in askance "You good?" She tried to convince herself that she was, but Dianne just scrubbed the tears off her face. "Y-yeah. Just, it's so much to handle."

Casey hummed, "I know how that feels. When I came here and saw their faces, the family was lost. I had no idea if I was dreaming. At that point, I wished the Krang took me away so I could reunite with the family I lost." Without turning her head from the sky, she quietly asked him what he thought of his life now. 

"I feel like I have been given a second chance. To save all of you now, and could not be more thankful for this chance." Dianne didn't know how to relate to this and Casey could see the waves of confusion weighing down on her shoulders. 

"Hey, Dianne. Look at me." 

As the two faced each other, Casey vowed to become the beacon of support in Dianne's confusion. "Look, I know this is probably the last thing you'd want to hear, but Dianne I will not fail my family a second time." He waited for the girl to show any signs of disturbance. When she didn't he continued, "I know you have no idea of who I am and what to do about this whole situation, but I would be glad to help you find your way. It's the least I can do." Dianne's hands gripped onto Casey's wrists as if he were the only tether to the real world. "Casey, I-I don't even know if I can be her."

"What do you mean?"

"Casey, I'm not THAT Dianne. I don't know if I can be her, or live like her, or... Casey, I don't have any idea about where Donnie and I stand and-"

"Dianne, I don't need you to be like that. I don't expect you to. Just be you and let me help you where I can." The girl nearly cried at how considerate this boy was. Someone she hardly knew. "Dianne, I care about you and I want to help you."

"Casey... But I've never done anything for you," she pleaded. The young man chuckled. "You being here made me feel more at home than I have felt in a long time."

---

Casey had fallen asleep a while ago. He had offered Dianne a small place to stay the night as she insisted. After the stunt she pulled, she could not bring herself to face Donatello or his family. She told her Uncle Draxum that she was fine so he wouldn't worry.

"Dianne, you know I can't help but worry. I mean, you just ran off like that." Draxum chided her. Dianne only musted a sad sigh. 

"How are the others?" she asked weakly. Draxum shrugged, "Speechless and worried, as I am, but I think Purple is taking it harder than anyone else."