Race. [TMNT 2012]

026. Renewed; Charlotte

Song: Draw The Line - Disciple

I sit quietly on a log near the fire pit while everyone else buzzes around. They bubble about the news the ghost rat had given them. Donatello, Michelangelo, April, Elizabetta, and even my brother are spitting out ideas as to how they can take down the Shredder. They actually believe we stand a chance against his huge army of henchmen, plus the citizens of New York City that support him.

I'm not as easily convinced, however. I keep having flashbacks of when Casey left our dad and I. He said he would come back. He told us he would keep us safe. But he didn't. He just left whenever the going got rough. Sure, he was trying to save Leonardo, but that doesn't make the pain any more bearable. He deserted us as if we meant nothing.

And that's how I know we won't stand a chance against Shredder. You can't trust someone that left like that, even if they are family.  No, having a team with weak bonds isn't good enough.  We need help.  Possibly more manpower?  I'm not sure how we will find that, but it's worth a shot.

"Why must they be so optimistic?" I mutter to Lucy under my breath.

Lucy turns her bright, mist-colored eyes on me. She grabs a handful of her blonde hair and starts to braid it, while Lilac watches intently on her other side. "Some people will always have hope," she murmurs in her sweet voice.

I study her hands as they work their way through the simple braid. "Why?" I ask, though I don't really expect an answer.

Lucy has a response for everything, however. "There's always a reason to keep trying. You may not see it now, but one day you will." She glances at me for a moment, before continuing to fiddle with her long locks.

I feel like her reply should give me something positive to stew over, but it doesn't. Instead, I'm in more denial than ever, determined that everyone pacing the campsite is an idiot.

I look up at the excited beings in front of me.  I open my mouth to voice my pessimistic opinion, but I don't get the chance to.

Leonardo and Raphael return to the fire pit site, their eyes alit with... Laughter?  Well, that's a dramatic change from when they left. I figured Raphael was going to chew Leonardo's head off, or vise versa. Though, it's slightly relieving to see them get along.

Wait, what am I thinking? I don't care about their stupid family problems. I just want to help get the world back to normal. Or, at least, the way it was before the Kraang invasion.  Anything other than that doesn't matter.

Leonardo stands with a proud look upon his face.  His blue eyes sparkle and his structure is molded perfectly into one of a leader.  He is almost admirable.

I catch a glimpse of something in his hand. It looks like a bunch of flowers twined into a headpiece.

I watch as the blue-clad turtle pauses in front of Elizabetta. He gets down on one knee before her, his deep sapphire eyes sparkling with emotion. He holds the flowers behind his back as he launched into a speech.

"Lizzy, you and I have been through a lot. We've experienced pain, loss, and the darkest of traumas. You handled these things well and stayed strong for me. Unfortunately, I haven't returned the favor. I was a complete jerk these past few weeks. I ignored you. I pushed you away and took you for granted. But in the end, you were still there for me. You asked if I was alright every chance you could. Your words of encouragement spoke to my heart and snapped me out of my trance. You are the reason I'm still sane. And I never want to go insane." Leonardo holds the flower crown out in front of him. "Elizabetta Jersey, will you be my girlfriend?"