The Girl From Another World ( TMNT 2007 Universe )

Chapter 49 - Aftermath

Jazmin

I screamed.

Not even remembering my injuries, I scrambled to my feet and ran to Red's side as fast as I could. I lost my balance as I reached him and slid to my knees, ungracefully landing beside his pierced shoulder. Placing my hands over his wound, I pressed as hard as I could. Only when I was sure I was holding his blood in with every ounce of energy I possessed did I let myself look at his face.

And I broke down.

This was my biggest fear. Red getting hurt instead of me. He'd taken the blow that was meant for me, however long it would've taken for it to happen. Tesh was supposed to kill me not Red. My lover was supposed to live a long life and I was supposed to die young. This was not part of my plan.

"Red!" I yelled as I continued to apply pressure to his wound. But it wasn't any use. The blood kept pouring out of his wound just like someone he loved wasn't trying to keep the life inside him. "Please! You can't go! Please don't go!"

His lids were closed peacefully over his beautiful amber eyes and his lips were in a thin line, as if there was no reason for him to show any emotion. There were no traces of the desperateness he'd shown for me, no hate for Tesh, or determination to keep him from me. There was just nothing. Like I'd never been a part of his life at all. And now I wished I hadn't been.

"Red!" I tried again. "I love you!"

"He knows you love him." I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. Zeppelinn. The presence of my father figure should've given me some comfort. But it didn't. Because he couldn't put me in Red's place. "And you know he loves you."

I lifted a bloodied hand up to dry my falling tears with the back of it. "This was supposed to be me."

"No. it was always going to be him." Zeppelinn kneeled down next to me and pulled me into his arms. I grasped one of Red's hands, desperate to keep contact with him. "Whoever he may be. He loves you very much. And there is no greater way of showing it than what he just did. He never gave up, even when you wanted him to."

I pressed my wet face into the old fabric of his shirt. "But this was my battle."

"Not yours to fight alone." Z reached up and brushed tangled hair out of my face, tilting my chin to look at him. "You were always so strong, Jazmin. And so confident. Maybe too much. Too much that you didn't see you needed others. He saw that and you didn't."

"But he's the one who got hurt." I took a moment to let more tears roll down my cheeks. "I never wanted that."

"I know you didn't. But it was his choice and not yours."

I looked to my ninja turtle, my heart hurting more at how he looked. "Do you think he'll make it?"

Zeppelinn smiled. "If he's anything like you, I know he will." He gently released me from his arms. "You stay here with him and I'll go get his brothers. Keep applying pressure to his wound."

"Okay." I moved back over to press my hands to his shoulder as Z left and began pushing as hard as I could. It wasn't long before I became tired, my ribs shooting with pain. I cried out but didn't let up the pressure.

Then my focus was suddenly shifted to the lifeless body of Tesh a few feet away. His eyes were frozen open, a clear sign that his death had happened suddenly and his lifeless body was stiff. I suddenly felt a great sense of satisfaction and victory that the man I had feared my whole life was now dead. But it had been at a price.

My focus returned back to Red. My love. The only guy who'd been able to break down my walls and make me trust him. Then I'd fallen in love with him and I was still falling. I didn't want to imagine a world without Red because there wouldn't be one. In my case at least. My world would end if he left it.