Regrets

Paranoid

Alopex sighed as she walked down the windy to work. The Saiyo house had become very quiet since Leona and Yuki had moved out. She hadn't heard or seen her daughter and granddaughter in a while.

The mutant fox looked up just in time to see something she hadn't excepted. She saw little Yuki walking down the street in her direction.

"Hello Yukiko." She smiled down at the toddler.

"You don't remember me, do you?" A woman asked. Alopex looked up and her eyes widened when she saw Catherine holding Yuki's hand.

"Hello again Catherine; I was sorry to hear about Eroina."

"Well, these ways are mysterious aren't they?" The old turtle sighed before looking down at Yuki with a smile. "Still, there have been consolations."

"Yes, I heard you've been seeing Leona."

"Oh yes, quite a bit." She smiled. "Last night Yukiko came to sleep over at my house, I'm just taking her home now."

"She's been staying with you?"

"Well yes, somebody has to give poor Leona a break every once and while." Catherine smiled.

"I hope that's not a dig at me." Alopex glared. "I did everything for Leona a mother could do, until she walked off and refused to have anything to do with me."

"Well that's not my understanding of it, but I don't wish to stand here arguing with you in the streets."

"No, neither do I." She glared coldly. "Thank you for bringing Yukiko this far but I'll take her off your hands now." The fox said as she reached over to take Yuki's hand; only for Catherine to pull the tot back.

"I'm sorry but you won't." She said firmly.

"I'm her grandmother for heaven's sake!"

"And unlike you I'm her own flesh and blood! And I'm the one she's been entrusted to; come one Yukiko." The older turtle huffed before walking past Alopex with the toddler...

******

Later that day Alopex was in the bar with her husband, ranting about her brief encounter with Yuki and Catherine that morning. She had been in a foul mood all day because of it and Tigerclaw thought maybe a few drinks would help her lighten up.

Boy was he wrong.

"...she said that she was the one Yukiko had been entrusted to and more or dragged her off!" She hissed.

"Right." He replied in a bored tone.

"I feel like I don't exist anymore, like I've been replaced."

"Yes well that won't of been Leona and Raphael's intentions."

"No?"

"No, we've known that Catherine's been calling at their apartment for a while now."

"Yes but she's never had Yukiko to stay over before!"

"They wouldn't of seen that as a big deal or as something that would upset you."

"Because she's too young?"

"That's not fair and it's not true."

"Well I'm sorry, but all I hear now is how mature she is, how grown up; grown up enough to move anyway from home and live with the father of her child, so why isn't she grown up enough to known when she's letting this stranger take over everything I used to do?!"

"Because she believed that it wasn't a big deal, and to be honest, so do I!" He growled before getting up and storming out the bar and leaving his stunned wife alone...

******

That night, in Leona and Raphael's apartment, Catherine and Leo were in the kitchen where the older turtle was showing her granddaughter the pyjamas that she had bought for Yuki earlier that day.

They were white with little pink butterflies on them.

"Aw, they are gorgeous." Leo smiled when she saw them.

"I thought it'd be best for her to have her own pyjamas kept at mine; I was hoping to give them their first go tonight, if you can spare her."

"But ya had her over last night." Raph frowned from his spot on the couch.

"Raphael." Leo scolded before turning the her grandmother with a smile. "We've nothing planned and she likes stay over at your's, I'll go get her ready." She said before going to get her daughter ready.

"I'll bring her back first thing." Catherine called after her...

******

That night Raph was reading a magazine while Leo was talking to Yuki on the phone. He liked Catherine but he felt that she was being a bit too clingy to her daughter. He didn't dare bring it up with Leo because he knew she'd shout.

"Me and Daddy might have a surprised for you tomorrow morning." The blue eyed turtle cooed into the phone. "Yeah, so you be a good girl for your Nana, can you put Nana back on for my honey?"

...

"Hey Catherine, yeah, I'll see you in the morning, goodnight." She sighed before hanging up.

"So what's tha surprise?" Raph asked.

"Well, it's nearly Christmas now and their opening up a Santa's grotto in the mall, she'll love that."

"Oh yeah, Mikey's doin' a dancin' elf act there." He smirked. Leo just laughed as she snuggled up on the couch with her boyfriend...

******

Yukiko smiled as she sat on the bed and watched Catherine. The old turtle walked over to a wall pulled off one of the many pictures off it.

"Aw, your Granny loved her butterfly pyjamas when she was little." She chuckled as she looked at the photo of Eroina as a toddler. "You two are the spitting image of each other." She said and gave the picture to Yuki.

Yuki looked as the picture and giggled.

"Now, should Nana take your picture to go on the wall? You and Granny together?" She smiled as Yuki held up the picture and Catherine picked up her camera. "Granny will look down from heaven and she'll see that and she'll smile; you and Granny together."

Suddenly a flash filled the room...