TMNT- The Lost Danger

Fire

Ash sat stared at where Liz had disespeared with Donnie into the lab. April simply stood there awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot, before she too, entered the lab. Ash shifted slightly on the couch, her eyes narrowing as she growled. 'Humans are bad.... This one is clearly not to be trusted.' But just as she had began to rise from her place on the couch to go after April-"Hey...." She jumped. Raph had gone to the dojo to work out, and Mikey had gone to play in his room, so that meant that the voice could only be "Leo?" She questioned, her tone one of hesitant confusion. 

A soft chukel from her left caused her to turn her head. Two royal blue eyes met hers. Leo flashed her a bright grin. 'He should be a part of one of those Shiny Teeth commercials...' Ash thought, and for a brief moment, she felt amused by this thought. Then, Leo's smooth voice broke through the silence once again. 

"How you holding up?" Ash blinked. "Hm?" Leo rolled his eyes. "I meant how are feeling? You...seemed pretty deep in though for a moment there. Is everything alright?" Ash hesitated. "It's-not important." Leo frowned. "Of course it's important. I want to make sure that you're happy here with m-us." Ash tilted her head. "I...I am... It's just... Liz and I, we have trust issues as you know, and humans, well..." Leo watched her, a look of concern etched into his handsome features. 

"No human has ever treated you with kindness, have they?" Leo asked abrubtly. Ash nodded hesistantly. Then her gaze lowered to the book in her hands. Leo followed her gaze. "Um, what are you reading?" Ash smiled slightly. "I found it in the kitchen, it's something about the origins of a show called Space Heroes?" Leo's eyes widened. "Oh! I was wondering where that had gone!" Ash's beautiful amber eyes widened. "Oh! Oh my goodness-I'm so sorry! I didn't know that it was yours!" Babbling, she fumbled with the medium-sized blue book, and it dropped from her hands as she frantically moved to return it to him. Leo watched the nervous mutant bend down to retrieve the book, still babbling frantically. 

"ACK! Oh dear-I'm so stupid-" Leo's eyes widened at this, and just as she reached towards the book, his large green hand caught her wrist. He stared into her wide amber eyes. Tears were beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. A strand of her rich brown hair fell across her face, covering her left eye. Frowning, Leo gently moved to brush the strand behind her pointed ear. Ash flinched, and recoiled from him..... Almost as she was expecting him to strike her. Sadness flashed across Leo's face. "Ash..." He murmured softly. 

Ash whimpered quietly. "I don't know what Shredder did to to you, and don't know what you have gone through, but one thing that I do know, is that you are most certantly not stupid." Ash blinked away her tears. "You...don't think I'm stupid?" Her quavering voice almost made Leo cry. "No, I think that you are very smart. You managed to escape the very ones who thought that they were smarter than you, ad you have managed to survive and take care of Liz at the same time. Not only do I think you're smart, I think you're strong too." Ash smiled up at him, and she seemed to relax for a moment. 

Neither of them noticed the two bright green eyes that were peering out at them silently from the dojo. 

Raph growled softly, and clenched his fists. 

'Grr... Stupid Leo.... How dare he hit on my girl-wait. WHAT. Did I just-WHOA.'

Just as Ash relaxed, her right ear twitched, and she jolted away from Leo, her eyes fixing on the lab doors. A distressed Liz ran from the lab, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and streaming down her cheeks. Ash growled. Leo backed off, instinct and common sense told him to leave the pair alone for a moment.... That is, if he wanted to stay in one piece.

Whimpering, Liz threw herself into Ash's arms. It was one thing to make Ash cry, but if one were to upset her sister and make her cry-well.... Ash would ;et all fire from the pits loose. After a moment, and Liz was still sobbing her golden eyes out in Ash's neck, Ash couldn't stand it a moment more. Through clenched teeth, Ash asked in stiff voice, "WHO. DID. THIS. TO YOU?"

Trembling, Liz looked up into her half-sister's amber eyes. Liz's watery gaze met sh's fiery one. "A-April t-told me to st-ay away f-from Donnie..." Another sob racked Liz's body. Fire burned in Ash's eyes. "And did you tell Donnie?'' Liz nodded, and opened her mouth.