Regrets

Bitter

It was now the start of January in the new year and the Christmas buzz was starting to die down once again. Leona hummed a little song in her head as she got Yukiko ready for her day out with Catherine.

As the older woman played with the child, Raph and Casey were talking and laughing with each other on the coach.

"So how's April?" Raph smirked.

"She's got a temper." The human laughed.

"Don't forget, she's pregnant." Leo chuckled.

"Still, she's doing alright, she's just got a job at that channel 6 place and if tha date goes alright we've got tha place ta ourselves tonight." He grinned.

"I thought she's being a pain." Raph laughed.

"Yeah, but if she's offering I'm not gonna turn my girl away."

"May I remind you there is a child present." Catherine scowled at the boys.

"Yuki won't know what he's talkin' about." Raph reassured.

"Well I'm not much enamoured with the conversation myself." She huffed as Leo finished getting Yuki ready. "Come on sweetie, let's see what we can find in the sales."

"You will be careful with her won't you?" Leo asked nervously. "'Cause you know how busy it is in the sales and she might slip away."

"Don't you worry, we're going to be holding hands all the time, aren't we?" She smiled as she and Yukiko headed for the door. "I'm like a shepherd, keeping my little lamb away from the wolves."...

******

As Catherine and Yuki walked through the busy mall, looking for good deals, the older turtle froze when she saw Alopex walking over to them. The fox quickly pulled the child into a warm hug.

"Hello sweetheart, how's my little granddaughter?" She smiled as she planted kisses on the little one's cheeks.

"Say hello to Alopex, Yuki." Catherine said, in a stiff tone. Alopex looked up at the turtle and straightened up.

"You taking her for a walk?" The fox asked in a similar tone.

"Yes; it's just to help Leona out, she called me and begged me to take this one off her hands, she just needs a break every once and while and Raphael... well, he's not much use is he? Still, what can you expect? They're only children themselves" She frowned.

"Raphael's very good with Yukiko, so is Leona, she's a perfect mother." Alopex glared.

"That's why you reported her to Social Services is it?"

"I..." Alopex stuttered before regaining her composure. "That was a long time ago."

"How you could do that to Leona, a child you swore to love and protect, I'll never know, putting her through that pain." Catherine hissed. "Some people don't deserve to have children."

"I beg your pardon!?"

"Whereas others, the good Catholic people, woman who try to follow a straight path only to have their children taken from them, leaving them with nothing." She stammered hysterically before smiling down at Yuki. "Nothing except this little angel; come one Yukiko let's go, Alopex is upsetting me now like she does Mommy." She said before pushing passed the fox and disappearing into the crowd...

******

Donnie sighed as he took a quick shortcut through the cemetery. He and his family and gotten back from Japan on New Years Eve and thankfully his grandfather was doing better. He wished he could say the same for his parents.

On Christmas Day, Shen gave Raph a call to wish him a happy Christmas and his father wasn't happy with that. He sighed as he thought about his parents being at breaking point and there was nothing he could do.

He looked up and froze when he saw Yuki standing next to him just off the path.

"Hey Yukiko." He said softly as he knelt down to the little one's level. "Are you here with your Mommy and Daddy? Are you lost? How about we go find them?" He smiled and reach to take the child's hand.

"GET AWAY! DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!!" A voice suddenly screamed and Donnie looked up to see Catherine running over to them.

"Sorry?" He asked, very confused.

"GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!! GET AWAY!!" She shrieked.

"You're not her mother!" Donnie glared. "Who are you and how do you know Yuki?"

"I'm looking after her!"

"Oh really and what's her mother's name?"

"Leona; I'm Yukiko's Nana." Cathrine glared as she grabbed Yuki's hand and started pulling her away.

"I'm sorry, I thought she was lost." He called after her and the woman turned to glare at him.

"Well she's not because she's with me, she wouldn't be lost, I wouldn't let her." She glared before walking away...

******

Instead of going back home, Donatello head straight to Raph and Leo's apartment to ease his mind after his encounter with Catherine. When Leo saw him on her doorstep, she smiled and let him in without a second thought.

"Raph's not here right now, but he'll be back soon." She smiled as the taller turtle took a seat on their couch.

"Actually, I just want to check something with you." He said. "I saw Yuki with this woman."

"Oh that'd be Catherine, her great-grandmother." She smiled.

"Oh that's alright then." He smiled, but frowned.

"Why're you asking?"

Well, I was taking a shortcut through the cemetery-"

"The cemetery?!"

"Yeah, and I saw Yuki and I thought she was lost; suddenly this old woman runs up to me and tells me to get away from her daughter."

"She must of been visiting Eroina's grave, my biological mother, but you're saying she called Yuki her daughter?" Leo frowned.

"I think so, she could of said granddaughter or something." He shrugged and Leo scowled at the ground...

******

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