Turtlefreak121: Alright - I'm starting this baby off right! My name's TF121 and you're in every fluffy, soft, pink-lovin' fan's worst nightmare! (laughs at self) Okay - I'm not that bad...nor...that good for that matter, but here I go anyway! This is my story and I'll do as I want to! (salutes) Good luck!

Summer Roses

Chapter One

By Turtlefreak121

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT

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Sasha

Life was as it was - fair and brittle as it had always proven to be for us. The bitter air blew the remaining remnants of a long winter across our bodies and sent us into another spasm of wave-like tremors. Walking slowly, I held my left arm down from my gray cloak and looked down through my hood and gazed upon my fair daughter. She was so inspirational to me - especially in these last few, dreadful years of nothing more than yearnings and heart ache.

The world had rejected us - me, and her especially. But this was alright - we didn't need this world. We were our own world, and we revolved around each other.

She held tightly to my hand and I did not even dare to flinch as she accidentally drove her uncut nails into my palm - I was, after all used to it, and it no longer mattered much to me. Skin was nothing but the dead cells our body had recycled. True, together it created a body along with the rest of the things in our lives that make things work, but I never once truly thought of it as mattering much until I experienced the need to care for a youngling.

And care I tried - oh, how I tried. But it was hard, I hope you will understand. I tried so hard through her six years to teach her to be strong and independent - to be witty, patient, and kind along with every virtue my own mother had graced me with. However, there was one thing I did that contradicted with it all - and it was necessary for our survival now, no matter how much I wished it was not.

I kneeled down in the shadows of the alley as the moon rose to touch the 'star dust', as Roxanne had come to call it. I looked her in her golden eyes and saw the look of determination, genius, and maturity well beyond her own years. She was such a wonder...

"Roxanne," I cooed to her. "Stay here, Baby - I need to get something to eat."

Blinking, she told me with one solid look that she wanted to go with me. Of course, as most things were with Roxanne, her expression wasn't enough to voice her bold opinions.

"I'm going, too, Sasha!" she growled as her raven hair blew about - the very hair that we shared.

I closed my eyes lightly and pulled my hood farther over my deformed nose. "You do not have a choice, Dear," I said, ignoring her bluntness.

"I don't care," she continued to hiss. "You got hurt!" she protested.

True, that last skirmish had left me with a limp for a few days, but it also gave Roxanne and me an entire week’s supply of food. If that was the price for survival, I shall place Darwin's theory to the test.

"Quiet now, I'm going and I will get hurt if you make any ruckus!" I said warningly.

Finally figuring that this would be a day she would not win out, she folded her arms and puffed out her bottom lip in anger.

Smiling softly, I stood up with my gray satin cloak draped around me. "I love you, Roxanne," I stated. Slowly, I added, "I'll be back..."

Before another protest could be mustered from the tyrant of a girl, I quickly cut around the corner and found myself in one of the dimly lit street corners of New York. Our home. Our prison. Often, I had thought of taking Roxanne, a month's worth of supplies and running from this infernal place and into the countryside of some distant place - stopping only once we were as closed to the Promised Land as we could get and then lavishing in its wealth.

Unfortunately, there were a few things I needed to do... Or rather, work up the courage to do. But first thing first - quit daydreaming and perform the task at hand.

Along with my mutilation my 'previous' body had taken, I had been gifted with a natural 'sixth sense' - and not the one with dead people walking around. I could feel the things around me, I wasn't psychic, but I would say I was an...animal...

Also came natural limberness and a 'third arm'...that I still found quite useless even after six years of having it. Perhaps someday I should ask my dearest Roxie to teach me, seeing as how she's come to thrash things with it since her birth.

With a flexibility that still felt alien to my senses, I maneuvered with an almost stealth about me into the small grocery store. It was small - almost like something you would see from the movies. The family there hadn't even noticed their 'customer' as they counted the cash earned for the day, placing each bill over its match and counting softly as they did so.

Groaning, the man threw the last two tens on the table and pushed his left cheek up with his fist as his wife rubbed his shoulders.

I crouched down so that they could not see me from the counter and 'slithered' my way to the fruit section. I pulled on the hem of my cloak and turned it into a small basket for my 'prey'.

"Short again..." he grumbled as I stealthily reached up and grabbed a ripened red apple - Roxanne's favorite.

I paused and blinked. I could feel my deformed ear twitch towards them in wait for them to continue.

The teenaged daughter looked out the shop window and sigh. No car for her birthday, I supposed.

"We'll find some way...we always do..." the wife said keenly as she rubbed his tense muscles.

I looked at the apple and watched as my deformed, saddened face reflected to me on it. Was it worth it? Our lives for their shop and livelihood?

The apple returned to its spot as if it had never left and I silently began to walk on all fours towards the door, as to escape their gaze. It was all too natural - somewhat unnerving for me. I looked back and saw the blasted fifth appendage had straightened to balance the weight. I shook my head and continued - it pained me to see myself changed.

Almost to the door, four shifty characters walked in. They had freakish hair styles, multiple piercing where they shouldn't, large combat boots, and out landish clothes. However, each had a dragon on them. Purple dragons, of course. I had ran into their sort before and did not wish to once more.

Seeing I could still make it out, I began to crawl towards the door - saying a prayer to the Lord that the owners of the shop would be spared and then reaching the door frame. Then I heard the shrill of the teenage girl and my 'sense' told me that the one in the front had a weapon.

Looking back, I saw that indeed the leader had brought out a hand gun - what sort, I did not notice - it wasn't as if I doubted my sixth sense...why should I? Not once has it proven wrong for me nor Roxanne.

Thinking back to her, I attempted once more to get out of the situation and return to her when I felt it - he was going to pull on the trigger for no other reason than to watch them bleed. This I would not allow - what sort of example would I set if I should ignore this?

Using the speed gained in this 'posture', I ran at the blue spiky-haired leader and bit down with the rows of canine teeth that had appeared in my gumminess. I felt blood begin to spew from around my teeth, but I held on - it was the other sense telling me to, and it was now stronger than any other sense in my body.

In pain, he cried out and tried to shake me off - not that he could. My disfigured teeth and morphed jaw had proven to be a helpful friend.

"DUMB MUTT!" he screeched before pulling the gun and aiming for my head.

Mutt...dog... I hate it when people automatically call me these things! I am human! I am human! Or...at least...part of me still is...

There was a crash of glass behind me where the windows of the store had been. I knew automatically that they must be more Dragons here to destroy me...me - Roxanne's only chance in this life!

The looks on the Dragons' faces told me differently.

"It's those freaks!" another gasped as they backed up.

I released my 'captive', and turned around - blood still dripping from my jaw like I was some sort of monster.

My eyes winded. These were monsters straight from Tinsel Town's new movie production set! Green skinned, weapon wielding, armor-wearing monsters - looking as mean as anything I had every known! And...I was scared...

"Well, well... We've got us here a couple of renegade Dragons!" one stated with a smirk. He had a large...broom stick handle and was wearing something purple over his eyes - they were all wearing different colors.

I rolled my eyes. Wonderful - a superhero team wannabe...

Another with two sharp looking...forks spinning in his hands and wearing a red mask smirked evilly. "Good...just the way I like 'em!"

I counted four - were there more?

The people in the shop had run through the door leading to the apartments upstairs and barred the door, no doubt. I would have too had I been in their situation. The Purple Dragons looked like little clucking chickens in comparison to the green men.

Taking the time to back up into the shadows between two isles of groceries, I watched in anticipation of what would happen next.

One of the men - wearing a blue mask and holding one of two swords that had been strapped to his back - pointed his sword as a threat at the dragons. "You can still leave - there's been no harm done...stop now and quit this life of crime..."

Blinking, I couldn't help but wonder if I was in some corny movie production set - that sounded like something straight out of a Bruce Lee flick.

The last, an orange wearing one, snickered at his fellow. "That was way corny, Bro!" he laughed. He seemed innocent...good natured - all in just how he acted in these past four minutes I had come to see any of them.

Suddenly, the other three Purple Dragons pulled out weapons and aimed - I wanted out!

In what I associated with a small sprint, I took off like lightning to the door. Unfortunately, the leader of the four Purple Dragons must have seen me. He growled and pointed his gun at my head just as the light-spirited man in green hit him over the head with some spinning object and caused him to fall to the ground - but not before his finger slipped and the trigger was pulled.

There was an ear-splitting scream of a woman. Jolting to my hind legs, I discovered it had been me as I arched over my stomach and shut my eyes tightly as I desperately attempted to hold in my blood - my life.

I could feel the eyes of everyone in the shop tune in on me and I felt like the freak again - the one in the center ring, locked in a cage for everyone to laugh and throw popcorn at. I felt like I had returned to the gala of that horrid laboratory and everyone was poking me with sharp objects and separate needles and such.

One of the green men - the one with the stick, said something to me but I couldn't catch it.

In a scared panic - my sight blurring - I backed up until my enlarged toenails clicked against the hard cement of the sidewalk. Then, in a rush of panic, I ran as fast as I could with this ache in my side. I ran towards the corner and zipped through the alley.

I looked around in a wild motion. Where was Roxanne?

"ROXANNE?" I yelled out - the sounds of four people rushing behind me echoed through my ears and I ran towards the alley to get away from them and reach my daughter - wherever she may be.

"Ma'am," someone said to me - I ignored them and ran to the back of the alley and looked around for Roxanne. She wasn't there.

My knees fell to the ground weakly and my arms started to shake beneath me. I closed my eyes and cried.

"ROXANNE?" I coughed as my body grew weaker.

I felt it in that sixth sense that someone was kneeling next to me...but I was safe...

An arm wrapped around my shoulders as my vision became plagued with darkness surrounding the corners. I wouldn't be able to see for much longer - I was loosing consciousness.

"Roxanne..." I coughed as something sappy caught on my lips and left a rancid metal-like taste in my mouth.

Then...whoever this was...hugged me. I then realized that my hood was down - they could see everything! And he was still holding onto me. Had I already died? No - I couldn't have, I needed to find Roxanne.

"It's okay now..." a kind voice said as I felt myself levitated.

I wanted to believe it...I needed to believe it... And I did...

Suddenly, I had lost the battle to keep my eyes opened and my eyelids shut slowly. But I had to know...had to ask...

"Who--"

My voice failed me and I began to...sleep... A deep sleep...

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Turtlefreak121: (rubs chin) This is going to be interesting. I don't usually write romances. (snorts) Lying...lying...

Please Review - I don't care who you are...just what you think (Just kidding! Stupid serious people...) But, no really - please review...