Lightning Crashes

Chapter One

The Calm Before the Storm



Megan pulled the covers up over her head, breathing deeply as another wave of nausea overtook her. She had been sick for a whole week now, barely able to keep down anything solid, let alone the water and tea she was always drinking to keep from becoming dehydrated. How nice it had been of Michaelangelo to share his flu bug with her. She hadn't been to work in four days, and even though under normal circumstances that may have been a blessing, she was a little concerned about having to take so much time off. At least she still had sick time coming. Otherwise, she and Raph would have had a hard time paying rent this month.

Michaelangelo entered just then with a bowl of soup. As the aroma wafted through the air, she was reminded of the first day she'd met him, and she had to smile. He was such the care giver. And why not? He felt so guilty for making her sick, that he decided it was his duty to help make her well again.

"I brought you some..."

Megan pulled the blanket down, just enough so he could see her bloodshot eyes. "Just leave it on the nightstand please."

He gave her a worried look, but did as she requested. As the smell grew stronger, another wave of nausea flooded through her, and she knew this time she'd have to make a dash for the bathroom. She threw the blankets off and hurried forward, shutting the door behind her.

Michaelangelo sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. He felt awful he had made her so sick. Even he hadn't been so badly affected. His had only lasted a couple of days and he was back to his old self again. Maybe it was Splinter's old tea trick. He decided he'd have to try that next time he came over.

Megan sauntered back into the room and climbed into bed, pulling the blankets up under her chin. Mike looked at her guiltily, studying the paleness in her face, the dark circles that rimmed her eyes, the disheveled hair.

"You know, this thing has been holding out way too long. Six days is an awfully long time to have the flu. Maybe you should have April--"

"Already done." she interrupted him miserably. "She's gonna take me to the hospital in the morning. I just hope I can hold out all the way there."

Mike thought about suggesting a barf bag for the trip, but he figured that would just upset the situation further. "Look, if there's anything else you need..."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks, but I'm fine for now."

He returned the gesture. "Just try to eat some of that soup, alright? I'll come back and check on you later."

As he turned to leave, Megan stopped him. "Mike..."

He turned around expectantly. "Yeah?"

"It's not your fault, you know."

He nodded half heartedly. "Yeah..."

"Oh no you don't!" Leo swiped his arms quickly, blocking the sai with his katana. "That old trick doesn't work on me anymore."

"Rats. Well then, how about this?" Raphael caught Leo off guard with the sweeping kick, and he was knocked off his feet. Raph smirked at him and offered his hand. Leo gladly took it.

"Where'd you learn that anyway?"

Raphael bowed. "Ancient Japanese secret." he joked.

Just as they were getting into a ready stance, Michaelangelo entered. The worry and concern on his face showed clearly as he grabbed up his weapon.

"So?" Raph asked anxiously. "How is she? You didn't make her sicker did you?" he grinned.

Mike's look remained solemn. "No...I dunno."

Raph shot him a curious look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I...nothing. It's just...well, she seems to be getting worse. I mean, her symptoms should be gone by now. It's been almost a week! It just doesn't seem right."

Raph clanked the sai together and stuffed them into his belt, before dashing toward the exit.

"Where you going, Raph?" Leo called after him.

"I'm going home. Megan needs me."

Donatello's fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed, his eyes anxiously scanning the screen, taking in the words, acknowledging their meaning. He was getting so close now. Soon he would have the answers he was looking for.

It had only been a couple of months since he'd begun. He was surprised at how quickly this was all working out for him. A smile spread across his face as he stared at the long list of possible locations. Most of them seemed to be in San Fransisco...

She came in and rested her hands on his shoulders, startling him slightly. "Anything new?"

"Soon." he promised. He glanced up at her, laid his hand over hers. "Very soon." She smiled down at him, but he could tell it was forced. "Don't worry." he assured her. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"Babe?" Raphael peeked his head in the door, not wanting to disturb her if she was asleep. But there was no one there. The sheets were pulled back, and a half eaten bowl of soup sat on the nightstand. At least she's eating a little...

He knocked on the bathroom door. "Megan? You okay in there?"

A small voice answered back. "Raph?"

"Yeah honey, it's me. Are you alright?"

The door opened a moment later, and a pale, fragile looking Megan stepped out to greet him. If he hadn't known better, he could have sworn she'd lost a couple of pounds. She looked like hell. He had never seen her so sickly, even after the Foot had beaten her so severely. He hoped like heck that she would get better soon, that he could see her rosey skin, bright eyes and cheerful smile once again.

Megan took a step forward, and suddenly a wave of dizziness attacked her. She pressed her hand to her forehead, moaning softly. Raphael grabbed her by the arm as she almost fell, and led her back to bed.

He was worried. Never had he seen someone so ill. Even when Mike had been laying in bed at the farmhouse, dying, he hadn't looked so bad. He laid a hand on her forehead and held it there for a moment, studying her as if in deep contemplation.

"Hmmm...you're still a little warm. I'm gonna go get you a cold washcloth..."

"No Raph." she said suddenly. "Stay here with me. Please."

He stared at her for a moment, unsure, but when she flashed those big puppy dog eyes, he melted and climbed into bed next to her. "Okay, but just for a minute. Then I'm getting you something for that fever, and calling April."

He snuggled up against her to keep her warm and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her hair, enjoying the sweet aroma of it. How good it felt, even now, to be close to her, to hold her in his arms. He hoped to God that the doctors would be able to do something for her to make her well again quickly. He hated seeing her this way, and for some strange reason, he felt a little guilty.

Megan drifted off to sleep, safe in Raphael's arms. She knew that as long as he was here with her, nothing could ever harm her.

Mike grabbed his coat and rushed out into the night air. He wouldn't be taking his normal route home through the sewers this evening. Tonight he was on a mission. He had looked up her name and phone number in April's phonebook. Yep, it was a match alright. April Hudson...113 Havenwood Lane. Up here, just past the all-night coffee shop, right around the corner from...Woah!

He saw her. She was wearing a black velvet shirt and a pair of old warn out jeans, but damn, she looked good! Her long blond hair fell down her back in a loose braid, the little earings glimmering in the moonlight.

He kept his distance. He knew that she may not be too happy at seeing him again. He was afterall, still a stranger. They hadn't spoken in five months, since the day he'd pushed her out of the way of that car. Who knew if she would even remember him? And the thought of a stranger finding her address could be scary enough in itself.

He watched her from the shadows, watched her tromp around in the snow, studied the rosey cheeks, lit up by the cold air. He watched her pick the red roses from the garden, saw her prick her finger on a thorn, wanted to rush to her and ease the pain. But before he could even contemplate it further, she rushed inside and closed the door, out of his view once again.

He sighed, his breath creating a cloud of fog that lingered in the air for a moment as he turned and headed for home. So many times he had wanted to pick up the phone, to talk to her one on one, to get to know her, but each time he picked up the receiver, his courage dwindled and he set it back down. How had it been so easy for Raphael? He wished he had that kind of luck, but he knew she would probably turn him away, and that kind of rejection was something he wasn't ready to face.

"Hello?" April picked up the receiver and juggled it under her chin as she continued to put the groceries away.

"April?" It was Megan. She sounded weak, but not any worse than yesterday.

"Megan, what's up? How are you feeling?"

"Not much better really." Megan admitted. "Look April, how early can you get here in the morning?"

April stopped her chore and held the phone close to her ear, a panic growing inside of her. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Megan whispered. "I just...I feel so strange."

"Megan? Are you okay?" April was growing more concerned by the minute.

"Yeah...I'll be alright. I just don't want Raphael to worry. I have to talk quietly so he doesn't wake up. Can you come over around eight?"

April nodded as she spoke into the receiver. "Yeah, I'll be there."

"Thanks April."

As April hung up the phone, an eery feeling of dread crept through her, chilling her to the bone. Shivers crawled up her body like ghostly fingers, and she shuddered, trying to clear her mind of dreadful thoughts. Something was up. She could sense it, and she had a feeling it wasn't going to be good.

He stared eagerly at the paper as it rolled slowly out of the printer. Each page was like a fulfilled blessing to him. He grabbed them up hastily, hardly bothering to straighten the stack as he scanned over the letters and numbers.

"Ahhh...here they are!" he said excitedly. He could feel the tension grow, stiffen inside of him as he tore the page in half, folding it neatly into a square. He set it down on the desk as he gathered his belt and pads. Finally he had some real leads. He had to hurry if he was going to slip out without Robyn noticing. She was good at picking up things like this. He tucked the paper safely in his belt, grabbed his coat, and tiptoed out the door. Once safely out into the night air, he broke into a steady run, the water from the gutters splashing up around his ankles.

The morning was bright and clear, sunnier than normal for an early December morning. Megan let out a moan as she hoisted herself out of bed, being careful not to wake Raphael who was sleeping soundly next to her. Of course, the minute she got to her feet, she awoke him anyway. How could he possibly sleep through the loud thud she made as her body hit the floor?

His eyes flew open, and in seconds, he was at her side, helping her to sit up. But she wasn't responding. Something was terribly wrong!

"Megan?" he shook her a little, hoping to wake her, but she didn't move. "Megan? Megan, come on babe, wake up." Still nothing.

He scooped her up into his arms and laid her back on the bed. Kneeling over her, he lowered his head to her chest to make sure she was still breathing. Everything seemed okay there. Her heart was beating, and he could feel the air flowing free from her nose.

"Megan? Megan, wake up." he said gently, shaking her again.

Finally, a moan escaped her, and very slowly she opened her eyes to find a concerned green face staring back at her.

"W...what happened?"

Raphael wrapped his arms around her in relief. "You blacked out for a few minutes. Are you alright?"

"Yeah." she coughed. "I think so. I just got really dizzy..."

He forced a smile. "Well, after today, you won't have to be dizzy anymore." He couldn't help the feeling of dread that had already begun to creep up on him. What the hell was wrong with her? He couldn't bare the thought of losing her. Pushing those thoughts away as best he could, he glanced up at the clock. "Which reminds me, April should be here soon. Come on, let me help you get dressed."

Leonardo sighed as he set down the book. It had been another long night of disturbing dreams, nightmares he just couldn't shake. He couldn't explain it. They had just creeped up on him suddenly, almost like Splinter's...

No, he told himself. It couldn't be another death. That just wasn't possible. It was probably just his own insecurities plaguing him again. Still, remembering the ghastly figure towering over him, being so out of control, not knowing what to do...

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. It wasn't like him to let his dreams effect him so badly. Mikey maybe, but him? He had to do something to ease his mind. Maybe he'd feel better after a few katas. Those always seemed to calm him down.

April glanced up at the clock. Nine-thirty It had been an hour since Megan had disappeared behind the double doors. What was taking them so long? The urgency ate at her until she thought she would explode. Finally, Megan appeared, escorted by one of the nurses.

April jumped up and took her arm. "So...what is it? How are you?"

The nurse smiled at her. "She should feel better in a couple of days. We did some tests, and the doctor will be calling her as soon as he gets the results back."

April nodded and led her friend toward the exit. "Thanks. Please let us know as soon as you find anything out."

Raphael was a ball of nerves. "So? What is it? What did you find out?"

"Shhh...you don't want to wake her. She's had a rough morning."

Raphael leaned over Megan, studying her intently. He lowered his face to gently kiss her on the forehead, and swiped at a stray strand of hair. She was so beautiful, even in sickness. He thought back to the vows they had made, only a few months ago. "In sickness and in health..." Of course he could love her in sickness, it was the fear of losing her he couldn't stand.

April led him out into the living room and sat down on the couch. She looked exhausted. He sat down slowly, in the chair across from her, trying to read her expression. After a long pause, she began to speak.

"Raph, I think...I think she's gonna be okay."

He wasn't sure he believed her. "How do you know that?"

"The doctors seemed very optimistic about her condidition. They said that the medicine they gave her should help her feel better in a couple of day--"

"Dammit! I want those test results!" Raph got up from his chair and turned his back on her, his fist sailing into the wall.

April was concerned he might wake Megan. "Raph..."

He turned to face her again. "I wish I could've been there April. I should have been there with her. It isn't fair--"

"Raph, she understands. It's going to be okay. Just try not to worry, alright? She needs us to be strong right now. Letting her see our panic is just going to make things worse."

Raphael gritted his teeth and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Donatello sat down at the desk once again, shuffling through a stack of old newspaper clippings he'd collected over the past three months. Articles about big business in the state of California were stacked two inches thick. As he thumbed through them, he could feel her presense again. He turned quickly to look at her, noticed the questioning look on her face.

"I think I've found it." he smiled softly. He watched her eyes light up with hope.

"Really? Are you sure?"

He motioned for her to join him, and scooted over in the seat to make room for her. Robyn sat down excitedly, her eyes rapidly scanning the articles.

"See this one?" he picked up a paper and handed it to her. "It doesn't have a first name, but it does mention a Mr. Davis, CEO and cheif of Public Relations."

Her eyes widened as she stared at the article. "Yeah...that could be..."

He looked at her seriously. "I'm going to find out."

"What? But how--"

"I'm going there. I'm leaving in a couple of days. I'm going to ask Raph to go along. He's good at this sort of thing."

Robyn just stared at him for a moment. "I want to go too."

Don shook his head. "Too risky. Look, you gotta trust me on this okay?"

She didn't want to stay behind. After all, this could mean her future, but she knew that Don was only looking out for her best interest. "Okay" she nodded. "But you call me as soon as you find anything out."

"Promise." Don grinned.

April sat at the computer, busily typing, hoping that no one would hand her any more work today. She was stressed out enough as it was without having to rush to meet deadlines. Sighing, she clicked on her email account and waited eagerly for the inbox to open. Megan had promised her that she would let her know as soon as she found out anything. Maybe she had sent her an email.

She gazed down the long list of adresses. Most of them were from company big shots, probably complaining about something again, and there were a few from that sleezy creep, Walter, who wouldn't leave her alone. She had to wonder about the guy too. Forty years old and still living at home with his mother? Something about that was just too freaky for words.

As she was about to give up and close the program, she spotted an address she didn't recognize. There was no subject listed. Maybe it was Megan! She clicked on the address and waited anxiously for it to load, but as it did, she let out a horrified gasp.

"My god!" She clasped her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming as she read the words on the screen.

April, I've been watching you all day, sitting at that desk. Don't think for a minute that I can't find you. I've been planning this for a long time. You better watch your back, because I'm coming for you!

There was no signature. Breathing deeply, she tried to calm herself down long enough to think. This had to be a joke. It was probably one of her co-workers playing a sick trick. Or maybe it was that demented Walter, trying to scare her into a date or something. But this was no way to ask a woman out! A deathly chill crawled up her spine as she sat motionless, reading the words over and over again. If this was a joke, she certainly wasn't laughing.



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