Alley Cats

Spring was Raphael's favorite time of the year in New York City. The surface world was fresh, forgiven from the harshness of winter. Trees budded with new leaves, flowers bloomed brilliant colors, and the perfumes of growing plants hung in the air. Warm days made the nights much more pleasant for exploring – something that the teenager desperately needed after spending the majority of the winter months confined to the drafty sewers. When Master Splinter had given Raph permission to leave the lair on this particular evening, it was all the sai-wielder could do to keep from skipping out the door.

A huge smile was plastered on Raph's face as he raced along the rooftop edges. His chosen destination for the evening was Mrs. Morrison's place. Since their meeting almost two years ago, Raph had visited her on a fairly regular basis to help with work around the house, to talk about life in general, to listen to one of the many stories she had to tell, and to be doted on with grandmotherly affection. He enjoyed her company as she did his. Unfortunately, it had been almost a month since he had last seen her. A bad headcold followed by a few run-ins with some Foot Soldiers had kept Raph away, but finally he was free and he couldn't wait to see her again.

The rooftop of Mrs. Morrison's humble apartment came into view. Raph scrambled down the fire escape of a neighboring structure to land in the darkened alley below. Melting into the shadows, he began creeping towards his friend's door at the back of the building. As he got closer, a sudden sense of unease had the ninja on high alert. Placing one hand on his sai, Raph carefully peeked around the corner and discovered what had set off his warning bells.

Mrs. Morrison's door was wide open and the light from inside spilled into the alleyway. Raph felt his hackles rise. If someone had hurt Mrs. Morrison in any way then they would pay dearly for it. Stepping around the corner, Raph prepared to rush to the rescue until he heard a pair of voices approaching the doorway from within the residence.

The mutant turtle darted out of the way and crouched beside the large wooden planters to the left of the entrance. Mrs. Morrison had once told Raph that her husband had planted the bushes there to give a little class to the dingy alley. Staring through the gaps in the leaves, Raph watched as two people emerged: a middle-age man and a young teenage boy. Their appearances were strikingly similar. Both had the same build and the same dark hair. In their arms, they carried large boxes that had been taped shut.

"…shouldn't Mrs. Morrison's son be taking care of this?" the question came from the teenager. "Why are we? We're not related to her."

"Mrs. Morrison made me her power of attorney and executor of estate after her husband died," the man explained. "Legally, he can't do anything."

Mr. Rosetti. This man was Mr. Rosetti. Raph had heard Mrs. Morrison mention him several times. And the boy must be his son who Mrs. Morrison had first mistaken Raph for. Trepidation caused Raph's skin to break out in goosebumps. The two humans disappeared around corner with their boxes. Sneaking forth from his hiding spot, Raph crept after them, desperate to hear the rest of their conversation as they walked down the alley.

"Did she not like her son?" the boy wondered.

They came to a stop behind a white SUV parked on the street near the mouth of the alley. Mr. Rosetti reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a set of keys. Pressing a button on the car's remote, he unlocked the vehicle and opened the trunk.

"Actually, it's the other way around," Mr. Rosetti replied, his tone bitter. He set his box into the back of the SUV and his son did likewise. "Charles didn't like his mother."

"So that's why he wasn't at her funeral?"

Huddled next to a heap of garbage, Raphael felt his heart drop from his chest and he let out a gasp. A car passing by on the street drowned out the noise he made. The sai-wielder prayed that he had heard wrong.

Mr. Rosetti smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that's probably the reason, Randall."

"But Mrs. Morrison was really nice," the youth said, his forehead crinkling with anger. "How could he not like his own mother? Kids are supposed to take care of the parents when they get old! If he would have done that, she wouldn't have ended up in the hospital!"

"I can understand your anger," Mr. Rosetti soothed as he clapped a hand on his son's shoulder. "But it's really not Charles's fault that his mother passed. The doctor said her heart just couldn't keep up with her anymore. There wasn't anything anyone could do."

"It still sucks," Randall grumbled, staring down at the dirty concrete.

"I know," his father agreed. "Mrs. Morrison was a wonderful woman. She will be greatly missed, but she's in a better place now." Closing the trunk, Mr. Rosetti relocked his car. "Come on. We still have a lot more boxes to pack up and load."

Turning away from the car, they entered the alleyway once more. Raphael pressed himself as flat as he could against the wall. The shadows and garbage hid him well. Neither human noticed him as they passed by.

"What are we going to do with all of her stuff?" Randall inquired.

"Mrs. Morrison asked that I save her pictures just in case her son decided he wanted them," Mr. Rosetti told him. "Everything else she wants to be donated."

"Doesn't she have a cat, too?"

"Yes, a little white one…but I haven't seen it for a couple of days."

"Are we gonna keep it?"

"Randall, you know how your mother feels about cats." Mr. Rosetti's voice grew faint as the duo rounded the corner to the apartment door. "If we find the cat, we'll take it to the pound…"

Raphael heard nothing more after that. Eyes wide, he remained squatting on the floor of the alley with the trash. He didn't want to believe that Mrs. Morrison was gone. The last time he had seen her she looked perfectly healthy. She had smiled and laughed the whole entire evening as she entertained him with Lucy perched on her lap.

…Lucy…

Mr. Rosetti had said that she was missing. How long exactly? Sure, she may have been an alley cat before she was adopted, but Raph doubted that Mrs. Morrison would be happy to know that her beloved pet was wandering around the streets somewhere lost, dirty, hungry, or even….Raph didn't want to think about a worse alternative.

A terrible ache settled in Raph's stomach and he fought the urge to vomit – a difficult feat when crouching next to a pile of rotting garbage. He wasn't sure what he should do. Go home probably. What good was there in hanging around here? And yet, the big mutant didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay and wait and hope…

Meow.

Raph's head jerked at the faint sound. He could have sworn that he had just heard a cat. His eyes swept the floor of the alley, but saw nothing. Another car sped down the street, music thumping loudly from the speakers. He wondered if he was imagining things.

Meoooooow.

Now he was certain he'd heard it. Raph looked around much more carefully. Still seeing nothing, he decided to risk calling out to the invisible feline.

"Kitty?" he whispered loudly. "Kitty, kitty, kitty?"

Meooow.

At last the hothead was able to pinpoint the source of the noise. His gaze snapped to the rusting fire escape mounted on the wall opposite his hiding spot. There on the first landing sat a small white-furred cat with a pink collar hung around its neck.

"Lucy?" Raph asked and the tiny beast meowed in response. He crocked a finger at her. "C'mere kitty."

Fluffy tail flicking from side to side, the cat considered him for a moment. Finally, she stood, leapt gracefully to the ground, and quickly padded over to the mutant turtle. Raph reached out and gently picked her up, happy beyond words to see her.

"Hey, Lucy," he greeted, scratching underneath her chin. "What are ya doin' out here all by yerself, huh?"

Meow.

Lucy nuzzled into Raph's hand, staring up at him with her dark eyes. There was sadness in her expression that tugged at his heartstrings. In that instant he knew that Lucy was aware of her owner's fate. Lip quivering, Raph's throat tightened.

"What are we gonna do with ya?" he wondered gruffly and continued to pet her. "Ya don't wanna go back to roaming the alleys, do ya?" Again, the kitty meowed. "I didn't think so." His brow furrowed with anger as he thought of what Mr. Rosetti had said. "And it'll be a cold day in hell before I let anybody take ya ta the pound ta get locked in a cage…"

Then with all the rashness that he was so well known for Raphael made a decision.

"Yer coming home with me," the sai-wielder announced, lifting her higher so that they were face to face. "Whaddya say ta that?"

Meow.

"Well, that settles it. Let's go."

Standing, Raph tucked Lucy against his chest. He looked up and down the alley, listening closely to make sure that no one was approaching before he darted across and jumped onto the fire escape that Lucy had just come from. Quick as a flash Raph made it to the roof and booked in on the path that led back home. His furry companion remained calm throughout the journey, ignoring even the rats that scurried past them in the sewers. Soon enough, the teenaged ninja arrived at the lair, slightly winded and a little sweaty.

As he entered, Raph realized he hadn't given any thought about how he was going to explain to his father why he had acquired another cat. They already had Klunk. Would Splinter really be willing to accept another pet? Raph could only hope that he'd be able to convince Splinter to let Lucy stay. Feeling somewhat apprehensive, he went in search of the ninjutsu master.

Now was the hour that Master Splinter perched on the couch in front of the television to wait for the nightly news. Next to him sat Leonardo who had picked up the habit several years ago. Just as the opening credits to ten o'clock program began to play, Splinter and Leo sensed a presence. Heads swiveling to the right, they were surprised to see that Raph had returned home early and was cradling a cat in his arms. A full minute passed as the three family members stared at each other. Then Lucy broke the silence with her a soft meow.

"And who is this, Raphael?" Splinter asked politely as he gazed at the feline.

"…uh…this is Lucy…" Raph replied slowly. "…she's…she's Mrs. Morrison's cat…"

Splinter eyed his son questioningly. The big turtle kept shifting nervously from one foot to the other. "Did Mrs. Morrison ask you to watch Lucy for her?"

"Mrs. Morrison died," Raph blurted.

He winced as soon as the words were off of his tongue. Speaking them had turned the situation from a bad dream into reality. Face twisting with suppressed sorrow, Raph redirected his gaze to the floor.

The revelation had made both Splinter and Leo's mouth gape open with shock. They exchanged glances before turning their attention back to Raph. It hurt Splinter deeply to see his child in anguish.

"Raphael, I am sorry for…" the aging rat started to say.

"Lucy ain't got nowhere else ta go…" Raph interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest of the condolence. He stroked the fur along Lucy's back from head to tail and she began to purr. "…is it alright if she stays here?"

The sai-wielder lifted his eyes to meet his father's briefly. Even if he had wanted to, Splinter couldn't tell his son no. Splinter looked at the feline who cocked her head and peered back at him with curiosity.

"Yes, it is," Splinter granted. "But understand that you are responsible for her care."

"I understand," Raph nodded. "...uh…thanks, Master Splinter…"

Before anything else could be said to him, Raph turned on his heel and quickly walked away. He went directly to his room and closed the door with an unintentional bang. Safe inside his sanctuary, he set Lucy down.

"Welcome ta yer new digs, Lucy," he told her, straightening back up. "It probably ain't as nice as where ya came from, but I like it just fine."

Tail twitching, the cat sniffed the air. Step by step she began to explore her new territory. Raph watched her for a while, a half-smile on his face. Moving over to the wall, he leaned his shell against it and slowly slid down to sit on the floor. Arms crossed over his bent knees, grief struck him at last. Raph bit his lip and tried to clear his clouded vision. When he opened his mouth to take a deep breath, a terrible sob slipped out. Hot tears leaked from the corners of his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. With them came the why's, the what if's, and the should have's.

Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't Mrs. Morrison have kept on living?

What if he had known sooner? What if he hadn't ever found out?

He should have visited her more often. He should have known that she wasn't well.

…why…

…what if…

…should have...

The thoughts ran on an endless track inside his mind. Every single one of them hurt to process. Raph wished that he could shut his brain off and be at peace. He didn't have the slightest clue he should move on from this. In all his years, he had never truly lost someone who mattered to him. Mrs. Morrison had at times lamented the fact the she did not have a grandson like Raphael and the turtle had come to think of himself as a substitute. She had been one of the few humans who had treated him decently, but then, he reminded himself, she hadn't seen what he looked like. Though he did wonder if she somehow knew what he was. Mrs. Morrison frequently stated that her other senses compensated for her blindness. If she had known, then her willingness to accept him anyway mattered all the more.

Raph was shook from his musings by a sudden knock on the door. He pretended to have not heard it. A few seconds later the knock came again followed by the voice of his oldest brother.

"Raph?"

The sai-wielder swallowed hard to get rid of the lump that had formed in his throat. "What do ya want, Leo?"

"Can I come in?"

"…s'pose if ya think ya hafta."

The door creaked open and Raph hastily scrubbed a hand across his face to wipe away the wetness. He didn't look at Leo as the leader stepped inside and closed the door again. Nor when the eldest crossed the room and eased down beside him. They sat in silence for a while, watching Lucy as she clambered on to the shelves of the bookshelf in the corner.

"How are you holding up?" Leo inquired.

Raph snorted and shrugged his shoulders. "Alright I guess."

"Alright you guess," the leader reiterated. He glanced sideways at his little brother. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly."

"Okay."

More silence ensued. Lucy successfully surmounted the bookcase and meowed proudly. Surveying her surroundings, she decided to jump to the floor to go investigate a set of Raph's free weights.

"…Raph…I'm sorry for your loss," Leonardo said gently.

The hothead slowly nodded in acknowledgement. Another wave of sadness flowed over him and he quickly turned his head to the side to hide the fresh tears that leaked free. Pressing a fist to his mouth, he tried to muffle the sound of his crying. Leo felt an urge to comfort Raph and reached out to sling an arm around his sibling. Raph tensed at the touch initially then relaxed into it. Before he could stop himself, he was weeping loudly on Leo's shoulder.

"Shhh," the blue-masked ninja soothed as he pulled Raph into a full embrace."It's okay…"

"No, it's not!" Raph protested, clinging to his big brother unashamedly. "Mrs. M. is gone and I didn't even get a chance ta tell her goodbye! I don't understand…why'd she hafta go, Leo? Why's it always gotta be the good people in this world?"

"I don't know, Raph," Leo admitted. "I just don't know."

"It ain't fair!"

"No, it's not."

Leo was struggling to keep his own emotions in check as he witnessed his brother's distress. He wanted to take the hurt away. Everyone in the family knew how much Raph had liked Mrs. Morrison. Truth be told, Leo felt that the connection with the woman was good for Raph's temperament since he always returned from his visits with her in a good mood. Now that outlet was gone and Leo knew that it would take Raph, the turtle who always invested so much devotion into his relationships, a very long time to recuperate. The only thing Leo could do to ease the ache was to hold him and comfort him.

Minutes ticked by on the clock. Gradually, Raph's tears ceased and were replaced by the odd hiccup. Leo did not let go until he felt his brother pull away. Drawing a shaky breath, Raph glanced around until he located his new pet batting at a loose string she had found on the floor. The hothead knew he wouldn't have to worry about Leo ever mentioning his moment of weakness to anyone. Secrecy was a quality about the leader that Raph sincerely appreciated and admired.

"You know if you ever want to talk I'm here for you," Leo declared.

"I know ya are," Raph sniffed and rubbed his reddened cheeks. He offered Leo a small, fleeting smile. "Thanks, bro."

Bored, Lucy slinked over to where the two ninjas sat. She placed her tiny front paws on Raph's thigh and stared up at him expectantly.

Meow.

"Wassa matter, girl?" Raph questioned. He guessed that the answer had something to do with the last time the cat had eaten. "Ya hungry?"

Meow.

Scooping the feline up, Raph got to his feet and headed towards the door. "Come on. We'll get ya some food. I don't think Klunk would mind sharing with ya 'til I can get ya yer own." As he stepped out into the hall he could be heard saying. "How could anyone be mean and not share with a pretty kitty like ya, Luc?"

Leonardo chuckled and stood up as well. Though he was sorry that Raph had suffered the loss of his friend, he also felt that adopting her cat was about the best therapy Raph could receive. As he left his brother's room, the eldest heard a squeal of delight come from the kitchen. There was no mistaking that sound.

Michelangelo had just learned that the Hamato household had a new family member.