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Braving it in the New World	By : EvaBrick Category: Comics > Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Views: 10091 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own the Ninja Turtles, nor am I making any money from them. I'm just borrowing the boys for a while. I do own my original characters.

Chapter List
- 46
- 47
- 48
Please leave me a review if you've made it this far. Thanks for reading! :)
***
Back on the park bench, Charlie shook her head and chuckled to herself. Raphael had a squishy centre, deep down inside.
“Hey, you're Charlie, right?”
Charlie looked up to see a pretty Latina girl standing near the bench. She was wearing heels with curve-hugging leggings. There was a lot of cleavage showing above the neckline of her denim blouse. Charlie felt like a walrus next to her and wished she could fit into something other than Casey's old sweatshirt.
“Yeah,” Charlie said. “Sorry, I was lost in thought. You're Estrella?” She moved to stand but the other girl gestured for her to stay where she was. She sat down too and they shook hands.
“Stay put,” Estrella said in her gentle accent. “When I was that pregnant, I was exhausted.”
Charlie laughed. “Yeah, I'm kinda done being pregnant. I'm ready to get this show on the road.”
Estrella laughed too and her big yellow earrings swung. “Been there, done that.”
They sat in an awkward silence. Somewhere nearby a busker was playing the violin.
“So... Raphael said you wanted to talk about what it's like to date one of them?” Charlie said, carefully.
Estrella fiddle with her rings and nodded. “I have so many questions, and I'm not even sure what I need to ask.”
“Been there, done that,” Charlie smiled.
Estrella laughed in spite of her anxiety. “So you're actually married, you and Donatello?”
Charlie nodded and held up her hand to show the ring. “In a church and everything,” she said. She gestured to her belly. “It was a shotgun wedding, but we would have gotten married sooner or later anyway.”
“So I should stay on the birth control,” Estrella said.
“Definitely,” Charlie agreed. “The turtle part of their DNA is infertile but the human part definitely works.” She pointed to her belly again and laughed. “Exhibit A.”
Estrella bit her glossy lips. “So the baby is... oh, God, I'm sorry. I'm being so rude.”
“The baby is a hundred percent human,” Charlie said. “It's okay... you can ask me stuff. That's why were here.”
Estrella nodded and leaned back on the bench. “Thanks, chica.”
“Want me to begin at the beginning?” Charlie asked.
Estrella looked relieved. “Yeah,” she said. “If you don't mind sharing.”
Charlie sipped her smoothie. “I was walking home at night with a bag of groceries...”
*
It took Charlie nearly an hour to give Estrella a quick overview of the last two years. Her smoothie was long since finished and she dropped the cup in the garbage can next to the bench. The girls sat quietly for a while, listening to the violin.
“Wow,” Estrella finally said. “Wow... that's... wow.”
Charlie nodded. “I know that's a lot of info to dump on you.” The violin stopped and she felt vaguely disappointed. It had been nice to listen to. “If you're looking for something to take away from all that, I guess it would be to remember that even though they don't look human, they are human. They think like humans and they feel like humans... and they hurt like humans.”
Estrella nodded. She was still wide-eyed. “I feel that from Raphael. We talked a lot for a long time before I understood that he's a... mutant, I guess.”
“Donnie says we're all mutants,” Charlie said. She held her light-skinned hand out to Estrella's olive-skinned one.
Estrella smiled. “Genetic variations that make us look different on the outside. We talked about that in class.”
“But inside, we all have the same organs,” Charlie said. “We're all the same inside. We all feel the same feelings.”
“And they're really Japanese?” Estrella asked.
“Yeah... and they have so much integrity and honour,” Charlie went on. “Honour is a big deal in Japanese culture. If the guys say they're going to do something, they'll do it. Their father raised them right. He's a wonderful man... he's been really good to me.”
“I never would have known they were Japanese,” Estrella said. “They don't look Japanese.” She slapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, Deos mio, that's so racist,” she said.
Charlie patted her shoulder and chuckled. “It's ok.” She shifted in her seat as the baby kicked her bladder. She was going to need to pee soon... again. “Did you know they speak Japanese?”
“Really?” Estrella asked. “That's pretty cool.” She sighed. “I like him,” she said. “A lot. But from what he says, it sounds like it would be hard to be with him. I mean... we couldn't just go to a restaurant and he can't just drop Miguel off at school.” She threw up her hands and her bracelets jingled.
“Yeah, that stuff isn't great,” Charlie admitted. “Donnie's going to miss the birth.” She rubbed her stomach, sadly. “But there are some places we can go... the symphony and to movies, for instance. And you can have take-out on any roof you like. There's nothing like eating French fries with a million-dollar view of Manhattan at night.”
“I slept with him,” Estrella said. “It was his first time.” She watched some runners go by on the path. “It was good... good enough to do it again... but committing to be in a relationship... I don't know. I've got Miguel to think of too.”
Charlie nodded. “I can understand that.” They sat quietly for another minute before she went on. “The guys are very street smart but they're new to dating. It's not easy for them to just go out and meet people.”
Estrella blew out a puff of air. “I can imagine.” She laughed, nervously. “Am I over-sharing?”
Charlie shook her head. “Not at all.” She hesitated. “If you do decide to try it, be patient with him if he doesn't get it right the first time. Always try to be upfront about your expectations of him. Raph's a tough guy but he's deep, y'know? If he knows what you want he'll bust his balls to give it to you.” She fingered the fraying edge of the comfortable sweatshirt. “The relationship works if you both give each other what you need emotionally. The guys need acceptance and love and sometimes, some gentle guidance. Remember Lisa? The one who was dating Leo?”
“Yeah,” Estrella nodded. “She sounds like kind of a train wreck, to be honest.”
Charlie made a sound of agreement. “She treated Leo like her guard dog and not like a boyfriend. I mean, yeah, the guys are...”
“Killers,” Estrella said.
“Warriors,” Charlotte corrected. “They can look after themselves, and you, and your son, but if that's your reason for wanting to date Raphael, I can tell you right now that the relationship ultimately won't work. You either have to be in love or be willing to fall in love.” She watched a woman walk by with a baby carriage. That would be her next week.
“He told me he loves me,” Estrella said. “He said I didn't have to say it back.” She sighed. “How do I know he really means it? It could have just been the sex talking, y'know?” Estrella blushed. “Speaking of which,” she said, “um... any tips on working with that setup?” She made a penis stroking gesture.
Charlie roared with laughter and wrapped her arms around her bump. Now she really needed to pee. “I'm sorry,” she giggled. “I shouldn't laugh. It took me a while to get that figured out, too.” She coughed to clear away the snickers and thought for a moment. She didn't want to embarrass the guys or betray them by talking about them like they weren't people. “You can coax the um... whole package out with your hand if you're gentle but they can just make it drop down in a second if they want to. Oh! Their tails are super-sensitive so maybe try curling your finger with it.”
Estrella shook her head in disbelief. “Weird,” she said.
“At first, yeah,” Charlie agreed, “but after a while, it's only weird if you want it to be.” She turned to the other girl. “Do you want to come for supper tomorrow? I know you have to work nights, but you might get some better insight if you see us at home as a family. The guys are really close... they will never separate from each other.” She gestured to herself. “They brought me in to their clan. I really feel like I'm part of the family and that's not something I ever had before.”
Along the path in front of them, a blind woman tapped her way with a white cane. She had a violin case hooked over her shoulder. Charlie blinked in shock. “Hey, hey wait!” she called.
The blind woman paused and half-turned in the direction of Charlie's voice.
“Me?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Charlie said. “Are you...” she trailed off, not sure how to ask without accidentally outing the guys to a stranger.
“Blind?” the woman guessed. “Yes, very. Anything else I can help you with today?”
Charlie flushed and Estrella raised her eyebrows. “No,” Charlie said. “I was just wondering if maybe you were Leo's friend.”
The blind woman nodded. “I'm Evelyn. Who are you?”
“I'm Charlie... Donatello's wife.”
Evelyn paused for a moment. Estrella's bracelets clinked and Evelyn's head shifted. “Who's with you?” she asked, suspiciously.
“This is my friend Estrella. She's uh...”
“Raphael's girlfriend,” Estrella said. She sat up straight as she decided that she was going to give the red turtle a shot. She thought of how kind he'd been to her son and how he'd saved her. She thought of how much she enjoyed their talks... didn't he deserve a fair shot? She smiled at Charlie and Charlie grinned back.
*
Three hours later, all three women were still talking in a quiet corner of the cafe. Charlie had her feet up on a coffee table, which she supposed was rude, but she owned the damn thing as well as the store and figured she could do whatever she wanted. Besides, she was too pregnant to care about manners anymore. Evelyn was seated on the couch beside her and Estrella was in a comfy chair across from them. The coffee table was littered with dirty coffee mugs, empty smoothie cups, and sandwich plates.
Raphael and Michelangelo seemed afraid to approach. Leonardo had nearly choked on his tongue when he'd seen the group of girls stroll into the store together. Donatello was the only one who wasn't fussed.
“I think it's great, guys,” he'd said as they'd huddled together in the office. “Charlie could do with some more female friends and maybe this is the best way to introduce new people to the clan.”
Raphael looked moody and uncomfortable. “When I suggested she should talk ta Charlie, I didn't think it would be fer this long or in a committee.”
“Evelyn and I aren't dating,” Leonardo pointed out for no reason. “We're just... talking.”
“Yeah, whatever you've gotta tell yourself, dude,” Mike muttered. “Holy shell, you know they're probably talking about our penises, right?”
Donatello rolled his eyes. “So what if they are? Isn't it better for them to know what they're getting into instead of getting the surprise dick appearing from nowhere?”
“No!” the other three said together.
Leo rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Evelyn already asked how I pee and I told her it dropped down. Isn't that enough info?”
“Come on, guys,” Don said, his exasperation showing. “We don't even know that that's what they're talking about. And even if they were, that conversation would not last three hours!”
Raphael put his hands over his eyes. He was trying hard not to go all moody and sulk at the thought of his precious private life being discussed upstairs like it was the weather. He didn't want to fight with Estrella again because he knew she wouldn't take his crap.
Mike patted his shoulder and sat down in the office chair. “Trust Charlie,” he said. “She's not going to let anyone say anything bad about us. And Evelyn's a churchy girl. She'll be more reserved in what she says, right Leo?”
“I wouldn't bet on that,” Leo muttered. “She asked me to have sex with her.”
The others gasped.
“Did you?” Don asked.
“No!” Leo snapped. “We're not in love... we're both just... miserable.” He breathed the admission out and slumped against the wall. His shell thumped against the drywall. “Fuck, you're right, Mike. I have issues.”
“You're depressed, dude,” Mike said, gently. “It's okay... we're here, bro.”
Leonardo looked at his brother. “I don't even know how long I've been like this,” he said.
“A few years, I'd say,” Mike replied. “But it's been getting worse lately. The Lisa thing didn't help.”
Leonardo shook his head. “Why didn't you tell me?”
“Would you have believed me, if I did?” Mike chuckled. “It's okay, Leo. We'll look after you.”
“Y-yeah,” Don said. He sat on the edge of Charlie's desk. “I'm kinda blind-sided here,” he said. “I had no idea you're were suffering. Are we talking clinical depression or are you just feeling...” he trailed off, unsure what to say.
“I don't need to be looked after,” Leo snapped. “I'm not a kid.” He folded his arms across his plastron. “I'm fine... I just...” He looked down at the floor.
“Shit,” Raphael muttered. Leonardo looked lost and that scared him a little. “It's not like we can get ya to a shrink.” He knocked on his own plastron to explain why.
“I do not need a shrink,” Leonardo barked. He pushed passed Raphael and left the office.
The other turtles looked at each other. “What's the plan?” Don asked.
Raphael shrugged. “The new baby should be a distraction.”
“For a while, yeah,” Mike agreed, “but we need to make some lifestyle changes. We're not as disciplined as we used to be and that's gotta be driving him nuts. Leo thrives on structure.”
“Charlie's right,” Don said. “Family time away from work needs to be a priority and we should get his room painted. That bare drywall you guys have up there is depressing.”
Raphael rubbed the bridge of his nose. “We really dropped the ball, huh? We haven't been lookin' out fer each other.”
Back upstairs in the cafe, the girls were talking about the #MeToo movement and how it was affecting each of them. Charlie and Estrella were horrified to hear some of Evelyn's stories. Estrella had some of her own nightmare stories from creeps at the club. Charlie talked about having to deal with loans officers at the bank who looked down her top and asked her if she'd checked with her husband first before filling out paperwork.
The conversation gradually shifted to body image. Not surprisingly, Estrella was the most confident about the way she looked. Having men pay to see you naked did wonders for the self-esteem. She was, however, terrified that the other girls were secretly judging her for being a stripper.
Charlie confessed that she felt like a frump in her sweatshirt and longed for her old clothes. She didn't tell the other girls that she was terrified she wouldn't get the weight off and that Don wouldn't be attracted to her anymore. It was too embarrassing to admit.
“I haven't bought new clothes in years,” Evelyn said with a sigh. “I can't really afford it and I don't trust the sales clerks not to sell me something weird because I can't see. I didn't think I'd be blind for this long.” She ran her fingers through her limp ponytail. “How bad is my hair? Be honest.”
Charlie and Estrella glanced at each other. “It's not horrible,” Estrella said, carefully. “But maybe a different cut might suit you better?”
Evelyn sighed. “I don't know what to change it to. I just get it trimmed now and then and I can feel that my bangs have grown out. I think it must look so flat.”
“What about something with a lot of layers?” Estrella said. “Something you wouldn't have to style?”
“Yeah,” Charlie agreed. “Like Rachel's haircut on Friends. Just wash and go.”
A few minutes later, after Charlie had stopped to pee again, the girls stepped off the elevator on the ground floor and walked straight into Leonardo. Charlie noticed that he looked a little upset but she didn't want to draw attention to it in front of the others.
“Hey, where are you off to now?” he asked.
“Shopping,” Charlie said. It was so much more than that though... it was something more powerful. Three women from completely different worlds were coming together to build each other up. Confidence, acceptance, and companionship. It was too much to put into words. Shopping seemed like an easy answer.
“Just gimmie a sec, girls,” Evelyn said. She waited a moment and asked Leo, “Are they gone?”
“Yeah,” he said with a laugh. “They're heading for the door.”
Evelyn nodded. “You didn't come last night,” she said. “I just... I missed talking to you.”
Leo face-palmed himself. “Shit, I'm sorry,” he said. “We kinda had a big thing to take care of last night. I should have called.” Slash was a big thing so he figured he wasn't lying.
“It's okay,” she said. “You don't have to come every night. I'll be there because I have no life, but you don't have to be.”
“I should have called,” Leo repeated. “I won't flake like that again.” He bit his lip. “Can I ask what you guys were talking about?” he asked. “We've never really had people talking about us before and it's freaking us out.”
“What makes you think we were talking about you at all?” Evelyn asked.
“Uh... well...” Leo stammered.
Evelyn adjusted her viola case on her shoulder. “We talked about ourselves, mostly.” She shrugged. “Girl stuff, y'know?”
“Not really,” Leo said.
Evelyn laughed and reached out to pat his arm. She missed and bumped his plastron, then slid her hand over to his bicep and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Hair, clothes, how fat we feel...”
“You're not fat,” Leonardo butted in. “None of you are.”
“Thanks, stud,” she said. She was still feeling his big arm. “Besides, if I wanted to know something about you, I'd just ask.”
Leonardo smiled at her even though he knew she couldn't see it.
“Charlie did tell me how close your family is,” Evelyn added.
Leo nodded. He felt like his throat was closing all of a sudden. “My brothers just talked to me about my... my depression,” he said. He coughed to clear his throat.
Evelyn slid her hand down his arm and held his hand. “You ok?” she asked.
“I dunno.”
“Me either,” Evelyn said. “But when I see you, I feel a little better.”
Leonardo hesitated a moment, then hugged her. Her head tucked perfectly under his chin. “Come on, Leo,” she chided. “I set you up for a great blind joke there... although I do feel better when I see you. I wasn't joking about that.”
“Thanks,” he said. He looked back and saw Estrella and Charlie waiting by the counter. “They're waiting for you,” he said.
She patted his plastron and stepped away. “I'd better go. Are you coming by the church tonight?”
Leo felt a pang. He actually did want to go and see her. He liked their late-night chats and he liked listening to her play. “I can't,” he said. “I've got some stuff to do at home... but can I call you after you're done practicing?”
She smiled. “That'd be nice.”
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Braving it in the New World