Categories > Cartoons > Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles > Forever and Always: A TMNT Drabble Fic
Those we love don’t go away.
They walk beside us every day.
Unseen, unheard but always near
Still loved, still missed, and very dear.
~~~~~~~
Soft, classical music drifted through the whole lair. Its source was a small CD player easily outdated by twenty years. The music coming from it, however, was timeless.
At least it was to Carrie.
She sat in the comfy, leather recliner in the TV room with her legs drawn up under her and the big photo album in her lap. Her hair now held streaks of grey and her face not nearly as smooth and flawless as it had been in these pictures.
It was like she was reliving her life while just sitting in her late husband’s favorite chair. She could almost hear him unceremoniously calling her to bring him a beer. “The game’s starting and I don’t wanna miss a second of it!” he would say.
Raph was, by no means, a small individual. Huge, rippling muscles easily dwarfed those of a human body builder’s. However, a strong body like his needed an even stronger heart to keep it going.
She smiled softly as she looked at a picture of Raph and four-year-old Benny. They both had their eyes closed tightly, wearing goofy grins, showing off their toothpastey teeth.
Benny was all grown up now. Almost twenty-four years old.
She came across a picture of her son on his sixth birthday. He was grinning like a maniac and holding his very own pair of Sai.
The front door suddenly slid open and shook Carrie from her memories. Lo and behold, in walked her son. His blonde, wispy hair pulled back in a thin pony tail.
“Hi Mom.” he greeted with a smile.
“Hello.” She smiled and stood to hug him. “How are you?”
“Fine.” He said and returned her embrace. “What about you? You’ve got the music and the pictures out already.”
Carrie pulled away and stood on her tip toes to kiss her son’s cheek. “Well,” she said as she headed to the kitchen. “You can’t blame me.”
“Yeah.” he agreed. He paused and rubbed the back of his neck slowly. “So how are you handling this?”
Carrie just sighed. “Where are your uncles?” she asked, trying to change the subject.
“Mom.” Benny was right behind her before she even knew he had moved. “It’s ok to miss him, ya know.”
She reached up into the cabinet for the glasses. “It’s been four years, Ben.” She sighed. “One would think I’d get used to the quiet…”
“It’s hardly quiet.” He replied and walked back to the living room with a grin. “What with Mariah and the twins crashing here almost every day.”
Carrie smirked. “It’s quiet to me.” she said. “It’s almost like I can still hear your dad beating that poor punching bag senseless.”
Benny didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “Leo and Mikey will be over soon. Don is still working something out with Kenna.”
“Alright.” Carrie said and brought out some beer for the adults and soda for the younger end of the “Turtle Clan”. “I’ll be upstairs. Call me when they get here.”
“Will do.” he grunted and turned the TV on with expertise.
Carrie took her time walking up the eight steps leading to kids’ old room and the room she used to share with Raph.
There is a shoe box shoved in the very back corner of her closet that only appears once a year. She pulled it out and opened it slowly. She reached in and took out a long piece of red cloth.
“Dear God. It still smells like him.” she whispered as she brought it to her face.
The next thing she took out of the box was a pair of Sai. The handles were worn down from years and years of usage. The leather grips smooth from Raph’s big hands always holding them with a death grasp. But the blades were perfectly sharp.
Ya could cut iron with these babies.
Careful, Benny. Ya don’t wanna slice your fingers off, do ya?
“I will not cry.” She told herself. “I will not cry.”
The third and final thing the pulled out of the box was a huge, gold ring.
I just thought we should make it official. Don’t like how those punks think you’re fair game.
I never pegged you as a “diamond girl”. Guess I was right.
Carrie rubbed the Mother of Pearl ring on her left hand. She gazed at all the things on the floor by the box and in her lap. She bit her lip so hard she could taste blood.
“Oh… to hell with it.” she all but yelled and let her tears fall.
In a moment, she’d pull herself together. She’d clean up and walk back down those stairs with a smile, greet her in-laws, her niece and nephew, and her daughter.
And no one would know…
That her heart had gone with his.
*A/N
Updates will still be slow… *
They walk beside us every day.
Unseen, unheard but always near
Still loved, still missed, and very dear.
~~~~~~~
Soft, classical music drifted through the whole lair. Its source was a small CD player easily outdated by twenty years. The music coming from it, however, was timeless.
At least it was to Carrie.
She sat in the comfy, leather recliner in the TV room with her legs drawn up under her and the big photo album in her lap. Her hair now held streaks of grey and her face not nearly as smooth and flawless as it had been in these pictures.
It was like she was reliving her life while just sitting in her late husband’s favorite chair. She could almost hear him unceremoniously calling her to bring him a beer. “The game’s starting and I don’t wanna miss a second of it!” he would say.
Raph was, by no means, a small individual. Huge, rippling muscles easily dwarfed those of a human body builder’s. However, a strong body like his needed an even stronger heart to keep it going.
She smiled softly as she looked at a picture of Raph and four-year-old Benny. They both had their eyes closed tightly, wearing goofy grins, showing off their toothpastey teeth.
Benny was all grown up now. Almost twenty-four years old.
She came across a picture of her son on his sixth birthday. He was grinning like a maniac and holding his very own pair of Sai.
The front door suddenly slid open and shook Carrie from her memories. Lo and behold, in walked her son. His blonde, wispy hair pulled back in a thin pony tail.
“Hi Mom.” he greeted with a smile.
“Hello.” She smiled and stood to hug him. “How are you?”
“Fine.” He said and returned her embrace. “What about you? You’ve got the music and the pictures out already.”
Carrie pulled away and stood on her tip toes to kiss her son’s cheek. “Well,” she said as she headed to the kitchen. “You can’t blame me.”
“Yeah.” he agreed. He paused and rubbed the back of his neck slowly. “So how are you handling this?”
Carrie just sighed. “Where are your uncles?” she asked, trying to change the subject.
“Mom.” Benny was right behind her before she even knew he had moved. “It’s ok to miss him, ya know.”
She reached up into the cabinet for the glasses. “It’s been four years, Ben.” She sighed. “One would think I’d get used to the quiet…”
“It’s hardly quiet.” He replied and walked back to the living room with a grin. “What with Mariah and the twins crashing here almost every day.”
Carrie smirked. “It’s quiet to me.” she said. “It’s almost like I can still hear your dad beating that poor punching bag senseless.”
Benny didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “Leo and Mikey will be over soon. Don is still working something out with Kenna.”
“Alright.” Carrie said and brought out some beer for the adults and soda for the younger end of the “Turtle Clan”. “I’ll be upstairs. Call me when they get here.”
“Will do.” he grunted and turned the TV on with expertise.
Carrie took her time walking up the eight steps leading to kids’ old room and the room she used to share with Raph.
There is a shoe box shoved in the very back corner of her closet that only appears once a year. She pulled it out and opened it slowly. She reached in and took out a long piece of red cloth.
“Dear God. It still smells like him.” she whispered as she brought it to her face.
The next thing she took out of the box was a pair of Sai. The handles were worn down from years and years of usage. The leather grips smooth from Raph’s big hands always holding them with a death grasp. But the blades were perfectly sharp.
Ya could cut iron with these babies.
Careful, Benny. Ya don’t wanna slice your fingers off, do ya?
“I will not cry.” She told herself. “I will not cry.”
The third and final thing the pulled out of the box was a huge, gold ring.
I just thought we should make it official. Don’t like how those punks think you’re fair game.
I never pegged you as a “diamond girl”. Guess I was right.
Carrie rubbed the Mother of Pearl ring on her left hand. She gazed at all the things on the floor by the box and in her lap. She bit her lip so hard she could taste blood.
“Oh… to hell with it.” she all but yelled and let her tears fall.
In a moment, she’d pull herself together. She’d clean up and walk back down those stairs with a smile, greet her in-laws, her niece and nephew, and her daughter.
And no one would know…
That her heart had gone with his.
*A/N
Updates will still be slow… *
Sign up to rate and review this story