Fierce: A Forever Series Book

Chapter 14

Jasmine sat with a cup of steaming coffee in her hands beside Raph, who was still sleeping. She sighed and rubbed at her temples until she heard the lab door open and she glanced over to see Donnie enter. He waved slightly before going to Raph's other side to check his vitals. He yawned while doing so and Jasmine smiled as she blew on her coffee.

"Morning," she greeted and he just sighed in return. She grabbed the second cup of coffee off the table beside her and held it out. "A little bird told me that you needed coffee in the mornings." Donnie graciously accepted the cup of steaming caffeine and downed half the cup in one sip.

"Well the little bird was right. Thank you." He said. Jasmine laughed lightly before her face went back to its stony concern. Donnie peeked up at her over his glasses and frowned at the purple rings under her eyes and the messy bun that was holding her hair back.

"Did you get any sleep?"

"Do you want an honest answer or the answer I told Leo?" She sighed.

"Probably an honest answer," he replied. She looked at him and sighed again.

"Around two hours. I kept waking up with these-... dreams. About Blackout. But they felt so real," she shrugged it off. "But it's fine. I've gone on less sleep before and still made it through the day without dropping."

"You know that's-... that's not healthy," Donnie said. She smirked.

"You're a fine one to talk Mr. 'I stay up all night working on inventions'." She took a sip of her coffee and Donnie struggled to find a reply.

"Wha-... that's-... that's different," he replied weakly, knowing she was right. She chuckled as she sipped her coffee and the genius turtle smiled at her before taking his own coffee and leaving the lab again.

Jasmine sighed when he left and put her mug down on the table again, grabbing Raphael's hand gently and holding it with her own, leaning forward enough in her chair to rest her arm on the side of his bed, setting her head on her arm and watching the muscular turtle sleep.

"How did I let this happen?" She whispered, though she knew she would get no answer. "I'm so sorry, Raph."

She didn't realize how tired she really was until she started drifting off to sleep again, Raph's hand still clutched in her own.

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Everything hurt.

The hothead turtle struggled to lift his eyelids, and started to think they had been taped shut. But no, he was just really weak.

He struggled for a while until he was able to open his eyes, the lights above him burning and making him squint.

And even though his everything hurt, felt like he was forgetting something. Then it hit him and his eyes shot fully open.

"Jasmine." He turned his head to realize that he was no longer on a rooftop somewhere, but in his genius brothers lab in the lair. A glance to his other side made his pounding heart slow down to a normal pace and make him release a breath of relief.

Jasmine was sitting in an uncomfortable looking plastic chair beside him, her head laying on her arm that was placed on his cot. Her other hand was intertwined tightly with his and he felt the corners of his lips twist up into a smile despite the pain his ribs were in.

He squeezed her hand ever so gently and she stirred in her sleep, moving her head slightly to peek at him through half open eyes and under the mound of messy hair that was piled on the top of her head. Yet to Raph, she still looked absolutely beautiful.