Book 2: HomeFront

You Understand That?

 "SQUAD!" Angel's lovely voice made every being underground jump out of their spot.

"UH OH! Here comes a loud mouth." Raphael muttered outstretched on the couch with Michelangelo sitting at the end of his feet. He was too entranced with a Wii remote and nunchuck in his hand trying to clear a Boss level on Sonic Unleashed. The Chicana wobbled up towards the couch her friends were trying to block out her voice. In her hands was a small, enclosed cardboard box.

"You know you love it when I visit Raphael." She sang sweetly with half lidded eyes at the end where his head lay. The position forced him to look up at the smiling girl batting her eyes so innocently.

"Love is a strong word. More like, I tolerate you better than Mikey." He explained. Soon following, Michelangelo took the time to cease a safe time to elbow him in the foot without costing him anything in his game. Raphael returned the favor with a quick jolt of his foot impacting his arm and move his character out of position. Luckily, he was able to regain his position and resume his game unharmed.

"That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me." She spoke so brightly, setting her box by her feet.

"You're welcome." He looked up to her with a modest grin. "What brings you underground, besides boredom?" Angel let her toe tap the side of the box.

"I got Mona's stuff." She explained easily.

"Mona! Angel has your stuff!" Mikey shouted out to his sister. It didn't take too long for the lizard lady to emerge from the shadows in which she was probably in her bedroom. She didn't know what Mikey said except that she should probably come to the room they were in. Once she caught sight of Angel and her smile, she knew exactly what she was here for.

Mona trotted down into the living room, full of excitement.

"What did she say? Is she going to do it?" Her questions came out like lightening as she advanced closer and closer to the bracing Chicana. When Mona approached her without bumbling into her, Angel thought it safe to bend over and open the box.

"Granma said she wanted us to try to make it before she does because she's been busy for a while." With the flaps curled out and opening the items into the air, Angel picked up Mona's old article of clothing. After some searching, Angel showed her the fine stitching her abuela had done. Mona took her dressings into her hand and looked further into the stitching. She used a thread so similar to the dress' original color that it would take the keenest of eyes to even notice it. Next, Angel took out a piece of paper that was settled underneath the pouch of needles and thread she brought with her. She showed her the design she and her granma were able to come up with along with some of Mona's suggestions. It was a modest drawing, yet easy to understand the concept. The lizard lady smiled brightly obviously excited to get the project started.

"No problem."

"Fo' real?" Angel asked with a raised brow. Mona nodded confidently.

"Yeah. I've seen the women of my village sew before." She walked in front of the couch, much to Michelangelo's dismay. She didn't mean to, but she wanted to pull up a sushi stool for her and Angel to sit on as they worked. Each time she crossed his vision, his head dodged to either side of her body to keep his eyes glued on the screen. After a second trip, she had both of the stools at the end of the living room table so Mikey wouldn't mind them. Raphael, on the other hand, was obstructed from the view of the TV, but he didn't mind so much for he wasn't really intrigued in Michelangelo's performance anyhow. Lately, he didn't seem to mind much of anything because he was too bored to care. His aggression towards anybody was on a lower level, as if anything they wanted to bug him with didn't bug him at all.