"Raph? Are you in there?"

"What do you want, Mona?"

"I want to talk with you. May I come in?"

There was a pause. "Whatever," she heard him mutter. She sighed, knowing that was as good a 'yes' as she was going to get from him. When she opened the door and went inside, she saw Raph laying on the bed, hands folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. She hovered by the door, wringing her hands together as she waited for him to give some acknowledgment of her presence. After several moments of silence, Raph finally said, "Well, princess? You wanted to talk so talk already."

"Yes, I do," she said. "But I'd like to talk face to face." He sighed and sat up on the bed, giving her a shrug and a smirk, "Well, here I am at full attention, your highness."

She paused to consider her words. "Why do you hate me, Raph?"

He snorted and shook his head, lowering his gaze to the floor. "Damn, Mona. I never said I hated you…why would you think that?"

"How could I not? You're always acting like I'm a burden to you and your brothers. Everything I say and do seems to annoy you, and whenever I try to have a decent conversation with you we always end up fighting. I just want to know what I did to make you hate me."

"You didn't do anything."

"Then why? Why do you treat me like I'm a waste of time?"

"You're not."

"Raph, would you just tell me already?"

"Dammit, what do you want me to say?!" He shot up from the bed and stormed over to her. "That ever since you got here things have changed? That ever since I saw you I can't get you out of my mind? You think being a mutant has ruined your life? Well, try being one for years! Try growing up and realizing that you'll never have a family of your own! That you and your brothers are the only ones of your kind! That, no matter how many friends you make above or how many lives you save, you'll never be able to have what they have, and you'll always be alone! Did you ever stop to think how that feels? Did you?!" He moved forward until he was inches away from her. Startled, Mona backed up to the wall. He quickly closed the distance between them and put his hands on either side of her against the wall, his eyes burning into hers.

"Raph…"

"You don't understand." The tone in his voice was softer, but no less harsh. "You'll never understand because you had those things and now you lost them. And you're bitter because your perfect world is over. Now you're stuck down here with me, and I'm sorry." His voice tightened. "I'm sorry. I want to make you happy, Mona, but I know I can't give you what you want. It's hell being near you and knowing I can't do that. I…I just…"

Mona froze in shock as he kissed her. Then, almost as quickly as the kiss began, he broke away. "I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have done that." He bowed his head, avoiding her gaze. Mona remained still, mulling over his sudden kiss and how it was the first time he had ever touched her. She had always felt uneasy around Raph because she never knew what to expect from him. He was reckless, passionate, and outspoken, surrounded by an impenetrable bitterness that Mona had always assumed was caused by a dislike of others, but now she realized that it was a hatred for himself and the life he was forced to live. And I've felt the same ever since my mutation, but I never stopped to think how Raph felt. I have been unfair to him, seeing him only as he sees himself—undeserving and unwanted.

Slowly, Mona reached out with both hands and touched his face, trying to make him look at her. He kept his eyes averted to the floor, but did not shy away from her touch. She was filled with a strong want to show him he was deserving of everything he had been denied, that his desire for her could be satiated. Or was it simply a desire for any woman who shared his unfortunate state, trapped and alone in a form they did not choose? Somehow the thought did not trouble, but instead made her want to be with him even more. She leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on his forehead and whispered, "Don't stop."
Before she could fully process her words, his mouth was on hers again, harder this time and more insistent. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his strong arms folded around her, pulling her against him, deeper into the kiss. Mona didn't bother to reflect on the fact that she wasn't kissing a man, but a turtle. His kiss felt like a man's, and his arms were warm, and he wanted her; she thought she would never experience being desired again. She parted her lips to flick her tongue against his, and his breaths became heavy and hard as he responded in kind. Then he was lifting her up, and soon she felt her back against the bed and the weight of his body pressing down on her. Mona cried out.

"Boy, you come really fast," Raph chuckled, kissing her neck. "But don't worry." He lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, " I'll make you come again…"

"No, Raph, it's your knee…you're on my tail and it hurts," she said as she squirmed underneath him.

"Oh." He shifted his weight. "Better?"

"Yes," she said with a laugh, staring up into his eyes. She wondered if the warmth she saw in them had always been there and she was now just noticing.

"I've never…" He cleared his throat. "I mean, what with being a giant mutant turtle in a city filled with women who'd more or less scream when they saw me rather than say yes to a date, I haven't had the, uh, opportunity to…you know. Not that I haven't thought about it before, but, circumstances being as they are, I'm a little, uh, nervous."

Mona gave him a reassuring smile and put her hand on his chest, her fingers trailing the front of his shell. "This is really weird, you know?" she said, breaking the silence. She shook her head when she saw the hurt expression on his face."No, I'm sorry. I meant that it's weird because my whole life has changed. I lost everything of who I once was—my friends, my family…my future. And yet I'm…I'm happy. If I hadn't lost everything, I wouldn't have met you and your brothers, and Splinter. Casey and April too. I feel so at home with all of you, as if somehow I was always meant to meet you. I didn't understand why this happened to me, why I had to lose everything, but now…here with you…I think I know."

Raph cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. "You speak real pretty, you know that?"

Mona laughed. "Well, one of us has to."

"Hey, I can be poetic when the mood strikes! I just prefer more, uh, physical means of communicating." He smirked, and she leaned up to kiss him. "Show me," she whispered, and he was on her again, leaving hot, wet trails of kisses across her face and down her neck. She took one of his hands and placed it over her breast, sighing as he started to squeeze and caress her. Soon, her shirt and bra were off, and she felt the pressure of Raph's mouth as he teased her nipples with his tongue. Her soft moans elicited a boost of confidence in him, and he became bolder, sucking and lapping at her breasts until she squirmed out of the remainder of her clothes. He leaned back, breathing heavy, and let his eyes wander all over her. Mona's eyes caught his and she took his hand in both of hers and guided him, showing him where to touch her and the sensitive nub above her sex.

As he stroked her, Mona marveled how, even though she had changed so much, there was still some part of her that remained human. The pleasure she was feeling was certainly the same she had felt before when she was wholly human, and yet it surprised her that it would be so. Somehow she had convinced herself that her mutation had robbed her of all her humanity, including sexual pleasure. Raph's fingers rubbing against her sex shocked her into an understanding that she had not changed as much as she had chosen to believe, and the fact that he was the one who gave her this new awareness made her want to please him even more.

She moved his hand aside and sat up, gently pushing him back on the bed. He grinned knowingly. "Ready when you are, babe," he said, gesturing down, and she realized he had already come out. Her eyes widened as she stared at his huge, purplish member, coiling out from his tail's end like a snake.

"Raph, you're really…" She struggled to find the gentlest word to use; calling his dick 'scary' was out of the question, as was the equally apt 'terrifying.' He must have noticed her hesitation because he sat up, a look of concern and shame crossing his face. "Hey, I know it ain't exactly like a human guy's," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "but it's what I got and if it's too…different for you then I understand."

Mona continued to stare at his exposed sex, wondering if she could really do this, make love to someone of another species. Was it right to be intimate with him? Would it bring them more regret than happiness? Perhaps I am still too human for this to be right…but I do care for him, no matter what he is. She was no longer fully human herself, and Raph was no unintelligent animal (although Donnie might disagree). She banished her worries; she wouldn't ruin this, especially for him.

She gave him a warm smile. "I just have to get used to it," she said and, to prove her point, reached out to stroke him. He was smooth in her hand; she skimmed her fingertips down the ridges that ran the length of his shaft ending at his head, which was slightly more bulbous and dark. She blinked in astonishment as his head seemed to pulsate and throb as she stroked it, the tip almost opening up like a flower. The thought made her want to laugh—flower dick¬—but she kept herself composed for his sake. Glancing up, she saw his eyes were closed tight and, with each ragged breath he took, his shoulders rose and fell heavily. She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips, quickening the pace of her hand. Moaning, Raph cupped her face in his hands and brought his forehead to rest against hers, eyes still closed, his breaths intensifying. Mona shut her eyes as well, whispering sweet little words to him as she continued to caress him.

A loud knock came at the door. "Yo, Raphie!" Michelangelo's voice called out from the other side. "You seen Mona anywhere? She kind of disappeared after dinner."

"Uh…" Raph groaned as her hand moved up and down his shaft. "Uh, yes!"

"Great! So where is she?"

Mona put her other hand in front of her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter as she kept stroking his dick. "Uh, I mean, no, no! I haven't!" He let out a loud moan.

"What are you doing in there?" Mikey said.

"N-nothing!" Raph gritted his teeth and whispered to Mona, "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" She nodded, grinning, and teased his head with her fingertips, eliciting another moan.

Mikey's laughter was unmistakable. "Are you masturbating again? Dude, you really gotta pace yourself…"

"GO AWAY, MIKEY," Raph shouted.

"Fine, fine! Sheesh, what a hard case…"

"Masturbating again? You do that often?" Mona teased, releasing him from her grasp.

Raph wiped the sweat from his brow and shrugged. "I'm a guy. Besides, I haven't had a beautiful girl around to help me out. Until now, of course." His smirk faded to an expression of surprise when Mona suddenly bent over and licked him from stem to tip, her lips lingering on his head before she backed away, wiping her mouth. "I can't believe I just did that," she said, shaking with laughter. "I know I'm supposed to say 'oh you taste so good, baby' but—"

Mona let her words fade as he pushed her down on the bed, kissing her and wrapping her in his arms. She felt his member, hard and wet, against her thigh, and reached for it to guide him inside her, but he moved back, kneeling before her, his hands grasping her hips. He stared at her with a fierce, wild intensity that made her sex twinge. His grip tightened and, in one swift motion, he set her on her stomach and spread her legs apart with his knees, shifting into position behind her. He entered her slowly, easing himself into her, and her body tensed up at the sensation; he was larger than a human male, both in width and length, so he filled her completely. She cried out as he started to move in and out, slowly at first then harder and faster, pounding into her. She could feel him expanding inside her and clutched for the pillow, burying her face in it. She wrapped her tail around his waist, encouraging his powerful thrusts. She barely heard
Donatello's knock at the door and his voice say, "Raph? Are you in there?"

The sudden disturbance hadn't slowed Raph down one bit. "I'm busy!" he growled, thrusting into her again.

"I just want to know if you've seen Mona anywhere. I wanted to show her my new project, but I can't find her. Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah!" Raph grunted, sliding out of her and flipping her onto her back. He grabbed her hips and dove into her once more, thrusting faster.

"Well, where is she?"

"She's busy too!" He growled as she cried out.

There was a pause. "Is she in there with you?"

"I SAID WE'RE BUSY!" Raph shouted, continuing to pump between her legs. "LEAVE US ALONE." Mona heard Donnie muttering to himself as he walked away, but her focus was entirely on Raph who now bent forward so that the bottom of his shell rubbed against her clit. She rolled her hips in synch with his thrusts, enjoying the sharp friction of his shell. She felt the heat rising in her and cried out as the sensation grew and grew until it finally overwhelmed her. She came with a violent fury, arching her back, grasping Raph's shoulders, and throwing her head back. She felt him come too, his body shuddering as thrust into her a final time. They collapsed besides one another on the bed, and he took her in his arms, holding her close as they let their breaths slow and bodies relax.

After a while, Raph whispered to her, "You're beautiful." Mona smiled, reaching up to touch his face. He put his hand around hers, squeezing gently, and closed his eyes. Soon he was snoring, and Mona cradled his head against hers as he slept. Soon, she fell asleep and when she awoke, after how many hours she did not know, Raph was sitting beside her, staring at her. "Watching me sleep?" Mona said sleepily, propping herself up on one arm.

"More like waiting for you to wake up." He leaned over and kissed her. "Damn, you're beautiful."

She laughed. "You said that already."

"And I'll say it again. It's true, ain't it?" He kissed her again, slipping his tongue into her mouth and caressing her with his hands, and Mona welcomed him eagerly, pulling him down on top of her. This time he was much gentler, his nervousness replaced by a tender boldness, and Mona clung to him happily, covering him with her kisses as he came inside her.

Suddenly, the door swung open and Leo walked in. "Don and Mike said Mona was in…here…" He slowed to a halt and stared.

"You didn't lock the door?!" Mona shrieked as she tried to pull the covers over her.

"Well, I was a little busy!" Raph shouted back, hovering his hands over his dick as he tried to slip it back inside.

Leo looked from one mutant to the other, his eyebrows narrowing as he let out a long sigh. He rubbed his forehead as if suddenly racked with a tremendous migraine and muttered, "I'll leave you two alone." Without another word, he back out of the room and shut the door.

Raph sighed. "Man, I'm gonna get a lecture later from that guy… I just know it."

"Do you think he'll tell Splinter?"

"Count on it. He's probably telling him right now."

"I wonder if he'll be upset with me for taking his son's innocence…" Raph laughed, shaking his head. "He could never be mad at you. None of them could be. They'll all probably blame me and say I forced myself on you or something." His tone was light-hearted, but Mona could tell he was masking himself again and wrapped her arms around him.

"Let's stay here. We don't have to think about anyone else right now. Just us."

He didn't say anything, just held her close as they laid back on the bed. Sometime in between her dreams that night Mona thought she heard him, mumbling to himself in the dark, "I don't deserve this. She's better than me, and I'm not good enough for her. I don't deserve this…" She recalled faintly how her arms tightened around him and she whispered, "You do. You deserve everything."