"You know what?" Hope announced after swallowing a forkful of scrambled eggs, "I'm going to blow off work today. It's one of the many perks of working for yourself. We should do something." She gave him a dazzling smile, making it almost impossible for him to refuse.

Raph shoved the crust of his toast into his mouth and washed it down with a swig of coffee. "Okay. What kind of something do you have in mind?"

Hope shrugged, unable to wipe the smile from her face, "I dunno. A walk?" She envisioned the sun beating down on their skin, holding hands, strolling by the river. She sighed contently and gazed up at him with huge eyes.

Raph tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, resting his hand against her cheek. "A walk sounds great. You ready?"

She pushed her plate toward the center of the table. "Yeah, let's go!" Even though they'd spent time together before, it now felt different somehow. She couldn't place it, but she was sure it was because of the absence of pressure. The fact that all their feelings were out in the open; she no longer had to worry about whether or not he liked her.

They started towards the exit, but she stopped. "Wait." She got up on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling their faces together, she met his lips with hers and kissed him gently. "Sorry, I just needed to do that… again…" She whispered into his mouth.

Raph kissed her back warmly, cupping the back of her head with his huge hand. "You have no idea how badly I needed that too," he said when he came up for air.

She inhaled deeply, breathing in his scent. "We should… go…"

They headed out into the morning air. It was welcome after a night in the sewer. The morning sun shone down on them, blinding her slightly. She blinked, trying to focus her vision.

They walked along the sidewalk, their fingers entwined. Raph could see that they were getting a lot of attention from other pedestrians, mostly frowns and scowls. He didn't care, but he really didn't want any of them to make a scene. Not today.

"So, when do you want that blood sample?"

Hope was blissfully unaware of the looks that they were getting from passersbys. Her brain should have been telling her that it was actually very rare to see an interspecies couple out and about, but she was completely fixed on him.

"I almost forgot about that! Oh man, I have so much work to do… But tomorrow. I want to enjoy… this… first." She bit her lip and lovingly gazed up at him.

She'd never been in a proper relationship before, human or otherwise, and had no idea what to expect. But it was a journey she knew she'd enjoy.

She didn't seem to be bothered by their staring, so Raph swallowed his annoyance and draped his arm over her shoulder. Pulling her close, he kissed her temple gently. She smelled so good and her hair was so soft. He was amazed that a girl so beautiful, and a human at that, would be interested in him. But he wasn't going to question it. Not now. "Okay. Anytime you're ready, I'm ready."

Hope wanted to show to the world that mutants and humans could just as easily have relationships. She held her head high as they walked, laughing and joking, enjoying every minute.

"Raphie!" A shrill voice called out. A small woman, skinny and busty, bright red hair down to her waist, bolted up to them, completely ignoring Hope. The woman flung herself at Raph and kissed his cheek.

Hope stepped back from the scene, feeling slightly awkward. What was this?

"Brooke? I… What are you doing here?" Raph stammered, completely taken aback by his ex-girlfriend's sudden embrace. He hadn't seen her in almost two years, and now she was here, throwing herself at him again like no time had passed.

She jumped up and down excitedly on her toes and embraced him again. "Never mind me!" She squeaked, making a ringing noise in Hope's ears, "I haven't seen you in so long! I didn't even know you were out!" She let go of him and stepped back, her expression suddenly turning darker. "Why didn't you contact me?"

It started to dawn on Hope who this girl was. She felt her chest tighten, unaware of how Raph would react. Was their relationship going to end before it even really began? Her breathing quickened and she felt her eyes start to sting.

Raph looked past Brooke into Hope's face. She looked like she was going to cry and he started to panic. Of all the days for her to appear, it had to be today? Reaching behind his head, he broke Brooke's hold on his neck.

"I didn't call you because I thought we were done. You didn't return any of the letters I wrote you in the first year, Brooke. What was I supposed to think? I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore."

Brooke looked slightly miffed, but shrugged her petite shoulders. "What can I say? A girl has needs." Her eyes flashed him a seductive look. "We could finish where we left off?" She turned round and raised her eyebrow at Hope. Looking her up and down, disgust showing on her perfectly made up face, "You know, if you're not too busy."

Hope blinked a couple of times, completely paralyzed. This was certainly a situation that she could not work her way out of. All she wanted to do was have the ground swallow her up.

He felt his lip curl at the way that Brooke was propositioning him. Did she really think that they could go back to screwing around the way that they had five years ago? It was almost sad, but then again, she was about as fucked up as he was.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Besides, Hope and I were going somewhere." Raph reached out and took Hope's small hand in his, giving her a light, reassuring squeeze.

They walked away, leaving Raph's forward ex-girlfriend gawping after them. Hope felt her heart swelling with pride in her chest. He could easily have gone back to her. Nothing was stopping him. Hope didn't feel she was especially pretty. Not like Brooke. She had a model's physique, the ideal woman. But he'd chosen Hope.

"Well you handled that brilliantly…" She whispered, gripping his hand tightly.

"Thanks," he said, coloring a little at her praise. "She made the choice easier by thinking I was the same kind of guy I was before I went to Riker's. I forgot that she was such a slut."

Raph brought her fingers up to his lips and kissed her knuckles lightly. "You aren't like that. You respect yourself enough not to throw yourself at any guy that come within a few feet of you. If you were, you would have come home with me that first night when I offered."

Hope blushed scarlet. There was a reason for that, but she wasn't ready to tell him just yet. "Thank you… for not abandoning me…" She croaked out, starting to well up with tears again.

Seeing that she was about to cry again, Raph pulled her into his arms. He could feel her trembling against his plastron. "Never. I will never leave you alone. Not for anything."

Tipping her chin up, he kissed the tears off of her cheeks, slowly working his way down to her mouth. He didn't think that he would ever get tired of the way that she tasted.

"Come on, show me your smile," he coaxed with a soft smile.

"These are happy tears, Raphael." She corrected, breaking into a smile that filled her face. "My life, us, this is just… perfect." She whispered the last word, not wanting to seem too clingy with him.

Curiously about his ex was churning in her mind. It wouldn't go away unless she just asked outright. "I'm sorry if this… um… ruins the moment, but I need to… know…" She looked up at his face as they started walking again, "How… serious were you… with… uh… Brooke…?"

Raph frowned, suddenly unable to meet her eyes. This probably would ruin the moment. Might ruin a lot of them. "She… We weren't planning on getting married or anything. It was… we just…," he stopped, trying to get himself together.

"She wanted to know if… parts of mutant turtles are… bigger than a normal man's. And… I showed her." Shane burned brightly in his face at the admission. "It didn't mean anything with her. It was just sex with us. I… I never loved her."

She knew it would be hard to hear. Her hypothesis was correct. But she was the one to ask and she got her answer. It almost felt like he was convincing her that she meant more to him than Brooke did, and that made her warm a little inside.

"Well sex isn't love, that's for sure." She blurted without thinking. Closing her eyes and sucking her teeth, she wanted to take her words back, but they had already set a course for his ears.

Raph was puzzled at her sentiment. "Why do you say that?" He asked, concerned about the distressed look on her face.

Well now she'd opened up that can of worms. There was no point in hiding it from him now. If they were going to have a proper relationship, she needed to be open and honest with him.

She bit hard on her lip and her body tensed up. "Look. This is going to be… hard for you to hear. Especially since…" she waved her arm behind them to indicate she meant Brooke, "… you've… a lot… with… you know." Her head was spinning. "I've never… been… with anyone." Now that it was out, she started to ramble, "I've never had a relationship. I've been kissed exactly once, and even that was a dare in high school. I got so wrapped up in my work that I didn't have the time, or effort to find anyone. And then when I got to the point where I wanted to, I wanted it to be with someone… who made me feel… well… Like this."

His heart softened as he saw how embarrassed she was admitting this. "I wish I'd waited… For someone like you." Sighing, he rubbed his fingers lightly over the tops of her fingers. "I never thought of sex as love either. Just a way to make me feel good."

He, in turn, bit his lip uncertainly. "So, I won't ever ask you to do something you won't be comfortable with. We will go as fast or as slow as you want."

She was overwhelmed with her feelings for him. He still wasn't running a hundred miles an hour away from her. This was a good sign.

She stopped walking and unclasped their hands. Bringing her arms around his neck, she whispered into his ear, "Thank you. You'll just have to keep me right."

"I think I can do that," he said, hugging her tight. Lifting her up, he spun her around in circles playfully, grinning like a little kid at a toy store.


They spent the rest of their morning playing out Hope's image of their date perfectly. The sun stayed above their heads, warming their skin. They chatted about little things, big things, even a small amount about his anger issues.

Eventually they started to get worn out and found a bench overlooking the river. Hope settled down, spreading her body across the bench and laying her head in his lap. From there she continued their conversation about her research.

"If I do manage to perfect it, do you think many mutants will come forward for it? To become human?" She asked, desperate for an honest answer.

Raph thought about that for a little while. "I think some will want to be human again. Not sure how many. We'll just have to see."

"For the mutants that were not human before, like you, it might mean that they could finally have a family. I haven't ironed out the fine details yet, but it's definitely a possibility." She replied, stroking his hand. It was a well-known fact that the few interspecies couples who had tried to conceive had all failed, and tests proved that it was virtually impossible. "Some mutants have become used to being part of a humanoid community. This might be the breakthrough they need." Hope felt positive about her work. It just needed to be advertised in a positive manner.

Raph hadn't really thought much about having a family of his own before. He just never believed that it would ever happen for him. But then again, he never thought he would find someone that would make him feel like this. He smoothed the hair away from her face, his fingertips lightly grazing her skin. "Yeah, that might be something that interests a lot of mutants. Might even change a lot of opinions."

He decided to ask. It was something that he had wondered for a long time, and now he felt like he needed to know. "Do… you think I should change? When you finish it?"

She was a little taken aback by his question. After all, he'd been a mutant for almost the entirety of his life. It was normal for him. She mulled this over for a long while, staring up at the sky, keeping a tight hold of his hand.

Would she want him to change? She hadn't fallen for a mutant per se. She'd fallen for him in general. It would make no difference to her what he looked like.

"I'm afraid that's not a question I can answer, Raphael. It's your body, it's your life. I don't have any control over that. But I'll tell you this, I'm with you no matter what you decide."

He looked down at her and gave her a half smile. "You know, when you first told me about what you were doing, I was excited. I wondered what it would be like to be a human; what I'd look like, stuff like that. I thought that if you offered it to me, I'd jump at the chance. I don't know, I still might. I just… wanted to know what you thought about it."

"It's a huge decision. You'd get a lot of backlash from the mutant community. Even worse than the abuse I get just for attempting it." She worried about him rushing into something he'd later regret. "Just make sure that whatever you do decide to do, that it's for the right reasons."

He could see her anxiety and wanted to reassure her. "Don't worry. I'll think it over before I actually make any decisions." He didn't care about what other people thought of him deciding to be human. He only cared what she thought.

Hope sighed deeply. "I'm also going to need a test subject eventually. God knows how I'm gonna work that one out. For now though, once I get more of your blood, I can see if it works under the simulations." She sat up and looked at her watch. "I've been away from the lab for over 24 hours. I really should be getting back…" She didn't want to leave him, but there was so much to be done.

"That's okay," he said, rising from the bench. "I gotta get some sleep before work. Can't go to the club with a bad hangover."

Hope almost didn't realize what he was talking about. Then the fiasco of the previous night came flooding back to her. So much had happened since then.

She reached up and gave him one last kiss. "I'll let you go. I need a coffee to get me through the day." She stroked his face with the back of her fingers and smiled. "Call me tomorrow?"

Leaning forward, he kissed her cheek and smiled. "You know I will. Can I get that cup of coffee for you? I could probably use some too. For detox," he said jestingly.

She poked his side playfully. "I never pass up a free coffee!" They walked towards the nearest coffee shop laughing like teenagers. "Now don't try and distract me, mister. You get my coffee, then we both need to go, okay?" She squeezed his arm and winked.

"Distract? Who's distracting? I would never…," he said facetiously as he pushed open the door. It chimed softly, announcing their entrance.

As they entered Hope noticed a few heads bob up to take it in turns to stare at Raphael. "I suppose I'll need to get used to this, huh?" She whispered to him, as the curious people shifted their gazes.

"They can get used to us," he said, leading her up to the counter. "Two coffees. Make 'em hot."

The barista looked nervous and fidgeted. "I'm sorry… we don't serve…mutants. It's company policy."

Hope just about lost her footing. It had been years since the mutant civil rights laws had been passed. How could this still be happening?

"You don't… wow… 'Policy'?!… You can't… that's…" She was at a complete loss of what to say. Now that she was on the receiving end of the speciesism, she could finally understand just how hard it was for them. And now. Now she took it personally.

She didn't want to make a scene. But her blood was boiling in her veins, and she really empathized with Raphael and his brothers.

The barista looked flustered at Hope's outburst. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but that's what I've been told. I can't take his money. If you wanted to pay for the coffee, then that would be fine."

Raph could feel the indignation rising off of Hope in waves. He took her hand. "Forget about it. I'm sure the coffee here is crap anyway."

"It's not about the coffee," she bit out through gritted teeth, tearing her hand from his. It was like all the abuse, all the shit she'd taken from her family, her neighbors, passers-by, had finally come to a head. No matter what she did, it felt like she was in the wrong. When she sympathized with mutants, her family turned on her, voiding her of a home. When she'd tried to help the mutants, she had verbal and physical abuse hurled at her.

And now, she had fallen for a guy. A normal guy, who just so happened to be a turtle. But she was finally happy. He was her missing puzzle piece. Then this girl, just nonchalantly says that she can't take his money? Because he is a mutant? Because he looks different? What kind of crap was that to pull?

She swallowed hard, trying desperately to not blurt everything in her mind out. "Who's in charge…?" She breathed out.

The little barista blanched at the question. "My manager's in the back. I'll get him for you…" She scuttled off and Raph turned to Hope.

"Listen, babe, it's not worth it. I'm fine, really."

She glared at him and snapped, "I just want to know why!" It wasn't like her to get so defensive, but she was at the end of her tether. What excuse could they possibly cook up to not serve an entire species?

The manager appeared after a minute and stepped up to them, wearing a disarming smile that was directed at Hope.

"My apologies, you must have missed the sign that says that we have the right to refuse service by the register." He waved his hand toward the door, indicating the sign. "The president of our chain has expressed the desire that we not serve mutants of any kind. We are within our rights." The smile never wavered, but it looked forced.

Hope could see that it wasn't this guy's fault. Or the barista's. They were just doing their jobs. However the rage was still bubbling up inside her and there was nowhere to release it.

How did she deal with anger before? Had she ever been this angry before?

Yes.

And what did she do then?

Run.

"I can't do this." She whispered at the manager, then turning her eyes to Raph, filled with a medley of emotions, she said to him, "I can't do this…" She pushed past the customers in the line and forced her way out of the door.

And she ran. She ran as fast and as far as she could.

Raph stared after her for a second before he darted after her. She had long legs, and a head start. After about six blocks, he caught up with her and purposefully stepped into her past. She ran into him at full force and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"Hope, please, tell me what's wrong."

She sobbed hysterically into his plastron. "I can't." She kept repeating to him, shaking her head.

There were things she hadn't told him. Things she couldn't tell him. It was all building up again and completely overwhelming her.

She didn't want to talk, so he wasn't going to force her. Something really big was upsetting her, and while he wished that she would trust him to help her, he knew that it was better for him to take a step back. "Come on, I'll take you home."

"O-okay." She croaked, nodding. That was the best place for her to be right now.

They walked in silence. She wished so badly that she could find the courage to tell him. But it was just too hard.

Raph pushed the door open and allowed Hope to enter ahead of him. She'd stopped crying by the time that they had gotten back to the lab, but her face was blotchy and her eyes swollen. He felt absolutely powerless to do anything for her and it was infuriating.

"Can I… do anything for you?" he asked awkwardly, unsure of what he should say.

Hope took a few deep breaths to compose herself. She still felt very shaky, but managed a weak smile. "I'll be okay… thanks." She sat down at her desk and fidgeted with some papers. "I just need a distraction…"

She sighed deeply and looked up at the confused looking turtle. "I'm sorry. You don't need to be burdened with my issues. You can go, if you like."

"No way. Not while you're upset like this," he said stubbornly. "If you need to work, that's great, but I'll be sitting right here." He plopped down on the metal chair by her desk. It buckled under his weight and he tumbled unceremoniously to the floor.

She gawped at him sprawled on the floor for a second, "Wow." Springing into action she knelt down next to him and looked him over. "Are you okay?!" She exclaimed, taking his hand and attempting to heave him up.

"Yeah… Yeah I'm fine," he said, his face flushing brightly. Damn his heavy shell. "But I'm still staying. Even if I have to sit on the floor."

She started to laugh, all her fears and worries suddenly forgotten. Sitting down next to him and bringing her arm around him she kissed his cheek affectionately. "I love you, Raphael." She stated firmly, her heart racing in her chest.

She loved him… That was incredible to him to believe. Yet he did. Reaching up, he brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes and kissed her lips gently. He didn't want to get too carried away. "I love you, too," he said simply.

She swallowed at his reply, a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. Suddenly everything clicked into place, it all just felt right somehow.

She'd never been in love, true, and had nothing to compare it to. But what else could this feeling be? She looked at him, the glint in his eyes that told her she was his and he was hers, and this was it.

Their faces were already so close together so she closed the gap and brought him into a deeply passionate kiss. She kissed him with every fiber of her being, wanting to be as close to him as humanly possible.

Raph's heart raced faster as he raked his fingers through her hair and kissed her back roughly. He reveled in her taste, her smell, the look of hunger in her face. The combination was overwhelming and he could feel himself drowning in the sensation. Moving down, he kissed her neck, nipping lightly at the skin. He thought that maybe he was moving too fast, but the soft sigh that broke from her throat stilled the thought.

Waves of something she had rarely felt before lapped at her lower body. It took her a little bit surprise, but she soon sank in to it.

She was clinging tightly to his arm as their kiss continued, her nails scraping his skin. But it wasn't enough. She needed to be closer.

Moving from the side sitting position, she brought her hands to his shoulders, not breaking from the kiss for a second. She slid her body over him, so that their chests were pressed together and her legs wrapped round his shell. She deepened the kiss further, letting their tongues dance, and wound her fingers in his tail masks.

Every synapse in his brain was on overload. His hands travelled over every curve of her body, lovingly caressing every inch of her. He felt her hands on his shoulders and biceps and wished that she would trace his shell with her fingers.

She let out a gentle moan at his touch, pushing herself against him further. Bringing her hands down to his neck, she delicately stroked it. Pausing for breath, she looked into his eyes and smiled. "This… um.. feels really good." She panted.

"Yeah…" He was so wired that he could hardly put together a coherent sentence. "If… this is too fast… we can stop…" He didn't want to make her uncomfortable, but selfishly wanted to keep going.

A seductive smirk spread across her face as an answer. She slowly, but purposely, let her finger tips flit across his shoulders and onto the join in his shell. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she brought them round to the back of his shell. Now she knew how this action made him feel, she felt obliged to try it out in the correct situation. Her gaze never wavered; she wanted to see his expression when she let her fingers waltz across his shell designs.

Raph's eyes rolled back in his head as waves of ecstasy coursed through his entire body. He released a low churr deep in his throat, mixed with an unrestrained moan. He nuzzled the skin behind her ear as his hands reached up instinctively to her chest, rubbing the buds of her breasts gently in circular motions.

This made Hope go wild with pleasure. She'd never been touched like this before and didn't know how to react. She wanted to think about the whole situation logically, but her brain had completely switched off.

She opened her mouth and let the moans of pleasure escape. Her hips rocked gently against his crotch while her hands kept the brushing motions on his shell going.

His hands now had a mind of their own. Pleasuring her was their number one priority. He grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, temporarily stopping her ministrations to his shell. The bra was gone in an instant, and he stared at her naked torso for a long moment. She really was beautiful. Ducking down, he lavished her breasts with attention, alternately pressing gentle kisses and hot laps with his tongue against the skin.

He was so attentive, it was almost mesmerizing. As this was her very first sexual experience she had it in mind to let him take control. And he sure knew what he was doing.

"Oh Raph…" She breathed, begging him for more.

He heard the earnest pleading in her voice and was more than ready to act on it. Her legs were still wrapped around his shell, so he had no problem carrying her to the mattress in the back room. He lay her down and traced a line of kisses down her body. He unbuttoned her trousers and pulled them down a few inches, sending her a clear message. As she kicked them completely off, he saw she was wearing a black, lacy set of underwear.

He slid the underwear seamlessly down her legs and threw them away. Nuzzling the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, he could smell the intensity of her desire.

Her breathing became shallow and labored as she watched him from above. The sensation of his skin in such a delicate area was making her head spin. The anticipation of wanting him so badly started to gnaw at her, and she lifted his chin with her finger to take one last look at him before he delved down and tainted her innocence.

Raph met her eyes, hazy and filled with lust, for a brief moment before burying his face into her depths. His tongue worked tirelessly, eliciting cries and moans of intense pleasure from Hope. The heady combination of the sight of her sweat sheened body, her potent scent, and the sweet taste of her was enough to nearly send him over the edge.

Her legs twitched uncontrollably every time his rough tongue flicked over her bud. She covered her head with her hands, her mouth still visible, hanging wide open. She couldn't take it much longer, feeling a mound of pleasure slowly forming inside. But she knew she didn't want him to stop. Her hips gently lifted to him, to indicate her building pleasure.

He could tell that she was close, her cries becoming increasingly more intense. He stopped the gentle suction that he had been using on her clit, moving back up over her body. Barely hearing her protests, he allowed his tail to extend to its full length. Raph gently parted her legs, not wanting to hurt her, and entered her with a husky moan.

She cried out with a mixture of pleasure and intense pain. It was possibly the most confusing feeling in the world. She held tight into his hips, not letting him fully penetrate her. Needing control of this moment, her arms slowly rocked him back and forth, getting deeper each time. The concentration on her face showed, but she held her breath in order stop herself screaming the building down.

He paced himself slowly at first, but his control slipped and he began to thrust gradually faster. She felt like heaven around him. He could see that she was holding back, so he leaned down to her, deepening the penetration even more.

"Come on, baby. Scream for me." His movements became more erratic as he felt his completion approaching.

She shoved her fist in her mouth, biting down hard on the skin. Closing her eyes tightly, a few stray tears leaked out. The sensation was just too much and she flung her head back letting out a conflicted cry, unknown to him if it was good or bad.

Her whole body started to convulse and her walls tightened around him, pulsating rhythmically. She felt exhausted, but looking up at his smug face, she knew he wasn't done.

Now that she had exploded around him, it was her turn for fun. She brought her legs up, wrapping around his shell, angling her hips so that he was now fully in her.

The increased pressure of being sheathed combined with the pulsating of her orgasm cause Raph to completely give in to his ecstasy. With one more hard thrust, he came inside of her, quaking violently with a triumphant shout. Completely spent, he slid out of her and rolled to the side to that he wouldn't crush her. She lay there, panting heavily, her eyes bright and her skin flushed pink. Her hair was tangled and thrown out in a wide fan, but Raph was sure she had never looked more radiant than she did now.

"Worth… the wait…" She panted, a wide smile spread across her flushed face. She was absolutely glowing with happiness. She turned on her side, feeling a slight pain in her nether region, and looked him up and down. Suddenly she felt the uncontrollable urge to laugh. It started off as a low chuckle, but soon she was crying with hysterical laughter. It was if the ecstatic feelings were bursting out of her.

If not for the fact that he'd just had sex and was still high off the sensations, he would have been angry that she was laughing. Turning toward her, he brushed her hair off of her face. "What's so funny?"

She only shook her head and laughed harder. "I-don't… I-can't… I'm just- so… happy!" She finally managed to spit out between convulsions.

Taking her in his arms, Raph kissed her temple gently. He could help but smile with her. Truth be told, this was the happiest he had been in a really long time too.

She fit perfectly tucked into his plastron as they lay on the mattress. He nuzzled her hair as he murmured into her ear.

"God, you're amazing."

She wiped her eyes and turned to look at him, still unable to remove her smile. "Well… you're not so bad… yourself."