A/N: Sorry it took so long guys, had writers block, lack of inspiration and a very crazy weekend. People's parents are very crazy...and have the worst timing in the world. Luckily, I have the most understanding and forgiving readers in the world! Love you guys.

Warnings: Rated M for language, adult situations, and possibly other stuff not for the youngin's...

Disclaimer: I do no own the TMNT; they belong to Mirage, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird I believe. I do own the plot, and OC's. Want to use them? Ask!


Music for this chapter:

Only One -- Yellowcard


Chapter 8

What's In a Name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet."

-- William Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

The wind felt very good on Mimi's skin, and the air was fresh compared to the lair's. She put a hand on her swollen stomach and put one on her back which constantly ached. This was to be her last trip up top until the baby was born, she was just too big to go back and forth any more. She had convinced Raph she could walk on the streets by herself, but he insisted he follow her on the rooftops, which meant she had to wait all day for nightfall.

Her gray-blue eyes looked up to the rooftops where she found his familiar silhouette stood on the corner of a neighboring building's rooftop. She smiled softly at him before going into the small liquor store. This one was her favorite in particular simply because it had been there since she was little, and the old place brought back memories. Nothing much had changed except for brands and the things they sold.

The girl smiled to the clerk staring at her stomach with a small smile. She moved over to the cooled beverages and took out a decent sized plastic bottle of apple juice. It'd been part of her very picky diet as of late. She sighed walking to the counter and paying for her beverage. Mimi really didn't expect to run into an old face here but, quickly enough…

"Mimi Jones?"

The pregnant girl turned and at first she really didn't recognize the man standing in front of her. He was older than her, and very handsome, and very familiar. He was tall, and had deep chocolate colored skin, with smiling brown eyes. He had on a very flashy and nice suit, and was standing with two, shorter, older, white haired men. After a moment, Mimi's confused expression turned to a smirk.

"Benjamin Coffin." Her smile widened a bit, "Don't you look all …" She searched for a word, "Fancy…" He chuckled, straightening out his suit with a cocky demeanor.

"Thank you." He turned to the white haired men next to him, "Mimi this is Jonathon Meadows," He nodded to one, "And Rick Strauss, my father-in-law…this is Miranda Jones."

"Nice to meet you." She smiled a little and shook each of their hands.

"We'll meet you in the car, Benjamin." Said Strauss and the two elders left, Benjamin looked to Mimi.

"So, you're pregnant?"

"Nope." Mimi said, "I just ate a balloon." He chuckled,

"You haven't changed much." Benjamin smiled, "Whose the dad?"

"The guy I was all caught up about when I met you." She smiled softly and he nodded his head slowly, "Guess he came 'round after all, eh?"

"Who wouldn't?" Benjamin smiled, "You're a lovely girl." Mimi rolled her eyes.

"So, father-in-law." She smirked, "You married Allison?"

"She came around as well." He smiled back, "We had some good times, Jones."

"Even though I was months away from a legal age…" Mimi teased, "Still haven't told my boyfriend about it…he'd flip his lid."

"You were close enough." He smirked, "And it's not like anyone found out." He hesitated, "Have they?"

"We both needed a friend." Mimi shrugged, "In more than one way…just because you were a little bit older than me…"

"Did you tell anyone?"

"No, Benjamin." She smirked, "If I haven't even told Raph, no one else knows."

"You'll tell him eventually…"

"As soon as he fesses up about the booty calls he had in that year we were apart, yes, I will." Mimi shook her head, "I refuse to believe it was just him and his hand for twelve months."

"Well, congratulations." Ben smiled, "And don't be a stranger."

"Same to you."

The older man walked away and Mimi shook her head. Benjamin Coffin lived on the same floor as her brother and April until he moved in with his girlfriend, Allison. About the time when Leo went to South America and Raph broke up with Mimi, Allison went to Europe with her father for a few months. Benjamin and Mimi had certain relations one night after a bad break down on Mimi's part. Their 'relationship' didn't last long,

Mimi left the liquor store and saluted to Raph still on the corner of the same building rooftop. She walked the short distance back to Casey and April's and after a lot of complaining about her back she made it to the roof top. She looked around for Raph but he was no where to be seen. She opened her apple juice and took a big gulp looking around. She rubbed her stomach a little and turned as a shaky voice said,

"What're you doing here?"

The voice came from a young man, he had to only be in his mid-twenties. He was tall, and looked to be in okay shape. He had a curly mess of brown hair on the top of his head, and big hazel eyes. They were watering. His cheeks were covered with brown hair and his clothes were dirty. Mimi frowned and took another drink of apple juice. He was sitting on the edge of the roof.

"I didn't know there was private party of one up here…" She said blandly, "My bad."

"Just…go away." He said.

"Why?" Mimi said, "Am I interruptin' somethin'?"

"Just leave me alone and get the hell outta here, okay?" He said frantically.

"I actually think I'll stay up here." She replied and moved toward him.

"Move any closer and I'll jump!"

"Go for it." Mimi said not stopping.

He didn't jump.

His eyes watched her as she sat leaned on the roof's ledge and faced the opposite side. He looked at the ground below. Mimi took a big gulp of apple juice and held it out to him. He glanced at it and then shook his head. He hunched over, just looking at the floor. His mind racing with so many thoughts, you could see it in his eyes. Mimi studied him and a frown creased her brow as she did so. She bit her lip a little.

"Why do you wanna jump?" Her voice was void of sarcasm and harshness. It was soft.

"Why do you care?" He snapped.

"I don't know." Mimi replied honestly, "Maybe, I just do."

"That doesn't count for much." He replied. Mimi nodded,

"Okay."

It was silent for a long time. Mimi drank some apple juice, she thought she heard a familiar thud of Raph's footsteps on the roof. They stopped though. She glanced around, but she knew that he had moved out of sight already. The man stared at the far below ground and Mimi focused on something in the distance, going into a trance almost. He rustled a little and she glanced at him to make sure he wasn't pushing himself off the ledge. She relaxed a little as he was still in place.

"I work at a record shop." He said and she looked at him.

"Yeah?" Mimi said, "Did you just feel the need to tell me this before you off yourself?"

"I don't get paid much…but I get by." He said as if she hadn't made a comment, "I've been living with my girlfriend, Ella…"

"Pretty name." Mimi said absently watching him closely, he nodded.

"We met three years ago at a coffee shop…I spilled coffee on her, she was wearing a white jacket…she thought I did it on purpose and beat me up with her purse." He smiled at the memory and Mimi chuckled a little, "After she calmed down I gave her my jacket and took hers even though it was too small and it was snowing out…she thought I was sweet and we went on our first date the next week."

"That's sweet." Mimi nodded.

"I've been cheating on her for three months." His voice was hoarse and his eyes had tears in them. Mimi's demeanor hardened.

"Why?" Her voice was cold and he looked at her.

"You've been cheated on…" He said, "By who?" Mimi was silent for a very long time and finally found her lips and voice working when she said,

"I was livin' with a guy a long time ago and…before he betrayed me and got me kidnapped…he told me he'd been sleepin' 'round for a long while." Her voice shook a little.

"Was it really that bad for you?" He asked, his voice breaking more and more.

"I have trust issues as it is…" Mimi said, "And I took a lot of time to let him in…but I guess it wasn't worth it…" She shook her head, "You never answered my question." She looked at him, "Why did you do it?"

"I don't know." He said, "We've been getting into fights about everything, she goes to stay with her ex every other week after a big fight and I got really drunk and met this girl at some bar…" He clenched his eyes shut and a few tears escaped his eyes, "She reminds me of Ella…"

"But she's not her." Mimi said harshly.

"I know." He said, his voice strained, "She's the best thing that ever happened to me…and I've done the unspeakable to her…" His voice was barely above a whisper, "I don't deserve to hurt her anymore."

"You're hurtin' her more by jumpin' off this building'…" Mimi said, "Whad'ya thinks gonna hurt more? The fact her boyfriends cheatin' on her or the fact that her boyfriends dead and killed himself because he was so damn guilty about cheatin' on her."

"She left." He said, "She's gone. I came home and all her stuff was out of the apartment."

"So, you're gonna jump…" Mimi said, "You're goin' to leap off this what? Six-story building'? Just leave her behind because you feel bad?"

"Are you saying I'm selfish?"

"Looks like it to me." Mimi shrugged, taking some apple juice, "You cheat on your girl because you're havin' issues with her at home, you don't even try to get her to come back to you, and now you wanna jump off a building'' because you can't take the guilt." She shook her head, "Petty and selfish."

"She left me all alone!" He yelled, "I loved her with all my heart, and it feels like she ripped it in two!"

"How do you think she feels?" Mimi's voice was soft again, and her eyes held sympathy, "Take it from me," She said, "What your feelin' is nothing' like she is right now…She should be the one wantin' to jump of a building' not you…."

"What do you want me to do?" He yelled again, "She's gone! And she won't come back! I wouldn't come back either!" He choked on a sob, "What am I supposed to do?" He whispered.

Mimi looked up at the unclear sky, and she kept silent. The man's breathing was still labored and shaky as he cried. His eyes were still on her, like she held the answer to the Universe Itself. Mimi simply put her hands on her stomach and looked down at her protruding stomach. She looked over to the man she did not know and smiled softly, he straightened up a little and sniffed.

"You go to her." Mimi said, "And you win her back."

"How?"

"You're truly sorry." Mimi said, "You're about to throw yourself off a building for her…and if that ain't bein' truly guilty I don't know what the hell is." She smiled, "If you really love her as much as you say you do you'll get offa this roof and go get her."

"How do you know it'll work?"

"I don't." She said and he seemed disappointed with this answer, "Hey," She lifted his chin up, "Things happen for a reason." She said, "You know a while ago I was 'bout to throw myself offa this same buildin over some guy…" She said, "Every day I would think 'bout doin' it…but every day somethin' told me not to…somethin' told me that things would get better…."

"Did you listen?"

"Only enough to not jump." She said, "And the one day I was seriously considerin' it…someone came to my rescue." Mimi looked at him with a smile, "He caught me before I fell." The man was listening intently now, "He proved to me that if love is strong enough…it can conquer anything'…" He looked away, "If you and Ella love each other as much as I think you do…you two can work around this…it's gonna take a while, and for a while it might suck…but, this is where you have to ask yourself…is it worth goin' through the guilt and the pain to be with the person you say you love with your whole heart?"

It was silent for a very long time. Mimi felt the baby kick a little and rubbed her stomach a bit, she heard Raph's breathing not too far off. The man didn't move, his mind was working over time again. Mimi hoped to God this was working. It felt like hours passed in the silence, and the baby was kicking like mad. Mimi bit her lip a little out of nervousness. The man looked up a little, and opened his mouth like he was going to speak. He closed it again, and then he finally spoke after a moment.

"The guy who saved you…" He began, "Was it the guy who cheated on you?"
"No." Mimi laughed softly, "No, he's gone for good." She said, "The guy who saved me is this little guy's daddy." She rubbed her stomach, "We hit a rough patch, and it was him who left."

"But he came back to you."

"Because that's how it was supposed to be." Mimi said.

The man turned around, still sitting on the ledge though. He jumped onto the roof and leaned against the wall like Mimi. Tears streaked down his face and his lips trembled a little and Mimi grabbed his hand. She put it on her stomach so he could feel it kick, he didn't feel anything at first, but when he did he looked at her. She smiled at him before saying,

"You feel that?" She smiled, and he nodded, "That's a new beginning'. And I've found that new beginning's and second chances…they don't happen with just one person…"

"Thank you…" He said with smile through his tears, he rubbed her stomach a little, "The both of you."

"What's your name?"

"Blakely." He said, "Who are you?"

"I'm Mimi." She smiled, "I think that you need to go find Ella, and you need to tell her that you can't live without her."

"And if she doesn't listen?"

"Don't give up." Mimi said, "It'll all get better in time."

Blakely considered this for a very long time. He felt the baby kick once more and met Mimi's gaze. He smiled a little and wiped his face, Mimi winked a little. The taller man leant over and kissed her cheek, she took in a breath and hoped Raph wasn't feeling particularly possessive on this night. There was no sound or signal that Raph was going to attack so she just smiled.

"Get outta here."

He nodded and took off for the roof access door. He was gone and she was rubbing her stomach again. She turned around and nearly bumped into the tall emerald skinned terrapin. Raph had his arms crossed over his chest and one of his eye ridges raised with no other expression. She smiled at him and winked, before biting her lip. He smirked as he kissed her head.

"Well that was the sappiest shit I seen since Lifetime…" Raph said and she glared playfully punching his arm.

"I just saved a life," Mimi said, "Sappy or not."

"I could'a just yanked him off the ledge and tied 'im to the fire escape…" Raph said, "He doesn't die and no one has to talk about their feelin's…"

"You're sucha jerk." She rolled her eyes.

"Took ya' long 'nough to figure that one out." He said and grabbed her waist pulling her to him so her back pressed against his plastron. "Ya' did good, Kitten." He said quietly and she smiled a little.

"I think I know what I wanna name the kid…" Mimi said.

"Raph Jr.?" He asked.

"You wish."

"What then?"

"Blake…"

Raph was quiet for a while, as if he was running the idea through his head. The subject of the baby's name had been a very important subject to everyone in the family lately, and Mimi had been trying to find one she liked and Raph liked for the longest time. Neither of them just wanted it to be a name, it had to be special. Raph rubbed Mimi's stomach for a moment, kissed the top of her head and said,

"I like it."

A/N: Sorry it's short!

-- Whispered Lies