Hey guys, sorry it's a bit later than expected. I've just gotten involved in a new relationship and job (go figure) but here it is and I'm working on finishing this, hopefully to your satisfaction :)
Enjoy :)
Chapter 9
Raph growled as he paced the rooftop. Leo and Mikey were following with Don to make sure he didn't strain and reopen his injuries. Raph had been sent on ahead to check in with Raine and Sara that it was okay for them to leave Don there again while the other three did a training run/Ghost search.
Except Raphael hadn't left their rooftop yet, he hadn't even peeked to see if they were home. Something had affected him after they visited the lair and had worsened during the fight with the Purple Dragons. He hadn't been able to get the image of Raine trapped in the alley from his mind, with it came dreams of her that played along the line of erotic. Definitely things he shouldn't be dreaming of yet they came night after night for almost two weeks now. It didn't help that they seemed to spend quite a bit of time with the sisters.
Raph had actually started to feign injuries just to avoid her and what she did to him. To his frustration it didn't help.
Chiding himself as a coward, Raphael dropped down to the sister's apartment fire-escape. He could see them curled up on the couch together and suddenly wished he could be a part of that warm, happy picture. The desire concerned him.
Raph knocked on the window, Raine looked up and smiled. He felt his stomach drop.
Raine lifted the window high. "Hi Raphael, come inside."
The desire to do so was great. "I can't. I just came to say Don might need to cut tonight's training short and stay here." He said quickly, feeling strangely unlike himself.
Raine raised an eyebrow. "You came to tell us that we might have to look after Don for you again?
Raph shrugged, trying to regain his composure. "Ask, whatever. If he can't keep up that is."
Raine nodded slowly and climbed out onto the escape with him, closing the window behind her. "We'd be happy to keep Donny company." Raph's stomach plunged further when she added. "But only if you stay for a while."
Raph looked at her sceptically even as he wanted to say yes. "Don's not that bad. I'd think about it if it was Mikey."
Raine grabbed his arm. "Please….What if something happens?"
He laughed. "Don knows more than I do, he'll be able to take care of it."
She nodded and looked away. "Okay. Please don't be too long though, I'll order pizza."
Raph looked at her, she was practically radiating unease. "Is somethin' wrong?"
Raine shrugged. "I have this feeling that things are about to get really bad."
Raph frowned. "You'll be safe. I promise."
She scowled and placed her hands on his chest. "Don was injured fighting an assassin. An assassin that's gunning for your family. What makes you think it won't come back for him, or attack you?"
"I'm not scared of any Ghost, assassin or not."
She sighed. "Just be careful, please. I don't want you to get hurt."
Raph's eyes looked into hers and he saw a storm in them. He reached out and cupped her cheek. Her eyes widened but before he could say anything Leo dropped down next to them. Raph's hand immediately returned to his side and Raine turned away from them both. Raph felt the change dramatically.
Leo looked between them. "Is something wrong?"
Raine turned back, wiping at her eye. "No, just got a bit of dirt in my eye." She smiled and Raph felt his heart contract. "Sara and I would be glad to look after Donatello if he needs rest."
Leonardo nodded. "Thank you, he's still a bit off balance."
"No problem." She replied.
Not entirely sure what he was feeling and unable to properly deal with it in that moment, Raph ducked away and climbed up to where his other brothers were waiting.
Leo tried not to stare as Raine watched Raph's escape. What Don and Mikey suspected was obviously true. Leo had noticed a difference in Raphael. He was more surly than normal when it came to going topside. Merely mentioning the sisters would get him snarling. Mikey had once said something about Raine and Raph had almost put him through the wall. It had taken both Don and Leo to pull their furious brother away.
His attention and control during training was noticeably lacking as well, earning him plenty of new injuries. Leo was almost afraid to spar with Raph these days in case he accidentally killed him. Leonardo had been about to confront Raphael when Mike and Don had come to him with their suspicions about Raine. Given what he'd just seen, Leo was inclined to agree.
"How's your arm?"
"Mending. It still hurts but I'm a quick healer."
He paused before asking. "Raine, are you okay?"
She blinked. "Yeah, fine."
He nodded, not quite sure of what to say or if he should say anything at all. "It's just, since the fight with the Purple Dragons you've seemed different."
She shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you Leonardo, except that I'm fine."
Leo hesitated, wanting to do something to fix the imbalance in his family but not knowing how. In the end, he moved forward and helped Raine climb the fire-escape.
"Do they mind?" Donatello asked. Raph shook his head and Don relaxed.
"Hello, boys. It's good to see you out and about without the crutch, Don."
He smiled. "It's good to stand on my own."
"How's the leg coming?"
He shifted his weight and grimaced. "It still hurts but I have to exercise it."
Raine nodded. "I agree but I saw that wince. I still have that equipment inside, you can exercise it without pulling your stitches. And you shouldn't be using that hand at all."
Leo smiled. "Thank you, Raine. That might be good for you Don."
Raine beamed and held out her hand to Donatello. "How long will you guys be out for tonight?"
"We're looking for Ghost, so however long that takes."
A concerned look passed over her face. "Is that a good idea? She roughed up Don pretty bad, should you be looking for her?"
Don grinned. "I've told them that."
"I doubt she'd be out tonight anyway. It looks like it'll rain." Raine pointed up at the dark sky.
"We still have to try. She's dangerous." Leonardo replied.
"Obviously…Well, if you're quick I may have some pizza left over." She took Don by the hand and went back to her apartment.
Mikey bounced on his toes. "Pizza! Dudes, we don't need to be searching for Ghost. She'll find us. Don said so. Let's go inside and eat."
Leo sighed. "Michelangelo, we've been through this. We have a duty to make sure that the city is safe."
Mikey dropped his head. "Fine, but can we finish early and come back for pizza?"
"Possibly." Leo said with a slight smile.
Raph didn't feel like smiling as they leapt off the rooftop. It burned a spot in his heart to see Don take Raine's hand so easily. He knew he shouldn't be jealous but the feeling couldn't be helped. He was jealous of his brother,
Raine led Donatello into the living room. It was a lot warmer than outside and she snuggled into herself.
Don settled himself on the couch and Sara hovered over him. Raine went into the kitchen and dug out another glass. She paused for a moment before pulling out extra for the turtles when they got back.
"Hey, Sara. Give Benie's a call. Order extra."
"The usual?" Sara called back.
Raine replied affirmatively and heard the phone start to dial. Donatello limped into the kitchen.
"We'll have to start paying for some of this." He smiled. "Thank you."
Raine shrugged. "No stress, sweetie. Sara and I like having you guys around."
Don nodded and took the drink she offered. His wincing was minor.
"Any clue as to Ghost's real identity?" She sipped her drink.
"Nope. She's very mysterious. We're not even sure who hired her yet."
"Surely you don't have that many enemies."
Don shrugged. "We have a few."
"Which ones would be able to afford hiring an assassin?"
Before he got a chance to reply, Sara bounded into the room. "Pizza will be here in twenty."
"I don't think Leo will call off the hunt that soon." Don replied.
"Well then, we'll just have to keep it warm for them." Raine smiled and looked out the window.
Over an hour later Raph returned to the roof of Raine's building. It would be closer to say that he jumped and skidded across the rain-slick cement. Leo and Mikey's landing wasn't any better. Mikey picked himself up off the ground and adjusted his bandana.
"Do you think they still have pizza?"
Leo sighed. "Is that all you've been thinking about? We found no sign of Ghost."
"I didn't think we would." Mikey shrugged.
Raphael glared at his brothers. Couldn't they argue later? Right now all he wanted to do was collect Don and go home. Turning his back on them he slipped down to Raine and Sara's apartment and peeked in.
Don sat with Sara on the couch, plate on his lap. Sara was talking animatedly, using her hands a lot.
Raph scanned the room. Where was Raine? He could see into the kitchen and the bathroom was dark. He shifted across the side of the building, far enough that he could see part way into Raine's bedroom.
A shadow moved across the wall. It bent and straightened. A section separated and flew across the room. A hot flush spread up his neck as realization hit. She was getting undressed.
He quickly climbed back to the roof to see Leo and Mikey, heads close together, still talking. It was unlike Mike to hold onto something for this long, especially against Leo.
Thanking the cooling rain for getting rid of the heat in his face, Raph called out to them. "Can you two do this inside? If you hadn't noticed, it's still raining."
Leo frowned but nodded. The look he threw Michelangelo told Raph that the argument wasn't over. Mikey looked up and blinked as though he'd just noticed the rain. Raph shook his head and scaled down the ladder again. Pausing momentarily to gain some composure before knocking on the window.
Sara rushed to let them in. "Oh my god, you're soaked. Wait here." She disappeared.
Donatello looked up from the couch. "How was it?"
"Pointless." Raph growled.
Leo tried to keep the water from dripping onto the carpet. "We couldn't find her or any clue of where her nest is."
"Are you surprised?" Raine asked as she exited her bathroom towelling her hair dry. "Even assassins take nights like this off." She looked down at their feet and threw her towel at them. "You're soaking my carpet."
Raph caught the towel as Sara came back with a stack of her own. "Come on clean up and you can eat."
He wiped at his face and tried not to inhale too deeply. The towel still smelled like her.
Mikey pushed past him from behind to get to the towel and Raph wiped at his arms and chest. His brothers moved further into the room and Raph made himself comfortable near the window, leaning against a table. Mikey made the rounds with the cooling pizza, chatting away with Sara and Raine. Raph tried to play it cool but continuously found his eyes sliding towards Raine, watching her. His skin tightened when she smiled in his direction.
Eventually the turtles decided to leave. Don levered himself up using the couch and stretched out his leg. Leo opened the window and Mikey disappeared through it after giving them a jaunty wave. Don and Raph were close behind him.
"Thank you again. We'll see you soon."
Raine and Sara nodded and waved goodbye.
"That was fun." Sara said as she pulled the window shut.
"Yep." Raine replied.
"Don's feeling better."
"Yep."
"Mike's a blast."
"Yep"
"I have tentacles."
"Ok."
"Optimus Prime came into my room last night and raped me."
""That's nice."
Sara sighed and pushed her shoulder. "Raine. Wake up!"
"Huh? What?"
"Where are you?"
"Sorry. I was thinking."
"I noticed. What were you thinking about?"
Raine grimaced. "Nothing good."
Sara poked her in the side. "Come on Raine, you've been acting weird for a while now. What is it?"
She shrugged. "Nothing. I've just got a serious deadline at work."
Sara hugged her. "Well, don't stress over it."
Raine smiled and hugged her back, wishing she had the optimism for her younger sister.
Please review, I'll love you :)
Tammycat
