A/N:Another huge thanks to Mikell and Harm for helping me with this chapter! Diva-danielle, this posting is for you, Hun :D Thanks for kicking my butt into hyper drive. I probably would have sat on this chapter for days. Snow246. I am so glad you are hanging in there. I apologize for all the drama that has occurred so far. The guys do go through a lot more before this story is done. But no worries! I am amongst the authors that believe in happy endings, no matter how rough the journey is. Tako-thank you so much for the wonderful review:D I love hearing my readers thoughts on how the story is developing! I am always open for critics and ideas. That goes for everybody. Please, don't be shy. I don't bite. LOL

Okay... read on and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT

Betrayed Secrets~Chapter 10

Tristan greeted Ava the next day with excitement written all over his face.

Guess what?"he asked, as he followed her.

"What's up?" she asked, offering a friendly smile.

"I just got promoted!"

Ava stopped in her tracks and looked at him. "Promoted?" she echoed. She forced a happy tone into her voice and added, "That's…great." Dang... So I guess we are done working together, she sadly thought to herself.. He was nice to her. Someone she could talk to, laugh with and just be herself around. She hadn't found anyone like that before other than the turtles. Oh well... Did I actually think it would last?

"I know. This is so awesome."

"I'm happy for you. I really am," she lied. She tried to push past him to get to the locker room. He blocked her path. He smiled down at her as if he had more to tell. She tried to step around him, but he just leaned in time to stop her.

"I've got to get changed. There is chores to be done," she told him. "The elephants need me."

"No they don't. I need you."

Ava's eyes snapped up to meet his hazel ones. "What?"

Immediately Tristan blushed and he nervously ran his hand through his long hair.

"I mean...." he continued. "I need your assistance. You are being posted with me."

Ava blinked. "I am?"

"Yes," the boy confirmed. He collected his composure and shoved his hands into the pockets of his tan pants. "Of course! I think we make a dynamic duo," he told her flashing his huge grin. "Besides. It would really suck to have to start getting to know another employee all over." He winked.

Ava looked away shyly. She tucked a piece of her strawberry blond hair behind her hair as she began to fidget. So that is it. Well of course, silly, she argued with herself. Why would a guy like Tristan be interested in a boring girl like me?

"Well. Hurry up. Put your things away and let's get going."

"Go where?" she asked. "Where are you promoted to?"

"It's a surprise!"

She frowned. "But the elephants..."

"Don't worry about them. Mr. Lambardi has that all taken care of."

"Okay. Just wait a sec. I won't be long," she promised, and quickly slipped into the locker room. She changed out of her red hoodie and tucked her belongings into her locker. After doing a hasty mirror check, she joined Tristan and followed him as he led her away from the elephant paddock and through the main building. The more they walked, the more she started to get a twisted feeling in her stomach. The hallway was familiar. It was the same way she had gone to trail Scott yesterday. When Tristan finally came to a halt in front of the big metal door, Ava felt her heart swell and her breath crimp in her throat. She backed away as Tristan lowered his hand to the door knob.

"Wait until you see this!" he told her.

"Is this where you have been transferred to?" She no longer considered this a promotion. It was more like a death sentence.

"Yes! This is the coolest job ever." He relaxed his arm momentarily. "But you have to promise that what you see beyond this door remains a secret. Mr. Lombardi does not want anybody to know just yet."

Ava nodded numbly. How could Victor do this to her? She had specifically requested not to have anything to do with the turtles face to face. She couldn't be around them. Not with her conscience eating away at her like it was.

"Well? Isn't he something?" Tristan gasped, as he stepped into the room. Ava took an uneven breath as she raised her gaze to the cage. In the darkness of the corner, Raphael sat, slumped against the wall. His eyes snapped towards them and almost appeared to glow viciously from the shadows. She heard him mutter something under his breath. "This is the boss' great secret. I am so proud to be a part of it. It's pure luck that Mr. Crossman was reassigned to the other three." His eyes bulged wide as he gripped her arm dramatically. "Can you believe it? There are three others! Four all together!"

"He's a real genius isn't he?" Raphael muttered. Tristan's jaw fell slack as he stared into the cage.

"It... it... can..."

"Speak. Yeah. Fascinating."

"The boss never told me," he stammered.

Raphael then turned his attention to Ava. "Huh? You're back?"

Ava hugged her arms around her nervously. She just nodded. Tristan spun in her direction.

"Back? You were here before?" he asked.

"Yes... yesterday," she admitted.

"What? Why?" Tristan was confused. "I thought only assigned personnel were allowed here."

"They are," Ava replied. "I followed Mr. Crossman here yesterday and..."

"Wait a minute!" Raphael rudely interrupted. "Why are you here?"

"I'm Tristan," the boy replied, feeling more than moderately foolish for having to introduce himself to a turtle. Yet he felt it the appropriate thing to do. "This is Ava. We are here to look after you."

"You?" he snorted. He stood up and walked closer to them and gave them each the traditional Raphael death glare. To Ava, he said, "You know you can never redeem yourself."

"Raph... this wasn't my idea," she blurted out. She clenched her hands into tiny balled fists at her sides as her frustration started to peck away at her inside.

"How am I supposed to believe you?" he boomed. His voice ricocheted off the walls. Ava recoiled.

"What a minute!" Tristan broke in. "It sounds like you know this turtle."

Ava's hesitance to answer was all that he needed to know that something was amiss.

Raph huffed. "I really wouldn't trust anything that came out of her mouth," he snapped, sarcastically.

"What do you mean?" Tristan's head bounced back and forth like a tennis ball. He looked at Raphael, then to Ava with the same silly blank expression on his face. "Ava? What is going on?"

"Tristan. The turtles are my friends," Ava finally explained. She held her head between her two hands as if trying to still a headache.

"They are your what?" He stepped in front of her. "You mean to tell me you knew about them?"

Ava nodded. "Yes. I have."

"And you never told anyone?"

"Best kept secret in New York."

"Not any more," Raphael growled.

"So how did the boss get his hands on them?" Tristan asked.

Ava froze and refused to look into his waiting eyes. She wished she hadn't agreed to come with him.

"Go ahead, Ava. Tell him that you sold us out. Tell him what kind of a friend you really are."

Ava's chest started to heave up and down as she gasped for air. She felt like she was drowning and when she opened her eyes, everything was a blur. Although she knew he had a good reason to be angry, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop it, Raphael! Just stop it!" she cried out. "I told you I was sorry. I explained to you why I did what I did!" She stomped up to his cage and stared him right in the face.

"Your tears don't work with me," he answered coolly.

Ava wanted to yell at him some more. She wanted to beg him to stop dragging it on. She already had to live with the guilt. That was enough torture to last ten lifetimes.

"I hate you for doing this," she sobbed.

Raph shrugged. "Whatever."

"I can't do this!" she cried out, as she ran out of the room. Tristan looked at Raphael with new understanding.

"Did you figure it out yet, kid?"

He nodded. He knew there would be a large purse for a talking, bipedal terrapin.

"You guys should not be here."

"Tell me about it." Raphael shook his head and went back to his corner, abruptly ending their conversation.

Tristan took the hint and went to find Ava.

With his long stride, he easily caught up to her. She walked at a hurried pace, her arms pumped as if the momentum would give her more acceleration. He reached out, grabbed her upper arm and brought her to an abrupt halt. She spun around and glared up at him.

"We have to talk." He spoke firmly but gently. His eyes darted back and forth as he tried to read her face.

"Tristan, please," she begged.

"No. I want to know," he pressed. "What are they? Who are they? How do you know them?" He frowned.

Ava struggled trying to release her arm from his grip. She decided against using her training to attack his pressure points. She finally went limp and surrendered.

"Fine. If you must know," she sighed. The cat was out of the bag.

"Let's go somewhere we can talk in private," she whispered. "Not here."

"Hmmm... Let's go to the kitchen. The animals all had their morning feed so there should be no one there. Maybe we can get something he likes to eat."

"Just run down to Mario's. Buy him a pizza. Happy turtle," she joked as they turned left and headed down another corridor.

"Pizza?" he echoed. "He likes pizza?"

"Doesn't everybody? And soda. And nachos. And hamburgers." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Need I go on?

"No... I think I got the idea," he told her. "So pretty much human food?"

"You got it. You want to see him mad? Just take him in those pellets and bananas."

"Gotcha. No ordinary turtle food."

"Trust me. They are far from ordinary,"

Tristan opened the door to the kitchen and held it for her. Ava walked in quickly. When they were alone, Tristan lifted himself up onto a table top and sat. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Spill. It's story time."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "You mean you haven't heard the urban legend of the mutant ninja turtles?"

He shook his head. "No."

"What rock do you live under?" Her joke was rewarded by his frown. She gave him a brief summary of the their origin.

"Wow," he breathed when she was done. "Amazing."

Ava nodded. "I know. They are. And that is why they have lived in fear all these years of being captured or placed under some mad scientist's microscope." She lowered her eyes and sighed sadly. "That is why they don't like human contact. They are very selective who they become friends with."

"They trusted you," he stated.

"I had kept their secret all that time until now." She looked up at him with haunted eyes.

"That's how you got the operation money."

"Yes," she sighed sadly. "I had no choice. It was the quickest way. Mom was dying. I couldn't stand by and let her." Her face crumpled with anger. "He promised they would have the best of everything," she growled, her words bitter. "They would be treated like kings," she quoted. She leaned against the table next to him. "I was an idiot. Why couldn't I see that he was a liar? "

"Because you love your mother," Tristan answered, simply. "And you honestly thought that the... guys... would be well taken care of."

"Stupid huh?" she growled "Now, thanks to me they are trapped here, and locked in cages. Raphael is separated from his family. That was not part of the deal." She bit her lip. "Why couldn't I see that Mr. Lombardi is just a mean and vicious--"

"Because you are trusting," he told her. "He is cunning when it is comes to getting what he wants."

"Now he has them . I fear for them. They don't deserve to be in cages sleeping on cold floors with thin blankets. They deserve better than dog food bowls. They need to live their lives." She stopped as her heart ached. "They need to be with their father and be the happy family once more. I just wish I could make this right for them."

"Talk to them."

"Yeah right. I can't even face them. Besides, I don't even know where they are."

Tristan smiled. "I do. I will take you to the others." Ava didn't feel any better.

"But in the mean time, can you show me how to get along with... Raphael?"

Ava nodded. "You got your hands full," she warned him.

"Well... I just want to be his friend."

Ava snorted. "Good luck with that. Especially after what Mr. Crossman put him through."

"Well, it doesn't seem right to train something that is so human. It feels like slavery or something." He slipped his hand over hers and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "It is up to us to help them, right?"

She looked up at him. "Us?"

He shrugged casually. "Yes. Us. I don't want to see them hurt any more than you do."

Ava smiled warmly at him. "Thank you," she told him.

Tristan hopped off the table and wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. For once, Ava saw a slight ray of hope shine through the gray clouds.

She vowed that she would make things right again.