The fall weather was beginning to turn its head into the city. The sun and air were still warm, but the breezes brought a chill. Shadow and April walked along the busy streets as they shopped, Saturdays where their favorite day of the week. Shay hugged her self as she shivered. Her black sweater and charcoal grey scarf were warm for the most part, but the wind would cut threw her every so often. Her grey knit Ugg boots kept up a pace with April as she led them into a department store. Shadow adjusted her hat as she walked threw the crowds of people, following April to the escalator.
"You hungry?" the red head asked looking over at her.
Shadow nodded in response, "A little."
"Ok, this will be our last stop; I just want to exchange a few things." April said, leading her to the Woman's section. Shadow lifted an eye brow as they entered the Intimates section.
"April, if this isn't a bra or underwear exchange, then it's TMI for me…" Shay giggled as they walked to a counter.
April gave a laugh, nudging the young woman with her shoulder "Stop, its things that I ordered from the catalog that didn't fit."
"Ok, you almost gave me a heart attack…" Shadow said starting to look around the area.
She wondered a few feet away, looking at all the pajamas and camisole sets. Walking around to the other side of a rack, she glanced up, something telling her to look around. Shay noticed a man to her left, looking at her. She pulling on the brim of her knitted hat and put her head back down, "Pervert." she whispered to herself. Thumbing threw some of the underwear sets, she felt a presents behind her, she glanced over her shoulder to nothingness. Breathing to her self, she walked around to another rack, she hiked her purse higher onto her shoulder and moved the bags she was holding into the other hand.
"It's nice to see you out, Ms. Jones." Shadows head shot up to the other side of the rack. Bishamon stood, smiling at her.
Shay gasped. "I ah,"
"Don't go to pieces on me now." he grinned, moving around the rack, staying a few feet from her. She took a step back from him, looking around for April.
"She's still waiting in line, you have time to chat." He moved closer to her.
"What do you want?" Shay asked beginning to walk into an isle, to be in the open. He adjusted his Yankee's baseball cap as he moved onto the tiled floor with her.
"I just want your friends to know, that I don't appreciate them destroying my business, and intruding on my personal property." He stopped in front of her. People were walking through and around them.
"Well they feel threatened. They never knew you existed. Your father is quite a threat, so why wouldn't you be?"
He smiled at her, "A very good point. However, how do they know that I am a threat to you?"
"I was attacked a few months ago Bishamon, we have every reason to think that." Her tone was hushed and guarded.
"Well that attack was no plan of mine." His hazel eyes looked her in the face "My father seems to think that you would hold some value with the turtles. I on the other hand, don't see the point in using anyone for leverage. Either kill them, or let well enough alone." She swallowed as he continued, "But you really have nothing to worry about from me…" he reached up adjusting a piece of her hair. She jerked her head away.
"… it's my father that you should be worried about." He pulled his hand back.
"So is that why you're the one always making contact with me? Because I should think that you're safer?" She asked, crossing her arms, feeling brave.
He looked at her and cocked his head "No… I just enjoy our conversations."
She looked at him, getting an eerie feeling all over.
"As I said, you have nothing to fear from me, for now. Your friends on the other hand, they have every reason to be worried about me…" he grinned at her, then looked up behind her.
"OH…I see Mrs. Jones is looking for you." He began taking a few steps away from her. "You know, you really are a beautiful woman, it would be a loss if my father did get a hold of you…" he smirked at her, turning on his heel and disappeared into the crowd of people. Shadow stood there and shuttered. Looking over her shoulder, she saw April walking over to her.
"What are you doing over here?" she asked as she finished folding the receipt and put in into her purse.
"Hm? OH… nothing. Just waiting." Shadow began walking along with April. For some reason she felt the need to not worry the older woman with what had just happened. Her next thought was should she even tell the turtles. To have them worry about her. If Bishamon was speaking the truth, that he was no threat to her, then again he was the son of their enemy. She had to tell them.
"So where do you have a taste for? Maybe something small?" April asked as they bobbed and weaved through the busy crowds.
"A pretzel." She spoke, almost in a trance. Her mind was elsewhere.
It was later in the evening; Shadows feet padded along the hallway of the apartment and carried her down the stairs. Her jeans shuffled on the tiles in the kitchen as she stopped in front of the stove. April and Casey sat in the living room with the television on, what looked like Sports Center. The front door opened after just a short, small knock as Raphael walked in. She smiled at him, as he moved to put his coat and hat he had been wearing, on the back of a chair.
"Hey bud!" Casey yelled from the reclining couch.
"Sup." Raph nodded at them. April got up to move into the kitchen with Shadow.
"You hungry? We're gonna eat here in a little." she asked gliding over to stir the contents of a pot that was on a front burner.
"Yea, sure. Thanks Ape." He put a hand on his long-time friends shoulder as she smiled at him.
"Ya just come'ta eat my dinner and hang out with my daughter hu?" Casey said teasing the turtle.
"Ya know me to well." Raphael said bounding down the few stairs. Taking his Sai's out of his belt, he placed them on the half wall behind him before he sat.
"You want somethin'ta drink hun?" Shadow asked from in front of the fridge.
"Yeah!" Casey and Raph both answered, then looked at one another; Casey quirked an eye brow at his skull-busting partner in crime.
"You respond ta'that hu?" he asked looking at Raphael who just shrugged. Shadow giggled as she walked down with two beers.
"I have you all trained!" she winked at her dad, giving him the bottle. Turning she looked at Raph who looked up at her with wide eyes. Handing him the drink, she patted him on the shoulder.
April laughed as she set the table "Now only if I could train them!"
They ate the meal, talking about every day things. Casey and Raph came head to head on the Knicks game that had been on the night before. Casey thought they could have played better, Raph stating that the Orlando Magic's were just too good. April rolled her eyes and changed the subject to work, the break-in that happened just down the street, and how it was odd since they were in a better part of town. After the meal, Shadow took plates, placing them in the dishwasher as April scrubbed a few pots, the guys just sitting at the glass top table.
"Donny come up with anything on that kid'ah Saki's yet?" Casey leaned back on his chair, one hand still on his bottle of beer.
Raphael looked at him "He found out his connections. But no personal address, no contact numbers 'cept for work, nothing but that he's good at his job, he know's alotta people and he owns'da company."
"Really?" April asked, turning as she dried a spoon.
Raphael nodded "Yea, seems'da nut case is pretty well'ta do."
"Well who's his contacts?" Casey asked taking a sip from his bottle.
"The Dragon, which we knew, da' Asian mafia, no surprise there, and da' Illuminati…but Donny said it looks like there's been some bad blood there lately. Guess he owes'em money or somethin."
"So he's a con man then?" April asked putting pieces of silverware away.
Raphael shrugged, "Not sure. He's dangerous though. Those groups all together, use'en one another, that's bad shit."
Casey nodded in agreement. Shadow stayed quiet as she wiped off the counter top and placed the towel back on the rack. Her thoughts from earlier in the day played at her conscience. She opened her mouth to bring it up, but stopped as Raphael stood.
"Ya wanna go up top and make a fire?" he asked looking at her, stretching his arms over his head. She nodded.
"See, ya eat, then you steal my daughter." Casey shook his head grinning. Raphael gave a nervous chuckle looking at Shadow.
"Whatever Dad." She turned and walked up the stairs. Stopping at her room, she turned the light on as Raphael walking in behind her, sitting on her bed. She pulled out her knit boots and put them on over her jeans.
Raph studied her. Watching her pull on her shoes, he felt a smile tug at his mouth. Her tiny hands moved up to push her hair over her shoulder. She was something that he had never in a million years expected to find. Lately he was wondering when the dream would end and he would wake up in his room, staring at the ceiling again. He always thought he was the lucky one; not having someone that put all their affections and trust in him like his brothers. That way is something ever happened to him or to them because of the life style that they all lived, he wouldn't carry around the pain, guilt and the burden that the suffering would bring, for the rest of his life. Shadow just kind of happened, unexpectedly. He realized that he had denied it to himself for a while, not wanting to believe that he had these feelings, but after a few close encounters he had had with her leading up to the farm, he just couldn't lie to himself anymore. He was crazy about her, even though he wasn't the type to really show it. She glanced up at him.
"Ready?" she asked as she stood. He nodded at her and pushed himself up off of her bed.
Walking out into the cool air, Raph grabbed the fire pit that was by the door as Shadow unfolded two chairs.
"Won't be able to do this much longer, it's gonna start to get to cold." She remarked as the breezed threw her hair up around her shoulders.
"Yea, only about a month left." He squatted down in front of the pit and played with the fire starter before it finally clicked so he could put it to the edge of a piece of paper. He felt two arms wrap around his shoulders, hands laying on one another gently below his neck. He smiled as he stood; she tightened her grip, her feet coming off the ground. They laughed as he reached behind him, he grabbed onto her thighs so they could spin. He stopped short of the wall, her hair landing around the right side of them, onto his shoulder.
"Raph," she almost whispered "We need to talk." She said, her tone sobering him. He let her slide down his back, turning he looked at her.
"Today, while April and I were shopping… " he leaned on hand on the wall of the roof, waiting for her to continue.
She swallowed, looking at her hands, "I .. Bishamon was there."
His body went ridged; standing taller, his arms at his sides. She put a hand up "Nothing happened."
"But he talked to ya!" his voice raising.
"Raph, he … didn't touch me, nothing. He just told me that I had nothing to fear from him… yet. That you guys should be more worried about yourselves when it came to him." Raphael crossed his arms', he let out an audible breath, looking around the roof and over her head, his gaze coming back to land on hers.
"He said that Shredder is more concerned with me, that I could be used for leverage. I just, don't know what to think." Her fear finally showing itself in her tone "You ran over all those groups that the Foot are associated with, I mean… now I feel like I can't go anywhere and be safe…" she began to ramble. He brought his hands up and put them on her shoulders to steady her.
"Nothin's gonna happen to ya." He brought her face up to look at him. "I'm ain't gonna let nothing happen." He said pulling her to him in a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. Shadow wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her hands on the back of his shell, neither of them coming close to touching the other.
"I know, I just look at everything that's going on around me, and I didn't do anything to cause any of it!" she said pulling back looking at him.
"Shay. You didn't do a thing. Your right, we caused it all, years ago… and it really fuckin sucks that you're thrown into'da mix of it all!" Raphs' tone became heated, but calmed as he looked back at her, his hands still wrapped around her. "But… I ain't gonna let know one touch ya." He repeated himself. She hugged him again, "Ya mean too much ta'me at this point."
She heaved a breath "At this point hu?" she tried to lighten the mood, pulling back her head she looked up at him, their brown eyes met.
"Yea, I didn't really like ya before." He teased, pulling her chin up with a finger, their lips meeting.
"Ahem!"
Raphael and Shadow jumped, their heads shooting over to where the throaty noise had come from.
"Dad!"
"Casey!"
They had both said at the same time, addressing the man that was standing at the top of the stairs; neither of them knowing what to say, or how to react.
"Well this is not what I expected." Casey stood, dumb founded but anger registering all over his face. He took a few steps toward them. Stopping he looked at the fire, then back up at them.
"So what is this?" he asked in a loud tone moving his arms, motioning between the two of them.
Shadow moved a step in front of Raphael. "Dad, we…" Casey held his hand up, quieting her.
"I wanna know what that was!?" he raised his voice, looking at Raphael. April came up the stairs and stopped behind Casey, hearing him yell from inside the apartment.
Raphael looked from Casey to April, then back to Casey. His body was tense, not moving a muscle; he looked Casey right in the eyes.
"I kissed her." He said, he tone strong.
"You kissed her! What… was that the first one?" Casey asked, looking frantic.
Shadow looked over her shoulder at Raphael, who was still staring right at her father. Neither of them spoke. Shadow turned her head back around and looked at April, who stood, mouth open.
"Was it?" Casey demanded, throwing a hand in the air.
Raphael shook his head. "No, it wasn't."
"Just fuckin great!" Casey put his head down, shaking it.
His head shot back up "What… you have feelin's for her?" Casey was yelling at Raphael like Shadow wasn't even in the way, as if the two of them were the only ones on the roof top.
Raphaels teeth clenched, everyone knew you never raised your voice or yelled at the red banded turtle, but this was a situation in which he humbled himself. Casey was his friend, and he had feelings for his friends' daughter. His breathing became deeper, standing he shifted his weight, balling his hands into fists, and then releasing them.
"Yes." was all he replied, never taking his gaze off of Casey.
April let out a small gasp, looking at Shadow, who took a step back towards Raphaels' side.
"You know better than this Raph!" Casey yelled taking a few steps, closing the distance between himself and his old friend.
"What do I know better?" Raph questioned, trying not to sound too harsh in the delicate situation.
"You should just know better!" Casey yelled as he shook his fists. "It's bad enough that we're all associated with each other, but …" Casey paused a moment, breathing hard, finally looking at his daughter. Her eyes were emotionless, standing slightly behind Raphael, his shoulder overlapping hers.
"But." Raphs tone was somber, but stern and tough urging Casey to continue.
"But I thought you would protect her! You most of all!" Casey pointed at him.
"I've always protected'er and I'm goin to!" Raphaels temper was trying to show its ugly head, but he was keeping it under control.
"Well this ain't protecten'er!" Casey yelled, taking a step closer to his friend, pointing at the ground. Raphael narrowed his eyes at him.
"Fallen for Shay ain't protecten'er!" Casey yelled.
Raphael felt Shadow take his hand as she stood off to his side. He threw a quick glance at her.
"I thought ya both were smarter than this! The Foot'n the Dragon… they will eat this up! She's dead Raph! If Saki finds out, she's dead!" Casey screamed the last few words, his emotions taking over, he took the last few steps closing the distance. He was now standing in the turtles face.
"He would do anything to get to you! And that anything is my daughter! That, my friend, is why I feel betrayed!" Raphael never moved his eyes from Casey's. Both of them breathing hard with jaws clenched.
Casey wanted to hit him, but he didn't. Turning he stormed away, walking past April. She stood looking at the two that Casey left standing on the roof. There were no thoughts in her head, nothing to say to add onto Casey's rage, but no soft words of comfort either. Turning, she followed her husband.
Raphael squeezed Shadows hand, and looked at her. She felt his eyes on her and she turned her head to meet his gaze.
"Well that was never the reaction I expected." She spoke quietly.
"Me neither. But I see his point." Raphael let his hand slip from hers. Shadow felt her heart beating in her chest. She watched him take a few steps toward the wall.
"Raph?" she questioned him, her eyes squinting.
Putting a hand up gently to her, he raised his head "I need to think. Weigh… da'situation."
She took a step to him "What… situation?" she whispered, the desperation showed itself in her voice.
He pulled her to him with one arm around her waist. He could see a tear of uncertainty in her eye. He nuzzled her nose with his, "Ours…" letting her go, he dropped down from out of sight, she could hear him land on the fire escape, a gust of wind, and then… nothing. Shadow stood, alone on the roof, arms wrapped around herself.