I Don't Own the TMNT

A/N: Good grief this chapter had its issues! First of all, I had a hell of a time piecing it together. I knew what I wanted to get done in this chapter, but even now I'm not completely satisfied with the flow. Hope it turned out alright. But let me tell you that this chapter was erased not once, but TWICE! First my 2 year old got ahold of my tablet and erased it all. Then my puppy, yes, thats right, my 5 month old PUPPY was sitting on my lap and exited the website. ARGH! Hope, wit all the pitfalls, that this chapter ended up alright!

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That first night I was wonderful. No, wonderful is too small of a word. Maybe totally fantastically radically awesome!

My First kiss.

I could see my family look at me sideways as I hopped into the lair full of intense bubbly energy with happiness that I couldn't contain., It was especially funny when they commented on my lack of mask. To be honest, I found that hilarious. How could I not notice that I didn't have my mask on? It was probably what a human felt like when they forgot their underwear. Without it, well, it just felt...wierd and naked. So why didn't I notice?

Why, because I had her of course!

Nothing could pop this bubble!

My family all had their comments. Leo gave a half hearted attempt to do a mini lecture on staying out so late and forgetting my mask. I think it surprised him when I walked away from him. Honestly, I couldn't seem to see him the same way since the Karai thing. To be honest, I wasn't sure he knew what to do about it all yet. Normally I would've tried to change it, to help him, but I just couldn't seem to get there. Besides, I was just too damned happy to sit through it right now.

Don, however, surprised me. When he called me in his lab, I was expecting something a little on the side of Leo. Instead he gave me a slight smile and handed me the mini specialized EMP. After he told me what it was, I looked at him, shocked. In a wierd way, it was almost like he was once again granting my access to Jack's apartment. "Why did you do this, Don? I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything, but..."

He just looked off in the distance for a moment, from his expression I know he was thinking of April. Then he smiled. "Mike, I regret how I acted towards Jack in the beginning. It wasn't really a judgement on you or on Jack, I want you to know that..."

I smiled in return. "I know, you were just trying to protect me in a way." As much as it ticked me off at the time.

His eyes cleared and he took a deep breath and, avoiding my gaze, turned to his table to rummage through a drawer. "Yeah. But I don't think you need it like I thought. So, you need to get the chance that I never saw, that none of us might see. So here."

That's when he handed me the burner phones. "I cooked these up a couple of days ago. It doesn't matter what the NSA or whatever government entity tries, they won't be able to see or hear anything from these phones"

He not only let me in Jack's apartment, but now I could contact her like I was blocked from doing for almost two months. I stared at them and didn't know what to say. So instead I reached down and pulled him into a big hug. He was startled at first, with Splinter being as fractured as he was for as long as he has been, we had drifted apart little by little. Then I felt something within him break and return the hug, his arms encircling my shoulders.

I closed my eyes. "Thank you, Don. You're one of the best big brothers a turtle could ever ask for."

For one of the first times in a long time, he laughed. "One of the best?"

I laughed back and gave him another hug before he started clearing through a lump in his throat. "Alright, well, I have work to do so uh..." He again looked in te distance, in the past, before looking at me again and giving a wan smile. "Good luck, Mikey, I mean it."

When I passed by Raph, he just looked at me sideways, then punched me in the shoulder gruffly, a grin on his face. "Where's your mask?" His grin hitched up higher. "You did something on your date, didn't you?"

For the briefest second I thought that I might be able to hold it in. Of course, I was completely fooling myself! Nodding enthusiasttically I practically hopped, no, I did hop up and down. "Oh, Raph, it was so wonderful! More than I could have imagined!" I felt the smile split my face as I recalled the kisses under the stars. Intense kisses, ones that I could still feel in my whole body like wonderful electricity! I still felt like sprinting the rooftops, singing it to the heavens. Oh happy happiness!

Then I caught Raph looking at me with an odd look on his face. Clearing his throat, he smiled a slow, gentle smile. "Damn, Mike, look at yourself." I looked a him in surprise as he slowly shook his head. "You're in love with this chick."

It was as if I was dipped in cold water. Water that quickly heated to a boil. Was I? But that thought only made heat pool in certain places and an overwhelming warm, electric happiness engulf me. Love Jack, who for many months I couldn't stop thinking about, who I helped when she was at one of her worst, who has accepted me in ways only a woman can? Who, even now, I wanted to spend every second with her, no matter what we did?

It was as if something clicked in me.

Maybe I was!

It was like the breath had been knocked out of me. Wow! Even thinking it seemed to be something I couldn't imagine. I mean, if this wasn't it, what was it, right? Then, I knew. In mmy gut I knew. I probably knew for a long time, only I couldn't see it. I saw Raph looking at me, arguably my closest brother, who saw this even before I did. With a grin, I hopped over to him and covered him in an enthusiasic hug. He growled like a burly bear, cursed and acted as though he were going to fight me off but didn't really try. Then he twisted me around and put me in a headlock. I acted as though I tried to get out, but didn't really. From that position, he squeezed my shoulders slightly. "Just be careful, bro. I'm here if you need me."

A lump formed in my throat and something burned behind my eyes. Blinking, I burrowed my face in his arm. He squeezed a little bit tighter.

When I tried to go to bed later that night, I just ended up lying in bed awake with a crap ton of excess energy. When I thought of her, with all her gruff crass, potty mouth, sinewy hotness and piercing yet luminous eyes it just made it all worse! When I finally got up to try to expend some of that energy, I found Raph waiting in the dojo. Enthusiastically I joined him in some intense sparring that ended up with both of us sweaty and panting. It morphed into a wrestling session when I took the towel that I wiped myself down with and snapped him in the butt. It was awesome, even if I did get a few extra bruises.

The next day, after making the apple muffins [and leaving some behind for the family of course] I headed out to Jack's with the new electronic toys.

I couldn't have planned a better day. Not only was she happy, she was playful! And where it ended up...well, that was fantastically awesome! Even better, us turtles had a better sense of smell then humans and I could tell right away that her drinking was down. Not only lower than the bad last couple of weeks, but even before that. I hope that I'm having a positive influence on that regard, she was drinking more before we started seeing each other, and for the most part was slowly decreasing. The very thought that I might have something to do with it made me feel warm, fuzzy and protective in all the right ways.

So for the next week, I was on a cloud. She was lightening up, and I found that as I loved her before, when she was more prickly, I didn't love her any more or less now that she was smoothing out and opening up. With the specialized EMP device, I was allowed in her apartment and took full advantage. She seemed to be the most relaxed in there, if she was playful it was there, and it always seemed to end up with us locked together in something hotter than fire.

The fact that she seemed to love going on runs was a lot more awesome than it sounded. It was like our last big date, only more. She would let me hold her in the most trusting way, releasing her arms as we went between rooftops. I had the feeling that she didn't parcel out trust very often. And I was her trustor, her protector. And, of course the fact that we were having hot kissing sessions made her straddling my waist as I ran all the more heated.

The phone was a godsend. I was constantly texting her, wracking my brain to come up with cutesy little poems, putting down anything that might make her smile and voicing my own feelings in a more lighthearted manner. She would respond in gruff, snide remarks and comments that somehow managed to seem playful at the same time. It was awesome.

I was in the middle of thinking up an epic poem when Raph came into my room. Shooting him a grin, I curled my tongue over my lip in concentration. Looking over to him, I asked "What's a good word that rhymes with white?"

Looking amused, he gave a brotherly grin and shrugged. "Fight?"

I shook my head. "Nuh-uh. It needs to be...nicer, more...flattering."

Leaning against my bedroom doorway, he gave a low laugh. "I thought you like how she fought?"

I was about to answer when the phone chimed. A text! Then I saw the message and something in me bottomed out like a chil washing over me. All the joviality of today, hell, of the last few days was threatened. Immediately Raph raised himself from the doorjam. "What is it Mikey?"

Taking a deep breath, I looked at him. "She suggested that maybe I shouldn't come today."

He raised his eyeridges, his expression immediately serious. Protective older brother to the core. "Is something going on?"

I smiled at him, but it was a weak smile and didn't phase him in the slightest. Takng another breath I told myself to calm down. This was normal, after all, normal couples didn't see each other every day like this, right?

But we weren't a normal couple. We never were. We were awesome! And we needed each other!

Frrustrated that I couldn't call her without risking that the bugs would hear, I texted her back. 'What hapened?'

The response was almost immediate. 'Met a new player. He might be following me. Is a monster hunter. Might be surveiling my apartment, might follow me again if I leave.'

I read the response several times, my chest tightening. The way that she referred to this new, person, I got a horrible feeling about him. He followed her? I felt something fierce gripmy and my fists tightened. If some bastard is harrassing Jack...I shook myself and responded. 'It's ok. Will be there.' I snapped the phone closed and looked at Raph as I hopped off the bed and strode over to snatch up my nunchucks. Seeing my urgency he stepped towards me. "A monster hunter has contacted her. I think she's rattled. She thinks he might be watching her. I'm going to surveil the area, see her." Damn that was a lot of territory to surveil, but I couldn't not see her. That wasn't even a possibility. Even through her damned text she sounded scared. That wouldn't do.

Then I felt him next to me, giving me a gruff smile. "Well...I'm bored. And I haven't seen your girlfriend in a while. So let's get going."

I had the best kind of backup. Looking up at him I smiled. And we headed out.

It took us over an hour to properly surveil the area. It was partly because we needed to aquaint ourselves with all the spots where something or someone could possibly be. The search was helped with some gadgets that Don made, specifically one device that detected equipment that included surveilence devices by measuring something to do with the electricity or heat emissions or something.

In any case, I was relieved when we finall felt safe enough to come to her window. She opened it immediately. I was taken aback by the sight of her. It was clear that she had gone running earlier. Her thin shorts were short enough to give her free movement of her legs but also served to make her legs look a mile high. Her shirt, also of a thin, lightweight material, was also snug for the same athletic reason. But they did all different things for me!

And a 4x4 bandage covered the area above her left breast.

What happened?

Before I could move she yanked open the door and stepped aside, her eyes on the wall. I could tell immediately that she was in the middle of an attack, which wasn't surprising considering the situation. Not a disabling one, but not a good one either. In her slightly trembling hand she held a drink. The sight of it made my very heart hurt.

But she was doing so well...

As before I swallowed the words that wanted to come. A confrontation was the last thing that I wanted. So, specialized emp device in hand I came in silently, quickly followed by Raph. If she was upset or surprised at him coming she didn't show it.

That didn't last long.

As soon as he spied the glass in her hand his face went dark, energy building up as quick as a wink. Marching up to her he jabbed a finger at it, his teeth showing. "Are you fucking serious? Someone might be hunting you, hunting my brother and your first reaction is to drink? Make yourself weaker, a damned liability? What the hell are you thinking!" For a moment she just stood there, stock still, as if she was as shocked as I was.

He was one to talk, he has drank the most out of all of us! She wasn't even buzzed yet, so she was only a few drinks in anyway. Damn! Even though I didn't disagree with him, I still stood up, coming over to him, my own anger building. "Raph! That's enough! This isn't what we came for!" I turned to Jack. "Sorry, we-"

"You know what? Fuck you! Who are you to tell me shit!" She yelled at Raph, who was now looming over her. Unfazed she looked up at him, all the muscles of her back taught. Both hands trembled. It almost looked like she was going to go at him. Neither of them heard a word that I said. Fists tightening, I stepped forward.

Raph continued unabated. "Who am I? Damn you, I'm the one who watched my little brother come home every day, exhausted and depressed, because you decided to wallow in your shit for a month! You hurt him, did you know that? You act like your so strong, but you can't do without it, can you? You need that shit!" He snarled, pointing at the drink again.

I paused for a second at his words. They seemed to penetrate deep. Part of me wanted to go at him for how he was treating her, but another aspect... I looked at him but his furious gaze remained fixed on Jack. For that second something kept me rooted to the spot. My fists tightened. I wanted to stop this! So why wasn't I moving!

A muscle in her jaw ticked and her eyes darted to me. I don't know what she expected to see, but whatever it was she saw, it made her face fall. To my astonishment, her lip trembled slightly. Biting it hard enough that it turned red, she kept her eyes fixed on mine. A fierce stubborness cemented itself. "I don't fucking need it!" She hissed out.

Raph crossed his arms, his biceps bulging at the motion. His eyes remained molten. "Prove it!" He spat out.

Shooting him a glare that could kill, she whipped around and hurled the glass into the sink so hard that it shattered, sending splinters of glass across the kitchen. Turning back to him she flipped him off with both fingers before marching into the living room once more, every single muscle rigid.

I swallowed and stepped towards her. She paused for a second, her body still vibrating, her attack escalating. I had to calm her down, I needed to help her. After the briefest hesitation, she stepped to me. Slowly she rested her forehead on my plastron, pressing her balled fists into my abdomen. Saying nothing I put my hands on her back, arms loose. Something told me that with this attack a hug wouldn't be welcome, especially with Raph here. Instead I slowly moved my hands up and down the flat curves of her back, fingertips lightly tracing her spine.

Looking up I saw Raph looking at us, his face impassive, eyes glittering with something that I couldn't name. In truth, I didn't know how to feel. He was my brother, arguably my closest brother. But he upset her, the woman I loved and that alone made me angry, even now, but at the same time...

I shook myself and then took a deep breath, looking down at Jack, struggling to hold it together. To do this, in front of Raph like this...it had to hurt. Slowly my eyes moved up to meet my brother once more. Blinking, he looked down for a moment before rolling his shoulders as though nothing had happened, as if Jack wasn't trembling in front of him. "Mikey, I think I, uh...forgot to check the other block for surveillence. Hold down the fort while I'm gone, don't set the place on fire, K?"

I didn't know what to say. Raph had just done something for me, but I wasn't ready to name it or look at it. Not with Jack like this. So instead I just nodded as he slowly turned around and slipped his massive bulk out of the window with complete silence.

Once he was gone, Jack gave a big shudder and immediately pressed herself to me. Curling my head down I wrapped my arms around her. Tucking her arms in she was silent as I crushed her to me, one hand moving up and down her back.

For what seemed like the longest time we just remained like that. The attack was deep set within her, it wouldn't take something so simple for it to go away.

Especially if she didn't try to drink it away. Her crutch. Would she?

Maybe I could be a crutch for her.

As if she could feel my thoughts she moved from beneath my arms. As soon as I loosened my grip she looked up at me in a way that almost hurt. Swallowing, she spoke in a low, soft voice. "Mike, did I hurt you?" Her very voice trembled.

Damnit Raph! Yet the memories of my going to her, of those many times I helped her through it all when she was too drunk to even be aware. I shook myself of the memory. It didn't matter! "No! Jack, I -"

My eyes must have said something different, beccause she abruptly lowered her head, her eyes squeezed shut. "Fuck! Mike, damnit, I...I'm so-"

I interrupted her with a squeeze of my arm, unable to hear it. I didn't want to do that. I couldn't. Especially not with her in an attack like this. "Don't worry about it you have nothing to be sorry for." Before she could say a word I started again. "How about you tell me what happened?"

She tensed in a way that sent a vein of dread through me. She didn't act like this even with the previous things that had happened. For a bit she didn't say a word, then she finally took a deep breath,. Pulling away, she headed to the kitchen then abruptly paused at the threshold. With a jolt she yanked herself away and instead stalked to the couch. Without a word I followed her, sitting on one end, giving her space to do what she wanted. After the briefest hesitation, she scooted over to me, leaning against my leg. Her hands were fisted on her legs, muscles tight. Slowly I moved my hand up and down her back, rubbing over both shoulders. Her muscles relaxed slightly.

"He said that the NSA isn't going to surveil me anymore. Apparently when I smashed his damned face to the table I made an impression on that fucking agent and he wants nothing more to do with me." Giving her as much time as she needed, I made a mental note to recheck for bugs to check the story. It would be wonderful if that were true, we wouldn't need the emp device and wouldn't have a time limit. But that seemed like the only good news. Something about this guy troubled her, and it made my stomach do cold flips at the thought of it.

"But this guy, this shitface, this monster hunter, he apparently works for someone higher in the governent, someone who doesn't think it should end. He put Shitface in charge of it all."

Despite the language, she was being way too calm when her whole body was as tense as a spring. There was way more to this guy than she was letting on, and it made me nervous. When she didn't offer any new information, I hesitantly pushed her. "Who is this guy?"

For a moment she was silent and I wondered if I pushed too far. Then, suddenly, she seemed to break. In one move she was in my lap, curled over slightly. Immediately I held her close. "Fuck, Mike. I'm so sorry. I got fucking scared. He wants me. The sicko fucking perverted freak actually complained about women being to willing to sleep with him. Said he was excited to see someone who wanted to fight against him! Oh, damn, but I couldn't help it! We were in the street in broad fucking daylight and he keeps touching me and getting so close, I attacked him. Threatened him. Then his damn fucking eyes, he was excited by it! But I can't not fight! I mean I've been through so much shit, been scared before but this is so different, it..."

Abruptly I squeezed my arm tighter around her, cutting her off. I didn't think that I could hear anymore. Just the thought of someone who had touched her, threatened her, wanted to rape her...it was making me see red. I could feel my fists tightening, my jaw clenching...I took a deep breath. Come on, Mikey. She's in an attack, just had that shit with that prick and then with Raph, she needs you to be calm right now. Taking one more deep breath, expelling it through my nostrils, it helped but it didn't go away. I still wanted to find him, beat him to a pulp and squeeze his head like a grape. Flexing my fingers, I shook myself. "What is his name?" I wasn't surprised to find my voice thick with anger.

Shifting, she looked at me, her eyes large against her face. Maybe she saw what I was thinking, but whatever she saw made her smile slightly, a kind of fiendish smile. "Mike Devereaux."

Holy shit you had to be kidding me! Mike? Seriously? As if she could read my face Jack smiled a little bit more, her anxiety loosening more. "I dubbed him Shitface if you prefer that."

I smiled broadly. Yes. That sounded much nicer. It didn't matter either way I was going to look him up when I come back home and, come nighttime, hunting him down.

Though I could still feel a clear undercurrent of tension in her, talking about it seemed to have pacified a bit of it. I wondered if she would've told anyone else about something she was scared about. The thought made me warm inside. And helped me get my mind of the perverted freak, at least for now.

We sat like that for a little while, with her in my lap, me holding her close, fingers tracing her spine in a slow motion. It was a comfortable silence, one that seemed to clear the space of all the seriousness that just barfed in our lives.

She was the first to break the silence. "Why do you like to touch my back like that?"

All thoughts of our prior conversation vanished. I paused immediately, a familiar flutter of nervousness in me. "Uh, you don't like it?"

Her shoulders shook with light laughter. "Fuck no, Mike, it's awesome. I was just...curious."

Hm. I had honestly never thought about it before. My thoughts drifted to my sketchbook back at the Lair, currently filled with drawings of her. Of her willowy body, spined curved gracefully. Of her looking tough as nails, yet smoking hot. I smiled to myself. "Well, I guess that, for a woman, the curve of the spine is so graceful, the shape of the back and waist, beautiful and feminine. It kind of shows her core, the strength of steel in her spine. A fierce feminine kind of strength."

For the longest moment she was completely silent. My mind worked frantically. Aw, hell, did I say something wrong? Say it in the wrong way? Mikey, why would you-

"Damn, Mike." Jack breathed, breaking my thoughts. "Fuck. That...that was...beautiful." Happy warmth blossomed within me. Then I felt her shift in my arms, movng away so that she could look at me. Nervously she bit her lip, then gave an almost shy smile. "Do...you want to see my back tattoo?"

Oh, do I! I still remembered the first day when I came with Raph that I saw the hint of it, it was months ago. Abruptly I realized that I was smiling. Her eyes were on my face, her smile widening. I knew that part of this must be for a distraction, to step away from the previous events of the day but I didn't care. Distractions can be good things.

Slowly, almost coyly, she turned around. With delicate intensity {to me at least!} her fingers hooked on the bottom seam of her shirt and slowly lifted up.

Oh, wow...

The first thing that I saw was her tattoo. It was a massive set of wings, with no color other than the black lines of the drawing, feathers slightly separated in the anime style. They started on the center of her ribcage where her bra encircled her. Then they arched delicately to her shoulders, within inches of the top. Then they sloped down, the lowest feathers coming to the back of her hip, covered in part by the waistband of her shorts. She looked at me over her shoulders, lashes lowered. "I got it after boot camp. The military freed me. Like wings."

I smiled,. Then my gaze went past the tatto to her back. It was just how I had imagined it. Her waist pronounced but not overly so, and the muscles visible. Slowly I reached my hands over, placing them on the warmth of her upper back. She sucked in her breath slightly, but didn't lift a finger to stop me. In fact she leaned back slightly, encouraging.

Emboldened, my heart thudding hard against my plastron, I moved my hands down to her lower back, my thumbs tracing her spine, my hands partly encircling her waist. Her skin was so soft and warm, yet steel underneath. I wondered if she knew how strong she was. Slowly, deliberately, I moved my hands up, feeling the slight bumps of her ribs beneath a layer of muscle. Heart kicking up again, I felt so warm. Almost as warm as her.

My thumbs still on her spine, my fingertips brushed the sides of her breasts through the thin fabric of her sports bra.

She made a soft sound, arching her back. The movement was fascinating. So Graceful and feminine. She raised her arms as my hands trailed higher, allowing my fingers to go across the delicate skin of her underarms. Another soft, feminine sound. One that made my insides clench and the base of my tail get a little tight.

Oh, boy.

As her arms lowered, my hands went to her shoulders. First, I trailed my fingers higher to the warm skin of her neck, encircling, feeling. Her pulse was going crazy and it made me smile and my body heat more. Then I moved to feel the top of her shoulders, fingers trailing to her chest. My fingers brushed against the bandage against her chest.

I had forgotten.

I paused. After a second she turned to face me. My eyes trailed down the length of her, to her waist, with a six pack barely visible through her relaxed skin. The strength of her spine could be seen in her core and it nearly made me squirm. Looking at her face, her eyes were filled with liquid heat amidst a face that was flushed.

So beautiful.

Then my eyes went to that bandage again. Before I could ask about what it was, her hands touched it and amazingly her blush deepened considerably. Despite my state of arousal, my interest peaked.

Giving a small, shy smile, she leaned over and kissed me, long and deep. Wow. that will get your motor running! When we broke the kiss, I could feel the warmth of her breath on my lips. Oh. "It's a new tattoo." She said in a soft voice. The way she said it sent intense heat in my belly, making my knees weak. She looked down at her hands on the bandage, as if torn what to do. "Wasn't planning on showing you yet, don't know if you'll like it..."

Smiling at her hesitancy, wondering what the hell could make her act like this I put my hand on her wrist. With an indrawn breath, my hand on hers, she took it off.

I was dumbfounded.

There, over her left breast, her heart, was the simple shape of an orange turtle, complete with shell markings, about 3 inches in diameter The sight of it made my feelings intensify.

My gaze going to her eyes, I cupped her face and pulled her into a long, slow kiss. She moaned in my mouth. Wrapping my arm around her waist I pulled her to me. She immediately wrapped her arms around me, her fingers trailing my head, my neck, my shell, my shoulders. I groaned, one hand trailing down to cup her. The possessiveness that I already felt seemed to be amplified tenfold. The tattoo seemed to cement things. I loved her with all my heart. She was mine and I was hers. We belonged together. Nothing could separate us. Least of all a monsterous douche bag.

I was going to find him. I was going to catch him. I was going to make him rue the day that he ever dared to touch Jack.

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A/N: What did you think? I know that it wasn't the best that I've ever put out. Really hope I didn't butcher it. It isn't going to be great since my reader base has already dropped but things are going according to plan! In anyways, REALLY looking for your review!

R/L: Be kind, I wasn't sure about saying this. I know a lot of you are probably screaming that I am treating the alcohol aspect too simply. Well, I am but I'm not at the same time. Yes, many struggle hard with it. But others, like me and almost a dozen others that I've known, have a different take. When I started getting treatment for what I was self medicating for, the desire left, leaving only the habit. Habits are easier to break. Not saying that it was easy, it never is.