Even as quietly as his father slipped into the tent, he still woke the drowsing Ty. He opened his tired eyes and raised them to his father, even as he started to get up from where he was sitting.

"No Ty, don't." Leonardo told his son in a quiet voice. "You don't have to get up." He instead knelt down on one knee next to Ty, whose hand reached out for Cindy's again. "How is she?" he asked as he rested an elbow on his knee.

"She's been out since I gave her Uncle Donnie's medicine."

The elder turtle just nodded, then reached out and tucked the bag around her where it had slipped a bit. Ty gave him an amused look and Leonardo caught it, then gave him a small smile in return. "Sorry. Old habits die hard."

"Done this with Mom a few times?" Came the chuckling question.

"A few." He ruefully admitted. "She's found herself in similar predicaments over the years."

"I remember a few of them." Ty's thumb began to gently stroke the back of Cindy's hand and he grew quiet as he did.

"Don't start son." Leonardo told him, now looking firmly at the younger turtle.

"Start what?"

His father gave him a penetrating look before he answered. "The guilt trip."

Ty blushed a little under that gaze, and having been so easily read. Ever since he had walked in on what was about to happen he was berating himself. He knew Jeff was a problem, he knew he was the controlling type, he knew he wasn't taking too kindly to Cindy's affection being placed on someone else. As far as Ty was concerned, what had happened was his fault. Ty should have been watching over her.

His father raised an eyeridge at him, then shook his head somewhat ruefully. "So much like your old man." He muttered quietly.

Ty blushed again. "That's supposed to be a good thing I thought."

Father's quiet laugh echoed through the tent. "Not when you get my bad habits along with the good. I can't tell you how many time's I've beat myself up over the years."

Ty raised his own eyeridge. "And beat up the ones who were responsible."

Leonardo snorted. "That's a given." He reached out and adjusted the sleeping bag again with meticulous care. "She really got under your skin, didn't she?"

Ty nodded quietly. "That obvious huh?"

"It was right about the time you dished out that beating." His face had a slight smile on it. "It would be the same thing any of us would do for our mates."

"Mate? Dad we haven't even...done that, I mean..." Damn his embarrassment!

Leonardo was laughing hard now, trying to keep it quiet. "Son, I wasn't going to go there." He shook his head. "It's the feelings I was referring to, not the actions. Lord the conversations I've been having with you and your sister lately." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "What you did out there was protect your mate. It's as simple as that. And she is, regardless if you've done the deed or not, because you feel it in your heart. You see her that way, and your instincts kicked in."

Ty took a moment to really digest what he was saying, then sighed in understanding as his eyes wandered to her sleeping face. "Dad, I do want to apologize for forcing you into these conversations, but I'm glad we have them. Learning to fight is easy. Learning to love..." He shook his head. "It's not."

"No, it isn't. And it's even harder for us because of what we are. We deal with things humans can't really comprehend. But in the end, the effort to learn is well worth the reward. Just keep remembering that." Leonardo laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You're doing fine son. And you picked a fine girl to fall for. I'd be honored to have her join the family." He turned away from a now speechless Ty, then paused and turned back with a grin. "Oh, by the way. Hide just made it back with Tony. Apparently Jeff had a few more accidents on the way to the base. For some reason the seats kept malfunctioning and slamming him into the dashboard. Weirdest thing really."

Ty grinned back at him. "Maybe he should get that checked out?"

Father's grin grew wider. "That's the funny thing. It seems to be only temporary. Tony said on the way back they worked just fine."

Ty tried really hard to keep from laughing so he wouldn't wake Cindy up.

"Just keep an eye on her and if she needs anything, let your uncle know."

"Thanks Dad."

With a nod, Ty's father left just as quietly as he came in. Leaving Ty once again alone with his thoughts. He sat staring at the tent wall for a long time before he felt someone watching him and he looked down at the woman on the cot and met her green eyes. He gave her a smile as he moved in closer, brushing her hair out of her face. "Hey, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Sore." Cindy admitted quietly, her eyes still intently watching him.

That stare confused him a little, and made him blush again for some reason. "What?" He finally asked her.

"Did you mean that?"

"Mean what?"

Her eyebrows raised up a little and a small amused smile found it's way onto her lips. "That you love me?"

His eyes grew wide and that damn fire turned up in his face again. "Y-you...weren't...supposed to hear that..."

"Do you?" Her eyes sparkled with amusement.

Ty took a deep breath and looked right into her glorious green eyes. "Yes Cindy, I do. I...just didn't want you to think I was...pushing it by saying it so soon. But the truth is, I've fallen for you, hard. I can't imagine not having you with me anymore. I love you Cindy."

Her eyes filled with something else as his words hit her ears and she went silent, for a long while. Long enough to where Ty was getting nervous as she looked at him. Then she sat up and leaned over to him and kissed him. Cindy's arms wrapped around his neck, firmly holding him in place when he tried to pull away. Finally he managed to break from her, his eyes a little confused over the reaction he just got. "You ok?" Maybe it was a side effect of the meds his uncle gave her, though this is the first time something like this had happened.

She laughed quietly as she stroked his cheek. "Oh Ty, I'm perfectly fine."

"You sure? I mean...you've never...kissed me like that before."

She just smiled at him before her hands went to the hem of her shirt, and she pulled it off. Ty's eyes grew wide and he stared at her, toungue tied and in shock. And he started shaking when her hands came up again and removed her bra. He stared at her some more, his face aflame as he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her.

Then something else seemed to take over as a low, desire filled growl came up from his throat. She didn't flinch from him as his head came to hers this time, kissing her hard. His hands wandered to her pale skin that seemed to call out to him. She returned it just as needy, her now bare upper body pressed against him as her arms found their way around his neck again.

He now understood Lavi's fear a little better as something more primal came to the surface. Another low growl escaped his throat as he pulled her from the cot and onto the floor of the tent with him and it was with a large amount of effort he restrained himself from just tearing off her pants. Instead he removed his harness and gear. By the time he was done with that, Cindy had taken care of her pants herself. She knelt now in front of him with nothing on and her red curls loosely flowing around her face, over her shoulders and down her back. Her eyes were calm, her expression showed no fear as she watched him fight his inner most desires.

Ty himself shook, hard, unsure if he should give into this feeling his father had warned him about. But he wanted to touch her... His trembling hand came up and gently caressed her side as he fought with himself. "So...beautiful..." Came the soft whisper in a moment of clarity.

Her reply was a smile as she moved closer against him, and laid a tender kiss on his cheek. Then her soft whisper came to his ear. "I love you too Ty."

Those words send his two sides clashing into each other again, and uncertainty began to fill him. He had thought he had this under control. Apparently, he didn't. Not fully. "Cindy..." His words choked off as another growl tried to force it's way out. "I...I don't want to...hurt..."

"You won't." Came her reassuring words. "I trust you." She held his face in between her hands to force him to look at her. "Claim your willing mate Titian." One of her hands came down from his cheek and took his own hand, and guided it to her warm, and already moist, folds. She pushed his fingers against her clit and a low moan escaped her throat as her head leaned back, her mouth now open with pleasure.

He couldn't resist that sound and his head came forward and caught that open mouth in a fierce kiss, and kept that momentum going as he laid her on her back. He leaned now over her, his tongue eagerly tasting her, his hand eagerly exploring her mound, caressing it, teasing it and was rewarded with desired filled moans from her.

Those sounds hit him in his primal core and a growl forced it's way to the surface. She was overwhelming his senses. Ty could smell her arousal, felt her warm skin on him, tasted her sweet taste. And a new sensation built inside of him when she undid his pants and pushed them down and out of her way, her hand curiously wandering his low plastron until she found that section that was beginning to bulge.

Ty wasn't prepared for his body's reaction when those gentle fingers touched him. He shuddered violently as a churr ripped from his throat. He looked into her green eyes with wonder. Wonder that she could pull those reactions from him so easily. It was that wonder he felt that finally pushed his more primal side away, and he became less demanding and more concerned with her pleasure. His hand moved up from her clit and explored her body, gently running his fingertips over her soft skin. His eyes taking in the reactions his touches caused before his hand cupped her breast lightly.

Cindy's eyes closed and her head rolled to the side. Her chest now heaving with desire as his fingers gently kneaded that mound, his thumb running over the hardened nipple. On an impulse he brought his head to it, and took it into his mouth. A low cry came from her when his teeth nipped softly and she squirmed under him when he softly sucked on it. "Ty..." She breathed. "Please..." He knew what she was asking when her hips pushed up, firmly pressing her groin against his.

The young turtle didn't even hesitate. He freed himself from his slit fully and leaned over her, placing himself between her widespread legs. Then he gently slid in.

Her eyes grew wide as her breath caught in her throat. "Oh god! Ty...mmm..."

"Are you alright?" He froze at her expression, now slightly worried that he had hurt her.

She nodded and he began to move inside of her. "Just...not used...to your...siiiiize!" Her head pressed against the floor as she lost herself in his movements. Whimpers from her now filled his ears, her arms wrapped around his neck as his head lowered close to hers.

Again and again he pushed into her, each thrust more sure, more confident at her body's reaction. Soon he had a firm rhythm set that had her squirming under him as her hips came up to meet his, forcing him into her deeper. The sounds coming from her raised that more primal side again and he began to thrust even harder, and was rewarded by her soft cries. Ty's cheeks met hers and he firmly rubbed against them, marking her as his mate even as his member kept laying claim to another part of her. Her body couldn't seem to hold still as he all but rammed into her, low growls coming out of his throat as he took pleasure from feeling her warm flesh around him.

Her arms tightened around his neck as she pressed her cheek against his. "Ty! I'm... I'm going...to... Nnngh!" Her body tensed, then shook violently, her muscles clamping around him as he kept pushing into her.

A moment later he felt the same sensation she did as his tensed through his ecjaculation, ramming into her hard before a loud groan was forced out of his body. He shook along with her as the spasms flew through both of their bodies, soon enough leaving them both laying there in exhaustion as their bodies calmed.

It was the content hum that came from her that made him raise his head from where it had come to rest on her chest. Her eyes were warm when they met his, and her hand trembled slightly when it stroked his cheek. "I love you Ty."

He kissed her tenderly before he answered. "I love you too Cindy."

The magical moment was interrupted when there was a loud, high pitched scream coming from outside. Ty quickly got up and fastened his pants again before going out to investigate. He stopped and blinked as he saw his uncle Mikey hopping around and slapping at himself.

After a moment Uncle Raph poked his head out of his tent across the campground. "What the fuck Mikey! It's the middle of the damn- What in the hell is wrong with you?"

The orange masked turtle didn't answer, but kept his slap dance up.

Adam however was walking calmly back to his tent. "It might be those fire ants I slipped into his sleeping bag."

Uncle Raph just facepalmed and slipped back into his tent. Ty laughed and shook his head as he retreated back inside, and to the woman who was now firmly entrenched into his heart. He pulled her bag from the cot and opened it all the way before laying it on the floor, then gently picked her up and carried her to it and settled down next to her before covering her with it again. She snuggled against him with a tired mewling sound and he smiled at her. His arms now wrapped firmly around her he drifted off to sleep, perfectly content with her in his arms.