CHAPTER SEVEN
Raphael was gob smacked. It was the only word to describe his reaction. His mouth dropped open and his face even went pale. " He's…your brother?" now that he had thought about it, there were similarities between Garland and Naomi. Garland looked like a male version of Naomi with his brown hair and eyes.
Naomi nodded, " Because of this link between us, I'm able to read his mind," she paused, " but he can't read mine. Even though he's tried to develop his power over the years we've been growing up, he's still unable to. And he hates it."
" But it still doesn't explain why he's after you," Raph pointed out.
" During our last year of college, I accidentally read his mind and discovered he was plotting to kill our parents so he could get his hand on their fortune…and he was planning to share it with me of course. But when I told him I knew what he was planning to do, he went crazy and killed our parents then tried to kill me. I escaped and flew to New York to escape him and the memories. But after two and half years, he's tracked me down and tried to kill me the night you rescued me."
" Your own brother wants to kill you?" Raph was shocked.
" Yes…not very nice eh? He's very dangerous and will kill anyone who tried get in his way," Naomi said, " That's why I didn't want to tell you guys why he's after me."
" But we can look after ourselves. Were fully trained ninjas. We can kill him if we wanted to."
" I can't let you guys kill Matthew. He might be insane but he's still my brother." Naomi said softly.
Raph suddenly thought of something, " If you guys are twins, why doesn't Garland have the same last name as you?"
" Garland is our last name…when I left California, I changed my last name to make myself harder for him to find," Naomi explained.
" He still managed to track you down though," Raph pointed out, " I wonder how he did it?"
" I don't know," Naomi sighed, " But I'm thinking about leaving State again and go somewhere completely different."
" You cant run away every time Garland finds you," Raph objected, " Me and the others will stop him from ever hurting you again."
" You're not going to kill him Raph," Naomi was firm, " I wont' let you. You'll have to kill me first."
Raph stared at her, " I could never do that," he said and put an arm around her, " I won't kill Garland-not if you don't want me to."
" Thanks," Naomi smiled at him and he drew her closer to his side. His heart was thudding in his chest and for some crazy reason he wanted to kiss her. He put a finger under her chin and titled her face so that her eyes were staring into his.
" I've never realized how pretty you are," he blurted and she blinked. This was very un-Raph like behavior. What had gotten into him?
Then before he could change his mind, he bent his head and kissed her on the mouth!
* * *
Where am I? Naomi woke up to find herself snuggled up next to Raph on her cot. " Raph!" she shook him awake and he grumbled, " What?"
" What happened last night?" she asked him, " Why am I here?"
" You're apartment burned down remember?" Raph rubbed his neck.
" I've been hoping it was a bad dream," Naomi admitted, " I guess we fell asleep."
Raph remembered their kiss last night…then Naomi fell asleep against him and he followed. Now she was looking at him, her eyes full of pain. His heart went out to her.
" Everything's going to be okay," he assured her as he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.
" I wish I can believe that," Naomi murmured. They went to join the others for breakfast. Don glanced at them from the table. Something was going between them-it was obvious by the way Raph was looking at Naomi and Don felt a twinge of jealously.
Why are you surprised? He asked himself Raph did save her life-twice. It was only natural for them to fall in love. But why Raph? He's so moody and sarcastic and she's quiet and gentle. They aren't right for each other! Don's shoulder's sagged and he felt depressed.
" How was the bed?" Mike asked Naomi.
" it was fine," Naomi shot a look at Raph before eating, " I didn't have any nightmares thank goodness. I slept like a baby."
" Mike tells you used to train as a black belt," Leo spoke up.
" Yellow belt," Naomi corrected, " Yes and he's offered to teach me a few moves. How about it Mike? I'd like to learn how to kick butt," and Raph guffawed at the comment.
Mike and Naomi headed for the dojo while Leo went to meditate with Splinter. Don and Raph were the only ones left at the table.
" I feel like going for a jog-want to come Donnie?"
" No thanks," Don mumbled, " I want to surf the Net for a bit,"
" Suit yourself," Raph paused, " Are you okay? You've been quieter than usual during breakfast."
" I'm fine," Don said, not meeting his eyes. He got up and hurried over to his computer and Raph frowned after him.
Something's up with Don, Raph realized. Determined to see what was wrong, he followed Don, " Don, out with it, I'm not leaving til you tell me what's wrong."
" Nothing!" Don snapped but Raph just gave him a look. Don sighed, " It's Naomi." Don finally admitted.
" What about her? Have you found out something we don't know about?"
" No, nothing like that. I've noticed there was something between you two,"
" Is it that obvious?" Raph's eyes went wide, " Last night something did happen-"
" I knew it," Don blurted, " I can't believe it. Why would she fall for you?"
" Huh?" Raph's mouth dropped open, " What's that supposed to mean?"
" Well, you're so moody and sarcastic. She's quiet and gentle. You guys are total opposites."
" Haven't you heard of the saying, opposites attract? Geez Donnie, I want to know why this has anything to do with you." Then it suddenly dawned on Raph, " You like her too."
Don averted his eyes, " Maybe," he muttered.
" So that's why you've been acting weird. You're jealous." Raph accused.
" So what if I am? Leave me alone," Don had enough of this conversation and turned his back on him.
" Fine," Raph stormed off but he felt triumphant. Of all four turtles, Naomi picked him.
Raphael was gob smacked. It was the only word to describe his reaction. His mouth dropped open and his face even went pale. " He's…your brother?" now that he had thought about it, there were similarities between Garland and Naomi. Garland looked like a male version of Naomi with his brown hair and eyes.
Naomi nodded, " Because of this link between us, I'm able to read his mind," she paused, " but he can't read mine. Even though he's tried to develop his power over the years we've been growing up, he's still unable to. And he hates it."
" But it still doesn't explain why he's after you," Raph pointed out.
" During our last year of college, I accidentally read his mind and discovered he was plotting to kill our parents so he could get his hand on their fortune…and he was planning to share it with me of course. But when I told him I knew what he was planning to do, he went crazy and killed our parents then tried to kill me. I escaped and flew to New York to escape him and the memories. But after two and half years, he's tracked me down and tried to kill me the night you rescued me."
" Your own brother wants to kill you?" Raph was shocked.
" Yes…not very nice eh? He's very dangerous and will kill anyone who tried get in his way," Naomi said, " That's why I didn't want to tell you guys why he's after me."
" But we can look after ourselves. Were fully trained ninjas. We can kill him if we wanted to."
" I can't let you guys kill Matthew. He might be insane but he's still my brother." Naomi said softly.
Raph suddenly thought of something, " If you guys are twins, why doesn't Garland have the same last name as you?"
" Garland is our last name…when I left California, I changed my last name to make myself harder for him to find," Naomi explained.
" He still managed to track you down though," Raph pointed out, " I wonder how he did it?"
" I don't know," Naomi sighed, " But I'm thinking about leaving State again and go somewhere completely different."
" You cant run away every time Garland finds you," Raph objected, " Me and the others will stop him from ever hurting you again."
" You're not going to kill him Raph," Naomi was firm, " I wont' let you. You'll have to kill me first."
Raph stared at her, " I could never do that," he said and put an arm around her, " I won't kill Garland-not if you don't want me to."
" Thanks," Naomi smiled at him and he drew her closer to his side. His heart was thudding in his chest and for some crazy reason he wanted to kiss her. He put a finger under her chin and titled her face so that her eyes were staring into his.
" I've never realized how pretty you are," he blurted and she blinked. This was very un-Raph like behavior. What had gotten into him?
Then before he could change his mind, he bent his head and kissed her on the mouth!
* * *
Where am I? Naomi woke up to find herself snuggled up next to Raph on her cot. " Raph!" she shook him awake and he grumbled, " What?"
" What happened last night?" she asked him, " Why am I here?"
" You're apartment burned down remember?" Raph rubbed his neck.
" I've been hoping it was a bad dream," Naomi admitted, " I guess we fell asleep."
Raph remembered their kiss last night…then Naomi fell asleep against him and he followed. Now she was looking at him, her eyes full of pain. His heart went out to her.
" Everything's going to be okay," he assured her as he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.
" I wish I can believe that," Naomi murmured. They went to join the others for breakfast. Don glanced at them from the table. Something was going between them-it was obvious by the way Raph was looking at Naomi and Don felt a twinge of jealously.
Why are you surprised? He asked himself Raph did save her life-twice. It was only natural for them to fall in love. But why Raph? He's so moody and sarcastic and she's quiet and gentle. They aren't right for each other! Don's shoulder's sagged and he felt depressed.
" How was the bed?" Mike asked Naomi.
" it was fine," Naomi shot a look at Raph before eating, " I didn't have any nightmares thank goodness. I slept like a baby."
" Mike tells you used to train as a black belt," Leo spoke up.
" Yellow belt," Naomi corrected, " Yes and he's offered to teach me a few moves. How about it Mike? I'd like to learn how to kick butt," and Raph guffawed at the comment.
Mike and Naomi headed for the dojo while Leo went to meditate with Splinter. Don and Raph were the only ones left at the table.
" I feel like going for a jog-want to come Donnie?"
" No thanks," Don mumbled, " I want to surf the Net for a bit,"
" Suit yourself," Raph paused, " Are you okay? You've been quieter than usual during breakfast."
" I'm fine," Don said, not meeting his eyes. He got up and hurried over to his computer and Raph frowned after him.
Something's up with Don, Raph realized. Determined to see what was wrong, he followed Don, " Don, out with it, I'm not leaving til you tell me what's wrong."
" Nothing!" Don snapped but Raph just gave him a look. Don sighed, " It's Naomi." Don finally admitted.
" What about her? Have you found out something we don't know about?"
" No, nothing like that. I've noticed there was something between you two,"
" Is it that obvious?" Raph's eyes went wide, " Last night something did happen-"
" I knew it," Don blurted, " I can't believe it. Why would she fall for you?"
" Huh?" Raph's mouth dropped open, " What's that supposed to mean?"
" Well, you're so moody and sarcastic. She's quiet and gentle. You guys are total opposites."
" Haven't you heard of the saying, opposites attract? Geez Donnie, I want to know why this has anything to do with you." Then it suddenly dawned on Raph, " You like her too."
Don averted his eyes, " Maybe," he muttered.
" So that's why you've been acting weird. You're jealous." Raph accused.
" So what if I am? Leave me alone," Don had enough of this conversation and turned his back on him.
" Fine," Raph stormed off but he felt triumphant. Of all four turtles, Naomi picked him.
