CHAPTER FOURTEEN

EXPLANATION

PRESENT

I want to say thank you to all the people who reviewed for the last chapter. I really did mean what I said, and I'm glad you all can see that. It's good to know that you really do care about this series, even though it feels so dead to me. Ideas are starting to trickle. Here's to hoping they're flowing by the end of this book. -sss979

APRIL:

"Kat says she's involved with the foot clan."

I sighed as I ran my fingers through my hair. "From the kind of reports we've been getting recently, I wouldn't doubt it."

He stared at me for a moment. "What do you mean?"

I leaned back against the back of the couch. "Well, at first I thought it was some kind of prank. Especially when a couple of teens gave me a quote talking about how it reminded them of the crime wave a few years ago, with the foot. But I'm starting to wonder."

He nodded slightly, his eyes trained on the floor. "Shredder's alive, you know."

I stared at him, surprised. "He is? I thought..."

"I know," he mumbled. "That's what we thought too, for a long time. But he's alive."

"How?"

He sighed as he looked up at me. "Leo's killing blow wasn't from his own weapon," he informed. "It was Kat's. The shurieken she'd dropped. They were poison tipped, but not to kill. And Leo was so out of it by the time he threw them, he didn't aim right. They just lodged in his shoulder or his back or whatever and knocked him out."

I stared at him. "Why wouldn't Leo make sure?"

"Because he was hurt," Raphael answered. "He wanted to get out of there and he figured for him to fall, he was down. I don't think he realized how poorly he aimed, or that those shurieken were the same ones that Kiara had used on us, to knock us out."

I nodded slowly. "So Shredder's alive? You know that for a fact?"

"I haven't seen him. But it's a pretty good guess."

I sighed and my eyes slid closed. "Kat said something about him sending a spy. Is that this woman who's living with you?"

"We don't know," he answered. "Could be. We're not really sure."

"Kat seems sure enough," I grinned.

He smiled back. "I never said Kat wasn't sure. I said we weren't."

I sighed. That made sense. It hadn't taken me very long to discover just how dead set Kat was against this new guest. But if I knew Leonardo, he wouldn't judge her until he'd had a chance to get to know her. That could be either very good or very bad, depending on how much of Katarina's account was true.

"Well, I gotta be to work early," I mumbled. "You're welcome to stay here too, of course. But I need to get some sleep."

He stared past me out the balcony window, seemingly lost in thought. "Thanks, April," he nodded, his eyes not meeting mine.

I hugged him and felt his arms circle me lightly. "G'night," I whispered.

"Night."

I turned away and walked up the stairs to my room, closing the door behind me.

KATARINA:

I opened my eyes as the door handle turned and a beam of light shot into the room. I knew who it was. I'd heard him talking to April. He slipped into the room silently and I turned on my other side, away from him. The door closed again, and I listened to the faint, almost inaudible sounds as he undressed. He dropped his belt and weapons on the floor and I heard them clank against each other softly.

I felt the bed shift as he drew the covers down and slipped in behind me. I didn't move. He came in close, wrapping his arm around my waist and slipping his fingers under my shirt as he buried his face in my hair. He kissed my earlobe, nuzzling against me. "I love you, Kat."

I didn't answer. He probably didn't expect one. He had to know I wasn't asleep, but the quiet sigh let me know that he wasn't expecting conversation. He wasn't expecting anything. Good. I didn't feel much like being forced into talking right now. I clenched my teeth and waited for the anger to subside. He drew me close, protectively, and breathed deep against my neck, his body relaxing.

My own muscles untensed as he brushed his thumb back and forth over my naval. Quiet calm washed over me and I sighed. He wasn't here to demand answers, but I knew that sooner or later, I was going to have to explain some things to him. This couldn't go on forever. And this was about as good a time as any.

"She's my father's mistress," I offered after a long silence.

He didn't seem surprised by that. He probably wasn't. His slow, steady pace didn't change. For a long time, he didn't answer. Had he heard me? I knew he had. He was thinking.

"I didn't know that," he finally answered.

"I take it Leo doesn't either?"

"Doubt it. But I don't know what all she's told him."

I sighed. "She'd do anything for my father, Raph. She's not like me. His approval means everything to her."

"Mmm," he acknowledged, his lips brushing my neck. "So why are they trying to kill her?"

"I'm not entirely sure they are," I answered quietly.

"Any possibility at all that she could be telling the truth?"

"Yes," I admitted. "But if she is... believe me. You don't want to get in the middle of it."

"Why?" he questioned. "Tangled web?"

"Mmm," I acknowledged, running my fingers over his strong arm. His muscles were hard as a rock, like they'd always been. I loved that. I loved the feel of him, the way his body fit with my soft, accepting one. Not that I wasn't in great shape, but I was nowhere near the level he was and I could never be.

"Kat?"

I realized he'd been talking and snapped back to reality. "Huh?"

"Did you hear me?"

I turned onto my back and our eyes met. I smiled sheepishly. "No, what'd you say?"

He chuckled to himself and grabbed my arms, pulling me over him. I waited for him to settle, to ease me into the position he wanted me in, and rested my head on his chest. As he became still, I slipped my arm around his waist, brushing sensitive skin at his side. He sighed deeply, his chest rising and falling. I relaxed as the warmth from his body washed over me.

"I said tell me about it," he finally repeated. "What kind of relation do you have to her? You're not... sisters or something, are you?"

"Enemies," I answered coldly. "Nothing more."

That put him slightly at ease. "I take it that it's always been that way?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she's not just an enemy like Shredder's an enemy now, right? It's more personal than that."

I sighed and curled my fingers under his plastron, pressing lightly along the place where it met with his skin. "We've always hated each other," I admitted.

"Tell me about it," he prodded.

I closed my eyes and sighed, trying to organize my thoughts. "Do you remember Tatsu?"

He considered that for a moment. "Been a while, but yeah." I thought for a minute. Raphael brushed my hair back and I opened my eyes to look up at him. "Is he still alive?"

"No. He died years ago. But if Mel is back in the states, there's a reason for it."

"Mel has some relation to him?"

"They were... married."

His eyes widened slightly. "Oh." He glanced away. "Isn't she a little... young?"

"Yeah. Kinda young for my father, for that matter. She's only three years older than me."

"Damn."

"Uh huh," I agreed. "She was... a token bride. Which complicated things even more."

"Okay, hold up," he interrupted. I fell silent and gave him a minute to think. "She was three years older than you so that made her... five years older than Madonna?"

"Four," I corrected.

"So there's no way in hell she was Madonna's mother."

"No, Madonna's mother, my mother, disappeared and was presumably killed."

"Deja vu," he mumbled. "Tatsu and Shredder always sleep with the same women?"

"Yeah, kinda sick, isn't it?" I answered cynically. "Though the circumstances were a little different with my mother than they were with Mel."

"How's that?"

I sighed and rested my head against him again, pulling my body closer to his. I moved my leg over his and rubbed back and forth gently. "My mother and Saki dated while they were living in Japan," I explained. "She was young and still living at home. He got her pregnant with me and her dad threw her out, so he took care of her for a while before he fell in love with Shen, which I'm sure you know that story."

"Vaguely," he laughed.

"She and Tatsu were friends and when it became obvious that my father didn't love her anymore and he was just taking care of her because he felt he had a responsibility to... she went off with Tatsu."

Raphael hesitated for a moment. "Shredder take that okay?"

I shrugged. "He didn't care. He didn't give a damn what happened to her, as long as she stayed out of his way. She was just naive, you know? She was afraid of being on her own and she let them take advantage of her."

"So Madonna was Tatsu's daughter," he assumed.

"Yeah."

"And then the whole family came over to the US with Saki."

I nodded. "Madonna was six when our mother... conveniently died."

"Conveniently?" he questioned.

"For Tatsu. She... found out he was molesting Madonna and they fought. I didn't actually see her die, but... I can bet that he killed her."

He considered that quietly for a moment. "You think Shredder knew that?"

I laughed. "Shredder didn't care. He didn't care about anything. If he knew..." I shrugged. "... so what?"

He was quiet for a moment. "So... where did Melanie come in?"

I sighed. "She'd been unofficially involved with the foot clan, practically since we came over from Japan. Her parents were dead - I don't know how they died - and she was raised by her brother who lived in an apartment with a male roommate, and they were both involved in the foot. And all their friends and acquaintances..." My voice trailed off as I considered what she might've said or done to get in as far as she did. "Couplea gangbangs and everybody knew her."

Raphael tensed noticeably. I pulled away and eyed him suspiciously. I couldn't help but see how nervous the suggestion made him. "You ever do that?" I asked curiously.

"Do what?"

"Gang bang?"

His eyes shifted away. "Let's... not go there." He looked back at me. "How did she meet your father?"

I studied him for a moment, then lay next to him again. I'd drill him later, if I really wanted to know. I wasn't entirely sure I did. "She... got someone to bring her in," I explained hesitantly, "which normally would've been suicide but for whatever reason... I guess she made an impression on my father."

"Never thought of Saki as particularly impressionable."

"He's... a ladies man. I always used to think that if you guys ever wanted to kill him, all you'd have to do is hire a hooker to do it for you."

Raphael laughed. "I... sincerely doubt it would be that simple."

"You think?"

"Mmm," he mumbled, eyes closed. "When sleeping with someone you don't know, you don't let your guard down. Especially if you've got a reason to suspect an attack."

"Wouldn't know anything about that," I grinned.

"Mmm. Yeah, you're just so sweet and innocent." I laughed quietly at his sarcasm. "And let's just keep it that way."

I smiled and pressed into him, kissing his shoulder lightly. "Anyway," I sighed. "She and Saki fucked a few times and she got herself what she considered to be a permanent home within the foot clan. He pretty much... owned her." I considered that. "No. He did own her. And she allowed it. Once she got that damn tattoo, she was his property."

His fingers ran down my skin and traced the baseball-sized mark on the small of my back. "This tattoo?"

"Yes," I answered coldly. "That one that I'm going to get removed as soon as I can afford it."

"Surprised you haven't done it yet," he admitted.

"I really... didn't want to when I wasn't living in New York. I don't know why. But now... I want it gone."

He nuzzled his face in my hair. "Nah, you should keep it."

I pulled away. "What?" I asked, surprised. "Why?"

He grinned and shrugged slightly. "I don't know. I kinda like it." His hand moved up my side to my chest and he traced the faint, diagonal scar over my breasts. "Kind of like this."

"That's different," I smiled.

"It's a slap in the face to him," he informed. "And I'm all for that, in any form." I laughed quietly. "What do you mean?"

Raphael shrugged. "His own daughter turned on him. That's about as big of a slap in the face as it can get."

"That's not gonna change because I get the tattoo removed," I reminded him.

"No, but the tattoo kinda reminds me of that."

"Isn't that the whole obsession you have with the scar?" I teased.

He laughed. "Obsession?"

"Damn close to it."

He leaned down and kissed me deeply. I welcomed him without hesitation, a contented warmth flowing through me. He pulled away slowly and kissed the side of my mouth. "No," he whispered. "That's different."

"How so?"

He kissed my lips lightly, and backed away, guiding my head to his shoulder again. "That reminds me that you were willing to die for me and my brothers. That has nothing to do with Shredder."

I smiled. "Oh, okay."

"We keep getting distracted," he informed plainly.

"Yeah, I've noticed."

"I really do want to hear this story."

"Where was I?" I chuckled.

"Mel living with the foot, sleeping with Shredder."

"Oh," I remembered. "Well, I was sixteen, Madonna was about to turn fifteen when he pretty much gave her to Tatsu as a gift. I don't know why or what all went on, who suggested it or whether or not he wanted it, but I know she didn't. She went ahead and married Tatsu, not that she had much of a choice, and hated my father for a while. She was very jealous of Madonna. And of me, but Madonna more. Especially when married her."

"Right," he agreed. "I can see that."

I ran my nails over the grooves in his plastron, my mind wandering. For a moment, it was quiet. "Madonna found out that Mel was sleeping with my father again," I whispered, "even though by now everyone involved was married."

"Good god, what a soap opera."

"No kidding."

He breathed deep, his chest rising and falling as I closed my eyes and relaxed next to him. "So how'd she find out?" he questioned

"About him and Mel?"

"Yeah."

"Rumors spread," I answered. "Everyone knew. Although nobody had the balls to confront either of them about it except me."

"So you went after her?" he assumed.

I sighed. "Yeah. I said a lot of things... and even if they were true, I deserved it when she hit me."

Raphael laughed. "Not smart."

"She slapped me," I clarified. "One of my father's students walked in and pulled me off of her before I did any serious damage. I told her she'd just made a big mistake and promptly went to tell my father."

Raphael chuckled. "Don't imagine he was too happy."

"No he... Well, again, it was just rumors. But it came from Madonna and various other people that he tried to kill her. I know for a fact that he beat her up pretty good. And she never raised a hand to me again."

"And she kept putting out for him after he did that to her?" Raphael mumbled.

"Yep," I sighed.

"This chic's a little fucked up in the head," he concluded.

"Yeah, just a little," I agreed.

It was quiet for a moment. "So...?" Raph probed.

I sighed. "Tatsu and I got into it about something or another. I mean, really got into it. I instigated a lot because I knew no one could touch me without getting their hands cut off, but I just... pushed him a little too far. And he pushed back, literally, and my father happened to see it."

"He was pretty protective of you," Raph realized.

"Yeah, he was," I laughed. "More than you know. He warned Tatsu. I wasn't really hurt, so that's all he did. So at that point, Tatsu and Mel both hated me. Saki and Madonna..." I shook my head slightly. "It was a mess. A big mess. He wasn't particularly nice to her and she knew he was sleeping with Mel but she didn't feel like she could do anything about it. I kept... trying to motivate her to go and get up in Melanie's face, but she was too shy. She thought she was really being smart when she decided to go to Tatsu and tell him that his wife was sleeping with her husband. Imagine her surprise when he nearly took her head off. He hurt her, I saw it, I went to my father and told him that Tatsu had threatened to kill me."

"Why you and not Madonna?"

"He wasn't nearly as protective of her as he was of me."

He considered that quietly for a moment. "So Tatsu... was killed?"

"Banished," I corrected. "Went back to Japan. A year later, we got word that he was dying and he wanted to see Madonna. She went and came back reciting all his last request bullshit about obeying her husband. I think I hated him more then than I ever had before." I sighed deeply, my eyes closing slowly. "I always hated to see Madonna cry."

Raphael massaged my shoulder gently. "So you know that Tatsu's dead?"

"Yeah. And Mel's back with Saki. And living here with us at the same time."

He remained still for a minute and I pulled away, my eyes meeting his. "Now do you see why I want her gone?"

He nodded slightly. "I think so."

"Her whole life, she's lived for Shredder. She's not gonna stop now."

"Unless he's trying to kill her."

"And if he is, that's none of our business."

He smiled. "Wouldn't break your heart any, would it?"

"Not at all," I admitted. "But what will break my heart is if one of your brothers falls for that bitch." He looked away, not answering. "Madonna screwed Leo up pretty good and she really loved him. Imagine what she might've been capable of if she hadn't."

His eyes closed and he nodded again. "Raph?" He glanced back at me and I pressed my hand to his cheek. "Help me?" I pleaded.

He reached up and placed his hand over mine, then turned his head and kissed the inside of my wrist, then up to my palm. He slid down underneath the blankets and pulled them up around us. "I'll do what I can," he promised.

I smiled and snuggled closer to him, breathing deep. For a moment, it was silent. "Kiara?" he finally whispered.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

I kissed his shoulder and nuzzled against him. "I love you too, Raph."

He sighed deeply, and fell asleep.

APRIL:

I stood up and took my coffee mug to the sink. "Raphael was here last night with Kat," I informed. "He left this morning. I haven't seen Donatello."

Leo sighed deeply. "I don't know what Don's problem is," he mumbled. "He's never been like this. He came in last night at about three and he and Amy got into it, and now he's gone again. And I've checked everywhere I knew to look. He's just... on his own private crusade or something."

I stopped behind him as I returned, and rested my hands on his rock-hard shoulders. "I'm sure he's fine, Leo," I assured him.

"Yeah, I know. I just wish I knew what the hell was going on here."

I massaged, gently at first, and felt him tense up even more. "Relax," I ordered sternly.

In the mirrored wall, I saw his eyes slide closed as he tried to loosen the clenched muscles. I rubbed hard, digging my thumbs into the base of his neck, and heard him sigh. I massaged hard at his shoulders, feeling the tension slowly drain away.

I finished and hugged him from behind, dodging his weapons. His hands came up and rested on my forearms. "Thanks, April," he sighed.

"No problem," I answered.

His hands dropped and he remained still as a statue for a moment. "Are you alright?" I asked hesitantly.

He nodded, eyes closed. "Yeah. I'm just... tired."

"You wanna crash here?" I offered.

He shook his head. "No, it's okay."

"It's not a problem," I assured him. "Really."

He sighed deeply. "I need to be available in case Kat tries to kill Melanie."

I laughed quietly before realizing he was totally serious. "Isn't Katarina Raphael's problem?"

"Raphael just complicates the problem," he mumbled. "He's just as anxious to get in Mel's face."

I smiled. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "The way life is."

I sat down in the chair beside him again, and listened to the silence for a few minutes. It was obvious he was in no hurry to leave. "Leonardo?" I finally asked.

"What?"

His eyes opened and met mine. I was sure he could read the concern written all over my face. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Really? I mean, it's not every day you come here to escape, and I have to know something's up when you do."

We stared at each other for a moment, then he closed his eyes again. "I'm overwhelmed," he mumbled.

I could've guessed that. "Why?"

He shook his head slightly and for a few seconds, it was quiet. "I don't know, April," he finally started, sounding irritated. "I just... keep thinking there's more to this than what we're seeing. There's something we're missing. And I really don't think that Mel is reporting to Shredder."

"Because you don't want to," I offered.

"You're right," he agreed. "I don't want to. But I don't think that has anything to do with it."

"Sure it does."

He shook his head again. "I don't close my eyes and ignore the truth because I don't want to see it. If she was doing that, I'd just have to accept it."

"When?" I questioned. "When you could prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt? It might be too late then."

"It's homicide to send her away."

"That's a decision you have to make," I replied. "Taking into account that it may be suicide to have her stay. You don't know. All you can do is take an educated guess and hope you've made the right decision."

He leaned forward and hid his face in his hands. For a moment, he was quiet. I watched him, concerned. "Why is it...?" he finally whispered. He paused for a long moment, not moving. "...that every single person we meet has the capability and the reason to turn on us in a moment's notice?"

I studied him, not sure how to answer that. It was very true. I'd had every reason to want to put them in the eleven o'clock news. Katarina had had every reason to turn them over to her father. Amy... "Amy didn't," I attempted. But it was obvious that it was a long lost cause to even try and make him see the bright side.

"I've learned not to trust people," he finally continued, drawing his hands down slowly. "But when someone trusts you... with their life..." His eyes raised to mine and I read the pained look there. "Where do you draw the line?"