Authors Notes: Hey guys! Miss me? I know you did! Lol. So here we go again, another chapter and we're drawing close to the end. Warning…adult content ;) Nothing too huge because I honestly could not bring myself to write a lemon. I'm creative…but not THAT creative. So enjoy! And thanks to all for reviewing. You guys are wonderful! And another big thank you to my editor Kristi. Sweetness, I do not know what I would do without you. Hope your day is going better!
Disclaimer: Alex is my own creation but the guys and everything dealing with the NT thing…not mine. I'm working on it but for the time being….nothing belongs to me.
Three very non-eventful weeks passed by after the night Alex had revealed her entire past to Raphael and her secret, or rather secrets, had remained just that. Neither of them said anything to his brothers, leaving them in the dark and Alex would have maybe felt bad about it, but she just hadn't had the time to. Rehearsal's for "The Moulin Rouge" had been extended and instead of her usual two hours a night, she was now spending five hours a night, sometimes even more, at the theater. But it had paid off. On opening night the house had been packed and amongst the audience had been almost every entertainment critic the city had to offer. Thanks to their raging reviews the next few nights had been just as busy, each performance selling out the day before it took place. Finally Alex had managed to snag four tickets in the front row of the balcony for the last night's performance.
She was preparing for that night now, standing before her mirror with her hair up in large round curlers and applying her stage makeup. The director had spent most of his money on costumes and sets so the actors were required to do their own makeup. Not comfortable around large groups, Alex had always opted to get ready at home and avoid the hectic crush. Well…that and she really had no desire to answer any questions that may be fired at her should anyone happen to see the two cuts by her neck or worse, her scar. Meeting someone who might have actually known the history behind the symbol was a risk she was not willing to take.
Reaching for her bag of makeup lying on the dresser beside her, Alex hummed along with the CD she had going, a soundtrack to Moulin Rouge. Although the song was one of the more cheerful, it did little to improve her mood. The nerves had already started but that wasn't surprising. She had expected that. What was bothering her was that, for the first time in her life, she was in a deep state of sexual frustration. Beyond actually and she was really starting to wonder if Raphael was feeling it as badly as she was. "He'd damn well better be," she grumbled, glaring in irritation at her reflection. But deep down she knew he was. She had seen of that last week when she'd been practicing with him.
*~* Flashback *~*
"You're blockin' too much again, Alex," Raphael reprimanded her, taking a step back to allow her to catch her breath.
Alex shoved her sweat soaked bangs out of her face and sighed. "You're trying to break a bad habit I've had for years hun. It's going to take a while."
"It's going to take even longer if you keep lettin' yourself fall back into it. Are ya even tryin'?"
"Yes!" she snapped. They'd been at this for over two hours now. She was tired, her t-shirt and shorts were now clinging to her sweaty body and she was incredibly frustrated, not just with herself but also with Raph for insisting that she learn how to fight back. She knew he was right of course, but he didn't have to push her so damn hard! "I am trying," she said, a little softer this time, letting her weariness show in the tone of her voice. "This isn't exactly easy, you know?"
"I know." He crossed the floor to her and pulled her into his arms.
Allowing another sigh to escape her lips, she rested her forehead on his shoulder. "You're so pushy," she muttered, only half joking. She knew he'd feel too guilty to actually take offense to the comment.
"You're just noticing that now?" he asked with a smirk. "Maybe we're goin' about this the wrong way."
Groaning, Alex pushed away from him. "Raph, we've been practicing for two hours! I'm tired, I'm soaked in my own sweat, I smell like shit and I 'm about two seconds away from calling you Leo. Couldn't we just stop for the day? Please?"
"Tell ya what," he said, pulling his sais from his belt and twirling them expertly, "you get these away from me…and we're done for the rest of the week. Sound good?"
Alex watched the weak light of the dojo glint off the sharp blades with, eyeing them almost eagerly. The rest of the week? That was four days! Four days she could really use. A slow determined smile crept across her face as one by one her muscles tensed, forcing renewed strength into her body. Those four days were as good as hers.
Seeing her smile, Raph tightened his grip on his sais. He wasn't going to go easy on her, not today. Every day they'd practiced he'd held back and it was getting him nowhere. How was she ever going to defend herself if she didn't learn to fight back? I'm sorry babe. Don't hate me but you gotta learn how to do this right.
He waited for her to pick a weapon, the katana of course, and as soon as she was ready he lunged at her. And, as expected, she blocked him. Biting back a growl of frustration, he tried again and again she blocked him. Okay, enough of this shit. Shoving his sais in his belt, he grabbed one of her arms when she attempted to strike him, twisting it around and easily flipping her slight weight over his back. She landed hard, dropping her katana and crying out in pain. Then she was silent.
After a few seconds had passed in which she lay motionless on the padded floor, Raph opened his mouth to ask her if she was okay. He was cut off by Alex's enraged shriek. She jumped to her feet, whipping around to face him, her cerulean eyes blazing defiantly. Any sane man would have been terrified right about now, but Raph was thrilled. Finally, she was going to do what he wanted her to do!
"You…are so going to pay for that," she growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
That's what I was hopin' for, he replied silently. Trying hard to keep the victorious smirk from his face, he grabbed his sais once again and waited for Alex to make her move. He didn't have to wait long. She was on him before he was even ready, bringing the katana down with speed he didn't even know she possessed. Muttering a curse under his breath, he lifted his sais to stop her attack. Their weapons clashed with a deadly hiss, the sound reverberating off the brick walls.
"Who's blocking now?" she asked with a smirk.
Raph smiled back. "Was wondering when the hard ass part of you was gonna show up." He shoved her back, dislodging his weapons from hers. "About damn time."
They sparred for fifteen minutes, Raph pushing Alex as hard as he dared and Alex pushing right back. It was like there had been a fighter in her all along, just itching to be released and although her technique wasn't without flaw, it was still impressive.
"Come on babe, that all you got?" he taunted, curious to see if he could get anything more out of her before he called it quits. It was obvious that she was tiring fast and besides, there was no way she was getting his sais away from him.
But, as Alex had a tendency to do on certain occasions, she surprised him, tossing aside her katana with a growl. Thinking she had conceded defeat, Raph dropped his guard and that's when she attacked. She dropped down, kicked out her leg and swept it around, knocking him off his feet and onto his back. Still looking quite determined, she sat on his chest, one leg on either side of him, her knees pinning his shoulders to the ground.
"Ha!" she yelped triumphantly as she yanked his sais from his loose grip. "No practice for the rest of the week!" Smiling, she twirled the sais in her hands. "And you didn't think I could do it…did you?"
When no reply came, she looked down at him and her heart skipped a beat. His eyes were fixed on her, a fire blazing in their depths that had nothing to do with anger. She knew what that look meant and felt her body's immediate response to it. Trying not to let it show just how badly she wanted him, she gave him a coy smile. "Don't tell me you're getting turned on by this, Raphael?"
Suddenly, she was on the floor and he was on top of her, kissing her hungrily. With a muffled cry of surprised delight, Alex dropped the sais and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back, matching him stroke for stroke as her body began to ache desperately for his touch.
When he started tugging impatiently at the hem of her loose fitting shirt she was all to willing to help him get it off, arching her back and then leaning up so that he could slide pull the shirt over her head and toss it aside, leaving her in a plain blue sports bra. He then moved from her mouth to her neck, his teeth grazing the tender flesh, drawing from her tiny gasps and moans of pleasure.
"Don't stop," she pleaded urgently as his hand closed around her breast, "please, god…don't stop."
But he had to. From the other side of the closed dojo door came the sound of voices. His brother's voices. With a whispered curse, Raph regretfully pushed himself off of Alex and stood, grabbing her shirt in the process and handing it to her.
"Where are you going?" she asked, hastily pulling her shirt over her head.
"To take a cold shower!" he muttered over his shoulder as he left the dojo.
*~*~*~*
Sighing, Alex pulled the big curlers from her hair, the last lingering images of that day fading away just as her hopes of having it happen again (and go a bit further this time) had. Since that day the tension between them, which she had decidedly started referring to as sexual tension, had been palpable. Of course they still talked and as far as the others were concerned everything was normal between the two. But each night that week Alex had slept alone, and Raph had fallen asleep on the couch "watching movies."
Although it had become apparent to Alex that he was doing it intentionally, she didn't feel like starting an argument over it. He obviously had his reason, however frustrating they may be.
Without warning, her door burst open and two wrestling turtles tumbled into her room. Emitting a startled yelp, she backed away from where Raphael and Michelangelo had landed. "What the hell are you two doing?" she demanded in an amused voice.
"He started it!" Mike cried, grabbing a hold of Raph's wrist and trying to push him away.
"Like hell I started it! You're the one who started it!" Raph yelled back.
Seeing the grins on both of their faces, Alex rolled her eyes. "You guys are such kids."
"Come on Alex!" Mike turned his pleading gaze up to her. "Get your boyfriend off of…whoa…" Forgetting that he was in the middle of a fight, he stared at Alex, his mouth hanging open.
"Mikey?" Raph questioned, sitting up and looking at his younger brother in confusion. "Hey…you okay bro?" When the orange-masked turtle said nothing and only continued with his blatant staring, Raph followed his gaze to where Alex stood and his heart lurched into his throat. "Holy shit," he muttered, incapable of managing much more than that.
It was at that moment, with the two males staring at her with such obvious interest, that Alex remembered she was standing before them in nothing more than her costume for the first act. A costume of which consisted of a pair of dark blue, satin underwear that were made to look like the skimpiest shorts in existence, and a matching corset bodice, embroidered with fragile black vines. Laughing, she crossed her hands over her chest, unashamed of her current state of dress. She had preformed in front of a few too many people over the past week to actually care if two of her friends saw her in it. "What's wrong guys?" She asked with feigned innocence.
"You look…really good Alex," Mike said, never taking his eyes from her as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "You know, you could just stay home with us tonight and walk around in nothin' but that. You've got an understudy right?"
"Out Mikey," Raph abruptly demanded as he got to his feet. He couldn't stop staring at her. All week he'd been avoiding getting too close to her, afraid that if things went any further than they had in the dojo the other day, their relationship (which was pretty much perfect in his eyes) might suffer. She might find him lacking or he might not even be able to please her. His knowledge of sex was pretty damn limited and he'd never even kissed a girl before Alex, let alone slept with one. And it had been difficult keeping his hands off her and sleeping on the couch every night, but he had managed…until now.
As she stood there, wearing almost nothing, the tight rein he had on his lust snapped and he could only think about one thing. One thing that, for sure, did not involve having his younger brother as an audience. "Mikey," he repeated, giving his brother a pointed look.
"Yeah Raph?" Mike regarded him with a knowing grin.
Raph reached down and grabbed the dangling tails of his mask, hauling him to his feet. "No offense bro," he said as he shoved the younger turtle towards the door, "but take a hike."
"You guys are no fun." He left the room sulking but turned around once he was in the hallway to give Raph a thumbs up.
Raph shut the door, biting back a smile. He may have acted like he only had half a brain at most times, but Mike was a lot smarter then anyone gave him credit for.
Turning to face Alex, Raph stared at her for a moment, memorizing how she looked, her loose curls tumbling down her back, her tanned skin glowing in the lamp light, her eyes, burning with need as she stared back at him and then, not able to deny himself any longer, he closed the distance between them and pulled her willing body to his.
Alex opened her mouth, not even sure what she was going to say, and was cut off as his mouth came down on hers. Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she parted her lips for a deeper kiss and was not disappointed. He kissed her with a desperate hunger that brought her body to life and made certain parts of her throb with longing.
When they broke apart, both breathing heavily, Alex cupped Raph's face in her hands. "Oh sweetie…where have you been?" she whispered.
His lips moved to her neck and she dropped her head back, eliciting a soft moan of pleasure.
"Sorry," he murmured as he left a trail of hot kissed down the column of her neck, pulling her towards the bed. "Too busy being an idiot."
Surrounded by the hazy fog of passion, Alex didn't even realize where he was taking her until she was actually on the bed and his body was pressed against hers. "Raph…honey," she said between kisses, "we can't do this right now."
"Sure we can. Like Mikey said, you've got an under study."
"But I'm performing for you guys tonight." She pushed him away or rather tried to push him away, only succeeding in causing him to double his efforts to keep her in bed. "Raph, come on," she tried again. Finally he gave in, rolling off of her with a pained groan.
"Poor baby," Alex murmured. She turned onto her side to face him, laying a hand on his cheek. "Tell you what, how about we pick up where we left off later tonight when we get back. That is," she leaned close to him, brushing her lips across his as she spoke, "if you're not sleeping on the couch again."
"Sorry 'bout that," he said, smiling sheepishly as he tried to control his breathing, "I was just-."
She kissed him then, slowly, seductively, her tongue coaxing a deep moan from his throat. When she pulled away they were both trembling with the force of their intense need. "I don't need to know why Raphael. Just promise me you wont do it again."
Taking her hand, he lifted it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the knuckles. "I promise."
"Good. Now, up." She left the bed, grabbing a pair of jeans from the back of a folding chair beside her dresser and pulling them up. "I've got twenty minutes to get ready and get my ass to the theater."
"I'd kinda just like to sit here and watch that ass of yours get ready babe."
Alex smiled at him over her shoulder. "Okay. I'll be done in a few minutes."
Putting his hands behind his head, Raph's lazy gaze followed Alex as she pulled a comb through her wavy blond hair and applied the rest of her stage makeup. Watching her gave him a wonderful sense of peace, one he'd never experienced before and at the same time, made him want her even more then he already did. There was something strangely intimate about lying there and observing her as she did such feminine things.
Turning around while slipping a pair of large, tear drop shaped rhinestone earrings in her ears, Alex was mildly amused to see him watching her so closely. "What?" she asked.
Shaking his head, Raph got up and crossed the room to where she stood. "You look really good hun," he murmured, kissing her lightly. "And yer not leavin' this room without a shirt…and your coat."
"When did you become so protective?" she asked, laughing as she grabbed a bulky sweater hanging from an open drawer of her dresser and pulled it on over her low cut bodice.
"Since you started dressin' like that." He waited for her to pack up the rest of her things and then walked with her out to the living room. His brothers were all waiting, disguised and sitting around the TV, watching a hockey game. And sitting on the coffee table well out of anyone's direct view was a beautiful, sandblasted vase, holding what had to be at least a dozen calla lilies.
"Oh my," Alex breathed upon seeing the flowers. Hearing the tiny cry of approval the three on the couch looked up, smiling when they saw a teary eyed Alex standing beside Raphael, her hand covering her gaping mouth.
"See guys, told ya she'd like 'em," Mike said smugly.
Ignoring his younger brother, Leo got up and came around the couch to stand in front of her. "We know you're supposed to give flowers to someone after a performance but we can't really do that," he said," and since roses didn't exactly say enough we all decided on these. They're simple, but also beautiful, elegant, and graceful…like you Alex."
By this time Mike and Don had joined their oldest brother, standing on either side of him and all she could do was stare at them in amazement. If she was crying, she honestly did not care. Never, in her life, had anyone given her such a romantic and thoughtful gesture. Unable to manage any words past the lump forming in her throat, Alex lifted her arms and Leo walked into them, hugging her tightly.
"Thank you so much," she whispered, kissing his cheek.
Blushing from the attention and well aware that Raph may hit him if he lingered any further, Leo pulled back. "It wasn't just me." He moved aside, allowing Mike and Don to receive the same treatment. Once everyone had gotten a hug and kiss, Alex dashed the tears from her face with the back of her hand, careful to avoid smudging her thick stage makeup. "I think you guys just brought romance to a whole new level."
"Yeah, Raph's not the only one who can do it," Mike boasted.
"My child, you should go now before you are late."
Turning towards the sound of the aged, papery voice, Alex smiled warmly as she watched Splinter approach them. He leaned heavily on his cane, the cold weather affecting his limbs and slowing his movement. "Sensei," she murmured, quickly going to him, "I would have come to you."
He waved a hand, dismissing the very idea. "Nonsense. It is good for one to exercise and defy the restrictions the cold weather puts upon them. Besides, I wish to give you something before you leave." Reaching into the pocket of his worn robes, he withdrew a tiny silver chain. From it dangled three tiny symbols, each one attached to the bottom of the one above it. They'd been polished to a high sheen, reflecting the light much like a mirror would.
Alex stared at it, mesmerized by its beauty. "What does it say?"
Splinter pointed to each symbol as he translated its meaning. "Love, Faith, Family." Giving the necklace to Raph, he took Alex's hand. "It will bring you luck, although from what I have heard, you do not need it."
She waited for Raph to put the necklace around her neck and then leaned forward, giving the old rat a gentle hug. "It's beautiful. Thank you Master Splinter." As she did with his sons, she placed a soft kiss atop his furry head.
Splinter smiled and patted her hand, very much pleased by her reaction to his gift. "Go child. You will be late," he murmured finally, releasing her hand.
They all said good bye, reassuring him they wouldn't be out too late and left the lair, their voices and laughter fading as they moved further into the dark sewer tunnels.
When at last there was silence, Splinter hung his head, releasing a deep sigh. There was something in the air, something that reeked of danger. Folding his hands over the top of his cane, he closed his eyes, searching for peace, searching for a hope that his children would be safe. When he found none, he did the only thing left to do. He prayed. "Keep my children safe. Let them all return home to me tonight," he murmured before turning and retreating to his subway car sanctuary. He would spend the rest of his evening in deep meditation.
*~*~*~*
Raphael shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was, what Mikey liked to call "being fidgety," but so were the rest of his brothers. They had never been in such close proximity with so many people before and weren't exactly adjusting to the situation very well. "I wish they'd turn off the damn lights," he muttered irritably, trying to sink further into his chair.
Beside him, doing the exact same thing, Donatello eyed the crowd warily, watching the seats fill up. In the pit the orchestra began warming up, the warbling, off-key notes carrying over the din of the crowd. "It should be soon. Looks like the last of the seats are being filled." He dared to lean forward, looking over the side of the balcony to confirm his statement.
"I hope it's soon," Michelangelo said from the other side of Raph. "This is unnerving."
Next to Don, Leonardo pulled the hood of his sweater lower over his eyes, not enjoying the feeling of anxiety that seemed to be building between his shoulder blades and slowly working its way outward. "I sure hope this is worth it."
"Trust me Leo, it is," Mike quickly assured him.
The lights of the theater dimmed and the four turtles heaved a collective sigh of relieve. "Much better," Raph intoned, glad that he was finally able to relax.
Silence fell and on stage a man with black hair, dressed in a formal tuxedo, emerged from the folds of the crimson curtains. He lifted his voice in a sad melody accompanied by only a lone violin. His song told the tale of a young man, a child of the Revolution, a true romantic with a dream. As the last note drifted away the music picked up tempo and the song "Lady Marmalade" came pouring from speakers mounted around the theater as the curtains swept open, revealing the set of what was obviously a gentleman's club and over a dozen singing, scantily clad courtesans.
"See Leo," Mike called out over the music, "told you it was worth it!"
When that song came to an end all of the lights went out, save for one; a spotlight. And in the middle of that spotlight, wearing the outfit that had sent Raph right over the edge was Alex. She sat on a swing suspended from the scaffolding, head bent, legs crossed demurely. Ever so slowly, she lifted her head. Her bright blue eyes met Raph's and she smiled at him, sparing a quick wink before she began singing.
Fully relaxing in his seat, Raph folded his hands over his chest, a goofy smile curving his lips as he watched Alex play the sexy, seductive courtesan. As the play carried on though, he found himself being drawn in by it. Everyone around him disappeared and Alex became the free spirited Satine. There was a moment or two of jealousy during certain romantic scenes between Satine and Christian and one instance when Mike actually had to grab his arm to keep him in his seat when the man playing the part of the Duke attacked Alex, but for the most part Raph remained a passive spectator, much to the surprise of his brothers.
By the end of the play he was so wrapped up in the performance that he forgot it wasn't real and when it came time for the beautiful Satine to die the scene was so touching and so heartbreaking that he couldn't stop a few tears from making their way down his face. Thankfully no one noticed. They were all too busy crying themselves. Mike made no secret of it what so ever, sniffling loudly and wiping the sleeve of his sweater over his face.
When the lights came on again, Raph had gained control of his emotions and scrubbed away any evidence of his very rare poignant moment. On stage Alex was accepting flowers along with the rest of the cast as she bowed and smiled at the audience. He wanted to get to her. That ending scene had been a little too realistic for his tastes and all he wanted to do right now was hold her, reassure himself that she was okay. "Hey, you guys wanna go back stage and surprise her?" he asked his brothers as he stood and sluggishly stretched his arms above his head.
Leo stood, shoulders hunched, his hood still pulled very low over his eyes. "Can we do that?"
"Who's gonna stop us Leo?"
"I think we should. Then we'll be able to get her home faster," Mike said. "I don't think she wants to be around all of those people for much longer then she has to anyway."
Keeping their heads bent the four turtles made their way through the crowd and bask stage.
Alex sat in the dressing room, the giddy chatter of her fellow cast members flowing around her. She stood the shrill sound as best she could as she removed her makeup and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. God, she wanted to get the hell out of here. The last night had been great, she felt better about it then she had about any of her other performances but now that it was over she just wanted to get home. Well, get home and into bed with Raphael. A smirk played at her lips as she allowed her mind to entertain images of what could possibly happen tonight.
So immersed in her own sinful thoughts, Alex hardly noticed when the willowy red head Marquette sauntered in and addressed the other women in the small room, asking that they leave. They all filed out, some casting interested glances at the blonde sitting across the room, the one who said little but performed big. Once all of them were gone, Marquette watched Alex for a moment, cocking her head curiously to the side. The young woman was thinking about something…or someone maybe? Perhaps one of those freaks she insisted on keeping company with. Smirking, Marquette closed the door.
The small slam brought Alex into an alert state and she whipped around, forcing a smile to her lips when she saw Marquette standing in front of the door. "Hello," she murmured politely.
"Hello Alex," the older woman replied with a smile that never reached her eyes. In her hands she carried two fluted wine glasses and a bottle of champagne. "You did very well tonight. Much better than any of your other performances. I must say, it has been a pleasure working with such talent."
Alex blushed, uneasy with the praise. "Well thank you, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of the directors."
Marquette laughed lightly, tossing her long flowing mane of hair over her shoulder and walking slowly across the room, her plain black dress with its tiny spaghetti straps flowing like dark mist around her legs with each step. "You had the talent all along dear. It just needed on opening in which to release it. That is all we provided for you."
Setting the wine glasses on the long, mirrored counter top among the discarded tubes of lipstick and open compacts of blush and eye shadow, Marquette easily worked the cork free from the bottle of champagne. "Would you join me in a toast?" she asked, lifting a brow in a questioning arc.
"Um…sure," Alex replied, a shiver of anxiety working its way up her spine. She attempted to look busy as she waited for Marquette to pour the champagne, putting her things in her bag and hoping the other woman would assume that she needed to be somewhere and leave quickly. Instead she walked up to her, handing her a glass of champagne with what seemed like a friendly smile. Alex accepted it. What else could she do? She wasn't the type of person to be impolite.
"A toast," Marquette murmured, lifting her glass, "to a wonderful actress. May her power bring her far in this world."
The word power set off a tiny alarm in the younger woman's head. She ignored it though, touching her glass to Marquette's and taking a healthy sip of the amber liquid. It burned down her throat, settling warmly in her stomach. Another sip, another…and the champagne was gone. She could finally leave. "Thank you Marquette but if you'll excuse me, I really have to get going. My friends are waiting for me."
She stood and a tidal wave of dizziness swept over her. Grabbing the counter to keep from falling, Alex looked up at the older woman. She was smiling, an evil smile that transformed her beautiful face into something sinister and hideous.
"Is something the matter dear?" Marquette asked innocently, downing the contents of her own glass.
Alex shook her head. Something wasn't right here. She had drank before and although it was never much she knew that alcohol did not have this kind of effect on people. "Wha…what did you do?" Her voice came out hollow and sounded far off. "What did you put in it?"
"So suspicious Alexandria. What would make you think I would ever purposely harm you? Don't you think she's being a bit irrational, dear brother?"
From a small folding screen across the room stepped someone all to familiar to Alex. Dread crept into her heart, increasing as the speed of her pulse did. "No…" she whispered, tears collecting in her clouded eyes.
"What's the matter sweetie? Not happy to see me?" Danny asked, walking up to her. He wore nothing but black, reflecting the true color of his soul. "Damn, you sure do look beautiful tonight." He ran a fingertip from her temple to her chin, his grin widening as the finger dipped lower, tracing the mark he had left upon her. "Have you missed me?"
Alex shuddered with revulsion, feeling the bile rise in her throat. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening! She tried to jerk away from his touch but the slightest movement brought on a sick dizziness and left her feeling weak. "Asshole," she growled, angry tears burning their way down her cheeks as she glared at the man she hated with all of her being.
"That's not a very nice thing to say Alex. Oh, by the way, have you met my sister Marquette?" Laughing at the way the blond's eyes widened, Danny dropped his hand to his side and stared adoringly at his older sister. "You would think you would have noticed the similarities. I mean, you did sleep with me. You knew me well enough to see the resemblance Alex. Unless, of course, you didn't want to see." He looked at her once more, his gaze narrowing. "Marquette is the one person that wants my Master back more than I do. You see, she was his mistress. And tonight you will bring him back. Marquette," he said, now addressing his sister, "do you have your men ready in the back."
"Of course Danny. I wouldn't botch something like this. Not when it involves the life of the man I love," she murmured.
Alex closed her eyes as another wave of nauseous lightheadedness claimed her. They were all insane! Marquette for being fool enough to sleep with a monster, Danny for being obsessed with the man. She wanted to get away but she knew she couldn't. Whatever Marquette had drugged her with was working fast.
Suddenly a knock sounded at the door and a voice called out Alex's name. Relief flooded through her and with the last ounce of her vocal strength she yelled for help. Not even a second later the door burst open, slamming loudly against the wall. Standing in the doorway, his dark eyes alight with fury and his sais clutched in his hands, was Raphael. "Get the fuck away from her if you know what's good for ya kid," he snarled.
Weaponless and outnumbered, Danny knew he was in a loosing situation yet again. With a growl of absolute frustration he did the only thing he could think of doing. He grabbed Alex by the shoulders and shoved her towards the enraged turtle. The moment the attention was off him he grabbed Marquette's hand and quickly shoved his way past the turtles. He was in the crowd before they could even think about stopping him.
"Someone should follow him," Leo said, watching the retreating back of the young red head and his sister.
"Why bother?" Don asked. "It's not like they have any other way of getting to Alex. This was it for them." He turned his concerned gaze to where Alex lay in Raph's protective embrace. "We have more important things to worry about right now."
Leo nodded and went to Raph, kneeling beside him. "How is she?"
"Hardly even here," Raph muttered, his voice trembling suspiciously. "They drugged her."
"Can you carry her back to the lair?"
Raph nodded. "Yeah. Back way?" At Leo's nod of confirmation, Raph picked Alex up, cradling her limp body in his arms. She groaned softly, her brows drawing together in a frown. "We'll get ya home babe. Just hang tight okay?" he murmured.
Don made sure the way was more or less clear as Mike collected Alex's things and draped her coat over her unconscious form. When the hall was clear enough they made their way towards the back door and out into the alley.
"Get back," Leo immediately demanded, holding out an arm and moving into the shadows. All four turtles pressed as far back against the walls as they could, watching a foot ninja pace back and forth behind a black van. "Okay, other way," the oldest turtle whispered. They fell back, heading in the other direction. Finding a manhole was the easy part. Getting Alex down it proved to be slightly harder, but they managed and headed back for the safety of their home.
*~*~*~*
A sigh, one of only many he had emitted since returning home, escaped Raph's lips. He leaned back against the couch, watching the TV with unseeing eyes as a sick feeling churned in his stomach. God, he felt helpless right now. They'd been home for hours and Don had gone to his lab right away, coming back and announcing that the drug making its course through Alex was a mild sedative that would wear off in a few hours and had no harmful side effects. A small relief.
They had left her in her room, laying sound asleep in her bed, and the four brothers had gathered in the living room for a long, overdue discussion. They had to figure out what Danny wanted from Alex and the one of them who did know wasn't talking. He had sat there, knowing all along what was behind the young mans determination but unable to tell his brothers any of it. He'd made a promise to her and he intended to keep it.
Finally, well after 1 a.m. his brothers had gone to sleep, leaving him alone in the living room where he could finally admit to himself that he was terrified. They'd almost taken her tonight. What would he have done if they succeeded? He couldn't even begin to imagine how deeply affected he'd be. She was the one thing in his life that he understood, the one thing that brought him joy…well, in a healthy manner anyway. He could picture his life without her about as easily as he could picture being without his brothers.
Flipping mindlessly through the channels, he wondered if she was truly okay. Seeing Danny again must have been a shock for her. Was she sleeping easily or did the man haunt her dreams?
As it turned out, Alex was not sleeping at all. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, letting the fright from earlier ebb away. She didn't want to think about it anymore. It had happened and her hero's had been there for her, rescuing her yet again. It was over and she was thankful for that. She was safe…but she was alone.
"He's out on the couch again," she murmured into the silence. It wasn't fair. He had promised her that he would share her bed tonight and right now she needed him. She needed him to hold her. She needed to feel his strong arms around her. So do something about it, her mind snapped, quit laying here and do something about it.
Sitting up, she pressed a palm to her head, experiencing a tiny head rush. The last of the drug was moving through her system. It was, for the most part gone now. Only a lingering headache remained, reminding her of the fact that she had been sedated. She slowly pushed herself up, taking everything a step at a time. It took several dizzying minutes but finally she was able to stand on her own feet without having to hold onto anything. She pulled off the t-shirt she wore and unbuttoned her jeans, pushing them down and stepping out of them. Next came her bra, leaving her in only a pair of flimsy lace panties.
Perfect, she thought, picking up a blanket and wrapping it around herself. If this didn't work there was something seriously wrong with the guy.
Raphael, after coming across one too many sci-fi horror flicks, snorted in disgust and turned off the TV, laying his head back against the couch. The silence surrounded him, beckoning him to sleep, to rest his troubled mind, but he knew that would not happen, not tonight anyway. Not when he was this worked up.
The sound of feet padding across the floor caught his attention and he turned his head to the side. Alex stared back at him from the end of the couch, her eyes questioning, her hair spilling in loose waves over her shoulders. She looked like a little lost child, standing there wrapped in a blanket. "Hey," he murmured softly, sitting up. "You feelin' okay?"
She nodded, her eyes drifting close momentarily. "Why are you out here?"
He shrugged. "Watchin' TV."
"It's not even on Raph." She gave him a tired smile. "You promised."
"I know I did."
"You said you weren't going to sleep on the couch."
"I know…but I didn't think-."
Not waiting for him to finish, Alex moved around the couch to stand before him. Don't back out now. She held out a hand to him and after a moment's hesitation he took it and stood. "Alex…"
"No," she murmured, placing a hand over his mouth. "Just hold me Raph. Please?"
He would have been insane to turn her away, especially when holding her was the one thing he needed to do right now. Not wanted…needed. Something about being in her arms calmed him. He wasn't sure what, but he didn't really care. Finding a gap in the blanket he slid his arms underneath it and wrapped his arms around her as she lifted her arms, wrapping them around his neck, cloaking them both in the warm confines of the blanket.
Somewhere in that moment Raph's brain started to work normally again and he realized that there was absolutely no clothing between them. "Whoa…Alex," He started to move back but she held him where he was, leaning back only far enough to look at him with that coy smile on her full, pink lips.
"You made a promise…and I've waited long enough Raphael. I want you in my bed, with me…tonight. And trust me when I say sleeping is not what I intend to do. Well, not until later anyway."
He swallowed hard, his tongue and throat suddenly dry. He wanted to tell her not tonight, not when she'd had such a scare but the fact that she was holding him and wearing next to nothing made that impossible.
"Come with me sweetie," she whispered, her eyes now filled with a seductive, mischievous glint.
"Ya know…for someone who just went through what you did…you're not actin' the way I thought you would."
Alex sighed. "Raph, there's nothing I can do about what happened. All I can do is be thankful that you were there in time to save me. And now…I want to show you how thankful I am. Please, let it go and come with me?"
He gave in right then and there, a grin taking the place of his frown. "How exactly am I supposed to say no to this, huh?" he asked, moving a hand down her back. "Pretty damn convincing Alex."
"I thought it would work," she murmured with a husky laugh. Walking backwards, she pulled him towards the hallway, intent on getting him to the bedroom. They made it half way down the hallway before giving into what they had been denying themselves for so long. Raph pushed Alex up against the wall and kissed her, his hands gripping her hips as he slipped into something far more intense, far more intimate than anything they had shared before. The need for more was overpowering, driving them both into frenzy, clawing away at them.
"Raph…bedroom," Alex gasped when he finally released her lips and moved to her neck.
"Yup, got it," he muttered back, causing her to laugh. They gracelessly made it to her bedroom and that's when Alex dropped the blanket, smiled at his hungry expression and said with a throaty purr, "Raph honey, close the door."