His True Love

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonian.

Chapter Thirty Two – The Pain of Romance.

RAPHAEL:

 With only three days to the court case to go and suddenly almost all of Red's people disappeared off the streets. We all found this rather unsettling when we were doing our patrols and I was just as glad Sara wasn't on the streets.

When Sara went into the police office to be prepped for the case she found out why.

The police had been picking up as much evidence as possible on all of Red's illegal procedures and dealings. They had an undercover agent who had been retrieving all kinds of information that would not only back up what Sara said in court but also allow the police to put him away for much longer. The undercover agent had even obtained information on the hits made on Sara's life.

The police had gone to the judge and demanded that extra charges be brought and they were unwilling to plea bargain in any way. The officers knew that might put the case back a bit while Red's lawyers now had to scramble to keep him afloat. They would have their work cut out for them.

Still they hadn't heard any thing from Red's lawyers as of yet and so they were still acting like the case was a go.

" So I'm safe and can go back to work," Sara announced gleefully after filling me in on the details.

" Don't count on it. Some of Red's people might have gotten away and they will be gunning for you even worse then before. They know you sold them out and brought all the extra unwanted attention on them" I cautioned her " they are still hurting and they will want their revenge for it. Your life is still in danger."

She sighed and grumbled but I put my foot down and let her know that this was one time I would not give in to her.

True to my word I broke up drug deals and gave her the money to help towards her schooling. It might not have been all that honest but it wasn't the first time we had done such a thing to get by with either.

Besides it was the safest way that I knew of to protect Sara as long as she had good money being handed to her she wouldn't have to hit the streets and earn it. Since I didn't much care for her resorting to hooking for a living, it provided me a chance to keep her away from it that she couldn't exactly argue over.

I know I hadn't known Sara for a great deal of time as of yet but it didn't really matter to me. I was sure that she was the only person for me.

Part of ninjitsu was trusting in your instincts and hunches. I knew that. I was also highly aware of my impulsive nature quick to act and not think things through, which is how I often ended up getting my brothers into problems in battle. I'd do my thing instead of following orders.

I wasn't quite sure which of those elements were governing me now, but I couldn't escape the feeling that I had to prove how serious I was for Sara. True to my nature I was ready to follow through on those feelings only problem was I wasn't quite sure how to go about it.

 I wasn't even too sure of who I could talk to about this that might provide me with a sufficient answer without attempting to tease the hell out of me for it. Splinter and I always seemed to have our disagreements and I could never get over he feeling that no matter what I was a big disappointment to my sensei. It would be too difficult not to mention damn embarrassing to go to him.

Leo was also out of the question. It didn't matter that the two of us were getting along better then we had in our teens he could still be a royal pain in the nether regions.

Karena, I finally decided had to be my best choice after all who could understand woman better then another woman. I highly respected Leo's wife and she wasn't the sort to tease me about the whole situation the way Mike would.

Karena was definitely the better half of the couple at least in my books. She was the only one capable of pulling Leo from his chores and duties of the clan, hours of workouts and meditation to concentrate on the really meaningful things of life. Fact is Leo had only learned after he got married that there was a life outside of ninjitsu.

Karena was busy with the twins Aiden, and Kaliann in the playground I entered just as Aiden swung a handful of sand into Kali's face for no apparent reason then she was there and why not?

" Aiden!" Karena snapped her tone sharp and scolding.

" NO!" Aiden yelled toward his mom. He knew what was coming and he was going to protest it right away.

I moved over to the sandbox and glowered down at the two year old " No back talk and no fits just get your butt over into the corner before I kick it there" I growled.

Aiden gulped and opted to hide behind his sister for protection but Karena scooped him up and packed the now submissive turtle to the corner.

Aiden might look like Leo but he sure didn't act like his dad all that much.

I cleaned off Kali's face brushing the sand out of her blond curls and off her face before she got some in her eyes.
Karena smiled " You came just in time Aiden listens to you if only because you scare him with your posturing."

I chuckled " Hey he is quite willing to play with Uncle Raph and rough house so he can't be that frightened of me."

" True but when you go to discipline him he listens instead of fighting over it the way does with Leo and I both."

" No prob Karena." I assured her wondering how I could approach the subject at hand without coming off looking like a complete idiot. Something I didn't really need.

Karena glanced my way " So how are you and Sara getting along Raph?"

I shrugged indifferently " Al'ight" I muttered. Not really caring to expand on that. Sometimes I had the hardest problem talking over what was really on my mind. I was more into going out and doing then standing around and talking things to death the way Leo did.

Mike understood that and that was part of the reason we got along so well was he knew that if and when I wanted to talk I would and he also knew what I didn't say. But Karena after being with us for three years or so had a fairly good grasp of all of us mutants so it wasn't all that big of a surprise when she glanced my way and nodded.

" Let's see if Mike wants to look after the twin terrors for a bit," she suggested.

" Aiden happens to be the only terror" I replied.

" Yes but he pulls enough for both him and Kali." Karena laughed.

A few minutes later Mike had the twins busy helping him mix up a batch of cookies while Karena and I left to find some quiet spot to talk without being disturbed.

" You getting serious about Sara? Karena asked me simply.

" I'd like to just not sure exactly how to go about it" I admitted. Hell not even my relationship with Shay had been any thing all that serious, I was too young to know what serious was at that time and she was used to giving her body to whoever for money for food, drugs, alcohol. It probably didn't mean much to her when she gave me what she did. But it meant a lot to me at that time. It had been a relationship built mainly on sex alone.

This was different though hell, I was older and I knew more what I wanted for one thing even if I didn't know the first thing about how to obtain it.

" Well you have all ready showed her that you care for her Raph and there does seem to be a certain mutual attraction between you two and that is good for a start" Karena agreed, " But now if you want to go further you have to give her something that no one else can at the moment."

We entered a spare bedroom and Karena sat down on the single bed while I leaned against the battered dresser.

I arched my eye ridges at her " What pray tell would that be Karena?"

" Simple Raph just romance her a bit" Karena replied, " her clients don't need to romance her they pay her for the privilege of getting down to business" Karena explained " You can offer her romance and show her that it isn't necessarily her body that your interested in."

" Who says?" I growled.

Karena rolled her eyes " Her body might be one thing but it can't be everything and from what I've seen it isn't her body that first got you looking her way to start with."

" I don't do romance. Know next to nothing about it," I grumbled.

" Well then you might have to learn either that or lose Sara. I'm sure that girl has had more then her share of putting out. Maybe she wouldn't mind someone putting out for her." Karena shuddered a little bit " I don't know how she does it Raph. I could never do that. Maybe what she needs is someone to make her feel like the woman she really is instead of something to be used."

" I don't know Karena" I scowled.

" Look you don't have to do a lot of it Raph. A little can go a long way and I'm sure Sara will realize it isn't in your nature to do that sort of thing and she will appreciate it more." Karena countered logically.

I crossed my arms over my plastron, my back stiff and straight as I glowered at her.

" Oh don't go giving me that look Raph or I will have Leo come after you" She smirked, " remember you did come to me here not the other way around."

I exhaled and relaxed my stance a bit and she shook her head.

Karena chuckled a bit " look all romance is, is a way of saying you care about someone. You took the time to do something special for them because you do love them. Guys often have problems with the romance things and a good many of them have to be taught."

" What about woman don't they romance guys?"

" Well yeah we do, But in different ways. A woman likes the intimacy of a candlelit dinner a guy is more interested in the food or the game on TV. A guy might enjoy that slinky negligee his wife wears for him. The fact is we woman have ways of showing men that we care without getting into romance."

" Ah ha" I felt I had her there.

" Men don't respond to romance the way woman do. The things that appeal to a female isn't going to appeal to the heterosexual male." Karena declared. " If you put your self out for her she will realize that you do care for her a great deal. She will think you aren't afraid to show your feelings and your sensitive …"

" Like HELL!" I snapped.

Karena gave a slow rueful shake of her head her blond hair flapping about slightly as she did so " Raph what are we going to do about you?" She tsked, " face it Raph for Sara uncouth is easy to come by some guy who is willing to cater to her needs and puts her first is going make an impression. You won't regret it and neither will she."

Karena sat back on the bed and gave me a sly look out of her green eyes " It comes down to sacrificing a little now to get a worthy payoff later. Do you want to sacrifice Sara or some of that attitude of yours Raph?"

"Listen I don't dance, I can't handle watching those mushy romance movies."

Karena sighed wearily " You can be so impossible Raph" her tone was bordering on irritation " I well recall the time you tossed a sai into the VCR during Sleepless In Seattle."

" It was a boring movie I was putting it out of its misery and out of mine" I shot back.

Karena scowled her brow furrowed as she watched me out of narrowed eyes " Leo once told me that you once memorized large portions of Shakespeare, poems and other parts of literature as well."

" Yeah so?" I demanded " we all had to do it Splinter insisted on us having an understanding of literature. He also felt that memorizing would help us for other things in ninjitsu later."

" Fine you must know some poetry or something from all that which you can use and if you can't say it to her write it out for her in a letter, get Mike to make a special dinner for the two of you alone. Give her a nice massage to help her relax with all your training you ought to know how to manage that much" She remarked in a slightly biting way.

I groaned this was going be way harder then I had first expected that was for sure. In fact it could be the greatest mission I had ever embarked on and knowing how romantically challenged I was I had a feeling I was going to fail miserably.

About all this romance venture would get me was a chance to embarrass myself and, or, the loss of Sara. At the moment I didn't know which of the two would be worse.

I grunted pessimistically " I might as well give it up right now I don't stand a chance."

Karena rose from the bed " That is your choice alone Raph" she stated blatantly before turning to leave. She paused at the door way " Sometimes being in love means you put yourself out to do things that don't come natural and you might not enjoy and sometimes you might look like a fool because of it but in the end if it works what does it matter?" She asked. " Stop and think Raph Sara might not find it natural to live in a sewer, or to keep things hidden from friends and coworkers. It might not be enjoyable giving up the things she will have to topside to be with you. What are you going to give her in return for all of that?"

I looked at her " You ever feel that way with Leo?"

She smiled " It was the hardest the first bit but Leo did make it worthwhile. You want to talk embarrassing my Japanese was never that great" she laughed at her own words. " Think about it Raph" she encouraged.

Then she left leaving me alone in the room with my thoughts and the task of trying to come to a decision that wasn't all that easy for me to make.

TBC