The Cat.

Just to warn you guys there's a slight jump forward in time from the last one, but only by a few weeks.

Chapter 9: Prey.

Nikki walked into her apartment with Tia and her newest roommate, Chrissy in tow. She let them walk past her and they went to their own rooms. All this was done in silence, each of them had had the feeling that they were being followed recently, Christina was sure she had even seen a guy watching her, but as of yet who ever it was hadn't done anything. Even her parents who were still over from LA making sure she was definitely all right and making sure that all the legalities of Chrissy staying with them were above bored were convinced they were being watched. Nikki sighed and made her way to her own room, she shut the door behind her, headed for her shower and proceeded to undress.

"Hey nice ta see you too!" She spun round in nothing but her bra and skirt and put her hands on her hips.

"Very funny Raph!" She glared at him feigning annoyance, then smiled and went over to the turtle laying on the bed with his arms behind his head. Raph sat up as she leaned down and slipped his arms around her as she kissed him, "Leo on the roof?"

"Yeah." He replied huffily, it had been three weeks since they'd returned to New York and he'd near enough recovered but he still got out of breath relatively easily so Splinter only allowed Raph topside if one of his brother's was with him.

"He got over it yet?"

"Got over what?" Tia's voice came from the door, Nikki gave her a look for intruding but beckoned for her to come in.

"Why don't you tell her Raph," she said getting up, "I'll go have my shower."

"Well?!" Tia prompted when Raph simply stared over at the now closed door to Nikki's bathroom.

"Oh uh, well that morning before she came back here we uh were kinda havin well. . . " he paused trying to think of the right words, "moments ya know?" She nodded her understanding and carried on, "each time though we'd get so close only just before we kissed some one would interrupt us, well Nik an I got kinda peeved about this but what could we do? Anyways, she came in ta say goodbye and again every one showed up just in the nick of time, but she just shrugged an kissed me anyway," he paused again remembering the look on his family's faces, "It was hilarious, ya should have seen Leo's face, priceless."

"You should have seen his face," Nikki yelled from the shower, "it nearly matched his bandana!" Tia suppressed a giggle when Raph's cheeks flushed for a moment.

"Then she walked out and declared she was goin home." Raph finished.

"OOH, you guys sound like you have fun at you're place."

"You don't know the half of it." Raph replied. He looked over as he heard the door to the shower open again and watched as Nikki walked out in a white towel robe, her hair wrapped up in a normal towel.

"Do you guys mind, I have to get ready."

"I don't mind," said Raphael suggestively, Tia stood up, rolled her eyes and resisted tugging at the turtles bandana ends, but decided against it. It looked like it was only her that Nikki minded in the room anyway. Raph watched Tia leave and looked over at Nikki, "So it's your parents last night in the big apple tonight huh?"

"Yeah, I kinda wish they could stay but they're working on some big project in LA and until that's done they can't even consider moving the main base of the business back to New York." Nikki sighed looking at herself in the mirror, "They're always so busy, I sometimes feel like I barely know them." Raph got up and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his beak into her neck he kissed her, causing her to smile.

"I've seen you around them, they love ya Nik."

"I know but I wouldn't mind seeing what it would be like if we were an ordinary family for a change where I know I'll see them at certain times of the day." She leaned into his embrace a little more enjoying his comforting touch, "What am I doing, Raph you're going to make me late!" She pulled out of his arms and started to rush around the room picking up all sorts of things he definitely classed as 'girl's stuff'. She started to dry her hair, he watched for a while but then flopped back down on the bed shaking his head and turned on the TV opposite, flicking through the channels he settled for an action flick and started to watch. He was just getting into the movie when; "There what do you think?"

"Talk about askin' a stupid question!" he thought as he looked at her. She had her hair tied loosely at the back with a section hanging down the right hand side of her face, she wore a short, black, strapless dress with long black gloves and heeled shoes and in his honest opinion she looked drop dead gorgeous, he got up and kissed her, "Gorgeous Nik, just beautiful!"

"Raph you'll smudge my lipstick," she joked trying to hide the blush she could feel coming to her cheeks.

"Nikki, you're folks are here!" Tia yelled from the other room.

"Come and meet them for real Raph." Nikki pleaded as she move closer to him, one hand in his left hand and the other resting on his plastron.

"I don't know Nik, it feels safer just seein' you with them through the window."

"Pleeeease?" Nikki pouted and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"You do know you look like a kitten and not a cat when you do that right?" he said smirking, earning a smack on the arm, "all right but don't expect me to say too much and if Leo finds out it's you're fault."

"Yes sir." she saluted him and clicked her heels together, they stole one last kiss and walked into the living room hand in hand. Nikki's parents were a tall couple that looked very dissimilar to their daughter, but he already knew she was adopted so there was no shock there, her mother was tall with brown hair tied into a knot at the back she was wearing a suit with a skirt in black, her father was also tall and very skinny with black hair that was turning gray in places, he wore glasses and a navy pin striped suit.

"Hello young man, you must be Raphael," Nikki's mother said in a gentle voice, holding out her hand for him to take.

"Uh hi." He shook her hand and felt himself freeze up, not having a clue how to act around a girlfriend's parents and thinking that it was just as awkward as the films made it look.

"No need to worry lad," her father said in a Scottish accent, "Eileen and me know all about ye."

"Yes, though we must admit that when she talked of you all those years ago Nigel and I thought you were just her imaginary friend."

"Mom!" Nikki said burying her face in her hands in embarrassment.

"Nikki dear," Eileen looked at her daughter, "I'm afraid you're father will have to leave early tonight to catch the nine thirty plane."

"But I'll be able to stay fer dinner."

"Oh, okay," Nikki tried to hide her disappointment but it didn't go unnoticed by everyone least of all Raph who slipped his hand into hers again. "Will you be able to visit again soon?"

"I'll do me best but this deals takin' longer than I thought."

"You know your father wouldn't miss this unless he had too, but anyway, I've opened Christina a new account and she tells me the cards come through so she's going shopping for some clothes tonight with Tia, Wally's dropping us and he'll stay to take you're father to the airport, then we'll be taking a taxi home, it's all arranged," Eileen glanced at a clock to her left and then at her watch just to be sure, "oh but we'd better be going or we'll be late, it was nice to meet you Raphael, I trust you can lock the balcony door on your way out, goodbye." Raph waved silently as he watched the other occupants leave and then made his way over to the balcony.

"Hey Leo." His brother leapt down to the balcony level.

"About time you've been ages!" Leo crossed his arms and glared as if to prove his point.

Nikki sat and finished her desert, there had been an accident on the road to the airport so Wally had to take her father the long way, meaning Nigel had left after the first coarse.

"I'm just going to the bathroom." Nikki said as she got up, needing to go somewhere more quiet.

"All right, don't be long, or the ice cream will melt completely." Eileen smiled and sighed as she watched her daughter leave, she hated the fact that Nikki came second to the company, but it had to be run and Nigel was so particular. She looked around and noticed that the restaurant was almost empty, it was getting late and the taxi would soon be outside waiting for them. A commotion made her turn around and she barely had time to scream as a bullet connected with her chest.

"You have weird taste girl!" Tia stated as they walked through the latest shop Christina had taken an interest in.

"What I always dressed like this at home, in fact so did my parents when they were alive."

"So uh, are you like a new age traveler type person or what?" Tia asked as she made a face at a mannequin with a medieval – gothic outfit on.

"No not really, my mom was a high priestest." replied Chrissy absently from inside a rack of clothes.

"A what?"

"A high priestest, see I'm a wiccan, sort of like a pagan, we worship the Goddess in her many forms and use the earth to help make things happen, like healing"

"Don't pagans sacrifice people?" Tia asked unconsciously putting a rail between her and Christina.

"No! Of course not!" Christina stood up with a arm full of clothes and headed for the changing room.

"So you do magic?"

"Sometimes, but I prefer to just pray, all that magic was my mom's thing, she was really good at it too, everyone would come to her for good luck charms and blessings, but I preferred to work on my ESP, although I did study herbalism."

"Oh, why don't you do much magic?" Tia asked now leaning against the changing room door and looking out across the shop.

"Well, it's a long story, but I guess I'm a little scared of it," she stepped out of the room in a short dress with a flared skirt and sleeves in a dark blue velvet material, with a low cut v-neck, "Well what do you think?" Tia nodded thinking it did look really pretty on her and the way Raph's two brothers Donnie and Mikey were acting around her they'd be putty in her hands when wearing that dress.

"If you're mom was a top Wiccan lady, then why were you scared?" Tia asked after Chrissy had gone back in to try another outfit, she was a little confused.

"Well that's something I'd rather not talk about, kind of complicated and nasty so. . ." she stopped as she sensed it, pain, "some thing's wrong!"

"What?!"

"We have to go!"

"Why, where, what's going on Christina?" Tia looked at the girl in shock.

"It'll be quicker if I go on ahead, we have to get to Nikki." Christina now back in her own clothes rushed out of the store. Tia looked at the pile that was left on the dressing room floor.

"I guess I'll just pay for the dress I know you like then."

Christina ran out of the shopping complex and into an alley, she had to use her powers the way she used to before but it had been so long that she didn't think she'd be able to mentally hide what she was going to do from passers by like she used to and accomplish it at the same time so she found somewhere secluded. Her ESP flared to life and what looked like little blue bolts of lightening flashed around her body, she concentrated on what she wanted to do and she lifted into the air effectively levitating her body. It took her a few minutes to steady herself but she was soon flying through the air as easily as the Silver sentry. She didn't have time to enjoy it though she had to get to her new family and fast!

BA BA BAAAAAA. Sorry but I have work in the morning and it's now really late, so that's it for now, I hope to get the next one up soon, but I warn you I am the worst romantic ever to set foot on this planet so it could be a little too gushy and depressing for some. Anywho, till next time toodles, Angel.