The Cat.

Chapter 12: Someone Knows!

Raphael woke up in a cold sweat for the third time that night, he sat up and buried his face into his knees and attempted to slow his breath. Nikki may have woken up just a few short hours ago but every time he closed his eyes he saw her dead body lying on the ground, her cold and lifeless eyes staring up at him. He had to see her somehow just to prove to his subconscious that she really was alive, but he knew that his brothers were all watching him like a bunch of hawks and they were constantly telling him it was far too dangerous that and his little vigil had left him suffering from dizzy spells that Donny told him was because of his lack of sleep (Duh!) coupled with the fact that he still wasn't fully recovered from his last injuries. During those two days on the rooftop watching the hospital he went through so many different emotions, for the first part he was just numb until April first came back and told them what was happening, then it hit hit like a ton of bricks, and it was even more important to him that he not leave until she was okay. It was like being on a roller coaster ride of emotions, he went through denial, to anger and then sorrow that made his heart ache so bad he wasn't sure he could take it. When April had told them she'd woken up the day before he almost cried but was too exhausted to do even that, it was then that he'd come to a startling conclusion, to him at least. He looked up to the ceiling of his room and as if somehow she would hear his words;

"I love you Nik," he buried his face in his knees again and started to cry quietly so that his brothers wouldn't hear, "I love you so much!" Unknown to him though one brother had heard him and stood silently outside Raph's door listening and feeling a pang of guilt for the way he'd spoken to Nicole. He had to admit that he was jealous that the red head had captured his brother's heart and she certainly seemed to have feelings for him. He hoped she loved him back and he wished them happiness but a part of him still thought that it wasn't fair that Raphael of all of them could find love before any of them, before him. Leonardo stayed outside the door until his brother's sobs lessened and his breathing slowed, telling him he was once again asleep, he then slipped into the dojo to perform his ritual early morning katas.

Christina walked through the many corridors of the hospital to Nikki's room April had an important job interview today and so she had offered to get news for the guys, not that she minded, Nikki was her friend after all. She walked past a door saying private and something tugged at her mind and she stopped. She looked at the closed door and walked over to it, then she opened her mind and reached out to see if anyone was in there and what it was that had caught her subconscious' attention.

"These aren't normal doctor," said a man's voice, "what do you think it means?"

"I'm not sure but I do know someone who'll pay a lot of money for a chance to study someone like this." Said another voice, a woman's this time.

"But doctor, she'll be missed, she's one of the richest and well known kids in the country!" The man sounded alarmed.

"I wouldn't worry, if they don't want her little secret coming out then they won't say a thing, they'll just let us get on with it. Besides, her blood may cause medical history and I could become rich and famous, who cares if a freak gets messed up in the process?" Christina snapped back to where her body was and ran the last stretch to Nikki's room. Inside Nicole was asleep and Christina walked over to Wally and beckoned him outside.

"What is it girl?" Asked Wally.

"Have those CIA agents left?"

"Yeah yesterday, said Powers' skipped continents, said there was no longer a threat." Wally looked at the distressed girl in front of him and scratched his head, "Why?"

"One of the doctors knows!"

"Knows what?" Christina growled in frustration and glared at him until the older man figured it out, "Oh, ooooh then we have to get her out of here!"

"My point exactly, but how?" Christina face scrunched up with worry and frustration.

"Don't worry miss we'll find a way. You'd better go tell our little green buds." She nodded and turned to leave.

She ran out of the hospital and to the nearest manhole, after she'd made sure the coast was clear she mentally lifted the cover and jumped down then replaced it. Then she used her powers to get back to the lair in the fastest way she knew how, flight.

"Guys!" She yelled as she flew to the door and burst through it, "guys we've got a problem!"

"What's wrong?" Leo looked up from the book he was reading. Donnie looked up from his computer and Mikey from the TV, the only turtle missing was Raph.

"It's Nikki. . . "

"What about her?" Raph almost fell out of his room in his haste to get to Christina, "she's okay, right. She's not. . . is she?" His voice was bordering on hysterical and Christina wasn't entirely sure how Raphael was going to take this new information.

"No, she's alive, but one of the doctors have figured out she's uh, different shall we say, and she's decided that Nikki's her ticket to fame and fortune!" Christina braced herself for what ever Raph was going to do to the messenger and watched as he barged past her heading for the door.

"Raphael! Where are you going?!" Splinter stopped him in his tracks.

"Ta get her outta there, before she winds up as a lab rat!" Raph spat through clenched teeth, wasn't it obvious what he wanted? His body shook with anger the longer he stood there.

"It would not be wise, my son to attempt a rescue without first surmising a plan." Splinter approached his son and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "We will rescue her, but it would do her no good at all if we are caught also, or worse."

"Yes sensei," Raph said to the floor not entirely convinced, "so whadda we do?"

"Well," all eyes turned to Christina, "I can mentally shield at least one of you guys from view of the general public with my ESP, but I don't think I could manage to shield all of you."

"I'll try to hack into the hospital computer's and get all the info on Nikki's condition and download it to disk," Donnie added then turned round finishing his sentence whilst tapping furiously at the keys of his computer, "once I've done that then I can change the files to make it look like she's a normal every day human."

"Right well," Leo continued, "Mikey, why don't you go and get Casey, we may need his help. April will be back soon and she might be helpful too." Raph looked at his brother a little confused. To say Leo and Nikki didn't get on was an understatement after that first argument they'd rarely seen eye to eye, but here he was organizing her rescue without a second thought. Leonardo noticed Raph's look and returned it with a reassuring and what he hoped looked like an understanding smile, he may not exactly get on with her but if she made his brother happy then he'd make damn sure she was safe! "I'll get hold of Lynn to see if she can journey over, if she's still as weak as Tia says then we may need a doctor we can trust around," He looked over to Chrissy, "can you get on to Wally and Tia and find out how we can get some of the stuff we'll need to take care of her down here?" She simple nodded and fished out her cell from her pocket.

The plan was simple, on paper. They would wait until just before visiting hours were over, then April, Casey, Christina and Raph would go in and 'visit' her, Christina would use her mental powers to make him look human on the way in. They would meet Tai, Wally and Nigel in her room and Tia would disconnect all the wires the injured girl could possibly do without, thankfully she had no more need for a ventilator. Raph would then carry her out of the hospital flanked on all sides by their friends, but Chrissy would make him invisible this time, to the battle shell and the waiting Mikey. Then she would be brought to the lair and put in Leo's room on the ground floor and they would then wait until Lynn came from her farm to check on her. Leo was to share with Raph until they got another room cleared out and sorted, Christina would also stay but would share with April. Leo sighed and looked over at Raph, he'd wanted to go into the hospital himself but Raph had been so stubborn and nobody had the heart to say no to him, he'd been so cut up about this and every one of them had worked out why, if there was any trouble then he'd be with two capable fighters, Casey and Christina. Their styles were certainly different to theirs but they were effective. Plus, he was going to patrol around the hospital just to make sure and to be there in case they needed him.

To Raphael the wait until they were to go and rescue his Nicole felt like a lifetime. In a way he felt his prayers had been answered, he was going to see her but part of him was scared of how she would look. It wasn't as if he would care if she was disfigured or anything but he was scared of his reaction to seeing her in such a weakened state, he had always been the tough one and crying wasn't an easy thing for him but the last few days had been tough on him and his heart felt like a dam holding back a raging river of emotion that he felt sure would break at the sight of her. But now they were out side the hospital, to unknown humans he looked like a regular teenage boy with dark, thick hair, torn jeans and a red t-shirt and sneakers, so far no one had run off screaming and one girl in a candy striper uniform (is that right, we don't have them in England) had even smiled and winked at him. They got to the room and his companions stepped in, he took a deep breath and followed.

The scene in the room was almost surreal to him, Tia and Wally rose from the other side of the room accompanied by Nikki's father, Nigel. The group exchanged hushed and hurried words, but Raph was oblivious to it, his attention was caught by the still form on the bed. To him she looked so peaceful sleeping there but as he drew closer he could see how very pale she was and the slightly pained expression she wore as she slept. He walked over to her and gently stroked her face with his hand and tried desperately to hold back the tears to no avail, he didn't sob, it wasn't in him. Instead the tears slipped silently down his cheeks, none of the others were even aware that he was crying until they too drew closer to the girl on the bed.

"It's all right lad," Nigel tried to soothe him, as his heart wept too, "our. . my Nikki's a strong lass, she'll be okay, but not if we let this woman Christina heard get her. So buck up laddie and lets get her out of here. The others looked on in shock and sympathy at the unusual display of emotion Raph showed. Tia walked over to her friend and quietly began taking the various wires off and out of Nicole leaving only the drip in and then nodded to Raph to indicate that he could pick her up. He slipped his arms underneath he body as gently as he could and lifted her carefully off the bed, Christina took the bag on the other end of the tube going into her arm and stood beside him, holding it high in the air. Nikki meanwhile stirred, and groaned.

"Raph?" she muttered weakly as she stared up at him he looked back with soft eyes and smiled down at her.

"Shhh, babe. Go back to sleep." He tightened his grip reveling in the feeling of having her in his arms once again, even if it was in these circumstances. She shifted her wait slightly and he felt one arm wrap around his neck, another rest on his plastron and she buried her face into his shoulder. He looked up at the others in the room, "Lets go guys." He said simply. Christina's powers flared once more and this time she and Raph were hidden from view, they positioned themselves between the others and the small party made their way back to the ground floor, they made their way out and at the steps, Wally, Tia and Nigel departed the group and entered the limo parked outside, to avoiding suspicion by taking their usual modes of transport. The remaining few watched the car drive off and then proceeded towards the alley where Mikey was waiting. The alley was quiet and they made their way to the battle shell at a slightly quicker pace now, seeing their target. Mikey's head popped out of the back doors and he opened them fully to allow them in but just as Raph got to the truck and Christina had dropped her shield;

"Well well well Jones, now what have we here?" They all turned to see a sickeningly familiar blonde man/mountain, "Still hanging with these freaks I see, and you've picked up a couple more I hear, namely that girl. Hand her over freaks and you won't get hurt!" He paused and smirked, "Much." About forty foot ninja appeared as if from nowhere and surrounded the group, "Ninja attack!" Hun yelled at his lackeys. Raph continued to back up to the truck followed by April and Chrissy, he carefully got in and placed his charge carefully on the floor. He looked at her and then the foot who were already overpowering Mikey and Casey.

"Help them Raph," Christina placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'll do what I can to help you from here and we'll protect Nikki, I promise." Raph smiled weakly and jumped into battle as Christina raised a shield and took to throwing energy balls at any stragglers that got past the three fighting. Soon a flash of steel was seen and Leonardo entered the fray, despite this though there were still more coming and they needed to retreat.

"Tell the guys to get into the truck!" April said before she clambered into the driver's seat and started it.

"Guys, get in quick!" She yelled, shifting her weight to make more room for the others. They jumped in and she turned to April, "they're in! Lets go for it!" April put her foot down and mowed a few down but, knowing the foot, the bodies would be gone before anybody could find them, and sped off in the opposite direction to the warehouse just in case they were being followed. Once they were sure that they weren't, she headed in the right direction and they were soon home. Raph allowed Leo to carry Nikki to her temporary room as he was having another dizzy spell and needed Mikey's support to walk, the only request he made was that if he had to rest then in was with Nikki in Leo's room and again no one seemed to have the heart to argue with him. Both were soon asleep, Raph on a camp bed and Nikki safely tucked into Leo's comfortable mattress, and the others all made their way into the living room.

"Hey Donnie," Leo called as he walked over to his brother who was crashed out on the couch, when he received no answer he gently shook him, Donny looked up, "any problems your side?" Leo asked quietly.

"No, according to their hospital records she was treated there but there's nothing wrong with any of her blood test samples." He stated through a yawn.

"You know," Casey said in a light tone, "wit' all these women movin' in you guys are gonna have ta get a bigger place!" An unenthusiastic chucked went through the room.

There ya go, sorry it took so long to get this one up, I re wrote it a few times. I hope you like getting a little more insight to Raph's feeling. Anywho, till next time. Toodles, Angel.