Chapter Six

Raphael sat in his Mustang outside of a large house in Queens. He had turned the engine off but left the radio on, and listened to the disc jockey talking about the concert he was on his way to. He stared at the front doors of the house, repressing the feeling of busting them down and whisking Vanessa away from Chad. His eyes wondered from the house to the fountain in the middle of the driveway, then around to the little bit of backyard he could see from where he sat, noticing part of a pool, a tennis court, and a basketball court. Raphael let out a long sigh, opened the car door, and walked to the gate.

"Hello?" A voice called out to him as he approached the huge iron gate. He glared at the speaker, then pressed the button.

"I'm here for Vanessa," Raphael said, hoping whoever was on the other side wasn't planning on a conversation.

"Oh, it's you." The voice sneered. Raphael recognized the voice as Chad's, then rolled his eyes. Before he could respond, the iron gate creaked and slowly opened. Raphael left his car behind and traveled on foot to the front doors, where he was greeted by a tall, young looking man with sandy blonde hair, who then smiled wickedly at Raphael.

"Didn't I tell you not to bother Vanessa?" Chad crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, blocking Raphael from entering.

"Didn't I tell you I was gonna kick your-"

"Raph! Hey!" Vanessa appeared beside of Chad and finished inserting an ear ring.

"You know I don't approve of you dressing like that," Chad pointed to Vanessa's leather skirt and knee-high leather boots.

"Oh come on!" Vanessa laughed as she playfully shoved Chad. "It's a rock concert."

"Yes, I know," Chad looked back at Raphael, then continued to talk to Vanessa. "When is it over?"

"Around midnight," Raphael answered.

"And I expect you back directly after it's over." Chad pointed at Vanessa as she walked past him.

"Lighten up Chad, geesh," Vanessa whispered to herself as she grabbed Raphael's arm. Raphael turned around one more time and glared at Chad, who quickly disappeared behind the doors.

"Why do you let him talk down to you like that?" Raphael growled. "It pisses me off."

They walked by the fountain and Raphael stopped her. "Speaking of which, can I take a piss in his fountain?"

Vanessa became disgusted by Raphael's suggestion. "Ew, no! Now come on!" Vanessa rushed ahead of Raphael and climbed in the Mustang. Raphael then jumped in, and back out into the street. They sat in silence for about a mile until Raphael finally spoke.

"You could do so much better."

Vanessa sighed and leaned her head on her hand. "Raph, can we please not go into this again? I know you hate Chad, and I know you think he treats me bad, but like I have told you before, it's not what you think it is. So, please, just drop it." She looked over and waited for a response. Raphael didn't answer her, but instead turn the volume up on the radio and pushed on the gas pedal as they went across the bridge that led into the city.

Leonardo held onto his stomach as he once again laughed at Christina's impression of her younger brother. He felt a small cramp in his side, but couldn't stop laughing long enough to even feel any pain from it.

"Your brother reminds me of Mikey when he was younger," Leonardo said after his laughter had died down a bit.

Christina took a small sip of her glass of wine and smiled. "Did I tell you about that time I dared him to shove jelly beans up his nose? My god, my mom had a cow!"

"You tortured that poor kid! And you wonder why he doesn't call you." Leonardo lifted up his glass and swirled the dark red liquid around.

Christina shrugged. "I don't mind. We needed some time apart anyway." She flipped the curled ends on her hair off of her shoulder and leaned forward. "So, are you coming to my party? You never answered me."

"You never gave me a chance to." Leonardo said after finally taking a drink of his wine. He jumped as he felt Christina's foot slid up and down his calf muscle.

"That's because I expect an immediate response," She smiled wickedly at Leonardo, who cleared his throat and moved his leg away.

"Uh, can I bring my brothers with me?" Leonardo asked, adverting his eyes away from Christina's enticing stare.

"Sure! The more, the merrier!"

The waiter appeared and laid the check down on the table. Leonardo looked at the check, then back at Christina, who had opened up her purse, only to pull out her makeup and reapply her lipstick. Leonardo reached over and picked the check up, feeling slightly faint when he saw the total cost of the dinner they had just ate. Leonardo then realized every place they had gone to was fancy and upscale, and his wallet was beginning to show just how upscale the restaurants were. But Leonardo was too much of a gentleman to ask for help with the bill. He took out his credit card and sighed as he handed it over to the waiter.

When Leonardo returned home later that night, he walked through the front doors, removed his shoes, then headed straight for the living room. Donatello and Michelangelo were battling each other on the Play Station system as he entered the room and flopped down on the couch. Donatello was the first to notice him.

" Bad night?"

Then Michelangelo spoke up. "Did you kiss her yet?" He ducked as Donatello's hand came flying at his head.

Leonardo rubbed his temples. " I don't know what the hell I'm doing."

Donatello dropped the controller and moved over to the couch, sitting down next to Leonardo. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what am I doing with Christina?" Leonardo raised his hands into the air. " Raph was right. She's too highbrow for me. I'm going broke just feeding her!"

"She's used to it. You know that." Donatello said, not offering any kind of help. "Rich, spoiled, people beget rich, spoiled kids."

"I can't take it anymore, Donnie." Leonardo sighed. " She's fun and everything, but she expects too much from me." He looked over at Donatello. "Besides she touches me too much."

Donatello exploded into laughter. "Touches you too much?" Leonardo glared at him. "I'm sorry, Leo. It's funny that you're complaining about it."

"It's not funny, Donnie." Leonardo said, feeling annoyed. "You know I'm not like that."

Michelangelo turned around. "But you were with-" A pillow in the face from Donatello cut his words short. Leonardo sighed and sat back up, not noting what his brother was about to say.

"I just need to tell her that we need some time apart or something. She's having a party at her apartment next weekend-"

"A party!" Michelangelo jumped up, then dropped the controller on his toes. "Damn, that hurt!"

Leonardo laughed at Michelangelo. "I already told her we were going. I'll just wait until after that."

"We?" Donatello made a face. " I don't know if I want to go. She annoys me too much."

"See! That is the same thing Raph said!" Leonardo stood up, finally removing his coat. " Do you feel the same way, Mikey?"

Michelangelo leaned his head to one side. " A little, but look who you're talking to. I'm the king of annoying."

"Geesh, Mikey," Donatello said as he stood up, grabbing his bag of pretzels and headed for the kitchen. Leonardo followed him, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filled it with ice and water from the refrigerator.

"Was I really that way with Linda?" Leonardo said as he stared into his glass.

Donatello, who felt he had enough of awkward conversations for the day, shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess."

Leonardo looked at his brother and sensed something. Donatello felt Leonardo's eyes on him and it made him uneasy.

"What?"

Leonardo walked closer to him. " You saw her today, didn't you?"

"How do you do that?" Donatello backed away from Leonardo and moved out of the kitchen. "Yes, I saw her and I talked to her. She's doing good. She asked about you. What else do you want to know?"

Leonardo stood still, not really knowing what to say since Donatello had answered all of his questions. "Nothing."

"Good. I don't want to be stuck in the middle of this any more than I already am." Donatello said with a hint of resentment in his voice. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Leonardo watched as Donatello made a left turn, then heard the sound of the study room door slam shut.

He knew Donatello was tired of his problems, as they all were. Leonardo's past few visits with Dr. Foster had been helping, and he was starting to open up more about his relationship with Linda.But Donatello's news of Linda being back in the city made Leonardo feel as if he had been shoved in a corner with no way out. He felt his air passage close up and he tugged at his shirt collar. He carried his water back into the living room and sat down, trying to ignore the fact that the room seemed to be spinning. He leaned over and closed his eyes, holding his face with his hands, and waited for his sickness to pass.

"Leo? You okay?"

Leonardo lifted his head and came face to face with Michelangelo. His younger brother blinked his brown eyes a few times as he studied Leonardo.

"Donnie told you, huh?" Michelangelo leaned back out of Leonardo's face and returned back to his sketch book. " I told him not to."

Leonardo then noticed Michelangelo had several sketch books opened around him, along with the 200 count box of colored pencils he had bought Michelangelo for Christmas last year.

"What's all this Mikey?" Leonardo asked curiously as he lifted one of the sketch pads. The drawing on the page was of the four of them, back when they were ninjas, sitting in a regal pose on top of a building. Leonardo smiled, impressed with the wonderful talent that Michelangelo was born with.

"It's just something I've been working on, that's all." Michelangelo shrugged. He held up another book and tossed it to Leonardo. "Tell me what you think."

Leonardo flipped the front page up and saw what looked like comic book paneling around the edges of the drawing, and as he looked closer, the drawings were again of him and his brothers in their early days. Leonardo read Michelangelo's writing in the panels and realized it was all about their life story. He read all of the pages in the sketch book, closed it, then looked back at Michelangelo, who was nervously chewing on his pencil.

"Well? What do you think?" Michelangelo's eyes lit up in anticipation.

Leonardo looked back at the cover of the sketch book and rubbed his head. " It's good, but Mikey, it's about us."

"You don't think people would want to read about us?" Michelangelo took the book back from Leonardo and flipped back through it. " Have you ever stopped and thought about all the cool stuff we've done? We have all kinds of interesting stories to tell!" He held the book up and shook it. "And I could do it all through a comic book, Leo! Think about it!"

Leonardo leaned back into the couch. "I don't know, Mikey. Publishing something like that may be easy, but getting people interested in it, that's hard. You know. You work in a comic book store. You see what people buy."

"That's why I'm telling you! It will sell like crazy! Everyone I've talked to at the store said they loved the idea!" Leonardo moved over as Michelangelo joined him on the couch. "I just need a little help getting it done, and you're they only one that would help me." He then lowered his head. "Raph and Don wouldn't understand, but you do."

Leonardo grabbed the book back and looked through it again, running Michelangelo's idea over in his head. "What do you need?"

"Well, I need two thousand for publishing costs-"

"Two thousand!" Leonardo exclaimed.

"Hang on, Leo. Don't have a cow," Michelangelo said as he patted Leonardo on the shoulder. " I've saved up about a thousand, but I need to borrow the rest."

Leonardo smiled. "You've been saving your money? Those years of yelling at you finally paid off."

Michelangelo nodded. " Well, I really wanted to make this happen. So, will you help me? Please?"

Leonardo's eyes went over the sketchbook, then traveled up to Michelangelo, seeing the eagerness and desperation in his eyes.

"All right, Mikey, I'll help." Leonardo agreed, but grabbed Michelangelo's arm as he jumped in excitement. "But, in return, I want you to do a few things for me."

"Sure, anything!"

"One, promise me you will stick with this. Give up, and I will kick your shell, got it?"

Michelangelo nodded, not saying a word as Leonardo continued.

"Two,you will pay back every dollar I give you."

"I will. I promise." Michelangelo smiled.

"And three, don't say a word about this to Raph and Don. I don't need them jumping down my throat about it."

"Got it! Not a word!" Michelangelo then grabbed Leonardo in a tight hug. "Thanks a bunch, bro. I really appreciate it." Michelangelo gathered all of his books and pencils together, then ran up the stairs to his room. Leonardo sunk back into the couch, noticing that the picture he had seem earlier of him and his brothers on a rooftop had fallen from Michelangelo's books and landed at his feet. He leaned over and picked it up, smiling again at the amazing details Michelangelo had put into the drawing. Leonardo had always hoped that Michelangelo would go

somewhere with his talent, and it seemed the opportunity had come, even though Leonardo felt a little guarded by the fact that Michelangelo had chosen their private life as the topic.

Leonardo heard the front door open, then slam shut. He turned his head just in time to see Raphael fling his leather jacket across the top of the coat rack and head for the stairs.

"How was the concert?" Leonardo asked, stopping Raphael as he took a few steps up the stairs. Raphael turned around and Leonardo could see something wasn't right. He motioned with his hand, and Raphael stomped back down the stairs and into the living room, slamming down onto the love seat across from Leonardo. Raphael crossed his arms, letting his temper die down before talking.

"It sucked, and you know why?"

Leonardo said nothing, just shook his head.

"Well, first off, me and Vanessa got into it over Chad. Then, when we got there, she walked away from me and I couldn't find her anywhere. So, instead of watching my favorite band play, I spent most of the night searching the restrooms for her."

Leonardo watched as Raphael let his arms go and lean forward, his eyes going to the floor.

"When I did find her, she was a cryin mess. She screamed at me, even tried to take a swing at me. All I could do was say I was sorry, over and over again." Raphael rubbed his face with his hands. " After she calmed down, the show was over and we headed back to the car. And there, waitin for us in the parking lot, was Chad."

Leonardo shook his head again, watching Raphael's fists ball up.

"And you can probably guess who she went home with."

"I'm sorry, Raph. I really am." Leonardo scooted up to the edge of the couch and leaned closer to Raphael.

"I just don't get it. Vanessa acts so tough and independent around me, but with that loser, she's totally submissive!" Raphael's eyes rose and looked into Leonardo's. "Maybe I should just give up on her."

Leonardo leaned back in shock. " Oh, I don't think so!"

"I don't know what else to do!" Raphael jumped to his feet and started to pace in front of the love seat.

"That doesn't sound like you at all." Leonardo said. " The Raphael I know doesn't give on anything."

"Yeah, well, the Raphael you know has never been in love before." Raphael stopped dead in his tracks after he had heard what had come out of his mouth. The smile on Leonardo's face grew.

"You're in love with her?" Leonardo laughed. "I thought it was just some infatuation! Oh, that's even cuter!"

Raphael stuck out his tongue as he sat back down. "Don't say shit like that, man! Ugh!"

Leonardo stopped laughing and grabbed his brothers' hand. "Listen to me, Raph. If you really feel that way about her, do not give up, and do not let her go." Leonardo then lowered his eyes, thinking back to the day back when he watched Linda walk out of his life. "I learned that lesson the hard way, and I'm finally realizing the mistake I made."

Raphael wrinkled his forehead. "Come again?"

Leonardo looked back up and laughed slightly. "Sorry, I'm just rambling on. Anyway, you can't give up on her. I don't think Leslie would have wanted you too either."

Raphael shrugged. "Yeah, I don't think she would like to see her niece with a jerk like that." Raphael then laughed. "You know it's funny you said that."

"What? About Leslie?"

Raphael grabbed Leonardo's glass of water and gulped it down. " This may sound stupid, but it seems as if Leslie pushed us together, like it was meant to be or somethin."

Leonardo sighed. "You mean fate."

"It sounds crazy, but yeah, that's it." Raphael stood up and stretched. "Well, I gotta get some sleep. Thanks for the talk, bro."

Leonardo smiled up at Raphael, then watched him leave the room and head back up the stairs. After Raphael disappeared from view, Leonardo turned his eyes back to the picture that Michelangelo had drawn, which was still in his hands. He looked at himself in the picture and felt as if he was really there on that rooftop, feeling the weight of his kantana in his hands, and the wind whipping the ends of his blue mask around his shoulders. Leonardo glanced up to the other side of the living room above the large fireplace. There, mounted on the wall, were his swords, along with his brothers weapons, and their colored masks were each tied to the corresponding weapon. Not one of them had touched their weapons since the day the war had ended.

Leonardo turned his eyes back to the picture, but his thoughts then turned to something else. That day, years ago, when he was face to face with the young woman he had cared so deeply for. She had told Leonardo they were meant to be. He told her he had no belief in fate. Then she walked away.

Leonardo always hated to think that fate decided what happened in one's life and he never wanted to believe that your destiny was already determined. But over the years, after hours of therapy, and the sudden news of Linda's return to the city, Leonardo was beginning to think that maybe this time fate was seeking him out, and that he didn't have control over anything anymore.