Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. Austin is mine. Mine mine mine mine mine.

Before the fic Author's Notes: I honestly have to say, that reading all your guy's reviews is the best part about writing this story, and not just because it's an ego boost. The real reason? I LOVE hearing you talk about the story and what you think might happen, and I just sit here giggling like mad because I know you're either right, or way off base. But I'm the only one who knows for sure. ….It's almost as if I have this god-like power to give you much happiness and joy, and then rip it all away in a moment of tragedy! MUAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! -ahem- Anyway. I would never do anything like that. Ever. …no really. …Stop looking at me like that. –hides-

FunFact:We all have those nervous habits that we do that help comfort us. Some of you may have noticed this one already, but Austin's is the pillow clutching. In times of stress, a pillow in the lap helps considerably. Or a stuffed animal. But she doesn't have many stuffed animals. Sad, really.

Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable

Chapter 15

Italics areAustin's thoughts or flashback. Or emphasis on a spoken word.

The house was light blue with navy trim. Not especially attractive, but it was in a nice neighborhood away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was a bit too 'homey' for me though. I'd never liked places that reminded me of family… or responsibility… or anything like that. David loved it though. It was the home he'd never had growing up and I didn't blame him for that at all. It even had a white picket fence around the front yard.

As I stepped out of the taxi, I squinted at the house in the bright sunshine. It didn't look trashed. But then, if it had been, David's roommate had probably cleaned up already. I'd only met Steph once, but she seemed nice enough. She was very accepting of the whole blood-drinking-prophesying demon thing. But then, she was also a lesbian Neo-Pagan who had "I like girls!" tattooed on her arm. Steph was a very open kind of person. I'm still not quite sure how she found out what David was, but as long as she could keep a secret, I really didn't care.

I paid the cabby, and then asked him to wait a few moments. I didn't intend on staying too long if David wasn't home; I knew I shouldn't be here. This was one of the worst ideas in the long sad history of bad ideas… providing that Jeremy was right. Which I still didn't think he was. I had to know for sure though, and as I walked up the driveway I had the brilliant realization that I could probably have just called instead, and saved myself the trip and the cab fare. Too late now though, I supposed. Besides, I didn't want to be at home, and the drive to David's was a nice scenic trip.

The front door was pulled open before I ever had a chance to knock. Steph must have seen me pull up, because she answered the door with a somewhat confused look on her face. It was that expression people make when they're trying to place your face and don't want to be rude and just ask outright 'Who are you?'. She was wearing a white tank top and a pair of camouflage pants with military regulation boots. Her short cropped black hair was freshly gelled and sticking up in little spikes, which I thought she pulled off amazingly well. Had I been a lesbian, I would have been totally into her.

"Hey, Steph." I smiled politely. Her eyes studied my face, flicking up to the stitches on my forehead and then down my body, and back up to my face. I just knew she was mentally undressing me to see if she could figure out who I was. I waited a moment, and was just about to introduce myself when she figured it out on her own.

"Oh my god, Austin! Holy shit, girl!" Her face broke out in a grin and I could see the little yellow smiley ball barbell that was sticking out of her tongue. "How's David! Is he doing ok?"

I blinked. "Um… that's what I came to find out."

The smile died on her face and she gave me a quizzical look. "But didn't he tell you where he was going?"

"Wait… so… he's not here?"

"…He's supposed to be with you."

"Why the hell would he be with me?" I asked incredulously. One of us was definitely confused, and I wasn't entirely sure that it wasn't me. "This is his house."

"Yah but…" Steph bit her lip and frowned. "I don't get it… he told me he was going to see you before he left town."

"When, today?"

"No… it was a week ago. The day before the break in."

I felt the first tangles of dread start to seep into my stomach, twisting and turning and making me feel rather sick. "So your place was trashed…"

"Well, yah. But its ok, they didn't get the prophecies."

If I hadn't already been looking at her, I'm sure I would have jerked my head up in surprise. "Prophecies? Wait, wait, and wait. WHAT prophecies?"

She paused hesitantly, and I could see she didn't want to say whatever it was she was thinking. "David… didn't tell you, did he?"

"Tell me what? What the fuck is going on here, Steph?"

"Maybe you should come inside, Austin... This isn't really something we should talk about on the front porch." I stared at her and then back to the taxi on the street. I didn't really want to go inside if this conversation was heading where I thought it was heading. "Please, Austin. If David didn't make it to your place… Oh god…" Her voice turned shaky as she finally realized what I'd been trying not to believe myself. David was missing. And neither of us had any clue where he was.

Against my better judgment, I waved the cab on. There was a bus stop nearby and I could catch a ride back into the city as long as I didn't stay too long. As I watched the yellow car drive away, I wanted to run after it and hop inside before it was too late, but I couldn't. I couldn't do that when it was something this important. Reluctantly, I followed Steph into the house, feeling tenser with every step. Jeremy would kick my ass if he knew I was here. So would Raph for that matter. Best I didn't tell either of them about this little side trip of mine.

My boots made very little sound on the hardwood floor and the house itself was eerily silent. I could practically feel the energies here, and it wasn't a pleasant sentiment. I don't know how Steph could stand it. Maybe all my time spent with the unnatural made me more sensitive to it; I don't know. But Steph was either used to it, or didn't notice it all; I hoped it wasn't the former.

We stepped into the living room and I sat down on a comfy blue and white striped couch. It wasn't the more attractive couch, but at the moment I could really care less. Steph sat down at the opposite end and nervously cracked her knuckles, one at a time. I couldn't hold back any longer, I had to know what was going on.

"What prophecies, Steph?"

She stared down at the couch, and if I hadn't known better, I almost would have thought she looked ashamed.

"I didn't know he hadn't told you… he talks about you so often, I just thought… I mean… you guys practically grew up together…"

"Steph…" The warning in my voice couldn't be missed.

"He's been prophesying, Austin. He started it up almost a year ago, by choice. I tried to get him to stop, but… he got this crazy idea that he might be able to use it to his advantage. That he might be able to control it."

"Why the hell would he do a stupid thing like that? Doesn't he remember what it used to be like? God, he wouldn't even speak for an entire year after we left the Institute! What the hell does he think he's going to do, prevent the apocalypse?"

She shook her head and stared at a spot somewhere over my shoulder. "I know, I tried to tell him that, but he wouldn't listen. But… he was right, Austin. He learned to control it… somewhat."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "How?" There was no point arguing what was done, so now I just had to find out as much as possible. I was still pissed as hell though. If I ever found David alive, I was going to kill him.

"He started with animal blood. He thought it might have a… weaker effect. And it did."

"…he killed animals?" I blanched. This wasn't the David I knew.

"No, no, no." She corrected quickly. "He bought blood from the butcher." I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't want to think of David killing and draining the blood of cute furry little animals.

"So… what happened?"

"The visions started out small; little things. He realized it was a ratio thing. The more blood, the stronger and longer the visions lasted. Sometimes he saw images, sometimes he heard words… Most of it we didn't understand, but we recorded everything and kept it locked away. After a while, with concentration, he could guide the visions… Make himself predict specific events relating to certain people. Even then, though, it was hard to tell what they meant. It was all very cryptic."

"You helped him with this?"

"Well, I certainly didn't want him to do it alone! He might have gone too far! At least I could monitor him and make sure he wasn't hurting himself or something!" Steph had a point. David had always been stubborn, and he would have done it with or without her help.

"So what does this have to do with someone breaking in? And why was David coming to see me?"

She bit her lip in a way that made me nervous and just a little scared. "Everything was going fine up until a week and a half ago. David started getting paranoid; said he thought someone was following him."

At those words the knot in my stomach tightened considerably, and I might have doubled over if I hadn't already been clutching one of the throw pillows that had found its way into my arms. I was willing to be that 'someone' was related to Adair somehow.

"Did he say who it was?" I asked warily.

"No... but it finally got to him last Tuesday night. He was going to do one last prophecy for now, and then leave town. I think he might have been heading back to California… but he never told me specifically."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Wednesday morning. He left here around six… but god, Austin. He was really shaken up. I mean… he was desperate to get a hold of you. I don't know exactly what he saw during that last vision, but it was a strong one. He…" She sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't know if I should be telling you this."

"Too late for that now, isn't it?"

She nodded, but didn't look at me. Taking a deep breath, she finally continued. "He cut his wrist and drained his own blood to drink." My mouth dropped open in shock, and I forgot to breath for a few moments. "If I'd have known he was going to do that, I would have stopped him, but he did it without me. He told me later he figured it either wouldn't affect him since it was own blood, or it would be more powerful because of it… God, I'm sorry Austin. He seemed to think it was really important, and I didn't know what was going on until I heard the voices from his room."

"Voices?" I asked, my voice quaking more than just a little. She flinched and nodded but didn't continue, so I finally did instead, deciding I didn't want to know where the 'voices' came from. "What was the prophecy, Steph? Why was it so important?"

"He… he was worried about you. I don't know if you knew, Austin… but David always had a bit of a crush on you… he was freaked that they might be after you too. So he wanted to make sure you were going to be okay…"

I decided to let that admission slip by me. I didn't want to know about David's little crush. He'd been like a brother to me. Besides… it was becoming readily apparent to me that my karmic destiny was to have guys fall for me when I couldn't return the feelings. Besides, the important thing here was that David saw something in his visions that concerned me, and it was starting to freak me out a little. I wanted to get up and walk out the door before Steph could tell me what it was David saw. But… I had to know, on the other hand. This wasn't something you could just walk away from and not regret it the rest of your life.

I took a deep breathe and looked at Steph's miserable expression. "What was the prophecy?"

She stood up slowly. "It wasn't in English… so David interpreted it before he left, and gave me a copy. The other one he was taking to you. I hid it with the others under a floorboard in the closet. Give me a minute, and I'll be right back."

As Steph left the room, I pondered what she meant by 'it wasn't in English'. As far as I was aware, David didn't know any other languages. A small voice in the back of my mind reminded me that he was half-demon, so maybe… maybe there was some sort of demon-language that only they could understand. The thought gave me the chills, and I was painfully aware again of how silent the house seemed.

The other thing that was bugging me was the prophecy itself. It couldn't be good. If it had been a nice happy little vision of me dancing down the street, hand in hand with the love of my life and singing a merry little tune, then David wouldn't have been rushing to see me. …Even if, and this is a big 'if', the love of my life was a giant turtle. Even that wouldn't have caused David so much distress. So the only other option left was that something terrible was going to happen to me, and I was scared shitless to find out what it was.

All too soon, Steph returned with a blue 3x5 index card. I stared at it in a bit of dismay. My future was written on an index card? It looked liked one of those recipe cards that my mother… no, my grandmother, used to have in her kitchen. I could just imagine what was written on it. 'In five days time Austin Bridger shall die a horrible death. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease pan lightly.' Man… that was really depressing.

I took a deep breath and reached out for the card. Steph reluctantly handed it to me and I stared at the small neat letters written there. My eyes read the words at least ten times before I looked up.

"…what the hell is this supposed to mean?"

She sighed. "Well, if you don't know, then I certainly don't. I told you, his visions are vague sometimes. This is only what he said, I don't know what he actually saw."

Vague didn't even begin to describe it. Whatever supernatural beings provided David with this little gem of a prophecy must like to fuck with symbolism to the point where the message is lost. I read the words again, out loud this time to see if it would change the meaning.

"When the Sifter deceives the one she loves, her life is for the taking. She will join the Path, and cry for the second, while thinking of the first." The words held meaning for me. …But damned if I knew what that meaning was. Was I the Sifter? Was I a freakin' baking utensil? I guess it made sense, the prophecy was written on a recipe card. It made my head hurt to think about.

"This is retarded." I stated bluntly.

"It's not retarded, it's just cryptic." Steph felt the need to correct me.

"No, it's retarded." I waved the card around. "This makes no sense whatsoever, and without David to interpret it, how the hell am I supposed to know what it means? Sifter? Path. Second. First? What kind of stupid prophecy is that? It's like a boring game of Mad Libs or something."

"If David were here-"

"Well, he's not." I interrupted. "He obviously never made it to my place, which means someone got him. Fuck!" I fell back against the cushions, emotionally drained for what seemed like the millionth time this week. When my life went to hell, it REALLY went to hell. Screw the handbasket, I was on a one way express elevator falling fast. Jeremy was right. I was wrong. What else was new?

"Well, we have to find him."

I let out a sharp bitter laugh. "Find him? We're not going to find him, Steph. He's gone. Lucas is gone, and I'm probably next." Only this time I knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill me as soon as I proved invaluable. Call it a gut feeling. And as much as I hated my life at the moment, I didn't really want to be dead. There were so many things to live for… like chocolate… and sex with Raph… and cute puppies… and sex with Raph… and skinnydipping… and sex with Raph. Okay, yes, my mind was one-tracked sometimes, but it was a good track to be on.

"So what can we do?" There was a desperate tone in her voice that didn't really suit the butch look she tried so hard to keep up.

Standing up, I folded the card and stuck it in my pocket, not bothering to ask if she wanted it back. Dammit, it was my prophecy and I was going to keep it. "Well… I don't know about you, but I'm planning on going back to the city and getting shit-faced. You're welcome to join me."

"You're going to drink? At a time like this?"

"This is the perfect time to drink."

"But David…"

"He's gone. Face it, Steph, he's probably not coming back."

"How can you be so fucking heartless, Austin?"

"Years of practice. But what the hell do you want me to do, go door to door looking for him? Maybe put up posters saying 'have you seen this demon?'?" Yah, that'd go over well.

Besides. The guys who grabbed him were most likely professionals. There was absolutely nothing I could do to try and find him. Except… oh, there's an idea…

Steph interrupted my thought. "He's your friend, Austin. You can't just do nothing!"

I sighed and took a step towards the hall leading to the front door. "I'll talk to… some acquaintances of mine. …If anyone has even a chance of finding David, it'd be them."

"Who?"

"You don't know them."

She gave me a doubtful look. "Can you trust them?"

"Well, I'm sleeping with one of them." The look she gave me clearly said that David had told her about my rather sordid history of bedmates. I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Yes, I can trust them. If there's anybody in the world I can trust, it'd be them."

Steph didn't like the idea I could tell, but she knew there was nothing else that could be done, even if she wouldn't admit it. "Do you think they'll find him?"

"Probably not." Okay, so I'm not the best person to go to when you want to be cheered up. But considering my past, I think it's only fair that I'm allowed a negative outlook on life. "Look, Steph. I'll do what I'll can, and I'll stay in touch, ok? One way or another, we'll find him." I didn't tell her that the 'or another' way would probably end up with me being drugged and forcibly taken to wherever David was. That's the kind of thing you just don't tell people who are already depressed.

My words must have cheered her up somewhat because she asked if she could get me something to drink; I declined. I didn't want a reason to hang around; I'd already lingered too long. Politely excusing myself and thanking her for the information, I finally made it out the front door and into the bright late August sunshine. I gave the happy picket fence a dirty look before making my way to the bus stop. With any luck, there would be another one coming soon. It probably wasn't the smartest idea to walk to the bus stop alone, seeing as how it was almost seven blocks, but I made it there without incident.

Luck, apparently, was on my side today because no less than five minutes after I sat down, a city bus pulled up. I paid my fare, and found an empty seat near the back where I could rest quietly and be left alone to my own thoughts.

Thoughts are dangerous things. Dwelling on them is even more hazardous. I pulled the prophecy out again and read it a couple times. Even though I didn't know what it meant, it still chilled me inside. The Sifter… what the hell was a Sifter? Maybe Susan was the Sifter? What she did to me could be considered deceit, I suppose. Did that mean her life was in danger, and David had thought I could do something about it? …unlikely. I really didn't care if Susan lived or died right now. What happened to her was her business, not mine.

I sighed and placed the card back in my pocket, trying not to think about it. Unless I found David, there was no point in trying to decipher the meaning. I turned my thoughts instead, to what I would do when I got back to the City. It was close to 4:30 now, but I still didn't want to go home. I really should call Raph and tell him I'm ok and make sure he isn't throwing a shit-fit. But I'm a big girl, and if he can't deal with it, too bad for him. Just because we had sex doesn't mean he owns me. And if he thinks he does, it's going to be a brutal reality check when he realizes the truth.

It was harsh of me, but I didn't want to owe him anything. We weren't 'together'. We weren't in a committed relationship. We'd never said 'I love you', or exchanged promises to be exclusive. I had every right to go find a cute guy at a bar somewhere and let him take me home. An image flashed in my mind of Raph doing to same with some skinny tramp and a wave of jealously swept through me. The hypocrisy of my thoughts was plainly evident and I wondered when it was that I'd developed feelings for Raphael that went deeper than just the one-night stands I was used to.

I wondered if it had to do with Devon. Without him around to latch onto, maybe I'd clung to Raph more than I should have. I sighed and looked out the window as the bus passed street after street, and we grew closer to the city. I shouldn't have gotten involved with Raph; that was a poor decision. Especially if Adair really was coming after me. God… the last thing I wanted to do was lead him to the turtles. If I was smart, I'd go home right now and spell it out for Raphael in plain English. We couldn't be together… at all… ever. He should go back to his home and forget about me, and I'd go on with my life and forget about him. If I was smart… and had the will power, I'd do that.

But it wouldn't work that way. I'd walk in the door and tell him we needed to talk… and he'd take me in his arms and I'd forget whatever it was I'd wanted to say. He'd have me in bed within a few moments, and I'd cry his name, and then fall asleep next to him. Wake up, repeat. That was why I couldn't go home. I didn't want to watch myself give in again, when every moment he was with me put him in danger.

And that was what it boiled down to, I realized. I was worried about him. I wanted to push him away so I wouldn't have to worry about him. I whimpered softly to myself and leaned back on the hard plastic of the seat. I wish I could just let it all go; let what happens, happen. Live for the moment, and all that shit. But I was so confused and worried; frightened of so many different things I couldn't think straight.

I watched the scenery pass, trying not to think of anything at all and succeeding fairly well at it.

Upon reaching the city, I changed busses twice, until I was finally within a mile of my apartment. Of the options open to me, I chose the most appealing. I chose the bar.

I was fairly tipsy by the time I stumbled out of the cab and onto the sidewalk in front of the locked iron gate of my building. Not taking any chances this time, I'd used a cab to get home, even though it was less than five blocks. Jumping down into sewers just wasn't on my list of activities to do tonight, even if the last time I'd done it had led to the best sex of my life. I giggled at the thought as I paid the driver and fumbled for the keys in my back pocket. It was dark, almost nine in the evening.

Raphael is gonna be pissed… I giggled again even as I tried to unlock the gate.

"Austin!" I looked up expecting to see Devon floating nearby, but there was no evidence of the shimmering ghost to be found. The hushed voice said my name again and I realized it was coming from the alley to the left of the building, less than five feet away from me.

Stupid things Austin shouldn't do after drinking would probably include laughing and stumbling into the dark alley despite not knowing who it was that was calling me. I did it anyway. Lucky for me, it was Donatello. And Mikey. I grinned like a lunatic and waved. "Hey guys!" I stage whispered. "Great to see you!" My toe caught on something and I pitched forward, somehow managing to fall into Don's arms.

"Geez, are you alright?" He asked, helping me stand upright.

"Depends on what you mean by alright." Don let go of me and I leaned against the brick wall of my building, still grinning like mad.

"Have you been drinking, Austin?"

I nodded and pointed out to the street. "Don't worry, I took a cab."

He hesitated and I wondered if he was going to lecture me on the evils of alcohol. I really didn't need that lecture, I'd heard it before.

"It's ok, I didn't have that much." It finally occurred to me that they were standing outside my building. "Hey… whatcha guys doing here?"

"Oh, um… we came to get Raph."

Mikey broke in with a sheepish smile. "Yah, I wouldn't go up there yet if I were you, Austin. They're probably still yelling at each other."

It took me a few moments to figure out who the other half of "them" was.

"Ooooh… Leo?"

"Yah… he's been up there for about fifteen minutes now."

Still giggling, I pulled out the little blue index card. "Yah, well, they better not destroy any of my stuff, otherwise I'll Sift their asses." I snorted and laughed harder, waving the card around. Mikey and Don exchanged confused glances and I sighed in mock frustration.

"Hellooooo, I'm a Sifter, thus says the prophecy!"

"Um, Austin… I'm only saying this out of concern for your well being… maybe you should go a bit lighter on the alcohol."

"Oh, Pthhhhbt." I stuck my tongue out at Don and tucked the card away. "You'd drink too if you'd been through what I have." When I'd said that, I'd meant the day's events, but a sympathetic, sad look crossed over Donatello's face, and even in my not-quite-sober state, I could tell that he knew more about me than I was comfortable with.

There was an uneasy silence which Mikey finally broke. "So, uh… are you and Raph… I mean… did you and he…?"

The pleased look on my face must have said everything because Mikey sighed heavily and didn't bother finishing the question.

"Hey, it's alright, Mikey." I leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. "I've got a couple cute coworkers you should meet sometime."

He perked up instantly. "Whoa, really? How cute?"

I grinned. "I'd do 'em. If y'know... I was into girls. I'm sure we can find one for Don too!" I leaned over and gave Donatello a kiss on the cheek. Hey, I'm affectionate when I've been drinking. "We'll find you a cute girl too. Or even a cute boy if you want!"

The horrified look on his face was priceless and it set me giggling again. He probably would have made some sort of denial, but at the same moment there was a shout from the other end of the alley.

"Christ, Austin, where the fuck have you been!" Raphael moved so fast I barely had time to make a sound before he was standing in front of me, his hands gripping my shoulders. He looked so worried, I almost felt bad for not calling. Now that he was standing in front of me, all my thoughts from earlier came back. I didn't want him hurt; sooner or later he would be though, either by me, or because of me. Another movement caught my eye and I could see Leo walking up behind Raph.

"Austin? Are you ok?"

Why no, Leo. I'm actually not ok. My dead brother's ghost got pissed off at me and disappeared, my mother has decided she wants to buy my silence then disown me, and the psycho who locked me up and tortured me as a child has decided to take up his old habits. But at least your brother is a good fuck. Too bad he'll be captured and dissected if he keeps hanging around with me. That's what I thought. "Yah, I'm fine…" That's what I said.

"What happened, Austin? Where the hell have you been all night?"

"I just…" my voice faded as I tried to think of what to say. I didn't want to tell him about David's house, and I didn't want to tell him about Susan. Unfortunately for me, I was starting to sober up and it was depressing. "I needed time alone…"

Leonardo cleared his throat softly and nodded to me then spoke to his brother. "Raph… we'll wait for you." Raphael looked over with an impatient look, but whatever had been said to him in my apartment must have been important enough for him to actually listen to, because he nodded and turned back to face me. I didn't know where they were going to wait for him at, but the three brothers disappeared so quickly I didn't even have time to say goodbye. I was left alone in the alley with Raph.

"I'm sorry… I should have called."

"Yah." He let go of my shoulder and ran his thumb over my cheek. He was still pissed though, I could see it in his face.

"But," I stated bluntly, adding fuel to the fire, "I'm a big girl, and you don't need to worry about me. I was fine."

His face darkened considerably. "Fine enough to go out drinkin', and not bother to tell me?"

"I don't need your permission, Raphael. I can handle myself."

"You told me you'd be home soon. You know what time it is, Austin? Nine. Eight fucking hours later you come home drunk and think it's ok!"

I pulled away, glaring into the darkness at him. "I'm not drunk… tipsy maybe. But yes, I had a few drinks and came home. My home, by the way, not yours. I never asked you to stay last night, and I certainly didn't ask you to wait for me all day." A flicker of surprise crossed his face, and I had no clue what I'd said that would have come as a shock. It was quickly replaced by anger.

"That's bullshit, Austin."

I raised an eyebrow. "It is? I don't ever recall asking you to stay the night with me."

"Oh, so that was someone else I carried into your bedroom. Someone else grabbed my hand and said she was scared of bein' alone. Someone else begged me not to leave."

I stared blankly at him. He was lying… I wouldn't have done that. I've never asked a guy to stay the night with me because I was scared of being alone. Ever. My mind raced back to the night before. Everything was still fuzzy, but I could make out fragmented images. He carried me to bed… tucked me in… and I grabbed his hand… No. No, it isn't possible. I didn't do that.

Shaking my head in denial, I looked away from his shadowy face. "You're… you're making that up."

"The fuck I am. You know it's true." Raphael's eyes flashed and he reached out for me. Before I could stop him, I found his arms around me, and his mouth pressing harshly against mine. I whimpered and pushed at his plastron, trying to escape. I didn't want it, not like this. I was too confused right now… nothing made sense.

I didn't know what was going on. He was treating me like… god… like he cared. Like I was something more than just the flavor of the month. I didn't want him to. I wanted him to treat me like I've treated all the other guys that came and went. Life would be so much easier for me if I didn't get too deeply involved. But Raphael was making that almost impossible for me and as much as I hated to admit it, I liked how he made me feel. He could protect me, he'd said as much. But at what cost? If he was captured while guarding me, then I'd lose him. If I pushed him away now, we'd both be hurt, but at least I knew he'd be safe. The thought terrified me; being alone again wasn't what I wanted. It was the only option though.

When he finally pulled his mouth from mine, there were tears flowing down my cheeks and I had my eyes closed, refusing to look at him. "Stop… please stop…"

He pulled me closer, despite my pleas. "Don't, Austin. You can't shut everyone out."

"Raph, please just go…" I was rigid in his arms, refusing to give in. "I can't do this… not now."

"Yes, you can."

I struggled harder and he finally let me go. "No… I can't." My voice grew in strength and determination and I looked up into his eyes. The emotion I saw there made me hate myself. We'd seen something in each other, that was undeniable, and I was throwing it away. I thought of this morning when I was curled up next to him in bed and knew it had been a long time since I'd been that happy. …the last time I was that happy, I'd thrown it away as well.

"Austin… don't do this to yourself." The words caught me by surprise. Reaching up, he touched my face again. "You've had a fucked up life, baby, but that don't mean you can't be happy. I told you before… you're too much like me." The corner of his mouth raised slightly in an almost amused expression. "You think you can go it by yourself, don'tcha? It's a hard, lonely road, baby… I've been there."

"Raph, please…"

He smirked and tugged lightly on a curl that had fallen loose from my ponytail. "I'll give you time, Austin. But I'll be back soon. I'm not lettin' you go without a fight. You'll fall for me before this is over."

I opened my mouth to object, but found I didn't know what to say. This was not the way I'd wanted the conversation to end. He was supposed to storm off in a rage and never talk to me again. Instead he leaned in and kissed me again before I could stop him, then turned and quickly dissolved into the shadows. I'd already given him my body, what more did he want from me? But I didn't need to ask; I knew the answer. He wanted all of me. Heart, body, soul, mind… what I'd thought was going to just be a simple fuck had turned into struggle for my entire being. Raph played for keeps, I was finding out too late.

I don't know how long I stared into the darkness until I realized that I was cold and alone in a dark alley. Moving numbly, I managed to unlock the gate and get inside the warm brick building. Letting myself in the apartment, I dropped my keys on the kitchen counter. The door to my bedroom stood open and through it the tangled sheets of the bed were visible. Despite it having been eight hours later, I swear I could still smell the scent of sex throughout the apartment.

I didn't want to sleep in the bed tonight… it held memories that were too fresh, so I curled up on the couch with a blanket instead. Sleep didn't come easy to me, and when it finally did, I dreamt of Raphael.

After the fic Author's Notes: I think I've stated before, but this is indeed a more mature Raph. …ok, slightly more mature. I like to think that he and Leo have fought out some of their differences, and he's not quite as rebellious as he used to be. They have a sort of understanding, although now that Splinter is away, Raph's testing his bounds a bit. Anyway. I hope Raph didn't come off as too mushy towards the end of the chapter. I was trying my best to not make it all gag-reflex-y.

And in my opinion this chapter was… sub-par. But I've read over and edited it so many times, I'm sick of doing it, and I don't want to re-write the entire thing. So anyway, I hope it all made sense, and that you all could follow along with what was happening. BTW, the end of the story is coming up soon. …Of course, by 'soon', I mean like… 5 or 6 chapters. Unless something happens, and I need to expand on some things. Otherwise, Misadventures will end, and in a week or two after that, the sequel will be started. Tentatively titled "Further Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable", because I am an uncreative person.

Notes to my Reviewers:

Sassyblondexoxo : I'm glad you liked the chapter:) The whole 'making love' paragraph was actually inspired by something my roomate's boyfriend said while were were all out having dinner. "There's no such thing as 'making love'. It's called 'Fuck and Cuddle'." I loved it so much, I had to add it in somewhere. I do believe the sentiment though. BTW, I think it's hilarious that they're moving on 'at a good pace' as you put it… considering they've known each other for… what, four days now? Possibly five, I need to go back and check. Hehehe. Anyway, I just see their relationship as one that would happen extremely fast, seeing as how they're both so…aggressive.

Buslady Of SoCal: The alternate version will probably be a week or two coming out. :) I have a lot of stuff on my plate right now, and it's sort of a toss up between working on this story, or working on smutty sex scenes for this story. You wouldn't think that would be a tough decision… but I just want to keep moving Misadventures along…. –sigh- Oh well.

Anyway, Austin's thought processes are pretty screwed up right now, as this chapter can attest to. She's so used to treating guys like fucktoys, that it's hard for her to accept that someone might actually want to get to know her. Plus she's depressed, and that rarely helps anyone think the most positive thoughts. Poor Austin. :(

Reluctant Dragon: True story about the girl named September. I agree, I'm so amused by what some people name their kids. I once worked with this girl named Deja Sue. …talk about terrible puns… we were always teasing her… 'Haven't we met you before, Deja?"

The REAL Cheese Monkey: Yes, Austin's never been very good at doing what other people think she should do. Although everything ended up turning out all right! …or did it? -mysterious music in the background-

kaya lizzie: Oh, I'm pretty sure neither of them would have minded. Hell, I'm surprised Leo didn't come out of his room that morning to find them eagerly going at it on the couch in the lair.

Hehe, and apparently I had fun writing asshole characters in the chapter. Clancy… the lawyer… man, the lawyer pissed me off. I felt slimy just writing him. Uhg.

Isis-Lament: -giggles- I always get such a kick out of your reviews. :) I don't even know where to start replying. I'll start by saying.. um… I'm glad you liked the chapter! I hope this one wasn't too much of a let-down or anything. I know not all that much happened in it, but what did happen was fairly important, plotwise.

Austin was being quite stupid by going to David's house, yes, but she's in sort of an emotional roller coaster right now. Ups and downs, and loop-d-loops.

Poor girl is just having issues dealing with the emotional after-effects of wild passionate sex with a mutant turtle. What are these 'feelings' that are popping up? Ack! Love? No! Hehehe. Anyway, that was definitely a fun part to write last chapter. I think most people appreciated the amount of description and such. You knew what was happening, but it wasn't graphic. –g- I think sooner or later, there may have to be another one in here somewhere. Just cause it's my story, and I can.

FairDrea: Yes, Susan was quite the bitch, wasn't she? But she has her reasons, and sooner or later (later most likely), Austin and you the readers, will learn of them!

And, I think that sex scene is going to go down in infamy. At least… among my readers. Most of the reviews I've gotten, they seem to have appreciated it. Hopefully it will spawn an entire generation of rough & rowdy sex fics! …ok, so maybe that's just hopeful wishing on my part.

Anyway, thankyou so much for the review, and I apologize if this chapter wasn't quite up to par. It took a bit of a detour that I was having trouble dealing with, but I think it finally worked out ok. We'll see. :P If I lose all my reviewers after this, I'll know I did something wrong.

Trillian4210: I moved the rating up to M last chapter, so it might have done something to where the fic was placed on Maybe, I'm not quite sure. Everything seems to be in working order now though.

Anyway. HAH! You think driving to work is tough, try going to sleep after writing something like that. …and I'm single. I've got no boytoy to go jump. Pooey.

Yah. I love to point out that Raph's not human. I mean… I wouldn't like him nearly so much if he was… :)

Ok, and I'm tired and about to head to bed, and I can't think of much else to say. Been working on the chapter all night long. Hope you liked it!