Disclaimer – I only own the plot. A bit, appreciative 'thanks' from me to Ziptango for being my beta with this chapter! Yes, she's still among the living, folks!

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Femme Fatale

Chapter 2 – Springtime

It had been too long since Bara had known a good night's sleep. In fact, she could not remember the last time when she did feel rested. As she sat in front of her laptop, she chanced a look at the clock on the wall above her, and then suddenly yawned. Remembering the wager that she had agreed to earlier, she quickly tried to stifle it by bringing her hand up over her mouth in reflex. As she did, her eyes widened in mild panic as she swung her head around to look over at Don, hoping that he hadn't heard her. Besides the bet that they had made, she really didn't want to get into another argument with him. Fortunately, he still had his back towards her, as he worked on his own laptop, apparently none the wiser.

Bara sighed in thankful relief. He knew that she was exhausted, and had insisted earlier that she quit for the night, but she had stood firm, instead, to a couple more hours.

Needless to say, he had relented and so, two hours later, here they both sat.

"You say something, Bara?" Don mumbled, not turning around, but continuing to tap at his keyboard.

"Ah, no, just – trying to figure this equation out, Don," she replied quietly, working at her own laptop. She tried to keep any irritation out of her voice and, most especially, tried her best not to sound tired.

"Um…'kay," he muttered, and then he seemed to go back to his calculations once again.

The two were in the lab adjoined to Don's office, accessed through a hidden entrance in one of the walls. It was currently two in the morning with the remaining staff from the lower floors already home and, more than likely, dreaming pleasant dreams having nothing to do with work.

As much as Bara loved what she did, though, there were times when she envied her fellow researchers. Yet, she could not help but appreciate the kind of success working for Don had given to her since accepting his offer to assist him back in March of last year. In fact, her first assignment, Project 392, had become one of many defining moments and projects for her over the past twelve months of their working together. She had impressed him so much on the initial undertaking that Don decided to have her permanently assigned to his personal elite team of assistants, scientists, and researchers.

Among them was Thomas, Don's valet, except that he was more involved with making sure Don's needs were taken care of wherever he went. This evening, however, Don had given him the night off, so that Thomas could be home with his family.

Suddenly, Don stretched, his well-muscled arms reaching high above him as the rest of his body creaked in relief. His As he groaned out a contented sigh, his actions caught Bara's attention. In the beginning of their working relationship, it was something the young woman had to force herself to get used to hearing. Most people, when they stretched, didn't groan like a squeaky floorboard. Then again, most people didn't sport a shell on their back or a plastron on their chest the way Don did.

Bara half smiled as she looked over at him. "Tired, already?" she teased lightly, her sweet-sounding intonations breaking the silence.

Chuckling in his low, baritone voice, Don looked back over at her, "And you're not?"

Shrugging, Bara tilted her head up a bit and said smugly as she grinned, "I caught my second wind a while ago - I could greet the morning now."

"Liar!" her employer blurted out, laughing now, because he could tell by the strain in her eyes that his assistant was anything but ready to greet the dawn. "Seriously, we both need our beauty sleep, me more than you, so – where I'm the boss," his eyes twinkled mischievously, "I'm calling it a night for the both of us!"

"Sorry, you can't do that; you're not that powerful," the girl teased back and tossed her head playfully, causing her long, black hair to undulate.

With his eyes widening in mild amusement, Don asked, "Ohhhh? Since when, my lovely Bara?"

"Since…" she replied, her eyes dancing in merriment as she quirked her head, "it's morning. No matter how rich and powerful you are, Don-san, you cannot change the earth's rotation." Bara laughed then, joined by her employer, as he closed his laptop and slipped off his stool.

Don rubbed at his eyes and then said as he looked at her, shaking his head as he did, "Ah, my dear, you always seem to be right, which I find most refreshing!" he stated simply. He yawned and worked his shoulder muscles around, trying to loosen their stiffness from being slumped over his computer for the last several hours.

"Ah ha! YOU yawned," the girl declared, almost singing, "You lose!"

"Nope," he eyed her devilishly, "You lost the bet only a moment ago when you yawned first!" He chuckled, "You tried to hide it with your hand, but I heard you. Should I place my order, now, or wait until you go for lunch tomorrow?"

Now, Bara's eyes went slightly wide in surprise. As she closed her own laptop in a huff and stood up from her chair, she put her hands on her hips in mock indignation. "You heard that?" she pouted.

Snickering a little, Don shook his head, "There's not much that I don't hear, Miss Tanaka. I just decided not to argue with you, again, about staying late. Besides, it's two in the morning and what good would it do for me to debate with you about quitting for the night when I'm already planning on going home anyway."

Bara smiled and sighed, "There's no 'pulling' that wool over your eyes, is there?"

"Not usually, but there have been times," Don said somewhat soberly, and gave her a half smirk. He then turned to where his jacket hung. Plucking it off the hook on the wall, he turned back around as he shrugged into the leather coat, "Now, let me drive you home. I won't accept you taking a cab, not at this late hour." As he said this, he adjusted the fit of the coat, shaking his arms further into its sleeves and then pulling at the lapels to straighten the garment a bit better on his bulky form.

"No, Don-san, please, I can manage," Bara shook her head stubbornly, "I've yet to run into any problems getting home and I've been working like this for – what – six months now?"

"Yes, that may be true. However, according to the theory of probability, your absence of problems could change on a moment's notice." Don stated, and then insisted, "And I prefer not taking any chances. I'm driving you home, so no arguments!"

His gaze took on a hard determination, yet a kindness edged his face as well. Bara knew that when he acted like this, there wasn't any more arguing with him. She was just grateful that he had saved his posturing for now, rather than two hours before, when a new twist in solving the problem had come to her. Yet, even that avenue had proved fruitless, putting her even further away from figuring out their current situation. It was quite frustrating too, where she rarely found anything so challenging that it would take more than a day to work out. As it was, a week had already gone by without any success in finding the answer. Being tired certainly didn't help either. "Yes," she silently agreed with him, "a fresh start in the morning might make all the difference in the world."

Now, with Don's insistence about driving her, and Bara's resolve weakening only because of her frustrated exhaustion, she gave in, "Fine, you can drive me, Mr. Tello, but – only as far as the front door of the lobby. I can see myself in the rest of the way."

Smiling victoriously, Don's mood brightened, his eyes twinkling from the reflective light of the overhead illumination, "No problem, Miss Tanaka, my chariot awaits thee!" and he bowed low before her, swinging one arm towards the 'door' of the laboratory, as if formally showing her the way.

Bara giggled as she turned back to the lab desk, her lilting voice echoing pleasantly in the room, "I can just see you driving a horse-drawn cart." She looked back at him for a moment to see his reaction.

Still slightly bent over in his mock-formal bow, Don looked up and good-naturedly corrected her as he grinned, "It would be a carriage, my dear, encrusted with diamonds as brightly lit as your smile." As he straightened, he noticed her amused reaction, her petit mouth widening in a pleased grin. It was then that Don saw Bara anew, and he suddenly felt his heart tighten ever so slightly.

She did indeed have a bright and engaging smile that much was certain, and it paired up very nicely with the girl's gentle, yet friendly personality. With how it affected him, her smile reminded Don of the sun rising after a long and stormy night.

"When was the last time someone touched me like this," he asked himself.

A name then came to mind, its sudden intrusion almost startling him. Mindy Johnson.

In that moment, Don's jovial mood sobered just a little as he thought of his first crush.

Mindy was a woman that two of his brothers had rescued less than a decade ago, when he and they were still living in the sewers. He had taken care of her, a victim of a mugging, and through that relationship, he had fallen in love. She was an engaging woman who had greatly affected Don in a most profound way. Even though she had been much older than he was at the time, twice his age in fact, it wasn't something that discouraged Don at all, despite her insistence that it should. As it was, she had eventually returned his feelings, only to lose any real opportunity for the two of them to explore a relationship.

Still, Min had touched him deeply, and for the first time in his young life, Donatello had felt the stirrings of his heart.

Unfortunately, after Mindy had left the lair for a meeting with a friend, the Foot's sudden invasion of their home forced Don and his family to flee the city. If it were not for the vehicle that Mindy had graciously given to them, Don knew that he and his brothers - and sensei, would probably still be living somewhere under the streets of New York City, existing in obscurity, and adding to the many mysteries that existed in the sewers. It would have been that…or they would now be dead.

"Probably the latter," Don sighed to himself, and huffed a bit.

As it was, they did escape, ending up in New Mexico – where a sheriff's deputy discovered them. The following seven years became a whirlwind of events that redefined to the world what intelligent life was and, more importantly, expanded the understanding of equal rights.

Just the same, even with all of his wealth and power, Don had lost touch with the woman. The only news he ever had on Mindy was through Mike, who had made a concentrated effort during the past two years to visit her from time to time. For that, Don was glad and relieved. Mike was probably better at keeping in touch, anyway, since Don was too busy, Raphael too involved with his own personal demons, and Leo and Splinter were too far away where they lived in Japan.

As Don stood there watching Bara clean up her workspace, and as he considered his feelings for the moment, he felt a sudden twinge of guilt rip at his heart. Don knew that he owed Min a lot. He also knew that he had screwed up enormously with her. As much as he would have liked to change that, however, too much time had passed for him to undo the damage.

Nevertheless, when he had heard through Mike that Mindy had returned to her teaching job and, more recently, was currently dating, Don felt happiness for her. It still pained him that he had let her slip beyond his reach when he first went public, yet he often wondered since then if they could have made their relationship work.

Just the same, he had to recognize, too, that at least she was able to move on with her life and find some measure of happiness and success. For that, Don was glad. Mindy deserved it and so much more.

Nevertheless, as he stood there in his lab,he sighed quietly. "Maybe I could still give Min a call, just to apologize." he wondered glumly.

Despite his pensive mood, here he was gazing upon another woman, a younger beautiful woman, even, and immensely charming as well. Although Bara was not the first attractive woman to cross his path, Don was not stupid either. He knew that he was not that attractive to humans, especially of the opposite sex. He was far too different physically.

No, he learned quite early on that what attracted the masses to him had been his money – and his power. If not the wealthy and influential fathers eager to marry their daughters off to someone as rich as Don, then the gold diggers who threw themselves at him had given him choices that would be the envy of most men. Of course, all of these women were beautiful, but physical attributes were never something that Don had found particularly tempting.

However, keen intellect was, and Mindy had been very intelligent, as was Bara. Only Bara seemed to surpass Min in that department. Since she had come on board with him, the young woman virtually astounded Don on more than a few occasions, nearly equaling him with her near genius. Working side by side with him on their first project together, Project 392, Bara had helped to create the first security system that read DNA as an identification track. It was what furthered his influence in the world and what fattened his bank account even more. It had been the defining moment in their working relationship, too.

As he stood there now and watched as the girl cleaned up her workspace, he thought about Bara's wit. It was somewhat similar to Mindy's, but with a little more reservation, given her strict upbringing. Although her decorum had been very traditional Japanese in the beginning, after a time the girl learned to relax and became fun to work with. In fact, their repartee from only moments before was a good example of how easy-going she could be around Don.

Of course, he had to observe that she was especially tired, too, which – when that happened – the girl could also flip the proverbial 'coin' and become irritable. Earlier, the way that she had insisted about staying for a few more hours had been a good example. He smiled inwardly at the recent memory too. He was always mildly amused whenever Bara would spout off, and, in hindsight, he much preferred those who stood their ground when needed, believing that anyone who did otherwise was weak.

Don suddenly blinked and realized with some embarrassment that he had zoned out for a moment. He sighed in relief when he noticed that Bara had been too busy getting her own coat to notice. As Don looked over at her and as he watched her grab up her jacket and slip it on, a small infectious smile spread along his muzzle. The overhead light was basking her in its golden glow, crowning her head with an almost ethereal halo, and which defined her almost blue-black hair in contrast. Her slim, shapely form was most appealing, with her slacks and tight sweater outlining a trim body.

He suddenly shook his head, though, and dismissed these thoughts, growling inwardly at himself. He was her employer, after all, and she was only a worker, hired to do a job. Yet, try as he could, Don had to admit that over the course of the past year, he had begun to look upon Bara Tanaka as someone that was more than just a simple hired employee of Tello Industry. He was beginning to see her as a good friend.

Just the same, he sighed in resolution. Don knew that, as her boss, he had to keep himself from delving into something more than just working with her in the lab. It absolutely would not do well for her reputation, or for his, if a romance blossomed between them.

"This way, milady," he quickly offered, overriding his feelings for the moment. As she turned towards him to leave, Don gently brushed his hand along the top button on the wall. Soon after, part of it immediately and silently slid open to reveal his office on the other side.

Bara smiled and then slipped past him and on out of the laboratory, followed closely by Don as the door returned to its jamb. Soon, it resembled a wall again, hiding Don's secret lab once more.

After a short bit of time descending in Don's private elevator, they arrived in the basement of the building. After a short walk, the two of them were soon standing next to his car. With a flourish, Don opened the passenger side to allow Bara to slip inside and sit down. After closing the door, he quickly moved around the car to the driver's side and was soon sitting behind the wheel. It didn't take long for Don to put the vehicle in motion. Driving it up the exit ramp and out of the bowels of the garage, and then passing over his DNA security sensors that activated the gates, he soon had the car out onto the streets of New York City.

At first, as Don guided the car through the nearly deserted and softly lit streets of New York City, they engaged in idle chitchat. They discussed the problem they had been working on, and various other work-related topics, too. After several yawns, though, Bara quieted, and Don sensed her need for peace. Reluctantly, he gave it to her, keeping his eyes on the road ahead and enjoying the depth of night in relative quiet.

Don Tello knew the way to her home well. In fact, he owned the building where she lived, with Bara residing in the penthouse that crowned the moderately sized skyscraper.

Overall, the concrete and glass structure soared some forty stories into the New York City skyline, an impressive bit of architecture that represented the affluence of Fifth Avenue well. Besides the offices below, it provided Don's personal elite group of scientists and researchers, as well as his contingency of trained security personnel, with a living style that would otherwise be unattainable. Part of his reasoning behind his generosity was to give to them a kind of residence that was equal to the quality of work he expected from them, thereby ensuring their loyalty.

He paid for all of their expenses, too, other than food, cars, and recreation, yet he also secretively outfitted their town homes and penthouses with hidden cameras and recording devices. At the very least, he did so if only to ward against betrayal. He did use propriety, of course, in the placement of such devices. However, his years fighting against the Foot played an integral roll with his decision to bug his workers' living space.

To the casual critic, it might have smacked of invasion of privacy and on more than one occasion, his brothers teased him about voyeurism. Still, Don's paranoia had paid off twice for him, the cameras exposing two scientists who had tried to sell his secrets to another company.

They had disguised the attempted sale as a simple get-together during one Thanksgiving celebration, which involved both scientists and their supposed families. The only problem was that one 'family' member had already found themselves on Don's 'black' list of suspected techno-hijackers. When the hidden camera exposed the man's identity and whereabouts, its matrix mainframe - already programmed to recognize potential enemies, immediately sounded an alarm, first alerting Thomas, and then Don through their pagers.

What followed next found both scientists and hijacker at the biting end of Don's wrath - and strict rebuttal.

As far as Don was concerned, though, that outcome justified his actions and silenced his brothers' criticism for good.

As it was, Thomas had impressed Don so much with his service and loyalty, that the turtle felt it insulting to question the man's trust with any type of hidden camera. Consequently, the man lived in one of the few camera-free apartments. In fact, he had happily found the man in accord with him about the need for such measures. Considering the sophistication of Don's inventions, and that many of them were government sensitive, it almost demanded such intrusive electronics.

As for the hidden cameras, though, Bara's penthouse was no exception. In fact, months before her interview and when alerted to her qualifications, Don had insisted through Thomas that Bara have a servant. In reality, the housekeeper had become his informant for the girl's behavior and habits. It was how Thomas was able to provide Don with such detailed and intimate accounts of the girl, before she had stepped inside in his office for the first time.

That had been a year ago, and now Don was confident that Bara was as trustworthy as his valet had proved himself to be.

After a twenty minute drive and as Don neared Bara's building, he glanced over at the girl. He smiled when he saw that she had fallen asleep and currently slumped against the window. Where it was still chilly during the deepest part of the night, her gentle breath fogged the glass. Moreover, no longer did exhaustion etch her face, but it was now relaxed and almost angelic in appearance.

Again, Don's chest tightened, and with the same feeling that he had for Mindy years ago. Keeping his attention to the road ahead of him, he glanced occasionally at his sleeping passenger. Considering his surprising new feelings, Don wondered if maybe the working relationship he had with her was a little too close. Yes, they did get along quite well, if their teasing from earlier was an indication. There were even times when they could finish each other's sentences, which amused Don to no end.

Just the same, he shook his head, certain that even if he did feel something for Bara, he didn't believe that she could feel anything for him; at least, not in that way. Because, despite who he was in the world, despite his power and wealth, Don knew that people still saw him as nothing more than a mutated turtle with human attributes and, more importantly, as a completely different species.

"No," he shrugged determinedly as he said silently, "it just wouldn't be fair to the girl, with all that she's sacrificing, with the time she's given to me and the lab." He quickly looked over at her and sighed, a subtle frown of regret creasing his face, "She should have companions, and…a boyfriend befitting her beauty." He then returned his gaze to the road ahead, a steely determination replacing the longing of his heart.

Soon, they were at her building with Don driving the car down into the underground garage. He slowed slightly, allowing the security system to activate. It was imperative that all cars that belonged there, or belonging to Tello Industries, be fitted with microchip identity sensors. The moment any crossed over the receptor grid just inside the garage, a laser would scan the car and the confirmation of the electronic ID would initiate the first of two gated barriers. The first one would let the car in, allowing the vehicle to ease just beyond its threshold.

However, with the second gate still engaged in the closed position, it would force the driver to stop. The first gate would then close, temporarily trapping the car and driver. Immediately, a DNA scan would cross in front of the car's windshield from right to left, taking in the driver's personal biological identity and anyone else in the car. After that, if the security sensor seemed satisfied with the results, the second gate would then open, allowing the car and its occupant's access into the remaining part of the garage. With the first gate in the closed position, this prevented any would-be interloper from following the car in, as often happened in other buildings with less sophisticated security measures.

This was one invention that Don was most proud of – and one that encompassed Project 392, the very project that Bara had worked on first.

As Don drove the car into the garage and guided the vehicle towards the elevators, he looked once more over at the girl in the seat next to him. "Bara, we're here," he called to her softly.

She didn't respond.

He smiled, "Bara, dear, you're home."

She stirred a little, and then settled deeper into the window, nestling into the side of her door. She was obviously in the deep part of her sleep.

Sighing, Don returned his concentration to driving, guiding the car up one aisle and down the other towards his destination.

To Don, it seemed as if Bara was deep into whatever sleep in which she seemed to be languishing. In fact, if he was not mistaken and if his ears were as sharp as he knew them to be, she seemed to be snoring just a little. He smiled and as a chuckle tried to work its way up from his diaphragm, he quickly shoved it back down. Just the same, Don could tell that she was thoroughly exhausted, and he could sense that no amount of gentle waking would successfully rouse her. After finding a closely situated parking spot near the elevators, he quietly put the car in park and then sat there.

As he watched her, he wondered what to do now. He could budge her a bit, maybe gently shake her awake, but then that might startle her. He could speak a bit louder to her, but he would probably end up with the same results. The last thing he wanted to do was to scare her half to death or embarrass her.

Sighing, he knew that he had only one other option; and he knew that she would probably not appreciate it.

As he sighed in resolution, Don finally made up his mind; the only way to get her to her apartment would be to carry her. What he would do once he had her up there, well, hopefully, she would wake up by then. Don shuddered at the thought of trying to put the girl to bed. That just smacked of impropriety all the way around. "Maybe I can just leave her on her couch, cover her up with a blanket or something," he quickly thought to himself, "and get out of there before she wakes up!" He shook his head, "How do I manage to get myself in these spots..." His thoughts went back to Mindy, a slow grin creasing his muzzle as he recalled her shocked, embarrassed face, while she stared up at him in that bathtub, desperately clutching at that shower curtain as she lay butt-naked on her rear. Don gave a silent chuckle at the memory, and renewed his vow from earlier to give the woman soon.

Nevertheless, he slipped quietly out of his car and gently pushed his door closed. Not wasting any time, he quickly went around the passenger side and opened it. He had to catch Bara as she further slumped into the door that was now no longer there, and even with that sudden move, she was still too deep in her sleep to notice.

Don smiled. So angelic was her face, so gentle was her breathing, that even with her soft snoring, she charmed him. The tightening in his chest returned once again. He gently stroked his finger along her left check, feeling the silky smoothness of her skin, as her face nestled comfortably against his arm. A longing tried to seep its way into his very being, but, with his resolve solid, he ignored. Bending down and slipping his right arm under her legs, he effortlessly lifted her out of the car. After closing the door with his right foot, Don then headed towards the private elevator with Bara firmly ensconced in his arms.

Bara's penthouse had its own elevator, yet it still had a similar identity scan as the entrance to the garage did. Once the electronic workings of the system seemed satisfied with whom Don was, the double doors parted open. He slipped inside, and as he did, the doors closed swiftly behind him.

After he activated the penthouse button and as the elevator began its smooth assent, Don adjusted Bara a little. She wasn't the least bit heavy, but she had relaxed a bit more, and so her weight had shifted. As he balanced his hold on her, hefting her up just a little higher against his shoulder, Bara's head now lay along the top of his plastron. With her face tucked neatly into his neck as he held her, she unconsciously wiggled her head even closer. Suddenly, a gentle whoosh of warm air expelled from her slightly parted lips as she breathed, tickling his neck.

Don shivered with then his eyes growing slightly wide. This was not working out at all. He wanted to get the girl home and in her bed. Becoming sexually aroused over her was not on his agenda. He gave a panicky sideways glance at her face, and then rolled his eyes away in frustration, his heart swelling again from the vision he held in his embrace.

"No, no, no, Donny, you must stay away from this," he chided himself desperately, trying a light bit of meditation to dispel his reaction to her.

Still, during the forty-story ride in the elevator as it ascended to the penthouse level, he just could not stop looking at the girl. No matter what he did to try to dispel the feelings that he felt, in a rush the past year of working with Bara came back to him. Without even trying, he kept clicking off the many times that they had had dinner together while they worked, the meals brought up to his office by his personal cooking staff. He never gave it a thought whether they even cared about what was going on between them, as Don's intent had been purely honorable. Still, he wondered what it looked like to the staff. Had he already compromised the girl's reputation? As he wondered about this, he also wondered if maybe he was only in denial about how he felt for her.

And then he realized, almost as if an epiphany had slapped him across the face, that he was truly attracted to her. Slightly amused with himself, he began to see that he had been from the every start. Why else would he have mentioned to Thomas about how 'lovely' she seemed at the time, when he first interviewed her. Where he was only a year older, and even though he would normally not care, the age difference seemed perfect.

However, the fact that he was reptilian and she was mammalian challenged that notion, which was why he had never given it any thought about having an intimate relationship with Bara - until now.

Now, as he held her, as he felt her warm, sweet breath upon his neck, Don's logic took a serious nosedive. As he felt his 'resolve dissolve', he was finding it easier to consider the possibility of developing a closer friendship with the young woman. How he would do that without offending her or violating some employer/employee sacred rule or protocol was the tricky part.

As the elevator slowed it approach to the penthouse floor and just before the doors would open, Bara stirred in Don's arms. He looked at her quickly, almost in panic, hoping against hope that she was still in her dream state and only that.

However, despite Don's good fortune with many other ventures, no such luck would prevail this evening.

"Don…" she said sleepily, "wh...what are you doing?" she asked between sleepy, confused lids.

"Um…" Don quirked his mouth, as if caught stealing cookies, "I – ah – couldn't wake you, so – I – ah, decided to carry you up to your apartment," he smiled sheepishly at her, his grin weakening by the second.

"Oh," she said in reply, her voice thick and drowsy. She closed her eyes again, as if his words had not quite registered.

Then, suddenly it did. "WHAT? You're carrying me?" Her eyes were now wide with surprise and shock at being so close to his face. She was also a bit embarrassed too. Quickly, she squirmed around to try to extricate herself from Don's arms, and he readily complied, setting her down lightly onto her feet.

For a moment, Don saw 'Mindy', that same surprised and shocked expression on Bara's face that Min had, when he had come barreling into that bathroom so long ago to 'rescue' her.

Just as quickly though, he was riveted back to the present, as he heard Bara stammer, causing him to smile a little.

"I'm – so – ah, embarrassed. I'm sorry, Don-san, ah, Mr. Tello, I didn't mean…" she began in earnest, her face flushing to a deep rosy red as she smoothed out her jacket and pants, all of a sudden intensely self-conscious about how she looked.

"I - didn't mind, Bara," he said softly, trying not to sound husky, yet it edged his words and his smile just the same.

Seeing that the elevator door was opening, Bara saw her escape. She nodded once to Don, almost formally, as she attempted to exit the lift, "Th-thank you for bringing me home. I – I think I can see the rest of the way to my door."

"Well, I'm already this far, I don't mind walking you there, Bara," Don said cheerily, and then took her right arm in hand and guided her out of the elevator. He did this so fast that he had her out of the lift before Bara could sputter a decline. The doors closed immediately, leaving the two of them in the hallway in front of the penthouse suites.

Now, as Don stood there, with Bara's door in front of them and representing one of the two residences at that level, he waited. He wondered what in heaven he was doing, but a greater part of him hoped for what she might do next.

Bara again apologized, "I'm so sorry for falling asleep like that. I-I guess I was tired, after all," she laughed lightly, trying to regain her composure, and then allowed him to steer her towards her front door. As they came to it, she hastily placed her palm on the ID grid embedded into the wall next to it. A bluish scan from fingertip to palm slid under her hand and then, a gentle 'click' sounded out, with the door automatically opening.

Bara swallowed. She liked Don – a lot, in fact. After a year of working with him, she did not see Don as a mutant anymore, but as her employer, friend, and colleague. His physical uniqueness only added interest to his already charming personality. Bara found him kind, considerate, generous, and when he was relaxed, incredibly funny. He had a wicked wit equal to his genius that would often send her into hysterics, but that only happened when she was tired and had temporarily forgotten her manners. Even when she seemed terribly irritable, he was always very patient with her.

Then again, she consistently gave him her best and never complained about the amount of time she had to spend working in the lab with him. Of course, she liked working for him, so it was a pleasure more than a chore. Maybe he was so giving to her because she always made sure never to give him reasons not to be. It was a thought that made her wonder.

As she took in a deep breath and looked over at him, she suddenly saw something in his eyes that had not been there before. It was something that made her wonder even more than before.

Desire.

Bara caught her breath as it hitched. "I - must be really tired to imagine that!" she mused to herself, almost chuckling. Yet, the more she looked up at Don, the deeper she gazed into the pools of his chocolate-brown eyes and saw the unmistakable glint of affection, something changed within her. She felt a warming of her own heart and soul, now, a sudden tightening in her gut that said in that moment that, whatever they were together as colleagues was no longer relevant.

Don grinned, then, almost sensing the shift in the girl's previously insecure feelings. He could tell in that moment that both of them had taken a turn in their relationship.

Bara replied to Don's expression with one of her own, her smile casual and inviting. Then, surprising even herself, she offered shyly, "Would…you like to come in for a cup of tea?"

Don quickly weighed his options. He knew what his heart wanted, what it longed for. Yet, he asked himself briefly if propriety would allow him to have a close relationship with the girl. Nevertheless, the expression in her eyes and on her face told him that, at the very least and for a simple cup of tea, she was willing. In that moment, he looked down at his watch and then at Bara, smiling warmly as he said, "It's kind of late, but – ah, yes; I think I would like that very much."

In reflex, Bara smiled wider and then entwined her arm into his. After the two of them eased across the threshold and into the penthouse together, the door slowly closed behind them locking into place.

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COMMENTS –My thanks and gratitude for all who are reading my little story and for those who left a review.

JESSIY LANDROZ, ZIPTANGO, CHIBI ROSE ANGEL, LUNAR-NINJA, PRETENDER FANATIC, RELUCTANT DRAGON, RAMICA