I felt his eyes on me as I set the helicopter down sloppier than usual. I sighed and shut my eyes tightly, disappointed with myself.

I couldn't meet his gaze. He knew.

When the blades stopped rotating, I robotically climbed from my seat and pulled my helmet off, running my fingers through my hair to calm it down. I turned to see Uncle Tom watching me expectantly, as if waiting for a question to be answered.

Oh, shit.

"What?" I asked. He sighed through his nose.

"I said, is something bothering you?"

Ugh, if only I could tell you everything. But he already knew something was up. When my flying was like that, something had to be up. So I told the half truth.

"Just this guy I met a few days ago." His face darkened protectively at the mention of another male.

"What about this boy?" He pressed.

"No, don't worry, he's...not all that bad." He crossed his arms, unimpressed.

"Name?" I groaned internally.

He's gonna go all Sherlock Holmes on me.

"Raphael," I admitted.

"And what'd this guy do to you?"

"Nothing Uncle, I'm just confused..." I shrugged helplessly.

"About what?" I sighed and leaned against the aircraft.

"I don't know, I'm just getting mixed signals." Uncle Tom waited patiently for me to continue. "Like sometimes he's this huge, cocky asshole but he just hides behind that. He's actually really nice, and a good listener, and really fun to be around. But I'm not sure if he likes being that person around me because he always tries to hide all that behind his anger. And of course, it doesn't help when I get mad at him for being angry. But I can't help it! I just want to know if he likes being around me or if I'm just annoying. God I hate boys!" I glanced over at him. "Not you though, Uncle Tom." He chuckled and leaned against the copter beside me.

"What did Olivia say about this boy?"

My heart faltered and I felt a cold rush along my spine.

"I didn't tell her," I admitted guiltily.

"Really?" He asked, thoroughly surprised, "why not?"

"I don't know. I just...ugh, I don't know. Sorry, just don't worry about it, I'll...I'll ask his brother."

"Another boy?" He breathed.

"Well, actually three more," I said sheepishly.

"Four boys!?" He exclaimed. "Raiy!" I couldn't help but grin.

••• 影の秘密 •••

The manhole ground against the concrete as it was lifted out of the way. Leo waved me over and I hurriedly descended into the sewers.

"Okay, this thing," I waved the tracker in the air, "is sick." He grinned.

"Donnie'll be happy to hear that you like it. He started working on something you can use to communicate with us easier."

"Oh nice, so like a mini phone?"

That would make everything so much easier.

"I have no idea, I just let him do his thing," he laughed, "how was flight training?" A groan slipped from my lips before I could even think of a reply. He laughed again.

"Bad?" He guessed.

"I kept on messing up! Ugh I was so sloppy, it was awful! And I don't think Uncle Tom was very impressed."

"Don't worry about it, everyone has their off days." I nodded in agreement and he narrowed his eyes at me, noticing my distracted face. "Something on your mind?"

"No, well...yeah, actually."

"Is it Raph?" He asked quietly and I nodded in frustration.

"And I can't figure out why." I did, I just didn't want to believe it. I shut my eyes tightly, drowning out the relentless inner turmoil. "Why do I care, Leo? I don't get it, he's such an ass! Ugh, but then he's so understanding and fun and why is he so ashamed of all that around me!?"

"He's ashamed of that around everyone, Raiy. The difference is we see just his angry side and you see both his sides. I think that he thinks it makes him weak and soft." I rubbed my face tiredly.

"I just hate how I care and he gives zero shits."

"He does care," he protested and I nodded.

"I know, he just shows it differently. Like last night, but I was too pissed to notice." Leo chuckled and shook his head.

"You two aren't so different, you know."

He noticed that too?

"Sensei decided that it would be best if Raphael didn't watch you anymore." This unexpected pang of disappointment flitted through me and I clenched my teeth, frustrated that I felt this way. I only nodded and tried to sound relieved.

"Okay."

No more late night talks, I guess. I shook that thought from my head before I could dwell too much on it.

"So what do you think I'm learning tonight?" I asked, hopeful that it won't be another discussion over the differences of Yo, In and Zen.

"Probably basic offence to put those breathing techniques to use."

"Oh thank god, another lecture and I'm going to lose my mind." Leo snorted.

"You think Sensei can talk a lot? Try listening to Donnie." I laughed.

"Talk about what?" He groaned.

"Everything."

"Everything?" I repeated, holding back a laugh. "How does he know so much stuff if he's never been to school?" Leo smiled and shook his head before telling the story of how his brother's genius abilities were inspired,

"Before we started training in Ninjutsu, he would read every book he could find laying around. Even if it was a ping pong encyclopedia...And then he found a science textbook he refused to let out of his sight-"

"And that's when you all knew he'd become the world' biggest nerd."

"Yeah," he chuckled, "he set up the monitor wall and would spend every second he could reading and learning and listening to lectures on YouTube. Sensei got him to try and teach us some things a few times, but with Mikey either asking too many questions or getting sidetracked all the time, he eventually gave up."

"When I go back to school in another two months, I'll get him to do all my homework."

"He'd be so happy. I think he still has that textbook too."

"Of course he does. Oh, did you guys finish watching Star Wars?"

"Mikey did, but I don't think he understood anything. Donnie fell asleep. Splinter talked with Raph. I had to tackle Mikey this morning so he wouldn't start watching the second one without you." I laughed. "As long as he doesn't watch the third one without me. That one's my favourite."

"Does Anakin die?" He blurted. "I have a feeling he's gonna die. Or turn to the Dark side." I kept my best straight face but couldn't help being impressed with his accurate prediction of Anakin's fate.

"He does!" He cried, seeing right through me.

"I can't tell you that! You have to watch them to find out." My even expression and voice didn't waver, but somehow Leo saw past it as if my defences were no more than a glass wall.

"He's gonna get Padmè involved too, isn't he?" I kept my mouth clamped shut despite my amazement.

How is he doing that!? How does he know!?

"He does!" He chuckled when I smacked his arm.

"Stop it! Do you want the whole plot or what!? Cuz I can tell you something that will ruin the rest of all the damn movies." His eyes glinted mischievously and he nodded but I shook my head.

"In that case, I think I'll let you keep wondering."

"I can just keep guessing," he pointed out.

"Don't you dare!" He opened his mouth to spew more questions that I just ignored and he ended up guessing and getting most of them right.

"You're like the annoying brother I never had," I muttered in exasperation. He laughed and playfully shoved me toward the sewer wall with his arm. I narrowly avoided the wall covered in slimy god knows what, then returned the gesture none too lightly. I only barely managed to make him stumble, then took off down the tunnel before he could get back at me. I could hear him chasing after me.

"You're gonna get lost!" Leo called, a smile lining his voice. But I'd recognized where we were and knew exactly how to get to the lair from there, the trick was to not think about it. I just focused on staying ahead of Leo and let my memory do the rest.

I grinned triumphantly when I saw the entrance and hurriedly punched in the code.

"Leo?" Mikey called the moment the door swung open, "is Raiya with you? Can I start the movie now?"

"Gimme a minute!" I yelled back, carefully dropping to the floor. The turtle poked his head into the training room with a frown.

"Where's Leo?" I grinned devilishly.

"Right behind me. I need you to quickly throw me up there." I pointed to the walkway above the octagon pedestal.

"Oh, I love your mind!" Mikey quickly lifted me up, then dashed behind their bedroom archway to watch. Without a thought, I surfed through my mind and dove into the ancient waters of memories. Acrobatics flashed behind my eyelids, giving me a million and one ideas.

I firmly clasped my hands around the walkway and crouched near the edge, just below the entrance. Leo immediately dropped inside and looked around for me,

"Raiya?" He called, a grin playing across his face. As soon as he was directly below me, I hopped off the edge of the walkway and swung my legs. My feet connected with his shell and threw him forward with the force of my swing. I released my hands from the platform and landed on my feet beside his body, splayed across the floor.

Mikey was howling with laughter in their bedroom entrance. Leo groaned and looked up at me with a promise for revenge.

That's the last time he pushes me into a nasty ass sewer tunnel wall!

"Had enough yet?" I asked, crossing my arms across my chest.

"What the hell is-" Donnie appeared beside Mikey and narrowed his eyes in confusion at the scene before him.

"Raiy...Raiya kicked his ass!" Mikey explained, his laughter finally calming. Donnie turned to me with a grin.

"You did?" I gestured to Leo, still laying on the ground.

"I can't believe you guys let me miss that!" He said, making me perk up.

"Do you want a demonstration?"

"Say no," Leo groaned, finally getting to his feet. Donnie closed the port that still hung open and locked it.

"Only if I'm not the punching bag." I looked over at Leo with a grin and jostled him with my arm,

"Wanna go another round? Donnie missed my awesome victory." He rubbed his cheek and shook his head, still smiling.

"Tomorrow you're gonna regret that cute little stunt." I narrowed my eyes and inspected his face.

"Maybe I dropped you on your face too hard," I decided, brushing off his playful threat. He opened his mouth to defend himself but his brother cut him off.

"Playing the movie in five!...four!..." I ran past Leo and into the living room to grab the better seat first. Spying an empty spot next to Mikey on the couch, I vaulted over the backrest and landed lightly beside him, causing him to jump and stop his countdown. He clasped a hand over his heart.

"Girl you almost gave me a heart attack!" I grinned and patted his toned arm.

"Sorry." Leo claimed the pizza box chair.

"You are really gonna get it tomorrow." At that, Mikey gasped and threw his arms around me protectively.

"Don't you even think about it," he warned. Donnie plopped into the beanbag chair and watched—unimpressed—as Mikey removed one arm from around me to play the movie, but kept his other slung across my shoulders and pulled me closer to him.

I didn't really mind. It was nice. But at the same time didn't feel right. It...it's hard to put into words but it just felt like something was...wrong.

I shook it off and focused on the opening scene, where Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin stood in an elevator side-by-side. Mikey's arm tightened around me excitedly.

"That old dude is still alive!? I thought he died! They burned him!" I laughed, remembering how I thought the same thing when I first watched this episode too.

"No, that's Obi-Wan and Anakin. They're just older. They look like Qui-Gon and young Obi-Wan because Jedi do their hair in a specific way based on their rank." I explained. Donnie absorbed this information like a sponge drier than the Sahara desert. Leo coughed.

"Nerd." Mikey's eyes remained glued to the tv screens of the monitor wall.

"Shhh!" He hushed us, desperately listening to the movie.

AN: So I wrote this chapter a really long time ago but kept forgetting to upload it until now (lol, sorry) and when I was writing I wasn't thinking about how long it would be so it ended up being like 4000 and something words, which is like way above my usual chapter lengths. And I decided it would be easier to do it in two separate 2000 word parts instead of one huge one. Btw the chapter title will make more sense in part 2.

So how'd you guys like part 1? :D