Enjoy you guys! Thanks for the support and I hope everyone is liking the new turtles movie.

Serena

I shut my eyes. My hands curled into fists as I braced myself. I wouldn't turn around, I couldn't look at him. "What do you want me to say?"

"The truth, just the truth. Don't you realize that's all I need to hear?"

A grim realization passed over me. "The truth is that I can't stay here. I have to leave, Raphael. This place, it is not my home. I don't belong here."

"I don't believe that's the truth." I could picture him in my mind. He would have his thick arms crossed against his broad chest. His face would be warped into that focused look of a true warrior.

Still not wanting to see him, I snapped over my shoulder, "What did you honestly expect from me? Did you think I was going to spend the rest of my days in a sewer? Do you think I can have a life down here?" I was worried my voice would crack. I knew what I had to do if I was going to leave and keep him safe tonight. He would have to break, so he couldn't bear to see me again. Looking at him now would have made it impossible. "This isn't some fairy tale, Raphael. How am I supposed to live with monsters like you?"

He was silent, and it terrified me to think that I may have been successful. It has to be done, I continuously reminded myself. "I dunno, but if you really see me as a monster… why did you seek me out in the first place?"

"I had to know that you were safe, for my honor's sake."

"Bullshit." He said flatly, but the anger was there, "You are a fully realized kunoich. You could have found me, seen that I was fine, and be gone before I would have realized you were in a ten block radius. That answer is bullshit. You came back because of something else."

Hot trails of tears ran down my face. A single drop ran off my chin and hit the stone floor. In the dim light, I could barely see its dark form on the ground. "At first I was going to do just that. I planned to. But that doesn't matter now, because I won't stay here."

"Fine, then I'll go with you."

"No, I won't let you," I growled. It was so tempting to turn around so I could say it to his face but I couldn't. Don't do that to yourself.

"Well what are you going to do to stop me? I won't let you walk out and be put at risk of being hunted or forced to starve on the streets again like before. I'll keep you safe, either here or out there. You and I need each other." He seemed to shout even though Raphael's voice remained low, probably to keep from waking his brothers.

"And who said I needed you?" I had enough. My blood was racing, more and more tears fell. I threw down my bag from where it was tossed over my shoulder. I spun around to where he stood just feet away, partially concealed in shadow. It made my chest ache just to see him and think this was going to be the last time. Behind me I listened to the door shut, run out of time to exit the secret passage. However Donatello designed it was astonishing, but I had other matters on my mind. "Why can't you understand that if I stay, if I stay around you, I'll kill you."

Then he did something far more outstanding than any form of engineering. Raphael stepped forward till he stood inches from me. I could now clearly see everything about him, and it tore me up inside. His jungle green skin was smooth and flawless over his muscular chest and arms, disappearing behind his tan plastron. Behind his neck I could see just the top of his thick shell. Leather straps and bandages were wrapped around his joints and waist. But what hurt me the most was his clear eyes, unmasked from me. Like the very first time I looked into them so long ago.

He shook his head at me, thick hands pulling mine to his chest at the same time. "I'm tougher than I look. Plus, with how much I care about you, the only way you could possibly kill me would be leaving me behind to spend the rest of my life trying to forget to think about where you are. If only you could know what I see when I look at you."

I stopped crying, I just stared speechless at him. Immediately, he began to look embarrassed. I heard him swear under his breath, and I knew he had taken my silence the wrong way. When he tried to drop my hands, I did the only thing I could think of to keep him from letting go.

I kissed him.

Raphael

I must've been the stupidest walkin' talkin' turtle in this galaxy, and as far as I knew there was only four. Of course she would stand there staring at me; I was a giant turtle who just practically told her that I was basically in love with her. Well, at least I didn't say that much, not that it wasn't possibly true. I was counting on her now spinning on her heels and running away screaming, just like any other human woman who saw me.

What I didn't count on was her throwing herself at me. Just as I was letting go, looking away, she pushed up against me. Her lips fell onto mine, and my eyes must have been as wide as saucers. I nearly fell backwards in surprise till I caught myself. This was the very first time I had ever been kissed… obviously. It's not like women are falling all over the place for mutants. But I was frozen solid because the girl who was doing it, well she made my heart race ten times faster.

For once, I didn't question anything. I shut my eyes and kissed her back. When the kiss broke, she leaned her forehead against mine, silent tears rushing down her face. I was the first to speak. "You just kissed me."

"Yeah… Yeah I did."

"Why?" I asked, not opening my eyes for fear I would see something totally different from what I felt.

"Because, I didn't want you to let go of me." Serena mumbled. My hands moved from hers at my chest to wrap around her. Pulling her closer, she let one arm over the left side of my chest, while the other curled behind my neck. My heart beat pounded just below where her fingers sat.

"Don't worry, there's no chance of that happening." I smiled and so did she. Both were cautious and unsure of what we were doing. This was crazy and probably stupid too, but I didn't care. And at this point, I don't think she really did either.

Her voice was small, "I just don't want to hurt you… or worse."

"You never really could. We can take care of one another, keep each other safe. For once, think about doing something for yourself, not others." And that's when I kissed her. One hand swallowed the side of her face, curling my fingers behind her ear. I was nervous to really kiss her, partially because my face is mostly turtle. I thanked whoever was in charge of our creation for making my anatomy human enough to do this. Because kissing Serena, there was no other feeling like it.

"You've ruined me for ever being alone again. I don't want to be anymore," Serena whispered against my mouth.

"You don't have to be anymore," I could feel how tired she was. She laid her arms around my neck and buried her face down into my shoulder. The hand that was on her cheek fell to her shoulder blades. The other reached down to scoop her up off her feet. Cradling her, I remembered when I first brought her down into the lair. She looked so different then. I missed her long hair, but I was so happy to have that girl back again.

I brought her back to my room, setting her back onto her own feet. Feeling a little self conscious about my room, I kicked away all that littered the floor. She spun around slowly, taking in my space. "You really like music, don't you?"

I looked around at all the band posters that were collaged on my walls, covering the sewer stones. Her eyes were glued to the stacks of CDs, cassettes, and records on the shelf on the far wall. I had players for all in my room too, in safe spots among the free weight and weapon racks. "I like to think that if I was someone else, that I could've been a musician. Stupid, I know."

"Not at all. I like to think that maybe I could've been a nurse had my life played out differently."

"I think you would have made a good nurse," I smiled at her, enjoying the way she fit in the middle of my life. Her face peered over her shoulder at me from where she had been studying a picture of me and my family. It was an old shot from being out at Casey's farmhouse. I had a full photo album around somewhere of my family over the years. I liked pictures, though I never took any.

"Thank you," she squeezed my arm before unzipping the heavy jacket she had on. She tossed it to the floor, leaving her in another lighter one. That fell to the floor too, and I smiled at what she had on. Her silver corset was on her, pulled over a dark tank top. She tugged down on the zipper on the side, but set the piece much more carefully onto the ground. I could see all the scars that covered her arms and the ones on the back of her neck to. Knowing how hard it was for her to show them, I came up from behind and wrapped my arms around her stomach.

Serena sighed as she leaned back into me. "What are we going to do?"

"I have no clue, but right now, I don't want to think about it." I spoke quietly into her ear.

She kicked off her shoes and spun around to face me, taking my hands again, "I don't want to either. It's funny…"

"What is?" I narrowed my eyes just a bit at her light laughter.

"You look just like you did when you picked me up from the alley. I can see your eyes." She smiled so beautifully up at me before yawning.

I kissed her just once more, "Come on, let's get some sleep."

Serena crawled in first to the back where my bed was pushed against the wall. Waiting there, propped up onto one arm, I laid down next to her. On my back, my right arm was bent behind my head. She immediately moved to my side, her head resting on my shoulder while a hand was on top of my heart again. I placed my free hand on her hip, bending my arm around her. Suddenly I became very self conscious of my shell and plastron.

"Are you… uh, comfortable?" I asked her.

"Of course," she yawned, curling up to me further as if to prove the statement. I grinned as I stared back up into the space above me. Her shin was pressed up to the side of my leg, and it was incredible. My other foot kicked up the blanket at the end of my bed. Together we spread it over ourselves, me making sure she got most of it.

"Thank you," she murmured, beginning to fall asleep. I just looked down at her relaxed frame, worried now at how I could ever crawl into a bed alone after tonight. Part of me was curious if she wondered the same thing.

I didn't realize until she nudged me, giggling slightly that I had been humming. "What are you humming?"

"I think its Beautiful Freak by the Eels." I said lowly, slightly embarrassed.

"Sing it to me. I know you can sing." Her voice was deep and drowsey.

But I did what she asked. Slowly, my voice picked up the words in its deep tone:

"Too good for this world
But I hope you will stay
And I'll be here to see
That you don't fade away

You're such a beautiful freak
I bet you are flying inside
Dart down and then go for cover"

By the time I reached the piece of the chorus, she was snoring lightly. I felt the constant, even puffs of air that escaped her slightly parted lips against my skin. I would never know if she truly felt what I felt. I could only hope it was close enough.

"And know that I
I love you
Beautiful freak, beautiful freak
You know that I,
I love you
Beautiful freak, beautiful freak"