Raphael Meets His Match 2

Part Two: Goodnight, Raphael

Raphael retraced his steps back to the sewers with Mona Lisa following close behind. Silence prowled about the couple as the walk turned out to be timely and unable to bear.

When they finally reached the lair, Raphael instructed his reacquainted "friend", "Hey, stay out here for a second, 'kay? I'll tell the guys I'm inviting someone here, and on my signal, just come in."

"Okay." With that, Raph entered the lair and slipped off his trench coat, hat, and red scarf and placed it on the coat rack.

"My son," Master Splinter started approaching Raphael right away as he got through the door, "where have you been all this time? It is almost 11:00 at night."

"Don't sweat it, sensei. I was just out gettin' some fresh air. Hey guys, I'm gonna be bringing in someone for the night. Alright with you?"

"Who is it, Raph?" Donatello questioned with a quirk of an eyebrow. "It's not like you to just bring a stranger off the streets."

"I hope it's a pizza guy 'cause I'm up for a midnight snack!" Michelangelo raved in excitement, his tongue hanging out his mouth that almost tasted the unforgettable delicacy of his most favorite food.

"No, Mikey, you idiot! It ain't no pizza guy, and it's not a stranger either, Don. You know her, but..."

"Her?" Don asked surprisingly. "Is there something we don't know that you want to tell us, Raph?"

"Like if you have a girlfriend?" Leonardo questioned playfully.

"Oh, shell," Raph muttered under his breath in disgust, "you know her, but you won't remember her until she comes in. Hey, come in now!"

Mona Lisa entered warily through the door. The other three turtles bulged their eyes out at the familiar figure as Master Splinter scratched his head in confusion.

"Raphael, who is this young lady?" Master Splinter quizzed his son sternly but gently.

"Her name's Mona Lisa. Remember like eight years ago when I won a free pass to that birthday cruise with that crazed Dr.Filch comin' to crash it? That's where I met her and after that, she followed us back home and brought us pizza."

"That would explain that huge mess I came home to that day." Master Splinter scratched his chin.

"Hey, guys," Mona Lisa greeted and waved slowly. "Sorry I haven't kept contact."

"Yo, Mona Lisa, is there by any chance you brought anymore pizza over like ya did last time?" Mikey asked as he sped over to her and moved uncomfortably closer in her face. She backed away as he stepped forward with a weird facial expression and a foaming mouth that made it seem he had rabies. Raphael whacked him in the head, he drew back with a whine, and rubbed his injured head.

"Give her some room to breath!" Raphael demanded. "She just got done almost gettin' killled by Filch again."

"Awwww, and you came to save the day just in time before your girlfriend got hurt," Michelangelo had canived his brother with a wink and the bouncing of his brows.

Raph was silent for many seconds and finally replied, "Don't get your head in the wrong place!"

"Ah, and may you introduce me to your friend, Raphael?" Master Splinter beckoned as he drew closer to the reunion.

Raphael sighed for he was already embarrassed from Mikey's comment of being a heroic "boyfriend" and saving his "girlfriend's life" just in a matter of seconds previous of bruising or extermination. "Mona Lisa, this is Master Splinter, our sensei. Master Splinter, this is Mona Lisa." The sensei bowed and Mona Lisa followed, thinking it was the right thing to do and greet him as he did her in a sign of respect.

"It is an honor to finally meet you, Mona Lisa," Master Splinter said.

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you as well," Mona Lisa replied.

"Hey, it's really nice to see you again," Donatello nicely told their visitor.

"Yeah, it really is," Leonardo added. He chuckled as he continued, "since Raphael has talked a lot about you, and he's been dieing to see you."

"Oh, really?" Mona Lisa glanced over to Raphael, who was cringing in embarrassment, knowing where the conversation was going to unfortunately journey to.

Mikey explained with gratitude, "He's said things like, 'I wish that I could see Mona Lisa again, so her and I can get to know more about eachother' and 'I don't know why she kissed me at the time she did, but man, did I feel good!' "

"Hey, I said nothing like that, Mikey," screeched Raphael with an accusing point of of the finger. "Your head's not screwed on right, so ya ain't knowin' whatcha sayin'!"

Master Splinter rubbed his temples to block out the quarreling of his beloved sons, and decided to meditate for a while, then head off to rest for the night. With that plan being chosen, the experienced Ninjustsu rat made his way to the workout room.

Meanwhile, Mona Lisa just couldn't help but giggle her socks off at how the four brothers were fighting over the subject of her.

"But Raph," Donatello began, "Mikey is close to true on that one. I've heard you talking in your sleep a few times, and Mona Lisa came up pretty frequently."

"What?!" Raph exclaimed in rage due to the fact his privacy was violated among his brothers. "Have you three been spyin' on me or somethin'?"

Not being able to take the noise of the battle any longer, Mona Lisa came in between the brothers and suggested, "Guys, guys, please don't fight. Besides, it's getting late, and I think we've all had a long day. Let's just rest it out and we'll all be fine in the morning."

"Hey, you've got it all wrong, sister," Mikey crossed his arms and fastened his eyes, "I'm stayin' up all night even if it's the last thing I..." He couldn't finish his statement since he fainted to the ground and started snoring loudly to the point it got annoying.

"Is he alright?" asked Mona Lisa, viewing Mikey sleep.

"Yeah," Leonardo replied with a slight chuckle, "he does this every Friday night. He tires himself out from training and video games, claims he'll stay up all night, and what does he do after that? He crashes to the floor and is the first one asleep out of all of us."

They all laughed at the concept.

"So, who's gonna offer their bed to Mona Lisa tonight?" Donatello inquired. "Raph, I think you should."

The four other mutants turned their attention on Raphael. He held his head in his right hand in order to shield his chagrin. After a while, he eventually agreed, "Yeah, sure. Mona, take my bed. I'll sleep on the couch.

"Thanks, Raph," Mona Lisa said. "You're very kind."

The five reptiles all turned in for the night moments following. Donatello had dragged his comic-book loving brother to his room and placed him in bed. Raph had shown Mona Lisa where his room was and where she was able to sleep. The hot headed turtle then grabbed some extra pillows and blankets of his own to cushion himself on the living room couch.

2:00 AM

Mona Lisa awoke from her slumber and was feeling thirsty. She sprang over the rails, in which led her down to the living room of the lair. She tip-toed to the miniature kitchen and got herself a glass of water. Mona was about to go back upstairs into Raph's room, until she ceased in her tracks to view Raphael's slumbering figure.

He snored somewhat but not as loud as what Mona Lisa heard Mikey snore as in the room next to her. His face appeared to be so tranquil to the point it was almost deceiving to think if he was dreaming a bad dream or a good one.

She grinned at Raphael's peaceful expression and approached him quietly as not to awake the others. Quickly and silently with her feet making no sound, she leaned to Raphael's cheek and kissed it softly.

"Goodnight, Raphael," she whispered. "Thanks for comin' to my rescue." She ascended the stairs as Raphael wiggled on the couch and finally displayed a smile on his lips.

But what Mona Lisa didn't know was that one brother was still awake and had observed her every move.