The rest of the day was spent sparring and patrolling. Raphael had obtained a rather upbeat attitude since his meeting with Irma, but he made sure to throw in smug comments and a frown every now and then. After they had returned to the lair, he decided to pay a visit to his older brother's room. Raph walked down the quiet hallway. Leo had retreated to his room early while everyone else talked in the living room. Ever since April's fight with Karai, he had acted strangely come the end of the night. Raphael stepped into his brother's room slowly. It was a calm contrast to Raph's room, which was often littered with comics and weapons. Leo's was clean and orderly. The leader sat in a nook reading a book at his desk. Before April moved in, she had been Leo's ticket to literature. He asked her for books weekly. He was currently in the middle of what looked to be Great Expectations when he heard his brother's footsteps.

"What do you need Raph?" He didn't sound upset or sad. The question surprised the red turtle.

"Oh nothing, just looking around."

"Since when do you come into my room and just look around?"

"Since I felt like it."

"Alright, go on then. You're not bothering me."

Raphael continued to look around. There was a large Space Dorks posters hanging by Leo's katana stand. Above the bed was a large poster of a yin yang with the Japanese symbols for balance underneath it. And hiding in the corner, sure enough, was the sword Karai had slung at Leo's head during Snakeweed's attack. It was not in the stand for obvious reasons but Raph could tell it had been taken care of.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

Leo turned around and smiled, "That's a first."

"Oh shut it Leo."

"You know what I mean. I'd be happy to answer your question. Why don't you sit down?"

Raph sat down uncomfortably on the bed.

"Promise me you won't freak."

"Why's that?"

The younger turtle hesitated, "I met a girl."

"You WHAT?" Leo sat up in his chair. He was happy and astonished.

"I said don't freak!" He hesitated for a moment. "The other night when I went on patrol by myself."

"Yeah?"

"She was being mugged and I saved her."

"That's great. Tell me about her."

"Well, she's really small."

"Mhm."

"She's kind of nerdy, in a charming way."

"Mhm."

"And um, she's April's best friend."

Leo sat there taking everything in. He didn't know what was more shocking; the fact that this girl his brother was talking about was friends with April or the fact that Raph had a crush on a girl.

"Does April know you've met her?"

"Yeah, she asked me to look after her while she was trapped down here."

"Have you told Splinter yet?"

"Of course not!"

"Why?"

"Because," Raphael stopped. He didn't have a good reason for not telling his father. It's not like she was his mortal enemy. Leo must have it hard. "I'm not sure."

"You're not scared are you?"

"No Lameanardo, I'm not scared."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know."

Leo got up from his desk and walked to the bed. He sat down next to his younger brother and patted him on the shoulder.

"Look Raph, it's nothing to be scared of. Based on the events of the past year, obviously it's perfectly normal for us to have feelings for human gir-"

"WOAH WOAH Slow your roll space dork." Raph shook his Leo's arm and stood up. "I don't have feelings for anybody."

"Oh really?" Leo crossed his arms and flashed the smile he only wore when he knew he was right.

"Yeah really," Raph countered.

"What's her name?"

"Irma Langinstein."

"What was she wearing when you met her?"

"Black shirt, red plaid skirt, boots, and some kind of hat that hangs off the back of her head."

"What does she look like?"

"She's short and skinny with medium-length dark hair, square rimmed glasses, and these big brown eyes that are just…" Raph had slowed down in his rant and by the eye description he was gone. He had blanked out. Shit, he thought. Maybe Leo's right. Leo sat there with his I-told-you-so look. "Shut it."

"I didn't say anything."

"And I'm not saying I like her. But I do want to know one thing."

"What? How do ask her out without being your normally charming self?"

Raph let him have that one. He came here for business.

"I'm serious." He sat back down as Leo turned toward his brother. Raphael sat slumped forward avoiding eye contact with his older brother.

"What did, it feel like?"

"What did what feel like?"

"When you met Karai."

Leo thought about it. After her fight with April and his "betrayal", he was just as confused about his own feelings as his family was. He still liked her, and he still believed there was good in her. But she had broken the one rule they had. She had gone after his family. And although that should call off all the feelings, it didn't. He still thought about her. She still creeped into his dreams. He still wished he could talk to her and see her.

"It was as if, time stopped. Like no other thing mattered. She was incredible. Her combat and fighting style was remarkable and she was stunning. Other than April, she was the first girl I had met that didn't run away at first sight. She saw the human side of me. She treated me like any other guy. Her personality was magnetic and repellant at the same time. She insulted me, but that only drew me in more. After the big mess at the docks, I never felt, besides our first meeting with Shredder, more failed as a leader. We had her Raph. She was this close to being on our side. But I blew it and I may never get the chance to fix it."

"Aw Leo, it wasn't your fault. I came up with the idea to ambush Shredder during the weapon shipment."

"Yeah but I agreed to it. I could have told you no and that we were going to trust her. You know what she said to me before we fought?"

"What's that?"

"She said, 'I thought you were better than this. I thought you were my friend. How could you betray me?'"

"That's rough." Raph could tell this was hurting his brother. "This is wrong. I'm sorry Leo I'll leave now."

"No Raph it's okay." Leo's frown disappeared and he sat there with a look of acknowledgement. "I think this has actually made me feel better. This definitely makes getting over her easier."

"Getting over her?" Raph looked at Leo with the your-full-of-shit look. It was one of his trademarks.

"Yeah. I got over her weeks ago. First time I really talked about her and got it off my chest."

"Over her?"

Leo jutted out his neck to restate his point. "Yes, I'm completely over her."

"Bro, you know I love you."

"Nice to hear it every now and then."

"But you're not over her."

This ticked the older turtle off a bit. "What makes you say that?"

"You're reading a book about a guy that's in love with a girl that essentially lives in a "different" world, you've been marathoning those episodes of Space Dorks with the hot alien chick in them, and…" Leo's confidence began to fade before Raph could finish the list. "You're hoarding her sword in the corner by your nightstand."

"I am not."

"Really?" Raph walked over to the corner and picked up the ninjato.

"Be careful," insisted Leo as he extended a hand to Raph. The younger boy put the sword down. "Maybe you're right."

"Maybe?"

"Okay you are right. I honestly don't know how to get over her. I wish I could tell her it was all a big misunderstanding, but now she won't even talk to me."

"It's alright bro."

"Raph if you do get involved with this girl please treat her like she deserves. Don't become a hopeless romantic like me."

"I told you I don't have a crush on her!"

"Really? I would say that you do."

Raphael halted. Master Splinter stood in Leo's doorway. He walked gracefully over to his two sons who were frozen with embarrassment.

"Sensei! How much of that did you hear?"

"Pretty much from the beginning. My son, why did you not want to tell me about your little girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend Sensei, I just didn't want you to think any less of me?"

"Why would I think any less of you Raphael? Your brothers have developed feelings for young ladies and I don't love them any less."

"I know but I just thought…. That with me…. It would be different."

"Ahh my toughest son is frightened of losing his rough image. Raphael, this happens to a lot of people and I can assure you if it changes them, it's for the better."

"So you're not mad?"

"Of course not. Would I have preferred you not to have exposed yourself? Yes. But in this case, you had no choice. She needed extra help and you were there for her. Besides, she doesn't seem to be dangerous, my apologies Leonardo."

"None taken Sensei."

"And if she is friends with Ms. O'Neil, she is certainly welcome here."

"Thank you Sensei," Raph said as he maintained his composure on the outside. On the inside, he was giddy.

"Does she know April is staying here?"

"No, but I'll talk with her and tell her it's okay for Irma to come down."

"I look forward to meeting her." Splinter turned to the door and began walking. "And Leonardo."

"Yes Sensei." Leo stood up to acknowledge his father's impending wishes.

"You are not hopeless my son. We can't fight attraction."

"You have no idea Sensei," he replied as he walked out with his younger brother who he now had something new in common with.