"Hurry up Donnie." Raph complained.
The other turtle just rolled his eyes as he placed the fiberglass patches over the crack on Raphael's shell. "These will help keep it covered and keep the scutes in alignment while they heal properly."
"Good. I'm tired of sitting still, I'm ready to get moving again." Raph started bouncing on his feet until his brother stilled him.
"If you take another hard blow to the shell right now, I'm not sure how much more damage your back can handle. Your shell needs to heal."
Raph moved his hands in a mocking fashion. "Yeah yeah… nothin' stupid. We are just looking for a new home. No fightin'. Can I go now?" He grumbled.
Donnie lifted his hands signaling he was done.
Raph left his brother's room and walked out into the living room. He had been with Donatello for a few hours, the stupid shell patches took forever to harden and set on his shell. "Jack?" He called out. There was no one else home, the others were already out looking for a new place to live.
He walked down the hall to the training room. When he walked in he stopped in the doorway and just smiled. Folding his arms across his chest he watched as Jack did her workout. Currently she was hanging from bar on the ceiling, doing pull ups. Raph couldn't keep himself from staring for a moment. He watched her muscles move and flex. He followed a few drops of sweat as they dripped down the smooth contours of her body. Shaking his head he finally cleared his throat.
Jack lowered herself and looked behind her. "Raph!" She dropped to the ground and came over to him. "How's your shell?"
"Perfect."
She wrinkled her nose at him. "Sure it is. So what's the plan for the rest of the day?"
Raph pushed a sweaty strand of hair off her face. "Get some real clothes on. We are going out to try and scout out a new home."
Smiling, Jack walked past him and headed to her room. The turtle followed her, all his things were still in her room after all. He had been sleeping in her bed for the past week since he cracked his shell. He still wasn't a fan of mattress's but he had to admit his shell did ache a little when he laid on it.
He watched Jack pull a dark tee shirt out of her dresser and pull it on over her sports bra. She left the tight athletic pants and sneakers on. As she readjusted her pony tail she made her way to the night stand where Raph's mask and weapons were.
Smiling she grabbed them and handed them to the turtle behind her. As Raphael tied the mask in place, Jack grabbed something from the drawer. Pulling his hands away from his face, Raph paused when he looked down, a grin spreading across his face. "I haven't actually seen you wear that in a while." He reached over and brushed the side of the green mask that surrounded her eyes.
"Felt like a good occasion." She beamed.
Nodding the turtle placed his weapons in his belt as Jack strapped hers to her thighs. Once they were both ready they headed out into the sewer.
For the next few hours they searched different tunnels of the sewers for a place that would be suitable to make them a new home. Everything was either too close to the humans or too... dirty, even as far as sewer standards go.
Raph grunted in frustration as they walked.
"Can I ask you for something?" Jack asked suddenly.
The turtle stopped dead in his tracks. He wasn't sure the woman had ever done that before, really asked him for anything. He had been the one to offer things and she would accept, but she'd never ask for things. It made him pause and realize how similar they were in that fashion. "Of course." He said quietly in the dim tunnel. "You can ask for anything whenever you want."
She smiled. "Can I get a camera?" there was hesitation before she continued. "Since I can't work I don't really have any money any more… and-"
Raph held up a hand. "I don't care. You don't need money. If you want a camera, we can have Donnie order you one when we get back." He smiled and then his brow furrowed. "What do you want a camera for anyway?"
"To take pictures." She smiled. "I've lived with you guys for over a year… it'll be two before you know it. But I don't have a single picture of you."
Raph's features flushed for a moment. "Oh… well… we haven't really taken any photos since Splinter died."
"You should change that." She stepped closer to him and took his hand. "I've seen that dusty old family photo you guys have shoved on the shelf in the training room… You have a new family now, you should have something to commemorate it. Besides, pictures are fun. I'm sure Mikey and I could get into all sorts of trouble with a camera."
Raph rolled his eye. "Yeah, you'll be lucky if he doesn't steal it and take a million selfies with his nunchucks."
Jack laughed.
"Let's head back. It's late and the guys might have found something."
When they got back, the others were all gathered around the dining room table, Donnie included. There was a map spread out on the table and a pizza on the counter they all had slices in their hands.
"There you are!" Mikey cried out with excitement. "We found the perfect place!"
Raphael crossed the rooms to his brother but Jack paused. As the boys started to talk, she stepped back towards the front door. She could have sworn she heard something. Stepping back out into the sewer, her hands were by her legs, just in case she needed her weapons.
"You don't need those." The voice made her jump.
Jack pulled a pair of shobo from her thighs on instinct as she whipped around and looked at the woman standing behind her. It was a tall brunette, in a pink dress and sweater with boots up to her knees. "Who are you?" Jack asked.
"Aww you don't remember me? I'm hurt…" He feigned sadness before smirking. "The real question is what the hell were you doing holding Raphael's hand? Do you really think you are going to get anywhere with him?"
Jack's brow furrowed. "…Mona Lisa." It finally clicked. "Why the hell is it any of your business what I do with Raph? Shouldn't you be more concerned with Leo?"
The woman scoffed. "That's not what I'm here for."
"Then what do you want?"
"I want to ask you to come with me." She looked at Jack and unfolded her arms. "Come with me to the Xanus building."
Jack took a step back. "What? Why the hell would I come with you anywhere?"
"Please!" Mona stepped up to her and took her hands. "Don't you understand? The codes that you know… they are the missing piece to all my research! They are the perfect combination of chemicals and mutagen to get the proper reactions. Your brother figured it all out!" She was grinning like a lunatic. "You are the only one that knows them know! Don't you understand, if you come with me, my research can be completed. I'll have figured out how to activate and deactivate the mutagen. I can transform animals into mutants… but I get transform mutant's back. I need you for that."
"No." Jack shook her head and pulled her hands from the other woman's grip. "I won't help you do something that has the potential to destroy the people I care about."
Her eyes got wide with shock. "What?" She asked almost like she was horrified. "You mean… the turtles?" She rolled her eyes. "They shouldn't even exist you know!"
Jack's fist connected with Mona's face. There was a crack and blood started to gush from the other woman's nose. "I don't care who you are… but if I ever hear you say something like that about them again…" Her eyes narrowed.
The woman squealed as she clutched her face. "You bitch! I was trying to be nice! I could have fixed you! Now… now I'll just make sure you die with the rest of them." Turning on her heal she took off down the tunnel.
Jacquelyn shook out her hand, her knuckles throbbing a little bit.
"Jack?"
She looked over at the door way. Raph was stepping out.
"What are you doing out here all alone? It's dangerous."
The woman frowned. "You have no idea…" She glanced down the tunnel and could just barely make out Mona's figure climbing up to the surface.
"Is that… Mona!?" Raphael grabbed Jack and shoved her behind him. "What the hell was she doin' here?"
"She was making me an offer."
Raph turned around and looked at her. "What? What kind of offer?" He seemed genuinely concerned.
"She wanted me to go with her. Something about research and the codes my brother knew… I'm not too sure. She was acting like a crazy person really."
Raph scratched his head. "This isn't good."
Jack nodded and looked down at her hand. There was blood on it, Mona's.
The turtle picked up her hand and looked at it. "Did she hurt you?"
"No… I broke her nose." Raph started to smile. "When she threatened all of you." His smile disappeared. "I know she's engaged to Leo but… I just think she is using him now. If she felt anything for him, it's gone." Her shoulders slumped. "All she wanted was to finish her research."
Muttering to himself Raph looked down the tunnel. "I guess we better make the move quick before she goes through with that threat."
"What about Leo?" Jack asked as they turned to head back into the house.
"I… I'll talk to him." He wasn't thrilled with that prospect but someone had to do it.
Following Raphael into their home Jack glanced over at the table where the others were still talking . "So they found us a new place to live?"
Raph snorted. "Maybe. I'm not too thrilled with the prospect but… the others are quite excited."
Her head tilted curiously as they headed to the table. "Why don't you approve?"
"It's above ground." Raph came over and leaned on the table looking down at the map his brothers were crowded around. "I'm still not likin' this." He muttered.
"What's not to like Raph?" Mikey looked at him.
"The whole being above ground thing for starters…" He looked at him.
Donatello piped in. "But think about this, the warehouse is currently up for sale. We have enough money from my job to actually buy it."
The one in red folded his arms across his chest. "What would that accomplish?"
"Well we would have a legitimate address for one. When we order supplies, they could actually be delivered to our home instead of having to send April to get things or deliver them to their apartment. It'd be a lot easier on my tax forms for work too…" He mumbled the last bit.
Leo piped up. "The place is huge Raph. It must have just been a storage or sorting place because it's virtually empty now. We'd have so much more room than we could ever find in a sewer. There is even a second story balcony kind of thing. We could turn it into a full-fledged second floor and make a few bedrooms out of it. Then there is tons of space down stairs for other bedrooms a bigger training room and a bigger kitchen and living room. We can even have a real mediation room."
Raph was still frowning but he didn't say anything.
Jack put her hand on his arm. "Are you willing to at least check the place out?"
"I guess."
"I have to admit, It'd be nice to have some more space in my room… and in the training room…" Ant commented out loud.
Donatello scratched his chin. "This warehouse is on the other side of the city. It's in Brooklyn off of 5th avenue along the river."
"That seems so far away…" Jack mused aloud.
"We are going to need April and Casey to help us move some stuff." Donnie looked over at Jack. "We can get them to put some more gas in your van and we can use that too." They had moved her van from the tunnels to an alley out of the way where it pretty much just sat unused since the week she moved in with them.
"I'll give April a call!" Mikey said excitedly.
"Wait up Mike." Donnie looked from Raph to Leo. "So… are we making this an official thing? If so I need to go through proper channels to buy this place."
Leo looked at his often angry brother. "Well Raph?"
"Fine. Get the place. But you and I need to talk. Alone." He went to walk back to the training room but Jack stopped him.
Standing on her toes she planted a small kiss on his cheek. "Be nice." She said softly before letting him go.
Raphael followed his brother to the training room, where Leo was already standing at the heavy bag, doing a few light punches and kicks.
"So what are we talking about?" he asked without looking up.
"Mona Lisa."
Leo stopped and grabbed the swinging bag. "We are not talking about her."
"We need to Leo. She is bad news." Raph came around so his brother was forced to look at him. "She isn't who you think she is any more. She is going to hurt us… hurt you!"
"Stop it Raph." Leo snapped. "She had nothing to do with the attack on us."
"But she did!" Raph grunted with frustration. "She was just outside trying to bargain with Jack! She threatened us and now who knows what the hell she is going to do! You know she is nearly as smart as Donnie, she could destroy us Leo!"
Leo grabbed the front of Raph's shell and got in his face. "Stop!" His eyes narrowed. "Just… stop!" He closed his eyes and let him go. "She is still my fiancé! Why… why are you trying to take that away from me? Why are you the only one that gets to be happy?"
Raph blinked and recoiled a bit. "What? Is that what this is about? My happiness?" He shoved his brother's hand off his chest. "Look I'm sorry you are jealous that I am finally happy for the first time in my life. But this isn't about me and Jack."
"Oh really?!" Leo got back in his face. "You just don't want anyone else to be happy."
Raph shoved his brother into the wall. "You want to go there?! Fine!" He glared. "You think my life is so great? I was the reject son. I was the one that could never do anything right. I lived in your shadow for years! Yeah I was the first to have a girlfriend and I am not talking about Mona. Mona had a crush on me but that was it, she was a friend. Ninjara just wanted someone to help her reach her goals. But I fell for her hard, and then just when I thought she was serious she left. You don't remember how miserable I was for months. No one does because no one gave a damn about me!" He sighed, trying to reign in his anger. "Jack is the first woman to make me genuinely happy. I can't remember a time in my life where things seemed to be so right… but it's not perfect. We have out problems…. I want you guys all to find this. This… this is better than becoming ninja, Leo. You think I'd want to keep you from that?"
Leo shoved him away. "You are trying to destroy the one good thing I have."
"But it's not good Leo!" Raph grabbed the side of his brother's face. "Listen to me! You have us, the family! For the first time in years we aren't at each other's throats anymore! We have a new brother, you guys have a sister! We are training and becoming better ninja! Think of how proud dad would be. We have a lot of good things going… yeah, shit has happened, a lot of bad shit. But there has been a ton of good as well over this past year." His hands slid down to his brothers shoulders. "Mona has just been using us. You more than anyone. I know you love her and I know this has to hurt but… you can't trust her. You have to… you have to let her go. She is working with Xanus and she is trying to help him."
Hanging his head their once fearless leader stayed silent.
"Leo… we need you to be with us. We can't stand to have you going against us."
Suddenly Leo wrapped his arms around his brother. He clung to Raphael like he was the only thing left to hold on to. Raph hugged him back.
"Don't go getting all weird on me…" Raph laughed a bit nervously. He was never good at this.
Leo let him go. "Thanks Raph." He was quiet, clearly not happy but at least he wasn't pissed any more. "I'm glad we talked."
"Me too." Raph smacked him on the shell and followed him out of the room to find the others.