Just wanted to thank Liz and Rinpup14 for their reviews! Thank you so much!

Chapter 5

Katherine had been with them for just over two and a half weeks and she was able to move around more easily. It was still painful for her to walk around too quickly, but she tried. Leonardo admired her for it. She was tough. In fact it was just one more quality to add to the extensive lists of things that made her too hard to resist, and resist he had. There was no room in his life for her, or rather there was no room in her life for him. It just wouldn't work and that was even if she could possibly even think about him as any more than just a friend.

Leonardo hadn't thought that it would take so long for her to recover. He thought a few days, a week, but Donatello seemed reluctant to let her leave.

There was a knock on Leonardo's door. He looked up from the book he had been pretending to read. He had been worried about Donatello. The last few days he had been a little pale and strained. He had asked him if he was okay, but he had said it was just all of the stress of having two patients to look after. He had almost believed him except for the strange look Donatello would get on his face when he looked at Katherine, when he didn't think anyone was watching. Leonardo hadn't been able to identify the look and emotion Donatello had on his face at first, but had finally decided it seemed to be a cross between shock, misery and fear. The expression had worried him and he had asked if there was anything wrong with Katherine. Donatello had just shook his head and walked away.

Katherine was leaning against his doorframe her hair was dripping wet from the shower. "Are you okay?" He asked in concern setting his book down and getting off his bed.

She smiled, but she looked tired. It was then it struck him. She had been sleeping on the couch for almost three weeks. Sleeping on the couch couldn't be comfortable. "I'm sorry you can have my bed, we shouldn't be making you sleep on the couch."

She blinked at him in surprise. "The couch is fine."

"If the couch is so fine then why do you look so tired?" He asked her stepping close enough to smell the scent flowers. He had come to the conclusion that it was her that smelled of flowers. He had smelled her shampoo and conditioner that was sitting in the shower, which smelled fruity and it wasn't their soap, and she didn't wear perfume. She should have smelled like fruit or their soap, but she didn't.

She looked away. "I still hurt sometimes, it makes it hard to sleep. It is getting better though." She said with a smile.

He looked at her in shock. "I can see if Donny has anything..." He began.

She smiled wryly. "I've already asked, the strongest thing he has is aspirin. It's okay Leonardo that isn't why I am here." She said brushing away the topic of her pain as if it wasn't important.

"I saw that you were still awake and I was wondering if you wanted some company?" She asked him.

"Sure?" It came out as a question.

She laughed lightly. "You don't have to Leonardo, if you are busy with your book. I know what it's like to be interrupted when reading." She turned slowly to walk away.

He reached out and grabbed her hand. An electric shock of awareness blazed through him. "No its fine. Where is everyone else?" He asked as he walked with her to the living room. He was still holding her hand and knew he should let her hand go, but he didn't want to.

"Everyone is in bed, even Donatello, it's just you and me." She said with a smile.

Leonardo swallowed. He always had a buffer between her and himself. It consisted mainly of all of his brothers being around so that he wouldn't have to interact with her one on one.

She handed him a game controller as she sat down slowly on the couch. He sat down beside her, painfully aware of her pressed against his side, her warmth spreading across his side. "I don't like video games." He said to her.

"I know." She said as she turned on the game system.

"So why...?" He asked in confusion.

"Why don't you like video games Leonardo?"

"Because they are childish and boring. I have much better things to do than play games." He found himself growling.

"I will partially agree with you, but have you ever actually played?" She asked curiously.

"I don't need to. I have been watching Mikey play for years and never wanted to play."

She nodded her head "You are too serious Leonardo." She said to him.

He opened his mouth to retort that he had to be, but was stopped when she gently placed her fingers over his lips. "I understand Leonardo. You are the older brother, the one that they all look up to. You are filling the role of both father and brother as well as carrying the burden of responsibility in regards to your battles with the street gangs and this Foot Clan. I understand, but it doesn't mean you can't have fun. You don't always have to keep yourself separate. Both you and Donatello do the same thing. The only time either of you interact with Michelangelo and Raphael is when you are training. Otherwise Donatello is locked in his workroom and you are doing your own thing. But we have managed to get Donatello out of his workroom a little more often. We have even gotten him to watch some movies with us, but not you."

He opened his mouth to dispute her observation, but then realized he couldn't. Ever since Master Splinter had passed away he had been pulling away from his brothers, trying to be even more responsible, trying to be like their father rather than their brother. He looked at her in shock. She had only been here for just over two and a half weeks how could she have even noticed, and more importantly, why would she even care?

Her fingers were still lightly resting on his lips, her body was turned slightly towards him. How hard would it be to close the distance between them? How hard would it be to lean in and find out if he could kiss her?

His body reacted to where his mind had wandered. He looked away from her because if he didn't, he wasn't going to be able to resist doing what he wanted to do, and he couldn't destroy what friendship they seemed to have developed by scaring her, by having her realize that he was attracted to her in that way.

"It's okay to have fun Leonardo. You might actually enjoy it." She said with a smile as she turned on the game console."I figure an RPG might just be right up your alley. This is my favourite type of game to play. I like customizing my characters and I like the missions and solving puzzles." She began selecting a character and helped him select his own.

They began playing. He didn't know how long they had been playing before he was completely engrossed. They made a good team. They fought well together and were able to complete quite a few missions. Between the two of them they were able to solve many of the more challenging puzzles and managed to upgrade their characters abilities.

He found himself relaxing and enjoying himself. He was also enjoying her company. He was also enjoying the fact that all of her attention was focused solely upon himself. He didn't think he remembered a time when he felt so content. He felt as if the great burden he had been carrying around since the death of their father, had been lifted. He looked at the woman curled into him. Her head was leaning against his shoulder, her legs curled up partially on his leg. Her eyes were getting heavy as she struggled against the need to sleep.

He turned off the game. She looked up at him in confusion."Time for bed." He said gently. She nodded and put the controller down yawning. He stood up, bent down, and picked her up.

She looked at him in shock. "What...?" She began.

"I'm taking you to bed." He said softly as he walked to his room. A soft blush spread across her cheeks, her eyes widening.

He lay her down on his bed and covered her up. "Goodnight Katherine." He said softly. He walked to his door. "Thank you." He said as he closed it gently behind him. He leaned against his door. Why had she blushed? He wondered. He only told her he was taking her to bed. He reviewed his actions and realized how, what he had said and done, could have been completely misconstrued. It sounded like he was taking her to his bed and he was going to join her. He felt himself blush with embarrassment. No wonder she had blushed. He took two steps away from his door and looked back at it, a frown forming. But then, why hadn't she protested? Shouldn't she have been horrified? Or had she just figured out what his real intentions had been after she had already jumped to the wrong conclusion?

He rubbed his hand down his face and shook his head. It didn't matter he told himself firmly. He stalked over to the couch and plopped himself down trying to get comfortable. He finally managed to fall asleep, but the image of her blushing face looking up at him from the softness of his bed haunted his dreams.

Raphael looked at his clock and groaned. It was way too early to be up. He wanted to roll over and go to sleep, but found he couldn't get comfortable again. His leg and arm were getting better, but they still bothered him now and then, and right now was one of those times.

He groaned and got out of bed. He was not in a good mood. He stomped to his door and opened it. He stared across the hall as Leonardo's door opened, but instead of Leonardo it was Katherine who emerged from the room.

Rage like he had never felt before poured through him. He could barely even understand why the sight of her emerging from his brother's room made him so angry, but it did.

He stalked up to her and looked down at her. "Sleep well?" The biting words came from his mouth in a hiss of anger.

She yawned seemingly unconcerned with his rage. "Better, thank you Raphael. Is Leonardo up?" She asked him.

"I don't know, you tell me." He growled.

She looked at him in confusion. "If I already knew, why would I ask you if he was?" He blinked at her in confusion. "Leonardo slept on the couch, he gave up his bed because he figured I may get a better sleep in a bed than on the couch." She said softly. "I haven't been sleeping well, I am still sore."

Raphael's anger disappeared and a wave of guilt assaulted him. If it hadn't been for him she wouldn't still be in pain. "I'm sorry." He said to her and could have kicked himself for not offering his own bed to her. "Leo's right you shouldn't be sleeping on the couch, you can have my bed tonight." He said to her.

She looked up at him in shock. "Raphael..."

"No. If you slept better in a bed, then you should be sleeping in a bed. I'm not taking no for an answer." He insisted.

She tipped her head to the side assessing him, but nodded. "Your leg is bothering you today isn't it?" She asked.

He sighed. "A little." He grumbled. There was no sense trying to lie to her, she just seemed to be able to tell whenever he was lying anyway.

She smiled at him and lifted his arm around her shoulder. "We make a fine pair, don't we?" She asked as she put her arm around his waist. He realized that she was trying to help him, even though she was injured she was trying to help him. He should have been angry that a girl was trying to help him, but oddly he didn't feel angry, in fact he was enjoying the sensation of her arm wrapped around him and his arm over her shoulder. He looked over at her smiling face and realization washed over him. He had been jealous. The thought of her being with Leonardo made him jealous. He had noticed that he was attracted to her, but he hadn't realized his feelings had gone any deeper until the thought of her with his brother had thrown him into a jealous rage.

"Heh, I guess." He said as they walked together to the kitchen.

Leonardo glanced up as they walked in. His brother's eyes narrowed. He felt Katherine pull away from him and it took all of his willpower not to hold her to him. "How did you sleep?" Leonardo asked Katherine as he glared at Raphael.

"Better." She said with a smile. "Thank you so much Leonardo." She said walking over to him. "How did you sleep?" She asked him in concern.

Raphael glared at Leonardo, he was standing much too close to her.

"You aren't sleeping on that couch again." Leonardo growled. "I didn't think that it was that uncomfortable, you can have my bed until Donny says you can go to your Uncle's house."

Her eyes darted to Raphael. He strode over to her and put his arm over her shoulders. "It's okay bro, I told her she can have my bed." He said with a smile.

"Um..." She said as Michelangelo strode into the room bumping into Raphael so his arm fell away from Katherine's shoulders.

Michelangelo began rummaging around in the fridge. "She can have my room." He said pulling out a jar of jam. "I don't mind sleeping on the couch, and Raph's still injured." He closed the door of the fridge.

"She can have my room." Donatello said walking into the room and sitting down on the chair. "I spend most of my nights in my workroom anyway. It wouldn't be the first time I have just slept in there on one of the cots." Donatello leaned back in his chair crossing his arms and almost daring anyone to dispute what he said.

Four pairs of eyes looked at Katherine urging her to make a decision. She looked at each of them a blush creeping over her cheeks.

"I don't want any of you to be uncomfortable. It is your home, and I don't want to put anyone out of their bed because of me." She said to them.

Four voices protested in unison that it wasn't a problem.

She looked at them and said, "Alright how about this. So that no one is overly inconvenienced I'll sleep in Raphael's room tonight, Michelangelo's tomorrow and Donatello's the night after that. This way no one person is stuck on the couch for more than one night. Maybe by then Donatello will pronounce me well enough that you can get rid of your unexpected and inconvenient house guest." She said with a quick half smile.

"You haven't been any trouble." Michelangelo was the first to protest. The rest of them followed with protests that she wasn't a problem.

"That is very sweet of you to say, but you guys have been doing nothing but waiting on me and entertaining me for almost three weeks, that is exhausting work." She said with a shake of her head. "I'm sure you guys are looking forward to getting back to your usual routines without having to stumble around me all the time." She said turning and walking into the living room.

"Aren't you hungry?" Michelangelo yelled at her retreating back.

"Not really." She said over her shoulder.

Raphael slumped down on his chair as he contemplated her leaving in a few days. "Do you think she'll be well enough to leave in a few days Donny?" He asked as a feeling of gloom descended upon him.

"She won't be ready in the next three days no. She is supposed to be resting, but knowing her, if we let her out of our sights she will be overexerting herself trying to get her Uncle's estate in order. I would say the end of the month at the earliest, closer to Halloween for sure. So at least another week, week and a half." He said to them.

Raphael felt the gloom that had descended upon him lift a little. But the problem was that she was still going to leave, eventually she would have to leave. This thought hurt his heart so much he was staggered by it.

He looked at the living room and limped out of the kitchen. He sat down on the couch next to Katherine who was blankly staring at the TV.

"Do you want to leave?" He asked her quietly. She looked at him in shock. "Donny says you are stuck here for another week at the very least, so don't get too excited to leave." He said gruffly.

She gave him a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Alright." She said softly.

Michelangelo sat down on the other side of Katherine. Raphael looked at him and glared, but he just smiled at his hot-headed brother.

He put his arm over her shoulder. "So what do you want to do today?" He asked her.

"I'm not sure." She said looking at him. He looked at his brother out of the corner of his eye and saw him flush with anger.

He smiled wider at his brother's reaction as he pulled Katherine closer. His brother could glare all he wanted, but he liked Katherine, knew he liked her from almost the first moment he had seen her. The problem was he knew what he was. He had no illusions about the fact that he was a mutant turtle and the chances of a human actually feeling anything more than friendship towards him was small, but it didn't mean he wasn't willing to try.

"Raph, could you come to my workroom, I want to check your arm and leg." Donatello called out for the kitchen. Raphael gave Michelangelo one final glare, got off the couch and walked to Donatello's work room.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her with concern.

"Still a little tired, still sore, but getting better." She said to him. He nodded. "Well let's see if there is anything good on TV." They watched TV for a few minutes before Katherine was called away by Donatello who wanted to have a look at her. Raphael sat down beside Michelangelo and glared at him.

"What are you doing?" Raphael hissed.

He blinked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked innocently.

"Why did you put your arm around her?" He asked angrily.

"Because I wanted to." He answered his angry brother. "Why? She didn't seem to mind." He glanced over at Raphael who looked fit to be tied.

"Don't touch her Mikey." He hissed.

Michelangelo's eyes glittered dangerously. "What gives you the right to tell me what to do Raph?" He growled.

Raphael looked at him in surprise. He had surprised himself with the anger he was beginning to feel flow through him.

Katherine stood in front of them and sat down between them forcing them to shift away from each other. "You two okay?" She asked looking between them.

"Yeah." They said in unison.

She nodded. "Leo wants to talk to you Michelangelo, something about neglecting your guys' responsibilities?" She said with a shrug.

Michelangelo sighed and stood up. He levelled a final glare at Raphael who smiled and stretched his arm behind Katherine's back.

Hopefully things will start rolling a little faster after this chapter, I hope =) Please enjoy and R&R!