Jacqueline sat at the kitchen table in the lair, slowly spinning a mug full of hot water and her steeping tea bag. Jade said something about it making her feel better but, she just played with the string, tea wasn't really her thing.

She sighed, her elbow holding up her head as her hand cupped around her cheek. She watched the bag twirl as her thoughts couldn't get off of him. Since they came back from the fight with the Dragons he barely looked at her, never mind touched her. She tired but he seemed to brush it off and walk away. She felt her heart sink a little to the thoughts of her being different played all over again.

So many guys before him acted this was as soon as they felt her skin heat up, or her hair change before their eyes. She couldn't stop it, prevent it. If she could she'd be a normal human, but she wasn't she was a mutant with mutant powers and some other bullshit that Fiona is always talking about.

Jacqueline let out another exasperated sighed, picking her head up as she pushed the cup away running her hands though her dark red hair. She pressed the heel of her palm into her temples as she stared out at the space in front of her. She needed to stop, it was Raphael after all. He wasn't…He couldn't dismiss her for being different. That would be the absolute example of the pot calling the kettle black. He loves her, he's said it...Once.

She furrowed her brow picking her head up from her hands as her hair was pushed back out of her face.

"He's only said it once…" She thought to herself. Her eyes started to slowly narrow as she heard the sound of feet coming towards her in a walk. She looked up noticing him going into the fridge and cracking open a soda. She kept her eyes narrowed as he picked his head up looking towards her.

"What?" He asked as she shook her head looking away. She leaned back in her chair crossing her arms as he turned to walk away. She looked back towards him, her fists clenching onto her arms as they engulfed in flames. She stood up shaking the flames away as the chair fell back. He turned back at the sound as she braced her hands on the table.

"What is your problem!?" She asked in a yell as he furrowed his brow looking at her like she was losing her mind.

"What are ya talkin' 'bout?"

"You haven't touched me since we came back here last night! Why?" She yelled leaning her hands up as they went back over her chest. He narrowed his eyes on hers stepping closer to her.

"I touched you plenty."

"You didn't even come to bed last night." She said leaning in towards the space between them in a harsh whisper knowing his father was in the other room.

"I wasn't tired." He shrugged.

"Bullshit."

"Listen, I don't see what the big deal is? Sometimes I want my space. Is that too much to ask?" He said throwing his arms back at her as she opened her mouth a little to his response.

She put her head down in disbelief that these words were leaving his mouth. Him, the person that she trust most in this world next to her sister's was saying he needed his space. She lifted her head back up in a glare as she stepped from around the table closer to him. She stopped inches away from him as he kept his hands at his sides.

"Fine, you want your space." She said in a dark slow tone, a shy above a whisper. "Have all the fuckin' space you want." She said walking past him as she nudged his shoulder, hard enough to hurt her own.

She climbed the stairs towards the sewers as Raphael watched her leave. He crushed the can in his hand as his grip tightened self-consciously. He looked down at the split soda on the floor letting out a low growl and tossing the can into a trash bin.

"What do you think that was about?" Fiona asked as Klunk purred in his sleep from her stroking his head that lay on her lap. Michelangelo shrugged his shoulders as his arm draped around her body, keeping her close to him as he flipped through the channels.

"They always fight." He said keeping his eyes on the TV. Fiona looked back towards the stairs where her sister once was and frowned. She could feel her sisters pain, stomach twisting, gut wrenching pain crash through her body as she sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do.

Jacqueline's started walk through the sewers to her apartment turned into a run as she tired to beat her emotions from catching up with her. She knew something wasn't right the moment he found out about her arm. The look on his face, the feeling of confusion and uncertainty crawling over his body making her sick to her stomach. She couldn't understand why he acted that way. Because for once she is able to actually protect herself without him? She can hold her own against him and that scares him? She had no idea.

Then the love question reared its ugly head through the back of her mind. She shook her head trying to push it away as it came back feeling truer by the second. She slowed her pace as she reached a manhole cover climbing up to it slowly. She pushed it back without any trouble as she lifted herself onto the dark alleyway street.

She slid the cover back with her foot as she looked around for anyone. She scanned the roof tops to see if any Dragons had been waiting and noticed nothing but the stale breeze. She sighed shoving her hands into her jean pockets as she went into the main streets.

The lamppost light washed over her body as she kept her head down, watching her feet appear and disappear below her. She chewed on her bottom lip as her thoughts repeated themselves in a disturbing broken record. She felt her eyes started to burn as she tired to force tears away. She never cried over another guy before, besides her father and no one knew of that. She never thought they were worth her pain. He was.

He couldn't just ignore the fact that she was hurt, he had to of seen it. He couldn't ignore that look of shock of her face. She growled as she picked her it up to cross a street.

Maybe he's right. Maybe we just need time away from one another. He has gone with me for trainin' every time I'm there. He doesn't need to be, he goes on his own. Maybe it's just so he can watch the freak show some more.

She narrowed her eyes shaking her head to the unfair thought of him thinking something bad of her.

He's done a lot for me, the least I could do is this. He'll come around, and if he doesn't….

Her thoughts faded as tears started to over flow from her eyes. She had to stop in the street, covering her face as she sobbed into her hands. She leaned against the bricks of a building, as her back slowly slid down it. She brought her knees up to her chest as she covered her face with her arms as her shoulders shook with her harsh crying against her jeans.

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder as she shot up, wiping away her tears and lighting a flame to her finger. Her blurry vision made out the silhouette of a guy holding their hands up.

"Easy Jac, what are you doin' on the street?" Joshua asked as she ran her sleeve over her eyes again finally getting a look of his face. It was soft and worried as his black hooded sweatshirt was unzipped showing off a white Queen shirt underneath. His ripped jeans held his hands as his elbows bent back from his torso bending slightly, trying to grab a look at her face. She kept her face down, hiding her tears as she let a smile crawl over her lips from his ratty old red converse on his feet. She switched her gaze to her own as she looked back up at him. "You wanna talk 'bout it?" He asked softly as she sighed nodding her head. He smirked spinning in another direction, as his hands moved into the side pockets of his hoodie.

"What are you doin' here?" She asked as she smirked.

"I needed to get outta my house, thought I'd hit a couple of old record stores." He shrugged as she smirked. "So why you out hea' cryin' on the street?"

"Raph and I had kinda a fight." She shrugged as he nodded his head keeping his gaze ahead of them, waiting for her to go on. She sighed with a sniff running her damp hand through her hair. "He said he needed space."

"Oh, that speech." Josh said with a slight grimace as Jac nodded her head trying to bite back the tears forming again. "Well ya know what always makes me feel betta?" He asked with his thick Boston accent shinning in his words. She lifted her head looking over towards him with a slight smile.

"What's that?"

"A beer." He said nodding his head towards a pub on the corner. She chuckled following him across the street as he held the door open for her.

They took a seat at the back of the bar as he ordered them two beers with a shot each of Jack. Jacqueline arched her brow towards him as he smirked.

"I'm only guessin' a girl like you can handle her whiskey?" He said taking the shot as he made a face from the harshness of the liquor hitting his taste buds. He let out a sigh slamming the glass on the wooden table. He leaned in against it watching her. "Well?" She smiled picking the shot up and taking it with one quick motion, slamming the glass on the table as well. "That'a girl!" He said patting her back. He whistled as the girl bar tender turned towards him. He held up two fingers. "Two more ova hea'." He said as she smiled nodding her head.

Jacqueline smiled taking a swig of her beer as he leaned back, putting his arm on the back of the seat. She sat far enough beside him, almost across the table in their large crescent shaped booth, the tip of his hand barely being close to her shoulder.

"I had a talk like that once too." He said after taking another swig. She followed arching her brow.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Some chick back in Boston. Real looker…I mean…" He whistled shaking his head as she smiled nodding. "She had no clue 'bout my powa's. I tired ta hide 'em. That whole hair turnin' red thing is ha'd though." He said as the bar tender came over to their table with another two shots of Jack. "Thanks." He said looking up at her as she smiled. Jac looked towards the girl walking away as she noticed she had a little more bounce in her step. She rolled her eyes turning her attention back towards Josh. "So anyways, finally afta iunno, three yea's she breaks it off with me. I ask her why, she gives me a bullshit answa like 'we'a just too different. I need my space'" He shook his head taking the other shot as he pushed the other towards Jac. She looked down at it for a moment, contemplating whether or not this was a good idea.

"Fuck it." She said taking the shot and chasing it with her beer. Josh smiled at her.

"You take those things like a champ." He chuckled as she snorted back a laugh.

"I'm guessin' that's some kinda half ass compliment?" She asked leaning against the table as he chuckled.

"Somethin' like that."

"So anyways, she gives ya the 'give me space' bullshit, then what happened?"

"Oh, so being the gentleman that I am I comply to her needs. I say alright, and we give each otha our space. Little did I know her space was with anotha guy." He said taking another swig of his beer as Jac shook her head.

"Women…" She said with a smirk as he nodded his head.

"Right! So anyways, I find out, and of course I get mad while talkin' to her so she sees my hair get red, my hands heat up, my basic powa's. She flips a shit tellin' everyone I'ma freak, I'm crazy. I try and explain myself and she flips out more and her new boy toy comes out to play. I basically have to hold back from hurtin' this idiot 'cause I'm not posta used my powa's on innocents. Not that this guy was exactly that, fuckin' prick. So, we have it out, I try and ignore my powa's for the time bein' and afta' it all I end up with two black eyes, bleedin' on the ground as she walks away with him hand in hand happy as a fuckin' clam." He finished, shaking his head and taking the last long chug of his beer and putting the bottle on the table.

Jac raised both her eyebrows as she sighed leaning up from the table.

"That's horrible man…" She said as the only thing she could come up with to say.

"Meh, I'll live. Just thought I'd share some sob stories, seems like as gooda night as any." He shrugged nodding his head towards the bar tender as she smiled back grabbing two more beers from the bar.

"Workin' up a tab there buddy boy."

"Daddies payin'." He said with a smile as she rolled her eyes.

"Must be nice."

"Ah, it has its moments." He shrugged again as she chuckled shaking her head. "So Raph, he give you a reason for the space?" He asked as he twisted the cap off his new bottle of beer, taking hers and doing the same for her. She took it from him shaking her head.

"No, just said he needs space. I mean we have been spendin' a lotta time togetha. Could be just that?" She said taking her empty bottle and picking away the label. "Or, it could be the fact that he's scared shitless of my new powa. I found it out when…" She looked up at him for a moment as he leaned in a little intrigued by where the conversation was going. "You're not gonna tell anyone 'bout this right?" She asked as he furrowed his brow.

"Who the fuck am I gonna tell?" He asked in a chuckle as she smiled.

"I was out with Raph and we found ourselves followin' some Dragons. We got back to their hide out and waited outside. I wanted to see if I could see Hun, try and get a hold on what's goin' on in there. Raph thought it was best that we headed home since nothin' was comin' up so we turn and are faced with a group of Dragons breathin' down our necks. We fight and one of 'em comes up to me slammin' their crow bar on my arm, right here." She said showing him where it hit on her forearm. "We leave the Dragons on the ground and run for it. After a couple of blocks we catch our breaths and I can't help but keep thinkin' of what just happened. My arm basically turned itself into metal. I mean…It was wicked trippy. So I show Raph and after that he seemed really wired 'round me. He wouldn't touch me or come near me, barely even looked at me." She said dropping her head with a sigh. "Iunno I could just be ova reactin'." She shrugged.

"He coulda just been freaked out by it." Josh offered as she shrugged again.

"He's a giant turtle, what the fuck does he have to be freak out 'bout."

"True." Josh chuckled. "But, still. I mean, we both have the same powa's and all and if that happened to me I'd be stoked." He smiled. "He probably just needs a few to absorb what happened, ya know?"

"It is kinda awesome huh?" She said with a smile looking up at him. He gave one back sliding over in the booth a little.

"Fuck yeah, lemme see it again." He said as she rolled her eyes with a smile putting her arm back on the table. He poked it as her arm slowly became harder and harder.

"You're not like threatened by it?" She asked softly as he looked up from his poking and shook his head.

"Nah, why you think Raph is?"

"Well, iunno. He has this whole demeanor 'bout him, like he's gotta be the one to protect and keep me safe from harm. I can handle myself." She said taking a swig of her second beer as Josh smirked.

"A guys gotta always feel that way for his girl though. It's that whole testosterone thing." He chuckled. "I'm sure he knows you can handle yourself right now and that probably is makin' him freak a little." He shrugged. "He'll manage to get used to it."

"And if he doesn't?" She asked as her eyes gave off a look for worry for a moment before she turned her head towards her beer. He sighed with a shrug.

"It's not the enda the world. If he doesn't then, I mean…I know ya love 'em and all so I can't really tell ya everythin' will work out in the end 'cause no one eva believes that bullshit. But, I can tell ya that you won't eva be alone. You needa friend, I'll be thea' for ya." He said with a smile as he placed his hand over hers.

She looked up at him as his eyes looked into hers. She couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or herself that started grazing her thumb back and forth over his hand. She looked down at their hands together as she quickly pulled hers away. She moved her face down with her hand as it lay on her lap. She tired to clear her head of the boos she had just taken in, too quickly in one sitting she had taken down shots and two beers. She looked back up at the table looking at the empty shot glasses and beers before her as she turned towards him.

He leaned back looking out towards the bar as she let her eyes slowly follow down his neck. The slight stubble of his five o'clock shadow showing through his tanned skin as his white shirt clung tight to his chest. The flex of his bicep as he moved his beer in his hand that lay over the back of the booth closer to his lips. She watched as they curved around the dark brown of the bottle. She shook herself out of the daze looking back down at the table.

"I'm glad." She said finally as he turned towards her.

"What?"

"I'm glad that I have you, ya know…As a friend." She shrugged. He smirked leaning in towards her again as she smiled back. She caught his gaze as she felt the edge of the table dig closer and closer under her breast noticing her body moving closer to his.

He hesitated at first as she felt his arm slid over her back. He pulled her body closer to his as her hand rested on his shoulder, the soft fabric of his shirt startling her from the new texture, almost as she expected skin. His skin. She stopped pulling away as he furrowed his brow.

"I-I'm sorry." She said sliding away from him and out the other side of the booth. "Thanks for the talk." She said standing up as he slid off his side and stood up as well.

"Well, you wanna like, have me walk you home? It's late?"

"I can handle myself remember?" She said looking up at him, adjusting her gaze a little higher than she was used to. He smiled nodding his head.

"Right. Well…Be safe." He said with a shrug as she smiled leaning up on the tips of her toes to kiss his cheek.

"You too." She said walking towards the exit. She felt the warmth of the spring air go on her skin as she sighed turning towards her apartment. She was probably three blocks away. She shoved her hands back in her pockets as she started to walk the street.

She felt the slight tingle grow across her body as she turned quickly looking over her shoulder. She looked up instantly towards the roof tops as they were clear. She furrowed her brow, starting to walk away as she turned a corner. She could see her apartment in the distance as she noticed a figure leap over head. She stopped looking around for anymore. If they were going to be noticed, they'd be noticed in numbers. She turned around towards her back once more seeing nothing as she narrowed her eyes walking ahead again.

She went to her building, opening the door and locking all the locks behind her. She lit a flame to her full fist as she started for the stairs. She heard a slight noise coming from her apartment as she ran the rest of the way towards their door. She opened it, flicking the light switch as the curtains in the bay window blew from it being opened. She growled walking over and slamming it shut as she turned back feeling arms wrap around her. Her arms lit with flames as she pushed them away from her. He stumbled back on the couch as he got up rubbing his hands.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" She asked as Raphael got to his feet.

"Me? You're the one that has been out all night with him drinkin' in a fuckin' bar!"

"So you're followin' me now?"

"I guess I had to!"

"Nothin' happened! He's a friend!" She said shaking her head as she walked towards the stairs.

"Oh no, you ain't runnin' away from this again." He said grabbing her arm. She turned towards him in a glare as he dropped it.

"I wasn't runnin' anywhere! You said you needed space, I gave you space! And now you're followin' me? How does that work?" She asked crossing her arms as he sighed shaking his head.

"I didn't…" He sighed again, turning into a growl as he grabbed her by the arms forcing her lips against his. She put her hands on his shoulders, feeling the familiarity of his skin under her fingers as she clenched her eyes shut. She braced her arms as she pushed him back from her in a breath. She almost had the urge to spit out his kiss before she looked at his face.

It was sincere and almost sad. She had only known him to have a smirk or a straight faced glare, never once has she seen him actually frown. She furrowed her brow slightly letting the strength drop in her arms as he kept her body close to his.

"I didn't mean it." He said after a moment as she looked at him, feeling her face drop now into a frown. "I-I don't know. I was just…" He sighed looking down away from her as she took her hand from his shoulder and picked his face back up to look at her. "I was just scared that you ain't gonna need me anymore." He said finally looking into her eyes. She furrowed her brow for a moment.

"What are you talkin' 'bout? I'm not gonna need you for what?"

"Protection." He said as she shoved him a little. He looked up at her narrowing his eyes.

"You're an idiot. You thought I needed you for protection? I could always take care of myself." She said crossing her arms. "I love you Raph, I don't need you for anythin' but that." He softened his expression as she smiled from him taking a step towards her. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she ran her hands down his arms.

"I love you too." He said softly against her ear as he moved her hair back with his beak. She let out a soft giggle as he kissed her neck, closing his lips around the sensitive skin.