Sunni

Chapter Seven

It was three am and Sunni cradled her head in one arm, sprawled over the table, spinning the pack of Camels in lazy circles across the tabletop with her other hand. "I think it'll work," she said. "'Specially if we set it up like you said…"

"Yeah, but you don't know him," said Raphael, his chin resting on one hand.

"Well, you don't know Tanya. I told you, she is an actress. An' she really is drop- dead gorgeous."

"That's not it. That won't matter. He's more stubborn than me."

Sunni glanced up and raised a dubious eyebrow at him.

"Once Leo gets an idea in his head, he stays with it, an' keeps at it, an keeps at it. It's a point of honor with him. Even if whatever he's defending doesn't make any sense."

"You mean he's rigid?"

"That's one way to put it."

Sunni giggled.

"What?"

"Nothin'. My mind is in the gutter."

Raphael grinned crookedly. "Hey, watch what you say about the gutter. I live there."

"Yeah, I bet you do…"

He realized she had entirely missed his unguarded double-entendre and was glad she had. He wasn't really ready yet to tell her he lived in the sewer. In fact, he decided, he probably never would be, though it bothered him now, more than ever, to keep secrets from her. He didn't like having to watch what he said. He watched her playing with the unopened cigarette pack. "If you really wanna smoke one, don't stop on account of me."

"I don't," she said. "I don't need 'em. I don't want 'em. They make my clothes, an' my hair, an' everything smell bad."

"I'm not worried about that, y'know."

"Well, I am."

Raphael pushed the chair back and stood. He stretched and groaned. Sitting for so long had made his body restless, even though he was happy to be there and talk to Sunni for as long as she was willing to be there with him. He'd have probably been happy to sit and just look at her, as long as he knew she wanted him to. He picked up their soda cans and pushed aside the little gingham curtain that hung over the cabinet under the sink. He tossed them in the trashcan.

"Recycle is in that other sack," she said.

"Hm…" Raphael bent over and rummaged under the sink for a moment. Sunni half-turned in her chair to watch him. Her eyes wandered over the marbled patterns of amber brown and olive greens in his carapace, broken into hexagonal shapes. There were scars there, too; old, healed notches in the irregular surface of his shell. The light gleamed on the steel sai hooked through the stained, wide leather belt. The weapons had always gotten her attention, especially when he wore them in front, as he had the first couple of times he had seen him without his concealing clothing. Since then he had mostly hidden them behind him, or under his overcoat.

"Raphael, what are those for?" she asked, knowing she had asked him once before, but that she couldn't remember exactly what he'd said.

"What?" he asked. He turned on the faucet and rinsed his hands then dried them on the small towel. "Bag's all sticky," he complained.

"Those…those dagger things."

He reached behind, automatically touching one, and frowned. "Mh….they're for…ah…self defense."

"Self defense?"

"Yeah."

"Like if someone attacks you…?"

"Yeah. Like that."

"You get attacked a lot, don't you?" she asked.

Raphael leaned his back up against the sink, arms crossed, and cocked his head at her, poker-faced.

Sunni turned away and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. "I know, I know. One of those things you can't tell me."

Something about the way she said it, and how she turned away from him, stabbed at him. He swallowed. "Sunni, I'd tell you if I could….if…" He cleared his throat. "I can't."

"I know," she said. "Most times I didn't tell people either."

"Tell them what?"

"You know. When they used to jump me at school. On the way home. I didn't want to to upset my mom. And my father wouldn't have cared." Sunni smiled cynically. "Thank God for Cindra."

"Your father wouldn't care?"

"He wasn't around much."

"But Lucindra was."

"Oh, yeah. She was pretty damn tough. You'd be surprised."

"No, I wouldn't."

Sunni looked back up at him quizzically. "So you know she weight trains, an' does that, ah, kick-boxing?"

"Yeah. I knew that." Damn near kicked my ass more than once, he thought, though he'd never have admitted it. It was partly out of pride, but primarily because if he admitted he had sparred with her cousin, it would open the door to a whole mess of information he still wasn't sure he wanted to share. Even though he really did. It confused and annoyed him that he felt he couldn't tell her who he was. He wanted to tell her he had probably saved her from some very bad things in the park the other night. He was burning to tell her that, in fact. He started to open his mouth when Sunni spoke again.

"I never could understand it, even when she was beatin' the crap out of those girls that beat me up. I hate all that violence. Probably because I got so much of it when I was younger."

"Didja ever think of learning to fight, too? To defend yourself?"

"No, 'cause see, then I'd be as bad as them. I don't want to be that way. I hate violence. I don't want that shit I my life."

Raphael choked back everything he was about to say about the punks in the park.

"I know that sounds harsh," Sunni went on. "I don't mean it as a knock on Cindra 'cause I love her an' I know she does what she does because she believes its right for her. An' I do owe her a lot. I'd've probably got hurt a whole lot worse. I just can't go there."

"What did they do to you?" he asked and was immediately sorry because he really didn't want to know.

"Just beat me up. Knock me down an' kick me. You know. They ripped my earrings out one time." She fingered one ear. "I never did bother to get 'em pierced again."

Standing behind her, Raphael leaned in closer. He saw the scar that ran from the middle of her ear lobe out to the edge, touched her ear, and winced. It was the first time he had touched her since they had fought.

"That musta hurt."

"Well, you know…" she said vaguely. She sighed and wiped invisible crumbs off the table. Her hair brushed his hand. It felt soft, like the whisper of feathers against his skin. In the kitchen light it was the color of gilded bronze, deeper shades of soft brown underneath and gold on the surface. He hesitated, and then ran his fingers over it.

Sunni, who rarely sat still or spoke without animation, became very quiet. She inclined her head, the smallest tilt, back toward him. Raphael was very aware that she had been keeping a distance between them. This slight tilt of her head was the first movement she had made all night toward him.

"Were you thinking you might stay here with me tonight?" she asked quietly.

"I almost have already." He gently lifted out one long spiral of hair, studying it. Hair, to Raphael, was still such a foreign part of a body. It was a strange and beautiful thing.

"Yeah, but you know what I mean."

"I...uh…I don't wanna hear that I only want one thing."

"I don't believe that about you."

"Hm."

"Well, ok, then. What do you want, Raphael?"

He slowly wound her hair around a finger. "I won't lie to you," he said. "I do want that thing. I always do. But even if… even if that thing had never happened, I'd still want to talk to you. You're real good to talk to, Sunni."

"You're real good for me to talk to, too." Sunni leaned her head back further so she could look up into his face.

"So, you want me to stay?" He needed to hear her say it.

"Mh hm…" she murmured. He looked down at the curve of her throat; her head arced back, eyes closed. He rested his fingertips on her neck, and traced the line from her collarbone, running them gently up to her chin. Sunni smiled.

Raphael covered her mouth with his, cupping her face in his hands. He kissed her eyes, her ears, and her throat. His mouth pressed to hers, he held her arm in one hand, the other against the small of her back, and pulled her up to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, one under, one over the ridge of his carapace.

"God, I'm glad I didn't lose you," she whispered.

Raphael felt an unexpected pressure in his chest and his throat grew tight, eclipsing for just a moment, the rising lust.

Donatello was in his glory. The pulley and lever system he had designed for the doorway had actually worked the first time and he was demonstrating it now to his brothers and sensei in a most academic fashion.

"So by pressing this brick, the eighth one up directly above the little divot in the concrete, a weight is raised inside the wall and a series of counterbalanced levers set the gears into motion, causing this entire partition to roll back."

"Man," said Mike. "Like Rube Goldberg City, huh?"

Don ignored him and with a theatrical showiness befitting a stage magician, pressed the brick. The faint whirring of machinery could be heard as the wall parted and the two partitions slid to each side. Inside the door was the newly framed up little anteroom that would open into the main living area of the lair. On either side of the anteroom was the start of a false wall between the actual sewer wall and the interior of their home. It would make the living area a little smaller, but since they had broken through the wall at the rear of the sleeping passage and found a whole new enclosed area, the question of where they were going to train had been answered.

"Donatello, your ingenuity never fails to amaze me," said Splinter. He stood with both hands clasped around the top of his walking stick, his shoe button eyes bright with obvious pride in his son.

"Thank you, Master," beamed Don, wasting no energy on modesty.

"Hey," said Raphael. "I helped ya know. Right?"

Don nodded briefly, glancing at him, determined not to share the glory.

"Wow," said Mike. "Raph helped and you still got it to work."

Leonardo, standing on the other side of Splinter with his arms folded across his chest masked a smirk well enough that only the creases in his cheeks deepened.

Raphael glanced from Leo to Mike to Splinter. "Fine," he said. "Fine." He started to stalk off and then remembered he needed to make nice with Leo if he was ever going to put Sunni's plan into action. He glanced back over his shoulder. "Leo," he said. Leonardo looked at him, and Raphael jerked his head in the direction of the eastern sewer tunnel.

Leo glanced at Splinter before leaving. It wasn't the need for approval, but a habitual response, just as Splinter's little nod was unnecessary, but expected.

"Good work, Don," Leo said, giving him a pat on the back, and broke into a jog to catch up with Raphael. "So what's up?" he asked when they were out of earshot from the rest of the family.

"Need to talk to you," said Raphael continuing to stride further down the darkened passageway. The water flow through the center of tunnel was still high with spring rains, and the cement walkway beneath their feet cold and damp.

They had rounded a turn before Raphael slowed. It was much darker, the illumination from the turtles' entranceway light swallowed by the curve of the sewer wall.

"Come here," said Raphael motioning Leo to follow. Part of the brick wall had crumbled leaving large blocks of broken brick and mortar lying to one side of the underground passage. He sat down on a large chunk of debris and Leonardo followed suit. Raphael cleared his throat and rubbed his neck. This was feeling more difficult than he thought it would be.

"Look, you know I'm…um, talking to…ah…"

"Sunni," Leo supplied, helping him out.

"Yeah. We're talking again."

"Yeah, I gathered that when the food quality started improving."

Raphael cocked his head. "That bother you or something?"

"Sort of." Leonardo scratched his head. "I dunno. It feels like we're beggars. Like we're on the dole or something." He shook his head.

"Yeah, I know, that part bothers me, too," he said truthfully. "An' that's part of what I wanted to talk to you about. See she, Sunni, she wants to meet you."

"Me?" Leonardo pulled back. "How the hell does she know about me?"

"She knows I've got family. Who do you think I've told her I'm bringing the groceries home for? Look, I've only mentioned your name. She doesn't know anything else."

Leonardo rubbed his eyes. "Raph…."

"Come on, Leo. Her cousin met all of us."

"Who's her cousin?" Leonardo peered into Raph's face in the gloom. Even in the half light Raphael could see the suspicion and wariness in his eyes.

Raphael swallowed. "Lucindra Thompkins."

"Oh, man." Leonardo shook his head. "You're doing it again, aren't you? Just like before."

"No, Leo, I'm not. I'm telling you what's goin' on." Raphael felt the heat of his resentment rise and he clamped down on it with all the control he could manage. Going off on Leo for being a judgmental, self-righteous control freak was not going to help things. He looked away, feeling his fists tighten. The effort was costing him.

"I'm not keeping secrets from you, Leo," Raphael said, furious that he was once again thrown back into a position of needing to defend himself. "It's Sunni who's been left in the dark. I keep making excuses for why she can't meet my family. An' I know it bothers her. She keeps asking, like she thinks I don't want you to know about her. Or like I think there's something wrong with her that I don't want you to know about." Raphael turned to face his brother. "She's been feeding us, for crissakes, Leo! You owe her that much!"

Leonardo sighed, and Raphael knew he had him. "Ok," he said. "Ok. I guess it's only common courtesy. Jeez. Just me, right? Not Mike, or -"

"No. Just you. You're the only name I've mentioned."

"So, how do you want to do this?"

Raphael shrugged innocently. "Go to her place. It's a lot safer than where she works, or out on the street somewhere."

Leonardo sighed again. "We have to tell Splinter."

"We tell Splinter you're gonna meet the girl who's been helping with the food."

"That's all he knows still, right?"

Raphael looked into his brother's face. "I can't tell him the other part."

"I know," Leo nodded. "I don't think I could, either."

Raphael let out the breath he realized he had been holding. The wall between them thinned. "You understand, right?"

Leo nodded again. "Yeah."

"Leo, one more thing."

"What's that?"

"She doesn't know what we are. I mean what we do, what our training has been."

"That's probably all for the better."

"That's what I figured," said Raphael, grinning inwardly.

"You know Raph, I'd be lying if I told you I haven't been curious," said Leonardo as the two of them slipped through the evening shadows between the alleys and rows of brown brick tenement buildings. Windows were open, and voices echoed though the still-warm streets. In the far distance, sirens keened. A car door slammed and the engine started.

"Yeah?"

"Well, sure. I'm not completely blind. I can see she means a lot to you."

Raphael grunted at that, but realized that he felt closer to Leo than he had in months. He found himself hoping that would still be the case by the time the night was over.

"Right there," said Raphael pointing to a building in the middle of the block.

Leonardo squinted, seeing a figure in an open upstairs window. He glanced over at Raphael and saw that he was looking at the open window as well. Raphael started to cross the narrow street.

"We're going right in the front door?" Leo asked, hanging back in the shadow of a parked van..

"Yeah, come on, Leo. We're in disguise."

Leonardo looked down at his baggy pants and oversized nylon wind breaker. "I never thought these disguises worked for anything but really long distance."

Raphael grinned at him. "It's a real quiet building, don't worry. Mostly a bunch of old folks who never come out of their doors."

"Hope they're a bunch of blind old folks," muttered Leonardo, pulling his knit cap further down over his head.

"Come on," said Raphael and they sprinted across the street to the stairway. Halfway up the stairs they heard a high whistle, followed by a piercing woman's scream. Both froze.

"Over there!" barked Raphael. He leaped over the handrail. Leonardo hesitated for a moment then followed him, staying close to the buildings and out of the splash of light from the street lamps.

Two doors over, draped face down on the stairs that led to a basement apartment, a young woman's body lay still. Raphael knelt beside her for an instant until Leo was at his side.

"Stay with her," said Raphael. "I think I know where they went!"

"What?" said Leo confused, as his brother took off toward the end of the block, his trench coat flapping. Leonardo crouched down beside the woman. "Hey," he said softly, gently shaking her shoulder. When she didn't respond, he rolled her over.

She had no visible injuries. Her pulse was strong and her breath was regular. Leo felt her head and arms and legs with a detached medical efficiency. Nothing seemed to be broken. He stood and scanned the street. It was quiet, save the sound of someone's radio thump-thumping from an open window.

Suddenly Raphael was back. "I couldn't find 'em," he said. "Come on. Let's take her up to Sunni's apartment."

"Take her - ? Why?" said Leo. "Shouldn't we just call 911 like we always do?"

"Yeah, but we can't very well leave her here. Come on, Leo. Sunni can call an ambulance or somethin'." Raphael turned and headed for Sunni's building, leaving Leonardo to pick the woman up and carry her.

Once inside the foyer of the building, every one of Leo's senses went on hyper-vigilant alert, listening for the sounds of people in the hall, or on the stairs overhead, watching for changing shadows, sniffing the air as they climbed the stairs. What dominated his senses, though, was the incense-like sweetness of the young woman's warm perfume. He glanced down at his unconscious burden and noticed for the first time in the amber light of the old building that she was a strikingly pretty girl. Her dark chestnut skin was flawless and her black hair was long, falling like a dark waterfall over his arm. He tried not to notice how much of her anatomy was revealed by the skimpy tube top she wore. Her face rested against Leo's shoulder, pressed against the wind breaker, her full lips parted. Leonardo almost missed his footing on the last stair.

"Sunni," Raphael said as her door opened. "Someone got hurt"

"Oh, my god," said Sunni, stepping back. "Come in, quick."

Leonardo was more than willing to get inside quickly and out of the public hallway.

"Here," said Sunni. "You can put her down on the couch. What's wrong with her?"

"We don't know," said Raphael. "She got jumped in the street."

Once Leonardo had settled the girl on the couch, he stood looking a bit awkward. "Um..." he said. "Hi, I'm…"

"Oh! Hi," said Sunni, reaching to take his hand. "I'm Sunni." She turned on her dazzling smile.

"Leonardo," he answered, taking her hand and offering a small bow. "I believe we owe you a debt of gratitude."

"It's nothing," said Sunni holding Leo's hand in both of hers. "It's been my pleasure to help you out."

"Uh, yeah," said Raphael, realizing there was something he was supposed to be doing. "Leo, this is Sunni. Sunni, this is my brother, Leo."

Sunni stepped back and looked from one to the other, her cheeks dimpling in a deep grin. "My god, you two do look alike," she said. She tilted her head, looking Leonardo in the face. "Wow, you could almost be twins…I mean…" Sunni grimaced, suddenly embarrassed by her own gawking. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to-"

Raphael scowled for an instant but Leonardo was too preoccupied to recognize the flicker of possessive jealousy in his eyes.

Leo gestured at the girl lying still on the couch. "So what are we going to do about-?"

"Oh, right. Of course," said Sunni. "I'll get some ice."

"I'll help," said Raphael, following her back to the kitchen.

Leonardo frowned, watching them go. He wondered what it was that he was not getting. Perhaps it had something to do with how Raphael and Sunni interacted. He knew he was missing something. The whole situation felt weird. Raphael was definitely acting weird. He took off the warm knit hat and knelt down by the girl again. With no sign of injury there had to be some other reason for her unconsciousness. He wondered if she had had a seizure of some kind. Maybe a drug overdose. He lifted her hand to check her pulse again and her eyelids flickered.

Leonardo rocked back on his heels. He didn't want to be the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. She drew in a breath, turned her head and looked right at him. She gasped, her eyes suddenly growing wide.

"Don't be afraid," he said. "I won't hurt you. You're safe."

The girl gulped. "Are they gone?" she asked, her voice tremulous.

"Who?" asked Leo. "Oh. Oh, yeah. They're gone. There's no one here going to hurt you."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Leonardo," he said, glancing over his shoulder and wondering where Sunni and Raphael were.

"My name is Tanya." The girl pulled herself up onto her elbows and looked around the pastel-toned room, with its angel figurines and candles. "Where am I?"

"You're at a friend's house. A friend of mine." Leonardo frowned. "Raph!" he called over his shoulder.

"You brought me up here?" Tanya was asking him. "You saved me?"

"Um, yeah. My brother and I did. Do you know who attacked you?"

Tanya shook her head.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm a little woozy," said Tanya.

"I'll get you some water," said Leo. "We were supposed to have some ice in here." Leo started to stand and Tanya grabbed his hand. He barely caught his reflexive response that would have broken her arm.

"Don't leave!" said Tanya, her huge dark eyes pleading.

"I wasn't. I was only going into the kitchen. I was…ok. Ok. Take it easy." He knelt down again and she gripped him with all the strength in her small, perfectly manicured hand. "Raph!" he called again. "Bring me some water!"

Sunni hurried into the living room carrying a glass in one hand and tugging her T-shirt into place with the other. She had an odd look on her face, like someone trying to suppress a bad case of the giggles. Raphael followed her, hatless, with a serious mouth that didn't match the bright light in his eyes. "Here," Sunni said, handing the glass to Leo.

Leonardo passed the glass to Tanya, but she didn't take it right away. "Help me up," she said, and Leo slipped his arm around her shoulders, easing her into a more upright position. "Thank you," she said, leaning back against his arm effectively pinning him against the arm of the couch. He couldn't move away unless he was willing to make her move again. She put the glass to her lips and gazed at him with limpid eyes.

"Do I need to call someone?" asked Sunni. "An ambulance...?"

"No," said Tanya, her eyes still on Leonardo. "I'll be ok."

Raphael cleared his throat and flopped into one of the blue chairs opposite the couch. He sucked on a tooth, eyeing the scene unfolding before him.

"You can rest here," said Sunni, sitting in the other blue chair. "Until you're feeling better."

"Thank you," said Tanya. She handed Leo the glass of water, and with some effort since his right arm was still trapped behind Tanya, he reached behind to set it on the coffee table. "I want to thank you, too, for saving my life."

"I didn't really...I didn't do anything," said Leonardo frowning. "You don't have to -"

Tanya touched his cheek, drawing his face closer, raising her mouth toward his. "I want to," she said softly.

He resisted as gently as he could, lowering his face and turning away from hers, trying to find a way to gracefully extricate himself. He didn't want to insult this girl, but he couldn't understand her determination to close in on him. Out of the corner of his eye, caught a movement behind him. He whipped his head around.

Sunni twitched, clamping shut her mouth, her eyes wide.

He turned back just as fast and caught Tanya looking at Sunni, obviously having communicated something. Leonardo drew back, freeing his arm, the realization dawning on him. "This is a set- up..." he said to himself.

Leonardo stood up, his eyes on Tanya, whose alluring expression was fading into one of nervousness. "This is a set-up," he repeated, louder this time, as though needing to confirm this for himself. He turned around. Sunni looked guilty and apprehensive. Raphael stared back at Leo, his face impassive.

"You set me up?" Leonardo asked in astonishment.

"Leo, look…" Raphael began.

Sunni raised her head, her chin out, fire in her eyes. She stood and put herself protectively in front of Raphael, her hands raised as though she intended to ward Leo off physically if she had to. "Don't be mad at him, Leonardo," she said steadily. "This was my idea."

Leonardo ignored her and stared at Raphael. "I don't believe this." He took in a deep breath and drew himself up. His jaw tightened and locked in place as the shock turned to anger. He turned again to Tanya.

"Madame," he said, bowing stiffly to her, and then faced Raphael. His eyes glittered with an ice blue fury. "I'll talk to you at home," he said between clenched teeth, and then turned and walked across the room and out the door, shutting it hard behind him.

A collective exhale blew through the room.

"Shit," said Raphael.

"He was really mad, wasn't he?" asked Tanya.

Raphael closed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, he was mad all right." He cocked his head, gazing at Tanya. "You relieved?"

"No. No, I'd have gone for it," she said. "He had really beautiful eyes."

Sunni stood in the center of the living room, holding herself, one hand over her mouth. "Raphael, I am so sorry…" her voice caught in her throat.

"Don't worry about it," said Raphael. "He'll get over it."

"Yeah, chill out, Sunni. We gave it our best shot and it didn't work out," said Tanya.

"Damn," said Sunni. "I sure messed this one up. I shoulda listened to you, Raphael. I was trying to make this easier for you, y'know? Trying to make it easier between you an' your brother, an' I made it worse -"

"Hey," said Raphael. "C'mere."

Sunni took two steps toward him and he caught her in his arms, bringing her down firmly onto his lap. "Look," he said. "What happens between me an' Leo has nothing to do with you. There's nothing you could do to make it better and there's nothing you could do to make it worse. It's just how we are. Leo and I have to work it out." He lifted her chin and made her look into his eyes. "You're outta the loop. You got that?"

Sunni nodded.

"Ok then. Why don't you let your friend go home an' we'll go fuck, ok?"

Sunni's distressed expression melted into a grin.

Tanya stood and picked up her bag. "Well, I guess I can take a hint."

"Tanya, I'm sorry -" said Sunni looking stricken again.

"Oh now sister, don't you worry. You know what?" Tanya smiled and pulled out her cell phone as she headed for the door. "The night is still young."

"You're a good sport, Tanya," said Raphael, his face serious.

Tanya tossed her sleek black hair and winked at them. "G'night you lil lovebirds!"

The door closed again, a bit more softly this time.

Raphael and Sunni sat, nose to nose, their foreheads touching.

"Well?" asked Raphael.

"Mm hmm," said Sunni.