Disclaimer: The TMNT are not in my possession, nor will they be until I overthrow the Mirage studios and make my own empire. At this point, I will assemble the world's greatest scientists and make them create a machine to make living versions of the TMNT. Donatello will be mine and the other three will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. I also don't own the movie 'Back to the Future', any of the super heroes mentioned, or any of the songs in this chapter. However, I own Vanessa, Sam, Rachel, Lily, her sister and Carmen.
Enjoy the chapter!
PS-I would like to make a note. In my humble fan fiction, the turtles are almost four years older, and in this time the boys have grown. They range from five foot seven to five foot ten, so they're going to be tall. I care not for accuracy, but for my own selfish wishes. On with the story!
PS- Chapter edited March 10th 2010
Considering she suggested the date, it's strange that Rachel is nervous. When she was getting dressed, her anxiety wasn't noticeable. Now that she's not concentrating on anything, it's impossible for her to keep calm. She kills time by checking her appearance once again in the mirror by the door. Rachel smoothes her hair and brushes an eyelash from her cheek. Perfect. Just then, bright white headlights create moving shadows across the living room walls announcing her date's arrival. Breathing out loudly Rachel seats herself on the couch, waiting tensely. It seems an eternity before the doorbell rings. Rachel stands slowly and strides confidently to the door. Inhaling a deep calming breath, she opens it to reveal Leonardo.
She feels her stomach tighten. 'He's even better looking than last time!' she panics, worrying that she'll look frumpy next to him. Leo black pants and light blue dress shirt that accentuate his muscles. Rachel's legs turn to Jell-O and she smiles dazzlingly to cover her nervousness, commenting, "Hey Leo, lookin' good. I just have to grab my coat." She ducks into the closet and sifts through her clothes hurriedly as her cheeks burn. 'What a lame comment!' she admonishes herself, hoping that he doesn't expect her to speak normally on their date.
As she searches in the closet, Leo's eyes absorb every aspect of her physique: the way her hair shines, the way her jeans hug her toned legs and the way her coral cap sleeved blouse makes her arms seem tanned in the evening light. When she emerges with a black blazer in hand, Leo manages to say, "You look great, Rachel."
"Let's get going, we don't want to keep your brothers waiting," Rachel suggests, averting attention from herself. Inside she's grinning to the compliment but on the outside, her cheeks are still flushed in embarrassment. Tugging the door shut and locking it, she leads Leo down the cracked stone stairs to the Battle Shell. He reaches out to help Rachel into the van, but she jumps up into it with ease. Rachel seats herself next the brown haired man in the back, whom she knows to be Donatello. He smiles politely and asks about her day, the blond next to him—Mikey, she now recalls—greeting her warmly. The driver waves at her throws a quick, "Hey," over his shoulder. By process of elimination, she concludes that the dark haired man in the front seat is Raph. She smiles and greets him, clicking her seatbelt. Once they're all securely fastened, Raph floors the gas. The armored car lurches forward and the passengers jerk forward. Raph's brothers are annoyed at his reckless driving, but Rachel seems to enjoy zooming down the street, smiling widely in the back seat.
All too soon, they halt at 69 Larsman Street. Vanessa's house faces them proudly with gleaming gold numbers displayed beside a proper mail box; a short paved walkway lined by small lanterns leads to the oak door.
"Talk about ritzy," Mikey mutters as Raphael hops out of the Battle Shell. He rights his shirt and saunters up to the impressive door. Jabbing the doorbell, his foot taps the stoop nervously as he waits. Moments later a man in his mid forties opens the door, politely asking, "Are you Raphael?"
"Yeah, is Vanessa ready?" Raph enquires, craning his neck to see around the man in the doorway. A pleasant smile on his face, the man insists, "Please come in, she'll be along in a minute." Before Raph can object, he leads Raph down the hall. Only now does Raph realize that the man is shorter than he, his lean body causing him to look even smaller next to Raph. His pale skin practically reflects the lamplight, the sole hint that Vanessa is his daughter. His scalp shines through thinningchestnut hair and square rimmed glasses frame his dark brown eyes. His smile welcoming, he ushers Raph to the illuminated living room and sticks out his hand in gesture, introducing himself, "My name's George, I'm Vanessa's father."
"I gathered that," Raph replies as he shakes his hand. 'Damn! I just sounded like a smart-ass! Nice goin' Raph.'
To Raph's momentary relief, a woman with brown hair and round cheeks enters the room. He assumes that she's Vanessa's mother, although she resembles her daughter no more than her husband. Confused, Raph wonders, 'Where the heck did Vanessa get her looks? They look nothin' like her!'
A big smile on her face, the woman greets enthusiastically, "Hello, Raphael, it's so nice to meet you. Please, come sit." She motions toward the cream couch and though the seat is inviting, Raph doesn't want to stay much longer. He's itching to get out of the hot seat. Thankfully, Vanessa walks into the room not a minute later. She wears a pair of white capri pants topped by a red empire waisted shirt, her black hair pulled back neatly. Noticing her parents and the panic in Raph's eyes, she interjects into her father's babbling on NASCAR, "Hey mom and dad, this is Raphael. We're going to the karaoke restaurant on Third Street. I promise that no one will drink alcohol, we're going with Raphael's brothers and some friends, he will have me home by 11:45 and all the people in the vehicle have their license and an ID."
"Wow, you covered just about everything, didn't you? And in one breath! I'm impressed," her father compliments to the declaration, raising his eyebrows toward his daughter. Batting him playfully, Vanessa's mother scolds, "Let her go, George," giving her daughter a secretive smile. As a final warning, she urges, "Have fun, and be safe."
"Sure Mrs…uh…" Raph trails off, coming up with a blank on Vanessa's last name. Sympathy apparent in her smile for the young man, she introduces herself, "Amy McMillan."
"Okay, Mrs. McMillan, I'll have her home on time," he assures. Before Vanessa leaves, her mother catches her hand and whispers, "We won't be home 'til twelve thirty," pressing a key into her daughter's hand and giving her a swift kiss on the forehead. Vanessa nods and calls, "Bye!" Once outside, the pair descends the stairs at an alarming pace, shaken by the awkwardness of the meeting. Raph reviews what he said to her parents fretfully as he opens the door for Vanessa, unintentionally impressing her. 'He's quite the gentleman.'
When Vanessa's in her seat, Raph swings the door shut and climbs into the driver's seat. Thoughts buzzing throughout his head, he turns the key in the ignition, sets the vehicle in reverse, and pulls out of the driveway cleanly. He shifts back to drive and motors down the deserted street.
"Remind me, why'd we let him drive?" Leo wonders aloud, earning himself a few laughs from the other passengers and a growl from the driver.
Samantha's apartment looms over Mikey, the turtle taking in a strained breath and mounting the stairs. What feels like seventy floors later, he comes upon her apartment and rings the doorbell. The door opens not two seconds later to reveal Sam, who has been standing there for the past ten minutes. Her honey-brown hair is held together in a loose ponytail, her pants dark wash denim. On top, she wears a blue halter with a modest neckline.
"Hey Mikey," she greets, giving him her flirtiest smile. Once the cat releases his tongue, he stutters, "Hi, Sam…you look beautiful."
'Stupid! Don't look there, she'll think you're a pervert!' his brain screams at him as he mistakenly looks at Sam's chest. Mikey gives his head a shake and looks up at her face, hoping she didn't notice him looking at her breasts. Keeping his focus on her eyes, he continues more confidently, "Let's go, or Raph'll make us walk." He reaches out for Sam's hand and they are about to leave when they hear a loud exclamation.
"Hold on! I need pictures," orders a woman from behind Sam, hands up as if maintaining a force field. Mikey guesses she's the mother by the look of mortified horror on Sam's face.
"Mo-om," Sam groans, outright embarrassed at her mother's behavior.
"Just two, then you can leave," her mother says. Giving Mikey an apologetic look, Sam stands next to him and plasters a convincing smile on her face. The camera clicks. 'One flash. That means one to go,' Sam says to herself, impatient for her freedom.
Mikey suddenly gets an idea (there's a first time for everything). Acting fast, he braces one arm beneath Sam's shoulder blades for support and places the other under the tendons of her knees, lifting Sam effortlessly (I didn't say it was a good idea).
Sam squeals in shock and her mother laughs as she snaps the photo. Sam's mother presses the view button and bursts into giggles, holding out the camera to show Sam and Mikey the moment captured on film. In the photo, Mikey grins like a loon, obviously pleased with himself; Sam has a look of comical surprise on her face, somehow making it a cute picture. Sam's mother looks at them from the corner of her eye and raises a brow. It's then they both realize that Mikey is still cradling Sam, her arms wrapped around his neck for support. Mikey blushes and sets her down, Sam quickly withdrawing her arms from his neck.
"Alright kids, you have fun now, and be safe," Sam's mother says, adding as she kisses Sam's temple, "Be home by eleven thirty."
"Bye, Sam's mom," Mikey jokes, but clears his throat and corrects himself, "I mean Mrs. Connahan. Sorry." He smiles reproachfully and Samantha's mother nods in approval, whispering, "He's a keeper."
Sam turns lobster red and wheels around, opening the door with a rushed goodbye. Mikey follows behind Sam as she walks down the stairs at a fast clip, smiling to himself. When they reach the vehicle outside, Mikey opens the door with a gesture and says in a British accent, "My lady."
She laughs and takes his hand, stepping into the large van. Mikey jumps in and closes the door behind him, seating himself next to Sam. Sam buckles her seatbelt and smiles at him, glad that it's dark in the car. At least no one can see her blush.
"Are you sure you don't mind baby-sitting, Carm?" Lily asks for the ump-teenth time, tugging a yellow shirt over her head. Deciding against it, she pulls a face and whips it off without a second thought. Unintelligible dialogue comes from the other side of the bathroom door. Heaving a sigh Lily opens the door adjoined to her bedroom, slipping a green shirt over her head.
"What was that?" she asks, observing herself in the mirror. She mutters something self deprecating under her breath and pulls it off, hunting in the pile of clothes on the floor for something decent. Chewing the remaining bite of apple in her mouth and letting it slide down her throat, Carmen repeats, "I said it's really no trouble, I had nothing else to do. Besides, you haven't been out on a date in at least two months. I'm glad you're getting back out there, Lily."
Stretching, Carmen pushes her long bangs from her eyes and lies flat on the bed, looking away from Lily as she changes her shirt yet again. She looks up after a rustling of fabric when Lily asks, "What do you think? Be brutal."
"You look HOT, baby!" Carmen crows, laughing at Lily's disapproving facial expression. Grin enormous, Carmen sits up cross-legged and exclaims, "Look out, fellas! Lily's back on the market!"
"Shut up," Lily insists, crossing her arms over her chest. Bad idea. Whoever manufactures camisoles should definitely put a tag reading 'Warning: whether you have breasts or not, this item of clothing will show cleavage' on all their merchandise. Snorting at Lily's ignorance to her own beauty, Carmen asks nonchalantly, "So, who is this guy? Is he a lawyer? You would be good with a guy like that: money, intelligence, looks, money, sweet rides, penthouses… did I mention money?"
At her friend's deliberate shallowness, Lily laughs, replying, "No, he's not a lawyer, but he is really smart, is interested in engineering, is one of the most polite guys I've ever met, and is really good looking." The air is sliced by the loud sound of Carmen smacking her knee, and she applauds, "Jackpot!"
As Carmen says this, the doorbell rings. Lily jumps and leaps over the bed, her eyes sparkling excitedly. Carmen laughs and jokes, "Aren't we a little excited?" Closing her hand on the door knob, Lily replies lightly, "Only a little." Carmen notices how Lily's hand shakes and stands, placing an assuring hand on Lily's shoulder. Quietly, she soothes, "It's gonna be fine, hon," giving her a quick hug. Lily relaxes for a moment, until a voice calls, "I'll get it!"
"Oh, shoot!" Lily says, opening the door and realizing she forgot her pants. She rushes to the bed and grabs her jeans, pulling them on roughly. Carmen rolls her eyes and insists, "You're going to be fine."
"Not if Grace beats me to the door," Lily replies, buttoning her jeans.
Don's brown converse squeak as he rocks from heels to toes, his heart thumping in his chest. Don glances at his watch and worries he's late. Deducing his punctuality is untarnished, he reaches out to press the doorbell a second time, startled when the door is thrown wide. A lean teenage girl with blond hair and green eyes looks up at him. She's like a miniature Lily. She wears a grin much too large for her face and her eyes flit over his body. This somehow makes Donatello self conscious and he tugs at his sleeve. The girl giggles and calls over her shoulder, "Lily! It's your boyfriend at the door!"
Don flushes and glues his eyes to the floor in embarrassment. His eyes are pried from the laminate click wood floor when two others enter the cramped hallway. There is Lily, followed by an unfamiliar woman much too young to be her mother. The other woman is toffee skinned with silken, raven hair and exotic plum eyes, a rare beauty; however, Don only has eyes for Lily. Her blond hair is in a clean chignon at the nape of her neck, her green eyes intensified by a rose colored camisole covered by a white cardigan; the jeans she wears show off her slim legs and hips, making her look taller. Lily smiles shyly at him, eyeing his toned body through his lilac dress shirt and relaxed dark jeans. Satisfied, she bends over to slip on her shoes, interrupted when her sister whispers loud enough in her ear for the other two to hear, "He's cute."
Lily's eyes dart toward the girl's in warning. Don knows that look. In an effort to avoid a family feud, he smiles and asks, "Is this your sister?"
The girl folds her arms across her chest and apprises, "I do have a name," in mock offense. Glad to have a bit of attention, she continues her introduction. "I'm Grace, and I'll be your supervision this evening. Just in case," she adds, flashing him a smile and winking. Don's eyes rise to Lily's face, amused to see her reaction. Lily smiles but gives Grace's shoulder a tight squeeze that speaks louder than any words. Grace will be in big trouble if she doesn't shut up. Grace smiles and Lily's kind disposition returns as she murmurs goodbye to her sister. Before she heads out the door, she gestures toward her friend with flourish.
"This is my friend Carmen; babysitter, accountant and author extraordinaire," Lily summarizes, smiling as Don shakes Carmen's hand daintily. She gives Carmen a fast hug, then suggests hastily to Don, "Let's go."
He holds the door for her and she passes through. Lily's quite proud for herself, as she's remained calm the whole time with Don. All hope for being cool and collected is shattered when he holds out a pink rose from behind his back. Eyes wide, Lily stammers, "Thank you," and caresses the smooth petals with her fingers. She practically floats down the stairs, being careful not to stumble. Don heaves open the metal door of the van, but before they can escape, Grace runs out onto the step of the duplex and calls out, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Of course, all the passengers in the vehicle can hear and see the stoop clearly. Lily closes her eyes for a second and then turns, calling forcefully, "Goodbye, Grace!"
Grace grins and disappears in the house, her goal to embarrass her sister complete. Don chuckles softly and lifts Lily into the Battle Shell, leaping lithely in after her. A girl with long black hair, large blue eyes and high cheekbones in the back asks with an amused smile, "Is that your sister?"
"Unfortunately yes," Lily quips, smiling tiredly. Sticking out a nimble hand formally, she says, "My name's Lily."
"I'm Vanessa," the woman replies, shaking Lily's hand. 'Wow. She's strong,' Lily notes as she withdraws her hand, reassessing Vanessa's build. The woman next to Lily with honey brunette hair and an irresistible smile greets, "Hi, I'm Sam." The woman beside Sam tucks a mahogany lock behind her ear and holds her hand, introducing herself as Rachel. Lily shakes it with a friendly smile on her face, which becomes a confused expression when the man in the driver's seat sighs impatiently.
"Now that we've established who everyone is, can we go?" he demands, adding stiffly, "Please?"
From beside her, a flaxen haired man chuckles, replying, "Yes Raphie, we can get moving." Turning slightly from his brother he mutters, "Gosh, he can be so cranky."
"I heard that, Mike," Raph says, revving the engine. Lily's body lurches forward as the vehicle hurtles down the street. They are jostled in the car by Raph's sharp turns and screeching halts at the stop lights. In no time, they arrive at the bedazzled restaurant. With uncommon grace, Raph glides the van into the parking space, cutting the engine short. Leo pulls open the door and jumps from the car in one fluid movement, landing gently. He assists each girl from the van and sets her solidly on the ground. Mikey hops from the armored car and aims for Leo's arms. Unimpressed by his brother's immaturity, Leo steps back, resulting in Mikey landing on his backside. He stands and rubs his bum, muttering, "Shell, that hurt!"
When they invade the restaurant, the group discovers that there are only tables for two left. All secretly glad by their stroke of luck, the pairs move to their respective tables. Raphael pulls out a chair for Vanessa and she sits down, examining him as he seats himself across from her. To start some conversation, she wonders, "Where on earth did you get a car like that?"
"Donny built it, he loves that stuff," Raph responds, then continues on, "One year for his birthday he asked for a toaster, and he used it to make a working motor for our red wagon!"
"That's amazing!" Vanessa exclaims, and asks, "How old was he then?"
"'Bout eight or nine. Now he's even more talented with a wrench. He built my motorcycle," he mentions, proud of his brother and his "baby". Playing with her fork, Vanessa enquires while balancing the utensil on her finger, "How old are your brothers?"
Raph's reply is delayed only slightly as he desperately makes up ages off the top of his head based on their maturity levels. He knows that if he said they were all nineteen, Vanessa would have quite a few uncomfortable questions. It's best to stay unattached.
"Leo's 24, I'm 23, Don's 21, and Mike's 19 going on 20, although you'd think he's turnin' eight," he lies quickly.
'At least I'm tellin' the truth 'bout Mikey…okay, so he'll be twenty in five months…same diff. It's not exactly a lie, it's just a twist on the truth. It's not like I can tell her the truth, I mean, what would she say?'
"Your mom must have had her hands full when you were young," Vanessa notes, chuckling at the image of four young boys popping into her head. She then considers what a living nightmare the puberty must have been for their mother, and feels very sympathetic for a woman she doesn't know, yet admires. After all, Raph got his manners from somewhere. Releasing a sigh, Raph lies regretfully, "Actually, our mom died when Mikey was born."
Vanessa claps her hand over her mouth, appalled at her lack of consideration. Feeling like an idiot she whispers, "Oh, I'm so sorry, that was terrible of me-"
"Nah, it's fine. It's been a long time. I'm okay now," he interrupts, feeling guilty for lying to her. To wipe the ashamed expression from her face, he asks, "How'd ya wind up in New York? Did ya move here?" Based on her foreign beauty, he guesses she comes from a far away place. A wholesome place where there's fresh air and wide open spaces. A place where everyone's accents, values, noses, butts and breasts are real.
"No," she replies to his surprise. "I was born and raised in the Big Apple. How about you?"
"Same story," he summarizes, and is about to ask more when a waiter comes over. They each accept the menus he holds out and thank him. Once he's gone they bury their noses in the menus in an effort to pretend the date is absolutely no pressure. None whatsoever.
"Do you believe that some day we'll have the technology to build time machines and actually travel through the centuries?" Lily wonders, the discussion about 'Back to the Future' moving on to other things. Don forms his answer carefully so as not to let future knowledge slip out and replies, "My thesis is that if one could somehow devise an energy link between the rotation of the earth and the rules of time and space, one could create a portal of some sort that could send one to a different point in time. However, one may not be able to choose exactly where or when in the early stages. Unfortunately, that could very well cause utter chaos in both present and future, as well as quite possibly destroy all space and time, making it unadvisable, but yes, I believe it's feasible."
She smiles, loving it when he thinks industriously. His hand clasps his chin in thought as one eyebrow travels up his forehead, the other furrowing deeply. It's just so cute; she can't help but gaze at him intently, wondering what he's deciphering. Lily is snapped out of her trance as his eyes find hers suddenly, looking expectant. Her eyes fall to her lap and a flush forms brilliantly on her cheeks. Although Don notices, he doesn't say anything, remembering how many times she caught him looking at her last week. Thinking on his toes, Don returns on the subject of global warming, a subject completely forgotten when they began talking about 'Back to the Future' and time travel.
Off at a table ten meters away, Sam is roaring with laughter at Mikey's jokes. One of her fits gets out of hand, and she accidentally snorts, covering her nose and blushing. Mikey is unable to suppress the urge to laugh and Sam's jaw drops in surprise. Pretends to be offended, she jokes, "Really, making fun of me? And on a date no less! I may have to sic Spiderman on you."
"Oh no!" Mikey gasps, a hint of laughter in his voice, "Not Spiderman! I'm quaking with fear."
Smiling defiantly, Sam brags, "You should be! I also have Silver Sentry's and the Turtle Titan's numbers on speed dial," and continues to giggle. Mikey raises his eyebrows in surprise, not taking Sam to be the comic book type. As casually as possible, he asks, "Do you like the Turtle Titan?"
A sheepish expression on her face, she confesses, "My brother is into comic books, and he somehow got me into the Turtle Titan. Besides Spiderman, he's my favorite super hero." A moment later, she apologizes, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that, now you're stuck with crazy turtle girl for the rest of the evening."
He shrugs his shoulders, replying, "I'm worse. I'm obsessed with video games, I'm oblivious to reality, and my stomach controls my brain."
"Who will save the poor comic obsessed geeks?" she demands dramatically, a short pause filling the air between them. A grin slowly forming on both faces, they answer in unison, "The Turtle Titan!" laughing over their odd, obscure mania.
Leo can faintly hear their laughter from his corner, in the midst of a conversation about art.
"I think that video gaming, sports, and even deception can be an art," Rachel argues, but Leo stands fast in his place, completely ignoring her reasoning. Releasing an exasperated sigh, she asks him, "Do you think the Martial Arts are an art form?"
"Of course, it has the word 'art' in the name!" he replies with vindication. Leo has just backed himself into a corner unknowingly and Rachel retorts, "Dance doesn't have the word art in it, and neither does Song. Does that mean they're not forms of art?"
He finds no way to retaliate this, and empowered by his silence, she bowls on, "Anything that individuals put passion, dedication, hard work and flare into can be considered an art form."
No one could argue against that, and realizing he's lost the debate, Leo tries to come up with a new topic. He is pulled from his brainstorm when he sees Mikey beckoning him in a frenzied fashion, standing with his other brothers. Leo excuses himself and strides over to his brothers, leader mode taking over as he asks with worry apparent in his tone, "What is it?"
"No idea; all of a sudden this nut is waving me over," Raph responds, and then demands, "What's up, Mike?"
"Do you want to bring the girls on stage to do karaoke?" he asks plainly. Leo, Don and Raph stare at Mikey as if he's grown a second head, the refusal floating behind each pair of lips. In the most pathetic voice he can muster, Mikey pleads, "You can't let me go up with Sam alone, I'll seize up. You know how much girls love that," he adds sarcastically.
Raph grumbles something about looking like an idiot, Don rolls his eyes, and Leo sighs, the trio agreeing with a martyred air. They couldn't submit Mikey to such shame, although it would be funny. Honor over humor. Elated he's won, Mikey gives them all a tackle hug, his brothers returning it halfheartedly. Other customers have started staring at them as Mikey chants the mantra of, "!"
The siblings separate, and each goes to convince their date to join in on the "fun". Unfortunately, the girls don't give in without a fight.
"I'm sorry Don, but I can't do karaoke," Lily apologizes, though not all that sorry to refuse his proposal. Don's eyes are so soft, so pleading, so…beautiful. She gives her head the smallest jerk to clear it of these thoughts, and in sheer desperation, Don bribes, "I'll do anything if you say yes!" He's piqued her interest. Tilting her head sweetly to the side, she echoes, "Anything?"
"Anything," he repeats truthfully. She considers it a second and decides to take what is offered to her, agreeing as she stands, "Alright."
"Aren't you going to ask me for anything?" he asks, relieved he persuaded her. He has to hurry his steps to keep up with her brisk pace as she is already headed toward the stage. Shrugging her shoulders, Lily reminds him, "You already promised me anything. I'll make my decision later." Don feels something pull in his stomach and realizes that perhaps anything wasn't the best thing to promise.
"No way, I am not going up there," Rachel replies, seeming disgusted at the thought.
"Come on, it'll be fun," Leo entices, although he doesn't even convince himself.
"Absolutely not!"
"Please?"
"No!"
"Please?"
"No."
"Please, Rachel?"
"No..."
"Rachel, please?"
"…no?"
"Is that a yes?"
"No-I…fine, but I can't promise I'll be great," she mutters, arms crossed across her chest. Shrugging his shoulders, Leo responds, "Neither can I."
Vanessa was a little harder to break.
"No Raph, I'm not going to!" she whispers loudly, refusing his request for the sixth time in a row. Eyes pleading, he begs, "Please? You'll make Mikey ecstatically happy!"
She doesn't budge, replying, "You can't make me."
"…Oh can't I?"
His frown becomes a smirk as he lifts her from her seat and carries her in the direction of his brothers and the ladies with them despite her angry protests. The outraged muttering worries him as Vanessa hasn't yet stopped, and to quiet her he whispers in a husky voice against the soft skin of her neck, "Just sit back and enjoy the ride."
This sends a chill down her spine and she stops complaining. Before she knows it, she's set back on her feet in front of her new acquaintances, all chuckling behind their hands or hiding their laughter by coughing loudly. She recovers her dignity, though a she's a little lightheaded after the physical contact, short and unromantic as it was. Vanessa forgets to be peeved at him because of the warm fluttery feeling that blew across her skin while he held her that close. The sensation leaves her in a daze, so she allows him to get away with dragging her to karaoke against her will. In the back of her mind, she resolves to dig into him the next time he tries that again.
"Alright, now that everyone's on board, what song are we gonna do?" Mikey wonders. The group thinks hard until Rachel asks, "Has everyone seen Grease?"
By the incredulous looks she gets, she assumes everyone has. Clapping her hands together she says, "I'll go tell the DJ what song, you just be ready."
She disappears in the darkness of the behind the stage, the seven standing awkwardly at the foot of the stairs leading to the stage. Rachel promptly joins them and takes her place on stage, waving Leo on. He swallows hard, doubts invading his mind, but before he can high-tail it, Mikey shoves him onto the first step. Faced with no choice, Leo walks up to the microphone nervously and glances at Rachel out of the corner of his eye for reassurance. A grin forms on Rachel's face as a familiar tune blasts from the speakers, drowning out the cheering of the restaurant goers. Leo chances to look up at the sea of faces. He knows the song, yet would rather die than sing it in front of so many people, not wanting to look a fool. The words flash suddenly on the screen, and in a shaky voice he begins to sing uncertainly,
"I got chills they're multiplying,
And I'm losing control
Cause the power you're supplying,
It's electrifying!"
Rachel giggles to the lightheartedness that takes over before the last line, a new Leo replacing the serious, no-nonsense stiff. Her eyes flit to the screen, though she knows the words, and adding some flare to her singing with a small bit of dancing, she sings quite decently,
"You better shape up cause I need a man
And my heart is set on you,
You better shape up, you better understand
To my heart I must be true (nothing left, nothing left for me to do)."
The pair take their leave, and Raph and Vanessa begin singing the chorus, both laughing at themselves.
"You're the one that I want (You are the one I want) oh oh oh honey,
You're the one that I want (You are the one I want) oh oh oh honey,
You're the one that I want (You are the one I want) oh oh oh honey,
The one that I need oh yes indeed."
Vanessa tugs Raph off the stage, Mikey and Sam stealing the spotlight. Inhaling a shallow breath, Sam begins singing,
"If you're filled with affection,
You're too shy to convey,
Meditate in my direction,
Feel your way."
That voice! Mikey has to do a double take, to see if it's really Sam singing. His stomach does a small flip when at the third line, she motions with her fingers for him to bring it. Sucking in a quick breath, Mikey sings with his voice wavering because of the too-low melody,
"I better shape up, cause you need a man,"
Right on cue, Sam adds,
"I need a man
Who can keep me satisfied."
Clearing his throat, he continues,
"I better shape up, if I'm gonna prove,"
She cuts in again at her turn,
"You better prove
That my faith is justified."
"Are you sure?"
He asks, and smiling with radiance all her own, she sings,
"Yes I'm sure down deep inside."
Well, bummer. How do you follow that? Don and Lily share a look and sing in their compatible, soft voices,
"You're the one that I want (You are the one I want) oh oh oh honey
You're the one that I want (You are the one I want) oh oh oh honey
You're the one that I want (You are the one I want) oh oh oh honey
The one that I need oh yes indeed."
For some fun, all eight join in for one last chorus
"You're the one that I want (You are the one I want) oh oh oh honey
You're the one that I want (You are the one I want) oh oh oh honey
You're the one that I want (You are the one I want) oh oh oh honey
The one that I need oh yes indeed."
Spectators applauding enthusiastically, they all flush slightly and scurry off the stage, wondering, 'Why did I do that?'
"Your voice was very pretty," Donatello murmurs in Lily's ear, and her flush deepening in hue, she replies shyly, "Thanks, you sounded good too."
Her green eyes are held by his coffee colored eyes, entranced by their discernment, and it takes the loud crash of cutlery clattering to the floor to rouse both, each pair of eyes darting from the other. Don glances as his hands as he sits and Lily looks down at the laces of Don's shoes. It's too bad they're the same color as his eyes, mocking her rudely as if cackling, 'Ha! You can't even look into his eyes without blushing!'
'Yes I can!' she asserts indignantly in her head, then remembers how fast she glanced away the moment he caught her eye up on stage. Grudgingly, she admits to herself, 'Okay, maybe I can't, but these things begin with baby steps.' She suddenly wonders, 'Why am I having imaginary conversations with inanimate objects who continue to mock my shyness?'
Lily regains her sanity, who took a vacation with her wits. She looks up at Don who sits across the table from her, so quiet and calm she wonders if she should check his pulse. To her relief, he smiles and says, "Here comes dinner." 'Finally,' she says to herself as the waiter places her meal in front of her. She then busies herself with aiming her fork for her mouth, glancing up at Don every few seconds.
"You were great," Raph tells Vanessa, and smiling she replies, "You were pretty good too. I didn't know you could sing." She remembers how she could hardly keep her cool up on stage, his powerful voice loud and bold, it was just so…sexy. There is no other way to describe it. Sexy.
Rachel shares the same sentiment, though about Leo, not Raph. Actually, she feels this way about Leo in general, not only that moment when he was singing, but all the time. The way he walks, the way he talks, the way his eyes are so hypnotizing and impossible to read. They exchange the compliments of, "Your voice was great," and, "You were really good," both unable to say much else. Their thoughts are all jumbled like when toddlers decide to help organize. One must not combine children and important documents; one may have to send their electricity receipts as beautiful paper snowflakes. Rachel looks up at Leo and smiles, imagining him in a leather jacket. Mm. That would be nice. Just then, Leo says something, and Rachel shakes her head, apologizing, "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
"I asked why you were looking at me like that," Leo replies, smiling nervously. 'Crap,' Rachel curses to herself, trying to think of a lie. At that moment, God bless him, the waiter comes into view! Relieved, Rachel says, "Oh look, there's the waiter! Are you ready to order?"
"Yeah," Leo answers, not sidetracked by her distraction. He folds his menu thoughtfully and turns to the waiter, leaving his question to brew for a bit.
Out of all of them, Sam receives the most praise, Mikey commending her, "That was amazing! I can't believe how good you were, why didn't you tell me?" Mikey is offended he wasn't disclosed with this information before now. Holding up a hand to shush him, Sam says, "Sorry Mike, but it just never came up. And I wasn't that good…"
"What are you talking about? You were fantastic; I've never heard someone sing as well as you!" Mikey maintains, though she claims he's exaggerating. Refusing to accept what she's said, Mikey finally comes up with a compromise. Crossing his arms over his chest, he threatens, "If you won't believe you're as good as I say, you'll have to go back up there and prove to me that I'm wrong. No cheating, you have to try."
Unusually shy, Sam stammers, "B-but-" interrupted when Mikey grabs her by the hand and tugs her to the small stage. He turns to face her and asks, "What song do you want to do?"
'I don't want to do it!' is what she wishes to shout, but instead finds herself murmuring, "'Heartbreaker' by Pat Benatar."
He gives her the thumbs up, then trots over to the DJ, whispering the song into his ear. The DJ nods and Sam walks up onto the stage nervously, clearing her throat and throwing nervous glances to the crowd. Peering out at the large group she notes, 'There didn't seem to be so many people out there when I was up here with Mikey.'
The familiar guitar riff starts up, the drums beating out the rhythm and the base throbbing in her ears. She begins singing in a soft, feeble voice
Your love is like a tidal wave, spinning over my head
Drownin' me in your promises, better left unsaid
The audience isn't amused by the performer who has no finesse, and a large amount of chatter starts up. Mikey glances up at her anxious face, and knowing it was his idea, he can't let her crash and burn. Thinking quickly, he bolts to stand in front of her on the stage and whispers loudly, "Ignore everyone else; I'm the only one here! Just look at me!"
Sam locks eyes with his and practically melts, her voice gaining volume and power as his intense blue eyes bore into hers, confidence restoring itself,
You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy
The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around with me!
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around - no no no!
Your love has set my soul on fire, burnin' out of control
You taught me the ways of desire, now it's takin' it's toll
You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy
The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around with me!
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around - no no no!
A little motion of the hips, a dazzling smile and she has the ticket, capturing and holding the attention of all in the venue.
You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy
The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around with me!
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around with me!
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around with me!
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Heartbreaker!
Mikey jumps on the stage himself and does a ridiculous but entertaining air guitar solo. Stitches form in Sam's sides as she laughs, dancing along with him. They finish with Mikey spinning Sam quickly then dipping her low. She rights herself a second after the final beat, the audience applauding as she smiles genuinely. Sam and takes a shallow bow, punching Mikey playfully as he blows kisses to his "fans". She drags him off the stage and makes him sit down before he gets any more bright ideas, Mikey asking, "So, now that you see how much the crowd loved you, will you believe me?" Sam reluctantly answers yes, wanting anything but to have to go back up there again.
Poor Vanessa sits uncomfortably at her table, a pretentious waiter flirting with her. She pleads to God, Buddha, anyone who will listen to bring Raphael back from his trip to the washroom. Finally after many hints for the waiter to leave, she sees Raph making a beeline for the table, a flash of anger in his in his eyes. Scoffing at the full five foot five inches of the dark haired, dark eyed waiter, he asks, "Do we have a problem here?"
"No, I was just having a chat with this lovely lady," the waiter answers defiantly, straightening up a little so the top of his head meets Raph's eyelevel. Sarcasm saturating his words, Raph says, "Thank you for being so considerate, it's nice of you to be friendly to Vanessa." He sits down pointedly and glares at the waiter, who stalks off moodily.
When he is out of earshot, the waiter whips out a phone and punches a number into it, whispering into the receiver, "I can't get to her; she's here with some guy who's not very friendly."
"Then try another method besides charming her," the man on the other end hisses into the receiver, pressing his fingers into his temple.
"B-but Master-"
"I do not care if there are people there, use some sense and slip her the sedative! I will not have any of your excuses, and if you fail me I shall have your head mounted upon my wall!"
"Master, why is she so important-?"
"I have my reasons, and I have use for the girl which I shall reveal in time. Now, do as I say, and do not question me again!"
"Yes Master," he replies meekly, and flinches as the receiver slams down on the other line, snapping his own phone shut. His eyes travel to the girl and her acquaintance, and as stealthily as his training has taught him, the man slinks through the tables. He crouches behind a pillar close enough so he can listen in on the conversation between Vanessa and Raph.
At the table, Vanessa nearly collapses in relief as the waiter leaves, breathing, "Thank you!"
"No prob," Raph replies, still steaming. Face drawn in disapproval, she adds, "He's stupid, isn't he? I could report him to his supervisor right now if I wanted to."
"We will report him to his supervisor; that was harassment! An' I won't let him get away with it!" Raph growls and takes Vanessa's hand, marching to the front desk. Quickly, the waiter ducks out from behind the pillar and grabs a nearby drink cart. He rolls the cart by the table and drops some capsules into Vanessa's drink that dissolve instantly. Glancing around, he continues on his path.
"The Master will be pleased with me," he murmurs to himself and grins. The grin disappears from his face when he sees the restaurant manager speed walking toward him with a frown on his features. Coming close the manager spits, "Now listen here! That was against policy, and you have broken your code as a waiter! Because of that, you have no choice but to pass in your vest and leave this instant!"
"Please, give me a second chance!" the waiter begs shrilly, attracting the attention of many customers. Brow furrowing deeper, the manager stresses, "No exceptions."
Scowling, the spy tears off his vest and throws it at the manager's feet, storming out of the restaurant. Once outside, he worries, "The Master will certainly kill me for this utter failure," and continues to the Foot headquarters.
Leo yawns behind his hand subtly, ready to go home after his long night. Rachel feels the same sentiment, her intensity in their discussion on a recent article about violence in New York petering out. The whole conversation is forgotten as a slow romantic song drifts from the speakers dreamily and a new mood settles itself over the venue. All other sounds seems to fade out, only the soft music able to be discernable. The ambiance travels to where Mikey is sitting with Sam, spreads over to Raph next to Vanessa and moves to the silence between Lily and Don.
Leonardo feels something strange inside as he sits with Rachel's warm elbow touching his arm. Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, he shifts a bit closer to her in the booth and drapes his arm across the back of the seat. Rachel notices but pretends not to, taking a drink of water to busy herself. She knows he's thinking about kissing her, but she's not sure if she wants to. Last week when she met him, he was just a stranger to spend the evening with; now, he actually knows about her. This scares her a bit. Her hazel eyes dart between the lights reflecting off the glasses and cutlery and his deep brown eyes, turning away when he catches her looking at him. She studies the weave of the tablecloth for a long time until she turns her head suddenly and begins, "Leo, wha-"
Rachel is cut off by Leo's lips taking hold of hers softly. She breathes in sharply, making a sound of surprise, though makes no move to pull away. It feels both wonderful and shameful; to avoid confusion, Leo pushes all of thoughts from his mind, concentrating solely on the warmth of her body and the feeling of her lips against his.
Lily's eyes light up and she declares importantly, "I know what I want you to do for me," referring to his earlier offer. He turns to her a little more, waiting expectantly for her response.
"I want you to bring me the moon," she says decidedly, looking pleased with herself. He chuckles and apologizes, "I can't bring you the moon yet, but someday I'll get it down for you. Why do you want it?"
Shrugging her shoulders, she smiles sheepishly and suggests, "It would make a good nightlight?" He laughs and she grins. Her voice becoming a soft murmur, she says, "Since you can't get it for me, I guess I'll have to ask for something…else."
Lily pushes herself closer to Don and waits for him to make a move, assessing his reaction. The lack of space between them causes Don's nerves to sky rocket. His first instinct is to back away, but something forces his body forward. Unfortunately, that something has no idea that this is a girl he wishes to impress and pushes him more powerfully than anticipated.
Their noses collide. Hard. Lily's head snaps back to the contact and she rubs her nose gingerly with her fingers, holding back a yelp. 'Shoot,' Don curses, feeling like and idiot. She slides away to her original place, looking at her hands. To apologize, Don leans in and kisses her softly where he bumped her. Lily smiles at the sweet gesture and murmurs appreciatively, "You don't owe me the moon anymore." It's then that she notices a couple in their mid-fifties at the next table, smiling at her and Don and reminiscing about when they were young. Lily gives Don a look and he also sees the pair at the table. They come to an agreement with their eyes and both stand from the table, going to the front desk to pay.
Vanessa yawns widely and places her head on Raph's shoulder sleepily. Raph looks down at her and cups her chin in his hands, bringing her lips to his own. Raphael feels the butterflies in his stomach climb up his throat and disintegrate in the warmth of their embrace as Vanessa places her hand on his shoulder, pulling him closer. Raph pushes his lips a little harder against hers for a moment and releases her, dazed. Vanessa looks very happy as she settles back in her chair and takes another sip of her drink. Raph puts his arm around her shoulders and smiles, glad that he's not sitting with his brothers.
Frighteningly enough, Mikey and Sam have a serious moment just sitting silently. Sam looks down at one of Mikey's hands on her lap, the opposite arm lazily hanging over the back of her chair as she strokes his hand. Mikey clasps her fragile hand in his and with great care presses it to lips for a second. Encouraged by this, Sam leans in and kisses Mikey, her hand still in his. Just then, a waiter comes to the table. Oblivious to the romantic moment, he asks, "Will that be cash or check?"
They break apart reluctantly and Mikey mutters, "Cash," in distaste.
Mikey searches for money in his pocket and scribbles something on a sheet of paper, slapping both into the waiter's open palm. He pulls Sam from her seat and leads her to where Don and Lily who are chatting in the foyer. The message on the slip of paper reads, 'Here's a tip: Get a new paper towel dispenser in the men's room. PS-There is a five dollar bill attached to the back of this paper.'
Pleased by his luck, the waiter turns the note, disappointed to find on the back, 'Just kidding! The tip's on the table, and you're not getting five bucks, pal.'
Leo glances at his watch and realizes it's 10:23. Tossing a tip onto the table, he suggests, "It's getting late, we should go." Rachel nods in agreement, standing and allowing him to lead her to the front desk with his hand on the small of her back.
Vanessa's cheek rests on Raph's shoulder, her breathing slow and steady. Raph rubs circles into her upper back, feeling her sharp shoulder blades through her shirt. He smirks and remarks, "Jeeze, what are those, spears in your back?" Smiling at him she replies in a raspy voice, "Those are for self defense. Hey, Raph? I want to go home please, I'm so…tired."
Raphael helps her stand up as her body is trembling violently. Worry grips his chest, and he searches frantically with his eyes for his brothers, noticing them quickly in the entryway. Raph pulls Vanessa's body closer, acting as a support, and locks eyes with Leo. Seeing the urgency in Raph's eyes, Leo moves the cashier along a little faster, taking Rachel's hand and pulling her in Raph's direction. Using his eyes he communicates the problem to his brothers. Raph looks at Vanessa's fatigued face and wonders, 'What's happenin' to her?'
And so the plot thickens…
Wow, that was such a long chapter (8,898 words to be exact). Sorry to submit you to such torture, I promise never to do it again.
Okay, I will most likely do it again, but I'll do it unintentionally.
So, lot's of things going on there! We get to know the girls better, there is some karaoke in there, some Foot plots are revealed, and the guys get their first kiss!
Ahahahaha, I had many, many laughs writing this chapter, they all seemed so…I don't know, boyish, it was cute!
Whatcha think? Please review!
P.S-I do not own "You're the One I Want" from the movie 'Grease' or "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar.