Author's Note – As you've probably noticed, Splinter isn't a part of this very often, there is a special treat farther inside this chapter for your Splinter Fans.

It's not that we don't love him, WE DO! It's just…he's a stubborn ol' rat who doesn't wanna come out of his little den very often, lol

Love Chase

Raphael stood there hopelessly staring at the unopened paper as he listed to Rachel close the door with a soft click…a few minutes later he could no longer feel her presence, "Mikey…how much time do I have until sunset?" he breathed, not repeating only because he knew Mikey had excellent hearing, just chose to ignore more than half the time.

"Two hours bro," Mikey replied as he glanced over his shoulder, "Man, you look freaked."

"You know how in your games you know the pathways but don't know the prize?" Raph said, "You get so excited and enjoy going through the game just to find the prize...Then now and again you're disappointed in it?"

"Yeah…" Mikey replied slowly. "I'm guessing it's one of those moments?"

"No…" Raph looked up and at the skylight, the clouds already turning purple and pink and gold, "It's the other way around, Mike. I know exactly what the prize is, and will be thrilled with it..." he looked back down at the paper, "But I don't know the path…I only have one life in this game, buddy…I'm afraid I'll lose…" 'And lose her…'

"Well, if you lose the best thing you can do is be a man and admit you lost." Mikey said with a shrug. "And speaking of, you're losing time."

Raphael gulped and ripped open the paper…then cursed horridly, "It's a riddle…riddles are her game!"

Mikey cracked up laughing. "Well, did she say anything against having someone help you? I think she'll know if you cheated like that." He smirked, "Try solving it. What does it say?"

"It's hot and it's cold

Tell me, what do I hold?" Raph recited and furrowed his brows, "Cup or oil, Mike?"

"Hmmm. Try oil and if there's no riddle there then try cup," Mikey responded.

"Good idea…I'm feelin' oil, though…Garage…" Raph mused and walked that direction, contemplating over it as he opened the garage door. He looked up and turned towards his Shell Cycle, not sure what made him do it. There was another sheet of paper sitting on the back seat, where she rode.

"Another one! Ha!" Raphael cheered and grabbed it.

"I hear it through the doors and under the bed
Tell me what is it that can wake the dead?" Raph bit his lower lip and felt his face heat. His brothers always complained his music was too loud. The only one who didn't care was Bria...she often joined him and they danced and rocked out. He walked that way, "Man, she's making me walk all over the lair…" he grumbled.

Mikey looked up from the game when he heard Raph speak and watched him go up to his room and he turned back to the video-game, smirking. Looked like he was solving this by himself. That was nice.

Raph rubbed his neck as he looked around his room and saw the not on his pillow, "Hmm…Flicker and sometimes falling into black, Tell me the facts." Re raised an eyebrow and put the idles he had so far in a drawer, "Donny…" he jogged off to his brother's lab.

Right on the computer that was in sleep mode was another note. When he reached out and picked it up, the note had a large red X and in the middle in print was the words, "Nice try."

"Facts...flicker? Flicker, Candlelight……either Splinter or Leo…Leo's good at letting everyone know he's meditating with the candlelight," Raph tapped his chin and went to the training room where Leo and Bria were hanging out up in the rafters, "Yo!" he called.

Leo looked down at Raphael and smirked as he dropped a note that was in his belt. "Good luck, bro," He called to his little brother, "You're really taking this seriously."

"Hey!" Raphael pointed up at Leo who Bria was leaning against, looking like she was sleeping, "You'd do the exact same thing." He waved his hand and walked out opening the letter.

The letter was in the gentle pencil lead, "Master of all, tell me who takes the fall and the burdens from us all."

"Master Splinter," Raph blinked and walked towards his father's room, gently waiting outside the rice paper door, since it always broke when he tried to even knock on the wood.

"Come in my son." Splinter said kindly, knowing all too well why his son would be wanting to talk to him. He fingered the two pieces, Rae had told him about her idea and gave him two. It was up to the Master, of course, to decide which one Raph received, "I'm going to assume that you had a riddle that leads you to me?"

Raphael bowed to him politely before sitting down the way they were taught, "Hai, Master Splinter…" he explained about the other riddles, for it was only fair, "So…do you have one?" he wondered nipping at his lip in worry.

"I do," The Master handed Raph a piece of paper, "I wish you luck my son." He told him with a smile.

Master Splinter was taken aback a little. Rarely Raph called him father unless it was very, very important, "What is it my son?" He asked gently.

Raph gulped silently, "I know what I feel and I know what I think…but I want to know what you thoughts and emotions are…about Rachel I mean?" He didn't look back at him, just closed his eyes and listened, "I'll pay you back at the end of this…whether I win or lose," he added with his usual smirk.

"She's going to be a struggle, my son." Master Splinter said gently to him. "She's been hurt in the past and it will take a strong person to hold on to her. I see her as another daughter and those are my thoughts about her. Does this answer your question?"

"Hai," Raph allowed a rare, soft smile to appear for his father for a thank you and then very, ever so carefully, closed the door.

Leo and Mikey watched Raph run around the lair for the rest of the two hours, and when it reached the half of an hour mark for him to solve the riddle and get to where Rae was, it was clear that the red bandanna turtle was starting to panic. His luck had run out, all of the riddles he started to find were fakes.

"Wow, he's really serious about all of this." Mikey murmured. "Rae must be dying of boredom, wherever she is."

Bria smiled, "He used up all his safety nets," she crossed her arms in a knowing way.

"What do you mean by he used them all up?" Mikey asked, looking at Bria, "You mean there's no more fake notes or something like that?"

"I don't think that's what she's talking about Mikey." Leo replied as he looked at Bria. "I'm intrigued in knowing what you're talking about."

"Same here," Donny replied.

Bria smiled, "I hope you're in for a bit of trivia and history about me," she chuckled, "Where she's at is only 10 minutes away if he uses his Shell Cycle, so we got time. Up for it?" she asked tilting her head.

"Sure," The three brothers said together at the time.

Bria pursed her lips and held up her hand, hiding another fake note within Mikey's CD rack and move back to her place. When Raph checked, gritted his teeth, and moved on, she began, "Well..I was born In California, which is bigger and just as bad if not worse than here. When I was around 5, my parents and I moved to the state of South Dakota..." she made a disgusted face, "Ugly on one end gorgeous on the other...I was stuck living in a tiny little snobby town called Parker……until I ran away a few years ago…I try not to remember how long it's been," she shrugged, "However...this is where the 'safety nets' comment comes in…"

The three raised an eyebrow, all silently urging her to continue, "And?" Mikey prompted.

"Safety nets hold you down, instead of helping. Not true in all cases...but back then holding onto them would've cost me my life and you wouldn't see me, Rae, or Lily here today." Bria smiled softly, "I was in a strange, stink, smelly place, had an asthma attack once or twice because I hadn't been used to the city air...and I was so, so scared. I tried using my safety nets, playin' "good girl"…well…I did nearly get my stomach ripped open one day. That gave me a wakeup call. I threw away my safety nets, keeping only the spares, and took the jump, hoping and praying with all my heart and soul I'd have a cushion at the bottom…at least a river to clean me up with so I can try again."

"And did you find one? Well you probably did, right?" Mikey asked. Donny frowned, trying to think all of this through, while Leo was listening, drinking in the information.

"It wasn't quite a caution, but it wasn't a river either. It was the middle line. A murky river that swept me down different avenues of my plan," Bria rubbed her left side her shirt shifting to show her red and purple dragon tattoo, "The Purple Dragons were what I ran into first." She took a seat and ran a hand through her hair, "Not proud of it, but I don't regret it, either. After I used pure damn instinct and natural ability to win and join them – even though I knew they were bad – they helped me by showing me Karai, who chalked me up to my martial art status now."

"There's more to that story, isn't there?" Leo asked, intrigued to what she was saying. She had told them before that she had worked with Karai and she also worked with the Purple Dragons. Easily she could betray them, but so far she had shown loyalty.

Bria smiled a very stressed smile, "She...did not go easy on me, but I that was only during the time Shredder was in control. I refused mentally and Karai agreed that it was best to show my full potential around her adopted father. We usually trained in secret, but it was difficult. It's the...reason why I can only go so long in full fighting mode before my asthma acts up."

Bria shook her head and waved her hand, "Anyway...From there, I met another...her Street Name is Nerieta, and she needed help starting up a group of talented, good-hearted people that could take down the Purple Dragons on their more..." she shuddered, "Evil missions from Karai. However, she didn't want it big enough to attract rivalry and other gangs. So she recruited me, and this sweet thing named Angel. I improved upon myself, helping and teaching Angel as well, leaking information through Angel to Neri. Actually...on a patrol night I didn't have with Purple dragons...was the same night I came up with The Red Dragons and I met Rachel."

"In the store that she keeps talking about right?" Mikey asked. "She told me that."

"Yup!" Bria smiled and checked the time, "Lionheart, I think Raph's cracking, shove him in Splinter-sensei's room."

Leo laughed and turned to see that Raph was indeed looking like he was going ballistic. "Calm down." He told Raph as he walked over to his red-bandanna brother. "Why don't you talk to Master Splinter and see if he can't help you."

"Master Splinter…yeah…right, sure," Raph rambled and kept muttering all the way there, nearly bumping into the door, but Splinter was faster.

"You look troubled," Master Splinter commented with a slight smile as he moved aside to allow his son inside. "The riddles are becoming a problem, aren't they?"

"All fake, all of them!" Raph ranted walking in and pacing around the room, "I don't have much time! I can't lose! I can't lose her!" he held his hands on either side of his head, "There's just no more! No more riddles anywhere, or they lead right back somewhere else I've already been!" he tried taking deep breaths, but it wasn't working.

"Calm yourself Raphael." Master Splinter replied gently to his son as he watched him. "Do you want to keep trying or are you going to give up?" He asked.

"No! I can't and won't give up! If I do I'll lose everything," Raph took off his bandana, rubbing his face, hoping to hide his tears, Which he knew was futile but he did it anyway, "I broke three ribs for her, I care and worry over her, I admitted I was jealous, and I spilled my guts to her…and she does this to me!" he put on his bandana again, grinding his teeth, "Though, you know what, even if it's dawn tomorrow and I'm way passed do, I'll do it all over again just so I can say I tried!"

Splinter took out a piece of paper and handed it to Raph, "She knew you were bad with riddles and gave me two. One is genuine and the other is fake. I was always meant to be the last person you go to, Raphael." He smiled gently. "Try solving this one."

Raph swallowed thickly and took the paper shakily, calming himself to a decent point before he opened it, "Eyes met mine underneath the street light. Tell me where I am tonight…" He sighed, "Is it alright to feel completely and utterly stupid?" he asked dumbly as he slipped the paper into his bandana.

"Yes my son," Master Splinter laughed softly, "Sometimes that feeling is good to have. You should go." He coaxed, "Before she is the one to give up."

"Don't have to tell me twice! Arigato, Father!" Raphael was lucky the rice door was left open because he burst through it and didn't even say goodbye to his brothers and the girls before slamming open the garage door and pressing the "open" button for the roll up door. He revved his Shell Cycle and forgot to put on his helmet before he zoomed out from the lair, the rolling door only halfway open.

"He's taking the jump…and his caution will be at the bottom," Brianna smiled brightly.

"And hopefully Rae didn't yank on his chain for nothing. That better be some hell of a prize." Mikey muttered.

"Mikey, do you not understand?" Bria smiled, "Rachel is his prize."

Mikey glanced at Bria before looking back at where Raph had left from. "I sure hope Rae isn't thinking about taking that back." He turned to Bria. "Now, where were we in the game?"