Hey everyone. I'm sorry for the delay in not getting a chapter up last weekend. The last couple of weeks have been really crazy and stressful for me. And this next week is going to be absolutely insane since I will have to take over someone else's job while they are on vacation on top of all my other regular duties. So I'll be working a lot of over time hours, super long days and I still have things at home that need to be taken care of as well. So I'm not sure if I will be able to update again next week or not, depends on what happens tomorrow since tonight is going to be a busy night for me as well and I won't have time to work on a new chapter. So I made this one a bit longer to make up for it. There are a couple things that happen in this chapter that I'm sure some of you were waiting for. And as always I really do appreciate your patience with me. I know I'm not the best updater out there, I'm trying, but I know it takes me a while sometimes. Thank you again for those who take the time to review. I hope you all have a great rest of the weekend and a great week. Thanks again for those who take the time to review. Appreciate it.
Chapter 21
"Hey, dudette, whatcha watchin'?"
Melinda looked up startled. Everyone had gone their own ways after breakfast, the turtles, including Michelangelo had gone to what Melinda assumed was the work out room. She had heard Donatello talking to Michelangelo about muscle strength and not pushing himself too hard to keep up with his brothers. Melinda wasn't quite sure she followed the conversation very well because Donatello talked in such complicated scientific and medical terms. She wasn't sure if Michelangelo followed everything his brother had said either, but he hadn't been told to go to his room or over to the couch with her either.
Elizabeth and stopped by for a quick minute telling Melinda that she was going to go get some supplies she needed for the family and would be back in a few hours. She invited Melinda to anything she wanted in the kitchen and gave her the number to her shell cell in case she needed to reach her for any reason or in case there was something she thought she might need from the store.
Elizabeth had taken Akemi with her, leaving Melinda feeling quite alone. She'd retreated to the couch, her broken leg hindering her badly now, she flipped through the channels idly not at all sure what she was hoping to find to watch. It was Wednesday and day time TV sucked. It was more for background noise than anything else since she wasn't really paying attention to it.
She'd finally settled onto some reruns when Michelangelo had joined her. She hadn't even heard the other turtles leaving the dojo.
Michelangelo grinned, obviously finding it amusing that he had startled her. He came around the couch and sat down next to her as if he had been doing it for years, as if he didn't realize that he really didn't know who she was. That his remembering his brothers had made him forget everything about her.
"I thought you said you weren't much of a cook?"
The question caught her off guard and Melinda had to check to see what was on the TV since she really hadn't been paying that much attention to where she stopped before he had come out to join her. She was surprised to see she'd stopped on the Food Channel to a cooking show, where the woman there was explaining some complicated technique when it came to boning a duck.
"Um… I'm not but maybe if I watch enough of this show I can at least learn how to not burn the scrambled eggs."
Mikey chuckled a little. "Don't worry about it, dudette. Least you didn't blow anything up – Leo tends to burn water and has made the microwave blow up more than once."
This took Melinda by surprise. From what she'd seen of Leonardo he was a perfectionist. It was hard to believe that something like cooking could defeat the strong willed and hard headed blue banded turtle. But from the look on Michelangelo's face he wasn't kidding. He was grinning broadly as if remembering something he found really funny.
"Elizabeth got really mad at him for making the microwave explode once – Akemi was still really young only a few months old and Elizabeth had put her down for her nap when suddenly... BOOM!" Michelangelo laughed at the memory. "Leo looked so surprised, and he really was surprised when Elizabeth started yelling at him when it woke up Akemi. She was so mad."
The thought of Elizabeth, soft spoken friendly Elizabeth really getting into Leonardo's face made Melinda smile. It was hard to imagine the petite woman angry. She seemed so easy going and laid back, very easy to get along with, and such a gentle soul. Despite what she had been through with Graham, she hadn't let it change her. She was very unique.
Melinda didn't protest as Michelangelo picked up the TV remote and began to flip through the channels. She figured he could probably find something better to watch than other people cooking, it really wasn't that entertaining.
"So what kind of movies do you like?" Michelangelo didn't seem to be paying much attention to the channels he was scrolling through as if he already knew there wasn't going to be anything worth watching on at this time of day.
"It depends on what I'm in the mood for I guess. But action movies I guess. Or scary. I really like the old classics like Frankenstein and The Wolf Man."
"Really?" Mikey looked at her, a grin spreading across his face.
"Well, I admit that they are a bit outdated and corny, but still there's nothing like the classics." Melinda said, grinning herself, feeling herself relaxing with the turtle.
"What about Super Hero movies?"
"Of course – who doesn't?"
Mike's grin was blinding. Before Melinda could blink. He had grabbed her arm. "Come on – if you like Super Heroes I've got to show you my comic book collection!"
Melinda grabbed her crutches and followed the orange masked turtle towards his room.
Elizabeth sighed running her fingers over Raphael's plastron, enjoying the quiet of the early afternoon. She hadn't been home very long and had just gotten Akemi down for her nap when she'd gone to look for Raphael. She'd found him in the room they shared and had joined him on the bed. He seemed to have been waiting for her because his arms had wrapped around her waist contentedly. Raphael seemed to be half asleep, his eyes were almost closed, his body relaxed under her touch, his hand on the small of her back, making her feel safe and secure in his arms. Elizabeth shifted her body, pressing closer to him, laying her cheek on his plastron, hearing the soft steady beating of his heart underneath her ear. She listened to the soothing consistent beats of his heart, wondering if her own heart was pacing it.
"Ya alright – ya were really quiet at breakfast." Raphael finally spoke, breaking the silence between them.
"I'm fine, Raph."
Raphael's fingers slid under her chin tilting her head back so she had to look at him, his amber eyes looked at her steadily for a minute. "Ya sure, 'Lizabeth?"
She sighed. "Yeah, Raph – it's just... I talked to my dad again. He keeps asking when I'm coming down."
She felt Raphael's body stiffening underneath her. "What'd ya tell 'im?"
"The same thing I always do, I make up excuses. Raph, I can't keep doing this to them. They're going to think that something's wrong and come looking for me. When they find out I'm not in an apartment… what do you think they're going to think?"
"So ya wanna leave."
Elizabeth frowned. It wasn't a question, and Raphael didn't sound happy. "Raph, it wouldn't be forever."
Suddenly the relaxed comfortable atmosphere between them shifted into something else and Elizabeth felt on edge, tense, stiffening. She didn't like fighting with Raphael.
"We ain't forcin' ya ta stay down 'ere, 'Lizabeth. If ya wanna go den go!"
Elizabeth sat up, and Raphael did the same. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing up.
"Raphael, you know it's not like that! I love you. But I love them too!"
"I know ya do, 'Lizabeth, I ain't sayin' ya gotta pick between us. I ain't gonna come between ya and yer family."
"I never said I was! Raph, you are my family too!"
Raphael snorted not meeting her eyes. "I'm goin' out."
"Raphael!"
His jaw clenched and his hands fisted as he hurried out of the room. Elizabeth stood up hurrying after him.
"Raph! Wait! RAPHAEL!"
Raphael had flipped off the railing and landed gracefully on the floor below heading for the main entrance.
"HAMATO RAPHAEL!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! MY COMICS!"
Elizabeth, so focused on stopping Raphael almost ran smack into Michelangelo as he came darting out of his room. Blue eyes wide with panic.
"ELIZABETH! MY COMICS… THEY'RE… THEY'RE GONE! ALL OF THEM! SOMEONE STOLE MY COMICS!"
Elizabeth heard the front door slam downstairs, she flinched. "Mikey, calm down."
"CALM DOWN! MY COMICS ARE… "
"I put them away for safe keeping… don't worry."
"Where?!"
"They're in Donatello's lab but you should… "
Before she could finish Mikey had jumped onto the railing and flipped off landing on the floor below, keeping his casted arm close to his plastron to protect it before hurrying to Donatello's lab.
Down in her bedroom, woken from all the yelling and Mikey's screaming Akemi began to cry. Cranky and tired. Elizabeth shook her head. Raphael needed time to cool off was all. She'd talk to him when he got home. Right now her daughter needed her.
Raphael's breathing was controlled, even, his feet barely making a sound as he ran through the sewer, even now in his anger his training was too ingrained for him to be loud as he ran off some steam. He felt his muscles warming up, feeling the familiar burn as he pushed himself harder and faster.
Stupid. Stupid. Of course she wanted to go see her family. And why shouldn't she? He wasn't keeping her prisoner down here. It wasn't as if she needed his permission to go. And he wasn't going to stop her if she wanted to leave him. Though he wasn't going to hide how much it hurt. How much it would hurt when she took Akemi and left him to go back to her family.
She'd never really brought it up. They'd never really talked about it. And Raphael didn't like to think about it if he didn't have too. But he'd been turning a blind eye to the situation. She'd talked to her family several times on the phone. And there were times she seemed a little upset when she hung up with them, but this was the first time she'd talked about leaving. To go to them.
He pushed himself harder. All thoughts of control fleeing his mind now he was running to run. Pushing himself as hard and as fast as he could go. Running off the fear. And running off the pain.
"He'll be fine, Elizabeth, let him cool down," Donatello said gently as he filled his coffee mug. He sat down next to the slender woman, who was looking at but not drinking the tea she'd made. "You know how Raph gets."
"I know, Donny, but he's never looked so… " Elizabeth shook her head trailing off. She'd never seen Raphael so upset with her, or look so betrayed. So hurt. From the way he'd taken off it was as if he thought she was going to leave him and never come back. Although she wasn't sure if she really blamed him for thinking that way. He'd been asking her to marry him for months and every time she told him no. So what was he supposed to think when she told him that she wanted to go see her family?
"Let him work off some steam, Elizabeth. He'll come home when he calms down. He always does."
"He shouldn't be out there alone, Don. What if something happens to him?"
"Raph can take care of himself, and I doubt he'll be leaving the sewers at this time of day. He might head to April and Casey's but if he does decide to crash there he'll call Leo and let him know."
"Mama!"
Akemi ran into the room holding a familiar battered DVD case. "Lion King?"
Elizabeth stood up putting her untouched tea into the sink. "Sure baby. Let's go watch Lion King." She gently steered Akemi out of the kitchen and towards the couch, plucking the DVD from her daughter's fingers so she could put it into the player. Akemi settled herself on the edge of the couch swinging her legs back and forth as she waited for her mother.
Elizabeth picked up the remote and sat next to her daughter, smiling as Akemi climbed onto her lap, her head pressing against Elizabeth's chest as Elizabeth pressed play. Her small fingers curled around Elizabeth's hand. Elizabeth's free hand gently ran through her daughter's dark curls. Letting the soft hair trail over her fingers.
She would talk to Raphael when he got home. When he'd had time to blow off some steam. Hopefully he would be willing to listen to her. If he came home. She bit her lip, upset by the thought that he might not come home tonight. No she couldn't let him go off thinking that she wanted to leave him. That she would leave him. She would talk to Leonardo and Donatello after the movie. She needed their help.
The TV was on, but Raphael wasn't watching it. His arms were crossed over his plastron, glaring at the floor. He wasn't paying attention to his two friends. Casey was sitting next to him, April was just finishing up washing the last of the dishes in the kitchen. He ignored the worried glances they were shooting each other and him. He could feel their eyes dart to him every few minutes but chose to ignore it.
"Ya want a beer, Raph?" Casey finally asked as he stood up, stretching.
"No t'anks," Raphael grumbled. Elizabeth didn't like him drinking, and in respect to her he'd stopped drinking with Casey, although it had never been that frequent anyway. Even if it had only been a beer here and there, he knew Leonardo had never really approved of his decision to join Casey with drinking. And Raphael had had to admit that it had slowed down his reflexes and reactions in his training. So he'd made sure to never drink when they'd gone out on patrol, but because Graham had always beat Elizabeth worse on the nights he'd been drinking Raphael had given it up completely when they'd gotten more serious in their relationship and Elizabeth had tended to stay away from him after he'd been drinking. He'd promised himself then that he wouldn't touch the stuff again, and he'd kept that promise to her and to himself. And although Leonardo would never admit it, Raphael had a feeling his brother was relieved that Raphael had given it up.
"How 'bout a soda or water?"
"I'm good."
"Raph, what happened? Is it Mikey? I thought Donatello said that he expected him to make a full recovery, that his memories had come back."
"No, it ain't Mikey. He's fine. He was even askin' fer 'is funny books back."
"Well that's great news." April said with a bright smile as she sat down next to the red banded turtle. But it faded quickly at the look on Raphael's face. "So what's the matter then?"
"Nuttin'."
April pursed her lips and glanced at Casey who was frowning as well. They both knew that Raphael wasn't being honest with them, it was the reason he'd come here in the first place. Something had obviously happened. Raphael usually came to their apartment when he and Leo had a fight, it gave both brothers the chance to cool down and have some space, rather than both being in the lair where their tempers could escalate. But when he fought with Leo, Raph was usually aching to go out and blow off that steam by going on patrol with Casey. This felt different.
April had noted that the fights between Raphael and Leonardo had become farther and farther apart after Elizabeth had moved in with the baby. Though Raphael was no less inclined to take risks when he and his brothers were out on patrol. He was still the first one heading into battle and the last one out of it. It was just an intricate part of who he was. But Elizabeth seemed to have calmed a small part of Raphael. Her easy going attitude and sweet personality were the complete opposite of Raphael's hot temperedness and often times sharp tongue, but in an odd way the two seemed to complete each other. She couldn't imagine one without the other now.
"Raph… are you… " April never got to finish her question as the window opened and to her surprise Leonardo and Elizabeth both came in. She felt Raphael stiffen next to her and suddenly had a feeling that she knew why Raphael had come here. Something had happened between Raphael and Elizabeth.
"Raph, why did you just take off like that? I told you to wait for me." Elizabeth didn't wait for an answer as she moved across the living room to the red masked turtle.
Raphael stood up, tense, his jaw clenching, as if he were ready to face off an opponent, not his long time girlfriend. April's eyes widened in surprise. She noticed that Leonardo had hung back, staying next to the window so as not to interfere with this. Obviously Elizabeth had been determined to come after Raphael, knowing where he would come but Leonardo had insisted that she hadn't come alone due to the increased gang activity. With Michelangelo still injured and Donatello looking after both Mikey and Melinda, it was obvious that Leonardo would be the obvious choice to accompany her here.
Elizabeth ignored the turtle's defensive stance and took his hand. "Raph, I wasn't done talking to you."
"How'd ya know I was 'ere, 'Lizabeth?"
"Donny tracked your shell cell. Leo insisted that I don't come alone," Elizabeth's fingers tightened on his hand. "Raph, I'm not going to leave you. I'm not picking between you and my family."
"Ya said ya wanted ta go 'ome, 'Lizabeth."
April tugged on Casey's shirt sleeve. His head snapped around and at April's pointed look understood. This wasn't something they needed to be here for. He followed her silently out of the living room, from the corner of her eye April saw Leonardo slip back out of the window as well. Probably going to keep a look out on the roof.
She frowned he really shouldn't be up there alone. She knew that the blue banded brother could take care of himself, but it wasn't safe for any of them to be alone right now. She'd send Casey up there to keep him company.
The couple in the living room didn't seem to notice everyone else leaving.
"I said my father wanted to know when I was coming for a visit, Raph. I wouldn't be moving in!" Elizabeth's green eyes narrowed. "Why are you so against it?"
"I never said I was – I tol' ya ta go!"
"It's the way you're saying it, Raphael! You think I could honestly leave you and never come back?!" Elizabeth's voice cracked, she glared up at the red masked turtle.
"Well how am I supposed ta know! Ya don't even wanna marry me!"
"Yes I do!"
Both of them froze, Elizabeth's words echoing between them. Raphael's amber eyes widened in shock and he swallowed hard as if suddenly afraid to move, that if he did it would shatter this moment. They stood like that for several long seconds before he found the strength to speak.
"Ya… ya do?" He reached up with one hand, cupping her cheek, looking into her deep green eyes.
Tears splashed down her cheeks as she leaned into his hand. "More than anything in the world, Hamato-Raphael. You are the most important man in my life. And it would be a great honor to be your wife."
Her arms came up around his neck and his slid down to her waist. He pulled her close and crushed her to him, and her lips pressed to his mouth, kissing desperately, passionately. In a way she never had before. This was so much more intense, all her fear and anger while passion and love for him were put into this kiss. And he found himself kissing her back with the same intensity, as if he would never let her go. He never wanted to let her go.
Breathless, Elizabeth finally pulled back looking into his eyes. "I love you, Hamato-Raphael."
He kissed her forehead and then reached into the hidden pouch in his belt, where he'd been hiding the ring he'd gotten for her, picking it out with Casey's help. He held it up for her to see. She whimpered a little, more tears splashing down her soft rosy cheeks.
The ring was white gold, with a princess style cut ruby instead of the traditional white diamond. The band delicate and thin, with tiny white diamonds embedded into the metal, making it sparkle brilliantly. Elizabeth's hand trembled a little as Raphael gently took it and looked into her eyes.
"I love ya, Elizabeth. I ain't no good wit' words or nuttin', but ya an Akemi… I don't ever wanna live without ya… will ya marry me?"
"Yes," Elizabeth whispered, her voice quivering. Raphael kissed her again, just a short, but passionate kiss, then took her ring finger, and slid the delicate ring into place.
"It even fits," Raphael said proudly, smiling at it and then at her.
Elizabeth's arms wrapped around his neck and their mouths met again. Right now it didn't matter that April was just in the next room, or that Leonardo and Casey were waiting on the roof. For now there was just them, together, even if just for a moment.