Ch. 12-Raph has a WHAT?!

Raph grumbled something about the wrestling match being unfair while his brothers gloated, but when he saw Mona laughing her head off he couldn't stop a grin from spreading across his face. Their gazes locked and the laughter faded away, leaving only their gaze. For a moment all that he could see were her beautiful, chocolate brown eyes. Unfortunately the moment was ruined when Michelangelo stuck his face right in their line of sight with a goofy grin on his face. "Aw, this is so romantic."

Raphael face-palmed.

"Way to ruin the moment Mikey." Mona added, smiling at the youngest turtle's guilty expression. "So who exactly are April and Casey?"

"They're our human friends." Mikey said excitedly.

Mona frowned. "You sure they'll be okay with seeing a mutant lizard down here without any warning?"

"Hey just chillax, girl. You don't got nothing to worry about. Casey and April won't judge. And if they do then we can just sic Raph on em." He stated as he put an arm around her shoulders and pointed at his brother.

"Mikey!" Raph said in a warning tone.

Mona brushed some of her hair out of her face with her hand, annoyed. "I don't suppose any of you would have a hair tie?"

"Nope, uh-uh. Not exactly something a teenage mutant ninja turtle would need to have around you know what I'm sayin?"

"Yeah Mikey, it's just that my hair is really starting to bug me. I just want to get it out of my face."

"I like your hair down." Raph's brothers stared at him in shock before exchanging glances. Raph giving compliments? This is even more serious than we thought.

"Thanks Raph."

"Perhaps this could be of some use." Master Splinter appeared at their side with a beautiful kushi and kogai kanzashi set. It was gorgeous, beautifully carved ivory with a delicately painted floral pattern. "They belonged to my beloved Tang Shen. You may use them for now."

"Thank you very much, Master Splinter. Although, I don't exactly know how to use them."

"You are quite welcome, Mona Lisa. And do not fret, I can assist you. Go ahead and pull your hair into a bun." The brothers gathered around and watched curiously as their sensei helped Mona Lisa with her hair. Raph watched carefully so that he could try helping her next time.

"Well? How do I look?" Mona asked nervously.

The brothers stared. "Great."

"Very nice."

"Awesome."

Raph didn't say anything, because he was too busy trying to stop himself from drooling. She looks hot! The bun had pulled the hair away, bringing out her face and highlighting her cheeks, a few short strands hung gracefully framing her face. She looked beautiful.

Mona Lisa blushed at the look that Raph was giving her, about to say something when a stray voice rang through the lair. "GUYS WE'RE HERE!" Raph was only on his feet for a moment longer before the next thing he knew he'd been tackled roughly to the ground.

Mona swiveled around as fast as she could, kneeling so that she could look over the back of the couch at the two teens currently rolling about on the ground. April immediately turned to the new mutant who was currently watching her friends with an interested yet confused gaze, but she remained silent.

"Whoa, whoa Casey, take it easy! I got a bad arm! Case, stop it!" Raph growled and Casey pinned him to the ground. Raph pushed him off with all the force he could muster. "Get off me." He muttered angrily.

"Gee, my best bud gets taken by the Krang and the only kind of greeting I get is a complaint?"

"It's no more than you deserve you pain in the shell!"

"Hey, we were going bonkers without you around dude. Never realized how much we depend on you till we didn't have you anymore. I missed ya buddy."

"Yeah, yeah, missed you too, dork." They fist-bumped and gave each other a pat on the shoulder.

"Good to have ya back Raph."

Mona turned to Leo, "They always act like that?"

Leo gave her a sideways glance. "Most of time…its worse."

That was when Casey first took notice of the lizard mutant. "Whoa, another mutant?"

"Got a problem with that?"

Casey burst out laughing. "Hahaha…Hey Raph, this one's just like you…ahahaha." Mona's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Raphael smacked his friend upside the head for good measure and explained. "He's just laughing cause I said the same thing that's all, he'll dial it down…eventually. Just ignore him."

"Sure."

April glared at the human teenager and he immediately ceased laughing. "So what's your name?"

"I'm Mona Lisa, but you can call me Mona."

"She's Raph's girlfriend!" Mikey interjected. April and Casey only stared with their eyes the size of dinner plates.

"She's Raph's WHAT?!" Both of them shouted simultaneously.

Everyone turned to Raphael, who had taken a seat on the couch beside his 'girlfriend.' The red-banded turtle shrugged nonchalantly and put his arm around her. The others stared. Mona removed his arm from over her shoulders with a stern glance, before leaning back against his plastron and turning her head so that she could press their beaks together. The two humans stared in shock, while the turtles pretended that they weren't there.