Author's Note: If this chapter needs editing, please let me know. I'm open to any new ideas for any chapter names, content, or anything. Thanks! Oh, and please go easy right now. I'm new here and this is my very FIRST story. Thanks again!

~ Raph's Girlfriend

At the Lair Again

When we enter the lair, I flop down onto the couch, Leo goes to the dojo, Don goes to his lab, and Mikey goes to his room. "I can't believe this," I say quietly, Raph sitting by my side with a sort of scowl on his face, "First, mysterious messages come to me; then I have to go to Shredder; and then Sky knows about you!" I sigh in frustration and put headphones on, listening to Let It Go from Frozen on YouTube on my computer, quietly singing along. "I know how you feel," I hear Raph say, looking down, "because I was thinking the exact same thing."

"Try living my life," I say, chuckling, "You'll be thinking worse things every day and every minute." Raph's eyes widen as he looks to me. "What do you mean 'worse things,'" Raph asks, looking at me and creeping me out.

"I thought of jumping from the rooftop before," I explain, showing scars from self-inflicted wounds, "and I hurt myself to try and forget about jumping." I pull my long sleeves down over my wounds. "I didn't heal them because I can't. I tried before, when I first got them."

Raph's eyes get wide, but then he wraps his arms around me, moving me to his lap. "I'm sure they'll get better soon," Raph tries assuring me, kissing my cheek. "No they won't," I reply, turning my head away, "because I got them 10 years ago." I get up and sigh, going to the dojo and starting to train, Leo sitting against the wall in a break. "Hey," Leo says, looking to me and greeting me, Mikey coming in and stopping in the doorway. I don't hear Leo and I'm not aware anyone's in the room at all, training like I'm in real battle.

When Raph walks in, I stop and lean against the tree, looking up and trying not to cry and show my soft side. "Hey," Leo repeats, Mikey cautiously entering the room with fear in his eyes as he watched me train. "Hey," I reply, wiping my eyes and Raph sitting by my side, "I'm sorry if I 'ignored' you earlier. I was just trying to clear my head and I block everyone out in order to do that."

"It's fine," Leo replies back with a smile

"Why are you crying," Mikey asks, seeing part of a scar on my leg, "and what happened?"

I quickly hide the scar and look down, hugging my knees close to my body. "Nothing's wrong," I say, my voice breaking, "and I'm not in the mood to be hounded with questions right now."

Mikey nods in understanding, Donnie's shouts heard from the lab. "Not again," the scientist yells, some weird object hurdling toward us.

"AHH," Mikey screams, ducking out of the way.

I sigh and get up, hitting the object down to the ground and I see that it's an empty canister of mutagen. "What's with this canister," I ask myself, picking it up and seeing a stinkbug on it, nearly making me drop it. "Gross," I say, gently but hurriedly putting the canister down on the floor, "it had to be a stinkbug!"

I step away from the canister and sit, not taking my eyes off of it.

"You're afraid of a stinkbug," Raph asks, sitting next to me.

"Yes."

Leo stands and goes to the lair, killing the dreaded bug and taking the canister to Donatello's lab.

"What's wrong with a cute little bug," Mikey asks, tilting his head to the side with curiosity.

"Cute," I echo, standing, "You clearly don't know how much I DESPISE those things!"

"Just like I despise what I hate," Raph chimes in, standing and whispering in my ear, "Cockroaches."

I shudder at the word, as well, making me shiver in fear.

Just then, I hear something I dread a whole lot... the flapping of wings.

Who do the wings belong to? Find out soon when Don's experiment goes wrong!

~ Raph's Girlfriend