Chapter 7

"Inquisition"

Raphael sat on the couch and stared through the T.V., his blank expression shedding no light on the inner storm of turmoil that rolled and thundered through him. He hated her! The way he reacted to her, the way he wanted her, and how she didn't want him. He hated how she haunted his dreams in sultry motions, the feel of her in his arms, and god, the taste of her kiss. Most of all he hated how he missed her. He missed tearing through the city with her on motorcycles. He missed talking to her on her bed while they watched some stupid show about nothing, her laugh, he had never thought of himself as funny until he had heard her laugh and god, when she would smile… He would have done anything to earn that smile. He missed fighting random groups of thugs next to her. From the beginning she had moved with him as if they had been training together forever, as if they were meant to be. His inner storm grew at the ridiculousness of the thought. His heart ached each beat feeling labored and tired.

"Hey Raph, food is ready." Michelangelo said as he hopped onto the couch next to his brother.

Raph continued to stair through the T.V. as he answered sullenly. "I'm fine."

"Dude you gotta eat…" Mikey's forehead furrowed with concern.

"I'm fine!" Raph snapped, giving his brother a dark glare.

Mikey frowned, got up from the couch and sulked into the kitchen.

Raphael had literally sat on the couch and said almost nothing since they had come across him, bleeding fists and out of breath, in the sewers. Leo had tried to pull some explanation from his brother, but Raph had given him… nothing, which they all found much more concerning than if Raph had yelled or thrown something like usual. Instead he had simply ignored their questions and sulked home to sit on the couch and stare off into space.

A few moments later a plate of food was sat down on the coffee table in front of Raph.

"Damn it! I told you I was…" Raph stopped his tirade short when he realized Splinter was frowning down at him. "I'm not hungry, sensei." He explained in a much softer tone.

"You have not been hungry in days." Splinter crossed his arms as he looked down at the most stubborn of his sons. "Either eat or tell me why."

Raph stared at the plate of food for a moment then deciding he really didn't want to talk about Arayah, sighed and took the plate.

Splinter waited.

Knowing his father wasn't going to move until Raphael ate, he let out another agitated sigh, and took a bite. "There, I'm eating." He said around the food he half-heartedly chewed.

Splinter sat down next to his son. His son rolled his eyes and groaned.

"I don't want to talk about it." Raphael stated.

"Who said anything about talking?" Splinter said as he raised a furry eyebrow. He then proceeded to pick up the remote and find a desirable program as if he had no interest in Raph's upset.

Raphael knew better. Splinter would sit there pretending to not care until Raph broke. That's how this game worked, and it only worked when splinter did it. If anyone else had ever given it a try they found themselves literally kicked form the couch, or whatever space Raph occupied at the time.

Stubbornly Raph took another bite from the plate he held pushing, what seemed tasteless, food around in his mouth before swallowing.

*scene change*

"He was a good boy." Arayah informed the owner of a lovely golden retriever as she walked into the receiving area and forced a smile. She was worried. It had been four days since Raphael had left her standing shocked in the bottom of her building's parking garage. He had been obviously beyond angry and hurt, and it killed her to know she had done that to him. She might not have shared his feelings for her but that didn't mean she didn't care. She had counted him a friend and now it would seem, since he had not come by or answered her calls, that was no longer the case or he hadn't made it home. Neither of which were things she knew how to fix.

The trouble had started with that kiss, in her mind anyway. She shouldn't have kissed him back. She had known it when it happened but resistance had been futile. Raphael had such a powerful presence and an undeniable passion around him. All she could do was melt into him when it had happened. Even now the thought of it caused her heart to pick up its pace.

A sharp bark brought her back to the here and now. She picked up the next chart. "Toby is up next." She called out sporting another forced smile. Her smile faltered when a little boy walked up holding a red eared slider with a cracked shell.

Pushing the resemblance it held to her missing friend aside she looked at the boy's mother. "Follow me."

Arayah looked over the turtle and had the vet tech get the needed adhesive and strips for the little sliders shell. "So, what happened?"

The little boy frowned and started to fuss, reminding Arayah of one of the many reasons she didn't want any children. Never mind the fact she was pretty sure she would make a terrible mother for reasons from a past she didn't want to think about at the moment.

"He decided the turtle needed to learn how to ride a bike." The mother frowned. "It didn't end well for anybody."

Large tear drops rolled down the boy's face.

Feeling she should give the boy some insight on turtles, Arayah started in, "First and foremost a red eared slider, like Toby here, belongs in an aquarium or a pond. Not on a bicycle. They are more fragile than they look." 'Especially emotionally.' She added the last note in her thoughts.

The door opened and the secretary peeked in. "Dr. Labelle, umm, there is someone here to see you."

Arayah frowned as she took the medical supplies from the returning tech. "I'm with a patient, Sarah."

Sarah looked out and down the hall. Then back at her boss. "They are in your office."

Arayah's eyes narrowed at the serious breach of privacy. She turned to the Vet tech, "Can you handle this?" she asked as she motioned to the little turtle on the steel table.

"Ya of course." The tech nodded.

With no more to say Arayah stormed from the examination room, and down the hall. Her first intent was to ignore the two men in suits and sunglasses standing outside her office, but that changed when one of them grabbed her arm before she could reach the door handle.

Arayah glared at the man. "Let go of my arm." She growled her voice low and full of warning.

"I have Dr. Labelle here." The man said to the small radio on his shoulder. Then apparently getting information from some unseen source, he nodded. He released her arm and stepped back. "You may enter."

"Damn right. It's my office." Arayah snapped as she threw open the door.

A tall, dark haired man wearing a black suit stood in the center of the office with his back to her, legs slightly apart, and his hands clasped behind his back. He turned his head slightly and looked at her over the top of his sun glasses.

"Hey you can't just walk into my office and…" That's when the state of the office hit her. It was completely torn apart. Books and, papers were strewn across the floor. drawers pulled out and dumped even her jar for pencils had been dumped out. "What the hell!" Her apple green eyes lighting up with rage.

Slowly the man turned to face her. His face void of any expression appearing almost board despite the woman that yelled at him. "I am here about a turtle." He said coolly.

She looked up from the mess that had been her office "A turtle? Well you can wait in the waiting room like everyone else." Arayah snapped.

The man adjusted his sun glasses. "Actually, I am interested in four turtles. Four LARGE turtles."

Arayah's brow furrowed. She was a vet not an exotic pets dealer. "What are you talking about?"

The man came closer to stand just within arm's reach. Face still void of expression "Do the names Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, or Raphael mean anything to you?"

Arayah's features shifted at Raphael's name and the man smiled in a way that made Arayah's skin crawl.

"Who are you?" she asked in a slow whisper.

"My name Dr., is Agent John Bishop."

Arayah's eye's widened, as she remembered the forlorn and broken look that had crossed Raphael's face when he had said Bishop's name in the car. Suddenly she felt that she was very much in danger. She spun around to grab the door handle, but her plan to escape was decimated when Bishop grabbed her arm and wrenched it back painfully.

Arayah's instincts kicked in. Using the momentum of his pull, she spun around her fist balling up as she swung her arm about.

Bishop was faster than she had anticipated, however. He caught her fist squeezing down and twisting her wrist painfully till she yelped. His eyes sparked with antagonistic amusement. "Your cooperation is highly recommended."

"Let go, you bastard!" She spat angrily.

He swept his leg out catching her's, her balance not helped by the pencil skirt and heels she wore, knocking her hard on her back. He grinned down at her. "But I do enjoy this more."

She rolled out of his reach and quickly found her feet, bolting to put her desk between them. As she rounded the Desk she snatched a scalpel that sat amidst the mess of things that had been scattered across her desk. She wrapped her hand around it as one who had done hundreds of surgeries then raised her arms ready to defend herself.

That creepy ass grin of Bishop's only spread further across his lips. He honestly hoped she would put up a fight, to make this otherwise mundane mission at least a little fun. From what he understood she was not what she appeared. And god, he hoped so, because up until right now she had appeared to be like most women in her position; attractive, well dressed, scared, and week. He needed something he could use... and the turtles, well, at least one. He had hoped more for the level headed Leonardo, or the intelligent Donatello, both traits easily shaped to his needs. But Raphael was not without his desirable traits, He had the traits of a decent soldier, if the obstinate trait could be eradicated or shaped. The turtle in question had also stayed awake through a great deal more than his brother's had during Bishop's experimentation and exploration of their unique being.

For a long moment they stood there waiting to see who would make the first move.

Arayah's body screamed at her to run, normally she would stand her ground take the man on. But he had frightened even Raphael, whom she had viewed as nearly fearless. So she listened to her body and made another beeline for the door.

Bishop moved at her and she swung, her small weapon in hand and her outfit greatly restricting her ability to use her legs.

He dodged her attack with infuriating speed and agility. Side stepping every jab and slice with ease until their violent dance reached the center of the office.

She swung again and he caught her wrist.

Again he used her outfit's restriction against her this time slamming and bending her back against the desk.

Arayah reached up pressing her thumb against a sensitive pressure point in the jaw, hoping to get him to back up just enough.

He twisted his face away from her hand as he grabbed hold of her attacking hand and twisted it up above her head. He then thrust his thigh between her legs so forcefully her skirt split all the way up her thigh.

Arayah cried out at the sudden, unwanted, and unforgiving presence of Bishops thigh being painfully pressed against her pelvis.

He grinned finding a great deal of sick pleasure in her pain. But even as he twisted her hand and forced her to drop the scalpel he was unaware of two mistakes he had made.

He had freed her leg and underestimated her flexibility.

Gritting her teeth against the pain in her wrists and lady bits, she swung her one free leg up catching her, red high heeled, foot under Bishop's jaw. Flexing the toned muscles of her leg she pulled him back just enough to bring the leg he straddled up into his groin.

The sudden shot of pain that shot up through his groin and into his belly and spine coupled with the pressure of the Veterinarian's surprising leg strength, Bishop had no choice but to step back.

Arayah didn't wait for him to right himself before she thrust the heel of her hand into the agent's nose. She then slammed her foot into the side of his face with a round house kick sending him sprawling to the floor, his sun glasses flying across the room and shattering against the wall.

The attack gave Arayah just enough time to get to the door and get it partially open, but not enough to get through.

Bishop slammed his body into the Arayah crushing her body against the door as it slammed shut. He then wrapped his fist in her, now loose, hair and yanked throwing her across the room and into the desk.

As Bishop approached the woman trying to wright herself, he wiped the blood that trickled down from his nose and looked down at it as if it was something he was unfamiliar with. He then caught Arayah by the back of her head and shoved her forehead forward into the desk.

Suddenly Arayah was seeing stars and grabbing hold of the top of the desk trying to desperately pull herself from the floor in a dizzy stumble. The stars and dizziness disappeared as they were replaced by a worse and shocking pain. Blinking she stared at the scalpel that pinned her left hand to desk.

Bishop grinned at her shocked and paling expression. "Let's stop playing games . Tell me where the turtles are."

Arayah looked up at him, her fear of the man making her stomach turn. Her eyes darted back and forth as she thought of any way out of this, anything she could give him. "I don't know."

Bishop didn't believe her. So, he yanked the scalpel up and then began to drag it further down her hand slicing her flesh in a smooth motion.

She closed her eyes and hissed against the pain, refusing to give him the pleasure of pulling another cry from her. Letting out a relieved breath when she felt the painful pull against her flesh stop, she slowly looked back up into the agent's soulless eyes.

"Are they really that important to you?"

That question seethed through her. Was he? Was her friendship with Raphael worth this torture or whatever else this devil had planned. Not that it mattered. Because, she didn't know where he was.

"He's a turtle." Tears streamed down Arayah's cheeks at the whispered statement.

"Where are they?"

Slowly Arayah looked back at the gash in her hand, blood pooling and trickling down on to the desk top, wet, and shining crimson in the light. Her heart clenched till it hurt at what she had said. Yes Raphael is a turtle but he is more than just an animal, and even if he was hurt and angry with her right now she was still a friend. And if she had learned anything in her life those were hard to come by.

"If one sees evil and does nothing, they are as guilty as those that committed it." Her words were barely audible and Bishop had to lean in to hear.

He frowned. He was getting tired of having to repeat himself to the woman that was now glairing defiantly up at him. "Fine."

He moved swiftly catching Arayah by the throat and throwing her down on to the desk top, her blood staining her white shirt. He pinned her there face down with the weight of his body. With his left hand he pushed the side of her face down bearing down on her beautiful features. He then brought his right hand up, holding the scalpel he hovered it in front of her face. "You have lovely eyes. Such a unique shade of green. I do believe I will take one…or both. Unless you would like to tell me…"

Arayah was shaking beneath him. A mix of fear and rage, that she didn't hold back as she screamed out, "I don't know, you son of a bitch! You're wasting your fucking time!"

"Very well." Bishop said coldly.

Arayah closed her eyes as he brought the blade to the edge of her optical orbit. 'God, he's going to take the whole thing lids and all.' She choked down her fear as she prepared for the pain.

The cold metal of the blade pressed against her flesh, then stopped. Suddenly she was released the scalpel clinked against the desk top.

Arayah slid to the ground to watch Agent bishop, followed by the two door agents, walking away. Down the hall, across the empty waiting room, and out the door as if nothing had transpired.

She sat there dumbfounded and terrified as sirens and flashing blue lights filled the air.

Sarah, the secretary, had called the police. Though little more could be done, Arayah could not have been more grateful to their timing.

"Do you have anyone you can call?" The nurse at the E.R. asked her.

Arayah thought on the question for a long moment, then gave a slow nod.

The nurse smiled sweetly then left the room

With a deep sigh Arayah looked down at her cell phone and stared down at the two numbers that were in it. One read "The clinic" the other, "Raphael".

Sniffling a little she dialed the only friend she really had.

*scene change*

A plate of food and four shows later splinter still patiently sat on the couch next to Raph. The other brothers had filtered in and out and were now going about other things.

Raph shifted on the couch. "It's stupid." He finally stated.

"And yet you let it continue to dominate your thoughts." Splinter said simply.

'Let!? Let!? She snuck in some side door and completely tied up my every thought and held all my senses captive! I didn't let her do anything!' He wanted to yell. Instead he crossed his arms and sulked into the couch glaring ahead, his frustration with just being him rolling over and over.

His phone buzzed to life in his pocket and he pulled it out to see who it was. Arayah's name came across the screen. Grumbling he stood up and shoved the phone back into his pocket and started walking toward the garage. The phone began to buzz again and unable hold it together any longer Raphael threw the phone causing it to go flying across the layer, hitting the gowned and exploding in to hundreds of shattered pieces.

"Keep breaking them and I'm gunna stop making them for you." Donatello frowned from the kitchen where he had gone for another cup of coffee.

"Shut it, Don!" Raph snapped. Turning on his heal and storming off to his room.

"Well at least he is kinda back to normal." Mikey said from where he sat at the kitchen table drawing in a sketch book.

*scene change*

Arayah sat in the hospital bed looking down at her cell, her calls going unanswered. She had always been alone, since birth. An infant found in some unknown alley that a heroin addict had chosen to "shoot up" in. By the time social services found Arayah at age four locked under a sink. She was starving and so dehydrated she couldn't move, and had witnessed things that no child should see. But even then she had not felt alone. She had never realized that she was, just that she didn't want to live a life like those she had witnessed, and so she had fought tooth and nail to get what she had and where she was… which was apparently in a hospital bed, so very very alone.

Wishing more than anything in the world that Raphael would, or could by some magic, show up and wrap his strong arms around her, and carry her back to that roof top where she had returned his passionate kiss when the universe had seemed to lay at their feet. Before she had hurt him before she had lost his friendship.

Not sure what else to do Arayah curled up in the crisp sheets and quietly cried, the beeps and sounds of the hospital filling the empty room.