16. Time for Goodbye

A couple of weeks later things were back to normal, although Raph was still fiercely protective of Yuki. But no one could blame him. Yuki's wolf had apparently went back to her dream world. Today Yuki was out enjoying a ride with Raph on his bike. The others were down in the lair doing their usual. Splinter meditating, Leo practicing, Don tinkering with something and Mikey playing video games. Nothing unusual until a warm green glow appeared in the middle of their training area. Leo lowered his katana and backed up. "What the shell?"

"What's going on?" Don asked.

"Don't tell me we're being attacked again!" Mikey pulled out his weapon and stood ready.

The glow formed into a beautiful tall slender woman with her black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. She moved her piercing green eyes to each of the turtles then to Splinter. He spoke to the woman. "You are friend, are you not?"

"I am."

"Stand down, my sons." Splinter ordered. They gave him questionable looks but lowered their weapons. "Now, what can we help you with?"

"I have come for Yuki." She stated simply. They all exchanged confused looks.

"You are her aunt?" Splinter asked.

"I am."

An hour later Raph and Yuki returned. They came into the lair holding hands and laughing. Everyone looked at them, they looked back. Raph got annoyed at them staring. "What? Haven't you seen you people holding hands before?"

"Raph, Yuki." Leo gave them a look that neither of them liked.

"What's going on, Aniki?" Yuki carefully asked. Yuki's aunt then stepped out from behind a pillar. "Aunt Li!"

"Your aunt?" Raph asked.

"You know why I am here." Li said. Yuki shook her head and took a step back.

"Yuki?" Raph studied her eyes.

"No…No! I won't leave! I won't go with you!" Yuki pulled Raph and ran back to the elevator.

"Yuki, wait!" Li fired a blast at the elevator. It pushed the door open. Yuki fired at her aunt's blast and the doors closed. "I feared this would happen."

"Please, forgive her. A lot has happened to her these past few months." Splinter said.

"I know. But she must come with me." Li replied. "You have to help me find her."

Even though they didn't want to, they did. They headed top side and found the two had ditched their shell cells so they couldn't be tracked. Don suspected that Chip could track her down but didn't say anything about it. He didn't want her to leave.

It was a week later when Raph returned to the lair. He needed to get them a few things. He returned at night, hoping that they all would be asleep at this late hour. So he quietly slipped into the lair and gathered a few things before starting to head out. Suddenly he was surrounded with a green glow and lifted off the ground. "Let me go!"

"Calm down, my son." Splinter ordered gently.

"No! I know what you are going to say and I don't want to hear it!" Raph snapped. "I won't loose her again!"

"Raphael, listen to me." Li said in a firm voice. "Do you want her to die?"

Raph stopped struggling.

"I understand how much you care about the girl. But if she stays here then she will die and this time it will be for real. You know that Yuki can't control her powers. You all were luck this time that it didn't happen but it will happen unless she gets the proper training to control her powers." Li lowered Raph back to the floor, walked up to him and looked into his eyes. "Raphael, if you truly love her then you must let her go."

Yuki was lying on the couch of the small house her mother bought years ago. She bought it so she and Yuki could get out of the city for a while when they were feeling crowded. The house was miles outside the city and back into the woods. It was a bit hard to find if you didn't know where you were going. She was on her stomach kicking her feet while listening to the radio, eating a bag of chips and reading a magazine when she heard Raph pull up to the house. She popped her chip in her mouth and got up, bouncing happily over to the door just as Raph stepped inside. "Welcome back."

He didn't reply as he stared at the floor. Yuki lost her perkiness. "What is it, Raph?"

"Sorry….I had to…."

"Had to what?" Yuki asked and the others, including Li. Yuki stumbled back from them. "No."

"Yuki, I'm sorry. I did this for your own good. You need training to handle your powers." Yuki lowered her head as Raph walked over to her. He placed his hand on her arm.

"No!" Yuki screamed, looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She lifted her hand and slapped him across the face. "You lied! You promised you would let her take me!"

Yuki took off out the door. Raph wanted to follow but knew he shouldn't. Li walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You did the right thing."

"Then, why do I feel so lousy?"

"Because you care about her."

"Yeah and because I care I hurt her."

"It's for the best, my son." Splinter said.

Thunder rumbled in the grey sky of New York. It was a perfect dreary day, for someone being forced to do something they didn't want to do. Yuki stared up at her aunt's heli-jet. Soon she would be on it heading for Japan, leaving everything and everyone she loved behind.

"Yuki, it's time to say good bye." Yuki's aunt stuck her head out the door for a second before disappearing back inside.

"Stupid." Yuki mumbled then turned to face her friends. "I guess….this is it."

"Good luck, my daughter. I know you will do perfect in your training and will be back with us soon." Splinter hugged his daughter.

"Thank you, for everything. You have been a great father to me, better than my biological one." Yuki pulled away from his hug. She dug in her pocket and pulled out a set of keys then handed them to him. "These are to the mansion. I let the staff go. If you need to use it at anytime you are welcome to. My mother put everything in my name. I guess she knew what kind of man he really was."

"Thank you, my child." The two bowed to each other. Yuki smiled at him then stepped in front of Leo.

"Aniki."

"Sorry it took me so long to trust you. I'm glad we became frie….siblings." Leo hugged his kid sister.

"Thank for everything. And you can use the training room in the mansion." Yuki smiled at him then whispered. "You know…if you need to get away from the others."

"Thanks, I know I'll use it." Leo laughed. He released her and she stepped up to Don.

"I can't believe this is it. It feels like you've been with use since the beginning." Don scratched his head.

"I want to thank you for helping me with my homework and powers. I know it wasn't easy."

"I didn't mind one bit." Chip came flying over and landed on Yuki's finger.

"Donny, I want you to keep Chip. He has all the access codes for the labs under the mansion. You might find something useful down there." Yuki handed Chip over to him.

"Thanks Yuki! This will help me a lot!" Don hugged her. Next was Mikey, who looked really down, something she wasn't use to seeing in him.

"Mikey?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you to do a favor for me?"

"Anything."

"I want you to keep an eye on my book collection."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Yuki looked back at the jet. "I have a feeling I'm not going to have any more time for reading."

"Hn…." Mikey tried to keep his tears from falling but he couldn't. He threw his arms around her and picked her off the ground, crying. "I don't want you to go!"

"I know, Mikey." Yuki patted his shoulder, awkwardly since he was holding her so tight, and started to turn blue.

"It's ok, Mikey." Leo said as he and Don began to comfort their younger brother. He finally released her. She straightened out her clothes and gave him a sympathetic look. Her attention then drifted to Raph, who was standing several feet away from them.

Yuki grabbed her necklace in both her hands, for support, and walked over to him. At first she couldn't look at him. She kept her focus on her necklace as she rubbed the promise ring he gave her. Raph also couldn't look at her. His eyes kept darting around until his heart forced him to look at her. "I…you know…I never…."

Raph sighed. He just couldn't find the words he needed to say to her. Yuki took her necklace off and placed it around Raph's neck. Raph took the star in his fingers and looked at her. "Yuki?"

"I….I want you to have this." Yuki said, still not looking at him.

"Yuki, I can't…."

"It's a promise." Yuki placed her hand over his, the one holding her necklace, and finally looked up at him. "I promise I will return to New York. I…I will return to you."

Raph nodded and dropped the star in his shell to protect it. "Yuki, I want you to know that I didn't want to hurt you. I just want you to be…."

Yuki leaped up, threw her arms around his neck and pressed their lips together.

"Woohoo!" Mikey cheered.

"Alright!" Don added.

"About time." Leo said and clapped hands with Don and Mikey.

"Hn….kids." Splinter shook his head and smiled.

Yuki dropped back to her feet and ran to the jet, leaving Raph stunned. She got up to the top of the stairs and placed her hand on the doorway. She paused then slowly started to turn around.

"Don't turn around, kid." Raph said coming to his senses. "Just don't turn around."

As if hearing what he said, Yuki stopped turning then disappeared into the jet. Raph's family gathered around him as he tried to keep his tears from falling.

"It's ok, my son." Splinter said.

"Let it out, Raph." Leo added and tears began to stream out Raph's closed eyes.

Yuki sat down in the chair across from her aunt and wrapped her arms around herself. Tears were pouring down her face. Her aunt lowered the paper she was looking at and gave her niece a sympathetic look. "Don't worry, Yuki. You won't be gone forever. You will returned to him."

"But it still hurts. It hurt's so much." Yuki couldn't help but cry.

"Loosing your love always does." Yuki's eyes widened.

"W-What? H-How did…."

"I have powers beyond your belief….but I didn't need them to know how you feel about the boy. I am a woman after all." Yuki closed her eyes as fresh tears formed. "Yuki, you won't be apart for long. I promise, you will return to him."

Yuki slightly nodded.

The jet began to move and soon they were in the air heading around the world. Li went back to her papers for a few minutes then looked back at her niece, Yuki had cried herself to sleep. Yuki's wolf appeared beside her. He looked at Yuki then at her aunt and nodded. Li nodded back at him. Trouble was still going to come for her. My dear child, you will return to him. Sooner than you think. Your destiny is tied to theirs and you will need your close bond with all of them to face your challenges ahead. But I wonder…if your bond with Raphael will hold up once you and Leo…merge.

Notes: Hey guys! This is it! Raph's Heart is finally finished. I was planning on doing a sequel...but...I don't know. We'll see. Tell me what you think of this story and if I should continued with the sequel. :) Thanks for read!