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Muscles singing, screaming at you to stop. Your heartbeat thrums loudly in your ears. The icy rain feels like needles hitting your face, and you swear you're bleeding by now. Your legs carry you swiftly over uncertain terrain. You chance a look over your shoulder. Still  following you. A stupid-sounding scream escapes your throat, bubbling over and spilling out between your lips. How could you be so stupid?! You knew it was going to be dangerous, but you went anyway. Now, you're shit out of luck in some godforsaken forest in the middle of nowhere, and that thing  is still after you. You brave a sharp left, your path becoming more rugged. Shit. Over here, more roots stick up from the ground. You're usually very careful, but you are running for your life right now. There's no room for careful. You see a fallen, slanted tree trunk up ahead. The bottom is visibly too small to slide under, so you quickly calculate a way over.  Up that land ramp, onto that rock, jump to the trunk, then down you go. You just hope it's going to work. You come up along the land ramp, veering to the right. You leap to the boulder, waste no time springing to the trunk, and then you're flying down through the air. You land on your thick boots, and roll to your feet, running once more. "Yes!"  you shout, a giddy laugh escaping you. Suddenly, off in the distance, you hear someone shout a command in a different language. It's a dialect you don't quite understand, but it's not like you know where you are anyway. You steer yourself towards the voice. Then it's several. "Leo!" the second voice calls. "Be quiet,"  the first one hisses. You hear a loud smack, and you're very close. Then, you're tripping over a root and stumbling into a group of six figures. There are cries of surprise by you count five male voices, and one female. Your eyes are closed and you're shaking. From fear, or shock, or running, you aren't sure. Your breathing is transforming into hyperventilation when you feel soft, cool hands on your warm cheeks. "Hey," a gentle, but rough, voice calls. You open your eyes and stare directly into a pair of bright green ones. Your breathing picks up it's pace when you see who the eyes belong to. A large, humanly shaped turtle. Of course. What else could today bring? "Hi," you reply. "Are you alright?" he asks. "Took a pretty hard fall, there, kid," You swallow the lump forming in your throat. "Uh, yeah," you say, trying to sit up. "I'll be - ah!" A startled squeak escapes your throat as he helps you sit up. "Raphael,  I'm sure that she could've-" "Oh, uh, it's okay!" you stop him. "I appreciate the help, I'm a little woozy," you admit with a nervous chuckle. You turn to Raphael. "Thank you," You swear you can see the slightest bit of red under his green skin. "You're welcome," he replies, looking away. You notice his voice is a bit huskier than before. Looking at the four turtles, you notice that they are extremely  tall; over six feet. All of them. Each of them have their own visible style, and one of them wears orange, one blue, one purple, and Raphael, red. With them are two humans, a male and a female. The guy is just as tall as the turtles, and just as buff. His dark, black hair reaches his shoulders. The female is considerably smaller, wearing a beaten-up looking yellow jacket. Her dark red hair looks like fire draped over her shoulder, tied back in a neat, low ponytail. Her blue-green eyes search you curiously, a relaxed (but guarded) expression on her slim, elegant face. The one in blue steps forward, pulling a Japanese-style katana from a sheath on his back. Pointing it towards you, you don't flinch when he asks you a series of questions. "Who are you?" "The name's Mila." "Why are you here?" "Long story." "How old are you?" "Who's asking?" "I'm  asking the questions here, Mila." "Fine, I'm ninteen." "I'm Leonardo." he gestures to the one in orange, then the one in purple, then the two humans. "This is Michelangelo, Donatello, Casey, and April. And, uh, you met Raphael." "So, uh, what are  you doing here?" Raphael echoes his brother. "Uh, okay, well, I happen to be here on business," how come you're more compliant for Raphael? You push the thought from your mind and continue. "A friend of mine... with connections, asked me to come here, and... well, I can't tell you much more," you admit. The turtles and their two friends exchange looks. Your head is throbbing. Suddenly, the world around you starts to spin. "Ah, Raphael, I-" Then you lean over and vomit. Great. The turtle is at your side in an instant, holding your hair back. "Hey, Mila, are you oka-" the one you think is named Michelangelo is cut off by a loud, piercing screech. Your retching stops, but your head feels like it's going to explode. "Fuck,"  you hiss, cursing at yourself for leading the damn thing here. You reach into your back pocket, pulling out an enchanted chain. You stand as best as you can in your post-vomiting state, facing the creature head on. It's, well... Disgusting. It's large head is accompanied by a cavernous mouth, full of teeth, that happen to be coated with gross, gray saliva. Two thin, bird-like legs hang from it's small torso, and it's large wings keep it suspended. The damn thing looks like something out of a nightmare. It's the same color as a shadow, and it's wingspan is the same length as two of the turtles are tall. The thing roars again (can you even call it roaring?), causing you to throw your arms up around your head. This protects you from the onslaught of spit, but you skid back a couple of inches. You grip the chain in your hand tighter, and begin to mutter a series of words in another language. The creature shrieks, it's wings suddenly ablaze. You grin. Yes! You continue uttering these strange yet familiar words, and before long the creature is ashes. You tuck the chain back into your pocket, like you've done a hundred times. Then, you collapse, like you've done a hundred times. Raphael is at your side before you can blink. He's on his knees (when did that happen?), pulling you into his lap. "S'okay," you mumble, a woozy smile spreading across your features. "Happens aaaaall  the time," you drawl. He's not having it. "Mila," there it is, that soft tone is back. You're vaguely aware of him asking his brothers a question as your consciousness slips away.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You regain consciousness. You're no longer in that forest, that much is certain. You open your eyes. It's dark. You sit up slowly. Glancing around cautiously, you spot your messenger bag nearby, groping for the knife inside. A sigh of relief escapes you when you find it. You creep from your new sleeping place, quietly slipping your bag around your torso. Holding your knife defensively, you feel around for the door. You slide the door open slightly, slip out, then shut it with a barely audible click. You step out into a quiet foyer. You... don't quite know where you are, honestly. You pick past several doors which you decide are bedrooms, arriving in a wide living room. There's a large collection of televisions. Hm. There are plenty of remotes on the enormous sofa, you'd hate to know what happens when one goes missing. Moving on, there's a kitchen in the corner. There's a large fridge, cabinets, an oven, dishwasher, and an island to boot. You see some abandoned plates on the counter. Unless the homeowners are slobs, you assume someone's been here recently. Suddenly, a door clicks, and your stomach drops. You dive in front of the couch, crouching low. Another door. "Uh... she's not there?" you hear someone say. Shit. They're talking about you. "Where could she have gone? I mean, we're underground  for fuck's sake," "Dollar for the swear jar, Casey," the first voice snickers. "Can it, Mikey. Leo is gonna flip." Casey, the human guy. Mikey, the one in orange. Great. "C'mon, let's go tell Leo. I'll pay ya to do it for me, dude!" Mikey laughs. As soon as you believe the two are out of earshot, you stand and sprint for the other side of the room.  Before you know what's happening, you're being yanked backwards by a chain. "Ah, fuck!"  you hiss, landing on your rear. "Leo!" Mikey calls. Well, you're not as smart as you think you are. You hear a few more sets of feet sprint into the room and your face flushes red. You're suddenly aware of the fact that your very skimpy shirt is riding up your torso, and your jeans haven't been pulled up properly. You turn. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, ad April have joined the group, followed by a large, human-sized rat. The latter has positioned himself in front of you, kneeling.  "Hello young one," he says, his voice thick and slow and wise. "I am Splinter. How are you feeling?" "Okay," you manage hesitantly. "I am sure you would like to know where you are, but I have some questions for you." You nod and swallow. "Who are you?" he asks gently. "My name's Mila," you reply simply. "Hello Mila. Do you mind if I ask you how old you are?" "I'm ninteen." "May I ask why you were out in the forest by yourself?" "That's classified information," you say, trying to adjust yourself in your awkward position. "Can I please be unchained now?" Splinter nods at one of the people - er, turtles behind you, and suddenly you're free. You exhale and and rub at your arms, red and marked up from where the chains had dug into your skin. Mikey appears next to you, offering you his hand. You take it graciously, and he helps you up. "Sorry about that, dudette, it was kinda like, an impulse move," he admits. Crystal blue eyes are swimming with sincerity, and you nod. "It's okay," you tell him. He smiles at you. Raphael steps closer to you. "How did you sleep? We tried to make it as comfy as possible, but-" "Hey," you cut him off, placing a hand on his massive arm. "It was fine, you did okay," He smiles sheepishly, nodding. "Are you hungry?" he asks. You nod, your stomach yelling at the suggestion of food. He offers his hand. "We have leftover pizza in the fridge." He leads you to the kitchen as you blush. ------- He hands you a cup of soda as you chew greedily on your third(?) slice of pizza. "Damn, you weren't kidding," he chuckles. You make an appreciative noise in the back of your throat. "I know," you agree with your mouth full. He chuckles again, flashing you a toothy smile that has you nearly choking on a mouthful of cheese. "You okay?" he asked, looking alarmed. "Raphael, you can't smile at me like that and expect me to live," you say, gasping and taking a sip of your soda. He blushes bright red, his green cheeks turning a tomato-ish color. "Uh, s-sorry," he mumbles, looking away. "Awwww," you accidentally vocalize. That has his face turning the same color as the cloth on his head. "Oh god damn it," he laughs nervously. "Hmmm?" you purr innocently. He bites his lower lip and you do the same in response. When did it get so hot in here? "Raphael," you scold him half-playfully. God damn, Mila, pull yourself together. You're fawning over a six-foot-something turtle with jade green eyes... and massive biceps... Friggin' hell. "Earth to Mila?" you hear him say. Woah  he's close. "O-uh..." you flinch, blushing. "You weren't responding," he says, pulling away a little too slowly. "God damn it, just-" you forget all logic and reach for him, grabbing the tails of his bandanna to yank him in for a kiss. His hands move to your cheeks, and damn if he isn't an amazing  kisser. You find a rhythm, his lips moving perfectly with yours, and his hands move down to a respectful place above your hips. This isn't enough. You wrap your arms around his neck and lean towards him, and you feel him shiver. Good. He presses back, and you can feel his fingers gripping you closer. You may need to start wearing longer shirts. His thumbs rub the spots where he squeezes too hard. Oh shit  that feels good. Your tongue grazes his bottom lip, and his pushes back, and his mouth overtakes yours. Then, you boldly bite his bottom lip, dragging your teeth along the sensitive skin, and he groans. Then his mouth is back on yours hungrily, wolfishly, and you feel the space between your legs get hot. Suddenly, someone clears their throat, and you pull apart. You feel blush creep up to your ears and down the back of your neck, and you try to even out your ragged breathing. "Donnie, April, hi," Raphael greets them nervously. "Hey Raph, hey Mila," Donnie greets you both. "Having fun in here?"

"Uh, I-" Raph stammers, before turning an even brighter red. "Damn, I didn't mean for you... I, uh... She, I... Oh jeez," he concludes, rubbing the back of his head. "I-it was me," you admit boldly. "Sorry, I started that whole thing," Donatello looks taken aback, and April is grinning at you. Then the red head speaks up. "Mila, right? Come with me," she says, grabbing you by your wrist and dragging you towards another room.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

She pulls you into one of the bedrooms you saw before (your suspicions were right) and sits you on a soft, blue throw rug. Then, the grilling begins. "Raph, huh?" she grins, raising a perfect, dark eyebrow. Your blush returns, heating your face. "Uh, y-yeah," you giggle nervously. "You two were really going at it back there," she comments, causing you to trip and fall into a big pile of embarrassment. "How long were you watching?!" you exclaim. "Long enough," she replies, a mischievous glint in her eyes. The back of your neck is warm. You sigh. "What did you even bring me in here for?" you ask, exasperated. April's laughter subsides, and she turns to you, serious now. "Raphael is a good guy. He's sweet, and loyal, and he will never, ever  hurt you." "Oh, geez, April, I-" "Shhh!  I'm not an idiot, you obviously like him. You're lucky it was just me'n'Donnie that saw you two like that." Is it hot in here? You chance a look up at the redhead. She's smiling sincerely at you, a genuine look. "I'm just watching out for him. He's so nice, but he hardly acts like it. He's very sensitive and caring. Just please don't hurt him." You smile back. "I swear I'll do my best," you breathe, and she hugs  you. Caught off guard, you flinch, but curl into it. "Thanks." ------- Later on, you're in the living room with Raphael, and a knowing April and Donnie. Leonardo, Michelangelo and Casey went up to the surface to grab dinner. Suddenly, Raphael turns to you. "Hey, Mila, don't you... Y'know, have folks that are worried about you? You been here for a couple'a days now..." Your expression falters considerably, and he notices. So do April and Donatello. "Shit, Mila I'm sorry," he apologizes rapidly. You fight hot tears, waving him off. "Don't be sorry, you didn't know," you tell him. He nods, biting his lip. Why is it so damn hot today. "Raph," you whisper. He releases his lip, flushing pink. "Mila, come with me," he whispers. You nod, and you both walk off towards the bedrooms. ------- You're barely in his room before his lips are on yours, and you're making out for the second time today. He's gripping you much harder this time, and your legs are jelly beneath you. At that very moment, he grabs you from the backs of your thighs, lifting you as you wrap your legs around him. "Fuck," he snarls into your mouth. Then you're going down, and your back is on his mattress. He's running his hands down your torso, over your thighs and back up. "Raphael," you moan, and then his eyes are flame with intense desire. He reaches his hands up underneath your white crop top, pulling it up to reveal your lacy black bra. Then his mouth is on your right breast, and he's already sucking a hickey into your skin. You reach up and pull your breasts from the dark fabric, and he chuckles darkly, eyeing the metal sticking from your nipples. "Damn, do you have everything pierced?" he asks suggestively. You nod, blushing. From your eyebrows down to your crotch, everything pierceable has metal through it. Then, he's leaving hickeys down to your waistband. "Raph, I'm wearing a crop top!" you hiss. "Can borrow one'a mine," he mumbles, slowly pulling down your leggings and tossing your boots to the floor. You accept that answer as he starts to lick you through your matching lace panties. "Oh, fuck," you hiss, your hands flying up to his head. He doesn't have hair, so you grab the same cloth tails that started this whole mess and pull. Your poor panties are soaked, but soon enough, they're on the floor too. His large tongue finds your clit, causing you to gasp and nearly screech. "Raphael," you pant, trying to pull his head forward. He uses his tongue to flick the piercing there, causing you to shudder and moan. Then, you nearly collapse when a large finger pushes into you, and you're fisting your hands in his bedsheets. "Fuck!"  you hiss, using your legs to try and pull him closer. He's licking you an fingering you at the same time, and then it's too much. "R-Raphel," you pant. "You're gonna make me, I'm gonna fucking cum, god damn,"  you force through breathy moans. With one more flick of his godly  tongue, you're moaning his name and squirting - fucking squirting - in his face and onto his bed. "Hot damn you're perfect," he whispers when he pulls away. "Sorry about your sheets," you say quietly, placing your palm against his cheek. "Forget about that, we have a washing machine," he says with a chuckle. You giggle in response, kissing him playfully. Where had he been all your life? ------- The two of you are called out (almost literally) for dinner by April. She flashes you both a knowing glance when you exit Raphael's room wearing one of his large tees. (You tried to tell her he spilled soda on you, but she wasn't buying it.) Mikey stares at you in confusion, as if he's trying to place what's different about your appearance, but Leo and Donnie erupt into a fit of snickering. Raphael glares and threatens to punch them both, then gets scolded by Splinter for the threat. It's Chinese food for dinner. The entire table (which is relatively small) is covered in tins and tupperware with varying foods inside. "While you two were, uh-" Leo snorts, "canoodling, we ordered some lo main and rice," Donnie states. Splinter gives the purple-clad turtle a warning glare, separating a pair of chopsticks. The latter grins sheepishly. All throughout dinner, jokes about you and Raphael are cracked, leaving you redder than a tomato, and Mikey confused and frustrated. After dinner, you help clean up, and you end up aloe with Donnie in the kitchen. "How was he?" he asks suggestively. You flush red once again. "Donatello,"  you hiss, glaring at him. He snickers. "I'm being serious! I want to know if he forced you or anything, so I can beat him for it. You seem like you really like him, so I'll look out for you both," he admits. You smile at him. "He didn't force me into anything," you tell Donnie. He seems relieved at your answer. "My brother has not let me down once, and he continues to make me proud," he murmurs. "What do you mean?" you ask. "Because of Raphael's, well,personality, I'm always worried he's going to hurt a girl. But lately that belief is fading," he tells you. "Does he know you feel that way?" you ask him. He shakes his head. "I don't know what he'd think of me if he found out I thought that of him. But like I said, I'm just looking out for both of you." You smile and walk around the side of the table, hugging him shyly. "Thank you for worrying about me, even if you barely know me. I appreciate it." Shortly after, Raphael meets you both in the kitchen. "What's up?" he asks casually. "Talkin' about you," you drawl back. "Oh yeah? What were you sayin'?" he asks, pulling you close by your hips. You go to answer, but Donnie beats you to it, groaning. "Get a room,"  he says, wiping the counter. "We can do that," Raphael replies, and the two of you can only try to keep from sprinting back to his room.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

He gets you there four times. Four. You lay down on his bed completely nude, practically glowing in delight. "Raphael, you are a treasure," you say, pressing your palm to his cheek as he crawls up next to you. He settles there, laying a respectable hand on your stomach (despite what he had just been doing to you with that hand). He flashes that winning smile that has you melting, and you press a sweet, chaste kiss to his lips. "You're perfect," he whispers, leaning down to kiss you again, trailing kisses down to your neck, over your collarbone, down your chest and stomach, stopping just below your bellybutton. You feel so warm and loved, and pull him back up, wrapping his arms around yourself. You curl towards him and drift off, smiling. ------- In the morning (you're pretty sure it's morning, there's fresh, bright sunlight filtering in through somewhere), you open your eyes to find Raphael still sleeping next to you. You smile at his gentle expression, then boldly trace your pointer finger down his chest. He stirs some, but stays asleep. Then, you carefully move on top of him, your large chest pressing against the hard, frontal plate of his shell. You press lazy, open-mouthed kisses to his collarbones and neck, eliciting a groan from him. "Morning, Raphael," you purr, grazing your teeth against his jaw. "Damn, Mila, you really know how to turn a turtle on," he grumbles, his voice thick and gravelly with sleep. Then, what you thought was just a part of his shell presses against the inside of your thigh. You move back, sitting up and on top of the bulge. "Ohhh, fuck," he groans, grabbing at your hips. You place your hands over his and start grinding on it, causing him to inhale sharply and bite his lip. "Get it out," you tell him. He complies, pulling it out from underneath the shell. It's fucking huge. You gulp. "Holy fuck, Raphael," you say, wrapping your hand around the base. "Probably shoulda mentioned that before, huh?" he snickers. You glare playfully at him, then bend down to get to work. You lick all the way up the shaft, then part your lips and swallow a few inches. He's not just long; he's thick, too. You're afraid to take any more of him into your mouth. Your body gives a pleasured shiver when your mind wanders further. You bob your head as far down as you can go, relaxing your gag reflex. What you can't get in your mouth is treated by your hand. You pause for a moment to move your multi-colored hair out of your face, making eye-contact as you slowly sink back down. He moans (fucking moans) and fists his hands in your hair. Here it comes. You brace yourself as he thrusts lightly into your mouth. Then he comes, and you swallow without thinking. Raphael gapes as you swallow it all. "Damn," he mutters. "When did you get so good at that?" You smile flirtatiously. "A long time ago," you purr playfully. He shrugs, leaning in to kiss you sweetly. "We should probably put some clothes on you before-" Loud footsteps sound outside, and Raphael pulls you under the covers. You giggle, wrapping the blanket around you above your breasts. Mikey flings the door open. "Raph! Mila! Brrreakfast!" he sings. "Does... Mila have a shirt on?" You blush. "Out, Mikey," Raphael says, annoyed. Mikey shrugs. "Whatever," he closes the door behind him. "Told you," Raphael says, exasperated. You giggle, crawling out from beneath the covers. You find your clothes strewn about the floor by the foot of the bed, bending over to pick them up. He lets out a low, appreciative whistle and you smirk. "Enjoying the show?" you ask coyly. "Mmmmhm," he drawls. "Enough to make me wanna get up and stop you from puttin' your clothes back on," "Stop," you say half-heartedly. "There's food out there, and coming four times last night has made me extremely hungry," "Alright, fine," he grumbles, standing and stretching. Then you're staring at him. He's visibly ripped, his biceps nearly the size of basketballs. Under that shell is probably the same; and jesus... his eyes... "Are you  enjoying the show?" he jokes. You nod, pulling him down into a slow, sweet kiss. He pulls away. "Stop, you're gonna make me pull you back to bed," he whines. "Alright, let's go," you say, grabbing his hand and leading him out his bedroom door. ------- Breakfast is... something else. There's everything from eggs, to potatoes, to pancakes. And every time you blink, more disappears. The turtles eat more than you could ever dream of fitting in your stomach, and you stare for a minute, an amused smile on your face. Then you fix yourself a plate and settle next to April. "Do they always eat like this?" you ask with a giggle. April nods in response, swallowing a mouthful of food. "Breakfast is usually the craziest meal of the day." Donnie looks up at you and April. "Mila," he starts, his mouth full. "We are going up topside today-" he swallows, "-to help April with some cleaning in her apartment," he tells you. "Do y'wanna come help?" You nod, taking a long swig of apple juice. "I'd love to," you reply, beaming at your new friend. She smiles back brightly, squeezing your arm. "Thanks," she says quietly. You nod and finish your food. ------- The rest of breakfast is uneventful, aside from Mikey cracking jokes, and Leonardo making sarcastic comments in return. You nearly choke on your food a couple of times, which has Mikey apologizing like a maniac. Cleanup afterwards is the same as the night before, and you find yourself helping Donnie doing the dishes. "Hey Donnie," you say. "What's up?" he replies. "Knock knock." He groans. "Who's there?" "Dishes." "Dishes who?" "Dishes a very bad joke." He snorts, then doubles over and laughs, causing you to erupt into a fit of giggles. Raphael walks in to hand Donnie another plate, then smiles genuinely when he sees the two of you all giggly. "Nerds," he mutters affectionately. You swat his arm playfully as Donnie finishes the last of the dishes. "Ready to go?" he asks, placing your hand on the small of your back. "Hell yeah," you reply. He smirks. "Let's head out," He takes your hand, leading you out of the kitchen and through a door into a foyer. There, Leo, Mikey, Casey, and April are waiting for the three of you, and you can't help but smile. You begin your journey through the tunnels, arriving at a ladder. Casey climbs first and lists the manhole cover to see if it's safe, then the seven of you are climbing up into an allyway. "Mila," Raphael says. You can barely utter an answer before you're in his arms, being flung up in the air. He jumped. He scales the wall in record time, and before you can register what happened, he's setting you down on a rooftop. You lay back, your head spinning. "I coulda done that," you say, trying to get a grip on your surroundings. "Sorry," he says, blushing. You sit up, feeling better. "Can you run?" Leo asks. "Can I run," you snort. "Do you not remember how we met?" Mikey snickers at the memory. "Dude, you fell so hard," he drawls. "I know," you reply with a giggle. "Alright, well, keep up as best as you can, if you can't go anymore, Raphael will carry you," Leo says, taking off. The rest follow suit, and you join them. Then, you're running and jumping across rooftops, and your bright green-and-purple hair is flailing behind you, and you've never felt so good. The wind caresses your face, fills your lungs, and you laugh excitedly. They do this all the time? How unfair! A few rooftops ahead you see Leo, Mikey, Donnie and April stopped, Casey joining them. You and Raphael arrive last. "Here we are!" April grins, starting for the fire escape. The seven of you drop down, and April opens a window. It's her room. "I'll be right back, guys, I'm gonna go tell my dad you're here." she says, slipping out the door. Donnie lays on her bed like he's done it a million times before, and Leo and Mikey follow suit, jumping on him playfully. Casey jumps on last, the four of them a huge pile of laughs. You opt for the chair in the corner, sitting with your ankles crossed. Raphael sits on the floor near your feet, laying his head on your leg. You rub his head and smile down at him fondly. April joins you once again. She takes one look at the mess on her bed and rolls her eyes. Then, she notices you and Raphael and smiles. "Alright, guys! Let's get to work!" she exclaims. The boys laugh and get off the bed, following her out her bedroom door. You and Raphael stand and follow. The apartment is two floors. The top floor holds her and her father's bedrooms and a bathroom, and the bottom floor is home to the living room, kitchen, dinner table, and a second bathroom. April sets up the turtles with cleaning the living room and kitchen, Casey with the bathrooms, and takes you upstairs to help clean her room. As soon as she shuts the door, it begins. "Tell me everything," she demands, that mischievous flair back in her system. You blush. "Everything?" you squeak. "Yeah," she says, as if it was something the two of you did on a regular basis. It was really starting to feel that way. "Um," you start, sitting in the chair again. "Well, that night we walked off - no wait, the day you caught us making out, he, uh, fingered me. He made me squirt," you gush. Her mouth falls open, her eyes alight with curiosity. "Go on!" And then that night, he did again, made me come four times, oh god he's so good  at it, April," you say, placing your hand over your chest dramatically. She squeals excitedly. "Four?! Damn!" You nod. "Then this morning, I blew him," you admit, then lean close and whisper, "He's fucking huge!" "How big?!" she asks. "Oh god, well over nine inches, at least. And he's thick, couldn't even fit half of him in my mouth!" April leans back. "Daaaamn!"  she drawls, high-fiving you. You grin. April obviously really likes you, and you like her enough already to tell her about your damn sex life. You'd never really had this kind of friend before. You spend another ten minutes or so talking about it, and then she tells you all the stuff she's gotten around to doing with Donnie. This girl is a freak. But then again, so are you. Before long, the two of you get up to clean, blaring upbeat songs and singing out of tune. You're vacuuming the rug and she's wiping a shelf when the turtles open the door and take in the two of you passionately singing a duet. The two of you turn to look at the boys, then back at each other, and then pull each other close and hold air microphones close to your lips. The song fades out with April holding you in a swooning position, and the boys burst into laughter as they applaud your performance. Then, a raunchier song that you know all too well begins to play, and you grin devilishly at Raphael. As the first verse begins, you saunter over to him, picking him from the doorway and slowly guiding him over to the bed, where you push him to sit on the edge. Then the chorus begins, and you mouth the words, straddling his lap with a harsh flip of your hair. You grind slightly in his lap, and he follows your hips with his hands, but as the second verse begins, you pull off of him and slip over to April, who follows your lead. The two of you dance terribly close, feeling each other up, and getting dangerously close to kissing. Your fingers tangle in her fiery red hair, pulling to expose her neck. You graze your lips on it, then pull away when the music for the bridge of the song fades in. You saunter over to the boys by the door, bushing up against all of them slightly, leaving them flustered. You finish the song by giving Raphael a thorough lap dance, and sinking to a split in the middle of the floor. The entire room erupts into cheers, and Raphael whistles. April hugs you, then pulls away, searching your face with her eyes. "Mila," she breathes. "You have  to teach me how to dance like that," she says. "I swear, I thought you were gonna kiss me!" "I woulda drawn the line there," Raphael interjects. "Those lips are mine." You grin at him, leaning over to kiss him on the head. Leonardo clears his throat. "We should probably get going now," he suggests. Everyone complies, and then you're all leaving the way you came.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You turn to start running and glance down at the street. You're feeling good again, wind in your hair, and- Something catches your eye that has you stopping short. Or rather, someone. You crumble to your knees, tears clouding your vision. "Mila?!" the voice is distant. "Guys!" All you see is her. Your breathing becomes rapid and anxious. You're vaguely aware of Raphael turning you to look at him. You hear his voice; it's muffled. You see his lips move but you can't make out the question. "Take me home," you whisper. ------- You don't remember how you got this way, but you find yourself in Raphael's arms on his bed. Your breathing has slowed considerably, but you're still crying. "Mila?" he calls softly. "Yeah," you murmur. "What happened?" "I don't want to talk about it." He doesn't press any further. You just sigh as he strokes your hair. Why you, of all people? ------- You feel detached the rest of the day. You hide out in the bathroom, crying in the corner. She shouldn't be here, in the city of all places. She never even liked the city! You feel your body go numb, and you curl up even tighter and sob. ------- You skip dinner and opt for laying on Raphael's bed. There's a knock on the door. "Mila?" he calls quietly. He slips inside and shuts the door, and a few moments later you feel him climb onto the bed. You turn to him. You know what he's going to ask. "You haven't eaten all day... What happened today on the roof of that building..?" "I ran away," you whisper. "What?" he asks, confused. "My mother used to hit me... Abuse me. My father sexually harassed me. At one point... I... did things for money. I was kidnapped at fourteen and forced into human trafficking. I escaped after a couple of years." you're barely above a whisper now. "I saw my mother while looking down at the street." Raphael's eyes are wide with fear, emotion... and anger. "I'll kill everyone that hurt you," he snarls. Then the pieces fall into place. "That's why you were so good at..." You nod. "Yeah." He hugs you tightly. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that," he whispers. Then you feel him start to shake. He's crying. Over you. And then you're crying too. ------- You must've slept all the way through the night, because when you open your eyes, there's bright sunlight flooding the room. And you're alone in Raphael's bed. You glance at the clock. Noon?! You feel disgusting. You've been here a couple of days, wearing the same clothes. You make your first mission of the day finding April. Rolling out of bed, you yawn and wipe your face. Oh god, your makeup is probably everywhere. You walk out into the living room, finding April on the couch. "April," you breathe, walking over to hug her. "Mila! Welcome back to the land of the living," she jokes, hugging you tightly in return. "Hey. I need to borrow some clothes, a towel, a hairbrush... and if you've got a spare toothbrush," you grin sheepishly. April nods. "Got you covered." She takes you into the room she has designated for herself, and she lets you pick out an outfit, then she gives you a brand new toothbrush, a hair brush, and a fresh towel. You lock yourself in the bathroom, turning on the shower. Then you step over to the sink. You take time to wipe all the makeup off of your face, scrubbing gently. Then you strip carefully and step under the hot spray. The warm water washes you clean of the past few day's events, and you sigh. You wash your hair thoroughly, then your body, and you take a couple of minutes to just unwind under the water. Then, you turn off the faucet and wrap the towel snugly around your torso. You dry off and slip into April's clothes; light gray sweatpants, a navy blue t-shirt, and some socks. You clean your ears, looking over at your reflection in the mirror. Your green-purple hair hangs on your left side, still damp, and you rub the shaved side of your head. You consider applying more makeup, but you decide fuck it, exiting the bathroom. April takes your clothes and adds them to the laundry, and you find everyone else in the kitchen. "Morning," you murmur. "Morning, Mila," they all reply. You walk over to Raphael and kiss him sweetly, leaning back against his chest. He wraps his arms around you, hugging you lightly. He plants a kiss on your head, resting his lips there for a moment before speaking. "You smell good," he comments, causing you to giggle. "Thank you," you say. ------- After breakfast, Raphael helps you herd everyone into the living room. "Okay," you begin, exhaling nervously. "I need you all to know that I have been through a lot in the last chunk of my life. I have a lot of baggage. But I also need you to know that I've felt more love and acceptance here with you guys in the last few days than I've ever felt in my life. And I've decided; I'd like to live here, with you all." A huge grin breaks across several faces, and then you're being hugged by everyone. Then Splinter speaks. "Are you sure?" his tone is calculated, precise. "Do you not have anyone who is looking for you?" You swallow and clear your throat. "No," you say carefully. "I've been on my own for a while." He nods, understanding. Everyone is looking at you in confusion. "Some other time," you say, and they disperse. ------- The next week and a half passes in a blur. The turtles, Casey and April travel back and forth to your... shitty apartment with you, loading up all your clothes, possessions, and important furniture. They move you to a spare bedroom (it wasn't really a spare, it used to be a storage room), which is spacious and full of light. They get you fully set up by the end of the second week, and push all the furniture to the middle of the room. Casey and April go out an buy paint, and then your room is a beautiful light lavender. They throw a darker purple fluffy throw rug on the floor, and your room is complete. Raphael walks in on you arranging your art supplies. "You draw?" he asks. "Sometimes," you admit, glancing at him. "I mostly paint." He walks up behind you, wrapping his arms around your middle. "Impressive. Gonna paint for me sometime?" he muses. "If you want to watch, sure," you say, leaning your head against his. You stand in comfortable silence for a few more minutes. You turn in his arms and cup his face in your hands. Then you lean up and kiss him, slowly and passionately. He kisses you back, holding you closer to him.  When you pull apart, you rest your forehead against his, closing your eyes contentedly. "It's scary how much I care abut you," he says after a moment. "Same here," you reply. Then his lips are back on yours, more urgent and needy. He pulls away quickly to lock your door, and you grin. He pushes you to your bed, laying you down. He's more gentle now, hovering over you instead of getting on top of you in case you want to stop. "Raphael," you whine quietly as he grinds on you slightly. You feel his bulge twitch, and you shiver. "Are we going to...?" "Only if you  want to," he says considerately. You nod. "I do," He nods in return, grinding his hips between yours once more. He lifts your shirt over your head and gets your jeans down, and you're left in your underwear. Then your bra is on the floor, and he's pressed up against your underwear. He leans down and pulls them off with his teeth, and as he comes back up he licks your clit. Then he guides himself to your entrance, pressing lightly. "Are you ready?" he asks quietly. You blush and nod, gripping the sheets. He presses inside, and boy do you feel full. He is huge. "Holy shit, Raph, you're enormous," you gasp. He chuckles darkly. "Sorry," he whispers in your ear. He pushes further, almost in. "I'm almost there. Sit tight," he kisses your neck gently. You nearly squeal as his hips meet yours. "Fuck," you gasp. "Are you okay?" he asks, alarmed. You nod. "Perfect," you reply, breathless. He presses his lips against yours, kissing you passionately. Without warning, he starts moving his hips slowly. You moan into his mouth, whining and dragging your fingernails down his biceps. You break the kiss to gasp and pant, your body becoming tight with pleasure. "R... Raph..." you gasp, your eyes tearing in intense pleasure. "Mila, oh fuck, you're so famn tight," he groans, thrusting languidly. You wrap your legs around his hips, pulling him in deeper. "Oh my god, Raphael, you feel so good," you moan, panting. "Mila, I'm gettin' a little close... Ah.. f-fuck.." His thrusts become rapid and needy, and you try not to scream. You clench around him, tipping over the edge and falling into the most intense orgasm you've ever had. He follows suit, pulling out and coming on your stomach. You feel, well... Empty. And awkward. And amazing. "Raphael... I... Wow..." you say softly. He hands you a paper towel, and you wipe the spunk off of your stomach as he lays next to you. He places his hand on your stomach. "Mila," he says softly. There's that tone that makes you weak in the knees again. "Your body is perfect. Your personality is perfect. Everything about you is perfect, and damn if I've never cared about anyone this much. I mean, like, ever. My family is an exception, but, you know what I mean. It's... I think it's safe to say..." he hesitates. You hold your breath. "I think it's safe to say I love you." You burst into tears and smash your lips against his, kissing him fiercely and passionately. "I love you, too," you breathe when you pull away. ------- When you finally get back to arranging your things, he's laying on your bed, and you're flitting around in a sport's bra and men's shorts. You stand back and gaze at the empty lavender walls. "What is it?" Raphael asks. "Hm." you start, crossing your arms over your torso. "I think these walls look a little... Empty." His face lights up. "You gonna paint on 'em?" You nod. "Definitely. Some work on these walls might make it feel less... like..." you pause. He was the only one out of your new family who you've told. About your life before. Not everything, but most of it. He sits up. "Mila, I'm so sorry," he says quietly, standing up and stepping towards you. You sink to your knees. You're numb again. You hate feeling this way. Thoughts from your childhood... From when you were a part of that evil system... They flood your head like a dam was broken. When did Raphael get on the floor with you? Why is your hand wet? Oh, you're crying now. Wordless cries escape your mouth as tears stream down your face. His arms are around you now. He's crying too. "I'm so sorry, Mila," he says again. "I'm so, so sorry." "I'm okay now," you whisper. "I'm okay now, I'm okay now..." like a mantra. He's sobbing into your shoulder. You know he feels helpless. There's so much about you that he doesn't know... Would he still be here crying with you if he... did?

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Later you're on the couch with him, Casey, and Mikey. Raphael held you through your episode and made you hot chocolate. For a turtle, he made some damn good hot chocolate. You had told him that, and he had given you a half-hearted glare in response. The four of you are watching The Interview, a stupid, funny movie about some tv showhost that gets to interview the leader of North Korea. It's funny, but you aren't really paying attention. You're focusing on him rubbing circles on the small of your back. You've tucked your head under his chin, but every now and again, you reach up and kiss his jaw. You really love these guys, and it's been a couple of months since you've met them. Only a little less than two. "I have to pee," you tell Raphael. He's hesitant to let you go. "I'll be fine," you assure him. You stand and press a kiss to his forehead. You head for the bathroom, but when you're sure they can't see you, you veer off towards the kitchen. Ever since this afternoon, Raph wanted to... do  everything for you. You knew if you told him you were actually a little thirsty and in the mood for a snack, he would've gotten it for you. Splinter meets you in there. "Hello," he greets you in that slow, deep voice of his. "Oh, good evening, Splinter," you reply, turning towards the fridge. "Is everything alright, child?" he asks carefully. You look up at him, then glance away, contemplating. You sigh. "It's just... Well... Raphael knows a lot about me already, and he knows a lot about my past. And I broke down a little today, and he's been... hovering. He wants to do everything for me. I know he means well, but... I don't need a babysitter. I've been dealing with this for years... I can handle myself." Splinter smiles warmly at you. "My son cares for you greatly." he says, chuckling to himself. "He knows you have been through a lot in your life and only wants what's best for you." You smile in return. "I.. guess... I'm just scared he's gonna dig himself a hole he can't... climb out of. There's still a lot about me he doesn't know." Splinter nods his head in thought. "It will pass once he realizes you are okay." You nod, an understanding smile on your face. You finish your kitchen hunt, heading back to the living room with a bottle of water and a couple of granola bars. Realization crosses Raphael's features when you sit back down. "Mila, what - I could've gotten it for you," he says sincerely. You kiss his cheek. "I know, but hun, you have to let me do these simple things on my own, okay? I can handle this, I've been dealing with it for years. I'm fine, I promise," He sighs. "Alright, but I'm still here to help, okay?" You nod. Then your smile turns coy. "I know a couple ways you can help..." He grins. ------- Your room is still a mess, so you ended up in his room. The two of you are laying on his bed, practically glowing. You've pulled the covers up to your armpits, and his hand is resting on your stomach. The expression on his face is solemn; he looks lost in thought. You lift your hand to his cheek and rub it with your thumb. "Raph?" "Hm," he grunts. "Whatcha thinkin' about, hun?" you ask softly. He chuckles quietly at the nickname, then scans your face with his eyes. "Before I ask this question," he begins after a moment. "I want you to know that I think every part of your body is absolutely beautiful." You smile and nod. "Ask," you say. He sighs. "Where did you get those stretch marks? On your stomach and hips?" You swallow. "Oh," is all you can say. "You don't have to tell me, I'm just curious," he says quickly. You look away. "I don't know if I can tell you that, ever," you say, just loud enough for him to hear. He presses a sweet kiss to your cheek. "I'll never pressure you to tell me anything." ------- Later on in the kitchen, after you've gone up to the surface, Raphael sits in the kitchen with Donatello. "Donnie, do you know how hard  it is to do this 'amazing bofriend' stuff? I want to know everything  about her, but I can't make her tell  me anything!" Donnie rolls his eyes. "Dude, she'll tell you when she's ready, just leave it alone," he says, placing a dish on the drying rack. "But here's the thing, she said she could never  tell me! Does that mean something? Is that.. bad?" "Raph, if she doesn't wanna tell you, ever, that's probably what that means," Donnie says, his voice dripping with annoyance. "How do you and April do it?" Raphael asks. Donnie turns to face his brother. "Raph, April and Mila are very different," he says. "Mila's had a tough life. You're lucky she's still alive. With the way things have gone for her, she could've taken her own life years ago. She's probably never  opened up to anyone the way she's opened up to you." "There's still so much about her I don't know," "And sometimes that's a good thing!" Donnie exclaims. "It's not how every relationship works, knowing everything about each other. It's good to have a little mystery. It allows you to have more 'firsts' with each other. So leave it be." Raphael sighs and rests his chin in his palm, processing Donnie's words. "...Yeah," he says after a moment. "Thanks, dude." ------- You're sketching a mural on your wall when he knocks. "Come in!" you call, standing back to admire your work. It's a beautiful collage of roses, thorns, and flowers, along with butterflies and the bottom half of a face. Her hands are near her face, visibly caressing the flowers, birds, and butterflies that surround her. Raphael steps into the room. Before he gets out what he wanted to say, his words die in his throat. He stares at the wall in awe. "Wow," he breathes. "Babe, that's amazing. Anyway," he continues as you turn to him. "I'm sorry for being clingy and hovering today. It's just... I want to be there for you... I don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me," he says. You nod, stepping close to him, rapping your arms around his neck. His hands find their place on your waist, and you press your lips to his softly. "It's okay," you tell him when you pull away. He smiles down at you, then looks back at the wall. "Mila, that really is amazing," he repeats. You blush. "It's not that great," you say, looking away. He locks your eyes with his, guiding your face back to where it was. "It is," he insists passionately. You feel more heat creep up the back of your neck. "I'd like to finish it," you joke after a moment. He chuckles and lets you go, then heads over to your bed. You smile warmly at him and plug in your phone, and soft French music fills the room. Uncapping black paint, you grab a thin, details brush from your desk and use it to stir the inky black substance. The you scrape the excess off the side and place the paint on your desk. You step towards the wall and lean in close, beginning to follow the sketched lines on the wall. You sing some of the words softly as you glide the brush along the wall. Raphael stirs behind you, but you think nothing of it as you continue. Time passes pleasantly quick, and you finish lining the entire thing in black paint. You step back, placing the brush in the black paint and wiping your hands on your old pants. You go to turn around to ask Raphael a question, but he's snoring. You cross the room and plant a kiss on his cheek. His phone is in his hand. You go to place it on the night stand and find his camera open. You click on the photo icon in the corner, and find he had taken a video of you. Your face flushes red as a goofy grin spreads across your features. ------ You pour hot water into a mug then slide a tea bag into the water. You hear padded footsteps approach. It's Leonardo. After living with the turtles and Splinter for a while, you've learned how to differentiate between footfalls. Splinter you can never really hear until he's close. Leonardo's are similar but not quite as practiced. Mikey's are loud and sound more like stomping. Raph's feet scuff against the floor (he's the only one), and Donnie's have a small slap to them. He has flatter feet. Casey's are loud like Mikey's, but sound a little.. smaller. And April's sound like yours. "Hey, Leo," you say without turning. "Hi, Mila. Jeez, it's like you're psychic." he jokes. "Or I just have impressive hearing," you say with a laugh. He chuckles. "Or that. Hey, where's Raph?" he asks. "Asleep in my room. Fell asleep watching me paint," you say dreamily. "You guys are so lovey-dovey it makes me want to vomit," he laughs, nudging your shoulder. You smile up at him. "You're kinda like the older brother that actually loves me," you kid. He gives you a confused look. "I used to have an older brother. Hated me. You, DOn, and Mikey have filled that role." He throws an arm around your shoulders and hugs you close, messing up your hair. "Thanks," he says. "Hey, I'm only tellin' the truth." you reply. After a bit of horseplay, he leaves you to making your tea, and you're left with a smile. Boy do you really love your new family.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It's almost nine when you decide to go out. You're tugging on your shoes when April approaches you. "It's kinda late," she says. "I'll be fine," you reply. "Do you want me to go with you?" "No, I have a couple of things in mind." She gives you a skeptical look. "Nothing bad, I promise" you say, rolling your eyes. She sighs. "Oh," you say. "Don't tell anyone. That I'm going out. In fact, forget this happened. Like I said, I have some things in mind." "Fine, call me if you need anything. You nod, hug her goodbye, and head out. ------- It's a quarter after eleven when Raphael wakes up. He rubs his eyes. "Where's m'phone..?" he grumbles, then spots it on the nightstand. You left him a text. 'Thanks for taking a video. Hope you don't mind, I took a pic of you sleeping ;)' Attached to the text is the picture. Damn. Raphael blushes. "I hope she didn't show no one," he murmurs. He texts back, 'thanks. youre the best.' Then he adds a laughing emoji. Then he rolls out of the bed and wanders into the main room. He hears voices in the kitchen. "Hey," me mumbles, scanning the room. "Where's Mila?" "She went out, but didn't tell anyone where," April says, popping a chip into her mouth. Raphael digests the information. "When did she leave?" "Around nine," April speaks up again. "Did she say what time she'd be back?" Raphael asks. April shakes her head. Raphael steps out of the room. He opens his phone and dials your number, lifting the phone to his ear. Voicemail. You're probably busy, considering you hadn't told any of you where you were going. But he still can't shake the bad feeling he has. He'll let is sit a while. It'll be fine. Fine. ------- It's 12:30. You still aren't home. You aren't answering your phone. Or answering your texts. "Leo!" Raph calls, finding him in the kitchen. "She's still not back?" he asks. Raph shakes his head. "Not answering, either. Dude, I gotta bad feeling, we have to find her," Leo nods, and within six minutes, the six of them are making their way to the surface. ------- As they sprint across the op of the city, Donatello uses his phone to track yours. He comes to a halt. "This can't be right," he says. Raphael nearly slips and falls trying to turn around. "What is it?" he asks, jogging over. "You know that apartment building no one uses anymore?" "The one they're gonna knock down?" Leo chimes in. Donnie nods. "It says she's there, but-" Raphael's eyes widen. "She's in trouble," he says. "Don, your thing is always  right! Why else would she be in an abandoned  apartment building?! We have to go!" He takes off, and Leo nods after him, sprinting after his brother. The rest follow. Raphael's heart pounds in fury. He hopes with everything he has that you're okay. ------- You're not.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They arrive at the apartment building, and drop down to street level to enter through the back. The six of them sneak their way into the dusty, crumbling lobby. The furniture is falling apart under plastic covers, and there are mice, bugs, and cobwebs. It's musty and dark, and they can't see too much. April breaks out a small flashlight, providing enough light for them to see where they step. The lobby opens up into a stairwell, and a mahogany desk sits, collecting dust, near the boarded up front door. "She could be on any floor," Leo says, sounding defeated. "We have to look, Leo," Raphael says, desperate. Leo sighs. "There are six of us," he says. "Donnie, how many floors?" Donnie places his finger on his chin. "Probably... twenty. Maybe more." Leo nods. "Alright, Casey, April, you two take the bottom floors and keep an eye out for cops or anyone who wanders in. Mikey, Donnie, start from floor seven. And all of you, keep working your way up, even after you search your designated floors. We need to double-check everything. Raph and I will take it from the top and head down. Ring if you need help, you're all more than capable. Leave no door unopened." The building is hollow all the way up, so April and Casey start for the stairs, and the turtles scale the inside. There are twenty-one floors. Leo and Raphael explore the top floor precisely and quickly, and nothing. They move downwards floor by floor, and everyone moves upwards until they hear a loud noise and Mikey's scream. ------- Donnie and Mikey are on the fifteenth floor. Mikey opens a door to an apartment quietly, sneaking inside. Bingo. He sees a man washing his hands in the kitchen. He motions for Donnie to find Mila, and he sneaks up behind the guy, locking him in a choke hold. The man yells, trying to elbow Michelangelo. His hand flies up and he hits the turtle right in the nose, and he stumbles across the room and reaches for a knife. Mikey reaches for his nunchucks, and the guy charges, swinging blindly in the dark. Mikey does his best to dodge, but ends up getting sliced along his right bicep. "Ow!"  he yells, then trips the guy and knocks him out with a hard strike to his head. He makes quick work of tying him up, then rips a piece of cloth and ties it around his mouth to act as a gag. Then, he heads off to find Donnie, and you. ------- Donnie finds you tied to the bed. He knows he shouldn't look at you while you're like this, but he needs to untie you. You lay unconscious and nude on the bed. Donnie reaches for his phone, quickly dialing April's number. "Did you find her?!" "Yeah," he swallows, looking away. "Raph and Leo are probably on their way. Get up here. Floor 15." Everyone meets in the small apartment, and Raph comes running in. He finds you on the bed, and his heart drops. "April," he calls hoarsely. The redhead joins him, and he directs her to find your clothes while he unties you. He covers you with the old sheet still on the bed. You're bleeding in several places, and your wrists, face, and torso are bruising. He's forced to look for damage... down there. There's blood and his... spunk  leaking from you, and he feels sick. He checks your rear and finds tearing and more blood. There are tears streaming down his face. There are full strands of hair on the pillow, and your lips are swollen and red. "Oh god," he whispers, holding you close. He presses his lips gently to your forehead. "Mila? Can you hear me?" You stir, and your eyes flutter open. "Raph," you croak, your throat feels dry and hoarse. "Mila, what happened to you?" he whispers. It isn't really a question, he's just upset. Upset he wasn't there to save you. Upset that he let this happen. Upset that it happened to you. "He..." you start. "Shhh," he says. "You're okay now. I won't ever let anyone hurt you again. Casey," he calls. Casey peeks his his head into the room. "Casey, I need you and April to take Mila to the hospital. She's bleeding, and hurt," Casey nods. Raphael presses one last kiss to your head, then hands you over to Casey. "Raph," you croak again. He's at your side in an instant. "Yeah?" "Come... hospital..." Then he's crying again. "Baby, I'm a six-foot turtle," his voice cracks. "I can't, I wish I could," There are tears running down your face. "Just get rest," he tells you, kissing your cheek. Casey carries you out, and him and April bring you to the hospital. ------- Everything is a blur of white and movement. Voices are muffled; distant. Your body aches, and you can't move. You feel pressure on your arms. "Ow," you say quietly. You hear something close to, "just an IV", and you try to blink. They probably sedated you. "Raphael," you try. Oh, right, the one person who can't be here. "Casey... April..." you try again. The voices are getting clearer. "Sweetie, you need to sleep," a nurse tells you. You close your eyes and black out. ------- When you wake again, you feel like you're caught in the middle of a severe hangover. Your head is pounding, and your ass and stomach are on fire. Then, memories from last night come flooding back. "Oh, fuck,"  you whisper, hugging yourself. You glance around rapidly,and discover the call button on the side of the bed. You press it as many times as possible. After a few moments, a nurse stumbles into the room. She has shoulder-length dark hair, and bright blue eyes. She's average height, and beautifully curvy. Her nails are painted navy blue,and her face is pinched with worry. "What's the matter, hun?" she asks, stepping over to the bed. "Where are April and Casey?" you ask quietly. "They went to get something to eat, they'll be back soon." she tells you. You think for a moment. "Can I ask a favor?" She nods and smiles warmly. "This is gonna sound crazy, but can I please get some people who are important to me in here? They can't go out because of the way they look, but I really want to see them," you say. The nurse thinks for a moment, then nods. "You're lucky I'm really nice," she kids. "Who are these friends of yours?" "If you give me my phone, I can show you." you tell her. She nods, reaching into your bag and fishing out your phone. When you get it from her, you open up your camera roll and hesitate. "Promise, no - swear  you won't tell anyone," you say sternly. The nurse nods. You show her your phone. She looks confused... and.. curious? "What... what are they?" she asks. "They're human-sized, genetically mutated turtles. And that one in the red... he's my boyfriend." The nurse nods. "Okay, I can get them in. Tonight, during a security guard position switch." You nod. "Can you call him for me, though? My head is pounding," you say. The nurse smiles and nods, taking your phone and dialing.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Raphael picks up after a few rings. "Hello?" "Uh, hi," the nurse says hesitantly. "This is nurse Mary from the hospital, Mila-" "How is she?!" you hear him exclaim. "She's awake, she asked me to call-" "Can I talk to her?" "No, she has a concussion, she can't use the phone. She asked me to call you," Mary says. "What does she need? I can send April and Casey-" "She asked me to smuggle you guys in tonight," Mary tell him. He's silent for a second. "You... know about us?" "I do. She wants to see you all tonight, so I'm gonna sneak you in." Mary winks at you and you smile. You can practically hear the smile in Raphael's voice. "Thank you, thank you so much," Then Mary makes plans with Donatello to get them in later on. ------- It's almost time. Mary stayed with you most of the day which you're thankful for. She slips out of the room to go downstairs. You sigh and hope this works. ------- The turtles and Splinter gather in the rear of the hospital, waiting patiently for the nurse to let them inside. Then, the door opens, and they're greeted by a dark-haired woman. "I'm Mary," she says, then motions for them to go inside. "Follow me." The five of them filter in behind her, and she leads them to an emergency stairwell that stays normally vacant. They all sprint up the stairs to the third floor, and down the dark, quiet hall to your room All of them filter into your room, and April and Casey arrive last. ------- You sit up excitedly when you hear footsteps approaching your room. The first one inside is, of course, Raphael. He crosses the room quickly, leaning down to press a soft, passionate kiss to your lips. He hugs you carefully. "Oh my god, I'm so glad you're okay," he murmurs. Mikey slides him a chair and he sits next to your bed, taking your hand and holding it. The room is filled with soft chatter and laughs, and you almost forget about what happened. Mikey ends up cross-legged at the foot of your bed, shaking the bed whenever he laughs. April lays next to you, half over you, half on the bed. Donnie, Leo, Casey and Splinter pull up chairs, and Mary sits right next to Mikey at the end of your bed. The turtles make easy conversation with her,and after a certain amount of time you can tell that Mikey is into her. Raphael never lets go of your hand. You're surprised there are no noise complaints before they leave. Before you know it, it's late, and Mary has to sneak them back out. Raphael kisses you softly one more time, and they're gone. ------- The following day, you're released, giving a sad, heartfelt goodbye to Mary, and offer her to come over to the lair sometime. She nods excitedly and you exchange numbers. April meets you out by the van with Casey, and because you can't walk for the time being, they lift you from your wheelchair and into the backseat. Raphael and his brothers are overjoyed when you arrive back home. After everyone says their hellos, Raph brings you to your room. He's quiet. "I'm so, so, sorry, baby," he says, taking hold of your hand. You stare down at your lap, solemn. "It wasn't your fault, it's mine. I'm so stupid.. I shouldn't have gone out by myself, I-" "Stop,"  he says gently, and your words die in your throat. "Don't beat yourself up. We didn't know it was gonna happen." You feel tears gather in your eyes. "Do you think you can tell me what happened?" he asks quietly. You nod.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The reason you had gone out was because you had money burning a hole in your purse, and you really wanted to show your new family how thankful you were for them. You had gone to several stores, picking out things for everyone; an old, mint condition comic book for Mikey, a brand new bat for Casey, some exotic tea for Splinter, a CD from April's favorite band, a beautiful Japanese painting for Leonardo, an extreme Rubik's cube for Donatello, and you had just bought some old-fashioned throwing knives for Raphael. You were heading home, and a guy started following you. "Uh, hey, excuse me, miss!" he had called. "Yes," you had answered, but you kept walking. "Do you need any help?" he asked, catching up with you. "No," you had said, keeping your pace. "Are you sure? I could give you a ride, I have a taxi," he told you. You had paused. "You do?" Maybe you had been wrong about him. "Alright," you had said hesitantly. He actually did have a taxi. He advised you to put your things in the front seat, and the last thing you remember at that moment was opening the backseat door. When you came to, you were tied to a ratty old bed, and you couldn't move. Your body was starting to go into panic mode, and you wriggled your legs to try to get them free. Then he walked in. "So gullible," he had said. "I didn't even have to drug  you." You didn't say anything. "Nothing, huh? That'll change." he had climbed onto the bed with you. You did your best to inch away from him. He reached to touch your body, and you flinched. You were not letting this happen without a fight. This was not who you were anymore. "Ooooh, fiesty, are we?" he said. You narrowed your eyes. He ran his hands up your body, settled them on your breasts and gave them a firm squeeze. You looked away, disgusted. Then he pulled your shirt up over your head, but not without you making it difficult. "Stop  being so damn resilient," he had snarled. "Eat shit," you spat back. Then, he slapped you hard across the face, stunning you into silence. He reached up and yanked your hair, leaning in close to your ear. "Try that again and I'll use a fucking knife." He let you go with a harsh shove of your head. "Burn in hell, you fucking jackass," you replied, spitting in his face. He punched you then, square in the jaw. He ripped your bra from your body and pulled down your jeans, and you squeezed your thighs together. He tried to pull at your underwear, but you were fighting. You kept moving your legs, and then, your left foot was free. You moved on impules and kicked him in the chest as hard as you could. You heard a loud crack, and he fell backwards off of the bed. A string of loud curses fell from his lips. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to watch your mouth around a lady?" you yelled. He growled, standing. He pulled a knife from his pocket, flipping it open. He sauntered towards the bed angrily, and you kicked your foot repeatedly in the air. He grabbed your ankle, restraining you from kicking anymore. You yelped when he squeezed too tight. "Stop! No! Stop it!" you yelled, and a malicious smile grew on his face. "Yeah scream, no one is going to hear  you," he growled. He was sick  and scary and you felt so certain that he was going to kill you. Somewhere in the mess he got your underwear off and threw them to the floor. You kept your thighs together as best as you could. He managed to stick his hand between your legs and wrench them open. "No, stop! HELP!"  you began sobbing. You screamed and cried as he undid the fly on his pants. He pressed into you and you screamed. "Stop, stop, stop stop stop! Stop, please!"  you were screaming and your cheeks and ears were wet with tears. You wished you had never gone out. He thrusted in and out of you harshly, but it was all dry, uncomfortable friction and it was painful.  Then after he came inside of you, he leaned down and pressed the knife to your hip. Your breath caught in your throat and your throat and your heart pounded in your ears, and then there was pain and you were screaming again. "Stop! STOP!"  you knew he wasn't going to. He slapped the fresh wound as hard as he could. He lifted your limp legs and sliced clean across your left thigh. Once. Twice. Three times. Four. You couldn't even hear yourself scream anymore. Then he wedged himself back between your legs. You weren't prepared for what came next. Not back in the same hole. The other one. Oh did that fucking hurt. There was no lubrication, and it was a very tight place. You could feel the skin tearing, and you were grabbing the ropes around your wrists so hard, you could feel blood drip down your arms. Your arms were sore from being up in the same position for so long, and he was working on slicing open your other hip. His hand was in your hair, tugging violently as you cried and took it. It was all you could do. He came a second time and pulled out, cutting your thigh a couple more times to hear you scream. Your throat had started hurting immensely, and you knew you were going to have bruises where he had hit and grabbed at you. You felt yourself slipping under, and your vision faded to black. The next thing you remembered was being moved again. You prepared to try and fight, but a familiar voice had caught your attention. "Raph?" you had croaked. And that was the last  thing you remembered. ------- Raphael takes your story in silently. "wow," he whispers. "I'm so, so sorry," he says again. "Wasn't your fault," you repeat. "I can't even imagine," he says. "You don't want to." you reply. There's silence. "There's uh..." you begin quietly. "There's a chance that I could, well... He..." Raphael listens patiently. "It's okay, I'm here," You think. Is he ready for this? Are you  ready for this? "You might be mad at me, but-" "Baby, what could possibly make me mad at you at a time like this?" Tears sting at the corners of your eyes. You look up at him. His green eyes search your face expectantly. How can you even think about telling him this? "We've only been together for a couple of months, and if I tell you this you might not want to be with me anymore... Even I'm not ready, and I don't know if I can handle-" "Mila," he insists gently. "I'm not gonna run away, no matter what." You bite your lip. "He might've... gotten me pregnant," you whisper. His mouth falls open. "Baby," he says. "I want to keep it if I am but I don't even work and you probably don't want to be a father-" "Hey," he says quietly. "If you want to keep the baby, I'm not going to run." You look up at him. "Really?" you whisper. He nods, a gentle smile on his lips. You leap up and hug him, despite your body screaming in pain. "Thank you," you sob. "I don't think I could handle an abortion..." you say when you pull away. He rubs your biceps. "I could never ask you to do something like that," he says. You wipe your tears. "How did I get so lucky?" you ask. He gives you a confused look. "I'm such a bad person, I've done so many shitty and terrible things, and I ended up with the best possible guy," you say, shaking your head in disbelief. "You're not a bad person," he chuckles. "I don't know much about what you've had to do in your life, but I'm sure you had your reasons. And it doesn't define you. I wouldn't want you any other way." This brings on another wave of tears and emotion, and he just holds you for a while. "At first," you start. "I didn't think anything of this painting and what it could mean. Now, I have to finish it." He kisses your cheek proudly. "I know you can finish it." Raph helps you get up and over to your wall, and you get to work.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You work for hours, minus rest and bathroom breaks. Towards the end you're breathless on shaky legs, but with a final few strokes of your paintbrush, your work is done. You sit back begrudgingly in your wheelchair and admire your work. Raphael places his hands on your shoulders, giving a light squeeze. He's such a huge, rough guy, how does he manage to be so gentle? You smile. "I want to get your brothers in here to see it, they don't know what it looks like." Raphael nods, heading towards the door and slipping out into the hall. A few moments later you hear everyone's voices, and then everyone is bustling into your room. You turn in your wheelchair. "Everyone, when I started this, I didn't expect it to have meaning. But now, it's representative of what I've just gone through. And," you hesitate, glancing at Raphael. "I may be pregnant, and I've decided to keep it if I am." The room falls silent. "Mila, that's great!"  April exclaims bounding forwards to hug you. The room erupts into a chorus of congratulations and compliments on your painting. You couldn't have asked for a better family. ------- Leonardo claps Raphael on the shoulder. "Hey dude, can I talk to you in the hall?" Raphael nods, leading the way out the door. The blue-clad turtle pulls the door shut behind him. "Raph, are you ready for this? Mila is going to have a baby," Leonardo says quietly. Raphael grins. "No, I'm not ready, at all. But Leo, I'm pretty sure I'm in love with this girl, and I don't plan on leavin' her. She's been through a lot and she was just raped. She needs me now more than ever, even if she won't admit it. And, not only that, but... I need her. At this point, I really do." The elder of the two sighs, a gentle smile in his lips. "Well, if that's how you feel, I'm sure you'll make an awesome father." Raphael pulls his brother into a bear hug, causing him to grunt. "Geez, Raph, you could've-" "Thanks, bro." "...You're welcome." ------- The next couple of month pass relatively quickly. You found out that you are, in fact, pregnant, and you were allowed to keep the baby. So now, you're at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy, and physical therapy with Splinter has gone increasingly well. How far along you are doesn't hit you until one day. You go to put on one of your favorite shirts, and it feels... pretty snug. Looking down, you're starting to show a bump and you can finally see it. "Raph! Raphael!" you shout, looking in the mirror excitedly. He comes running in. "What? What, are you okay?" You reach for him. "Look," you say quietly. He steps over and you lift your shirt, revealing your belly. "I'm showing now," you say. His eyes widen as he sinks carefully to his knees. He presses a hand to your stomach softly. "Wow," he breathes, looking up at you. Then, he does something that makes your heart ache and your eyes burn with tears. He leans in and presses his lips to your stomach. "I love you," you practically blurt out. He looks up with a smile. "I love you, too." ------- After a couple more months, your stomach is much bigger, and you swear you can feel movement sometimes. Raphael talks to your belly every day now, kisses it, even rubs it. It makes you want to cry tears of joy every time. He's so committed, it makes your chest ache. One night, when he's talking to your belly, you pretend to fall asleep to see what he does. As soon as he thinks you've drifted off, he starts to hum. You nearly melt. You open your eyes and watch him, your gaze full of love and affection. He eventually catches a glimpse of you and stops, his face turning a deep crimson. "Don't stop, I love it," you murmur, rubbing his head. He smiles sheepishly and continues to hum, and you end up falling asleep for real. ------- He continues to hum whenever he talks to your belly. Then, one day, he says something that catches you off-guard. You eyes are closed, and you're drifting off, when... "...and we don't even know if you're a boy or a girl," he says quietly. You open your eyes. "Oh my god, babe, you're right," you agree. "We have no clue if this baby is gonna be a boy or a girl." He looks up at you, his eyes alight with an idea. "I know what we can do." ------- You drum your fingers on the arm of the chair as the phone rings steadily in your ear. After a moment, she picks up. "Hello?" "Mary! It's Mila!" There's a beat of silence. "Oh!  Mila! How are you, hun? How are Raphael and his brothers?" "I'm good! They're also good! Listen, I know it's been a while, and I know you're probably busy, but I really need a favor," you tell her.  "Yeah, okay, lay it on me, sweetheart," she says. "Donnie can't afford a sonogram system, and I-" "Oh my god, that's right!  You're pregnant!"  she exclaims excitedly. You grin. "I'm five and a half months along," you say. "But I still don't know the gender of my baby." Mary seems to understand. "Do you want me to bring over a sonogram system? You have a monitor, right?" "Yes! Yeah, I know Donnie has a spare. How soon can you get here?" you ask. "I get off work early today, I can get there by five."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

When five o'clock rolls around, you send Casey and April up to help Mary out with the machinery. You sit on the couch with Raphael, your hand in his. "Baby, do you want a boy or a girl?" you ask him. He looks at you. "What?" "Like, if you had to choose which you'd be less happy with," you elaborate. "I dunno," he mumbles. "I can't see myself being upset with either. You smile, leaning up to kiss his jaw. "We're ba-ack!" April sings, Mary walking in behind her. Mikey comes bounding in from the kitchen. "Mary!" he greets her excitedly. He wraps her up in a careful bear hug, trying not to crush the bag in her arms. He pulls away, looking at said bag. "What's that?" he asks. "We're gonna use this to see if Mila's baby is gonna be a boy or a girl," she explains. "Oh, that's cool," he says, a goofy grin on his face. Mary nods. "Mila?" she catches your attention. "Are you ready?" You nod. Raphael helps you stand, and you all congregate to Donnie's lab. The purple-clad turtle already has a few things pulled aside - a monitor, a cart, and a recliner for you to lay back on. You smile at him and sit in the large chair. Mary sets up the equipment swiftly, and soon, she's putting gel on some weird-looking device. She presses it to the mound that is your stomach. You suck in a sharp breath. "Mila?" Raphael calls you urgently. "I'm fine, baby, just took me by surprise," you say. "Woo, that is fuckin' cold," you hiss. Giggles erupt in the room. Mary turns to look at the screen. "Now let's look for your baby." she says. After a moment, her face lights up. "There!" You look at the monitor, and tears sting at the corners of your eyes. "Raph," you say quietly, your voice catching in your throat. "Come here." He steps over to you, taking your available hand in his. You tear your eyes away from the monitor to glance at him. "Look, it's our baby," He looks up at the screen, and his lips tug upwards in a warm smile. "Oh my god," he breathes. "Raph are you... crying?" you hear Mikey ask. "Yeah, I am. And it's perfectly okay." ------- Afterwards, Mikey and April head for the kitchen to start dinner, and Casey tags along after them. Donnie stays in his lab, and then it's you, Leo, Raphael and Mary in the living room. Mary hands you the sonogram images. "Do you want to know what gender the baby is going to be?" she asks. Raphael takes your hand again, and you both nod eagerly. Mary smiles. "It's a girl," she says softly. You turn to Raphael. "We're having a little baby girl," you say, tearing up once again. He pulls you into a hug. "I'm gonna be a dad," he whispers into your hair. You nod. "And I'm gonna be a mom," "Dinner!"  Mikey yells from the kitchen. You pull apart and head for the kitchen hand in hand. ------- Mikey made Italian food for dinner; he made pasta with sauce, he sliced up some bread, and finally placed a bowl of vegetables on the table. "Wow, Mikey, you went all out tonight!" you say, giving a tiny clap. He gives a theatrical bow, grinning. "Thank you, thank you,"he says, receiving a few giggles and an eyeroll from Raphael. Mikey sits at the head of the table, on his right is Raphael, then you, then April, then Casey, and Splinter at the other end. On his left is Mary, then Leo, then Donnie. As soon as the orange-clad turtle settles in, you all grab for food. One by one you all get a plate, and dig in. "Mikey, this is really good," Mary compliments him, sipping at her soda. He grins brightly at her. "Why, thank you!" Raphael takes your hand again under the table. He gives it a light squeeze, and you smile. Then, you swear to god, you feel a light movement in your belly. Your breath hitches and you make a small noise in surprise. "Mila?" Raph says gently. "It's okay," you say, resting your hand on your large tummy. "She's moving a little and it caught me by surprise." Your boyfriend smiles. He presses a kiss to your temple. You smile again and dig back into your meal. ------- After dinner, you try and help clean up, but you notice that every time you try to grab something, someone else quickly steps in. You grab a plate from the table successfully, but it falls out of your hand and clatters noisily to the floor. "Oh, hey, let me-" Donnie starts. "No," you say, sinking into a squat. "Mila, I can-" "Donnie, stop," you press, picking up everything you dropped. When you stand, you glance around at everyone. "Look, don't think I don't know what's going on here." you say. "I can do  things. I'm pregnant, not a fucking cripple," "Mia, I-" Raph says, and you stop him. "No, i notice what you all have been doing. I can do  things by myself, I've been through worse than this," you say. The room is quiet. You sigh. "Whatever. You clearly don't want me to do anything, so I guess I'll just get out of your way." You head out of the kitchen and stalk off towards your room. ------- Raphael stares at you as you storm off towards your room, and he sighs. "Damn it," he mutters. "I'm an asshole. Okay, uh, I'm gonna go talk to her." "Okay, we're pretty much done anyways," Donnie assures him. "Good," Mikey says, grabbing Mary by the wrist. The two run off giggling for Mikey's room. Raphael rolls his eyes. "Fuckin' nerds." he shakes his head and heads for your room. He sighs quietly and knocks. "Mila? Baby? Can I come in?" he asks softly. When he doesn't hear an answer, he carefully opens the door and slips inside, shutting it behind him. You're laying on your bed with your back to the door. He crosses the room, sitting carefully on the edge of your bed. "Baby, I'm sorry... I'm just trying to make things easier for you. You're gonna be a mother  in a few months, and there's more pressure on you than me. I just want you to take it easy until shit hits the fan," You turn over and look at him. "Raph, I can do things while being pregnant. And I understand your reasoning, but I can handle  this, okay?" He sighs and nods, cupping your cheek. "I love you," he says quietly. "I love you, too," you reply. ------- A few more months fly, and then you're nine months pregnant. In the months you've been pregnant, you've done a few more murals in your room. You walk into the kitchen, and Raphael and his brothers are in an intense card game with April and Casey. "What do you guys want for dinner?" you ask. "Grilled cheeses," Leo says. You roll your eyes. "Alright," you say, then mutter, "Ya bunch of five-year-olds." You pull the American cheese from the fridge and reach for the bread, when you feel a bit of pain. "Ah, fuck, ow," you pant, pulling out the bread. Raphael looks up. "Mila? Are you okay?" "Yeah, yeah, just some cramps or something. I'll be alright." You get back to making the sandwiches. You're spreading butter in a pan when you get hit with another wave of pain, slightly worse than the first. "Ah, god damn  it, ow!"  you shout. Raphael gets up, crossing the room quickly. "Mila, honey, that did not sound okay," he says, searching your face urgently with his eyes. You feel your pants slowly become wet. "Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me," you growl, panting. "What? What is it?!" he asks frantically. "I think I'm going into lab-ow!" "What?!" "I'm going into fucking labor!"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Mikey is immediately on the phone with Mary (they've been seeing each other), and she says shes on her way with an ambulance. When she arrives, April gets into the ambulance with you, and Casey drives everyone else to the hospital to sneak them in. At the hospital, Mary has successfully changed you into a hospital gown, and confirms you're having contractions. "This is it, Mila, are you ready?" she asks. "God no," you pant, gripping the sheet on the bed. Mary laughs. "You'll be fine." She tells you that it'll only be a little bit longer, and just in time, the guys arrive. "I'm here, I got you," Raphael says, taking your hand. You squeeze it as hard as you can, eliciting a grunt from him. "Ow," he whispers. "Almost there, Mila," Mary says, pulling on latex gloves. "I got it," you snarl. You feel sweat drip down your face, and you use your free hand to push your hair out of your face. "Okay, Mila, you're fully dilated, get ready to push," Mary tells you. You nod. "One, two, three!" she exclaims. You push as hard as you can, and it hurts like all holy hell. "FUCK!"  you yell, pushing harder. By now, you're surprised you haven't broken Raphael's hand. He's whispering encouraging words into your ear, you finally realize, and you tilt your head back as you prepare to push again. It takes a few hours, but it feels like years before Mary finally tells you you're done. You fall limp against the bed, panting and sweating and gasping for air. After a moment, you hear crying, and your heart swells. Tears run down your cheek. "Where is she?" you ask exhaustedly. "One sec," Mary calls, and then she's handing you a mushy little crying baby. "Oh my god, this is my  baby," you say, looking around at everyone. You look back down at her pudgy little face. "I didn't think I could love anything this much," you whisper. You look over at Raphael. "Come here." He sits next to you. "She's beautiful." "Babe, do you want to hold her?" you ask softly. He nods. "Go to daddy," you murmur, handing her over. "Oh my god, I'm a dad, aren't I?" he laughs, his eyes watering. "Yeah," you nod, starting to cry. Once she's safely in his arms, he sniffles. "Hey there, little one," he starts. "I'm your papa. And she's your mama, the one who just held you," he wipes at his eyes. "I'm sure you know me as the person who sang to you while you were holed up in mama's belly. Yeah, that was me. I don't like to sing around people, but I made an exception for you. I agree with your mom, though. I really didn't know I could love anyone so much. You'n your mom are pretty much everything to me. Don't tell your uncles, though, they might get jealous." All of a sudden, Mikey bursts into tears. "Dudes! I'm an uncle!  We're all uncles!" he exclaims, throwing himself into Leo's arms. "Yeah, I guess we are," Donnie says, and him and Leo start to tear up. Raph looks up. "Casey, April, you're now Aunt April and Uncle Casey," he says, then looks over at Splinter. "Sensei, you're a grandfather." Splinter smiles warmly. "I did not think I would ever see the day." You smile. "I love you all. You're all my only family." At that moment, Mary (when had she left the room?) pops her head in. "Mila, there's a woman down by the front desk claiming to be your mother. She wants to see you," she tells you. Your stomach drops. "How does she even know I'm here?!" you exclaim, fisting your hands in your hair. "She says she thought she saw you, and that she ran into your friend, April," Mary informs you. You turn to April. "She told me you were old friends!" she defends herself, raising her hands in defeat. You sigh and slap your palm to your face. "Tell her to leave." you hiss. "I'm exhausted, I just pushed a fucking baby  out of my body. Tell her I said fuck off." Mary snickers. "I'll tell her to leave." You nod, turning to Raphael. "I want my baby," you say. He hands her back over carefully. "Do you know what you're gonna name her?" Casey asks you. You look at your baby. "Cyan. Her name is Cyan." ------- In the days that follow, Mary does check-ups on Cyan to make sure she's all right to take home. Raphael (begrudgingly) leaves the next morning with the whole group. When Mary clears you and discharges you with Cyan, April comes back to pick you up. "Hey, Mila!" April exclaims, hugging you tightly. She steps back, looking at the little one tucked safely in your arms. "Hey, Cyan," she says. "God, Mila, she's beautiful." You smile. "Let's get her strapped in, okay? I want to go home." The red head nods. "Yeah, I'm sure you do." She helps you strap Cyan into her car seat, an d the two of you head off for home. ------- When you return to your home, what awaits you is something else. There, in the living room, awaits your new family, surrounded by brightly wrapped gifts, and different kinds of baby cradles. "What is this?" you ask, breathless. Raphael crosses the room, hugging you and kissing you sweetly on the lips. "Well, we didn't get to have a baby shower, so we figured we'd have it now. We all know that thing with, uh, you-know-who kinda stressed you outta bunch, so..." He trails off and looks at you, awaiting a response. "I love it!" you exclaim, throwing your free arm around his neck. He leads you over to the couch, and next to it is a very odd-looking cradle. You strap Cyan carefully into the contraption and press a button, and it begins rocking her carefully back and forth. You squeal happily as April places a brightly wrapped box in your lap. You try your best to keep from ripping the damn thing open (and fail miserably), revealing a black box. You open the lid, revealing something wrapped int white, sparkly tissue paper. Inside is an outfit the same size as your baby. It's a whit t-shirt with a small, light pink cat, and dark pink leggings. Inside there are a few pairs of tiny socks, and some adorable white and pink sneakers. You look up at April. "Oh my god, April, this is so frickin' cute!" you gush, placing the tiny outfit back where you fund it. You end up receiving a bunch of tiny clothes for your baby, a pac-n-play, a stroller, and a few little toys. Raphael takes you into he kitchen, opening a cabinet to reveal baby food, bottles, and tiny eating utensils. You turn to him, an excited smile on your face. "I had April and Casey pick up some things," he says, smiling warmly at you. "Raphael, this is the best thing any new mother could possibly come home to. Thank you," you say, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. "I love you," "I love you, too." ------- Later on, while you're trying to find a spot for everything, you get a phone call. You hit the talk button, holding the phone to your ear precariously between your head and shoulder. "Hello?" you say into the receiver. "Katie! Sweetie, darling, how are you?" Your stomach drops. "...Mom?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Raphael's head snaps up. Your mother?! "Hello," you say, uncertain. "Hello! I hear you just had a baby! Your lovely friend April and I had a lovely  conversation last week." her voice drips with malice, and you bite back a snide remark. "Yeah, I had a baby," you say flatly, trying to kill the conversation. "Boy or girl?" she asks? "Why do you think I'd tell you?" "Because I'm your mother!" "Not anymore. Not ever. Don't call again." And you hand up. And your phone rings again. ------- You shove your phone at Raphael. "Babe, I can't deal with this. I have a million other things to do, and I need to go feed Cyan. If she calls again, tell her to fuck off, okay?" He nods, and you take off for the kitchen. You fill a bottle with baby formula (you can't breastfeed because your nipples are pierced) and put it in the microwave. You quickly screw the cap onto the bottle and sprint for your room. Cyan is squirming in her pac-n-play, on the verge of tears. You scoop her up into your arms and pop the bottle into her mouth. "Phew," you breathe. "Crises averted." You spend the rest of the afternoon with your baby in your arms, because she'll start to cry if you put her down or try to hand her over to April. Then, an idea pops into your head. "Raph," you call. He crosses the room. "What's up?" he asks, approaching you. You place Cyan in his arms. No tears. "Yes!"  you nearly shout. He looks at you, confused. "She hasn't let anyone else  hold her," you explain. "She's been in my arms all day, heavy-ass baby," you mutter. Raphael chuckles. "Well, I don't think she's that heavy," he says with a grin. You roll your eyes. "Have you seen your own biceps? You're friggin' ripped," you laugh, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Am I really? Tell me more," he says mockingly. You shove him lightly. "Cocky is what you are," you tell him. "You would know," he shoots back. "Oh!"  Casey shouts from the couch. You stomp over and slap the back of his head lightly. "Butt out," you laugh, but the tips of your ears are bright pink with blush. ------- After about a week is when Cyan starts to act up. She starts opening her eyes more, making more noises, moving her legs. After a few more months, she's animated and always making noises. One day when you're feeding her, you hear a slight click. "What?" you mutter. You press your thumb to Cyan's bottom lip and pull it down a bit. Poking out of her tiny pink gums are the tops of two little, white teeth. Realization dawns on you, and you start flailing your hands in excitement. "Raphael!  Raph! Come quick!"  you yell excitedly. He comes skidding into the kitchen. "What?! What is it?!" "She's teething!" you exclaim, pointing at your baby. His eyes widen as a grin spreads on his lips. He looks carefully into her small mouth. Then his eyes water. "Oh my god, Mila, we have a baby  and she's teething," he says, pulling you into a hug. Your eyes begin to swim with tears. "Holy crap, babe, she's already three months old," you reply. He hugs you tighter, then pulls away. "This is going so fast, it's breaking my heart," he says, huffing out a laugh as his cheeks flush light pink. You nod, wiping your eyes. "I know," you agree. "But isn't it the greatest thing that's ever happened to you?" He nods in return, smiling. "Yeah. It is." ------- A couple of weeks after you discovered your baby is teething, April takes you shopping for baby toys. "Cyan is getting more interactive, right?" April asks you as the two of you walk into 'Babies R Us'. "Yes, I'm looking to get her one of those walker things," you say. "Y'know, like the ones with the trays," The red head nods, and the two of you explore the store. Every now and again you both let out 'aw's' and tiny clothing and small toys. Finally, you find the isle you were looking for, and examine the little walkers. Some have toys attached, and some come with them. The seats inside are all different patterns. You spot one that has a blue seat spotted with little giraffes. It comes with a few toys, some of which are attached to the tray. "This one." you say, pointing at it. "I want this one for Cyan." You call over an employee, and she helps you find the box for that particular baby walker. You pay for it and another employee helps you take it out to your car. When you arrive back home, you and April struggle to bring the damn thing inside. Leonardo is sitting on the couch reading. "L-Leo," April calls. When he looks up, realization flashes on his face, and he jumps up to help the two of you. But instead of just helping you, he takes the box from the two of you two and places it on the couch. "Where's Raphael?" you ask, catching your breath. "I think he's in your room with Cyan," Leo says, plunking back down on the couch. You nod, heading towards your room. As you get closer, you hear a faint noise come from your room. You open the door slowly. What you see makes your heart melt and your eyes water. Raphael is laying on your bed, eyes closed and nearly asleep. On his chest is Cyan, her little face smooshed against the relatively hard shell. She's out like a light. And Raphael... he's singing. Singing. He sang your baby to sleep. Tears of joy run down your face as you stare happily at the two people you love most. You quietly extract your phone from your pocket and record him singing for about thirty seconds. Then you put your phone away. He's singing 'Fair Thee Well' by Oscar Isaac. At the chorus, you join in, "Fair thee well, my honey," you join, harmonizing with him and catching him off guard. He pauses. "Don't stop now, baby, we sounded really nice together," you say with a smile. "Fair thee well, my honey," you continue together. "Fair thee well." Then you press a kiss to his lips and keep singing, "I remember one evening, in the pouring rain," you sing softly, and he continues. "Near my heart, there was an aching pain," By now, you're laying next to him, cuddled up by his side. You sing together again, "Fair thee well, my honey," then you both pause, kissing chastely. "Fair thee well."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You ended up falling asleep; the both of you did. You finally wake up to your phone buzzing in your pocket. You get up and leave the room, stepping out into the hallway. "Hello?" you say into the receiver. "Katie, Katie, honey, is that you?" That voice again. Your stomach drops. You decide to play it off like you don't know who it is. "Uh, there's no Katie here, I think you have the wrong-" "Oh, no, dear, don't play stupid. I know it's you," her voice is sickly sweet, and it makes you feel sick. "Miss, please, I'm sure you have the wrong number," you say with more calmness than you feel. "Katie, don't you dare  act like you don't know who this is," she says, her voice much lower and threatening. "Miss, if you ever call me again and talk to me this way, I'll report you to the police." you tell her. "Goodbye." You hang up and run out of the lair into the tunnels. You scream and then throw up. Sobs shake you close to violently as you cry and sink to the ground. Why? Why does she keep doing this to you? This is why you don't settle. This is why you took that... job. It protected you, kept you off the face of the Earth. Whenever you tried to get back into normal life, she  forced you back out. Maybe you should just... leave again. What you used to do was bad, illegal, and downright crazy... but you got by, right? You were fed, healthy, fit... No. You have a baby now. A boyfriend that loves you. You can't  run away. What she did to you happened a long time ago. She can't hurt you now. You have the boys, and April, and Splinter, and Cyan. She can't hurt you. She can't hurt you. You repeat it over and over again in your head, walking back to the place you call home. Your head is still spinning, and your stomach feels empty. You wipe your face as best as you can, trying to make it less obvious that you were crying. Raphael will notice. You know he will, but you try anyway. Luckily, you don't see him around anywhere, and the living room seems to be empty. But... to get to the bathroom, you need to pass the kitchen, Mikey's room, and  Leonardo's room. You take a deep breath and walk steadily towards your destination. You near the bathroom, and you're right about to pass Mikey's room, when a door down, you hear Leo call your name. "Mila? Is that you?" he calls from behind you. "Uh, yeah," you say, trying to sound casual. "Do you want to put that thing together now?" he asks hopefully. "Ah, uh, I need a shower first. But after, okay?" you reply. "Yeah, sure!" he says, then slips back into his room. You sprint past Mikey's room and into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind you. You try to even out your breathing as you strip down to your underwear. Looking in the mirror, you examine your body. You've gained a bit of weight because of your pregnancy, and your stomach has stretch marks towards the bottom. Come to think of it, you hadn't really... well, looked  at yourself until now. You hadn't known those marks were there. Turning, you examine the pale, purple marks. You scan your legs, spotting some between your thighs on the inside. You discover some along the undersides of your breasts, too. Your face looks so pained and pinched together. You have bags and pale, purple, half-circles under your eyes. Shaking your head slowly, you run the shower. The rest of your clothing falls to the floor as you step under the hot spray. Your eyes close and your jaw goes slack as the hot water removes the tension from your muscles. Sinking to the floor of the tub, you sigh. You haven't seen the woman in years. You thought you were over this. What could she possibly do to hurt you now? You're a grown-up. Old enough that she shouldn't have any control over the way you feel. But she does. Through just a couple of phone calls, you're falling apart all over again. For Christ's sake, you even thought about running again! You have a new family now, one that's taken you under their wing and given you a place to call home. You can't run away from that! Not again. The job you took was to get over your past. Now, that's in the past, too. And you need to put it all  behind you. All of it. And the only way you can do that is if you move forward.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

When you finish your shower, you take your clothes and head back to your room to get dressed. Raphael is still on your bed with Cyan. He's on his phone when you come in. He looks up, and you can tell he already senses something's off. "Hey, baby, are you okay?" he asks softly. You turn to him, pulling a shirt over your head. "Yeah, I'm good. But, I need you to wake her up and head to the living room. With everyone," you tell him, reaching for your hairbrush. "O-okay," he hesitates, then carefully wakes up your daughter. Surprisingly, she doesn't cry. Raphael gets up and hands her to you, leaving you to gather your family in the living room. You look at Cyan, who's reaching for your lip ring. You giggle softly. "Don't judge me too hard, baby girl," you murmur as you exit your bedroom. ------- A year ago around this time, you stood in this very spot, telling these people that you wanted to move in, to stay with them. You would never have told them all this a year ago. Now, you're going to tell them all everything. As you rake your eyes over your family, hot tears sting at the corners of your eyes. You hold Cyan against your hip, taking a deep breath. "A year ago, I stood here, asking you all if I could stay," you begin, your voice shaky and weak. "And you let me. A stranger, a woman with a shady, horrible, disgusting past. I could've turned on you, given you away. You didn't know what I was going to do, what I was and am still capable of. But you let me stay, despite all of that." You look at Cyan, waiting a moment to continue. "And then..." you look over at Raphael. You take a deep breath. "Okay... Maybe I should start from the beginning. Ever since was little... Well, when  I was little, my mom used to hit me. And kick me. And throw things at me. She used to go as far as pushing me down stairs. My father was the one person that I trusted... for a while. When I turned twelve... He started getting touchier with me. And by the time I was fourteen... I was being abused and sexually abused by my own family. My parents. "I found out I was... pregnant with his child a few months before I turned fifteen. I was already four months along, and I had... quite a bit of a stomach. So I aborted the baby." You're crying again, on shaky legs. You sink to the floor, cradling Cyan in your lap. "I was fourteen turning fifteen... I was scared... I didn't know what else to do. "Finally, I ran away. While I was trying to get on a bus, I was kidnapped and forced into a human trafficking system. "The amount of girls I saw die... Get used... And the amount of pain, and suffering... You can't even imagine..." Raphael is at your side in an instant, rubbing your back and giving your arms a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "After a couple of years, at seventeen, I was at the top. Practically in charge. One night, while he was asleep... I..." You hesitate. Should you tell them? No more secrets, right? "I... I killed him. And I escaped." The room is dead silent. "So, while I was stumbling along, wherever I was, an old friend from school found me. Joe. I was very... hesitant to accept him trying to take me under his wing. But he never got too close to me and let me do whatever on my own. He supplied me with money and a place to crash. "After a couple of months, he offered me a job. One unlike any I had ever heard of." Everyone is anticipating your next words. "Something... ancient. Something... complex and dark." "What was it?" Raphael asks quietly. "Ancient Enchantments. Similar to magic." There's a beat of silence. "Is that what that was when we first met you?" Michelangelo asks curiously. You nod. "I was kind of still new at it, as you guys saw first-hand," "You pass out afterwards," Donnie finishes. You nod again towards the purple-clad turtle. "Joey taught me all about that stuff, and told me all about these different jobs I could take when I learned to use it. "So, me being desperate for money, I learned relatively quickly, but took no time to remember the consequences. Even after my first job, after the first time it knocked me out, I didn't listen." "What kind of jobs did you take?" Leo asks curiously. "I'm getting there," you reply. The blue-clad turtle falls silent again. You sigh, looking at your baby again. She's much more awake now, looking up at you with a big, gum-revealing smile. You can do this. "Joey gave me gobs," you sigh. "Stealing things." Raphael looks taken aback. "S... stealing?" he asks quietly. "Stealing. Taking things that didn't belong to us. But, they belonged to others," you say. "So I was stealing back," you explain, trying to avoid the disappointed look on Splinter's face. "What else?" Raphael asks, looking at the ground. You swallow. He's... genuinely disappointed in you. You can feel it, see it, hear it in his voice. He can't possibly still love you after this. "I... I was a hitman," you say, nearly choking on the god damn lump in your throat. Raphael's expression falters. You don't want to look at anyone else. You know their faces probably look just like his. "I'm sorry," you blurt out, your voice cracking. "I needed money, I was desperate, I had to stay away from my parents, I-" "Stop," Raphael says quietly, but firmly. You stare at him helplessly, tears streaming down your face. "Continue your story." You wipe your face and take a deep breath. "I continued to work for Joey until you guys found me. I dropped off of his grid. But, when I was eighteen turning nineteen... I got pregnant again. He forced me to keep it. I didn't want to. So, right after the baby was born, I left him with Joe and took one last job. And you guys found me." Everyone remains silent. "I was looking for a way out of there for so long. You guys made it easy for me to stop being that... that horrible person. "I'll never get this blood off my hands, but you guys are like, like my protective gloves. You keep me from being, and remembering who I was. I'm sorry for telling you all of this, for dumping it on you so suddenly, but I don't regret it. I've been here for over a year. You needed to know who's been living here with you." It's silent. You look up at your family. They aren't looking at you, but Raphael. Raphael has a solemn expression on his face, as he returns the stare to his family. "Somebody, please, say something," you plead, fresh tears making their way down your cheeks. Raphael turns to you, a smile on his lips. But it doesn't touch his eyes. "Mila, thank you for telling me about your past. For telling us." he says. Leo stands, crosses the small space between the two of you, and sits directly in front of you and his brother. "Mila, we all love you dearly, and care about you more than you can comprehend. And yes, it's true, you had to tell us about yourself sooner or later. But who you were and what you did is nothing less than a problem." Leo explains. You nod slowly. You glance back at Raphael. He looks beside himself. And it's your fault. If they decide to choose your past over you... You'll have to leave. "You have done quite a lot of things you are not proud of. Who has not?" Splinter's voice cuts through the bubble surrounding the four of you. "Despite what you have done in the past, it does not define you. It has led you to where you are now. It has made you who you are." He's standing in front of you now. He offers you his hand, helping you up. "Having you here has brought Raphael and his brothers great joy. My sons care about you a great deal. Even Casey and April want you here more than anything." he pauses, looking down at Cyan. "Becoming a grandfather has made me extremely happy as well." You brace yourself. Is he going to kick you out? Shove you out on your own with nothing but your baby? Tell you they no longer love you? That they no longer want you around? Your mind swims in an ocean of terror and negative questions. Anything. He can say anything. "What you have told us today has put a small dent in the trust you have built, but it is nothing that time cannot fix." Splinter says, smiling at you warmly. Your eyes widen and your jaw nearly hits the floor as you start to cry yet again. You throw your free arm around Splinter, careful not to crush Cyan. April joins the hug, then Raph and Donnie, then Casey, Leo, and Mikey. "Thank you," you cry into Splinter's shoulder. "Thank you so much."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The next couple of weeks are brutal. Everyone is very distant. It hurts. When you try to joke around you get uninterested laughter and awkward body language. April hasn't talked to you in private at all, like she normally does. This is what you were scared of. You knew this was going to happen. But... Sooner or later you were going to have to tell them anyway. You're on your bed with Cyan one afternoon when it really starts to get to you. "Cyan... since no one else'll really talk to me, you gotta be my therapist for a bit, okay?" you tell her, your voice becoming quiet. You sigh and sniffle a little bit, wiping at your damp eyes. "Momma's done a lot of bad shit in the past," you say, choking up. "And I had to put it all behind me. But that's no way to live. I've lived here for over a year and our family had no clue who I was. What I had done. There was no way I could have gone any longer without them knowing. That shit's real important. But you'll learn that later on, sweetie." you pause. "Even daddy has been, well, distant. And I know he loves us - well, maybe just you now. Maybe the only reason I'm still here is because they pity me. I highly doubt they still love me like they used to. I'm troubled, and I have so much blood on my hands..." you bark out a laugh. "They probably hate me. They're all probably scared I'll turn back around. I would never hurt any of them. All they've done for me in the past year is more than anyone's ever done for me in my life. How could I ever even think about turning on them? God I love all of them so much..." you're sobbing now, cradling your baby in your arms. "I'm sorry for being such an awful person, Cyan. I'm the last person anyone should want as a mother. I'm the last person that should  be a mother. I'm sorry. I'm really, really, sorry." ------- Raphael makes his way to your room. He goes to reach for your doorknob but pauses when he hears your voice inside. "Cyan... since no one else'll really talk to me, you gotta be my therapist, okay?" His heart pounds. Should he be... listening to this? He knows he's your boyfriend, but... He sits down, leaning carefully against the door so his shell doesn't give him away. He listens quietly as you start confessing how you feel to your baby, and his heart drops to his stomach. You've been holding all of this in since you told everyone about your past? Is this how everyone was making you feel? "I highly doubt they love me like they used to." Raphael's eyes water. He can't believe you thought they didn't love you anymore. His chest aches. He needs to fix this. This is his fault, too. The last thing you say nearly kills him. You think you're unfit to be a mother. You think you shouldn't  be a mother. But how? You're the greatest mother he's ever met! He really  needs to fix this. Like, really, really  needs to fix it. ------- He tells everyone to meet him in the dojo. When he's sure everyone is present, he heads inside. Sure enough, there are his brothers, Casey, April, and his father. "Alright, listen," he says, catching their attention. "We are all sacks of shit. All of us." "Raph, woah," Leo says, taken aback by his brother's harsh words. "You heard me. Every last one of us. And do you wanna know why?" he asks. There are nods from everyone. Raphael points aggressively towards the direction of your bedroom. "Because the woman I love most is hiding in her room crying  with our child, because she thinks we don't love her anymore." The room is silent. "Yeah, that's right guys, let that sink in." he snaps, shaking his head angrily. "She... she thinks we don't... love her anymore?" Mikey asks slowly. "That's right, Mikey. It's because we let what she told us about herself get to us. She trusted  us with that information and we spat  in her face. I did it too, and I'm in love  with her." Raphael's voice is low and angry now, his eyes burning with tears. "We're the only family she's got, and we pushed her away because we were scared of something we didn't know. Well, it's time to fix  this. She needs to know the amount we love her hasn't gotten smaller." "It's gotten bigger, for sure!" April adds, her eyes alight with emotion. Donnie thinks a moment. "We should do something for her!" Raphael nods at his brother. "Any ideas?" he asks. Everyone falls silent again as they think. Mikey's arm shoots up after a moment. "You got somethin', Mikey?" Raphael asks, hopeful. "Her favorite movies are the Iron Man ones, right?" ------- You're scrolling through Instagram when there's an urgent knock on your door. You take a deep breath and get up, crossing the room to answer. But... there's no one outside your door? And it's completely dark. "Uh... guys? Mikey? Is this you?" you call, peering out your door towards the dojo. You slip out of your room, picking your way to the dojo carefully in the dark. You peek inside, using the flashlight on your phone to scan the room. Nothing. You turn back around, and the foyer is filled with the soft yellow glow of a small candle. You crouch down, taking it into your hand and lifting it. It's pumpkin pie and caramel scented. Your favorite. What's going on? You put the candle back down and stand up. Around the corner, you see more yellow light. The foyer is filled with the warm scent of pumpkin pie and caramel. Evenly placed down the hall are four more candles, in the line down the dark, quiet hallway. You make your way slowly, sort of wishing you had your knife. You pass Donatello's room, then Raphael's room, but you don't bother knocking. You already have a feeling they won't be in their rooms. The last of the floor candles ends near the living room. But what awaits you there makes your anxiousness crumble away. The coffee table is littered with smaller candles, your favorite snacks, and all three Iron Man movies. There's a sign up above the back of the couch. It reads, "RESERVED FOR MILA." There's an arrow pointing it to the couch below. Next to that particular spot are a couple of blankets an a pillow. You sink slowly into the spot apparently reserved for you. Then, the TV turns on. Or, one of the large ones, rather. The screen reads, "BEFORE YOUR MOVIES... "WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS. "WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST WEEK OR SO IS RUDE AND HURTFUL... "AND WE WANT TO LET YOU KNOW... "HOW SORRY WE ARE." Then, Raphael's face is on the screen. It looks as if he's using a camcorder. "Mila," he starts, then hesitates. "Uh, Don, is this thing on?" You can hear Donatello's quiet 'yes' in the background. Your boyfriend clears his throat. "Mila," he starts again. "You took a big leap telling us all about yourself and the things you've had to go through. And we repaid you with nothing but asshattery and rudeness." You giggle softly. "But," he continues. "I just want to let you know - no, we  want to let you know, just how sorry we are." Then it's Mikey. "Mila! You're my main dudette! I could never hate you, even if you were a bad guy." Then, it's Donnie and April. "Mila, you're the first awesome female friend I've had in a long time," "Yeah," Donnie agrees. "It's been so nice seeing her so happy because of you. You're truly special." then, at the same, "We think you're amazing." Leonardo. "Mila, I really didn't know how to feel about you at first. And I was even more uncertain when you and Raphael started getting close," he admits. "But, I was wrong. You turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to my brother, to us. And I'm thankful for that." By now, there are tears spilling down over your cheeks, dripping onto your shirt. Next is Casey. "Mila, I think you're pretty frickin' awesome and badass. You're also the nicest badass I know. And I also know for a fact that your baby's gonna be a badass, too!" Finally, Splinter appears. "Mils, my dear child, as my other children have told you, you mean quite a lot to all of us. Having you here for the past year has done nothing but good things for all of us. Your presence in our lives has brought us nothing but happiness. And, lastly, I thank you for helping Raphael. He has become... different since you arrived. Happier, nicer, more emotional. Thank you, for helping my son, 'come out of his shell'." There are several groans, but Splinter chuckles, satisfied with his joke. Then, Splinter hands the camera back over to Raphael. "So, y'see, Mila. We all really, really, care about you." Then, he moves to fit your entire family in the shot. He looks to everyone, nods, and they all exclaim, "We love you, Mila!" You're trying desperately to wipe the happy tears spilling down your face. Then the lights raise slightly, and in the dim light, you see your entire family come from the kitchen, Raphael in front. You stand up, beaming at him as you cry. "We love you," he says again softly. You bound over the couch and sprint across the room into his arms, happy sobs wracking your body. Your family wraps around the two of you, nearly squeezing the life out of you in the biggest hug you've ever received. "I'm so sorry, Mila, we're all so sorry." Raphael says in your ear. "It's okay," you say. "It wouldn't have been you guys if you had accepted me for all of that right away." Everyone disbands. "So, what is all this?" you ask. "We're treating you to a movie night. April is putting Cyan to bed. We're all gonna sit with you and watch the Iron Man movies." then he leans down, talking low in your ear. "Then for the rest of the night, you're mine," he nearly growls, causing heat to stir low in your abdomen. You play it off and smile at him, pressing a kiss to his lips. Then you grab him by the wrist and lead him to the couch, where your family awaits the two of you. Your family that loves you and won't leave you. Ever.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

By the end of the second movie you're pleasantly buzzed and full of your favorite foods, and April, Casey, and Leo have fallen asleep. Donnie is hanging on Stark's every word, Splinter is watching contentedly, and Mikey is picking on some popcorn. Raphael keeps stealing kisses and glances, and he keeps trying to brush his hand against your leg. Mikey gets and puts the third movie in the DVD player, and you decide to make your antsy boyfriend wait. ------- Raphael stifles a sigh. He makes it look like he's just anxious to get in bed with you, but there are other things on his mind. This night isn't just about them telling you they love you. It's about telling you he  loves you. And he wants to do it as soon as possible, but... This is more about you than him, and he can wait. Besides, he waited his whole life for you, and wants to spend the rest of it with you. What's another hour or two of waiting? ------- By the end of the third movie, everyone is awake again. As the credits roll, the turtles, April, Casey, and Splinter work on cleaning up the living room. All but Raphael. He waits till everyone is out of the room. You blink confusedly as he takes your hands in his and presses a soft kiss to your lips. "Raphael?" you ask, confused. "Mila," he takes a deep breath, and you can feel him shaking. Your heart begins to pound. "For over a year, you've been the love of my life. You and Cyan are everything  to me. I'd die without you two. It feels like... up until right before I met you, I'd been waitin' for you all my life." "Yeah...?" you nod, encouraging him to keep going. Despite you being unsure, you want to know where he's taking this. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. And it's really frickin' scary, but... Recently, I've come to realize..." He drops to one knee in front of you. "I've come to realize I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Your eyes swim with tears and your heart swells with joy. "Mila, I love you more than words can describe. Will you do me the... amazing  honor, of being my wife?" God damn, this turtle really knows how to make you happy. You're crying again. "Oh god, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!"  you shout, flinging yourself at him. "Yes!" "Oh thank god," he breathes. You can hear the tears in his voice. "Thank god." You pull away, kissing him fiercely, passionately. "Now, I want you to take me into your room and fuck  me like the world is ending tomorrow. Because we are goddamn fucking engaged!"  you end in a shout, because, holy fuck you're engaged!  To a fucking six-and-a-half-foot turtle! So why not? He scoops you off of the floor, sliding the ring onto your finger and carrying you off to his bedroom. ------- There are hands everywhere, panting, it's hot. He's on you and you're on him and everything is a goddamn blissful blur. His lips are on yours again, hot, passionate, quick. Then, his hands are crawling up your shirt and then it's gone, somewhere on the floor. He moves down, sucking what will be deep purple hickeys tomorrow into your neck. You're already breathless and moaning quietly, when he does something he's never done before; he bites  you in the crook of your neck. "Oh fuck  yes!" you shout, dragging your nails up his biceps and onto his shoulders. "So you do  like that?" he muses quietly, chuckling darkly. "Oh fuck yeah, do it again," you plead. He does as you wish, making you moan and throw your head back. Then there's a hand down your - when did he get your pants off? - underwear. He's rubbing you slowly, sensually, and your back arches in pleasure. He's taking your bra off as he makes his way down your body, leaving hickeys, and kisses, and nibbles. He teases your nipple with his teeth, leaving it hard and sensitive. At your hips he pauses to kiss each side, causing you to blush and make a small nose in the back of your throat. He keeps moving down, pulling down your lacy purple thong. Until finally, you feel his warm, wet tongue on your clit and you moan. He presses a large finger into you after a moment, causing you to moan a second time. He fingers you maddeningly slow, dragging his tongue from the tip of his finger all the way up to your clit. You shudder and nearly scream. God, he's so good  at this! After a few minutes he's turned you into a panting, moaning, sweating, sobbing mess. Your hair is sticking to your forehead, and you're about to reach your peak. "Fuck fuck fuck Raphael  I'm about to fucking cum," you force through clenched teeth. He pulls his finger out and flicks your clit with his tongue, sending you over the edge. You moan loudly, and your body shakes and shudders as you squirt into your fiance's face. Oh god, he's your fiance  now! The thought makes you come a little more. When you look down at him, he's chuckling, wiping his face with his hand. He even licks  some of it, causing you to bite your lip. Then he sits up, pulling out his fucking monstrous  cock, and you roll your hips in anticipation. He presses the tip to your entrance, teasing you for a moment. "Hey, baby, you wanna flip over?" he asks carefully. You nod, quickly turning over onto your hands and knees. As soon as you're in the new position, he grabs your hips, pushing carefully into you, filling you. You moan, gripping the bed sheets below you. He eases into a steady pace, and then his hands are sliding up your back, finding a place on your shoulders. Then, one hand fists into your hair and he groans. And then he's pulling and pounding into you  and you can barely breathe  this feels so good. Your eyes are rolling back, and you push back into his thrusts. Tears are gathering in your eyes because this is just absolute bliss. You're sweating and panting and crying and begging  him to just fuck you harder  and the only sounds are your breathing and his breathing and your moans  and the sound of your bodies connecting. You can tell he's close, so close, because his breathing his heavier, his hold on your hair is tighter, and he's squeezing your shoulder. He leans down to plant kisses from the bottom of your back all the up to your shoulders, and then he's biting  you again and you moan and moan and just fucking moan  as he sinks his teeth into your skin. It's almost animalistic and feral  and you just want him to bite you harder - which is exactly  what he does. "Harder, please, please, Raphael," you nearly beg him. Not only does he pound into you harder than before, he bites you again in another spot, harder than the first. You're absolutely sure you're bleeding now, but it feels so fucking good. He licks the bite and again moves to another spot, and after he licks that one, he uses his hold on your hair to turn your head and kiss you. When you pull apart, he's all aggressive, and damn if it doesn't turn you on any more. "You like this, baby? Like getting all rough?" he nearly growls. You whine your response, moaning again. He presses his lips against yours, and you reach desperately for the headboard. He speeds up, breaking the kiss to moan, and he comes inside of you, a string of curses falling from his lips. You clench around him and orgasm a second time, falling limp to the bed when he pulls out of you. "Holy fuck," he pants, flopping down next to you. You nod, smiling at him. "Baby," you whisper, reaching for his hand. "We're gonna be married," you say, some tears finding their way down your cheek. He nods in return, a wide grin spreading on his lips. "We are gonna be married, aren't we?" he replies. You laugh exhaustedly and move close to him, cuddling into his side. "I love you," he murmurs. "I love you, too," you reply, drifting off.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Leonardo sits in the living room, a warm cup of tea in his hands. Oh god is he scarred for life. He walked in on you and Raphael. Having sex. He wouldn't even all it sex, it was more like downright fucking. And the worst part is, the two of you didn't even notice! How could the two of you enjoy that? It looked painful! His brother had his goddamn teeth  in your neck!  Didn't that hurt?! And he never thought he'd have to see his brother's... well... 
GROSS!
 He shudders again, trying his hardest to rid himself of the image of you two. "Ugh, god," he mutters, taking a sip of his tea. Then, Casey walks in. "Hey, Leo! What's goin' - hey, are you alright? You look like you're about to frickin' vomit," he laughs. "You don't  wanna know," Leo replies, looking up at his friend. "Yeah I do! God, I've never seen this look on your face! What was it? Can I see?" he asks, and Leo gags. Leo hesitates, staring at Casey for a moment. "Fine." Casey chuckles excitedly as Leo takes a deep breath. "I walked in on Mila and Raph... doin'  it." he says, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes. Casey falls silent, then bursts out laughing. "Dude please, I've walked in on them dozens of times." Casey says, trying to catch his breath. "I've walked in on them doing things before, but... This time was different," Leo insists. Casey's laughter subsides. "How?" "It was like... rough. And Raph was like, biting the shit  out of Mila's neck," he says, his voice falling to a whisper. "Oh god," Casey gasps, sounding the slightest bit scandalized and grossed out. "It was the worst thing I've ever frickin' seen, Casey, dear god," Leo says, shaking his head then taking a sip of his tea. After a moment, Casey asks, "Are they still goin' at it?" Leo's mouth drops open, and he throws a pillow at his already laughing friend. "No, they aren't," Leo replies matter-of-factly. "What else did you see?" Casey asks excitedly. "You should know, you've walked in on them before," Leo says defensively. "It's only been when Mila's blowin' Raph. Are all four of you that frickin' huge?" Casey asks a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Leo flushes red, throwing a second pillow. "Yes," he answers after a moment. "Holy cow, lucky you guys!" Casey says, clapping the blue-clad turtle on the shoulder. The brunette is laughing again. Leo sighs, rolling his eyes. "Don't talk about it." At that moment, April and Donnie walk in. "Hey, April," Casey calls. "What's the biggest thing you can fit in your mouth?" April's mouth falls open, and Donnie's eyes go wide as blush reddens his cheeks. "Casey!"  Leo yells, throwing an onslaught of pillows at the laughing human. Casey falls to the floor laughing. "Your faces!"  he laughs. "Shut it, dude," Donnie warns. Casey pulls himself off of the ground, catching his breath. "Fine, fine, party poopers," he mutters, heading for the foyer. "Casey? What are you doing?" Leo asks carefully. "I'm goin' to see Raph!" ------- Raphael is woken by the sound of his bedroom door opening. He had already turned himself and Mila away from the door. He knew he'd get visitors eventually. "What?" he snaps lazily. "Hey Raph," Casey says quietly, a wide grin on his face. "Whaddya want, Casey?" he mutters, moving so it's harder to see you. Casey slips inside the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. "So, Leo told me a little somethin'," "Like what?" "Well, first, answer me this; what does human flesh taste like?" he snickers. Raph's eyes go wide, and blush creeps up his neck and onto his cheeks. "Dude!" Raphael hisses, turning over carefully. "Hey, Leo saw, not me." Casey holds his hands up in surrender. Raphael is seething. No one other him is allowed to see you nude. "And another thing, Casey continues, catching Raphael's attention. "If you guys are all so huge, how do you not split people in half? I mean jeez," Raphael growls. "Casey, if you don't get out right now, I'm gonna-" "Both of you shut it," you snap, interrupting the banter from your spot on the bed. "You just woke me up, and if I could move, Casey Jones, I would get up and sock you in the goddamn jaw. So, if you want to keep your jaw intact, I suggest you leave," Raphael looks over at you, a crooked grin on his lips. Casey grimaces and flees without a word. "Mila, you're-" "Shut up, I'm sleeping." ------- When you wake again, you're sore from your scalp down to your legs. You notice Raphael has left the room. You slip into some shorts and a t-shirt, stealing them from your fiance's drawer. Fiance. Wow. You're getting married to the love of your life, the guy who didn't go running and screaming when your past was bearing it's teeth at him. The guy who didn't abandon you when you were raped  and got pregnant. Wow. Your daydreaming is interrupted by a loud grunt coming from outside Raphael's room. Followed by a yell. Your eyes widen in panic. You need your chain. You haven't needed to use it in over a year... It's in the pocket of your jeans from last night. You grip it tightly in your hand, sprinting from Raphael's room. The noises get louder in the foyer, and you head for the living room. It's in complete disarray. There's another human in the room. He's fighting your family, your baby's uncles and aunt. Splinter is nowhere to be found. His room is in the dojo... but his hearing is better than any you've ever seen. What is he doing? Where is he? The stranger turns, and you get a look at his face. The color drains from your cheeks. It's the man who raped you. Your heart pounds in your hears and your breath catches in your throat. How? When? You can't freeze now, you're stronger than this. You can do it. It's been over a year. You summon all your courage. "HEY! STOP!"  you shout. Everyone freezes. The stranger looks at you for a moment, and then his lip curls into a sneer. "Hello, you're looking well," he drawls, and it sends a chill down your spine. "Shut it," you snap, making him flinch. "Excuse me, you little bitch?" he demands, stepping closer to you. Your body wants to flinch, to shrink back and cower. But you don't. You see Raphael bare his teeth angrily. You hold your hand up, and he relaxes slightly. "I don't think you quite understand what you've walked into, dirtbag," you reply, clenching your teeth. "Oh really? Looks to me like a bunch of smelly fuckin' shitstains and their queen whore." he spits. You step down all three stairs, one by one. "I'm no whore, you just take pleasure in making women feel disgusting. And I can't let you do that anymore." you say, a few feet away from him now. "Oh yeah? What're you  gonna do? You're like, five foot and what, a hundred pounds?" he snickers. You twist your fingers around the chain in your hand. His hands fly up to his throat. "H-hey, what's h-happening to m-my throat?!" he stutters, clawing at his neck. You pull the glowing chain from your pocket, examining it. "You messed with the wrong bitch, hun," you murmur, jutting your hip out to the side. "Mila, don't do anything stupid," Raphael tries, looking at you nervously. You ignore him, twisting the chain halfway around. The man in front of you makes a choked sound, and his breathing becomes suffocated and strained. "You completely ruined my mental stability, destroyed what I had built. You injured me in places that shouldn't have been injured. You hurt me and made my family worry. You're poison. A roach. A pesky goddamn fly. You are a pathetic excuse for a human being," you nearly snarl. Then, you do something you haven't done in over a year. You hold the chain out in front of you, weaving it between your fingers, and your hand begins to glow along with the chain. "Mila, stop!" Raphael calls, trying to get closer to you. He can't stop you as the foreign, yet familiar words fall from your lips. The room is filled with bright light. The man is on his knees now, choking on the air he can't get down into his lungs. The sleeve of his jacket is ablaze, and he lets out a loud, choked sound when it creeps up his arm and onto his skin. His screams are choked and raspy. You keep speaking those words, tears gathering in your eyes. It's so easy. You can kill him and be done with it. He'll never hurt anyone again. Raphael is trying desperately to reach you, but the magic in the air is keeping him out, crackling with extreme pressure. "Mila, please!  Stop this! This isn't  who you are anymore!" he's crying now, trying his absolute hardest to push through the thick, magic-filled air surrounding you. "He hurt me, violated me, and completely destroyed me inside," you say. "How can I let him live knowing he's done the same thing to other girls, too?" "Yes, baby, he did all of those things," Raphael starts. "But he also did something good," You're crying now too. The man's torso is completely engulfed in flames, and he's coughing up blood from straining his throat. He's trying to scream and he can't, and his face is contorted in immense pain. "And what is that?" you snap, your voice breaking. "He gave you Cyan," You freeze, and the magic around you sputters and goes out, vanquishing the flames burning your aggressor from last year. "What are you talking about?" the man coughs. "You got me pregnant, and I kept the baby," you tell him. "That's the one good thing you've done for me." "Wait," pants, looking up at you. "You actually kept it?" You nod. "The only good thing that came from our... encounter last year." "So I'm a father?" he asks. "No," you say, jutting your thumb towards Raphael. "He is. He's not a disgusting piece of shit that thrives off the pain of other women. He's been around much, much longer. Now, if you don't shut the fuck up, I'm going to kill you." He falls silent, his face pinching with frustration. You turn to Raphael. You feel dizzy. Fuck, you need to keep it together for a few more minutes. "What do we do with him?" you ask. Raphael looks at his brothers. In the midst of everything, Mikey had run off to get Splinter, and he had arrived. "Mila, I understand your want, no, need for justice, but this will not solve any of your problems," Splinter tells you. You look up at him, your expression a mixture of sadness and regret. You cast a look down at the man you're currently sparing. He had done so much to hurt you. You had been waiting for this day for over a year. And now what? There is no way you can let him go free. He will only walk back into your life. But... "There's another way out of this," you announce. Then, using the last of your power and energy, uttering just a few more words of that familiar foreign tongue, you send him away. Somewhere he can't hurt anyone anymore. A place you had been before. It was sort of like... a boot camp for assholes. A place where magic similar to yours was used. You sigh and tuck the chain back into your pocket. Then you look down, and the ground is flying up towards your face and the shouting voices around you are muffled as your vision blurs and fades to black.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Raphael swears that nothing scares him more than when you pass out. The world moves in slow motion as you fall heavily to the ground, a loud thud echoing in the room. "Mila!"  he exclaims, throwing himself to his knees next to you. He pulls you into his arms carefully. Raphael pushes the hair from your face. "Dude, she did the same thing last time, right?" Mikey asks. "It was only a few hours till she woke up." The red-clad turtle looks up at his younger brother, his expression contorted in pain. Then, Donnie speaks up. "Yeah, but that was over a year  ago, Mikey. She hasn't done that in so long... It's probably gonna take a worse toll on her body than last time. It could be a lot longer till she wakes up." ------- It's dark. You glance around. Not... dark  exactly. Just... black. You're standing, so there's something  beneath you. You turn and step forward carefully. Once you determine that it's safe, you walk in that direction for a while. Then, a huge chill runs down your spine. You glance around. Something grazes your arm, and it burns. "Ah, fuck!" you shout, and it echoes. You see a flash of color behind you. Green and blue. A dot of pink. The colors are moving. Are these... creatures? One gets brighter, slithering closer to you. As it gets brighter, you see more of what it looks like. It looks like a bubbling... thing. It's body changes shape every time it moves. You step back. It looks like it's about to pounce. It has large eyes all over it's body, and they're all trained on you. You can feel your body preparing to take the brunt of the attack, when out of nowhere, someone vaguely familiar sprints towards your aggressor, whacking it away with a long pole. He swings at the disgusting creatures, and they all flee. Once the coast is clear, he turns to you, and a wave of realization hits you both. "Mila?" "Joey?" ------- Raphael moved you to your bedroom, and now he's laying on your bed with you, Cyan in the middle. It's been hours since you fainted. Much longer than the last time. He's worried. He sighs. "If I had wings like Noah's Dove," he sings softly. "I'd fly up the river to the one I love..." Cyan pulls at the tails of his bandanna, and he smiles down at her. "Fair thee well, my honey... Fair thee well." He pauses. He reaches over and cups your cheek in his hand, rubbing it softly with his thumb. Cyan has a hold of his other hand, lightly biting at his fingers. "I had a man who was long and tall," he continues. "Moved his body like a canon ball... Fair thee well, my honey... Fair thee well." He tears up happily, remembering the last time you sang this song. You had walked in on him singing to Cyan, and had joined him in a beautiful, unpracticed harmony. He wishes with everything that you will wake up. "I remember one evening, in the pouring rain," Cyan is falling asleep now. "Near my heart was an aching pain," He waits a moment, hoping you'll hear and wake up. "Fair thee well, my honey... fair thee well." ------- You and Joey stare each other down for a long moment. "I see you're using magic again," Joey comments icily, breaking the silence. "Maybe," you snap, crossing your arms over your chest. "Where the hell did you go? Jesus, what the fuck happened to you? You used to look like a goddamn warrior, now you look like you had another kid," Joey says, looking you up and down. "I did," you admit, catching him off guard. "What?" he asks, taken aback. "I had another kid," you repeat. "With who?" he asks. "I was raped last year." In that moment, Joey swallows whatever nasty comment he was going to hit you with, and a look of sympathy flashes across his features. "Oh shit, I'm sorry," he says, and then he's back to being stoic. "It's fine." you glance around again. "What is this place?" "This is the place mages are sent to when the over exert themselves or die." he explains. "I call it the In-between." "The In-between, huh? Joey, you aren't dead, are you?" you ask, nervous. "I am." he confirms. "I have been for a couple of years." "But... that would be right after I left," you point out. "Yeah," he says, nodding. "I knew you were leaving, so after you did, I took the early train out." You slap your hand over your mouth. "Joey..." He chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "The kid is being trained and taken care of by Marcus now. His name is Stephen. He looks a lot like you." Joey says, looking away. "He's going to be four soon. When you get back, you can take him, if you want," your old friend suggests. Tears gather in your eyes. "I would love to take him," you say, nodding. Joey pulls a slip of paper from his pocket. "This is a note I wrote when I was alive. Whatever you got on you when you come here joins you. So there are two copies now." he hands it to you. "Take it to Marcus and show him, and he'll give Stephen to you." You nod, then hesitate. Then, you throw your arms around him. "I'm so sorry that I left, Joey," you cry into his neck for a few minutes. "It's okay. I like it here. No more stress," he admits with a laugh. "I'm engaged," you tell him when you pull away. "No shittin'?" he asks, surprised. "Congrats!" "Thanks." you smile. "So... how do I get out of here?" "I can help you wake up," he suggests. "Do it," you nod. "My family is waiting for me." Joey swings his large pole, giving it momentum. Then, just as he plunges it through your chest, you're bolting upright and gasping for air. ------- Raphael is sitting by your bed playing with Cyan on the floor. He's spelling out short words on some blocks for her, and she's grabbing them and swinging them around in the air. She squeals with excitement when he puts another word together. "This one is 'cat', Cyan," he says, smiling. "The kitty goes 'meow'," Cyan looks up at him, seemingly interested. "Maow," she tries to mimic the noise, and Raphael's face lights up. "That's it, girly, meow," he encourages. The next ten minutes are spent trying to teach Cyan how to meow. Then suddenly, you're shooting up on your bed, gasping for air like you died. Did... did you die? ------- You glance around, trying to catch your breath. You see your baby on the floor with your fiance. Relief floods his expression. "I'm so glad you're awake," he sighs, getting up to sit on your bed. He takes your hand, pressing his lips to your knuckles. You smile at him, then something stirs in your mind and you reach into your pocket. ...Paper?

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Mila,
 
I know you're leaving. How else could someone explain your distance towards everyone? I'm so grateful for this little boy you've given me. He's going to be amazing. But I won't be around to see it, unfortunately. You were almost everything to me, and now, you're leaving. If you leave, I know there's a very little chance that I'll see you again. So, I'm taking my own life. Until this gets to you, Marcus will raise Stephen. That's his name. He's a beautiful little boy. He's got dirty blonde hair and grey eyes. Anyway, I hope that by the time you get this, you're happy and healthy. And... if you would like to take your son back, our location hasn't changed. Show Marcus this letter, and he will hand over Stephen. You'll love him. I know you will, because I do. And you did trust my judgement at one point, so you'll believe me. I hope your life outside of us is everything you dreamed it would be.
 
Yours Truly,

Joey
 
-------
 Your eyes water as you read the note. Is that why you feel like you just saw him? Did he give you this? "Mila? What's that? H-hey, are you okay?" Raphael asks urgently, moving closer to you. You wipe your eyes and turn to him, smiling. "How would you feel about having a son?" you ask him. He blinks. "What?" "Remember how I told you I did have another baby a while ago?" "Uh, y-yeah," he stutters, trying to piece it together. "I think that while I was unconscious, I saw my old employer, Joey. I think he gave me this note. It's written in his handwriting," you say. "He, uh... he killed himself right after I left." Raphael's expression crumbles. "I'm sorry, baby," he says softly, rubbing your arm. "But, he says our friend Marcus is still raising my son. His name is Stephen," you tell him. "If I show Marcus this letter, Joey says he'll let me take him back," "Really?" Raphael asks hopefully, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. You nod, but then you realize, "That means that we have to go back to where this started. I don't know if I want any of you going near that place." Raphael squeezes your arm, forcing you to look up at him. "Hey, I don't care where we have to go. If you want to get your other kid back, I'll follow you wherever you need me to follow you." You smile, leaning up and pressing your lips to his. You kiss him for a long moment, and when you pull apart you breathe, "I love you." ------- The two of you decide to leave when everyone is asleep. You don the bag you were using when you first met Raphael, stuffing it with some of your stashed magical items. You don't want your baby accidentally hurting herself. At around one thirty in the morning, you and your fiance slip out of your room, making your way quietly down the foyer. You're almost in the living room when a door opens. You turn, and Mikey is stepping out of his room. "Oh, Mila, Raph," he sounds caught off guard. "Hey, Mike," you reply, twisting the rest of the way to face him. "What are you doing up?" "Oh, uh, I could ask the same to you," he shrugs. "Unimportant. You look... like something happened, are you okay?" you ask. Mikey glances down, then twists away from you, blush making his cheeks red. "Yeah, yeah, I, uh, spilled something in my room," you can tell he's lying, and then you piece it together. "Oh, oh, uh, we'll go," you say, turning and pushing Raphael to start walking. "Sorry!" You and your fiance quickly flee your home, heading for the garage. ------- For emergencies, you keep a regular pickup truck in your garage. You climb into the driver's seat, your fiance in the passenger seat. Now you're on the road, leaving New York City and headed for a new destination, a place you haven't been to in a long time. "Where are we going?" Raphael asks. "Joey had a lot of connections with the army and the military,so we're able to use certain air force bases to get around. There's one near here," you explain. Your fiance nods, falling silent. The rest of the ride is quiet. You focus on the road so your mind doesn't wander. You finally arrive at the familiar building, pulling the keys out of the ignition and hopping out of the truck. Your jaw is set as yo march towards the entrance. "Wait," Raphael calls, catching your attention. "What is it?" you ask, turning around. "I'm going in there, right? What's gonna happen?" "They won't do jack shit." you announce, making eye contact with him. "If they try, well..." You keep walking. The two of you step inside, and you glance around. "Thompson did some redecorating," you mutter, continuing forward. You approach the front desk, and the man seated there looks up. He scans you appreciatively, then nearly falls out of his chair at the sight of Raphael. "Uh, h-h-hello," he stammers. "How can I h-help you?" "Give me Thompson. He owes me some favors." you demand. "I'm sorry, miss, he's a little busy, but I can-" "Does it look like I care? Tell Thompson that Madyson is here to see him. Now." you try again, looking at him with annoyance. The young man nods frantically, standing from his chair. He steps through a door behind the desk. You lean against the desk, examining the room. Raphael is looking at you strangely. "What?" "I like this side of you," he says playfully, nudging your shoulder. "All controlling." You roll your eyes. "It gets better," you drawl sarcastically. Then you hear the door click. "Madyson? Mila Madyson, is it really you?" Thompson asks. You turn to him. He looks a little older, and he has a new scar on his cheek. "Hello, Thompson," you greet him, a soft smile on your lips."It's me. You look different." "I could say the same about you. Who's this?" he asks, gesturing to Raphael. "This is my fiance, Raphael," you reply. Raphael extends his hand, and Thompson shakes it. "Good to meet you, sir," the red-clad turtle says. Thompson doesn't bat an eye. "Fiance, huh? Never expected you to settle down. At least not with anyone other than..." You nod grimly. "That's sort of why I'm here. I need a favor. You owe me anyway." "I do. How can I help you?" "I need a round trip plane ride," you say. "To HQ and back. I'm going to get my son." Thompson nods. "I'll collect a crew immediately." You take Thompson's hand and shake it. "Thank you."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Within the hour, you and Raphael are on a plane headed for the one place you swore you'd never go back to. What had your life come to? You're a mother to two kids, engaged... What's next? After a few hours, you arrive at the wretched place that helped make you who you are. The plane lands. "Let's go," you say. Raphael grabs your arm. "Are you ready for this?" he asks, searching your face with his eyes. "No." you reply, stepping off the plane. Your feet land on mossy earth, and your eyes trail up the endlessly tall trees to the leaves casting a green light down on you. You step over to a specific tree, yanking a pole sticking out from the side. The small transportation car comes flying down from above, and you motion for your fiance to step on. Then, up the two of you go. "Don't speak. Not until I've confirmed you're here with me." you whisper as the cart climbs slowly up to the hidden base in the trees. "Well well well, if it isn't our long lost bitch," says a brute on your left. "Shut your goddamn mouth, Brick, I'm not here for you assholes," you snap, causing Brick to flinch. You and your fiance step onto the steady wooden floor. "Where is Marcus?" you ask loudly. "Oh, and quit staring at my fiance. It's fucking indecent." Another man steps forward. "Hello, Madyson, long time no see. I'll take you to Marcus." "Thanks, George," you reply, motioning for Raphael to follow. "Engaged, huh, kiddo?" George inquires with a smile. You nod. "You're still as sweet as ever, George. Nice to know not everyone has turned into a complete jerk," George chuckles. "I suppose." As he's leading you up a flight of stairs, it clicks. "Wait, did Marcus take Joey's office?" "Joey left a series of notes for us to find for after he passed. He wanted Marcus to raise Stephen, and asked him to take his office." You fall silent, digesting the new information. The three of you arrive at the door to what is now Marcus's office. George opens the door. "Marcus," he calls. Marcus is on the floor with a small child, who you assume to be Stephen. Your son. "Marcus," you breathe. He turns at the sound of your voice. "Mila...?" he asks quietly. "It's me," you smile. "Is this...?" "Stephen," he leads you into the room. "Stephen, this is your mommy." The small boy looks up at you. His grey eyes glint in the sunlight. His hair is a dirty blonde with flecks of auburn. "Mama," he repeats, then stands and waddles towards you. "Mommy!" he squeals. Your heart swells as tears gather in your eyes. "Hi, sweetie," you start. You turn to Marcus, pulling Joey's letter from your pocket. "Joey gave me this. He told me that if I gave it to you, you'd let me take Stephen back to the city with me." Marcus's eyes widen. "Joey? You saw him?" You nod. "He's in this place called the In-between. That's what he calls it, anyway. It's a place mages go if they over exert themselves or pass away." Marcus ingests the new information. "And you spoke with him?" You nod. "So I'd like to take my son." "It's not that easy, Mila," Marcus says in a warning tone. "Whenever things have gotten hard for you in the past, you ran away. How do I know you won't do that again?" You're caught off guard by your friend's words. But, before you can answer, your fiance steps in. "Because she's strong," he says, stepping forward. "In the past year and a half, she's been through a lot. She was raped, got pregnant from it and kept the baby - and let me tell you her pregnancy was not  easy - and she gave birth. She became an actual mother for the first time, and none of us knew what we were doing, because none of us had ever had a damn baby. Then, she finally confessed to us all'a the shit she's been through, and done, and she was practically shit on for it. Her rapist found our home, and her abusive mother somehow got her number and has been straight up harassing  her. This isn't something she would  run away from. This is her baby. And Mila is the most amazing mother I've ever met." Your mouth falls open. "Raphael..." you whisper, taken aback by your fiance's outburst. Marcus stares at Raphael, then looks back at you. "Wow," he says, echoing your thoughts exactly. 'I had no idea," You nod grimly. "I would really be happy if you would let me take my son so he can meet his new family, and his little sister." Marcus nods in return. "I'll collect his things." ------- Then you're back in the transportation car, descending with your fiance, Stephen, and his things. "Hi, baby," you say to him. "Are you ready to meet your sister and the rest of your family?" "Sister?" he asks, confused. "You have a little sister, yes," you confirm. "Sister," he repeats. "Wha's her name?" "Cyan," you tell him. "Sssssss-" he pauses. "Go on, hun, you can say it," you encourage him, nudging him lightly. "Cyan," you repeat. "Ssssss - eye  - am," he concludes. You giggle happily. "Close enough."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Raphael watches the interaction between the two of you. His insides feel fuzzy and warm when the young boy in your arms tries desperately to say your daughter's name correctly. He smiles, turning towards the two of you. "Look," you say, pointing at Raphael. "This is your papa," Tears prick the corners of Raphael's eyes, and he blinks them away. "Hi, Stephen," Raphael greets him, bending down slightly. "I'm your papa," The young boy's eyes flit over the red-clad turtle for a moment, unsure, but then he breaks into a grin. As the cart hits the ground, Stephen reaches for Raphael, and he lifts him and places him atop his shoulders with ease. The small boy squeals with glee as he looks down from his spot on your fiance's shoulders. You look at Raphael happily, then lean up and press a kiss to his cheek. You, your fiance and your son make your way back to the plane, all content and ready to go home. ------- On the plane, you fall asleep with Stephen in your lap. But Raphael is too lost in his own thoughts to sleep. How did this amazing moment become his? Two years ago, he definitely  would've been against the idea of kids. For fuck's sake, you're both still in your twenties! But... you're the love of his life. At this point, there's no way he could survive without you. And now he has two kids. How did he deserve you, or Cyan, and now even Stephen? He almost misses the sound of your phone ringing. He presses the talk button, holding the phone to his ear. "Hello?" he says into the receiver. "Katie? Sweetie? Are you there?" "Excuse me, ma'am, I believe you have the wrong number," Raphael replies, confusion present in his voice. He hangs up and puts your phone back down. He looks over at you sleeping with your son. With his  son. Raphael's inside feel fuzzy again as he remembers he is the only man you want fathering your children. He pushes his negative thoughts aside. He deserves everything he has. He's done nothing to convince himself otherwise at this point. Raphael sighs happily and leans his head back, letting his eyes slip closed. ------- When the plane lands back in New York, you're awake and Stephen and Raphael are still asleep. It's dark out. Thank the lord. You gently shake Stephen awake. "Honey, we're almost home, but I need you to go wake up daddy," you tell your son. He yawns and rubs his eyes. "Okay," he murmurs. The small boy crosses the plane cabin easily and presses his hands to Raphael's massive arm. "Papa," he calls. "Papa, Mama say wakey," Raphael blinks, his eyes fluttering open. "Oh, hey kiddo," he grunts, his voice thick with sleep. "Guess we're heading home now." You gather all of the small things Stephen left in the cabin and place them in his bag. After a few moments, the cabin door opens, and the three of you step off of the plane. You take Stephen's hand. "Are you ready to meet your family, Stephen?" you ask him softly. He nods excitedly. You had planned on walking him to the car, but instead, you pick him up and carry him the rest of the way. Thompson meets you by the car. "I take it your trip was successful?" he asks, gesturing to the sleepy boy in your arms. You nod. "This is my son, Stephen. Stephen, honey, say hello to your Uncle Thompson," The boy turns in your arms, looking over at the silent man. "Hi," he says quietly. "Hello, young man," Thompson replies. "Be good to your mother. She is a powerful woman." Stephen yawns, nodding and leaning back over to lay his head on your shoulder. Thompson helps you into the car, and then you're headed back to the hangar. ------- Finally, after a few goodbyes, the three of you are seated in the truck, on your way home for real. "Hey, babe," Raphael starts, glancing at you. You don't have a car seat, so he opted to drive while Stephen sleeps in your lap. "Yeah?" you reply. "I wonder how everyone back home is taking us being gone for a day." ------- That morning, Mikey had woken up, went to the bathroom, then made his way to the kitchen. As he reached for the fridge door handle, he spotted a note taped next to it. He had pulled it from it's spot to get a better look. It was written in your handwriting. MIKEY, RAPHAEL IS COMING ALONG WITH ME ON A LITTLE TRIP. THERE'S SOMETHING I HAVE TO GET. I NEED TO GET CLOSURE ON THIS. BUT, I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHEN WE GET HOME. IF EVERYTHING GOES WELL, WE SHOULD BE BACK AFTER NIGHTFALL. HOW DID I KNOW TO ADDRESS THIS TO YOU? YOU'RE ALWAYS THE FIRST ONE IN THE KITCHEN. WE LOVE YOU GUYS, AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT US UNLESS WE AREN'T BACK AFTER TOMORROW MORNING. -MILA The orange-clad turtle had show all of his brothers that were present, along with his father and his two human friends. There was a very short-lived panic, and the rest of the day went on as normal. Well, aside from everyone spit-balling ideas on what you and Raphael were doing. But, when nighttime rolled around, everyone gathered in the living room to await your arrival. ------- Raphael steers the truck into the secret entrance to the underground that Donnie set up a long time ago. He pulls into the small garage, and the two of you hesitate. "Ready?" you ask. "I could ask you the same," he replies. You nod, and he does the same in return. The two of you exit the truck, Stephen still asleep in your arms. Raphael sees this and takes the few bags that Marcus had given the two of you with your son. The two of you head back to the entrance of your home. You step inside behind your fiance. "Raphael!" sounds the chorus of voices. "Who's bags are those? Mila?" You step out from behind Raphael. The room falls silent. "Hey," you say sheepishly. "i bet you were wondering where we went. And I bet you're wondering who the hell this kid is." "Uh, yeah," Mikey answers for everyone. "Well, I had told you all that a while back, I had a baby before Cyan," you say, pausing so they can piece it together. "This is... your other child?" Donnie asks, shocked. You nod. "This is Stephen." you nudge your son. "Stephen, wake up and say hello," The boy in your arms stirs. "Hi," he mumbles. You smile. "Maybe tomorrow will be better for introductions. But for now, I have to get him into his pajamas and go see my daughter. Night, everyone." You receive a chorus of 'good night's and your fiance follows you into your bedroom. You manage to get Stephen awake long enough to change him, and Raphael lays down with him on your bed. Cyan is laying, sleeping in her crib, dressed in purple pajamas. Her wispy brown hair is sticking up on the side. You smile then head over to your bed. You're asleep before your head hits the pillow.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You're woken by the sound of Mikey's booming laughter. When you turn over, you don't see Raphael or Stephen, and Cyan isn't in her crib. Your fiance woke up before you? Weird. You roll out of bed and run your hands through your hair, stepping out into the hallway. The voices of your family get louder as you near the living room. Stephen notices you first. "Mommy!" he exclaims, sprinting towards you. "Hey" you reply, startled. "Unca Mikey, Unca Weo, Unca Donnie!" he squeals, pointing at your fiance's brothers. "Yes! Do you like your uncles?" you ask him happily. He nods excitedly in return. "Aunt April!" "Geez, kiddo, if you keep sayin' it, I'm gonna cry," April mutters, feigning annoyance. Casey throws his hands up in frustration, letting them fall into his lap with a thud. "What, I'm not good enough ta be your uncle?" he exclaims, and the whole room erupts into a fit of laughter. You make your way over to the rug where everyone is seated around, and Cyan is playing with blocks. Her face is intense as she studies a small yellow one, her small lips pulling into a pout. You sit next to her with Stephen. "Do you like your little sister, Stephen?" you ask him. He nods. "She quiet," he remarks. "She's little, honey," you tell him. "But I'm big!" he exclaims, jumping up. "Yes, you are," you smile. Raphael takes this moment to swoop in and life Stephen, sitting down where the boy had been standing. He seats the young boy in his lap, and proceeds to tickle him. Stephen squeals with laughter. "Papa! Ahh! Nooo!" he laughs. Then, your fiance lifts the small boy's shirt, pressing his lips to his stomach and blowing a loud raspberry. The blonde boy squeals again with glee, and he's still giggling when he sits back down. You smile at Raphael, then lean over and peck him on the lips. The rooms is a chorus of 'awwww's. "Shut up," you say dryly. "Do it again," Mikey says. You turn to him. "What?" "Put Cyan in your lap and do it again," he says, pulling out his phone. It clicks. "Oh, a picture, okay," You pull your baby into your lap, and she lets out a small whine of protest. Smiling at your fiance, you hold your baby steady then lean in to kiss him again. You hear a click and pull away. "Did it come out okay?" you ask, setting Cyan back down with her blocks. Mikey is grinning when you step over to view the shot. Your heart melts. The picture captured your entire world in one frame. "Send that to me, please," you say, and he nods. "Oh, babe, speaking of," Raphael speaks up. ""Some person called you while you yesterday while you were asleep on the plane," "Really? Who was it?" you ask, sitting next to Cyan. "Some random woman asking for some chick named Katie," he says. You stiffen, dropping the block that was previously in your hands. "...What?" Raphael turns to you when he hears your voice drop to a whisper. "Mila?" "Why... why didn't you tell me yesterday? Don't you... wouldn't... Wouldn't that be... kind of... important?" you stammer slowly. The room falls silent. "Mila, who was it on the phone?" April asks, moving to sit near you on the floor. Your body goes numb. "My mother." ------- Raphael kicks himself internally. Damn it, he should've known! He knew  that voice sounded familiar! He turns to you panicking. "Mila, god, I'm sorry, I-I should've told you," he sputters, trying to keep you from tumbling into an anxiety attack. You run your hand through your hand and lean into April. She whispers soothing words into your ear as she rubs your back. Raphael feels helpless as he watches April calm you down. This is his fault. But, if he had told you on the plane... He shakes his head and looks away sullenly. He feels you touch his arm. Your hand trails down to his hand, and he looks down at it. Your fingers entwine with his and squeeze. "Raph," you whisper, willing him to look at you. "Baby." His green eyes meet your pale ones. "I'm sorry," he huffs, his voice strained. You squeeze his hand in reassurance. April is running her hand through your hair with one hand as the other rubs your back in soothing circles. "I don't know how she keeps finding me," you say, fear making your voice tremble. "I changed my phone number, for christ's sake," "I know, Mila, I know," April says softly. You turn to Donnie. "Donatello, please, I need your help," you plead softly. The purple-clad turtle gives you a curt nod. "Anything," he assures you. "I need you to make sure she can never find this place, find you guys. You are my entire world, I am not  letting her take this from me," you say, tears stinging your eyes. Donatello nods, standing. "I go work on improving the security systems now," he says, making his way to his lab. "Is there anything we can do?" Leo asks softly. "Yeah, Mila, what can we do?" Mikey echoes, his expression riddled with concern. "Just lay low, and be careful with who you text or call. I don't know how she's been tracking me, but she sure as hell isn't smart enough to do it by herself. She probably hired someone," you say, thinking. I wasn't unlike your mother to hire a smarter, more capable person to get the job done. She wasn't very smart, if at all. What troubles you most is that she's still trying to get you. "Normally," you start, running a hand through your hair. "She wouldn't be trying this hard. After at least two failed attempts, she would've given up. The fact that she is still doing this is what scares me most. I'm scared she's going to hurt you guys," you confess. "Babe, we'll be fine," Raphael tells you, smiling at you in reassurance. "We've been through worse." Truth rings in his words, but his smile says otherwise. It isn't completely genuine. "It's okay to be scared." But coming from you, it sounds like a complete lie. ------- Another week passes without incident. Despite this, you jump every time the phone rings. After the millionth time the phone has scared you, Raphael looks over at you. "Mila, this is getting ridiculous," he says, his voice a mixture of sternness and exasperation. "Raph, I'm sorry, but I'm terrified," you say, looking up at him. "This woman has tormented me all my life, and each time it's gotten progressively worse. And I can't shake the feeling that this time, something bad is gonna happen," Your fiance envelops you in a bear hug, sighing. "To you," you add. "Nothin's gonna happen to me," he says softly. "Promise?" "Promise." ------- April decides to accompany you one day when you take Stephen and Cyan to the park. The young boy skips off to join the crown of children, and you're left with April and Cyan. You take your baby out of your stroller and put her in your lap, balancing her on your knees. "Mila, how are you doing?" April asks, looking at you, trying to read your expression. You look back at your friend. You want so badly to get mad at her for asking that question, to be sarcastic and snap at her for it. But all she's trying to do is make sure you're okay. Instead of acting like a little bitch, you sigh. "Honestly?" you start, fixing Cyan's position in your lap. "I don't know how else to feel other then scared. And, well, angry at her for doing this to me now. After last time, I thought she was done." "She's done this more than once?" April asks, shocked. You nod. "She's the most horrible person I've ever had the displeasure of meeting." April's expression contorts into one of sadness and frustration. "You don't deserve this," she sas, sitting back with a huff. "Not you, not Stephen, Not Cyan, not the turtles or Splinter," "You and Casey don't deserve it either," you say. "What do you mean?" You do your best to push your anger back down. "She's going to try to use the two of you to get to me." "What a bitch," April snaps to no one in particular. "She's persistent. Se likes to hit below the belt. It's what she's good at." you say, leaning down to put Cyan back in her stroller. "I know who she is now, I'll be fine. But..." she pauses, her voice trailing off. "What?" you ask, gently moving the stroller back and forth. "Casey isn't the brightest, what if he slips up?" she says, slapping her palm to her forehead. You hope with everything that he doesn't.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Casey is standing begrudgingly in the check-out line at the grocery store. You had told him you were taking the kids out for a little while today and asked him to go shopping for you. After a few minutes of bickering he had agreed, and now, he regrets not putting up more of a fight. Your damn kids are turning hi into a softie! He sighs in exasperation, pulling his dark hair into a ponytail, then twisting it into a small bun. Finally, after what feels like hours, the lady in front of him is finished checking out. He quickly makes his purchases, then flees from the stupid store. The lady that was in front of him is parked next to him. Weird. "That's a lot just for one person," he finds himself commenting. "Oh, I now, but it isn't all for me," she says, a soft smile on her lips. "I'm hoping my grand-kids will be coming to visit soon." Casey huffs a laugh, loading plastic bags into the back of his car. "You look a little young to have grand-kids," he points out. The lady chuckles. "Thank you," she says. "My daughter had children young. Oh, could you help me? I have some pretty heavy stuff over here," Casey nods. "Had children young, huh?" Why did that sound familiar to him? "Yes," the lady responds, placing a bottle of detergent in her car. "What is your name, hun?" "Casey," he responds with a reluctant smile. "Don't you have a last name, Casey?" she asks, smiling just a little too brightly. "Jones," he says after a second. This was starting to feel... off. "Oh, I could've sworn my daughter had a friend who goes by that name," the lady says. "A man with long, dark hair, and a face that always looks cautious." Then it clicks. This is your mother. Casey swallows, trying to keep the realization off of his features. "Maybe we just look alike," he says with an uncertain laugh. "Or maybe you're him," your mother says, stepping closer to him. She leans in close. "Where is she?" "I don't know what you're-" "Don't play stupid, boy," she hisses. "You know where my daughter is." Casey keeps his expression relaxed, stepping away from her. "I'm sorry, ma'am," then he leans in a little, lowering his voice. "We are in public, but that doesn't bother me. Keep away from me or I won't hesitate to do what I have to." he stands up straight, throwing on a fake smile. "And have an excellent day!" He tries not to sprint to the driver's side of his car. Once he's locked safely inside, he exhales. That was way  too close. You aren't going to be happy about this. ------ Casey jogs into the room, pausing and glancing around. He spots Mikey with Stephen and Cyan on the floor in the living room. "Yo, Mikey," Casey says, heading towards them. "I need you to get the groceries out of my car," he says, tossing him the keys. "Why do I gotta do it?" Mikey whines, catching the keys. "I need to talk to Mila asap, and you're closest. Where is she?" Casey asks. "Aking-out may with aphael-Ray in his oom-ray," says the orange-clad turtle. Casey nods, taking off for Raphael's room. Mikey stands, lifting Cyan and holding out his hand for Stephen. "C'mon bud," he says to the young boy. "Come help Uncle Mikey with the groceries." ------- Mila hears Raphael let out a loud groan of impatience when a loud, urgent set of knocks sound on his door. "Mila, you in there? It's Casey, we need to talk," Raphael bares his teeth at the door, then turns back to you. "What do you want to do?" he asks quietly. Despite his question, you know for a fact that he wants you to stay with him. You sigh and twist your body to face the door. "That depends," you call back. "Can it wait?" You hear a loud smack outside the door, and you can only guess that it was Casey slapping his palm to his forehead. "Get your brain out of your crotch, Mila, this is fucking important," Casey snaps impatiently. You turn back to Raphael. "Sorry," you say quietly, leaning down to press a final kiss to his lips before you get up. When you open the door, Casey is waiting outside, tapping his foot. His arms are crossed over his chest, and his expression is anxious. "Casey?" "I ran into a certain someone at the store this afternoon." Your heart drops. "You mean-" "Yeah." "What?!" you hear Raphael snap from behind you. In a few seconds he joins the two of you, and you can practically feel the anger radiating off of him. "What happened?" you ask. "Did she try to hurt you? Are you okay?" you ask frantically, searching his exposed skin for any new wounds. He places his hands on your shoulders and carefully stands you up straight again. "I'm fine," he says softly. "But she has plans." "Plans?" Raphael interjects. "She bought an obnoxiously large amount of kids stuff. Foods and toys and things," he says. "When I didn't know who she was, I asked her what she was doin' with all of it. She said she was expecting to see her grand-kids soon." You thought you were going to feel scared, or anxious. But instead, all you feel is anger and rage. "That bitch," you growl. You ball your fists at your sides. Raphael looks taken aback by your reaction. "Woah, I must be rubbin' off on you," he says. "I'm so done  with her," you practically snarl. "She thinks she can use you to try to get to my fucking kids?!  I didn't care before, I thought she was trying to get me. But now, it's twice  as fucking personal." "Mila, she won't get them, we'll make sure of it," Casey, says, nodding at you. "If she so much as tries to look  at them, I swear to god I'll kill  her," your words ring true as soon as they escape your lips, and the air aound the three of you tenses. "Mila, do you needa hit somethin'?" Raphael asks, you, turning you to face him. You nod. "Desperately," you reply. Raphael turns his body, presenting his bicep to you. "Hit me," he says, tapping the muscle. "Are you sure?" you asks, your expression changing into one of concern. He nods. "As hard as you want, as many times as you need," Your eyes flicker back and forth from his face to his arm. "Alright," you say reluctantly. You adjust your footing so you won't fall over. Then, you reel back your fist as far as you can, and with all of the force and anger you have, you swing at Raphael's arm. A loud smack sounds, nearly muffling your fiance's loud grunt. You exhale sharply, briefly shaking out your first hand before balling up your second, repeating the process. You punch him a few more times before you remember that he has nerve endings. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry, babe," you say, rubbing his arm tenderly. Raphael lets out a large huff of air. "I kinda underestimated how hard you'd be hittin' me," he says, chuckling to mask his obvious pain. You grimace. "Geez, I'm sorry," you repeat. "I kind of forgot I was hitting something living for a minute," "Don't ever let me get on your  bad side, Casey mumbles, rubbing at the back of his head. You clear your throat sheepishly. "Anyway, we have to tell the others what you told us, Casey," you say. "This is getting worse." ------- "Donnie," you call, stepping into his lab. Raph and Casey are behind you. "Back here," the purple-clad turtle calls from behind his desk. You jog over. "Don, it's getting worse with my mother, you-" "I know," he says. "How?" you ask. He opens his phone and turns it towards you, showing you the screen. "She just friend requested me, like, three and a half minutes ago." You let out a loud noise of frustration, then wheel around and hit the wall. "Ow!"  you shout. "God damn  it!" "Mila!" Raphael nearly shouts. He grabs you by your wrists before you can hit the wall again, but you had managed to get in a second hit. "Hey! Stop, babe, come on!" You finally stop struggling in his grip and look up at him. "This won't help," he says sternly. "She's ruining  my life," you say, tears threatening to fall. "I don't know what else to do," "Mila, we aren't gonna let nothin' happen to you," Casey assures you. "But it isn't me  I'm worried about!" you exclaim, looking back at your fiance. "It's you, all of you!" "She's not gonna do nothin' to us, I promise," Raphael says softly. "This is why I run from everything, why I have  to run from everything," you say, hanging your head. "Because wherever I go, I only cause trouble for the people around me," "Stop it," Raphael snaps, shaking you lightly. "Stop talkin' that way." "But it's true," you say. Tears are flowing down your cheeks freely now, undoubtedly carrying thick trails of mascara. "Because of who I am, because of my biological history, the only thing the people around me get is pain, and because of me, they suffer," "Mila, god damn it, shut up," Raphael snaps again, freeing one of your wrists to guide your face upwards. "Don't you dare  think for one second that I've suffered because'a you," Your mouth hangs open slightly as his eyes search your face. You're stunned into silence, unsure of what to say. "Since I've known you, my life has done nothin' but get better, and more exciting," he continues, holding your eyes in place with his own. "As a six-foot fuckin' mutant turtle, I never imagined in any world I'd find someone I want to be with forever, let alone anyone I'd ever have frickin' kids  with. You, Stephen, and Cyan, you three are my whole entire goddamn world, Mila Madyson," Your eyes are wide in disbelief. "You have done nothin' but make us all incredibly happy. Mikey never stops referrin' to himelf as 'Uncle Mikey'. Splinter, the guy who thought that because'a the nature of his family, never imagined he'd be lucky enough to have grand-kids. April loves havin' another female friend she can talk to about things, about us," Raphael pauses. "We all have no other feelings for you except love. We love you. I  love you. More than I've ever loved anyone." "I've never seen Raph look at anyone the way he looks at you," Casey chimes in. Donnie nods. "We all really care about you more than you think. Especially him." Your eyes travel from Donnie, to Casey, then back to Raphael. You're at a loss for words. How could you respond? Instead of saying anything, you let out a choked sob and press your lips to Raphael's. You wrench your other arm from his grip and wrap it around his neck, using your other hand to cup his face. When you pull away, you make solid eye contact with him before whispering, "I love you, too." You hug him tightly, and then Casey and Donnie join in, causing you to giggle happily. Your anger melts away in their arms.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Not three hours later, your phone rings. An unknown number. You sigh heavily and let it ring a few more times before you reach over and pick it up. "Hello?" you say into the receiver. "I know you know it's me," "I'm not gonna play stupid anymore," you say. "Keep away from my family." "Since when were you in any position to try and tell me  what to do? You're still a child," "I am not  a damn child," you hiss. "I am turning twenty-two in seven months, you ignorant bitch," "Twenty-two? You think that makes a difference to me?" "I have legal rights as an adult, and a mother," you say, standing and pacing around the room. "Oh yeah, I forgot, my slut of a daughter let herself get knocked up how many times?" "I may be unfortunately  biologically related to you, but I am not  your daughter." "Keep telling yourself that, but you'll never get away," "Things are different now," you say, confidence rising in your chest. "I have people who actually care  about me, and you're just jealous," "Why would I be jealous of a girl surrounding herself with freaks?" "Because these 'freaks'  are more human than most people I've had the displeasure of meeting," you snap. "And, I know for a fact  that the only reason you waste your time trying to torment me is because you have no one else," "I'd like to see you talk this way to my face," "You think I won't?" you challenge. "I know  you won't," "You're wrong. I've changed. I've learned. I know things now, things that have made this easier. I am more  than willing to finish this face to face," "Alright, if you insist," "I do  insist," you nearly growl. "How about you meet me in Central Park in three days?" "Fine by me," "You can bring your little... friends. Oh, and-" "I am not  bringing my children. They will never  see your face," "Be that way. I'll see you Thursday night." The line goes dead. ------- Raphael is woken up from a nap with Stephen and Cyan by your loud, high-pitched yell. He turns to the little boy. "Stay with your little sister, bucko," he says, ruffing the boy's already messy hair. "What happened?" he asks, concerned. "I just need to go calm down your mama. Stay put, kiddo." He nods, laying back down with Cyan. Raphael exits your room and sprints down the hallway to find you in the living room. You're on the couch, holding your head in your hands. You're shaking and crying. "Mila, hey," he says softly, joining you carefully on the couch. "Babe?" "I can't believe I agreed to this," you mumble, and he sees a couple of tears drip onto your knee. His heart breaks. He reaches over and uses the pad of his finger to wipe away the droplets, then slowly turns you to face him. He takes your head in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away your tears. "Tell me what happened," he says softly, searching your face with his eyes. You take a breath and close your eyes. "M-my mom called," you sputter. "She t-told me to m-meet her in Central P-Park on Thursday n-night," His expression melts into one of realization. "Oh," he breathes. "Shit." "Sh-she asked me to bring y-you guys," you continue. You place your hands over his, then turn your head in his hands and kiss his palm. "What about Stephen and Cyan?" he asks. "They c-can't come, she'll try and take them from m-me," you say, and a few more tears find their way down your cheeks. "Okay, baby, listen to me. Hey, look at me," Raphael says, holding your eyes in place with his own. "She'll never  take them, no matter how hard she tries." "B-but she-" "She will never  take them," he presses. You glance away, then look back at him. "Okay..." He leans in and kisses your forehead. His lips linger for a moment before he pulls away. "B'sides, this is one small bump in the road. You still gotta marry me." You smile. "Yeah, I do. And you have to marry me, too," He smiles that crooked smile of his, and for a moment, everything else washes away. "It'll be okay." he says, pressing his lips to yours. "I promise." ------- The next couple of days pass far too quickly. Raphael tries his best to keep you from worrying, but even his best efforts end up being in vain. "What are we gonna do?" you ask for the millionth time. Raphael rolls his eyes. "Mila, relax. We still have one more day," he says, rubbing your back. "But we've been saying that," you say, exasperated. "And we still don't know anything." "Well, baby, I don't know what you want us to do," Raphael replies. "Prepare for something, anything," you know you're starting to freak out again, but you can't stop. "We don't know what she's going to do!" "What could she possibly do to us?" Raphael asks, letting out a laugh. "We're six-foot turtles trained in the ancient Japanese art of Ninjutsu," You search his face with your eyes. "What if she tries to hurt you six-foot turtles trained in the ancient Japanese art of Ninjutsu?" He sighs, kissing you softly. You melt into it, moving onto his lap. "Baby, when I proposed to you, it meant that I'm gonna marry you. And in order for me to do that, I needa be, well, not hurt. So I won't be." he says, rubbing your hips with his thumbs. You lean forward and lay your head on his shoulder, pressing a small kiss to his neck. "I'm just worried." "I know, Mila, you got every right ta be," he agrees. You wrap your arms around his neck. Just one more day. ------- And then it's not one more day, it's one more hour, and then it's one more minute. You crouch in front of Stephen. "Sweetheart, your mama and your uncles need to go take care of some things," you say, your tone urgent. "Your Aunt April and Uncle Splinter are going to stay here and keep an eye on you and your sister. I need you to be good, okay?" He nods. "Mama, be careful," he says almost pleadingly. "I will," you say, flashing him a smile. You lift his curly hair and press a kiss to his forehead, then hug him tightly. As you stand and head for the tunnels, you nearly run into Mary. "Uh... Mary?" you ask, confused. "Mikey told me everything, and I'm coming," she announces. You blink. "No, no, no. No. You have no battle skills, or anything, you can't. I hate to say it Mary, but you would get in the way," She pouts. "So what am I supposed to do?" "April, you're coming with us. Mary, stay with Cyan and Stephen." you say. "No if's, and's, or but's." "Fine," she finally agrees. The rest of you head out to the turtle's van.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Your heart is pounding. Raphael is driving and you're in the passenger seat, your hand safely in his. Every few minutes or so he gives your hand a reassuring squeeze, and you take a deep breath. Raphael pulls the van up alongside Central Park. The only lights outside are the lamps inside the park. Your fiance turns to you. "Are you ready?" he asks, searching your face with his eyes. "No," you breathe, a hysterical laugh escaping you. "I'm terrified. But... but I have to do this. If I don't, she'll terrorize me for the rest of my life. So... I need to. Not even for me; for my children, for you guys. You're my family. Are... are you ready?" Raphael exhales through his nose. "I don't know. But I have to be there for you. After this, we are gonna get so frickin' married." You can't help but laugh. You press a quick kiss to his lips, then, all of you exit the van and duck into Central Park. All of you keep your guard up, your weapons on hand. You keep yourself between your family and anything that moves. Your group comes to a stop in the middle if the park. "We're here," you announce. "Show yourself." After a moment, about seven or eight people appear from behind several trees, your mother being one of them. You swallow. "Katie, my dear," she says, sauntering towards you with her goons. "That isn't  my name anymore." you snap, your tone strong and even. She sighs dramatically. "Fine, Mila  my dear. You're looking... well." You rolls your eyes. "And you still look like a whore. Now that that's out of the way, what do you want from me?" She looks as if she's trying to keep her composure. "Well, I want you to come home," "Home? That wasn't a home. It was the ghost of something that could've  been a home. If you hadn't physically abused me as a child." you're getting angry, but you know it's too soon to do anything irrational. There's a beat of silence. "Do you deny it?" you ask. "I have no wish to deny it. I disciplined you as I saw fit." she replies. "Discipline?! You pushed me down a flight of stairs for spilling a cup of milk!" you're nearly shouting. "You never did it again." "Because I thought you were gonna fuckin' kill  me!" "I didn't." "Pushing me down the fuckin' stairs could've snapped my neck, you ignorant fuck," you growl, stepping forwards. She shrugs. "Why are we still talkin'? We came here to finish  this," Raphael growls, twirling his sai in his hands. At that moment, the sound of guns being loaded fills the air. Everyone holds their defenses closer. "Guns? You don't bring guns to a knife fight," you roll your eyes again. "Who's making the rules?" she replies. Suddenly, one of the gunmen to your right falls to the ground. A shuriken is sticking from his shoulder. "This needed to be moved along," Mikey says simply. All at once, everything happens. Your entire family huddles around you to deflect an onslaught of bullets, and your eyes go wide as you duck your head and grip your ears. Panic rises in your chest as you spot a gunman in a tree, his rifle trained on the back of Leonardo's head. You watch in fear as he loads and cocks the gun, then you turn and push Leonardo out of the way as he fires the gun. "Hey!"  Leo calls, caught off guard. Most of the gunmen have stopped firing, their guns poised in the air. Your fiance and his brothers fling shurikens at the remaining guns, rendering them useless. They drop the guns, only to reveal axes, baseball bats, and other weapons. Raphael and his brothers charge at the visible gunmen, and Casey and April sneak off to find the hidden ones. Leo stays behind, his face intense as he looks at you. "What the hell was that?!" "There was one in the tree," you say, placing your hands on his cheeks. "I-I-I'm sorry for pushing you, but I don't wanna lose you, and-" He wraps you up in a quick hug. "Thank you," he murmurs, then sprints off to join the fight. As soon as you're left alone, two men are in front of you in an instant, ready to attack. The first swings at you with an axe, and you step out of the way, grabbing the pole of the weapon. You plant your feet steadily on the ground, pulling as hard as possible to swing the guy around. You drag him along in a complete circle, shoving at the last moment, causing him to fall directly onto the second guy. Another charges at you from behind, and as he reaches out to punch you, you twist your body, shoving your right leg outwards. You pull hard on his arm, snapping it over your shoulder at the elbow. He lets out a cry of pain, and you lift your leg. His body lifts off of the ground, and you swiftly toss him over your shoulder onto the other two lying on the ground. Raphael is startled by a loud yell from several feet away. He kicks the guy who is currently attacking him in the head, knocking him out. He quickly scans the battlefield, hoping you aren't hurt. He's mistaken. He watches in awe as you throw a guy down. You're doing fine. That's all that matters. ------- Back at the lair, Mary and Splinter are seated in the living room, doing their best to entertain the two kids and keep Stephen from asking questions. But he does anyway. "Is mama fightin' bad guys?!" he exclaims, jumping up and throwing small, weak punches into the air. Mary looks to Splinter, unable to answer. Spinter sighs. "Stephen, my grandson," he starts. "You must not worry about your mother and father. They are prepared for their battle. But you are very young and should not focus on such things. You have quite a long time before you should be worrying about fighting." The boy crawls into Splinter's lap. "Is mama gonna be okay?" Splinter smiles and hugs Stephen. "I know everything will work out the way it is supposed to." Just then, a loud noise sounds from within the tunnels. Mary looks to Splinter, a sinking feeling in her stomach. "It seems as if we are going to have some unwanted visitors. Mary, please, take Stephen and Cyan to my room. I will keep these... guests at bay." Mary nods, lifting Cyan. Stephen slides off of Splinter's lap and takes Mary's hand, running with her down the hallway. Splinter stands, waiting patiently for whatever is about to greet him. ------- April and Casey make their way silently through the dark area, scouting for backup gunmen hiding in the wings. There's a slight rustle of leaves. "Did you hear that?" Casey whispers. "Hear what?" April hisses back. Suddenly, several men come out of their hiding spots, loading and cocking their guns. "That," Casey gulps, holding his hockey stick defensively. The two stand back to back, staring each gunman down mercilessly. "Casey, I'm going to give us some cover," April says just loud enough for her friend to hear. The male nods, and then, April pulls a small pellet from her pocket. She throws it down and it bursts, creating a thick screen of smoke. Immediately, all of the gunmen start shooting. But, when the smoke clears, Casey and April are gone. All of the men look at each other, confused. After a beat silence, Casey is flinging himself down from a tree, landing on and taking out three men at once. "GOONGALA!" he yells, jumping back up and swinging his hockey stick at the nearest victims. April is right behind him, kicking and dodging and punching her way through groups of two or three or even four men at a time. Finally, Casey is knocking the last one out, shoving the body down on top of a pile of more unconscious gunmen. "Is that all of them?" April pants, glancing around. "Seems like it," Casey nods. "Let's head back to the others." The red head nods, and the two sprint off to join the fray.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Splinter stands in the shadows as several men come pouring into the lair. "Do you think anyone is here?" one of them whispers. "It looks empty," the one in front responds. Splinter steps into the light silently. "You should never underestimate your surroundings." All of the men turn to Splinter, their guns raised and pointed at him. "Men, we came here for the children," the one Splinter supposes is the leader says. "Kill everyone here that isn't  who we came for. Fire!" Splinter launches himself into the air as the guns start firing, landing behind them and using his tail to sweep their legs out from underneath them. Guns clatter noisily to the grounds, and as Splinter works on the men present, a few others sneak off to look for your kids. Mary stands behind Splinter's bedroom door, peeking out through the small crack she left open. Cyan makes a loud squeal of delight, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Stephen, they'll find us. You need to keep her quiet." Mary whispers. The small boy nods, shushing the baby. Suddenly, gunshots are heard from the living room, and Mary inhales sharply, shutting the door. She sits with Stephen and Cyan, wrapping her arms around them protectively. It's quiet for several minutes. Mary doesn't dare speak. Then the silence is broken by the sound of the dojo door sliding open. Splinter stands, looking around at the mess he's created. Ammo shells lay scattered on the floor,and a couple dozen men lay unconscious on the ground. His ear twitches, swiveling to catch a noise from somewhere down the hall. The dojo? He bolts down the empty foyer. Mary holds her breath as she listens to the few men snoop around the dojo, moving so that the children are behind her. Suddenly, the darkness is flooded with light from the adjacent room as the door is shoved open. "Here they are!" the man exclaims as Mary stands. "Move," he hisses. "I won't," Mary snaps back, with more confidence than she feels. "I'll fuckin' shoot you, bitch," the man snarls, shoving his gun forward to prove a point. Just then, Splinter arrives in the dojo, and the other two men point their guns at him. "Don't!" Splinter shouts, then locks eyes with Mary. "Mary, child, you do not  have to be a hero," "Mila told me to protect these two with my life, that's what I'm doing." Mary says. The gunman holding her at point chuckles darkly. "Kinda hard to protect somethin' with your life when you don't have one." Splinter's eyes widen as the loud sound of a gunshot fills the air. "NO!" ------- Raphael and Leo are fighting back to back, stopping wave after wave of the men dressed in black. "There's no end to them!" Leo shouts, his breathing gradually becoming labored. "This wave was smaller," Raphael comments. "It'll end soon, we can outfight 'em," "Not if they keep up like this!  How can you be so sure, Raph?" "They can't possibly have more men than-" The crack of a gunshot splits the air. Everyone freezes. ------- You flip yet another goon over your shoulder. "Enough," you snarl, glancing around for your mother. When you spot her, she's holding a handgun, aiming at someone. You follow the aim. She's pointing the gun at Raphael. Your heart drops into your stomach as everything starts to move in slow-motion. You sprint for your mother, but before you reach her, she's got her finger on the trigger and she squeezes. "RAPHAEL!"  you scream as the gunshot rings in the air. The red-clad turtle is frozen. The bullet had entered through the back of his right shoulder. It tore through the muscle there, sliding through his clavicle bone like butter, and exits through the front of his shoulder. A loud scream tears from his throat, causing your blood to run cold. Leonardo's eyes are wide in disbelief. Your eyes find their way back to your mother, and rage bubbles up through your chest. You run faster than you've ever run before, jumping onto your mother and shrieking like a wild animal. The gun gets knocked out of her hand as she falls heavily to the ground, a sickening crunch sounding in her chest. You ball your fists and they collide with her face once, twice, three times, over and over. You hear a loud noise that sounds like a scream, and you realize it's coming from you as you beat the absolute shit of the woman that just shot the man you love most. Your left hand wraps around her throat and squeezes, while your other hand claws at her face. You drag your fingernails repeatedly down her face as she lets out a choked scream. Blood streams down your mother's face and onto the grass beneath her. You take a fistful of her dark hair and pull, freeing a huge chunk and tossing it to the side. Tears are flooding from her eyes as she struggles to breathe. "I'LL KILL  YOU!" you yell, fixing your right hand onto her throat as well. She's clawing desperately at your hands as your tears drip onto them. As her face is turning blue, two sets of hands grab your arms and pull you off of the woman beneath you, dragging you away. You kick, scream, and fight, your vision blurring with tears. The hands release you and you fall back onto the ground, panicked sobs wracking your body. Mikey's orange bandanna catches your eye, and he's speaking to you, but you can't make it out. "Mila, Mila, please, pull yourself together," he says pleadingly. "Raphael is gonna-" "Raphael," you gasp, sitting up. "Where is he?!" Leonardo moves out of the way, giving you a view of Donatello tending to Raphael's injury. You jump up quickly, stumbling over to the two as fast as you possibly can. You throw yourself down next to him, landing at his left side. Raphael's eyes are closed, squeezed shut as his face contorts in pain. You take his hand. "Raph, Raphael, baby, can you hear me?" you call out, more tears streaming down your face. "Mila," he groans as Donnie works quickly to disinfect the wound. "Yes, Raphael, it's me, I-I'm here," you nod quickly. "You're gonna be okay, do you hear me? Y-you're gonna be just fine," "Hurts like a bitch," he grunts, tears rolling down the exposed skin around his eyes before staining his bandanna. "You are going to be okay, you are going to make it through this," you continue, cupping his cheek with your hand. "You still have to marry me, remember? And you have to be not hurt for that," He grimaces again. "Gonna marry the shit  outta you," he forces through clenched teeth. "I promise."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Mary sinks to her knees, clutching her torso. Blood seeps through her shirt, then onto her hands, and drips to the floor. Stephen stares petrified at the blood pooling beneath her. He turns his head, squeezing his eyes shut. Splinter makes quick work of the three men still standing, then steps into his room, turning on the light. He kneels next to Mary, laying her on the floor carefully. He presses his hand to the wound, applying pressure. "Mary, you are going to be fine, I am going to-" She coughs, and with it, makes a wet, gurgling noise. It dawns on Splinter. The gunshot punctured Mary's lung. Tears sting his eyes as Mary coughs again, blood spilling from between her lips. She sputters and coughs, and all Splinter can do it watch, because he knows his efforts will be in vain. "I'm sorry, Splinter," Mary says, coughing yet again. "Do not apologize, my child," he says, moving the hair from her face. "It is I who should be apologizing to you, for not being able to save you." "I could've d-done something, I-I-" "Shhhh," Splinter quiets her. "You did what you could. Rest now, child." "Tell Mikey and the others that I love them," Mary struggles to breathe as blood fills her lungs. "I will deliver the message. Rest now," Splinter repeats, laying her head on the floor. Mary sputters and coughs several times before her breathing stops. Splinter's ears fall flat against his head in sadness. He takes the sheet from his bed and covers Mary, then takes his grandchildren and leaves the room. ------- After Donnie has cleaned up Raphael as best as he can, everyone helps carry the red-clad turtle carefully to the van. They lay him on the floor, and you sit behind him so you can put his head in your lap. Leonardo hops in the driver's seat and Casey in the passenger's side. April glances at the sky. "Step on it, Leo," she says. "It's almost sunrise." The blue-clad turtle nods, and then the van is home bound. ------- Splinter's ears swivel when he hears more noise coming from within the tunnels. He steps into the living room as you and his sons bustle in, carrying Raphael. "What happened?!" Splinter exclaims, watching helplessly as the group hurries past him towards Donnie's lab. April breaks away from the group to explain what happened as you and the boys carry your fiance into the lab. Donnie instructs you to lay him down on the nearby table, and he digs around in his drawers for supplies. "We need to flip him over onto his stomach," Donnie says, coming back over. "I need to close up the back first." You nod, and the five of you flip him as carefully as possible as April and Splinter step into the room. Donnie wheels over a lamp, shining it onto his brother's wound. He starts working immediately, sewing the inside muscle back together. It takes five or six stitches. You pull a chair over and sit on Raph's left side, holding his hand in your own as you lay your head on his shoulder. Soon, Donnie has closed up the back side of the wound, wiping the excess blood with a disinfectant. Then, you flip him onto his shell again, and the purple-clad turtle gets to work on the other side. There are several minutes of silence as Donatello works before he's wiping Raphael's shoulder, and his own forehead. "Done," he breathes. He stands, moving to throw out the soiled tools. "Mila, are you coming?" he asks, headed for the door. "No," you say, lifting your head. "I'll stay." Donnie shrugs and exits the room, leaving you with Raphael. You kiss your fiance's cheek and lay your head on his arm again. Quietly, you start humming Fair Thee Well, and before you know it, you're dozing off, your hand still in his. ------- Raphael is woken by the searing pain in his right shoulder. He can feel the wound pulsing,and it sends a chill down his spine. Memories of the fight flood his mind, and he groans. He tries to move his left hand to cover his right shoulder, bu there's something holding him down He lifts his head, his eyes landing on your colorful head of hair. A smile forms on his lips. "Mila," he calls, his voice thick with sleep. "Mila, babe," You lift your head, glancing around. Your eyes lock with his, and it takes you a moment to register that he's awake. "Raphael!" you exclaim, jumping up and smashing a kiss to his lips. He lifts his able hand, pressing his palm to your cheek. "How do you feel, babe?" you ask when you pull away. "My shoulder's killin' me, but other than that, okay," he says, smiling at you. "Donnie gave me something to give you for that, one sec," you say, stepping over to Donatello's desk. You grab the three pills and the cup of water sitting there. "Here." Raphael takes the pills graciously, downing them with the water. Then you're looking at him sadly, tears pricking your eyes. "Babe...?" he asks carefully, sitting up. "What's wrong?" "Uh, Raph, while we were gone last night," you start, looking up, trying to blink away tears. "Mary, she... she died." The red-clad turtle's heart nearly stops. "She... died?" he repeats, his eyes swimming with tears. "How?" You sit, holding his hand again. "Splinter said she was shot while trying to protect Cyan and Stephen," Raphael looks away, his eyes squeezing shut. Then, it hits him. "How's Mikey?" he asks, his voice pained. "After Splinter broke the news to us, he locked himself in his room. That was about six hours ago. He hasn't come out or spoken to any of us." you tell him, sniffling. "I'm sorry, babe, I know that isn't the best news to wake up to, but-" "Mila, it's okay, I was gonna find out anyways," Raphael stops you, smiling sadly. "I'm just glad you're okay." "Me? You got shot," you laugh, nudging his left shoulder. He chuckles sheepishly. "Yeah, I did. Hey, who fuckin' shot me?" "My mother," you say after a moment. He sneers. "She didn't hurt my brothers, did she? Or Casey or April? If I ever see her again, I'll-" "Raph," you stop him quietly. "What is it?" "I almost killed her," you admit, looking away. "You... what? How?" "After she shot you, something... I don't know, something snapped. I jumped on her and just... hit her, and scratched  her, and I was choking her," you explain, not meeting his eyes. "And Leo and Mikey had to pry me off of her. Any longer and I would've..." Raphael watches as you start to shake, fresh tears falling from your eyes. He pulls you in for a hug, ignoring the jolt of pain that came from moving his right arm. "I don't know what c-came over me," you sob into his neck. "I'm n-not that p-person anymore," "I know," he murmurs, rubbing your back. "You were just doin' what you thought was right," You cry in his arms for a while. When he lets you go, you sit up, wiping your face. "We've been through a lot," you comment. "We really have," he agrees. You sigh. "We're... you still want to get married, right?" He looks at you, shocked. "Are you kiddin' me? Why would you even ask?" "My mother shot  you and tried to kill all of us," you say, a hysterical laugh escaping you. "She managed to kill our friend, and I  nearly killed her. I went crazy... If you saw what I did to her, you'd-" "Mila, what would ever make you think that me lovin' you could change? What you did to her doesn't make you evil or nothin'. Just shows me you're a strong woman that doesn't take shit from anyone." Raphael chuckles, nudging your arm with his own. "I love you. Always will." You smile. "I love you, too."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You stand outside Mikey's door and sigh, knocking. "Mike? Mikey, can I come in?" you ask quietly. When you don't get an answer, you push the door open carefully, peeking your head inside. It's dark. "Go away," Mikey groans weakly from his bed. "Mikey, you've been locked in here all day. You need to eat something." you say, walking over and sitting on the edge of his bed. "Not hungry." he mumbles, curling in on himself. You stare at his curled up form on the bed, your eyes drowning in sadness, guilt, and empathy. "Mikey, I know this is hard," you start carefully. "But you won't fix it by doing this to yourself." "Why did she have to die?" he asks the ceiling. "Splinter did everything he could, Mikey, he-" "I loved  her Mila," he says passionately, sitting up to look at you. There are tears running down his cheeks. "I was gonna finally tell her when we got back," Your bottom lip trembles. Don't cry, Mila! Mikey needs a rock right now! "I'm so sorry, Mikey," you say, placing your hand on his shoulder. "i know she would've said it back." "You think so?" he asks. "I know so." you smile sadly. "Do you need a hug, hun?" He nods, wrapping his arms around your middle and tucking his head under your chin. You rub his shell and hug him tightly, and he starts to cry. Sobs wrack his body, and he clings to you. You let him cry, scream, and you nod when he curses the universe. Long after he's done, he's still hugging you. He breaks the silence with a soft chuckle. "Thanks, Mila." "Any time, Mikey." "Hey, Mila, you know what?" he says. "What is it, Mikey?" You can hear the smile in his voice when he speaks again. "Your kids are lucky to have you as a mom." You laugh. "Why's that?" "You're really good at this," he says. "I mean, you're good at comforting, and making people feel better," A light blush dusts your cheeks, and you're thankful it's dark. "I try my best," "That's the thing, you don't have to, you're just good at it. When Stephen and Cyan have their first heartbreak, or, or, or if something bad happens," he starts. "Which I hope nothing bad happens; they're gonna have you to fall back on, and they're lucky. I wish I had a mom like you." Your heart melts. "Thanks, Mikey," you say, your voice breaking as tears gather in your eyes. You press a motherly kiss to the top of his head. "If you eaver need someone to be a mom for you for a bit, you know where to find me." He chuckles. "Thanks," he murmurs, pulling away. "Now, I hope to see you out in the kitchen. I gotta go be a mom for real. It's my turn to change Cyan," you say, standing and heading for the door. "Go eat." Mikey nods, and he follows you out into the foyer. You smile as you watch him head for the kitchen. ------- Over the next couple of weeks, you and April coordinate Mary's funeral. You get in touch with her immediate family, explaining to them what happened. You also tell them about the turtles, and that they are going to be there. The day of the funeral, you, April, Casey, the turtles, Splinter, and Mary's family watch as her casket descends into the earth. You don't know who looks more upset; Mikey, or Mary's parents. You comfort Mikey through the whole afternoon, letting him hug you, lean on you, and cry with you whenever and however long he needs. Mary's family talks and associates with yours, talking about her and sharing stories. After the wake, you go your separate ways, and you say your heartfelt goodbyes to Mary's family. You sit with Mikey in the backseat on the way home. "Are you okay?" you ask, a soft smile on your lips. Mikey smiles back at you. "Yeah, I think I am. I talked a lot with Mary's parents today. They're really nice." "That's good, Mikey," you say, rubbing his arm. "What did you guys talk about?" "They just told me lots'a stuff about 'er and some stories from when she was little. "It really lifted my mood," the orange-clad turtle admits. You hug him for the millionth time that day. "I'm glad." "Mila, thanks for bein' there for me today. I appreciate it." "Always, Mikey." ------- You wait a while after Mary's funeral to bring up the wedding again. You don't want to seem disrespectful. "Raphael?" you call his name as you step into the living room. He's watching something on TV. "Yeah," he says, looking up. "We need to talk about the wedding," you say, sitting next to him. He reaches for the remote, turning off the TV. "Let's talk," "Okay so I know you're probably gonna want it to be just us-" "Yeah," he nods. "But I have people I want to invite to the wedding," you finish. "Who?" Raphael asks. "Well, I want to invite all of those guys you saw the day we went to go get Stephen," you admit. "I thought you didn't want them in your life anymore," Raphael points out, confused. "Yeah, but, I don't know, those guys did a lot for me, and I don't feel right not inviting them," Raphael falls silent, processing this. "Fine. Anyone else?" "Thompson, and Mary's family." "Mary's family is a given," Raphael says, rolling his eyes. You smile. "So you're really okay with this?" "Not really, because I don't think those guys like me too much, but it's half your wedding,so you have a say in who gets invited," Raphael says, smiling. You press an excited kiss to his lips. "Thanks, babe, it means a lot to me. Now, we have to find a place to have it," You both think. "Hey, Mary's parents told me that they have a horse farm outside the city," you say, remembering a conversation from the funeral. "That would work," Raph nods. "And I've never seen a horse up close before," Your mouth falls open in a surprised smile. "Really?" Your fiance nods, grinning sheepishly. "We have to try to get their horse farm for our wedding." you say, reaching for your phone. "It's settled. I'll go call them." You kiss Raphael, then stand and dial Mary's mother. You step into the kitchen and lean against the counter as the phone rings. "Hello?" "Hi! Mrs. Fuller! It's Mila," you say, starting to pace around the kitchen. "Oh, hello, dear! How are you?" Mary's mother greets you excitedly. "I'm good, thank you. How are you?" you ask carefully. "I'm doing a lot better, dear, thank you. Now, I'm sure there's a reason for this call," she says, and you can hear the smile in her voice. "Yeah, actually, there is. Raphael and I are trying to pick a location for our wedding, and-" "Oh, that's wonderful!" Mary's mother squeals. "Yeah, Mrs. Fuller, but I was hoping I could ask a favor of you," you say. "Anything, dear!" "Could we use the horse farm for our wedding location?" you ask, hopeful. "We can't exactly go anywhere public," There's a short silence. "Of course you can use the horse farm! I'd be honored if you had your wedding there!" You break into a grin. "R-really?" "Yes! I'll even help you plan!" You breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Fuller!" "Of course!" "I'll call you back after I talk to Raphael, bye!" "Bye, now!" You hang up and sprint back into the living room, jumping on Raphael and smashing your lips to his. He makes a surprised noise in the back of his throat. "Mila?" he questions when you pull away. "She said we can use the horse farm!" you exclaim. Raphael's mouth spreads into an excited grin, and he pulls you into his lap to kiss you again. "I can't believe it, this is really happenin', ain't it?" he says, looking you in the eyes. You nod. "It is," you breathe. "I love you," he says, hugging you tightly. "I love you, too."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The next few months border on chaotic. Mary's mother helps you with all the planning and coordinating, and she helps you pick out flowers, food, and the cake. April takes you dress shopping. "Hello," a tall, thin blonde woman greets you. "How can I help you?" April slings her arm around you. "My friend here is getting married," she informs the woman. "Oh, how wonderful! What's your name, hun?" April speaks for you again. "This is Mila, and I'm just her friend April." "Alright, Mila, April, I'm Judy. I'll be helping you today!" she says excitedly, clapping her hands together. You smile. "Thank you, Judy," Judy flicks her wrist. "Don't think anything of it. Now, what kind of dress are we looking for, hun?" You smile sheepishly. "I'm not even really sure," you admit. Judy laughs. "Oh, don't worry, hun, we'll find the one for you! Follow me, girls!" You and April exchange a glance as you follow Judy deeper into the store towards the back. The three of you head into a curtained-off room, where there are several more curtained-off areas, mirrors, small platforms, and small tables with white wine or seltzer, you aren't sure. Judy leads you to a curtain and opens it to reveal a small changing area. "You can hang your jackets and bags in here, girls," she says, and the both of you do so. Judy smiles. "Let's go dress hunting!" The next half an hour or so flies. Judy holds several dresses up to you, including a poofy cupcake-looking dress that has April nearly peeing herself. Finally, Judy places her finger on her chin, thinking. "I have an idea. Wait in the back!" Judy says, scurrying off to another part of the store. You and April go sit in the changing area, opening the bottle nearest to you. The two of you sip on seltzer (it's seltzer) as you wait for Judy to come back. "I wonder where she went," April thinks out loud. After a few minutes, Judy comes bustling through the curtain, a grey bag in her hands, which you assume holds a dress. "I have the perfect dress for you, hun," Judy announces, starting to unzip the bag. You and April exchange looks. She pauses. "Mila, take it and try it on," Judy instructs, passing the bag to you. You take it reluctantly then step into the changing room. ------- April gawks at you when you step back out of the changing room, nearly spitting out her drink. "Mila, you look so good!"  she exclaims. You blush. The dress is white, obviously. It's a mermaid style dress; hugging you at the top and flaring out at the bottom. It's sleeveless, and the top has a beautiful lace section that reaches up and hugs your neck. The back is completely open, dipping back up just above your butt. It hugs you almost perfectly, aside from a few places that are too big or too long. April stands and steps towards you, looking you up and down. She snags the price tag, then smiles at you. "Well?" you ask expectantly. "It's in our price range," she says, and you hug her excitedly. You turn to Judy. "We'll take it." ------- Raphael strolls into the living room, and his eyes land on Casey and Leo on the couch. "April and Mila still ain't back yet?" he asks, sounding annoyed. Leo looks up. "No, they're still out," he says. "What's up?" "Mila asked me to start on invitations," Raphael starts, his face scrunched up in frustration. "And...?" Leo asks, bemused. "Donnie's computer is all outta whack," the red-clad turtle admits. "I don't know how to work it." Leo and Casey exchange a glance before erupting into fits of laughter. "Dude, it's a computer," Leo laughs. "I bet Stephen could do it," "Shut up," Raph snaps, his face flushing red. "Can you help me or not?" Leo's laughter subsides, and he stands. "Fine, let's go." The two head back to Donnie's lab and sit at the computer. "What exactly do you need help with?" Leo asks. "How do I make an invitation?" Raphael glares at the computer. "I've been tryin' for like, a half an hour," Leo chuckles, taking the computer mouse from his brother. "First of all, dude, you're not even on the right program," he points out. "Does it look like I know what I'm doin'?" Raphael replies, crossing his arms over his chest. The blue-clad turtle can't help but laugh again. "Do you want me to show you or are you gonna be an ass?" Raph rolls his eyes. "Just show me how to do the damn invites," Leo spends the next hour doing his best to teach his brother how to create invitations, and Raphael grumbles through all of it. By the time you and April get back, he's made about ten. "Hello," you say warmly, strolling into the lab. "Hey," Leo calls, turning in his chair. "S'up," Raphael adds, focusing on the screen. You smile and lean over Raph, arching a brow. "You're making them individually?" He pauses. "What?" "You could've just made one and then printed a shit ton of 'em," you laugh. Raph turns to Leo. "What the hell, dude?" he exclaims, swatting his brother's arm. Leo erupts into a fit of laughter, nearly falling out of his chair. "Bro, you let me sit here for a fuckin' hour, watchin' me make how many'a these little fucks, knowin' I coulda just made one?!" he yells. Leo is hunched over, wheezing with laughter as you start to crack up, too. He turns to you. "Traitor," he mutters, crossing his arms over his chest. "You assholes know I ain't good with computers," "Awwww," you coo, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "Poor Raphie's all grumpy 'cause he hadda do some computer stuff," Your fiance rolls his eyes. "I can't believe you two," he mutters. After Leo's laughter subsides, he finishes off the invites for you and Raph, printing a bunch. Probably more than you need. "Oh, I'm guessin' you picked out a weddin' dress?" Raph asks, turning to you. You nod. "I need to get it adjusted a bit, but yeah," Raph smiles, leaning up to press a kiss to your lips. "I can't wait to see what it looks like on you," You smile. God, how in love with this turtle can you get? Leo makes an obnoxiously loud gagging noise, and you roll your eyes. "Nerds," he mutters affectionately. ------- After a couple of days, you send the invitations out, and the rest of the planning goes swimmingly. You get a reply from pretty much everyone, which makes seating adjustments that much easier. Several trips are made from the lair to the horse farm and back, and with the help of April, Casey, and Mary's mom, you get the entire place decorated accordingly. Finally, it's the day before the wedding, and Mary's mother has closed the horse farm to business. You and your family load everything you need into the van, and then you're all headed out of the city.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You start getting nervous about ten minutes before you arrive. Your foot starts tapping on the floor of the van, and you slide your hand into Raphael's. "Babe?" he asks, confused. "Nervous," you reply. "Aren't you?" "Yeah," he chuckles. You sigh and lean your head on his shoulder. "I'm excited, but I'm scared I'm gonna screw things up." "Same here." he admits quietly. "Don't worry, guys," April says, interjecting. "Everything is gonna be fine." You smile at her, then turn to Raph. "I love you." "I love you, too." ------- As soon as the van pulls onto the horse farm, Mary's mother is bounding out of the house to help you. She carries your dress inside, and her husband helps Leo and Mikey carry in everyone's belongings. You and April get situated in what used to be Mary's old room. Mary's three sisters (Cecilia, Caroline, and Stephanie) opt to sleep in one room for the night. That leaves two rooms; one for Raphael, and the other for his brothers and Casey (even though Mikey complained quite a bit). That evening, the food and cake are delivered, along with the flowers and the small centerpieces for the tables. You take a deep breath as you stare out at the small series of tables you've set up. Raphael comes up behind you, catching you off guard as he wraps his arms around your middle. "Hey," he murmurs in your ears. "Hey," you say back, laughing quietly. "We're gonna be married tomorrow," he points out. "You're gonna be my husband," "And you're gonna be my wife," "That's pretty damn cool," He chuckles. "Yeah, it is." You turn in his arms, wrapping yours around his neck. "You know," you start. "Hmmm?" he hums. "Since we have a night to ourselves before the wedding..." you begin suggestively, raising a brow. Your fiance grins, pulling you closer to him. "My room?" he suggests. You nod, biting your lip excitedly. "I'll meet you up there. Gotta do some bride stuff first." He nods in return, pressing a quick kiss to your lips before heading for the stairs. April approaches you, carrying a clipboard. She grins, raising an eyebrow at Raphael's general direction. "What was that about?" You smile. "Oh, nothing. Now, where are we putting the flowers?" ------- As soon as you slip into Raphael's room, his lips are on yours, and he turns the light off. His hands are immediately at the hem of your shirt, tugging it up and off of your body. He lifts you and you wrap your limbs around him as he carries you over to the bed. When he gets you on the bed, he has your pants down your legs before you pause. "Wait," you pant, and he looks up at you. "What?" he snaps impatiently. "This is Caroline's bed, right?" you ask. "Yeah," he breathes. "What about it?" You snicker. "We're about to fuck on this girl's bed, and she's like what, thirteen?" "Yeah," Raphael drawls. "So?" You shrug. "Okay, keep going," He slides your pants the rest of the way off and crawls back to your face, leaning down to kiss your neck. "Don't leave anything too... too dark," you struggle to say. "No promises," he mumbles, leaving kisses down your neck, on your chest, and finally on your breasts. He quickly slides your bra off, tossing it to the floor. He presses his tongue to your nipple, flicking his tongue over the skin. You bite your lip to stifle a moan as he massages your other breast. He continues to move lower until he reaches your hipbones. He skips the pleasantries and uses his teeth to pull down your panties. Before he can press into you, you sit up. "Lay down," you instruct, giving him room to do so. As soon as his shell hits the mattress, you straddle him, hovering atop his erection. Then, you slowly sink down, eliciting a loud groan from him. He presses his hands to your breasts as you ride him, and you pant and moan breathily. After a minute or so, he gets impatient and flips you back over as you squeal in surprise. He continues to thrust, and you hold onto him, pressing kisses to his neck. You decide to be a little shit and suck a hickey right below his neck, where it would be just out of sight. He growls into your ear, sending a chill down your spine. Then your lips are locked again, and your legs wrap around his waist, pulling him in deeper. He groans into your mouth, and his thrusts become more erratic. You do your best to meet his thrusts, and soon enough, he's finishing inside of you, filling you even more. Your body clenches around him and you finish right after. He lets himself fall to the bed beside you, panting lightly. He has a soft smile on his lips. "I can't believe we're finally gettin' married tomorrow," he breathes. You laugh contentedly. "I know," you agree, pressing your palm to his cheek. "I love you," he says, for the millionth time that day. "I love you, too," you reply, for the millionth time that day. Soon, you both drift off, tangled at the legs.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Your eyes flutter open. There's light streaming in through the window and you smile, curling up next to Raphael. You're dozing off again when you hear April screaming for you down the hall. "Mila! Oh god damn  it, where is she?!" she shouts. Then it hits you, like a truck. You're getting married today. You sit up with a jolt, turning to your soon-to-be-husband. You press your hands to his arm, shaking him as best as you can. "Raph, Raphael, babe," you call. "Babe, get up, we're getting married today!" "Oh shit," he slurs, his voice thick with sleep. "'m up, I'm up," You get up and grab your clothes, then slip a sheet off of the bed and wrap it around yourself. You flee from the room, flushing red and giggling when you get stares from everyone you run past. April glares at you when you finally slip into the bedroom the two of you are sharing. You giggle and drop the sheet and clothing on the bed. "Where the hell were you?!" she exclaims, tugging on your hair in annoyance. "Who're you, my mom?" you laugh, running your fingers through your hair as you head for the bathroom. "No, but it's the morning of your wedding and you should've been frickin' showered already, smartass," she snaps. You giggle yet again, stepping under the spray of water. Fixing your hair into a bun, you turn yourself so you can rinse off your body. Once you finish washing yourself, you turn the temperature of the water down to freezing so you can wash your colored hair. You rinse the conditioner out and squeeze the water out of your hair, stepping out of the shower. April tosses a towel at you. "Hurry up and dry off, you little shit," April calls from the bedroom. You do as he says, working first to dry your skin, then ruffling your hair with the towel. As you step back into the bedroom, April throws underwear and a bra at you. You laugh, dropping the towel and picking up the underwear. The second you're comfortably snug in your undergarments, you're being dragged back into the bathroom. A startled noise escapes you as your friend shoves you into a chair, picking up the blow dryer and starting to work on drying your hair. When your hair is dry, you're being dragged back into the bedroom towards the closet. "April, why the hell are you freaking out?I've never seen you like this," you comment, helping her open the bag that holds your dress. She glares at you. "Why aren't you  freaking out?! It's your  wedding day!" Then it hits you again. "Shit! You're right!" "Yeah! So get your ass into this fuckin' dress!" April shouts. April helps you into your dress in record time, and then it's back to the bathroom. The red head is dumping your makeup bag in the counter. You pull your hair into a ponytail as your friend sorts your things. "Okay," she starts, turning to you. "I don't know what you do for foundation and stuff, so start yourself off, and I'll get to work on your hair," As you start applying the product to your skin, April gets to work on pulling your hair into a braid at the bottom of your head. She has it wrap around the nape of your neck and end at the bottom of your left cheek, where it becomes a regular ponytail. "Finished," she breathes, just as you finish applying your foundation and blending it into your skin. Then, she's at work again, applying eyeshadow to your eyelids. She turns it into a grey scale smokey eye, then starts on your eyeliner. It takes several minutes, but she manages to wing it almost perfectly, much to your delight. "You do these," she instructs, handing you a crayon liner and mascara. You make quick work of the two, then April fills in your eyebrows and moves to your cheeks. She contours your face and highlights certain areas. When you open your eyes, you almost start crying. "Don't you fuckin' dare," April hisses. "Sorry," you sniffle, doing your best to pull yourself together. The two of you exhale, high-fiving. "We did it!" you smile. "I wonder how Raph's doing?" April shrugs. ------- Raphael paces his room impatiently, waiting for his brother. This is the most he's ever freaked out in his life. As soon as Donnie slips into the room, it begins. "Don, thank god  dude, I am freaking the fuck out," Raphael pants. He's almost hyperventilating. He steps over to the mirror, examining himself again. Casey had gone to get suits made for Raphael, his brothers, Splinter, and himself. He took their bodily measurements, then went ahead and bought pants that would fit them. Instead of wearing the suits uncomfortably over their shells, holes were cut in the back so they could slip the fabric around their shells and still wear the shirts comfortably. The color you chose for the theme is a peach color, which is the color of Raphael, his brothers, Casey, and Splinter's ties. Mary's sisters (who are your bridesmaids) and April are wearing dresses of the same color. "Why?" Donnie asks, crossing his arms over his chest. "Dude, what if I screw up? What'll she say? Will she still wanna do this? God will everyone laugh at me? Holy shit  what if I trip? Or puke? What if my son trips? What if Mila trips? Holy crap, what if something explodes?" Raphael is holding his head in his hands now, shaking. "Don, help me, please, I'm frickin' lost here," Donnie laughs softly, sitting his brother on the egde of the bed. He sits next to him, clapping a hand on Raphael's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Raph," he murmurs. "We all are." Raphael's breathing slows as his brow (or what would be his eyebrows, if he had any) knits in confusion. "Why?" "None of us ever expected you to make it this far into a relationship; to settle down. I've been with April for a while, and hell, we still haven't tied the knot," Donnie's laugh turns kind of sheepish. "She's actually really frustrated about it, but that's beside the point." Raphael chuckles. "I guess, yeah. Why didn't you guys think I'd do this?" "You've never seemed like the kind of guy who would settle down, to be quite honest," Donnie confesses. "You've always kept to yourself and made a show of not needing anyone. Which is why we're proud of you. Especially Splinter." Raphael blushes. "Aw geez, thanks, Don," The purple-clad turtle chuckles, pulling his brother in for a one-armed hug. "You're welcome. Now sit tight and calm your ass down. Ceremony's in an hour." And with that, Raphael is trying not to freak out all over again.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It's happening. You're literally about to get married. You're waiting inside the barn. You watch as April, Cecilia, and Caroline leave pair after pair with Donnie, Leo, and Mikey. You know Raphael is waiting at the altar with Stephanie, who volunteered to marry the two of you. "Are you ready, my child?" Splinter asks, sliding his arm trough yours. You had asked him to walk you down the aisle, considering you didn't really have a legitimate father in your life. He happily agreed. You swallow and nod. "I am." Then, he's leading you out of the barn and down the aisle. ------- Raphael waits patiently at the altar with Stephanie. He watches as Casey walks out with Stephen and Cyan, both of which are carrying a small basket. They earn a few giggles from the crowd as he helps them toss peach-colored petals to the ground. Next, April and Donnie make their way down the aisle, splitting and standing off to the side when they reach the area in front of the altar. Leo and Cecilia and Mikey and Caroline follow suit, and everyone waits expectantly for you and Splinter. When you step into the light, Raphael's heart nearly stops. His eyes go wide and his mouth falls open. His eyes never leave you; he can tell you're blushing. When you reach the altar, there are tears already stinging at the corners of his eyes. He takes your hands in his own. "Hi," you say, giggling softly. "You look so handsome, babe," "You look absolutely breathtakin'," he whispers. Neither of you are really listening as Stephanie begins the ceremony. "Thanks," you breathe quietly. You lock eyes, and you're drowning in sheer happiness. "...And now, they will say their vows," Stephanie announces. "Raphael, you first." The red-clad turtle flashes you a loving smile. "Mila Madyson, I vow to love you forever, and to always love our two children. And the others if there end up bein' more. I vow to hold you through all'a your anxiety and panic attacks, and when you're all sick, and gross, and mopey. I vow to keep you happy'n healthy, and i vow to remind ya each'n every day how much I love you, and how much I love the fact that you'll be my wife. I love you." he concludes. You're trying your hardest not to cry, but you can't help it. You're so in love with him, your chest aches. "And now, Mila," Stephanie gestures to you. "Raphael," you start, making eye contact again. "I vow to love you always. I vow to keep you safe always, no matter what. I vow to always let you know that no matter what anyone would think of us, that I'm hopelessly in love with you and I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life. I vow to do my best to always be strong for you and our two beautiful children. I vow to never leave you or cheat on you, or hurt you. I love you." "And now, the rings," Stephanie calls, glancing at Casey. Casey grins, pulling the two rings from his pocket and placing them in your hands. Raphael takes your left hand in his, sliding the ring onto your third finger. "Raphael, do you take Mila to be your wife?" Stephanie asks him. "I do," he murmurs, staring affectionately at you. You take his left hand in yours, sliding his much larger ring onto his last finger (he only has three fingers). "Mila, do you take Raphael to be your husband?" Stephanie turns to you. "I do," you smile. "Raphael, you may now kiss your-" His lips are on yours before Stephanie can finish her sentence, pulling you close as the crowd erupts into whoops, cheers, applause, and even whistles. When he pulls away, you're both grinning. "Hey, husband," you greet him, giggling. "Hey, wife," he replies, grinning. Then Mikey hugs the both of you, laughing happily. "Let's party!" ------- The reception goes smoothly. Everyone is eating and drinking and talking amicably. All your old friends from Joey's system congratulate you, along with Thompson. "Mila," a familiar voice calls. You whirl around. "George!" you exclaim, throwing your arms around him in an excited hug. "I'm so proud of you," he tells you as soon as you pull apart. "Thanks," you blush. You run around for a while, being congratulated and hugged and talked to, being practically kept away from all the food and alcohol. Stephen and Cyan are passed around from person to person like a disease without a cure, and you watch sadly as your children are greeted by face after face. Your stomach growls angrily, signaling that you're running on fumes. You spot Leo (your brother-in-law!) a few feet away. "Leo!" you call, and he turns, heading towards you. "What's up?" he asks, leaning forwards so he can hear you. "I need food," you groan. "I haven't eaten all day  and I still have a lot of people to greet and shit. So please, get me a plate of fuckin' everything, and a glass of something strong," The blue-clad turtle nods, heading towards the food table. You slap on a smile as yet another guest calls your name. ------- The rest of the night is a blast. Leo succeeds in getting you a whole plate of food and a glass of scotch, and when you finish your food and your drink, you find yourself grabbing another. After an hour or so you're pleasantly tipsy, and you have your first dance with Raphael as his wife. As soon as the song ends, the space you have designated for the dance floor floods with your buzzed party guests. You dance with all of your old friends and Mary's family, and your family looks like their having the times of their lives. Even your son dances, and you manage to get Cyan into it. Finally, the night ends, and you say a heartfelt goodbye to all your guests. Raphael comes up next to you, stumbling slightly, and you know he's drunk, too. "Hey, wife," he mumbles, a goofy grin on his face. "Wanna go c-consummate the mmmarriage?" You grin, giggling. "Yeah I do," You never really find out how the two of you get up to your room so fast.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

With the alcohol in your systems, getting the dress off isn't easy, but you manage to do it. You help your husband - oh god he's your husband! - out of his clothes, sighing when your eyes land on his smooth, green skin. You press your lips to his neck, sucking yet another hickey. He runs his hands over your whole body, rubbing all the ares he knows you like. Your mouth finds his and then you're kissing him, slow, sweet, passionate. He makes a low humming noise into your mouth. When you pull apart his breathing is close to heavy. "Love you," he murmurs. "Love you, too," you reply. He hooks his hands under your knees, lifting you and causing you to fall back onto the mattress. Before you know what's happening, your bra is gone and his mouth is on your nipple. He flicks the skin with is tongue and bites lightly, causing you to gasp and stifle a small moan. He moves to suck a large hickey into the skin just above your nipple, but at this point, you're too turned on to care. Then, your husband is kissing and biting his way down to your hips, dragging his teeth along the prominent bones. "Oh, yes, baby," you gasp, pressing your hands to the top of his head. He grins darkly at you as he continues going lower, first pulling your wedding band down with his teeth, then ding the same with your underwear. A chuckle sounds in his throat. "Does being my wife turn you on? You're so wet," he comments, rubbing at your clit with his fingers. "I know bein' married to you turns me  on," All you can do is start panting as he uses his tongue to lap at your dripping entrance, flicking your clit with his tongue. He presses his finger into you, moving it slowly. You grip the sheet when he crooks his finger, hitting the one spot that makes you see stars. "Fuck, Raph, please just fuck me already," you pant. Your husband chuckles. He removes his finger, causing your hips to roll at the loss of contact. He positions himself between your legs, leaning over you to kiss and bite at your neck. He slowly sheathes his entire length inside of you, and you can barely breathe when you're this fucking full. You latch onto him immediately. "Move," you pant. "Fuck me, now," He does as you tell him, and he starts thrusting. His body meets yours with loud smacking noises,and you can't help but moan as the man you love most thoroughly fucks the shit out of you. You wrap your legs around him, burying his cock deeper inside of you. The heat between your legs coils up into your abdomen, and you feel yourself clench around him. "Fuck," he hisses, and it tips him over the edge. The feeling of being that much more full causes you to finish right after him, his name and a string of curses falling from your lips. He pulls out of you and cuddles up behind you, sighing happily. "Night, wife. I love you." "Night, husband. I love you, too." You know you're gonna wake up with a killer hangover, but it couldn't be any more worth it. ------- You're woken by the feeling of your head throbbing. You groan, which you immediately regret doing. Too loud. "Shit," you hiss, pressing your palm to your forehead. It startles you when the cool metal of your wedding ring hits your skin. You smile, watching the light glint off of it. "Babe," you call quietly, moving close to Raphael's face. "Raphie, hun," "Shhh." he hisses. "Too loud. What?" "We're married," you whisper excitedly. He opens his eyes, fixing you with a slightly confused and tired look. It doesn't take long before he remembers yesterday's events. That crooked grin spreads on hi face, the one that had you falling for him in the first place. "I'm happy that you tripped and fell into us that day," he murmurs. "You changed my life." You smile, pressing a kiss to his lips. "I'm glad, too. You saved me." "Whaddya mean?" he asks, yawning. "Well, I wasn't in a very good place when we found each other. You gave me a reason to keep going," you admit, blushing lightly. "I... did?" he asks, sitting up. You nod, sitting with your legs crossed. "Well, I'm glad ya let me pull ya out of whatever dark place you were in," he smiles again, kissing you chastely. Your hand moves up o his neck, resting your hand there as you kiss him. When you pull apart, you rest your forehead against his. "Being married is gonna be hard," he comments. "How?" you ask quietly. "Whenever you wanna post somethin' of all of us, you can't," he says. "I'll never be able to go out with you, and the kids," "It doesn't make me love you any less, Raphael," you reply softly. "We'll make it work." He smiles, chuckling. "Yeah, I'm sure we will." Just then, there's a knock on the door. "Who is it?" you call. "It's April. I got your lil' boogers, they wanna come in and see you," she says. "Just a sec," you reply, getting up from the bed. You throw Raphael's pants at him and quickly grab sweatpants and a tank top for yourself. "Come in!" you call out, opening the blinds. At that, Stephen comes bounding in. April comes in behind him, Cyan in her arms. The small boy jumps onto the bed, moving to try and tackle Raphael. April hands Cyan to you. "I'll leave you guys alone." she smiles, leaving the room. You sit back on the bed with Raphael and Stephen, sitting Cyan down in front of you. "Mommy," Stephen calls, catching your attention. "What's up?" you reply. "Are you and daddy married?"  he asks. You scoop him up into your arms, smooshing a kiss to his cheek. "Yes, we are," The boy lifts your left hand, examining the ring on your third finger. "And this is a ring?" he asks, twisting the silver band around your finger. "Yes, honey, it's a ring," you smile. "Daddy's got one too." Stephen looks over at Raphael, reaching for his hand. "Daddy's ring is bigger," the boy points out. "Yeah, Stephen, daddy's finger's are bigger. A ring the size of my finger wouldn't fit on him," you explain to your son. "It wouldn't fit?" he repeats. "No it would not." He giggles, grinning. "That's silly," You can't help but laugh at your son. "Yes, it is." Cyan is babbling in front of you, and Raphael reaches over to take her into his arms. He grins, looking at you. "We'll definitely make this work."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You're woken by the sounds of your children yelling from down the foyer. "Mom!"  you hear Cyan call. It's been a little over seven years since you married Raphael. Cyan is turning eight, and in a few days, Stephen will be turning twelve. You groan. Since you've been married, Raphael has moved into your room, Stephen has Raphael's old room, and April gave Cyan the room she used to have. "Raph," you call, nudging him with your elbow. "Babe," He groans dramatically. "What is it today?" "Not sure yet," you reply, exasperated. "But we got like, thirty seconds. It's Cyan today." Then, there are loud, urgent knocks on your door. "Mom! Mommy, daddy!" Cyan yells, her tone dripping with frustration and annoyance. "Come in," you call. Your daughter comes stomping in, Stephen hot on her heels. He strawberry blonde curls bounce around her head elegantly. Stephen has his hair styled in a slight undercut, only all his hair is neck-length. The patch of hair at the nape of his neck is shaved, and he's constantly putting his hair up to show it off. "What is it, Cy?" you ask, sitting up next to your husband. "Can you tell Stephen to let me have the last two waffles? He had some yesterday!" your daughter exclaims, glaring at her brother. You turn to your son. "Is that true?" He shrugs. "Maybe," he mutters, looking away. You roll your eyes. "Don't pull this 'I'm-a-little-prick' shtick, I can see right through it," you drawl. "I have to go food shopping later anyway. Let Cy have the waffles." Stephen sighs. "Fine," but it's only a half-annoyed tone. You smile, pressing a kiss a kiss to Cyan's forehead. The, you gesture for him to come over. "Come here," He does as you say begrudgingly, and as soon as he gets close enough, you yank him in and press a large, wet smooch to his temple. "Mom! Gross!" he tries to sound annoyed, but his words end up coming out in a laugh. You smile and rub his arm, shaking him lightly. "Both of you, go eat and get ready. Casey's walking you both to school today." The two nod and head out of the room, and you smile fondly at the door. "Time to start the day," you murmur. Before getting out of bed, you lean over and plant a kiss on Raphael's lips. "I love you," "Love y'too," he mumbles, rolling over with a sigh. You giggle quietly, shaking your head in mock annoyance. Since you've been married, things have changed. For one, your children. You got a better job in the middle of the city, the lead designer and manager for a video game company. Just recently, you'd been promoted, but you still get to do what you love; art. Albeit digital art. You, Casey, and April make enough money to support everyone, and Donatello earns some extra cash running an online tech support help center. Leonardo hangs over by all your friends from Joey's every now and again, teaching them martial arts and some ninjutsu. Michelangelo runs a video game commentary channel on YouTube, and over the years, he's gotten pretty popular. He never shows his face, and his fans hang on his every word. YouTube even funds his channel. April teaches at Cyan's elementary school, and her and Donnie got married three and a half years after you and Raph. Casey is an ice hockey coach in the nearby ice rink. He ended up going back to school for a degree in that field, and as of late, he's been coaching older, more professional teams. He's even met a few famous hockey players. And Raphael... he hasn't changed. He still patrols the city, alerting his brothers when bad news comes to town. Splinter has been teaching your kids the basics of ninjutsu, and you and Raphael (sometimes even his brothers) sit in on the lessons. Hell, you've even sparred with your children. You know Stephen can't quite beat you in a fight yet, but you'd be proud to tell anyone he's managed to get you on the ground more than once. For the kids, growing up with Raphael as their father has been difficult. They both tell their friends they have a dad, but because of Raphael's appearance, the only thing their friends have to go on is the fact that he never appears at their school shows or games. Both Stephen and Cyan get accused of having an absentee father, but they push through. You make sure to record every event, every play, every game, everything they do. You've even facetimed and Skyped Raphael during certain school events so he could watch in real time. You and your husband have lived up to every single one of your vows, and have not failed to do so at all in the past seven years. Every day you remind each other how much you love each other, and you tell your kids how much you love them. Despite the hardships of having a mutant father, your children tell you they wouldn't have it any other way. And honestly, neither would you. After all, that's what you could've had, if you had really met them.