TMNT- The Lost Danger

Tender Pain

Raph was quick to kneel and cradel Ash in his strong arms. She turned her head and buried it in his neck. He tensed for a  moment at the contact, before he relaxed. Sobs wracked the female's body as she cried. 

There was a tense moment of stunned silence. Then, a hesitant Donnie-who had been drawn by the loud commotion out of his lab-took a tenative step towards the lizard mutant. "U-um, Ash...."

Ash whipped her head around, and snarled at him, her pupils dialating to small black pin pricks drowning in pools of amber. Donnie yelped and recoiled instantly. Leo cleared his throat and moved towards them. "Ash, who...who is this Mariah?"

Mikey sat up from his spot in front of the T.V. "Is she another mutant? Can we meet her? Is she a lizard like you and Liz? Does she have any powers?" "Mikey..." Raph growled. Mikey's bright eyes met his, and Raph frowned as he shook his head at the younger mutant. Mikey's eyes widened, and his mouth formed an 'O' shape as relization dawned on him. 

"Sorry." He mumbled, looking down. Ash released a long shuddering breath. Large, watery amber eyes met Mikey's bright blue ones. "M-Mariah...She...she was.... She... was-" Raph gently cupped her face in his hands. "Hey, don't force yourself, 'k?" Ash stared at him, before she exhaled softly.

"I... She.. Okay...." 
Ash closed her eyes as she breathed in deeply. "Okay.... M-Mariah was a lizard mutant like me and L-Liz...." "So, you were friends with her? Or were you enemies? Since, I'm guessing Shredder didn't give any of you much bonding time?" 

Ash winced. "Yes, she was our friend...but..." 

"...but..." Leo prodded. Raph sent the blue masked mutant a brutal glare, that clearly told him to ' shut up.' Ash whimpered as she pushed herself closer to Raph, who tightened his hold on her slim waist. 

Ash closed her eyes as she listened to Raph's heart beating in his chest. She suddenly reopened them and turned to glare at Leo. 'Ah, there's that fire I saw when we first met...' Raph thought, faint amusement and mild relief lacing his thoughts. 

"She wasn't just our friend Leo... She was our sister." 

Le's eyes widened, Donnie's jaw dropped, and a startled sound escaped him. Mikey, having relized what this meant, covered his mouth in shock. Raph tensed as he felt Ash's grip on his arms tighten to the point of near pain. 

"She was telepathic... We were...triplets... She created a mental bond with us... We could communicate mentally, and...feel each other's emotions..." Ash trembled in Raph's hold. "W-when we escaped, she...she didn't make it... A F-foot soldier killed her, and I was there!" Ash bent over, covering her face with her hands. Tears dripping between her slender fingers. 

Raph winced as a sudden keening cry escaped her.

 "I-I was right there! I could have s-saved her! All I needed to d-do was shove the Foot s-soldier off me and pushed her out of the w-way!" Sobs laced with soft whimpers and dotted with keening cries filled the air. "I was too w-weak! I could have saved her! But I was too weak! Too slow!" Tear filled eyes met Raphs. "I-I f-felt her die!"

Raph acted quickly. He wrapped himself around Ash, till nothing but her legs stuck out from their curled forms. Her long tail curled inwards, as did her arms, which curled in towards her chest. Ash whimpered and shut her eyes. 

Leo frowned, but said nothing. 'Wait, so you guys are dating now?' Mikey asked. "Ash seemed to curl inwards even more, and Raph growled, his amrs tightening around her protectively. "No the time Mikey... Uh-but yes... We are..." 

Leo motioned the others towards their rooms, but paused at his own door, and looked back. 

Raph was cradeling Ash in his arms, body curled around her. 

Leo looked away quickly. 'Why didn't I ask her out sooner...' A seed of bitter resentment planted itself in Leo's heart. 

Only this time, he didn't bother to remove it.

His blue eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fists. 

'Maybe...Maybe I just need to prove myself...'