Weeks passed by and Alana got better and better at her training with Raphael who took her out three days a week and continued to escort her to her ballet practice. Alana was thrilled that she was doing so well. Raphael was starting to show her how to use the sais and Alana wanted to get a pair of her own. The only problem was, Raphael would have to do it. The people at the Chan store that sold Japanese weapons knew Raphael and his brothers already, but Alana was under age and couldn't buy them herself.
Alana walked alongside a well covered Raphael into the Chan store and browsed the weaponry. She looked at the different sais, which came in a variety of sizes and hilt colors. She looked at a pair that had black leather over the handle, but it was wrapped and tied with a red thread. Perfect. She told Raphael who nodded his agreement and pulled out the cash that Alana had given to him for the sais. The man smiled, got the sais and put them into their case and then handed them to Raphael. Alana waited anxiously as they left the store and got into the Javelin. Raphael was going to drive so Alana had plenty of time to look over her sais.
" Nice choice. It looks perfectly demented for you." Raph stated. Alana smirked at him and looked over the shiny, cold steel she held in her hands. These were hers and she would carry them with her all the time. She put them back in the case and looked at Raphael.
" Thanks." She said gratefully. He smirked.
" You're welcome. Just make sure you don't have those around when you and your sister get into a fight." He added and looked amusingly at her. Alana laughed and set them down under the seat where they wouldn't be found by her nosey sister.
" Alana, I was going to ask you if I could borrow your car to go get something." Raphael stated a little nervously. Alana looked at him curiously and shrugged.
" Why not go get it now?" She asked, but he shook his head.
" I have to alone or maybe with Casey, but you can't go for this." He said. Alana raised a curious brow and shrugged.
" I suppose if it's that personal then yes. You know what you're doing already so I guess you can take her out alone." Alana said and looked out the window, wondering what it was that he wanted to borrow the car for. Raphael seemed to hide a smile and kept driving to the reservoir where he drove the car into and headed for the tunnel that would lead him into the sewers and home.
Splinter stood in his room and looked toward the window when he heard the loud car engine head their way. He was glad to see Raphael and Alana getting along better, but he knew there was still a friction between her and Janet. He sat himself down on the mat and breathed in deeply. He needed to start his meditation and after a few moments of relaxation, he began.
Janet was typing one of her stories on the computer when she began to think about everything that was going on. She pretended like she was moving on from the incident, but in real life, she wasn't. She was still stuck remembering how that night went. How it seemed so perfect with Leonardo and then turned to hell when she got the horrifying news about her parents death. She knew her sister had seen it all. Her sister had seen way too much, especially for someone of her age. She took Alana for granted a lot, but so did Alana. Janet just couldn't think of what to do about her sister. If it got to the point where she couldn't handle her, she would arrange for her to go live with their grandmother back in Spain. Their grandmother Cara was from their mothers side, since their fathers parents had died years before. Cara wanted her to come now, but Janet had told her that she was seeing someone and that she wanted to stay, but if Alana became a problem, that she would send her to them. She just hadn't told Alana. Janet knew that there was something going on with Alana and Raphael, but she didn't know what it was. They were getting along together, but Janet didn't think it was anything like what her and Leo had. They didn't act like they were together when they came home from those long hours away. Raph had said they just go to work out and jog, but Alana was looking much more confident and muscle toned than that. There was something else, but Janet was afraid of Raphael. She didn't like the idea of her little sister going places with the most dangerous turtle of the family. She knew that Alana was letting Raphael drive the Javelin, but she didn't know why.
Janet brushed a strand of her long brown hair out of her face and looked at the computer screen. She was already getting sick of her romantic love story, so she saved it and created a new sheet of paper. She wanted to write something else. She didn't know what to title it, but she could always figure it out later. She thought about her life, her past, the events that happened a few months back and then thought of a story to write. She would write about what happened. She would make her and her sister characters in the book, but just change the names a little. There was plenty of things to write about in her life and the events that happened and the book actually wouldn't be finished until her parents bodies were found. Janet began to type and felt the tears fill her eyes and she remembered all the wonderful times her and the family spent together. She turned to look at the framed picture she had on a night stand close to the computer. It was one that her and Alana had taken before Christmas of last year, before her parents were killed. They had put it into a big beautiful frame with gold trim around it and given it to her parents as a gift. It was a nice picture of the two when they actually got along. It was a shame that it was so difficult to be sisters now.
Alana went to her room to get some nice looking clothes to wear. For some reason, she liked to get a little dressed up now when Raphael was around. She remembered that he used to say some bad things about her and she kind of wanted to impress him now and the others, but she didn't understand why. She denied to herself that she actually liked them, so she didn't know why else she would want to do it. Maybe she wanted to be more impressive like her sister. She grabbed a pair of flare bottom pants that her mother had bought for her a long time ago, it seemed, and then grabbed her long sleeved, green silk shirt with her nice black dress shoes. She just felt like looking pretty. Maybe she would go out and get some wind later. She loved to look at the star studded sky at night and that was exactly what she felt like doing. Alana walked out of her room and headed for the bathroom. Mike and Don were sitting on the couch and looked up at her when she passed by. Azul barked and Alana smiled.
" Come on girl." She called and Azul anxiously followed her into the bathroom. Alana closed the door and looked at the dog who had mud on her white paws.
" You need a bath too, little lady." Alana said. Azul looked at her curiously and waited to see what it was that Alana had called her for. Alana undressed and turned the water on to the shower. She heard her Javelin start when she stepped into the water and knew that Raphael was taking it to where ever it was that he wanted to go.
" I hope it's not a nude bar or something." She mumbled and then looked at Azul.
" Come on girl." Azul took one look at the water and jumped in. She was the kind of dog that loved to play in the water and make a mess. Alana laughed as she soaked herself and Azul's coat and then began to scrub her dogs coat with shampoo.
" It's not dog shampoo, but it smells good anyway." She said and created a coat of white foam over the dogs fur. She rinsed her hands and then began to scrub her own hair. She soaped her body and then rinsed before rinsing off Azul's coat. She laughed at Azul's soaked face when she looked up at her. The dog looked so incredibly funny with her hair wet and weighed down.
Mike and Don looked toward the bathroom when they heard Alana laughing at Azul who barked every once and a while. Mike turned to look at Don who was looking over some computer part and thinking of how he could fix it.
" Donny?" Mike asked softly. Don looked at Mike and waited for him to ask the question.
" Do you think Alana and Raph are together?" Mike asked. Don smirked and shook his head.
" No. I think they are telling the truth about working out. At least, half of the truth. I don't think Alana knows what she wants in life, so she wouldn't be with him. Being what we are, confuses her enough. That on top of Janet being with Leonardo." Don said.
" Why?" He added curiously. Mike just shrugged.
" Mikey.....do you.......do you like her?" He asked. Mike looked at him and shook his head.
" Don't lie." Don pressed. Mike shrugged.
" I don't know. I kind of do. Not really. She's really wild, but I think she's pretty." Mike said.
" It's ok to think she is pretty, cause I do too, but liking her is different. To be honest, I think that Raphael likes her too." Don said. Mike looked at him curiously.
" Really?" He asked, more interested than angry.
" Yeah, have you seen the way he looks at her when she is around? I am just afraid that she is going to hurt him. She doesn't seem to know what she wants. I see her looking at him too, but she seems so confused about all of this and she is still young. She might not even understand if she is falling for him or not. I can't say that she is, because I can't tell, but I think the more time Raphael spends with her, the more he ends up liking her. She's not ready for it and Raph is going to get hurt." Don stated. Mike nodded and felt bad now for Raphael. He didn't like her much in that way, but he wasn't aware that Raphael did.
" Raph is tough though." Mike stated, wondering how something like that would affect him. His brother was bad enough as it was.
" Raph is tough to a certain extent, Mike. He didn't take it quite so hard with April cause he knew what her and Casey had, but this time is different. Alana is available in a way and he spends a lot of his time with her. I think what he is going through is a lot deeper this time. This goes to the heart." Don said and Mike knew that he was right. Mike lowered his head and felt for his brother. He couldn't be mad at Alana if she rejected his brother, because he understood that she was in a lot of pain and confusion, especially at that age, but it bothered him. He loved his brother and hated to see him hurt, especially Raphael, cause Raph was the one that didn't show the sensitive side and when he did, something had to have really gotten to him.
Alana opened the bathroom door and a wet looking Azul came running out and shook off again, even though Alana had tried to dry her with the towel. Mike and Don smiled at the dog when she began to slide across the floor on her back. Alana dried her hair with another towel and walked out, completely dressed and smiled at the dog. Mike and Don looked at her and smiled.
" Where did Raphael take your car?" Don asked curiously. Alana shrugged.
" I don't know. He just told me earlier that he wanted to use it, but he had to go without me. He said he might take Casey, but I don't think he did. I don't know." She said. Don raised a brow.
" I wonder where the hell he would go." He commented.
" He must be going somewhere where people are around, cause he was dressed to cover himself." Mike put in. Alana shrugged.
" Beats me, as long as the car comes back in tact, I really don't care where he goes." She said and went to her room and started to blow dry her hair. Over the sound of the blow dryer, she could still hear the sound of her Javelin's engine as Raphael pulled it into the den. She heard the door shut and the turtles talking, but she didn't think much of it. When her hair was mostly dry, she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't feel like putting on any makeup so she didn't. She looked fine without it anyway. She walked out and looked at Raphael who was undressed again and sitting on the couch with his two brothers.
" Where are you going to go?" Mike asked.
" I wanted to go to the park. I just feel like being out there tonight." Alana said and looked at Raphael, hoping that he would escort her. He knew what she wanted and got to his feet.
" Got to keep an eye on her." Mike teased. Alana smiled and shook her head as she went to the car.
" You want to drive?" He asked.
" Naw, go ahead." She said and got into the passenger seat. Raphael got in and started the car again and backed out.
" Where did you go, anyway?" She asked him. He shrugged.
" No where special. I might tell you later." He said. Alana looked at him curiously, but left it at that. They made their way down the sewer tunnels and out of the same opening that they always went through. Alana leaned back in her chair and relaxed as Raphael drove to the park.
Janet saved her work and closed out her program and then the computer, before getting up to go to Leo's room. Leonardo was sitting on the floor meditating, but stopped to look up and smile at her.
" How was your writing?" He asked.
" Fine." She said and sat down next to him. She looked up at him and gave a small smile.
" I was thinking that if Alana became any more of a problem, I would send her back to Spain with my grandmother Cara." She said. Leo looked at her and nodded.
" It's your decision. If everyone would just get along, then it wouldn't be a problem. Alana has a temper though and I have enough to deal with when it comes to Raphael."
" Alana and Raphael are getting along now, it's just me and her and then her attitude towards you." Janet said.
" Yeah I know. She doesn't like me too much. She needs to either change or go to her grandparents because I don't think Splinter can take much more stress no matter what he says." Leo stated and looked into Janet's beautiful brown eyes.
" It's going to be up to you. If Alana could change and just get along with everyone, then it wouldn't be a problem with me if she stayed. She hasn't been that bad lately now that her and Raphael have been going out almost everyday." Leo commented. Janet nodded and leaned closer to him until she was resting on his shoulder. He smiled and couldn't help but feel the warmth he felt inside for her. He loved her. He truly did. He knew that his brothers were a little jealous of him, but he never talked about it with them. He knew the cold feeling of being alone and without someone to hold all the time so he didn't want to talk about what he felt with Janet. Maybe some day, someone like Janet would come along for them. Someone who would accept them for what they were. There had to be someone else like that. Janet had money, education, and a life ahead of her, but she still chose him to be the one closest to her heart and Leo was determined to believe that she wasn't the only one and that someday, his brothers would be happy too. He looked at her soft face and smiled. He leaned forward and kissed her softly and thanked God for every moment that he had with her. She meant so much to him that he couldn't believe how much he had really opened his heart to her.
Raphael pulled into the park and turned off the car once it was well hidden in the trees. Alana reached over and turned the key half way so that the radio turned on. She flipped the channel to soft songs and smiled. They got out of the car and went around to the front where Alana jumped onto the hood and Raphael stood next to her and leaned against it. Alana looked at the moonlit sky with its full moon shining down on them. The stars studded the sky and made it look so incredibly beautiful. Raphael seemed to be deep in thought about something and even seemed a little nervous. Alana looked at him and looked over his finely toned body that impressed her whenever he flexed his muscles. There was something about him that kept tickling Alana's stomach, but she still denied any feeling of liking him the way Janet liked Leo. She often wondered if she was lying to herself.
" What's wrong, Raphael?" She asked softly. He could feel her closeness and felt his stomach turn with nerves. He couldn't believe that he was feeling so nervous around a girl, but then again he did like her more than he had expected to.
" Alana.......I wanted to show you how much I appreciate what you've done for me......" Raph started, but knew that he had to make her believe that what he was doing was out of friendship, not love. He didn't want to scare her. Alana remained quite and looked at him.
" Get off the car for a second." He said softly. Her stomach felt like it was jumping from side to side as she slid off he car. She watched him reach to the side of his belt where he had a small pouch attached to it. He opened the pouch and pulled a long small box from it. She looked wide eyed at him. He bought something for her? He bit his bottom lip and looked at her.
" I got this for you today......." He said. He had used the money that he had made when he used to do work for April. It wasn't much, but he hoped that Alana would like it.
" Come here." He said in the softest voice she had ever heard. She came closer to him and felt the warmth of his body close to hers. It was something that she needed since it was such a cold night.
He opened the box slowly and in the moonlight, Alana could see the sparkle of the thin gold chain with a small pendant on the end. It was a small heart with a tiny diamond in the middle. Alana felt the tears burn the back of her eyes. Raphael of all the turtles was showing so much affection towards her. She felt closer to him than her own sister at that moment.
" It isn't much....." He started, but couldn't finish.
" I love it. Thank you Raphael. You don't know how much it means to me." She said and he could see the tears in her green eyes and smiled. He was truly touched by her appreciation. He knew he couldn't jump right on the gun and confess the real reason that he bought it for her, but he knew it was a start. He lifted it out of the box and went behind her. She lifted her hair and he gently put the necklace around her neck and clamped it shut. Alana touched the pendant and felt her heart ache with emotion. She didn't know what to think anymore. She didn't know what her heart was telling her to do anymore. She wanted to be open and show love for someone who would return it, but it was not the right time. She was so scared of losing someone else.
Raphael leaned back against the car and noticed that she was shaking.
" You're cold?" He asked. She nodded and he motioned for her to come over to him. She couldn't control herself. She wanted to be close to him right now. She walked over and he turned her around and leaned her back against his body where she relaxed and warmed herself. She looked up at the moonlight with the starry sky around it and smiled through her tears. Her mother and father were up there looking down on her, holding the secrets of their deaths with them. She felt Raphael's arms wrap around her waist and shoulders as he looked up at the sky with her. She felt the tears burn her eyes again as she thought about what happened that night. It wasn't far from where they were now and it scared her. Where were her parents bodies? Why couldn't she figure out who the killer was? Why couldn't she think of the two people that would want to do this to her family? She put her hands on his arm that was holding her around her shoulders and trembled in fear and sadness. She felt his face lean close to hers.
" You're thinking about your parents, aren't you?" He asked. Alana let the tears fall down her face and she nodded.
" I miss them so much........" She croaked. Raphael felt his heart ache for her. There was so much pain in her life that would never go away. He rested his head next to hers and looked out at the sky. There wasn't much he could say to comfort her.
Splinter opened his eyes and felt tears warm them. Something was going to happen. Janet and Alana were going to fight and it would be the last time for a long time. Alana was going to run. He could feel it. He knew that Alana was going to go through something that she never had before. Splinter could feel the closeness between Raphael and Alana and it pained him to think of his son getting hurt, but it was a road that Raphael would have to face.
" Oh Raphael.......she doesn't know what she feels......." He whispered. He couldn't interfere with them and he knew it. The Vega family was broken and the worst was yet to come. Alana and Janet would not see eye to eye and it would hurt them both. Splinter lowered his head and wished that Raphael wasn't in the middle of it. Janet knew what she felt for Leonardo and Splinter sensed the love between them, but Alana's heart was not ready.
" Oh my son........" He whispered.
Raphael's embrace was tight and caring as he held her through the cold night and watched the sky with her. He felt so relaxed around her now, but he knew that she was still a little uneasy and hurting quite a bit.
" I wonder who would do this to my family......." Alana whispered. Raphael looked at the side of her face.
" What about that boy? The one who attacked you at this park?" He asked, remembering how angry he had been to see a boy try to take advantage of a young girl.
" No. The police checked. He was in the mental institute when it happened. He's the one I thought of too, but he's got proof to say that he was there. Doctors and witnesses and all." She said. Raphael didn't know anything about her family so he couldn't tell.
" I don't know what to tell you Alana." He whispered. Alana shook her head.
" It's ok." She whispered. Raphael leaned closer to her and could smell the clean scent of her hair. There was moment of silence, with the exception of the music playing and Alana felt fresh tears as she listened to the song playing. It was Air Supply.
I'm all out of love
I'm so lost without
I know you were right
Believing for so long.....
" Alana........I'm sorry for the ways I used to treat you.......I didn't understand what you were going through and I often tried not to. I didn't want to get close to anyone." He said. Alana wiped the tears from her eyes and wondered if he had in some way confessed something to her. She turned to look at him, but to her surprise, his face was there, close to hers. They stared at each other for a moment and then without realizing what he was doing, Raphael leaned forward and touched his lips gently to hers. She was so taken by the sudden move, that she froze for a second before returning his kiss with a soft unsure one of hers. He gently turned her around to face him and he continued to kiss her soft lips with a growing passion that burned throughout his body.
I'm all out of love
What am I without you
I can't be too late
To say that I was so wrong....
His embrace got tighter and he pulled her closer to him. She didn't know what she was doing anymore as she parted her lips and invited him in. He kissed her passionately and Alana was surprised to feel how soft his lips were against hers. Something about the way he kissed her made her never want to back away from him, but she was so confused. Raphael seemed to sense it and parted from their kiss to look at her.
" Let's go." He said softly and she nodded in silent agreement. Things would never be the same now. They got into the car and Raphael started it up and then began to drive down the road.
" I shouldn't have done that and I'm sorry." He said without looking at her. Alana looked at him and felt a sudden surge of uncomfortable feelings surround her. She wanted to tell him that it was ok, but she found that she couldn't speak. There was nothing that she could say. Her voice wouldn't let her do it. They drove in silence all the way home and then got out of the car when they got there.
Janet and Leo came out of the room and looked at them. Leonardo looked at Janet who wanted to talk to Alana about everything that was going on. Leo had made the comment that Raphael and Alana were spending too much time together and it scared Janet, because she didn't like him of all the turtles. Alana gave her sister the same dirty look she always gave her and headed for her room.
" Alana wait. We need to talk." She said, stopping Alana in her tracks. Janet motioned for her to come to the Mustang. Alana looked at the turtles and then at Janet. Splinter came out and looked at her, but there was something about his expression that made her comfortable. He looked sad. She looked to see Raphael go to his room and shut the door without even looking at her. Alana decided that it was only her sister and she couldn't do anything to her anyway. She walked over to the Mustang and got in. Janet started it and backed out. Janet had thought about this long and hard and had come to the decision that she knew Alana would hate. She thought that Alana just needed to get out of New York and spend time with family again. Janet knew that her sister was going to hate for what she was doing. Donatello had said once that things would never be the same. She didn't realize how right he was..........