Chapter Eight: House Guest
***
Michaelangelo set down his stereo and flipped through his CD's. He'd found this spot a few weeks ago. It had great acoustics and he could play his music as loud as he wanted and no one would yell at him. Finally deciding on a CD, he placed it in the player and pressed play.
***
Aura lifted her head. Was that music? She listened for a minute.
Close enough, she decided and stood up. She slipped into a nearby shadow and followed the enchanting sound. She peered from the shadow and saw one of the turtles that had visited her apartment. He was dancing, or at least doing something that could pass for dancing, to the so-called music.
The song had a strong beat. She could feel it vibrate through her entire body. She looked at the turtle again. Which one was it? The orange mask and the way he was enjoying himself told her it was Michaelangelo. This would be too easy.
Aura slipped from the shadow and swung her legs over the sewer pipe. She sat there until Mike turned and saw here.
"Don't so that!" he exclaimed, placing his hand over his heart.
Aura tried to smile sincerely. "I'm sorry I frightened you, but I need your help."
Michaelangelo stopped the CD. He pulled up his belt. "What exactly do you need help with?"
At that moment, Aura wished she wasn't reading his mind. "You mean Raphael didn't tell you?" She slipped from the pipe and walked towards him.
"Raph didn't tell us anything," he told her. "So, what do you need?" He tried to reach for her, but she dodged past him.
"The Dragon Lord is after me."
"Well, duh!" Mike said. "Who wouldn't be?"
"I'm serious!" Aura said, finally approaching him. She pressed her hands against his plastron. "Please, you have to hide me. I'll explain it later, I swear."
Mike looked into her eyes and was totally taken in. He grabbed her shoulders. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you. Besides, what kind of hero would I be if I left a damsel in distress out here all alone?"
Aura smiled and waited for him to pack up his CD's and stereo.
***
"I really hope you can explain this Michaelangelo."
Mike cringed at Leo's tone, and was a little more than worried that his brother had used his full name. "I can Leo. She needs our help."
"So you brought her here!"
"Yo, what's all the commotion," Raphael stopped when he saw their guest, "about?"
"Mr. Good Samaritan here found her wandering the sewers and decided to bring her home." By now, everyone had been alerted into the main room.
"She said she'd explain!" Mike cried.
Venus looked over at Aura, who looked like she wanted to sink into the couch cushions. "I think it's time for her to do so."
Aura nodded and took a deep breath. She took a few seconds to compose her thoughts. "I'm not really sure how to put this."
Raphael stood at the arm of the couch. "Just tell them what you told me, or I'll tell them if you want."
Aura laughed. "No offense Raph, but I think we need a little more tact for this conversation."
Don looked her over. "You know, down here, your color change is a lot more noticeable. Is that a part of it?"
Aura answered, "Yes. I'm going through what we call The Burning. It's part of a female dragon's fertility cycle. It's what drives us to take mates and reproduce."
"Kinda like dragon PMS," Mike quipped. Venus hit the back of his head. "Please continue," she said.
"Well, the Dragon Lord knows, and he wants to take me as his mate. Usually it's the female's choice, but he's so damn controlling. Anyway, it'll be bad news if he does. He'll have a legitimate claim to the throne, and an heir for his evil reign."
"That sucks," Leo said.
"You said it. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but could I stay here? I can't possibly return to my apartment, and I have no place else to go."
"What about where you came from?" Venus said. "You haven't always lived in New York."
"No, but I can't risk travel like this. The Dragon Lord has been unable to find your home, so it was the safest place I could think of."
Raphael gently touched her shoulder. "I'll show you to the guest car."
The others turtles looked shocked at Raphael's sudden bout of hospitality. Splinter nodded. Aura took his hand and let him lead her to the car.
Donnie grinned. "Do you think something's going on between those two?"
"I hope not!" Mike cried.
"He's just being protective. You know how he is," Leo said.
Don snickered. "Sure, Leo. Whatever you say."
Raphael pushed the door open. "You can stay here for as long as you need. If there's anything you need just call me, I mean, any of us."
"Thanks," Aura said, sitting down on the bed. "Right now, I just want to sleep. I won't be any trouble. I'll probably keep to myself."
Raph scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, I'm right next door."
Aura gave him a questioning look as he left her alone. Next door? He put her next to him?
Raphael paused just outside the door. He took one look at the faces of his family and turned into his room.
"Oh, there's something," Don said. "He's not hiding it very well."
"He's not trying to hide it," Leo said. He's trying to deny it.
***
Raphael walked into the kitchen. Mike was there in his kiss-the-chef apron, making lunch, which was something Raph could not identify and was not sure he wanted to.
"Hey," Raphael said as he sat down at the table. A minute later Aura walked in. Raphael tried not to stare but found it nearly impossible. She was wearing some old khakis and a Hawaiian shirt they had lying around. Mike instantly stopped what he was doing.
"What can I do ya for?"
Aura clutched a glass in her hands. "I'd like some more of that drink, please."
"The strawberry-kiwi-lemonade? Coming right up. Whatever you want." He pulled the pitcher out of the refrigerator and filled up her glass.
"Thank you."
Raphael watched the scene with a stab of jealousy. What do I care? he thought. It's not as if she means anything to me.
He clenched his fists as Mike gave her a peck on the cheek. Aura gave an uncomfortable smile and backed away, glancing at Raphael as she did. Raphael watched her leave. Michaelangelo let out a slow whistle. "She's really something, ain't she Raph?"
Mike looked at his brother, who was still staring after Aura's retreating form. "I guess I'm not the only one who thinks so."
***
Venus looked over the top of her book into the kitchen. She watched Aura walk in and ask for a glass of juice. How can she drink that stuff? Venus thought. She turned a deeper shade of green as she watched Mike and Raph's reactions. She mentally chastened herself. Why should I feel jealous of a dragon? She's the enemy. Or is she? Venus felt so confused.
"Hey, Venus."
She looked up at Leonardo. "Hello, Leonardo, back so soon?"
"Yeah, it was kinda quiet." He hid his hands behind his back. "I thought we could go out to a movie. We haven’t taken you to one yet, and I saw a good one playing while I was out."
Venus stood up. "Should we ask the others?" Venus knew the answer by the look on his face.
"No!" He cleared his throat. "I mean, they've already seen it, and it's not something they would enjoy anyway. Um, shall we?" He held out her hand to her and Venus took it. She noticed that Leo was acting strange but shrugged it off as he began to tell her about the movie they'd be seeing.
***
"What do you think Raph?"
"Huh?"
"Earth to Raph! We've been talking about Aura for the last ten minutes. Where've you been?" Michaelangelo waved a hand in front of his brother's face.
Raphael slapped it away. "Shut up."
"I think we hit a nerve," Don said.
"You, too!" Raph stood up.
Venus sighed and looked away. "It would be much easier on all of us if you just did something about it."
Leo looked at Venus in confusion. What did she mean by that?
Raphael growled at her and headed off towards the garage. Venus winced as the cycle was started.
Don took another handful of popcorn. "He didn't say no."
Leo shook his head. "Why does he have to be so difficult?"
"That's just the way he is. Excuse me." Venus stood up and went into her room, closing the door behind her.
"What do you suppose that was about?" Mike asked. Donnie shrugged and stuffed the handful of popcorn in his mouth.
Aura silently slid her door back into place. She sat with her back against it, going over the last ten minutes in her head. As soon as they began discussing her, Raphael had clamed up, when he had been so opinionated about everything else. Venus was quiet too, but she hadn't really been contributing to the conversation.
Aura leaned her head forward and scratched a persistent itch on the back of her shoulder.
***