Sliver stepped out of the kitchen with the kettle of hot water in one hand and two clean tea cups in the other. She paused when she saw Raphael carrying Donna’s Koto into his room while Tello carried a few of his personal belongings in to the room Leah was supposed to be sharing with Donna.
Not quite sure how she felt about it yet, Sliver decided to continue on her way to the dojo to discuss it with Splinter. Together they would make a decision.
It was no longer just Sliver’s decision to make. That was the biggest adjustment for her. For a little over seventeen years she had been a single parent of four girls. Now she is part of a parenting team and the number of children had more than doubled. It was best for everyone if Splinter and Sliver presented a united front in all things. So, all matters were discussed at length before any decisions were made.
Sliver entered the dojo and made her way to the small table that Splinter had made ready. They set aside time together every day to drink tea and discuss important family matters, like what she had witnessed are her way here.
She placed the tea pot and cups on the table. “It appears that Donna has decided to give Raphael a chance.”
Splinter paused as he was preparing to scoop some matcha powder into one of the cups. “What brought you to that conclusion?” he asked as he continued to carefully measure out the needed amount of the green tea powder.
“The fact that she is moving into his room,” Sliver replied, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice as she poured water into one of the matcha filled cups.
“Oh?” Splinter picked up the chasen and began to whisk his tea. She could tell that he was attempting to hide his smile.
“Did they discuss this with you?” she asked as she whisked her own tea.
Splinter shook his head. “They did not. They must have assumed that, since we allowed Rachael to move in with Leonardo and for Michelle to share a room with Michelangelo that it would be alright.”
Sliver brought her cup up to her nose so that she could inhale the aroma. It helped to calm her nerves. One benefit of having human friends was the ability to obtain such delicacies. She had gone so long without being able to indulge in something as simple as a well-prepared cup of tea. “So, we are alright with this turn of events?” she asked before taking a sip.
“It was bound to happen eventually,” Splinter said. “We can reprimand them later for making such a move without discussing it with us first but I can see no reason to not allow it.”
“I worry about Raphael,” Sliver pointed out. “I am not sure of Donna’s reasons.”
Splinter’s ears drooped as he nodded his head. “If she is with him out of pity….”
“You and I know how such things turn out.” Sliver sighed. “I will discuss it with her. The last thing I want is to see Raphael hurt further from Donna’s good intentions.”
“And I will speak with Raphael,” Splinter said, keeping his eyes downcast as they filled with worry. The momentary joy he felt had faded over the prospect of how things might be.
“With these new turn of events, I have a feeling that Rachael will not be the only one with fertile eggs come Spring,” Sliver said, wanting to lighten the mood.
That drew a soft chuckle out of Splinter. “My sons will all make wonderful fathers.”
“They have a good role model. I know you are overjoyed that your sons have found love,” Sliver stated, setting her tea down on the table, “but they are too young to be starting families. They should take the time to enjoy simply being with one another.”
Splinter nodded his head in agreement. “What happened between Leonardo and Rachael cannot be undone. The others will take precautions. The best we can do now is support them. To try to keep them from being physical with one another at this point would be an exercise in futility.”
“I remember what it was like to be young and in love,” Sliver admitted, smiling to herself as she lost herself to the memory. “I was only eighteen when I married.” She looked up and saw a warm smile on Splinter’s face. “Have you ever been in love?”
Splinter shook his head. “Not romantically. I was a young rat when I was taken in as a pet by my Master Yoshi. I witnessed his love for Shen and it brought me joy. After my master’s death, I was too heartbroken to do anything other than wander and kept my distance from other rats. After we were mutated, my focus was on the boys.”
“If I may?” Sliver casually asked, waiting for Splinter to nod before continuing. “Why is it that you have not expressed an interest in me?”
“It never occurred to me,” Splinter answered honestly. “I had given up on the prospect of ever finding a partner and suppressed the desire a long time ago. Besides that, I would not presume that a courtship would be welcome. Aside from the fact that I am considerably older, you were once human and so are not naturally inclined to be attracted to a rat.”
“Oh.” Sliver lifted her cup to her lips and took a sip. After savoring the delectable blend of bitter and sweet, she set her cup down again. “I would not object,” she said as a matter of fact.
“I am not your only option,” Splinter pointed out. “If it is companionship you seek, there are younger mutated men within the ranks of the Foot who would find you attractive.”
“I enjoy your company,” Sliver countered before taking another sip.
Looking down in thought, a brief smile spread across Splinter’s face but it soon faded. “It would not be fair to you. I am old.”
Sliver reached out to grab Splinter’s hand. “The attraction I feel for you looks past the physical. I have found a kindred spirit in you and I look forward to the times we set aside to spend together.”
“As do I,” Splinter admitted.
“Then why don’t we open this up and see how far it goes,” Sliver proposed.
Smiling, Splinter looked her in the eyes. “I would like that.”
….
Donna placed the small box containing her few possessions on the floor and then looked around the room. Raph’s hammock was in the middle, covered in blankets and pillows. It was large and looked relatively new as opposed to something he had found at the junk yard.
There were free weights in the corner along with a bench. The pack-and-play for Snow was pushed against the wall closest to the hammock. A small table sat next to it with a children’s night lamp on it and Disney Princess wall clings decorated the wall above it. Storage containers were stacked in various spots throughout the room, probably containing clothes and other items Raph had collected over the years.
This was happening, Donna thought to herself. Raph wasn’t what she had first expected him to be. Maybe if she took the time to really get to know him, she might actually love him. Only time will tell. At least the idea of being with him was no longer a dreadful thing.
“We can put one of the tatami over here,” Raph said, pointing to a relatively clear area. “I can move some things around, give you your own area that you can do anything you want to.”
“Where did Tello sleep?” Donna asked, noting that there was only the hammock. “Did he move his tatami to the room he’s gonna share with Leah?”
“He slept in the hammock with me,” Raph replied. “He was having nightmares when he first got here. Having someone to sleep next to helped with that.”
Donna looked the hammock over and shrugged. “It’s big enough. Can’t I just sleep next to you?”
Raph’s skin darkened as he stammered for a moment before managing to answer. “You don’t have to… I mean I know you don’t….”
“It’s okay,” Donna said, cutting him off. “We’re together now, so I might as well.”
“Whatever you want,” Raph said with a slight nod of his head.
“I want this to work,” Donna said in all honesty. She also wanted to help him but she didn’t know yet how she was going to broach the subject. She wanted to know the real him, who he was before he was broken. She saw a glimpse of him earlier that day, the cocky and brazen personality that was hidden beneath the shattered surface.
“So do I,” Raph said, walking over to her. She could see that the more she opened up to him, the more he opened up to her. “I’m terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing. I feel like I’m on thin ice.”
“Oh.” Donna felt her heart sink a little. “I don’t mean to make you feel that way. This isn’t a, one mistake and I’m done, kind of thing. I want you to act the way that you would if you though this was a sure thing.”
“Really?” A cocky smile played across Raph’s lips but didn’t linger. “You sure?”
Donna nodded and that was all that was needed for Raph to gain the confidence to pull her into a kiss. Her lips parted and he deepened the kiss, twisting his tongue around hers. The kiss alone was enough to make Donna’s head spin but then Raph started to rake his fingers along her carapace. She understood in that moment how her sisters could fall so quickly into his brothers’ beds. She would have willingly parted her legs for him.
A knock at the open door had them hastily parting. Donna was so worked up that she was willing to bite the head off of whoever had interrupted them but then she saw that it was her mother standing in doorway and all of that hormonal rage fell away.
“Mother?” Donna was already flushed from the kiss but the embarrassment of being caught made her face feel like it was on fire.
“I would like to talk to you,” Sliver said in a calm voice. “Come with me.”
Donna followed her mother without hesitation. As they left the room, Splinter stepped inside. She heard Raphael acknowledge his father as she made her way up the stairs.
Sliver led Donna to the dojo and then back into her room. Donna’s heart pounded as she knelt on the floor. Sliver was hard to read, so Donna couldn’t tell if she was angry or not. Whatever her mother was feeling, Donna was about to find out.
“Whose idea was this move and why did you not clear it with either me or Splinter?” Sliver’s voice held an air of accusation.
“It was my idea,” Donna confessed. “I figured that since Leah and Tello were together that they would want to share a room. I thought it would be okay since you let Rachael move in with Leo and Michelle move in with Mikey.”
“Splinter assumed as much. I would have preferred that you ask us first,” Sliver stated.
“I’m sorry,” Donna said, looking down at the ground.
“More importantly,” Sliver sighed, “are you alright?”
“Yes,” Donna answered as she looked up at her mother. Why would she feel the need to ask that?
“This is something you want?” There was concern in Sliver’s voice and it started to make sense. Donna nodded in response and Sliver started to pace. “I want you to be sure. I would hate for you to feel pressured into doing something you do not want to do. Though I know it would not be your intention, I do not want to see Raphael hurt as a result. He has been through enough.” She stopped pacing and looked Donna in the eyes. “Don’t do this unless you are absolutely sure.”
“I won’t hurt him,” Donna insisted as her eyes filled with tears. It hurt a little that, in a way, she was being seen as the bad guy. “I don’t hold a torch for Leo and I have no desire to be with Mikey, Donny, or Tello. I don’t hate the idea of being with Raph. There are things about him that I do like. This whole thing was my idea.”
“You are a nurturer, Donna, and I know you are willing to set your own feelings aside to help others. If you’re with him out of pity or because you have resigned yourself to the relationship, he will feel it.” Sliver knelt down in front of Donna and reached out to grab both of her hands. “In the end, that will hurt him more than simply rejecting him.”
“That’s not what’s happening,” Donna maintained her conviction.
“Alright,” Sliver said as she stood. “As long as you’re sure. You may go.”
Donna wasn’t convinced that her mother believed her but she didn’t want to argue with her about it either. If she was honest with herself, she wasn’t sure she believed what she was saying. “Thank you, mother,” Donna said, bowing her head before standing. She was going to have to prove herself by actions.
As she left Sliver’s room, she saw Splinter setting up his area to meditate. Whatever he had to say to Raphael must have been just as concise as Sliver’s lecture.
She made her way back to the bedroom and, when she entered, saw a tatami on the floor. Raphael was in the corner, lifting large free weights. Splinter’s words must have nourished the seed of doubt that was planted in Raph’s head.
“Why is the tatami there?” Donna asked as she closed the door. “I thought I was going to sleep in the hammock with you. Why did you change your mind?” She had a feeling that she already knew the answer but she wanted to hear him say it.
“It’d be better…,” Raph mumbled, keeping his back to her. “You’re here because you think it’s me or nothing. I know… you don’t… love me…. It’d be better that you don’t sleep in the hammock with me until you do.”
“Fair enough,” Donna choked out. Her chest felt tight. She hated the fact that she was causing someone so much pain. “But if you want me to fall in love with you then you can’t keep moping around. We need to spend time together. Remember, we’re treating this like it’s a sure thing.”
“But it’s not,” Raph pointed out. “You have other options. You could end up falling for one of the mutated Foot soldiers.”
“I’ve met all of them,” Donna countered. “I’m not interested.”
“I can’t give you kids,” Raph said in an attempt to give her another reason to leave.
Donna shrugged and waved it off. “My sisters will have plenty. Before we know it, we’ll be up to our eyeballs in kids. They don’t need me contributing to that mess.”
“I’m a mess,” Raph said, his voice raw with emotion. “You deserve better.”
“Then be better,” she challenged him. Determined, she made her way across the room to stand in front of him. Her heart pounded in her chest, she wasn’t used to being so bold but she wanted him to look at her. “I know you’re afraid of being hurt again but at least try.”
“I want to be but I’m addicted to pain pills,” Raph blurted out. “I’m broken.” His one good eye filled with tears as he waited for her to react. He looked as if he was expecting her to run for the door.
Caught off guard, Donna didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t expecting him to confess. Part of her knew that he did because he was testing her resolve and he desperately wanted help. When she didn’t say anything, Raph continued. “I’ve tried to quit but I get sick whenever I don’t take them and I don’t want my family to know. I’m too ashamed.”
“I won’t tell them,” Donna heard herself promising. She was so overwhelmed that she felt numb and her mind was on autopilot. “We’ll figure something out.”
A look of relief washed over Raph’s face as he fell to his knees. “Thank you.”
