Quiet Time

Roshelle stared blankly at her two younger sisters as they chatted, rather animatedly, among themselves the details of her wedding.

Yes, her wedding.

A wedding, she was told, is the Earth ceremony in which two are united in marriage, or the societal tie between them, that turns them into inseparable and exclusive lifelong partners.

It sounded nice, to say the least, but truth-be-told they had no such ritual on her planet. Securing a mate on Shellri-La was a simple process: a male would court a female and the female would decide whether or not to accept the male. If not, repeat process with another male. If yes, then it was a done deal. The act of mating was their bond; their binding contract, so to speak. Their populace was a monogamous race; it has been for centuries. Commitment and fidelity were never issues. Thus, there was no need for public proclamations or formalities such as marriage.

But since she and her sisters had paired off with the Earth turtles, it was only appropriate to comply with this tradition.

She sighed and wondered why there seemed to be an endless list of things to be done before a wedding is to take place. Not that she even had to do or think about anything so far, she mused, as it seemed that her sisters were already planning everything for her.

She continued to observe them and wondered how they could go on and on about the preparations while she just sat there, rather annoyed, and wishing that she could be somewhere else.

"Roshelle?"

She snapped out of her reverie and turned her head to face the female seated beside her on the worn-out sofa.

"You seem upset."

The eldest did always seem to know when something was amiss. It was very difficult for any of them to keep secrets from her. But this didn't stop her from trying.

"I'm fine." She said, nonchalantly, her defenses suddenly up.

Her companion eyed her carefully; ready to question her again, but then stopped herself.

"Lori…"

Her attempt at an apology was met with a warm smile. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

A smile curved her mouth as she nodded her thanks. The eldest really did know her well.

Lorishelle idly ran her hand over her abdomen. She was due to lay her egg in a few days time. Leonardo had not been in favor of her teleporting all the way to Earth but even the steadfast king was no match for his queen's persistence.

April invited them to meet up and plan for the wedding the night before. It was a comical scenario, that morning, when Lori told her mate that she was joining her sisters on their sudden interplanetary trip. Note that she *told* him that she was going and not *asked* him if it were all right to go. Needless to say, there was a considerable delay in the schedule because of it. If Master Splinter hadn't intervened and offered to go back with them, Leonardo would have not considered at all.

The indebted Lori promised to make it up to him; but Splinter told her to think nothing of it. He had been looking for a reason to go back and this opportunity presented itself. It has been several months since he or any of his sons last visited the makeshift lair they had made for themselves. Shellri-La was their new home now, but their sewer home on Earth held so many memories that made it difficult to simply let go.

Splinter was probably in his old room, meditating, amidst the noisy chatter.

"They weren't this annoying during your wedding preparations." Rose finally declared, after hearing the youngest suggest that she be painted white after she stumbled upon one of the Japanese wedding traditions in her reading.

Lorishelle laughed. "Actually, they were, but you hardly noticed as you were on their side." She picked-up one of the magazines among the pile that was handed to her earlier, as she spoke, "They seem to enjoy doing this, don't you think?"

Roshelle simply nodded in agreement as she took one of the Earth publications for herself to browse through - anything to distract her.

"Rose."

She turned around to find her lover standing by the entryway. She was just about to motion to him to join them but stopped when she saw the look in his eyes.

"Lori, I…"

"Go."

"What?"

"I said, go." Lori was smiling at her again. "You and Raphael haven't had time alone together in a while."

"But April will be here…"

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind." She paused for a while as if in thought. "I promise to try to keep these manic females at bay so that you still have a say in your own wedding even if you're not around."

And to the eldest goes the award for sister of the year.

Rose took her red-jeweled bracelet off her wrist and handed it to her sister. It was the special piece of jewelry that their father created for them; the one that was fitted with both the hologram projector and tracking device. It was more for the latter reason why she wanted to leave it behind for the meantime. She had that nasty habit of doing so every time she snuck out.

Lori gave her a reluctant gaze before taking the bracelet. She looked over to Raphael and was greeted with a nod. She knew no harm would come to her sister; the ninja just promised her that with the simple gesture.

Roshelle gave her a grateful smile as she stood and left the room.

"Let's get outta here." He said to her.

She nodded and took his hand as he guided her out of the lair and through the maze-like corridors of New York City's sewer system.

They walked in silence with his grip on her secure. She looked around her, though not really noticing where they were going or how long they have been moving. She snapped out of her trance only after he let her go. Rose had no idea where they were. Everything in the underground looked the same to her; she often wondered how the mutant turtles managed to get around without getting lost or confused.

"Get in."

She stared at him, uncertain if she had heard his command right.

"Get in." he said, yet again, as he motioned with his head towards the direction of a dark tunnel.

He held in his hand a wide piece of wood with nails sticking out at both ends. It was apparently one of those that was used to board up the mouth of the said tunnel.

"Just be careful not to snag your robe." He told her as she slowly maneuvered herself through the remaining planks attached to the entryway.

She stood still a few steps from the entrance and watched him crouch forward as he made his way inside. The tunnel was not so low that she had to bend down herself; the top was high enough for her to stand comfortably straight, but not so much for Raphael who towered over her petite frame.

With a slight bend of his knees he pulled towards him the plank he had in his hand and secured it in its place; masking the way they entered as impassable. He straightened his knees but crouched once again before he took her hand and led her further into the tunnel, unbothered by the fact that there was less light ahead of them than from where they came.

The darkness that soon enveloped them made her uneasy; and not knowing what to expect made her even more so.

Yes, the Shellri-Lan Queen's bodyguard was afraid.

Raphael was not known to be the most sensitive when it came to others' sentiments. But soon after he met the alien turtle that was to become his mate that perception of him changed: he now had someone he could easily read and would willingly adjust his temperament for.

He squeezed her hand as he continued to trudge forward, knowing of his companion's plight even if she didn't speak. "Just a little further."

She nodded even if she knew that he couldn't see her. She tightened her hold on him, still scared, and he spoke again. "Don't you worry, Rose, I'm right here."

A short while later, they stopped walking. She was bothered that he might need to let go of her hand but was appeased when he didn't. Rose felt his body jerk a bit before she heard a creaking sound.

He pushed the panel in front of him, opening almost immediately, albeit noisily. He tugged at her gently, moving forward once again. He reached out with his free hand, searching for a switch on the wall at his side.

The dark was dispersed instantly as the small bulb was brought to life.

She winced at the sudden change in illumination; her eyes taking time to adjust.

He had let go of her knowing that she can be left on her own now that she can see.

She did a quick scan around her, still blinking several times so that her eyes could focus. It was a small, bricked room, she noted, with barely a few essentials inside. And by essentials: a worn-out punching bag that hung at the back corner, a rectangular mat that covered only a small part of the floor space, a bean bag at the back corner opposite of the punching bag with a stack of magazines right beside it and a small pile of workout wraps and towels in another corner. She looked behind her and finally noticed the door that they came through.

"An abandoned equipment room." He said, as she turned to face him. He was standing normally now, the height difference between inside and outside quite evident. "Found this place years back and decided to make it my own." He offered a smile. "I know it ain't much, but it works."

"I don't understand."

"What, this? It's my home away from home. I hang around here when I just wanna be on my own."

"You mean all those times when your family didn't know where you were?"

"I was here, letting off steam." He paused then corrected himself. "Well, most of the time."

She looked at him, the surprised expression on her face unchanging.

"What? You think I go around the city every night playin' some masked vigilante or somethin'?"

"That's what Mikey…"

"Mikey," he jumped-in, with a laugh, "and you believe him?"

"Well, nobody knows where you go…"

"Now YOU do." He said, finality in his tone. "You know what it's like to wanna get away for a while, right?"

She did. Her lifestyle may contradict it but she was the princess that craved alone time much more than any one from her family. It was one of the traits she and Raphael had in common.

"Hey, I cleaned up for you." a slight tease in his voice. "You don't wanna know how messed up it was before I decided to bring you over. "

Interesting how males say they cleaned-up when all they really do is shove most of the clutter and dirt into one corner of the room and not even make too much of an effort to actually cover it up.

"You don't seem to mind getting all muddied-up when you work in your garden." He said, as he lowered himself onto the padded mat. He sat, cross-legged, with the bottom-half of his legs folded towards the body and his feet tucked under his knees. "But I figured you'd get all girly on me and refuse to sit on the floor, so here." He patted his lap. "Sit on me."

This was most certainly not the first time that she was to find herself in that position with him but it didn't stop the blood from rushing to her cheeks at the thought of such close contact.

Raphael was a rather wide male; with a greater part of his unshelled bulk covered in rock-hard muscles - and that included his legs.

She stood before him wondering how to proceed. This was often the part she found awkward: finding that comfortable, decent position she could put herself in while sitting on him.

But then again, this was Raph she was taking about… the one who openly admitted to her that he often had indecent thoughts of her especially when they were together, alone.

She finally found herself facing him with both her legs on each side of his. Not the most modest of positions but straddling him was the more agreeable that she knew. Besides, with this, they could talk. He stretched his legs out from under her; mirroring her.

"Ain't this nice?" he asked. "Just you, me and some quiet."

She nodded as she laid her hands on his broad shoulders and leisurely slid them upwards towards his collarbone, then back to the end of his shoulders. "The attention is rather overwhelming." She finally spoke, with a heavy sigh.

"And that's coming from someone who's used to be fussed over." He said. "Ain't you the one who keeps sayin', 'one of the disadvantages of being royalty?'"

"Yes, but, it doesn't make it any less annoying." She said in her defense.

"You don't seem too happy about all this." He guessed as he tried to read the downcast expression on her face.

She sighed again. "Just the attention, really." She met his eyes. "Please do not think that I do not want to marry you. I know how much this ceremony means to you and your family and I respect that."

He chuckled, to her surprise. "Hey, I never saw myself as the marrying kind. My bros and I thought we'd die as bachelors." He poked her nose. "Then you girls came along."

She finally smiled at this. "It was the same for me and my sisters."

They sat in silence for while; content and unruffled even with the loud rumbling from the subway invading their peace every several minutes or so.

But even a turtle disciplined in an art that practices patience cannot be expected to be idle for so long.

Raphael cupped her face with his large hands and started to caress her cheeks gently with his two long fingers while his thumb rested just above her chin.

Roshelle felt blood rush to her cheeks once again.

This specific action was innate to his kind: the red-eared sliders - something her sister Darishelle explained to her a few Earth years back. It was something all four of the brothers did to their respective females several months into their relationships.

She knew what he was trying to do.

Or was trying to get her to do.

Until he stopped and gave her a mischievous grin.

"We can save that for later. Though I dunno why I'd even consider that." He said, as if thinking out loud.

He laughed when he saw the confused and disgruntled look on her face. "There's another reason why I brought you here. You know, aside from wantin' you all for myself."

His hands slid away from her face and one of them reached behind his shell. "You must've heard that wedding proposals come with engagement rings, like Leo did with Lori. I didn't get you nothin' and thought you might give me shit for it..." He revealed a small velvet pouch to her. "… so I got you somethin'."

He nodded for her to open it when she took it from him.

Inside was a small pendant: a carved, red rose in the middle of a silver heart.

"I'm not very good with words like you are. So it didn't come with a pretty poem or a mushy speech. All I really just wanted for you to know is that I love you and I would want for no one else to be my mate."

"It's beautiful." she choked-out, trying to keep her voice steady, but failing miserably as tears fell freely from her eyes.

He took the pendant from her and despite his shaking hands, managed to undo the small clasp of the silver necklace. She leaned forward so that he could reach behind her neck and secure the chain in place.

Roshelle sniffed hard as she finally got herself to stop crying, but was still filled with blissful emotions. For one thing, she was amazed that he would actually bother to search for such a charming gift. For another, she was not expecting anything at all. Again, the Earth tradition of offering a ring is a sweet gesture, but she didn't think it was necessary.

She was not even particularly fond of jewelry.

But she will make an exception.

"You do realize that I already am, by Shellri-Lan customs, your mate."

"Yeah." He grinned as his hands slid down to her waist and brusquely pulled her closer to him. "Though tying the knot would make it official here on Earth, too."

"Funny," she said, her voice suddenly hushed. "I never took you as one who wanted that kind of security."

"You're muh red Rose. And I'm not taking any chances."

"Afraid that I would change my mind?"

"Yes."

The candid reply caught her by surprise. He was certainly not one to admit such things. She gave him a kiss; a quick peck on the nose before offering him a smile.

"Well, you're unfortunately stuck with me for the rest of your life then."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, princess."

"Do you really love me that much?"

Raphael cupped her face with both his hands once again, as he did earlier, before he answered, "I do."

Author's Notes:

Hi!

This story is for my friend (as she is known on Deviant Art), Prefight-DONUT

I was inspired by her idea. She may not remember it since it *has* been a little over two years (I know, right?), but yes, pretty lady, YOU!It was after you finished the sweet and sexy commish of Raph and my OC, Rose. She was the one who thought of putting them in a secret getaway; a place where Raph runs off to when he wants to be alone.

This also references to something I stumbled upon about red-eared sliders' mating habits: The male swims toward the female and flutters or vibrates the back side of his long claws on and around her face and head. My hyperactive imagination took it from there. So yes, this bit of trivia is a spoiler of sorts; because if you read carefully, there's that certain idea floating around in the story somewhere.

Now, on Raphael's accent: Good grief! I know there are inconsistencies in this piece, but it's really hard. I just couldn't resist trying anyway. I can only hope that I didn't murder it… much.

Truth be told, I intended for another story of Raph and Rose to be posted first ^^; It explains/explores Rose's background more, and I must admit, it's another I.O.U. to Prefight-DONUT. And that story, again, is inspired by one of her ideas ;p Should my muse decide to stay with me until we finish it, then I just might have it out sometime...

Oh well.

It has been a while, so I hope it's not too bad