Chapter Seven:
Love Hurts

	Sleep hadn't come to Raph, instead he just lay there looking up at the ceiling, fuming. The words echoing in his heavy head. Not only Li Jing words, but his own as well. Chastising and harsh, the words slowly picked apart whatever confidence he had in this whirlwind romance that he wanted so badly. The images of Splinter and his brothers teasing him about being gay. About being a rejected loser. The emotional punishing had gotten so bad at one point that Raph had to keep himself from calling out, stop.
	There was something else that played across his mind. The lights in Li Jing's bedroom hadn't come on, not once since they last spoke three hours ago. Wherever he was, Raph was starting to get worried. It was a selfish thing, he'd done. Springing such a heavy request on Li Jing the last night he was going to be in New York. The last night they were going to be together. That thought stuck in his head, adding guilt to the already copious pile of hurt feeling swimming around inside of him.
	Raph hadn't wanted it to be this way. He wanted to spend every last minute with Li Jing. Instead he lay in his bedroll, letting his hurt feelings fester that could be dispersed by just holding Li Jing in his arms. They didn't even need to talk to one another. Just to feel the young man's body against him.
	“There is still time.” Raph said, his voice was loud in the room. “You gotta fix this, you idiot.”
	Raph got up from the bedroll on the floor. The aches and pains from his training earlier, slowed his progress at first. The more steps he took, the more his muscles relaxed. Which he was thankful for. He had to work fast to find Li Jing. 
	The first place Raph checked was Li Jing's bedroom. As he had suspected, Li Jing wasn't in there and from the look of the neatly folded pajamas at the foot of the untouched bed, he hadn't been in their all night. Raph stepped out into the dark hallway. The door to the bathing room was wide open. It was dark inside. Even the room with the toilet was empty. A quick search revealed that the whole apartment was dark and empty. Had Li Jing and his father left already? Now that he thought of it, he hadn't heard a peep from anyone for the last couple hours. Raph was running out of option. Maybe Li Jing was on the roof. He said he like to go up there when he wanted to blowing off some steam. Or maybe he was down in the garage with his father, getting it loaded up for the trip to the airport in the morning. All he knew was if they had left already, then he missed his chance.
	Before Raph left the apartment, he went back to his room to gather his stuff. His sais were under Li Jing's bed as he had said they would be. Then he gathered the book, a gift that Li Jing had given him, from beside his bedroom. Even with time running out, he still had a brief moment to look at the worn leather cover. The precious gift that Li Jing promised to come back and get. But would he really come back now that Raph had acted so terrible towards him. Raph didn't want to think about that last part. When he left the apartment for the elevator, he just hoped that Li Jing was still in the building.
	“Come on, please. Let my luck be good, just this once.” Raph sighed, the doors closing him into the confines of the elevator.
	When the door opened onto the roof, there was nothing to greet him. The only light was coming from the red beckons surrounding the helicopter landing pad. Cold wind whipping harshly against his skin, filling the elevator compartment. Raph swallowed hard. Even though there was still one more place he had to check. The thought that Li Jing was gone, had already set in. Whatever feeling of happiness left in him, was fading fast. Raph took a deep breath and pushed the button for the garage. 
	An image of Li Jing, in the garage with his father, played across his mind. What he actually saw when the elevator doors opened, was even more puzzling. There were large stacks of boxes laying around the large empty garage. The sounds of mumbling and shifting of boxes echoed off of the brick walls. The dim florescent lights overhead cast a pale glow over everything. Raph was having a difficult time getting a good look at what was going on. What the hell was going on?
	When Raph approached a pile of boxes, there were several red Hanzi printed on the side of each box. Underneath each of them was written 'To: Hong Kong' in black. Raph's first thought was that Li Jing's family had packed, permanently moving back to China. His heart fluttered, the need to fix this was more dire then before. He still had time to to make things right.
	Raph ran out from behind the stack of boxes and came to a sliding stop at the back of one of the trucks. He gave the large room another once over. Raph was surrounded by shadowy figures dressed in brown ninja attire. Just like the ones from the other night. But now that they were in some semblance of light, he got a better look at them. The gold trimmed markings on their clothes mimicked the Hanzi that were printed on the sides of the trucks and the boxes. They must have followed Li Jing's dad back to this point and were stealing from home as retaliation for getting involved. Raph had lost count at twenty of them as they started moving in on his position. Some of them continued to work on loading the van, while the others moved in to attack.	
	Raph drew his sais and struck a stance. “I'm not going to let you rob my friends.”
	Several of the ninjas that were moving in on him, paused and exchanged looks at one another. With their faces covered. It was impossible to convey what they were thinking. Some of them cringed in response, others just shrugged, and started moving in. There was no way Raph was going to be able to win this, but he couldn't just stand by and let these ninjas rob Li Jing.
	The first wave came in three, like a cliched martial arts movie. They were small, light, and agile, almost faster than Raph could handle in his still injured state. The first one reached him. His fighting style sloppy, but strong. Raph blocked and rolled under his arms. A good solid kick to the back of the ninja's legs, sent him to his knees. Raph threw an elbow back to block a punch from one of the other contenders. The he followed through with a solid punch the first one's face. His nose crunched easy under the force of the punch.
	Raph turned his attention back to the other attacker, who was nursing his injured hand. He grabbed him around the neck and pulled him hard into a rising knee. Raph could hear the sound of the air leaving the ninja, the force of hit sending him down and out. The third attacker, blindsided Raph with a solid punch to his chin. Raph staggered a step, before following through with a stomping front kick. The kick sent it's target flying through the air, into a stack of boxes that crumbled around him. Raph reached up and touched a warm spot on his lip. It was swollen from where he'd bit it during the punch.
	“Is this all you got? You bitches were lucky I was so sleepy last time. Let's see what you can do against me while I'm wide awake.” Raph snicked, readying himself for another wave.
	Three more joined the fray. This time their attacks were more choreographed. Raph blocked a hit, only to take another. He rolled to avoid one kick, only to run into another. There was no way he was going to be able to defend against this wave of attacks. He needed to be more offensive.
	Raph lunged forward wrapping his arm around one of the ninja's necks, using him as a shield. Taking the opening as they came. A rib shot to one, a knee stomp to the other. Raph did a quick round house punch, using the sai in his hand as a hammer to punch the ninja down. With every ounce of strength he had, he threw his human shield at the other attacker, following it up with a heavy roundhouse kick. Sending the two sprawling out on the floor together.
	“You two make a cute couple. Remember to bring protection.” Raph cackled, his smile fading when he turned around to see the remainder of the ninjas gathered around him.
	“One, two, three...” Raph counted quietly to himself, using the tip of his sai to point at each one. “Thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen. Not too shabby, you should have brought more though.”
	A demonic smile crept across his lips, his pupils dilating. The ninjas didn't wait to attack one at a time, or three at a time. It was all at once. The onslaught became a blur of punches, kicks, even headbutts. Raph covered his face and crouched down into the mass, trying to move his way through the group. It was no good, all he got for his effort was a few stomps and side kicks, glancing blows mostly. Using all the strength in his legs and pushed away from the ground. In his mind he pictured them all flying off of him, like some martial art movie. In truth it only shook off a few of them, but they were quickly replaced by others waiting to join the fight. He squirmed and fought, but couldn't catch his breath. With all the bodies around him the air was growing and stale.
	Raph vision was already swirling from lack of oxygen. He fought against the torrent of hands and feet pummeling him. Panic was setting in when he couldn't swim free. Then came a heavy hit to the back of his head. His vision going black for a second. Raph was down, curling into a fetal position. Then he was weightless again. Cold air came rushing in around him, prickling his hot skin. He tried to swallow a gulp of fresh air, but nothing happened. There was an impossibly large hand around his neck, choking out what life he had left in him.
	Holding him by his neck was a man of very large stature, much like a bear. At first Raph thought that he might be a mutant bear, but the smooth skin on the large biceps told him otherwise. Raph was suspended off the ground by at least four feet. One almond shape eye glared through the gap in his face wrap, burning into his soul. The other eye covered by a decorative patch. That was all he could take in before Raph's vision started going black.
	There was one last thing he could do. Raph kicked both legs out hard, hitting the giant man under the chin. The man fell back a few steps, but didn't let go. Instead unimaginable strength and force, he hammered Raph into the wall of truck several times. Then in a full rush Raph was air born, the hand was still tight around his neck. When he came down, it was hard on the hood of a car. The metal folding around his weight and the force. For a moment he thought he heard his shell crack, but could tell over the pounding of his heart.
	A voice cried from the gathered crowd. A small ninja forced his way through, running up to the giant man who was still strangling Raph. The small hand worked to pry the giant hand free. It has worked, impossible Raph tried to reason with what brain function he could still muster. The little ninja pulled Raph from the hood of the car onto the pavement. Raph was relieved that he could breath again, and the the pavement was cool against his hot skin.
	The large man's deep voice rolled from behind the mask. His words were unknown to Raph. Sounding more like gibberish, a made up dialect. The little ninja responded, his tone was familiar. Raph could feel the little ninja wrap his arms tightly around Raph's shoulders. What was he doing? Raph wondered vaguely. When the little ninja rose one of his sais, it became obvious. The little ninja was protecting him.
	All Raph knew now was his head and body were hurting, and the ringing in his ears was annoying. The dry scratchy feeling in his throat didn't help matters any. Then there was a blade of light across him. All the ninja turned towards it and started scrambling. Familiar voices echoed in the large room, echoed in Raph's head. Another turtle passed over him, twin katanas slicing through the air. Then another turtle bounding from the top of the car that Raph had been smashed on. This turtle was screaming and swinging around a bladed chain. Then he was gone, off to battle no doubt. Lastly another appeared. This one was staring down at him. Reddish brown eyes peering through a purple bandanna, a small gap in his teeth. Donnie, Raph thought, watching as his brother grabbed the little ninja trying to pull him away.
	“Leave him!” Raph said, or had tried to say, either way Donnie must have heard him because  he went off to fight.
	“You're going to be okay Raph.” The little ninja said, the voice was definitely familiar.
	Raph reached up and pulled the hood from over the little ninja's head. Sleep black hair fell down over his face. Li Jing stared down at him, his eyes cold and in control of his emotions. Raph however was not. There was a pain deep inside his chest. His mind snapped back from it leisure swim through the pain that pulsed through his body.
	“You...lied to me!” Raph croaked out, a hand touching his throat.
	“I'm sorry, I tried to keep you safe. I tried to keep you from knowing.” Li Jing let go of Raph, the clatter of a sai against the pavement preceded him scooting away, there was fear in his eyes.
	Afraid! As he should be Raph thought, fighting to get to his feet. “Shut up! You lied...to me...how could you? I...I trusted you.”
	The words were falling from his lips in a voice he couldn't even recognize as his own. They dripped with the acid manifested from his hatred. Li Jing got to his feet and backed away. Raph was up now following at a slow step. Weakly he clutched his right arm to his stomach. Broken, maybe. It didn't matter, he would still use it to break Li Jing neck. Break him for making Raph love him. Destroy him for making Raph believe that they could be together. End him for making Raph believe that there was a happy ending for the freak show that he was.
	A large arm wrapped around Li Jing's waist, pulling him away before Raph could reach him. The hulking ninja was retreating to the back of one of the trucks as it pulling away at a slow pace. Raph pushed himself to move faster. He couldn't let Li Jing escape.
	“I...I loved you!” Raph cried, his hot tears rolling down his face, joining the river of blood that came from the wound on his forehead.
	“We...were, suppose to be together.” Raph words were coming as a crazy rants, each faltering step he took threatened to throw him onto the floor.
	Then like a lightening bolt through his heart. Li Jing's tear filled eyes met his. “Please don't leave me.” Raph cried, his voice ear piercingly loud.
	Then there was a warm hand across his lips, a strong arm wrapped around him, warm breath at his ear. “Shh, don't say another word. I've got you now.”
	It was Leo. Leo had him, holding him close, he was protecting him from looking like a desperate fool. The hand across Raph's lips, protecting him from losing any more face in front of his brother, than he already had. Raph sniffled hard, pulling away from Leo's hand that was across his mouth. Only to bury his face into Leo's neck instead. Leo wrapped his other arm around Raph, comforting him in this time of need. No doubt Leo had heard the confessions, judging by Leo's quick reaction the other's hadn't heard yet. Good 'ol Leonardo, he's always there for me. Raph thought. It hurt to think. Raph's head was growing heavy. His vision went swimming again, leaving behind a big 'Gone Fishing' sign.
	With the truck gone and the ninja's down, Leo picked up his sword and sheathed it. “Alright team, we gotta get Raph back home. He needs some first aid.”
	“I need that!” Raph said, his voice nothing more then a mumble.
	“I know buddy, we'll get you taken care of.” Leo whispered against the side of Raph's head.
	“No, I need that.” He chocked out louder this time.
	Raph couldn't be sure if his voice was wrecked from the tears, or the strangulation. All he knew was it hurt to talk, but this was important enough to endure the pain. He pushed against Leo trying to get him to take notice of what he was trying to point to.
	“What is it?” Leo grunted and turned.
	On the ground was a book. Not just any book, but the gift Li Jing had given him. Raph pointed down at it, but didn't dare speak again. Leo knew better than to ask. Obviously the book was important to Raph, that was good enough for him. Leo flipped his head, directing Donnie to pick it up. Once it was safely in his brother's hands. Raph could rest easy. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Li Jing looking back at him.